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Post by Ventia on Apr 20, 2021 22:24:30 GMT -5
Armin didn’t know how Annie could do this to him, make him feel genuine joy even though this situation was crap. Worst than that, Armin thought, thinking of his ‘big day’ tomorrow. Yet it didn’t bother him now that Annie was here and making jokes.
“And here I thought you could resist yourself.” Armin teased softly, watching Annie as she touched the book so delicately. It sent pains through his chest and Armin glanced down just as Annie reached out and petted his head. Armin froze as her fingers curled around his hair, flashbacks filtering through his mind of all the times Annie had done this, his eyes moving back to stare at her.
Armin relaxed, smiling stupidity like a loyal dog, and shook his head very slightly, not wanting her to stop. “Not too bad.” Armin lied, thinking of how he either fell asleep on the cold cement floor or sitting upright. Armin had slept in worse but Annie was right, he hadn’t gotten a good night sleep for a few months now.
Armin glared at the guard since his arrival took Annie’s hand away but stayed silent, watching the pair. Armin didn’t move until the guard exit and stood from his seat, following Annie out of his cell and then into another, not even bothering to try and run. Armin was so deep in the compound that he wouldn’t get more than ten steps in before someone hauled his ass back in here. Plus Armin didn’t want to cause more trouble for Annie.
He walked towards the table and examined the food, feeling hunger but not actually wanting to eat it. Armin grabbed the apple and the waters, then turned around leaving the rest alone. He made his way to Annie because he wasn’t going to waste a moment of having her all to himself and sat in the middle of the bed, leaving just a few inches between the two of them. He thought of their time in the hotel and how Armin had fallen asleep next to her and awoke with Annie in his arms. Armin remembered thinking that he didn’t want to wake up, didn’t want to leave that bed and give Annie away. Only he had done just that and now look at them.
Armin chuckled, both at the irony of their currently situation and at Annie’s words. “You kicked me hard enough without those.” Armin watched her get off the small bed, put her shoes in the corner and then come back. Just her nearness was making his tense muscles finally relax somewhat. He undid his laces, got up and put his shoes next to hers, then walked on back to where he had sat, still leaving just a certain amount of inches between the two.
“Why? Is it that important?” Armin handed her a bottle and bit into his apple, if it was poisoned or messed with, Armin couldn’t tell. He didn’t really think they would mess with the food since they still injected him whenever they wanted but still. Armin would rather lessen the chances.
“Just something I found in the woods.” He lied, not wanting her to go digging into it. If she found out Magath had given it to him, she’d ask why. Then Armin would have to tell her it was his and why would his book be in Magath’s procession? No too many questions and not enough answers.
Armin sighed, leaning his back against the wall and glancing at the book in her hands. “I like the pictures.”
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Post by Decoii on Apr 20, 2021 22:53:34 GMT -5
As Annie glanced at the pictures, she found herself wondering why it always had to be like this with Armin. She wondered why every time they managed to share some intimate time together, it was under a high stress situation. First with her killing his friends, now with him invading her home land. Seeing him in this cell, seeing what they did to him, it left Annie feeling bitter about the fact that Marley was her home.
Was that why he was here? Trying to find the answers to all the questions he'd spat at her in the hotel? Surely he wouldn't do something so stupid, right? Annie didn't know what to think, so her best bet was just to play along with whatever Magath had in mind for them. He had promised that she'd be with Armin forever and even though that sounded funny to her, he was keeping his promise. She wasn't really a prisoner anymore either, out of the blue being handed keys and even a weapon. Annie couldn't help but wonder if it was some sort of test and even if it wasn't she wasn't going to risk failing.
Turning the page once again, she tilted her head in contemplation, laying it on Armin's shoulder as she curled up besides him but still gave him a clear view of the book. Despite all of the real dangers she faced, her relationship with Armin was what bothered her the most. The guy had confessed to liking her in a hotel half a year ago and all she could tell him was 'thank you'. She wasn't the person he thought she was, she was a soldier for Marley and Annie didn't know how to be anyone else. Would he be okay with that? If he knew that she really wasn't more than just a puppet. She didn't know more.
So even as she curled up against Armin, even as she was selfish like this, she couldn't give him more. "To think that places like this even exist," She whispered, caressing the pictures as she switched pages. "Such beauty... It kind of seems fake, you know?" She got to the last page and with one last sad glance, she closed to book and handed it to him, turning her head so she could look at him, into his blue big eyes.
All she did was stare for a while. At his eyes, nose, the curve of his cheeks and jaw, even his lips. She knew she couldn't give him more. Annie couldn't be more for Armin because he was so innocent and she was nothing more than a soldier for Marley, a traitor to him and his pack. She killed his pack, lied about who she was, where she came from... Even if he liked her, she wasn't worth the risk. Even if she wanted more, even if at that moment Annie felt like leaning forward and kissing him, she couldn't give that to him. It wasn't fair to put him through more.
Taking a deep breath, she pulled away from him and shifted in the bed. "Let's get some sleep? Magath will be here bothering you before the sun even rises. I thought maybe we could share a bed again?" She shrugged, tugging her bangs behind her ears as a small blush fluttered across her face. "I don't think either of us want to be alone right now and even if you did mind, I kinda locked myself in here already so.." With another shrug, she stood up and started unfolding the blanket. Letting Armin pick how he wanted to lay before she would lay next to him.
