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casterlygldcs · 4 months

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who: @erenmarbrand when and where: following the lion court's arrival to the westerlands, king tyland lannister holds an emergency meeting with lord eren marbrand, the hand of the king. at this point, the master of whispers had alerted eren of the growing rumours, and it had been confirmed by a landed knight within lannisport to eren marbrand earlier.

they walked at a fast pace, the portraits and majestic tapestries blurring by them as they wound their way through the caverns of the rock: there still was no place such as casterly rock, and being back in kings landing after so many years only further cemented this ideology in the mind of the lion king. they remained at the top, and would be in every respect once this schism with the bastard in a glass crown was thoroughly severed; there would be no other voice of authority within but that of the crown - a truly centralised power, with no influence but it's own from the very core of court life.

and yet, during their journey back to the sprawling majesty of the west; crossing through golden tooth in entering their lands from the east, the master of whispers had made the hand of the king aware of a matter growing within the lands of silverhill.

"look into how much time lord adrian serrett spent in imposing the new laws." tyland directed as they spoke, knowing that there would need to be some to take responsibility for the growing matter at hand: whilst he understood the ruling lord of the westerlands had always been focused on the economy of the realm and adding to the realm's treasury in all items confiscated in the rich septs across the entirety of the realm, that was not to be at the expense of his control as ruling lord.

the last thing tyland lannister needed was for there to be some tarnish the house of his queen, especially in the matter to her growing child; soon they would be nearing the end of that journey, and the queen would take to her true battlefield. the birthing bed. "you understand this matter is not to be repeated to the queen; not in her current condition." the only matter which tested the stability of the westerlands at this point in time, was indeed the delivery of a legitimate, male, heir. there were times where he found himself wondering if the gods had turned their back on the kingdom of elegant savagery, in all the times they were yet to have a clear line of succession.

the prince of fair isle was his heir, but it was important - no, pivotal, for a man to have heirs and children of his own. the time was nearing closer, and tyland would intend to ensure it was done correctly this time. there would be no mistake for errors: for he was sure the gods had shown their favour upon them. this was a new age of the land of the west.

"lord ambrose serrett has departed for his lands and intends to return with those to be held responsible." the moment they rode through the lion's mouth, ambrose had been rerouted to return to silverhill, immediately - no doubt with a weight upon his shoulders. it would be a fair assessment to argue such dissent grew as a result of there remaining one notable member of the court of the westerlands who had still not yet signed the act of supremacy of king tyland of house lannister - and that was the princess herself. it was a matter that would need discussion, though the lion king did not find this time to be the correct one. "the prince of fair isle has also made it his priority to remain in casterly rock, rather than continuing in his journey to fair isle. his intention is to meet with you later today, or early in the morrow - no doubt to obtain a full detailed update."

#c: eren #eren 004

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ruexoconnor · 2 months

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@ofhowlingxs eren

She'd met the other the same way as she met his brother. A random set of circumstances. And that was exactly the way she'd met most her friends. Bella was a bit of a collector of people, if she liked even one thing about them, it was case closed and friendship made. And it was perhaps as good as it was bad, that most people had at least one redeeming quality to them for her to latch on. Eren had been better than that -- he had had a plethora of charm to him. The unusual kind. "So I gotta say, the guy at the pizza shop really outdid himself this time. I didn't even pay him extra but I do think he now expects me to babysit his niece on the 21st. Well, no, I...fully promised him I'd do that shit...I need to..." she takes out her phone, setting a reminder two days earlier just to make sure she plans accordingly. "I don't know how I get myself in these situations you know --" she opens the pizza box, handing it to him as she unpacks the drinks. "Like, don't get me wrong I love being useful an' all but sometimes I just wanna say...'no I do not want to sort out your babysitting situation so you and your brother can go for a weekend trip, please give me a premium pizza with extra toppings anyway on the account of being a fucking hoot' it just doesn't sound as good does it? Like, I really just sold off my --" looking at her phone she sighs "-- my Saturday for a pizza!" she'll take a slice and finally look over at him. "Anyways, how've you been? Pizza's actually really good I feel kind of better now...knowing that..."

