.
-----
.
-----
.
-----
.
-------------------------------------------
.
-----
.
----
.
----
.
------------------------------------------------
.
----
----
.
----
.
------------------------------------------------------------
First Person POV:
"Alright, I'll let you come along."
The night of the beaming sky shone down on my gentle features, the jewels that glistened with the moon that hung loosely in the sky watched me like a mother caring for her child as the ebony of the night kept me safe, hiding me from all the dangers in the world and from those who sat just below me. My closed eyes were clouded with obsidian that hugged me tight, never once letting me go as I basked in its warmth, even though the nip of the night touched my exposed skin.
The roof tiles that dug into my back, added pain to the experience of sleeping on a roof, yet I didn't care. I got to see the moon in all of its beauty, I got to see the true, kind nature of the stars, and I got to experience the softness of the dark. While others run from dark ebony black, too afraid of what's within, I welcome it with open arms for it offers me safety that I had never been able to experience before. It brought me a sense of peace.
My scout's cape acted as a blanket as I lay on the roof, curled up into a small ball, trying to sleep, yet alas, it did not take me as I begged for it under its feet. I sighed, my breath visible in the cold night as I silently listened to the chatter that was just below me. A longing sense overwhelmed me and brought a small slither of jealousy to flood through my veins, yet that thought was immediately clouded over when I remembered my best friend, Annabelle.
"Yahoo!" A girl screamed, her arms above her head, and her legs spread out in celebration as she sat with two other men on a large stone banister that gave everyone an insight into the beautiful sky, and the wonders of the night's view. "Bro, you really are stubborn!"
An echo of chuckles ran out by the other two men, as well as the girl from before. I rolled over in an attempt to find comfort.
As I rolled over, I landed on a faulty tile. My eyes snapped open and I squealed, waving my arms in an attempt to regain my balance before I slid down the roof, landing on the platform below me with a loud thud. "Ouch..." I lazily mumbled out as I hissed in pain after my side connected with the ground below me.
The three people snapped their heads my way, their eyes wide. With shaking hands and arms, I slowly pushed my body up, though I immediately lost my balance once again, and fell to my side once more. The moon highlighted my shape as the three soldiers looked down on me, panic laced in their features. "You...who are you..." The one in the middle spoke up, his wide steel eyes boring into my skull.
I glanced up and released a small hum. My tired and soft eyes seemed to catch the others off guard but the one in the middle stayed unperplexed. "...huh..." I yawned out, tears brimming my eyes, but they soon disappeared once the yawn was complete and I sighed.
My body hurt from falling from the roof and colliding with the ground as I watched the man on the left, who had blonde hair, cross his arms over his chest. "Well?" He inquired strictly, obviously impatient.
I blinked. "..what just happened...?" I silently questioned to myself, my voice just above a whisper, though they heard it as clear as day.
The one in the middle scoffed, marching forward and gripping my collar. He raised me up and moved our faces closer threateningly. "What the hell are you talking about?" He hissed out, his eyes holding something deeper than the expression he displayed. "Did you get sent here to spy on us, is that it?" He violently shook me using the grip on my collar, though my eyes remained tired, and my arms stayed by my side.
I tiled my head at the man. "..Spy...why would I spy on anyone...?" I questioned, genuinely confused at what was happening. In their eyes, I looked innocent and so calm, you wouldn't think I even knew what was happening, and that confused them to no end.
This seemed to trigger the man as he gritted his teeth and moved our faces closer, the grip on my collar tightening in his hold. "Since we're from the underground, your little section commander sent you to spy on us, right?" He scowled and I grew even more confused.
My mouth parted and my soft eyes scanned over the other two soldiers. "I...have no idea who you even are...I was just trying to sleep on the roof...but I ended up falling..." I explained as well as I could but the girl gritted her teeth.
"Likely story. It just seems too convenient to be sleeping on the roof closest to us. And who even sleeps on a roof?!" She huffed out, cautious of my form.
I tilted my head, my tired eyes blinking repeatedly. "...what...I was here waaayyyy before you..." My soft voice spoke out, drooping my head back and looking back up at the sky. "...hmm...pretty..." I hummed out, a small smile gracing my lips as I stared up at the stars.
The one who held my collar scoffed, harshly shaking me once again, and returning my view back into his eyes. "You didn't answer my question. Who. Are. You."
