Freedom: Levi Fanfiction

| A final Decision

13

           "Yahoo! Is the birthday girl ready?!" Hanji skipped toward her friends, Iris and Petra. They were walking through the busy streets when they heard her deep voice from behind.
 

        Petra furrowed, "Hanji, her birthday was yesterday. We got piss drunk, remember?" 

          The brown-haired woman recalled her interaction with Erwin earlier in the morning. "Yeah. The lecture from Erwin was a handful." Iris shook her head and laughed. As they walked toward their barracks, they came upon a small tailor shop. Their eyes sparkled after seeing a beautiful empire waist white dress. It had beautiful lace linings making it look simple and extravagant at the same time. 

         "Look! Isn't that what women wear at their wedding?" Petra bit her lip from excitement. She dragged the two of them inside the shop, forgetting that they had errands to do. A middle-aged woman greeted the three with joy, surprised to see three new faces. 

          "Welcome!" Her face dropped after seeing the patch on their uniforms. "What can I do for you?"

Petra excitedly pointed at the dress, her face glimmering with curiosity. "Uhm. This is a beautiful dress. Is this what women wear at weddings?" The old woman raised a brow and laughed. 

          "No. That's a nightgown. It's a dress that a newlywed woman wears to impress her husband. You girls don't know that?" The two shook their heads meanwhile Iris remained in awe at how beautiful it was. Will the time ever come that she could wear such a dress like this? 

           The old woman sighed and looked at the three of them up and down. "Seriously. How could you girls risk your lives like this? Women should be protected! They should be in a gentle household where they provide love and care. Look at you three! You don't even look suitable for any of our dresses. You two are too tall and muscular. Aren't you girls ashamed?"

           Hanji and Petra fell silent, in disbelief at the words thrown at them. "W-what?! That's disrespectful. We're the ones risking our lives to protect this island!" argued Petra. The old woman clicked her tongue and walked graciously toward them, an intense stare met their eyes.

           "As far as I know, we don't need protection. We are safe inside these walls yet all you survey corps do is use our tax money on useless expeditions. It's like you're creating all the problems for us!" An awkward chuckle escaped Hanji's mouth, she intervened between them. 

           "There's no need to argue. Petra, Iris, let's just go." She then dragged her two friends out of the unwelcoming shop. Their moods turned sour really quickly. Petra Ral crossed her arms and pouted, annoyed at whatever the hell happened earlier. 

          "Women this woman that. That musty old lady has no shame." The other two laughed.

          Iris ran her hand through her hair and sighed. "Isn't she right though?" she asked. Petra stopped in front of her, her arms crossed and her face full of contempt.

         "Stupid. There's nothing wrong with wanting to care for your family and only do that. There's also nothing wrong with being the protector. Why should we need to only rely on men when we can also do it ourselves?" She turned to Hanji. "Right?"

        "Damn Right." Iris pondered quietly about it. All her life, she thought she wasn't womanly enough. She spent her teenage years as a soldier and as a protector. To hear those powerful words coming from Petra, a soldier herself, made Iris feel content.