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#beta non-binary
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Yall think she’ll say yes 🙏🙏
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justdavina · 2 months
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Such a kissable transgender gurl! She's wonderful! She's adorable!
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sissyschoolboy · 3 months
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Instead of being mtf or ftm I'm stm aka saint to motherfucker
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unirick-7 · 3 months
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Happy Pride Month, hehe :)
For me, the most non-binary of all the non-binary people in this fandom 🥺✨
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andr0esart · 10 months
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small comic I decided to make
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rustchild · 10 months
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#It’s kind of wild to see how people talk about mizrahim and the beta israel on here. Like.#people are Just Now discovering that people(s) who are colonial subjects#which they are#as much as anyone else from the mena region#can also perpetuate and have conditional gain within colonial systems#and there’s like… no awareness of how that works over and over again in colonial and immediately post-colonial societies#When in fact one of the most basic structures of colonial power#is pitting colonized peoples against each other through the construction of elaborate unstable racialized hierarchies#like#I think the thing it drives home for me#is how many people in the west a. Operate off of a purely binary moral framework#in which oppressed is good and oppressor is evil and no one is both#And b. Don’t know enough about the histories or current realities of the colonized world to draw meaningful conclusions about anything#And also c. Don’t know shit about Jews#of course#but especially non-ashkenazi Jews#it’s easier to view Israel as the embodiment of the sin of western colonialism#than to genuinely unpack and understand the structures that comprise it#and the ways in which they truly aren’t unique#and the sheer horror of that reality!#Y’all absorbed one (1) idea from fanon and really just stopped there huh#Anyway. The closest parallel to Israel in the world isn’t Algeria#that’s just the only one y’all know about because fanon wrote about it.#the closest parallel is maybe Liberia and that’s sure something to think about
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drangy · 2 months
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IHY x Beta🤨
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(no, this is not Selfcest or LuigiCest💀)
My others accounts:
Twitter (18+ posts)
Wattpad (Not posts yet)
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bug-finder-tyria · 1 year
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Gay people real! Wahoo! (I’m gay people too!)
Gay people!!! Yas!!!
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writer-093 · 2 years
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Authors note: thanks to @kinglyvibe for being my beta reader :) also this was meant to be posted yesterday but I accidentally fell asleep, sorry!
Tag list: @kinglyvibe (if anyone wants to be added, let me know!)
Tipping It down
Total Word count: 808
The rain poured down heavily outside as Sam sat at their desk. Unfinished homework waited to be completed as they stared out, admiring the heavy downpour; one that is especially common this time of year.
They never really liked the rain as a kid if they were being honest, that was something that came later in life. Once Sam left their home for college did they start finding comfort in the soft patter of raindrops on the window, or the fogginess that often accompanied it.
Sam wondered how their parents were doing as their hand went limp around their pen and they put it down, resting their head on both palms as their elbows were propped up against the wooden desk.
They're probably fine, they thought, and just as quickly shied away from that thought as they tried to focus on their creative writing homework; but with the constant tapping of rain against the small window, Sam couldn't help but feel the urge to run outside and let the cold embrace swallow them whole.
On second thought, the homework could wait.
Sam quickly stood up, grabbing their favorite green jacket and slipping on some comfortable shoes as they slid out of their dorm room, all but gliding past some students in the lounge. None so much as noticed them, simply continuing with their game night; one which Sam had told them they were too busy to attend, and them stepping out made them feel like a liar.
Soon after, Sam stepped out the front doors of the dormitory building, standing under the overhang as they took in the smell of the rain and stared out at the swaying trees, knowing their shoes would get wet as soon as they left the safety of the overhang.
Sam moved to dash out into the cold embrace, running through puddles as they speed off of campus; shoes, socks, and hair thoroughly drenched as they spread their arms and imagined being back home with their family. They smiled at the thought as they continued moving through the downpour, soaking in the comfortable coldness and basking in the familiar scent of rain, stopping only to cross the road before making it out the other side and excitedly kicking up new puddles as some people from a nearby cafe stared out at them.
Sam didn't pay the observers much mind as they continued to dance through the now heavier downpour, the grass squelching under their feet as they made it to the park, a small reminder of their hometown.
At that thought, Sam glanced up at the overcast sky, slowly emptying its dark clouds onto the landscape like a watering can onto a beloved but dying plant.
Sam no longer paid any mind to their surroundings as they dashed and slipped in the mud. Their little run into the park was quite the impulsive decision, as was jumping feet first into a shallow pond, kicking at it like a super sized puddle, getting some algae and debris on their shoes, washing it off in the water after noticing it.
Soaked fabric clung to their body as they stepped out of the puddle, dancing through the rain back to the student dormitories. They stopped shortly to tie the drenched jacket around their waist but otherwise kept frolicking through the wet grass, and eventually kicked back puddles that formed on the concrete sidewalk, waving to the observers from the cafe as they bounced on their heels, waiting for the light to change to green.
It already felt like a whole new day as they danced and frolicked across the empty campus, wincing slightly as they slipped on the wet grass but stayed laying there, letting the rain consume them in a comfortable chill that brought back the good times; When they were still at home, when they were dancing in the rain with their little brother, kicking puddles at each other as their parents watched intently from the porch, each with a warm mug of coffee in hand, steaming as it met the cold autumn air.
Sam slowly gets up so as to not slip again while they walk up to the dormitory's front doors and enter, wet shoes squeaking and squelching against the smooth floor, leaving muddy footprints in their wake.
They met one of their roommates' eyes as they made it back to their shared suite style dorm.
Their roommate opened and closed their mouth several times, trying to find the words to say. Sam didn't wait for them, retreating into their room and changing into clean, dry clothes, draping their soaked jacket on the radiator right beside their shoes, and decided to call it a night.
"The homework can wait," they mumbled into their pillow for the 2nd time today as they dozed off into a peaceful sleep, occupied only by past memories.
Bonus!
Sam :)
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Anatomy may be a lil weird, also first time drawing wet clothes and hair, how did i do?
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justdavina · 5 months
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Such a sexy transgender woman! Her black mini skirt and super sexy see through top hits the jackpot on this day! Like her dazzling neck-less say's.... She's babe for sure! I love her hair color too. Very, very HOT!
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jupitercl0uds · 9 months
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dry hands...
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asleepinglaurel · 1 year
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Lol
I just tried to dress like a stereotype non-binary by confusing tf out of everyone..
I look like a homeless/beta bisexual.
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foone · 4 months
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I want a human zoology textbook.
Zoology, as in the study of animals. Like, a study of how humans work, done by an author that is not human.
I specifically want this for a couple reasons:
1. Descriptive, not prescriptive: don't tell me what the author thinks humans should do or how they should be. Tell me what they do. Observationally!
2. No bias towards "nature". I don't particularly care what the author is imagining humans are like in some "garden of eden" unfallen state. I want it to reference how humans ARE.
3. No morality applied to this! What do humans DO, not what you think they should do, or how they should be. And most importantly, no self-censorship in order to avoid offending some of the humans that disagree with ways people live.
And the reason I want this is because of how biology textbooks/wiki pages get written, where even if they try to be progressive they're still written from this weird perspective where they're explaining based on old ideas and the progressive stuff gets a footnote.
Like it'll be "humans have two genders, male and female. This is determined from their chromosomes, XY for male and xx for female."
And then you scroll past two pages for men and another two pages for women, and then it has one subsection that covers non-binary people and intersex people. And it's like: well then integrate that into your main statement!
It's like the author's worldview is still "there's two genders and everyone is born as one" but they've been forced to accept there are some weird exceptions but the core worldview is unchanged. And it's understandable! Wrong, but understandable: the grew up in a world that is quite strong on the "there are only two genders" ideology and doesn't like to remember that intersex people exist.
