Fandom Attack on Titan: Birds of Paradise

[Castello]

Leon Monar - Grudgingly Celebrating
Interactions - Vivian M Moonlessite
Mentions -

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Leon offered the silver-haired woman a spry smile. His eyes cocked to meet hers, a chuckle interposing a lingering silence. His fingers glided across the scalp of the cat, a pleased mew retorting off its tongue. The mess hall was lively, Leon could see dancing figures capering along the twilight. They were laughing, indulging and allowing their struggles to flee. For Leon, however, he found his own way to bewitch himself; sitting upon a gaze so prepossessing, the stars glimmering, trees swaying to the song of the wind and the moon standing so alluring over top of him. The view was his alcohol and the sobering of the mind was his dance.

Vivian's entrance damped his solemnity. His posture closed, eyes squeezed tightly together as she spoke. Part of him wanted to sigh but another part was not opposed to her company. Leon had no bitter feelings towards Vivian.

"And yet, it never ceases to amaze me how much better animals are than humans in terms of company, Vivian. There's no contest." Leon offered the lethargic Mare a small pet along her back. "They're the best kind of friends. You don't have to do anything special to please them, they don't complain and as long as you feed them, they're happy. It's been a while since I have had a friend like that." This made Leon sigh, a regretful shake of his head transposing. His tone grew grim, though it quickly became capricious after a few moments of silence.

Leon ushered a glare towards Vivian, a passive fire burning beneath them. "Well, Vivian, what about you? Shouldn't you be with the other party animals? I am flattered you're concerned, but is it worth coming to see a buzzkill like me?" Leon gave it a moment, his smile turning to a smirk. His fingers began drumming along his chin. There was only one thing he could come up with. "You here to confess or something?"

His icy expression melted into a genuine smile. "I tell you what, make half of those meat scraps mine and I might even listen to it. I'll break the hard truth to to you though, it's a hard no." Leon said with a following laugh. "Or, you can sit over there and be quiet." There was no laugh attached to this phrase.

As per usual, eloquence was not Leon's strong suit, but his tone was not aggressive, but instead it boasted a welcoming affinity. His shoulder gestured to the stable next to his. A Mare and its mother slept peacefully. It's olfactory essence was of course not so pleasing. It did not bother the resilient Leon, but to the untrained nose it could even be described as putrid.

 

[Danidify]

ELYSE HILDEBRAND​

Taking her leave in gloomy silence, Elyse’s face spoke chapters of defeat as she faintly stumbled away from the situation. The distance helped clear her sight, but her mind’s inner worries were still very much present, happily dancing to the tune of frustration that propelled her forth. With every step, however, anger seemed to lighten, steadily transforming into disappointment and - soon enough - regret and pain.

As if things weren’t worse as is, the antagonizing presence of Jericho just had to manifest right when she was making her way out. The fire within that would normally sear out was now doused to a mere flicker, however, leaving Elyse holding her head down in surrender, almost too shameful to look up. There was no glare, groan, or snappy comment, just glossy eyes straying away and feet that picked up the pace ever so slightly.

Feeling more pathetic than ever, the noble began to ponder whether Ramiel was right. Hearing him call her ‘weak and insecure’ hit hard in typical Diakos fashion, but the fact she failed to think of any excuse to refute his words made it cut much and much deeper.

Perhaps he was right to hate her.

As she reached the safe haven of the peaceful open sky, Elyse idled for a while as she worked through what had just happened. Hands rubbed up and down along her arms to combat the cold, while her eyes closed to combat the tears. It felt like a thousand stones were weighing on her back and shoulders, crushing her spirit. Fortunately, a shooting star arrived just in time to lift her hopes.

“Eli.”

Elyse swiftly turned her head, watery eyes landing on the fiery locks that could only belong to one person: Joanna. She looked… different than usual, though she herself was probably in no place to judge. It seemed like alcohol had gotten the better of them both.

Silently watching the redhead ramble, Elyse offered a puzzled look before a slight smile crept up at the hands of Jo’s verbal clumsiness. It was funny to see someone normally so sophisticated and wise speak so wild and dissonant, enough so for the noble to wipe away the forming tears before they could fall.

Though the bad weather was too strong to be pushed away, this sliver of sunshine fought enough clouds to allow Elyse to forget, even if just for a second. A humble chuckle escaped her lips as Jo rephrased.

“Yes, please.”

Waddling over towards saviour Schreiber, the noble would attempt to link arms before following Jo’s initiative into whatever direction she would like to walk. Softly moving forth, she would silently ponder for some time before gathering the might to speak again.

“Jo?” Elyse uttered, peeking to the side. “Thanks- for this.” She’d add, her voice glittering with earnest gratitude and the notable residuals of intoxication. The shorter graduate would go on to place her head against Jo’s shoulder, sloppily continuing the walk.

“I’m gonna miss you.”

Interactions: Arcanist
Mentions: lion. KaramelKarma

 

[alexfangtalon]

INTERACTIONS: Elke Vinter ( M Moonlessite )​

The sober twin was getting frustrated. All these people, some of which she did trust, telling her what to do. It made her feel-- different. Made her realize she didn't know what to do to help. Even if these people were drunk they were all seemingly more understanding of the situation. But Anke still waited for her sister. Something however impeded their process of evacuating the mess hall as Anke looked behind her and saw the bile finally work it's way the wrong direction and out of Elke's mouth onto the floor. Multiple times Elke's stomach was blasted onto the floor next to the twins. Some of it splashed onto them and the smell was just as bad as any vomit. Anke didn't care about the smell or the splash damage. She was just worried about Elke. Tears welled in her eyes as she fought back the innate reaction to add more bile to the mix. When her sister placed her arm around her and made the one word request, that sent Anke into action. Anke moved her arms behind her to hold Elke in place as best she could and, standing up, began moving at a brisk pace. She did her best to keep going while not shaking Elke to much.

The journey to Elke's room was a relative blur. Her sister wanted to get to bed as soon as possible so Anke wouldn't let anything hold that up. Once they arrived Anke quickly got a bin for Elke. Faster than she had ever run before she got a rag and went to wet it. When she came back Anke began doing her best to clean up Elke and did everything her sister asked of her. Except if it included leaving her. She wasn't gonna leave her side. Anke realized she may be overreacting but she was just feeling worried. She sat ready to act by the bed. Resting her head in her hands on her knees she began to think about things. Elke had made it obvious she wanted to join the Scouts. But why? What was the point? People, no matter how good they were would never make a dent in the Titan horde that existed outside of the walls. How many time had the Scouts gone out of the walls only to come back with so many of their number wiped out or injured to the point of no return. Would Elke be among that group next? The Garrison honestly wasn't much safer. Shiganshina was definitive proof of that. Sitting in the quiet room she looked at Elke. Her sister seemed to be trying to sleep.

Anke looked back at the floor and felt her hands begin shaking slightly. The sounds of merriment in the distance caused her to feel alone. Her sister was right there but everyday she saw as Elke grew leaps and bounds while Anke merely wallowed in the same spot. Sure she had learned some new tricks but she didn't feel any different than the scared little girl from that day five years ago. Picking her head back up she looked to the ceiling and asked, "You remember what you asked me back then in the infirmary?"

 

[Moonlessite]

MENTIONS: Castello [Leon]​

Vivian couldn't help but allow a wry smirk to cross her lips at Leon's words. Direct, as always. Leon always seemed to know how to drive the nail home, which could be shocking, judging from how he was with animals. Her eyes drifted to the cat, and then to the mare, then back at the dark-haired male. Even in the half-light, she could see that he had grown into a hardened soldier ever since the start of training. The realization made her heart ache. He wasn't like the boy he was before. Actually, as much as Vivian wished it, none of them were children anymore. Even though they had spent the last three years talking and bonding during training, they were all soldiers, deep inside. She glanced back out of the stables, noticing that the recruits' cheers had become much louder than before.

"To put it simply, I was worried about you. We have a big day tomorrow, so you need all of the energy you can get." Her voice took on a lax, almost lazy, tone as she prompted to ignore his taunt. "Take all you want. I'm not that hungry. And before you say anything, else, no, I'm not a party animal like the rest of them. I've spent most of the night cooped up in the barracks," she grumbled, deciding to plop down on the ground next to him and the cat. She knew that he preferred his space, but she didn't want to get too close to the other stables. They smelled, and some of their stench might waft on to her uniform-- which would probably earn her endless teases from the drunken recruits in the building next door. All she wanted to do was eat and drink a bit before she headed back to bed. That was the best course of action. While most of the others would be nursing headaches the next morning, she'd be in tip-top shape and ready to impress.

The cat meandered over to the plate that she had laid on the floor. It sniffed at the roast, then took a piece from the platter without so much as asking for permission. Vivian gave it an exaggerated glare and a light tut. Of course, her scorn went unrecognized as the furry creature tucked into its food. "Kind of hard to believe that everything's going to change after today. I'm excited to see how Sina's like on the inside. How about you? Still set on joining the Survey Corps?" Vivian sipped from her flagon, her voice a deep murmur as she eyed Leon out of the corner her eye. She didn't want to speak too loudly; she feared that she might disturb the so-called serenity of the stables and sour Leon's mood. Not to mention, she kind of liked the quiet there. Perhaps she could spend a bit more time here-- at least until she finished the ale in her cup.

 

[Arcanist]

Jo Schreiber
Mentions: M Moonlessite (Elke), alexfangtalon (Anke), KaramelKarma (Jericho), Raiden (Luka), Colorless Spectrum (Laurie) | Interactions: Elyse ( Danidify )

​

Jo understood her line of thought was difficult to follow. She had cast away the persona of an intelligent and capable soldier to the rambling drunken baffoon you found on a dark Karanes street corner. It would be a shameful display for Jo to look back on and a lasting image for Elyse to remember of Jo. But the noble girl laughed, if only a little, in the end. Jo swayed on her feet a little, watching Elyse wipe away what she had already known were tears, before the girl accepted her invitation for a walk.

Jo nodded and happily let the girl link arms with her, and soon, the rest was up to her. Really, there weren't too many fun nature trails in the encampment for them to meander through, so they would have to imagine the stables and cabins they passed to be monuments worth sightseeing. Their walk, if one could call the zig-zagging that, was accompanied only by grasshopper chirps, away from the shouts and drunken renditions of the Walls' many drinking songs. It was a peaceful, pondering meander, a break that the two of them would no doubt thank themselves for later.

The taller girl glanced down at Elyse as she gave her thanks, and Jo gave her a warm smile in return. "Yeah...it's no problem," she insisted, only pulling her gaze away to look down at her feet, and realign themselves to walk in a straighter line. Though, when she felt a head lean against her shoulder, Jo looked back to her. Was she dozing off while they walked together? She thought that would have taken an extreme talent to do so.

But her words alerted that wasn't the case.

"I'm gonna miss you."

A hot flush struck across her cheeks like a wildfire. She insisted it was the alcohol's doing, for every time she caught her reflection in something that evening, her nose seemed to grow redder than usual.

But she would quietly admit otherwise.

"I'm...I'm gonna miss you too," Jo replied with the same words, but it didn't make them any less genuine than when Elyse had said them. She turned her gaze ahead, suddenly thoughtful. "I'm gonna miss a lot of people," she added with a slight chuckle. The Vinters. That damned delinquent. Her scholar-in-arms. Her fellow shoppers. Laurie. Jo cleared her dry throat. If only she had something to wet it with. It wouldn't be long before their paths would diverge once again. She wondered if they would ever walk on the same path again. She wondered if any of the many she had worked with and made friends with would meet at a crossroads after all of this.

The thought threatened to sober her up. So, instead, she looked to Elyse as they walked, and smiled. "I'll make sure to send you letters though. I can't keep an eye on you all the time, but I can at least check in. And if I can manage it, I'll even come visit," she said, a rare and honest laugh bubbling in her throat. "Then you'll wish I was sending you letters instead."

 

[Castello]

Leon Monar - Getting Tired
Interactions - Vivian M Moonlessite
Mentions - Nina ShadyLady Hal Raiden

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Leon offered Vivian a coveted smile of approval when she spoke of skipping out the celebration; glad there was someone else who was not eagerly celebrating a death march. Prior thoughts of a brooding nature filled his mind as he could hear the screeching laughter from the Mess Hall. They were happy, but Leon knew that soon, those screams would not be of jovial intentions, but of terror. Inebriation was an envious thing, their mind's propensity for ignorance was truly something coaxing to Leon, but it was not worth it. Soon they'd be strapped in ODM gear right in front of a Titan's jaw and most of them would not be talented enough to escape their wretched indulgence. It was a vicious cycle; idiots being thrust into the battle of titans. There was no point to it, Leon had learned it well from the crestfallen expressions of the scouts who returned from their many failed missions.

"Thanks, Vivian." He said in return to the offer of food. Leon took a few pieces and set them over by where the cat had been sleeping, offering a smile to its avaricious steal.

The meat was not perfect, but as the fat melted in between his fingers and juices spewing as he pinched a piece off the plate, it was all his appetite needed. He could feel its hardy nourishment as it grinded down his esophagus, drippings oozing down his fingers as he splurged into piece after piece. There was barbarous intent to scarf the entire plate down and, perhaps if Vivian was not staring at him as he ate, it would have consumed him, but etiquette was not a concept lost on Leon and he continued as gingerly as possible.

"Might as well." He said with his mouth half opened, taking a pause to swallow. "Hal is interested in going into the Survey Corps, so I might as well tag along. I am sure Nina will follow."

Suddenly, a high pitch scream came from the Mess Hall. It echoed throughout the landscape. It was not of agony but it sounded as if someone had spilled their drink onto a shrill girl. It was easily glossed over but something sparked within Leon. It was not that he misconstrued the scream, yet, a small bead of sweat rolled down his brow, sliding down the crevices of his cheek and down onto his chin. As the single drop fell onto his clothing, it signaled something within his heart. A frantic metronome began within. The dollop of his heart began piecing his chest, causing his fingers to roll up within a knuckle, the hairs on his arms standing up firmly like grass, with goosebumps layered underneath. Throughout this, Leon appeared casual, calmly wiping the sweat from his face as if nothing was going on. He even managed to offer a grin to Vivian.

It's nothing. He repeated inside his mind. Just a normal scream, it's nothing. I can hear them laughing about it, nothing's wrong.

