[He smiles at Eren as he shakes up the drinks like a bartender. So cool looking]
I think so. [He gives a little nod] Also, I was thinking when we share stories...to help keep from getting muddled, let's talk about them in the third person. We can even give our other selves different names too. Like..."Chad", or something.
[ eren gives a single huffed laugh, amused, but clearly approving of the idea the more he thought about it. sure, he had a feeling it was him, under a different circumstance, and he probably accepted thatā but they could do it this time. heāll never be bad end eren, anyway. ]
Alright, [ he says with raised brows, pouring their drinks into fancy cups and needing to briefly read the instructions. it says to rub the glass rims with salt, get some lemon slices in there, so doing that (because letās just say they have everything): ] . . . Junior.
[ serving their finished drinks, eren adds: ]
The name Dad wanted to give me, Grisha Jr. Mom wanted me to have my own name.
[ another reason why he fucking loves his mom so much and dad loses more points. ]
[He makes a face at that and laughs. He can't picture Eren as a Junior or a Grisha at all. Eren was Eren. So, the name was perfect. He knows they both know it was them in another life, but he figures it'll make things easier to share if they act like there's some distance. Like a whole "asking for a friend" trick.
He'll take a sip of his drink. Oh this is good.]
Junior's perfect. And mine will be... Elton. There were jerks in high school that'd call me that sometimes. [You know, because gay musician like Elton John. No one ever said bullies were creative.
But with the names established...there was no more way to prolong it. Since this was all Elliot's idea? He takes a bit of a deep breathe and start it off]
Speaking of dads...m- [correcting himself] Elton's dad is still alive.
[ eren amiably shrugs at the laughā yeah, he didnāt know why dad wanted it either. hunches say some fancy chain of doctor jaegers and heās glad that mom gave him that first push to breaking a chain that never was. elliotās own dummy nameās origin gets a face and a disapproving shake of the head, but. the world makes u-turns. bullies will meet their end. he takes a sip of his own drink and hums, coming out in surprise. ]
[Eren please don't go after the high school bullies, they're back in NYC and hopefully growing up not to be crappy people]
I dunno about Mom- his mom. [Yeah, let's not get the wires crossed there] I just saw his dad.
He's not like mine. I mean, he was still in the military. Some type of General- higher than my dad got. [He only made it to Colonel when he passed] But it was a different guy? He was this huge guy with red hair. He was standing on a tank. I think the base we were at was under attack, and he was in command. [...] He was...really cool? Larger than life, I guess. [badass] Elton even admitted he was, which I think was high praise.
[He can't help but feel a little jealous about that. He thought his own dad was cool, no question of that. But he knows he never got to reach the father-son stage that Elton and his dad had. He never got to be embarrassed by his dad, or have times where he thought him uncool. He had with Carlos but...it wasn't the same.]
but back to what mattered, eren listens completely as elliot describes him, finding himself smiling as he pokes around at the meat they left but hardly taking his eyes off of elliot much. having the time of his life with chopsticks (aka, the battle of the year), eren, after much struggle, ends up using the two sticks under both sides of a piece, like a spatula, and setting it on elliotās plate before going after his own.
do not laugh, but marvel at his hashi coordination skills. ]
He sounds like a beast. [ honestly, it was the kind of father heās always wanted to have. it wasnāt fair to say he lucked out, at least he still had a father. he knows what itās like to be without one, too. with curiosity as he slips a piece of meat into his mouth (and hums in delight! what delicious broth), he asks: ] Whatād it feel like?
[Well Eren the clear answer is to marry Elliot and let Olaf Craig be your father-in-law. Prepare your ribcage for bear hugs though.
Elliot watches Eren struggle with the chopsticks. He could help him out, but nah, this is something Eren needs to do for himself. He can teach him proper chopstick use later and impress him. For now, he won't laugh though, but there is a small smile on his face.