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Post by Ventia on Apr 21, 2021 0:28:46 GMT -5
Armin watched the slow turning of the pages as if mesmerized, each page bringing a phantom pain, thinking of the boy Armin had been all those years ago. A crybaby. Unable to do anything. In a lot of ways, Armin felt like he hadn’t changed since, for one he was still chasing after Annie wherever she went.
Armin paused, having been caught up in his memories before Annie leaned against his shoulder. He glanced down at her as she kept going through the book and relaxed further, leaning slightly against her.
“It may seem fake but I’m pretty sure it’s not. There’s so much this world has to offer Annie. So many wonders and sights...” Armin brought his face into her hair, just barely touching her and breathing in her sweet scent. He sighed when Annie gave him back the book, took it, and put it down next to him for now. He turned back to face her, about to continue on about what the world had to offer for her but the look in Annie’s eyes made Armin pause.
Armin stared quietly at her, waiting to see what Annie would do. He didn’t have a clue what was going through her pretty little head but recognized attraction when he saw it. How easy would it be for Armin to bend down and kiss her? Shouldn’t he? Didn’t he deserve that much? Armin might die at any given second if Magath ordered it. Annie could die at any second. Shouldn’t he take full advantage of this moment? Armin was about to bend his head down and take Annie’s lips when she pulled away. Leaving Armin feeling rejected. He hid it well, even if his scent changed for a second, but then Armin took his book and placed it under the bed.
“Okay.” Armin said distractedly, not the least bit tired at that moment but moving to where he wanted to. Armin laid on the edge of the bed, his back towards the cell bars, leaving the space between him and the wall for Annie. It wasn’t much but it would make Armin feel better enough to actually sleep.
Once Annie was settled in her spot, Armin grabbed the covers from her and draped it over the both of them, covering the majority of their body and bringing it up to their necks. Armin was laying sideways, his head on his arm which was curled under him and his other laying tight against his chest. He felt a bit uncomfortable, never being a side sleeper, but with Annie next to him? Armin didn’t even register it, just finding himself staring at her eyes.
“Got any bedtime stories for me?” Armin teased, his hand itching to curl around her body and pull her closer.
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Post by Decoii on Apr 21, 2021 2:08:08 GMT -5
Annie wanted to tell Armin that she didn't think she'd ever be able to see such beautiful sights, but she didn't want to taint the moment with her negativity. Instead, she smirked when he asked if she had a story, she nodded. Crawling over to the wall and laying down for a second before sighing. "You know, last time we slept together, you turned to sleep like this and then complained about your arm the whole day after. Well, not out loud but with how much you rubbed at it and stretched it out I was tempted to take you to the hospital so you would stop."
Annie moved the only pillow towards him, grabbing his arm to force him to lay on his back, with the pillow under his head. He took up most of the bed, but she moved herself so she would be resting in his arm, using his shoulder as a pillow, and found herself feeling secretly happy to be pressed flush against his body and the wall. She hesitated, but moved an arm so it would be resting on his shoulder and one of her legs curled up to lay over him as well. She was cuddling him, but she wouldn't really ever admit to doing something like that so instead, she pressed against his side and sighed.
"The wall is freezing and I need a pillow so don't mind me.... And don't try anything funny." She warned, voice light and lacking her usual sternness.
Then, she thought back to the subject of bedtime stories and cleared her throat. "There once was this guy, -a prince, right? That's how these stories go,- right, so this guy -prince, he was really smart. So smart that he could become anything he wanted. Well, one day he got himself into trouble because even though he was smart, he tended to do really stupid things sometimes and that's where he met this soldier. Except, he didn't know this soldier was a soldier until he found her in the dragons lair. The smart prince didn't know much of anything when it came to this soldier and she wondered if that's why he got trapped in the dragons lair- trying to find out stuff about her because if it was, it was really really stupid of him to do that because his life was worth far more than anything he could ever find out about her and even the soldier herself- it's not worth it-"
Annie paused, realizing that she was rambling and not making any sense. She let go of the tight grip she had on his shirt, having not even realized that she had been tensing up. Blushing, she closed her eyes and let out a long sigh. "Sorry," She said softly. "It turns out I suck at these things but I do know the ending of this story. The soldier would make a silent promise to protect the Prince and rescue him from the dragons lair. She would fight all the enemies for him and keep him safe until he was free because he didn't belong there, only her, and the Prince would run away and stay away and live a happy ass life with some very pretty princess he would meet."
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Post by Ventia on Apr 21, 2021 3:00:00 GMT -5
“I’m just trying to be considerate of you.” Armin grumbled under his breath but knew she was right. So he didn’t say much as Annie reposition them and afterwards with the new positions? Well Armin liked this better, feeling himself fully relax into the thin mattress, with Annie curled in his side, half draped over him. Armin’s heartbeat was slightly faster than it had been a moment before but he ignored it, knowing he should calm down soon even if Annie’s warm and lush body was at the front of his mind.
“I’ll behave.” Armin promised, letting himself get distracted with Annie’s bedtime story. At first Armin thought it was a standard story with the whole prince thing but then it started to sound familiar and Armin thought of the soldier. He could feel Annie tensing a little as she spoke into his arm and using the arm underneath her head, Armin curled her a little more next to him, his fingers lightly touching her back.
