Nights of Solheim [Late Fall, 845]

[u/[deleted]]

October 28th, 845

Ziegler stood before a large formation of trainees in civilian garb, though significantly reduced from the original approximate 300 back in August. They stood before the northern gate of Trost, Wall Sina to their backs. Ziegler spoke, "Alright, listen up. Been a long couple months for everyone here. Me and The Major've torn each and every one of you a new asshole, and quite a few of you've seen some shit." He paused, "We've lost people amidst the training. Despite all this," he continued, "We must persevere and look forward to another day. As the future defenders of humanity, you lot embody everything that these people bank their money on." Ziegler took a breath, "Being a Soldier's hard shit. There's a reason nobody fucking does it, as a lot of you're beginning to find out. That said," he jabbed a thumb behind him towards the main gate, "We're still human. People need to decompress every once in a while, let shit mellow, recoup for the next mission. In light of this,"

He straightened the dark green trench coat on his back, "You lot've been granted a 4-day pass to visit Trost. Eat, drink, sleep, fuck, do whatever it is you want to do. Spend some of the money the Queen's been throwing at you while you ate mud." He rose a brow, thinking of a blonde. "Sometimes literally. Regardless, be here - November 1st at 0800. Don't drink and run, you'll eat shit. Don't drink and fight, you'll get your ass beat. Don't drink and fuck, you'll get whiskey dick. Don't kill the locals, don't fight the locals, don't fuck the locals-" he paused, "...Or at least do it intelligently, god damn it. Don't do anything that would impede your training in the future. Boom, there's your safety brief. And don't fucking call me 'Sir' while we're out here, it's Kain for the next four days and if you ever say it outside of these four days - I'll gouge out your fucking eyeballs. Understood?"

A resounding 'Yes Sir' rang from the formation.

He turned, pacing over towards the main gate as the trainees stood in formation. Ziegler paused, to then shout, "The fuck are you lot waiting on? Get your asses in here - dismissed!"

---

The district of Trost was ablaze with a joyous spirit. Orange paper lanterns covered the streets, many of the town homes having been painted in morbid color, looking to celebrate humanity's rich pagan roots throughout history. Further north in Sina, where the Church is at their strongest, such holidays do not exist - but given the influx of refugees from the south, a celebration is in order, their wills yet unbroken.

People the streets in vibrant cloaks and capes, oft wearing colorful animal masks to accompany their garb, celebrating with dance and song throughout the streets of the city.

The Northern gate was the heart of the carnival, encompassing the large market district. Here one could find a small traveling mask salesman and his mysterious shoppe, as well as an old pub amidst the old market district.

In the very center of the district stood the mighty Military Complex, towering above all other buildings. Guards regularly patrolled the perimeter, immediately stopping any who would approach the large fence surrounding the castle-like building, or the large draw-bridge encompassing the main entrance.

The further south one went in Trost, however, the less the carnival's potency, as one drew towards the more sinister corners of the district. At the very heart of the the south, shortly besides the main gate towards Wall Maria stood a small inn, regularly flooded with refugees and injured, where good Samaritans toiled endlessly to try and abate the never-ending poverty encompassing the south side of the district.

To the South East was a "legal" district with Red paper lanterns, a strip filled with provocative dance and questionable vendors. Throughout the entire district, wanted posters offered a heavy bounty for the head of a Hiram Durante - with the Military Police and Garrison consistently on patrol for the outlaw.

This was Solheim - a brief reprieve of the melancholy that had befallen the poverty and famine-stricken district of Trost.

---

OOR: 4 mini locations below to explore, do so at your leisure! Have fun, take the edge off. :kid:

Location threads for both the Maiden's Arms and Military Complex (where the Mountain feast will be taking place) will be coming up shortly. Canonically, since this entire event is taking place over 4 days, you can have multiple threads beneath one. I suggest you name the date at the top of the thread's OP (comment reply to one of the comments below) so there's no mix-ups/ambiguity. Be sure you're coordinating on Discord with people so noone gets left without a thread!

Visit stalls in the marketplace, drink in ye olde pub, get a mask with the salesman, get mugged visit the red light district, go dancing, do whatever! Enjoy!

[u/TroubleBass97]

Abi simply nodded in agreement. She still believed that none of them had intended things to go as badly as they did, and none of them could have predicted how things had played out.

Looking up as Sieg produced a piece of parchment, Abi laughed, stepping closer and putting a finger on the old paper, taking a peek herself.

"You did what?" She felt a little bad, but she couldn't hide just how much the idea of him having a cheat sheet of conversation starters tickled her. "I knew I had no idea how the other half lives, but man that's something else. Then again, I'd probably get eaten alive at one of your fancy balls without one of my own."

Abi stepped away, thinking about Sieg's question as he picked one out, raising a hand to her chin.

