Chapter 2 (page 33)

Story begins in year 850

 

Chapter 3:

 

[some guy: i wish i was part of the top 10 like you guys! I'd be surprised if you didn't join the police anyway.]

Jean: Huuh? Of course. Why do you think I aimed for the top 10 at all?

[Marco: Me too. That's where I'm headed. An opportunity to work close to the king… such an honor!!]

Jean: Going all Einstein (???? does he know what einstein means) on us again, Marco? Tell 'em the real reason. Wanna live in the inner walls, don't you?

WE CAN ESCAPE THE STINKHOLE THAT IS THE OUTER TOWN AT LAST!! IN THE INNER DISTRICT, A LIFE OF PEACE AND COMFORT AWAITS US!!

[MARCO: hey man show some decency]

JEAN: Ah, my bad. Sorry about that. My fault. Mister honor student. BUT WHAT WOULD YOU GUYS DO? WE WON'T HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO LIVE THERE ANYTIME SOON! STILL, ARE YOU FOLKS STAYING HERE FOR THE GLORY OF BEING "HUMANITY'S FORTRESS" OR WHATEVER THE NAME IS?

 

[everyone: no…….. our lives suck….]

JEAN: Thought so. Everyone would like to move to the inner quarters. So… what about you guys?

(asks bertholdt and annie this and annie very clearly doesn't like him)

 

[Eren calls him stupid]

 

JEAN: Unless I'm mistaken, Eren. You're calling me a half-wit? Well, you're wrong about that… I'm a realist. The biggest one out there. Four years ago, we invested half our population into a general offensive. Half of the entire human race… out to recover the territory we'd lost…and most of those people earned an instant one-way ticket to the Titan's stomachs. How many more would it have taken to reconquer our lost land? It takes 30 human deaths on average to fell one of them. But the titans control this land, and they aren't content to number a measly 1/30th of the human population. Doesn't take a genius to figure it out. For humanity… there is no such thing as achieving victory against the titans. 

 

[sigh]

See… now we've pulled an all-nighter by your fault (???).

[eren blahblah you're lame]

Huh? Have you been listening? 

[EREN: I did hear something about you giving up because you thought you couldn't win. TALKS ABOUT HOW HE THINKS THEY NEED TO FACE REALITY AND KILL TITANS YEAH!!]

Hah! If only you could hear yourself! And you call me a half-wit?!

Look around! Not a single soul is agreeing with you on this! 

[EREN GO TO THE INNER DISTRICT YOU COWARD]

Oh, I do intend to go, but what about you? You do plan on going outside the walls, right? Go for it, then. Your beloved titans are waiting for you. 

[and then they punch each other and start fighting]

YO! EREN! WHAT'S THE MATTER? IF YOU'RE HAVING TROUBLE AGAINST A HUMAN LIKE ME THE TITANS WON'T EVEN NOTICE WHEN THEY SQUASH YOU!!

 

[Franz aka the First Redshirt: Let's leave it at that, Jean. Before the instructor gets involved.]

JEAN: You can't stop me, Man! It's just a little performance for our farewell party!

[Franz yeah ok well stop meanwhile eden gets picked up by mikasa and WOW JEAN ARE YOU JEALOUS OF THAT]

JEAN: You're a lucky man, Eren!! That's it! Have Mikasa Haul you around like a baby!! Surely you also intend to drag her down with you into the Scouting Legion!

 

CHAPTER 4(??) maybe 5

 

JEAN: uUHHhhghghH. Why today?! I would have been gone to the inner district by tomorrow!

 

CHAPTER 7: 

We do nothing… They've rung the withdrawal signal at last… yet here we are, out of gas and unable to climb the wall. Now we're all gonna die, we are. All of us. Because of those filthy cowards. They've lost the will to fight? That I can understand, but still. Calling off the supplying mission, effectively hanging us out to dry so they could barricade themselves at the HQ? That's just wrong… And of course, the titans come swarming in, and we can't even go replenish our stocks of gas. 

 

[Connie: WHATEVER WE NEED TO ATTACK ANYWAY BECAUSE THEY'VE GOT THE GAS!!]

You're using your head for a change, Connie. However…Do you really think we can make a difference given our current manpower? Most of our senpai from the front guard have been slaughtered… we trainees are all that's left, so who's gonna take charge of this suicide mission exactly? Oh, well. Even if we do find a leader, there's not much we can do about those titans anyway… I'm betting the 3-4 meters classes have infested the supplies room already. And there's no way we can properly operate in those conditions, natch. 

What sucky lives we've had. 

We might as well go for it, then. Or so I should say…

 

[after mikasa's speech]

If there's one thing to deplore here, it's your oratory skills. Those harsh words were meant to shock us into action…

Eren… this is all your fault. 

HEY! I DON'T BELIEVE LEAVING A COMRADE TO FIGHT ALL ON HER OWN WAS EVER PART OF OUR FORMATION! COME ON FOLKS!! OR WE'RE GONNA TURN OUT TO BE SPINELESS COWARDS ALRIGHT!!

 

Hurry! Keep tailing Mikasa! The battle will be brief but decisive! We need to make it to headquarters before we run out of gas! 

 

CHAPTER 8:

[thinking: It's no use… We can't even so much as get close to the HQ… not unless we're ready to make some sacrifices…. Crap! He's run out of gas!]

(others rush in and try to help the guy about to get eaten)

JEAN: HOLD IT! IT'S TOO LATE FOR THAT! 

(stares in shock while they get eaten before snapping back into action)

NOW! HEAD STRAIGHT INTO THE HQ NOW WHILE THE TITANS ARE OCCUPIED ELSEWHERE! IT'S A SMALL WINDOW OF OPPORTUNITY, LET'S TAKE IT!!