“It’s alright Leonhart.” Armin softly whispered, not wanting to hear her apologies. He touched her hand with his free one under the covers, and slowly tugged on it from his shoulder to the middle of his chest. He covered her hand with his and gave her a squeeze before leaving it there, with the occasional caress of his thumb against her knuckles.
“The Prince would be stupid to go after some unknown Princess after everything the Soldier did for him.” Armin closed his eyes, Annie’s warmth seemed to seep into his bones from where she laid on him. Her scent filled his nose, and Armin rather liked the feel of her on him, with her leg draped over his. He felt cuddled, warm, and safe and squeezed her hand, Armin would never have the words to thank Annie for all she’s done for him. Even now, she was making sure Armin was as comfortable as he could get in a cell.
“I hope I’m never that stupid.” Armin’s words were slow, he was so relaxed that a wave of tiredness from months of always being on edge started to flow through him. He could feel himself drifting, falling sleepier with each passing second even though five minutes ago he had been fully awake. Maybe it was because Armin knew he had to rest up for tomorrow or maybe it had everything to do with the woman in his arms. Who could make him do and feel almost anything. Armin slowly drifted off until he was gone, his last thought was how warm Annie felt.
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Post by Decoii on Apr 21, 2021 12:25:27 GMT -5
Annie didn't say anything as he fell asleep. She just laid in silence, feeling frustrated in their situation. Still, just like their first night together, it didn't take her long at all to fall asleep. She realized that she really liked this. Being able to lay this close to him and having this comfortable level of touch. Annie realized that Armin never took more than she was willing to give him. Even when he wanted more, if she touched him, he never tried turning it into more. If she rejected him, he accepted it. He was the most gentle and patient person she knew and it really did make her want to cry.
Annie felt like she didn't deserve him, someone who would just smile at her and not care about her sins. She didn't deserve that type of care. In her mind, Armin was risking so much and she was doing hardly enough to make it up for him. Sighing, she curled closer to him and took a deep breath, realizing she really loved his smell, amongst other things.
She was the first one to wake up with a big yawn. She felt tired, but far more relaxed than she had before. She felt like she wanted to stay like this forever but instead, she tapped Armin on the chest, giving him a light "Hey" while she was trying to wake him up. The sound to the main door of the prison building made her frown and she quickly got up and walked towards the cell. Noticing a regular guard, she sighed again. "Give me my keys." She told him, pointing to the closet.
With a sigh, the guard opened the closet door and gave her the keys before exiting the building, having only gone in there to make sure that they hadn't tried escaping in the middle of the night.
Annie unlocked the cell and moved over to the closet, holstering her weapons, and putting his book in a bag to carry with her as well. She was moving fast, realizing that Magath would be there any minute and she wanted to freshen up before whatever bullshit Magath had in store for them. "You can head to the locker room and freshen up if you need too." She called out to him, closing the door and heading to the females locker room.
She washed her face with cold water and used her damp hands to control the frizz in her hair. Once satisfied, Annie rushed to the cell to put on her boots and her jacket, trying to smooth out the wrinkles in her clothes. Once done with that, she stood outside of his cell and when he returned from the showers, she closed the door on him and locked him in, taking post as a guard.
With her silence, Annie realized that she always did this to Armin.
The day after they had slept in the same bed or shared something intimate about each other, she ran around like a chicken with her head cut off. Avoiding looking at him in her frenzy to pretend like it hadn't happened. Not because she wished it hadn't, but because Annie didn't know how to be confident after having felt so... Nice. She didn't know how to act when reality came crashing down and chose to just avoid the whole ordeal.
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Post by Ventia on Apr 21, 2021 18:06:33 GMT -5
Armin blinked slowly at her little hey, feeling her shaking his arm to wake him up further. Armin grumbled something unintelligent under his breath, still caught up in his dreams of their childhood, forgetting where he was for a moment. Armin wanted to grab Annie, roll over her and snuggle into her chest and knock out some more but when she left the bed, Armin opened his eyes fully and saw the cell. Dammit, he thought, sitting up and cracking his neck before pulling the covers off of him.
Armin put his feet on the floor and waited for the guard to do Annie’s bidding before taking her up on her offer to freshen up. He wasn’t about to take a shower, Armin liked the way he smelled right now-of Annie. But some water against his neck and his face would help. Armin did just that, drinking from the faucet as well and dipping his head underneath, letting the cold water run down his head and into his hair and face. Armin stood under the water for a minute lost in his thoughts before squeezing the majority of the water out from his hair and then straightened.
Armin stared at himself in the mirror, his shoulder length hair wet and seemingly darker than its bright blonde. He rubbed at his neck, thinking of last night and what the day had in store for him. There were too many things on Armin’s mind, the biggest of them all being that Armin had to take Annie away from here. He had to act, even if it resulted in failure. Armin would have to start his counterattack and do it soon-possibly today if he could. Armin gripped the sink, glaring at himself and his incompetence at getting the job done. He had set out for Annie and now he had found her. Things were more complicated than Armin had anticipated but the urge to save Annie from this place and to extract his revenge on Marley had skyrocketed.
