[ viren agrees with that assessment, biting as it is. those kings and queens don't belong on their thrones if they won't act. he's already showed them his ire, calling them cowards to their faces - he knows to temper his reaction outside the circumstances of that ... little outburst. ]
Yes. If they weren't contented to hide behind Katolis ... I would think they would be expected to show their grit on the battlefield, their willingness towards sacrifice.
[ —kings and queens and princesses and princes being expected to take up arms doesn't lend itself very well to their survival, but that's just how it be where he's from. ah, well. ]
It is, yes. Dragons and elves! [ he peers at eren, then. ] Am I presume elves are not common to your world, either?
[ mmm hold on, he has to recall that in the vast memory library. if he’s not wrong, . ]
Only in story books. Back home, there’re only humans. [ a pause, then. ] Or Eldians. [ he also bets he knows the answer, or at least the gist of the answer. no war story is twisting it different than the other. ] What did they do?
[ he does want elaboration, as evinced by his tone. admittedly, this is quite the place to have a conversation; he's going to nod to a table that's near, inviting the other dragon to join him there.
and finally, an eyebrow raises; even if he just asked a question, there's a follow-up to it— ]
How do you mean, what did they do? You mean, what was done to initially spark our animosity?
[ sitting isn’t off his list, though. might even be best, and before they do for good, he’s quick to grab another cup, full and sparkling, to elaborate and correlate. ]
The potential Eldians have to turn into giants is what brings the whole world to hate and exploit. The only thing we did was take our birthright. Being born. [ that’s his side of the story, as an eldian who’s now plenty aware of what awaits him. unlike his colleagues, his dear ones, and the people of paradis who never even knew, like him one day. he takes a sour toss at his drink, and there is not hate to offer his opposing side of his war— just a deep, deep dysphoria, both in the gaze in his eyes and his words. ] For whatever story twisted out of proportion.
[ if he hadn't already been exposed to the incredible here (or, weren't more accustomed to the fantastical back home, also), viren would have to backtrack through that sentence - did he just admit to being an eldian, and that potential?
huh. viren's eyebrows have arched, eyes momentarily widened in astonishment, perhaps leaning forward a bit in his seat as he listens. there's only intrigue to his expression, but conscious of keeping it polite, rather than looking at the man like he's some sort of... err, specimen. (it does sound dangerous, if -- cool). ]
I ... see. [ responded carefully. he would be lying to himself, to say that he absolutely didn't understand how the average human wouldn't fear something like that, to come to hate it, or to use. a hand lifts to stroke his beard, and he leans back in his chair. ] Then you would understand it, to an extent.
[ he did say as much, anyway, to a broader extent -- that a world has to be exempt from that typ of division. viren hasn't an issue, answering honestly (but yes, as is also his perspective): ]
Humans... are not beings of magic; we have no connection to any natural, magical source, called a "primal" source. [ a frown tugs at his mouth. ] But elves and dragons, they are. We were never viewed as equals and thus suffered for it.
But a human discovered a method in which we might share in that power — we rose up, and the dragons and elves retaliated by forcibly removing every human from their land, and then to divide the content in two.
[ humans on one side - dragons, elves, all other creatures on the other. ]
This was hundreds of years ago, yes, but tensions never quite eased.
[ eren nods; he understand both sides, but to him, which was more important? which did he want to live on? his, of course. interest is held between both of them, eren can see it in the older man’s body language as he’s probably expressed his own in the way his eyes focus. intensely, even. ]
It’s all the same. [ it’s all too similar. too identical. ] Human, Eldian. Elf. Dragon.
[ it’s all the same, he mutters under his breath once more. he’s . . . visibly disappointed, and the fact, to this day, still stabs a hook through his heart and drags down until he’s ripped apart. of course, the only visible sign of any similar emotion is a tired, wayward stare. it made him think about home. his choices. the lack of better options,
because he’s not exempt. they’re all like this. but that’s how things have to be. ]
Back home, the enemy— they’d call us devils. They suffered under the Eldian Empire’s rule after the Great War, thousands of years back, too. [ a pause, and then: ] Eldians have a different story, especially when the tables turned and the empire fell to where it is now. The same cycle.
