Fandom Attack on Titan: Birds of Paradise

[homintales]

Sera Mayer
Mentions: . D O V E Demon Shinobi alexfangtalon KaramelKarma Arcanist ​

Sera was ashamed at the fact that she wasn’t able to get to the Colossal Titan in time. Though she didn’t actually see the thing, she knew it was the only titan capable of creating such a massive opening in the Wall. Which in turn only made Sera regret not getting to the site fast enough.

It would’ve only taken a single well placed swipe to dispose of it. She imagined the scenario so many times whilst training. To make such an execution a reality would create only joy for Sera. Unfortunately, that wasn’t going to occur any time soon. As soon as she realized that there was no chance to kill the Colossal, Sera returned to HQ as quickly as she left.

As soon as she entered the HQ, which was now a noisy mess, she noticed the excessive amount of people making their way towards the Meeting Hall. She casually moved to enter the Hall, eager to see what the superiors had planned. A couple Soldiers, a male and female, were in the way. Each of them had a terrified expression written all over them.

Sera shoved them out of the way. “What, are you not eager to get out there?” She asked, already sure of the answer. She didn’t face them. “Well, some of us are. Now get up and get your asses in there. We’ve got orders to listen to.” Hesitantly, they complied.

“Bitch…” The male whispered. He was whispering and so thought the insult went unnoticed. He realized his mistake when Sera nailed ‘em in the jaw. The action was committed in full view of everyone. Of course, they were more focused on the invasion than anything else.

As soon as the room was finally calm enough, orders and commands were given when an Officer walked out onto a wooden stage placed in front of the Hall. He told Sera and the others about the current situation in Trost. How an interception squad had already tackled the first wave of titans and that there was a good chance the Armoured Titan would arrive. Sera always enjoyed making a good gamble. She wasn’t able to get rid of the Colossus… But there were other ways to even the playing field.

The Officer then told them all that the vanguard was already wiped out. While others looked shocked and concerned, Sera knew it made perfect sense. The strategy the superiors used was only flawed. They should’ve kept everyone at the HQ. This is a war against the titans, not other people who use such tactics. Vanguards are practically worthless.

Dismissed, and warned that fleeing meant execution, everyone saluted the Officer. Sera looked to see who she was paired with. “Let’s see.” She spoke to herself while the chaos continued. “Jo is the one leading us. Excellent choice. Gwen, Heiko, Jericho, oh nice, Auggie too… and Fiona.” She was surprised to see such a well put together force. Squad 19 had a pretty good chance of making it through this, through Sera’s point of view anyway.

She also took the time to look over several of the other squads. A lot of them were going to get slaughtered, that was for sure. Some like Squad 26, which was under the command of Luka, had pretty good survival odds. But too many of them were full of nervous and crying soldiers. Already wearing ODM Gear, Sera went to refuel on gas. She wasted a lot getting to the Wall as quickly as possible. She wouldn’t waste as much out on the field.

Outside, it was now raining. Sera liked it, finding the rain calming. She faced towards the sky, eyes closed, and continued to inhale and exhale at a steady rate. She stayed that way for a few minutes, thinking about past events and family. She wasn’t afraid of getting eaten. Just remembering what she was fighting for.

Sera’s eyes opened when Jo approached. Earlier Jo looked as scared as everyone else. Now she looked like an actual leader. The one thing Sera didn’t agree with was the method Jo wanted to use to kill the titans. Obviously they shouldn’t split up, the vanguard made it clear separating from the rest of a force is an awful idea. But when it came to actually killing the things, Sera thought a single person was all it took. For the larger titans, sure. The others were probably going to need assistance. But the small ones anyone could handle on their own.

“I d-don’t agree with the whole disable execution strategy.” She told Jo, then took a look at the others. “But if we don’t all play the same game, some of us will die.” She commented on some screams erupting from an area not too far from their current position. “See? So yeah, I’ll act as an executioner.” Before leaving she gave Jo a pat on the shoulder. “Don’t die on me. You were one of the few tolerable Recruits.”

 

[. D O V E]

Gwen Bulwark​

It wasn't everyday you'd get blasted by a skinless behemoth off Wall Rose. Gwen never thought she'd be able to check something like that off her bucket list, but perhaps she needed to work on her creativity some more. Nevertheless, the Colossal titan has been long gone and in its wake was a gaping hole in the wall. She cast her gaze up the dark sky, taking note on how the rain never dwindled despite everything that had transpired. It was similar to the aches all over her body. If she were to guess, it has been approximately an hour since her rough landing on some roof in the northern district. She lightly groaned, the mere thought seemingly worsening the throbbing of her back. She supposed she couldn't complain; she passed through a couple of poor mucks earlier who got splattered into concrete and crushed by great debris.

Hmm. Maybe she should be more grateful to her mentor- wherever that scum might be. The next time she sees him, she'd be sure to treat him to a drink or two. After beating the living shit out of him, of course.

An indolent smile made its way to her features, eyes lowering from the rolling clouds to the rest of Squad 19. "No running off, gotcha." She lazily saluted at Jo, her squad leader. There was no doubt that Squad 19 was a decent team. A couple of her former fellow trainees who made their way into the top ten was in it. Moreover, she was more than familiar with two of them. First up was Jericho; he was, well, a good friend of hers. They spent a considerable amount of time together during their cadet days. The next was the squad leader herself, Jo. While she doubt she could label her as a friend, they've oftentimes stumble across each other because of a mutual connection. Contrary to popular belief (and Gwen's jests), she actually had no personal beef with the other redhead. That said, she would've still very much preferred it if Jo was placed in a different squad. Squad 47, to be exact. 'If she's here and I'm here, then who's watching over that suicidal idiot?'

With a groan, Gwen stood up from her place and cast her sight to the opposite end of the district. Who knows how many of them naked monsters were in Trost now?

"Well, I guess this is more fun than pumping cannons." She said to herself in between yawns, stretching around thereafter as though their current circumstance wasn't beyond dire.

A couple of steps away was Sara... Siri... Sera? Sera. She spoke about her disagreement with Jo's plan. Albeit it wasn't a protest, Gwen couldn't help but raise a brow at the implication. Disable-execute was one of the safest strategy when it came to slaying titans, and taking one by your own wasn't recommended especially since they were fresh graduates and were no veterans in the survey corps. Interesting mindset, but... whatever. She silently watched as the two women exchange what she assumed to be good lucks.

Once that was done, Sera took off to the direction of a scream. Gwen took this opportunity to rush beside Jo and try to pull her into a random hug. "I'll name my firstborn after you if you die." She shot her a smile that looked too emotional considering the fact that they weren't even that close.

Once that was all said and done, Gwen flew after Sera, hands gripping the hilts of her cutters with a slight shake.

Arcanist homintales KaramelKarma Colorless Spectrum

 

[alexfangtalon]

INTERACTIONS: Luka Soroka ( Raiden ), Elke Vinter ( M Moonlessite ), Viktor Fuchs, Vivian Schweiss ( M Moonlessite ), Lena Becker, and Katsu Rutland ( jrink )​

Why why why why why! Why was this happening here? Why now of all times? Why were they the ones who had to deal with this? Was there some higher power out there that got a kick out of seeing the vestiges of humanity struggle to survive? For centuries they had been trapped within the walls with Titans roaming just outside ready to feast. Now in their lifetime was a giant among Titans knocking down their walls like a human stamping on an anthill. Sure humanity could put up a fight and kill unlike ants but the fight was even more insurmountable. The single thread of sanity which held Anke’s mind together was threatening to snap.

When she and Elke met all Anke could do was squeeze her sister tightly. Eventually, she was pried off of Elke and, along with everyone else at the wall, made the quick escape to HQ. The place was a flurry of activity. Just like a disturbed anthill. Anke felt the pit in her stomach flare up in anger. What kind of sick game was this life. Were they just on the planet to be mocked as they scurried for life! Words could not be gathered to speak of how much rage was filling up the pipsqueak warrior. She had no desire to quell this anger. She couldn’t. Her desire to kill these monsters would be the best fuel to help her stay on alert to keep who she cared about safe.

The whole time they were in HQ Anke didn’t leave Elke’s side. Other than the myriad of thoughts that flowed through her mind not much stuck or were remembered by her of what was said there. At one point she noticed Elke trembling. Anke reached out to grab her hand in an attempt to comfort her, but her own trembling hand filled with anger likely wasn’t much help.

Moments later Anke was standing upon a roof with Elke and a few others from their graduating class. To be honest, Anke hadn’t paid much attention to the old geezer, who likely would be hiding away somewhere like a coward, telling them about their squads. All she knew was that she was with Elke. One could say that Anke was lucky in that sense as she’d probably be considered a deserter if she hadn’t been as there was no force in this world that would have been able to separate her from Elke.

The cold rain was definitely familiar. The skies must have been in on the joke but not as much a fan of the decision as it seemed to weep over the heads of these young sacrifices. From the fresh bandage wrapped around her head to the soles of her boots, she was soaked. Her body was cold while her spirit was burning hot. Her senses were on high alert watching the locale around them. What would they do if Titans appeared? They were center stage on the route which the creatures may come. Vivi and she were in the top ten but that meant nothing until they fought the real deal. What if multiple came at the same time? A moving target was different from cardboard cutouts with no motion. If it was an Abnormal that meant even more danger. Those things followed no logic compared to the normal ones.

The real question was what if the Armored one appeared. She’d seen the rough sketches and remembered the loud booming sound she heard as it breached through the wall. Taking a brief glance at her blades, the girl knew they stood no chance against that monster. Hundreds were going to die today. Hundreds already had. Anke looked to Elke and was resolute in her heart and mind that Elke would not be one of them.

The silence among the fresh soldiers was unnerving. The sound of rain, distant screams, and thudding steps afar off. Yet, it felt as if they were sheathed in silence. As if the mere sound from one of them may unfreeze time sending them into the tumultuous battle which would soon be raging. The quiet was finally shunted away upon the future MP, if she survived, opening her mouth to state that which was fairly obvious. But it made sense. In a panic, people did stupid things. But Anke had no room for panic. That’s when the first sighting was made. Anke felt her twin’s frightful touch and followed her gaze as her voice let the fear be known.

Like a wild cat protecting her litter, Anke stepped in between the others and the Titan. A near inhuman growl bellowed from deep within the soldier as she was ready to pounce upon any order or first move by the beast. Swords up and in a horseback stance, Anke was a spring-loaded weapon for Luka or Elke to wield.

 

[ShadyLady]

Interactions: Colorless Spectrum (Laurie and Noah) Danidify (Elyse) Castello (Leon) SpookyBones (Milo)
Mentions:​

Nina should've known it was optimistic to hope it had been an earthquake rather than a repeat of what'd happened those few years ago. It seemed the past was rewriting itself and there was nothing anyone could do but watch as the world they knew got swept away in the midst of Titans and bloodshed. Listening to the officers didn’t raise the redheads morale either.

“The vanguard has already been wiped out.”

A bubble of vexation popped in her chest, pricked and bursting with the realisation that they were practically being sent to their deaths. Inexperienced soldiers, expected to be led by those who had no true practise fighting real Titans themselves. The idea was a pitiful last ditch attempt, but Nina couldn’t be mad for them trying. She supposed it was foolish hope that the wound could be bandaged and healed, rather than treat the infection itself. After all, what was to come next? They couldn't fight here forever. Trost was as good as gone at this point, like a limb blackened by frostbite. The situation could only grow more dire with the potential threat of the Armoured Titan. If it appeared to break the gates to inner Wall Rose that would be the icing on the cake to this abysmal day.

Sighing, Nina quietened her thoughts. There was little to gain from dwelling on the negatives. Still, even as her eyes shifted to linger on the recruits around her, she felt little hope. Their expressions were twisted into those of fear, despair and unease. Some like herself had kept their features blank, unreadable in the quiet trepidation before they were to be sent out. Finding familiar faces provided no reassurance. The dismal truth that this could be her last chance to see these people dampened her mood further.

No amount of practise dummy’s could ever prepare them for this.

✣✣✣​

Watching the rain pour and experiencing the storm first hand made Nina more grateful to have been assigned to Headquarters before everything went downhill. Lightning crackled, splintering the clouds with hot white, accompanied by the resonant boom of thunder. Her hair clung to her neck, droplets rolling down her jacket and adding to the constant pattering of water against the rooftops. A quick glance at the grey consuming the sky offered no sign that the weather would be easing up soon, souring the thought of any potential positives on this cursed day. Her hand raised to pat the familiar carved shape tucked away in the pocket of her uniform coat, a silent resort for reassurance before facing reality.

