Hello again,
I decided to remove the pairing label to make things more ambiguous for new readers. Having a pairing label can be confusing/spoiling if Percy is showing feelings to some other character that's not who he is paired with in the tags. I still intend for Percy to pair with 'that' girl (who am I kidding? We all know who that is), but I think removing the labeling would make things more interesting for new readers.
Anyway…
Some of you may notice the timeline may feel… 'iffy' in this chapter. There are a lot of inconsistencies in the sequence of events between Seasons 2 and 3, with one glaring issue being Mikasa's injuries. It takes months for cracked ribs to heal, but Season 3 comes around and she's seemingly back in action in what feels like a few days. And how did Hange's squad, Levi, and the 104th recruits all get together in that cabin they are hiding in? Who knows. It feels like Isayama sorta didn't care about the logistics of getting all these people to this cabin.
I tried to piece it together in a more coherent way, but, you know…
Disclaimer: I don't own PJO, HOO, or AOT and I'm not profiting off anything.
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Author's note
Narration
Thoughts and Internal Conversations
"Speaking, duh"
Chapter 20: Breaking Bread
Percy's POV:
"I'm sorry… Perseus…."
The voice is blurry. Wavy. Soft and gentle. I can't quite pinpoint where it's coming from. But I'm certain about what is going on.
I think I'm dreaming.
"My plan didn't work… you went through all that needless suffering…"
The voice is eerily familiar. Things begin to clear somewhat, but my focus is still all cloudy and unfocused. A blurry female figure bends over my fallen form. I can't make out the details of her face. But I know it's her.
"But you broke my oath… you need to receive your punishment."
My skin feels raw and hot—the after-effect of being pushed into her river. The goddess holds out her hand, offering something for me to take.
"It's a gift from your father," Lady Styx explains.
"D-Dad?" I stammer.
"You should take it, Perseus. It'll help you in your next journey."
Lady Styx takes my hand. Opening my fingers, she places a small box inside my palm. I wiggle my fingers, feeling the box in my palm. Its sides have a granular texture with sharp edges—it must be made of wood. But I can't tell with my swirling vision and ancient incantations pounding harder and harder into my head.
Feeling myself begin to 'slip' away, I put the box in my jeans pocket before I lose it.
Then, everything clears.
"They'll pay…" Zeus growls, brandishing his Master Bolt. "Demigods, humans, satyr or faun. They'll all pay!"
"The gift, Percy!" My father cries.
I turn my feet and my head. Suddenly I'm on Olympus, in the council's throne room. I spot my father making a mad dash toward me. Behind him, I can vaguely make out Mr. D handing Hermes a glass of red wine.
"Did you get the gift?" He cries, reaching out his hand as he runs.
Before my dad's hands can grasp my shoulders, Zeus cocks his arm back and unleashes his full fury into the skies.
Then, I find myself in a new sequence.
But unlike the previous two visions… this one is unfamiliar.
I'm in a room, with dim lighting. The walls are made up of 14-foot-high bookshelves, filled with all sorts of colored books of various sizes. Shorter 4-foot wall book shelvings run parallel to those higher shelves, a few feet away from those walls.
I'm in… a library?
A couple of tables and chairs and glass cases on displays dot the center of the room. Inside the display cases, all sorts of oddities and curiosities.
My cheeks feel cold and my eyes raw. Have I been crying?
I look down at my hands. In my palms… is the box Lady Styx gave me.
My heart begins to race. My fingers trace over the lid's dark wood, slowly reaching toward that silver decorative latch on the lip of the lid. My throat clogs up with anticipation. My thumb slips under the silver latch, flipping it open.
A bright golden light washes out of the box, flooding my eyes.
5 Days After The Wall Rose Invasion Incident
Undisclosed location in Wall Rose
An uncomfortable light shines on my eyelids. I raise a hand over my face to shield it.
What?
I'm lying in a cot, staring up at a wooden ceiling. Opening the fingers of my palm, a dusty ray of light shines through the gaps into my face. I squint. Instead of coming from that gift box, the light shines through a lone wooden framed window, its wooden shutters conveniently left open and the window positioned in a way where the sun only has a direct line of sight to my face and my face alone.
My heart drops. I let out a drawn-out sigh.
I sit up and throw my legs over the side of the bed. Brushing my face, I stretch my arms into the air and let out a large lazy yawn.
Memories from yesterday rush into my brain. Utgard. Historia. Ymir. Night time. Titan shifters. Eren. More titans.
That's right. We left Wall Rose and headed to this cabin to await further orders.
But back to the dream I had… I wonder what happened to dad's gift? If I put it in my pocket, surely the box must have traveled here with me, right?
"Right. You have Riptide with you, after all." Annabelle points out.
My heart skips a beat suddenly hearing Annabeth's voice. I almost slap myself for forgetting what she/it is.
But… Then where did his gift go?
