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[titanscience]

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un: hange
It's Hange! Leave a message!

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[hometown]

[ Reiner nods and steps back to allow Hange inside, shutting the door behind them. The apartment is tidy but lived in, clean but not to Levi's standards. A Turtwig sits in a chair beside the living room window, sunning herself in the early morning light. She turns to look at the new arrival, blinking slowly, curious but apparently unbothered by strangers. There are a few library books on the coffee table, reference materials about edible plants in Ellipsa and so forth. A notebook sits beside the books, Reiner's neat handwriting (Marleyan script) filling approximately half the page.

Reiner heads toward the kitchen, which is open to the living room. There's a table there with more chairs than he and Gabi actually need, but it means there's plenty of room to sit if Hange chooses. (And, of course, there's seating aplenty in the living room.) In the meantime, Reiner gently sets the box of cupcakes on the kitchen table, then heads to the counter, starting the work of setting coffee to brew. ]

Those little pictures in your last message, [ he says over his shoulder. ] What are they called?

[titanscience]

[Hange takes the cue and enters the apartment, coming to a stop at the point where kitchen meets living room, taking a look around as they wait to see which direction Reiner takes.]

Ah! A Pokemon! ...Turtwig, right? It's a grass type, like mine!

[A kind girl on the network had given all sorts of info to Hange regarding the common pokemon found here in Ellipsa and what the different 'types' meant.]

[They're also curious about the stack of books on the table- someone here is obviously working on something- but Hange doesn't want to push their luck and get kicked out for snooping too much so they'll remain in this spot for now.]

Hmm? Pictures?

[Hange has to actually pull the phone out and re-check their conversation from the night prior, but they understand soon enough.]

Oh! Those are called "emojis"! Neat, huh? You can add them to messages fairly easily.

[hometown]

[ "Emojis"? Reiner has never heard the word, nor does he know how to add them to messages. He nods in acknowledgment, resolving to ask Hange to show him how once the coffee is on.

In the meantime, he glances over his shoulder, a little smile on his face as he looks at his Turtwig. ]

Yeah, she's a Turtwig. Her name is Panzer. You can say hi; she likes getting her head and shell scratched.

[ Should Hange choose to scratch Panzer's shell, they'll find that it's moist and made of soil. Panzer is a very healthy Turtwig! ]

[titanscience]

I have a Sprigatito. I named him 'Parsley', because his tufts of fur look like leaves.

[After being given permission, Hange walks on over to the snoozing creature, kneeling down beside it in order to offer a good soft pat to it's head. Panzer seems receptive so Hange moves to scratch her shell just as Reiner suggests, not expecting it to feel so much like, well, dirt!]

Ah! These 'pokemon' really are amazing creatures, don't you think?

[Panzer seems to be enjoying it, doing that little turtle shake as different parts of her shell get scritched.]

Nice to meet you, Panzer!

[hometown]

They really are amazing. There's such a wide variety, too. I can understand how people spend years studying them.

[ With the coffee brewing, Reiner turns and makes his way toward the living room, smiling again as he spots Panzer's little dance. It's admittedly strange to trust the Commander of the Survey Corps with a creature that Reiner loves so much. But at the same time, it feels … appropriate, somehow.

Hange is eccentric and often bewildering, but they're not a malicious person. Panzer seems to approve of them, clearly relishing the attention. And most importantly, Hange brewed the potion that saved Gabi. That's a debt that Reiner isn't sure how to even begin to repay. ]

She likes playdates with other Pokémon. We could see how she and Parsley get along if you want.

[titanscience]

I agree! I'm rather envious about it! And their native world sounds so peaceful as well..

[Hange's voice sort of tapers off into silence after that, choosing to focus on petting the pokemon instead. Partly envious that people of that world don't have to fight wars and get to just enjoy discovering all these wonderful animals, but mostly it is due to their current situation. Their own world is a mess and certainly not peaceful, and they aren't exactly comrades in Reiner's eyes.]

We could meet at a park some time and let them get to know each other. Parsley shares several traits with a regular 'cat' [Meaning he can be rather capricious in nature depending on his mood] but he warms up to other Pokémon rather quickly. He really enjoys testing his strength against others! --Erm, when he feels like it, that is.

[Being a cat, sometimes he'd much rather nap in a tree than battle it out, then another time he'll be trying to start something when the other pokemon just wanted to play in peace. Talk about being strong-willed!]

[hometown]

[ Reiner has heard a bit about "Pokémon battles," but Panzer has yet to participate in any. She seems to prefer a quiet life of snoozing in the sun and receiving scritches. Who knows, though? Maybe Parsley will awaken some dormant competitive streak. ]

He sounds like a handful. [ Reiner nods. ] Meeting at a park sounds good.

[ Neutral ground. Besides, Reiner doesn't intend to continue living in this building for much longer. He's more comfortable with Hange these days—enough to invite them inside for coffee, at least. However, Levi is another matter entirely.

