fiddlestick | IC Contact

Y-Yeah...there's not really time for one-liners like you see in movies for fights. [He'll go along with lightening the mood. He didn't want to make Eren feel BAD for a power he didn't really get a choice in]

'Cause of me?

[ a quiet yeah, attempting to lean himself away from the steam to get a better inhale of cool air. it’s refreshing, to say the least. but at least it’s warm in here. for how gross it actually is to be wrapped in flesh. ]

I think I’d still be rejecting it if you didn’t say those things back there. The fire magic, how I wouldn’t accept it in the past if it were that bad—

[ a beat. he’s going to be honest. ]

It freaked me out. It freaked you out too, but . . . You were still there. I was ready to run.

[I have so many jokes about the warmth, but I'll be good and hold them back so I don't corrupt my disney princess's tag

A pause]

...I know. I could tell you were getting ready to bolt.

I just... [He gives a little shrug of his shoulder] I can't see you ever being okay with hurting the people you care about. That's not the you I know.

Maybe it was a little idealistic, but I wanted to believe there was a way to control it. [A small wry smile] Glad I turned out to be right.

[ save them, so i may hear them in all their glory

but eren listens, finding a smile prying his lips to the sides. he wouldn’t want to stray from that, even for a second. his beliefs, especially, and the strength to make them move forward was what marked eren for who he was. ]

I needed you to believe when I couldn’t. [ time to . . . come clean about something though, not that he knew. ] I already had memories of being in this thing, and controlling it. I just— didn’t know what it was.

And if I did, I think I wanted to ignore it somehow.

...I wondered if it might be something like that.

[Some of the memories that Eren's told him about, they made more sense in that form rather than his small human one. Like the one about breaking a guy's neck in a wrestling hold. Why bother with that when he usually had weapons? But in Titan form...body was all he had.

But he gets it. There's bits and pieces in his memories that don't make sense. That he decides to shelve until later. ]

I get it. The memories can be hard to comprehend sometimes. And controlling a titan form...that's got to be really confusing.

Ah . . .

[ he’s trying to find the right wording without it sounding, well, weird. ]

It feels like . . . You’re in water. [ he realizes he needs to elaborate, and he will, beyond what he had said earlier: steering something that had its own energy. ] You can either get lost under it or keep your head up. If you’re leveled, it’s almost like— moving your own body. Everything’s connected.

Wow... [He tries to imagine that, though the analogy helps] It sounds intense...

But basically to keep control you have to...keep swimming?

—Yeah, exactly.

[ which explains the time limit. but that even helps him picture things clearer. you can’t swim forever, after all. ]

I guess I need to get out before feeling tired. Did you see anything else with your spell?

Hmmm...

[He pauses as he thinks about it, drawing the information back. His eyes flutter shut as he recites it for him]

Attack Titan, Eren Jaeger. No matter the age, this titan has always moved ahead, seeking freedom. it has fought on for freedom. Strengths are size, rapid regeneration, hardening. Weaknesses are cutting Eren out of the nape, up to an hour time limit, energy limits of 3 consecutive shifts at maximum, heavily weakens and strains the body after use. Extremely high strength, defense, and power Average speed.

[He opens his eyes again]

That's what I got.

[ wow, he didn’t. know that. it sounds really cool. completely unheard of, but rather fitting, and for once . . . eren’s face seems to light up. who knew the word “titan” in the same sentence would make him do that. ]

. . . A titan that fights for freedom.

[ maybe— it really was the right power for him, after all. there’s so much about titans he doesn’t seem to know. but there’s . . . one thing that he didn’t already have a feeling about. ]

What’s hardening?

Yeah... it's a pretty fitting description for you, I think.

[ He's not sure how much of it is the titan specifically or Eren's use of the titan, but still. It fits. ]

Dunno. The spell didn't say.

. . . I’ll figure it out. You did a lot with that already.

[ and he’s probably done a lot up until now, too. just by hanging on his not shoulder and. being okay. grossness aside.

and maybe it’s because he’s not completely used to it, or because he’s been using it a lot the past week to get it straight that— he’s starting to feel like his real body is getting pulled down. he has to put some strength into keeping his head “above water”, so: ]

Mind if I set us down and we get going?

[ he’s done what he’s felt that he had to do. they both needed some rest, and actual quality time that didn’t involve a giant in between. ]

[He gives a little nod. He can hear in Eren's voice that he sounds a little tired. ]

Of course. Will you be able to get out of this on your own? I...I brought gloves this time.

[So less burns hopefully?? Though he'd rather not do it at all]

[ . . . aw. his lips quirk up at that, feeling touched that he actually got gloves in case of emergency. elliot, actual disney princess craig, will you marry me.

but that is a question for a good few years from now. eren shakes his head. ]

I got it, but— thanks.

