ʚ o͏p͏e͏r͏a͏t͏i͏o͏n͏ a͏c͏h͏e͏ ɞ | aot x levi's daughter

chapter four : riot

cw: underage smoking, child abuse, suicide reference

                                            ＊*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚　 　˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚＊

"i wen' over to talk to my mother yesterday, for help"

kuchel looked at juniper from her perch on a stone wall.

"yeah? how did it go?"

"we talked 'bout the weather instead,"

kuchel would never admit it, but she had grown quite fond of juniper bechtel. she was kind, very obviously traumatised, but that was just the kind of friend kuchel liked. they had been talking for about a month now, whenever kuchel returned to the underground for her fights, juniper was there as well.

"sometimes i just wanna tell 'er to eat me and birth me again, so i can make 'er proud this time," she sighed, fiddling with her hands, " just wanna tell 'er its not a joke, to please, love me,"

kuchel grimaced at how pleading juniper sounded, "i never knew my mother,"

juniper glanced to her side and looked at her.

"really?"

"she was a prostitute. my father never said it, but i could always tell,"

juniper paused, swinging her battered legs back and forth, "so you were a mistake,"

kuchel heaved out a laugh, "yeah, guess you could call me that,"

the two sat in silence for a minute, just staring at the underground.

they had both just come from a fight, prize money heavy in their pockets.

"you're father's good to you though, ain't he?"

kuchel smiled softly, "yeah, he's the best,"

juniper scoffed, "wish i still felt like that. loosin' faith in your parents is like loosin' your religion. i don' believe in god anymore, an' i don' believe in my father either,"

"but what about your mother?"

"she don' think i'm a very good person," juniper started, "she told me while she was standin' over me,"

she sighed, "why do people always feel more entitled to you when they're standin' up and you ain't? why do people look down so much?"

juniper wasn't asking kuchel, more so throwing her questions upwards to the ceiling, as if some higher power would answer her.

of course, no one ever did.

kuchel studied the girls face. she was battered, covered in bruises and healing scars, some from the pit, and most from her father.

there was one scar though, on her forehead, deep and completely healed.

"what's the scar on your forehead from?"

juniper touched her forehead, wincing when she prodded at a healing bruise, and eventually pointed to the one kuchel was asking about.

"this one?"

"yeah,"

"i tried to drown myself in the river nearby when i wa' younger,"

kuchel paused, taken aback.

"why?"

juniper giggled, nudging the girls shoulder humourlessly.

"i wanted to leave this world as soon as i could. some woul' say i was born with a suitcase,"