#attack on titan smartpass

[snk-smartpass]

TEXT Vol. 23 Mikasa’s Recipe

The “new Squad Levi” had made a remote home into their base of operations. There they hid Eren and the highly important Historia from a society that had been thrown into chaos as they feared the Titans who appeared within the

Walls, preparing to make their next move.

[Potatoes, carrots, meat, milk, flour, butter.]

[Wash vegetables well and cut into equal-sized pieces]

[Start simmering the toughest vegetables first…]

“Hm? Is this yours, Mikasa?”

“What…?”

As Mikasa performed ab exercises despite the injuries she’d sustained in the earlier battle, Sasha noticed a scrap of paper that had fallen out of her belongings and picked it up.

••••••

Mikasa trained atop the bed where she was supposed to be resting her wounds. Having realized that she had dropped something, she went to pick it up.

“Was that a scrap of paper from your notebook? It looked to me like something that had to do with cooking…”

Just as the ever-hungry Sasha said, it was a note that Mikasa had written carefully about ingredients and instructions for a recipe. She’d kept it in her military notebook, but it must have fallen out as she organized her belongings in order to live life undercover in civilian clothing.

“I don’t want to forget it, so…”

“I didn’t think you’d need to take notes to remember how to cook in the barracks. You had such good grades in our classes.”

“This dish… doesn’t have to do with training…”

On the inside, Mikasa was glad she’d found the note. She put it back in her belongings and recalled the time she learned to cook.

••••••

“Listen, Mikasa. You need to be careful when using a knife. Especially with meat… Yes, very good.”

Mikasa was still young that day. She’d joined Eren’s family for a short while after her parents had been taken from her, and there she lived in peace and quiet.

“What about this flour…?”

“You dissolve it into the butter and milk to thicken the broth. Be careful not to let it burn. Once the vegetables and meat are simmered, you mix it all together.”

Carla, Eren’s mother, was even kind to Mikasa, being every bit the mother to her as she was to Eren. When Mikasa asked to help her in the kitchen, she even taught the girl her specialty.

“This used to be popular at the store I worked at, too. The trick is to stay calm and mix well.”

“…Okay.”

As Mikasa awkwardly did her best to follow directions, the rest of the family gathered around.

“I’m home! Hey, something smells good!”

“Call your father over before you start stealing any bites, Eren.”

“Okay,” said the energetic voice, followed by footsteps running toward the underground office.

The young Mikasa wrote the recipe down when it became impossible for her to ever return to this home again, keeping the memories of her second mother alive .

••••••

Though Mikasa had been reminiscing all on her own, Sasha, who was sharp-eyed only when it came to food, seemed to figure out that when she said the memories had “nothing to do with training,” she meant they were from before the Walls came down.

“Yeah, some of those ingredients are really valuable now. It couldn’t be a recipe you learned in the military.”

“You read it…?”

“Just what I got a glimpse of!”

There was no particular problem in it being read, but it did seem somehow embarrassing. Like Sasha had pointed out, Mikasa understood most things after being told them once, so this seemed unlike her. Regardless of Mikasa’s expectations, though, Sasha smiled.

“There are a ton of recipes that I used to be able to make before the Walls were destroyed that I can’t eat now… Seeing that took me back.”

Sasha’s hometown would have thrown away their traditions because of the Titan invasion. As hunters, they must have had unique dishes.

“It’d be nice if you got to make that sometime. I bet it tastes great if you thought it’s worth writing down.”

“I… don’t know if I could make it well. But… when the person who taught me it made this… it was so…”

“You’re still in here?! The meeting’s about to start.”

“Oh! We’ll be right over!”

Though she was interrupted by Armin, who had come to call them over, she wasn’t bothered. Sasha was right. It would be a joyful thing if the day came when she could make the recipe again and serve it to someone else.

For now, though, it was still a distant dream. Mikasa made sure that her body felt alright before carefully leaving her bed behind.

••••••

SOURCE: Attack on Titan: Short Stories 3

TRANSLATION: Ko Ransom

[her0-1n]

I (tried to) made a comic about snk short stories "Good night, dear sweet dreams" of Marco Bodt, I hope I can make also other stories.... I posted the full version on Patreon, let me know if you like it!

Thank @snk-smartpass for the eng version!

[dont-f-with-moogles]

Hi! I am a sucker for hc where Levi is illiterate when he first joined the scouts, tried to hide it from everyone but eventually Hange notices..LEVIHAN FLUFF ❤️✋💀

This was an awesome ask! Thank you so much for sending it to me. I love writing canonverse, especially when I get the chance to work in a hc amongst the source material. I added some of my hcs for Hange too. Hope you like it - let me know what you think! A World Without Words Characters: Levi x Hange Word Count: 1632 words Canon universe

A hush had settled over the Mess Hall, broken only by the occasional clinking of cutlery and low hum of voices. A pair of fresh recruits were heatedly debating a topic in low, urgent tones. The newly-appointed leader of Second Squad sat staring into an empty tankard. On the far side of the room Hange had taken a lone seat at one of the long, wooden tables. Their hands were clasped upon the tabletop; in front of them a plaid tea towel had been draped over two dishes. Eyes alight, they spied Levi as he entered through the main doors. Slyly, and without turning their head, Hange mapped his progress as he crossed the hall towards them.  

“Evening, Levi!” they began animatedly before he had even reached for the backrest of the closest chair. “Now, I know this dinner is seriously overdue, given how long it’s been since your first expedition…”

Levi scraped his chair against the flagstones noisily, causing several heads to whip around in their direction. 

“...I’m sorry that I couldn’t afford anywhere more fancy! My measly wages just don’t stretch that far,” Hange laughed. “But luckily, I was able to save us -” Theatrically, they flung back the plaid cloth to reveal two floral-patterned plates bearing thick slices of flaky pastry, each deep-filled with cold offcuts. 

“The last two pieces of pie!” 

“You needn’t have gone to any trouble,” Levi said in a low voice. “I’m not hungry.”

Hange’s hand dropped to the table in defeat. “So much for that then. I guess I could always give the other slice to Moblit…”

Levi took a seat beside Hange, one arm leaning on the table’s edge. “You brought those papers, right?” 

