#figuring it's just extra supplies to order and it's a small price to pay for delphi not getting horribly murdered

[lord-squiggletits]

The funny thing about Pharma and the Delphi situation is that that's where the concept of the DJD was first introduced (with the first scene with the DJD at work happening literally the issue afterwards, issue #6) and literally the more you learn about the DJD the more it vindicates Pharma in his paranoia and being convinced that he couldn't ask for help like

In the Delphi issues we learn that the DJD hunts down Decepticon turncoats/traitors/etc and that Ambulon, one of the Delphi staff, was a Decepticon traitor. We also learn that their leader is evidently terrifying in addition to being a t-cog addict, but that's it.

Except in the subsequent issue #6 and all issues with the DJD afterwards, we learn a variety of fun facts about the DJD such as

Several of the members either literally transform into torture equipment or have said torture equipment built into their bodies

Their leader, Tarn, the guy with the t-cog addiction that forced Pharma into blackmail, can kill people with just his VOICE

We later learn that the DJD have a fanatical devotion to the Decepticon cause/Megatron such that they literally worship an idol of Megatron

Even later on, we learn that Tarn's kill-you-with-his-voice powers work both over the phone and via recordings of his voice

Tarn is also very talkative during torture sessions and he seems to find pleasure in his stupid, smug-smart guy persona where he likes to describe to victims what's happening to them and why. And there's no reason he wouldn't apply this to Autobots just as much as he does to Decepticon traitors

The DJD have access to signal jamming technologies that make it so that even if their victim can get a help signal out, no one will receive it until weeks after the fact

Their entire system of hunting people down is based on pursuing them no matter what, isolating them from any help, driving them mad with psychological terror, etc

They're capable enough warriors to slaughter an entire ships' worth of people, apparently without sustaining any meaningful casualties

They're drug addicts that are prone to overdosing and/or losing control and slaughtering people while they're under the influence

So like???

If Pharma was only privy to HALF of the things that we as the audience know about the DJD, it's perfectly reasonable to assume that Pharma probably wanted to call for help at some point, but was convinced that doing so would lead to 1. the signal being jammed/blocked so no one would help anyways 2. him and everyone else at Delphi (including the TRAITOR WHO IS ONE OF THEIR EMPLOYEES) would be horribly tortured to death by fanatical Decepticon torturer freaks.

Like I get that in the text Pharma only says that he did the Red Rust stuff so that he wouldn't be caught/blamed for the t-cog deal and is prideful about how he stopped the DJD from murdering Delphi, but like...... there's no fucking way that Pharma going "oh I didn't want to get in trouble and also I'm better than everyone" was his PRIMARY reason for everything on Delphi. Pharma didn't go from perfectly normal/sane Autobot doctor to raving egotistical maniac because he was always an asshole and he decided to solve the DJD issue in an asshole way. It's bc according to all canon evidence we have of the DJD and the way they react to traitors/Autobots, Pharma had every reason to fear for his life and believe that no aid would come to him.

[dueholmbowles26]

