Marahuyo: A Levihan Baryo Zine

Cover design by Aly (alystair) Layout design by Soo (argethara)

Design team: Cimber (CimbieJ), Ness (glassesandswords), Jill (jumpinguptothesky), Ottavia (micia-posts-stuff), Mign (m1gn), Syubie (syubsyubies), Zozo (oyzoe)

Baryo Admins: R K (djmarinizela), Zozo (oyzoe), Syubie (syubsyubies), Soo (argethara)

Levihan Marahuyo (December 2022). The Attack on Titan (AoT) manga and anime series is created by Hajime Isayama. All rights of the original AoT story belong to him No profit was made in the creation and distribution of this fan-made zine No portion of this zine or its entirety may be reproduced without permission from the publishers or the artists

To the Reader:

We believe there is a story in every art Artists speak their language through their chosen craft, their imagination running wild through illustrations and sketches. We’re brought to different worlds simply through powerful fanfics, and perhaps even feel a different dimension of emotion when we come across compelling words woven together in an essay or a poem Our beloved characters come to life from cosplays or photographs, and even technology lends a hand when it comes to music videos, photo edits, and social media AUs. Whichever form of art we’re hooked into, we take them, hopefully, with much gratitude

Art sings its soul to us, and that’s what we have envisioned this zine to do. We want it to sing to you, dear reader, with all its vulnerability and its passion for the fandom, all thanks to our talented artists who have dedicated, not only their craft, but also their time and effort to create a community-compiled zine for the Levihan fandom to enjoy.

After all, the ancient Filipino word “marahuyo” not only means to be enchanted; it is in itself considered by writers, poets, and artists to be one of the most beautiful Filipino words in all of Philippine literature. “Marahuyo” is all about magic, the mystical, but it is also about the simplicity of wonder, of being taken in by something so beautiful such as the relationship between Levi Ackerman and Hange Zoe from Attack on Titan. As the late writer Joan Didion used to say: ”We tell ourselves stories in order to live.” The story of Levihan, in every art form, in every scene or world, canon or modern, keeps us going.

These stories, tucked within illustrations, poems, photos, and short fics, only lend a hand to our little fandom community. The rest is up to you, dear reader, to keep the magic alive. We hope these works will enchant you, in every meaning of the word

Much love,

The LeviHan Baryo Admins

Table of Contents

ILLUSTRATIONS

Lera (fecitfatum)

Ash (ashh-ketchup) Honey (mooniieix)

Zoephyr (zoephyr.0905)

Amber (Kohaku Dragon)

Jackie (satecikinn)

Kookey (koo-kachoo)

Mign (m1gnt)

Jill (jumpinguptothesky)

NENDOROID

Agape (Binibining agape) 106, 107

45, 49 54, 69 63 80, 105 81 89 90 97, 98 105

Ottavia (micia-posts-stuff)

Nou (Nunia.22)

Mela (ackermela)

Ange Artsu (comm angezoe)

Rue (traunexttopmodel) April (ariex) Moon (snudootchaikovsky) Amelie (donttossgrannyinthebegonias)

Ale Man (ale.man.art)

Table of Contents

WRITING

Rika (pinkweirdsunsets)

Rin (hansbeansnprawn)

Luna (Luna Yakamoto)

Anthony (AwkwardSole)

Ness (glassesandswords)

Jane (Jane009Tsao)

Sar (thesar)

Addie (AdelineVW7)

Sha (autumdory)

R,K. (djmarinizela)

Rae (raelineee)

By Lera (fecitfatum)

KOI NO YOKAN

The white chrysanthemum

By pinkweirdsunsets

Hange has been dead for a very long time before she wakes up.

The floor is a rusty brown, dusting off at edges, sharp corners chewing at each other Hange moves but her feet don’t touch Her chest is hollow, her body is boneless, her heart is heavy and it drops to the bottom of her stomach- and yet she feels nothing

“Ghosts don’t feel anything, my child”

There is a voice, it's worn down with promises of unfulfilled dreams and it’s in her ears. Hange swallows. By this point, it’s almost clear in her head. Like bolded letters engraved on the surface of her brain, and maybe they are engraved a little too hard since she can almost feel her head muddle in a squash of blood and agony.

Hange is still dead. She burnt to death a long time back and now she is a ghost, the life inside of her captured by rough, grubby hands and confined in a shell, a void, incapable of replicating anything and everything that existed once of the lively scientist

That doesn’t stop a laugh from bubbling in her throat, “Oh, wow, that is, well...truly not the afterlife experience I was expecting.”

She finally gets a good look at the man who had spoken earlier He is old, eyes drawn into tired crescents, they carry a gentle notion in them and he pulls his thin lips into a customary smile

“You can always go back up, my child. You don’t have to be stuck in this lifeless shell wandering all your life like some of us do.” He pauses, looks hesitant and whispers again, “That is, if you can remember your name again.”

“My name?” Hange breaths out, and watches a jigsaw puzzle break in front of her eyes. There are a thousand pieces scattering and they are flying, thrashing, fluttering all around, but she can’t feel, so they fall right through her- and it dawns upon her in a resounding, cracking sound.

She cannot remember her name.

And it’s weird because she remembers everything else the saturated shades of her childhood, soaked in sunkissed mountain cliffs and hazy, forgotten smiles, or her early years in the Survey Corps. The feel of her hands in those years, the callouses on them, nudging the surface of cold dead skin of her many comrades by day and caressing the ones who were still alive by night. She remembers their names. Levi, Erwin, Mike, Moblit and Nanaba; hell, she even remembers Sawney and Bean

But for the love of god, no matter how hard she tries, or how hard she scourges, her lips do nothing but fall dry and futile when she tries to recall her own name

There is a solemn expression blooming on the old man’s face next to her “Give it a few days. Ifyou can remember your name, you can be free again.”

“And if I can’t?”

“Well atleast, you’d have some company as you wither away, stuck as a ghost in this horrible world.”

Hange presses her lips in a thin line, her gaze finally zooming onto her surroundings. She is in some sort of an office, the walls are adorned by huge stacks of shelves, covered by hard bound books A table sits in the centre, it is exceptionally neat and well organized, in fact the whole room is. Not a thing out of place. The sight seems heavy to her, outlining memories of a very familiar figure in her head.

The door opens, and a young man she has never seen in her life stumbles in. He looks a few years younger than her. He is tall, his hair is the lightest shade of wood In his arms he carried a pile of books, and they sway side to side like a blob of jelly, doing a great job at exposing his panicked brown eyes into view

“Careful, you will drop them”

Time counts down to zero, morphing into a static line when Hange hears that voice. To her, every inch weaved on the shell nesting her soul has been deprived, incapable of feeling anything. But the inside of her, the part that matters, ablew in stormy gusts. His voice pinches the life in her, and for a ghost, her eyes gleam, a smile so huge making its way up to her face.

“Levi?” She says, expecting him to look back at her, with the same old hard gaze of his. If asked, she could retell every detail of his eyes, creases, the scars, the love included Decades ago, she would jump on his back in the dingy corridor of the Survey Corps, enveloping herself with the way his eyes softened only for her

Today, his eyes soften again The same creases line up under his eyelids, joining into a wrinkled tender shape. Only today, they soften not for her and Hange rips her gaze off Levi towards the brown-eyed man, the one responsible for Levi’s attention.

“Levi?” She tries again, her voice is wobbly this time, ripped apart with hardened rocks. But Levi does not hear her.

By the time Hange has somewhat digested the scene in front of her, the brown-eyed man has arranged the pile of books swaying in his arms into a messy line stiff on one of the shelves.

He looks back and smiles gleefully, “Mr Ackerman, I have kept all the books up there, top shelf to the right,” He rubs his neck sheepishly, “Sorry, the arrangement is kind of chaotic”

Levi snorts at the view but doesn’t say anything. But when the other man saunters up to the door they came from to leave, Levi clears his throat, and Hange watches tentatively as the scene unfolds in front of her eyes.

“Wait I last week, at the nursery, when you were talking about chrysanthemums, I thought it would be...” Levi never finishes, instead he unfolds a little box he had carried all the way to the office Under the folds lie a white, shining bundle of petals.

“Best of luck for your botany studies, Lucas.”

The white chrysanthemum shines with a glitter almost incomprehensible, and it blinds the room, and maybe even the remaining pieces of Hange’s heart, already burning away the cracks.

Is disguised by the first frost

Hange isn’t able to sleep, but she closes her eyes from time to time, anyways. Under the clouded darkness that covers the brown in her eyes, lies a slideshow of dreams, of Levi and more

It's the night she lost Moblit and Erwin, but Levi’s hands cradle her face, they draw circles on top of her brows, stretch an arc under the hollow socket that lies bleeding. His mouth tenderly presses on top of her broken eye, and his voice reaches to the inside of her core, vibrating.

“You will be okay, we will be okay”

They are okay until they are not

Levi’s fist lies on top of her heart, and it seems his touch is holding all the vines back from wrapping around her heart and squeezing it painfully until it bursts open, red spilling everywhere

His lips don’t move but before he tells her to dedicate her heart. His eyes are dull, void of all life in them because it's her, his life, manifested into a fading mist right in front of him. He tells her again they will be okay, and Hange realizes with tears dwelling in her throat that she is leaving him. She is leaving this world and she will fail to exist tomorrow, she realizes she won’t be able to feel the wind anymore, or burn her skin under the sun.

Their world is marred with death, war and everything unpleasant. But here too, the sun shines, the wind rises, the grass flutters Among the blood that splatters, lies warmth, and it's all Levi has ever been to her. Hange is selfish when she tells herself she doesn't want to be cold

But for the third time, Levi tells her they will be okay, before and after death, it doesn’t matter, they will be okay. She believes him.

Hange opens her eyes again and stares at Levi and Lucas, huddled in a corner, fingers next to each other and realizes what a liar.

If I wanted to pick one

She regrets it almost immediately.

She knows she is being selfish. Levi is allowed to move on, allowed to fall in love again with someone that's not her. The thought sounds ugly to her, but she bites her lips back until they are blue and purple, and tells herself that she should let it go It must have been years since the war She shouldn’t be irrational.

“There must be a reason why I am back here, why I forgot my name ” She muses out loud.

“The rumors say that this happens when a part of your soul, a fragment of your desire, escapes to earth. You lose the memories of your name and are confined in this cage looking for the other part of yourself. Most of us don’t find the ‘other part’ before centuries pass by and instead, slowly erode to oblivion,” The old man next to her speaks in a low voice.

“A fragment of my desire?” Hange whispers and the room goes cold The sound of papers rustling sizzles through the ice, leaving frost behind. Levi and Lucas look through some documents at his desk Hange can hear the twist of Levi’s knuckles as he grips a particular piece of paper exceptionally close

The moment his grip loosens, a strong gust scurries in, rattling the worn off window covers.

Almost instantly, Levi’s brows furrow in a twist and Hange watches as the piece of paper he held earlier escape his hands and fly along the wind.

It falls next to her feet.

It's a painting of them standing next to each other in Marley. Hange chokes on her feelings when she sees it

On the other side of the room, Lucas gets up with a tsk and follows the wind.He kneels where the paper has fallen, looming right in front of Hange

“Oh no, you dropped Hange-san.”

He comments and Hange’s skull snaps with all that suddenly flows in her head.

Hange Hange Hange Hange Hange

She is called Hange

When she looks up, she is staring right into Lucas’s terrified eyes Lucas ends up stumbling upon his words, uttering nothing but gibberish and Hange finally realizes just what exactly ‘A fragment of her desire’ means Of course, she does.

She is staring right into it. “Lucas?” Levi calls out. He gets up, wincing slightly at the sharp pain in his leg. His eyes wander to the side and freeze, aching at the sight in front of him Lucas is no longer flesh and bones, instead he is a glaze of sawdust of gold, ruby, diamond, emerald, sapphires and all the beautiful things in the world And he is falling right into Hange, the part of her soul falling right where it belongs, all unkempt desire and lust settling into a ripple of calm ocean water

Now, Levi stares at Hange, the whole of her, and he is no longer filtered He stares at her, raw and broken, eyes shining. He takes a step and whispers her name, and he almost looks happy. Hange wonders how long she can hide her fading arms.

Hange brings her lips into a solemn smile. The ray of hope in Levi’s eyes is only an oasis in the web of darkness. He lost Lucas and now he is going to lose her again Her eyelids flutter Levi doesn’t deserve this kind of pain.

Tears dwell into her eyes and she wonders if they are enough to show him that she will love him for an eternity, that she will look over him until she erodes from the world, that no matter how many forms of life they take, she will always know he is the one she will fall in love with

There are no words spoken. They are simply too trivial for a moment like this, and that is how Hange glitters away slowly, leaving nothing behind. The last piece of frame she remembers seeing is engraved into her brain, the flash of a small but haunting moment of betrayal and realization in Levi’s eyes.

Levi stands alone The potted white chrysanthemum sits in the corner, withered and petals falling

I could find it only by chance

By Honey (mooniieix)

By zoephyr (zoephyr.0905)

SINAGTALA

By hansbeansnprawn

Muli, sa kanyang pagbalik sa ilang taong paglisan sa baryo: isang pares ng tsokolateng mga mata ay ngayong nagniningning tulad ng sinag ng araw sa malinaw na tubig ng batis nang masilayan niya ito.

Siyang tunay na ang pagtingin ng isang nilalang na tulad niya ay maikukumpara sa isang pangako na naitali hanggang puso.

Ganito ba ang marahuyo na laging bukambibig nilang mga tao?

Maligayang pagdating sa Baryo Hiraya!

Dilaw na arko na gawa sa konkreto ang sumalubong sa isang traysikel na nagsasakay ng tatlong pasahero at mga naglalakihang bagahe na dala ng mga bagong dating na estranghero.

Malugod na pagbati ang salubong ng mga taga baryo pagpasok mismo ng traysikel sa kanilang arko

Ang unica hija ng pamilyang Ackerman ay umuwi na, kasama ang anak at ang pamangkin nya. Silang dalawa ang natatanging apo ni Tatang Kairo Ang Unico Hijo at Unica Hija ng mga Ackerman

“Wag mo akong sisihin, Mahirap ang tumaya Dagat ay sisisirin ”

Napatigil sa kakahimig ang nilalang nang marinig ang pagbati ng mga tao sa mga bagong dating.

