Gestahlt's SnK Sideblog. Scouting Legion Post-it Shenanigans. Contains lots of Levi, Zoe Hanji, Mike Zakarius, and Erwin Smith. Occasionally contains Eren Jaeger, Mikasa Ackerman and Jean Kirstein. Always contains C-R-A-C-K.
100 More Rumours Concerning the Recon Squad Leaders, Erwin Smith, & Certain Members of the 104th Graduating Class
A/N: After missing my self-imposed deadline of snk-notes' first year anniversary, I've finally managed to push through with the last few rumours. Huzzah for perseverance! Coming up with 100 rumours alone was definitely harder than I thought it'd be and damn did it take a long time.
Dedication: For gestahlt, my partner-in-crime when it comes to the irreverent practice of slathering crack onto everything you hold dear. Happy belated first-year anniversary to snk-notes!
For more rumours: 100 Rumours Concerning the Recon Squad Leaders, Erwin Smith, & Dott Pixis
_______________
More Rumours Concerning Captain Levi
001) Captain Levi almost killed a person during one of his cleaning sprees.
002) Captain Levi almost killed Squad Leader Hanji during one of his cleaning sprees.
003) Captain Levi once disemboweled a guy with the remains of a broken teacup.
004) They say that Captain Levi joined the military only because Commander Erwin promised him a growth-spurt and used Squad Leader Mike as an example.
005) Captain Levi can’t climb onto his own horse without assistance.
006) When Captain Levi visits the sick bay, infection rates drop by 30% immediately thereafter.
007) Captain Levi suffers from constipation. That’s why he always looks the way he does.
008) Captain Levi suffers from constipation. That’s why he’s so obsessed with shit and shit jokes.
009) At the last Annual Military Summit, Captain Levi attempted to polish Commander Pixis’ head with his cravat and nobody tried to stop him.
010) Captain Levi once won a horse in a card game.
5 MORE RUMOURS CONCERNING THE SCOUTING LEGION AND MILITARY POLICE VETERANS
101) On the one time that Nile Dok won a bet against Levi, he asked for a specific favour involving the latter's convenient lack of height to lure targets into the Milatary Police's latest crackdown on crime. This incident is otherwise known as Great Pedophile Purge of Year 844.
102) Mike Zakarius has collective insurance on certain body parts: nose (1 million), legs (300k per leg), and all 12 of his abs (25k per ab), the proceeds of which shall be evenly distributed among his 27 illegitimate children.
103) Erwin Smith's megawatt handsome smile can be used as an alternative power source.
104) Hange Zoe once created a love potion which included hair from Erwin Smith's eyebrows, Mike Zakarius' used bathwater and Levi's sweat.
105) It was tested by Nile Dok, who got married 2 months afterwards.
Tumblr was so kind to notify me via email as to what a terrible person I am and how I completely missed this blog’s first year anniversary. And then this kind of happened.
Thanks for putting up with all the crack and ridiculousness and obscenely long stretches of radio-silence. <3
This isn't a headcanon, I'm just wondering if this blog is still active. I love reading all your funny posts (as well as that of snk-headcanons) and would be really distraught if these two blogs died :( please keep up the amazing work; your fans are addicted to your crack :)
Right, it's about time I addressed this.
Guys, I'm really sorry about the abysmal lack of updates in this blog. The past few months have been incredibly busy for me IRL, and to be honest, while there's enough canon material for me to write about, I just haven't been hit by the right inspiration. I think my decided lack of ships for this fandom has contributed to my sudden writer's block - it's more difficult to lose creative juices when there's the power of shippy ~tru wub~ to keep lubricating you in the fucking stuff. People who follow me on my personal blog know that I've written a few things for the Free! fandom, and that's because I... ship a lot of things in there ahahaha. Not to say that actively shipping something is superior to not shipping anything because IT'S NOT; it's just that sometimes, I can be a shameful fujoshi wreck, and porn is way easier to write than humour.
This isn't to say I've left SnK for Free! (never never never), it's just that my writing mojo has been favouring the shippy variety lately, but I do believe it'll balance out eventually.
