⌠ @knifeheldâ asked:  â i.  ask prompt: is Annie prone to jealousy ? how might she handle envious feelings ? ii.  ask prompt: what are Annie's views on marriage ? does she believe it is something strictly for love, or an institution rooted in business & social benefits ? does she desire or has she desired to be married ? â
Difficulty identifying, processing and expressing emotion means Annie often suppresses or hides her feelings, at the risk of them later manifesting as aggression. While I wouldnât say she is especially prone to jealousy, the green-eyed monster can certainly make an appearance, and it usually springs from distrust, issues with communication, a sense of loneliness or competition. Human connection (or lack thereof) almost always lies at its root.
Material possessions arenât likely to inspire envy in Annie â she is far more inclined to covet human connection. Even if she didnât entirely recognise it at the time, she was jealous of the relationship Reiner and Bertholdt fostered after they enlisted with the Cadet Corps, and the fact that they went on to serve in the Survey Corps together. The bonds between Eren, Armin and Mikasa also enkindled a sense of yearning, and much of her animosity towards Mikasa sprang from jealousy. Whether their relationship is interpreted to be platonic, romantic or purely mentor-mentee, Eren was someone important to Annie, and a lifeline at a time when she felt incredibly isolated â she didnât want to be robbed of him, and took umbrage with Mikasaâs perceived overprotectiveness. Given that it had cost blood, sweat, tears and many years of gruelling training for her to master her fatherâs martial arts, Annie was also envious of Mikasaâs inherent talent, how effortless she makes every task seem. Deep down, she admires Mikasa too, but sheâs loath to admit it.
As for marriage, thatâs something Annie genuinely hasnât given much thought to. It isnât in Gabeâs plan for her, and hasnât formed any significant part of her understanding of relationships. Her birth parents werenât married, her adoptive father raised her alone, and many of the other children she became acquainted with â Bertholdt, Reiner and Pieck, for instance â came from similar backgrounds to her own. Itâs possible there was a certain stability in the Galliard household that could be attributed to being a two-parent family, but I doubt it had much impact on her.
Annie is secretly a romantic at heart, quietly perplexed and enamoured by the concept of love, by the possibility that one person can accept another in spite of their flaws â but she is also a realist, cynical and practical, and she recognises that romance and marriage do not necessarily go hand-in-hand. To her mind, it is something for other people, whether they choose to embrace it out of love, necessity, or socio-economic benefit.
As for whether she desires to be married herself, thereâs the not insignificant fact that she struggles with human connection, trust, and both emotional and physical intimacy. Thereâs also the issue of her limited life expectancy since becoming a Warrior and, as uncomfortable as it is, she is essentially chained to her father. Their relationship is exceedingly unhealthy and marked by abuse and co-dependency. Anyone who comes close to Annie will be in direct competition with Gabriel for her time and attention, and that man does not like to share.
The bottom line is, marriage is certainly not something Annie dreams of or plans for. Itâs possible she would marry someone she cares for platonically if it meant they would benefit in some way (financial security, perhaps, or being granted honorary Marleyan status). Equally, she could build a life with her romantic partner(s) without marriage and be content. When she loves, she loves fiercely, and there are circumstances where she might accept a proposal â but it would be a struggle to prise the Leonhardt name from her when she has worked so hard to earn it.













