[She nodded.] He said they didn't know. That he didn't tell Armin and Sasha didn't care.... He told me to enjoy it here.
[Which sorta made things easier. Because if Sasha wouldn't ask questions, then Gabi wouldn't have to bullshit a story. The question gets another pause because... she just didn't know.]
... Kaya mistook me for her when... Everything happened. ['When you turned into a titan, Colt died and the wall fell' ]
[She nodded dully. More subdued than she normally was.]
Nikolo said we all have devils in us... [When she'd called herself a devil. This conversation made her wonder about him. What he was doing back on Paradis, how Kaya was. Now the panic over Sasha was disappearing, she was starting to tire.]
falco sighs and decides that keeping on the move is best for his brain. and maybe for hers. absolutely for hers. he wished he was with her to give her that hug. ]
[ and maybe give up on compliments entirely. that's a good thought for the day. when gabi returns to call him again, he's meandering around the boardwalks to a port city. he would have said "hello" again, but, you know! gabi went right to the point. ]
[Talking about feelings was hard under normal circumstances. And these really weren't normal. These last few days had been a roller-coaster. She liked this place, it was neat. To pure blind panic, to this... This dull feeling. She couldn't describe it, not really, it wasn't relief. Not all of it. Gabi was glad she wouldn't have to see the woman she'd killed moving and talking, that she wouldn't have to try and act like she hadn't done anything. But...
She couldn't help wonder what she was like. Why had Kaya seen Sasha in her? There had been a lot of thoughts rolling around her head, she'd shoved them aside and focused on training. Now they'd amounted to nothing, and she just felt tired.
. . . Oh. [ so soon? well, not so soon— she's been here for a really long time, hasn't she? and he's sure gabi had done some amount of mental preparing. she mentioned kaya mistaking her for sasha— why the similarity, indeed? he can tell that there was something in her expression, and it wasn't alleviation. he was emotionally perceptive. it was almost like . . . disappointment. ] I'm . . . Sorry.
[ his empathies, to whatever it was that she was feeling, because she was feeling something. ]
[ what would he do? oh, gosh. she’s actually asking for advice. falco’s eyes blink open in surprise, and he takes a moment to put some well earned thought into it. it’s not a question to be taken lightly, and he tries his very best to answer. ]
I think . . . I’d like to be friends. Treat her the way we couldn’t before. Get to know her, and . . . be with her how we’ve always wanted to be treated.
[ with respect, dignity and humanity. peace, too. ]
Maybe she would’ve wanted that, too. Like Mister Jean.
[Was she actually asking advice? Or just moping at him. It wasn't like the answer would matter, given Sasha was already gone. Maybe it'd just make her feel better. She didn't know, it'd just slipped out.]
It's weird how we're treated here. [She was so used to being treated like shit that everyone being so kind weirded her out.]
. . . I know the feeling. [ it's like they're afraid to say it's better than home. ] Even if it's all over back home . . . I don't think it'll all really be over.
[ here, it's different. nobody knows what an eldian is. there aren't years of history carved against anyone here. it's just pokemon. ]
[She opened her mouth, the frown deepening as she closed it. She wasn't hesitating this time, just thinking. Being careful about what words she used for once.]
I don't think so either. Even when Armin was speaking to them, those soldiers were aiming their guns. [They'd put the guns down after a bit. But it would be very easy for them to take aim again. It was tense. Even after the world had been saved.]
...I wish they could be as well. But from when they knew us. [Imagine if Peick turned up but she was ten years younger and didn't know them. It'd be awkward. ]
Yeah, auntie Karina got one taken when he became a warrior. [Gabi had spent too much time admiring that photo, it was goals. It had been her goal for a long time. It'd kinda lost it's luster now, you know titan shifters didn't exist. And she'd seen Reiner at his worst...
Yeah. Thinking back on it, she could only think one thing.]
[Heh. She snorted, smiling for the first time since this whole conversation. And probably for the last few days.]
Yeah, he had chubby cheeks. Like a baby. [Because she'd seen so many babies in her life. And because she's Gabi, she puffs herself up.] That's how I know I'm going to be strong.
[Because she's short, and Reiner was short but now he's big and stronk.]
