Hidden 7 yrs ago Post by Marlowe
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Marlowe Exiled Moondrinker

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Olivia Zesiger

Interacting with: Tanner @Aquanthe, Sano @QT


Crap, could Tanner really see right through her? The hot coal in her stomach only burned stronger. She was pretty sure that she was blushing by now, but her friend's words soothed her somewhat. He would be willing to teach her. The thought only made her more self-conscious. She really was that bad at fighting, wasn't she? But a friendly face holding out a hand towards her in her time of need made her appreciate Tanner's suggestion. Olivia's smile remained on her features nevertheless. "I'll take you up on that offer, Tanner," she laughed, sounding slightly more light-hearted than before. But before she could say anything else, the pairs had switched, and she found herself facing a new opponent.

It was that guy from the cafeteria. The one who Reese said looked weird. Even though he was rather interesting, his smile made her grin only grow further. At least Sano was nice, and she would not have to worry about dealing with someone who wouldn't think twice about kicking her ass. She waved to Tanner before turning back towards him. "I'm always ready," she answered his inquiry, placing herself in front of him. Noticing his stance, she saw that he was intending on taking the offensive. The girl thought back to how Tanner had protected himself from her blows and kept herself light on her feet. Her eyes watched him carefully; if she relied on speed and wit, maybe she would actually be able to beat Sano. "What are you waiting for?" she taunted playfully.
Hidden 7 yrs ago Post by QT
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QT The Vacuum Detective

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Sano Takeshi

@Ambra

Olivia's attitude and charisma amused Sano, demanding his smile to remain plastered on his face - a gesture he's learned to detest in the last couple of years. To this new set tone, Sano decided to begin the match with some light jabs, keeping Olivia at arms length and outside his circle of defense. In retrospect, Olivia attempted to use her speed to evade the blows, but her head movement and footwork were not technically sound. He tapped her arm with a majority of his jabs, hitting the forearms that were raised to protect her head.

"Bend at the knees and hips, you're standing straight up and only moving your feet. Change levels, be unpredictable," he instructed, trying to coach Olivia through some basic movements. Changing up his own combinations, Sano started throwing crosses and hooks, keeping Olivia as busy as possible as Schulz was at the corner of his eye. With no strength behind his fist, Olivia was absent danger, but would need technique to remain completely unscathed.

"You're shorter than me, so I'm using that against you just like your opponent would. With my longer reach I'm keeping you outside, keeping you on the defense. You've got to close that distance, shoot for the takedown. Next jab I throw I want you to lower your level, come underneath and attack my center," he instructed, throwing the jab instantly after speaking.

Olivia followed, coming under his left arm and springing against his hips. The tackle forced Sano a couple of steps back, trying to regain his balance from the initial impact. "GOOD!" He exclaimed proudly, his hidden smile growing wider. Grabbing her hands, he forced her grip tighter, squeezing his midsection. "Like this." His face turned red as she was so close to his.....

Anyway, he continued the lesson, hoping this strategy would be useful to her in the bear future. "From here youll grab my left leg, lifting it off the ground. Simultaneously you want to shoot your head upward under my left armpit and run to your left. That shoul-" he stopped as Olivia pushed with the order and forced Sano to start hoping on his right foot until he could no longer hold himself up.

"Damn!" He cursed aloud, clashing onto the diet beneath him face first. The ground shook underneath him, or maybe that was his brain rocking foully in his skull. Successfully Olivia took the offensive, now ontop of him in the ground and pound position. Sano cough up some dust before speaking. "...and this would be your opportunity to finish with strikes, punches and elbows. Just be careful, don't give them your arms, keep seperation, but mounted. Be explosive, don't let your opponent get you into a submission hold."

Gently, Sano started to scoot backward and from underneath her. He got to his feet, now full of dust stains over all his clothes and his face. Though no matter, his smile remained, showing an enjoyment a scout had yet to see. Getting awkwardly close to Olivia, Sano bowed, complementing her quick learning and perfect form. "You did very good. Keep training and you'll be a force to be reckoned with." At that point, Schulz instructed another partner change, his voice like thunder.

Before walking away Sano bowed again. "Thank you, you're a lovely character Olivia."
Hidden 7 yrs ago Post by LordVoldemort
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LordVoldemort Lord of the Mice

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Gabriel Moreau - Training Grounds




Gabriel believed that he would have Grant by the ropes at the point that his stance was broken. His grip was still strong on the other boy...until both of them fell down like two large trees. Gabriel let out a grunt the moment that they crashed to the ground. He sat up, rubbing the back of his head, and smiled at Grant. He wasn't sure if he or Grant had won, but that didn't truly matter to him much; after all, they were training. If he could help Grant improve on his skills and work on his own at the same time, it was enough for him. "Up to you if you'd like to join me, Grant." He stretched his arms for a few seconds, then looked at Lauren, raising a brow.

"You want to go against me? I don't want to hurt you, you know...." Gabriel wasn't trying to sound overly-confident or like a badass; he was truly worried about hurting her, in a way. Whether this was because he was too gentlemanly or just worried that he might be too strong wasn't quite clear, but his kindness was there in his words. He stared Lauren down, waiting for a response. It was kind of funny to be fighting all these people. It sort of reminded him of his gang days when he and the other boys got into major brawls. It was pretty dirty fighting, but if it worked....
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Hidden 7 yrs ago Post by Jinxer
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Jinxer The British One

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Lauren Jones

Training Fields: @LordVoldemort@LetMeDoStuff


Lauren tilted her head quizzically at Grant, raising an eyebrow in question at his suggestion.

"Invite me? Rods? Are you talking about going fishing?" She glanced over at Gabriel and shrugged, clearly he had invited Grant and she felt bad if the tall boy was seeking some companionship with the only other of his size and now she was intruding on that. "I'm not madly into fishing but if Gabriel's okay with me intruding on your big guy together time then I don't see why not. I could use the fish oils in a few medicines, in all honesty, and a lot of useful herbs grow near riverbanks and around lakes."

She grinned at Gabriel's unintended taunt, edging past Grant into the sparring area and taking up her stance.