It's over as soon as you run out of gas anyway! Everybody charge in! 

(having safely made it into the HQ)

How many of us made it in safely…? I've utilized the deaths of our comrades… How many people… died on my signal? 

Y-you… You're from the supplying team… that's you, right?!

[punches them, marco pulls him back]

IT'S THEIR DAMN FAULT!! THEY FUCKING HUNG US OUT TO DRY!! SO MANY PEOPLE DIED POINTLESSLY BY YOUR FAULT, YOU ASSHOLE!!

[but we couldn't do anything there were titans!!] 

YOU SHOULD HAVE WORKED OUT SOMETHING, IT'S PART OF THE JOB DESCRIPTION!!

[thinking: bloody hell… too many people gathered in one spot. 

It's only normal… guess it's time for a reality check…What kind of illusion or dream was I living in? This is reality, and I should have known better. It's easy to understand when you think of it normally. We can't possibly expect to win against anything that big…

[titan!eren punches the titans jean was staring at] 

Huh? What the… what was that? 

[mikasa and co crash through windows] 

You're… You're alive?!

Relying on a titan for help? That wouldn't sound out of place inside a dream…

 

CHAPTER 9:

There! We've found the material under the police's control. There's dust just about everywhere, though. Can we really fire out bullets with those guns? Are guns even all that useful…? Do they make any difference against the titans in the first place?

Yeah, forget about the size. We'll work out way from the head down to the neck. 

[reiner says let's shove swords up their ass] 

Reiner… these might be your last words, you know. 

THEY'RE ALL DOWN FOR THE COUNT!! NOW TO GO RESTOCK ON SUPPLIES!

[reiner wants to save titan!eren] 

Reiner are you out of your mind?! We've just barely stuck our necks out of the water! 

[annie says it might turn out an ally] 

An ally?! Are you talking seriously?!

[after titan!eren kills a bunch of people] 

Who is it you wanted to save again?

It's no biggie, now is it? We're off! There's no way we can make an ally of such a freak. A titan remains a titan. Hey there…

 

[SURPRISE EREN IS THE TITAN!!]

That means… all of this was Eren's doing, right?

 

 

CHAPTER 11:

[Connie: Hey, Jean. Where's Mikasa?]

That's confidential stuff. We're forbidden to tell. Though, I'm not so sure how well that whole secrecy thing will work out…

[confidential? what's that about?]

It's not the kind of thing you can keep under wraps. I expect before long all of humanity will know…

Assuming there's still a human race to speak of…

[Jean, Reiner, Bertholdt and annie hear the canon and go up to see Eren's half-titan transformation]

 

CHAPTER 12:

[witnesses a possible dissenter trying to dissent. says he'll run away.]

JEAN: Get away? Where to? 

[i'll go to my daughter!!]

[pixis comes up and says they're going to stopper the hole in the wall and eren's going to close it with his titan powers]

 

CHAPTER 15:

[FLASHBACK CHAPTER] 

(commander: who the hell are you?!)

Jean Kirschstein, sir! From the Trost District! 

(commander: what do you want?)

To enter the military police and live in the inner district, sir. 

(he gets head butted and then yelled at)

 

LATER WITH EREN IN THE MESS HALL:

(eren: blah blah i wanna join the scouting legion they're great i'm a giant dweeb)

Hello? Are you insane? Did you say something about joining the scouting legion? 

(eden: yeah… you're the jerk who wants to be fat and lazy, right?)

Honest is what I am. A lot more than some guy who puts on a brave facade even while deep down he's pissing his pants, anyway. 

[Listen to yourself. Think you're smart, eh? You talking about me, Mister Smartypants?]

Oh. My bad. I have that bad habit of always speaking what's on my mind. Never meant to upset you. [AHUH SURE JEAN]

I don't mean to dismiss your opinions. What everyone does with their lives is their own business. 

[wow totally forgive you!! says eren] 

Sure. Let's forget about it and be friends, okay? 

[AND THEN MIKASA PASSES]

He-hey, you!

Er… ahem… uh… Never saw anyone who looked like you before… ah… dang it….

Sorry. You have beautiful black hair… 

[thanks]

[THEN EREN TELLS HER TO CUT IT REALLY JEAN he smacks connie]

(Connie: What was that for?? What the heck have you wiped here?)

My trust… in others/ My faith in humanity…

 

CHAPTER 16:

[after it's shown eden can't 3d maneuver: can you help me??] 

Me on the contrary, I wouldn't mind taking a few lessons… in the art of not going bonkers after being caught in such an embarrassing position. 

 

LATER BOASTING LIKE A DICK IN THE MESSHALL

At this point, you breathe out forcefully, just for a second. Then you make use of the inertia, and you can get away with a minimal energy expenditure. Well… it's not the sort of thing that can be done by just anyone, though. 

Okay, I know I'm good at that maneuver thing… but don't go about advertising it too much. I could do without all the extra rivals. 

[EREN: hey, jean] 

What is it, Eren? 

[EREN: Tell me, don't you find it funny? Honing your Titan-killing techniques in order to get as far away from them as possible, I mean.]

Yeah, you're probably right. But that's the way it works, so you gotta deal with it. The same silliness applies to all. Even a guy like me. 

[EREN: YOU SLIMY PIECE OF SHIT!] 

DON'T GET ALL BUTTHURT OVER YOUR OWN LACK OF TALENT! 

[EREN: how are we supposed to defeat titans with all the competent people locked up inside!!] 

Don't ask me, I wouldn't know… I mean… [SEES MIKASA LOOK AT EREN ALL CONCERNED.]

DON'T FUCK WITH ME, YOU LITTLE BITCH! DICK!

