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rtnortherly · 3 days

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Here to ramble about my dos2 AU comic I’m planning (I’ll probably just title it Good Intentions with a subtitle or something) because I live for long meandering train of thought posts.

So, to start with, I’m low-key redesigning some smaller elements of Loke and Arboren’s looks. Arboren is already super off model (referring to his game look). He’s a Conjuror in-game and tends to have bulkier armour & a shield, whereas what I draw him in what probably would work best as some kinda mage armour, probably. That’s mostly because I get really overwhelmed by armour and how it layers and effects mobility and when I first started drawing Arboren I was even less confident with it (drawing my Elden Ring Tarnished has only helped a little).

I made a post about how he looks in-game versus how I draw him before but for illustrative purposes I’ll add the images here.

And for fun, here’s an old armour redesign I did based on the whole idea that he’s scavenging armour piecemeal and how you can craft stuff with shells and driftwood and stuff:

I still really like it as a look but realized very fast that there’s a lot of detail there that I didn’t want to have to draw every time. All things considered, his orange and green look can be broken down into a handful of different parts, which is much easier to navigate than all those shells. And that wheel shield, which I still think is dope but is a nightmare to visualize.

I also don’t tend to draw him with a wand, but given that I don’t draw in-game scenes much, it hasn’t really been needed. It’s only been recently while doing comic stuff I realized I’d have to think about it.

Anyway.

Recently I did the black and white two page thing and made some more changes. Nothing big. I just decided that I couldn't be chuffed to draw the driftwood arm guards (I'm still so sick you guys it has been brutal) so I went with one super long fingerless glove, and none on the other arm as to not interfere with the golden arm band I draw on Arboren (what is it there for when he's a poor escaped convict, you ask. For fashions I say. Because I love asymmetry.) Might decide to give a shorter wristlet or something for a bit more balance though, who can say.

And then, since I was messing with the outfit anyway, I did this rough sketch of Arboren with a head band solely because I'm always wrestling with drawing his hairline:

Realized after the fact that I didn't draw the horn headpiece that he has in-game, which isn't uncommon. I'm prone to leaving them out depending on how I feel. They clearly aren't part of elven biology, so I get confused about how they're attached?? Or if I'm reading the model wrong???

I'm not right?

But it did get me to thinking: this is an au. I could just give the elves fun little satyr/faun horns. To compensate for the fact that I never draw the (really so so cool and I do love it as a feature) skin texture they have that kinda gives them that wooden look?? Y'all know what I mean? I never draw that because, again, that's a detail I knew I would have a hard time replicating repeatedly (it's not being lazy, it's being "efficient". yeah).

Did I consider going full crazy person mode and just making them some kinda faun/satyr? Yes. Have I completely given up on the idea... not entirely. Will I maybe doodle that when I'm done with this? Tempting. Because If I'm going au... why not go ham with it?

Which brings me to some plot things. And this is really just me "talking out loud" so to speak, so I can get things straight in my head. Y'all are being my rubber ducks or whatever.

So, years ago now, I actually started to draw out panels of my fanfic. Mostly just the segments that focus more on Loke and Arboren, and I got part way through fully colouring it and my will died.

^Proof

I kept all the plans which was a large segment of chapter one, and now, having done aforementioned black and white things which is from chapter three, I have a large chunk of that chapter too (I planned way more panels than I needed but that was all mentioned in another post. Or at least the first part of it before the two really get in the weeds talking.

So that made me think I wanted to say heck to heck, why don't I just cave and start making a comic about these two? I've only been dancing around the idea for the last Two Years or whatever. I know I have Uncanny in the Grove going on at the moment, and a million other things I want to do, and UitG at least I think I can keep on doing alongside its illustrations on top of a side comic thing. It's just... I keep coming back to these two, anyway. I know what I want from drawing them so I'm not going to do the thing I always do where I get bogged down by the design of the characters while I have a plot just waiting for me to get my shit together. Like, I know these two and they give me joy to draw so i might as well just stick to it. especially now that I'm wrangling things down to a more simple style that I could maybe manage long term.

To reiterate a point, I made in a previous post... somewhere... here or on bluesky idk, this is an AU which won't involve Source, or Godwoken or Sourcerers or any of that. While I love fan fiction I've never been very good at just... retelling a plot that has already happened. Even the written drabble series I have for them always took place, like, off-screen of the game if that makes sense. The only really tie over was Loke's pejudice and background as a Magister, and Arboren's role as someone victimized by the Magister's so it feel feasible to me. I just... as far as plots go, that feels like a very big one, unless I literally just illustrate moments in time outside the canon game plot as I have been doing in my written fic. But to do that I'd actually have to finish the game (I will eventually I'm just really bad at playing games consistently) and I know myself well enough to know that if I put even one more step than absolutely necessary between me and a thing, it starts feeling insurmountable.