Also, @kirui and I haven't really found the time to go on an SnK brainstorming spree since our trip to SG last August, I believe (HOLY SHIT THAT'S A LONG TIME AGO), and she's my main motivator in this fandom so... D:
I actually do have stuff lying around for the blog- I have about 5 different WIPs (one of which is Part 2 of 15 Orders from Erwin Smith that Levi Rephrased for Maximum Effect); it's just that I can't seem to wrap them up in the way I want to. The thing is, I refuse to post for the sake of posting; I really don't want to give you guys less than what you're used to seeing from me. But I am trying.
So anon, to answer your question: NO, THIS BLOG IS NOT DEAD. I REPEAT: IT IS NOT DEAD. THINK OF IT AS A VOLCANO: IT IS DORMANT FOR NOW, BUT WHEN INSPIRATION FINALLY STRIKES, IT'LL BE A MEGASPLOSION OF KRAKATOA LEVELS.
~ Gestahlt
PS: I've written some sort of humorous, parody-like commentary on the latest chapter of SnK, summarized as "Humanity is Well and Truly Fucked Because Eren Jaeger Can't Get Hard and Fill A Hole; Let Me Explain To You How." Is anyone interested in reading it?
PPS: If you guys can link me to motivational Scouting Legion Veterans related shenanigans of any sort (fic, art, meta, etc) that would be super awesome.
Headcanon: Mike Has Nicknames For Everybody He Meets
Mike knows better than to actually address the recipients by those nicknames though. Least of all for the reason that those nicknames are, ostensibly, based on the dominant scents he associates with each person. Take, for instance, the following:
Hanji: “Vine And Cheese.”
Pixis: “Guns ‘N Roses.”
Eren: “Teen Spirit.”
Levi: “Lavender Vinedex™.”
Erwin: ”It’s A Mystery.”
((Thanks to Gestahlt/snk-notes for providing the inspiration with regards to Hanji and Pixis. When I asked for her opinion on how they’d smell, this is what she answered with: “Pixis smells like OLD SPICE. Or Hanji’s latest Vine brew. Or gunmetal. He always smells like a combo of clean, manly and deadly. Hanji smells differently depending on how long she’s been in the lab. So old cheese, moldy boots, variety of alcoholic scents, etc.” XD I was this close to dubbing Pixis “Boom-boom Vine” and Hanji “Party Vine,” is2g.))
I cannot even think of anything remotely witty to add to this, because I have not stopped laughing yet at the brilliance of Eren "Smells Like Teen Spirit" Yeager.
Hi there! We're a new multi-fandom roleplay group. If it isn't too much trouble, would you mind promoting us a bit? We're searching for members. Thank you in advance!
You probably don't ship it, but... would it be alright to request something Hanji and Levi-centric for LeviHan week, pretty please? With chocolate sprinkles on top?
I'm open to all ships in SnK, I just don't actively ship anything. But anon, next time you want me to write something for an event, do let me know earlier, instead of two days before the end of the week event in question (i didn't even know there was a LeviHan week orz).
I'm sorry I couldn't come up with something now (I'm pretty sure the LeviHan week is already over), but I do have something Levi and Hanji centric in my WIP bin, so they'll definitely have their moment in the blog soon.
Again, sorry for my lack of updates guys, October has been an incredibly busy month for me. I'll definitely be posting something this November though, so kindly bear with me until then. :)
30 Notes Sent To Erwin Smith On The Subject of His Fabulous Birthday Party
Summary: In which Hanji finds a loophole, Reiner makes super spicy stew and Eren's artistic skills in Titan form are put to the test.
A/N: So this blog is SHAMEFULLY lacking in updates, and I’m really really sorry. I haven’t been posting lately because of 1.) Diablo 3 for the PS3, 2.) MakoRin 3) my old laptop giving up on me after 3 years, whose files I fear never seeing again adasdlljhjlfk and 4) recent episodes and manga chapters are doing nothing to crank up my crack machine
BUT, anon sent me this ask (like a week ago) and I realized I needed to update because... it’s Erwin. So this is late, but um, yeah, belated Happy Birthday Erwin; here let me inflict more of your favourite subordinates upon your well-being, you magnificent handsome creature.
Anon ask was as follows:
Disclaimer: I didn't exactly follow this prompt to the letter but THERE IS HANJI-FIED CAKE.
