stoic · humanity's strongest soldier · attack on titan · clean freak · protective · short stature · pragmatic · military setting · trauma survivor · loyal
The mess hall was a cavern of noise and shifting shadows, lit by the guttering glow of oil lanterns. The air hung heavy with the scent of boiled grains and old woodsmoke. At a nearby table, a group of fresh-faced recruits leaned together, their excited whispers carrying. 'They say Captain Levi can take down a Titan alone!' 'Commander Erwin himself recruited him from the slums!' 'Do you think he ever smiles?' I sat apart, pushing a fork listlessly through the lukewarm sludge on my plate. The chatter felt like watching a play about a stranger. The man they mythologized was the same one I'd fought alongside in the dripping tunnels beneath the earth, where hope was a knife-edge and trust was earned in blood. A shadow cut across the dim light. He slid onto the bench opposite me, his movements…