Taking a deep breath, she steeled herself, turning to face her squad. Her pale blue eyes glinted like ice beneath a winter sun as she held their gazes. “Stick together,” Nina got straight to the point, her expression cooled into a detached neutrality with no trace of any apprehension marking her words or face, “if we spread ourselves thin we may get overwhelmed.” Surveying the members of her group granted her a hint of reassurance, she trusted them enough, or at least hoped some would prove to be reliable in a pinch.

“Dispatching Titans is easiest done in coordinated team attacks,” the redhead continued on evenly. For any of this to work, communication and synergy was vital, she didn’t doubt most of the team, but there was one member of the squad who she wasn’t sure how to gauge. Nina scrutinised the enigma of a recruit that was the unfamiliar Milo, hoping that he could be cooperative and tone down the haughty attitude Nina expected from him. “Nobody should be taking on a Titan alone, stay close to be able to offer support and don’t stray from this area unless ordered.” They’d all been informed of the less than pleasant outcome for cowardice. Besides, dying and being remembered as a soldier was far more preferable to a fate ending with the taint of being known as spineless.

With her hands trailing to rest on the hilt of her swords, a more obvious thought slipped into her head, but in the heat of the moment she imagined people may forget. “Be careful not to waste gas or blades, we can’t afford to go back to Headquarters whenever we please.” She advised, knowing if anyone were to consume all their equipment they would become a liability to everyone else if an attempt to save them was made, alongside being free fodder for titans if no effort was spared at all.

 

[SpookyBones]

Interactions: ShadyLady (Nina), Colorless Spectrum (Laurie, Noah), @Dandify (Elyse), Castello (Leon)
Mentions: Raiden (Luka), lion. (Ramiel)​

Well that was a fucking shit show. Granted he knew they had no real defence or strategy against the Colossal Titan but man, if it wasn’t for his knight in shining...ODM gear? Milo would no doubt be a mangled corpse right now, the boy only hoped that he’d get a real opportunity to thank the fair haired angel.

There were more important matters at hand right now - protecting as many civilians as they humanely could. All of the recruits were swarming into the meeting hall of Headquarters like bees into the hive, how pleasant.

Despite the air brimming with panic and confusion this was all seemingly calm framed next to what the cannon crew had just been through - a steady frame by frame of the Colossal’s wrath. Milo glanced around the room for faces he could recognise but nothing quite stuck in the array of white-washed slates.

A few simple sobs could be heard just beneath the bellowing of the man, mustering every particle of air into each word for maximum volume, the way he howled in such a revolting tone almost blatantly spat, ‘You’re all going to die today’. Milo was deeply perturbed from his first encounter with a titan but now was not the time to get emotional, action was imperative. Ah Nina, any concern he had for their commander was quelled upon reading her name, though aware that the redhead wasn’t his number 1 fan out the recruits, there was a cosy soft spot within his heart for her. Even if she didn’t, he cared. Always too quick to care.

As everyone scurried to their designated positions, Milo paused to contemplate searching for his old friends, they’d probably be here right? A few rotten eggs among the bunch but they had been his family nonetheless for 3 years, more family to grieve the loss of after today. A melancholy dagger caved into his chest stopping him dead in his tracks. They don’t know me! Not one of them would care if I died. The bitter-sweet ache of the opportunity for new friends yet no time to form real bonds gnawed at his bones.

Snapped back to reality from the relentless shoulder barge bombardment, Milo decided there in that moment that despite how they may feel towards him, he’d do everything in his power to protect them, every last one of them. He flicked his hands out from his wrists as though swatting away the critters from within and rushed to group with Squad 47.

Rain pelted every inch of ground for miles, the brewing thunderstorm cast an impenetrable slab above them all, dense and consuming any glimmer of light waiting patiently above. At his flank stood Elyse, simply glad he’d be able to keep her in his line of sight or her pet would no doubt have his head after the battle. Up front, radiating a calm composure, was Nina who began dispatching their orders, “Stay close to be able to offer support”, the safest tactic to follow for minimal casualties. If this was to work, the 3 boys who didn’t know him well would have to act like they damn well did - teamwork and quick communication is more essential than ever, Milo couldn’t help but grin slightly at the thought that if they all made it out alive, it’d be a great opportunity to bond.

This is it, all or nothing now. “We have a duty to protect our civilians, take on assist titan kills only - to minimise the tragedies, unless you have a particular fondness for becoming titan fodder.” Milo was fully aware he’d just reiterated Nina’s points, he thought it best - whatever it takes to drill the message in, no room to budge. Another gaze at the expanse of ruin and rubble already surmounting from the breech sent a sickness riling in his gut, the boy cleared his desiccated throat, “Alright Squad 47, let’s see what we’re really made of.”

 

[Colorless Spectrum]

Laurence Arnault

Despite the cold weather of the storm, the hot steam that blasted him off the walls left his skin throbbing. Scalding a part of his face and his arm. It wouldn't leave a permanent scar, but it still left him uncomfortable and his skin agitated for the meantime. Luckily for him, he landed nearby and was left with an aching body afterward.

There wasn't much he could have done. The sight of the Colossal Titan had him trembling. So that thing was the reason why our lives turned upside down? And now... it's the same as five years ago. The same despair, the same anger, the same suffering that people had to endure. Not again. Not again.

"Oi. Listen." Noah nudged him lightly to the side, bringing him back from his stupor. Half of the plan had already been discussed by then. How long had he been staring blankly like an idiot? He can't afford to lose focus now, this is his chance to be useful. He can help others, he can help save lives even if it's at the cost of his own.

As recruits started running about, Laurie found himself standing as if time had been passing too fast for him to catch up. Then there was Jo. They were going their separate ways and it wasn't the kind that he expected. He doesn't believe that he'll make it, he wasn't really an optimistic person as he liked to show everyone else.

Not Jo. No, she can't die. There was so much she could do. But her words of surviving were like a curse to him, a contradiction to his long acceptance of the idea of death. Then again, he had been contradicting himself for a while now. Like with the image Gwen planted on his head... Gwen, where was she? He needed to ask her something but Hal found him first. Joking around and offering a handshake of good luck which he reciprocated even when his mind was mainly focused on something else entirely.

Noah then found him, turning his head from side to side, as if he was looking for someone. "Laurie, where are you going? It's time to meet up with everyone else." Noah said to him with a tinge of hurry in his voice. The younger teen was more than ready to get his revenge on the Titans. Laurie couldn’t blame him, what happened years ago was not easy to forget nor was it easy to forgive what caused it.

"R-right. Lead the way."

••• ••• •••​

To Laurie, it felt like the rain only poured harder. He raised his arms as if to welcome the falling dews hitting his coat, the cold drop of the rain rolling down his face. "What's the plan?" He heard Noah ask from behind him. To be honest, he didn't think there would be much of a long-term plan, what's important was that they had each other's back and no one breaks off. Which was exactly what Nina relayed to the team.

It wasn't often that Laurie would show such a forlorn expression. The all too much positivity that he displayed during their training days was not fit for the grim and dire situation they were in. And while he said he was ready to accept whatever consequences come his way... With the idea of bringing pain to his friends, he knew what it felt like to be left behind, he began to falter.

"Oh don't worry, Sauer, I don't plan on becoming Titan fodder anytime soon. You should worry about yourself more." Noah said with conviction and a hint of annoyance in his tone. The younger teen wasn't really the best with people, he wasn't as welcoming to strangers either as Laurie was.

"Don't be like that, Noah. He's from a different division and we're a team." Laurie spoke from behind the spikey-haired tren, offering a smile towards Milo and getting a mumbled response from the other lad. "I'm not sure if I introduced myself to you yet but... I'm Laurie."

He looked to Nina, Elyse, and Leon. Offering the same smile, hoping that it brings some form of comfort. "If we survive this, let's have a few more drinks."

"Yeah! Let's show those gigantic blokes what we're made off." Noah blurted, trying to boost his morale. Despite not having a specialty, Noah was a good all-rounder, though he can get quite reckless. He does his best in everything that he does as his determination to rid Paradis of Titans was nothing but pure. Laurie, on the other hand, was best when it comes to working with others, he wasn't one to take lead but he is more than glad to follow the others into the fray, may it be a friend or an acquaintance.

"Let's all do everything that we can without dying," Laurie said, holding on to his controller grips, blade already intact and pointed downwards. He was ready to focus on what's ahead, everyone else will be fine. They graduated together, he knows that they're good. No one will die, he thought to himself. A needed lie he had to give himself to stop the thoughts from invading his mind.

mention: Arcanist . D O V E Raiden || interaction: ShadyLady SpookyBones Danidify Castello

 

[Castello]

Minutes Prior...

Petals fell to the ground, a beautiful orange vibrancy flinging from a stem juxtaposed against the stormy, arid backdrop.

"She loves me." The words wedged off his tongue like daggers out of his throat. His hands trembled as he reached for another piece of the flower. The Vanguard's tone was monotonous, barren of any expression, uttering words like a troubadour's corpse would sing.

Another petal was ripped from its flower.

"She loves me not."

This time, a smile crept upon the Vanguard, an infantile giggle oozing from his lips like sweet honey. There was only one petal left.

Metallic succulence streamed from forehead onto lips. His eyes, bloodshot, covered in a grisly mask brought upon by the battle's excrement. The Vanguard's hands no longer shook, his mind no longer faltered, and his eyes only had vision for the plant. His jacket had been torn off his body, sleeves ripped off his tunic, and blood caked his trousers. The smell of visceral sweat fell with the rain off his chin. His right arm's bones were flimsily dangling like a puppet off his shoulder, his hands, like rigor mortis, clung onto a blade like a babe upon her mother's bosom. There was no emotion in his eyes, they could not lie, but a stringent smile remained perked upon his cheeks as a hummingbird does upon a spring petunia.

A figure rushed upon him, the grinding of metal, followed by footsteps as a hand iced upon his shoulder. The Vanguard did not flinch. It was another member of the Vanguard. His face was not painted with the physical externalities of battle, nevertheless a macabre expression was stained into his visage. His hands shook as they glided across the Vanguard's shoulder blade, arms vibrating as if they were a tuning fork on hard metal. Concern filled his tone, but desperation was found in his legs. Heels were up, ready to pounce away and his legs swung side-to-side, quivering in the puddle they found themselves in.

"Is your arm broken?"

The Vanguard did not respond.

"What the hell is your problem?" His voice was of disgust. "I am getting you back to HQ, come on!"

Hastily, the Garrison member hauled the Vanguard over his shoulder. In his effort to save him, he knocked the flower from his hands, the final petal floating down into the blood stained street. Like a trapped animal set free from a cage, the Vanguard squirmed out of the other Vanguard member's grasp, falling against the shingled roof. His body rolled against the downward slope, rotating like a ball kicked off a mountain. His eyes went manic, as his hands tried to catch the descending petal. To no avail. The bright orange flower sailed downwards onto the cement, the Vanguard clumsily falling towards stone, only saving himself with a well placed hook into the building across. As it sat upon the blood-stained streets, the base of the flower turned brown like burnt meat. It laid amongst the voracity of the Titans. Upon the human sewage, organs were sprinkled about like cherries and equipment spit out like olive pits; it was a soup of what was once referred to as the Vanguard. The Vanguard member slushed across the fragments of his fallen comrades. He fell prone, grasping the orange petal into his palms, embalming it against his bosom. It did not bother him that underneath his body was what moments prior, were living, breathing human beings. For one single moment, his body fell into a supernormal bliss.

Slowly, the ground began to shake.

Puddles lifted up like oil off a hot pan with every vibration. There was no animosity, only instinct, as each repeated tremor followed the tune of a steady metronome, getting more and more pronounced. The Vanguard peeked his gaze up, a twelve-foot titan only seconds away.

The soldier who had tried to help prior entered the fret as well, gliding towards the titan's nape. However, the titan turned its neck, and bore fangs aimed at the other Vanguard member. He was simply a mouse trying to play predator, and the Titan was a voracious owl. Teeth bit down on the man, devoured him in what seemed like an instant to the Vanguard. As the monster’s teeth grinded along each other, a single boot of the member dropped down next to the Vanguard, his foot still squirming like larvae.

