i will ensure you stay alive above all else. even if what i do to make it happen is horrendous. even if it violates all your wishes or moral principles. even if you can never look at me the same way again, even if you hate me for it. because at least if you hate me it means youre alive
the end of project hail mary is such a ‘just this once, everyone lives’ moment bc the safety of earth and erid relied solely on grace and rocky meeting. earth would have never retrieved the taumoeba if rocky has not used his engineering skills and xenonite to retrieve it, nor would erid if grace had not made the scientific breakthrough and turned back for rocky. put other people (and sentient rocks) in their place, who may have allied but not had such a poignant connection, and the equation is missing a crucial component. everything truly did depend on them loving each other
⊱𖣂⊰ | In which you fall into a fictional world with the key to Pandora's box.
── ★ ˙ ̟ . 🗝 .ᐟ.ᐟ masterlist
⊰– prev next–⊱
── 𝟐𝟖 | 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐚𝐦𝐛𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐚𝐝𝐨𝐫 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐡𝐢𝐳𝐮𝐫𝐮
⟡ chapter word count: 3.3k
⟡ content warnings: blanket warnings
⟡ a/n: ...heyyyyy. so. i got hit with a severe case of writers block and assignments. this chapter has not been edited, i just finished it and i want it out. i mentioned this i think, but no this is not a reupload i just wrote, to no ones surprise, too much for one chapter and had to make another one and i liked this title with this one better, so i changed them. anyway here bon app the teeth we are getting closer and closer to some reveals and eventually the end
Thank you for reading!
Mitras stands proud when you arrive, and it is in a whirlwind of ceremony Queen Historia leads that you are walked into a somewhat familiar room inside the palace. While you are sure it is not the same, you can’t deny the commonalities it shares with the one you had been assessed in all those months ago. The reminder does little to quell your nerves; if anything, it amplifies them.
You are led to stand by a wall, next to one of the younger Volunteers that came from Marley. They’re all men apart from you and Yelena—you’ve grown used to standing out amongst them, but it's been enough time that nobody bats an eye at the line up.
The Scouts who came from the hallway are then joined by members of the Garrison and the Military Police as they walk into the room. You recognize a few faces—just Pixis by name, really—but apart from the Scouts you are acquainted with you can’t place anyone else.
Your role today is to listen. To not open your mouth, to see if everything is going as it once did, to verify if Zeke has made the deal in the name of Paradis, to connect dots you might have missed and can only now remember. To stand by, and do nothing as the beginning of the end commences.
It's safe to say you are not particularly thrilled about it.
You watch as Lady Azumabito presents Mikasa with the crest of her ancestors, you watch as she reveals the same one on the back of her wrist. You watch as Lady Azumabito recognizes her as a descendant of Hizuru’s ruler, you watch as she and her entourage are similarly overwhelmed by the emotions it unravels.
You watch and you stay silent. For a moment, it's almost like you are experiencing the show again.
A show. Peoples’ lives were a show to you.
But the light that comes through the grand windows warms your skin, the wayward breeze is cool against your neck, and the blood that courses through your veins is pumped by a heart powered by this world. Still, you watch.
It's times like these where you miss the episode format—existential crisis and all—of Attack on Titan. There's not much to do but listen to a conversation you’ve already heard before, to appreciate the glittering chandeliers strung above, to follow the others when you are given a short break after the exchange between Lady Azumabito and Mikasa goes on for longer than you had been shown.
You are not allowed out into the hallway when an intermission is announced. Instead, you and the Volunteers stay inside while the officials from Paradis converge outside to discuss something—you can’t really remember what it was, but then again, these days you have trouble recalling details.
It's fine. There are worse things to worry about anyway, things that are more important to keep at the forefront of your mind. Who cares about a five minute scene that won’t have much weight in the long run. Not you, that's for sure.
You do wish you could remember what they were talking about though. Just to know.
Yelena calls your name from the middle of the room, where she stands in front of Lady Azumabito and her entourage. Your eyes snap to hers in that instant, and you see as her blunt cut moves slightly when she makes the tiniest nod towards the people from Hizuru. Come, her eyes seem to say.
Your footsteps echo in the grand hall, with only the faintest murmur of conversation outside of it as its companion. As you make your way closer, you realize you have about ten seconds to prepare yourself for whatever it is Yelena has told them or whatever it is you must tell them now. Irritation spikes in your chest—couldn’t Yelena have told you about this before? It is not in her to be kind, that’s for sure, but you would at least think she would minimize the chances of you fucking up.
