Fandom ~Walls of Humanity~ AoT (Closed to -WistfulDreamer-)

[Taikailex]

Ashlin Church

Struggle and tribulation were a familiar path to many, especially those who resided in the poverty of the Underground. There was the expectation of suffering for those less than, those not worthy of the comforts of the sun. While for some it bore no intrinsic malice in the notion of fighting to survive and focusing on nothing beyond, for the petite blonde-haired woman it had fostered something deeper. A resentment and determination to change the course of society had banished many from the surface and from the hope of surviving past middle age. Now, as she dealt with the throes of rebellion and the gift of death her memory could scarcely recall a time before when there had been more, when there had been friendship and comfort. When she had a family, her mother had perished during her childhood and her father had claimed his own life with the drink, but her brother, Furlan, had stood beside her in this darkness. Together the two had engaged in thievery, finding comradery in Levi and Isabel, the four of them a family of their own making, with the additions of other members within their ranks.

Admittedly, when it came to the figure of Levi, her feelings had been more complex. Caught between the sentiment of a youthful crush and something deeper and much more profound. But, they had all left her, taken to the surface to bring an end to the Commander of the Scouts, they had never accomplished their task. Word came by way of a killer, Kenny he had called himself, informing her of the death of her brother and Isabel. The silence of the third missing person burned deep into her heart as she chose another path. Blood was the only way to provide now that stealing held little merit as the Military Police were keen on the techniques they had once used with such success. However, when the debt of her instruction had been paid, there was a notion of hope which moved beyond that. Forming the rebellion against the corruption of government, royalty, and their Military Police oppressors had been an easy choice, albeit not the easiest path.

Now, Ashlin had formed her group of rebels, seeking absolution and for those who endured endless hardship for nothing but the sake of profit to be freed. For the people of the Underground to taste non-stagnant air. That was the dream she strove for and one that they deemed futile at times. In the passing weeks, she had managed to collaborate and bring down an MP stronghold within Sina, however, it had caused quite the amount of attention on herself, certain deaths being linked to her influence. It seemed the only way to silence them forever and it suited her just fine. There was little in the way of remorse when they had been responsible for the death of so many underneath their very streets. A small sigh left her lips as she considered her target from the shadows, a government official pressing for the abolishment of the Underground altogether. Genocide, in short, she would see it ended before the words left his lips.

Still, she knew that her actions had drawn the attention of a certain Scout, the man from her past who had abandoned not only her but where he had hailed from. Taking his chance at the sunlight and forgetting them all in the darkness. Never even bothering to send word on the death of her brother or to see if she still lived in the shadows he had cast her into. Perhaps she had been mocking as she left notes for him in the rubble of her destruction and the bodies of those whose lives she had taken. She’d left a broom and a note pressed against the side of a destroyed building from her cause stating ‘To help you clean. I know how you hate a mess.’ Needless to say, he would be livid and that satisfaction drew a smirk to her lips.

Stepping from the comforts of the alleyway, Ashlin Church strode, in ebony-clad form with a hood pulled up covering her blonde locks at the end of the evening and the start of the night. Stepping to the aforementioned man, she found herself stepping harshly into his shoulder.

“Watch where you are going!” he hissed.

The assassin pretended to stare with fearful teal eyes. “My apologies, sir,” her tone was meek as she scurried around the corner. Looking down at the dagger she concealed, crimson glinting in the darkness. Her target gurgled and then fell to his knees with the realization of the wound. It was too late, in moments he would bleed out. With success in her heart, she turned and ran with swiftness and silence into the shadows and her new reformation.

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Jean Kirstein


Dreams had once consumed the mind of the lanky man, striving for a better future than the mere existence that he had felt in Trost. There had been hope and dare he say it arrogance when it came to joining the military. As a cadet, he had been certain that he would join the ranks of the Military Police and live a lavish life within the interior. With that being said, he would find a way to bring his family and give them all what they so deserved. However, things rarely went according to plan. Something he should have accounted for. Now, as he considered the depths of his mistakes there was little in the wake of a future that did not hold immense hardship. For the majority of his training he had been determined and confident, he had even strode to ensure that there was nothing standing between himself and his goal. Thinking that he was untouchable he had even dared to inquire about the availability of Mikasa in a romantic sense which the rejection had tampered his ego slightly.

Yet, it was what would come to be called the Battle of Trost that changed everything for him. Aside from the fact that Titans had burst into his hometown, Jean had experienced further loss and life-altering moments. Survival had been something that he knew was a chance, brunette locks plastered to his face and his skin pallid with apprehension, but when he had learned of the demise of Marco, his best friend everything had changed for him profoundly. What once had seemed so meaningful in joining the Military Police now felt shallow. Perhaps that was what led him to withdraw slightly, to curb his tongue and even refrain from hurling too many insults at Eren for a time. Further aided by the fact that the other male he held no kindness for had shown his truth as a Titan shifter and was now under the care of the Special Operations Squad. A part of him seemed to be turning to the idea of the Scouts, to such a team with the burden of vengeance hanging heavy in his heart.