[EREN: DON'T PULL SO HARD ON MY CLOTHES! YOU'RE GONNA RUIN THEM, DAMMIT!]

YOUR CLOTHES?! WHO GIVES A CRAP?! I'D KILL JUST TO BE IN YOUR SHOES! 

[EREN: What are you talking about? I suggest you cut the crap now…] 

[jean gets flipped and humiliated that's what you get butt]

Ouch! That hurt! 

YOU PRICK! WHAT WAS THAT ABOUT?!

[EREN: This trick I just used… is a martial art move I went through hell to pick up while you were out there chilling. A life of a life spent in indolence. Following your every whim. That's your idea of reality? And yet, somehow, you still dare call yourself a soldier?]

What do you call a soldier then?

[EREN: that was a close call, Jean. A little bit more and that petty scuffle would have cost you your place in the police force.] 

Can't say I'm happy, though. We'll never settle the score at this rate. But I can't get into a fight as long as I'm part of this establishment. 

[EREN: I know a good way we can sort this out. We do have opportunities to trade blows openly, do we not? I look forward to being able to rip you a new one.]

 

LATER IN TITAN-KILLING TRAINING

[thinking: Dammit! Annie and Bertholdt again. Forget about cutting deep, I just can't compete. Gotta spot the titans first and score points that way. If I don't make it into the police, no one will!]

 

JEAN KIRSCHSTEIN, HIGHLY COMPETENT AT THE THREE DIMENSIONAL MANUEVER, AND HIGHLY SKILLY AT USING IT EFFICIENTLY. HE'S ALSO GOOD AT ASSERTING HIS SITUATION AT ANY GIVEN TIME, BUT IS FAR TOO PROMPT TO UNSHEATHE HIS SWORD. HE IS ALSO PRONE TO SPARK CONFLICTS. 

 

[thinking: here it is. Not it's my turn to… Connie!! Asshole…]

DAMMIT! GO FOLLOW SOMEONE ELSE!

That was low, Folks. I'd spotted that target before you, I did… 

[Sasha and Connie say it was his fault for having his prey stolen]

Sheesh, your logic of hunting yokels makes no sense to me! 

The battle planification trainee's squad in Trost, huh? Count me in with Marco, then. I could use the good luck. I don't wanna be in the same squad as some pointlessly suicidal asshole. I wouldn't survive 10 seconds. 

[EREN: Wait a minute… you talking about someone in particular?] 

Make a guess. I'm sure you can find who I mean. 

[SASHA: Here we go again. Jean and his roundabout declarations of love…]

Can it, Potato girl. 

[CONNIE: Hey, Jean? I don't think there's anyone out there who goes by the same "some suicidal asshole"?]

… You shut up too, Connie. Ugh, I'm tired… 

[MARCO: I think you'd make a better leader, Jean.]

Me? You can't be serious. Courage ain't no quality of mine. What makes you think that? 

[MARCO: Don't take this the wrong way… but you…]

 

[jean finds marco's body]

… Hey. Marco… is that… you? T

[random lady: Trainee. Do you know his name?]

I thought I hadn't seen much of him… But… him of all people… that is just insane. Marco… what happened? So… somebody? Anybody…? Anyone who saw his last moments…

[Do you know his name? If so, I could use a prompt answer. … You need to understand, trainee. It's been two djkLF WHATEVER WE NEED TO GET HIS NAME AND CLEAR THE BODY]

104th Trainee's Corps. Leader of… the 19th Squad. Marco Bodt…

 

 

at the burning of the bodies:

 

[thinking: Everybody's having second thoughts. If we'd known what kind of hell was awaiting us, we wouldn't have chosen to become soldiers. Exhausted and broken as we are now… nothing else comes to mind. Hey… Marco. Say… which one of those bones was yours again…? I can't remember… If only I hadn't become a soldier… If only I hadn't met you guys… I would've gotten away without having to worry about who's next…]

(memory of eden: You're not even going to improve your combat skills? You'll make a great titan snack, you will.)

[thinking: Bitch, I didn't want to hear it from you, but still… I've learned my lesson. Gotta fight. There's no way around it… But… even then, I'm not gonna turn into a dumbass like you… Everyone is not… strong like you…]

(memory of marco: Don't take this the wrong way… but you… You're not exactly what I'd call strong. So you're well-placed to understand what the weak feel like. 

Jean: What the hell?

Marco: It makes you adept at judging any situation with accuracy. So you know exactly what to do at all times. Know what I'm saying? Well… I'm about the same myself, you see. You could say most people are quite weak. So any order given by someone with whom all can see eye to eye… will ring true no matter what kind of mess you're in.)

What now… what is… to be done?

Hey… guys…

We're still supposed to choose what branch to serve in. Have you picked one yet?

I've made my decision. I will… I will… enlist into the Scouting Legion. 

 

CHAPTER 21:

[sasha asks why he suddenly switched to the scouting legion]

Huh? Obviously, I'm still not exactly fond of the scouts. It's not like I'm joining the scouts 'cause I've no fear of titans. And you won't hear things like 'if you're a capable soldier, you have responsibility to join the scouting legion' from me, either. Listen you guys, I'll repeat this again: Don't lump me together with dumbasses like Eren who's eager to rush to their death, got it?

And it's not like… I gave into someone's persuasion to put my life of the line. In this line of work you can't get along without making decisions for yourself. 

 

[elvin makes his speech and people start leaving]

(thinking: Shit… Please. Enough, I beg you. Please, don't… Don't make me hate myself even more… If… If I don't leave this place now… I will have to face them again… We already know… we've already seen… Titans…)

Ah… shit… this is the worst… Dammit all… I'm really a dang scout now…

 

CHAPTER 22:

 

[EREN: So that means that the only ones to join the Military Police were Annie, Marco and Jean? And the rest went to the stationary troops then…]

Marco is dead.

