[Luceti] [1st • Written] (backdated to the 12th ok)

[reviling]

[part 1 - arrival]

[ in the world he comes from, knowledge of what exists beyond the three walls that both confine and protect humanity is limited, even forbidden. Though he's ventured beyond the outermost wall - something that only the Survey Corps is capable of doing, and always with sacrifices - Levi knows humanity has only seen an immeasurable fraction of what it once had. He cannot begin to fathom what the rest of the world could be like outside of their short ventures beyond the walls.

So when he awakens in this place, it doesn't occur to him that it could be a different world entirely.

Although the wings are unsettling. Those are new. And itchy as hell. ]

The fuck...


[ in a world where people can transform into titans taller than the monstrous walls that keep them caged, the sudden appearance of wings somehow doesn't seem that terribly far fetched, even if he has no idea how or why, or - more importantly - whom.]


[Part 2 - recon: Written/Action]

[ It's been several hours now, and all of the information he's gathered so far is confusing at best and disturbing at worst. Knowledge of the outside world had been limited, but knowledge of other worlds? Unheard of. He's still trying to wrap is head around it.

After checking for the gear (nowhere to be found, much to his irritation, and thankfully he hadn't had to go far for his uniform), he finds a bench and takes out the journal-like device and studies it thoughtfully. The technology is foreign, and somehow it seems exceedingly fragile - though there is a space to write, and that's all he needs at the moment to help organize his thoughts.

So the following appears, in meticulous, elegant penmanship that he'd only learned a few years ago:]

• No reports or knowledge so far of Titans among general populace
  
• No walls - a 'dome' keeps people in by someone/something called the 'Malnosso'
  
• Inhabitants appear to be from diverse locations
  
• Human experiments...need more information about these damn wings
  
• Captors supposedly provide unlimited food, clothing, shelter. Pretty fucking convenient way to keep people placated.
  
• Currently no 3DMG found; other weapons readily available
  
• Technology much more advanced than anything found within the walls ("Electricity?")
  
• Rumors of a war with a group called the 'Third Party' that seeks to exterminate all living within the dome - motivation unknown
  
• ...animals can talk...fucking creepy; might be useful
  
• Require more information about location, threats, etc. Where the fuck am I and how do I get home.
  

[ooc: intro for Levi! Feel free to respond via journal (he's unfamiliar with technology so expect a WTF reaction for the first few replies), or find him wandering around town.
ALSO: Threads with the AOT cast will very likely contain spoilers for events that happen in the manga after the anime!]

Comments

perma-action;

[reviling]

[ Normally he'd be pissed as hell having his time wasted, but luckily there's other things to occupy him until this stranger shows up.

Truthfully, he's not at all what Levi was expecting, but then he isn't sure what that might have been in the first place. That hair's a bit out of control, and the rest of the getup is a little odd, but does read slightly military. Still, Levi's one of the last people to judge someone on appearance alone (especially given that Kakashi towers over his 5'2" frame). He stands, the journal closed but in hand. ]

Your information had better be worth the wait.

[ura_no_ura]

[ Kakashi quirks a brow at that.

Well, this one certainly doesn't have the best attitude.

He's also far shorter than Kakashi had expected, and if it weren't for his general demeanor and face, Kakashi might've even mistaken him for a kid. A quick examination with chakra reveals that despite being clearly military or police of some kind, the other man doesn't have impressive chakra reserves, which means he most likely does not have any sort of power outside of physical.

His attitude, though, most certainly is that of a man who is used to commanding others, and certainly not used to being made to wait.

Dropping his hand back into his pocket, Kakashi levels the other man with a rather flat look. ]

Mm, you know, I do believe it's customary to exchange names and greetings before asking for favors.

[ He does intend on helping this guy out with information, but on his own terms. ]

[reviling]

...

[Erwin makes him wait all the time, Levi just hates having his time wasted.

