#Levi Acerkman

[cosmicjoke]

as a mulitshipper, I am so so sorry on behalf of the eruri fandom, eruri is my main OTP however I am okay with it not being canon, there is nothing canon in the story to support it and I like creating my own scenarios for it without putting it in canon

I truly apologize for that anon and I hope they grow to be better ❤️❤️

Truly, there's no need for you to apologize. That person isn't representative of the eruri fandom in general. They're obviously an extreme case. Like I said, I love eruri, and have read many eruri stories which I adore. I'm even writing one myself, currently. I'm not against the ship at all. I just know, as you do too, that it's not canon, and it doesn't need to be canon to be a legitimate way to engage with the material. You can still enjoy the ship without having to look for actual evidence of its canonical existence. It's just simply not there. But thank you so much for your kindness.

[vs-redemption]

hii! i swear i read your request rules but i’m still worried this doesn’t follow them. anyway i figured i’d ask and you can obviously decline ahahah. i just read Gray and it’s so well written and makes my heart shiver and i wanted to ask if you’d write a part 2 or a one shot/scenario of having levi as a soulmate in the same eye color soulmate au as Gray? thank you !! :) (^･ｪ･^)

From Cindy: I apologize for taking so long to get to this! It took me a while to get an idea I liked, and then I had trouble getting into the mindset to write it. Inspiration finally struck though, and this is the result! I hope you like it!

Soulmates (Levi x GN!Reader)

Based on the same AU as Gray (Levi x Gn!Reader)

⚠️angst and hints of sex work (Levi’s Mom)⚠️

Levi loved safety

Being born in an extremely run down and sketchy part of the city was one of the worst fates a person could experience. Ever since Levi could remember, he’d been burdened with warnings from his mother who had learned most lessons about living amongst the dregs of society the hard way. He never stepped a foot outside their tiny one room home without hearing her voice expressing concerns about who he talked to, which streets he went down, how late he stayed out, and which shops he visited. There was danger everywhere and no one to protect him.

“Levi, stay close to me,” the woman would say to him when he was younger. Even going out in the middle of the day was a risk for them because his mother had a reputation. In order to feed him and keep the roof over his head, she’d reduced herself to a line of work that garnered an uncomfortable amount of negative attention. In a world ruled by the existence of soul mates, everything about their lifestyle was wrong and all it took was seeing a woman with duel colored eyes and a child for someone to know she’d committed the biggest taboo.

At first, Levi didn’t understand why anything about his mother’s appearance would cause such a stir. He’d seen plenty of people with two colored eyes, including himself. As he got older though, his curiosity grew and one day he made the mistake of asking about his father. The pained look on his mother’s face filled him with regret immediately, but he sat and listened to her intently as she explained the ways of their harsh reality.

“Your eyes are a promise,” she’d told him as delicately as possible. “A promise not to share yourself with anyone until you meet the person who you are destined to find and be with forever.” Levi had been filled with sadness for his mother when she admitted to breaking her promise. It was clear that she’d only committed such a disapproved act out of absolute necessity. People were judgmental though and could only see the fact that Levi’s father had not been the woman’s soulmate, which is why her eyes remained mismatched.

“You can still find them,” Levi had tried to hold on to a glimmer of hope for her, but she just smiled sadly and shook her head. The likeliness was low at her age, and even if they happened to cross paths, her past and status as a single mother would drive any respectable person away.

Levi loved stability

After learning about and coming to terms with the truth of this mother’s situation, Levi became determined to help her out in any way possible. He didn’t want the woman sacrificing herself for him any longer. And once he got older, he begged her to start staying home while he did what he could to provide for them both.

“It’s not your job to take care of me, Levi.” She’d smiled at this thoughtfulness while cupping his cheek in her delicate hand. “Everything I’ve done will have been worth it as long as you can have a better life than me.”