Yet, his heart only continue to thrust faster, beat harder. He could feel nausea pile within him like a lump, subtle gags releasing a burning sensation within his mouth. Screams battered his psyche, burning into his mind, scarring grey matter as each bellow warped to become more infantile, and more agonized. Leon could feel himself lose control, feel out of his own body, as if he was his own spirit looking down upon his body's predicament. He was able to return to his skin when he bit down hard on his lip, huffed his breath like a bull and a took a deep breath before facing Vivian. The screams stopped, but the pound of his heart still sizzled against the grill of his chest. The heavy taste of iron filled his mouth, flooding the base of his mouth like river to an ocean. Leon begrudgingly solved the problem with a quick swallow before speaking.

"You know what? I am tired, I am going to cool down with a walk and go to sleep. As you said, it's a big day tomorrow. Good night Vivian."

To Vivian, this might have seemed abrupt, but not totally out of the ordinary for someone like him. The food was close to being finished, Leon even grabbed a piece on the go, though he had no intention of eating it.

 

[homintales]

Sera Mayer
Mentions: Demon Shinobi ​

A new fact was clear to Sera. When it comes to consuming such a great quantity of mead in such a small span of time, no one should attempt it. Headache? Check. Blurred vision? Check. Nauseous? Check. Drinking regardless of all that? Unfortunately, check.

If only they had gotten rum instead of mead. Sure, she still would’ve made it into the exact same state of sorriness. But at the very least she would’ve passed out with something that tastes like Trost. Keep in mind, that taste isn’t necessarily good. However, it is a familiar one for Sera.

There was this exclusive rum that Sera and the other greatest smuggler in Trost would always share whenever they came across each other in a large group. For a lot of people, it was always a little too sweet in taste. But for Sera, that was the way she preferred it.

Sera looked around, still unable to see any faces. In that moment, Sera wanted to trade sight for sound. Every noise, no matter the frequency, felt like an explosion. Sera let out a groan filled with the sound of weakness. “C-close the noise!” She muttered whilst covering her ears.

In an attempt to escape, Sera struggled to leave the lonely table she sat at. Instead of getting away from all of the noise, she accidentally pushed several glasses onto the floor, shattering them into little pieces of glass.

The extra noise aggravated Sera enough to where she was eventually able to get off the table’s seat. Not that it even mattered, all power in ‘er legs taking a leave of absence. Sera, no longer in control, crashed to the floor, almost falling onto the glass on the floor.

As she laid there on the ground, Sera started to lose consciousness. “Auggie!” She called out even though she couldn’t even see August or anyone else for that matter. “Could you carry me again?” Hiccup “Pwetty pwease?”

 

[. D O V E]

Gwen Bulwark
ft. Colorless Spectrum (Ya Boi Laurie)
​

Gwen let out a dramatic gasp at Laurie's suggestion. "Are you suggesting my company is less entertaining than the company of a bunch of drunkards?!" She did her best to sound as offended as possible, lightly wiggling out of Laurie's hold as he moved to pick her up. It was all obviously in good faith, though, as she eventually mellowed down and allowed him to drag her to the direction of the party. The rowdy noise were getting louder and louder with every step, but she could still pick up Laurie's response.

"Nah, it's always something surprising with you so it's never boring." He said, etching a subtle smirk on her face. Memories of when she first stalked him all those years ago flashed in her mind. The boy was more than reluctant to take her hand but look where his own laid now.

"I see you get aggressive when under the influence." She shot him a loopy grin before glancing at the firm hand on her waist, wiggling her brows after. "I like it, but I don't know, Laurie. I think we should head to the stables instead..." When her eyes found its way back to his face, she noticed the slight flush on his skin. It only seemed to get worse as he exclaimed, "M-most definitely not!"

It was quite the sight to see. A pretty boy essentially hauling an intoxicated girl towards the mess hall, both with faces as red as a ripe tomato. "So, have you reconsidered a life with me in Wall Sina?" It was a call back to what he told her three years ago.

"WHAT!?" He blurted out, getting more and more flustered. "What do you mean?" It seemed as though he had already forgotten what she said, causing a frown to settle on her features.

"You've been offending me a lot tonight...," she dryly said, "Three years ago. You asked me what's my plan for the future. Remember what I said?" The ruckus from the structure a couple of steps away did nothing to drown the sourness in her tone. "Don't you know it's rude to just forget about a maiden's proposal."

"W-What...?" His mouth hung open as he stared at her. The silence dragged on for about a minute and they were left standing out there, seemingly frozen in time. "I... didn't think you were serious..." He added, head dropping as a solemn look fixed itself on his face.

She let out a deep sigh. "Still a no, huh?" The girl pried her glistening emerald gaze off him.

"I'm sorry, for not realizing how you feel." He looked at the ground, looking very much guilty.

"I just... thought we could live a comfortable and peaceful life inside the walls." She could feel his hold on her loosening.

"I've decided long ago that I'll join the Scouts, Gwen. That won't change, so a peaceful live inside the walls never crossed my mind." There was a deeply-rooted resolve in his statement. To Gwen, that resolve felt like a wall. A wall that caged her.

With hungry wolves.

Well, at least she tried. How unfortunate that Laurie seemed to be keen on making her suffer. She could taste the bitterness of the liquor at the back of her throat. It made her smile, a single tear slipping from her lashes before she moved a hand to clutch her stomach.

"BWAHAHAH!" She erupted into a familiar fit of obnoxious laughter. If Laurie wasn't holding her then she would've keeled over from the hilarity of it all. "Y-You should've seen the look on your face... Oh my Walls..." She rubbed her eyes, bouts of laughter still slipping out of her mouth as she did so. "M-my bad, you simply said you were used to my jokes so I couldn't help but test you." She didn't sound sorry at all.

"Oh. Oh! GWEN!" Came Laurie's short outburst of anger. It didn't take long for him to join her in her laughter, though. "Okay, I guess I'm not as used to it as I initially thought..." He conceded, and she felt his hold return.

"Obviously." She playfully rolled her eyes. "Now move along. Take me to my natural habitat." She drunkenly pointed at the establishment ahead.

It only took them a couple more struggles before they finally reached the doors- which Laurie enthusiastically pushed before pushing her inside. Everyone seemed to be rightfully inebriated. Some even looked as though they were on the verge of passing out. Ah well, Gwen believed there was no such thing as too much alcohol.

Without further ado, she made her way to the nearest table and climbed on top of it. An empty bottle sat beside her boot so she wasted no time and kicked it aside, the shrill sound of glass breaking interjecting with the current commotion. She then reached down to snatch a mug of liquor from a confused cadet sitting by her before rising back up and raising the mug as she regarded everyone.

"I'm strong! Stronger than all of you. Extremely strong. I can dry all the liquors here. Even if I'm alone. You're either incompetent or spineless cowards if you can't even challenge me." She snorted. "How pathetic! You can keep on sitting there and suck on your thumbs, yeah, do that." She finished her speech with a deep chug from the mug.

Did this 'religious nut' really just challenged everyone in the mess hall to a drinking competition? Yes. Yes, she did.

Tags: Nina ( ShadyLady ) Milo ( SpookyBones ) Halvor( Raiden ) Ramiel( lion. ) and Jericho ( KaramelKarma )​

 

[Colorless Spectrum]

Laurence Arnault

"Look at her already making a ruckus." As the laughter inside his heart died down, he kept his eyes on the woman who just challenged everyone to a drinking challenge. A contented sigh escaped his lips, he'll miss this. Really he will, but now the back of his mind was plundered with the idea of settling down in some place peaceful. He can't decided if he'll heed her words as the joke she presented them to be or the truth that she tried to conceal after revealing it.

That's right, he thought of this before too. Merely pushing it away as he didn't see a future where he lived inside the walls. To him, the future was empty and dark. He can't see it, that's why he didn't let himself be swayed by such emotions.

But what if he did? He would have joined the Garrison perhaps... Or quit the Training Regiment entirely and find a fitting job for himself. It's too late for those thoughts now though.

Laurie didn't realized that being deep in thought had made him grab a mug of alcohol. He wasn't drunk yet, but he was getting there. With a sip of his drink, he walked over to Halvor, after Bee had left to wreak havoc somewhere else. Amusement was clear on his face. He slung an arm to his friend with a Cheshire grin on his face.

"Hal, my good pal." He sang with a slight chuckle afterwards. "How's the night been for you?"

His eyes passed by everyone else in the mess hall, noting how little they had become from a hundred recruits from the first day. "In a few days we'll both me part of the Scouts as we said to each other before. Promise to have my back as I'll have yours?"

mention: . D O V E || interaction: Raiden

 

[SpookyBones]

Interactions: Bee ( Serei2477 ), Hal ( Raiden ), Ramiel ( lion. )
Mentions: Nina ( ShadyLady ), Jericho ( KaramelKarma ), Elyse ( Danidify )​

Traversing leisurely in and amongst the jubilant chaos, for the first time since he arrived he welcomingly relaxed his trachea, allowing the sickeningly humid yet strangely invigorating air to seep into his lungs, hoping to diffuse some of the blackened remnants that lined their walls. His first, true, deep breath in over a week. An overpowering cascade of relief slowly swallowed him whole, all Milo could do now was pray that, though it was the work of the liquor, it would lovingly extend to the rest of the time he would spend amongst these people. A thought flashed across his mind, he may never actually greet some of the flock or know their stories as evidently the others would. He knew now that graduation was over, the money grabbing snobs would idly cower from the war outside the walls into their cosy Military Police lives, anyone with a strong affiliation for drink would no doubt join the Garrison. That left the true heroes of these walls, bearing the superior crest of wings, the Scouts. There, again. A jolt of pain swept briskly through his chest. Many of these souls will meet an imminent death. He hoped that their instructor had enough brains to train them not to become titan fodder the first day of the job. Selfishness rooted within him snapped up viciously like a cornered snake. Maybe it would be better if they died before he acquainted them, save himself some inevitable pain, for now.

Milo recalled the fleeting salvation he’d felt just a moment prior, longing to be blessed by it again. As he his mind straggled in thought he refreshed his cup from a nearby table. Letting his lips hang on the rim as the mind numbing concoction trickled down his throat. Just as he pulled himself away and picked up his stroll, any lingering morose was stripped away by a sweet voice that seemed to be echoing in the back of his head. Broody baby, what? A chunk of his scalp seemed to no longer clutch his skull and suddenly a forceful impact met his lips. Milo stood, barely, with his spine half bent backwards, this spritely girl practically holding him up and catching his bewildered gaze with her own sparkling eyes after she had eased her lips from his. A smug grin filled with astonishment claimed his lips.

Another jolt of shock came as another boy whom he hadn’t yet seen, placed a firm hand upon his shoulder. The boy, only a smidgen smaller than himself, was evidently sulking inside but painted a confident and merry demeanour over the darkened canvas of his feelings. The new guy. Milo flinched as he became increasingly aware that he was truly a nobody to all, save for Nina. Milo wavered, desperately trying to keep his feet fixed to the ground that seemed to concave beneath him, slightly leaning into the other boy’s grasp upon him. Dissimilarly, the girl he now came to know as Bee, peeled the fingers from her shoulder and ran, all the while giggling to herself. Milo, just coming around from their interaction yelped down the hall in her direction, “Oi! Though you have very soft lips, don’t sneak up on me like that again, Bee!” there was a small hint of joy laced in his annoyance, too inebriated to deny that the spur of affection was wholly welcomed by him. His voice was likely covered by the raucous noise around him, he wondered if she’d actually heard him.

Milo snapped back to his surroundings, realising there was still another presence attached to him, the boy’s blue eyes met his own, he felt the grip upon him unhinge as they seemed to share a moment of understanding. He allowed the wine to consume his mind once more, starting with a faint smile towards the boy, “Hey uh, m-mister stranger, thanks but it’ll take a lot more than a little kiss to scare me off.” He let out a soft giggle brought on by nervosity, unsure on his take of the boy.

Not caring to share his company any longer and incapable of making clear judgements, Milo continued his journey round the hall, arriving at a boy of a similar age to him, tufts of light brown hair framed his eyes that beamed a blazing amber, similar to the ring set deeply within his own sapphires. His aura seemed to emit a strong sense of cunning in jarring rays from his body that came as endearing to Milo, a great intrigue sparked within him. Just as Milo spotted him, a burly and seemingly over-confident boy had just left a seat open for him, their interaction seemed to have left his new encounter with a scornful expression.

Heeding caution, Milo decided to sheepishly study the ground beneath his shuffling feet as to fade into the peripherals of the boy who was now leaving, willing that he didn’t think Milo was a common eavesdropper. Once he assumed the pair would be alone, he returned to his languid stride and plonked himself adjacent to his new lure. Met with a rather unpleasant sensation of a partially warmed seat, he assumed the boy would rather be left alone but Milo couldn’t pry himself away. He rested a wavering elbow in a small patch of the table where the wood was not helplessly soaking up a variety of liquids and followed by cradling his jaw in his palm. The lights of the Hall surely weren’t dimming, rather a looming shadow of a searing pain began to cloud his vision. Make a good first impression. He spoke with an earnest, and inevitable interrogative tone, all the while his mind still spinning, “Hey, I’ve seen you around but i’m sure we haven’t met yet! You can call me Milo, the new guy, what can I call you?”, yikes, it stung even more bitterly slipping of his own tongue. Once more blessed by an absolute lapse of judgement he started again boisterously, “Hmmm, now where is that adorable brunette short stack I’ve seen you parading around? Think you could let me be the watchdog for a bit?”

 

[lion.]

I am nothing
but a sacrifice
but will you give
me up so easily?

RAMIEL DIAKOS

(Insert interaction with Jericho at later time)

There was an impulsity—in the dimension of time, in the firelight yellow, in the loquacious premises of the cadets when Ramiel Diakos was introduced to a boy who had a repitlian mouth. Ramiel Diakos was met with transformation, and green’s only defense mechanism: camoflauge. His new visitor of the late hour was not sharp by appearance for python politics; he was simply a successor of pale skin that was defended by dark earthy hair. Wihout ignoring, it was his mouth that sat somehow guiltier than the rest like a snake in tall grass.

Something nagged.