--
1.) Yes I am aware that there is a celebration of sorts going on, I realized that the third time someone tried to vomit on my shoes. Said perpetrators are all now safely asleep in the stables. Possibly with mild concussions but nothing a few sutures and a shot of Hanji’s most potent Vine can’t fix. - Levi
2.) No, I’m not putting a stop to everything else. I’m a soldier, not a babysitter. Go talk to Hanji. - Levi
3.) Look, all you said was 1. Do not spike the punch 2. Do not let the kids drink Vine and 3) Do not pour your entire stash into the water supply. You never said anything about the cake. Besides, it was Mike's idea. Go talk to him. - Hanji
4.) The cake was lacking a certain panache. And by panache I meant alcohol. Or maybe surprise strippers. - Mike
5.) Though I made an effort to get both; I just couldn’t afford Levi’s rates. – Mike
6.) Yes, you were the one who told us about that one-time pole dancing gig. Recruitment purposes, right? Levi looks pissed by the way, which really isn’t any news but just in case, don’t be surprised if all your clothes are turned inside out tomorrow. - Mike
7.) If it makes you feel any better, Levi wasn’t our first choice. It’s just that all the strippers Mike knows won’t do. Levi’s the only one who would fit in the cake. Theoretically. – Hanji
8.) Too bad it didn’t happen, but hey. MORE CAKE. - Mike
9.) Of course I remember the last time we had a party-- the mental image of Mike trying to act out potential titan reproduction methods had been seared into my brain against my will. I could have used the same brainspace to actually remember useful things like where the fuck I left my wallet, or how to disengage Hanji from Titan-related conversations but that’s not the point. - Levi
10.) The point is I refuse to do damage control anymore. Maybe you should’ve thought of that before you went and told Mike about that shitty pole incident. It was ONE time, and you had a fucking gun to your head. - Levi
11.) I swear I don’t know how this keeps happening—but several male recruits just lost their pants. But do not worry, they are all very resourceful. Those curtains are hideous and need to be replaced anyway. – Mike
12.) Hey sir, you just received a large birthday package from the Romance Novel Enthusiasts Club in the inner district. It contains some of the latest Miles and Boonie paperbacks, some chocolates, and for some reason, three sets of lacy underwear [*]. I haven’t seen some of these yet-- may I borrow them when you’re done? – Petra
13.) The books I mean, not the lacy underwear. Wow, this is awkward. - Petra
14.) Hi Sir, friendly advice: if you value your taste buds, do not have any of the deer stew contributed by Reiner Braun. - Gerger
15.) "Do you like spicy food haha," more like "do you want to feel like your asshole got repeatedly probed by a djinn proctologist." – Jean
16.) OH MY GOD I’M SO SORRY SIR THAT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE FOR REINER – Jean Kirstein
17.) But um, please don’t eat Reiner’s stew Sir. It’s unfit for human consumption. In fact, I’m pretty sure we could weaponize it somehow. – Jean Kirstein
18.) Bertholdt doesn’t count. Though I think I just cracked the secret of why he’s sweating all the time. – Jean Kirstein
19.) Why aren’t you coming down here? You just missed the food showdown of the century. Between Hanji’s Vine cake, and the stew that launched a thousand haemorrhoids, people are going to remember this night as the best absentee party in the annals of ever, and it's not even 2100h. - Mike
20.) Sir, the kids wanted to give you a big greeting card for your birthday. We told them there’s a shortage of paper, but they… got creative. - Nanaba
21.) Remember that glow-in-the-dark paint Armin Arlelt and I managed to concoct for use during night missions? Someone thought it was a good idea to give it to the new recruits for testing. - Hanji
22.) No, they didn’t vandalize your office ceiling. It’s actually on a much more significant scale. - Hanji
23.) They went to the hill. And drew on it. - Mike
24.) No I didn’t say anything about trees. I said HILL. – Mike
25.) Yes I meant the entire hillside. Yes, the one in front of your window. - Mike
26.) It... didn’t turn out so well. There wasn’t room for an art module in Eren’s Titan training regimen. But hey, it’s the thought that counts right?– Hanji
27.) For what it’s worth Sir, it was supposed to be a cannon shooting confetti. The cannon balls were just a last minute addition by this Springer kid. - Gunter
28.) Speaking of that kid sir, he and this Sasha chick haven’t stopped laughing for the past hour. It has become medically worrisome. – Erd
29.) Protip: if you don’t look directly at it, it won’t kill your brain. – Mike
30.) Erwin, there’s a glow-in-the-dark phallus painted on the hill in front of your window which appears to have ejaculated the words HAPPY BDAY COMMANDUR. I have nothing to do with it but vindication is sweet. – Levi
~fin~
[*] Credit to kirui for this headcanon :D Erwin's fan club has the most forward members.
