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From:

[Woah woah okay, first things first:]

How did you get him to agree to that?

[Because it didn't sound as though that was on the cards before, at least during the little stint in the welcome hall.]

[But this opens up so much possibility. Hange had been counting on their life being over once this world was safe, and that was fine. They were blessed with a second chance after all, to do a little more 'living' before their time was up. But now.. with this news..

They could life a life here. It's a lot to think about, too much to think about in this singular moment, but it is a statement filled to the brim with a very different promise of hope, of freedom.]

[Who'd have thought you could simply walk up to the guy and ask to not die? Plus or minus a few steps. It's been a long time since Hange's looked so bright and cheerful, like they're staring down a new type of Abherrent for the first time. This feeling of being overjoyed cannot be contained, and no downpour is needed for what comes next.]

Levi! You're the best! Have I told you that recently?

[A couple steps forward and Hange is throwing both arms around him in a hug, he probably realises what is coming before it happens, but unlike outside this one is tight and inescapable, almost pulling him up off the ground. You're just going to have to deal with it, shorty.]

From:

wingbound

[ It would be all too easy to claim credit for it, but he's not that kind of person. ]

He didn't actually need convincing. [ In fact, he'd acted surprised by Levi's conclusion, even if he'd merely gone off the man's words. But the leader had merely been trying to calm down the people coming from their own worlds that they were not stolen away from their lives indefinitely, he supposes. Statistically, a lot of them might prefer home to this. Their world is... an outlier. ] Probably just didn't occur to him.

[ Not that Levi wasn't ready to convince him if that hadn't been the case. He'd been pretty rude about it to begin with; pulling a knife out and threatening to sabotage their world saving efforts would have been par for course. But. Well. Good thing it didn't come to that, probably. It's not like he has magic. ]

Tsk--

[ Too late, his feet are leaving the ground. He grumbles and squirms a little but ultimately accepts the bearish hug, tension gradually easing out of him. ]

[ He thinks how he felt in that plane, after they'd turned away from each other for the last time. His good hand briefly lands on Hange's back, his fist pressing against their shirt. ]

[ It's just for a moment, but he returns it. ]

...

[ Of course, he can't let them get any ideas about that, so a moment later, he's using that same hand to try to pull them back by the ponytail. Which definitely needs a wash. Ugh. ]

Oi, that's enough. Let me breathe.

From:

titanscience

It didn't occur to him that what, people had lives that sucked worse than his?

[Before even bringing shitty other worlds into the conversation, they already know their 'magic' or whatever it is rouses people from the dead, right? Why would anyone wish to return?]

Did he give specifics? Did he say yes because you asked about me? Is it for anyone who doesn't have a future elsewhere?

[Because it sounds as though he didn't put up much of a fight and the conversation went fairly smoothly. Perhaps they are okay with more that one person staying? Hange can't help but think of Eren again in that moment. After all, hadn't they promised to help him try and find a different future? One where he didn't have to go back and see the things he did?]

[The tug at their ponytail signals the end of this touching moment and they let go easy enough, making sure Levi's firmly on the ground and not going to lose balance on the weaker leg before taking a step bac, however the smile never leaves.]

I wonder how it works? I never really thought about it before as I wasn't expecting to stay, but do we age here like normal? I guess I should start putting aside money for rent instead of spending it all in the department store....?

From:

wingbound

Yeah, that.

[ Maybe because statistically, most people here aren't dead. But yes, he did also think of Eren, too. It just hadn't turned into a final push to actively do something about it until Hange crashed into his life again. ]

No specifics, and I don't know if I had anything to do with it. But he said it'll be an option for anyone who wants to stay.

[ He winces a little internally when he realizes that Hange takes care to set him right before letting go, but he's grateful for it at the same time. ]

From:

wingbound

[ And then they're rattling off questions that he has no answers to, except that last one, because what the fuck, and honestly that deserves another ponytail tug as he stares blankly into their eyes like he's had enough of their shit. ]

You've got to be shitting me, four-eyes. You're supposed to pay rent regardless of how long you intend to stay.

[ Were they planning to mooch off of him until the battle for the realm concluded, is that it? They totally were, weren't they? ]

[ Tug, tug. ]

From:

titanscience

[everything was going well, Hange's thinking out loud about a dozen little things that occur to them, but a rather rough tug to the hair snaps them out of it]

What-?

[ow ow ow! Hange is grasping at their head, trying to detach Levi's fingers from their poor abused head.]

