[ Reiner listens attentively, though confusion flickers in his eyes. Marley must've sent Zeke to infiltrate Paradis, as it once sent four kids. Why the drastic change in approach? Notably, Reiner appears startled by the mention of spinal fluid in wine: it's not a tactic he ever saw deployed, having left for Paradis shortly after his Titan was first tested in war. Then Hange mentions Zeke's own people, children, and—
Reiner's gaze darts to the side, just long enough to see Gabi, then his eyes drop to his hands. His fingers are still laced, his grip tightening as the horror of it washes over him. Somehow, that contaminated wine got into Falco, then Zeke's scream turned Falco into a Pure Titan. Did Zeke know it would happen? Was it deemed an acceptable loss? Was Gabi there to witness it?
For a long moment, Reiner just stares at his hands, visibly sickened. Zeke was never kind to Reiner when he was a kid, not by a long shot. But Zeke looked after them. He led the younger Warrior Candidates, guided them, acted as a mentor. The Boy Wonder. The one person whose fanatical loyalty to Marley outstripped Reiner's own. How could Zeke have harmed another Warrior Candidate…?
Finally, Reiner speaks, his eyes still on his white-knuckled hands. ]
All right. When you're from, Zeke is a real piece of shit.
[ A break from formality, Reiner's disgust and anger permeating the curse.
It's hypocritical. Reiner's actions have killed countless children in Paradis. But he's not thinking of that. He's thinking about how happy Gabi looks when she talks about Falco. He's thinking about a promise that he and Falco apparently make in the future. He's thinking that if Falco stopped being a Pure Titan, it was likely because Falco ate him.
He thought he wouldn't know who inherited his Armor for years. It's good that it's someone Gabi cares about so deeply.
But then Reiner takes a breath, letting it out slowly. He deliberately relaxes his hands, eyes flicking up to find the camera again. ]
… But when I'm from, he's never even met you. Before that, he was someone I grew up with.
[ Whatever "collateral damage" Zeke caused in Paradis can't stretch so far into the past. The Zeke that Reiner knows is a jerk, sure, but Zeke is still a Warrior, his loyalty to Marley unquestionable. And Reiner can't throw Zeke to the dogs—or Captain Levi's blades, as the case may be. Reiner's loyalty goes far too deep.
He lifts his chin, pressing forward. Focusing on the situation at hand. ]
If Zeke arrives here, the first step should be assessing when he's from and what he's done, not decapitating him. [ Then he frowns slightly. ] To be honest, decapitating him would probably cause more problems than it fixes. If the dead return in … flowers … [ which is still so fucking stupid, he hates even saying it, ] … then all you'd achieve is pissing him off. I don't know if you ever witnessed him in a real fight, but he can cause a lot more than just collateral damage.
[ There's a note of respect in his voice. A note of fear. It wasn't long ago that Reiner fought Zeke one-on-one to try and rescue Annie, only to have his ass handed to him.
He blinks, seeming to return from whatever memory pulled his focus. ]
That's part of the point of a mutual nonaggression pact: preventing collateral damage.
no subject
Reiner's gaze darts to the side, just long enough to see Gabi, then his eyes drop to his hands. His fingers are still laced, his grip tightening as the horror of it washes over him. Somehow, that contaminated wine got into Falco, then Zeke's scream turned Falco into a Pure Titan. Did Zeke know it would happen? Was it deemed an acceptable loss? Was Gabi there to witness it?
For a long moment, Reiner just stares at his hands, visibly sickened. Zeke was never kind to Reiner when he was a kid, not by a long shot. But Zeke looked after them. He led the younger Warrior Candidates, guided them, acted as a mentor. The Boy Wonder. The one person whose fanatical loyalty to Marley outstripped Reiner's own. How could Zeke have harmed another Warrior Candidate…?
Finally, Reiner speaks, his eyes still on his white-knuckled hands. ]
All right. When you're from, Zeke is a real piece of shit.
[ A break from formality, Reiner's disgust and anger permeating the curse.
It's hypocritical. Reiner's actions have killed countless children in Paradis. But he's not thinking of that. He's thinking about how happy Gabi looks when she talks about Falco. He's thinking about a promise that he and Falco apparently make in the future. He's thinking that if Falco stopped being a Pure Titan, it was likely because Falco ate him.
He thought he wouldn't know who inherited his Armor for years. It's good that it's someone Gabi cares about so deeply.
But then Reiner takes a breath, letting it out slowly. He deliberately relaxes his hands, eyes flicking up to find the camera again. ]
… But when I'm from, he's never even met you. Before that, he was someone I grew up with.
[ Whatever "collateral damage" Zeke caused in Paradis can't stretch so far into the past. The Zeke that Reiner knows is a jerk, sure, but Zeke is still a Warrior, his loyalty to Marley unquestionable. And Reiner can't throw Zeke to the dogs—or Captain Levi's blades, as the case may be. Reiner's loyalty goes far too deep.
He lifts his chin, pressing forward. Focusing on the situation at hand. ]
If Zeke arrives here, the first step should be assessing when he's from and what he's done, not decapitating him. [ Then he frowns slightly. ] To be honest, decapitating him would probably cause more problems than it fixes. If the dead return in … flowers … [ which is still so fucking stupid, he hates even saying it, ] … then all you'd achieve is pissing him off. I don't know if you ever witnessed him in a real fight, but he can cause a lot more than just collateral damage.
[ There's a note of respect in his voice. A note of fear. It wasn't long ago that Reiner fought Zeke one-on-one to try and rescue Annie, only to have his ass handed to him.
He blinks, seeming to return from whatever memory pulled his focus. ]
That's part of the point of a mutual nonaggression pact: preventing collateral damage.