Akashi waved goodbye to his teammates that he was the team leader of as they headed to the showers. He would have joined them, he was soaked head to toe in blood, but he had to great the newcomers who would be joining his team. He supposed he had time to go and take a quick shower but he felt that it would give them some warning of what to expect for joining his team.
Akashi ran a hand through his hair that was the exact same shade as the blood that cover his locks as he walked over to the where his new teammates were going to be. He hated new teammates, he looked at them and he wondered, who was going to live and who was going to die? How many deaths would be on his hands this time?
Still, he was their new team leader and he would lead them.
He saw them, standing in rows, a fist curled above their hearts and their other arm behind him, and he sighed. He scanned them with his heterochromatic eyes, not seeing anybody worth noting.
"So you're the new brats that are going to be in my team." Akashi said flatly as he walked in front of them and he could see many of them flinch at the blood covering him.
Kuroko stood in line along the rows with everyone else. He was honestly surprised he got it this far, as not many people saw him at all. It was actually a hassle to just get in line without freaking people out. He still remembered those awkward moments when he tried to join the corps.
Shaking his head lightly, he stood a bit taller. Now was not the time to be daydreaming. He saw that someone new had arrived, who looked slightly older, and was completely covered in blood. The fist over his heart clenched a bit, he wasn't scared of seeing the blood, no. He knew that joining this group would be a whole new adventure and challenge, and not something just sitting around and doing nothing.
Kuroko watched the red haired man walk by the rows, and he didn't expect to be seen. No one really noticed him, not that it mattered. He was sure that would help him with killing titans. Though it might be a downfall in training, but he would try his best.
"Alright, so you've all had your basic training. However that will be nothing compared to actually going out and experiencing titans. I'm sure Erwin has given you a lovely motivating speech about how many of you will die." Akashi said loudly, his eyes meeting everyone's, including an interesting pair of blue eyes. "Everything he said is true. Many of you will die under my leadership. However, I will try to keep as many of alive as I possibly can. My name is Akashi Seijuro and I am your team leader."
Kuroko listened intently, making sure to pay attention. He knew that he would have to try harder against the titans, even with his lack of presence. It was better safe then sorry. He thought he caught Akashi's eyes for a second, but they soon looked away and continued looking at the people. Maybe he was just looking at someone behind him.
Kuroko didn't want to die personally, but if it was to help the rest of humanity, then he would not hesitate to do it. Listening up again, he luckily caught the blood soaked man's name. 'Akashi'. It seemed to have fit his new team leader.
"Anyway, I'll show you to your new quarters. Four to a room." Akashi said. He had his own room thanks to his status thankfully, he didn't know if he could handle roommates.
He led them to the large building where they would be living for the rest of their lives. He pointed out where the bathrooms were, where the dining hall was and where their rooms were.
Kuroko refrained from frowning. He didn't know he would have roommates, but he guessed there wasn't a lot of room, so he would deal with it. He followed Akashi, staying out of everyone's way. He memorized where everything is, making a tiny map in his head to remember.
Akashi started separating them into groups of four on random, his attention landing a blue haired boy. There was something off about him but Akashi couldn't quite tell what.
"You, what's your name?" Akashi demanded and he frowned when a few of the soldiers flinched in surprise like they hadn't seen the kid. What the hell?
Kuroko waited patiently, watching the other members get separated into rooms. He didn't expect to be picked, unless he told Akashi directly. He would wait until he wasn't so busy directing everyone.
He blinked, before looking around him. Was Akashi talking to him? He instantly straightened up, keeping an emotionless face. "Kuroko Tetsuya." He said quietly, in case Akashi wasn't really talking to him.
Akashi studied Kuroko carefully before he realized that while he could see him, he couldn't actually sense him. "Interesting..."
Akashi could think of many possibilities that would be explored later but for now it was more important to get everyone used to their rooms. So he gave Kuroko one last look before he directed him into a room.
"That door there," Akashi said as he pointed to a closed door. "Is my room. If you should need anything, have any questions, knock. Come in without my permission I will show you how sharp my blades are."
Kuroko forced himself not to look away. He wasn't used to being stared at, so it made him a bit uncomfortable. Once Akashi stopped, and lead him to a room, he looked at Akashi. Why was he telling him about his own room?
