He lost a leg. He had to eat his own toe. What more do you people want.

Have you heard? Disney is making another Lion king, but this time, it's a prequel, and it's going to be about Mufasa's backstory. Which i think it's very interesting. i'm open to seeing how they're going to show/represent the movie. Even though it's coming out of nowhere? A prequel after all these years?

I've also seen a lot of criticism about the movie, even though it's not even out yet. A lot of fans are disappointed that Mufasa and Scar/Taka (interesting how they're using "Taka" instead of "Scar") are no longer blood related brothers, but instead, both are orphans which doesn't make much sense since in the original Lion king Mufasa comes from a lineage of royalty and gives Simba a speech talking about “great kings” and “let me tell you what my father told me” I'm open to new ideas and stuff but i don't know how to feel about it. Maybe it’s the nostalgia? This honestly feels like a cheap cash grab, and seeing how Disney has had quality control issues lately, it's either going to be a flop or not.

I'm just HOPING that they're NOT going down the "misunderstood villain arc" because I've had enough of it. if they’re going for the "Mufasa was adopted and usurper who took Scar's rightful place at the throne! Showing that Scar was right all along."

What do you think?

Oh, I’ve heard of it! I’m not that interested in watching though. I’ll probably just wait for it to come out while praying that TWST gives us free stuff in a promotional campaign and listen to some commentary or review channels give their takes.

According to Wikipedia, Mufasa: The Lion King is supposed to be a sequel to the 2019 live action adaptation, not the original 1994 animated film. The prequel film was confirmed in September of 2020, which isn’t that long after The Lion King live action movie came out. They’ve been steadily releasing new information about Mufasa, such as voice cast reveals in 2021, 2022, and April 2024. It was officially announced and title dropped in 2022 during the D23 Expo. It’s possible that the film took longer to make due to the pandemic and worker’s strikes that occurred between 2020 and now.

On the Scar/Taka thing, I believe “Taka” (I’ve also seen “Askari” in some sources) is Scar’s given name and “Scar” is a nickname Mufasa gave him following an incident in which Taka was as tricked and attacked by other animals, which was the origin of his scar. This information comes from The Lion Guard (a series I haven’t watched myself; this is what I was told by a friend who has). If Scar is being called “Taka” in Mufasa (and assuming The Lion Guard is canon), then that means Mufasa must take place prior to the brothers’ relationship souring and him getting his signature scar.

I watched the trailer and… the phrasing is quite odd??? Now Mufasa is “a lion born without a drop of nobility in his blood”. That implies he and Scar aren’t blood-related. In real life, that makes sense since it’s usually the strongest lion that leads the pack rather than the eldest. Scar has a line where he says Mufasa got the brawn whereas he got the brains, so it sort of supports this idea. However, making it so that Mufasa and Scar are unrelated orphans within the Lion King universe doesn’t make sense if you hold that up next to the already established lore. They imply multiple times that Scar lost his claim to the throne when Simba, Mufasa’s blood-related son, was born to succeed him. So royal blood of the king is important??? The only way Scar could take over was to eliminate those in Mufasa’s lineage. It’s possible that Mufasa’s speech to Simba about the “great kings” and his own father could be in reverence or to show love for his adopted dad or pack…? But that makes those scenes a lot less impactful. Additionally, part of the reason why Scar’s actions are so evil is because he committed fratricide. He turned against his own blood brother, then manipulated his nephew, whom he also shares blood with, into taking the blame. There’s something very visceral and cold-blooded about that—plus it adds to the Hamlet parallels.

Seeing as Mufasa is the titular character, I don’t think they’ll go down the route of intentionally making him the bad guy to Scar. Disney’s so shy about making its main characters morally grey or just bad people… though like you said, they might do it unintentionally because by writing Mufasa as an orphan, that means he’s an illegitimate ruler… meaning Simba is an illegitimate heir… meaning Scar killed/deceived those with no claim to the throne, so actually Scar was not in the wrong at all 💀 But technically it wouldn’t be Scar’s right to rule anyway because he’s not of royal blood either (since you said he's apparently also an orphan? I did not see this mentioned in the trailer though)??? Unless Scar is the one from a royal lineage and everyone else is just dead???