Still, everyone else so far had been pretty free with answering his questions pretty much without even thinking about it. Information was important, given that knowledge is power. That this guy is more tight-lipped about what he has to say indicates that it might be the most useful information Levi will be able to obtain thus far.

So, fine, he'll play the game. For now.]

It's Levi.

[ura_no_ura]

[ Levi. Just Levi. No family name.

In that case, Kakashi will do the same. He tilts his head slightly. ]

Kakashi.

[ And with that, he pulls out his journal. ]

Has anyone told you of the secure network yet?

[reviling]

[That's all anyone ever calls him, and he never feels the need to include his title (formal or otherwise).

Levi folds his arms, but doesn't open his own journal quite yet. There's a lot about that...thing...he still needs to find out.]

Some kid mentioned it earlier, but she didn't have much information about it.

[ura_no_ura]

[ Kakashi flips his journal open to this post and passes it over to Levi. ]

The secure network is, as far as I know, the only communications network available through the journal system that the Malnosso cannot access. [ Yet, anyway. ] It is unclear who set up this network or manages it, but from time to time, sensitive information regarding Luceti is shared through it.

[reviling]

[ he takes the journal, scanning through the information. Shikamaru - that's the name he'd gotten from Ikki. It seems as though he might be worth having a conversation with at some point. Much of this information makes little sense at the moment, but Levi can tell what is there is important to the workings of Luceti himself. He'll have to look over it more thoroughly later.

He passes the journal back to Kakashi.]

If you don't know who manages this network, how do you know the information coming through it is valid? What makes you think that you're not deliberately being fed bullshit?

[ura_no_ura]

[ Kakashi's eye curves then, into a perfect arc. ]

Well, you see, this young man here--

[ He taps a finger on Shikamaru's icon on the post he'd opened to. ]

-- is my comrade and subordinate.

[ Technically, anyway. Shikamaru ranks chuunin and Kakashi is jounin, after all. ]

He would not have any reason to feed me, or anyone else for that matter, bullshit.

[reviling]

[Similar style of dress, and definitions of rank denoting military training. Fair enough, but Levi's not concerned about whether or not Kakashi trusts Shikamaru.]

If he doesn't know where the information comes from, how does he know he's not being fed bullshit?

[ura_no_ura]

Hmm, I suppose that would have something to do with the fact that his IQ is over 200, but I guess even the smartest ones can be duped.

[ Kakashi doesn't bother to mention that his own IQ is just as high and shrugs, snapping the journal shut as he slips it back into his utility pouch, continuing his train of thought. ]

Shikamaru's been here for nearly five years. In that time, he's accumulated quite a good amount of experience and knowledge about this place. Whether or not you would like to consider that useful intelligence or think it's bullshit is really up to you.

[reviling]

[ it wouldn't do him much good to mention IQ to someone who has no idea what that even is. Levi's given up on trying to explain he's less suspicious about Kakashi's subordinate and moreso about where the information comes from. Someone who has been around for so long likely has the experience to suss out what may or may not be legitimate. Better than him, anyway. So: moving on, somewhat. ]

Five years?

[ura_no_ura]

[ Kakashi dips his head in a nod as he slides his hands back into his pockets.

Five years is, indeed, a very long time for anyone to be trapped in a world that may as well be a prison. For some, though, it's a respite from real life. And as much as Kakashi hates what the Malnosso does to them, hates that none of this is truly real, he can't deny the fact that he's grateful for the experience of being able to spend more time with his sensei and Kushina. With Sasuke, too.

(He could've really, really done without the forced kissing, though...)

If he had a choice, though, he would go home in a heartbeat. Even if there's a war back there, if there's a part of him that is here, and not on the battlefield, that is one part that makes him a little bit weaker. And weakness isn't something that can be tolerated in war. ]

There are others who've been here longer, too. I'm not acquainted with them, but Shikamaru is.

