1st POV

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The next day, our group gathered to watch those who hadn't succeeded the day before. Mikasa, Armin, Reiner, Bertholdt, and I stood there, observing Eren's turn. I offered him a thumbs-up, and he responded with a determined expression. Despite some cadets snickering at him, deeming it a futile effort, I chose to disregard their negativity and focused entirely on my baby titan.

"Eren Jaeger, are you ready?" the imposing bald man, aka Shadis, inquired.

"YES!" Eren exclaimed, flashing us a resolute smile. Understandably so, considering he'd finally managed to maintain his balance the previous night after 26 attempts. The anime didn't show how stubborn he was about the damn thing. Kid was determined.

'YOU CAN DO IT, BABY!'

I clenched my fists in a guts pose. Mikasa and Armin exchanged glances before offering him words of encouragements. The two undercover warriors mirrored their support.

Though doubts lingered in Eren's expression, he swiftly concealed them behind unwavering determination.

"Begin," Shadis commanded, prompting the operator to pull the lever. Slowly, Eren started levitating—my war levitating—. The sheer concentration on avoiding mistakes was evident, and it paid off as he managed to maintain his balance for a couple of seconds, eliciting a few 'ooh's that echoed through the courtyard, swelling my chest with pride.

'Heh, see that, angry Baldi's basics? My boy's got something special, unlike someone.' I shot a pointed look at the bald man's back.

The crowd cheered at the unexpected turn of events and his determined efforts to succeed. Unfortunately, he faltered and tumbled backward, eliciting gasps of shock from everyone.

"N-no..." He struggled to rise. "I can still..." Horror filled his expression as Shadis directed to bring him down.

I sighed, 'What am I going to do with this kid?' and raised my hand. "Excuse me, sir, May I say something?"

The bald man, along with everyone else, turned to me in curiosity. The two little shit from yesterday were snickering at his failure until they caught my gaze and shrank back in fear, even though I wasn't glaring at them.

"And what's on your mind, Tobe?" Shadis inquired.

Eren glanced between me and Shadis, a glimmer of hope in his eyes as they released him.

"Could Jaeger swap belts with me? His seems a bit off," I stated plainly, drawing scoffs from some bystanders.

"Did you hear that?!"

"She's just trying to save her boyfriend from getting kicked out."

"Desperate move, huh..."

"That's pretty low–"

"If you guys want to trash-talk about me, at least have the guts to do it in front of me." I flashed a pointed smile at the individuals who made those comments. They quickly averted their eyes. "Yeah, that's what I thought," I added before turning my attention back to Shadis, who wore an unreadable expression.

'Yeah, I know what you did, basterd.'

"A belt malfunction, huh? And how did you come to that conclusion, Cadet Tobe?" the instructor asked, a hint of wariness in his tone.

I simply smiled and unfastened my belt. "Just a hunch, sir, just a hunch," I remarked, waiting for his permission.

Reluctantly, he nodded, making way for me as I approached the stunned Jaeger. "Y-you don't have to–"

"Hush, kid. Put this on," I interrupted, handing him my belt, then returned to my place where my intrigued onlookers awaited. I gestured for them to watch.

Eren hurriedly swapped belts and glanced back at Shadis, unsure of what to expect. He gave a nod, and as they lifted Eren once more, to everyone's surprise, he maintained his balance effortlessly.

The sheer bewilderment on his face sent me into fits of laughter, breaking the shocked silence. Leaning against Mikasa, who blinked rapidly, I struggled to catch my breath. "Oh, you should see your expressions..."

Too bad using my phone here would likely result in me being called a witch!

Shadis disregarded my remark as he retrieved Eren's belt, pretending to be surprised. "Yours was faulty, Tobe was right," he acknowledged, causing Eren's gaping jaw to snap shut audibly. "The metal fittings on your belts were damaged. I've never seen damage like this to these parts before."

'And whose fault could that possibly be?'

"I guess we'll have to update the maintenance checklist."

"So he actually succeeded... with defective equipment..."

"Wow..."

Upon hearing their reactions, I shot the cadets a smug look while pointedly glancing at the two strangely silent idiots from yesterday.