Truth was, there was no anecdotal evidence to make the new cadet anyone of that reputation. It must’ve been his host’s style of chewing vocals that dispelled his own unbecoming words. In front of him, perhaps there was no deception at all.

“It’s nice to have you around, Milo-” Ramiel Diakos purposeful tongue produced in a direction that elaborating courtesy, “You can call me Ramiel.”

In collinearity with his moving mouth, Ramiel Diakos looked upon the other boy. Milo had eyes that pelted to a pearl tundra, blue which studied him which almost felt like it was trying to surpass his.

With the profusion of bottles near them, Ramiel ravenously acquainted himself with a newly filled cup, switching his focus onto the harbor of boats of littered cups. The alcohol expanded over into a glass as he reassured, “Don’t worry. I won’t force you to drink. This one’s for me.”

Tearing his neck back, he emptied his own ferry of alcohol. His statuesque figure was attributed to a slight hither forward, detaching from the bind of his straight back.

“You are joking,” Ramiel said interruptedly, mulling over the vowels with a laugh that stiched open his mouth, “No?”

The backlash of the alcohol came in an infringement later; it prickled. It was tasteless as it wandered down his throat. With a skewed look, he made an inkling fraction of a smirk, “Do you know-what a watchdog is?”

He riddled the question because he was the only one who could answer it. If he recalled well, there was none like him. In their golden silence, his eyes rimmed with nicked light like sorcery which makes knight to king on chessboards. His hands clasped together in front of his lips where a soft smile ran from one end of his mouth to the other.

“It is because a watchdog is perfect,” he plainly commented, his basalt chin slightly crooking,“They have minds they weren’t born with. They walk on coals, dignified, noble-"

The herculean gold of his eyes lacquered in a hard contour, “A knife feels like a tack to them. They like to be first.”

Almost as if he was setting up for this inescapable moment, his words monologued, “Can you even be that? You think Elyse Hildebrand would be captivated with a boy like you?”

His laugh was soft like drops of moisture dripping from the stalacites of a rundown cave, but this time he meant it.

code by ditto (head empty go bonk)

 

[SpookyBones]

Interactions: Ramiel ( lion. )
Mentions: Elyse ( Danidify )​

The instant that chesty, partially suppressed laugh protruded out his mouth, Milo knew his intuition had served him well, a most certainly interesting creature sat before him. Tension began to swarm the air around them, narrowing his vision to be captivated by the internal fire burning everlong, only visible as a flicker of radiance snaps at his iris. Milo gulped and felt a lump unsurpassable in its magnitude, unequivocally from the interrogation that beset him.

His sharpness had evaded him fortuitously when of course, he would need it most. An eager fox, with a particular prowess for sadism it seems, in a deep bow primed to pounce, to sink its teeth into an unsuspecting rabbit only to watch the blood spool around its fragile neck and let it suffer, alone in the wilderness.

Milo came helplessly stumbling over his own words as each dagger lacerated deeper into his chest. “I suppose I don’t I-”, he felt his skin begin to shrink, threatening to pulverise his bones. That sinister smile truly cultivated the poison ivy that seemed to lace the sections of the seething boy's brain, entrancing Milo further.

Perfect, evidently not modest. Perhaps that did make him the perfect watchdog. As his words seemed to strike more and more nerves, filled with cowardice he perked up, “Look, it wasn’t my intention to offend-”. Cut off again.

Like a caterpillar to a butterfly, Milo completed his own metamorphosis of the evening, no longer stranded by Ramiel’s cocooning words. He scoffed, “I take it someone as perfect as you came first in the rankings? You know they mean shit, right?” an unintentional snigger slithered off his tongue.

He remembered how mere minutes ago he’d wanted to be someone Ramiel could depend on, or perhaps that was the intention of his scales, iridescent and mesmerising only to pour venom into your blood when you get too close. “Ahh Elyssse”, he hissed in mockery. Offended by the genuine amusement in his voice from Milo’s earlier jovial remark, he quipped back “And who does she think she is? Smarmy little miss perfect with her obedient little lap dog to protect her? I tell you what, that is perfect.”

As small imprints of snowflakes settled once more over Milo’s heart, he felt the embers of Ramiel’s hypnotic fiery stare begin to diminish to ash, still smouldering. He brazenly thrusted himself away from the table, “Run along to your master, that’s a good boy!” he sneered in a deliberate high-pitched tone, unfitting to his voice. As a slight wash of embarrassment spilled into his stomach, so did another glass of wine, just for safe measure. With no care for grace, he stumbled like a newborn foal out of the Hall and into the welcomed serenity of the velvet night sky.

 

[Raiden]

Disclaimer: Just remembered that I still haven't done Hal's post-timeskip character sheet yet Certain things on his 'current' sheet are outdated, like his height, I'll have it up and done ASAP; sorry Zara but he's actually taller than MIlo boi hehe

Interactions: Colorless Spectrum (Laurie), . D O V E (Gwen), SpookyBones (Milo)
Mentions: Arcanist (Jo)
​

Evidently, the victim of Bee's drunken antics looked to receive her forced gesture rather decently, though Hal could sense the sheath of chagrin that laced the other boy's words. He was offered a closer survey of the brunet upon the girl's departure, but the racket of the celebration and a certain debilitating factor simply caused his watchful eye to fail in any sort of meaningful probe. He was precisely two inches taller than the newcomer, and whether or not it was accurate, showed signs of enjoying their last night as trainees just about as much as he was, which was not very much in comparison to the others. Remembering an offhand comment from Instructor Krause that much of the Northern Division graduates were being funneled into their region in fear of shortages in manpower, his head tilted towards the other boy, his hand coming back down to fill his pocket. "Not all of us in the Southern Division are like... this," his eyes wandered away in a judgemental glare that sprawled all across the room, turning back to his conversation partner. Though, as Hal opened his mouth to offer an exchange of names, he could see that the other boy was already well on his way from their interaction, causing him to roll his eyes. "Good on you too, then. Twat."

The liveliness of graduation night only grew more and more animated as Hal spotted a lesser-known acquaintance from their class declare her total superiority in intoxication through the annals of history from her tabletop in iconic fashion. Gwen, he could attach a name to the face, knowing her to be an 'admirer' of a certain individual that he also admired. As if on cue, the familiar embrace of his brother-in-arms curled around his shoulders, causing the boy to nearly stumble from the ambush. "It's been an eye-opening experience, to say the least," he felt himself lighten up in Laurie's presence, answering the taller soldier with a scoff. His friend's words brought him back to their plentiful nights of little talks, finding himself drifting off for a spell as his mind fabricated those fragments into another voice. Why do you fight, Hal? It was unlike the girl from his dreams and nightmares, but among the multitude of other voices that stalked him in slumber, it was another female voice. Do you believe in your cause?

"I already made you that promise years ago, Laurie," Hal snapped out of his momentary stupor, casting a sideways glance towards the other boy. "Besides, we've still got a few days before we head into the Survey Corps. Don't think anyone's getting alcohol poisoning tonight, so nobody's gonna kick the bucket so soon."

He found that his guarded demeanor had mostly dropped with Laurie's arrival, and feeling himself rile up in a friendly manner from Gwen's challenge, Hal decided that a little fun couldn't hurt anyone. Opportunities like this were never going to come by again, especially if he was joining the Survey Corps and thrusting himself into danger for a sense of purpose. "She's your friend, right? Don't worry, I won't tell Specs," the dark-haired boy teased as he slinked away from underneath Laurie's arm, looking towards the girl that consumed an entire mug of alcohol and motioning for his friend to tag along. His boot stomped loudly in the vacant spot beside the confused cadet whose mug of drink had been nicked by Gwen, swiftly snatching a fresh flagon from the same sorry sap. "Oi, one drink's all a child's game," Hal stammered aloud in mirror to the girl's dramatic tone before downing the entire flagon in a single gulp like she had done, slamming the empty recepticle onto the table. He stared up at Gwen with a cheeky smile, beckoning towards some of the nameless soldiers to provide another round from their reserves. "Pick a wall and pray, Gwen!"

Interactions: All of the dining hall (technically)
Mentions: ShadyLady (her)
​

The deeply-stupefied boy seemed more than ecstatic that his gag was well-received by his comrades, that much was certain. Luka accepted the jeers of his crowd, performing a few clumsy bows but having to stop himself from keeling over when the motion spurred the bile in his stomach. "Ta-aanksh, cousins," the remnants of monstrous cackling trickled on the sharp smirk of his lips as the world spun around his head. Time was fast yet slow, all at once; one moment, he was surrounded by his closest friends, and the next, he was left by his lonesome. The smile on his face moderately dissipated as it only reminded him that the paradise of blissful ignorance under intoxication wasn't going to last forever. That he was still eleventh, so close yet so far. That she was still far and away, so close yet so far. He'd always considered the uncertainty of the future in a lesser light, but it was now that very same uncertainty that struck a fearful chord within him. Was he ever going to find Seth again? Were things every going to be the same with her again?

Whether for good or for bad, his contemplative state remained greatly diminished under the lull of alcohol, and Luka couldn't help but still feel an overwhelming assurance that things would all work out for him. His blue eyes disappeared underneath their eyelids as he let out a deep breath, coming at ease with himself. "Thash r-oight," he spoke to himself as if he'd uncovered the mystery of the Titans. Even if he was going to join the Survey Corps instead of the Garrison, it wasn't like he was going to die tomorrow. He just had to apply the principles of their training and trust in his friends on the field; above all else, he had to believe in himself, just like she had shown him. No matter what happens, there'll always be sunshine. "I've gots a whoooooole life aheada me!"

Luka nearly tripped as the blond cleared out the table and climbed atop of it upon seeing his other red-headed comrade make her declaration to the world. "Lesh GOOOOOOOO!" the boy shouted in conjunction to Gwen's chug, flexing both of his arms upward as if to show off his muscles when Hal accepted her challenge. Luka, on the other hand, felt the overwhelming desire to bob his body around in a simple dance from the tabletop, tossing the bone aside as the urge to sing came naturally. "I've been a fool, and you've been childish..." he secretly hoped that Nina would hear him, his vocals slowly drowning out into the mayhem of the night.

 

[Moonlessite]

MENTIONS: @Raiden [Gil], alexfangtalon [Pia], ShadyLady [Emile]​

It was a terrible day for rain.

Horses lined up in disorganized rows in front of the Trost district's gate. Deadpanned faces sat atop them and all stared towards the exit. Ambrose sat tall upon her brown-and-white dappled mare, her short hair picked up into a tight bun as she watched a pair of Garrison officers raise the gate. Ahead of them laid an endless stretch of freedom. How frequently had she tread upon those open fields while her people helplessly dwelt behind the walls? The thought tortured her. Many people within those walls would die before they ever got a taste of liberty. Even now, some of them lined the streets as they glared at them with rancor. When she first became a scout, it stung to be glowered at in such a way-- when she was first made commander, it was even worse. Now they were like flies: existent at best, annoying at worst. A brief sigh left her lips as her gaze flickered over to the mounted man at her flank.

"Are you drunk again, Gil?" she asked in a nonchalant tone, turning her eyes back towards the rising gate.

"Not yet, Rose. Not yet."

"Captain, while I know we can't keep you from drinking, it would be preferable if you wait until at least nightfall." Pia's remark came from her left.

“Don’t get your hopes up Pia, he’s incapable of lasting that long without his fix.” Emile jeered lowly, this time from right behind Gil's position..

Xavier's harsh voice came from behind her. "Can you all shut your traps? We don't have time to be bickering like housewives."

If it weren't for the civilian's glares which stuck to her like honey, Ambrose would have allowed the corner of her lip to quirk upward in a half-smile.

Thunder rumbled over their heads, startling her from her thoughts. Now wasn't the time to think. All they had to do was push a little further; their goal to retake their lost outpost was within their reach. If they could achieve that, then she'd be able to sleep more soundly at night. She only hoped that the rain wouldn't be too harsh as to deter their use of the flares.

"The 56th Scouting Regiment Expedition begins here!" Ambrose roared over the sound of the encroaching rain clouds. Kicking her heels into the sides of her horse, she charged through the gate and towards the rolling fields ahead. "We keep moving forward until we achieve victory!"

 

[Moonlessite]

MENTIONS: ​

It was raining. Not only was it raining, but it was raining hard. Thick globules of water fell from the sky and landed with heavy drip-pats on her cowl, which Vivian had pulled far over her head. The stonework of Wall Rose felt slick, even under her boots. Pools of rainwater gathered in sheltered corners away from the annoyed glances of the soaked recruits. Her rain-gear was doing a good job at keeping the rain out so far, but she had begun to feel moisture soak into her trousers. It was just her luck to be positioned on the wall during a stormy day. The rainstorm had started its onslaught only fifteen minutes into their task, and hadn't let up since. Her gaze drifted to the other side of the wall, where the fields sprawled green as an emerald. Above the stretch of grass loomed an ever darkening sky. Gray clouds, large and tumultuous and grand, rolled lazily overhead; there wasn't a sliver of sunlight to be seen on the horizon. It looked like it was going to be raining all day. Great.

At least she had some company to help her out with cleaning the cannons. Laurie was there, along with one of the Vinter twins and... Jericho and Hal. Vivian watched the others work as they engaged in their everyday chit-chat as they performed their task. It was amusing to watch. She wasn't able to bring herself to smile, or even to talk. The feel of rain dripped onto her face and rolled down her cheeks and soiled what strands of her silver hair had escaped from under her hood. But the girl wouldn't brush them away, instead focusing on getting a sponge deep enough inside the cannon's chase. Her fingers were tightly wrapped around the sponge's shaft so much so that her knuckles burned white. She knew that she had no other choice than to make sure her job was done well.

Vivian felt tired. Not only hadn't she slept well last night, but the thought of Sina ran rampant in her brain and drained her energy. Her world would change soon. The recruits she worked with-- Hal, Jericho, Laurie, Milo, Luka... would she ever see them again? Or would they be distant memories come the next day? She stood straight, drawing in a breath and leaning on the sponge like a staff. The wind hissed angrily and wormed its way into her hood like cold fingers. It pulled it back and exposed her face to the full brunt of the storm.

"Hey!" she called over to Hal, who was the one that was closest to where she worked. "Tell the others that they need to work quicker! Storm's going to get worse and we don't want to get caught in the middle of it!"

The wind stopped as if it chose to listen to her declaration. It was funny how sudden it was. There was no gust, no gale, nothing-- only the downpour. Vivian could work in peace, now. The drum of rain sounded like her heart. Pit-pat. Pit-pat. Pit-pat. Then, as quickly as there was quiet, there was something. The hair at the back of her neck stood up. Was it premonition, or did something cut through the sky? It was like someone had violently ripped a bandage from an old wound, or...

A flash of light preceded a thunderclap so deep and profound that she was sure that it made Wall Rose tremble. There was a shadow, a large one, one that loomed over the edge of the wall and engulfed those who stood at the top. Vivian whirled around and was met with the most terrifying sight she had ever laid eyes on. A humanoid face, nearly void of skin and muscle, stared back at them with glowing yellow eyes. Steam poured out of its crevices, and the air around them sweltered and boiled. She stared up at its demonic features. Her muscles were bunched as if to spring, but she couldn't bring herself to move. In that split moment of her hesitation, the monster was quick to act first; more of its burning steam shot out of its body and washed over the top of the wall. It was like a malignant wind, one that seared her flesh and knocked her off balance. Vivian let out a cry as she was thrown into the air and sent flying over the side of the wall. She was falling-- falling from the very top of Rose!

Somewhat disoriented, her hand instinctively went to her ODM gear. A steel wire shot out from the gear and sunk into the side of the wall. It stopped her fall, but the sudden halt in her descent wrenched harshly on her leg and slammed her into the wall. She hung there for a moment, the world spinning around and below her. "F...fuck..." she moaned as she lifted up her hands. Her uniform and cowl had done well to protect her from most of the blast of heat, but her hands were rosy red and hot to the touch. Hell, they were so hot that thin trails of steam even rolled off her flesh and dissipated into the air. The shallow burns hadn't done much damage, but the attack had obviously penetrated her skin. Great.

Wait. What about the others?

Her eyes darted upwards. The Colossal's arm cut through the air and launched the wall's cannons into the sky. Up and up they went, together with debris and other crushed substances that had been wiped away with a simple flick of the monster's wrist. They arched over her and slammed down onto Trost. Had anyone been caught in that devastating swipe? Laurie, Jericho, Hal or even Gwen and Anke? Vivi's eyes widened as she sent out her other wire into the wall and pulled herself upright.

"Damn you, you ugly fucker," she hissed between grit teeth. Her head hurt like hell, and her hands still sweltered with pain.

But the monster wasn't done.

Another limb ripped through the air. Wall Rose trembled again. Rocks, shrapnel, all sorts of debris flew through the air, their origin starting from Trost district's gate. Her heart rose to her throat as she whirled around to look. A hole now gaped where the gate once stood. Screams began to permeate the streets below her. No. No. No, no, no, no, no--

"It... broke a hole in the wall," Vivian murmured in awe to herself rather to anyone else. She couldn't believe it. An attack, now of all times? And it wiped out the cannons, too?! With that hole... Titans would pour into Trost in no time. "It broke a hole in the wall!"

MENTIONS: ​

​

She regretted everything.

It would have been a day like any other if it wasn't for the horrible headache that wracked her skull. How Elke wished that the higher-ups would have had some mercy on her and let her sleep in a little bit more. But nope, she was a soldier now, and being a soldier meant that she had to wake up as early as everyone else, just like how it was in training. Still... she wished that they felt kind of sorry for her. When they were giving out tasks for the day, there was a slight note of mirth to their voice when they came upon her and anyone else who was nursing a hangover from last night. Their words were fierce, their commands strong, but there was that sort of tease to them that embarrassed her. Oh, well. At least she had people around to keep her company.

Elke was told that she had to take inventory of weapons. Boring work, but she wasn't complaining, really. Yet, she kind of wished that she was up on the wall, cleaning cannons with her sister and Jericho. That way she could have gotten some fresh air. Would have that made her feel better or worse? All she knew was that she was never going to drink a drop of alcohol again after last night.

She hummed softly to comfort herself as she took some notes on a pad of paper. Besides the headache, she was a bit excited; it was her first day on the job, and Elke liked to believe that she was doing good work so far. No one had critiqued her yet, and no one had yelled at her for doing something wrong, so that had to be a good thing. A small smile wormed its way across her lips as she counted the last of the gas canisters that were lined in neat rows against the wall of the basement.

"Yup, that looks like it's right... not one missing," she sang out to herself. "Now for a quick break before..."

Clinkclinkclinkclink...

Elke blinked. Huh? What was that? She looked around. The other recruits in the basement were off doing their own thing, but that sounded like something metallic had just been tapped near her ear. Had water gotten into it? Cocking her head to the side, she tapped her ear a few times with her palm. No, no water...

Clinkclinkclinkclinkclinkclink....

Wait. Was the ground trembling? She looked at the empty gas canisters. They quivered in place. One or two of them tipped over and rolled to her feet. Elke kept her eyes on the container that was at the tip of her boots. Her fingers clenched tightly around the notepad as her heart began to race. "U-uh... guys..." Her voice was meek as she called out to the other recruits near her. The whole basement seemed to tremble now, the canisters falling over and rolling all over the place. "Something's going on..."

 

[Arcanist]

Collab
Jo Schreiber & Leon Monar
​

Jo's memory after her drunken meander with Elyse around the camp was blocked by a thick fog. She only remembered speaking with Elyse and later muttering something - perhaps to herself or to someone else - when she fell onto the bed in her cabin. She later awoke to the back of her neck thick with sweat and an uncomfortable churning in her stomach. She made it outside before the evidence of the night’s string of debaucheries pooled on the ground behind the girls’ cabin. She hoped her comrades hadn’t heard or saw such a derivative display, though she hadn't cared when she crawled back under the protection of her sheets.

The carefree, inhibited Jo from the previous night’s celebrations was almost like a dream compared to the Joanna the graduates were faced with the next morning. Her hair was tied back into a low bun, her demeanour tame, and her expression darkened by the hangover hanging over her head. Most understood, and even warned, she was not to be approached. A few hadn’t received the memo. Those who ventured near her with a request or perhaps commended her drunken karaoke the night before became victims to a snap or a withering stare. Her mood in the early morning was foul. The rain, paired wonderfully with that stormcloud of a hangover, sought to make her mood fouler as the day continued.

Regardless, she still had a long day, no matter how arduous, ahead of her. No rain or hangover would stop her from carrying out her duties or running on errands for the higher-ups. She wouldn’t leave a bad image of herself to the others before running off to Wall Sina as she planned to. Jo just needed to get through this day first and get it over with.

They broke Wall Rose, the gate now a fractured, crumbling hole, just like the military said they would. Just like Sera said they would. Jo pushed through the air against the pelting rain, much like she had during their many training simulations with the gear. How strange that it didn't feel so long ago, that those three years simultaneously passed by and dragged on. She wished she could return to those days.

She stopped and landed on a flat roof along the way, heart hammering, palms sweaty, a familiar wave of nausea rising in her throat. She shouldn’t have gotten drunk last night. Not if she knew this would happen. If she had known what the trembling quake under her feet felt like, or the sight of debris hurling itself through the air...

No. She didn’t have time to think about that. Jo knew she had to keep going. She needed to get back and quickly, get ahead of the curve. She pulled her goggles down over her eyes after wiping them, and moved to the ground.

The nausea would pass. She could return to the air once it did. She needed to get back to HQ and tell their commanding officers what she saw.

The rain glossed down Leon’s hair, wind hammering against his jacket, forcing him back as he weathered the storm. His feet slackened against the loose road with mud piling into the sole of his boots. He had just gotten back from a security inspection, that was until the explosive noise forged itself into every citizen’s ears.

A distressed woman came out of her house, calling out to Leon from the cover of her roof.

“Excuse, do you know what that noise was?”

Leon, disappointed that his first interaction with the people he was supposed to protect was so hopeless. He frowned, offering the woman a weak shrug.

“I don’t know ma’am, I am trying to find that out.”

Of course, Leon had his suspicions and his eyes wandered to the gate of Trost. His chin tilted upwards into the rain, his expression turning aflutter. His hands felt the water drip against his skin, loosen in a stream off his fingers.

Were the gates breached again?

The reports of Wall Maria were something similar, a meteoric noise, followed by silence. His eyes met with the woman’s, offering her a sigh.

“I would be ready to run, just in case.”

As he spoke those words, a red headed figure ran past him, her goggles indicating it was Jo. Of course, Leon had never spoken to her, but they were at least familiar with each other. His eyes looked to her restless disposition, her hasty crawl against the mud. Leon had never seen Jo run so fast. wn his face. The shower battered away any display of sadness, but his voice told it all.

Jo ran as if there was a predator chasing her, but even instinct was not enough to outrun Leon. He quickly gained on her, edging to her side.

“Tell me what happened?”

In the onslaught of rain, Jo hadn’t noticed that she ran past Leon. FIghting the sluggish ache in her body and getting back were her biggest priorities.

Jo flinched when she heard Leon call out to her, having suddenly appeared at her side. She never thought herself to be so skittish before, not in such a chaotic situation. “The Wall...the gate...they’ve been breached,” she gulped for air as they ran. “I was heading there to deliver a message to the Garrison...then it appeared...and pieces of the Wall…” Jo clenched her teeth. Once she saw them fling into the air, she didn’t stick around. Where they landed was anyone’s guess.

“We have to alert the commanders back at HQ,” Jo pointed out the obvious. “We can’t let it get to the level of what happened at Shiganshina.”

Leon’s fatalistic intuition was right. The rain was a foreshadow to this event, nature had an odd way of precipitating the slaughter that was about to begin. Jo was right to rush back to HQ, but he would not have held it against her if she ran away and hid herself. In this moment, he truly admired Jo, most would have just cowered in a hole when given the chance. He nodded as she spoke.

“Dammit…” He quietly uttered, as he absorbed the situation. It was blood to a sponge, thick and oozing out. Despite his prediction, he wanted to think this was all just a dream. His eyes wandered to the wall, weren’t some of the training regiment graduates posted there? The people of Wall Maria after the massacre pinged into his mind. All the bodies piled up, the groveling of those who experience their innocent psyche’s being torn limb by limb--Leon would not let that happen to those he considered close. Not without him acting first.

“I see.” Leon's eyes fastened behind him, his head tilting owl-like. Then he took one last look at Jo. “I am heading towards the wall then. 104 is there, I’ll make sure everyone is alright. You were close with Laurie, right?” Leon gestured his face towards the flare gun in its holster. “When I connect with the others, I’ll fire a green flare. If you follow it is up to you and the others.” His expression went grim. “I won’t hold anything against those who want to hide.”

Jo looked back to Leon, the surprise in her expression as clear as an open book. Back to the wall? She would have thought it foolish, seeing as the Titans could waltz any time they pleased, had she not been reminded who was also at the Wall. Her face paled, her nose hosting the only semblance of colour that was left. She nodded in a grim silence. The thought of Laurie being up there with others of the 104th...she wondered if she could bear the harsh reality if any of her comrades were injured or dead.

The prospect of hiding suddenly became more welcoming.

Jo’s fist tightened, and she nodded, a thankful look in her eyes. “Alright. I’ll keep a look out for your signal and let the others know. And Leon,” she added, “keep yourself safe. I’ll come and find you all as soon as I can.”

There was no hesitation in Leon’s eyes, and even he knew it was foolhardy to rush into the face of death. Leon cringed at the thought of the blood curdling screams of the dying, but there was no thought more bitter than that being echoed by someone he held close. There was no doubt in Leon’s mind in where he belonged, it was on the frontlines.

Leon’s eyes fastened forward, not even peering at Jo. He offered a weak, crippled smile. His cheeks did not perk. A frown slowly crept upon Leon's face, edging towards his chin. Despite this, his shoulders arched back valiantly and his spine began to straighten.

“With Hal and Ramiel hungover, there is no soldier more capable than me.” He offered her a desperate chuckle. “Maybe if you’re lucky, there’ll be some titans left for you all.”

His ODM hook shot out of its holster. The sparks of the mechanism sizzled against the rain, with the smoke and gasses extinguishing against the fury of the storm. His boots began to slide against the loose mud, creating a small wave of loosened gravel and water as he began to lift off.

Leon's eyes glazed Jo’s before he shot out. He mouthed the words ‘don’t worry’ to her, though in that split second, his mind wandered and fates intertwined through grey matter. In that very moment, despite the nature of his gaze, the words were directed at a mirror image of himself. His thoughts begged the apparition to sooth anxieties and daunting visions. Though, no matter how hard he tried to convince himself, there was no stopping the fluttering of his heart. Only with stalwart thoughts could he conquer the miasma that was his psyche, cleaning itself to a myriad of nothingness. There was little left, an empty canvas of white juxtaposed against a hue of instinct. However, as he felt his heart slam into his chest, the blood boil through each vein as it shot through his body, he began to succumb to his primordial propensity for flight. Every animalistic desire was telling him to return with Jo, but his instinct was frivolous against his mind’s new will as thoughts were replaced with faces.

Hal… Vivian… Elyse… Even Luka. Stay safe a little longer, please.

Maybe she would have chuckled at that comment before the Wall came crashing down at their feet. She couldn’t bring herself to. Despite such reassurances, and a brave face donned by Leon, there was much to be worried about. The words were just that, words. They weren’t empty or devoid of meaning, simply an excuse for the feeling of rising anxieties. At least, for Jo, it had been.

She paused and watched Leon shoot back towards the Wall. Through the mist of rain, her eyes moved to the top of the Wall. She willed her friends, from these past three years and beyond, to have survived. Maybe it was an unrealistic desire, but couldn’t she afford to be selfish, just this once? She never asked for anything else.

Everything she did, everything she would do, was all for them. It’s what she had to keep reminding herself.

Jo heaved her feet through congealing mud ground, turning towards the HQ. She refused to look back at the hole in the Wall, not until she really had to. She soon propelled into the air, all the while thinking of those caught up in the chaos. Why did Laurie have to be there when it happened? Why did any of them have to be on the Wall? But that was reality, Jo had to grimly remind herself. Life wasn't always kind enough to spare whoever you knew.

“Each Wall is 50 metres in height, top to bottom,” she whispered, a fact she had recalled from one of their many lessons. It should have centered her, comforted her, as facts always did.

