♔ kingdom of {lies} snk plot

[shrimp]

E R E N J Ä G E R

“Oh yes, I’m very ready. The question is, will you be able to pull your head out of your ass long enough to act accordingly to the plan for once in your life without trying to go off on your own?"

Well fuck you too, Jean Kirschtein, you and your dumbass hair, Eren spits out in his mind, his eyebrows forming acute angles against his eyelids and a scoff worming its way out of his mouth. Fuck I'm too easy a target, aren't I.

Jean knows. They all know, even Eren, as bullheaded as he is, knows that he's too rash, too impulsive and there's been too many people injured because of it. But at least he cares, right? He sees people going down in front of him so he does what he can, what he must to save as many lives as possible. That's what his father taught him late at night when most of the Capitol had gone to bed. Save the life.

That's one of the reasons why he joined the Peacekeepers in the first place, and here he is, screwing everything up once more. And they all know it. Is this is reputation? The charging bull, the boy without a plan, without a care for those around him? They must know that's not true - he'd protect them no matter what. Even Kirschtein, with his not-a-care-in-the-world attitude and that stupid smirk on his stupid fucking face.

"At least when I see an opening I go for it. Yeah, it's not what the doctor ordered but it gets the job done - fast."

He prods at Jean's chest, eyes locked onto his. He could probably cut the tension in the room with his maneuver gear.

"What about you, Kirschtein? Don't you care about stopping those fuckers before they lay one finger on your team members? Or are you too focused on saving your own skin to have the balls to lead the charge?"

His mouth curls upward.

"You could never do it. You couldn't sacrifice yourself to save someone else, you're too much of a coward."

[semper]

[googlefont="Qwigley:400;"][googlefont="Alegreya Sans SC:500;"][newclass=.jdkTable]background-color:#3A3A3A;width:500px;height:400px;position:relative;overflow:hidden;border:5px solid #FBE0C2;[/newclass][newclass=.jdkTable .jdkPost]vertical-align:middle;width:500px;height:400px;overflow:auto;position:absolute;left: 0px; top:0;opacity:0;-webkit-transition: 0.6s all ease-in; -moz-transition: 0.6s all ease-in; -o-transition: 0.6s all ease-in;transition: 0.6s all ease-in;[/newclass][newclass=.jdkTable:hover .jdkPost]opacity:1[/newclass][newclass=.jdkScroll]background:transparent;[/newclass][newclass=.jdkScroll ::-webkit-scrollbar-thumb]border-radius: 0px; background-color: #C19481;[/newclass][newclass=.jdkScroll ::-webkit-scrollbar]width:2px;[/newclass][newclass=.jdkScroll ::-webkit-scrollbar-track]background-color:transparent;border-radius:0px;[/newclass]

[attr="class","jdkTable"]

Jean Kirschtein
peacekeeper. twenty-five.
hey brother, there's an endless road to rediscover
hey sister, know the water's sweet but blood is thicker
oh if the sky comes falling down for you
there's nothing in the world i wouldn't do

[attr="class","jdkPost"]

[attr="class","jdkScroll"]

He prods my chest with his finger. I glower, trying to not let too much of my disdain for Eren show on my face.

“No, it’s certainly not what the doctor ordered. You only haphazardly get anything done, and it’s only by the skin of your teeth that you and everyone involved even make it out alive. Being fast isn’t the same as being effective.”

I don’t know what Jäger’s trying to accomplish but I’m certain it’s probably something stupid. He doesn’t know when to quit and that’s his problem: he’ll push and push, smash all your buttons, press his luck as hard as it will go until it explodes. More often than not I’m sure the shrapnel has hit him and, oh, I do wish I’d have been there to see it. It’s always amusing to see his plans backfire – when his life isn’t in danger.

That’s what really makes my blood boil when the words continue to pour forth from his shit-eating mouth. Who the fuck is he to even question whether or not I care about my comrades? I joined the Peacekeeping corps for one reason alone: to protect people. Typically, by “people,” that includes the idiotic, yellowbellied bastards like Eren, and I hate admitting it but I would still pull him out of danger if I thought he was going to die. (I’d probably have to perform some cleansing ritual on my hand later, but I’d do it.) However, I’m not Mikasa and my sole purpose in life isn’t to protect Eren Jäger after all his stupid stunts, so he won’t get any other sort of special treatment out of me.

I set my jaw and growl. “Don’t you dare think for a second that I wouldn’t put myself into harm’s way for your sorry ass or anyone else’s. But it’s often more useful to assess the situation before you act; time is everything, but if you charge in like a bat out of hell without any kind of strategy then you’re both going to end up dead.”


“We’re all here for the same reason, aren’t we?” I tilt my head slightly, almost in a way to challenge him. “To protect people and keep the peace. You and I both know that, as well as everyone else in this room. You’re no more special than the rest of us just because you think you uphold those values more. Get off your fucking high horse.”

table by anzie <3

[shrimp]

E R E N J Ä G E R

He's bristling like an angry panther and it makes Eren even more excited. To be frank, the man loves riling Kirschtein up, it's just so easy and the bastard deserves it too, with his smug attitude all the time, acting like he owns the place. Bullshit. Jean Kirschtein doesn't deserve half the special treatment that he gets, he's too blind, doesn't look at the whole picture, just does what's ordered of him and nothing more. Some would say that he's the kind of person who would survive a war - the worst ones always do.

