video;

[eatsyourscience]

[In light of recent network posts, Souji's a little hesitant to claim ownership of that last event. He hesitates on screen for a minute, looking off to the side before his eyes flicker over to look into the camera.]

For the record, the speed dating went a lot better here than it did at home.

[He rubs the back of his neck, not quite embarrassed and not quite apologetic, then shrugs. It is what it is. No need to feel bad about it.]

It was kind of nice to see home again.

[He's been away a long time.]

Comments

[eatsyourscience]

Good point. It's probably easier for people who have this kind of stuff where they come from to readjust.

What kind of technology do you have where you're from?

I WAS NOT IMFORMED OF THIS

[strategisch]

None, really. Electricity doesn't exist, if that helps to put things in perspective.

I was wondering when you were bored yesterday!

[eatsyourscience]

[It does. Definitely.]

What do you do at home?

[In a pre-industrial world like this one sounds like, Armin's got to be old enough to have some kind of occupation, even if he can't be older than Souji.]

I would rather do this that watch cheese curd, yes

[strategisch]

Oh, I don't... um.

[People always get so sad when he gets around to being an orphan. He withholds that information for now.]

I'm in the military.

[eatsyourscience]

[Souji's a little surprised, but that tells him a lot about Armin's world. Armin doesn't seem like the type, though.]

Do you fight?

[strategisch]

I have, although I don't have any kills on my record yet...

[Wait, uh. That would sound terrible to anyone who doesn't understand the circumstances...]

Titan kills. Our Military-- it's not man against man. [Or at least it shouldn't be.] We fight Titans. Monsters.

[eatsyourscience]

Can you tell me about them?

[Because, y'know, memory stealing Mansion.]

[strategisch]

They're giant humanoids, anywhere from 3 to 15 meters tall. Their only motivation in existing is eating people. They don't have digestive or reproductive organs, and subsist on sunlight, so it's not like they need to eat, they just like to. They don't die unless you hit a certain weak spot on the backs of their necks, and they can regenerate from any injury, even losing their heads. And since they don't feel pain, nothing stops them from trying to eat as many humans as possible.

[eatsyourscience]

[Wow, your world blows, Armin.]

Where did they come from?

[strategisch]

[It blows donkeys for nickels bro.]

We don't know. It was about a hundred years ago that Titans appeared and mankind built the Walls, and when we did, we discarded almost all of human history. If we ever knew, we've since forgotten.

[He realizes the poor logic there, and it frustrates him, but there's nothing he can do about it.]

[eatsyourscience]

[Ew.]

...In a hundred years? That seems a little...

[Armin clearly can't explain it and Souji can bet he doesn't like it. He wouldn't.]

Something pretty big must have happened to cause all of that.

[strategisch]

Something. We know men used to outnumber Titans... [So where did they come from? He shakes his head.]

[eatsyourscience]

I hope you can get it figured out. It's hard to believe that humans would go extinct, even because of monsters like that.

[That's meant to be encouraging, but they're clearly in pretty bad condition.]

[strategisch]

We won't. We're far too difficult a species to give up that easily.

[eatsyourscience]

[Souji isn't sure if Armin believes that, but he smiles.]

Right.