Fandom Attack on Titan: Birds of Paradise

[Raiden]

Collaboration with Castello
Interaction: Castello (Leon)​

The dark-haired trainee was excruciatingly exhausted by the end of the punishment imposed upon their class, and as the boys collectively filtered into the smaller cliques of their cabinmates, Hal had his sights set on one of the perpetrators from the scuffle at the mess hall. A similar familiarity seemed to rise in his chest for a moment as he approached the other boy from behind, planting a hand on his shoulder and trying to stop Leon in his tracks while the others entered their cabin.

“You held back, didn’t you?” Hal suddenly stammered from Leon’s flank, his head cocked to the side as he tried to keep his voice lower to avoid a potential discovery from the Instructor. His eyes watched for any sudden movements from the other boy, thinking back to the expression that painted Leon’s face during the struggle. “Back there, you could’ve snapped his arm like a twig. Don’t lie.”

Leon was taken aback by Hal. He paused a moment, offering him a smile of a nefarious nature. He let out a chuckle, set his head back and offered him a coy shrug. “Maybe.” He replied quietly. “He had a thick skull, maybe that means his bones would have stayed together. He’s lucky you and the bodyguard were there though, a snapped arm was the least of his worries.”

Leon’s predatory glare returned, retaining a smile. “You’ll find out, though.” He said, hopping towards his bunk.

“Huh?” Hal peered through the other boy with a vague expression as he considered Leon’s choice of words, following into the cabin after him. “What the hell’s that supposed to mean?”

An exasperated sigh passed his lips, stopping in his tracks with his arms crossed together. “Whatever, but don’t think about losing to him or anyone else,” Hal announced from the center of the boy’s cabin, glaring past the collective glances upon the start of his declaration. “‘Cause I’m gonna beat you, first.”

He ignored the scattered gasps and gossip among some of the other trainees, his scowl dying down as Hal turned his back to Leon. Trotting towards his bunk, the crack of a smile curled over his lips. And don’t forget it.

✹ ✹ ✹
​

Upon instruction, Leon gathered with the other cadets as the close quarters combat training began. Leon did not seem interested in the lessons taught, nor the technique. He had his eyes peeled on Hal throughout it all. When Krause commanded everyone to find a sparring partner, Leon promptly approached Hal.

“Hey.” He abrupted. “Let’s be partners.”

Leon stood over the boy, holding the wooden knife in his hand. His posture communicated an abrasive adamance and stubbornness. The knife shifted from one hand to another, twirling it along his finger. His eye contact remained, like that of an eagle hovering over its prey.

Though Hal was of the opinion that training in hand-to-hand combat was next to useless in the midst of Titans, he figured that the effort was worth its sweat if it was another opportunity for him to impress Instructor Krause and the others. He’d made sure to pay close attention to the new concepts that were shown; it was going to be necessary if he wanted to show up everyone else during the next three years. It was only fitting that, after being given the choice of opponent, his first contender would be Leon, someone that he felt embroiled with in a sort of rivalry.

In the midst of the other miscellaneous sparring sections, Hal found it convenient that Leon approached him first, making it quite obvious to tell that the latter shared his sentiments to some degree. His eye glimpsed the wooden weapon before rising back up to his adversary, prepared to meet the leap with subtle defense. “You’re gonna need a bigger knife,” a smirk broke across his face as he cracked his neck by rolling his head.

Leon’s brow raised, turning his eyes toward the knife. He offered Hal a quick shrug and tossed it aside. He raised his fists to his chin, elbows out and his legs were beginning to bend. His hawk-like scowl from before returned and his lips turned to a smile.

“That’s fine.” His tone was taunting. Leon’s eyebrows began to curve towards his forehead as he embedded his left foot into the sand.

“First to call mercy?” He asked.

So it was going to be a true display of strength, after all. Hal actually preferred trading blows and fists in favor of the tedious disarming exercise; he could already feel oncoming of adrenaline rise up from his toes. It was the excitement of a worthy challenge, something that was disappointingly hard to come by within their class. Admittedly, he could only count enough of them on one hand, and the boy standing before him was one of them.

Even with the stark disadvantage in height and reach, Hal was more than confident that he would triumph over some boy from out in the boonies. “Sure, whatever,” he stated rather flatly and quickly as he rolled his eyes. He mirrored Leon’s stance and venom, opting to take the first action when his body sprung forward. Within distance, his hips steered straight as his right leg came upward for a straight kick, driving his boot towards the center of the other boy’s stomach.

Whether or not his introduction was deflected, Hal stuck to the offense, his left fist coming forward for two quick jabs.

Leon stayed quiet, his eyes narrowing and focusing on Hal. He kept his eyes peeled for his legs as Hal’s posture turned to one of attack. Leon was able to predict the kick going for his stomach, pivoting his left side to avoid it. This explosiveness kept Leon on guard, choosing to avoid the first jab by veering his body backward with his legs, keeping Hal in his own reach but using his height as leverage to stay out of his reach. As Hal closed in for another punch, Leon held his hands up to his chin and formed fists. He was caught off guard from the speed and Leon was forced to parry the second jab.

Leon’s teeth grinded in pain as bone met bone, using this opportunity where Hal’s guard was weakened to place a precise counter-jab over Hal’s arm with his right side. The blow was centered towards the side of the chin, but was placed with careful consideration of a counter attack. It was fast and used only his tricep to strike, rather than putting his entire body into it. Leon made sure to keep his feet well placed with his body posture and other hand ready for any counters.

Hal wasn’t totally surprised by the other boy’s intuition on his frontal kick, knowing that Leon wasn’t going to be a complete pushover; what had caught him unawares was the swiftness in counterattack. His stance staggered a bit, the strike knocking his head slightly upwards as he was quick to refocus, keeping his breathing even and his gaze forward. His eyes communicated approval in that short moment, letting out a snarl through gritted teeth and swinging his right arm low for a wide liver punch.

Hal’s approval garnered a small smile from Leon, nodding his head in response. Leon had not fatigued at all yet, so when Hal went for his liver, Leon was apt to pick up the danger. He pivoted his body to the side, using his long arms to close a fist towards his stomach. Like before, it was simply fast, propelled by his arm with as little body as he could. His elbow curled upwards into the blow, trying to embed his knuckle into Hal’s gut.

The shorter boy felt a bit of air swing up from his lungs upon the connection of Leon’s elbow to his stomach, taking the blow with grace as his instincts demanded him to toss away the Instructor’s principles. Damn, he’s fast, too. A strange feeling welled up within his chest that he couldn’t possibly explain; it was familiar, yet unfamiliar, all at once. The thrill of a challenge? Whatever it was, he could feel his spirit roar emphatically, wanting to release itself through the force of his body.

“Good, good,” Hal murmured, springing from his partially-hunched state and turning his body away from Leon. Wheeling in a circle, his left elbow was extended outward, aiming higher for Leon’s head as his forearm also extended out for a back fist.

“Getting tired yet?” Leon taunted with his guard still solid.

He kept his eyes peeled, that hawk-like gaze never leaving him. As Hal began to move forwards, a new smile hit the tall lad. It was not predatory like before, but it was quaint, relaxed and repressed. Leon did not recognize it but he felt something nostalgic urge him in the fight.

Hal’s backpunch slid against his parry, the edge of his forearm striking his forehead. Leon’s eyes squeezed in pain. For once, his posture had broken slightly. Leon’s stance, that was once coiled like a snake, had spread wings and enveloped. In a split second, Leon had recovered his body, reeling in a strike from below, centred right into the side of Hal’s face. It was not aimless, Leon was sure to slide it underneath the arm that had just struck him. Unlike before, he completely leaned into the blow. His shoulders arced and his chest committed the punch into Hal's stomach.

It was ferocity that Leon had not revealed in the fight yet and it even seemed to don a look of bewilderment from Leon. He had not felt this sort of energy in a while. The kerfuffle with Jericho had provoked it but this meager, seemingly pointless exchange of blows had completely bust open something--enjoyment.

Even though his counterattack looked to have some effect, Leon still seemed to have the upper hand over him. As Hal finished the full revolution of his body, he found himself wheeling directly into the other boy’s fist; this time, the strike felt full and true, so strong that it sent him stumbling backwards from the close combat, threatening to capsize him. Dust flung from around his boots as he was reduced to a kneel, trying to catch his breath and coughing from the polluted atmosphere.

“Tired of playin’ around,” Hal bit back as his form took off from his knelt state, charging right back towards Leon and rearing his right arm back for a heavy punch. Just as he closed in on the other boy, his body shifted in a split second, gathering enough momentum to launch himself into the air off of his left foot. His right knee bent upward, aiming for Leon’s upper chest.

Leon had a look of pride donned across his face from his successful counter. He held his fist with glee and his faint smile was now rapturous. Leon did not reply to Hal with words, rather offering him a taunt, edging him forward with an open palm. His guard, for once, fell and drew a fishing line to be attacked.

When Hal began to approach him, the feeling of pleasure turned into revelation. It beguiled Leon enough to let his guard down even further, to the point where he was almost asking to get pummeled. It was not a contingency of fear or giving in, but rather intrigue and a demand to understand what was so nostalgic. His eyes spelled a look of familiarity, a nudge coming from a forgotten past. Leon’s smile changed, no longer pride nor pleasure but one of warmth.

When Hal’s attack finally closed in, Leon did his best to resist the propelled knee at his chest. It was to no avail. Leon would feel the air being punctured out his body as his chest contracted towards his torso from the momentum. The air shot out of him like a balloon and his body had begun to deflate as his soles jolted inches off the ground.

Leon tried to issue a war cry but all that came out was a pained grunt. In a final act of desperation, Leon hammered his forehead down towards the top of Hal’s skull-- whether it hit or not, Leon keeled to the floor, sprawling out onto his back in an act of exhaustion. He spent a few moments catching his breath and apart from labored breathing, Leon was completely dead silent. When Leon finally caught his breath, he did not utter anything. Leon had no words of remorse or frustration nor any excuses or cries. He simply laughed.

Hal had finally managed to connect a solid strike to his opponent, though it would not go unpunished as he was met with one final repercussion. His eyes went wide when the taller boy’s head deliberately collided with his own, sending him back down from his brief elevation as his back met the ground. The clouds in the sky seemed to shift and multiply while his eyes blinked rapidly in an effort to refocus, his breathing slowing down as the view reminded him of that day.

His right hand came up to trace the contour of his face for a moment before coming back to reality, the white noise of the sparring trainees overpowering the ringing within his ears. “Oof,” Hal simply complained as he rubbed the top of his aching head, rolling over onto one side to see that his pocket watch had fallen out of his uniform jacket.

Clutching the watch within his palm as he rose from the ground, Hal blew and wiped the dirt from his personal trinket, relieved to see that no damage was done to its exterior and interior. He trotted over to the other boy, looking over him for any considerable injuries as he heard laughter come from Leon. Strange guy, laughing after all of this. Rolling his eyes, Hal extended his left hand down for his fellow soldier to take, checking the time on his watch before stuffing it back into his coat pocket.

“Oi, get off your ass,” Hal’s expression was one of displeasure, though one could tell that when his mouth curled up to scoff, it was holding back the same bit of laughter. “You think we’re done, Leon?”

Leon’s eyes made for the pocket watch and gazed as Hal concerned over it. His laughter stopped and his hands reached for a necklace that was around his neck. Leon could simply sigh as he was helped to the ground. He dusted his clothing, straightened his posture and offered Hal a smirk.

“Did you hear me call mercy?”

 

[KaramelKarma]

in collaboration with
➤ Selee-01 & ➤ KaramelKarma

Jericho & Elke

Elke had been fighting several of the recruits. Sure, her body ached, and she was a bit scuffed up, but she was sure she could go on for a little longer. She had gotten glimpses of Anke fighting Ramiel, and the intensity of the scuffle made her want to try even harder to learn. Who would she fight next? Would she fight Vivian? No, she looked like she was already taken. How about Hal? No, he was busy, too… her eyes eventually landed on a certain individual that made her heart skip a beat.

Jericho. Would he take her seriously? Elke watched him from afar, shifting from foot to foot. How would she even approach him? I’m overthinking this too much. She thought, swallowing the knot in her throat. She stomped over to him, only stopping when she was within a foot away.

“Jericho!” she said a bit too loudly. Her whole body was quivering, but her shoulders were set and her fists were clenched. Elke glared at him with determination, her eyes stinging with slight tears as she ground her teeth together. “Fight me!”

𓆙​

Water dribbled down his jaw, the bite at the back of his throat lessening with every chug. He finished off his flask with a palmful to the neck, cooling his nape in the face of the glaring afternoon sun. His signature black leather blazer slipped off his broad shoulders with ease as the delinquent prepared to do some warm up stretches.
The adrenaline, though slowed, still burned something fierce, coursing through Jericho's veins as he stretched. His dark eye never ceased to scan the field in search of potential opponents. Recruits were still knee deep in combat, making Jericho wish he hadn’t pulled such a showstopper of a move so early into the fight with Fabio. But this was the military, where subduing your enemy as quickly as possible was the ultimate goal. Dragging it out with blood, tooth, nail and bone was a concept saved only for the streets, where you made sure your enemy absorbed the pain. It would stay nestled, deep and pumping in tandem with their heartbeat, reminding them of who they answered to.
Jericho knew this all too well, and as he played spectator, he spotted a familiar face who knew it as much as he did.
Sera Mayer’s back faced him, but he’d recognize her sly little form anywhere. She was still the same little Trostian street mouse, mouse-brown locks swishing from side to side as she prepared for her opponent’s first move. Jericho remembered her distancing from his gang, not too long before he was forced to join the military. She was a top tier smuggler, which was a loss admittedly felt by the gang. The distancing was amicable for the most part, though the moment she’d turned her back, years’ worth of stutter jokes were finally let out into the open.
With a slight smile, Jericho kept watching, knowing it was bound to be entertaining seeing that it was Sera. He caught sight of her opponent, a younger fair-haired boy who looked to be barely past puberty. The delinquent remembered him to be Luka Soroka, or Wide-Eyes, as Jericho liked to call him. Since the beginning, he’d catch the kid imitating him at times, with a sort of perpetual look of reverence on the boy’s face. It was certainly a nice stroke of the ego, but as Jericho watched Luka manage to land a hit on Sera, he felt a twinge of something deeper. A little bit of himself, once not so long ago. He caught Luka’s eye, his eyebrows raised and a small, sardonic smile tugging at his lips as the delinquent gave the boy an approving little nod.

Just then, motion from the corner of his eye drew Jericho away from Luka and Sera towards another kid recruit. At first, the initial hostility led his features to harden in response, but it only lasted a heartbeat as the delinquent faced the terrifying figure of one of the Vinter twins. Jericho’s dark eyes flashed in amusement as he stopped his stretching and casually crossed his arms, blowing a stray piece of hair away.

“D’you know how to use those?” he answered back lazily, unmoved by her passionate display, chin gesturing to the fists balled at her sides.

𓆙​

Elke didn’t like the look that Jericho gave her. She wanted to be taken seriously by him, and he looked at her like she was some ragged, spunky puppy. “I… I’ve been practicing!” she huffed as she lifted her fists to her chin. “I fought Laurie, and Jo, and they taught me stuff! So, I think I’m ready to fight you now!”

Damn it, why did she sound so scared? He was bigger, taller, and much scarier than she was, so why was she picking a fight with him? Regret already tugged at her heart. Maybe he wouldn’t take her seriously and just laugh her off. He couldn’t do that-- she had to prove that she wasn’t just some little kid. She tried her best to stare down Jericho in a very Jericho-like manner, at the same time attempting to stop herself from trembling.

𓆙​

Ella. No, that’s not it. Ellie? Edna...Fuck. He couldn’t remember. He did manage to recall the other twin’s name - Anke; or Anklebiter, as he came to know her thanks to how violently she reacted when Jericho had to drag her from her bed to do the pushups. But this one was a mystery, and clearly a world away from her sister in terms of personality. He watched as the younger girl protested back, fists raised to prove her point. Definitely no nobleman’s daughter, he thought, a dry smile tugging at his lips. She began to list her impressive record, which earned her nothing but a small exhale of laughter.
“Stuff, she says. I'm sure braiding long hair and reading some book a little better will work wonders." The comedy of the moment quickly faded, replaced by narrowing eyes and a shaking head, though a faint snide smile remained as he prepared to turn his back on her. “Go find someone your own size, Vinter. I've got better things to do.”

𓆙
​

He really wasn’t listening, was he? Elke’s eyes widened as he spoke, feeling the dread gather in her stomach. Of course he still wouldn’t treat her seriously. Everyone held good opinions about Anke and how she always tried, and Anke always did everything she could to protect her. Even back then, on that day. All Elke did was cry and scream as Anke fought tooth and nail to keep both of them alive. And now, she felt the tears threaten to spill over as Jericho began to turn away from her.

Her hand reached forward, not to punch or scratch, but to take hold of his sleeve. “Please,” she murmured, her knuckles burning white as she clung to him. “I’m… I’m from Shiganshina. I can’t rely on my sister forever. I need to learn how to protect myself. I need… I need to learn how to protect the people that I care about!”

𓆙​

Shiganshina.

That explained it. The tragedy of the fall of Wall Maria was felt throughout all the districts, its effects rippling into their gates in the form of thousands of traumatized, displaced citizens. Unlike many, Jericho was fortunate enough to not know anyone personally who had lost their life in Shiganshina. He guessed this girl and her sister were orphans, which was no novelty when it came to the slums. But he remembered how the landscape of the streets had changed; shanties cropped and filled every corner and alleyway, while homeless foreigners were forced to turn from citizen to criminal overnight. A gangster's paradise was steadily chipped away, morphing into nothing more than a sea of beggars.

Frankly, her story was one shared by thousands. It was the kind of tale Jericho was somewhat irritatingly desensitized to; a sob story that was parroted a hundred times to him when he was on the streets by desperate souls looking for work, even the worst kind. But there was something in the kid's words, the way she had worded them that loosened the iron in his heart just enough to let empathy slither in, even just for a moment. Jericho glanced at the hand clutching his arm sleeve, then at the Vinter girl.

"Fine," he conceded finally, his jaw clenching slightly. He moved away from her side to give some distance, then widened his stance, gesturing to her, a twinkle in his dark eyes despite his stern expression. "Bring those fists back up."

𓆙​

For a long moment, Elke was sure that Jericho was going to brush her off and repeat what he had just told her. What she didn’t expect was for him to turn back towards her and told her to pick her fists back up. “Okay!” she said, very much excited by the boy’s proclamation. “Do you want me to attack? Or defend? I defended a lot against Jo and I practiced my offensive skills with Laurie, so it’s all up to you! I mean, unless you want me to decide. I’m up for anything really! Oooh, we could take turns if you want. Like, you attack, then I defend, then I attack and you defend! Or it could be random, so we keep each other on each other’s toes…”

Her gaze dropped to her fists, raised before her face. “Is my stance okay? Maybe I should spread my legs a little bit more. That way I have more balance, right? Unless you have another suggestion--”

𓆙​

Jericho rolled back his shoulders lightly as he brought his own arms up loosely. However, they dropped back to his sides, bewilderment creased into the rise of his brows as he watched the Vinter girl dish out an endless stream of questions. Bafflement rapidly switched to faint agitation. Jericho straightened his back once more, eyes rolling slightly as he made his way towards the younger recruit. He reached for her wrists, wrapping his large calloused hands around them to stop the stream and make his point.
“First rule of the brawl,” he said, echoing lessons taught to him long ago, his dark eyes meeting hers knowingly. “You don’t talk about the brawl. You watch, and you listen.”

