Attack on Titan: the Fallout [open+accepting]

[doej76452]

✖ tab Did his question displease his commander? Obviously so as the bitter response slithered from those delicate, yet fit, lines of flesh. Julia was too kind of a soul to expect any other fate for her. No doubt, she exerted herself and risked her life in order to save others. Rege reasoned that she wouldn't be idiotic enough to simply fall victim to the titans without a legitimate cause. Speak of the devil, and so she shall come. It wasn't ironic to Rege, for he had no real sense of the word.

tab When Julia approached the two, his lone eye scanned her form. Each bruise and scrape that adorned Julia's voluptuous frame acted as points of focus for Rege. It was not that she had been injured. The one eyed male had no concern about her well being in that sense. As long as she was breathing, her worth was still there. What had scraped against the raw surface of his chest was that those marks acted as imperfections on her otherwise exemplary form. He nearly disregarded what she said as he stared blankly. Though, that blank stare did not mean he had a blank mind. She hasn't changed in the slightest. Over a year since he had seen her happily saluting commanders and acting as a brilliant scientist, and still she retained that impenetrable personality.

tab "How have you been Mathew?" He snapped out of his trance as she directed her vocalizations to him. Rege was left with the presence of an engulfing smile that only pulled him back into thought. In his mind, she was a water color painting. Each stroke was carefully taken to paint the image before him. Julia was a work of perfection crafted by the most consummate artist. She was everything that Rege wished he could be, whether he knew it or not. Gentle, pudgy, childish fingers gripped at the dream that Julia represented. Love, care, innocence: all emotions that were lost to him, swiped from him by the cruel mistress of fate. What a churlish jape it was to make him so fatally attracted to the pretense of what he could not be. Wait. Was that a question that she had asked him? He had been so astray in the seas of her presence that he had lost complete track of the exchange before him. His time to reply had passed as music danced from her in the tone of the angels, "I hope you've been doing better than you were with me." Lucifer must have been the messenger, a devil concealed by the resonance of Julia's breath-taking voice.

tab Was it that he couldn't act fast enough to avoid the embrace, or that he longed for her clement touch that had been denied to him for what felt like six life times over? It all moved in slow motion, her wobbling forward, then her extensions enveloping him in a full blown embrace. Remorse had a tangible feel to him. Though he could not reflect the emotion on his own experiences, it still stung at his skin like the juice of a lemon on a wound. Rege almost desperately wished that what he felt on his skin could sink deeper. It was a barrier between him and the outside world.

tab Julia's fingers grasped at the white shirt that adorned his torso, curling the back into a jumble of wrinkled mess. Her vandalized face came directly upon his scarred chest. Did she intentionally press her lips to the scar that only the two of them knew of? Rege could have sworn he felt a trembling in her breath while she hid her face away from the world. It was the same vibration that he recalled feeling as he said his last goodbyes with Julia, the same vibration as when she saw her entire squad fall to the hands of a monstrosity of which she had discovered and ordered. Trost was more than harsh on her. You're too innocent for this world. Don't let your kindness get you killed, Julia.

tab I will put you out of your misery.

tab He brushed that thought under the rug. Before it had bothered him on a transcendent level; now it was just a matter of life. As if Julia could read the thoughts of the leviathan that was ineffectively encapsulated within Rege, she brought the embrace to a well timed end. Any longer and Rege would have been saturated with the thoughts of his shadow. Her attention was instantly directed on the corporal. "So what brings you two at the stables..? Are you two going somewhere? If not, you guys are free to join me in the tent, I was just about to check up on my experiments with Lily and Penny."

tab Allister replied short and not-so-sweet, "We've just arrived back actually, are you sure you're up to all that right now?" A gap followed before he continued, "Whatever the case, I still have plenty of preparations to attend to. Matthew, when you are ready to find a bunk and get settled in find Squad Leader Thanatos." Rege could see the prospect of experiments bothered Allister on some sort of level beyond his comprehension. If only the green haired fairy knew how his dear family blood had been corrupted, tainted, and abused into the creature he just allowed into the Survey Corps. However, when Allister spoke his command, Rege saluted without hesitation, nodding in acceptance of his new order. Only then was he free to respond to the masterpiece before him. That freedom eluded him when the trampling of horse hooves rang against his ear.

tab A horse and carriage were laced up near the stable. Rege recalled that cart all too well. On the inside were hooks for metal restraints, and splinter covered seats. So, it didn't surprise him when a rather tall and shady figure was escorted from the cart. If the man could have kept his trap shut, he would have appeared infernal in a hellish sense. Instead, he decided to divulge that the only way he could be define as infernal was if the speaker was referring to an infernal nuisance. "Hello, fellow Survey Corps soldiers! My name is Messer Klein! I will be a new addition to the ranks! Did you know humans could be born from the a**s?! My friend here, Sergeant Cormac, is living proof - " The creature was rightfully punished. To Rege, that punishment was weak and needed further attention to detail. If Messer was going to speak out-rightly against his owner, then the consequences would be brutal and harsh. Why was his thought always drifting so far out of his grasp?

tab Rain had started to drip through some of the cracks within the wall of his prison. As a child, he would pretend he could be water. If he was thin enough, he could just escape through the cracks, and never be seen again.

tab Cool rock rested under him, so he curled his limbs into his body, hoping to somehow generate enough heat to survive. His wound was still fresh, stapled shut by an armature doctor. If he stretched his abdomen far enough, droplets of blood seeped out from the crusting wound. The pain radiated from every cell, each nerve, all senses. He could see, hear, taste, feel, and smell pain. Though, the pain was not what filled his mind.

tab He tried licking his lips to dull the sensation, but dehydration was taking its toll. Desperate eyes came to the cracks in the wall. Despite his mind screaming otherwise, his body moved him. Six inches later, he had his cheek pressed to the wall. In no time, his sandpaper tongue was against the slime, mold, and dirt covered wall, licking up each savory drop. And he cried. No, not tears of sorrow, but tears of complete and utter bliss. He had never felt such an ecstasy. Water coated his tongue, and he indulged in the pleasure.

tab A creek from the door shot a bullet through his spinal cavity. He resembled a threatened dog when his skin crawled. Or at least, he thought he did. The male could not move, and did not have the restraint to stop his current meal.

tab "Rege! Damn it!" The tall figure ripped open the gate bars, and slammed Rege's delicate head into the ground. Wounded and exhausted, Rege could only pant out air from the pain that shredded his insides. Shadows whirled at the corners of his vision. The clouds of black eventually consumed him, and lead him away from the torture at hand. He awoke shortly after, a blanket under him, water and food before him. Rege tried to reach for the food, but was unable to extend his arm, let alone a finger. 'Father' was there.

tab A finger with a translucent slime of antibotic ran over his wounded chest. "Now, now, child." Rege whimpered, using all of his energy to express his displeasure with the event. "If you weren't so rebellious, I wouldn't have to punish you. You know you are my favorite, Rege." That finger dipped inward, purposefully damaging the barely healing flesh. "Only the disobedient get punished. Do you want to be punished?"

tab "N..n..no.."

tab "Then apologize to your father."

tab "I..I'm s..s.or..ry. I..i..lo .. love y.. ou..." Rege was out of breath, and could no longer continue. He laid limp in the arms of his captor. Then was the sensation of fingers stroking through his hair.

tab "That's a good boy."

tab Back to reality, the blissful joy of life as he knew it.

tab The past was over now. What mattered were Allister's commands. The top command of the list was to protect and serve those in the Survey Corps with every ounce of ability Rege had. So, despite this new character's repulsive disobedience, and Rege's distaste for other living creatures, he would follow through. The male glared directly into Messer's changing eyes. Anyone with common sense would be able to tell that he was practically holding a neon sign that said "shut up." Rege was unsure that Messer knew how to read any form of social cue, but that didn't stop him from making an attempt. His sight then shot up to the Sergeant Cormic as he changed his expression simultaneously. Now, he adorned a rather passive and amicable personality. "A man of your stature should not have to lower himself to transporting a lowly criminal. If this is your final destination, I would be glad to take this one off of your hands."

tab An audible sigh escaped the sergeant's mouth as he leaned back to respond, "Thank God. This a*****e talks your ears off, so be careful." For a moment, it almost seemed as if the sergeant would get away without having to deal with any of Messer's comments. Oh how wrong that assumption was.

tab "Oh, oh Cormac! You're giving me away? Is this the bridal ceremony I've read about?" Was this kid trying to get killed? And Rege thought he was bad at reading social cues...

tab Sergeant Cormic lost his sanity with the last comment. He nearly screeched, "Just leave me the hell alone, you goddamn mannequin!" while frantically heading back to the cart. Within moments, he was loaded, and departing from the bane of his existence.

tab With all of the disturbances gone, Rege finally could bring his attention to both Julia and the mess of hair before him. They were both beaten, and as his command reigned, he was to only work for the benefit of the Survey Corps. A lone hand slipped under Julia's waist, supporting her weight. "I respectfully request permission to escort both of you to medical aid. I can not allow any other actions, for they are not beneficial to the Survey Corps." - Breath of robotic ice.

Wнєяє: Survey Corps Barracks
Wнαт: Asking to take Messer and Julia to sick bay.
Wιтн: Allister, Julia, Messer.
Wну: He was commanded.

[Pink perfume tea]

ιѕαBєℓℓα мιяє

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With my Newly wings........

I shall fly over these walls.

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Lenox seemed to fit in right in their little camp of soldiers, if she was apart of the survey core, Isabella would sure as happily as she could be probably beg her Captain to let her join their squad, and show them the weird but dangerous life of the survey core.
Though when Leonx began to slowly open herself up, Isabella felt bad for the small soldier, and if she could part from Nadja's hair dreaming comma she would be more then gladly to wrap her arms around the small girls frame and give her a big hug.
" Now don't you dare say that about yourself." she spoken over to her softly, raising her arm she began to give Leonx a good rubbing on her back, though deep down she would like to kick the crap out of the soldiers who said those things to her.
A soldier must give respect to everyone they are with, except the military police, they can go straight screw themselves with their own monarchy and their shot guns.
It was pretty obvious that no one like that core, well not everyone but Isabella sure hated them for what they had done to her family, but that was another story for a different day, right now she was more focused on Leonx.
" From what I see and know a little about ya, I can see you're a true soldier through and through, one hundred percent. And ya know, since the fall of Trost, the Scouting core and Survey core aligned forces so if ya want, I can be your friend~" Isabella continued, giving the girl a small wink.

When Nadja got snapped out of her daze she began speaking of how she was only good because she knew how to calculate on the field which was good, brains are good on the field...when they're not scattered on the ground.....ew.
Feeling her hair parting into different braids, it made her hair feel a bit lighter and it felt nice.
Seeing her hair in different braids,she was taken back by how pretty they were, thank Goddess's for Nadja's braiding skills, that's when Nadja gave a compliment to Isabella, hoping to get to know her more and telling her she was a gem. What was today? Compliment the Chief day? Cause the poor soldier was blushing like a beat.
" And I as welln Ms.Nadja. "

That's when the two duos shown up, Captain Liang and Alma showing bright and a tad bit late for breakfast.
Making their way over to the " Popular soldier " Table, She gave Liang a smile back in return when he asked if they were late for breakfast.
" Nope, there is plenty to go around to feed a small village, but good morning Liang, good morning Snow flake~!"Isabella replied happily, calling Alma by the nick name she had gave to her and has yet to cease to keep calling her that because of her lovely white hair.
As Nadja let out her squeal calling the both of them her lambs and momma bear, Isabella couldn't help but to wince cause that was directly in her ears but she just brushed it off. She knew Liang and Alma cared for their " Mama bear" After all, they were on her squad before.