"It'll be good practice for me, since I guess most guys are going to be bigger and stronger than me."

Once Gabriel was ready she darted forwards, utilising her smaller size and greater agility to try and find gaps in his defence. Despite being slower than her, though, Gabriel covered himself well and her jabs and feints rolled off him easily. A few times he reached for her and she danced back from his clutches, knowing that she would not have the strength to shrug him off once he caught her. After testing him a bit more she took a gamble and rushed in head on, sliding to a halt and ducking underneath his guard.

Spinning to the right she kicked the side of his knee, forcing it to reflexively buckle or else snap and upsetting his balance. Using a similar technique to the one she had used on Reese, she rolled into his chest, taking a fistful of his jacket and shirt in her left hand and the inside of his right elbow in her right before shifting her weight and centre of gravity back. Whereas on Reese she had easily knocked him completely off balance, Gabriel was much heavier and her earlier attempt to shift his leg back a step hadn't been as effective as she had hoped.

Gritting her teeth, she knew that she wouldn't be able to merely throw him over her shoulder as intended so she changed her attack plan as Gabriel recovered, his arms moments away from entrapping her in a grip she wouldn't be able to slip out of. Dropping her stance into a half crouch she swiped a leg back and under Gabriel's left, the one she had kicked earlier, and pressed her knee hard into the back of his and then pushed back with other leg and her entire weight, forcing him to fall backwards and her with him.

They collapsed onto the ground, her on top of Gabriel but firmly in his grasp and now unable to escape. Using the brief moment when his grip loosened the tiniest bit as the impact of the ground hit, she wriggled so that she was now facing him, rather than with her back pressed into his chest, and reached up with one hand so that her thumb and fingers were applying gentle pressure to either side of his neck but not throttling him.

"How about we call this one a draw?" She asked, breathing heavily from her exertions. Fighting a much bigger opponent was tough and she would need to work on finishing moves that kept her out of their grasp.
Hidden 7 yrs ago Post by wolverbells
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wolverbells

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Jade Stone | Training Grounds

Mentions: @FrostedCaramel


Jade had felt the adrenaline begin to pump through her once more as she watched Emil begin to move towards her. Her eyes carefully took in every movement that the young man made, from the way he tightened his fists to the stalking type walk that he had going on.

'Why is he acting so weird?'

Jade's head slightly tilted as she noticed that Emil was approaching her a bit slower than she had expected him to do so. She quickly pushed her worries away, thinking that it was probably a part of his plan. She mirrored his movement, keeping a safe distance from him, yet allowing the distance to be closed. When Emil finally decided to throw a punch, Jade was ready to spring into action and dodge it so that she could use his momentum to knock him down. Except, something was wrong.

Jade's eyes widened as she saw Emil fail epically before falling to his knees. "Emil that's not how one fights!" Her voice came out as if she was a true preteen, whining about not having her way. It wasn't until Emil began to throw up that Jade truly realized that he was not playing around.

"Emil!"

She quickly changed her tone of voice before hurrying over and crouching down next to him, placing a hand on his back and rubbing it in small circles. "Are you okay?" Jade typically did not like to be around anything that involved any type of bodily fluids, whichever way they came out. She managed to stomach her reaction towards the smell as she tried to help her partner up to his feet. "You should have told me you weren't feeling too good. I would've just taken it easy. It's that damn chow they serve us, huh?" Jade stood up and encouraged Emil to walk away from the mess on the ground. The young girl looked up as she felt eyes boring into the two, her icy glare returning the feeling ten fold to the onlookers around them. She managed to get many of the other nosy cadets to mind their own business, but she couldn't do anything about those who were truly concerned.

She could hear Schulz begin to yell more frequently about wrapping it up, his voice only getting more and more loud. "Oh crap," she muttered under her breath as she looked over to where Emil had thrown up. With a slight groan of disgust, Jade quickly walked over and kicked as much dirt as possible onto the wet mess. This way, the evidence of the awkward moment that the two had just had.
Hidden 7 yrs ago Post by FrostedCaramel
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FrostedCaramel

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Emil Burton
Training Grounds
Interacting: @wolverbells

-----

Emil nearly pulled away at the hand on his back, unsure of who exactly was touching him until he heard Jade's voice, "Yeah---" he coughed a little, "Yeah I'm good now." he said as he raised a hand of the ground in a thumbs up for the girl behind him to see. He took a few moments to gather himself before he felt the small girl trying to get him up. With a few unsteady steps he rose to his feet and frowned at the remnants of his breakfast now littering the dirt in front of him.

He turned to Jade and gave the girl a small smile, "Probably the chow yeah..." he lied to the girl as he clenched and released his hands from fists at his side. Looking around it was plain to see that he had caused quite the scene, many of the pairs in their immediate vicinity had stopped to watch before they turned their heads in embarrassment or disgust and got back to their spars.

Turning back to Jade he spoke, "No need for you to have gone easy on me, in a real situation the person I was in a fight with wouldn't have helped me up after that." he said meekly as he nodded his head at the mess he had made. "Training is training, even if it goes like that..." he began to move for his regurgitated breakfast but stopped in shock as Jade beat him to it, kicking dirt over the mess to hide it from Schulz and the other instructors. Reaching a hand out he managed to break the words free of his throat as his astonishment tried to hold them back, "Jade you didn't have to do that, I-- I was going to take care of it, I made it after all.". As he finished he began to hear Schulz and the other instructors yelling about how the training was coming to an end.

Emil let out a sigh of relief that this brief training in how to injure other people was over before rubbing his stomach, "I hope lunch is next, I'm pretty hungry after losing my breakfast." he grumbled to Jade jokingly, trying to shed some weight off the awkward situation.
Hidden 7 yrs ago 7 yrs ago Post by Solace
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Solace 𝑠𝑐𝑖𝑛𝑡𝑖𝑙𝑙𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛

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Reese Kestrel





Only two sessions of spars into the company's hand-to-hand combat training, and already, Reese felt as if the supernatural beings within the heavens were working against him. It certainly did not fare well for his mentality that he was at a severe disadvantage with his lack of knowledge, his mind continually recycling the demonstrations from the instructor but being unable to replicate said presentations. After his attempt of Lauren's technique resulted in a narrow failure, the boy fumbled backwards as he was caught breathless for a moment, viewing the direct strike to his neck as an unethical strike.