#c: eren #girl idek what this is

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gcuienveres · 8 months

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who: @erenmarbrand what: continuation of this post aka gwen continues beefing the hand of the king over reformation matters lol

perhaps if it this had been any other day, the princess of the west would be more inclined to least trying to mask the sheets of ice that threatened to sweep over her striking emerald hues, the same hues of a hunter found within the lion king and the gallant prince of fair isle. perhaps if she had not already been witnessed to the unfurling of her own cousin, who once appeared a chivalrous knight of the west, butcher a boy for the glinting of rainbow coloured glass. butcher a boy whose voice only indicated he had been blessed by the angels who would sit at the end of his bed each night he took to bed, whose voice once rung out across the personal quarters of the princess when it were time for the prayers of her household.

and in the end, it had been the white sheet from her own bed that had given him the salvation of privacy, of respect in death, and it was the princess of the west that remained on her knees beside who had become just a mere corpse.

the only way she allowed herself to drift asleep night after night following those days was by telling herself time and time again that he had gained a place in the seven heavens since becoming a martyr for the true faith; the faith of the gods, untouched by the corruption of lannister gold and the dogs that snapped and barked and growled at one another, waiting for a bone to be thrown in their direction. the house of lannister were lions, the kings of the plains, and the rest that surrounded them? dogs. and still, she was all too aware of the fact it were entirely possible she were telling herself this to alleviate a feeling of guilt that began to playing on her shoulders, cause her to feel more weighed down than ever before.

"i understand all too well my lord can speak to me of his reformation." she spoke, and in the distance, she could hear the sounds of leo lefford's sword coming from it's sheath. she heard the sounds of the gasping.

the ruling lord of ashemark was the worst of all. worse even than his younger brother, who seemed borderline diabolical; he was silent, reliable. had all the answers the king wanted to hear, and cared only to consolidate his own place and line his pockets rather than have a genuine care for the souls of himself, his king, or the people of the west for following in the example of their king. in their choice of idolatry, in looking upon tyland lannister as though he were the chosen voice of the gods graced with a crown, he were taking on the voice of the gods. she remained still as he spoke to her, and seemingly looked right through her with eyes so dark they seemed almost possessed by something dangerous and dark. something wrong. she had seen that look in the eyes of men before, at the sack of lannisport: the hunt for something. what did he hunt for?

"as the hand of the king will understand, i wish not to hear it from you. not this day." she stared at him, hard, in a way she had not stared at any man. because she did not see a man when she looked upon him. she saw a dog. a fraud. a conniving piece of vermin. "nor the next, nor any day."

#c: eren #eren 002 #and in your desperate attempt to salvage yourself from the fires of seven hells you have become the beast itself (lord eren marbrand)

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visxionaries · 2 years

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FORGIVING WHO YOU ARE FOR WHAT YOU STAND TO GAIN ; MY LITTLE DARK AGE (CEDRIC&EREN) @wcrdsarewind

setting: the audience chamber within cedric tyrell's privy chambers, within the city of sunspear when: prior to the war across the water upon the ironborn, some days before the dornish ball important tdlr: in this conversation, cedric clarifies to lord eren jast, representing tyland in an ambassador role, that if the lions are to take full guardianship of cerenna as is their right, she will not be part of the reach succession. “her name is lannister.”

cedric: is seated as tyrell guards and the lord commander, omer florent, brings in lord eren jast. cedric has never met this man before; though he is different to the other faces he has dealt with in regards to discussions with the court of lions. “my lord - jast, is it?” eren: has spent some time learning about the court of roses, it was a wealth of information and if was to be a man to help with this extend olive branch it best to know where the rose could die the quickest. “that's correct, your grace. lord jast of fair isle. thank you for giving me some of your valuable time today.”

cedric: "let us get to the crux of the matter." and he doesn't tell eren to sit, remaining on the other side of a desk with large stained glass windows opened behind them. there is a quill and parchment for lord jast to make his recordings upon cedric: "the princess cerenna's accounts need be updated with what her mother left her." and his voice is stoic. he thinks he can hear a laugh in the hallway. but stoic. "i need know where you want such lump sums sent, and in what forms."