I hummed, looking away before I placed a finger to my chin. "Who am I...." I hummed out, and the other three blinked, taken back as the gears turned in my head, trying to remember my own name. My mouth parted and I moved my hand to gently hit my newly opened palm before turning back to the man and his friends. "Right...My name's...(Y/N) (L/N)...I'm a lieutenant of the survey corps...I think..." I looked down, deep in my thoughts as my lips pursed.
The one with blonde hair looked down on me with wide eyes, his mouth wide open. "Are you...serious?" He questioned, genuinely confused how I got my rank if I am really like this. "You're either really good at acting, or it genuinely confuses me how you got that rank in the first place." He deadpanned, and the girl watched him, nodding in agreement.
I looked over the Raveonettes shoulder and nodded. "..I'm just as confused as you are..." I slowly spoke and the girl gritted her teeth.
The girl gritted her teeth and crossed her arms over her chest in annoyance. "Would you stop talking so slow? We have questions to ask you and you're holding it up here." She harshly spat and my mouth parted.
I solemnly looked down, my eyes now holding a glint of sadness. "Sorry...this is just...the way I speak...I can't help it..." I yawned after I finished my sentence, and the one with blonde hair raised a brow. A look of regret-filled the girl's face before she looked down and muttered a small apology.
"A speaking disorder..?" He mumbled to himself, though it was loud enough for us to all hear it.
I moved my hands to rub my tired eyes. "...I guess you could call it that..yeah.." My monotone, yet soft voice spoke. The man with the blonde hair nodded in understanding, releasing a small hum of satisfaction.
The man who held my collar looked me dead in the eye, glaring into my soul as his teeth became grit. "So you didn't come here to spy on us?" He scoffed and his glare hardened. "I don't believe you" He spat out.
I nodded. "...But-"
"(Y/N)!"
A sudden call caused everyone's attention to slip away from me and towards the open door that led to this area of HQ.
Annabelle panted, a bead of sweat rolling down the side of her face as she watched me with panic laced in her features. I smiled at her arrival. "..hey, Annabelle.." I turned and she narrowed her eyes dangerously at the man holding my collar.
She scoffed and crossed her arms over her chest as they linked eyes. "You dare treat your lieutenant like that? I could class that as insubordination. You'll be out of here by the next hour if you don't let her go this instant." She spat out, glaring at them one by one. When her eyes lay on one of the other two, they tensed, though when they once again fell on the ravenette, he showed no fear as he just narrowed his eyes.
She tilted her head, raising a brow. "Well, aren't you going to let her go or what?" She seethed through gritted teeth as her blonde hair swayed in the delicate breeze of the night.
The man gritted his teeth, his eyes narrowing in anger before he hesitantly pushed me away, letting go of my collar, and causing me to thump back onto the ground. "...thanks.." I mumbled out, almost inaudibly.
The three glared at the woman, their eyes following her every movement as she made her way towards me, helping me up by placing a reassuring hand on my back, and gently lifting me up by holding my hand with utmost delicacy. "Are you alright?" She gently questioned, her deadly facade fading as she spoke to me.
I nodded, pointing at the three, who tensed, expecting the worst, or an accusation to be sent their way. I smiled. "Anne...I think they like the stars as well..." their mouths flew open and Annabelle smiled at my antics.
She nodded before leading me away from the trio. "I bet they do, but we should really get to bed. You're tired, aren't you?" She inquired softly, and so, so kindly, it made the others blink with confusion.
I nodded, rubbing my eyes. "..You know I'm always tired...but I do request that you stop speaking to me like I'm a child or an old man...I may look dumb...but I do understand the concept of what happened just now..." I looked over my shoulder at the trio, who pursed their lips at my words as a bead of sweat ran down the sides of their faces. "...please refrain from doing that again...to anyone...it'll turn into a bad habit..."
That was all I said before I walked through the door, down the stairs, and towards my room, leaving everyone else shell-shocked as Annabelle struggled to follow after me, calling out my name from behind.
"It's nothing unusual. He doesn't seem like the completely flawless hero people make him out to be, right? Captain Levi is actually... surprisingly short, high-strung, violent, and hard to approach."