“Right! The purchase order forms.”

Hange reached down to retrieve several crumpled sheets, a pen nib and a small well of ink from their bag. They pushed the plates aside and laid the materials out between the two of them.

“I’ve been curious since you mentioned it, Levi… what exactly do you need these for?”

Levi leaned back so that his elbow rested on the back of his chair. “Well… since I’ve been made Captain, it means I’ve gotta sign formal papers, right? Let’s just say someone suggested I take a look at a few examples.” 

“Ah, then say no more!” Hange brought the top sheet closer, tracing the lines of cramped, untidy scrawl with their finger. “The item you’re ordering goes in this column, reference or serial number if needed in the second column, and then the cost goes here.” Their finger travelled to the bottom of the paper. “Then you need to sign and date it before it goes to Erwin for approval.”

Hange sat back as Levi pored over the contents of the page. “Do you use the same form for everything? Food, equipment - things like that?”

“The same type of form, sure, but you would order food provisions separately to, say, housekeeping supplies or weaponry.” Hange pushed their glasses further up their nose. Levi’s brow was furrowed in concentration as he read, his mouth silently shaping the letters. Hange felt compelled to offer an apologetic shrug.

“This one is for specialist equipment,” they tried meekly. “The top row says ‘microscope.’ It’s not easy to read thanks to my bad handwriting!”

Without reply, Levi shuffled the papers so that a bank sheet was placed beside Hange’s order form. His expression, if anything, grew more intense as he dipped the pen into the inkwell. Hange glanced around the sparse hall, listening to the scratching of Levi’s writing amidst the murmur of voices. It was only as he drew to a sudden halt that Hange looked down at the page. They were astonished to see it empty.

At first, Hange wondered whether the pen nib had finally broken. It was one they had long meant to throw out. But - no - Levi had only managed to produce a few disjointed letters before the pen had come to a rest, point-down on the page. His arm was trembling as he pressed the nib down hard. The metal buckled, threatening to snap. 

“Levi!” Hange grabbed the tea towel to mop up the ink which had spurted onto the paper. “Stop - you’ll tear a hole in it!”

But Levi was still glaring, the pen clutched in his whitened fist. All of a sudden, Hange felt like a fool. They removed the towel, twisting it upon their lap as they sought for a tactful way to address the obvious, but unanticipated, obstacle which lay before them. 

“Sorry. Perhaps one of Miche’s reports would have been easier - clearer -  to follow.”

Hange swallowed uncomfortably, the heat rising in their cheeks. 

“No.” Levi’s voice was calm, at odds with his squared shoulders and stiffened arm. “It’s not the handwriting.”

“Then… I’m sorry that I didn’t make the connection.” Despite their desire to avoid any further embarrassment for him, Hange could not help but scrutinise Levi’s writing. “I’m sure things in the Underground were very different when it came to education…”

Levi met their enquiring gaze, his eyes narrowed.

“I can read and write. I know the words I need,” Levi dropped the pen upon the table. “But when it comes to certain technical words like these…” He gestured at the paper. “...they never mattered as much. In that place, you didn’t need to know how to spell to go on living.”

“That makes sense.” Hange’s own shoulders relaxed a little. “Perhaps you never had a formal education, Levi, but you have combat skills and street smarts. You’re good at reading people.” 

Levi scoffed bitterly.

“Believe me when I say that Erwin doesn’t hire leaders based on their literacy levels.” Hange regarded him warmly over their clasped hands. “Not when they have so much more to offer.” 

Levi held their look for a moment before he glanced away uncomfortably. 

“And in the meantime, I can help!” Hange took a fresh sheet of paper from their bag and passed it to Levi for him to etch out a copy of the three columns.

“For instance when you write ‘grapple hook,’ ‘grapple’ has the ‘l’ and the ‘e’ the other way round.” Hange watched as Levi carefully transcribed the correct spelling onto the sheet.

“Underneath you wrote ‘gas’ before you stopped. Is that for a new batch of gas cylinders?”

Painstakingly, Levi copied each letter as Hange spelled the second word. They continued in this way until Levi had populated the columns. 

“I bet you picked all this up from books, huh Four Eyes?” Levi lifted his hand to check his penmanship. The letters were a little uneven and spaced out. Like a child’s writing, the dark ink glistened from the exertion of pressing the pen nib a little too hard against the paper. “Tell me you weren’t huddled under the covers each night, reading until morning?”

A wistful smile appeared on Hange’s face. Then the light dimmed in their eyes.

“I wish…” When they laughed this time, it was a hollow sound. “... but we didn’t have books at home.”

Levi placed the pen down. Hange lowered their hands to grip their knees, their gaze averted to the tabletop.

“I managed to get a couple of books from a trader in town. They were black market goods. I thought I’d hidden them well enough but my parents found them and burned them.”

Levi raised his eyebrows.

“Wallists,” Hange explained in answer to his surprise. “They were simple farming folk. Small town people with small minds. They were wary of outside influences and with good reason too. Each week came reports of disappearances, killings… the inescapable fates which awaited those who asked too many questions.”

They gave a small sigh.

“My school, like the others, banned all books other than those which were government-approved. We weren’t allowed to read for ourselves, think for ourselves or question what we were being told. It was all so -” They brought their fist down upon the table, sending the long-forgotten plates of pie clattering. “- infuriating!”

Levi’s mouth hung slightly open.

“We never really had books in the house either,” he admitted. “I remember there was one that Iz-” He stopped himself. Hange said nothing, for Levi had not so much as uttered the names of his two closest friends since their first disastrous expedition almost one year ago. 

Levi drew a breath and continued.

“We didn’t have much… what we did have was either traded or sold.” He rubbed an eye with the heel of his hand. “I can’t even remember what it was called now. I think it had a horse on the cover? Guess it’s just another lost thing.” A faraway look had come into his eyes.

Before Hange could offer comment, Levi seemed to shake himself out of his thoughts. He took up a fresh sheet and, laying it by the side of the first, began to copy out his lines neatly. Hange watched in quiet amazement.

