Fandom Attack on Titan: Birds of Paradise | Flashback Thread

[KaramelKarma]

in collaboration with
➤ @AI10100 ➤ @. D O V E ➤ KaramelKarma

FEAR, FASHION & FAITH

It was going to be their first expedition and Sean could barely contain his excitement. Or more accurately, he wasn’t containing it at all as he was practically bouncing as he walked while carrying the equipment back to the stables and loading them into the cart. LEO was chosen to be the cart’s horse and he couldn’t be prouder of his horse for getting such an important role. He placed the box onto the cart before moving up to check on his horse. He shouldn’t have been too worried considering that the horse was trained to keep calm in most scenarios. It had already seen titans up close and personal— nothing could probably shock it at this point.

He dusted off his hands and let out a breath before turning to his companion, or the only one that was part of the recruits with him. “Is that everything? The cart looks pretty loaded already.” He looked over the cart again where boxes were stacked on top of each other and held down by a rope to make sure it doesn’t go flying off. He could see some of their squadmates surrounding their squad leader— with one of them bent over and used as a table. “Also, you know, you wouldn’t have to follow me around all the time if you didn’t steal my horse. Still not cool, by the way.”

The redhead female before him simply eyed him emptily, hands busy finalizing the knot of one of the ropes. Once she was confident with its strength, she released a breath and faced her old friend. It seemed like what she had done has left a long-lasting impression on his mind. He would insert the topic in every opportunity possible, to the point that Gwen was starting to run out of things to spew.

“Don’t you think it’d be cruel to stop a child from enjoying under the rain even just once in his lifetime? It is, isn’t it? Who are we to deprive anyone of such a beautiful experience? Similarly, keeping someone from relishing in Lord Exalted Ophialtes’s presence is plain harsh. Our Lord is akin to the rain, bringing life to those with withering souls such as mine.” Gwen dramatically pressed the back of one hand against her forehead, slightly tilting her head to the side to shoot Sean a feigned helpless look. She stayed in that position, gaze locked with the man for an uncomfortable amount of time before she realized that the unconvinced expression on his face wasn’t going to change. Undeterred, she decided to climb the wagon and stand on top of the stacked equipments. “Do not be so selfish, my brother! The Lord must be shared to everyone!” The new recruit obnoxiously proclaimed, spreading her hands to the side to imitate a preaching Wall priest.

The courtyard was bustling with activity, the kind that only dutiful NPCs extras could recreate. Rations were being loaded, horses fed and watered, extra canisters filled and packaged neatly onto supply carts. But for the moment, newly promoted squad leader Alfred Thorne’s attention was not on his team. Instead, his hand and gaze were tilted upwards, eyeing the grey skies. Lowering his arm, Alfie gripped the candlestick around his neck and brought it up to his lips, like a kid with his walkie talkie.
“Do you smell that, Maria?”
Maria scoffed. What, you mean the egg and ham you had for breakfast? Or the horse manure and general fear of dying surrounding your new recruits?
Alfie resisted the urge to roll his eyes. His lips slipped into an odd smile, shaking his head. “Rain,” he murmured. “But we’ll be long gone by the time it hits.”

At this, a nearby burst of tears could be heard. Alfie turned around, greeted by the sight of a new recruit barely holding it together. He recognized her from the files of recruits he had meticulously studied in preparation of his first time leading a squad: Ivanka Breiss. She looked as if sleep was a stranger for a while now, her eyes alight with renewed dread, as well as with what almost seemed like regret for having chosen the Scouts. Nevertheless, she did her duty and handed what Alfie had been waiting for: maps of the territories due for one last review before take off.

For goodness’ sake, Alfred, look at what you’ve done, scolded Maria. Speaking in such apocalyptic terms about the weather when you have a whole squadron of rookies facing at least a 94.7 percent chance of death!