[reviling]

[Levi is carefully observing Kakashi - his movements, expression (what he can make out given that an easy 2/3 of his face is covered), body language. There's a careful blankness that Levi understands well; an expression that reveals little and takes in much more.

He crosses his arms, seemingly relaxed, though he never really loses any tension.]

If I wanted to talk to him myself, where might I find him?

[ura_no_ura]

[ Everything about Kakashi is carefully constrained, buried beneath the surface, underneath the mask. He lets people see what he wants them to see, and even then it's a calculated performance.

Levi seems to be similar, though Kakashi can read the tension in his body. ]

It's not difficult to reach him through the journals, or I could make an introduction.

[reviling]

I'll find him, unless you think it's best otherwise.

[Someone who's been here for so long and is connected to specific sources would be extremely useful as a contact, if not an ally.]

How do you send a locked message, then?

[ura_no_ura]

A locked message? Ah, that isn't too difficult. Here, let me show you.

[ Kakashi steps forward with the journal again so that Levi can see, and quickly shows him different ways of filtering messages. ]

You get better at doing it after you've had some practice.

[reviling]

Helpful. Thanks.

[and because it's fairly clear this is a tit-for-tat exchange:]

What do you want to know in return?

[ura_no_ura]

Well, what are you willing to share?

[ Kakashi certainly is a bit curious about Levi's background -- as well as what "Titans" are. ]

[reviling]

That depends. If you want to know something in particular, ask. I'm not going to just start spilling my guts at random, and I doubt you'd do the same.

[ura_no_ura]

[ Not much of a talker, this one, but Kakashi hadn't expected that from him. He glances him over, then slightly nods. ]

Judging from what I've seen so far, you seem to have a military background.

[ It's unclear if it's an observation or a question. ]

[reviling]

Apart from your apparent lack of punctuality, I'd say the same about you.

[neither a confirmation or a denial. This might take a while]

[ura_no_ura]

Maa, I wouldn't call myself "military"...

[ After all, he's not technically a soldier.

Soldiers enlist of their own volition, after all. Kakashi was more or less born into this life, and when a four year old enlists to be trained in all the best ways of killing a man, that's not exactly something one can call a "choice." ]

What about you?

[reviling]

[Levi is technically a soldier, but he hadn't exactly joined the military by choice, either - after all, when it's "join the Survey Corps or spend the rest of your life in prison," it's not really much of a choice at all. But better than living in the gutter.

Direct questions are more likely to get direct answers.]

It's called the Survey Corps, a recon division of the military.

[ura_no_ura]

Recon, hmm?

[ Kakashi somehow gets a sense that there is more to Levi than just reconnaissance, though. The guarded way he holds himself, the slightly shiny calluses on his palms -- it all suggests that he's most likely no stranger to combat.

Since Levi was kind enough to share a shred of information, Kakashi sees no reason why he doesn't offer in kind. Turning away from Levi, Kakashi's eye shifts, off of the other man to their surroundings, cutting a seemingly relaxed silhouette. ]

Back where I'm from, they call us shinobi. Essentially, we're a little like soldiers.

[ But not quite. ]

There are quite a number of individuals with military backgrounds in Luceti, from what I can tell.

[ And though Kakashi's observed quite a number of them, he hasn't spent nearly enough time building alliances and getting to know more of them as he should have in the months he's been here. But, with the ever-present threat of outside forces looming, perhaps it's time to make a change. ]

Not enough of us are ... acquainted with one another, though.

[ His gaze slides back to meet Levi's. ]

[reviling]

[In his world, reconnaissance is the most dangerous job to do. It necessitates fighting and knowing how to survive. Levi's eyes narrow slightly - 'a little like a soldier' could mean many things, after all.

Levi meets Kakashi's gaze with intensity, trying to read a meaning in that look in those words. He's curious about what a shinobi actually is, but perhaps it's best to save some of those details for later.]

What are you proposing?

[more contacts, and potentially more allies - or at least people that could in theory be counted on should some kind of battle breaks out - would be beneficial.]