Armin left the showers, noticed Annie already waiting for him, and went back to the bed, picking his boots along the way and donning them on as Annie locked him in. Armin kept quiet, wanting to ask Annie what was wrong but feeling like he shouldn’t. At least not at that moment where Armin could hear incoming footsteps coming their way. He ran his fingers into his wet hair, trying to untangle the worst of the knots before leaving it alone. Someone was coming down the stairs and Armin stood up, walked over to the chair and moved it into the middle of the cell before taking his seat.
“Morning.” Armin greeted his hosts with a pleasantly enough voice. He even nodded. See? He could play nice.
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Post by Decoii on Apr 21, 2021 21:29:27 GMT -5
Magath stepped into the light, smiling at Annie then turning to smile at Armin. "I see the two of you had a good night." He sang with a smile, handing Annie a pair of cuffs and tilting his head towards Armin, silently instructing her to cuff him. "Today's trip won't be to far from here and I know, Armin Arlert, you won't be disappointed." Moving over to look at Armin, he waited for Annie to unlock the cell and go inside. He watched the softness in which she took his hands and moved them behind his back.
"You'll be in the second car." He told Annie before heading out, "Hurry along, I'm excited for todays events."
Annie sighed, wondering what was up Magath's sleeves but she didn't even understand what the big deal was, Armin was a natural born shifter, there was nothing Magath could do to him that would turn him Marley. Armin's parents are dead, too, and no matter how she thinks about it the only thing that would turn Armin into a Titan for Marley was her. But Annie knew that she'd stand for Marley if Magath asked her and unless Armin stood besides her, Magath had no use but to either let him go or kill him. Annie wouldn't let him stay in Marley, no matter how beautiful of a picture they would paint for Armin.
Still, even if he stayed for her, she'd eventually find a way to get him out. Nothing made sense. Once Annie led Armin out of the cells, she guided him into the second car. She closed the door for him and was about to get in as his driver when Magath pointed at her, telling her that she would instead be in the last car with him. Hesitantly, she looked over at Armin with concern, but stepped out of the car and allowed Magath to hold the door open for her to the back seats.
The cars were all standard police type of cars. Bars to keep the people sitting up front safe from whoever was in the back. She didn't say anything as he got inside the car, instead, she made busy by trying to figure out how many people where in all three cars, the tint not allowing her to see it clearly. Frowning, she turned to Magath, unable to contain her questions anymore. "Sir?" She asked softly, deciding to continue when he muttered a small 'hm?' "What is going on?"
"Oh, I figured Armin would catch you up on all of that?"
"I'm a soldier of Marley, I've been trained to only believe in the words of Marley. So, I'm asking you.."
"You'll find out soon enough who's sin's the boy must atone for." Magath replied simply before he began driving. Annie was too scared to ask for more information, knowing that Magath had a short leash and would tell her what he wanted to say when he was ready. Still, dread flowed heavily through her veins at those words and Annie found herself feeling very uneasy.
Some time had passed and they lost sight of the two other cars in front. Another ten minutes and they were almost at the edge of Marley territory, in the middle of a forest that Magath preferred to conduct his experiments in. The place was dense, hard to escape on foot and if memories served her right, it may still be filled with hidden landmines. Deep in the center of the forest, there was a rather large cage, one that was used for Human's to eat a shifter to gain their powers. Well, usually it served as punishment because about ninety-eight percent of the humans didn't actually manage to survive becoming shifters even after eating, Magath had blamed it on research, saying that not the right body part was being consumed and he usually used it as a game to get rid of two problems at once.
That's where Annie had found herself years ago...
They drove up to the other cars and Annie could see Derek sitting in the middle of the clearing with a chuckle on his face and Armin, no longer handcuffed by the gate. One guard held a tranquilizer guns to his neck that was most likely filled with some drugs and the other worked on uncuffing him. By the time Magath got out of the car, the guards where locking Armin in with Derek.
"What are you doing!?" Annie yelled out in panic, quickly getting out of the car and running towards the cage. "He's a natural born shifter, what the hell are you doing!?" She cried out, as Magath nodded.
"We fixed the drug, son. Made it more concentrated. It's pretty much a tar but because you couldn't figure it out I tried too. If you survive, Derek's yours like promised. Do good for Marley, son." He taunted, nodding at the guards who through the gate, shot three bullets into the back of Armin's neck, injecting him.
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Post by Ventia on Apr 23, 2021 2:24:43 GMT -5
Armin smiled at Magath, for once actually agreeing with him, he did have a great night yesterday and like the greedy man he was, Armin wanted many more nights to come with Annie. So he stayed silent, letting Annie handcuff him and lead him out of the building, remembering everything as he went. When he was supposed to sit in the car, Armin sat, taking in his guards and the route they were taking.
When they dragged him to the cage, Armin went with them, surprised at how little men they took along but definitely not complaining. He could have ran, recognizing the area and knowing their territory ended just a few miles away but Armin didn't have Annie. Armin was done with running off and leaving her here, so even when they started to unchain him, Armin stayed put, his eyes straying towards Derek-quite frankly the biggest person in the group. He was also the one Armin wanted to kill most-save Magath.
Armin glanced back at the approaching car and let the guards push him into the cage, Derek following, Armin saw Annie and gave her a little wave, already seeing that worried expression on her face. "It's okay, it's okay Annie." Armin told her when she got closed to the cage. He wanted to touch her but didn't, turning his attention to Magath and simply nodding. Remembering their conversation from a few days ago and knowing what the man wanted of him. He knew it for days now.