"Either it's still in your old jeans pockets or it fell out when you got transported here."
Seriously?! There's a chance it's just lying in the middle of an open field somewhere?!
"That or the Scouts are holding it from you."
Rocking forward, I stand out of bed. The floorboards creak a little as I step towards the door. Some inner instinct tells me I should maybe be quiet. I don't know why but I listen. So I begin walking on the balls of my feet. I gently open the door, slink myself out of the room, and quietly make my way through the upper floors of the log cabin and down the stairs.
"Ymir, how goes it on the dining table?"
"Already done. I started on the counters now."
"Really? Let me check."
The second voice is clearly Ymir's, but the first is harder to tell. The other voice is male and certainly young.
"Eren, maybe?" Annabelle suggests.
"Ymir!" Eren shouts. "It's not clean at all! Did you even use water to wipe down the surface?!"
"Of course I did! Look! It hasn't even finished drying yet!"
I stand next to the doorway of what must be the cabin's dining room. Leaning my ear towards its entrance, I eavesdrop on their bickering.
"Well, it's not good enough. You'll need to clean it again."
"*CLANK*"
A loud bang sounds through the room. I suspect Ymir slammed down whatever cleaning supplies she was holding.
"Look, clean freak. I can wipe it down a hundred times, it's not going to get any prettier."
"Ymir, you don't understand!" Eren almost cries. "When the Captain gets here and sees the state of this place, we're doomed! When I say it needs to be spotless, I mean there can't be a spec of dirt or dust anywhere!"
All this discussion about cleaning made me realize something… When was the last time I had a shower? I raise my arm over my head and take a sniff.
The answer is too long.
I should probably tell them I'm awake, but that greeting would be so awkward. I don't even know Eren, and with Ymir… well… that 'reunion' is a problem for future me.
So, leaving the two to bicker about cleaning the house, I sneak outside through the front door.
The log cabin the Scouts chose to hideout in is right smack in the middle of a forest, surrounded by towering pine trees. A little cobble wall lines the perimeter of the backwoods home, a small stable stands to the right, and a little stone path from the front door leads to a small dirt trail. Stepping out to the dirt trail and looking both ways, I can't find any other signs of settlement.
The sun isn't quite at mid-sky, so maybe it's something like 10 am? The others were kind enough to let me sleep in, I guess.
Reaching out with my senses, I can feel a stream of water dead ahead. Instead of traveling along the dirt path, I trudge straight into the forest, toward the fresh water.
Foraging through the brush, it doesn't take me long to find it. Throwing off my boots and socks, I rush to step into the crystal stream. It's freezing to the touch, but rejuvenating. The water doesn't run deep, only coming up to my knees. Its temperature and clearness tells me its mountain spring water for sure.
A dense amount of vegetation grows along the water's edge, giving me a decent amount of privacy. I feel confident enough that I decide to take off my shirt. Call me a prude, but taking off my pants in the open doesn't sit well with me, even if that is what people in this world resort to when taking baths in rivers.
Bending over and cupping my hands, I splash water onto my face and hair. I consciously deactivate my powers and let my body get wet, allowing the water to do its work washing off the build-up of oil, grime, and sweat clinging to my skin.
"'Traitors among friends, power of unknown.'"
The prophecy?
"I think you've lived through this line, or are still currently living through it." Annabelle brings up. "They might be referring to Reiner, Bertolt, and Annie…. and maybe even Ymir as well."
And the 'power of unknown' might be referring to their titan-shifting powers, or something?
"Right." Annabelle agrees. "And if the lines of the prophecy happen to be chronological…"
'A giant blasted to history, a new ruler for the throne.' That line would be next.
Finished with my hair and face, I begin dripping my arms into the water, scrubbing my forearms, biceps, and pits.
The next line sounds…
"Tumultuous."
I don't even know what that word means.
"Somehow it's in your vocabulary."
'Giant' must mean a titan or something, right?
"Or a conglomerate, like a really big business or the government. The next part seems to be about replacing the leader of humanity, after all."
Hmm.
Moving from my arms, I begin lathering up my chest with the cold spring water.
"tee hee hee hee"
A giggle?
I flip around, sensing a presence in the forest's brush. Someone's watching me.
"hee hee hee"
Feeling subconscious, I wrap my arms over my chest. I scan the vegetation lining the river bed, looking for my peeper.
The presence slinks back and disappears entirely.
After a few seconds of nothing, I hesitantly return to washing my pecs.
*rustle* *rustle*
The bushes behind me begin to move. I flip around to face them. A person emerges from the brush.
"P-P-P-P-Percy!" Historia cries in shock.
She's no longer in her military uniform, but rather in normal clothes. They're similar to what she wore during the attack at Utgard, a white blouse, and a new pink skirt. In her arms, she carries a stack of neatly cut wood.
"Uhhhhh, hey?" I reply.
"Y-You're awake!"
