Fandom &nbsp; The Grand Expedition

"It's raining again..."

Wet hair slicked down the side of Irena's ears. She had a green hood to wrap around her bespectacled face, but instead she chose to wallow in the coldness of the raindrops. In fat heaps they slipped through the evergreen branches surrounding her from all sides, their rhytmic pitter-patter breaking against her silvery scalp. She was visibly shivering.

"The ditches will be leveled like this, then what will we do?"

She bit the underside of her thumb, strong enough for it to bleed. The Sun had already settled beyond the horizon, leaving only the residual afterlight to illuminate the densely wooded scenery. If the stars were already visible; no one could know; on account of the sombercoloured veil hiding them away. The evening was hazy—incredibly hazy. Before she knew it, the blood from her finger had been washed away and evaporated with the rain.

She squatted in the dirt, watching the steam rise in thousands of smoky pillars. Her eyes were red, but she had no idea whether she'd been crying.

"To think that I'd be the one sending Humanity to an early grave... You must be disgusted with me."

"You're being unfair."

"Huh?"

A second voice joined the previously one-sided conversation, coming just from behind her back. Recognising the voice almost instantly, Irena didn't bother lifting herself up or even turning to face the speaker, smiling weakly under her glasses. She had sneaked out to quite the out-of-sight spot, but of course she found her anyway. Sighing, the Commander addressed the woman currently looming over her.

"Misha, I guess you noticed I slipped away. You shouldn't worry about your superior like that, it's not part of your job description. Besides, don't the soldiers deserve more of your attention?"

"What a crybaby you're being, everyone knows you're no good when you shut in."

The gentle-looking girl leaned forward, softly wrapping her arms around Irena's neck and resting her chin on top of her head. The cold rain made it so that neither felt noticeably more warm, but Irena's world suddenly became far quieter and... even peaceful. Now that the raindrops weren't breaking directly against her temples, her focus was brought fully to Misha.

"Here. You're being too hard on yourself, see?"

Before she knew it, she felt Misha's hands wrapped around hers, offering no resistance as she was led towards a nearby stone.

"You can't lift a boulder like this alone, right? It's far too heavy." To add emphasis, the squad leader draped Irena's fingertips against the bottom of the rock. Were her hands any softer, she might've flinched at the sensation; it had a very unpleasant and rough texture; and was impossible to move.

"Misha, this—"

"Shhh. It's alright. All of us face a boulder like it at some point in our lives. That's why we need to rely on others, because only then can we share the burden and succeed. Just like this—oompf!"

She grabbed the moss-haired belly of the stone, prompting Irena to follow as they both made an effort. Surely enough, the boulder gave way—admittedly slimy and gross—and the two quickly set it aside. The commander's eyes narrowed in annoyance, though a single peek at the girl's self-satisfied face instantly wiped it away. It was time to put an end to the lecture.

"Instead of blindly moving forward and fighting alone, we should confide in those we care about and face the problem together. Or do you want to drown here like a turkey in the rain?"

Irena rose up, shaking the other woman off from her shoulders. With Misha gone, the thundering noise returned right away.

"You learned that from her, didn't you? Ever since then, you've been growing and matured into an amazing leader. It's always felt like it should've been you. No, it was meant to be you, the situation we're in proves that."

"You're wrong," Misha shook her head. "Even with how everything turned out, I still respect you. We've lost hundreds of soldiers, but you're still capable of moving forward. If that was me... I would just freeze up and die."

Irena knew what she was trying to say. She knew that she didn't mean anything bad or accusatory, but in spite of that, she couldn't help but feel like she'd been called uncaring or cold-blooded. A frown began forming across her face.

"Have you been crying? Your eyes are like a cadet who's just entered training. Hehe, like Strom."

"So you noticed that too... I'm sorry, that's my failure as a Commander."

"No, I think it's beautiful. That you can cry and still find the strength to move on. I can't do both of those at once either."

"...It's getting dark. Let's tell Romani to light the reconnaissance fires."

"Right you are!"

Within the camp...

Dozens of hastily constructed tents, wildly scattered wagons and improvised shacks clustered together at the center of the forest. Protected not only by the closely-knit trees, but also artificial ditches several meters deep and lined with sharpened stakes, the reminder of the Survey Corps was getting ready for nightly watch. Devised in a system of juniors first, seniors third and second, the alloted time for each soldier to serve as sentry had stayed the same ever since it was first announced. Similarly, it was always the duty of the lower ranks to light the 'watch-fires' before their duty began.

Spread along the borders of the ditch-surrounded forest, these fires were rudimentary Titan control, making sure that no second night-time ambush would take the Scouts by surprise. Once they were lit, all noise and activity would have to be kept to a minimum, so the soldiers all hurried to finish their meals on time. Berries and gruel, rat meat and gruel, rat meat and berries; it was already getting boring. The Commander may have spared the rations of the fallen officers as a way of boosting morale on the first day of the encampment, but even that effort was in vain if dried gruel was seriously all that remained.

Nevertheless, it was deathly important to fill one's gullet. Going to sleep hungry was suicide in a sitation where any number of threats lurked right under your bed. Titans, snakes, exceptionally moody squad members... all kinds of horrors stalked the dark nights and misty mornings.

"Oye! You lot ready or what? I've been watching you guzzle gruel for an hour now and it's seriously unappetising!"

A strong voice shook the campsite, coming from a branch overlooking the Commander's tent. As expected, the Commander's tent sat right in the middle and was flanked by everyone else's, while currently above it shouted the stout and cynical Romani Trott. The squad captain held a blade above his head, waving it to get everyone's attention.

"Assemble into teams like always! Ten members—three teams, make them however you want. One will tackle the north-west, another goes north-east and the laziest team can have the south all to themselves. Light the fires in your designated area and then keep watch in groups of two per fire, got it? Get on it then!"

The man turned around, jumping down from the tree-branch. Unwittingly, a small yelp left his mouth as he landed on his injured foot.

"...and don't you dare die while you're at it."

em_beasty · May 23, 2022

Dani was sitting with some comrades, using a small stick fashioned into something like a toothpick to pick at some gruel between her teeth. If there was anything worse than their meals, it was the way they tended to "stick around" after they ate them. Rat meat didn't exactly make for good breath, and gruel left a certain... fuzzy feeling on the tongue and teeth. Better than dying of starvation though. Well, maybe. Danika was still on the fence about that one.

The shouts of Romani, which had become increasingly familiar over the weeks, had her looking up, slowly and lazily, toothpick suspended between her lips. Lips that, upon hearing that the man had been watching them eat for an hour, started to twitch into a half-smirk. There was a joke to be made about that. Somewhere. But by the time she found it, Romani had already jumped down from the tree branch he'd been using as a podium. Hurting himself along the way, it looked like. And while Dani made jokes about a lot of things, handicaps, injuries, and scars were not one of them. Thus, the blonde rose from her seat without a witty retort.

"Want to take the northeast with us?" One of her comrades asked. They too were standing.

"Nah," Dani waved a hand. "Too much sun when dawn comes. I need to maintain this complexion. If I get pale enough, I just might be able to convince the Titans I'm a ghost."

Her usual, dry delivery was expected among her comrades at this point. Every once in awhile she sprinkled a smirk or a chuckle in there, but usually she just looked stone-faced and dead serious about whatever joke she was making. It was part of her charm. At least that's what she told herself.

"I'll take the northwest this time." Dani walked away, lifting a hand to give a wave to the comrades at her back.