Oh god. If they started talking about the plan, which they yet have to present, would you be expected to add to it? To just agree? Do they know you know? Well—you can’t really think of any other reason why they would single you out to talk to. None of the other Volunteers have come forward, and something in your gut tells you none will be called. Your eyes meet Onyankopon’s, who raises a singular and discreet thumbs up to encourage you.
Wait, does Onyankopon know? In between the half-related thoughts that swirl through your mind, your brain chooses to latch onto that one. It’s not unfounded—he was there when you arrived from seemingly nowhere, so what has he been told about it? You don’t think he would do anything malicious with the information but—
“There you are,” Yelena says when you finally arrive. She quickly introduces you by name to Lady Azumabito, who offers you a tight-lipped smile when you make a small bow forwards in acknowledgement.
“It is a pleasure to finally meet you,” you say, defaulting to a polite pre-written script when your mind fails to catch up to the situation. “I hope your journey here was not too uncomfortable.”
“Not at all,” Lady Azumabito says. “It is not everyday Hizuru’s old allies call for help. How could we refuse?”
Maybe not refuse, but you certainly didn’t make much effort originally, you think but bite back. You simply nod, reminding yourself of what little they did manage to do to keep your words in check. “Of course. I think I can speak for many people when I express how grateful the island is for your—and Hizuru’s—help.”
Lady Azumabito’s eyes glint, like you’ve given her the perfect segway. She seems to straighten her perfect posture further, and while in any other context it would be regal what she exudes, in this very moment the only thing she reminds you of is a lioness going for the kill.
“Yelena has told us you are the Volunteer who has the most contact with the Scouts. If I may ask, how did that come to be? I never would have thought the island would be so… forthcoming with new visitors.” Lady Azumabito lets out a little laugh, crinkling the corners of her eyes on what you assume is an attempt at reassurance. “Especially since none of the other Volunteers have been able to as much as see the holder of the Attack Titan, and yet I’m told you two have a close bond.” She finishes in an odd tone, almost question-like, leaving you to wonder what exactly she means by that.
You swallow, buying a few seconds for your response. “Yes,” you start, “that is true, but…I can’t say there’s really been any reason for it. I was placed with them as a collateral of sorts and then we just sort of…clicked?” You cringe internally. Could you have framed that in a cheesier way? “What I mean to say is, there is really nothing I did for the opportunity.”
“And yet you still work with them, yes? That must say something about your character.”
“Maybe,” you concede. You’d always thought that no one could come close to Yelena and her cryptic interrogations, but hey, Lady Azumabito might just fight her for that title.
“And speaking of,” she continues, seemingly unbothered by your lackluster response, “in your opinion, have they been receptive to our assistance? You understand they haven't made their stance clear yet. Of course, that is what the meeting is for, but I’d appreciate any insight you might have.”
You don’t know what answer she wants to hear. Whether it's something about any other plans the island has in mind, anything to do with Mikasa and her lineage—maybe even what you’ve told them to sway them in one direction or another. Without much to trace an outline for your response then, you wind up saying the safest option.
“Oh. Well. They haven't shared much with me, but I’m sure they will be nothing short of cooperative.”
Yelena’s and Lady Azumabito’s eyes cross, and they give each other a thin smile at that. Lady Azumabito then turns to you, addressing you once again. “Spoken like a true diplomat,” she says. “Yelena has trained you well.”
You accept her compliment with a smile, because opening your mouth right now means you might say something you’ll most definitely regret later. You don't like her seedy smile, nor her seedy eyes, and you most definitely don't like the way she’ll back down from assisting the island if push comes to shove.
“I cannot take all the credit,” Yelena says at your side. “I am sure she learned more under Zeke’s tutelage than mine.”
“Of course,” Lady Azumabito says. “That man is a visionary, is he not? Just one meeting I had with him, and well…” her eyes glaze over, and you are sure she is thinking about whatever resources Zeke has promised in exchange for her help. “One can’t help but notice his way with words.”
And resource-centered motivators, you think.
“Might you—” you start, “if I may…?” Hell, you should just go for it, formal language be damned. “Do you know how he is doing? How things are back in Marley?”
