INTRO ♚ FEBRUARY

[boardmaster]

WELCOME TO CAISSA

We’ve all had those dreams: you wake up on a table, to blurry, ominous images and the certainty that you are absolutely buck-naked in a room full of strangers. This is not quite it.

Instead, you come awake to the sun on your face. The soft burble of water nearby. The hustle and bustle of a busy street and the faint, fortifying smell of bread. You open your eyes and there’s no one there at your bedside, but there is what appears to be the end of the world happening just beyond your window.

There’s a crack in the world across the sky, the “sun” is the totally unnatural light spilling from that crack straight into your eyes, and someone’s left a neatly pressed and folded uniform at the foot of the bed that isn’t yours. Somewhere in the room, there’s a strange clatter like beads, the click of claws on the floor.

Something’s in here with you.

Also, you are naked.

ONE ♟ Settling In

Welcome to Blanc! You wake up on one of the beds inside the Hall of Glory. You might still be feeling a little light-headed, but sudden dimensional travel will do that to a body. You could have sworn visions of a fantastic world flashed before your eyes not long ago: monsters, magic, and a mission to save the world. You can't quite recall much beyond the basics, but could this be it?

Save your questions for later! The room nannies are quick to urge Heroes into their uniforms (with their beaks if necessary) and to point them to the pick-up locations for their Blanc-issued Weapons and Carriers. Hopefully, nobody but the pigeon’s watching you change. On the other hand, maybe you're the type to turn every roommate into a new friend before you even step foot outside the room.

As you make your way down the halls, you might notice strangely familiar faces around you. But don’t linger too long to chat—the people in charge of the armory and the menagerie have gone through many Heroes before you, and still have many more to go after you. NPCs need meal breaks, too! If you don’t make a decision in time, the random Weapons and/or Carriers they pick for you can be just a little odd.

And if you’re hungry? No matter how rich you were in your homeworld, you’re penniless now until you earn some colle. Thankfully, the Hall of Glory provides free meals to Heroes and those associated with them! Sunday’s breakfast and lunch are bananalicious and seafood pasta. A friendly visiting scholar may have a word of advice for you: “Beware the dining hall on Mondays.”

But you’ll barely have time for lunch before guards come and round you up. “For the parade,” is the only reason they’ll give you.

TWO ♟ Welcome Celebrations

Trumpets sound, cymbals clang and the crowd roars as the parade gets underway! What’s all the fuss about? Well, you Heroes were sent by the gods to save Blanc, right? Of course they’d celebrate! Smiling and waving at the citizens of Caissa from your uniquely crafted float might be a chore, but hey, they love you. Are you really going to let them down, or lose the spotlight to the fellow Heroes sharing your float?

The reception after the Prime Minister’s speech is like some kind of idol session, with Caissa citizens coming up to shake hands and welcome the Heroes warmly. Some are even asking for autographs!

There’s a lot of things to do in festive and lively Caissa, even late into the night under a light fall of snow. Sparrow Town is all lit up, ready for another festival next week.

While some shops are closed for the holiday, others have buffet tables or are giving out free samples to the Heroes. The food stalls here are way better than the bizarre cafeteria menu at the Hall of Glory! Why waste the opportunity to finally gorge on real food? The shop owners have done their best to impress, showing off their local cuisines proudly along the city streets: from the local hamburger joint to the exotic L'adderan curries, you'll find a little of everything to whet your palate. Your growling stomach will likely thank you for the food. … Oh, wait. That wasn’t you? You think the fish sandwich on your plate just sang? Nonsense. That just means you had a marvelous piece of fish bread. Please remember to visit them again sometime when you have the colle, okay?

Various stalls with games and activities have also been set up. Maybe you can impress the crowd by nailing an apple with an arrow or by sacrificing your friend(s) at the water tanks! An unusual Go-style stall offers something like fish scooping, but be careful: touching the fish with your bare hands will leave you feeling funny… Wow, you’ve never seen that color before! But whatever it takes to impress the children, right?

Said children might try and get you to dance in the falling snow. Better not mess up, though, because everyone in Caissa seems to be watching.

THREE ♟ The Day After

Hopefully, you didn’t sleep too late after yesterday’s celebrations! Or maybe you slept badly, since it felt like something was watching you…

The free breakfast that awaits you at the dining hall is… something special. Please enjoy it to your heart’s content! Remember: no food fights, and leave no leftovers! Nothing will save you from the chef’s disapproving mustache swirl if you do!

