𝐸𝑊. ┊ 𝐿𝐸𝑉𝐼 𝐴𝐶𝐾𝐸𝑅𝑀𝐴𝑁

THIRTY - 𝖯𝖴𝖱𝖯𝖮𝖲𝖤

( 𝘼𝙣 𝙐𝙣𝙠𝙣𝙤𝙬𝙣 ) 𝙋𝙪𝙧𝙥𝙤𝙨𝙚

༄

"Do you have nothing better to do?"
Y/N shook her head, drawing in the sand with her finger.
"That sucks."
Reiner sat down beside her.
"They're worried about letting me leave by myself because of my symptoms. That's why they asked you to accompany me."
Symptoms. He knew what that meant. It was her easy way of saying that Marley's plan with her had succeeded.

"You'll get your guide soon."
He leaned over to try and figure out her drawing, only to notice that it was words.
"That's Marleyan. You can write in Marleyan?"
"Yes."
She lowered her head as she continued, "Zeke is helping me relearn. Eldian is easier though."
"Definitely," he grumbled, looking out at the vast ocean she preferred to sit in front of. "Y/N?"
"Hm?"
"Do you like me?"
"I don't know."

She erased her words, leaning back until her head hit the soft sand.
"You betrayed me, kidnapped me twice, and now I'm a prisoner. Kinda hard to like you."
Reiner scratched his head, unable to form any sort of apology, especially since he knew it wouldn't work.
"However, your armband tells me everything I need to know about you."
"What do you mean?"

Y/N sat up, reaching out to take his hand.
"You were raised to believe you don't matter. You did all those things to prove you did."
She turned her palm over in his, showing off the thick scar he had accidentally given her.
"So...kinda hard to hate you."

༄

Klein had his hands on the shoulders of an Eldian, a white armband clinging to their sleeve. He looked different.
It wasn't because he had light brown skin or cute curls atop his head. It wasn't his bright blue eyes that accompanied his short nose either.
"This is Jamie."
It was his age.
"He's twelve."

Y/N didn't think they'd pick a child. She supposed they wanted someone more expendable. They probably assumed she'd wring out anyone else.
Jamie looked terribly frightened, like a soaked sheet left out in the cold. He stared ahead, not daring to look either her or Klein in the eyes.
"Say hello to her."
His lips trembled, "Hello."