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[IC] ~ Attack on Titan: The Western Siege ~ [OPEN] Page 2

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Hidden 5 yrs ago Post by Hero
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Hero Sincerest of Knights

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“I could ask you the same thing, Ms. Tachibana.” He remarked as he looked her over. “You? The military?”

Hotaru had to stop herself from looking too annoyed, but really, what was he expecting? They were probably surrounded by people like her that had no better choice, was that really so surprising? And of all the people to ask why she was here, Charles was the absolute last person to ask! He was literally the song of a lord! If there was anyone here who was questionable, it was him, not her!

"One of us has a future that doesn't involve a life of servitude. I can't say I agree with your statement," She couldn't help but remind him of his upbringing, trying to make a point. "Why would you willingly put yourself through this?"

“It’s a proud tradition in my family. I am glad to see you, but I never imagined you in uniform. You'll look great.”

Was he trying to soften her up? Her jaw dropped slightly, only snapping shut after a few seconds. He didn't mean that. He was just trying to pivot the conversation! There was a hint of embarrassment on her face as she shook her head, taking in a breath before speaking through her flustered thoughts. You've seen this play before, don't go falling for it, She had to remind herself, although this was the first time it was aimed at her so to speak. Her voice trailed off before she cleared her throat. "That is... I wish I could say the same, but your presence here concerns me. Is the Lord aware of your participation? I can't possibly imagine him or the Lady being alright with this."

Charles' reaction gave her an answer before he could: a resounding no by the looks of it. What she hadn't expected, however, was suddenly getting dragged away. He was stronger than he looked, and she couldn't help but quietly curse at that. He already had a leg up on her! She couldn't help but look around, a little embarrassed. The last thing she wanted was for anyone to get the wrong idea. It didn't matter where you were in life, rumors could ruin your reputation anywhere.

“My mother was not fond of my decision, yes.” His tone was terse, slightly less friendly than it was previously. “My decision was to follow in the shadow of my grandfather. There has been members of my family in the military police and the garrison for generations. I know the risks. Do you? Are you that desperate? I promised you that I would support you and your family back in Orvud. Did you not believe me?”

At his words Hotaru couldn't help but roll her eyes, though the attempt to get out of his grasp was noticeable. "I know perfectly well what I'm doing," She snapped, clearly annoyed at his behavior. "And your offer was generous, but I need to stand on my own two feet. It's my life, Young—Charles, and I have nothing left to lose." That was going to take some getting used to.

“Outside of your life.” Charles released his grip on her wrist, sighing as he did so. “I guess this just means I’ll have to keep protecting you, Miss Tachibana.” He said as he turned to look at her now that he was further away, his eyes continuing to scan the grounds.

Ha, so he was playing at being incognito. Except anyone worth their salt would recognize his name instantly. And he had the nerve to lecture her! Crossing her arms, Hotaru let out a huff. "Judging from today, I will be the one having to keep you out of trouble. I understand someone in your position isn't used to it, but you aren't supposed to backtalk your superiors. You can't just go around saying and doing whatever you want, there are consequences to your words. Look at those cadets running because of you! Do you really think you can 'protect' anyone like that?" She didn't want to come off as harsh, but she was sincerely worried that he wasn't ready for this sort of thing.

“Of course. It is the responsibility of the strong and the privileged to protect the weak. Now if you excuse me, before I cause another scene, I do need to find the cabins. We will converse later. Good luck.”

Charles wouldn't depart with solely those words, his hand patting her head as he left her. Once again, her jaw dropped, albeit this time she wasn't sure if it was because she was insulted or because she was shocked. Probably both. Definitely both--as far as she was aware, there was no longer any titles separating them: right now, they were on even ground. So he may have meant well, but his declaration came off as incredibly condescending! Unless it was sincere, but even that worried her to no end. He was kind and helpful, but that wouldn't translate well here in training, let alone if anything serious ever happened.

By the time Hotaru turned around, Charles was well on his way, leaving the woman stunned as she absentmindedly placed her hand on her head. After a few seconds she lowered her hand, shoulders tensing as she let out another huff and decided to go to the cabins as well. Fine, if he wanted to play the hero, so be it, but she would make absolutely sure she wouldn't fall behind. If he thought she was just going to take that statement sitting down, then he had another thing coming.
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Hidden 5 yrs ago → 5 yrs ago Post by ProxyInc
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ProxyInc Browncoat

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Tsk. The thought rolled around in her head like her eyes in her skull. Tomorrow, really? The build up. The belting of steam and vigor pissed away at what boiled down to a basic punishment parade. Speak out of place and you'll be, blah, blah, blah. This was not what she had in mind her first real day. She expected drills. Sweat. Tears. That old familar ache of her muscles pulsating after a particularly grueling workout. Instead all around her was the hissing relief of her shaken comrades. The faint echo of nervous laughter while the tension dispelled from the air.

Well she supposed it wasn't that way for everyone. Her eyes flickered over to the small group whose heels now dug into the damp earth. Should she? No, I shouldn't. The thought was as sour as her mood. Technically, Maurer hadn't forbidden anyone from joining the punishment crew on their run. But while her instincts pushed her to join the team her head planted her feet firmly in the ground. She had to listen. That was something her father had stressed the moment she opened her mouth about joining. She would need to learn to listen. Even if listening meant having to wait another day.

Mora let her eyes slide away, scanning over the training field idly. Already people had begun to pair off; friends from the same district enlisting together. She recognized a few familiar faces from home. But none close enough that she would call a friend. No, Mora never really sought out to make those. Everyone was just competition in the end. A needless drive to push herself beyond them. Her fingertips pressed into the sides of her thighs. A subtle pressure to stop her head from spiraling into the mess that was the ache that missed her family. Focus.

Something hard knocked her out of her thoughts, just a slight nump that send her body tettering momentarily. Mora shifted her head to glimpse over what looked to be slightly frayed raven Down, her brain direcred her before her eyes followed suit, looking into the surprised face of a smaller girl. The girl's lavender eyes mirrored her own surprise before quickly shifting to embarrassment. “I am so, so sorry. I wasn’t paying attention…”

Mora could feel the corner of her lip begin to peak in a small half smile. "It's fi--"

"Wow! You’re so pretty." The smaller girl cut her off with a bright voice. Mora watched her face light up with a tinge of pink blooming across her cheeks, letting her own eyes drift off to focus on something off in the distance. Pretty? She felt her face burn with embaressment at the word. "Oh, I’m sorry for that too.” The girl's voice rattled her nerves and anxiety. Her laugh breathy and awkward. "“I’m Jade. This whole thing is a bit awkward.”

Jade, Mora made a mental note, her eyes sliding back to lock on with hers for a swollen moment. The name was nice and very fitting for the girl. Mora quickly broke eye contact once again, digging the toe of her shoe into the dirt below. Jade was pretty in a delicate way Mora wasn't prepared for. And the bluster of her nervousness only deepened the burn she could feel creeping toward her ears. "Nah, don't worry about it. I wasn't paying attention myself." Mora brushed off the apology, hoping to dispel the girl's worries while masking her own thrumming heartbeat. She jutted out a hand toward Jade, giving her best cocky grin. "I'm Mora, it's nice to meetcha."

@wolverbells
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Hidden 5 yrs ago → 5 yrs ago Post by mickilennial
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mickilennial The Elder Fae

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Location: Training Grounds | 122nd Trainee Corps | Inside Wall Maria


Agnes had been one of the first of the girls to reach the dorms.