The delinquent took a step back, examining her posture. He circled over to her back foot and nudged it a bit farther. Next came her arm positions. He folded her right one more to her side and raised the left one to meet her eye level. Satisfied, Jericho stepped back farther and got into his own stance.
“Here’s what I’m gonna do,” he called out to her. “I’m gonna approach you with my left arm out and my right fist tucked close.” Jericho proceeded to close in on the girl, left arm outstretched, reaching and grabbing onto her right arm to trap it. His right fist instantly took action, stopping only a few intimidating inches away from the side of her face.
“See what I did there? Instant control of the situation,” he continued, gently shaking the right arm that was in his left grip.
“But,” he paused, looking over to the girl’s left arm that was still raised high, primed and poised. “I’ve left myself wide open for an attack.” He glanced back at the Vinter girl, giving her a quick, permissive nod, a devilish twinkle in his dark eye.

𓆙​

When Jericho approached her, Elke winced slightly, not sure what to do. What she didn’t expect is for his hands to wrap around her wrists. His skin was rough, calloused-- but surprisingly warm. A slight blush colored her face as she found herself looking into Jericho’s eyes for a brief moment, only to glance downwards and hope that he didn’t notice. In order to calm the frantic beating of her heart, she decided to focus on his words. Watch and listen. That was the first rule that Jericho told her.

Elke remained uncharacteristically quiet as the male circled around to her flank. After swallowing the knot in her throat, she listened well to his words. Jericho was actually a pretty good teacher, explaining the steps he took and the openings he had left for her. Her eyes once again locked with his at his last remark, her gaze sparkling with interest and some other emotion that she couldn’t name.

“Y-yeah!” Elke chirped before she clenched her left fist even tighter. She sent it towards his abdomen, careful not to swing too hard as to cause severe injury.

𓆙​

With such a drastic difference in height, it was no surprise that the girl opted to use what was most to her advantage; not the cheek, where all one had to do was duck - but the stomach. It was good to see that all hope was not lost; the tot at the very least had a decent head for combat.
Jericho perceived all this in time, following suit by having his right arm quickly lower over and under his left to catch her flailing fist.
Had it been a stronger, faster, more solid punch, his defensive block would have been more impressive. But the point of this was not to show off; with both of her limbs now within his vice-like grip, he had shown her the consequences of her fatal flaw - hesitation.
Jericho shook his head, letting her right fist go. "Harder," he urged, his next words serving almost like fuel to the fire. "You need to convince your opponent you're not as fragile and weak as you look."

𓆙​

Disappointment-- that was what Elke felt when her fist collided with Jericho’s palm. Her attack had been predicted, which wasn’t a surprise. She really didn’t want to hurt anyone that she sparred with, especially him. Was that why Laurie and Jo didn’t take her as seriously as she would have liked? Elke looked back up at him at his next words. Fragile, weak; that was what the others thought about her. The bullies that picked on her in Shiganshina, Hal, Luka… her sister. If she was to be part of the Scouts, she couldn’t be seen as weak and defenseless. That would get her kicked out in no time.

Elke clenched her jaw, her heart burning with motivation. She pulled her right arm back, wincing as she aimed to strike his shoulder with her elbow-- however, it was obvious that the girl had overshot her attack. Wrenching her elbow upwards, she accidentally slammed right in the middle of Jericho’s face.

𓆙​

The delinquent braced himself for a shot to the shoulder, watching her line of sight. He saw the words sink in and light up the fuse, sparking behind the girl's hazel eyes. But the fire came at a price, burning and overstepping boundaries and before Jericho knew it, an unexpected knife-like jab cracked up and against the bridge of his nose.
There was no cushion of flesh - the little bird was indeed nothing more than skin and bone, concentrated most at the crux of her damned elbow.
A momentary jolt of dull red flashed behind his closed eyes as Jericho's hand went straight to his face, expression creased in pain, à curse slipping out.

𓆙​

Elke flinched when she saw the damage she had done. “O-oh, oh no! I’m so sorry, Jericho!” she gasped out, her eyes wide as she stared at him with concern. “Are you okay?! Do you need to go to the infirmary?!”

𓆙​

"Don't apologize," he answered, the pain beginning to lessen, opening his eyes once more, settling them on her frantic figure. He continued almost begrudgingly, though favor lightly traced the lines of his features. "It was a good hit. Keep it up."

Just then, a resounding thud echoed from farther down the field. Jericho looked up and saw a battered and bruised Anke collapsed onto the ground, a hundred feet or so from them. Blood trickled and threatened to spill, purple flowers blooming on her dirt-streaked cheeks. A looming, lean figure stood rubbing her blood off his knuckles, à frigid, jeering lilt in his expression.
"Mad bastard," the delinquent murmured, brows furrowed as he laid bewildered eyes upon Ramiel Diakos. Features hardening, he clamped his hand on her slender shoulder, gesturing her to turn and look. "Looks like your sister needs it more than I do."

𓆙​

Elke was pleased to see that Jericho was not as injured as she thought he was. In fact, he shook off that blow like nothing. He had to have some decent pain tolerance to hardly be daunted by an elbow to the face. Her worried expression softened, and her smile slowly returned at his praise. “Thanks!” she said, another blush crossing her cheeks. Though, this change of color was spurred by the pride that swelled within her chest.

His hand at her shoulder changed this, however. Elke turned to see Anke face down on the ground. Her smile once again disappeared. “Anke!” she wailed, tearing herself free of Jericho’s hand and pelting to her sister’s side. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she knelt by Anke’s side and brushed the hair out of her sister’s face, only to see her pale skin flourishing with bruises. “I told you to be careful!”

INTERACTIONS | Elke Vinter ( M Moonlessite )

MENTIONS | Jo Schreiber ( Arcanist ) ; Fabio Bier ( Selee-01 ) ; Sera Mayer ( homintales ) ; Ramiel Diakos ( lion. ) ; Luka Soroka ( Raiden ) ; Laurence Arnault ( Colorless Spectrum )

coded by reveriee.

 

[Danidify]

Head, Shoulders, Knees & Nose.
collab with Elyse & Nina.

- Elyse's POV -​

Well, this was awkward.

If there was one thing that Elyse dreaded above all, it was martial arts. The few attempts she had made at learning it in the past had failed one after the other, leaving her with only the bare basics of sloppy footwork and subpar positioning. In other words: she was pretty certain that most people here could floor her in a second, if not faster.

So there she stood, hesitantly watching from the sidelines as pairs formed to shamelessly punch each other around like bean bags. Every person that seemed to be alone jittered her legs in a reluctant push to try and ask them to be her partner, but most of them were either way too intimidating or already taken by the time her inner battle had settled. Ideally, the noble would’ve liked to just enjoy the show from her humble fringe spot, but she knew there was no getting around this.

After a few moments of nervous back-and-forth-ing, auburn eyes managed to lock on to a target that seemed both partnerless and bearable enough to fight against. Though she had seen this girl a few times around, she had never really gotten the chance to know her, which admittedly did make this all the more terrifying. For what it’s worth, Elyse did have a knack for memorising names, so she at least had a name to place with the pretty face.

As if nearing a bear ready to maul her face at any second, Elyse carefully paced herself towards the farm girl with crossed arms, a sheepish smile forced on her face.

“Hey, um- you’re Nina, right?” She’d inquire, hoping to catch the girl’s attention.

“Sorry for bothering you, but- I was wondering if you’d maybe like to, uh- practice with me?”

- Nina's POV -​

Most people had chosen partners with relative ease, something Nina hadn’t been motivated to do herself. Watching everyone’s performances was far more interesting than whatever half-baked attempt of a fight she’d put out. For the most part, she’d been flitting around the training grounds simply observing, making mental notes of who seemed the most capable and who had the most areas they needed to work on. She hadn’t expected to be approached in the midst of it, but she was relieved to see who it was.

Tilting her head, Nina listened to Elyse with an amiable smile, nodding at the sound of her name as her grin widened from the realisation of someone she didn’t know particularly well remembering it.

“Hi Elyse,” she chirped, her voice sweeter than the ripest summer strawberry, “you’re no bother at all, practising with you sounds fun.”

Brandishing a wooden knife, Nina slid into a practised stance learnt from mimicking the better of her peers, “what’s the plan then? You gonna snatch this from me?”

- Elyse's POV -​

As if a warm summer glow glazed her face, Elyse's cheeks flustered slightly as eyebrows temporarily lifted themselves in surprise. Every moment a relative stranger was kind to her posed as a potent deterrent against the black-and-white superiority vision that she was taught to believe. She could still virtually hear her mother's disgruntled voice in her head, rambling on about how people would treat her with violent envy and blatant disgust. Elyse was never small-minded enough to fully believe it, but some of the sentiments lingered as fears and insecurities.

Nina shoved this panic prototype out of the picture, and with that, an earnest smile landed on the brunette's face. This girl really did seem nice.

Having someone sheepishly idled in confounding after Nina called practising with her 'fun', Elyse caught herself lagging behind her armed competitor suddenly jumped into motion. Needless to say, it urged her to soon do the same, mirroring Nina's stance to the best of her capacity. For what it's worth, the noble had picked up enough on her prior lacklustre training to know how to semi-properly ground/balance herself, so at least she wouldn't fall over like a stick should a blow come her way.

The offense part of it, however, was a bit more tricky. A wooden knife wasn't exactly the tool she had dreamed of using in battle, but it had to do. Now that she could somewhat ease the nervosity thanks to newfound rays of sunshine, competitiveness started showing from beyond the dark clouds. Winning was definitely a hobby of hers, and she had high hopes of achieving it.

"How about first to disarm the other?"

Elyse inched her right foot forward, bending her knees a bit more as her shoes dug into the soil. Brown eyes glimmered as they scanned her opponent, sending their information right back to the now properly adjusted arms. The wooden knife was held back in her left hand, while her right arm remained raised along with a raised tilted fist to act as a front.

As confidence began to emanate a bit more clearly, Elyse breathed out once more before inviting her partner to have at it.

"Whenever you're ready."

- Nina's POV -​

Humming pleasantly, Nina shifted her arms out of their raised position to tap her chin lightly with the tip of the wooden weapon. The suggestion of first to disarm seemed rather simple, nice almost. There wasn’t much chance of accidental injury if they were just disarming each other. Clapping her hands together, she beamed at Elyse, bouncing on her feet as she agreed, “let’s do it!”

Deciding their plan for training was done, all that was left was to enact it. At the sound of Elyse’s last comment, Nina’s smile stuttered and faded on her rosy lips. There was little enjoyment to be found in fighting, especially with someone who seemed to share her level of enthusiasm at the idea of it. A minute crease carved into her freckled skin, brows furrowing as she adjusted her stance properly and blinked idly at Elyse, uncertain of what to do. Throwing the first blow was a daunting idea, she hadn’t gotten the chance to see Elyse’s combat skills and the prospect of facing an unknown troubled her.

Glancing at her opponent a final time before she made a move, Nina steeled herself, hands raised and knife angled. Then, a lunge, quick calculations racing in her head as she waited for a reaction, anything, something that could give her time to stall throwing an attack.

- Elyse's POV -​

Elyse’s bravery seemed rather short-lived, for she couldn’t bear to lift her feet to initiate the attack. Instead, she remained dormant, prowling like a cat that really didn’t want trouble, but was nevertheless ready to use its claws, however dull they may be.

The time to strike would come soon enough, as Nina suddenly broke the stalemate with a strong, spontaneous lunge. Instantly, adrenaline soared through her body, arms and dagger now raised in an attempt to block the blow.

The dull sound of wooden knives colliding followed soon enough as Elyse’s knife pushed back against the other. Feet dug further into the ground, her upper body tensing up while attempting to hold back Nina’s strength. Just barely did she manage to tilt her opponents blow to the side in order to get away from her without a nasty splinter.

With hesitations now relaxed at the hands of the sudden energy surge, Elyse swiftly attempted to retaliate, sending several amateuristic shoves, slices and grabs at her opponents. Unfortunately, it seemed that she had underestimated the other girl, for she seemed considerably faster than the noble had hoped. Her haphazard flurry of blows missed turn after turn, wearing the short girl out at dangerous speeds.

As another jolt of her blade failed to even graze the redhead, a mix of frustration and desperate strength culminated as a charring heat within, a heartful groan escaping Elyse’s mouth as she sent an earnest, thoughtless punch towards Nina. To her shock, it wasn’t greeted by the light touch of air.

“I- I’m so sorry! I didn’t meant to-”

- Nina's POV -​

Nina staggered back at the abrupt blow to her face. Tears stung cerulean eyes, threatening to well up and leave embarrassing tracks down her cheeks. Shock plastered her features as an instinctive hand flew up to cover her sensitive nose. Blood slipped like velvet snakes down her smooth skin, dripping through the cracks of her knitted fingers and staining the earth below. Surprise lighted to spark a sense of betrayal. Nina hadn’t expected Elyse to actually hit her that hard, or in the face. Her pain blossomed and bloomed, nurturing a newfound drive to fight.

Elyse’s apology failed to register. Lowering the hand clasped to her face, Nina flicked the crimson on her fingers to the dirt, smearing the rest on the pale white of her trousers. A bitter, accusatory glare narrowed her eyes as she watched Elyse fret momentarily. Frigid anger flooded through her regardless of it being an accident and she darted forwards.

Firing a sharp jab at the noble, Nina scowled at the lack of contact. Annoyance thrummed within her at the idea that Elyse wasn’t ready to take a hit of her own. She aimed another punch only for it to breeze past her opponent who’d dodged once more. Pivoting her stance, she switched to attacking with her legs and swung a harsh high kick up before the girl could make an attempt at reprisal. Smug satisfaction curled in Nina’s chest at the sight of Elyse blocking the assault with her hands at the expense of the wooden knife flying out of her grip.

Even if Nina won their little disarming challenge, she wasn’t done. A swift arc of her right leg collided with Elyse’s shoulder, delivering a bruising strike that sent the brunette colliding with the dirt.

- Elyse's POV -​

Honest words seem to fall on deaf ears, for there was no moment of reconciliation in sight. With her guard down, Elyse just barely managed to evade the first few blows of the enraged farmer, almost losing her balance only to be suddenly greeted by another attack. Seeing no chance to dodge, her arms almost instinctively moved to protect her chest and face, but it wasn’t enough.

As an earnest groan escaped her lips, so did the wooden knife leave her grasp, greeting the ground soon after. There was a glimpse of relief within as Elyse realised it would finally be over, but - to her surprise - Nina hadn’t had enough just yet.

Oh no.

Falling to the ground, the brunette yelped at the harsh impact with the soil, hands moving to hold the shoulder that had just been brutally kicked down. Swirls danced before her dazed eyes as she laid on her back, blankly staring at Nina in anticipation. Fortunately, her spree of violence had come to an end, much like her own inner drive to fight back. That’s right, this was a consensual fight after all. No room for ill feelings, as embarrassing as it was to be kicked down like that.

Deep breaths, Elyse. Deep breaths.

“Wow, that was- quite the impressive kick.” The still somewhat blurry-eyed noble uttered between irregular breaths as she raised her torso from the ground, one hand remaining on her throbbing shoulder as the other went to sweep off the dirt on the back of her head and neck.

Looking up to force a sheepish smile, Elyse’s awkward swiftly shifted into one of concern as she now properly saw the blood coming from Nina’s nose.

“Are you alright?" She puffed earnestly.

"I can’t believe I hit you in the face- I promise I wasn’t trying to, I just-” Sighing deeply, Elyse waved off some more dust as she got up to face Nina, earnest guilt and disdain plastered on her face.

“Again, I’m really sorry. Could we call it even?" The noble mentioned, her tone now lighter than before.

"You did hit me pretty hard with that last kick.” She'd egg on in humorous intention. With her hand raised, she would smile, hoping for some reciprocation.

- Nina's POV -​

Wiping her dripping nose on the back of her slender hand, Nina grimaced at the sight of blood painting her skin. Her glare had eased, anger and embarrassment melting away only to be morph into abject horror. Clarity smacked her in the face, followed by regret that hacked away at her as she began to panic internally. Losing her temper over an accidental punch was even more mortifying than getting hit and almost crying.

Instead of helping Elyse up, she gawked, a little stunned and alarmed by what she had done. At the words of praise she was ready to leave, pretend nothing had ever happened and erase this whole ordeal from her newly cursed memory, but it wasn’t over and Elyse was somehow smiling at her.

Unsure of how to reply to the compliment, the redhead remained silent, her fingers fidgeting as she waited for an angry response, perhaps another clobber to the face or for the noble to start spitting deserved insults that she’d take without fuss. This unexpected kindness unsettled her, rattling her shaken thoughts some more and thinning her lips into a nervous line.

Shifting her gaze to rest on anything but Elyse, Nina rubbed at her bleeding nose again and offered a meek reply, “I’m okay. It’s okay that you hit me. Uh… I’m sorry for getting mad.”

Swallowing anxiously, the girl finally looked up at Elyse, taking in the partly dishevelled appearance of her former opponent with the new addition of dirt speckling her uniform, and then she noticed the raised hand. Hesitancy cautioned her as she took it, shaking it with the hand that bore no smeared blood and pulling it away like she’d been burnt after a brief moment.

“We don’t have to call it even, you can hit me again if you’d like,” Nina suggested, disbelief washing over her features at how easily Elyse wanted to sweep the whole fight under the rug, “and I’ll clean your uniform for you if you want, just let me know what I can do.”

- Elyse's POV -​

An inquisitive expression showed itself as Elyse took note of Nina’s duality. That bubbly, extraverted twinge she had at the start seemed to now be drowned out by hesitance, and it was only until she apologised that she realized why. Perhaps her response was an unusual one, but Elyse’s pride - though certainly present - wasn’t as fragile as some would instantly judge it to be. Being kicked from the throne doesn’t mean much when you never cared for sitting on it in the first place.

Feeling happy that Nina’s frustration seemed to sink away, Elyse continued the jestful act that was exclusively reserved for moments in which she could feel comfortable. She couldn’t quite place why she felt safe around the person that had viscerally sent her into the dirt just a few seconds ago, but anything was better than Ramiel, really. At this point, she was so starved for social interaction that it probably wasn’t all too weird for her to feel bubbly.

Raising an eyebrow at Nina’s selfless & self-destructive remarks, Elyse couldn’t help but feel a tad confused. Did she truly feel so guilty that she was willing to get punched and clean her clothes?

"Really? Well, in that case.”

Smiling gleefully, Elyse started circling her non-beaten shoulder backwards as if reeling in a big catch with the rope that is her arm. In one smooth sweep, the circling turned into a wind-up weak punching motion that would stop a solid distance away from Nina’s face. Now, it was time for the real weapon: a stern flick to the forehead welcomed by a special voice effect.

“Pow! Now we’re even.” She’d chime, taking a step back to give her opponent some more space.

“Actually, there is one thing you could help me with, but.. I’ll ask you later, okay? It’s nothing major, just need to take care of a certain nuisance.”

Danidify & ShadyLady​

​

​

 

[Demon Shinobi]

Even with Mr. Klein's help and preparation, August had found himself in relative awe at the sight of so many people on the first day of training. Unfortunately, the feeling of... was it wonder? Could it be called something like that in this situation? Maybe. Whatever this feeling might have been was undercut by the intense inspection of sorts that Commander Krause began. He was a little shocked, though not by her behavior. Mr. Klein had prepared him for that level of Drill Sergeant behavior. Plus, deep down, he wasn't sure she was as bad as she made herself out to be. More than any of this, his shock came from wondering if she planned to do this for every cadet.

There was just no way, right? Right?