When Alma said hello to Leonx, giving her red hues over to Isabella, knowing on que to fill in her silent question ' Who is she?'
Taking her hand off of her back, Isabella moved her hands onto the table, turning her gaze over to Alma. " Well Snow flake, this is Leonx, she is apart of the Scouting core. Her and I are going to spar sometime hopefully soon. Gotta keep in shape before any missions, am I right?"
She answered to her friend with a warm smile before turning over to Leonx, keeping her smile on her lips.
" Leonx, this is my friend Alma, or " Snow flake" what I like to call her by. She is apart of Captain Liang's squad, the guy with the two side braids which I'm pretty sure Ms.Nadja wants to get her paws on his hair and braid it again. They're both my friends. I used to be on their squad for a little while until I got transferred over. "

And when speaks about the devil, he shall appear as Liang came over, giving his compliment to the chief. She swears if she gets one more compliment her blood pressure to her cheeks is going to make her head pop off like a dandelion, you know that old kid's rhyme were you take a flower and go " Mama had a baby and her head popped off!" and pop off the end of the flowery weed? Yeah imagine that being Isabella's flushing red head.....actually.....never mind.
Isabella turned towards the Captain, giving him a light chuckle to only reply.
" Well let's see, you could either end up cooking food yourselves, or let the King feed ya but I'm probably sure the fat b*****d would only give you either pig food or dirt. "

Propping her hands onto her chin, she taken her eyes towards the kitchen doors, hoping to see her Captain and Rege to come through those doors.
" I wonder when Captain Allister would come back? So he said we're suppose to get a new member of the Squad I'm in, and he said it was " Rege." I haven't seen him in months.....but I'm sure we all know why. I wonder if they will come back soon? I made them a plate for them, and hope there is still food for Captain Jullia, but I doubt she would be in the mood to eat anything, and also my hands are itching for a sparing match. Watch, if Lenox and I get into a match, and we're fighting each other and Allister just shows up out of no where going like....." Standing herself straight up in her seat, Isabella began to cross her arms tightly in her chest, giving her face the most manful scowl anyone could see as she began to tap on her arms and continued, giving her tone a deeper voice " " Isabella, what the hell are you doing? Get off of the ground, wash your pants and come to my office now! You know sparing is children's play thing blah blah blah blah blah I'm the Captain, I rule you all blah blah blah." " trying to give her best imitation of her Captain, slightly poking fun at him, but hey who couldn't? He was sorta emotional and she liked to poke at him every once and a while, after all he was her Captain, most soldiers need to let loose sooner or later.....as example of Captain Nadja, melting her hands like ice in her own hair,








♢.Where am I?: Food barraks... ♢. Who are you?:Lenox, Nadja,Eden, Liang, " Snow flake" Alma ♢.How am I feeling?:100% healthy. ♢. What am I wearing?: Main Survey core uniform with a black V neck w/out her cape. ♢. To be honest, this is probably one of my favorite posts so far as of right now to type out XD .




xX-CUPPICAKE-Xx




Autopsy Dinner Date




Sherlock Homeslice

[The Emperors Fallacy]

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XXXXXXFOR MY PART, XXXXXXXI KNOW NOTHING OF CERTAINTYXXXXXXXFOR MY PART, XXXXXXXI KNOW NOTHING OF CERTAINTY
XXXXXXFOR MY PART, XXXXXXXI KNOW NOTHING OF CERTAINTYXXXXXXXFOR MY PART, XXXXXXXI KNOW NOTHING OF CERTAINTY
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XXXXXX★ ❛THE SIGHT OF THE STARS
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ᴇᴀᴍ ɪɴ ᴛʜᴇ sᴀᴍᴇ sɪᴍᴘʟᴇ ᴡᴀʏ ᴍᴀᴋᴇs ᴍᴇ ᴅʀᴇᴀᴍ ɪɴ ᴛʜᴇ sᴀᴍᴇ sɪᴍᴘʟᴇ ᴡᴀʏ ᴍᴀᴋᴇs ᴍᴇ ᴅʀᴇᴀᴍ ɪɴ ᴛʜᴇ sᴀᴍᴇ
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"Are you sure you're up to all that, right now?" The Corporal seemed concerned for his fellow soldier, perhaps trying to prevent a future casualty while he can. To Julia, her life didn't matter much as she seemed to have lost her own value long ago. Her gut reaction was, 'yes', but she truly didn't want to go back to the medical unit where all the patients would groan and flirt with the nurses. She was a woman who preferred the presence of intellectuals and valuables, like the presence of the Corporal and Rege. "Well actually-" "Whatever the case," He cut short, "I still have plenty of preparations to attend to." His willingness to drop the question midway through her words nearly made her question exactly where does he place his soldiers in his thoughts? Although, he might just be busy with work like any other high ranked soldier would be...? Perhaps she was misjudging him? Hell, was she eve in any spot to judge him? There was something she didn't like though, and that was how Rege seems like he gained little to no human traits, something that Julia was teaching him while he was under her command. He shouldn't keep him locked up like that forever, especially since there's a certain psychology that follows when one is surrounded by a demeaning environment. The Corporal, once more, silences her thoughts by leaving a command to his fellow subordinate who only responded with a salute. Acknowledging that the Corporal might have been unintentionally dehumanizing him, it still annoyed her to a great degree (even to the point that she even refused to salute him upon his leave).

The gallops of a carriage echoed near the stables, catching Julia's attention with curiosity as to who just arrived. From the entrance of the carriage exited a young man, one of brilliance it seems. Of course, she'd have to call his first statement into question- 'how is it possible for human beings to be born from the a**s?' Perhaps he meant it as a joke? The blue haired woman let out a chuckle, although it was the series of attacks that led her to silence. The young man was struck across the face in such a powerful manner that he tumbled to the dirt floor, only to be brought back up by the hands of Sergeant Cormac. The newly arrived soldier seemed puzzled, as though he couldn't quite understand why he was being beaten up. "I'll have to visit your mother first to be sure, now shut the hell up..." Just as Sir Cormac readied his play thing for more fun, he felt gentle hands on his shoulder that prompted him to turn around. At that very instant, a powerful, swift concrete ball struck his jawline with almost a merciless intent attached. The cackle of a cane falling over couldn't even compare to the sound of Cormac's pain-induced cry. Knocked over on his feet, he looked up to meet a pair of eyes as barbarous as her fist was a few seconds ago, "you can file a report now." She responded with perhaps the most demeaning tone she's ever revealed. It was as though she was the mountain that towered over the gravel that he was.

Her anger was probably one of the few things man should avoid, especially since it could even cost her her own life. Of course, as she believed, her life had little meaning to her. And so, she could firmly say without hesitation that if it meant bringing humanity together as a community to trust each other, then she would become the common enemy that would catapult it. Humanity, at this point, have a common enemy: the Titans. For some illogical reason, their anger weren't directed towards the Titans to the same degree they should be. For some reason, people still distrusted each other, and Julia had more than enough reason to believe it was because they weren't acting like a community. The government was leaving no room for trust or happiness. It was human nature to become savages in the state of fear, but that doesn't mean humans are incapable of happy or trusting. As a scientist, even she knew that much. With her tone still lingering with pieces of anger she asked the newly assigned soldier, "are you alright?" She asked while reaching for the can next to Rege, "I hope you don't accidentally generalize all military citizens to scum like him." She said with a grin, "At any case, I'm Squad Leader Julia Eichel, and this is Rege. He's under Corporal Allister's command." Julia turned towards Rege, who stared at him like he was an insect that needed to be squashed. As though he acknowledged his own place, and it was only time that their new friend acknowledged his. Wanting to break the hostility that Rege was emitting, she almost spoke, although it was only Rege's voice that proceeded instead. "A man of your stature should not have to lower himself to transporting a lowly criminal. If this is your final destination, I would be glad to take this one off of your hands."

Huh, government suppression at its finest. They've even instilled such ideas into Rege- "Thank God. This a*****e talks your ears off, so be careful." She could tell Cormac was wary of her at this point, was damn sure she'd have to hear it from the Corporal soon enough.. that was, if he cared enough. She felt a sharp pain all of a sudden, her left side exposing a part of that memory which she had temporarily forgotten. Of course, Julia made no sudden movement to indicate to her peers how wounded she was. After all, doing that meant that she would be banned from leaving the medical barracks, and to be honest, she valued her freedom at this point. She spent weeks on a smell old cot while hearing people whine and cry about their wounds. It was probably the most the ridiculous thing shes ever heard, a soldier, whining and crying about wounds? Did you expect fluffy clouds and rainbow unicorns? While she was grieving the loss of her men, they were crying about head injuries and broken legs. This is probably why she values the lives of all citizens, including their new friend here. Speaking of which- "Oh, oh Cormac!" The man next to her cried, "You're giving me away? Is this the bridal ceremony I've read about?" Bridal ceremony? Julia let out a chuckle, watching Cormacs eyes dart back and forth between her and the newly arrival. In his panic he could let out but one sentence: "Just leave me the hell alone, you goddamn mannequin!" That was probably the first time Julia has heard a ranked officer lose his stature for a moment. With that last comment, he stormed off into the carriage and rode onward until he dissipated into the hills.

"Shall we go head to the food barracks then?" Although, it seemed that instead Rege was computing previous commands to take them to the medical unit. With that aid, he slipped a hand around her waist to support her limping body. At that moment, she couldn't help be recall his words to their guest, and feel the guilt rush in memories of why it was her fault. She should have taught him about the value of lives and how titles don't justify wrong actions. "No," She told Rege, frowning a bit at the fact her stomach is still empty, "I'm really hungry." That was Julia-talk for, 'if I get freakin caught for going in the opposite direction of the food barricks, I'm going to get humiliated as a doctor by getting scolded by another doctor' - thank god she was the only one who understood Julia-talk! Of course, she also understood that Rege was instilled with duties that previously hardwired into him, at the same time.. her wound wasn't going to fool anyone (and by anyone, she meant the nurses). Half of her wanted to still utilize the time she had to get to the tent and pay a visit to Penny and Lily, see if they're doing okay. Julia has had great progress with the two, making sure they weren't dying anytime sooner than their expiration date already is. There's only one problem that poses serious concerns for the raven-blue haired woman is the fact that her entire team ceases to exist at this point, and the fact that a couple of amateur scientists are in the tent at this very moment pretending that they're actual useful. While the loss of her team engraved a deep hollow in her heart, the show must go on.

Therefore, what she was about say would probably be one of the most difficult things to ask: "Messer, is it? Where are you from again?" The woman began, "I'm rather impressed with your ability to soak in information and remembering it." She wasn't lying. Typically, remembering information for most people requires repeating it over and over again since cognizing information from working memory to long-term is difficult for those who didn't understand how to generally study. It seemed like Messer already had it together on how to memorize information thoroughly. And if all went well, and he agrees to what she's about to ask him, training may not prove to be as difficult as it could have been with an ordinary member. "At any case, I say this because while I don't know what you're here for," though, she could already note the handcuffs, "I wanted to offer you a seat in my division, if you don't mind." She told him with a polite smile, trying to hide the fact that internally cringed of her incredible offer that nearly seemed like she tossed aside her previous members, "I can assure you, the tasks will prove to be useful for you and I both. I don't know if the other teams do this as well but I train both the body and the mind. So you won't completely be with me in the tent. I may seem like an angel on a battlefield, but trust me.. I probably have more to offer than you think." She reasoned with a smirk. Half of her hated the fact that she was advertising positions like it was a volunteer position, but the other half was desperate enough to cancel the feeling of reluctance. "I'm not sure who your leader is, but if you are interested, I can speak to Corporal Allister and convince him to transfer you over."

That last line was a lie; she was nearly partially convinced that he was on Squad Thanatos or Squad Allister. This was a man in chains, meaning that there's something special about him that requires them to keep him cuffed. It's probably that Messer committed a crime, although, it's also possible he's another 'Rege'. For the life of her, Julia couldn't think of a reason to leave a person who's under either of those categories with officer Liang. While he was an exceptional soldier, it seemed that Julia's mistake continues to invisibly haunt the Survey Corps grounds. Therefore, it's likely that he would be placed on Squad Thanatos just because their relationship seems solid for however long she observed them. Although, he might be just as bad as Rege that the Corporal figured he has to be as close as possible in reliable hands (such as himself). Of course, her thoughts would only apply to such an extent, Messer has only just arrived here from God knows where, thus, leaving room for mistakes in her calculations. Her smirk curved into a smile, "You don't have to answer right away, and I'll be perfectly fine with being rejected as well," she assured him. After all, she hated making people feel uncomfortable. Ironic, since she usually ends up putting herself in the same position constantly. It was like everything she presented would make a walking paradox- she'll do anything she can to save everyone but herself. Yet, she refuses to listen to others who want to save her. Ha, so ironic.


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[ 5/10 ] bruises, gashes/cuts, concussion, stitches（ ღ ）xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
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irritated, somewhat afraid（ ❤ ）xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
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✈ ↝ ✈ ＴＯＷＮＳ＆ｖｉｌｌａｇｅｓxxxxxx
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dɐɯ ɐ uo ❈ dɐɯ ɐ uo ❈ dɐɯ ɐ uo ❈ dɐɯ ɐ uo ❈ dɐɯ ɐ uo ❈ dɐɯ ɐ uo ❈ dɐɯ ɐ uo

[Evergreen Sloth]

In the aftermath of what transpired at the Trost District, the big-wigs are struggling to come up with a plan to reclaim the lost land, because the population is just too much to handle inside the remaining two walls. Funds have become very short all around and prices on even daily needs have gotten unbearable, as merchants try to get by while dealing with the loss of land.
If your character is a civilian, they are dealing with shortages all across the board. Everything has become very expensive and no one has the money to spend on extravagances - except maybe the nobles within Mitras (the inner inner wall) but even there, funds are not what they used to be. Times are very hard right now. Also, it is tax day - there are Military Police squads going around collecting, and taxes haven't gone down at all.

The military branches have been doing their best with those that weren't injured but it has been difficult. Militaristic forces just aren't quite what they were before the wall's came under attack by these variant titans, every branch seems to be spread thin lately.

The Survey Corps has a new threat to handle outside the walls, with Corporal Allister being put in charge of any soldiers that he needs to be able to protect humanity. A variant titan recently took out all but five members of a large contingent of Survey Corps soldiers that were out on what should have been a routine run. The five men that survived are now all deaf, and claimed to have heard ear shattering unearthly screaming from the variant that wiped out their forces.
If your character is in the Survey Corps, your full setting will be described in Allister Kantor's post. Please read the post in it's entirety to avoid any confusion.