“Don’t you dare think for a second that I wouldn’t put myself into harm’s way for your sorry ass or anyone else’s. But it’s often more useful to assess the situation before you act; time is everything, but if you charge in like a bat out of hell without any kind of strategy then you’re both going to end up dead-”

"-don't you bring her into this," he whispers, even though he knows all too well that she's heard every word they're spewing at each other. How dare he mention her, how dare he even think that he has the right to judge what he does, to judge what Mikasa does. She's just trying to protect me. But even I know that she needs to stop. It doesn't take a blind man to see the danger that Eren puts Mikasa through each outing, when the two of them go rogue to get the job done - he always tells her to leave him alone, to let him do it by himself. You're not my mother. My mother's dead.

As well as Eren pushes Jean's buttons, Jean pushes right back and he has to admit, he's pretty damn good at it. His fists clench and he unconsciously snarls, the lowest of growls that only Jean can hear. I can do it by myself, everyone needs to stop thinking I'm incapable of doing anything at all.

“We’re all here for the same reason, aren’t we? To protect people and keep the peace. You and I both know that, as well as everyone else in this room. You’re no more special than the rest of us just because you think you uphold those values more. Get off your fucking high horse.”

Special? You think I think I'm special? Bullshit. I'm not special, I just get the job done, I do all that I can, unlike someone here. Eren just steps closer, their noses inches apart, an inferno raging in his eyes. I'll beat you, I'll rip you to pieces.

"Only when you get off of yours, horse-face." Wipe that pretentious look off of your face, ponyboy.

[semper]

[googlefont="Qwigley:400;"][googlefont="Alegreya Sans SC:500;"][newclass=.jdkTable]background-color:#3A3A3A;width:500px;height:400px;position:relative;overflow:hidden;border:5px solid #FBE0C2;[/newclass][newclass=.jdkTable .jdkPost]vertical-align:middle;width:500px;height:400px;overflow:auto;position:absolute;left: 0px; top:0;opacity:0;-webkit-transition: 0.6s all ease-in; -moz-transition: 0.6s all ease-in; -o-transition: 0.6s all ease-in;transition: 0.6s all ease-in;[/newclass][newclass=.jdkTable:hover .jdkPost]opacity:1[/newclass][newclass=.jdkScroll]background:transparent;[/newclass][newclass=.jdkScroll ::-webkit-scrollbar-thumb]border-radius: 0px; background-color: #C19481;[/newclass][newclass=.jdkScroll ::-webkit-scrollbar]width:2px;[/newclass][newclass=.jdkScroll ::-webkit-scrollbar-track]background-color:transparent;border-radius:0px;[/newclass]

[attr="class","jdkTable"]

Jean Kirschtein
peacekeeper. twenty-five.
hey brother, there's an endless road to rediscover
hey sister, know the water's sweet but blood is thicker
oh if the sky comes falling down for you
there's nothing in the world i wouldn't do

[attr="class","jdkPost"]

[attr="class","jdkScroll"]

I’ve done it – I’ve got him. Eren growls like some animal and his eyes light up as he steps closer, so close that I can see myself in the reflection of his irises. It’s the same raged look he gets when he can’t figure something out, like during training, and I can’t help but narrow my eyes in return. What is it, Eren? A half grin, half smirk crosses my face. Can’t handle that you’re not the prodigy you made yourself believe?

Many times I’ve wanted to break his nose, mostly just for the fun of it. How amusing it would be to see him walk around with it skewered off to the side, or some dark, gnarly bruise splattered across his face. It would be worth the hurt knuckles, let me tell you; anything to beat off that complacent, half-wit expression he usually walks around with. I guess that he forgets the grey matter underneath his skull is actually capable of making rash decisions and being empathetic and realistic.

However, I can be a hypocrite, particularly with rash decisions. So when he shoots back with an insult I’ve had far more than enough of, I strike.

I lunge forward. My hands come up and fingers curl into the fabric of his shirt, just below the collar. Momentum carries me forward and I use it to shove him back down onto the table so that I hover over him, my arms still outstretched, grasping the shirt with a white-knuckled grip.

The smirk is off my face and replaced with a stern and fiery expression that always accompanies these scraps. Maybe I could slam him down repeatedly; I want to tear him apart, rip that rotten body of his limb from limb, and my hands tremble with excitement. Adrenaline, that’s what I feel, is pumping through me like a drug and I want more but I reluctantly hold back. This bullheaded bastard, unfortunately, is someone I’m forced to rely on. He does do well, I’ll admit it, though there are too many aspects about him that seriously piss me off. If I do hurt him right now then I’ll be the one at fault and it’ll put strain on my relationship with everyone else. Will they not trust me because of this? (No, don’t trust Jean, he’ll attack you if you upset him.)

A scowl comes to my face and I look hard at him. (I swear Heichou leaves us alone on purpose.) I press down on his chest with my fists still wrapped in his shirt.

“You better watch it, Jäger. Imbecility will get you killed.” And I let go of him.

table by anzie <3

[[nyte]]

[presto][/presto]

H I S T O R I A

{ she ran away
in her sleep ;

I've always hated arguments. How it fills the air with dark malice and almost always dissolves into something physical. The way it makes men into monsters and leaves marks which, sometimes, never fade. A black eye or a broken tooth are nothing compared to the wounds which a carefully placed insult could leave. If there was ever an example of this, it's me. Despite the small, white lines, which run down my back and partway onto my hips, the burns upon my collar which have turned into a shining pale circles, nothing has ruined me more than the shouts of my parents. The ones who were supposed to love me unconditionally. To take away my pain instead of cause it. 