His suspicions were proven true when it seemed a sort of punishment was given and they were all made to run. August paced himself, humming lightly as he occasionally passed by various recruits. It went on for what felt like forever. Every so often he'd catch recruits talking to each other. Did they already have friends? Whether new or old, he couldn't help being a little envious. He didn't see many people he could readily recognize from the Utopia district. Mrs. Klein had told him it would be unlikely. The Utopia District's inhabitants rarely attempted to enlist. They made names for themselves, or simply worked to support the military, as engineers, builders, factory workers.

He let out a sigh, continuing to run. He could feel the sweat building, droplets rolling down the contours of his skin as he moved. He didn't really appear to ever come to lead the pack, but he showed no signs of slowing either. He simply moved at his own pace.

--------------------​

It wasn't really until that night at dinner that August found himself beginning to converse with other cadets. Some were "impressed" by his performance. Some wanted to know if he was maybe holding something back. After all, he didn't seem as worn out or tired as many of them did. Some wished only to complain about the "harsh" exercises of the day, others about fellow recruits who may or may not have been responsible. August didn't see the point. The exercises themselves hadn't been very difficult and the other cadets were doing their best to stand out and maybe show their determination. Really, it was kind of admirable.

Still, try as he might to push aside any potential resentment, he couldn't help getting a little annoyed as tensions seemed to rise. There was a commotion, growing by the looks of it. It seemed a fight might break out. Part of him was curious. He would have liked to see how tough his fellow cadets were, but others tried to intervene.

Then, Commander Krause put an end to it.

August sighed as put his spoon down. He'd almost finished eating too. 240 push ups didn't seem too bad at least. Of course, his newfound friends didn't share that sentiment. What could August really do beside following orders though?

--------------------
​

Days past and then a few weeks. August found himself making and losing friends with each passing day. Many seemed to drop out, regretting the choice to enlist at all. It was as Commander Krause expected. The numbers were whittling down until the overwhelming crowd seemed to become something more akin to a manageable "class" of sorts. August however, hadn't become particularly close with many who stayed. He didn't stand out much. It wasn't much like he was trying to though. Getting into the top 10 might have been nice, but what reason did he have. His place in the Utopia District was fairly safe for Misha and his mother all else considered.

Why was he here? Because working in the Factories didn't appeal to him? Because he wanted to try and help people? Because he wanted to be someone that Misha could look up to and be proud up? Maybe it was none of that. Or maybe it was all of it. Maybe it was something else entirely.

August exhaled softly and shrugged, rolling his shoulders back softly as he loosened himself up a bit. He tilted his head back from side to side, stretching and scanning the training field. He was meant to find a sparring partner. Close quarters combat was certainly more fun at least than running and pushups. At least, it was meant to be. Now though, as he scanned the battlefield, there didn't seem to be many potential options for combat. Whether it was due to his lack of overall presence the last few weeks, dropped out comrades, or those who simply didn't wish to fight him, it seemed he was left without a partner. The few times he did think he'd found a potential partner, he'd been beaten to the punch. He didn't mind though. Even just watching, he was learning quite a bit, both about combat and about the remaining cadets.

Sights ranged from admittedly funny to intense to brutal. He couldn't help feeling like he should maybe pull up a chair and take notes as he a calm smile formed on his lips. August hummed softly. If there was one thing that stood out... it was that he seemed not to have a care in the world despite the controlled chaos of combat surrounding him.

Suddenly, realization hit.

"Ah..." he exclaim as he brunch his right fist down lightly into the palm of his left hand. August blinked a few times before scanning the training field once more. He began to rub the back of his head. "I should probably try not to look like I'm lazing around too much..." He couldn't help laughing a bit nervously. "Commander might get mad."

 

[Colorless Spectrum]

Laurence Arnault & Jo Schreiber

Conversations Under the Moonlight

Laurie laid flat in the middle of the quad, the night was cold and the only warmth with him was the weak heat from the lantern that he brought with him. It was already deep in the night, and everyone was asleep except for him. The cries of the cicada were calming but even so, the teenager held sorrow in his eyes that matched his frown. It was one of the rare times that Laurie didn't smile, sobriety oozed from him as he looked up to the stars.

"Exhausting day and yet… I can't sleep." He said to himself softly. He let out a sigh before closing his eyes. Perhaps if he did so he'd find himself awake by morning, even if it resulted in the aching of his back.

Perhaps a minute had passed since then, maybe more or perhaps less. He couldn't really tell. By the time he opened his eyes, the stars were still there shining brightly as ever. Polaris. Laurie always admired how brightly it shined and he felt rather insignificant beneath it. "The stars look especially beautiful tonight." He muttered longingly, in his mind, he wondered if there was heaven and if his mother were there.

Tiredness seeped from Jo’s eyes. She would have retired to bed, but try as she might, her mind buzzed and prevented her from falling into a sleep she so needed. She believed a walk would tire her out. They were at least permitted that. She was aware plenty would have snuck off somewhere given the chance anyway. Surprisingly, security was lax in keeping the recruits tucked away in their beds.

Jo yawned as she walked along, the orange light of her lantern her only walking companion. She looked up to the sky. Polaris. The brightest star of the Ursa minor. It never ceased to amaze her how many things she remembered learning from her childhood. She wondered if Laurie still had that book she gave him on astrology.

Speaking of, she paused at the sound of Laurie muttering to himself. He hadn’t quite changed in that regard. She followed the voice and the distant flame of the lantern. She stopped behind him before responding, “Ah, but not as beautiful as you!~” She said in a mockingly sweet tone, though, made a retching noise afterward. “The amount of times I’ve heard that one before…” She muttered before putting the lantern down.

He stifled a peal of laughter at Jo's words though he was surprised that she was awake. "Hey," Laurie patted down on the ground next to him. "You couldn't sleep too?"

Jo sighed and nodded, lowering herself to the ground. “Not really. Just been thinking a lot. You know how it is,” she chuckled. “I thought you’d be asleep by now. Especially for your early start.”

"I should be, but it seemed like a nice night to stay up." He said to her as he got up to sit with Jo, pulling up a knee that he could rest his arm on. He missed her, he didn't think that they'd see each other again and he was glad for that but this the world really loves to play cruel tricks on him.

"It's been a long time, hasn't it? We've been training and chatting, but we never got to talk about the elephant in the room." Laurie started, his gaze lingered to the mountains. "How have you been? The twins? Your parents?"

It sounded like a Laurie answer, that was for sure. A nice night to stay up. Maybe for a bit, if just to look at the stars for a time. She sat with her legs outstretched for a moment before she pulled them in, crossing her legs.

Jo sat in silence, listening to crickets harmonizing with the hum of the night. Of course, he wouldn't have known. Laurie and his mother were never told why they were let go so suddenly. They wouldn't have stuck around Karanes District long enough to find out. She sighed, rubbing the back of her neck. “Well...we’re…” She hummed, wondering how she would even begin to explain. She figured it was best to just come out with, rip the plaster off. “When you and your mom were...well, let go...it was because of some pretty bad debt.” She hadn’t been able to look up at Laurie. It was how disgusted and ashamed she was of the situation. “Some of it that we’re still trying to pay off…”

The smile faltered from his lips. He had always wondered why they were suddenly let go by the Schreiber family, even Leticia, his mother, didn't get any explanation about it. "It's that bad, huh?" He wondered if they had never gotten laid off then would his mother be alive right now, cooking in that kitchen with him helping her out. Reading with Jo in their library of books and playing with the twins. "Unfortunately, the world is cruel that way." He said with sobriety, almost pitifully.

"So I guess you're joining the Military Police?" He asked her, staring at her almost golden eyes in the lantern light. "They got the best deal from all three regiments. A nice place, good food I assume, and a pretty nice salary."

Jo knew Laurie was right when he said that. That the world, their world inside these walls, were unforgiving. She just never expected to hear it come from Laurie’s mouth and it showed in the slight surprise in her eyes. But she didn’t let it linger and instead, focused on responding with a “Yeah. Yeah, it is.” How it would be so much easier to just go back, to stop the catalyst, cut away the root of the problem.

Jo’s eyes returned to Laurie’s blue ones, surprisingly, not flickering as bright as she once remembered, and managed a nod. “Yeah. Military Police. The pay’s better than the Scouts and Garrison combined. And a hell of a lot better than trying to manage a bunch of different jobs at once.” When one ended, she would go onto the next, and the next, until she dropped. It wasn’t healthy. But it was all she could do to try and at least lessen their worries.

“I’m going to make it into the top ten,” she declared to Laurie, fist clenched. “Even if I just make number ten...that’s all I need to get there. Maybe then we could make a dent into bills, and loans, and whatever else we owe. I don’t even care about the cosy place I’ll get, or the food, or the peace, if it means I can send a chunk of my payslip back home.”

A small smile broke through Laurie’s solemn expression. If anyone can do it, it was Jo. That much he believed. “You’re gonna make it to the top ten for sure. You got the brains,” He tapped his temple to emphasize his words. “And you’ve got the knack for it.” It shows during their many days of training. Unlike him, his best friend had the fire to live on. “I have no doubt about it.”

“Of course I am,” Jo grinned, as self-assured in herself as ever. She stretched her arms out in front of her, groaning as she added, “You can only get better, right? And that’s what I intend to do.” Maybe not be the best of the best, but at least be among them. Part of it was the glory for her, but the majority of it, really, was for the money more than anything.

Her arms dropped onto her lap. She looked to Laurie again, raising an eyebrow as she asked, “So...what does your mom think about you joining the military? I thought she’d encourage you to keep cooking for the rest of your life.”

Suddenly Laurie was distant. His face painted in misery, and his gaze held a sadness that seemed too much to bear. “You’re right, she would want me to cook for the rest of my life but she can’t complain even if she wanted to. She’s dead, Jo. Have been for almost a year now.” His body felt numb, but his voice carried a tinge of anger.

“Died from sickness.” He hated that there was so little he could do for his mother. If only she hadn’t worked herself to the bone for a worthless son like him. He couldn’t even afford her medicine. So much regret settled within his chest that he had often tried to bury deep down into the abyss. “There is no home for me to go back to anymore.”

Silence smothered the two. Jo felt her breath catch in her throat and she immediately wanted to grab her words to take them back. It was only when Laurie uttered what Jo had already known that the theory became grounded in reality. Jo’s gaze moved to the ground. So, Leticia was dead. And to think she would have been so grateful to see her again.

And Shinganshina had been obliterated, overrun by Titans. She didn’t want to think about what happened to his grandparents, who she knew lived there. Eaten, or sent to ‘reclaim’ Wall Maria. What a nightmare. Truly, Laurie had nowhere to turn to other than here.

Jo lifted her hand and placed it on Laurie’s shoulder, squeezing it. “I’m sorry, Laurie.” What else could she say? It seemed tragedy had a way of affecting all of them, of destroying their foundations and what few joys they had left in it. “I hate these damn walls,” she muttered. Of course, she hated the Titans too, for who didn’t? But humans could be their own worse enemy.

"It's okay. I've come to terms with it." Not really. Laurie had looked tired all of a sudden. Like a world full of burden rested on his shoulders. "I saw it coming when she got sick. Couldn't afford to get her to a doctor too." She passed away so suddenly. His eyes glistened from the tears that wanted to fall but he wouldn't let it. He doesn't want to show it.

"I'm going to join the Scouts Regiment." He stated boldly, remorsefully, but honestly. The flicker of the lanterns that they brought brightened half of his face and only furthered the grim that it held. "I want to help humanity be rid of the Titans." His words fell short of the determination and anger anyone would have in saying so.

"I've thought long and hard about this." He said as if he was convincing himself rather than his old friend. In truth, he decided it on a whim after seeing the Scouts come back from their expedition. He was pretty much looking for death in the pretense of a noble intention.

Jo stared at Laurie, really focusing on him. He was a horrible liar. At least to her. Then again, he had done pretty well with hiding it when they reunited, and with their comrades thus far. Even his words...she heard Sera say such things with more conviction. She didn’t want to challenge him on that.

But it was in Jo’s nature to challenge things.

“You’re braver than I am, that’s for sure…” Jo murmured, reaching up to tighten her bird-nest hair bun. She paused for a moment, looking up at the stars, much like they did on the roof of her house. “Laurie…” She started, unsure of how to voice her concern. “You know I can’t stop you. Just like you can’t stop me from where I want to go. Just be careful out there.”

"I will. You know I'm always careful, never had a cut from a kitchen knife after all." He held up his hand for Jo to see. If anything there were only calluses from signs of work but never cuts.

Jo did smile and chuckle a little at that. “You were always good with a kitchen knife.” She hadn’t dared touch any at their young age. She preferred to let Laurie handle that and watch him, so she could learn from it before ever using one. Her eyes traced the calluses on his hand, knowing that he certainly had to have been laboring. He looked back at him again. “Funny to think how we ended up in the same place again after all these years.”

Laurie had only nodded in response. And yet soon, we're still meant to part ways. It was ironic, painfully so. He stared at the sky once again, seeing the stars' faded shine. He didn't notice how much time had passed but the dark blanket of the unknown had started to seem brighter than before. "It's getting awfully late or rather very very early. At this point, we might not get a nick of sleep by the time Krause wakes us up."

He stood up, dusting himself before picking up his lantern. "We should sleep, at least an hour or two should be enough to get through the day. Good night, Jo." He said before walking back to the boys' cabin, leaving his old friend behind.

Jo looked up to Laurie as he rose to his feet, advising that they return to their cabins to get some sleep. “Ah. Yeah, I suppose that’s a good idea,” she murmured. It was clear their catch-up, and whatever topic of conversation she had brought up before, was to be abruptly ended. As much as she felt it odd of Laurie, it was getting late. Soon enough, they wouldn’t have the need for lanterns.

She rose to her feet as well, though, Laurie had bid her goodnight and began walking away before she could say her own goodnights. Though, she would choose to say it anyway. “Good night, Laurie.” She called after him. She didn’t immediately head back to her cabin though. She instead stood, watching Laurie wandering back.

All the while, she wondered what was going on inside her old friend’s head.

mention: || interaction: Arcanist

 

[Moonlessite]

Three Years Later…
COLLAB WITH Raiden
MENTIONS: Everyone​

It was a new day. Light struck through the branches like spears of liquid sunlight as a gentle spring breeze wafted through fresh leaves. The 104th had undergone many, many obstacles during their time in training; what had started off with just above one hundred recruits had dwindled to three dozen over the course of three years. But those couple of dozen were the cream of the crop-- the ones who had survived blizzards, sweltering summer afternoons, rain that fell like bullets from darkened clouds, starvation, and disease. They were the ones who would graduate. They were the ones that would take the first step in ushering in a new age.

Instructor Krause, on the other hand, hadn’t aged that well over those three years. Her blonde hair, vivid at the start of the 104th’s journey, had dulled a significant amount. One or two streaks of gray criss-crossed her golden locks, and her eyes, which had once held a dark tempest, were calm as a spring morning. It was late the previous year in which a horrid illness had caught her in its clutches, leaving her weaker and with a slight limp. In the end, she survived, much to the pride-- or disdain, perhaps-- of the recruits.

Nevertheless, she stood tall upon the thick branch that laid beneath her feet. Her eyes carefully watched the shadows that zipped through the forest and rose up to perch themselves among the branches in chatty clusters. Krause felt that, despite the fact that they were growing older, her students were very much still the sparrow fledglings that she had started out with. She hoped that they would give them a good show.

“There are fewer of them than last time, aren’t there?” a voice pondered from behind her.

Krause turned her head slightly to see a feminine figure step closer. This woman’s hair seemed to be plated silver in the sunbeam she stood in; it curled along her gaunt, pale features and pulled the bright blue from her eyes. She was wrapped in the signature hunter green cowl of the Survey Corps. Krause’s eyes narrowed at the insignia-- the cursed wings of freedom-- that emblazoned the back of her cowl. But the motion of slight discontent only lasted for a brief moment; she stood taller, nodding her head respectfully.

“Commander Ambrose. I didn’t hear you approach. I’m glad you made it.” However, her eyes narrowed once again as they fell upon the man at her side. “Though, if I may ask, why did you have to bring that one along?”

Ambrose blinked and looked at her as if she didn’t understand the question. She turned to look at the man, then back at her. “Why, Hillel’s my most trusted confidant. There’s no reason for me to leave him behind.”

Krause scowled with distaste, her glare only hardening as she watched Hillel. “Right…”

Glug, glug, glug. “Damn, that’s th’stuff,” Hillel Ackerman chimed from his perch against the bark of the giant tree, one foot kicked up over the other as he chugged through one of his many flasks entirely. His figure reeked only slightly of alcohol, his unkempt appearance and uninterested demeanor perfectly befitting his negative reputation. That was about the time that he noticed that Krause was glaring at him from over the Commander’s shoulder, prompting him to rise from his seated position.

Hillel stretched his arms out wide with a mighty yawn, offering the lady a smile. “Ain’t no bad blood ‘tween us now, Evelyn,” Humanity’s Greatest Drunkard chuckled, striding up to Ambrose’s side. “Got nothin’ better t’do, anyway. Who t’hell likes paperwork?”

Krause couldn’t help but deepen her scowl when Hillel approached. Of course he was the type of person to come along with the commander for one of his drunken escapades. “The least I can ask you to do is show some composure. You’re embarrassing yourself in front of the recruits.”

The Commander said nothing for a long moment. She simply watched the trainees on the branch. “Don’t get so upset. Besides, isn’t there something much more important to talk about? Tell me about the recruits. You’re bound to have some favorites, hm?”

Favorites. Ambrose was already poking at her weak spots.

“I’ll never understand you Scouts,” Krause sighed with exasperation.

“Good swig keeps m’from them silv-ur hairs,” Hillel reached around Ambrose to solicit one of Evelyn Krause’s white hairs with exact precision, letting it fall from his fingers as he scoffed at the offhand dagger thrown by his old friend. “Don’t choppin’ fresh meat git old?”

His ears perked at the distant yet all too familiar sound of maneuver gear crossing the atmosphere of the forest. Hillel crossed his arms together, his hand coming up to stroke his scruffy beard while he looked out into the great unknown for any sign of the trainees. “‘less we expectin’ sum’n special in the game over yonder?” the soldier reiterated the Commander’s inquiry in his own fashion.

Krause wished she could have decked Hillel straight in the face for touching her. Instead, she turned her attention to the first of the recruits that zipped along the treeline. “The 104th’s in possession of several shining stars. Usually, I’d never have more than one or two favorites, but this year’s different.” She sent a sidelong glance at Ambrose. “That is why you asked to come here today, right?”

“The Survey Corps is always in need of recruits. If you say that this year’s batch is special, I should have the right to be a little excited.”

The instructor hummed, then nodded at the first of her students. “That one’s Laurence Arnault. A happy-go-lucky cadet that lacks initiative. He excels in teamwork with others because of his good relationship with them. There is great potential to improve, but he hardly gives his all.”

“The one right after him is Jo Schreiber,” Krause nodded at the girl that was near the black-haired boy “Strong minded both in the classroom and on the field, and a stalwart advisor to her peers. But she lets her head rule her actions like an iron fist, rather than letting her emotions and rationality work in tandem."

Ambrose chuckled. “It isn’t too often that you get an academic, Evelyn. I remember you being the same way, when you were younger.”

Sighing, Krause motioned to the other recruits that were hovering about on the branch. They all seemed to be getting prepared to take to the air as well, all of them well-fit in their ODM gear. “Jericho Mace.”

“Ah, Darius’ boy--”

"Excellent skill and quick on his feet in combat. Impressive adaptability, remarkable endurance, and uncanny intuition. The same, however cannot be said for his scores academically; he floats just above passing and though there has been progress attitude-wise, his 'team spirit' leaves much to be desired. "

Krause turned to the next student, the blonde-haired girl that leaned against the trunk of the tree. “That one is Vivian Schweiss. A good girl; stubbornly loyal and easy to rely on. She can be a little distant at times, but she cares for her teammates. Not to mention, she’s a force of nature, and brutal and precise in combat, though her ODM skills can still use a little work. She’s also a bit too blunt for my taste. Her sharp tongue’s gotten in the way of communicating efficiently with the other recruits in the past.”

