#shinge

Today's Cuppa is cuppalevi's feature fanfic recommendations. See Cuppa Collections for list of fanfic recommendations.

april 23 2024

another one of my personal favorites i read a while back during the covid pandemic— it was a fic binge-read night. and this brought me to a whole new universe while still having elements of the attack on titan series.

flames of nirvana is what i'd describe a post war aot fic that diverges into an expansion of other nations plus great and diverse original characters, all at the expense of ackervida's world building. and what an incredible world-building that is.

this fic emphasizes on the politics side of the nations and comes with war, consequence, and risk. at the same time, cultivates levi's connection with the reader as they fight. but of course, war is never easy. all these characters get into conflicts of having to choose between their beliefs or the greater good, all for the chance of winning. and the original characters also have substance and have intriguing stories and development.

i cried, i gasped, and i cheered during the ups and highs of this fic. from start to end, it did not disappoint. i feel like I'm about to say this to all the fics I'm about to feature in today's cuppa but this is amazing like even if aot has ended, you get to continue the story by someone else's creation.

Kind: Series

Content: violence, action, smut, suicide attempts, canon divergence, more tags on ao3

Status: completed

𝙁𝙡𝙖𝙢𝙚𝙨 𝙤𝙛 𝙉𝙞𝙧𝙫𝙖𝙣𝙖 by ackervida

In the heat of a never ending war, Levi finds himself recruiting a compromised spy. But the war outside is nothing compared to their own inner battles, and hand in hand, they find the strength to conquer them one by one. And the world follows.

#19 levihan fluff: “How did I manage to get you.”

Here’s a model!Hange + heartthrob!Levi AU for ya, @lapdancesqueen ! (this is based on an official art where Hange looks like a gorgeous model in heels and Levi’s dashing in a suit)

Prompt list (pick a prompt with your fave ship and send it to me; I’ll write something about it)

----------------------------------

"Have you always fancied going out with a model?" Hange asks him once the crowd has dissipated and they're left to themselves once more. The fans have thanked her for taking the time to take photos with them, for signing whatever belongings they handed out to Hange. Now the silence is somewhat comforting.

Levi gives her a lazy look. "I don't collect women, if that's what you're asking."

His answer makes her like him even better. Levi definitely looks like the type of guy who would date one woman after another, the type who would consider them as trophies, a scoring board. But based on their interactions so far, she can tell that he's something else, and that he’s telling the truth.

Hange nudges him in the rib, “Figured there’s something about you that---ow!”

She almost trips on the sidewalk, if not for Levi catching her on time.

"Why do you always fall in the worst places?" he scoffs, grasping her arm tighter to pull her up.

"I don't. I just fall for gorgeous men." Hange grins at him and then grimaces in pain.

Levi raises an eyebrow and drops whatever comeback he has to say. Hange bends down to look at the back of her pumps and sees the heel hanging loosely from the sole. When she takes both of her shoes off, they both can see the skin on the back of her feet rubbed raw from so much chafing.

"How did I manage to get you,” he sighs.

Hange frowns. "Why does that sound more like a complaint than a compliment?"

He doesn’t answer that. Instead, he focuses on the scarring on Hange’s feet. Levi purses his lips in concern. “There’s no way you can walk like this.” He gently assists her on a nearby bench, one arm around Hange’s waist, until she finally sits down. “Wait here, I’ll be back.”

And then he’s gone.

A minute passes by. Then another. And another. She’s sitting barefoot in public, the concrete scraping the very soles of her feet. Across her view is the harbor, but it’s too dark to see anything at all. She’s barely visible behind the tree, away from the sight of passersby who might even recognize her. Hange swings both legs in the air once, twice, keeps herself busy while waiting. She looks at the time on her dying phone and it’s been fifteen minutes since he’s left. To serve as a distraction, she hums a song, sways slowly to the rhythm like a kid, and then she stops.

“What if he ditched out on me?” she blurts out loud in a panic. “Am I a bad date? Am I supposed to walk home barefoot?”

Hange looks around and doesn’t see anyone coming by. “Oh no. Oh no, I can’t believe this.” She grasps a fistful of her hair, ready to tear her head apart. “What now? What do I do? Think, Hanj, think. And I’m supposed to prove that I’m more than what I seem to be---”

“What the hell.”

Levi’s standing right behind her with a plastic bag from a convenience store. “I’m surprised people haven’t thought you’ve lost your mind from talking to yourself.”

“As far as I know, you’re the only one who can hear my internal monologues.”

Levi doesn’t believe that. He crouches in front of Hange. Slowly, he rests her injured foot on his thigh and takes out the small pack of band-aids from the plastic bag. Hange watches him as he removes the adhesives and carefully plasters the strip around her heel, his fingers deft and firm. Hange has to stop herself from overheating.

“You models think the world revolves around you,” Levi comments, and Hange thinks it’s an insult but there’s no edge to his words. He’s working on her other foot when he continues, “Maybe you should learn to step outside your walls once in a while.”

“Maybe you can teach me.”

Art by AREST