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[In Armin's section of the hall, two more mummies have shown up to join the first. It's not even just that; he's finding that with each slash and stab he gives to the first it's doing little in result. With a determined yell, he swings enough to chop off an arm, and it hits the ground-- but the mummy keeps moving without even a reaction.
He hears Jean and tries to cast a glance his way, but he's right. It's too dark to make out anything. But that coughing isn't a good sign... Damn it.]
Hang on! [He could figure something out. No, he had to figure something out. He stumbles back further in the darkness along the hallway, dodging rusty swords. But there had to be more, here. He could only make out shadows and shapes. If he could just get a brief flash to take in their surroundings... Maybe it could help Jean, too?
Shifting his swords away to free his hands, he grabs for his flare gun and packs in any color as fast as he can manage. With a point angled high and down the hall, he fires.
The friction and force of the shot lights up Armin's immediate surroundings in a brief flash, showing the elaborate walls and unlit torches along them as well as the three mummies (one missing an arm) stumbling after him. The trail of green smoke comes after, doing little to help with anything. It was just the brief flash, and then it was gone.
But for Armin, it was enough to spot those torches and turn and grab for one of them. Light, light, come on...]
He hears Jean and tries to cast a glance his way, but he's right. It's too dark to make out anything. But that coughing isn't a good sign... Damn it.]
Hang on! [He could figure something out. No, he had to figure something out. He stumbles back further in the darkness along the hallway, dodging rusty swords. But there had to be more, here. He could only make out shadows and shapes. If he could just get a brief flash to take in their surroundings... Maybe it could help Jean, too?
Shifting his swords away to free his hands, he grabs for his flare gun and packs in any color as fast as he can manage. With a point angled high and down the hall, he fires.
The friction and force of the shot lights up Armin's immediate surroundings in a brief flash, showing the elaborate walls and unlit torches along them as well as the three mummies (one missing an arm) stumbling after him. The trail of green smoke comes after, doing little to help with anything. It was just the brief flash, and then it was gone.
But for Armin, it was enough to spot those torches and turn and grab for one of them. Light, light, come on...]
[It's enough for Jean. Pulling away from another clawing hand, he charges down the hall. The torches are in the middle and if Armin goes for that then that leaves him with taking care of the monsters chasing after him. He barrels into them–a human blockade.]
Light it, Armin! I'll take care of these freaks!
[Maybe. Again, they claw at him, one getting lucky and dragging fingers through his already opened chest wound. He barks in pain, then punches behind him. It hurts more than it should–there's no skin on his enemies to soften his blow. Only bone. Jean uses his swords for the rest, slicing one and hacking the other, occasionally glancing behind him to make sure Armin is still alright.]
Light it, Armin! I'll take care of these freaks!
[Maybe. Again, they claw at him, one getting lucky and dragging fingers through his already opened chest wound. He barks in pain, then punches behind him. It hurts more than it should–there's no skin on his enemies to soften his blow. Only bone. Jean uses his swords for the rest, slicing one and hacking the other, occasionally glancing behind him to make sure Armin is still alright.]
[Damn it. He could hear Jean getting hurt. Rushing in like that to buy him some time... Because he was too weak. Wasn't that it? But he couldn't focus on that. He had to focus on what he could do. And there were torches already made for lighting.
It took just a few strikes to light a flame, and the hall lit up with light around Armin. He doesn't hesitate to grab a second and light it with the existing flame and rush forward, calling out to his friend.]
Jean, pull back! [He'll see why soon enough, as Armin shoves one of the torches at the bandages of a foe, watching the old, dusty cloth burst into flames with ease. The fire spreads all too quickly, as well, and soon enough there isn't so much of a light problem so much as a screaming enemy problem.]
It took just a few strikes to light a flame, and the hall lit up with light around Armin. He doesn't hesitate to grab a second and light it with the existing flame and rush forward, calling out to his friend.]
Jean, pull back! [He'll see why soon enough, as Armin shoves one of the torches at the bandages of a foe, watching the old, dusty cloth burst into flames with ease. The fire spreads all too quickly, as well, and soon enough there isn't so much of a light problem so much as a screaming enemy problem.]