There had been many who never took Jean seriously despite his obvious skill before the battle. Annie had never given him the time of day where Bertholt and Reinier had shown kindness that seemed to be more universal than anything. Albeit, his mind often drifted to Caroline, she had regarded him with hostility and in the passing weeks since the battle the two of them had come to some sort of understanding. They had begun to talk and his admiration of her skills, abilities, and beauty had formed into something deeper for her as a person. Noted in the mess he had presently gotten himself into, there had been a rather absurd accusation, that she had been aware of the movements of a rebel group, particularly one individual and even when the infamous Captain Levi had been present and watching closely, he had blinked in disbelief and stepped forth, proclaiming that she had nothing to do with it as her attentions were on graduating and he offered his own merit. Rubbing the back of his neck his gaze shifted to the blonde-haired woman now as they had been left for the time being. “They do realize that none of us have had any sort of leave for four years, right? How could you be part of a rebellion,” he shook his head with a laugh and then looked back to her with a sort of intensity in his gaze, defending the woman he had come to admire.

The cadet considered himself a good judge of character and there had always been something about her that claimed she was fighting for a reason. Besides, Caroline was intense but worked alongside them all for the future of humanity. There was a part of him that was afraid to ask what unit she wished to be accepted into, but now he found that he himself was leaning towards the Scouts and he swallowed pondering how his entire being had shifted so drastically. His mother would be disappointed but his heart proclaimed that it was what he required to be true to himself. “I’m sure they will see you have nothing to do with any of this and things will go back to normal, then we can focus on graduating,” he offered a small smile, letting the breeze press over them. Truthfully, he had never heard of this rebellion but it seemed that the resistance had done enough for the Military Police to be spooked and for some reason, Commander Erwin had seemed intent to focus on one of the leaders for reasons that he did not understand, nor was he sure that he wanted to.​

 

[-WistfulDreamer-]

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｡･:*˚:✧｡ 𝐋𝐞𝐯𝐢 𝐀𝐜𝐤𝐞𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐧

. . . ⇢ ˗ˏˋ 𝙄 𝙘𝙖𝙣 𝙖𝙘𝙘𝙚𝙥𝙩 𝙛𝙖𝙞𝙡𝙪𝙧𝙚, 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙛𝙖𝙞𝙡𝙨 𝙖𝙩 𝙨𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜. 𝘽𝙪𝙩 𝙄 𝙘𝙖𝙣𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙖𝙘𝙘𝙚𝙥𝙩 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙩𝙧𝙮𝙞𝙣𝙜. ࿐ྂ​

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Levi Ackerman was not known to be a patient person. If anything, he was known to be about as far from that as you can get. While people were left discussing their next moves and actions, attempting to plan without fail, often it was the male who ended up completing their work half the time. He liked it that way; it allowed him to feel in control. When he was stuck at the whims of time, he grew irritated and impatient as his swirling mind began finally catching up to him, whispering things he'd rather forget. Their words were harsh, yet he considered them to be laced with a sick truth about the past.

The past had crept up on him, not just in the form of his mind but through its own harsh reality. A part of him wondered, or perhaps even hoped, that he could finally brush aside his past in the darkness of the underground. Whatever positive memory it could be associated with was now tainted with blood and regret. Isobel and Furlan were dead; he believed himself responsible; whenever he tried to remember them, all he could instead picture was a contorted mess of blood, bone, and agony. Levi would have preferred not to think of them at all. And then there was Ashlin; whilst not cursed to the same fate as their other comrades, it always seemed to leave a bitter feeling in his chest when he thought of her and what may indeed have happened to her. If he couldn't find her before, that meant something bad, right?

And yet, that bitter feeling had twisted and morphed itself into what could best be described as a storm of irritation and anger, as Levi thought of the name alone. That one ally who he'd come to accept was dead had finally reared her head, and perhaps in the worst way possible. Finding out she had become some figurehead of an underground-led rebellion against the MPs wasn't exactly what he expected from her, but he wasn't entirely surprised. What had admittedly surprised him was just how much of a pain in the ass she had turned out to be. She was slippery, always seeming just out of reach. Every time he'd curse Erwin for giving him the order to capture her, but he never backed out of the task; by now it was personal. Her moments certainly hadn't helped matters, snapping his patience like a simple twig, which was unfortunate for that poor broom he'd left discarded amongst the rubble of that desteroyed building.

Following on a hunch was not normally the captain's thing, if anything that was more the commander's role, but he couldn't shake the feeling he may have finally cracked the situation. Watching from a nearby roof, crouched to appear as inconspicuous as possible, he tutted under his breath as he watched the dark figure dissapear into the alleyway and the other collapse to the ground. It was only a matter of time before the street would break out into pandemonium. Levi was right not to trust that brat, and whatever lying words slipped out of her mouth. If anything, he was surprised he hadn't picked up on their shared origins before. Of course she had been from the underground, and of course that meant whatever cause Ashlin had been fighting for was being supported from within the scouts themselves. But now that he had sussed it out? Maybe he'd finally grasped the upper hand.

Grey eyes narrowed as a woman shrieked from the street below, a signal that the time to strike was now. Two hookshots visciously landed into the next building before he threw himself through the street and into the alleyway the figure had darted into. With the added speed of the gas, he'd thrown himself far enough ahead that he finally landed in front of them with relative ease. He was quick to turn, his hardened gaze finally staring into the teal hues, which he'd unfortunately grown to associate with the feeling of his blood boiling. No words were required; the borderline unreadable look on his features was more than enough dialogue before he lunged forward.

Finally, he'd gained the advantage against her; he was the one a step ahead; he wasn't going to waste such an opportunity.