Choking violently, Reese painfully cleared his throat as a hint of anger arose within his spirit, having been taken aback by such an attack that could have convinced the boy that it had been a personal one. His eyes narrowed, tossing out the inhibition that had festered from his insecurities and forgoing Lauren's request. While he had much more to learn and even more to refine, he was beginning to understand Schulz' lecture of never holding back. While there was not much for him to be restraining in the first place, he could see that his fear of potentially hurting his friends was detrimental.

And from that attack, it was clear to Reese that Mora, or anyone else, did not intend to allow the fact to deter their own strategy, either.

Allowing Mora to make the next step, the boy prepared himself to pay careful attention to the redhead's motions; if his own raw power was not enough to defeat her, Reese would have to rely on the lessons imparted to them. Reciting Schulz' techniques once more within his mind, he anticipated his opponent's charge, quickly devising his only method of a victory. Knowing that she would take the bait, he ensured that his feet stumbled for a clumsy dodge.

Reese felt confident as Mora rushed him once more, taking a step back and raising his hands to catch her left first for a grab. That was when he realized that he had also fallen into her own plan, suddenly pulled towards her while the wind kicked from his lungs, a splatter of blood expelling from his mouth. His strategy had faltered, but the boy did not allow the misstep to end in his defeat. He fought through the pain that fluttered around his torso, sending the momentum to his right foot.

He jumped with the step, arching his left shoulder back and spinning in a half-revolution as Reese landed swiftly behind Mora. The boy did not allow her to set herself steadily as he stood himself firmly, his right arm locking around her neck in the motion of landing, the hold solidified through his left elbow scissoring his right fist. For the moment, Reese felt the hymn of victory sound within his ears as Mora was about to stumble entirely from his unexpected retaliation, only for her to break free in the nick of time, causing him to decline backwards.

Sweat beaded his face, blood continuing to trickle from the side of Reese's mouth as he took a seat to the ground, cycling the pain along his torso through heavy breathing.
"Close one," the boy could only manage, his thumb wiping the blood but unsuccessful in stopping its leakage.
Hidden 7 yrs ago 7 yrs ago Post by Solace
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Solace 𝑠𝑐𝑖𝑛𝑡𝑖𝑙𝑙𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛

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Six Months Later




She was a young girl with nothing else but the fist clenched to her heart, her family and possessions taken away by the toil that was humanity's war with the titans.

Every single day of training had always been another challenge to conquer, another test to pass. There were the naturally-gifted who carried on with flying colors, and there were those like herself who found it an ongoing obstacle to carry themselves onward.

That fury was the very same that drove her towards vengeance, on the path to avenging the lost. To her jubilation, there were several like-minded individuals that shared her anger, those of whom she stood between within her division of recruits during the enlistment phase.

But the transition was imperfect, and one could only desire so much without possessing the strength needed to carry the weight of that animosity. Young and unprepared for the difficulties of their trials, she could only muster enough resolve to drag herself just over the finish line. She was among several to suffer failure at the Gear Compatibility Test, her career starting with a blemish as she could only barely balance herself.

To be feeble was not a positive trait within the military, and through squeezing past the Close-Quarters Combat and 3D Maneuver Gear training in the Forest of Giant Trees, it was clear that she was only suitable for a supportive role within the military. Regardless, her determination remained stoutly, showing her aptitude in the classroom, where the 104th Training Corps spent most of their days besides honing themselves physically.

She had become an expert of sorts on Titan Terminology and Physiology, her capacity of knowledge impressing even Schulz, himself. In place of this weakness, she had found a crutch of strength, her curiosity for information extending into the classes of Military Terminology and Equipment, as well as the lessons of the Walls and Districts.

Their time within the classroom was limited by the military's demand for bolstering its soldiers, and they were in constant travel all throughout, the concurrent hours of horseback training serving to prepare them for their primary method of transportation. She had felt her vitality begin to wane with the third month, but there was nothing left for her if she left. The first true test of her determination would come six months after the burning sun, in the wake of winter.

The 104th Training Corps had traveled to the northernmost point between Wall Rose and Wall Sina, where the weather had been unlike anything the soldiers had ever seen before. An unruly blizzard stormed around the camp stationed at the base of a steep plateau, and even through the soldiers' preparations in thick clothing, the wintry weather remained a deadly flurry. The instructors had given them only one objective; to hike up the hills and reach the camp at the top of the plateau, their enemy being labelled as nature itself.

Left with only an objective, the soldiers-in-training dispatched into several collectives, each supporting one another in the event of an emergency. The purpose of the training was trust, and for the girl, the climb was only another obstruction to her vengeance. Yet, each step taken sapped what little strength remained, her feet sinking deeper into the snow until there was nothing left to stand for. She had been too slow to keep up, inevitably left behind by her comrades.

She was a young girl with nothing else but the frost-bitten fingers clenched to her sides, her own life taken away by the winter storm.





Reese Kestrel





"I hope that the others are alright."

It was natural for Reese Kestrel to worry about the well-being of his friends, and the dangerous weather only served to bolster the matter much further. He had shuffled into the first group formed out of his acquaintances, in which he was joined by Gabriel, Olivia, Tanner, Emil, Connor, and Jay. The trek up the hill was a long one, the smaller boy's body under more pressure from the heavier backpack of supplies that they were required to carry. On the contrary of his initial excitement for seeing the wintry weather, the boy was fast to reconsider his anticipation as they approached the blizzard, and he was continually pelted by snow.

Six months had seemed to pass quickly, and over that time period, Reese focused heavily on developing himself in the areas where he lacked expertise. Beating out a number of the other trainees during hand-to-hand combat training had seemingly given him the determination to pass the Gear Compatibility Test, and starting his path towards becoming a full-fledged soldier would only grow more difficult. Balancing himself on the makeshift harness had been one thing, but actually flying through the air and trying not to crash into gigantic trees had been another when they began their actual 3D Maneuver Gear training.

