[ Eren came fifth in his class for a reason, okay! Most of that reason was reckless teenage bullshit. Guess what never changed much.
The eyes thing is probably one of the big differences these days. Levi's eyes are expressive once you get to know him. Eren's…aren't. They were when he was younger. Now he gets unfocused. Not distracted; he doesn't tend to get completely out of it to the point he's not able to pay attention to what's going on around him. If he did that, he'd just wind up dead. But when he's not really looking at here and now, what is there to read? In some ways, it's years' worth of practice, because time doesn't matter in the same sense that it once did. In some ways, he's just completely batshit, whatever. Or…more than he was to start.
And some of it was cultivated on purpose. He couldn't let his friends read him anymore. He couldn't let Levi read him anymore. Or Hange. It was too dangerous. There was too much at stake.
Those clouds are clearing up, much to his chagrin, thanks to that little mind meld and distance and time…and effort, in the end. It's contradictory, his displeasure at moving back towards the actual human being he once was, and his desire to hold on to the people he cares about again. Contradictory, the way he still shuts down entirely but does things like bring home something he thinks Levi will like and leave it on the counter or roll over here on the beach with a miraculously sand-free plate of peach sandwich, or how he punches Jean in the face and then calls him a friend. Just Eren things!
He looks over to where Levi gestures. Hange has…oh, is that a Pokemon? Eren didn't think to bring Yamask, largely because this is a party and Yamask is a weird little ghost creature who doesn't seem to enjoy crowds. Can it do battle? Sure, probably, but he doesn't know shit about how to do that. Maybe he'll learn sometime, which sure would be unfair to all these starter Pokemon.
Levi looks back at him with that stare, which makes Eren feel slightly self-conscious. It's not like he's chewing with his mouth open, jeez! Lesson (temporarily) learned, give him a break, captain!
Oh. Oh, right. Of course Hange isn't the only one that needs a babysitter. Except Hange is the one most likely to do some reckless shit at the beach, right? Like pick up a poisonous jellyfish (not that any of them have any idea what that is)! ]
They're fine, Captain.
[ I'm fine, he means, which is a lie every single time he says it, but less of one in this moment than it could be. ]
You kinda look like you don't hate it out here, though.
[ The flowers and the sunglasses are a tell, Levi. ]
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The eyes thing is probably one of the big differences these days. Levi's eyes are expressive once you get to know him. Eren's…aren't. They were when he was younger. Now he gets unfocused. Not distracted; he doesn't tend to get completely out of it to the point he's not able to pay attention to what's going on around him. If he did that, he'd just wind up dead. But when he's not really looking at here and now, what is there to read? In some ways, it's years' worth of practice, because time doesn't matter in the same sense that it once did. In some ways, he's just completely batshit, whatever. Or…more than he was to start.
And some of it was cultivated on purpose. He couldn't let his friends read him anymore. He couldn't let Levi read him anymore. Or Hange. It was too dangerous. There was too much at stake.
Those clouds are clearing up, much to his chagrin, thanks to that little mind meld and distance and time…and effort, in the end. It's contradictory, his displeasure at moving back towards the actual human being he once was, and his desire to hold on to the people he cares about again. Contradictory, the way he still shuts down entirely but does things like bring home something he thinks Levi will like and leave it on the counter or roll over here on the beach with a miraculously sand-free plate of peach sandwich, or how he punches Jean in the face and then calls him a friend. Just Eren things!
He looks over to where Levi gestures. Hange has…oh, is that a Pokemon? Eren didn't think to bring Yamask, largely because this is a party and Yamask is a weird little ghost creature who doesn't seem to enjoy crowds. Can it do battle? Sure, probably, but he doesn't know shit about how to do that. Maybe he'll learn sometime, which sure would be unfair to all these starter Pokemon.
Levi looks back at him with that stare, which makes Eren feel slightly self-conscious. It's not like he's chewing with his mouth open, jeez! Lesson (temporarily) learned, give him a break, captain!
Oh. Oh, right. Of course Hange isn't the only one that needs a babysitter. Except Hange is the one most likely to do some reckless shit at the beach, right? Like pick up a poisonous jellyfish (not that any of them have any idea what that is)! ]
They're fine, Captain.
[ I'm fine, he means, which is a lie every single time he says it, but less of one in this moment than it could be. ]
You kinda look like you don't hate it out here, though.
[ The flowers and the sunglasses are a tell, Levi. ]