Whoa! [Even with the warning, the flames cut a bit close. He trips back, catching himself on the wall as the monsters screech and collapse under the flames.
Jean waits until they're dead before glancing at Armin, taking advantage of their moment of peace.]
You're a pretty frightening guy when you're useful.
[There's a pull of a smile as he speaks, pushing off the wall and giving him a hard pat on the back. Grabs a torch of his own and lights it from Armin's.]
Good thinking. Now we know what'll hurt them.
Jean waits until they're dead before glancing at Armin, taking advantage of their moment of peace.]
You're a pretty frightening guy when you're useful.
[There's a pull of a smile as he speaks, pushing off the wall and giving him a hard pat on the back. Grabs a torch of his own and lights it from Armin's.]
Good thinking. Now we know what'll hurt them.
[The pat is so sudden and harsh that Armin stumbles a bit from it, catching himself with balance and turning to give Jean a look. Frightening...?]
Thanks... [He thinks. Probably. Guiding his own torch forward, he takes a few steps towards the wall, eyeing the strange markings along them.]
That door was pretty heavy. Can we even open it? [He's guessing no. But it's not like his trying will help any SOOOO...]
Thanks... [He thinks. Probably. Guiding his own torch forward, he takes a few steps towards the wall, eyeing the strange markings along them.]
That door was pretty heavy. Can we even open it? [He's guessing no. But it's not like his trying will help any SOOOO...]
[Jean brings his own torch to the door to better examine it, touching the stone. It's too smooth for a good handhold. Crouching down, he tries to scoot his fingers underneath. No-go. Sighing, he looks back up to Armin.]
Maybe we could find something to prop it open.
Maybe we could find something to prop it open.
Or there could be some sort of lever to open it.
[Either way, that would be ideal. But he's still focused on these images. Old paintings of some sort that resembled the creatures they'd faced so far... He steps over the ashes and bones of their previously defeated foes to continue along the trail of art.
It looked like there were things that they hadn't run across yet. Some kind of small creature attacking groups of men? That doesn't bode well.
He turns back to Jean, stepping closer to examine the tears of his clothing and the skin beneath it.]
I have some bandages on me. Here... [An implied 'hold on while I get them' as he passes off his torch for Jean to hold and starts rifling around in his things.]
[Either way, that would be ideal. But he's still focused on these images. Old paintings of some sort that resembled the creatures they'd faced so far... He steps over the ashes and bones of their previously defeated foes to continue along the trail of art.
It looked like there were things that they hadn't run across yet. Some kind of small creature attacking groups of men? That doesn't bode well.
He turns back to Jean, stepping closer to examine the tears of his clothing and the skin beneath it.]
I have some bandages on me. Here... [An implied 'hold on while I get them' as he passes off his torch for Jean to hold and starts rifling around in his things.]
[Jean holds up a hand to refuse it.] Forget it. It doesn't hurt enough. I'll patch it up when we get out of here.
[Standing and raising his torch, he brushes past Armin to squint at the drawings. While some of the monsters are recognizable, most of them he just brushes off. Some things are just too ludicrous to exist. He turns down the hallway, shining his light far enough to see.]
Let's stop wasting time and get to finding the way out of here. Come on.
[SETTING OFF DOWN DARK CORRIDORS ALONE IS ALWAYS A GOOD IDEA.]
[Standing and raising his torch, he brushes past Armin to squint at the drawings. While some of the monsters are recognizable, most of them he just brushes off. Some things are just too ludicrous to exist. He turns down the hallway, shining his light far enough to see.]
Let's stop wasting time and get to finding the way out of here. Come on.
[SETTING OFF DOWN DARK CORRIDORS ALONE IS ALWAYS A GOOD IDEA.]
[ If there's anyone he was far too protective of already, it was Armin. Which was kinda dumb, because his friend's always had his head screwed on far tighter than he did— even if Armin's weaker, no one would've put money on Eren outsurviving him.