94.7? The squad leader shook his head. “Glass half full, Maria,” he reminded her sternly. “I would at least add beginner's luck to the formula. Lower those chances of death for them to a good 87 percent or so.”
Alfie felt the stubborn candlestick gear up to shoot back, but before bullets could be fired, a short sobbing gasp interrupted them both. The squad leader looked back up, realising the new recruit was still standing in front of him, hearing his every word. Fresh tears brimmed in her hazel eyes, already in the beginning stages of a full-on meltdown. Anxiety seized the older Scout for a moment; he was no stranger to despair, especially since he could rationalise or distract himself out of bothersome emotions like that, but to be responsible for ridding the despair of others? There was no clear, consice blueprint to follow, no meticulous list of steps to check off, just an anxiety-inducing maze of unwritten, nebulous social and emotional expecta---

Suddenly, Alfie felt a drop of wetness fall onto his cheek. Then another on his right hand, which gripped the maps. Both squad leader and new recruit glanced down, greeted by the sight of the maps dotted with a few drops.
“Rain,” he murmured, this time with a hint of relief. He glanced back up to the girl. “We might be here for it after all.”

There and then, a commotion at the carts reached the squad leader’s ears. Alfred’s eyes immediately followed, landing on a particular cart whereupon a red-haired Scout stood proudly, arms stretched as she happily proclaimed her message. It came at a cost however; in her ascent, boxes of rations descended in turn onto the ground. Disgruntled even more than they already were, a few recruits flocked to clean the mess just as Alfie arrived.

There was a pause as the squad leader assessed the scene. Then, he approached the trouble-making new recruit. “Sermons,” he boomed, looking up, his arms crossing as vexation seemingly lined the furrow of his brow. “Are for Sundays. And is it Sunday today?”

Alfie’s gaze swept back to the rest of the recruits, who at this point began to huddle around them to watch the beginnings of an epic rebuke. Silence followed as the squad leader waited for confirmation. “Well? Is it?”

“No!” an enthusiastic voice called out from the back.

“Are you sure?”

“Uh—yes...sir,” the same voice responded, confused.

“Ah,” Alfie nodded, a genuine spark of relief in his eyes. “Yes, yes, good. That’s good. I thought so.”

Silence followed for a few moments, stretching on until the squad leader finally looked around and realised everyone was waiting on him to say something. Alfie cleared his throat and nodded, this time more decisively. “Alright then, back to work.” At this, the tension loosened as the NPCs once again melted back into a bustling courtyard in the background. Meanwhile, almost as if he were some Sinian royal gentleman and she a Sinian noble lady, Alfie extended his hand in invitation towards the red-haired new recruit to help her down the cart. Like with Ivanka, his sharp memory placed her as Gwen Bulwark from the Stohess District. “Gwen,” he recited aloud. “Fair, white, or blessed. And you—” Alfie’s eye turned to her partner in crime, a fair-haired boy, whom he recognized as Sean Seidel from the Orvud District. “God is gracious.” A hint of a smile graced his lips as he continued. “Both good names, especially considering what military insignia jackets you chose to take on.”

“You can bask in LEO’s presence on the seat beside me Gwen, no way are you riding him again!” Sean huffed, not budging from his position even as his friends had climbed up to the supplies they had stacked up. “Besides you— ah, the boxes!” With the atmosphere of their usual banter broken, Sean rushed forward to try and save the boxes from toppling completely to the ground but he just wasn’t fast enough to save all but one box. “Yikes. You okay there?” He asked, looking up at Gwen who was now wobbling in place.

Thorne’s voice quickly cut through and he turned towards him. He questioned what day it was because sermons were reserved for Sundays, which was true. With all of his attendances in Church, it was definitely Sunday. But, then again, sermons could happen at any time as long as there were those willing to listen. It looked like most of the scouts were confused by this statement, understandably so, but eventually they all seemed to settle down and went back to doing their assigned duties which included loading the cart back up as soon as Gwen decided to dismount her makeshift stage.

“And the Walls shall bless us.” Sean responded almost instinctively as he brought a hand up to his chest for a salute. It was terrifying how well they had drilled specific commands and replies into his brain in the two years that he went to Church… and how well the force of punishment made him salute on instinct. A wild combination, that’s for sure. He lowered his salute as he continued. “And thank you, sir. The wings looked really cool and I really wanted to wear them, you know?” He mused, looking down at their shared symbols. “I think I carry it well… fashionably.” He said with a wide grin, fully confident in what he had just said.