".. I will keep that in mind. Thank you." He said politely, studying Akashi. How could someone he just met see him so easily?
"Alright runts. Tomorrow we go on your first trip beyond the wall so you can see your first titans. So get lots of sleep." Akashi said as he looked at everyone. "Dismissed."
Of course Kuroko was a bit excited to hear that they would get to see their first titans right away. Though he would be cautious and weary. He watched everyone go into their rooms, and Akashi go, before he went into his room as well, planning to get lots of sleep as Akashi said.
The next day was sunny with few clouds in the sky, a good day by anyone's standards. It was a good day to die.
Akashi looked at his new team, new and old people mixed in, and sighed warily, hoping nobody died. Some people were likely to die today, more new people than old, but he had to get them aquinted with titans and it was a good way to judge their strengths and weaknesses.
He had spent all night memorizing their names and pictures but he didn't trust anything beyond that.
"Alright, the horses are already prepared. Pick one and that will be your horse until either you or the horse dies." Akashi said as he walked over to his own horse, Rakuzan.
Kuroko got a good amount of sleep last night, as he was instructed to. He wasn't the type to stay up with excitement, so that was a plus. Though he woke up extra early, and waited for everyone to wake up and for Akashi to get them.
Once they were outside, he listened for anything important. Nothing, just Akashi telling them to pick their horse. Kuroko let everyone pick their horse, and he waited until they were all picked, except a few left.
He walked up to a black and white horse, staring at it. He slowly stroked its head, showing he wouldn't hurt him. He had selected his horse, and he was ready.
"Alright get one your horses and follow me." Akashi commanded as he got onto his horse who nickered before standing straight. Rakuzan paced around a bit impatiently while the team got onto their horses.
Kuroko looked towards Akashi, before looking back at the horse. He blinked once, could he get up there? Shaking his head, he just started to climb up. If he couldn't climb a horse with his gear, then he probably couldn't do anything.
He got onto the horse easily, and made sure he was settled in perfectly so he didn't fall off or anything. Looking up, he looked at Akashi for orders, once their teammates got on their horses.
"Alright. Follow me." Akashi said reluctantly as he made his way to the gate that would bring them outside. He didn't want to do this, he didn't want people to die, but it was the world they lived in. "Stay close together and listen to my orders without question."
Kuroko noticed the reluctance in his voice, but said nothing of it. Just like for everything, he let everyone go ahead of him. He didn't want anyone trying to take his horse back when they saw no rider at first.
He stayed near the back, but still close. They were to be outside, so they had to follow orders perfectly, to survive.
It took them a while to get to the outer wall, even on horse back, but they eventually made it. Akashi scanned the team with one last lingering look before they walked through the gate and out into the world.
There was a time he used to love going out but now...every time his horse took a step onto the open plains all he saw was blood covering the green that surrounded him.
He sped up his horse, making it run, while keeping his eyes out for any titans.
Kuroko was patient during their time trotting towards the wall. This would be his first time going out. He felt excited again, rather then nervous, but calmed himself. This was a mission, so he had to take it seriously.
As soon as he saw everyone following Akashi's lead, he did the same to keep up and stay close.
"Eyes forward, here comes one now." Akashi shouted and he slowed his horse to a quick canter. It was a typical 5m titan, nothing too bad and could probably be handled easily. Akashi allowed the new recruits to look at the titans with dawning faces of horror.
It was always a horrific sight to see a titan for the first time. You were trained to kill them but nothing quite prepared you for seeing one for real. His old teammates were reading to kill it if anything happened but he mostly waited to see who would gather the courage to kill it first.
Kuroko looked forward, seeing the titan. His first titan he ever saw. He was a bit anxious, but he stayed mostly calm. It was only a 5m, practically a warm up, though he knew to be careful when approaching.
He stayed back, giving his teammates the chance to go for the kill. If they didn't, he surely will.
Scared shitless, the lot of them. He could see it in their eyes, the panic, the horror, the sheer fear that consumed him. Akashi sighed while and began wondering if he should just go kill it before it killed them.
It had already noticed them and was beginning to run toward them. If he didn't do something then it was possible that someone would die. Still, it was disheartening to see everyone but his old teammates not willing to make the first move.
Kuroko sighed, looking at his teammates. He didn't think they were that much of cowards. They wouldn't survive long if they just sat there, doing nothing. Seeing the titan, he made a split second decision.