They did a shit job. And, quite honestly they didn't care. My past would mean nothing to the boys who now shout insults back and forth. Eren and Jean were always at each other's throats, like the predators which we fought. When left alone, it was a frenzy. An unrestrained mutt taking full advantage of its newfound freedom. I couldn't take much more of this. Mikasa seemed oddly silent, usually so protective over the black-haired boy who revelled within the conflict slowly blooming between he and Jean. She didn't seem eager to intervene, and I didn't know if I was physically able. 

I'm not sure how long I stood there, caught between a need to say something and the fear of them turning on me the moment I did. I'd almost completely tuned out their words, trapped within my own mind as I decided what action I should take. 

I nearly fell over when he struck. Jean Kirschtein, known for his less than friendly attitude, attacked him. He grabs Eren's shirt, pulling the boy towards him and muttering words I couldn't quite make out in my shock. I grit my teeth, my fingers digging into my palms as I close my fists. I wish Ymir was here, as the tall brunette wouldn't stand for such idiots fighting and getting us 50 laps. She'd say something, she'd make them stop their arguing. Ymir wouldn't let me get scared.

Because I've just noticed I'm shaking. 

Even when he lets him go, I cannot see this ending well. 

"H-hey!" it's quiet at first, like that of a mouse's squeak. Louder, Historia "Hey!" it's as forceful as I could manage, I puff out my chest and furrow my brow, trying to imitate Ymir's powerful stance. "S-stop it, okay?" the confidence I could muster fades with every word, becoming nothing more than the whisper which was my voice. "Don't fight-" Louder, Historia! "Please." 

                                       

[presto][/presto]

[cass]

“Ugh, Heichou… Right?”

It was the first thing he said and I was already sure that this man was an idiot. It wasn’t ven the fact that he was part of the Capitol Police that told me enough as it was — corrupt, stuck up, pretentious, conceded — it was from the way he carried himself. An aura of impatience and arrogance seems to have gripped him tight, it was like a bad smell you couldn’t push away, no matter how much you tried to drown it in chemicals. That was saying something coming from a clean freak like me, if I couldn’t get rid of a bad stench then you had a serious issue. Being the charmingly polite man I was, I was ready to ignore that first comment. But the idiot decides to open his tight lipped lips again.

”You’re a lot smaller in person,” he says, and after such a casual comment he scratches his chin and glances at his watch. My face remains a blank canvas, on the inside I am boiling. Just wait. The man was disgusting, from the state of his fingers I could see that he held little care for hygiene, if I wasn’t so insulted I would have given a disgusted ‘tch’ before insulting him and walking away. ”I’ve already spoken to Commander Erwin - I don’t need to explain our reasons to you.”

”If you’re that concerned, go and speak to him yourself.” The man dares to smile.

And there he signs his own death certificate.

In one swift movement I swing my leg around, it collides with the taller mans stomach. As he bends over, gasping for air I give him no time to do so before my hand grips his collar and drags his flush face. Spit foams at the corners of his lips and slowly his face begins to turn beet read and I stare him dead in the eyes. I’ve dragged him down to my level. Mine are cold hard and unforgiving and when I speak it is in a deathly whisper.

”Filthy fucking brat. Speak to me like that again-“ slightest of smirks slips onto his cold lips ”-and short little me will be the last thing you ever see. I am a Captain — senior to some fucking idiot that calls themself a soldier. This is my headquarters. These are my halls, my rooms and my floors. So unless you want to end up outside in the fucking cold you will go and get the dickhead you call a leader.” I shove the guy backwards and he stumbles, almost tripping and falling onto his backside.

”Is that understood?” I ask with cool calmness. The man gasps for air, it seems I may have been choking him. Ooops. I raise an eyebrow when i get no reply and the man opens his mouth, spit drips from his lips and he fumbles for words.

”Y-Y…. Yes, S-S-Sir!” He gathers his feet under him and scampers off.

”Tch, filthy brat.” I glare at my hands, feeling a desirable need to wash them and scrub them clean for a few hours. Looking over I notice that Armin keeps glancing over at Annie, Annie on the other hand remains staring ahead, fucking hell they all look like they want to take a shit, but it won’t happen.

”Leonhardt, move it, you’re coming with us. If I am having this bullshit then you can come with us for the next mission. Arlert seems as though he is going to pee his fucking pants if you don't look at him.” I turn and start heading back to the room, screw that fucking Captain he can come and find me and then I’ll give him a pice of my mind about his insubordinate little shits. As I turn down the hallway I come across a sulking Sasha Braus. And then I scowl.

My steps quicken and I move up to her. ”Eat out the entire fucking kitchen, Braus?” I snap, patience stretched thin. ”When we get back from this mission you will run laps until I say stop. Is that understood?” I do not wait for a response, I knew she was probably shiting herself at the fact that I was talking to her. Instead I wave them all ahead and direct them to the meeting room.

I was surrounded by idiots.