I think it’s still possible that we get something tragic between the two; blood does not determine everything. Mufasa and Taka could form a genuine brotherly bond that later falls apart. It doesn’t really make up for the retconning of current lore, but who knows 😂 maybe they’ll pull some of their old magic out and actually write a story that makes sense to lead into The Lion King. I’m not going to hold my breath though, the live action movies have never been that good to me 💦 I’m going to let the movie come out and speak for itself before I make any real judgments on its quality, as I don’t believe in jumping the gun (even given previous track records).

I wonder what this new movie’s lore would mean for TWST… Since Tamashina Mina was very inspired by The Lion Guard, that means (depending on how the film goes) Mufasa’s events could be retroactively integrated into TWST history?? It’s not a guarantee, but just something to consider.

Hello! Your thoughtful, funny approach to the unhinged ships has legitimately been a bright spot for me during a difficult few weeks. So thank you! Here are a few more if you feel so inclined:

Hooch/McGonagall

Andromeda/Bill

Justin/Dudley

ahh, anon, thank you so much for this lovely message! i hope things are looking up now, and i wish you strength and honour to keep chugging along if they're not. i will always be delighted to receive these asks, and i hope they keep entertaining you.

rolanda hooch/minerva mcgonagall

zoe wanamaker went so fucking hard when she decided to play hooch as the cuntiest dyke in the castle, and so i will always be committed to imagining hooch in exactly that vein - strutting around with her leather quidditch gloves, her masculine tailoring, and what is clearly an impeccable strap game.

and mcgonagall has stern-older-lesbian-with-a-secret-wild-side vibes as well - she's a little bit of a renegade, she doesn't suffer fools gladly, and she's a great fan of quidditch.

i think we can all picture the romantic midnight swoopings they're going on. and also the massive fights they're having when hooch awards slytherin penalties against gryffindor.

and arguing is foreplay...

andromeda tonks/bill weasley

i have decided, after careful deliberation, to back this.

something i really like thinking about when it comes to andromeda's post-war journey is how her grief over her daughter's death would be tinged by the fact that - as he tells us in deathly hallows - she didn't approve of her relationship with lupin.

i don't think this is entirely to do with his lycanthropy [i think, for example, that ted and andromeda were left alone during the first war as long as they kept their heads down, and that tonks joining the order - which andromeda can choose to blame lupin's influence for - forfeits this], but i think it's also fair to interpret lupin's statement that ted and andromeda are "disgusted" by their marriage as true, rather than an exaggeration formed of his own self-loathing. the casual prejudice against werewolves even by "good" characters is a really striking part of the series - and andromeda sharing it is something i find really interesting to explore when thinking about her relationship with tonks.

[as is the fact that she can't see the irony that this is exactly how bellatrix and narcissa think about ted.]

i think you can do something really interesting in the immediate post-battle haze with andromeda trying to come to terms with the fact that she never fully patched things up with tonks before she died, that she didn't have a chance to get past her prejudices and get to know lupin, and that she's only come to appreciate how brave her son-in-law was when he too was dead.

it's clear that lupin provides bill with some level of support in the immediate aftermath of his run-in with fenrir greyback, and that bill would both remember him fondly and be determined to defend him and werewolves generally from the treatment they would undoubtedly get from the state in the months after the war ends [after all, we are told that the vast, vast majority of werewolves support voldemort - they are bound to be first in line for the public's vengeance, and are an easy scapegoat for the government].

two people trying to uncover truths and falling in love while doing it is my poison, and i would love a fic in which andromeda initially seeks out bill in an effort to understand the things which have died with tonks and lupin which then turns into something more...

dudley dursley/justin finch-fletchley

one of the exceptionally minor mysteries of the series is just how posh a school smeltings is supposed to be. the dursleys are a satire of all that is thoroughly, averagely middle class in the uk, and yet smeltings - with its weird traditions, its odd uniform, and the fact that it's an all-boys full-boarding school - is a pastiche of the most elite public schools [which, in the uk, means fee-paying - what is meant by "public school" in the united states is a "state school" here].

above all, the smeltings uniform bears a very strong resemblance to that worn by boys at harrow... which is the great rival to eton.

just picture it. justin is forced to go watch his younger brother boxing for eton in a match against smeltings. he's bored out of his mind... until an enormous blonde heavyweight who's taken out the entirety of the team from charterhouse catches his eye...