Feeling Armin's inquisitive gaze, I promptly turned to him and flashed him a shit-eating grin. Who knows what was bouncing in that smart little noggin of his.

"So... What's your decision now?" Eren cautiously inquired.

"You're good to go," Shadis responded flatly. "Stay determined and train hard."

Eren practically shouted in victory, fists raised triumphantly. I could almost hear his internal celebration from where I stood.

Slipping my arms between my beans, I proudly declared, "This, my babies, is the Jaeger wanted to see! Just look at him, all happy now!" I snickered, and the two just stared at the jubilant idiot dangling in the air.

"He must be happy because he'll stay by our side..." Mikasa smiled.

"Meh, pretty sure he just wants to slay titans." I shrugged. " His obsession is starting to worry me, honestly," I murmured to myself. Reiner stifled a laugh while Bertholdt chuckled nervously.

'you're right to be nervous, giant boy, YOU'RE one of those obsessions, careful with your titan ass..'

"COLITH!!" I was jolted from my thoughts as someone tackled me in a hug. "I did it!!" It was an exuberant Eren. Those moments were dangerous.

'Allah, lend me strength, for I am being hugged into oblivion by the CEO of 'tatakae'!!!'

Mikasa, bless her soul; took pity on me and liberated me from Eren's grasp by literally lifting him like a misbehaving kitten and placed him next to an amused Armin. Bombastic shot her an offended look.

Gasping for air like a fish out of water, which was a bit dramatic, I'll admit, I swiftly regained my composure. "Were you trying to finish me off, Jaeger?" I lightly tapped his head, earning a playful whine from him.

"You're Eren, right..?" a random cadet began, stepping forward. "You did fantastic back there! We thought it was just talk, but you really showed us what you're capable of!"

"Yeah! Great job, Jaeger!"

Eren beamed with pride, graciously thanking them for their compliments. I rested my chin atop Armin's head; he simply blinked as jealous glares from other boys met him. Smiling warmly, I observed my cherished friends.

Unbeknownst to me, some members of the main cast observed our camaraderie with envy, secretly wishing to befriend yours truly and share in our dynamic.

Especially Jean.

Ouais surtout Jean.

[Scary scarf girl]

Sometimes Mikasa would drag me into more training because she wanted me to toughen up like her.

'Honey, I could probably wipe out the planet, but sure, why not.'

Despite my reservations, I agreed because I needed a partner who could handle taking a few hits from me. Almost everyone else refused to pair up with me due to the incident in the canteen. Oh well.

However, it wasn't just about fighting. During our free time, we'd pick up where we left off with our knitting and cross-stitching sessions that we started a few months back. Those were skills I seriously lacked. Even with powers, fixing outfits or simply changing them out of sheer laziness had become second nature. So why bother learning these skills? Because Mikasa suggested it, and I wasn't going to turn her down, especially since it marked our first official bonding moments. Plus, those were the only times I saw Mikasa's face showing any expression.

[Jean boi]

I wasn't oblivious; it was pretty clear he had taken a liking to both Mikasa and me, though it seemed I was more on his radar, possibly due to my unique complexion. I couldn't really change that, especially when I had this habit of hugging just about everyone, including him. As a result, Eren would always start squabbling with him whenever he attempted to flirt with me. But truth be told, those attempts were rather childish and awkward, so it didn't bother me much.

Apparently, this didn't sit well with Eren, who made it a point to stick around whenever Jean tried to strike up a conversation or even glanced my way.

'Boy, if you don't get–'

So yeah, it was on sight.

I was seriously impressed with how he handled the ODM gear training! The anime didn't quite highlight his talent in that area, even though it's a tough skill to master. My back can vouch for it, as I slammed into a tree, giving everyone quite a scare before I walked away with a bloody back. I already had a few scars here and there, but I figured I'd keep those—scars were kinda dope! Jean offered to help me get sorted, which I appreciated.

Following this, a very specific duo often roped me into their shenanigans.