If you want to make money (to get away from Monday’s Horrors), there are now jobs up for taking at the Hall of Glory and the Poisoned Pawn! If there’s nothing to your taste, check back again every so often. Something new might pop up!

Heroes not in the mood to be errand-runners (it’s understandable, you’re Heroes after all!) can hang out in the parlor, read in the library, or express yourself in one of the Hall’s many studios or other rooms.

If lying back and taking it slow isn’t your thing, you could train or spar! Being summoned to a new world takes a toll on the body, and some Heroes have lost abilities familiar to them. Besides, it’ll take a while to get used to your weapons. Some of them might even be disobedient, backfiring at worst and unresponsive at best. Try not to hit your fellow Heroes (including yourself), or you’ll either have to find enough Heroes to cast weak healing spells or carry the wounded to the infirmary. While the snow has been cleared overnight, it’s still very cold!

INFO ♟ Welcome!

Welcome to Crosscheck's grand opening log! For any further questions, please see the FAQ or reach us at the Contact Us page. Have fun!

Comments

[powerdriven]

[ Levi has always been one to prefer strict routine, and yet nevertheless, has neither depended on its invariable ability to be kept. Although whether keeping an eye peeled for intruders, waiting to hear the call to arms for him to make quick work of every buckle and belt of the maneuvering gear harness, one thing has always remained true. He might prepare his tea first, or hang the linen, but invariably, he always wakes before the sun. And that is that.

Or so it always has been, until now. His first sense that something is wrong? Why, outside of the menagerie of vague dreams and images still lingering in his head, it's the sense of a crack of light behind his eyes being ripped open by the hands of an intruder on the shutters.

He sits up in bed with a start, before Thunderland ever addresses either him or the other man in the room. An instinctive hand is hot on the underside of his pillow for a blade that isn't there. Yet its absence, the scene before him as he takes in the open window, their lack of any clothes, the tittering, metal pigeon directing him to a fresh-pressed uniform—these would all ease his hostility, for one broken, inexplainable glimpse of reality.

One which he bears primarily in silence, regaining his senses to grasp at his new roommate's words and trying, once again, to understand. It seems to hit him at once, at the point in which his teeth grit together and his hands brace at sheets into rising from his bed. ]

Forget about that. What in the hell is going on around here?

[ The thought of clothes seems petty at a time like this, but of course, said pigeon urges him to his uniform's side nonetheless. ]

[divinerule]

Hey. Wow. That's. That's a beautiful sight there. Just gonna let it all hang out, huh? At the most current and up-to-date moment, the calamity that has befallen me is a dong-shaped one.

[Wolf whistle from over here - and yes, his new roommates will find that the middle-aged man in the weirdly realistic mask is fully dressed in his silly uniform as he splays out with his back against the pillow, arms crossed behind his head, leg over his knee.

Vulnerable confusion is not a good look for him. He refuses to wear it. As soon as the dumb bird told him to put on clothes, he did it. Like the others, he has no idea what’s going on here and about five hundred questions buzzing around in his head, but you wouldn’t know it from looking at him.

Chuckling to himself, there's a flap of his hand in their general direction before he sits up and swivels his legs over the side of his bed.]

Nah, I'm just messin' around, I know this is all really, really weird. First days, am I right? They’re always like this.

[All the while, the same pigeon is chattering in his ear about picking up weapons and carriers and whatnot. What the fuck, he's trying to talk here? GOD HE HATES THEM ALREADY he’d like to just reach out and crush the thing in his grip.

Having his body back is wonderful (yay, Handsome Jack lives! SCREW YOU VAULT HUNTERS SCREW YOU RHYS), but there's no recognition on the faces of the men in front of him (beyond irksome) and one look out the window tells him he's been sent somewhere far away from everything he's used to.

The afterlife? Something else? These schmucks don't know anything either, that’s obvious. Gotta play this carefully. ]

Sooo... with the clueless faces, and the panicked nudity, I can surmise that the three of us know approximately jack-shit about our situation. That's nice. Yeah. I think it's safe to assume we won't be gathering much in the way of useful insight from each other, and with that said, I'm gonna go through with this, uh, tour thing, I guess.

[Standing tall and ready to follow the room nannies that won't quit their yammering.]

Oh, and I'm Jack. Who wants to come along?