Now how do you write about these two when the entire premise of their relationship is that Loke is deluded by "duty" and a mob-like fear/superstition, and Arboren is viscerally unwilling to be imprisoned and violated by a system which is so corrupt it isn't even funny.

But transplanting Loke's duty and delusion (the fact that it was Source never felt super intrinsic to his character, more that bad things were happening in the world and his fear made him make dumb uninformed choices and he got all weird and fanatical about it which... its never really about the reason in those situations, just the reaction) onto some other problem, and by focussing down on the kind situation the elves were in. The whole lore surrounding the elves in dos2 was super fascinating to me (MY DUDES WERE FORCE FED PERSON MEAT TO UNCOVER ENEMY SECRETS IN HORRIFIC BASTARDIZATION OF A SACRED PRACTICE WHAT THE FU-).

Now... I've got some ideas. The issue is that it'll be a stretch to make it fit with all the comic stuff that I have already roughly drawn. Which was the whole reason I even came around to doing this. So. IDK, maybe I'll just line those out and post them and be done with it (I don't wanna some of them are already coloured) maybe I'll let it be another side project that I work on sporadically and update once in a blue moon like the mermaid au. Maybe I shall embrace the oldest and most noble of Drawfee sayings and Delete My Art and just start afresh. Who can say? Not me. That would require decisiveness lol.

In the meantime I'm going to go draw Arboren as a Satyr/faun and consider other ways I can skew this even more into AU because I have zero restraint.

#rt rambles #good intentions #arboren and loke #writing stuff #art stuff

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stivya · 3 years

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I love them your honor

#i know this looks like two other sketch pages i already posted but they're so fun to make #plus i drew jasnah and rlain this time #jasnah kholin my beloved #cosmere #stormlight archive #kaladin stormblessed #adolin kholin #shallan davar #jasnah kholin #renarin kholin #rlain #veil #sylphrena #rlainarin #fanart #my art

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bookshelfdreams · 2 years

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what's UP i wanna talk abt the pirate show some more, bear with me

so in connection with this post and also this ask I've gotten, I really want to talk about Stede's and Mary's marriage a bit. Specifically how Stede being fucked up the way he is lead to the marriage being so shitty, and the short conversation scene from ep4.

I have seldom seen two people interpret the same conversation so widely differently. They're talking but they're absolutely failing to communicate.

Before we go in, some basics about both of them. Mary is, all things considered, probably a pretty normal, well-adjusted person. She's not very enthusiastic about her marriage but she's not violently opposed to it either. She doesn't have any romantic notions; she knows this may well end every dream she ever hoped to achieve. And I think we need to acknowledge that she's very justified in being wary of Stede. She doesn't know anything about him; and she doesn't have any way to protect herself, not really, should he turn out to be a dick. He could be emotionally or physically abusive. He could gamble away all their money; he could plunge her into poverty. She has no idea what to expect of him but she knows he would be capable of thoroughly fucking her over.

But! She's also not meeting Stede in bad faith, not really. From the very beginning we can see her reaching out to him. She takes his hand at their wedding; they're a team now, for better or worse. Yes, she doesn't love him, but that doesn't mean they can't become friends in time, yk? She's probably seen loveless marriages play out in her social circle and she knows she can make this work.

Now Stede. Stede is, as I've mentioned, decidedly not well adjusted. "I thought I could marry for love", he says and what he means is: I thought I could find someone who would love me, one day. His father sneers at this; "Peasants marry for love" because in their social class marriage is a business contract above everything else. But Stede, who all his life has been told that he's defective and unworthy, hears "Shut the fuck up, no one could ever love you". He's so used to being met with disdain and disgust, he doesn't consider a marriage where, even if there's no romantic love, they could still respect and value each other. So when they meet, he already knows Mary isn't super excited about this all and he takes it to mean she just despises him like everyone else.

Just look at this shot.

This is them having their wedding picture taken sketched.

He's so careful not to touch her; to perform closeness without actually subjecting her to it. He's trying to be respectful of her and to keep himself as far away as possible. You can almost hear his thoughts here: "I know you don't want me here, this will be over soon".

But it comes off as "I can't even bear to touch you". From her point of view, Stede can't stand her presence, not even performatively, not even a few minutes.

Ok. This is the actual wedding.

Seldom have I seen two people so much on the same page about anything. Neither of them wants to be there! It's almost comical how much you'd expect this to work. It should be the easiest thing in the world for them to have an honest conversation about their respective needs and expectations.

And Mary knows this. As soon as she sees Stede's face she takes his hand, and I read that as an expression of support. She's showing him that they're in this together, they can make this work.

But. Communication turns out to be impossible.

