Fandom Attack on Titan: Birds of Paradise

[AI10100]

Mentions: . D O V E KaramelKarma ​

Sean had gone through some disappointments with how he was assigned to the squads, not that he was able to voice them towards the commander herself unless he wanted to be benched for the entire expedition. Not only was he assigned to logistics and supply— again— but he was even separated from both Milo and Siegfried. Though, he did learn that they were in the same squad so everything should proceed smoothly. He didn't want to be separated from them but there was little he could do about the assignments. At least when they did come home from the expedition— and yes, Sean was fully confident most of his friends were going to come back in one piece and being pulled by one of the carts— he would have a very different story to tell from them.

Good thing about it, however, was he was assigned to a squad with none other than his Wall Sis Gwen. From the month long training session they had before this expedition, he had come to realize that she was really good with the ODM gear. He had challenged her to multiple races and ended up losing nearly all of them— and his win wasn't even that satisfying considering Gwen had walked to the finish line. In any case, he was glad to have her watching his back alongside the other veteran scouts with them. Sean didn't get to know them very well. They kept to themselves for the most part and kept their talks to a professional level. It was a little bit of a shame but if that's what their boundaries were, then Sean was going to respect that. Squad Leader Thorne was rather nice though and opened up a conversation while they were prepping for the expedition.

He looked through the equipment in the cart one last time. Everything looks to be in good condition so nothing of note there. The food and water supplies were all packed and ready to go as well. In the month that he had stayed with the Southern Division, he had come to the conclusion that it was not, in fact, the food or water that led to Halvor becoming a titan. After all, he hadn't started turning into one and neither did Siegfried or anyone else. Special titan making fluid not present aside, it was still really good.

"Alright, Lord Exalted Ophialtes, this is going to be our first official mission outside. We can do this." He muttered to the horse, patting its head and receiving a small whinny back. "Hopefully someone," Sean threw a look at Gwen. Not quite a glare but more of a warning look, "doesn't go and steal you again from me." He couldn't even remember if Gwen apologized for that but Sean would carry that to his grave.

Satisfied, he hopped back onto the cart and held onto the reins. More and more pulling were coming to the streets to watch them, most held faces filled with disgust. Sean remembered hearing it from his grandmother at one point. Apparently, the Survey Corps wasn't held in high regard due to its high mortality and relatively low success rate. He wasn't sure why they were being so negative about it though. It was their choice to enter the Survey Corps and it was their choice to die in it. That was just how it went. It wasn't like their commanders were purposefully leading them to their deaths. It just so happened that titans were very dangerous and a mission with them as their main enemy could go south very quickly.

The cue to open the gate was called out and Sean glanced at the gate separating them from the outside world. A few years ago, that gate was simple a passageway to the next Wall. Now, it was practically a wasteland that titans now roamed.

Looking over to Gwen, he chuckled. "Bright open fields filled with titans, here we come." With the formation, it wasn't likely that they would be the ones seeing the titans before the other squads but he was sure that they'd be milling around. For one quick moment, Sean wondered if he could kill a titan fast enough and be able to mount back onto the cart without any damage coming to the supplies. He probably couldn't. He wasn't at that skill level yet... maybe. He wouldn't know until he tried... so...

By heaven's grace, the gates opened which completely took Sean's thoughts away from himself as he gripped the reins tighter and followed the others. The sound of thundering hooves gave him life. All those years in training and almost getting eaten in Trost... all of that was worth it. Finally, he could see beyond the walls that restricted him all his life. This was the life he dreamed for and he was finally here. And if, maybe, he hoped to find something else beyond the wall, that was something he kept to himself.

A few minutes after they were released from the gates, Sean suddenly stiffened and his eyebrows furrowed. Making sure that the path was clear ahead with their squad leader leading them, he slowly turned to Gwen. "By the Walls, Gwen, do you smell that? Did you fart?" He asked, almost accusing, as he brought one hand up to wave away the supposed bad smell— not trusting the wind smacking them in the face due to their high speed on horseback.

 

[Colorless Spectrum]

Laurence Arnault

Laurie touched his shoulder, remember Hal's interaction on the day of Commander Almeras's speech. It was encouraging to him but he was too preoccupied with Jo in his thoughts to appreciate the sentiment and give it back. Speaking of... He hasn't talked to her at all since then, unless it was necessary that is. He regrets everything he said to her, he should have just let it be but those images that comes to his head, they were too frightening and too painful for him. Sometimes, he wish they hadn't had met again even if seeing Jo again that first day was probably the happiest he had felt in a long time. No, she'll be fine. She's smart.

"The nearby Titans have been lured away!"

The voice pulled him back to reality. He blinked once before looking over his surroundings once again. Elke, Elyse, and Leon. Those were the familiar faces with him in the team. He was sure that Noah in the same squad, albeit a different team. He thought hopefully, Gwen doesn't run off too and it's probably a good thing that she's with Sean. They get a long well.

He needed to focus. Thinking about the past won't do him any good in this expedition. Titans, just the thought of them had made his mouth feel dry.

He hopes that everyone one of them comes back alive. "The gate opens in thirty seconds! Show us what you're made of!" As unrealistic as that idea was.

"Eight years ago, we first saw them." He mumbled to himself. "We've trained for so long, we fought them at Trost with Hal, and we sealed the hole they made." He spoke louder for his team to hear. A faux confidence building in his chest. "Let's all come back in one piece." Laurie said with a small smile on his face, feeling a bead of sweat drip down his neck. "We survived twice, we can do it again."

"The 57th Expedition begins now!"

"Hiya!" His horse, Erika neighed before cantering with the other horses. The wind touched his skin, the sensation bringing him a bit of ease. His grip on the reins slackened and his body started to feel light at the sight before him. It was easy to forget everything in that one moment, but it was only just a moment. Every beat of the horses' hooves resounded in his heart like the drums of war that gives soldiers courage to face the battles ahead.

Humanity's step forward to a future outside the Walls. To what the world outside can offer them. "We'll return victorious." He repeated under his breath with a smile.

mention: Arcanist Raiden . D O V E AI10100 || interaction: M Moonlessite Danidify Castello

 

[. D O V E]

Gwen Bulwark​

The tolls of the Church's bells reached Gwen's ears as she leaned against her makeshift seat on the cart she was forcibly situated in. It has never been a welcomed sound to her ears, and she didn't bother hiding her disdain as she frowned against the open sky. She caught sight of a flock of birds flying across the wall, her demeanor melting back to its loose and slothful default as she watched them disappear into the other side, blissfully devoid of any worries. Oh, how lucky were the birds? To cross the three enclosures whenever they so pleased - Gwen couldn't help but wonder when humanity would have the same privilege, or if they would, at all.

The notion reminded her of the wings on her back. She, too, must cross to the other side of the wall, but unlike the birds', her wings were made of steel. It was fitting for someone who could only achieve freedom through fighting. She shook her head slightly, had she been on a horse instead of idling on a cart then her mind wouldn't be bothering her with troublesome thoughts. In search for a worthwhile distraction, Gwen allowed her eyes to scan their surroundings as the cart inched closer to the gate.

A bubble of laughter formed at the pits of her stomach when her eyes landed on the scornful looks being thrown their way. It seemed like the Survey Corps were hated so much that people would pause on whatever they were doing and go out of their way to watch them march off the gate. She chuckled at this, continuing her crowd-gazing until her sight landed on a particular woman. She had an ebony hair with graying roots, clad in a worn-out green dress and a peach apron soiled with flour.

"Make sure to come back home, my child!" Her voice shook as she yelled, and Gwen could see the tears rolling from her cheeks as she waved her white handkerchief at their direction.

The red-haired soldier pursed her lips, staring at the woman for a lingering moment before standing by the rear edge of the cart. She then spread her arms to a T, having no regards whatsoever as to how she was being perceived.

"I'll make you proud, mama!" She yelled back, sniffling in place as the older woman stared at her with an expression that read 'who the fuck are you?'

Satisfied by her little trick, Gwen sat on top of one of the supply crates and idly kicked her legs. It wasn't long before she felt the ground rumble a bit, causing her to peek over her shoulder and cast her attention at the gates. The mechanism was starting to pull it open, and it wouldn't be long before the expedition members venture into the sullied Wall Maria. Back then, that gate was never closed. She could remember walking in and out of it with her mentor whenever they were in the mood to train in the secluded alleys of Maria. Those were fun moments that definitely helped her live another day.

"Bright open fields filled with titans, here we come."

Gwen locked gazes with Sean once he regarded her, a grin finding its way to her face. "Once more into the fray, Sean-y boy. Think you can kill more titans than me during this expedition?" She inquired, in an obnoxiously challenging tone. Competition was a regular thing for the two of them, in fact it probably comprised a good chunk of their relationship. Take for example the past few weeks when they'd race each other around different avenues using the ODMG gear. Nevertheless, all of their contests were lighthearted. To her, they were amusing activities that were also helpful for her to improve her skills and techniques. For one, she learned that she was rather spendy with her gases. There was this one (and only time) when Sean won against Gwen in an ODMG race, all because she ran out of gas near the end and had to hike up the hill which they designated as their finish line. Of course, Gwen said "fuck it" halfway through and abandoned poor Sean who was waiting for her until nighttime.

