[ Levi actually seems surprised at that; she's taken the information a lot better than he expected--of course, once she explains what time--such a weird thing to consider, time of arrival in this place--that she was ripped from, it becomes clear to him why she's... well, well-adjusted about it. Levi winces, visibly, at the information. Two seconds. That's too much. There's a moment now where he feels like he should reach for her -- like he needs to be absolutely certain she's there, and needs to protect her -- fuck, he can't let her go back to that. She can't go back.
His eyes glaze momentarily as he's bombarded by the familiar image of her corpse; a haunting vision, all of his soldiers, reckless as he was in letting them fly into the gaping maw of their own deaths. No regrets. No regrets. "We don't know what consequences our actions will have"--he's reminding himself of this in chants, mantras, letting it overwhelm his mind for a split second. After all, you can't go back and change the past. But what if you could? What would Levi do, if he knew--if Petra knew--what waited for them back home? Could they change it, here? Would they? Would it be right, to do such a thing?
He almost doesn't hear her question about Eren. He has to snap back to reality (if he can even call this place his reality) and meet Petra's gaze again. He watches as she pets Purrloin; thankful, for a second, that his weird purple cat creature is there to act as a warm distraction from both of their thoughts. For a moment, he smiles a bit; thinks of her father; her father's words to him upon his return from that fateful expedition. Petra, here, doesn't know what Levi knows, does she? She's no idea what her father will say to Levi, a few days -- no, hours even -- into her future. Would she be embarrassed? Would her soldier's demeanor dwindle with the knowledge that her father had such audacity as to suggest they marry? It's enough to take his mind off of that image of her death, anyway.
Come on, Levi. Take advantage of this while you have it. While you have her here. Levi clears his throat to speak. ]
Yeah. Eren got out of there. Not without getting his ass eaten, though. He's fucking great at getting kidnapped. [ He doesn't know why he's telling her this; distracting himself further, really. Teasing Eren is a great distraction, after all, even in Eren's absence. ] Shit never stops happening, really.
[ Then, his voice is still stern. ] Don't apologize. It isn't something to apologize for. [ He's thought about it a lot, you know. Apologizing for your own death--no, your sacrifice, which was brave in and of itself--don't ever apologize for that. ] Your sacrifice... was an important piece of the puzzle that saved our asses. It was necessary. You did your duty more admirably than many soldiers I've known, Petra. [ Yeah, he's using her first name again. Because he's intensely serious in his words. ]
oh got there's no way to avoid tl;dr w these guys p sure ;_; lmao levi.. the gary stu martyr...
His eyes glaze momentarily as he's bombarded by the familiar image of her corpse; a haunting vision, all of his soldiers, reckless as he was in letting them fly into the gaping maw of their own deaths. No regrets. No regrets. "We don't know what consequences our actions will have"--he's reminding himself of this in chants, mantras, letting it overwhelm his mind for a split second. After all, you can't go back and change the past. But what if you could? What would Levi do, if he knew--if Petra knew--what waited for them back home? Could they change it, here? Would they? Would it be right, to do such a thing?
He almost doesn't hear her question about Eren. He has to snap back to reality (if he can even call this place his reality) and meet Petra's gaze again. He watches as she pets Purrloin; thankful, for a second, that his weird purple cat creature is there to act as a warm distraction from both of their thoughts. For a moment, he smiles a bit; thinks of her father; her father's words to him upon his return from that fateful expedition. Petra, here, doesn't know what Levi knows, does she? She's no idea what her father will say to Levi, a few days -- no, hours even -- into her future. Would she be embarrassed? Would her soldier's demeanor dwindle with the knowledge that her father had such audacity as to suggest they marry? It's enough to take his mind off of that image of her death, anyway.
Come on, Levi. Take advantage of this while you have it. While you have her here. Levi clears his throat to speak. ]
Yeah. Eren got out of there. Not without getting his ass eaten, though. He's fucking great at getting kidnapped. [ He doesn't know why he's telling her this; distracting himself further, really. Teasing Eren is a great distraction, after all, even in Eren's absence. ] Shit never stops happening, really.
[ Then, his voice is still stern. ] Don't apologize. It isn't something to apologize for. [ He's thought about it a lot, you know. Apologizing for your own death--no, your sacrifice, which was brave in and of itself--don't ever apologize for that. ] Your sacrifice... was an important piece of the puzzle that saved our asses. It was necessary. You did your duty more admirably than many soldiers I've known, Petra. [ Yeah, he's using her first name again. Because he's intensely serious in his words. ]