Headcanon: Levi Blackmailed People into Joining the Military/Recon Corps
Before his promotion to Captain, Levi always managed to sneak back to the seedier parts of the Outer Walls. Even during his expedited stint as a trainee, Levi broke curfew numerous times, and usually with none the wiser. What he did on those detours is anybody’s guess—perhaps he went to reestablish useful connections? Or maybe he merely wanted to revisit old haunts?
But in reality, he spent most of his time in the gambling dens/taverns of the underground cities. As a matter of fact, the one time he’s caught is by Erwin, who finds him in a gambling den/tavern (because Erwin is omniscient like that, and is a bloody level 10 ruthless commander who actually keeps tabs on pet projects who tended to sneak out past curfew). Just like how he will later win himself a firearm from the Military Police via cards, Levi finds it perfectly reasonable to apply his less-than-savoury expertise in hustling to help the Recon Corps’ mission in his own way.
The Recon Corps is experiencing a dire shortage of man power? Not a problem. Which is to say, that one time Levi was caught by Erwin probably involved a conversation running along the lines of:
"Are you doing what I think you’re doing, Levi?"
"Just a minute."
"Levi—"
"Shut up, Erwin. This idiot just wagered himself. Didn’t Mike need a fill-in for Rene until her ribs heal?"
Soon enough, Hanji and Mike get in on the action; the former supplying Levi with the correct Vine brews to speed up the self-wagering process; the latter reporting all the juicy gossip he picks up from his own nightly excursions, for potential blackmail ammunition.
At that point, with three of his best people taking active participation in the recruitment drive (shady and morally-dubious as it is), Erwin just sighs and turns a blind eye. After all, the effort required to stop the three of them would more than offset any moral righteousness it will inspire.
Now I'm sorry because you're saying sorry. >_< Damn, I should have stuck with praising you for this fic. Because it does give that sense of catharsis, and even crack written for Levi and Petra would probably turn to angst if people remember those two episodes. I hope my comment didn't make you not want to write. >_< I'll take even angst because you write well.
You nailed it- catharsis was exactly what I was going for and I'm glad you at least liked the fic even if it added more salt to the wounds left by Episodes 21 and 22.
And no worries about me not wanting to write. Writing is very therapeutic for me, regardless of what I write; the problem is that I don't have much time for it these days, compounded with the fact that my writing is largely dependent on the proper inspiration, which I'm running low on atm. But no worries, I'll be adding more to the blog soon once I get my shit together.
Just read i am the touch you won't remember and I'm torn between wanting to praise you for this ridiculously beautiful and touching fic and just asking 'how can you do this?' ;__; Just when I thought I was over Episode 22...
D: D: D:
I really have no idea on how to respond to this kind of thing, but um, I'm really sorry Anon. I had to choose between crack and angst for this request, but the recent episodes have forced my hand to do the latter. I had to have an outlet for all the soul-crushing, heart-stabbing PAIN Episode 21 and 22 did to my poor fangirl soul and this request had been long overdue, so I decided to pour my energies into this...
I can't offer anything for comfort but um... * BIG INTERNET HUG *
MIKE. MIIIIIIKE. THAT SMOOTH, VELVET DELIVERY. :D : D: D I bet Erwin would be reconsidering the “rejected” status of this campaign—not a fundraiser, but perhaps a recruiting effort…?
Thank you so much ask-mikasa-and-eren and Nifty for doing this. This is everything I could have imagined. You guys nailed it. 10/10, will replay again.
[Request Post #8] I Am the Touch You Won't Remember (You are the Smile I Can't Forget)
Characters: Levi, Petra's father
Rating: Gen
Requested by: special-squads-petra-ral. For the prompt: "Things Levi said to Petra to make her blush."