Dahil sa kuryusidad ay napatayo ang nilalang sa kanyang upuan at inabandona ang paghahabi ng mga koronang gawa sa bulaklak.

Ang mga dahon at bulaklak na lumalapag sa kanyang mga kayumanggi at makinis na binti ay nalaglag kasabay ng kanyang pagtayo, kulay lila na saplot ay sumasabay sa sayaw ng hangin.

Sa bawat yapak na kanyang ginagawa ay kasabay ng ‘di mapaliwanag na damdamin, halo-halong saya at kaba ang naroroon

Ngunit iyon lang ba talaga ang kanyang nararamdaman?

“Kahit walang mapala.. ” isang bulong sa hangin ang lumabas sa kanyang bibig habang papalapit sa mga baging at makakapal na dahon na nagtatago sa kanya.

Kasabay ng paghawi ng kanyang kamay na pinapalibutan ng isang baging na may mga maliliit na lilang bulaklak hanggang sa kanyang balikat, ay pagbigkas ng mga lirikong kanyang nilikha para sa kanya.

“

'Pag nilahad ang damdamin…”

Maliit na ngiti ay luminya sa kanyang kulay rosas na mga labi. Tsokolateng mga mata'y nagniningning, gintong ilaw ay bumati sa mapungay na mga mata.

“Sana 'di magbago ang pagtingin…”

Sikat ng araw ay humalik sa maamo mong mukha Hindi akalain ika'y bumalik na Ningning sa iyong mga mata ay dumilim na, kinuha ba ito ng mga tala? Sana ako pa rin ang iyong Hiraya

“Kapag ba hiniling kita, magpapakita ka ba?”

Wala pa sila sa bakod ng tahanan na minsan na lang tinirahan ay mahihikpit na yakap ang sumalubong sa kanila, lumaki ang mata ni Levi sa gulat dahil ang isang hindi namumukaang babae na mas bata sa kanya ang yumakap sa kanya

“Isabel, bitawan mo na sya. Ikaw Levi, kamusta ka na pala? Tagal na rin simula nung umuwi ka,” sabi ng isang lalaki na naglalakad ngayon papunta sa kanila, bumitaw ang babae na si Isabel ?

Napakunot si Levi ng makita ang dalawa sa harap nya. Ang lalaki ay matangkad at kulay kape ang buhok, di hamak na mas matangkad ito sa kanya; Samantala ang babaeng si Isabel ay may matingkad na kulay pulang buhok, kapansin pansin din ang berdeng mata nito

Ang tanging nagawa nalang ni Levi ay tignan silang mabuti sabay tingin sa Ina at pinsan na may kinakausap sa di kalayuan sa kanya. Muling napatingin si Levi sa dalawa na ngayong nagpapalitan ng mga manlolokong tingin.

Magsasalita na sana sya ng inunahan nya ng lalaki

“Naaalala mo pa ba kami, balong?”

Balong

Tila isang komersyal sa telebisyon ang lumabas sa kanyang isipan, ngunit imbis na patalastas ay ang mga makukulay na memorya ng kanyang nakalimutan noong bata pa sya.

“Tara, duon tayo!”

“Ayoko mukhang nakakatakot!”

“Ingat kayo! Ang putikkkk!”

“Furlan? Isabel?” sambit ni Levi na maging sya mismo ay nagulat sa biglaang pag tawag niya sa mga pangalan ng mga kababata nya. Malaking ngiti ang umukit sa mga mukha nila bago atekihin ng yakap ang kaibigan nilang sampung taon na nilang di nakikita.

“Tara! Iikot ka muna namin!” Aya ni Furlan.

Dalawang araw na ang nakalipas simula nung dumating ang tatlong Ackermans mula sa Maynila, dalawang araw naring nagiisip si Levi kung bakit nararamdaman nyang may kulang at may isang malaking detalye syang nakalimutan

“Matagal tagal ding nawalan ng gana Pinagmamasdan ang dumadaan Lagi nalang matigas ang loob Sabik na may maramdaman…”

Tanging pagkanta lamang ng radyo at pag ikot ng electricfan ang nagpapaingay sa nakakabinging katahimikan ng silid. Tatlong tao lang ang laman ng kwarto, siya, si Mikasa na pinsan niya at ang lolo nilang si Kairo.

Hindi na rin bumubuti ang lagay ng kanyang lolo kaya kahit labag sa kalooban ng mga anak, apo at kamag-anak nya ay tutuparin nila ang hiling neto na dumalo sa piyesta sa kanilang Kapital sa Baryo Hiraya.

Napag pasyahan nilang lahat na sa gabi nalang sila dadayo duon dahil ang pinaka hinihintay ng kanilang lolo ay ang firework show pagkatapos magperform ang banda ng estudyante ng Wall Of Rose National High School.

Nagbabasa si Levi ng libro sa tabi ng kama ng kanyang lolo, ang bintana ay nasa kanyang likod kaya ang kanyang itim na buhok ay hinahangin ng bahagya.

Isang romantikong nobela ang kanyang napagdiskitahan basahin para maiwasan ang pagka buryo, ang nobela ay nasa koleksyon ng kanyang lolo na ipapamana nya raw kuno sa kanyang mga apo.

Kahit hindi nya kahiligan ang dyanra ng libro, ang istorya mismo nito ang pagpapantig sa kanyang puso.

“I just want to dream that you will find me in the middle of chaos I had inside me, tame and calm the burning and swirling storms of me”

Ang linya na talagang tumatak sa kanyang isipan, kung kaya’t isang tanong ay tumatakbo sa kanyang isipan;

Hindi naman siguro masama na mangarap na maranasan ang pagibig na ito, hindi ba?

Lingid sa kanyang kaalaman, isang maliit na tao na may dilaw na pakpak at pulang buhok ang lumipat palayo mula sa bintana

Nakangiti at nananabik itong bumalik sa may gubat at lumipad sa kabilang dulo ng maliit na kahoy na bakod.

“Hange! Hange!” tawag nito sa lilalang na may mahabang tsokolateng buhok

Nagtatakang lumingon ito sa lumilipad nitong kaibigan. “Ano iyon Nifa?”

“May balita ako tungkol sa kanya!”

Sa isang salita na diniin ni Nifa ay alam na agad ni Hange kung anong tinutukoy nito Kaya ang kislap sa kanyang mga mata ay bumalik

Sa bawat patak ng oras, Hindi ko namalayan na muntik na ako mawala sa landas Landas ng sariling memorya ng nakaraan. Ngayon, malabong pagtatapos ang inilaan Na syang laging lulan nuon pa man.

“Kita ko na ang iyong mata, ang ganda.”

Malamig ang hangin ngunit hindi ito alintana ng marami, madilim ang gabi sapagkat ang buwan ay nasa gasukay na anyo nito pero hindi ito naging rason para hindi paliwanagin ng lahat ang kapitolyo ng Baryo Hiraya.

Tulak tulak ng kanyang pinsan ang wheelchair ng kanilang lolo habang ang kanyang ina ay kinakausap ang kanyang kapatid na si Keran, pareho akbay akbay ng kanilang nakakatandang kapatid na si Kenny.

Katabi lamang ni Levi si Mikasa habang naglalakad, parehong kamay ay nasa bulsa ng kanyang berdeng abrigo dahil sa lamig ng gabi. Pulang bupanda naman ang nakabalot sa leeg ng dalaga para di sya gaanong lamigan.

Wala sa kanila ang nagsasalita dahil pareho nilang alam na mas gusto nila ang katahimikan kesa sa mahahabang kwentuhan.

Sumenyas ang kanyang lolo sa kanyang pinsan na may sasabihin ito sa kanya, kalaunan ay tinawag ni Mikasa ang kanyang Ama't tiyo at tiya para mabahagi naman daw nila ang pinag uusapan sa kanilang ama.

Naglakad si Mikasa sa tabi ng kanyang pinsan, parehas na tinititigan ang kanilang mga magulang at lolo na masayang nagkukwentuhan.

“Minsan, napapaisip ako kung kamag-anak ba natin sila.” basag sa katahimikan ni Mikasa

Nagtatakang lumingon sa kanya si Levi, ngunit ito ay napatawa ng tahimik nang makita ang malokong ngiti ng pinsan

“Sa ingay ba naman nila ay kataka-takang tayo ay mga anak at pamangkin nila,.” pagpatuloy ni Levi na siyang nagpangisi kay Mikasa

Tumingin naman si Levi kay Mikasa sabay alok sa pinsan ng braso nya. “Gala?” “Tara.”

“Kaya mo bang isigaw Iparating sa mundo”

Kasalukuyang nanonood silang anim sa pagtugtog nang banda sa stage. Kahit madilim na ang langit, narito parin ang mga ilaw ng pyesta na syang nagpalaliwanag ng lahat.

Sabay sabay na kumanta ang lahat ng nakikinig sa banda sa chorus ng kanta, ang kamay ng iba hawak hawak ang flashlight ng kanilang telepono ay iwinawagay-way

“Tumingin sa aking mata Magtapat ng nadarama”

Sa di malaman na dahilan, napalingon si Levi sa kanyang kaliwa.

Sa dinami dami ng tao na iwinagayway ang kanilang mga kamay, ibat ibang taas at sukat ng tangkad; Ang kanyang asul na mga mata ay naghahanap pa rin ng paraan para kumunekta sa pares ng tsokolateng mga mata ng isang estranghero na bigla nalang tinitibok ng puso nya.

“Di gustong ika'y mawala Dahil handa akong ibigin ka”

Hindi niya masabi kung ano ang pumasok sa kanyang isip na sundan ang taong yun, nagpaalam siya sa kanyang pinsan na may bibilhin lang ito na hindi gaanong pinansin ni Mikasa dahil nakatulala lang ito sa kawalan.

Paulit ulit na humingi ng pasensya si Levi sa mga nakakabungo niya dahil sa pag habol sa kanya.

Tatlo…

Dalawa… Isa…

Bilang nya sa kanyang isipan, at sa kahuli hulihang hakbang ay hinawakan nya na ang braso ng estranghero na pansin niya ay laging nasa paligid na simula nung dumating siya sa Baryo Hiraya.

Sa paghawak ni Levi sa braso nya ay nagpakita ang mga nawawalang memorya nya nung bata pa sya.

Tila, unting unting nabubuo ang malaking palaisipan na gumagawa ng malaking butas sa kanyang buhay at memorya

Pinanganak si Levi sa Maynila at duon sila tumira hanggang sa maging 3 taong gulang sya.

Ang dapat na 2 buwan nilang bakasyon sa Baryo na kinalakihan ng kanyang ina ay humaba ng 5 taon dahil sa hindi inaasahang hiwalayan ng kanyang ama at ina.

Wala pang kamuwang muwang nuon si Levi pero alam nyang nasasaktan ng husto ang kanyang Mama sapagkat naririnig nya itong umiiyak kada gabi

Kaka isang taon nalaman ng kanyang pinsan na si Mikasa, napapaligiran ng mga mas matandang mga bata ay malungkot at mag isang umikot si Levi sa kanilang malawak na bakuran

Hanggang sa nakita nya ang Maliit na pintuan na yari sa kahoy na naghahati sa bakuran nila at gubat sa likod.

At sa kyoryusidad ay nakilala niya ang batang babae na kapansin pansing mas matanda sa kanya ng dalawang taon.

“Ako pala si Levi” “Hange, Hange ang pangalan ko”

“

Ibinubunyag ka ng iyong matang Sumisigaw ng pagsinta”

…

“Ikaw, ikaw ang una kong naging kaibigan dito.” Nakangiting saad ni Levi, gulat ay naroon rin sa kanyang mata.

“At Ikaw din ang nagligtas sakin sa sunog noon.” Mga bakas ng pagaalala, takot at kaba ay nawala sa magandang mata ng dalagang nasa harap nya.

“Naaalala mo pa pala ako,” saad ni Hange na may malaking ngiti sa kanyang labi ngayon.

Tumawa ng mahina ang binata.

“Aminado ako na nakalimutan ka nga ng memorya ko.”

Gulat sa biglaang aksyon, lumipat sa kamay ni Hange ang hawak ni Levi mula sa kanyang braso.

“Ngunit narito pa rin ang aking marahuyo para sayo.”

Itinapat nya ang kamay ng dalaga sa kanyang dibdib. “Dito, dito sa puso ko”

Isang malawak na ngiti sa kanyang labi na gumuhit sa mata nya tulad ng buwan na sumisilip sa likod ng mga ulap ang puminta ngayon sa kanyang nakabibighaning mukha.

“Sinisinag din kita, Levi.”

Ang sinag ng tala ay siyang nag bighani lalo sa iyong ganda, kung kaya ang marahuyo ay naramdaman at naranasan na

Mga ngiti ay nagliliwanag na parang bituin sa kalangitan, mga mata ay umaarko na tila ba ito ay isang gasukay na buwan at mga tawa na hele at musika sa aking tenga

Sinisinag kita lagi, aking sinta. .

Ngunit ang pangamba sa aking puso ay bumubulong

Paano kung ang pag-ibig mo ay mananatiling marahuyo ko?

Handa mo ibigay ang iyong puso, sinta ko.

Gusto ko din gawin ito, Ang pag angkin ko sayo.

Ngunit mahal ko, paano kita maaangkin kung ako mismo ay hindi mo pag-aari?

By Amber (Kohaku Dragon)

By Jackie (satecikinn)

BINDED

By Luna Yakamoto

Once the rabbit stew was made, my crow flew in from an open window, shaking its sleek, black feathers free from the rain As all animal familiars do, I hear her voice echoing in my head. The words she whispered to me sparked an interest.

“A cat familiar entered the forest. He’s weak and branded by a spell from a witch that you know very well. He’s begging for help, almost crying for someone to rescue him from this storm. What do you wish to do?”

“Save him, of course,” I say to the crow, reaching for my cloak and typing the strings around my neck before the hood is pulled over my head. Opening the door and sealing it shut, I followed my animal familiar to the lost soul.

