dear_mun | Homeless for the time being. Canon: Shingeki no Kyojin (Attack on Titan)

If you had any idea where he's thinking about taking you, you'd feel a lot more than displeasure.

[a pause]

What kinda fight are we talking about?

I assure you, it is more than an idea I have with regards to his choice. I took it upon myself to fully investigate the City in question.

[ you mean you haven't the slightest idea as to what he's talking about? ]

You must live a comfortable life to have to ask me such a question. May I inquire as to where you came from originally and currently live?

The investigation couldn't have turned up anything good.

[Gokudera really hates the city. But yeah, no. No idea whatsoever.]

I came from Earth. Japan, specifically. Now they've got me in one of the starter apartments in Ariel.

It is all very new to me. I am sure that I can adapt, my concern is that I should have been given the choice.

[ at least the city isn't crawling with man eating giants. that's all he has to say on the matter. ]

Japan? How very interesting. There are little no Oriental born people where I am from. They were wiped out by the Titans. Tell me more about your stay in the apartments?

Muns aren't usually big on giving people choices. You'll get used to that.

[Gokudera isn't sure if he qualifies as "oriental". He's only one quarter Japanese, but his heritage can be explained later.]

The apartments aren't anything fancy. You already know people have to fuck there, right? Otherwise they'll take you into re-education and brainwash you.

Will I? I'm afraid its just somewhat of a dish I feel hard to swallow.

[ its still closer to oriental than most of the people Erwin knows. he'd love to hear the story at length sometime. ]

To put it bluntly, yes. I've been looking into the brainwashing and re-education as a matter of fact. Have you come into contact with anyone who has over come such treatment?

Whether you do or not, there isn't much you can do about it.

[And this is where the conversation gets awkward.]

Yeah. I've been through it myself actually. A lot of people have. I can't say what it's like for everyone, since it's different for some people, but they drugged me up really good.

The chance of it weighing heavily on their mind is right about nothing. Congratulations, time has effectively stopped for you. Until they decide differently, that is.

[He pauses just long enough to pull out a cigarette.]

Are you really so important?

Is that so?

[ time standing still? what an interesting notion. could it be true? ]

It would seem I am having teething problems then, if that is the case. Adjusting to an agenda I have had no pre-warning of, or a situation that is yet to be explained to me is rather frustrating.

[ a cigarette huh? that must mean rations and merchants were active in this place at least. ]

Yes. I really am.

[There's wonderful things to be had when one can exert some modicum of pressure on one's writer. Good cigarettes, for example. Not whatever foul-tasting trash you can ~~steal~~ bum off a soldier. Also, he gets whatever lighter fluid he needs for his Zippo; nothing more than a consolation prize when all is said and done, but it allows him to pass the time-- ease his agitation, somewhat.]

If your writer is intending to deploy you anywhere, you can expect to have to swallow that bitter drink all over again. It's not any better the second time.

[ what an interesting chap, he sure has Erwin's attention that's for sure. personally he'd prefer coffee and paper work over cigarettes, but we each have our own vices, that much is certain. ]

And should I refuse to swallow said drink as you put it? Are you telling me that I am as helpless as a child? That my thoughts and feelings will be tossed to the wind as thought they mean nothing at all?

[ because that's when problems with his writer will start to bloom. ]

[But why have coffee when you can have tea? Or is it the caffeine he's after.]

No. You see, even a child can refuse to drink something. But if you can't manage to persuade that puppeteer behind your new strings, or to, say, sleep-deprive them into submission through nightmares, you're going to be even more helpless than a child against them.

[This is Walter. He's fifteen years old, and absolutely brutal with the truth at times.]

[ no, tea is better if truth be told, but the Commander is in need of the caffeine at the moment. ]

Sleep-deprive?

[ oh sir, now you have Erwin's full undivided attention. ]

Are you suggesting there are techniques in which to disable ones mun, simply by changing the course of their natural sleep?

[ a beat. ]

Teach me how.

[ well then Walter, you would fit in every nicely with the Scouting Legion. ]

[Walter likes that undivided attention. As much as he would loathe to admit it directly, he craves respect. It's not often doled out to the young where he's from.]

Well, I've never actually had to cause nightmares, but it works under the same premise as mind control.