It'll be better to have some distance and not feel cramped under the same roof as his enemies, especially while the situation remains nebulous. (It'll make sleeping much easier.)

Hearing the coffee dripping in the background makes Reiner realize he trailed off into silence, just watching Panzer wiggle. He pulls himself from his thoughts. ]

Those emojis you mentioned. Would you mind telling me how to use them?

[titanscience]

He is! But I like him, he's fun. [Plus, it's nice to have a little companion around for company when Hange is on their own.] I don't plan on leaving the city for missions this week, so you can message me with a good time.

[Hange is quite content to continue fussing over the Turtwig so the silence is fine, and honestly goes unnoticed until Reiner finally speaks up again]

Oh, sure.

[Panzer's shell has left their hands a little moist so Hange simply wipes them down a trouser leg to be rid of it- good enough- before pulling out their phone from a pocket.]

Take your phone out too, and I'll show you.

[Getting up from the floor Hange takes a seat at the table instead, positioned so that Reiner can easily see the screen without needing to be shoulder-to-shoulder.]

When you are writing a message, you see this button here? With the small dots? You want to press that one, and then hit this one on the left that looks like a smiling face.

[Sure enough it opens up the emoji keyboard with its different categories, from expressions to animals to objects.]

See? you can pick whatever yout want. Press the button with the dots again if you want to go back to letters. I just discovered them recently, but I think they're fun!

[Hange taps away at their phone for a moment before a message pops up on Reiner's screen:]

🐢☕️🧁🍍🤝🍍

[hometown]

[ Reiner obediently pulls out his phone, taking a seat opposite Hange at the table. He's an attentive listener, a lifetime of lectures (from two different militaries) instilling the ability to … well, sit down, shut up, and pay attention, you'll only hear this once. Not that learning how to use emojis is a detail-intensive process. But still, that base 'shut up and listen' is there.

When the message pops up on his phone, Reiner's face breaks into a smile. Has Hange ever heard him laugh before? They have now: a low chuckle escapes him, like a big kid with a new toy.

Reiner says nothing for a moment, teeth catching his lower lip as his smile fades slightly, concentrating on the screen. Then he sends a message to Hange: ]

🐈🍃🚶🛝🌳

[ He looks so proud of himself. ]

[titanscience]

[It certainly is the first time Hange has heard him laugh! It beings a smile to their face, it's nice to see him not looking so serious and gloomy all the time.]

[Their own phone makes a little buzzing noise as the message comes through.]

Hah! It's Parsley in the park!

[See isn't this fun? Another one comes back in response:]
🐢🐈🍃🚶🚶🛝🌳

🏖️⭐🐟🪣🏖️

There's plenty of faces to use too with various expressions! Some of them are kind of funny.

[hometown]

[ Reiner's smile reappears as Hange's next message comes through, clearly having a good time "deciphering" it. ]

Yeah? I'll have to check those out, too.

[ The sight of the star sparks a memory. He glances over at the coffee pot, noticing that it's finished brewing, and stands to grab mugs as he continues speaking: ]

That reminds me: you were right about the name of those creatures. "Starfish" is an outdated term. They're called "sea stars" now, at least in this world.

[ Yes, that encounter stuck with him enough to look up information about sea stars. ]

[titanscience]

Mmm, but I wish they had ones that looked like sea-robbers. Then it'll look like me!

[There is a severe lack of pirate emojis! And ever since the conversation at Levi's, eyepatches have become synonymous with sea-robbers now..]

[Hange sets down the phone to face Reiner as he offers up the information he found regarding the starfish.]

..Huh, really? Then I wasn't that far off... that's what I would have called them to! Well- I did, but I mean if I was the one who got to give it an official name, it would be 'sea-star'.

You know, a little while after that I got stung! The water is full of all sorts of interesting creatures!

[hometown]

[ "Sea robbers"? Reiner has no idea what Hange could be talking about. Who would rob someone on the sea? How would they even do it? He tries and fails to immediately wrap his head around the idea.

But he's soon distracted, glancing over his shoulder as he begins to fill two mugs with coffee. ]

You were stung? By what?

[titanscience]

It was a jellyfish!

Which is a strange name.. I understand the 'jelly' part because it was soft and squeezable, but it doesn't look like anything like a fish to me. For one thing, it has no gills, or fins.. then again, the starfish isn't a fish either, is it?

[Oops, getting distracted by the etymology here...]

Its poisoned noodles got me though, when I was wading through the water! [Hange has since learned all about the proper name for all the jellyfish parts, but poison noodles sounds cuter and so it sticks] Levi ended up carrying me to the hospital. Eren helped get us off the beach, too!

[hometown]

[ "Poisoned noodles" paints a vivid image. Besides, Reiner probably wouldn't recognize the proper names of jellyfish parts. He learned what he knows primarily through osmosis, not a dedicated study of the sea and its inhabitants.