But like, imagine if you tried to do this as a zoologist. You're like "hey, all bees are female!" and then someone points out the rare male drones and they're like "oh okay I'll update my zoology textbook."
And now it reads:
All bees are female. Most are workers, and one is the queen.
(a couple sections go pass)
Drones: recent science has discovered that some bees are born male. These rare exceptions live short lives where they fertilize a queen and then die.
And it's like, no? Drones are very important to how a hive lives and they can't survive without them?
And we're constantly doing the same thing to humans and it's just bad science. Like, sure, maybe you could have the theory that "humans come in two genders: male and female" but as soon as you see one non-binary person, you have to discard that theory: it has been proven false! It's like not believing in other galaxies after Henrietta Swan Leavitt figured out how Cepheid Variables worked.
Add to that the "nature" thing. Like, you can make a sort of argument about nature vs artificial settings for a lot of species: the whole alpha/beta wolf thing came about because it turns out wolves act differently in captivity compared to the wild, so it makes sense to study how the vast majority of wolves live, not a small group you stuffed into a small area with unusual conditions. It's like saying the lifespan of goldfish is under 5 minutes, based on your study of them in this dry box you put them in.
But humans are different: we are tool-users who build new environments for ourselves. And while you can talk about how humans living in different environments act differently, it doesn't make a lot of sense to call one of them "artificial". All of them are made by us, and humans always do this. This means all environments are natural (because building environments for ourselves is what we naturally do) and all environments are artificial: we always alter our environments to better suit us! That's one of the things we naturally do!
And as for morality, it's about not ignoring things humans do regularly because you think it's weird or you think they shouldn't.
Like that tweet where someone pointed out that lots of species can change gender. Clown fish are a big one, some frogs, a couple birds, some lizards, and humans.
And people often have an immediate knee-jerk reaction of "that doesn't count!" for the last entity in that list. Why? Because we do it (usually) with clothes and makeup and medication, instead of just "naturally"? Bullshit. We're naturally TOOL USERS. Of course we use tools to change gender. We use tools to do EVERYTHING. That's natural for us.
So yeah. I think it'd be refreshing and enlightening to have a zoology textbook written about humans with this detached non-human perspective. An unbiased description of what humans are and do, rather than one irrevocably tinged with ideas of what humans should be and should do.
Basically I want to load up Vulcan Wikipedia and check the "Humans" article.
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marsbutterfly · 3 months
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Too Sweet
Summary: For the past few weeks, Hanji has locked themselves away in their office, away from prying eyes, including your own. But your heart can clearly tell when something is wrong with your beloved.
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a/n: hey everyone <3 this story is entirely based on the cover art by my amazing artist friend @kylekoraki ! please show them some love and everyone say "thank you" to kyle for drawing this! <3 here's their twitter as well <3
ᴡᴀʀɴɪɴɢs: canon setting, fem!reader, non-binary!hanji zoe, no warnings really, just some heavy kissing. not really beta read, we die like men <3
 ao3 | wattpad | cover by: @kylekoraki | wc: 4.2k
You knock on the door. Once, twice, thrice. No answer. A grunt escapes your lips and you roll your eyes, repeating the action. Once, twice, thrice. Nothing again. Now a frown takes the place of the smile that used to rest on your face, you know they are in there, you can hear the papers being shuffled around, the tapping of their pen, the shadow of their body as they pass by the door, even faintly the sound of the ice that clinks around their whiskey glass.
You raise your hand to knock again, but before you even have the chance, the door opens. Barely enough for any light to make it through but you see the faint silhouette of Hanji's lips pouting. "You know that when someone doesn't answer, it means they want to be left alone, right?" Their voice is low, almost as if they are making sure to remain quiet to not attract any more unnecessary attention.
"But... it's me.." you respond just as softly, a pout of your own forming, "I'm not like other people."
“y/n…” They begin, moving their glasses from the spot on their face towards the top of their head, pushing their bangs backward in the meantime. Their brown eyes stare at you for what feels like forever, their mind hiding behind an ocean of thoughts and an expression you can’t quite decipher this time around.
They want you to stay, to hold you in their arms as they sit here in the comforting silence of your presence, but instead, they shake their head, trying their best to remove any thoughts of what your warmth would do to them. A heavy sigh makes its way past their lips, the eyebags under their eyes more present than ever as they begin to talk again.
“Please, I’m fine,” they respond. What Hanji fails to realize is that their voice did a slight tremble, not noticeable to anyone else but you know them better than the palm of your own hand. They are the pure representation of your heart beating outside of your chest, so seeing them in such distress is enough to make you act against direct orders, consequences be damned.
“You are not,” you respond. Their office is a mess, their research papers scattered around with drawings and models of flying boats, new weapons, and ways to improve the Survey Corps all around. A thousand and one ideas, some connecting and some just scattered around the wind. 
The whiskey bottle that until a few weeks ago rested full to the brim on their bookshelf now finds itself on its last few sips, the curtains are drawn so no amount of light other than the small candles at the edge of their table can exist in the room and you even notice a few shards of broken glass, probably meaning that they have dropped a cup or two, either from exhaustion or from not being able to see in the dark.
“When was the last time you ate anything?” You ask, gently taking the whiskey glass out of their hand. You notice a small blush creeping its way onto their cheeks as their eyes pointedly avoid yours and, by these simple reactions, you can tell it has been a while, “You’re losing weight.”
They try to reach for the glass once more but you shake your head, pulling it further away. Even though they are stronger than you and could easily take it back if they wanted to, they don't. Instead, Hanji leans against their desk, crossing their arms in front of their chest as they let out a heavy sigh. They want to lie, to tell you they are fine, and pretend like nothing is wrong, but before a single false promise about their well-being can make its way past their lips, you speak up again.
“I can tell you haven’t been sleeping,” your voice is soothing, not an ounce of frustration or anger behind it, just plain worry. You take a step closer, fully prepared for another rejection but it doesn’t come this time around, though you still don’t dare take a deep breath until the moment your fingertips brush against their left cheek, just slightly beneath their eyepatch, “you look exhausted.”
“Now that’s just rude!” An exhausted chuckle escapes their lips as they nuzzle their face into your hand, their expression contorting from anguish to a somewhat relaxed one and it causes your heart to nearly stop for a second before between at three times the usual speed, you are convinced they can hear it from where they stand. “I’ll have you know that I look awesome.”
It’s your turn to chuckle, your worries melting away for simply a second before coming back at full force, knowing way too well that redirecting attention and humor have always been Hanji’s favorite ways of avoiding a serious conversation.
“Hanji…” You start, your tone of voice sounding just as exhausted and defeated as theirs. It drags a loud sigh out of their chest, but as their mouth opens to complain, you continue, a begging tone in your voice as your eyes fill with unwashed tears, “Please, just talk to me.”
That look is enough to cause a painful bang to shoot throughout their body, their heart dropping to their stomach with the knowledge that it is their fault that you look this way. So, without even realizing it, they are already taking a couple of steps forward, hands tightly grasping at your hips as they lean their forehead against yours.
“I’ve just been so busy,” they whisper, the broken tone in their voice creates a tight knot in your throat and the sensation only grows stronger as they continue to speak, “Paperwork, meetings, and any free time I have I go to the lab, trying to complete some old experiments I’ve had from years ago. Even if I try to sleep, I just… Lay there, staring at the ceiling, maybe getting two or three hours here and there.”
You sigh, your arms immediately wrapping around their neck as you pull them close. Their eyelashes bat against the skin of your neck as they close their eyes, a shaky breath escaping them as they inhale your scent, focusing on the way your body feels and smells.