Hey 👋🏻 What do u think about relationship between Aidan and his partner? Why don't they formalize their relationship? I've read the theory more than once that they're just friends and Aidan is actually men lover guy 😅But I don't believe it. Although their relationship is actually a little odd

I don't like going into too much detail about their relationship on here. But I will address a few things.

As far as why they won't marry, that's really simple. A lot of people who have already been married and divorced don't really wanna go down that road again, and Aidan has been there and done that. Honestly he doesn't strike me as the type to really care about a piece of paper. He's also an atheist and marriage is ultimately a religious thing.

Lots of people now don't really believe in or care to get married. I'm one of those people. A piece of paper does not make anyone's love more "official" or real than those who don't have that piece of paper.

The other thing you mentioned - I've never heard anyone say that - him being gay and her basically being his cover.

He has pretty much confirmed he's straight.

In that interview he is one of the three straight actors he is referring to. Plus, he's a big supporter of the LGBTQ community. One of his kids is trans. I really don't think Aidan would hide it if he were gay or bisexual. He couldn't possibly be afraid of only getting gay roles because he already takes a bunch of those as a straight man. What I mean is, if he were doing what you said, it would mean he was hiding being gay and if he wanted to hide it, why take so many gay roles that are going to make people question if he actually is gay. It just doesn't make sense.

He's also mentioned crushing on women. And again, I just don't see him caring enough to fake all that.

That's my take on it.

Please god tell me your blog is satire. You can't possibly, honestly, truly think a company would go so far as to literally make a baby just to pretend two of their clients aren't dating.

I'm a Larry shipper, but you know bisexual people exist, right? Hook ups and flings and broken condoms and drunk mistakes all happen. If Louis has a kid, has an honest to god son, that doesn't in any way ruin Larry, Louis or Harry.

"Why has nobody considered that they hired a sperm donor to make a baby that looks like Louis."

Because that is literally fucking insane and so wildly unethical. Louis having a son was handled so poorly, I honestly agree. Weirdly photoshopped pictures, alternating between wanting to push the narrative of Louis being a doting father and trying to bury Freddie's existence, whatever.

But the 1D decoys were literally because the boys were being mobbed the moment they stepped outside of a building. Fans broke into buildings to get at them. Fans hacked security cameras to get at them. They had to hide in decoy vehicles and supply boxes. Decoys are still nothing new or outdated today; multiple celebrities have admitted to hiring them in order to be able to travel in peace.

Honestly, I hope one day you show Louis all the absolutely batshit disgusting crap you're posting and he smacks you into place. Suggesting this movie-esque conspiracy where a company is so anti-gay they literally hired someone to make a living, breathing child just to pretend someone is straight?

Get fucked.

I contemplated answering this ask because it's so hostile and rude, but here goes nothing.

1. These things do happen, and here is the evidence:

If you believe Larry is real and that Louis's and Harry's girlfriends have all been beards, why is this also hard to believe? Like I just said, we now have evidence of this kind of thing actually happening. Look at how much money Harry makes and how much he appeals to women. Any ties to the "big Larry conspiracy" that's been so widespread even outside of fandom for the last 13 years are in the way.

2. Louis having a baby with someone else does ruin Larry. Harry was visibly upset over it, and Louis knew Harry wanted kids with him. I have a good question for you that I genuinely would appreciate an answer to: Why would you still support this relationship if you believe that Louis had an entire child with someone else and Harry was upset about it? Why would you not "take Harry's side" in this situation and stop being a fan of Louis, especially if you listened to the song Kiwi and saw Harry's tears at the GMA interview where Louis confirmed his fatherhood? Because that's what I did when I, for a brief period of time, believed in Louis's paternity.

3. If you understand that the narrative is trying to reinforce that Louis is a doting father when the reality is that he's fairly absent in F's life, do you not see something wrong with that? Do you not see something wrong with the fact that Elounor, the fakest beard relationship of all time, had their break-up announcement exactly one month before F was conceived? That doesn't strike you as odd?

4. Actually, I talked to one of the 1D security members, and he denied that the article was true. So, no, they did not hire decoys for the purpose of protecting the boys.

Proof:

(If you disbelieve in these screenshots, ask me to record it on camera with a separate phone and I will; that way, it won't be possible that I faked it)

Therefore, we have two possibilities. Either the articles were completely fabricated, or the articles were sent out by 1D's management without the security's knowledge as a casting call, and the whole security story was made up. I cannot prove which option is true. So, I am not saying the lookalike sperm donor theory is true. I am merely putting forth the theory with supporting evidence, because it could be true.