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[Which sorta made things easier. Because if Sasha wouldn't ask questions, then Gabi wouldn't have to bullshit a story. The question gets another pause because... she just didn't know.]
... Kaya mistook me for her when... Everything happened. ['When you turned into a titan, Colt died and the wall fell' ]
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Yeah. Nikolo too...[That'd been a heavy conversation. Gabi wasn't even sure where to start.] She told me Mia was a better name.
[The one lighthearted bit.]
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he wished he could hug her, the same way she did. ]
I thought Mia was a good name, too. [ just. messing around. ] But I like “Gabi” best.
[ they hardly had time to talk about anything that happened, did they? ]
They understood. Just like you did. I don’t think it’d be any different with them here.
1/2 because
Nikolo said we all have devils in us... [When she'd called herself a devil. This conversation made her wonder about him. What he was doing back on Paradis, how Kaya was. Now the panic over Sasha was disappearing, she was starting to tire.]
I'm...going to train some more...
[And she's off, no talky.]
2/2
She's gone...
[Well, that was a lot of panic over nothing.]
(1/2)
[ at least let him say goodbye properly—!
well, she's off.
falco sighs and decides that keeping on the move is best for his brain. and maybe for hers. absolutely for hers. he wished he was with her to give her that hug. ]
(2/2)
—What do you mean?
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She couldn't help wonder what she was like. Why had Kaya seen Sasha in her? There had been a lot of thoughts rolling around her head, she'd shoved them aside and focused on training. Now they'd amounted to nothing, and she just felt tired.
She sighed at the question. Nose wrinkling. ]
... Sasha, she went home.
[For better, for worse... ]
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[ his empathies, to whatever it was that she was feeling, because she was feeling something. ]
Did you want to meet her?
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I don't know. [It was short, but completely honest. And she leant back, swaying on the rock she'd perched on.]
...What would you do?
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I think . . . I’d like to be friends. Treat her the way we couldn’t before. Get to know her, and . . . be with her how we’ve always wanted to be treated.
[ with respect, dignity and humanity. peace, too. ]
Maybe she would’ve wanted that, too. Like Mister Jean.
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It's weird how we're treated here. [She was so used to being treated like shit that everyone being so kind weirded her out.]
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... I like it better than home.
[Was that wrong of her?]
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. . . I know the feeling. [ it's like they're afraid to say it's better than home. ] Even if it's all over back home . . . I don't think it'll all really be over.
[ here, it's different. nobody knows what an eldian is. there aren't years of history carved against anyone here. it's just pokemon. ]
—I wish everyone else could be here.
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I don't think so either. Even when Armin was speaking to them, those soldiers were aiming their guns. [They'd put the guns down after a bit. But it would be very easy for them to take aim again. It was tense. Even after the world had been saved.]
...I wish they could be as well. But from when they knew us. [Imagine if Peick turned up but she was ten years younger and didn't know them. It'd be awkward. ]
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Have you ever seen Reiner younger?
[ like. in pictures and stuff. this is a dumb kid-level question obviously. ]
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Yeah, auntie Karina got one taken when he became a warrior. [Gabi had spent too much time admiring that photo, it was goals. It had been her goal for a long time. It'd kinda lost it's luster now, you know titan shifters didn't exist. And she'd seen Reiner at his worst...
Yeah. Thinking back on it, she could only think one thing.]
...He was kinda short and chubby. [No filter.]
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Really? [ short? look how big he is! and, well, as for . . . le chonk, ] I think he'd get embarrassed with you saying that.
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Yeah, he had chubby cheeks. Like a baby. [Because she'd seen so many babies in her life. And because she's Gabi, she puffs herself up.] That's how I know I'm going to be strong.
[Because she's short, and Reiner was short but now he's big and stronk.]
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Because you have chubby cheeks? Or because Reiner's huge?
[ now he's just messing with her— ]
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Then she yells.]
My cheeks aren't chubby! Your's are!
[NEHHH-!]
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I— I don't have chubby cheeks!
[ that'd make him squishable, like a teddy bear. if anything, he'd like to start being handsome! ]
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[She's going red for a different reason. But at least the frown was going, it was morphing into something more smug as she bullied him.]
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