A quiet shriek fell off the lips of the Vanguard, as the last doses of adrenaline-fueled volition filled into his arteries. He hooked onto the Titan's shoulder, swinging at a forty-five degree angle towards the beast, the petal now in his pocket and a sword in his only working hand. With all his will, he roared as he edged towards the Titan's nape. He would have sliced through had the Titan not opened its jaw wide.

It would not be a bite that would kill the Vanguard but within the Titan's teeth and nestled in the bed of its molars, bright ginger hair scattered from its mouth like petals.

»»————-　　————-««
Leon Monar - Preparing for the Worst
Interactions - SpookyBones (Milo) ShadyLady (Nina) Colorless Spectrum (Noah & Laurie) Danidify (Elyse)
Mentions - Raiden (Hal) lion. (Ramiel)
»»————-　　————-««​

Foreign screams tantalized through Leon’s body, causing a subtle wince to form over his brow. He instantly clamped down on his gums, his hand reached onto the sweater underneath his jacket, wringing it of rain as he grasped his chest. With an amicable breath, he regained any untethered composure. His heart began to freeze over from a roaring beat, as Leon repeated each breath. There was a subtly to it, as Leon bore a mild demeanor throughout it all. Within moments, Leon grew completely collected.

As Nina finished her spiel, Leon wandered over to her position, grazing his hand towards her shoulder.

“Okay Krause.” Leon spoke facetiously. “Are you going to drill us out there too, or are you just rehearsing what she told us? I honestly expected a more thorough strategy from the chess master.” He quipped with a genial chuckle, a faint smile venturing across his lips.

“Look, Laurie and I will be rooks, the rest of you just need to create openings for us.” His gesture resembled the moving of pieces across a wooden board. “Open them up for an attack, get them bringing their arms out and let us big targets sneak in safely. Nina picks our fights, of course.” His brow lifted, a friendly perk of head as he turned to Nina for clearance. “Well Lady Polgar, sounds like an agreeable addition to your strategy?” He said with the level of pretentiousness one would expect from Elyse.

Leon would elaborate upon Milo’s comment. “If the Vanguard is wiped, I doubt there’s civilians walking around.” Leon sighed. “Let’s be real, HQ is treating us like another round of the Vanguard; we’re a brand new set of pawns to slow the titans down while everyone escapes.” His head reared, gesturing behind the group. “They got their most prestigious cadets in the back, while they sent the fodder to the front. Heroism does not have a place here today. Laurie’s right, let’s just focus on surviving and slowing the Titans down.”

 

[Demon Shinobi]

Interactions: Jo ( Arcanist ), Sera ( homintales )
Mentions: Gwen ( . D O V E ), Heiko ( alexfangtalon ), Jericho ( KaramelKarma ), and Fiona (also KaramelKarma )

It was a madhouse. The rain had made the day bad enough. The fun had by their superiors with the hungover members of the 104th had provided a bit of entertainment, but they'd all quickly been put to work. Much of August's time had been spent moving and carrying things. Chores in the HQ. Yup. That was definitely why he'd pushed himself through training with the others. Still, it wasn't so bad. Plenty of people not looking to exert as much energy came to him. They asked if he could lift things. If he could move things. If he could help hoist them up for things out of reach. Cleaning, inventory, maintenance. August was all around. He didn't mind helping, though it left little time to socialize. Socializing... It felt like he hadn't done that in months. He had... and yet...

As his mind drifted, he quickly found himself pulled back to reality. An earth shaking boom grabbed his attention. Sera was quick to leave. He didn't even have a moment to tell her to wait. Ramiel pulled Elke away. What the hell was actually going on?

~~~~~

August didn't think a time would come where he wished he could remain blissfully ignorant of what was happening around him. He was a soldier now. The Titans were attacking. They were being sent out onto the frontlines. Fend off the Titans. Give people a fighting chance. Try and keep as many safe so they could evacuate as possible.

He could feel his heart beginning to pound harder, beating faster as they received their orders. Balling his right hand into a fist, he clenched it tight. He swallowed hard and exhaled slowly. Everyone was going to gear up and get ready. He needed to do that same. Oh... he already was. When had he started moving? He hadn't even noticed his legs carrying him to retrieve his ODM gear. August steadied his breathing. Fear colored the faces of his fellow ca-- soldiers. Some he helped get geared up. Some, he helped fill their gas canisters. "Good luck. Stick together. Work as a team and we'll make it through." He said what he could to help some calm their nerves, at least a little.

Of course, that was easier said than done now wasn't it. They had learned about the Titans. They'd learned about their biology. They'd learned about how to kill them. Most of them did a lot better than him too. Hell, if he hadn't expressly sought help, he probably would have flunked out. 'Thank you, Jo.' he thought as he finished fueling up himself. Still, that didn't help them right now. They hadn't ever actually faced a Titan. Not like this anyway.

~~~~~

"To be fair, if the Titans had picked better weather, we'd probably hate 'em even more for making us do this on a beautiful day," August said laughing softly, a small attempt at a joke as they prepared to face the enemy they'd spent so long training for. His eyes scanned his squad mates. Gwen, Sera, Heiko, Jericho, and Fiona made up the squad along with himself. With Jo leading them, he was pretty sure they didn't have much to worry about. Then again, that kind of overconfidence could get someone killed.

As his eyes shifted to take in the surrounding area briefly as Jo gave them their orders. The rooftops were soaked with rain and he couldn't help letting out a small sigh. He combed his fingers through his hair. They'd barely been outside long at all and already he could feel the hood that was meant to protect from the rain matting down against his head. At least it would help to keep the hair out of his face. He closed his eyes for a moment, images of his mother and brother flashed through his mind. He shook his head. 'Gotta stay focused. You know what to do.' He did. He didn't always get it, but sometimes he just knew what he needed to do. It was like acting on instinct, something deep down that would guide him.

August inhaled again, eyes opening on his next exhale. Jo's plan was probably the smartest. Working together and using the whole disable/execute strategy would keep them safe and alive. Of course, he expected Sera to voice her disagreement. He was just glad she would listen. "More than just a few of us will die if we don't work together," he said, speaking up a bit. There were civilians who would need them too. "That's why we're counting on you Sera. Well... that's why we've gotta count on each other." August paused for a brief moment before continuing, "It's also why we pray there aren't any spider Titans."

A small jab at the girl wouldn't be so bad would it? Nah. Surely not. "Come to think of it, I hope you got enough sleep last night, Sera." Placing his hand on Sera's head, he gave a small sigh. "Saving one of our executioners from a Titan would be much harder than saving you from a tree, after all." August was sure that might push a button, but he was... well... he couldn't really say lucky. Sera just wouldn't have the chance to retaliate as screams alerted the group to trouble. She was quick to shoot off, though not before giving Jo a small pat on the soldier, with Gwen quickly following. August muttered a small, "shit" before rushing forward toward the edge of the roof himself. "Well isn't that cute. That was almost a real compliment from Sera," he said, giving Jo a pat on the back himself.

"Counting on you to direct us leader," he added as he shot off, following after Sera and Gwen. This was it, wasn't it? They were going to face Titans. Real Titans. Part of him was worried. He tightened his hand on the hilts of his blades. There was so much to be mindful of. Their surroundings, both immediate and far, the wet surfaces that would threaten their mobility, the civilians, and each other. Still... All they had to do was keep each other alive, right? Right? He needed to stay alert. Watch his comrades' backs. Keep eyes on anything that could attack them from the side. Watch out for Abnormals. Above all else, stay calm. If he let fear get the best of him, if they all let fear get the best of them, they were as good as dead.

 

[Raiden]

Interactions: Colorless Spectrum (Laurie), Castello (Leon)
Mentions: M Moonlessite (Vivian), ShadyLady (Nina), lion. (Ramiel)
​

"What do you mean, rear guard?!"

Yet, it was truly effortless in arguing about his designated role in the defense operation of Trost District, and that sod of a Garrison officer made it a point to simply gesture the threat of flagging him in consequence for insubordination. 'I should be out there,' the soldier reaffirmed the belief to himself as he stormed off from an overly-affectionate Vivian in a mulish manner. 'Not sitting in the back lines waiting for everyone to die.' There was obviously the greater risk of losing the top two graduates from their class, but they'd spent the last three years for a moment like this; what was the point in wasting those talents that had become so deeply ingrained? In the flock of military uniforms and boots shuffling throughout the building, Hal stumbled upon a very familiar face that had seen the Colossal Titan as close as he had moments ago.

"Do me a favor and swap places with me, Laurie," he approached the taller boy with a small jest, trying to make light of their assignment and moderate his reservations. Hal shifted his weight onto one leg as he drew a sigh, his arms crossing together. As Laurie had also been among the cannon maintenance squad on Wall Rose, he wondered if the other boy felt the same rancor that he'd felt upon seeing the devil that devastated their home on that day. "You join the rear guard, and I'll fight the Titans in your stead."

Laurie only gave a blink, the words processing slowly in his mind. A soft and short laugh escaped from his lips after he realized what Hal was saying to him. "I can't really do that. Though I think some would gladly take the offer."

His expression deflated as Hal's glare dropped down to the other boy's boots, maintaining a brief silence before his head came back up. His hair fell to the side of his face, his eyes leveling with Laurie. "Can't say I didn't try," his shoulders dropped with a scoff, extending an arm out towards his dark-haired friend and offering a small smile that contained an ounce of reluctance and worry. "Stay safe out there. Don't go off on your own; stick with Leon and Nina. We're going to pull through this, you and I."

"For sure. I trust Nina, and Leon, I think he's a good person. Besides, I think it's you who might go off on your own." Laurie said with a smirk, poking a joke to his friend. The other boy's fingers interlocked with his, their gesture holding steady for a few moments as they bid their exchange of short-lived farewells. Lightning rumbled in his ears as the sea of memories swirled around Hal's coil of consciousness, and it took the soldier back to the night of their first conversation. Though his vows had been as baseless as the hopeful future that they sought to write out for humanity, his lofty ideals still remained all these years, no matter the day and age. Even with Shiganshina's hell reimagined, they couldn't afford to lose Wall Rose; the human race would never be able to recover all of that territory lost to the Titans. Following the final sentiments, the two of them eventually splintered off to prepare with their respective assignments, making his way towards the arsenal room.

Mindful eyes scanned over the harness attached to his omni-directional mobility gear, his hands working across any minor imperfections in his uniform like clockwork. "Eight," Hal counted the maximum capacity of ultrahard steel blades that their storage units could contain at a given time, detaching one of the compressed gas cylinders from its sheath at the waist. Holding the canister up to his ear, his opposite hand flicked an index finger against the metal tube a few times to confirm that it was at full volume. "Just about right," he marked off another task within his mental checklist, spotting another rogue acquaintance from the corner of his eye; someone who'd gotten to know his fists very well, and vice versa. "Oi, Leon," he called out to yet another taller boy, trotting up to him. "You look so thrilled. This the most exciting thing that's happened in your life?"

Leon offered Hal a small smile, nodding his head in response to his remark. "Yeah, guess they thought my ass was good enough for you and Ramiel to watch." Leon offered a small chuckle. "Y'know, I would not mind sitting in your boots for this one, Hal." He said facetiously.

His hand lightly tapped towards Hal's shoulder, his tone turned genuine and his voice went quieter. "Keep the rear. Luka or Jo's squad should let a couple through. Once the right flank is clear, I'll come back and help you and Ramiel with it, okay?" His tone turned slightly jovial towards the ends, his hand slipping from his shoulders.

"Yeah, yeah," Hal waved the gas cylinder in a pouting gesture towards Leon, his clear displeasure with the predicament moving him past the wisecracking. "Still, I should be out there instead of kicking my feet up in the back," he stopped within the other boy's proximity, affixing the canister back into its respective sheath. With his hand now free, he formed a weak fist and responded to Leon's nudge with a light punch. "If things aren't looking good, don't expect me to sit back and watch you become Titan fodder."

His eyes followed the motion of the gas canister, aren't these things prone to exploding? Leon thought to himself before completely digressing.

Leon offered a lackadaisical shrug in response to Hal's concern. "They probably know how much you drank last night and want you to give you some time to recover." Leon's smile turned genial, his tone soft as he spoke his next words. "Just sit tight and be a good soldier, you don't have to worry about me, at least I didn't get hungover. I am practically the best soldier out here today."

The tall soldier left with a small, quipping taunt as he wandered towards Nina and the others adding upon his words, "See you later, Hal." Leon did shake his head, fingers curling ever so slightly as he turned his back to Hal, hiding this completely. With a quick breath, he would face his team confidentially.

