Content Warnings:

•Season 4 Part 2 Spoilers
•Racial Discrimination
•Mentions of Death
•Strong Language
•Hangover
•Drinking
•Choking
•Alcohol
•Vomit
•Panic
•War
•Fire

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853

Flashback

A slow inhale filled your nose with new scents as you approached the port of an unfamiliar territory. Leaning forward against the ship's rail to get a better look, large buildings littered the coastline, much more colorful compared to your duller homes back inside the Walls. The place was far busier and populated, something you never could have imagined. Life seemed normal and unbothered on that side of the sea.

Gently sighing, you looked down at your (color) boots, partially covered by the modern trousers you wore. You were much more comfortable in the choice of trousers, considering your childhood wardrobe was mainly hand-me-downs from your brothers. It made your father's life easier since he never knew how to dress you properly.

There were many differences between your home and that place, down to the simplest of things like clothing. Which included a new (color) hat, similar to Sasha's (disregard if you already wear a head covering). Scuffing the heel of your boot against the floor, you lifted your head back up when you noticed how much closer you were to the dock. You felt a tad bit nervous, so you subconsciously fumbled with the sleeves of your matching (color) jacket to self-soothe.

Without warning, your present vision went blind and caused you to tightly grip your arms. Your heartbeat picked up and a small light began to flicker in the distance. Allowing your eyes to slowly adjust, the flickering light blossomed into a fire, which spread all around you. The growing flames reminded you of your situation with the Military Police and a slight panic built in your body. However, that was not just a memory.

Crackling and cries wailed in your ears, your hands shot up to cover them before you would go deaf. You crouched low as the smoke began to penetrate your clean airways but you immediately got shoved to the ground, seething from the rough scrape to your cheek. Shielding your head, you were trampled by fleeing bodies that tripped over you and stomped on your shrunken form. The roaring flames did not cease, they only grew stronger as the ground shook from crumbling buildings. Dust from the debris and smoke from the fires stole your breath to the point you were thrown out of your vision, and choking in the real world.

Hardly noticing you had escaped the mind-controlling vision, you felt a slap on your upper back, which caused you to jolt back up, and whip your head over your shoulder. A smirk was planted on the slapper's face, then slightly faltered when he noticed the tears in your red eyes. The taller/shorter/equally tall male's brows furrowed into a puzzled expression as he looked for an explanation. "What the hell was all that noise for?" He questioned, stood idly. You let out another cough to clear your hoarse throat before you fully turned around to face Jean. "I swallowed a bug." You answered with a lie and kept a straight face, even if it was red from nearly choking.

The sandy-brunette could not even pretend to hold back his bark of laughter, bent over at the waist from your stupidity. Neither did you pretend to be serious, as you allowed yourself to chuckle at his reaction to keep the atmosphere positive. "You're such an idiot, Y/n!" Jean teased before he fixed himself and wiped away a tear from laughing. With a grin, you nodded your head as you looked away in embarrassment. "Yeah, I know that." You released a heavy sigh. "Come on, let's go make fun of Conny now." Jean waved you over as a few more chuckles came out.

Agreeing, you leisurely followed the male as you adjusted your jacket sleeves, then noticed a slight heat from underneath the (color) fabric. You must have clawed at your skin again, in hopes of it letting you escape your vision. It wouldn't leave you alone, especially since you were entering the origin of your vision which only made its presence stronger and more consistent.

You placed the palms of your hands on the snow-white railing to scan the approaching town. You stood to the left of Sasha to give the boys their own space as they both stood to her right. Conny was in nothing but awe over the new sights, like a child looking at their parents for the first time. The excitement made you grin and think of how your own brothers would have reacted to a sight like that. You had promised a better life for them. However, you still felt like you were too late. It was a shame Tristan never got to travel past the Walls.

You eventually shifted your focus from your thoughts when Conny began to speak which caught your attention. "There're really cities full of people outside the Walls..." He spoke in a dreamlike tone. "Don't talk about the Walls in public." Jean quietly reminded the other boy. "Ah, right." Conny realized.