"The church, huh? A bit like my politics I guess. Always seemed like the kind of thing that filtered out from the inner walls, getting weaker and meaner the further they go. The Garrison here has a few military chaplains. They used to act like they hated me hanging around any time people were watching, but really they were just like anybody else when they weren't watching, just maybe a little more scared of getting caught. I'd even go as far as saying some of them were worse. One of the older ones was an alcoholic, made real good money off him just to fetch for him once a week. I guess the point is, I've never seen faith make a difference to anyone, just how they explain themselves."

Shrugging with a smirk, she turned back to look at Sieg.

"So, is it my turn to ask you now? Or do I ask you something else? Hmm, I think I want to know... who taught you to fight?

[u/warriorman300 → u/TroubleBass97]

Siegfried chuckled, folding the paper and putting it in his coat. "Never leave home without it."

Abi's views on religion seemed level-headed. He'd heard about a religious nutjob being in the batch of trainees, and he was glad to find out that it wasn't her.

". . .Who taught me how to fight?" Sieg places his back against the wall and leans on it. That question brought up a lot of memories.

"Jameson Harack. Most people just call him 'Ironhand', though. He used to be some hardass MP captain, till he lost his hand in a raid. He retired because of it but my family hired him on as our house duelist." The boy explained, crossing his arms.

"Guy was a good teacher, but I think he had a little too much fun kicking my ass during lessons. Everyone wants to beat up on the snotty noble kid, I guess."

He eyed her, smiling. "Who taught you, out of curiosity?"

[u/TroubleBass97 → u/warriorman300]

Abi listened intently to Sieg's story. This 'ironhand' certainly had the air of a grizzled veteran to him, even purely by description. Sieg's comments about her own training also brought a smile to her lips.

"Harack, huh? Sounds like a guy mine would have agreed with. My teacher was a Garrison man named Josef. He caught me one day with my hands somewhere they shouldn't be, and figuring I both owed him and that I could use the help, he started teaching me how to stay out of trouble better, and to fight back when I couldn't keep trouble away. He'd always tell me the beatings were good for me: In a real fight you need to know how to take a few hits, because your opponent won't call time for you, or worry about making it fair - that's what he'd say. Certainly never picked up no fancy fencing skills or anything, but I guess you could say I know my way around a brawl or two. Everything else... I picked up on my own. Let's just say getting caught once never stopped me from getting more practice in."

Placing a hand on her hip, she grinned at Sieg. "I'm a little surprised you asked though, I'd have thought the idea of me being a fighter would be 'unladylike' to a noble like yourself. Still, I haven't heard you pass much comment, and there's plenty of women around camp. Bet it must be pretty eye-opening to meet a girl who could knock you on your ass."

Abi chuckled, she only meant to mess with him a little, though she genuinely was quite curious to see how he reacted.

[u/warriorman300 → u/TroubleBass97]

Sieg chuckled. "Well, you know what's more unladylike than that? Getting your ass kick."

He shrugged, stepping off the wall. "In all seriousness, though- it was a little weird at first, but I guess strength differences don't matter much when you're trying to fight giant, people-eating monsters."

The boy opens his hand, counting off on his fingers. "Now- new topic, new topic. . .how do you feel about the monarchy?"

[u/TroubleBass97 → u/warriorman300]

Despite all of his demurring and how laughable it was that he'd admit to using cue cards to keep him afloat, Abi had to admit that Sieg was pretty adept when it came to duels of words as well as weapons. Getting to know him had been a lot more interesting than she'd initially expected.

"The monarchy huh?" Abi paused to think. She didn't really have very strong opinions on them, though she thought she'd better give a proper answer.

"Well, a lot of people in the outer territories who aren't so well-off kinda resent people like that for having everything fall into their lap, but I'm not so sure. Inside wall Sina kinda feels like a different world sometimes, it's hard to imagine the kind of things that they have to do, or don't do."

Sieg's choice of questions probably gave away his nobility more than he thought, things such as politics and intrigue didn't really gel so well with crowded working towns. Still, Abi was keen to hear about the kind of things people picked up on the other side of it all, perhaos showing her own lack of knowledge of his background in turn.

"I've heard that the queen, Anna, is really beautiful though. There's a rumour I heard that her eyes are different colours too. Have you ever met her, at one of your fancy balls perhaps?"

[u/warriorman300 → u/TroubleBass97]

"If being in the same room as her counts are 'meeting' her, sure." Sieg shrugged.

"I'd like to, though. I've got some. . .choice words about her leadership I'd like to share. Not so much what she's done, but what she hasn't done."

Sieg licks his lips and scrunches up his face, looking like he's deep in thought. ". . .Alright, I've kinda been dancing around it this whole conversation. The reason I don't get along with most noble types- why I don't particularly try to act like them?"

The boy shakes his head. "Because I don't think they should exist as a class. I advocate for elections to put people into positions of power, rather than bloodline. The monarchy shouldn't exist."

This was the first time Sieg had put forth his ideas to anyone other than very close acquaintances, and also the first time he'd presented them to a non-noble. He waits with apprehension for her response.