"By the Walls, Gwen, do you smell that? Did you fart?"

Silence swallowed the accused as she kept her deadpan stare at the blonde boy. Her mind worked its gears as she slowly crossed her arms over her chest, silently pondering if she really did while she was deep in thought. Was it all those steamed potatoes? Ah, well, a good thief would never confess.

"Hold your horses, Sean. It could just be your mouth being arranged too closely to your nose." She quipped before she started sniffing around, looking like a dog searching for crumbs in a wet market. A second later and her nose scrunched with plain distaste, causing her to bring a hand upwards and pinch her nostrils together. "Well, Detective, looks like someone did do the crime after all..." She glanced at Sean, her countenance darkening as though someone just revealed that the Armored Titan was on their cart. "If it's not you, and it's not me, then..."

Gwen slowly turned to look at the only other person sharing the cart with them.

"Alfie."
The Squad Leader.

AI10100 KaramelKarma

 

[Castello]

»»————-　　————-««
Leon Monar
Interactions - Danidify (Elyse) Colorless Spectrum (Laurie) M Moonlessite (Elke)
Mentions - Raiden (Hal) ShadyLady (Nina)
»»————-　　————-««

​

So, Hal was the Attack Titan.

Frankly, Leon could not remember anything from the kerfuffle; the screams of Mustacio, being knocked to the rubble, and even Hal's transformation. It was all rain, perpetually flowing, and dancing against the crimson puddles as he slept unconscious in the remnants of the Trost victims. Since then, worms writhed around his skull, fed on grey matter and spit voices into his head. He could vaguely remember the last time his eyes even shut down for rest since Trost, feeling as though each blink entered him into a new scene. His life had become a stunted theatre play, migrating from setting to setting. In what felt like mere seconds were split between Nina's voice, Krause's speech, and eventually wounding up on horseback. Leon's shoulders reared forward, with dark, sunken eyes open but clearly not keen. Yet, by the scruff of the mane, he could instantly recognize the horse as Molly, a mare he had raised from youth, yet his vision dared not make any of his teammates.

"The 57th Expedition begins now!"

Expedition? He mouthed the words soundlessly. He urged his horse forward instinctively, yet the excitement bestowed by Laurie did not reach the young man, it ricocheted metal to metal. As the horse moved, Leon simply bobbed along like a boat over waves. He kept his neck up, however and could only keep his chin tilted towards Hal's squad.

 

[Arcanist]

Jo Schreiber
Mentions: Colorless Spectrum (Laurie) | Interactions: lion. (Ramiel), ShadyLady (Nina)

(commission by @kalatl!)​

Karanes hadn’t changed in the time she had been away. Jo spied the same nosy neighbours lingering in the crowd that had gathered on the sides of the Survey Corps. Many crossed eyes with her, pitied her or ignored the young woman completely. A daughter who further disgraced herself and her family. That was probably what they thought of her. She thought that herself in the month they had been training. Jo wondered if Laurie was right to try and dissuade her from joining the Scouts, if not for her sake, then the rest of her sakes. But stubborn and steadfast was Joanna Schreiber, so much so that her brothers believed she would make a fantastic substitute for the Walls.

The sound of leather stretched underneath her hands. Danner. Frederick. She looked towards the crowd of impassive stares. She imagined their faces among the rest. Would they wear the same masks? Or perhaps they would drop them, wishing her solemn good lucks while pleading with their eyes that she stay at home with them, just like she did the day she enlisted.

Jo’s horse shifted with a huff likened to impatience. She smiled a little, reached for the bay’s neck and patted it. “Easy, Auriga. It won’t be long now.” Charioteer, one of many spattering of stars that she could see, but never be in reach of. She felt silly naming it after a constellation she spied one night from the roof of her old house, but that was what made this creature more unique than the rest around her. It was a comfort too. A reminder of better, happier, times.

Jo swallowed back, stretching her neck to let her eyes roam over the rows of heads and horses in front of her. She couldn’t see Laurie, though, knew he had been assigned to a different squad. She wasn’t sure if she was happy about that or not. She wouldn’t have to grasp at superfluous topics just to ease the awkward silence that descended between them. Even though they begrudgingly accepted their new situation, Jo couldn’t bear the uneasy air around him, and she was unsure of how to clear it. Distancing herself made it no better, but it seemed the only bearable thing she could do.

“...if you had asked me… Maybe I would’ve changed my mind.”

Was it really so easy? Could she have stopped him from joining the Scouts at all?

No, no. Laurie was his own person, just as Jo was. To treat him otherwise made her a hypocrite. He had to rely on the others with him to make sure he didn’t try to play hero.

Announcements trickled down to their squad that they would be departing very soon. She looked between Ramiel and Nina, and a few other scouts she was barely acquainted with. Though she was comforted by the presence of capable soldiers and friendly faces, she wondered why Ramiel was placed here with them. He was the best of the ones who graduated with them, more than capable of taking on Titans. Though, this was not all guaranteed, as she remembered from Trost all too well.

As the gate rose, down came Jo’s goggles. “Looks like there’s no going back now,” she stated the obvious to Ramiel and Nina, adjusting her aid tightly over her eyes. She had perfected her game face for years now. It was the only thing that kept her grounded in the moment, that held fear by the neck and squeezed hard to keep it quiet. “Let’s get a drink after this is over, yeah?”

Once, they were on the move. Words couldn’t describe that split second where fear had been cut off, and an exhilaration kickstarted in her. The battering of hooves, the wind that carried her cloak behind her, the sudden expanse of land and light ahead of her as they exited the gates.

 

[homintales]

Sera Mayer: Here We Go
Mentions: The Prophet Raiden SpookyBones ​

After the week came to pass, in which Sera used every precious minute she wasn’t cleaning up corpses and rubble to mentally and physically prepare to face the outside realm, the 57th Expedition was now upon the unproven Scouts. In just a few more minutes, the gate would open and they would all venture outside.

Sera was, much like everyone else, understandably nervous. And it wasn’t too easy to conceal this nervousness. Hands shaking and only negative thoughts to think about, Sera was struggling to remain focused on the mission ahead.

From what the average statistics told Sera, most new Recruits don’t survive long enough to return to the Wall’s security. How many people would she watch get eaten on just this one Expedition?

She didn’t want or need to think about it. The only thing she actually needed to worry about was sticking with the team she was assigned to, and making sure they all survived.

Sera wasn’t particularly familiar with anyone else on the team, aside from Luka. But Milo, Siegfried, and the team’s leader, Lorenz… Sera never took the time to properly converse with them, which was possibly going to result in a few communication and trust problems.

Maybe she could improve those fragile people skills while fighting the titans? For now though, she needed to focus on what was ahead. The Survey Corps 57th Expedition was nearly ready.

Inhaling and exhaling with a 4 second pause each time, Sera’s nerves were finally able to calm themselves. “You can sense fear, right?” She asked the stallion she was assigned, still not sure what name suited it.

“Well girl… you think you’ll want to come all the way to Shiganshina with me?”

 

[The Prophet]

Spoiler: Appearance

====================

​

"I'm never cutting my hair again."

A familiar blonde sat straight on his saddled horse, running his hands through his hair as if reminiscing times when it was longer. In hindsight, it was in the way when he worked yet not long enough to tie back without looking rather strange, but he surprisingly missed the familiar length. And sitting there waiting to ride out and conduct their first mission as scouts really gave one time to think.

The month after his induction wasn't particularly grand. Doing medical work and cleaning up corpses kept him much too busy to fully process much else other than the task at hand, but even the passive Siegfried gave pause when hauling bodies. Corpses and body parts weren't an issue; they were dead in the same way a dead animal would be. A carcass. What did give him hesitation was the other's reactions. Crying, sadness, anger, resolve….it gave him a feeling he couldn't describe. He had even gotten punched by an older soldier who saw Siegfried nonchalantly throwing the carcasses in a cart. 'At least some respect', he had growled, which felt unnecessary given the sorry state they were in. Though regardless of his own feelings on the matter, part of his jaw still ached some when he touched it and he was in no hurry to annoy some other superior he couldn't defend against.

looking over to the heavy gate, Siegfried fell back into the present. Their first expedition. The mission in which he was most likely to die. Gripping the leather reins tightly, Siegfried looked over to his squad members. He did not fear death; it was inevitable and would happen eventually. But he did not want to see these people die. They seemed capable, but it only took one mistake. He could deal with injuries, but it seemed like that with titans you either came back relatively unharmed or not at all.

A shout broke out over the murmurs of scouts and civilians alike, silencing them as the shout signaled the fact that the titans were lured away and they could begin. "...Don't die." Came his terrible vote of confidence to his team, and the blonde internally cringed. He really should practice these.

And begin it did shortly after, as Commander Ambrose barked out orders and led the charge out. Siegfried pushed up his glasses and ushered his horse into the galloping formation. As paved roads gave way to gravel and dirt, he became keenly aware of the insignia on his cloak, billowing with the wind as the the 57th expedition charged.