[ exploitation and xenophobia that’s too far embedded to repair. even if there was one particular wrong side— which there wasn’t— there were too many things involved to pinpoint the beginning. the cause. ]
[ oh. there is something both fascinating and viscerally upsetting about this to viren; fascinating, in how almost devoid of emotion eren is when speaking of it (especially considering his youth, but weighed against his experience), tired and so familiar with this. because it's upsetting to know that, yes — it was all-too viciously common. this is, exactly, why it had to be stopped. his heart races a moment, his shoulders rising. ]
They -- killed our King, Eren!
[ he felt like he'd been shouting into a void with the pentarchy. that he was the only one that could see reason, knew that they must take fear and turn it into action. and he remembers the katolis' fellow advisor's advice -- well, why don't they just do ... nothing? ]
[ it's, of course, much more to viren than diving headfirst back into some brutal cycle of "justice." there would be much to lose, yes, but also so much to gain. ]
[ he shakes his head, ridding himself of emotion, mentally trying to grip onto something steadier as his shoulders slouch again. there's an exhale of air. ]
They meant to paralyze us as their forces gather at our border. They will take the opportunity to strike, and finally, destroy us. .... No, so long as things remain as they are, there will be no peace.
[ it had been a question more to gauge viren than to truly wonder— and at least, he sees someone who doesn’t live off of a faraway fantasy (or, who knew— maybe eren was wrong to think the way he did, but he didn’t think so). he allows emotion to pass, and sees the man, the dragon before him, simply be who he was. human. he was only human with his own priorities as everyone else did.
it isn’t too heavy, but after a moment, eren’s palm finds viren’s shoulder, and gives it an understanding squeeze. ]
I don’t know what I’d do if Historia was killed. [ he considers continuing, but before that. ] My island’s Queen. But before that, she’s my friend.
[ a very. very good friend. once his hand has had enough, eren slips it back to himself. if the enemy killed historia . . . hah, everything would’ve been for nothing. absolutely nothing. all those deaths, those innocents, the sacrifices, comrades and even more friends lost along the way— it would shatter him into pieces that he probably wouldn’t be able to put back together again. eren was abominably strong, both of spirit and mind, but there was so much someone, anyone, could take before completely losing it.
he doesn’t even want to think about it. it’s possible for him to know the outcome of his events, but not the in-betweens. ]
It’d put everything done until now to waste. [ so, hm— ] It’s not always the strongest who survive. It’s the most persistent, and the most monstrous.
[ his bias now would say that he hopes viren’s side survives— but that’s so damn unfair. he doesn’t say it. only nods, with solidarity. ]
[ viren is, for a passing moment, visibly shocked at that response - eyes grown wide, without an immediate response of his own. empathy, if perhaps for inexact reasons, is not what he anticipated, much less a comforting touch. he may have judged eren to be ruthless (monstrous), yes, but he does think he is -- kind, in a way. he wonders how much of this is a result of all that alcohol imbibed, if the other dragon would even remember the entirety of this conversation.
and then he's even more curious, if his queen knows he considers her to be a friend, first, a monarch second. perhaps it doesn't matter. it's a nice thing to have. ]
... Right.
[ there is thankfulness, somewhere; viren could even manage the overflowing, flowery type of agreement, but he thinks the other has at least earned a moment of sincerity with him being more reserved with it. ]
That is what your goal is, then...? [ it's hard not to recall, the question about paying the price for freedom: ] Freedom for your people, the Eldians?
[ u thought he’d forget!!!! eren is a born natural at keeping all this alcohol.
back then, that question hadn’t been to draw alarm to something he was sure to commit. in the end, he did little compared to the resistance, and the slaver’s bay manager hadn’t lost his life in vain. he had a family, who would suffer, but eren too would have a family, and then, hundreds of families, than would also suffer and die out if he was not home to protect them. if he never returned home, if he were bound to the chains of another word.
he had so many priorities, as shitty as he had felt to have done it, that it was little to pay, to an already heavy bounty on his head.
the question had been, back then, to allow others the freedom to think, and assume. you learn far more about others that way than you think. people who are quick to snap, to draw their weapons, to throw their lives away, use their heads or become bystanders. there’s so much, and he knew he couldn’t do anything alone.
with a heavy heart, and not a lick of pride in it, eren confirms: ]
Yes. [ his tail sways, settles, and coils right along his feet. ] It’s us, or them. I choose us.