If Lady Azumabito is surprised by your lack of decorum, she does not show it. Yelena, on the other hand, is unexpectedly affected. Of course, ‘affected’ for her just means the tiny itty-bitty disruption in her breathing pattern, one you have learned to identify after one too many dumb and abrupt statements on your part.
You blame sleep deprivation for those rare occasions you had blurted out things you’d rather she forget. They were nothing bad or incriminating, thankfully, just…embarrassing.
“No, nothing out of the ordinary, I don’t think,” Lady Azumabito says. “You received some letters last time, is that right?” At your nod, she continues. “Unfortunately, this time the circumstances weren’t optimal for correspondence between us, but rest assured nothing too terrible has happened.” She smiles, proud of her little joke. “We would know.”
You try to not let your disappointment show. Yeah, you hadn’t prepared any letters or anything—procrastination was your best friend after avoidance—but world news wouldn’t tell you about Gabi’s day to day. What she ate, how she and Falco did in their examinations, where new shops had opened in the Internment Zone. About Colt’s training, Zeke’s double edged but ultimately encouraging words.
“Chin up, dear,” Lady Azumabito says, so you guess you weren’t all that successful in hiding your less than pleased expression. “You’ll get to see your family sooner rather than later, if everything goes according to plan.”
“Yes,” you say, unsure of any other answer. “Thank you.”
Yelena tacks on another statement you are too out of it to make sense of. Something about gratefulness and opportunities and the royal families and whatnot—something about the reception later today too, if the words you do manage to catch are anything.
The heavy doors to that exit into the hallway begin to creak open once again, and slowly, officials from Paradis start to trickle into the salon. Yelena makes her way to the long table in the middle of the room
“You must stay for two thirds of it, at minimum," Yelena says softly to you, when you take your place beside her and behind the chair Lady Azumabito currently occupies.
“Sorry?”
“The reception tonight,” she clarifies. “I am sure you’ve been informed there will be a constant stream of transports to your residence, but I must ask you to stay for at least two thirds of the event’s duration.”
“Two—two thirds?” you splutter, straightening up and regaining your composure when the Queen and her advisors walk in. “But that’s like two hours and something!” you whisper. You don’t yell or whine, however much you want to, but you hope the tone of your voice is at least capable of convincing Yelena to let you leave earlier.
“We will round that down to two hours, then,” she says, conceding all of twenty minutes or so above the two hours to your favor. She smiles, and you know you’d have more luck extracting water from a rock than changing her stance.
You look away, then back at her again when she calls your name.
“We came here to see our task completed,” she says. “You must understand, we all have our role to play.”
Yelena lets you ruminate in those words as the others take their own seats while you (and the other Volunteers) remain standing. We all have our role to play, she had said.
You aren’t even sure what your role is, exactly. But as your eyes meet Eren’s when he takes his own seat at the table, you know it’s less about the role you do have than the ones you don’t. The ones you want to prevent from existing.
The Martyr. The Sacrifice. The Pawn.
The Executioner.
Lady Azumabito starts explaining the guidelines under which Zeke had constructed his plan. There are no hard lines to it yet, just the context with which she had embarked across the sea to propose an alliance to the island. She establishes what there is to lose, who there is to convince. And for them, what there is to gain.
You know Mikasa well enough by now to notice as her eyes grow sharper when Lady Azumabito talks about the island’s resources. Of course, she expected to be more of a pretext than anything—she had said as much when you talked about her position in Hizuru’s goals—but hearing it confirmed must still be anything but pleasant.
Hange, Pixis, the other government officials—they are not surprised either. Maybe a little disappointed, but in a cutthroat world where the outside has been sending your own people to eliminate you, hardly anything seems to phase them anymore.
Of course, that is until Zeke’s plan is fully unveiled.
It is a fact that no person would offer help to the island simply out of the good of their hearts. No, instead, the situation has become more like fertile ground for ulterior motives, be that as it may. Hizuru is after the resources, Willy Tybur is looking to soothe his own guilt. And you want to go home.
Easy for you to say, when you plan to leave the moment an opportunity arises, Eren had said once, months ago. You haven’t touched the subject since then, about what he’ll tell others, about any letters or such you want to leave behind, about what you’ll say when it's time to say goodbye. You’ve both been running from that conversation, skirting around anything that comes after the expected reconciliation between Paradis and the world, dodging any and all references to your departure.