Next was the red-haired girl right next to Vivian. Krause nodded. “Nina Polgar is another apt recruit. Comes up with decent plans when put on the spot. Almost all of the trainees are quick to listen to her, because she’s so well-liked and easy to get along with.”

“Leon Monar. He’ll be a wonderful addition to the Survey Corps-- he has the potential to be an efficient Titan slayer. Very quick-witted and uses the resources he has at hand rather well. But he’s shown to be unpredictable… he’s prone to starting fights or falling asleep at the strangest times.”

Krause turned to where Halvor stood on the branch across from them. “Halvor Verdende. Near top scores in CQC and ODM gear training, and another scholar. Something noteworthy is his uncanny precision; almost always hits bullseye on a target with a rifle, and is very methodical with his slashes. The only thing that’s frustrating about him is that his overconfidence in his own talents and strategies makes him stubborn enough to disregard another plan if he doesn’t personally think it’s any good. He needs to work on conveying those strategies to properly demand order among his teammates.”

The instructor could have sworn that Commander Ambrose flinched, but when she turned to look at her fully, the other woman maintained a stalwart expression.

“Did you say that boy’s name was Halvor?”

“Yes, Halvor Verdende.”

Ambrose narrowed her eyes and rubbed her chin. “I see.”

Hillel’s look also tightened, though it was purely in response to the Commander’s inquisitive tone. “Didn’ think ya’d be int’rested in kids,” the man joked, his eyes shot out towards the flicker of motion and seeing their current subject swing from the branch with blades drawn to execute a would-be Titan. “Could teach Pia a thing er two ‘bout bein’ more assertive.”

“Kids are at the age where they show the most potential. You can spend all the time you want honing their skills,” Commander Ambrose said in a matter-of-fact tone. She turned to Krause. “Sorry for interrupting.”

Krause sighed, glancing over at the trainees once again. “Anke Vinter. Has shown an outstanding amount of diligence since she joined. She seems to have trouble when it comes to teamwork and has seemed to have mellowed out. Her physical skill has improved greatly over the course of the years although her focus can be hindered due to her bond with others, especially her twin sister, Elke.

“Elke, on the other hand, didn’t show potential when she first came here. I thought she was going to be among the first to drop, but her dedication and determination is among the strongest of the recruits. Her skills at the ODM gear are impeccable-- watching her use the gear is like watching a bird fly. But she needs to learn to be more assertive, and is a natural follower rather than a leader. I’d keep her away from a leadership role until she’s ready to blossom.” Krause sighed.

“How do you tell them apart, you ask?” Krause continued. “I don’t know. I never figured it out.”

Before Ambrose or Hillel could say anything in response, she turned to the next recruit-- a black haired fellow perched another tree trunk. “August Ackerman. Shows exemplary performance in all subjects with a great sense of instinct. He has the diligence for training and has been forming a good relationship with the other cadets slowly throughout the years. He shows the potential to be the most valuable cadet."

”Ackerman, ya say?” the older Ackerman rolled his eyes, hocking spittle off to the side as he tapped his foot. It was the very first time that Hillel was hearing about any Ackermans outside of his family in Dauper; he thought of his father’s recollection from a lifetime ago, pondering on the possibilities of their connection. There wasn’t supposed to be any more of them outside of Dauper, unless… No, I doubt it. It would seem that their bloodline continued to deal in mysteries.

“Yes, strange name, isn’t it? I don’t think I’ve met any other Ackermans other than yourself. Anyway,” Krause scanned the branches for the other recruits. “We have another pair of siblings. You can see one of them there, near the end of the branch-- Julian Hatton. Efficient in his kills and quick on his feet but lacking power in his strikes. His combat prowess focuses on getting things done and over with quickly. A soldier we can expect to get things done in a timely manner.”

“His sister is over there. Bianca Hatton. Surprisingly slow despite her small size, but with enough power in her strikes and combat abilities that she's a force to be reckoned with. One twin making up for the faults of the other? How original."

Ambrose sniggered lightly. “Did they actually give you two pairs of twins?” she asked, only to halt her slight laughter and clear her throat. “I’m sorry if I found that amusing, but… what are the odds of that happening?”

Krause wanted to tell her that she hoped that both pairs of twins would join the Scouts just to spite Ambrose, but simply ground her teeth together and continued. “That one there’s Fabio Bier. An ace at using his ODM gear, and works well with others. A bit shabby at hand-to-hand combat, though.”

“Sera Mayer,” Krause was able to find the dark-haired girl rather quickly, "excels in the use of ODM gear and other forms of physical training. However, her personal goals and attitude may cause problems on the battlefield."

Her mouth was getting a little dry, but Krause simply licked her lips and continued without a break. “Luka Soroka. Started off as an embarrassment to the military but has shown stark improvement in physical categories. Now average at CQC, and proficient enough with the gear to not slam into trees anymore. One of the class' top strategic minds, ideal for an officer and could've possibly shot for the 10th spot if he wasn't prone to choosing when to work hard. A bit rebellious, likely attributed to his friendship with Jericho.”

“Sounds like potential, I like him.”

“One of the best recruits. Shame he didn’t make it into the top ten. Anyways, next is Elyse Hildebrand. She’s grown far from being the dainty little princess that she started off as. Another clever one, diligent and strong-willed, too. She knows how to come up with good plans, but lacks the strength and precision to carry them out single-handedly.” Krause told them before she turned to the last of the noteworthy recruits.

Ramiel was next. “Much can be known from Diakos. Of the many things, it’s transparent to see that Ramiel is a polar mix of calm and nerve. Over the three years, little by little, it’s become clear he lethally pines to gain everything and everything for privilege and power. This persistent greed does not speak much tongue on whether it’s growth and improvement or a step back in moral alignment. However, it has emerged through the competitive nature of training alongside the development of a personal vendetta of being held down under Hildebrand’s thumb. He is not the best leader in conjoined teamwork, but does appear to have networked himself with the other cadets. In physical capabilities, he still lacks robustness in figure but makes up for it by his speed and intelligence.”

“Seems to me like you have a lot of favorites this year, Evelyn.” Commander Ambrose mused quietly.

Krause gave her another one of her sidelong glares. “With good reason. Watch, and you’ll see what I mean.”

 

[homintales]

Sera Mayer​

Sera had trouble remaining fully conscious, even as the ODM training commenced. She was unable to get much sleep the night prior. She had stayed up all night planning almost every action that would take place once Krause gave them the go ahead to commence the Titan slaughter. Well, Dummy Titans anyway. She wouldn’t receive any real satisfaction from slicing into one of them. Maybe she could’ve pictured a real Titan in her mind while did? Not that she ever saw one, nor would it matter. She was far too tired to use the expansive imagination she carried.

In order to stay awake, Sera tried slapping, pinching, and even hitting herself to stay in the game. She looked over the others in Group A. Even if she was only ⅕ awake, Sera still needed to show superior skill than all of them. However, it wasn’t just her own group she had to worry about. In terms of Quantity, not Quality, she also had to worry about the others.

There’s a lot of them. Sera said to herself. She had separated herself from the rest of Group A. She looked out into the forest, where she could see some of the fake Titans. Plenty of them too, enough for everyone. She started to walk in circles. But sharing won’t impress the Commander, now will it? She would gladly steal kills from the others if that was the only option. Except Luka of course, who unlike Jo possessed a truly respectable reason for going into the Military Police.

Everyone else though, they were fair game. Blades equipped and utilizing the ODM gear, Sera traveled on top of one of the other nearby trees. When Krause finally gave the signal, Sera got straight to work. Forgetting about the rest of Group A, she rushed off on her own. Maybe the others had formulated some kind of strategy? They wouldn’t need it, Sera would easily make them rich in points, even if she remained on the verge of passing out.

Coming across the first Dummy she encountered, Sera sliced right through its Nape. Immediately after the target was finished, she moved onto another one, and then another one. Fourth one came up and she went in. But something went wrong. Whether it was the fault of the ODM gear or Sera lacking enough momentum, she missed the Dummy almost completely, only taking a small portion of its artificial Nape out.

“Fuck!” She shouted out loud. “How did I miss-” In the midst of the short self rant, and with a little assistance from the lack of sleep, Sera completely forgot that she was in midair. As soon as she snapped back to reality, Sera slammed headfirst into a tree. Luckily she was able to react quickly enough and anchor into the same tree. Despite saving herself from a bad fall, Sera was still bleeding from the forehead. “Shit…” She grunted as Blood poured from her forehead and onto the rest of her face. “God-dammit." This is what I get for not sleeping.” She flicked the Blood out of her eyes. “N-need to keep going.” She said, aiming for the same Titan she missed earlier.

Doing a few tricks with the ODM gear to reach the Dummy quicker, Sera swiped at the Nape. This time she managed to cut through it completely, with no trouble. She wondered if Krause had seen her slam into that tree. Hopefully not. While still anchored into one of the trees, Sera attempted to regain her composure. But it was no use. As soon as she spotted another potential target, everything went Black.

Mentions: Jo (Arcanist) and Luka (Raiden)

 

[Demon Shinobi]

Interactions: Bee ( Serei2477 ), Halvor ( Raiden ), Heiko and Noah, and Sera ( homintales )
Mentions: Everyone kinda. Like in general. I don't wanna tag more lol

A deep breath. August held it, counting mentally for a few seconds before exhaling. He'd gotten himself geared up and ready. His eyes scanned the terrain, his fellow cadets, and finally feel to look over his equipment. He was prepared for whatever may come. For a moment, the world seemed to melt away. He closed his eyes. Another deep breath. August almost seemed to flip a switch. Just like that, his expression shifted from the usual, casual smile he wore with pride to colder, icy glare. Then, it was gone. Just like that.

Commander Krause had been working him to the bone. She'd been working them all to the bone. But he wasn't about to lose himself, or lose the excitement he felt right now. Now, more than any other exercise, he felt like he could feel the results of her intense, Spartan training. Part of him couldn't help being grateful. He'd been pushed harder by her, by his fellow cadets.

"Bee, Heiko, Noah," he gave a light nod. "I'm sure none of you will have trouble staying in formation and keeping up. So, obviously, I'll be counting on you all to have my back like I'll have yours." He glanced at Halvor, a small grin forming on his face. "Hal, think you can follow along?" he asked, a playful gesture. He knew as much as the others how tough Halvor was. But there was nothing wrong with a little friendly competition. August chuckled slightly. "Then again, you seem more the type to charge ahead yourself, huh? Get a head start?" he shook his head, feigning disappointment. "Let's see if that off the cuff strike didn't cost us a point." August shrugged. "I'll push ahead as soon as the signal is given. Let's do everything we can to win." This might have been a game, sure. They weren't fighting real Titan's, but... "We should also treat this like there really are lives on the line. Give it everything we have." He couldn't help giving a small smirk as he glance around at the four. His gaze lingered on Bee specifically though, for just a moment. He'd probably gotten closer to Jewel and her than he had to anyone else. In truth, it was kind of relieving to have at least one of them in his group. "After all, it's more fun that way, don'tcha think?"

There wasn't much time to wait for an answer. Krause gave the signal. Sera shout off. August gave a small whistle before shooting off the himself. Sera was probably one of the more impressive figures in the 104th. That was saying something given how amazing so many of them were. August was getting goosebumps. He was trailing just behind her. He saw the first target she'd marked. He wouldn't be able to overshoot her to steal the "kill" but that was okay. He chose the next nearest target. He was almost there, striking in near unison with the girl. He moved on to the next as she did. 'Two. Three. F-' his thoughts cut off as they reached the fourth of their targets. Sera missed. She missed? What the hell? No way. It was almost enough to throw August off course, but he managed to pull himself together to skillfully carve out the nape of his own fourth target. He wasn't one to lose focus, but even he couldn't help flinching when he heard the thud of Sera hitting the shit.

Now, when he'd suggested they treat this like actual lives were on the line, he didn't expect a life to be on the line. Luckily, that wasn't the case. Her recovery was more then just impressive to say the least. She rocketed forward, even showed off a bit while gaining speed and snatched back her fourth target. August, meanwhile, had just about reached his fifth target, ready to experience the satisfying feeling of his blades slicing through the Dummy Titan's neck. But then he saw Sera beginning to fall. No way. She hadn't...

"Ah shit!" August's eyes widened as the ODM Gear whirred to life once more. The anchored to the shoulder of the Dummy Titan. With it as a focal point and his momentum propelling him around he rocket toward Sera. Wasn't it too early for this kind of drama? Snatching her out of the air, August's ODM Gear shot out again, attaching to the nearest tree to propel him upward so he could land on one of the trunk like branches with Sera in his arms. His breaths were ragged, whether from the stress of a fellow cadet potentially plummeting to their demise or the added work he'd put in to keep up with said cadet was anybody's guess. Well... probably the former.

"Yo," he said, lightly tapping the girl's face as he settled on the branch, holding her in his arms. "Sera? Hey!"

 

[Castello]

Mentions: KaramelKarma Jericho lion. Demon Shinobi August
Interacts: M Moonlessite Vivian Serei2477 Jewel Raiden Luka ShadyLady

Wind rippled through Leon's hair as he sailed through the trees entitled to him by his master of the ODM gear. By now he had liberated his knack for it, natural enough to glide like a leaf off the tallest tree. He was a monkey swinging on vines and for Leon it was now pure, enthralling instinct. This emancipation of the senses did not quell his spirit, however--there were more important things on Leon's mind.

Four cadets appeared in his head, edging him along the competition. Hal was first and foremost, he was his most important rival. Hal had him beat in CQC and had shown more promise in the ODM gear but Leon had not sold himself inferior yet, he had this one, final chance. Ramiel, contrarily, was far more daunting. He was the epitome of facile--calm and collected and excelling in the few areas Hal lacked. Ramiel had been his unapproachable bar but if he had any chance of beating him, it was through his team and Leon was abhorred to admit it. The last two figments were Jericho and August. His interactions with Jericho had been deliberately sparse; with Hal, their fights would end with the night closing but Leon feared any further quarrels with Jericho would end in a cozy, shared casket. Finally was August, who had been a lingering presence for Leon. He hadn't much evidence but there was semblance with the other three boys that Leon could not simply spurn from his list.

Despite his daunting adversaries, Leon felt comfortable. He had Nina to his flank who was more than dependable and the two understood each other without much communication. With her by his side, Ramiel seemed a meager opponent. Vivian occupied a warm spot for Leon as well, she was no liability and she was a factor in his high hopes. Luka on the other hand was a dithering force on the team. Leon held him in good regards but he was not sure if this was the time and place for someone of his strategic nature. Leon's opinion was that battles with titans were won with wit and decisive action, the latter Leon feared the young boy lacked but Leon carried in spades. He was not overly concerned, maybe they would make a surprising duo in the end.

As for Viktor and Jewel, Leon could only spew uncertainty. Jewel on one hand was not bad looking but Leon was never sure if this was the boy twin or the girl twin... Jewel was a girl's name wasn't it? His mind could only offer a mental shrug, they were eye candy at least and from behind she'd be an extra boost to morale.

Leon eased heavy on the gas, slowing his speed to become level with the group. "Alright group C, we're fighting giant sticks but don't forget this is a simulation, Krause probably wants us to act as if this were life and death. Let's stick together and get home in one piece."

Leon's attention would turn to Luka, veering his fuel towards him. His eyes peeled for Nina, offering him a dubious smile. "You wanna know what Nina likes?" He said, keeping Nina's ears out of it. "A guy who can cut through a titan's nape like it was butter." He nudged him towards an upcoming dummy. "Watch how a pro does it."

"Titan 2 o'clock, this one's mine!"

With a single burst of gas, Leon’s trajectory changed. His eyes focused on the nape, as he began reeling in his wire. It's just like fishing right? He thought. How difficult could it be? Leon arced around to the titan's flank, his blades screeching out of their bed and getting ready to feast into the dummy's nape. He knew how important this kill was for the team. In a real situation, a slip up means death, but not only that, a blast to their morale. His mind's falter, however, overshot him of the target. His eyes shot open, extending his spine and arms. Son of a bitch, I can't lose it! His mind echoed. He remembered his fight with Hal, he did have one advantage over everyone else-- his height. With an excruciating ordeal with his spine, he was able to bend his back far enough that his blades skimmed right through the nape, slicing through it by the narrowest of margin. This maneuver cost him almost all control, shooting him towards a nearby tree. Now it was his abdomen feeling the pressure. He had bent his body like a pencil and now he needed to glue it back together before he collided against bark. With a quick shot of gas, he first quelled his momentum, shooting his feet out to catch onto the tree. Leon shot out the grapple, gracefully landing against the side of the tree and stabilizing. He paused a moment to catch his breath, watching as the dummy's nape slid to the ground. Leon knocked a fist out in minor celebration, smiling towards his team. His slip up might be missed to a naked eye, but Leon’s abs and spine definitely were not going easy on him for his mistake.

"That's one!" He exasperated.

Dammit, this might not be so easy. Were his final thoughts before preparing himself to enter the competition again.

 

[Arcanist]

Jo Schreiber
Mentions: - | Interactions: Ramiel ( lion. ), Fabio ( Selee-01 ), Anke ( alexfangtalon ), Fiona ( KaramelKarma ), Laurie ( Colorless Spectrum )

​

Group B, like Group C, had strength in numbers. Numbers were irrelevant though when it boiled down to skill. Their team had strong contenders, a batch of keen physical fighters, adepts of the ODM gear, soldiers who could pick up and carry out their duty with swift ease. Drawbacks? Working with others. Making the first move. Ruling with the head. She would admit, the last one was a drawback of hers.

“We can pair up, and keep within reasonable distance of one another,” Jo suggested, “we can cover more ground that way and not have to hinder ourselves moving as one giant cluster. Laurie and I can make one. Anke, Fiona, you can be another. Then that leaves Ramiel and Fabio.” Whether they would play ball or take creative liberties with her suggestions was up to them. They might not have even liked the idea of pairings or covering a little more ground. “Though, there are no hard and fast rules here, since it’s a simulation, so you can take the opportunity to get creative here with little consequence and change things up as needed,” she said. She ran through some important points again, “Use and be wary of your environment, adapt as necessary, and don’t hesitate to stick that sword in some napes if you get an opportunity.”

Jo paused. ‘Have I missed anything?’ She wondered, a niggling thought at the back of her head, something she needed to remind them of. “Oh…” She cleared her throat. “And have fun. It’s a competition. Might as well show the others why we’re ones to watch,” she smirked, pulling a pair of sturdy goggles over her eyes. After many failed attempts at keeping her spectacles secure during ODM training, this finely crafted accessory found its way into Jo’s hands. They had her lenses, were wide enough for her to see straight ahead and around her, and best of all, wouldn’t be lost as she spun in the air.

The signal was shot. The collective whirrs of several ODM gears sounded and practically shook the leaves throughout the forest. Jo’s was one of them, propelling forward as she directed a shout back at her comrades, “Good luck!”

Jo caught the three figures as her and Laurie passed them on their boost forward. Impressing Krause and her guests would have been at the forefront of most people’s minds, but that was a small part of a bigger whole. Winning this whole competition would have been most impressive but tact and wit had always been notable feats too. It wasn’t all just nipping necks and calling it a day after all.

Speaking of, one such occasion arose. Jo just about heard the strain of rising wood of one such Titan figure. Once they broke through foliage, she could imagine there would be a target waiting there for her. “Heads up, Laurie!” She shouted the warning to her old friend, still swinging forward at a steady pace. ‘One meter long. Ten centimetres wide.’ Jo reminded herself. The brief question Luka asked her, one sweltering summer where her hair frizzed into a bird’s nest, returned to her.

