ryss' domain

Attack on Titan

AOT Age/Role Swap! AU (in order of date posted) > Original AU Concept link > Hange Zoe and Inheriting the Attack and Founding Titan link > AOT Age/Role Swap!AU Doodles (Hange, Erwin, and Levi-centric) part 1 / part 2 > Levi Ackerman, the Zoë Family, and the Reality of Being Cattle link

Canon-verse Fics > peace and quiet (in a world full of chaos) - one-shot erurihan-centric fic about the throuple just having some nice and peaceful times for once, set pre-shiganshina arc and post-uprising arc!! ao3 > the scarlet sunset (that lit up the sky on that day) - multi-chap erurihan + eventually levihan-centric fic about hange having reoccurring dreams abt her death in odiha pre-canon, and how tht changes absolutely nothing in the end ao3 / chap 1 / chap 2 / chap 3 / chap 4 > put your fire in my hands, allow me to burn with you - one-shot levihan fic based on the interview where it's revealed levi literally knocks hange out to take a bath, self-indulgent hurt/comfort ao3 / link > open yourself up for me, my dear - !! MINORS DNI !! canon complaint eruhan one-shot where hange tries to tease erwin and gets taught a lesson.. just not in the way they wanted, smut turned into character study ao3 / link

Canon-verse Drabbles > a loud, clucky morning for ambassador braus - post-rumbling niccosasha drabble where sasha survives the raid on liberio, a glimpse at a normal morning for the ambassador and her partner link

A Modern Beginning (Modern AU RP-Based Fic Series) > Experimental Aftermath - the aftermath of an experiment gone wrong + the beginning of professor zoë's obsession ao3 / link > A Life Worth Building Up To - the result of neglecting to take care of yourself + a life professor zoë once lived ao3 / link > For Once, Could You Stay Forever? - a mobuhan-centric one-shot not canon to the rp, based on how i would've written them in the rp and terribly self-indulgent ao3 / link

I Got A Taste of the Glamorous Life (Marleyan!Hange Fic Series) > marleyan hange au concept, yapping + timeline !! link > what makes a home? - an introductory one-shot into the au + how easy it can be to forgot one's roots ao3 / link

Misc > an assortment of my attack on titan doodles (hange-centric) !! link > my levihan week 2025 submissions !! link > my levihan spooky weekend 2025 submission !! link > character analysis concept of hange as a star !! link

Tan + Vren Multiverse (my oc's universe!!!)

What exactly was it that made a home?

"Q-quick, GET OUT OF HERE!"

What characteristics made a place "home"?

"HANGE! WATCH OUT!"

Was it the ground it was built on? The soil that made up its foundation?

They could only watch in horror as Moblit pushed them back, watching the oh-so familiar sparks of bright, flashing yellow consume his entire being.

Was it the material the home was built up on?

Relief flashes in their assistant's eyes despite the fear coursing through him; he is afraid, terrified, just about to welcome death with open arms.

He's going to die— and yet, he seems so, so glad that they are alright.

Was it the purpose for the home's creation? The intention behind every log built into its walls?

A sharp pain filled their senses, glass crackling above their eye, shattering in an instant, shards stabbing mercilessly in ways that should've hurt, should've made her scream— but didn't.

Or was it the people who built it from the ground up?

The last thing Hange would be greeted with was the sweet, dull company of the void.

…

A different sort of desperation crawled at her consciousness, left her delirious as she awoke from the darkness that took over. Hastily, she wrapped gauze around the open wound trickling down blood on pale cheeks, goggles thrown to the side without much thought as her mind began to churn around frantically.

Some sense of deep-rooted terror moved them forward, scaling up the decrepit well they'd been pushed into; a hope for something, anything— for anyone to still be out there. It couldn't have just been them left who survived. It couldn't have. Hange refused to believe that idea, they refused to believe anything without seeing it firsthand.

They can't have been the only one left. It was impossible. It couldn't be, someone had to be—

Ash. Rubble. Destruction.

—someone had to be there, but all that greeted them was silence.

Not a single soul in sight.

Nothing, no one.

It couldn't be true, but it was.

There was nothing left in sight but rubble. No blood, no corpses, no tattered cloth to hold onto. All of it had been wiped out in one attack; everyone else was gone.

That's how the Colossal Titan had been designed to operate, why were they even surprised? This is common knowledge, they knew this already. They know this.

What had they been expecting to see?

—Brown, tender eyes stared into hers. Light, brown hair was neatly combed as always and a hand rose to cup her cheek, pulling her closer, lifting the brunette away from her work with a gentle smile. "It's time for a break don't you think, Hans?"—

What had they been expecting to see?

Bile built up in the back of their throat, forcing itself out as they hunched over the ledge they laid on, tears smudging bloodstained cheeks as the reality of the situation finally caught up with her.

"H-urgh! hrrk! HRKH!"

Dead, dead, dead—they were all dead. Not a single soul left. None of them made it. None of them managed to get out, no one was—

None of them.

For a moment, the only thing to accompany them were the choked up sounds of their sobs. The taste of vomit lingered in their mouth, coughs growing violent as they laid there uselessly. It was tempting to just fall back. To tilt away from these terrors— to sink right back into the hole they'd just crawled out of.