The next time we see them, he's reading and she's drinking. "Will you please play with your children",she says and means: Show an interest in your family. Because they cannot talk to each other and I hate to say it but it's mostly Stede's fault. He keeps himself closed off because he's learned early on that he is repulsive and if he opens up, he's gonna get hurt.

So he doesn't. So he rejects any attempt at connection.

And Mary keeps reaching out! She shows him the painting and it's genuinely lovely art, thoughtful and a piece of her. She opens up; she's saying "I made a promise to you and I still want to make this work, work with me".

Stede, though, doesn't realize that what she's doing. He asks if the children made the painting not because he dislikes it (he loves it in fact) but because he doesn't consider the possibility that this is Mary, trying to make a connection. He's closing up on her, again and again, and doesn't even realize that's what he's doing. He honestly doesn't consider that she wants to connect to him! That she wants, needs to be his friend!

He thinks she's disgusted with him, but she isn't, not at first, and not for many years. Mary only becomes frustrated when it looks like Stede is deliberately disregarding her needs and her feelings again and again, for seemingly no reason other than sheer dislike.

(And the scene with the boat model is similar, but I'm gonna skip that since this post is too long as is)

And the conversation this post was supposed to be about is where this all culminates and laid bare for everyone to see.

"I know you're unhappy", Mary says. "I'm unhappy too."

She's still trying to connect. She's admitting to being unhappy to show Stede she understands and moreover, that they're on the same boat. That there is common ground, and that it doesn't have to be this way if they can just talk about it.

But Stede's first instinct is to deny it and immediately push her away. "I'm not unhappy" is an obvious lie. But. The thing is. Stede doesn't recognize this as an attempt at solving their problems. He's not really hearing her.

Because what he's been taught is "Your feelings are shameful and you should not have them". And "Whenever you reach out to someone, they will hurt you". And "Nobody could ever care for you".

And with these core assumptions, when Mary tells him she hears him cry sometimes, he doesn't read that as sympathetic even though that's clearly how it's meant.

He reads it as a scolding and a threat.

And so he denies it. He refuses to talk to her. Mary's frustration at this is palpable but she's still so patient about it; she really wants to solve this! She can't go on living like this and she doesn't want him to go on living like this, either. She begs him to listen.

"We wouldn't have chosen each other, not in a million years" and again, it's meant to establish common ground. But Stede hears "You're repulsive" because that's all he ever hears. He can't bear to hear it; he refuses to engage her and he pretends to fall asleep.

This flashback scene is introduced by Stede feverishly mumbling "I was a coward" and he was. He is scared to the death of emotional honesty and openness, because (like all people who believe themselves to be deeply, irrevocably terrible) he's scared to be found out. He is scared to be seen as he truly is, because as soon as he lets anyone see his true self, they're gonna hurt him. That's what's always happened in the past.

And it's different with Ed, because. Well.

First of all, this:

And (arguably) more importantly, this:

Spot the difference :)

Anyway that's a different post, I'm getting off track.

The point is. Stede eventually makes it back, and Mary is over it. She tried. She really, really tried, and she's done. She's done begging for a conversation Stede has shown her time and time again he's not willing to have.

The irony is, that once she decides that she's done trying to solve this peacefully, they can actually, finally talk to each other! And wouldn't you know. They're on the same page! She's happy for him. Because despite everything else, she does care for Stede and she wants him to be happy.

The face of a woman who couldn't be prouder of her dumbass husband.

So yeah. Communication is key, and abysmal self-esteem will make you hurt the people around you.

Thank you ofmd for reminding us to be nice to ourselves so we can be nice to others.

#accidentally wrote 1.5k of analysis whoops #its!! a good show!#our flag means death #stede bonnet #mary bonnet #thoughts

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randomposterofstuff · 2 years

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Soldiers by Choice - Chapter IX

Author's Note: Hi, all! So, I'd just like to inform you guys that I made some small tweaks in the previous chapters. But I didn't make any major changes. The details I added and/or changed don't impact the storyline or the plot, so there's no cause for concern on that score. Lol.

I also changed that time-stamp format. For better clarity, the format is this: Current Year (Current Month) [e.g. Year 847 (11th Month)]

Anyway, here's Chapter 9! Hope that you like it!

Tumblr Chapters List can be found here.

Also available on Ao3! Please feel free to leave your comments and thoughts on that site! Check out the "Archive of Our Own" tab on my page to go to the site!

Chapter 9: Letters, Sketches, and Guns

Summary: Levi writes to his mother about the upcoming break. Meanwhile, Hange and Moblit make an usual discovery while they're on another research expedition. At the Cadets Corps Headquarters, Bertolt Hoover is asked for shooting advice.

Year 847 (11th Month)

---

Dear Mother,

I am doing well, and so is Mikasa. I’m also looking forward to seeing you and the old man during the Yuletide break. I’ll be departing for Mitras on the last day of the second week of next month. I'll catch a morning ferry, so you can expect me before noontime on that day.