When Eren sets the piece of meat on his plate, he'll pick it up adeptly with his own chopsticks and eat it. That is good. Chewing gives him time to think of how to answer, because lord, did Eren step into a hornet nest of feeling here.]
It...threw me for a loop. I don't look anything like my dad. [His dad's photo was on shelf in the room. Just like Carlos, he looked like Chris Evan's long lost brother] Sometimes? I'd hear people wonder if I even was my dad's kid. So seeing a guy with red hair, acting like my dad... I- ...I wanted to meet him, though that made me feel guilty too because I love my dad in this life.
[He sighs and shakes his head]
Not that it matters. A week after I found out about him? Retrospec told us about the worlds being destroyed, and how we're all salvaged souls... [He swallows] ...So I've lost two dads.
[His hand wipes at his eye as he's clearly trying to blink something back. So, one memory down and this is going great. ]
butā this is going great. they were supposed to expect this and what was obviously supposed to come with it, so if theyāre here now and still talking without losing too much footing, itās a good a start as any. erenās smile quietens, sees the sadness with that and allows a pause for elliot to regain composure. he knowsā but thatās what theyāre here for. to get the things that eat at them out in the open.
his hand does go to his arm, though, giving a reassuring squeeze. ]
[Elliot takes the time to compose himself. He really doesn't want to start sobbing when he's only on the first memory. But Eren's right that it has been eating at him. There'd just been so much going on when he got the memory in October, that he internalized it along with all his feelings. Not exactly the healthiest of coping mechanisms.
He sniffs as he listens to Eren's words. Yeah, maybe he is just Somewhere Else. Elliot had just reached the other conclusion because well, his anxious mind tended to jump to bad conclusions.]
Y-Yeah, you might be right....there are 7 billion people in this world, not like I've seen everyone. He could be...
[Out there, somewhere. Whether or not he's his dad....that was a hard one. There were a lot of feelings to unpack there, ones that Elliot wasn't ready to do just yet.]
I-I'd want to meet him, before I decide that. [He gives one final sniff, but looks like he's pulled himself together] Sorry...I made all these plans and precautions so I wouldn't get like this, and I still managed to mess it up.
[Though let's face it, if it wasn't for the precautions? The activity, the location, the third person talk - he'd probably would've been a blubbery mess before he went got the memory out]
[ eren shakes his head, mostly at the apology and makes sure heās facing elliot 100% to see him and his expression: completely nonjudgemental and understanding, hand to his leg. ]
You canāt put a cork in what you feel, Elliot. Iām not going to, either. [ tecnically, he could, but thatād lead to something tremendously explosive down the line sooner or later. you canāt really control what your heart feels, either. you just feelā and eren wasnāt about to cut that off, he had every right to feel. ] Thatās why weāre doing this in the first place. It messes with our headsā more than we think, sometimes. [ thereās really no use in denying that these memories had a larger impact on them than they wouldāve wanted. some people show the impact on the spot, others hide it away until itās too big to fight off alone. ]
I-I wasn't trying to cork it. Just...control it? [That's a better term, right!! He knew he couldn't stop what he felt, but he didn't want it to control him either.
But Eren was right. It did mess with their heads more than Elliot liked to admit. With Eren, the effects were more obvious. With Elliot, it was subtle- or at least he tried to make it as subtle as possible. He didn't want people to worry about him, or see him as a burden.
So he finally sighs and puts his own hand on Eren's. ]
...You're right. I'll...I'll try not to apologize for feelings things.
[Even if he really wants to. Still, he takes a breath and tries to continue on]
A-Anyway...I think it's your turn? What's Junior up to?