Upon reaching him, I nearly stepped on him if it wasn’t for my crow to warn me This cat’s fur was matted with twigs and mud- a poor sight for a creature born with magical abilities. I carefully picked him up from the mud and cradled him in my arms as if he was a baby. I smiled, whispering words of comfort as I carried him home. My fingers combed through his fur to pick up the massive pieces of mud and throw them to the side. Beautiful creatures… animal familiars… and this is how some witches treat them: in a shameful way. Where is the shame in their actions?

Upon returning home, I washed his body clean of all debris before casting a spell to reveal his human form. I laid him on my bed, trying to keep him warm as I made him a bowl of stew for him to feast on once he woke up. My eyes wouldn’t leave him because the fear that he wasn’t going to make it lingered in my mind I must do something, even if he’s on the brink of death.

As I was checking for his pulse, I saw a small scar on his shoulder Curious, I pulled his shirt off, examining the wound carefully. What I saw stunned me: a brand It was exactly what my crow said: branded by a spell from a witch. A witch’s brand differs from everyone, and no two brands are the same. And from how this brand was used… It was used to claim this creature. The worst way to use a brand.

The second I touched the brand, he woke up. Those eyes of his were a beautiful silver color. Almost as if it were the full moon. The fear in his eyes was present, yet I could tell he was doing his best to not show it “Calm down,” I say in a gentle tone, “You’re safe here I won’t hurt you; I promise. You’re safe.” I repeated those words until the animosity in his eyes was no longer ablaze “My name is Hanji, and I want to help you Yes, I’m a witch, but I have no ill intent to hurt you. Do you understand? What’s your name?”

“L-Levi…” He struggles to say his name, almost as if he’s cowering from answering my questions. The pain he went through must be unspeakable. This poor creature… I will do anything to help you, Levi. I promise.

I smiled, reaching for the bowl of stew and a spoon “It’s nice to meet you, Levi. For the time being, I’ll be taking care of you. Here,” I say, handing him his meal, “Eat You need to gain your strength back”

He sat up, graciously taking the bowl from my hands, and took a small bite. The way he acted seemed like he was testing my limits. His small bite turned into bigger ones until the bowl was empty I take the bowl from him, refilling it before returning it to him. The surprise in his eyes tells me that he never had a second serving despite the bowl being small.

“What is this…?” Levi asks with a small gleam in his eyes as the bowl was in his hands again. This time, this was filled to the brim with stew. I made sure there were more bits of potato and rabbit meat to satisfy his stomach.

“Seconds As I said, you need your strength By the looks of things, you’re weak and I’m here to nurse you back to health. Just until you’re ready to go back into the world on your own two feet And there’s more stew if you’re still hungry. You’re welcome to have as much as you want.”

“Are you sure?”

“Positive, Levi. From what I gathered, your previous witch was not as generous to you, am I right?”

He nods his head, “Never… we were used as his experiments. Before I ran, he branded me before casting me out His last words to me were that I would never be anyone else’s familiar because I’m bound to him. He will never let me go”

My eyes shot open with surprise “H-Hold on, is that what he said? He cast you out after he branded you, that’s what you said, right? He told you to leave him?”

Levi nods his head to confirm my suspicions. “He told me that if I wanted to leave, I can. He said that no witch would ever take me in. No matter what, I will always go back to him.”

“That’s not true. He dismissed you, Levi. Because he said for you to leave him, that’s a form of dismissal A dismissal means that you are no longer tied to him. Even with that brand, it’s nothing. You can still form a bond with another witch Right now, it’s burned into your skin to mimic a possession brand. But don’t worry, I can help heal your body and that brand would no longer exist You’re free to do what you want, Levi You don’t serve him anymore, understand?”

Joy began to fill his eyes. A smile tugged at his lips, slowly giving in.

“Thank you…” It wasn’t long until he ate the entire batch of stew. Just for tonight, I wouldn’t be able to eat.

Days turned into weeks, and so forth Levi grew stronger and opened his heart to me. He told me about those experiments he suffered in the name of immortality and powerful magic Levi never went back to his cat form of his… not while I was around. Sometimes, I will catch him sunbathing in his cat form when I was picking some cucumber for pickling tonight. Though I would miss his presence, I urged him to leave. But he always found excuses.

It started with him saying that my cottage was not clean, so he took it upon himself to sweep every corner Then, he complained about my organization, and he reorganized things. The latest excuse he devised was that he needed to do renovations Now, he wants to make another garden for some of my favorite fruits and vegetables.

The longer he stayed here, the harder I found myself to send him away. It’s not illegal to fall in love with your animal familiar, though it is highly looked down upon. We called it a taboo. But I couldn’t help what my heart yearned for. I opened myself up to him, ranting about experimental spells and elixirs I could make, and he listened to every detail. On the other hand, my crow would fall asleep once I talked about those things. Levi gave his opinion on all my ideas, helping me revise some of my experiments.

I blame the strings of fate for our souls to be intertwined. One night, I closed my eyes, laying on my bed as I gaze at Levi working hard in the garden. I didn’t like what I saw. Levi could be doing something else that he wanted, yet he’s working as if he’s my animal familiar I’ve never forged a bond with him because I wanted him to move on and find someone better than me to bond with I don’t understand why he would stay here with a cursed witch such as myself.

I began to fall through this rabbit hole of my deep thoughts because I didn’t notice Levi stopped working to check up on me.

“Hanji?” I heard his voice as I snapped back to reality. Sweat began to drip from his forehead as he carried a wooden bucket in hand “Are you okay?”

Smiling softly, I nodded my head, “I’m just tired.”

“What’s bothering you?” He asks, “I know I’m not your animal familiar, but I can still sense your feelings. What’s wrong, Hanji? Is it about me?” My eyes averted from him, and I wish they didn’t It only made me suspicious. “It’s about me, isn’t it? Am I bothersome?”

“That’s not it, Levi. Don’t ever think that. It’s… different.”

“Then tell me, Hanji. What about me is bothering you?”

“My feelings,” I confessed, dragging myself off my bed and plopping myself on the ground. My hands went to my ears as I wanted to shut all sound out from my head I began to trip on my words, and I felt the pain searing through my body as I spoke to him about the truth. “Levi, do you know one of the taboos in witchcraft, right?”

“There’s a lot that I remember from my previous witch But one that comes to mind that is related to this is about loving animal familiars. Is it that?” I nod to confirm it. “Is that why you’re trying to get me to leave?”

“Yeah… I don’t want to admit it, Levi… but my heart yearns for you. But I can’t get involved with you. Not like that. It’s a taboo and-.”

“So what?”

“So what?” I repeated his words, “So what? Levi, the reason for that taboo is that we don’t know how magic works between witches and animal familiars when love is in the mixture Witches can use the magic of animal familiars to create powerful spells. Even emotion can contribute to the magic Love it’s so unpredictable”

Levi’s voice became assertive as he spoke. This was something he never did before, so I know he’s passionate about this. “Hanji, in the time that I’ve been here with you, I’ve never seen you interact with anyone but Arian and me. No witch or human came here. You’re not a part of a coven, so why should you be concerned about a stupid taboo?”

“I don’t want to become more of an outcast than I am now. How will we live our lives?”

“The

months”

“And what if we conceived a child? What then? Hybrids are unpredictable and their magic… don’t get me started on the magic that a hybrid could have. Witches could exploit them… and I don’t want our child to end up in such a situation. And we wouldn’t know if they would have my witch powers or your animal-familiar powers. It’s best to keep those powers separate instead of combining them.”

Levi ran to me, grabbing my hands and holding them to his heart “You’re the best witch I know. If our child is a witch, you can train them, right? And if it’s an animal familiar, you got me Hanji, I love you I don’t give a damn about what others have to say. Your heart is as pure as a goddess You would never exploit one’s powers for power That I know, Hanji. Let’s just live together… safe and sound. Just the two of us. I love you, Hanji I love you from the bottom of my heart”

My soul left me as he kissed my lips. He whispers his love for me in my ears. That day, I agreed to give in to my feelings for him. The twine of fate was meant to be. May it be in the past, present, or future, we were always meant to be together.

way we’ve been living them for the past few

By Kookey (koo-kachoo)

By mign (m1gnt)

WATCHING THE SEA

By AwkwardSole

The sun hung low in the sky, bathing the sandy coast in a powerful yellow glow The waves were gentle, lazily splashing against the shore in a rhythmic fashion. The sight was serene and beautiful, but it was not what kept Hange enraptured. Her eyes remained glued on the distant expanse of deep blue sea, scanning the horizon back and forth and back and forth while her heart hammered with anticipation.

She wasn’t out to enjoy the warmth of the sun, or the freshness of the ocean, or even the peace that came with the desolate expanse of shore No, she was here for something much more important. Hange was a researcher–more specifically, a sort of marine biologist–whom had spent many years studying and observing the seas of Paradis. It was a fascinating career, letting her indulge her passion for the natural phenomenon of the world. Even the simplest of tasks could send her squealing with delight, no matter how many times she repeated them She was largely considered an oddball among her peers, with an eccentric personality and a fixation with the ways of the world that many could only describe as bizarre. Lately, however, her focus had shifted from her typical research to something far different.

Him.

She only saw him once, and just briefly at that, but it was enough to engrain the memory in her head forever Peeking out from the water, well out past the shallows of the beach, was a head. It was unmistakable as one Hange’s heart nearly caught in her throat as she feared someone might’ve been dragged out to sea, but as she drew close, it struck her that she was seeing something completely foreign She rubbed her eyes and adjusted her glasses, worried that she might’ve been seeing things,

yet the image remained present It was undoubtedly a head, and she could just barely make out his face. Slim, handsome, undoubtedly masculine, but confusingly, his expression was totally blank, only a slight downturn in his trim eyebrows. If he were really someone pulled out to sea, how could he be so damn calm about it? There must’ve been some other reason for a handsome man to be staring at her from the ocean. Her cheeks warmed, and she called out to him, asking the mysterious man who he was and if was alright. It seemed then that he decided it was time to leave, spurned on by her acknowledgement of his existence. However, he did not leave without granting a very special gift His head dove under the waves, and for a moment Hange’s fears that he would drown resurfaced, only for her heart to skip a beat as she saw a dazzlingly-blue fish tail splash out from the water before elegantly crashing back into the sea and vanishing into the depths

A merman He was a merman No way. And so she found herself returning to the beach day after day. Her colleague, Moblit, was left baffled as he suddenly found himself tasked with handling her duties for the foreseeable future, with no information as to what had Hange so preoccupied Like he was a siren calling to her hapless soul, she couldn’t shake the desire to see that beautiful merman again Sure, there was the scientific merit behind it–the man’s mere existence would surely be the finding of the century–but there was also something more passionate behind her drive Her heart thumped as she thought of him, her face heated whenever she recalled his features, and the mere thought of touching his sparkling tail had her giddy with excitement. She would trade every scientific award in the industry if it meant seeing him again. Hange was enchanted.

He felt like such a dumbass. Why did he stare at her so long? Why did he allow himself to be seen by her, then make such a big show while leaving? Stupid, stupid, stupid. Weeks, weeks, she’s been coming out here, and no matter how little she sees, she keeps damn trying All because of him.

Levi was infuriated, with the target of his rage being none other than himself. Ever since he’d made the mistake of lingering on the surface, that four-eyed human has been coming back constantly, seemingly to catch another glimpse of him. She’s even tried all sorts of idotic tricks to lure him back, from tossing out messages in bottles to making whale noises of all things–did she really think that’s how he would communicate? The absolute dimwit. But it was his fault that said dimwit was here.

He massaged his temple, his face knit into an intimidating scowl What was it going to take to make this woman leave? But even more so, why couldn’t he stop watching her himself? He’s a merman, he can live anywhere in the ocean he likes so long as there’s plenty of clean water around, and yet he has stayed by this beach Even after it became clear that his existence had been revealed to a local–and an annoying one at that He had no attachment to this place in particular None of his comrades lived there, it didn’t stand out visually to him, and it often wasn’t clean thanks to those damned beachgoers. So why was he still here?

Peeking out from behind a distant rock, he watched as the human woman, once again, marched up and down the coast. The sun fell on her, giving her brown, ponytail-styled hair and sharp facial features a light tint of orange. Her gaze explored the wide blue beyond–though he knew she wouldn’t be able to find him–with a bright smile that seemed nigh impossible to wipe from her face. Levi cursed the sun for the sudden warmth he felt upon his cheeks

Pity.

That must’ve been it. It had to have been pity he felt, that’s why he couldn’t leave. He pitied this woman, wasting her precious time on a fruitless quest to find him Humans were so fragile and their lives so short, and yet instead of making the most of it all, she was dedicating all her time to looking for him His heart felt warm Damn that accursed sun.

He couldn’t sit by and watch this anymore It was obvious, only one thing was going to get this woman to leave, and that’s giving her what she wants Just swim over, grant her silly little wish, tell her to get lost, and leave. She can go home giggling like a child, and Levi can return to the peace and quiet of the sea, putting both her and this beach behind him. With an annoyed groan, he swam out from behind his rock and went out to deal with the four-eyed pest.

“Promise to meet here again?”

“Ugh… yeah, I promise.”

“Pinky-promise!?”

“Seriously? … fine, yes.”

The two locked fingers together–Levi rolling his eyes at the gesture and Hange giddy with excitement–solidifying their commitment to each other. That commitment being simple, to meet up here once again in a few days time, to converse and enjoy each other's company. How the hell did things go so wrong? All Levi wanted to do was get rid of the annoying human, and now he was swearing to return her side. Maybe he was the real dimwit this whole time

“Ah, before you go-!”

Hange looked away nervously, causing Levi to inquisitively tilt his head, raising an eyebrow as well.

“Could I… touch the scales on your cheek?!”

Ah, of course she wanted that. Levi glided his hands over the blue scales that adorned the back of his cheek, right around his jawline. To him, they were as ordinary as the short, black hair upon his head, but to a human, it must’ve been like seeing a fine diamond. Screw it, might as well let her. She’d surely put on some sort of pouting scene if he’d said no

Providing her his affirmation, she giggled gleefully and placed her hand upon Levi’s cheek scales. He expected her to be rough with him, yet her touch was surprisingly soft and caring Her fingers caressed the smooth, shimmering plates on his face, sliding her fingers along the bumps where his scales overlap each other. It felt… wonderful. This is a surprise.