Sometimes you think he believes you’ll stay in the end. Sometimes you think about staying.
In the end, you say nothing, he says nothing, and so it is never brought up. Not until the bridge is there to burn with both of you on opposite sides.
Back in the present conversation and at Historia’s inquiry, Lady Azumabito starts to lay out the steps needed for the plan.
First, there is the Rumbling. Not on a scale big enough to destroy civilization, rather one whose purpose is to showcase the island’s power to the other nations, to scare them into leaving Paradis alone. The titans would march to a predetermined spot for the world to watch—in horror, in awe, in whatever it took for them to back off.
Second, Hizuru would step up and act as a propulsor for the military. Just like with the rifles, the technology and strength of the nation would be elevated to a similar level to that of the outside world. Paradis would not become a military power by any means—not anytime soon, anyway—but it would be enough to hold some leverage over theoretical future conflicts.
Third, the possession of the Founding and a Titan with royal blood during the fifty years that the plan will envelop. With Lady Azumabito’s words, your stomach churns.
“The next step the plan requires,” she starts, causing your shoulders to tense, your heart to speed up, “is the continuous possession of the Founder and a Titan of royal blood during this period.”
You look at Eren directly, but he won’t meet your eyes. However, his features are more schooled than what you expected, so you take the win. The paper he is holding still creases under his clenched hands though, and you can only hope Lady Azumabito will not notice, or take offence to it.
You physically recoil at the thought. This is why you hate politics. Here they are, offering up a plan that will put one of your friends’ oldest friends in a position not much different than that of a heifer, and here you are. Worrying about Eren’s reaction to it—not because of his feelings per se (well, yes, but that is not what you are focusing on), but rather because of how it will look to the delegation.
Everything about this makes you want to vomit.
“Zeke will pass down the Beast to someone with royal blood,” Lady Azumabito continues, unaware of your internal plight. Mikasa turns her head at her, unbelieving, as the plan is unveiled. “That person must spend the 13 years they have bearing as many children as possible.”
Bearing. Like the aforementioned heifer.
Eren’s eyes still don’t look at yours, so you take it as a sign to look at everyone else. You had already seen Mikasa's reaction, on account of them sitting next to each other, but you take the opportunity to look at the high ranking officials around the table, namely the subject of the conversation at hand. The Queen.
Like Eren, she's more composed than you would have thought. Her back is straight, her eyes are focused, her face is relaxed. Even her hands, which you have noticed are among the first things people lose control of, are unwound. Her face is hardened, but with the responsibility of others' lives, not her own. Shadis’ face is much the same, like Hange’s, although theirs does have more worry than their colleagues.
You don’t remember their internal monologue, if there ever was one, but you don’t have to be a transmigrator to guess what it could be about. All of the people in this room care about Historia to a degree, of course—she is their Queen, after all—but Hange had been close to her when she was just another soldier. You have to admire the professionalism though. The only thing that betrays the sentiment on their face is their furrowed brow, easily passable as concentration.
Historia’s eyes rise from the documents she is holding. “Very well,” she says. “The Beast Titan will be inherited by the royal family. As long as the Rumbling is tied to our survival.” Behind the table, the officials are all stone-faced. Eren’s eye twitches. His hands tighten. You’re bracing for an outburst when Lady Azumabito speaks again.
“And the final step,” she says, to your surprise, “involves a spokesperson, to clean Paradis’ image in the eyes of the world.”
Your eyes widen.
“His name,” Lady Azumabito says, “is Willy Tybur. The details are not fully fleshed out yet, on account of the…less than ideal situation with Marley and the Middle-Eastern Alliance, but the foundation is being worked on for future cooperation between nations. All of this, of course, is assuming the island accepts.”
Her lips curl at the end of her statement, and while none of her smiles today have been genuine, there is something more strained about this one. Is she thinking about resources she might lose, if Paradis reaches contracts with others? Has Willy Tybur taken that into account? And most importantly, what exactly are they planning to do?
Unlike in the original timeline, this time there is no scapegoat to blame—or you hope there won’t be one anyway—so what exactly is the method of approach here? Lady Azumabito and Willy Tybur didn’t work together before; they each had their own plans hidden from the other, and none were successful. So what changed?
“We will move forward with the proposed plan,” the Queen says. “Let this be the start of an alliance that will last for years to come.”