A lot of her peers, in their infinite wisdom, had decided to disperse in small talk and argue amongst other cadets. The blonde boy had attracted three women to bother him, a fact she noticed on her way to the cabin designated for the female cadets. When she arrived there were a few cadets already there, those from the back of the line whom had not gotten a lecture from Maurer or gotten distracted by the events that had transpired. Maurer had told them to retreat to their cabins before their next meal as the cadets who were less fortunate wore out their legs. She did idly wonder what the gossip in the cabins were going to be about the blonde boy and others who had tried to start a ruckus arguing with their instructor. But she supposed such things would come in time.

Without conversing with anyone in particular she moved to her bunk and retrieved her glasses from their case in her pockets. The round spectacles felt comfortable on her face, though she did wonder how much of being without them she would have to get used to. She couldn’t imagine soaring through the skies while wearing glasses on her face. Fortunately, she only required glasses for reading rather than seeing.

“And now we wait.” She commented under her breath, not really choosing to converse with any other of the female recruits.

Some other girls looked in her general direction as she sorted through her bag attached to her bunk, likely wondering why she had decided to bring out a notebook. As she started sketching out something she seemed more reserved than the others around her.
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Hidden 5 yrs ago Post by Carlyle
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ᴛ ᴀ ɴ ɴ ᴇ ʀ ʜ ᴀ ʀ ᴡ ᴇ ʟ ʟ
Location: Trainee Grounds
Date: September, Year 846

It's hot.

Though the morning weather was by no means troublesome, standing in formation proved agitating. A second felt like an hour, and a hour felt like a day. Boredom strewed across Tanner's face as she waited in silence for the inspection to be over. Was military life genuinely like this? Were it not for Tanner's interest in doing well, simply to find the woman she had been looking for, she would have preferred to go back to bed. She didn't care about their instructor lambasting her fellow cadets to whip them into shape, nor did she care about the honor, braggarts and bullying a sharp-tongued cadet spouted off in response. The only thing Tanner cared for was getting this over with.

Too much talk. Not enough shutting up. She mused, mindlessly waiting for her turn to be yelled at. Unlike quite a few unfortunate individuals, however, Lady Fate shown on Tanner, sparing her from angry old man breath and spit upon their dismissal.

Looking to her left, and then to her right, Tanner watched in silence as she was left alone; her peers congregating among each other rather immediately. Was it worth to try and become friends with someone? Perhaps. The military, despite its shortcomings, was a dog-eat-dog world, even more so if one wanted to join the Military Police. If one wanted to succeed, it was probably best to find someone willing to watch your back out there; someone to keep you from being titan à la carte.

Still maintaining her bored, deadpan expression, Tanner shook her head. It wasn't long before she found her answer, coming in the form of a rather oblivious girl—someone Tanner swore she had seen before but struggled to place a name to—walking right into someone mere minutes after they had been dismissed by their instructor.

And these are the people I'm supposed to entrust my life to.

With a sigh, Tanner began walking over towards the cabins, deciding that locating her bunk was ultimately more worth her time than fraternizing with others. At least then she could review her notes before the rest of the cadets began filtering out into their designated quarters.

[@Everyone]
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Hidden 5 yrs ago Post by LordVoldemort
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LordVoldemort Lord of the Mice

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Gabriel never did give too much attention to the other Cadets reactions to each and every thing that happened to them. Perhaps they were quite pissed off with being given marching orders. Or maybe they were just as glad to get a chance to get started as he was. Nobody really knew except themselves and those who actually took the time to look for the signs of reaction. To Gabriel, their thoughts were their own. However, deep inside, he couldn't help but feel a little jealous that the rest of the Cadets were being given a chance to get settled in and greet their fellow soldiers. Gabriel, as he realized prior, would simply have to make-do and get to know the others who had been unfortunate to be called out.

At first, the jog was rather standard; it came easily enough to the young man, having done rigorous physical activity countless times in the past. Yet, the sights were utterly boring and devoid of any real scenery to keep one preoccupied. As he moved the flask in his hand up to drink, it almost seemed like there was a sudden transition in the environment. Wide open field was now making way to gigantic trees and lush greenery. Had he been so preoccupied in his thoughts that he failed to witness this? Even the the ODM Gear that the Instructors had placed on earlier appeared to escape his sights as they flew through the air, passing from branch to branch. His eyes remained glued to the world around him, wondering about just how much was outside of the Walls for a place like this to exist... or if there even was anything as close as this out there.

Suddenly, an unfamiliar voice called out to him - it was Grant, one of his fellow 'punished Cadets'. "So, hey..." Grant started, trying his hardest to minimize his tone of awkwardness and instead flowing naturally as a conversationalist. "Not exactly the best start to our training, huh? You'd think there'd be a sixth person with us." Gabriel blinked, unsure of how to even respond to that. He knew full well that he wished to speak, but now that he was in a position to do so, it was rather awkward for the lumbering giant. After a short moment, he matched Grant's speed, and replied with a rather calm tone. "I think it's a rather good start. Better to go straight into it ahead of the others. Maybe we'll make Top Ten." "Top ten? You've got aspirations, I'll give you that. Maybe that's all you need to get up there." He stumbled for a moment, taking the time to catch his breath now that the jog was in full effect. Grant chuckled, looking up to him with a somewhat gentle gaze. "Hopefully you can keep me going then, you look capable." Gabriel tilted his head to the side, before turning his attention forward. "You need to have some kind of goal when you do these things - how do you know where you're going and what you want if you don't have a finish line?" He turned his attention back to Grant as he tripped, keeping a close eye on him to make sure he wasn't going to fall, before focusing on where they were going again. "I've... got some experience with this, I suppose. I'm not a soldier yet, though.

From an outside perspective, it looked true enough - Gabriel looked like a fish swimming through water. From the way he moved to the controlled breaths he took, it was clear that on close inspection, he knew exactly what he was doing. Of course, as he said before-hand, he wasn't quite a soldier yet; he had no idea how he would fare in a situation that required the ODM, or if he would get the hand of it easily. Deep down, he had hoped that he'd catch on quick... but something deep down inside of him was warning him that he was going to have a serious challenge in using it.


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Hidden 5 yrs ago → 5 yrs ago Post by mickilennial
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mickilennial The Elder Fae

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Location: Training Grounds | 122nd Trainee Corps | Inside Wall Maria


Adèlyn Ziegler wasn’t impressed.

She wasn’t impressed with the whiny little rich boy, she wasn’t impressed with the “Yes, sir. Of course, sir. I’ll wipe your ass with my face, sir” rhetoric from the other recruits, and she certainly wasn’t impressed with Instructor Maurer deciding to single-out everyone who had no nerve. She had just stood in line for the majority of the whole run-down tapping her feet and looking at the clouds. “This is boring.” she had thought as everything transpired in what seemed like the slowest time possible. Unlike some of the other recruits she didn’t particularly care about the men who had been told to run and march for three hours nor did she particularly care about the recruits who took the blonde boy’s dipshit faux-authority as the right instinct. The military was about action, not boring ass speeches and fake soapboxes. If someone was going to inspire or impress Adè it was going to be through their actions and not their beliefs, and that went double for people she was supposed to respect and look up to. People like Maurer.

The athletic girl put her hands behind her head as the instructor called an end to the line-up and demanded everyone return to their cabins.

She groaned under her breath as she turned face, walking at a snail’s pace as the words were spoken. She had no interest in arguing with other recruits nor did she had interest in helping them get out of the mud and dirt. She did think it was funny that the boy, whoever he was, was so stupefied by the whole endeavor he had caused that he hadn’t seen the blonde girl coming. It was hilarious. It almost made not being selected for Maurer’s little Q&A worth it. A little entertainment here-and-there while she strived to get to the top made her, if only for a moment, forget that only a few weeks ago she had been a wry, athletic orphaned thief-girl.

She smirked at the thought. It was stupid. She could never forget.