Historia drops the firewood in her arms and runs towards me. The timber tumbles messily in all directions behind her as she jumps into the waters.
"Hey! You're going to get w—woah!"
She collides into me, wrapping her arms around my waist in a fervent hug.
"Thank you!" She shouts with glee.
Her face buries itself into my body, leaving me with a view of the top of her head. I hesitate, watching her ponytail swaying back and forth. Realizing not hugging her back would be weird, I skeptically put my arms behind her and gently pat her back.
She looks up at me with a blinding grin.
"Thank you for saving her!"
"Uhh y-yeah, no problem." I smile back.
We separate.
"You're awake!" She repeats.
"Yup. I think so."
"You've been asleep for nearly two days!"
"Waaa! Really?!"
"We tried waking you up but no matter what we did, you wouldn't… you wouldn't…" Historia suddenly trails off.
"'I wouldn't' what?" I egg.
But Historia doesn't. Instead, her blue eyes stare forward, not meeting my eyes, looking intently at my chest.
I painfully wise up to how she basically stumbled upon me while I was cleaning. And to how I'm still half naked.
And how she just hugged me while I'm in this state.
My ears begin to heat up, but Historia doesn't seem bothered at all. Instead, she raises her hand. Entranced, she traces her fingernails along my stomach.
I shiver. More blood rushes to my face.
What the Hades!? It's like Annie all over again!
"Chicks dig scars, dude." Annabelle slyly digs.
Aphrodite's interference!
Frozen stiff, I try not to react. Butterflies tickle the inside walls of my stomach, reaching out at those delicate fingers tracing my Hellhound scars.
"How?" She whispers.
Totally enraptured by the old scars, Historia continues feeling me, lost in her own world.
"Historia!" A voice calls out.
The vegetation behind Historia begins to rustle. And out steps a figure.
"Historia! Where did you—"
It's Mikasa. The black-haired girl with the red scarf. She and Historia must have been collecting firewood together since she's also arrived with a stack of cut wood and an axe in her arms.
Mikasa immediately cuts herself off when she spots Historia and me, stopping dead in her tracks.
Historia pauses her tracing and turns around to see the visitor. Seeing the shocked look on Mikasa's face, she turns back to me with a confused look on her face.
Historia's eyes focus on her hand, and more specifically, the digits right in the middle of tracing my bare abdomen. She immediately wises up to what she is doing. Historia rips her arms off me and flips around.
"Mikasa! It's not what it looks like—"
Without a word, Mikasa backs up, disappearing into the vegetation.
"DON'T LEAVE WITHOUT SAYING ANYTHING!"
Historia takes off running, splashing after her friend.
"Mikasa! Ahh, let me explain!"
She too disappears into the forest, her cries fading with her.
I bend over and splash water on my face, trying to dispel all the heat that's risen to it.
Stepping out of the river, I pick up my shredded shirt. My clothing has gone through the wringer, I really need a new set. Throwing it over my head, my arms and shoulders get caught in the holes Ymir's claws left in them. Struggling for a minute, I eventually manage to put on the cloth that resembles a shirt.
I spend a minute being a good samaritan, picking up the firewood Historia left behind. Then, I make my way back to base.
Returning to the small dirt pass, I spot a little horse-drawn wagon cart parked in front of our cabin. People are unloading supplies off the back.
"Here, Sasha. This one's for you."
Jean picks up a crate off the back of the cart and offers it to Sasha.
Both are wearing normal everyday clothing. Jean is wearing black pants and a white collared shirt with a green sleeveless vest over the top. Wearing her hair in a high ponytail, Sasha has a gray vest with a white undershirt and a long brown skirt.
"What is this?" She asks. "UHN!"
Jean drops the crate in her arms. The weight almost causes Sasha to tip forward.
"It's heavy!" She complains.
"They're full of potatoes. Aren't they your buddies?"
"What could you be talking about?" Sasha huffs, closing her eyes and pivoting towards the cabin. "I've forgotten all about it."
"Don't worry." Jean heaves a large sack of flour onto his shoulders, then continues. "I'm sure anyone in the 104th could remind you."
Now that I think about it, I don't think Sasha was with us during Eren and Ymir's kidnapping fiasco. Where has she been this entire time and when did she arrive?
"Still, everything has become so expensive." Armin emerges from the other side of the cart, a sack of food strapped to his back like a backpack and carrying a big metal jug in his arms.
Like the others, the blonde kid seems to be in his everyday clothing. A light gray jacket over a navy blue buttoned-up shirt and long light brown pants with a black belt. Surprisingly, his dress seems more… 'modern'. Or more like how people dressed in my world.
"If we lose these supplies," Armin continues, "or don't use them sparingly, we may starve to death."
"That's right Sasha. Just try to sneak some food." Jean scolds.
Jean jumps off the cart. Carrying two brown sacks, he walks up next to the girl.
"Captain Levi will slice you into nice, bite-sized pieces."