[Potato Girl/Lil bald boi]

Having met them both on our first day, they were understandably wary of me after the incident. I easily smoothed things over by offering Sasha snacks like biscuits and meatbuns whenever it was my turn in the kitchen. Surprisingly, Kitchen duty happened more often than I'd realized, but hey, it gave me extra practice. Naturally, this was enough to win her favor, prompting her to share a few survival tricks during field training when we camped and gathered resources. This showcased her expertise in forest survival to everyone.

We'd often debate about this "CREATION OF THE GODS!!" as she called it, and exchange cooking methods. I couldn't contribute much because modern time dweller— but, fortunately, coming from a rather traditional background with cooking methods that didn't rely on modern gadgets, I had a few recipes I could try without the need for modern utensils. Unsurprisingly, resources in Paradise were limited, leading to a lack of variety in most meals. While I did discover traditional recipes like Labskaus, Borscht, or anything involving potatoes, meat was a rarity here—something I really should address.

So, in turn, I introduced Sasha to pizza. It went south quickly.

Along came Connie, initially walking on eggshells around me until I pulled a goofy face that had him bursting into laughter, almost scaring the horses away during practice. We got a stern scolding from Shadis that day, but hey, we were cool after that.

He was like that annoying little bro you just wanted to punt sometimes, but despite that, he was good company whenever I felt down about Ma and the others. Just seeing his dumb little face was enough to crack me up.

Sure, he was a trouble magnet and a certified gremlin who somehow managed to land us in hot water during lectures. But hey, having him around was a riot, and boredom was never on the agenda.

This little guy is a whole bundle of stupidity, and I love him for that!

Naturally, the instructors never put the three of us together during class, which was fair enough.

[Isayama'son/ Burrito]

Reiner, Bertholdt, and I were already on friendly terms, but that was it.

Bertholdt did try to apply my advice which kind of worked since some of the girls confessed to him. Poor boy didn't know what to do, so he ran away.

Reiner, pretty sure the guy secretly likes me. Because whenever I am tasked with lifting HEAVY stuff, he would always try to help. Showing off in an attempt to impress me, though I'm pretty sure he does that with most girls who merely look his way. I guess being the only one who doesn't outright reject him made him warm up to yours truly.

Oh well.

[QUEEN]

Honestly, I'm not too proud about how I handled that one. We were just doing our stable duty, looking after the horses, when a hay bale nearly dropped on her. I caught it in the nick of time and asked if she was okay. It was only when I saw the terrified look on her face that I realized my mistake. I've never seen a twelve-year-old so scared she almost passed out.

I slipped up and called her Historia instead of Krista.

Thankfully, I managed to calm her down by kind of enveloping her in my aura. The poor thing was shaking like crazy, but at least we were alone in the stables. Now, how did I pull this off? Ever heard of the saying "fake it till you make it"? Yeah, that's the one.

So, here's what went down: I spun this tale about this little blonde girl I bumped into years ago, also named Historia, and never crossed paths with her again. I mentioned how I call anything small and blonde "Historia" in the hopes of finding her. And, well, it just so happened her name was also Historia.

Yeah, I was totally making shit up at this point, trying to salvage this the best I could, I know. But that was all I could come up with in the moment. I couldn't exactly spill the truth. I don't know if I lucked out or was blessed, but she totally bought it!

Later on, I made it my mission to be her confidant because Eldians seemed to shrug off therapy as a concept—if you're traumatized, that's your own problem.

It's messed up, seriously.

Whenever she felt down, I'd use titles like "Queen" or "Princess" to help boost her confidence. I wouldn't say she became carefree, but there was some improvement, I suppose.

And wherever Historia was, Ymir wasn't too far behind.

[Freckles Lesbian/ Dangerous Blonde]

I was initially expecting more animosity from her, however, to my utter shock, the girl was chill. Turns out she liked the way I defended myself and my 'weird' humor, which was something people here lacked apparently. She'd throw invites my way to ditch training, but I usually passed. Gotta aim for that first place, you know? Ymir would just shrug it off and say the offer still stood. Also, turns out she'd taken it upon herself to scare the bejeezus out of anyone badmouthing me behind my back—some even quit the formation.

