The Swords We Yield - ◈ ARMIN ARLERT X OC ◈

Chapter 2

"Shit, shit shit!" I whisper to myself as I begin pacing in the room. It stings but nothing serious, luckily no shards are stuck in my hand. I look around the room searching for something to wrap my hand with but my eyes are moving too fast to actually see anything.

"Hello? Anyone in here?" A female voice calls followed by a knock at the door. The door swings open exposing Hange standing in the doorway. Her eyes widen as she looks at the shattered mirror and then at my hand.

"Well it seems someone got a little angry doesn't it? And here I thought my temper was bad." She laughs pushing her glasses on to her forehead. "Do you mind explaining this?" She asks me both confused and amused.

"I'd rather not." I croak out, embarrassed that she walked in on me like this.

"I respect that." She states, approaching me with a smile. "So it seems you have used your fist to smash the mirror." She analyses the blood covered mirror before taking my hand. "You don't happen to have rubbing alcohol and a bandage on you by any chance?" She questions holding up my arm to get a better look at my cuts. I shake my head in response. "Well that's too bad... Lucky for you I do!" She exclaims dropping my arm and reaching into her back pocket. She looks back up at me and gestures to the bed, "Sit, sit!" she instructs.

"When Levi told me to always have this stuff on me I thought it was just his obsession with cleanliness but it has actually shows to be quite practical!" She laughs, pouring the alcohol onto a cloth and rubbing it on my cuts. I wince at the burning but remain silent.

"Sorry, I probably should have warned you about the stinging, it happens when there are germs and bacteria in wounds." She explains dabbing the cloth on my hand.

"I know." I smile as she looks up at me. "Do you now?" She questions tilting her head. I nod my head in response as she puts the cloth back in her pocket and begins unravelling the bandage.

"Tell me something, Zariya. When commander Erwin was interrogating Rosette back at HQ, you kept saying that you saw in your head where Rosette and Krista came from, what did you mean by that?" She investigates as she continues to wrap the bandage around my hand.

"Well," I begin, "Ever since I could remember I can see and... recall memories from the past in my head and it's almost like every moment in time I have ever experienced is permanently painted in my head." I ramble on trying to explain what happens in my mind. Hange tucks the bandage in on itself and stands up, "What you have just described to me sounds very intriguing Zariya, trust me it does. I would love to do all types of experiments on you and that fascinating brain of yours, but right now we have bigger issues." She explains reaching for something in her pocket. "Anyways! I have places to be and you need to get ready!" She begins walking to the door, "A pleasure as alway Miss Whitlock!" She finishes leaving the room.

I let out a long sigh looking back at the mirror, I laugh to myself looking at the blood staining it. I quickly stand up realising how much time I have wasted and I walk over to the dresser.

"Let's try this again." I whisper to myself opening the top drawer and taking out a clean white shirt and pants. I open the next drawer pulling out all my belts and the other components of my uniform. Quickly rushing back to the bed, I dump all of my uniform on it, I slip off my nightgown and pull my arms through the sleeves of the shirt. A pain from my right shoulder shoots up into my neck making me wince, but I have no more time to waste. I button up my shirt and swiftly put on my pants grabbing the belts as I do so. I weave the body piece across my shoulders more delicately this time. I fumble with the buckles rapidly doing them up before grabbing my jacket and boots and stumbling out of my room.

I look down either side of the hallway trying to identify where I am and how I get to the ground level. I drop my jacket on the floor and crouch down to slip on my boots and do them up. I hear a door shut on my left making me jolt, looking over I see Rosette walking towards me with a warm smile, masking the worry that drowns the colour from her face.