[It's an impossible question. How does someone describe what water tastes like when you're thirsty? Eren Jaeger is a natural consequence of being alive, as ubiquitous as breathing. He is not a monster, but he is a plague. He is a person. He is a child, and an orphan, and a wound. Up until the very last moment, he was hope. He was salvation. He was a victim; of the world, of himself - of Armin too.
[He is a storm trapped in a glass bottle, but the bottle never breaks - the world just gets sucked into its mouth.
[He is a captive. He was born too big for his body; grew tall, but never tall enough. Eren is the ache in Armin. Eren is the void. Eren is impossible, and perfect, and pitiful, and wretched.
[He is adored. He is mourned. He is hatred. He is love. He is war. He is Armin.
[Surely, some of this does not have to be explained. Anyone who meets Eren must, at even first glance, come to realize, somewhat. But Maruki can never understand. It doesn't matter what Armin says. It doesn't matter how well he knows Eren.
[Silent and useless, at a complete loss, Armin smiles down at his hands, teeth bared like an animal.]
Oh, he's...
Selfish. Reckless. He only sees what's in front of him, but he can't...
[Armin shrugs, but it's hard to pick his shoulders up.]
I...see him as the most remarkable person to have ever existed. [Does it sound fond, or bitter? He can't tell.
[Fond. Of course it's fond. Armin hears the sob trying to escape before he can force it fully back into his gut, but he tries. He twists the tissues in his hands; tears at them.]
He's my best friend. [The words all come out in a desperate puff of air, like someone's just pulled a gag out of his mouth. He chokes on it.] He's Eren. He's beautiful, and he's funny, and he's not--
[Armin bites off his tongue. He shakes his head.
[Not what? Not evil? Not terrible - not completely?
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[It's an impossible question. How does someone describe what water tastes like when you're thirsty? Eren Jaeger is a natural consequence of being alive, as ubiquitous as breathing. He is not a monster, but he is a plague. He is a person. He is a child, and an orphan, and a wound. Up until the very last moment, he was hope. He was salvation. He was a victim; of the world, of himself - of Armin too.
[He is a storm trapped in a glass bottle, but the bottle never breaks - the world just gets sucked into its mouth.
[He is a captive. He was born too big for his body; grew tall, but never tall enough. Eren is the ache in Armin. Eren is the void. Eren is impossible, and perfect, and pitiful, and wretched.
[He is adored. He is mourned. He is hatred. He is love. He is war. He is Armin.
[Surely, some of this does not have to be explained. Anyone who meets Eren must, at even first glance, come to realize, somewhat. But Maruki can never understand. It doesn't matter what Armin says. It doesn't matter how well he knows Eren.
[Silent and useless, at a complete loss, Armin smiles down at his hands, teeth bared like an animal.]
Oh, he's...
Selfish. Reckless. He only sees what's in front of him, but he can't...
[Armin shrugs, but it's hard to pick his shoulders up.]
I...see him as the most remarkable person to have ever existed. [Does it sound fond, or bitter? He can't tell.
[Fond. Of course it's fond. Armin hears the sob trying to escape before he can force it fully back into his gut, but he tries. He twists the tissues in his hands; tears at them.]
He's my best friend. [The words all come out in a desperate puff of air, like someone's just pulled a gag out of his mouth. He chokes on it.] He's Eren. He's beautiful, and he's funny, and he's not--
[Armin bites off his tongue. He shakes his head.
[Not what? Not evil? Not terrible - not completely?
[Not gone?
[Not...]
Here...
That's...what I can't imagine.