eren; crossing his arms behind his back he listens to the king in front of him. he nods, raising his hand up, reaching into the pocket sewn on the inside of his yelek he removes a small pad and a charcoal stick. eren; "the most appropriate response would be for these lump sums to be sent to her home." and he takes a seat. eren; "tell me, what do you have available currently in regards to her accounts? i prefer to work with numbers and exacts before we start making choices."

cedric: he does not dislike the man - he seems confident in what he knows best, confident in his approach. but he finds there to be a line that need be redrawn. politics was a game he could play, and would play; words so pretty one didn't realise the rope tied around the neck. cedric: "details and exacts will be discussed with the master of coin, alongside my own. lord hightower and lord serrett are entrusted to such matters. what you need tell me, is where the sums go, whether it be straight to casterly rock, or lannisport. perhaps both. and what forms."

eren; looks at him and smiles, unaffected by the king taking his serious approach to this conversation. nodding his head with his talks of masters of coin. eren; “of course, your grace. my only duty is to ensure that my lords and my king are well aware of what to expect, little details help future conversations move right along. the sums will go to casterly and lannisport. do you have a preference regarding form? i like to work from a place of convenience for us all. and with convenience comes swift handling of these works. as swift as settling estates and counting coppers can be.”

cedric: "and you will be present for such conversations, i trust? considering you are privy to these small details. able to smooth matters out." a social climber. what was wrong with it? were the tyrells themselves not masters at climbing the ranks? they were living proof it were possible. cedric: "a direct transfer of gold, from her section of highgarden's treasury to the lannister treasury. she has no land of her own, no estate that would need sorting out and her title of princess is to be reconsidered within the kingdom of the reach. cedric: furthermore, as she will be entirely under the wardship of house lannister once again, she will be formally declared not in the line of succession for the reach throne."

eren; "i am as present as need be, your grace." and he write across the page, checking off what he had written down as assumptions. gold and no lands. not a princess in the reach. eren put a star beside this then looked up at the king. eren; "wise decisions, indeed." the girl would be a pawn to move about freely. more trouble than she would be worth and she was worth her weight in gold. girls had no business in the line of succession for a crown but a princess was a princess all the same and even with a title she carried the blood and blood mattered in games of chance. eren; "and my king agreed to this? i would prefer to approach him with accuracy. busy as you all are there is no sense in wasting ones time with improper phrasing, misquotes."

cedric: and there is a slight hardening of ocean hues, not out of annoyance or irritation now, but resolve. almost as if to continue with what it was he had firmly stated. perhaps it would be seen as cruel, perhaps it would be seen as an uncle discarding of his niece. cedric: only, when it came to matters of the succession, he had found himself growing more and more numb each passing day. cedric: “your king need not agree to it, lord jast. it is for the boundaries of the reach's fertile hills; cerenna will not be in line to inherit the throne.”

eren; likes what he sees in this king of roses. there's nothing there to suggest weakness or the emotional attachment to family. this king would sell his sisters if it secured his place. and that made eren's smile turn from one of courtesy to one of understanding. eren; “then i will share your desires with the king as well as inform the master of coin he need not worry about the matters of land. we will be using men of fair isle to escort this coin. i'm sure you understand. shall i add anything else?”

cedric: "men of fair isle?" and there is a genuine spark of curiosity in his voice. for the men of fair isle were concerned with the navy, with defence, but with money now too? or was it merely lord jast? cedric: "your men, whomever they belong to of whatever house, are permitted to meet representatives of house tyrell and hightower escorting the sums. the border between goldengrove and silverhill it is." cedric: "no. merely tell me if it is you i should expect to see in such discussions." cedric: "do you intend to be?"

eren; men of house jast. my men are far more available to take part in such tasks. we live to serve our lord and or king in all ways he sees fit. they were also brutal tacticians who would kill anyone to come near them. eren; wonderful location. eren; you will see quite a lot of me, your grace. eren; you'll find i'm a man of many hats. eren did whatever was asked of him with little question. no matter what needed to be done, people knew who to call to get it done. eren; i could even be useful to you, in support of our grand alliance i think resources should be shared.