He quickly redirected his horse, to start running past everyone. He didn't know if Akashi would allow him to attack the titan, but considering that it was getting close and he didn't do anything, he took it as an invitation.
He already had his new blades out, holding them in a firm grip. He had to be calm, and collected. Kuroko didn't take his eyes off of the titan. Once he was at a fair distance, he used only one wire from his 3D Maneuver gear, to latch onto the titan from the back. There wasn't much trees around as they weren't that far from the gates.
Deciding not to waste any time, he quickly used his gear to get him up towards the titan, just like in training. It wasn't hard to forget the titans weakness in training either. The back of the neck. That was an instant death.
The titan hasn't even noticed him yet, only seeing the wire and feeling it on it. Kuroko didn't want to wait for it to see him, so he quickly took two slashes at the titans weak point. They weren't the deepest cuts, not bad either, but they were good enough. The titan went down after a few second, and Kuroko landed on his feet on the ground beside the titan.
Akashi blinked, watching Kuroko carefully, and he immediately approved. As soon as he touched the ground Akashi clapped, almost mockingly as he looked at the other teammates.
"Congratulations Kuroko Tetsuya, for killing your first titan. This is how it's going to be from now on and I hope next time you all won't be frozen in fear." Akashi said with obvious disapproval. Sure, he had expected fear, but not so much that they just sat on their horses not moving.
Kuroko blinked as he heard the mocking clap, and looked up at Akashi and the team. They still looked like they were horrified. Yeah, they were going to die if they don't man up. Kuroko headed back to his horse who had stopped once he had used his 3D Maneuver gear. This was a good horse. It had more courage than most of his teammates.
Kuroko didn't mind the blood that got on him, as he settled himself back onto his horse, his blade away. It was only a 5m, anyone could have handled it.
"Alright, let's try this again." Akashi said and he gave Kuroko an obviously pleased look before he kicked his horse into a quick run. The team behind him followed, shaken out of their fear. Hopefully the next encounter would be better.
Kuroko caught the look, before he looked towards the titan. It wasn't as hard as he thought. He turned his horse, before slowly following Akashi, but stayed close. He just hoped he wouldn't be handling everything today.
Akashi slowed his horse until he was beside Kuroko, allowing the team to go ahead of him before he turned to the boy.
"If we encounter more titans please hold back unless necessary. I need the other's to pick up the pace and get used to them." Akashi asked as he kept an eye on their surroundings.
Kuroko looked over at Akashi in slight surprise, seeing him move back towards him. He was still puzzled on how he could see him easily. Though he looked forward, watching the area.
He nodded, showing he understood. "Unless necessary. I understand."
Akashi nodded before speeding up once more, just to pause when he saw a small cluster of titans up ahead. There were 5 of them, all rather small which was fortunate and he was pleased to see nobody was freezing up although there were fear in their eyes.
Kuroko stared at the bunch ahead of them. Thank god no one froze, though let's hope they actually do something. He was stay close, but not attack, unless necessary like Akashi said.
Akashi rode ahead, gathering the cluster onto himself so they chased him, while he waited to see if anybody would kill them. He wasn't worried in the least, having so many titans on him, this was a tactic he usually used.
Thankfully a few people kicked in and began trying to kill the titans but fear overrode their actions and only 3 were killed. Akashi avoided a large hand and he used his gear to fly up the closest titan, easily cutting its neck.
Kuroko was a bit anxious seeing Akashi use this kind of strategy. He hoped he wouldn't get caught and eaten by the titans. Though he doubted it would happen. Akashi seemed like the strong, very protective leader. He wouldn't let his team down.
He stayed on guard and ready for action in case anything happened. The teammates needed to man up, before they get killed.
The rest of the team seemed to wake up from whatever horrific trance they were in and they all leaped up onto the last titan, and took it down. Akashi exhaled before he got back onto his horse.
"Good job." Akashi said as he watched his team get back on their horses. Looked like there was hope for them yet. Still...Akashi's eyes went back to Kuroko curiously.
The boy had no presence but he had been able to kill easily. At first glance he looked weak, and perhaps he was, but it would seem that his lack of presence worked on titans as well.
"You're going to get killed using that tactic one of these days." One of his teammates, an old on, said and Akashi snorted.