 

[Danidify]

ELYSE HILDEBRAND​

In the band of Scouts, housing initiates and veterans alike, Elyse sat neatly atop one of the smaller horses among the crowd. An awkward smile perked up on her face as she glanced past the entranced townsfolk, eyes endlessly searching for a focal point. While a tad overbearing for her taste, the attention was a welcome addition for once. Elyse - steadfast as ever - had been struggling to keep hesitations at bay, and this novel sensation invoked just enough pride (and pressure) to put her back on track. It was nice to be seen, though the noble wasn’t quite sure whether their looks were of admiration or judgment. Probably both, not that she could blame them. Even in her eyes, this expedition was as valiant as it was stupid.

Taking a deep breath, Elyse leaned back slightly as she slid back into her own headspace, putting her best efforts forward in an attempt to look ‘relaxed’. While her body had mostly healed from the damage taken at Trost, part of her mind was still stuck in that damned day. Even the shortest glimpses would be enough to make her muscles tense, locking down just like they had in her most vulnerable moments. Today would be different, though, it had to be. She couldn’t mess up again, and definitely not in front of Leon.

As the flock grew more animated, Elyse’s hands firmly curled around the horse reins, nails digging into her palms as bothersome thoughts invaded. Fortunately, Laurie’s positivity came just in time to brighten the cloudy skies, allowing for a breath of fresh air in a zone of inner negativity and outer horse musk. The young noble couldn’t quite reciprocate his optimism, but she appreciated the gesture nonetheless. Her hands relaxed, occupying themselves by gently patting the horse's back.

“Let’s stick together this time around, okay?” Elyse spoke in earnest worry, masked ever-so-slightly by nervosity-induced sass. Her gaze sheepishly hovered on Laurie for a moment before travelling to Leon as it shifted into a more serious disposition. She was expecting to lay eyes on a disapproving face, acting as a forewarning for another painfully pragmatic life lesson. Instead, first sights were only of an unnerving distance. Something felt off, and Elyse didn’t quite know how to help relieve it.

Time proved to be a limited resource once again, for Ambrose’s commands were quick to arrive just when she could’ve used a bit more time. In the tidal wave of bustling steps, her horse didn’t need much motivation to follow along, adding to the powerful noise of one massive charge. Elyse glanced at each of her squadmates - Elke, Laurie and Leon - once more before fully bracing to ride off into the horizon.

INTERACTIONS: Castello Colorless Spectrum
MENTIONS: M Moonlessite ​

 

[ShadyLady]

Interactions: Arcanist (Jo) Mentions: Raiden (Luka) lion. (Ramiel)
​

Time seemed to bleed into itself, a blur passing her by. From the induction night and Luka’s question, to preparing herself for the expedition, Nina didn’t know if she was ready to see the inevitable bloodshed so soon, if she would ever be ready for it, but time waited for no one. It was the day of the 57th expedition all too soon. She sat saddled on her horse, a sable mare she’d decided to name Tina, the most creative of names. Her fingers twisted to squeeze the reins, the red indents left in her pale skin and the sting it entailed anchoring her to the present, to the Scouts.

They were on the move, a steady trot towards the gates and through the crowds gathered along the sides. Azure eyes traced the outlines of figures and faces as they prepared their leave. Most of the expressions Nina glazed over were impassive, but for those that weren't, the glare of scorn and judgement carved into their distant features was familiar. Once it had been a sharp pang, but now it had faded into a faint ache. She didn’t blame them for holding contempt for the Scouts Regiment. After all, those within its ranks were constantly walking the knife edge of destruction, and now Nina would be joining them with less hesitation than she’d expected.

Hearing the announcement that they were to leave soon, Nina spared a glance at the rest of her squad. She was in capable hands, the brains and brawn of Jo and Ramiel was reassuring and Nina was confident in her own abilities. She was certain they’d all make it out one way or another. There was little any words of encouragement would do, so she kept her mouth shut for the most part until spoke to, meeting Jo’s determined stare with one of her own and a small teasing smile, “Only if you’re paying.”

As the gates rose, the redhead took a deep breath, a light grimace twisting her face as they officially embarked. The galloping of horses and the thud of hooves meeting the hard ground offered her no comfort, nor did the cutting wind that sent her cloak billowing. All she could do was keep her gaze on the rolling hills and expanses of land before her, refusing to look back now.

 

[Moonlessite]

MENTIONS: Castello [Leon], Colorless Spectrum [Laurie], Danidify [Elyse]
​

​

The sky above her swept over her head like a fleeting bird's wing. Everything seemed so surreal-- the thrumming of the horse's hooves, the rolling of the billowing clouds on a sea of blue, the way that she rode beside her old friends as she got her first taste of freedom. Her bay horse, Marizpan, galloped across the sea of green with ease as she kept up with the rest of the herd, which earned a giggle from Elke as she reached forward to stroke the mare's flowing mane. Even now, she could hear the breaths the horse took as it ran. In and out, in and out, in tune with the way her body moved upon her legs. She had worked with Marzipan for a straight two weeks and had gotten to know her quite well. It was important that both Scout and horse knew each other's body movements, right? That way, they could both help each other survive out there in the unknown.

"Can you guys believe it?!" she called out over the rush of the passing wind to the familiar faces among Team 3 of Squad 2-- Leon, Laurie, and Elyse. A broad smile had finally graced all of her features, and an adventurous spark glittered in her eye. "We're finally out here, outside of the walls!"

Did the fact mystify them as much as it did her? Sure, they could have said that they all expected this. They are all finally full-fledged Scouts, after all. What did she expect, to sit behind the walls for the rest of the years she would spend on duty? No, she was meant to fly across the grasslands and through the forests like a bird freed from its cage. Elke turned her head back to what was in front of her, her smile fading only slightly once she saw a green flare rise up to the sky a few miles off to their right. There had already been a Titan sighting then? At least there was a warning ahead of time. Their job wasn't to outright search for Titans, after all. For now, they avoided them. There was still some time to breathe in the fresh air of freedom.

Marzipan's nostrils flared loudly. The sound caught Elke somewhat off-guard, and her surprise only deepened when the mare lurched only slightly towards Laurie. Huh, that's weird. Elke pondered to herself. Fortunately for the both of them, Marzipan quickly evened out her path, and before long she had returned to proper formation. Maybe she had stepped on a rock, or maybe she was spooked by Leon or Elyse's horses. Elke offered the mare a nervous grin as she leaned forward slightly to pat her neck. "Easy girl, good girl," she murmured before she turned back to Leon and Elyse. "Think one of your horses are bullying poor Marzi. How 'bout you give her some distance?"

If there was time to take in the sights, then there was time for a quick joke.

 

[KaramelKarma]

• aa
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  alfred

  
  
  
  
  
  
  

  "man, monster, or miracle?"

  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  
  
  

  alfie's theme

  
  
  
  
  
  
  

  miner's lament

  
  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  
  

  
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  

  "Be you still...be you still, o trembling heart...
  Remember the wisdom out of the old days..."
  
  Wall Rose loomed, casting an impenetrable shadow across the thousands crowded down below. Preemptive grief had already begun to sink its claws in many a mother, a brother, a cousin or a friend, all knowing in their heart of hearts that this was the end for their loved ones. After all, one step outside the gates meant two in the grave.
  Just then, thrice murder streaked across the sky, landing neatly in a row on the top of Rose. Alfred smiled softly, lowering his spyglass. Good, he thought. All the best things come in threes.
  He stepped down from his wooden box of rations back onto the cart, raising the spyglass once more. This time, his eye roamed the rest of the mighty Scout Regiment, hoping to catch sight of the division's wonder boy and, in Alfie's estimation, potential saviour of all humankind behind the Walls. No doubt by Ambrose's side, circled by Gil's elite. The scope roamed from to and fro, yet try as he might, the brass had him safely shielded from Alfie's ogling eye. This disheartened the squad leader, so as worthy recompense, the scope went into overdrive and picked out a particular figure in the distance.
  The figure was that of a young recruit seated on horseback, whose good posture spoke of a noble upbringing. The face had bloomed into that of a young woman, but the core features had stayed the same; hair the shade of ashened umber, with the unmistakable industrious Hildebrand brown eyes.
  
  She was only a child and he himself barely a man when he had left, but Alfred could never forget the daughter of the man who had given him his second chance at life. For a moment, he saw it: the mahogany lectern, the large dome window overlooking all of inner Sina, the piles of books, tools and stacks of blueprints littering every corner. And there he was, teaching a young Elyse Hildebrand how to craft her very own mini hot air balloon.
  It seems you were not the only one who walked away from better choices, Maria chimed in her usual way. Her voice softened. There is little sense in trying to get her attention, Alfred. Just be grateful you could see her for the last time.
  The nostalgia ebbed away, leaving in its place a clenched jaw. There is little sense in her being here, Alfred answered solemnly. If only I had seen her at the graduation ceremony, for her father's sake, I could have convinced her otherwise...
  The candlestick snorted. If she is anything like her father, you'd have had a better chance in trying to convince Gil to give up his drinking habits. You said it yourself, Alfred: Trost changed it all and it changed her too.
  