[EREN: JEAN?! What are you doing here?! Ah, wait what? Just now… What did you say just now? That Marco is… Dead? I haven't misheard you, have I…?] 

Not everyone can go out with a bang. No one has any idea what kind of end he met… he didn't get a chance to use his 3D maneuver gear either… He died in some place where no one saw him and no one knew. Eren. I hear you tried to kill Mikasa when you transformed into a titan. What the hell's with that, huh?

[MIKASA: He didn't try to kill me. He just wanted to swat a fly.] 

You're not the one I'm asking. Mikasa, that wound on your face is pretty deep, no? When did you get that? 

[EREN: Seems like it's true about me trying to kill Mikasa after I transformed…]

"Seems like"? So you have no memories of that? In other words, what we have is that you had no idea you've got that 'titan power' up until just recently, and you have no means to keep it under control. 

[EREN: Yes… that sounds about right.]

You heard, guys? That's what the present situation is, it seems. That's what our lives and humankind's fate depend on. That's what we'll die for, like Marco, while Eren won't even know we're dead.

[MIKASA: Jean… What exactly are you trying to accomplish by abasing Eren here and now?]

Look, Mikasa, not everyone here can just go die for Eren without getting anything in return like you, you know. Both we and Eren need to know what we'll be giving up our lives for. If we don't, we might start hesitating at the most crucial moment. We're seeking a kind of collateral from Eren. Please, make sure to be very precise when weighing the worth of your own life against that of all those sacrificed for it. That's what I'm… really asking of you… please! 

 

CHAPTER 23:

 

Looks like we've partly lost the lookouts of the right flank! All of a sudden a lot of titans showed up! I have no idea why, though! There're quite a few among them that can run fast! They're being held back somehow as we speak, but the enemy detection is no longer possible! Chaos is spreading, but if push really comes to shove we're all, to the last one, gonna get wiped out! 

[ARMIN: as unbelievable as it sounds, but could it be that it was her who gathered and brought titans here?!]

'Her'? What the hell is a titan doing there? Is that one the deviant class? 

[ARMIN: no it's as titan as eren fuckers]

What are you saying?!

[armin explains]

Armin! We don't have time to mull over things right now! If the leading party commands retreat once they see the signal, the formation might be able to avoid the titans on our right flank… however… If that female type is really as dangerous a threat as the Colossal and the Armored classes, we have no way to communicate info this complex with simple smoke signals. And if she manages to crush the leading party before the right flank's distress signal makes it to where they can see it, the formation will break down and everyone will get murdered. 

[Reiner: what are you getting at?]

To put it simply at this distance we still might be able to draw her attention to us. We still can buy some time till the signal to retreat is given… probably. Something like that anyway…

[ARMIN: She actually has intelligence you know… from her point of view, we're literally nothing more than flies… she can crush us just by swatting… ]

Seriously… ha-ha… Now that's just downright terrifying, huh… 

[REINER: Hey you… are you really Jean? The Jean I know is the kind of guy who thinks only about himself, not others.]

That was rude, seriously… I just… really don't wanna meet a disappointing end, with someone burning my bones without even knowing who they belonged to. 

-I… I KNOW WHAT I MUST DO RIGHT NOW! THAT'S THE JOB WE CHOSE! SO GIMME A HAND GUYS! 

[ARMIN tells them to pull up their hoods so they won't know which one's eren]

Armin… you know, I thought that the way you're all over Eren was gross… but at the same time I also considered you a capable fella. 

Now listen, guys. From now on you gotta listen to me and do what I say. 

(thinking: Guys, do what we've agreed upon… Draw her attention even if for a little while… Do your best so the formation has time to withdraw… Slow her down for as long as you can. Cutting he tendons in her legs would be more than enough. Just please, don't be too reckless. She's not someone one can ask you to bring down…)

ARMIN! Ugh (thinking: She's…!! Precision of her movement isn't what your typical titan can ever have!! Of course! I shoulda guessed that much…! 'Cause it's the human thought and reason that control this Titan's body! She knows all too well what she's doing!)

Whoa! (thinking: She protected the nape of her neck?! Damn! I can't escape from her now! And I won't be able to kill her either! I dodged her previous blow by pure luck, but now… It's over now! I'm gonna die! When she grabs my wire, I'll be done for! Shit! 

Shiit! 

 

[ARMIN starts shouting about some other commander who died???????? OH NO IT'S CODE FOR WHERE EREN IS?? HE'S TESTING TO SEE IF IT'S ANNIE] 

 

(about Armin; thinking: He's finally reached his limit and went postal?! Damn, not now! She suddenly froze up…? I've no idea why but that saved my life for now…)

 

[and then reiner attacks]

 

(thinking: Reiner?! What's he doing going straight for the nape?! No! That just might work! She's being preoccupied with Armin right now! If it's now, it just might…)

 

[reiner gets caught in her hands)

 

H-HEY!

AHH!

H-hey… Reiner… You can't just… 

 

[reiner grabs admin and runs]

 

(thinking: Reiner is actually something, huh… With Mikasa being the strongest, I almost forgot… that Reiner was also head and shoulders above the rest, and an excellent, reliable guy…)

 

 

 

CHAPTER 24:

 

[Jean's horse ran away from him because everything hates him]

 

(thinking: Shit… why…? Why's Reiner's horse come back but mine's nowhere to be seen…? We really shouldn't stay here any longer… In the worst case scenario one of us will have to be left behind. And if it comes down to that, how are we gonna decide on who'll have to stay? Armin, who's wounded? Or Reiner, big and heavy, so for the horse it's like carrying two people at once. Or… me, who will have to go look for my horse on foot? Damn… and the worst of all is that this is all I can think about right now! I'm a real jerk. The three of us barely escaped death just a few minutes ago, but despite that I keep having these thoughts.)

