"And when he did…her head fell off!"
Sasha squeals with excitement, looking at the people congregated around the fire, trying to see who has gotten freaked out the most. They can easily be divided into three groups:
The Scared, which includes Krista and Reiner, who are currently clinging to each other for dear life, and Connie, who is peeking out from under his Cadet jacket that he has pulled up over his head.
The Enraptured, consisting of a very attentive Armin, a slightly entertained Bertolt, and a wide-eyed Eren.
And The Indifferent, made up of Mikasa and Annie, who, as usual, have very little to read on their faces.
Jean, however, has a category all to himself: The Not Amused. He rolls his eyes, hoisting himself to his feet and brushing the dirt from his pants.
"Hey, where are you going?" Connie asks, his voice muffled from under his jacket.
"This is lame. I'd seriously rather run laps til sunup." Jean scoffs, starting away from the fire. A few seconds of silence follow as he walks back slowly towards the barracks.
"I've got a story for you, Jean." Mikasa says quietly. Jean stops, looking over his shoulder for a moment before sighing and making his way back to the circle and plopping down in the space Mikasa has apparently cleared for him.
"This had better be good." He grumbles. Mikasa looks around the circle at everyone before taking a breath and beginning.
"My mother told me this when I was little. She said her mother told her when she was young, and my grandmother's mother her. She said that a long time ago, before the titans, and even before humans, the lands were ruled by gods."
The Cadets are all now Enraptured, especially Armin, who scoots closer to listen better. She continues.
"There were two gods then, a husband and a wife, and they created the land and the sea and the sky. But even gods could die."
Mikasa looks over at Jean before speaking again.
"The wife died, and her husband was so distraught that he travelled into the Underworld to try and save her soul and bring her back to the land of the living. But there was a mighty gate that separated the Underworld from the rest of creation, and it was guarded by two fierce warriors."
Mikasa, fully ignoring the rest of the group, crawls up to Jean and looks him dead in the eye.
"These warriors were nearly impossible to beat, but the god had to pass them in order to save his wife. One was strong and cunning, named Ox-Head. And the other was foolish and impulsive. And you know what his name was?"
She leans in closer to Jean's face, and the group around them collectively holds their breath.
"What?" Jean whispers, swallowing hard.
Her slate-colored eyes lock onto his, and she smiles ever-so-slightly.
"Horse-Face."
A raucous bout of laughter explodes from the group as Mikasa leans back with a contented look on her face. Jean is sputtering, his face bright red.
Composing himself, he stands up and stomps away while Sasha and Krista pat Mikasa on the back. If one were to look close enough, they might even see a hint of a smirk on Annie's lips.
Let's just say Jean never went to bonfires again.
A/N: So, I was reading some stuff about Japanese legends and this Ox-Head/Horse-Face thing came up, and I just couldn't resist. *maniacal laughter*