It was a pathetic thought for someone like them.

This was not the first loss they'd been dealt with, far from it.

Since the very day they donned the Wings of Freedom and proudly proclaimed themselves a scout, death was a constant. Every person you knew now could be gone the next day, nothing but a distant memory to look back upon. Nothing was permanent, comrades were fleeting, attachment was dangerous and any hope of survival was foolish at best.

No one joined the Survey Corps expecting to make it to the end. The few who enlisted were a part of Humanity thatstubbornly clung onto the hope that one day— their cage would be broken. The mere idea that they would be cattle no more in some far away, distant future? That's all it seemingly took to keep those people fighting. It's what spurred them on in the face of death, an inevitability all scouts welcomed early. It was that very ideal that pulled Hange into the cause in the first place.

She had seen far too many comrades die off like this for Humanity's sake.

—It was dark down by the stables. Quiet, uncharacteristically so. Hange stood there, alone, hands gently caressing one of the stable-horses manes. The moon shone brightly above from the outside, the crickets filling in the silence. The Section Commander made no move to break that peaceful serenity despite the restless energy coursing through them. "Hange." A voice cut through her thoughts, brown eyes shifting to meet blue. ".. Erwin." He looked just as tired as they did, his gaze shifting to their hand combing over soft locks. "That's not his horse." Erwin was always one to point out the facts, even now. "I know." His expression shifted to something harder, a pain in them he couldn't hide well enough. Not from her eyes. "He isn't coming back, no matter how long you wait."—

This was, undoubtedly, not the first time. It never would be. No expedition came without fatality, not everyone was made to survive.

—"Where are they?" A hand latched onto Connie's shirt, pulling him close. "I'm– sorry? Section Commander—" "Squad Miche. Where are they?" Their grip tightened, body trembling all over, mind racing with possibilities. They'd just finished neutralizing the threats, the titans. Utgard Castle was safe now, Hange knew who'd been sent out here, so where was she? Where is she? Where was everyone else? Wasn't Miche supposed to be with them? He'd never leave her alone without good reason. No— never. Not in a situation like this. "They were sent out here with you, weren't they?" They can't be gone. They can't. They– "Where are they, Connie?"—

This was not the first loss they'd face, it certainly was far from the last— and yet it hurt all the same.

No amount of preparation could prepare her for it, no amount of keen awareness to the inevitability of being a scout could soothe their aches. Nothing could cure the empty feeling that consumed them now. Nothing could fill in the blanks of what once was, of who used to be there.

Gentle, yet firm brown eyes. Light brown hair. A caring smile. A worrywart through and through, yet someone who truly believed in the ideas they sold to the world.

Moblit Berner.

A laid-back expression. Blonde hair. Big nose. Practically a bloody hound in his own right, yet someone Hange had trusted enough to see the worst of their rage.

Miche Zacharias.

Kind, blue eyes. A fruity scent. Gentle, kind. The strongest woman they'd ever known, the only person who ever called them 'Gege' in the dead of night.

Nanaba Engelhardt.

Their images flashed in her mind, faces she would never– could never –forget. People who once were, their names on the tip of their tongue they wanted to echo out like a mantra. Names they were desperate to call out to, to hear speak, to hold close and never let go.

Never forget, never forget— they couldn't afford to let those names disappear like dust. Their memory had to live on in someone, anyone. It didn't matter who or how, someone had to remember them.

They had to be remembered, they had to be.

Hange couldn't let them die a second time.

…

Three.

There was three of them left.

It was a reminder they set beside their heart even as they pushed themselves to keep moving forward. Everything would've been meaningless if they give up now. This was not the end, it wasn't. There were still people who needed her, those two still needed her.

Hange couldn't afford to disappoint now of all times.

It was a struggle to finally hoist themselves back up, rolling their shoulders, assessing their surroundings even as everything else blurred around them. They were nearly useless like this, blinking rapidly to get a good read on their current position. It was far too hard to see without their goggles.

Moblit would've had an extra pair for them, had she been here.

A roar echoed out into the distance, her body moved towards it without further question. Reiner, that was Reiner— he was still out there fighting off whatever remaining troops they had left, wasn't he? Hange couldn't just stay idle if that was the case. She didn't even know who was still left out there.

Had any of the kids made it? Were they safe? Had another young soul been taken in this battle they fought?

The fight that followed had been a blur of sorts, a hand poised and raised, shouts echoing out and figures moving around them. They can remember calling out Mikasa's name, one eye squinted, thrusting an arm forward as their thunder spear flew out and right into what they hoped was the Armored Titan's jaw. How they'd been able to do that with the mess that was their vision was a mystery to be left unanswered.

Regardless, the interrogation that followed was supposed to be simple. Hange just needed to know what was inside this small, metal case he'd seem oh-so determined to keep close right before his limbs had been cut right off. Hange just wanted to answer the questions she knows have been brimming in everyone's heads.

That's it, that's all. They just needed to get this done and they could meet up with Levi and Erwin— they could convene and finally get out of here. This was her job, her role in the corps. Always the one fishing for information, diligently running back to Erwin with all they knew.

As soon as this was done they could get back home.

To the base, inside the Walls; to safety.

"A letter."

