They arrived at the Dauper Wildlife Sanctuary at 10AM, thanks to the car getting stuck in mud on the way. Mikasa and Eren were forced to push the car out, thanks to Levi's near-violent refusal to get out and help. "These pants cost $300, fuck that," he had grumbled when Mikasa rebuked him for "being a baby". They were refusing to talk to each other now. Levi's mood grew even darker then when he realised how muddy the sanctuary was today. There had been heavy rainfall the past week and the place was like a swamp, which Dr Hanji Zoe was delighted about.
They were waiting outside the sanctuary when Levi and his little crew pulled up. They excitedly clapped their hands together, "Yooo! Welcome to the sanctuary! I'm so happy we're going hunting dragonflies today!"
Levi had been getting out of the car when they said this, and something seemed wrong with how it had been said, "did you just say..."hunting"?"
Hanji nodded eagerly, bounding over to shake Levi's hand. He flinched as their muddy paws clasped around his spotless hand, "we're hunting them! It might take a few hours, I hope these aren't your good clothes!"
Levi moved to get back into the car but Mikasa grabbed him by the scruff of his neck and hauled him back, The girl smiled at the scientist, "sounds like fun, we'll be happy to wander through the sanctuary with you."
Eren was watching his boss nervously, and flinched as the man looked at him with fiery, hateful eyes, "get me Erwin on the phone, NOW, BRAT!"
Levi stood fuming as his assistant got through to Erwin, and he grabbed the phone off him to practically roar into it, "YOU NEVER SAID I WOULD HAVE TO GO INTO THIS SHITTY SANCTUARY YOU FUCKER! I THOUGHT THEY WERE GONNA SHOW ME SOME DAMN BUGS IN A JAR!"
Despite his ugly, angry fit on the phone, Hanji seemed completely oblivious, "we wouldn't keep them in jars! They're too wonderful to be kept trapped, we have to let them be free to fly around and make dragonfly babies! It's gonna be so much fun, guys, we're gonna get into the really smooshy parts and check the reeds and it'll be great!"
Mikasa looked highly amused with the situation as she began to unpack her gear from the boot of the car. Eren just watched his boss with a nervous expression, the man was red-faced and near-ready to pop a vein with the way he was yelling angrily at Erwin on the phone. Eren sighed, looking to the sanctuary with a weak smile, he would be glad if they could leave today without anyone getting killed.
Hanji was infuriating and he hated them very much.
They were so happy, and chirpy, and excited about their work, it was sickening. They were also filthy and smelled like pondwater, Levi wanted to drag the person into a shower and scrub them until they were pink and smelled like flowers.
He stood at the gate that led into the marshlike side of the sanctuary. He had turned quite pale at the prospect of wandering down into this filth in his shiny shoes and neatly-pressed pants. Eren was busying himself with the "emergency foundation". His boss was in serious need of it right now, he would look like a ghost on camera without it. Hanji refused any sort of makeup. Their skin was a lovely brown from the many days of sunshine outdoors, though there was a clear print of slightly paler skin around their eyes from where they would fix their silly goggles. Hanji had leaves in their hair, and grass-stains on their forearms, revealed when they rolled up their sleeves as the countdown to broadcasting began. "Avoid the muddy places," Levi warned them as Eren's fingers counted down from five.
As he hit one, Levi's face lit up with his usual charming tv smile. It was like seeing a grumpy goblin transform into an Elf prince, Mikasa had once told Eren. He had responded by being extremely jealous and had dragged her away for a "secret" shag.
"I'm here today in Dauper, with entomologist Dr Hanji Zoe," Levi sounded so enthusiastic as he spoke, there was a giddy ring to his tone that caused his crew to wonder why the man had not just gone into the film industry instead. "Dr Zoe, would you like to tell our audience why we're here today?" he held his microphone out to the muddy entomologist, who grabbed it excitedly and threw a hand in the air, "WE'RE GOING TO HUNT DRAGONFLIES!"
There was a slight twitch to Levi's smile as he took the microphone back, "woah there! Haha, no need to yell, Doc!"
"I can't help it! I've got to go find them, RIGHT NOW! I'M SO PUMPED! WA-HOOOO!"
It was clear that Hanji had no idea how to behave on camera, and with it being a live broadcast there was nothing the crew could do besides follow the embodiment of giddiness as they took off running into the mud.