middaeg | Feb Catch-all! [OTA]

ARRIVAL

[ Isabel arrives in Geardagas kicking and screaming.

It’s no surprise. After all, the last thing she remembers… is the sight of the gaping jaws of that Titan, and the absolute terror that followed. She’d seen herself reflected in its eyes – powerless, reduced to nothing more than a plaything for a creature far more powerful than her… and then there was the pain.

The pain’s gone now, though. For a moment, she lashes out, wildly throwing her arms around her to pummel anything in sight, though luckily there’s nobody around. She’s still terrified – and it’s a fear like none she’s ever known before, that feeling of knowing with absolute certainty that this is the end.

…But after a few moments, Isabel takes in her surroundings. And for a moment, she’s relieved – she didn’t die after all! She somehow ended up… in a strange room she doesn’t recognise…? Okay, on second thought… that doesn’t make a lot of sense. Maybe she’s being too optimistic.

No, she’s sure of it. She definitely died. This… this must be some kind of afterlife.

The grief hits her all at once, and immediately, she can feel tears welling up in her eyes - ones she fights to hold back. She’s dead. She’ll never get to see Farlan and Levi again. Sure, they reached the surface – once, for such an agonizingly short amount of time. But that small bit of comfort has been cruelly taken away from her all at once.

Fuck. Fuck this!! It’s not fair, it’s bullshit! It’s only been a matter of minutes, but she misses Farlan and Levi so much that her chest aches, and the tears in her eyes start overflowing. So there is an afterlife, after all? If there’s a God, too, then she’s sure as hell got some strong words for him. The life that she lived – how the hell is she supposed to accept that that was it? All her hopes and dreams of freedom were for nothing. Crying and furious, that’s when she’s found, and as soon as she senses the presence of a stranger… she’s whipping around, her expression morphed into one of rage as the tears fall from her eyes. ]

What the hell is this!? Who are you!?

NEW BEGINNINGS

[ Now that everything’s been explained to her, Isabel doesn’t know what to think. So this isn’t an afterlife, apparently – though that doesn’t change the fact that she still remembers dying clear as day. And this world… there are similarities to hers, sure, but this is a world of magic, and creatures the likes of which she’s never seen. It’s… well, let’s just say it’s a lot to take in!

On the one hand… she’s free now. She’s no longer trapped in the Underground, no longer a wanted criminal – this is, in every way possible, a fresh start, and it came so easily that Isabel doesn’t know what to think. …That’s why she’s here now, just standing outside, admiring the open blue sky with a smile full of wonder on her face.

She can feel the breeze brushing gently against her skin. The light of the sun shines down on her, wrapping her in it’s warmth. It’s everything she ever wanted.

Sure, she’d seen the surface before – after being recruited into the Survey Corps, but that was more of a… temporary freedom. It felt different, somehow. She and her family had essentially been forced into the Survey Corps, after all, and none of them knew how things were going to work out. Now, though… yeah. It’s different.

…But in that moment, Isabel’s smile wavers, and becomes a little sad. Because none of them are here to see this. Not Farlan, not Big Bro… it’s unfair. It feels cruel, and she misses them so much already.

And if this isn’t an afterlife, then… will she ever get to see them again? Will they be taken to this world like her when they die, or will they be separated forever?

It’s too awful a thought to handle. …She hopes they’re alive, though. Hopes more than anything that they made it. They should be able to live happily, without worrying about her.

…That doesn’t stop it hurting. Isabel murmurs to herself under her breath. ]

I bet they would’ve loved this…

[ Given the disappearances, Geralt's been more reluctant to take off as he often does to the woods and leave both of his bondmates alone. But with the snow piling high in the city, well. Roach can't be stuck in the stables forever. So he's taken his horse to where the weather is warmer near the Wilde: signs of last month's heavy rains remain, but at least it's a hell of a lot less wet now under the bright sun.

He leads the brown mare around a path that's less a path and more a haphazard clearing. Trees swept from the mudslide. The woods are a bit less dense than they'd once been as a result: he spots the woman from a distance, staring up at the sky. Mm. Is she...?