That was Reiner's vague response. It wasn't nearly enough to satisfy them. Hange wanted more out of him, head tilted down as they tapped a finger against the tin can.

"A letter? What kind of 'letter'?"

"From Ymir." Hange identified that to be the other shifter they'd found at Utgard Castle. Another 104th cadet entangled in this mess. "You have to give it to Krista."

They take a few brief moments to process his words; the odd compliance seeping through them, how there's a hint of confusion in that tone of his. Hange couldn't begin to understand why that may be the case, so they let it go without much of a fuss.

"Only after we've inspected it."

Just to be safe, she tucked the tin into her coat's pocket. They'd be handing it over to the girl should it prove to be nothing dangerous. Hange wasn't that cruel of a person, after all. It was obvious to everyone that something was going on between those two girls. Or, well— it'd been obvious to Hange's eye.

What right did they even have to judge? For now, different matters required her focus.

Coming to a stand from their crouched position in-front of the titan-shifter, a hand moves to attach a blade to their gear handles. Staring down at him silently, they barely register the small gasp coming from behind her. No, Hange's focus is dead-set on him; their mission and what needs to be done.

"Now, there's a mountain of questions I want to ask, but.."

Swiiiish!

Their blade springs out in-proper, singular gaze cold as they bring the metal close to them, tracing a finger along its edge. "Seems your lips are just as strong as your armor."

A dull, brown eye narrowed down at him. "Are you going to cooperate and give us the answers we want?"

Deep down, the Section Commander knew that to some degree— they were being a bit rash here. Maybe it was the exhaustion of everything today weighing them down; the deaths she had to witness, the lives all lost in one fatal swoop. It was a sight they would not forget, something engraved deep into the crevices of their mind. So many gone, just like that, all in the blink of an eye.

Frankly, she was tired. She just wanted this over and done with. There wasn't much patience left for them to give.

Hange couldn't see his face, the poor boy had been mutilated and burnt from the sheer power contained within the thunder spears shot his way. In a sick sense, that's exactly what it'd been made to do. The sole purpose of such destructive weaponry was to slip past his defenses, to penetrate the thick armor that protected him. It had worked excellently, if not obvious by the state he'd been left in. Hange had worked hard to make sure that was the case.

Once again, their brilliant mind had given Humanity another edge against titan-kind.

A bandage was wrapped around his head like a blindfold of sorts. There was no expression to read, no eyes to look into—just a low, gravelly voice that finally spoke.

".. Professor, what are you doing?"

A low voice that spoke like he understood exactly what kind of hole she'd dug herself into.

It was like everything was clicking back into place at once. Hange knew he could feel the exact moment they froze on the spot. They knew he could feel how everything slowly began to reform itself around them, how their hands loosened around the only weapon they had left.

How everything came rushing back all at once.

"Section Commander! Wait a minute, hold on— are you sure about this?"

Professor.

"—We could steal his power. We– we might be able to steal his power!"

Jean's words do not register in their mind. No, not when that one word alone served to be their undoing.

—"You're insane, Zoë, but you're brilliant. That's what Marley needs." His voice had been gruff, expression as firm as his words. Firm despite the conflict that'd been swirling in his eyes. "Professor Zoë certainly has a ring to it, right? I think it suits you, Hange." Pride had spilled through his voice then, a hand combing through their hair for one brief moment. His eyes had told them all the words he couldn't say. "I'm not gonna be used to calling you professor anytime soon, Hans. Seriously, don't count on it." They both had gained a new title that day, things passed onto them by the only person who understood and a wish fighting to come true.—

Everything was crashing down upon them. Memories began to slip into the cracks of their mind for Hange has never just been a Section Commander. That was a temporary title, remember? Everything here was temporary. Just as the scout's lives were fleeting, so was Hange's time. They were never made to stay.

They were never made to stay.

The voice in their head is cruel, a reminder of things they'd forgotten the moment everything had gone to shit. Running away from it wasn't an option. Staying here wasn't required of them any longer. No, no, no— their mission was over.

Annie was captured under their own authority. Reiner was incapacitated by their own two hands. Hange has no clue what's happened to Bertholdt, where he is, what he's been doing since he'd transformed.

It was all falling apart. Everything was falling apart.

The mission.

The kids.

Ksaver's dream.

The Coordinate—

They were out of time.

One moment, Hange is stood in front of Reiner— blade in hand and expression slowly morphing into one of pure, unadulterated horror. The next, pounding footsteps approach and they are only given a brief moment to make eye-contact with familiar, gray eyes before a familiar warmth gobbles them whole.

—

It was easy to hate the Island Devil's growing up. They'd always been presented in the worst ways possible; the reason for all Eldian suffering, the reason why people treated her the way they did. Being born an Eldian was deemed a curse. Being born this way was not something she could control and yet it dictated the very life she would live in Marley, it dictated what people thought and saw of them and they hated it.

All Hange had done was be born, and yet it gave everyone an excuse to treat them the way they did.

They hated it, and made sure that was no secret.

It would be to the surprise of no one that Hange grew up curious, inquisitive in a way that would've only brought trouble with the questions they asked. They're not sure how their folks did it, but they managed to keep her out of trouble, always dangling the prospect of death over her tiny, little head.