[ eren holds the hand that touches his, thumb running over the top of elliotās fingers and squeezing with reassurance. they could stop whenever they wanted to, and eren knewā there were feelings to hurdle over and win against, not control. and more than that, heāll help any way and every way he could; the effects of feeling things on the spot instead of bottling them up are at least helpful here.
while they were talking about families, well. ]
He lost his parents really early, around ten? So I donāt remember much about them. [ elliot already got the implication that he. ate his dad. he doesnāt remember what happened to his mother, but he could guess with the hints. ] But his Mom fought a lot with him about joining the military. [ he pokes at some of the meat cooking in the broth. it was actually . . . weird, to have seen such a small him bicker so much with his mother when it was usually his father on that end. ] But thatās because she was scared, Iā he wanted the worst branch you could go to.
Dad was supportive, on the other hand. [ the tables turned in this life, and he actually still had parents. it felt shitty to still long for something like that with a father when there were people like elliot, who had lost theirs. it felt unjust. but still, when he speaks of him, his lips manage to pull a bit of a smile. ] Can you believe that?
[Elliot appreciates the reassurance, and returns it right back as Eren starts to share his- a gentle squeeze of the hand. Losing his parents that young...Elliot knew from experience how rough that was. Even if Eren could be reassured he had both parents in this life, that can't be an easy memory
The thought of Eren's dad being supportive gets a little wry smile out of him.]
It's a little hard to imagine...but sometimes things are the opposite in the other life. [As for his mother...he's not surprised she'd have fears compared to this life. Being in the military now could be dangerous, but it was a lot less so than what that world had to deal with]
[ eren chews through a piece of beef first, gesturing as he swallows. ]
Survey Corps. They were the only ones who went beyond the walls to take titans on directly, or try and gather intel about them. The survival rate was less than 3%.
[ even if his smile was still there, it goes a little weak, like recalling something unfortunately nostalgic. ]
As a kid he wanted that. Heād rather go out there to fight instead of living the rest of his life locked up. Mightāve had a few screws loose, but . . . Itās almost admirable. He never took dying for an answer. Not even when it was in his face.
Less than 3%... [He pulls out a couple tomatoes from the pot and puts it on his plate, intent on eating them] O-Okay, I think any mother would object to their kid joining a branch with that survival rate.
[LIKE WHAT THE FRICK JUNIOR. ]
Yeah, I'd agree Junior had a few screws loose... [This is why the names, easier not to feel bad about insults] Kids do have a harder time conceiving that they could die. It was still pretty gutsy of him though, I'll give him that.
[ heās actually really glad for the name changes right now. it makes things . . . easier to talk about. like thereās a certain detachment to it. ]
Heās almost died [ he tries to count the times he at least remembers, but even from those. ] . . . A lot, even when he grew up. And Iāll admit some were a lot more than reckless. Not all of them worked out in the end.
[ itās probably time to turn tables, heāll pick up on the next round. he snags some veggies to stick into his meat as well, only dipping it in the broth to taste it raw and crunchy. like carrots. itās still amazing. ]
[ Detachment had been the point of it. Elliot would be a lot more upset to hear about the other's Eren's recklessness if Eren had used first person terms and the other's real name. The name Eren was too hard to separate from his Eren.
It's still terrible to hear though, that a life like that exists. It's his turn to put his hand on Eren's leg. ]
I...could see it. [And it's actually not an insult towards this Eren!] A young orphan with regeneration living in a place that's desperate enough to let a group with a less than 3% survival rate continue? And they let him join at 15, didn't they? [He remembers Eren telling him that once.] A situation like that, I can't see Junior being taught how to be cautious very well.
[Less than 3% survival rate...Junior was probably seen as expendable, along with the rest of his comrades. Elliot knew there was a certain honor in having the willingness to give up your life for your country, but with a rate like that? Elliot couldn't shake the feeling whoever was running things was exploiting that honor and being careless with their soldiers' lives.
...
It made him madder the more he thought about it. But it's not like he can do anything about it here, so he just makes an unhappy little growl at his thoughts and shoves a tomato in his mouth. The bitter juices from the tomato mixed with the spicy broth in his mouth give a mild burning pain that's surprisingly cathartic to his anger. He chews on that for awhile before swallowing with a big gulp. Then he'll take a sizable drink, to help cool down his mouth (and his fury).