And speaking of Mikasa, she told me that she won’t be able to come with me when I return to the clan compound. She and her parents have planned to spend the break in Orvud, and she will travel directly to the district to meet them there. She apologizes for being unable to accept your invitation for dinner and hopes to meet you at some other time.

I hope that you two are also doing well. I will see you both in less than a month.

Your son,

Levi

Levi has just finished signing the letter when the door to their office opens.

“Are you ready to go?” Mikasa asks as she enters.

“Just about.” He says while giving the letter a once-over.

“A letter to your mother?”

Levi nods. "Yeah. I'm going to drop this at the post office while we're in town." He replies, giving the letter a once-over.

Mikasa moves to sit on the divan as she waits for him to finish his task. “Did you mention that I couldn’t accept her invitation?”

“I did.” He confirms while taking out an envelope from his drawer.

Yesterday, Levi had received a letter from his mother. The Ackerman matriarch had written that she was looking forward to seeing her son during the break and that she would like Mikasa to join them for dinner when they return to Mitras.

Mikasa had been delighted at the invitation but unfortunately had to decline. The week before, she and her parents had written to each other to confirm their plans for the break. They agreed that they'd meet one another at Orvud instead of assembling at their estate in Mitras to save time. Had the invitation been for another occasion and at another time, she would have happily accepted.

She fidgets with the knot of her cravat as she watches him scrawl the name and address on the back of the envelope. “I really am sorry for snubbing her invite.”

“You’re not snubbing her." He comments while placing some wax on the envelope to seal it. "You already made plans with your parents, and you haven't seen them in a long time. I understand.”

The Survey Corps had been working relentlessly to get back on its feet after the breach of Wall Maria during the middle of the year 845 and the failed operation to retake it in 846 – and that meant forsaking their usual leave during the Yuletide season during the said years. But now that things have calmed down a bit and they have a working strategy, everyone in the regiment is looking forward to the break; it's an opportunity to get real rest, revive morale, and reconnect with loved ones.

Levi knows how much Mikasa is looking forward to reuniting with her parents, and no one can blame anyone for wanting to see their families again.

He stamps the wax before looking up to face her. “And my mother will understand too. Don’t worry about it.”

Mikasa relaxes at his assurance. “I promise that I’ll make it up to her. I really do wish to meet her soon.”

Levi smiles a bit. “I’m going to hold you to that.” He then lets a few moments pass to let the wax dry. Once it is, he places it in his satchel.

“Okay, I’m good to go.” He announces as he rises from his desk. “Let’s hope that they have stocks of bleach this time around.”

Mikasa makes an amused sound; she remembers how displeased he was when their local retail goods supplier didn't have any bleach the last time they went on a supply run.

“Don’t worry. If they don’t, we’ll just make my mother’s cleanser again.” She remarks as she stands up and slings her own bag over her shoulder.

He smirks. “What will I ever do without you?”

She mirrors his expression. “Oh, you’d be completely lost.” She quips as they exit the office.

---

Through the glass of his telescope, Moblit observes as a 10-meter Titan wanders aimlessly around the ruins of the Nivas district.

On the floors above and below him, other members of the Research division are likewise peering through the windows of the 30-meter tower to watch the movements of different Titans.

Behind the Executive Officer is his Section Commander who is rummaging through copies of old records of Titan sightings dating back to several decades ago. The Titan-scientist sits on an old desk in the middle of the room and is currently comparing their most recent observations with past accounts made by the Survey Corps soldiers who had preceded them.

Moblit’s eye continues to trail the 10-meter’s movement through his telescope. Holding the telescope stand with one hand while moving the actual scope with the other, he watches as it passes by other Titans until it reaches a gangly-looking 12-meter.

The Executive Officer lets out a surprised sound when he watches the 10-meter place its head on the shoulder of the taller Titan. His astonishment increases when he sees the 12-meter wrapping its arms around the shorter Titan.

“Section Commander!” He calls out, telescope and eye still trained on the two embracing Titans. “You have to see this!”

Some papers rustle and fly off the table as the Titan-scientist immediately goes running to his side.

“See what?!” They squeal as they grab a spare collapsible telescope from the nearby supply bag.

Moblit gives them a few directions to follow his line of sight. “Do you see it now?”

Hange gasps as they take in the sight of the hugging Titans; the two giants continue to embrace while other Titans walk past them. “They’re holding each other!” Their shoulders start to tremble with excitement. “It’s as if they’re comforting each other!”

The Section Commander then holds the telescope to their chest with both arms. “It’s such a beautiful sight, don’t you think, Moblit?!” They exclaim, cheeks flushed. “The Titans are exhibiting empathic human-like behavior!”