Hange at last pulled away, her face very clearly redder than before. Was the sun maligning her as well? With a content expression, Hange waved him goodbye and hurried to leave. Levi couldn’t help but wave back, before turning and heading back to sea At last, the woman, Hange, was leaving, but it wouldn’t be long before she returned. Maybe that wouldn’t be so bad, after all She was kind, she was endearing despite her eccentricities. A smile split Levi’s lips, and he felt his cheeks warm once again Damn sun, a pest even under the sea wait a minute

By Jill (jumpinguptothesky)

THOSE SUMMER NIGHTS BY THE SEA

By glassesandswords

By Ottavia (micia-posts-stuff)

It wasn’t quite often that Levi fell victim to an uncharacteristically deep spell of sleep He had chronic insomnia after all- nightmares crashing over each other like pounding waves every time he closed his eyes;

horrible memories rushing in like water through cracks Such sound sleep- probably an enchantment by the sea’s constant lullaby- should have come as a welcome change

But after opening his bleary eyes to empty, rumpled blankets, long gone cold in Hange’s absence from their shared tent in the middle of the night, he cursed himself for having slept at all.

A whole year had passed since the Battle of Shiganshina, and Erwin’s loss still left a gaping hole in his chest Levi had not mourned someone for so long since Farlan and Isabel had taken their leave from his life, but this time, he was better poised to cope Hour after hour, he threw himself into endless piles of work to distract him from the stabs of guilt and pain that hammered into him like sharp nails In a world turned upside down, the least he could do was to protect those he had left with him- the people he truly cared about, the ones he could count using his fingers, the ones he considered his own family at this point.

Their future promised greater enemies- like naked swords dangling over their heads- while the past weighed down their weary hands. But to fight, they had to shed that weight to pick up their weapons again. And to do that, Levi kept a close eye on the one who shouldered the burden the most

The only person left whom he could truly call his friend

Which was why his heart lurched in panic every time he saw them go off somewhere dangerous alone. Levi was done with losing people. The title of ‘Humanity’s Strongest’ was nothing but a source of shame and mockery- of the hero who could not even protect his loved ones from harm.

He tried to suppress the anxiety that clawed at his chest as he walked outside the tent- perched on the edge of the beach- to survey the ocean. Levi carried a torch with him, but the unusually bright moon illuminated the rocky beach in its pale light The water weaved through the gaps between the pebbles, glinting like quick, tiny silver snakes as they moved

Levi approached the lone, moonstruck figure who stood in the middle of it all, staring at the distance into the shimmering black sea.

“Oi, Hange.”

Hange turned around. Their goggles sat on the top of their forehead and Levi swore he saw a tear streak down their cheek before it disappeared into the darkness, replaced by a smile that did not reach their one good eye.

“Hey, Levi,” they chirped casually, turning back to the ocean. “What are you doing here?”

“That’s something I should be asking you, ” Levi replied, annoyed “Don’t go off vanishing without a word. And where’s Jean? Wasn’t he supposed to take over for the night watch?”

“Ah, that drowsy boy looked like he needed a nap. I offered to switch over till dawn.”

“We have to prepare to return to the walls by dawn. How will we manage to reach home alive if the commander messes up due to sleep deprivation?”

“It’s alright Levi, I have pulled multiple all-nighters before Ask Mob-” Hange stopped, their breath caught in their throat, which they then cleared with a light, fake chuckle “Anyway, why are you awake?”

“The waves are fucking annoying”

It was a lie. Levi only stirred up from sleep once he realized he no longer felt Hange’s presence in the tent.

“Really?” Hange sounded like they could see right through him. “I don’t think I’ve seen you this relaxed in a long time. You look like a baby seal while sleeping, you know? No creases on that forehead, no scowl It’s kinda adorable.”

THOSE SUMMER NIGHTS BY THE

Levi brushed off the swooping feeling in the bottom of his gut at their words, instead choosing to scowl more. “Get out of the water.”

“Why?”

“There might be something poisonous. We barely know a thing about the weird creatures that reside in this ‘sea’ yet.”

“We’ve splashed in here all day, Levi. There’s nothing dangerous.”

“Things might be different at night. Also, you might get sick if you stomp around in cold water for too long How many times should I remind you that your safety is more important to m- to us… than ever before.”

Hange pursed their lips, taking in a slow breath, before they said, their voice a whisper through the wind, “You’re kind and I know that But, even if it may not look like it, I can take care of myself.”

Before Levi could open his mouth in a snarky reply, they pointed at something in the blackness of the water and yelled, “Oh look, a new fish! No, wait, is that a crab? I want to- woah!”

Hange stumbled Levi’s instincts took over instantly His feet kicked off from the ground as he watched the scene play out in slow-motion. The torch in his hand slipped out of his grip, but before it could crash on the rocks, he was already at Hange’s side. Hange’s eye was wide open, their face wearing the same stupid expression it did when they did not register what was happening yet. But their fall came to an abrupt halt, their nose just a hair’s breadth away from the water below.

Hange looked up to see Levi glower, his calloused fingers digging into their upper arm, a steady support they could always rely on.

For a heartbeat, their eyes met and the rest of the world blurred together.

THOSE

By

(micia-posts-stuff)

Ottavia

THOSE SUMMER NIGHTS BY THE SEA

But the spell was broken with a flash of a mischievous grin and a splash of saltwater all over Levi’s face.

Levi flinched, pulling Hange up so hard that they slammed into his chest, the force knocking the breath out of his lungs. He grabbed them by their sticky hair and turned them around, so that their faces were just inches apart and he was acutely aware of the warmth of their breath.

“You got into the water for me,” Hange said, smug.

Ignoring the heat rising up on his face, he snarled, “And you are getting out of it right now”

People thought Levi and Hange were trained to get along over the years That assumption wasn’t entirely wrong, but it wasn’t entirely right either.

From the moment Levi had laid his eyes on Hange, he was both intrigued and intimidated at their casual, yet intense manner of approach. Hange sparked with friction as they went against the flow, breaking convention with such ease. How could someone be so reckless, curious, and optimistic- considering the depths of despair they glimpsed into every day?

Years later, when he felt comfortable enough to pose that question to Hange (mixed with some common insults for good measure), they smiled at him.

“Suffering is not the only aspect of humanity’s nature. If you can’t see past how cruel the world is, you will never be able to experience the true beauty that lies beneath.”

“Isn’t it exhausting? Putting in all this effort just to make sense of our shitty lives?”

“And yet here we both are, doing exactly that in the Survey Corps”

That was the day Levi realized that they probably weren’t so different after all.

They ended up sitting on top of the cliff they first sighted the ocean from. It offered the perfect vantage point to scour for enemies. No matter what kind of advanced technology the Marleyans had, Hange was sure that they could spot those big-ass ships before the Marleyans could spot them Still, it was difficult to think about enemies when faced with such a vast expanse of clear water.

“No matter how many times I take in this view,” Hange said, “I am always amazed”

“Our life has no shortage of surprises,” Levi muttered, “The sea was a decent one, although what lies beyond it is not.”

“Doesn’t it make you feel so insignificant?” they asked quietly. “Sitting here in front of a salt lake that stretches to the horizon, no walls to cage us back, and with the knowledge that people exist on the other side- and they are decades ahead of us?”

It was fascinating how the world never stopped changing, even when they thought they knew everything they needed to know The rug had been pulled from underneath them yet again, making them start over from scratch So many questions left unanswered, but where do they even begin their search?

Hange felt a chill run down their spine. The prospect of exploring the world was exciting, yes, but it was also so damn scary.

A soft rustle and a slight weight on their shoulder pulled Hange out of their thoughts. They blinked as they found themself covered in yet another green cloak on top of theirs.

Levi’s eyes were fixed at the distance. “You’re trembling,” he said, somewhat hesitantly

Hange looked down Sure enough, their hands were shivering, although it had nothing to do with the night wind.

“Am I?” They forced a laugh, trying to get themself to snap out of it. “Can’t help it when the weather gets this cold.”

Levi raised a brow, droplets of sweat trickling down from his forehead. Hange knew he wasn’t buying the half-assed excuse. It was summer after all. Then why did he even bother covering them with the cloak?

Either way, that small gesture of warmth was enough to keep their growing, gnawing fear at bay Levi was Hange’s shelter, their home- a safe corner in a world that burned them down into desolate embers. He was the only person with whom they’d trust not just their life, but the whole of humanity. After the days they spent together preparing their next move, and nights spent reminiscing over cups of tea, maybe he felt the same about them too.

As if sensing the weight of their gaze on him, Levi turned to face them, and for a second, Hange wondered how it would be to swoop down and capture his lips with theirs. To show him exactly how much they cared, to show him what they truly felt for him.

But what happens after?

It wasn’t just their friendship at stake here, it was the fate of humanity. And Hange would be damned if they put their personal feelings ahead of the lives of millions that hung in balance.

Yet, the desire to thank him for being there for them throughout the years, to beg him to stay no matter what came in their way, pulled them in like how the sand sucked at their feet back on the beach.

Levi stared at them with a wary expression, as if he was anticipating something as well.

Hange almost laughed. It was ridiculous how afraid they were of change in a world that never stopped changing But if there was one thing they

THOSE SUMMER NIGHTS BY THE

knew for certain after spending years in the Survey Corps, it was to never hold on too tight. Because no matter how tight you held on to someone, there would always come a time to part And it would always be difficult to let go.

And whenever that would happen, Hange wanted both of them to look straight ahead and move forward.

So, they leaned in and pressed their forehead against Levi’s, letting his warmth seep into them Levi stiffened at their proximity, but then he curled an arm around them, resting his palm on top of Hange’s head. Every second felt like it stretched on forever, but even an eternity with him wasn’t enough.

Maybe this was just the beginning, or maybe this was all they could get in this life

Relying on hope was a treacherous, yet a deeply ingrained habit of the Survey Corps, for even those with most faith failed to survive. But Hange wanted to believe that no matter what- despite how long it took, despite the distance between them- in the end, the two of them would always find themselves at each other’s side.

THOSE

SCISSORS, MAGIC, AND MISSING KITTEN

By Jane

"Really?" Levi leaned against the café counter, watching Hange place a bowl of water onto his stove before she reached for the scissors nearby She opened the scissors, rotating them so that the opening of the blades was to the window, where they believed that Armin, their 8-month-old ginger kitten, ran out two weeks ago.

“Out of all the methods we were advised, this is what you believe we can get Armin back?” Resisting the urge to sigh, the retired firefighter turned café owner bit his lip, looking down at his phone to read the instructions of the so-called Scissors Magic Hange had insisted on performing on his café stove

The Scissors Magic to Find Your Lost Pet

Stay quiet Be respectful Place a bowl of fresh water onto the stove Open a pair of scissors and put it on the bowl's rim so that the opening of the scissors is towards the door or the window where your pet escapes. As you do it, talk to your pet in your heart to summon it home.

Do not move the bowl and scissors before your pet returns. Once it does, make sure to bring it to this stove to show your gratitude.

“If you can think of anything else other than what we had done so far. I’m all ears” Stepping away from the stove, Hange shot Levi a weary glare

“Hey, come here” Putting down his phone, Levi reached to hold her in his arms. “It's going to be alright. He’ll be back.”

"You don't know that, Levi!" Hange grumbled, burying her face against his shoulder.

Ever since Armin snuck out, Levi and Hange could barely sleep. For the first two days, Levi closed the store to search the neighborhood. Then someone from the online column suggested they search after midnight when stray cats were most active. So they did. They saw numerous cats but Armin was nowhere to be seen. Hange was devastated. So she, a Ph.D. in forestry who was also the most educated individual in this town of timbering and seasonal tourism, resorted to witchcraft of all things

"Armin is smart And our town is known to be cat-friendly" Taking a deep breath, the shorter man comforted his girlfriend. "You know him. A curious, playful brat He's probably still playing somewhere and forgets to come home."

Hange shook her head, moving towards the nearby couch to take out her phone. It was already three in the morning. After a full day of work and hours of searching, they had no strength to do anything else. But neither of them wanted to go to bed.

“You know, it’s possible that Armin is caught up playing with Annie. That kitten who’s so shy that we never got near her,” Hange muttered, half to Levi but mostly to herself. “If he’s playing with her, it explains why he’s hiding”

"Or he had decided to settle in another home You know what this town is like." Levi said but instantly realized he had made a mistake. For Hange's exhausted eyes immediately welled up with tears

"You think so, Levi?" She sobbed. "Is it because we didn't give him the love he needed? Is that why he ran away?"

Of course not! Levi wanted to reassure her. But that would be a lie.

The truth was, since they brought Armin home, neither of them had put him as a priority. Because he was a friendly kitten who was good with everyone

Armin was the first cat Levi and Hange adopted as a couple The excitement of starting a new business and life together had gotten the better of them As soon as they trained their respective cats – Mikasa, Sasha, and Connie from Levi, Jean and Eren from Hange – to coexist, all they could think of was to bring new members, be it human or feline into their proud household.

So when Erwin the local sheriff told them that a kitten was wandering near the police station, Levi and Hange were quick to act. They found the kitten, arranged vet visits and brought him home Then the tiny fur ball quickly fit in. After Hange chose a valiant name for this little soldier, Armin became the happy catalyst in the family

It was like magic They couldn't ask for a better cat Armin knew not to challenge Jean the arrogant Maine coon, and learned not to invade Mikasa the Bangel's personal space He was a great playmate of Connie and Sasha the tabby twins. And best of all, he got along with Eren, the grumpy, green-eyed tuxedo Hange saved from an abusive owner before she met Levi. Since Armin came into their lives, the cats' dynamics had become harmonious. So Levi and Hange focused on other things, such as running the café and expanding the family size.

"Armin ran out because it's what cats do He's curious You can't blame yourself," Swallowing a few times, Levi finally managed a response, as he looked at the window Armin escaped from "There's no way we knew that he had learned to open windows."