[Arms out now, gesturing to his roomies in an inviting way! Let’s all check this shit out together! Sounds nice, right.]

[corpsedoctor]

[ Pulling on the rest of his clothes, he smooths his hands down the uniform. Thunderland gives absentminded nods to what is being said – a brief moment of looking up in mild apology for being seen naked but that is the best he can muster. ]

Jack is correct in that I know very little of what is going on. [ His hand slaps over his eye as he realizes he has exposed his blind eye to these people. That's a bit more impolite than his junk in his opinion. Shuffling back over to where the bed is, he grabs onto his eyepatch to slide it back into place. Clearing his throat, he has so many questions for the two men.

His hands are twitching erratically like he is stopping and starting many sentences in his head – and that is not too far from the truth. ]

Thunderland Junior. [ Because names are important. Even though, he normally lets others introduce him than worry about it as there is so much more important things happening than just names! He rushes forward to the one still in the bed. ]

I cannot believe I'm actually seeing this tone of skin. Usually with the artificial sunlight, everyone cannot acquire the appropriate shade unless – [ No, he has never seen tan skin before. Only way to have such is to be born with it! He's already attempting to grab onto the young man's arm so he can inspect it. But there are actual tan-lines. TAN-LINES. How is that even possible?

But he is already pushing himself away from the bed to hurry up to the man named Jack. His height of six-four is almost bothersome as he leans down to get more into the other's face. ] A mask? No, it's something else entirely. You're able to talk with it like it is your own flesh, yet these attachments… [ The suns. These roommates. There is more to see of this world, but he's already flexing his fingers as he seems to want to reach out to touch this person's face to get a better look. ]

I don't know which to look at first...

[powerdriven]

[ You know, he's hardly scandalized, but beautiful isn't exactly the word he'd used to describe two naked guys past their prime. See: the way his jaw drops open in some modicum of offense when he hears that annoying whistle. His eyes only follow suit, glaring over his shoulder at... sorry, is that guy wearing a mask of human skin? Levi stares. It's eerie, like the face of a titan. Just a little off.

Anyway, it would really do them both to be less concerned about their clothes and more concerned about their sudden appearance here among other things. And since it doesn't appear to be giving off any obvious ill effects, the two suns out the window he'd save for later. As Jack (smartly) adjusts his position, Levi turns his attention to the pigeon and honestly considers smacking it before he decides to settle for pulling his pants on instead.

Right. "A tour." That is what it keeps talking about after the many insistences of putting on their uniforms, is it not? He doesn't see any other choice for them, and so continues to dress himself through their introductions. ]

Hmph.

[ No, none from him. That's about the best they're going to get, at the moment, because they do seem quite content to do the talking and without major objection, it lets him make his own conclusions in silence. Though this, of course, changes, as he's gotten to the buttons of his shirt by the time Thunderland decides to pay him a visit bedside. ]

Hey.

[ By the way he snaps, it's no surprise Levi takes barely a moment of that before he snatches his own arm back to his side, but he soon falls silent to judgmental stares once more. Artificial sunlight? What is he talking about? They're both real pieces of work, he can see that much—but perhaps it's good he'd spared the pigeon, because he seems to like his chances of asking it questions more than speaking to either of them. ]

I want an explanation for this right now. What do you say, you bucket of bolts?

[ The pigeon doesn't really have to answer, as he notices the letter sitting on his uniform jacket a moment later and lifts it for inspection. Please, go on with your chatter without him. He's just going to skim this over several times with a sour, narrowed-eyed expression. ]

[divinerule]

[His first instinct is to strangle Thunderland with his eyepatch when the freakishly tall dude's hand twitches like he'd like to reach out and touch his face.

Rage pools to the front of his mind like a dam bursting.

Eyes narrow into thin lines, hands bracketing his hips. Nobody would fucking dare be so bold with him back at Hyperion Corp, which makes this his first taste of culture shock and his first real challenge in adapting to a world where his name isn’t known. No matter, though. He’s seen it all, done it all, been it all. He’s not gonna let this throw him. His mind is always working. Already working on a plan.

If he wants to claw his way to the top again, wherever the hell he is, trying to kill a busybody roommate when he has no status to rely on isn’t the best way to start.

Damn.]

Alright, cupcake, easy there. Easy. Don’t really like the way you’re lookin’ at me. Yes, it’s about the coolest mask you’ll ever see, and no, you can’t touch it.