Still peering through the telescope, Moblit grabs a pen and paper pad and starts to draw the sight. “Yes, Section Commander.”

Hange laughs gleefully. “Aberrants have exhibited degrees of intelligence before but never emotional capacity!”

They then dash back towards the desk and begin writing. “This is the Research team’s first major breakthrough!”

The pen strokes of the Titan-scientist can barely match the pace of their continuous monologue. “Since the establishment of the Research division, we’ve only observed typical Titan behavior! We’ve seen some minor nuances among Titans, such as delayed reaction time and total lack of response on some occasions. But nothing as remarkable as this!”

Hange flips onto another page to continue writing, their strokes becoming even more frantic. “The display of empathetic behavior connotes the possibility of having other emotions. Is it possible that Titans also feel anger? Do they feel furious whenever one of their own is slain by us? What serves as emotional stimuli for them? What could have caused one Titan to seek comfort from another?”

At this point, the ink of their pen starts to bleed through the paper. “How is it that the other Titan is cognizant of the other’s possible emotional pain? This type of cognizance indicates intelligence that goes beyond mere survival instincts.”

Their voice starts to become more excited and more frustrated at the same time. “While this is a major breakthrough, more studies need to be conducted. This singular instance is not enough to determine the full extent of their emotional and intellectual capacity. If the Survey Corps can definitively determine a consistent behavioral pattern, then such knowledge would be invaluable in the fight against the Titans.”

As the Section Commander continues to speak about how the discovery is a great stride in humanity’s quest to vanquish the Titans, Moblit continues to capture the Titans on paper, shifting his attention from the telescope’s eye and to the sketch pad every now and then.

As he continues to draw, he notes with ongoing astonishment that the taller Titan now appears to be slowly patting the head of the other one.

Once he's done, he stands up and presents his finished sketch. “I’ve sketched the Titans for our records.”

Hange abruptly pauses in their writing and practically snatches the sketch pad from his outstretched hands.

“Moblit…” They say as their goggled eyes scan every inked line and curve of the drawing, “… this is so accurate… and so beautiful!”

He makes a partly exasperated sigh at the adoring way his superior looks at the illustration before picking up the pieces of paper that had fluttered to the floor.

While he re-arranges the pages in chronological order – which proves to be quite challenging since they aren’t numbered, he looks over the Section Commander’s latest writings.

He scans the initial analyses penned in hurried scribbles; as his eyes read the passage about emotional capacity, the image of the 12-meter patting the head of the 10-meter comes to his mind.

Moblit stops reading mid-sentence as an idea occurs to him.

"Section Commander…" He calls out to his superior, who's still gaping at the sketch, “I’d like to relay my take on this recent discovery.”

"Go on," Hange says, even though their eyes are still trained on the drawing.

“As you said, embracing is a display of empathetic behavior.” He begins to explain while compiling the papers on the desk, “And that it also connotes emotional capacity. While I was still sketching, I noticed that the taller Titan kept patting the head of the other one. It makes me think that the two could be familiar with each other.”

At that, the Titan-scientist snaps their head up towards him.

"Are you suggesting that they may be friends?”

He nods. “I am. And if they do have some sort of connection, then it could mean that Titans can form bonds with another.”

Hange gasps as they process the analysis. “That’s definitely an angle worth exploring!” Their eyes bulge as numerous possibilities and implications run through their mind. “We should make that a priority point of examination in our future research excursions!”

Without warning, Hange abruptly moves forward to wrap their arms around him. “Moblit, you are a genius!” They squeal giddily, “Thank you!”

Moblit yelps as he momentarily staggers backward before regaining his balance. “Section Commander, a little warning would be nice!”

The Titan-scientist merely laughs before raising their head to face the Executive Officer.

“But seriously, though. Thank you.” They say in a much calmer tone. “Everyone in the Research team is great, and so is everyone in our main combat Division. But not everyone has the willpower to keep up with me when it comes to studying Titans.”

Hange then gives him a smile, and Moblit notes that it’s not their usual near-manic grin that they make whenever they discuss Titans. “I don’t think I say it enough, but I really do appreciate your patience with me, Moblit. I’m really glad that I have you.”

The Executive Officer’s exasperated demeanor softens at that.

“Of course, Section Commander. I may not share your… enthusiasm,” he says after thinking of an appropriate term to use, “but I do strongly agree with you that having a better understanding of Titans is vital to eliminating them.”

The Titan-Scientist squeezes his shoulders in appreciation. “I’m glad that I can count on you.”

After a moment, their zealousness returns to their features, and they move back to their desk. “Our patience finally paid off!”

Moblit finds himself smiling at that. Every research expedition always entailed the same thing: observing Titans from the tower for several hours every day until the last day allotted for the expedition. Fortunately, each research excursion doesn’t last more than 5 days – even Hange understands that watching Titans for prolonged periods of time is impractical given that the giants don’t usually exhibit significantly odd behavior on most days.