He understood her sentiment, but was too stubborn to give up. It was hard to find honest work in a town full of desperation and poverty, but Levi did his best. He took odd jobs here and there, and tried not to get mixed up in any of the bad business that ran rampant in the area. The money he earned wasn’t nearly enough to cover the cost of his small home though. After a handful of threats from the landlord to toss them out on the street, Levi knew he had to do more.

Levi loved familiarity

Resorting to petty theft went against everything Levi’s mother had taught him, and he knew it would probably break her heart if she ever found out. Still, he couldn’t allow their home to be taken away, or worse, his mother to return to the work she’d done before.

He had to be smart though. Being caught stealing in his neighborhood could get him killed. Going into the nicer parts of the city would be a better bet. He didn’t know the area as well, of course, but there was the benefit that he wouldn’t be recognized if anyone saw him. If he did happen to get caught by law enforcement, he’d end up in a jail cell rather than a cold ditch somewhere. Neither option was ideal, but stealing from the rich would have to do until a better plan presented itself.

Things went decently for a while, and Levi was a quick learner. He figured out what worked and what didn’t without having too many close calls. He made sure only to take enough to get by since the thought of being too similar to the criminals he’d grown up around made him sick to his stomach. It was only a matter of time though before his luck ran out. Rumors of a pickpocket spread and people began to act more cautiously about carrying their valuables out in the open, forcing Levi to get more reckless with his stunts.

It was on a particularly frustrating day that Levi caught a glimpse of you. More accurately, he caught a glimpse of the leather purse filled with coins hanging from your hip as you chatted away with a friend outside a popular confectionary. With practiced movements, he slipped into the crowd and made his way in your direction, thinking that snatching up the money would be simple and easy. He’d made a mistake though. Your pouch wasn’t tied up like he was used to, but secured with a metal ring designed specifically to prevent the very act he was trying to pull.

You begin to turn around as soon as you feel the tug on your belt and Levi freezes for a moment, trying to think of a way to get out of the situation. One word from you and everyone in the vicinity would be on him. As soon as your duel colored eyes met his however, something happened that put all other thoughts out of both of your minds. Levi watched in shock as you blinked once, twice, and then suddenly your left eye changed color completely to match your right. The look of initial alarm on you face softened and Levi knew he had to get out of there. He turned on his heel, ducked his head down, and walked away as quickly and as naturally as his legs would allow. He waited for any sign that he was being pursued for a moment or two and then broke into a run.

Levi loved certainty

In his panic, Levi didn’t even greet his mother as he rushed past her once arriving at home. His heart was pounding and a light sweat covered his forehead uncomfortably. He went straight to the bathroom to stand in front of the cracked mirror above the sink. It took a few seconds to muster up the courage to look into his reflection and find that everything that had happened was real. The two colored eyes that he was so used to were gone.

“Levi, sweetie, are you all right?” his mother appeared in the doorway, looking scared. “Did something happen at work? You’re not usually home this early!” He turns to look at the woman who notices his matching eyes immediately. Her hands come up to her mouth which spreads into a smile and tears spring into her eyes. “Congratulations! Who is it?”

The question makes Levi feel ill. Never in his wildest dreams did he imagine he’d meet his soulmate while trying to rob them. And if his mother found out, she’d be so disappointed.

“It doesn’t matter,” He tells her stiffly. “I can’t be with them.”

The words were far from enough to satisfy his mother though, and she nagged him the rest of the evening with questions about what you looked like and where he’d saw you. He kept his lips sealed until he’d had enough of the interrogation.

“Please, my obligation is to you and nobody else,” he tells his mother. “I don’t know anything about this person. Not only do I have no interest in being with them, I’m certain they have no interest in being with me either.”

“Levi, this is all I’ve ever wanted for you,” his mother begs, taking his hands into her own. “Do not live your life feeling empty and alone. Take this chance and find your happiness.”

Levi shakes his head, refusing to even consider it. His only focus had been himself and his mother for so long that it seemed ridiculous to add a third person into the mix now. It was better to pretend he’d never met you, and he imagined you would feel the same way. How disgusted did you feel knowing your soulmate was the infamous pickpocket? It would be even worse once you found out where he lived and about his mother. Surely you were both better off without each other.