Shop For A Car The Fantastic And Uncomplicated Way

You have so many solutions when you are heading to get a new automobile. It is tricky to know what is necessary and what is luxury. Use the support in this piece the pursuing time you appear to make investments in a motor vehicle or truck. Determine out your financing before purchasing for a car. Go to your monetary institution or to your credit history ranking union. This yields top-quality charges, and a significantly additional educated buy. Know what you have to have in your auto just before you go to the great deal. Take a look at on the world wide web to determine which form of motor automobile is most satisfactory for you and your funds. You can also get a good assumed of the envisioned offering rate change of your wished-for car, so you will not be caught unawares by a slick salesperson. Alternatively of fixating on the regular monthly payments, manage your eye on the total value tag. hum ji meaning can attain a way to get you the thirty day period to thirty day period value tag you want to fork out back again, but you can hope to be paying out out that cost tag for many a long time thanks to the truth of tons of desire. Then your whole motor vehicle value will be really high-priced. You have to as a substitute emphasis on negotiating the really finest offer you on the overall selling price of the vehicle and the funding you get. Just immediately after, function out a frequent payment you can pay for to pay out for. Attempt to deliver anyone with you if you are likely acquiring for a car. Your buddy can hear for matters you could have skipped and they can give you suggestions if they come to feel you should not get the car you are looking at. The particular person could be your husband or spouse, a top-quality buddy or even a mum or father. Chat to superior pals and home about what they have listened to. Are they astonished with the vehicles and trucks that they have? Would they alternatively have a assorted style and design? Do they know of a motor automobile that is definitely superior? Inquiring problems of other people is a straightforward, productive way to start off out deciding on your next car. Figure out your resources and then go to see the seller -- in that order. Do not go extra than what you prepared to devote, no issue what payment ideas your supplier presents. Keep in head that you will be possessing to shell out off your motor vehicle, not the seller. Under no circumstances get a car unless of course of class you have taken a get a look at vacation. This will give you a really really feel of how wonderful the vehicle drives. There could continually be a very little a thing which allows make you loathe driving the car or truck. Verify the basic safety abilities of any automobile you are fascinated in. You must make certain you have Ab muscle mass or antilock brakes. You have to have to get a auto that is outfitted with airbags this is safer than with out. Safety is very important, as you will invest a great supply of time driving in this car. Get the cost on the automobile in stone ahead of you take a look at trade-ins, or any other financial exchanges. This will be taken treatment of instantly following the actuality. Negotiating 1st can get you a considerably far better level, and then you can go around these very small "extras." Use the Internet to store. You will be in a place to see a broader option on the Earth-broad-web. In progress of you action into a automobile dealership, research as significantly as you are in a placement to about the autos that you are fascinated in. You can review all the factors from MPG to resale worthy of. Shop for a auto in the path of the end of a thirty day period. At most dealerships, the salesmen are making an attempt to access a guaranteed quota for the sum of automobiles they have purchased. If you are browsing in close proximity to month's shut, you may well track down some exceptional specials. If the seller has to make his or her figures, you could potentially be in a situation to sneak out of there with a exceptional supply. Having a motor motor vehicle is a great deal of entertaining, but it can also gown in you out. Are you aware that you may possibly preserve time by endeavor on-line comparison purchasing on the net? A choice of sellers give their entire inventory and pricing on the World wide web. This makes it possible for you slender down your selections, which can conserve you both equally of individuals time and cash flow. You ought to seriously now be equipped to appear for a outstanding motor vehicle for oneself. Now all you have to have to do is carry out significantly a lot more lookup and get to it! Retain in brain, do not make any get you are not a hundred % cozy with, and use the suggestions talked about in this publish.v

[robert1alvin]

Recognizing The Financial Aspects Of Retired Life Communities

Article Writer-Sanders Boje The cost of living at retirement communities can differ dramatically, making it crucial to ask all of the right questions and budget plan meticulously. With the help of this guide, you can make a well-informed choice that matches your requirements and finances.

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Research study and estimate the expenses associated with your selected real estate alternative. This consists of lease or home mortgage payments, property taxes, home owners association charges, and various other real estate costs.

Expenses

Whether you're preparing to transfer to a retirement community now or are just considering the opportunities in your future, it is essential to understand the monetary elements of senior living. This way, you can develop a budget and be prepared to take care of possible modifications in your situation. Staying in a retirement home offers numerous benefits. For one thing, you won't have to fret about mowing the yard or raking leaves in the summer. You won't have to shovel your driveway in the winter or find someone to repair the damaged heating system. Plus, you'll have a lot of social activities to select from, enabling you to make new buddies and go after interests that may be challenging to do while living alone. Nonetheless, moving to a retirement home is not cheap. There are costs related to residence, including a single entrance charge and month-to-month maintenance or service charges. Some CCRCs use an all-inclusive contract that requires a bigger initial repayment and a higher regular monthly fee, while others operate a rental design without any in advance expenses.