Ymir was ruthless.

Just like in canon, she took a liking to Historia, so I played matchmaker for them. The blonde was of course, really cautious, especially after the whole Historia fiasco, but, well, it worked out 'cause they were practically inseparable.

Yay me.

As for Annie, oh boy. The wariness she showed when i tried stricking a conversation with her was alarming. Unlike her two warriors counteparts, she was the most tricky to approach. Like an untamed cat, had to approach her with caution. Fortunately, we began delving into hand to hand combat shortly after, and that's where she began easing up around me, seeing as I was genuinely interested in her fighting style. We never got to spar though, but I can say that friendship was on its way.

At some point, she mentioned finding comfort in my presence, a sentiment echoed by all the shifters, with Eren being the first for reasons.

Must be that [Mother of all] stuff. Gotta learn more about it.

Annie was a tough one to crack, but I'm proud to say I eventually got her to open up a bit. I managed to coax out a brief mention of her father, a topic that saddened her until I cheered her up with some sweets.

Sometimes, she'd sneak a quick glance at Armin when she thought no one was watching.

[Freckles Jesus]

Marco, like everyone else, looked a bit nervous and made an effort not to step on my toes. I quickly nipped that in the bud by showing him the friendlier side of me. The guy was a total sweetheart, and I couldn't bear the thought of him getting mixed up with those assholes in the Military Police. I mean, yeah, there were some good folks there, but the corruption was astounding.

Naturally, this led to chats about:

"Why being a Scout is way more honorable than being a MP."

He wasn't prepared for the grim realities I shared—some of the nasty things I'd seen while roaming around the districts of Sina. He was genuinely shocked about the underground situation. Turns out, most people above ground had no clue about what was happening below. It wasn't all sunshine and rainbows, and I think I just shattered a bit of Marco's innocence. Oh boy.

Thankfully, it didn't take long for him to rethink his choice and lean towards joining the Garrison/Scouts.

My work here was done.

[TATAKAE BOI/ Arameh]

Not much changed with those two, except maybe in how they interacted with the main cast.

Eren naturally gravitated towards Reiner's big brother vibes, and Armin and Annie surprisingly found some common ground, although it was a bit awkward. It all began when the blond hesitantly asked for help with close combat, which somehow dragged Annie into the mix. Initially, she wasn't too impressed since Armin and combat were like water and oil—not a great mix. But to her surprise, Armin's determination and genuine eagerness to learn caught her attention. That was all it took to get her interested.

They didn't talk often, but aside from me, Armin was one of the few people Annie tolerated.

When it came to my lil bird, he didn't need much prodding to socialize with others. Sure, he was dead set on becoming a top cadet aiming for the top ten, but that didn't mean he didn't want to make friends. The anime didn't really show his bond with Connie and Sasha, so it was a pleasant surprise seeing this underrated trio interacting at one point. It was refreshing to watch them act their age and not like future child soldiers—man, this world is so fucking messed up.

Depressing thoughts aside, during our rare moments of freedom, I'd slip them some books I brought from home. I even managed to sneak in that one about the sea that Armin loved reading last year—it was his favorite. I made sure we didn't get caught with it.

The year zoomed by, and suddenly it was 848.

Today was a break day, so us cadets got the chance to head out of camp to catch up with family—for those who still had those, and such. I chose to wander around Trost. My beans were by my side at first, but eventually, we split off to handle our own business. Gotta leave them some autonomy.

I had on this mustard-colored hoodie Annie generously gifted me, paired with a plum-colored dress underneath. Topped it off with a pair of sandals. With the hoodie pulled over my head and a minor illusion to blend in, I mostly went unnoticed by the crowd.

"Well, this place sure is lively," I mused, observing the bustling citizens. "I better grab some stuff for the kids before heading back to camp..."

I sighed and glanced up.

"I really miss Ma and the others...wonder what they're up to." Can't just whip out my phone in public, though. People would definitely freak out and start calling me a witch.

I chuckled, not paying attention to my surroundings, resulting in a collision with something solid like—

'DAMN! WHEN DID WALLS START APPEARING IN THE MIDDLE OF THE STREE—OH SHI—.'