Down the hall, I heard distant mumbles sounding from one of the rooms. My crutch hit the ground with every step of my right foot and my cape, along with my hair, danced with my movements, leaning to the side every once in a while as I strolled down the corridor. Every one of mine and Levi's squad were cleaning the old HQ, though I was allowed to skip because of my injury, as well as what happened along the way of getting here. I was wandering around the HQ in search of Petra, as she knew when my cat, Ayla would arrive here.
All the windows were open, allowing all the fresh air to soar through the dust-filled building that sat alone in a city of trees that watched over the area with peace. Birds soared through the sky, above the building as the leaves rustled with the breeze which swayed my cape gently. The white clouds hugged onto the bright blue sky as the selfish sun watched over us all, judging us with its bright glow, and making cleaning for anyone outside much harder than it should have been. Yells of soldiers calling for one another added to the sounds that were heard in the scene, and the muffled trots of horses came from the newly-cleaned stables which rested not far from the main building of HQ. Footsteps ran through the halls of inside the main building, and the small chandeliers that hung from the ceiling swayed with small creaks as the warm rays mixed with the fresh breeze of the afternoon.
The echo of a distant conversation focusing on Levi, came from a room I knew Eren and Petra would possibly be in. "No, the thing I was surprised by was how obedient he is to the decisions of the higher-ups." I heard Eren speak, the innocence in his voice was something to admire for someone like me.
Petra soon replied, a warm and welcoming tone in her voice. "Did you believe someone of his strength would have no concern for rank or obedience?" She inquired to the young boy.
He hummed in agreement as the sweeping of a broom soon came into contact with my ears. "Yes. I expected him to be somewhat insubordinate." He replied honestly, another thing to admire. Honesty.
"I can't say for sure, but he may have been like that before. I heard that before he joined the Survey Corps, he was an infamous rogue in the capital's underground." She began to gossip and I blinked, a silent hum escaping my throat.
Eren released a hum of confusion. "Then what made him change?" He inquired innocently.
As I got closer, I heard the footsteps of each person moving around the room with their brooms. "Who knows? I have no idea how it happened, but apparently, he was brought to the Survey Corps looking as if he gave in to Commander Erwin. Though, Captain (Y/N) was there when he first joined. If you want some more information, I'm sure she'll spill a few secrets." My mouth parted as Petra spoke, my crutch still hitting the floor for balance as I walked.
I heard Eren pause his movement. "Speaking of the Captain...why did she react that way earlier?" The boy inquired and I paused, my breath stopping. I was now invested in what they had to say, and I wanted to hear it.
"Oh, the Captain...right.." I heard Petra sigh before she gave a full answer. "Well..you know the people you asked her about?" I heard the boy hum in agreement. "Well...none of them made it out except her...In fact, the reason she can't walk without help is because she was shot in the leg on that same day..." I leaned back against the wall, the feeling of remembrance overwhelming me. I swallowed thickly.
The boy released a hum of confusion. "Are you serious?!" He cried, only to get hushed by the woman. He lowered his voice. "That's...horrible.." I looked down, my tired eyes narrowing at the ground.
Petra once again hummed. "It really is, not to mention, when she got back, she was immediately criticized by society just because she survived...They kept on telling her that she needed to do better when all she did was her best. It got so extreme, that a few members of her old squad betrayed her and left her in titan territory all by herself. She didn't return until five days later, where she had too many injuries to count..." Petra mumbled out sadly in remembrance of my past, and the boy sighed.
"Now that's just bad..." Small footsteps came into earshot, but I didn't listen, all I could do was stare at the ground, going through the last few years over in my head. '...this isn't real...' I thought, placing my free hand on my forehead as my pupils shook.
'...this isn't real...' I gritted my teeth, my eyes clenching shut as my hand began to shake. 'this isn't real...' The words just kept getting louder and louder in my head, blocking out any sound that entered through my ears as I paid no mind to my surroundings. 'This is all just one big...bad dream...' I thought as my heart began to race.
I felt someone place their hands on their shoulders and the distant and calm call for my name was heard. I snapped my eyes open, meeting the gaze of Levi, who watched me with slight concern, yet he stayed calm. "...is..eal.." He spoke, yet my mind clouded his words.