Might as well see if she's not under a spell or something. Never could know these days. (There may or may not be a leaf stuck to his tail that he's ignoring.) ]

Watching the birds?

Huh?

[ She wasn't expecting to be overheard. Which is funny, considering that she'd literally been talking to herself out loud... After a moment, Isabel laughs to herself, a little embarrassed, but still as boisterous as ever.

She offers Geralt a friendly smile before looking back up at the sky again. ]

They're great, aren't they? They must really enjoy being able to fly in a sky like this.

[ The face that turns to him is young and unfamiliar. A strange thing, knowing that he's been in one place long enough now to recognize those around him. She must have only fallen through the mirror recently.

His head tilts, curious. He'd have been less so if it were the birds that were unusual -- different creatures in different spheres -- but she seems to be implying that the sky is what's new to her. ]

Where do your birds fly?

[ The sky? Light isn't sure if he hears the murmured words correctly, but it's enough to catch his curiosity. It could mean a lot of things. 'They' could have passed; it's common for people to look to the sky when talking to loved ones that are no longer around. It could mean something Light can't predict, and the attention to the sky might just be the actions of a dream. This person may even come from a world without a sky. ]

It's a nice day. We've had a lot of cold ones, but sometimes we get lucky and get a little warmth.

[ Light speaks from her side, having stopped when he heard her whispered admission. ]

It's great! Really makes you appreciate what you've got, doesn't it?

[ To Isabel, even a cold day would be a blessing. What's worse than a world with no sky is a world where the sky lies just beyond your reach, tantalizingly close and yet impossible to grasp. She wishes that Levi and Farlan were here, but... they'd want her to enjoy this, wouldn't they?

So she has to try. ]

[ The enthusiasm earns a chuckle. ]

Now I feel like I should.

[ Light's been spoiled by an abundance of sky so he can't really appreciate it in quite the same way. ]

But it makes me curious, too. Is it an especially good day, or have you been inside for too long?

[ Isabel's not the only one who remembers that day like it was yesterday.

it's been six years now for him, but it's never left his mind. it never will. it's a horrific reminder of how he used to be, and how his own bad decisions got the two most important people in his life killed. it's the last thing he truly regretted.

it didn't have to be the last thing, though. he could have gone through with his original plan immediately after and killed Erwin. and maybe if he had, he'd never know any better—with Erwin out of the picture completely, would he ever have changed at all? all he knows for certain is that he made the right choice. and if he ever had the chance to see them one more time, he'd make sure that they knew how much they really meant to him—and that he's sorry.

it's a wonder Erwin came to trust him so deeply after he so thoroughly failed the ones who trusted him first.

he does still think he sees them once in awhile. a flash of bright red hair out of the corner of his eye, and in the split second before his brain catches up with his vision, he thinks he might have seen Isabel. it's completely irrational—how many people has he lost by now?—but this one haunts him the most. it's his fault they're not here.

it's the same kind of vain, fleeting hope that catches his eye this time, too. these days he doesn't bother with the double-take much anymore. but right beside him is a man who also should be dead. the rules are a little different, here. so while it's still heavy with skepticism even in a place like this, he does take one more look, and then—

he freezes, one hand immediately seeking Erwin's arm at his side. surely Erwin remembers what she looked like. surely Erwin could tell him if he was losing his mind. but Erwin's dead, too, isn't he? so doesn't that mean... ]

Erwin.

[ his voice is quiet. he doesn't want to make a scene. but it's her. it's definitely her. and before Erwin can even respond, he's already calling out to her. it's soft, so they don't spook her too much. ]

Isabel?

Eh? ...Big bro?

[ It's rare that anything can shut her up, but... as she notices Levi, Isabel is stunned silent. There's that single, fragile moment where she doesn't know what to think. Is it really him? Could it... really be... ]

Big Bro!!