The Stationary Guard is going to have to do something about the masses of titans that have been flooding to the walls since Trost. Without the small condensed mass of the population along the outer ring to pull the masses of titans into one location, they are now lining the southern part of was Rose in large numbers. It is worse than it ever has been and Volker Hoch has been told to get his best men (and women) to handle culling the herd.
If your character is in the Stationary Guard, they are following their squad leaders into battle along the wall. Each squad has been assigned to one of two tasks - decoy squads and take down squads. Decoy squads have been ordered to only strike it needed, focusing on keeping the titans attention on them. The take down squads are to strike at the distracted titans and attempt to avoid any titans that aren't yet chasing a decoy squad. Squad Leaders should describe which task that their squad was assigned. If your character is in a squad that does not yet have a squad leader, just decide on your own. I expect everyone to follow suit.

The Military Police remains as mysterious as ever. But the most fierce of the Trost rioters have disappeared one by one, curiously. Our own group of Military Police soldiers however have gotten stuck with some grunt work - tax collection, under the command of their newly promoted Corporal, Sigmund Alabi. The civilians have been much more difficult to collect from as of late, everyone is struggling but funds for the government and military are more important now than ever before. This is why the Corporal's own squad is also expected to take part in what would normally be work saved for the more fresh squads.
If your character is in the Military Police, they have received orders from the new Corporal that their squad is on tax collection duty. Each squad has been assigned a route but the routes may intersect at points if you desire to write that in.

[Gorrific]

Later that night following dinner, a meeting was called of all the soldiers who would be heading into the field. Allister looked upon them grimly, knowing that many of them would likely not return. He explained the formation to them, "Julia, since you are currently without a squad, you will be folded into mine for the duration of the mission," he also wanted to keep a close eye on her, given her physical state. He continued, "Zhou, since your squad is new you will be guarding the supply carts. Squad Thanatos will revolve around the rest to maintain order." The rest of the squad assignments were doled out in similar fashion. Allister calmly explained, "We will all have our ears plugged with cotton to prevent deafening. This means that if you don't pay attention, you will die." The Corporal had no need for colorful wording, most of them were well versed in the gruesome nature of combat anyway.

Allister retired to his room that night feeling the same darkness he had for the last month. If despair was a pit he was certain he would never climb up out of it. When the early hours of the morning came, the ones that tempted very few, he was awake. He pulled on some light fabric clothing and set out into the darkness around the barracks, running as fast as his heart and lungs would will him to. As was his routine when he had the time, he enjoyed the obstacles around him, jumping over things and swinging off of them. The secluded areas were his playgrounds. And when the odd-eyed man was out there he was free from the pressure of being Corporal Kantor, he was free from being the reason why his brother died. He was just a human machine doing what it did best.

The time for such things soon came to an end, this day was going to be insufferably long and it had only just begun. Allister returned to his room and cleaned himself up, donning his uniform with a black shirt and pulling a brush through his long green locks. He tied them up neatly in large braid and set out to begin getting this mission off the ground.

When it was at last time to set out, Allister had gathered them all on the east end of wall rose in the Karanese District. They were all saddled up on horse back as cotton was distributed to each of them by a random soldier. It was a cool day, though the sun was shining and already high in the sky indicating midday. The Corporal shifted a bit a top his horse, this was where he felt at home. The uniform, the 3DMG gear, the horse, this was who Allister Kantor truly was. He was home.

His eyes glanced over the soldiers before him, the capable soldiers outnumbered the ones he had already mentally made funeral plans for. There was hope for this mission. His face was as grim as ever when he spoke, "You all know what you're doing. Let's go kill a variant," he said loudly so that he could be heard. The green-haired man then plunged the tufts off cotton into his ear canals, acclimating to the hollow silence.

The world was muffled now, there were no more sounds of horses or soldiers chattering. His horse turned, guided by the skilled Corporal, then took off at a fast pace headed out of the gates. It was definitely an odd thing to be deaf in the field, though strangely enough Allister almost enjoyed it. There were no distractions. But there was also one less sense to tell him when Titans were close. He continued forward, his squad at his side. He knew well that they could be out here for a while hunting this Titan, but he looked forward to it. It was much better than the sadness that the barracks seemed to be shrouded in these days.


_______H_I_S _ N_A_M_E _ W_I_L_L _ E_C_H_O
________________________________⋯⋯⋯⋯⋯⋯_______on the sea _____ & _____ on the ground_______⋯⋯⋯⋯⋯⋯
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____██ _ ██ _ ██ _ ██ _ ██ ___《 ♞ ___ ██ _ ██ _ ██ _ ██ _ ██
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_____________BELIEVE IT, HE WAS BORN TO BE THE CHOSEN ONE_____________________________________BELIEVE IT, HE WAS BORN TO BE THE CHOSEN ONE
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________________________________________________________________________________BEHOLD HERE COMES THE SUN BEHOLD HERE COMES THE SUN BEHOLD HERE COMES THE SUN BEHOLD HERE COMES THE SUN BEHOLD HERE COMES THE SUN BEHOLD HERE COMES THE SUN BEHOLD HERE COMES THE SUN BEHOLD HERE COMES THE SUN BEHOLD HERE COMES THE SUN BEHOLD HERE COMES THE SUN BEHOLD HERE COMES THE SUN BEHOLD HERE COMES THE SUN BEHOLD HERE COMES THE SUN BEHOLD HERE COMES THE SUN BEHOLD HERE COMES THE SUN BEHOLD HERE COMES THE SUN BEHOLD HERE COMES THE SUN
____________________________________________________________________BEHOLD HERE COMES THE SUN BEHOLD HERE COMES THE SUN BEHOLD HERE COMES THE SUN BEHOLD HERE COMES THE SUN BEHOLD HERE COMES THE SUN BEHOLD HERE COMES THE SUN BEHOLD HERE COMES THE SUN BEHOLD HERE COMES THE SUN BEHOLD HERE COMES THE SUN BEHOLD HERE COMES THE SUN BEHOLD HERE COMES THE SUN BEHOLD HERE COMES THE SUN BEHOLD HERE COMES THE SUN BEHOLD HERE COMES THE SUN BEHOLD HERE COMES THE SUN BEHOLD HERE COMES THE SUN BEHOLD HERE COMES THE SUN

[Evergreen Sloth]

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______________________________________________________________________________________________JUST KEEP THINKING IT'S MY FAULT JUST KEEP THINKING IT'S MY FAULT JUST KEEP THINKING IT'S MY FAULT JUST KEEP THINKING IT'S MY FAULT JUST KEEP THINKING IT'S MY FAULT JUST KEEP THINKING IT'S MY FAULT JUST KEEP THINKING IT'S MY FAULT JUST KEEP THINKING IT'S MY FAULT JUST KEEP THINKING IT'S MY FAULT JUST KEEP THINKING IT'S MY FAULT JUST KEEP THINKING IT'S MY FAULT JUST KEEP THINKING IT'S MY FAULT JUST KEEP THINKING IT'S MY FAULT JUST KEEP THINKING IT'S MY FAULT JUST KEEP THINKING IT'S MY FAULT JUST KEEP THINKING IT'S MY FAULT JUST KEEP THINKING IT'S MY FAULT
____________________________________________________________________________JUST KEEP THINKING IT'S MY FAULT JUST KEEP THINKING IT'S MY FAULT JUST KEEP THINKING IT'S MY FAULT JUST KEEP THINKING IT'S MY FAULT JUST KEEP THINKING IT'S MY FAULT JUST KEEP THINKING IT'S MY FAULT JUST KEEP THINKING IT'S MY FAULT JUST KEEP THINKING IT'S MY FAULT JUST KEEP THINKING IT'S MY FAULT JUST KEEP THINKING IT'S MY FAULT JUST KEEP THINKING IT'S MY FAULT JUST KEEP THINKING IT'S MY FAULT JUST KEEP THINKING IT'S MY FAULT JUST KEEP THINKING IT'S MY FAULT JUST KEEP THINKING IT'S MY FAULT JUST KEEP THINKING IT'S MY FAULT JUST KEEP THINKING IT'S MY FAULT
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______DON'T GET TOO CLOSE ◆◆ IT'S DARK INSIDE
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________________________⋯ __I _ D O N 'T _ W A N T _ T O _L E T _ Y O U _ D O W N _ B U T _I _ A M _H E L L B O U N D
_________________________________________________________T H I S _ I S _ A L L _ F O R _ Y O U
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________________________⋯ __I _ D O N 'T _ W A N T _ T O _H I D E _ T H E _ T R U T H♚ ♔ ♚

Their little rounds at breakfast had been pleasurable, although significantly more tame than his usual games were. Hey! Give the man a break, he had just been out of commission for a good couple of weeks, he had to get back into his usual groove before he could become the typical trickster/troublemaker that he'd come to be known as. Nadja had accomplished managing Isabella's long mane though, certainly proud of the work she'd done (when wasn't she?). After indulging in their little conversation though, Eden had managed to slip away - letting Isabella deal with comforting the new girl who had traveled out of the realm of Eden's understanding (emotions, ugh). The head of white hair may have been easy to spot but it was also easy to lose once he let his lips stop moving. He spent the rest of his free time practicing in the heavily forested area that surrounded the barracks. He didn't stop until he was finally called upon for their last briefing before the expedition.

Babysitting duty. That was what his squad was given. Allister didn't exactly say that but Eden knew well enough to see it for what it was. 'Maintain order.' It was Allister's way of saying 'Eden, you're going to have to forego the fun part and instead make sure these soldiers that are just itching to fall out of line instead do as they're told.' Yup. Babysitting. To make matters even less attractive to the pale squad leader, he would also be bringing fresh blood into the field. Messer Klien, a new member of Squad Thanatos that had already earned a bit of a reputation with the entrance he'd made. Eden wasn't quite sure what to make of what he had heard but he knew that fresh cadets didn't often make it back from missions like this. After the meeting, Eden was eager to distance himself from the rest of them. He needed to just have a moment to mull over things and he wanted to return to the practice that he'd been pulled from. [ADD: Sherl, if you want me to edit the next bit let me know and I will c: I took some liberties but am totally fine with changing it if you'd prefer~ ] He kept mostly to himself, even when other soldiers ended up showing up for some last minute practice before the big mission, that was until Nadja managed to find where he'd run off to. Even if he was much faster than her, it was still pleasant to have her there, and she wasn't without skills of her own. Afterwards they spent the night chatting away (mostly Eden, the loud mouth just doesn't know when to quit once the beans are spilled), and of course he had to pick her brain on her plans for the following day. They made it back to their room in time to get a good night's sleep before time to head out in the morning.


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The day finally came, and it was bittersweet. Eden was excited to finally be leaving the security of the walls again but he was not too excited about babysitting duty. There were make-shift ear plugs being handed out to everyone and Squad Thanatos was at the very rear of the line. They would be the last to leave, once outside they would begin circling the entire formation closely, keeping an eye out for titans and disobedient soldiers. Eden stood next to his horse for now, a hand against it's neck. He'd asked Nadja to go over their independent plan and formation one last time before they all plugged their ears and lost verbal communication. It did make him a little bit uneasy, he'd never been good at reading people without being told. But he was a fighter and he would make up for his shortcomings, he was determined to do that much. "You will all stick to formation, no one is going to run off, no one is going to play hero, no one is going to die." he said simply, and firmly, all playfulness had gone from his voice, before he handed the floor over to Nadja, to go over it again with them before they all mounted up and plugged their ears to head out into the field behind the other groups.

He had ended up leaning against the large animal as Nadja spoke to all of them. But even so, he'd already gotten to hear the formation from her once before. She didn't really have to run these sorts of things by him for approval or anything like that, he had a lot of faith in her and her abilities, but he was always eager to hear the details and where he stood in all of it. It was sound enough from what he could tell, he'd never really had much of a mind for strategy but he could agree that a buddy system would help in a situation like this. And with the difficulty that he already had in communicating without words, being partnered with Nadja would be a blessing for him. He'd just have to be extra attentive to make up for what he lacked in non-verbal communication. He could do that, he assured himself that he would focus enough to make up for his own short-comings. After all, what kind of a soldier would he be if he couldn't do that much? Not a very good one, he'd decided.

Eden hoped that even with the new additions, Squad Thanatos would be a squad that could be counted on to maintain formation and follow commands - regardless of the situation. Eden placed a lot of value in obedience, which was obvious from his approach to being a soldier. He wasn't the type to let pride or heroics come in the way of the chain of command. If a command came from Allister or the General, he would follow - regardless of whether he understood it or not. He would trust in their skill and experience, and hope that they could put their trust in his. He and Allister had this kind of unspoken bond, that worked for them. He'd been through a lot with the man and both had saved each other's hides on numerous occasions. He trusted Allister completely, and if a command came from him - it was as good as gold for Eden. He'd never led him astray in all of their time together. He couldn't even seen that long green strip of hair now though, with the long line of soldiers and horses that stood between them.

His turned his red eyes back onto his team now. Once Nadja finished speaking, she'd stuffed the cotton in her ears and was ready to go, but Eden had other plans. He tucked his own cotton into his front jacket pocket, for safe keeping until he was ready for it. But for now he just approached her, with a light tap on her shoulder to get her attention. Surely, she would have pulled the cotton from her ears once she realized that he wanted her attention but he didn't really want to wait at all. Eden was impatient like that, practically a child. He reached out his hands both carefully pulling the cotton from her ears before putting both pieces into one of her hands.