The Scout Regiment proved itself to be an interesting mix of characters. Gwen rose a curious brow once their squad leader strayed off from her assumptions. She expected someone who wouldn’t be too far from the usual military crooks, the ones who would view their soldiers as dispensable fodders, never bothering to know their names unless they survive an expedition or two. Moreover, she anticipated a lecture from the older man instead of an offered hand.

A lopsided smile crossed her features as she crouched down on her high ground, completely forgetting to salute her superior unlike her friend. Instead, she locked eyes with him while keeping her smile. “I never knew the meanings behind our names, but I suppose it does fit perfectly. Angels need their wings, don’t you agree, sir?” She then reached out for his hand, but instead of taking it, she opted to smack her own on top of his for an unprompted low-five.

Once that was done, the eccentric female hopped off of the cart on her own accord and dusted herself. “Anyway, it does look quite fashionable.” She nodded her head in agreement before spontaneously striking a variety of controversial poses, causing onlookers to pause in their tracks and don looks of dismay.

“And the Walls shall bless us.”
Spoken like a true Wallist, Maria chimed in, her tone one part pity and two parts distaste. Alfie gave the younger man a small, brisk nod for his salute. Oh leave him alone, Maria, he answered. Hardly his fault. You know they like to start them off young. The little spitfire of a candlestick remained silent, her disdain still palpable but he could tell she had softened. In one way, shape or form, religion always knows how to bring one to their knees. Whether in defeat or in deference, it does not much matter if it is indeed God who decides in the end, right?
Bah, enough about faith! Sean’s astonishingly enthusiastic appreciation for fashion and simplistic reasoning brought a twinkle to the squad leader’s eye. He nodded heartily, returning the boy’s grin with one of his own. At last! “Indeed, indeed, you do! See, that’s exactly what I thought. Easily the best designed out of all three branches. If it weren’t for the fact we have the highest death rate, the marketing would be off the charts!”
Alfie’s hand was still raised gentlemanly towards the damsel. Maria, being infinitely more aware of such tiresome customs of ranks than Alfred, took note of the girl’s lack of accepting or saluting her superior, instead opting to crouch low and meet him eye to burned-patched eye.

Oh for goodness’ sake, she sighed wearily as the ginger-haired tot weighed in with her own comments, leading up to a surprising high-five and modelling poses that to her dismay, Alfred accepted with all the friendliness of a fellow recruit and not a squad leader leading them to their deaths and probably his own.

It would seem that he wasn’t the only one who saw potential in their uniform as their squad leader seemed to ride on it quickly. “I think the high death rate makes it unique honestly.” He responded with a small shrug. Whether or not this uniqueness was bad for them or not depended entirely on the person— but Sean liked to think it was a good thing. After all, not everyone could wear the wings… and some who do wear them get real ones very soon. “About that marketing… if we ever find ourselves low in funds, I think I can pull a few strings to sell a Survey Corps inspired line and get a cut of the revenue.” Sean snickered as Gwen backed up his point, even going as far as striking a few poses reminiscent of those that model the latest trends. “Maybe you would have had a future as a model if you didn’t decide to stick your head out in the open like this Gwen.” He joked. “I bet Ezra would have been more than happy to hire you.” His loyal butler-turned-temporary-head of the Seidel family business always seemed to go along with the flow when it came to his friends; Sean was confident he would have allowed this one to slide too.

“Silly Sean. I see you’re still not over your little crush on me. You don’t have to come up with subtle ways to tell me I’m drop-dead gorgeous, you know.” Gwen flatly said, as though she was merely stating facts.

By the Walls, would you look at them. These two definitely won’t last a day out there. Let us hope their deaths are swift and painless. And considering they're with us, we might as well count ourselves into the m---
“Oh, hush you,” came the not-so-hushed command, followed by a stink eye. “Now who’s speaking in apocalyptic terms, hm?” Alfred proceeded to glance back up, remembering his manners as he cleared his throat. “Ah, no need for such formalities as 'sir',” he went on good-naturedly. Maria huffed. As if there were any to begin with.

