Hange bites her tongue, considering it for a moment.
She's felt freer sharing some things since her death, and Bill's graduation. She has full confidence in her ex-inmate being able to help solve some of these problems. So...
"I sure hope you're telling the truth... after all, I don't want to be lumbering around here, eating people alive..."
"We didn't know, for a long time. That was another thing we learned."
Hange shifts her gaze back to Sawney and Bean. If they were people, there's little evidence of anything left of them now.
"The humanoid forms... the fixation on eating humans above all other forms of life... I had my suspicions, but no proof. And how it happens is still confusing. The legend passed to me is that long ago, a human came into contact with a being known as 'the source of all life', and thereby became the first titan shifter. A human who consumed titan serum, purified from titan shifter's blood, becomes a pure blooded titan - mindless, like these. A pureblood titan becomes a titan shifter from devouring the spinal cord and cord blood of a titan shifter."
He gives them another long look, trying to imagine them as people, as what they were, but all he sees are the strange proportions and odd expressions. "Okay, okay. Yeah, that's clear as mud."
For a moment, he tries to spread it out in his mind. "So what's a shifter? And you said these were smaller? What causes that? The variations in size?"
"No idea. And a titan shifter is a human... with a titan form. Spill their blood, and the body closes around them. The human shape is held in the nape, like the pit in the peach. It was with the power of the shifters that my people held their empire for two thousand years, and why we're despised today."
"So the whole world knew but your whole - people. And then no one told you and threw you behind walls. And just hoped that you'd all kill each other or die out?"
3DMG users do not go around swords out. The blades actually detach from the hilts, and the hilts are what gets carried; Hange swings her arms back and forth.
"And there's more. More and more. My world is a mess, and it's full of problems, and just when you slice down one problem, like killing a hydra, two more grow to replace it. I have two deals under my belt, and with those I hope I will avert the worst. But there's almost innumerable injustices I could choose to correct..."
He steps back. "Well, might want to try an easier case next month," he says, eyeing her warily because the talk of deals and such goes back to wardening and the Barge and everything else he had conveniently been able to forget about.
"Walk around is just fine. I think I've seen what I need to of them." Because now that he knows what they are, he's not sure seeing them wild, seeing them loose, is going to do much else for him.
"Since you're not willing to cut your losses just yet..." He steps close, willing to follow. "So what do you know about me?"
"These are just little guys." A hint of levity. "Are you suuuuuure? You don't want to see a ten-meter? Fifteen-meter? Or the tactical gear...?"
She'll lead the way out of their little enclosure, though.
In a hero town, the walls are especially close, visible from just about every point except where the wooden buildings around might stand tall enough to shield them from the sight. The outer wall of the town has a clear horseshoe shape, and curves sharply back around to meet with the main wall, with its less extreme curve.
"Not a lot, anyway. I don't have your file, and I didn't get a lot of personal details."
More emotion than logic, Warren said, but she won't pass that on.
"Yeah, I don't really get excited about things that were human once but now kind of aren't," he tells her softly, a far cry from the biting sarcasm or complaints from before. It's a genuine sort of aversion. Lovelace had been an exception, but he knew her first.
"And if you know his story, then you know mine. Mostly. Not much more a file is going to tell you."
He keeps his eyes up, still feeling small beneath the walls, but at least he knows what to expect this time.
"You know...enticing me with tactical gear seems like cheating..."
"How's your baseline physical strength? It requires great all-over condition to use the gear effectively. And can you ride? A horse is ideal for combat on the tactical gear, because when you leave it, properly bonded, it will keep on going your way as you move."
"Well, we can do further conditioning if you need it, and riding lessons can take place alongside at least the preliminary parts of tactical gear training. Scout horses are the best in all words, lucky for you."
Scouts have close bonds with their horses and Hange is no exception.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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She's felt freer sharing some things since her death, and Bill's graduation. She has full confidence in her ex-inmate being able to help solve some of these problems. So...
"I sure hope you're telling the truth... after all, I don't want to be lumbering around here, eating people alive..."
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Hange shifts her gaze back to Sawney and Bean. If they were people, there's little evidence of anything left of them now.
"The humanoid forms... the fixation on eating humans above all other forms of life... I had my suspicions, but no proof. And how it happens is still confusing. The legend passed to me is that long ago, a human came into contact with a being known as 'the source of all life', and thereby became the first titan shifter. A human who consumed titan serum, purified from titan shifter's blood, becomes a pure blooded titan - mindless, like these. A pureblood titan becomes a titan shifter from devouring the spinal cord and cord blood of a titan shifter."
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He gives them another long look, trying to imagine them as people, as what they were, but all he sees are the strange proportions and odd expressions. "Okay, okay. Yeah, that's clear as mud."
For a moment, he tries to spread it out in his mind. "So what's a shifter? And you said these were smaller? What causes that? The variations in size?"
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He raises a brow. "Or am I completely off base?"
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3DMG users do not go around swords out. The blades actually detach from the hilts, and the hilts are what gets carried; Hange swings her arms back and forth.
"And there's more. More and more. My world is a mess, and it's full of problems, and just when you slice down one problem, like killing a hydra, two more grow to replace it. I have two deals under my belt, and with those I hope I will avert the worst. But there's almost innumerable injustices I could choose to correct..."
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He steps back. "Well, might want to try an easier case next month," he says, eyeing her warily because the talk of deals and such goes back to wardening and the Barge and everything else he had conveniently been able to forget about.
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"You want to walk around? We're in a hero town. Or we can go see wild ones... in the woods..."
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"Since you're not willing to cut your losses just yet..." He steps close, willing to follow. "So what do you know about me?"
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She'll lead the way out of their little enclosure, though.
In a hero town, the walls are especially close, visible from just about every point except where the wooden buildings around might stand tall enough to shield them from the sight. The outer wall of the town has a clear horseshoe shape, and curves sharply back around to meet with the main wall, with its less extreme curve.
"Not a lot, anyway. I don't have your file, and I didn't get a lot of personal details."
More emotion than logic, Warren said, but she won't pass that on.
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"And if you know his story, then you know mine. Mostly. Not much more a file is going to tell you."
He keeps his eyes up, still feeling small beneath the walls, but at least he knows what to expect this time.
"You know...enticing me with tactical gear seems like cheating..."
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"Is that what you call using the tactical advantages at your disposal?"
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"No," he eventually decides. "It's still what I call cheating."
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"Call me a cheater then! Any kind of place you're interested in seeing?"
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A lot more interest. Even if it is cheating.
"Yeah. That would be alright."
His tone is more eager than his words might imply.
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Satisfaction.
"How's your baseline physical strength? It requires great all-over condition to use the gear effectively. And can you ride? A horse is ideal for combat on the tactical gear, because when you leave it, properly bonded, it will keep on going your way as you move."
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How hard can it be, honestly?
But he is, if possible, even more intrigued by this.
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Scouts have close bonds with their horses and Hange is no exception.
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"And how often are you thinking that we're going to be doing this?"
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So he sighs.
"Alright, alright. You got me there."
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handwave?
Done and done!
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