Of course I'm going to pay rent! I only meant that I don't have to pay any yet, and I hadn't put anything aside because I honestly wasn't sure how long I would be here?

[So will you PLEASE let go now??]

Oi, Levi! That's enough, you're messing up my hair!

[like hange ever cared about that lol]

From:

wingbound

[ Nope. They get another tug just for the hell of it before Levi finally releases them. ]

Oh? Is that what you call this bird's nest?

[ The previous moment has been too soft so he must heap on a double serving of rudeness now just to set the balance right. ]

[ And also ignore all further mentions of them thinking they were going to go home to die, because that's not the case anymore and so they'd better start sorting out their finances. ]

From:

titanscience

Hey! You know how hard it is to pull off this look? You have to get the 'i tried my best to style it' and the 'but i'm too busy for this shit'- ratio just right, you know?

[Actually it's nothing so definitive, but if Levi wants to be all ornery WELL two can play at that game.]

I was Commander of the Scouts, you know! You really think I'd leech and not pay rent?

From:

wingbound

And what's that ratio, 1:100?

[ Are you sure you want to try out-ornering him, Hange? (Lbr they probably could...) ]

Sure. It's not like you can write it off as an expense anymore.

[ SAYS THE GUY WHO WAS WRITING TEA OFF AS A MILITARY EXPENSE FOR YEARS... ]

From:

titanscience

It's 1 to 64.5 actually, leave the mathematics to me Levi.

[YOU WERE SAYING...]

And you have to go back to paying for tea out of pocket, I guess we're both having to make necessary sacrifices here aren't we.

[Besides Hange doesn't even need to pay rent yet! This conversation doesn't even matter for another month or so. It's fiiiiine. But back to the topic that does matter in the present:]

Are you going to tell Eren? He doesn't want to go back, you know.

From:

wingbound

You think I'm too stupid for numbers?

[ ALL STOPS ARE PULLED ]

[ except, uh, he actually has to share some exciting news right there ]

...have you seen how cheap tea is here?

[ HE CAN BUY SO MUCH TEA NOW. He's slowly filling Eren's entire kitchen with tea. Who needs plates or pans or kitchen appliances when every cabinet could be stocked with different flavor tea boxes instead? Nothing to see here folks. ]

[ Speaking of Eren, though... yeah. The thought did cross his mind. Even back when he was talking to Olwen, though Hange lamenting about not enough time to properly explore this place was what ultimately pushed him to action in the first place. ]

I should do that, huh. We're all meeting later today, right?

[ He'll just do it then. Maybe he came here intending to nap before the designated disaster time, who can really tell? ]

From:

titanscience

[ Sometimes silence says more than a thousand words :) ]

[ Or maybe since the conversation is actually going somewhere now, Hange drops the bickering for a little bit in favor of slumping back down on the sofa.]

Oh, is that where all your money is going? Though I suppose we are in another world, so there's probably a variety of teas that taste differently to the ones you're used to. I've seen plants here that don't exist in Paradis, so it wouldn't be a surprise if the same could be said for tea.

[That doesn't even take into account all the natives from other worlds that are also here. That means there is a whole universe of teas to discover!]

Mmm, we're still meeting later this morning, so we can do it then! I'm certain he'll be happy to hear it, even if he doesn't show it.

[Guess he's still going through a phase.. but whether that is a 'im exposed to constant horrors and time has no meaning' phase or 'normal male adolescence' phase who knows...]

From:

wingbound

[ And he's GLOWERING through all of it because of course stupid Hange doesn't immediately backtrack and start apologizing like his more sensible subordinates. ]

[ Luckily they swivel to his favorite topic (tea) so he'll just saunter over and take a seat on the other end of the couch, as if he lives there. At least there's no crumbs on it this time, but he's giving the messy coffee table a dirty look. ]

There's a lot of shitty ones. [ Like the extra cheap ones in the grocery store with the paper bags! ] But a lot of good ones too.

[ Also excuse, he's being responsible with his money and only buying ten boxes per month! For now. Hange has probably been getting a different flavor each time they came over, whether or not they actually noticed. ]

Yeah. [ After a moment of consideration, thinking of Eren's humanness improving over the months he's been here, he adds; ] Who knows. He might.

[ Levi certainly wouldn't know about "normal male adolescence" either so yeah, shooting in the dark there. ]

From:

titanscience

[That coffee table isn't messy thank you very much. Everything on it has a purpose and is exactly where it needs to be. Okay-- well maybe not the empty plate, but the rest of it is fine!]