At the very least, Reese was able to complete the exercises with enough effort, finding himself better in coordinating with the others more often than not. During the occasional lesson within the classroom, the boy was only rivaled by Tanner at the end of the day, though it was not exactly the type of competition that he sought recognition for. Unlike almost the entirety of the class, however, he was unfazed by the long hours or days of travel on horseback, having adjusted to the wear and tear of wayfaring many years ago.

Though, Reese was certainly not adjusted to the blistering cold, that was for sure. The boy shivered as his teeth clattered, attempting to snug deeper into his winter coat as he was shoulder-to-shoulder with Gabriel and Olivia. There was a lingering fear that some of the trainees would be left behind in the blizzard, hoping that it would not be the case for anyone within their class.
"Are we there yet?" he could barely make out through the chills, bumping his head against Gabriel.
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Hidden 7 yrs ago 7 yrs ago Post by Marlowe
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Olivia Zesiger

Interacting with: Tanner (@Aquanthe), Reese (@Solace), Gabriel (@LordVoldemort), Emil (@FrostedCaramel), Connor (@SheriffLlama)


Why is it so cold?

While the thought had crossed her mind several times during the span of their journey, and while it had a rather obvious answer, Olivia found herself greatly disgruntled at the harsh weather. Bundled in the heaviest of clothing, she trudged beside Reese and Gabriel as her eyes remained forwards, her eyebrows knitting together with determination. The north may have been much colder than she imagined, but at least she prepared herself physically for the trek. Had she done so mentally? No, she hadn't. And now, she was silently cursing herself for making light of the situation as she always did. There was no "bright" side to the situation she found herself in.

Well, save for the company she had the privilege of being with. She supposed that being near the two boys had its advantages. For one, their closeness gave her some extra warmth, but it was almost unnoticeable. And despite the brutal blizzard they roughed through, her team's presence greatly motivated her. In fact, being with others allowed Olivia successfully strive through the taxing six months they trained. Even though the hand-to-hand combat practice didn't exactly go in her favor, Sano's aid with her execution of specific counters and strikes taught her that there was no limit to what she could learn. It hadn't been easy for her, but she made sure that she got at least one thing right. If she listened to advice and accepted help, then she would make it. They would all make it.

With the help of her friends, Olivia worked her ass off. She made sure to pay attention in the specific subjects they were taught, remaining alert in classes about titan physiology and information about the walls and districts. Reese and Tanner were perhaps the brightest of the bunch, and she couldn't help but feel a little intimidated by their intelligence. Yet, she still kept up, all while helping the girls in her cabin remain on their toes when it came to preparing for the next classes. She even tried her best to make sure that all of the boys, from Reese and Gabriel to Connor and Emil, were adapting well to training. It was a bad habit of hers, caring for others as much as she cared for herself. Many told her this. But Olivia couldn't help not helping. Even though she still struggled at first for many things, she made sure that she could help as much as she could, along with succeeding at the exercises herself.

Did it just become colder? Olivia couldn't tell. She trembled a significant amount, glancing towards Reese at his question. If only we were there. We could have been be in the warmth already, she thought wistfully, but she smiled to herself before turning towards the boy. "We're bound to get there eventually," she commented, attempting to be as positive as she could as she nudged Reese. But, in reality, she just wanted to lay face down in her cot. Nevertheless, she looked over her shoulder, glancing back at the rest of their little group. Emil, Tanner, and Connor were part of their band as well, but they had remained relatively quiet until now. "Is everyone doing alright? How about you, peanut?" Olivia questioned as loud as she could over the howling winds.

Hidden 7 yrs ago Post by Kuro
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Kuro Sic Parvis Magna

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Tanner Harwell
Current Location: Snowy Mountains, Northern Districts



A wise woman once wrote that her heart had gone cold like the winter's blow. The cold was bothersome, frigid and chilling, yet the icy weather was at the bottom of the long list of worries Tanner had accumulated throughout the years of his life. Looking back to Gabriel, the tall cadet barely seen through the harsh snowy wind, Tanner bit his lip and continued to grind his teeth in anxiety. The event that was worrying Tanner had happened months ago, yet it was fresh in his mind as if Gabriel had stumbled on his treasured documents moments ago. Gabriel had sworn to keep silent, but after investigating rumors for such a long time, Tanner knew not everyone could be trusted. It was up to the gentle giant himself if he could prove himself trustworthy to Tanner, but until then, his anxieties would refuse to cease.

Regardless of Tanner's worries, he denied them the chance to infect his studies and training. Tanner followed through with his promise to Olivia, the boy helping the cadets' growth in martial arts. Both in the classroom and on the field, Tanner proved his worth to the instructors and the rest of his classmates, although he preferred to leave the leadership role to those capable such as Gabriel and Sano. They were all training to be titan-killers, to be the saviors of humanity, yet Tanner was not to be groomed into a general or any kind of skilled officer. Tanner was to be a warrior, a stalwart guardian capable of cutting a swath through the titans' ranks. The boy's training and results had proven so, aided severely by his rampant desire to see the woman that haunted his dreams.

Eventually, both Olivia and Reese had stepped forward, speaking out of concern to their comrades. Their words had snapped Tanner awake from his worry-induced haze, and he quickly shook his head as he came back to reality. Tanner turned to look back at the rest of the group, himself struggling to see through the howling winds.
"I don't see anyone that has collapsed yet. Only shivering in this poor weather." Tanner replied back to Olivia, his voice nearly drowned out by the deathly wind. Raising a hand over his eyes, Tanner began to count those who were still following, his eyes finding seven people still in the group. "I think we're good. We started off with seven people, right? You can't see anything in this weather, but I'm sure I didn't count a tree or something!" Tanner exclaimed, raising his voice just a hint louder as he tried to keep the group from the dangerous chance of an avalanche as the cadets were forced to climb the mountain.