THIS IS SO SHAMEFULLY LATE and I am deeply sorry. RL has been kicking me all over the place, and I will admit to being distracted by Tachibana Makoto’s sexy back upon occasion but I am more or less back in the swing of things, though I still can’t promise a regular posting schedule.
I WILL BE GOING BACK TO NOTES FORMAT SOON. Kirui and I have schemed lengthily during our brief stint in SG and I promise there will be more shenanigans of the crack kind once I get my shit together.
In the meantime, have some Levi angst. Like most of my SnK writing, this isn't very shippy, though you can read it as such. As usual, unbeta'd, apologies in advance for any errors and typos and such.
--
The dirt path leading to Petra's house is lined by flower bushes, tiny splashes of colour dotting the earth. Most are wildflowers, but there are a few irises, some carnations, and some small blue ones with a yellow center that he can't quite remember the name of. Not that it matters. These flowers are right where there belong. There is no grave to put them on and no body to bury with them.
He shifts the bag he's holding into his right hand. The bag doesn’t contain much; Petra has never been one for excess and sundry. The leather knapsack contains 2 sets of clothes, a pair of silver sandals, a faded journal, a handkerchief, and a porcelain tea-cup. Simple, practical items, nothing particularly special about them at all.
Petra’s father is the one who opens the door, his eyes sunken and red. He has not stopped mourning yet, it would seem, but he puts on a brave face when he sees his visitor. “Captain Levi,” he says, his voice surprisingly steady despite the tear tracks on his face. “Come in.”
It takes a beat for Levi to respond. This is the person Petra has taken after: a man of such peerless kindness, that he thinks nothing of inviting the person who by all means could be held accountable for his daughter’s death, into his home. He looks much too old, and tired. He looks like any father who couldn’t even bury his own child.
Levi has long understood that in this line of work, it is pure folly to be guilty about other people’s deaths. But this squad was special- for they were chosen by him, not given to him, and Levi had not even been there when they died.
And he lost the right to openly mourn long ago. His heart is tired, and it has no room for ghosts.
So he does what he can, tries to bring closure for the families of the lives he couldn’t save.
Levi enters the house Petra has called home for all of her 23 years. It was a modest house, made of stone and brick, with simple wood and straw furniture, though it has all the hallmarks of something that has seen happy memories within its walls—crayon markings on the door, worn in stuffed armchairs, sparse but well-kept photographs in mismatched frames. Without a word, he presents the bag to Petra’s father. Again, his mind flashes back to the image of Petra’s face, sunlight reflecting off her hair, her bloody face shadowed against the light, as her body drops out of the cart, a sacrifice for humanity’s survival. A sacrifice that Levi himself ordered.
Her father doesn’t ask what it’s for. Instead, he accepts Petra’s things shakily, and places it on the table. He opens the bag like it would collapse if he tugs too harshly, which is sort of absurd- the knapsack is military grade strength, designed to carry metal and mortar. But Levi does not say anything and allows her father the right to be careful in handling the physical remnants of a memory, of what Levi failed to protect.
Her father lifts a piece of clothing from the bag. A white sundress with green accents, made with soft cotton, and lace. Levi has seen Petra wear it once, less than a year ago, but he remembers exactly how it fell on her petite frame.
“She liked this dress a lot. It didn’t serve any practical use, but she wanted to bring some of home with her,” her father says, as he takes a hanger and puts it in place, his eyes gazing fondly at the thin item. “She looked positively radiant in it.”
“She did,” Levi agrees quietly.
--
“Wow Petra, you look amazing!” Erd cried out, circling around her in awe.
“Why would you even wear something like this, it’s not like you’re going to use it to go hunting,” Auruo grumbled, though there was no mistaking the way he clearly appreciates the spectacle.
Levi didn’t believe Hanji at first when she told him that Petra was responsible for the ongoing commotion in the mess hall—but getting a glimpse of her now, he guess he could let this one pass. Today was a day off, and as a certified graduate from the Hanji and Mike school of mischief and shenanigans, he was not about to blow his top for something so trivial.
Nevertheless, it was always amusing to see them panic.