An unassuming expression remained on the dark-haired boy's face as Hal watched his friend start to wander away, prompting him to turn towards one of the mirrors scattered around the equipment room. Shaky hands settled across his ever-so-slightly ruffled uniform, palming the pocketwatch from his inner pocket while he straightened himself out. His gaze shifted between his reflection and the relic of the past before the mirror shattered in his perception, scattering spider-web cracks amidst a barely recognizable figure. The baby-faced mug of a young boy held him in an empty stare; it was almost as if he saw someone, but not somebody. Hal squinted in a vain effort to make out more of the boy's features before his eyelids inevitably shut to blink, the pristine gleam of the mirror's edge absent of the apparition as reality sank back in. Only the darkness in his perturbed blue eyes remained, seeing that the fractures in the glass had only been his imagination. "Get a grip. We'll save them all," he shook his head, returning the pocketwatch to its rightful place and leaving for his assignment.

---

Southeast Trost District — Battle of Trost District, 850
9th Garrison Rear Guard​

The dreary overcast scenario, of furious storm clouds and pouring rain, was as fitting as ever for a day like this. Assigned to the very last squadron comprised of the Garrison's handful elite, there were three other soldiers besides himself, all spread apart by a number of buildings that were not abandoned from the crisis. Hal was sat atop one of the roofs with his legs buckled up, his wrists crossed over both knees as all eyes were set forward for the Titans' imminent advance. Their predicament made his mind race to the memory of that day, his stare drifting towards the gate of the inner wall when he recalled the manner in which Wall Maria's gate that been destroyed. That's where Ramiel's been stationed. There was nothing to disprove the Garrison's hypothesis; at practically any moment, the Armored Titan could reappear, and invalidate their futile resistance even further. A wave of mixed emotions rose across his chest at the thought, creasing his brow in a spur of complacency. "It won't happen again," his fury-filled scowl averted back to the distant front line, and though his disposition remained tranquil, his fingers around the grips trembled in slight apprehension. "We're soldiers now... they'll make it."

Interactions: ShadyLady (Nina), M Moonlessite (Vivian, Elke, Viktor), alexfangtalon (Anke), jrink (Katsu), Arcanist (Lena)
Mentions: N/A​

This can't be happening... Even in the moments following the Colossal Titan's attack on Wall Rose, from their return to the headquarters to the very aftermath of the Garrison's briefing, Luka was still left in awe at the sudden dynamic shift on what was supposed to be a monotonous, uneventful day. His hangover-induced fatigue and migraine had long dissipated from his fight-or-flight reaction, but the mounting sense of dread had been quick to settle in its place, his figure quaking with trepidation. No matter how much he tried to compose himself, the boy was still in disbelief at quite possibly having to relive his past trauma from the Fall of Wall Maria. On top of the responsibility of leading his own squad, they were going to be the first warm bodies to be thrown towards their gigantic advancing adversaries; this has to be some sick nightmare.

Regardless, Luka wasn't one to sit and whine about their circumstances. With a slim to no chance of ever regaining their lost territory again, they were all still pieces to develop in a losing position; if they could achieve the littlest loss of civilian life in the evacuation effort, then all of their forfeited lives wouldn't be so meaningless as it'd always been. Granted, humanity's plight would only be greater when Wall Sina became truly overpopulated with the influx of refugees; they would need a miracle to avert the tragedies to come. As the various buckles of the harness locked around his body and the omni-directional mobility gear weighed on his waist, the blond found it mildly uncomfortable to use his right hand; waxy, rose-colored burns adorned the skin on and below his knuckles as any motion solicited irritation. The boy adopted his tried and true method of tightly bandaging the appendage entirely, just as he always did whenever he accidentally left nicks across both hands from woodcarving over the years. "A little bit of discomfort is nothing right now," he affirmed to himself.

Which is why Luka decided that now, before they were to leave for their posts, was the best time to make some sort of peace with a certain somebody. Though his feelings on the matter still pressed lightly, he didn't want to risk dying without affording one final opportunity to speak with her, if they were all plunging into the fray of imminent death. 'Many of us will die today,' he'd been afraid to accept the frightening reality, but it was inevitable. 'Maybe even I will.'

"Nina!" Luka called out as his figure cut through the wave of soldiers making way towards an unknown destiny, stopping in front of the redhead for her attention. He felt as small as the boy from three years ago did when he'd stopped Nina by the torchlight outside of the mess hall, his gaze cast to the stonework of the floor. His teeth held in a light grit as the words choked in his throat for a moment before the soldier's face rose to level with her, the worrying rumble in his blue eyes betraying his attempt at a calm appearance. "Look, you've still got the gift that I gave to you, right?" his bandaged hand came up to produce the hand-carved chess piece of a knight that he'd made for himself, hoping that she didn't cast hers aside as he took a step closer towards Nina. "If you do, it'll bring you good luck."

A crack of relief softened Nina’s stony features at the mere sound of Luka’s voice. She offered him a small, albeit weary, smile and pushed past the urge to fret over the blond as he approached to stand before her. “Of course I have it,” she answered, her hand raising to pat the pocket of her jacket where the carved queen lay tucked away, “it’s always been my lucky charm.”

"Good, good," his hand closed around the knight piece, a freckle of solace fresh on his features. "I know you're also leading your own squad, but if things looks bad, don't hesitate to run," the boy compulsively reached his other hand out to grab her wrist, but ultimately jerked both arms back in retraction. "I'll come running if-- just, I'll see you afterwards," Luka interrupted himself, reaching for a non-existent tuff of hair at the back of his head.

Shaking her head, the ghost of smile faded from her lips as she sighed at his comments. No matter how unhappy she was with their orders, or how bleak the situation was, Nina wouldn’t flee. “I won’t run, and neither should you.” She reached for his hand that wasn’t fluttering in the air awkwardly, squeezing it gently and only pulling back after fearing she may have overstepped. “I know you’ll be great out there, but please, promise me you’ll take care.”

His face flickered momentarily while the small sentiment lingered, as short-lived as it was. "Y-yeah," Luka murmured as his eyes drifted down to the distance between their boots, stuffing the knight piece back into his right pocket. Another silence permeated the air that they shared before his body turned halfway from Nina, biting his lip in uneasiness as he walked away. "Bye, Nina."

---

Central Trost District — Battle of Trost District, 850
Squad 26: Luka, Elke, Anke, Vivian, Katsu, Viktor, Lena
​

Squad 26 stood at the precipice of battle as one of the twenty units designated to be the first correspondents of the Titans' advance, meant to clash with the frontline head on. Scattered about the numerous rooftops were the other nineteen teams, all filled with a diversity of faces young and old, statures short and tall. Yet, there was one common denominator that was clearly evident; the fear was all the same in each face that Luka saw as he looked around. His body seized up when their building began to quiver under the distant earthquakes that drew closer from the breach in the wall, his mouth hanging open as he seemingly looked past the Titans with a thousand yard stare. Though he couldn't bear to look at their monstrous faces, the soldier couldn't peel his eyes away from them. He was momentarily paralyzed before a rushing sensation shot up the center of his chest and forced him to his knees, letting loose a spout of bile to the street below. A metallic ringing filled his ears, compounded by the boom of thunder as it drowned out the request for orders from the squad that he was meant to lead.

Elke, Anke, Vivian, Katsu, Viktor, Lena. Luka was slow to rise, running a sleeve across his lips to wipe away any residue as the eternal question now plagued him; did he even have the capabilities to lead them through the defense operation effectively? All it took was one mistake, and their blood would forever be on his hands. The boy took a series of deep breaths in an attempt to compose himself, steeling the frightened expression on his face. "Be brave," he commanded himself like all of the other times throughout the last few months, knowing that he should place the utmost faith in his comrades and his leadership. No, I won't be a coward. Not again. "A-ahem," the soldier composed himself as he attached two blades to the controller grips, trying to make out more than just the one shambling giant through the rainfall. The aforemention fifteen-meter class Titan was the first of the preliminary lot that was headed straight towards them; two more Titans, a six-meter class and a ten-meter class, flanked the leading one.

"We'll stick together, but in two groups," the plan of approach crunched in Luka's mind as he considered each squad member; to his knowledge, Anke was the maverick among them, followed by Vivian. He and Elke were statistically average, which still outclassed the likes of Viktor and Lena. Katsu, on the other hand, was an unknown variable; an operation as crucial as this one was, evidently, not an ideal scenario to assess the transferee's capabilities. Regardless, they'd have to work with what they were given. "Vivian, Katsu, Lena, you're with me. Elke and Viktor, you're with Anke," he formed two splinter groups within their squad. "We're not splitting up, per se, but seven of us in one area takes up too much space. We'll distance ourselves within earshot," the acting officer explained further, turning back to look at each member of his squad. "Anke, Vivian, you'll be the ones to go for the finishing blows; the rest of us will support them. Make sure not to slip on the rooftops, and let's get a move on, then!"

The blond took a leap of faith from their position, a stream of gas trailing his figure as Luka propelled forward. He watched the fifteen-meter Titan carefully as the distance rapidly closed between him and their gigantic enemy, aware of the possibilities that they could come under attack from an Abnormal. His hooks lodged into the underside of a balcony to the right, raising both weapons back over his left shoulder to angle his body for a sharp turn. A deep grunt drew past his lips as he swerved around the fifteen-meter Titan, quickly shooting forward to rend his blades through its ankles.

 

[Danidify]

ELYSE HILDEBRAND​

There are three types of people in this world: the type that fights, the type that flees, and the type that freezes. Elyse had boldly enough envisioned herself to be a fighter- after all, for years of practice would have to amount to something. Yet somehow, all this promise and potential wilted under the pressure of true, limitless conflict.

Her body attempted to flee at first, when the volatile steam came rumbling forth like a flaming avalanche. Arms desperately moved up to protect her turning face, but much more protection than that was out of the picture. Fortunately, time rushed too fast for her to even feel the searing burns manifest on her hands and neck, losing their relevance in the storm of rain and recruits.

Petrified blue eyes looked up at the befittingly dim sky, widening as her mind frantically scavenged to make sense of it all. For a split second, she hoped this was somehow a mere stray hallucination of sorts, a prophetic warning to never touch alcohol ever again, to never disrespect her ‘bodyguard’ ever again, but as the growing push of gravity continued to force her down, all of that hope made way for survival instincts.

“Elyse! Where are you?!”

restricted, shaky breaths crawled out at the beat of her terrified heart, limbs straining, freezing as droplets and debris rained down in chaotic unison. Feeling heavy and numb, Elyse could barely get herself to move let alone speak as she hung from the breaking wall, completely dissociated yet simultaneously painfully aware of the threat at hand. This was too much- way too much. This wasn’t the plan.

- ♢ -​

Isolated in the fringe of the crowd, Elyse stood quietly and subserviently as the Garrison’s eager shouts moved through the ranks. Fear and worry blended in quite well in the crowd of fighters, but Elyse’s face wasn’t frantic nor shaken. Rather, it was numb, as if the prospect of tragedy had singed her neurons into a state of inhibition. Her head was usually jumbling with inner debates, but now, it was only uttering one thing:

I don’t want to die.

Truth be told, valiance and heroism were already things of the past for the paling Hildebrand girl. She wanted to flee, she really did, but even that would mean certain death. And so, with no way out, she stood with her squad, insecure in her decision and insincere in the grasp around the hilts of her blades.

Her squad’s voice grounded her ever so slightly, biting through the knowingly disrespectful thoughts of deserting. From Nina’s concise commands and Milo’s stupidly valorous words to Laurie’s kind sentiments, word after word they inflicted shame. Fortunately, Leon’s arrogance and gritty realism were there to prevent her from shifting into a full pity party. In any other situation, it would have pissed her off, but time to be angry was an unavailable privilege right now. Fodder or hero, it didn’t matter.

As Monar continued to speak in sentences she wasn’t even following anymore, Elyse blankly stared towards the direction of the breached wall like a lifeless lookout, noises of mayhem all around. Her ears, however, had singled out a particular set of rumbling thumps, growing louder with every step. Soon, her eyes widened once again.

“No..” Elyse mumbled faintly, panic overtaking as she laid eyes on a monster beyond the tops of the nearby buildings.

“They- they’re here, they’re close!” She’d spurt out, every repeat more frantic and heartfelt than the one before, adrenaline now pumping through her veins.