It's tedious most of the time. Yet, everyone in the Research division understands the significance of their work.

Hange starts to jot down more notes. “Mikasa’s plan for us made this possible! Oh, I’ll have to share the good news with her and Levi when we get back! Maybe they can even help me come up with an idea to capture a Titan alive for closer observation!”

The smile on Moblit’s face disappears as his jaw practically drops to the floor. “Section Commander, one crazy idea at a time!”

---

Bullets ring in quick succession as he aims and shoots. He keeps his grip on the rifle steady as he quickly strides sideways, eyes locked on the centers of each target in front of him.

The task becomes harder as each successive target is placed several yards away from the last. But he doesn't falter. The thought of his ailing father helps him time each shot perfectly, ensuring that each bullet is right on the mark.

When he hits the last target, the instructor blows their whistle. He stands in attention when Commander Magath inspects the results of his work.

Once done, the Commander approaches him. Once his superior stops a few feet before him, he raises his right hand, palm facing outward, in salute. At the officer’s nod, he places it down.

“Well done, Hoover.” The Commander announces. “Your marksmanship is extraordinary. You hit every target in the center without fail. If you continue to perform like this, you will be able to serve Marley well in due time. You are closer to absolving yourself of the sins of your ancestors."

His classmates, who had been watching the entire time, erupt in applause. They murmur praises and make comments that they too could do as well as him.

“It will be my honor to serve Marley, Commander Magath, sir!” He proclaims, right hand raised in salute once again.

---

“Bertolt was amazing today!” Reiner exclaims to the vendor as they buy some cream-coated bread. “He got the top marks during our shooting class!”

The woman behind the stall smiles as she gives each boy a large loaf. “Is that so? Well, I’m sure that old Mr. Hoover will be especially proud of you, Bertolt.” She directs her attention to the taller of the two.

Bertolt merely smiles. “I just did what I had to do.” He replies before his eyes take in the array of stalls and booths lining up the sidewalks of Liberio’s streets. “I see that all of you are already preparing for the Yuletide festival, Mrs. Grice.”

“We're really excited about it!” Reiner says as he chews on his bread. “I can’t wait to try all the games and all the food!”

“Our break starts in two days, Reiner.” Bertolt points out, amused. “I think you can wait until then.”

---

An hour after sundown finds the two Warrior candidates parting ways when they leave to go back to their respective homes.

After making a few turns, Bertolt eventually reaches the front door of their humble abode.

“I’m home!” He announces as he unslings his bag.

“Bertolt!” An older man’s voice rings throughout the hall before his elderly father comes out of his room. “I’ve been waiting for you for years!”

Bertolt laughs at the joke. “Oh, come on, Dad. I'm only half an hour late! Reiner and I just wanted to stop by the main plaza to see how the festival preparations were going."

“You’ve been gone for years!” His father keeps saying, as if he didn’t hear him. “Commander Magath told us that they couldn’t disclose the details of your mission no matter how much me, Mrs. Braun, and Mr. Leonhart begged.”

The older man sighs before a weary smile forms on his lips.

“But that doesn’t matter now. What matters is that you’re finally home and that you did your duty to Marley!”

Bertolt could only stare at his father in confusion. And if he wasn’t perplexed already, the weather outside their window rapidly changes: one second, it was fair weather; the next, it was an unforgiving storm, and then it suddenly toned down to a gentle downpour.

---

The moment he opens his eyes, he sees Eren, Jean, and Connie arguing. Behind them are the other cadets of their division.

As he blinks the sleep away, Bertolt wonders why they are all upside-down.

"I'm telling you guys that there's going to be a storm!" Eren says. "I mean, his legs are propped up against the wall!

“Yeah, but they’re crossed!” Jean counters. “I still say that it’s the ‘fair weather’ position. But I’m willing to concede that it might be cloudy today at most.”

Connie re-joins the conversation. "I'm willing to meet you guys halfway by saying that there's going to be a mild drizzle. I mean, his head is turned to the side."

Since he is still gathering his bearings, it took listening to their arguments for Bertolt to realize that he must have ended up in another odd sleeping position again.

“Actually, his head isn’t turned to the side anymore.” Armin chimes in, looking at their fellow cadet with an apologetic smile. “Good morning, Bertolt.”

Bertolt blinks once before the image of his family’s living room is replaced by the men’s barracks of the Southern Division’s Cadet Corps Headquarters.

“Morning, guys.” He finally says.

---

“Alright, Braus!” Commandant Shadis shouts. “Let’s see how you did.”

Sasha stands in attention as the Commandant moves to the front of the shooting range to examine the targets she shot at.

