brianna’s ghost

18/Ace/Any pronouns gone, PJO, and hotd fan Currently on a Gone reread

[emillungs]

regular post apocalyptic couple with their weapons of choice

[thecollectibles]

Art by Leah Gardner

[sucker-for-blondes]

They’re so cute and chonky ❤️❤️❤️

[pneumaturgo]

Cyberpunk 2077 Tarot.

Cards designed by Jakub Rebelka.

[dannywagner77]

Interactive artwork from one of my favorite videogames: Cyberpunk 2077

[sucker-for-blondes]

Someday I'm gonna get a tattoo of these cards

[glitchinginthegarden]

Someone call them a Delamain...

[eurodynamic]

Cyberpunk: Edgerunners (2022) – 1.05 ‘All Eyez On Me’ Cyberpunk 2077 (2020) – ‘Playing For Time’

[naokirii]

look at himm im crying hes so HANDSOME

I LOVE THEEMM SO MUCH!!

[ackersomnia]

“The Attack Titan” / “Le Titan Assaillant” / “進撃の巨人”

Thanks @mischievous-maiden for the request! \(^0^)/

[sigmaaegoniii]

AND IF THERES NOTHHING MISSING IN MY LIFE THEN WHY DO THESE TWARS FALL AT NIGHTTT

[ae-chidori]

Where were these moments!? I would’ve loved to see these kind of filler episodes.

[a-motherfcking-fish]

He couldn't afford to lose another kid knowing he's going to lose one just for the battle to end.

[natsuki208]

Now then, who was the one calling Marco a ‘minor, one-dimensional, disposable plot device’?

[immanime]

Attack on Titan

[snk-smartpass]

TEXT Vol. 05 Jean’s Textbook

He’d gotten rid of as many of his belongings as possible when he joined the Survey Corps. There was no point in bringing anything like his jumbled collection of notes, and anything he did need he could buy or be issued. There was one item, however, that he kept in his bags because he’d need them to review the basics when understanding an operation.

“…My textbooks, huh. I guess I did leave them here.”

It had been some time since Jean last returned to his quarters. When he opened his bags in the personal space he’d been assigned, something moved him to pull the books out.

••••••

Around the time the old regime had been overthrown and Jean had met up with the main unit of the army…

Jean had been acting separately from the rest of the Survey Corps as a member of the “new Team Levi,” keeping him away from the main unit for some time. His bags had been haphazardly tidied up, just like those belonging to the rest of his squad. Now that much had been settled and he had returned, he needed to prepare next for the new operation to retake Wall Maria. When he unfastened his bag, he found a number of textbooks he’d used during his time in the Training Corps.

“I can’t believe I kept these …”

Even though he’d joined the Survey Corps and found himself in an ever-changing situation, he couldn’t allow himself to be negligent when it came to reviewing his fundamentals… And so he’d brought these books upon someone’s recommendation.

“A Guide to Marching Drills… What does this say about nighttime movement on horseback, again?”

One of these volumes seemed to be exactly the reference material he needed for the upcoming operation, and he casually began flipping through its pages.

••••••

[Seems like this appears on exams a lot.]

“…What’s this?”

The first handwritten words to jump out at him were not his own. These were marks left behind during a group study session for a written exam in his Training Corps days. Jean remembered sitting in the center of everyone, having placed his own textbook in the middle of the desk for them all to see and at times write in as they discussed this and that.

Jean couldn’t remember who the rushed cursive belonged to at first, but his memories of that day gradually began to return to him.

(Armin? No… If it was the person right next to me… I guess it’d be Marco.)

The words were written right-side-up on one side of the book. They’d been penned by someone reaching in from the side.

He shook his head at the memory of his close and now departed friend as he turned the page to find other writings.

••••••

“What’s this one say…?”

Jean couldn’t read the upside-down letters at first. He turned the book around, then gasped.

[Horses can move in other unpredictable ways. Be careful]

[—>Finger whistling, page 54]

The thick and powerful words of caution belonged to Reiner.

The thin and weak words that pinpointed Jean’s weaknesses and noted where he needed to read belonged to Bertolt.

Back then… they were comrades he learned alongside. In fact, it had been Reiner who suggested that he hold onto his textbooks. He had said that while Jean was talented, he had a tendency to rely on the fact. That’s why he needed to hold onto books that would let him go back to basics.

“…He really could see what’s most important.”

The contents of this textbook would have to be solidly in the minds of the two who were now on the “other side.” They would also know how the Corps would move by horseback according to it, too.

In other words… such was the opponent that now awaited them.

“The last ones I wanted to have to face went and became our enemies.”

…So this is what they meant when they said the world is a cruel place.