The one I tried a few nights ago was different, right? It tasted as though it had a hint of fruit added to it. Not lemon.. something sweeter. It was nice..

[Much of the time the tea simply tastes like tea, but Hange is able to notice differences here and there when there is a particularly unusual flavour. They may not share Levi's interest, but he makes enough for the both of them to enjoy when Hange visits, and they in return have a little stash here on the kitchen counter (taken from Levi's own apartment) so it works out to be a nice little arrangement.]

[Maybe they should get up and make some, Hange thinks, though in the moment they are more occupied with how Eren will take the news.]

Eren told me he doesn't want to go back home, to witness the future that waits for him. And I don't want him to either. But it isn't that simple.. we talked about it last night, he's worried that he only has a couple years left to live, regardless of how long he gets to stay here.

[Hange is overjoyed, they can have a future of any length instead of nothing, but Eren may not be so happy. He seemed to feel as though his fate were doomed either way. Hange lets out a sigh, staring up at the ceiling above them as they continue to ramble their thoughts out loud.]

I suppose you could say I feel a sense of responsibility towards helping him find a way out of it. Not only because he's our Eren, but I thought about our last meeting a lot. It didn't end on good terms, you know? But Eren was right back then, I had no answers to give, no other solutions to offer. Which is why I promised to do my best here.

[It's one of the few things here that Hange has been serious about, between all the goofing off. They'd always been fond of Eren, even after everything that happened. None of it was Eren's fault, not really, it was the product of centuries of hate and oppression and conflict that surmounted into something bigger than all of them. That future may be inevitable, but the thought of this Eren having to go back and live through it honestly just makes them feel sad.]

From:

wingbound

[ He'll bring that empty plate to the sink later, probably, but now he just sat down so he's going to stay there for a little bit. ]

It's called "peach".

[ They probably didn't have it on Paradis! At least, Levi probably didn't have it. But it smelled nice in the tea, so he took the risk. ]

Sounds like he's been more open with you than me.

[ He shares that sense of responsibility, though, if in a slightly different way. He'd never been the one who promised answers or solutions, not unless it was just a copious amount of violence. But there's no doubt in his mind that he contributed to things ending up the way they did all the same. ]

[ It's almost funny, really. All these years have passed, they've literally ended up in a different world, and yet they're still struggling with some of the same questions. He doubts they can think of solutions for back home at this point -- it doesn't matter, it already happened -- but perhaps it is still an option here. ]

[ And this place follows a whole different set of rules, doesn't it? ]

You know... this place. Magic. The people here. [ The words feel stiff between his teeth, but he forces himself to put one after another anyway. ] Some are capable of things I never considered real. [ Vampires. Fairies. Telepaths. Segment leaders changing entire landscapes with a wave of their hands. ] Something or someone might actually be able to-- I don't know, extract that whole curse from him, right? [ They could even ask on the network. They know how to use it and haven't been attacked by monkeys when they did, right? ]

[ The real question is, would Eren agree to something like that? He must feel quite ingrained with his powers now. Perhaps it would feel like sawing off your own arm. But then, if he really didn't want to go back to his future, would it not be a fair exchange? And if he refused, would that not mean that he wasn't quite willing to cast that future away completely, wanting at least an option to make it happen, "just in case"? Too many unknowns and what-ifs, even assuming they can actually find something or someone who might be able to do something about it. ]

[ What a pain. Why is it always like this? ]

From:

titanscience

[Peach, huh? Next time they pick up groceries, Hange will have to search one out..]

It isn't as easy for everyone to understand you like I do. Besides, I like to keep asking until I get my way. Eren probably answered because he got annoyed with me.

[Hange knows that Levi cares an incredible amount for all of them here, but he doesn't always show it. It's very much a 'tough love' approach a lot of the time, and a lot of the recruits seemed to idolize him, they always did, so maybe that too placed a little barrier between them. Hange can imagine that it may still be difficult for the two of them to approach more personal subjects, for Levi and Eren both, despite the fact that they live together. Not like Hange, who asks and asks and asks and will try from all different angles until they get some type of response.]

[Levi does have a point though, with all that happens in this world, the types of people brought in, they cannot dismiss it.]

I was wondering that too.. like how it works exactly, bringing someone from the dead? If they have 'magic' to do that, how is it determined? Would it be possible to find whatever it is that places a time limit on those who gain Titan powers? Could they remove it?

[It's something Hange put thought into in the past, but a lack of both time and technology meant it was an avenue left unexplored.]