  As soon as the last word left her, the groan of wood and gravel echoed across the district, signaling the beginning of the 57th Expedition. With his spyglass, Alfie's gaze continued to swivel, watching as hooves began to thunder and the frontline funneled itself out of the gates. Alfred, standing upright still, turned around to address his own troops, who began their own movement towards the gates. Through the tunnel of the scope, he caught the unwavering stares of his two favorites, prompting him to lower the device. Alfred pilfered at his candle, bringing it close as he whispered. "Why are they looking at me like that?"
  Maria, who couldn't care less for the gossip of grasshoppers, was quite flippant in her report. Oh, she just said your name and mentioned a crime of some sort being committed too. Honestly, the only crime is the fact that you let them hitch a ride with us.
  
  It was then that Alfie remembered the old adage he had quietly uttered back when he had noticed the three crows, but never finished. It was a poem he had picked up in one of the more forbidden books he had read down in the mines. A recitation for the calming of the heart, to coax out the fear that lay embedded in each and every soul. Alfie nodded finally, the pieces falling into place.
  
  "Being afraid is no crime," he proclaimed to the pair, almost with pride and utterly unaware of what they were actually referring to. As the cart began to move faster, his voice matched the speed with a louder voice. "Fear is in all of us and expresses itself in all sorts of ways! To keep it in will only embolden it. And so, like a bad spirit, it must be chased out. Away through the window, a hole in the ground, whatever it takes." Alfred tucked his spyglass back into its compartment and untied his military jacket from his waist. He turned back around, throwing the vest on him once more, the Scout Regiment's winged insignia emblazoned across the back, clear as day.
  
  "You told it to us once, Gwen," he continued, head turning halfway. "Angels do need their wings. Not to fight, or fly, or fall…"
  
  Alfred faced the broadening horizon once more, his eyes alight with fervor. "Only to be free. Free to do all three."
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  

  
  
  
  

  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  
  

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  On one of the leading supply carts, heading towards sweet death

  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  

  Gwen Bulwark ; Sean Seidel

  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  

  
  ➸ . D O V E (Gwen Bulwark)
  
  ➸ Danidify (Elyse Mina Hildebrand)
  
  ➸ AI10100 (Sean Seidel)
  
  ➸ Raiden (Halvor Verdende/Hillel Ackerman)
  

  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  

  
  
  
  

  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  

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𓀁

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nine lives

 

[AI10100]

Mentions: . D O V E KaramelKarma ​

"Once more into the fray, Sean-y boy. Think you can kill more titans than me during this expedition?"

Sean grinned. "Is that a challenge I hear? Look, I'm just gonna say, I have to drive this carriage while you're just sitting there. Going for that unfair advantage, are we?" Nothing about this was serious. They were lighthearted and there were no hard feelings whether one or the other won. They had fun and they could practice all at the same time. It made exercising way more bearable— not like he hadn't been enjoying them before. "Buuut, I'm no coward. You got yourself a competition." As if titan killing was the easiest thing in the world. As if one mistake could cost him his life. Well, at least he was going to spend it having fun instead of in fear. To experience that thrill again would be fantastic. You really haven't lived until you've almost died.

He scoffed at Gwen's first accusation but tilted his head when she believed him. Both of their heads turned to their squad leader in a slow and comical way. However, Sean felt LEO buckle and huff which made him turn back to their path quickly to make sure he wasn't steering them into a ditch. "The complete and utter betrayal, Squad Leader Alfie..." He muttered with a disappointed shake of his head.

However, Alfie began to speak about not being afraid of anything. Or rather, it was natural for everyone to experience being afraid and that they should chase it out. "Oh, I get it! Don't be afraid of farting whenever you need to because just like being afraid, you can't keep it in because it'll be bad for you. We're free to live our lives as we want it, and farting is part of our lives. Freedom and all." He nodded along, completely misinterpreting whatever Alfie was trying to tell them. "You speak the truth, sir. Wise words. Wise words indeed."

He spotted green flares being fired out in the distance. He adjusted the direction of where he was steering as per the instructions for the green flares. "Green flare, huh? Titans so early into the expedition. Fun." Though Sean seemed to be aiming for a more sarcastic tone of voice, it ultimately fell to him sounding extremely excited. They were in the middle so it wasn't likely that they would encounter a titan at all if things go well. Of course, unless they see a black flare then that definitely meant trouble. "Probably gonna see more soon, huh? Avoiding as many titans as possible, man, I wonder how long the formation will hold." It was an idle comment really. He had very little doubts about the capabilities of his seniors and the plan made by the commander. Still, situations turn from bad to worse in the blink of an eye.

 

[Arcanist]

Jo Schreiber
Mentions: - | Interactions: -

(commission by @kalatl!)​

Jo chuckled to herself. She'd rustle up the money for drinks. If she survived many of the forthcoming expeditions, she'd put her hand in deeper and buy them all a bloody drink. For now, that would be a distant goal as her mind returned to the present with the rumbling of hooves and the wind cutting at her cheeks.

The taste of supposed freedom turned sour only a few minutes into their travels. One green flare shot into the air on their right, and Jo couldn't help but ponder how close it was to them, and how early it had been. Titans didn't agree on attacks on specific times or schedules, mind you. They had no rhyme or reason to their actions, and it was all the more reason to veer out of their way and keep your head low. Still, she would admit to the bottomless pit that opened in her stomach, once that she thought she had long closed since Trost.

As per training and the strategy engrained in them, squad horses shifted and adjusted as appropriate, smooth as clockwork. Jo wondered what the more veteran scouts did to pass the time on lulls like this. Perhaps it was wrong to consider it a lull. They were on duty, regardless of whether a Titan was in sight or not. But she had to wonder if any of them played eye-spy for fun.

"Eye-spy, with my little eye..." Jo murmured to herself, unsure if she said it as a joke or a method to ground herself as her eyes moved across the open plains. "Something beginning with T."

Tree.

Terrain.

Troops.

Titan. If she saw one, that was.

She understood how old the game quickly became.

 

[SpookyBones]

Mentions: The Prophet (Siegfried), Raiden (golden boy), homintales (Sera) ​

It seemed beyond surreal for everything to lead to this moment. But it wasn’t enough. Simply getting here was the first part of the task and there was much more work to be done before he could consider himself worthy of living. Milo listened attentively to the commander’s words as he sat upon his steed that he had very wisely named Ember, a reminder to provide a semblance of comfort. Milo was grouped with none other than Siegfried, the golden boy that saved his life and the rather unfamiliar face of Sera. Hopefully efficient teamwork wouldn’t prove too difficult, however communication has never exactly been Milo’s strong suit. Once the gates opened and the commander made the call to move,

In recent years, few things had succeeded in making Milo feel alive. Suffice to say he’d no longer be human if the stir of the wind through his hair as he was mounted upon his horse didn’t strike a chord within him. As the invisible force swept up the sleeves of his jacket and lit each goosebump on fire, a shiver cradled his spine, just enough to exhilarate him and keep his soul in the present moment. Milo’s heart that thundered in his chest dropped to fall into the rhythm of Ember’s hooves hammering the lush expanse of green beneath them. Relative to the rest of his life, his first expedition had come upon them far sooner than he’d realised. A small part of Milo marvelled at the fact he’d actually made it this far, in a promising position to finally prove his worth as a person. The close proximity of Siegfried provided Milo with a slither of tranquillity, a familiarity he knew all too well he wouldn’t be blessed with every expedition. Milo allowed himself to relish in the fact he’d left the walls for the first time with someone he cared dearly for, a brother of sorts to Milo.

As they strode further along the open plains, it was easy to get lost in the scenery and truly forget about the world if only for a minute. Milo was naive to expect that the danger would come much later as a booming sound echoed from his right, accompanied by a plume of green smoke. Milo turned frantically to look at his assigned squad, Ember wavering slightly in her path. Green meant Titan spotted right? Though for now it didn’t seem too much of a concern to their leaders. “Sorry girl, you’re doing great, keep going.” Milo gently patted the side of Ember to reassure her. Though he was no form of religious man, Milo prayed that they’d all make it back with minimal casualties this time.

 

[Moonlessite]

MENTIONS: Castello [Leon], Colorless Spectrum [Laurie], Danidify [Elyse]
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She'd never get used to how green the grass was. How fresh it smelled. How it was like an endless, viridescent sky right below her feet. Elke inhaled, drawing in the fresh scent of the wind and the flow of the breeze. Would every expedition be as exciting as this one, or would the sense of wonder and amazement eventually evaporate away like the morning dew? Her daydreams were once again interrupted by the sudden lurch of her horse. This one movement, though, was different than the last. Marzipan's ears flicked up, then flat against her skull, and her neck leaned back as she tensed up for a split second. Her nostrils flared viciously, steam propelling forth from the openings and vanishing into the morning wind. Frost shot through her veins as her peripheral vision caught something to her left. A shadow darted rapidly betwixt the line of trees off in the distance. There was no way she couldn't recognize it from over here. Its massive, semi-bipedal form made her mind flash back to more than a month ago, of the demonic creatures that trampled Trost beneath their feet. Grinning at them with yellowed, sharp teeth, it set off at a charge towards them as its greasy gray hair waved in the wind like rotting vines. The ice in her blood bled over to her muscles, the sight of the charging Titan practically freezing her in her saddle. Not again, please not again!