“But look at this improvement already! I’ve never seen such progress before!” They gripped Levi’s shoulder.

“Careful, idiot! You’ll jog me.”

Hange released him and continued their proud observation as Levi dipped the pen in the inkwell. “Your writing is so neat, Levi. In a few more tries it’ll look as professional as newspaper print!”

Levi completed his final line slowly.

Above, approved. Levi.

“No thanks to this mess of a report.” Levi glowered at Hange’s original document. “...but I do owe you for the spelling lesson, at least. Thanks Hange.”

“Hmm.” Hange tapped a finger against their chin. “How about this then? You treat us to dinner next time. Call it payment for my tuition?”

Levi managed a husky laugh as he stood and gathered the papers into a pile.

“Let me think about that, Four Eyes. For now, I’d better go hand these in.”

[lostcauses-noregrets]

I'm so sorry I know I've asked a lot about this topic but I want to relieve myself and my curiosity. You told me before that Erwin no longer loves Mary and that she was a person from the past, so why is it that whenever Erwin sees Nile he asks about her in the game Attack "Wings of Freedom" Erwin asks about her and says "How is Mary? Before she married you she was the cutest girl in the bar", and Nile replies that she is fine and that he is crazy for choosing the giants over her. And in the drama CD of Erwin monologue "I chose the path of fighting the titan over the girl I loved" Why do I see her name repeated a lot despite her unimportance and only a childhood crush . I hate it when they make her the center of Erwin's life or his only love that he will not love after her. What do you think of my words🥺?

Sorry it’s taken me so long to answer your ask, I’m a bit slow with everything at the moment.  I know that @momtaku has already answered your ask and I agree with all the points that she’s raised.  One thing I would add is that every time Marie is brought up, the point being made is that Erwin chose to fight Titans rather than settle down and have a family. Although I think the significance of Marie is frequently overstated (see @fallenrazziel's Mary Dok Card), what is important is Erwin’s decision to give up the chance of having a “normal” life in order to join the Survey Corps and pursue his father’s dream.  This is a pretty fundamental aspect of Erwin’s character, which is emphasised in most iterations of the story. “Not choosing Marie” is convenient shorthand for Erwin’s decision, which is always highlighted as being in contrast to Nile’s, who does choose wife, marriage and family.  This in turn sets up the scenes in the Uprising Arc that @momtaku has already mentioned.

I think it’s also worth adding that we don’t really see Erwin pining for Marie. There’s never any suggestion that he regrets his decision or still holds a torch for her.  Quite the contrary, it appears that Erwin was happy to help Nile court Marie (see the Smartpass story Erwin’s Letter) and he remains on good terms with the couple (The incident of the scout’s mysterious advertisement).

Of course there is one other appearance by Marie that hasn’t been mentioned in this discussion.  I'll leave you to draw your own conclusions from this...

[hanszoe]

Scenes of Sheltering From Rain Vol. 06

Originally published on au Smartpass on 2014/4/3 Included in Attack on Titan: Short Stories with the special edition of volume 20 on 2016/9/8

Translated by @hanszoe

Not checked for consistency with original. There is a serial difference between the original Smartpass release (7) and the physical release (6) due to exclusion of the original 5th serialization involving Nile and Nick.

Vol. 06

Nanaba & Hansi Zoe

That day, a cold rain had been falling continuously since morning.

When even a Scout becomes a veteran the amount of paperwork to do increases. Stacks of paper before her eyes, Nanaba stifled a sigh.

Erwin and Micke, they're handling more work than this. I need to get it together.

Nanaba was a veteran soldier who had survived expeditions outside of the walls for more than 5 years.

On the other side of the glass, fogged up from the temperature difference with the outside air cold with the rain, Nanaba recognized the staggering of a familiar figure, and stood up in surprise.

“....Hansi?!”

“‘Taking a walk to clear your mind’, how can you say that when you don’t even have any rain gear, really?”

“I told you, the reactions of the specimens were weak today, so… They were so cute, though…”

Nanaba had caught Hansi wandering outside who, rather than having gone on what you’d call a walk, looked like a corpse which had crawled out of its grave. She was drying off their body which was in such a state.

Normally Nanaba wasn’t in the position to take care of others to this extent, but there was a closeness between them as same veteran soldiers. By just going outside of the walls and returning alive, a certain bond is born between soldiers.

“Goodness, you’re at least a section commander, aren’t you? Getting wet in the rain and staggering around, it sets a bad example.”

“A… section commander… That’s right, I’m currently acting as a section commander.”

Nanaba removed the cloth she had been drying Hansi's head with, and Hansi, whose hair had become even more disheveled than usual, had a defeated expression on their face.

“Awfully sentimental, aren’t you?”

“Ah… a little.”

Hansi returned the cloth that they had been drying their wet body with to Nanaba, and walked over to the window.

“Rising in rank in the Survey Corps, isn’t that just surviving for a long time?”

“That’s… true.”

Finding it difficult to guess what Hansi meant, Nanaba furrowed her brows. 

Hansi had turned away from her, and was following the water droplets flowing down the outside of the window with their eyes. 

“In other words, it’s upon the deaths of our many comrades that we have these positions. Being a section commander… sometimes, I’ve thought that kind of thing.”

“...Yes.”

The water droplets flowing down the glass almost looked like tears flowing down Hansi's unseen expression, hidden behind their glasses, and Nanaba straightened up.

“That’s true. But… for that reason, us veterans have things that we need to do.”

“Huh?”

“For the sake of our comrades who died too… the veterans are the ones who need to pull ourselves together, and to lead the younger soldiers. At the very least, so that the number of senseless deaths doesn’t increase.”

Nanaba gathered her resolve, and struck Hansi on the back.

“So, Hansi, no matter how far we are inside the walls, you shouldn’t let others see you in a pitiful state. You’ll worry the soldiers of the fourth section, and other soldiers will think of you strangely.”

“...You're right.”

Hansi removed their glasses and wiped them with a shirtsleeve. They put them back on, and when they turned back around their eyes were full of their usual inquisitive spirit. 

