He gives her a brief and frankly baffled sort of look when she brandishes the book at him, but staring at his Squad Leader soon takes a backseat to frowning down at what she'd brought with her. It sinks into a more curious sort of surprise, and he reaches quickly and reflexively out to take the book from her.
Even if he can't read the words (can he? does the CDC sell books translated into shingekese we just don't know) the pictures speak loudly for themselves. He can't follow Hange's train of thought, the reasoning that went into the purchase. (Armin's old heretic books had illustrations, woodcut prints, sketchy black and white ideas of what they might see beyond the walls. This is very different.) But he holds it strangely carefully, even if his fingers pull tight on the cover at first.]
What is it?
[He doesn't even look back up at her to ask, too busy balancing it to flip open the first pages.]
[Eren doesn't exactly make it a secret that he wants to see what the world is like outside of the walls, though it isn't exactly a rare dream among the Survey Corps. To be honest, she was half tempted to keep it herself, but she's well aware that she has plenty of books to tide her over; might as well spread the wealth to those who deserve it.]
It's about a photographer's recollections on the stunning sights of his own world. The pictures themselves are mesmerizing enough—I never would've been able to imagine those natural creations myself—but it's obvious he's also tying it to human emotions.
[For someone who was obsessed with the facts, the book was plenty fascinating on its own.]
It's pretty inspirational. I thought you'd enjoy it.
[She's talking. And he's listening, but mostly he's looking, searching, finding out for himself. Engrossed in the book in the seconds it's taken him to take it from her, flipping pages steadily and reverently while she explains. (They're images. Bright and crisp and captured stills of the things Armin had taught him to dream about. Of things he hadn't begun to think were possible, even with the heretic books of his childhood. It's easy to imagine it as impossibly vast and alien and untouchable even from here. It's not their world, but there are familiar enough things trapped in the photographs to make you wonder if it could be.)
It monopolizes his attention so much that it takes him a few seconds too long to realize that Hange has finished and waiting for a response. A few seconds longer to collect himself enough to trust his voice.]
Thank you, ma'am. [And it's mostly steady but it still sounds a little thicker than usual. His throat works, he blinks hard a few times before raising his head from the pages.] For showing me.
[It is not an uncommon dream, in the Survey Corps, to wish for freedom. There are few who would be crazy enough to enlist in their ranks without a dream like that. And they haven't gotten there yet, even as far beyond the walls as they are, now. They're still fighting. And as reminders go...it's not such a bad one.]
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no subject
He gives her a brief and frankly baffled sort of look when she brandishes the book at him, but staring at his Squad Leader soon takes a backseat to frowning down at what she'd brought with her. It sinks into a more curious sort of surprise, and he reaches quickly and reflexively out to take the book from her.
Even if he can't read the words (can he? does the CDC sell books translated into shingekese we just don't know) the pictures speak loudly for themselves. He can't follow Hange's train of thought, the reasoning that went into the purchase. (Armin's old heretic books had illustrations, woodcut prints, sketchy black and white ideas of what they might see beyond the walls. This is very different.) But he holds it strangely carefully, even if his fingers pull tight on the cover at first.]
What is it?
[He doesn't even look back up at her to ask, too busy balancing it to flip open the first pages.]
no subject
It's about a photographer's recollections on the stunning sights of his own world. The pictures themselves are mesmerizing enough—I never would've been able to imagine those natural creations myself—but it's obvious he's also tying it to human emotions.
[For someone who was obsessed with the facts, the book was plenty fascinating on its own.]
It's pretty inspirational. I thought you'd enjoy it.
no subject
It monopolizes his attention so much that it takes him a few seconds too long to realize that Hange has finished and waiting for a response. A few seconds longer to collect himself enough to trust his voice.]
Thank you, ma'am. [And it's mostly steady but it still sounds a little thicker than usual. His throat works, he blinks hard a few times before raising his head from the pages.] For showing me.
[It is not an uncommon dream, in the Survey Corps, to wish for freedom. There are few who would be crazy enough to enlist in their ranks without a dream like that. And they haven't gotten there yet, even as far beyond the walls as they are, now. They're still fighting. And as reminders go...it's not such a bad one.]