Her silvery blonde hair was already pulled up in a bun, bangs hanging over her forehead and framing her face a bit. She was dressed in her full uniform, swords at both hips, and her fangtooth mask clipped to her belt at her left hip. All she was missing was her ODM gear. She walked to claim it now. As she did, Dani observed the others with her light brown, almost-amber eyes, wondering who she might be on duty with this evening. The groups seemed to rotate semi-frequently, so just about everyone got exposed to one another. A great way to build camaraderie. In theory. She knew that not everyone appreciated her particular... flavor... of humor.

She also knew she'd have their backs whether they appreciated her or not. So, whoever she was on duty with this evening could at least bank on that.

R U S T · May 23, 2022

Waren Helmer

The rain gently hit the cloak that he and the other scouts were, making an odd yet calm pattern of, almost- music. Or maybe it was just him who thought the rain was natures version of music alongside birds who chirped in the mornings and the daytime.

The rain soaked his odd looking hair it was all cloaked in black, though the front left side of his hair was white, making it seem like he got a bad haircut. Though the truth was this was just a birthmark as his caretaker said. He ponder cheat his parents looked like and if they too had a white spot in their hair as he did.

He was a distinguishing figure though, he was definitely strong just by appearance he had massive biceps and triceps, not only was his arms massive but so was the rest of his body including his chest and legs too. Having a great body structure and physique.

He stood there amongst the quiet chattering and the movement of the scouts, he shook his head getting out of his thoughts and immediately started helping the other scouts moving heavy crates, carrying it by himself as he walked to the designated area that his higher uppers and comrades told him. Setting a standard for the rest of the soldiers who soon followed him, helping others, that was for the soldiers who didn’t know what to do at the moment.

As he was carrying crates and rations to other scouts and comrades he heard the foot steps and voice of a familiar higher-upper. It was Romani trott. He looked to the direction of where he heard the voice. It was near the commanders tent, he smiled at him and laughed a little.

“Yes sir!“

He said loud enough that his own voice boomed towards Romani.

He then turned his head to see Dani taking amongst him and hers comrades. He heard her say which direction she wanted to take. Northwest. After he eavesdropped I’m her conversation he finished his task and ran towards her. Until he got close enough he would start talking.

“I’ll take the northwest with you Dani.“

GrayLion256 · May 23, 2022

Haruka was seated next to a tree, his back leaning against the uncomfortable rough bark. He slowly nibbled away at his bland food as his stomach growled, he hated it. It was hard to get down something that was once alive. He poked at his chunk of rat meat, cringing. His stomach growled again.

The hunger taking control of him, he shut his eyes, shoved the meat into his mouth, and chewed it as quickly as he could. He shuddered as the gross texture slid down his throat.

His head shot up as Romani began to shout and bark orders at them. Haruka covered one of his ears as the Commander's voice rang out. Romani had jumped down from a tree branch and seemingly landed on his leg, causing him a bit of discomfort.

Haruka stood up and stretched his tall bulky body, groaning in satisfaction. He then looked around for someone he knew. His green eyes locked on a familiar blonde. Dani was her name, she definitely had a... special personality. He had trained with her once or twice. She corrected him when he did things wrong during training.

Haruka began to walk towards her, easily knowing she would keep him in line. Then he notices him. Waren, to be exact. Waren was intimidating to say the least. Haruka trained with him more than a few times, they both had very similar physique so the commander saw it fit for them to train together. Haruka was easily beaten by Waren, he wouldn't want to hurt any of his comrades.

Haruka hesitated and then walked forward, his hands visibely shaking as he approached the two of them.

"If you w-wouldn't mind... I'd like to join you as well... " his voice came out quiet, it wasn't very deep but it was soothing to the ears. Like a slight breeze on a warm sunny day.

em_beasty
(Sorry if I took control of either of your characters, I was only trying to set a little background, I can change it if you'd like)

capMARVELOUS · May 23, 2022

Tobias "Toby" Groth
currently doing: preparing to light watch-fires
with: n/a

Normally, Tobias would have enjoyed the smell of the wet earth and the feeling of the rain on his skin. Normally, the sensations would have been soothing. But these were not normal times, and the earth was masked by rotting vegetation and the rain came down like bullets. So all the sensations did now was augment his, and his squad mates', misery.

The Survey Corps recruit sat alone with his back against a tree, at an angle where his body shielded most of the 3DMG system fastened at his hips from getting wet. The hood of his cloak was pulled up over his head, but it did little good; rain still trickled down his cheeks, got in his mouth when he opened it for another bite. His breath misted in the cold air in between the spoonfuls of gruel made even thinner and more flavorless by the rain pooling in his bowl. Foolishly, the squad had used up most of their spice supply in an attempt to make the meager rations edible, but no amount of salt could make rat meat go down any easier.

Enough days had gone by for the survivors to effectively establish this as the new routine, but not enough for them to come to grips with the pain. Even through the curtain of rain, Tobias still saw it clearly in his squad mates' eyes- the shock from the Abnormal's devastating attacks, the disbelief at the sheer number of casualties so early into the expedition, and the ache of emptiness that had permanently replaced the joy and excitement of being with companions old and new. Though he tried to pretend as if he was immune to those feelings, Tobias was not, and not that it was a contest, but he felt slightly worse than how he imagined the others did. Unbidden, the memory arose of his childhood friend Dorothe Kirschbaum vanishing in a splatter of gore between the Abnormal's jaws, him too late to do anything but watch the glint of her promise ring disappear. A lump of guilt began to form in his throat; he shoved it back down with another spoonful of gruel.

The loud, deep voice of Captain Trott cut through the pattering rain; on instinct, Tobias got to his feet and offered a half-hearted salute. Immediately, his fellow recruits acted on the given order and began organizing in teams to go light the watch-fires at the edges of the forest. The northwest seemed accounted for already; never wanting to be lazy, Tobias decided to head up the northeast team.

"Heading northeast," he announced, raising his hand in the air as a beacon for others who might join him. With his other hand, he adjusted his cloak to cover more of his hips. His face could survive getting wet. The 3DMG could not.

AI10100 · May 23, 2022

LORENZ ALBRECHT
Location: Camp
Interacting with:

R U S T

Lorenz would have liked to say he survived eating worse but this might have been one of the lowest points in his life. The only thing that could go lower than rat meat and gruel would have been to pick off grubs from trees and eat those raw. He wasn't foreign to that concept either— he had done it a few times under the orders of his parents to make sure he knew which ones were nutritious enough and which ones weren't. They claimed that it was just in case he got lost or something along those lines. They weren't particularly tasty but he wasn't complaining if it was for the sake of survival.

As was the current case.

Lorenz, alongside a few scouts, had tried their best to make the meals at least taste better than it should. However, they weren't privy to spices due to a shortage and the current downpour certainly wasn't helping the already disgusting gruel taste any better. He had finished his meal as fast as possible before going around to help with making sure the others at least had a few bites in and not throw it up. To think his very first expedition would turn out like this... if he survived, it might make for a funny story to tell his folks at home. He just needed to get there.

Captain Trott called attention to them, signaling that it was time to start lighting the fires. Lorenz quickly fastened the ODMG onto himself, making sure that it was in good condition. He let out a sigh. The environment wasn't doing them any favors. Between the rain and the haze settling around them, it would make it easy for a titan to sneak up on them. But he was sure that the others already knew that. They seemed confident enough. It was routine, after all. They've done it for multiple nights already. They were prepared.

Routine gave way to complacency, he remembered his father saying once. Outside, it was always for the best if you kept alert regardless of previous successes.

Lorenz jogged his way towards an already forming group of Haruka, Dani and Waren. He gave them a small wave. "Headed northwest I heard? Count me in." He said, giving a small pat on Haruka's back to try and ease his tension a bit. He had gotten along with the group well enough in the past during their training. Competing with Dani when it came to ODMG maneuvering was always thrilling and he certainly didn't mind losing every now and then— it just showed him aspects he should improve on. To Waren and Haruka, Lorenz's strength was certainly lacking but it just needed a little bit more speed to even out the playing field even for a little bit.

