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In a quiet area of Onyonkapon’s neighborhood stood a small little tea shop. It was a two story building with a basement. When you walked in, there were some tables and couches around the room. When you walk closer to the counter you can see a walkway that leads to the kitchen area for the baked goods on display. Next to the walkway and the counter were a set of stairs. Up the stairs would lead you to an upstairs apartment. This is where the former captain, Levi Ackerman, Falco Grice, Reiner and Gabi Braun stayed. Not too far from the counter was another door that led to the basement of the building. Levi used the basement for storage of the tea shop. It's also where we find Levi working before it's time to open up shop.
He told his roommates to sleep in a little today and he would open up. Sometimes, he enjoys having peace and quiet to himself. Some days it’s harder than others. He’s used to having a ball of energy bursting into the room to go into a rant and ramble on until Levi knocks them out. With his quiet moments, he allows himself to think about the memories with them; the good and the bad.
There are a few things he does to help him get through the days. He has a small altar for his loved ones that he prays at every morning. Onyonkapon suggested having one and said it could bring some healing. He’s not exactly sure if it’s working but it doesn’t hurt either so he does it anyway. Another ritual he finds himself doing is sitting two tea cups by the window in his room every day as an offering for Hange. He knows how thirsty they used to be for tea when they were alive so he makes two cups of tea for them in the morning. He has one cup of tea by the altar for Erwin, but the tea cup by the window is different. Where the window is placed in his room, the sun shines through it and lights up the whole room - just like how Hange used to.
And at the end of each day, when the liquid would have been dissolved from the sunlight, he would dabble in a little tea reading. While he wouldn’t exactly call himself a tea connoisseur and he wasn’t exactly a spiritual person; however, his life pretty much revolved around tea. Also, because he represents the remainder of the Survey Corps it has become his duty to try new things.
Ever since he had dabbled in tea reading, he has had a few interesting ones for himself but mostly mundane. For example, he would get readings such as the sword on top of his cup meaning his power and authority is recognized. Considering he was given “Humanity’s Strongest,” he wasn’t that surprised with that one. Another reading he would get was the Urn in various positions of the cup, indicating he had a hard life but he has friends there for him now. When he would check Hange’s teacups at night, they were relatively the same. A tomb which represents coming to terms with failures in one’s life. At the end of Hange’s life, they felt like a failure and the destruction around them was their fault. Something about that reading left a bitter taste in his mouth because in his eyes, Hange nowhere close to a failure. Another reading Hange tends to get was the Jester, whether it would be the top or the middle of the tea cup. Depending on the placement, means Hange likes to joke around (top) or tries to take things more seriously (middle).
Despite whether or not these readings were real, they brought a form of comfort into his life. Right now, Levi was gathering some tea bags to make tea for larger canisters and as well as a big bag of coffee beans. He loathed the smell of coffee, much less selling it. He did this though not because he wanted to but the brats that live with him suggested it. Apparently it’s starting to become popular and he wants to stay in business. He wasn’t sure what was so special about this coffee, they had it in Paradise Island even, but he let Gabi have full reign on this project. As he lifted the bag over his shoulder, he heard something ripped and his heart stopped. He prayed it was just his clothes but the moment he heard pattering on the floor - it was over. And this didn’t sound like any normal spillage - no. It sounded as if someone was cackling in delight at the ordeal. He looked around seeing no one so he called out, “If you think this is so funny, how about you help me clean this shit up. Can’t stand the smell of this shit.”
But there was no responding sound, not even a hum. He swept up the mess and grabbed himself another bag and carefully carried it up the stairs to the cafe. Once the machines were loaded and the jugs were filled, he went upstairs to his private room to fill Hange’s cups with tea. He stood there in his empty room, staring at the sun as it progressively got brighter in the early morning. He looked down at the cups before uttering something as he left the room. It was so softly spoken, you wouldn’t think he was talking to anyone. But, he did say, “Tch, don’t choke on your tea today.” And with that he shut the door and went back down to the shop to open up.
For the most part of the day, it was pretty uneventful except for one minor detail. The bell hanging outside the door kept ringing throughout the day. Levi almost hammered that thing down. For some reason, the bell would ring even if no one was coming into the tea shop. Levi stepped outside to investigate, thinking it was possibly windy today. From the moment Levi stepped outside, however, there was no wind. There was barely a breeze. The bell wasn’t the only damn thing being noisy. The toilet Levi allows his customers to use would randomly flush throughout the day, even if no one was in there. At one point, it got clogged. He had Falco clean that up because he simply didn’t have the patience for it today.
But at the end of the day, when all was said and done, he cleaned up the shop. He continued his normal routine for the most part. He made dinner, did some light reading. One thing out of the ordinary though was that he forgot to check Hange’s tea leaves at the end of the day. He must’ve been extremely tired because the moment he sat on the bed, he was asleep.
It was the same dream, reliving the horrors of the past by watching comrades and friends become titan fodder. When the dream was nearing the close, an angelic silhouette was walking towards him. When the figure was close enough, his heart stopped at the mere image of them. They looked just as beautiful as the last day he saw them. There was a mischievous smile on their face with a playful tone of voice, “I hope you enjoyed me watching you work today. You can’t get rid of me no matter what.” Hange leaned and whispered ever so softly, “I’ll be watching you, always,” and kissed his cheek.
Levi jerked awake from the sudden feeling of cold air on his face. He looked towards the window to see how light it was outside and remembered he forgot to check Hange’s tea leaves. He got out of bed and looked inside the first cup. There was a tree at the top of their tea cup, if he remembered correctly, it means they appreciate life and all that it brings. This includes the strong bonds they may have with the people in their lives. He gave a small smile and noted the new reading before going to the next cup. He looked at it and saw it was an urn. Satisfied, he went to his personal kitchen to start his day.
Levi prepared himself a spot of tea to wake himself up. He knew he needed a strong cup of tea after the day he had yesterday. He hoped today would be less noisy. After he drank the remaining amount of tea, he peeked inside his cup. When he looked, he nearly dropped the cup to the floor. He gripped around the cup tightly to make sure there’s no slippage. At the bottom of the cup were wings. He never received wings for his reading. He wasn’t sure if he felt relief or admiration. He could feel his heart swell though. To receive wings at the bottom up the cup was such a positive omen, meaning he is being protected and guided by a spirit. He couldn’t help but be overwhelmed with emotion. It had to be a sign that part of his dream may have happened. He smiled and muttered, “Thank you, Hange. Please, keep watching.”
Tomb:
https://www.auntyflo.com/tea-leaf-dictionary/tomb
Jester:
https://www.auntyflo.com/tea-leaf-dictionary/jester
Sword: https://www.auntyflo.com/tea-leaf-dictionary/sword
Urn: https://www.auntyflo.com/tea-leaf-dictionary/urn