[ he’d hug him, but this is not the situation for that. instead, he hopes his eyes can relay his feelings before he dips back into the world of gross neck flesh, allowing it to heal over him and get the titan moving. reanimating, eren lifts the titan hand back to elliot, curled just enough to offer safety around the sides so he wouldn’t fall, or if he wanted to use fingers as a crutch, it was there. a few steps and eren grumbles, brows knitting together— he had more time, but he’d rather not take the chance, carefully lowering elliot to the ground, cupped hands to keep him secure, then kneeling down with him, even attempting to cross his legs and sit.

there you go, love. safe and sound. titan purrs for you. ]

[Yeah and ideally the moment you pop the question, you aren't half submerged in a meat mecha. Just saying.]

Okay, seeya in a moment then.

[He makes sure not to watch Eren go back into the nape, as he can't imagine it's much better than seeing him come out of there. But when that hand gets lifted up, he'll carefully climb back onto it - this time with a little more certainty and confident than before. He still hangs onto the finger as he gets brought down, but he'll look up at the titan's face as he heads down.

It still feels surreal. But at least this helped it make it a little less scary.

When he reaches the ground, he'll carefully climb off the hand and onto the ground. In respond to the purring, he'll reach over to touch the palm of the titan's hand with his own hand for a moment. After a moment, he'll make sure to step back away so he'll be clear of the steam. When he's at a safe distance, he gives a nod and thumbs up at Eren. ]

[ the last thing eren would probably do in response is to loosely curl his hand around elliot’s, brushing his thumb over it before letting him slip away. that looks like a good distance. eren gives a thumbs up and a nod as well before— it might take a minute, delayed because he’s trying to build up strength to pop out again, and this time rip himself clean of the flesh. he’s halfway out again in a burst of steam, pulling his arms, his whole body— until it’s all slowly beginning to peel away, snapping and leaving there marks.

except all that force backwards to break free leaves eren falling right off the titan with the beginning of a yell and an ugly sounding thud, while the steam begins to spread through the entire corpse left and lift to the atmosphere.

. . . he’s taking a while to get up and walk isn’t he. ]

[Yeah okay so everything seemed to be going much smoother than before until Eren breaks free and falls to the ground. Elliot had been watching, so he caught full view of that ugly looking falling]

Eren!

[Forget waiting awhile. Elliot's raising his scarf to cover from that steam and trying to make his way over to Eren as fast as he can]

Eren?! Are you okay?!

[ he seems to be alright once elliot’s made his way through the steam— no immediate looking injuries, and he doesn’t seem to be wincing or in pain. just really . . . sweaty looking? and worn. he’s been using a tree to try and get up on his own, but he hasn’t been able to pull himself up with anything.

thus, where he drops himself now when he can see elliot. pale and breathing shallow, but at least he’s alert, and lifts his arms to him. ]

I’m fine, just— can’t get up.

Can't get up?

[He moves closer, worried. He'll squat down when he's close to Eren, so they're on the same level]

Did you hit your spine on that fall?

[ he shifts his legs to that. his spine’s fine, he can still move them around, and so can the rest of him! maybe he had bruise, but it’d heal in the next half hour. if he can, perhaps . . . keep his back to this tree, it would help. ]

I’m that tired. [ but he’s alright, beyond that, his hand resting over elliot’s and giving him a reassuring lip quirk. going titan might have to be for emergencies only from now on. ]

Oh Eren...

[He does let out a big sigh of relief, because it'd be baaad if he had broken his spine, even with regeneration.

When Eren rests his hand over him, Elliot does one better by leaning over and pulling him into a hug.]

[ he’s clammy and obviously feverish to the embrace, even through those winter clothes, but being cheek to cheek and taken like that regardless— eren slinks his arms around elliot and squeezes as much as his fatigued muscles can handle, a good chunk of his weight shifting to elliot himself, but he buries his face into him. ]

Thank you, for being here—

[ it’s more than just a thank you, if the end of his words chopping into an emotional squeak was anything to go by. he had been afraid, but he did it, and now they were here. ]

[And Elliot in return, while Eren's fatigued and weak, lets that weight be taken onto himself and holds Eren, supporting him. Letting him know that he's safe. His voice is quiet, as if the words were just for the two of them]

Of course I'm here. And I'm really proud of you, you know that?

[ his nose is a little runny all of a sudden, but he sniffs, careful not to set himself on him again without wiping his upper lip, just in case. he doesn’t see it yet, but that’s not just a runny nose— his blood pressure’s probably breaking the atmosphere, because that’s a nosebleed. a mild one that could be cleaned pretty easily, but. ]

I’m glad I had the second chance for that. And I’ll be here the same way.

I have no doubt---

[Elliot was pulling back to look Eren in the eyes, when he notices that nosebleed]

Oh. You got a nosebleed. I-Is that normal?

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