"I don't deal with people well." he said frankly, placing a hand on her shoulder. It was something that he'd said to her in the past but this time he was able to hold eye contact with her, in fact he made it a point to do so. He'd learned over time that this was a good way to let someone know that you were taking what you said seriously, or that you were being honest. At least, most people seemed to feel this way, from what he could gather about it. "I know that I'm hard to get." he continued, holding onto those steel blue eyes like they were the most precious thing in the world right now. He wasn't even honestly all that sure what point he was trying to get across to her, but he didn't want for them to go out on this mission where they would be forced into silence before he could say something, just let her know, well anything that was on his mind. It may have seemed like a jumbled mess of statements that had no connections to each other but that was just the mess that Eden was all of the time. He just usually kept it to himself. "It doesn't hurt me to lose people." he could have explained that he just meant that it didn't hurt him personally, that he cared about people's lives, that he wanted soldiers to live - that he just couldn't feel a personal ache over it like the people that he saw grieving their friends. But honestly he didn't know how to explain that, he could only hope that she knew him enough to know.

"It'd hurt to lose you." and with that, the eye contact was lost, his red eyes falling to the ground. It just felt difficult to look her in the eyes while speaking so frankly about feelings that concerned her. It was awkward, and Eden wasn't really accustomed to handling 'awkward'. "Just..I just want you to know," he started, he felt like he was talking too much about things that didn't matter, he should just get on his horse and be ready to move but, he continued, just telling her these things that didn't matter but somehow mattered enough that they needed to be said. "I'm not going to lose you." he assured her, looking up now, they were words that had to mean something, had to be known to be true and not just something that he was saying to mess with her. "I won't let anything happen, to you." he added finally, and planted a small kiss on her forehead. It felt awkward. So awkward, affection was not really his strong suit, and he was not a very big fan of foreign territory, so with that, he hurried off to mount his horse and take his place in their formation. He looked back to her one last time before twisting the cotton into his ears. He just had to remember that no matter what kind of titan they were up against, no matter what the plan was, whether he had to go in deaf or mute or whatever - he was a soldier, a soldier that was trained and seasoned in killing titans. And nothing was going to go wrong under his watch, they were coming back alive, if there was anything that he could do about it.

[[It is pretty much recycled from before...but I really liked it and didn't want to change it :c But Sherl, if you want me to I will change the bits with Nadja x: ]]



________________________⋯ __Y O U R _ E Y E S _ S H I N E _ S O _B R I G H T

[Pink perfume tea]

ιѕαBєℓℓα мιяє

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With my Newly wings........

I shall fly over these walls.

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The morning shaningans it was all fun and if Isabella was honest she wished this could last forever, though she knew that this wouldn't happen.
As the day rolled into night, Isabella stood next to her Captain, she listened closely to his orders. Knowing full well that they would be the head of danger and keeping an eye on Jullia was everyone's responsibility to make sure she wouldn't push herself too hard while being deaf on the field. This mission she prayed that the people on her squad could read lips and know hunting signals or else they would be goners.
When the meeting was over, Isabella taken herself back to her personal bunk room.
Closing the door behind herself, the soldier let out a hard sigh, taking her gaze over to a small photo that was framed on a small desk with the moon light hitting it.
Narrowing her eyes sadly she began to take herself vet to her desk, picking up the small photo graph that was framed.
" Mom, Dad, Please be safe. We will leave here soon. I promise you. This monarcy will burn down to the ground. I promise you once I'm done with this mission, I will bring you money I saved up for months. Please.....be safe. " she whispered silently to a small old faded photo of a country folk with their small daughter in their arms, Isabella, all three of them happily laughing before the days of those b*****d Military police.
She resived letters from her mother, claiming that the taxes are too high even for the country side and the crops weren't selling up to the price of the taxes.
Things were bad and she just felt this ill dosable flame of anger for the King. The man wanted nothing but money and keep the knowlage of the outside world to be swept under the rug.

Gritting her teeth at the thought she flopped herself down in her bed, still in her uniform, folding her arm over her eyes. This mission and like any other missions was hard mentally preparing herself for. It was easy when she was hunting but when facing a ten story titan and the people around you was dying, it was hard. She even pondered how did she get herself this far? Taking in a deep breath she began to just imagine the Titan a huge monsterious bear, which as silly it was helped her out. Just preparing for the funerals after the mission was grim. The sound of Deaths black wings was sure going to be over them tomorrow and all she could do was pray and make sure lives were saved. With those thoughts in mind she fallen asleep.

Dawn rose slowly over head, and like clock work Isabella was up, wide awake during the darkness.
Groaning out of her bed, she pushed herself to look at the mirror to see her hair was messed up.
" Oh man..... Ms.Nadja spent all her time on this too and I liked it....." Isabella groaned sadly. Taking out a long sigh she rose her arms and began to undo her hair, letting her hair give off a bouncy wave, now if she wasn't on a mission today she would wear it like that and visit her folks while shopping for things. She saved up money she had earned for her family even after the taxes were taken out.
But today was not the day, today was the du to fight.
Grabbing her brush, she began to brush out the waves of her hair, keeping her eyes on her own reflection in the mirror.
Then an idea struck, it was just something for comfort but it would put her mind at ease. Parting the side of her hair she began to braid a small piece of it, easily could be hidden by the rest of it when it fallen but noticeable when shown as she began to braid the piece of her hair.
Once she was finished she grabbed a small silver hair bead she placed it on the end of her hair. The braid was on the same side that Fallons when he was alive.
Taking in a deep breath she let it out slowly, locking her eyes on the mirror reflection.

" Fallon, our fallen brothers and sisters, please watch over us. Isabella you got to keep it together. Show no emotion on the field today. You're going to fight a huge titan bear, you can do this. Don't let Captain Allister down. "

Pushing herself away, she kept her hair down, and began to put on the rest of her gear, along with her cape.
Walking outside of her room, she taken on last glance at her photo of her family to only close the door behind him.

Making her way to the stables, Isabella began to fill up her gas tanks, making sure they were full up to the brim.
Lacing her arms around the reins of her horse Alexander, she began to head out.
Walking her horse down to the gates of their destination, she could feel the eyes of the citizens on them, staring and talking about them like usual. Sure wishing them to die so there would be more food for them. It's on thing when they lose soldiers on the field but Goddess forbid if the citizens loose family.
All she could do was clench down on her reins tightly.
Once she walked up to her Captains side, she noticed Rege right next to him on the other side with his own horse. Mounting herself ontop of her horse she pulled up next to him with Jullia right next to her.
Looking over to her, Isabella kept a warm smile to the other Captain.
" Good morning Captain Jullia. Don't fret, I will make sure you and your squad will be kept safe. " Isabella spoken softly. Once they were given their cotton balls, Isabella placed them deep in her ears and the cluttered noises of the ill citizens it had fallen into a peaceful silence.
With the gates opening, Isabella began to follow after her Captain not too far behind.








♢.Where am I?: Gates to the other side . ♢. Who are you?: Captain Allister, Rege, and Captain Jullia ♢.How am I feeling?:100% healthy. ♢. What am I wearing?: Main Survey core uniform with a black V neck with her cape along with a side braid. ♢. OOC: time to start on this mission .

[The Emperors Fallacy]

X▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ ▬▬▬▬▬ ▬▬▬ ▬ ▬▬
XXXXXXFOR MY PART, XXXXXXXI KNOW NOTHING OF CERTAINTYXXXXXXXFOR MY PART, XXXXXXXI KNOW NOTHING OF CERTAINTY
XXXXXXFOR MY PART, XXXXXXXI KNOW NOTHING OF CERTAINTYXXXXXXXFOR MY PART, XXXXXXXI KNOW NOTHING OF CERTAINTY
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XXXXXX★ ❛THE SIGHT OF THE STARS
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ᴇᴀᴍ ɪɴ ᴛʜᴇ sᴀᴍᴇ sɪᴍᴘʟᴇ ᴡᴀʏ ᴍᴀᴋᴇs ᴍᴇ ᴅʀᴇᴀᴍ ɪɴ ᴛʜᴇ sᴀᴍᴇ sɪᴍᴘʟᴇ ᴡᴀʏ ᴍᴀᴋᴇs ᴍᴇ ᴅʀᴇᴀᴍ ɪɴ ᴛʜᴇ sᴀᴍᴇ
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The very night she had shattered Rege's faith in herself, was the very night she would find out that she'd be forced to relive Trost all over again. There was a difference though; this time, part of her hoped that nothing would keep her from dying. There was so much guilt from losing her team twice in addition to losing the trust of the last person who cared. While it was true he couldn't even manage to define trust, it was just as true that he still mattered to her. He was still a life she helped bring up, and something about it brought out the nurturing edge of Julia. Even then, if she could go back in time and redo it, there wouldn't be any hesitation that would force her to think otherwise. It was true that he was a man of similar military status to her, but it would also be true that he was probably one of the scums of the world contributing to creating the mayhem we call poverty. Racism doesn't just happen, it becomes defined. Definitions come from a consensus regarding the observed, molding into a new refined distinct meaning that becomes shaped by society. She simply couldn't put people through that, ideally the next generation. If men like them continued to walk the earth, they'd simply spread their toxicity to our children and that was simply not an option in her book. Her devotion was not with her government, but with her people. She refused to leave children of the next world in the hands of Titans or any other monster that may ruin their chance at happiness. For her, the government fell under that definition. Her deep ocean eyes were drifted in thought, almost captivated by the simplistic features that her palm held. Watching the woulds of her crossed legs create an irregular deformity on her once smooth skin, indicating the nearly complete healing process of her Trost injuries. A rattling, yet apathetic voice spoke up of a formation, his commands loud and clear towards her: "Julia, since you are currently without a squad, you will be folded into mine for the duration of the mission." Squad Leader Eichel nodded, feeling a sting of the reminder of her loss from before.

His demands were as clear as day, even though it was dark as hell outside. While watching the Corporal give his warning speech and marching off to seclude himself once more, Julia couldn't help but mimic him. However, tonight, she was going to do something that she yearned for for days on end- charting stars! Likely the only hobby that would keep her from remembering how her life was in complete shambles. This would be her hundredth time wishing she didn't have conscience, and for once, she needed those lights to remind her that she was only human. Julia, however, despite convincing herself she wanted to hurry back to watch her dreams again, found it even more difficult to simply enter the squad barracks. There was once noise and color instead of dust and black and white and silence. Complete silence. Every time she'd rummage through belongings, there'd be no reason to ask what was being sought.. because it would only be her. These were lives that she was responsible for. And somehow, it felt like she broke a promise. But it wasn't just any promise; it was something deeper and sacred. It felt like she lost honor. What hurt most than losing honor was losing family all over again: Rege. Feeling justified in her actions, somehow it felt like it wasn't worth losing family over again. It didn't hurt as badly as the day she realized Claus was dead.. but it certainly came in second. With a glass of water, she'd step forward into the moonlight that painted the chair she'd upon and pick up the pencil that waited centuries for the warmth of her fingers, and began to write. Endlessly, she'd write.


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This was it. It was a new day, and there she was crouching over in an ally of the Taranese district where she'd succumb to the side effects of her medication. She grasped the curve of her waist, as she'd slam her eyelids shut to imagine a paradise where her stomach acid didn't claw at her throat. "Damn it.." Her croaked voice whispered, wiping the side of her cherry pink lips with the end of a tissue paper she found in her pocket. It was disgusting, really. It was almost daily that she felt nauseous in the morning, but it wasn't unbearable. The unbearable part was the fact that she didn't sleep all that well last night, especially since she decide to take on the ridiculous challenge of sustaining injuries while charting stars. Eventually, it would be those very injuries that would persuade to give into her silent necessity; of course, this is the primary reason why she woke up sore as hell. There wasn't much comfort in falling forward on a desk and ridding the moonlight from her eyes with her arms around her head. Julia took a giant bite of the air and then released it, feeling the nerves of her stomach quiet down with the chilling emptiness that she swallowed. With that, she dropped the tissue into the trash can and straightened out her uniform. Standing in a suit that complimented her lightly curved figure reminded her how beautiful it felt to be in the position she was in. Granted, she had made enough memories to make her regret for a lifetime, but there are parts of those memories that she held dear to her heart. Like when she first acknowledge Rege as a brother. It was a rather huge step for her considering that it was difficult for her to cope with the fact that Claus ceased to exist in the world. He was the last family member she had; although, after a night of private meditation, dwelling on it wouldn't change the past. As of now, she should focus on her job as leading the new team of investigators to try and contribute to her people as much as she can.

Julia walked on over to the long road hidden by the herds of horses that seemed to cover the wagons that they were protecting. The blue haired beauty's sights shifted from the view to the horse in front of her, instantly finding irritation in the height. Somehow, she felt like he was better off riding a pony than this massive animal! She booted herself up with some struggle, successfully landing her rear onto the saddle of the horse. Suddenly, she was taller now and she could actually see better from this perspective. Captain Eden was amongst his own team, discussing matters of strategy with them in order to make sure most of them came out alive, of course, his trustworthy member (whom even Julia recognized as brilliant) was chiming in. The pit of her stomach turned suddenly, feeling a spike of worry and doubt about the success of the mission. Everything came down to the leadership of Corporal Allister, who suffered the loss of a loved one recently. In addition, Rege's sudden transference his team didn't help either. The man must be stressed out of his mind, that even she couldn't help but be worried for him. Though, Julia might add that she was likely the one to blame the most for his attitude- she could have taught him the aspects of right and wrong better than just a black and white picture. Of course, the Corporal was more than just a man. There was a reason he was promoted to where he is today as his credibly exceeds more than all the soldiers combined, and that alone gave her reason to believe that success in the mission will still be highly possible. Neighing loudly in its position, Julia massaged the top of the horses head with tender touch.