[It also really, really annoys him that they both just outright ignored his invitation. God!!! One of them is as engaging as a brick wall, Thunderland’s clearly... out there, and the irritated mood he was doing his best to keep at bay is climbing back to the surface.

Nonetheless, he jerks a thumb over in Levi’s direction and speaks to mostly to the man standing in front of him. At least he’s getting, you know, actual words out of him.]

He's ignoring us. How about that? Well, as thrilling and riveting as it has been to meet you both, I’d like to get a move on. You in or you out, Thunderland?

[corpsedoctor]

Cupcake.

[ He repeats the phrase as he decides that it'll be fine to not touch the mask. But he really wishes that he could -- he could then the face over in his hands to see how it connects, to see how it is allowing such movement to the eyebrows, mouth, eyes. Thunderland, with some difficulty, pulls his hands back to rest at his sides. ]

You're very surprisingly calm, Jack. I cannot even begin to get into the scientific implications that all of this means. There is a thought that there are more than one universe. Never before has such a thought ever been hinted at, or theorized. Furthermore, there is a universe where there is a sun. An actual sun. [ His eye widens all the more to show just what a breakthrough this is. ]

From the look of our companion, I'd say that it has some negative affects to growth in height, but this still seems like a breakthrough all the same. [ His hands come up as he starts to gesture about in the air -- pointing toward Levi then back to Jack. He does not need to make a gesture toward himself. ] But yes, you would like to move on. I cannot gather more information in this room! So, of course, I will come with you! You have no idea what this all means to --

[ He takes a step back to press a hand to his chest, realizing that he has forgotten to take a breath in. Thunderland takes a few deep breathes in and out. All of this is a little bit more than what he's used to. Usually, there are only a few oddities in a room at once. This is an entire world and two men. His hands rest on his knees as he lets out another breath. Okay! ]

You, short man! Please, come with us! I would very much like to ask you questions on your sun!

[powerdriven]

[ He's not actually ignoring them, but it's easy to think so especially given that he isn't going to correct it. There's still a lot that he hasn't figured out, and while they're both talking up a storm, it leaves him the chance to take it all in without the extra interference.

Mostly. There's enough of that as it is, and he thinks to put an end to at least a portion by stuffing the read letter into the pigeon's beak. Unfortunately, it works only as long as the creature takes to spit it out, and also unfortunately, he still hasn't the faintest idea of what Thunderland is going on about.

But he does decide to speak up now that he's being specifically addressed, and hardly for a lack of detecting the comments about his height. ]

Levi. [ Said just at the cusp of the less fitting "short man." Seems he really doesn't wish to communicate on anyone here's terms. ]

I'll go. I'd like to have a word with this Thierry Toussaint.

[ Pulling his jacket on, he opts to head for the door. Jack appears to be in a hurry to get information, and for now, he isn't one to deny him. Though while he's also tempted to continue ignoring the other line of questioning, a moment of consideration for it does get Thunderland one dubious address. ]

What do you mean, my sun? You've never seen one before?

[divinerule]

[Remaining calm in all manner of bizarre situations is a leadership quality, you see. Jack quirks an eyebrow at Thunderland Jr. when he begins theorizing on their roommate's height in relation to this new universe's sun. Okay, that's funny. It's pretty funny. A small chuckle shakes his shoulder.]

Good one. Nice. Remember to breathe, cupcake. You won't gather anything valuable about these thrilling new scientific implications if you pass out on the floor.

[Although you can't touch him, he can touch you. That is apparently the way of it: he aims a friendly thwap atop the back of the shoulders for Thunderland when he dips down to catch his breath, both to keep his morale up and shock more air into his lungs. Nothing too hard at all. Just the right amount of stabilizing pressure.]

Levi! You decided to join us. Excellent. So we know names, we're buddies now, and we're all on the same exciting quest for information. This should be good. Or incredibly disappointing. One of those.

[He sounds kinda like a newscaster or something. That's just how he talks sorry... and he's on his way out the door now, leading the way just behind their room nannies.

A wink in Levi's direction as Jack decides to jump in and interrupt.]

My guess is he wants to learn more about where you come from. That's just my attempt to translate — but where do you both come from? Let's hear it, now. There's nothing left to be shy about after we've seen each other in our birthday suits. What an icebreaker.