"Shit! Abnormal on our nine-o-clock!" cried out one of the senior Scouts, an older woman with short, reddish cropped hair and a delicate face. She had introduced herself as Carmen before the expedition; Elke remembered it well because she recalled that she seemed like a capable enough soldier.

There was a big pop to the front of their group, which drew Elke's attention to their team leader. Katarina Koch was another woman, though she was only slightly older than them. Katarina's blonde braid swayed in the wind as her right arm shot up to fire a pitch black flare into the sky. It arched way, way up into the air, almost touching the clouds. As it still floated in the air, their leader slowed down her roan stallion in order to reach their sides. and gave them a stern, commanding look with a pair of steely green eyes. "You three keep moving forward and keep your eyes sharp! We'll take care of the abnormal!" she yelled at them before guiding her horse behind them.

Elke's grip on her reigns once again made her knuckles burn hot white. Her breath came out in wild puffs of air as she tried her hardest to keep herself calm. They had this. They totally had this. They got the flare off in time, that meant the others would know there was an abnormal near by. Everything would be fine. Their horses kept running, no doubt already used to the chaos that currently unfolded behind them. Heat razed along her back as they ran, and she wondered if she really was sweating that much already. Marzipan huffed another time and gave her a soft whinny. When she turned to give the mare a comforting pat on her side, she saw the Titan's face not too far behind her. A surprised and horrified screech erupted the depths of her throat.

It was running on all fours.

And it was right behind them.

"Don't panic!" Katarina cried out from the Titan's flank. "Stay in your group!"

Don't panic?! They were about to get eaten and they were telling them not panic?! Elke let out a long whimper of fear as the wind whipped her blanched face. "They better do something back there and quick!" she wailed, screwing her eyes shut as she tried her best to ignore the massive unit that was right on their tail. "'Cause I'm not in the mood to become Titan food today!"

 

[Colorless Spectrum]

Laurence Arnault

Laurie regrets not tying his hair, as great as being outside of the Walls was his hair had just poked his right eye. "Ow." He whined softly to himself, rubbing his poor eye when he felt Erika swerve a bit to the side. He looked over to Elke with one eye closed in time to see her ask the others about their horses and then she saw Elke's expression change.

As Marzipan started to act strange, so did Erika. Laurie whipped his head to the left to see what had her befuddled so early into the expedition. His eyes widened as his horse started to buck, she was a calm horse overall and it was a given that a Titan would make her this antsy. But this one, it was increasingly eerie with the way it walked on... all fours? He had never seen such a titan before and just looking at it filled a dread within him.

Oh no! He thought as he clenched his teeth tight to keep himself from screaming. His heart pounded in his chest, or was it just the loud footsteps of the giant running behind them? He was worried, not just for himself but for everyone else. "Y-yes, ma'am!" He responded to the senior scout as a bead of sweat dried on his skin from the wind.

He tried to calm his horse down but Erika could notice the worry with his shaky breath. His hold on the reins tightened as he hoped that their seniors will be able to handle it. Laurie made the mistake of looking behind, seeing the Titan crawl on closer. His eyes darted across the open field, horses were fast that was true but there was little it could do to keep them away from a Titan's reach. "There!" The young man pointed towards a thick forest filled with tall trees. "If we go there, we can escape its reach by being up in the trees and we can make better use of our ODM gear to kill it!"

mention: || interaction: M Moonlessite Danidify Castello

 

[ShadyLady]

Interactions: Arcanist (Dear Leader) lion. (Ramiel)
​

Barely any time had passed, or at least it felt like that to Nina, when the first streak of green painted the sky. The flare was fired to her right, and the redhead arched a delicate eyebrow at the sight of it. Titans were already here. She blinked, unsure why she was surprised. Perhaps some of the denial still lingered, that they would remain safe for a moment or two longer, only to be crushed by the heavy footfalls of their ravenous foes. At least they weren't here yet, she and the rest of her squad still had a moment to enjoy in whatever way they could the abandoned land sprawled ahead of them. Her way of enjoying it, she childishly decided, would be to join in the game of I Spy.

"Eye-spy, with my little eye… Something beginning with T."

Letting a small smile capture her lips as she listened to Jo’s murmurings, Nina began to glance around. T… there was truly a wide variety of things it could be. Maybe it was the spattering of trees in the distance, but that seemed too basic for someone as knowledgeable as Jo. A furrowed line settled between her brows as she contemplated the potential answer. Surely it was something she wouldn’t think of initially, there was no way the answer was merely a tree. But, what was it then? The fellow redhead must've spotted something she hadn't and in doing so had left Nina stumped.

Sighing, Nina was ready to bite the bullet and put forth her shoddy answer, only for her eyes to stray onto the deserted farm they were in the midst of passing. Was that movement? Behind the farmhouse? She was the closest to the building, her horse's ears twitching as the soldier stared at the farm with an uneasy sinking engulfing her stomach. She wanted to believe she was seeing things, that a Titan hadn’t managed to go unseen by the squads ahead, but the unnatural sized, almost curious eye that poked around the side of the building and right into her own was chilling. The eye contact seemed to be enough of an invitation for the creature to come out of its hiding as it stretched once hunched limbs and shoved itself past the building, lunging directly at them.

“Titan!” Nina shouted, azure eyes wide as it began its chase. “An Abnormal Titan!” Reaching for her flare gun, Nina willed her hands not to fumble as she prepared to load it only for Tina to have other ideas. The horse’s self preservation must’ve kicked in and the panicked mare bucked up, sending Nina crashing to the ground below. Pain kicked in as her head took the brunt of the fall and the world became a dizzying blur. The shouts from her squad leader were a distant buzz, and the stomps of the approaching Titan the beginnings of a second headache.

Was this it? Death because of a cowardly horse?

Pushing herself up onto unsteady feet, she drew her blades in a pathetic last stand. Nina didn’t have the time to fly into action, or the mental capacity to do it effectively, not with the blood dampening her hair. To her relief, the squad leader Ardnt and veteran got to work themselves, riding past her with their ODM Gear whirring as they engaged the Titan, hooks embedding in flesh and the farmhouse walls. “Schreiber and Diakos keep moving, we’ll take care of this Abnormal. Polgar, get out of the fray!”

 

[Raiden]

The 57ᵗʰ Expedition Beyond the Walls — Squad Three, Team Four, Center Formation
Interactions: SpookyBones (Mitoe), homintales (Sereh), The Prophet (the 14th Doctor from Doctor Who)
Mentions: Bruno​

Through the month that followed the nightmare at Trost District, Luka had not fully realized the new burden of hope that wore on his back until the very moment that the legion crossed the boundary of Wall Rose and foraged into the wilderness beyond. Himself, his brothers and his sisters donned the wings of freedom, each one bearing a hand to lead the spear that was the Survey Corps. The growing pains had solidified into noble purpose, and though destiny would always take them beyond the sanctuary of walls, they would face it all as one legion. Though, the initial jitters of the enlistees' first operation still managed to register in the tremble of limbs and quiver of apprehensive speech.

Luka was no exception to this, even after somehow managing an undisturbed slumber over the preceding night. The entrance phase of the expedition came and went like a blur, finding all of his senses dialed in beyond the scores of ruined homesteads that littered the landscape. The broken world gave way to a broken sentiment, and in those momentary distractions, his woes couldn't help but to drift to those he loved. The teams of Squad Three were about as safe as any other in the Long-Distance Enemy Scouting Formation, but being as close to the relative center of the formation was known to be a safer position. "Maybe that's where Hal is," the thought had somehow escaped his mind until now. It made sense, considering that it was where all of their supply caravans were located. Their team teetered towards the eastern flank, but their closeness towards the center meant that they didn't carry the greatest risks that Squad Four did.

His head reactively turned upwards to the horizon as one green arrow pierced a faint rainbow over the clouds, indicating the direction of the formation's pivot as initially relayed by the Commander herself. Sera was the only truly familiar face from the 104th, while Siegfried was one of the transfers that bolstered their undermanned regiment alongside the other new ones. He was acquianted with the other boy, Milo, exchanging pleasantries in form of a friendship for the latter's gratefulness. Their fifth was another boy, Dumas, whom he knew nothing about, save for his apparent lack of belief in the wrath of the gods. "L-look!" Dumas frantically called out the signal flare from the eastern flank, his arm extended outward and retroactively pointing towards the rainbow at the same time.

Riding close to him, Luka tugged a hand on the heavyset boy's shoulder. "Hey, don't point at the rainbow!" he winced, scolding Dumas. "You'll kill us all with bad luck before any Titans do!"

"Enough," the voice of their team leader, Liesel, interrupted their brief exchange to bring them to attention. "Soroka, take the extra horse and pull twenty meters behind us. Then fire the green flare to the west, just as they did."

