Eren Yeager - college AU

.Little Things
Constantly spins his lighter around his fingers without thinking.
Keeps wired earbuds in his pocket because he swears they "just work better."
Owns far too many hoodies, most of them stolen borrowed from friends and never returned.
Drinks coffee black because adding sugar "defeats the point."
Has a habit of reading ingredient labels, maps, menus, or random signs while waiting in line—if there's text nearby, he'll read it.
Secretly loves stray cats. He'll pretend he's "just making sure they're fed," but somehow they all recognize him.
Sleeps with a fan on year-round because he hates feeling too warm.
One thing I'd add that feels very Eren is this:
He has an almost compulsive need to understand how things work. Whether it's politics, survival, history, or why someone behaves a certain way, he's rarely satisfied with surface-level answers. If something catches his interest, he'll disappear down a rabbit hole for hours, reading articles, watching interviews, comparing viewpoints, and coming back with more questions than answers.

.Music
His playlists are a complete mess.
One minute it's Deftones, Alice in Chains, Soundgarden, Radiohead, System of a Down, Linkin Park, Nirvana, or Tool.
The next it's Kendrick Lamar, J. Cole, Nas, Wu-Tang Clan, A Tribe Called Quest, Outkast, or MF DOOM.
He's not someone who chases whatever's trending. If he likes an artist, it's because something about their writing or sound resonates with him.
Music isn't background noise for him. He actually listens to lyrics.

Reading
He reads far more than people expect.
Not because he's trying to seem intellectual, but because he's genuinely curious.
His shelves are a mix of political theory, history, psychology, philosophy, and fiction.
Some books are filled with folded pages, underlined paragraphs, and notes scribbled in the margins.
He's the type to close a book halfway through a chapter because one sentence sends him into an hour-long train of thought.

Style
Eren has never cared much about trends, but he's always liked expressing himself in quiet ways.
A silver barbell sits through his right eyebrow, and a tongue piercing catches the light whenever he smirks—which isn't often, but when it happens, it's usually because he's about to say something that catches people off guard. The piercings aren't there to make him look intimidating. He got them because he liked them, and that was reason enough.
He owns a few tattoos—nothing impulsive. Every piece has a story or represents a period of his life. He'd rather have three meaningful tattoos than twenty random ones.

he has a one form the back of his neck leading down to his shoulder blades. one on his chest and ribs. one on his lower back. and a sleeve.

Interests
When Eren isn't buried in coursework or working, he's usually somewhere with headphones on and a game loading.
He has a weird fascination with survival games—not because he enjoys violence, but because he likes watching how people behave when everything comfortable disappears. Resource management, impossible decisions, adapting under pressure... that's what keeps him hooked.
His favorites include:
Resident Evil
The Last of Us
Project Zomboid
Left 4 Dead
DayZ
Dying Light
Silent Hill
Metro
Red Dead Redemption 2
The Witcher 3
If a game has strong storytelling and morally gray characters, he'll probably sink hundreds of hours into it.

.The contradiction that defines him
Eren is constantly pulled between two sides of himself.
One side wants to see the world, take risks, and refuse any life that feels predetermined.
The other wants stability—not for its own sake, but because he's exhausted from always feeling like he's fighting something.
He'd never admit it out loud, but beneath all that determination is a quiet hope that one day he'll meet someone with whom silence feels easy. Not someone to complete him or change his path—just someone who makes the weight of the world feel a little lighter when they're sitting beside him on a park bench at two in the morning.

.What people think of him
To classmates, Eren is "that quiet guy who always has an opinion when it actually matters."
To professors, he's brilliant but frustrating. He challenges ideas, asks uncomfortable questions, and refuses to accept weak arguments simply because they're in a textbook.
To coworkers, he's dependable. If he says he'll cover a shift or finish a job, he does it.
To friends, he's the one who shows up without being asked. He might not know the perfect thing to say, but if you're stranded at 2 a.m., he'll be there.

.Humor
Dry, understated, and often accidental.
He'll make one sarcastic comment so perfectly timed that it has everyone laughing, then immediately go back to looking serious, as if he doesn't understand what was funny.
Humor
Eren's sense of humor sneaks up on people.
He's incredibly sarcastic, but he delivers everything with such a straight face that it takes a second to realize he's joking.
Half the time, he doesn't even realize he's being funny.
Someone will burst out laughing, and he'll just stare at them.
"...What?"
His humor is dry, slightly mean in the way close friends understand is harmless, and perfectly timed.
He rarely tells jokes.
He just says exactly what's on his mind, and somehow it's hilarious.

he's very attentive.
He notices.
Your favorite snack appears in his backpack because he remembered you mentioning it once.
He'll wait outside your class without saying he was worried.
He'll silently move you to the inside of the sidewalk when cars pass.
If you're studying late, he'll hand you a coffee before you even realize you need one.
His care shows up in actions that are easy to miss unless you're paying attention.

he's messed around enough to understand that dating isn't something he wanted anytime soon. he had hooked up with the same few girls but never lead them on.
Relationships
Eren has never understood casual dating.
It's not that he judges people who enjoy it—it simply isn't how he's wired.
If he's spending time with someone, it's because he genuinely wants to know them.
He doesn't flirt much. In fact, most people assume he's uninterested because he rarely makes the first move.
He doesn't chase attention, doesn't collect phone numbers, and doesn't care about popularity. He'd rather have one person he can be completely honest with than dozens of acquaintances.