At that moment, an idea hits you. Without disturbing the hug, you look around the messy room, quickly taking in the setting before noticing that, for once, their couch rests next to the window, uncluttered and undisturbed. 
Reluctantly, you pull away from them and the first thing you can hear is a grunt of disapproval. Once your eyes meet again, their pupils are so big, they could only be compared to a puppy dog that has just discovered steak for the first time, pleading, begging even, “Why’d you do that?”
Without an answer, your hand slides with theirs, fingers lacing and fitting together like pieces of a puzzle. Their palm is slightly wet, though you can’t quite place if it is from the condensation from the whiskey glass they held earlier or if it is from nervous sweats. Regardless, all you can focus on is how warm their presence feels close to you.
You don’t speak, instead, you just guide their body towards the couch, their feet dragging behind you, “what are we doing?” They ask, their eyes already fighting to remain open in a combination of the exhaustion and the fuzzy feeling from being drunk, the comfort you bring them doesn’t help either. They are clearly forcing themselves to stay awake, wanting to spend all of this time with you instead of stubbornly trying to push you away.
“We are not doing anything,” you respond, taking a seat on the couch. Your free hand brushes against the spot next to you and they quickly catch onto what you are hinting, your words finally clicking in their head as they flash you a confused look, “You, on the other hand, are going to sleep for a while.”
Their eyes widen for a second as your words take them by surprise, a small groan of protest making its way past their chapped lips, “mmmmm, noo, I can’t… I have so much work that I need to get done… I don’t... Have time to sleep.”
Carefully, you bring your hand towards the back of their head, pulling the ponytail holder out of their hair to make sure they are more comfortable for the next step, which includes guiding their head down towards your thighs. It doesn’t take much effort nor does Hanji put up much of a fight, their body is completely exhausted after all.
“Mmmm,” they whine, their voice filled with a mixture of exhaustion and stubbornness, almost like a child who refuses to lay down for nap time, but once again, they don’t put up a fight, “damn it, how could I ever say no to you?”
“You can’t,” you chuckle, your fingers beginning to comb through the knots in their hair, detangling the strands, your nails gently scratching their scalp while you are at it, “I promise I will be here when you wake up. I’m not going anywhere.”
Your words are soft, carrying so much love that it is almost impossible for Hanji not to melt on the spot. The warmth of your legs combined with the feeling of your fingers going through their hair is finally enough to relax their overly exhausted body, their eyes finally closing and you use your free hand to remove their glasses, hanging it up on the neckline of your shirt.
“Finnneeeee,” Hanji whines once more, turning their body over so their face is buried in your stomach, their slim body now curled into a small ball on the couch and you can’t help but smile at the sight, “but do not let me sleep for more than thirty minutes. An hour, tops.”
You lift your eyes slightly to take a look at the clock on the wall, a gift from Kiyomi to celebrate your relationship. Silently, you take note of the time and look back down at your beloved, a soft, whispered “okay” leaving your lips.
“I’m serious,” Their voice starts sounding more sluggish by the second, their mind already starting to drift off but they fight back sleep for a few extra minutes, just enough to finish the conversation between the two of you, their voice extremely drowsy, “I’ll be mad if you don’t wake me up.”
“I would not dream of doing such a thing,” you respond, unsure if they recognize the mischievous tone in your words or not, but truly hoping that, if they do, they are simply choosing to ignore it. Even so, the way you speak brings them so much comfort, a sense of peace they haven’t felt since becoming commander, “just sleep, my love. I’ll be here.”
The moment Hanji hears you whisper that promise, the certainty that you will be here when they wake up, it’s like a switch flips inside of their mind and they finally allow their body to relax against your touch. Much like a cat, they purr as you continue to run your fingers through their hair, unable to avoid the smile that is now stamped on their lips.
“Thank you, love you,” they whisper, their voice is barely audible and you almost miss it. You don’t even have time to respond before they are completely asleep, the weight of the countless sleepless days finally catching up with their body.
When the first hour passes, you look up from your book, your eyes landing on the clock before making their way down towards Hanji’s face. They look so peaceful, their breathing is so calm and even that it soothes your own worries away and it takes every ounce of your strength not to lay down and nap with them. 
The decision to let them continue their slumber is an easy one. Eventually, you notice a small smile that tugs the corner of their lips in their sleep and you can’t help but wonder and hope that they are dreaming of you. Nevertheless, your fingers continue to go through the strands of their hair, even if it makes flipping the pages of your book a bit difficult, you manage to find a solution by placing it down on the armrest of the couch before using your pinky and ring fingers to hold the object down while the remaining digits flip towards the next page.
Another hour goes by and you start to ponder if you should wake them up. Maybe letting them sleep for this long wasn’t such a good idea, especially since you know they have to return to their duties as commander of the Survey Corps, such as continuing their research and sketching plans for the flying boat. But you can see it in their expression, the small specs of the bubbly person they used to be finally showing back up on their features as they sleep, small reminders of the bright light that has saved you from darkness more times than you can count.
You gasp softly when Hanji stirs slightly in your lap, your heart clenching in your chest as you continue to look down at them, scared that you moved too much and it caused them to wake up. Their expression is still undisturbed, almost like a cat that has just found the warmest spot on the window sill and you catch yourself smiling at them. A silly, love-sick smile that only they can bring out of you.
As the third-hour rolls by and you are trying to convince yourself that it is time to wake them up, you hear a knock on the door and your entire body freezes. You find yourself torn by the two options:
1) Do you say something loudly enough for the person on the other side to hear and risk waking Hanji up in a stressful way before throwing them directly into a situation in which they need to be the Commander, and not the bubbly Hanji Zoe you once loved so dearly.
2) You silently hope that the soldier on the other side will either go away soon or open the door quietly. The couch, though it is by the window, still has a perfect view of the front door to their office, so the person would quickly notice the situation and you would be able to calmly wake Hanji at your own pace, without any negative or stressful interactions.
A second, more forceful knock comes and you notice Hanji slowly starting to shift on your lap. The annoyed expression on your face morphs into one of anger and, as the shadow on the door side moves to knock for a third time, you decide to throw a pillow at the surface.
The person stops midway with their movements before their hand slowly comes to rest on the knob, twisting it slightly as the door quietly swings open. In front of you stands a very nervous scout, one of the new recruits, who hasn’t even been able to choose a specialty yet. His hands are trembling and he nearly drops the stack of papers he holds in his grasp, eyes bugging out of his skull as he looks at you and the sleeping figure on your legs.
“P-paperwork… F-for the C-Commander…” His voice is quiet and trembling, almost as if he is stepping directly into a monster’s lair. You realize in this moment just how intimidating Hanji is in everyone else’s perspective but your own and you can’t help but smile. You nod and gesture your head towards their desk, placing your index finger in front of your lips.
“I-it’s from… Instructor S-Shadis,” he says in the quietest of whispers, but you could already tell. Keith Shadis’ ugly handwriting was something you could identify from a mile away if you had to, “r-reports about… T-the ranking c-ceremony.”
“Thank you,” you mouth the words softly, your fingers moving on Hanji’s hair. They look so small and calm, almost like a harmless kitten, a direct contrast to the authoritative figure that can command an entire room with just a single look in their eye.
The boy nods, his trembling legs making their way towards the wooden table and carefully placing the new stack of paper next to the old ones, trying his best to make sure it is neatly organized while desperately avoiding eye contact with you. He does a quick salute towards you before eagerly exiting the room and you can nearly hear his breath of relief once he is out of sight, outside the closed doors.
