The First Encounter [Eva]

[Valentin Lee]

Valentin bit her lip a little in nervousness. Karanese was still new to her. She had been moved her a couple of days ago and with all the commotion in Trost, she understood why there wasn't as much attention put into their training right now. She didn't let her days away from cadet training go to waste though. She had done what she could to get a couple of other books into the camp with her. If she wasn't with the rest of her squad and doing some good with them, she was sitting off to the side, nose buried in the musty pages of the old books.

It was a wonderful smell, really. A weathered book had something about it that just helped keep her attention focused. Some had actually tried to tease her about being a book worm, but that was easily quashed. She didn't like when anyone tried to put down her ambition in being the best medically trained cadet here. She hadn't seen anyone else put such thought and effort into anything. Everyone worked so hard to just be at least acceptable by the instructors that no one realized there could be more to their jobs in the military. Doctors couldn't be spared in the field, along the walls, or in the Scout Regiment. If even one person was properly trained, it could show possibilities to the other military personnel. It could spark change in their training regiment and offer another course.

Their main objective was to defend against Titans. But what happened afterward? What happened during the battle when there was a survivor that needed attention? If the situation was under control, yet no one really knew how to treat the injured, there was little more to be gained. Proper attention to those soldiers could mean that would be one more person to return to the fight. The brunette shook her head, reeling in her thoughts. She had drifted off again. With a small sigh she tucked her book a little more firmly under her arm and stepped onto the training grounds, looking for the right spot to settle herself.

[Evanna Archer]

Yeah, she was here early, but that didn't meant that she was intending to be the most exemplary student on the entire Karenese grounds. Sure, she wasn't awful, but she had a feeling she wasn't going to be going into the Military Police or anything, so she wasn't trying all that hard. Honestly, she was just glad to be out of that damned orphanage, though she did admit that she worried for some of the kids that she used to protect in there. Her fists weren't exactly foreign to being smashed up against someone else's face - she had a sweet face though. Looks could be deceiving. Eva had taken to sitting on one of the benches since she had no one to "train" with. She was looking upwards at the clouds, trying to make shapes out of them like she used to do when she was a small child - it was crazy how carefree one could be back then...

At least for most. Hell, she was never carefree for as long as she could remember, but she didn't regret that about her life. She figured that if she had anything to regret it would simply weigh her down, so she tried her best to let everything go that she was disappointed in herself with. Honestly, she thought none of it was worth her time and trouble.

A sound shook her from her deep thoughts, causing her eyes to shift forward, seeing a new face creeping onto the training field that surprised Eva a bit. It wasn't too often that she saw new people.. But she guessed it had a whole hell of a lot to do with that incident in Trost. Because of it, a bunch of soldiers were shipped off here after dealing with the shitstorm that occurred in those parts of the walls. The young girl thought she felt bugs crawling all over her skin, but she quickly found out those were just her own goosebumps activating at the thought of facing so many titans like that.. Completely unprepared. She tried her hardest to shake off the feeling on her own, but she was soon aware that she would need an outside distraction.

What better one to use than that new girl? Hah.

"Haven't ever seen you around here before, huh?" Eva got to her feet, walking over to the girl. When she did, she noticed that she had a book within her grasp, neatly tucked under her arm. Huh.. It wasn't often that you saw people that still read things these days. Eva related to that... She loved to read, write, draw, anything that used her imaginative aspects about herself. Whenever she was creative, she felt as though she could be free from this awful world. She guessed that many had been teasing her about being into books, but she would never, ever resort to anything of that nature. She might could be a pain in the ass sometimes, but she wasn't downright mean for no reason.

"Are the other guys giving you a hard time, kiddo?"

