Anemoia || a.arlert

𓇢𓆸 𝟹. 𝚆𝚑𝚎𝚗 𝙴𝚟𝚎𝚛𝚢𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝙲𝚑𝚊𝚗𝚐𝚎𝚜

╔═════ °❀•°✮°•❀°═════╗
Wall Rose - South District
╚═════ °❀•°✮°•❀°═════╝

I rested my head on the table in the mess hall, ready for the day to be done. Why can't dinner hurry up, I need to get out of here before Eren arrives to be noisy as usual. I let out a groan at the thought.
"What's your problem?" Jean demanded.
"Same as yours." I replied, voice muffled by the table I had pressed my face against.
"The hell is that suppose to mean?" He demanded, his fist tightening around his mug of water as he glared me down. I lifted my head to meet his eyes, Connie and Sasha beside him and Marco sitting beside me.
"I have this headache that has been coming and going all day." I explained.
"Oh boo hoo." Jean taunted with a sickly sweet voice. I narrowed my eyes at him as Marco began to scold him while Connie and Sasha choked down their laughter.
"Hey! Erica!" a loud voice called out.
"Walls, there it is again." I groaned loudly, dropping my head back onto the table. Jean finally connected the dots and burst out laughing. Eren shoved me over and sat between Marco and I.
"Hey! No! There's no more room at this table, you guys have to sit somewhere else!" Jean complained, crossing his arms as Mikasa and Armin hovered.
"Maybe there would be more space if your fat horse head wasn't in the way!" Eren retorted with a glare.
"We are not doing this tonight. I don't have the energy to put up with one of you. You are not sitting together. Eren let's go." I demanded, shooting up from my seat. I grabbed Eren's arm and dragged him to his feet. "I'll see you guys later."
"Hey! Let go! The hell is wrong with you?" Eren grumbled, trying to shake me off.
"Stop behaving like a child." I shot back, releasing his arm as I stomped to an empty table.
"Are you alright?" Armin asked nervously.
"No. I'm tired and I want this day to be over." I replied honestly, resting my head on Mikasa's shoulder after she sat beside me.
"Is there anything we can do?" Mikasa asked, gently tucking a loose strand of my hair out of my face.
"Shut Eren up." I responded, opening an eye to glare at the boy sitting across from me. He was still yelling over our heads at Jean. Upon hearing his name he turned his fiery green eyes on me.
"What was that?" he provoked.
"Shut up." I replied, closing my eye again. Miraculously, Eren obliged. He chose instead to glare at Jean across the room. Conversations from other tables flowed around us as Armin and Eren brought food for all four of us.
"Hey, did you hear about those nobles that got assassinated?" I heard someone at the table behind me say to their friends. My eyes shot open. Walls please don't be who I think it is!
"No, what happened?" another cadet asked. I could have broken my neck at how fast I spun around to stare at the back of the cadet who was speaking about the Duke and his Duchess who had been killed. I could feel all eyes on me as somehow the cadet who had been speaking was hoisted in the air, staring at me as I desperately shook their collar.
"Who? Who was killed dammit! Which Duke?!" I demanded, my voice shaking. Then hands were on me as I clutched at air to get ahold of the cadet again.
"Eric! Hey! Chill out would you?" I heard Eren's voice saying. There was another voice too, Jean maybe. Or Marco.
"Tell me!" I screamed as I struggled against whoever was holding me back. The cadet only looked at me with fear. The voices trying to calm me down suddenly stopped.
"Cadet Courteney." a deep voice interrupted my turmoil. Shit! If Shadis wants to speak to me-
"Are my parents dead?" I demanded through tears.
"We should speak privately." Shadis began.
"Are they dead?!" I screamed, thrashing against everyone who was holding me back. The arms fell back, too distracted by the staredown I was having with the commandant to do anything. I watched the look in Shadis' eyes waver. He sighed.
"I'm sorry." Those two words changed everything in me. How could this day go from bad to so horribly worse? Nothing registered after that. Without remembering how I got there, suddenly I was on my knees, sobbing into the floor.
"Hey! Eric, come on."
"Eric you have to stand up."
"Should we carry her?"
"We're here Erica."
"Hey, breathe! Please breathe!"
"No don't touch her, just let her cry."
"We need to get her out of here."
"Eric, it's going to be okay."
"We've got you, Eric"
Shut up! Shut up! Oh walls, they're gone! Oh walls what about my little sisters! Shit. Get up, you have to get to them! They need you! I continued to choke on my sobs as I slowly brought myself to my feet. My friend's faces were nothing but shock and sympathy. I forced myself not to look at any of them, lest I break down again.
"I need to go home. My sisters need me." I forced my voice to say. The noise it made did not sound familiar to me. It was broken and hoarse.
"Your uncle is on his way here. You can wait in my office for him to arrive." Shadis responded, stepping out of the doorway to leave space for me to pass. I hesitated. Then there was something cold in my hand. I looked down at it. Someone is holding my hand. They squeezed my hand as silent tears snaked their way down my cheeks once again. Armin pulled me forward as Mikasa held my other hand. With a deep breath, I held my head high, ignoring the tears as I made my way to the Commandant's office with my friends either side of me. I recognised the sound of footsteps behind us. Far too many to just be Shadis. The others must be coming too. When we finally reached the office I discovered I was right as I turned to the closest body to collapse against. I could not tell if it was Mikasa or Armin but they hugged me back fiercly, I breathed in deeply and recognised the smell of sweat, forest and fuel. Must be Mikasa then. Soon another pair of arms wrapped around me, the smell of freshly baked bread filled my nose and I knew it was Sasha attached to my back. Soon more and more arms wrapped around me as I broke down. My legs gave out from under me and I collapsed into Mikasa's strong arms. I heard conversation around me as the warmth from the hug began to recede. I was barely aware of the feeling of being lowered to the ground then all warmth from the world was gone. I began to panic at the sudden sensation but then it was back. Through my tears I looked over the man's shoulder at my friends. The man smelled of horses and rain.
"Uncle Erwin?" I heard myself whisper.
"I'm here, Bird." he replied. He sounds so hurt too. I am vaugly aware of Shadis shooing out my friends as I cry in my uncle's embrace. It feels like forever until finally, the tears stopped. Erwin slowl withdraws from the embrace and gently helps me to my shakey feet. "We have a lot to discuss."