“Maybe I was a little too careless, well, I’m going right back to my research. Data on titans when it’s raining, that’s really important information!”

“Ah! At least put on rain gear!!"

Whether Hansi was listening to Nanaba’s words or not, they rushed out of the room, and were running off down to the far end of the corridor. 

Standing on the many dead, is that the veterans’ position?

Closing the door, Nanaba thought over Hansi’s words. 

I need… to get myself together too. Those who passed, and my own surviving life, to prove that they weren’t for nothing.

Among the sound of the incessant rain hitting the roof and window, Nanaba nodded slightly, and returned to her work.

[eueuphoriaz]

Content page

• Who is at the Yeagerist parade?

• The hoodie Levihan shared that didnt make it to the anime.

• Investigation on who is leaning on Hange.

• Levi's therapist.

• Levi doesnt want Hange to forget him.

• You scowl when your girlfriend ignores you.

• The head grab scene - an analysis that Levi wants her attention, and not teasing her.

• Torture buddies having fun and Levihan moments with Sannes.

• She is important to him till the end.

• Baby Hange is cute.

• Analysis of Hange's character.

• Hange's determination.

• Hange's blushes.

• Eren is the intermediary in their arguments

• Did Hange change her last name?

• Fanart "Whatever the outcome, I want us to be together. Just the 2 of us" [colour][draft]

• Levi's Heart [Part 1][Part 1.5][Part 2][Part 2.5][Part 3]

• Ackerbond is not romantic. So says Founder Ymir.

• The Ackermans getting angry when their brunette are hurt.

• Putting what you learn about dental with Sannes into good use.

• The Levihan theatrics.

• Their last fight- determination and resolution

• Being in their own little world

• Humanity's strongests will still fall into the arms of their brunettes.

• Levi's unrequited love

• He did teach her how to fight eventually.

• Second fanart still dedicated to Levihan. Lollipop inspired

• Levi's double standard in dealing with "dirty" people.

• Levihan's long distance telepathy

• Hange designed new outfit for Levi (game)

• Yumihisu and Levihan parallel

• The flower and the leaves

• First family portrait

• How Levihan officially become the caretakers of Eren

• Husband and Wife look

• It hurts because he cant let go, and she knows it. (Inspired from that official art where Levi still held his fist up after Hange past him)

• Hange's beautiful eyes

• Levihan's Cold War [Part 1] [Part 2] [Part 3.1] [Part 3.2]

• Hange's affection for Titans due to suspension bridge effect (game)

• The Last Attack Movie teaser

• Levihan's dating venue: The forest

• Keep glancing, Levi.

• 5 Sep is coming!

• Hange and how she treats the 3 important men in her life.

• Levi's double standard only with Hange

• Third fanart is still dedicated to baby Levihan. A celebration for Hange's birthday. [draft]

• Them

• What if Hange had used her cloak to wrap Levi up, and he kept it till the end?

• Comparing Levihan's interactions with others

• The Last Attack Movie poster

• Levihan moment in one of Moblit's clip (game)

• Levihan prepares a gift (Season 3)

• The burden Hange bears

• Zeke's conflict and the parallel to Hange's. Plus the difficult choice they have to make.

• Did Eren visit everyone on the ship when they are on the way to Odiha?

• Hungry Levihan. (Please eat us😍)

• "Go ahead and be titan poop for all I care!" "You sure you dont care?" (OVA)

• The smartpass stories

• The difference between Hange and Erwin: she is not prepared to lose him.

• Tribute to the 3 Scouts who remained loyal yo Hange to the end.

• Levihan parents taking care of Uncle Erwin (game cutscene)

• Keep your eyes disciplined, Captain! 😏

• Season 4 Opening scene: that hand on Hange's head is Levi's.

• That scene in Season 4 episode 17: Another Eremike parallel

• Levihan AMV: Die with a smile is totally a Levihan song 😭

[rivai-hana]

Levihan 🤌

The Library That’s Covered In Dust

DISCLAIMER: This is a fan translation, so 110% accuracy is not guaranteed. However, we did our best to keep it as close to the original as possible without breaking English.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The place that the Survey Corps decided to take shelter from the rain was in an old castle that had a strong structure, regardless.  The echoing sound of rainfall beating against the large windows created a noisy atmosphere.

“No way… What a mountain of treasure!! Those ancient writings… If I could read them that would be nice. What the!? I still can’t decode this!”

That backside of someone who was lively as ever, merrily searching for documents was Hanji’s.

“Oi, Kuso-Megane. Did you let your squad members free to roam the place, leisurely?”

“Ah, Levi? That’s not the case because Moblit is taking care of everyone’s concerns. He’s an excellent and valuable subordinate, isn’t he?”

Without looking back, Hanji searched through the books – various types of ancient documents and picture scrolls, that were in this room which seemed to be a library in the past. She tried to pull a book from a place much higher up than her own height, and staggered.

“Ohhh!!”

“Tch!”

Because mountains of books were caused to fall down, altogether, he barely managed to snatch the neck of her jacket, pulling her out of the way.

“Uwaa… You saved me, Levi. If I was hit by such a large amount of books, it would have been a spot that would make my head strange.”

“Don’t worry. It wouldn’t become any weirder. Honestly, you should pay more attention to your surroundings.”

Hanji corrected her hanging, dislocated goggles. She then brushed the dust off of the book she had taken out.

“This book here, for example… This old castle that exists inside the walls, there are many books and stored supplies written with letters that we can’t read right now. Such historic ruins are dotted in great number inside the walls. Seems like an extinct civilization, doesn’t it?”

“Don’t tell me the extent of your outlook. After all, I know your head is sharp. This is why I tell you that your life is important. If it weren’t for me being here right now and you were hit in a fragile place, the bones of your neck would have been broken.”

“You’re kind.”

Levi felt as though he were annoyed. He even made a face as if to show he was in a bad mood. He hates his own character being expressed with such words.

“You say this on purpose, knowing that I don’t like it.”

“Ah ha ha! Saw right through me, huh?”

Hanji, then, sat of the floor with a thump. She opened a book while lifting her face.

“What sort of business is it, so soon?  You came to see me, didn’t you?”