 

[reiner says it's time to think about who stays behind, admin comes up with a plan. Has Jean fire the emergency signal]

 

That's the emergency signal. I doubt we can communicate the nature of our predicament with that, though.

 

[ARMIN says he'll stay behind]

 

Just wait a sec here, Armin! 

Wait, Armin. You'll tell him what you wanted in person. Looks like somebody's coming for us… and that somebody has two spare horses with them. Isn't that… Christa! 

 

[CHRISTA BROUGHT THE HORSES! including JEan's who left him for her because she's a pretty girl]

 

Huh?! Isn't this my horse?! 

 

(thinking (about christa): goddess….)

 

We need to return to the formation fast. The withdrawal order should be given anytime now, since the leading party is in no danger from her, as she went in the direction opposite to where they are for some reason. It's hardly been even an hour since we left the wall. I'd've never thought we'd be returning after barely venturing outside. The actual prospects turned out darker than everything I could imagine… 

What…? A green signal?! But it's not the withdrawal signal… The formation is only changing the course, with the mission still continuing?!

 

CHAPTER 25:

(UP IN DA TREE WITH ARMIN BAITING THE TITANS)

This is insane… abandoning the initial plan to establish a supply root… and then, instead of admitting defeat and retreating, we're recklessly going out of our way to drop by this place to do some sightseeing… and to top it off, we're ordered to dismount, draw our swords and stand by here, stopping any titan that tries to enter the forest… that guy… he dishes out some really fucked up orders…

What's new is that we got no decent explanation whatsoever. If only he wasn't our superior, we could've just ignored him with no consequences. Well, from the looks of it, he's far from being at peace, too. I heard of cases when an unpopular commander, judged incompetent in a critical situation by his subordinates, gets stabbed form behind and dies. And these cases aren't as uncommon as it might seem. 

[ARMIN: jean are you fucking high]

Huh? 

Relax. I'm just a little pissed off about this whole mess we're stuck in, is all. And about what I'm gonna do… I'm gonna follow the order, that's what… preventing titans from entering the forest, that is. You also think that's what we should be doing, don't you, Armin? 

You have that look that says you have a clue about what's going on, you know? 

 

[5 METER CLASS APPROACHING]

In short… we just need to stop them from entering the forest, right?

No need to engage them in combat, right? 

 

CHAPTER 27:

ARMIN! WE GOTTA MOVE AWAY FROM HERE! Fucker… looks like he got the hand of climbing trees. He's gradually getting better at it. 

Say, Armin. There's something going on inside this forest right now… and I think I have a guess as to what. We've lured that female type all the way here to capture it, am I right? I I just can't think of any other reason as to why only a select few knew about the plan. In the legion there are those who try to artificially destroy the wall, am I right? 

[ARMIN: yeah, definitely there are traitors bro and other human-titans and shit]

These sounds… Indicate she fell into the trap, after all. With Eren being the bait, huh… but still. Why was the commander so sure titans would chase Eren once he left the protection of the wall? 

[ARMIN: well that's because they knew eren was a titan or something]

So, um… in other words… Among people who knew about Eren's transformation at the time, there were spies, yeah? Among those who'd been there at the time someone is a…

Even if so, I'm not satisfied. Even if there's no way of know who's the spy… I still think more people should've been let in on the real plan, you know? 

If soldiers knew about that intelligent titan beforehand, their approach to dealing with her would've been different. Take, for example, the leader of your squad and his aid… 

[ARMIN: FUCK OFF JEAN IT WAS THE RIGHT DECISION]

Huh? What wasn't wrong? Just how many scouts, do you think, have died when they could've survived, huh? 

[ARMIN: YOU'RE STUPID JEAN IT'S EASY TO CRITICIZE AFTER IT'S DONE]

 

CHAPTER 31: 

JEAN POSING AS ARMIN

 

CHAPTER 34:

after capturing annie, in the room with armin, sleeping eden and mikasa

 

So with this, it's pretty safe to assume… that at least Eren's summon to the king is cancelled, right? But that… pales in comparison to all the other things that happened. Annie really turned out to be that female type, going all titan-mode in the town, wreaking havoc. And turning herself into the sleeping beauty right after… and then… you discovered… that there are colossal type titans inside the wall, you say? 

[ARMIN: they've been standing inside the wall for at least 100 years and i think they're going to take a walk soon… all at once…] 

JEAN LAUGHS AWKWARDLY

Armin, you just made a joke, huh? You silly! Attaboy! 

[MIKASA: Jean. Not so loud.]

Ah, yes, forgot. S-sorry. 

[ARMIN: we've always been protected from titans by titans]

Is that a joke, too? Cause it sure ain't funny. 

W-well. I think I'll be going up to the surface, too. Being in this damp underground room can depress anyone… you'd better get outta here, too, guys. 

 

CHAPTER 47:

The military police, again?

[With Conny, shouting at Ymir] YMIR?! [did you get away from reiner and the others?] Where did they go?!

[YMIR EATS CHRISTA, Jean's the first to go after her] Don't just stand there! After her! 

[Mikasa: Why did Ymir…?]

I never really thought she was on our side to begin with! 

[watches reiner and co. leave with eren and christa]

 

CHAPTER 48:

 

 

CHAPTER 49:

[watching the titans eat the human titans] What is this? Is this hell? 

That's good! He finally let go. 

Oi, Mikasa?! Can't you see that they're still surrounded by titans? Speaking of… who would really discard their own life and jump headfirst into a mass of titans?! 