[corpsedoctor]

I rarely let myself get this riled up, but when there is so much to know... [ This may be how he will be for the next few days. Already, he is starting to feel tired but it's a tired that comes from absorbing as much as he can. Oh, what he would not do for ink and paper! ]

Buddies? That may be going a bit too far. [ Thunderland mutters just a little under his breath. It is also surprising to have someone actually touch him. Usually, people stray from doing so -- he lifts his hand to lightly sniff at his wrist. ] I don't smell. I don't smell like corpses. Did they bathe me?

[ Mysteries adding to mysteries. Or is this just what happens when one travels through to another world. ] Birthday -- oh, I missed seeing most of your bodies while I was looking at the suns. I'm somewhat disappointed. There may be more mysteries to your bodies that I have missed. But yes, wonderful to have you with us! [ He peers down at both Jack and Levi, scrutinizing in his gaze. ]

My world? The land that I know is Amberground. It's a continent surrounded by black ocean on all sides. The only light is an artificial sun that shines year round. [ He gestures above his head. ] There is no real heat that comes from it to speak of. Only the rich are able to appreciate it's full light. The poor ... they are cast out into the far reaches of Amberground where it is almost night. The middle class are granted only twilight. [ He frowns, but is happy to explain his world some so that they can explain their suns. ]

To think that they would bring us to see their suns... to be in such a luxury place to even feel its warmth. I'm concerned that means that they are buttering us up for something, Jack, Levi.

[powerdriven]

[ He doesn't know what to make of that wink, but let's be honest: it's nothing good. That he's decided to get a little more friendly does nothing in the way of making them "buddies," nor in the way of making the look he shoots back any nicer. For this, at least, he and Thunderland are on the same page about something. On the other hand, his getting riled up over something like the sun did remind him enough of a certain person enough for his familiarity and his distaste.

But true to his word, as he retreats from saying odd things (corpses?) enough to follow along with Jack's prompting, he does seem to manage to find his head. Far easier to handle, and perhaps enough that he won't bother complaining that Jack appears to be the only one who had been really ogling, it returns him to silence.

Are they really from different worlds? It would easily explain all this strangeness, sure, but nothing else about that explanation was easy in the slightest.

As Levi listens, he doesn't feel pity—he instead thinks of the way that humans are, the way he has always known them to be. The rich managing to take up sole use of the sun... it was absurd. And yet, in every way, something that he understood. ]

They may be buttering us up for something, that much is true. Though for me, it's like you said—the sun is a free for all where I come from. While the poor, those who the royal family cast aside, are forced underground, very few have real freedom.

[ They only have privileges that separate them, and those in the underground city could still rise to Sina for a taste of the sun. Not to say that he would call the divide between them any less harsh. ]

We've spent the last hundred years caged from the world... hiding from the titans. Even those fat pigs who spend their days in the capital getting fatter will probably eventually die the same as the soldiers who fight to protect their wealth.

[ Given this explanation, he thinks it should be easy to understand the incentive of being brought somewhere safe. But it's not an effective incentive for Levi. It's quite the opposite. ]

[divinerule]

[Tough crowd. It rolls off his back, because in truth he is not being all that friendly and is not all that interested in being buddies with them. He's just a dick who talks too much. It's very easy for Jack to tell that they have to be from entirely different worlds or universes or whatever -- nobody would treat him like Levi or Thunderland back in his own. Proof in itself.

He can't decide if he's more fascinated, taking in the reactions of people who don't recognize and haven't heard of him, or just annoyed. No. No, he can decide. It's annoying. On the outside, he seems calm and collected. On the inside he's screaming.

But Thunderland does make him laugh, again, with that weird comment about how he wished he'd seen more of their bodies. What a character. Then comes story time. As they walk through the halls, Jack listens to both of their explanations, shoulders straight as if none of the surroundings are unfamiliar to him. Everything is. This is so fucking weird. But if one person starts to panic, then everyone panics and it's just - ugh. At least they aren't doing any of that.

As an unfeeling bastard, none of this provokes an emotional reaction in him. Artificial sun? Titans? Brutal social and political hierarchies? Neat.]

No wonder you were freaking out about seeing tanned skin! Ahh, it's all coming together. And lemme guess, Levi, you're one of the soldiers?

['cause someone was rrrrrripped back there.]

