𝐕𝐀𝐋𝐄𝐍𝐂𝐈𝐀 | 𝐋. 𝐀𝐂𝐊𝐄𝐑𝐌𝐀𝐍𝐍

𝐈𝐈.𝐕𝐈

❝𝑷𝒆𝒓𝒉𝒂𝒑𝒔 𝒊𝒕 𝒊𝒔 𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒊𝒎𝒑𝒆𝒓𝒇𝒆𝒄𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒎𝒂𝒌𝒆 𝒖𝒔 𝒔𝒐 𝒑𝒆𝒓𝒇𝒆𝒄𝒕 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒂𝒏𝒐𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓.❞
— 𝐉𝐀𝐍𝐄 𝐀𝐔𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐍

꧁꧂

OUT OF THE NUMEROUS THINGS SHE'D ENVISIONED FOR HERSELF AS A SCOUT, preventing teenagers from tearing each other to pieces was not one of them.

"Conny, you fucking blockhead!" rang throughout the cabin; the words resonated in a way that could have only been Jean's. Valen kept sweeping her broom across the floor, trying to tune out the argument unfolding downstairs. "That's not how you wash a pot!"

"Don't you tell me what to do!" Valen rubbed her temples; even from upstairs, she couldn't escape their ceaseless bickering, which according to Armin, had begun before she and Levi arrived at the cabin— who decided it was a good idea to place a bunch of teenagers in a cabin that could barely house a small family? "Horseface!"

"Excuse me?" Jean roared back. Though Levi had assured her she wouldn't be acting as a mother, Valen felt that her responsibilities were akin to those of one. As if she wasn't already being underpaid, Valen hadn't heard any mention of a raise since her promotion, which meant she was doing more for the same paltry amount set for all recruits. She couldn't fathom how people chose to be Cadet Corps instructors.

"You heard me, horseface— hey, that hurt!"

"Jean, stop!" she heard Armin cry, but it was no use: the thudding of punches and kicks filled the cabin. Once again, Squad Levi had proven that they could not simply reside in the same space as one other without ripping each other's throats apart.

Walls. Valen set aside her broom and dustpan and marched down the stairs— Jean had Conny pinned over a countertop, furiously swiping his fists at his forehead. Armin backed away as she arrived on the scene, noting her thinly veiled exasperation.

"You two," Valen growled, wedging an arm between them. With a single nudge, she managed to separate the boys from one another, shoving Jean toward the kitchen island and pressing Conny even further against the countertop. Jean wiped his newly busted lip with the back of his hand while Conny fixed the collar of his shirt; fury still gleamed in their eyes. Looking around, Valen discovered that one of their look-out rifles still hung beside the door, meaning that someone was skipping out on their shift. "Jean, I believe we placed you on lookout for today."

Jean, now flustered, rubbed the back of his neck, averting his gaze from hers. It was only until she and Levi rejoined the squad Valen was reminded of how intimidating she came off as. Sasha had nearly burst into tears when Valen (politely) questioned her on the extra bread roll in her bag, and Armin had reddened brighter than a tomato when she made eye contact with him when she'd arrived. She didn't blame them, but Valen couldn't help but miss her time in the barracks with Levi: he never blubbered or chickened out when she looked at him.