By the time she got to her bunk a few others were going about their business. Talking, writing in their little books. But Adè wasn’t for joining that. She was going to get nowhere sitting on her thumbs, so she did the first thing she thought of when she made sure her things were still in her bag. She dropped into position and began doing a set of sit-ups. Once she had finished doing that she would move on to push-ups. She needed to work up an appetite, after all. If anyone chose to talk to her, not that she wanted to hear anyone talk about their pathetic problems, she could do that while she did her sets. She didn’t join the military for a free ride.

She had plans.
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Hidden 5 yrs ago → 5 yrs ago Post by Jeep Wrangler
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Jeep Wrangler VROOOOOOOOOOOOOOM

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Grant listened to Gabriel ramble amongst himself, their words being split apart by the odd breath or two from their job. The others behind him seemed to not engage with them so far, at least not from what he'd realised. Leading the pack, the two nomads moved with rough progression, the occasional voice yelling at them to keep their pacing up coming from the trees and rooftops they passed. Instructors proficient in rooting out Cadets' shortcomings were always watchful, scouting out the slightest flaw to expose and force the weakened to work only on correcting it. Here, there wasn't such a case. It was run or be brutalised for not doing so. They were allowed the odd ten minute break as they circumnavigated the course. Trees of unparalleled magnitude towered over them, warehouse huts and officer cabins were passed by at irregular intervals. All Grant wanted was to be back at the dormitory, taking a rest and perhaps being given a nice shower to clean the sweat from his brow. Though not the hardest day of his life, it was starting to paint a picture of a bleak three years, if he were to survive that long at least. He didn't want to experience fear, agony and confusion, but they were necessary evils to expose oneself towards if he wanted to enlist. Now that he was here, perhaps it was worth taking every shortcoming as it was, not going out and looking for troubles to prove himself on. Cockiness was only going to get him killed before he'd even left the training yard.

"I suppose you're right." Time had flown past since they'd first left. What had it been? An hour? Two? Time was barely registered, and the sun rarely looked as if it were shifting positions. Most of their jog was spent within forest anyway, the sunlight being blocked by the foliage up top. Occasionally, birds flocked to certain branches, but most of the journey was spent in silent ambience. No loose deer to bump into, no rabbits to cross paths with. "Though...I guess being in this forest is nice. It reminds me a lot of old things."

He turned his head, seeing Roger, who still hadn't said a word to them, looking directly at him with a slight curiosity. Sure enough, Grant was more rambling to himself than he was at Gabriel, mostly to pass the time in his head. With a nervous wave of the hand, he simply mouthed to forget it. Truly, there was nothing important Grant could say. He was yet to find any footing in the Cadet Corps. Those like Gabriel had goals and aspirations, places they wanted to be and people they wanted to go with. Grant was still searching for a reason to be where he was. Financially, it was easier for his father. Even so, Grant didn't want to help his father out particularly, but it couldn't be helped. If there was ever a time he wished to live with his mother, it was then. But, he was here now. In doing so, he could potentially get closer to the only family member who truly cared about what he was doing, who he was with and where he was: Uncle Mateo.

Mateo Valente, the man of the hour, day, month and year. To Grant, all his being was wisdom blended with a youthful complexion and cunning attitude. Very few things had shaken him, at least when in front of Grant. Talks of gruesome misadventures outside the walls brought several nightmares to Grant, yet even then Mateo told them in lighthearted fashion, all the while refusing to censor the potential missteps encountered. The only thing he rarely spoke of was his discharge, something Grant dwelt upon the more he grew up. Mateo was an odd figure, one he hadn't seen in a while since his first admission into the military. He wondered if anyone else had someone like that in their lives, a figure that took them to where they were now. Well, of course they did. Whether something to run from or someone to run towards, surely everyone had a reason of their own. Glory. Honour. Freedom. Responsibility. Meaning. All of these were apt, and all of them were still clouded to the blonde boy. He just needed to get through training and find his purpose, by all means.

Hours would pass, and eventually Grant would return to the dormitories. When that would happen was still to come. He knew he'd be back there at some point, with several conversationalists asking him what it was like to take the beatings of someone else's moral compass. Oh...right. The out-speaking Cadet. Did Grant hate him? Well, how could you hate something you didn't know. You could dislike the impression you were given and Grant was rather reluctant to viciously snap out at anyone of the sorts. He'd seemed to have made a lot of allies within the first day, people looking up to him and spreading the word of mouth as soon as they were all dismissed. Enemies weren't needed, but they were also sometimes unavoidable. Deep down, Grant hated the fact he was the target of another person's personality. Maurer was to blame, but at the same time he was making sure that the ones shrouded in overconfidence were going to be brought down to an equal level. Grant didn't understand Maurer's methods personally. He didn't know he was being made an equal to those of higher status. All he knew was that he was about to complete a three hour jog and Charles wasn't.

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Hidden 5 yrs ago Post by MsMorningstar
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MsMorningstar Momo

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Location: Parade Route —> Cabins
Interactions: Lauren Jones - @Jinxer



It was like a dream.

There was no other way to describe the detachment Elsie felt. She could hardly feel her limbs, the solid collision of her boots against the parade route distant. Her ill-fitting uniform enveloped her in a stuffy warmth, leaving her thoughts hazy. Blood surged past her ears, dampening the sounds of geared up instructors flitting about above her. Though her chest was heaving and air was rapidly escaping her, she found she couldn’t feel the exertion. Perhaps this was a bad thing. Maybe it meant she was on the verge of collapse. She couldn’t tell, but the fact that she was keeping pace with the other girl meant she was fine, right?

The other girl…

Elsie peeked over once more, scanning her side profile through a slightly more positive lens. The pace they had kept up was impressive for their first PT, and the redhead hadn’t said a peep.

Turning her attention quickly back to the parade route, Elsie nearly stumbled as the girl spoke up. Had she just been caught staring?

"Lauren."

Through the thrum of blood moving past her eardrum, her voice sounded distorted, but Elsie heard her all the same. She nodded, flashed a thin smile, and continued running. Mentally, she scolded herself for not making an attempt at an introduction. When she looked back over, Lauren was already back in her own mind. Great. She must’ve seemed terrible.

As they ran, Elsie tried and failed to work up the courage to put her name out into the open. Even as Lauren piped up again, she found herself floundering.

"I'm looking forwards to some grub after this - I reckon they'll probably just serve us gruel or something what with it being the first day and all. Another punishment, like this one, right? Ma told me the first week would be the hardest but at least we're not one of those five poor sods or the rich-sounding boy!"

At the mention of ‘those five poor sods’, Elsie’s mind immediately went to Ezra. He was a capable boy in his own right, and she knew he’d never show weakness during his first trial, no matter how long it lasted. She wondered how he was getting along with the other boys. If he was talking freely like he usually did. Maybe it would be in her best interest to take after him in that regard.

”Maybe they’ll…” She began, her voice weak and scraggly, coming out alongside pants. Clamping her mouth shut, she refused to complete her poor excuse for a joke. Had her face not been tinged red already, she would have looked like a beet. Still, Lauren persisted, and for that Elsie was extremely grateful.

"Let's make this interesting - I bet you half a stale bread roll I can beat you back to the cabins?"

Elsie nodded at the challenge, a sudden determination filling her. She could do that. Running was far easier than talking. Putting on a burst of speed, she took long strides toward the cabins. As they grew closer, she mulled over the bet. Lauren had wanted her bread ration, which Elsie was fine without. If she won the bet, she’d have more food than she could eat. Maybe Lauren needed it more than she did?

Maybe this would be the perfect opportunity for her to make a friend.