“Ah. It’s about Eren. He wants permission to roam around this old castle, that as a military, we give the approval for him to come out of the basement.”

“It’s safe. The outer walls here were build using a solid method of construction. Furthermore, in the unlikely event that Eren transforms into a titan and busts through the roof, there are a good number of footholds on the tower for our maneuvering equipment……. Ah, if only I could understand the meanings of these pictures while cramming in the impressions of these books and such…” Hanji said, carelessly.

“Understood. That helps…Also…”

“Yes?”

“Before searching the place, dry the clothes on your body. It’s unseemly that your shirt is showing through.”

He points at the fire in a fireplace which was probably lit by Moblit who was worried about the soaking wet superior officer. Levi glared at her with a look in his eyes as if looking at raw garbage.

“Understood. It would be good if I read over there.”

Levi sighed at the view of Hanji’s back as she slowly moved to position herself before the fireplace, and then he left the room.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

NOTES: “Raw Garbage” is the literal translation of the word “Namagomi”; nama meaning “raw” and “gomi” meaning “trash”. Interestingly, “nama” can also mean “crude” if used colloquially. I’m not sure if this is the case with “Namagomi”, however given the context, the scenario it’s being used in, it makes me wonder if he meant crude. Yes, I know the ending sounds rude, but ya gotta remember, this is Levi, the guy who’s bad at expressing himself. He obviously doesn’t look down on her because he was just telling her that her life is important, that he knows she’s smart. CHANGES MADE: Apparently because of the way it was worded, 「お見通しか」Hanji was noting that Levi saw through her (not her through him). When glaring at Hanji, it spoke of the expression in his own eyes, not hers. Thanks to a friend for pointing these out!

[cosmicjoke]

hi! may I ask what are AU Smartpass stories? are those considered to be (canon) side stories?

Hi there,

the Smartpass stories are short stories that were released online as supplemental material for "Attack on Titan", and later collected into books released with the boxed sets of the manga. I'm not actually sure how much they count as canon. I've heard before that Isayama gave his approval to them, but I know they aren't written by him. So I suppose if you wanted to take them as canon, you definitely could. More so than a lot of things people consider canon, lol. But if not, they aren't necessary really to the main story either, so you could ignore them as well.

[snk-smartpass]

Do Attack on Titan Fans still refer to this Blog for Repost of the Stories from the Attack on Titan Short Stories Booklet/Smartpass? 👀

Sorry I’m Long-Sighted now and still without a PC/Laptop plus Real Life distracting me, so typing out the Stories can get tedious! But will try start upload again soon!

[scarletskiesinthepaths]

I was thinking more on this, and I think Levi’s intelligence often gets overlooked within the world of Attack on Titan as well. I think part of this is that he comes from the Underground City, so people underestimate his intelligence due to his lack of education. However, intelligence and education have nothing to do with the other; someone can be deeply intelligent, but have had no access to education (as is the case with Levi). There’s also Levi’s blunt and course manner of speaking, which I think also results in people thinking more lowly of his intelligence. His manner of speaking is less an indicator of his intelligence, though, and more a result of his harsh upbringing.

In one of the supplemental Smartpass stories, “Levi’s Signature,” Petra comments that Levi’s handwriting is neat and Levi responds defensively with, “"Do you think that because I came from the Underground City, I can't do things like read or write?" This indicates to me that this is a common judgment people hold against Levi for his upbringing.

I wonder what sort of impact these judgments have had on Levi’s own perception of his intelligence.

Levi's Intelligence

Levi's intelligence is often overlooked, probably because he's compared directly to Erwin and Hange. Erwin and Hange are both extraordinarily intelligent, but Levi is immensely intelligent himself. He is able to read people (better than any other character), and he knows how to make the best use of what he has available. Many other users have done a wonderful job expanding on Levi's emotional intelligence, so I wanted to expand on some of his feats of general intelligence:

I. Ability to Both Think Long-Term and Make Quick Decisions While in the Midst of Battle

After Historia and Eren are captured by Kenny and the MPs, Levi avoids immediately chasing after them—similarly to how he approached the situation with the Female Titan. The overall strategic goal still remained keeping Historia and Eren safe, but Levi was able to recognize in the moment that chasing after them would not have successfully led to achieving that objective. Levi adapted his tactics, and the Scouts were overall more successful in their mission because of it.

Without Erwin, Levi is able to lead his remaining team to safety and take down an MP compound without casualties. They are all able to regroup and come up with a plan to rescue Eren and Historia because of Levi's quick thinking and long-term planning during this battle.

II. The Reeves Negotiation

Much has been said about Levi's kindness and compassion in this arc, about how he's interested in saving the city of Trost at no tangible benefit to himself (and after being directly mistreated by its citizens earlier in the same arc), but what I want to bring attention to is (1) that he was able to recognize the opportunity for a negotiation and (2) his skills at bargaining.

Directly after taking down the MP compound (Chapter 54: "Location of the Counterattack"), Levi and his team encounter Dimo Reeves, the boss for the Reeves Company as well as the merchant responsible for blocking the Trost gate earlier in the series. Levi is able to intuit that there is more to Dimo Reeves' "deal" with the MPs than meets the eye, so he brings Dimo Reeves outside to look over Trost together and converse. This demonstrates Levi's skill at reading people. No other character had indicated an interest in holding a conversation about Dimo's motives.

Dimo reveals how the Reeves Company has been at the mercy of the Interior MPs and how he has been following the MPs' orders to avoid getting immediately killed and losing everything—to protect his employees and their families. This conversation directly leads to a negotiation and then a deal being formed between the Scouts and the Reeves Company.

When Levi is laying out the conditions for the deal, it is evident that Dimo does not seem initially receptive. Levi uses the word "trust," which Dimo balks at.

However, Levi's third condition, which is actually the most unimportant and superfluous one, results in Dimo accepting the deal. Why?

"Seems you're even greedier than a merchant." Dimo says this, as he is familiar at interacting with and respects other merchants. Levi added the third condition in, not simply because he wants tea and other luxurious goods, but because it brings himself down to Dimo's level. Without this condition, the deal may not have gone through. It is exactly this condition that results in Dimo "trusting" Levi as an equal.