...
Okay he feels a little better now. He makes a little refreshed "ah" sound and focuses back on the conversation. Looks like Eren's shifted the topic back to him (probably the wise choice tbh)]
Kinda... [He throws another tomato into the pot, as well as some chicken] Elton was part of Class VII at Thors Military Academy. It was a brand new class at the school that was supposed to test the full capabilities of Combat Linking, as well as experiment with intermingling social classes together since that was apparently a real problem in that world.
He got chosen because he had a naturally high aptitude for linking, I think. [Instructor Sara was pretty vague] I don't think he...wanted to be there though. Not at first, at least.
[ heās never seen elliot so upset before, enough that eren has a fairly suprised look on his face, opens his mouth to say something, then closes it again with pursing lips and a tight swallow. he sure saw elliot just get angry right now, for junior, while eren understood the corpsā reasoning behind their death tolls.
it takes a minute for eren to actually fall back into place, needing to stop himself from saying anything more and allowing elliot to continue. the shift was probably a good thing indeed, but eren might seem a little . . . baffled, still. impressed was a good word, too. heās thoroughly impressed and does not want to feel elliotās fury firsthand. wow.
ahem! š³ ]
I can see why if both of you do . . . [ if elton had the same base personality as elliot, wellā he was really easy to bond with, to open up to, at least for erenā when that had been difficult to do with others. it was a natural warmth of energy that just made you feel comfortable, and heās sure thatās necessary for any type of linking. ] His family wanted him there?
[Sorry about that Eren. Elliot just doesn't like unjust things like that, and knowing his boyfriend's other life suffered for it...well, it makes it a bit more personal.
But it's not like he can DO anything about it here, so it's best not to address it and let it pass. Focusing on answering about his memories helps.
Though his fury is as fierce as an angry puppy so what do you have to fear Eren seriously.]
...I dunno. There's still holes in my memory. [It's likely they did, but he wasn't sure] I know his dream was to attend the Heimdallr Music Academy in his hometown. Not sure yet why he didn't.
He did still get to play though. There was a music club at Thors, they even performed at a local church. It made him really happy.
[ he has to fear a wrath no one else sees and that is why he will always strive to make elliot the happiest boyfriend in the entire universe, including destroyed ones. and this definitely got unexpectedly cute.
it makes eren proud to see elliot doing what he loved now. it always did. filled him with a joy no one would take from him. he spins some of his drink around his glass before sipping, then taking the rest of the meats he had left earlier. all of them. maybe the shift really was a good ideaā get elliot going with music and you might as well see flowers popping up around them. ]
That just makes me even happier to know youāre going after music here. [ it was . . . his soulās longing. it was something they couldnāt take from him, even if elliot switched names or had a different hair color. eren never figured out what the other eren wanted if it werenāt for walls and titans, he was a victim to it. maybe . . . it really was the epitome of freedom, somehow. heād always be searching for it. ] But did he . . . always have magic? Or was that an academy thing?
He sees Eren's happy look on his face as he talks about the music, and it makes him happy to see, relaxing him some more]
Yeah, me too. Though I'm glad he hasn't given up completely either. [He could follow his dream more easily than the other Elliot could, and that made him feel lucky. But knowing that the other Elliot kept trying to find ways to pursue music? Made him feel more like it was as important to him as he thought. ] One time, he even decided to cheer Rean up by making him do street performing with him. He was pretty forceful about it too.
[He laughs a little at the memory. Dragged the guy through town to get instruments and everything. At the question, he pauses. Not badly, just thoughtfully]
I'm not sure. I know he got the ARCUS from the school, but I'm not sure about the rest of it. [He shrugs] Though I think his powers were pretty common in his world, really. Everything seems to run on some magically powered tech they call orbal technology. They even were studying about it on a midterm.