"Bad weather tonight huh? We should probably be careful."

em_beasty · May 24, 2022

"Fellas." Dani said, her way of greeting the others that opted to join her.

She fell into step in between Waren and Haruka, resulting in something of a giant-sandwich. The blonde didn't seem to have issue walking between two hulking men. She seemed almost comfortable with it really. Perhaps that was why she did so well against Titans. Being around people like Waren and Haruka everyday certainly desensitized her to things like height differences. It was also no surprise that men far outnumbered women in the survey corps. It was something Dani learned to get used to pretty early on. She didn't mind it though. Gender had no influence on who she befriended.

Dani actually enjoyed her time with the others. She enjoyed training with them especially. Waren and Haruka certainly tested her when it came to strength. And Lorenz, who was jogging to join them now, was her equal when it came to lethal dexterity. Even Tobias-- who didn't seem to be joining them but showed leadership and initiative by volunteering to head up the northeast group-- had traits to be admired. They all had a lot to learn from each other. That was, in Dani's opinion, the makings of a good team.

Now, boots squishing upon the rain-soaked ground, she turned her gaze to Lorenz. His comment about the weather had a thoughtful hum pushing from Danika's throat. "Right," she agreed. "Let's not forget, we're on very strict orders not to die."

Her sarcasm was the only dry thing about her right now, given said weather. It was punctuated with a little smirk though, showing that her quips came from a good place. She looked between Waren and Haruka next. They were something of opposites, despite their similarities in build. Waren always seemed quite calm, while Haruka's social anxiety could be sensed from a mile away. Sensing some of that nervousness now, she gave Haruka a little elbow to the side and said: "Don't worry, big guy. We've got this." Then, she looked to Waren for confirmation. "Right?"

At this point, Dani was more afraid of their meals than a little rain.

GrayLion256 · May 24, 2022

Haruka's nerves dialed down a bit as all three walked side by side, Dani between Waren and him. His face resumed it's normal tired look as they walked to get their ODM gear.

His hair, face, clothes, and now boots were all soaked with rain water. He slightly shivered from the cold rain running down his back. He ran a hand through his black glistening hair, pushing it back so his vision wasn't too obscured. His clothes began to stick to his body and you could see the defined muscles of a hard working farm hand.

Lorenz came running up behind them making Haruka turn his head a bit to see him. Lorenz patted the tall nervous man's back softly giving him a slight scare and receiving a small jump from the man. Haruka let out a sigh as his nerves calmed back down.

He squinted as the wind blew rain into his face. Lorenz spoke up, remarking the rain and suggesting that they be careful.

Haruka was about to make a comment on the weather as well but Dani beat him to it. The mention of death made him remember all the good people that they had lost on this expedition. All the people who dedicated their lives to this. All the people who had families. His hands began to shake a bit as he could feel his nervousness creeping back up at the thought of dying.

He felt something tap his side and he glanced down at Dani with a somber look. Haruka gave a half hearted awkward smile to her comment. She looked up at Waren for confirmation and Haruka did too, with a worried look. He didn't want anyone else to die. He felt at fault for the deaths of some of his comrades, he didn't need anymore guilt on his shoulders.

AiDEE-c0 · May 25, 2022

Lighting Signal Fires

Time 'til Return - ???

capMARVELOUS

R U S T

Slowly but surely, the rookie soldiers all gathered in ten-member groups around the central camp. Hoods raised over their heads, they were all dripping with rainwater; shivering and compaining; or surrendered to their fate. Almost everyone tried to escape their hopelessness with jokes, but they were quickly running out of laughing matters. Almost everyone expected to survive tonight, but what about the night after? Something had to change.

"Shit! What the hell is the Commander thinking?!"

One of the soldiers broke into a rancor, near to where Dani, Waren, Haruka, Lorenz and a few others were congregating.

"Another damned pointless night of staring at the mist! God fucking damnit, we're all going to die! That Abnormal's going to return, don't any of you remember what it did to our comrades!? That thing's intelligent enough to hold a grudge, I tell you... We're all going to die. You're all going to die!"

He continued shouting into the air, spitting a mixture of saliva and dirty rainwater at anyone who came close. This was Calahan Palmer—someone hit particularly hard by the severe losses of the failed expedition. Ever since the encounter in the valley, there wasn't a hopeful thing that ever left his mouth. Could he really be blamed for it?

"I watched my brother get eaten..."

He finally went silent. Falling on his knees face up, only the barely noticable whistling of air being sucked against the windpipe marked his presence. The other members of the north-western group purposefully refused to acknowledge his tantrum. They stood around him awkwardly not saying a thing, but their minds couldn't repress him completely. Truth was, they felt a similar way.

"G~eeeez, what a lost cause!"

Another man laughed with a characteristic drawl. Fiodor Tanz stood a good distance away, having decided to follow Tobias in the north-eastern force. He was a snide, particularly careless character, who everyone agreed only survived each traumatising encounter because some evil deity had decided to curse the Scouts with his presence. He nudged Toby with his elbow, flashing him a shit-eating half-grin.

"I know you're the type to hate a man for telling the truth, but that loser's biting the dust the next time we see a Titan. Guys like him have no guts, wouldn't you say? If the rest know what's good for them, they'll just leave him there and get to work. The Survey Corps doesn't need cowards, or anyone who decides to babysit them at their own expense. It's a Titan-eat-Man world, man! Tell you what, I want you to stab me through the neck the moment I break down like that."

He snickered under his breath, his piercing, mocking eyes pointed up towards the other soldier. Despite his aura of self-satisfied confidence, even his facade was cracking, revealing a scared man taking shelter behind the greater weakness of another. Lately, he had been indulging on sadism as the expedition's outlook became more and more dire.

"Sedrich's a different breed though, ey?" Fiodor laughed again, looking back to the other group. "If we're the last two survivors of this expedition, I wouldn't mind... pfft! H~eehaha! Just kidding. Anyway, let's get to work, shouldn't we bossman? Someone certainly has to, if the higher-ups wanna sit on their asses."

capMARVELOUS · May 25, 2022

Tobias "Toby" Groth
currently doing: gathering more comrades
with: Calahan Palmer, Fiodor Tanz [

AiDEE-c0 ]

The volume of Calahan's freak-out made it hard not to pay attention to it. Tobias certainly paid attention to it, him and the rest of the slowly-forming northeast team on the entire opposite side of the camp. When the young man finally ended his spiel and collapsed, Tobias couldn't help but feel a little bad. Nobody had forgotten what had happened to their comrades so soon, but it seemed like everybody thought the bravest thing to do was act like it didn't hurt and just carry on. Calahan's display, while pitiable, at least showed that his loss hurt him enough to acknowledge it publicly, and in its own way, that was admirable.

What wasn't so admirable was Fiodor's following outburst. Like many of the other recruits, Tobias disliked the man, who strongly reminded him of a rat with his squeaking laugh and shifty attitude. He frowned at both the false claim about his character- why should he hate a man for telling the truth?- and at the gross dismissal of a comrade in distress. Truth be told, he wanted to make good on Fiodor's request and stab him through the neck then and there, but the Survey Corps frowned heavily on murdering squad mates... even the repulsive ones.

"If you're so concerned about cowards in the Survey Corps," Tobias said, "why don't you help make them braver?" He was never really one for intimidating looks, but the low light of the surroundings made his frown seem more frightening than he meant. He left Fiodor with the rest of the northeast team for a moment- brushing at the spot where the man had nudged him- and approached Calahan.