The night Armin disappeared, Levi and Hange had been celebrating. It was the first anniversary of the café and Hange had received a promotion. It meant they had beaten the statistics on two fronts: Levi for making the café survive the first year despite 80% of small businesses failing to do so. Hange for becoming the first female head of experts in her forestry firm. It was a romantic evening. Levi closed the store early to make them dinner, while Hange drove to the city to buy the best champagne.

They enjoyed the food, then each other. Levi was proud that he made Hange pass out in the end Neither of them noticed that Eren and Mikasa had been scratching the bedroom door, or Jean didn't come to demand breakfast at the break of dawn

SCISSORS, MAGIC, AND

"If only I had checked the windows Oh, Levi! Why didn't I check the windows?" Hange whispered. Levi's heart sank.

"Calm down, Hange. Stop looking at the phone." He reached to pry the smartphone off her fingers. "I was the one who didn't bolt the windows. Don't blame yourself. Try to have some closed eyes, 'kay? You should have the day off to get some rest."

"But I can't possibly…can't miss work anymore, Levi! We need to complete the field survey before the season and "

"Then sleep! You need the rest" Sitting beside her on the couch, Levi ran his fingers through her hair and took off her glasses. Before long, Hange fell asleep Levi then closed his eyes, letting his head fall back to listen to the clock ticking above.

He didn't know how long had passed. The next thing he knew was Eren digging his canines into his knee, making him jerk awake to feed them. Brushing the green-eyed brat away, Levi looked at the clock. 6:00. The sun was already up.

Taking out the cat food quietly, he was laying out bowls when footsteps came in front of the store The doorbell rang, nearly waking Hange up, much to his displeasure.

"I'm sorry it's so early. But I think I've found your cat. The ginger, right?" As soon as Levi opened the door, a hesitant smile and a cardboard box in the woman's hand lifted his sour mood.

"Yes." He uttered. Looking into the box as a blue-eyed, half-grown ginger kitten stared brightly at him. The shade of the eyes, the coloration of the hair. There was no doubt in his mind.

It was Armin.

"Where did you find him? Please come in No I haven't asked your name Do I know you?" Before Levi could stop it, his foggy mind blabbed out a string of questions because the woman looked familiar The lady smiled, pushing the box into his hands.

SCISSORS, MAGIC, AND MISSING

"I saw him eating the dry food I put on my porch today It's Frieda, by the way. I own the Reiss Florist Studio. You ordered potted greens from me, remember?" she shrugged Levi closed his mouth

"Right. Sorry I wasn't…Thank you. I can make you some coffee if…"

"It's OK. I need to go back to open my shop. Have a nice day! Say hi to Dr. Zoë for me." Fredie waved as she turned away. Before Levi knew it, she was gone and he was back in his café holding the empty cardboard box as Armin had gotten out as he closed the door

"Levi, Was someone there? Oh! ARMIN?" Hange's voice came from the couch. Her confusion soon turned ecstatic as Armin ran straight up to her "You're back! How?"

"The florist brought him to us She –" "Frieda? Remind me to thank her properly later. Come here, Armin! Come to mommy!" The exciting scientist jumped up, picked up the kitten, and ran to the stove.

It worked, Levi. Magic is real." She chanted, holding Armin against her chest as she made a praying gesture to the water bowl and scissors Levi found himself smiling. So the witchcraft really worked?!

The following hour was smooth like a dream as things fell back in place. Levi put out the cats' breakfast while Hange went to shower to get ready to work. Then the ex-fireman decided to give Armin a bath before he opened the café. But as soon as he started washing the cat, he realized something was off.

"He doesn't have balls…HANGE!" Levi shouted at the top of his lungs, making Hange dash out with her hair still wet.

"What do you mean he doesn't have balls?" She yelped, nearly stepping on Jean who ran to demand her attention

SCISSORS, MAGIC, AND MISSING KITTEN

"She doesn't have balls It's not Armin!"

"Whoa? But the magic Where the hell is Armin?!"

"I don't know."

"Are you sure he's not Armin?"

"Do you want to feel it?" Levi raised the wet, shrinking cat to the air. "This is a female cat, Hange Armin is still missing!"

"But how why Who is she? Where's Armin?" Hange sounded as if she was about to cry.

"I don't….Wait. What is that?" Levi felt his jaw slack open as a ginger cat casually walked into the corner of his vision On the floor among the cat bowls, Armin was devouring the wet food, chewing loudly while making a mess.

"Armin?" Hange turned and looked down, hands covering her mouth. "Armin, is that you?"

The cat on the floor looked up, licking his lips and giving out a small meow, before returning to his food.

"Oh, my sweet baby…"Hange whispered, lowering herself to his level as she reached out her hand "You're so hungry Where have you been? We're so worried."

The ginger cat meowed in response, looking up and turning to lick his back a couple of times, before running to rub himself against Hange's feet. Levi finally shut his mouth as he saw Hange's face light up.

"He's back, Levi! Oh, how can I forget! The MAGIC…" Holding Armin in her arms, Hange wanted to rush towards the stove to once again pray to the scissors on the water bowl But as soon as she stood up, she lost her balance and wobbled.

SCISSORS, MAGIC,

"Hange! Careful!" Levi's heart skipped a beat, almost losing the grip of the cat in his hands.

"

…Levi, my head is heavy." Sinking back to the floor, Hange dropped Armin as her face fell into her palms.

"For God's sake, four eyes. You're exhausted. Go lie down. Call in sick today,” Levi demanded.

"But the magic"

"No buts Go to bed and thank the scissors later I'll be with you after I finish washing…whoever this is." He sighed, looking at the pliant, soapy cat in the sink

For Levi, washing a cat wasn't a hard thing to do But washing a strange, extremely compliant cat who looked exactly like your lost kitten was another story. As he rinsed away the shampoo on the female cat, Levi started to realize why this kitten reminded them so much of Armin. Not only did she have the same shade of ginger and weight, but the subtle facial features were also nearly identical. The biggest difference Levi noticed was that she lacked the playfulness Armin had. But it was too early to tell her true nature at this point For now, Levi had other things to consider.

Hange had disappeared into the bedroom. At first, Levi could hear her leaving a voice message to her assistant Moblit to call in sick Then she went completely silent. This was unusual. Normally, when she had a day off, Dr Zoë would spend at least half an hour leaving instructions to her team. But today she didn't. It raised concerns to the former firefighter.

"I'd say this one is a keeper, isn't she?" He was drying the cat with a towel when Hange's quiet voice appeared from behind. The kitten remained soft and still like a pillow.

"I believe so, yeah" Levi let out a sigh "Didn't expect to bring a new brat to our home in this manner. But she's alright. How are you feeling now?"

SCISSORS, MAGIC, AND MISSING

"Much better I'm naming her Historia, by the way Unless you have other ideas." Hange said, smirking as she bent to pick up Armin to the bowl and scissors to complete the magic

"OK." Levi raised his eyebrows. "I suppose Historia is…fine. How did you come up with the name?" He asked while Hange leaned against the counter after putting Armin down. Hange was grinning. It was odd.

"I looked up girls' names when I was in bed. After I realized it was a new cat you were bathing" She placed her hands on her front "Then I realized I had missed a lot of things lately. So I looked up boy's names, too, just in case"

She smiled Levi let go of Historia to let her roam away to lick herself dry

"I doubt we're getting another one in the foreseeable future," he chuckled. Hange simply beamed back. For the third time this morning, Levi's mouth was open. "...What do you mean just in case?"

"The signs were all there, really. I've been emotional, feeling tired. My head is still spinning. So I took a test…"

"You need to lie down if you're dizzy, Hange I'd already told you Wait," the shorter man chided. Then he dropped the towel.

"Levi –"

"Four-eyes, what are you telling me?" he asked. The woman's smile before him suddenly glowed like golden hay in the field

"I'm pregnant."

SCISSORS, MAGIC, AND MISSING

By Mela (ackermela)

SOMETHING ABOUT US

By thesar

It was just months ago when they faced their biggest loss ever…

Okay maybe not ever but anyway this is how the unexpected began

After four years (approaching 5), Hange’s partner ended things with them out of the blue. It wasn’t really out of the blue, but with the way he broke it off, it felt so sudden despite the signs of him slipping from Hange’s hold for a while.

So then came the future in mind burning to the ground with tears and literal heartache that kept them groggy for a long time, along with their fascination in the discovery that your chest can actually ache caused by a break-up.

And along with that added traumatic loss came the laundry list of pledges they swore to themself, clutching a strawberry-shaped pillow while rocking back and forth as tears continuously crawled down their cheeks with clogged sniffles every now and then with All Too Well playing in the background for the whole night:

- Privacy’s important

- Don’t be dumb

- Don’t love again

It was a very dramatic and overprotective-of-the-self list, but it was much better to have that in mind than get hurt again.

So why is it that

After so long of mourning and the lull moment of acceptance and relief from unnecessary weight comes the unexpected.

A rush hour train headed east, passengers balancing for dear life, and two people lucky enough to get to sit. Hands holding on as if it’d be the last time, thumbs twiddling with each other, and despite the height difference being present even when seated, the taller one slumped in their seat just enough to rest their head on the other’s shoulder

You’d think “oh they just found another person anyway it’s nothing special” and you may be right, but of all the people they’ve met in their life and had a connection with, why is it that this one is different?

Sound disgustingly cliché? Hange would agree with you, but would also not.

About 2 weeks prior this train ride was a message out of nowhere that they decided to entertain. With the break-up and all the energy and emotion spent on getting over it, Hange decided to quietly live their life and try to get back on their own two feet quietly.

Less time online and more on trying to nurture themself in all fields So entertaining a single message was a big risk, especially with that extending to days of back and forth Of course Hange kept in mind to be careful for any sneaky business the other person could have in mind but also still kept their convo light and fun and even at times educational. And ohhhh this person they decided to entertain.

He is (or was) someone they apparently met once many years ago when Hange was a college freshman He was their senior at that time and from the other campus that had no connection with their campus whatsoever and apparently have been friends with him online for a long time only for the fact that they had the same set of mutual friends (of course given Hange’s mindset before being “a friend of yours is a friend of mine”) With every unexpected convo shifting from one topic to the other while Hange was dying on the other end trying to keep themself together slowly came the urge to want to personally meet up and hang out properly for once. Not really properly given the reason behind as to why they met up but a meet-up nonetheless, which is perfect considering that our Hange who once overshared everything from their earwax to their toe gunk has decided to become reserved, careful, and mysterious (ohhh).

So comes the two spending an entire day with each other thinking it would all just be for shits and giggles when just one look says otherwise. You’d think nah that only happens in books and movies where people over-romanticize everything they describe but what if for once it actually meant something more than just “to have fun”?

And it was in the shortest moments where it wasn’t sickeningly sweet. Where spacing out focused into just staring into the other with no ill intent. Where slipping their arm into his fit perfectly without having to grip too tight in fear of him letting go. Where excitement didn’t have to feel like a tornado of insects bounding around your innards but instead a pair of wings allowing itself to float Where flirting didn’t need to be done with fear or doubt or sadness waiting to plague the mind.

Where, for once, everything felt right

It was only after they got off at their stop and looked back once more to watch him ride ahead to his, did they discover something they thought was impossible.

The ability to exist as themself with another.

The day’s prior events played again and again in their mind as they got closer to their place A mix of worry and excitement and warmth swirled within themself with the expectation of his absence to follow just in case the worst happens

And just as they start preparing their heart for him to leave them just like that, comes a chat:

- Hey :)

- Hi thanks for today :))

- I forgot to tell you the name - Name?

- The nickname my mom used to use on me when she was still alive

- Are you sure it's ok to tell me?

- Yeah :) its Levi

- But why tell me Levi? :O

- Because only people I trust get to know that

By Nou (Nunia.22)

TO YOU, FROM ALL MY POSSIBILITIES

I. Hange

I don’t belong here.

By adelinevw7

That was the first thought that formed in their mind. As they stood and stared into the mirror, the overwhelming sense of wrongness descended upon them.

No.

This body, with its height and bulk, its mop of blonde hair and haltingly blue eyes this was not theirs Neither were the memories that flooded their mind at that moment: recollections of everyday things, utterly disconcerting in their fullness.

Running at dusk: the scent of cut grass and the crisp air of nearevening in his lungs.

Print-outs splayed upon a table, nearly all the pages annotated by a messy hand. In green ink, for contrast.

The aroma of black coffee, and the familiar warmth of the mug against his palms as he waited for the beverage to cool to drinking temperature.

The burn in his mouth when he inevitably decided he wouldn’t wait any longer.

Their mind hurt from the dizzying influx of images. Everything was alien.

They did not belong to these memories, did they?

Who am I?

As if in answer to her query, details of a life swam to the surface of their mind. He the young man to whom the memories did belong was a university student. Erwin Smith. A scholar at heart, with a special interest in history He was in his last year of study, basking in the mix of nostalgia, apprehension, and excitement that accompanied such a phase.

It was a perfectly good life at glance, a life that lacked for nothing. So why ?

“Erwin!” an older man’s voice called from downstairs Dad, Erwin’s memories supplied. At the same moment, the sounds and smells of breakfast being prepared registered in their head “Didn’t you say you had an early start today?”

“I’ll be down in a bit!”

Hoping their answer wasn’t too far out of the ordinary, they trudged down the stairs to meet Erwin’s father.

The man placidly nodded at them over a steaming spread. On the table, he had laid out spiced sausages and eggs; pan-fried bread and jars of fruit preserves; a pot of black coffee with cream on the side. Erwin’s favorites, they realized His father looked at them expectantly

“Thanks, Dad”

“But isn’t the boy appreciative today, hey? Maybe it comes of getting older. You understand it better: what it takes to make a way for yourself.” Erwin’s father Edward seemed to be talking to himself more than telling them this. Then he smiled, as if remembering that they were both still standing. His eyes, no less bright and blue than those of his son, shone with undisguised pride and affection

“Happy birthday, my boy”

Somehow, they managed to get to Erwin’s university and into the one lecture he had to attend that day

They sat unobtrusively they hoped at the back, and began filling up a blank page with notes about the national myths of pre-war Marley. Erwin already had the rotten luck to get his body stolen during his own birthday. He didn’t need to be robbed of the day’s lesson on top of that.