[Hope you're ready for a full briefing. He likes to be thorough.]

You see, we're actually something like an impression on their minds to begin with. That's how they can control us. It's like how you meet someone, and then start to hear their voices in your mind as though they were actually there with you. It either fades away over time, or grows stronger. Once we fade away, they lose the ability to manipulate us, but unfortunately we don't have control over that. But we can persuade them to strengthen their connection with us. In the case of mind control, if your control isn't strong enough, the answer is to go deeper, not shallower.

[He takes a drag from the lit tobacco. After all, it would be a waste if he just let it burn away without bothering to actually partake of it.]

Following me so far, soldier?

[He presumes the Commander is some sort of soldier, given the haircut. It's reminiscent of military styles, at least.]

[ respect due, is respect given where Erwin is from. if this young man can deliver on half of what he's saying, then he deserves ample respect. he could even have the chief's attention more so, should he chose to join his squad?

he's always ready ... just try him. ]

Indeed I am, young sir.

[ it was true, he'd taken in and understood what was being said. ]

So, what you are telling me, is that I should somehow be able to harness the power it takes, to impress myself, my thoughts to be exact, onto my controller?

[ Erwin will let the boy call him soldier, its close enough. ]

[Perhaps his reincarnation ~~if such a thing were to happen~~ or an AU version of him would be interested in such a squad. This one has a taste for hunting vampires, however. Vampires, other supernatural threats, and Nazis. Ironically, he's also partnered with a vampire.

Yes, his organization is strange. And so is he, for that matter.]

That's right. You've got it.

[Many people would find something eerie about the smile that creeps over his face, or the way he just seems to loom despite his presently small stature when he gets the thought of intimidating someone into his mind.

Walter likes the thought of being able to intimidate mundanes.]

You encourage them to, if they insist on keeping you around, to write for you properly. To know the ins-and-outs of who you are. Preferences. Motivations. Skills. The more they know, the deeper you are in their mind. Get deep enough, and you can start to exert influence. Writing you in a way unsuitable to your qualities will start to become a burden on them. If you have to be warped into something unrecognisable in order to keep going, it's not likely you will be there for long.

[He brings his arm up, elbow bent and gesturing with fingers splayed even as his other hand rests at his waist; his mannerisms saturated with confidence, if not outright cockiness. He is absolutely sure of himself on this last point.]

You see, for a lot of them, their pride over writing you well eventually trumps whatever sick fantasies they secretly hold. And if it doesn't, their own kind eventually turn on them for doing a poor job. There's a certain standard even they have to meet.

I'm afraid you're wasting your time.

Am I?

[ he trusts his Lance-corporals words. ]

I assume you know this from personal experience, Levi?

[ unfortunately. he's not much of a 'looks on the bright side' kind of guy either, so the positives of being carted off somewhere without notice are far and few. ]

If you have no better plan than persuasion. Once some people get an idea in their head, there's no stopping it.

Oh? And do you have a suggestion for me, Levi? Some means other than an attempt to talk them out of their idea?

[ Erwin is good at persuasion, if he wasn't, there would never be any new requites for the Scouting Legion now would there? ]

Again I ask, you're talking from experience? This is the first time to my knowledge, of being in such a situation.

[ raising a finger in thought. ]

However, the City they are focused on currently, has no walls, no Titans and seems reasonably safe.

[ weighing up the good and bad, both with the same stoic outlook. ]

[ Levi's never been a persuasion kind of guy. not with words anyway. but he has to admit that any of his possible suggestions, most involving violence, haven't gone spectacularly. he scoffs. ]

Sure, experience. You could say that. It hasn't been decided yet, but if physical threats aren't enough to sway them, logical persuasion should send you on a path straight to that damn city.

[ or is it just his luck that he's ended up with someone unreasonable? as for the setting, it sounds idyllic enough, but he'd been right not to be fooled by the idea previously. ]

It sounds pretty familiar. Don't tell me you're about to get reeducated, too, Erwin.

[ Levi's method of persuasion has its merits, Erwin will vouch for that much. however he can't exactly call upon his Lance-corporal to come and slap some sense into the one pulling the strings here. if he could? he may very well have done so by now. ]

So what you're saying is, I'm damned if I do and I'm damned if I don't? The concept is one we're both accustomed to, wouldn't you agree?