"Come on, up you get," he said, his big arms lifting the slight young man easily to his feet. "You're with us." He gave a nod of acknowledgement to the northwest team before the two of them departed. While they were a decent lot, they were also friendly- Waren and Lorenz especially- and he had a suspicion that they might try to coddle Calahan in his time of distress. That wasn't what he needed right now, and in fact that might make his emotional state worse. There was some merit to carrying on despite the hurt.

When he had rejoined his team, he said, "You heard Fiodor. Let's get to work, bossmen." He spearheaded their departure, going at a slower pace to allow any stragglers time to catch up.

em_beasty · May 29, 2022

Palmer’s outburst, while unsettling, wasn’t exactly surprising. Nor was it unwarranted. There wasn’t anything easy about dealing with Titans. There certainly wasn’t anything easy about watching them eat people. Calahan wasn’t the first soldier to find themselves in the midst of a mental breakdown. And while Danika pitied him, she was glad he wouldn’t be joining their group.

Not as glad as she was that Fiodor wouldn’t be joining them though.

Whatever look she might have given Palmer, the look she shot towards Fiodor was worse. The blonde cast a deadly glare over her shoulder, staring daggers at the creep after her name left his mouth. She wasn’t stupid enough to initiate anything— if she stabbed every idiot that made a lewd comment they’d be down half their ranks— but she did make a silent wish that his ODMG would go bad and run him into a tree. Preferably one with sharp branches.

As she looked away, her gaze locked with Tobias. She gave him a solemn nod, perhaps out of gratitude for him taking one for the team and taking Fiodor with him to the northeast. Or perhaps she was just wishing him good luck for what he was undoubtedly going to have to deal with. Either way, she looked forward after another moment and continued her path.

She stopped to grab her ODMG, checking to make sure it was fully stocked and in working order before strapping in. She carried the extra weight effortlessly, despite being quite obviously smaller than most of her comrades. Dani was used to it now. Truthfully, it was nothing compared to the extra weight they all now carried on their shoulders. The lives they were trying to protect, and the lives they’d already lost.

Once she was ready, she looked to Waren, Haruka, and Lorenz to make sure they were too. The rain had slowed to a steady patter now, which made seeing and speaking to each other a bit easier. Hands on her hips, she observed them in turn. It seemed they were already equipped with all their gear, Dani being one of the few that opted to walk around without it during her downtime. She observed their faces, knowing full well that each time they went out could be their last and not wanting to forget the faces of those she fought alongside. These people were important to her, even if she didn’t necessarily show it.

Whatever assessment she made, it was good enough for her to nod and turn around to face the direction they’d be heading. She looked up into the trees and the night sky, allowing the rain to tap against her face. Dani knew that terrors lurked out there in the darkness. She also knew it was their duty to face those terrors head on.

“Well,” she said, her tone dry, “fires aren’t going to light themselves…”

GrayLion256 · May 30, 2022

Haruka stared blankly at Calahan as he began to speak. His face softened when Palmer mentioned his brothers death and he crumbled to the ground. Haruka wanted nothing more than to embrace him in a hug and comfort him, he knew that it might not fix the hurt but it would help to have understanding from another. Or at least that was what Haruka thought.

Haruka's eyes drifted to Fiodar as he bad mouthed Calahan and the rest of the less brave hearted scouts. He couldn't help but feel a little called out and his spirit was somewhat weakened by Fiodar's words.

He gave a small nod back at Tobias and his face went back to it's tired looking self. He couldn't imagine the trouble Tobias was going to go through trying to keep Fiodar and Calahan alive. He looked down to see Dani with a look that could kill as she stared at Fiodar. He looked away and wondered what the feeling would be like, to be stared down so hard you could practically see the veins in someone's forehead. Probably bone chilling.

"Man, I hope he'll survive that... " Haruka muttered, half joking as they stopped to grab their ODMG. Haruka checked his gear, checking to make sure it was all functioning before strapping it on. Dani seemed to effortlessly slip on her gear whilst Haruka struggled with the tight straps fitting uncomfortably.

He pushed his hair back again and pulled the sleeves up on his uniform jacket. Haruka noticed Dani observing him intently and a flush krept up on his cheeks as he rubbed the back of his neck and looked away. He felt mildly uncomfortable being stared at, like he was suddenly naked in front of everyone. He crossed his arms over his chest unconsciously and shifted so his body wasn't facing her directly.

She nodded and he gave her a confused look as she turned away. His gaze landed on the dark forest that surrounded them. Titans were much more scary up close then when you see them from far away. Their faces and bodies just misshapen enough that they looked like very large deformed humans. He had only killed five of those disgusting creatures and each time he felt like hurling up his stomach.

Dani's remark made Haruka nod solemnly. He didn't want to be out there any longer than he had too. "We should get going," he said before he could think, sounding totally unlike the quiet guy he was, he never really spoke unless he had too.

He walked forward and rubbed his shoulders from the cold. He didn't want to waste the gas in his gear, so he decided walking was ultimately the best choice. Plus it gave him a little more of a workout.

AI10100 · May 30, 2022

LORENZ ALBRECHT
Location: Camp
Interacting with:

capMARVELOUS

R U S T

Lorenz let out a short chuckle at the joke Dani made, shaking his head. "What are they going to do? Fire me?" Still, he wasn't keen on dying there. He wasn't going to die there. He was carrying both her and his own dreams and he wasn't going to bury it in the ground outside of the walls. He still had to tell her parents what had happened. He had to give them back her letter and there was nothing that was going to stop him from getting back home no matter how long it takes.

Dani reassured Haruka further. The anxiety ridden companion of theirs needed a pep talk every now and then but Waren, being the largest and the most commanding out of all of them, would really be the only one who can calm anyone's nerves. It was pretty amazing how someone could do that.

Suddenly, someone began screaming— a mental breakdown already? It was Calahan, one of their fellow scouts. Right. The losses must be heavy on him. He had a brother that wasn't with them anymore. Lorenz can sympathize with his plight. The gnawing sense of hopelessness bit down on all of them, Lorenz was sure of that, but they had to persevere against it. There was no use in losing hope or the will to live. He had been pessimistic ever since that mission, not a single good thing came out of him. Sometimes, it did make him wonder how Calahan was still alive for all of these days. It was a wonder, a miracle really.

Toby had a few things to say but the man's lack of empathy was something that everyone was used to at this point. Before Lorenz could help Calahan up, Toby stepped up to the plate to give Calahan a few words. Lorenz gave him a nod and a wave. "Good luck! Holler if you find some deer out there!" Something of a running joke with Lorenz considering how much effort he spent on keeping an eye for one. It would do them well to get away from rodents and gruel over and over again. He just needed to find actual prey in this desolate outside world.

Lorenz moved with the others, waiting as they strapped their ODMG to themselves. The only thing that would truly save their asses in this place. He rested his hands on the gear, nodding back at Dani as her eyes passed by his. It was always good to commit their faces to memory. If they died, they would be the ones to carry your memory. Brutal and dark, he knows, but there was no avoiding the truth. As both Dani and Haruka spoke up about going, Lorenz nodded as he threw up his hood.

"Here's to hoping titans won't come out of nowhere now." He muttered as he brought his necklace to his lips, a gift from his parents, and then moved out of the camp with the others.

AiDEE-c0 · Jun 7, 2022

Lighting Signal Fires

Time 'til Return - ???

There was an uneasy calm permeating the air, like the very last stage of nausea. The rain yielded and gave way to the soft dripping of water from the needles of the trees, while the evening mist rose ever higher. On the fern-leaves near the muddy ground, slugs basked in the humid air and listened attentively to the orchestra that the toads have prepared for them. Much like saliva hanging from the corner of one's mouth, their slime slid down the ferns and heaved in the wind.

