a boat in moonlight

Armin is basically your guide to leaving the forest. He is what Humanity needs to retain its Humanity.

Armin is hated on so much after S4 for being "useless" and "not living up to Erwin" but people forget, Erwin was so good because he had YEARS of experience. When Erwin died, he was what, 40-ish? At 15-19, Erwin was much the same as any ordinary cadet, you can see in the flashbacks in S3 Part2, a very young Erwin crying with a wounded/dead soldier and trying to fend off a Titan.

I just think Pieck has the skills to convert Jean's love of cooking into an absolute nightmare (affectionate)

See, in dating Jean, Pieck ofc, is blessed with the perks of waking up late and lazing in her pyjamas and never having to lift a skillet for eggs. Jean does it all. The apron is fitted for him, not her. And he's a great cook! He loves it! She loves seeing him love it! She also loves eating what he makes, and Jean is only too pleased as well!

However.

Pieck is... Pieck. And Pieck is not Pieck if she doesn't tease him every day once in a while.

So, she decides to get the cookbooks! Why? To further dear Jeanbo's talents in the kitchen because she loves him sooooooooo much, ofc.

"Jean!" She calls one morning. "I've found an excellent recipe to try out!"

He's interested enough, despite the exaggerated roll of his eyes. See, secretly he does enjoy watching her relish his cooking - proud boyfriend feels and all that.

Still, he mustn't be all over the moon. "Oh?" Is his disinterested reply, wiping his hands on a towel. "What is it?"

Pieck grins, a sweet and completely innocent pull of her lips. "It's really simple too, you need just 4 ingredients. And according to the recipe, it tastes amazing."

Jean is more convinced now. He pulled off that difficult 4 course dinner last night, and everyone had loved it (even Annie, who was a high bar when it came to meat, her preference was the dessert after all) and Pieck had made loud oohs and aahs, secretly (very secretly) filling him with pride. How hard can a 4 ingredient recipe be?

"Alright then," He agrees with a slight air of detachedness, like a man all too used to making his girlfriend recipes at her whims and fancies (he's on the way, ofc; but let's not tell him).

"Oh good," Pieck says, gazing at a particular page with immense seriousness. "I think you'll like it too. It's called-" She snaps the book closed and pointedly stares at him. "Hot Milk Cake."

Jean colours every single shade of red. "Wh-"

Her grin grows wider. "Oh it's supposed to be veeery good."

He can't keep his nose from burning. What the hell? What's with that name?! Snatching the book out of her hands, he flips to the page in question and flushes crimson. Sure enough, that is the name of the started recipe, but fuck- that's not what she meant at all!

"What's wrong, Jeanbo?" Pieck's smile is impish. "Won't you make me some hot. milk. cake?"

Past his limit, Jean's poor tsundere heart gives out and he passes out on the kitchen floor.

Elsewhere, overhearing this ordinary-summers-day conversation:

Reiner (eager and dumbly enthusiastic): hey! Hot milk cake sounds great actually, where can I find some?!

Connie (nodding gravely, taking notes in his "couples counselling" notebook, quickly becoming an expert in relationship therapy): Fantastic move. Well played. Good job. A level. Simply wow.

Annie (to Armin, shyly, entirely only thinking about food): Can we... get some hot milk cake too?

Armin (blood pressure up by 200, hands shaking, heart says YES, dinosaur brain says YES, common sense says NO, WE'RE NOT ALONE AND I HAVEN'T LIT 100 CANDLES YET AND THE GOOD LINEN IS IN THE LAUNDRY AND I HAVEN'T USED MY NICE SMELLING SHAMPOO AND-)

"Armin? Hot milk cake?"

Armin (squeaks): YES! YES! I-IF YOU DON'T MIND! YES VERY MUCH!

A new photo of the baby! Angry baby! Determined baby!

Bruh.

When can I come back to aruani with all my heart and soul.

When.