[Valentin Lee]

Valentin took in the grounds around her, trying to figure out just what kind of setting she would be getting into with cadets that she had never met before. Obviously there were a few that had no patience for those that wanted to better themselves. That was true anywhere, really, though she was well aware that her little village had indulged her. Her father made sure that she was aware that there were plenty of people that weren't nearly as kind as those she grew up with. There was a reason she had a defense mechanism when that happened. Now it was just a matter of setting her new routine and making sure anyone that would poke fun at her kept their distance.

Her soft brown gaze drifted over the couple of other individuals that thought it was time to step foot out here. The most notable was another young woman, seemingly about her age with bright red hair. It was such a lovely color. While it was hardly like her to fully appreciate the beauty in most things, she could do so with this girl. There was just something striking about her. Val realized that she was very nearly staring and dropped her gaze, a small flush creeping across her cheeks. What the hell was that? That was so unlike her.

She shifted her foot to start walking in the other direction to find her seat when she noticed the other girl moving as she called out. Not only was she moving, but her intended direction was right at her. Oh, now that was embarrassing. The redhead pinned her as one of the outsiders, of course. It wasn't really that hard to pick them out, she thought. She took a deep breath, wondering what she was going to be snapped at for today. Hopefully it wasn't still for invading the training grounds. She had been snapped at already her first night here for taking up space meant for the cadets that were supposed to be here.

Perhaps it was the book, again, or some other reason. Val let out the breath she had been holding, facing the other girl and letting her surprise show. She hadn't sounded mean at all. In fact, by the quick gaze at her book. This other cadet seemed to understand. A smile finally took its place on her lips, her shoulders falling in relief. Oh, it's nothing I can't handle. Thank you, though She replied, glad to have someone that wasn't going to be upset about sharing their space with the displaced Trost cadets.

She stuck out her hand, letting her smile widen further. I'm Valentin, The bookworm stated. She was quite pleased to have the opportunity to perhaps make a new friend. Maybe this one wouldn't be wary or mock her desire to get more soldiers to learn medicine. Maybe someone might finally understand how useful it could be.

[Evanna Archer]

Ohhh, so she was cute and well-mannered. Hah, as if that combo was existing these days. This girl was starting to prove that notion otherwise, and Eva would be more than happy to accept such a lovely contradiction. The redheaded girl took the hand that was outstretched for her and shook it in greeting, her amber eyes showing appreciation for the gesture. Honestly, Eva didn't remember the last time anyone had been so kind to her even when she came up to them with a bit of a condescending attitude. That was simply an aspect of herself that she had formed a long time ago, and it wasn't so easily let go of. She enjoyed watching other people squirm because of things she had said, so it wasn't like she was trying to get rid of it, anyway. Eh, it was just kind of who she was.

"Eva." She said in response, not bothering to tell the girl her full name, considering she.. Despised it. She felt that it was much too formal for her and should have been saved for a kid who waltzed up into the orphanage with more class. Of course it was wasted on her un-elegant ass, but hey, they were going to do what they wanted to. It was exhibited when they refused to call her by the nickname she had given herself and relentless called her Evanna. Every single time she wanted to puke at the name. If it were directed at anyone else that wasn't regarding her, then she wouldn't mind it in the slightest, but it just.. Didn't suit her. "Mind if I hang with you until training starts?"

Well, it would be a bit awkward if Valentin said otherwise, because the cadet was already walking alongside the other girl. It was relaxing, actually conversing with someone in a non-professional way, more like a friend than anything else. Sure, she had that with a few other cadets here, but none of them were into the same type of stuff that she was - the book piqued the young woman's interest beyond anything else, as it showed that Valentin was more interested in knowledge and information than brute force and fighting techniques. Evanna related to that more than she could even begin to put into words.

"You like to read, huh, girly?" Eva smirked, side-glancing toward the other trainee. "Don't see that too often these days."

[Valentin Lee]

Valentin was rather pleased she had finally found someone she might just call a friend here. Well, thus far, it seemed to be a good start to one. Eva seemed to her the person that might have younger siblings, picking on them herself, but protecting them from any outside teasing. As it should be in a family. She wished she had that kind of relationship, but could only watch on as other families around her grew. She might be a little sad, having left her father to be by himself by joining the military, but she knew the others in their village would take care of him.