cedric: and he merely nods, because he does not believe it his place to pass judgement on the men of other realms. they did not serve him, he did not know them; but he felt as though he would. he would see more and more of eren jast, in his quest to climb the ranks of power. cedric: "then so be it, lord jast - as long as business continues to run smoothly between our two realms, i have no preference as to who relays such messages." cedric: and there was a slight pause, for he knew how this worked; make a deal with the devil, offer him something for something in return cedric: "how would you see yourself doing that?"

eren; knows enough enough house tyrell, how they rose and how they stayed. he believed in rumor because if you pieced together every rumor a sensible story always came through. eren; it'll be so smooth you won't even know business has been done. find yourself with a need, your grace, and you'll find a man who can sate that need. you'll know when to come to me. most do. eren; standing from his seat, he closes his small book and tucks it away before bowing to the king eren; if we're done, i hate to keep my king waiting.

cedric: and there is a quizzical look in his orbs now, wondering just what it was this man was seemingly wanting. no, no it was obvious what he wanted; power, a position, a position that went beyond simply taking notes and being a bookkeeper for official archives and records. cedric: "i would insist to take your word on it, lord jast - yet let us not taint our first interaction with such stark lies. you may take your leave - until next time.” and he watches as the guards turn to escort the lord out, the door closing behind him. cedric reached for a quill, and began to write the declaration that would be known within the realm, within the council.

the princess cerenna of house lannister holds no claim to the throne of the reach. in her place stands lord lucca of house tyrell, and all heirs that come after him.

#c: eren #eren 001 #good shit #forgiving who you are for what you stand to gain ; a little dark age (cedric&eren)

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themeixhuang · 8 months

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closed - @erensavas

where - literally anywhere on the street, u pick

Mei tried to always teach her daughter to keep a close eye on her surroundings and to always be alert, especially when walking in public. In fact, she was looking down at her daughter as she was saying it, allowing the little girl to swing their hands as they walked down the busy sidewalk, smiling at her and talking on their way to the ice cream shop. And clearly it was advice Mei Lian should've taken more to heart herself- because as the two girls turned the corner, Mei ended up smacking right into someone, hard enough that she even stumbled back a bit, letting out a little oof.

Thankfully nothing had happened to Luna aside from stumbling a bit as well, her hand firmly in her mother's, and Mei immediately looked up, exhaling softly as she looked to the person she'd smacked right into. "I'm so sorry--are you alright?"

#para #para: eren #c: eren

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opaldasilva · 1 year

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WHERE: a vineyard??? yeah, a vineyard. WHO: @demircie & opal.

Normally— at least the last several years— the leg work was done for her. It'd been a long time since Opal had ventured into the sea on her own looking to score a big fish. With her partnership now dissolved, she was now realizing just how spoiled she'd been.

But she'd take freedom over easy any day.

Today, she'd slipped into something a little more neutral. With no marks, not even those labeled potential, she wasn't really sure exactly who it was she might be dressing for. Better to play it safe with something a little more vintage. It had a designer label for the rich and snobby, but could easily be written off as a lucky thrift shop find to the rich types that pretended to be environmentally conscious only to hop into their private jets for a business dinner in Paris. Those were arguably worse.

Her hair was down and lightly curled, a light dusting of makeup giving her a subtle, sculpted look. Not too much, not too little. And as she moved through the wine tour with a bland but friendly smile on her face, swirling the contents of her glass delicately, she remained on high alert for anyone that might be worthy of a second glance.

It didn't take her long to find just that.

He was tall and muscular, commanding his space like the world bent to his will. Opal didn't need a keen eye to know his perfectly tailored outfit likely cost more than the little shack she and her mother had once owned. Promise slid into the spaces between her ribs as she planned out her next few moves. She couldn't be obvious, couldn't let him see he'd caught her eye. She tried to gauge what she could about him based on body language alone and made an educated guess about which accidental-run-in scenario might work best here.