{ it's time to leave
and turn to dust ;

[Python]

We're in the fight of our lives

_______________________________________________________

A R M I N A R L E R T
PEACEKEEPER | TWENTY-TWO

______________________________________________

When Annie rejected his greeting he tried to ignore the inevitable feeling of deflation – after all, their last conversation had occurred almost a year ago, and at the moment both of them were beneath the crude, scrutinizing gazes of their superiors. He didn’t know how strict the Capitol Police superior officers were with their members, or how the change in atmosphere had affected Annie’s personality, but it was clear that whatever hopes of friendship he had garnered in the past had either been severed, or simply could not exist under these circumstances. Perhaps if he managed to speak with her alone they might be able to share a pleasant conversation and catch up, but judging by the expression plastered against her superior’s face as he addressed Levi there would be no exchange in pleasantries anytime soon.

”Ugh..Heichou, right?” said a man with bags etched under his eyes, a clear sign of sleep deprivation. Was he under a lot of stress? Was that why the tension felt so high? ”You’re a lot smaller in person,” he continued matter-of-factly, but the not so subtle insult prompted Armin’s breath to catch in his windpipe. Did he just..? He did, he actually did. Armin’s eyes widened and his lips parted in surprise. He didn’t dare steal a glance at Levi’s expression; he knew all too well what that intimidating mask would look like after hearing such words. ”I've already spoken to Commander Erwin - I don't need to explain our reasons to you.” Well that was odd; surely the Commander would’ve informed Levi of this? Unless it was too sudden? ”If you're that concerned, go and speak to him yourself.”

His eyes found Annie again, but her gaze was elsewhere. He waited in silence with a bated breath for the captain’s reaction. The search for Sasha had been enough of an inconvenience; now there were intruders in his headquarters, and one of them happened to have a nasty attitude. There was no possible way this would end well, not with Levi.

The swift kick to the man’s abdomen proved his point.

Armin cringed and shied away from the scene, backing away a few paces as Levi gathered the man’s collar and yanked him down to eye level. Vulgarity was spewed from his cold lips, smothering every stray noise in the room. The tension was thicker than the hot moisture of humidity on a rainy summer’s day, and he was sure everyone else in the room could feel it sinking into their bones. When Levi was finished with his rant, he shoved the man to the floor and allowed him to recuperate. Through desperate pants the man voiced his understanding. He had been reduced to a choked, sputtering animal on the floor, but it was no surprise to Armin. Then he felt the captain’s gaze boring into him.

”Leonhardt, move it, you’re coming with us. If I am having this bullshit then you can come with us for the next mission. Arlert seems as though he is going to pee his fucking pants if you don't look at him.”

Armin would’ve squeaked if not for his own self-restraint. He understood Levi’s short fuses, and they were all used to his chidings, but that didn’t prevent the heat from rushing to his face. How embarrassing. He didn’t really look like that, did he?

There was no time to dwell on it. Levi turned and strode away, and Armin had to follow, but not before muttering a soft apology to the man still clutching his abdomen on the floor. It was tempting to glance back to see if Annie would actually heed his orders, but he wasn’t sure he could actually look her in the eyes. To make matters tenser, Sasha decided to make an appearance in the corridor on their trip back. ”Eat out the entire fucking kitchen, Braus?” Armin didn’t cringe this time, but his pained expression told enough of a tale. He felt sorry for her. ”When we get back from this mission you will run laps until I say stop. Is that understood?” And that was exactly why.

Mission accomplished, at least?

_____________________________________________________
template by chelsey

[k!ah]

SASHABRAUS

{ p e a c e k e e p e r } { 2 4 } { f e m a l e } { s p e a c i a l c o r p s }

By now I was tucked away behind the corridors corner. No one could see me now, I was safe. Now if only I could make it to the meeting room without much of a fuss, then I should be fine. It was not like they were actually out here searching for me, right? They were here to greet the trespassers. I am about to take off down the path when I hear the rather strict commander of the Military police. There was something in the way he spoke that dragged me towards the sound, my ears desperate to hear what he was saying. Quietly I creep towards the corner, so that I was still hidden, but so that I could her what he was saying.

“Ugh, Heichou… Right?” Instantly I could hear the superiority in his voice and it alerted me. Hadn’t this man heard of Captian Levi Heichou before? Was he an idiot talking to him this way? A frown alps onto my forehead and I try to listen more closely, straining my ears to hear every word. ”You’re a lot smaller in person,” No way. He did not just step over that line. When I had first meet Heichou I had thought that he was cute, cause like, he was so short and he looked like this kid trying to be stern. But then I had said something like ‘aww aint he just a cutie, he is like my puppy at home,’- not directly a him, but to the kid next to me, he must have over heard- and boy did he get furious. I was almost positive that he would have back handed me right then and there. I never said anything like that to him again, and to be honest, to me, he doesn't seem that short anymore. His mere presence in a room was actually much larger than anyone else. Damn that man was scary.

”I've already spoken to Commander Erwin - I don't need to explain our reasons to you. If you're that concerned, go and speak to him yourself.” Yep, he has done it. He has dug himself a hole so deep that there was no climbing out for him. I think this is where I should take me chance to flee- suddenly there was the sound of hitting flesh and a moan of pain. My eyes widen and I hear someone hit the floor loudly. What the hell is going on? My mind flies into panic. Damn I should get out of here, like right now. Desperately I back away from the corner, my feet scrambling to carry my body away from the corner, and away from the violent commotion. I wanted no part in it.