This negotiation is also more evidence toward Levi's ability to think long-term. This deal between the Scouts and the Reeves Company benefits the Scouts for the remainder of the series.

III. Luring Kenny Into a Bar

Expanding on Levi's ability to make quick decisions while in the midst of battle, one of the best examples of this is Levi's first encounter with Kenny during the Uprising arc, where Levi lures Kenny into a bar and is able to defeat him as a result.

This goes beyond Ackerman prowess, as that is more related to superhuman strength and heightened combat reflexes. This is specifically a feat of intelligence; it's a sign of Levi's ingenuity—using aspects of the environment to his advantage. By luring Kenny into a bar, Levi is able to procure a weapon to even the playing field. Kenny himself is impressed and adds in that Levi was not taught these tactics by him. Some of the specific tactics of note:

III.a Use of Reflection

Levi is able to procure a shotgun while simultaneously taking cover from Kenny. He converses with Kenny to keep Kenny focused on him and not the bar's patrons, and even though Levi is facing away from Kenny, he uses the reflection off the alcohol's glass to properly aim the shotgun.

III.b Chair and Figuring Out the Firearms' Weakness

Levi knew he was going to be ambushed from up top as soon as he left the bar, so he threw a chair out the window to both distract and waste his opponents' shots. I'm fairly certain Levi was the first one to notice the main weakness of the anti-personnel vertical maneuvering equipment.

The main weakness, as Armin explains above in a later chapter, is that they need to reload after shooting twice. Levi first threw a chair, forcing one of his opponents to shoot twice, kills that opponent, and then uses that opponent's body as a shield against the other two guys' shots.

IV. Final Battle - Infers Immediately Armin is Alive

This one is pretty self-explanatory, but Levi is the first to infer that Armin has to be alive, given the way Titan powers work. As such, Levi is able to keep the others focused on the battle in front of them, knowing that Armin is alive and unharmed. This again speaks to Levi's quick thinking while in the midst of battle; it is often more difficult to make these sorts of judgments while in a fight-or-flight situation. Keep in mind as well that Levi is also grievously injured here, so it is even more impressive, how quickly he's able to make this inference.

V. Final Battle - Leadership and Planning

Full stop, the Alliance would not have succeeded without Levi, and part of that is because of Levi's ability to take charge and come up with a plan. This is the plan that they followed throughout the entire duration of the Battle of Heaven and Earth, and it is a plan Levi came up with, directly in response to an unexpected change in circumstances.

This again shows off Levi's skill in adjusting tactics to achieve a strategic objective. Even though the commanders are the ones often in charge of this, Levi is clearly very capable and adept at this himself. Right before this panel, everyone was arguing on how to proceed. Levi came up with the best overall plan, and in addition to that, formulated the two teams required to carry out that plan.

[minimuffinpuff]

The way that this lives in my mind rent free ...

The tea 😌

[dont-f-with-moogles]

Excuse me, Commander…

Excuse me, Commander… Characters: Levi x Hange, (slight Jean x Mikasa - I don’t ship it but it felt natural here), Connie, Armin. Word Count: 1120 words

Canon universe, during the night when the alliance enjoys some stew. The completed response to the Great Shipping War. (Part 2 of 2)

Shadows flickered against the pale limbs of beech trees. A continuous chirping reverberated amongst the nocturnal stirrings of the woods. In the centre of the clearing stood a makeshift wooden frame which bore a bubbling pot. Beneath, the crackling flames wove their own story amongst the crunchings and rustlings of forest life. 

Hange Zoe sat cross-legged, her back pressed against a wooden case. Idly, she flipped the pages of a magazine as the pot of stew bubbled before her. The cart titan was crouched nearby, its colossal head turned away. Between its splayed fingers, easily the length of fallen trees, Gabi and Falco sat with their arms wrapped about their knees. A little further on, Megarth whispered urgently to the Marleyan members of the newly-established alliance. Only Annie sat alone, staring at the patches of purple sky visible between the uppermost, gnarled branches. Half-raised upon a crudely-built cart lay Levi’s shrouded, sleeping form.

“Excuse me, Hange- er, Commander?” It was Jean who spoke. He turned away from where he had been scrutinising the impossibly neat row of stitches which lined the Captain’s face. “…whilst we’ve got a bit of time here, we were just wondering if you could explain something?” 

“Sure…” Hange flipped the cover of her magazine closed and laid it beside a basket of potatoes.

“How do I ask this?” Jean’s hands were in the pockets of his green military coat. He scuffed the leaf-strewn ground with the heel of his boot. “What is going on between you and the Captain? We asked you once before but you both said it was just friendship.”

“Uh…” Hange’s voice had a deep, husky quality. “That’s right.”

“But there are things that have happened between you,” Connie chimed in, encouraged by Jean’s bold venture. “Are you sure it’s not more than friendship?”

“What things?” Hange asked, astonished. “I’m surprised to hear you say that, Connie. Surely… Moblit was always the one by my side, watching out for me.”

Jean and Connie shared an uncertain glance. 

“We know you used to scold him for speaking like your mother,” Mikasa interrupted coldly. 

“I never said that was a bad thing…” Hange added, the firelight glinting off her glasses.

“But it doesn’t sound terribly romantic,” Armin added delicately, “from my observations, Moblit seemed to constantly panic around you. I’m not sure he was having a good time at all, even if he swore it was his duty to look out for you.” The others gazed over at Armin, gripped by such a revelation.

“In fact, I would say he seemed close to having a breakdown.” Armin dropped the leaf stem he had been twirling between his fingers. “Sometimes when I stood near him…I thought I could smell alcohol…”

Hange looked down at her knees.

“I don’t want to think of him like that,” she spoke quietly. “I know I’m not the easiest person to be around. That being said, Levi and I don’t always agree on everything. Perhaps I haven’t found the person who I can get along with yet.”

Connie shuffled forwards, partly drawn by the fragrance of the stew but also lured by curiosity. 