You shake your head before looking down at Hanji once more to see a smile on their face. You roll your eyes, “how long have you been awake for?”
The smile on their face grows bigger, their eyes opening slowly to look at you, still a blurry image from the lack of their glasses but still enough for their heart to beat slightly faster, “since the first knock.” Of course, you think to yourself, “How long was I asleep for?”
You look at the clock, and a part of you wants to lie, say it’s only been thirty minutes or so but when you look out the window, you realize the sun has already started to set, making it impossible for such a thing to be even remotely believable. You sigh again.
“Around three hours…” You respond in a sheepish voice, avoiding their gaze. Immediately, Hanji sits up, placing their glasses above the bridge of their nose and looking at the clock on the wall. Once they look back at you, you can see the slightly irritated expression on their face and you feel like you could just shrink and disappear under such a harsh gaze.
“y/n, you promised!” They blur out and you can tell it isn’t anger or irritation… It’s an intense pile of anxiety, hidden behind the harsh facade they attempt to put up. They’re scared that something went wrong in the period they have been sleeping, like the Survey Corps might have fallen apart and they were doing something so useless such as taking a nap. A single thought is going through their mind, those words they have been chanting like a mantra since the fateful day in Shiganshina.
Erwin Would Never.
You stand up a mere second after them, watching closely as their hands grip the edges of the desk and their head hangs low, hips tilted forward in a desperate attempt to hold themselves upright. It breaks your heart to see them like this and, no matter how much you agree with Erwin that Hanji should be the next Commander, you can’t forgive him for leaving such a massive responsibility on their shoulders.
So your arms wrap around their waist, your cheek finding a perfect spot in the area between their shoulder blades. You nuzzle your face against their vest, nearly purring as you do. The smell of Hanji’s skin, mixed with a little bit of sweat as a result of their nap awakens the butterflies in your stomach and the only thing able to bring you out of your thoughts is the broken sound of their voice.
“How long were you going to let me sleep for?” They whisper, a hint of desperation behind their tone and you notice they are shaking. You tighten your grip around them.
“For as long as you needed,” you respond and, at the sound of their quiet sob, your heart shatters. “You haven’t been eating or sleeping, you are drinking in the middle of the day and, well, you are pulling away from me.”
With a long sigh, they turn around, a defeated expression on their face, “Y/n, I’m a mess. I’ve always been a mess. I’m always overthinking things, I’m mean, I’m stubborn, please. I need to catch up on my work, it’s so much paperwork and it just keeps piling up…”
“Hanji, you’re spiraling,” you whisper, fingertips almost featherlike as they brush against their arm. You hope and pray and nearly fall to your knees begging that they will listen to your voice, that they will give you time to make your case and prove that they are so much more than anything they are thinking, but they continue.
“Erwin’s one mistake was making someone like me the commander,” they whisper in the most defeated tone you have ever heard. It’s like something in your mind snaps and you immediately grab a hold of their wrist, flipping them around before pressing your body against theirs on the table.
“Now you listen to me and you listen good,” your voice is stern in a way Hanji had never heard before, it’s filled with pain, heartache, and still so much love, “Erwin wouldn’t have made you Commander if he didn’t think you would be a perfect choice. And I agree.”
Hanji wants to protest, they want to contradict you but the desperate look in your eyes convinces them to remain silent. Instead, they focus all of their attention on your words, into the amount of effort it takes you not to break into tears as you listen to their self-deprecating words, the doubt in their mind. They focus on the way your lips move and how desperately they want to kiss you.
“You are the reason why we were able to eradicate titans outside the wall, you created the thunder spears that were enough to scare off the armored titan,” you continue, the trembling in your hands is so intense you can barely contain your grip on them but you don’t let go nevertheless, “Moblit sacrificed himself for you because he believed you could guide us towards the world outside the walls. Erwin entrusted the Survey Corps to you because you are the most brilliant person any of us has ever seen. Please, just… Tell me you at least believe me.”
They don’t respond, not because they don’t want to, but because their voice won’t come out. It’s as if their brain has lost connection with their vocal chords and all they can focus on is the tears that threaten to fall from your eyes. 
So in one swift move, Hanji grabs a hold of your wrist and immediately switches places with you. You can’t help but yelp quietly, especially when you feel their hands grasping at the back of your thighs as they lift you. Your hands reach behind you, carefully assessing the area while trying not to mix any of their paperwork, but Hanji doesn’t have a single care in the world that isn’t you at this moment.
Their eyes hungrily stare at your lips and, with a silent nod of their head, you push away all the papers that were once so neatly organized on their desk. Once you are sitting down and your legs wrap around their waist, Hanji wastes no time in sealing their lips with yours, a delighted hum escaping your body once they do.
You wrap your arms around their neck, allowing your fingers to venture through the messy strands of their hair. Their fingers dig into your hips, strong enough to nearly leave a few bruises but neither of you care, the need you have for each other overwhelms any and every other one of your senses.
Their tongue slowly glides on your lower lip before they gently take it in between their teeth, pulling the skin towards them. After a few seconds, they let go and immediately begin to silently beg for entrance, using the tip of their tongue to nudge your lips apart and it doesn’t take you long to indulge.
They pull you closer to themselves, your bodies pressed together without a single inch of free space as they hold you, nearly afraid that you might disappear the second they loosen their grip. It’s the first time you have kissed in what feels like forever, even if it has been just a few weeks.
You can’t help but focus on the taste of whiskey in their mouth, it’s completely different from anything ever made inside the Walls. It nearly tastes “expensive”, for the lack of a better word. It’s been hours since they have last taken a sip and the flavor is still so vivid on their tongue. So much so that it nearly burns once your saliva begins mixing.
It’s only when the need for air becomes unbearable that the two of you pull away, a small string of saliva connecting your bodies. You run your tongue over your lip, breaking that connection and still getting one last taste of them. The sight causes a shiver to run down Hanji’s spine and they smile, gently placing their forehead against yours.
“I needed that,” they whisper, a smile stamped across their face and you nod, “I’m sorry for pushing you away, I’m just… Having a lot of big feelings that I couldn’t express but I have you now.”
“It’s okay, just don’t forget that I am here for and with you, okay?” You whisper back in a love-filled voice and they smile once more, nodding their head as their grip around you tightens ever so slightly, “You still taste like home.”
“Yeah? And what does that taste like?” They chuckle, nuzzling their nose against yours, enough that you can feel their glasses against your face.
“Like expensive whiskey,” you respond and Hanji laughs, the sound you’ve missed most these past few weeks and you are reminded yet again that home is whatever, wherever and whenever you are with them. No matter what.
473 notes · View notes
sixpennydame · 3 months
Text
dark side of the moon⋆⁺₊⋆ ☾⋆⁺₊⋆ [chapter 2]
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Pairing: Yakuza!Levi x F!reader
Word count: 6.2k
Newly out of prison, Levi is thrown back into life in the yakuza.
Series Content/Warnings: mafia/yakuza AU, flashbacks, slow burn, mystery, cyberpunk, sci fi, non-binary Hange Zoe, eventual smut, dark content, graphic violence and sexual content
Author's Note: A huge thank you to my beta reader @bitchymanlet - you were such a big help through this!
next chapter/masterlist/AO3
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“Inmate 012025, Ackerman. It’s time.”
With a loud thud, the heavy, titanium doors slide open, and bright light fills the small cell.
”Hands against the back wall. Make it quick.”
Levi stands up and walks to the back of his cell. With a sigh he raises his hands and presses them against the wall.
Immediately a guard grabs his arms and places them behind his back, before clicking the cold cuffs around his wrists.
“Don’t give us any trouble now, Ackerman.”