"Good morning Captain Julia." An elegant voice spoke from her side, triggering a glance in the direction of the gorgeous Isabella. "Don't fret, I will make sure you and your squad will be kept safe." Somehow, those words of hers found a warm place within her heart, and even igniting a tender smile on the blue-haired woman's lips. Still, the words stung a little due to the reminder of her lack of a team, but even just the innocence and the thought of her words seemed to outweigh the pain. "That's very sweet of you, Isabella. I'll do my best to make ensure your and the Survey Corps protection." She responded with a calm smile, still rubbing the top of her horse's head. The streets once ran rampant with excited citizens as they'd admire the military from afar, however, it only took them a single second to watch their trust crumble from how often the Survey Corps let them down. While her thoughts bounced rapidly in the privacy of her mind, immediately coming to a halt once the Corporal himself had arrived. He easily jumped up onto the saddle, settling in quick to thunder a message: "You all know what you're doing. Let's go kill a variant!" And with that, he turned his horse around swiftly and galloped towards the plains of their home. That single command easily provoked a stampede of follows, Julia being one of them. "HYA!!" She cried, ordering her ride to follow behind closely and leave no room for a possibility to become lost. At that moment, the success of the mission would rest on Allister, and those who entrusted that success onto him would be the Survey Corps, including Julia.


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ABOUT THE BLACK DOTSXXXXXXXREPRESENTINGXXXXXXXABOUT THE BLACK DOTSXXXXXXXREPRESENTINGXXXXXXXXXX
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[ 5/10 ] bruises, gashes/cuts, concussion, stitches（ ღ ）xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Leaving the gates of the Karanese District（ ✈ ）xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
hopeful, cautious, afraid, saddened（ ❤ ）xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
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✈ ↝ ✈ ＴＯＷＮＳ＆ｖｉｌｌａｇｅｓxxxxxx
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dɐɯ ɐ uo ❈ dɐɯ ɐ uo ❈ dɐɯ ɐ uo ❈ dɐɯ ɐ uo ❈ dɐɯ ɐ uo ❈ dɐɯ ɐ uo ❈ dɐɯ ɐ uo

[Yuudai 02 Roku]

xxxxÁron's eyes opened slowly, welcoming a blur of disorientation as his pupils shrank to accustom to the light of his room. Unlike most of his parish, which welcomed in the light of day for a natural appearance of sanctity, his room was plain and barren, devoid of anything but the barest of furnishings and a chandelier full of lit candles. His bed was the only exception, as the combination of warmth not his own and restriction of movement suggested there was other life resting in his bed. The priest sat upright, flanked by a mass of women baring all their flesh, their resemblances disturbingly as close a likeness to his sister - or in turn, one another - as a casting call for a reenactment could ever manage. The women numbered up to seven, skimpily adorned in his bedsheets, with a number of fresh markings on their skin.

He was a forceful fellow, after all; bites, scratches, and bruises marked every part of them that would hardly face the light of day, at least in the nunnery uniforms he ordered them to wear.

xxxxÁron possessed no mercy for the women he bed, even if he did have a reputation as a holy man. His body and features matured to resemble the ferocity of his heart, compared to the androgynous beauty of his youth; his gaze alone was enough to mark him as a man to obey without question, now. That made him all the more useful when moving the masses, as he bore the look of a natural leader.

The redhead had no intentions of leading the women in his presence in anything other than the services he required, so he pushed the former harlots away, sending them all tumbling off his bedding. The women awoke, sore of body, rubbing their eyes clean of crust from tear ducts. Like the spit that stained the corners of their mouths, their cheeks were stained from a night's worth of tears, undoubtedly not the first nor the last they would experience. "Bring me my clothes. The new robes, not the old one. And hurry yourselves in getting dressed and leaving, damn it. I've no desire to explain why you are undressed in my room to my daughter." Áron's nuns, though they looked anything but, obediently complied; they dressed him, even as they pulled on the attire of the parish nunnery, needlessly tracing their fingertips along his inner thighs. One such woman, Roberta, dared to slide her hands further up his leg; the backhand that struck her face, and the enraged glare he gave her, stilled the impure thoughts of her mind. Not long passed before all of Áron's coven of concubines - ingeniously disguised as holy women - left him be in that prison of a room he called a bedroom, and he shortly followed suit himself.

xxxxEmbittered by the habit he took to, over the years, Áron found himself left wanting more than fakes of Pallas in his arms at night; as anyone else would say, the original is always better. The beauty of his "nuns," however remarkable, paled in comparison to the true Pallas. His heart and mind would always draw themselves to her, even if it were a false image. He was hard-pressed to resort to his plan he'd hoped to leave optional, should his sister seek revenge, but he would have to sacrifice justifying his actions. This time, he would be the one to commit the first offense, and she would be in the right to stop him.

xxxxThe seven robbers he'd once hired for the task of ruining Pallas' facade had since then converted into loyal members of Aquila's flock; guilt leads to a repentant heart, at least for the ordinary man, and so Áron's control over them extended over their very souls. Whether the faith was pure superstition or not, it made for the perfect banner to rally others beneath, and Áron was quick to rely on that when he met with his men in the confessional room recently renovated to replace the booths. "Glory to the Sisters, Father Aquila." The men greeted Áron with a bow of reverence, and he responded with a raised hand as he returned the gesture.

"Glory to the Goddesses, and to their love the highest of praise. Tell me, men... would you serve your shepherd once more? I have a need to save my sister from the sins of this land. She is a woman of faith, at heart, but as you undoubtedly remember, her lusts were an obstacle just as your greed was. That lust has festered into hate, and even now she serves the same military that would see the walls violated by the Stationary Corps. I need you to bring her here, where she is guaranteed to witness the example of the Triune Ladies and the precepts she yearns for within her heart. Can you do that for me? For the glory of the Trinity?" Áron said, the men nodding their heads in agreement. "For the glory of the Goddesses, we will see their work done in her!" the ringleader of the males replied, accompanied by his brethren of fanatics.

"Good."

The men hurried out of the Church to begin their surveillance of the city streets, distancing themselves from one another to avoid detection as a mob. They made their way towards the military barracks, as it was one of the more commonplace areas to search for lounging military personnel. Surely enough, the covert group of thugs spotted the brunette, who was in the middle of exchanging words with a blonde. They didn't want to call attention to themselves just yet, so all but one changed directions, regrouping along the barracks' side of the cobblestone streets as a solitary thug pretended to request directions. "Lovely day out, eh, pretty birds?" he started off with in greeting, hoping he wasn't recognized by Pallas after five years out of her sight. "I need to know where I can go to sign up for military training. Could you help me?" the male said, drawing Sage and Pallas' attention while the others drew closer. Before the girls could react, the men all attacked; they all struck Pallas and Sage with cudgels, slapjacks, and short shillelaghs.

Assuming the girls were both trained in hand to hand combat, they focused only on the element of surprise, relentlessly fighting to overpower the girls until they knocked Pallas unconscious. The group split its numbers to take the young brunette, the rest working to knock out Sage or force her to retreat before escaping the area, their objective already met.

xxxxMeanwhile, Áron patiently waited in little Athena's room, a tray of conservatively prepared breakfast held in his hand as he sat alongside her bed. As the child slept, he observantly watched her with his brows furrowed in concern; he didn't want to wake her up from her rest, as any parent would, and instead gauged how gentle he would have to be to mercifully stir her to consciousness. A knock came at the door, disturbing the small child enough for her to turn over in her bed, and Áron was quick to set the tray down on Athena's nightstand. He grasped a fork from the breakfast spread he made for Athena before he moved to answer the knock; he was greeted by one of his nunnery as he shut the bedroom door behind him, and before she could speak he struck her with a backhand that drew blood from her soft lips. "I've told you that the door was unlocked, have I not? You dare to wake my daughter? Do you tire of eating the food of the Beloved, hm? Do you want to return to that shithole of a brothel, where your a** will be branded with a runaway scar?!" "N-No, Father, I'm sorry, it's just - Ulgh!" Áron's grip over the woman's throat threatened to sever her life like a blade would sever the thinnest of linen, and both her gaze and her hands begged mercy from above. That's what Áron wanted.

"You had best thank the Sisters that your life is more precious to them than it is to me. You're well on your way to changing that, however...."

Áron released the woman, who deeply gasped for air, waiting as she finished coughing to clear the pressure that closed onto her vocal cords. "Are they here? With the woman?" Áron asked, to which the nun replied with a nod of her head. "They've delivered her to your room as you requested. They're also stripping her of her uniform and equipment."

Áron was completely silent, as it seemed his nunnery forgot that he left the task of undressing his sister to them, and immediately rushed back to his bedroom down the hall. As soon as he opened the door, he bore witness to the lewd men, defiling his sister's body with their gaze and hands as they perversely caressed her form. They only ceased once their eyes met his own, which burned with a fury like the blaze of the sun, and they kneeled to the floor for his forgiveness.

There was none.

Áron walked to every last one of them, thrusting the silverware in his grip into their jugulars; one after another, they resigned themselves to his will, and fell, staining both his right hand and the clothes he wore in scarlet. Once he was done, and he calmed himself, Áron felt all but emotionally drained; the members of his nunnery opened the door, and gasped in terror as Áron stood over the men, drenched in his blood-soaked attire. He simply dropped the fork, and stripped himself of his clothes, exhaustedly nearing Pallas' side. Her body, flawless in his eyes, was marked with bruising and welts from the recent assault she was subjected to; he repented verbally, and laid himself down alongside her in an affectionate embrace. The Nunnery, albeit hesitant, quickly began to clean up the mess he left on his bedroom floor, working in tandem with one another to transport the bodies to the furnace within the church's cellar.

Áron resigned to just holding Pallas close, and burying his face into her shoulder. Even if it weren't entirely true, he had his sister now.

Praise be to the Goddesses.

[xX-CUPPICAKE-Xx]

Company (Stationary Guard Members) Location (The Wall) Mood (Ready)


Lenox had noticed everyone crowding around her. In a way, she wanted to simply get up and leave. She didn't do well in crowds, and she was almost feeling suffocated. Then again, maybe this was a good thing. No, typically suffocating wasn't a good thing, but being around others. Sure, they weren't a part of the stationary guard, but they still knew what they were going through. It was different than most people had said. She knew that their had been animosity between the different branches, but Lenox didn't see much of it here, and it didn't seem like they were trying to hide it. All the members that surrounded her were treating her as if she were a part of the survey corps. It was...nice...though she would never admit it out loud especially around these people. They had just met her. She didn't want to give off the wrong impression of herself.

Not only that, but these people almost seemed a bit off. Lenox tended to judge people at first before she got to know them, but she would try to give them a chance if they approached her which they had. She supposed there wasn't much she could really say or complain about. Because Isabella and her had started speaking, she'd had the chance to meet many other people she probably would have given a glance to before shoving them off. It was no wonder she had so little friends. But, no matter. Lenox was just lucky to have had the chance to be surrounded by people who actually respected her and some what liked her. She sat there awhile longer mostly just listening to the odd comments made and the strange mannerisms they seemed to carry out. After breakfast, they all departed retreating to their branches, squads, and duties.

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"Those assholes..." Lenox cursed until her breath grumbling and griping that she had still been put on decoy duty. What a joke. They claim it was the best spot for her. WHY!? They never even gave her a reason. 'Well this may be more suited for your skill set.' She glared biting her inner lip. "Skill set my a**." She kicked the top of the wall looking down at some of the titans that had began to migrate in her direction. This was stupid. It had nothing to do with skills at all. If anything, she was one of the fastest and most agile members on her squad. Why wouldn't they put her in with the members who were put on the task of taking out the titans. It just wasn't fair. She always got 'type casted" because of the way she looked. She was way tougher than she seemed . No one ever too the chance to just see it.

She looked down the way of the wall seeing other members setting up and readying themselves as well. That was right. This was a team effort. She was being a little baby. Even though she was still feeling bitter, she had to remember that she wasn't just fighting for herself. Lenox had fought for herself her whole life. The thought of having a team used to just make her think they were slowly down. But, the more time she spent with a squad, the more she realized that there were some things people just couldn't do alone. As much as she wanted to disobey and leave the duty she'd been assigned for the other, no matter the reason they put her there, she was fighting for others as well. She sighed and looked back out beyond the wall. "It's not just you anymore. It's your squad. Your branch. And all the people within the walls. Pressure she'd never felt before. It was an odd yet gratifying feeling.