“You and the Captain are always together…”

“That’s because we’re the last of the veterans,” Hange sighed as she stirred at the bubbling mixture. She rapped the ladle smartly against the side of the pot before flinging the utensil down into a ceramic bowl at her feet.

“Levi and I have served together in the regiment for nearly ten years. Of course we’re close. It’s inevitable given that we’re the only two who somehow survived.” 

“But you didn’t just somehow survive.” Jean had appeared behind Connie. “You’ve both protected each other time and time again. The only reason Captain Levi is alive is because of you. You grabbed him from under the Jaegerists’ noses, rolled into a river with him, shot your former comrades, dressed and stitched his wounds, built a cart to carry him in…” Jean heaved a breath. “And you haven’t left his side since.”

“It was nothing,” Hange muttered, reaching for her magazine.

“Just now!” Connie exclaimed, causing Hange’s head to slump into her hand, “you said that you had wanted to run away and continue with your life! You said that in front of all of us just before we got here!” He frowned up at the stars as he attempted to piece his reasoning together. “And you had been hiding out with Levi in the woods so that means… you were thinking about continuing your life… you wanted to live with Levi in the woods!”

Connie snapped his fingers in satisfaction, a smug smile spreading across his face. “Gotcha!”

“I was just tired!” Hange threw down her magazine, her voice brittle. “I am so tired of all of this. But despite my rambling monologues, I still came back didn’t I? So just forget what I said before will you?”

“You’re blushing.” Mikasa’s dark head emerged over Jean’s shoulder.

“It’s the fire and the shadows!” Hange snapped acidly, “and it’s embarrassing for me to admit being such a coward! None of this means that I love Levi so just drop it!”

“Wait a moment…” It was Armin’s turn to interrupt. His blue eyes were rounded in realisation. “Do you remember the governmental unrest some years ago? It was when Erwin had been arrested. We were all staying at that  cabin…  Hange, you told us that Pastor Nick had been murdered and we realised what grave danger we were all in. You wanted us to lay low but Levi called you timid. I don’t remember you blushing then.”

“For once, Armin…” Hange rose to her feet, her face like thunder. “Can you not remember every little thing!”

“Hange it’s okay.” Jean stretched his hands out placatingly. “You were thinking about living with Levi. There was that flirty head grab that Eren told everyone about. Those things would seem weird if they involved other people but with you two it looks good.”

Conscious of a fault, Jean stepped backwards into Mikasa and out of reach of Hange’s grasping hands. 

“For the last time!” Hange lowered her arms, her body trembling in rage. The others retreated to where Jean was cowering. Only Mikasa blinked impassively. “Levi and I are good friends and there is nothing else to it so would you drop it! I have enough to worry about without your constant questioning!”

And with that, she seized a water bottle from the ground and crashed through the undergrowth towards the stream. Jean stooped to retrieve the magazine which had been lying beside the wood crate.

“What’s this? ‘Woodland Homes Real Estate…’” he read with a grimace, "oh come on! What does she think, that we’re stupid?”

[darth-eagle]

Attack on Titan: Short Stories 3

DISCLAIMER: This List is based on what had been published in Kodansha US version of Attack on Titan: Short Stories 3 (Attack on Titan Final Season Part 1 Manga Box Set). For the list that had been compiled into the Japanese Shingeki no Kyojin: Short Stories 3 with Fan Translation of the Stories, Click HERE

••••••

Text

Words As Written

An author imbues a text with their emotions, which a reader then bears. Written words give birth to new emotions that go on to weave secret tales of both past and present.

Vol. 01 Erwin’s Letter

Vol. 02 Eren’s Notes

Vol. 03 Nick’s Notes on Remonstration

Vol. 04 Connie’s Operation Proposal

Vol. 05 Jean’s Textbook

Vol. 06 Nifa’s Coaster

Vol. 07 Sasha’s Card

Vol. 08 Bertolt’s Answer Sheet

Vol. 09 Keith’s Gradebook

Vol. 10 Hange’s Invoice

Vol. 11 Reiner’s Letter

Vol. 12 Ymir’s Apology

Vol. 13 A Soldier’s Patrol Notes

Vol. 14 Historia’s Oath

Vol. 15 Marco’s Diary

Vol. 16 Annie’s MP Notebook

Vol. 17 Uri’s Gospel

Vol. 18 Levi’s Signature

Vol. 19 Armin’s Sketchbook

Vol. 20 Mike’s Game Records

Vol. 21 Rico’s Report

Vol. 22 Frieda’s Writing Chart

Vol. 23 Mikasa’s Recipe

Vol. 24 Eld’s Ledger

Vol. 25 Peaure’s Manuscript

Vol. 26 Reeves Company’s Customer List

••••••

Shelter From The Rain: Reprise

Like droplets of rain converging, these brief conversations are a collection of small bonds tied to one another on a rainy day. Let’s take another look at these stories of bonds brought together by moments of rain.

Vol. 1 Erwin & Sasha

Vol. 2 Historia & Mikasa

Vol. 3 Nile & Hitch

Vol. 4 Hange & Jean

Vol. 5 Levi & Peaure

Vol. 6 Armin & Moblit

Vol. 7 Kenny & Traute

Vol. 8 Eren & Marlowe

BOOK 1 | BOOK 2 | BOOK 3 | BOOK 3 JP | BOOK 4 JP | BOOK 5 JP

[lostcauses-noregrets]

Hii Lost! I just want to thank you for everything you have done and are still doing for the eruri community. Every time I get discouraged from a bad experience with the fans, it's you, your posts, and your fics that keep me going (Momtaku, too. I miss her :( ) . Now, I have a question. Is aot tactics game canon? Are we to take anything mentioned there as an addition to canon?

This is so weird. I can see this ask on the tumblr app, but it isn't in my inbox on desktop. I usually only answer asks on desktop so I wonder how many others I've missed that only show up in the app??

Anyway, I'm glad I caught this ask because I wanted to say thank you for your kind words, which I'll also pass on to @momtaku ♡

In answer to your question I'd say that this is definitely a case of YMMV. Everyone has a different opinion of what constitutes canon. I tend to see canon as a sliding scale that goes something like this: SnK manga, official guide books & interviews with Isayama, anime & OVAs, Smartpass content, other officially sanctioned content including Tactics and other games.

