Last one for today, I think. I'm on a roll, haha.
Disclaimer: I don't own the Titan Trio.
In which Annie contemplates.
companion to: "rain".
Three Warriors
xxx. sun .xxx
She made useless mental notes about everyone.
Define: Useless?
Sasha was loud — her infuriating chorus of snores racked the entire cabin with a deep tremor.
Christa was quiet — she burrowed away like a little, herbivorous animal in its cove.
Ymir never slept — her eyes wide open until the moon set and the sun rose, it seemed.
Mikasa went down kicking and screaming — the nightmares that dragged her into the depths of sleep were interspersed with piercing wails and muffled sobs (though no one would ever dare say a word).
Mina was sweet — she bid everyone goodnight, even those who didn't wish to be spoken to.
Hannah was innocent — smiles at the thought of a certain Franz put her to sleep like a baby.
Define: Useful?
She had nothing to think of, nothing to say, only silence. Constantly, the information pertinent to her "cause" was filed away and organized immediately, but tonight lingered, something thick in her fingers, a stain in the clothe. Nothing came quickly.
She decided she wasn't going to fall asleep anytime soon, so she pushed the covers away and slipped into the white sweater that was her second skin. Nimbly avoiding the creaky panels, a light tread to the doorway.
Past Sasha, who snored.
Past Christa, who slept.
Past Mikasa, who dreamed.
Past Mina, who smiled.
Past Hannah, who loved.
Only the eyes of the sleepless Ymir followed her, a deliberate trail, wordlessly acknowledging her consciousness.
And then Ymir's gaze melted into darkness, leaving only the fresh air and the outside world to blow back Annie's disheveled hair and frustrating sluggishness.
Define: Important?
Instructor Keith Shadis was imposing — he bore the intimidating presence of a man once broken into pieces, but then picked up the shards to stab away whatever harm that approached him.
Dazz was weak — he succumbed to his own fears too easily.
Millius was silent, and Franz was sociable — the former was friendly enough, by regular standards, blending into the background almost as well as someone Annie knew, while the latter dared to love in such a cruel world.
Nack, and Thomas, and Samuel, they were indecisive — surely, in their moment of hesitation, some fortunate titan might have their evening meal.
Connie was bold — a trapped bird, with only a voice to free himself.
Marco was kind — he almost seemed to wash away the bitterness, the requiem rain that restored the peace between brittle bonds, sending empty souls away.
Jean was boastful — his pride would become hesitation, and his hesitation would become a titan's dinner. (If only Armin had not been so sharp.)
Armin, the greatest mind out of these miserable trainees — the one who rushed to his death, was the one Armin wished to avenge. Armin Arlert, who knew even before Reiner did.
Reiner was lost — he stumbled onto his original path now and then, as he threw back his hood and drew his blades, but more often than not, he believed himself a member of this pack of soldiers, a false family.
Bertholdt was invisible — except to Annie and Reiner, to say the least.
Eren was angry — no one required any analysis to determine such a thing.
It was a quiet night, cool air rushing by in a pleasant breeze. But the moon's ghostly fingers chilled her as tendrils of night stroked her skin, and she trotted across the path, toes light on the gravel.
Define: Unimportant?
Past Shadis, who never saw her slip outside.
Hidden from Dazz, Millius, Franz, Nack, Thomas, Samuel, the blind.
Insignificant to Connie, to Marco and Jean.
"A nice person", according to Armin, but unnoticed at the moment nonetheless.
But Annie felt the anger and the worry and the confusion of the last three from a distance. The anger of a boy who battled in both waking and sleeping times, who harbored a painful hate for all that he didn't understand, for all that he wanted but could no longer have.
It was a feeling Annie knew well; and she stowed it away, under lock and key, until she felt it no more.
Define: Emotion?
The brooding figure on the porch steps did not say hello. Simply enough, he let out a shuddered sigh of relief as she settled beside him, following his wandering gaze as if they were watching the stars reflected on the empty, colorless soil.
And as if on cue, Reiner seemed to find his way, because in that brief moment before the sun rose, he knew exactly why they were here.
Why, when the sphere of fire crept over the horizon, its crimson mane billowing across the sky, Bertholdt began to shake. It was as if the sun itself was peeking over the wall of the world, peeking in on them, watching them, seeing them, knowing them.
Annie stayed until Reiner forgot again, and Bertholdt stopped shaking.
She stayed long enough to hear Bertholdt solemnly inform them, as if his life depended on it, that it would be sunny that day.
But for her, it rained.
She remembered it clearly — on that day, it rained like the world was crying.
Or had it?
Define: Memory?
/chapter
On that day, humankind received a grim reminder:
that humanity lived in fear of
ESSAYS and
PROCRASTINATION
*MUST GO NOW*
*GOTTA GO FAST*
*GOTTA KILL THE TITA-HOMEWORK*