Jean quietly closed the book and placed it deep within his bags, as if to seal away the memories of the time he spent with the two.

••••••

SOURCE: Attack on Titan: Short Stories 3

TRANSLATION: Ko Ransom

[snk-smartpass]

Late Night Stories Vol. 05 Reiner Braun A Story of Absent-Mindedness

“…You know it’s your turn today, Reiner.”

The recruits were busy training, marching through the night. They dragged their heavy feet, weary from the afternoon, as they carried torches in their hands.

“My turn for what?”

“…Remember when we pulled an all-nighter studying the other day?” Bertolt said next to him, causing Reiner to remember.

“Oh. To tell a story to keep everyone awake?”

“I’m begging you to… I feel like my feet are about to stop. I won’t fall behind if it’s an interesting story. I’d need to be in the group to hear it, after all,” Armin said, looking up at Reiner as he staggered back and forth, just barely keeping up.

“Okay. In that case… I’ll tell you a story from the other day.”

••••••

A few days earlier, Reiner was training with a group outside, when they were caught by a heavy evening squall. Of course, rain was no reason to stop a training exercise. If the soldiers didn’t have any rain gear, that just meant a drenched uniform. Their one saving grace was that they would be heading back to the barracks immediately afterwards.

“…Once all of you guys got back, the first thing you had to do was dry your clothes and wash off any mud with well water, right?” “ But you were squad leader then, Reiner, so you had to go and give a report before that,” Armin continued. Reiner nodded while a shiver ran through his body, as if he was remembering how cold he was that day.

“I finally gave my report to the instructor and went back to the well, then took off my shirt to start wiping off my body, but just as I did…”

••••••

“Aahh?!”

Reiner turned to face the shrieks and saw two female Training Corps recruits, Mina and Krista, passing by. Thinking that they must have been shocked to see him shirtless, he turned his back to them in a panic and apologized.

“S-Sorry. I’ll be done fast, so, just a minute…”

“N-No, we’re sorry, too! Don’t worry, you can finish up!”

“Really? Okay, then…”

Reiner paid no mind to the girls as they watched him wring his shirt with his exposed, muscular body, before starting to wipe it clean…

“Hey, Reiner? Um… Can we ask you a favor?”

“…And then the girls asked if they could touch my abs. It’s not like it would hurt anyone to say yes, so I let them, and…they said things like, ‘Wow, it’s really a six pack!’ or “What do you do to work out?’”

The girls didn’t hold back as they put their hands all over him.

“Heh! You’ve got a pretty solid chest, Reiner.”

“Wait, Ymir…! Hey, both of you!”

Ymir’s teasing stirred the girls on, as they started to touch not only his abs but also his chest, arms, and back. Reiner sighed at what a mess the situation had become.

“That…was surprising.”

“Wh-What did you just say happened…? Really? I’m so jealous of you!!”

While the situation could be seen as fortunate depending on one’s point of view, Reiner spoke of it as if it were a complete mystery to him. Jean, who was next to Reiner, impulsively threw his torch to the ground.

“Oh! Well, Mikasa wasn’t there, you know!” Reiner said.

“That’s not the problem here!!” Jean replied through clenched teeth. Marco tried to calm Jean while picking up his torch.

“Why don’t you try working out until you have a body like Reiner’s?”

“O-Oh, so I just have to keep working out…”

“I wouldn’t if I were you,” a smiling Armin said as he listened in on the conversation, shutting Jean down completely. “Vertical Maneuvering is your specialty. If you put on any more muscle, you wouldn’t be able to use your skills as well.”

“T-True, balance is important… Wait, don’t tell me that right now, Armin! Can’t you leave me the smallest bit of hope to cling onto?!”

This made Reiner notice that Armin, who tended to lag behind, was still in proper formation with the rest of the squad. He saw that everyone else was there, too and was satisfied to know that he had accomplished something by telling his story.

SOURCE: Attack on Titan: Short Stories 2

TRANSLATION: Ko Ransom

READ ALSO: Late Night Stories Vol. 03 Krista Lenz : A Heart-Pounding Story

[snk-smartpass]

Late Night Stories Vol. 03 Krista Lenz : A Heart-Pounding Story

“Nngh… Meaaaat… Breaaad… Mrrgh.”

“Wake up, potato girl! Your textbook is covered in drool!”

Whack! The dull sound of someone’s head being struck filled the room. It was late at night, but the girls barracks still glowed bright.

“Hey, whose idea was it again to copy the boys and pull an all-nighter?!”

“You, too, Ymir. Calm down…”

“Then do you want to give up and go to sleep, Krista? You know this test about the history and construction of the Vertical Maneuvering Equipment is ridiculously hard, right? And it’s even going to be counted in our overall marks!”

