Author's Note: I deleted this under Attack on Titan to move it here. I decided to update the story as well as fix a few things and add chapters between original chapters. I love this first chapter. I hope the new audience loves it to. I definitely tried to keep the antics and the characters on point. This chapter is getting another update.
Completely alternate universe.
Levi Ackerman - 28
Petra Ral - 25
Mikasa Ackerman - 25
Hanji Zoe - 32
Moving across the country can be a thrill or it can be boring. It really depends on the person.
Petra Ral sent her things via U-haul to the city and boarded the Amtrak. It was approximately a two day trip. She loaded her iPod with tons of music for the ride. Boarding the train, Petra listened to Don't stop believing, and when she exited the train Breakaway blared through the ear pods. One thing was certain though, she really needed a thorough steaming shower.
She arrived in her new apartment building early that morning and began unpacking immediately. It was a two bedroom apartment on the third floor. When you first walk into the apartment, you come immediately to the living portion.
The walls were ivory and the wood floors were cleaned as promised. Her gray sofa was sitting against the wall and the chair along the other wall (to the left). The bookshelf sat along the wall beside the kitchen area. The counters were dark, almost black. The countertops were ivory, matching the walls almost. Her small square table was sitting in the middle of the back toward the door leading out to the balcony. Huge windows lined the back wall as well. The bedroom was further back toward the right beside the medium bathroom.
Petra staked out into the world to declare her independence. She scored a job as editor in chief out in the city. That's why she came all the way out east. So far she did not regret the choice. Setting down the box of whatnots she walked toward the balcony and stepped out. The air was warm and inviting, something she didn't find back home. She smiled not being able to contain the excitement of being here.
She is a young woman with strawberry blonde hair and golden eyes. Her skin is lightly tanned. She's fairly toned from exercise classes and self defense courses. Her body is the shape of an hourglass. She isn't stick thin. There is not a freckle on her, contrary to the belief all redheads have freckles. She wears minimal makeup as well. Just a charcoal eyeliner and richly colored lipsticks.
Hours ticked by. Petra had lined the bookshelves with her favorite novels. They ranged from Stephen King to Jane Austen. There were a few more modern books squeezed in there as well. She unpacked her silverware and dishes next followed by digging through the linens and stuff to find her sheets for the full sized bed. Though there was still a lot to be done before she could honestly say she was unpacked, her energy was low. Her arms were stiff from carrying boxes and her eyelids were drooping.
She removed her jeans and shirt and pulled an oversized t-shirt. She didn't bother putting shorts on. It wasn't like she planned to go back outside that evening.
Once the bed was made and pillows fluffed, Petra hopped right in the middle. Rome wasn't built in a day. Completely vulnerable and relaxed. The bed seemed to soothe her tiredness. The mattress was comfortable and conformed to her body. With a sigh and a smile on her lips she drifted off.
"John, I'm so glad you come on tonight's show!"
Petra's eyes opened and she sat up confused and full of anxiety. The sounds of voices were loud, her heart pounded against her chest. Adrenaline from the situation pumping through her veins caused anxiety. Petra looked at the clock, 3:30 AM the loud red numbers read. "Who the fuck is up at this hour?" She groaned sitting up. Her brain was fuzzy but one thing was clear, the sounds were not minimizing.
"New Toyotas for everyone!" The shrill voice boomed once again. It was followed by hollering.
Literally, who watches television like this?
It took a lot to annoy Petra Ral. Disturbing perfectly healthy slumber, one of the ways to not only annoy Petra but earn yourself her wrath. Mumbling and cursing she walked out of the bedroom while attempting to figure out which way she should walk. She needed to sleep and nurse the exhausted state of herself. Yet that was interrupted. She was going to give whoever it was a piece of her mind. She didn't bother with shoes and proceeded to walk out into the hall toward the right wing. She waltzed out as is.
The halls were crisp and she felt her skin crawl. Forgetting something? Nah, she couldn't have. She came to the door, '321' and began to bang loudly. She could still hear the television. In fact, that was all she could hear. She was angered to no ends. She planned to give the god forsaken person a piece of her mind. Nobody answered and she began banging her fist again.
"Answer me, dammit!" She growled loudly and very angrily.