The first one to notice his presence was Gunther. “Captain!”
She turned around then, at the sound of his name, and the skirt whirled with her, the flowing lines of the dress adding a certain daintiness to her movements. In a world where blood and blade are the norm, white lace and cotton was a rare and precious sight.
Petra had a panicked look on her face, which contrasted greatly with the loveliness of her ensemble. “I’m sorry Sir, I was just trying it on--”
“Not bad,” Levi interrupted. He reached out and touched the material briefly, placing the white lace strap between two fingers, admiring the simple elegance of it. “White dresses suit you.”
Petra blushed hotly, but her eyes sparkled with pleasure, as if Levi told her she hung the stars and the moon in his sky.
“And that blush suits you too,” Erd said, laughing, making Petra go even redder as she implored the rest of the troop to stop teasing, and show some respect to the captain.
Levi just nodded and walked away, a secret half smile on his lips. Erd wasn’t lying.
--
The teacup is next. Her father handles it fondly, as he turns it over in his hands. The porcelain is old, but Levi had polished it until it shone, the blue and white patterns gleaming under the afternoon light as if new. Petra rarely used it, for fear of getting it broken during a random meal time brawl. Levi distinctly remembers using it once.
“She made the best coffee,” her father says wistfully. “She knows each of our tastes- plenty of cream, half sugar for me, no cream but a full sugar for her mom.”
Levi likes his coffee with condensed milk- just one spoonful to temper the bitterness. Petra was the only one who could get it right—he never did quite figure out just how she prepared the brew; Erd told him it involved pulling the coffee several times between two containers to get a frothy texture. Levi has been meaning to watch Petra do it for so long.
It’s too late now.
--
The capital was full of snobs as usual, self-absorbed swine that Levi would want nothing more than to put on the frontlines of battle as titan fodder, as it was possibly the only way they’d be useful to humanity.
He was only too glad to come back. Back to the sparsely furnished but neat headquarters, back to their simple fare of meat stew and potatoes, instead of five course meals that involved way too many utensils, back to clothes peppered with stitched tears instead of crystal, that smelled of detergent instead of perfume.
“Ah sir, you’re back!” Petra said, running out to meet him, hands out and ready to take the coat Levi handed her. “How was the capital?”
“Terrible,” he muttered “Everything was too sweet or oily. That goes for both the food and the people.”
“I’m sorry I wasn’t able to accompany you,” Petra said shyly, looking down. “If only I had known—“
“It doesn’t matter,” Levi cut in as he pulled out a chair and carelessly plopped himself down on it. “I don’t suppose I can have a cup of something to wash away the foul taste of that god-awful trip?”
Petra smiled that gentle understanding smile of hers, a light splotch of pink dusting her cheeks as she sheepishly took the steaming cup from behind a large flower vase, and placed it in front of Levi.
Levi raised an eyebrow and took the proffered cup carefully, taking a moment to study the delicate blue and white design. “This doesn’t seem to have come from the mess hall dining wares.”
“No sir, it’s my cup. There wasn’t a clean cup available- the kitchen staff was waiting for your return to stock up on dishwashing liquid, so I just used mine,” Petra explained. “It’s part of a set my grandmother left to me, and I took it with me to remind me of home…” Her voice trailed off, as if catching herself. "Anyway...I hope you don’t mind.”
“I don't. Thank you,” Levi said. Before he took a sip, he inhaled the robust aroma, tempered with a note of sweetness. He met Petra’s gaze, and tipped the cup to his lips, filling his tongue with the taste of home.
--
The journal is last. Levi hasn’t deigned to open it; he reasons that he doesn’t want to pry into what Petra wants to keep to herself—he will not be the one to violate secrecy. But the truth is, he doesn’t want to know.
Her father opens it to the last page, and Levi finds himself gripping the edge of the table tightly.
“Have you read it?” her father asks, eyes skimming the pages of Petra’s neat script.
“I haven’t,” Levi answers truthfully.
“I understand.” Her father opens it to the last page, and reads it. His eyes mist, but no tears come out. Still, his voice shakes a little when he speaks again. “She wrote about you a lot. Would you like to listen to her last entry?”
