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[ One morning, as your character steps out of their home, they are greeted by an owl messenger, bearing a letter. The letter tells them that they have been selected to participate in a gift exchange, and they are to deliver a gift to Ryu Akutagawa by the end of the month. The letter says nothing more, and once the letter is read, the owl will fly away. ]
[ The week of 12/24, Eren will wake up to some lumpily wrapped presents sitting on his stomach. The first is a black winter hat with puff poms on the top and at the end of the strings. There's also a puka shell necklace laying on top of it. Under both is a rope dog toy.
There's also a little handwritten note from Jean. ]
While you're still human, please don't freeze your ears off. The necklace is a type of shell, according to the lady I got it from; this way you can keep Armin close by while he's not here.
There's also a little handwritten note from Jean. ]
While you're still human, please don't freeze your ears off. The necklace is a type of shell, according to the lady I got it from; this way you can keep Armin close by while he's not here.
[ A bag of lemon sherbets is delivered sometime on the 24th, with a hand-written note:
Merry Christmas, Mr. Jaeger! Please enjoy this sweet little gift, and I hope your holiday is cozy.
Sincerely,
A.Z. Fell ]
Merry Christmas, Mr. Jaeger! Please enjoy this sweet little gift, and I hope your holiday is cozy.
Sincerely,
A.Z. Fell ]
[Well guess who's got himself another sword? That's right, it's Eren. It's a smaller one though, easier to hide an conceal- or heck use it in the kitchen, no one will stop you. Oh and there's a cat face carved into the sheath because everyone likes cats right? Well, this lad thought it was a nice touch anyway.]
To my new Friend Eren,
I made you another sword. This one is small and easy to carry. I am happy I was able to help make swords for your friends too. They should all be safe.
-Kanoa
text; un: aub (forward-dated to event start, February 18th)
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headhooligan
2024-02-13 05:32 pm (UTC)(link)
headache,
[That’s it, that’s the text.]
[It’s bright and early, around when Aubrey would usually be getting ready for the morning outing, except who can really tell when the world’s gone topsy-turvy. Should Eren reply or even try to call, he’ll get nothing.]
[…At least not until later, when this abruptly comes through with no preamble:]
bitch stole my sword
Uh. Hello, Eren. It's Atsushi. I just... want to apologize for Akutagawa.
If he tries to come after you or anything. Let me know? I can take care of it.
If he tries to come after you or anything. Let me know? I can take care of it.
[Divine intervention tends to be spoken of under the guise of a helper - a force to guide someone away from danger.
But for every force, there's an opposing one. Thesis and antithesis. Peace and Eren.
Because it could only be an ethereal, cruel, divine entity that causes this to happen - that forces Akechi to the same table as the guy who threatened him only days ago. To a perceptive force that requires him to play at the top of his game because the unyielding distrust at every action is unrelenting. It doesn't matter, except for the fact Akechi needs all the teeth in his mouth to bite him in the future. A punch would certainly ruin that. ]
Ah.
[He makes a soft noise to get Eren aware of his existence. There's enough people around that he doesn't think he'll go for his throat immediately.]
My apologies, but they told me to come over here to enjoy the food. I hope we can remain civil.
But for every force, there's an opposing one. Thesis and antithesis. Peace and Eren.
Because it could only be an ethereal, cruel, divine entity that causes this to happen - that forces Akechi to the same table as the guy who threatened him only days ago. To a perceptive force that requires him to play at the top of his game because the unyielding distrust at every action is unrelenting. It doesn't matter, except for the fact Akechi needs all the teeth in his mouth to bite him in the future. A punch would certainly ruin that. ]
Ah.
[He makes a soft noise to get Eren aware of his existence. There's enough people around that he doesn't think he'll go for his throat immediately.]
My apologies, but they told me to come over here to enjoy the food. I hope we can remain civil.
[Eren went from being a medieval peasant to having a phone, and now he looks like a proper modern day millenial, just scrolling through it, unaware of--
[He glances up. You have got to be fucking kidding him.
[He raises a brow, takes a glance around the Stone Dragon. Not an empty seat in the house, aside from the one across from him.
[His smile is mocking and sharp.]
I'm civil as shit. Have a seat, Pleasant Boy.
[He glances up. You have got to be fucking kidding him.
[He raises a brow, takes a glance around the Stone Dragon. Not an empty seat in the house, aside from the one across from him.
[His smile is mocking and sharp.]
