epidemiology | [open] optional: sunrise catch-all

CHARACTERS: everybody who wants to enjoy a shred of actual success/is really tired of this whole 'eternal darkness' thing.

DATE: evening of jan 24-morning of the 25th

WARNINGS: schmoop, probably.

SUMMARY: the sun's back, come say hi AKA sunrise mingle/catch-all

SUN SALUTATION

[ Thanks to everyone's hard work and following Rick's, er...enthusiastic performance, the stars are back in the sky after four long months. Goblins and humans are out of their homes, cheering in the streets despite the cold that still grips the city. It's winter, the night will be long yet, but hope feels real now.

Bars and pubs will be open and raucous until dawn; people have tracked out whatever leftover supplies remained from the festival of illumination and strung up lights by their open windows. The atmosphere is certainly lively, but how long will it last?

The sun breaks in the west at around half past seven. Might want to get a good spot to watch. ]

[[OOC: got mod permission for the elements of this log! thanks mods. this log is purely optional for anyone who wants to react to the sun being back. art by nathan fowkes. ]]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[It's a lot of talking Masamune does afterwards, prompted by Levi's statement. Luckily she's always been good at listening and now is no exception, Riza remaining silent and contemplative and Masamune posits his conjecture piece by piece. The evidence weighs heavily against ALASTAIR, she can't deny, and only serves to solidify her own suspicions against ALASTAIR.

Still—]

What do you propose we do then, in light of all this information? ALASTAIR has the power to bring us here, influence the king. They might very well be listening to us right at this moment.

[With a gesture to both of them, Masamune and Levi. She's always been a subordinate, both in official position and by nature, but she's known Levi long enough to know that he's anything but.]

[ Perhaps not. But he is someone's subordinate, and he would be doing his colleagues and the Survey Corps a disservice not to look into every suspicious nook and cranny available to him. Masamune just happens to point them on the specific sort of trail to pique these interests, and for that, he listens diligently himself.

It helps that the observations seem to make things he's considered himself fall closer into place. For all people denied his cynicism towards ALASTAIR in passing, the few who agreed with him had never been able to suggest much more than he. No fault of theirs, but they were left lacking any real spark to inspire theories of conspiracy.

He thinks back on when Mikasa left them, off to 'another crew.' Whether she really was reassigned or not, was that done with a certain intent in mind as well? Coming to a firm conclusion about what that intent was may be one thing, but he'd always been certain there had been a reason. He hadn't tried to stoke that angle with Eren, because he wanted him to do his job. Stay focused. Stay safe.

Erwin, too, would employ such misdirection for strategical means. He would keep some in the dark of the real plan of attack. Levi doesn't need to doubt the possibility of this. If anything, turning it over in his head with this support only makes him feel more sure of that.

The enchanted bracelet on his wrist is raised with a scornful eye. ]

It would be too late to suggest we destroy these now, if even the inklings of insubordination would have us pulled. But already, they've proven that doesn't seem to be the case. I've seen countless people express treasonous opinions, and more still who refuse to participate in our objectives at will.

[ In fact, from all that he's seen, he might even be slowly swaying into thinking that they won't interfere under more circumstances than not. They wish to orchestrate something, but some part of it has a strange quality of a god who chose simply to set the pieces in motion.

His hand falls, and Levi turns to Masamune again. The letter. ]

One thing is for sure. The humans, the goblins, the ones in between. They all chose to judge us by our own merits rather than by some planet-saving hogwash ALASTAIR put into their heads. Even the crown, who supposedly wanted us along for the ride, refused to even grant us audience. They don't want us here.

[ Is that proof? He doesn't know. But one thing's bothering him. ]

There were some who received letters from the Order, as well. It struck me as odd since that night I followed Eren into the woods. Why would the Order invite outsiders, many of them human, to their talk of doing worse to this place than getting rid of the sun? We weren't onto them at all.

[ oh, then he's the only one who is the literal top of the food chain of command here, eh... ]

There's nothing we can do at present, even if they are listening and they know that. We're not a threat at the moment.

[ that he's sure of.

Masamune nods at Levi's comment concerning the order. ]

So convenient of them, right? Stupidly so, maybe, considering how elusive they were to us prior.

The chance of figuring out anything further on ALASTAIR'S reasons and way of doing things is pretty much gone here but next mission might be a good starting point, granted they don't split us. It's going to take a while for us to figure out our employer's true colors.

I don't like us being jerked around. Doing their dirty work doesn't bother me but their way of doing things is too sneaky to be simply what they claim. If nothing else, getting better acquainted with our Big Boss might save our asses at some point when they dump us into the fire pit. This isn't my army nor is it either of yours to be responsible for... but I think we can all agree, even with personal attachments aside, we'd like lose as few people as possible to untimely and unfortunate deaths. Dying's not my style and neither is letting supposed comrades do so, either. Especially not by the very power that we're all technically serving.

And since our group totally sucks ass with teamwork... get ready for a little bit of a challenge.

[Better use that up-top power wisely, Masamune...

At Levi's words, one hand lifts to touch briefly at the simple stud adorning her ear. Not particularly easy to destroy but easy enough to lose. But he's right - ridding themselves of the jewelry at this point serves no purpose.]

Perhaps the Order was who ALASTAIR ultimately wanted to work with, rather than the King himself. It's hard to say now, what with everyone as scattered as they are.

[Regardless, doing the dirty work of anyone other than the select handful of people she trusts implicitly is low on her rather lengthy list of priorities, though that hasn't stopped her from carrying out ALASTAIR's order without protest thus far. The cost of refusing the tasks assigned to her don't yet outweigh the benefit of steadfastly carrying on and waiting for the smallest chance to return back to her own personal mission and her own world.

A smile ghosts across her face, here and gone like a flicker of dying flame.]

I have no intentions of dying yet, nor do I have any intention of letting any of our other comrades die without a fight.

[Which leaves them on the same page as far as she's concerned. That leaves then the matter of a plan going forward, though if Levi's words are to be believed - and she's inclined to do so, from her judgement of him - any further steps they take will most likely be passed over with a blind eye.

Before she comments on their relative freedom, however, she tilts her head at Masamune, one eyebrow arched.]

It sounds like you have some plans for us in mind already.

[ Well, Levi never did think leadership was his calling.

On top of that, Masamune does have a way of inspiring his trust. More than anything, all he's been trying to do here is stop people from killing each other mindlessly. This world isn't theirs, isn't ALASTAIR's to force their chosen peace upon, but if he has to make do for the sake of his own people, then he'd at least like to see that their involvement here doesn't result in more deaths than if they'd never come. The same could be said for ALASTAIR's people—some he felt no sympathy towards, and yet they had all been taken from the places they really belonged. The places they were born and, as he felt, should also have the right to die.

In any case, he's certainly considered that collaboration with ALASTAIR may be a distasteful task he'll have to stomach. That may not be out of the realm of possibility still, but he agrees that these secrets can't continue as they are, and it shows with a steady determination on his face as he looks to Riza and then back. ]

I'd like to hear them as well.

[ He nods to Masamune. ]

Though if you both understand my priorities already, then you should understand my answer depends on what we're going to need to risk.

[open] optional: sunrise catch-all

i regret playing a smart character now, carry on without me

oh my god i'm sorry this became a novel somehow

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