[ And then she runs towards him, a grin spread wide across her face. She embraces him without warning, clinging on tightly, as if she's scared that he'll disappear if she lets go. ]

I knew you'd show up! Ha, I never doubted it for a moment! [ Which is a lie, but she's not going to admit that. Pulling back, Isabel's expression is now filled with confidence, and her eyes sparkle with joy. He's here! It doesn't matter that she's found herself in a strange world anymore - because she can do anything while Big Bro's by her side. If Levi's here, then Farlan must be too, right? She begins to look around, and...

...Wait. In an instant, Isabel's mood shifts. Because she'd died before showing up here. The people that greeted her here told her this wasn't an afterlife, but she remembers the situation that Levi had been in before her death, and it hadn't been good...

Is it possible that Levi... died, too?

Just as she thinks that, she notices Erwin's presence for the first time. And instantly, she's filled with a fury so deep that she can't hold it in. Because it's his fault. He's the one who forced them into the Survey Corps! Because of him, she died that horrible death, and Levi and Farlan might've died too, and- ]

Arrrrgh! You bastard!

[ -she goes to punch him right in the face with all her might. ]

Edited (one punch isabel >:)) 2021-02-06 23:25 (UTC)

[ erwin prides himself on never being surprised, but seeing isabel like this is enough to startle him. it shouldn't be, since he's dead and he's here, and levi was from before that until recently, but for some reason it strikes him just right and he stalls in the same moment that levi calls out to her.

it starts as a lovely reunion, of course, with isabel's excitement and pull back into something more joyous and suiting for her. erwin never knew her long, but it's a better look on her to be sure.

that said, he's watching quietly, his hand resting at levi's back in a steadying motion, and he doesn't expect anything nice to come in his direction from isabel, all things considered. she's one of the deaths he blames himself for, after all.

so when she comes at him it's not a surprise, but it's still quick enough that she's able to get him right in the face; his head snaps back slightly and he shifts to tip it forward as soon as she's done, hand vacating levi's back to cradle his nose since it's started bleeding almost instantly. ]

You have a solid right hook.

[ it sounds kind of muffled because his nose might be broken. he's not mad, though; he deserves it after all. ]

[ well, that went well, don't you think?

he's so thoroughly shocked and dumbfounded by Isabel's presence that he barely has his arms around her before she suddenly switches gears and goes after Erwin. needless to say, even he's not quick enough to do much about it—which isn't to say he doesn't try, as he grabs her other arm in a vain attempt to keep them apart, but they're all in such close proximity that it's no use. before he can do anything, she's already clocked Erwin in the face.

what comes after is tough to reconcile. he loves both of them, after all. even if he is a little slow on the uptake thanks to running into yet another dead friend, he's still present enough to quickly recognize that there's no reason Isabel wouldn't immediately try to go after Erwin. he doesn't know how much she remembers, but even if it's everything, she'd still see Erwin as their enemy.

his most basic instinct is to go tend to Erwin, but it's clear he needs to separate them first; he knows Erwin won't fight back, but Isabel could easily just hit him again. so despite still absolutely reeling from everything that just happened in the last 30 seconds, he manages to pull Isabel back, positioning himself between them before this escalates even further.

there's so much he wants to say to her, but he has to start with this. ]

Wait. Isabel, listen. We're not enemies. I was wrong.

[ more wrong than he can even express.

...oh, and also his nose is bleeding as well. what's up with that? ]

Edited (i'm stupid) 2021-02-07 00:48 (UTC)

Huh?

[ Of all the things Isabel expected Levi to say, that was not one of them. Startled, she falters for a moment, looking back between Erwin and Levi in turn as if they're in a play that's gone off-script. ]

Big Bro...? [ If Farlan had said it, he'd get a what the hell are you talking about!? from Isabel. But she looks up to Levi in a different kind of way, and to hear Levi express that he was wrong - it's a shock. ] What? This guy- it's his fault that we died, you know!

[ She glares over at Erwin for a second, refusing to take her eyes off him for too long, before looking back to Levi. And then her eyes widen. ]

Wait, Big Bro? What the hell- you're bleeding!

Feb Catch-all! [OTA]

ARRIVAL

NEW BEGINNINGS

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject