Fandom Dedicate Our Hearts [With Wistful]

[NovaxLeighxKnockoff]

This was it.

The sea of cadets began moving as the ones who weren't joining The Scout Regiment quickly hurried to exit the premises. Internally the male struggled with the resolve he'd given the others at the campfire last night when he proclaimed his decision to join the scouts. You're a fool. You've dealt with titans and are willingly throwing yourself into more encounters, a part of his mind whispered. The part that wanted the cushy life of being with the Military Police and not having to face more horrors. The person he'd been before all these titan attacks.

What if Eren is right though?

As much as it pained him, Jean Kirschtein found his mind swirling with the words of Eren Yeager and Marco. The formers point of how much ground they'd lost to the titans. Even if there was no way for him to change that or even keep the titans from destroying the rest of humanity, could he really sit back and wait for the day Wall Sheena eventually fell? And it also didn't help hearing his friends voice who had thought him to be a good leader..

What had happened to Marco anyway? No one had seen anything and it frustrated and saddened Jean. Marco had been alone.. and despite the fact that kind of fate could be common in a situation like they'd been in, it didn't make the feelings any easier. In some weird way he was trying to honor the others memory. Perhaps feeling like taking down titans, and putting himself at risk, would live up to the reasons the other had claimed was why Jean was a good leader.

The internal struggle continued as he vaguely heard Ymir scolding Krista to leave if she was just going to cry. The footsteps of those exiting growing fainter and more distant as the seconds ticked down until it was too late to leave. He couldn't go back though. Not after all they'd seen and dealt with. He wasn't the only one it seemed, Jean noticed. Aside from Mikasa and Armin, which wasn't a surprise, he noted the others who he wouldn't have thought would actually join the scouts. Sasha and Connie. Bertholdt.. Krista..

"-I ask you, if you were ordered to die would you?" Commander Erwin Smith's broke through the mental turmoil of chaos going on within him.

"We don't wanna die, Sir!" Jean heard the voice said out loud but he couldn't be sure if it had been someone else or his own. Not that it mattered, he needed to think about the future now. Like the fact that as much of asset, which Jean hated to admit, that Eren's power could be it was also a severe liability considering what the reports said. He couldn't control it... which did nothing to give Jean faith in the annoying, stubborn, but determined brat.

"Of course. Let's hope that you don't then. You who stayed you are now one of us. Allow me to welcome you to the scout regiment. This is a genuine salute soldiers. Together we give our hearts."

In unison the cadets all returned the commander's salute, "Sir!" And as they all relaxed into a more neutral position did he realize soon he'd have the opportunity to confront Eren about the fact he'd attacked Mikasa of all people.. But the thought was briefly halted when he realized Armin was approaching him.

"Jean you actually joined," the blonde's voice was tinged with surprise and.. he wasn't sure what. Admiration, maybe? But he couldn't even begin to dwell on that as he tried mentally shaking off the remnants of the earlier whirlwind.