Meters before the cabins, she began to slow her pace, the same way she would when she ran against the small children of her mother’s friends. Of course, she attempted to be more discreet, hoping it would be seen as her underestimating the remaining distance. As she slowed, Lauren would be able to rush past and effectively win the race.

Moving to catch up with her, Elsie slowed to a halt at last. Just like that, her limbs felt bogged down, and her dreamlike state was ripped to shreds. She heaved quick breaths, before forcing herself to control her breathing lest she hyperventilate. Resting her hands atop her head, she sighed deeply, turning to Lauren with a huffing laugh.

”Half my loaf is yours.” She dipped in a laughable bow. ”I’m Elsie, by the way. Elsie Taffer.” She felt overly proud that she had managed to say her own name.

”You said something earlier, about your mom being in the military? What branch was she in?” Elsie began, starting them on a walk toward the cafeteria. She was curious about Lauren’s mother, and what Lauren knew about the weeks ahead of them. ”Is that what brought you here….or were you just tired of wall life?”
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Hidden 5 yrs ago → 5 yrs ago Post by KenjuGuy
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KenjuGuy Luminary of the Stars

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Miles Rockbell

Training Grounds
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The sound of Miles' boots hitting the dirt of the training grounds was a vicious cycle in how it bored his senses to the point of almost falling to sleep while they jogged. Being one of few males in his house had the unpleasant benefit of having all the heavy lifting and rigorous movement tossed onto him. So he was no slouch, but that didn't stop this exercise from being a drag on his body and mind. Not to mention there were the higher ranking officers watching from the sidelines that would give a harsh glare the moment Miles showed any signs of slacking off. This hostility most certainly had something to do with him fidgeting at the ceremony earlier. "I really didn't bother to think too far ahead did I?" he thought to himself with a self-deprecating smirk on his lips.

Miles, seeking someway to escape this reality for a moment, turned to his fellow punished Cadets. From what he had gathered, their names were Gabriel, Rogers, Ezra and Grant. There didn't seem to be any common theme for why Charles had pointed them out. Just a case of random bad luck. With nothing left to go off of, Miles spoke without hesitation after listening in on Gabriel and Grant's conversation, "Yeah, having a goal at the finish line helps. But, lets be real for a moment, it's pretty outrageous for us to be thinking about goals right?" Miles couldn't help but give off a small and short chuckle after that remark. As he had expected, his comment hadn't been one met with agreement.

That being the case, as Rogers had spoken up next "H- hey, just what are you trying to get at?". The uncertainty in Roger's tone brought some entertainment to Miles, who he answered without much delay,

"All I'm getting at is that a long-term goal is for someone who doesn't think they're going to die tomorrow. To keep sane and push yourself that's all fine and dandy, but as (soon-to-be)soldiers we don't know when our time is up." Despite the topic at hand, Miles spoke those words as if he were simply commenting on the weather.

"Is that really the kind of depressing thing you should be talking about on the first day!?" Spouted out Rogers in concern. Miles' eyes shifted to the side. He understood that way of thinking could be considered gloomy but to him.....

"I like to think of it as being realistic. Maybe having a big goal just isn't good enough to motivate somebody. As an alternative I say we should focus on short-term goals. The type of goals that you have from day-to-day. That way even if you bite the dust tomorrow, you'll be satisfied from having completed the goal previously. Get what I'm sayin'?" Miles wasn't entirely sure if they got the picture or not, as he paused to let his gospel sink in.

"You sure talk a lot,...." Roger finally said hesitantly as the sweat from their workout became more and more apparent.

"Really? I didn't notice. Anyway, here's my goal for today; to talk to atleast one of the cute girl cadets. So what about the rest of you guys? Think of this as an exercise to help bond with your fellow unlucky cadets..." To that little speech, Miles' eagerly awaiting their responses while trying to take his mind off their tiring jog.

@MsMorningstar @LordVoldemort @LetMeDoStuff
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Hidden 5 yrs ago Post by Jinxer
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Jinxer The British One

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Lauren Jones

@MsMorningstar


Lauren slowed to a halt, her breathing coming in short but measured breaths as her heart continued to beat furiously, as if telling her that she was not yet done running. Wiping the sweat which beaded her brow, the auburn-haired girl grinned at the blonde lagging slightly behind; oblivious to her opponent's deliberate ceding of victory. The run had served to release any remaining anxiety that had built up within her during Maurer's haranguing of the cadets, raising her spirits significantly.

”I’m Elsie, by the way. Elsie Taffer.” Lauren nodded her acknowledgement, trying her best to remain gracious in victory with the person who could prove to be her first friend in times to come where she would surely need that support. Perfectly aware of her own failings, Lauren knew that she often needed someone to take the lead, to motivate her to action, when she felt aimless in matters both important and inconsequential. That included where to move on to after their run and she fell into step with Elsie as the other girl led them towards the cafeteria.

”You said something earlier, about your mom being in the military? What branch was she in?” This was a comfortable area for her to talk about, proud as she was of her parents' vocations and achievements, and so the words started to roll out at length as was often her wont. At least, when she was feeling comfortable.

"Ma's in the Garrison down South in Shiganshina. I don't see her often, she doesn't think much of her captain and doesn't like leaving the squad to him. She became a lieutenant last winter!" Lauren beamed proudly as she announced the progression and carried on chattering away with no apparent need to breath between sentences. This was often her way once she had got going. "Just before I signed up she came home and was telling me about when the Survey Corps came back through recently. Lots of casualties like usual - did you know the Garrison clear away some of the Titans before the Survey lot leave? Well, sometimes. Depends who's on duty, Ma says. I see a lot of the Survey Corps at Pa's clinic whenever they leave Quinta - that's where I'm from - though usually I don't get to talk to them until after I've helped Pa treat them. Usually taking arms or legs off because of the infections."

Lauren stopped for a moment, realising that she had veered into territory many would find distasteful or off-putting but for her, because of her years of exposure, could even be classed as dinner table talk. She glanced worriedly out of the corner of her eye at Elsie, trying to gauge her reaction and if she had perhaps made a grievous faux pas of some kind while internally reprimanding herself. Of all places and times, this was not the one to tear away any noble preconceptions people had about the Survey Corps' proud ventures out into the Titan-infested wilderness. She knew from talking to her Pa's patients that they were always short on manpower and she did not want to contribute to that issue by scaring away prospective candidates at so early a juncture. Blessedly, Elsie moved on.

”Is that what brought you here….or were you just tired of wall life?”

This was an area where Lauren felt uncomfortable to discuss, not for any particular reason of shame, but for embarrassment at what she felt was a naive ideal she was trying to pursue. She chewed her lower lip and fiddled with her fingers behind her back, just a couple of her man tells when she was nervous or trying to think rapidly on her feet.

"I guess? Sort of. I don't know if I want to join the Garrison yet or not. I think I'll just wait to see what people do at graduation. As long as I make it that far, of course!" She forced a grin and jogged on ahead to the cafeteria, pushing the door open and peering inside at the rows of benches. It was all very austere and basic although she had not expected much and it was not unlike her family's basic accommodation back in Quinta. "Looks like we're the first here. Wait, are they even serving food yet? The Instructor said we should go to the cabins first, didn't he?" She winced, hoping there was not going to be any unforeseen punishments for not listening closely to what Maurer had said.