In the end, she watched him eyeing a vintage pinot and took her opportunity. Her finger trailing over the bottles, she stopped in front of a particularly expensive bottle of cab and slowly slid it from the shelf, scrutinizing the label like some kind of wine connoisseur. After a moment, she glanced up as if only just realizing she wasn't alone and considered the man and the bottle in hand for a moment. "Pinot, huh?" A glance back at her own bottle and she let a small, playful sort of smile tug at the corners of her mouth. "I don't mind a pinot now and then, but I've always been more of a cab girl myself. They're just as complex, but not as..." God, she really hoped he wasn't the stick-up-his-ass types as her voice took on a breathy sort of lilt, "delicate and fluffy."

#there is absolutely no reason why this should be as long as it is #i'm just setting the mood and lighting candles and fluffing pillows #feel free to cut this way way down #c: eren

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deathberi · 7 months

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The places we wanted to go.

#erearu angst hitssss sooooo hardddd :c #shingeki no kyojin #attack on titan #snkedit #snk spoilers #armin arlert #eren jaeger #eren yeager #anime gif #animeedit #eri gifs #anime #*#snk #aot

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merlerappaport · 2 years

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mssg / merle & eren

merle: not to make you jealous or anything but

merle: [image attached]

merle: i'm in paris while you're in a muddy field full of hooligans

merle: if you're nice i'll bring you back something

#c: eren #text: eren #text #non event

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lenok993 · 7 months

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Artist: ariariariar21 l Please visit the original source and support the artist there!

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kyojuuros · 1 year

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Shingeki no Kyojin: The Final Season Part 3 || Official Trailer

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eaeulfl · 2 months

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#somebody give him a hug :c #armin arlert #eren jaeger #mikasa ackerman #shingeki no kyojin

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casterlygldcs · 10 months

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who: @erenmarbrand when and where: some hours before the westerlands party departs for oldtown, headed specifically to the starry sept. this is set after the westerlands plot drop in reaction to the actions taken by the high septon.

the footsteps of the lion king announced his presence before the announcers themselves, stationed on either side of the doors within what was essentially the main gathering hall of the westerland court within the wing they had been given; they bounced from the walls with a sense of pacing, an animal that had been angered and now it paced for it were the only thing it need how to do. only this was no simply beast, no simple animal; it were clear to see elements of lion in the man, and this was only one of them. as though the entire family had become what they emblazoned upon their sigil, each of them with claws and a taste for blood.

the septons that had followed the summons of the high septon had immediately stepped outside the security and safety of the king's blessings. his grace. his peace. the moment they had decided to settle on such a matter, ignoring whatever voice within them warned them of their actions, it was done. and they had not even known it, until the master of whispers had approached himt the day later. "with me." were the words of the king when he saw his hand in deep conversation with his own brother, who seemed ready to be joining the rest of the court of the westerlands.

the men walked away from the crowds for a moment, preparing for a hunting trip.

they were traitors, and they would get their hands on the traitors of the holy men that had betrayed them to follow in the steps of the starry. he knew why they had done such a thing; a summons from the establishment they had once seen as the most powerful in history would be difficult to ignore. and yet, tyland lannister knew he would bend forward and rework their brains with his own hands after smashing it to break them from being sheep. this matter was one that caused him to be entirely on edge, for they were dealing with holy men; not the treachery of nobles, nor merchants, nor knights, but of holy men.

they would need to be handled a certain way; for the eyes of their smallfolk would be watching. he knew how much imagery and reputation mattered; walking the line between a king to be feared and a king that was to be respected.

"king cedric is aware of the actions we shall take." his words were clear; in their initial plans, they knew such violence could further rock the already struggling alliance between the two kingdoms. and in truth, there were times where tyland thought the two would turn on one another: and it would the bloodiest of all wars in westeros. the lions would remain victorious; and yet, it would not be easy to rip out the roots. growing strong, were their words. "we have his assured support for when the time comes."

it appeared as though the party were going hunting. and to the eyes of any other, the men of the westerlands were embarking upon a days old hunting trip through the fertile fields and woods of the reach before returning to their own realm by following the ocean road along the cliffs. only, there was an important stop along the way they were planned to take: there was no indication of the bloodshed that was soon to come. "your brother has joined us?"

