“You’re to start training tomorrow,” is all Erwin offers before he heads towards his – their – rooms. He has a lot of work to do if his instincts are right and he’ll be headed to the capitol soon and Erwin wants to get it done to accompany Levi tomorrow.
“Why did you have him drag me around?” Levi asks, voice monotonous. Erwin shoots a look towards the cat daemon and she is staring at him in curiosity.
Erwin breathes in deeply and Ardis relaxes. He understands what Levi wants now, he and Ardis both, and doesn’t hesitate to explain.
“I wanted you to know the layout of this building. You won’t be living with the others you’re training with and will no doubt see a lot of people here who disapprove of you being here because you’re still a trainee.” Erwin pauses, hesitating for a split moment. “And because you’re used to knowing your exits.”
Levi says nothing, but Kiva jumps from his shoulder to join Ardis. Their tails brush occasionally as they walk, but Erwin doesn’t mention it and Levi just looks straight ahead.
*
The tailor’s daemon looks at Kiva in alarm as she stretches, showing off a row of sharp teeth. The squirrel squeaks and darts back to her human’s shoulder, staring down as Kiva curls up on the floor.
“Are we nearly done?” Levi says, bored. He’s been pushed and buckled up for at least half an hour and is getting tired of being manoeuvred around like a puppet. He gets that the tailors need to fit him properly, but he’s tiring of this and is sick of the small room
“I won’t be able to say for sure until your first week of training is over,” the tailor says, adjusting his huge glasses and scratching his daemon’s head affectionately. “But they seem a good set.”
He’s been told that Erwin has taken care of the bill and exits the tailor room. A man with a grim look on his face is waiting and Levi pauses, the tailor trying to shove him into his trainee jacket not a second later.
“Levi, I presume?” the man asks and his daemon gives a screech from where she stands beside him. “Commander Smith will meet us later.”
The vulture daemon takes off as they exit the building and Kiva keeps her tail up, ears darting around as she takes in the new sounds and sights. Levi keeps himself fixed on the moment ahead and stares down anyone who dares to look his way, fighting the nerves in his stomach. He doesn’t want to think of what might happen if he fails this chance. Erwin has had a lot of faith that he’ll be entering training right away, but the smallest whisper of doubt has still crept in.
“My name is Keith Shadis,” the man says. They are alone near his office and Levi looks at a bizarre piece of equipment before them. “You need to pass an aptitude test and then I’ll have a trainee test your basic combat skills.”
It wasn’t much, but Kiva had told him that she’d heard horror stories about trainees who had failed or even died. She’d licked his cheek a moment later and told him they were better than that and Levi believes her with all of his heart. Fuck what anyone else says, he is here for a reason and he isn’t weak. He will do this.
“I’m ready,” he says and takes his leap of faith, letting himself experience the infamous 3D manoeuver gear first handed.
It’s not difficult. Kiva doesn’t even stir as Levi hangs in the balance, frozen. A gust of wind tugs playfully at his hair and he adjusts his weight to counter, body perfectly still in the air.
Shadis’ vulture daemon gives a rasping cry and Levi is given permission to return to the ground. He looks at Kiva and she is staring straight back at him, eyes wide. She can feel it too, the urge to float one more, the urge to fly and the urge to be free. His heart is beating wildly in his chest and he barely notices the figure step from the building by them.
It isn’t until Erwin is clasping his shoulder firmly and Ardis nudges Kiva with her nose that Levi realises there is no way he won’t be accepted into the training corps. He’s passed (combat will be as easy as walking) and yet he strangely feels nothing.
It isn’t until later when Erwin casually says he is proud that Levi’s stomach drops. He looks at Kiva, at her equally horrified expression and is glad Erwin’s at his desk on the other side of the room.
Something needs to be done.
“But what?” Kiva says. She as one eye on Ardis, who is sleeping beside Erwin’s desk and Levi can feel Kiva’s want. She wants to curl up against Ardis, to feel the warmth of someone who doesn’t know her insides and outs. Levi wants it just as much and that is why something needs to be done.