Bounding down the steps back to Elsie she pointed toward the cabins where most of the cadets were heading for, girls and boy splitting up with a few instructors milling about casually and occasionally calling out directions to cadets in a bored fashion. "Should we do that first? You can pass me my winnings later! Not that I'm bothered much either way." She twirled Elsie around and headed off toward the cabins with a spring in her step, any traces of exertion from their exercise apparently having faded away. "Oh, did you know anyone before you came here? I haven't seen anyone I know yet but there must be some people from Quinta. Lots of people wanted to get out, not a lot of money or jobs to go around there."
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The embarrassment was truly unbelievable. How many times had she told herself that she would essentially be invisible to all? Yet here she was, a blubbering mess in front of someone that most likely stuck out like a sore thumb. Sighing, Jade smiled at the girl before nodding at her explaining that it was ok. Jade’s lavender eyes shot down as Mora shot out her hand, Jade mirroring the actions by reaching out and giving it a firm shake. “Nice to meet you too.” The petite girl looked up and smiled brightly at her newfound companion. She thanked the gods that Mora didn’t take it as bad as she imagined. She would’ve died if Mora would have gotten mad or embarrassed her any more than she already was.

“Where do you come from?”Her voice was bright and lively as she spoke to the taller of the two, her eyes slowly going from looking at her over to where everyone was walking to. She motioned for them to walk as she didn’t want to be one of the last to arrive to the dormitories. Luckily, Mora seemed to have been thinking the same as she began to walk and Jade followed, listening intently to her. She enjoyed hearing people’s stories and learning from where others were from, maybe she could get some insight on what was beyond her small town.

As the girls walked, Jade’s ears perked up at the sound of a familiar voice. It was strange as others were talking all at once, her keen ears picked up the sound of an old friend of hers. “No way,” she whispered quietly as she turned around, her eyes searching the faces of everyone around them. They finally came to a halt once she saw Lauren’s face, it seemed a bit red as if she had been running. ’Maurer probably set her out to run,’ she thought to herself as her eyes shot back up at Mora who had just finished talking. “Oh, Mora, would you like to meet someone?”Her smile had turned into a grin as she turned around and started waving, calling out Lauren’s name. “Lauren! Come on, Mora!”She grabbed Mora’s hand for a quick second and tugged, letting go and jogging for a small distance. “Lauren I can’t believe you’re here!” She practically squealed as she tackled her friend into a tight hug. It wasn’t until she had opened her eyes that she realized she had just interrupted Lauren from a conversation with someone else. Jade quickly let go of her old friend and cleared her throat, looking down at her feet as she apologized. “I’m so sorry, I didn’t realize...” looking back up, Jade smiled at the two as she once again turned a red color.

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The third hour. It was finally there. It came quietly, suddenly and without any build up. They were jogging, their breaths wild with fatigue, asphyxiated by the roughness of their unruly journey. And in an instant, the whistle went off. Shouts from the treetops and branches high above them indicated that their time was up. They were free to go back to the dorms, as far as they were aware. At first, Grant didn't really know if they were telling the truth or trying to bait them out. When he saw Roger turn and stop, however, without receiving heavy backlash, he was granted the ease of the truth. They were to stop. They had somehow completed all three hours of their intense exercise. At first, Grant just kept walking, refusing to stop. If he'd stop moving, he wouldn't be able to get back up for a good twenty minutes or so. It was a small feature he learnt from his childhood nomadic expeditions. Stopping is vulnerability. Grant presumed that in the military sense, the logic was still just as applicable. He wouldn't stop, not until he got back to the dormitories. The last thing Grant wanted was to be flat cold on the ground for hours on end. Not only would it look weird to those unaware of what he'd just done, but it would also paint a bad light of him to the training instructors. They were the last people to piss off, at the end of the day.

In the ten minutes it took to head back, he separated himself from the rest of the joggers, turning and giving a nod back to Gabriel. Out of the entire group, he'd spoken mostly to the taller lad, though in short intervals and bursts. There wasn't much he could focus his mind on, at least throughout the march. Facing them all one last time for the day, as far as he knew, he gave them a thumbs up of encouragement, hoping that they weren't all tired out like he was.

"Good job, guys!" In that moment, he tried to take a step forward as a word of encouragement, unsure of it really was part of his persona. The greatest part about moving to a new place, one where no one truly knew who you were, was that you could reinvent yourself, mould your life to a way that suited yourself and the people around you. That was how people like Grant matured, grew and sometimes fit in. Unfortunately, he'd never done such a thing in practice. He was always Grant, a somewhat behind-the-scenes individual who never had seen the light of someone else's spotlight. I'll...see you guys around. Grant, by the way."

And with that, he stumbled ahead of the group, out toward the Training Ground centre, where most of the dormitories were laid out in rugged shacks. He hadn't laid down on the beds yet, but now more than ever he wished he could. A string of pain dragged itself through his veins. Lactic acids burnt his muscles, his legs in particular. Never before had he wanted to shout so much. It's consistent pacing was greater than walking, one that overshadowed his usual childhood expeditions. Grant quietly whispered praise to Mateo and his mother, knowing that without those nomadic experiences he'd never had gotten past the first hour. In his stagger, he could almost feel the sheets of the bedding against his skin, a phantom sensation whispering to him. It called him, by name too. A caress on the cheeks, the face and body, a silky touch left to the eye of the beholder. Though privileged cadets would've complained about its discomfort, those like Grant were happy to even have the bed secured. It was his. And he was going to mak-

Grant tumbled onto the ground, more or less on the centred edge of the dormitory's perimeter. A wooden pole, likely of old fencing, laid planted into the dusty ground. Where Grant had collapsed, the pole was beside him. He groaned, coughing and spitting out an additional dose of saliva onto the floor far away. His throat was tight, constrained by the efforts of another cadet's punishment. Was he mad? Perhaps. In that moment, however, he focused only on resting. With the last ounce of strength he had left to give, he moved closer to the pole and breathed heavily, resting his back against the wooden support. Now sat upright, he was left there to his own solitude, his own loneliness, once again to fall into the shadows of everyone else's stories, or so he felt. There was nothing for him. He'd spoken to Gabriel, but in his disembarkation he shut off the chance to continue the conversation. Perhaps another day, or the following hours, he could reinstate his mind. He thought about what they were talking about. Cute cadets, which was something he hadn't really looked into before. Perhaps it was something he could jokingly look toward, but expect very little out of. He was ultimately here for an upcoming war he wasn't aware of. In turn, he wanted to make comrades, friends for life that would stick by him in dire hours. But for now, he was alone on the ground, and still unaware about the lurking cadet nearby.

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Location: Training Grounds | 122nd Trainee Corps | Inside Wall Maria
Featuring: Grant Valente @LetMeDoStuff


It had taken hours, but Adèlyn still felt stir-crazy. Bored. She had done several sets of basic exercises near her bunk and still it didn’t ease her impatience.

She wondered if this was a trick or there really was a sort of rest day. It didn’t sound like the military her father had been part of, but that had been years ago and she supposed whoever was in charge of vetting recruits had changed, not that she knew particularly much about the process. She had been quite young when her father was taken from her and she thrown to the streets of Shiganshina like a stray dog. Adè wondered if there was anyone like her who wanted to get to training a little sooner than the instructors had promised. If speaking up was tantamount to punishment, she figured that maybe she should instigate something.

“I don’t like being in this cabin.” She thought before moving away from her bunk, her eyes glossing over the door. Maybe going on a few runs before lunch in the mess hall would have suited her better? What could it hurt?

Moving down to her knees, the blonde tightened the laces on her boots, before placing her arms behind her head after she rose back to normal standing position. Ignoring whatever was happening around her she made for the door, though as she opened the door a rough ‘thunk’ sound echoed from the most silent training grounds as she saw one of the runners collide with the ground in the most embarrassing way. He was blonde and a bit lanky, but she recognized him. The shorter, uppity recruit had pointed him out for the punishment to Instructor Maurer. For him to hold out this long was certainly impressive, though Ade couldn’t help but wonder if she could’ve held out as long. Her endurance and stamina was tougher than most, but a lot of the other recruits seemed to come from well-to-do backgrounds. They probably were fed better. Their diets probably allowed them to be more “fully” formed.