Shout-out to characters who don't plan to survive their stories! Heroes who think they can only atone for their failures through sacrifice, villains who don't think they deserve to live in the world they're trying to create. Gimme that passive suicidality baby, mm-mm, delicious.
And let's not forget the ones who don't expect to die or anything, but are always half-thinking "well I'm the most expendable one in our team so if someone needs to sacrifice themselves obviously it should be me." Like, no bitch! You're also part of the team! You matter! Shut up and accept it already! (But also don't because the rock-bottom self-esteem makes you so compelling.)
AND she sang my fav verse of my fav song and her sister did too TO ME. LIKE. DIRECTLY AT ME. SHE POINTED AT ME.HER SISTERS DID TOO. everyone hit the showers no one will ever top that
⊱𖣂⊰ | In which you fall into a fictional world with the key to Pandora's box.
── ★ ˙ ̟ . 🗝 .ᐟ.ᐟ masterlist
⊰– prev next–⊱
── 𝟐𝟖 | 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐚𝐦𝐛𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐚𝐝𝐨𝐫 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐡𝐢𝐳𝐮𝐫𝐮
⟡ chapter word count: 3.3k
⟡ content warnings: blanket warnings
⟡ a/n: ...heyyyyy. so. i got hit with a severe case of writers block and assignments. this chapter has not been edited, i just finished it and i want it out. i mentioned this i think, but no this is not a reupload i just wrote, to no ones surprise, too much for one chapter and had to make another one and i liked this title with this one better, so i changed them. anyway here bon app the teeth we are getting closer and closer to some reveals and eventually the end
Thank you for reading!
Mitras stands proud when you arrive, and it is in a whirlwind of ceremony Queen Historia leads that you are walked into a somewhat familiar room inside the palace. While you are sure it is not the same, you can’t deny the commonalities it shares with the one you had been assessed in all those months ago. The reminder does little to quell your nerves; if anything, it amplifies them.
You are led to stand by a wall, next to one of the younger Volunteers that came from Marley. They’re all men apart from you and Yelena—you’ve grown used to standing out amongst them, but it's been enough time that nobody bats an eye at the line up.
The Scouts who came from the hallway are then joined by members of the Garrison and the Military Police as they walk into the room. You recognize a few faces—just Pixis by name, really—but apart from the Scouts you are acquainted with you can’t place anyone else.
Your role today is to listen. To not open your mouth, to see if everything is going as it once did, to verify if Zeke has made the deal in the name of Paradis, to connect dots you might have missed and can only now remember. To stand by, and do nothing as the beginning of the end commences.
It's safe to say you are not particularly thrilled about it.
You watch as Lady Azumabito presents Mikasa with the crest of her ancestors, you watch as she reveals the same one on the back of her wrist. You watch as Lady Azumabito recognizes her as a descendant of Hizuru’s ruler, you watch as she and her entourage are similarly overwhelmed by the emotions it unravels.
You watch and you stay silent. For a moment, it's almost like you are experiencing the show again.
A show. Peoples’ lives were a show to you.
But the light that comes through the grand windows warms your skin, the wayward breeze is cool against your neck, and the blood that courses through your veins is pumped by a heart powered by this world. Still, you watch.
It's times like these where you miss the episode format—existential crisis and all—of Attack on Titan. There's not much to do but listen to a conversation you’ve already heard before, to appreciate the glittering chandeliers strung above, to follow the others when you are given a short break after the exchange between Lady Azumabito and Mikasa goes on for longer than you had been shown.
You are not allowed out into the hallway when an intermission is announced. Instead, you and the Volunteers stay inside while the officials from Paradis converge outside to discuss something—you can’t really remember what it was, but then again, these days you have trouble recalling details.
It's fine. There are worse things to worry about anyway, things that are more important to keep at the forefront of your mind. Who cares about a five minute scene that won’t have much weight in the long run. Not you, that's for sure.
You do wish you could remember what they were talking about though. Just to know.
Yelena calls your name from the middle of the room, where she stands in front of Lady Azumabito and her entourage. Your eyes snap to hers in that instant, and you see as her blunt cut moves slightly when she makes the tiniest nod towards the people from Hizuru. Come, her eyes seem to say.
