Chasing Ghosts [Attack on Titan](Wattys 2014 Winner)

Chapter thirty-three- The party pt 2

Chapter thirty-three

We waltzed around the dance room, surprisingly he was an excellent dancer. Figures, he was a piano player so rhythm came easy. To me, not so much. I just tried to follow his steps best I could he kept casting glances towards the judge in the corner of the room who was watching us with his dark gray gaze. The young woman near him still chatted merrily, seeming not to notice. I struggled to keep a pleasant smile on my face, it was incredibly hard being this close to Levi. I could smell the scent of apple and cinnamon on him, he gripped my hands and continued to lead me around the dance floor while I attempted to look graceful. Eventually the Judge turned back to his conversation and we stopped rushing off the dance floor as fast as we could. My feet were already killing me. Tonight would be a very, very long night.

I sat down on one of the benches in the corner of the massive ballroom. I sighed quietly running my hand though my scarlet hair and fixing the bow wincing as it tugged out some strands of my hair. Levi sat next to me. Tiredness plagued his face, after he had literally dragged me around the ballroom. I didn't blame him from being tired, he stood up. “I think we deviser some drinks.” I nodded following him over to the bar in the left hand corner of the room. He sat down sideways on one of the spinning chairs putting his hand on the counter top and his hand on his fist in exestuation. He ordered us drinks and I sat next to him. The boy removed his jacket and let it sit on his shoulders. He said nothing as he took a sip of the alcohol. I looked at the drink in disgust. I gave it a sniff and nearly gagged. I had never liked intoxicating drinks. I took a sip of the brown liquid and struggled to swallow it. “Eck.” I sputtered shivering at the taste of the vile liquid. Levi rolled his eyes and took a sip of his drink, but his eyes got the same look of disgust. He set the drink down very slowly and wrinkled his nose. “Your right, that is nasty.” I laughed softly “Yeah. I thought that was apparent by my disgusted look.” He snorted quietly, giving me a half smile. “I would have thought they had a ton of beer down in the under city, after all there are a lot of thugs down there.” He rubbed his lips with his forefinger and thumb. “They did, but doesn't mean I drank it.”

I nodded slowly. “Really? Because you seem like the type who loves to drink.” I joked. He rolled his eyes looking at me by turning his head. “You seem like an annoying red head type of person.” I wasn't sure if he was joking or being serious, but I was going to assume it was a joke. I shrugged “Well, if I lit my hair on fire I would be a truly scary thing.” He'd taken another drink and almost choked on the liquid at the thought of me with my hair ablaze. He snorted in laughter trying to swallow the beverage and not spit it out. I watched him with a smile, he looked like a buffoon while he struggled to drink the bitter liquid. I rolled my shoulders back slightly continuing to giggle like a little girl. He finished the drink and looked at me, a small smile teasing the edge of his lips. “Don’t make me laugh like that, I might die.” He said sarcastically. I chuckled inwardly “Your stupid.” I noticed a flash of gray moving towards us. The judge walked over and sat next to us. I gave Levi a paranoid look, the old man took a sip of the white liquid and did not look over at us but he spoke. “How are you two doing?” He asked taking another slurping sip. I winced at the loud sound. Levi looked over at him, his eyes went dull and dark at the sight of the old man. He said nothing so I spoke. “We are fine sir, how about yourself?” The old man flickered his eyes slightly to look at me.

“Lovely dress.” He ignored my question. Hmph, I'm the one who needs sociability training? I put on a fake smile “Thank you.” I said. He nodded his head slowly and turned to look at us. Levi was giving him a cold glare, he had a problem with respecting elders. That would be something I would have to work with him on. “Are you two a item?” He asked. I recoiled so fast that I almost fell of the small chair. Levi let out a laugh. “Oh dear no.” He snorted “I can barely stand her.” I rolled my eyes in agreement. “He is  my pupil.” I said “I work with him on respecting others.” I explained to the old man. He nodded slowly “Then he wont mind if I ask you for the next dance.” Levi stiffened and gave me a glare, I had to accept. This was a test. I smiled pleasantly “Of course.” She stood and took my hand helping me to the dance floor. I left the gawking Levi alone at the bar.

The old man pulled me close to him, I could smell the scent of alcohol and tobacco on him. I was trying to hard to not wrinkle my nose in disgust. He gave me a stiff smile “You are much prettier in a dress young lady.” I wanted so bad to push him away but I forced myself to continue to dance. The smell was growing to be to much. “Thank you.” I said, the tone of disgust creeping into my voice. I wondered were Erwin was, probably talking with the king or some other high-ranked officers. I could spot Levi every once in a while when a gap in the crowd appeared. He was sitting backward using the counter as a backrest. An evil grin on  his face, every time we met eyes he made this little mocking wave as to say ‘You have to dance with a creepy old man’ I would glare at him in response. Not soon enough the song ended and the old man let me return to Levi. I gasped breathing in the scent of cinnamons and apples that wafted around the young man. “Erk.” I grumbled flopping down in the chair next to him. “I had to hold my breath every couple of seconds. He smelled like rotting garbage.” Levi chuckled softly standing and stretching. “C'mon, I hear there is a balcony around here somewhere.”

I nodded gratefully and followed him up a flight of steps toward a set of double doors. One on the left and one on the right. We opened the left one and outside we went onto the terroirs. There were few people out here, not many. Mostly couples enjoying the night sky. I went to the edge of the white balcony and put my hands on the four foot fence that kept people from falling off. It looked out into the right part of the city. A river ran though the center of town and down and out the other gate. The breeze was incredibly strong up here it tossed my hair and dress back in wild curls of scarlet and crimson. Levi stood beside me his jacket flapping uselessly in the wind. The wind was not constant so one minute it would be screaming up the castle walls and another moment it would be as calm as the night sky itself. I sighed quietly accepting the cold sting of the wind with gratefulness.

It relaxed me a lot, it was better than that stuffy ballroom. Levi had his eyes closed every time I snuck a look at him, as the wind dulled a quiet hoot caught my attention. I shot my head to the right to see a large bird had landed on the fence not inches away from my gloved hands. The creature circled its head to the right its massive green eyes flickered and reflected the moonlight. It looked very soft, and its feathers were white. The bird opened its wings and flapped them then hooted again and flew off into the night sky. I watched it vanish into the moonlight. “That’s an owl.” I said to Ackerman. He looked over at me, surprised. “An owl?” I nodded “Don’t tell anyone, but I have a book on the old world. It talked about birds that can twist their heads all the way around without dying, an owl. That was one.” I said to him looking up at the black haired boy. He nodded “Interesting.” Suddenly there was a polite tap on my shoulder. “Ms?” came a voice. I turned around, to see a young black haired boy. His eyes large pools of blue, he smiled at me. “I knew I recognized you.” I felt my heart rate quicken as I gazed into the all to familiar face of this young man.

“Qwill.”