"Psst. That display was rather dreadful, wasn't it?" One soldier whispered to another.

"...Don't even remind me. I mean, if we let ourselves break like that, then..! If we lose hope, then—"

The frail, emaciated-looking girl speaking bit her tongue. She, and others like her, kept holding on to some vague idea of rescue; that maybe the Garrison would come for them; or that God's angels would descend from the Heavens and carry them home in golden chariots. What kept the unfortunate scout from finishing her sentence, however, was the fact that the latter situation seemed far more likely.

"Haha... Yeah. F-For now, let's just place our trust in the Commander, okay? The Commander won't let their dreams die in vain."

The other interjected.

He had to interject, otherwise the breakdowns wouldn't stop. If he were asked to admit a known secret, he'd instantly default to 'nobody knows what the Commander is thinking.' Not for a distinct lack of a plan, but because of the distance she had assumed from everyone. Irena no longer fraternized with the lower ranks, nor did she present herself and issued direct orders. That missing presence spoke volumes about their dire circumstances; invited doubt far greater than a soldier's outburst. It gave off the stench of an unaccountable leader.

Clank. Clank.

Marching through the expansive woods, the groups making up nightwatch had become completely separated from each other. Unable to hear, or see each other's lanterns, they moved to opposite ends of the forest. From the camp to the fringes, even a well-paced hike took a few dozen minutes to complete, lenghtened further by the thickness of the trees. This dense proximity created difficult terrain for large Titans, while the defensive trenches assured Three and Five-meter classes wouldn't penetrate past the tree line.

"Tch! Seriously? Was any of that necessary, you holier-than-thou bastard?"

Fiodor wanted to say such a thing out loud, but his self-imposed idea of presentation prevented him from doing so. Straggling at the back of the north-eastern detachment, he frollicked with his arms behind his head. Though he kept up his act of carelessness, he was undoubtedly unhappy with the situation.

Why don't you help make them braver..? That statement had drilled itself into his skull like an annoying earworm.

It was incompatible with his worldview.

"Yo', Fiodor! Hahaha, what's up with that frown? If your guts fell out while you were relieving yourself earlier, we won't babysit you y'know!"

Another scout passed him by, hitting him in the shoulder. Uncharacteristically, he had no retort or witty comment, responding with silence. He was still immersed in rumination. What kind of statement even was that?

"Bravery is for the strong. The weak don't need to be brave. It's natural for them not to be, so why not just leave him, damnit? If the strong have to fight, the weak should just cower... in safety."

"Huh?"

"..."

"What a man you are."

Meanwhile, Calahan trudged closely behind Tobias. His head was lowered, his quaking blue eyes piercing the dirt. Thanks to Toby's intervention, he was able to replace some of his darkest thoughts with focus on the mission, though that wasn't to say he'd been entirely cured of them. In his head, he could still hear the voice of his brave brother, screaming in terror as teeth the size of heavy doors crushed his head into flaring petals.

"You can't," he whispered so softly he could barely be heard. "If you take responsibility for me..."

"...you'll also be eaten."

Things were a tad more cheery on the north-western front. The soldiers, still partaking in dinner-time banter, trekked through the dark thickets while banded closely together. The visibility was the worst in that area, their lanterns barely even capable of penetrating the thick fog.

Not a sliver of moonlight shone through. Not a single leaf moved.

This atmosphere—if only they had stopped for a moment to notice—was the same atmosphere of that ill-fated night. Surrounding them; devouring them; until not a single smile remained.

"It's so cold I might cry icicles! Waah!"

One of the scouts waved her hands in the air, before snapping them shut under her chest. She was wildly shivering, but nobody could tell how deeply ran mere theatrics. Coyly, she walked up to Lorenz, her curiosity peaked by the item he was holding up to his mouth.

"Hmm? What's that?"

She tilted her head like a puppy, smiling.

"Is it important to you? Would you mind telling me about it as we walk?"

"Cut it, stupid! If you let him give you one lecture, he'll latch onto you like a grandma! Do you really wanna be fed so much pity-gruel you'll explode?!"

A loud and playful voice boomed from in front of them, accompanied by a carefree laughter. The girl crossed her arms and pulled on her eyelid, calling back to the boisterous crowd.

"This is why girls don't like you, Stahl! Why don't you go cuddle up with your 'comfort rock,' huh?!"

"Hey, don't you dare bring Matilda into this, you good for nothing washboard!"

"How dare you!"

The girl envisioned stabbing a dagger through Stahl's back, squinting so much one might think she'd received the morning paper. Were her shoes not dirty and tall enough to reach her knees, she might've taken them off to throw at him... but since they were, she could only resort to a loud sigh.

"It's like the Scout Regiment's just crawling with weirdos. At least Lorenz is nice."

She turned her attention back to the blonde man, resting a finger on her chin. While she'd been temporarily distracted, she was still interested in hearing a little more about him.

"Pfft, she's madly in love," Stahl—the carefree man whose face hid behind his hood—whispered to the people close to him. Among them were Haruka, Danika and Warren, though he wasn't gossiping with anyone in particular.

"Love's another thing that keeps us moving though, huh? Maybe I shouldn't laugh after all, ehe. It's not a bad topic, either... How about it? Anyone have an embarassing teacher crush?"

The man prodded around, devoid of reason.

"I'm willing to bet everyone here has either stared at Captain Kaminska or Captain Trott at least once. Who can be blamed for either?"

Not a sliver of moonlight shone through. Not a single leaf moved.

They would soon reach their destination.

em_beasty · Jun 8, 2022

The conversations happening around Danika soon became muffled background noise. The blonde wore a look of intense focus, brows pinched together and lips pulling downward, as they headed into the fog-filled thicket. A feeling of unease sat just beneath her sternum. It was a familiar sensation; one that reared its ugly head every time there was a night like this one.

Before long, their footsteps were silenced by the pine needles that blanketed the forest floor. Sound seemed to be absorbed by the thicket, save for the last bits of rain that fell from the trees. Drops hit the ground in a slow, sporadic beat. The air was thick. Danika found herself wishing she'd removed her cloak but not wanting to bother with it now. She intended to move upward. The air would be thinner up there. Hopefully.

The blonde came to a stop beneath a giant pine. She looked upward, hood falling away from her face.

"I'm going up," she announced to the others, her voice low and steady. She looked over her shoulder at the group. "To scout from above."

Danika pulled one grip from her belt and held it upward, arm straight. She squeezed the trigger and launched an anchor straight up into the trees. The steel wire pulled taut as the anchor hit its mark and sank into the tree limb. A second later, Dani was being pulled upward. She did a graceful backflip and landed softly on the oversized limb she'd sunk her anchor into. Another squeeze of the trigger detached the anchor and pulled the line back into the grip. She attached it to her belt once more and switched to her blade attachment instead.

Visibility was still limited, even from above. But it was easier to breathe up here. Dani enjoyed being off the ground more than she enjoyed being on it. It felt... safer to be in the air. What she wouldn't give to be a bird. To be able to just... fly away at a moment's notice. As far as she knew, that was one thing the Titans had yet to master: flight. She just hoped it stayed that way. It was one of the few comforts she had left, and if the bastards took that away... she wasn't sure what she'd have.

GrayLion256 · Jun 9, 2022

The rain seemed to have stopped as the group walked along. Only the smalls drops from leaves remained as they hit Haruka's forehead. He was staring up at what he could make out as trees. The fog had thickened, making it hard to see further than a few feet away. It was rather quiet, besides the sound of their feet walking on the wet ground.