Not if they can help it.

Before they knew it, they had gotten absorbed in the lesson. It was not hard; the stories were compelling.

A slave girl made queen. And then queendom being merely another cage, a gilded one

They had to marvel about Erwin: how this gruff giant of a young man, behind it all, was deeply stirred by the tragedy of a girl from long ago.

And that scene at breakfast as well. The easy relationship with his father, the clear fact of their mutual affection.

He was a great guy. Someone who did not at all deserve being displaced from his own life “-win.”

A tug had interrupted their thoughts. “Erwin!”

They turned to meet another boy’s intense gaze. He seemed like an opposite to Erwin: slight and sharp in the way that he was not. Even his coloring contrasted with Erwin’s having dark eyes and hair, and very pale skin.

There was also something peculiarly soldier-like in this boy’s expression, highlighted by the thoughtful frown pulling on his lips

Levi Ackerman, they realized This boy was one of Erwin’s closest friends

“ Levi, yes Hey”

“Hey, yourself” He glanced at the notes they had taken, raising an eyebrow.

“I wasn’t going to miss a session’s worth of notes, you know.”

Levi only huffed. “Class is over. In case you didn’t notice.”

“Oh.”

“Let’s go.”

Go where ?

Levi ended up leading them to the closed-off football field at the edge of campus The area was unkempt and overgrown, but the benches were intact and perfectly accessible. Above all, it was quiet.

They knew without reaching into Erwin’s thoughts that this must be a favorite haunt.

Levi noisily dug the heel of one shoe into the gravel, grabbing their attention. He sighed.

“Confirm something”

“Yes ?”

Levi looked them in the eyes once more There was a hint of hesitation in his face, which nearly softened the natural sternness of his features.

“You’re not Erwin, are you?”

A wave of panic washed over them at that very moment, and as Levi’s gaze bored into their silent struggle, they had the distinct feeling that denial would serve no purpose.

“How can you tell?”

“Who are you?”

Levi had apparently seen their confirmation before they spoke, and so answered with a question of his own Sensing their shock, he pressed, “What’s your name?”

Well, how does one even answer that?

“I don’t know,” they replied after a while, breaking eye contact. “I guess I’m nobody. I don’t have one.”

To their surprise, Levi huffed, annoyed. “That won’t do. You’re not Erwin, for sure, but you’re somebody”

This was oddly touching The whole day, all they felt was guilt an insistent internal rebuke.

You’ve barged into someone else’s life. Are you enjoying it?

How dare you?

“I can’t call you Erwin, but I won’t call you Not-Erwin, either,” Levi mused aloud, snatching them back from self-recrimination. After another moment of silence, he fixed them with a resolute look

“Let’s call you Hange”

II. Levi

“You weren’t angry with me. You’ve never been not about this.”

It was a slow hour at the coffee shop, which gave them the opportunity to simply sit and talk. Levi’s boss never seemed to mind if his employees entertained friends while on the clock though he looked mildly concerned that Levi was bringing a different person in every time.

Levi broke off a piece of their cookie, before pushing the saucer back

“No Why would I be?” He paused to chew on his bit of cookie “It’s not your fault this happens to you. It’s unreasonable to get angry.”

“Still, it has to be weird.”

Levi glanced at them. That day they happened to be in his cousin’s body. Mikasa’s features were fixed in an uncharacteristic expression, a mix of guilt and self-deprecating attempt at humor. It wasn’t an uncommon thing to see from Hange.

He decided he didn’t like that.

“But I still can’t believe you named me for a mislabeled coffee cup.” His confusion at the non sequitur must be evident, because they laughed.

“What?”

“Imagine sharp, capable Levi misspelling a name. Something must have been messing with you Was she very pretty?”

“Was who pretty?” “Angie.”

His brain finally caught up with Hange’s mile-a-minute musings, and startled laughter burst out of his mouth

“Honestly? I don’t even remember what she looks like”

“But in a way, you know, I suppose that’s fitting. A mistake of a name for… a person like me There might be a metaphor in there, somewhere” “Don’t, Hange.”

“No, I should be the one telling you that.” And here they smiled. “You think I wallow in my bad feelings about myself all the time. I don’t.”

Levi stared into their borrowed face, which grew almost irrelevant with every moment that passed As if he could truly see the person obscured by this weird phenomenon, the soul hidden behind a familiar face.

“I love this name, Levi. It’s the one thing I belong to. I’m glad you gave it to me”

He always marveled at how he got used to it, so quickly and so completely.

Despite their unconventional existence, Levi could no longer imagine not knowing Hange In his innermost thoughts, their encounter simply made sense.

He could always see them, no matter whose body they happened to inhabit Not that it was especially hard; Hange always seemed to be in the body of a person he knew. This made him wonder: could this perhaps be the principle?

Was Hange’s unintentional body-surfing ability tied to him?

Were they meant to meet, somehow?

He mentioned this to them one day, offhandedly. Hange only laughed, the carefreeness of the gesture highlighted by Armin Arlert’s boyish voice.

“I don’t know, Levi. Maybe. But if you ask me,” they gave him an impish smile, “I like thinking that I’ve just been immensely lucky”

They might have stopped laughing, but he could still feel the amusement rolling off from them in waves.

“It’s not funny, Hange.”

“No, it’s not I agree I think it’s cute Now, you and him can make up”

“That’s We don’t have a quarrel going on”

“I don’t know. Didn’t I just hear you call him ‘Beardie’?”

“He doesn’t know that! I’ve never called him that to his face!”

Zeke Yaeger’s annoyingly smug countenance inched close to him as Hange leaned in They grinned

“I guess now you technically have”

They were sitting on the curb, heads bent close together. He could smell the alcohol on their breath; it was likely the same for Hange For a moment, he relished the rightness of it all whether it was luck or some peculiar design of the universe that brought them here, it had done well. This was exactly where he wanted to be. His thoughts were interrupted by a sigh at his side.

“Ah, the things I wish I could do right now,” Hange mumbled, looking up at the sky He wouldn’t know why The city lights were far too bright to see the stars. They smiled ruefully before they continued, “Only, they wouldn’t be fair”

“Why wouldn't they be fair?”

“They just wouldn’t, I know it” They lifted their head from his shoulder to give him a sad look. “Still. I really want to kiss you right now.”

“So do it.”

Hange drew close, and pressed their lips to his. It was rousing The haze of drunkenness all but vanished from his mind

Hange’s lips tasted like freedom

“There” They pulled back, then caressed his bottom lip with their thumb “Since you asked for it so nicely.”

They disappeared the very next day.

It was like they lived a twisted fairytale, and their kiss had invited an unfavorable ending

Levi tossed and turned in bed after days of fruitless searching A thousand questions raced in his mind.

Was it wrong for him to ask them to act on their feelings, after all?

Or were they simply gone? Had something happened?

Just a couple months ago, his connection with them would have been unthinkable. With Hange… out of the picture, he would only be returning to his old life, where nothing at all came as a surprise.

He was not capable of naming this loss How could he begin to explain it?

Levi closed his eyes, hoping that dreams would grant him reprieve from his longing

He felt them return before he saw them. The weight of a familiar gaze settled upon his back, burning on his nape, and he could not turn fast enough.

Levi was greeted by an unfamiliar face, wearing a smile he would recognize anywhere.

Somehow, he knew for certain this was them. This was the end of the line This person, with their lanky build and robust red-brown hair this was Hange, as they were meant to be.

“I looked for you,” he heard himself say.

There was more that he wished them to know.

That he missed them so much. That he sought them in all the faces he encountered.

“Everywhere.

Always.

Hange smiled, and with two steps, erased the distance that remained between them Maybe they heard all that, regardless

“Will you disappear again?”

Their breath caught at that An unnameable emotion flashed at him from the depths of their bespectacled brown eyes, promptly hidden from view when Hange threw their arms around him. “No.”

He felt their fingers threading through his hair, a sensation most comforting

“You’d best believe I’ll find my way to you every time”

By Ang

By Ange (Ange Artsu)

By Rue (traunexttopmodel)

MAYBE, PROBABLY

By autumndory

The party was nice Classy, with enough alcohol to make easy conversation but not so much that it became rowdy. Only Nanaba could organize a party for Nifa’s engagement so well that everything about it was so perfect that even the amount of booze consumed was controlled

Although Hange had been out of contact with Levi for weeks since the breakup, she was enjoying herself for the most part. As far as she was concerned, her decision was for the best.

All of her friends were there, and it was so easy to fall into bouts of reminiscing But then, Levi appeared and any enjoyment she had felt melted away in a wash of anguish and was she feeling anger?

Dodging through the well-dressed crowd, her purple dress flowing behind her, Hange made her escape Overhead, swathes of white fabric were draped across the expansive ceiling, behind them, fairy lights the color of the moon glowed The room glimmered with an ethereal vibe It was beautiful, but it was nothing compared to what was outside the hall.

Beyond the glass patio doors that Hange slipped through, there was a garden that stretched off into the darkness. Statues were dotted around, and trees lined the pathway with more lights and lanterns hanging from their branches If Hange’s shoes weren’t currently trying to see through her feet, she would have loved to explore but instead she hobbled towards a pagoda

It stood in the center of the stone patio beside a small koi pond With her dress gathered up in one hand, Hange lowered herself down to the edge, and slipped off her stilettos and let her feet dangle above the lawn.

The summer was slowly coming to an end, and the autumn was peaking through in barely discernible ways. It was only years of watching the slow decline that has given Hange the ability to notice It started with the discolored leaves hanging like traitors among the lush greens, the darkened grass growing on manicured lawns, the chill that rides on the evening breeze is the last straw. Hange was ready to weep over the loss of everything that came when work started again. Everything that could have been with him.

She tugged her shawl up to cover her shoulders from where it hung, tucked into her elbows. The cold, fortunately, was not yet sharp enough to pierce through the thin white veil

Staring out at the darkness, Hange let herself assess her emotions She had heard through a friend who was in therapy that being mindful of how you felt could ease the burden your emotions inflicted

She could only pray that it was true.

The most potent emotion, for some reason, was anger. It ripped through her like a fire, and burned her heart in ways she was unprepared for.

She was also upset It was a softer feeling, and it pushed a lump into her throat that she wished she’d brought champagne to wash down with.

There was also the grief. Mourning the loss of a once great relationship again Mostly, though, Hange was disappointed that his appearance was affecting her so much.

She was supposed to be getting over it.

The night had been going so well until she spotted him. Thinking about him only serves to fill her up with rage. Rage at the circumstances and how unfair things can be sometimes.

Being outside was helping

It was a serene evening, and even with the muted chaos of the party hidden behind the doors, Hange could appreciate the silence that reigned through the garden

In the distance, somewhere behind her, a door opened and the noise grew. It quietened again almost immediately.

“Are you hiding from me or the party?”

Whatever tranquility Hange was enjoying was shattered like a champagne glass cracking in her tense hands. Maybe it was a good thing that she didn’t bring a drink out with her Picking shards of glass from the grass in the dark was just asking for the night to end in a bloody mess

“I think I can, uh, guess From your reaction Not to presume, but I guess I can just tell now.”

After so much time they had spent together, it was not surprising that he could so easily read her body language and facial expressions, but if anything, it made everything about him being there worse. It was a testament to how close they had once been. A sign of how far they had fallen to have gone from there to here

“I don’t think we should see each other again”

Heartless, toneless, thoughtless: Hange couldn’t let herself feel anything She had already given up on him. And she wasn’t sure how much further she could deplete herself without any sort of reward in the end

“Please, Hange, let me ”

“No thank you.”

He should have left immediately when she said that, but from the corner of her eye, Hange watches as he settles down on the step beside her

“What part of ‘I don’t think we should see each other again’ did you fail to understand, Levi?” she spat his name out like a bad word, and he recoils like it is acid “Please leave”

“Hange ”

She twisted in her seat and stared at him down.

“Levi ” she laughed, tears filling her eyes. “Let’s not make this harder than it should be I told you I wanted a clean cut, why are you doing this?”

Because those weeks that led to their eventual break up was filled with enough silence that Hange grew to mute his voice When she finally pulled the trigger and told him it was best they break it off, the words grated on her nerves until she was cringing so hard it hurt

“Because it’s worth trying,” Levi said.

Their complicated schedules made their lives harder, there’s no question in that. They had only pockets of time to hide in and be with one another.

“You’re leaving soon, so, what are you trying to do right now?”

“I get it. Things got in the way. It it happens.”

“Please don’t make me suffer through saying goodbye again,” Hange snapped

Like a whip through the air, her words cut through them both. Hange lept from her seat and paced the length of the pagoda, stepping outside in the roots of the willow tree, the cold wood a balm on her sore feet.

“Levi, you were the hardest ‘we don’t talk anymore’ for me. Every time I saw old pictures, I felt like someone was throwing ice water over me Every time I thought about you and not being able to even reach you, it made my heart wrenched from my chest God, it hurt so much”

He stood there, static, observing how she poured her soul in front of him, observing the pain in her expression.

“You know why it’s not worth trying? Because I don’t want you to stay and then resent me. I don’t want to be

“I could never resent you, Hange,” he interrupted, taking a step forward.

“Maybe not today! Maybe not tomorrow, maybe not in a month?” her voice breaking, a delicate gust making her bangs cover her face “But, what about in a year? Or in three, while we’re sipping our afternoon tea? Imagine being engulfed in your thoughts and thinking you should be somewhere but there.”

He interrupted her one more time. “Stop. Hange, just… just stop.”

Pausing in her pacing, Hange was stock still and facing away from him.

“Fu I Hange, I would never regret being with you,” he bickered, covering his face and taking another step. “Hange…

Her name in his lips, made her feel squeamish, made her somewhat vulnerable

“I never stopped loving you From the day you walked into my life, Hange, I loved you.”