“Alfred Thorne,” he continued, ignoring her. “Friends call me Alfie. This—” he gestured before taking the candlestick around his neck and into the palm of his hand. “Is Maria. I named her that in honour of the now fallen Wall. It also means bitter, beloved and rebellious. She greets you two very warmly and wishes—” The squad leader paused for a moment, as if he were listening intently, brow creasing. He then shook his head, sighing. “She’s in a bit of a mood right now, don’t mind her.”

It was then when they heard their squad leader reprimand someone, causing Sean to shift his attention to him. It didn’t seem like it was directed to him or Gwen. Rather, he seemed to have his eyes on his candle. He soon learned that the candle’s name was Maria. “So we can call you Alfie? Is that during downtime only or also during missions?” Sean asked, genuinely curious on the boundaries between leader and member. The last time he had used a nickname for an instructor, he ended up doing ten laps and foregoing dinner. “Also nice to meet you, Maria. I hope she warms up to us.” Sean wasn’t too disturbed that their squad leader seemed to be talking with a very much inanimate object and had given it a name. He wasn’t in any place to judge, after all. “Oh, also, I’m just Sean. Don’t got any cool nicknames. And that’s my horse, Lord Exalted Ophialtes.” He gestured towards the horse who minded its own business, likely very exasperated with the actions of its handler.

“For a moment there, I thought you meant calling myself gorgeous sounded apocalyptic.” Gwen squinted her eyes ever so slightly at their superior before moving her gaze to the candlestick in his hands. It seemed like they got themselves a rare fish in the sea. Alfie appeared to be a man full of surprises, like a mystery box inside a mystery box inside another mystery box. Gwen would be lying if she claimed that his character didn’t intrigue her. After all, surprise was the enemy of boredom, and the enemy of her enemy would always be her friend.

“Color me charmed. It’s nice to meet the both of you.” It was a genuine sentiment. It has been so long since Gwen met someone as interesting as a man who seems to be regularly communicating with an object. One who wasn’t part of the Order of the Walls, at least. She silently wondered if the squad leader was also desperate for something to cling onto in this hell. It was without doubt that her interest in him was akin to a reader’s for a new book; she mused on what could be written on his pages. His story.

Needless to say, she was unfazed by his peculiarity.

“I’m Gwen Bulwark. Someone used to call me ‘Wall Girl’, he’s dead now.” She shared, expression and tone completely unchanging despite the rather dire revelation. One could easily mistake it as a threat, but to the familiar, Gwen was merely sharing a fact. She then bent forward, placing a hand against each knee to be at face level with Maria. “Give us time, I’m sure Sean-y boy and I will melt your walls with our burning personalities. You have a certain glow around you that tells me we’ll all get along wickedly.” It didn’t bother her at all that she was winking at a candle.

Nonetheless, the red-haired straightened herself up and smiled. “Listen, I also have a horse that I’d love to introduce, but let’s just say, she’s currently in someone else’s custody.” And Gwen badly needed her back. “I’m sure you guys can agree that it’s painful to be away from a dear friend.”

“So we can call you Alfie? Is that during downtime only or also during missions?"

Alfie nodded. "I'll leave that up to you to decide," he answered amiably before Lord Exalted Ophialtes interrupted with a disapproving chuff at being bothered to be introduced. That stallion has the right idea, Maria chimed in dryly. My spirit animal.
Alfie rolled his eyes, just narrowly catching the end of Gwen's sentence before she came closer. He watched, more than a little dumbstruck as she bent down and happily introduced herself to his candle.
Dumbstruck because most never really acknowledged Maria as a true being; it was always pretend to them and he always knew it. Most simply did not see her as he did and that was expected. No, no, it was those that refused to see that brought on the most trouble. Because more often than not, those that refused to see also refused to hear, or to listen. They only wished to look, and with a look the surface was all they could manage. Surface-level looks that led to judgments, which then led to sneers and jeers - from the mines, to the training corps mess hall and all the way to the barracks. Finally, words turned to actions and all of a sudden, one was facing three or four more than he was able to fight off. There was a disadvantage at every turn; delayed growth thanks to a childhood full of malnourishment, a natural clumsiness of combat technique and even a weaker vision, thanks to years of reading scraps of books by candle light. Alfie blinked, realizing he had brought up his hand up to his arm, as if feeling for bruises that were no longer there.
Well, well, murmured Maria, her unimpressed tone doing little to hide her own bewilderment. The minx certainly has a way with words. No doubt the boy is under her thrall as well. Mark my words, she'll be a thorn in your backside, Alfred. They both will.