If there were more people here from that world, I probably wouldn't stand out much magically.
[ that sounds . . . lighthearted and fun. eren didnāt know if he could quite match up with the same caliber of memories, his were allā either tragic or violent. there is one that sticks out though, and with a smile that seems unbothered, even a chuckle with it as he watches elliot recall, heāll tuck it away for whenever heās got an opening.
but to the magic, eren clicks his tongue and shakes his head in disagreement. ]
Thatās what you think. [ more meat to the pot, this time for both of themā eren has abandoned the chop sticks to use his fingers. ] I bet Rean and Eltonās other teammates knew how valuable he was.
There are so many people here with so many different kinds of magic and you still stand out.
Awww. [Of course Eren would take that position. It's sweet to hear, and it does give him a small smile] Thanks Eren...
[Did the rest of Class VII find him valuable? They kept him around and got along with him, so surely there must've been something there. At least, he hopes so.
He pulls out some of the veggies out of the pot now]
[ eren gives him a lookā itās a smile that would probably say donāt thank me when itās true!, but! heās got his mouth full. in the meantime, since they were talking about self worth to some extent . . . he swallows. ]
Junior had a pretty impressive squad, too. Really impressive. [ eren doesnāt hold much contempt to it these daysā he took it harder when they were coming, and elliot was the one who shook him back into place when it started burying too deep into him. ] He ranked fifth in the class . . . Out of pure willpower. I can say for a fact that he fell pretty behind in skill compared to everyone else.
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I think so. [He gives a little nod] Also, I was thinking when we share stories...to help keep from getting muddled, let's talk about them in the third person. We can even give our other selves different names too. Like..."Chad", or something.
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Alright, [ he says with raised brows, pouring their drinks into fancy cups and needing to briefly read the instructions. it says to rub the glass rims with salt, get some lemon slices in there, so doing that (because letās just say they have everything): ] . . . Junior.
[ serving their finished drinks, eren adds: ]
The name Dad wanted to give me, Grisha Jr. Mom wanted me to have my own name.
[ another reason why he fucking loves his mom so much and dad loses more points. ]
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[He makes a face at that and laughs. He can't picture Eren as a Junior or a Grisha at all. Eren was Eren. So, the name was perfect. He knows they both know it was them in another life, but he figures it'll make things easier to share if they act like there's some distance. Like a whole "asking for a friend" trick.
He'll take a sip of his drink. Oh this is good.]
Junior's perfect. And mine will be... Elton. There were jerks in high school that'd call me that sometimes. [You know, because gay musician like Elton John. No one ever said bullies were creative.
But with the names established...there was no more way to prolong it. Since this was all Elliot's idea? He takes a bit of a deep breathe and start it off]
Speaking of dads...m- [correcting himself] Elton's dad is still alive.
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He is? Mom too?
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I dunno about Mom- his mom. [Yeah, let's not get the wires crossed there] I just saw his dad.
He's not like mine. I mean, he was still in the military. Some type of General- higher than my dad got. [He only made it to Colonel when he passed] But it was a different guy? He was this huge guy with red hair. He was standing on a tank. I think the base we were at was under attack, and he was in command. [...] He was...really cool? Larger than life, I guess. [badass] Elton even admitted he was, which I think was high praise.
[He can't help but feel a little jealous about that. He thought his own dad was cool, no question of that. But he knows he never got to reach the father-son stage that Elton and his dad had. He never got to be embarrassed by his dad, or have times where he thought him uncool. He had with Carlos but...it wasn't the same.]
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but back to what mattered, eren listens completely as elliot describes him, finding himself smiling as he pokes around at the meat they left but hardly taking his eyes off of elliot much. having the time of his life with chopsticks (aka, the battle of the year), eren, after much struggle, ends up using the two sticks under both sides of a piece, like a spatula, and setting it on elliotās plate before going after his own.
do not laugh, but marvel at his hashi coordination skills. ]
He sounds like a beast. [ honestly, it was the kind of father heās always wanted to have. it wasnāt fair to say he lucked out, at least he still had a father. he knows what itās like to be without one, too. with curiosity as he slips a piece of meat into his mouth (and hums in delight! what delicious broth), he asks: ] Whatād it feel like?