Mikasa!! Dammit! You bastard! Let her go! [punches a titan in the eye]

 

 

ANIME VERSION

 

EPISODE 12:

What's up with Eren? 

[Marco (why are you still alive????): Armin headed over alone. It'll probably work out.]

Probably?

[MARCO: It will. I'm sure. Eren can do it.] 

[CONNIE: I don't see the point of luring the titans to the corner of the town.]

Fighting them will only result in a battle of attrition. They're probably trying to keep deaths to a minimum right now. 

[CONNIE: So you're saying all the deaths up till now are meaningless?] 

An all-out war is inevitable. But until then, it's obvious we should minimize our losses so as to preserve our forces. The higher-ups are right. 

[CONNIE: Is that how it is?]

Of course! 

[CONNIE: Well, let's try not to become losses then. All of us.]

 

UH ADDED SCENE

[some leader telling them to watch out as they make their way to the wall to distract the titans from eren and the others BLAHBLAH WE'LL MANAGE SOMEHOW or something] 

Somehow? Isn't that a pretty unlikely scenario?

[ANNIE: Permission to act independently in a life-threatening situation?]

[KIRSTEIN'S SQUAD GO!]

Yes! 

[ANNIE: Looks like we have no choice but to think on our feet.] 
[CONNIE GETS CORNERED, Jean dISTRACTS THE TITAN BY SHOTOTING IT INOH]
No one's dying on my watch anymore! 
[THEN HIS GEAR FAILS??/>S??/]
Damn, it's failing on me now? 
[nO ANOTHER TITAN CMES WHAT]
I'LL FIGURE SOMETHING OUT! 
Damn. How can I afford to be dead weight? Will this work out somehow? 

 

ATTACK ON TITAN 11

[THAT FIGHT BEFORE PIXIS' SPEECH]
Where would you go then? 

POPULAR MUSIC
(just a handful of stuff I could find)

1920
Avalon
Margie (this version is the most popular and would have been released in 1921, but the song was made in 1920)

1921
The Sheik of Araby

1922
Bugle Call Rag (the glenn miller version would not be in-game due to being recorded in 1930)
Farewell Blues

1923
The Charleston
Tin Roof Blues

1924
Everybody Loves My Baby
Hard Hearted Hannah (The Vamp of Savannah) (this version would not be in the city, the original by frances williams would be)
How Come You Do Me Like You Do?
King Porter Stomp
Somebody Loves Me 

1925
Dinah
Squeeze Me
Sweet Georgia Brown
Tea for Two 

1926
Big Butter and Egg Man
Bye Bye Blackbird
If I Could Be With You (One Hour Tonight)
Muskrat Rumble
Sugar

1927
The Man I Love (the song was originally written in 1924, but this is the more popular version)
Riverboat Shuffle (song was originally written in 1924, but first recorded in 1927)
Deed I Do
China Boy (another popular version of this song was released in 1929, the original song was written in 1922)
Someone To Watch Over Me
Blue Skies

1928
Basin Street Blues
Crazy Rhythm 
Creole Love Call

1929
An American in Paris
If I Had You
Lover, Come Back to Me
Nagasaki
Ain't Misbehavin'
Black and Blue
Just You, Just Me (song starts around 1:56)
Mean to Me 
Rockin' Chair

FASHION:

Men's	Women's

Physical traits: There's bruising where the straps meet his body, creating a sort of broad criss-cross shaped pattern.

Basic Background: Grew up in a section frequently attacked by titans, Jean enlisted with the hopes of joining the Military Police and escaping the district to the safety of the Inner District. His decision changed upon the death of his close friend, Marco Bodt. He joined the Scouting Legion instead.

What's Okay To Mention Around Him/Her: Anything.

Abilities:

Fighting: He's got passing skills at fighting, though he's not that great at hand-to-hand.

3DMG: Probably his biggest strength is his talent with fully utilizing his 3D Maneuvering Gear. He's noted for knowing how to use it efficiently and moving skillfully with it.

player.
NAME/HANDLE: Greer
PERSONAL JOURNAL: zhopa
ARE YOU 16 OR OVER?: si senor
CONTACT: e-mail: kukuhead@live.com; aim: hurghleburlebutz; plurk: zhopa
OTHER CHARACTERS: i say thee nay


character.
CHARACTER NAME: Jean Kirstein
SERIES:
Jean
Story Arcs in the Manga
Really Awful Overview
CANON POINT: Chapter 24 in the manga, while whistling for his horse
AGE: 15
APPEARANCE: horseface

PERSONALITY:
At first glance, Jean can be a prick. He's negative, cynical, and blunt. He puts insults before his compliments, antagonizes people and is pretty blatantly selfish. It's bad enough that when he's first introduced he appears to be the stereotypical 'bully' character meant to push down the plucky (or simply angry) hero.

In truth, Jean is more complex than that. His negativity and cynicism comes from the world he lives in-a bleak, apocalyptic setting where any hopeful effort is mercilessly trampled below the ground. Factor in that he's from the outlying city of Trost, that sees frequent titan attacks, and it's really no wonder why Jean's attitude is the way it is. Whereas most of the other trainees are from deeper in the walls, Jean lived on the frontline and had to live with the thought and fear of being the next invaded territory every day. Because of this, he's much more down-to-earth than the other trainees and actively reminds them of what the real situation is.

It's only natural that Jean's practical sensibilities clash with other characters-especially when he's so vocal about it. One of his key relationships in the story is with Eren, the angry protagonist. While they eventually become begrudging friends, the two butt heads pretty badly mostly due to their polar opposite views: Eren is stupidly brave and reckless with (seemingly) little thought to the consequences of his actions and words; Jean is cautious (usually), grounded and selfish (which can be mistaken as cowardice early on in the series). To Jean, Eren's irresponsible and eager to die-something that scares him when other people get inspired by his words or follow his lead. In Jean's eyes, Eren doesn't think about the consequences and that's where most of the anger between the two of them comes from. This becomes more evident as the series progresses, culminating in a lecture Jean gives Eren that ends with him pleading with Eren to "make sure to be very precise when weighing the worth of your life over those sacrificed for it."