A ghost of a smile graced Alfie's lips as the horns sounded for the final rites before the start of the 57th Expedition. "Yes," he answered aloud, coincidentally aligning with Gwen's last question. "Of that I have no doubt."

coded by reveriee.

 

[SpookyBones]

A Moment's Silver Lining​

Collab between: Sean AI10100 and Milo SpookyBones
Mentions: Siggy, Sigs, Siegfried The Prophet ​

Sean followed his orders and the orders were to gather the dead. It wasn’t difficult to find them. They were practically everywhere at this point. Earlier, Sean had been at the HQ where he, Siegfried, and Alyssa had all been in and were the only survivors. He had decided to tag along with Alyssa. They were, after all, the only ones he really did know. Sean wasn’t a religious man, not by a long shot despite his regular attendance at the Church, but he sent a silent prayer to all those that had perished. Most of his previous squad had been turned to red paste against the wall and the floors, or inside a titan’s belly.

They had found Tristan’s body, again, among the other dead. Alyssa broke down for a moment, the emotions she had to stomp down rushing back to her. Sean stayed with her for a while before some other friend of hers came by to help them move the bodies out. The name was tallied and they went on in their separate ways. Sean had figured it would be better for Alyssa to be with someone more familiar, and not someone who reminded her of the event.

Roaming the streets of Trost would have made any normal person sick. Maybe it was because they were cadets, or maybe it was because they had seen the titans feast upon their colleagues, but most of the cadets barely flinched. Sean joined their motions. See a body, tally it up, hope that someone else knew the poor guy with half his body torn off, or the woman who had bled out because of a missing arm, or a young boy whose head had caved in against the wall. Sean had no connections to these people but he couldn’t help but wonder what it would have been like if he was looking upon his fellow cadets from the Northern Division. Would he be able to stomach it himself?

He continued forward, listing down the dead one by one.

It was inevitable that Milo, like almost everyone else, would be tasked with helping clear the streets of corpses and stray limbs, though once he began his venture of the debris it was more harrowing than he could’ve imagined. Sure he’d been amongst them all when they’d lost their lives, but now their eyes were hollow and grey, their skin blistered and emitting a stench that would surely linger for weeks to come. He tried to dissociate from the situation and take each log as another trivial task, sparing no empathy for the dead.

One particular body had been mutilated so viscerally that the sight and smell coming from exposed organs caused tears to brim in his eyes. He chose to step away hacking and coughing for a breath of air that wasn’t tainted as he hastily rounded corners to a less grief-crowded street. Milo leaned with a forearm plastered to the wall to hold himself up whilst he forced himself to quell the vicious bubbling in his stomach. Once the feeling subsided he turned and pressed his back to the wall, lolling his head to one side as his hair slid across his eyes. God I need a haircut. Milo was beginning to look more and more like a lost puppy as he shook his head to clear his vision. His heart wrenched as he caught sight of a boy with tousled blonde hair. Milo mumbled to himself, filled with memories and disappointment, “Just like Sean.”

Having recovered from the coughing fit he sought to return to the dead, however the itch in his brain had other plans. He certainly would not rest tonight without getting a good look at the boy, though it was impossible for Sean to be here, right? It was absolutely impossible, he assured himself. Nonetheless he cautiously made his way toward him, stopping a few feet away and clearing his throat, “Hey, do you need any-” All words and thoughts were lost to the world around him as Sean met his gaze. Before his mind could catch up with his body, he’d latched himself as tightly as he could to his best friend as though he would disappear any moment. Milo sobbed into Sean’s shoulder and spoke through a broken cry, “I thought I would never see you again.”