As if he would do something today, of all days.
The two guards lead him down the corridor, past all the other cell doors; Levi can feel the other inmates staring out from the tiny window on their cell door. Their eyes follow him, wild and predatory.
But Levi Ackerman had never been their prey.
One of the guards presses a code into a keypad and another heavy door opens. There’s a series of offices, all behind thick-plated, forcefield glass.  The three men move toward a desk where a woman with blue hair, deep wrinkles and uninterested eyes types in the air. With a blink of her eyes, the screen before her disappears.
”Ackerman, Levi?”
Levi nods and the woman takes a device that scans his eye, confirming his identity. 
“Hold out your right hand.”
He does so, while she scans another device over his wrist. There’s a sharp sting, and then the glowing tattoo of his inmate number - 012025 - was gone.
“That takes care of the detection device implanted inside your wrist,” she informs in a monotone voice.
Levi touches the silver button behind his left ear. “What about my cerebral comm system?” 
“It’s been completely deleted. You’ll have to have someone reactivate it.”
The woman moves to a back room and returns with a large vinyl bag.
”Here are your belongings. You can change there.” She gestures to a door just outside their office cluster. 
Levi takes the items, walks to the room and closes the door. He steps out of the grey prison jumpsuit and stands there in just his underwear, looking at the stack of clothing he hasn’t seen or felt in almost five years: a black t-shirt, black combat pants, boots, socks..
He puts on each item, and wonders if he’ll feel different - if he’ll revert back to the man he used to be before he was put behind titanium bars.
But he doesn’t feel different. He doesn’t feel….anything.
When he finishes dressing, the guards walk him to the outer gate of the prison. The forcefield comes down and Levi takes his first step outside as a free man.
”You’re late. I’ve been waiting out here for over 30 minutes,” comes a voice from behind him.
Levi turns to see a tall man with sandy brown hair leaning against a cherry red vehicle. “I thought you’d done something to get another year added to your sentence.”
”Tch, as if I had any say in what time they’d release me.”
”You look like shit.”
”Takes a piece of shit to know one.” 
Both men glare at each other, then the tall one smirks. “Good to see you again, Levi.” He pats him on the shoulder.
”You too, Farlan..” Levi replies warmly.
”Come on, let’s get you out of here.” 
The car’s engine purrs as Farlan weaves in and out of traffic. Levi is enveloped by the leather seat, the glow of the neon accents inside reflecting off of Farlan’s dark suit coat.
”Looks like you’re doing well for yourself,” Levi says.
“The last few years I’ve been managing all our legit businesses, making sure they look good on paper. At least good enough that nobody will snoop around further.”
”So you’re a paper pusher,” Levi remarks. “Never thought I’d see the day.”
”Beats fixing the books for underground gambling rings,” Farlan answers defensively. “It’s the same concept though, just a different arena. I’m suited for this.”
Farlan had always been smart. He knew how to work the angles and how to get people to let down their guard.
They’d met at the orphanage they were both put in during one of Neo Tokyo’s efforts to, “alleviate the growing population of homeless children littering the city’s streets.” Farlan had convinced Levi that his calorie bar - the only thing they received for dinner - was infested with invisible larvae and that if he gave it to him he'd get another one. Finally figuring out he’d been conned, the next day he punched Farlan in the face and took his daily ration. 
They’d been friends ever since. 
During their teenage and young adult years with the Ackerman clan, everyone knew their names. They had their hands in almost every backalley operation - from gambling to fights and everything in between.
And if Farlan had been the brains of their operation, then Levi was the brawn. Farlan could shake people down through intellect, and when that didn’t work, Levi would beat them to a pulp. Together, they were feared and respected.
They had been equals. But now, after five years, Levi felt left behind.
“So where are you taking me? I need a shower.” Levi scrunches his nose at the musty smell emanating from his clothing.
”To your apartment. I made sure they didn’t touch anything. It’s all there as you left it.”
”Probably a dusty mess…but thanks for looking after the place.”
”Wasn’t that hard. Not like you had much stuff in there.”
”…and Isabel?” Levi asks tentatively, afraid to know the answer.
”Still functioning, and still entirely devoted to you. She could barely contain her excitement today.”
Levi felt a rush of relief. He never thought he’d feel any sort of affection for an android, but Isabel was different. She was a friend and comrade, and had saved his ass on more than one occasion, stitching up his cuts and gashes from a fight or standing beside him during a back alley brawl. But he was often surprised by how human she behaved sometimes, tearing up when she’d see a dead animal on the side of the road, or stealing food to give to a needy family. 
Sometimes he thought she was more human than he was. 
The buildings grew higher and higher the closer they got to the city center, their reach seeming to pierce the orange-red sky of the late afternoon. The next thing he knew, Farlan was pulling up to his apartment building, both of them entering the elevator decorated with layers upon layers of graffiti, and finally walking down the hallway and standing in front of his apartment door. 
It was finally hitting him. He was free.
”I bought you some suits, hopefully they fit. Though you do look like you’ve bulked up a bit.”
”Not much else to do in prison but exercise. I tried to train as much as I could, too. I wanna get back into the ring.” 
“After all this, you still want to fight?”
“Why wouldn’t I?”
“It’s just…nevermind. Take a shower, get dressed,” Farlan hesitates. “Oyabun wants to see you this evening.”
“Oyabun…” Levi repeats, the word turning sour in his mouth. “Your professionalism is getting on my nerves. You don’t have to talk to me like I’m some new recruit.” 
“That’s who he is, Levi. He deserves our respect.”
Levi grimaces. “So Kenny’s pulling my leash already, huh?”
”Levi.. I know things were…strained between the two of you before, but he kept you protected while you were in prison.”
”Bullshit.”
”Believe what you want.” Farlan waves his hand in surrender before walking towards the door. “I’ll be back this evening.”
”Don’t bother, I can drive there myself. Where’s my bike?”
“It needed some tuning up since it’s been out of commission for so long. Isabel’s getting it ready for you.” Farlan turns to grin at his friend. “So you’re stuck with being chauffeured by me just a little longer. See you in a few hours.”
The door shuts and Levi is surrounded by silence. It’s a different sound than he’s used to; even though it’s the space he lived in for years, it feels unfamiliar and new.
His eyes scan the room; it really was exactly as he left it. Always the minimalist, his small sofa nestled in a corner across from a dining table with two chairs. No pictures, no books; the only personal item was an antique ceramic teapot and two cups.
”Petra.”
Suddenly, the lights fade up in the room, as if the apartment itself was coming to life.
”Welcome back, Levi,” the female voice resonates in the space, “it’s good to have you back. I haven’t been activated in such a long time.”
”Yeah, I’ve been…away.”
”Shall I prepare you some tea?”
”That’d be great,” Levi pulls off his shirt, “but I’d like to take a bath first.”
There’s a chime of recognition and then, “The bath water is ready. Please relax, sir.”
”Thanks.”
Levi had always felt prompted to treat Petra respectfully, even though he knew she was just an apartment AI - an assistant built into almost every home in Neo Tokyo. But it was so rare for him to hear a kind word from anyone in his life, so hearing her voice made him feel like he was being reunited with an old friend.
He takes off his clothes and turns on the shower, taking a sponge to wash away the dirt and grime from his body and hoping in some small way, that it might wash away some of the memories as well. 
But those proved harder to get rid of. He knew only time could do that.
He finally sinks into the steaming bath water and a heavy sigh escapes his lips; he can feel his muscles relaxing with the heat, years of built up tension slowly melting away. The Martians of Neo Tokyo knew what an important resource water was, but now Levi felt it in his very bones. 