Fees

A lot of retirement communities need new citizens to pay an one-time entry charge. Depending upon the area, this fee can range from $30k to $1 million or more. Also called a buy-in or refundable charge, it is created to cover the expense of future treatment and frequently prepays for part of your remain in an assisted living home, helped living, memory support, or experienced nursing center. Some CCRCs supply a "Lifecare" agreement (Type A) while others operate a fee-for-service model (Kind C). Type An areas usually have a greater entrance charge, yet assurance access to the whole continuum of healthcare solutions at a predictable rate and without extra costs. In contrast, Type C areas have lower in advance fees yet include enhanced levels of care to monthly service fees at market prices. In either situation, running long-lasting projections can help you contrast the costs of various areas and figure out which is right for your circumstance.

Local Life

A retirement community is a home-like atmosphere that provides an array of services to its homeowners. These features consist of safety and security, upkeep and dining choices that allow seniors to appreciate their way of living without worrying about the inconvenience of backyard upkeep or tackling their order of business. Some neighborhoods use onsite healthcare services that are constructed into their monthly service fees, enabling seniors to secure small cost for future medical care demands. These kinds of communities are known as Continuing Care Retired Life Communities (CCRC) or Fee-for-Service CCRCs. These areas likewise provide a sense of neighborhood and a social environment that can boost a senior's lifestyle. For example, retirement communities commonly tackle exterior landscape design tasks in addition to interior maintenance to aid liberate senior citizens' time and prevent them from running the risk of injury carrying out hard or dangerous tasks at home. This permits them to invest their time doing points they appreciate or going to family and friends.

Maintenance

Retirement communities are normally much more expensive than staying in a home yet eliminate the requirement for house owner's insurance, real estate tax and upkeep. Instead, a regular monthly service fee covers these expenses as well as a dish strategy, transportation, access to shared neighborhood areas, occupation classes and other services. linked web site of moving right into a retirement home is that upkeep duties like landscaping, mowing the grass and repairing devices are dealt with by team member. This can free up time for older adults to focus on tasks that fascinate them and protect against injury as a result of literally requiring jobs. Additionally, lots of retirement home supply on-site or close-by health care facilities, which allows citizens to easily get clinical help if required. This benefit helps in reducing stress and anxiety and enhances total wellness end results. It is additionally practical for member of the family who could bother with their enjoyed ones being alone in the event of an emergency.

[funkatello]

How To Discover The Very Best Italian Dining Establishments

Unlike in years gone by, international food is very popular with our culture. We like to be varied and to try meals from throughout the globe as well as these will certainly include halal food from Morocco, fantastic Chinese takeaways, and certainly Italian foods.Italian restaurant Sydney do not just serve great priced pizzas and pasta dishes; these days you can expect a complete Mediterranean menu of recipes to delight also the most unpleasant of client. If you stay in anymore than a small sized town after that you will certainly probably discover that there goes to the very least one Italian dining establishment waiting to supply you a sample of their abundant cuisines.

So, when you have actually chosen that you would love to attempt some really genuine Italian food after that you will naturally need to know exactly how to find the very best eateries and likewise which to avoid. Although Italian dining establishments are ending up being quickly extra preferred they are still not as usual area as Chinese or Indian dining establishments, so you will certainly have to do some research study in order to see to it you find one that will depend on requirement. The first way of locating the best Italian dining establishments is by asking about in your area. If a new restaurant has opened in your town then the point of view of the locals is the best way to figure out whether it deserves going to or otherwise.

If nevertheless you reside in a larger community as well as there are several Italian dining establishment to select from, after that you will certainly require even more methods to decode which one you should invest your cash in. A great means to find out which restaurants there remain in your location, and also what rates you must expect to pay is by looking in your local web pages. You will certainly discover these either in booklet form in neighborhood meeting point, or alternatively online. Neighborhood pages that you see in your area and that are typically delivered to your door will additionally supply you some excellent discount rate promo codes for local restaurants, as well as this is an excellent method of conserving some money on a family members dish.

If you really wish to discover the objective opinions of others however, the very best means of finding out just which italian restaurant Darlinghurst nsw are the most effective, after that on-line contrast tools are a great way. If the dining establishment you have an interest in belongs to a chain of dining establishments then you will certainly usually discover opinions on the chain all at once in addition to on-line discount vouchers, if it is a neighborhood restaurant then you will locate the views of people who stay in the same locality as you. On the internet comparison devices are indeed a terrific means to locate absolutely truthful views from clients and also will assist you in your look for the most effective location to eat.