Val would just have to try and find someone that she could bond with here. No matter the setting, Trost or Karanese, she was having something of a hard time with that. At least she had books to keep her entertained when human interaction turned unfavorable. She was happy to have someone that was breaking such a lonely cycle. I would love for some company, She chirped, hugging her book to her chest as she walked on with Eva at her side.

Their steps were soft on the dirt. Nothing about them would disturb another as another cadet shared the space, but kept their distance. She might have been a little bothered at that, but it was pleasant now. She had no trouble in trying to make new friends and adding to her social circle, however, until she had more sure footing here, just the one would be plenty. The brunette blinked at the observation the redhead beside her made. She glanced at the book as if it just appeared, having briefly forgotten she was even holding it. Val offered a small shrug. I do. If I don't have something better to do, I'm usually reading something. She tipped the book a little, showing the title. It was a medical book that she hadn't made her way all the way through yet.

It's a shame more people don't read. There's a lot to learn, or even just to get away for a little while. Val glanced to her new companion, more or less simply matching her footsteps until Eva felt it fit to stop. Do you like to read? She asked, feeling the question adequate. Perhaps it could be a fine point for them to start their friendship on. Maybe there had been stories they both read, or could show each other new things to discover. Either way, it would be nice to not be alone in this one thing.

[Evanna Archer]

It was strange how comfortable Eva felt already, the gentle voice of the other girl making her want to smile. It had been a long since she had had such a leisurely conversation with another human being. She was so used to it being solely about business in the military or whether or not somebody had a problem wit her. Eva's big mouth had gotten her into trouble a bit more than just a few times, but she wouldn't be opposed admitting it. Hell, it was a part of who she was, and if someone didn't want that sort of thing in their life, then she wasn't going to blame them. She was aware that she could be a little too much to handle - sometimes she was like that with her own self.

Do you like to read?

She had expecting that to come up eventually in this nice little conversation of theirs. Eva wasn't one to just spout out the fact that she was a creative person, as most looked down upon those sorts of features these days now that they had more important things to fixate their attention upon as a race entirely, but to Val, it would probably be a nice connection that the two of them would be able to share. Almost in a bit of a sheepish way, the young soldier brought a hand to the back of her head to scratch at her scalp and mess with her ponytail; whenever that happened it was a sure-fire sign that she was a little embarrassed about something or other.

"Uh... Yeah." She mumbled the answer, wondering if she would go into more detail about the things she enjoyed doing. Writing, drawing, singing.. All of these things made her feel happy and caused her to feel like there was a true definition of who she was. They were so important to her, but when it came to talking about it, Eva, most of the time, froze up like a deer in headlights. "I think I've read all of the books here. It was pretty much all I did when I was little - hah." Her hand fell back to her side limply, her amber eyes scanning to see that a few more soldiers had come out to the training grounds. Shadis was bound to be out here soon, screaming at the lot of them like they were nothing but sullied dirt. Eh, that was fine - didn't bother her in the slightest.

Ahh.. What was it they were doing today again? With a few more seconds of trying to spark her memory, the redhead suddenly stopped in her tracks and let her head tilt backwards. "Oh nooooooo-" Eva groaned in a loathing fashion.

"He's sending us out in pairs today on a hike or some shit. Ugh." That was as troublesome as ever. She was always stuck with someone who hated her personality and wanted nothing more than to get fifty yards away from her. One would think she would be used to it by now, but the stinging never truly did go away. "Here's hoping we get stuck together, huh, girly?" With that, the instructor made himself known, and the two were left to jog into their usual spots, assuming the normal salute.

Offer your hearts. Peh. Yeah right. More like Offer your individuality.