She gritted her teeth at the thought, before groaning, annoyed at several things that were on her mind as she walked in the direction of the boy. Unlike the other girl had done hours earlier, Adè did not offer a hand to help the boy up.

“Yo.” She informally uttered as she stopped in front of him, arms behind her neck with a quizzical look on her face as evident from a raised brow, “Your cabin is over there.”

The boy was wheezing, obviously out of breath. His eyes met her own, though she could sense he was confused and hesitant by her comment.

“Huh...oh...yeah I...I know. I'm just a bit-...I'm knackered, sorry. Give me a few minutes.”

“What’s wrong? All out of steam already?”

Adè looked him over. He was taller than her for sure, but that was normal. She was used to it. For all of his pampering in whatever household he came from, he was less prepared than she was? Did he push himself too hard? Did he not pace himself on the run? How was he going to handle fighting Titans if a little walk tired him out? He may have been tasked for three hours and stressed about being picked, sure, but in Adè’s own mind she was absolutely confident she would be in better shape with the same punishment.

“Not yet...just need some breathers." He paused, taking yet another moment to finally fix his breathing. “Next time maybe you can join us on the big march, show us how it's done, ey?”

The blonde’s unimpressed expression changed in an instant, a wide smirk appearing on her face as soon as the boy made his suggestion.

“Why, do you like being beaten by a girl? You sure you’re up for that?”

Seeing her jest, he trialed his own confidence with his own quips. It was an interesting choice. The blonde certainly respected his moxie given he was about to pass out in the mud and dirt.

“Think of it as shadowing you. Don't wanna burn our our talents early on now, do we? I joined up to experience new things. You could say I'm up for whatever you'll throw.”

“Oh? Is that a fact? Can you even stand right now, Mr. Noodle Legs?” She laughed, as she pushed her foot into the side of his body, barely using any of her strength to try to push him aside. For a brief moment Ade had forgotten that she was getting impatient. Maybe socializing with the other recruits wasn’t all that bad. “I don’t think you can. Can you prove me wrong?”

The girl's eyes glistened as she anticipated his response.
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The blonde girl had started out as a weight on what little honour the nomad had. Scraping by his energy just as he'd scrape by money was belittled, shot down like a disk of clay. And yet he'd carried himself through it, an eagerness to keep himself in the gist of things. The following day would see them trial themselves with basic training. More exercise, at least there was a high likelihood of it. Mateo hadn't told him anything about how training worked. In the field, there never was a mentor who could tell a soldier what was going to exactly happen. If that was the case, why would Mateo tell Grant? Even if he did, he wouldn't have been able to predict the blonde girl pushing him aside with her foot. It was a bit unclear if it was full torment or a simple act of jest, but Grant remained as calm as he could, sighing as he fell back onto the dusty floor. She definitely was prideful, he'd give her that. A girl with her head on her shoulders, full of enough self-confidence to carry her upright even if she'd had her limbs torn from their sockets. In their back and forth banter, Grant surprisingly found himself enjoying the topic of bigging one another up, though he couldn't say the same about being pushed back down.

And so, she belittled him again. Prove her wrong; the new task was set afoot. He'd ran for three straight hours on an empty stomach. No food, only the flask of water he'd brought with him. It felt all too familiar, and yet here he was on the ground, catching dust on his Cadet Jacket. With a shaky hand, he wrapped it around the fence pole and took a breath, sitting back up and drawing his knees towards his chest. It was impossible to hide the pain but it also wasn't unbearable. Not like he'd imagined, or like how he'd expect someone like Roger to suffer with. He rose up the pole, finally bringing himself back to an unstable rise. Two legs carried him, though only enough to keep him in the moment for perhaps another few minutes.

"And to whom do I owe the pleasure of proving it to, hmm?" Turning away, Grant let out a minor cough. A minute dust cloud had forged from his toppling, creating an unhealthy atmosphere that only piled on to his woes. Now that he was stood up, wearily, he let his smirk return to match her own. It'd have been simple to just go for the shove back, but here Grant enjoyed maintaining the banter with her.

“The girl who is going to be the top recruit in this whole sorry excuse of a camp. You're going to have to know who's shadow you're in, so I guess a name is appropriate. You can call me Adè.” Wow. Slick reply, one that immediately sold herself on the spot. Grant couldn't help but chuckle at her confidence. Here, he thought Gabriel's was a little too ambitious, but this was a different level. Not that he hated it, he found it amusing at worst. A character, definitely. Grant was confused by who she was. At least the confusion had a name now: Adè.

Grant finally released his grip of the pole and stood on his own weight. Even if he wanted to collapse again, he refused, knowing that if he did he'd probably remain there for a good while. Now, he was above her height physically, looking down upon her with an intrigued grin plastered all across his face. He didn't say anything at first, but once he'd adjusted and dusted down his jacket, he couldn't help but just smile to himself. It was a nice refresher from being put down by an elder with more brawn than a thousand Titans. Perhaps it was the moments like those that were rewarding, the ones that began to bright the end of the tunnel.

"Funny you should say that, I've just seen a large fella who said the exact same thing." In the heat of his moment, he patted her shoulder once and stumbled to the side, correcting his balance when needed. And so, he plastered a final grin once more. Giddy from her incessant teasing, he spoke softly, condescending her with the same comedic tone as she had done to him only seconds before. "Can you prove me wrong?"

"Is that a challenge?" She closed the gap between both of them, tilted her head to the right in the morbid curiosity that plagued the two. He withheld the temptation to give her a playful shove backwards, knowing that if he did he'd only be open to a much more aggressive retaliation. Instead, he took a second to share the presence of her quips, before staggering backwards slightly and beginning to move away from the rather hotheaded Adè, who's fiery personality kept him hooked for only a slight second longer. As he moved away, he gave her a little wave with his hand, dusting himself down a second time.

"I joined up to experience new things, Adè. Try not to dash those expectations." Grant moved away, limping a small three metres before he halted, turning his head over his shoulder to call to the blonde girl. Closing one eye, he subtly mocked her almost elitist confidence with cheek and giddiness to go with it. "It's Grant, just to keep us even. I'll be seeing you around."

Lumbering onward proved challenging, but he wasn't distraught anymore. The interaction had brought an unseen life to his conversation. Eventually, he made it into the dormitory and staggered all the way to his bed, to which he fell into with the upmost carelessness. A few nearby cadets bunking in adjacent beds looked at the tired, dried up nomad clamber into an almost instantaneous nap, left to only be woken up by anyone willing to give him the lunch call in the coming hour. He was knackered. He was empty for the time being. But he'd done it, he had completed someone else's punishment and was still alive. Endurance was a feat. Maybe there was more of a chance in the early weeks than he'd imagined. Providing he didn't let his guard down, he'd do fine. And right then, he essentially drifted into an unconscious slumber, unsure if he'd be able to wake himself up in time for the all-important meal of the day: Dinner.

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Location: Training Grounds | 122nd Trainee Corps | Inside Wall Maria


“Experience new things, huh?” Adelyn muttered underneath her breath.

As Grant wobbled into the boy’s cabin Adèlyn shook her head, though she admitted she liked his resolve. To survive her taunts after running for three hours wasn’t particularly impressive, but he didn’t snap or admit defeat. The two likeliest of outcomes for someone at his level of fatigue. Her eyes only left him as the door to the cabin shut behind him allowing Adè to be left to her own thoughts.

“I was going to go on a run.” She reminded herself as she moved to stretch her legs on the dirt and grass.