"The world outside the Walls... And we're the first people from inside to step foot in it!" All your eyes moved to Sasha as she spoke up. "Did you not hear me?!" Jean barked like a disgruntled father. As serious as it was, you couldn't help but laugh. That was the benefit of the moment. No matter what, those three always lifted your spirits, considering you were frightened just moments prior.

By the time you reached the dock and disembarked, you were flabbergasted by the various people, shops, and culture overall. You followed the group further off the dock until coming to a stop when you were greeted by a familiar presence. "Welcome to the continent of Marley! I'll guide you to the Azumabito estate." You turned to the source and relaxed when you recognized the figure, dressed in what seemed like typical Marleyan attire. "Onyankopon!" Commander Hange exclaimed from your left. "I'm glad you all made it! What do you think of Marley's biggest port?" The man before you asked with a large smile.

Suddenly, the question had gone over everyone's heads as a strange carriage rolled behind Onyankopon. It was a horseless carriage driven by a man in the driver's seat. It made a grumbling noise as it drove by which almost sounded sounded thunder.

How is that thing moving?

"Wha-?! That horse! Or... is it? Huh?" Conny pointed after the peculiar carriage. "Its some sort of cow! It has to be!" Sasha interjected confidently. "Its a car! I've heard about 'em before!" Your Commander affirmed with one of the biggest smiles you had seen on them. "Hello there, car!" They shouted and waved at the departing "car."

You started to worry along with Armin about the stares you received from locals, afraid they would see right through you. Apparently, it seemed only Eldians from Paradis were the only humans who had never seen such a thing. Jean and Armin were interested in the contraption but knew better than to chase after it with Sasha, Conny, and the Commander, so you stayed with them instead.

It was difficult to not look so out of place and astonished by the culture shock but you would have to engrave everything into your memory to write about. Fortunately, you brought a journal so you could document all your new experiences for your family and Katsumi. You could only imagine how much disbelief they would feel after reading your journal. They would probably call you a storyteller for such bizarre things.

You eventually found Sasha and Conny again but not the Commander. You figured something else had caught their eye that they had to look at. The brunette girl stood at a cart that sold an unfamiliar food. It looked like milk but much thicker and was served in what kind of looked like wood, cut in a triangle. You almost wondered if it was even edible, although, the sweet smell said otherwise.

"Jeez, Sasha! Not again..." Jean grumbled as he approached behind you both. You all watched in curiosity as the girl licked the top of the white food, unsure of the reaction you would receive. "This is flippin' cold!" She blurted as she held out the food. "First time having ice cream?" The merchant of the cart cracked up by the intense reaction. "Ice cream...?" You quietly whispered to yourself, name already engraved in your head to write about later.

"Lemme try!" Conny got suspicious so he leaned forward and stole a lick. "Whoa! The hell?!" The boy exclaimed. By Conny's reaction, this prompted both you and Jean to give in as well. "One for me, please!" The sandy-brunette faced the merchant. "I'll have one, please!" You fished for your currency inside of your jacket pocket. "Me, too!" Conny piped in after.

As soon as the cart owner handed over your "ice cream," you stared down at it for a few solid seconds to take in all of its appearance. The odd wood-looking utensil was much softer than you expected, the coldness of the ice cream reached through it as well. Finally, you lifted the food to your lips and took a lick of the top just like Sasha did. You were not at all prepared for how cold the ice cream actually was. You swore you were eating flavored snow but much sweeter. You felt shivers on your body, even underneath the heavy clothing you wore. Ultimately, you loved/disliked the ice cream. You would also write about the experience in your journal.

"Hey! You guys gotta try this!" Jean told Armin and Mikasa about the treat. You wondered if they would like it just as much as Sasha. Considering Sasha was such a foodie, it was hard to compare.

After your trio of closest friends was finished, Sasha already moved onto the next. "I smell something good!" She pointed ahead and ran off with Conny. "Three more, please!" You heard Jean behind you, ordering more ice cream. "Hey, come on! Let's keep looking at stuff!" You called for him. "Hold on, mom!" The sandy-brunette fired back which made you roll your eyes.