“Why do you think the nape of a Titan is its weakness?”

Strange how it would come back to her upon the sight of that precious weakness, a little farther from her right. Hooking into the tree closest to her, she thrust her body to turn around to the right. A release of gas propelled her forward as her blade met nape, tearing into the foam masquerading as flesh on her way past. As much as the victory tasted sweet, it took some strength to pull off. Soldiers made this look like mere child’s play. Jo refused to stop, however, and with another turn, went back to swinging onwards through the trees. To her left, she believed another target had appeared, though, left that one to Laurie’s discretion. It was his time to shine too, of course. And she had hoped he would take that opportunity.

Another appeared for her - though, with its wooden body facing Jo, its neck not within easy reach. She hooked into the tree just beyond it, lifting her up just a little higher so that she could reach the tree. On landing, she pushed herself from the trunk, cutting into the nape on her way past by its shoulder, before landing on another branch. She was less satisfied with the cut after she inspected it, but it would have still been enough to finish it off.

In the distance, she could hear shouting, puffs of gas, a continual chorus of the whirring of ODM gear. She assumed it was other groups simply communicating with one another, shouting instructions. She launched from the branch, continuing forward.

 

[alexfangtalon]

INTERACTIONS: August Ackerman ( Demon Shinobi ), Sera Mayer ( homintales ), Heiko Schönfinkel ( alexfangtalon ), Fiona Bryne ( KaramelKarma ), Instructer Krause ( M Moonlessite ), Commander Ambrose ( M Moonlessite ), Hillel Ackerman ( Raiden ), Joanna Schreiber ( Arcanist ), Laurence Arnault ( Colorless Spectrum ), Ramiel Diakos ( lion. ), Fabio Bier ( Selee-01 )​

What was the point of this game? Krause already knew what they could do. The other two standing by her also were not of much importance to Anke especially since she had no idea who they were. She was staring at the three as Jo gave instructions for what to do during the competition. "Aye aye, Captain. Make sure you keep up Fiona." Anke stretched and cracked her knuckles as she waited for the signal to begin. Unlike the majority, she didn't instantly blast off though. The short blonde turned back to the three observers and flipped them off as she let herself fall backward off the branch. Doing a corkscrew in the air she waited for a bit before sending her hook out to the tops of the trees. She was a blur as she shot forward through the sky to the treetops. Watching the directions her four team members went she made sure to cover ground in a different location. Looking behind her she was surprised to see Fiona wasn't falling behind. That likely was because she had started after everyone else and wasn't really giving it her all. They were just cardboard. This was just a silly game to show off.

Anke saw a cardboard Titan currently untouched. "FIONA! GET THE LEG PAD!" If they were doing this then Anke would use it like real practice. From above she shot a hook into the false Titan and giving efficient shots of gas rocketed towards the nape. Moments before she reached the false Titan the young girl released her hook and sent one flying towards the nearby tree. As it latched she used her downward momentum and force of the new latch to spin adding force to her cutting power slicing the nape to ribbons as she was pulled away. Flying away she looked back to see Fiona had indeed gotten to the leg as she'd asked. Regrouping with her partner, "GOOD JOB! KEEP YOUR EYES PEELED FOR MORE!"

Just as she said that both of the two rounded a tree to see two smaller cutouts. The one to the right was a bit bigger but the one on Anke's side had another cadet heading in its direction. Looking closer she saw it was Heiko. "YOU GET THE RIGHT! I'LL BEAT HIM!" The two gave a quick nod before splitting up. Using every bit of her skill Anke rocketed through the air to the cutout. Right hook, gas, release, left hook, gas, release, repeat. It was a risky method but the fastest way she knew how to get from one place to another. Heiko must have noticed her because he began increasing his speed. It was a race now. Pushing herself they both sent a hook out their wires crossing around the neck of the cutout. She glared daggers at Heiko. The race was now a game of chicken. As they both soared towards a head-on collision Heiko barely released in time to avoid crashing with Anke as she spun ripping the neck off the cutout. "THANKS FOR THE FREEBIE!" She laughed as she swung around a tree watching Heiko move on. She was very tempted to follow and steal his points the whole time but she needed to stick with Fiona as Jo said.

On her way to where her companion was earning a point, she heard a loud crash. Looking over she saw Sera in the far distance stationary against a tree. Uncertainty of what the crash was Anke chose to lead Fiona in the direction of her rival. The worry slightly subsided as she saw Sera lurch off the tree to shred a cutout's nape. That worry rapidly came back as her friend had seemingly lost consciousness. Her eyes went wide and she picked up speed. Anke quickly and easily left her partner in the dust forgetting entirely about the game/competition they were in. Her friend was in danger. She was using all her knowledge, strength, and skill to go as fast as she could but somewhere in her head she knew she wouldn't make it in time but she had to go. Her gas was quickly running out rapidly but so was Sera's time. Thankfully, while Anke couldn't reach her someone else had swooped in just in time. The adrenaline and fear still high Anke had to make sure Sera was okay. Hooking the branch that Sera was taken to she landed onto it and rushed to where Sera was being held. Noticing it was August, Anke let out a few rapid, concerned questions, "What happened? Was that loud crash her? Is she still breathing?"

 

[Serei2477]

​

Interacting:

Mentions: August, Sera, Leon

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Everyone's nerves must have been at their peak; trying to mentally and physically prepare themselves for this simulation. Jewel's and Bee's would have been as well if they had not been exposed to the beautiful scenery around them. The tall trees barely shielding the warmth of the sun, the gorgeous leaves and plants that lingered about. Jewel recognized one of the flowers in a small bed growing near them. It was the kind a fellow recruit had given to him as he confessed his "undying" love for "Juli." Apparently he'd snuck out of the walls to find the perfect flower just for her, and how brave he was to risk his life for the perfect gift. Jewel was also subjected to listening to the man's promise about how he'd get into the Military Police so they could spend the rest of their lives in peace if she accepted...

Unfortunately for that recruit, Jewel had to be the one to explain that the "woman" he was in love with was actually a man, and that "Juli" was short for Julian.

The guy was never the same.

Jewel picked the flower from the ground, bringing it close and smelled it. The Underground could never compare to the beauty of the surface. The fact that he and his sister were given the opportunity to see the sky, the trees, the grass, and the flowers at least once before they died... Did that warrant a thank you for Gabriel? Maybe. Jewel didn't forget they were brought to the surface to be soldiers; not because someone had pity and wanted to rescue the poor, starving teenagers.

Maybe once they've survived he could thank Gabriel. For now, they needed to focus on keeping it that way.

~~~~

Bee herself was mesmerized by the beauty of the outdoors. She wanted to roam the forest, search the grass, and just watch the clouds... But they were there for a competition, not a field trip.

She'd been lucky enough to get into a group with August and Halvor. They were both excellent soldiers from what she's seen of them. Her gaze met August's, and she smiled. If Jewel had gotten into the same group, it would've been just about perfect. Unfortunate, but that meant she could see just how much she and her brother improved since day one.

Her eyes caught Jewel's, who gave her that look of challenge. Bee's lips tightened and she faced forward again. She didn't necessarily want to be better than Group C; she just wanted to be better than Jewel.

He'd done so much for her to ensure their survival, she was going to show him that it wasn't for nothing.

~~~~

They were given the go and both twins shot off. Jewel kept close to his group, Bee stayed close to hers. The trees blurred past them as they quickly picked up speed. Jewel listened to Leon as best as the flapping wind would let him, picking up that they were supposed to treat this like the real deal. Which, yes they should if they want the best results for the simulation. Moving targets would have been the best, but hell, what did Jewel know?

He caught sight of a fake Titan poking out and he made his move. "North East; I got this one!" He made the callout. Doing a few tricks and releasing a bit of gas to go faster, Jewel zipped towards the dummy, swinging his sword at the nape and slicing through.

The bag was sliced through just deep enough that it would register as a kill, but only barely. He inwardly cursed and moved quickly to get to another one. Thanks to Krause's criticism, he took it to heart and used his confidence in the gear to maneuver better. His only issue was getting his cuts to be consistently deep.

He saw Sera's slip up, as did Bee, but both brushed it off. It was either natural selection or this would prove a lesson that she needed to be more careful.

Another cutout came into view and Jewel moved to swing. However, as his sword made contact he heard another slice. This one was harder and had more impact than his own.

Out of the corner of his eye he could see a similar head of blond hair trying to catch up. The cut he made was noticeably shallower, with Bee's cut being twice as deep as his.

Bee nearly lost control of her gear trying to hit the cutout's nape before her brother did, but after watching Sera's mishap she knew better than to throw her all into it. She didn't need to kill herself over some wood and fake napes.

Both siblings exchanged glances again before continuing forward.


[/CENTER]

 

[homintales]

Sera Mayer & Anke Vinter


​

The noon day sun was bright and scorching. The heat reflected by the dirt was enough to cook an egg on. Inside the building which housed the camp latrines was even worse. As if to encourage the recruits to finish their business quicker the place was built in a way that absorbed the heat and caused the inside to be incredibly awful. Which is why no one wanted to have to clean the building. Unfortunately for one troublemaker she was assigned cleaning duty every weekend for the month. Anke didn’t mean to punch the guy. Heiko is an idiot for tripping when walking towards her. She would’ve found his bloody nose funny if he hadn’t accidentally grabbed her.

But Krause didn’t really believe Anke’s side of the story. It’s not like he did anything on purpose anyway. The idiot even kept apologizing as Anke was given her sentence. Luckily for her Krause wasn’t so cruel as to leave her to clean them alone each time. Who was it this week that was supposed to help her? She thought as she walked towards the bathrooms a little late for their cleaning duties?

Sera yawned, feeling a little sleep deprived. She hadn’t received much rest the night prior. Krause had picked Sera and another mysterious Recruit to clean out the latrines. It wasn’t something she wanted to do, it wasn’t something she thought she would ever do when signing up to kill Titans. However, she couldn’t afford to get on Krause’s bad side. Not when she had come so far from Trost. Still, she might’ve preferred something along the lines of Hunting or literally anything other than cleaning out shit.

With one last yawn she approached the Bathrooms and spotted the other Recruit she was to work with. “Hey.” Sera said, not even trying to hide the fact she was tired. “Your t-turn too?”

Anke’s attention was drawn to just past the bathrooms as she saw Sera. With an exasperated sigh, “Yeah. Freaking Butterfly decided since I punched an idiot I have to be on latrine duty the whole month. This is really going to suck though that’s for sure. Last week was bad but it feels like it’s ten degrees hotter today. Has she put you on duty here before or am I gonna have to show you the ropes?” Before waiting for a response Anke began rolling up her sleeves before entering the foul building. She closed her eyes and hoped no one had puked this time.

Sera laughed quietly. “Now that I think about it, this isn’t an aw-awful idea for a punishment.” She continued to snicker. She stopped once she got close enough to smell what was waiting for them on the inside. “Ugh, this is not w-what I signed up for.” She stated as she continued to closely follow Anke. Maybe this was all just another nightmare and she would quickly wake up in Wall Maria, able to kill as many Titans as she wanted to? No, she didn’t possess that quantity of luck. At least she only needed to clean the latrines for a few Days. Then she could get straight back to Training herself.

An annoyed grunt came from Anke at Sera’s statement but she really couldn’t argue with it. Since just standing out here was prolonging the inevitable Anke stopped hesitating and walked in. She held her arm up to her mouth to help hold off the smell for a time as she walked to the closet full of cleaning supplies. Opening it she quickly grabbed a clean rag to use as a face covering. Once she tied it around her face she quickly handed one to Sera. ”Who would’ve guessed we’d be cleaning toilets and human waste when enlisting. I thought our days would be filled with fun stuff like training. This, this just sucks. Can tell you that no matter what time of year bathrooms are nasty and reek.”

Through her days in Shiganshina she had cleaned the occasional restroom or two, and it was never pleasant. She began procuring the various cleaning supplies and laid them out. ”You wanna do the boys side or girls side? I’ve had to do both before so I’ll let you pick.”

“Eh.” Sera shrugged. “Girls, I guess.” Sera copied Anke’s method of covering her face. “I’d usually explain why they should make someone more… worthy of s-such a task fill in for us. But I don’t w-want to end up like Alistair, who apparently didn’t understand his place.” She laughed upon remembering Krause punching Alistair right in the gut and calling him a maggot. “Those fucking Nobles, am I r-right? Anyway, w-we should get started. Quicker we get this finished the quicker we can leave.”

”Sina-Trash will always be Sina-Trash. I haven’t met one that actually deserves respect. But yeah. Let’s get to work. We’ll be here awhile.” Deciding to bite the bullet and get the worst part done first, Anke grabbed the necessary cleaning supplies and walked to the toilet in the back of the building. It was always the worst. Wanting to get her mind off of how disgusting the boys seemed to be when using the restroom she called out to Sera. ”So you still set on the Scouts?”

Sera released a few loud coughs. “He-Hell yeah.” She stuttered out of disgust, not cause she had to. “Where else am I go-gonna go? The Garrison, with all of the other rejects? Or the Military Police, where I can stay nice and safe am-among all of the other cowards? No, the Scouts is where I need to go.” She started the process of cleaning. “They don’t send the Garrison to Maria, and the Military Police, well they never need to do anything other than pretend to care.” She sent a question towards Anke. “And you. You still going w-wherever Elke goes?"

”Without a doubt. Also not all Garrison members are rejects.” A brief pause as she remembered how she survived Shiganshina passed through before Anke continued. ”The only reason I’m alive is because my Aunt saved me. She chose Garrison because she liked looking after people who couldn’t protect themselves.”

Sera chuckled to herself. “She should’ve g-gone into the Scouts then.” She was nearly finished with the first part of cleaning. “Only way we’re gonna take our land from the Titans is if we actually venture outside of the Walls. Problem is too many people are comfortable with this life on the inside of the Walls. Especially those in Sina. Humanity l-lost the idea of what it means to survive. Imagine if for a single night, the Walls were gone. What would happen?”

Thinking about it for a moment, ”Everyone without ODM gear would die unless the soldiers protected them. Either way not everyone can be a soldier. Some are too young. Others are too old. Then there are the people that just don’t have the ability to. But yeah, I agree there is a lot of human waste posing as actual people. They can get tossed to the Titans for all I care. I for one am fine that some people are comfortable in the Walls though, because then I get some good food out of the deal.”

“My p-point exactly.” Sera clarified. “You w-won’t find any of that w-waste in the Scouts. Only in the Military Police and Garrison. You should aim for the Scouts too. I hear too many people talking about how they want to get into the MPs just to stay away from the Titans. You’ve any i-idea what it takes not to kill them m-myself right then and there?” She paused for a second, regaining her composure “But anyway, I d-doubt you wouldn’t fit in right away. Of course you’ll need to train Elke seeing as the two of you can’t go without the other for even a second.”

”If I’m being entirely honest, I could care less where I end up. All of you seem to have big dreams, goals, or desires. All I want is to keep Elke safe. If that means getting her to MP that’s what I want. But if she chooses Scouts then I have to be the best there is. Nothing to it but that.” She paused as she left the toilet she was working on. Anke then walked over to where Sera was cleaning. ”From what I can tell you seem alright. You’re also the person I’ll have to beat for number one.”

Sera immediately stopped cleaning as well. She was a little surprised at first. But then she started to grin. “Cute.” She said then proceeded to stand up and face Anke. “Look, top 10, you’ll make it there for sure. But n-number one? Determination is what it takes to make it all the way there.” Sera patted Anke on the shoulder. “Sorry Anke. No way you can compete with me in that factor. And you know what?” Her grin grew slightly. “Hell, let’s just add all of the other factors too, cause w-why not?” She chuckled to herself.

Anke started chuckling. ”That’s funny Ser. I’ve got more determination pack in me than you could imagine. My determination to protect Elke far surpasses some revenge story. No such thing as quit in my language. Might as well prove it to you while we got the time. First to get their side sparkling wins. And don’t cry about me having extra practice when I wipe the floor with you.”

Some Revenge story! “O-oh yeah? Well…” She paused for a moment, considering what words to strike with. “Alright fine.” No challenge would go unaccepted. “You’re on. My side is going to make people go blind once I’m f-finished. In fact, I’ll do such a g-good job, Krause will probably give me a p-promotion right on the spot.” It was highly unlikely, though Sera didn’t know what else she could’ve said. “And just so you know.” She stared Anke in the eyes. “D-don’t you cry when I w-wipe the floor with you and everyone else when we finally get to use the ODM gear? Just in case I’ll take p-plenty of tissues with me.” Since they were already on Sera’s side, she got an early start with the cleaning. “I’d hurry if I were you.” She said in a cocky voice.

Anke chuckled as she darted back to her side as the first of their many competitions began.

 

[Selee-01]

Fabio Bier

INTERACTIONS: August Ackerman ( Demon Shinobi Demon Shinobi ), Sera Mayer ( homintales homintales ), Heiko Schönfinkel ( alexfangtalon alexfangtalon ), Fiona Bryne ( KaramelKarma KaramelKarma ), Instructer Krause ( M Moonlessite M Moonlessite ), Commander Ambrose ( M Moonlessite M Moonlessite ), Hillel Ackerman ( Raiden Raiden ), Joanna Schreiber ( Arcanist Arcanist ), Laurence Arnault ( Colorless Spectrum Colorless Spectrum ), Ramiel Diakos ( lion. lion. )


​

Fabio followed the group, sticking close to Ramiel. He darted through the trees with ease, nimbly arcing between branches and shafts of light. This, to Fabio, was what freedom meant. Being able to fly free, moving with unparalleled grace, was something once reserved for birds.

But now, he could match them. He could leave the world behind.

And then he noted a fake Titan ahead, the foam nape plainly visible. He grinned a brilliant smile, and raced past Ramiel. A burst of gas, and he swung low.

When he exploded past the Titan, his blades flashed and carved free a deep cut of the false nape: a fatal strike.

 

[Colorless Spectrum]

Laurence Arnault

Before the start of the simulation, Laurie stood with his team, Group B, on top of a giant tree. He sat on a thinner part of the branch as he surveyed the surroundings, his eyes landed on Krause with two unfamiliar figures with her. With the brightest smile, he gave their Instructor a slow wave but it still held that energy he hardly fails to show her. Even with a grumpy disposition, he would always greet the woman with his jolly attitude. He also likes to think that he's gotten to Krause's cold heart.

He turned his attention to his teammates, particularly Jo who had given them a quick suggestion on how they should deal with the event. She was right, it's better to move in teams of two as they would likely earn points more that way. Then again, Laurie was the type to agree with anything too. "Alright! You guys heard Jo. Let's all do well in this." He said to his groupmates, Group B, before following Jo as the signal was shot.

He let himself fall from the branch where he sat and hooked to the nearest trees to sling himself forward. Laurie never expected himself to enjoy using the ODM. Right now, he felt like his burdens and worries were miles away as the wind whipped his face with the stray strands of his hair. It's the closest they get to flying and it felt freeing.

He kept a distance just behind his partner, he had gotten pretty good with using the gear over the years where at first he fumbled and almost got himself hurt in the process. "Heads up, Laurie!" He heard Jo say to which he responded with a "Gotcha."

Laurie saw Jo cut off the nape of a dummy Titan and internally cheered for his friend. He noticed another one to the left and noticed that his partner had ignored it to continue forward. "I got the one on the left!" He told her and proceeded to pierce the nape with his hook and another to the tree just past it. The gust of released gas shot him straight to the nape as he reeled himself in to cut the makeshift muscles of the Titan. He let go of the hook by the nape the moment he got close, a clean slice but a little narrower than intended, still enough to kill. "Hmm, there's always the next time."