#c: eren #eren 003

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genericpuff · 2 months

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oh yeah speaking of anime

i bought a sword

#let's go kill eren yaeger yayayayay #attack on titan #bitches love swords #it's me i'm bitches #they asked me if i just wanted the one b/c obv you're supposed to carry two #but i wasn't about to drop a month's rent on two of the same sword LOL #and yes the holster is wearable >:3 #this is your reminder that i am in fact a huge weeb

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gcuienveres · 11 months

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who: @erenmarbrand where: the audience chamber of guinevere lannister within the highgarden apartments, following the incident with lord leo lefford, as well as the prince of fair isle’s incident with the river king

this scene had been laid out before; this very same scene, in which the heavy thudding boots against marble entered into a space that seemed almost otherworldly. there was incense burning, and a noise that seemed as though the angles themselves had descended from seven heavens to sit within the emptiness that was these chambers. for there was no way in which, despite how many times the maids seemed to scrub at the spot where crimson blood spilled, and violence erupted like the doom of valryia into a scene that looked more like a painting than reality, the spot would never cease.

she did not break from her prayer, her hands remained wrapped around the rosary beads, and the gold veil remained fitted over golden curls. this had happened before. a part of her knew how this would end before it had even begun.

the quietness within the chambers of the princess had not gone unnoticed to her; and it were noted that those within her household had held some fear since the incident that had occurred. and yet still, business were to go on as per usual: as though the lion’s rage had not threatened to set ablaze the trident, the river king’s sister, as though there was not a constant overwhelming sense of time slipping from her fingers. many would claim her to be irrational, use her narrow minded thinking as an example of inflexibility: or point out flaws in the starry sept. it was not about the starry sept: it was about gold paying for more than what it ever possibly could.

and as she entered the main presence chambers upon raising herself from her knees, she removed the veil from her hair, still keeping it a hold in her hands as she looked upon the face of the devil himself. he who had tried so desperately to save himself from the fires of seven hells had only become the beast of it. and it breathed. the king was in his place by the gods; but this man, this man who had seemingly worked his way into the court’s favour silently like a snake. he was a heretic. “my lord hand.”

did she cling to the idea of heaven more now than ever before she prayed for the opportunity to be able to see him there? that falcon king that had shown her the world, both from one of the secret balconies within the winding towers of the eyrie; shown her the reality of a world in which love was not enough. the acceptance had been a slow one, one that had started when the nobles of the vale of arryn bent the knee in her presence; andals and first men alike, in their foreign tongue she had never understood. but it was something she only understood truly upon embarking upon widowhood.

she had seen what beasts looked like in the vale. and something about the way eren marbrand moved reminded her of a shadowcat. there was nothing wrong with him, apart from his stern nature; as were most men in this realm. so why did she feel such an aversion to him? “i was not aware of your intention to see me this morning.” he was not wanted. not here. not after all that had happened. he fanned those flames. he wanted to see it catch. “what purpose can i serve you?”

#c: eren #eren 002 #and in your desperate attempt to salvage yourself from the fires of seven hells you have become the beast itself (lord eren marbrand)

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levmada · 7 months

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*ring ring*

oh the call is coming from inside the house.

#gay romantic affectionate enraptured fixated attached enamored fond impassioned tender—#eremika is official but shhhhh #eremika #eruri #eren x mikasa #erwin x levi #levi c erwin #mikasa x eren #eruri.pic #aot.pic

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scarletskiesinthepaths · 1 month

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Attack on Titan and Eren Yeager: Free Will, Determinism, and Compatibilism—A Question of Choice and Moral Responsibility

Compatibilism can be simply defined as the assertion that free will can be compatible with determinism—that is, they are not mutually exclusive and both can be true at once. It is a way to reconcile the problem of moral responsibility within typical deterministic arguments. Arthur Schopenhauer, a German philosopher, once said: "Man can do what he wills but he cannot will what he wills." Essentially, in a classical compatibilist argument, a person is free to act according to a particular motive, but the nature of that motive is determined. Attack on Titan represents the concept of choice under the framework of compatibilism.

Applying this framework to Eren—Eren could not help the way he was born; however, he was capable of exacting agency in his choices. He was born as someone with a monstrous will (as Levi described him as), someone desiring freedom at all costs; however, he was capable of weighing alternative choices and acting against that desire. He was also capable of understanding the moral rightness and consequences of both his desires and his choices, and he was also the ultimate source of his actions. Thus, Eren holds moral responsibility for those actions.