Now entrusted with responsibility, Luka gave an affirmative nod as Dumas transferred the reins of the extra horse to him, looking to the rest of his team members. "Wish I could say it's been a pleasure, but I've got an appointment with the next Abnormal," he jokingly quipped to them, eying Milo in particular. "I know it's easier to fall off a horse than Wall Rose, but do try your best not to."

With a farewell gesture, the soldier slowed his horse's gallop enough to fall back by the designated distance, carefully unholstering the gun from his belt and chambering the signal flare. He raised the gun high at a diagonal, firing the green flare for the next team to relay the legion's shift in momentum.

---

The 57ᵗʰ Expedition Beyond the Walls — Special Operations Squad
Interactions: ShadyLady (Gil's reincarnated son), M Moonlessite (Xavier from secondary school) do i dare @ him
Mentions: M Moonlessite (Ambrose)
​

There was never a dull moment with Humanity's Greatest Drunkard, as members of the Special Operations Squad possibly knew very well; whether it was to their benefit or not was another subjective matter. The alcoholic philanderer's reputation greatly preceded him as the name Hillel Ackerman had become synonomous with the general public's campaign to defund and disband the Survey Corps. As Rose liked to put it, he was quite the handful to manage; on a handful of occasions, he'd nearly been court-martialed for his disorderly conduct, only to be preserved solely on the merit of being the military's most capable Titan slayer in its recorded history. He was eternally grateful towards his old friend for her constant efforts to steer him back on the right path, but since that day, nothing truly mattered to him anymore.

Though he still followed through on at least the minimum of his responsibilities, life to Gil had become as routine as clockwork. Truthfully, the only thing he could truly enjoy was felling Titans one after another, whether it was for Emil and Takase or just to let off some pent-up steam. Though he would have welcomed death in the maw of their gargantuan masters, something always seemed to click from within even in the most desperate of scenarios. Try as he might, he was simply incapable of welcoming absolution.

All of the fresh meat from each recruitment drive always brought Gil back to one recurring sentiment: he hated fresh meat. It wasn't because of how annoying or eager to please they were-- well, actually, it is--but also that each youthful face reminded him of his boy. 'Come winter, a third of you will be dead,' she'd said. 'This time next year, half of you will be gone.' As starved for manpower as the Survey Corps was, an overwhelming majority of their fresh meat were still children. It made sense, considering that even someone with his supposed lack of intelligence would choose either of the two branches over theirs if they valued anything in life.

Yet, the situation during and after the Battle of Trost District had piqued his interest; Halvor Verdende, with his supposed power to transform into a Titan, was an angel to some and a devil to others. He'd beaten the teeth out of the poor boy's jaw during the trial, only to see two perfect shiny rows right after. The Special Operations Squad would bring Hal into their close-knit numbers and, after their collective prerequisite threat to kill him if he even breathed the wrong way, taught him their ways. "What?" Gil could remember the boy's first astonished reaction. "You 'eard me. Get to wipin' those bottles squeaky clean," he had ordered Hal to their squads' first priority responsibility, which was to ensure the cleanliness and pristine condition of his many liquor cabinets at their remote hideout, as ridiculous as it all may have sounded.

Additionally, Gil had required Hal to learn all of the card tricks that he and his squad members knew-- the dumbfounded expression on the boy's face had quickly deflated in the presence of the squad leader's absolutely serious demeanor in the dextrous arts of card tricks. He'd specifically instructed Emile to 'kick his ass' if Hal ever rebelled, but to his understanding, the boy seemed to reciprocate without issue in due time. Amidst all of the usual training necessary for a Scout, they learned of the catalyst that would spark Hal's transformations; pain with a purpose.

And if necessary, that purpose was to use that power to assist the Survey Corps in reclaiming Quaver's Rook from Titan territory in the expedition that the Special Operations Squad now rode into. It was no surprise to Gil that a Titan had already been spotted mere moments into the expedition, but Hal would become familiar to the red and green flares real shortly. Though he technically led the entirety of Squad One, they fell under the direct jurisdiction of Ambrose herself while the Special Operations Squad was relatively indepedent in their own position between Squad One and Two. Feeling like it was time for a quick drink, Gil raised his right leg and dug into his knee-high boots, revealing a hidden hip flash. "Rose never knows where to expect 'em anymore, haha!" he laughed with a swig, looking over his shoulder as the responsibility of the green flare approached them. "Emile-- no, Hal, you fire the green flare."

In for the long haul, it seems.

 

[Moonlessite]

MENTIONS: @Solace [Hal + Luka], Arcanist [Jo], Castello [Leon], homintales [Sera], ShadyLady [Nina], SpookyBones [Milo], Colorless Spectrum [Laurie], The Prophet [Siegfried], AI10100 [Sean], . D O V E [Gwen], lion. [Ramiel], Danidify [Elyse]​

​

Her heart was lodged in her throat as Marzipan kept running at the speed of lightning. If she was in the mood to joke, Elke would say that she was galloping so fast that her life depended on it, but it was quite literally the case as the Titan maintained its demonic pace right on their flanks. She wondered when it would catch up to them and whether it'd eat just one of them or all of them at once. Katarina and Carmen didn't have a set plan to say to the least, and their lack of commands left the four of them as measly baits for a hungry Titan. She dare not look back. Tears streamed down her face as she clenched her teeth in an attempt to not scream any more in hopes the Aberrant would grow bored of their little group and move on. If it weren't for Laurie pointing her attention towards the forest ahead of them. A way out for an otherwise doomed team.

The shadow of the branches overhead rippled over them like water as their horses entered the woods. Elke knew this forest well; it was the one that the commanders of the squadrons endlessly talked about. She never knew a forest could be so big and shadowy, though. And even though they had just entered the forest, the Titan had still found a way through the trees-- though it was much slower than before and had lagged behind a decent bit. "Now!" Katarina yelled behind them. The sound of ODM gear in heavy use sounded through the air, and Elke turned to see Carmen send a grappling hook onto a branch. Using the momentum of her horse, the senior Scout snarled as she swung towards the Titan's nape and deliver a clean cut into its neck. The Titan's legs collapsed beneath it almost immediately as it slumped clumsily to the ground and remained still.

"Good stuff, Carmen!" Katarina praised her companion as the red-haired woman swept down towards them and remounted her horse.

Elke's eyes glimmered with pride and gratitude. These Scouts made it seem so easy to kill a Titan! As long as they worked together, they could conquer whatever and whichever one decided to charge at them as long as they didn't run into a massive pack. A smile returned to her lips as she turned her gaze back to the path in front of her. Things were going to be fine from here on out. She just knew it.

Their team rode on for a while, the spacious forest providing the Scouts with enough room to carry out their long range formation. Ever since that run in with the Abnormal Titan, they had not run into another of the horrid beasts, and Elke was thankful for the accuracy of the Scout's smoke signals. Every so often, the forest became dense, but it thinned again quickly after and once again gave them space to ride freely, though nothing else really happened. A peaceful silence had overcome their team, granting Elke enough of a chance to ease herself back into her saddle. She once again indulged the wind in her hair and the smell of the trees and rotting roots. The forest was lush and green, and the grass was dotted with pretty pink and white flowers. And the trees... she never knew there were trees that thin! All in all, it was a beautiful sight in a serious situation, she thought wistfully. If only they had the chance to experience this every day. One day we will, she thought, breathing in the crisp air. We'll ride and ride as far as we want to with no one to stop us. We'll even reach the sea!

"Hey, you lot," Katarina's voice interrupted her daydreaming. Their team leader had outstretched one of her arms and pointed in front of them. "See there? That's Quaver's Rook."

Elke looked in the direction of her finger. Between the trees and way in the distance, she saw a building perched on a large hill. It was clustered with trees, but even from here she could see the whiteness of its walls and its massive size. Her smile broadened. If that was Quaver's Rook, that meant they'd only need to ride a bit longer to reach it.

Katarina motioned to something else to their west. It was a large lake that glistened under the sunlight and made it seem like the surface was dusted with diamonds. "All we need to do is ride past that lake over yonder, and it'll be a smooth ride over there. That's when the real action'll start."

"How many Titans do you think there are around Quaver's Rook?" Elke couldn't help but ask.

The blonde shrugged. "Dunno. Maybe ten, maybe a dozen, maybe more or less. Either way, Commander Almeras has this handled. Just listen to the big shots, don't be stupid, and you'll come out of this alive."

Her grip on Marzipan's reigns tightened. There was no room for daydreaming now. Elke had to remain focused and keep her eyes peeled for any sign of Titans, not only for her own sake, but for her friends' as well. She wouldn't let Leon, Elyse, or Laurie get hurt. Or worse... her mind flashed back to Trost, to Jericho, to Katsu-- even to Anke. Her heart suddenly felt like it had an arrow through it. No. This wouldn't happen again. She'd do something to protect them rather than just run away and hope they followed.