She didn't have to wait long. The locks clicked and the door knob turned. The door opened revealing a less than amused man. He stared at her. She was taken aback by his appearance.
He had stormy eyes with the beginnings of dark circles underneath, his hair wasn't disheveled. It was neat. His white dress shirt unbuttoned revealing toned skin underneath. Must be work clothes? She couldn't tell. His lips were pursed and eyebrows knitted together. His eyes drifted over her while she was staring at him.
Sweet mercy. No no no. Focus here! Sleep first!
"Turn that blasted object off. It is 3:40 am! Some of us had a long day." Petra stated firmly. She watched his eyes dance across her body. They stayed noticeably longer southward. What a pervert. "Stop checking me out! Are you even listening!?" She tried again, sounding more angry than assertive.
"You realize you aren't wearing pants, right?" His voice was deep and there was a hint of dry amusement, despite his outward appearance.
Hold the front door. No bottoms? Petra looked down and saw she was in fact only wearing her panties...no...not panties but a thong. The oversized shirt must have bunched up in front. Indeed it had. Oh god!
"Shit." Petra mumbled, turning red. No wonder her skin was crawling.
"As flattered as I am having a half dressed woman at my front door-" He was interrupted by the fuming woman turning back to him.
"Turn it off and don't interrupt peoples' sleep." She warned him. He sighed and scratched his head before closing the door. "What are you doing?" She asked, taken back by his reacton.
He left just a crack in the door and spoke once more, "Leaving the conversation plus, I don't think you want your ass on view for me when you turn to leave." The door closed in Petra's face. She stomped her foot and cussed him for everything he was worth before walking back into her apartment.
"That stupid man." She sighed going back into her bedroom. She was too tired with the unpacking and traveling. Once again, sleep immobilized her for the rest of the night. Thank goodness.
There was a banging on Petra's front door. She rolled over hearing the ruckus and sat up. 9:30 am. Who the fuck? She stood and this time made sure she grabbed her jeans from the previous evening and put them back on. She hurried out in the main area to the front door.
She was met with her longtime friend, Mikasa Ackerman.
Mikasa is a tall woman with long black hair kept in a braid or flowing freely. Her eyes are the color of the night sky and she's very pale with a hint of pink adorning her cheeks. Her shoulders are narrow and she has slight curves despite being skinny. The two grew up back west together. Mikasa moved away first and sent Petra postcards of the large city every chance she could.
Mikasa smiled at her friend, "I'm glad to see you." She grabbed Petra and hugged her tightly. "It was getting lonely."
"Oh! Relax! Come in." Petra held her back at arms length after a minute and invited her in. They spent the morning unpacking the rest of Petra's dishes and pans. They talked about the long travel to the city and their old hangouts back west.
Mikasa helped her hang some paintings and curtains, all the while steadily talking about her crush.
"He is completely stubborn even when its just us hanging out." Maybe not talking dreamily about the young man but talking nonetheless. "I don't think I could tell him how I feel about him."
"Aren't all men stubborn?" Petra asked sarcastically. She recalled her last relationship and how awkward it ended. He asked her to move in after being together for only a month. It was too soon for Petra. Further, the bastard couldn't stop sending her pathetic poetic texts during the night. You don't mess with Petra's sleep. She changed her number and never went out with him again. Yeah, never happening again, that's what she told herself many times.
Oooh! This reminded Petra of the previous night's events.
"I met my neighbor in 321." She began. It piqued Mikasa's interest and she took a seat on the sofa waiting for Petra to continue. "He was watching some stupid television show at 3:30 am and woke me up. I banged on his door and he stood there like a statute as I screamed at him."
"Did he tell you off?"
"No just reminded me I walked out of my apartment without pants on."
"YOU WHAT?" Mikasa's jaw dropped after asking and she gawked at Petra for a minute and giggled. Petra nodded, embarrassed. "How do you forget bottoms?"
"I was asleep. The bastard even had the gall to close the door so he 'wouldn't see my ass as I walked off' as he so eloquently put it." Petra mocked him. She left out no detail of the brazen young man. Mikasa was left speechless by the time Petra finished talking about him.
"I hope I never see him again."
"Because he saw your bare legs and thong?"
