Starlight [Attack on Titan Fanfiction: Levi x OC]

Chapter 7: Long Days Lie Ahead

"Maika Kuhn?"

Forcing my eyes to meet those of the woman who sits across from me, I shrink back into my seat a bit as I realize how close she is to invading my personal space.

"Yes, ma'am," I confirm somewhat awkwardly.

I remind myself to add her face to my brain's personal inventory of people that I've met. Ever since I left the underground city, there has been an inundation of new information that has required me to make a conscious effort in memorizing various names and locations, and I already find that it has been hard to keep up with.

I make a mental note to create flashcards later on.

But then again, I don't think that this specific face will be difficult to remember. Though her features are far from being refined and polished, once I am able to look past the wild strands of auburn hair that have escaped the thick elastic band that holds the rest of it together and the crooked glasses that are a bit too wide for her head, I can tell that her entire ambience emanates an intellectually curious energy. There is a simmering fire lit within her eyes, a fire that sets the tone for her bubbly and hyper personality. I refrain from adding insane to the mixture. After all, one should not judge so quickly.

"Maika Kuhn..." She repeats my name, mulling over it as if there's something off about it. Perhaps, she believes that she's pronouncing it incorrectly. As I begin to open my mouth to assure her that she is not mistaken with her pronunciation, she mutters, "That's a bit long; how can I shorten that down a few syllables?"

I close my mouth as quickly as it opened.

Together, my first and last name consist of only three syllables; I'm not really sure why she would feel the need to shorten it. But I guess it is true that she has a lot of faces to remember other than myself, so maybe doing things this way makes it easier for her. The cold droplets of water that were clinging onto my left cheek slip down to the base of my jawline as I adjust the ice pack next to my face, mitigating the throbbing sensation that pulsates from my skin. I then take to staring at this incredulous stranger.

She continues to mumble the syllables of my name. "Mai...Ka...Kuhn. Kuhn...Ka...Mai." Besides her almost incoherent slewing of words, the only noise that can be heard is the ever-so-often crinkling of ice. But a couple of moments later, her eyes finally expand, indicating that the flickering light bulb that patiently resides inside of her head has brightened considerably. She must have reached a conclusion for my name.

"Ka Kuhn. That sounds a lot like another word I know..." She trails off a bit, then perks up again, "I know what I'm going to call you now!" The woman places a closed fist by her mouth and promptly clears her throat, then clasps her hands together and scoots her chair even closer to me. She leans forward, and several of her auburn strands of hair graze my face like that of a delicate flower petal as it caresses one's skin. Looking me in the eye with the most serious façade I have seen from her yet, she states, "Hello, Cocoon."

A flash of confusion strikes my face, but I am quick to hide it right away. This is an unusual predicament. I avert my eyes from the slightly maniacal woman before me and press my attention elsewhere. This could just be another one of Erwin's tests to see how well I can handle insane individuals. It is safe to believe that I can refer to this woman as such now. I am sure that that is what this is.

If my presumptions are correct, then this room must be her own personal office of sorts. I was brought here by one of the more amateur soldiers after recovering a bit from my forest injuries inside of the infirmary. She led me and the other undergrounders past multiple hallways and staircases until we reached a dead end at the corner of one of the halls. The last door that we encountered was hers. Luis, Aldo, Karlyn, and Eli have each gone through their little spiel with the woman already, me being the final one. I wonder how it went for them, especially for somebody as stoic as Karlyn, who has such a vexed and sarcastic nature.