[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.
[ but he wasnāt being hard on himself at all! just realistically viewing facts, at least the ones he remembered. ] There was this one time, when he was a kid . . . [ his finger brushes across his chin. ] That he couldnāt get past the basics. You needed to get the balance mechanism under control if you wanted to pass and go to the maneuver gear. If you failed, they sent you back to the settlement.
Everyone passed and he was the only one failing. And it sucked becauseā [ he rubs his face, as if feeling second hand embarrassment. ] His adopted sister wouldnāt stop babying him in front of everyone. Trying to hand feed him, carrying him away from fist fights . . .
[ it was. really bad sometimes. ]
When he finally passed, because they found a defect in the beltā Thatās one of the first things he thought. That she wouldnāt need to babysit him anymore.
[ he shrugs a little. christ, itās like . . . remembering how much of a kid you were. ]
[He listens to the story, smiling sympathetically. Oh yes, the overprotective sibling, he knows that woe all too well. ]
Haha, Junior really was a kid if he thought that'd stop her from babysitting him. The only reason I'm safe from full Carlos-coddling is because he's not on the app.
[He did wish he could talk about these things with Carlos. He felt it put a distance between them. Still, it was nice knowing his brother wouldn't freak out every time he took up a task that was more dangerous than "playing with kittens". ]
[ haha, carlos. carlos was a great guy, but he knows that big brother protectiveness from a mile away. guess thereās really no way around it. older siblings just have some sort of weird complex implanted when the new baby is born. ]
Yeahā She saved his ass more than once.
[ a lot. she always had to because junior was a dumb. shifting his legs into brief stretch out, he props his arms up behind him. ]
Mikasa Ackerman. They took her in after her parents were murdered. Junior and his dad found them when they were making house calls. [ it got a little tense, butā eren feels like heās telling a story now. this memory didnāt bother him as much as the others. ] They couldnāt find her, though. Dad called the police, but Junior snuck off.
Not the smartest thing, but he doesnāt regret it. Any of it.
[ at least, rather harshly, he says pigs in a spiteful way. zero offense to actual swine, whoāre much better animals than those pestsā he did them a favor. well, junior, and despite the recklessness, itās something that he wouldnāt change. heād do it again. ]
They were going to sell her. She was just ten. [ eren swirls a chopstick in the broth, poking at the remaining pieces of meat floating in it, before hooking it under and placing them in their plates. ] He killed two, but only because he got lucky. She got the other one.
[ and after a rather distant pause: ]
Now that I think about itā she probably felt like she owed him somehow.
[That's uh....wow. Just wow. What do you even say to a story like that. On one hand, people who sell children are the worst, especially if it murdered her parents. Those were the kind of people you typically want to be locked away for the rest of their days.
On the other hand, hearing two little ten year olds straight up killed 3 guys is PRETTY unsettling too. Even if it sounded like they had little choice, and that world was very different from the one they lived now. What was he supposed to say...? Not like his Eren was the one to do it.
...
You know, let's just. Not address it. He clears his throat]
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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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[ but he wasnāt being hard on himself at all! just realistically viewing facts, at least the ones he remembered. ] There was this one time, when he was a kid . . . [ his finger brushes across his chin. ] That he couldnāt get past the basics. You needed to get the balance mechanism under control if you wanted to pass and go to the maneuver gear. If you failed, they sent you back to the settlement.
Everyone passed and he was the only one failing. And it sucked becauseā [ he rubs his face, as if feeling second hand embarrassment. ] His adopted sister wouldnāt stop babying him in front of everyone. Trying to hand feed him, carrying him away from fist fights . . .
[ it was. really bad sometimes. ]
When he finally passed, because they found a defect in the beltā Thatās one of the first things he thought. That she wouldnāt need to babysit him anymore.
[ he shrugs a little. christ, itās like . . . remembering how much of a kid you were. ]
Didnāt happen.
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Haha, Junior really was a kid if he thought that'd stop her from babysitting him. The only reason I'm safe from full Carlos-coddling is because he's not on the app.
[He did wish he could talk about these things with Carlos. He felt it put a distance between them. Still, it was nice knowing his brother wouldn't freak out every time he took up a task that was more dangerous than "playing with kittens". ]
So he had an adopted sister?
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Yeahā She saved his ass more than once.
[ a lot. she always had to because junior was a dumb. shifting his legs into brief stretch out, he props his arms up behind him. ]
Mikasa Ackerman. They took her in after her parents were murdered. Junior and his dad found them when they were making house calls. [ it got a little tense, butā eren feels like heās telling a story now. this memory didnāt bother him as much as the others. ] They couldnāt find her, though. Dad called the police, but Junior snuck off.
Not the smartest thing, but he doesnāt regret it. Any of it.
[ and by the looks of itā neither does eren. ]
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[The name isn't familiar. Part of him wonders if it was Tifa, but...no, probably not otherwise Eren would've said something about that.
But jeez, talk about a sad way to meet your adopted family. The life in Junior's world was rough]
Did he find her when he snuck off..?
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[ at least, rather harshly, he says pigs in a spiteful way. zero offense to actual swine, whoāre much better animals than those pestsā he did them a favor. well, junior, and despite the recklessness, itās something that he wouldnāt change. heād do it again. ]
They were going to sell her. She was just ten. [ eren swirls a chopstick in the broth, poking at the remaining pieces of meat floating in it, before hooking it under and placing them in their plates. ] He killed two, but only because he got lucky. She got the other one.
[ and after a rather distant pause: ]
Now that I think about itā she probably felt like she owed him somehow.
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On the other hand, hearing two little ten year olds straight up killed 3 guys is PRETTY unsettling too. Even if it sounded like they had little choice, and that world was very different from the one they lived now. What was he supposed to say...? Not like his Eren was the one to do it.
...
You know, let's just. Not address it. He clears his throat]
Wow...
Y-Yeah, she probably did. He did save her life...
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