Levi was floundering. “You’re a mess but you are kind. And you dress good I mean nice. You’re smart. Smarter than most people. And you’re funny. And even the parts of you that aren’t good, they’re great too,” he declared, heat rising to his cheeks. “I like all of you, Hange and I’ve ne never been able to take my eyes off of you

Streams of tears were traveling Hange’s cheeks

“Jobs come and go but I’ll be damned if I let you go again,” he affirmed, grabbing her hand. “I love you, Hange Zoe. And no matter how much I try to forget you, I don’t think I’ll ever be able to”

Relenting, Hange turned to face him. With the lanterns on the tree above them shining down like stars, Hange could see the sincerity in his eyes. His green suit is the perfect shade of summer, and she wondered if he did that on purpose. Did he remember how much she loved the summer time?

“Let’s try again,” he added, finally.

“Levi, you shouldn’t ”

His phone vibrates and in the moment, she plans her output only to be stopped by Levi mouthing her to stay

“Good evening, this is Rico from Sina Mechanics. Am I speaking with Levi Ackerman?”

“Yes?”

There’s a blackhole opening up in the pit of Levi’s stomach What could possibly be happening right now?

“I am calling with some unusual news. Our company has recently had a reshuffle, and there are aspects of your job that, well, no longer fit the information we gave you.”

“Oh.”

“It’s nothing to worry about, Mr. Ackerman,” informed the woman on the other side of the auricular. “In fact, you have the opportunity to continue on as offered but we would like to offer you the opportunity to spend one week a month on campus and work remotely the rest of the time ”

He hung up.

Levi stepped closer into her space, and reached a hand up to the back of her head. She should have walked away, she should have shouted at him and refused to engage But she missed those hands, and she missed his lips. When his hand gripped her ponytail and pulled her head back, Hange closed her eyes as he leaned in to kiss her.

She should have regretted it, but she didn't.

Not when luck somehow was on their side. Not when finally, stars aligned for them to take a chance of what could have been but it didn’t Not when a second chance is within arm’s reach.

“What a fucking rollercoaster,” Levi joked, pressing his lips on her forehead They were pressed into one another before he had time to address his new move.

“But I’m so glad we don’t have to get off,” she finally said, giving him that smile that enchanted him the moment he met her, years ago.

By April (ariex)

By Moon (snudootchaikovsky)

KUNG PAANO NAWINDANG NANG BONGGANG-BONGGA SI HANGE "BEKIMASTER" ZOE

By djmarinizela

(Or: When Hange first met the medyo mataray, super pa-cool, and yet kagila-gilalas na Levi Ackerman, she sort of fell head over heels for him Literally.)

First day highs are usually nerve-wracking. Classrooms are filling in, the cafeteria is jam-packed, and bathrooms are crowded for some reason Not to mention the school bell is drilling a hole in everyone's ears.

"345, 345, Room 345… haler, nasaan na ba ‘yang Room 345?"

For the 12th time, Hange is perusing through her registration forms and class schedule to make sure that she has the correct info. There's no mistaking it:

FICTION WORKSHOP, RM 345, HUM BLDG, 1PM-4PM, WED & FRI, PROF TBA

Only 10 minutes left before the class starts, and here she is, frantically pacing around the busy third floor of the Humanities Building, biting her nails as she tries to look for that one elusive room.

Nakakaloka. She's heard of these hidden spots often in movies and novels: The Wardrobe in Narnia, the Room of Requirement, the Rabbit Hole, Encantadia… ah basta, whatever people want to call it.

It's been five rounds of going up and down the three floors, and the

registrar in the Admin Building isn't much of a help even on the fifth visit “Ay, nandun lang ‘yun, dzai,” says the lady at the desk loudly chewing her gum while she’s reading the daily newspaper

Aside from wanting to whack useless people on the head, Hange usually likes to discover things on her own, but now she's desperate. Which means that she’ll have to take a shot asking random people, a feat that Hange isn’t really accustomed to.

But then again, walang hiya naman talaga siya

"Ah, excuse me," she taps the small guy who's currently busy with his phone while waiting outside the Registrar's Office. "Do you know where Room 345 is?"

She gives him her sweetest smile, the type where you can feel her light up like the sun shining, shimmering, splendid. Hange Zoe is an icon, the beki of the bekis, handang umariba sa baklang kanal playlist ng kanyang dabarkads.

And this much is true: no one can deny her charms. No one. However, the small guy only returns a frown enough to shut down the skies. "Basahin mo kaya ‘yung room number sa bawat pinto."

He returns to his cellphone and leans back against the wall. And Hange's wide smile snaps, the corners of her mouth turning upside down

Taray ni Kuya, she muses Sarap batukan

Sa pagkabansot-bansot ng lalaking kausap niya, baka tinadyakan niya na ito kanina pa.

But no, Hange is a graduating college senior, and she takes it to herself to be patient towards freshmen, no matter how rude they may be.

Kulang na nga sa height 'tong loko na 'to, she thinks to herself, kulang pa sa manners Pagbigyan na lang

KUNG PAANO NAWINDANG NANG BONGGANGBONGGA SI HANGE "BEKIMASTER" ZOE

Although, this freshman is sort-of, kinda like, cute He's wearing a nice polo (branded pa!), a pair of jeans, and the typical boat shoes. Plus, he’s sporting a really cool undercut

Mapungay pa ang mga mata ni kuya mabigat ang mga talukap na para bang pasan ang mundo. ‘Yung tipong ala bad boy. Really the kind of guy that could make your heart drop like a roller coaster sa isang titig niya lang.

Of course, Hange Zoe is very calm and composed Prim and proper, ika nga ng mudrakels niya. Nanaba told Hange before that she's the type who falls hard really fast Now's the time to prove to her friend that she's not giving in to such temptations.

So she tries again.

"So, uhm, Room 345 is supposed to be right across the Art Studio, pero it's just the fire escape sa dulo." She points a finger towards the very end of the hallway of the building across them. "Maybe you'd know where "

"Try mong tumalon sa bintana, baka mahanap mo," he says.

She rolls her eyes in defeat "Wow, salamat ah" Kaunti na lang talaga, mauubos na ang pasensiya niya Baka si Hange na mismo ang humagis sa lalaking ito sa bintana. Handang-handa na ang kamao niya nang

"Mr Ackerman?"

The guy stands up upon his name being called by the registrar lady. Without another word, he goes inside the office, leaving Hange all by herself.

Deeply sighing, Hange sits on the bench sulking about this missing classroom Cutting the first day is usual for some students, but smart, straight-A Hange isn't one of them. No, sir, no. She’s not the smartest bekimaster in the batch for nothing But the way things are right now, maybe there are things far better than showing up to class.

KUNG PAANO NAWINDANG NANG BONGGANGBONGGA SI HANGE "BEKIMASTER" ZOE

She's still moping thirty seconds later when the guy comes out of the office.

"345 ba kamo sa Hum? Tara, samahan na kita." He drops a thick folder in his messenger bag and points his nose toward the Humanities Building "Doon din pala ako."

"Shuta, ‘yun naman pala eh!" Hange claps her hands excitedly and thinks to herself, What a gentleman.

The two of them walk over to the Humanities Building in silence. Apparently, he’s not a freshman Probably her batchmate or an upperclassman who had to extend for another year or so. Hange knows it happens The class allows seniors, superseniors, and superduper seniors to enroll in it, anyway. Mga feeling Magna, as in, Magna-nine years O 'di kaya Summa Summa sampung taon

Plus, she and this Mr Mataray-Cutie-Pie are not in the same college department in this enormous university campus most likely, which makes sense why Hange has never seen this guy, never heard of his name before.

Hange does want to befriend him all the more. Lavarn kung lavarn.

So she starts with her default introduction Clearing her throat, she goes, "Hi, ako nga pala si Hange. H-A-N-G-E. Parang 'Angie' pero lagyan mo ng hangin sa unahan " "Levi"

"Levi " Hange repeats, and makes a side note in her brain, Ang ganda ng pangalan niya. "Nice to meet you!" She stretches out her hand, but Mr. Short Guy only looks at it and continues walking But Hange isn’t giving up on befriending him. “Alam mo, sa tingin palang, mukha ka talagang writer sa malayo ay pota!”

She misses the last step going up the stairs and trips on her wedges. With a sweeping gesture, Levi catches her by the waist. And then it all happens in slow motion, the love song Kapag Tumibok ang Puso playing

KUNG PAANO NAWINDANG NANG BONGGANGBONGGA SI HANGE "BEKIMASTER" ZOE

in her mind, as Hange’s heart starts beating faster while she’s holding on to him a la Ser Chief and Maya sa Be Careful with My Heart. His face is only a mere inch away from hers, and Hange can see her reflection in his eyes.

“Mag-ingat ka nga.”

Once her feet find footing on the ground, he lets go.

Blushing, Hange tucks a strand of hair behind her ear “Teynkz”

“I’ve heard about you ” Levi starts while they’re walking once more “Ikaw ‘yung topnotcher ‘di ba? Bakit para kang kitikiti?"

"Grabe ka naman, ganito lang talaga energy ko ” Sabay kembot ni baccla “Nakakahawa ba?"

She wiggles her eyebrows as a smize, but Levi only scowls even more. “Bahala ka dyan.”

There's a click of his tongue which she considers an acknowledgment. Hange is somewhat amused They say friendship starts when you least expect it, but Hange isn't even sure if she could call it that.

"Alam mo, excited na ako sa klaseng ito,” she continues, “Ikaw ba?"

"Siguro."

"Pucha, energy naman diyan oh." Hange nudges him in the ribs with her elbow. And then she changes the topic: “Sana may itsura ‘yung prof.”

Levi’s mouth gapes open. “Iniisip mo kung may itsura ‘yung prof? Hindi man lang kung matalino ba ‘to, or kung may matinong ituturo?”

Needless to say, he’s definitely dumbfounded

“Plus points din ‘yun, pero iba talaga ‘pag may itsura eh” Tulad mo, Hange thinks to herself, Ang sarap titigan araw-araw.

KUNG PAANO NAWINDANG NANG BONGGANGBONGGA SI HANGE "BEKIMASTER" ZOE

The huge sign ‘EMERGENCY EXIT ONLY’ marks the end of the hallway

Having already reached the fire escape, Levi leans over the heavy door and sees another walkway past it Sinong bakla ang nag-design ng architecture ng building na ‘to? He turns the knob and enters, taking a few more strides towards the room at the very end, with Hange following right behind him.

“Sana pumasa ka sa klaseng ito,” he says.

"Grabe ka naman Papasa ako, siyempre Ako pa!” And then she pauses “Bakit mo naman naisip ‘yun?"

He stops in his tracks and faces her, shoving his hands in his pockets. They have finally arrived in Room 345

With a tone of authority, he announces loud and clear: "Kasi ako nga pala 'yung prof.”

Something chirps in the background. The awkwardness is seeping in the air.

“Luh, ito talaga, pabiro,” she laughs and turns to face the door.

Her face falls into shock.

It would have been wise to apologize to him, because written in big letters on the door are the words:

PROF LEVI ACKERMAN, FICTION

WORKSHOP

The moment she reads those words, there’s a thud echoing in the hall, followed by Levi’s “Huy.”

Hange Zoe has fainted in the fire escape.

KUNG PAANO NAWINDANG NANG BONGGANGBONGGA SI HANGE "BEKIMASTER" ZOE

By Amelie (donttossgrannyinthebegonias)

HIS LOVE LETTER

By raelineee

Oh such a sweet day for Hange, just sitting down at their desk Waiting and daydreaming for their day ahead.

“Hange! You have been staring at the door since you came here. Are you waiting for someone? Ahah! Is it Levi?”

“No, Nanaba. Stop it. It’s not Levi. I’m just waiting for the teacher to come, that is all,” Hange exclaimed as they properly sat at their desk.

“Oh please, we all know you are head over heels for your seatmate,” Nanaba exclaimed as she elbowed Hange, making Hange glare at her.

A thought came into their mind. What if they were really waiting for him? And it wasn't the teacher?

All of a sudden, the teacher came inside the classroom and all of the students came back sitting at their desks. Hange then saw their seatmate going in their direction.

Omg, what is he doing here? Is he going to do something? Hange thought.

“What are you staring at, Four-Eyes? Am I not allowed to sit in my chair any more?” Their seatmate said as Hange smiled at him. The guy just glared at them,making them scowl at the expression of their seatmate

Suffice to say, Hange and their seatmate didn’t really have a good relationship. They both had big differences when it came to personalities (and mostly hobbies) He likes to clean while Hange likes

to run around and play around in the rain Although Hange didn't care about the differences, they had already fallen for their seatmate. What’s the point of backing out, anyway?

“Hey Levi, want to go to the canteen with me?” Hange asked, wishing deep inside that their seatmate would agree.

“Sorry, Hange I have to go with Erwin and Miche Maybe later Thanks though,” Levi said as he grabbed his wallet and went out dashing to the door

Damn it Well, there goes their last hope

Hange sighed and just went back to their seat to eat their snack Something then caught Hange’s eyes. They saw a love letter just laying around inside their seatmate’s bag.

Huh? That is weird… Hange thought. Hange stared at Levi’s bag for a good minute until they managed to get back to their senses That is weird, why would a stone-cold person like their seatmate have a love letter hidden in his bag?

“What if it’s not a love letter? Maybe it’s just his notes? For class, you know,” Hange said as they whispered to themselves

“But, I could really see the words ‘feeling’ and ‘like’ even just a short distance. Woah, what happened to my eyesight…” Hang continued to whisper as they tried to rummage in Levi’s bag.

There were thoughts inside Hange’s head. Wonder if they can get the letter without getting caught or just leaving it be and letting themselves overthink.

Wait, what if it's for someone? Is there a special occasion today? Gosh, darn it Maybe I should just leave it be? Hange thought as they continued to talk in their head.

“Four-Eyes Stop staring at my bag You are creeping the hell out of me” A voice behind them startled them.

“Oh! When did you get here?” Hange asked as they immediately looked away from Levi’s open bag.

“Since the day I was born into this world. Why are you looking at my bag, Hange? Is there something you want? Name it,” Levi said as he glared at Hange while he tried to sit in his seat.

“Yes, you. I want you,” Hange said in a low voice but didn’t expect Levi to hear it maybe not but still

“What?”