Armin gritted his teeth as the injections sunk in to his neck, hitting a spot where it only magnified his response to the new and improved drug. Armin dropped to his knees instantly, his eyesight blackening into nothing, hearing Derek's loud laughter in the background and Annie's screams as pain and hunger boiled around in him. Armin started to scream himself, feeling like his body was burning from the inside out, barely registering Derek's hard kicks wherever the man could hit.
"You think I'm just gonna roll over and die?" Derek kicked at the pitiful spasming man at his feet, laughing at how he was dying. "That's right! Die! Die you motherfucker! Look Annie! Your little blonde girlfriend is dying!" Derek laughed, loud and obnoxious, as he kicked the man in the face.
Armin barely heard the rest of them, feeling like his body was getting turned from the inside out. He clawed at his throat, at his chest, as Armin felt the drug spreading, filling him, overpowering his control, turning him into a wild animal. Armin thought of the beast that hunted them all those years, thinking of his crazy eyes and drool foaming at his mouth, no mental capacity other than to hunt and kill. Armin didn't want to become a monster.
Armin called on the change, feeling his body burning hotter, trying to fight him. Someone grabbed his hair, Armin couldn't see still but knew he was still locked up with Derek. Blindly, clumsily, Armin tried to fight him off, every movement was a drag and every contact he had with Derek burned and sent a thrilling stab of pain, as if his body was so sensitive at that moment. He was still trying to shift into his wolf as Derek slammed his face into the cage, still laughing and saying things.
Armin black out for a moment and was transported to the sea. He was standing with his feet bare in the sand, the water rushing towards him, then back again. It was such a wonderful sight and Armin turned around, about to tell someone to come look. But he was alone. With all this beauty to himself. No. It wasn't going to end like this.
Armin snapped back, his vision bloodied but clear, and shifted finally into his warrior state. He was bigger, stronger, and most of all? Hungrier than he's ever been before. He growled out and lunged for the other man, not really knowing what he was doing but knowing that Armin had to kill this man. He tackled Derek to the other side of the cage, snapping his jaws and growling at the man, digging his claws into the mans big arms and tearing through them like butter.
With a savaged laugh Armin grabbed Derek's left arm and ripped it off, throwing it behind him as if one would throw a bouquet. He snapped his head forehead, headbutting the ape, and yanked at his other arm, tearing it off and howling with glee. Armin enjoyed the panic tone of the bloodied mans' voice but couldn't hear the words. He was too far off, only seeing red and a need to eat.
Yes. Eat. The voice reminded him in his head and Armin saw himself as a little boy. He growled at the pain that memory came with, seeing his father, grabbing Derek, and sinking his teeth into the back of his neck. Armin chewed through the soft flesh, digging his face against it, biting and biting again, swallowing and gulping down the blood until Derek laid limp in his teeth. Armin yanked out a piece of fatty meat, swallowing it, taking another bite before throwing the disfigured body against the cage where the men watched him.
Throwing back his head, Armin screamed in victory, feeling his body begin to burn and the taste in his mouth turn sour. He screamed again, this time in agony, once again dropping to the floor, as his body began to spasm. Shifting into something different. White fur exchanging into black. His claws shifting into big black fists that could pound anything into dust. Growing bigger than his wolf form, hardening his bones and muscle mass until all that was left, was a big unmoving gorilla.
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Post by Decoii on Apr 23, 2021 2:56:46 GMT -5
Annie stared at Armin as soon as she ran up to the cage, her face pale in horror before changing into a look of anger, "It's not fucking okay, Arlert!" She snapped at his calmness, worry filling her voice and making the hostility sound weak. She heard what Magath was saying, but her mind couldn't wrap around what was going on. She turned angrily towards Magath. "He does not belong to you, he isn't from Marley, he's not a devil, and this drug won't work! He told me it wouldn't and he wouldn't lie to me!" She angrily yelled at the man, face red with anger and vision blurry with tears.
She turned back to the cage, reaching for Derek in panic when he told her that Armin was dying. "It's funny just how little you end up knowing about the people you care about, Annie. Reminds me of your father, it's truly sad." Magath said, instigating. That was the breaking point for her, mentions of her dad. When it came to Armin, she always found herself panicking, just like she did with her dad. She never understood why, not being able to just come to the conclusion that she cared about them enough that it drove her crazy. But here she was, feeling like she was going crazy every time she heard Derek touching Armin.
Annie knew all too well about Derek's strength. The fury behind his fists, the deadly look in his eyes. She still felt that underlying need to get away from him, even here, that disgust running deep inside of her at what he had managed to do and what he had almost done. Regardless, Annie knew how that drug could be used on natural shifters to drive them mad- so mad that they ended up dying of a heart attack minutes after being drugged. She's seen it used as torture, she's used it to torture other people too under the name and command of Marley. Was this her punishment? Watching someone she cared about die the same way?
She felt helpless, but as Armin lost control over himself and started tearing Derek apart, she felt herself regaining control too. Quickly, she pulled out her gun and held it up, facing Magath. "You promised we would be together. I've never seen you lie, why lie now? What was the point!!" She yelled out angrily, gun steady in her hands. All she could see was Magath at the moment, the sounds of flesh tearing was muted in the background.