“We’re not going soft for any random fucker who is nice to us,” Levi growls in return and Kiva huffs, still staring wistfully at the white dog.
“He’ll be going to meet with the king or whatever soon,” Kiva says and Levi jabs her side with his foot. He’s sprawled on his bed, Kiva between his feet.
“A temporary solution,” Levi answers and she rolls her eyes.
“Then find somewhere else to live. Ask Shadis or whatever.” She closes her eyes and Levi can feel her closing off from him slightly. “I don’t care.”
Except she does care and so does Levi. He risks one glance through the open door towards Erwin before he rolls on his side, ignoring Kiva’s outraged hiss as he shoves her off the bed with his foot.
They’ll figure something out when Erwin is gone. There is nothing wrong with enjoying company while they have it.
*
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Re: [Erwin/Levi] Cedarwood 4/? (Anonymous) - 2013-09-18 03:43 (UTC) - Expand
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[Erwin/Levi] Cedarwood 5a/?
(Anonymous)
2013-09-27 02:09 am (UTC)(link)
The carriage is waiting and Erwin looks to the nearby clock tower to gauge the time. He still has a few minutes and waits for the tug in his chest to lessen, a sign that Ardis is returning to him. She comes into view with a purposeful trot, head up high and tail out, a warning to others that she isn’t to be stopped.
She doesn’t need to communicate her findings and Erwin steps into the carriage with dipped shoulder and tight lips. They haven’t been able to find Levi and it’s too late now to do anything.
“They’ve been acting strangely lately,” Erwin says and Ardis grunts as she jumps into the carriage. She doesn’t reply and Erwin drops the subject with a disappointed twinge he knows they both share.
They set off for Utopia, the horses making quick progress through the empty streets. It’s still early in the morning and Ardis begins to doze. They have a while left, after all.
Erwin is left to his own thoughts and his hand strays absently to where his gear would usually be strapped, a gesture he only makes when he is uncomfortable. He wishes that they’d said a proper farewell to Levi, but there’s nothing to be done.
For the past few days, Levi and Kiva have been avoiding them. Not overly, but enough that they both notice. Levi had withdrawn somewhat and Erwin wants to know what could make him shy away. It’s not an issue of trust – Erwin doubts he fully has Levi’s trust, but the look in Levi’s eyes isn’t one of distrust. Erwin would almost say it was a look of fear, on the few occasions he had managed to catch Levi’s eyes, but what in the world does Levi have to fear?
“You spend an awful lot of time thinking about that brat,” Ardis comments casually, yawning widely. Erwin frowns at her before turning back to the carriage window, ignoring her comment entirely.
“Fine then,” she says, closing her eyes. “But you might want to drag your attention away from him and onto what the king wants you in for.”
She’s right.
“It’s not the king,” Erwin corrects slightly, though it might as well be the king. He’s been summoned to a performance review, nothing unusual for a man in Erwin’s position. Still, it’s what Erwin has planned that will make it unusual. Not everyone has the gall to ask for an expedition request upfront, skipping all the paperwork.
As it is, they will face a small council of politicians, military policemen and other higher ups who feel the need to stick their nose in. Erwin isn’t worried about what they’ll discuss for he has done nothing to make them dislike him just yet.
A young member of the military police greets them as they step from the carriage and into the king’s land. The recruit salutes, a gesture Erwin returns – and he notices the slackened grip of the soldier, the way their salute is more a mockery than a true one – and then they are walking onwards. Ardis glances at the recruit’s small deer daemon and is satisfied when it won’t meet her eyes. Fear is more important than one may think and Erwin needs it to survive – both his own fear and that of others.
They are led to a small chamber room in the military police’s base. There is only one other person in the room for the moment and Erwin mirrors Ardis’ surprise as they set eyes on the man’s elusive daemon. She has always been a flighty creature and she hisses at them, retreating to Nile’s side as they step closer.