[Valentin Lee]

Valentin was quite glad to hear that her new friend wasn't like everyone else here. The brunette grinned brightly at Eva. Yes, she was certain that this was going to be a fine friendship, no matter how hard she had to work at it. It wasn't lost on her that the other girl had hesitated, shown how unsure she was about giving that answer. She had the feeling that reading in this area hadn't been seen as a good thing. Based on her experience here thus far, Val was guessing that most of the kids were rather harsh with each other and it seemed like they were trying to remove those they deemed weak or undesirable in someway from the herd, so to speak.

She glanced at the few that had joined them outside now and could only imagine growing up like that. All the more reason for her to praise such behavior and offer to help it along. I don't know if how many different books I have back home, but I could see what I can do about getting you some new material, The perky cadet offered. She would find someway of getting her hands on books and not letting her own interested die just because a few other people didn't agree with it. She might not have had much bullying where she came from, but her father had made sure that theirs was a rare village that prompted such community and kindness. The other kids hadn't shared her passions, but had never said a bad word to her.

She would be a terrible person if she did any less for someone who hadn't had that growing up. She opened her mouth to ask what would be an appropriate acquisition when Eva groaned in irritation. Her jaw snapped shut as she explained what was wrong. Right, they were cadets and still needed training. Her brown eyes flicked back to the grounds around them and saw other teenagers starting to fill in around them. A small frown pulled at her lips as she looked down at her book. What a shame, she hadn't gotten a single sentence in. There would always be later. I do hope we're partnered together. I think we could work well, Valentin said in a chipper voice as she stepped away from the other girl to set her book off in a safe corner to be retrieved later.

She hurried to her designated spot, falling into line and saluting as Shadis and the other instructors stared at them. Shadis barked their orders at them, as always, yelling about what their objectives were today. Eva had been right that they would be split into pairs and sent off on their own. Each team would be given certain items that they needed to protect and make it until the end of the day without anyone stealing these items. That also meant that they needed to go out and try and get someone else's items as well. It was to test their ability to hide, spy, go undetected, and steal. Stealing was the biggest issue with her as she didn't see the purpose of it. They weren't supposed to be fighting against each other, but the titans.

That didn't mean that there weren't bad people in the world. They still needed to be ready for that. As she had been lost in her thoughts, Val missed that an instructor had made his way to her. His harsh tone grabbed her attention and she went a little wide eyed in surprise. He growled that she would be paired with Archer and pushed her in the right direction. It was a happy surprise that she was heading toward Eva. Hey! We got our wish! She cheered. It was most likely due to the fact that they were pairing her with someone they thought would actually be able to lead her since she didn't look all that capable herself, but that was okay. It worked out in their favor.

[Evanna Archer]

I do hope we're partnered together. I think we would work well.

Holy shit. That was the first time anyone had ever said anything like that to her. She looked a little dumbfounded at first, she was sure of it, but it quickly morphed back into her condescending smile and she gave a few chuckles. "Yeah, same here." They were then scrambling to their spots, soldiers running in from all directions to make the time mark. It was obvious that most of them had overslept, but that was simply the norm around here - laziness was a virtue that all of them missed a lot, but Eva wasn't ever used to that factor. Back when she was a child, she was made to work in the orphanage. Yeah, they kept a roof over her head and they fed her, but that never came without a price. She had to work, clean, and make sure that things were in order, especially when she became one of the older residents in the building.

Shadis was screaming in the faces of everyone, which was a habitual occurrence, and Eva tended to pay it no mind. There was no use in getting her itty-bitty feelings hurt over something so trivial. If Shadis wanted to yell in her face and attempt to de-humanized her, then hell, that was his prerogative that she honestly didn't care that much about. As he was going down the line, he reached her new buddy, Val; what he said, however, shocked her beyond recognition. They had been paired together for their hike, and were probably going to be dealing with a bunch of trials together. They were both intelligent, by the looks of it, so the soldier was already beginning to think that today's stuff was going to be a breeze. Perhaps if it was shown how well they worked together then they would be paired together for other things in the future. For some reason, she found herself to be extremely excited by the thought. Eva hadn't ever had the privilege of having a friend before, so all of this was insanely new... But welcomed.