Levi hated the thought of a life without you

Despite his resolution to continue on with life as normal, it only took a few days before Levi caved and went back to the spot where he’d encountered you. The image of your face had never once left his mind, and there was an incessant need to see you again that he could not ignore. He thought perhaps one more look couldn’t hurt, and he had to go back anyway if he wanted to collect enough money to pay his landlord that month.

“I hoped you’d come back.”

Levi had been sure you wouldn’t recognize him after only getting that small glimpse, but apparently fate had engrained his face into your memory as well. He whirled around, his gaze immediately locking with yours. It was wild to see the familiar color of your eyes looking back at him. He had no idea why you’d be here looking for the person that tried to steal from you. The cautious smile on your face as you introduced yourself put him on edge as well. “What’s your name?”

“Levi.” He hadn’t meant to say it, but part of him already felt an attachment to you. What was more, hearing your name for the first time felt like a fire had ben lit inside of him. He shakes his head to get his mind straightened out. “I shouldn’t be here.”

“No!” the panic in your features makes him falter, “Please stay. Can’t we talk for a moment?”

“I’m sorry,” Levi backs away, trying to fight off the instincts rising up inside of him. He didn’t want you to be sad and he didn’t want to disappoint you. He knew though that it was inevitable that he would.

“Levi…”

Hearing his own name spill from your lips was enough to have him second guessing everything. Would he really be able to go the rest of his life without hearing it again? He wasn’t sure he was strong enough to stay away. He’d already come crawling back once already after all. As a last resort, he knew what he had to do. He had to tell you everything. And he did. He revealed his entire life story to you without hardly pausing to take a breath, knowing that every detail would drive your further and further away. Having so soulmate at all was much better than having a soulmate like him.

By the time he finished talking, tears had welled up in his eyes as well. His mother had told him to take the chance for happiness, but instead he’d violently thrown it away. A few seconds passed and suddenly you were slipping your hand into his. It was the wrong reaction to the story but he can’t help but tighten his grip around yours anyway, wanting the comforting feeling you brought to last forever.

“I’m so sorry you and your mother have had to fight so hard just to survive,” you tell him softly. “But you won’t have to live that way any longer, or at least, I want to join the fight with you.”  The genuine kindness and determination in your voice was overwhelming for Levi. Somehow he knew you meant every word, and the image of a brighter future for all three of you began to take shape in his mind. He had no idea if such a future was actually possible, but with you at his side he knew he’d definitely be willing to try. Being born in the roughest and seediest part of town had to be one of the worst fates a person could experience. Levi knew that first hand. He also knew he wouldn’t trade that fate for the world if it meant having you as a soulmate.

[brainmaniaman]

YEAH? YEAH.

Title: YEAH? YEAH.

Pairing: Erwin Smith/OC/Levi Ackerman

Summary: Two estranged friends have an unexpected meeting.

Author's Note: I wrote this for @sk33d00dles because I am literally obsessed with their OC Ena. They have given me a year of just beautiful Ena/Erwin content. I wanted to throw a little bit of Levi in the mix, because I always imagined this happening in my head. I really love this little ficlet and I think this is my best characterization of Levi yet.

