#(also this isn't like. a judgement of other people's personal hygiene and habits just to be clear. this is very much not normal im aware)

[pensiveant]

The "cool" part about having insane ideas about Clealiness beat into me since I was an infant is that no matter how deep or dark the pits of depression I'm stuck in, I always find it in me to get up to take a shower, change my clothes, etc. Even if I don't do anything else all day, even if I don't eat or sleep or talk to anyone, I have to wash up every day no matter what. And if for whatever reason I'm not able to, it's a very distressing and uncomfortable experience and all I'm able to focus on. Because being Dirty TM is worse than death, worse than any imaginable fate.

[levihantrash]

oo I really love these takes!

I think given that we're dealing with fictional characters, adapting to but also slightly exaggerating / emphasising certain character traits is interesting to me too! it kind of tells me what kind of characters people are drawn to, for e.g. if I read someone's interpretation of Levi as someone with a cold, perpetually annoyed exterior and that Hange is one of the few people able to draw him out of his "shell" per se. I can't say that's my ideal interpretation though, but I also can't say for sure what kind of relationship dynamic I'd like to see between levihan other than an equal one. Equal in terms of being able to complement each other's weaknesses/strengths and also being on a similar wavelength (I'm not very into miscommunication!dynamics but fics that explore the difficulty of communication that isn't instigated by jealousy and insecurity have my whole heart).

I do love talkative and hyper Hange though, but definitely having that as their whole personality makes them seem like an immature, intrusive character when they're seen to be so trusted by others. Sure, raving about titans can be bewildering, but Hange is a character that is passionate in whatever they do, and it's not like they spill their very niche special interest to everyone they know, like totally unhinged—just to the ones who express interest in listening, like Levi and Moblit and at one point, Eren. We don't see the other Scouts ever complaining about Hange talking their ear off or wasting their time by forcing them to listen to them.

If there's any words I'd use to characterise their relationship, it'll probably be calm and banter-y. Most people probably wouldn't want to joke with Levi and his subordinates are more likely to want to emulate him (in leadership / strength / humility). Hange doesn't look at Levi as a role model and Levi doesn't look at Hange as one either, but the mutual respect and trust are very evident (as many people have better analysed before me). I also agree that there are many portrayals of their relationship being predicated upon how Levi takes care of Hange, as @warm-starlight and @ihaveaterribleheadache hav said. I'm all for reading tender caring moments, but I also don't think Hange is incapable of taking care of themselves either. They lead a whole squad, do research, probably have to train to take down titans, I mean if hygiene is neglected along the way for almost all scouts besides Levi, I wouldn't be surprised at all given the urgency everyone operates under. My take is that only Levi calls Hange out on their bad hygiene habits because they are friends and that's just banter. It seems quite in character that Levi would tease Hange about how reluctant they are to brush my teeth or shower or how they might generally just a lot more disorganised, whereas he is (whether due to living in the Underground or his natural inclinations) just someone who wants to clean often, wants to organise, and wants to perhaps lift that load off Hange for these things because he already would do anyway for himself. Hange makes jokes about hygiene when they joke about Pieck not brushing their teeth, so if anything, Hange has adopted a similar Levi-like humour (or maybe, it was there all along). On the other hand, Hange is much better at expressing their thoughts and ideas to an audience, and picks up on Levi's sentiments so that they can "translate" his good intentions and kindness for other people. You can't tell me this isn't such a gloriously equal and complementary dynamic. Both of these acts of service signal to me: "hey, I care for you. Let me help you do something that you normally struggle with. But I'm not going out of my way to do it, it's just something that I'm accustomed to doing anyway. "

However, it is very plausible that their relationship didn't start off on this calm, stable note. Although Hange and Levi both seem like very non-judgemental people but they probably didn't think they would hit it off as close as they became in the series. Our first glimpse of their relationship already shows that they're used to being with each other so we don't get a chance to see what happened along the way, which is why fanfiction exploring this is fun! In my personal headcanon, I like to follow the No Regrets Manga storyline where Hange first extends their enthused greeting to Levi and he doesn't know how to properly respond (probably to their friendliness and also because friendliness is suspicious, coming from the underground). But this isn't the first time Levi is exposed to genuinely good people, he has Isabel and Farlan to thank for that. But it's certainly the first time someone in the Survey Corps had approached him so unabashedly, with a very direct motive to learn from him. Hange doesn't say "let's be friends" but we can already tell that Hange treats the people / subjects she wants to learn from with higher degree of openness than most people.

Along the way, Levi probably got to know more about Hange; the quirks that make them human, their insecurities, but most of all he understands fundamentally what kind of person Hange is, and he resonates with that. Someone who is committed to making life better for other people. Levi and Hange have one of the clearer moral compasses in the story. Erwin has mentioned that Levi hates unnecessary killing. Likewise, Hange is against genocide (as we all should lol). Interestingly, we don't often get scenes of Hange interacting with their squad members as much as Levi, but I imagine that if Levi inspires his squad to be the very best at killing titans, Hange's squad is inspired to take the learning about titans as seriously (though, likely not with as much fervour).

Also, I don't think Levi just follows Hange around and does whatever they want just because they like them. Let's not do his agency dirty like that? Levi might be more inclined to be a follower, given his dynamic with Erwin, but he strikes me as a character that makes his own decisions both emotionally and rationally. Rather, I'm curious as to why he follows Hange's plans so easily, outside of finding Hange endearing or whatnot, and fics that explore that are interesting to me! Like even people who are deeply invested in any healthy relationship would tell you that they aren't just following someone because they like them, or because the way they spazz about their interests is cute. In a modern AU, I imagine Levi might be following (accompanying) Hange around isn't because he's directionless or wants to protect them 24/7, or he’s socially hopeless, but that it's just nice to do things together. So, like companionship? In any case, Levi doesn't go out of his way to be alone, even in canon. He doesn't tell people to go away (like a typical tsundere character) and might be rough with his words but communicates well enough and gets along with his comrades. He's perfectly adept to socialising I would think, even if he's a little sarcastic and gruff, my view is that he just doesn't see the point of talking so much, and doesn't have that much to say anyway.

I probably should've made this into a post but I love this discussion thread and wanted to add my thoughts!! This was really my deep dive into levihan that nobody asked for ( ಠ◡ಠ )

What are some interpretations by LH shippers that you dislike/disagree with? (Genuinely curious if they’re the same as mine)

Hange is always hyper/super positive/loud and Levi finds it annoying

They *always* bicker

Their bickering=sexual tension??? (Maybe it's an Ace thing but i NEVER understand this one)

Hange is Completely incapable of taking care of themselves and Levi has to do everything for them

Hange doesn't know what personal space is and always pester Levi

Basicaly just Hange being annoying and Levi "having to deal with them" (but secretly likes it)..

🤔🤔🤔

Maybe i skipped some, i usually get annoyed when i see it and then move on haha