By the time he had gotten more, you met up with Sasha and Conny again. However, Captain Levi was there as well, only, he held onto a strange kid's arm. "That ain't your purse." He spoke firmly, which caught Sasha's attention. The brunette immediately felt her pocket and realized her purse was gone and in the kid's grasp. "Thief!" "Its another enemy migrant!" "How'd you get here?" "Snuck aboard a ship, I bet! He doesn't understand us. Let's toss him in the sea." "Nah, let's smash his hand so he can't pickpocket anymore." "Tie him up where everyone can see. That'll cut down on the crime." Some of the locals spat out about the kid.

You were horrified to hear such things being said about him. He was physically different than the others and stuck out but that did not mean he had to be treated any different. You could relate to him in a way, as you remembered what happened after your own people stopped seeing you as another normal person. Once your secret was out in the open, you were treated very differently. You still were, even after the incident.

"That's taking it too far! I already got my purse back!" Sasha butted in in an effort to deescalate the situation. "This isn't about you. We've gotta punish him to set an example. We're trying to make a living here." A man beside the kid brushed her off. "Besides, he could be a subject of Ymir." Another man stood next to Sasha added. "Countries have been doing blood tests like mad lately. No one can sleep at night knowing devils could be in their midst."

Suddenly, Captain Levi stepped forward and grabbed the kid and carried him out of the crowd. "Hey! What are you doing?!" A man stopped the Captain with his voice. "Who said he's a thief? All I said was, "That ain't your purse." It belongs to his big sister here." Captain Levi glanced back at Sasha who merely jumped out of her skin.

"My! Talk about a nutty family! Right, Big Sis?" Commander Hange played along to convince the onlookers. "Ah...! Sorry about my little brother!" Sasha bowed respectfully to the crowd to show her apologies. "Yeah?! I smell bullshit!" A local barked at her. "Let's go!" Captain Levi shouted as he escaped before it got any worse.

"Hey! Wait!" Your comrades yelled as you all ran after the Captain. You sprinted down the port, winding through streets to lose the crowd. With no idea where you were going, you trusted the Captain would get you out of there safely.

"Are they after us?" Jean panted from your right. He didn't dare to look back. You decided to check and threw a glance over your shoulder. Luckily, it did not look like they followed. All you saw were the confused looks of other Marleyans who weren't aware of what had happened. "N-No!" You replied and swallowed to try and catch your breath. "They're not on our tails!" You added.

It felt like an hour had passed by the time you found a safe spot to stop but it also felt like such a whirlwind that only lasted a few seconds. You were lied out on some grass and faced the sky as your chest heaved with exhaustion, limbs spread out like a star. Thinking back on it, a little smile grew on your open mouth when a breathy chuckle sounded.

What a ridiculous day...

At that point, you were fully convinced on how absurd your journal would sound when reading it back. You yourself wouldn't even believe it. Your chuckles had died down and eventually you were able to close your mouth, only deep breaths came through your nose. All you could think about was how exhilarating the day had been. You almost hoped to have more like it.

"Where'd that brat go?" Captain Levi spoke up after you all seemed to calm down enough. "Th-There." Commander Hange pointed behind a crumbled structure you rested near. You had rolled your head to the side in order to catch sight of the boy. When you did, you noticed a pouch in his hand, a big smile on his face too. Confusion struck you but then another giggle escaped when you saw Captain Levi pat his empty pocket. "Well, it was just some change from the Azumabito." He sighed, not too worried about it.
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Later that evening, you and your squad freshened up before going to visit Kiyomi at her estate. You removed your hat (disregard if you already wear a head covering) and jacket, so you were left in the same (color) shirt and (color) trousers. Your hair had also become disheveled after the unexpected sprint from earlier but you were also able to fix it beforehand (disregard if you don't show, have, or have short hair).

The estate was very grand. It reminded you of the interior back at home: expensive-looking. You were guided into a large sitting room with a couch and three chairs. You allowed a few of the others to sit, as you would stand with Jean, Conny, Onyankopon and Eren. Even though Armin insisted you sat, you kept refusing until he gave up. Kiyomi went to ask about your squad's arrival to the new country. She even explained the blood testing in more depth after it was mentioned towards the end.

