headhooligan: (09C . . .)

[aubrey voice] i won’t hesitate, bitch

[personal profile] headhooligan 2023-09-21 11:44 pm (UTC)(link)

[Aubrey doesn’t know if she should feel smug or pissed. Good thing she’s getting better at staying blank-faced, huh?]

You’re still not answering me.

headhooligan: (00B talking.)

[personal profile] headhooligan 2023-09-22 12:04 am (UTC)(link)

Mhm.

[The self-cutoff is interesting, at least. It got a raised eyebrow, while it lasted.]

Sure you will.

[She debates answering his return question for a moment. But that wold require appreciating the extra care he’s shown, and… does she? Does she really?]
[Absolutely. A lot. In the moment. It’s passed now, though, and she’s not dwelling on it.]

You got weird instincts. [Some emotion returns to her voice at that—albeit that of someone who’s annoyed beyond all hell.]

headhooligan: (Default)

[personal profile] headhooligan 2023-09-22 12:26 am (UTC)(link)

[There’s a moment where Aubrey has to decide if that makes her feel bad for him or not. It is objectively awful. He is (she still thinks) an objectively awful person. And the time for sympathy over eaten mothers… well, that particular moment has also passed.]

[She lands on this:] That normal for your military?

[Still trying to sound distant, even judgmental—but Eren might’ve caught the thought on her face, if he was paying attention. Not that it lasted, and not that she’s letting too much curiosity show now. But it gave her pause, and the distance is ever so tentatively lowered.]

headhooligan: (00B talking.)

[personal profile] headhooligan 2023-09-22 12:47 am (UTC)(link)

[Almost like it’s not fun to dwell on things that make you feel things you’d rather not.]

That’s fucked. [Entirely flippant.] I know, I know, hell world. Cruel life.

[She hadn’t quite realized she was so tense, even with the front. Without thinking Aubrey pulls up her knees, crosses her arms over them; casual gesture, not sinking into it—but it does remind her she’s still sore. She flinches involuntarily during the movement, and averts her eyes in frustration.]

[After settling, she keeps that gaze away. For now.] Must’ve seen a lot worse than this....

headhooligan: (04A o shi—)

[personal profile] headhooligan 2023-09-22 01:13 am (UTC)(link)

[Aubrey doesn’t realize anything’s wrong, right away.]

[If the movement did spur more bleeding Aubrey resolves not to notice that, either. Fight, right? Just grit your teeth and keep breathing through the sting. Ridiculous, she thinks, that this guy’s voice is in her head so much.]

[But it really must be a lot that he’s seen, age 12 and all. Okay, maybe she’s a little sorry for being flippant again. She looks back to him and—]

[Oh god???]

[Aubrey sits bolt upright, wound be damned.] E– Eren? [It’s choked, because that definitely hurt, but, fuck it. Louder, worried:] Eren?!

headhooligan: (09A i have no chill and i must scream)

[personal profile] headhooligan 2023-09-22 01:50 am (UTC)(link)

[Aubrey is not a medic. She doesn’t know what she’s seeing. She just knows, instinctively, this is different, this could be dangerous; she’s seen friends panic but not like this, never like this, she yells out his name again, why is he not responding?!

[He’s going to die. That, of all thoughts, is what grips her, and she doesn’t want that, and she starts crying and it hurts, and adrenaline launches her to her feet and she grabs at his shoulders as if, if she does that hard enough, he’ll stop shaking, and stay with her.]

headhooligan: (09A i have no chill and i must scream)

[personal profile] headhooligan 2023-09-22 02:09 am (UTC)(link)

[Her face is twisted in pain and grief and fear, so much more human and aware than when he found her, and as Eren finally focuses on her she nearly collapses with relief.

[But he might not be out of the woods yet.] E-Eren, you— A-are you…? [The words are strangled, but god damn it if she doesn’t try anyway, like his life depends on it. For all she knows it still does, and her fingers are a vicegrip on his shoulders, almost burning.] C-can you focus? [Please. Please.]

headhooligan: (09A i have no chill and i must scream)

[personal profile] headhooligan 2023-09-22 02:39 am (UTC)(link)

[Aubrey sobs. Violently.]

[So much for feeling nothing. It’s as though, in her surge of panic and care and heartache for Eren, Eren Jaeger, Eren Jaeger who broke her spirit and saved her life and drives her crazy and (she thinks) almost died, Eren Jaeger, Eren End-of-the-World Jaeger, Eren Jaeger with the gentle hands and the dead-eyed shaking, Eren who-might-as-well-be-her-whole-world-now Jaeger, Eren, Eren Jaeger, Eren Jaeger—]

[She can’t tell if the shooting, stabbing pain is from her heart or stomach or where, it doesn’t matter (what does, here, anymore), but it’s the only thing keeping her from just…]

[Aubrey is in no condition to resist as Eren, Eren, Eren takes her shoulders back, lies her flat. She buries her palms in her face and tries to shut up, make his job of dealing with her a little easier. At least his voice (again) gives her something else to focus on (again), and she stops blubbering his name to reply (that’s new):]

No… no, y-you’re alive… that’s what… matters....

headhooligan: (09A i have no chill and i must scream)

[personal profile] headhooligan 2023-09-22 03:11 am (UTC)(link)

[If only this was about the titan. “Titan.” Either.]

[Aubrey’s still crying, but physical exhaustion is taking its toll. Like hell if this has been good for her silly little wound, never mind whatever’s going on in her head and heart—but Eren says it’s safe, it’s alright, and she’s desperate enough to want to pretend everything will be okay.]