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┈ ⋞ 〈 ⏣ 〉 ⋟ ┈​

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｡･:*˚:✧｡ 𝐂𝐚𝐫𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐒𝐚𝐡𝐥𝐛𝐞𝐫𝐠

. . . ⇢ ˗ˏˋ 𝙔𝙤𝙪 𝙘𝙖𝙣 𝙧𝙪𝙣 𝙛𝙧𝙤𝙢 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙡𝙞𝙛𝙚, 𝙗𝙪𝙩 𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙙𝙖𝙮 𝙞𝙩 𝙘𝙖𝙩𝙘𝙝𝙚𝙨 𝙪𝙥 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙮𝙤𝙪'𝙡𝙡 𝙧𝙚𝙜𝙧𝙚𝙩 𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙣𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙛𝙧𝙤𝙢 𝙞𝙩. ࿐ྂ​

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Perhaps Caroline shouldn't have expected anything good to come from this situation, after all: when did the tide of favour ever turn towards those within the Underground? Growing up in such harsh conditions, the girl had been forced to accept multiple harsh realities: the MPs were scum; people were not to be trusted until they'd proven themselves; food, drink and sunlight was a privalage and most importantly: if in doubt, run. The rules of the underground weaved through the girl's mind like a continuous mantra, even when her pale skin had finally been touched by the comforting light of the sun she'd been so desperate to seek. Years later, with memories and new traumas within the foreforont of her mind, she still turned to the odd comfort of the Underground and the values it had instilled within her.

That was why Caroline couldn't say no to Ashlin when offered a deal. The thought alone of her mother and the people raising her wasting away in the cramped, stuffy walls of that place made her squirm: she couldn't live with herself if she didn't do something about it. At the end of the day, that place had been her home, and she couldn't go another day thinking that some poor child was suffering the same fate she had when she was small. With such thoughts in mind, accepting the offer to help those who needed it most was instinctual, regardless of its potentially dire consequences.

What the white-haired girl hadn't expected was for such matters to be taken so seriously. When the commander of the scouts made it clear they were after the leader of such a rebellion, her heart sank thinking of the blonde. The fact that she also had humanity's strongest soldier tailing her? Regardless of wrong information? It made her feel borderline sick. There was no way they wouldn't find out about her lies and evasion of the truth, and when they did? Who knows what would happen to her? Maybe she'd be forced back to the clutches of the underground; maybe she'd be made prisoner; maybe it would confirm her suspicions that there was a fate worse than death.

The voice of another forced her out of her spiralling mind, making her jump a little more than she would have liked to admit. Caroline's gaze quickly shot up, staring at Jean with an unreadable, blank expression. Jean Kirstein was a confusing one to Caroline, one she'd thought she'd finally understood years ago. Yet, whatever cocky and uncaring nature had resided there before had taken a backseat, something Caroline was more than happy to see. The Battle of Trost had hit them all hard, the reality of fighting against Titans being far worse than any of them could truly imagine, particularly when they were knocking down one of the few lifelines of safety that had remained. Jean appeared to be one of those hit the hardest, at least from a distance. Caroline had guessed it was Marco, that poor soul, who had triggered such a reaction, but if anything, she far preferred the more humbled Jean to the previous one.

The girl tried listening to him, and while she'd heard every word, processing them was an entirely different case. With so many worries squirming in her mind, like contorting snakes, it was hard for her to focus on much else. While Caroline could see Jean's attempt at reassurance, it was anything but. She did have something to do with this—a lot to do with this, in fact. While her heart had beat with appreciation at his defence of her, guilt had crept up through her fingertips as they drummed on the table nervously, knowing his perception of her was wrong. She was lying about so much: her involvement, her entire past no less. But she couldn't say a word about it—not now; she was in too deep. "Yeah... I sure hope so." She responded, her lips twitching in what could have been a half-hearted smile for keen eyes.

 

[Taikailex]

Ashlin Church

The evening air was crisp and brought solace to the petite frame of the blonde, each step laced with certainty even before she heard the body behind her hit the cobblestone and a scream adorn the air. How sweet, to know another pig content with the ideals of oppression had been felled, never to harm those she stood for again. While her own family was gone she aimed to protect those who still held hope and kinship below the surface and even above it for there were many impoverished looking for a better life, for something more. Isabel and Furlan were gone, and Levi had left her to the darkness and to whatever fate may befall her. A few years prior she had heard whispers that he had been looking for her, little murmurs here and there. Too little too late, finally the guilt of never confirming the death of her brother likely eating at him,

Breaking into a swift pace, the ebony garb clung to her lithe frame as Ashlin tried to rid the thoughts of the past from her mind. There was too much to do to procure the future that she sought, she could not let herself linger on matters beyond her control. Still, a part of her wondered when she would encounter the fabled Humanity’s Strongest, Captain of the infamous Survey Corps, he had been given orders to apprehend her where the unicorn-emblazoned fools had failed. Needless to say, she knew it was a matter of time, her former ally was talented, and he had led their little band for years. Now, well, she supposed she would see which of them would emerge the victor.

A part of the assassin had always been curious about how he fared and frequently had her people procure her updates on the wellbeing of Levi, much to their bafflement. A few knew of their connection, most of which had been in the gang he had run years prior. Rushing through the alleyways, her heart pounded with the adrenaline from the encounter, for the mission she had completed. One step closer to a form of success, even if she was certain it was going to bring even more undue attention. She was becoming quite infamous.

It was as if her mind had conjured a spectre from her past as Ashlin had been content in focusing on her escape, knowing that those within the ranks of the military shielded her whereabouts, such as the resourceful Caroline. Alas, the sound of ODM gear sparked the air, wires shooting with precise aim and she drew her form to a halt, every muscle tensing as her teal orbs locked onto an all too familiar silver gaze. Her lips curled into a smirk as Levi lunged. Dancing to the side she barely avoided his grasp feeling the whoosh of air at the extreme agility of the man and her mind internally cursed, forgetting the extent of his talent.