Hidden 7 yrs ago 7 yrs ago Post by ProxyInc
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Mora Kingsly


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---


'This is bullshit." Mora thought as she dug her frozen fingertips further into her arms, not that it helped much. Her body was pinnacle of pain as she felt the ice burrow into her flesh like thousands of needles. Though they marched on. A familiar feeling that had become second nature to her over the last six months. With every bruise and twisted ankle, the cadets pressed on. She pressed on. There was a time where she didn't feel like she could expand anymore. That her mind was set on the course of revenge but with Schultz's unforgiving drills, even that spark had begun to fade.

Not to misunderstand though, Mora still loathed the titans with her very core but now she was smarter, stronger. She no longer lead with her heart. Mora had even begun to listen to her fellow cadets and though Schulz had recoiled his aggression her nickname had stuck. Hero. An insult turned to goal. Mora was now closer than ever to her goal. She had put behind her, her failed tests and even drummed up friendly rivalry with a few of the others. Lauren had proven extremely useful, beyond her fathers medical influences she stopped to help and teach her mothers techniques.

Mora had went toe to toe with Reese several times. The two of them locked in a battle of one upping the other. Mora still struggled to close gaps with s few of the faster members but overall age watched them and herself grow. There was s pride she felt when she looked at her team. The stepped up where others faltered and a new meaning of teamwork was imprinted in her mind. Though none of that mattered right at the moment, because right now she was just freezing.

Groaning as her teeth chartered she turned to her group, "Y'all doing ok?" her voice shook as she felt her body spasm. Squinting against the abrasive winds she tried to do a body count, wanting to make sure no one got lost or left behind. "This weather is a bitch." Mora hissed as she decided closer to one of the cadets. She couldn't quite make out who was who in this damned weather. 'Soon.' The thought was meant to keep her feeling positive and focused but instead it came with the old familiar feeling of anger and spite. Soon they'd take the battle field and fell the titan. They'd protect humanity. Mora felt that with her entire being. Even if she didn't survive, she knew those behind her would fill in the space. With a grimace she trudged further on. Ignoring the fact she could no longer feel her feet within her boots.
Hidden 7 yrs ago Post by wolverbells
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Jade Stone | Snowy Mountains

Mentions: @HecateProxy @LetMeDoStuff @QT @Jinx


During the beginning portion of their training, Jade had wished for the winter season to come. She wished to welcome the cold with open arms and a wide grin on her face. The unforgiving heat was more than she could bare on the barren lands where they trained. Granted, having done the training in the heat had given her a new outlook on food, and she had begun to eat like a normal human being, finally gaining muscle weight on the tiny body of hers. Still, she had wished for the cold, and now that they were in it, it seemed as as unforgiving. If not more. Jade's arms wrapped around her torso, rubbing as much as possible so she could keep her body warmth. Every now and then she had relied on either Mora or Lauren to help her keep somewhat warm, but other than that she was on her own and hated everything about life. Within the past six months she had also managed to make more friendships among the cadets. She had gotten along real well with Tanner and even had some conversation with Emil more often than not. Grant and Sano were still on the fence with Jade. The two often kept to themselves or spoke to others. Grant was nice and all but Jade never really knew what to talk to him about. Sano on the other hand had just been curt with Jade and she had tried to avoid him as much as possible in order to not get rejected repeatedly in conversation.

Jade looked up at Mora as she heard her friend speak, in which Jade could simply nod and mutter 'yeah'. She was more focused on keeping herself from falling into holes under the snow. She had already managed to get herself in a few predicaments where either Grant or Sano would help her out of. They had held back behind the girls, just in case anything were to happen.

Jade had taken a quick glance back towards them to make sure that they were still there before she looked around towards the woods around them. Was anything going to happen? She had thought about the fact that they could use their gear to finish the so called hike in less time than they were making at the moment, but after having felt how cold it was, she knew then that they would only freeze while zooming through the air.They also weren't the best with their gear just yet. Some of the cadets were horrible with it and Jade had practically died of embarrassment for them.
Hidden 7 yrs ago Post by Jeep Wrangler
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Grant Hyral

@wolverbells@QT@HecateProxy@Jinxer
Snowy Mountains


Grant, at first, had been pressed for words at the scenic view they were taking. The cold was harsh, but not as harsh as people might've been making it out to be. Sure, his hairs were standing on edge and he was shivering, but Grant was more taken away from the scenic view of clouds and snowy plains below, most of which was covered by abnormally low fog. It was breath-taking. It was incredible. It was just what he wanted in life, to just relax in his pacing back and watch the world as it peacefully rolls by. It was worth drawing, or painting. Now Grant hadn't really been open about his newfound hobby, but painting, if he could get a hold on the materials, and sketching had become a new hobby of his since the third week of being in the Training Corps.

Sure, the walk was uncomfortable, but it was a luxury in comparison to the feeling of not accomplishing something. He smiled to himself. It was surprising he'd actually gotten this far. Grant was sure that Mateo would be proud of him, if he were still around. With Schulz's cutting of the mail service very early into training, Grant found himself becoming more and more worried about his beloved Uncle. He knew, just knew, that Mateo was one tough son of a bitch that could survive most of which was thrown at him. He'd seen him, only a few times, acting like the soldier he was instead of the caring Uncle he is. It was terrifying at first, but encouraging to hear ringing in his head. He was disciplined, unlike his father. But his father had different interests in the world, and those interests involved creating a family and living to his own solitary nature, not taking the walls for granted. "The bigger the target, the harder they fall." he would always say. In fairness, he was right. Shiganshina was a prime example.

His trance was knocked out when a small bump in the path caused him to topple forward slightly into the snow, before he had to pick himself up. Only his head banged against someone's knee, but it wasn't anything too harsh. This got his attention to his fellow cadets. They'd too made it as far as he did, and Grant would bet that they did far better than he did in their training. Who wouldn't? But the thought crossed his mind about his progress.