"Yeah and he's an asshole." She added.
"He stated the obvious. How does that make him an asshole." Mikasa chuckled.
"Who watches talk shows at 3:30 AM with the volume maxed out?" Petra deadpanned.
"Insomniacs."
"Asshole insomniacs." Petra corrected her.
The girls chatted as the hours ticked by, Mikasa eventually had to leave for a pottery class she taught on Saturday afternoons. Again, Petra was left alone to clean her new apartment.
Petra loved the neighborhood she picked to live in. There were tiny restaurants and delis on every street. The neighborhood also spoiled her by having shopping within walking distance. Stars filed her eyes when she started exploring the place. There were musicians that would stand around fiddling out sweet tunes some evenings. She stood for almost an hour one night just listening to a young man play a rendition of Street Corner Symphony. It was very well done.
The streets were always crowded and so were the sidewalks. There was very little green space besides the nearby park called, Oak's Place. The park was just big enough for a playground and picnic tables and a lovely garden filled with roses and lilies.
Petra loved the area compared to where she moved from.
Work was going swimmingly as well. The men in suits upstairs approved of her to replace the current Editor in Chief. She briefly met with them informally before heading downstairs to meet with the man she was replacing. They wished her well and promised to listen if she had any concerns.
The previous Editor in Chief was showing her the ropes of the job. He was a nice fellow. Though he talked like he was older than he appeared. He always winked when he asked if she understood something. He spent years working this job and felt like he was finished.
She could tell by the twinkling of his gray eyes that he saw more than his fair share of wonders doing the job. He was also honest with her about the workload. She slightly cringed when she learned she would have late nights in the office alone or she would have to take work home with her. She never done that before with anything, but she shrugged it off.
The first week, he stood by and watched her look over columns for the paper. She was very meticulous about grammar and conciseness. He grinned checking over the changes she made and chuckled, "I don't have to worry. You got this." His was voice was rich and deep. He patted her on the back before wandering out looking for coffee.
Her nerves were eased by his praise. She could definitely do this if she kept up the same pace every day. Her heart filled with joy.
As much as Petra would love to say everything was swell, it was not.
Her neighbor still had the television volume loud almost every night that week. She covered her ears with blankets and pillows but nothing worked. She just couldn't understand what his deal was. Images of slugging him would randomly surface. When it wasn't late at night television adventures, she tried greeting him and he only stared back at her.
During her first Wednesday living in the city, she walked out of her apartment to the trash chute. Once her trash was in the chute she turned and saw him walk out with several objects. Several objects used for cleaning.
The dark haired man slightly turned noticing the young woman but did not speak. He only came outside to clean the door. All the filth that doorknobs collected could lead to sickness. He was determined to not become sick. He turned his attention away from the ginger and back to the door.
Petra watched him clean. He pulled latex gloves on, a mask, then removed a Clorox wipe to scrub the doorknob. Her jaw dropped watching him before looking around to see if anyone else found this just as disturbing as she did.
What is he doing that for?
She couldn't tear her eyes away from it. She'd never seen someone clean a doorknob with such fierceness. What kind of germs did he think attached to the damn thing? An STD? Thirty minutes. That's how long she watched him. After he was finished with the doorknob, he cleaned the door and the carpet in the hallway around his door. Once he finished he turned back to her, no expression. Petra smiled at him.
"Hello." She tried talking to him.
He removed his gloves and mask and picked the bottle of Clorox wipes up and vacuum. He didn't reply.
"Um...I just wanted to try to start over?" She prattled on like she was questioning her own motives. Maybe this was a bad idea. She hesitantly shifted her weight to lean against the wall. Plus, she wanted him to forget she showed up outside his front door in a thong.
"Getting along? You might show up at door half naked again. I'll pass." He spoke sarcastically turning back to her. His eyes were dark and very intense. There were flickers of amusement behind those eyes.
Apparently the sarcasm and amusement was lost on Petra. Her cheeks burned with embarrassment. What did he mean by that? Asshole. She wouldn't dream of seducing him. He isn't even on the list of seducable people. Not even the last name on the list! She frowned and hissed, "At least I'm not short, you imbecile."