I'm civil as shit. Have a seat, Pleasant Boy.
[ Everything is different now; everything is the same as it was before.
Now Eren knows exactly what he did - lived through it courtesy of Vaeros. It's nothing he didn't technically have the knowledge of, but from what Jean understands, that's as good as living it, in Eren's situation. He held that power in his hands, he made that decision.
Not long after that, Reiner is gone. A port Jean had in a storm that he's now lost and a little unmoored (unarmored)without, even if he's not sure why that should be. They weren't anything - but they could have been, maybe.
He's a breakdown, once, away from them both with Dolph. He couldn't have it in front of Eren, he didn't think he should burden Mikasa with it. That's his decision and it might bite him later, but that's what it is.
Eren won't stop moving. He hardly sleeps until Jean and Mikasa keep him down; when he's awake, he's doing all he can to do deliveries. He cleans, both cottages. Other people's houses. He just -
He keeps moving forward.
Jean is supposed to be chopping vegetables for mirepoix, an ingredient he's started making in large batches due to how popular soup can be. Instead, he looks at the knife on the cutting board. Eren is standing at the sink, working on dishes. Jean turns to look at him instead. Newly sixteen. ]
Eren.
Now Eren knows exactly what he did - lived through it courtesy of Vaeros. It's nothing he didn't technically have the knowledge of, but from what Jean understands, that's as good as living it, in Eren's situation. He held that power in his hands, he made that decision.
Not long after that, Reiner is gone. A port Jean had in a storm that he's now lost and a little unmoored (unarmored)without, even if he's not sure why that should be. They weren't anything - but they could have been, maybe.
He's a breakdown, once, away from them both with Dolph. He couldn't have it in front of Eren, he didn't think he should burden Mikasa with it. That's his decision and it might bite him later, but that's what it is.
Eren won't stop moving. He hardly sleeps until Jean and Mikasa keep him down; when he's awake, he's doing all he can to do deliveries. He cleans, both cottages. Other people's houses. He just -
He keeps moving forward.
Jean is supposed to be chopping vegetables for mirepoix, an ingredient he's started making in large batches due to how popular soup can be. Instead, he looks at the knife on the cutting board. Eren is standing at the sink, working on dishes. Jean turns to look at him instead. Newly sixteen. ]
Eren.
[Eren doesn’t stop working. He hasn’t for almost two weeks.
[Can’t. Won’t. His hands are always moving - working, fidgeting, flexing at his sides. Sometimes, the restless energy is the only way to tell him apart from his future self; turns out he picks up a black jacket in the future too. What a coincidence.]
Mm? What? [He hasn’t looked away from that dish, scrubbing vigorously. There’s…not really any mark left, though.]
[Can’t. Won’t. His hands are always moving - working, fidgeting, flexing at his sides. Sometimes, the restless energy is the only way to tell him apart from his future self; turns out he picks up a black jacket in the future too. What a coincidence.]
Mm? What? [He hasn’t looked away from that dish, scrubbing vigorously. There’s…not really any mark left, though.]
[It’s a good while after sunrise; 15–30 minutes, give or take, if anyone’s keeping tack. Seems Aubrey’s pulled a no-show for training today. That’s a first.
[Ring-ring, or whatever Eren’s phone does for incoming calls. If he doesn’t pick up she’ll leave a message.]
[Don’t let it get to you.
[He sees her every day. He felt sick checking the network registry to make sure her name hadn’t disappeared. She’s probably just got something more important going on; isn’t like her, though.
[Maybe she can see right through him.
[Oh…]
Hey. [His tone is hard to read. He can hear an echo of himself if he’d answered the phone two weeks ago: “Are you wimping out on me?”]
[He sees her every day. He felt sick checking the network registry to make sure her name hadn’t disappeared. She’s probably just got something more important going on; isn’t like her, though.
[Maybe she can see right through him.
[Oh…]
Hey. [His tone is hard to read. He can hear an echo of himself if he’d answered the phone two weeks ago: “Are you wimping out on me?”]
[For once in her life, Aubrey held her tongue after the… altercation, or whatever that was. Then off Eren ran into the woods, and she couldn’t bring herself to stop him.
[It bugs her, though.]
Hey. I know it’s none of my business, but what happened between you and Akechi?
I thought you’d be good allies. He told me you helped him when you met, so what gives?
