A CHOICE WITH NO REGRETS

i've been good with animals all my life. humans are the ones i have trouble with. isabel | SNK

[ncregrets]

strongestxsoldier

As she began to speak about what had happened to her and Farlan, Levi felt a strong pang of guilt shoot through him again. There had been a lot of people in his life who’d died because of his orders, and he could live with that knowing it was for the greater of humanity, that those men and women had sacrificed themselves for the cause. But none of those deaths ever haunted him as much as the loss of  Isabel and Farlan. He’d never lost control as bad as he did since that moment, the pure rage and guilt had been all consuming, and it was one of very few moments in his life were he ever showed sign of feeling pain.

He listens to her explanation, but it doesn’t do much to clear his confusion.  He’d seen a lot of things in his life, he always knew the answers, but he didn’t understand anything about this.

“If this was the afterlife, I’d hope for something a little cleaner.” He replied, proving one thing really did never change.  But he was almost certain it wasn’t, he had no memory of dying, and he was too determined to ever die in his sleep. “Alive.” He repeated, needing to say it out loud for it to resignate with him. “So it seems you are.” He placed a hand on her shoulder for a moment, which was about as close as he came to giving a hug. “What stupid things have you been doing without me here to babysit?”  He questioned, and while his voice stayed that even monotone he was known for, he meant it with affection.

     she grins, wider than she has since she landed in this place, and feels an overwhelming relief that not even time has seemed to change levi. there’d been a second when she’d wonder, should he or farlan ever did show up, if there would be an uncomfortable distance between them. maybe in some ways there was still something to eventually work past, words left unsaid from their previous lives. she was okay not dealing with that right now though. in a world without titans, the possibilities could be endless.  

    ‘ yeah, yeah. it’s a real mess, i hate to break it to ya. we didn’t know the meaning of too crowded before now, trust me. ’ though, isabel is sure they might have come close. the poor left in the cities underneath may not have been all too numerous, but in such small confines, it was often disastrous. at least seattle has some sort of sanitation system. 

   a small pout tugs at her lips and she rolls her eyes, childishly sticking her tongue out. still, there’s a warmth where his palm meets her shoulder, one that makes her already bright smile shine more when she responds, ‘ what are ya implying, huh?? i don’t need a babysitter!! i’ll have ya know i’ve been the epitome of a model citizen or whatever. ’ she pauses, a sheepish glance directed his way when she suddenly adds, ‘ well, the first week i may have nicked a few wallets off some folks. it’s so easy here. only got into one fight though. that’s a record!! ’

[ncregrets]

ofrapunzcls

        she nods her head in agreement – not that she’d consider everyone here ❛ weirdos ❜ or anything like that. but it would be nice to have people stop stepping on her hair. it doesn’t really hurt all that much (( it’s strong enough to support her mom’s weight after all )) , but it does admittedly get a bit annoying. so she quickly moves to take a seat on the bench, adjusting her hair so that it would be easier for the other to get to. ❝ it’s nice to meet you, isabel !! ❞ she exclaims with a grin, ❝ my name’s rapunzel. ❞

      ' that sure is a mouthful. ' she pauses and hopes the blonde isn’t insulted. she didn’t mean to sound rude; isabel’s lack of a filter has gotten her into trouble more than once though. ‘ pretty though. and nice to meet ya too. ’ now that the hair is in front of her, isabel realizes it’s a bit more intimidating all bunched up like this. never one to give up, however, she begins to mke quick work of whatever she plans on doing to the other girl’s hair. hopefully it won’t look too bad. ‘ so where ya from, rapunzel?? ’

[ncregrets]

historiarciss

“ oh that’s not what i meant at all. of course i’m glad that there’s no titans in seattle, but this isn’t really how i pictured my first time outside of the walls.” she explains. “yes, that’s a good point.”