But not when she knew 50 metres couldn’t keep them out.

 

[alexfangtalon]

INTERACTIONS: Technically anyone on the Wall​

The ringing in her ears. The burning sensation on her flesh. The cold pouring rain upon her skin. The ominous sounds of distant thuds. These things are what let the girl know she was still alive. The wall against her back is cold and her blood rushes to her head as she looks around. She thinks 'What happened?' She watches as blood drips off her towards the ground below. Suddenly the memory floods her mind and adrenaline jolts her system into full overdrive. She quickly plants her feet on the wall and sprints up it guided by her hooks just over the top. Releasing a boost of gas she jumps above the wall only for the fear to reenter her system.

A Few Moments Ago...​

This absolutely sucked. Anke knew that as a newly minted soldier her tasks would be menial and garbage, but the rain was making it even worse. Cleaning the inside of the cannons wasn't really much of a problem. Just stick the weird stick-like thing with a brush on the end down the cannon and spin it a few times. The outside part was the problem. Sure the rain already was doing some of it but a few of the Garrison members forced them to use soap. Which always washed off before it could sit for long enough. Her boots squelched with each step and she was still distracted from everything that happened last night. Why was she doing this? She had wanted to talk to Elke some more but they were nearly a full district's distance away from each other.

She was too distracted taking so long to clean each cannon. Shoving the brush deep into the cannon her feet slipped causing her to nearly fall. Sighing Anke removed her hood. Her senses were slipping as she felt her tired eyes droop slightly. Anke blinked her red eyes as she took a deep breath of the cool, crisp air. To her left, Vivian called out about the storm getting worse. It's not like the rest of them couldn't tell. But toil away Anke did. Mindless chatter would merely increase the time it took. Then it happened. Anke felt her hair from every location rise on end. The feeling of static shot through her entire system and a deafening clap unlike any other bit of thunder she had heard in her short life rung through the air. Anke froze as stiff as a statue. Was her heart beating? Was her brain functioning? Wide bloodshot eyes slowly turned to look out from the vast wall to see that horrific face that had haunted her dreams many nights. The sunken, hollow orbs were far worse up close than the memory she had embedded in her mind. This wasn't happening. Not here, not now. For what felt like a millennium, Anke's feet refused to move. Time itself was frozen as she stared at the disgusting eyes of this monster.

Not even realizing it, Anke's body moved on its own. She had promised herself not to be the scared little girl anymore. She broke that promise. Terror was flooding throughout her body but she still reached for the grips of her ODM Gear as she darted forward. However, the ugly monster was leagues faster. Visible heat exuded from the Titan as if to send the people flying. Anke sunk her hooks into the top of the wall only to feel a ferocious burn singeing deep into her body. The only saving graces were the cold rain and clothes that defended the majority of her flesh. covering her face from the heat she felt suddenly very dry for such a downpour. The onslaught of heat finally ended and Anke rose to her unsteady feet and her face flushed.

The Titan's arm was wrung back and headed straight for the tops of the wall. Panic set in as Anke released her hooks and turned to run. She could hear the air itself evacuating the space in front of the arms arc like a countdown to her demise. Reaching the edge of the wall she lept shooting her hooks back to the wall just as the arm began sliding across the top destroying the very cannons they had been sent there to clean. As the hand reached her location it dislodged her hooks and the force of the wind sent her flying further back as she was pelted by debris. Shielding her face she felt her body get beat upon. She was extremely lucky that nothing bigger than a small rock collided with her. But that alone caused her consciousness to want to give out from the pain. Instincts are all that saved her as she launched her hooks out again falling to the wall. She only just barely used gas to slow her collision with the wall but she smacked her head against the structure and felt her consciousness briefly fade.


Jumping above the top of the wall she saw that there was nothing. Nothing except the vast greenery past the ruined top of the wall along with the approaching specs of the Titans. Where was it? She wiped the blood off her brow and screamed. Her mind was running faster than she could keep up with and nothing made sense. "No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, NOOOO!" She began hyperventilating. It felt as if her heart was going to burst out of her chest. As she looked out to the land where, in the unseeable distance, was her home. It was happening again. She became blind to those around her and deaf to what anyone said. Turning she dove off the wall. Only one thing was on her mind now. FIND ELKE! She raced off into the district. She had to find her sister.

 

[homintales]

Sera Mayer
Mentions: alexfangtalon
​

No one was kind enough to get Sera off of the floor after the whole… mead incident. At least that was what she recalled. She found trouble recalling the events of the night Prior of returning to Trost. Speaking of Trost, Sera was glad she got the chance to see the place once again. She most likely wouldn’t get another chance for a while, not if she was going into the Survey Corps.

She considered the idea of sneaking off and giving a quick visit to the family. But she was sure to get caught sneaking out of HQ if she were to try such a thing, even with the rain to act as a nice cloak.

It was no problem. Sera would simply use the time to instead train, get some work out of the way, and if there was enough time, talk with some of the other Recr… well, they aren't Recruits anymore are they? Sera was proud to make it this far. And she was even more proud that she would get to make it even farther.

After releasing a long and loud yawn, Sera took a seat in front of a window. It provided Sera with an average view of the Wall. Well, is there anyplace you can’t see it? If things go right for Sera, soon she’ll venture outside of Rose, and into Maria. There she would finally get to meet the supposed Armoured and Colossal Titans that Fabio and Anke talked about. Those two Titans were on the top of Sera’s kill list. Not that any other Titans were.

Was lunch coming up soon? She was starving. It felt as though she hadn’t eaten a piece of food in years. She stood out of the chair facing the window and aimed to leave the room. Work wasn't going to get itself finished.

But right as she moved to turn around, Sera was forced to remain still when she overheard several loud Crashes, which were followed with faint screams. She couldn't pinpoint who was screaming. However, she was able to assume the point of origin of the Crashes were coming from or at the very least close to the Wall.

She wanted, no, needed to get a closer look. She went to open the window. But the thing didn’t want to open. Hesitation not existing, Sera kicked the thing open, sending much of the frame and glass crashing to the street. Carefully climbing out of the window, she climbed a few levels up.

Hope to see things more clearly was squandered thanks to the excessive nature of the rain. It was pouring to the point where it seemed like the entirety of Trost was going to flood. “Shit…” She muttered, not entirely sure of what was going on over there. She continued to observe.

The first actual hint of what was going on came when Sera could overhear yet another CRASH. However, this one was followed with Debris flying through the air, which Sera could only slightly make out. That was all Sera needed to see in order to put the pieces together.

It wasn't too long ago when Anke and Fabio talked about two specific Abnormal Titans. An Armoured Titan and a Colossus one. With the way the Debris seemed to fall from the sky, she assumed it was the Colossus one. “MOTHERFUCKER!!!” Sera shouted, managing to get the attention of several concerned citizens out on the streets She was full of more frustration than anger. “Why show up when I’m not e-even out there you skinless prick?!” She remembered Fabio talking about the fact that it had no skin and a skull for a face, which is something she wanted to see.

Quickly lowering herself from the HQ, Sera returned to the level she was stationed on. It took quite a sum of time, certainly more than Sera liked, but she was able to get the ODM Gear fully prepared. If anyone wanted to try and stop ‘er, they were going to have a fight on their hands.

“Everyone.” She shouted, not enough time to individually speak to everyone. “Fuck protocol, we need to get to the Wall, now!” She was going to the Wall, no matter what the Commanders wanted. With primed ODM Gear, she started towards the Wall.

 

[jrink]

Katsu Rutland
Mentions: M Moonlessite , homintales​

Apart from gorging himself on a couple hundred slices of lamb, Katsu hadn’t really taken part in much of the previous night’s festivities. So he was one of the fortunate few to arise that morning without a hang-over to nurse, or even just exhaustion to make his steps sluggish. It didn’t seem to be a day worth being fully-awake for so far though, what-with the quick-falling rain and the dreariness of his given assignment deep in the basements of Headquarters. But Katsu supposed he should consider himself lucky for the boredom, for the comfort that came with it. He was sure inescapable excitement would be here soon in the coming days, especially once he took his place amongst the heroes of humanity, the Scout’s.

As his thoughts skittered in that direction, one notable memory of the previous night arose from where Katsu had tried to shove it down, the memory of his friend Jonas’ drunken (though serious all the same) declaration that the Garrison regiment would be his choice. While the red-head’s words weren’t unexpected - Jonas had been hinting at this sort of decision since the moment they’d met - they hit a little different now that they were at the end of their trials, when good-byes meant something more permanent then Katsu was really used to. Though he’d tried his hardest to distance himself from the other boy with hatred - hatred for his soon-abandonment, as well as his decision to join the regiment Katsu knew to churn out only drunks - Katsu had found the emotion didn’t stick no matter how hard he applied it. Because he couldn’t fault the boy, not really, for his decision. Jonas was his family’s sole-provider, the bread-winner. So if he died, as so many of the scout’s inevitably did, who would ensure his family’s survival?

Pausing in his task a moment or two to catch his breath (for some reason the mere thought of that soon-loss had sped up his heart-beat a bit), Katsu was torn from his thoughts by the shaking, the sounds of objects clattering nearby.

What was that?

The louder noises - crashes, piling up on each other in distant cacophony - were what alerted him to the fact that something serious was going on, something that made his stomach drop for some reason with remembered, long-forgotten dread, made his palms go clammy. Or maybe he was jumping to conclusions, maybe it was nothing too serious.

One of the basements other recruits-no soldier’s, they were all soldiers now- voices, quiet but still audible, touched over his ears and Katsu’s eyes flickered to meet hers before darting around the space once more as some of the others within the basement begin to move, begin to notice.

“We should go up,” Katsu was surprised to hear his own voice, calm to his ears, rise in reply. “Whatever it is, we’re not going to be able to tell much from here.”

A couple of answering voices rose to meet his in assent, but Katsu barely heard them as he made his way up the steps, past the threshold, and right into the sort-of chaos that was beginning to descend over headquarters. One of the girls closest to the window - and it was broken, shattered - was shouting something about getting to the wall. Noting the ODM gear strapped to her hips, Katsu vaguely wondered why she was going there, why all of this chaos seemed necessary.

It should’ve been a little more obvious in that moment, but for some reason his mind didn’t want to wrap fully around the idea of that incident from so many years happening, again. This wasn’t the same thing, it couldn’t be. Stepping closer to the window, Katsu let his eyes scrape over the town below. But there was nothing amiss in his vision, nothing he could see at least. There was no running, no screaming, or any of the disorder he remembered from the incident those years before. So it couldn’t be the same thing, it couldn’t be -

Katsu’s train of thought broke off abruptly as something like a scream registered in the distance.

“Shouldn’t we be waiting for orders first?” Katsu threw out in the brunette’s direction as he wrenched his eyes away from the outside, “whatever’s happening, I doubt charging out all fool-hardy is going to make much of a difference.”

 

[Raiden]

Interactions: Collab with . D O V E (Gwen) & Colorless Spectrum (Laurie), SpookyBones (Milo), Danidify (Elyse), M Moonlessite (Vivian & Viktor, NPC), alexfangtalon (Anke), KaramelKarma (Jericho)
Mentions: Arcanist (Jo), ShadyLady (Nina)​

The alcohol from the previous night was a dreadful mistake, Luka would come to realize on the morning after. Though the 104th Training Corps was on the cusp of its dissolution, which was to be made official in the waning hours of dusk, their superiors saw it fitting to conclude their rite of passage with every soldier's favorite assignment; wall maintenance. After all this time, Instructor Krause was still a cruel mistress, shipping all of their hungover-ridden asses off to scrubbing Wall Rose clean of pigeon droppings. At least let us fire off a cannon or two for our sanity before cleaning them, shucks. Unfortunately, that potential spark of excitement in an otherwise gloomy day wasn't mandated, with no Titans sighted within their already limited field of view. "Ugh, give it here, you dolt!" the boy snapped for the twentieth instance in the morning, his hands swiping the cleaning rod from an incompetent Viktor Fuchs. It was quite obvious that the Sinalite's technique in cannon cleaning was severely lacking, and the more time they wasted, the longer they had to deal with the inclement weather. "How do they expect us to clean these damn things in the rain?!"

Ugh, still can't remember a thing... The echoes of graduation night were just that; they came to Luka only in sporadic picture-esque fragments, like blotches of painting that were never enough to finish the entire canvas. He'd awoken to a mangled mess of bedsheets in nothing but smallclothes, shying away from the scorching rays of sunlight that draped past the curtains of his dormitory. His attempts at recollection were addled in the form of an intense migraine and stomachache, which would have glued him to his bed if it weren't for the lambasting of Garrison officers. Only in the company of his friends and fellow soon-to-be soldiers, did he find any traces of an answer to the mystery that was graduation night, and it was through their testimonies alone that the numerous gaps of the illustration drew color ever so slowly. He'd allegedly been quite the embarrassing character, fitting in among the rowdiest of their bunch after consuming approximately eleven flagons of drink. Eleven. That number again. Why's it so important?

The thought continued to pester him throughout the morning hours in its everlasting question; it wasn't like it was the forbidden number, thirteen. Luka had discussed his upheld belief in superstitions with some in the past, but on this particular day, Joanna seemed to mirror the cantankerous attitude that went hand in hand with a bad hangover, and things were obviously still finicky with Nina. 'Good thing she's not here. Probably thinks I'm weird after last night,' the boy vocalized his thoughts through an exasperated sigh as he drove the cleaning rod to and fro the bore of the cannon. 'I won't be back at HQ anytime soon, anyway, so I won't see her until later. Or, maybe she doesn't care. Maybe I’ll just ask someone else later. What a drag...' Rearing back, he stared into the depths of the cannon to ensure its cleanliness before shoving the tool back into the other trainee's arms, turning away from the landscape beyond Trost District. A part of him silently wished that he'd been assigned to the monotony of paperwork and inventory check, as the pounding rain against his skull only roused his headache even further.