All the cadets watch as their superior walks by each target, jotting down notes on his clipboard to give each hit a corresponding score. Once he passes by the last target, he walks towards Sasha, who stands even straighter.

“You hit each target dead in the center!” The Commandant announces loudly for everyone to hear. “You get full marks! Good work, Braus!”

Sasha puffs her chest proudly as the other cadets behind cheer and clap. “Thank you, Sir!” She raised her right fist to her chest in salute.

Shadis nods in acknowledgment before dismissing her. Once his assistant officers have replaced all the used targets with new ones, he calls the next cadet on his list. “Hoover! You’re next!”

Bertolt moves forward to the racks where fully loaded rifles stand. Grabbing one, he makes his way to the starting line at the farthest left of the shooting range. He then lifts his rifle, eyes trained on the first target.

“On my signal!” The Commandant announces as he raises his whistle to his lips. He lets a few seconds pass before he blows it.

Bertolt immediately fires the moment he hears it. His long legs stride at a quick pace as he locks onto the center of each succeeding target before shooting his mark.

The other cadets watch with wide eyes and even gaping mouths as they watch their tall, dark-haired classmate practically run while simultaneously landing shots onto each target regardless of how far away it is.

When he finishes, Bertolt quietly stands in attention while waiting for the Commandant to inspect his work.

Shadis merely looks at the targets in subdued shock before he snaps out of his stupor.

“Alright, Hoover!” He addresses the cadet. “You finished quickly, but let’s see how accurate your shots were!”

The officer then marches towards the targets to examine the targets, scribbling a score for each hit.

He then returns to the other side of the firing lane, eyes still trained on his clipboard.

“Hoover!” Shadis calls out once he raises his head. "Not only were you able to finish this shooting course faster than anyone I’ve ever seen, but you also managed to hit every target in the center!”

The cadets in the back clap and cheer again, although there are more awed murmurs than earlier.

“Good work!” The Commandant continues. “If you keep this up, you’ll definitely be an asset to humanity!”

On reflex, Bertolt promptly raises his right arm. But as he is about to open his hand, he suddenly realizes his mistake and encloses it into a fist before stiffly placing it over his chest.

Shadis raises a brow slightly at the awkward movement of his arm but doesn’t comment on it.

"It will be an honor to fight for humanity, Sir!" The moment the words leave his mouth, he feels a hollow ache in his chest.

---

“Did you see how fast he was?!” Connie remarks, voice clearly awe-struck. “I’ve never seen anyone shoot and run that quickly before!”

“Bertolt was incredible!” Sasha concurs, plain admiration evident on her face. “I wish I could go as fast as him!”

As the others around him continue to make praises, Reiner frowns at his friend’s near mistake; he had nearly performed the Marleyan salute. Reiner briefly muses that even he had executed the full salute, no one else would have even understood its significance except for him, Bertolt, and Annie. Nonetheless, it was still concerning.

“Hey, Reiner!” Eren calls out to the broad-shouldered blonde. “Did Bertolt go hunting a lot when you guys were kids?”

“Hm?” Reiner hums distractedly before turning to the green-eyed recruit. “Oh, yeah. Bert’s always been a natural with a gun.”

---

“Bertolt, you were amazing!”

The cadet in question looks up when he sees Sasha making her way towards him. Behind her are Eren, Armin, Jean, Marco, and Connie.

“Thanks, Sasha.” Bertolt smiles at the compliment.

“Seriously though, you were really great out there!” Connie adds as they join Bertolt and Reiner at their table.

The morning had turned into noon, and now, they will have lunch outside before the afternoon leg of their training starts.

“Reiner here said that you used to go hunting when you were younger as well.” The Braus girl continues to engage him in conversation, her eyes rapt with curiosity. “Did you always use a gun, or did you use a bow and arrow, too?

"Oh, I just stuck to my guns," Bertolt says with a slight laugh. “Our hometown was always more big on them.”

Sasha grins at the response. “Well, cheers to us hunters for doing well in the shooting course!” She lifts a hand and offers it to him. “Up top!”

The dark-haired cadet briefly hesitates but eventually slaps his palm against hers. “Up top!”

“Say, Bertolt…” Jean starts to say as the other cadet lowers his right arm. “What was up with your arm earlier?”

The question causes Bertolt to silently berate himself for almost performing the wrong salute after nearly a year of being a soldier instead of a Warrior.

“Oh…” He trails off as he thinks of a plausible excuse, “My arm cramped up a bit earlier.” He says, half-embarrassed at how awkward it sounds.

“W-what?” The question comes out as a laugh from Jean.

Reiner gauges the similarly mildly amused reactions of the others. Thankfully, they have no reason to not believe it, and Bertolt’s embarrassed tone only gives the excuse more credibility.

“I keep telling you, Bert.” The broad-shouldered blonde interjects, helping with the ruse, “You should spend more time stretching your arms.”