[ there is something... refreshingly candid about that response, that viren can almost admire. ]
[ there's no excuses, nothing to temper the harshness of it, just an answer that's impossible to twist. ]
[ of course, their circumstances differ, which may impact with how forthright they are with one another; neither of them can really do anything about situations at home while here, besides continue to strive towards returning. here, perhaps the most the other could receive is judgement, of which viren finds - after the length of this conversation - he lacks any to share. ]
That is what it takes, isn't it.
[ he lets out a small breath, almost a sigh. not quite, though. ]
That sort of determination [ and eren knows, he thinks, has reminded him. it will take more than that, yes, but ] should take you far.
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no subject
Yes. If they weren't contented to hide behind Katolis ... I would think they would be expected to show their grit on the battlefield, their willingness towards sacrifice.
[ —kings and queens and princesses and princes being expected to take up arms doesn't lend itself very well to their survival, but that's just how it be where he's from. ah, well. ]
It is, yes. Dragons and elves! [ he peers at eren, then. ] Am I presume elves are not common to your world, either?
no subject
Only in story books. Back home, there’re only humans. [ a pause, then. ] Or Eldians. [ he also bets he knows the answer, or at least the gist of the answer. no war story is twisting it different than the other. ] What did they do?
no subject
[ he does want elaboration, as evinced by his tone. admittedly, this is quite the place to have a conversation; he's going to nod to a table that's near, inviting the other dragon to join him there.
and finally, an eyebrow raises; even if he just asked a question, there's a follow-up to it— ]
How do you mean, what did they do? You mean, what was done to initially spark our animosity?
no subject
[ sitting isn’t off his list, though. might even be best, and before they do for good, he’s quick to grab another cup, full and sparkling, to elaborate and correlate. ]
The potential Eldians have to turn into giants is what brings the whole world to hate and exploit. The only thing we did was take our birthright. Being born. [ that’s his side of the story, as an eldian who’s now plenty aware of what awaits him. unlike his colleagues, his dear ones, and the people of paradis who never even knew, like him one day. he takes a sour toss at his drink, and there is not hate to offer his opposing side of his war— just a deep, deep dysphoria, both in the gaze in his eyes and his words. ] For whatever story twisted out of proportion.
no subject
huh. viren's eyebrows have arched, eyes momentarily widened in astonishment, perhaps leaning forward a bit in his seat as he listens. there's only intrigue to his expression, but conscious of keeping it polite, rather than looking at the man like he's some sort of... err, specimen. (it does sound dangerous, if -- cool). ]
I ... see. [ responded carefully. he would be lying to himself, to say that he absolutely didn't understand how the average human wouldn't fear something like that, to come to hate it, or to use. a hand lifts to stroke his beard, and he leans back in his chair. ] Then you would understand it, to an extent.
[ he did say as much, anyway, to a broader extent -- that a world has to be exempt from that typ of division. viren hasn't an issue, answering honestly (but yes, as is also his perspective): ]
Humans... are not beings of magic; we have no connection to any natural, magical source, called a "primal" source. [ a frown tugs at his mouth. ] But elves and dragons, they are. We were never viewed as equals and thus suffered for it.
But a human discovered a method in which we might share in that power — we rose up, and the dragons and elves retaliated by forcibly removing every human from their land, and then to divide the content in two.
[ humans on one side - dragons, elves, all other creatures on the other. ]
This was hundreds of years ago, yes, but tensions never quite eased.
no subject
It’s all the same. [ it’s all too similar. too identical. ] Human, Eldian. Elf. Dragon.
[ it’s all the same, he mutters under his breath once more. he’s . . . visibly disappointed, and the fact, to this day, still stabs a hook through his heart and drags down until he’s ripped apart. of course, the only visible sign of any similar emotion is a tired, wayward stare. it made him think about home. his choices. the lack of better options,
because he’s not exempt. they’re all like this. but that’s how things have to be. ]
Back home, the enemy— they’d call us devils. They suffered under the Eldian Empire’s rule after the Great War, thousands of years back, too. [ a pause, and then: ] Eldians have a different story, especially when the tables turned and the empire fell to where it is now. The same cycle.