He followed his companion and heard the same shouts and puffs of gas but thought little of it and continued. For sure it was just the other team shouting at each other as they fly by the forest. In front of them where the appearance of two dummy Titans, Jo was behind him, he took a quick glance at the back just to see her. "Two at the front!" He slowed down to be able to say those words near her. "Which one is yours?"

By this time he had let her lead once again, going for the Titan that wasn't lucky enough to be chosen. He closed in on his target, both hooks locked on the nape as he reeled himself in. With the slash of his blades, he had cut deeply into the fake nape by chance. "Wooohooo! Did you see that Jo?" He asked his partner as he soared inside the forest. "That was a really nice cut."

mention: Group B || interaction: Arcanist | Jo

 

[Moonlessite]

MENTIONS:
​

The last three years had been... hectic. Vivian had been trying her damned hardest to get into the top ten, and with that came many months of persistence and determination. She had to admit, even though she had joined the Training Regiment while she was bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, Krause had done well to tame that flame inside of her. Now eighteen years old, she was eager to prove herself as deserving of being one of the top ten. Vivian had gone through many mental changes during her time in training, and even more physical ones. For one, her hair had grown longer, and she wore it in a silvery ponytail that flowed out behind her head. It wasn't long enough to get caught in the ODM gear, and even then, when she was expected to use it, she took special time to tie it into a taut bun at the back of her head. Her body had only steeled itself further, and she had grown even taller; at this point, she practically rivaled Leon in height. Even then, that didn't mean she was quicker or more nimble than the other, more light-footed recruits. Oh well. One couldn't be perfect, right?

Her thoughts were interrupted by the whir of ODM gear. The competition had begun, right? Kicking herself up from leaning against the thick-trunked tree, she approached the edge of the branch and glanced over at Nina. "Boys, right?" she asked with a crooked grin as she glanced in Luka's and Leon's direction. "Somebody aught to teach them a lesson."

"As if you're any better, Viv," Viktor snorted from the edge of the branch as well. The boy had cropped his hair short, his honey-brown locks framing his face and making him seem more mature.

Vivian sighed and lifted her hands up in a shrug. "You're right. Guess I have to prove that I'm better than you lot, right?"

She heard Viktor scoff behind her as she leapt from the edge of the branch and took to the air. Vivian's eyes locked onto one of the targets, its padded neck still untouched by other blades. Brandishing her own, she lifted her swords to deal a cut into the padding. Just before she reached the faux Titan, however, a blur of motion shot right past her and tore into the Titan's nape. Vivian was left staring at the deep cuts, her eyes wide with surprise. What? Who was that?!

"Yay!" came Elke's voice, the girl spiraling away from her in the ultimate expression of mirth. Elke looked like she was a bird in flight, showing all the grace and precision of a hawk or other bird of prey. "That makes three for me!"

Vivian growled under her breath. Well, that was embarrassing. Diverting her course, she arched her feet to land another branch, a long sigh escaping her lips as she made her landing. She dusted off her uniform and glanced over at the branch a couple of dozen feet across from her. Elke had decided to land there as well, and the girl's arms arched above her head in the shape of a heart. "Sorry, Vivi! Gotta show off to Miss Krause and her friends!"

"Great. Now I look like an idiot," Vivian muttered, but waved over at the blonde girl anyway. Elke had grown a significant amount over training, perhaps even more than most other recruits she had worked with. Her hair had darkened and grown a bit longer, the tips of each individual, sun-soaked lock ending in a slight wave as they crawled closer to her shoulders. "Nice one, Elke! But I won't let that be happening again!"

​

 

[Arcanist]

Jo Schreiber
Mentions: - | Interactions: Elke ( M Moonlessite ) Laurie ( Colorless Spectrum )

​

Of course, for the two targets had been up ahead, Jo had told Laurie she was going for the one on the left that time, the one that had been facing them. When Jo heard the cheers from Laurie, she couldn't help but chuckle. "Nice job, Laurie! Your cuts are starting to get cleaner." She hoped he could keep that up if he was joining the Scouts. Ah, the thought of it threatened to make her sink...but her thoughts returned to the present.

Continuing weaving in between the trees, Jo could hear the familiar cheers from the eldest twin not so far ahead of her and Laurie. She couldn't help but smirk a little at the girl's early celebration. Killing three Titans was pretty admirable and the look on Vivian's face was a picture. Jo was never one for competitions, having rolled her eyes at some of the boys' brazen declarations they'd kill all the foam targets in this area. What she did appreciate was a good challenge, and she was sure that Elke would appreciate the same.

"Hey, Laurie, what's say we make Elke sweat a little?" The redhead asked Laurie with a playful grin. "Maybe we can just take her down a notch," she told him before she accelerated ahead to reach the blonde soaring past.