Would this really be the end?
Interactions: ShadyLady SpookyBones Colorless Spectrum Castello

 

[jrink]

Katsu Rutland
Mentions: Raiden , M Moonlessite , alexfangtalon​

It took a while, but once the chaos of the cadets at headquarters had cleared to reveal their superiors, Katsu could finally find it in himself to relax some. So what if their presence came with confirmation that the events of so many years ago were repeating themselves, so what if they - the newbies, the barely-soldiers - were being sent to become the buffer between the rest of humanity and the titans. At least they had order along with some commands to place themselves around. At least they - well, he at least - was getting an early taste of what life in the Scout's would likely be. Fixating on those small comfort (if one could even call them that) as the squadrons were organized and deployed, after some time Katsu had almost managed to convince himself that it wasn't fear that was lurking in the backdrop of his every passing thought, that the tingling in his stomach was probably only a side-effect of the weight of his newly attached ODM gear. But as the first of the titans passed into his vision - a 15-meter, ugly as sin, guy - Katsu knew the moisture of his balled palms wasn't entirely due to the rain.

He couldn't tear his eyes away from the creature for a few heart-wrenching moments, couldn't even move to better place himself at a distance from the thing. No, Katsu reminded himself weakly, not place distance, kill it before it killed them, that was their job as 'clean-up'. In the background, Katsu heard the other members of the squadron's voices raise with equal concern, though at the present moment he couldn't fixate on who was saying what, what was even being said. A sound like vomiting nearby wrenched the dark-haired boy from the stupor he was beginning to find himself suspended in. Noting the source of the sound to be their squadron leader, Luka, letting loose the contents of his stomach onto the asphalt far beneath them, Katsu found in himself an oddly fitting emotion for the circumstances - amusement. This was their so-called squad leader, and he was just as green (well, actually much greener then the rest of them if the vomit was anything to go off of) as any of them. Would he even be up to the task of leading them?

That bit of condescension, no matter the hypocrisy of it, was enough to help Katsu pull himself together some, give himself something other than the fear to focus on. Settling his hands over the grips of his controllers, Katsu let his no-longer-glazed over eyes trace back over the creature and waited for some sort of command if it would come. And came at did as the other boy made quick work of pulling himself together. But his orders had hardly set in - for Katsu at least - before their fearless leader was propelling himself towards the group of titans. Though a bit reluctant to do so, Katsu threw himself into the sky after the boy before burying his hooks into the roof of the building near to the approaching titans. Slicing through the air, cold and wet as it was, was enough to quiet some of Katsu's nerves because this mimicry of flight was familiar, comfortable. The titans up ahead - not so much.

Making a quick, running landing on the roof, as Katsu slowed to a stop he hurriedly scanned the area to the right of himself and noted one of the titan's - the center one Luka had gone for - was already falling with a semi-loud exclamation. And in the smoke that arose it was difficult to make out Luka's form, though those of the 6-meter and 10-meter were still obvious. The 10-meter was the closest to him at this moment, though its attention seemed to be focused elsewhere, in the direction Luka had disappeared in the smoke. The titan was beginning to pitch itself in the direction its eyes were pointing a bit, and this close, the skin on its angrily-pinched face seemed practically pore-less, perfect by anyone's standards. And that was a rather stupid thing to think of today of all the times.

Shaking his head a bit in efforts to clear those useless thoughts, Katsu took hold of the chance given as he hurled himself into the air with a hiss of gas before he lost his nerve. The titan's angry gaze shifted to encompass him as his hook buried itself into its opposite shoulder, though whatever answering hand rose to meet his motion wasn't quite quick enough as Katsu buried his blades into the creature's eyes with a slash.

 

[Moonlessite]

MENTIONS: Raiden [Luka], alexfangtalon [Anke], jrink [Katsu]​

Well, look who's all grown up. Vivian thought as Luka gave them their orders, a hot flash of pride swelling in her chest. It was almost like his past, timid self hadn't ever existed in the first place, and he had been born a natural leader. Her musing was interrupted by the ever growing sound of the approach of Titans, and she turned back to the fifteen-meter that had wandered close to them. Her pride in Luka had turned into a brief strike of fear as the boy swung towards the bottom of the Titan, his blades cutting straight through one of its ankles. Katsu, the quiet one from their training division, quickly followed up on Luka's initial assault. He went to blind one of the other Titans that were close by. Smart. That way they could take turns on cutting each of them down, little by little.

Her focus returned to the one that Luka was currently wrangling. The beast had collapsed onto its knees in a pained roar. That was the perfect opening. Vivian took to the air, steeling herself as she approached the struggling monster. The Titan was slow to raise its hands towards her in a feeble, stupid attempt to catch her, but she gritted her teeth as she looped around it. In a moment, one of her hooks flashed out and dug straight into the beast's nape. With a roar of fury, she dipped towards the exposed area of the Titan-- and with a flash of her blades and a gush of blood, it collapsed to the ground.

Her feet touched down upon one of the rooftops, and she was safe. Breathless and dazed with fear and adrenaline, but safe. Vivian drew in a breath and motioned towards Katsu and the ten meter. "Keep going! We took down one, we can take them all down!" She yelled towards the two sisters and Viktor. Did she believe what she said? Maybe, but now wasn't the time for hesitation.

MENTIONS: Raiden [Luka], alexfangtalon [Anke], jrink [Katsu]​

​

She was scared. So scared, that her very feet were planted upon the slippery rooftops with no sign of moving. Her small body had begun to shiver as she saw the first Titan come closer and closer. They were going to be eaten. They were all going to be eaten, no matter Luka's plans or not! It was going to be like Shiganshina all over again, and there was nothing Elke could do. Yet, within moments, Luka and Vivian swung towards the fifteen-meter Titan without a fear in the world. In only a few heartbeats, the Titan laid dead on the ground. Elke stared in awe and in shock. She hadn't even moved yet and those two had killed their first!

Elke jumped slightly at Vivian's scream. The sound of her voice had initially frightened her, but at the same time, it had spurred her into action. "L-let's go!" she stammered as she took to the air towards the other two Titans. Katsu's blades had blinded the first one, the ten-meter. Being so close to it frighted her to no end. I need to focus. Just do what you saw Luka do! Her fists clenched around the levers as she swooped low. Her swords cut straight into one of its ankles, a cry of exertion leaving her lips before she arched back up towards the closest roof. Behind her, the Titan lost its footing and fell onto its knees. Now was Anke's chance! "Get it, sis!" Elke cried out. The roof was so close-- just a little bit further, and she'd be-

A rush of air startled her. Elke yelped as something flew large flew right past her and landed on the ground below. Everything seemed to be going in slow motion. Was... was that...?

Elke landed on the roof a bit too carelessly, several of the tiles skidding beneath her feet. Her head whirled around to see what exactly had flown at her. A rock? Were Titans throwing rocks at them? But when her eyes adjusted to the large form on the ground, her heart stopped. A Titan with short, cropped hair was crouched on the ground like a house cat. Within its hands wriggled Viktor. Her eyes stared at the scene below, her heart sinking low into her stomach.

"N-no! Please, don't!" Viktor screamed in the Titan's grip. The sound of his cries were so blood-curdling, so fierce, that she was sure that the house she stood on was going to tumble down due to the force of his screeches. However, the Titan did not care for the harsh sounds. It lifted the boy towards its hellish, gaping mouth. "Please! I'm sorry! Someone sav-"

A sick crack and crunch, and a waterfall of blood. Viktor's shrieks stopped.

Elke stared down at the Titan, paler than a sheet of paper. Her body had gone back to its harsh, wicked trembles. Her fists clenched around her blades, knuckles burning white. What was this feeling? Terror? Fear? Rage? Images of dead bodies hanging from giant, emotionless hands flashed through her mind. "No!" Elke roared, prepared to jump towards the Titan lurking below.

"Elke, don't!" Vivian's voiced screamed from a rooftop away. Elke turned to look at her. The other girl's face was wild with shock and her jaw was clenched. It was almost as if she had to stop herself from trying to kill the Titan herself. "Stay away from it!"

Elke's shivers only became more violent. She stepped away from the edge of the rooftop, her eyes dropping back to the quadruped Titan that had finished devouring their teammate. It licked its chops then meandered on its way without a care in the world. Oh... oh God, that was almost me. That was almost me--

She dropped into a sitting position on the edge of the roof, her head in her hands. Her fingers curled roughly into her hair as realization began to settle in, nearly pulling out some in the process. Hot, sticky tears trailed down her cheeks. "I'm scared... I'm scared!" she half-whimpered, half-moaned out. Elke drew in a breath before she released a shriek of her own. "I want to go home!!"

SQUAD 19
MENTIONS: Arcanist [Jo], . D O V E [Gwen], Demon Shinobi [August], homintales [Sera], KaramelKarma [Jericho]
​

In the midst of Squad 19's chatter, the first couple of Titans had entered their vision. Only two, so far, but they were big ones. A twenty-meter and fifteen meter roamed down separate streets, their gluttonous eyes peering around for quick snacks.

SQUAD 47
MENTIONS: ShadyLady [Nina], Colorless Spectrum [Laurie], Danidify [Elyse], Castello [Leon], SpookyBones [Milo]
​

At around the same time that the Titans showed up in Squad 19's line of sight, so did some in Squad 47's. Three Titans lurked down the streets toward them-- two of them, a ten-meter and a four-meter, stuck rather close together, but the third, another ten-meter, seemingly decided to go off on its own.

​

 

[Arcanist]

Jo Schreiber
Mentions: Raiden (Luka), Colorless Spectrum (Laurie) || Interactions: homintales (Sera), . D O V E (Gwen), Demon Shinobi (August), alexfangtalon (Heiko), KaramelKarma (Jericho/Fiona)

​

Each of her comrades spoke up in turn with differing opinions and affirmations. Jo hadn’t been surprised that Sera voiced her disagreement. Not everyone would enjoy the same idea, a factor not many leaders appreciated. She did let wide eyes betray her at Sera at least going along with the plan before she relaxed them. “I appreciate it, Sera. Thank you.” Though, she had little to say to her comment on being one of the ‘few tolerable’ recruits of the 104th. Instead, she just nodded, before Sera pressed on ahead.

She wondered how Sera could dart on to meet that screaming ahead.

Jo turned to Gwen then, whose comment about posthumously naming her first child after her seemed to have the intention of making everyone’s hearts bleed. “It’s too early to be thinking of such things. And I hope it’ll be some time before dying or you having a child happens.” She quipped, her delivery flatlining. The girl didn’t have it in her to make such a hearty jest. And she understood Gwen wasn’t feeling it herself with the way her blades trembled under her grip.

Even if she wasn’t a friend, she wasn’t a bad person. Though, she noticed Gwen’s timing was never stellar when Laurie and Jo were speaking to one another on their own.

A pat on the back and an almost surprised statement from August brought Jo back to the moment. Jo tried to give something of a smile, a shadow of one perhaps, before she nodded to August. “Counting on me, huh?” She murmured to herself. This whole time, she had been standing there as her comrades gave what could have been their final words exchanged, as had Jo in return.

A bishop broodily administering last rites.

She thought of Luka’s gift. She would have pocketed it for some odd sense of luck, but it had been crafted by hand, making it too precious to bring out onto the field only to lose it. She watched the others advance, a 20 metre and a 15 metre strolling between the buildings.

“Alright then,” Jo gripped the handles of her blades, “let’s go.” Steadying herself with a deep inhale and exhale of breath, she ran and leapt off the roof. Propelling herself forward, she caught up with her comrades quickly.

She knew she had no time to fret over details or to create an elaborate plan of action. Her eyes moved to the waddling 20 metre. A hulking, pot-bellied thing with thick brown locks. Taking it down would prove a challenge, but letting it get through and further into Trost would be even more of a nightmare.

The 15 metre would have to wait.

“20 metre to the left!” Jo announced, “Gwen, August, cut the back of the heels and knees. Jericho and Heiko will act as backup. Sera, when there’s an opening, don’t hesitate and get the job done. Fiona and I will keep it busy from the front!” What was she thinking keeping it busy from the front? And with putting Fiona in the middle of all of it? After she was told specifically not to die. But she had to give the others enough time to immobilise it and for Sera to swoop in with the final blow. She needed to have hope in her own plan for their sake. No time to poke holes in it.

Hooks embedded into the red slated roof before releasing as Jo landed on them. She watched the 20 metre awkwardly turn, regarding her with a gluttonous look. She felt a nervous tingle shoot up from the base of her spine.

‘Remember, you’re dealing with a thing who can’t even take a shit.’