The ground was firm, even if it was a little moist. Unlike running on a street or on the rooftops, it took more energy to push forward in a run. Before the conversation she envied the recruits for being forced to run it for three hours but as she decided to do her own independent run she realized she didn’t really. She had just been bored and wanted the instructor to point her out as being worthy of his lecture. Crawling to the top of the top ten wasn’t going to be an easy task and while she was confident she could do it, it wasn’t going to be awarded her for just existing. Grant had mentioned a “large fella” who wanted the same exact thing, a person who wanted for one reason or another to be noticed just as she did.

Her father hadn’t talked about the process too much when she was younger, so it was on her to make her own deductions. A hard task, maybe, considering she wasn’t a genius, but she wasn’t stupid and naïve either. From the little she could tell about the ‘culture’ of the training ground she understood that people aspired to the top ten for two reasons. To be a stand out recruit on their own terms or to get the Military Police sniffing around them so they could get a cushy job.

For Adèlyn it was the former over the latter. She had no intention going into the Military Police, even if they wanted her. She just wanted everyone to know who she was so that when she joined the Garrison her name would be treated with the same reverence that it deserved. With a job in the Garrison she could slowly move up the ranks as she learned about what exactly happened to her father and who his enemies were. Remembering a face was only important if you could attach a name to it and the people behind the walls were in great number. With her luck by the time she found the bastard he’d be long dead. She still had to know, even if that were the case.

The blonde shook her head as she began her run after her legs were stretched and ready.
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Hidden 5 yrs ago Post by ProxyInc
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"So where do you come from?" Jade's question rolled down her spine. Mora let her eyes settle to the soft ground below her, rocking back onto her heels. What was she going to tell the girl? That she came from Krolva? The town didn't exactly have the best reputation. It's also probably why she didn't recognize any of her fellow cadets. A stray ribbon of hair escaped from its hold, twisting in the gentle breeze and tickling her cheek. She scraped it beneath her fingertips and attempted to tuck it away.

Maybe Jade noticed her hesitation or maybe she was just impatient. Either way Mora let out a soft sigh if relief as the smaller girl motioned for them to walk together. Movement was a welcome distraction from her growing discomfort. "No where special really. I doubt you've even heard of it," she began to explain while the two begun to pick their way across the field. Mora noticed her companion's stride falter midstep; those lavender eye's growing round while her mouth fell softly a gap. "No way," Jade whispered.

"Huh," Mora question, her brows knitting together in confusion. The petite girl's dark head turned to face away from her, scanning across the field. Mora looked out over in the direction Jade was faced but saw nothing unusual. Was she missing something? "Are you okay?" Her voice was laden with confusion and worry. But as she looked down at the smile that graced Jade's upward tilted face Mora found herself even more confused.

"Oh, Mora, would you like to meet someone?"

Meet someone? Her eyes traveled around the many faces around them. Who? Where? She felt her confusion rise another level as Jade sprung into high spirited waves and cheers towards another girl. "Lauren! Come on, Mora," she said, a delicate hand reaching back to grasp hers with a surprisingly solid tug. Mora lurched forward a half step before the girl quickly released her ans sprang forward. She trailed behind eyeing the pair of girls she bounded towards; one was a rather tall blonde girl whose long hair was put up in a much neater fashion than Mora was able to accomplish. The other being the smaller brunette, her face flushed a soft pink from being sent out on a punishment run earlier.

Mora couldn't stifle a grin while she watched Jade practically leap into the brunette's arms. That one must be Lauren then. She picked up her pace and closed the distance between them as Jade apologized with a, "“I’m so sorry, I didn’t realize . . ." Her face burning bright with embaressment once again.

She lifted her right hand and rested it on the nape of her neck, the other planting firmly on her hip. "Ah, so you're Lauren. Jade's spoken highly of you." It was a lie of course. Mora didn't know any of these girls from atom but she wanted to help ease past Jade's obvious discomfort. "I'm Mora by the way. And who might you be?" She cocked her head to the side and locked eyes with the blonde, flashing her best grin at her.

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Lauren Jones

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"And the thing about-" She had been talking for some time, mostly at rather than to Elsie but the floodgates had opened; no dam was strong enough to stem the anxiety being purged from her in the form of excessive chatter. In the dim recesses of her mind, Lauren was scolding herself for indulging in her bad habit of talking to cover her nervousness, or any negative feeling she was not ready to deal with, but so far away was that voice of reason and restraint that it barely registered in in her subconscious.

“Lauren!” The familiar voice was what interrupted her and she pulled up short, cocking her head to one side as if that might help her hear the sound that had already passed. She was sure she had heard an old friend's voice and scanned the recruits around them, trying to pick out the dark-haired girl. “Lauren I can’t believe you’re here!” She heard the voice, much closer, and spotted Jade just as the girl launched herself into a hug-tackle. Unable to help herself, she grinned, returning the enthusiastic embrace. It had been over a year since she had last seen the other girl, owing to pressures at Pa's clinic and her own preparations for enlisting. With a pang of guilt she realised that, had she kept better contact with Jade, she would have known that the girl would also be enlisting. The last time they had spoke she had seemed resigned to continuing the family business in the bookstore. As they parted, Lauren wondered what had changed but decided now was not the time to ask. They would have plenty of time to reconnect after all and she was enjoying the soothing balm an old friend had on her anxiety, reducing her natural reflex to chatter away like a hummingbird.

"I'm a bit surprised you're here as well, Jade! I thought - it can wait!" She stopped short, spotting that another cadet had joined them in Jade's wake. A similar height to herself and with matching eyes but a much brighter flame to her red hair, the new entrant took up a casual pose, exuding a confidence Lauren felt envious of. Lauren turned her attention back to Jade who had noticed Elsie's presence and was apologising, her gaze fixed on her feet. That part of her hadn't changed, it seemed, and for that she was glad; a little bit of home would be good to keep Lauren centred.

The redhead spoke, dragging Lauren's attention back up at which point she noticed the scar extended over the girl's left eye. Her interest piqued instantly and she had to force herself to listen to the words she was speaking. "Ah, so you're Lauren. Jade's spoken highly of you. I'm Mora by the way. And who might you be?" This, directed at Elsie, tore Lauren's attention in multiple directions and she had to pull herself back in, that voice of sense and societal decency so strangled by anxiety now booming loud enough to drown out the others clamouring to be heard.

"Ah, nice to meet you! This is Elsie - we're apparently running partners now. She owes me half a roll of bread, not that we're keeping tabs at all." Her quick and easy grin flashed at Elsie and she gestured to Jade who had gone beet red in the face from her interrupting of their - rather Lauren's one-sided - conversation. "Elsie, this is Jade. An old friend of mine from Quinta. Her family ran this great bookstore and she used to keep all the medicinal books to one side for me." She sighed, thinking of all those tomes stacked up in the corner of her bedroom at home. It hadn't been feasible to bring them, even her notes in shorthand had proved too bulky and not permissible under the guidelines she'd received from the recruiter, and there was so much in those books she felt she had to learn still. At least Pa would be able to make use of them, she reasoned. If he could find someone to read them to him, at least - his decaying eyesight had proved too insurmountable a barrier to reading in recent years that he had had to have Lauren relay anything written down to him.

With a jolt, she realised she had drifted off into her own thoughts again. She flushed pink and not just from the exertions of her run anymore. She shuffled her feet idly and glanced quickly at the others' faces to see if they had noticed but it appeared her momentary lapse had not been terribly long. To cover her attention deficit, she pointed towards the cabins assigned to the women, clear by the congregation of that sex in that direction. "Maybe we should head thataways? The food's not ready yet so we should at least find where we're meant to be sleeping tonight." She grabbed Jade's hand and started pulling her exuberantly towards the cabins. "We need to catch up - neither of us was thinking of this last time we spoke!" She paused, glancing back to the other two to check that they were following and hurried them on with a wave. There was no telling what was coming for them the next few days, months and even years and her gut instinct told her that, between her and Jade, they had managed to find at least two people who would lessen their strenuous lives as new cadets.