Haruka wouldn't have minded the quiet if he didn't feel so vulnerable and exposed. He felt like he could be picked off at why moment by these titans. Chills ran down his spine as one of his comrades complained about being cold. Pulling his cloak tighter onto his muscular figure he shivered, letting out a tired sigh.

The girl seemed to be intruiged by Lorenz's necklace. And then Stahl and her seemed to make comebacks at each other, Haruka wasn't paying much attention. Then the girl said something about there being weirdos in the Scout Regiment and he smiled. Of course it was filled with weirdos, they decided to join it. They put their lives on the line to save others. There's no way it wouldn't be filled with weirdos.

He looked down at Dani who seemed deep in thought... or maybe she was just mad. Her eyebrows were knit and her gaze was directed ahead of her.

Stahl made a comment about love and Haruka stared at the ground, "Well... Yeah love is a nice thought..." He said with a small smile. The talk of love made Haruka's heart flutter. He had never experienced anything like love for himself. No one seemed to like the shy tired looking man. His eyes saddened as he remembered the times he tried to ask girls out.

"Anyone got an embarrassing crush?" Stahl asked, waking Haruka from his thoughts. He looked from one comrade to the next. Each of their faces now stuck in his head as he scanned through them. Stahl's comment about the captains made Haruka giggle quietly as he nodded.

Dani claimed she was going to scout from above as she stopped in front of a big tree. "O... " she gracefully landed on a branch before he could finish, "... kay."

He leaned against the tree and rested his head back. His comrades faces flooding through his mind as he closed his eyes. His mind concentrated on Waren's face and he began to notice how handsome he was. Haruka's eyes shot open. He slowly peaked over at Waren, a small blush creeped onto his cheeks. Waren's muscles were strongly defined, his uniform clung to his body and you could practically see through his unundershirt. His black hair was slightly spiky and the sliver of white made him stand out even more. Waren's face was relaxed, but it also looked determined.

It wasn't everyday that Haruka found himself staring so intently at a man. Of course, Captain Romani was definitely a sight even for his age, but Waren had a different effect.

It made Haruka stare him up and down probably a million times, like his body could never get old. But then he realized he was staring too much and he shook his head. Stop it Haruka. You are not falling for the man you had just been completely intimidated by. He thought to himself as his face turned red, not that it would have been noticeable. The lanterns weren't doing much with the thick fog.

AiDEE-c0

capMARVELOUS

AI10100 · Jun 10, 2022

LORENZ ALBRECHT
Location: Forest
Interacting with:

AiDEE-c0

Lorenz let his necklace hang loose around him as he moved with the others, letting out a short chuckle at his squadmate's antics. Though he was surprised when he was approached and she questioned about his necklace. He was about to let out the whole spiel about its origins seeing as she was interested but Stahl engaged in a back and forth with the girl.

"Y'say all that Stahl but you're better off hunting with a full stomach than an empty one!" He called out before Stahl began his own conversation with the others ahead of them. He had nothing to say about this whole comfort rock business— he didn't particularly care about how people coped with their current situation.

Lorenz gave her a toothy grin. "You're in the Scout Regiment too, y'know? Besides, what'd you expect? I don't rightly think that anyone in their right mind would join this regiment." Because at the end of the day, despite the promise of glory, everyone was still aware that going against titans was what scouts do. Only the brave, the foolish and those who have nothing to lose would probably enter. Lorenz would call himself part of the foolish for following someone who was brave into the regiment.

Still, he shook his head and tapped his necklace. "Curious about this little thing huh?" He smiled, softer than normal as he reminisced. "It's a gift from my gramma. It's passed down from generation to generation for as long as our family lived." He began to toy with it as they walked, still keeping his ears open for any untoward heavy footsteps that might be creeping up to them. "She wanted me to bring it with me on this expedition. Said that I should bring it home no matter what or else she'll smack my head right off when we meet in the afterlife." Lorenz finalized with a light laugh. It was a good memory if he was going to be honest. His family never really had a lot of inheritances that weren't techniques and methods to survive in the forest that they lived in. Lorenz hadn't been the only child. He had siblings that she could have given it to so that she can ensure that it would be safe within the walls. Yet, they gave it to her. It was Lorenz's promise to come back. The note in his pocket was another promise.

Dani had barely given them any time to react between her announcing her intentions and her actually doing it. Lorenz gave her a belated wave as she sped above. It made him itch to use his gear too. However, he knew better than to waste what little precious gas they had. If it wasn't needed, he wasn't going to use it. Plain and simple.

The group moved to a slowing stop as they waited for Dani's appraisal of the situation. Without much visibility on the ground, they had to be more cautious as they got further and further away from camp. They had let their guards down once and it ended in tremendous casualties and losses. They couldn't afford another mistake like that. He shivered at the memories and shook it off. That can't happen again.

capMARVELOUS · Jun 12, 2022

Tobias "Toby" Groth
currently doing: heading to northeast watchfire trenches
with: Calahan Palmer, Fiodor Tanz, others [

AiDEE-c0 ]

The mood during the journey was just as sour as the weather, though that was to be expected when almost all of the northeast team consisted of the most pessimistic bastards in the Survey Corps.

Tobias took point, a lantern swinging from his upraised hand to light the way. He kept an eye open for any potential tripping spots ahead and directed the team to avoid them as best he could, but the closeness of the lantern's glow and the haze made by the rain hindered his vision a healthy degree, causing him to occasionally make a misstep himself. Every so often, he shot a quick glance over his shoulder for a head count. Each time, there were still ten of them. So far, so good.

His boots made sickening squelching noises as they sank into the mud; he tried to focus on them instead of Fiodor's continued squawking. Even through the persistent sounds of the storm around them, the shifty man's words drifted up to the front of the pack. It seemed he was dead set on ignoring Tobias' advice to help toughen up those cowards he said he hated, content to simply complain and hope that the others did the morale-lifting for him. For his part, Tobias indulged in a small fantasy of Fiodor slipping and getting shut up with a mouthful of mud. But however much he wanted to pause the journey and make that fantasy reality, there was a more important task at hand.

Calahan made a sound that, muffled by the rain, could have been a whimper; when Tobias looked over his shoulder again, he was staring holes into the ground. He placed a gentle but firm hand on the young man's arm and drew him further forward to stand equal with him, a little further away from Fiodor's taunting. "Eyes up," he said. "We're almost there." He entrusted Calahan with the lantern while he rummaged in his backpack for his (miraculously still somewhat dry) fire-starting kit.

The trenches were almost within sight. But...

Tobias motioned for the rest of the team to slow their pace.

Something was starting to feel off. Something was starting to smell off.

AiDEE-c0 · Jun 17, 2022

Lighting Signal Fires

Time 'til Return - ???

"No, I get it. I finally get it."

A man of the north-eastern force spun 'round and 'round on his heel mid-march. Though he'd been reduced to an annoyed, bothered state moments prior, a derisive glint returned to his eyes as he chuckled. He sped up his waltz, splashing wet mud everywhere around him. Catching up to the man who had irked him so badly, he no longer felt irritated at all. The sluggish drops of water falling in his face, the oppressive cold, nor the visage of the man he looked down upon—none of them irritated Fiodor Tanz.

He finally understood.

"You're weak too! What a joke, to think you'd leave me at my wit's end over something so stupid. Well, don't worry. While you huddle together with the rest of your ilk, I'll take care of this assignment for you. It's my responsibility, after all."

Zzzip!

The sound of wires being fired zapped the forest's silence, emanating from around Fiodor's waist. His cloak gave into a flutter, and soon he disappeared past the engulfing fog of war. Swinging from tree to tree, it seemed that he'd decided to take matters into his own hands.