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Elliot watches Eren struggle with the chopsticks. He could help him out, but nah, this is something Eren needs to do for himself. He can teach him proper chopstick use later and impress him. For now, he won't laugh though, but there is a small smile on his face.
When Eren sets the piece of meat on his plate, he'll pick it up adeptly with his own chopsticks and eat it. That is good. Chewing gives him time to think of how to answer, because lord, did Eren step into a hornet nest of feeling here.]
It...threw me for a loop. I don't look anything like my dad. [His dad's photo was on shelf in the room. Just like Carlos, he looked like Chris Evan's long lost brother] Sometimes? I'd hear people wonder if I even was my dad's kid. So seeing a guy with red hair, acting like my dad... I- ...I wanted to meet him, though that made me feel guilty too because I love my dad in this life.
[He sighs and shakes his head]
Not that it matters. A week after I found out about him? Retrospec told us about the worlds being destroyed, and how we're all salvaged souls... [He swallows] ...So I've lost two dads.
[His hand wipes at his eye as he's clearly trying to blink something back. So, one memory down and this is going great. ]
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butā this is going great. they were supposed to expect this and what was obviously supposed to come with it, so if theyāre here now and still talking without losing too much footing, itās a good a start as any. erenās smile quietens, sees the sadness with that and allows a pause for elliot to regain composure. he knowsā but thatās what theyāre here for. to get the things that eat at them out in the open.
his hand does go to his arm, though, giving a reassuring squeeze. ]
You donāt know that. [ because sure, the worldās were destroyed and some souls lost, but. ] He could be in California right now. He could be here and youāve just never noticed. RecollĆ©ās huge.
[ eren prefered being realisticā there were two sides of the coin that needed seeing. ]
Whatever Wendy said doesnāt mean everythingās lost for good. You heard him, heās still waiting on people.
[ he shrugs as he goes for another piece of meat, stick two slices of chicken in for them. ]
If heās waiting, itās because heās shitty with words and thereās still a chance. Whether this guy isnāt your dad or is. You decide that.
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He sniffs as he listens to Eren's words. Yeah, maybe he is just Somewhere Else. Elliot had just reached the other conclusion because well, his anxious mind tended to jump to bad conclusions.]
Y-Yeah, you might be right....there are 7 billion people in this world, not like I've seen everyone. He could be...
[Out there, somewhere. Whether or not he's his dad....that was a hard one. There were a lot of feelings to unpack there, ones that Elliot wasn't ready to do just yet.]
I-I'd want to meet him, before I decide that. [He gives one final sniff, but looks like he's pulled himself together] Sorry...I made all these plans and precautions so I wouldn't get like this, and I still managed to mess it up.
[Though let's face it, if it wasn't for the precautions? The activity, the location, the third person talk - he'd probably would've been a blubbery mess before he went got the memory out]
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You canāt put a cork in what you feel, Elliot. Iām not going to, either. [ tecnically, he could, but thatād lead to something tremendously explosive down the line sooner or later. you canāt really control what your heart feels, either. you just feelā and eren wasnāt about to cut that off, he had every right to feel. ] Thatās why weāre doing this in the first place. It messes with our headsā more than we think, sometimes. [ thereās really no use in denying that these memories had a larger impact on them than they wouldāve wanted. some people show the impact on the spot, others hide it away until itās too big to fight off alone. ]
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But Eren was right. It did mess with their heads more than Elliot liked to admit. With Eren, the effects were more obvious. With Elliot, it was subtle- or at least he tried to make it as subtle as possible. He didn't want people to worry about him, or see him as a burden.