[She doesn’t move her hands, but she hears his voice, and she can tell it’s different. Eren’s different. He— he almost just died, for christ’s sake, he fought that thing for her, he’s a child soldier, he hurt himself, he’s seen so much already…]

Y-you shouldn’t… [God. Shut up. Let him help.] You can’t… [But maybe holding on is the least she can do for him.]

headhooligan: (09C . . .)

[personal profile] headhooligan 2023-09-22 03:16 am (UTC)(link)

You… you shouldn’t have saved me.

You shouldn’t have talked to me.

[You should have let me…]

headhooligan: (09C . . .)

[personal profile] headhooligan 2023-09-22 03:24 am (UTC)(link)

[She’d laugh if she had the energy.]

[After a few more breaths, ever shaky:]

Th-then I was right.

[She lowers her hands just enough to look at him, and her mouth pulls into something resembling a smile.]

We have… a lot in common....

[Aubrey passes out.]

[Wasn’t that his idea....]

headhooligan: (06B tired.)

[personal profile] headhooligan 2023-09-23 02:35 am (UTC)(link)

[Aubrey dreams of shadows. Mocking figures, dispassionate; a glimmer of hope smothered by undeniable truths; an inhuman roar wrapped in a very, very human touch. It’s hazy and scattered, blurred by sheer exhaustion—but even before she can wake to question it, the mere fact of the subconscious pyre promises her that none of this was a nightmare.

[As long as they’re stuck here… life is like this.]

[Two things rouse her, with varying levels of intrusion. The pain: unwelcome, if graciously dull. The snoring: light, mildly confusing. Who th…?

[He’s alive.

[The thought wakes her immediately. Although bleariness lingers, her attention falls on him. His face. And—

[It’s strange.

[Not his features, exactly. It’s the rest. It’s seeing Eren Jaeger wrapped in a blanket. All traces of the usual cold, hard expression she’s used to, the animal anger or fear she’s glimpsed (and god, she never wants to see him frozen and shaking like that again)… it’s all gone. He’s just… asleep. Maybe even at peace.

[He’s human, despite it all.]

[This is the person who… among many, many other things… saved her life.]

[Aubrey stares at him, silent, for what feels like a long time. Her eyes don’t leave him once.]

headhooligan: (06B tired.)

[personal profile] headhooligan 2023-09-23 03:19 am (UTC)(link)

[Aubrey hasn’t moved much since passing out, save the tilt of her head to the side. (Towards him.) Which means she’s still flat on her back, just as he left her. And there’s a delay between seeing him rise and then recognizing, still groggy, that he’s up, and talking to her.

[And yawning.]

Mmh… [It’s a wordless mumble, warming up the vocal cords, as one hand trails instinctively to the area in question. She doesn’t look, but it feels dry, if stained from the outburst. (Ah, yeah. That happened....)

[The yawn catches up to Aubrey, too—though it gets cut off prematurely because apparently any little thing will aggravate this stupid injury. Aubrey fixes her eyes on the ceiling, frustration creeping in again, but… generally, she’s fine as she can be. Her hand stays dry.]

Guess not.

[How fortunate.]

(no subject)

[personal profile] headhooligan - 2023-09-23 04:54 (UTC) - Expand

(no subject)

[personal profile] headhooligan - 2023-09-23 05:15 (UTC) - Expand

(no subject)

[personal profile] headhooligan - 2023-09-23 05:36 (UTC) - Expand

(no subject)

[personal profile] headhooligan - 2023-09-23 05:53 (UTC) - Expand

(no subject)

[personal profile] headhooligan - 2023-09-23 06:15 (UTC) - Expand

(no subject)

[personal profile] headhooligan - 2023-09-23 13:52 (UTC) - Expand

(no subject)

[personal profile] headhooligan - 2023-09-24 03:41 (UTC) - Expand

(no subject)

[personal profile] headhooligan - 2023-09-24 13:16 (UTC) - Expand

(no subject)

[personal profile] headhooligan - 2023-09-24 15:59 (UTC) - Expand

(no subject)

[personal profile] headhooligan - 2023-09-24 16:54 (UTC) - Expand

(no subject)

[personal profile] headhooligan - 2023-09-24 22:25 (UTC) - Expand

(no subject)

[personal profile] headhooligan - 2023-09-24 23:34 (UTC) - Expand

(no subject)

[personal profile] headhooligan - 2023-09-25 02:59 (UTC) - Expand

(no subject)

[personal profile] headhooligan - 2023-09-25 18:03 (UTC) - Expand

(no subject)

[personal profile] headhooligan - 2023-09-25 20:25 (UTC) - Expand

(no subject)

[personal profile] headhooligan - 2023-09-25 21:23 (UTC) - Expand

(no subject)

[personal profile] headhooligan - 2023-09-26 00:06 (UTC) - Expand

(no subject)

[personal profile] headhooligan - 2023-09-26 01:45 (UTC) - Expand

(no subject)

[personal profile] headhooligan - 2023-09-26 13:56 (UTC) - Expand

(no subject)

[personal profile] headhooligan - 2023-09-26 14:16 (UTC) - Expand

(no subject)

[personal profile] headhooligan - 2023-09-26 14:49 (UTC) - Expand

(no subject)

[personal profile] headhooligan - 2023-09-26 15:26 (UTC) - Expand

(no subject)

[personal profile] headhooligan - 2023-09-26 17:15 (UTC) - Expand

(no subject)

[personal profile] headhooligan - 2023-09-26 18:11 (UTC) - Expand

(no subject)

[personal profile] abandonhumanity - 2023-09-26 18:36 (UTC) - Expand