Deciding that he'd been at their particular assignment for long enough without a moment of refrain, Luka spotted one of the stranger characters of the 104th while on his way to habitually slack off. His mind immediately registered the girl as Laurie's friend, the bare minimum of coherence required to attach a name to one's face eventually labelling her as Gwen Bulwark. His eyes narrowed to the other trainees that seemed just as eager as he was about finishing their duty; he simply couldn't be bothered to throw himself into the work. The boy ran a hand through his tufts of golden hair underneath the hood, groaning as he approached the redhead. "Surprised to see you haven't started dancing around yet, Gwen," he chirped in Gwen's direction upon stopping a few footfalls away from her, trying to make light of his bodily turmoil. "Or start praying deeply, if that's what you do instead. Doesn't being this close to Wall Rose bring good luck or something?"

To the surprise of literally nobody within the walls, the woman before him was evidently slacking off. There was this unbothered expression on her face as she continued to lean against the mounted artillery’s side support, arms crossed. If this had happened a little over a year ago then Luka’s attempt at pushing her buttons would’ve at least earned him an arched brow. While she didn’t pay as much attention to Luka as she did to certain cadets, she knew that he wasn’t the type to gratuitously provoke someone. Nonetheless, she could confidently claim that she was already used to his efforts at mimicry.

“I don’t know about good luck.” She flatly said, eyeing his damp form from head to toe. “But it did bring me a heathen. I’m surprised you haven’t thrown yourself off the wall yet.” She brought a hand up, brushing some of the wet locks on her face before curling her lips into a Cheshire grin. “Especially after what you did last night.” A knowing glint persisted in her eyes as she kept her gaze on the blonde, only prying it off him after a few moments to subconsciously glance at a particular someone.

Laurie was thankful that he didn't drink too much to have a massive hangover like most of the cadets but that didn't change the fact that he felt like his soul was about to leave his body. He was tired. It was apparent with how sluggish he moved as he cleaned the canons amid the rain. Imagine the headache he would have gotten if he continued drinking, getting a hangover and accompanied his lack of sleep. That was a dangerous combo.

"Ah, what a fine day to be on top of Wall Rose like this." He laughed to himself sarcastically. It felt so stupid to continue doing this while it was storming. There was already the difficulty of seeing, and the chance of slipping with the wet floor. The young man groaned beneath his breath, keeping his cowl in place against the strong wind.

This storm might get worse. I should tell the others that we should head down soon. He walked over to where he knew that Gwen was the closest one stationed next to him. "Gwen! And Luka!" He trudged carefully to the both of them, their striking colored hairs becoming clearer and clearer.

Luka’s brow creased in a sharp decline, one of his cheeks puffing out at the mention of his spectacular display from the night before. Though he wasn’t at all amused by the redhead’s usual goading, lethargy and the arrival of one Laurence Arnault mostly defused his general displeasure. “Perfect timing. Gwen stalks you, Laurie, so I figure you could be of great help,” the boy closed the distance between them in conjunction with the taller cadet, now huddled together in a makeshift clique beneath stormy skies. His brow twitched upon a sudden realization; bad luck comes in threes, his voice warned him of the superstition. And now, here they were, the three of them. It's fine.

The dour look in his eyes persisted as his gaze transferred back to Gwen, the dramatic tension suddenly cracking when both of his hands sprang up to clap once very loudly. “Just tryin’ to see how Gwen here thanks Wall Rose for the magnificent day we’ve been given,” his feet locked down on the puddle-ridden surface, his palms still flattened against each other as his hands and body shifted around in several silly stances to imitate a prayer. It was a bit difficult to tell if Luka was actually only messing around. “It only makes sense if you have some ritual for hugging the wall. C’mon, Laurie,” the blond nodded towards Laurie as if demanding the other boy to play along.

As Luka bunched closer to him, Laurie only gave an utter look of confusion. He didn't hear anything prior to their conversation due to the loud pattering of the storm. Only when the blonde teenager had comically explained himself did Laurie understand, chuckling at the other's gesture. Well, he was just about to urge them back down but a bit of fun wouldn't be so bad. "Hugging the wall, huh?"

He broke off of their sudden huddle and placed himself between the two of them. His usual smile plastered on his face. "Did you slack off again, Gwen?" He wondered if Krause would berate her in doing so. Then again, technically they weren't part of the Training Corps anymore.

But he wasn't really expecting an answer to that. He quickly changed the topic as Luka had asked. "By the way, is it okay for you to be up here? Are you going to have to pray for forgiveness?"

Anyone with a life outside of their homes would immediately catch onto Laurie’s words. After all, wall priests are far from subtle when preaching about sacrilegious acts. It just so happened that touching the holy walls is considered as one. “Ah, yes, we definitely do pray like intoxicated aberrants.” She talked as though she was sharing the secrets of the universe, her head bobbing in a sagely nod. “You did it so well, Luka, are you sure this isn’t an elaborate scheme to get yourself into the Order?” A kind smile fell on her lips, one that frequented her father’s after masses.

She allowed the moment to sit and boil before pushing herself off the wooden surface. Fingers spread over her mouth as she released a big yawn, her other hand attempting to stretch itself to the grey clouds. “Either way, I’ve always been fond of curiosity.” Finally, she regarded Laurie and shot him a wink. “Isn’t that right, Laurie? You know I’d sin any day just to be with you.”

Panic was already written on Laurie's face the moment Gwen quipped about them having an affair. Laurie from three years ago would be completely left in an innocent questioning but now he knew what she meant, and while he claimed last night that he was used to her jokes it was these that sent his soul away the most. "Wha- Gwen!" Those words of confidence were a lie just to look cool before they separate ways the next day.

Splashes of water landed by their boots as Gwen unceremoniously fell onto her knees, the puddled concrete further soaking her wears. She outstretched her arms and looked up at the sky, "O, HOLY ROSA! Hear the cry of thine faithful servant! For in thine bosom we are safe, in thine arms we have comfort!" Her arms flailed around in a similar fashion as Luka's earlier. "Turn your face upon us now, your undying devotees, as we glorify you for this wondrous day! For if it wasn't for this rain, I wouldn't be able to discover Luka's passion for the Order and relish the sight of a wet Laurie! AH! Truly I am blessed!" Despite being in an open area, her voice was loud and reached the other graduates within their radius- most stopping on their tracks to shoot her a weirded-out look. "May my walls be breached, but never yours! AMEN!"

And a great lightning struck behind her.

"AME-"

Thunder clapped towards his flank as the atmosphere immediately dampened, a flash of yellow fluttering across the flooded surface of the wall and enveloping every standing figure in the vicinity. Luka’s ears rang in temporary deafness, turning towards the subject of a large shadow that now loomed over Wall Rose. Every fiber of his being seized up upon glimpsing the visage of a familiar face; the smile of a devil, looking right at him. The boy could only stare in disbelief as his mind attempted to find the conscience to process those mortal instants. "What--"

It’s the Colossal Titan.
​

As the panicked soldier instinctively palmed the right holster, a tide of steam expunged from the crimson frame of the Colossal Titan, and when his consciousness could process the first intake of air into his lungs, Luka was already overtaken by a falling sensation. His senses rushed back into the sudden reality of their predicament, quickly gripping the other half of the holsters to fire off both hooks towards the upper section of the wall to stop his plummet. Now, pain began to register; the bastard's steam had scalded the back of his right hand, but that was the least of his concerns. Their world had been turned upside down, quite literally, as his feet planted firmly against the greater wall, frantically wheeling around to assess the situation. Almost all of his comrades had managed to break their falls, but...

"Shit," a curse drew past his lips upon seeing one of the graduates plunging towards the earth below. 'He's not that far, I can make it,' Luka's omni-directional mobility gear whirred to life as he swung from his position without hesitation. Anticipating the incoming baggage, his left arm caught the other boy's elbow, preventing him from falling any further and allowing him to stabilize himself. "You're okay. Now eyes up," he loosely recognized the boy as the transfer graduate from the northern district, not dallying on the thought for long before giving Milo a nod of affirmation. His eyes quickly darted down from the summit, his pupils growing wide upon seeing the large gaping hole where the gate into the district once was. "I-it breached Wall Rose... just like..." the trembling that wracked his figure solidified as a bruised resilience wore about his face. What happened years ago didn't matter right now; someone had to take control.

"Soldiers, prepare for battle!" Luka called out to the stray elements scattered about the greater wall as the boy brandished the twin blades, the clang of steel on steel cutting into the air. "Form squads of three, and surround the target on all sides!" his golden hair fluttered in the rain as his figure shot forward, hastily climbing towards the surface of Wall Rose. "Our target is the Colossal Titan! Don't let it escape!!" The boy's form broke past the steam that permeated across the topside, gritting his teeth as he glimpsed the structural weaknesses inflicted by the Colossal Titan. 'It even took out the cannons!' he thought in anguish, turning back towards their mortal enemy. 'So it is intelligent, after all. Breaching the wall wasn't a fluke!'

Interactions: M Moonlessite (Vivian), Colorless Spectrum (Laurie), SpookyBones (Milo), alexfangtalon (Anke), . D O V E (Gwen), Danidify (Elyse), KaramelKarma (Jericho)
Mentions: N/A
​

It was a universal opinion that there was no greater tedium in a task than cannon inspection, that much was certain from all of the 104th Training Corps' collective whining upon receiving their orders. Hal, on the other hand, seemed to teeter on the opposite side of the spectrum; other than the torrent of rain that soured his disposition, the young man didn't see too much of an issue in their assignment. The wall-mounted cannons played a crucial role in clearing out hordes of Titans amassed at the base of its respective barrier; it was in a direct-approach scenario like the Fall of Shiganshina District where they proved ineffective against them. He understood the plight of some graduates who wanted to file into the Survey Corps' ranks and engage their shacklemasters already, and it was a sentiment that the dark-haired boy also shared. Though it wasn't going to happen, he secretly wished that those of the Top Ten who intended to join the Military Police would be eternally damned to maintaining the cannon fixtures on the wall. Unfortunately, that bare minimum level of responsibility belonged to the Garrison, and the Military Police had more important duties, such as getting fattened up in vices.

Hal whistled a jingle to himself as he methodically cleaned the bore of a cannon with no issue or complaint unlike his fellow compatriots. It was quite unusual to see anything but the quiet, caustic demeanor that came along with his resting scowl, especially after risking a massive hangover from the pseudo drinking contest with Gwen Bulwark from the night before. Aside from having a greater appetite than most days, he was in a rather chipper mood despite the stormclouds hanging above them. After completing their final duties as trainees and undergoing the rite of selection tonight, he would finally become a Scout after three long years, a status that he'd been yearning to achieve from the very beginning. 'I'm almost there,' he thought to himself. 'One last day, and I'll avenge them all.'

"You see the big girl, soldiers," Hal made sure to cast an offhand jab towards Vivian, shouting out as he started towards the next cannon in line. "Get this done now, and you can fuck off to the Inner Wall like she wants!" Rolling his eyes with a scoff, the soldier bumped past the silver-haired girl in a confident stride, having only partially meant what he said in jest. He was, admittedly, still a bit miffed about the apparent waste of talent that reeked within their unit, but he wasn't inclined on starting a confrontation with anyone for the time being; it was a pointless endeavor to argue with the bunch that he'd never see again. They would never come face to face with a Titan up close, barring some grand catastrophe.

The dark-haired boy drove the sponge into the next cannon, sighing heavily when it could not bypass a certain threshold. Hal tossed the cleaning rod aside and bent down to peer down the barrel, inspecting the inside for the culprit. "Damn, that was close," he jumped at the unexpectantly loud roar of thunder from a dangerously close lightning strike, cursing to himself when he noticed that something was amiss. Why the hell is it still so bright, all of a sudden? I'd be blind if I wasn't still staring down the barrel. Raising his head out of curiosity, his mouth hung open with a gasp as he found himself staring at the left profile of the Colossal Titan. He blinked down twice as if it was just a hallucination, but there was no mistake that it was the very same visage that'd been burned into the depths of his memory five years ago.

Quick to act, the soldier took both holsters into his hands and attempted to fire off the hooks towards the Colossal Titan, only to be thwarted by the immense pressure from the expulsion of steam. Hal was launched from the wall, but it did not take long for the competent soldier to gather his bearings, catching himself closer to the summit of Wall Rose. "What the hell?!" he looked towards the rest of the unit that was spread out, feeling a bit of relief when he saw Luka save Milo from falling any further. A rumbling coarsed through his body as Hal found himself intoxicated in adrenaline laced with anxiety, his eyes growing wide upon seeing the breach of Trost District. "It... it's just like five years ago," his forehead creased with apprehension, wandering to memories of the massacre that he'd witnessed on that day. It's happening again... The Titans are going to get in! His expression steeled upon hearing his golden-haired friend issue commands for their comrades in disarray, seeing that Vivian lingered nearby. "You heard him, Vivi!"

Hal drew both blades from their respective partitions, leaping from the wall to glide upward where their target stood before them. "Don't let it get away!" Whether or not his comrades followed suit, he would move forward. I'll have my revenge. As he shambled towards the Colossal Titan, he aimed his hooks straight for its left shoulder, bracing himself for direct engagement.

 

[SpookyBones]

Interactions: Collab with Elyse ( Danidify ), Luka ( Raiden )
Mentions: Ramiel ( lion. ), Gwen ( . D O V E ), Hal ( Raiden )​

The bitter sting of regret. Monkeys of the mind pounded an unabating rhythm, cloaked within his skull. Mere hours earlier, Milo’s head had been a whirlpool of misplaced, empty thoughts and a feeble attempt for the urge to vomit to subside. Tumultuous rain pelted down from the foreboding sky, still a lulling thunderstorm to Milo. Grateful to feel the pellets roll down his brow, cleansing the soul of the scummy grog that had been inevitable to linger today, like a stray dog kicked to the streets hunting for a welcoming place to reside. Milo was more than happy to be cleaning the cannons, everything needed to be in tip-top shape if they wanted to have a fighting chance against the beasts that roamed the land. Being up this high, he adored the knowledge that expansive terrain lay beyond the walls, acres upon acres of beautiful land, he longed to explore every inch of it. Surely there had to be more to life than this. We’re mere sheep to the slaughterhouse, prisoners to mighty gods that encase us here.