"Ulp… I wouldn't." Sasha sweatdrops.
"... probably…"
"Huh? What was that?!" Jean raises his voice.
"Percy," Armin announces, recognizing my presence.
The three stop in their tracks.
"Yo," I reply.
"You're awake." Armin notes.
I nod.
"Yeah, I woke up a little while ago. Went to go wash in that stream over there." I nudge my head in that direction. "And I, uh… picked these up on the way back." I gesture to the chopped wood in my hands.
"You were asleep for two days. We couldn't wake you."
"Yeah, sorry for the scare." I sheepishly reply. "It's uhh, a little side effect of being… invincible."
"That's… somewhat similar to the effect Eren experiences when he leaves his titan form." Armin contemplates.
Sasha and Jean share a look. There's a little bit of tension in the air. I guess they haven't warmed up to me yet.
"Well, come on." Jean gestures. "Let's all head inside."
We open the door and head into the cabin. Jean, Armin, and Sasha make an immediate right heading into the kitchen with the food supplies. Not sure where I should drop the wood, I follow them.
"We don't need to depend on all these groceries. We can just hunt in the mountains." Sasha suggests, setting down the crate of potatoes on the kitchen countertop.
"We can't Sasha. Even this far out, hunting is still prohibited," Armin immediately refutes. "And if people spot us and start talking, then what's the point of hiding out here in the first place?"
"Okay, I understand…" Sasha slumps. "I won't go hunting then…"
"... probably…" she mummers.
"I heard that Potato girl!" Jean yells.
"Guys!"
Eren burst into the kitchen with a broom in his hand. He's dressed in cleaning attire; white a white bandana wrapped around his neck to cover his mouth and nose while dusting and another one on his head to keep his hair clean.
"Did you brush off all the dust and dirt on you before coming in here?" He asks.
"... What?" Jean replies, throwing the sack of flour he carried over onto the kitchen table. Dust flies off the bag when it hits the table, making Eren gasp.
"Of course, we didn't. Just look at all the stuff we are carrying. It's pretty obvious we couldn't."
"Do you still not get it?!" Eren shouts, stepping up to Jean. "Do you think Captain Levi will be satisfied with soldiers who act like that? This morning, too! If I hadn't made your bed, then—"
"SHUT UP!" Jean snaps. "What are you?! My mom or something?!"
The front door slams open.
"We're back."
Mikasa and Historia walk inside, both carrying a stack of wood in their arms. Mikasa is similarly dressed to Historia, with a long-sleeved white blouse and a long orange skirt. The biggest differences are the red scarf she wears around her neck and the wood-cutting axe she has slung over her shoulder.
"WHA?!" Armin shouts. "You were cutting wood!?"
Historia's eyes lock with mine. Her cheeks flush slightly with embarrassment. I advert my eyes from hers.
"I don't want to go soft." Mikasa blankly responds.
"You got grabbed by a titan!" Armin shouts, waving his arms. "You should be in bed recovering."
"I think you're wasting your breath." Eren sighs.
Mikasa walks off to put away the firewood. I stay by Historia's side, watching the others with her.
"I tried to stop her but she wouldn't listen. Says she's already healed." Eren sighs again. "I caught her doing sit-ups too."
"Oh!" Jean shouts. "So you're a nag and a spy!"
"Mikasa," Armin calls out after the red scarf girl. "You're only human, right?"
"What?! How the hell is that spying!" Eren screams back at Jean.
"Heh." Sasha giggles. "It almost feels like we're back in the cadet core, doesn't it?"
Armin stops.
"Yeah, but… protecting Eren, Historia, and Ymir is a major assignment. I know we lost a lot of seasoned soldiers… but there have to be units more experienced and talented than us. Why were we chosen for Levi Squad?"
"Because we're all so talented, I assume," Sasha responds.
Quick as a whistle, her hand swipes across the table, nabbing a piece of bread and stashing it in her haversack. Armin perks his head up, spotting the motion.
Ymir steps into the kitchen, also dressed in cleaning attire like Eren.
"Hey." She greets.
"Hey." I tentatively nod.
"Hey." Christa nods with a soft smile.
"Sasha, what did you just shove in your bag?" Armin prods.
"D-Definitely not a piece of bread." She responds, refusing to turn around and meet anyone's eyes.
"Really?" Jean groans, walking over to Sasha. "What did I tell you?"
"Come on Sasha," Armin sighs. "Put it back."
"Hey, can we focus?" Eren whines, following after Jean. "We've got to finish cleaning before the Captain arrives."
"So… can anyone fill me in on what's happening?" I ask Ymir and Historia while the others work on prying Sasha to open her bag.
"Eren is having us clean house," Ymir answers.
"The bread, Sasha," Armin demands, holding out his hand.
"Uhhn…" Sasha moans, reaching into her bag.