But he's seen him follow them into the Survey Corps and bullies slam him into walls and a Titan swallow him without a fight and all he can do is worry. Finding a tombstone with his name on it and a grave with his body was enough to send his instincts into needless overdrive, and when he loses sight of Armin in the cavern he panics.
There's the sound of shifting sand and hissing air as Eren lands into the cavern besides the smaller boy. He grabs at his arm, grip digging into his jacket and voice tense. ]
Hey—! Stay close.
But he's seen him follow them into the Survey Corps and bullies slam him into walls and a Titan swallow him without a fight and all he can do is worry. Finding a tombstone with his name on it and a grave with his body was enough to send his instincts into needless overdrive, and when he loses sight of Armin in the cavern he panics.
There's the sound of shifting sand and hissing air as Eren lands into the cavern besides the smaller boy. He grabs at his arm, grip digging into his jacket and voice tense. ]
Hey—! Stay close.
Wait, we shouldn't rush ahead like that! From what's shown on the walls...
[He's quickly stepping to follow after Jean, though, waving his torch to view the drawings that continue along this hall. Men dying in various ways, tales that involve sacrifice...] There could be more to worry about.
[More than what they've already solved with fire, he means.
Ah, but his timing really is the worst with these sort of realizations, and just shortly after mentioning this, his torch waves around to find not any more drawings on the wall, but a thick crack, with a few large bugs crawling hurriedly out of it. The minute they spot the light, they move towards it with startling speed, and Armin stumbles back in surprise when they begin trying to crawl up him as well.]
Whoa--! [It might seem like a harmless case of fear of bugs at first, but the second one lucky scarab makes it to his leg, it burrows viciously through his pants and then the skin beneath it, drawing out a more pained, startled yell as he stumbles back into the wall behind him.]
[He's quickly stepping to follow after Jean, though, waving his torch to view the drawings that continue along this hall. Men dying in various ways, tales that involve sacrifice...] There could be more to worry about.
[More than what they've already solved with fire, he means.
Ah, but his timing really is the worst with these sort of realizations, and just shortly after mentioning this, his torch waves around to find not any more drawings on the wall, but a thick crack, with a few large bugs crawling hurriedly out of it. The minute they spot the light, they move towards it with startling speed, and Armin stumbles back in surprise when they begin trying to crawl up him as well.]
Whoa--! [It might seem like a harmless case of fear of bugs at first, but the second one lucky scarab makes it to his leg, it burrows viciously through his pants and then the skin beneath it, drawing out a more pained, startled yell as he stumbles back into the wall behind him.]
[The grip startles him out of his observations and he half turns immediately to face it, a concerned expression spreading over his features.]
I'm right here.
[The response is immediate enough, and it's not irritated or anything close-- just reassuring. But he'd noticed since his arrival in this place that Eren had been strangely tense in everything he did. Whether it was poking around in the shops or even asking about checking out the forest... There were subtle things, and then there were moments like this.
He wasn't sure what to make of it. But bringing it up may cause even more tension, and so he kept quiet about it for now, instead gesturing with his free arm across the cavern.]
It's almost like there's a sun down here. And look how far it stretches...
I'm right here.
[The response is immediate enough, and it's not irritated or anything close-- just reassuring. But he'd noticed since his arrival in this place that Eren had been strangely tense in everything he did. Whether it was poking around in the shops or even asking about checking out the forest... There were subtle things, and then there were moments like this.
He wasn't sure what to make of it. But bringing it up may cause even more tension, and so he kept quiet about it for now, instead gesturing with his free arm across the cavern.]
It's almost like there's a sun down here. And look how far it stretches...
[ Eren looks Armin over, checking for injuries before letting his shoulders and chin fall slightly. They hadn't talked about what happened before— he was honest in almost all matters, but he didn't mind hiding the truth from time to time. When it counted. He hadn't explained why he looked so shocked to find Armin back at the traintracks, or why he and Mikasa had dragged him into a hug that was several beats too long.