It's not uncommon for Levi to find himself in particularly difficult situations. In fact, his entire life is a particularly difficult situation. They say that time heals all wounds, but he disagrees. The death of his Commander only tore open stitched wounds further, peeling apart the skin like an onion. And when he finally is able to sloppily sew up his wounds well enough to comfortably hide his feelings again, the birth of his Commander's finally rears its ugly head around the corner. He's been ignoring it - the feelings of resentment and anger that comes with his friend's pregnancy. It's not that he resents Ena. He could never. He's just angry at Erwin - furious with his decisions. What kind of selfish, selfish, man would leave behind his pregnant partner to face the realities of this awful, cruel, world alone? When he thinks about this, Levi dips his head into his hands and sucks in a deep breath. If he wouldn't even stay behind for his pregnant partner, what made me ever think he might stay around to accommodate me? The thought never sticks around too long, as Levi's not the type to pity himself or others. But even so, the fleeting thought is enough to send him in an emotional spiral during the night. On sleepless nights like these, he can't even bring himself to get thirty minutes of sleep - let alone his standard three hours. So he pulls himself from his bed, throwing off the one thin sheet he allows himself, though he doesn't even feel like he deserves that much. It's easy to wander the barracks at night, considering most of the soldiers who sleep in them jump at the chance to catch a wink of sleep. Soon enough, he finds himself at the Commander's door. The plaque on the door now says Hanji Zoe but everyone who knew Commander Smith knows better. This room - this office - belongs to Erwin Smith. Hanji Zoe is just a visitor - and even Hanji thinks so. "I can't say I'm surprised you're up at this hour." Levi isn't startled by the sudden sound of her voice, he's prepared for anything. His eyes follow the outline of her body as she approaches the door, small baby in hand. "You look like shit. Aren't you supposed to be rife with like, post pregnancy glow?" "You've never seen an actual woman give actual birth?" She scoffs. "No." Levi responds tartly. As Ena moves closer, baby in her arms, Levi instinctively takes a step back. He doesn't make eye contact with her, but he can practically see the pain in her face when he moves away from her. There's a tenseness that hangs between them and Levi braces himself for a slew of questions. Why have you avoided me the past three months? Why weren't you there for the birth of my son? Why don't you talk to me anymore? But the questions never come. "Yeh, can't expect that much from someone who doesn't even know the touch of a woman." She laughs. "Tch." Levi scoffs. He thinks a laugh has built up in his throat but he's not sure, and he's pretty sure he's forgotten what it's like to laugh. "Neither do you. All of that talk of wanting a big, strong, woman and yet you settle for..." Another silence lingers between them. "Anyways." Levi casts a glance at the bundle in his friend's arms. "What's the little fucker's name?" He doesn't acknowledge the fact that he hasn't spoken to her in a month, that he missed the birth of her child, or that this is the first time they've even spoken. And neither does she. There's an unspoken hurt between them but they both ignore it - opting to easily slide casual conversation like they used to. It's different. Tense. But still different, considering she's holding another lifeform in her arms. "Ezran." Is her short response. "Ezran?" Levi echoes. "You went for all E's, huh? Erwin, Ena, Ezran... that's fucking stupid. Sounds like something Erwin planned." "I picked out the name." Ena laughs, shrugging her shoulder as she pulls the baby closer to her. "Reminded me of him." A frown encompasses Levi's face for a moment. He can't forget Erwin - but he'd like to, because it'd make things hurt just a little less. "Sounds like something