However, her disposition gave nothing away as Ashlin turned back to him, a dead end behind her and an adversary before her. “Levi,” she addressed and then pressed her hood down, revealing her long golden locks and serene features. “I would say it is good to see you, but it really isn’t,” she mused keeping her expression impassive. “For old times' sake, take my advice, walk away,” her lips smirked but the threat was evident in the tint of her eyes. “Consider it my gift to you,” demeanour was what she had, surprise and wit because she knew damned well he would be stronger than her, she was smaller, but she did not know if she was faster, it would be a close match, the dark-haired man had always possessed a sort of super-human strength and speed. She looked down at her nails bored, inspecting them for dirt and grime as if his presence was nothing more than an inconvenience. “Try to be quick about your choice, I have places to be,” her other hand moved to her hip and she flashed a small reveal of both the hilt of a dagger and her own ODM gear procured from a Military Police official she had taken care of some time prior. ​

______________

Jean Kirstein


Since the beginning of their time as cadets, nothing had been remotely simple, perhaps it was the simple interpretation of the lanky man but it had been quite the hardships. Whether it be the snowstorm they had encountered on the mountainside or the battle within his own hometown they had not even graduated and it seemed they were more battle-hardened than most. Honestly, he had become hardened in a variety of means when it came to his persona. Where once he had been borderline arrogant there was a subdued and quiet rage that festered within his soul. Loss and determination had bred into a need for revenge and protecting those who remained. Once he had only looked for safety and comfort, now he understood that there were more important things. The need to sport the sigil of a unicorn was replaced with the idle leaning toward wings and the notion of freedom.

Friendship had been something important to Jean and now with the loss of Marco, there was something gaping there, no bonds quite matching. Yet, he had come to hold in positive regard quite a few of his fellow cadets. Even though at times Annie terrified him. At present, it had been the lovely Caroline who had stepped forth to defend when she had been questioned by Commander Erwin and Captain Levi, something which perplexed him. Not only was it impossible to deny her beauty but also her skill, her resourcefulness and her personality were something he had found himself drawn to. Even though she had berated him quite heavily during the first years of their training together. Since Trost, many things had seemed to be changing for him.

After they had been left to their own company, the brunette-haired man took a breath and then exhaled heavily. They always seemed to get dragged into some mess or another. Stepping towards the slender woman he could see that there was some concern written on her brow. Needless to say, no one could judge that. If he had received any sort of questioning from such high-ranked officials and Humanity’s Strongest himself he would be a bit on edge. Although he had to admit, he had expected the infamous Captain Levi to be… well taller. Setting that thought aside he focused on the figure before him and attempted to stretch a reassuring smile onto his lips which reached his light-brown eyes.

Albeit, it was surprising when Caroline jumped in response to his words, her expression blank and beyond his comprehension. “Of course it will,” he reassured her, some of his confidence seemed to leak out but it was never as blatant as it had been before. “You have nothing to hide, these rebellions happen from time-to-time, I mean- never one this successful, but there would be little interest of someone wanting to join the military in fighting against it,” he tried to explain to himself. Yet, he noted that there was little relief in her features, little that could be said to bring her from the state of melancholy which had lingered over her figure. Which in itself was quite concerning for a variety of reasons.

The realization seemed to muddle its way into the mind of Jean, reluctant to take hold as he scanned the distance around them, making sure that there was no one approaching or listening. Even if it seemed a few wayward Scouts left behind by Erwin were keeping a slight eye in their direction they were not nearly close enough to hear their conversation. “Wait,” he began as he tried to read her expression, the way her violet eyes seemed to focus on the world before her as her mind raced. “Do you know something?” he asked in a hushed tone and almost warily. He swallowed and then looked around. “If you do,” he considered his past self, who looked for his own ambitions. “Let me help you, cover for you, I don’t understand the cause itself, but they must have a reason,” he tried to formulate in his mind. Caroline was a fellow cadet, someone he had fought alongside, he did not want her to get caught up in something unjust that would implicate her career and could result in something even worse. ​

 

[-WistfulDreamer-]

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｡･:*˚:✧｡ 𝐋𝐞𝐯𝐢 𝐀𝐜𝐤𝐞𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐧

. . . ⇢ ˗ˏˋ 𝙄 𝙘𝙖𝙣 𝙖𝙘𝙘𝙚𝙥𝙩 𝙛𝙖𝙞𝙡𝙪𝙧𝙚, 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙛𝙖𝙞𝙡𝙨 𝙖𝙩 𝙨𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜. 𝘽𝙪𝙩 𝙄 𝙘𝙖𝙣𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙖𝙘𝙘𝙚𝙥𝙩 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙩𝙧𝙮𝙞𝙣𝙜. ࿐ྂ​

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Levi never did look on his past in the underground all that favourably. Whilst a few moments could be picked out, they were needles in a haystack hellscape of depravity and destitution. If he thought back on the Underground he didn't so much think of the select good times with Isolbel, Furlan and Ashlin. No, he thought about the times Kenny had taught him how to use a knife, how he was found beside his mother's decaying corpse having not eaten for several days, how people would swarm over any chance of food or positivity like vultures. Together, it created what better felt like a nightmare then his own past.