Curiosity killed the cat— that's the mindset their 'Ma tried to instill in them young. They weren't in a position to be so proactive, to question every little thing without risking their hold on life. It was dangerous, reckless, idiotic; but how could she just stay still? How could she when there was a whole world out there, waiting for them to find it?

Their 'Ma had never understood the intention of that old phrase, anyhow. Lots of people interpreted it entirely wrong.

So many of them forgot that satisfaction would bring that poor kitten back.

Becoming a Warrior was, naturally, the next step of the process. Hange would not lie and say they joined for any particularly altruistic reason. They didn't share the same passion for family as the other kids did, nor was she actively looking to shoot up the ranks and become infamous among the socialite society of Marley. Really, the small brunette's reasons for such a choice was quite simple.

Where else would they be able to get the rights to study what they wanted to? To parade around with their head held up high, to do the things they really wanted to do? Certainly not back at home, slaving away for the benefit of the Marleyans that ruled over them.

The possibilities were endless, truly. The opportunities that could open up, the things Hange could get their grubby hands on if they succeeded.. oh.

Oh. This was all just splendid.

Enlisting was the easy part of this whole thing, though.

The actual training was a whole different story altogether.

Hange was never made for the brutality of the battlefield, not in the slightest. That'd been proven easily during their time as a volunteer. They're fairly certain Instructor Magath hated their guts to a certain degree, and yet they really couldn't blame him for that. They barely possessed the drive to really be a Warrior to begin with.

In hindsight, they'd admit their motivations were selfish, truly self-motivated— but at the time? They hadn't cared. It was an opportunity waiting to be grasped, to be cradled and nurtured properly by the right person, and they weren't the type of person to let go of those things so easily.

There was no drive to prove themselves a capable, better Eldian. Unlike the other candidates training alongside them, she had no family she aimed to protect. Hange had not thought of their mother or father once since enlisting, never considered what inheriting a titan would mean for their family.

All they could manage to feel for them was an odd sense of detachment.

All Hange wanted was the chance to obtain knowledge that'd never be trusted with them now.

All Hange cared about was themselves. Their own interests, what they wanted.

Maybe, all that self-interest was what led to her inevitable failure to obtain any of it.

It's through their own damn stubbornness that she managed to stay in the program to begin with—a miracle, all things considered. That effort should've meant something. Hange felt as though it should've meant something. They pulled themselves away from their usual hobbies, they attended every training session diligently, they tried their hardest to keep up with everyone else around them.

And yet they failed to secure themselves a candidate spot.

None of that persistence had mattered.

They were back at square one.

Hange couldn't control the rage they felt at that very moment, standing alone now, fists trembling by her sides as a leg raised to kick at an innocent pile of trash stacked up near them. Maybe their selfish nature had finally caught up with them. Maybe, just the fact they hadn't attached themselves to some noble model of motive had landed them farther and farther away from the things they truly wanted to do.

They didn't know where to go from here. Impulsively, they had bet all of their future plans on this. A dumb plan? Yes, undeniably so— but it was all Hange had.

"What am I going to do?" Came their hushed out voice, squatting down and curling up onto the ground. A hand rose to pick at their scalp, tears of frustration springing up in the corner of their eyes that Hange fought to push back because they were old enough to know better and they just needed to get a grip on themselves.

There had to be other options. Ideas to follow, another path to take that wouldn't put them in another dead end.

They couldn't keep living like this. They couldn't.

They're not sure where the sudden and abrupt tightness forming in their chest had come from. Everything was becoming far too overwhelming for their liking, skin crawling uncomfortably as the world seemed to shift and form into something unrecognizable. Only the two narrow walls surrounding her managed to provide just the smallest inkling of safety, shifting to cling closer to the coarse brick, trying to find any semblance of control in the face of rushing emotion.

Hange wanted to scream. They wanted to hit, kick, rage— they wanted to hide, cover themselves up, bask in their crushing defeat away from prying eyes.

They just wanted that one, small chance at something.

That's all they wanted.

That's all they've ever wanted.

So goddammit, why couldn't they—

"Hello? Is someone in here?"

Reddish, amber eyes darted over to the source of the question, chest still heaving as they took in the figure at the end of the alleyway. The first thing to immediately catch their eye was the bright red armband wrapped around his arm, another twisting ache resonating through her chest at the reminder of what she'd missed. She's tempted to keep quiet, to further curl-in on herself and hope that the man would leave her alone.

That doesn't stay as an option for too long considering he decides right then and there to enter deeper. Hange can feel his eyes on her gray armband, how she was adorned in Marley's signature military uniform— what both of those together could imply paired with her clearly distressed state.

At the very least, he seems smart enough not to say it outright, squatting down beside them silently as the two just sit there in silence.

"It's getting quite late, you know? Your parents will be worried if you don't hurry home soon."

Great. Just the one thing Hange needed.

"They can wait. 'Ma and 'Pa are used to it." They grumble out in response, arms resting atop their knees as they eye him with a disgruntled look on their face. "I'll be fine, sir. So you can leave me alone."

Why would a warrior spend their time fretting over one random child, anyhow? Didn't they have more important things to do? His presence was already annoying enough to the brunette. Can't a person be given the space to have a breakdown on their own, or something?

Jeez, he better take a goddamn hint.