Levi Commenting on Eren's Nature During the "Female Titan" Arc:

Eren Telling Reiner He Thinks They Were Born as Who They Are:

Eren Telling Zeke He is Who He is Because He Was Born into the World:

In causal determinism, "everything that occurs is the inevitable result of the laws of nature and the state of the world in the distant past" (X). Essentially, every one of our actions in the present has a cause rooted in the past, detached from our own actions. It implies that we cannot do anything other than what we ultimately end up doing and that we are not the causal source of our own actions, since all our actions are rooted in factors beyond our control. As such, if none of us have the freedom to do otherwise, it begs the question: are any of us responsible for our actions, even those of great evil?

However, classical compatibilists hold that the truth of causal determinism does not preclude one from having the freedom to do otherwise. Compabilists believe that causal determinism has no impact on our moral responsibility. In classical compatibilism, free will is typically defined as the ability to select among alternative courses of action. The choices themselves and the context of the situation may be determined, but choice can still be carried out within that context. Classical compatibilism, in this sense, can be visualized via a common "fork in the road" image:

Our presence at that fork in the road was determined and guaranteed, but we have the ability to choose which path to go on. Given the possibility of alternative choices, more than one future is possible if classical compatibilism holds true.

The common Classical Incompatibilist argument of determinism is as follows (X):

If someone acts of her own free will, then she could have done otherwise. (A – C)

If determinism is true, no one can do otherwise than one actually does. (D – E)

Therefore, if determinism is true, no one acts of her own free will (F).

As such, according to the argument, if determinism is true, no one has access to alternatives. Given that, only one future is possible in this argument of determinism. Attack on Titan seemingly supports this incompatibilist argument of determinism on the surface due to the fact that Eren only ever sees one future.

Eren Saying the Future Does Not Change:

Eren did indeed have access to multiple alternatives, however. Eren only ever sees one future in Attack on Titan because his alternative choices are rooted in the past and in his manipulation of it:

Eren purposely diverts Dina's titan from Bertolt to eat his own mother instead. The alternative choice would have been to let Bertolt be eaten.

Eren purposely convinces and forces Grisha to kill the Reiss family and take the Founder, even after Grisha had lost his nerve in doing so. The alternative choice would have been to let the Reiss family live.

If no alternative choices were available, Eren would not have had the capability of manipulating the past in the first place.

But, for the sake of argument, let us say that Eren did not have alternative choices. If he did not have alternative choices available, would that then be an argument that he had no free will? Another common compatibilist definition of free will is the ability of an agent to act according to their wishes, free of impediments. Take this explanation:

"On this view, freedom involves two components, a positive and a negative one. The positive component (doing what one wills, desires, or inclines to do) consists in nothing more than what is involved in the power of agency. The negative component (finding “no stop”) consists in acting unencumbered or unimpeded. Typically, the classical compatibilists’ benchmark of impeded or encumbered action is compelled action. Compelled action arises when one is forced by some external source to act contrary to one’s will."

Eren never acted contrary to his will in Attack on Titan. He wanted to do the Rumbling, and he did it.

Eren Saying He Wanted to do the Rumbling:

No one was able to convince or compel him to do otherwise. In Paths, he is originally shackled, but his will overrides the shackles placed upon him:

Later, when the Alliance is traveling to stop Eren, they attempt to converse with him in Paths to convince him to go against his own wishes, but Eren persists; he "keeps moving forward" against all obstacles to his desires. He refuses to negotiate with the Alliance, telling them that he refuses to engage in a discussion and that the only way to stop him will be by ending his life:

In response to these compatibilistic arguments, the Incompatibilist Consequence Argument posits that, in order for one to have freedom, one must be the ultimate source of their choices. The classic argument for this is as follows (X):

No one has power over the facts of the past and the laws of nature.

No one has power over the fact that the facts of the past and the laws of nature entail every fact of the future (i.e., determinism is true).

Therefore, no one has power over the facts of the future.