Magath laughed and Annie didn't hesitate to pull the trigger. Except, the gun didn't shoot off like she was expecting it too, it clicked as if jammed and Magath laughed even harder. "You think I'd actually trust you, no Annie, my trust for you ended the moment he came knocking. You betrayed us and it's only fitting I do the same." He taunted as she slowly dropped the gun, rage dying down into fear. She had fucked up. There was no way to talk herself out of this and she knew she couldn't keep her promise to Armin. She couldn't keep him safe anymore.
"I'm not leaving him." She whispered in a defeated tone, dropping the gun. Without thinking, she grabbed the cage door and swung it open, running inside to see Armin laying on the floor, body convulsing and shifting. She could hear the guards locking the door behind her and Magath moving towards the cage. "I promised you'd be together forever and when he eats you all up, you will be a part of him."
But she couldn't let herself be bothered by what Magath say because all she could do is watch Armin literally shift and grow in size right in front of her, then lay still on the ground. "Armin?" She called out, feet moving forward towards him without her even recognizing the fact.
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Post by Ventia on Apr 23, 2021 3:29:42 GMT -5
Armin was lost within himself, surrounded by trees and blood and chunks of what was left of his father. His mouth tasted bitter and nasty and Armin coughed a few times before he was able to speak. "Father?" He called into the silence, even as blood still dripped from his mouth and hands. Against his small chest.
"Father?" Little Armin tried again but knew he would never hear his fathers voice again. He dropped to his knees, staring at the bloodied mess around him. Seeing a hand with his fathers wedding ring. A piece of his face. Leg. Stomach. Heart. Armin vomited, digging his face to the ground and vomiting again. Tears ran down his cheeks and Armin clutched at the dirt, his fingers now claws, as he cried out his pain.
The sound of a name woke the beast up. The black eyes opened seeing the floor, blood splattered staining the ground and the bars, and tan boots walking towards him. The name sounded familiar and so did the sight of the boots but the beast couldn't put his finger on where he known them.
His mouth dry and suddenly hungry for more. The beast struggled to get up, feeling woozy and almost no strength in his massive arms. It angered the ape and he snarled hoarsely at himself and the incoming threat. He grabbed at the bars and tugged on it, using it to get up and sit back on it.
Now sitting, the gorilla took in the other person and the mess around him. Seeing blood and chunks and arms and a torso. The sight was all to familiar and the beast pounded on his chest, roaring at himself and hitting himself again. He kept doing that for a while, each time getting strength and screaming at the girl, some part of the beast hating himself and wanting her to stay away.
But it was no use, they were locked in, and the girl was only getting closer. Each step boom in the beast's head, his hunger growing until he couldn't stand it. Jumping to his feet, the beast tackled the girl, knocking her off clean and slamming down on top of her, leaving only a fraction of a inch between them, his heavy large fists by her ears, his legs pressing her underneath him.
With a loud rumble of a roar, he screamed into her face, the scent of blood and guts urging him on, his mind lost-working only by animal instinct. And right now the big stupid ape was hungry for blood.
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Post by Decoii on Apr 23, 2021 4:04:31 GMT -5
Annie felt herself moving forward uncontrollably. She had a need to know that wouldn't be satisfied until she knew who the chunks of flesh and bones on the floor belonged too. She had seen Armin attack Derek, had seen him get the upper hand... But the ape in front of her just couldn't be Armin and she knew it wasn't Derek. Her brain felt numb as she moved closer, flinching at the loud warning signs the Gorilla gave as he howled and beat his chest in growing aggression.
Annie was trembling as she approached the body, eyes glued to the floor as she saw the mess. It clearly came from only one person, and as her eyes darted around, she realized that the person was indeed Derek. A skull ripped of flesh and his dark wide eyes open in horror, the sight was enough to make Annie yelp and pull backwards suddenly, feeling the need to puke. The snarls suddenly grew in volume and Annie looked up in time to see a flash of movement before she was knocked roughly on the ground, her head smacking and bouncing against the rough dry dirt.
The impact was enough to make her eyes water and her vision grow black. When she was a child, she fell from a cliff, and the impact of hitting the ground that hard was enough to make her feel as if her head was going to split open. It was the weakest point of her body and she found herself screaming out in pain, instinctively moving her hands up in an attempt to grab at the back of her head, but she couldn't.
Her vision slowly started coming back and she looked into the eyes of the ape that was currently pinning her down and roaring at her. Nothing about those eyes seemed human to her and her throbbing brain stumbled as it tried to make logic of what was happening. Armin said it himself, the drugs wouldn't work, it shouldn't work. He was a wolf, a born shifter, and no matter how many people he would eat, it just wasn't possible. It wasn't in his DNA and it... It just wasn't possible.
Annie bit her lip and turned her head to the side, eyes searching for Armin amongst the body parts on the floor, and when she couldn't find him, she let out a sob, not fighting the fear and confusion that was overwhelming her. She was terrified. The ape on top of her aggressively moving and she couldn't move even when she tried. Crying, she tried moving her hands between her body and the animals, but as she scratched and tried to kick up, fighting for her life out of instinct, she realized she couldn't do anything.