There were brilliant signs of him in the tactical strategies course he chose for extra curriculum. Well, by extra curriculum, he meant he would go back and try the test again, at least four times, just to sharpen his skills on planning ahead. His knowledge in formation types, ranking structures, diversion and luring strategies were some of his strongest points, but Schulz and some of the lower Training Instructors had given him some credit over his use of the ODM gear. He was decisive, quite daring and sharp on his turns. It was all in his balance. His coordination made for every successful achievement, but also for some of the minor mistakes and disadvantages he had. Now, Grant wasn't the best Cadet with the gear, but he was definitely up there with them. There was a lot of risk he would take, but when it came to training in the Forest with ODM Tactics Class on the Extended Coursework for Physical Strategy, he had gained one of the higher marks.

The cadets around him were good at other things he wasn't. Hand-to-hand, running and agility. Though Grant may have been a lot quicker with the gear, some of them could outrun him quite decently, which would make for smoother ODM gear movement for themselves. Grant was midway on that part, but it wasn't something he aimed to do better at in the months he was training. In fact, the training only got him so far in certain areas. His theory work and anatomy of titans was more of a medium ranged area.

He looked at Mora, who had addressed their group about the weather. She was right, it was a bit shit to be honest. But, however, there were worse, as Grant knew exactly from his experiences within a small-time hamlet and the weathering problems they had without the wall's shading them from most of it.

"It's a bit shit, but not that bad. Well...I lie there, it's awful, but what isn't these days? Perhaps we could be used as icicles for Schulz in the Summer?" A smile cracked onto his face as the joke slipped from his lips. I'm more distracted by the view..." He smiled to himself once more, pointing to the left of the group where the decline in land went. "You may just see fog and clouds, but I see an opportunity to draw." Grant had never really discussed his hobby aloud to anyone but Gabriel. Him and Gabriel had forged quite a good bond together, for once, since the early days in training. Sure, they weren't the best of friends, but since Olivia had been slowly drifting away from Grant (Something to come as great sorrow to himself) he had found Gabriel to be quite good company. Sure, he had his moments of annoyance, but doesn't everyone?
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Hidden 7 yrs ago 7 yrs ago Post by Jinxer
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It was cold. So cold. Back in Shinganshina, then in Trost and finally at the Training Camp it had never been this cold. During the winters it had been chilly and their first winter in Trost, with no money to afford logs for a fire after scraping enough together for food, had been hard but not unbearable with blankets and being active. This was a whole new level, the cold was inescapable, the wind unavoidable as it blasted endlessly into her face no matter how she turned and seemingly penetrating right through the thick layers they all wore.

Moving helped. Earlier on the ascent she might have been tempted to take a break but here, in this cold, she knew that stopping for a brief moment could extend into unintended permanency so trudging on was the only option. Jade occasionally came close to 'borrow' some warmth, being smaller and thinner than the rest of them, even with the filling out she had done in the last six months. Lauren herself was surprised at the muscle she had put on from the days upon days of sparring and drilling to which one either applied oneself to completely or fell by the wayside and was sent home in disgrace.

That, in part at least, had helped her ignore the dwindling stock of alcohol which she had brought with her. When the gear training first started there had been several accidents and she had had the chance to stay up all night caring for the injured and giving first aid, thereby giving her an excuse to save some of her precious supplies. Pleasantly, Mora had joined her in a few of her duties, mostly on basic first aid runs, and had learned a lot; once she was committed the girl was stubborn as an ox and would stop at nothing to complete what she had set out to do. Olivia had also shown an interest and, after recovering from Lauren's change in nature from a generally positive and bubbly personality to being stern and absolutely in control, had become a useful apprentice and a skilled second pair of hands.

Her other friendships had blossomed, although not without some complications. She had helped Reese with his hand to hand combat skills but in the process she had become aware that almost all of her skills were in self defence and disarming techniques and so had had to refocus on being more aggressive in sparring with very mixed results. She liked the slightly older boy, they seemed to be on similar wavelengths and she found it easy to talk to him and it only helped that he was friends with Olivia. Gabriel, and by extension, Grant, she had also been spending some time with although not as much. She appreciated their company but there was something about when she was with Gabriel that she sometimes caught herself about to say something or do something and felt as if a black hole opened up within her chest, erasing her emotions and leaving her feeling utterly empty. It was nothing the boy did; she was certain that the fault lay with her but she couldn't work out why it happened no matter how much time she spent with them.

Still, she always had her closest friendships to fall back on and they had barely changed. They had all matured, through their months of hard training, but Mora and Jade were still her closest friends and she was glad to have them with her on this trek, especially now.

Because her alcohol reserves had run out.

With some dread she had drunk the last of what she had the previous night, barely enough to see her safely through until morning without disturbance, and woken up knowing that she had to find some other way to cope with her troubles. It had been six months and she had made no progress in resolving her issues, hadn't spoken to anyone about it, nor found any replacement for the unhealthy addiction she had garnered.

On that snowy mountaintop those thoughts and fears threatened to well up whenever she lost focus, making her want to disappear into the snow rather than face the problem but each time, by chance, someone would bump into her and bring her back to the present and renew her determination to carry on. Mora bumped into her this time, muttering about the weather and, despite herself, Lauren smiled.

"Language, now." She grinned, nudging her friend playfully. Grant spoke up, cracking a joke despite the cold and their general mood of soldiering on, focused only on getting to camp safely. She had to admit, the view was picturesque although somewhat spoiled by snow being blown into her eyes constantly, making her blink and unable to take in the vista properly.

Turning back and continuing to trudge on, she decided that she would need to speak to someone. She could depend on these people around her, they would support her and help her through her struggle. Quickly she ran down the list of those she was closest with in the cadets but, inevitably, she came down to Mora and Jade. Instinctively she chose not to burden the younger girl of her troubles. Besides, the trauma which haunted her nights would surely be something that Mora shared.


Hidden 7 yrs ago 7 yrs ago Post by LordVoldemort
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Gabriel Moreau - Mountains




Gabriel had hardly any time to worry about the cold that bit at his hands. Even when he seemed like he was doing just fine, which he took great steps to doing in order to inspire the team he was with, he was freezing his ass off. He had no problems with the cold weather, especially because it was one of the best seasons to go fishing. Of course, he enjoyed summer fishing much more. That wasn't important at the moment however. What was important was that everyone was accounted for. He glanced down at Reese when he butted him with his head, but let Olivia and Tanner speak first. He glared down at the boy and gave him a small bonk to the top of his head.