"We're waiting for Captain Levi and Connie to arrive, along with Hange's squad," Historia elaborates.
"Seriously, how many times have you done this now?" Jean probes the food-snatching girl.
"They didn't really want us talking… about 'us' until they get here." Historia continues.
"Hmm." I hum, to let her know I understand.
"You know we have to conserve our rations!" Armin scolds, holding the bread in the air.
"Eeehh." Sasha shrugs, embarrassed she was caught red-handed in the act.
"You think you can keep pulling this crap!" Jean rants. "I'm sick of—"
"I'm sorry!" Sasha cuts him off, bowing her head.
I crack a small grin. It sure seems lively.
"You know what? We should help Eren hunt down those dust bunnies!" Sasha skips past us, leaving the kitchen.
"Come on!" She calls, running upstairs to hide.
"Hey, we're not finished!" Jean storms after her.
"Historia, Percy," Armin sighs, wiping his forehead from the effort of dealing with his other friends. "You guys can put the firewood next to where Mikasa dropped hers off."
"Uh, right," I reply.
I step into the kitchen. Historia follows suit. Next to an oven fireplace is a wooden crate for holding firewood. Mikasa walks over to it with us, setting her axe down next to the crate as we empty our hands.
"Seeing as my companions abandoned me—"
A thud and a muffled yell from upstairs cuts Armin off, causing him and most of us to wince.
"I could use some extra hands to help me unload the cart outside." He finishes, looking at Historia and me.
"Sure," Mikasa agrees first. "I'll get right to it."
"No!" Armin snaps, clearly at his wit's end. "You need to rest. If you want to help, join Ymir and Eren in cleaning the cabin."
Mikasa frowns slightly but doesn't complain.
Armin leaves the kitchen, heading for the front door. Historia gives Ymir a soft smile before turning around and stepping outside with him. While Eren begins to give Mikasa cleaning instructions, Ymir turns to me.
She hesitates, her mouth parting and then closing as if she wanted to say something. But she turns, headed back to whatever room she was cleaning before all the commotion.
And so, the young Scouts send me off to help them with their daily chores.
Small Snippet Scenes before Dinner
I hand Historia a crate of carrots, helping unload the food supplies still left in the horse-drawn wagon outside.
"Here you go, Historia."
"Thanks…"
An awkward and solemn air hangs around her as she takes the box from my hands. Watching her golden ponytail sway side to side as she walks the stoney path to the cabin door, I can't help but wonder what's wrong.
I mean—I get the awkwardness, with what just happened. But I wouldn't have thought she'd be feeling somber with Ymir around. And not that she's being ungrateful or anything! It's just, something else must be bothering her.
"She's changed since she revealed her true name."
"Huh?"
Oh, Armin caught me staring.
"Yeah, she has…" I agree.
Together we watch Historia disappear into the cabin.
"... Thank you for saving Ymir."
"Huh?"
"We were all so caught up on Eren that we didn't stop and consider what was going on with Ymir," Armin explains. "Ymir's never quite been a part of the group. She was a recluse, only sticking to Historia, and she never revealed much about her life… But even then, Ymir went through training with us. She's part of our group."
Armin frowns.
"Yet we considered her a lost cause. We abandoned her."
"Don't be so hard on yourself," I reply. "I don't think she holds it against you guys."
"Yeah, she doesn't." Armin smiles softly. "But we still have to make it up to her."
Heaving a crate of potatoes over my shoulder, I take a step towards the cabin.
"Percy," Armin calls out.
I stop.
"Thank you for saving her."
I peek my head around the corner.
Inside the kitchen are Mikasa, Jean, and Armin. They're peeling potatoes and cutting carrots for tonight's dinner. I train my eyes onto the potatoes Jean is peeling. He's just finished his second—the dirty coarse layers of skin removed to reveal the soft nutritious interior. It hasn't been baked yet, but my stomach still rumbles at the sight.
I slowly retreat my head before I'm caught.
"Ok, here's the plan."
"You'll walk in, all nonchalant-like, and head for the bread. Make sure to get all of their attention. While they're busy with you, I'll snatch us the two potatoes Jean just peeled."
"Why do I have to be the one distracting them?" Sasha asks. "I don't want to be the one getting yelled at!"
"Because. You'll gain their attention." I explain. "They all know the only reason you'll step foot into the kitchen is to steal food. They will all stop what they are doing to make sure you don't try to cause any funny business."
I grab Sasha's shoulders and turn her towards the kitchen door.
"But wait!" She wails. "Doesn't that put our operation in more jeopardy!"
"Nope! Now get out there!"
I shove her towards the wolves.
And the wolves immediately pounce.
"Sasha?" Mikasa calls.
"I can't believe this!" Jean yells. "After what you tried to pull earlier, are you really trying again?!"
"Wait, it's not what it looks like?!" Sasha cries.
"Why did that come out as a question?" Armin sighs.