Your footsteps echo in the grand hall, with only the faintest murmur of conversation outside of it as its companion. As you make your way closer, you realize you have about ten seconds to prepare yourself for whatever it is Yelena has told them or whatever it is you must tell them now. Irritation spikes in your chest—couldn’t Yelena have told you about this before? It is not in her to be kind, that’s for sure, but you would at least think she would minimize the chances of you fucking up.
Oh god. If they started talking about the plan, which they yet have to present, would you be expected to add to it? To just agree? Do they know you know? Well—you can’t really think of any other reason why they would single you out to talk to. None of the other Volunteers have come forward, and something in your gut tells you none will be called. Your eyes meet Onyankopon’s, who raises a singular and discreet thumbs up to encourage you.
Wait, does Onyankopon know? In between the half-related thoughts that swirl through your mind, your brain chooses to latch onto that one. It’s not unfounded—he was there when you arrived from seemingly nowhere, so what has he been told about it? You don’t think he would do anything malicious with the information but—
“There you are,” Yelena says when you finally arrive. She quickly introduces you by name to Lady Azumabito, who offers you a tight-lipped smile when you make a small bow forwards in acknowledgement.
“It is a pleasure to finally meet you,” you say, defaulting to a polite pre-written script when your mind fails to catch up to the situation. “I hope your journey here was not too uncomfortable.”
“Not at all,” Lady Azumabito says. “It is not everyday Hizuru’s old allies call for help. How could we refuse?”
Maybe not refuse, but you certainly didn’t make much effort originally, you think but bite back. You simply nod, reminding yourself of what little they did manage to do to keep your words in check. “Of course. I think I can speak for many people when I express how grateful the island is for your—and Hizuru’s—help.”
Lady Azumabito’s eyes glint, like you’ve given her the perfect segway. She seems to straighten her perfect posture further, and while in any other context it would be regal what she exudes, in this very moment the only thing she reminds you of is a lioness going for the kill.
“Yelena has told us you are the Volunteer who has the most contact with the Scouts. If I may ask, how did that come to be? I never would have thought the island would be so… forthcoming with new visitors.” Lady Azumabito lets out a little laugh, crinkling the corners of her eyes on what you assume is an attempt at reassurance. “Especially since none of the other Volunteers have been able to as much as see the holder of the Attack Titan, and yet I’m told you two have a close bond.” She finishes in an odd tone, almost question-like, leaving you to wonder what exactly she means by that.
You swallow, buying a few seconds for your response. “Yes,” you start, “that is true, but…I can’t say there’s really been any reason for it. I was placed with them as a collateral of sorts and then we just sort of…clicked?” You cringe internally. Could you have framed that in a cheesier way? “What I mean to say is, there is really nothing I did for the opportunity.”
“And yet you still work with them, yes? That must say something about your character.”
“Maybe,” you concede. You’d always thought that no one could come close to Yelena and her cryptic interrogations, but hey, Lady Azumabito might just fight her for that title.
“And speaking of,” she continues, seemingly unbothered by your lackluster response, “in your opinion, have they been receptive to our assistance? You understand they haven't made their stance clear yet. Of course, that is what the meeting is for, but I’d appreciate any insight you might have.”
You don’t know what answer she wants to hear. Whether it's something about any other plans the island has in mind, anything to do with Mikasa and her lineage—maybe even what you’ve told them to sway them in one direction or another. Without much to trace an outline for your response then, you wind up saying the safest option.
“Oh. Well. They haven't shared much with me, but I’m sure they will be nothing short of cooperative.”
Yelena’s and Lady Azumabito’s eyes cross, and they give each other a thin smile at that. Lady Azumabito then turns to you, addressing you once again. “Spoken like a true diplomat,” she says. “Yelena has trained you well.”
You accept her compliment with a smile, because opening your mouth right now means you might say something you’ll most definitely regret later. You don't like her seedy smile, nor her seedy eyes, and you most definitely don't like the way she’ll back down from assisting the island if push comes to shove.
“I cannot take all the credit,” Yelena says at your side. “I am sure she learned more under Zeke’s tutelage than mine.”
“Of course,” Lady Azumabito says. “That man is a visionary, is he not? Just one meeting I had with him, and well…” her eyes glaze over, and you are sure she is thinking about whatever resources Zeke has promised in exchange for her help. “One can’t help but notice his way with words.”
And resource-centered motivators, you think.
“Might you—” you start, “if I may…?” Hell, you should just go for it, formal language be damned. “Do you know how he is doing? How things are back in Marley?”