Additionally, Jean sees a lot of what Eren promises as empty words-which is another trait he admits to disliking. Proclaiming himself as "an honest guy", what Jean really is is blunt and straightforward. He doesn't like lying or misleading people on what might happen, often leading to him saying some pretty jerky things to his squadmates. To his credit: he gets better as the manga progresses, including the point I'm taking him from. I'll touch on why later.

A lot of Jean's selfishness comes from where he came from and the fear he's had to live with. Again, coming from an outlying town that gets frequently attacked by titans, he developed an understandable motivation to get away from all of that through entering the military police which would grant him access to the "safer" inner wall. This is why he enters the 104th Trainee squad and pushes himself to be in the top ten graduates of the squad (only the top ten are allowed to go into the military police). It's also why he seems lazy or cowardly when talking to people like Eren, who is constantly pushing himself. Jean only pushes himself when he has to, at least at the beginning.

As I've stated repeatedly, Jean goes through a lot of development throughout the manga and almost all of it is caused by the characters he's surrounding with. The most important would be his closest friend, Marco Bodt, but the first instance of him developing because of someone he knows is actually with Mikasa Ackerman.

Jean starts off with a really shallow attachment to Mikasa based solely on her looks but as they both mature and, specifically when they go on their first mission, it becomes something deeper: an admiration. At the very least, he finds her inspiring, seeing as how-after she gave a speech and charged off-he made the rallying cry to back her up. It's the first time in the manga he gets over his instinctive impulse to cower and actually do something.

Leading the charge leads him to his first confrontation with death. It's the first step to him snapping out of the little delusional world he's built where Other People die but no one close to him. For the first time, he has to watch and accept the responsibility of his own squadmates' deaths, since they moved under his order. Additionally, he has to accept that burden and move on, even taking advantage of it in some aspects. All of this he does, showing that not only can he swallow his fears and be brave, but also that he can maintain a (relatively) level head in the midst of horror and chaos and make quick decisions in harsh situations.

The latter trait is recognized by Marco Bodt, Jean's close friend, earlier in the manga. Stating that Jean's fear is what grounds him and makes him relatable to everyone else. This means that when Jean pushes aside his fear and moves forward, it's easier for everyone else to relate and think it attainable. Additionally, as Marco states, it gives him a unique viewpoint.

While the friendship between Jean and Marco isn't seen too much in the manga, it's been officially stated that the two were extremely close friends. This can be kind of odd when you take in their two personalities. Marco is sweet, kind and likable-the general "nice guy" everyone likes. Jean is the opposite-the asshole who sits on the edge of the group. Where Marco will give encouraging words, Jean would give criticisms, delivering very little compliments and acting in his own interests-a direct contrast to Marco who, during practice, would take to "distracting" the titans due to his comparative lack of skill.

It's odd that the two of them would be friends being the polar opposites that they are. But the truth is, they're both insecure enough to envy and admire the other's traits. To Jean, Marco represented a good, admirable person full of all the skills he lacked.

When Marco died, a lot of things happened within Jean. Overall, he developed into a much more mature person. Seeing Marco's body and knowing that no one had seen him died broke him out of the delusion he had been living in. Suddenly things felt a lot closer and death felt a lot more imminent. And not just for himself-but for everyone around him. During the burning of the bodies, there's a panel where Jean, holding what might be Marco's ashes, turns to look at the squadmates, cursing them for essentially making him care about them. Just as the thought of himself dying terrifies him, so does the image of anyone he's close to dying similarly to Marco: alone and unseen. Additionally, he doesn't want to go out as someone who hadn't accomplished anything. For the first time, Jean wants to actually be remembered for something so that his eventual death will be more than a number in a body-count.

It's good to keep in mind that Jean is still 15 and still has all (or most of) the characteristics of a teenager, the primary one being that he's pretty insecure and full of self-doubt. He doesn't really like who he is and wants to improve (particularly after Marco's death) but finds himself fighting against regressing back to his old ways (ex. while whistling for his horse he berates himself for wondering who's going to be left behind; a large part of the thought-monologue is spent justifying why he should live when logically he'd be the most expendable). As such, he respects those with traits he finds admirable: Armin for his intelligence and clarity, Mikasa for her strength and will, Marco for his geniality. All of these moments are subtlety hinted at within the manga: there's a tone of newfound respect when Armin speaks strategically and intelligently while they chase after the female titan; his rallying cry to the troops after Mikasa's speech (which plays into multiple things, but stems from an admiration for her ability to push on); his push to grow as a person after Marco's death, in which he makes an active attempt to cooperate more with those around him.

From the point I'm taking him from, he's just starting to act on these desires and showing a tremendous leap in maturity because of it. For instance: instead of antagonizing Eren with pointless jabs as he would before and essentially fighting over nothing, now he approaches the situations with a much more level-head-lecturing Eren for his and others' benefits rather than his own need to feel like the "bigger man". He continues to take point and push past his fears in order to lead, and actually seems to be trying to get along with those around him, seeing as how he's much less argumentative. He's pushed past his own desires and has settled himself with doing what is best to keep others alive, though he's still terrified of the prospect of dying for it.

In short, he's growing up, and will only continue to do so, even in a new setting.


ABILITIES:

Jean doesn't really have any supernatural abilities or resistances, but he is noted to be one of the best at efficiently using his 3D Manuevering Gear, as well as antagonizing the people around him with his comments.