“I see Yakira hasn’t changed,” Erwin comments and the large cat flicks her tail in agitation, eyes darting for the exits. “It’s good to see you again Nile.”
It’s not, not really, because Nile is a man who jumps to conclusions and ignores the blatant corruption in his organisation, but Erwin doesn’t plan to get on anyone’s bad side without good reason.
The jaguar hisses again before looking towards the door, just as a councilman enters. Nile reaches to shake Erwin’s hand and Ardis stares blankly at Yakira, a silent challenge. Despite her form, Ardis would be able to deal with Yakira easily. Years of a military police career versus time in the scouting legion affects daemons as well as humans.
“Commander,” the councilman greets Erwin, shaking his hand. His daemon is a large lizard that waves a foot merrily towards Ardis and they move on, just as more and more people enter to fill the room. Without prompt, they take their seats, Ardis sitting straight at his side at the round table.
“There’s nothing to worry about,” the lizard daemon man says. “This is just to make sure you are coping with your new position and a chance for you to discuss anything you feel is needed.”
They can’t have a complete idiot leading their most costly branch, after all. It’s the scouting legion people talk about, after all.
Erwin nods and waits for the man to continue. Ardis’ ear twitched slightly, but she stills, Erwin’s impatience a twinge between them.
“We have interviewed a few of your peers, most notably Keith Shadis and Commander Nile Dawk. All reports have been positive and we’re happy to progress without a full character profile session.” The man flips a page of the file before him, the lizard opening its eyes slowly before falling into a light snooze once again.
“Do you have any plans for the scouting legion?” the man asks and Erwin stands, drawing a few murmurs from around him. Nile looks suitable uncomfortable and Erwin knows why. Erwin’s never been one to sit silently if he wants something.
“I have almost finalised plans for a new formation when outside of the walls,” he begins and feels Ardis sensing the daemons around them. None of them seem annoyed or upset at the question and so Erwin continues. “We would need an expedition to test the formation, but I have calculated that it could lover casualties to perhaps thirty, forty per cent.”
Ardis’ ears flatten as people begin to talk between them. Nile looks miserable and his daemon is crouched beside him, teeth bared in Ardis’ direction. An expedition means money and money means fewer liberties for the military police.
“Are you sure being commander hasn’t gone to his head?” someone asks and Ardis growls deep in her throat. It’s not possible to hear it, but someone says something back and the reply is lost to more shouts.
Erwin closes his eyes for a moment. He should have known the meeting would end up like this – Shadis had said he should have turned up drunk – and he nods to Ardis.
She wastes no time and springs onto the table. The only other daemon on the table is the chairman’s lizard and it opens its eyes lazily as Ardis stands straight in front of Erwin. He salutes perfectly as she barks, low and commanding, and the room falls silent.
“My formation does need to be perfected, but it is a system where every soldier can contact each other. I will not continue expeditions at the loss rate we are experiencing at the moment. Humanity cannot afford that loss, our armies cannot afford that loss and their families cannot afford that loss.
“I was made a commander to look over these men and women who are offering their lives to humanity. I will not take any actions that will endanger my oldies when I know there is a way to save more of them.” Erwin took a deep breath and Ardis pushed her chest out, dark eyes staring blankly at a wall hanging of the military police’s unicorn.
“I will keep my oath to the king and to humanity and bring as many people home as I can. We will eradicate the threat the titans pose to us, but we cannot do it with current conditions.” Erwin looks directly at the chairman and drops his hand. Ardis jumps off of the table and they sit in perfect synch, heads held high.
Silence reigns for a moment before the chairman claps his hands. It’s a few beats of his palms before he stops, but it is enough for people to take their seats again in silence.
“Not many people have the guts to do something like that when they’re the one up for review,” the chairman says and his daemon stands slowly. “I’ve heard a lot of things about you, Commander Smith, and I think I’ll hear a lot more in the future.”