an idiot would do." "You're only sour because you haven't had enough sleep." Ena retorts, unbothered by Levi's undeniably shitty mood. "Probably." Levi scoffs, shrugging his shoulders. After a few moments, his shoulders slouch in defeat. "Look -" Levi opens his mouth to speak, to address the big elephant in the room - why he ignored his pregnant friend for a month on end, avoided her pregnancy, and spent the past week finding any excuse to not be around her or her child. "Here -" Ena interrupts him, not allowing him to speak any further. "Hold him." "No, no, no -" Levi holds his hands up in protest, "I don't really think I should hold the little bastard. My hands are dirty with shit from cleaning out the barracks today. Those soldiers don't even know how to clean up their own piss -" "There's worse things in this world Ezran will have to face than germs." Ena responds, using her free hand to wrap her grip around Levi's fingers, pulling his hands down and opening his palms. Levi's frown only deepens at the comment. "He'll be fine." Ena places the baby in Levi's arms - and for a second, Levi holds it at arms length - afraid he'll breathe bad fortune onto the newborn. "Why are you holding my child like it's cursed?" Ena teases. "Your child isn't the one that's cursed." Levi responds shortly. Ena presses her lips together. "Hold him closer to you - so you can get a better look at him." Ena encourages Levi, placing her hands on his forearms and pushing them forward. Levi struggles to hold the child close to him. His natural instinct is to push the child away, but Ena's hands on his forearms encourage him to keep a firm hold of the child. "You're not going to accidentally drop the baby." "Of course not. I'm going to drop it on purpose. Give it shaken baby syndrome for fun." Levi's response is tart and sarcastic, but it's reminiscent of the sharp back and forth that he and Ena used to have before The Survey Corps retook Wall Maria after their narrow victory in Shiganshina. "If you do, I'll kill you." "Go on, do it." It might be merciful to be put out of my misery. "Ah..." Ena lets out a long sigh. It's awkward again, but they trudge through it. "You're not even looking at the baby. Look him, isn't he beautiful?" Ena pulls the blanket from the baby's eyes, that of which are blown wide open. "It's eyes are fucking beady and creepy - like one of those eerie fucking dolls you'd see in a shop or something." Levi responds. "Does he even sleep?" "Not enough." Ena sighs, shoulders sagging forward a bit herself. "If he was asleep, do you think I'd be up right now?" "I don't know," Levi shrugs, "Probably. You've always done weird shit like walking around at strange hours of the night. I just thought you were conditioning the little bastard to take after you." The corner of Ena's mouth turns into a smile as Levi looks down at the child in his arms, muscles relaxing as he bounces the baby up and down a bit. A light breeze blows up against the windows. Levi is looking a little more intently at Ezran, studying every feature in the baby's face, pulling him slightly closer to his chest - not a single one of these micromovements going unnoticed by Ena. "He does have beady little eyes that look like they're up to no good." Ena's hand brushes across her son's forehead. "His eyes, yeah?" "Yeah."

[rilsin]

[rubydragon16]

リヴァイ・アッカーマン ⚔️ The Journey

ㅡ Levi Acerkman for @rinokuh Happy Birthday Minnie! @okita-senpai 💖

[lil-willy-snakespeare]

[cosmicjoke]

What are your thoughts on Levi in a modern setting? Like what kind of person would he be in 2023 world?

Hi there, and thank you for the ask!

It's an interesting question. I think Levi would, fundamentally, remain the same person as he is in the world of AoT. His core attributes are an innate sense of compassion and kindness, and so I think those qualities would obviously remain. I think probably the main difference for him would be that he wouldn't have grown up in and lived in a world of such necessary violence and desperation, and so he likely never would have been taught to kill or be as violent as he is. That in turn would probably allow him to feel more comfortable and also to learn how to better express his real feelings. I think Levi would always be a pretty reserved and quiet person, though, since I think he also just naturally tends towards that. Basically, I don't think Levi himself would be much different were he to live in a more modern setting and world, but rather the circumstances surrounding his life would be different, and probably not as tragic.

[cosmicjoke]

how do you know levi was ready to give his life for humanity

is it because of the scene where erwin asks him to refill his gas and levi says he should have enough or some other scenes

Because he is? He constantly puts his life on the line every time he goes out in the field. Also, when he so willingly volunteered to try and take the Beast Titan down to give Erwin and Eren and whoever else a chance to escape from Shinganshina, even while acknowledging he would almost certainly die in the process.

[cosmicjoke]

Hi there I’m reading through the aot manga for the first time and was hoping you could help me understand something better since you seem to have a good grasp on it! So I just got to the pages where Levi speaks about him choosing the hell of humans killing eachother over the hell of being eaten. I know a large consensus is that Levi doesn’t like people dying so wouldn’t these pages seem a bit contradictory to that idea if he’s still okay with people getting killed by others? Maybe I’m just looking at this the wrong way but was hoping you could help explain it as I’ve seen many say that these pages sum up his morals and character motivations pretty well and I’d just like to understand better. Btw even though this is my first time reading through, I do know how the manga ends so if you need to use future events to help explain better thats no problem!

Hi there, and thank you for the ask!