[It goes without saying that today’s not a training day. If anyone can take care of himself in this fresh round of madness, it’s Eren; doesn’t stop Aubrey from firing off a check-in text at the first opportunity.]
are you safe?
[Aubrey didn’t show up to the birthday party empty-handed. There were the Stone Dragon snacks; a croissant for Eren, and a pastry somewhere in the territory of what Jean ordered that one time. She might have misremembered somewhat. It was a last-minute detour. Jean doesn’t need to know that....
[But the real gift was artwork of the sea, referenced from that one place they visited… though it’s not exact. Her own memory, of a happier beach, has filled some blanks.
[Aubrey’s not an artist, or at least doesn’t consider herself one; there’s a rough layer of paint, as was her inspiration, but over that she’s added detail and sprawling outlines in ink. The linework isn’t unlike a glorified sketchbook doodle.
[It took a long time.]
[Written on the back, along one of the edges, is a small note:]
I’m glad you’re here. Happy birthday. –Aubrey
text; un: aub | within the week after April 26th, post-event
headhooligan
2024-05-01 03:37 am (UTC)(link)
[Sent in the middle of the night, long past any reasonable waking hour. Sunny is sound asleep.]
Hey, Eren. We’re back safe.
How are you holding up?
Hello, Eren-kun! This is Dr. Maruki. I hope you remember, we met under strange circumstances.
I wanted to reach out in... hm... let's just call it "the true reality"? Although it's anything but that. Regardless, now you know how to contact me.
Before I keep rambling on... how are you?
I wanted to reach out in... hm... let's just call it "the true reality"? Although it's anything but that. Regardless, now you know how to contact me.
Before I keep rambling on... how are you?
[That didn't take too long at all...]
Hi. I remember you, yeah.
This world is a mess right now. Believe it or not, you showed up at a better time than you would have a couple of weeks ago. I can't begin to warn you about what might happen next, though.
[That totally answers the "how are you" question, right?]
Hi. I remember you, yeah.
This world is a mess right now. Believe it or not, you showed up at a better time than you would have a couple of weeks ago. I can't begin to warn you about what might happen next, though.
[That totally answers the "how are you" question, right?]
[There is only the slightest delay, because checking on Sunny comes first. (He sleeps like a wall, of course.) But within minutes Aubrey’s scrambling out the door—and she’s never been crazy about text, so it’s a voice call Eren receives.]
Hey. You had that dream too, right?
[ It's been a few days since they made their deal, but Maruki hasn't dropped by to pick up food yet. Even if Eren does it for everyone, such a selfless act of kindness, he's still all too conscious of looking like a free loader. Which he is at the moment, to be fair. But it's fine!! He's subsisted on meager means before, he can do it again.
Except there are no conbini in Somnius, no 24/7 diners where he could stretch a cup of coffee and a pastry for hours while working on his research. And he is still mildly terrified of the violence of the locals. So it's more like subsisting on almost nothing. Which he is less good at.
So it is with great humility that he finally makes his way over to the cottage Eren had indicated, late enough in the afternoon that he's surely done with his deliveries for the day, and knocks. ]
Eren-kun? It's Dr. Maruki... Ah, I hope this is the right place...
Except there are no conbini in Somnius, no 24/7 diners where he could stretch a cup of coffee and a pastry for hours while working on his research. And he is still mildly terrified of the violence of the locals. So it's more like subsisting on almost nothing. Which he is less good at.
So it is with great humility that he finally makes his way over to the cottage Eren had indicated, late enough in the afternoon that he's surely done with his deliveries for the day, and knocks. ]
Eren-kun? It's Dr. Maruki... Ah, I hope this is the right place...
[Eren's just gotten home from deliveries. He hadn't planned on leaving again for the night, but Mikasa and Jean aren't home for the moment. He's not sure when they will be; can't stand being alone lately (if by "lately" you mean the past several months, or, alternatively, ever).
[He's about to duck out again. He can't sit still. There's a knock on his door; whoever it is, he feels relief. Something else to focus on.
[...ah, but then, of course, it's Dr. Maruki. Eren's expression is as it has been for a while now - flat, not exceptionally friendly; his eyes look dull.]
Did you finally get hungry? [Geez...
[He steps aside to let him in.]
[He's about to duck out again. He can't sit still. There's a knock on his door; whoever it is, he feels relief. Something else to focus on.
[...ah, but then, of course, it's Dr. Maruki. Eren's expression is as it has been for a while now - flat, not exceptionally friendly; his eyes look dull.]