So he finally sighs and puts his own hand on Eren's. ]
...You're right. I'll...I'll try not to apologize for feelings things.
[Even if he really wants to. Still, he takes a breath and tries to continue on]
A-Anyway...I think it's your turn? What's Junior up to?
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while they were talking about families, well. ]
He lost his parents really early, around ten? So I donāt remember much about them. [ elliot already got the implication that he. ate his dad. he doesnāt remember what happened to his mother, but he could guess with the hints. ] But his Mom fought a lot with him about joining the military. [ he pokes at some of the meat cooking in the broth. it was actually . . . weird, to have seen such a small him bicker so much with his mother when it was usually his father on that end. ] But thatās because she was scared, Iā he wanted the worst branch you could go to.
Dad was supportive, on the other hand. [ the tables turned in this life, and he actually still had parents. it felt shitty to still long for something like that with a father when there were people like elliot, who had lost theirs. it felt unjust. but still, when he speaks of him, his lips manage to pull a bit of a smile. ] Can you believe that?
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The thought of Eren's dad being supportive gets a little wry smile out of him.]
It's a little hard to imagine...but sometimes things are the opposite in the other life. [As for his mother...he's not surprised she'd have fears compared to this life. Being in the military now could be dangerous, but it was a lot less so than what that world had to deal with]
What branch did he want to join?
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Survey Corps. They were the only ones who went beyond the walls to take titans on directly, or try and gather intel about them. The survival rate was less than 3%.
[ even if his smile was still there, it goes a little weak, like recalling something unfortunately nostalgic. ]
As a kid he wanted that. Heād rather go out there to fight instead of living the rest of his life locked up. Mightāve had a few screws loose, but . . . Itās almost admirable. He never took dying for an answer. Not even when it was in his face.
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[LIKE WHAT THE FRICK JUNIOR. ]
Yeah, I'd agree Junior had a few screws loose... [This is why the names, easier not to feel bad about insults] Kids do have a harder time conceiving that they could die. It was still pretty gutsy of him though, I'll give him that.
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Heās almost died [ he tries to count the times he at least remembers, but even from those. ] . . . A lot, even when he grew up. And Iāll admit some were a lot more than reckless. Not all of them worked out in the end.
[ itās probably time to turn tables, heāll pick up on the next round. he snags some veggies to stick into his meat as well, only dipping it in the broth to taste it raw and crunchy. like carrots. itās still amazing. ]
Elton was military too, wasnāt he?
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It's still terrible to hear though, that a life like that exists. It's his turn to put his hand on Eren's leg. ]
I...could see it. [And it's actually not an insult towards this Eren!] A young orphan with regeneration living in a place that's desperate enough to let a group with a less than 3% survival rate continue? And they let him join at 15, didn't they? [He remembers Eren telling him that once.] A situation like that, I can't see Junior being taught how to be cautious very well.
[Less than 3% survival rate...Junior was probably seen as expendable, along with the rest of his comrades. Elliot knew there was a certain honor in having the willingness to give up your life for your country, but with a rate like that? Elliot couldn't shake the feeling whoever was running things was exploiting that honor and being careless with their soldiers' lives.
...
It made him madder the more he thought about it. But it's not like he can do anything about it here, so he just makes an unhappy little growl at his thoughts and shoves a tomato in his mouth. The bitter juices from the tomato mixed with the spicy broth in his mouth give a mild burning pain that's surprisingly cathartic to his anger. He chews on that for awhile before swallowing with a big gulp. Then he'll take a sizable drink, to help cool down his mouth (and his fury).
...
Okay he feels a little better now. He makes a little refreshed "ah" sound and focuses back on the conversation. Looks like Eren's shifted the topic back to him (probably the wise choice tbh)]
Kinda... [He throws another tomato into the pot, as well as some chicken] Elton was part of Class VII at Thors Military Academy. It was a brand new class at the school that was supposed to test the full capabilities of Combat Linking, as well as experiment with intermingling social classes together since that was apparently a real problem in that world.