The years I've spent dueling Travis and Connor in pranks and acts of theft are finally paying off. I sneak into the kitchen with the speed of a lynx and the quietness of an owl. With everyone dropping their things to confront Sasha, I wasn't spotted ducking behind the island counter where they had been cutting vegetables.
"Sasha, shouldn't you be helping Eren clean?" Mikasa asks.
"Y-Yes! I came to clean the kitchen!" Sasha greedily accepts the opportunity to have an excuse.
"More like, came to clean out our rations." Armin mummers.
"Eren and Ymir have already finished this room." Mikasa deadpanning points out.
Sneaking on the ground, I reach my hand over the kitchen counter, swiping two of the peeled potatoes Jean cut.
"You didn't even bring a broom! And your eyes have been staring at our food this entire time!" Jean yells. "Have some humility! Wipe that drool off your face!"
I dash out of the kitchen unseen. Our loot secured.
Sasha dashes out a few seconds later.
"That girl! I swear!" Jean huffs.
"Here you go." I hand Sasha her half of the spoils.
One freshly peeled potato.
"Hehehehehe…" She creepily giggles as I hand it off to her.
As soon as it enters her hands, she begins devouring it. Raw.
Grimacing, I take a bit into mine as well.
…
It's… decent. I wouldn't recommend it unless your stomach is literally trying to eat itself.
"Jean, have you only peeled one potato?" Mikasa asks.
"No!" Jean shouts. "This is my third one! Where did they…"
Seems like this is my cue to leave.
"Ahhh! Seriously?! How did she manage to steal them!" Jean cries.
"Sasha, it was a pleasure doing business with you." I give Sasha a little bow.
I can't tell if she heard me or not. She appears to be in the middle of a food coma, with a dumb lovey-dovey expression of bliss on her face, savoring the mushy goodness between her gums.
I take my leave. Searching for a place I can finish my potato without being revealed as an acquaintance of the food crime.
"POTATO GIRL!"
The task the others gave me before dinner was taking care of the horses. As in—making sure they have food and water and that their stables are clean.
Shoveling horse dung isn't pleasant, and neither was having the horses cry out that I 'shouldn't be lowering myself this way', but it's nice having a small break away from people.
With a hairbrush, I stroke the mane of the steed that pulled the food cart. Untangling the rough hair is soothing for the both of us. 'Steve' the horse cues as I work on his hair while the other horses look on in jealousy, waiting for their turn to get attention.
I wonder how Sam is doing. We had gotten separated when I lent him to Historia.
Historia says he's back with all of the other horses at Trost.
"Ymir! Don't!" A voice cries.
"Oh! Pretty boy!" Ymir sings.
Hearing Ymir and Historia rush out of the cabin, something tells me to jump behind Steve the horse and hide.
"Ymir!" Historia cries again, chasing the other girl.
"Oh, come on sweetie." Ymir grins. "If you won't discuss the details then I need to find someone who will!"
"A-All I did was w-walk in on him while he was washing in the river. Nothing else happened!"
Ymir's grin widens to inhuman proportions.
"That's not what Mikasa told me."
"Ahhh!" Historia screams.
'Ahhh' is right. I have to take a deep breath to calm down the rush of blood running to my face. This is childish. We—I shouldn't be embarrassed about it.
"Ymir is pretty good at making people forget their worries." Annabelle comments.
The memory of Ymir making fun of Connie to take his mind off his village comes to mind.
And now, watching Historia chase Ymir off with all her might while the taller girl jumps around and teases her… leaves a smile on my face.
Even when it's to Historia's and my chagrin.
Eren didn't allow me to help clean the cabin. Apparently, that was too big a responsibility in his book and he didn't entirely trust me to do it yet. That's why the others collectively decided to send me to the stables…
But once Eren double-checked the cleanliness of the bedrooms, he made sure to track me down and drag me upstairs to do my part.
"Do it again!" Eren scolds.
"You already made me make it three times now! It's good enough!" I complain.
"Did you just throw your sheets over the mattress? The folds aren't even!" He continues to scold.
"And the wrinkles! Why haven't you flattened them out?!"
"Do I have to? It's just going to become messy when I go to bed tonight…"
"The Captain would make us run laps to Wall Rose and back. And besides…" Eren closes his eyes and points out his finger while he continues to lecture, "making your bed every morning promotes good health and work productivity. It teaches a Scout enhanced organizational skills and works to improve their inner focus. It can be relaxing and can leave you with a sense of accomplishment when finished."
Accomplishment is not what I felt after I made my bed for the fourth time. No, all I feel is tired and hungry.
When's dinner?
End of Snippet Scenes
Dinner sucks.
Not the food. We had the signature potato and carrot stew with bread and little strips of pork. The food was better than anything I've had in this world. It's just…
Sitting at the table could be more comfortable.