Finally seeing Ashlin, with her golden tresses of hair and haunting eyes; the male wasn't quite sure how he was meant to feel. Relief? Anger? Joy? Every emotion that was possible seemed to stop in its tracks before he could truly process it before another would slip through his mind at breaknet speeds. She seemed so similar yet so different ot how she had been. Perhaps it was his mind playing tricks on him, but her eyes seemed to have lost a slight spark which they once held, but it wasnb't surprising. After losing everything, anyone would be bound to lose thier enthusiasm towards the world. And yet, something burned deep within her teal hues, rage? Redemption? Whatever it was, it made her appear all the more striking, it was nos rurpise she'd come to hide herself under a hood, she'd have been far too noticable otherwise.

Levi bit the inside of his mouth as he listened to her. The buildup of the past several weeks of tailing her made it borderline impossible for him to keep control and remain restrained. Her tone was exactly how he had expected it to be, goading, confident and down right irritating. He could have sworn he felt his eye twitch as he listened to her threats; ones which bounced off him like simple insults. Perhaps once he would have been pleased to see her, but this was not that instance. He'd already done his time, previously looking for her at the first opportunity he had gotten. It was not Levi's fault that he had been caught up in the ranks of the scouts, the change of life and responsibility making it all the harder to look back, let alone if he'd wanted to look back in the first place. When he'd finally done so, she had dissapeared like smoke. He'd thought, rather bitterly, she'd befallen a similar fate to amny of those who had been stuck in ther underoud; mmeeting a bitter end without as much as a funeral or an apology for anyone for their wrongdoing.

Yet fate held other plans for the two of them, and Levi was more than ready to flip off fate. No longer bearing enough patience to deal with her, he stepped forwards qucikly. "No." The words slipped simply through his lips in defiance before heswung a leg forwards to swipe at her own, knocking her off balance due to the speed of his own movements. There had been a reason Levi was trusted to be the one to capture her and take her in, he wasn't about to prove the commander, or really anyone, wrong.

Whilst she may have been quick to recover, Levi was faster. The ticking of time and the experience of being amoungst the scouts had made Levi both battle hardened and practiced. No longer had he been running from criminals or law enforcement, he instead had been far more used to fighting hideous cratures which wanted nothing more than his flesh for breakfast. Horrible as it was, turns out they were rather good training dummies for his speed and agility. With herself knocked off balance for a moment, the captian took the opportunity to lunge forwards again, ducking slightly out of the way (in case she had the guts to brandish the knife against him) before sweeping forth and grabbing hold of her with a vice-like grip. He was careful as so not to harm the both of them as she was shoved to the ground, extra mindful of the fact she did have weapons and whether she may use them either purposefully or by accident. Perhaps he was being over-cautious of such weaponry, did he really have to be that worried about her actually doing him any harm? Would she if given the choice? The thought alone had caused a moment of hesistation once he'd forced her to the ground, a moment which he didn't have and so desperately needed.

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┈ ⋞ 〈 ⏣ 〉 ⋟ ┈​

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｡･:*˚:✧｡ 𝐂𝐚𝐫𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐒𝐚𝐡𝐥𝐛𝐞𝐫𝐠

. . . ⇢ ˗ˏˋ 𝙔𝙤𝙪 𝙘𝙖𝙣 𝙧𝙪𝙣 𝙛𝙧𝙤𝙢 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙡𝙞𝙛𝙚, 𝙗𝙪𝙩 𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙙𝙖𝙮 𝙞𝙩 𝙘𝙖𝙩𝙘𝙝𝙚𝙨 𝙪𝙥 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙮𝙤𝙪'𝙡𝙡 𝙧𝙚𝙜𝙧𝙚𝙩 𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙣𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙛𝙧𝙤𝙢 𝙞𝙩. ࿐ྂ​

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Even if training had not ended all that long ago, it was already feeling as if a lifetime had transpired since then. Things were simple then, enough that Caroline couldn't help but look at it with a strange fondness. Waking up in the girl's shared cabin to Sasha's obnoxious snoring (and drooling) above her and light filtering through the windows; training hard throughout the day until their bodies were sore then spending the evening eating and people watching the others as they spoke and bickered. It wasn't perfect, not by any means: the food was never the greatest, the beds were borderline paper thin, sometimes she was trained so hard that she could feel her muscles tearing. But, it had been home, it had felt like home.

Trost had changed 'home' for a lot of people, not just the poor civilians who had had their homes crushed or a family member perish: but for the psyche of those who had to defend the town. What had once been a fairly close knit group of soldiers quickly became either battle-hardened: or dead. Perhaps that was why Caroline couldn't help but eye Jean with a degree of sympathy. Someone had to mourn Marco's death, and Jean was the figurehead of it. Whatever friendship had been there may have evn surprised Jean himself considering the way he had been acting. But the look in his eyes after he'd confirmed Marco was dead? Caroline was far too used to it and she couldn't help but sympathise and reach out: regardless of how she may have felt about him beforehand.

There was never rest for the wicked however, or at least those in the army. When they were meant to be thinking of their next steps and what regiment they would join, rumours and uprisings spread through them all like wildfire. It had been bad enough that section Commander Hange's... Odd, experiements had been tampered with for whatever reason, but now there was an entire rebellilon within the inner walls from those within the underground. Caroline herself may have felt the need to join the fray, but there was still a part of her, deep down, that wished she could instead spend the time prior to graduation lying in a nearby field: staring up to the sky as the sun kissed her skin.