"I didn't know that about you..." (for whichever of the guys strikes your inspiration hardest!)

[ meme ]

Bishop asked Clarissa politely for a talk outside the Technodrome, in hopes she wouldn't just turn him down after their rather unfortunate first encounter and the misunderstanding caused by his brother. He opens up to her about the relationship between him, Sub-Prime and Krang. The deep resentment he holds about Sub-Prime's betrayal, but also how their relationship was already strained when Bishop passionately supported the Utrom regime to find a peaceful solution to handle the conflict with the brutish Triceratons, while Sub-Prime always detested that. That discrepancy might have led to Sub-Prime's betrayal in the long run when Kraang led a completely different, more destructive approach towards the Triceraton. But mostly, he opens up about the concern he still has about Krang. He is not surprised that he's simply another enemy in the eyes of Krang and his allies though. Technically that's what he is, after all. They are on the opposite ends of these odds. But, Bishop doesn't want to be the one to intervene against Krang personally if he doesn't have to. The Turtles have done a good job keeping him in check and thwarting his plans after all. Though he is concerned now that his cousin is biting off more than he can chew by allying himself once again with Sub-Prime. He folds his hands under his chin thoughtfully. "I am not surprised. Krang always misunderstood my intentions. I have seen his struggles under Kraang, and how he strived for his and my brother's acknowledgment ardently. I advised him to change his ways, giving his life a different perspective. He only ever thought of me as patronizing. But I do believe that he needs... guidance." It is sad, but also a little ironic. Krang yearns so much for the love and praise of his kind, yet he can't accept it from his cousin.

"I appreciate the time you took to hear me out about this." He rises from the bench now and adjusts his shades. "Neither of you have to fear me attacking the Technodrome again. Just do not do anything that would put the safety of Earth or the Utrom at risk. I will be forced to break my vow and intervene if it becomes too much trouble for my mutant allies to handle." A friendly warning. Bishop loves the earth and its people, and he values his allies. He won't even bat a lid to help them, even if he has to break his vow again to not interfere in earthly matters. His priorities are set, but that's not to say there's no wiggle room. "You have my number now, should you have questions that you require honest answers to. That said, I advise you not to turn your back on my brother, he is not to be trusted."

For anyone who's interested, this is my complete recap of Riverdale 6x02 'Ghost Stories.

I have the largest cup of coffee in front of me, I don't even know how much caffeine I'm about to put into my body, but that's ok. Considering that I don't think I'll ever be in a much more relaxed state of mind to write this recap, I might as well start now. I took notes during the episode so I should be able to go in a chronological order of sorts. Under the cut. (And I'm apologizing in advance for being wordy. Thank you to whoever has the stomach and courage to read till the end LOL)

Definitely digging the whole Jug narration thing so far. Is it weird to have him talk to the camera (=to the audience)? Yes, but that's the effect it should have. Seeing him walk in the middle of a gang fight in his Pop's uniform was priceless.

I feel bad for Toni. Though I have to say the kid was nice and the Romeo&Juliet vibe of the story between the Ghoulies prince and the Serpent Princess was cute. Though I have to ask myself: WHO the hell ar the King and Queen of the Serpents in RiverVale? Because Toni and Fangs clearly are not. This is one of the million things that I'm sure will remain undisclosed. What's new?

One of the themes, shall I say the main theme, for this episode was the relationship between parents and theur children. Reggie and Toni's stories were so touching and moving. I never really liked Reggie that much, but it's impossible not to feel sad for him now. Apparently his dad is abusive in both universes, which is tragic. That man is a wreck. Veronica was supportive and caring, which is not unusual for her, but then they had to fuel the drama with that ex teacher plot and well we all saw how it went. Cheryl being a mama bear to Juniper and Dagwood was so good. Dagwood mentions 'mommy', why? We have to assume he saw La Llorona trapping Juniper in the bathroom, and think the ghost was Polly? Another unsolved mystery. Betty also mentions Polly when she's deciding which names she could choose for her baby, so it's clear Polly is dead in both universes. STRIKE 1: Jug finally shows signs of excitement towards his newfound writing nook (could be a positive trigger and motivation to start writing again!). Tabitha's reaction: looking dubious if not mildly annoyed. Also, it's clear that Sam & Diane look physically similar to Jug and Tabitha. Mid-twenties, beautiful, problematic. But the she kills him with a hammer because he's absorbed by his work. Yep, similarities. PS: Tabs is a terrible nickname.