To answer your question, I wouldn't say it's contradictory, because what Levi means is that he wants people to have a choice. People killing one another is a choice, whereas people being eaten alive by titans isn't. He still refers to people killing each other as "hell", because he recognizes and acknowledges the tragedy and despair of that, he isn't okay with it, but in his mind, it's better than them simply being killed by something completely out of their control, which has nothing to do with their own agency or decisions. Levi wants people to have the freedom to live their lives how they choose and desire. Living trapped within the walls because the surrounding land is inhabited by man eating monsters doesn't allow for them to do that. So that's what Levi means. It isn't that he thinks it's okay or good that people kill each other, he just acknowledges that people killing each other is something that won't ever change or go away, but at the least, he can save them from being killed by something which they have no control over or choice in.

Hope that helps clarify, and thank you again!

[cosmicjoke]

In fact, Levi doesn't see all life as equal, he already says in Uprising Arc that some lives are more valuable than others, he gets oddly selfish, especially when it comes to Erwin. And this selfishness causes him to sacrifice those around him. He would use his 104th group as bait without hesitation to save him…

He seems a little crazy when it comes to him. For example, in the Shiganshina Arc, I am convinced that the word "I promise", which he it has appeared crazy while saying, was more about Erwin than about his comrades. If it was about his comrades, shouldn't he have said "I promise them"?

His blind devotion to Erwin is frightening. I find it more to blame for İsayama's writing than the character himself. I wish Levi didn't have to be written that way, if only he had given him some good character development about giving up his (toxic) commitment to Erwin. I think he wanted to complete Levi's character after Erwin died, after all, he said that after Erwin died, Levi was aimless floating and saying, "Part of me feels that he did his duty by being there during Erwin's last moments." That's why he nerfed Levi.

I have more details to write about, but I don't want to prolong it, first of all this is not an anti-speech, I just wanted to express my disappointment with the character I once loved.

This is wrong. You're misinterpreting Levi's character completely, but hey, you're not alone in that, so take comfort.

Levi doesn't value any lives above others, he simply understands that some lives are more beneficial to achieving their goal than others. This should be simple to understand, but I guess it isn't for some. He didn't use his 104th group as bait ever. What are you even talking about? They were soldiers, all of them, trained soldiers who willingly signed up for exactly what they got. Erwin was an invaluable leader, without whom, humanities chances for a future dimmed considerably.  You’re trying to characterize Levi’s desire to keep him alive as “toxic commitment” or some sort of warped love, which is absurd and supported by nothing.  Levi followed Erwin's plans as, once again, it was what would most likely advance the cause for humanity. Every time Levi had to keep himself from helping others, it caused him immense grief, but when you're a soldier, fighting towards a specific end, that's part of the deal. Losing the lives of those you care about is part and parcel.

You're also wrong about him and his promise. He thinks routinely of ALL the soldiers that died that day in Shinganshina when he recalls his promise. Remember, this is a visual medium, and half the story is conveyed visually, not with words. You're just allowing your preconceived bias to color the way you're interpreting the text. If he appeared "crazy" as you say, it was because he was UPSET. He'd just watched over a hundred of his comrades die, and then had FAILED to fulfill the very thing they'd died for, which was killing the Beast Titan. But yeah, sure, Levi was just being weirdly obsessed with Erwin there. Whatever floats your boat, I guess.

Levi's got plenty of good character development and richness of character. I've written about this extensively, so I won't go into why here. I'm sure you already know. Isayama's comments have to do with Erwin's relationship with Levi, with the fact that Erwin served as a guiding light for Levi, as someone he trusted in completely and followed because of that trust. When he lost him, of course he would feel aimless. Anyone would, if they'd lost the person whom they most relied on to show them the way. Regardless of that, Levi continued to do his best to fight for humanity and his people in any way he could.

I find it interesting that you say this isn't "hate-speech", and yet you send it to someone who you must know is a major Levi fan. Funny how that works. It's almost like you're trying to incite something. Well, whatever. Hope this was a satisfactory answer for you. I should warn you, if you keep trying to argue with me on this stuff, I'll just delete your messages and turn off anon, because I have zero tolerance for people talking trash about a character I love straight to me when they know it'll just piss me off.