Caroline, anxious as she was, attempted to hide it all beneath her typical hardened, blank expression. Yet, it was Jean's enquiry that bolted her eyes wide open in surprise. A part of her wasn't shocked when she was approached by Levi and the Commander. She was sure she'd end up raising some kind of suspiscion with the higher ups if she kept meddling in some shape or form, but her fellow comrades? Something about that felt intrinsicly wrong to the woman with that. This was meant to be her fight, hers and all of those who'd struggled within the underground, she had no intention of bringing anyone into the madness.

Her eyes seemed to grow even wider at his offer to provide her help, she was sure if she didn't close her eyes for another moment they would have simply rolled out her skull and onto the floor. He was really offering to cover her? Jean Kirstein of all people was willing to put himself at risk for the sake of covering her back when it came to an entire rebellion. Whilst she was sure Trost had changed things for him, perhaps she hadn't registered just how much. "I..." She could barely stutter out a word or an answer, mind swirling in surprise and attempting to process what she was even meant to do in such a circumstance. Caroline was far too used to preparing for the worst, so when something happened that was to her advantage? It felt entirely too foreign for her, "It's nothing..." She attempted to dismiss him, eyes shooting to the ground nervously as she shuffled backwards a little, hoping to god no one was watching or listening to their conversation: or she would really be in it.

 

[Taikailex]

Ashlin Church
It was as if fate had convened to bring two entities from the past, the depths of the Underground back together again. There was no mistaking the difference in greeting that absorbed them. Ashlin could recall how fondly she had once approached the man before her, perhaps still conveying some of her quick wit and jibes Alas, the difference now was the animosity, containing something deeper, that even after all this time she might care. Refusing to admit that within herself, her teal orbs met his stoic silver gaze, her posture was appearing relaxed but even muscle was tensed in preparation for the fight. There was no alternative but escape that had been cast into her mind for some time. Not when so much relied on her returning to lead this cause. They would have their orders for months after this, perhaps others would step up to her position alongside other notable members, but would they be able to replicate her skillset?

No, the assassin would not fall here when her calling was to persist as a revolutionary. The wind toyed with her long blonde tresses as she eyed the Captain with speculation. It was evident that he was irritated and that alone caused her to smirk slightly. “It always has been easy to get under your skin,” she teased. “I take it you got my notes,” she had been disbelieving when word emerged that he had been the one assigned to apprehend her, but she refused to quell her need to succeed, to bring those up from the Underground and the oppression that they sustained. “How does it feel, Levi, standing here now, the pet of the military while the people you left behind starve in the darkness? Has all the preening over your ego made you forget where you came from?” she sought to overkilter him, to gain her advantage by instilling sloppiness. Because she knew the man before her and knew that she would not stand much of a chance talented or not.

Naturally, her offer had fallen on deaf ears, it was easy for Ashlin to note the calculating posture of Humanity’s Strongest, the way he watched her intently and said nothing for the longest time. Then only to offer her the firm decline of no. Before she could even steel herself, he was moving. Sweeping out her legs as her lithe form sputtered forth, she swiftly gained her balance and lashed out with a jab of her own, hesitating for a moment as her hand skimmed over the hilt of her dagger, finding deep within herself that she could not draw it. As she swallowed his arms came around her, vice-like and impenetrable, feeling them tighten on her figure as she could not resist the strength that pressed her to the ground. Yet, his careful maneuvers only went so far as she was able to draw a blade but was promptly held from using it, not that she had the present intention to use it on Levi, but on herself, the information she held could not fall into the MP's hands.

Feeling the dirt of the alleyway press up to meet her the petite blonde kept the wince from her features, still her movements for a moment as her captor seemed to contemplate. “You may have walked away from the Underground, Levi, but I will not leave them behind,” she hissed and then flung her head back towards his face in a desperate attempt at a headbutt as her legs lashed out to land a blow directly to his shin as she attempted to roll their weight with a firm pressing of her other foot to the ground, doing anything to attempt to dislodge the arms around her, the dagger in her hand as she tried with desperation to free her arms from his grip. Noting the power that he possessed and how it never wavered, she swallowed coming to one conclusion and turned the blade on herself. “I may not have the heart to kill you, my own weakness I suppose,” she breathed raggedly. “But I will not allow them to question me,” they would execute her anyway in her mind, for the atrocities that she had committed. She struggled slightly to permit herself enough movement if she wished to take her blow .”While you were up here playing the dutiful soldier everything has gotten worse, starvation, illness, and how easily you forgot when given rations and a warm bed. Follow your orders, but you know damn well they’ll kill me anyway, let me protect them one last time,” she hissed coldly. “If you ever gave a damn at least give me that, for Furlan, for Isabel for everyone you forgot in the darkness, including me,” she struck low then an elbow aimed at the kidney.


______________


Jean Kirstein

Everything had changed in Trost, it was impossible to deny that, nor did he truly want to. For Jean, it had been a defining moment of his life where he had moved away from selfishness and fear to something more. While he had never envisioned the Scouts as something that he would have wanted or even pondered on what the Survey Corps stood for an offer now haunted his dreams. The need for vengeance for all those who had been lost and the chance to protect his family within the Walls by trying to reclaim what had been lost to them. There had been no illusion that if Wall Rose had fallen there would have been no warm welcome in Wall Sina, the people there would have eventually called out the refugees as they had with Wall Maria, the chilling truth that there were not enough resources for them all. Humanity was dwindling and they continued to face starvation, the whispers had been clear, the horrors of the Titans and the political choices which would have been made in the coming days if they had not sealed the hole, if Eren had not sealed the hole. That part still miffed him some as he did not believe that he was ever going to be on particularly good terms with his fellow cadet.