The word “last” is like salt on his fresh wounds. Levi doesn’t say anything. If he has to feel guilty, then so be it. He will not dishonour Petra by running away from her memories of him. He nods.
Petra’s father clears his throat, and reads:
Tomorrow we’re leaving for another mission with the new recruits. We’re in the center back of the formation, the safest place, since we have to protect Eren.
My father once asked me why I do this. Why do I fight?
Captain Levi taught me the answer long ago: What I do for myself dies when I die. But what I do for the good of everyone else lives on, even when I am no longer alive to witness it. So long as I am here, I will do what I can to push humanity one step forward towards victory.
It is a great honour to serve Captain Levi and protect the biggest hope of mankind. We’re getting closer to finding out the secrets of our world, and that is worth everything.
Everything.
I sent a letter to my father today. I told him that not once did I ever regret the choice I made, this choice to devote myself to Captain Levi and everything the corps stands for. It’s dangerous, living on the edge like this, where every step beyond the wall heightens the chances of dying.
But I’m in good hands.
I’ll be back soon.
Petra’s father’s hands are trembling so badly by the time he finishes that he accidentally drops the journal- though Levi manages to save it in time, with a speed gained from countless battles dealing with creatures fifteen times his size.
The journal’s leather is cracked in some places, but it is soft between the callouses of his fingers, obviously well-used. Again, Levi remembers:
--
It has been the tradition of the Recon Corps to hold a modest feast before an expedition, and this night was made special by the presence of the new recruits. Levi, who had a heated discussion with Erwin prior to the feast, left early after having his fill. He was about to retire to his quarters when he saw Petra heading to her own room alone. Her hand was clenched around what seemed to be a bracelet made of large round beads, and her eyes lit up when she saw him.
He nodded his acknowledgement. “What is that?” he said, gesturing towards the beads in her hand.
“This? Oh, one of the new recruits gave it to me. Said they were prayer beads,” Petra answered with a fond little smile, as she tucked the bracelet into her breast pocket. “He said I could use it to pray for luck.”
Levi didn’t believe in luck. He believed in strength and timing, believed in making the right decisions in the right times. But he said none of these things, because while he didn’t believe in luck, he believed in Petra’s sincerity and her hope.
When Levi didn’t respond, Petra just smiled brighter. “I’m not really the praying type,” she said. “But it couldn’t hurt could it? We always need all the luck we can get.”
It was hard to pray for victory, when one was ignorant of one's true goals. He had expressly told Erwin that there was no need to keep things from his squad, but Erwin was adamant about the matter, and admittedly, this was one of the times where Levi trusted Erwin more than he would trust himself. The plan was outrageous- banking on mere speculation, with a projected death toll so monstrously high, that Levi would sooner reject it, if it came from anyone else. Everything hung on a delicate balance, a precarious tip toe on the sharp point of a needle, and his own squad would not know it.
But he had his orders. The best he could – the only thing he could do-- is carry them out to the best of his abilities. He could trust his squad to do what he told them to without question.
“Get some rest,” he told Petra instead. “We have a long day ahead of us.”
Petra just nodded, understanding as always of Levi’s stranger methods of showing concern. Her kind expression did not dim a single bit, even as Levi walked past her towards his quarters. “I will. And sir?”
Levi turned around, head angled towards Petra in regard.
Petra hesitated for a short beat, as if double-guessing what she was about to say, before she took a deep breath and looked Levi straight in the eye. “I just want to say thank you. For entrusting me with this.” She smiled brilliantly then with such heartfelt sincerity, Levi felt his heavy heart stir beneath his chest. “It is truly a great honour serving under you.”
“No. Not under me.” Levi corrected, and allowed himself a rare half-smile. “Beside me.”
--
The clock strikes four in the afternoon. He has to leave. He tells Petra’s father as such, and he nods, wiping away a few errant tears, before standing up to see Levi to the door.
“Thank you for taking the time to return her things,” Petra’s father says, as Levi steps out. “And for believing in her.”
It's only then that Levi finally says the words that have been stuck in his chest the entire time. “I am sorry,” he says in hushed whisper, his voice thicker than he’s used to it being. He can no longer keep track of the things he’s apologizing for but he knows he will remember every single one again later. He always does.