"That would be the day." Akashi said with a smirk before he looked up at the sun. "Alright, that's enough for today. Let's head back."
Kuroko stayed where he was, . He was always , making .happened. Once he heard Akashi's voice, he noticed every beginning was the beginning with the non working side.
They made it back without any incidents except for a single large titan that Akashi took care of easily. By the time they got back, the sun was just beginning to set and Akashi watched carefully as they put there horses in the stalls before he dismissed them for dinner.
After his own horse was taken care of, he entered the dining hall where everyone was loud and boisterous as they ate.
Kuroko wasn't too tired after their little mission, so that was a good start. Once they got back, he carefully put his horse in its own stall, making sure it didn't get hurt or anything during their mission. Seeing that it was fine, and had its food and water, he walked off as Akashi dismissed them.
As he sat in the small building where everyone ate, he didn't like all the noise and loudness of the other people. He just sat at a table by himself in the back, eating little food quietly.
Akashi got his food and looked around. Most of the tables were already full and although he was sure they would make room for him, he didn't particularly feel like sitting beside such noisy people.
He saw a table in the back that didn't have a lot of people and then he noticed that Kuroko was sitting there. Akashi immediately headed over to him.
"Do you mind if I eat here?" Akashi asked looked up, thinking he heard someone speaking to him. Surprised at seeing Akashi, he didn't say anything. He shook his head, and nodded, silently saying Akashi could join him.
He didn't mind, since he was guessing Akashi was more of the quiet type like him. Though he was curious of how he saw him.
Akashi sat down and began eating, quietly observing the people around him. Luckily team work didn't look like it was going to be an issue, everyone seemed to be getting along well. Everyone looked to be okay after the day although he knew it would most likely hit them later tonight.
"How are you doing after today?" Akashi asked Kuroko although he wasn't too worried about him, Kuroko seemed to have a strong mental state from what he had seen earlier that day.
Kuroko stayed quiet, seeing that Akashi wasn't speaking towards him. He just continued eating a little bit of a small piece of bread. Though once he was spoken to, he turned his attention towards Akashi.
"...Fine. I am doing fine." He said slowly. He wasn't traumatized or horrified now that he had seen and slain his first titan. It only proved that this would be like a brand new life.
"That's good." Akashi murmured before going back to his thoughts. They would have to go out more, kill more titans, refine their training more but so far the first day went fine. At least nobody died.
Kuroko took the time to study Akashi. He knew not to stare, at least not for too long. Akashi looked like the leader type, and it wasn't just for show. He was definitely made to be a leader.
He was interested in his mismatched eyes, one red and one gold, it matched with his blood red hair. It reminded him of Akashi's first appearance, just covered in a lot of blood, probably coming back from a mission. Upon further thought, he realized Akashi was also taller then him.
Akashi also studied Kuroko but from the corner of his eye. He was a fascinating boy, with hair the color of the sky with interesting matching eyes that showed very little emotion. He still looked weak to Akashi, he had to wonder how well he would do on long term journeys, but with his lack of presence he was invaluable.
It made him wonder if he should report him to the higher ups, surely they would have use for him. After a long moment of consideration Akashi decided that he would wait a bit, test Kuroko some more.
Satisfied with the food he ate, which wasn't much, Kuroko slowly stood up. "If you don't mind, I think I'll turn in early. If you need me, I will be in the room you assigned me." He said, before picking up his small plate, and taking it to where they always put it when they are done.
After that he decided to read once he got in his room. He brought a book or two from his old home, for when he didn't have to do things. It would be a good time, to take advantage of the quiet in the room to read.
Akashi watched Kuroko leave before he retired for the night as well. He was tired from the day and tomorrow would be just as tiring not doubt. Working with a new team always was.
He went into his room, a simple room of a bed, a desk, and a closet. He passed by a desk with many numerous items on them, none that was his but of friends he had lost, before he went into bed.
With his new teammates in mind, Akashi quickly fell asleep.
Kuroko took the spare time he had to lay in his bed and read. It was peaceful and quiet, until he roommates came in. Sighing, he closed his book, and put it away. He made sure none of them would lay on him by accident, before going to sleep.
He didn't know if they would have missions or training tomorrow, but he had to be rested and prepared.
The next day, Akashi brought them back out of the walls and into the wild. This time they were going for a longer journey, to test stamina and give everyone a chance to kill titans.