Tabitha has been a pain in the ass for 2 minutes straight with that damn toothpaste! She's insufferable. God! It's obvious she hasn't lived with a man before. Girl, cohabitating is a matter of compromise and acceptance. If you're not willing to accept and/or compromise, your relationship is doomed. If I had to throw a hammer at my BF each time he misplaced something, left the toothpaste uncapped or ignored me when I asked him to do something I'd be in jail facing a life sentence, okay? Jug doesn't look happy, either. It's not fun when you get constantly reprimanded.

She then proceeds to bluedgeon him to death. It was a nightmare, of course, but it doesn't change the fact that she feels neglected and not happy about who Jughead really is. She understands hard work and he's a creative mind.

Veronica and Hermosa scene was so hylarious. I mean I think it's a bit odd to ask your sister for advice on men, when you've basically been hooking up with the same man. Please, since Tabitha didn't let Jug finish his dissertation - you know, because she had to bash on him for not doing what she thought he should do and proceeding to subtly accusing him of drinking again - on bottled ships, can someone tell me HOW you get a ship into a bottle??

The part with Betty and La Llorona scared me, I'm not gonna lie. I'm not a mother, but I know for a fact that I would cringe if someone touched by belly without my consent, so that got me. Oh, also, Betty is sleeping in her own bed, not living in the house of her 'beloved' Archie. Also she doesn't look devastated for her miscarriage/hysterical pregnancy (is Dr Curdle even able to run a simple blood test?).

STRIKE 2: Jughead being excited about getting his well of creativity full again and writing again. Tabitha's reaction: looking dubious. Betty? Betty would have jumped at the idea of Jughead being finally in the right mindset to write again, because she KNOWS how vital it is for him to write. Writing (and setting things on fire LOL) is the most important thing for him.

"When can I read it?" "Ah, not just yet. I don't really let anyone read my vomit drafts, like, ever." That's a BIG, FAT LIE, my dear Juggie. Betty was always the first to read his drafts and we all know that. And he would never say 'not' to Betty, because he values her genuine and honest opinion.

Tabitha's face when Betty tells her she always read his drafts. Aww, there's nothing more satisfying that the expression on Tabitha's face. Jughead will never open up to her the way he did with Betty. You gotta know when there's HISTORY between two people.

Miss Soprano=Miss Grundy Nice, another child predator. And the argument got dropped so quickly that my head was spinning.

Enough wth this 'baby Anthony' crap? Can we just call the baby 'the baby' or 'Anthony'? Please? It's becoming a joke. Then we finally get to the seance scene where we learn who La Llorona really is and the motivation behind her behavior. It's similar to the story in episode 1x01 of 'Supernatural' but not quite. I liked it, anyway. And of course Darla Dickinson is being a bitch. She's a bitch in whatever universe you put her in. It's in her genes LOL But now we get to the most annoying and enraging scene of the whole episode and, for me, since the Bughead breakup in 5x03. Tabitha having no boundaries and invading Jug's privacy to read his manuscript, when he's specifically told her he wasn't comfortable with people reading his drafts. And it's not even the first time she's done this, remember? She read his manuscript back in S5, with Betty and then proceeded to give said manuscript to his ex girlfriend Jessica out of some so-called feminism-solidarity. Bullshit. She believed Jessica's words and decided Jughead was a potential asshole disrespecting women in his books. Then she's all 'I do this, I do that. Me. Me. Me.', when the clear subtext is she believes Jughead is a time-waster loser that can't provide sustenance to their household. I think she should have stayed in Chicago and become a CEO. Props to Erinn, because I think she slayed this particular scene. I could feel the anger and resentment. But, this doesn't change the fact that she broke Jughead's most valuable and precious of his belongings: the vintage Underwood that Betty got him for Christmas ages ago. And "screw your writing, too"? Screw you, Tabitha! I'm not gonna sit here and hear you say 'I love you' just because you have to compensate for your actions, which were WRONG. And I know people are gonna say she was possessed. Se was not. Maybe the ghosts' presence fueled her feelings, but she is genuinely angry with Jughead because she thinks he doesn't do his part oin their relationhip. She resents him because he's not earning any money and contributing to pay rent and bills. Which is true, JUghead is technocally broke and jobless, but she knew that before asking him to move in together, right? Right. At this point, since RAS did everything, literally everything, in his power to make me dislike Tabitha, I'm not even a bit sorry for her. I can't.