"I can't exactly leave a kid out here alone with a good conscience now, can I?" The man easily replies in-turn, getting himself comfortable beside her as he pulled his glasses down for a brief moment. Another hand is moving to fetch a cleaning cloth from the pocket of his coat as he addresses them once more. "I'm Tom, Tom Ksaver. Though, you'd probably know me better as the Beast Titan.. not that I'm too popular in comparison to the others."

There went any hopes of Hange to end this conversation fast enough. They were officially stuck with this Tom Ksaver. He wasn't going to leave. He was gonna keep bugging them until they talked, most likely, or just outright left and went home.

Fortunately for him, home was the last place Hange wanted to be at right now.

".. Hange." She grunted out, rubbing her temples with stiff hands, focusing her sights on the wall in front of her. "Hange Zoë."

Another beat of silence echoed out between them, no words spoken as he continued to clean his glasses.

"You failed to enter the candidate program, didn't you?" Tom went straight to the point as soon as he slipped his specs back on. Vaguely, he remembered how Magath mentioned he'd be introducing the Warriors to their successors soon. "You don't seem too pleased with that idea."

"Who would be? I doubt you'd get it, considering you're already a Warrior and all."

They're unable to control the bitter tone overtaking their words, irked at the world for sending the last thing they needed their way. It was like a mockery of their failure, a way to show just how badly she fucked up and what she was losing.

In hindsight, it was probably a terrible idea to act so snarky to someone belonging to such a high position. Alas, Hange could hardly give two shits right now. Her head hurts, she wants to be alone, and she's just tired.

"No, I guess you'd be right. I can't say I understand it much at all."

Surprisingly enough, he doesn't seem too offended by the comment. Rather, a small chuckle escapes his lips.

It is Hange who's left to be surprised by him instead, anger dissipating in-favor of confusion, turning her attention his way with a curious gaze.

"Huh?"

"I said what I said." He hums out affirmatively. "I wouldn't be able to understand it. Really, I can't even say the title of a warrior itself has done me anything good, in all honesty."

"It hasn't?"

Their curiosity has been piqued, sitting up in their spot, ears wide and open— listening intently, trying to find out how being a warrior could possibly be a bad thing.

Seriously, is this man just deranged, or something?

"Well, the Beast isn't the best for combat, so I haven't really had much to do." That'd explain his apparent lack of 'popularity' amongst the masses today. If he hadn't been doing the one sworn duty assigned to every warrior, Hange doubted anyone barely gave him a passing glance.

Still, his next line of words were enough to fully invest them in the mystery shrouding him.

"In the end, I'm just doing my usual rounds as a member of the Titan Research Society."

The Titan Research Society?

"Wait, so– you.." They take a moment to gather their thoughts, now on their knees with two hands planted on the ground, blinking up at him with eager eyes. "You don't do your duties as a warrior ever?"

"Now now, that's a bit of a stretch." Tom is shaking his head with a small laugh, amused by the blatant and honest questioning being sent his way. It was a refreshing change from the polite, stiff conversation he'd hold with others all in the name of 'respect'.

"I'm not completely useless."

"If you aren't, then what are you even doing? I don't get it." She points out, none of her prior confusion having vanished. "You say you don't have much to do, but you also claim you're not useless. Make it make sense, will you?"

Something flashes in his gaze then. Hange isn't too sure what it means, but something in their gut tells them it doesn't bode well at all. Adults always got that look weird on their face when an idea struck, when they thought they'd found a perfect way to outsmart kids like her.

"Maybe I'll answer your questions if you give me the honor of escorting you home."

Thank god Hange was no idiot.

"You're not sly, Tom." They hiss out his name like a warning, a finger pointed his way. "You're gonna ditch me the moment I get home and we're never gonna talk again!"

Seriously, what did he take them for?

"I'm not some brat you can dump on my 'Ma and 'Pa! I want my answers, goddammit."

This was the most interesting thing to grace them since their spectacular failure only a few moments prior. The young child might've wanted the professor out of her sights before, but now? Now that he's trying to end this conversation? Hange wasn't going to stand for it.

Truthfully, they're expecting a bigger fight than he ends up giving.

"You can meet me here again tomorrow, then." He decides all-too suddenly, a tone of finality and assurance that leaves little doubt in Hange's mind despite their skepticism. "I'll come back here, same time as today. You can ask me whatever you want, I'll answer, and then I'll bring you back home again."

A hand extends their way, an offer given out with nothing but a small, carefree smile.

"How does that sound, Hange?"

Fuck. Fuck him. Fuck him and his stupidly tempting deal. Hange wanted to maul him alive.

".. You better answer them honestly."

"Hahahaha! It's a deal, then!"

…

Getting out of the house without the excuse of leaving for training was a feat Hange wasn't exactly sure how they managed. Regardless? It had happened. They were out and about, it was that same time of day yet again, and they were equipped with a satchel packed with everything they could need.

The 'everything' in question was an old, rugged yet trusty journal and their signature pen they used aalll the time for all their writing needs. Suffice it to say, the brunette was well-prepped for their meeting with the Beast Titan. Hange would get those answers, she would! No one could escape her sights for long, and he had willingly put himself in the spotlight. A perfect subject to interrogate, a willing subject.

