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

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

[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!]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[ 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.

[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?

[ 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.

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?

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.

Helpful. Thanks.

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

What do you want to know in return?

Well, what are you willing to share?

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

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.

[ 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. ]

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]

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?

[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.

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. ]

[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.]

Edited 2014-02-09 00:05 (UTC)

Perhaps it might be... beneficial for those of us with similar backgrounds to learn more about the other.

[ And perhaps, depending on what is learned, and whether it would make strategic sense, to begin forming alliances. Though Kakashi knows he can count on people from his world to have his back, there are, by his count, several hundred people in Luceti, a great number of which appear to be civilian. Should anything occur, and assuming they are all in control of their own faculties, it would be not only in Konoha's best interests, but also Luceti's, for allied parties to share interests and power. ]

[he keeps a level, measuring gaze on Kakashi. What he says makes sense, particularly from Levi's perspective where there are people who have been here for years whose knowledge that could be used to an advantage. Plus, with only four of them with experience fighting titans, should one somehow show up (particularly in the form of any of those traitors), having others that they could count on for support would be extremely valuable.]

Perhaps you're right.

[ A discerning, careful man. Not quite unlike himself.

Kakashi nods then as he turns to face Levi fully, posture slightly straightening up from the somewhat relaxed slouch he'd settled into, with his hands in his pockets. He nods towards the direction of where he knows a cafe to be. If they are going to spend more time talking, it doesn't make sense for them to be standing outside in below-freezing temperatures any longer than they already have. ]

Let's take this somewhere warmer.

[ Especially if they have a lot more to discuss. ]

I'd like to hear more about your world. In exchange, I'll tell you about mine. Maybe we might be able to find some common ground.

[warmer suits Levi just fine - he hates being cold longer than necessary, and it won't be long before he could start shivering noticeably. If he can avoid showing that kind of sensitivity, he's just as happy to do so.

He nods, crossed arms tightening a bit.]

You've got a deal.

[he follows Kakashi to the cafe. To most people who wouldn't have any inkling otherwise, he walks normally. Yet to the more discerning eye, a healing injury is evident in the way that he slightly favors his left foot, spending longer steps on the right. It's almost healed, but it could still be aggravated if he isn't careful.]

[ Kakashi most certainly notices, but he doesn't say anything about the way Levi moves, simply filing the information away for reference.

The walk to the cafe doesn't take very long, and they head inside, exchanging cold, biting wind for the warm coziness of the shop and the scent of roasting coffee beans and pastries. Kakashi isn't a particular fan of the pastries, which are in his opinion, far too sweet, but coffee, he'll do. Or tea. ]

Coffee?

[ Nods towards the counter once the door closes behind them. ]

Tea.

[Coffee was something that wasn't as common where he was from, and even when he had the chance to try it, he still preferred tea. He strolls up to the counter and orders a small pot of black tea - enough to share if Kakashi wanted any, or some to have for himself.

Levi picks a table just for the two of them in the corner and mostly away from other patrons to minimize eavesdropping. He can also see the entrance without having to move much to look.]

[ There is a lot that you can tell about a man, simply by watching him.

Where Levi decided to have them sit tells Kakashi that he is as much strategic as he is tactical.

Kakashi would have picked the same table himself, so it comes as no surprise that Levi had chosen this particular one. It offers the best vantage point in the entire shop to have a full view of the store, is close enough to both the back exit while having a direct line of sight of the entrance, and also positioned away from other patrons and staff to avoid anyone overhearing.

He doesn't order himself coffee, opting to share the tea with Levi instead, pouring them each a cup once they're seated. ]

Interesting choice.

[ It's not clear whether Kakashi's commenting on the table or the tea. He raises his cup of tea slowly, but makes no move to lower his mask as he blows on the tea through his mask and then sips it.

From all appearances it looks like he sipped it through the mask.

But there's no wet spot left over. ]

[Levi doesn't ask what that question might be referring to, so he assumes both his choice for tea and the choice of seat. He sits, leaning against the wall and angled toward the rest of the cafe, legs crossed.

He picks up his own cup, holding it the way he usually does - by the rim, rather than by the handle or the sides. Raising it to his lips, he watches Kakashi carefully as the man lifts his own cup to his still-covered face, and after a moment seems to drink through his mask. His eyes narrow when no evidence that tea even passed his lips.]

...how's it taste?

[did he even taste it]

Hmm, not terrible.

[ Not great, compared to the sort of tea they have back home, though.

Kakashi takes a second sip, and lo and behold, the contents of the cup seem to have decreased some more, which means that he certainly is drinking, but how he's doing it is another story entirely. His expression seems completely nonchalant, though, as if he does this all the time.

Maybe he does. ]

Where I'm from, we have far higher quality tea.

Edited 2014-02-09 02:40 (UTC)

[Levi can be picky about how his tea is brewed, but he's used to 'not terrible' tea (and even terrible tea, sadly). But still. He decides not to push it with figuring out that mystery.]

Where I'm from, this is better than most of the shit we have.

You said shinobi were "a little like soldiers." Are they in addition to a regular military?

Edited 2014-02-09 02:44 (UTC)

Mm...

[ Kakashi takes another sip, then sets the cup down, lifting a thumb to press at the corner of what appears to be masked lips. ]

Shinobi are a little different from military in that we take contracts, not only from our country, but also from anyone who can afford us. Where I'm from, shinobi are the primary military force in the country. But there are secondary military forces, such as armed guards for daimyo, or samurai.

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