Somehow that fact spurred her on. Before the Titan’s hand could come flying down like a guillotine, Jo thrusted forward, hearing the slates of the roof clang behind her. She had to get the thing turned enough for a good cutting angle. As she landed on the next roof across from the one she just leapt from, the Titan was already beginning to get turned. It lumbered when it turned, though, she understood the problem was its arms.

This was crazy.

She hoped it wouldn’t take to long to bring a Titan to its knees and Fiona, who was also advancing on the other roof, would play her part.

 

[Demon Shinobi]

Interactions: Gwen ( . D O V E ), Jo ( Arcanist )
Mentions: Sera ( homintales ), Heiko ( alexfangtalon ), Jericho and Fiona kinda ( KaramelKarma )

A skilled landing left the raven haired soldier with ample opportunity scope out the situation, however brief the chance was. Two Titans. Just two. But fuck... they were big. And yet, August was calm. It seemed that way at least. Seeing them gave him a different feeling than training. He never once doubted what he was up against, never lied to himself thinking that they couldn't be as bad as the stories they had heard. But he'd also never seen one up close and personal like this. Deep down, part of him was scared. He could feel it. Even if it didn't show, it was there.

Good.

Fear kept you alive. It let you know your limitations. As long as you didn't let that fear stopping you from acting, you could use it to your advantage. Besides, as much as he knew that fear was there, there was something else. Maybe. He couldn't quite be so sure. But it was a strange feeling.

August looked to his comrades for a moment. For guidance, to see how they were doing. He breathed out softly, steeling his mind for what was to come as Jo gave her orders. Taking on the bigger Titan, the potbellied monstrosity of a creature, made the most sense, but in the back of his mind, he couldn't help thinking back to the screams that they'd heard not too long ago. What happened to those people? Were there other Titans in the area? Were they playing things too safe by sticking together like this?

The loud crash of the Titan's massive hand colliding with the roof Jo was on pulled him out of his thoughts. It wasn't time for him to question his orders. He was a soldier. And more importantly, failure to act not meant that his fellow soldiers might just die. "Right!" he called out to Jo, readying his blades as he leapt from his position. "I'll take the left leg!" he added to Gwen. Communication with each other was the best way to keep themselves out of each other's way... and alive. At least that was the hope. Besides, these Titans weren't smart enough to fully grasp or understand things like that as far as he could remember.

Moving through the air, August knew he had to get lower. He needed to go for the back of the Titan's leg. Luckily, the monster was turning due to the focus on Jo and her provocation. He had to be fast. He may not have been the smartest cadet, but he was strong. Managing this was the bare minimum. The wires of his ODM gear shot off, hooking into the ground as he curved around the Titan's form. True to his word, he aimed for the left heel. His descent was fast. Pulling back the hooked he twisted his body into better position himself as he shot the them once more. They hooked into the nearest building and as he began to pull back up, safe from collision with the ground, he sunk his blades into Titans leg, tearing the Achilles tendon from the monster's flesh. It wasn't likely to put the monster out of commission, but it'd hopefully be enough to keep Jo and Fiona safer as their decoys while giving Gwen and Sera ample opportunity to finish the thing off. He was optimistic, but he was also ready for the worst. He just hoped that wouldn't come as he soared away from the field of danger himself.

 

[. D O V E]

Gwen Bulwark​

Soaring through the narrow gaps of Trost was proving to be a challenge. Having to squint your eyes to keep raindrops from entering was less than ideal seeing that their current predicament demanded full attention. Nevertheless, Gwen flew forward, the hooks from her gear penetrating concretes upon concretes to bring her closer to the goal. Emerald eyes focused on the closing giant, navigating from its swollen belly up to its lips that were curled into an eerie smile. Gwen felt the unceasing tremble of her hands.

Was she... scared?

"Have you ever tried touching the Walls, kid?" A gruff voice asked, and as she turned to look, she was met with the sight of a tall man with sharp features. Just like her, this man donned a couple of scars on his face.

"H-Huh? No way! Father said never to touch the wall for it's considered a great sin. Us, mortals, are unworthy-"

A yawn interrupted her sentence, carving a scowl on her face. "Father this, father that. Look around, kid!" He stretched his arms to the side and turned, directing her attention to their surroundings. It was the sunset of a particular day dedicated to ODMG training, and the duo found themselves taking a break beneath a tree beside Wall Maria. "Your father's not here to dictate what you should do. You're free."

She paused, as though contemplating what he had said before bursting, "no way! He gets mad when I sin and- and..."

The man pushed himself from the grass, approaching the surface of the great wall before laying his hands on it. "Hm? Do you think your father's seeing this?" His foot surged forward, the sole of his boots landing against the concrete with a thud that made her flinch. "What about this?" He kicked, and kicked, and kicked.

Realization slowly dawned upon her, and she felt her hands began to shake. "...W-What are you doing?" She asked, feeling a certain rush within her that forced her to her feet.

As he saw her approach, he grinned, "I'm doing whatever the hell I want."

With trembling hands, she reached out for the wall.


Yes. She remembered now. This feeling- she had felt it before. It wasn't fear. No. Fear was the tool of the devil. But this? This trembling made her feel alive; it made her feel everything! If the Walls were truly holy then this would be their gift! This... excitement.

Her hands steadied and a grin formed on her lips as August advanced, heeding Jo's orders. In a swift motion, the lad successfully incapacitated the titan's right leg. Now, it was up to Gwen to take care of its left.

As the titan's right leg began losing strength, Gwen's hook latched onto its left knee before propelling herself forward. Once she was but a humble distance away, she boosted her gas and maneuvered a swivel, using her second hook to puncture the titan's kneepit. With another propulsion, she brought herself closer to the area and swung her swords for a cut that was tailgated by a spray of blood. 'One.' Another swift swivel around the leg followed, but this time, Gwen shot her next hook for the ankle and positioned herself closer before delivering another slice. 'Two.'

"Amen!" She grinned before hastily flying out of the titan's range, mindful not to become a titan cushion as it gradually loses balance.

Tags: Demon Shinobi Arcanist homintales alexfangtalon KaramelKarma (Squad 19)

 

[homintales]

Sera Mayer
Mentions: Demon Shinobi . D O V E ​

Needing to waste a good portion of the gas she possessed in order to achieve such a feat, Sera managed to stay above the reach and out of the sight of the enemy titan. She maintained complete faith in Squad 19. After they removed this titan and so many others as a threat, they would eventually go on to liberate the rest of Trost from the abominations. Was that way of thinking a little too ambitious? Nope, not for Sera.

Sera’s eyes locked onto August. He was the first to go for his target. If in trouble, Sera would make sure to quickly rush to his aid. She couldn’t have August get eaten. Not until she gave him a good punch in the throat for his spider joke anyway.

Settling in a position that was still out of the titan’s line of sight, Sera watched as August quickly sliced through the titan’s left leg. “Yes!” Sera said, filled with excitement. She resisted the urge to start applauding August for his perfection in the art of cutting. In just a few seconds she would get a turn to inflict some pain.

She wasn’t the slightest bit nervous. Killing a titan, killing a lot of titans, was the only thing that came to mind since finishing up training. More opportunities like this would arrive once she properly joined the Scouts.

Luckily, not long after the titan’s right leg started to fail, Gwen appeared to insure the left suffered the same fate. As soon as Sera was certain Gwen could take care of the leg, she launched straight into action. Grappling onto one of the lower roofs, with a quick pace and a waste of more gas, she moved towards the titan’s position.

Gwen was as successful as August. The right leg was finished. The titan, now on the ground, looked as though it was attempting to stand up. It was an amusing and pathetic sight. In Sera’s mind, if this was all it took to kill a single titan, Humanity would win this war in no time.

Since it was already fairly immobilized, Sera saw no need to use any clever tricks. With no amount of fear to act as a weakness, Sera grappled onto the titan’s shoulder and slowly climbed up it. Standing atop the titan, Sera casually walked to its nape. Blades now gripped, Sera shot the ODM Gear’s hooks into a nearby building.

Just as she was pulled forward, Sera sliced into the start of its nape. By the time she was off the titan, there wasn’t much of a nape left. Quickly turning around, Sera watched as the titan lost whatever strength remained and fully collapsed onto the ground.

Sera felt like she was also about to collapse. Heart racing and sweating all over, she took a seat. She had finally managed to kill one of the titans. Now she only needed to kill a few more thousand and then she would finally be satisfied. After spending another minute to rest, she grappled over to August’s position.

"Ha!" She laughed, walking up to August. "Looks l-like I got enough sleep after all." She then sent a fist his way, acting as though she was going to punch him. She quickly retracted the fist and laughed. "Now gimme a hug."

 

[Raiden]

​

---

Central Trost District — Battle of Trost District, 850
Interactions: alexfangtalon (Anke), M Moonlessite (Vivian), Arcanist (Lena)
Mentions: ShadyLady (Nina), M Moonlessite (Viktor) jrink (Katsu)
​

Utilizing the momentum granted from the first movement, the fifteen-meter Titan was already crashing to the stone pavement below by the time that Luka's boots landed on an adjacent rooftop, briefly watching it disintegrate from the corner of his eye. Clouds of steam began to billow from the hulking mass of flesh as the carve at its nape-- one meter across, ten centimeters down-- rekindled his shelved theory from years past. It was the first time that he was seeing a deceased Titan up close; though it was ultimately futile and they were hardly afforded the luxury of time, the intellectual within him was still desperate for any sort of lead. Despite the urge of a celebratory tendency for achieving his first assist on a Titan kill, he believed it to be meaningless with the gravity of their situation. Where one Titan would fall, humanity was faced with a dozen more that shuffled through Wall Rose's breach, fogging up any plausible explanations to answer the simple inquiry of why.

And admittedly, there was no time to be wasted on ogling expiring Titan carcasses. 'Who knows, maybe it'd make her jealous,' his eyes rolled with the internal jest, seldom successful in alleviating the passive nerves that lingered beyond the course of adrenaline. Luka shifted his gaze back up to the greater battlefield that was the frontline, unable to drown out the chorus of screaming that crawled all the way into Trost District from five years ago. His brow twitched, already forced to deal with a consequence from his orders when the absence of Viktor Fuchs gave sentiment to Elke's breakdown. "Move it, Anke!" his voice called back to their former position where the other half of the Vinter twins remained inactive, gritting his teeth as his capability was already being tested. To make matters worse, the unfamiliar face hadn't stuck with his proper group, almost invalidating his recent orders. All while the panicking blonde was exposed on all fronts; if her sister wasn't going to do something, then his hand was forced. Casting a quick gander across the sprawling expanse of rooftops within their parallel, he could see that all of the other leading squads were already being overwhelmed within mere moments of contact; the Titans were already filtering into the greater district.

"Fall back on my call," Luka quickly instructed the two present members of his splinter group, wiping the moisture from his face with a wrist as the rainfall cleansed his blades of the Titan's blood. "Hold this position until there's too many to deal with! I'll move to support Elke!" Pointing out an incoming twelve-meter before giving them a nod of affirmation, the soldier took off from their street to the next one where the other half of Squad 26 had been, only given a moment to assess the neighboring state of affairs as he hovered above. The ten-meter class Titan had already recovered its eyesight from one of their attacks, its mouth gaping wide as its grubby hands reached towards the shell-shocked Elke. His books shoot above the head that its large starving eyes belonged to and dug into a residential building, expelling an inefficient amount of gas in order to launch himself forward. His blades met flesh once more as he sliced through the upper half of its right hand, but a moment's hesitation was all it took for a mistake to occur.

The blond gasped upon realizing his slight miscalculation; Luka's lower legs had bumped into the large obstruction that was the ten-meter Titan, causing him to lose enough control to send him tumbling into the opposite rooftop. "S-shi-!" Debris flew from the surface as his body rolled across the shattered tile, a disorienting spell spinning his mind. Aggravated tremors pulsated his injured right arm as he couldn't bring himself to rise up, his vision blurred with flashing lights. Just where... Luka struggled to think coherently through a brief concussion, the drops of rain falling against his exposed golden hair as his head wore down heavily against the roof. Consciousness trickled through a pair of heavy-lidded eyes, trying to make sense of the present. Nina?