All these are terrific method of locating the most effective Darlinghurst restaurant as well as for sure you will have the ability to locate one that you are really satisfied with this way. If you stay in a big city after that it is usually difficult to understand where to eat when you wish to eat in restaurants. Consequently, by researching the opinions of others you will have the ability to make an excellent judgement as to just where you should go to eat. Italian dining establishments no more just refer to pizza eliminate and cheap bowls of pasts; several of the classiest restaurants you will certainly find in your region are certainly Italian and the food is based upon the healthy Mediterranean diet plan, offer you not only a delicious feast yet a healthy and balanced one as well.

[linnet92holder]

Replica Louis Vuitton Wallets

In other words, you’re going to be shopping for the best factor. In the trade, these are the symptoms for an “AAA” high quality. Because most individuals aren’t actually updated with fashion, most people don’t trouble. I’m sharing this painful private financial story with you as a result of I’m sure I’m not alone. phoenet.tw replica purse A lot of people would love the very best brands, however they aren't in a monetary position to do it. So, when you can fake out those who're “high fashion” connoisseurs, you’re pretty much good to go. My information allows you to get off the radar so far as these persons are involved. If you possibly can fake these people out on a budget, there’s no telling who you can fake out. They wouldn’t know from the material; they wouldn’t know from the design, they wouldn’t know from the label. If you look at my closet and you didn’t know any higher, you would have sworn that I even have spent lots of of hundreds, if not hundreds of thousands of dollars in my assortment. As you can properly imagine, hanging out with such subtle individuals and exhibiting up with a fake bag or purse could be social suicide. There are ninety two suppliers who sells louis vuitton on Alibaba.com, primarily positioned in Asia. The prime countries of suppliers are India, Japan, and China, from which the proportion of louis vuitton provide is 3%, 53%, and forty two% respectively. It will even have the same form on the sides. wikipedia wallets It is extremely clever to peep contained in the bag and on the bag’s backside. With this, I wanted a fast supply, and this is precisely what I received. After ordering and paying, it was shipped three days later, and it arrived at my door simply 4 days after that. In complete, I waited just seven days from clicking the magical button on-line to it arriving at my house (unimaginable service!). Sign up to our publication for distinctive presents and the latest news on merchandise, rides and occasions. Does the leather straps are likely to age like the true LV? That is certainly one of my favorite components of my real one. Looked for but could not find the traditional Noe’ bag on this website, only the small cousins. I hoped to receive my bag earlier than a work event so I may look somewhat extra professional and potentially impress some pretty essential figures. However, I did have to attend virtually a week to receive the bag, which most likely doesn’t appear that long, however whenever you’re used to 2-three day deliveries, this will really feel like eternally. Perhaps it is a very nitpicky con, however it’s simply one thing I want was slightly completely different. Although I am extremely glad with my bag, there was one small con I suppose are price mentioning, simply so you might be completely aware of my buying expertise. This Hermès Birkin bag is the holy grail of purses. All Rights Reserved.We are skilled trading firm,dealing in varied famous branded Shoes,Handbags,Jeans,Garments,T-shirts,Watches,Sunglasses,Jewelry and so forth.

[johnstonjohnston64]

This Text Describes The Process Of Choosing A Consulting Partner.

If you end up looking for a fortigate 200f companion, you ought to be in search of the providers that they supply and the way their expertise can assist your business. In this article, the writer discusses what to count on when choosing a marketing consultant as well as some tips to contemplate.

Introduction to consulting

In terms of selecting a consulting partner, there are a few things to bear in mind. In the beginning, it’s vital to find someone you belief and might work properly with. Second, make sure that the potential accomplice has the suitable expertise and experience to help you meet your targets. And finally, you'll want to fastidiously consider the price of their companies before signing on the dotted line. In this article, we’ll outline these steps and provide suggestions for choosing one of the best consulting partners for what you are promoting.