POSSESSIONS:

• Standard Uniform (shown in APPEARANCE picture) + Scouting Legion cloak


• 3D Maneuvering Gear with gas maybe 96% full



samples.
JOURNAL ENTRY SAMPLE:

[The video turns on to the customary confusion of the technologically ungifted: a knitted brow, fiddling hands and constant repetitions of the question "is it on?". It is, but it takes him awhile to realize. Enough time to show where he is-around the corner from what looks like a men's bathroom. One or two spectres pass through the door before Jean finally notices it is, in fact, recording. He looks away from the feed with justifiable embarrassment, disguising it as a backwards glance.]

I can't be the only guy who thinks these things are invasive, right? [A beat, his eyes dart back to meet the compass' lens.] I mean moreso than usual. Like they're... I don't know, stepping up their game.

It just seems like they've become more daring. [Now he looks back at the bathroom door, if only to spare himself the awkwardness of saying this to the camera.] And in all the worst places, too. Makes it kind of hard to go about your... daily business. If you know what I mean. [A blush tinges his cheeks but otherwise he manages to keep a straight face.] I can't be the only one having a hard time, right?

[Sounds kind of unsure there and as if to confirm this, he looks back at the camera, a nervous half-grin pulling at his lips.] ... Right?

THIRD-PERSON SAMPLE:

"If you had the choice to go back home, would you?"

The alleyway clattering of a trash can startles him and it's hard not to jump so he takes a step back, further into the streetlight. One foot misses the curb but he manages not to stumble. He's gotten used to this. Not the trashcan, apparently, but everything else: streetlights and cars, sidewalks and pavement.

The ghosts that walked the streets still freaked him out.

The rainwater is soaking through his boots. The streets are still wet and a quick glance behind him confirms that the gutter is still a stream, albeit a trickling one. Cursing softly, he moves, pulling his foot away and shaking the water out. The boots are well-made but not indestructible. A few months wear and tear and they're bound to fall apart. Usually it was an easy problem to fix. Wear a new pair, repair the broken ones. It was an easy enough job made even easier by the fact that the military usually took care of it for free.

"If you had the choice to go back home, would you?"

What a fucking question. Who had asked it again? Laughing to himself, Jean shakes his head. What did it matter? Shoving his hands into his pockets, he moves away from the light, glancing into the alley the earlier sound had come from. Probably just a stray animal bumbling around. Nothing that would stop the simple walk through the city he had planned.

It was a simple night, defined by stars and the eerie synthetic lighting the city provided. A perfect night to walk through, dodge spectres through, and pick thoughts from-a helpful blessing, seeing how Jean had far too many.

Surprisingly little were about the city itself. He had grown accustomed to the towering buildings, even took comfort in them. In a way, they were similar to the Wall and it was reassuring to wake every morning in their shadows. A false sense of protection, just like home.

The glass was new, though. And the abundance of steel frames. How they had managed to make such complex structures look so simple he would never know, though he was trying his hardest to find out. He didn't really have a choice. It was either adapt or be left behind; change or die. He needed to know his surroundings in order to survive. Needed to know how to change them and warp them to his benefit, should the need arise.

"If you had the choice to go back home, would you?"

What a stupid question. He kicks a can as he walks and watches it bounce off the sidewalk. It's oddly similar to how he saw someone fall: back breaking as they hit the ground the first time, arms flopping uselessly as they bounced up again like a pathetic rag doll. Or maybe their back broke when the titan first hit them? He couldn't remember the specifics. Just the motion. How wrong the elbow looked when he passed by.

Not many people here had seen sights like that, he had learned. Or they had, but not as frequently, or not as young. There was always something off, some incongruous factor that made him feel all the more dislocated. Separated from everyone else.

He doesn't kick the can when he passes it again. It feels wrong and that feels stupid. Insulting, even and, for a moment, he thinks of going back and punting it as far as he can. Out of revenge, out of anger, out of whatever self-frustration came from pitying an inanimate object because of its likeness to a human's death. Instead, he continues on, pace speeding up. He passes through streetlights and under glass walls. The landscape devolves, trading steel for wood until, finally, he reaches his destination.

If you had the chance to go back home, would you?

If he did, this was probably the way out. The woods. Funny, how something he used to rely on to keep him safe was now guaranteed to bring him into danger. It's worth it, though (that's a lie). His friends need him (another). This is something he needs to do.

Yet he can't bring himself to get any closer.

Silence permeates as he stares the trees down, hands balled into fists that tug on the dirtied denim of his pants. A lump forms in his throat as he tries to muster up the courage to take one step, two. Just go a bit further, continue the duty he had sworn to do.

In the distance, metal clatters against pavement. He remembers the body flapping past. Remembers it bounce, the sound of the bones breaking against the pavement. The sound of the muscle being ripped by the titan's teeth.

He remembers conversations with people here. Seeing their startled faces when he tells them his age, mentions what he's seen. Remembers what they've told him. A myriad of "too youngs" and "that's horrible". So different from their worlds; so different from their fifteenth year that they had-apparently-spent obsessing about romance, popularity, friendships. Some said it was stressful but to him it sounded heavenly.

Was that what staying offered? All he wanted was a shot. A month, maybe, of living the life they had. Was that so selfish?

He remembers the body, broken and halved by the titan's teeth. He had found it later, during clean-up. It had been a woman, maybe a bit older than him. Pretty, but not spectacularly so, with auburn hair tied into a ponytail. They had never found a name for her but recalling the scene now, in front of the woods, Jean knew what it was.

Sasha, Conny, Reiner, Mikasa. Everyone and anyone he knew. Everyone and anyone he was leaving to die as he turned back to the city with gritted teeth.