Akashi stayed near the back this time, although his eyes never stopped looking around the surroundings. He watched everyone like a hawk and to his complete pleasure, everyone seemed to be getting used to titans.
Kuroko was doing fine so far. He wasn't too tired, thanks to the horses they rode on. Whenever a titan came, he always let the others get a chance at it. He wanted them to man up so they could learn to fight titans without shrinking in fear.
The day went by rather quickly, everyone having killed at least a couple of titans and Akashi was going to call it a day. Everyone was obviously getting tired and the sun would be setting soon and he wanted to get back before nightfall.
So he was about to make the call when he saw someone begin to part from the group and towards a titan by himself. His eyes widened, it was a new recruit and much too soon to go off by himself, and chased after him.
Kuroko looked at the sky, seeing it was getting late. He was tired now, after a whole day of killing titans. He killed a decent amount, which caused him to get as tired as he was, with his low stamina. Plus he had to deal with a lot of them as the others weren't as careful as him.
Though seeing Akashi suddenly run off with his horse caught his attention and he looked over. When he saw he was chasing a new recruit, he instantly gave chase as well. He knew Akashi could probably handle it, but there could always be a backup.
Akashi tried to get Rakuzan to go as fast as he could, shouting orders at the errant teammate but the man didn't listen. The male used his gear on the titan before Akashi could reach him but his aim was off.
The titan saw him and reached out after the man missed his kill. Akashi used his gear but it was too late, the titan grabbed the man in its giant fists and bit him in half just as Akashi got to it.
Kuroko tried keeping up, as he watched his teammate and Akashi. His eyes widened as he watched his teammate get picked up, and soon chopped in half by the titans teeth as he bit into him. Though he didn't freeze in fear or horror as he was sure everyone else besides Akashi and the older teammates did.
He saw Akashi was already using his gear, so he stayed on his horse. He quickly moved Akashi's horse, Rakuzan, away from the titan in case it fell towards them if Akashi killed it.
Akashi violently killed the titan with his blades, his eyes completely filled with fury as he watched it fall. He smoothly landed on his feet, glaring at the remains of both his teammate and the teammate.
"Stupid. Completely and utterly stupid." Akashi growled as he walked over to his horse. It was a completely unneeded death and if the man had just waited then he could have killed it with the safety of his team.
Kuroko stayed on his horse, keeping Rakuzan beside him until Akashi came to get him. He let the horse go once Akashi came near, knowing he could take care of it now. He could tell Akashi was angry over losing a teammate with no real reason behind it.
He wanted to tell him it was alright, but it really wasn't. Instead he just kept quiet, waiting for Akashi's orders. If only he had gotten there in time.
Akashi went back to the team, smoothing away all emotions, even the anger that still boiled inside him. He felt a bit of guilt as well, as a team leader, any death that occurred was on him for not keeping a better look out.
"This is why you wait orders and stick with your team." Akashi said as he saw half his team looking at the bloody remains of their former teammate while the other half simply looked resigned. "Let head back."
Kuroko quickly followed Akashi on his horse, watching him. He hoped he didn't feel too guilty, but from what he gathered from Akashi, he probably wouldn't let his emotions get in the way of his duty.
As they headed back, he finally thought of something to say to Akashi. He had his horse walk along side Akashi's, as he kept an eye out. "They will learn from that mistake, so there shouldn't be any more running off like that again."
"They better." Akashi said, still stone faced, as he gently patted his horse's neck. "Let's just hope it doesn't happen again."
They both knew it was empty words though, that more people would die even if they got used to titans. Even that phrase alone wasn't true, nobody ever truly got used to titans. If it was possible less people would die.
"Yeah, let's hope. Though I doubt they won't be disobeying orders now." Kuroko said, looking forward at the team. They still seemed shocked that they actually lost someone so soon. They would need to learn how to suck it up though, if they want survival.
Kuroko wasn't ever really close to anyone, not even his family. No one really noticed him, so he got used to being alone and everything. So he could accept death and move on easily.
"No, no I suppose not." Akashi said before he looked over to Kuroko in mild surprise. "You're taking his death pretty well. Almost like a seasoned soldier already."
Kuroko took a moment before he looked back at Akashi. Just like always, his eyes and face shown no emotion. ".. I wasn't close to him, so there was no reason to be over dramatic about his death."