I released a small 'huh' as I watched his lips move with his words. "th..is...eal.." He continuously spoke, hoping to guide my mind through the fog. "This...is..real..." The words became much clearer now as I slowly got ahold of my breathing, and the fog that surrounded my mind began to thin. "This is real." His words finally cut through the dense smoke and made it to my ears, where my breath hitched at his words. "(Y/N), this is real, so don't you dare tell yourself any different." He commanded, his voice stern, though I knew it held concern.
I slowly nodded, letting my mind sink into his words as he slowly rubbed my shoulders, easing my heart and slowing my rapid mind. "...you're...right..." I breathed out, and he nodded for me to continue. "...this is real...everything is real...this isn't a dream..." I shakily breathed out repeatedly, my body slowly calming down as he helped guide me to the light.
Petra and Eren soon came rushing out the room, worry laced in their features until their gaze latched onto me. Petra tensed before immediately running to my side in an attempt to comfort me, as Eren watched me with sadness, knowing there was nothing he could do in this situation. Petra removed my hand from my forehead and held it, rubbing small circles on the back of my hand with the pad of her thumb. "Captain, what happened?" She questioned Levi, as he kept his hands on my shoulders.
He sighed. "Not sure, just found her out here a second ago." He spoke out, still rubbing my shoulders gently.
Eren and Petra tensed, knowing what happened before Eren looked away and apologized, rubbing the back of his head sadly. Petra sighed before pulling me into a gentle hug, Levi stepping away. "We're sorry, (Y/N). We shouldn't have spoken about that." She slowly rested my head against her chest as my shoulders shook.
"...I just...wanted to know when Ayla was going to get here...." I whispered into her chest, listening to her heartbeat intently.
"Ayla?" Eren mumbled out, confused about who this was.
Levi turned to him. "It's her cat, and its fur is a pain to deal with, so guess who's going to have to clean it?" He harshly inquired, and the boy tensed. "Oh, and, Eren...the room you were just in..It's far from clean. Do it all over again." He scowled at the boy, who saluted and hastily nodded.
"R-right away, sir!" The boy hurried away with his broom in hands, his hands shaking in fear.
Levi huffed before turning back to Petra, who still held me in a warm embrace. "Petra. You're excused for now. Go help her get settled, then meet the rest of us in the dining hall. Her squad should be there too." He ordered, gaining a nod from the woman.
"Yes, Captain." She responded sternly as I clutched onto her jacket, my shoulder still trembling slightly. Levi gave me one last glance before he turned and walked away, likely going to yell at another soldier that didn't meet his standards of cleaning.
Petra rubbed my back gently, calming my beating heart just as Levi was doing moments ago. "(Y/N)..." She delicately spoke, and I nodded. "Ayla should be here in a few hours, so hows about we go to your room for noy, alright? We can meet Joy there if you want...?" I perked up, raising my head from her chest.
I blinked. "Joy?...she's going to be there too?" My monotone and soft voice inquired earning a nod from Petra.
A small smile graced her lips as she looked down on me. "Only if you want." She replied kindly and I wasted no time in nodding to her statement. She chuckled, slowly pulling me out of her embrace. "Alright then, we'll go find her first, then we can go to your room."
⋆★--------------------------------------------------★⋆
Time Skip
⋆★--------------------------------------------------★⋆
"Wow, Captain, your hair has gotten really soft lately..." Joy mumbled with a grin as she ran her fingers through my hair, strand by strand. I sat in front of her, my gloved hands weaved through Petra's ginger locks as she sat in front of me, her hands weaving together a small bracelet made out of thin strands of colored rope.
I blinked, parting the strands of her hair until the scalp was visible in an 'L' shape. I grabbed the hair on the side, steadying it in my hold. "Really?.. I haven't noticed..." I mumbled out, taking a bundle of hair from Petra's parting line, and splitting it into three parts.
Joy hummed behind me, her hands delicately weaving through my locks as she spoke. "Yep!" She grinned, concentrating on my hair. "So, how's everyone's day been?" She kindly questioned as I braided and plaited Petras's hair and slowly made sure the braid wrapped around the back of her head.
I hummed in annoyance. "...not great..." I mumbled out softly, braiding the hair until it went to the 'L' shape from earlier. "Petra..." Petra moved one of her hands and passed back a small hair tie, to which I grabbed. "...thanks..." I spoke before tying the braid at the end.