Fascinating stories, kiddos. Sounds like a whole lotta people are getting boned in 'em. I feel for ya. In my little corner of the universe, we had a whole planet that was being ravaged by bandits and dangerous creatures every goddamn day - I was tryin' to save it from its destructive fate, bring peace, bring order, all that good stuff...

[Big sigh for unfinished business goes here.]

Easier said than done, I'm sure you fellas can imagine.

[corpsedoctor]

A free sun. I cannot even imagine it... do you think those two suns are free?

[ The government and Capital work hand-in-hand. He cannot even begin to explain how the artificial sun is continuing to be powered. It's horrific in his opinion -- to devour the hearts of thousands in order to keep a world lighted. Even if just the rich did not benefit, that is unspeakably cruel. ]

But a caged world? I have never even heard of Titans. We have Gaichuu. Enormous insect-looking creatures made entirely of armor. They are a great threat to everyone. Almost everyone. [ Another frustrated sigh. ] It is unfortunate that there is a trend in our worlds, Levi.

[ He blinks as he looks down at the shorter man. A soldier? Like a Bee? ]

A whole planet? [ His head jerks up to look toward Jack. Here he thought the man was a little full of himself, arrogant and obnoxious, but it seems like that is a shield to protect his heart. Everyone needs some protection. ] You do not do that alone, do you? Either way, that is quite a task that you have taken onto yourself, Jack.

[ There is a small nod. ] I am a doctor and have never been a soldier. But I have seen the horrors of what the Bees fight. [ And the ones needing of praise are soldiers like Jack and Levi. Doctors need none, as far as he is concerned. But the heart of those that fight require being appreciated and supported least they are lost. ]

So, that's very admirable of you both to fight for your worlds as you do. But I hope that you are taking care of your hearts. Such strain has a way of … causing one to lose it. [ A beat. ] If you do not care for your hearts, I will say that your actions are admirable but amazingly stupid.

sorry for the delay!

[powerdriven]

[ Funny contrast, that. If there was anything to like about being taken to a completely different world against his will, being unrecognizable there was it. Though even if Jack may not get the recognition he wants, it wasn't to be that any of them would remain entirely unrecognizable. This "heroes" business wouldn't account for that.

In the meantime, it seems like he set his explanation up for that guess without meaning to. ]

Yeah.

[ He's a soldier. He also doesn't have any more to say, upon listening to the following tales. So Thunderland's world even had some insect-like creatures he could compare to titans. Maybe they actually have a few things in common. At least, he might be thinking as much before Jack talks flippantly about peace and Thunderland goes on to praise him.

Meanwhile, his skepticism is a solemn stare. He doesn't want to talk it down, just now. For one, there's plenty to be called commendable about the work of a doctor as well. Glancing between them, he huffs a dry syllable of a laugh. ]

Hah. Who are you calling stupid? I don't know about this guy, but... the motto of the Survey Corps is "dedicate your heart." We stopped taking care of them for our own sakes long ago. If we lose heart, we die. Looking to doctors then won't help it.

[ A pause. ] But yours is also a valuable job.

[divinerule]

[Enormous looking insect creatures made entirely of armor? Now that's starting to sound more like home. Jack has to admit to a degree to curiosity about what these things look like, Gaichuu and Titans, but if he has to guess, they're probably not too far off from the look of your average Pandora beasties. So Levi fights giants for a living and Thunderland heals the sick -- or does he?

His mannerisms had led Jack to believe that he was some kind of experimental scientist type. He didn't say he was a medical doctor. He is, however, very cute. The praise is absorbed with calm self-satisfaction (yeah, it's pretty much a one-man show when it comes to saving the world, anyone else is just an extra in his play), but the "advice" tickles him, and it's a struggle not to let that show on his face. Super odd to hear things like that. Take care of his heart? Is that an act or is he being serious?

Levi is taking it seriously, but he seems like the type to take everything seriously. Although, there's something to be said for the way Levi delivers it back to Thunderland with a morbid spin. Should he try for something like that?

Self-confidence unwavering, Jack considers the quandary with a hum. Can't let them see how sharp his teeth are while it's still so early.]

Sure is, cupcake! We're gonna need doctors around here. Like you said, they have to be setting us up for something. Probably a whole lotta pain and suffering in our very near futures! These types don't like to do their own dirty work, but you both know that.

[What does he actually know about the people in charge of this operation? Nothing substantial, yet, but it's a safe guess.]