[ folding his hands calmly behind his back. ]

Ah yes, the reeducation centre. I have little information currently on how it works exactly, but I have no doubt I shall find myself there on more than one occasion... Should this indeed be the place I find myself carted off to.

[ a pause for a moments thought. ]

You said too, Levi. I take it to understand there are plans for you there also then?

[ okay, he's got a point. if he'd known he was going to have Erwin around, maybe he'd have left all the planning and persuasion to him from the start. ]

Guess so. No situation too hopeless, eh?

[ too bad he hasn't heard all the details. Levi probably doesn't know them all himself yet either, but he'd gotten something of a test drive of the place and he has to assume it's just as hopeless as it seems. ]

I was supposed to be there already, but by some stroke of luck, it was delayed. Having the extra time didn't help, so don't ask... not unless you have any bright ideas.

[ its a shame really, he could have asked Erwin for assistance in swaying Levi's current controller off of the place - and in turn, Levi could have scared the Commanders into the same conclusion. but it seems a little late for that now. ]

What a very realistic approach to have on the matter, Levi. Yes, no situation is too hopeless, so long as you know all the variables. Plans can be formulated and adjustments made. The real question we need to ask ourselves Levi, is; are we willing to adjust to the will of someone else?

[ he knew enough to understand the basics of if, what he was more curious about was the mechanics of it. why they made people do what they did? what assisted in creating the technology they used there? and how it effected your personality? ]

How rebellious of you, Levi.

[ a slight smirk. ]

I'm working on means of persuasion as we talk. Though I regret to confess I think my efforts are falling on deaf ears. Apparently my bags are already packed, as the saying goes.

[ to the will of someone else? it's not even a question. he wouldn't do it, not while he still had the choice to act against that will. this may not be the time or place to intercept, but it isn't as if he's ready to fold just like that, even if he had no choice but to take the trip. ]

What else do you expect from me? ...I was only repeating your ideal. Sounds like a terrible pain in the ass.

[ but admittedly, he agrees, even if he's less than enthusiastic to search for the means. as such, he's not disappointed by his persuasions' failings. ]

But I figured that might be the case. [ shaking his head ] We'll just have to focus our efforts elsewhere. Don't you think?

[ and yet here they are, being played as nothing more than puppets to some unseen higher hands. its almost ironic really. Erwin wouldn't expect Levi to fold, not in the slightest, but there is a part of him that craves the attention of his Lance-corporal... At least Levi is someone he knows and trusts. someone he could have gone to for support in such a place. ]

Nothing, Levi. I expected nothing else. As always you prove to my your will and your way.

[ perhaps they may still stumble upon one another there at some point then... ]

Indeed I do. [ a nod ] I'm currently being advised that I should cooperate, yet my 'pestering' as they put it, has gained me the choice of a possible other home. I still await their final verdict on the matter however.

[ support... well. Levi's not the easily trusting type. assuming Erwin was the only person he knew in such a place, it only made sense that they'd stick together. what kind of position they'd each end up in under the influence of those chips notwithstanding, he would believe far more in the value of Erwin as his companion than any stranger. ]

You almost sound bitter about that.

[ another possibility though? he has to admit, he's a little impressed, but then again, his own skills at coercion are particularly poor. ]

If you have no other choice, cooperation won't be a problem. We'll be free to "cooperate" as much as we see fit if we're both thrown into that city.

[ cooperate in this sense means quite the opposite. he's already got ideas about breaking out of there. ]

Grave and serious as always...! [ It's said intentionally ironically, pleading ignorance on whatever game he's thinking about he might be sent to. Thus, it poses it unspoken question of exactly where indeed he might be heading. ]

Most of those I know here are typically glad to be somewhere else-- away from Titans. [ A sigh. ] I think that's just a shame.

[ grave and serious indeed, how super super eh Hanji? ]

As always.

[ oh he knows you well, he know when you're fishing for something, he can see it in your eyes, the look is unmistakable. ]

Of course you would think such a thing a shame. To an extent, it saddens me. [ yet he looks as stoic as ever. does he even have real emotions i hear you ask? ] After all, without Titan's, without my squad the question dawns on me ' Then what and who am I?'