I moved to pull out on each link of the braid, adding fullness to the design I was going for. Joy sighed sadly before taking a deep breath. "Some days are just bad days, that's all! You have to experience sadness to know happiness, and I remind myself that not every day is going to be a good day, that's just the way it is!" She hummed happily as she began to braid through my own hair.
"Pin." Petra nodded, passing a pin back to me, where I pinned the braid to the 'L' shaped part from earlier, my eyes focused. "...thank you..." I let go of the hair from earlier, letting it fall over where the clips lay, and where the hair tie held together the braid. I let a small smile slip over my mouth as I moved my hands away from her hair and nodded to myself, Joy squeaked at the movement of my head, and I immediately apologized. "sorry..." My eyes stayed focused on the completed braid.
Petra smiled, reaching her hand up to touch the braid. "Is it the usual one?" She inquired, leaving me to hum as a 'yes'. I heard her chuckle happily. "Thank you. You know I like that one."
I patted the woman's head, and her mouth parted. "...exactly..."
Joy released a hum of confusion as she weaved my hair in her delicate touch. "How are you so good at braiding hair, (Y/N)? I mean, I struggle to a single plait in five minutes. If I tried what you just did, it'd take me an hour!" She exclaimed with a groan as she stuck her tongue out in concentration and her brows furrowed.
I looked down, the smile still playing on my lips. "...I had a lot of free time growing up...There wasn't anything else to do really..."
"...aaand...done!" Petra cried happily, holding up three small bracelets in her soft palms.
Joy looked over my shoulder and tilted her head. "What are those, Petra?" She inquired. "They kinda look like bracelets." She hummed, blinking in confusion.
Petra nodded, turning to look at us over her shoulder. "That's because they are!" She exclaimed, holding them up for us to see.
Joy's eyes held stars in them as she looked at the small rope bracelets crafted by Petra herself. "Wow...They look amazing..." She gawked as she stared at them, her mouth forming a smile.
I nodded in agreement. "...They do...I agree..." I chirped in, my usual soft tone praising the woman in front of me.
Petra smiled gratefully. "I'm glad." She moved down and grabbed my hand gently, lifting it up so she could wrap the bracelet around my wrist before tying a knot, and securing it in place. "...There!" She grinned and moved away, doing the same to Joy's wrist, who watched her with a happy blush over her cheeks.
Joy squealed in happiness and inspected the bracelet closer, letting my (h/c) hair fall. "so cool...!" She chirped, obviously excited.
Petra did her own braid around her wrist before holding up a finger and tilting her head, a smile over her features. "I made each one our favorite colors, see. Joy's is blue, mine is green, and (Y/N)'s is (f/c)!" She exclaimed joyfully, giving us a close-eye smile as we both watched her with our own smiles imprinted onto our faces, though, Joy's was much larger.
"They're pretty...I like them...thank you, Petra..." I mumbled, a small blush decorating my cheeks as I traced the bracelet's patterns with my gloved finger, longing to feel it.
Without warning, a knock was heard on the door, and we all turned towards the noise. "come in..!" I softly called, and the door opened, revealing none other than Eren, who timidly hid one side of his body behind the door.
"U-um...sorry to disturb you but uh, Captain Levi has all called us down for some tea, and well..." His voice slowly faded, hoping we all understood what he meant.
I nodded, the smile still on my lips as I watched the boy. "Thank you...tell him we'll be down in a minute..." My monotone voice was a contrast to my smile, but the boy nodded nonetheless, closing the door behind him as he slowly walked away, stalling as much as possible, likely too afraid to go back to the other Captain, which no one could blame him for
⋆★--------------------------------------------------★⋆
"I expect we'll be on standby for a few more days, but I heard there are plans for a large-scale expedition in thirty days. And we'll be joined by the new recruits who graduated recently." Eld spoke out, his voice echoing through the large hall we all resided in.
Shane and Alessia swatted at one another, both reaching for the same cup of tea that was being handed out by Joy, who watched them with a sweat drop. Rome looked away in disappointment, his glasses glossing over in the light of the room, hiding his eyes, as Harper chuckled at their usual antics as a bead of sweat ran down the side of their face. Noah was at my side calmly lifting his warm cup of tea to his lips as I rested my head on his shoulder, my eyes tired, yet they held a certain softness to them as Ayla rested on my lap, my hand stroking through their black fur. The Levi squad paid no mind to us, while Eren watched my squad with wide eyes, likely confused on how the best squad in the survey corps could be so chaotic.