"We'll get there soon, Reese!" He spoke above the wind that howled at them. To Gabriel, he took it as an insult; mother nature itself was trying to stack the cards against their chances of succeeding. He shook his head from the thought and looked back at the group. His eyes lingered on Olivia, then moved to Tanner. He thought of the promise he had made to the introverted boy and gave him a silent nod, hoping to reassure him that nothing would leave his lips. He spoke up to the others, yelling as loudly as he could over the storm.

"If we're going to kill titans, we can't let this storm beat us damn it! Titans are unnatural!
The only way we can conquer monsters is if we can conquer the very world itself! Let's keep moving! We're nearly there!"
He turned his back to the others and waved his hand up, signalling for them to keep moving. It appeared that Gabriel was just plowing through the snow like it was nothing. Of course, it was taking him all of his strength to keep moving in this type of weather. Even so, he needed to look strong for the others....he had to. If they he didn't have the strength to pull through, how could they?

As he continued up, he began to wonder how Lauren was holding out. Hopefully, she would pull through. He looked back to Olivia and stared at her for a few seconds before looking back in front of him.
"Reese, keep an eye out on the others for me! I need you to make sure nobody falls behind while I try to find our way through!" He yelled behind his shoulder to the other boy.
Hidden 7 yrs ago Post by SheriffLlama
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Six months of training had done a significant amount of good for Connor. He had tried his best to work his hardest every single day so that he never fell behind the others. He hadn't come without his problems, though. He was a lazy person unless he had motivation. Thankfully, Olivia committed to waking him up to make sure he arrived to breakfast or training on time. She'd actually been a great help to him, not only in waking him up. She'd successfully calmed him down several times when he'd nearly lost control of his admittedly short fuse during tense situations with Schulz and other cadets. In no way was he cured of his short temper, but with Olivia's help he'd learned to somewhat manage situations better.

Aside from new friends, Connor had undergone plenty of physical growth. Aside from growing what he would swear was a full inch, he'd gained significant muscle on his body. What little fat he'd carried on his body when he'd arrived at training had slowly given way to tight, lean definition in his muscles. He'd had a tiny bit of slack in his uniform but now his arms filled his sleeves all the way and his broad shoulders allowed him to carry himself with both physical and mental confidence. Despite all the training, he still felt like he was going to die in that very moment.

Connor trudged through the snow, not bothering to keep his hands in his pockets. He couldn't feel them, anyway. He followed behind Gabriel's trail, the larger boy give a good breadth for the other cadets to be able to follow. Connor didn't have trouble keeping up with anyone, after all, stamina and speed were his highest qualities. What he did have trouble with, however, was the horrible chill of the wind and the snow. He wasn't a fan of the cold; not one bit.

He fixed his scarf to rest over his nose and mouth in a hopeless effort to block his face from going numb as well. He kept his face at a slight angle to use his hood as cover from the icy winds while still being able to see. He hiked his pack to a better resting place on his back and picked up his past, passing the other to catch up with Gabriel.

He passed Emil, but quickly leaned over and said, "Great day for a jog, huh?" His mind briefly travelled back to the first day of training when the smaller boy had said the same thing to him on their fifteen mile run. He caught up to Gabriel and evened his pace with the taller boy, attempting to create a wider path to make it easier for the others to follow behind them. "Don't worry about me, man. I'm right here with you."
Hidden 7 yrs ago 7 yrs ago Post by Marlowe
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Olivia Zesiger

Interacting with: Tanner @Aquanthe, Reese @Solace, Gabriel @LordVoldemort, Emil @FrostedCaramel, Connor @SheriffLlama


From beneath her scarf, Olivia smiled at Tanner's words. Good. Everyone was fine and dandy, weren't they? She counted them again. Connor, Reese, Gabriel, Emil, Tanner, Jay, and her; it was a large group, but she was sure they were all seven of them were there. In fact, she was sure that all of them were making sure that everyone was alright-- Gabriel and Connor even kept looking at her and the others. She was delighted to know that all of them cared for one another and held no ill will towards each other. Olivia trudged after them nevertheless, intent on keeping up with them. Just because she was the only girl in the group didn't mean she was bound to fall behind!

All of a sudden, Olivia's lips let out a cry of pain as her leg caught on something beneath the snow. Perhaps it was a rock or a branch, but it knocked her off balance and made her collapse. The girl gasped as the coldness met her face, and she struggled to regain her footing. But the winds and the unsteadiness of the ground beneath her grip, along with the heaviness of the supplies she carried on her back, hindered her capability to stand back up. Shit, she cursed to herself, wincing as she tried to fight the forces acting against her.

Olivia didn't know why she didn't cry out for help, at first. Maybe it was because of her stubbornness? Or maybe she didn't want to hold anyone behind? But panic began to wash over her as she realized that she could not battle her unfortunate circumstances herself. "Can I get some help over here?!" she called over the sound of the howling gale. Frustration gnawed at the core of her chest, hoping that she would not be seen as weak by the rest of her comrades.

I'm not weak! I'm just unlucky, that's all, Olivia told herself, trying to lurch up and get on her feet once more. But no matter how hard she pushed with her legs, the gales knocked her flat onto her stomach.
Hidden 7 yrs ago Post by FrostedCaramel
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Emil Burton
Northern Mountains Training Area
Interacting with: Olivia @Ambra, Tanner @Aquanthe, Reese @Solace, Gabriel @LordVoldemort, Connor @SheriffLlama

-----

Six months. Six months of non-stop training. Six months of sweat and pain that Emil never wanted to give in the first place. But for some reason he was still here, still trying to finish it. He wasn't sure why, he had a few ideas sure, maybe he was trying to prove to the officials that had sentenced him to this path that he was better than them. Worth more than they could ever have imagined. Maybe he was just trying to stick it out for those around him, he'd made good friends with a few of the cadets, Gabriel he even had known briefly during his time with the groups of orphans in Shiganshina although Gabriel had to remind Emil about that as Emil hadn't been very talkative when Gabriel was with them. Olivia had helped him the most, unlike the rest of the cadets Emil wasn't as fortunate in his circumstances, sure the orphanage taught them how to read and write, but it was a short teaching phase and after it was over there wasn't anymore help for the kids there. They were just expected to be able to read and write from then on.