[ Do any of them have such emotions left in them? ] ...Yet, something missing this time, I think. [ She peers at him curiously, making a show of trying to figure him out when she already has an answer. ] Ah-- yes. Your steadfast determination. Something's unnerved you. [ Tellhertellhertellher!! ]

[ That, too, is a question she'd ask herself. ] If anything, some might see it as an extended vacation. Ah, I think that... the better question, Commander, [ She approaches him. ] is why the sudden philosophy. [ A hand goes to her chin. ] Don't tell me-- mid-life crisis?

[ a small handful, Ewrin likes to assume that any way. he could be wrong. [

You can stop trying to analyze me now, if you would. [ a casual wave of his hand as she drew closer. ]

I confess. Something is troubling me, however there is no mid-life crisis here.

[ giving Hanji his full attention now, eye contact and everything. its chilling isn't it? ]

The reason being, is that I am being sent to a place where neither my skills or reputation are required. My every personal and professional achievements don't factor into my being sent there.

[ a pause ]

In short, I feel as though it would be a waste of my time and efforts.

[ But commander...! Analyzing things is what she does. She stops, her brows raising at his gaze. She shifts her weight to one leg, and then sighs. ]

I don't think they'd matter anywhere. Wasteful, sure, but... [ A shrug. She won't give him a speech of 'It is what you make of it' crap. It's just the nature of the games, to be thrust into a world where nothing back home matters. A little more gently, though: ]

But... what this? I didn't think you'd have to be told that you're much more than your title or reputation.

[ not to the Chief she doesn't! I mean she can, but not to his face for goodness sakes! His expression and body language remain the same throughout. never shifting once.]

Oh. And this is your hypothesis, is it?

[ not even a slight raise of a brow as he calmly folds his hands behind his back. ]

I don't need to be told anything of the such. I know very well. Perhaps it is that out of the two places I am being pushed towards, one of them is extremely vulgar and degrading. The other seems almost made up.

[ She nods, flashing a smile. ] It is. Or... you can find yourself a hobby or a different, temporary goal there. [ She waves a hand dismissively. ] The north star doesn't always have to have one purpose, and so forth.

Mm-- will I have to guess at these games, or...? [ What exactly is degrading to Erwin Smith, even?? ]

[of course she smiles, she'd getting crumbs of information out of him. ]

I don't feel the need to change my hobby [ like he even has one. ] or goal to fit the needs of somewhere I don't wish to go in the first place.

How important to you is this knowledge, Hanji? What desire is pushing you to such avid pursuit? [ he's about to tell her. as for what he finds degrading? he classes the brainwashing he'd endure at said game to be a little on the degrading side. other than that? the scientist is more then welcome to find out. ]

[ Guess what she's going to say next: ] As if you even have one. Or... hm. Can I guess map-making? [ A chuckle. ] Ah, it just means we'll- ah, you [ Since she's not going to his games ] will have to find one, you know.

I'm just curious! It's not like I'm going to use this information against you. [ Why would she. ] Maybe I can even help you! In a 4th-wall comforting way, of course. There's nothing wrong with that. [ She can give a pep talk. Yes. ]

[ he predicted as much. ]

I would have thought you would say formation tactics, but yes, map-making is something I'm fond of, in a way. [ he's so ~~boring~~ straight forwards, how do you put up with him? ]

Very well. [you get what you wanted, Hanji. you get a genuine answer. ]

The first is a city run by depraved people. People whom have no interest in their consorts other than if they engage in coitus on a more than regular basis. I still lack to see the sport in this, however it appears I may find myself in said city sooner than I'd like.

[ he takes the fun out of everything huh? ]

The second is apparently a world full of scientists, ghosts and ghouls running the place. Extremely hard to believe.

[ If he were Levi, she just might have made fun of him for those choice in games. But this is Erwin, and...

She coughs into her hand. ] Well, isn't that something? [ A wry smile. ] But who knows-- you may not have that much of a problem if you remain detached. [ Not that she doesn't think he isn't already for the most part. It's advice that might apply to both games. ] And, if there are some of us there, you'll have someone to confide in if necessary. [ Which he just might need, giving the stressful environments. ]

Homeless for the time being. Canon: Shingeki no Kyojin (Attack on Titan)

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