Stepping out of the bath, he looked at his naked body in the mirror. He was bulkier than he was five years ago, Farlan was right about that. His lean, muscular frame, useful for street fighting and cage matches, was now replaced by more defined arms and chest; it was noticeable now, even beneath the tattoos swirling on his body. 
A giant eagle, designed in the classical Japanese style, stretched across the length and width of his back; its wings outstretched and talons out, as if attacking prey. A red moon shone from his right shoulder and clouds wrapped around his torso, swirling up his abs and around his pectoral muscles. Over his left pec was the Ackerman clan crest, the Japanese character for power, 力, encased inside a circle.
That had been his first tattoo, when he was initiated into the Ackerman clan as a teenager. That felt like an eternity ago now.
His yakuza tattoos covered many of the scars Levi had received throughout his life, but there were new scars from his years of incarceration. He collected them all like badges of honor; evidence that he’d survived another day.
He found his electric shaver and erased the light stubble growing on his face, then decided to shave his undercut again, just like he’d always had it. But this time, he kept his hair slightly longer than it had been before. He slicked it back with a comb, exposing the sharp features of his face - flawless, except for one scar running through his right eyebrow, breaking it in two and barely missing his eye.
He’d forgotten how he'd received most of his scars, but that one…
…he’d never forget that night.
Wrapping a towel around his waist, he walks to his bedroom.
”Petra, I’ll take that tea now. Green jasmine.”
”Right away,” she responds. 
As Farlan had promised, there were several suits hanging in the small closet. The yakuza were old fashioned, and clan members always preferred the look of the classic, tailored suit, in contrast to the bright and bold fashions prevalent on the streets of the city. Levi scans each one and decides on a dark navy blue suit with a white shirt. In a drawer are several ties, but he decides to forgo them and instead keeps the top two buttons undone, slightly exposing his chest tattoos that start just under his collarbone.
If Kenny wants him to wear a suit then he’ll do it his way.
He rummages through another drawer and finds his gold earring stud. The hole in his ear has grown smaller but he pushes it through, wincing just a bit as it breaks through skin. He welcomes the pain, though. Pain has always made him feel alive.
“Your tea is ready, sir.”
Levi takes the tea cup from the food preparation compartment and eases into a chair that’s facing his balcony window. How long has it been since he’s had a steaming cup? Tea wasn’t the type of contraband that could be obtained in prison, no matter what an inmate had to trade. He lifts the cup to his lips and takes a sip, breathing in the aroma.
”These are imported leaves from off-planet. Where did you get them?”
Petra blinks on. “Mr. Church wanted to make sure that you had the best for your homecoming.”
Levi’s lips turn upward into a faint smirk. 
Farlan.
He guesses his old friend can afford things like this now. No more slumming it like they did when they were kids. He’d made his way in the world, and now Levi wanted to as well.
But first things first…
He finishes his tea then grabs his suit jacket. “Petra, I’ll be back later,” he says to the room, before stepping out of his apartment and into the city streets. The sun was just starting to set, creating a copper glow to the sky as it reflected off the high rise buildings and skyscrapers. Neo Tokyoites filled the sidewalks, bustling from one place to the next, but no one drifted an eye toward Levi as he walked along the city streets - just another face in the crowd. 
The city hadn’t changed much since Levi had left it, but even if it had, he could make it to his destination with his eyes closed. He takes a right, then a left, turning into a narrow alley and scaring a cat or two before arriving at an unmarked door. 
He knocks once, a pause, then two more quick knocks.
There’s commotion on the other side of the door, as if someone is scrambling towards it. Then it bolts open.
“Aniki! I knew you’d come!”
A small red-headed young woman throws her arms around Levi’s neck, practically throwing his body across the alley. 
“See? Didn’t I tell you he’d come right away?” she boasts as she pulls him through the space Levi had once used for training. His punching bag was still there, gathering cobwebs in the corner, along with his other training equipment, but the rest of the room was now littered with electronics and various tools.
And sitting in another corner was Farlan, scrolling through his comm device as he lounged in one of the only chairs in the entire space.
“Isabel knew you wouldn’t stay in your apartment for long, so I thought I might as well just wait for you here. Saves me a trip, anyway.” Farlan smirks.
Isabel can hardly contain her excitement. “The trio is back together, just like old times!”
Old times…Levi thinks as he looks around the space. Everything - and he’s sure everyone - has changed, but it’s a relief to see that Isabel is still the same. 
Levi puts his hand on the top of her head. “Glad to see that Kenny didn’t get rid of you once I was arrested.”
“What? No way! Farlan got me out of there the moment you were busted. He’s been getting me steady work ever since, working on bikes and cars, even some augments here and there.” Her face beams, “Kenny may have thought me a useless android, but I’ve been making my own way.”
That also gave Levi some relief. Throughout these past years, he’d wondered what had become of the spunky little android he’d saved from the wrecking yard. 
Levi had always had a soft spot for things that were considered broken beyond repair. 
“Isabel, I need you to reboot my cerebral comm connection.” 
“Oh yeah, yeah, not a problem.” Isabel takes his hand again and leads him to a part of the room with a computer connected to a multitude of cables. 
Levi sits on what looks almost like an examining table, leaning his face into the light above. “You’ve got quite the set up here.”
“Since I’m not a certified augmentation android, I have to stay under the radar, so most of my clients come from Farlan or from word of mouth.” 
Isabel rolls her chair over to Levi. “Just turn your head to the right for me…” One of her small hands finds the silver button behind his left ear and with one swipe of her tool, pops it out.
 “Let’s see what I can do here..”
There’s a slight sense of pressure as Isabel sticks a cable into the port, connecting Levi to her computer. She rolls back over to her station, clicking her keyboard methodically.  
“All your contacts are still here…at least they didn’t try to wipe your memory for names and information.”
“Oh they tried,” Levi remarks, “but it didn’t work. Seems my Ackerman genes are good for more than just kicking people’s asses.”
“I bet that pissed them off,” Farlan adds, still scrolling through the air with his pointer finger as images only he can see moves across his eyes.
“Almost there..” Isabel says, intensely concentrated on her computer screen.
There’s a few more clicks of her keyboard, and then Levi feels a slight jolt of electricity through his head.
“And that should be it.” Isabel rolls back over the Levi, disconnecting him and replacing the silver button. “You should be connected to your old contact list now.”
“Thanks.” Levi pats her head again and she grins from ear to ear. 
“I’ll have your bike ready for you tomorrow.” The red-head responds while Levi gets up from the examining table. Farlan gets up, giving both of them a look that says it’s time to go. As Isabel walks them to the door she puts a tentative hand on Levi’s arm.
“Aniki…once the word is out that you’ve been released, people are going to wonder when you’ll start fighting again.” 
“That’s a good question, and one I’m about to get an answer to,” he responds. 
⋆⁺₊⋆ ☾⋆⁺₊⋆
The Ackerman Clan headquarters was housed in a nondescript, four-story building, just on the outskirts of the entertainment district. The only thing that made it stand out from the other business buildings was the Ackerman crest emblazoned next to the door; no other signs were needed, and inhabitants of Neo Tokyo didn’t have to be fluent in Japanese to know its meaning…
Power. The word that’s synonymous with Ackerman.
Farlan pulls up and the door to his car lifts up automatically. “Oyabun is in his office - I assume you remember where everything is.”
“You’re not coming in.”
“Nah, not this time. Kenny wanted to meet with you privately, and I have a meeting to get to, anyway. I’ll see you later this evening.”
Levi steps out of the car, straightening his suit jacket before stepping up to the door. The moment he touches the handle the door unlocks for him.
At least he knows he hasn’t been completely shut out of the organization.