“Yeah!” Connie re-joins the conversation. “You spend way too much time working on your legs! It’s not like you need to get taller!

Everyone turns to the shaven-headed cadet with incredulous and even more amused-looking looks.

“Connie… stretching your legs won't make you taller," Marco says tentatively.

“I know that! But the straighter you stand, the taller you look!” Connie exclaims, “And Bertolt is tall enough as it is!”

Everyone at the table laughs, including Bertolt, who feels relieved at the re-direction of the conversation.

“Anyway… Sasha, Bertolt…” Armin begins once the laughter toned down. “Eren and I wanted to ask if you guys could give us some shooting pointers during the free period before dinner time.”

“Why would you guys want shooting pointers?” Connie asks, looking surprised and confused. “It’s not like you’re gonna fight Titans with rifles.”

Eren nods his head. “That’s true. But Reiner taught us that a soldier should be prepared for anything.” He explains, looking at their burly classmate with a small grin. “Because you never know what kind of situation you might find yourself in.”

Some weeks ago, while he was practicing offensive hand-to-hand combat techniques with Armin and Reiner under the watchful eye of their Commandant, the brunette cadet made negative comments about undergoing training exercises unrelated to Titan combat.

In response, Reiner had chastised him for his dismissive attitude while lecturing him that a soldier must be well-equipped under any circumstances. And what drove the point home for him was Reiner’s statement that a person who can’t defend themself can’t defend others. It was then that he decided to take those words to heart.

Eren’s obvious determination and quiet enthusiasm coaxes a smile from Reiner. “I’m glad to see that you’re taking my advice seriously.”

“Of course!” Eren grins even more widely, encouraged by the show of approval, “You’re the best cadet here! I’d be an idiot not to listen to you!”

The broad-shouldered cadet lets out a laugh. “Well, it’s definitely good that you’re working hard with that kind of mindset.”

“Well, when you guys put it like that, I want in!” Connie says. “After all, shooting is gonna come in handy when I join the Military Police!”

“Hmmm.” Jean hums contemplatively as he rubs his chin thoughtfully. “I’m already a pretty good shot.” He comments lightly. “But I suppose sharpening my aim couldn’t hurt. Especially if it gives me an edge as an MP.”

Eren rolls his eyes. “You know, Jean, you could just say that you want to join us.”

Jean’s eye twitches slightly in annoyance. “Oh, just let me brag every now and then, Eren.”

“Oh, please. I let you do that every day.”

"Now, hold on." Marco intercedes. "Sasha and Bertolt haven’t even agreed to anything yet.” He points out, noting that their best shooters had yet to get a word in.

“I wouldn’t mind sharing some tips!” Sasha says cheerily. “Plus, I could definitely learn something from Bertolt, too. I could use some advice on how to gain more speed without compromising accuracy!” She adds as she turns to him. “So, how about it, Bertolt?”

Bertolt looks at their eager and expectant faces, and he finds himself unable to turn them down.

“Sure.” Although he offers another smile, it’s strained at the edges.

Thankfully, no one notices except for Reiner.

After a few more minutes, the cooks arrive with their lunch and call for everyone to line up for their meals.

Sasha immediately dashes to the serving table while everyone else moves at a more moderate pace.

“Aren’t you guys coming?” Marco looks at Reiner and Bertolt who remain sitting.

“We’ll wait until the lines shorten," Reiner replies, gesturing to the long queues.

Once they’re alone at the table, Reiner heaves a deep sigh and places a hand on Bertolt’s shoulder. When the latter turns his head, Reiner levels him with a concerned and understanding look.

“I miss our hometown too.” The blonde states, having deduced the reason for his old friend’s near slip-up earlier. “And I know that it’s getting harder; I’m also getting tired.” He admits quietly. “But we can’t stop now. We’ve come this far.”

Mina, Thomas, and some other cadets hear him as they pass by with plates of food but don't think twice about his words.

Yet, Bertolt, knowing what they really mean, takes a deep breath to internally steady himself.

“I know, Reiner.”

---

End Note: Okay, so I'd like to apologize to anyone who was hoping that Mikasa would meet Kuchel in this chapter. I'm sorry for letting you guys down. But I promise that they will meet eventually! Hehe.

So, this chapter has three (3) storylines: the RivaMika storyline, the Hange-researching storyline, and the 104th storyline. I know that it might seem like a lot for just one chapter. But I really wanted to start delving into the other important aspects of the AOT universe to build up what I have in mind for the second part of this series. (But the series is mainly RivaMika-centric. Hahaha.) Again, it's gonna take time for me to really flesh-out my ideas. So, please bear with me and my irregular updates. Hahahuhu.

Please let me know what you think! Also, happy holidays in advance!

#rivamika #levimika #levi x mikasa #mikasa x levi

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