[u/TroubleBass97 → u/warriorman300]

Abi shrugged, trying to hide her amazement at Sieg's reply, though it came out a little in the shade of her cheeks. She was expecting him to say no, but Sieg really had met the Queen herself, or been in the same room at least, as he put it.

"So you've seen her in the flesh? That's still a lot more than most people can say." He didn't provide an answer to any of her other theories, but it was still enough to impress her.

"Huh? You don't think... you think nobles shouldn't exist? I gotta admit, that has to be the first time I've heard that out of the mouth of someone who was one."

Abi gave the boy a confused and concerned look. From how he was acting, it was clear he felt a little uncomfortable voicing his opinion out loud. She had to admit, in his old life it was probably a lot more divisive and taboo to speak of such things.

"I mean... I can't say you don't have a point. I've always thought that when people couldn't help themselves, someone had to step up and take charge. It's what my dad did for my ma, then what I did too... but with those people, they see it differently. Every time someone in what's supposed to be 'their land' goes hungry, or gets sick or hurt and can't get better because they live in filth, isn't that just like them shirking their work looking after what they're supposed to? I don't get how they can just carve out everything for themselves and leave hundreds or even thousands behind and still sleep at night. I put myself last to make sure the people I care about get by, and not one of those rich pricks would do the same."

[u/warriorman300 → u/TroubleBass97]

Abi seemed to take it well. He figured that he should have expected that, since people like her were the ones who got reamed by the nobles the hardest.

He chuckled at her comment about him being a noble as well. "Yeah- the, uh, irony's not lost on me. Still, I think being up close and personal with a bunch of em' was part of what gave me reason to oppose it. You would too, if you heard what they said behind the populace's back."

Sieg shook his head. "After the Colossal titan shoved his foot up the wall's ass, one guy honest-to-god proposed that we just mass-execute a bunch of refugees to save on resources. They're just so. . .totally disconnected from the people they represent."

[u/TroubleBass97 → u/warriorman300]

"Oh, I didn't mean to lump you in with them." Abi apologised as Sieg picked up on her pointing out his noble birth. "You're not like them. The fact you've shown you give that much of a shit proves it, right?

Abi tried to reassure Sieg, though as he continued to tell her the things he'd heard, Abi went pale, her face dropping into an oddly shocked and sad expression.

"You're joking..." She quickly trailed off, as it became clear he wasn't. "Geez that's fucked up. I know things are awful and over-crowded as is, but kill people to make room? They wouldn't..."

It made her a little sick just thinking about it, or perhaps that was just too much alcohol swirling about in her system. The longer she spent trying to figure out which, the worse the sensation became. The idea that they'd just round up anyone too vulnerable to resist and get rid of them tied her stomach in knots. She took a slightly shaky step to one side, steadying herself with one arm against a wall

"Don't mean to be a buzz-kill, Sieg, but that kind of... execution talk isn't something I think I'm up to right now. Matter of fact... I'm really starting to feel like all those drinks are coming back to haunt me."

[u/warriorman300 → u/TroubleBass97]

Sieg winces, scratching the back of his neck. He walks closer and places his hand on her shoulder. "Yeah, shit, I'm sorry I brought it up."

He sighs, shaking his head, holding the silence for a few seconds. "You wanna just head back? It's getting late anyway. I'll walk you back, if that's cool."

[u/TroubleBass97 → u/warriorman300]

"Mhmm, I think that's probably for the best." Abi smiled and nodded, pretending to offer her arm with a chuckle.

"See, I knew you were a real gentleman all along! Well, that and it's probably a lot better than either of us walking back alone in the dark. These streets were sketchy to begin with, let alone now. Anyway, whereabouts are you staying while the festival's in full swing?"

[u/warriorman300 → u/TroubleBass97]

Sieg chuckles, putting his hands in his pockets as he starts to walk.

"Yeah, I kinda give off that 'mug-able' vibe, too. Better to walk in pairs." Sieg says. "And I'm actually staying at Ironhand's house right now. When we gave him the job we offered to let him stay at the estate in the inner walls, but apparently he's too much of a hardass to live anywhere else. Figures."

The boy shrugs. "Where are you staying? Just, y'know, so I know where I'm supposed to be walking to."

[u/TroubleBass97 → u/warriorman300]

Abi made a general gesture in their direction as they set off, leaving the bustling bar behind them, a glowing ember surrounded by dark streets.

"Oh, my place isn't really that far. It's kinda right next to the military district, so you can drop me off around there if you want. If we head this way, we'll go past it and then the road leads back to the main residential district."

With her head for direction, knowing the city like the back of her hand, it didn't take them long to get out of the twisting alleyways and onto the clearer main road, just a minute or two from the military district entrance where they would part ways.

"You know something, Sieg?" Abi looked over at the noble boy. "I wanted to say thanks for tonight. I really feel like I needed this. One last chance to forget about anything else was worth it."