There are voices coming from the second floor - new recruits, most likely, being made to clean and prepare dinner for the evening. Levi remembered the hierarchical structure well; it was something he’d also had to go through in his teenage years. But unlike the others here, he wasn’t recruited into this clan.
It was something he was born into.
The elevator takes him to the top floor, which was reserved entirely for the clan’s leader. Levi walks through the empty reception area and knocks on the office door.
“Come in,” a low, gravelly voice answers.
Behind the door is a room split in half; the front part serving as a reception area and in the back, a broad desk surrounded by pictures of past leaders. The man behind the desk grins broadly then stands up, gesturing to Levi to come in. His face shares many of the same features as Levi: a sharp profile and even sharper eyes of a stormy grey hue. He’s taller than Levi, however, and leaner, with a powerful aura that fills the entire space.  
“Look who’s back from the dead,” he says, a hint of sarcasm in his voice.
Levi scoffs at the phrase, but it’s true; the last few years in prison made him feel like a corpse, a half-life that dragged on and on. In a way, he has been resurrected.
“Kenny…” he says sharply, “you wanted to see me.”
”Of course I did! It’s not every day that I can celebrate the release of my nephew from prison.” He gives Levi a once-over. “You survived with all your limbs, that’s good. And you look strong,” he frowns, “but not any taller.”
Kenny laughs at his own joke and then offers for Levi to sit, but he refuses, standing in front of the broad desk with his arms crossed. 
“And no better sense of humor either,” Kenny deadpans before sitting on the edge of his desk. “Always so serious. But no matter…let’s get right to business.”
At that, Levi finally sits, though he’s on edge and alert, not sure where this conversation might go.
Kenny walks behind his desk where a katana sword is displayed. He picks it up and slowly removes it from the sheath.
“You know, Levi, we Ackermans have been feared for our strength for generations, even before we were yakuza. This power has shaped us into what we are today. I’ve been preparing you to take on this role someday, but you’ve been a pain in my ass from the beginning: disobedient, disorderly, and headstrong. That fire in you needed to be beaten into submission.”
Light glistens off the katana as Kenny moves about the room. “I let you do those cage matches because it gave you a purpose and kept you compliant. But when you started earning huge sums of money, and weren’t paying your dues to me and your brothers - well, that just wouldn’t do.”
Kenny stands in front of Levi now, the katana held loosely at his side. “I hope your time in prison taught you a thing or two about respect, Levi. What I say, goes. Always.”
He pauses, as if expecting to get some sort of reply from Levi, but gets none.
“You were supposed to lose that match - that was the deal we’d set - not beat the humanoid within an inch of his life. You lost me an incredible amount of money, and respect from the Reiss Agency. So you needed to be taught a lesson.”
Levi’s hands ball into fists in his lap, his nails digging into his palms. He takes a deep breath before he responds. “Consider the lesson learned. When can I start fighting again?”
“Fighting?” Kenny laughs. “You think I’m gonna put you in the ring again after that stunt you pulled? Abso-fucking-lutely not. It’s time you started preparing for a bigger leadership role.”
Levi grits his teeth. He wants to grab that katana Kenny holds and slice him right down the middle. 
He could do it - he’s strong, probably stronger than Kenny now. He could do it and finally be free. 
He takes a breath. No, this isn’t the time.
Be smart…
Kenny presses a button on his desk and a few seconds later, a tall, blonde woman enters.
“Sir,” she says in a stern, serious voice.
“Levi, you remember Caven. She’s my wakagashira now.” He grins. “The title you should have had. I suppose you’ll have to usurp her someday.” Levi can tell that it gives Kenny no greater joy than to think of the two of them fighting for the role and for his approval. 
Caven’s eyes slide towards Levi, her body on edge, as if Kenny could call for them to fight any minute. Kenny laughs. “But that’s a problem for another day. Caven, introduce Levi to the new shatei - he’ll be in charge of them now.”
At that, Levi stands up. “What? I don’t want to be in charge of some brats.”
“Oh, but you will, Levi. Because what I say goes.” Kenny’s eyes darken and his voice lowers. He walks towards Levi, looking down at him, the katana still in his hand. “Got it?”
Levi looks away, wordlessly conceding to Kenny’s demand. He turns to follow Caven out of the office.
”I guess this is when I’m supposed to welcome you back,” she says coldly.
”Don’t bother. We don’t have to pretend that we like each other.”
They both walk down the stairs to the second floor. “I’m not sure what you mean, Levi. You’re my brother. We’re all family here - or did you forget that while you were in prison?” 
Levi clicks his tongue at the statement. He always thought the yakuza’s obsession with family laughable; if this was supposed to be a family, then it was the most dysfunctional one he’d ever known. 
Not that he’d really ever known anything else.
The brief times he’d ever felt the true bonds of family was when he was with Farlan and Isabel, or as a small child, when it was just him and his mother. But those years were fading from his memory with every year he grew older.
“Speaking of which,” Caven opens the door to the second floor, where there are clattering and raised voices coming from the living area.
”I told you to clean this place up!”
”I did! Why can’t we just have androids do this?”
”There are no androids here, idiot. Oyabun is against it. Now hurry up, our brothers are gonna be here soon.”
Caven pinches the bridge of nose and gives a heavy sigh. “Connie! Jean! Get out here.”
Two young men emerge from the room: one on the smaller side, with silvery grey hair and a buzz cut; the other tall and lanky, his light brown hair growing slighting over his undercut. 
They both look at each other then at Levi, mouths slightly agape. Caven clears her throat, clearly disappointed at their sudden lack of manners.
”Connie, Jean, this is Levi. He’ll be your big brother from now on and will prepare you to be a true member of the clan.”
”Levi… Ackerman…we heard all about you,” Jean says, bowing deeply. When he sees Connie still standing there staring, he pulls him down as well. “It’s an honor, sir…uh, aniki.”
They both stay in a bow and Levi shifts uncomfortably. “What am I supposed to do with them?”
”Take them around on neighborhood patrols and payment collections. You know, standard stuff.” Caven raises an eyebrow. “Unless you’ve forgotten the basics.”
Levi gives Caven a cold look, then walks over to his new younger brothers, their bodies still at a ninety degree angle. 
“Ok, that’s enough. You don’t have to bow to me.” Levi looks around the space as they stand up. “You were cleaning?”
Jean rubs the back of his head nervously. “Yeah…then we were gonna start cooking dinner after we finish this…”
Levi’s discerning eyes continue to survey the room, seeing every hairball and clump of dirt left behind. “Oh, you are nowhere near finished.” He hangs up his suit jacket. “You. Baldy.” His finger points at Connie. “Go get the mop. Jacques – ”
“...it’s Jean, sir..” 
“-- get a rag and start wiping everything down.”
“But we just cleaned —,” Connie interjects, but when Levi glances towards him, his mouth clamps shut.
“I’ll leave you all to it, then,” Caven says, sauntering away. “Good luck, you two.”
Connie and Jean immediately start their tasks. Levi rolls up the sleeves of his dress shirt.
”I’m sure you’ve heard lots of things about me, but one thing you should know right now: I do not tolerate filth.”
”Yes, aniki!” They both answer.
”I’ll start on dinner prep. You two join me when you finish here.”
⋆⁺₊⋆ ☾⋆⁺₊⋆
It’s not long until other clan members start ambling into the building for dinner. Levi hears their voices before he sees them, and the corners of his mouth curl into a slight smile.
”It smells cleaner in here! Could it be?” 
A tall man with long, blonde hair strides into the kitchen. “If it’s not the man himself! Oi! Levi’s back, everyone!”