Splendid. Excellent.

She doesn't notice the small, devious giggle that leaves her lips, skipping into the alleyway with a predatory glint in their eyes as they turn the corner to already see him sitting there. If he hadn't been the one to accompany them all the way home yesterday, Hange might've just assumed he had never left.

He's the first to make the move to greet them, waving at them with a small smile and patting the space beside him.

"Hange, over here!"

Ugh. He was acting way too familiar with them already, Hange almost had the sense to snap at him again but was quick to bottle the urge up. Were they still pissed he had invaded their alone time yesterday? Maybe, but that grudge could not overshadow the curiosity brimming in them they just had to satiate. She could scare him off later, there were more important things to focus on now.

Giving him a small wave back, they take the spot beside him with a small oomph!, hand making quick work to pour the contents of their bag out as their gaze met his.

Hange did not like the clear amusement shining behind those stupid looking glasses of his.

"What is it? Is there something on my face?" Hange fails to contain the snark in her voice, something about him just irked them in so many ways. It made keeping themselves in-check hard.

"No, no— no, it's not that." He shook his head with a small smile. "You're just prepared, is all. I'm surprised to see it."

"I have to keep records of my findings somewhere. Do you guys not do that in your society thing you mentioned yesterday?"

"The Titan Research Society?" There, that tone of amusement again.

Don't lunge at him, don't lunge at him, don't—

"Yeah, that." They grit out lowly, eye twitching ever-so slightly. "Do you guys not do that, or something?"

He seems to genuinely consider Hange's words for a moment, looking at them thoughtfully before letting his own thoughts be known.

"Is that really the first question you want to ask me today?"

The hell? He was already testing her patience with every breath he took. Hange swears to Ymir herself she'd use all that training she spent those painstaking years undergoing on him. She will— no matter how much her technique could use a bit more finesse.

"Didn't you say you'd answer whatever question I'd have?" They're not mad, not at all.

Why would you think that? Hange just wanted to talk. She wanted to talk, get his thoughts, and find out an excellent way to paint the wall with his guts—

"Mhm, I did."

"Then what gives?" A scoff leaves their lips then. "I'm asking you a question! Answer it."

The man lets out a small huff then, exasperated at the pure attitude dripping through her tone. What a shameless kid Hange was, and yet he couldn't help but be endeared. There was so much more than meets the eye when it came to them.

"We don't have all the time in the world here, Hange. I'd like to get you back same time as yesterday, too."

"So you're putting me on a time limit, huh?" Hange hadn't caught on to what he was trying to imply, though. More focused on the inconvenience of all this.

What had been the point of getting her to come back here if they'd have little to no time to talk?

"We still have tomorrow."

"Who said I'm planning on talking to you again after this?"

"You're curious enough for it, aren't you?"

He'd sensed it yesterday, the moment that light in their eyes had sparked up. A potential he knew could be harnessed presenting itself to him.

Had Tom only just met Hange? Perhaps. Maybe this was a stretch, maybe he was assuming too much from the little he'd seen— but that look in their eyes, it differed from everyone else's.

"You didn't have to come today, could've ditched me, or found someone else to question."

People were scared to questions things under Marleyan rule, that was just a plain and simple truth. It could cost you your life to bring up the wrong question. It could cost the lives of the people connected to you to simply insinuate revolutionary or rebellious ideals. Surviving as an Eldian meant keeping your head down, remaining obedient and pliant, following the norms established for all to a tee.

Anything outlandish was dangerous. Such ideas were most especially drilled into the Eldian youth, the most probable to break that rule. They had to understand, to witness the cost of trying to be different to keep them safe. They had to conform, or risk losing everything.

Things were taken at face value, naturally. Very few dared to speak up without a figure of authority standing behind their words. The fact Hange had come here at all told Tom all he needed to know. This wasn't something to just discard so easily.

A child's curiosity was precious in a world like this, he couldn't let it go wasted.

"You didn't do any of that, and I have a feeling if we end today— you would never be satisfied, would you?"

What follows his words is a long, winded silence Hange refuses to break prematurely.

She's not even sure what to say in response to his words. There's nothing to refute, truly. Nothing they can say to deny his claims, not when they ring far-too close to the truth.

That's the only reason they'd come here, after all; to satiate that need to know, to feed it with answers it'd run itself dry to find. The unknown, the unanswered were things that kept Hange awake. There were things they couldn't leave untapped, always moving to satisfy an itch they couldn't explain with words. No, no— it'd make them sound insane. People already don't like them enough just as they were, and whilst she couldn't really care about their opinions, it was a hassle to deal with the fallout of it.

Hange was used to seeking out these answers alone. Digging through pages and pages of information, going on little walks alone to observe the constantly moving world around her— it was rare to find someone willing to indulge in their antics.

All of this made them distrust him more. Adults always had some weird agenda in-mind when talking to kids like her, they had to be careful here. He was a warrior, regardless of what he'd said about his own personal thoughts on the matter. At the end of the day, these people served Marley first and foremost just as they'd been trained to.

They needed a better read on him, and the only real way to get that was to keep engaging.

".. No. I wouldn't be." Finally, they grumble out, their glare losing its edge ever-so slightly. Lying to him would be dumb, he'd know in an instant.