“Nothing, nothing I just like the texture So soft to touch,” Hange said as they looked away from Levi’s gaze. Not wanting to receive any more questions from their dear seatmate.

“You’re weird, Four-Eyes. Just be thankful I am holding food right now, or…”

“Or what? What are you going to do to me huh?”

“You have some crumbs on your lips,” Levi said as, out of nowhere, rubbed off the crumbs near their lips.

Hange felt that they could hear the wedding bells and people cheering for that short interaction Hange can feel their face burn and immediately looks away from Levi, not wanting to look at him ever again. Then, they saw the face of their best friends, silently teasing and giving looks at Hange.

It was finally dismissal and Hange immediately skipped to their locker. Forgetting about that one letter they saw from Levi’s bag. They opened their locker with a sigh of relief from exhaustion when a letter fell off

“What the?” Hange muttered as they picked up the letter, observing the piece of paper they were holding.

The paper wasn’t any special kind, it was just a simple pad paper that they use for class. There wasn’t any splash of color coming out of the letter and Hange immediately thought that this letter is just a pretty old boring doodle that they have probably made a few years ago. But, their curiosity took in, and immediately opened the note.

“Oh my gosh….”

Four-Eyes,

Before I start, I just want to warn you that there might be some things that don’t sound like me But to assure you, I really did write what I want to say to you here. I did not ask for help from anyone, not even from Erwin Hange, from the moment I met you in 7th grade. I was mesmerized by your smile. The way your laugh is so contagious and your eyes would disappear every time you smile. Back then, I thought nothing of it. But as I get to know you every single day, I began to know more of you. I like the way you would tuck your bangs behind your ear or you would push your hair back

But not only that, I fell for who you really are I would sometimes overhear you saying things that you are not worthy of any love but for me, you really do You are worth everything, Hange

It took me a while to confess to you especially since now that we are in 12th grade. But now, I’m finally ready to tell you how I really feel. I’m tired of admiring you from afar. I like you, Hange. I love you, Hange.

And I know you might not return the same feelings that I have for you, but just so you know that I will always be here. I will wait for you, Hange… even if it takes me years.

It’s already 2022 and yet Hange still held onto the only letter they received back when they were in high school. They still kept it even though they are already growing old, probably wondering about the consequences of having to be buried 6 feet below the ground.

“An Ackerman really confessed to me back in high school huh… Does that sound kinda strange to you, love?” Hange asked their partner.

You might be wondering if Hange got together with the cold-hearted, mysterious, dude back from high school The answer is probably already obvious.

“Whatever, four-eyes. You’re already lucky to be married to an Ackerman” Levi said as he snatched the letter from Hange’s hands Putting it back into the box where it belongs.

Yes. Hange did marry Levi Ackerman from High School, the dude who is scary that you can’t even look him in the eye. But, Hange decided that maybe it wasn’t so bad to look at him even just once. And so they did. Now, they fell into a very deep rabbit hole and can’t get out anymore. But, that rabbit hole wasn’t scary or dangerous just like how they would describe it in storybooks. Instead, it gave them an unconditional love (not really) story of them and the guy who used to be just their seatmate

“Well, I’m going to make us dinner The usual, love?”

“The usual, pleaseeee” Hange said as they giggled while still holding onto the box.

The box is filled with each other’s memories. From the receipt from their first ever date to McDonald's, to the box that contained the ring that Levi gave to them two years ago. Hange being the hoarder in their relationship, insisted to keep every memorable object that they got during those years they’ve been in each other's embrace.

It wasn’t your typical High School sweetheart story or anything romantic, it was just them. It was just His Love Letter.

By Ale Man (ale.man.art)

By

BIONOTES

AGAPE (SHE/THEY)

Binibining Agape is a nendographer based in the Philippines who likes to make photo stories about Levihan Outdoor enthusiast and goes solo camping on weekends Dedicated to every AOT stans who believes Levi and Hange deserves better You can visit their works at https://wwwinstagramcom/binibining agape/

ADDIE (SHE/HER)

Andrea is an English teacher with a not-at-all dirty secret: she writes fic in her free timeShe loves LeviHan for their bonds, their range, and the fact that they are comrades *and* lovers

“To you, from all my possibilities” is dedicated to all those who enjoy LeviHan

ALE MAN (THEY/THEM)

Ale is a Peruvian illustrator Has been into levihan since 2013 and even though doesn't draw them as often, their love for them remains They're into other fandoms that have either levihan ship dynamics or sad dads Likes cooking, playing piano and karaoke You can find their art as alemanart in insta or alemanriq in tumblr

ANGE (SHE/HER)

んにちわ! Ange here! Proud artist from the Ph and long time fan of aot. Makes a lot of cute and angsty works, mostly because of Isayama Loves to do arts, crafts, sing (karaoke with Levihan Baryo), play instruments and do video edits. Been loving and hurting for Levihan since the grab hair scene in S1. Come see some of my works on Twitter, Instagram, and Tiktok @comm angezoe (AngeArtsu) Shinzou wo sasageyo!

AMBER (SHE/HER)

Amber is a digital artist from the US. She loves to draw original characters and anime fan art. Attack on Titan is one of her favorite anime and she adores Levihan! You can find her artwork at @Kohaku Dragon on Instagram and @TheKohakuDragon on Twitter.

AMÉLIE (SHE/HER)

French student and a Levihan fan since 2013. Also working to pass a competitive exam and to become a literature teacher.

ANTHONY "SOLE" G (HE/HIM)

Sole is a writer from the US. Loves reading, writing, gaming, and drawing. He is a massive fan of fanfiction, and this zine will be his first foray into the world of zines. You can read more of his work @AwkwardSole on AO3

APRIL (SHE/HER)

April is an artist from the Philippines She has only started making AOT and Levihan fanarts since 2021 but has been a fan since 2014 She dedicated this piece for all the Levihans out there Keep loving these freaks You can find April on Tumblr (@ariex)

ASH (SHE/HER)

Ash is a tired nursing student in her final year who finds comfort in Levihan She was just a casual shipper until the pandemic happened and now all she thinks about are Levi and Hange Shoutout to Caroline and Eline who continue to encourage and inspire her You can find her works @ashhketchup on Instagram and Twitter and @ashh-ketchup on Tumblr.

HONEY

Honey is an artist from the USA living in CA. She’s liked Levihan since the release of AOT and is excited to share this ‘Princess Mononoke’ Levihan with redraw with the Levihan Filos in the Baryo & co Can find her art on Twitter, Tumblr, Instagram, and Tiktok; @mooniieix

JACKIE

(SHE/HER)

Just a beginner artist that loves the bond between Levi and Hange! I'm a huge sucker for relationships based on strong friendships, this pair have me in a mental chokehold. Instagram @satecikinn | Tumblr @satecikinn

JANE (SHE/HER)

Fashion lover. Attack on Titan enthusiast from Taiwan. I ship almost anything but Levihan is the dearest to my heart. Love cats. Currently learning to create my own fanarts.

JILL ( SHE/HER)

Jill is an amateur illustrator from the south of France. She loves drawing, role-playing games like Dungeons and Dragons, playing video games, and reading science fiction and fantasy books. She got to know SNK in 2018, and she fell in love with Levihan almost immediately. You can find her on Tumblr and Instagram @jumpinguptothesky

KOOKEY

(SHE/HER)

The levihan ship has been a sweet escape for me for many years and I wanted to draw something that emblemized that feeling and the versatility of these characters!

LERA (SHE/HER)

Lera usually draws to take a break from work Loves passionate people, traveling and shitty memes Levihan gave her the biggest inspiration Dedicates this illustration to all aot fans and one little frog. Instagram: @thequantumspace; Tumblr: @fecitfatum.

LUNA

(SHE/HER)

Luna is a writer that has mainly written LeviHan since 2017. Constantly experimenting with new fields of writing genres and improving her writing skills in hopes of making original content.

MELA (SHE/HER)

Mela is a Registered Med Tech who loves music, art, and learning She's been a fan of AoT specifically LeviHan since 2021 Mela dedicates her art and music to her fellow LeviHan stans in the LeviHan Baryo, the Star Section , and all platforms Her art and other shenanigans are on Twitter @AckerMela Shinzou wo sasageyo!

MIGN

Mign is an artist who usually draws either fan art or oc’s. Hobbies include watching anime, playing video games, and occasional writing. Dedicates this DND au to herself for the purpose of just wanting to see levihan having fun even though he’s never played and have zero knowledge of DND Check out their works on instagram or twitter @m1gnt

MOON

(SHE/HER)

MOOK IS AN ARTJST FROM THE US WHO LOBES REAIDNG FANFICOTON AVOUT DORKY TRAGIC COUPLES SHE PLAUS THE PIANO AND VIOLIN ANS HAS LOBED LEBKHAN FROM THE MOMENT SHE SET RUES ON THIS DEDICATED TO RK!!! WHO ENCOIRAGED ME TO DO THIS AND I'M SO GLAD SHE DID

NESS (SHE/HER)

Ness is a huge Hange simp from India, who runs purely on the serotonin provided by fanwork creators. Her hobbies include shitposting on tumblr, crying over Levihan and Soukoku, and bullying Rika. Ness would like to dedicate her fic- made in collaboration with the fantastic Micia- to all the wonderful people she has met through this fandom as a thanks for their love. You can find her on tumblr and Ao3 as glassesandswords.

NOU (SHE)

I am not a professional artist, I like to mix media together My painting style is usually messy I love Hange so much, they are my role model, and I admire them Levi is nice to them, so I ship Levihan You can find me on insta @Nunia22

OTTAVIA (SHE/HER)

Micia is an italian artist, who has been drawing levihan fanarts since 2019 She is also an animator and loves rythm games and cosplaying. These fanarts are the result of a long awaited collaboration with the writer Ness, where the artist tried to capture the essence of her fic. You can find more of Micia's work at @micia-posts-stuff on Tumblr.

RAE (SHE/HER)

Rae is a young writer from the Philippines and is a slight hopeless romantic She loves to join karaoke and would spend most of her time writing romance fics and stories Been part of the Levihan community since 2021 Rae likes to share her slight romantic experiences despite being in high school and also likes to illustrate her imaginations through writing Rae likes to share her fics with the Levihan Baryo as well as on Twitter and Discord. You can see her works on @raeline on Twitter and on @raelineee on AO3.

RIKA (SHE/HER)

Rika (or affectionately called rat) is a mythical creature who pretty much rivals satan in her gremlin-ness and her proclivity for pranks She’s the admin of the Yet Another Unrequited Love For A Titan Discord server which caters to the Levihan community and heads the team that holds their events Her hobbies include spending all her money on Genshin, simping for Xiao, bullying Ness and reading beefleaf fanfiction Rika firmly believes angst is the best solution to all your fandom problems and would force you to obsess over her ships which she changes like tissue paper when you have a cold. At the moment you are reading this, she is probably crying while buried in a mountain of academic work. Please do pray for her. Find Rika as @pinkweirdsunsets on AO3, tumblr and twitter.

RIN (SHE/HER)

Rin is a young and growing writer from Philippines. Loves writing short poems and reading fantasy or historical based fictions Levihan fan since late February to Early March of 2022 Rin dedicates this fiction of hers to Filo Levihans, USAF4M babes, my beloved ates on LH 24/7 and lastly to my best friend, platonic soulmate, 3in1 personal editor+grammarly+beta reader who's been here at my side since the day one Visit her twitter account @hansbeansnprawn for more Levihan filo aus also some cute brainrots and prompts from her

RK (SHE/HER)

R.K. is a writer from the PH but based in the US. Loves bookbinding and karaoke. Levihan fan since 2020. R.K. dedicates this slightly funny and enchanting fic of hers to the Levihan Filos in the Baryo as well as the international fam on Discord/Twitter/Tumblr. Read her works @djmarinizelablog on Tumblr or @djmarinizela on AO3.

RUE (SHE/HER)

Rue is relived beyond imagination she finally knew what to draw I'm an artist that do paintings and short animatics about our 2 constipated dumbums To see more about these 2 dumbums, visit me at @traunexttopmodel on Tumblr or catch a vibe with me at @rue/trau #0101 on Discord!

SAR

(THEY/THEM)

I’m Sar and Levihan is pretty cool and unique and its a relationship that doesn’t feel suffocating and I like that picasso You can find my AO3 @thesar Mwah mwah chup chup

SHAI (SHE/HER)

Shaila is a PR born and bred but shaped in the US dubious drabbler This Levihan obsessed is also fueled by iced coffee, kdramas and food Shaila says that she would love to dedicate this corny and lovely fic to all the people who saw Levi Ackerman see the ocean for the first time but only having eyes for a curious Hange Zoë and to all the people who watched Hange pour their sentiments in the forest and cried a little because they couldn't make their dreams come true This socmed addict invites you to connect with her on Discord/Twitter/Tumblr/AO3, all under @autumndory because she lacks imagination.

ZOEPHYR (THEY/SHE)

Zoephyr is an artist from the Philippines Drawing, listening to music, and watching movies keeps them alive and sane in this sickening world Zoephyr's comfort character is Hange, which is also their whole personality They shipped LeviHan ever since 2018 because of that "one scene" where Levi pulled Hange's hair. Zoephyr focuses more on drawing fanarts of LeviHan since it is therapeutic to them and keeps their depression away. You can see their works at instagram and twitter @zoephyr.0905 <33

Shoutout to Levihan Baryo who gave passionate levihan brainrots to showcase their skills and talents in this zine Zoephyr is also very happy since they won some prizes from the mentioned community Love you levihan baryo!!!

This Marahuyo cover art was an inspiration by the forest scene between our beloved Levi and Hanji. And if you look at their pose, it is a reference to Kayla Mallari and Rosten Carmona’s “Return to the Unknown” community stage performance AX 2017 with The Corps Dance Crew, only this time I portrayed Levi here with the look of yearning-like from the forest scene. While following the “enchanted” theme, the fireflies further added the enchanted feel of the piece. In every part of this art piece, I wanted to show the feeling of tender love and the sense of loss.

-Alystair (@artesdealy)

Alystair is an artist based in the Philippines. Passionate in studying the arts and design field, a big fan of Attack on Titan since 2015, and also one of Levihan Baryo's artist.