Something fast and dark shot up into the sky. The sudden movement caught Elke's eye, and when she turned her gaze upward she saw it was a flare as dark as the night. It arched way up into the air, dipped and disappeared into a thin mist. A black flare... wasn't that an emergency? Had someone misfired? Another black flare darted up into the clouds not too far from where the first one was shot. Double black flares... what did they mean? Something was definitely happening. Elke's worried gaze drifted to the rest of her team. Katarina's and Carmen's expressions had become gaunt as they rode on, silent.

"Uhm, guys..." she said to her friends. "What do you think is going on over there...?"

 

[AI10100]

Mentions: . D O V E KaramelKarma ​

There was something wrong.

Sean wasn't one for intuition, he had been called out a few times for not being able to properly read the room sometimes. But there was this deep-seated feeling of anxiety knotting inside his stomach as his grip tightened around the reins. There seemed to be a foreboding feeling in the air as they continued forward and Sean was thankful he could see the high rising trees in the distance. It was much more comfortable to be in an environment where they could use their ODMG.

His eyes flickered towards the senior scouts who had their eyes forward. It seemed like they were thankful to see it as well. It was also the hallmark of them getting closer to their objective— Quaver's Rook. He doubted that anyone had an idea of how many enemies were there but Sean was confident they could take the territory without worry considering the fact that they had both the senior scouts and Halvor... and them. They may not have the same combat experience as everyone else but they should be able to make a difference in this mission.

You know, optimistically speaking and Sean was nothing if not optimistic.

But the air still felt tense and Sean's worries soon came into being. Two black flares shot up into the sky from the East, a bit behind them. That was... from Joanna and the others, right? "Black flares? Hope they're alright back there. But what..." A logical conclusion would have been that they encountered someone like Halvor, or perhaps simply an extremely intelligent abnormal. Either way, those were very bad signs. Hopefully, the others managed to escape. Sean may have been more than willing to duke it out with the Armored Titan before, but even he knew that the winning rate of that was practically below zero. It was about the principle, not the outcome for him.

One of their seniors, Klaiver, whistled. "Better be ready if whatever attacked the other teams decide to give us a visit!" A fair assumption. While they couldn't see the other teams, they were in relatively closer proximity to the attack than the others. "If we can get into the forest, we'll have a better chance against it than out here in the fields." Sean nodded as he urged his horse to go faster as the other three seniors flanked them on all sides besides the front. The trees were their safe haven for now.

LEO whinnied, antsy just like his owner. Sean cooed the horse, knowing that it was capable of calming down by itself but still worried nevertheless. However, the horse's distress meant one thing— something was about to happen. As the forest came closer and closer, so did the danger that was lurking within the trees.

They passed the first line of trees when they heard the sound of heavy footsteps running towards them. Taylor, who was to their right, immediately called out the titan heading towards them. A solid twelve-meter titan was heading towards them at a worrying speed. "I got it!" Taylor called out as she and Ash steered to the east to combat the titan. Sean spared them a glance as the sound of the gear resonated across the otherwise silent forest and he saw how they smoothly swung towards the titan. Ash flew in front of the titan, taking its eyes with her blades before Taylor finalized the fight with a swift cut to the nape of its neck.

Just like that, the titan went down and they landed back onto their horses and caught up with them.

And to think that it took him, Siegfried, Allyssa, and the now deceased Tristan so much time and effort to take down those titans in the HQ. These Scouts were on a whole other level than them! As Sean put his entire focus in riding through the trees, avoiding when necessary, he thought about how long it would take until their skill levels were on par with them. "Think there are more titans here?"

"Better hope there's no more." Ash responded with a wave of her hand. "Sure we can resupply our gear and gas, but if we're too tired before Quaver's Rook, we'll die there."

Sean nodded slowly. "Yeah that makes sense. Do you guys think we'll succeed? You've been here in the Scouts for a while."

Taylor chuckled. "Just follow the Commander's orders and you should be fine." It was a vague answer to his question and even Sean understood what that meant. The Survey Corps didn't exactly have a stellar reputation of succeeding in its missions and coming back with more and more death tolls. "Also, focus on getting that cart into position. We'll handle any titan attacks." It didn't sound like an order coming from her, it sounded more like a gentle reminder. It was probably because this was their first mission and they didn't want to see them die immediately.

Sean nodded as they rode deeper into the forest. Quaver's Rook was in sight but with how the ground rumbled around them, distinctly different from the gallop of their horses, they weren't quite out of danger yet.

 

[Arcanist]

Jo Schreiber
Mentions: Ramiel ( lion. ) | Interactions: Nina ( ShadyLady )

(commission by @kalatl!)​

Jo first spied something that didn’t begin with ‘T’. A flare to the far left. Jo’s chest tightened as she tried to remember who was based around that area. She hoped there was time to get through to the forests without encountering Titans, but she was being too hopeful. She should have counted herself lucky that it wasn’t their group, but the fact that Titans had breached their formation so soon worried her, even if she wasn't content to show it.

Her eyes moved to Nina, who had been focused on something as they passed a nearby farmhouse. Jo’s stomach lurched at the prolonged stare, of what Nina could have seen behind that farmhouse…and before she could ask, it lurched for them, teeth bared and ready for its prey.

Nina spied, with her little eye, something big, and ugly, and beginning with T.

Titan.

To make matters worse, it was unpredictable. When Jo’s eyes rushed back to Nina, she found a masterless horse still galloping alongside their group. Nausea burned at Jo’s throat, her colour dropping as quickly as a reading in a thermometer. When she looked further back, she found the girl rising unsteadily to her feet, watching the Titan hone in on her.

"NINA!" Jo yelled back to her fallen comrade, watching helplessly as she got smaller and smaller. She was as far out of reach as Jo’s control on the situation was, and that only made her sicker. The urge to pull on the reins and fall back to Nina’s defence was overwhelming. She felt as sick as she had been the morning she was hungover. The reality of their situation - all of their situations - was sickening. No one was truly safe from the Titans, no matter how skilled they were.

Jo brought her hand up to her mouth, sickness still toiling within her, all the while feeling herself floundering in desperate thoughts of how she could help her. What would happen if she didn’t.

Ardnt’s orders dispelled the mists of desperation that fogged her mind. She swallowed, nodded at their orders, forcing herself from the blade wielding Nina taking her final stand. She couldn’t help but think of the illustrations of noble fighters who stood against horrendous monsters in her fairytales. Would it be better to think of her like that, instead of the gruesome image that became too apparent from Trost?

Jo reached for her flare gun. She had to carry on, be the noble soldier to the very end, regardless of what happened. Firing towards the sky, red smoke spilled from her gun.

Even as they shifted positions and made their way through the forest, the mood among their group remained sombre. Jo had occasionally glanced back to Nina’s horse, a constant reminder of before. And yet, she would have to preserve that horse. Resources were finite as they were, especially within their regiment. It would have felt wrong either way to abandon it.

“There’s so many flares going off,” one of their squad members, another newbie named Lars, commented, seeming more relaxed in their saddle than worried. He was not much younger than Jo, tight curly locks dangling over small eyes. “Do you normally see these many Titans at the beginning?” He directed it towards a woman, Fran, in front with laugh lines etched deep by the corners of her mouth, and a bright shine of blonde hair.

“What Shiganshina and Trost is to you all is a typical Tuesday for us,” she spoke in a blunt manner that didn’t fit the happier features in her face. “It’s not unusual to see Titans roaming around in the distance. We swerve to avoid them or hang back to make quick work of them. Abnormals though…” She didn’t quite have an answer for that one.

Through this conversation, Jo raised her head. She was sure she heard something beyond the hooves drumming against the ground, something high pitched. Some birds flew overhead, squawking as they took flight. She strained to hear anything over her squad members’ conversation, and she glanced past them. Jo felt that familiar nausea rise in her again, believing she could see something running far, far past the trees on their right.

“Schreiber?” Fran called.

Jo’s eyes never moved. “To the right.”

 

[homintales]

Sera Mayer: One Step Closer
Mentions: Raiden ​

It’s all so… incredible. Sera whispered, still unable to cease in admiring the luscious nature around them. Her stallion, still not given a proper name, came extremely close to slamming into a passing tree, all in thanks to Sera’s inattentiveness.

The world outside the Walls, something most people will never get to experience, was truly something else. The seemingly never-ending skies, enough trees to cover Trost seven times over, grass… so much grass, rainbows, which Sera assumed were magical, and even the oxygen seemed like an improvement.

It was all so new and mesmerizing. And it all gave Sera a new reason to loath the Titans.

Their atrocities against Humanity, the never-ending attack, the Titan’s mere existence would not allow Humanity to leave the Walls, to get even a glimpse at the larger world. She wished everyone in Trost could see it all, especially Jory.

Sera laughed while thinking about the idea. You would probably go insane with all this room and freedom, wouldn’t you? Realizing she still wasn’t paying attention, she chuckled and gave a few gentle pets to the one really steering. Guess I’m already going crazy from it too though, right girl?

It didn’t seem like anything too significant, especially since Sera was not even close to reaching Shiganshina. But still, making it to the outside… that was one step closer to making everything possible. And you’ve always gotta take things one step at a time.