In my mild panic, I stumbled, disrupting the spell. Just as I was about to meet the ground and make a fool of myself, the stranger—yes, I did bump into someone— caught my arm.

Classic Y/N situation. Knew it was only a matter of time before it happened to—

"Are you okay, Miss?" a deep voice asked, sounding startled and concerned.

"Huh, yeah, I'm alright. Sorry, I wasn't looking where I—" I cut myself off and did a double take.

It would've been pretty funny and totally cliché if I had just collided with an important character, right? WELL, guess what—

The commander of the Survey Corps himself was staring straight at me, utterly baffled.

'Blond, tall, gorgeous, MISTER SASAGEYO!!! I JUST BUMPED INTO MISTER SASAGEYO!!! HOLY CRAP-' I mentally shook my head. The commander of the FREAKING Survey Corps was staring at me. ME!! THIS PUNNY LITTLE WEEB, YA ALLAH HELP ME-

Squinting slightly, he scrutinized me, his gaze intent as if attempting to unravel the mystery of my appearance, probably puzzled by my unfamiliar complexion. "Have we met before? Your eyes seem familiar," he asked, a hint of uncertainty in his voice.

FUCK.

Instinctively, my dumbass promptly snapped into a salute, because, you know, the guy was a FREAKING Commander.

"I apologize, Commander! I wasn't careful with my surroundings, sir!"

He simply blinked, and then realization dawned on him as he started chuckling. "At ease, soldier. We're outside as civilians; no need to panic."

'That chuckle, Fuck! Daisuke Ono and his magnificent voice, damn it should be illegal.'

I felt myself blushing, thoroughly embarrassed, and awkwardly dropped my salute as I heard him chuckle again, clearly finding my reaction amusing. 'STOP, THIS IS SO EMBARRASSING!!! ARRGH.'

"What regiment do you belong to? I don't recall seeing you in the Survey Corps," he asked curiously, adjusting the bag he was carrying. We had attracted a few curious looks by now.

"Oh, um, I joined the Training Corps last year, sir. So, I'm not part of any regiment at the moment," I nervously admitted, scratching my cheek. Y'all don't seem to realize how intimidating this man is up close.

He hummed before suddenly asking, "Have you made a decision about which regiment you'd like to join?"

'WHY ARE YOU ASKING ME, ATTRACTIVE HUMAN?!!'

My mouth responded before my brain had a chance to stop it, "The Survey Corps, Sir."

The baffled expression on his face almost made me chuckle. I mean, who in their right mind would choose the Survey Corps? The regiment with the highest mortality rate, where you might end up as titan food. Of course, he's surprised, especially knowing how unpopular they were.

"That's... unexpected? Most cadets tend to prefer the Garrison or the Military Police. Choosing the Survey Corps is rather remarkable..." he admitted, a spark of interest in his eyes.

I chuckled nervously, "I have specific goals I'd like to achieve, and the Scouts are the way to go for me, sir."

"Hmm... I see... Hum?"

"Oh! Colith, my name is Colith Tobe, sir!" I saluted once more, eliciting another chuckle from him.

This teenager brain was seriously getting on my nerves.

"Erwin Smith," he nodded. "It was a pleasure to meet you. Keep going, soldier," he said with a small smile before walking away.

'Oh, wow...'

I blinked a few times, the encounter leaving me in a state of shock.

'Oh my fucking SHIET, did that really just happen? He didn't even mention my appearance! I like him!'

I realized that inadvertently meeting the characters outside of canon was possible. In their world, everything was real, while I had only seen episodes following the storyline, didn't mean they weren't doing stuff. So, I couldn't possibly know what they were doing outside of the canon storyline.

This gives me one more reason to help them...

I nodded and continued on my way.

'Wonder who I'll meet next, though...'

I ended up purchasing a few things the others would appreciate, noticed that people were staring more than usual, realized that the spell had been disrupted, cringed a bit, but ultimately decided to leave it as it was.

I later reunited with my beans and opted to spend the rest of the day at home before heading back to camp the next day.

EDITED