"Are you serious, Eld?" Gunther chirped in, raising a brow at his friend, who shrugged.
Rome sipped at his tea calmly joining the conversation. "That's rather sudden, especially since the latest Titan attack has undoubtedly taken its toll on them." He reasoned, gaining a small hum of agreement from Gunther.
Oruo scoffed, rolling his eyes as he leaned back against his chair. "The brats must've all lost their backbone." He commented coldly as Shane and Alessia began to punch one another, now standing up, having a full-on fist fight.
Petra tilted her head to the right, avoiding a teacup that was sent her way by the fight. The cup smashed against the wall behind her moments later. "Is that true, Captain?" She asked, turning to Levi as the rest of us did as well
Ayla purred as my gloved hands stroked through its fur, scratching its neck every once in a while. "I'm not in charge of drafting plans. But remember, this is Erwin. I'm sure he's thinking much further ahead than us." Levi spoke, lifting a teacup by the rim and lifting it to his mouth before taking a sip.
"Well, the situation itself is unusual." Eld began, putting a finger to his chin. "The route we advanced at the cost of countless sacrifices to recapture Maria was erased in an instant. Then suddenly, a completely different hope appeared." Everyone turned to look at Eren, who tensed, even Shane and Alessia stopped their attacks on one another. Alessia was in the middle of biting the man's ankle, as Shane had his hand gripped in her hair, trying to tear the woman off.
Noah smiled kindly at the boy, placing his cup down to gently stroke my head. "I still find it hard to believe, but what exactly does it mean to transform into a Titan, Eren?" He inquired kindly, putting as little pressure on the boy as possible.
Eren looked down, frowning slightly. "My memories from that time aren't clear, but I felt like I'd lost myself. I do know it's triggered by self-injury, though. If I take my hand and..." He stared at his hand, lost in his own thoughts before he huffed.
"You guys are aware, aren't you? The reports cover everything we know now." Levi spoke, his mouth inches away from the teacup's rim. "Well, I doubt they'll stay put either way. But they might go too far and end up killing you, Eren." Shane pulled Alessia off his ankle and kicked her to the floor. She rolled out the way before kicking the man's legs, sending him to the ground where they continued their little quarrel.
Eren blinked in confusion, tilting his head. "Huh? Who's "they"?" He asked but soon got his answer when the door was suddenly run into on the other side, leaving a thump to echo through the room. Multiple groans filled the room as I continued to stroke through the fur of the cat and Noah remained stroking my head.
Petra sighed before she stood up, passing by Shane and Alessia, who were trying to pin one another down, before she made it to the door and removed the bar that kept it shut. It wasn't long before it was shot open and Petra silently stepped to the side, Avoiding Hange, who ran through the door. "Good evening, everybody! How's it feel living in a castle?" They inquired whilst grinning.
Levi rolled his eyes subtly. "You're early" He spoke out as Joy sat next to Rome, who immediately turned to face the girl, interest laced in his features.
"I just couldn't stay put" They practically squealed, making their way towards Eren, who watched them with a parted mouth.
He blinked as Shane and Alessia charged at one another and attempted to push the other person back, though it looked like they were just glued in one place, their feet basically dug into the ground. "Section Commander, Hange?" He questioned while I slowly leaned off Noah's shoulder and picked up Ayla so I could stand up, putting my hand on Noah's shoulder for support.
The man took Ayla from my hands and placed them on his lap before Petra walked over, and handed me a wooden cane. I nodded in thanks before making my way towards the fighting duo, my tired eyes watching them with annoyance as I leaned on the cane with both my hands, my back slightly hunched. "Sorry for the wait, Eren. I'm in charge of investigating two Titans we captured in the city, and I want your cooperation for tomorrow's experiment. I came to get permission for that." Hange commented, sliding on a chair next to the boy.
"An experiment? What would I..." I huffed as I stood in front of the quarreling soldiers, who hadn't recognized I was there. They both towered over me like giants.
Hange squealed, their cheeks turning red in excitement. "Well, it's... the most exciting thing ever!" They cried, hugging their own body and swaying from side to side.