If Lady Azumabito is surprised by your lack of decorum, she does not show it. Yelena, on the other hand, is unexpectedly affected. Of course, ‘affected’ for her just means the tiny itty-bitty disruption in her breathing pattern, one you have learned to identify after one too many dumb and abrupt statements on your part.
You blame sleep deprivation for those rare occasions you had blurted out things you’d rather she forget. They were nothing bad or incriminating, thankfully, just…embarrassing.
“No, nothing out of the ordinary, I don’t think,” Lady Azumabito says. “You received some letters last time, is that right?” At your nod, she continues. “Unfortunately, this time the circumstances weren’t optimal for correspondence between us, but rest assured nothing too terrible has happened.” She smiles, proud of her little joke. “We would know.”
You try to not let your disappointment show. Yeah, you hadn’t prepared any letters or anything—procrastination was your best friend after avoidance—but world news wouldn’t tell you about Gabi’s day to day. What she ate, how she and Falco did in their examinations, where new shops had opened in the Internment Zone. About Colt’s training, Zeke’s double edged but ultimately encouraging words.
“Chin up, dear,” Lady Azumabito says, so you guess you weren’t all that successful in hiding your less than pleased expression. “You’ll get to see your family sooner rather than later, if everything goes according to plan.”
“Yes,” you say, unsure of any other answer. “Thank you.”
Yelena tacks on another statement you are too out of it to make sense of. Something about gratefulness and opportunities and the royal families and whatnot—something about the reception later today too, if the words you do manage to catch are anything.
The heavy doors to that exit into the hallway begin to creak open once again, and slowly, officials from Paradis start to trickle into the salon. Yelena makes her way to the long table in the middle of the room
“You must stay for two thirds of it, at minimum," Yelena says softly to you, when you take your place beside her and behind the chair Lady Azumabito currently occupies.
“Sorry?”
“The reception tonight,” she clarifies. “I am sure you’ve been informed there will be a constant stream of transports to your residence, but I must ask you to stay for at least two thirds of the event’s duration.”
“Two—two thirds?” you splutter, straightening up and regaining your composure when the Queen and her advisors walk in. “But that’s like two hours and something!” you whisper. You don’t yell or whine, however much you want to, but you hope the tone of your voice is at least capable of convincing Yelena to let you leave earlier.
“We will round that down to two hours, then,” she says, conceding all of twenty minutes or so above the two hours to your favor. She smiles, and you know you’d have more luck extracting water from a rock than changing her stance.
You look away, then back at her again when she calls your name.
“We came here to see our task completed,” she says. “You must understand, we all have our role to play.”
Yelena lets you ruminate in those words as the others take their own seats while you (and the other Volunteers) remain standing. We all have our role to play, she had said.
You aren’t even sure what your role is, exactly. But as your eyes meet Eren’s when he takes his own seat at the table, you know it’s less about the role you do have than the ones you don’t. The ones you want to prevent from existing.
The Martyr. The Sacrifice. The Pawn.
The Executioner.
Lady Azumabito starts explaining the guidelines under which Zeke had constructed his plan. There are no hard lines to it yet, just the context with which she had embarked across the sea to propose an alliance to the island. She establishes what there is to lose, who there is to convince. And for them, what there is to gain.
You know Mikasa well enough by now to notice as her eyes grow sharper when Lady Azumabito talks about the island’s resources. Of course, she expected to be more of a pretext than anything—she had said as much when you talked about her position in Hizuru’s goals—but hearing it confirmed must still be anything but pleasant.
Hange, Pixis, the other government officials—they are not surprised either. Maybe a little disappointed, but in a cutthroat world where the outside has been sending your own people to eliminate you, hardly anything seems to phase them anymore.
Of course, that is until Zeke’s plan is fully unveiled.
It is a fact that no person would offer help to the island simply out of the good of their hearts. No, instead, the situation has become more like fertile ground for ulterior motives, be that as it may. Hizuru is after the resources, Willy Tybur is looking to soothe his own guilt. And you want to go home.
Easy for you to say, when you plan to leave the moment an opportunity arises, Eren had said once, months ago. You haven’t touched the subject since then, about what he’ll tell others, about any letters or such you want to leave behind, about what you’ll say when it's time to say goodbye. You’ve both been running from that conversation, skirting around anything that comes after the expected reconciliation between Paradis and the world, dodging any and all references to your departure.