"I'm taller than you, brat." He replied opening his apartment door and going inside taking the final word. How is that he got the final word? How is it he got under her skin so easily? His calm nature? There was no way he could be that calm all the time, at least that's what Petra was telling herself.
The next morning at work, her mentor had grabbed the last of his items (photos of his family and a glass figurine) from the medium sized office. He turned back to Petra who was setting up her own computer at the desk.
"Now little lady, listen up," He plucked his glasses from his face and began wiping them with a cloth, "There is one columnist I should warn you about." This got Petra's undivided attention. "Zoe Hanji has been working here for several years now. She writes these sci-fi stories and sometimes scientific columns. The science is great but the sci-fi is almost like reading a communist manifesto."
"Erm, well does her column need to go in?" Petra didn't know what to say really. The publications she'd read so far were humorous or the usual advice on love kinds of things. Of course they published obituaries and hot celebrity gossip. Sci-fi? This was news to her since she never met this Zoe woman.
"Yes, she has a following. People actually rioted outside the building last year when they didn't see her latest column."
Riot?
Oh yes, the fun begins. It always takes a crazy one to get the party started. Petra thought she'd been lucky to avoid such craziness. No such luck. With a gulp, Petra looked at the man with assurance that she knew how to handle the situation. She wondered if the bosses upstairs knew about this.
"Well then I bid you adieu." He pulled on his light brown jacket before picking up his messenger bag and leaving her to her devices. The man gave her inspiration over the first week of her new work. He offered stellar advice and came off like a proud doting grandfather. She'd miss him but she understood the need for change.
Almost as soon as Petra got comfy in her new office, the door burst open. She cringed slightly as some papers flew from her desk due to the breeze from the door. The individual stood in the door frame, looking at her. Petra looked back.
The woman was tall, broad shoulders, glasses, with her hair pulled back in a messy ponytail. She wore a black button up with gray trousers and oddly enough, sandals. She looked maniacal. Did she actually work in this place? She regarded Petra like everyone else in the office building did. Furthermore, she had a folder in one hand and the other in her trouser pocket.
"Forgive me for the intrusion, my name is Zoe Hanji."
Ah yes, that explains a few things. Petra smiled warmly at her and stood behind the desk.
"I have my piece for this week. It would have been sooner but the UFO story I found was just uber exciting. I even did interviews with people living outside of town." She rambled as she walked in and shut the door. "Anyway, this week's column includes advice on how to make aluminum hats to keep your brain from being sucked out by these aliens. As well as using aluminum for baby clothing. It prevents the aliens from harming them ."
"Oh wow." Petra was off guard by the woman's detailed explanation. She took the column and glanced at it. It was well written, the woman had a knack for sure. But the damn subject was odd. Aliens? In 2017? This family says they experienced bright lights and eerie objects in the sky? Petra looked back at Zoe and held out her hand, "I'm Petra Ral by the way."
Zoe immediately grasped her hand and shook it furiously, "It is soo nice to finally have more females around." She noticed how Zoe drawled out 'so' and it sent a chill down her spine. "Did you just move to the city?" Releasing her hand, Zoe took a seat next to the table and leaned forward with her arms on the table.
"Ah yes."
"Ooooooh! You should come out with me and my boyfriend this weekend! I know we don't really know each other but I'm just dying to have some female friends. I spend every Sunday with dudes watching football and it drives me up the wall. You can bring your boyfriend too!"
"Oh well thank you, Zoe." Petra silently pondered the older woman's sanity. They didn't know each other and she looked desperate for female friends. She had to be insane herself for thinking this was even a good idea. "I'll join you guys, but I am single." The way Zoe's eyes lit up was almost comical. Even the toothy grin was comical. It frightened Petra. The words were like some sort of curse she knew she placed upon herself. She didn't take Zoe immediately for the kind to want to play matchmaker, yet again, she had to question sanity. This time Zoe was practically on the other side of the desk, holding one of Petra's hands, shaking it yet again.
"I could totally set you up, Petra. Gals here don't stay single forever." Zoe winked and nudged Petra's free arm. She turned to find a random piece of paper and began jotting down her cell phone number. "Text me around 4 on Saturday! I'll give you all the details!" With that last word, Zoe disappeared back out the door.
Petra collapsed in her chair, asking herself what just happened?