"Come on, might as well go as a group!" She paused, her professional passion taking the reins as her gaze fell on Mora. "Sorry, weird question to ask since we've just met Mora but... could you tell me about that sometime? The needlework's really close and it looks like your eye works fine which is unusual for that kind of injury and -" She pulled up short as her words tumbled out at an ever-increasing speed. Wrestling control back from the single-minded aspiring physician in her mind, she shook her head and banished the childhood pursuit back to its appropriate place. "Sorry, ignore me. Only if you want to say - I know sometimes these things aren't nice or easy to talk about. Now come on, both of you!"
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Hidden 5 yrs ago Post by Jeep Wrangler
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The blistering sun-kissed landscape had been covered in a sheet of darkness. As the hour approached, clouds gently fluttered above with grey frills to their stature. A heavenly shower began to patter down upon the huts' rooftops. Pebbles lurking on the dusty floor softened in its basking. Grant found himself slowly waking up at the call of a instructor's voice. Those lurking in his cabin at the time soon moved outside, rapidly making their way towards the mess hall. Dinner was now ready and Grant was just waking up. He grumbled, taking a dry palm and rubbing it against his eyes. A stretch or two loosened his muscles and awoke his bones. The grind of living had resumed once again. The dreams he'd been having: gone. He barely remembered what fantasy he'd concocted - only the faint glimpse of greener fields, unrestricted forests and ponds greater than anything else. A world where nothing was wrong. Of course, it was a common dream. There was no personality in tranquillity. He'd been thinking about it for days; perhaps the looming threat of titans was necessary to keep the world on its heels. Obviously he didn't agree with it all, but would the world really be worth living in complete peace?

Grant didn't like the idea or thought of such dire, darkened cynicism. Dangerous thinking led to dangerous acting, as Mateo always muttered. The man who spoke little of his own downfall hadn't dwelt upon bad omens and shallow circumstances. He kept positive, maintaining a smile upon his face and a tongue to his cheek. It was either laughter or death, nothing else. That was outside of the military, at least. Grant had never seen the uncle at work, neck-deep in blood and bones of both Titans and comrades alike. He may have been a different person when the blades were tight in his grasp.

"Hey...get up." Only the approaching boot steps warned Grant of the other occupant. Whereas everyone in the cabin had already left to fill their stomachs, Roger had been stuck behind, limited by his fatigue. Each gentle prod he made against the slumped, bed-ridden Grant was met with a light mumble. He rose up, holding his hand against his head again and yawning. Chances were that once dinner was finished, he'd disappear into the sheets once more and prepare himself mentally for the following day. "Get much sleep, then?"

Silently, Grant shook his head, pushing the thin covers away into one corner of the bed. Above the wooden ceiling the trickling of nightly showers began to fill the blanks between their conversation. He looked up to Roger, seeing his meagre expression. There wasn't much to fault him for. The march wasn't easy nor was it simple for anyone who hadn't experienced something similar. All on the first day, he'd received someone else's punishment whilst being labelled as the standard for lacklustre, uninteresting, faceless cadets. Grant didn't know whether he should've felt sorry for the guy or glad it wasn't himself in his position. And so, Grant sat on the edge of the mattress, moving his cold fingers down to the laces of his boots. His fingers drifted between each lace, curling them into a tight knot and encasing his ankles within its leathery compound. Roger stood patiently, giving him at least someone to sit near.

"You think there'll be any food left by the time we get there?"

"Should be. I'm not expecting anything other than soup or bread, if we're lucky." With his boots tightened, Grant rose to his feet and stood at the bedside, only just rising above Roger's head. Both began to make their way to the door. "Did you actually have lunch?"

"I managed to get a scrap or two when you were asleep." From his pocket, Roger drew out a small paper napkin, trying to unfold it. As if there were something to be anticipated by, he revealed nothing except an empty few crumbs. Immediately, he frowned at the napkin. "Ah, shit. Someone might've nicked the crackers."

"Ahh, no worries. We're going to get something to eat anyway." Still in the midst of waking himself up, he chuckled halfheartedly. Poking their heads out of the main door, they saw the droplets hitting the ground in succession. It wasn't the heaviest it could be, but it definitely wasn't a dribble. Grant hoped it would settle throughout the night. The last thing they needed was a bogged down training yard for physical briefing. In due time the duo left the cover of their cabin and made the trek through the darkened night. Only lantern posts lit their way, the loud and bright doorway to their mess hall being the light at the end of their journey. It was a rush of noise, even before they reached it. Grant confirmed his name to Roger upon request, solidifying their acquaintance.

"I'll probably split once we get inside. I'm gonna look for my sister."

"You brought your sister along with you to recruitment?"

"Actually, she brought me along..." Grant was going to chuckle at first, seeing his rain-doused spouting as a joke, but the dimmed gaze into the soil he gave suggested otherwise. Roger seemed desperate for some sort of reconciliation, following the light with a muffled sigh. Their hair began to soften and drown in the precipitation. Hearing his lack of enthusiasm really set him apart. In turn, Grant's mind went back to earlier that day when he met Adèlyn.

He was still conflicted about her as a person. She seemed brash, lavished in a rich case of superiority through physical attribute. Every step she'd taken during their conversation had a presence to it, one of power and of strength. She'd mocked his completion and challenged him to the top of the cadets. Grant only joked by her side, accidentally prodding out a friendlier nature he didn't expect. And of course, he didn't mind the teasing. It seemed all in good faith, at least to Grant. A chance to encourage him, perhaps even without that being the original intention. Her prized potency to the harshness of the world was admirable to say the least. He'd have been lying if he'd said he'd seen someone as characterised as herself, a personality of unfamiliar proportions. It was an exciting change for once. How much he'd see her was likely down to circumstance, and whether he'd make it to the end of his Corps Training.

Finally, they entered the mess hall. An unfathomable glimmer from candle lit lanterns reduced the darkness to nothingness. A sea of voices and heads conversing with one another, laughing, worrying and chanting gave way to a new life. Grant stood motionless in the doorway, taken back by its current flow. Seconds passed before Roger said his short farewells and disappeared along the perimeter, scouting out the table where his sister had been waiting for him. He didn't see where he went, only that he did go into the far ends of the hall. Unwilling to stand out, Grant shimmied across the circumference of the tables. He looked for the food stands and made way for their portions. To say he was surprised would be yet another fib; the piles of dry bread, a bowl of vegetable soup, a cup of water and an additional tiny portion of meat. He wasn't expecting the final item, and its tough, dry and chewy manner at least indicated that it wasn't to the highest of quality. But after missing lunch, he'd not ignore its temptation. A cloaked instructor handed him his portion and told him to head to any available seat. It wasn't a case of picking and choosing his table guests, instead he'd just find whatever wasn't crowded.

And there, he saw the distant corner table in the least lit quadrant of the hall. Most of it was still uninhabited, but he did spy out a face that felt familiar. He couldn't put a finger on it, but they almost looked identical to a shop's child from his own youth. Though he couldn't say for sure, he couldn't unsee the image he'd plastered into his mind. Either way, he didn't want to let the food run any colder than it already was. He sat down, placing his tray not too close to theirs. For a few seconds, he spent the moment to adjust his dressing and pick away at the dry cuisine before his very eyes.

"Not the worst thing I've eaten, must say." He turned to the one sat beside him, seeing mostly short hair and a shrouded expression. In his head, he still wondered if it was the same person or not. "You ready for tomorrow's session then? Guess it'll really ramp up from here."

@Kuro
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