Sometimes you think he believes you’ll stay in the end. Sometimes you think about staying.
In the end, you say nothing, he says nothing, and so it is never brought up. Not until the bridge is there to burn with both of you on opposite sides.
Back in the present conversation and at Historia’s inquiry, Lady Azumabito starts to lay out the steps needed for the plan.
First, there is the Rumbling. Not on a scale big enough to destroy civilization, rather one whose purpose is to showcase the island’s power to the other nations, to scare them into leaving Paradis alone. The titans would march to a predetermined spot for the world to watch—in horror, in awe, in whatever it took for them to back off.
Second, Hizuru would step up and act as a propulsor for the military. Just like with the rifles, the technology and strength of the nation would be elevated to a similar level to that of the outside world. Paradis would not become a military power by any means—not anytime soon, anyway—but it would be enough to hold some leverage over theoretical future conflicts.
Third, the possession of the Founding and a Titan with royal blood during the fifty years that the plan will envelop. With Lady Azumabito’s words, your stomach churns.
“The next step the plan requires,” she starts, causing your shoulders to tense, your heart to speed up, “is the continuous possession of the Founder and a Titan of royal blood during this period.”
You look at Eren directly, but he won’t meet your eyes. However, his features are more schooled than what you expected, so you take the win. The paper he is holding still creases under his clenched hands though, and you can only hope Lady Azumabito will not notice, or take offence to it.
You physically recoil at the thought. This is why you hate politics. Here they are, offering up a plan that will put one of your friends’ oldest friends in a position not much different than that of a heifer, and here you are. Worrying about Eren’s reaction to it—not because of his feelings per se (well, yes, but that is not what you are focusing on), but rather because of how it will look to the delegation.
Everything about this makes you want to vomit.
“Zeke will pass down the Beast to someone with royal blood,” Lady Azumabito continues, unaware of your internal plight. Mikasa turns her head at her, unbelieving, as the plan is unveiled. “That person must spend the 13 years they have bearing as many children as possible.”
Bearing. Like the aforementioned heifer.
Eren’s eyes still don’t look at yours, so you take it as a sign to look at everyone else. You had already seen Mikasa's reaction, on account of them sitting next to each other, but you take the opportunity to look at the high ranking officials around the table, namely the subject of the conversation at hand. The Queen.
Like Eren, she's more composed than you would have thought. Her back is straight, her eyes are focused, her face is relaxed. Even her hands, which you have noticed are among the first things people lose control of, are unwound. Her face is hardened, but with the responsibility of others' lives, not her own. Shadis’ face is much the same, like Hange’s, although theirs does have more worry than their colleagues.
You don’t remember their internal monologue, if there ever was one, but you don’t have to be a transmigrator to guess what it could be about. All of the people in this room care about Historia to a degree, of course—she is their Queen, after all—but Hange had been close to her when she was just another soldier. You have to admire the professionalism though. The only thing that betrays the sentiment on their face is their furrowed brow, easily passable as concentration.
Historia’s eyes rise from the documents she is holding. “Very well,” she says. “The Beast Titan will be inherited by the royal family. As long as the Rumbling is tied to our survival.” Behind the table, the officials are all stone-faced. Eren’s eye twitches. His hands tighten. You’re bracing for an outburst when Lady Azumabito speaks again.
“And the final step,” she says, to your surprise, “involves a spokesperson, to clean Paradis’ image in the eyes of the world.”
Your eyes widen.
“His name,” Lady Azumabito says, “is Willy Tybur. The details are not fully fleshed out yet, on account of the…less than ideal situation with Marley and the Middle-Eastern Alliance, but the foundation is being worked on for future cooperation between nations. All of this, of course, is assuming the island accepts.”
Her lips curl at the end of her statement, and while none of her smiles today have been genuine, there is something more strained about this one. Is she thinking about resources she might lose, if Paradis reaches contracts with others? Has Willy Tybur taken that into account? And most importantly, what exactly are they planning to do?
Unlike in the original timeline, this time there is no scapegoat to blame—or you hope there won’t be one anyway—so what exactly is the method of approach here? Lady Azumabito and Willy Tybur didn’t work together before; they each had their own plans hidden from the other, and none were successful. So what changed?
“We will move forward with the proposed plan,” the Queen says. “Let this be the start of an alliance that will last for years to come.”