    ‘ guess i’d be pretty pissed too if that was taken from me. it’s a real experience. everything here is so cramped. not even being stuck underground was as suffocating. ’ 

[redjaws]

A choice with no regrets (extra)

[ncregrets]

strongestxsoldier

Levi hadn’t been looking at who he was talking to, he was just speaking and expecting an answer. That’s how it worked for him, if he asked a question even without directing it, a subordinated would always respond. But what he hadn’t expected was that voice.

It didn’t matter how many years went by, he’d never forget it. It was burned into his memory like a constant reminder of one of his greatest failures. After that day he’d sworn to live life without regrets, but that didn’t change the blame that he’d been carrying on his shoulders. He’d spent years wondering what would have happened if he was fast enough, if he didn’t leave, if he’d stayed with Isabel and Furlan. But those questions would always remain unanswered, because the reality of the situation was that he left, and he wasn’t fast enough.

He snapped his head in the direction of the voice, and despite that calm look on his face he felt like the entire world had just shifted under his feet. The last time he’d seen those eyes they’d been on a decapitated head in the mud staring lifelessly up at him. Yet here they were filled with l i f e, and he didn’t know how to handle that.

For a man who’d learned to shut himself off to nearly every emotion, he was suddenly hit by a freight train of them. Confusion, guilt, anger, worry, grief, they all washed over him, yet never once did his expression change. Without so much of a word he crossed the distance between them, placing his hands on the sides of her head, as if checking to make sure it was actually attached.

She didn’t look a day older than the last time he saw her, and he didn’t understand how this was possible, but she was solid under his fingers, and breathing.

“You’re dead.” He whispered hands dropping. “How are you here?”

      she furrows her brow when she feels his hands on the side of her head. he’s as seemingly unreadable as ever, but isabel likes to think she’s known him long enough to spot subtle, subtle nuances in his expression. maybe her own clouded vision is tricking her though; she’s just trying to not weep like a baby right now, thank you very much. 

     ‘ i don’t know. ’ she admits, exhaling a long held breath as she shakes her head, ‘ i -- i remember saving farlan and then the...’ she trails off, lips pursed as her traitorous mind conjures images of a titan s m i l i n g right before he crushed her between another one. she can’t talk about that right now, doesn’t want to eclipse this moment with such a horrific memory. ‘ i just woke up in this place a few weeks ago. it’s a damn circus, i’ll tell ya that much. these people are all a bunch of weirdos. ’

    isabel stops herself before she goes off on a tangent; it’s not hard for her to do when she gets distracted. she doesn’t want to be distracted right now. it feels like a lifetime since she’s seen levi and now he’s here and older and isabel can’t help the way her lips tremble and her eyes water. she’s still a child at heart, no matter how much she tried to be like her unfailingly cool big brother. 

    ‘ i was waiting for ya. farlan too. it was stupid to hope, but it was lonely. then i just kept thinking maybe i’m stuck here because i’m dead. like some weird afterlife thing, ya know?? if that was the case, i didn’t want to see either of ya for a long, long time. ’ certainly she knows now it’s not the case, though whispers on the street argue that many of the people here were once as dead as well. she has no idea what to make of it either way. 

     ‘ but -- i’m alive, levi. really, really alive. ’ 

[ncregrets]

strongestxsoldier:

Levi didn’t particularly know where he was, having just shown up here with no explanation was a bit confusing, to say the least. Yet he didn’t feel afraid, or worried, instead he felt irritation and disgust. He was irritated to be thrown into a foreign environment, and he was disgusted by the state of it.  (’Does no one here know how to pick up their own trash?’) Apparently not because in the last ten minutes he’s stepped on at least four candy bar wrappers.