I've heard less cringy I love yous. Chemistry was NONEXISTENT. I dare you to prove me wrong. Remember THIS?

This was romantic, heartfelt and genuine. Jabitha 'ILY' scene was awkward, wrong and lacking any emotion.

Thing is, Tabitha doesn't KNOW who Jughead is. She doesn't know his past, what he's been through. And I'm not talking about his addiction. The guy has baggage and scars and he's not perfect. Same goes for Jughead.

The audacuty RAS has to force us to believe that Tabitha and Jughead are SO IN LOVE is nauseating.

I wasn't expecting Toni to become the new La Llorona, but it makes sense considering she's willing to sacrifice her life for her kid. I just wonder what Cheryl's gonna do when she knows Toni technically died. But, we don't even know if they were ever together in Rivervale, so maybe she doesn't care that much. This universe is so twisted. POSITIVE NOTES:

- Archie isn't mentioned, aside from Cheryl and Nana Rose cheering at his departure LOL

- Jughead is writing again, thank GOD! I missed his creative side so much. Also, he's not drinking anymore, (so I have to assume his addiction was true in both universes? How nice of the writers to picture him as an addict, again). - Dr Curdle doesn't know how to perform a simple blood test. I'm sorry if this was a crazy, disjointed and overall resentful recap, but that's because I'm angry and sad and fuck the Bughead crumbs! We deserve so much better. Better writing, better storylines. And respect.

Can I ask for some advice for my interesting love situation? So my crush likes my best friend. Oh but that's not all. He ships me with his best friend. That's still not all. One of my other friends likes his best friend, so I'm not allowed to even consider liking him. Also my crush's best friend also likes my best friend and she doesn't like anyone. If ml has a love square, what is this? What am I in the center of? WHAT DO I DO?! IT'S TEARING ME APART! I'm in HS by the way.

Okay so You -> Crush 

Crush-> your Best friend

Crush supports You x His best friend.

Your other friend -> Crush’s best friend

Crush’s best friend -> your best friend.

Your best friend -> no one.

Thankfully for you I have been in a situation similar to this.

(and by that I mean watched this whole thing happen before)

Here is what you should do

1. Explain to your best friend the situation. Ensure she knows how you feel. Friendship is the most important relationship in all of this

2. Find out Why your crush is into your best friend. Is it a common interest? Is it cause he likes her butt? Find out the reasons. (might help you evaluate if maybe he is someone worth crushing on) Do this by having a guy friend of yours talk to him about it casually.

3. Step three, repeat step with Crush’s best friend. (don't want to set up your other friend with this guy if he is a creep) 

4. Proceed to get the guys on a triple date, with you, your best friend, the other friend, the crush, the crush’s best friend, and some third guy (maybe someone your best friend can be interested in. Or Guy friend from step 2-3 you trust)

5. Immediately crush the hopes of your crush and your crush’s best friend by having your best friend totally smitten (acting or genuine) with the third guy.

6. This leaves Crush and Crush Best friend in a more vulnerable state. This is where you can strike.

7. Play up their ego’s You of course make sure your other friend handles the crush best friend, so that Your crush can see that shipping you and his best friend aint gonna work out.

8. With your knowledge attained, you woo that boy. 

9. Profit.

(Now this is an insanely convoluted plan. Odds are it will only be 30% success rate.)

Or you can just be honest with your feelings up front. First with your two friends and then with your crush. If he turns you down, forget him. He aint worth your time.

Could you pretty please write a fic about Eren thinking something is happening between Mikasa and Armin. He sees then sneaking off together, Armin going in and out of her room, Armin holding Mikasas hand. He sees it all, it bothers him and he doesn't understand why, shouldn't he be happy for them. Instead he wants to yell at them, maybe punch Armin and cry. All that's really happening is Armin is asking Mikasa for advice on how to woo Annie and Armin listening to Mikasa talk about Eren.