He seemed to appreciate the blunt honesty, that friendly smile of his never unwavering.

"Same time tomorrow, then?"

"No."

A brief flash of surprise shines on his face then. Hange's response was unexpected, given what was just discussed, but the brunette was quick to follow-up their words before any more confusion could linger.

"We meet up earlier. I want more time to question you, got it?"

That day had marked a shift in Hange's life. It wasn't supposed to have escalated as far as it did, but fate clearly had other plans for them.

Meeting up with Tom had become a daily thing, something they found themselves looking forward to each time. They'd never say it aloud, of course. He didn't deserve to have that boost to his ego, or to be proven right about any assumption he'd made about her.

Hange just liked learning, that's all. It had nothing to do with the fact it was him supplying them with that knowledge. He just had an interesting position, he had interesting views on the world as a whole they couldn't stop themselves from nodding along with. If you asked them personally, he was one of the few adults they could tolerate being around.

Naturally, this meant any word that did come out of him was enough to spark an intrigue they couldn't ignore.

"—you're telling me when we turn into titans, we just lose all our digestive organs?"

The conversation had started innocently enough. Hange wanted to know more about his work as a member of the Titan Research Society, and Tom had been all too happy to detail some of the less significant discoveries to them. Just enough to get them hooked, curious— eager to hear more, learn more. Based on the frantic scribbling coming from their end, tied together with the intense look sent his way; it was conclusive to say he'd been successful in his goal.

"Mhm. All of them." He confirms with a small chuckle. "It may not be common knowledge amongst the citizens, but titans themselves don't actually eat to feed. Rather, it's better they say they eat to satisfy a different urge altogether."

"What kind of urge?" They press on, brows furrowing at his words. "Do we know where those organs go? What happens during the transformation process to warrant that loss?"

Time and time again, Hange continues to prove why Tom had arranged these meetings to begin with. They truly leave no stone unturned when it comes to their inquisitive nature. He admires it just as much as he wishes to give them all the answers they seek.

Alas, he's out of luck.

"We only have theories to go off of, I'm afraid." He's shaking his head with a small, dejected huff. "Not many people are interested in the whys and hows surrounding the transformation process, either."

It was a truth he gave without much thought. A fact in his field of work he'd gotten used to a long, long time ago. Even before Marley's reign, the Eldian Empire had never focused on the intricacies of something that wouldn't further strengthen the power held by the Fritz family. They weren't important in the grand scheme of things, no one felt compelled to look deeper into it. Not when further incentive to do so was practically non-existent.

Could you blame Tom for jolting in his spot the moment Hange sprung up at his words?

"What?!" Hange didn't mean to be as loud as they were. Eyes wide and indignant, they stare up at him in shock at what his words seem to insinuate; what it said about the research society he worked under. "You're not— not being serious, are you?"

The child inched closer, truly baffled by his statement.

Tom couldn't— Tom had to be joking, right?

He seems just as appalled as she does, albeit for completely different reasons.

"I.. am, Hange."

Something clicks in for Tom then, puzzle pieces fitting in together seamlessly. That fire, yet again, shines brightly in Hange's gaze. Their words come to him in bits and pieces, watching them go on and off about how idiotic such a mindset was. A passion seems to control their body, hands waving around and making wild gestures. Hange's mouth moves at a pace that would scare away a normal person, that would pull people away from their intensity.

In Tom's case, it only serves to fascinate him further.

"—what's the point of being called the Titan Research Society if you don't explore everything there is that surrounds those beings?! It's– It's dumb! Stupid!"

They just keep going, fueled up by a genuine bout of frustration at the mere idea of such a mysterious factor surrounding the titans being left untouched. One could assume it had only came from the lack of information to fuel their curiosities, but Tom felt as though it was something else entirely.

He felt as though there was something else in the horizon, waiting to be seen. A domino affect yet to be kick-started—

"What do they expect to learn without all the cards on their table? Is every guy like this in your Research Society, goddammit?!"

—a candle waiting for its first spark of flame.

Tom held his breath for one moment before finally speaking.

".. What do you think we should be doing, then?"

—

"I don't think I ever expected to see you so quiet, Professor."

There was salt in the air flowing through their hair, brushing against the bandage tightly bound around their head. The scent itself felt strange to their nose. Around them, people were bustling around, scuttering around on-foot or driving past in cars only the rich ever really used.

Hange was sat on a crate by the docks.

They still hadn't changed out of their uniform, the Wings of Freedom still proudly stitched on the cloak draped over their shoulders. She could practically feel the eyes darting her way, how they looked and stared at the foreign clothes and gear she wore. It wasn't surprising, nor unexpected. Anyone would've been curious enough to stare.

It's not like Hange was any better in that regard.

A presence made itself known, boots clicking against concrete, settling beside them as the smell of smoke began to trickle in. Hange did not need to look to know who it was.

"What a warm greeting coming from you, golden boy."

Zeke settled beside them, a chuckle leaving his throat, cigarette dangling in-between two fingers as he took another drag of it.

Even with all the years spent away, it seems not much of his habits had changed. He didn't say much in-response to their words. Hange would imagine he was giving them the moment to continue admiring the glistening expanse of the ocean before them.

It was, frankly, an unspoken gesture they found themselves grateful for.