“Repulsive.” He drawled, his voice monotone as he scraped it off the bottom of his boot. While he may have been a tiny person, Levi in no way gave off the impression of being defenceless, his calm demeanour was eerie, leaving the lingering impression that despite his levelheadedness he could kill someone with a thumbtack before they could blink. Of course he wouldn’t, he didn’t kill humans, but he wasn’t above kicking someone in the face to shut them up.  “Where am I, and why is it so filthy?”    

     she liked being outside. the city was loud, crowed, and reminded her of the underground in a lot of ways, but -- above her were clouds and blue, blue skies and a sun that shined so fiercely that it took isabel a few days for her eyes to adjust completely. to be in a place so different and so detached from the horrors of her home, a place that held none of the people she knew or wanted, this little bit of relief she gets from spending her hours outside is more than welcome.

   sometimes she likes to people watch, but most of the time isabel finds herself lost in her head, ricocheting theories on how she’d gotten here, how she was alive again, and all the rest of the oddities this future hold. when she’s like this it can take a minute for her to snap out of it so, though she hears the questions thrown her way and her head lolls to the side so green eyes land on the source, it takes a good few seconds before things click. this isn’t a STRANGER. she knows that voice, that familiar statures and shock of dark hair, that slightly disgruntled look on his face. everything in her says don’t get your hopes up, but it’s him. it has to be him.

    ‘ ---- levi?? ’ she breathes out, shaky grin stretching her cheeks as she stands to face him head on. he looks older, hardened, and she desperately hopes that means he survived. ‘ it’s you, ain’t you, big bro?? like for real?? ’

[attackontitans]

"Believe in us!" | A Choice With No Regrets Pt.2

[ncregrets]

historiarciss

@ncregrets​ requested the presence of lady historia:

“It feels oddly dissatisfying to finally be outside of the walls; I had imagined the world to be a much better place.”

   ‘ what are ya talking about?? you should count your blessings there aren’t any damned titans running around here. sure it’s a shit storm in most other ways, but at least being eaten alive isn’t on the table anymore. ’

[ncregrets]

mcrmaidfromfour

Humming softly, Annie pushed the stroller towards a nearby park, knowing that there could be someone there of assistance, she didn’t know how and why she ended up in a place like this, one minute, the two were at home, and she was making food, and the next, they are here. At the thought of Panem, she still can’t help but frown, the War was over, but she had a couple friends there. Walking over to a resident of this ‘Seattle’ place, that was the sign that she had read and assumed it was what it was called, she tapped their shoulder and chewed on her lip nervously. “I’m so sorry to bother you, but..when are we?”

   huh. guess the whole time traveling shtick really wasn't all that uncommon in these parts. isabel files that away for later, green eyes instead shifting between the stroller and the woman who’d just approached her. ‘ 2017, apparently. not that this seattle place is all that familiar, if ya ask me. the whole thing is crazy, lady. ’ no one had even heard of titans here or faced a near extinction level threat once. it made no sense.

[ncregrets]

japansxace

Yuuri nodded and gave a small smile. “Skates are a safety hazard, that’s why I keep mine in my bag when I’m not wearing them.” He replied motioning to the blue bag that was stuffed under the bench he was on. “Oh, it’s an ice rink.” He replied. “Basically it’s a smooth flat piece of ice and you wear skates- which are what you tripped over, onto the ice. It’s fun once you get the hang of it.”

   she can’t help the tiniest hint of curiosity that rears its head as he explains just what it is isabel has stumbled into. it’s only a second of hesitation that she faces before she jumps the few steps to the bottom of the stands and places her hands on the sheets of glass between them and the rink. it sounds a little ridiculous, but -- she’s never seen anything like it before. 

    ‘ sounds like ya need good balance. ’ she ponders, before glancing up to the stranger, ‘ so what about you then?? you do this whole thing often?? like a hobby or somethin’?? ’

[ncregrets]

ofrapunzcls

        rapunzel smiles. ❝ oh, would you ?? ❞ she asks, an obvious excitement coming through her voice. ❝ that would be great. even if it doesn’t work or isn’t perfect, just the fact that you’re willing to try is wonderful !! ❞ the only thing that someone has done with her hair before was brush it. and her mother never even completed the task, only doing it long enough for rapunzel to finish her song. it was more comfort than anything. so she found it extremely nice that someone had offered.