"Back during the height of the Eldian Empire, being a Subject of Ymir was a sign of status among the world's elite. But as the Empire crumbled, they found themselves being exiled from places. Such is life for Eldians outside the Wall. Alas, it will be difficult for Paradis Island to establish friendly relations." The older woman spoke.

"Even so, giving up on peace means we'll have to go along with Zeke's plan: To leave our fate in his hands, and to sacrifice Historia and her children." Armin brought up. "Yeah... But we came here to avoid such a future. And for the Subjects of Ymir Protection Group's debut in tomorrow's forum." The Commander replied. "Its still not clear what that group seeks to achieve." Kiyomi kept her gaze on the Commander. "Indeed. We'll be observing them first. But if they seem promising and agree to speak with us..." They trailed off. "You'll express that Paradis Island seeks peace." "Yes."

"Naturally, the Azumabito are happy to help you down that path. Though, are you being realistic about your chances of success?" Kiyomi spoke again. "I know... it'll be very difficult. And dangerous, too. But having said that, we have to give it our best shot." Commander Hange was determined. "I suppose so." Kiyomi hummed.

The room had fallen silent for a brief moment until Mikasa had thought about Eren. She quickly got up and looked behind the couch but he was gone. "Where is Eren?" She asked with nervous, wide eyes.

The sun had set by the time you made it outside to search for the brunette. You threw your jacket back on and had split into three groups to find the wandering male, in hopes that he wasn't too far away. It was still dangerous to be there, none of you could risk your real identities being discovered by the Marleyans.

It did not take long for every group to run back into each other, which meant no one had found him. However, Mikasa was missing. Then, Armin had led you off to a different location. There, he spotted Mikasa and Eren's silhouette at the top of a hill. You were there earlier that evening after running away from the port with the kid.

"Hey!" Armin shouted once you reached the foot of the hill. "The hell you doing, Eren?!" Jean questioned with annoyance. "Are you an idiot?!" Conny had yelled as well. You followed the others as you trekked up the uneven surface. That was up your alley since you liked to climb trees with Quincy as children. You still cautiously placed your feet before each step since you were not in the mood to fall and get made fun of by Jean and Conny.

A man accompanied Eren and Mikasa and you didn't notice until you reached the top. He seemed friendly as he held a silver tray with two tall glasses situated on it. The man then waved you over to follow him down the other side of the hill that was full of dozens of tents. You half walked, half slid down the hill until you hit the bottom where the man then led you into one of the tents.

You each removed your shoes as he held the flap open for you and your comrades to enter, then followed after Conny since he was the last in line. Your eyes darted from one thing to the next, unable to settle as there were many decorations to look at. Ropes hung overhead with tassels and what looked like foreign ingredients. The very center of the ceiling had a hanging lamp, underneath it being three fancy rugs. They all laid on top of the other, embroidered with complicated designs. You couldn't possibly fathom creating something that intricate.

What really caught your eye was the variety of food spread out on the centermost rug. The only thing you could recognize was bread and vegetables. The rest was a mystery but you were eager to try, as well as Sasha. There were not enough cups, so empty cans were used in its place for the man to pour everyone a drink. The substance was clear but had a strong smell like alcohol. Eren was the first to reach for his can and take a swig, which he easily downed in one go. Watching Eren prompted your comrades to do the same. You were/n't a drinker, so/but you were willing to try anyway.

You brought the can to your lips and swallowed a small sip at first to get a sample. Your brows furrowed as you contemplated its bitterly strong taste but it wasn't bad. You still wanted to drink it and also respect the man after he had offered so much food for your squad.

There was no hesitation from anyone as you all dug into the food which was beyond describable. You had never had anything so flavorful before dining outside of the Walls. Nicolo always made good food that kept your tastebuds on their toes but you realized all food outside of Paradis was exquisite. You knew Quincy would enjoy tasting the new dishes you got to indulge in, the thought of his jealousy made you grin.

In no time, everyone found themselves singing, dancing, and cheering. The atmosphere was carefree, not a single thought of fear for the future crossed your minds. The tent had become a full blown party after the first course. Some went for seconds while others hung off each other in pure bliss. You almost felt inclined to not lose yourself but the overbearing thought of living in the moment for this once in an lifetime opportunity took over. You allowed yourself to let go and have fun for the first time. You and your comrades got to experience life for how it should have always been. A night where you didn't have to play soldier that signed their life away.