Latent

Pairing: Very lightly implied if you have a microscope Eren/Mikasa; light mentions of Armin/Annie  || Rating: K  || Words: 872

Warnings: none

A/N: Thank you for the request!! I always love me some Armin/Annie :3 Also, thank you to all who are sending me requests! Some are turning out to be longer than others, so please know I am definitely working on them :)

This is ridiculous. Wrong, and utterly ridiculous. He’s never minded business that wasn’t his own and has longed since learned to respect the privacy of others. But this - whatever it is between them - has left him confused, distracted, and preoccupied with thoughts and questions.

When?

How?

While he should be in the very least supportive of his two friends, he realizes he can’t because it wouldn’t be genuine, and it would be weird to encourage something that’s hardly crossed his mind. He doesn’t know much about relationships besides the fact that they’re dangerous and they of all should’ve known that. He thought they did, but their linked hands and smiles tell plainly otherwise.

What he should do is turn the other way, go about his night as normal. It’s difficult, though, to ignore something that has become consistent and he can’t help but wonder why anyone else ever asked about it. If he’s learned anything about his comrades, it’s that they are nosey, and have a habit of getting involved in lives of others.

But he shamefully discovers he’s no different from them now because he finds himself eavesdropping on the pair just around the corner and it’s like they know he’s there with how low they’re talking. Like they’re purposely making it harder for him to hear. It would be better and safer to just ask them upfront instead of sneaking around like a child. It would not be easy, though, and it’s this that strikes him the most. When has he ever had a problem confronting anyone?

He’s thought about it before, has had the opportunity before, but just as the question forms on his tongue his stomach pits, because maybe he’s afraid of the answer, of a confirmation he’s not prepared for. He’s always too late, because Armin and Mikasa excuse themselves as soon as he regains his courage, and he says nothing, letting his chance slip like the rest.

He peers one eye carefully and suddenly it widens as they begin to walk in his direction. He quickly retreats around the other side of the building, a bit winded as he settles.

How embarrassing.

At this he resigns, deciding he doesn’t care what they do, it doesn’t concern me at all. Although, despite everything, he turns back around after a few strides, unable to suppress the furrow of his brow and strange ache in his chest.

“You’re not going to sit with Mikasa and Armin today?”

He doesn’t look at Sasha, nor acknowledge said pair.

“Not today.” Her silence is of suspicion, but she doesn’t ask why. Instead, she turns her attention over to them.

“It’s really nice,” she sighs, propping her chin on her palm. “Who wouldn’t go for Armin, really?”

He begins to regret ever thinking of sitting here, glaring at his soup harder. The last person he wants to talk about is Armin.

“He’s smart and a gentleman -” He drops his spoon. Jesus effing christ - “but I’m surprised he went to Mikasa for help.”

His jaw slackens some, and he faces her, inquisitive.

“Help?”

Sasha breaks her bread in halves, verifying with a muffled hum. With inhuman speed, she swallows the loaves and continues.

“Yup! I thought something was up with them, but Mikasa told me that Armin asked her for advice!”

“Advice? With… what?”

“You - you don’t know?”

“Well if I did, I wouldn’t be asking.”

She chuckles a bit awkwardly, brushing off his blunt remark.

“Right. Well. Uh.” She beckons him to lean closer and he feels her hands curl around his ear.

“No one really knows and Mikasa made me promise not to say anything cause she said it would -”

“Sasha,” he complains.

“Sorry, sorry. She told me that Armin wants to ask Annie out sometime. He went to Mikasa because he thinks that both of them are kind of alike.” She leans back and laughs quietly. “Of course she felt a bit offended for whatever reason, but she’s helping him anyway. Soo. Yeah.”

She waits for him to respond, but all he can think of is the relief - how odd and absolute it is. For the first time that day he looks at them, really looks at them and Sasha’s explanation makes a lot of sense. There is an ample amount of space as they sit next to one another, compared to Hannah and Franz who are practically glued and conjoined at the hip. They act nothing like they have the past few days, and maybe they have been like this the entire time. Somehow and in some way, those small little gestures had become so prominent, and he feels foolish for reading into it so much.

He clears his throat. “Thank you, Sasha.”

“Sure thing. Armin is a pretty brave soul for what he’s doing.”

He looks back at them and is positive they’ll question his distance when he returns to their table. As he thinks up multiple excuses for his absence, he catches Mikasa’s gazing at him from the corner of his eye. Instinctive and curiously, he returns it. Armin elbows her bicep in a way he knows to be playful and teasing, and suddenly she’s blushing, averting her eyes with her chin buried deep within her scarf.