He closes the file with a thump and his lizard climbs onto his shoulders.
“Your expedition will need the valid paperwork, but I think we can all agree that’s merely a formality. I want to take a look at your formation though. I’m sure there will be another summon for you upon your immediate return.” The councilman takes a glance around the room and there seems to be a murmur of agreement all around.
“Until next time then.” He nods his head and people stand, leaving their places once the chairman has left. Erwin keeps his breathing steady and Ardis manages to keep her tail from wagging until it is just them and Nile in the room.
“I’m to escort you back to your carriage,” Nile says, though he makes it sound as if he’d rather swallow poison. “That was a clever little stunt,” he adds and Erwin looks at him as they walk through the corridors.
“We do what we have to do to survive,” he says and Ardis snaps her jaws as Yakira steps too close for her liking. Ardis is never like this to any daemon, including Kiva, and it shows how little respect she has for the jaguar. And, in turn, what Erwin thinks of Nile and the corruption in his branch.
“You carry on like that and you’ll die soon,” Nile says as they leave the building. It’s a sunny, warm day and Erwin takes a deep breath.
“I have no plans to die anytime soon. The titans don’t scare me as much as the people inside the walls.” He smiles, though it can’t be called a pleasant one. “Just stick to what you do best and I’ll stick to what I do.”
They enter the carriage then and Nile’s wide eyes vanish as the horses start off. It is only then that Erwin lets his guard down. His little show exhausted him and while he is a composed man, he reaches for Ardis and she jumps enthusiastically into his arms. She needs him just as he needs her.
“We’re strong,” she whispers in his ear and Erwin buries his nose into her fur, holding her closely.
“We are,” he agrees and he lets Ardis go. She stays sprawled half on his lap and half on the seats, nose probing at the gem around his neck, his mark as a commander. The world weighs heavy yet they are not alone in holding it. They have every member of the scouting legion and every human they need to protect.
“I had hoped to skip the paperwork,” Erwin says softly and Ardis lets her head fall onto his lap with a snort of laughter.
“You’re a commander now, Erwin. Paperwork is all you’ll be doing.” She pauses and looks up with mischief in her eyes. “You should have made Levi your secretary.”
Erwin smiles and closes his eyes, resting his head back.
“At least we’d know where to find him if we had.”
*
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[Erwin/Levi] Cedarwood 5b/? (Anonymous) - 2013-09-27 02:10 (UTC) - Expand
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Re: [Erwin/Levi] Cedarwood 5b/? (Anonymous) - 2013-09-27 14:23 (UTC) - Expand
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Re: [Erwin/Levi] Cedarwood 5b/? (Anonymous) - 2013-09-29 14:18 (UTC) - Expand
[Erwin/Levi] Cedarwood 6/?
(Anonymous)
2013-10-04 01:47 am (UTC)(link)
The rain beats down heavily as Erwin does a round of their grounds. Ardis’ head is hung low, the only sign of their discomfort to their wet uniforms, and they walk quickly, people ducking out of their way with tight-lipped salutes as they pass.
They’re scared, Ardis observes and Erwin shoots her a glance. They exit the free form area and enter the training area.
They’ve learnt there’s to be another mission outside the walls, a fully experimental one at that. Ardis tilts her head to his words before dropping it back again. Erwin has nothing to fear, but his soldiers are less than happy at the prospect of another mission.
It’s not hard to see why. Their survival rate is so low well over half often never make it back. Erwin hopes they can put an end to that with his strategy, but he needs practice.
“We’ll have to gather a meeting,” Erwin says aloud, nodding to a group of trainees who are at the side of the grounds, trying to stay out of the rain unless they have to. They all straighten up, their daemons ducking away in shame.
“And run a few drills here. Of course it won’t be the same as the actual mission, but they want their paperwork processed just so.” Ardis rolls her eyes, ignoring the mud staining her fur. They are both sodden through, but they keep their eyes lifted and they are rewarded with the sound of wires whizzing through the air.