"Hey, Elke! Nice job on getting three targets!" Jo started, looking at her with that same playful grin and a newfound determination. "But I bet you can't slice up three more targets before I do." Well, that was a lie. She knew Elke was incredibly capable, possibly far more capable of doing that herself. Jo just wanted to see that capability, to see how much she improved. And well, gain some more bragging rights for herself, if she could manage to slice up a few more targets before Elke.

~~~

Lena Becker
​

Meanwhile, on Group A's end, one Lena Becker advanced on through the competition. They had some pretty strong contenders in their group for this competition, but really, it was all just for bragging rights. She guessed it was good practice too for using the ODM gear, but still, it was just a free-for-all at this point. Plus, plenty of others had been stealing her kills, so she had only grabbed one Titan in amongst the many recruits.

How rude.

Lena passed a glance to a few of her teammates who had been on another branch, apparently tending to someone. She didn't see the need to stop, considering the number of people who had come to their aid. And of course, all from their group. She'd have to keep up if they were going to place at all in this competition. She didn't care for the competition, but she wasn't going to be the group that came last either.

"Ah, finally!" Lena grinned, thrusting forward as she saw a target up ahead.

 

[Colorless Spectrum]

Laurence Arnault ft. Noah Eisner

Laurie had been grinning from ear to ear as he heard Jo praise him for the improvement of his skill. He had always been a hard-working one, but lately, he just hadn’t been working hard enough. Each day that passed had taken its claim on his motivation but he still acted with his same old cheery attitude, it doesn’t make his feelings towards everyone he had known and less real. Graduation was nearing, and soon enough he and Jo would separate once more… and perhaps, this will be their final days together.

“I’m down. A bit of friendly competition sounds fun!” He whipped his hooks to different trees before jetting himself forward. “Hi Vivian! Hi Elke!” He called over to the two as he passed by them with the blink of an eye. “Bye Vivian! Bye Elke! May the best cadet get the top score!” He has no desire for it though. The Top Ten never mattered to him, so long as he had done well to be accepted by the Scouts then it’s all fine.

A toothy smile was plastered on his lips, treating the exam as a fun game gave him the excitement that he needed for the exam even if it was only temporary. “Titans up ahead!” He called as he spotted the makeshift Titans in front of them for them to kill. He would always follow Jo’s plan, he trusted her that much. Laurie continued forward still behind his partner, dashing to take down one of the dummies.

mention: || interaction: Arcanist Jo | M Moonlessite Elke & Vivian

Meanwhile…

“Oi, Halvor! The exam hasn’t started yet.” Noah said to Halvor with an irritated tone. He doesn’t want the action to cause them points. He’s gambling it all in this exam, after all, he wanted a spot in the top ten. Halvor and August were for sure gonna get into the top spots, heck maybe even Bee. It frustrates him that there were so many talented people in the one-hundred and fourth and it has helped him want to be better.

"We can do this." He simply gave a nod to August before refocusing his mind on what they needed to do. Cut it deep, that will kill a Titan. He thought to himself as he heard the signal shot into the forest. Noah was quick to follow everyone in blasting off to find the “Titans” that they needed to kill.

Noah had successfully killed two dummies, while it was a good score, he didn’t find it good enough. “I gotta be better.” He said to himself to hype him up. It was then that he heard August calling for someone. He moved to the source of the voice and found his teammate and Anke with an unconscious Sera in his arms. He wanted to continue on with the exam but he’d never forgive himself if he ignored something like this.

“Anke... August! Are you guys okay? Do you need help? I think we should call Krause.” He asked with furrowed brows wondering what had just happened.

mention: Group D Serei2477 Bee | Raiden Halvor || interaction: Demon Shinobi August | homintales Sera | alexfangtalon Anke

 

[KaramelKarma]

Jericho Mace

༒︎

Forest light dappled behind closed eyes.
Mellow whistling floated in the air, joined occasionally by the faint rustling of a squirrel's scamper, or a sparrow's own song. Long, lean legs dangled lazily over the tree branch's edge, arms crossed behind his jet-black curls, resting leisurely against the cypress tree trunk.
The tune that drifted soundly off his lips was an old Trostian melody; soft and drawn out like silk, the kind that distracted the labourer from his toils, or kept the old crone company and death at bay.
But today, it served as a reminder. A reminder whose wistful, dewy-eyed notes carried him one step farther from here and one step closer to home, to remember that even in the midst of all this change and all these years away, his root desire remained unchanged and eternal.

Freedom.

But he had done his part, as the client. Since then, it has simply been a matter of patience. To wait and let the other side of the bargain fulfill his end.

The distant, familiar hiss and blow of steam and wire began to echo across the surrounding canopies. Jericho's eyelids fluttered before opening fully and slowly, the whistling quieting to a standstill. His dark eye drifted to the side and underneath his branch, where a meter or two down below, the rest of his team stood on a separate, thicker limb, preparing for the ODM exam.
Sera had long gone, in typical lone wolf fashion, eager to shine brighter against the rest of her teammates. Hearing how his old friend had apparently spent the night before in the dining hall, studying Titan anatomy books and maps of the training territory, came as no surprise to him. If only she had hung around a little longer to extend the fruits of that hallmark diligence with the rest of the team...

Now fully aware, Jericho's gaze wandered the general scene, catching the tiny figures of today's judges in the distance on their own tree. He recognized Krause, her stoic frame standing tall and firm in front. A less prominent figure shadowed hers, almost in irony to the fact that her eye was the one everyone craved the most. Anticipation shimmered in tandem with the summer afternoon heat, the pressure weighing on the cadets' shoulders almost as much as the gear itself.
But for Jericho, there existed a different breed of burden. His dark eyes narrowed, muscles tensing as he caught a darker shadow behind the Scout Commander. No, came the answer, as the shadow stepped into the light. Not him.

Hillel Ackerman took another swing of his bottle, much to the chagrin of a very exasperated-looking Krause. Another green flare exploded into the air. Jericho shifted his seating, leaning forward as he caught the sight of his favorite twin, her short, fair-haired tresses swaying in the breeze as the younger recruit obeyed the cue and leapt off the team tree, swinging off into the distance. An impish, knowing smile tugged at the edges of his lips.
Break an elbow out there, Elke.

Leaning back, Jericho straightened and stretched the rest of the leisure out of his system, giving a quick glance over his gear before swinging back down to the team tree branch. He landed behind Elyse, the last (and definitely very least) member of their group, who was absorbed in an endless fiddling war with her gear. A familiar dark glint his eye, Jericho approached and bluffed a shoving motion, startling the highborn and throwing her off balance. She flailed for a few moments before catching herself once more, taking in a sharp inhale of surprise. She turned around, looking up to meet the gangster's derisive, insolent expression with an angry glare of her own.

"Scoundrel," she retorted under her breath as he moved past as if nothing happened. He answered with a dismissive wave of the hand, letting the usual insult come in through one ear and come out the other.
He got into position and held his breath.

There it was.

[wip]



INTERACTIONS | Elyse Hildebrand ( Danidify )

MENTIONS | Sera Meyer ( homintales ) ; Elke Vinter ( M Moonlessite )

J E R I C H O 'S T U N E

[/bord

credit | leviathan​

 

[Danidify]

ELYSE HILDEBRAND (placholder)​

It’s incredible how three years can fly by so fast yet feel like eternity at the same time. Elyse could still vividly remember her first moments in training as memories of self-doubt, mistakes and exhaustion. Back then, the mere concept of being a good combatant seemed so eerily farfetched, but look where she is now.

It might’ve taken some time, but Elyse learned to grow soon enough, slowly but surely climbing the stairs to ‘success’. The fragile, dependent girl she once was had now caught up with the demands of time, evolving into a voice that wouldn’t be overshadowed, a serene mind that knows its talents, and a body that could soar the skies- not as an ornamental dove, but a stalking eagle.

With progress come new challenges, however, and there were plenty around these days. Every time the noble felt like she excelled in something, another recruit was there to move a bit faster than her, hit more precisely, or to devise a better plan. It’s shameful perhaps, but envy became a regular acquaintance at times, especially whenever her ‘oh so perfect’ bodyguard managed to enter her gaze.

Nonetheless, Elyse could always appreciate a bit of healthy competition, even if she didn’t take it all too healthily herself. She was virtually ready to risk it all to impress during this match, digging her head for a proper plan to rise above all others. Yet before she knew it, most members were already flying through the sky, rustling through the tree-clad plains with very apparent goals:

get those darned wooden demons before the others do.

Needless to say, it didn’t take long before she too would join the frey, swinging from trees in vibrant pursuit of those bark cut-outs.

MORE WHEN KARMA FINISHES UP

 

[Raiden]

849
​

Though the military had begun to shape a soldier out of the fragile boy that first stepped foot into a new life nearly three years past, his efforts still weren't satisfactory on a personal level. Even as his body strengthened and mind sharpened, it had been yet another day where he fell behind the majority of their class. Lagging behind nameless faces during the rucksack marches, pummeled during close-quarters-combat training-- only his classroom endeavors held some sort of merit worth its brass. 'But it's not enough,' his voice rang loudly within the confines of his thoughts as the boy stared into his reflection in the mirror, the bloodied and bruised visage wearing a look of heavy disapproval. This world is a cruel place. I'll never survive in it if I stick to the old ways.

The cerulean glint in his eyes gleamed with a foreign resolve, but it wasn't fleeting; the storm of conflict raged beneath the surface as the unmatching pieces of his former self rearranged into something different. His fury-charged gaze now wore on persistently, his scowl fixed towards all of the imperfections in his mirror image. Not once did he turn away in fear of himself, his breathing atypically composed and even as he allowed the blood to trickle from his nose. I won't look away anymore, I won't run away anymore-- I'll accept who I was. Yet, he no longer recognized the empty husk of the little boy that he discarded; only the wings of the young man that blossomed from the former shell. His hands ceased to quake nervously as one took hold of the ponytail at the back of his head, while the other raised the carving knife from his pocket, running its edge against the tuft of hair.

In one swift motion void of hesitation, the blade slashed through the golden locks, allowing his hair to fall to the ground. "I won't let anyone tell me who I am, or how I should be," the young man declared to himself, withdrawing the knife and gripping the sides of the mirror in both hands. His right arm suddenly reared back, his knuckles slamming into the shattering glass as the cracks formed all across his reflection. His arms shifted back to his sides as he turned away from the broken mirror, disregarding the misfortune that could possibly follow suit. The boy that they ridiculed was no more, and he was never coming back.

"I alone decide my fate."

Present Day, 850
Interactions: ShadyLady (Nina), Castello (Leon), M Moonlessite (Vivian/Viktor), Serei2477 (Jewel)​

From that day onward, Luka Soroka took his commitment of change to heart, no longer the sheep among wolves. His gradual, ongoing transition into adulthood saw his height bolster by a few inches, standing shoulder to shoulder with most of the other trainees save for the taller crowd. His once-frail constitution was now sculpted with lean muscle, appropriate in the athleticism and fitness that was obligatory for the ideal soldier. He was one of the 104th Training Corps' most brilliant minds in tactical acumen, a fact that he took immense pride in within himself. Those who still thought the blond to be a complete pushover could find themselves in for a lesson of humility as he no longer accepted the jabs and jeers of his peers, not shying away from demonstrating his newfound assertiveness in the face of undesirable individuals.

One could say that Luka was a greatly minimized reflection of Jericho Mace, whom he considered to be his closest friend within the 104th Training Corps; he'd developed a rebellious tendency over the years, and never backed down from anything that threatened his own personal freedom. Of all the close relationships forged in those three years of training, he'd found himself slightly distanced from his longtime friends from Shiganshina, as others took the primary attention of his direct compassion towards his companions. Though, there were times that one could spot an inkling of his younger self through the small cracks in what he imagined to be his ideal self; this much was very evident when the matter came to the widely known subject of his childish affections.

"Your gear's good to go, Nina," Luka had taken an extra moment to inspect the redhead's equipment in comparison to the other members of their designated team, giving her a thumbs-up. He stood among all of his comrades now as an equal, rising from a crouched position and looking out into the forest of giant trees. His blue eyes had scanned their environment of engagement long and hard, so much so that he'd even caught a glimpse of Instructor Krause's whereabouts alongside the Commander of the Survey Corps and her subordinate. "False start for Team D," he mumbled to himself as the unmistakable outline of Hal attacked one of the cardboard titans in the northwest proximity opposite to Team C. The young man cracked his knuckles in the wake of the actual start to their contest, his fingers tightening around the controller grips as he equipped a pair of blades.

"They'll lose a point because of it, but--" he continued to think aloud until the process was interrupted by Leon, who still thought it was effective to chaff him about Nina. "As if you know anything about what a girl likes, moron," Luka bit back on the jab as he watched the taller boy spring from their branch, leaping from their position and launching himself into the air after Vivian also followed suit. "Team C, let's move!"

The turbine of the omni-directional gear roared to life as his hooks shot forward into one of the giant trees, swinging him within shouting distance of Leon. He'd been unfortunate enough to miss out on the makeshift titan that his teammate executed, but his eyes were set on new prey that was about twenty meters to the east. "Focus on impressing Hal some more, why don't you?!" Luka shouted as he whirred past the temporarily-stranded Leon, narrowly dipping his head below a stray branch and diverting his course for the newly-acquired target. "Twelve-meter class, to the east!" the young man's voice barked in the direction of his team, using slightly more gas than desired to make the curve and shooting towards the faux titan. One meter deep, ten centimeters wide... His blades soon carved into its would-be nape, looking over his shoulder to see that his cut had been just a few inches too shallow. Damn.

────────

Interactions: Demon Shinobi (August), Serei2477 (Bee), Colorless Spectrum (Noah), alexfangtalon (Heiko)​

Hal often found himself having the same dreams when sleep claimed him at light's out, and although the scenarios and perspectives seemed to constantly shift, it only mystified his understanding even further. He often only caught a few snippets from each dream that were memorable, yet it was the one from the morning before their omni-directional mobility gear team assessment that seemed to paint the most vivid picture yet. It always brought him to that day again; staring into the bright-blue expanse of a spring day, lying among a vibrant meadow that bristled with the gentle wind. He was younger, then, about twelve years of age, and it seemed like just another halcyon day before the end times. All of the finer details never came clearly to him as one moment would skip to the next, and he was always left without a concrete recollection.

Yet, this time, Hal could remember, even if it wasn't an exact evocation. His arms were wrapped around someone in a tight embrace, and he was on the verge of tears. His chest was tight with pain as they stood in the meadow, holding on to each other desperately. "Don't let me go," he heard a distant, unfamiliar voice rumble in his mind, feeling a mounting sense of dread rise throughout his body. The uncertainty of the future loomed before him as the walls around his dream world came tumbling down. "Just stay here for a while." Those words brought upon the hellish landscape that Shiganshina District had become, and Hal now stood alone, with nothing but the smell of her hair lingering in the air.

His mind drifted back into the present as Hal rejoined his team back on their respective branch, his fingertips brushing against his cheekbone. 'I woke up crying this morning,' he recalled before being taking away from his thoughts from the approach of his teammates. "It'd be a good thing for the rest of the teams if we lose a point," the dark-haired trainee had waved off August and Noah, rolling his eyes. "They're gonna need that handicap to have any chance of beating us."

Though Hal had started off middling within the ranks of the 104th Training Corps, he'd always maintained an extreme focus on honing himself in all fields possible for a place in the Top Ten. His determination landed him fairly high in the favor of the instructors; other than his propensity to learn new techniques from the other skilled fighters and omni-directional mobility gear users of the company, he seemed to uncover a plethora of fighting skills on his own whenever he traded blows with someone in hand-to-hand combat. Within the three years, his lean composition bulked into a stouter form as he grew to a height of five feet and eleven inches tall, now standing above many of his compatriots. He was no longer as openly boisterous as he was throughout that time period, though his tempered ego still clashed with others in an event where the trainee declared his approach to be the superior option.

"Finally," Hal sighed heavily upon receiving the Instructor's signal to commence their assessment, opting to splinter off from the rest of his team while they mostly stuck to their region. The forest of giant trees was a double-edged sword when it came to omni-directional mobility gear usage; it was an ideal location due to the abundance of surfaces to source, but at the same time, there were many natural variables that could trivialize its application, such as having to weave around the trees themselves. Yet, soaring through the air came naturally to him after extensive training, and it was more of an afterthought as he swerved over the branches of several trees. He'd flown a decent distance away from the center of the hot zone where a majority of the trainees were situated, aiming to clear out the other areas on his lonesome where the faux titans would be more abundant, knowing that his only competition would be the other elite cadets that were aware of this.

His form cut into a small clearing where three of them resided, noticing that his individual entrance shocked the soldiers below who were operating the faux titans. They were meant to be taken on by an entire team, but Hal was more than confident in his capabilities, his hooks sinking into the wooden frame of the first titan. His body swung low to boost upward, the momentum granting him a boost of speed at the expense of little gas as his blades sliced through the first nape effortlessly. The gear continued to whirl with motion as his grapples quickly returned, firing into the head of the next titan and sending him towards it. Deciding to show off, he flew by its would-be face and ran his swords through the placeholder of its eyes, quickly expelling a large volume of gas to shoot forward towards the third titan. Just as the dark-haired boy hovered above the back of its frame, he ceased the expulsion of gas and recalled his grapples, twirling his body as he plummeted down and executed it in dramatic fashion. Hal was quick to act before risking collision with the wooden form, his hooks reeling back into the second 'blinded' titan and bolting past its flank, wearing a smug smile as its eviscerated nape fell to the earth below.

 

[ShadyLady]

​

Dappled light poured through the tree leaves, lighting a gleam of molten gold in amber hair as Nina waited on a thick branch in the forest, tense and ready to pounce into action. The years had changed her, whether it be a simple gaining of height or the way her eyes seemed to linger on some more than others. Even now, she failed to break that habit. Stubbornness was one of her more muted traits, flaring up at the sight of a challenge and proving herself worthy. No matter what distractions there may be, nothing could stop her from going against the odds and achieving her goals. If she were any more childish like Leon, she would’ve started a rivalry, but instead, all she’d decided to do was at least prove she wasn’t a delicate flower, that her fist may be small but her jabs hit hard. She had to do her best in today's challenge, prove she was worthy of getting into the top ten and leave the Training Corps behind.

She let an easy smile twist the corners of her mouth upwards when Luka was done inspecting her gear, returning his thumbs up with her own, “thanks for checking it, Sunshine,” she hummed and after a few seconds added a fond, “I don’t know what I’d do without you sometimes.” Her smile widened at the sound of Vivian’s comment about boys and she huffed an affectionate laugh, shaking her head softly with an accompanying rolling of her eyes, “don’t pretend you’re not just as bad as them.” She sent a knowing look at the blonde, shooting off into the trees before she could let her reply. Wind cast her ponytail back, her hair whipping around like autumn leaves in a storm as she hooked and shot through the trees with a comfortable ease.

Nina soared through the forest. Shrewd cerulean eyes glanced, darting to find targets and allies alike, on constant lookout for their current task. She watched Leon cut through a rubber nape with a quiet pride blooming in her chest, Nina smiled at his vigour, resisting the urge to incline a brow at his rash movements and focussing wholly on the positives. Her gaze flickered and landed on the different members of her group nearby, her voice raising as she called out, “good job guys, let's try not be too reckless!”

Then, there it was, an untouched target in the distance. A jolt of determination electrified her senses, her body twisting in the air as her course diverted. Hooks sank into the tree's flesh of bark as she hurtled through the air and at the faux titan. Carving a deep cleave through her target with a refined precision, Nina smiled to herself as the dummy’s nape fell, a gaping chunk missing from its makeshift neck. A puff of air had her sailing back towards her group, a flicker of smugness settling onto her soft features. Arrogance wasn’t her style, but even Nina wouldn’t deny her clean accuracy when it came to slicing.

 

[lion.]

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

RAMIEL DIAKOS

The carves of Ramiel Diako’s boots were steady on the dark and naked branch on which they stood. It was clear to him what they had to do. Since time immemorial, and most effectively ever since he had become a veteran of three years of training, Ramiel Diakos was after real power. A martyr in plain sight, Ramiel Diakos glittered with a lurid greed whose green did not match the darkened trees about him.

He breathed in, the strong aft of pond water humidly sticking to both his nose and skin.

If there was gravity in a name, he once had none of a force at all. A hatchet face behind rich cigar smoke, crossed legs, a pan brown hat on combed hair. That was the splitting illustration of his employer seated at a table with his political companions. “What’s the matter, Ramiel?” he’d been asked by Mr.Hildebrand one late evening. It sounded sincere. It could’ve even been sincere to any other boy in his place. But, Ramiel Diakos found it insulting. The question itself had garnered some attention from the table hoarders too, and then, as if they shared a joke, their shoulders lifted and they appealed to unanimous laughter. Elyse’s father had known and viewed him in his minuscule distortions— poor. Weak until usable. Like a glass of water to drink and swallow. That was why, in the end, Ramiel Diakos intended to be poison.

He was dressed like the rest. Long steel belt-hooks and straps made Gordian knots up the length of his khaki trousers. The bound of the ODM gear hung on his hips and an equipoise of balance was made by a horizontal solstice of striped leather that ran across the width of his linen shirt.

There wasn’t much time before it started. Charting a course of action for their group, Jo’s lips moved. She was motionless, stained red in both fiery intellect and hair. He had no voice of derision to her plans; all wise men knew that Joanna Schreiber was sharp as a pen. In the end, it was common knowledge that victories of war were fought better by pen than by sword. In his peripheral vision, Laurie’s long ebony hair framed his slender jowls as his words made out wishes for group victory. Anke Vinter flashed her green eyes and bounced off the recumbent stoop of the branch with Sera at her heel. The couplet of Jo and Laurie followed, leaving Fabio to Ramiel.

“How selfish-” Ramiel said brusquely, when Fabio had hemmed a blade through the nape of a superficial Titan, “You took my kill.”
The metal rasped as Ramiel pulled the trigger and the piston fossil snapped him back up.

“Though, I guess that’s what most of us live on. Selfishness,” he said in exasperation, not bothering to explain, although absurdly smirking when he tossed his head in the other boy’s direction, “I say, hell to it all. Be selfish. Before anyone else can cut you off.”

“Elyse, for example -” He sneered. She would know a thing or two about self-indulgence and restricting his dreams. She had her father’s deceptiveness, which came in a scarce touch of inheritance, but was still there. He renvisioned the scene that had occupied him earlier. People like her had an extraordinary impression on only caring about themselves and showing meaningless pity. It shouldn’t have been difficult to give anything other than scorn when it concerned her.

“Elyse Hildebrand-” he suggested, with greater certainty that countered his short-winded thoughts, “wouldn’t know a thing or two about it even if she had reigned the crown.”

She had been developing her offenses and defenses with him through their training together. She was becoming even more deadlier than the bullet which captures the almighty coin in her father’s industry. Another day of another week, and she was more confrontational in a primitive nature, gathering stamina like a tide that is going ocean-ward. Her interests were more instinctive, freer than the organ which pumped her blood. She no longer held back from what she wanted. How was she not self-interested? He slimly remembered her words from three years ago.

Just you wait, Diakos.

So, why? Why did he change his words?

He saw her shadow shed from the sun as she weft through a montage of trees. A descent of a blade, a ragged edge of grey, and it was over. She had taken one of the dummies’ necks.

Perhaps it was because Anke Vinter, who was enjoying the bond between zipping on treelines and slaughter, was no different. They both were descendants of hope rather than gluttony. He glanced forward, catching the ribboning strands of the blonde whisk by. Wandering a distance or few, she vanquished into the peppering trees.

“I’ll make the next few mine,” he finally said, dismissing the subject altogether,“ You can try beating me, but I can’t let Hal or Leon get ahead of me, can I?” A fantasia, but nonetheless, a real laugh broke out on his face.

“No. I won’t let you or them catch up,” Ramiel darkly romanticized, his voice by origin talking to himself, “Not when I’m so close to -.” He never finished the thought aloud.

Rousing from his lethargy, he hounded himself to the wind with gas exhaust dispensing from the gear. The pleasure of fleeting capacity and generous drifting from one distinguished pine to the next shot him up in a quick lead from Fabio. Hounded with the wind, wildfire sighing, he was generously gentle with his movements. Lightweight, with a feather-stroke of surrender to friction, he was fifteen feet away from a cutout when he released his anchor to a foot of the monumentally large and superficial titan. Plummeting downwards diagonally like an unwelcome ghost with brown pelleted eyes, his hands snapped to his blades.

With his blades raised, he charged. Infinitely and imminently striking, he began horizontal gnarly eights around the feet of the titan, slowly building up. Cold metal skirred across the ankles. Then, knees. Then, full bellows of cuts into the calves. He forewarned himself to stay hooked on the orbiting loops otherwise he’d lose his speed. In a witted craft, and a flip later, he was running forwards on the titan’s padded spine, foot smearing past the other in a blur like an accelerated hike up an icy mountain. One tempo missed, and he’d slip from the askantly straight back.
In all ways, he was counting under his breath.

Ten. Nine. Eight.

The ankles, knees, and calves may have been sliced, but in reality they were foul enemies who could have a sixth sense.

Seven. Six. Five.

Something in the security of his position left him enrapturing his left handed blade too comfortably like a death reaper out to bestow eternal sleep. He went straight for a metal hymn at the nape. With a bowed gesture, and a rasp, the blade went down. Romping out the culture of skin that made a nape, the empty and hollowed trench stared back at him. His acutely sharp mouth, smiled. At last.

Not sparing a moment, he unpredictably threw himself back, falling back into the capsule of time that mingled with the wind. Railing whirrs, and a thump of a heart later, he brayed his anchor out to a branch far and high. Dead. It was dead. The gas fumed as he leaned forward once more, endowing himself to rise again like he would from ashes.

Life or death, when you come to think of it, was there a reason to fear?

code by ditto (head empty go bonk)
​

Spoiler: for mobile

The carves of Ramiel Diako’s boots were steady on the dark and naked branch on which they stood. It was clear to him what they had to do. Since time immemorial, and most effectively ever since he had become a veteran of three years of training, Ramiel Diakos was after real power. A martyr in plain sight, Ramiel Diakos glittered with a lurid greed whose green did not match the darkened trees about him.

He breathed in, the strong aft of pond water humidly sticking to both his nose and skin.

If there was gravity in a name, he once had none of a force at all. A hatchet face behind rich cigar smoke, crossed legs, a pan brown hat on combed hair. That was the splitting illustration of his employer seated at a table with his political companions. “What’s the matter, Ramiel?” he’d been asked by Mr.Hildebrand one late evening. It sounded sincere. It could’ve even been sincere to any other boy in his place. But, Ramiel Diakos found it insulting. The question itself had garnered some attention from the table hoarders too, and then, as if they shared a joke, their shoulders lifted and they appealed to unanimous laughter. Elyse’s father had known and viewed him in his minuscule distortions— poor. Weak until usable. Like a glass of water to drink and swallow. That was why, in the end, Ramiel Diakos intended to be poison.