Sera finally snapped back to reality when a loud Bang erupted. Looking towards the sky once more, she saw it was a signal flare, green and originating from the Eastern flank. It looked like things were going to move along smoothly.

Dumas, a fellow Scout in Sera’s squad, pointed towards the flare and the green cloud it emitted while shouting “Look” as though no one else could manage to spot it without some assistance. “Wow, thanks man... I just might've missed it.” She joked.

Luka, someone Sera was actually familiar with, scolded Dumas, telling the other Scout it wasn’t good luck to point towards a rainbow. "Well that’s certainly an odd superstition, don’t ya’ think?"

Liesel, the team’s leader, called out to everyone with a classic “Enough!” The Scout in charge then ordered Luka to grab the extra stead and to pull away. As long as they wanted things to go as planned with the formation, they would also need to fire a flare.

“Hey, Luka” Sera called over to Luka, who was already separating from the squad. “Try not to shoot an eagle, will ya’?” She lightly chuckled. “Oh. and try to stay close, yeah?”

 

[Danidify]

ELYSE HILDEBRAND​

The expedition was surprisingly bearable at first. Riding through the gentle breeze with dozens of skilled and/or brave scouts felt surreally picturesque, as though she was part of something bigger than she could understand right now. In the wake of Elke’s arguably misplaced excitement, Elyse even dared to loosen up a little, smiling, flowing. This feeling—it truly was unorthodoxly pleasant, so why couldn’t reality spare them just one moment of peace?

First came a green flare, taking to the skies as gentle reminders of their mortality. This is fine, Elyse chimed inwardly, hoping to trick herself into believing so. Her body surprisingly bought the lie, even letting her push out a chuckle at Elke’s undoubtedly misplaced joke. Everything is fine.

It wasn’t fine.

Elyse was already participating in some heavy introspection by the time the black flare went into the skies. In the crazed eyes of that monstrous abomination, she found enlightenment, for something truly philosophical dawned on her: joining the scouts had been the dumbest idea of her life.

Preoccupied and ready to take off, Elyse didn’t resist much in response to Katarina’s orders. Don’t stop riding? Yes Ma’am. Don’t fight the Abnormal? Easily achieved. Don’t panic? Well, that one made for a slight issue. Holding her reins in a chokehold, Elyse rode forth no longer as human, but as a living statue. Her muscles were as stiff as wood, leaving her void of spirit like an animal playing dead in the face of danger. Oh, how she yearned to go back to the numbing moments of celebration not too long ago.

Time seemed to play filthy games as the young scout eagerly awaited the assassination of the beast behind them, for it felt like eternity flashed by. At last, that fateful blow landed, and Elyse went back to pretending like everything was a-okay again. She tried to listen to the conversation about . . . was it Kraver’s Hook? Waver’s something? They mentioned a lake? Unfortunately, alertness had yet to let go of her cognition, leaving her eyes and ears hypervigilant of their surroundings. Even the most ambiguous sounds made her head dart about like that of a deer. A titan could come from anywhere, and she would not be surprised again.

Soon enough, another black flare flung into the sky, and then another. Elyse looked at her superiors, but their silence was painfully deafening. Right now, she relied on their reassurance—however fake it might be—to stay sane.

“I don’t think I want to know.” Honesty came out in a lifeless mutter to meet Elke’s inquiry. Whatever it was, it definitely would not be increasing their chance at survival.

“Ma’am, what should we do?” Elyse called out carefully, hopeful that she would be able to provide some well-needed wisdom.

SQUAD: Castello Colorless Spectrum M Moonlessite
welcome to another post of *Elyse Panik*​

 

[. D O V E]

GWEN BULWARK​

When you were a soldier out in an expedition, streaks of dim smokes emblazoning the cobalt skies was never a good sign. "Huh, interesting." The red-haired atop the horse-drawn cart mused as black flares continued erupting from afar. The scenery invoked murmurs of confusion and well wishes from the rest of her squad; however, Gwen preferred to save her energy rather than let her mind run amok. What mattered to her was that the smokes didn't come from the West. It was disappointing that she still cared about her duty at the end of the day.

It wasn't long before thick leaves and twisting branches replaced the view of the azure expanse above. Even the sound of the horses' hooves beating against the dirt path and foliages transformed into the pounding sound of giant footsteps as they penetrated deeper into the area. Gwen watched as the seniors in their merry crew flew into action, smoothly downing the approaching titan with well-coordinated moves. The show of deadly precision amused Gwen, more so when the veterans subtly assured their juniors that they'd be safe in their hands. She cracked a smirk at this, her mind wandering to the character that briefly occupied her mind.

"The ODMG is at its peak potential when you're surrounded by multiple bigass structures." It was common knowledge to scouts like her, but it was one of the first lessons he ever taught her. The girl couldn't help but wonder what he would do if he was in her position right now. He has always been an obnoxious show-off so she wouldn't be surprised if he'd go off stealing kills. It was no wonder why that man didn't make it to the regiment.

A frown made its way to her features. "Hey, Alfie." She called out as she leaned forward on her seat and propped both elbows against her lap before placing her chin against it. The female's emerald eyes idly bore into the Squad Leader. "My ass is getting flatter and flatter every second I spend sitting on this shoddy cart. You know how much of an important asset it is for a lady such as myself. When are we going to start making our supply runs?" Lady luck favored Sean because he was assigned to drive the cart. At least he had something to keep him occupied, unlike her who only had her thoughts.

KaramelKarma AI10100

 

[ShadyLady]

Mentions: Raiden (emo)

​

Blood was running down her neck, staining the white of her shirt. Like the squad leader asked, Nina had got herself out of the fray with her ODM gear, lingering upon the roof of the farm’s silo with an empty glaze cast over the frigid azure of her eyes. Her hand fluttered to her head, fingers coming away crimson. She blinked. For veterans, the redhead had expected better. Letting an Abnormal Titan slip this far past the frontlines didn’t grant Nina any reassurance, neither did the fact that they were still fighting long enough for the rest of their squad to be well on their way now, but it was almost over.

Ardnt landed a brutal laceration, akin to that of a butcher’s blade hacking away at fresh meat, finally finishing the Aberrant. The two came to a standstill, Ardnt and Werner catching their breaths, unscathed for the most part aside from grazes and shallow cuts. Nina took the chance to reunite with them once the threat had been dealt with, the dull pain from her blow to the head in the midst of easing up somewhat, as was the fog that had muddied her mind after the fall.

“You alright?” Ardnt asked, keeping his voice gentle, his hand outstretched to the redhead. Nina regarded it briefly, taking it and nodding. “I’m afraid we need to keep going onwards, but we can try reconvene with a support squad later. In the meantime we need to keep moving forwards, join with the rest of our squad.” He offered Nina a relieved smile of sorts that she didn’t return, beginning to tug her over to the two horses that’d found their ways back over to the soldiers now that it was safe, but Nina hesitated, stalling as she refused to go onwards. Turmoil stormed within, a deep line marring her pallid face as she frowned, internally fretting before her features calmed, her mind made.

“Thank you... Thank you for saving me,” she finally spoke, brushing over his words with her own hollow and brittle mutterings, “and, I’m sorry. ”

“What are you apologising for, Polgar? Blame that stupid mare for what happened, not yourself.” The younger veteran of the two, Werner, piped up. He was seated on his horse now, an incredulous brow arched at the redhead.

She shook her head, “no, I’m sorry for what’s to come.” Was the apology to them or to the people who would never hear it? Nina didn’t know anymore. Maybe she was just feeling sorry for herself, the attachments she’d made the last few years strung out like a poisonous web, and she was the spider who’d fallen into her own trap.

Electricity crackled over the meeting of their hands, violent arcs surging outwards as she watched the split second twisting of her squad leader's features flickering from confusion to abject horror in his last moments, a harsh flash of lightning consuming her and Ardnt along with it.

The Female Titan stood in the aftermath. The long expanse of limbs granted her height, her Titan’s hair glinting like blood under the sun's harsh light, markings lay above and under her eyes and her mouth extended in an almost snakelike manner. Vaguely, she heard screaming. Her glacial gaze narrowed in on the offender. Just as her own horse had, Werner’s had bucked him off and he scrambled, hands fumbling in the grass as he struggled to stand, to fight.

Nina was meant to be the beautiful wolf who savoured the terror of a rabbit, yet she’d found herself growing complacent in sheeps clothing the longer she didn’t act. There could be no room for remorse.

When the hooks from Werner’s ODM gear found purchase in her skin, Nina frowned. Gone was the coordination she’d seen him display earlier, replaced only with a harried frenzy of sloppy movement. The Female Titan let him fly close before snatching him midair, crushing the soldier and dropping his remains into the dirt below. She glanced at her hand, at the bright vermillion that stained it, stark against the paleness of her Titan’s skin. There was no room for remorse.

Shifting on her feet, she began to sprint, a terrible scream cutting free from her lips and piercing the air as she ran west. She had to find Halvor and bring the Attack Titan back to its rightful place, wiping out whatever she could of the only reliable force she believed to be capable of protecting Paradis was simply an added benefit.

This island had been rotting her mind. The sooner she could get away, go home, the better.