Akashi chuckled a little before quirking an eyebrow. "Generally people feel something when seeing someone die in front of them even if they didn't know the person."
"..Then perhaps I'm not like other people then." Kuroko said quietly, looking ahead of them. The walls were just up ahead, and they weren't that far away. They were almost home from their mission.
"Then perhaps that means you'll last longer." Akashi said as he turned his attention to the wall. It was always the same, coming back. Huge crowds would greet them with awe on their faces, not knowing what they faced each day. He hated that the scouting legion was so glorified, what they did usually had no fruit from their labors, nothing to show for the deaths they experienced.
Akashi shook his head as he hurried his horse along. He was thankful when they arrived back to headquarters. He quickly dismissed everyone but he didn't get off his horse, instead he chose to ride around a bit longer, wanting to get rid of the unease that still filled his chest.
Kuroko felt a bit different when Akashi said that. Though he knew he wouldn't last unless he was careful and cautious, but also got his job done quickly. Once they arrived into the walls, he didn't look at anyone that greeted them. They didn't know anything.
As he got back, he was planning to put his horse in its stall, and turn in for the night, but something stopped him. Akashi had dismissed them, though he didn't put his own horse away. So he put his horse in the stall, and walked off, but stayed close.
He saw Akashi leave not too soon after everyone was gone. After waiting a moment, Kuroko quickly went to his horse, and got him out of the stall. He decided to follow Akashi, curiosity getting the best of him.
Akashi rode Rakuzan for a while, jumping over random objects at random. When he was younger and lived in a village, he used to train horses. He always felt comforted on top of one although he always felt more on ease with Rakuzan who had been with him since he had been a colt.
Akashi sighed as he patted Rakuzan's neck as they rode near the wall and he used his gear to propel himself up it. He looked back down to see Rakuzan walking off idly before he laid down and looked up at the sky. He knew his horse wouldn't wonder off too far.
Kuroko slowly followed him with his horse, being as quiet as possible. He stayed close, but not to close, not wanting Akashi to catch him. He still thought it was so unnatural that Akashi could see him perfectly, with no troubles. It made him a bit more weary, wondering if it was becoming easier for everyone to see him.
Once he saw Akashi using his gear on the wall, he moved to the side to stay out of over head view, just in case. He got off his horse, gently patting its head. It stayed where it was, until Kuroko told him that he could go back if he wished. He watched his horse walk off, before looking up at Akashi.
Giving it some thought, he sighed slightly. He hoped Akashi wouldn't be mad at him. Using his gear, Kuroko got onto the wall, not far from Akashi. He looked over at him, tilting his head slightly.
Akashi blinked when he heard the sound of gear being used and he looked to the side to see Kuroko standing there. He was mildly surprised, he had thought that he had gone to the dining hall with the others.
"Is everything alright?" Akashi asked, not moving from where he lay.
Kuroko walked forward, standing beside Akashi. He didn't know if he should sit or not, so he stayed standing. "I could ask you that. Is everything okay?" He asked, looking down at Akashi. Perhaps Akashi was still going over the teammates death.
"Of course." Akashi said as he gestured to the spot beside him, silently inviting Kuroko to sit. He wasn't about to tell him that something was wrong, it was his job as leader to appear strong at all times for moral. "Shouldn't you be eating with the rest?"
Kuroko looked at the spot, before slowly sitting down. He was careful of Akashi, and of his own gear as he sat. He looked forward, seeing the world beyond the wall. It always looked so amazing. He glanced over at Akashi, before lightly shrugging. "I'm not too hungry. Besides, you disappeared somewhere, so I wanted to see if anything was wrong."
"It's not healthy to skip meals." Akashi said although it was hypocritical for him to say so for he didn't intend to eat either. He kept his eyes up on the darkening sky, watching the clouds pass by as they changed colors with the changing sun.
Kuroko was going to say it was normal, that he was used to it, but held back. He just sighed slightly, watching the darkening sky. He wondered if Akashi came up to sit on the wall often, and just relax and not worry about the world.
"What are your expectation on joining the scouting legion? You had to have known that it's the most dangerous." Akashi asked curiously.
Kuroko looked over at Akashi, tilting his head slightly again. "..Yes, I did know that it was dangerous, but I believed I could handle it."