He got chosen because he had a naturally high aptitude for linking, I think. [Instructor Sara was pretty vague] I don't think he...wanted to be there though. Not at first, at least.
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it takes a minute for eren to actually fall back into place, needing to stop himself from saying anything more and allowing elliot to continue. the shift was probably a good thing indeed, but eren might seem a little . . . baffled, still. impressed was a good word, too. heās thoroughly impressed and does not want to feel elliotās fury firsthand. wow.
ahem! š³ ]
I can see why if both of you do . . . [ if elton had the same base personality as elliot, wellā he was really easy to bond with, to open up to, at least for erenā when that had been difficult to do with others. it was a natural warmth of energy that just made you feel comfortable, and heās sure thatās necessary for any type of linking. ] His family wanted him there?
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But it's not like he can DO anything about it here, so it's best not to address it and let it pass. Focusing on answering about his memories helps.
Though his fury is as fierce as an angry puppy so what do you have to fear Eren seriously.]
...I dunno. There's still holes in my memory. [It's likely they did, but he wasn't sure] I know his dream was to attend the Heimdallr Music Academy in his hometown. Not sure yet why he didn't.
He did still get to play though. There was a music club at Thors, they even performed at a local church. It made him really happy.
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it makes eren proud to see elliot doing what he loved now. it always did. filled him with a joy no one would take from him. he spins some of his drink around his glass before sipping, then taking the rest of the meats he had left earlier. all of them. maybe the shift really was a good ideaā get elliot going with music and you might as well see flowers popping up around them. ]
That just makes me even happier to know youāre going after music here. [ it was . . . his soulās longing. it was something they couldnāt take from him, even if elliot switched names or had a different hair color. eren never figured out what the other eren wanted if it werenāt for walls and titans, he was a victim to it. maybe . . . it really was the epitome of freedom, somehow. heād always be searching for it. ] But did he . . . always have magic? Or was that an academy thing?
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He sees Eren's happy look on his face as he talks about the music, and it makes him happy to see, relaxing him some more]
Yeah, me too. Though I'm glad he hasn't given up completely either. [He could follow his dream more easily than the other Elliot could, and that made him feel lucky. But knowing that the other Elliot kept trying to find ways to pursue music? Made him feel more like it was as important to him as he thought. ] One time, he even decided to cheer Rean up by making him do street performing with him. He was pretty forceful about it too.
[He laughs a little at the memory. Dragged the guy through town to get instruments and everything. At the question, he pauses. Not badly, just thoughtfully]
I'm not sure. I know he got the ARCUS from the school, but I'm not sure about the rest of it. [He shrugs] Though I think his powers were pretty common in his world, really. Everything seems to run on some magically powered tech they call orbal technology. They even were studying about it on a midterm.
If there were more people here from that world, I probably wouldn't stand out much magically.
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but to the magic, eren clicks his tongue and shakes his head in disagreement. ]
Thatās what you think. [ more meat to the pot, this time for both of themā eren has abandoned the chop sticks to use his fingers. ] I bet Rean and Eltonās other teammates knew how valuable he was.
There are so many people here with so many different kinds of magic and you still stand out.
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[Did the rest of Class VII find him valuable? They kept him around and got along with him, so surely there must've been something there. At least, he hopes so.
He pulls out some of the veggies out of the pot now]
A-Anyway, your turn again?
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Junior had a pretty impressive squad, too. Really impressive. [ eren doesnāt hold much contempt to it these daysā he took it harder when they were coming, and elliot was the one who shook him back into place when it started burying too deep into him. ] He ranked fifth in the class . . . Out of pure willpower. I can say for a fact that he fell pretty behind in skill compared to everyone else.
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Fifth? That's really good! [Good job Junior!] And awww, don't be that hard on him. Willpower and hardwork's more important than natural skill anyway.
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