More drinks were poured and many bellies were full. Limbs flew all around and the family who hosted you also enjoyed the fun. Within an hour, the bottle was completely empty so Conny and Jean ran off to retrieve more. However, they came back with more than bottles. The whole community had followed them back to join the party. Laughter and chatter was all that was heard, not a sad tone out there.

A point in time came to spilling secrets between the girls. You lounged around with Mikasa and Sasha, including a few other women from the village. They all had smiles and red cheeks from drinking but nonetheless, they still had a good time. You passed over another cup to Sasha who immediately snatched the beverage to gulp down. "T-Thanks!" The brunette hiccuped to which you chuckled in response.

"Is anyone married?" One of the women asked as she adjusted her head covering. Mikasa's face seemed to grow more red as she understood the question. Your eyes fell on her then you raised your eyebrows in suspicion. "Is Mikasa crushing on someone?" You teased which made her more embarrassed. "Um..." The ravenette rubbed her arm uncomfortably then shook her head "no." "Oh, come on!" Sasha groaned like she already knew the truth. The woman had chuckled and still waited for an answer. "I can't say." Mikasa finally fessed. That only earned another groan from Sasha as she fell onto her back.

Then, the brunette sprung back up with a devious smile, like she plotted a heist. "Better question..." She begun which already made you and Mikasa nervous but you still listened. First, Sasha cleared her throat before she continued. "If you had to marry anyone from our Regiment, who would it be and why?" Her grin was wider than before, then she burst into laughter after she saw the mortified look on Mikasa's face. "Mikasa's first since she didn't answer the last question!" Sasha shouted and leaned closer to the raven girl. "I-I... I um... uh..." She was miraculously saved by Armin who pulled on her arm to join him and Eren. "Come on, Mikasa!" The blonde dragged her away.

Sasha let her go without a fuss, instead she made an answer for her. "I guess we'll say Armin for Mikasa." She shrugged then turned to face you. "Your turn!" She smiled brightly, anxious to hear who you would pick. "Hmm... Commander Hange is a bit erratic..." You had to think about it for a moment. "Probably Cap'n Levi." You threw out an answer without much thought behind it.

Sasha lunged on you without warning, straddled over your body as you laid on the floor. "Cap-Captain Levi?!" She gasped between another hiccup. Her expression was genuine shock. With a nod, she didn't allow you to continue. "Why?! Do you have a crush on him?!" She grabbed the lapels of your jacket to pull up your upper half. "Shh!" You giggled as you pressed a finger to your lips. "Oh who cares, I just wanna know why you said him!" Sasha smiled like she suddenly approved. "Hmm... I guess because he's easy to deal with. I mean, aside from the bathroom jokes he's like a cat. Doesn't make a lot of noise and stalks you from the shadows." You pondered.

Sasha was a giggling fit from your explanation since she never heard such a comparison for that serious of a person. "R-Really? I still can't believe you would marry him, though!" She fell back on top of you to then roll over and lay beside you. It took you a moment but you eventually laughed along with her once you thought about it more. "I guess I would because I could tolerate him. Sure, he's strong but my brother beat me up everyday, y'know? Plus he's tidy, isn't rowdy, and somewhat has manners. I'd say that would be good husband material." You suggested. Sasha listened intently after pausing her giggles. You seemed to have a lot of reasons for simply spitting out one of the first names you thought of.

"I'm still surprised you would even say the Captain, though." Sasha turned her head to face the side of yours. You stared at the ceiling of the tent with heavy eyes from all the drinks you had. Not much went through your mind, nothing made real sense nor had real reasons. "Well, you said "If I had to." So, if I had to, I'd marry him. If I had to." You reiterated to make it clear that you weren't all that serious. "Suit yourself. You need someone with more personality, though." Sasha stated. "Maybe that's why I like him?" You hummed. "You like him?" The other girl pushed herself up to stare down at you, dumbfounded. "You know what I mean!" You rolled your eyes with a chortle.