“Ugh… I won’t sleep. I’ll study.”

“L-Let us join, too!”

Mina and Hannah, two other recruits, gathered around the trio sitting around the table. Unable to sit there and watch everyone desperately try to rub the drowsiness out of their eyes any longer. Ymir crossed her arms and made a suggestion.

“Now that I think of it, the boys said they had someone tell a story to wake them up. Hey, Krista. Give us a story.”

“Whaat?!”

••••••

Now that she had been put on the spot, Krista looked around at everyone, flustered.

“B-But, what should I talk about…?”

“Oh, I want to hear a story about a time when someone made your heart race, Krista!”

Hannah’s proposal put a glimmer in all the girls’ eyes, aside from Krista’s. She looked skeptical, like she didn’t even understand what was being said.

“But…”

“It doesn’t have to be anything special. For example, a time you saw someone as a good person because of something unexpected they did. You know, that kind of thing!”

The girls all agreed as they looked on expectantly. Krista thought, and then she suddenly clapped.

“Oh! Then what about this?”

••••••

It happened during a training exercise meant to take place in a scenario where the recruits had to plan an escape with multiple horses from a Titan-filled area. Notifying the people of danger and evacuating them on horses during emergencies was an important part of a soldier’s duties.

At the time, Krista was in a team with Ymir and Sasha.

“The pack of horses meant for the citizens has made it to the Forest of Giant Trees!”

“I’ll use Vertical Maneuvering to be on watch! Sasha, you protect the rear!”

“Alright!”

As Krista led the horses from the front, she was concerned about Ymir overhead. Because there would be sudden Titan appearances during the training, log traps meant to recreate a Titan’s long, outstretched limbs had been placed in their way, as well as dummy Titans meant to obstruct them.

“In front!”

A dummy Titan appeared from nowhere in front of Krista. She immediately put her horse on a detour and made sure the pack had changed directions before using Vertical Maneuvering to leap into the air herself. But then—

“Guh?!”

“Ymir!!”

Now a log trap had appeared, this time in front of Ymir—

“HIYAAAAA!”

••••••

“…And that’s how Sasha saved us!”

“Yeah, that was pretty surprising.”

Though Sasha should have been in the back, she used her Vertical Maneuvering Equipment to appear in the very front, where she used both her legs to land a kick on the log, changing its direction. Thanks to her, Ymir avoided taking a direct hit while Krista was able to focus on destroying the dummy Titan, allowing training to come to a safe end.

“That was cool.”

“I’m sure it was just her intuition, but she did save us.”

Sasha had already fallen sound asleep while the story was being told, and Ymir forced a smile as she gently poked her head.

…But Mina and Hannah looked unamused, as though they had been deceived.

“Um… That’s not what we meant…”

“We wanted to hear a story about…well, a different kind of person, I guess…”

“What, that wasn’t good enough for you?”

“No…it did help us wake up, but…”

The disappointed recruits suddenly realized something. Couldn’t the trio’s trust in one another and their close teamwork be the cause of their high marks?

“…I guess that means we should be more serious about training, too, instead of just trying to hear about silly love stories.”

“Hmm? Mrrgh…”

“…It is plain annoying that the hero of that story is out cold right now, though.”

And so, the night marched quietly on in the girls barracks.

SOURCE: Attack on Titan: Short Stories 2

TRANSLATION: Ko Ransom

[snk-smartpass]

Shelter from the Rain Vol. 08 Reiner Braun & Marco Bott

Reiner had expected the day's practice march to be a mess. The day had come for the training exercise where they were to split into squads and travel a predetermined distance down various kinds of terrain, and it had been pouring rain all morning.

"Well… Just like I thought, then."

Reiner pushed through the sloshing mud to invite his squad's members into an abandoned house where they could take shelter from the rain.

"Wait, Reiner?!"

"…Oh, Marco!"

******

"This exercise is supposed to be squad against squad. It's not much of a competition if we're resting in the same place."

"You just chose the shortest and least difficult route, too, right? So we can't help it if we end up taking break at the same spot, Reiner."

The two leaders let their squads rest as they built a fire.

"If you made the decision to come here first, then that must make you the one more cut out to be a commanding officer," Reiner said.

"No, we just got here, too. You're doing just as well as me. And…" Marco continued as he tossed in more firewood, "It's not like you're resting in order to earn points either, are you?"

"Hm?"

"Our squadmates have to be getting tired after travelling through this rain. You decided to take a break out of consideration for them. Am I wrong?"

"No… That is true, but…"

Reiner could feel his vision wavering the slightest bit as he stared into the shimmering flames.

I'm…being considerate to people?

Reiner grew silent as he cast his eyes downward. The feeling that he was forgetting something refused to leave his mind.