”Eat out the entire fucking kitchen, Braus?” well not the entire kitchenI freeze, the furious voice of Heichou stopping me in my tracks. Damit, I was in the shit now. Eye wide with horror I turn around to face my doom. Rage was written all over his face, only making my fear grow. Ducking my head I see Armin behind him. There was something written on his face, almost as though he felt sorry for me. I try to give him a small smile, masking the real fear that was racing through me. Hastily I try to contain it, trying to wipe my face of any emotions. It was not like he was going to kill me, right? ”When we get back from this mission you will run laps until I say stop. Is that understood?”

My heart flutters with relief momentarily and then dread. I hated laps, and oddly enough, I always found myself doing them. Sighing I give him a small nod, I understood clearly. But when I looked up he was no longer standing in front of me but marching down the hallway towards the meeting room, hastily I move to catch up, my mind still preoccupied on the thought of how many laps I was going to have to run in the near future. At least its only laps, laps I could handle. I think numbly, hanging my head low.

[rook]

p e a c e k e e p e r
c a p i t o l++p o l i c e
m i l i t a r y++g u a r d
t w e n t y

"You are saying that innately, all people are good, and if they were to just assume their nature, this organization wouldn't be so rotten, right? But in my opinion, the structure of the organization, the way it is set up is what provides insight into what the true human nature really is."

I try not to look as Captain Levi's knee connects sharply with the Overseer's abdomen. Barely a whimper escapes Miles Cooper's mouth, as the wind is knocked out of him completely. I have no sympathy for the man. Had he been more knowledgable, as someone in his position should be, he would have known all about Levi Heichou's cold wrath. We all learned in similar ways, I have to admit. Still, the novelty of it doesn't ware off at all. In fact, I'd go as far as to say that I am enjoying the Captain's aggressive outbursts more and more. Will they thank you?

I watch my superior officer roll about on the age-old floorboards, clutching at his stomach like he has been stabbed or shot. He is so weak. Weak men shouldn't be in charge of an army. Heichou is strong, however. He is a man I would trust if he was in charge of me. I had that opportunity, and despite my fierce respect for Levi, I chose to be led by a man made of paper and filled with inky black corruption. My choice.

"Leonhardt, move it, you’re coming with us." He says sharply. After avoiding his gaze for so long, I finally look at him. He can't be serious, can he? I made it clear to him that I was fully committed to the Capitol Police, and not his scouting regiment. I specifically remember marching into his office and demanding to be removed from his force, and enlisted into the humdrum instead. Bad blood and words I now regret are imprinted in my mind, and I'm sure that Levi hasn't forgotten either. The only way to convince him was to make him dislike me.

I said things to all of them that I didn't mean, but those things had to be said if I was to join the Capitol Police. They were my friends - There was no way they would let me leave the group to join an internal unit. We were in it together, to the end, that was our promise as a training regiment. The only way they would let me go is if we stopped being friends, and to do that I had to be unfriendly.

"If I am having this bullshit then you can come with us for the next mission." He turns back, "Arlert seems as though he is going to pee his fucking pants if you don't look at him." I frown darkly, and my gaze shoots to Armin for the first time. I lock with his periwinkle eyes, lingering on them. I try to talk to him with my eyes, because Ripred knows the words aren't coming to me. I try to show him how desperate I am. How much I hate this. How much I want things to go back to how they were. My eyes say sorry, because my mouth never could.

"With respect, Sir," I muster, "You must understand that my duties are here in the Capitol. Perhaps you could call upon Fubar, Braun or Bodt." I add the third name to disassociate from the other two. It's almost as if mentioning their names alone would draw attention, even though the thought of anyone catching onto us is nigh on impossible. Those tracks have been wiped out and covered over by a thousand snowfalls. Precautions were taken. Suspicion is eradicated. Still, it feels like bringing them up means that it's real again, and it can't be. I've built those walls up between Reiner, Berthold and I, I built them long ago. I of all people know how fragile walls can be.

"I just want the weak, who do get swept along with the flow, be considered human too."

[cass]

I don’t think she understood the extent of the foul mood that I was now in. I flex my hand, stretching the stiff fingers, they ached slightly from the punch and all I could do was reprimand myself for such a sloppy hit on my behalf. Erwin would have given me one of those stupid small grins, shaking his head ever so slightly at the brash act of violence, before stepping in and making it look as though he was going to punish me for acting so aggressively. And then we would leave and he would shake his head, he would have told me that first punch was sloppy. My fist had landed two inches two low and as such had hit the bone that I had not wanted to hit. It would bruise.

He would have told me exactly how far off it was before telling me that I could not go around and punch other people. There always had to be that edge of justice and virtue in everything he said. Hating such words was becoming a hobby of mine, I could never understand how the man saw so much god in a destroyed world. I saw flickers of its beauty when I escaped the confines of the Capitol, I saw a world out there that I wanted to fight for, but I did not see it in the Capitol, nor in the districts. But he saw something in it and that faith was enough to make me stay by his side, for now.

Turning my gaze away from Braus I look back at Leonhardt, finding myself prickling with irritation at her blatant disregard to orders. It was still fresh on my mind, how she had come into my office blurting out that she would not be joining my squad. The fuck if I cared I had told her, but I was more curious as to why she had chosen such a filthy, corrupted sector instead of the one I fought for. She was a smart girl a very talented fighter, it seemed a waste of her skills. I had voiced such an opinion in a few simple words that had been cold and detached. A few more words had been said, hers heated and cold, mine distant and icy.

