MocaPoka
Everyone shall be friends...
Give Your Hearts: The Rainfall Arc
The early morning sky was grey and bloated with ugly dark clouds. The scent of soon to be rain lingered throughout the wooden barracks, posts, watchtowers of the forest surrounded clearing.
A sever and morale destroying downpour was coming soon. With hearts already weary from the busy chaos of the past few days, the sight of the heavy overcast sky was a dismal to the soldiers and instructors of the Krolva Cadet Corps depot. Krolva District was known for its cold rain and its thick mud. Lots of rain led to lots of mud, and lots mud led to lots of misery at the training site, both for staff and cadet. All was made worst as well by the fact that the main training areas and walkways often turned into the perfect mud-pits that could pull the boots right off a careless cadet if they step in the wrong pile of wet sludge. Just going from a barracks to a chow-hall was practically a training expedition in and of itself.
Shielded from the coming rain by the sturdy oak roof of the largest building at the depot was a hawk-eyed, bespectacled man, slowly being browbeaten into submission by his subordinates inside the warm confort of his own office. It would have been a strange sight to see for most uniform members, but it was a rather common one at the Krolva Cadet depot. The chain of command and formality was looser here, as long as no cadet was in sight to see it.
"Sir. We simply have far too many duties preparing for this batch of Cadets. We got behind because of the MP's ridiculous inspection, and sorting those stupid "advanced" rucks. Training the Cadets today would push us further behind everything and lead to subpar attention and work from the Instructors. Now that this rain is coming, it would be counterproductive do any outside work. We can throw some papers at the Cadets to do for today and start exercises tomorrow, while the staff gets caught up with everything."
Two faces, male, nodded at the words spoken from the third, female, as all three stared at the the Training Commandant with what he could only describe as puppy dog eyes. All three Drill Instructors complained to him often, but usually about wildly different things. Usually it was about rotting food from one, rotting books from another, and rotting weapons from the last. Well... he supposed that all three were in agreement on the annoyance of the weather and its ability to rot anything and everything, including willpower.
"Fine, fine! No training for today, but have the Cadets go over the ODM manual and write the components of the gear at least three times. Make a list of the ones with the best handwriting. The MP's want another handwritten inventory of stock and personnel names and I'm not writing it again!" Commandant Westler pointed a well worn pen at the three Instructors and shooed them out of his office.
The three saluted then left quickly and happily as the Commandant sighed. He adjusted his glasses and went back to signing requests for training expeditions and vacation days inside Krovla for Cadets and staff. Normally such administrative paperwork was a quick formality and nothing more. Now however... well things were different and not without good reason. The MPs watched everyone with an eye bigger than Titan's now. Searching and plotting for others searching and plotting.
That attention, oversight, and suspicion had never been directed towards the training depots or Cadets before, but it was now. Every move of personnel, every piece of equipment used and given, every disciplinary action, all of it had to carefully recorded, catalogued, and sent to the MPs. Explanations had to be given for any and all actions nowadays now matter how minor. Even routine things like training hikes and days off were apparently important to the MP now. Like it was important to really know when cadets went to the city for an afternoon!?
God how the MPs hated when he gave people days off...
Sighing again the Commandant finished one piece of paperwork and moved onto the next... and the next... and the next...
---
Once the three Instructors exited the Admin building they looked and nodded at each other without speaking a single word. They each split off from each other into different directions. One to the male barracks, one to the female barracks, and one to the classroom building. All three walked with the speed of a normal human's sprint and the focus of an abnormal Titan trying to catch a fleeing human. All three Instructors knew that if they didn't want to spend precious time cleaning their uniforms, that they had to get the cadets up and moving as soon as possible before the rains started. To the chow-hall, to the classroom, and back again, before throwing them finally back into their barracks for the afternoon and night.
A short time later, at the the male barracks, a door was suddenly flung open and cocky voice called out to the sleeping cadets inside.
"How precious! Sleeping babies! I wonder how quickly they can get up and dressed before I start throwing sh*t?"
A nearby wooden footlocker filled with various books, pens, and papers was thrown in demonstration after ten seconds. The man who threw it was rather average looking. A modest build, short brown hair, and brown eyes. His stance and attitude however spoke of born or well earned confidence. A smirk was nearly always on this man's face as was snarky comment leaving his lips. Hands on his hips he called out with a smirk in his voice.
"Whoopsie me! Someone pick it up and put it back! Please!?" "Instructor Morten "asked", waiting to see who would be brave and quick enough to act.
Nearby a far less friendly wake up call was occurring...
"By the time I walk across this room. All of you will be up, changed, and have your beds made. The King help you if one of you runs into me while I'm walking, or if you're not done when I'm done walking." The voice was feminine but cold and icy.
The order was given after the only female Instructor of Krovla Cadet depot literally kicked the door open to the female barracks. More than once that sudden and forceful entrance had resulted in a broken nose and crying cadet if they had happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. But Instructor Karla thought it was character building more than injury. She would know. The thin woman was one armed, having lost the other to a Titan in what seemed like another time and world.
Using her only hand she casually brushed a black lock of hair back as she began her slow walk towards the end of the female barracks. Her blue eyes darted around the room inspecting for any trouble that might unexpectedly pop up during the first day of training.
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