Likewise, it's easy for Reiner to imagine what Eren 'helping' entailed. Reiner is a little surprised he missed Eren's transformation. It must've been after Reiner encountered Levi, spoke with Jean, and walked off to cool his head. ]

It wasn't too serious, was it?

[ A question asked as he goes to retrieve milk and creamer from the fridge. (He may enjoy coffee, but there's no need to drink it plain!) ]

[titanscience]

No, it wasn't anything life threatening. The doctor gave me some medicinal tablets to swallow and a cream to put on my leg. It disappeared after a day or two!

[this is where someone would usually include a note about lessons being learned, but will Hange be more cautious next time? Probably not.]

By the way... do you have something sweet to add to the coffee...?

[It's so bitter otherwise! But if he doesn't, Hange will manage without. All in the name of diplomacy...]

[hometown]

[ Reiner nods, finding himself weirdly relieved it wasn't too serious. He doesn't examine that feeling too carefully, dismissing it as a mere practical concern. Hange is the Scout's Commander; it would be a pain in the ass to strike a pact with anyone else. What else could the source of that feeling be?

Reiner knows who he is right now. He's a Warrior, not a soldier. Therefore, it must be a practical concern, nothing more. ]

Yeah, we've got sugar. There's also this.

[ He taps the creamer as he sets it (and the milk) down on the table beside their mugs. Then he returns to the counter to fetch said sugar and spoons for stirring, continuing to speak as he does so. ]

It's something created for coffee. They call it "coffee creamer." It's very sweet. It comes in many flavors, but I haven't tried anything besides this "original" yet.

[ Items retrieved, he returns to his place at the table, taking a seat as he sets down the sugar and spoons. Judging by how he's arranged things, he's giving Hange first pick of what they'd like to add. ]

[titanscience]

Huh? What is it?

[Hange slides the coffee creamer closer, inspecting the label. It's the first time they've heard of it, but they don't drink coffee so that should come as no surprise]

If it's sweet, I'll give it a try!

[Sweet things make everything better. Hange opens it up and immediately begins to pour some into their mug, though it ends up being about twice as much as they should and the beverage looks to be one drop away from overflowing its container.]

Hah, whoops!

[Now they will have to lean over the mug and slurp some up before it can be picked up from the table...]

Oh.. it tastes so much nicer when it's sweet!

[hometown]

[ That is. So much coffee creamer. Reiner blinks, wondering if the beverage will possibly taste good like that. He doesn't add anywhere near that much creamer! Then again, coffee creamer is a new thing for Reiner, too. Maybe he's been adding too little?

But Hange seems to enjoy it. So Reiner smiles again, small but pleased. ]

Yeah, it makes a big difference. Sometimes, I want that bitterness to help kick me awake. [ Spoken like a true masochist. ] Other times, it's like adding honey to tea, you know?

[ He takes the coffee creamer and adds some to his drink—more than he usually would, though nowhere near as much as Hange. ]

[titanscience]

Coffee existed in Marley, right? I still prefer tea, plus that is what Levi likes to make [And why make your own drinks when you can scrounge off somebody else?] but it sure would've been useful back when I had experiments to run! There truly weren't enough hours in the day!

[Hange takes another drink, confirming their opinion that yes, the coffee is so much better when it contains 50% sugar!]

You should try one of your cupcakes with it.

[hometown]

[ Thankfully, Reiner has grown accustomed enough to the Scout's knowledge of Marley that he doesn't jerk and spill his coffee. He only raises his eyes, slightly startled, then nods. ]

Yeah, we have coffee. You have to be careful with it, though. The stuff that wakes you up is called caffeine; it can become addictive.

[ Or so his superiors claimed when they barred Reiner, Bertholdt, Annie, and Marcel from consuming coffee for several months before their deployment. Reiner didn't drink coffee much back then. However, he certainly felt the ban during long nighttime training sessions with only the moon for light.

He reaches over to pull the cupcake box closer, opening it and looking inside. ]

Do you want peach or spineapple?

[titanscience]

Caffeine? I've definitively heard people talk about it before. They say it's in tea too, but nowhere near as much.

[Something as simple as caffeine is still a scientific marvel to someone like Hange. Living here in Ellipsa is just a constant bombardment of information and facts they were never able to discover back in Paradis. Imagine the progress they could have made with access to both electricity and caffeine.]

Tough choice!

[Peach is always a winner, but in the spirit of getting to understand the unknown...]

Spineapple! I've never tried it before. No time like the present, right?

[hometown]

[ Reiner nods and gingerly takes two pineapple spineapple-flavored cupcakes from the box, careful not to mess up the icing. He sets one in front of Hange, then takes a moment to look at his own, his expression unreadable.

The cupcake is such a small thing. Reiner could devour it in just a few bites. But this gift from Hange means far more than the sum of its parts.

He isn't sure what to feel or think. He doesn't know if this gift comes with hidden strings or expectations, like so many others throughout his life. He expects the worst. He hopes for better. ]

Thank you.

[ It's the third time Reiner has said it. He still means it.

Then he takes a bite of his cupcake. ]