Sean waved off another one of his companions as he dipped into another alley. He wondered when the task would be finished. He had written down another body and was about to move on when he heard a very familiar voice. He perked up and turned around, a bright grin on his face despite the current situation they had found themselves in. “Milo, hey—!” He was stopped from going into his rant as his best friend threw his arms around him. Sean gladly returned the hug with just as much force as Milo did, if not more. He could feel the wetness of Milo’s tears seeping through his shirt. He patted Milo’s back, rubbing soothing circles on it.

“Aw, come on, you know you can’t get rid of me that easily.” Sean reassured him. He had been looking forward to finally seeing Milo again, even if their time apart wasn’t exactly that long. Siegfried was an excellent companion, but without Milo, he always felt like something was missing. “We thought that you needed some friends down here in the South so we hopped on the next transfer here.” He was rather thankful for it too. With the catastrophic events of the previous day, Sean would have wanted to know immediately if Milo was fine or not. What better way than to be present on said day, right? He gave Milo another squeeze, almost lifting his friend off of the ground as he did. With a softer voice, he continued. “Besides, I missed you a lot.”

Everything was going to be okay. In Sean’s embrace, Milo felt as though maybe everything could actually be okay, despite being surrounded by tragedy. Not even the forlorn gaze of the dead could unsettle him as Sean held him tightly, moulding him back into the kinder boy he knew. His breath came out shakily as he clutched the back of Sean’s hair to ground himself. As Sean’s reassuring words coated his wrecked mind, Milo let out a teary chuckle, finally beginning to relax into the bear hug he was enveloped by. He always had been easily settled by Sean’s mere presence, he kept him in the present moment and held his thoughts steady.

Milo loosened his hold, if only a little, drawing back to look at Sean. His eyes darted over Sean’s face as a smile began to curl upon his lips, “I missed you so much, you big idiot.” Milo was beyond thankful that Siegfried and Sean would be here with him through whatever hell was yet to come, as much as he wanted to be strong, he was weak without his friends. “You’re staying right, you’re not going to go anywhere without me?” If he wasn’t the happiest he’d been in months right now, he’d kick himself for sounding so pitiful.

As Milo relaxed into his hold, Sean knew that it was probably going to be fine from here on out. He wasn’t always the best when it came to emotionally charged scenarios. As his best friend pulled away, Sean returned his smile. “There’s the Milo I know!” He let out a light laugh, bringing up a hand to pat Milo’s head. He honestly hadn’t expected him to be so emotional, but being thrown into an unknown environment alone did sound like a stressful experience. Siegfried probably had the right term for that.

“Of course! This was a permanent transfer. I promise, I’ll be right with you until the end of the line.” Random squad assignments aside, Sean wasn’t really planning on leaving his best friend again. Maybe he could even convince their captain to let them work together. It would be like their old training days when they’d group up with Siegfried. If Sean was being honest, he probably placed in the top 10 mostly because of what he learned from both Milo and Siegfried and their support. “Wait, you are going to the Survey Corps like we used to talk about, right?”

Milo was still in a near state of shock from Sean’s arrival in the South, but he embodied almost everything that Milo loved. If it weren’t for him and Siegfried showing up, it's likely he would’ve spiralled even further into the abyss of his fragile mind. Milo almost began tearing up again at the blonde’s kind sentiment. “I’m sorry for having uh, having a bit of a meltdown. They happen more often than not these days.” Be it from expeditions or grazing with death so often, he wasn’t counting on them letting up anytime soon.

It would be a blatant lie to say that Milo’s resolve hadn’t faltered in the past few weeks, but he truly felt as though he had no other choice. “Of course, I can be a little bitch sometimes but you know I won’t back down from a fight.” Though now more than ever, it seemed appealing to live a comfortable life with the Military Police, he couldn’t bring himself to abandon his purpose. Wiping the drying tears from his face he laughed lightly. “That’s so long as you don’t tell me you’re thinking of backing out?” Milo continued with a dramatic tone, moving to rest his head on Sean’s shoulder. “I suppose I could settle for a cosy life with you, if you’ll have me?” He blinked innocently at his best friend as he tried - and failed, to stifle the giggle in his throat.