So instead of responding to her statement I choose to pretend I did not hear it. Disrespectful shits, I hated brats, they were so filthy and couldn’t follow a simple order. I was always stuck with them and a bunch of kids that couldn’t stop trying to kill one another. So it was no surprise that when I entered the meeting room I was once more greeted with shouts and glares and two hot-headed boys ripping into each other’s throats. Jean and Eren seemed determined to poke each other to death, they seemed to want to kill the other, but from the looks of it they were only willing to battle with sticks instead of swords. I held no doubt that if I were to hand them both a sword and tell them to fight they would both back down. A childish dispute, one lead by immature anger problems, the other by a head so full of pride and cockiness it was any wonder he didn’t fall over. A horrible combination. And one that was setting the room alite.

Sighing I walked into the room, strolled over to my seat and sat down, folding a leg across my knee (I avoided looking at my pants, having spotted a small stain on the leg – I’d need to clean that later) I then folded my arms, eyeing the room.

”You all talk a lot, pigs. You talk and shit comes out but it never means anything. So sit the fuck down and have your hormone driven fuck feast outside where I can’t see it.” I spoke with an icy tone. Patients no longer within arms reach, in fact it was probably sitting on the fucking moon having a fucking tea party. That’s how far it was gone.

”The mission will be done as such: We will head to district seven and move into the land outside. From there we will do a quick scout of the area and define the location of the mutts. We will gather data and data alone until we are sure of the situation. So if any-“ my gaze shifts to Jean and then flickers over Eren, the two whom I suspected would start bickering like dogs in heat as soon as we walked out of this room ”-of you try and be some fucking hero, or If you start fighting I will personally feed you to those mutts. Is that understood?”

{ And it's harder than you think
Telling dreams from one another ;

[[nyte]]

Officer Petra Ral

I'm dead. The moment my eyes shoot open, to see sun has already high enough in the sky to beat down upon them, I know I'm fucked. "Shit, shit shit!" frantic words echo about the empty apartment. I hope the others have a nice funeral planned 'cause Heichou if going to kick my ass so far into the ground I'm never coming back up. Of course, when I have actual things to do something like this happens. Half dressed, I nearly sprint out of my apartment, still pulling down the hem to a shirt I don't even remember buying. No breakfast, no stopping, I've gotta get over to that headquarters, and I gotta get there fast. It's not the running that makes my heart pound, not even the fear of the captain's retaliation. I can only hope they haven't left without me. That I'll be unable to assist, to protect, those who've given me their trust. I can't let them down. 

I've been in this squad far too long for any of that nonsense. The younger members are just that, naive children. Too caught up in their own ideas of glory to consider the wellbeing of their mates. By no means, does that make them bad officers. Quite the opposite. Heichou wouldn't have chosen them, had he believed them incapable. Trust is something earned, not given, and I can feel the ties between us fraying like an overused cord. If it snaps, we could lose more than just one good person. That truly scares me. 

My hands are by no means clean. No matter how often they're washed of the blood that stains them, their names are carved into my palms. Every mutt killed is another reminder, that no matter how wretched that life may be, it was a life taken by my hand. I'm no angel, as much as I'd like to believe. A sweet, innocent soul, in charge of keeping the peace. When on a job, I'm spared of such emotions. React fast, detain threats, think later. Protect those that should be protected, a life willingly given is one not to be taken for granted. One day, that life may be your own. You may be mourned, tears may fall and a life changed. But in the end, you're forgotten. A casualty lost within a crowd of others. An insignificant life given for the betterment of humanity. 

The familiar thrum of boots against pavement match the rhythm of my heart. Uneven. Frantic. Racing against a clock that's due to run out some time soon. This path is walked far too often for my mind to give any thought to its direction. My breath now coming in uneven pants, the salty tang of sweat running into a gaping mouth. Don't give up. Trust in yourself. 

I've never been one for modesty. Such things seem petty in a world riddled by cruelty. My kills count is high, my skills unquestionable. That by no mean makes me perfect, in any semblance of the word. I wear my flaws upon my sleeve, situated right next to a crimson heart. It's beaten, broken, but it's still there. For fuck's sake I'm human too. As hard as I try to be, I'm not perfect, not even good. Never good enough.

Relief floods through my tired body the moment I burst through the entrance. The adrenaline I'd picked up in my panic slowly fading with each labored breath. "Fuck." I still can't stop. I know I can't. I won't let myself disappoint anyone. I have faith in my team, they need to be able to return that faith. Doing something as completely irresponsible as sleeping in-

Where is it?!  My hands fumble around empty pockets, grasping for something I know is gone. I'm sure it was there when I left, no matter the rush, I never leave without it. It's a crutch, something to keep me strong. And it's gone. Lost somewhere in the streets of the Capitol. A greedy stranger probably already shoving it onto their finger. The ring is gone. 

I don't have the time to go back and search. No time for the selfish needs of a woman who's depended on a piece of jewelry for far too long. It brought me no luck, no good fortune. No real strength. As much as it hurts, I'm glad it's gone. 

I throw the door open, hoping that no plans have changed, that the room we usually meet in is the one they sit in currently. I've lucked out. I give myself no time to feel ashamed, to shy away from the Captain's glare. "Shit, sorry I'm late. What'd I miss?" I paste a smile across a guilty expression, eyes glued to the ground, not daring to meet anyone's eyes. Let alone Levi Heichou's. I'm. So. Dead. 

