𝙻𝚘𝚟𝚎𝚛, 𝙷𝚞𝚗𝚝𝚎𝚛, 𝙵𝚛𝚒𝚎𝚗𝚍 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝙴𝚗𝚎𝚖𝚢 |𝙰𝚘𝚝 𝚏𝚊𝚗𝚏𝚒𝚌

Chapter 15 - Competition

"So now Connie isn't allowed to use scissors unsupervised."

"That should've happened a long time ago."

"That's literally what I said."

"How does he use the swords?"

"I don't even know."

They shook their heads, endearingly, forever amused by their friend's antics.

"Oh, how's things going with Braun?" Ymir asked.

"Urgh," Mara groaned, "don't get me started."

"That bad huh?"

For the last three months, Mara and Reiner had been locked in a cycle of practical jokes. Each of them trying to outdo the other in more elaborate pranks. It was the gossip of the corps; Connie swore that even some of the Instructors knew but were keeping quiet because they had bets on who would back down first. Everyone was waiting for the next prank, eager to see the reactions of the victim and more importantly how they would get the other back. The tension that would follow the days, sometimes weeks, after a prank was enough to keep their whole class on edge. It was a vicious battle that involved spiders, ivy and a whole lot of shouting.

"Did you hear the latest?"

"Nope."

"Well, yesterday Sasha told me she heard about some dried fruit in a jar in the kitchens and that she'd ask Connie to get it for her but it was on the top shelf. So she asked me to go get it for her, right?"

"He got Sasha to trick you?"

"Not exactly. So anyway, I say yeah."

"Weak."

"My real mistake was not asking where she heard it before I agreed. So I go down to the kitchens when it's like pitch black, grab the jar and then I feel something on my hand so I look down at it and right at that moment Reiner comes out from behind a corner. Firstly, I don't know how he even fit there, the fat bastard."

Ymir laughed loudly at that, spurring Mara on.

"Then he says "that's for the bucket of water".

"What does that even mean?"

"It's what we usually say after every prank but whatever. Anyway, it turns out it was red dye. And he ran off before I could give him a red slap in the face."

"That would've been swift justice."

"I wish I had got to because this stuff isn't washing out." Mara held up her left hand to show it is still stained pink.

"Yikes," Ymir winced, "so do you know how you're going to get him back?"

"Not yet," Mara replied, "I need it to be an appropriate response. If I go too big then he'll go even bigger and then it will just get out of hand."

"Got you. Well if you nee-"

"Speak of the devil," Mara interrupted Ymir, looking over her shoulder to the figure leaving the boys barracks and walking up the pathway in their direction.

"What is he wearing?" Ymir said, squinting at Reiner's growing figure.

"I don't know but someone needs to tell him that it's not working for him."

He was wearing a grey shirt instead of his usual green, but he had picked the wrong day to try something new.

Ymir nudged Mara and grinned.

"Yo Reiner!" she shouted at him.

Reiner looked towards them, smiling in greeting. Mara furrowed her brow questioningly but Ymir only smirked back.