And he didn't plan on it now. His gaze follows Armin's gesturing, a small look of wonder crossing his face at the second sun. ]
Yeah... [ He looks over the cavern, blinking at the sun before averting his gaze. He kicks at the sand and stone, silent for a bit. ] It's [ kind of amazing, huh? ] weird. We should probably get out of here.
And he didn't plan on it now. His gaze follows Armin's gesturing, a small look of wonder crossing his face at the second sun. ]
Yeah... [ He looks over the cavern, blinking at the sun before averting his gaze. He kicks at the sand and stone, silent for a bit. ] It's [ kind of amazing, huh? ] weird. We should probably get out of here.
Edited (TENSES >:C) 2013-11-26 07:33 (UTC)
Without even taking a look?
[The question is sincere, and his eyes drag back to Eren curiously.] I know you must be thinking it's dangerous, but look at how vast it is. It must stretch out beneath the whole city and beyond... If just one spot could collapse like that, shouldn't it be a worry that the rest of the city will follow with it?
[It's just one of the things that comes to mind, and he takes an idle step forward, raising one hand to shield the light as he eyes the pyramids in the distance.]
It may be better to see what we can find out while it's quiet like this.
[The question is sincere, and his eyes drag back to Eren curiously.] I know you must be thinking it's dangerous, but look at how vast it is. It must stretch out beneath the whole city and beyond... If just one spot could collapse like that, shouldn't it be a worry that the rest of the city will follow with it?
[It's just one of the things that comes to mind, and he takes an idle step forward, raising one hand to shield the light as he eyes the pyramids in the distance.]
It may be better to see what we can find out while it's quiet like this.
Armin?!
[The yell doubles him back, dashing down the hall as fast as he can and skidding to a halt. A quick glance is all he needs to get a handle on the situation, stomping a few bugs underfoot before grabbing Armin's arm and stepping in front of him.]
These monsters hate fire, right?
[It's an actual question that he doesn't have time to answer. The bugs are approaching too quickly. Jean waves the torch low hoping to either scare them off or burn them. Neither happens.
Attracted to the light and flesh, the scarabs skitter closer, one crawling up Jean's skin before he quickly squashes it.]
Shit! It's not working! Run. Run!
[Pushing Armin back and still (futilely) trying to distract the scarabs away from him.]
[The yell doubles him back, dashing down the hall as fast as he can and skidding to a halt. A quick glance is all he needs to get a handle on the situation, stomping a few bugs underfoot before grabbing Armin's arm and stepping in front of him.]
These monsters hate fire, right?
[It's an actual question that he doesn't have time to answer. The bugs are approaching too quickly. Jean waves the torch low hoping to either scare them off or burn them. Neither happens.
Attracted to the light and flesh, the scarabs skitter closer, one crawling up Jean's skin before he quickly squashes it.]
Shit! It's not working! Run. Run!
[Pushing Armin back and still (futilely) trying to distract the scarabs away from him.]
[He's quick to start squashing them as well, but he can feel that a few have made their way under his skin. And then Jean's suggestion makes the best sense. They need to get away from these coming out of the cracks and find a quiet spot before they can deal with anything else.
Biting back another pained noise, he stumbles to recover from the push Jean gave him in help and reaches back to grab at whatever cloth he can get a hold on from Jean's shirt. (What remained of his shirt, at least.)]
Hurry! If we can find a corner to turn it might hide the light enough!
Biting back another pained noise, he stumbles to recover from the push Jean gave him in help and reaches back to grab at whatever cloth he can get a hold on from Jean's shirt. (What remained of his shirt, at least.)]
Hurry! If we can find a corner to turn it might hide the light enough!
[ Eren's gaze slides over to Armin as he speaks, lips forming a thin, grim line. It was logical, because Armin is always logical. He always had the best plans, and Eren trusted them more than Hange's, more than Erwin's. No matter what, at whatever cost.
So he lets out a tiny, soundless sigh, tapping the tips of his boots against the ground to try and disperse the debris before waving absently with one hand and starting off towards the 'sun.' ]
All right, all right— you've got a point. [ He relents, in part because it'd be odd of him not to. Eren is all for reckless venturing into the unknown with more boldness than he should, even if it's a little harder to reach that conclusion here. ] But lemme go first.