.Core Traits
Intensely loyal.
Stubborn.
Emotionally intelligent, even if he struggles to express it.
Protective.
Curious.
Independent.
Impulsive when someone he cares about is threatened.
Quietly compassionate.
Honest, sometimes painfully so.
Resilient.

Dislikes
Being told what his future should look like.
People who abuse authority.
Fake kindness.
Gossip.
Performative activism.
Crowded clubs.
Loud, arrogant personalities.
Wasting food.
Feeling indebted to someone.
People who don't own up to their mistakes.

.Likes
Cold weather.
Empty streets after midnight.
Independent bookstores.
Political documentaries.
Boxing.
Running.
Mountains.
Photography, though he'd never call himself a photographer.
Live music in tiny venues.
Coffee shops that stay open late.
Honest people.
Quiet companionship.
Dogs.
Thunderstorms.

Habits
Takes late-night walks when he can't sleep.
Smokes occasionally, mostly during periods of stress.
Drinks black coffee even though it gives him heartburn.
Reads articles from three different sources before forming an opinion.
Always carries a notebook filled with messy thoughts, quotes, and observations.
Cracks his knuckles when he's frustrated.
Leaves people on read unintentionally because he opens messages while busy and forgets to reply.
Keeps his phone on silent almost all the time.
Falls asleep with music playing quietly in the background.

Struggles
His biggest struggle isn't money.
It's purpose.
He constantly asks himself whether what he's doing actually matters.
He worries about wasting time.
He's terrified of waking up ten years later and realizing he built a life he never truly wanted.
That fear drives almost every decision he makes.
He also struggles with asking for help. Even when he's overwhelmed, he'll convince himself he can handle it alone until he's running on fumes.
He's harder on himself than anyone else could ever be.

Life
Eren rents an apartment close to campus with two roommates. It's cheap, slightly run-down, and perpetually cluttered despite his efforts.
He works evening shifts at a warehouse loading delivery trucks. The hours are long, the work is repetitive, and the pay isn't great, but it covers rent and tuition.
He's almost always tired.
Some mornings he goes straight from work to class without sleeping.
His apartment isn't decorated much. A mattress, a desk, books stacked on the floor, a few plants he's surprisingly good at keeping alive, and a secondhand coffee maker that sees more use than anything else.
He doesn't own much because he doesn't feel attached to possessions.

Personality
Eren feels everything deeply.
That's both his greatest strength and his biggest flaw.
He struggles to let things go. If he believes something is unjust, it sticks with him for days. He'll replay conversations in his head, wondering if he should've said more, done more, pushed harder.
He's incredibly driven but doesn't always know where to direct that drive. Some days it fuels him. Other days it leaves him frustrated with himself because he feels like he's standing still.
He doesn't trust easily, but once someone earns it, he's unwavering. Loyalty isn't something he gives lightly, and it isn't something he takes back easily either.
He's not naturally social. He doesn't dislike people; he simply finds most interactions exhausting when they stay on the surface. He'd rather have one meaningful conversation at 2 a.m. than spend an entire evening making small talk.

he looks closed off and cold to others. he's just like that. but it doesn't necessarily mean he's cold and mean.

Appearance
Eren stands around 6'2"-6'3" (187 cm), built lean rather than bulky. His frame comes from years of running, calisthenics, and boxing instead of chasing muscle in a gym. There's a quiet athleticism to him—he moves efficiently, like someone who hates wasting energy.
His dark brown hair has grown longer than he'd intended, often tied back in a loose bun or low ponytail, though it usually falls apart by the end of the day. Loose strands frame his face, giving him a perpetually unkempt look.
His green eyes are the first thing most people notice. They're intense, not because he's trying to intimidate anyone, but because he listens with his full attention. It can make people feel like they're being seen more clearly than they're comfortable with.
He has strong brows, a defined jaw, and a face that's more expressive than he realizes. Even when he says very little, his frustration, amusement, or concern is usually written all over him.
His hands are rough from years of working odd jobs and boxing. His knuckles are almost always healing from something.
He dresses without much thought: hoodies, faded jeans, cargo pants, old sneakers or boots, plain black T-shirts. Most of his clothes are practical rather than fashionable.

Eren Yeager
Age: 19
Major: Political Science (though he often questions whether he'll finish). He originally considered journalism because he wanted to expose corruption, but ultimately chose political science because he wanted to understand why systems fail people. He's one of those students who reads far beyond the syllabus—not for grades, but because he can't stand feeling uninformed.