The ape was huge, colossal even, easily twice her height, and Annie has never feared for her life as she did now. She could hear Magath's words replaying in her head, that Armin would eat her and they'd be together forever. But this animal was just that, a raged animal that lacked any sense of logic, and even when she braved looking into those eyes, she couldn't see her sweet caring Armin anywhere in them. This couldn't be Armin. Her Armin would never hurt her and this animal was crushing her, it was snarling and throwing bites in her directing and Annie scooted as low as she could so it wouldn't reach her head easily but nothing would help, she was stuck under it.
She continued to fight against it, fear keeping her in a state of panic. "A-Armin..." She cried heavily, feeling her lungs burn. "P-Please, Armin!" She begged at the thing, even if she wasn't sure this was him. Annie managed to get an arm free and she started throwing punches at the ape. Her hits were messy, bouncing off of the blood on his face and doing no damage at all. The need to survive and find Armin was the only thing keeping her from giving in.
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Post by Ventia on Apr 23, 2021 5:01:48 GMT -5
Annie's scream of pain joined Armin's as he wailed on the floor, in his own bloodied vomit. First softly until it grew louder, replacing his own voice with hers, until every time Armin opened his mouth to scream, he heard Annie's. In his mind it went on forever, as if Armin was trapped in a loop, each scream digging into his stomach, making him feel responsible and stabbing through his heart, making him feel shittier if that was even possible after what he had done to his father.
The beast snapped his jaws at the little thing, not able to reach her as she hid under his body. He could have squeezed her to death but biting sounded more fun. Would make the human cry more. The beast snapped his teeth together, hearing the loud cracking sound. Then her sobs and that name again. His neck twitched, his heart hammering against his chest too fast to be normal, his veins bulging over his body, and then the girl started to punch him. In his face.
Beast roared, black eyes zeroing in on the skinny hand in front of his face, his gaping maw open, chunky big teeth and four sharp canines zeroing in for the kill. Gold suddenly bursted into life within the black dead orbs, gorilla teeth shifting into a wolf's, morphing part of the gorillas face, changing its nose into a snout and a wolves bite.
Armin's beast of a wolf bit into Annie's tender shoulder, softly as to not break bone but enough to taste her blood and flesh and to imprint himself into her and her into him. Enough to mark the woman as his mate. As the man had always wanted. As the woman did as well. Annie gave herself to them a long time ago and therefore even as the wolf let her go, quick enough so she wouldn't harm herself more, he could feel the bond settling in place. Gold and blue shades turning even into black and vibrant. Everything was beautiful and just what he craved.
The disfigured beast of Wolf and Gorilla howled in oneness, jumping away with so much force that it hit the back of the cage. It stared, one eye black and one eye gold, at the woman that was their mate and was horrified at how it had acted. The wolf's intelligence and actions bringing the ape to think past the hunger until it finally recognized who she was.
The two eyes slowly brightened into the brightest blue and Armin stared at the scene in front of him. At Annie who wasn't moving. At Derek's bits and pieces. At Magath and the guards. Then back to his Annie.
Dread filled him and he lunged himself forward, away from Annie and slamming against the gate. It creaked under him and Armin, still in his humongous gorilla form, pounded on the bars with roiling rage at what Magath had made him do. At the thought of Annie being dead despite the fact that Armin could feel her. Alive and in pain and it was all his doing. He lost control like Magath had wanted and almost killed his Annie.
Roaring at the gate, Armin pounded it again and felt it give, the whole thing had only took a few seconds and now the cage was collapsing from two sides. Hitting some guards who were too close and then Armin rushed forward tackling himself at Magath, pounding his titan hands and feet on the man enough to know he caused major damage, before quickly going after the one behind him. Once he got them all, Armin would come back to Magath and make sure the man was dead. Only then he would face Annie. He hoped all wasn't lost.
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Post by Decoii on Apr 23, 2021 11:45:40 GMT -5
Annie could feel her blood, sticky and horribly hot, pooling at the back of her head from her injury's there. She was crying so hard that her eyes burned impossibly painful and her throat felt as if she had the roughest of sandpapers stuffed down it's length. Her head was throbbing so hard that Annie could feel her strength literally leaving her in waves. Each hit and cry demanding all the remaining strength in her body as she felt weaker and weaker.
Then, it finally came. The bite that was meant to take her life from her. It was inevitable, so much so that Annie stopped fighting and fell limp under the monster that she now knew was Armin. The bite to her neck was lighter in nature than she had been expecting. But it brought along such a deep pain, she could hear herself howling right along side the screwed noises that had left Armin's creature.
All of a sudden, Annie was overwhelmed once again with more than she could handle. Her veins felt as if a thick lava had filled every single artery of her body, stretching down to every nerve ending in it. She saw reflections of Armin on a shiny metal table in a cell, she could hear Magath talking about his father, could see his father in pieces and Armin vomiting the gore in his stomach. She could see small children hands, pointing at leaves and then at a book, comparing and labeling trees. She could see herself from his eyes, pink cheeks, small, and innocent. She could feel and see Armin as if he had just melted his very being into the center of her core.
Then, she felt weightless and cold. The beast having jumped away from her and before she could really open her eyes and try to register if she was dead or alive, she could feel the wind as something heavy fell around her. Wordlessly, Annie opened her eyes slowly and with a trembling hand, she moved to feel her neck. Pulling her hand away, she saw crimson tint her pale fingers and she wondered why her death hadn't come seconds ago.