Valentin ran to her, ecstatic about these sudden turns of events. Of course, Evanna had a bit of trouble wiping away that big grin off her face, but she was able to control her expression after clearing her throat, using the back of her hand to wipe it away, in an attempt to not make it look too obvious. "Yeah, we sure did, huh?" The two began to walk over to the Mess Hall, where they would be given their water containers to make sure that they didn't go dehydrated, but once the fluid ran out, they would be left to their own devices. These little "hikes" or "tests" of theirs certainly weren't just done at random, but instead were conducted rather strategically in efforts to wipe out the weak. They were using Natural Selection in its finest form - allowing the elements to take the cadets that weren't worth the food the military shoved into their mouths. Eva refused to be one of them - failure to her wasn't even an option.

Once they were all packed up (and by packed up, they had their water canisters and a small pack containing clothes), they were all told to go to different locations and follow a trail, but would soon find that the trail would disappear. Once that happened, they all had to try and find their way up a mountain not too far off in the distance. It was a tall one, though, and the peak of it was always blanketed in a nice layer of snow. In their packs were just a simple change of clothes to protect them from the harsh climate; other than that, they were essentially defenseless.

Y'know.. Other than their gear. They got that, and they got their horses. This would be the second time that Eva had been on this sort of expedition, and she learned that they didn't bother her too badly. As long as she was able to find food and a nice place to sleep for the night, shit, it was kind of like a vacation. It was just sitting all damn day on her horse kinda hurt her ass...

"You ready?" She asked Valentin as the two sat upon their horses next to each other, their packs latched onto the sides of their steeds. Their path was picked up especially for them, so it would be unlikely to see any of the other soldiers upon their travels. In a way, that was comforting. Maybe the two of them would have more time to bond over the lame hobbies they had?

[Valentin Lee]

Valentin kept close to her partner, pleased with how their situation turned out. Sure, they might have been paired up because she looked weak and Eva perhaps stood out from her own squad in her own way. Given that she was willing to strike up a conversation about books rather than mock her for it must mean that she was a good deal kinder than everyone else here. That was how she was choosing to take it, though she could tell that there was still a tough exterior. Eva kept calling  her "girly" rather than some other way of addressing her. It wasn't even her usual nick name of "Val." It was like she was trying to keep a little bit of distance verbally.

There was no issue with that, however. The brunette tried to be as easy going as she could. It was good bed side manner if nothing else. It could also mean an easier time making a friend out of someone other might consider prickly. She had a small smile on her face as they moved through the lines, gathering what little the instructors deemed necessary for this training exercise. Val kept her pack on her, settling all of her gear comfortably on her before she made her way to the horse paddock. There she was able to mount her steed for the exertion and cantered up to Eva's side.

Yep! Let's go, She replied to her partner, urging the horse forward with her heels. She didn't think there was a time limit put on them, but the further they went today, the easier it would be for them to make good time to the mountain. It would also do them good in finding a good spot to set up for the night. She couldn't say that she was exactly good at being a survivalist, so making fire and the like would take her some time. She glanced at the redhead, realizing that for as much as she thought they could get along, they should figure out how they would compliment each other. It would make dividing up their work easier when the time came for it.

Valentin wavered for a moment, rocking with her horse as the hooves kicked up the dirt with each step. Well, it would do them no good to keep her mouth shut. So, what do you think you'll find easiest when we set up for camp? We'll waste less time if we plan things out on the ride, She stated, trying to think smarter so they didn't have to work harder. Their jobs in the military would end up being hard enough if the titan attacks continued as they did. She was eager to make any part of their jobs easier so they had a better chance to concentrate on more important things.