Marley's Black Pearl

Chapter Two: Mid-East War

Iden couldn't seem to sleep. They were tired although they didn't trust the area they were in and who was around them, they especially did not trust Porco. So they stayed awake for another hour until they knew they had to sleep.

Morning soon arose on the camps. Iden was the first one up as usual. They usually only sleep four hours a day anyways, sometimes more when they're allowed. Iden sat up and turned away from the tent exit. Picking up a mirror they looked at themselves. Their dark eyes staring at the reflection before them, their black raven hair flowing feathery past their face and down to their back.

Iden soon washed themselves then tied their hair up again and wore their basic uniform which was black tight fitting clothing with some black armour padding on the vital areas with a small hood and face cloth that only reveals their eyes. Iden put on their coat and double checked their tools and gadgets were in place inside. Iden stepped outside their tent, turning to talk to the royal guards.

"I got it from here" they told them.

"Yes, Iden" the guards bowed then marched off for their break. Iden glanced around, their eyes landed on Porco's eyes as he walked around his tent and into their view. Porco scowled then went on to what he was doing. Iden kept watching though, fascinated like a cat watching a mouse. Pieck then walked out her tent and noticed Iden watching Porco intentively. She grinned then approached Iden, she only took a few steps before Iden turned and noticed her right away.

"Good morning" Pieck smiled as she approached further.

"Hi" Iden somewhat greeted back. Porco stopped faffing on with provisions and began watching the two talk.

"How are you?" Pieck asked warmly.

"I'm alright" Iden says.

"Would you like a coffee? Annie's brewing some" she asks them.

"Um...okay" Iden says.

"Great, let's go to my tent" she smiles and turns around on the balls of her feet.

"I can't leave this post" Iden informs her formally.

"Oh? That's okay I'll bring it over" she smiles and walks off. Iden could see Annie and Pieck's tent from where they stood, they saw Annie sitting outside and brewing some coffee over a gas fire. Iden watched as Pieck and Annie talked, they mostly watched to make sure they didn't put any foreign substances in their coffee. Reiner exited his and Porco's tent and noticed Porco staring. He quietly watched too.

"Who you watching?" Reiner asked Porco.

"Huh? Oh, no one" Porco says after getting startled. He then continued what he was doing before.

"Give her a biscuit or something, make up for your attitude yesterday" Reiner suggested. Porco stopped what he was doing and give Reiner a hacky. "What?" Reiner asked.

"No" then Porco went back to what he was doing. "What makes you think it's a 'she' too?" He asks Reiner.

"Dunno, guess I just hope so" Reiner responds.

"You...What?" Porco scoffs.

"Nothing... Then again could be a man, that Ackerman in Paradis was small too like them"

"Well it's an 'it' to me" Porco says rudely.

"Please try and get on with them, we need to win this war and we can only do that with good communication" Reiner says.

"I'll be civil" Porco huffs.

Pieck brings over a cup of coffee to Iden. Iden takes it with a quiet 'thank you'.