And, as all three of us are able to grasp, I'm happy to gather -- when you're being put to task, day in and day out, you gotta have heart. Very important part of being a hero.

[He prompts Thunderland a bit more, almost gently.]

Have you seen people lose their way a lot, buddy? What's been your experience there?

[corpsedoctor]

I will call you both stupid if you cannot care for your hearts. If you die, what heart do you leave for those that are left behind? Do you consider yourselves so expendable? If so, that is the fault in the mindset. [ A fault that he has seen in the rich and the poor. They do not see the reason for why such a force is required, about the sacrifices that they go through daily for the sake of others. That is why they need the appreciation and that is why they need to care for their own hearts, because the ungrateful will not. He will not see a heart worn down if he can prevent it from happening. ]

I know that my job is valuable. [ There is an almost softness to his response back to Levi about his occupation. ] Anything that I uncover will benefit the living. [ That is something tangible that he can hold onto. Furthermore, he takes great pride in what it is that he does, but he will not be as rundown as those that go out in the field. ] And if it is valuable, if you dedicate your heart to others, then dedicate it to the ones that are patching you up before we cannot.

[ A beat. ]

Yes. More than necessary. Those that lose heart ... their memories are gone, their drive is gone, their will is broken. They lie upon a bed in a comatose state where even feeding and caring them is beyond their capability. They are but living corpses and eventually... they expire. No matter what anyone does to keep them going, eventually they die. Because they lack the heart needed to carry on. [ The loss of heart is -- one does not ever get used to it. There is only so much that can be done. ]

That is why heroes like yourself are required, Jack. Those that are willing to change the world so that people need not lose heart. And that is why I commend you for what it is that you do. Even if you do it alone in your world, I support you here in this one. [ That should generate some heart, won't it? ] But do not think that you will escape without your heart being monitored! We appear to be roommates and I will not allow either of your hearts to falter! And if they do, I shall ask that you give up your bodies for dissection.

[ That should light some fire. ]

[powerdriven]

[ If he weren't saying it seriously, Levi would hope there was no point in saying it all. But then, maybe that assumption would require that Thunderland is as straightforward as he seems. This discussion does seem to be going in a more superfluous route by the moment, even if it isn't all too unfamiliar of one.

There are many things he could say—idealistic things about the strength in the dedication of their hearts, argumentative things about how easy it was for those who are "left behind," so to speak, to misjudge the need for their hard decisions. But he finds it easier to latch onto in the context of their current situation, as Jack does. Although he's explained already that his people hide from the titans, perhaps these are only words to them. Perhaps he hadn't made the magnitude of that clear.

He would move onto it, what's easier, if he didn't respect the place he feels Thunderland is coming from. ]

As I said, we dedicate our hearts to our corps. We take care of our own. But working among us means facing it when we can't, and listening to civilians prattle on about how our leader is a cold-hearted madman all the while. Maybe it's true. Maybe we're all mad. But while we madly strive to save humanity, everyone else is twiddling their damn thumbs. We "gotta have heart," but we can't survive if we don't look the enemy in the eye.

[ The titans. Those who would doom them to their inevitable deaths, without so much as trying to fight them off.

After that rarer bout of impassioned talk, Levi quiets down. The talk of his own, Thunderland's remarks on his own experiences, make him bristle at the separation from his world's crisis. He buries the misunderstandings happening here and thinks only of how to remedy that. It takes him back to what Jack was saying about whoever is here overseeing them.

…But he's distracted one more time, first. To compare him earlier, in his mind, to that person. It really hadn't been so far off, had it? A sneer appears on his face, too disconcerted to be called smug. ]

You don't have to worry about that. If I take care of my own, then I'll keep my body for myself.

[ He hasn't forgotten that other thing though, and so he continues, holding a finger up to Jack to get back to it. ]

There are ways to force these types into doing their own dirty work. It might mean we go waist-deep ourselves first, but we just have to get creative.

[divinerule]

[Yeaaah... you guys are losing him a little bit. Driving himself forward has always been easy for Jack, who does not consider himself expendable, even though he is technically dead. Was dead. Whatever. Anyway, it's getting super philosophical and abstract, this conversation. Sifting through Thunderland's and Levi's responses, he tries to sum up their points in order to arrive at concise analyses about their individual personalities.