[shrimp]

E R E N J Ä G E R

In retrospect, he should have seen this coming.

He's slammed on the table with such force that he sees stars and the slightest realization that shit Jean might actually beat me within an inch of my life on this table becomes a harsh reality. Fuck, wasn't expecting this. Kirschtein's actually got some balls on him. Jean's hand is shoved into Eren's chest and the boy can barely breathe. Their noses are practically touching. Eren half wonders if maybe Jean will somehow decide to make out with him instead when the other man lets go.

“You better watch it, Jäger. Imbecility will get you killed.”

That's it? Eren's blood is boiling - Kirschtein may be a prick, but he's smart. And he knows that he can't make a scene here (and right on time, Heichou reenters the room with Armin and Braus in tow), and that with a simple move, Jean's shown the power he can hold over him, if he so wishes. But I'm not the fucking imbecile, that's you.

He's got to admit though, that was a great powerplay. And just maybe he respects him a bit more for it. Not enough for him to stop snarling at Jean as he dusts himself off, moving slowly back towards his seat. "Sorry, Historia," he mutters to the goddess of all things pure and righteous (he wonders how she got herself in this mess, with a ragtag team of misfits slaying the blood of mutts in every shadow of Panem).

One could hear a pin drop as Levi begins to speak, calling them pigs, teenagers, immature brats and Eren knows they're all better than that or they wouldn't have been chosen for this squadron, Levi wouldn't have approved them for this squadron. It's still annoying though, and he feels as if he's a porcupine bristling with rage, anger, shame as even more comments are directed towards himself and Jean. I'm a leader, and I'm supposed to do what's right. I'm supposed to be the prime example, not a hot mess. Then Petra Ral bursts through the door, and the tension in the room's directed towards her instead (he almost lets out a sigh of relief, but he's sure that Heichou will have his head for even breathing the wrong way today).

"Shit, sorry I'm late. What'd I miss?"

Your funeral.

M A R C O B O D T

A pounding headache accompanies the overly bright lights and Marco Bodt knows at least three things:

1) he's hungover as fuck.
2) he's late as fuck
3) he's fucked

There's no denying it, the only thing he can do is accept it and move on. So groaning, he crawls out of bed, spikes of pain ricocheting from every joint in his body. Why did I let Ymir talk me into this shit. He knows why, to be honest, but he'd rather not face the facts that him and Ymir are stuck in the same one-sided lovesick lifeboat when his life is on the line - who knows what Heichou's gonna do to them (because the chances of Ymir getting to work on time today are slim to none) once they arrive?

Brushing his teeth he replays parts of last night over in his mind. A chance meeting with Ymir. Casual conversation. An awkward silence.

And then somehow the two of them ended up at a gay bar, shots of Rum & Cola buzzing up his system and limbs flailing this way and that as he performed his signature dance move, to the very judgmental eyes of a certain freckled lesbian.

"i call this the dolphin"
"please don't."
"i'm doing it"
"you can't stop me ymir"
"fine but i'm gonna pretend not to know you"
"you can't stop the motion of the ocean"

He's got a hickey on his neck. Well, the dolphin must have worked for someone. But shit. There's already negative amounts of time to ponder over his apparently existent sex life however, since he's already as good as dead. He quickly dons a plain, white button-up and some slacks (Did I wear this yesterday?)before grabbing his peacekeeping uniform and dashing out the door with a granola bar in his hand.

Luckily, the train's off-peak and he doesn't have to pay the normal ridiculous expense for transportation as he's whisked off towards his stop, five minutes away. It's just enough time to attempt to adjust his collar to cover the obvious bruise on his collarbone and for the old woman sitting across from him to narrow her eyes and turn back to her knitting. There's a note in his pants pocket - a phone number, by the looks of it, even accompanied by a slightly enticing winky face. What a fucking mess.

He can handle it though, it's just one late night clocking out, one late day clocking in. It's not the end of the world, and he's sure that someone else fucked up too, knowing his squad. He and Ymir won't be the only ones to waltz in late, and at this point he thinks Levi's just about given up on even caring. Or at least, he'll think that until he's punished for doing something really stupid, such as this.

The train stops and he quickly makes his escape, throwing the number in the trash can as he walks past. The entrance to HQ is just two minutes away, and with a light jog he makes his way to the conference room, waving quickly at Mina as she walks past ("Hi I'm late and also marked for slaughter see ya never"). As he rounds the corner he realizes he's walking right next to his partner in crime, and while a part of him is freaking the fuck out he can't help but smirk ever so slightly as he glances at her.

They enter right after Petra Ral, and immediately Ymir, ever the subtle one, blurts out their reason for tardiness.

"Sorry we're late, we got fucked up at a gay bar."

Well I mean it's true but you didn't have to say it like that.

[[nyte]]

her majesty Historia Reiss 

"Sorry Historia." Eren mumbles, taking a seat once more. My entire body relaxes, relief that a fight had dissipated upon the captain's reentrance. I keep my eyes downcast, the words growled by Heichou enough to cause the hair on the back of my next to stand on end. I was scared, not for myself, not for the mission that loomed ahead of us, but for my friend. Ymir still hadn't shown up. She'd yet to answer the message I left her, offering to head to work together. We were almost ready to depart for this mission and I hadn't caught hide nor hair of the tall brunette.