[ exploitation and xenophobia that’s too far embedded to repair. even if there was one particular wrong side— which there wasn’t— there were too many things involved to pinpoint the beginning. the cause. ]
Is peace a possibility for you?
no subject
They -- killed our King, Eren!
[ he felt like he'd been shouting into a void with the pentarchy. that he was the only one that could see reason, knew that they must take fear and turn it into action. and he remembers the katolis' fellow advisor's advice -- well, why don't they just do ... nothing? ]
[ it's, of course, much more to viren than diving headfirst back into some brutal cycle of "justice." there would be much to lose, yes, but also so much to gain. ]
[ he shakes his head, ridding himself of emotion, mentally trying to grip onto something steadier as his shoulders slouch again. there's an exhale of air. ]
They meant to paralyze us as their forces gather at our border. They will take the opportunity to strike, and finally, destroy us. .... No, so long as things remain as they are, there will be no peace.
no subject
it isn’t too heavy, but after a moment, eren’s palm finds viren’s shoulder, and gives it an understanding squeeze. ]
I don’t know what I’d do if Historia was killed. [ he considers continuing, but before that. ] My island’s Queen. But before that, she’s my friend.
[ a very. very good friend. once his hand has had enough, eren slips it back to himself. if the enemy killed historia . . . hah, everything would’ve been for nothing. absolutely nothing. all those deaths, those innocents, the sacrifices, comrades and even more friends lost along the way— it would shatter him into pieces that he probably wouldn’t be able to put back together again. eren was abominably strong, both of spirit and mind, but there was so much someone, anyone, could take before completely losing it.
he doesn’t even want to think about it. it’s possible for him to know the outcome of his events, but not the in-betweens. ]
It’d put everything done until now to waste. [ so, hm— ] It’s not always the strongest who survive. It’s the most persistent, and the most monstrous.
[ his bias now would say that he hopes viren’s side survives— but that’s so damn unfair. he doesn’t say it. only nods, with solidarity. ]
no subject
and then he's even more curious, if his queen knows he considers her to be a friend, first, a monarch second. perhaps it doesn't matter. it's a nice thing to have. ]
... Right.
[ there is thankfulness, somewhere; viren could even manage the overflowing, flowery type of agreement, but he thinks the other has at least earned a moment of sincerity with him being more reserved with it. ]
That is what your goal is, then...? [ it's hard not to recall, the question about paying the price for freedom: ] Freedom for your people, the Eldians?
no subject
back then, that question hadn’t been to draw alarm to something he was sure to commit. in the end, he did little compared to the resistance, and the slaver’s bay manager hadn’t lost his life in vain. he had a family, who would suffer, but eren too would have a family, and then, hundreds of families, than would also suffer and die out if he was not home to protect them. if he never returned home, if he were bound to the chains of another word.
he had so many priorities, as shitty as he had felt to have done it, that it was little to pay, to an already heavy bounty on his head.
the question had been, back then, to allow others the freedom to think, and assume. you learn far more about others that way than you think. people who are quick to snap, to draw their weapons, to throw their lives away, use their heads or become bystanders. there’s so much, and he knew he couldn’t do anything alone.
with a heavy heart, and not a lick of pride in it, eren confirms: ]
Yes. [ his tail sways, settles, and coils right along his feet. ] It’s us, or them. I choose us.
no subject
[ there's no excuses, nothing to temper the harshness of it, just an answer that's impossible to twist. ]
[ of course, their circumstances differ, which may impact with how forthright they are with one another; neither of them can really do anything about situations at home while here, besides continue to strive towards returning. here, perhaps the most the other could receive is judgement, of which viren finds - after the length of this conversation - he lacks any to share. ]
That is what it takes, isn't it.
[ he lets out a small breath, almost a sigh. not quite, though. ]
That sort of determination [ and eren knows, he thinks, has reminded him. it will take more than that, yes, but ] should take you far.