He waved his hand dismissively. “It’s fine. If the previous week was a testament to what you experienced for the past month you’ve been here in the South… I can’t blame you at all.” Sean may have found the experience exhilarating and each brush with death felt like an injection of life into him but even he knew that most of his peers didn’t share the same adrenaline-seeking life he was leading. “What did Sigs say about that? Better to let it out than keep it in? So feel free to call me when you need to let it out.”

That was good. Sean had heard that there were a lot of people who had backed out from joining the Survey Corp after the horrors they had witnessed in Trost. Sean couldn’t blame them. The stench of death was still in the air, and he was sure that it was going to stick to him too. “See you there then. We’d make a fantastic duo… trio with Sigs. Man, I can’t wait to tell you about how he took command a few days ago.” Sean snickered, proud of the accomplishments of his friend. Sure, they didn’t exactly get much acknowledgment after that but it was the thought that counts.

He scoffed. “I joined specifically for the Survey Corps. No way I’m not choosing it.” Was it the wisest choice he’d ever done? No. But he never claimed to be particularly wise. He hummed in thought about Milo’s proposition before letting out a laugh, shaking his head. “That sounds absolutely delightful! But you know me, I’ve never been one for normalcy and the cozy life.”

The more that Sean spoke of Siegfried, the more Milo couldn’t wait to pull him into an awkward hug, likely to be told that such a reaction was hardly necessary for the short amount of time that had lapsed. Having the trio back together seemed almost too good to be true, since he left the North he’d been daydreaming of this. Sean and Siegfried were his two best friends, maybe his only true friends. He was incomplete without them. “Siegfried taking charge? I wanna hear it all! Spare no details. Ah but, I do have to see the look on his face when he pretends you’re over-exaggerating.” Milo let out a content sigh, thankful that the calamitous tide was abating.

He pouted lightly at Sean’s mild rejection, though he hummed in agreement. “As much as I would enjoy not fearing for your life every 5 minutes, you’re right. Not to mention we’d be restless and guilt-ridden.” He could likely keep himself busy, but his mind would taunt him all the while. Milo took a step back, fumbling with his thoughts for a moment. “I just wish this was easier, you know? I don’t ever want to lose you or Siggy,” he forced himself to chuckle and nudged Sean lightly with his shoulder, “so stay close to me when we’re out there, alright?” They were more than capable comrades, but in his own selfishness he wanted to watch over them. Moreso, Milo would have the chance to take a blow instead of them- something he’d do in a heartbeat, but Sean didn’t have to know that.

“Being humble really doesn’t suit him.” Sean responded, sticking out his tongue. He wasn’t sure that the disaster in the HQ could have been avoided— their squad leader had tried their best to hold down the fort but it only led them to fail to protect their gas. However, it was thanks to Siegfried’s quick thinking and their companions’ willingness to go along with it that they were able to take it back and allow their friends to refill their gases without titans breathing down their necks. “I’ll tell the story once we finish up here. Uh…” He gestured towards the clipboard he was holding. He didn’t want to ramble on for so long that they’d lose track of time and get berated by their superiors. That wouldn’t be the reunion day he was expecting with Milo.

Sean nodded with a hum. He’d probably regret it for the rest of his life if he left now. He looked at Milo. Yeah, he wanted to spend as much time as possible with his friends. Not to mention, he finally attained the thrill that he was always looking for while cooped up in the Orvud District. There was no way he was letting it go now. He rolled his shoulders in a shrug. “As much as I can. Someone’s gotta look out for you too, you know?” Sean pointed out. He paused for a moment, taking a deep breath and letting out a chuckle. “Man, I already could do so much with Sigs back then. What more can I do with you around? We’d get so many titan kills.” Maybe it was a bit childish to count titan kills when so many of your comrades died alongside those titans, but Sean felt like it was a nice thing to take note of to see his own progress.