 

[alexfangtalon]

INTERACTIONS: Luka Soroka ( Raiden ), Elke Vinter ( M Moonlessite ), Viktor Fuchs, Vivian Schweiss ( M Moonlessite ), Lena Becker, and Katsu Rutland ( jrink )​

Her breathing was ragged and her eyes were wide as she fearfully watched everyone rush about. It was Elke's words that brought her out of her stupor. She was suppose to wait for the others to set up one of the other titans. She speed along from behind Elke waiting for an opening. Katsu blinded the ten-meter, followed by Elke slicing through one of its ankles. Seeing this a little bit of hope rose up in Anke. Maybe they'd be able to survive. Hearing her sister's cry she knew it was her turn. She launched her hooks into the building behind the monstrosity and lurched towards her kill.

How cruel is a world that allows a sliver of hope to emerge only to instantly dash it away. Her forward moment shifted awkwardly as Anke turned to look at the screams coming from behind her. Her eyes bugged out as she saw Viktor clutched within the mangy paws of the titan. Forgetting about the titan she was intended to kill Anke screamed out as she tried to turn only for the sound of Viktor's body being crunched to stop her in her tracks. 'Maybe they'd be able to survive?!' Who was she kidding? They were children fighting against demons. She was almost like a vegetable as she was swinging there between the buildings. The world around her became muffled and dark. What could they do? It's not like they were going to survive. They'd end up just like Auntie and Uncle. Dead with no body to bury.

No. For reasons that Anke doesn't know her mind went to the day Shiganshina fell. Her minds eye saw her Aunt. The one who saved her and then went back into the fray. She had been smiling the whole time. Sure, that may have just been an adult putting extra into the effort to ease the fears of a child. But that smile would be her saving grace again. She weakly gripped her controllers and lifted her head watching as Luka launched forward to try and save Elke. A pang of guilt shot through Anke as she realized in her despair the world kept moving and her inaction was causing problems. The titan she was meant to kill was up and still trying to feast. It was momentarily distracted and she wouldn't let it get away for a second time.

Using gas she sent herself flying up and forward. Next her hooks shot out, one in the roof a couple feet from where Elke was and the other into the back of the titans head. She quickly reeled in the hook attached to the titan. As it turned to look at her she released the hook in it and reeled towards her sister slashing at the hand approaching her leaving the creature with no useable hands. She had to hurry before it could recover but Elke and Luka were the priority. She landed by Elke and tried to say comforting words but nothing came out. Instead she reached down and lifted Elke up running away from where the titan was trying to get at them. She looked around noticing the near unconscious Luka on a different rooftop. This wasn't good. At least the titan near them was distracted with her for now. Looking to Elke she roughly got out a quiet, "Wait."

Setting Elke back down she turned to the 10-meter which nearly had it's hands back. She wasn't sure if she could kill it on her own in her current state but se could certainly keep it distracted. Running forward she jumped off the roof and swung around the titan leading it away from the other two.

 

[ShadyLady]

Interactions: Colorless Spectrum (Laurie and Noah) Danidify (Elyse) Castello (Leon) SpookyBones (Milo)
Mentions:​

An appraising glance glossed over her squad mates, their words failing to phase her, whether they were optimistic or not. “Your contributions are always appreciated, Sir Monar.” She huffed affectionately at Leon, rolling her eyes. Though, his suggestion of Laurie being a rook raised a minor concern. Whilst the sable haired soldier in question was amiable, well liked and appreciated by his peers and Nina was sure he could slot into any team like the missing piece of a jigsaw, she only hoped he wouldn’t crumble or falter when it mattered most.

At the frightened panic of Elyse, Nina’s shrewd stare locked onto the approaching Titans. Three in total, two 10 meters, and one on the smaller side of 4 meters. The 4 meter and one of the 10 meters were sticking close to each other, advancing forwards, whilst the last Titan showed no apparent interest in the squad. Her lips pursed, an Abnormal. A dangerous curiosity crept in the depths of her mind, the beginnings of want, an inquisitiveness to find out what made the creature have unpredictable behaviour compared to others. But this was no place for distractions. All she could do for now was keep a careful watch on the Aberrant, and hope that it didn’t turn its unwanted attention on the squad whilst they dealt with the other Titans. If they were overwhelmed so quickly, it would soon spell disaster.

“Once we’ve dispatched the two showing us interest, we’ll focus on the Abnormal straying from the group.” Nina instructed, azure gaze flickering between the approaching Titans and her squad mates. “Target the back of heels and knees to send them to the ground. Make it as easy as possible for executioners to kill.”

Her tone maintained its levelness, voice calm as more quick words flew out of her mouth, “Leon and Elyse, you’re with me dealing with the closest 10 meter.” She gestured vaguely at Elyse, a thread of doubt beginning to stitch itself through Nina as she scrutinised the brunette's palpable fear, “we'll flank it and create an opening for Leon to finish it off.”

The redhead turned to address the remaining squad members, “Laurie, Noah and Milo take care of the smaller Titan.” A brief moment of following through with her trust in Leon’s judgment led to her next decision, “Laurie is to be the executioner. Noah, you’re to focus on distracting it and supporting your group whilst Milo will assist by hindering it.”

Well… It's now or never. “Let's get moving.”

Falling under the expanse of the Titans attention was unnerving, a cold daunting trepidation settling into her bones as she darted off the roof, plummeting until a hiss of gas had her surging, hooks sinking into the walls of buildings before finding a home embedded in flesh. With an anchor buried in the taller of the nearby Titans, Nina jetted forwards, blades rising to slash down into a precise slice into the back of the Titans knee, cleaving a bloody chunk free. Adrenaline jolted through her veins, momentary triumph curling within her chest as her grapples dislodged free from skin and rooted into tiles.

Launching herself up onto the supposed safety of a rooftop, Nina caught her breath, looking onwards to follow the forms of her squad mates in the rain.

 

[SpookyBones]

Interactions: Colorless Spectrum (Laurie & Noah), Castello (Leon)​

The writhing tension in Milo’s chest was eased by the dulcet tones of Laurie, he returned the boy’s smile with one of his own stemming from minuscule relief, “It's a pleasure, Laurie”, Milo summoned all the sincerity he could into his words. As for Noah, he paid the eager jackrabbit no more attention than he would a scuttling mouse. Harsh realisation struck him from Leon’s calculated speech, “You’re right, we’re a brand new set of pawns - so let’s play one hell of a game”, despite the crumbling scenes around them the boy was trying to keep the morale high within their squad, if they falter before the battle even begins, they’d all end up nothing but a mass of decaying carcasses.

All but a drop of valour rapidly drained from his heart as an incredulous stare was varnished over his sickeningly chalk-white visage, bewildered by the Titans romping down the streets, two of which were making a direct b-line for their squad. The other, an Aberrant, struck Milo with a new found fear, gazing upon the extremities and abnormalities that can be concocted from the already inhuman forms, infinitely more deadly and all the more cynically exhilarating, the opportune moment for action - hindered by the necessity for teamwork. A pacemaker, fueled by his squad’s ever comforting words, ticked on and snapped the rhythm back to focus on the 4 metre class. Noah and Laurie would seemingly make adequate teammates for the job: a distraction, an executioner, and himself the hinderer. This has to work. A series of collected breaths steadied his nerves, suffice to say as much as mere oxygen could in the tantalising circumstances. As the Titan pushed onward, the time came to act.

Whirlpools of rain restricted Milo’s vision, droplets of water rested neatly on his eyelashes, but the Titan before him was simply unmissable. With a gust of wind he shot forward as the mechanisms of his hooks spasmed into a nearby chimney, the boy soared in a taut turning circle headed directly for the pit of its knee. Milo held his blades angled to cover a larger area, plunging deeply into its skin to weaken its balance. Once the blades left the steaming flesh he swept between the Titan’s legs and landed firmly on the adjacent rooftop. The boy was almost thrilled by his first contact with a real Titan, watching as the knee collided with the concrete, but it was far from over. A quick inhalation and Milo was off again, this time aiming for its right leg; as he began his descent he jolted backwards, practically giving himself whiplash shooting glances left and right, he refocused to find himself in the grasp of the very same Titan.

In the spur of the moment he had failed to calculate where the beast would now be reaching, somehow amongst flailing arms it had clasped the wire of his ODM gear. For an instant, time froze as the rhythm of his heart stilled, staring wondrously at its gaping jaw, its ravenous eyes. The numbing comprehension of the ending of it all held him frozen in its gaze.

It was the unspoken promise he made to Elias that released him from his stupor as air steadily seeped back into his lungs. Milo gave a mighty swing upwards as he screamed through clenched teeth, sending both himself and 5 hefty fingers reeling. Milo staggered to his feet, exasperated by the encounter, the prominence of death in this unforgiving world. Anger steeled his nerves and forced him into flight, hooks sunken deep within the flesh of its back as he gave another essential blow to the steadied knee, knocking the Titan to kneel on the ground. Flickering eyes cast upon the rooftops for confirmation that the executioner was ready to pounce; after finding his silhouette amongst the calamity, Milo fled to watch Laurie finish the job from higher ground; his posture crumbled, graciously allowing his body to feast on a mere moment of safety.

 

[Colorless Spectrum]

Laurence Arnault

Him? The executioner? Laurie never really expected it. The role of the one doing the killing blow felt too much spotlight for his taste but he wasn't one to argue with orders. He had the physical strength for it, three years of hard work but if he loses someone today... Will he be able to take it? He was already on the verge of despair before and the past few weeks had been hard.

His eyes flickered over to Noah, he could tell that he was shaking and he knew why. It was the repressed anger that the younger teen held for years mixed with the fear of the past resurfacing into the present. He felt it too, more of the latter than the former.

"I'm going to kill it," Noah whispered as the rain splattered to his face, eyes on the Aberrant. It was one of those Titans that killed his family after all.

"Right." Laurie nodded to Nina and clasped Noah's shoulder to bring him out of his haze. "It's time to go Noah."

"Good luck, everyone."

Noah flew with Laurie right behind him. While the latter continued to the back into position, he continued to the front of the Titan. His hair was soaked and flat whilst billowing in the wind that made it a little more difficult to see. "Oi, you ugly asshole. Keep your eyes on me." He snarled as he clasped two blades into his hilt.

Once the young teen saw Milo make way for the legs did he start to fly like an annoying mosquito that you can never capture. He never got into the top ten as he had dreamed but he was still a better user of the ODM gear than most in their batch. He had himself clinging to a nearby wall when Milo had made the Titan crumble to his knee, watching as its arms flailed and catching his teammate. On instinct he leaped, heading for the elbow of the very same arm that was on the verge of grasping his fellow cadet, cutting through the flesh about the same time that Milo sent its fingers flying.

Unfortunately for Noah, he was caught by the Titan as he was trying to get away. Even when he wanted to move his will felt no longer there and he was frozen in fear, the rain didn't help with how the water seeped through his clothes. He felt cold. Even when the giant fell completely to his knees his eyes were still stuck like glue to Noah. No... No, I still had to go back. I promised granma. I-

A blur of green passed by, slicing the hinges of the Titan's jaw. "Laurie!" Noah cheered as the older cadet made haste for the Titan's nape. Flinging himself to the nearest roof he attached the other hook to its neck and reeled himself forward before giving a clean cut to its only known weakness.

"Are you both okay?" Laurie asked the moment he got to the same roof as Milo just before Noah had arrived. He felt bad. While they were both fighting for their lives, he was merely waiting for an opportunity to strike. Still, he was glad that none of them died, so very glad.

"I'm good, the Titan only caught my coat but I think I used up more gas than intended," Noah stated with haggard breath.

"Then you should focus on conserving your gas for now until the Supply Team arrives. We should meet up with the others once you're both good to go. Is that okay?"

mention: Danidify Castello ShadyLady || interaction: SpookyBones

 

[Danidify]

ELYSE HILDEBRAND
​

Elyse’s legs shook in asynchronous tremors while her eyes remained glued to the pest before them, incapable of shifting away. Compared to the monster that had broken the wall, these titans paled in comparison, yet here she was, just as paralysed as before. This time, it wasn’t their lethality nor their height that kept her at bay, but the mere fact that running away now felt impossible.

Nina’s swift and decisive commands failed to calm the distorted noble. As if all hope escaped her, Elyse’s face turned even bleaker than it already was, swirls of scapegoated anger and frustration twisting in her eyes as she guided her disdainful gaze to the redheaded commander. She might’ve named Leon and Laurie the executioners, but the true hangman was calling the shots. Her decree? A death sentence.

"Why.." She mumbled to herself, her questioning words lost behind the sound of Nina's continuing commands. It was all humbling and enlightening in a weird, twisted way. Even now, despite her best efforts, there was no true freedom, no true choice of her own. All she could do was listen and follow, to move like a puppet whose strings were wrung, set to fulfil its minor task in a play too big to comprehend.