Consider defining "ultimate source" by the following explanation (X):

"An agent is an ultimate source of her action only if, at the very least, something necessary for her action originates within the agent herself. It cannot be located in places and times prior to the agent’s freely willing her action. If an agent is not the ultimate source of her actions, then her actions do not originate in her, and if her actions are the outcomes of conditions guaranteeing them, how can she be said to control them? The conditions sufficient for their occurrence were already in place long before she even existed!"

Attack on Titan specifically rejects this view of determinism, as Eren has the power to alter events in his own past to influence the future. He is the ultimate source of his own actions.

See @p-ssypink's response in this post:

Once Eren got to Paths in the final arc of Attack on Titan, he willfully manipulated the information his past self had access to in order to guarantee a certain outcome. He was the determinator of his own future.

Furthermore, consider these words from Hajime Isayama, the mangaka for Attack on Titan:

Excerpts from Hajime Isayama's Blog in 2016, discussing Minoru Furuya's manga, Himeanole (X, X):

Excerpt 1: "The serial-killer Morita's desire in life is nothing but to strangle people to death. Why is he a psychopathic killer? The manga portrays it as simply his nature. In other words, that's just the way he was born.

It's completely different from the usual concept of, "he's actually a kind boy, but was bullied to the point of killing and that made him realize how much he enjoyed it". It's true that he was bullied and that was a contributing factor. But even before he was bullied, he clearly said there was something 'not normal' about him."

Excerpt 2: "At first, he considered dying, because he felt he needed to erase the scum from the face of the earth. But before he died, there was one thing he wanted to do no matter what. It wasn't basketball or soccer or travelling to space. It was to receive sexual pleasure from strangling people to death. As many times as he could.

By coincidence, I am not a murderer. I think anyone who tries to understand others, even if you're not a murderer yourself, can still empathize to a degree.

'It's not like I chose to be born this way.'

It's about our nature from the moment we're born."

Excerpt from Isayama Hajime’s Bessatsu Shonen August 2017 Interview, discussing Attack on Titan's ending and Himeanole's influence on it (X):

Ultimately, I don't think the series passes judgment on what is "right" or "wrong." For example, when I read Furuya Minoru's "Himeanole," I knew society would consider the serial killer in the story unforgivable under social norms. But when I took into account his life and background I still wondered, "If this was his nature, then who is to blame...?" I even thought, "Is it merely coincidence that I wasn't born as a murderer?" We justify what we absolutely cannot accomplish as "a flaw due to lack of effort," and there is bitterness within that. On the other hand, for a perpetrator, having the mindset of "It's not because I lack effort that I became like this" is a form of solace. We cannot deny that under such circumstances, the victims' feelings are very important. But considering the root of the issue, rather than evaluating "what is right"...to be influenced by various other works and their philosophies, and to truthfully illustrate my exact feelings during those moments - I think that's what Shingeki no Kyojin's ending will resemble.

The above excerpts (and Eren's own words, as displayed earlier in this post) demonstrate that Eren could not control what he desired; he was born a monster. As such, free will is not entirely supported by the narrative of Attack on Titan. However, as has been demonstrated, neither is determinism. Compatibilism hence remains the best framework for interpreting Eren's character and his moral responsibility in Attack on Titan.

Eren was not a good person—he knew he was a bad person and that his actions in carrying out the Rumbling were wrong.

Eren Demonstrating His Knowledge That the Rumbling Would Be the "Greatest Act of Violence in History":

Eren Displaying His Guilt by Apologizing to Ramzi Because He Knew His Future Actions Were Wrong:

Although Eren could not control what he desired, he was responsible for the consequences that were generated, as he always had the capability of choosing otherwise and he was the ultimate source of all his actions. As such, his actions cannot be justified in any way to alleviate him of responsibility.

Note: This post was inspired by @cosmicjoke's last response in this chain and was created to elaborate on the points brought up in that response:

#attack on titan #shingeki no kyojin #eren yeager #eren jaeger #shingeki no kyoujin #aot #snk #attack on titan meta #aot meta #shingeki no kyojin meta #aot.meta #meta.eren #c: eren yeager #my thoughts #snk meta

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