Emil hadn't caught on during his short instruction at the orphanage and it had shown all his life. He had struggled to read simple words that children half his age could manage without batting an eye, and when it came to the in class learning that the cadets had went through in Titan Physiology and the parts that had to do with the gear itself had sent Emil's mind spinning. The words were too large, too complex for him to understand. For many of them he had never even heard the phrases spoken before, and it showed in his marks. He scored at the bottom of the class of cadets for the first few weeks of their in class instruction. Until Olivia seemed to notice, she helped him with his reading and writing skills, going over all the things that Emil didn't understand, couldn't piece together, or just simply had no clue where to begin. With her help Emil managed to rise from the very bottom of the class to somewhere around higher end of the bottom quarter of the class, and he was grateful for it.

But none of that seemed to really make up for the stupid shit they were going through now. 'Hike through the snow in the mountains.' he thought to himself bitterly as he trudged through the snow, his short stature hadn't helped and he had struggled for the first hour of the hike. That is until he noticed that the giant, Gabriel, was practically plowing him a path to walk in. Like a puppy following a path it's owner made through the snow, Emil had stuck behind Gabriel, walking the same path as the larger cadet and likely having the easiest time of the smaller cadets in his group.

His head cast down, following the path that Gabriel was unknowingly making for him, Emil simply struggled through the hike in silence watching the boots of the taller cadet in front of him as they slipped in and out of his view. He raised his head slightly as he heard Olivia calling to him, with a sigh he answered reluctantly to his nickname, "Yeah yeah I'm doing just fucking great." he grumbled in response. Not shortly after he cast his head back down to the snow did Connor pass him on the side, leaving him with the same parting words that Emil had left him during their run on the first day of training. Emil simply laughed at the comment as Connor made his way past him.

A few more minutes passed, and Emil was beginnning to figure that they couldn't be much farther now. They'd been at the hike for so long it only made sense that they were close. If they weren't close then it would probably spell disaster for more than a handful of the cadets that couldn't hack such an intense hike. As he thought about it he looked ahead of him, counting the group again, "Good six." he said to himself as he cast his head back at the ground to follow Gabriel's path, 'Six?... SIX?' he looked back up at the group and shouted ahead to get everyone's attention, "WE ARE MISSING SOMEONE!" he called with all his strength over the howling winds of the blizzard.
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Hidden 7 yrs ago 7 yrs ago Post by SheriffLlama
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Connor's resistance to the cold was slowly beginning to wear thin. Hopefully they were nearing their destination, because even he was feeling his legs begin to protest their movement. He kept his eyes stuck on the pale white abyss in front of them, knowing that it would eventually give way to their camp. He glanced over, quickly checking to see if Gabriel was alright. If the young man was having problems, he showed absolutely nothing of them. Connor might have been athletic and quick, but Gabriel was a pure machine of strength. Connor kept on going so that Gabriel wouldn't simply leave him behind.

He was very confident that the group was at a good pace, and they were all doing very well. As far as he could tell, despite the blizzard, they were all accounted for. He briefly wondered if any of the other teams had lost cadets on the way, or if all of them would make it to the rendezvous. That would be a feat for the coming generations of cadets to talk of for years. From what Connor had seen, he thought they could definitely do it.

His confident was only shaken when he heard Emil call out, declaring that one of them had gone missing. He knew that they'd all done frequent checks, so the missing Cadet couldn't be too far behind. "I'll backtrack, you keep everyone going!" Connor said to Gabriel and turned back. He accounted for all of the faces, then saw that Olivia was the missing Cadet. He ran past Emil, hoping to move fast enough to find Olivia before the snow covered their tracks.

Thankfully, he spotted the girl as he neared what he guessed was about 30 meters from the group. He trampled through the snow with increasing effort to reach her. As he came to her, he grabbed her supply pack and lifted it off of her to help her stand. "You okay?" He had to shout over the powerful winds of the blizzard. He pointed up the bleach white slope and said, "C'mon, we can catch up with the others!" He went behind her just for the sake of safety.
Hidden 7 yrs ago Post by Solace
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Reese Kestrel


Mountainous Training Area — Thirty kilometers from Wall Rose, Utopia District

@Ambra @LordVoldemort @Aquanthe @FrostedCaramel @SheriffLlama


At the very least, the thought of reaching their destination at the plateau and the future sight of cabins would be more than inviting, his imagination beginning to forage the idea of settling underneath a set of warm blankets. It seemed as if the blizzard storm had only begun to pick up on its intensity, his face a constant target for the winter's howl. Reese held the utmost faith within his friends, and as their torches served zero purpose in such weather, they could only hope in themselves as they trudged up the hillside, hoping that their feet were carrying them on the right path towards their destination.

It was difficult to endure the sheer cold, but with how far and long they had traveled, their only failure was freezing to death.
"I think I prefer slamming into those giant trees than this," Reese spoke in an attempt to lighten himself, raising a gloved hand to remove the snow that had managed to slip under his hood and stuck to his hair. He kept his eyes trained to the ground for the most part, pouring his focus on the motion of the march, though he kept Gabriel's word in mind and occasionally took a glance around them.

It was Emil's voice that prompted Reese to scan their proximity, seeing that it was Olivia who had fallen behind. Shifting his body in the opposite direction almost caused the boy himself to fall forward, struggling to keep his balance with the heavy backpack. Striding behind Connor as the taller boy went to help her, Reese removed an arm from the warmer confines of his winter coat, extending a hand outwards to Olivia.


"Stay positive," Reese said, looking between Olivia and Connor. "We can do this."
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