It’s Levi, of course. Erwin has anticipated as much, but Ardis’ ears flick forwards nonetheless and Erwin feels his heart jump in his chest. He’s surprised if anything; he thought he’d buried these emotions years ago.
Of course a little rain wouldn’t stop Levi though. Out of all the solders to take the brunt of the weather, Levi wouldn’t let rain stop him training. Erwin pauses to watch, a critical eye taking in the off adaptation Levi has made to handling his gear. An unconventional backwards hold, but the training corps have dealt with stranger techniques in the past and Erwin finds a little unconventionality is often the line between life and death.
They do not linger long. At least not intentionally. Shadis stops them with a fierce look and Erwin straightens. He last saw Shadis upon his return from Utopia the previous evening, where the man informed him of Levi’s move. He isn’t here to cause trouble though and Erwin gives a soft smile.
“He’s on the level of his fellow roommates,” Shadis says and Ardis looks at him, refusing to sit down in the puddle she’s standing in.
Marley is nowhere in sight, but it’s not an overly uncommon occurrence. For veterans such as Shadis, who have seen the most hellish of sights, space is sometimes a comfort. When one is separated from their daemon with walls between, sometimes it is best not to share certain memories of things that go on or things one has done.
“He’ll be graduating a year early then?” Erwin says and Shadis hums in reply. They stand in silence, the rain streaming over their skin, until Shadis’ eyes narrow and he looks from Levi to Erwin.
“Whatever you see in him, you’re the only one who will be able to bring it out.” Shadis fixes Erwin with a long stare, one that Erwin meets with ease, before he nods and walks off, the rain falling so heavy that it masks his heavy footfalls.
The only one? Ardis questions, but Erwin has no need to answer. There is nothing he can really say and he passes through the rain like a ghost, sparing no more glances towards Levi and continuing their rounds.
It is much later that they are dry and seated behind a desk. Erwin is running through the last copies of his information hand outs and has a stack of papers by his side that he’s been pouring over for the last few hours. They are profiles of each member of his division and he knows them all by name now. Not that he didn’t before, but now he knows all their skills and knows where they’ll be best suited.
“I’m going for a walk,” Ardis announces and Erwin raises an eyebrow. It’s not that it’s strange for Ardis to go for a walk, but Erwin can sense the purpose. He should have guessed, they hadn’t seen Kiva through all the rain – if she’d even been outside – and he nods, returning to his paperwork.
He can pinpoint the exact moment Ardis sees Kiva. He hasn’t realised how late it is, but the food hall is bustling. Erwin will be able to get something a little later and it’s best he doesn’t see Levi just now anyway. Levi left for a reason and Erwin still isn’t sure how he feels about it. He should be relieved, but here is a hollow ache in his stomach he doesn’t want to think about – and so he doesn’t.
But Ardis is the embodiment of his soul, more or less. It’s true she needs to act in a certain way as her human counterpart is the commander of the scouting legion, but she is a daemon at the same time. Despite what front she puts on, Erwin knows she likes Kiva – and knows that he likes Levi. What exactly that like details, Erwin tucks away and focuses instead on his papers.
Still, he smiles briefly as he feels the pure joy Ardis experiences when she sets eyes on Kiva. No doubt her tail is quivering, yet she is a proud animal. Ardis won’t make a fool of herself and, true to Erwin thoughts, he feels their connection tightening as she makes her way back.
“Are they well?” Erwin says when Ardis noses the door open. She shuts it and glares at him.
“Yes actually.” She sniffs. “Who’s the recruit with the snake eagle daemon?” Ardis demands and Erwin feels something strange settle on his shoulders. It’s not unlike the time his first team were taken out by a rogue titan, which puzzles Erwin.
“Erd Gin,” Erwin says straight away. He’s memorised hundreds of daemons and people in his lifetime and knows the most interesting ones. “A second year recruit, currently one of Levi’s roommates.”
The information sinks into Ardis and she huffs, flopping onto the floor.