Hearing a laugh from Magath, she slowly sat up and looked towards Armin as he brutally murdered the three other people in the field. She huffed, fighting against the throbbing as she used her hands as support on her knees when she stood up, wobbling slightly as she turned her attention towards the group. She had wanted this, envisioned it even, as Armin tried killing her. She had imagined the unwavering cage crumbling down around her. She had imagined the rage that Armin had let out on her being directed at the group of people that had caused this and had safely been watching from the other side of the bars. Seeing it happen right in front of her eyes felt like a sick and twisted Deja vu.
Annie held on to her head, sighing in satisfaction at what Armin had done. She didn't care if she died now, Magath was dead and Armin was free. Still, her eyes moved off to the side and she could see them, two more guards silently moving behind the trees. Armin wouldn't be able to see it as he had moved back to Magath at that point. As if on it's own accord, Annie's feet started moving forward, pounding the ground as she ran past Armin. She jumped up, allowing herself to shift so she could move faster. A gun had been pulled up, both guards not seeing her as they zeroed in on the Colossal Titan.
When she landed, her right hand scraped roughly against the ground, having not completely shifted but she kept running, ignoring the injuries. Then, in a flash, Annie was on top of the first guard, muzzle trained against his neck, teeth digging into the sensitive flesh as easily as butter. The momentum of her attack threw them both back and Annie's body did a flip as she shifted back into a human, falling against the second guard. Her hands reached for the knife she knew would be placed at his hip and without hesitation, she switched the blade open and drove it into the soft skin between his jaw and skull, right under his ear. Then, out of spite, she twisted the blade.
Annie stood up firmly, feeling stronger than she had a couple of seconds ago. She examined her work and then hesitantly turned towards Armin. Her eyes were still red from her crying earlier, but they shined with strength and determination that she didn't know she had left in herself. She would shy away from being seen after her transportation. Having the devils markings clearly imprinted on her face. Deep dark markings that scarred her face, curling under her eyes and up the edges of her lips, giving her a jokers smile. On each side of her face, four deep lines ran down her cheeks as well. The lines are as deep as scars but she knew they always faded with time. Still, she'd never allowed herself to be viewed after a change. It was another indicator at the wrongness that she was. Another reason why she needed to atone for her sins and that of her fathers. Another indicator that she would never be anything more than a devil from Marley, for Marley.
Briefly, she wondered if Armin was going to kill her next. She was in fact, no better than the corpses underneath her own feet. Annie was Marley and as long as she lived she would be another reminder of what this place took from him and what it took from her. Despite having fought for her life earlier, she didn't feel like fighting for it now. Every second that Armin didn't attack her was another second that she was willing to lay her life down and she almost felt like laughing at the situation. Something inside of her had clicked into place, she hadn't realized. That as she looked at the creature that Armin was, she was absolutely terrified of him and at that moment, she felt nothing.
But she stood there calmly, detached from all her feelings. Closing herself off to the impact that the events caused her. She felt clear minded, a calmness she had never felt before around Armin. She hadn't realized that she had been letting him in from the very beginning but now she felt like she had finally closed herself off. With the back of her right hand, she wiped the blood away from her mouth and stared at him coolly.
"Are we going to kill each other," She started in an indifferent voice that didn't even sound as if it belonged to her. "Or are you going to figure your shit out and get in a car so we can get the hell out of here?"
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Post by Ventia on Apr 23, 2021 23:00:13 GMT -5
Armin chewed through Magath's throat, ripping it to shreds so that the man would never tell anymore lies. Not that he would being dead but Armin felt the need for it anyways and spat the mouthful of blood and gore by his feet. He hadn't notice Annie moving from the broken cage but now could see her killing two guards just a mere feet of him. Armin felt her anger and fear flowing through him though their bond and when she turned to him, Armin felt it all directed towards him.
He stumbled back at her words, feeling coldness seeping into the bond and into her eyes. The markings he had only seen on his own face now on hers. Armin fisted his hands as her screams played out in his mind. He had hurt her, almost killed her. Armin wanted to run away but knew he wouldn't get far. Not when Annie was his mate now, before he would feel the pull she had on him and would want to go to her. Now? Armin couldn't stay away, even now when she acted so indifferent towards him, Armin wanted nothing more than to be by her side.
Armin let the shift go, slowly decreasing in size with bones reshaping, muscle mass lessening, skin replacing fur, until he was man once more. Half crescent wounds under his eyes with slashes in between. His cheeks were hallow and patches of red ripped scars covered his face along his cheekbones and jaw. There were long red scars running down his throat and connecting to the back of his neck.
Armin opened his mouth to tell Annie that he would never hurt her but nothing came out. How could he say something like that. Instead Armin went to the car closet to them, open the backseat and locked himself in the back, staring at his hands. Thinking of the best thing to say as his memory flooded images of Annie trapped underneath him, screaming, her blood staining the spot where her head had been, and the sound of her sobs as she called out his name.
Once Annie took the drivers seat, Armin tried again, to talk to her, but the words didn't come. Armin bent down, covering his head with his hands, as the taste of different kinds of blood rotten his mouth.
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