So he lets out a tiny, soundless sigh, tapping the tips of his boots against the ground to try and disperse the debris before waving absently with one hand and starting off towards the 'sun.' ]
All right, all right— you've got a point. [ He relents, in part because it'd be odd of him not to. Eren is all for reckless venturing into the unknown with more boldness than he should, even if it's a little harder to reach that conclusion here. ] But lemme go first.
Edited (screams at word repetition) 2013-11-26 08:17 (UTC)
[Hard as he tries to keep them at bay, some of the scarabs crawl up his legs, seeking out his partially bare chest. Swatting them off best he can, he gives in to Armin's tug, turning on his heel and sprinting after him.]
Keep an eye out for–[One of the scarabs reaches his wound and takes the opening gratefully, tucking into it. Jean's warning is interrupted by a pained shout. His running slows, to a trot, one hand going to claw and grip at where the bug slipped in.]
Armin...
[He drifts off mid-request. What was he going to do? Ask him to stop? Biting his lip to distract himself from the pain of the bug burrowing, he picks up after him once again.]
Have you found anything yet?
Keep an eye out for–[One of the scarabs reaches his wound and takes the opening gratefully, tucking into it. Jean's warning is interrupted by a pained shout. His running slows, to a trot, one hand going to claw and grip at where the bug slipped in.]
Armin...
[He drifts off mid-request. What was he going to do? Ask him to stop? Biting his lip to distract himself from the pain of the bug burrowing, he picks up after him once again.]
Have you found anything yet?
[That request is especially concerning when the back of his mind can't rid himself of worrying he's too weak and a burden. It's something he strives not to be. Never wants to be-- and now he's realized that Eren and Mikasa never once saw him as one. But they had this determination to be strong for him...
It was a bag of mixed feelings, but in the end, he couldn't help but feel fond. His gaze moves back out to the desert, nodding slightly.]
Fields of sand... It's just like my parents said. [And it was so strange to be standing in it. ...But right, he'll turn back to Eren with a firm expression next. He wasn't going to run off first if it would cause problems. He wasn't that stupid.] I'll follow you.
It was a bag of mixed feelings, but in the end, he couldn't help but feel fond. His gaze moves back out to the desert, nodding slightly.]
Fields of sand... It's just like my parents said. [And it was so strange to be standing in it. ...But right, he'll turn back to Eren with a firm expression next. He wasn't going to run off first if it would cause problems. He wasn't that stupid.] I'll follow you.
[He can hear Jean's voice falter in the way his name is called there, but he's too focused ahead of them, determinedly staring down the hall. They're faster than the scarabs, which helps a lot, but at this rate they'd tire out and get overrun, and the ones already beneath his skin were moving all too slowly with his muscles moving like this. It was excruciating.
Thinking quickly, he grips his torch tight and raises it before chucking it far down the hall. It goes a good distance before hitting the ground and rolling, flames flickering all the while. Grabbing at Jean once more-- this time more solidly at his arm rather than clothing-- he tugs him harshly around the next corner, holding his breath and using his hands to keep Jean in place as he watched the rest of the scarabs scurry blindly past them and towards the light source.
Sight likely wasn't their best feature.
It's one minor relief in the span of things, at least, but just as soon as it comes, the three to four scarabs are taking in their new-found freedom of movement and crawling up Armin's body from the inside. Yelling out a bit from it, he stumbles in place, grabbing and patting at himself to try and stop them in place.]
Thinking quickly, he grips his torch tight and raises it before chucking it far down the hall. It goes a good distance before hitting the ground and rolling, flames flickering all the while. Grabbing at Jean once more-- this time more solidly at his arm rather than clothing-- he tugs him harshly around the next corner, holding his breath and using his hands to keep Jean in place as he watched the rest of the scarabs scurry blindly past them and towards the light source.
Sight likely wasn't their best feature.