The view was amazing. It was one they hadn't seen since setting foot on Paradis, the setting sun reflecting on flowy waves. To be here was an experience that felt new, refreshing— yet, another feeling they wished to remain unnamed was slipping through.

Everything about being back here felt odd.

Hange couldn't pinpoint a reason why, for not enough had changed. People had grown older, sure, and there was a new batch of Warrior Candidates they'd need to acquainted themselves with at some point; but that didn't answer their question. Nothing felt right, everything felt wrong.

Hange didn't feel like they were in the right place, no matter how much their memory supplied them with the opposite idea.

This is where they're supposed to be. This is Marley, this is Liberio— the place they'd been born and raised in. They're a professor working under the Titan Research Society, Tom Ksaver's direct protege. 'Ma and 'Pa were likely at home, waiting to see them after all the years they'd been gone. Logically speaking, they should make the move to meet them, to see the people who'd been waiting eagerly for their return.

Their body doesn't move to do any of that, rooted to their spot. Something in them screams to keep looking into the distance, to get even a small glimpse at the island miles and miles away.

That voice is shut out violently, turning their eye away from the sight to look up at Zeke.

"It's still an adjustment getting used to that bushy beard of yours." They commented lightly, a small grin to their lips. The action felt forced, unnecessary; yet her brain told her it was exactly something she would do. Especially around Zeke.

"Why don't you come on down here and give me a better look at it, hm?"

He shot them a mildly amused look from where he stood, shaking his head lowly at them.

"Rude. Do you not like my new look, Hans?" Rather than doing as asked, he slowly moves his arm down, smoke filling Hange's senses yet again as it swirls around her.

Long ago, it had been a shared habit of the two. When Zeke started indulging in it, Hange got curious— asked for a try with eager eyes and felt the tension ease off their shoulders with each drag. A lot had rested on their shoulders back then with all the responsibilities they were set to inherit, he hadn't minded giving them a release from it. He wasn't in a better position himself way back then.

They both were Ksaver's successors, after all.

Her hand rises to take it from his. The motions don't come to them immediately, body struggling to catch up with what old memories suggested they used to do naturally. For a moment, Hange merely lets it rest there, staring at the small light it emits. They're not sure how long they would've spent doing so had Zeke not moved to cup his own hand over its dying embers, protecting it from the breeze that threatened to put it out.

"We're by the ocean, you know? Wind is strong here." He gestures idly to the area around them. "Though I'm sure you'd know more about that than I."

He wasn't wrong. All Hange could do in response was let out a small huff and swat his hand away, using their own to protect the flame.

"Gee. I can do it myself, y'know?"

Bringing it up to their lips, they allowed themselves to go back— to remember those silent moments spent together. How long had it been, since then?

Ksaver had still been around, Hange could remember that. It was something the two had to hide from the poor man. Who knows how he would've felt knowing his two proteges spent their free time smoking together in alleyways. Zeke was too young to be participating in the activity and Hange should've known better. She was the older one, after all—freshly 18 and able to proudly proclaim themselves an adult.

Even with that knowledge, they continued on. Kept it under wraps till his very last day if only to make his remaining time in this world lighter.

Those memories circled around their mind as they took in a deep breath through their lips. Smoke filled their mouth quickly, building up, a sensation they hadn't felt in ages waiting to be welcomed.

Instead of that, they were met with loud, violent coughs being forced out their throat.

The cigarette fell to the ground, forgotten by both as Zeke found himself hovering over Hange's crouched over form with a startled look. It wasn't the reaction he'd expected out of them. Really, he wasn't sure what to do at the sight of it, merely placing a placating hand on their back and patting idly as they let it all out.

"Has it really been that long for you, Hange?" He sounds exasperated, waiting for their own line of banter to follow his. That's always how it had been between the two of them, a dynamic he can't imagine would've died off so quickly.

And yet, the words never come.

Silence is all that follows. Hange breaths heavily, a hand to their chest, their pants the only sound that comes between them. The atmosphere is almost awkward, in a sense. A part of them screams to fix it up, to spring back up and give Zeke their usual enthusiasm they so evidently love to show-off. It's the right thing to do, the only way to ease the tension built up.

For some reason, they're unable to muster the energy to even try.

The burn in their lungs hurts far more than it should. Logically, they know it couldn't have been because of that one drag of smoke. Hange hadn't inhaled enough to cause such a reaction. In-fact, Hange's been clean for years. It wouldn't make sense, it wouldn't. They'd inhaled worse in Paradis, they've been through worse than this.

So why, then, does everything hurt?

Why does it hurt? Why does it hurt oh-so much?

She straightens up on her seat eventually, once again staring into the distance. There's an undeniable shake to their form as they speak, the chuckle leaving their lips wet.

"I guess it has, huh?"

To Zeke's eyes, they almost seem to be in another world entirely. They're not really here, with him, on the docks. He's not sure where they've gone, what they see past that horizon that seems to draw them in like a flame to a moth.

He doesn't get to ask, not as Hange closes their eye, inhaling in the fresh ocean breeze yet again.

"I'm glad to finally be home then, Zeke."

He decides then that, perhaps, it would be bad to ask. Not right now.

Not when those words sounds oh-so close to a lie.