"You don't laugh a lot but you should. I like hearing it." The brunette grinned as she laid back down to stretch her arms over her head. "Haven't had many reasons to, I guess." You mumbled to mostly yourself as your eyes shifted down a bit. You didn't want to welcome back the negative thoughts and memories.

"Hey, you still need to take a turn. Who would you marry?" You eventually tilted your head Sasha's direction, then rested your hands on your full stomach. "Nicolo so he can cook for me for the rest of my life." She stated without hesitation. "He's not even in the Scouts!" You retorted as laughter bubbled out of you which shook your hands. "Dammit! You're right..." She sighed and covered her face, then thought for a second. "Can I say you, then?" She unveiled her face to glance at you. "That's fine." You hummed and sat up to finish the last few drops of your drink.

You definitely forgot everything about that night after that point. The boys had swarmed you and Sasha again to dance, throwing your bodies around without a care in the world. Throughout the night, you had lost your jacket and one of your socks but you weren't worried. They weren't important. As the alcohol ran low and people grew tired and passed out, your own energy drained. You fell asleep on your back/side/stomach near Jean and Conny, trousers unbuttoned due to the restriction it had on your gut. Sasha had fallen asleep on the other side of the tent closer to Mikasa, Eren, and Armin. The last thing you recalled doing was using Jean's shin as a pillow, even if it was incredibly uncomfortable. Your drunk self didn't mind.
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The next morning, you were abruptly woken up by Captain Levi who had entered the tent and barked orders at everyone. Something along the lines of "Get your drunk, lazy asses up." You didn't pay much attention since your ears buzzed due to a bad headache. You were hungover along with everyone else. You heard someone throwing up sometime during the night but you were too tired to see who it was. You were relieved you didn't have the same fate.

Captain Levi continued his demands until you all got up to fish for your belongings. You had to attend some meeting back in town regarding Subjects of Ymir. You hardly understood since you were still waking up and trying to comprehend where your missing jacket and sock were. Nothing else really mattered in that moment besides those two things.

You hardly remembered a thing from the previous night. You only remembered coming to a tent after a man invited your squad to dinner. Everything after that was a blur. Next thing you knew, you were awake, just barely. It took you awhile to gather your bearings and search for your discarded garments. Fortunately, they were still in the tent, just scattered on opposite ends.

Once you were collected, you went to leave the tent where Captain Levi was stood waiting for the rest of his squad. As soon as you exited to put your boots back on, the man muttered "I bet you saw a hangover in your future." He commented in a monotone which made you purse your lips. "You're funny." You remarked in the same tone. The slightly amused male refused to make eye contact with your sluggish state, like he was repulsed but he secretly enjoyed your misery.

Once at the building, you were sat on Conny's right in an auditorium to watch a man at the front of the room who gave a speech. The volume of his voice irritated your headache, as it made it far worse. You were never/usually good with headaches but that one was no joke compared to others you've had in the past.

I was ruthless last night.

To distract yourself from the headache, you had brought your journal to write about your experience in Marley so far. You had tried to mention everything you remembered which meant you skimmed over the party you had since you forgot everything about it. You couldn't wait to go home and tell Katsumi about it.

"We seek to aid refugee Subjects of Ymir scattered across the world! They are not Eldians, nor do they believe in the Empire's dangerous ideologies! They're the tragic victims of the Eldian Empire's forced interbreeding! Its the detestable island devils we should hate! Hate the devils who fled to the island 100 years ago! Those island devils are our true enemy!" The grey-haired man shouted for the whole audience to hear. Claps erupted in the large room, some people stood to applaud. It made your head throb even more but that was your own fault for drinking so much. However, you at least experienced a normal night with your friends without having to worry about the end of the world for once. You would have done anything for another night like that. Especially since it was one of the last times your whole squad was together.

Flashback End

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Words: 5,258

11/28/22
Hello!!! I'm so happy to publish this chapter, its been awhile! I've been looking forward to writing this flashback of the characters going to Marley for the first time. Some happy times to take a break from all the tragedy this story and show goes through :')

I hope you all enjoyed reading! The next chapter will take awhile since we're still waiting on the final final part of the series (cries) since I write based on the show. That's all for now! Have a wonderful day/night!

~AlpineBreadStick