No memories had dissipated from the evening prior but he was not necessarily thankful for it. Unfortunately he vividly remembered his encounter with Ramiel and discrediting Elyse, to no fault of her own. As she stood next to him, dutifully scrubbing away, a firm clutch held his heart. Did Ramiel tell her what I said? Fuck. He probably used what Milo said as ammo to taunt the poor girl, now acquainted with his piercing tongue there was no doubt he would have his fun whilst chained to Elyse. The awfully pleasant smile that adorned her face only troubled him further, she seemed like such a sweet soul. Milo craned his arms out with fingers interlaced, into a much needed stretch, cracking his neck with a grotesque pop. He gave weak puppy eyes to the radiant girl before him, “Hey Elyse, ummm, I’m really sorry for what I said about you last night”. She seemed valuable in a way, as to why he couldn’t quite place.

--

Peeking up inquisitively at the sudden mention of her name by an unfamiliar tongue, Elyse raised herself from her crouched position to properly pay attention. At the mere hands of a single sentence, the noble’s expression morphed from polite smile mode to 50 shades of confusion; eyebrows rising to the sky as the edges of her mouth fell down and her eyes awkwardly danced around to divert eye contact. Meanwhile, a thousand questions surged through her head, the most captivating by far being: “Who on earth is this person, and what did he say about her”.


A tiny glimmer of panic glossed over her gaze as she idled for a second. According to her memory, the noble had never once shared a word let alone gaze with this blue-eyed mystery, but who was to say alcohol hadn’t meddled with her retention?

“Uh-” She opened, her mouth remaining half open to reveal her inner search for words.

“I don’t mean to be rude, but- I don’t quite recall what you’re talking about.”

--

A swell of self loathing bubbled within him as he watched her face contort a multitude of expressions. “Look, you don’t have to pretend that Ramiel didn’t tell you for my sake.” He tried to lock his eyes with hers, a deep enchanting brown that was all too easy to be pleasantly lost within, but her constant shifting gaze wouldn’t permit it. As the rising tide of shame edged nearer to the shore he inadvertently relocated his gaze to his hands as the searing pain of fingernails penetrating skin held his thoughts frozen.

“I’m sorry for calling you smarmy… and little miss perfect… and saying that you need Ramiel to protect you,” he swallowed his pride and softened his tone, “and for hitting on you, behind your back that is.” he shook his head with a faint chuckle.

--

Every time her new acquaintance opened his mouth, the expression carousel ensued, swirling her through a whirlwind of growing discomfort and slight agitation following the mention of a certain name. Most of all, she felt visibly embarrassed, though perhaps more so for the boy than herself. He was digging his grave deeper with every word that he uttered, and it wasn’t pleasant to witness whatsoever. Nonetheless, she waited for the stranger to finish digging before interrupting.

“I see?” She hesitated, still trying to work through all that was just said.

“You know, Ramiel hasn’t actually told me anything. We haven’t spoken since last night, so...” Elyse watched inquisitively, waiting for the penny to drop.

--

Completely unable to ascertain the no-doubt abundance of conclusions about Milo that Elyse was now arriving at, he sat cross-legged on the coarse ground, forcing any fibre of his uniform that was not already sodden to absorb the small pools gathering in crevices of the wall. The boy knew he probably should have stopped talking, left it at a simple apology, a mere misunderstanding, but the brush of embarrassment that left a scarlet kiss upon his cranium, nagged him to clear any misconception.

The pit in his stomach expanded, accompanied by an intrusive swell of nausea. “Oh.”

There was a moment of unbearable silence as he attempted to string fragmentary thoughts together. “Well uh, you see. The thing is,” shit. “what I really mean to say is-” shit shit shit. “Look I was drunk okay, and I didn’t mean to offend you or upset you and actually I don’t know anything about you, I mean you could be anyone, anything, but I mean you seem to be a compassionate person so I guess what I’m trying to say is that uh I’m sorry and can we start over and be friends, or at least allies, or not that’s okay too.” Jesus, may as well jump off the wall now and call it quits.

--

So, there she stood, awkwardly rubbing her arm as the rollercoaster of discomfort went on. Elyse was never exactly talented in situations like these, but her hangover didn’t seem to better the situation either. Really, she had no idea what to do or say, leaving her in idled agony as she watched Milo seemingly experience much of the same emotions. Cleaning cannons suddenly felt like a field day to return to.

Bellowing a deep sigh, Elyse mustered up any confidence she could find to somehow minimize the tragedy that was developing.

“Look, how about we-” But the tragedy didn’t seem quite finished yet, for a deep, powerful rumbling suddenly shook up the area around them.

--

Mortified by his sudden outburst at the unsuspecting girl, his initial instinct was to bury his head into his hands and simply pretend she wasn’t there, his trusty matches were futile against the persistent hammering of rain. Reason fought back, he looked longingly into her eyes, hopeful of a positive response. Elyse really had no reason to forgive Milo, he’d dishonoured her name before even crossing paths with her, he offered her a small curl of his lips in desperate hope of a friend.

Milo ignored the mocking prayers of another redhead rambling further down the wall, choosing instead to hang onto every facial expression Eylse produced. Just as the awaited words began to slip into the sound, a tremendous flash of lightning struck right beside the wall, a small way from where he was sitting. A great rumbling rattled through his bones as a temporary blindness glossed over his irises, the rays of light had seeped into his cornea. A sickness washed over him once again, but this one came from the gut. Something is gravely wrong.

As Milo tried to massage his eyes back into focus, he craned his head to the left to be met with the sight of a demonic beast claiming the wall for its own. Could it really be the Colossal Titan? His friends had told him campfire horror stories of that day in Shiganshina and until now all he could do was offer comfort, never understanding its true magnitude. As his vision became clearer he watched the skinless horror vigorously swing an arm across the canons; when the force impacted the wall, stone after stone crumbled helplessly right underneath him forcing his body to slip away with the rubble, falling with velocity increasing every second.

Manic thoughts hurtled through his mind. The tortoise or the hare the tortoise of the hare, only one will save me. The tortoise - grab your ODM gear and stop plummeting to your death, the hare - process the events happening around you, this is your life now. Milo had been among the lucky few of the fresh meat to have never seen a titan before, his limbs stopped moving as though clasped in an icy grip. Strangely, he felt an air of peace amongst the panic, falling from this height felt graceful and almost free, almost.

No no no no no no, I can’t die like this, not yet. He scrunched his eyes tight like a piece of paper tossed aside and frantically tried to grab his gear. “Fuck SAKE.” All movement suddenly jolted to a pendulum motion as he hung precariously by his arm. For a moment he thought he had embraced the ground. Rain water pooled in his eyes, he quickly shook his head to be graced by the sight of none other than Luka. Why, why would he go out of his way to save me? Relief swarmed his entire body as Luka’s softening words entered his mind. "You’re okay." I’m okay, yeah, yeah I’m okay its okay. Milo quivered his head continually up and down to convince himself. Following his command and filled with determination, he finally took control of his gear and whizzed back up to the top of the wall.

Coming back to his senses he stood dumbfounded by the calamity around them, parts of the wall had already crushed houses beneath them. His airways momentarily closed when he saw that the wall had been breached yet again, “If we don’t move quickly, everyone at HQ will be in danger, lets go!” The unholy monster couldn’t be taken out like most other titans, the blazing steam it expelled from its nape made it almost impossible to land a critical blow anywhere. Milo aimed his hooks for its arm, before gliding through the air he saw Hal, he would be a great distraction. Hal's movement allowed Milo to run the course of the Colossal’s arm, helplessly slicing any vein or muscle in a desperate attempt to weaken their opponent before hastily retreating back to the wall. Their surroundings were now encased in steam and fog, penetrable only by the rain, his mind now turned to everyone else that was in peril, “Elyse! Where are you!”

 

[ShadyLady]

Interactions: homintales (Sera) jrink (Katsu)
Mentions: SpookyBones (Milo) Raiden (Luka)
​

Unlike most, Nina didn’t wake with the vague patchwork of mismatched memories from the night prior. Her mind remained untouched, leaving her with clear clarity to dwell on everything that’d occurred. She supposed it’d been a happy night for most, the jovial cheers of her peers rang a bittersweet melody in her head. A part of her wished she’d indulged herself, gave in to the thrill of festivities and celebration. Instead she’d watched from afar, silent concern keeping her occupied as she ate a rather depressing slice of cake lovingly gifted by that sweetie Milo.

Recollections of the night kept her company during the morning and as she worked. To some, she was certain that slaving away inside Headquarters was always the more favourable choice over working in a storm. As for Nina, she wasn’t so convinced. Prosaic letters etched into pages of endless paperwork, occasionally replaced with delicate flicks of ink to mark a tick or the scribble of a cross. Another page finished. Nina exhaled through her nose softly, her fingers sifting through the multitude of sheets she’d managed to work her way through, a trace of triumph lighting her face up. Azure eyes flickered to rest on the rest of the files and paper she’d been assigned to complete and her brightened features soon dampened, the urge to sigh overcame her once more.

Faint disappointment cut a minute crease into her skin as her eyebrows furrowed at the recruit she’d been stationed with. They hadn’t seemed to have gotten much work done, likely too plagued by the dull pain of a headache brought on from excessive drinking to care enough about piles of parchment. She placed the sheets held in her hands down, shooting a wary glance at her workmate once more. “I’m taking a break, I trust you can handle yourself whilst I’m gone.” Nina called out cheerily enough to the recruit, reflecting the thumbs up she was offered in response with her own, albeit more energetic, raised thumb and plastic smile.

Nina slipped free, her steps pathing her into the hallways of Headquarters and to the upper levels as she left her work behind momentarily. Peering out the windows as she walked, Nina took in the greyed city sprawled in front of her. Her feet stalled to a stop as she raised a hand to a cold window, watching droplets of water trickle down glass panes and rain pelt the city. A childish, selfish part of her had longed to see more of Trost. To her dismay, she’d been cooped up inside, locked away and given tedious work. At least I’m out of the rain. Still, she hoped there’d be another chance, perhaps on a day where there was less turmoil claiming the sky and with the company of those who weren’t dealing with raging hangovers. Maybe he would go with her. Shaking her head, the redhead buried her naïve thoughts and hopes, continuing on her walk, letting a pleasant smile plaster her lips as she passed other recruits and soldiers within the halls.

Enough time had passed, arguably more than she should’ve allowed for a break. With much reluctance, Nina began to make her way back. Her steps down the stairs were steady, her fingers grazing the bannister with a non committal grasp, polished wood smooth under her hands as she headed down. Only, the rattling of glass shuddering in their frames and tremoring of the ground halted her. Pale eyes widened, surprise and a jolt of shock pricking her with the sudden quaking of the earth. Her hand that’d been almost hovering over the bannister had latched on, her body swaying dangerously and bordering on sending her barrelling down if it weren’t for her quick reflexes. Clinging on until the trembling ceased, Nina inhaled sharply, a quickened pace replacing her once calm walk as she made it back to the level where she was stationed. Noise filled the floor, asks and concerns filling the air with a permeating anxiousness. Spotting recruits familiar to her, Nina instinctively headed in their direction, listening to them talk with her features quelled of unease, remaining neutral in the confusion.

“We can’t all abandon post, we need people here,” Nina interjected, a slither of frigidity frosting her words, cooling her usual mellow tone into one of more seriousness. “And he’s right,” she gestured at Katsu, nodding in approval, “we should wait for orders, and frankly, you don’t have the authority to give them Sera.”

Seeing the girl zip away regardless of words shared, Nina shook her head, choosing to shift her focus onto the rest of the recruits who remained dawdling rather than dwelling on the beginnings of frustration, “Our priorities should be assessing if there are any damages here, and finding what the situation is throughout Trost.”

 

[lion.]

and,
what was
waited for
began

RAMIEL DIAKOS

read at ur own caution very unfiltered writing

When it rained, you couldn’t count how many droplets went down. But, you could hear how many went down.

Drip.

Drip.

Drip.

Ramiel Diakos liked to think in the sound of rain. He was unbolted over a crate, knees gunned apart, with a still-sense of concentration textured in his gold occulted gray eyes as he brandished a gas canister with an oily towel. The proof of rain—was that he could not only hear it, but feel it. Feel it beyond the coldness on the terrace of his nose and the slanted roofs of his cheekbones. Even though he was under the wide penny-printed ceiling of the basement, the rain still stretched down beneath the hearth of the Earth like a shadow that has nowhere to turn. The morarted brick against his back was cold like the pallor of a boy’s whose face should be guilt-riven, but never was. Between the forgetting and the forgotten, his memories of the night prior were like the low widowed clouds of this morning. Reachable. Recallable.

That was the quality of rain too; you could make it sound to you how you like.

Run along to your master.

He imagined the droplets like the thousand-night blue, blinking pair of eyes of Milo.

His hand knotted into the towel as he worked harder against giving the gas canister a cleaner look.

Just leave like you always wanted.

His grip loosened. The rain averted to sound more gentler like the last falling petals of a willow tree.

Everything had gone astray in seconds.

The ground rippled. Something percolated through his veins. He stopped short, suspended in motion. The canisters jostled. Resolutely, something had happened as Elke had ascribed in a stricken passage.

A net of moisture slated clear on the sides of his temples, as the urgent chatter broke the peace.

“Waiting for orders,” he reverentailly repeated, giving her a vigilant side glance, cross-questioning, “Nina, what makes you think they’ll have orders?”

They’ll be dead.

Elyse, Anke, Jericho...

Not in the least, was he this talkative, but he quietly put in, “We’re all flies in the end.” He crumpled the towel and flunk it to the side.

“No matter,” he composed himself, folding his arms, and looking away, “I’ll take your words.”

He didn’t care about Elyse Hildebrand. He didn’t. He pulled Elke Vinter to the side the next moment, dodging down the hallway and partitioning it off when they were several feet back. Jutting his elbow out, he pulled her towards the scaborous side of the brick.

Ramiel gave Anke Vinter the title of wilderness, but he had never given her sister a source of admiration until now. Anke Vinter was the scale of the Earth; therefore, Elke Vinter had to be something too. Something. His eyes were restless; they sought down the marigold rinse of her hair to her eyes that were nearly identical if it weren’t for the differences between the infernal cosmos that spun around her darkling pupil.

“You want to check on your sister?” The question left no further mystery.

“Go.” His tongue passed over his lips, “I’ll give you the slip.”

It wasn’t that he couldn’t go; he wouldn’t go.

Just leave. I don’t care anymore.