It's one minor relief in the span of things, at least, but just as soon as it comes, the three to four scarabs are taking in their new-found freedom of movement and crawling up Armin's body from the inside. Yelling out a bit from it, he stumbles in place, grabbing and patting at himself to try and stop them in place.]
Okay. Good. [ Telling him to hold back or extending a hand when he needed help standing had never been about looking down on Armin. Sure, he rarely extended the same to Mikasa, but everything about the two different duos was separate: she'd follow him around and nag and tried to hold him behind a safety net from the world he'd loved so much. And he cared for her, unconditionally, but it frustrated him.
Armin was the one who he'd find and share stories with, shoulders bumping against each other as they'd read lines aloud and jab fingers at pictures in faded yellow books. Protecting him was always because he was important, and not because of any weakness on his part.
He reminds himself of that, finally letting a smile cross his face as he starts to walk. Their footsteps make the softest sounds, and Eren finds himself treading heavily. ]
It's a 'desert,' right? [ He speaks over his shoulder, careful not to let his attention wander too far. ] I know we're here to find some answers, but it's kinda cool.
Armin was the one who he'd find and share stories with, shoulders bumping against each other as they'd read lines aloud and jab fingers at pictures in faded yellow books. Protecting him was always because he was important, and not because of any weakness on his part.
He reminds himself of that, finally letting a smile cross his face as he starts to walk. Their footsteps make the softest sounds, and Eren finds himself treading heavily. ]
It's a 'desert,' right? [ He speaks over his shoulder, careful not to let his attention wander too far. ] I know we're here to find some answers, but it's kinda cool.
Edited (WORDS) 2013-11-26 08:37 (UTC)
[They can't get a moment's rest. Jean tries to thank Armin (again) but the blatant display of pain distracts him. Reversing their grips, he pulls him closer and the torch high, putting them both underneath a clear light. It's easy to see the lumps in the skin this way.]
Shit. They got all over you.
[Testing, he runs his fingers over one of them, seeing if it'll move. No dice. There's a chance they could squash them but it'd be a stupid move. It's like a poison–they need to get it out.
Forcing the torch into Armin's palm, he nods to the floor, sheathing one blade.] Sit down.
[Carefully, he takes the blade in his hands and snaps it over his knee. There's a few casualties–his pants tear and blood wells in fresh cuts–but they're shallow and can be dealt with later. For now, he takes the shorter blade and forces Armin's hand above their heads.]
We're gonna have to cut them out. [Meeting his eyes as he says that in a quiet question: "Are you okay with that?"]
Shit. They got all over you.
[Testing, he runs his fingers over one of them, seeing if it'll move. No dice. There's a chance they could squash them but it'd be a stupid move. It's like a poison–they need to get it out.
Forcing the torch into Armin's palm, he nods to the floor, sheathing one blade.] Sit down.
[Carefully, he takes the blade in his hands and snaps it over his knee. There's a few casualties–his pants tear and blood wells in fresh cuts–but they're shallow and can be dealt with later. For now, he takes the shorter blade and forces Armin's hand above their heads.]
We're gonna have to cut them out. [Meeting his eyes as he says that in a quiet question: "Are you okay with that?"]
That's right.
[A desert. Once he spots Eren's smile, it's an automatic response to smile himself, the realization really sinking in as they walk. Because it actually is really cool, and as much as horrible things happened here-- wasn't this a sort of outside world? They were seeing so much together. There weren't any titans.
He knew better than to feel safe over that, but it was still a minor relief.]
It seems to go on forever, no matter which direction you look. [The sand-- the desert. This cavern. But after letting his gaze wander for a bit, he'll look to his friend once more.]
There's nothing wrong with appreciating this world while we're searching for answers. Can you see those structures in the distance? [He points ahead to guide Eren's gaze all while sticking behind him. His excitement is pretty clear.] I wonder what they're for...
[A desert. Once he spots Eren's smile, it's an automatic response to smile himself, the realization really sinking in as they walk. Because it actually is really cool, and as much as horrible things happened here-- wasn't this a sort of outside world? They were seeing so much together. There weren't any titans.