Eren scratched the back of his head as I narrowed my tired eyes. "U-Um... I can't grant you permission myself. I don't have any authority over my decisions." He swallowed thickly and looked away from Hange.
They snapped their head to Levi. "Levi, what are Eren's plans for tomorrow?" Hange hastily questioned, banging their hands against the table, causing some of Rome's tea to spill out of its cup. Joy giggled into her hand as Rome pursed his lips, watching the tea spill down the table and drip onto the floor with small thuds.
Levi glanced up from his tea for a brief moment before looking back down. "Cleaning the weeds."
Hange grinned. "No problem then! It's decided." They clasped their hands before gripping the young boys. He tensed and leaned away. "Eren, I look forward to tomorrow"
Eren swallowed thickly as a bead of sweat rolled down the side of his face. "R-right."
I bent my knees before I launched myself forward, getting in between the dispute, and swiping at both their legs with my cane. It wasn't long before they toppled down, and I was left in a crouching position, my cane outstretched behind me and a shadow cast over my eyes.
The whole room turned to look at the scene and Eren watched with wide eyes and a mouth that hit the floor.
I was losing balance and my body swayed until-
'thump'
I fell to the side, my cane falling next to me. I blinked, my eyes wide. "huh."
Rome facepalmed and sighed before Shane and Alessia immediately made their way towards me, in hopes of helping, though as soon as they realized they were both going, another dispute started and they began to shout at one another's face.
Petra and Joy rushed over, avoiding the other two, who would face the wrath of Noah later. Joy placed her hands underneath my armpits, helping me up as Petra grabbed the cane and handed it to me, where I soon was able to balance on my own. Joy let her hands fall to her side and they both watched me with caution as I made my way back to my seat.
Noah sighed beside me, patting my back as I hung my head low from embarrassment as my ears turned red. Rome cleared his throat, snapping Eren out of his small daze. "B-but what exactly are we going to do?" He questioned once he was snapped out of his own thoughts.
"hmmm?" Hange tilted their head, leaning closer to the boy.
Eren parted his mouth and replied. "Huh? Uh, well... What do you mean by "experiment"-" He was soon cut off by Oruo, who glared at him.
"Hey, stop it. Don't ask." He sneered silently and the boy's brows furrowed further. Noah continued to pat my back in reassurance.
"Oh, I knew it...You possess an equally curious mind, don't you? Haha~!" Hange held a wide grin, and a deep blush as thier glasses glistened in the light of the candle.
Everyone stood up, petra coming to my side to help me up as Noah held Ayla in his arms.
Petra stayed beside me as we walked together, making sure I didn't fall over with my new cane. "...Petra...remind me where we got this..." I looked down at the object helping me walk. I was shaky, likely due to the less support it carried than what I'm used to.
Petra smiled as we walked through the door and into the hall. "Well, it came with the cargo cart when we arrived. -Oh there was a note attached too, It said, "in replacement for (Y/N)'s crutch. Yours sincerely, Erwin Smith."" She recalled the best she could.
I hummed lightly. "...He did mention something...about wanting me to be able to walk a little better on my own..." I mumbled to myself, releasing another hum at my own thoughts.
Petra smiled. "That's good. It could possibly improve the way you use the gear too." She smiled as we walked down the hall.
I nodded along to her words and rubbed my eyes, my legs shaking slightly. "...It might need some getting used to..." My soft voice muttered in slight annoyance and Petra understood immediately.
"I suppose it will, but at least it will help you in the long-run, right?" She retorted as we walked further and further down the hall, mumbles of 'goodnights' following from those behind us.
I droned in agreement as we reached my door. "...I suppose..." My voice faded into a yawn, but it immediately dissipated as soon as I lost balance. Petra immediately caught me before I fell and held me in her arms, looking down on me with concern.
"(Y/N), are you alright?" she inquired, concerned.
I nodded before stepping out of her hold and leaning back on the wall, regaining my balance on my own. Once I was sure I was alright, I leaned back onto the cane and sighed. "...I'll be fine from here....Noah should be back to check on me in a minute or so..." I paused before I looked back up at her, and gave her a light smile.
"...Goodnight, Petra.."
------------------------------------------------------------
.
----
.
----
.
----
.
------------------------------------------------
.
----
.
----
.
----
.
-------------------------------------------
.
----
.
----
.
----
.
6279 words!