To be wanted. All she'd ever wanted was to be accepted. To be redeemed. Her parents had given up on her in that respect though she could understand why looking back at it now. Sighing, she began to walk down towards her other members. She hadn't talked to many of them, while others she knew fairly well. Slowing her pace as she approached the members, she turned and looked back out beyond the wall. They were all in this together. She just had to remember that. She had to remember what she was fighting for and not just simply go off on her own as she usually did. Damn why was following rules so hard! But, she had to. Looking to the group beside her, she grinned slightly. "They want a decoy? I'll be the best damn decoy they've ever seen." Readying her gear, she set herself up to start rounding up the titans.

OOC: Hope it's a decent post!

[Sherlock Homeslice]

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PHOTOSHOPS BY
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HOMESLICE
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DUMBLEDORE DIES
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Ｉ＇ＶＥ ＬＯＳＴ Ａ ＬＯＴ ＩＮ ＴＨＩＳ ＧＡＭＥ！
         ａｎｏｔｈｅｒ ｅｖｅｒｙｄａｙ ｆａｃｅ ｗｉｔｈ ｎｏ ｎａｍｅ．
Ｉ＇Ｍ ＮＯＴ ＳＥＬＬＩＮＧ ＭＩＳＥＲＹ
ｓｏ ｗｏｎ＇ｔ ｙｏｕ ｓｔａｙ              
               ａｗｈｉｌｅ ｗｉｔｈ ｍｅ？

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﹛ ºº↻ xxxxxxxxxx Nothing spelled accomplishment like getting to plant a nice set of braids in hair as resplendent as Isabella's, and actually getting to do so without a fight! Suffice it to say Nadja had been itching to do something like that for a while. Not just her usual fiendish desire for hair, but a real longing. Hair braiding was something she used as a means to get close to people. After all, if someone didn't trust you, why would they let you so close to their scalp? So close to yanking their hair back and snapping their neck? It went past an uncanny desire to just twist the strands into stronger twists of stronger strands. That was how she connected, laid down the groundwork for her new relationships. It wouldn't be a lie to say that just about everyone Nadja knew had received a braid of some sort, with very little exception. Currently, it was filling the void Natalie's absence had left. Her sister had become increasingly difficult to find in recent times. What would've been time spent with the girl's shoulders between her knees, chatting while she ran braid upon braid into her hair, was spent searching for another scalp to style. Nadja would never admit that, of course--it would go against her image of a happy-go-lucky soldier who was an expert on everything domestic and interpersonal. It was really the only appearance she strove to keep up, as it made sure that others wouldn't try to pry in her affairs.
Nadja, unable to find her sister? Worried about her family? That just couldn't be!

One could see how that might warrant unwanted questions.
Nadja, the lovable bear of the Survey Corps, had nothing to hide!
That was how things were supposed to be.

So she stayed and mingled, made sure everyone saw her smile, and ruffled some more heads of hair before she went and did what she did best. That was to say, strategy.

Like Eden, Nadja became unusually hard to get a hold of when she wasn't busy chatting at the speed of sound. Natalie's nickname for her "strategy mode" was "Nada." The middle eldest Fettle was startlingly laconic when she came to working. It was usually expected that she would be the type to chat and work at the same time. Multitasking, and all. But Nadja found that sort of thing to be a waste, and a strain on her patience. Nearly anyone who came to her during these times got shrugged off or ignored; not out of disdain, but out of duty. She just couldn't afford to risk error just to talk about the weather. Sometimes, though, she would initiate conversation, if only to pass a mental roadblock. It was more often than not with herself.

Her chessboard, stationed near the mouth of the training woods, was occupied by only herself. A one-man game while she came up with plans. Somewhere in the forest was her squad leader, swinging and slicing on his 3DMG like a child possessed. Unable to hear her, likely unaware that she'd pulled a chess board out to his relative location, but she was talking all the same.
"I've been seeing less and less of Natalie these days." Black rook to G5. She smacked the timer, switched sides.

In her Squad Leader's absence, she improvised his responses. An act that wasn't uncommon, for her, really.
“She’s your sister, shouldn’t you know where to find her?” Nadja figured that sounded like something he'd say. “Don’t you have some kind of telepathic connection, or something?”

“You’re thinking of twins.” Came the soldier's flat response,pushing a white bishop four squares northeast, eating the rook. I should’ve risked my King so that I could stop the bishop, hold him there for another turn. She slapped the move timer and switched sides. “Seriously, though. I can’t find her anywhere.”

There was a perceived pause and Nadja had imagined her leader would've assumed a more serious tone to match hers, his voice faintly playing in her head behind the sounds of plans being made. "You think she's ready?"

Nadja’s face wrinkled with an expression that would've been lost on her superior, had he been there to see it. “She knows how to pick her battles. If she says she’s ready, then she’s ready. I can’t really stop her.” The bishop survived another turn as she moved a pawn past it, too close to be eaten, too close to eat. A seemingly empty move. She slapped the move timer. “Regardless. I don’t think she’s handling Lynde well.” She was staring at the chessboard, but it was the best eye contact he could get from her, if he were present.

“What if she's not prepared, though.” As someone who didn’t really grieve, Nadja had figured he didn’t know how to approach it. The fact that Natalie was Nadja’s sister just made things more complicated. The eldest Fettle got the impression that her captain considered his hands tied in the matter, given that Natalie had become a bit off after Trost.

“I wouldn’t know.” Bishop eats Queen. Slap. Switch sides. I wasted that move just then.

“But aren’t you two sisters?”

Nadja picked up on the strain in his voice and lifted her head for a moment, forgetting her next move. She shrugged, dropped her gaze down to the chessboard. Bishop eats Bishop. “She was always closer to Lynde, Edie Beans. You overestimate our bond.” Slap. Switch sides. Stalemate.

Just in time for the meeting. Allister's plan had coincided with what Nadja had been thinking, for the most part, except she hadn't predicted that Squad Thanatos would be playing crowd control. The moment she heard the order, her eyes flashed to Eden and watched for any microexpressions. She knew he would probably take it the wrong way, even though Allister had more or less said their position was theirs because they were the most trustworthy. It took some reading between the lines. It always did, with Allister, but once she got past feeling like their squad was the shiniest of four turds, she understood what the Corporal was getting at. That didn't make it feel like any less of a punch in the gut, though. Leave it to Allister to make even the most banal of orders sound derisive.

After the fact, Nadja did manage to find Eden once she'd streamlined her plans and made sense of what she wanted in terms of arrangement. She would benefit from at least some physical training, even if her brain did most of heavy lifting on the field. As of yet, she couldn't quite think a titan to death. A semblance of physical talent was required. As most knew, her biggest issue was speed--she was heavy in ways she couldn't help, and her shoulder often made it hard to navigate as efficiently as she wanted to. Nadja still managed well in spite of the injury. Her grasp of physics made it a lot easier to find precise and useful ways to move within her means and still keep up with the others, if not a bit unorthodox. She was glad that Eden didn't give her a hard time about it--He and Liang were regular phenoms in comparison (on their own, even)--but at the end of the day she could still wreck them in an arm-wresting match. So when it came down to it, who was the real winner here?

Once her shoulder was an inch from crying uncle, Nadja retired for the night, opting to listen to Eden tell her about anything that came to mind and eventually finding the time to tell him about her plans for the mission. When it finally came time to sleep, she managed to get some solid hours, though there was just as much time spent watching the ceiling as well.


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Admittedly, Nadja had woken early to try and find hide of her sister before the mission. Time that should've been spent resting, but she found herself growing more anxious the closer they got to dawn. She did manage to spend an hour or two with her before everything was arranged. Most of the time was spent gently probing for any tells, any read that Natalie was unfit for duty, but she found none. Whether that was a good or bad sign was anyone's guess. Before she could get a definite answer, it had come time to assemble.

Nadja was given the green light for explaining their formation after Eden gave his orders to the squad. Being last to leave was a change for her; Nadja had always made jokes about watching everyone's asses because she was slowest, but now everyone was on cheek duty. Her concerns were focused on Aka, primarily, but it was in bad taste to question the sanity of a squad leader right before they embark on a mission. Bad taste, but it would serve everyone well. Nadja pushed the Duke of Menstruals to the back of her mind once she took the floor. "Since we're on a**-watching duty, we're going the atomic route. I'll be the nucleus. At any given point, I'll be the center between the rest of you. Eden flanks left, Klein flanks right. If something goes awry, don't lose track of where you are, and keep your eyes peeled for flares." Ideally, nothing would go wrong, but she'd tried to arrange the group in a sensible fashion. With Natalie and Messer both being variables as far as she was concerned, it would be stupid to put them on their own. So she had to run center, to watch, and get a feel for how this new guy would complement their strengths and weaknesses, not just for shits and giggles. It would be a tremendous pain if they ended up mixing like peas and mashed potatoes.

Formation issues aside, Nadja was more concerned with calming her nerves than doing her rounds of conversation. The cotton was quickly pushed into her ears, and her horse's shortly after. Resplendence would come out of this mission alive and with proper hearing, she wanted to assure that. There was a lull then, where she was left to her own devices. Nadja's eyes had been fixed on the last place she'd seen their Red Wolf, occasionally deviating left or right to see him again. He had become something of an obsession for her now. She could be too perceptive for her own good sometimes. Being able to pick up on microexpressions and subtle gestures was extremely useful to her; she was often the one entering peoples' comfort zones and initiating social interactions. Nadja had to be able to tell when she was going too far before the person had to say it. She'd honed that skill reading her stepfather. Picking up on cues that he was about to explode saved her and her siblings from a good deal of beatings and thrown bottles. However, there came the curse of being sure someone wasn't all there in the head, and not being able to discuss it. How insulting would it be to know that someone below your class went over your head and told the Corporal that you shouldn't be in the mission? Aka already seemed to hate Nadja's guts; she wasn't trying to get put on his hit and his s**t list. Even so, she worried about how he would handle the mission. For two whole weeks no one heard a word from him, and it was pretty clear that Leta and Liang were his only two friends. Now with Leta gone, Liang didn't have much rhyme or reason to hang around Aka, and the man looked like wreck. Then again, she could say the same about Allister, in parts.

The light tap on her shoulder nearly made her jerk; her entire body stiffened when she snapped her head over to see who was trying to get her attention. With the cotton in her ears, it felt like everything she was thinking could be heard, since her thoughts were the only sound she could hear. It felt like being caught in the middle of discussing a mutiny, but seeing Eden there had been more of a relief than she'd expected it to be. Immediately, she let out the breath she'd been holding. She looked like she'd just seen him come back from the grave. The reins slipped from her hands as she reached for her cotton, but Eden beat her to it. Nadja offered a small smile to the gesture as her fingers closed around the cotton he'd put back into her hands. He was adorably impatient, especially for a Squad Leader. There was little time to point it out, as he'd put his hand on her shoulder and had begun speaking. His eye contact, given the statement, was...different. Normally Eden seemed exasperated or almost ashamed whenever he mentioned his lack of people skills. But this was earnest; he was pulling from ends Nadja seldom expected him to grab for. Her expression remained attentive, though she couldn't stop the tiny smile of rapport when he said he was hard to get. It was only there for a second, her face returning to that look she maintained when he spoke to her, but it gave way to a more thoughtful countenance when he dropped eye contact. His kept echoing,

It'd hurt to lose you.

Despite working in the SC, Nadja had never given much thought to the possibility of her dying. Sure, she'd had some close calls, but she never had the "If I die..." thought enter her head more than two or three times. It was typically followed by a "I don't think they wouldn't be that bothered by it," or "I hope Isabella remembered to turn the stove off." It wasn't due to overconfidence. She just didn't entertain the idea. Time spent thinking about death was time better spent thinking of how to evade it. She hadn't even considered that Eden would be all that hurt if she bit the dust, specifically. After Trost, she'd just tried to push the subject of dying from her mind entirely for a while. His tone of voice made it clear that this was hard for him, and Nadja greatly appreciated the effort. It was peculiar, knowing what she knew of his childhood, to see him express such childlike habits, but she loved that about him. If someone told him to change that, she'd personally sock them right in the ear.

The next few moments happened more quickly than Nadja was certain she could compute; the affirmation that he wouldn't lose her kicked up feelings that she hadn't imagined would be allowed to swirl around in her chest so close to a mission. For once, she didn't know how to react. There had always been this innate knowledge that he, as a squad leader, wouldn't let anything happen to his squad as a collective. But to hear him say the words to her, and know that he was looking out for her--Nadja damn near clutched her chest. There was a poignantly grateful smile curled up on her face, wobbly as it was. It had just occurred to her that she hadn't heard anyone say that so genuinely since before her father had been murdered. Childish feelings, they were her turn to feel; the kiss pressed against her forehead had rendered her useless for a moment. The beam on her face was irrepressible. She nodded emphatically, the only way she could express her gratitude, as he went to mount his horse. He was too far to hear her by then, already having mounted his horse, but with the cotton pushed back in her ears, it sounded louder when she murmured "Th-Thank you..." Nadja reached up slowly to touch the spot on her forehead where his lips had been, smiling shyly.

It was...strange not to have a word for the happiness she was feeling.
She may not have been religious, but she was certain her father and brother were smiling, wherever they were.

ғιɴd мe: riding out wιтн: Eden and company wнιle тнιɴĸιɴɢ: . . .αɴd ғeelιɴɢ: There isn't a word for it, she's certain.