"I said I was.. didn't I?" Jean tried to brush it off as nothing. As if him and Yeager hadn't gotten into it many times over his nonchalant attitude and talk of going to the military police.


~~~



The air seemed to gently rustle through the area with the smell of peppermint lingering its presence around the tiny red head. Ever since the discovery of Eren Yeager being the Founding Titan, peppermints had become an even more permanent staple in her diet. The same way some liked to smoke to decompress, she had taken to 'herbal remedies'. Especially now that her squad leader, and section commander, Hange Zoe was observing and overseeing what Eren was capable of with his titan; and trying to find a breakthrough on information about titans.

Stella watched from a further distance away as Hange and Captian Levi were overseeing one of these tests; having him test out changing just specific parts of his body. They, or more specifically the eccentric scientist, wanted to know if there was a limit to how many times he could change. If there was a limit did that mean the number could be higher if Eren only did partial changes? She was enthralled with learning regardless of how much the information was actually helpful. With how determined the boy was, on top of the others enthusiasm, heaven help them all on ever getting out of there and calling it a day.

The only way they were getting out of there was when Levi finally had enough.

It has to be a coincidence... Her thoughts drifted to the same topic it often went back to. Yet no matter how much she told herself that Eren having the same last name as Zeke meant nothing, she just couldn't shake it. If she let herself consider it too much then it was bound to push her down some rabbit holes that she didn't really need to add to her plate. As if reasoning that to herself would somehow make those thoughts go away.

A loud noise and flash of smoke indicated that Eren changed his arm into one of a titan, similar to how he had picked up a spoon not all that long ago.

Instead of thinking about his 'success' all she could do was further wonder about things that would drive her crazy. I can kind of see a resemblance. Was it real though, or was her mind playing tricks on her because she was already wondering about a connection between the two Yeagers? She wanted to believe it was just a trick her thoughts were conjuring up but those 'what ifs' kept running through her mind.

Without much conscious thought Stella jotted down the time for how long Eren took; sometimes taking notes for the research.

Vaguely the red head could hear Hange's excitement in the distance but for once she was able to not pay it too much thought. Not when it felt like crunch time until the mission... and she wasn't exactly looking forward to that as it just made everything more... real? It made it harder to forget she wasn't 'normal'.


Lightly she tapped the pen on the notepad, contemplating the different scenarios that could play out but none felt 'good'. How could it be when both sides were full of kids? Not only that but in a small way she could understand, maybe more than she even realized, Eren's unyielding determination when it came to the titans and how his mom had been killed. Hers was just one specific titan she hated but still. Maybe that was why she tried to come up with small ways to push Hange in the right direction? Just out of spite to that titan shifter.​

 

[-WistfulDreamer-]

Levi
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The entire affair was slowly growing to become unbearable for the short male, steely gaze focussed on Hange who was quite literally jumping for joy. Why someone could be so excited about titans of all things was still something Levi Ackerman couldn't understand and it truly seemed he wasn't the only one to hold such sentiment. After all, they wouldn't have put such a big target on the brat's back the minute the line between human and titan became blurred. People, especially those in power, always seemed to fear that which they could not understand.

The glowing sun in the distance was threatening ot retreat under the treeline ahead, which meant one main thing: Levi was undoubtedly going to get a headache being with Hange for this long with no break. Eren, determined as he was started showing signs of exhaustion from whatever physical toll the transformations had on his body. But Hange? They couldn't look anymore pleased with going ahead for several more hours; that energy was not infectious. They hopped ahead to Eren, assisting in dragging him out of the sinews of the half-formed arm which had sprung from where he previously stood. Whatever Hange was muttering, none of them were awake or bothered enough to listen. Levi grimaced, even after years of staring in the face of titans, they really were disusting, so much so the look alone of their sinewy, smoking flesh was enough to make his skin itch like he desperately needed to wash it off.

"That's enough." Levi finally spoke up after what felt like hours, the other members of his squad physically relaxed at the mere thought of a break whilst Hange spoke out in opposition. The male wasn't hearing any of it, already turning away from them, "He's exhausted, make him transform again and you might just throw him in a coma." If he was knocked out that meant things would take longer, and time was one of the many things they didn't have much of. Levi nodded towards his squad, "Get Eren something to eat before he collapses, I'm not carrying him back." they sprung to action, determined regardless of the long day they'd all been put through.

Hange, quickly getting over their qualms of finishing so soon, wandered ahead to her psuedo assistant. Stella was a curious one, to say the least. Levi was never the kind to ponder all that much on other members of the scouts, he'd learned quickly and bitterly it was never worth it, but he couldn't stop that inherent human curiosity when there were so many unanswered questions. Stepping closer, he took a satisfied breath, the lingering scent of peppermint around her was oddly appealing: the scent clensing. "Get all that? I sure hope so!" Hange hummed excitedly, glancing over the redhead's shoulder at whatever she'd been writing. They quickly glanced around, searching for the presence of others and seemingly satisfied with the results, "So... The upcoming expedition, what do we think about this little 'second shifter' theory?"

Instinctually, Levi's jaw tightened, "Hange..." His tone was warning, begging the other does not utter another word, "Keep your mouth shut or someone will hear you." Would Hange listen? They unfortunately never did. His intense gaze shifted its attention to Stella, a warning look in his eyes that begged 'Don't humour them'. "Oh shush grumps it's fine! Everyone else is either inside or dealing with the new recruits." His arms crossed, it came as no surprise his request would fall upon their deaf ears. Sometimes he could swear they had selective hearing, at least when it came to people telling them what to do. Some called it going by the beat of their own drum, Levi would call it stupidity.

♡coded by uxie♡

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Caroline
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Was joining the scouts a stupid decision? Caroline couldn't be sure, and she wasn't sure she cared.

Surely, any kind of fate within the scouts would be better than whatever she may have been put through if she'd remained in the underground. Every now and then her mind wondered what would have happened if she had stayed. Would she have followed her mother's fate and just became an object of desire? Would she have been sold into some kind of slavery? Would she have been forced to live some kind of life of crime? She could never be sure, and Caroline was pretty happy to live in a fate where she didn't need to cosnider such factors. Even in a fate where she may be faced with titans on multiple occasions, she'd have chosen that in a heartbeat. All titans could do was eat her after all, that was all.

Whilst the numbers had dwindled slightly from the beginning of the comamnder's speech as they all were dawned with a reality check of a lifetime, a fair few had still remained. Many of them looked like they felt their own death warrants being signed and for many that indeed was the case. In truth, no one exactly looked ecstatic to be joining the scouts, Caroline included, though perhaps that could be blamed on their resounding exhaustion. After all, what had happened in Trost was bound to have an effect on the lot of them.

Perhaps it was Trost that had forced them all together? They'd now faced Titans head on and with the successful closure of the breached wall, there stood a small sliver of a chance they may actually get out of this alive, and not just some smear on the ground or Titan food. Hope was a powerful thing, and sometimes it made people make terrible mistakes.

Grey eyes trailed curiously over the various faces of those who had decided to remain. There were the usual suspects, Mikasa and Armin came as no surprise, Sasha and Connie had already made it retty clear to her they were joining, it would have been an insult if Bertholdt and Reiner handn't. Poor Krista looked as if she were going to collapse under the pressure of her own heavy mind. The one face she hadn't quite expected to see still there wqas Jean Kirstein, causing her eyes to widen for a small moment. The girl was sure that he was bluffing when he'd stuttered that he may join the scouts, and she wasn't going to be convinced so easily. Yet there he was.

Needing to satiate her own curiosity, she stepped closer to the others who had begun to huddle together after the end of such a dreary speech. "You really stayed?" She wondered aloud. It was notable, the way in which her tone seemed to soften, after all, all she tended to give him prior to this was biting comments and eye rolls. The fact she wasn't planning on already throwing an insult at him was likely a shock to everyone else. How else was she meant to react to someone so convinced that the best of them would be found within the walls, where she knew the worst resided? "Please don't take this the wrong way, but you surprised me." She admitted, "I didn't think you'd actually join..." It was true, and her tone reflected that, more genuine, almosty respectful. It was almost funny, the way in which one decision could almost entirely change her behaviour.

♡coded by uxie♡