******

"Reiner?" Marco said, looking concerned. Reiner fired back in order to keep up appearances.

"But not anyone would say that kind of thing, Marco. I think that shows you're a leader who really knows how to think of his team."

"But… I'm not strong like you, Reiner. That's why I always tend to sacrifice myself whenever I lead… I don't think that's a good trait." Marco opened up his rain gear to show Reiner his white pants, soaked up to the thigh with muddy water. "I didn't want to have to use any of my squad members as sacrifices when we crossed the river. I decided it would be best for me to get in first and figure out how deep it was, and that's when I slipped."

"C'mon… What're you doing? You know that you're going to end up as prime Titan food if you're too kind."

"Yeah…" Marco slumped his shoulders. "I think I'd be able to pull everyone forward if I was strong like you, Reiner. I admire you."

He…admires me…?

Reiner was gripped by the strange sensation once more.

For whatever reason, something about these pure feelings of respect and trust made him feel a deep sense of guilt.

******

"Come over here by the fire, everyone! Reiner's squad, too!"

Reiner snapped back to his senses when he heard Marco calling out to the others.

"That's right, you guys! Don't let yourselves get cold! We're gonna push once we get back out there so that we don't let them beat us!"

"Oh yeah? Well, we don't have any intention of losing, either!"

Marco's unaffected smile sent another prick into Reiner's chest.

"Hah! I'll show you who the better soldier is!" Reiner wiped away his feelings by saying the words, causing his mind to change gears.

That's right. I'm a soldier. Being trusted is part of that.

As the team's trusting eyes all rested on Reiner, the odd fraying in his heart grew indistinct, like the mud and leaves in the rain dissolving as they were washed away.

SOURCE: Attack on Titan: Short Stories

[snk-smartpass]

Shelter from the Rain Vol. 02 Jean Kirstein & Bertolt Hoover

The heavy rain flowed down the side of the mountain, turning into a river that ran through the gaps of its rocks.

"Ugh…It's pouring like crazy because of that ridiculous pose you struck in your sleep this morning, Bertolt," Jean said.

The two recruits were squatting under a rock on high ground that jutted out halfway up the cliff, taking shelter from the rain.

"…Sorry, Jean."

"Bertolt, that was obviously a joke!"

******

"…Either way, I can barely see a thing."

"I think it's the correct decision to take a short break in this weather during a practice march."

Bertolt focused on resting his body as he sat further under the rock, where the rain couldn't reach him, with his arms hugging his legs.

"You're right," Jean said, sitting down next to him after walking over. He prodded Bertolt, as if to tease him.

"I thought I got stuck with a real quiet, boring partner at first, but you're a talented one. I can trust you."

Bertolt could only return Jean's backhanded praise with a troubled smile.

******

The downpour showed no signs of letting up.

"Ah… Hey, Bertolt. You wanted to join the MPs, too, right? Yeah, we won't ever have to shiver in the rain on some mountain like this if we make it to the Interior," Jean cracked, unable to stand the silence for any longer.

"…I wonder if it's okay for someone like me to go to the Interior," Bertolt muttered back.

"Hunh?! You're more than qualified with those marks of yours! You're higher in rank than me and you still don't have any confidence?!"

Bertolt only held his arms tighter around his legs as he shook his head.

"I don't have a will of my own. Wanting to become an MP…even that's something I fell into because of everyone else."

"That's just how it is," Jean sighed. "There are some model soldier out there like Marco, but other than them… It's human nature to want to live the kind of nice, safe life that MPs live. What's wrong with falling into that? Not to mention that it's something you'll be getting thanks to your own abilities. You ought to be more proud."

Jean trying to encourage me. He sees me as a friend…

******

A bit of time passed before Bertolt looked up and stood. He approached the small waterfall flowing from the rock above them and looked down.

Am I…worthy of someone's trust?

As if it reflected his own complex emotions, the frothing puddle underfoot was mixed with mud and leaves, swirling before running down to lower ground.

"Sorry… Thanks, Jean," he said, almost straining to get the words out. They were heartfelt words of thanks as well as an apology, but Jean didn't know what he truly meant.

"Hunh? I didn't say anything worth your thanks. Anyway, how's the weather look?"

"I think we can go. It's only drizzle now."

"Let's go through the forest. Our anchors won't be stable on the cliff now that its foundation is weak."

Bertolt smiled at Jean's coolheaded analysis.

"I see why everyone says you're good with the Vertical Maneuvering Equipment, Jean."

The two nodded to each other and pulled out the grips to their Equipment in unison. A moment later, the two boys' rain gear fluttered in the air as they flew off into the forest, still hazy from the showers.

SOURCE: Attack on Titan: Short Stories