“He’s sitting close to Levi,” she explains a moment later and Erwin smiles to himself, looking back at the papers.
“Levi isn’t ours,” he comments softly, ignoring the disbelief that passes through his connection to Ardis.
She mumbles something that sounds something like ‘tell that to him’ before rolling on her side and stretching. It isn’t long before she is asleep and Erwin rubs his eyes.
The papers are done and he can get someone to hand them out. A few more day of running through drills and they should be set to take on their formation outside.
They don’t have time to think about Levi. Perhaps Erwin will spare some time when they return, but he needs his formation to work and his legion will always, always come first. Ardis mirrors this feeling and she opens her eyes as Erwin goes to hand his papers off, licking her lips in anticipation of fighting the titans once again.
They were all born into war, after all.
*
The main portion of the scouting legion are holding drills, or so Levi has heard. It explains why Erwin isn’t pacing the training grounds and why a lot more trainees are slacking off. Shadis is nowhere to be found either and Levi wonders if he’s gone to watch Erwin.
Levi doesn’t slack off though. He’s heard all about the scouting legion’s latest mission and knows that they’ll be leaving tomorrow. Everyone is unsettled, but instead of actually doing something about it, the training recruits are milling around, more concerned with talking than training.
But what do most of them know? They’ve never known true fear for their lives. Levi and Kiva faced it every day back in the slums and know they’ll have many more days where they fear. But it’s that fear that pushes them and that fear that keeps them sharp.
There is one recruit, however, who Levi sees potential in. At the moment he’s on the outskirts of a small group, but his fingers keep twitching towards his manoeuvre gear and eyes keep sliding to the training grounds. Erd is a proper soldier and Levi knows that they will get on well, even if they never really speak.
“You’re leaning too far forward,” Kiva comments casually, eyes tracking some tiny flies. Levi corrects his posture as he stretches, ignoring the pop of bones.
While he wants to keep training – it will never be enough, after all – Levi also knows they need food Besides, the food hall is the best place to find out gossip (though he loathes the word) and he wants to know how Erwin is doing. Just to make sure he isn’t following a complete madman.
Erd takes a seat beside him and they eat in silence. Levi listens though and Kiva darts around the hall, hissing at daemons on all sides until she gets what she wants. Through her, Levi learns that the scouts leave early tomorrow and are not expected back until the late afternoon. There is also doubt that Erwin will be able to lead them at all and Levi ignores the way he wants to wrap his fingers around those who doubt.
He doesn’t know Erwin, not really, but Levi can’t stand for the man’s honour to be torn down by scared trainees who were here for the supposed glory.
They leave after polishing off their stew. Levi can feel Erd’s daemon tracking them with its bright eyes, but he pays no heed. It’s just Erd’s way, a slight comfort. He has Levi’s back and Levi hopes he survives his missions. Levi could have use for him later on, should he choose the scouting legion that is.
“We saw Erwin when he came back from his first mission,” Kiva says, springing up Levi’s back to settle around his neck. They’re headed back to their barracks and Levi nods.
“He took over command though. This time he already has it.” Levi can’t keep the doubt from his voice and he hates himself for it. When has he ever doubted himself?
What is it about Erwin Smith that makes Levi act like a fool?
“I heard Ardis is going outside too,” Kiva comments and Levi feels the uneasiness in her stomach. He doesn’t like it, doesn’t like that uneasiness whenever Kiva gets it, because it usually means that something bad is about to happen.
“They’re not engaging titans though,” Levi points out and Kiva curls tighter around his neck.
“You can’t predict what a titan will do,” she counters and Levi falls silent, reaching a hand up to soothe her fur.
They’re both worried about Erwin. Not because the man won’t return – even if he was just a head, Erwin would return, he was almost as stubborn as Levi himself – but because there are worse things than death waiting beyond the wall. It is his first mission as commander too and Levi doesn’t want to think about what might happen should Erwin’s leadership skills fail him.
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