"I hope you can." Akashi said wistfully as he glanced at Kuroko. "With your lack of presence you're invaluable to the legion."
"Well, I'm glad I would be useful to the legion." He looked back out at the sky, closing his eyes for a moment. "I know I can, handle it I mean."
"I'm glad." Akashi said sincerely. "Hopefully it means it is another death that I won't see then."
"You better watch yourself as well. Make sure you aren't a death I wouldn't want to see either." Kuroko said, opening his eyes to look over at Akashi.
Akashi remained silent, not answering, before he shook his head and sat up. "Have you ever seen a titan up close before yesterday?" He asked instead, changing the subject.
Tilting his head, he shook his head lightly. "I'm afraid I have not. That was my first time seeing a titan."
"Interesting and yet you were the first one to kill it." Akashi said with a small smirk. He reached over and placed a warm hand on Kuroko's shoulder while looking at him seriously. "Good job."
Kuroko blinked in surprise, looking at the hand, before at Akashi. He started at him, before nodding his head. "Thank you.. It was nothing. I just didn't freeze up is all. It was only a 5m, anyone could have gotten it."
"And yet they all froze in fear." Akashi said as he let go of Kuroko's shoulder in order to lie back down. "Physical strength is indeed important, but so is mental strength."
"..That is correct, I can't argue with that." Kuroko said, before laying down himself. Now he looked up at the sky, seeing it almost completely dark, besides the stars that were starting to appear. He didn't have a lot of physical strength, but he did have mental strength.
"They'll learn. They are starting to after all."
"They'll still die if they don't learn fast enough." Akashi pointed out bluntly as his eyes looked up the appearing stars, recognizing constellations.
"They will learn." Kuroko repeated forcefully, before looking at Akashi. "Have a little more faith in them. This is their first times of seeing and killing titans."
"You make it sound like this is my first new team." Akashi said with a frown. "Only the ones who learn fast survive Tetsuya. You're lucky that you're one of them."
"It's been two days. Give them time." He sighed lightly, shaking his head. "Whatever you say.." He decided to keep quiet now, not wanting them to argue.
Akashi stretched his body out, feeling the kinks pop out before settling down once more. Perhaps he'll sleep under the stars tonight, it wouldn't be the worst idea. He was already a bit tired from the day and didn't feel like going back inside where the rowdy bunch were. Speaking of which...
"Wouldn't you feel more comfortable with your comrades? You've known them for a while now haven't you?"
Kuroko glanced over at Akashi with a blank look. "I barely know any of their names. They don't even knew I exist. What's the point?" He asked, laying his head back. Maybe he should go, perhaps this was Akashi's polite way of telling him to leave.
He slowly sat up, shaking his head. "But I guess I'll go back, and leave you to think quietly. WE should get some sleep anyway."
"I was just curious." Akashi replied as he saw Kuroko sit up before he lightly shrugged before looking back up at the stars. "If you do go make sure to clean you blades before you sleep. Maintaining gear is important."
Right, he should probably check and clean his gear. Kuroko nodded, standing up slowly. "I will, thank you for reminding me. I hope you get a good sleep tonight." He said, waiting to see if Akashi had anything else to say.
"If you need anything you know where to find me." Akashi said as he closed his eyes and stifled a yawn. His stomach growled lightly but it was easily ignored in favor of idly trying to figure out what to do tomorrow.
"Alright. Goodnight, Akashi-kun." Kuroko said, before turning away. He used his gear to jump off the wall, and started to swing around the buildings, getting to headquarters much quickly then just walking.
Once he got there, and inside the room after scaring his roommates, he began cleaning his blades as Akashi said. He even checked his 3D Maneuver gear and such, just to make sure.
Akashi rolled over onto his stomach and began to doze off. It wasn't cold in the least so sleeping outside wasn't a big deal. Surely one night wouldn't hurt. He drifted off, falling into dreams of bloodshed and screams that haunted him every night although every so often a hint of blue would flit into his dreams just to dance away once more.
Once Kuroko had finished checking and prepping his gear, he laid in bed. His roommates were already asleep, probably trying to sleep their thoughts of their dead teammate away. Sighing, he rolled onto his side, trying to fall asleep.
He didn't have any dreams, he never did really. It was just natural. He wondered what the next day would have in store for them.