He knew better than to feel safe over that, but it was still a minor relief.]
It seems to go on forever, no matter which direction you look. [The sand-- the desert. This cavern. But after letting his gaze wander for a bit, he'll look to his friend once more.]
There's nothing wrong with appreciating this world while we're searching for answers. Can you see those structures in the distance? [He points ahead to guide Eren's gaze all while sticking behind him. His excitement is pretty clear.] I wonder what they're for...
[His pain tolerance had never been high, and so the sensation of these scarabs burrowing up through his skin and clawing at anything they could was a little too much. He clutches the torch tightly, but his arm is shaking a bit no matter how hard he worked to keep himself still. There was one on his upper thigh by now, another on the calf of his other leg, and one making its way up past his hip bone.
His eyes meet Jean's. It's hard not to feel fear or pain, but he's just as determined, as well.]
Just make sure to do it quickly; they keep moving around.
[It's just when he speaks, though, that the movement on Jean's chest catches his attention, and his eyes flick over immediately.]
Wait, Jean, that one in your chest--! [What are you doing, take care of that one first!]
His eyes meet Jean's. It's hard not to feel fear or pain, but he's just as determined, as well.]
Just make sure to do it quickly; they keep moving around.
[It's just when he speaks, though, that the movement on Jean's chest catches his attention, and his eyes flick over immediately.]
Wait, Jean, that one in your chest--! [What are you doing, take care of that one first!]
[Jean tries not to think too much about the positioning of the bugs. He starts at the hipbone, using one hand to stretch the skin as he delicately slices the skin. It doesn't go smoothly. The bug inside his chest crawls over and through muscles at an excruciating pace. As a result, the straight line gets caught and strays.]
Sorry.
[Muttered distractedly as the fresh cut opens and reveals the bug below. Jean stabs it quickly, removing it while tearing off an already torn section of his shirt.] This'll probably hurt.
[But he needs to stop the bleeding somehow, pressing the fabric against it while his fingers ghost over the scarab on his thigh.] We'll get it after–[A wince. The scarab moves higher.] after yours are out. Take off your pants.
Sorry.
[Muttered distractedly as the fresh cut opens and reveals the bug below. Jean stabs it quickly, removing it while tearing off an already torn section of his shirt.] This'll probably hurt.
[But he needs to stop the bleeding somehow, pressing the fabric against it while his fingers ghost over the scarab on his thigh.] We'll get it after–[A wince. The scarab moves higher.] after yours are out. Take off your pants.
[ There was a time he'd stopped talking to Armin about any of this, played it off as being young and capricious and disinterested. But while he was constantly reminding himself that this wasn't home and it shouldn't count... there was still something warm about seeing a world without Titans, together.
Eren's excited too, though his wonder is more subdued. Too many other things on his mind to fully lose himself to it (though a small smile lingers at the corners of his mouth). ] Yeah— kinda reminds me of the ocean. I wonder if they meet in the middle of the world or something.
[ It doesn't, obviously, but he doesn't mind thinking aloud around Armin. And even though he's got one hilt connected to a blade, hand wrapped around it and ready to fight at any give moment, he manages to match his friend's curiosity. ]
Though I don't see why they'd make their buildings triangular... [ Eren tilts his head slightly, squinting into the horizon. ] Couldn't they just— [ he reaches out, pinching two of the buildings together between his fingers ] use the resources to build a regular one?
Eren's excited too, though his wonder is more subdued. Too many other things on his mind to fully lose himself to it (though a small smile lingers at the corners of his mouth). ] Yeah— kinda reminds me of the ocean. I wonder if they meet in the middle of the world or something.
[ It doesn't, obviously, but he doesn't mind thinking aloud around Armin. And even though he's got one hilt connected to a blade, hand wrapped around it and ready to fight at any give moment, he manages to match his friend's curiosity. ]
Though I don't see why they'd make their buildings triangular... [ Eren tilts his head slightly, squinting into the horizon. ] Couldn't they just— [ he reaches out, pinching two of the buildings together between his fingers ] use the resources to build a regular one?
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