Unwanted Power: An Armin Arlert Love Story

36. Marley

Yelena had gotten some clothes together for Sasha, Mikasa, Hange and Lexie. They were all basically the same, straight long skirts, button ups, formal coats and hats. Lexie wore pink, Mikasa white, Sasha orange and Hange brown. The guys were wearing almost the same plus formal vests and ties around their necks. Eren wore black, Jean also wore black with a red tie, Connie wore green and a dark blue tie like Hange's, Armin wore brown and a green tie.

Liberio was so big, the city was bigger than they had ever seen. Hange mentioned it was like the Survey Corps again, exploring outside.

Onyankopon received them in the port, but Hange was too distracted by what looked like an automobile. Lexie was also extremely curious, she wished she could take some diagrams back home, her dad would love them. Connie, Sasha and Hange ran after the car excitedly.

"They're making a scene, people are staring." Armin said in a low voice.

"Everyone's gonna think we are some yokels now." Jean said in embarrassment. "Just act like you don't know them."

Armin and Mikasa got close to Eren, trying to cheer him up about being on the outside world. Lexie went to Levi and Onyankopon who were worried about Connie, Sasha and Hange trying to feed carrots to the car. Levi was worried, but Lexie was extremely amused.

Then Sasha bought something called ice cream, she was yelling about it being delicious so Lexie bough one for her too. She licked and lived it, it was like a cold pastry without the bread, she quickly rushed to Armin.

"Armin, you have to try this." Lexie said and put it close to his mouth, Hesitantly Armin licked it and was gleefully surprised.

"It's sweet!" He said in amazement. They shared the cone together and looked very happy. The Mikasa got an idea and walked to Eren, who was spacing out by the side.

"Eren, you really have to taste this." Mikasa said.

"It's ice cream, right? I saw it on my dad's memories. Eldienas in the interment zone don't usually get it." Eren said in a stoic voice. He still took a lick of it. "It is sweet, indeed." He said.

Mikasa smiled, but glanced back to Lexie and Armin. Now, Armin had put some ice cream in Lexie's nose and kissed it to lightly suck it off, Lexie looked surprised and Armin blushed madly, she smiled at him and they laughed together. Mikasa wondered it someday Eren could treat her like that too.

As they enjoyed their ice cream, Levi caught a kid trying to steal Sasha's purse. Everyone in the port started treating him badly, saying things like he was a dirty immigrant, and to toss him to the sea. Sasha tried to step up saying she got her purse back and all that punishment wasn't needed, but the merchants were stubborn. And then they said the kid could be a subject of Ymir, a devil, and threw more and more insults around.

Levi grabbed the kid and played it off as if he was just a little kid pranking his sister, but the merchants didn't buy it, so everyone had to make a run from it with the kid. At the end, the kid ran off too... with Levi's purse.

"I'm sorry you had to go through that." Kiyomi said when they arrived to the Hizuru embassy. "Blood testings have improved and now people have been able to demonstrate subjects of Ymir have been sneaking out of interment zones. Today, you witnessed how Eldian people are commonly treated beyond the walls."

"It's not just Eldian people." Lexie said. "They said he was an immigrant, it was clear he was not from around here."

"Yes, I'm afraid Eldians are not the only ones treated badly. Marley conquers and then expects to only control, not share. We ourselves have a hard time blending in too." Kiyomi explained.