Levi x Reader Oneshots

The Night Circus (Levi x Illusionist Reader)

Author's Note: Here's a long one for you. It is based off the novel of the same name, and be warned, it contains spoilers for the end of the manga.

The towering tents were striped in white and black – no colors to be seen. There were countless of them, of varying shapes and sizes, with an elaborate wrought-iron fence encasing them in their monochrome world. Even the ground was black and white, probably treated with some trick or other.

But the circus was not open for business. Not just yet.

Ms. Azumabito had been thrilled when she heard that the circus was in town. Apparently, it always arrived without warning – no announcements beforehand, no paper notices or advertisements. It was simply there, when yesterday it was not. Yet, word of its arrival spread across the Marleyan city like wildfire.

She insisted that they all go, because the circus was famous throughout every country in the world, even though it had only been running for three years. It wasn't like other circuses, she explained. However, she refused to elaborate beyond that, insisting that it was better if they simply saw it for themselves.

That was how Levi ended up here, with his comrades and Ms. Azumabito and Onyankopon, clumped in with the crowd of onlookers waiting outside the gates. A black sign painted in white letters hung upon them, one that read:

Opens at Nightfall

Closes at Dawn

Yet, as dusk approached, there seemed to be no movement in that black-and-white world. The ticket booth was closed and barred. The tents were still, save for when they rippled slightly in the wind. The circus looked abandoned and empty – but Levi thought, perhaps, he could smell a trace of caramel in the crisp breeze.

The sun disappeared completely below the horizon, and the sky melted from dusk to twilight. Around him, the crowd grew restless, shifting on their feet and murmuring to each other. Levi wondered – not for the first time – if this was a good idea, if they shouldn't just leave. But everyone else seemed inclined to stay, and he felt obligated to keep an eye on them.

First, there was a soft popping sound, barely audible over the wind and conversation – like a kettle about to boil for tea. Then, one by one, small lights began to flicker all over the tents, as though the entirety of the circus was covered in fireflies. The waiting crowd quieted as it watched the display of illumination.

When the tents were all aglow, the sign appeared.

Stretched across the top of the gates, hidden in curls of iron, more lights flickered to life. At first, it was only a random pattern. But as more of them ignited, it became clear that they were aligned in scripted letters.

Le Cirque des Rêves

Aside from gleaning that cirque must mean circus, Levi couldn't understand it. The words must have been in another language. Thankfully, he was spared from having to ask when the little girl next to him tugged on her mother's sleeve, begging to know what it said.

"The Circus of Dreams," was her mother's reply.

The iron gates shuddered and unlocked, seemingly by their own volition. They swung inward, inviting the crowd to enter. Now, the circus was open.

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

Each of the tents contained a different show, a different spectacle, a different little world whose existence could only be explained by magic – not that anyone except the children really believed it was magic, of course. Some of the circusgoers wandered around haphazardly, while others who had clearly been here before were searching out their favorite tents. After much debate, Levi's comrades chose one of the larger tents near the center.