Alas, to the blooming soldier with his light brown gaze fixated on the happenings around them, they had been awarded a day of reprieve or rather an evening after some rigorous training. What they had not expected was to be questioned by Humanity’s Strongest and the Commander of the Scouts. Although they had bypassed most of them and quickly focused on Caroline. While the white-haired woman had originally viewed him with a disdain he did not understand, since Trost she had shown him kindness and he sought to repay that, to show his gratitude for the relationships which had emerged when his best friend had fallen. Marco had been a foundational person in his military career thus far and the absence was felt immensely. But what worried him was what the reaction the lovely woman before him had to the questioning and now to the silence they had left her in.

Admittedly, when Jean had stood to defend her, he had never suspected that she could be involved in anything. It seemed to far-fetched and the idea of rallying to a movement which stemmed from the Underground seemed odd to him. Not that anyone knew much about what happened below the streets. His mother had always stated that it was wrought with criminal proclivity and was not a kind place. Thus, he had never thought much of it over the years. Never truly worried about the matter. Perhaps he should have with the speed this rebellion was moving he also acknowledged that there was likely much that they did not know, as in how his opinion had been altered so swiftly by the Military Police, he was sure that there was always something foundational to goals with such extreme outcomes.

Noting how Caroline responded and the look that she wore, the lanky man nodded solemnly to her expression. “Sure, nothing,” he allowed her to have her privacy and then took a long moment to consider. “Come on, let’s get out of here,” he stated for some reason something within him was telling him to remove her from the view of private eyes. “I won’t pry into what is bothering you, but I’m sure you do not want anyone else intruding either, and Connie is heading this way,” he offered her a wry smile and then headed in the direction of the barracks buildings. There was something within him that he could not understand that wanted to make his fellow cadet lose some of the apprehension and fear within her eyes. Wanted to support her through whatever hardship she encountered. Thus, when they arrived he held out a hand, “Wait here,” he stated and then slipped inside for a moment before coming out with a small package and drawing back the lid of the box to reveal strawberries. “My mother brought them to me when we were cleaning up in Trost earlier, it looked like you could use a few,” he extended the offer to her gently for a moment. “I used to think I would join the Military Police, get my family out of Trost, move them to Sina where they could be really safe,” he sighed and looked down at the fruit. “But now… well there might be bigger things. More important things. Causes that we have to stand for, even if they do not seem rational, even if they are not the easiest,” he conveyed his own journey, a connection and thanks for the kindness she had shown since the death of his friend. ​

 

[-WistfulDreamer-]

｡･:*˚:✧｡ 𝐋𝐞𝐯𝐢 𝐀𝐜𝐤𝐞𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐧

. . . ⇢ ˗ˏˋ 𝙄 𝙘𝙖𝙣 𝙖𝙘𝙘𝙚𝙥𝙩 𝙛𝙖𝙞𝙡𝙪𝙧𝙚, 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙛𝙖𝙞𝙡𝙨 𝙖𝙩 𝙨𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜. 𝘽𝙪𝙩 𝙄 𝙘𝙖𝙣𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙖𝙘𝙘𝙚𝙥𝙩 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙩𝙧𝙮𝙞𝙣𝙜. ࿐ྂ​

---

The unfortunate fact was that Ashlin knew him well, perhaps a little too well. Even with the flow of time that had separated the both of them, it seemed she still knew just how to get under his skin and push any emotion he had off kilter. The fact she knew that was a cherry on top of the cake. Every time he'd chased after the woman in the past, only to be left with a cursory note he crushed the paper in his hands imagining the way she must have chuckled to herself writing it. 'Humanity’s strongest' may have undoubtedly had the physical advantage, but the way she dug into his skin with her words was enough to level out the playing field. The mere mention of him being a 'pet' for the military made his eyes flare in anger, silver glowing in his irises. The mere insinuation he'd left the underground in the dust for a 'cushy' life as a military pet to Levi was ridiculous.

There was nothing cushy about the Scouts, at least in the eyes of the male. Perhaps if its living conditions whilst within the walls was compared to that of the Underground? Sure, he supposed the bed and rations alone was the bare minimum which sometimes the Underground could not provide. But was that really worth it when he'd seen people in the hundreds fall to the hands of the titans? Was the food and bed really worth it when you were sick to your stomach and so horrified at what you'd seen you couldn't sleep? To Levi, it wasn't the fact she was insinuating that he'd left the Underground behind, it was the fact she thought he was now 'living the good life' within the military. There was very little good about it, and often what was considered good would be lost in those giant, disgusting mouths of monsters before it could truly be appreciated.

Whilst he may have hesitated to strike at her, at the very least knocking Ashlin to the ground did provide the briefest moment of satisfaction for him. Perhaps it was the slightest amount of revenge for the headaches she'd caused him most recently, but it would only ease the, not cure them. If Levi were to look objectively, he'd probably have admired her commitment to her cause. It seemed whatever passion had been there when they were younger had only grown and there was an odd sense of pride that came with it. Yet, that was quickly squandered when she smashed her forehead against his and kicked her feet to get him to move. He hissed in frustration through the pain, grip tightening to hold her down, attempting to stop her writhing feet from providing him with more bruises he'd have to contend with later.