He was dressed like the rest. Long steel belt-hooks and straps made Gordian knots up the length of his khaki trousers. The bound of the ODM gear hung on his hips and an equipoise of balance was made by a horizontal solstice of striped leather that ran across the width of his linen shirt.

There wasn’t much time before it started. Charting a course of action for their group, Jo’s lips moved. She was motionless, stained red in both fiery intellect and hair. He had no voice of derision to her plans; all wise men knew that Joanna Schreiber was sharp as a pen. In the end, it was common knowledge that victories of war were fought better by pen than by sword. In his peripheral vision, Laurie’s long ebony hair framed his slender jowls as his words made out wishes for group victory. Anke Vinter flashed her green eyes and bounced off the recumbent stoop of the branch with Sera at her heel. The couplet of Jo and Laurie followed, leaving Fabio to Ramiel.

“How selfish-” Ramiel said brusquely, when Fabio had hemmed a blade through the nape of a superficial Titan, “You took my kill.”
The metal rasped as Ramiel pulled the trigger and the piston fossil snapped him back up.

“Though, I guess that’s what most of us live on. Selfishness,” he said in exasperation, not bothering to explain, although absurdly smirking when he tossed his head in the other boy’s direction, “I say, hell to it all. Be selfish. Before anyone else can cut you off.”

“Elyse, for example -” He sneered. She would know a thing or two about self-indulgence and restricting his dreams. She had her father’s deceptiveness, which came in a scarce touch of inheritance, but was still there. He renvisioned the scene that had occupied him earlier. People like her had an extraordinary impression on only caring about themselves and showing meaningless pity. It shouldn’t have been difficult to give anything other than scorn when it concerned her.

“Elyse Hildebrand-” he suggested, with greater certainty that countered his short-winded thoughts, “wouldn’t know a thing or two about it even if she had reigned the crown.”

She had been developing her offenses and defenses with him through their training together. She was becoming even more deadlier than the bullet which captures the almighty coin in her father’s industry. Another day of another week, and she was more confrontational in a primitive nature, gathering stamina like a tide that is going ocean-ward. Her interests were more instinctive, freer than the organ which pumped her blood. She no longer held back from what she wanted. How was she not self-interested? He slimly remembered her words from three years ago.

Just you wait, Diakos.

So, why? Why did he change his words?

He saw her shadow shed from the sun as she weft through a montage of trees. A descent of a blade, a ragged edge of grey, and it was over. She had taken one of the dummies’ necks.

Perhaps it was because Anke Vinter, who was enjoying the bond between zipping on treelines and slaughter, was no different. They both were descendants of hope rather than gluttony. He glanced forward, catching the ribboning strands of the blonde whisk by. Wandering a distance or few, she vanquished into the peppering trees.

“I’ll make the next few mine,” he finally said, dismissing the subject altogether,“ You can try beating me, but I can’t let Hal or Leon get ahead of me, can I?” A fantasia, but nonetheless, a real laugh broke out on his face.

“No. I won’t let you or them catch up,” Ramiel darkly romanticized, his voice by origin talking to himself, “Not when I’m so close to -.” He never finished the thought aloud.

Rousing from his lethargy, he hounded himself to the wind with gas exhaust dispensing from the gear. The pleasure of fleeting capacity and generous drifting from one distinguished pine to the next shot him up in a quick lead from Fabio. Hounded with the wind, wildfire sighing, he was generously gentle with his movements. Lightweight, with a feather-stroke of surrender to friction, he was fifteen feet away from a cutout when he released his anchor to a foot of the monumentally large and superficial titan. Plummeting downwards diagonally like an unwelcome ghost with brown pelleted eyes, his hands snapped to his blades.

With his blades raised, he charged. Infinitely and imminently striking, he began horizontal gnarly eights around the feet of the titan, slowly building up. Cold metal skirred across the ankles. Then, knees. Then, full bellows of cuts into the calves. He forewarned himself to stay hooked on the orbiting loops otherwise he’d lose his speed. In a witted craft, and a flip later, he was running forwards on the titan’s padded spine, foot smearing past the other in a blur like an accelerated hike up an icy mountain. One tempo missed, and he’d slip from the askantly straight back.
In all ways, he was counting under his breath.

Ten. Nine. Eight.

The ankles, knees, and calves may have been sliced, but in reality they were foul enemies who could have a sixth sense.

Seven. Six. Five.

Something in the security of his position left him enrapturing his left handed blade too comfortably like a death reaper out to bestow eternal sleep. He went straight for a metal hymn at the nape. With a bowed gesture, and a rasp, the blade went down. Romping out the culture of skin that made a nape, the empty and hollowed trench stared back at him. His acutely sharp mouth, smiled. At last.

Not sparing a moment, he unpredictably threw himself back, falling back into the capsule of time that mingled with the wind. Railing whirrs, and a thump of a heart later, he brayed his anchor out to a branch far and high. Dead. It was dead. The gas fumed as he leaned forward once more, endowing himself to rise again like he would from ashes.

Life or death, when you come to think of it, was there a reason to fear?

 

[Moonlessite]

MENTIONS: Everyone, but mostly alexfangtalon [Anke]
​

A chilly breeze cut through the summer night, piercing Elke's uniform and making her quiver slightly. It was a good night, it was an important night-- it was the night where they would all spread their wings and take off towards familiar, strange, and yet bright horizons. A few hours earlier, when Krause fixed them all with one of her stone-eyed stares as she gave her farewell speech, Elke couldn't believe that the friends she had trained with for three years would eventually become distant. The Top Ten, for instance. They stood tall below Krause's feet as she watched them from the stand, their eyes sparkling with anxiety, eagerness, pride, or whatever else. Some of them would go to the Military Police. Vivian had already told them that she was keen on being one of the MPs. Who was to say that the rest weren't? They were friends now, yes, but eventually they'd become whispers on the wind. Sure, they'd promise to visit, and they'd promise to keep in touch and send letters... but would they keep that promise?

She hoped they would. Elke never had this many friends before. It would be sad to lose them.

Krause had also been kind enough to prepare celebrations after their graduation. The military headquarters in Trost had a much larger mess hall than the one back at training camp. There, she saw familiar faces of the trainees she spent the last three years with; Viktor, Luka, Hal, Jo... but there were others there, from other divisions. Nearly all of them had that youthful, fresh spark in their eyes, ones that seemed to be eager to challenge the world around them. The sight made Elke's chest swell with inspiration. Sure, she didn't make the Top Ten. No, she was ol' Number Fifteen, five spots short of the bottom of the ladder. But that didn't mean anything to her; even if she had taken the number one spot, she'd still join the Scouts anyway.

Either way, it was the time to celebrate. Their instructor had surprised them with a feast that was grander than any feast that she could have imagined. All types of vegetables-- grilled, sauteed, and roasted-- had been laid out for them in neat little rows that lined the tables. But there were two things that had caught everyone's attention. The smell of roast meats permeated the air like a thick perfume, and when she looked into the large serving flagons that rested on the ends of the tables, she discovered that they were filled to the brim with rich red wine and golden mead that smelled as sweet as the spring air. The recruits were ecstatic upon laying their eyes upon rosy cuts of pork and lamb and beef, and many had begun to devour the foods as if they hadn't eaten anything in their life before. To Elke, this night was the closest that she had ever gotten to paradise.

As soon as Elke's lips had touched the honey mead, it was hard to get her to stop. Despite everyone's warnings, she drunk the alcohol as if it was water. Never had she had something so sweet and alluring before! Nothing so flavorful! Did foods like these actually exist, or was she dreaming? Soon enough, she discovered that everyone's warnings were, in fact, true; she felt like she was standing at the bottom of a river. Her arms felt sluggish, her feet heavy, and it was like her mouth was filled with water. Even her vision was foggy, as if she was looking at everyone through the veil of a murky surface. But she felt warm-- so, so warm, and happier than she had been in a long time.

That was why Elke was heavily leaning against her sister's side as they sat at the table. Her face was heavily flushed with red, and her eyes were glazed, but her lips were spread across her features in a wide and goofy grin. She was just having too much fun, being around her friends and comrades like this. As she rested her chin on Anke's shoulder, a long-winded giggle lifted out of her lips.

"Ankeeeeeeeeeeeee~~ Can you pleaseeeeee- *hic* - pass me the rump roaaaaaasssst~~?" she laughed, bringing a half-full tankard up to her lips as she began to drink deeply from the wine she had served herself only a few minutes prior.

MENTIONS:
​

One. That blond fuck.

Vivian was never one for parties.

Two. Him.

The ceiling was as dull as it was back at camp. Vivian laid face up in her bunk, staring at the faint cracks that had appeared above. How old was this building?

Three...

Voices sounded from a distance. They were light, airy, and filled with happiness and pride.

Four. Tough girl.

Were they actually having fun? Her stomach rumbled. Maybe she should just go outside and join them, but she was too tired. Too tired after these three years that she had spent in training. Maybe it was just best if she stayed in bed, alone.

Five. Bite-y.

Yet, she couldn't help but feel a bit lonely. Sure, she had made her fair share of friends during her time as a recruit. Viv had grown to care for them as if they were blood.

Six. Ginger. Sweetie.

But it was here in her bunk, in the quiet, where she felt warm and wanted. The silence and dark comforted her. There, in the barracks, she could think clearly without allowing her thoughts to be clouded by the fog of drink, or become overly excited over the taste of meat.

Seven. Mace.

She raised a hand, tracing a finger in the air as she followed the cracks in the ceiling. Vivian wondered how many soldiers laid in bed and stared at the same cracks as she did. Did they notice when a new one would appear, or would it go unrecognized? Were they scared that the ceiling would one day come crumbling down, crushing them in their sleep?

Eight. Eight. Eight. Eight.

Damn it, she really had to make it, didn't she? Why?

"You are joining the Military Police."

"It's final... let's get closer to leaving this hell."

Nine. Probably the only other one here that she looked up to.

Ten. A stunning, yet brisk breeze of freedom.

Her finger stopped moving. Her arm hurt-- she brought her hand to her chest and clasped at the pendant that laid at her collarbone. In the half-light, she felt the sting of tears. In the silence, her head thrummed with thoughts. She'd do this for him.

​

 

[homintales]

Sera Mayer
Collab with Demon Shinobi ​

4th place. Not too shabby, right? Well, yeah it is. Even Sera thought so. She would’ve preferred making it all the way to 1st place. However, with the lack of sleep she obtained, it was never a possibility. She slammed into a tree like an idiot and almost all of the other Recruits saw it in full action. Did any of them laugh at Sera? She couldn’t know, she was out cold for most of it.

In fact, if it wasn’t for August she would’ve absolutely died from the fall. At least that was what some of the other Recruits thought. Even prior to the ODM Gear training, Sera was certain that the fall wouldn’t pose much of a threat to someone raised in the part of Trost she was. She had already taken plenty of punishment. Though, she was at the very least certain that the fall would cause something to fracture. Which is why she was thankful to August.

After that, it didn’t take long for the time of Graduation to arrive. Which is when she was where she ranked. It actually made Sera angry to see that nowhere on the list was August’s name. She should’ve at least found his name in the top 5 for his rescue of Sera. Despite these two frustrating errors in the Commander’s grading system, Sera was still eager to celebrate making it that much closer to the Scouts. She invited August to come along for some more smuggled Alcohol. This time it was Wine she had stolen from a few MP’s who were interfering with an illegal weapons trade. The taste of Wine greatly surpassed the taste of lead that some of the men in the middle of that deal tasted.

She didn’t have a singular location in mind, so Sera just sort of walked around the main area while taking a few large gulps whenever she felt like it. “Th-thanks for saving me.” Sera expressed gratitude, despite the fact this wasn’t the first time she thanked him. She held out the Wine. “You want a swig?”

Here they were at the crossroads of the rest of their lives. The 104th Training Corps had finally completed it's training and they were graduations. In truth, August couldn't help feeling torn. He was proud of the accomplishments of his fellow cadets. They'd all been through so much. But then again... it stung not to have seen himself placed anywhere among the top ten. At the very least, physically he believed that he'd performed a cut above the rest. It seemed their superiors, Krause for example, didn't share his sentiments.

Regardless, there was no point in letting it weigh him down. The point was never to be the best for the sake of being the best. It was to try and reach his potential and become better to keep himself and his fellow soldiers alive. Maybe then he could help build a better world for his family.

He'd been thinking about that a lot more lately. Part of him couldn't help flashing back to that night a year or two ago. A strange feeling of deja vu hit him as he was pulled back from his thoughts. He couldn't help laughing a little. "I told you already. It was nothing. Anyone else would have done the same. I just happened to beat 'em to the punch," he said to Sera, giving her a hearty little pat on the back.

Then, she offered him a swig. He eyed the bottle for a fraction of a second. He wasn't a fan of the stuff, but well... A sip or two on grad night couldn't have hurt. "You know what? Yeah," He said grabbing the bottle. One drink every once in a while wouldn't make him like his parents. "Just pace yourself, alright? You don't need any more excuses to have me carry you around." He took a quick gulp, nothing much, especially compared to how she was chugging it.

"Seriously," he grinned, passing the bottle back. "You could have just asked if you were that tired during the little competition. Didn't need to challenge a tree to a fight to get my attention," he teased, laughing a little more.

Sera frowned. However, it quickly shifted to a grin. “That’s it, no m-more for you.” Wine in grasp, she consumed three times as much as August did on his single gulp. Half empty, Sera began to toss the container up and catch it right as it was about to hit the ground. Drinking was one of her favorite ways to pass the time. But even she didn’t feel like getting totally shit faced again.

It took a strong man to criticize someone who only around a week ago slammed face first into a tree. “I was tired!” She clarified. “I would never go that far just to get s-someone to carry me. Unless their hands had some kind of m-magical power that got rid of my condition.” While Sera had more than sixteen years to get used to it, the stutter she carried wherever she went was sometimes more annoying than it needed to be. There were of course treatment options. But that would require paperwork and other things that could only be done in areas a little too out in the open for Sera’s line of work.

She picked up a nearby rock and tossed it as far as possible. It collided with one of the many trees, creating a nice mark on it. She smiled at the impressive throwing ability she acquired through playing sports with the other child smugglers of Trost. Then she turned back to August. "D-don’t pretend you didn’t enjoy carrying me the first time around.” She chuckled. “I felt your hands pay attention to my hips.”

"You, little miss," he paused, turning to walk backwards for a few steps in front of the girl only to flick her forehead, "need to take better care of yourself." It was a simple phrase, a point of advice that he would have believed to be common sense. But among the cadets, there seemed to be those who didn't believe in such facets. How could sleep possibly help them? How?! It was a question for the scholars of ancient civilizations long past.

He chuckled, snatching the bottle back from Sera's grasp like it was all too easy. He spun back around, walking straight once more as he took another swig for himself. Alcohol was an acquired taste. He couldn't wrap his head around why so many people enjoyed it. That would have been more than clear if Sera could have seen the face August made when he took a bigger gulp this time. Still, as she continued, he almost spit the drink still in his mouth.

"Oh puh-leeeaase," he drew out the word, trying to contain his laughter. Although he rolled his eyes, falling in step beside Sera, August was smiling. "Like taking care of a drunk little gremlin like you was at the top of my to do list that night," he said, shaking his head and shrugging his shoulders in an exaggerated fashion.

Nudging her lightly, he relented. "I will admit though, your rambling on and on was pretty cute, speech problem and all." Thinking back, it was a wonder they hadn't gotten caught. "Not to mention, you started getting awfully snuggly toward the end too. I was worried Krause would show up." August didn't even want to imagine how that meeting in particular might have gone. Luckily, he'd never have to find out.

“Drunk I was, and therefore not responsible for anything I said or did!” She crossed ‘er arms and frowned again, this one clearly fake. She went for another sip, then realized she couldn’t afford to get intoxicated again. Same with the rock, she tossed the canteen and watched as expensive liquor poured out of it. “Hm, I kinda regret that.”

“You know…” Sera started, spreading ‘er arms to point out the entire area. “This is the same place we f-first met. That tree right over there.” She pointed to the tree they sat under, it looked slightly older than all of the other nearby trees. “Thought we should come back, so I could th-thank you for what you said that night.” She was a little shy, still not entirely used to opening up with so much emotion. “I just wish it had been enough.”

She took a seat next to the tree. “But the night p-prior to ODM training, what do I do?” She looked to her fists, which still had a few scrapes and marks. “I come out again and fuck up m-making it to 1st place. Which… I’m good with, you know. 4th is fine as long as I m-make it into the Scouts. Still disappointed in myself though.” She patted the ground, signaling for August to come over and take a seat.

"Must be nice not having to take responsibility for toying with a poor guy's heart," August teased, though he obviously didn't mean that. They'd only just met that night after all. He was surprised though when she chose to throw away what was left of the alcohol she'd coveted. "Wow," he said, a look of genuine surprise on his face. "Can't say Jericho would be happy if he knew ya did that."

August couldn't help snickering a bit at that before she pointed out the place they'd met. He remembered that night. Not for the nightmare that'd woken him up, but for the lunacy of the sight he'd stumbled upon. He looked at her curiously. "Me?" he looked confused for a moment. "What'd I say?" he asked, wondering what could have warranted thanks. "About you needing to rest more?" Well that was true. It was the best he could infer based on her point of regret.

He sighed, cocking his head to the side, eyeing her up and down for a moment before taking a seat beside her. "Oh look, little miss 4th place is griping to the guy who didn't even make the cut," he said, laughing a bit in a small attempt to lighten the mood. He turned his head just enough to get a look at her out of the corner of his eyes. "You made a mistake. Try not to let that disappointment drag you down though. Start focusing on your regrets and you lose sight of your accomplishments. Know what I mean?"

Like she could even give a fuck what Jericho or any of the other Recruits think when it comes to disposal of liquor. “I don’t get a lot of friendly advice.” Unless it was the kind of advice where someone tells you to stop transporting this over in this area otherwise they’re going to start making your life truly painful. “So even something as sm-small as, ‘Hey, get some sleep’, means a lot to me.”

She expressed the aggression she felt towards the Commander for not putting the man who saved Sera’s life in the top 10 Recruits. “Krause… At the very least you should’ve made it into the top 5. But if you can take not m-making it on the list at all, I can take 4th easily.” She was resisting the urge to rush over to where the canteen landed, now regretting the choice she made to dispose of it.


August’s advice on looking away from past regrets was something Sera’s Father probably would’ve said not too long ago. It was probably something ripped straight out of a novel. But even with that possibility, it was some fantastic advice. “Yeah, I get ya.” Out of nowhere, she equipped a serious expression. “But if you e-ever call me Miss 4th place again, I’ll stab you.” She waited a few seconds and snickered to assure August that she was joking… maybe.

August nodded, understanding just a bit more. "Yeah, I could see that," he replied softly. "But I mean, everybody needs someone to remind them to take care of themselves. And ya know, give 'em a little push here and there." Thinking back to the ODM training day, he couldn't help remembering how worried he'd been at first, followed by a small tinge of anger. It wasn't about her pushing herself so hard. It was about the repercussions. If anyone had failed to help her, if anyone had been a second too slow, she might have been seriously hurt or worse. It was training, but in the field that could have meant not only her death, but the deaths of others.

Still, he'd shaken it off. He wasn't in any position to lecture her when he was sure Krause would have given her an earful. "Honestly, I'm more surprised about not beating you out for a position in the top ten given my ability to actually... ya know... function?" he joked. He could take it after all. It was never about that.

"Oh?" He shifted gears almost immediately. "You'll stab me?" August gave Sera a playful little push. "I'd seriously like to see you try," he paused, grinning almost as if he was thinking about it. Was he going to do it? "Miss 4th Place~" Of course, he was! He wasn't the easily scared type after all.

Clearly August was a risk taker through and through. He would’ve fit right in with Sera’s gang, where you had no choice but to take a risk or two each morning, otherwise you would never survive the several other gangs or the corrupted tactics of the Military Police. He fit the most important qualification anyway. But August didn’t seem like the type of person who would want to get involved with that sort of organization.

For some reason, Sera released a sigh and looked sad. “Well, you leave me no c-choice.” She reached into a pocket and pulled out a rusty and old looking knife. Just like with 50% of all of the other items she carried over from Trost, this had to be smuggled past the Commander. She pointed the edge towards August. “I’ll try to make it quick.” Clearly it was a joke. Made clear thanks to Sera’s snickering, unless she truly was crazy. “Sorry, that was too far, I know. W-wanted to see your reaction is all.” She waited a few short seconds then tossed the knife without warning to August. “Was my Dad’s. Check it out.”

Part of August had expected Sera to pull something, to try to gain the upper hand. He hadn’t expected her to actually pull out a knife though! His eyes widened for a moment. Little twitches, a slight tensing of the muscles, minuscule movements would let the weary combatant know August was ready to act if needed. He half thought she might try to feign an attack. And yet, he didn’t seem serious or scared. At least, not of Sera. The bigger issue at hand? He doubted it’d look good if he were to be caught wrestling down and pinning one of the other cadets, even if she were the instigator. Especially not where alcohol was involved.

Fortunately for the young man, Sera wasn’t as crazy as she made herself out to be. At least, that’s what August was banking on. “Heh, you’re kinda crazy, huh?” He let out a small relieved chuckle. At least Sera seemed to have gotten a satisfactory reaction from him as she shifted gears. “Was my reaction about what you were hoping for?” August didn’t didn’t seem phased when she tossed the knife, quickly and carefully snatching it from the air. He held it up, examining the blade, the handle, every inch he could make out.

“Do you... “ he paused, somewhat unsure all of a sudden. August was silent for a moment, thoughts of his own father flooding his mind. And of course, he couldn’t think of the man without thinking of… He shook his head. “Do you ever think about him? Miss him?” he finally asked, his gaze shifting from the knife to the girl sitting beside him.

Sera gave a slow nod. Her Father getting killed somewhere in the confines of Wall Maria, was the only reason she aimed for the Scouts in the first place. Of course she missed ‘em. “All the time.” She answered. “Maria falling I couldn't of cared less about. All of the Walls are g-going to fall at some point. But when I learned that my Father w-was killed with the rest of the lambs, I knew I needed to do something, fix everything, finish what my old man s-started.” She took the knife and placed it aside. She could never use it, not with the condition it was in. Try striking the thing through a Titan and you’re likely to break the thing into several pieces.

On the list of things she cared about most, there was one thing that surpassed everything else. “I can’t think of anything more i-important than family.” She said, forgetting the fact that she left them on terms that were less than friendly. Prior to that even, Sera was never able to maintain a proper relationship with her siblings and Mother. Though she still loved them would kill anything that dared to threaten them. “The Titans nearly ruined mine, so I’m going to return the favor.” It was true that returning Wall Maria to Humanity would greatly benefit Humanity. But it wasn’t like they would find themselves in any state greater than before they lost it.

August listened carefully, nodding along as Sera spoke. Of course she missed her father. He imagined most people would. Part of him had. When he was younger, he'd spent many nights wondering why his dad was out so late or when he'd come home. There was one thing that they could agree on though. "You're right, Sera. Nothing's more important," he said, bringing his hand up. He seemed to examine his own palm for a moment before closing it. He thought about his own family: his brother, his mother, and finally his father.

August could only guess that Kieran Verstekt didn't share the sentiment. If he had, leaving would have been out of the question. That didn't matter right now though. "So!" August suddenly raised his voice just a bit, perhaps to break himself out of his own negative thoughts. He placed his hand on Sera's shoulder. "For your father and your family, you're one step closer to your goal. How's that feel?" he questioned curiously, an eager smile gracing his face. "Exciting? Scary? Some other third thing?"

“Don’t know.” Sera admitted. “Nothing really scares me. Except spiders.” That was its own story for another time. “Guess I’m kind of excited. No, eager, that’s what I would say. Eager for this night to pass and to reach Maria. Eager to get in there and kill as many Titans as I can. Eager to…” She thought for a second, then realized there was nothing else, at least nothing she was willing to share, that she desperately awaited the opportunity for. “Yeah, that’s about it.”

“Should I survive, I’ll probably just return to my smuggling ways.” She saw no real form of shame in the criminal occupation. “But don’t tell anyone I told you that.” She joked. “It’ll cheer everyone up when I return. Especially Mom. She cried for so long once she learned I wasn’t going for the Military Police or Garrison.” It wasn’t one of those memories she could just erase like so many others. Her own Mother crying more tears than she could even keep track of, pleading for Sera to not go off and get herself eaten. How could she ever forget that? “Well…” She said, getting up and stretching a bit. “Wanna join the rest of the party? Or you wanna stay a bit longer?” Thanks to Sera’s tone, it was clear she was fine with either.

"Eager to?" He questioned when she sort of trailed off. It seemed there was nothing else. He shook his head, chuckling a bit. "Well, if you're gonna head out beyond the walls and kick some Titan ass, you'll probably need someone ya know and trust watching your back." August gave Sera's shoulder a little squeeze before hopping up to his feet. Of course, it might have been a stretch to say she trusted him. "Besides, if you take care of yourself out in the field the way you do in training, I might end up having to make a habit out of saving your life," he added, laughing a little as he dusted himself up.

He took a step away from Sera and then turned to hold out his hand to help her up. "Anyway, yeah. We should probably jo-oh shit..." he said, feigning worry. "You were uh... joking about being afraid of spiders right?" he asked, his eyes shifting as though he was watching something move along the tree beside her. "Cause uh... If you weren't..." he trailed off. Of course, there was no spider. Maybe it was just a little payback for the little knife stunt she'd pulled before.

“Ahh, where?!” Sera screamed, jumping away from the tree as quickly as she was able to. The worst spiders are the ones that creep up on you, trying to get in a perfect sneak attack. This wasn’t the first time a spider had gotten one over on Sera. There was the time one found its way into a package she was meant to smuggle. As soon she spotted the little bastard, Sera tossed the package into the street. Needless to say, she lost a lot of money and had to outrun some MPs who spotted what was inside the package. And that was only one occasion of many.

But then Sera turned around and scanned the tree and just in case, the small area that surrounded said tree. There wasn’t any spider. It took less than a second to come to the conclusion that she had suffered from a trick. “Tha-that w-wasn’t f-funny!” Her stuttering was increased thanks to the embarrassment she felt. “Us-using my own f-fears ag-aginst me?”

August did his best to stifle any hints of laughter as Sera jumped up from her place. It wasn't until she realized her search was fruitless that he broke, laughing a bit harder than he'd expected. "I'm sorry, but... it kinda was," he said, arms wrapping around his gut as he fought the urge to buckle over from said laughter. "Just a bit of revenge for your little joke earlier," he said as he placed his hand on her head. "You aren't mad are you? I wouldn't let anything happen if you were in any actual danger."

Smiling, August gave her a little pat and messed her hair up a bit before pulling his hand away. "Besides, how could I have possibly guessed you'd give me such a cute reaction. Thought you were supposed to be the super serious, tough girl, Sera." He grinned, giving the girl a small shrugged, his laughter having long since died down. "Now, you wanted to get back to the others, right?"

“...y-yeah, let’s make our way there.” Her arms were crossed and she was clearly somewhat pissed. “D-don’t call me cute again.”