No one has spoken a word since we sat down. Everyone is avoiding eye contact and just filling their mouths, trying to keep them full so as to have an excuse not to talk. We all want to ask Ymir the same thing; "How the hell are you a titan?" but with the 'no talking' ban in effect until Captain Levi and Hange's squad return, breaking the ice to have casual conversations is near impossible.
I gulp another mouthful of soup, wipe my lips on a cloth napkin, then open my mouth.
"So Sasha…"
Everyone stiffens at the break of silence. All eyes turn to me.
"Umm, so where have you been? I mean—like after we found out titans breached the walls and we split up. What happened with you?"
"I was *munch* visiting home. To warn them *munch* about the titans." Sasha replies between the bites of her pork jerky.
"Did you make it in time?" Ymir solemnly asks. "Do you know if they made it out ok?"
Surprisingly, Sasha sets down her plate.
"My family did, and so did most of the village. But a little girl and her mother got left behind. I had to fight off a titan with an axe and a bow to save her."
The table explodes at that bombshell Sasha just dropped, demanding answers to their questions. This provokes Sasha to animatedly retell her story from the start. She tells us how she rode home for the first time in years and how much her land has changed since she joined the military. Sasha tells us how she discovered a mother getting eaten by a titan in front of her child. Sasha gets out of her seat as she retells running away with the little girl, then fighting the titan with only a bow and arrow, demonstrating with her arms how she aimed at the titan and jumped into its arms to stab the last arrow into its eye to blind it.
The ice had been broken.
Next, it was Historia's, Ymir's, and my turn. The topic shifted to what happened to us at Utgard. Historia couldn't go into much detail about revealing her real name other than the fact that she did it, and we couldn't go into much detail about Ymir other than "that's when she revealed she was a titan." But we were able to share other morbid details; how Reiner saved Connie's life, how a hairy titan that climbed Wall Rose was throwing rocks at us, the main tower of the castle falling down, how I had gotten eaten by a titan, and how all of Nanaba squad but Nanaba herself got wiped out.
Needless to say, our story sorta killed the mood.
But Sasha was able to rebreak the ice by asking Armin, Eren, and Mikasa what they were doing during all of this and why they weren't sent to Wall Rose as the rest of them had.
They started it off with the Stohess District raid, about how the Scout regiment had cornered, confronted, and captured the Female Titan, explaining that all the others were sent away to that hideout in Wall Rose because of the belief that more traitors were in the regiment's ranks. Eren and Mikasa explained how Hange was interrogating Pastor Nick, one of the religious leaders of the Religion of the Walls who somehow already knew about the titans being within the walls.
Then Armin goes off on a little tangent, explaining how he and Hange found out that the Walls themselves were made out of crystalized titan skin and how if Eren (or Ymir) could learn to harden their skin, they might be able to seal Wall Maria.
"So, Percy…" Eren asks after he and his friends finish telling their story about what they were doing.
"Hmm?"
"So Annie was like your 'caretaker' or something?" Eren asks.
Jean enters a coughing fit, spewing a little bit of stew out of his nose.
"I think 'investigator' is a more appropriate term." Armin corrects with a soft grin.
"Uhh, right. That." Eren agrees. "But did she ever… seem different?"
"If you're asking if I knew she was a titan, no, I didn't know."
I put down my spoon.
"Didn't you guys go through years of training together?" I reply. "How didn't any of you know?"
There's a slight pause before anyone answers.
"They had no reason to hold any suspicion," Ymir answers. "It's not like they knew a person could turn into a titan…"
She trails off, unwilling to reveal anything more.
"Oh, right…" I reluctantly nod.
"So how did you fair an entire month with her?" Jean asks. "Annie… well she's…"
"Apathetic? Rude? Exclusionary? Cold?"
Jean and some of the others nod.
"She wasn't that bad."
"Huh?!" Eren and Ymir exclaim.
"The Military Police weren't so kind to me… Annie was the one keeping me alive." I explain. "She increased my food and drink portions, she gave me history lessons about your world, she'd try to have normal conversations about things not related to my background or origin, she would read me books, she—"
"Hahahahaha! Bedtime stories!" Ymir laughs. "Annie?!"
"Hey! I can't read your guy's language! So she offered to read them for me!"
"Haha! You can't be serious!" Jean joins in.
"Bwahaha!" Ymir continues to laugh.
"Did you guys consider each other to be friends?" Eren asks, trying to ignore the other and get back on topic.
"I mean… yeah."
"How can you be certain Annie didn't do all those things just to make you open up?" Mikasa asks.
"I mean…"
I trail off, trying to find the right words. Ymir and Jean finally calm down and catch their breaths during my pause.
"Annie told me she did all of that because it was her job to get me to open up, but… I don't think she needed to go above and beyond with the things she did."
"Well, *ny pershun who 'ive meh 'ood ish a *iend ah 'ine," Sasha garbles with cheeks full of soup and bread.
"Hey Percy… Do you think Annie is a bad person?" Armin suddenly asks.