I know there are fans who regard the manga as the only canon content but I think it's important not to disregard the Answers Guidebook and Character Guides. They were written by Isyama with good reason and the date of their publication was not coincidental. The Answers Guidebook was published the same week as chapter 84 and provided a wealth of detail about Erwin and Levi's relationship, among other things.

The Smartpass content tends to get overlooked these days, but it's really worth delving into as it includes lots of really lovely stories and "interviews" that give real depth to the characters. You can find Smartpass translations on @yusenki's blog (X), @momtaku's (X) and @tsuki-no-ura's (X).

Tactics content is harder to come by but I've just discovered that some fabulous nerds have posted *everything* on reddit. Bless them. The "Attack on Titan: Tactics" Complete Archive.

[hanszoe]

in researching the issue of hansi's sex and gender i've become quite familiar with different sources' interpretations and isayama's responses to them. recently i realized that the knowledge gained from this could be applied to his other comments about the narrative, such as "does he like women, though".

most pertinently is that there are various sources for information surrounding the attack on titan narrative. for example the anime, smartpass, or other licensed material. though isayama does "supervise" these and provides additional information, occasionally these sources depict things differently and that discrepancy is tolerated or missed. for example smartpass once wrote that hansi graduated top 10 in training and would have been able to join the military police. isayama has answered that they were nowhere near the top 10. obviously in consideration of canon isayama's word is final.

i bring this up because there is another reference to levi's sexuality from an external source. mentions of this first began appearing in mid november 2013 and are attributed to an otomedia magazine release, so seems like the october 2013 issue. i can also find multiple different sources for the precise text, though no context or photos

カレに寄り添う必須条件！ 「本人が望んでいるわけではないと思うんですが、黙って３歩後ろを歩くタイプ。 後は、絶対にキレイ好きじゃないとダメですね。 窓の格子やベッドの下とか、徹底的に掃除を して清潔な状態を保てる人。 これがリヴァイのそばにいる一番大切な条件」

"Necessary conditions for getting close to him! 'I don't think that he's wishing for this himself, but the type who walks 3 steps behind him in silence. Also, they have to be very particular about things being clean. Window grills or underneath the bed, someone who cleans thoroughly and keeps things clean. That's the most important condition for being close to Levi.'"

"3 steps behind" belongs to old japanese patriarchal hegemony in which women were not allowed to walk beside the men they belonged to. there's apparently been some modern attempt at reframing this as "the man is ahead of you so he can protect you".

though i see this mentioned as proof of levi being heterosexual (never of him being a misogynist), isayama himself later commented on levi's sexuality at the "bessatsu magazine thanksgiving" event that took place on august 3rd 2014. like usual for spoken statements, there are differing transcriptions of what exactly was said

"Bessatsu Magazine Thanksgiving, question to Isayama Q. The type of women that Captain Levi likes? A. Hmm, is it women, [though]? I hear that short people like tall people, so maybe that's it..."

"A question to Isayama at Bessatsu Magazine Thanksgiving Q. Please tell us the type of women that Captain Levi likes A. Does he like women, [though]...? Isn't it that small people like tall people... It might be that [he] likes tall people"

i've known about this comment for a long time. the essence of it is 女性なんですか, which the focus of is ん(の), used in this case actually to not refute that levi does like some type of person, but "with that said, is it women [though]".

having become somewhat familiar with isayama's speech style, this use of it seems refutational. actually, he must respond [fan's interpretation]なんですか followed by [his correction]かもしれません to fans a lot, considering it's an identical pattern to him talking about hansi's nde.

realizing this, i wondered why 女性なんですか. in the case of hansi's nde there is sufficient textual explanation to inform his correction, that this must come from some disappointment that it is conveyed in the text and not understood by fans. so what in the text is calling levi's sexuality into question? specifically that he might not like women?

isayama first brought women being attracted to levi into the text himself in chapter 30.

"My daughter sent a letter... something like [you had] confidence in [her] skills and that [she] would be working under you... That she was prepared to dedicate everything to you... Well... It's understandable that she'd go on and on [about you] without knowing the worries of her parents, ha ha ha... Well It's just... As her father and all... I can't help but feel like it's a little early for her to become a bride ...She's still young, and there are still various things—"

the above interview was a few months after chapter 57 released, in which nifa, a character who has the same hairstyle, eye shape, and overall height and weight as petra, is killed in front of levi, but not before she makes this comment

"There was a time I lived with him as a kid." "Huh?! What are you saying, suddenly... For the Captain to be making jokes at a time like this..."

which is an implication that he is flirting with her and why she is blushing.

isayama created and then killed off these women specifically to be love interests for levi. their entire existences surround him. their unrequited attraction to him, their gruesome deaths in front of him. the truth is that isayama loves using the patriarchal suffering of women for shock value. it isn't just petra and nifa, but we see it with kaya's mother, and most notably nanaba in the anime.

this running gag of similar-looking women who have crushes on levi dying in front of him, the question of their deaths not surrounding them but how much did he care about them, this must have been what isayama was talking about with "does he like women". demonstrating that he was not attracted to them, yet informing this comment

"Weren't you popular [with the ladies] Thinking all by yourself that you know the feelings of others" "I do know... ...And... I was [liked] as much to be 'popular'"

the word i translated as "popular" is モテる, which the definition of is "To be greatly liked such as by the opposite sex, having popularity."

so all of this "women liking levi" in the text and yet him never reciprocating, this must have been what isayama was talking about with "does he like women, though".

[cosmicjoke]

do you know where i can find any canon information (ova's, smartpasses etc) about levis life between no regrets and season 1

Hmmm, well, I'm not sure exactly. All the smartpass stories I've read, I've done so through the collected box sets of AoT that you can buy online, and the same for the OVA's. Though I know you can stream the OVA's on crunchyroll.com. Someone else might be better to ask about where you can find the smartpass stories. Usually I would just type it into google, attack on titan smart pass stories, and it will probably come up for you.