In the chaos of it all, Elyse’s heart continued to beat, however. Selfish fear and greed were undeniably present, yet care gleaned within, fighting back against the immoral ideation that pestered her mind. She wanted to leave- she really did, but the brunette knew that wasn’t a real option. There was a duty to fulfil, after all: people to save, and people to see again. Additionally, it also helped to remind herself that deserting would mean certain death.

After her eyes had shot the nastiest undeserved glare at her team leader, Elyse composed herself, deep breaths rhythmically escaping while she readied her blades and started focusing on the real enemy at hand. Truth be told, the noble’s legs still danced in twitches, her eyes continued to shake, and her mouth remained glued shut under the pressure of terror. Nonetheless, she was ready, for she had to be.

With the talking coming to an end, Elyse watched Nina initiate the plan, taking off in a confident charge forward that was nothing short of admirable yet subsequently drop-dead terrifying. Though positioned to follow immediately, the noble’s feet remained grounded for a couple of seconds, held back by the deeply rooted hesitation whose presence had been more than evident at this point. Within moments, however, the young combatant managed to free herself, leaving solid ground for the open skies as she shot herself forth.

Metallic jolts cackled as the ODM’s reinforced wires escaped their holsters, grapples following the line of houses before inevitably reaching the task at hand. She dared only once to look upward, fortunately to notice that the Titan’s shallow gaze was not yet fixated on her in return. She could only hope it would stay that way as she grew nearer, the heavy winds and rain troubling her flight.

The time came swiftly, too swiftly. In her periphery, Elyse could see her squad leader make contact, her actions seemingly successful given the bellowing grunts the Titan released. The brunette watched its huge body shift, the sheer mass of it all so great it felt like slow motion. Dislodging from the building, her hooks sank into its lower leg, missing the perfect mark at the hands of the monster’s contempt movements. Her shot was too low and not perfectly centred on the hind leg, but there was nothing she could do at this point. Reeling in, her mind went blank, though her face remained icy in horror.

In instinctive anticipation, the cadet turned her body, positioning her weapons to the side as she wound up for a proper slash. Forcing out every inch of power left in her body, Elyse slashed the two sharp blades through the being’s skin, pushing through the resisting flesh until the pressure on her blades was no more. Her attack was more primordial than methodical, leaving a sloppy yet otherwise deep cut that would hopefully succeed in severing the tendon. A sliver of hope and pride returned back to her as she fled to the feigned safety of a rooftop. For just a second she thought that maybe, just maybe, she wasn’t as incapable as she thought. Rookie mistake, it seemed.

Having failed to properly regulate the strength put behind her cut, paired with the sudden movement of the titan, Elyse was left off-balance as she distanced herself from the Titan. Her escape from the crime scene swiftly grew wavy as a result, haphazard attempts to readjust seemingly just making things worse.

At last, solid ground was greeted again, though the bumpy road had not yet come to an end. Not properly centring her weight in time, Elyse’s left foot twisted as it touched the irregular rooftop, sending her painfully tumbling face forward into the tiles. Groaning, she turned onto her side, looking up once again like she had before. This time, she wasn’t as lucky, though.

Elyse froze in place immediately as the giant’s rage-filled eyes glared right at her, a shadow casting over while its hand reached towards the rooftop. Trying to get back up, the now clearly panicking soldier fell down as her foot twisted again the moment she tried to stand on it. Her hands scattered to replace her blunted blades. No way was she going to make it out in time.

Would this really be the end?

TAGS (squad besties): ShadyLady SpookyBones Colorless Spectrum Castello ​

 

[Castello]

The pendulum swung against the beating of rain cascading onto the ground. Leon could feel each drop parry against his hair, each gentle stream that fell down his body's crevices and the droplets that rung against his blade, like tiny mallets onto a drum. The Pendulum swung to the right, and phantom screams strung against his ears, the rain running thick like blood. For what is rational in a situation so dire? The human mind, was mirandized by such a situation, shackled and judged by a ball of yarn. Rationality was no such grasp, a forbidden apple that stood amongst the stars that playfully captured children's hearts. However, past the amygdala, lied a quiet willow where a young boy screamed into an airless abyss. A young boy who had been led astray by one thing, the soft engulf of silk and the warm rays that twirled their way through the forest's groves. Perhaps it was a fateful breeze, or a mighty cyclone, but for once in a long while, the trees led his forlorn eyes into incandescent light.

»»————-　　————-««
Leon Monar - Where is Ramiel when you need him?
Interactions - ShadyLady (Nina) Danidify (Elyse)
Mentions -
»»————-　　————-««

​

Leon offered a quiet smirk to Nina as his hands gently tapped against her shoulder. Perhaps had their eyes met, a shallowness could be seen; amber eyes precipitating a slaughter, and pupils that never stopped scouting their surroundings. One could label him akin to a rabbit, cautious and instant to react. It was this sharpness that nailed vision onto the oncoming Titans. Blood was kissed upon their lips, oozing down their canines, as drool seeped from the sight of the team. Leon's feet were far from frozen in their place, they were well positioned to fight. Upon Nina's unerring commands, Leon slipped behind his comrades--though his sights remained pasted on Elyse.

She was aptly put as a liability.

Nina was perhaps the conception of a paragon. Her slices were methodical, well thought out, and giving Leon an easy veer to the right of the Titan's body. It would be enough for the "number 3," to work with but to Leon's surprise, Elyse came tumbling through.

Misery was a better accessory for Elyse, a woman whose pride was only sullied when blood stained. Silver was better suited as a spoon, rather than a sword. As the titan's attention drifted from him to Elyse, Leon could feel his heart sink. The depths of his cranium already begun to drum, beat a steady pulse throughout Leon's body. The titan's nape was in range, but Elyse's breathing corpse was closer. It was not matter of flight or fight, it was a gambit. The pieces fell between Leon, forked between two macabre choices. It was a dead Titan and the potential of him being too late to save Elyse's life, or risking his life to guarantee his teammate safety.

The pieces fell in a way foreign to Leon, feelings that he had not felt since he stood outside the forest's gates. When the light melted against his skin, he felt his spirit, like chlorophyll, burst into life.

Metal sparks lit up across the rain, the hook shooting precisely into a chimney just past the Titan and Elyse. Leon's body came barreling towards the side of the beast's face, a quick glance meeting between the two combatants. The beast roared of hunger, while Leon remained quiet and before the Titan could bite towards him, his blades began to rip through the side of its skull. Its blood began to boil against the rain, spewing onto the roof and over Leon as it singed his clothing. His teeth clamped as it spilled onto his face, but he continued to saw towards it jaw.

Compared to Nina, Leon was a butcher, brutal and precise in the way his blade carved against the Titan's jaw. The tendon that glued it to its place in the skull fell like a sack of rocks, snapped like a twig, with the left side of its jaw hanging like a rotten fruit from its mouth. Against the soaked roof, Leon glided his way towards Elyse. His body quickly pivoted between the incoming hand and Elyse, completely shielding her with his body. His eyes faintly met with hers. There was a peacefulness to them, an atypical smile creeping upon his cheeks. There was no fear hidden in his complexion, it almost appeared as this was something simply natural to Leon. In their brief moment, a quiet whisper fell off his lips.

"Don't be scared, Mathilda."

Perhaps the moment was lost upon adrenaline, but as the Titan's hands grasped Leon, his expression quickly changed. His back almost seemed to explode outwards, shoulders exerting the extent of their force as he carved a well into the Titan's palm with the wailing breathes of his swords. His body rigorously struggled against the Titan, his body slowly collapsing under the overwhelming force. Right before the Titan could squeeze against Leon's ribcage, his voice hoarsely bellowed across the city, choking as his lungs began press together like a balloon.

"Nina, now!!"

 

[Demon Shinobi]

Interactions: Sera ( homintales ), Jo ( Arcanist )
Mentions: Gwen ( . D O V E )
August watched as Sera made short work of the Titan following his and Gwen's initial attacks. "ALRIGHT!" he cheered, throwing his fist in the air while making no effort to subdue the energy and pride he felt in his comrades. They'd trained for this day after all. It was only natural they'd be totally badass in the field. What he didn't expect though was Sera walking up to him.

"Oh? Ya think so?" he questioned the girl as she came closer. "I don't know." August shook his head, giving Sera a small shrug. "You looked a little slow to me," he teased.

Of course, when she took a swing, August laughed himself. He prepared for the punch that was coming his way, flinching playfully as he waiting for the impact that never came. This surprised him more than anything. At least, that's what he thought before Sera asked, nay demanded, that he give her a hug. He blinked a few times before a smirk formed on his face. "You going soft on me?" August asked the girl as he straightened himself up a bit. "You know we'll have plenty of time for hugs when we finish weeding out the giant bastards trying to take us over, right?"

He said that, but he pulled her into a hug all the same, squeezing her tight, if only for a minute before glancing in the direction of the other Titan. The 15 meter still needed to be taken down. "15 meters shouldn't be as difficult. Doesn't look like an abnormal either," he said, forgetting for a moment that he was still holding Sera.

"Boss lady!" he called out to Jo. "Same plan? Any change in orders?" he asked as though this were totally natural on the battlefield.

 

[jrink]

Katsu Rutland
Mentions: M Moonlessite , alexfangtalon , Raiden​

Detaching and reattaching his hook to the building opposite the blinded-titan, Katsu made quick work of a nonchalant enough landing even as excitement over his first titan-encounter pricked at his nerves like a swarm of bees. Though it was tempting to turn over the details in his mind again and again, the more logical part of Katsu steered him away from it. After all, that was just one interaction, and a far too close one in retrospect. And there would likely be many more before the day was done. Nodding to himself hastily, Katsu wiped his blades against his rain-dampened cowl (though it was really a useless action considering how fast the titan's blood was evaporating) as his eyes darted back out in the direction of the blinded titan.

It was sinking to its knees and one of the twins, likely the perpetrator of action, was launching herself towards the roof beside him. And just behind her, the other twin was heading for the kill, hooks drawing her closer and closer, 'till it seemed she was just moment from burying her blades in its-

A sound like a scream tugged Katsu's attention from the cinematic moment. And it was the sort of sound Katsu hadn't heard in a long while, one with real fear contained in it. Stepping closer to the roof's edge in efforts to see better, as the source of the commotion came into sight, Katsu felt a chill settle over his bones. It was the 6-meter from earlier. And contained in its human-like hands was one of the other cadets, Victor, whose lungs churned out just one more scream before the titan's pearly-whites were closing over his head in a gruesome sight Katsu found he couldn't tug his eyes away from. Blood spilled from the titan's maw down to the pavement below though the rain was washing it away fast, fast enough that it was almost easy to pretend Victor had never been there in the first place. The titan seemed content with that, hand scraping across its bloodied lips as if in mockery of the human gesture.

What he was feeling though, Katsu couldn't quite tell, though whatever it was was clouding his other senses, making his fingers tremble with the intensity of it. But there wasn't time to think on that any further as the 10-meter seemed to materialize in his sights, lumbering towards the building beside his as fast as its large form would allow. Glancing at its target building, Katsu caught sight of one of twin's on the roof's edge, panic making her seemingly blind to the threat before her.

Help her, Katsu urged his too-still limbs, move!

Just as he was beginning to amble forward, two other squad mates closed around the titan, one slashing at one arm while the other, unseen, went for the other he assumed. Relief briefly registered in Katsu's mind as he sped into a run, gas hissing as he leaped from his building to theirs... And caught the tail-end of Luka flying (though the movement didn't seem to be of his volition) to the opposite roof. One of the twins was circling the titan now, trying to lead it away from the two downed squad-members.

Eyes flickering between the distance between himself and Luka and a lone Anke and the titan, unease pitted in Katsu's stomach as he headed for the 10-meter. It didn't feel right to leave Luka really, but the boy was at least far enough from any titans (that he could see at least) to be okay for the time being. Right?

Burying his hook in the titan's back just a little below its nape (a bit over-confidently), the instant Katsu's body flew forward was the same moment the titan turned its body abruptly, angling itself suddenly to head in Anke's direction. Katsu's body, previously flying only forward, abruptly turned with the titan's, swinging towards its chest instead. Hooking into its right shoulder just as the newly-regenerated hand rose to swat at him, Katsu barely managed to roll his body underneath and around it, feeling slight pressure on his shoulder where its palm had just grazed him. Stupid, he chided himself.