“Hahahmm yeah of course! You don’t have to worry about me, I promise.” Milo said with a pained laugh and a half convincing smile. Sean had always been concerningly excited about facing the titans, to Milo at least. Sure, there was nothing wrong with a bit of fighting spirit, but he couldn’t help fret that his spritely attitude could lead to his demise. Though it's true that they always complimented each other's movements in combat training. “Very wise as ever, Sean. You’re right though, we would be sick in the field together.” Milo threw his head back with a huff. “I doubt they’d be able to handle the three of us in one team though.”

As much as Milo was desperate to hold his friends captive in his presence for the foreseeable future, their duties would no doubt come first. Even this small reunion with Sean was enough to spark Milo’s courage and will back to life, maybe he could prove to be of use after all. “Anyways, do you think I could stick with you for the rest of,” he paused to point over his shoulder at the carnage, “this mess? I don’t think I can stomach it on my own.”

“I reserve the right to worry about anyone I want to.” Sean huffed out with a good-natured smile, reaching out to pat Milo’s shoulder. “But, then again, we both survived this surprise attack. Quite an initiation.” He wasn’t exactly sure what Milo went through in Trost— just that he was alive. Maybe he wasn’t completely fine, but really, was anyone fine after that whole ordeal? “Hah! If they see us all in one team, they’d never put us apart ever again. We can show these Southerners what for eh?” He continued, nudging him with his elbow. “You have to introduce me to these new friends of yours. They seem… fun.”

He shrugged. “Sure. I don’t mind.” It was dirty, tedious, and tiring work but the faster they can do it, the better. He wanted to catch up with Milo too, anyway. Having a buddy to tag along with him would alleviate his boredom too so he wasn’t going to complain. “I have another block to cover. How about you?”

“To be perfectly honest, I don’t really have many friends here. They’re nice and all from what I’ve seen but,” Milo paused to laugh nervously, “well you know me and people, I’m not exactly the best.” His nerves softened slightly when Sean agreed to stay with him through the cleanup, not only a distraction but more than welcome company. Milo was in no rush to leave Sean’s side anyways and more likely to follow him like a puppy for the foreseeable future.

“I’m actually pretty much done. There was just this one body that caught me off guard, I had to leave, and that’s when I found you.” Milo gazed lovingly at Sean, his heart swelling with admiration for his best friend. He recalled numerous memories as to just why he’d crawled his way into his heart, Milo intended to keep it that way so long as he could. “I hope you know how much I appreciate you Sean. As much as I may shut down sometimes, you being here- it gives me purpose.” Milo flushed a little from the embarrassment of actually expressing his feelings, looking away in hopes Sean wouldn’t tease him, it was immeasurably easier to keep quiet.

Sean nodded, empathetic to his plight. He had just been rather pushy when befriending Milo until he had gotten closer. “Well then! We can befriend them together!” Just like old times. It was practically a fresh start for the three of them. “I think it’ll take a while but we’ll get there. After all, they’re practically family now.” Because they would have to stick to each other until the very end. Well, the Scouts for him, at least. Still, he’d rather get to know them earlier than when it’s too late.

“Silver linings, huh?” He said with a little chuckle and a shake of his head. He took a deep breath. “Well, these bodies aren’t going to clean up themselves. Let’s get right back to it.” Seemingly at ease with the situation at hand, he nudged Milo before leading him down the block. He paused when Milo continued speaking, giving him a bright smile. He reached out, pinching his cheeks just like how his grandmother always did to him. “Well, I’m happy to be appreciated this much. But you gotta remember, you have to live for yourself too Milo. Got it?”

Milo shoved Sean playfully at his motherly actions, a genuine laugh forcing itself out his throat. What Sean said was something that rarely ever crossed Milo's mind, living for himself. He’d never regarded himself highly enough to really consider that he could find his own purpose, motivated by something he actually wanted. Oh well. He had his goals set in sight now. Though maybe there’d come a time in his life that he could live for himself, he hoped. Still, he offered Sean his sincerity in a half-smile. “Hand on heart, I promise I will.” The matter of when was irrelevant. “Now let's go, get your butt moving so we can get the hell out of here.” Milo thought of just how right Sean was, this was a perfect little silver lining.