An insecure little ball of lightning, charging into the darkness.

"A-Ah..."

Calahan gulped, the lantern flickering in his shaky hands. Briefly peeking over his shoulder, he noticed that the rest of their squad followed Tobias' warning of caution. Naturally, none of them were too bothered about Fiodor's antics, but...

"Actually, w-would it be fine if... Would it be fine if we double-timed the rest of the way? If we don't, something bad might happen to him. This feeling is too familiar for it not to."

His gaze slowly slinked back towards Tobias, though it remained too low to meet his eyes directly.

Yes, that was right... The Scout Regiment were fearless heroes who braved the unknown, but more importantly, they were a community built on trust. This trust Toby was showing in him—even if it was misplaced, even if he didn't deserve it—not chasing after Fiodor would be a betrayal of it.

And a betrayal of all the ideals that led him here in the first place.

"Hrmm, that's not true..."

The girl listening to Lorenz pouted. Light red hair swayed under her hood, occasionally slipping into sight.

"The heroes of the books I read as a kid were all graceful and handsome. If that was all a lie, I don't know what I'll do with myself!"

She exclaimed, a look of existential dread plastering itself over her face. Thankfully for the rest of the squad, Lorenz's explanation distracted her from the matter before she could have a major breakdown.

"Your grandma must care a lot, huh? That's beautiful." She exhaled, reminiscing about her own past. "Hehe, all my grandma ever did was shout at us for not collecting enough firewood or leaving the furniture undusted. Guh, that old crone! I'll show her I can be more than a glorified duster—"

Before she could laugh, her eyes widened in shock.

It was like time itself had frozen.

From just ahead of Danika, a large, hand-like shape emerged from the thickets. Blotted out by mist and shadow, it sailed straight for the ginger-haired girl at an impeccable speed—causing her to tumble over in the dirt.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA—"

She wailed, loud and high-pitched enough to deafen a siren.

But none of the soldiers reacted past latching onto the hilts of their blades.

"—aah?!"

The sound of... wings? Her mind failed to keep up, slowly processing what had just transpired. She was too stunned to even notice the large owl speeding away from the scene of crime.

"Pffffffffft-ptptptpffft."

The next thing she registered was Stahl's wildly contorted face, standing over her and doing his best not to burst into a hysterical laughter.

"Bahahahaha!"

His best wasn't good enough.

"Ahahah-are you okay? Oh my god! I'll remember that face forever! Even after I die, for ten years at least!"

The girl's face had turned an indescribable red, but she didn't have enough time to maul Stahl in the face of the mission.

"Stahl, you should know better than to laugh at a girl. Be nicer. Besides, we've arrived."

Waren's familiar voice interrupted the scene, lumbering next to the hysteric soldier. He held a lantern above his head, pointing to a tall and sturdy tree several feet in front of them. Nested amidst its strong branches, a wide metal bowl held several pieces of firewood, positioned just right enough to be lit without burning down the whole forest, and protected by an inverted, round roof. This was the first among four other signal fires.

"I'll light that one for us. I'd have you come with me as punishment, but that girl you made fun of is still a bundle of nerves. Take her and join a group of three, to help her feel safe. Got it? We scouts take care of each other."

"Yes, boss..."

Stahl submitted obediently, nodding for the girl and anyone else to search for the next fire. Once he turned around, Waren used his ODM gear to reach the fire he'd spotted, calling down to the rest of the group.

"I can handle a single fire, at least I think! The others are just down the side of the trench, we'll see each other once they're lit."

He grinned and waved, trying to reassure everyone below that he'd be fine. Truth be told, he had no idea if anyone was still even there.

The fog had grown thicker.

capMARVELOUS · Jun 19, 2022

Tobias "Toby" Groth
currently doing: splitting the party to try forcing a regroup
with: Calahan Palmer, Fiodor Tanz (theoretically), others [

AiDEE-c0 ]

"Fiodor, wait-" Tobias started, and that was as far as he got before the 3DMG activated and Fiodor sped quickly ahead through the trees.

"Goddammit," he grumbled under his breath. What part of his signal to slow down and be careful did that man not understand? Going off on your own was highly dangerous; that fact was why there were only three Survey Corps solo killers that anyone knew of. And Fiodor was not nearly skilled enough to be the fourth one. Even if it slightly compromised troop morale, it was better for him to stay with the rest of the northeast team.

Tobias turned to the other recruits behind him- who had all stopped to watch the antics with some bemusement- and made an announcement. "All right, gang. Captain Trott will have our asses if one of us dies on a simple watchfire assignment. So as much as we'd like it otherwise, somebody's got to go make sure Fiodor stays alive. I'll go, and... you-" he pointed to a tall, well-built girl with a scar on her lip- "you come with me."

The girl made a sound of disgust. "He's the idiot who split from the party, not us; why should we be held responsible for what happens to him out there? I'd rather save my gas for something actually important." The two or three other recruits huddled around her murmured agreement.

"You can punch him first when we get back," Tobias offered.

Immediately the girl changed her tune; her scar warped as her mouth curled into a wide grin. "Now that's some proper incentive. Why didn't you lead with that?" She stepped forward to join Tobias. (The other recruits began asking, perhaps half-jokingly, if they'd get to punch Fiodor too if they went.)

Tobias nodded to her, then turned back to Calahan, who still held the lantern in shaky hands. "You're taking point for a bit. The watchfires should be just beyond that ridge." He pointed to a piece of elevated ground about half a kilometer away, where a bit more moonlight shone between the tree trunks. "Double-time if you want, but be careful. We'll meet you there," he finished as gently as his rough voice would allow. Just for a bit of extra encouragement, he patted the young man on the shoulder.

With the hiss of pressurized gas releasing, the zip of wire unspooling, and the thud of the 3DMG's anchors lodging in the soaked trees, Tobias and his backup were off.

The cold rain stung where it hit his face, and the rushing wind dried his eyes out, but Tobias forced himself to keep them open as he whizzed from tree to tree. Behind him, the sounds of his backup's 3DMG told him that she wasn't too far away. Up ahead, he saw the rapidly-shifting form of Fiodor's cloak and lank, greasy hair billowing away from him as he pressed on. The increasing moonlight should have made his silhouette clearer, but the similarly increasing fog began obscuring him and more of his surroundings. Tobias' previous feeling of unease returned, stronger; perhaps subconsciously, he slowed his pace again. Something was definitely off, and now more than before, one misplaced move could spell the difference between success and disaster...

em_beasty · Jun 20, 2022

The scream that the girl emitted caused Danika's heart to pound more than what caused it. The blonde turned from where she was perched atop a high branch and looked down, eyes wide; pupils dilated. She barely watched the owl as it departed. She barely heard what was being said below. Even if she was closer, she probably wouldn't have been able to discern what they were saying due to the sound of her own pulse thudding in her ears. Loud noises like that got people killed out here.

It wasn't until after the scream that Dani gripped her sword. There was no telling what kind of attention that sound garnered, and the next time a hand-shaped shadow came emerging from the trees, it might actually be a hand. They would have to be on their toes now. Even more than before. Gritting her teeth, Danika took a breath in through her nose and then released it slowly in an attempt to calm her nerves and her annoyance. She slid her gaze across the area. Waren had ascended to the signal fire. Dani figured she might as well join him.

A quick zip of her ODM gear had her sailing through the air, expertly navigating between thicket and bramble to get where Waren was located. She landed on a thick branch above him before detaching her hook and letting the wire cable recoil back into her gear. Then, she hopped down to the branch Waren was on, landing with just a quiet plop. Even before training and ODMG, Dani's friends had always joked that she was a forest sprite. Always moving effortlessly among the trees, as if she knew the forest better than her own home. She certainly wasn't as bubbly as a fairy, though.