"Huh?"
"You're fully aware of the things she did, right?" Armin elaborates. "How she participated in the fall of Wall Maria, how she ambushed the 57th Scouting Expedition, and all the collateral damage she caused in Stohess District."
"Well, yeah—"
"So where do you think her morality stands?"
I gulp. Things just became serious.
"I think she's… misunderstood."
"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Eren asks.
"Careful…" Annabelle whispers.
"All I'm saying is that… there must be a reason why she's fighting against you guys. When I spoke to her, it almost felt like she felt forced to do the things she—"
"Over two hundred thousand people died when Wall Maria died. 20% of all human population. My mother and Armin's grandfather included." Eren growls.
"They were 10 years old when they did it," I whisper, my argument weakening.
"THERE'S NO JUSTIFICATION FOR MASS MURDER!" Eren shoots out of his chair. "WHEN I WAS A KID I COULD TELL RIGHT FROM WRONG!"
"Eren." Mikasa speaks.
"Calm down," Armin asks him.
Eren's pupils shrink as if trying to quell the fierce flames burning within them.
"Annie is the reason I had to watch my mother get eaten." He growls. "She caused so much pain and suffering. And for what?!"
"... I'm sorry."
"Then, STOP DEFENDING HER!"
"Eren!" Mikasa shouts.
Eren looks at her, then at all his other friends sitting down at the table.
"All of you. You are sitting in their spots." He points to his friends. "Eld. Oluo. Petra. Gunther… Annie squashed them like flies. And they didn't even know they were fighting against another human."
"I'm done eating." Eren abruptly gets up and begins making his way out the door.
My dumb mouth opens before he leaves.
"... Annie came to my cell after that attack. She confessed to what she did. She pleaded for forgiveness."
Eren pauses, lingering in the doorway.
"W-Why?" Historia asks.
"... she knew what she did was wrong," I answer.
Eren flips around.
"How could she be a bad person if she—"
"*CRACK*"
Eren's fist slams into my cheek, almost throwing me out of my chair.
"Eren!"
I stand out of my seat as a second fist punches my abdomen.
Mikasa and Jean grab Eren's shoulders and pull him away before he can cause more damage to himself.
"Your hand." Mikasa gasps.
Eren's right hand broke when he punched me. His fingers are a jumbled mess. Two snapped bones punctured out from under his skin, blood spewing on the floor. A few yellow sparks fly from his wounds. My senses go haywire, screaming danger.
"I'll never forgive them. For what they did."
Eren turns around and leaves. Mikasa chases after him.
"He didn't even react to the pain… He would have just kept punching if the others hadn't pulled him off of you…" Annabelle comments.
"Seriously, Armin?" Ymir sighs. "Why did you have to ask that question?"
"Percy offers us a unique perspective." Armin quietly replies, deep in thought.
"Perspective?" Sasha asks.
"All Percy's 'perspective' did was rile Eren up." Jean quips.
"Percy didn't go through three years of training as we did with Annie," Armin turns to me, "and he doesn't feel like he is a part of this society. Percy offers an outsider's perspective on our situation."
Sasha and Jean grimace. I think I should have just kept my mouth shut.
"But Percy's way of seeing things is what saved Ymir," Historia says.
She gets out of her seat and begins collecting dirty dishes as if a huge fight hadn't just broke out.
"And with Ymir, we might actually find out what we're up against." She continues, heading towards the kitchen's lone sink. Before turning on the facet, she pauses.
"I'm looking forward to when we can finally talk about your past, Ymir."
Ymir gulps, nervous at the prospect of that future meeting.
Midmorning the next day, Levi and Hange Squad arrive at our cabin. Everyone settles in the dining room. Gathering around the table we dined on last evening.
The discussion about Historia and Ymir's past begins.
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This chapter was 6.9k words long.
Sorry for pushing Ymir and Historia's story back another chapter. I think it was important to have Percy spend some quality time with these characters. Introduce them to one another and have them interact a bit. It would feel off if Percy was working with all these characters but never once 'broke the bread' with them. I really enjoyed writing those 'snippet'/vignette scenes before the dinner they shared.
Also, Eren punching Percy, isn't that just perfect? It's just so fitting for the two of them to get into a fight during their first true meeting, lol.
I got an honest review from a guest account about Annabelle feeling like a 'video game assistant'. I initially came up with the concept of Annabelle to help break up those moments Percy spends alone in prison. And I think Annabelle did its job during that arc, but now that we're progressing through the AOT story, I can see how Annabelle has sorta turned into 'an assistant'. I always planned on phasing Annabelle out as Percy slowly healed from his trauma… but maybe I should kickstart that process a bit earlier than I intended. But anyway, what did you all think of Annabelle? Did she do her job? Did you like her? Is it time for her to go? I appreciate any honest feedback.
Till next time,
-Unbred
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Originally Published on 3/21/2023