Unconsciously, he was already helping her put on ODM gear, helping the harnesses bound behind her back, pulling the leather tapering ends and brokering in tanks of gas.

“We’ll spread the message above,” he was spastic when the two returned, instataneously acting as he led Elke Vinter up the floorboards of the stairs.

“Go and check if they’re okay,” he said briefly, “And, Elyse-

Cloudburst.

He chose not to finish.

The furious rain was neither diamond nor glass, but it still turned the water into hues of purples, blues, and yellows. Drops of water splattered onto his face as he came abutting out onto the street. Most people hid in their buildings resurrected by planes and their counterplanes of confusion and fear, but he didn’t have time to think about that, for he had received the greatest threat. He checked the time on his pocket watch, and sighed in relief when he noticed it was hours before his work dismissal. Hours earlier than the time given to his freedom.

He stood alone, watching till she would take off with the wind whiting out the clarity of her flight under the wide berth of the widowed sky that washed out in grey.

With the grey washing out his emotions, he repeated with momentous fluency, “You’ll go right?”

code by ditto (head empty go bonk)​

 

[Moonlessite]

MENTIONS: Raiden [Hal & Luka], lion. [Ramiel], alexfangtalon [Anke]
​

The headquarter’s meeting hall was more packed than ever. What surrounded her were terrified faces and cries of worry and panic. Some of them looked like they would turn tail when given the chance. Others, like her, tried their damned hardest to hold their ground. Vivian stood near the middle of the crowd, her narrowed eyes staring towards the front of the square. A black-haired, bearded man dressed in Garrison uniform stood upon a wooden stage, his mouth agape as he howled orders at the mass at his feet.

“You’ll be under the command of the Garrison, tasked with Titan clean-up, intelligence communication and so forth! The Garrison’s interception squad has already deployed to the vanguard and engaged the first wave of Titans! The Training Corps under our command will take the middle guard, while the Garrison’s elite squad will take the rear guard section! Soon the outer walls will be breached, and Titans will make it past their ranks! We’re in a situation where the Armored Titan could appear at any moment and break the inner gate!”

The officer motioned to the map on the board that had been placed behind them. From this distance, she could tell that it was the map of Trost District.

“According to reports, the vanguard has already been wiped out and Titans are advancing beyond the breach and invading!"

​

"The middle guard will be deployed into squads, just like your training. Squads One through Twenty will take the upper section! Squads Twenty-One through Forty will be stationed in direct correspondence with the breach-- you will have first contact with the Titans! Squads Forty-One through Fifty will be stationed in the lower section!”

​

The people around her stirred like leaves in the wake of a storm. Murmurs rose up from deep in their numbers. Vivian clenched her fists. It won’t come to that. We won’t let it.

“Quiet!” the Garrison officer barked, his voice dry and ragged. “This defense operation is made up of a single goal-- defend Wall Rose to the last while its citizens evacuate!” There was a brief pause before the officer’s expression darkened more than it already was. “Remember that fleeing before the enemy is a capital offense and all traitors will be met with execution! Steel your will, offer up your lives! You are dismissed!”

“Sir!” men and women, boys and girls saluted the officer before they all began to rush off in a uniform direction.

Vivian was quick to follow them. Her heartbeat quickly began to accelerate. How many in her vicinity would die today? There was such a small chance of them calling this mission a success. Joanna, Luka, Laurie, Jericho, August… would the friends she had made these past three years all be wiped out?

She slowed to a stop, already short of breath. Vivian felt herself become too riled up, and the battle hadn’t even started yet. The other trainees rushed past her, but she saw that a certain pair had been pulled to the side by another Garrison officer. She instantly recognized both of them-- Ramiel and Hal.

“You two are assigned to the rear guard,” she heard the Garrison woman over the clamor, “finish your preparations and report to your stations.”

Vivian watched them for a few seconds, her fingernails digging into her palms. It made sense for Ramiel and Hal to be assigned to the elites… but both of them were likely to play heroes. When the officer branched off from them, Vivian approached the two at a brisk trot. Without so much as a word, she threw her arms around Hal in a bear hug and put her chin on his shoulder.

The dark-haired boy gasped upon the surprise grapple, throwing his arms up in the air. “What-what’s gotten into your head?!” Hal pried his figure from Vivian’s embrace, butting his forehead against hers. “It’s no time to be in a daydream!”

Vivian winced at Hal’s reaction but paid little mind to it. Pulling away, she allowed her gaze to meet his for a few brief moments. “Just… don’t die out there,” she told him sternly. “I won’t forgive myself if you do.”

Hal’s tongue clicked with annoyance. “As if I’m going to be on the front line, anyway, with this backwater assignment in the rear guard. Worry more about yourself,” he began to break away from her, motioning a hand towards the other boy. “Come on then, Ramiel. We’ve got a battle to watch.”

Her gaze laid on Hal for a few more moments before she darted off after the rest of the rush, her expression betraying no emotion. There was no other way.

Preparations were a blur, and in the end, she was assigned to Squad 26-- and under Luka’s command. How funny; the tables turned pretty quick, didn’t they? It wasn’t like she was complaining. The boy had broken out of his timid nature during training and had turned himself into a fighter. To think that she was tasked to follow his orders.

Vivian stood on the edge of the room, arms crossed as she stared towards the wall. To think that they had been that close to the Colossal. Hal was so close to delivering a killing strike to it as well, but as soon as he got too close, the monster had disappeared in a gigantic billow of hot steam. Those few moments were terrifying. Her friend might have gotten close to killing it, but he was lucky to not have gotten made into a mere maroon-colored smear on the side of the wall. He's okay now, Vivi. Keep focused. Things are going to turn out alright, just wait.

Still, her mind quipped back at her as she looked up at the raining skies. Thunder rolled in the distance, and she realized that they had a thunderstorm at hand. It would be nice if the weather was a bit drier.

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

Stunned by the whirl of words and movement around her, Elke found herself concentrating on Ramiel. He was the one that had pulled her through the headquarters’ halls without giving her a chance to speak. His words only drove the blade of fear deeper into her heart. Ramiel agreed to look the other way. Why else would he help her in her ODM gear so feverishly? In the end, she answered him.

“Y-yeah. I’ll go.”

Elke hoped that everything would become clear as time went on. By the time she returned to the headquarters with those that had been stationed at the wall, recruits still scrambled like ants. It looked like they had been given the order to prepare for combat. That’s what she was planning on doing.

The whole situation was surreal. How many times did she dream of something like this? Of rushing into battle and coming out victorious? It was what drove her, what kept her going. While she finished her preliminary preparations-- making sure that she had enough gas for the battle, making sure that any of her comrades didn’t need any help preparing-- Elke wondered if this struggle was fated to end up like her dreams of glory. There was no way they’d lose. There was a reason why they had trained together for three years. They were prepared for things like this. Stay in the game, Elke, she told herself as she shook the daze from her mind. Her heart was racing too much. Was she trembling? Oh God, she was shaking, wasn’t she?

There was a rustle to her right. Another recruit had approached her, though he hadn’t spoken to her in any way. He was filling his gas container as well, though his hands shook so much that he couldn’t manage to hook the canister to the pump. Elke wished she was bold enough to approach the other recruit to offer her hand, but she found herself frozen to the floor.

Was she being too optimistic?

In what seemed like mere moments, all of the recruits were segmented into fifty or so neat little squadrons. Elke was assigned to the same team as her sister, which generously lowered her anxiety. Perched upon the dusty red tiles that made up one of Trost’s many roofs, the blonde girl glanced up at the weeping sky. The clouds tumbled above their heads and wisped over the city without a care in the world. Below, the streets were nearly void of life. The air was heavy upon her shoulders, and the stormy winds teased her hair. The whole atmosphere that had befell the city was reminiscent of a certain point of time in her past.

Elke wished that she could be anywhere else in the world.

She turned to the rest of her squad. The sight of familiar faces also helped in calming her down. Luka stood not far from her-- it was hard to believe how much he had grown beside her. Then there was Vivian who stood somewhat stalwart as always, and then Katsu and Viktor and a girl who she didn’t recognize. They were well-rounded enough…

“Whatever happens, please don’t branch off on your own,” Vivian broke her silence as she turned towards the rest with a straight face. “Doing so will only get you and anyone who tries to help killed. Follow Luka’s orders and we’ll be fine.”

Elke’s voice whimpered up from her flank. “R-right…”

There was movement off in the distance. Elke tapped Anke’s shoulder as she stared at the approaching beast with awe. “Look…” she breathed out a shuddering exhale in fear.

“Oh God,” Viktor Fuchs whimpered out beside her. “It’s a Titan--!”

Vivian lurked up to her side. Elke tipped her head up to glance up at her. At the sight of the approaching Titan, the silver-haired girl had allowed a brief flash of fear to cross her expression. “Looks like a fifteen meter class,” she muttered. “Nothing we can’t handle-- Luka, orders?”

Elke turned to Anke with worry, then back at Vivian, Luka, and the rest. It had finally started.

 

[Arcanist]

Jo Schreiber
Mentions: -| Interactions: Colorless Spectrum (Laurie), homintales (Sera), . D O V E (Gwen), Demon Shinobi (August), alexfangtalon (Heiko), KaramelKarma (Jericho/Fiona)
AN: Laurie is written from Jo's perspective with some input from Spec on Laurie herself, so please do not smite me commander ambra xoxo

​

‘I want to go home.’

The young Joanna, childish and optimistic and full of wonder whined in her head as the officer barked orders. Everyone must have been thinking it. She knew that because that same whining thought was transparent in every recruit’s eyes.

‘You should have never signed up to this.’

The pragmatic Joanna cut in. She could have worked her way up the ranks of some menial job, had a simple life, slowly burned off the debt. Hell, the overt suggestion that Joanna find someone to keep her – keep all of them – seemed appealing now, despite her initial disgust at having to be dependent on someone else. But no, the noble sacrifice, played out by heroes and heroines, so easy to read about, and yet, so difficult to act, was the only option for her.

‘Maybe they were right to warn me.’

Another Joanna resolved. The one that she rarely listened to was watering the seeds of doubt. Shame flowered within her. Sins of the father weighed so heavy on her head, bowed so low to the ground that she never saw the horrors in front of her.

Would she even see the Military Police at this rate?

‘Get it together,’ Jo finally told herself, fist clenched tightly against her heart in a patriotic salute before the commander dismissed them. ‘You’re in too deep now. Take some responsibility. Show them what you’re made of.’ She had to, despite her own misgivings. She had a squad to watch over after all.

But she had something else to do before she could devote herself to the cause.

~~~*~~~

Jo had been long done with her preparations, but she lingered in that room, watching Laurie. It was almost as if staying away would delay this possibly being their last conversation. She took a hesitant step forward until her next step turned into a hurried stride. She wondered what to tell him. Maybe that she was sorry about what happened all those years before, that she had missed him, that she wished they could be back in their garden with the precarious swing that they built, or…

She halted beside him as did the stampede of thoughts. She stared at Laurie, attempting not to let fear pale her expression when he looked up at her. Time was running out, and yet, she couldn’t bring herself to raise her voice among the panicked hubbub of recruits and the banging of gas cannisters. Though, finally, she mustered up something.

“I want you to be careful, Laurie. Just do as you’re told and keep out of harm’s way, and you’ll be fine.”

She couldn’t bear to say anything else as much as she desperately wanted to. To say anything else would make things final, incomplete. She felt her gaze shift, those thoughts discomforting to her.

“Jo.”

A hand squeezed her arm, causing it to tense under the grip. She looked back to him, trying to block out the bustle of the room around them to listen to what he had to say. She stared as he paused.

“You’re smart, and you’ve got a good team with you. I’ll try my darndest but…” Laurie seemed to trail off, his voice growing so soft and shaky that Jo strained to hear him. “Don’t die, please.”

The words, though uttered so softly, felt like an avalanche had descended upon her. Here, her friend, the one that always had a goofy, care-free smile for her, couldn’t look at her when he said those words. That regret returned, the same she experienced after meeting Laurie again. After grieving and coming to terms with his apparent death, for him to show up was, well, miraculous, and she was intoxicated on the euphoria of them meeting again. When she sobered up, she realised, cruelly, they could lose one another just as easily again.

Time slogged between them during that pause, where all Jo could think about was his bruising, shaking grip on her arm, and wondered if that was him or her trembling. She wondered if he truly felt the haunting feeling of knowing their permanent situation could become a reality. She tried not to stare, but she noticed his throat wavering. It was the same familiar motion she had in her throat before she ran behind the cabin that morning.

“We should go to our respective stations,” Laurie had managed to continue, “good luck, Jo, and be careful.”

His hand released her, but Jo remained tense. Her arm shifted as if to grab Laurie’s hand, but in the end, cowardice forced her to keep it at her side. She nodded. “I will. You too, Laurie,” she murmured before she stepped back, and walked away. She forced herself to keep her eyes forward.

‘I won’t die. I can’t. Not here.’

~~~*~~~

Lightning cracked across the sky. The roar of thunder came after.

“Wished the Titans picked a nicer day to invade Trost…” Jo scowled, watching as rain dropped off her cowl in front of her face. As if the day couldn’t have gotten any worse. She sighed, ODM gear rattling as she turned back towards the rest of the group. She knew each of them – some in more direct (particularly tutoring) capacities than others – and she wasn’t sure if it was a comfort or not having them all here.

“Alright,” Jo told them, letting pragmatism take the wheel before she continued, “we’re best staying together. If you run off on your own and you get jumped by a Titan, or more, that’s going to be a problem.” And most likely one that they wouldn’t be able to solve. Her gaze moved to the middle and lower sections of Trost. “And no running off to a different section. We wouldn’t be doing our jobs if we let Titans slip through up here.”

Jo paused. She remembered how easy it was for her to give instructions back during their competition in the forest. Now though…? “I don’t suppose I need to tell you all how we kill these things. But when we move onto the Titans, don’t take any on alone, and stay within reasonable distance of each other. We’ll disable and execute as a group on bigger Titans when possible.” From what she had heard, it was how most of these kills worked. Killing one on your own was difficult after all.

She turned to Sera. “I want you to be one of our executioners if you’re willing. I’ve seen your cuts, and they’ll get the job done for sure.” Ranking wasn’t an ensured way you wouldn’t have a problem with Titans, but Sera certainly had the skill among them.