Thunderland, he thinks, is trying to make a point about the dangers of losing spirit. Even though he's a little... eccentric (dissection! it never ends with this guy, yet again he laughs outright at the inappropriateness of it) he'd make a good ally, for his earnest traits and skillsets. Levi is trying to make one about the dangers of going too soft, which makes Jack think he has definitely seen and done some shit. Also the type of guy you want watching your back, because the alternative is always gonna be someone who looks for a spot to jam the knife into, right?

In short, yes, he is happy for the support. Thunderland receives a look that says as much - an appreciative smile sent over his shoulder, although it never reaches his mismatched eyes.]

Lucky you, I think the universe is switching it up for you this time around. Looks like you got saddled with a couple of bastards who are too stubborn to break. Ain't that right, pumpkin?

[Directed at Levi, with levity.

Honestly, they're both taking it so goddamn seriously that it's giving Jack a headache. For the sake of not completely destroying these new relationships, even if he doesn't really care about anyone who isn't himself, he bites his tongue on interjecting with bunches of obnoxious comments.

God. Now there's a challenge.]

We're a team from here on out, as far as I'm concerned! We'll all take care to monitor each other's organs. Uh, hearts. Health. Support is a two-way street, after all...

[A glint of interest in his eyes, when Levi brings his point back around.]

Willing to wade waist-deep into the shit-heap, huh? That's the kinda grit and determination I like to see. Personally, I don't mind dirtying my hands a little, if it's for a good cause.

[corpsedoctor]

[ Thunderland lets out a single huff. His mania about the suns has faded somewhat. It is going to most likely raise its head once more. But pressing concerns are pressing -- that being learning about the worlds that both Jack and Levi come from. He cannot completely agree with the manner in which he is hearing Levi cares for his heart. It is not a discussion that he can get into, however, as it would turn into a lecture.

He instead just clenches his hand into a fist before opening his fingers to flex them a few times. A means to calm himself before he causes things to be awkward in the room that he will apparently share with both men. It is not like Amberground. He has no laboratory to escape to, and his personal space is now a shared space. These few thoughts have now become forefront. And he has to remember the hearts of others can be damaged by the words of one. With how chaotic things are now, he could very well case a weakening with stinging words.

Both men, as he sees it, are those that have been through battle after battle. They are handling it differently, but they are handling it. Their hearts need to be monitored and watched over. He will agree with Jack that he will do what he can to make sure the others' organs remain well in their bodies, and also that they do not lose their spirit. ]

A team, yes. I'm afraid that I'm not much of a leader. [ Beyond leading his own group of doctors and scientists. But -- he gives a look to both Levi and Jack -- neither appear to be that and so would not be able to be ordered as he ordered his own. ] But dirtying one's hands is just part of learning about the world and changing it for the better.

It would be those that keep their hands clean that I would worry about more than those that do not. [ A shrug. ] Conviction and desire to expand one's own thoughts is what is most important. As for the idea of you two keeping care of your own bodies, I'll do what I can to keep you together well in body and mind. So that means that your bodies will belong to me at the end. [ Then, he will be able to get a better look at that mask. ]

A fair trade, would you both not agree?

[powerdriven]

[ There's some kind of crucial misunderstanding taking place about the meaning of this... taking care of the heart. But surely, there will be time for lectures and explanations later. Levi hears this philosophical talk all the time, so much he doesn't think to question it, but they really haven't gotten much out of this tour they set out for, have they?

While he watches Thunderland clench his fist, Jack's pushing it along—dismissive—and the doctor is quiet, so instead he sets his sights on that nickname. His hackles fall, and an eyebrow raises. ]

Pumpkin?

[ Well. It's not too different from Thunderland's "cupcake," but no less unwanted. That out of the way though, he's not particularly pleased with the discussion on personal wellbeing either. But at least it seems they can agree on one point. With the circumstances as they are, getting their hands dirty may as well be a necessity. Whether they called it wading in shit or learning about the world, it was all the same to him.

Hence his question is not particularly one seeking an answer. ] What other choice do we outsiders have?

[ Of course, his feelings on their collective health resurface far more stubbornly. There's keeping an eye on each other in the sense of watching each other's backs—and then there's this talk about the heart, the notion of looking out for him in exchange for some nefarious dissection. This time, he bristles. ]

Not a chance.

[ Hey, hunk of junk. Pigeon. Help him out here. ]

Hey. I wasn't listening to your babbling. Where are we expected?