The common denominator between them all is the use of spinal fluid, right? My best guess was that it's something within that, that slowly poisons the body over time.. it's a pity we don't have an accurate account of someone who died without getting eaten, it could give us clues..

Edited Date: 2023-06-11 03:30 am (UTC)

From:

wingbound

[ And so, the Peach Arc begins... ]

...

[ They're probably right on that. It's not like he tries to be hard to understand. He's doing his best, really! But it just... doesn't seem to be enough, most times. He's grateful for Hange whenever they manage to avert some socio-emotional disaster by just explaining what he had in mind with words that he somehow couldn't conjure up himself. Funny that. ]

I don't know. But it's not impossible.

[ He's seen some wild shit during his short time here. ]

Maybe. Or it just wears out. All that power doesn't come out of thin air, right? We've seen Eren get nosebleeds after transforming too much. It's clearly taxing. We haven't actually seen how they look shortly before the time is up, either.

[ Would they just crumble randomly once the thirteen years mark was up, or was it a gradual process of some sort? ]

From:

titanscience

There is clearly a limit to how much the body can take when transforming frequently.. whether the stamina required to resist it is something that wanes with time or you reach a point of no return with the damage done, I cannot say for sure.

Let's ask him about it. Maybe he knows more than we do.. there's a lot he didn't talk about it the last couple of years..

[This is less about what he had been planning, but more about everything else. There is the possibility that Eren knew more about the titan powers than he mentioned, or perhaps he knows specifically the steps to their demise and never thought to mention it seeing as it is deemed inevitable.]

[Asking also means that the two of them can easily slide into the 'find a way to let you live past the thirteen years' thing that they have going here. Hange is certain that Eren would be up for trying, but it is his life after all so it wouldn't do to go behind his back on such an important matter. He needs to be involved!]

From:

wingbound

He's certainly not telling us everything.

[ He kind of feels like resting his eyes for a moment, but the dirty plate offends him, so he sighs, gets up, and brings it into the kitchen to wash. ]

Maybe you'll have better luck with him than I do.

[ Maybe you should lead by example if you want anyone to open up to you, Levi... ]

From:

titanscience

[Hange just watches as Levi gets up to go wash the plate. They would have done it! Later! Not going to stop him though, so they simply raise their voice just a little so he can still hear clearly from the kitchen area.]

I'll ask him about it. Maybe after the experiments, we'll see. If not, I'll leave it for another day.

[They won't get anything out of him if they push it too hard. Better to take a gentler approach. Though, speaking of...]

...You're the one who lives with him, though. You have many more opportunities to talk to him than I do.

From:

wingbound

[ He'll just wash everything that's in the sink in the meantime, don't mind him. Hopefully those rubber gloves he left here last time are still there! ]

Sounds good.

[ ... ]

[ Yeah, about that. ]

...We don't really talk much.

[ What a shocker. Maybe he should make more of an effort... but honestly it seems easier to just invite Hange over instead and let them do the talking, so whatever. ]

From:

titanscience

[The gloves are still there! So is a clean kitchen sponge, sitting nicely it its little bed.]

...The two of you live together and don't talk? What do you do?

[Honestly taking the two of them into account it is not that much of a surprise to Hange, but honestly they should both be putting in a little more effort!]

From:

wingbound

[ Jaksjdhs speaking of things that they definitely did not need to buy... ]

[ He frowns as if the question doesn't make sense. ]

Clean, eat, watch the picture box. One or both of us is often out on missions.

[ Also, you know, Eren sleeps... or pretends to, anyway. ]

From:

titanscience

No wonder he doesn't tell you things..

[The two of you need to learn to communicate better, seriously! It's a good thing you've got ~~mom~~ Hange here as a translator and intermediary!]

Don't you guys ever just hang out together, when not watching your show?

[Hange and Levi hang out all the time and talk about things, though that's been the norm for them for a long time. But when over at their apartment, Hange also likes to spend time with Eren when he's there, asking him about his day, or talking about something funny posted on the network, that kind of thing. Don't you guys do that?]

From:

wingbound

[ And he scowls because he doesn't understand what it has to do with Eren not telling him things? Please explain. ]

Sure. I often see him ~~doomscrolling~~ on his phone while I make tea.

[ That he then doesn't get any of because in this point in the timeline, Eren still Doesn't Deserve Tea. That will be a whole milestone after he blows up at Jean for dying, though. Anyway. Being vaguely in each other's field of vision counts as hanging out, right? ]