Levi Heichou was in a bad enough mood without her coming in late. I can't stand the thought of him yelling at her. She was a good soldier. Too good to be treated like that. I'm sure it was some unpreventable event that kept her from answering me. From giving me the simplest of answers. The pads of my fingers drumming silently against the table, trying to keep them from shaking. Heichou's plan seemed simple enough, be careful and don't play the hero. A hero was not a role I was used to, nor one that I wanted. Proving myself and no longer being a hindrance to the team was all I could ask for.

After the captain's voice had faded for only a split second, the door gives an unmistakable crash of wood against drywall, "Ym-" I begin, my lips starting to curl into a smile. The words catch in my throat, lost within the hurried apologies by Petra Ral. Ymir wasn't the only one late today, apparently. Heichou was going to be so angry... I was worried about them. All of them. Though my heart's brutal thrashing within my chest won't calm until Ymir-

Ymir?!. She stands beside Marco, looking almost as bad as I did the morning after we'd gone to drink. She's alive, though barely by the looks of it. As the attention had once shifted to Petra, it now focused to the two now putting themselves in the line of fire. I think someone is going to need to get the Captain a glass of water.. I'd heard no response from the man, but I was sure the bottle had been shaken one too many times today.

"Sorry we're late, we got fucked up at a gay bar." Her voice was smooth and soft, in the deep tones I'd come to love. Her words however, were sour. They made a deep... unpleasantness rise within my gut. My fists clench, jaw locking into place. She's perfectly entitled to go wherever she likes with whomever she likes. I force the thought into my mind, repeating it over and over as if it will tame the beast which has made its home within me. But would it kill her to answer a fudging phone call?!

If Heichou wasn't in the mood to scold Ymir, I'd gladly take on the burden. I'm not mad at her, what I am feeling most definitely isn't anger. I still adore her, she's still my best friend. But gosh darn Ymir, you had me worried something had happened! Yelling really isn't something I do often, but the urge to do so is quite strong right now.

My eyes find the deep purple mark upon Marco's skin. Even if I'd never kissed anyone, I knew exactly what that was. I could only wonder whether Ymir bore the same brands upon her body.

And ask myself why I'd care so much if she did.

[cass]

If there was anything that could make this day worse I would have said nothing. To be honest I didn’t even think my mood could get any fouler. But I was proved wrong; it seemed that the scum in front of me had an endless amount of ways up their sleeves to destroy me. The last time I was not scowling, glaring and growling at the little shits was a far off distant memory. I can’t even remember, it has been so long that I am almost certain my eyebrows have become permanently curved into that knitted scowl. I press a hand to the side of my face, my fingers push hard and I slowly rub it. A dull ache has sprung up behind my cold, fiery eyes. I was being driven insane by these stupid kids, by these stupid brats and their egos, hormones and puberty blues. At times I wanted out, I wanted to just leave and head out on my own. Or go back to headquarters and plead with Erwin to assign me somewhere else. Let me choose new people that weren’t so unreliable and annoying.

But then I had never pleaded for a thing in my life. And I had only ever broken once. I wouldn’t break a second time to Erwin Smith. No, before that ever happened there would be ten dead bodies and a blood-stained knife between my hands. I could do it, you know. Kill them all, it was save me a headache and a mountain filled with stress and anger. It would be just so simple… The only ones that would be difficult to off would be Mikasa and Petra. His strongest fighters, but aside from a little fight with those two none of them stood a chance. I close my eyes and I can see it all, the peace and the quite.

And then it is shattered.

Through the chaos already in the room I can hear it. The door opening, the huff and puff of a breathless being. And then the rapid footsteps of two more people. Fuck. Turning my head upwards I open my eyes.

”Oh for fucks sake.”

It was a scowl followed by a deep, disapproving glare of fiery rage that landed on Petra Ral. What the fuck was wrong with her? What the fuck was wrong with all of them? Petra, Marco and Ymir decide to stroll into the meeting babbling about some stupid piss ass excuse as to why they are – I glance down at my watch – an hour late. I’d expected more, and why had I done that? Because these people were supposed to be better then what I was seeing. It was hard to imagine why they were categorised as some of the most skilled fighters in Panem. They looked like shit rolling down a hill to me.

I stand up, hands placed firmly on the desk in front of me, air prickling with the fury that lay hidden beneath my cold gaze. My voice was deadly, ”get out. Ackerman, Arlert, Jager, Kristchein, Braus and Reiss with me. The rest of you get the fuck out of here. Go and clean out the stalls, and the ground and if, when I return, this place isn’t as fucking clean as I expect it to be I will kick you so hard up the ass there will be shit dribbling between your lips. Is that understood?”

Without waiting for a I remove my hands and spin around. I walk past them, giving each of them a cold, dead glare, daring them to even speak, because I was oh so ready to kill one of them. Fucking brats, fucking stupid little brats. I run I hand through my hair, before moving it down to the cravat, I straighten it, walking down the halls with calmness that could have fooled everyone. The little groups passes the Military Police and I spare them no attention, the man I had beaten was nowhere to be seen and had I not been so annoyed I probably would have grinned.

”Get your gear, we are leaving in ten minutes.”

{ you're the loser
i have the crown ;

[cass]

{ end of thread }