Did you finally get hungry? [Geez...
[He steps aside to let him in.]
looking to my own dinner for inspiration.... can jean make taco salad
placation
- 2024-05-11 00:43 (UTC) - Expand[The first meal Eren had dropped off Akechi was home for, even though he didn't answer. The awkward resignation to their current situation, and the tonal whiplash over the last couple weeks, difficult for him to register.
Eyeing the homemade meal - paid for like a restaurant, created like it came from someone's kitchen for a friend-
He didn't think about it. Didn't consider it. Didn't pace around a large kitchen with the rapidly cooling meal at the center, the focus of his dilemma and tension.
It could be poisoned, actually. Eren, devious enough to destroy a whole world could easily sprinkle anything on it. But it almost feels too -
Much. Subterfuge and subtlety aren't his strong points. A meal half eaten hours after it was dropped off, the rest saved for his unfortunate roommate.
Today is one of the many days after - an uncommon sight turned commonplace occurrence. He met him at the door, just in time to hear a plummet of fish downpour around them. Awesome.
And now they're eating?? On the porch?? Akechi isn't sure what's happening anymore. It didn't seem right to go inside, so he didn't invite him. It's not his home, just his temporary space and he's treating it as such.]
I hope this doesn't delay you too much.
Eyeing the homemade meal - paid for like a restaurant, created like it came from someone's kitchen for a friend-
He didn't think about it. Didn't consider it. Didn't pace around a large kitchen with the rapidly cooling meal at the center, the focus of his dilemma and tension.
It could be poisoned, actually. Eren, devious enough to destroy a whole world could easily sprinkle anything on it. But it almost feels too -
Much. Subterfuge and subtlety aren't his strong points. A meal half eaten hours after it was dropped off, the rest saved for his unfortunate roommate.
Today is one of the many days after - an uncommon sight turned commonplace occurrence. He met him at the door, just in time to hear a plummet of fish downpour around them. Awesome.
And now they're eating?? On the porch?? Akechi isn't sure what's happening anymore. It didn't seem right to go inside, so he didn't invite him. It's not his home, just his temporary space and he's treating it as such.]
I hope this doesn't delay you too much.
[Eren is sitting cross-legged on the porch, as casual as anything. One of the meal containers is open in his lap, and he's just chewing away. He doesn't bother swallowing before he talks half the time - have fun with that.
[He shakes his head.]
This place is way out of the way. It's my last stop.
[He shakes his head.]
This place is way out of the way. It's my last stop.
[Ah. There it is. Yeah. He expected this.]
What do you want me to say?
You’ve seen it now. Just stay away from me. That’s fine.
[Because that’s totally why he’s reaching out, Eren. To make you feel like shit and then disappear.
[Well, that’s what he’s always said he deserves, right? He shouldn’t have trusted him.]
What do you want me to say?
You’ve seen it now. Just stay away from me. That’s fine.
[Because that’s totally why he’s reaching out, Eren. To make you feel like shit and then disappear.
[Well, that’s what he’s always said he deserves, right? He shouldn’t have trusted him.]
Good evening, Eren. I hope you've been doing well.
Have there been any developments concerning your delivery service? I'm still available to assist, should you need it.
Thank you.
Have there been any developments concerning your delivery service? I'm still available to assist, should you need it.
Thank you.
[Oh shit--]
Hey, Kurogiri. Shit. I completely forget to let you know.
Things are really picking up now, so help would be great. Keep any tips you get, and you'll get payment from me and Jean in shards too. We'll divide everything evenly among the three of us and put the rest to costs.
Sound good?
[Look at little Mr. Business Man over here! He's been reading...]
Hey, Kurogiri. Shit. I completely forget to let you know.
Things are really picking up now, so help would be great. Keep any tips you get, and you'll get payment from me and Jean in shards too. We'll divide everything evenly among the three of us and put the rest to costs.
Sound good?
[Look at little Mr. Business Man over here! He's been reading...]
Do you want to go for a run and have lunch or something?
[Ah. He's caught Eren at the worst possible time.]
No. Sorry. Not right now.
[Subaru is gone. Eren can barely get himself out of bed, let alone force himself into social activities. Only Levi's managed to get him off his ass the last few days...]
No. Sorry. Not right now.
[Subaru is gone. Eren can barely get himself out of bed, let alone force himself into social activities. Only Levi's managed to get him off his ass the last few days...]
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