“Pipe down, Eld, the whole damn neighborhood can hear you,” Levi chides, before shaking his hand. “Good to see you again.”
“Shit, I don’t believe my eyes. Levi!” Another man enters, patting Levi on the back generously. 
“Gunther..”
“It’s about time they let you out..” comes a lackadaisical voice from the back. Levi turns to see a third man, arms crossed, leaning against the wall, a cigarette hanging from his mouth. 
“Well you know, Oluo, I had to get back here and beat your ass back into shape.”
Eld and Gunther laugh, but Oluo frowns. “Come on, Levi, I’m a lot stronger now. You’ll see.”
Levi feels a bit uncomfortable with all this attention on him, but it’s expected; these are men he’d known since they were new recruits. He’d done jobs with them, showed them how to take a punch and even give them when needed. It’s amazing how much they’ve changed in just these few years.
He wonders what else has changed in this organization. 
“I see you’ve met the little brothers,” Eld says, grabbing Connie and putting him in a headlock.
“I’m in charge of them, actually.”
“Damn,” Oluo laughs. “Hope you two are up for it.”
“Up for what?” Jean asks.
Oluo smirks as he sits down with the others at the table. “For the daily ass beatings you’re gonna get if you don’t keep the damn place spotless.”
Everyone laughs except Connie, Jean, and Levi, who looks at his two little brothers. “They are right about that.”
Connie and Jean eat their food quietly, listening to the stories being told around the table by the others about Levi. He shifts in his chair uncomfortably; he doesn’t particularly like being talked about like he’s some history report, but he’s content enough to listen, especially as the conversation shifts to updates on the clan and its newest exploits.
Hours pass with more stories being told and alcohol being drunk, until Caven walks through the door, a serious look on her face.
“There’s been a disturbance at Club Azure. Some members of the Jaeger Clan are causing a scene and harassing the hostesses. Levi, Kenny wants you to take care of it.”
Before Levi can even respond or refuse, she’s on her way out the door, but stops, glancing at him behind her shoulder. “And take Connie and Jean with you.”
“Fucking Jaeger Clan, thinking they can mess around on our territory,” Gunther says, his hands balling into fists. “Unfortunately for them, Levi’s back.”
Without a word, Levi gets up from the table and grabs his jacket.
“Those Jaegers won’t know what hit ‘em,” Oluo adds. 
“Come on,” Levi finally says to his two brothers, who scramble away from the table and file behind him. “Let’s get this over with.”
Levi hadn’t realized how much time had gone by that evening until he stepped out into the brightly lit streets of the entertainment district. Signs flashed and holograms coaxed patrons to step inside their clubs, while drunks stumbled around them, yelling about which bar to hit up next. 
Pachinko parlors, night clubs and host and hostess bars lit up every corner of every block; and when these institutions closed in the early morning light, there was still entertainment to be found in the sex clubs and soap lands. 
And every one of them was protected by the Ackerman Clan.
“Does Hange still own Club Azure?” Levi asks as they make their way to the club, an easy walk from the clan headquarters.
“Yeah,” Jean answers, “but I’ve heard times have been tough over there.”
“Tough for a lot of the clubs these days, I heard,” Connie adds. “Members of the Jaeger Clan have been busting shit up around here recently and scaring customers away.”
Levi wants to ask more about this Jaeger Clan, but they’ve already arrived at the doors of the club. By the time the three men enter, there are raised voices amidst the smooth jazz music.
“We got ourselves a non-aug!”
Levi hears a voice say over the others. He looks over to the source of the noise and sees a man - probably no more than nineteen or twenty - being slapped by one of the hostesses.
“Don’t you touch me,” the woman says.
A few seconds later, he sees the man backhand the woman.
And that’s when something ignites in Levi.
“Stay here,” he says to Connie and Jean, wasting no time in walking toward the disturbance. The man grabs the woman’s face hard, saying something about not fucking with the Jaeger clan.
“Oi.”
From then on, Levi goes into combat mode, the rest of the world fading away as he throws the man across the room. He senses the rest of the men gathering around him; he deals with them one by one, barely breaking a sweat.
The leader reaches for a weapon in his jacket, but Levi is faster, his knife in his hand in the blink of an eye.
Even in the heat of the moment, his breathing is calm, his heartbeat is steady, and his concentration is laser focused. He feels his strength coursing through him.
The feeling of his fist against skin, his punches sending a resounding crack across the room…
This is who he is. This is what he does.
He blinks a few times when he sees them scrambling away, the room incredibly silent, until - 
“Thank you so much, um..”
You’re in front of him suddenly.
Your dress does little to hide every curve of your body, and every bit of skin that is revealed shows not a single tattoo or augmentation. He blinks a few more times to focus on your face, and it’s like time stands still. Tears have formed in the corners of your eyes, probably from the force of the blow to your cheekbone, but your eyes are still bright, undefeated. 
No longer able to hold your gaze, he gives you his name and turns away. 
Why is his heart beating so fast?
When he reaches the bar he turns around to see you being whisked off by another hostess.
“Whew! Well that was not how I wanted this evening to end.” Hange says, leaning against the bar and looking at Levi. “And when I called Caven, I had no idea you were gonna show up. I didn’t even know you were out of prison.”
“I just got out today.”
Hange laughs and pours him a drink. “I bet this wasn’t the welcome you had in mind.”
“Who’s that girl? The one that got hit.”
“That’s Luna. She just started here today. Guess you two have something in common there.”
“She’s not augmented?”
“Nope. Pure as snow. Not that I’ve ever seen snow before.” Hange pours a drink for themself and downs it in one gulp.
“Where is she from?”
“Earth… Why do you want to know so much about her?”
That breaks Levi from his concentration on you. He doesn’t answer, but instead shifts on the bar stool and takes a swig of his drink. 
“It’s natural to have those urges, Levi. You’ve been in prison for so long,” Hange’s voice has a teasing lilt.
“Fuck you, Hange.”
“Not even on a good day, Levi. But she might.” Hange gestures to the dressing room where you’ve been taken.
Wanting to get away from the conversation, Levi gulps down his drink and stands up. “I’ll take my guys and search the perimeter of the club to make sure they’ve left.”
“My hero, just like old times!” Hange yells out, as Levi and the other two walk towards the exit of the club. “Don’t be a stranger!”
⋆⁺₊⋆ ☾⋆⁺₊⋆
“Hange has a new girl working at Azure.”
It’s the first thing Levi says to Farlan when he picks him up the next morning. He hasn’t been able to think about much else since last night.
”You’re not usually interested in the products.”
“She’s from Earth.”
”So what?” Farlan counters.  “There’s lots of Earth refugees here; in fact, many of them work in that sweatshop Kenny has, making fake….”
”She’s not augmented. At all. Not one mark or change.”
Farlan looks up. He knows where this is going. “That’s not a rarity for Earthlings, Levi. It’s a coincidence.”
“What if it’s not?”
”What difference would it make now? What’s done is done, Levi. You can’t change the past.”
”That’s easy for you to say.”
”Look, I know you want answers, but you’re not gonna find them in some girl from Earth. You have a chance to start things over. Don’t stir shit up.”
But it was too late. Levi’s curiosity had already been piqued. His gut told him there was more to you than what you seemed, and he wanted to know what that was.
⋆⁺₊⋆ ☾⋆⁺₊⋆
Glossary of terms:
Oyabun - title given to the leader of a yakuza group
Aniki - “older brother”, used to refer to someone who is considered a superior
Wakagashira - a lieutenant, works directly under the Oyabun
Shatei - “younger brothers”, they work under the more experienced “older brothers” (kyodai) of a yakuza clan
Pachinko Parlor - a mechanical game like pinball, used for gambling
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