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ｉ ｋｎｏｗ ｔｈａｔ ｙｏｕ ａｒｅ ａｆｒａｉｄ
ＴＨＥ ＴＲＡＣＥＳ ＯＦ ＷＡＲ      ＴＨＥ ＴＲＡＣＥＳ ＯＦ ＷＡＲ
 ＬＩＮＧＥＲ ＯＮ ＭＹ ＦＡＣＥ      ＬＩＮＧＥＲ ＯＮ ＭＹ ＦＡＣＥ
BUT I'M NOT SELLING MISERY
ｓｏ ｗｏｎ＇ｔ ｙｏｕ ｓｔａｙ ａｗｈｉｌｅ ｗｉｔｈ ｍｅ？
skiptheＢＵＴ Ｉ＇Ｍ ＮＯＴ ＳＥＬＬＩＮＧ ＭＩＳＥＲＹ ！
skiptheuse ｓｏ ｗｏｎ＇ｔ ｙｏｕ ｓｔａｙ．．．？

[Evergreen Sloth]

She could hear loud banging that felt like it was all around her. She brought her callused hands up to cover her ears as she screamed up at the sky desperately. She couldn't even recall how she had gotten there, in that field of dust with scarcely any plant life to speak of (except for the sparse patches of grass that she could have counted with just her fingers). Desperation quickly turned into rage though, once she realized that the weight against her shoulder was actually the strap to her RPK, the light machine gun was what was pressing into her stomach. There was gunfire everywhere, and she'd become convinced that it wasn't just the bullets that ripped through the RPK's long barrel. "BRING IT THE ******** ON!" she screamed as the men began to close in as they kept firing. Serpentine mother ********. When one guy had the balls to get into her 'personal bubble' his face was met with her fist as she let the gun fall to her side. Her free hand grabbed the machete that was strapped to her and brought it to his throat. Within seconds he was bleeding out onto himself as she grinned, holding him up in front of her small frame as a shield. Bang bang bang! It pounded louder in her ears.

Then she opened her eyes to the grungy cabin room she'd passed out in last night. Her face had been pressed up against a sprawl of papers at her desk, drool now ruining perfectly good paperwork. The banging in her ears was soon accompanied by her first lieutenants shouting. "We know you're in there, boss! We have s**t to do today!" he shouted and she groaned, pressing her wrist into the corner of her mouth before wiping away her morning slobber. It wasn't like it was fun work or anything! The boys (man or woman, you were one of Thunder's boys if you were in Fire and Thunder) just needed a few supplies was all. "I don't have time for your crap today, Thunder!" he clearly already had his panties up in a wad today. She got herself up from her desk, taking a look down to see that she was in fact still dressed from yesterday. No point wasting her time changing then - clean clothes could come later. It wasn't like she needed to look nice or anything, no business meetings this early. She pulled her hair down briefly, before pulling it back up into a neater ponytail and settling her bangs around her face to make sure that they weren't quite every which way for now.

Then she greeted her lieutenant, who was on the other side of the door, looking like he was about to try to ram it with his shoulder. She waved as though brushing away his plans, "You can break the door down later, we have s**t to do right now." there was a grin on her lips as she said it, walking away completely expecting him to follow her. There was another man with them as well, a new fellow that was still pretty meek around 'his superiors'. Bah, that s**t was military talk. Thunder had no use for military talk. "New guy!" she called out to him as they left the cabin she'd stayed at last night apparently. "Yea, Thunder? I mean sir! I mean...m'am?" he was wringing his hands. Poor boy just didn't know how to handle himself, but that's alright. Thunder would tug him out of his shell soon enough. "I ain't no sir or ma'm. Just Thunder." she corrected with a finger raised up and wagging as she walked just in front of the two of them. "Or Boss." her lieutenant corrected. "Yeah whatever!" she responded quickly as though it didn't matter to her one way or the other. "Anyway, new guy. You're gonna be my body guard today, don't worry about it though." she continued. She liked to give people little jobs like this, she didn't expect to need a body guard but she wanted them to challenge themselves to do it anyway. It was for practice in a sense, challenge yourself to treat it like a body guard job, focus and keep a look-out. Maybe it could really only be called a game, but that game would hone their skills if they wanted it to. "This t**t will help you out if anything happens!" She added smiling back at them as she pointed at the lieutenant.

It was quite the walk and they could have taken a carriage, but ******** that! Thunder had good working legs and she wanted to put them to use. She spent the whole walk either humming, or shouting, or singing, or calling out a marching chant. She even spent a portion of the walk marching and the new fellow thought that she wanted him to march as well, following suit. Today Thunder only carried her pistol at her side, dagger at the other, and a machete strapped to her back. All of this was hidden beneath her cloak though so it's all good! No one needed to freak out or anything like she was going to go all bang bang bullets time on them! Her company is registered, legal mercenaries and all, but it was still best to not look like you were trying to pick a fight. She was especially prone to being read as wanting a fight, she speaks loudly and directly and often uses insults and obscene language without thinking anything of it.

At the market there were people with shops or carts lining the streets but there weren't nearly as many customers as normal. "Geez, these days it seems like we're all ********." she said with a sigh, she'd been silent for a good few minutes now so the sudden statement startled the new guy, but her lieutenant spoke up immediately, "Our finances are nothing to worry about, we are flourishing with all of the in-fighting going on in Sina." he stated calmly. "Well how 'bout next time we need some random s**t like belts?" she asked, raising an eyebrow with a grin. This kind of competitive undertone was common between the two of them, "What if they can't even afford to make us s**t?" Okay so, we can obviously say that Thunder wasn't the most eloquent nor was she the most intelligent woman around, but you have to admit - home girl has a point. He placed his hands on his hips proudly and just as calmly responded, "We'll just pay them up front, princess." Oh that was the last mother ******** god damn straw. So much for friendly competition! Suddenly there were insults and punches flying and the new guy was left on the side lines terrified. "I'LL ******** KILL YOU, YOU c**t!" she shouted at him as she flung a hard right hook into his jaw. Okay so, all of the insults were from Thunder. She was a passionate kind of gal. It didn't mean she didn't love him like her own little baby boy, but she was aggressive and her buttons were easily pushed. The new guy was confused, he didn't know what he was supposed to do. Did he help Thunder and risk her thinking that he was insulting her (ie, 'I think you're not able to handle your own fights') or help the lieutenant and risk her thinking that he was going to be part of a mutiny (ie, 'I don't like you so I want this guy to be the Commander'). Yeah, the new guy was one of those over-thinking types. Eh. He screamed suddenly "HELP!" he didn't know what to do, poor boy was scared out of his skin. Probably hadn't even figured out Thunder's gender yet, let alone gotten to realize that she was actually a very chill gal and this was just how the lieutenant handled her. This was perfectly normal behavior and he would have to get used to that.

[doej76452]

✖ tab Dinner was more than just a formal meeting for the refreshed soldier. He absorbed all of the information that he required. With gratitude, he ate the meal that was presented to him. Rege departed from the dinner rather early. While others spent the end of dinner talking, Rege had to escape the presence of so many people. It gave him anxiety to think of what they could do to him given that they outnumbered him immensely.

The day wound down to what it always had. Rege's tattered fingers slid the burden of the door to his new room open. Beyond that portal rested a world behind Rege's eye. His sight was blocked, blurred and bitten. Salt stung at the corner of his lids, and the dry grasp of sand chalked his mouth. Rege could no longer breath as the muscles in his throat contracted. Barely any control was available as he stumbled forward. Stuttered and incoherent noises dripped from his lips. His satchel was tossed onto the bed and torn open by hungry fingers. His fingers searched around as he snatched a plastic bottle with a crunch.

tab Starved teeth tore the lid entirely off of the bottle, and as he gulped and choked down water, his other hand was still on the hunt. Droplets of water raced down his chin and were absorbed by his dusty clothing. The bottle was tossed aside with a cough and clack as Rege found what he had been searching for. The moon light reflected ever so kindly off of a sliver of metal in his hands. It was as if the goddess of the moon laid her finger on that object, and that object alone.

tab He chuckled, then gasped, taking the pointed edge against the epithelial casing of his fingers. The barrier gave way, and the gates unleashed a second flood of Noah. His pain that had swelled within his chest died out as he felt the warm fluid. Then, he was just left to whisper:

tab "Come now, is this how a good boy behaves?"

tab The newly found soldier dabbed his fingers together, watching the goo of his body form a string between the two poles. No thought went into his actions, they were simply programmed responses. When he smothered the blood against his face, painting him in an artwork of gore, he had no worry running through his mind. Perhaps nothing was running in that empty space.

tab He could have sworn he escaped the noises.

tab "Can you show us how it works?"

tab Rege knelled before the hooded men along side of his 'father'. After nodding, 'father' spoke with pride, but also reservation. At the time, Rege had no reason to look further into it.

tab "I have taken the liberty to hire four assassins. Each one will attempt to kill me, and the holy weapon will stop them."

---

tab At first, fear would have stricken him down using a smite of the gods. However, Rege lost all sense of fear as he adapted and grew. At the age of ten, he was ready for anything the would could have exposed him to. From the darkness, he could sense the presence of five individuals. Behind him stood the 'father' that had raised him for the show to come.

tab Foot steps arose from the left side of the circular ring. It was coming from behind the columns that shadowed the outer ring. From that noise, a man about two to three times larger than Rege dashed forward. His foot steps slid over the stone flooring. Rege slid his left foot back, preparing it on its edge to take a defensive combat stance. He knew without the boost, he couldn't take out a man of that size. So, he drew out the attention from his 'father'. Strike after strike, Rege barely dodged. A few of those blows managed to land, sending Rege's frail form back. Out of the corner of Rege's right eye, he saw another shadow going in for a strike against his 'father'.

tab "Rege, preform defend."

tab Those orders kick started a noise in the back of his mind, that sang out a violent hum. A heat filled his chest, stemming out to his limbs shortly after. His free eye shot up to the man who had previously knocked him back. One hand on that man's shoulder, and a foot on his shin were all that Rege needed to slam the man into the ground.

tab Crack.

tab Within a second, Rege was matching a female who came down from the ceiling. Her skull was the cushion for the hind of Rege's heel. She met the same fate as her larger counter part. Rege slid his foot across the floor, wiping the liquid from it in a c-shaped smear.

tab At that point, there was a hint of hesitance that he could taste in the air. The woman he had just knocked unconscious had a six inch blade on her side. It was part of his arsenal now.

tab "Rege takes his environment and uses it to his advantage."

tab As he turned to his 'father', he noted the smell of a familiar perfume, but thought nothing of it. Two men struck from diagonal points, each armed with a blade of similarity to his own, aiming for Rege's 'father'. He raced forward, shoving his 'father' back as he took the impact of the situation. The cool metal slid through his core, warming his shoulder and lower abdomen. Both of the assassins look at each other and smiled, knowing that they would receive the reward the had been promised for Rege's execution.

tab Manic laughter erupted from Rege's lungs. With one swift move, the blade he had acquired was injected into the soft belly of the man in front of him, gutting him alive. That same blade was retracted and twirled around Rege's nimble fingers, only to cause the same impact on the posterior assailant. One body after the other fell in almost perfect rhythm.

tab "As you can see, he will avoid executions at all costs when under his own command, but when he is injured significantly and the risk of his master being killed is present, he will override this 'peaceful' approach. Now let us hide the evidence of this event ever taking place. Rege, preform execution."

tab At the end of his rope of sanity, Rege could taste the joy of each kill that he had. The manipulation that had happened to him, the drug and training, it all lead to his ultimate demise as a human being. The larger of the assailants that had come first was to die third. He approached the man, cackling at the lamb trying to avoid the slaughter. That bulky man would have begged for his life, if Rege's actions of murder were not so swift. Next was the girl, who by now was in a dazed state, trying to gain her balance. Rege used a graceful kick to force her face into the ground, rubbing his dirty heel against the cheek, attempting to rip the flesh with his bare strength. She was too weak to move, and he was all too willing to dance his blade across her body. When he felt he had heard enough of her screams, he finished the job.

tab "Come now, is this how a good boy behaves?"

tab The clack of the door opening shook him out of his dream. Rege bolted at the noise, catching the man who had entered in his mechanic grip, and without hesitation, sunk his only weapon into the man's neck. Sweet blood shot into his mouth, scattering and painting his tongue. His teeth shook within the softened growl. The iris of his eye stung with an all too familiar feeling when the realization of what he had done rushed to his mind. Reluctantly, he released his prey, meeting those unwavering hazel orbs.

---

tab Luminosity broke through the curtains, draping Rege in a soft awakening. His room mate's strands of hair were uncomfortably wiggling their way into the orifices of his face. Rege brushed the hairs out of his face as he sat up. Two feet dangled over the edge of the bed as he shifted himself upward. Finally, he was free from the displeasure of such proximity with the thing that wouldn't stop talking. Rege was unsure if it was just a dream, but he could have sworn that Messer even spoke in his sleep. What a pain.

tab Today is my first day outside of the wall again. Rege thought as he worked through his dresser. His fingers were bandaged tightly, hiding the wounds he had inflicted the previous night. Loose clothing dripped off of him, exposing his scar ridden flesh to the chill air. Just as soon as that skin met the light, Rege draped himself in his fresh uniform. He smirked with the thought that it would be covered in blood by the end of the day. Bruised and tattered fingers adjusted his equipment, latching on each strap of the 3DMG gear he had managed to acquire. When he finished the task at hand, he turned to notice that Messer had prepared himself for the expedition. With a sigh, he approached the male. Those bandaged fingers came down upon Messer's nest of hair and began to flatten it, working diligently to stroke out all of the flaws.

tab "You are a mess." The one eyed male spoke as he straightened out the other imperfections and ruffles of Messer's uniform.