Petra’s father doesn’t say anything. He looks like he’s going to cry again, and is just holding it in. Levi is torn between staying his ground and leaving quickly to give him privacy, but Petra’s father takes the decision from his hands and just pats him quickly on the shoulder before stepping back into his house, the door swinging shut with a soft thud.
With that, Levi leaves without looking back. He has returned Petra’s memory even if he couldn’t return her body. He has done his duty. This will bring him closure. It has to. It must.
And if he is fooling himself, he does not notice.
Outside, the wind blows, cold and biting. Levi tugs his coat tighter around himself as he walks away towards the stables, his boots crunching on dead leaves and pebbles.
He walks faster. A strong breeze flies by, carrying flowers in its path, and Levi, without knowing why or how, reaches out and snatches some from mid-air.
He stops. Opening his palm, there are two tiny flowers, nestled against the stark white of his gloves. One is a soft pink wildflower, the same shade of Petra’s cheeks when she blushed. The other is a light blue with a bright yellow centre, the same flowers he saw on the road side earlier, on his way to Petra’s house
He looks at it for a while and finally remembers what they’re called.
Forget-me-nots.
“I won’t,” Levi murmurs to himself. He puts the flowers in his left breast pocket for safe keeping, tucks them in, nice and warm, two inches right above his heart.
Headcanon: Military Veterans Have Their Own Groupies 1
The longer a soldier (especially those in the Recon Corps) manages to survive, the greater the public exposure, and the likelier it is that the soldier will gain a following of sorts.
Certain veterans in particular appeal to certain demographic subsets. For example:
Commander Erwin is increasingly popular among the affluent ladies of the capital (ages 17 - 60) and the occasional young dandy as well (ages 18 - 25);
Commander Pixis is well-liked by most of Sina’s nobility for his easy-going manner and for being the life at all the fundraising parties (unsurprisingly, the Vine producers are some of his biggest supporters);
Captain Levi continues to be a legend among the underground circles, and has also recently gained a small but loyal following among the elite custodial members (i.e butlers) and hygiene-conscious housewives;
Squad Leader Hanji, like Pixis, has her share of admirers from the Vine brewing groups, but her true diehard following is actually the entirety of the engineering/technical department (in fact, the romantically unattached members of the department treat her like an idol); and
Squad Leader Mike is generally regarded with the utmost respect by the hunter communities (of which includes Sasha), and with less-than-conventional fondness by the more salacious members of society.
And so on and so forth…
Ever since the 104th training corp graduated however, there has been a steady trend where even the new-but-notable recruits have also gained sizable followings. Namely—
Mikasa Ackerman, who became quite popular with the refugee mothers and their prepubescent daughters after the Wall Rose evacuation (word has it that another soldier has been claiming seniority as a Mikasa-admirer over all others though);
Christa Renz, who is not quite inexplicably exalted by a sizable faction of the Wall Cultists (+ Ymir), in addition to having gained some sort of deity-status among her martial peers; and
Eren Jaeger’s Titan form, which quickly gained a following to rival that of the Wall Cultists (interestingly enough, the two factions do not get along… at all).
hey there! i know this is just wonderful, addicting and probably habit forming crack but let's suppose that isayama ever comes across this blog. which one of your notes would you ever want to see declared canon and/or see play-out in the animanga?
Oh wow, what a thoughtful question! Let’s see, my personal favourite among my notes is 50 Notes Exchanged Among the Recon Squad Leaders While Experimenting on Eren Jaeger. However, it’s um, very very NSFW, and I don’t think the world is ready to see Titan!Eren lugging his junk around— heck, I’M not ready to see that, and I wrote the damn thing.
So if it’s a matter of having something of mine made canon, I’m gonna go with the notes on Levi’s first scouting mission. Just because I want to see him riding a non-white “unicorn” and getting teased by Mike about being a virgin.
Also (still on that set of notes), I’d love to see Hanji and Erwin secretly discussing the mathematics of the Levi kill count formula: f(x,y) = z, where x is the number of titans slayed, y is the time it takes to slay said Titans, and z is a variable number from 1 to 10, where 1 represents “don’t give a shit” and 10 represents “Sie sind das Essen und wir sind die Jäger!” on the Levi Blood Pressure Scale.
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