As he saw her try to raise the dagger on herself, his whole body tensed far more than originally expected, eyes widening for the shortest of moments. Her words cut like they were the blade itself, the mention of Isobel and Furlan feeling like it was tearing open a deep wound in his mind that he'd desperately tried to heal. The emotions that sped through his mind were overwhelming. No, he'd only just found her again, he wasn't going to let her slip away like that, not now. Whether that was due to the frustration of the chase, or the fear of losing her, Levi wasn't entirely sure. All he knew was that he needed Ashlin alive, no matter her protests and attempts to change that for the sake of her cause. He intercepted her next movements, using the moment to grab both of her arms and force them to her side, held tightly under his grip so she couldn't risk hurting him or more importantly: herself. If the dagger accidently caught his skin in the process, he couldn't have cared less, it was better than hurting her. "He wouldn't want you to do that." The words strained out of him as if they were being pulled out his lungs. He knew for sure she'd know he was referring to Furlan; the last thing she was sure her brother would have ever wanted was for her to be fell by her own hand, no matter her cause.

There were so many things Levi wanted to say, so many words and sentiments between them that had been left unsaid. But with her pinned down, with perhaps having finally caught her; the words got caught in his throat. Instead, the only thing that seemed to slip through were the easy things, the ones that lacked feeling. "They're not going to kill you." It was an objective fact, at least to him it was, because there was no way in hell he was going to let them. Whilst he may be angry with her, irritated to no end, deep down he didn't hate her, not enough to wish her death.

---

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┈ ⋞ 〈 ⏣ 〉 ⋟ ┈​

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---

｡･:*˚:✧｡ 𝐂𝐚𝐫𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐒𝐚𝐡𝐥𝐛𝐞𝐫𝐠

. . . ⇢ ˗ˏˋ 𝙔𝙤𝙪 𝙘𝙖𝙣 𝙧𝙪𝙣 𝙛𝙧𝙤𝙢 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙡𝙞𝙛𝙚, 𝙗𝙪𝙩 𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙙𝙖𝙮 𝙞𝙩 𝙘𝙖𝙩𝙘𝙝𝙚𝙨 𝙪𝙥 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙮𝙤𝙪'𝙡𝙡 𝙧𝙚𝙜𝙧𝙚𝙩 𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙣𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙛𝙧𝙤𝙢 𝙞𝙩. ࿐ྂ​

---

Caroline hated the fact she had to lie, she always had. Even when she was growing up, her mother had always noted with a laugh that she was a terrible liar. The thought alone caused a shiver of discomfort to run through her body, just as it always did as she thought of the woman. How she wished she could see her again, there were so many things she wanted to do, to say, but instead she could only write them down in offhand notes in a journal: or think of them under the cover of night when she should have been sleeping. That woman had risked everything to get her out of the Underground, sacrificed far more than was necessary to assure that the girl was in good health (far more than herself at least). All Caroline wished she could do was thank her, return the favour. But sometimes dreams would never become such a reality.

When she'd escaped and enlisted, the white-haired girl's body shook with fear every day that she'd be caught out and shipped back to the Underground. She was forced to learn how to lie quickly and whilst she wasn't perfect, it had thankfully been enough for her allies to believe. As the years passed, Caroline relaxed, living the lies she'd formed around herself whenever anyone tried to pry about where she was from. Maybe she'd started to believe them herself, only to be brought back to harsh reality when someone accidently touched her or brought back a memory of her life before enlisting. Sometimes it felt she was living a double-life, the guilt eating her up from the inside out, but was it really all that bad lying about her past when she was doing it for her own safety?

Her thin brows knitted together in concern, both thankful and guilty as Jean conceded and tried not to force an answer out of her. Caroline had always been a fairly private person, both before and after enlisting, maybe in this instance such a factor worked to her advantage? No matter how bad she felt about it. She nodded her head, appearing a little distracted but agreeing to at least escape from the more prying, public space that was beginning to feel much too overwhelming. As much as she appreciated the presence of the others, Connie and his eccentricities included, now perhaps wasn't the best time for her to be dealing with them. Not when she was riddled with anxiety of what was to come.

After retreating towards the barracks, Caroline's violet-tinted eyes shot wide in surprise when Jean had returned with the box of strawberries. He'd answered her before she could even question where he'd got them from, the answer was enough to cause the slightest smile to pull on the corner of her lips. "I'm glad that your mother got out unscathed, I'm assuming?" She hummed, reaching forwards and taking one of the fruits. Taking a bite, it took a lot for her to not audibly moan from the taste, instead letting out a satisfied sigh. Even with the consistent rations of the military, none of them were exactly rich in taste, let alone being sweet. She savoured the fruit as if it were her last meal, taking small, sweet bites, happily ignoring the way its juices coated her fingertips.

Whilst she may have been a little caught up in the sheer joy of sweet food, she still tried her best to spare a listening ear. It was only fair after he'd defended her so willingly earlier. If she hadn't been smiling before, she certainly was now, a slight shine to her eyes that could be mistaken for pride. She never thought she'd hear the day Jean Kirstein hesitated about joining the Military Police, but it was like a symphony to her ears. "Well... You know I'm not exactly... Fond of the Military Police," Understatement of the century, she'd voiced on countless occasions during training (often in Eren's defence) in fact that the Military Police certainly were not something worthy of striving for. "But I guess after seeing them in the flesh changes things, let alone what happened out there with..." She hesitated bringing up the losses they'd all endured, "Regardless, as much as Eren may be... Eren... There's no denying things are changing, perhaps for the better, surely it'd be better to be a part of that then run away from it."