---

tab The disruptive feel of a saddle below him made him ache in his lower back. He looked around at the formation of soldiers, each taking their own position within the groups they were assigned. Cotton was was locked into his ears only after hearing the statement, "You all know what you're doing. Let's go kill a variant!"

tab Rege's heart beat with excitement as he hit down on the side of his horse, commanding it to march after the corporal's side. Within seconds, he was five feet to the left of Allister's side. Those green locks danced in the wind like wisps of thread. Though, Rege kept his commander in his peripheral vision. Ahead of him were the lands of his adolescence, the once place both sides of him could agree upon as a sanctuary. To a nearly blind man, traveling without sound would prove difficult, but Rege was more than capable of dealing with the situation at hand. His horse's movement sent vibrations through his body. Behind him were the soldiers he swore to protect. Each one held a significance to him as ordered by Allister. Even if he believed in the survival of the fittest, he would risk his life in order to protect them.

tab This is for myself.

tab This is for my family.

Wнєяє: Survey Corps Barracks.
Wнαт: Getting ready to depart.
Wιтн: Messer -> Survey Corps Soldiers.
Wну: The thrill of the hunt.

[Ubebae]

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THE PHOENIX RISES WITH THE SUN xxxTHE PHOENIX RISES WITH THE SUN THE PHOENIX RISES WITH THE SUN xxx
THE PHOENIX RISES WITH THE SUN xxxTHE PHOENIX RISES WITH THE SUN THE PHOENIX RISES WITH THE SUN xxx
kuntaken ❛ A N D I ' M S U S P E N D E D I N T H E N I G H T。
d'kuntakente ( && ) WEARY OF THE LIGHT !!
blahblah FOREVER —— ALWAYS HAS A PRICE

× ❝. ♕ ”Is this an invitation to a potato chat?” Liang looked back over to Nadja as the words came out of her mouth. “I always have enough potatoes for my spud buddy.” He couldn’t help but smile a bit, almost letting out a laugh at her choice of words. Nadja always had a way of spinning the English language. It was her gift, among various others. The braids he wore were his own doing, but occasionally he let her work her magic on them. She just had that good touch. “Of course it is. For you, anytime,” he replied to her, but paused a moment, stealing a glance at Alma for a second before returning his attention to her. “Actually there is something I’d like to talk to you about at some point.” His words came out soft as he spoke them. “Could use some advice about something, if you’re game for listening.” He let the words hang at that, moving a bit closer to Alma’s side until they brushed shoulders. His attention went to his breakfast as the conversations continued to be carried on by everyone. But the soldier in him couldn’t help but think of what tomorrow would bring for them. His eyes couldn’t help but occasionally linger back and forth to the female beside him. No matter what happens, just bring her back home. That is your mission.



-*-*-*-


Liang sat quietly with one leg crossed over the other while he listened to Allister gave them the lowdown about their mission. He hadn’t eaten much at dinner, thoughts too wrapped around other things. It would be his first time leading tomorrow, and he was nervous about it. He didn’t want to mess up, he didn’t want to miss a single word from the Corporal. Dismantling the Variant’s vocal cords was an objective easier said than done. Whoever had that the “honor” of scoring that hit would have to be quick getting in and getting out. Speed and precision were the key. But it didn’t look like anyone from his squad may get that chance. They had been assigned to the middle in charge of supplies and horses. In short, they would be in the safest spot of the whole formation. Personally, Liang would have preferred to be out at the front of the formation as one of the forward scouts. But it only made sense. His squad was new, the only veterans in it being himself and Alma. Give them an “easy” job for their first run together. Again, there was a moment Liang wished he had his place back with Squad Thanatos. With them he never had to worry about getting into the thick of fighting. Liang just shrugged the thought off. He had his own squad to focus on now. But he knew if he ever saw Squad Thanatos was in trouble, he would ride out himself to give them assistance in a heartbeat.

By the time the meeting was over, he had finished working out in his head who would take the rear guard of the caravan and who would take the front. His squad naturally would be with the lead wagon. Quietly he made his way back over to the barracks, slipping quietly into them. But he didn’t wander over to his bed. Instead he went to Alma’s and slid into it, letting his body rest against hers. She had probably stayed awake until he came back from the meeting. He said nothing as he just lay there, staring up into the ceiling. Thoughts of the next day muddled his head. The what if scenarios that wouldn’t stop coming. No matter how much he tried to see the light at the end of the tunnel, all he could see is himself a bloody corpse, or Johan and Emerson… even Alma. These weren’t the things he needed to be filling his head with, but nonetheless his skull swelled with them. Stop asking the questions of what if already. Get some sleep. That’s what you need. The command was easier said than done. “You think we’re ready for this?” he finally managed let himself say aloud and finally break the silence. “To go back out there tomorrow?” When he said “we’re ready”, he actually meant himself. He wasn’t sure if he was, not to lead them in any case. But you have to. That’s all there is to it.

“I’m glad they gave you your transfer,” he spoke lightly as he let his gaze linger down to Alma. Turning his body to her, he tentatively let a hand come up to her face, cupping her cheek lightly. He noticed that he started to do that more lately, not that he minded or wanted to stop himself from doing so. How she took it though, he couldn't tell. “I don’t think I’d be able to do this job without you.. you've always been there when I needed you.” He voiced these words rather seriously, his face just inches from hers, the tips of their noses practically touching as he let his fingers comb through a few strands of her hair. What are you doing, Zhou? The voice in his head echoed the question. Letting myself be myself for once, while I still have the chance to. That was his answer back. He just held the female’s gaze for a long while before he dropped his hand then rolled onto his back, letting his eyes stay fixed upward once more until they closed on their own. He managed to find sleep but night terrors about Titans stirred him up after an hour, his body giving up on sleep for the rest of the night.


-*-*-*-


Once it got to mission time and they were all rallying at Karanese District, Liang gathered his squad together by the supply wagons. “As you know, we’ll be in the middle of the whole column in charge of escorting the supplies and horses. Chances are we might not see much action while we’re out there, but that’s alright. Our job isn’t fighting, but guarding.” The words he spoke were more for the rookies. Alma already knew what babysitting the wagons would entail. “As long as we don’t break formation, we got a good chance of making it back home just fine. But don’t let your guard down for a second. Things could change at any moment out there. We’ll have to be ready for anything, and most importantly we'll have to make sure these supplies will be around and available when they’re needed.” He wasn’t just talking about gas and weapons, but provisions like food and water, should they be kept out there for longer period of time than intended, as well as other supplies specifically detrimental the mission. And most importantly, there were the medical provisions. They were the ones would be in charge of collecting the wounded and watching over them until they made it back through the wall.

“We'll be escorting the lead wagon. For this run, Emerson and Johan will be bring up the rear of it, Alma you’ll be up front with me. Stay close with your partners. We'll only have our eyes and hands to communicate with each other." Liang still didn’t fully trust Blondie, even after two weeks had passed since his little fiasco with Blue. At least the latter wasn’t around, so maybe Blondie would be able to keep his head on straight. The male seemed to respond well to Johan. Liang was pretty certain there wouldn't be trouble if the two of them stayed close working together. If nothing else, they'd be fairly safe out of harm's way while staying in the rear. If not, he and Alma could easily ride back to assist. Liang knew if anything happened to himself, she would be the one to get the rest of the squad home alive. But Liang hoped for his sake and for the rest of the squad things would go without a hitch. “No one from Squad Zhou is gonna die today. Let’s all get a drink when this is over. First round will be on Duval.” He shot the female a little smirk as he said this. We’ll meet up at the bar later. Hopefully it was a good first attempt at “lightening the mood” for his squad. With nothing else to say he dismissed them and left them to their own devices until it would be time to leave.

One of the soldiers dispensing the cotton they would use to plug their ears with found him and gave him a pair. He nodded his thanks and just stared at the cotton in his hands for a moment. He wondered if they would really be enough to block out this ear shattering Variant. Casting the thought aside he looked around until he found Alma by the lead wagon as she was trying to get her horse to settle down so she could mount it. Liang shook his head and quietly laughed to himself as he walked up to the pair and took the beast by the reigns, steadying it long enough for Alma to get on. "You're seriously going to have to learn how to do this without me at some point." He was joking, of course. Liang knew she capable enough of being able to mount her horse all by herself. And when she couldn't, he wouldn't stop giving her that extra hand. Still standing where he was he looked the female up in the eyes and said, "Nothing too reckless out there, okay?" As if he was one to talk. He gave her a pat on the lap before left the pair alone and went to his own horse, gently running his hand along its long, dark brown neck. “Easy there, Hashi,” he voiced softly, garnering a snort from the animal in response. He quickly mounted his mare, working the reigns as he slowly trotted to the rear of the wagon. As he passed Johan and Emerson, he gave them a little “okay” signal with his fingers, more or less asking if they were all good. Once he got their confirmation he rode back up to the front. Finding Alma he made the same gesture to her that he did for the boys in back. "Ashan rionva," he said softly to her. We're going to be okay.Once he got a confirmed response he took up his position and waited.

“You all know what you’re doing,” he heard Allister’s voice carrying out through the column. “Let’s go kill us a Variant.” With that Liang slipped the cotton into his ears, and the world became immediately muted. When it came time for the supply section to start moving, he spurred his horse forward, losing himself to the silence and the wind they rode against.


ғιɴd мe: Gates of Karanese. wιтн: Alma, Johan, Emerson wнιle тнιɴĸιɴɢ: I'll make sure they get back alive... αɴd ғeelιɴɢ: Anxious

Chakolati

Sherlock Homeslice

demyxgirl101

Gorrific

Quote:

[Yuudai 02 Roku]

xxxxLast night, Messer found himself gripped in the maws of a man, a man he knew nothing of significance about; his neck was trapped in that one-eyed male's predatorial bite, warmth flowing from the wound as his once flawless skin broke beneath Rege's sharp teeth. The sensation of pain was so significant, his breaths grew as unstable as they would if he were sobbing in grief; his gaze was, despite his pain, unrelenting... watching and waiting.

His hazel eyes were fixed to Rege's own, once the male released him, and his ordinarily smiling lips were drawn back to a strange contortion of his features - a snarl, of all things - that he'd never before experienced. He didn't understand his feelings; why did he feel so hot, why did every fiber of his being feel - FEEL - like tearing into Rege's neck as penance? Messer didn't know, but his smile quickly returned as his anger gave way to excitement, driving him forward with one simple question.

Who was Rege, who made him feel... something? What should he say to the male?

"... I like you." Messer said, his tongue seductively - though he was unaware of such a nature - sliding over his soft, firm lips.

---

xxxxOnce Messer awoke the next day, the night before was nothing but a haze of two men spooning together; at his request, Rege slept with Messer as the latter asked, but perhaps not in the way more understanding persons would take. Their bedtime relations amounted to a night of sharing one another's embrace, though Messer would wrap his feet around Rege's nearest leg if they got so much as a single breeze colder. Rege was the first to separate from the bedsheet partnership, with Messer following suit, both of the two soldiers - and roommates, as Allister assigned them - dressing their bodies in their Survey Corps uniforms. Messer had difficulty dressing himself, as his neck bite - and the pain it still held - partially hindered movement of his left arm. Rege, although the act quite possibly wasn't out of genuine care, helped him look presentable before the rest of their comrades. "Thank you," Messer replied, responding to Rege's assistance.

"I find myself immensely assured in the assumption that you are a bigger mess, Rege. I'm still sore from what you did to me last night... speaking of which, did you know that the human mouth carries so many germs, that you might have just given me diseases? You should have taken me to a doctor, but your secretive appeasement of my injury - along with your pleasant assistance - implies that perhaps you don't want to get put down, puppy~. Don't you worry... your secret is safe with me."

A great question presented itself after Messer's encounter with Rege last night: did Messer change, in some way?

---

xxxxMesser's wide grin was jarring, compared to the fearsome and determined expressions of those around him; of everyone who appeared ready for the tragedy and difficulty that awaited them, Messer looked as though he were nothing but the most joyous of all to be in his position. The flow of adrenaline within his blood, and the tension-ridden battle spirit of his comrades, were intoxicating beyond belief. Like the ancient norse vikings who roamed the lands years past, when mankind was younger - full of intense superstition - and passionate in their conviction in the face of all threats, the Survey Corps rode on swiftly by horseback; in a mass exodus of 200 to the battlegrounds outside Humanity's last bastion.

The Stationary Guard, as scheduled, maintained the perimeter with their numbers, utilizing what means they had to lure the mindless giants away from the southern gate of Wall Rose. Messer didn't have to be 'normal' to understand that the Survey Corps weren't expected by everyone to succeed.

As he twisted the noise-dampening cotton into his ears, he silently welcomed the hand of fate to write the next page of human history.



❦Locale: Wall Rose - Karanese District
❦Audience: Survey Corps, all squadrons
❦Feelings: Enlightened