The two young women stood side by side in front of the stage, situated in a small crowd of people that had not left. The friends, one short and the other a full head taller were stood stiff and composed with their right fist over their hearts and their left arm behind their backs. They looked to be ideal soldiers and determined friends.

Commander Erwin Smith gave the last of his welcome speech and then turned to walk off of the temporary platform. The taller, blonder of the two women dropped her stance and turned to her friend who looked like she was going to hit something, which she probably would at any given indication. "Red," she said, "You can relax now, and everything is going to be fine."

The girl with the auburn blond locks turned to her companion. "Hey Fae, I'm done dying my hair," she said as she too dropped her arms to her side and turned to look back at the stage where the rest of the Survey Corps members that had been there for the selection.

The taller blond, now identified as 'Fae' looked around at the rest of the group as she laughed at her friend. "Sure Red, whatever you say. Oh god look they let the Neanderthal in," she muttered as she looked at one male recruit in particular.

The shorter girl that was labeled as 'Red' looked to where Fae was looking and laughed out a short mocking sound. "I thought that Jean wanted to join the Military Police, not the Survey Corps?" she asked as she too looked at the blond male that was still facing forward in his rigid salute.

Fae pursed her lips and nodded. "I guess Marco's death hit him harder than he lets on," she murmured as she looked at the rest of the group. "Of course there are Mikasa and Armin, no doubt here so that they can be with Eren. And then we have Sasha and Connie is here to support her and she is here to support Mikasa. Krista is here and a few others, and of course, the Neanderthal."

Red looked at Fae and sighed. "You were friends with him too Fae, it is ok, more than ok, to mourn your friends and fallen comrades. You know I mourn them all, and yet you refuse to. Keep that up and you're going to break," she said as she turned and began to follow the others out of the temporary pavilion. Fae only sighed and followed her short friend to where they would receive their horses and then head off to join the rest of the Survey Corps.

They were being introduced to the rest of their new comrades. Eren had been there to greet them, shocked by some of the faces that were there. It wasn't that he was upset that they were all there; it was just that now he had to really be careful about what he did around everyone, especially those who didn't know about his dirty little secret. He was glad to see Armin and Mikasa and the rest of his friends, but he didn't know how to respond to some of the others; like to small female with red brown locks or her obvious companion that was much taller than her and blond.

He studied them as everyone was introduced. The taller one was thin but muscled and had a thin, long face. Her hair was cut like a boy's and if it weren't for her chest and hips, Eren was sure that he would have thought her a man. The smaller of the two had her hair pulled into a braid and was well muscled; as if she was making up for her lack of height in with strength. She was very obviously female, her hips were pronounced and her chest was possibly oversized. Her face was rounder than her friend's and the only similarity they seemed to have were blue eyes that were different shades of blue. The smaller one had dark blue eyes and the taller had light blue eyes.

The only reason that he had noticed them in the first place was because they had stayed in the back of the group, away from the rest of the crowd and had not, at once, come up to him. They had kept to themselves. The taller of the two was glaring holes in Jean's back and the shorter was looking at the ceiling and muttering. Eren shook his head and turned to Armin.

"Do you know who those two are?" he asked his blond friend. He jerked his head discretely in their direction and Armin's eyes zeroed in on them.

"Vaguely," He responded. "I know the taller one was friends with Marco and Jean I think and the smaller one just followed her around like a lost puppy or something," he said as he looked at the girls.

Without warning the small woman looked at them, her eyes as hard and cold as ice. She glared at them and Eren could swear that his heart stopped out of fear. Her head turned to her friend, but her eyes never left them. She touched her companions arm and she turned to face them again. The taller woman looked at her friend and then at them. She seemed to think for a moment before she laughed.

Everyone turned to look at the two girls as the taller one continued to laugh. The smaller one bit her lip and covered her face with her hands.

"CASSIDY! SROTM! What is the meaning of this?" Commander Erwin Smith asked as he approached the two women. The taller one backed up to the wall and sank down it, still laughing.

"You must forgive her Sir," the small woman said. "Fae is only now beginning to properly grieve for a lost friend of her and, unfortunately she does not cry well and so laughs instead." Her voice was strange, like it couldn't choose if it wanted to be high or low just yet.

"Make sure that Miss Cassidy is dealt with accordingly, Miss Storm.," Commander Smith said as he turned around and headed to the center of the room. "Alright children, we are going to play a game so that we can know our new comrades. Get in a circle and sit your asses down."