"For the sake of my ear drums, I think I'll stay up here with you," she told Waren upon her arrival. Her dry wit was punctuated with a little half smirk. "What could go wrong, right?"

Famous last words, she was sure.

AI10100 · Jun 20, 2022

LORENZ ALBRECHT
Location: Forest
Interacting with:

Lorenz gave her a tight-lipped smile at her proclamation. A coping mechanism, huh? They all had to live in their own delusions somehow to survive in the wilderness. If that meant that she wholly believed that they were gallant knights instead of cornered rats whose biggest mistake was being fooled by the call of glory of the Scout Regiment.

Their conversation was steered to their grandmothers. Before he could reprimand her about how she spoke about her own grandmother, something had flown in front of them. His eyes widened as he reached for the hilt of his blade, wincing as the girl screamed louder than he had expected. He raised a hand to cover the ear that was closest to her when an owl burst forth from the foliage and fled from the scene of the crime.

His shoulders remained taut as he waited for anything else to come bursting through as a result of the scream, a little worried that it might have attracted some unsavory attention. A few seconds passed by with Stahl's laughter filling the air when nothing happened. It was followed up by Waren shushing him and putting them back into order. Tensions seemed to die down as they were ordered to head off to light the fires.

He pivoted, looking for someone more familiar before his eyes landed on Haruka. He raised a hand, jogging over to the taller man. "Hey, wanna team up for the fire lighting?" He'd really much rather have someone he knew he could coordinate with well when separated from the main group and Haruka was one such person.

He turned to the trenches. Other recruits had already made their way to light some of the other fires. "We should probably hurry up. We wouldn't want to be stuck lighting the ones at the farthest end." Lorenz muttered, dreading the idea that there might be a titan lurking beyond the slowly thickening fog.

GrayLion256 · Jun 20, 2022

Haruka watched one of the flames in the lanterns dance. It had its own unique dance, one that was natural and didn't need to be rehearsed for it to look smooth and elegant. When the breeze came by, the flame would fall to the side only to come back up again, as if gracefully dipping down into a bow. The orange hue the fire gave off as it danced in the fog made it look like it was in the spotlight. His eyes followed the flame as it danced smoothly, calming him.

Just as he was about to lay his head back, he heard a deafening scream. His hands shot up above over his ears. He squeezed his eyes shut and his hands began to tremble. His breath quickened and his heart raced and thumped so loudly he could hear it over the screaming. All his previous calmness had disappeared like turning off a light switch. Not just from the loud scream that had caused him to panic, but from the unsettling fear of what that scream would attract.

He looked up just in time to see an owl flying away. "Jesus fucking Christ," he whispered under his breath as he tried to slow his breathing and heart rate down.

He looked to Stahl who seemed to be giggling his ass off. Haruka didn't understand how he was laughing when they could have attracted something much worse than an owl. Then again everyone has different coping mechanisms.

Waren had instructed them to pair up to light the fires. Before Haruka even had a chance to look around for someone, Lorenz was jogging over to him. He nodded his head in agreement to partner with the shorter gentlemen. Anything to not be partnered with the screaming girl.

"Ah, y-yeah let's go," he replied to Lorenz. He clenched his shaky hands onto his swords and began to walk. He didn't take long strides. He didn't want to lose Lorenz in this fog, and especially not how far away they were from camp.

"There is a fire in this direction, right?" He said, half jokingly. Haruka had zero idea where he was leading them. He wasn't in his right mind after that girl had basically ruptured his ear drums.

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AiDEE-c0 · Jun 28, 2022

that signal fire is doused with blood

Time 'til Return - this can't be real i'll be waking up soon
em_beasty GrayLion256 AI10100 capMARVELOUS

SPLAT!

The remains of a splattered maggot baked in the sun. Its torn body coiled into a sad-looking mound of flesh, liquids and excretions, coating the underside of a filthy stone covered in moss. There was a small girl standing close, her cheeks a rosy pink and her blonde hair tied into a pair of cute little pigtails. She smiled brightly, showing off the empty space between her upper teeth.

Why am I seeing this... now?

The heat was unbearable. The maggot, still somehow alive in spite of it all, jerked and twitched under the sensation of that heat. Scorching, terrible, so unrelenting! Why could he still feel it when his body was gone? No, of course he could.

Because it wasn't pain that he felt.

Splat. Crunch. Splat. Splat.

Bending over, the small girl poked the mangled corpse of the insect. Her horrible grin induced a flash of anxiety, or perhaps she wasn't smiling at all. Her teeth, her deep wrinkles, her cute little pigtails—were merely mounds of wriggling maggots. Her deathly face bore the stench of death.

Ah. So that's how it is. I'm so, so sorry.

Danika's question could never be met with an answer. That's because it fell on freshly deafened ears.

By the time she landed on the branch and her eyes adjusted to the fire's bright light, she was completely alone in the impenetrable mist. Or maybe it'd be more accurate to say no other person stood with her. Instead of Waren, there covered the branches a sickening layer of dull, crimson liquid. Its stench assaulted the nostrils in an unmistakable way—like she had entered a smithy and breathed in the rust.

Drip. Drip.

In place of rain, tiny drops of blood fell down Danika's face. It stained the leaves above, the bark below, and everything in between. Most strikingly, however, a thick coat of it smeared the aging tree right next to her, vaguely—disturbingly vaguely—resembling the outline of a man. Trapped in the congealed liquid were little bits of equipment and clothing.

Crunch.

Finally, the signal fire's flickering light illuminated the highlight of this gruesome scene. Hugging the withered tree, the contorted body of a titan twisted in unnatural ways. Its arms were inverted at the elbows, sticking out as if broken. Its short legs dug into the tree trunk, hoisting it securely in place, while its massive head hung back and looked up at the canopy. The facial features were expectedly nauseating, some terrible mockery of a human being. Greedily, it swallowed the last remaining traces of Waren Helmer.

Abnormal. Even for a titan, its presence was entirely abnormal. The way it caused an overwhelming fight-or-flight response, the way it sneaked up on them undetected, even the way it moved in total darkness... It had to be special in some capacity. More importantly, it was still chomping down on Danika's comrade.

Something the rest of her squad didn't know as they lit the rest of the fires.

"Hahaha! That get to you?!"

Fiodor called out behind him, though the wind tore at his voice and left only scattered fragments. His cape fluttered wildly at his back, accompanied by his billowing hair, and he manouvered almost flawlessly between the jutting branches. Every now and then, a shower of splinters struck the faces of those following him closely, and more rarely, he would turn carelessly to observe the ordeal.

"I told you! You're the kind of man afraid of the truth! But the truth is good for the world! Can't you see that the Survey Corps would be far more lethal if the weak huddled in their homes?! Without Calahan, look how fast we're advancing!"

Who knew where he found the energy to prattle on while making such a cumbersome effort. God really must have hated the Scout Regiment.

Surprisingly, though... It wasn't untrue that they were rapidly meeting their destination. The first signal fire laid just beyond the corner.

"G~eeeez! Having to accomodate people like him seriously slows us do—"

Thud! Fwoosh. Rustle, rustle.

Maybe divine justice still existed in the world. While Fiodor kept on rattling his mouth, a rude branch interrupted him by building its nest right inside his stomach. Though it met him only with its side, it quickly put an end to his ascent, sending him plummeting into the dirt. After a few rolls, his body stopped face-down in the mud.

The signal fire loomed above him.

AI10100 · Jul 2, 2022

LORENZ ALBRECHT
Location: Forest
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