     the girl’s sudden excitement gives isabel a small, but surprising, burst of confidence. it doesn’t mean she expects to do anything amazing with the hair, but she at least finds herself wanting to try something. ‘ yeah, alright. i’ll give it a go. anything’s gotta be better than having all these weirdos stepping on it, right?? ’ she gestures for the blonde to take a seat on a nearby bench, hands clasped behind her back as she waits. ‘ uh - i’m isabel, by the way. nice to meet ya or whatever. ’

[sskeptical]

[ncregrets]

madesavior

    the blonde’s oceanic hues scanned her surroundings when all of the sudden, she body felt as if it ran straight into a brick wall. the encounter sent her back a few steps before she turned to attention. her gaze was pulled to whatever, whoever, she’d ran into when a familiar face came into view. 

           ‘ raven? ‘ she was in slight disbelief for a moment before she closed to distance between the two of them, her arms wrapping around who she believed to be one of her best friends. ‘ thank god. ‘ 

      when she gets over her initial shock, which had left her momentarily frozen, isabel is quick to push the blonde off of her. perhaps with a little more strength than necessary, but she’s a solitary individual save for farlan and levi so people throwing themselves at her in a hug isn’t exactly welcome. ‘ what the hell?? ’ she takes a large step forward, eyeing the growing gap between them as if it weren’t quite enough. ‘ what are ya doing!! i bumped into ya on accident. i wasn’t going for any kind of hug. ’

[inthemovrnings]

paramore // hard times

[ncregrets]

japansxace

The sound had been startling, and he glanced warily at the other. A sheepish look coming to his face when she brought up his brooding, a mixture of shame and anxiety bubbling in his stomach. He knew it really was nothing to be ashamed since of most people would get upset in this situation, but that didn’t stop him from feeling embarrassed about being caught anyway.  “You have no need to apologize.” He replied. “Are you alright?” He questioned, motioning to the skates she’d tripped on. 

      a small frown tugs at her lips when she glances down at the offending objects. she kicks at them lightly, pushing them farther away from her, and shrugs. ‘ yeah, ‘m good. these dumb things are heavier than they look, i guess. ’ a hand comes up to rest at the nape of her neck, fingers grazing the edge of her hair as she looks from the skates, to the rink, and back to the stranger. ‘ i don’t really know what any of this here. sorry if i interrupted ya or anything. ’ 

[ncregrets]

ofrapunzcls

        rapunzel gives smiles before answering, ❝ it’s taken my whole life to grow it out this long – so about eighteen years. i’ve never once had it cut, and i feel like it grows a bit faster than normal. ❞ at least, she assumes the magic in her hair makes it longer than that of most other people. she has yet to see someone with hair as long as hers … but maybe everybody just cuts theirs quite often. her smile turns a bit sad then. ❝ i don’t have people to do that for me, no,❞ she answers. she doesn’t really have anyone here, and even before seattle, she didn’t encounter many people at all. ❝ it’s alright though. i’ll make do. ❞

     isabel hums, a contemplative look on her face. she doesn’t know anyone with such long hair back where she’s from, but that’s mostly because of how dangerous it can be with the titans. ‘ that’s really neat. my hair’s always been pretty choppy. ’ she’s never really cared, to be fair. being stylish in the underground wasn’t exactly a priority. ‘ i could give it a go if you wanted!! ‘m not really any kinda expert, but i can at least try. ’

[ncregrets]

madesavior

        and clarke thought navigating around and area without any actual names and directions was difficult. here she was, making her way through SEATTLE, where there were signs and maps everywhere, yet the blonde was a bit lost when it come to how to get back to housing. 

            to make matters worse, it honestly didn’t help that there was barely anyone around to ask. 

|   ♚ ; open starter

   isabel isn’t paying a lick of attention to anything in front of her. she’s deep in thought, watching her feet move slowly one in front of the other. before she even realizes it, she’s running right into someone else, a silent ‘oof’ leaving her lips as she stumbles back.

    ‘ ah, damn. sorry about that. are ya alright?? ’