Figuring out if a partnership is right for you

If you're eager about partnering with a advisor, there are some things to think about. The very first thing to ask your self is if you have the bandwidth and assets to work with a marketing consultant full-time. It isn't unusual for consultants to require a number of effort and time from their purchasers, and if you are not up for that form of dedication, it might not be the very best concept to go forward with a partnership. Next, consider what your goals are. If you are just in search of guidance on a selected challenge, then a partnership could be perfect for you. However, in order for you help creating or managing your small business or group as a whole, working with a advisor may not be the very best possibility. Finally, assume about your relationship targets. Do you want a protracted-term partnership the place you alternate ideas and support one another? Or do you simply need somebody to assist guide you through a problem proper now and then go your separate methods? There is not any fallacious reply here, but it's vital to think about what kind of relationship you are hoping to create earlier than making any selections.

Kinds of partnerships

There are a few several types of consulting partnerships: - Independent contractor: A marketing consultant works on their own, without any formal relationship with the corporate. - Joint enterprise: A company and a consultant group as much as work on a mission. The advisor is often paid a share of the income. - Consulting partnership: It is a extra formal arrangement during which the 2 events agree to collaborate on a challenge. The consultant usually fees an hourly payment, and the company pays for all the prices related to the venture, including travel and bills.

How to search out your splendid consulting accomplice?

Finding the appropriate consulting associate can be a daunting task. Listed below are 5 tips that will help you choose the perfect partner in your challenge: 1. Ask your self what you need. What services do you need and what can your partner present? Do you need help with mapping out what you are promoting mannequin or launching a new product? 2. Consider your assets. What talents does your partner have that could be beneficial to your undertaking? Are they skilled in marketing research or product growth? 3. Search for complementary abilities. Are your partners consultants in finance or operations? Is one in all them a seasoned strategist, while the opposite has expertise on the bottom in customer service? 4. Be sensible about expectations. Don’t count on your companion to do every thing on your behalf; set boundaries and expectations from the start. Likewise, don’t be afraid to take on some tasks yourself if you're feeling comfortable doing so. 5. Trust your gut. If one thing feels off, it most likely is – and it won't be in either of your finest interests to pursue a partnership with that individual. Remember: in relation to discovering a consulting associate, belief is vital!

Making a plan for success

Selecting a consulting associate is an important step in any enterprise endeavor. The appropriate accomplice can aid you attain your targets, and may provide priceless recommendation and steerage as you're employed to develop your enterprise. The process of choosing a companion is vital, and there are several components to think about. Here's a information to assist you select the best companion for your enterprise. When selecting a consulting companion, it is important to contemplate the next: -Your targets. What would you like your partnership to achieve? Do you need assistance creating a advertising and marketing strategy? Or do you need assistance growing your business? -Your resources. Do you might have the time and assets to commit to the partnership? Are you ready to supply monetary backing? If not, are you keen or able to find funding elsewhere? -Your abilities. Do you may have experience in the area of enterprise that you are trying to consult about? Do you've got information in specific software program or platforms? Are you able to supply insight into customer relationships or pricing methods? -Your character. How effectively do you're employed together? Is one individual extra assertive than the opposite? Can each events agree on decisions with out resorting to arguing?

Conclusion

No matter your business, finding the right consulting associate is essential to success. This article gives recommendations on how to choose a accomplice and ensure that you're getting the most value out of your relationship. By understanding what to search for in a potential partner and following the following tips, you may be well in your strategy to finding the proper fit for your enterprise.

[badgercrib64]

Overview Of Debt Planning And Debt Discount

Before you raises prices, inform your existing prospects that prices are going up quickly and ask them if they’d wish to order something before the change is in impact. If you’ve fallen behind on your payments, don’t be afraid to select up the cellphone and negotiate the phrases of your loan. Here’s what a easy debt compensation timeline would seem like when you paid off $12,500 in debt over the course of three years. But in some circumstances, what seems like overwhelming debt is just disorganized revenue, or revenue you haven’t optimized in course of paying off debt. If you’re not at least 59½, you’ll face early withdrawal penalties and additional tax liability. With your budget and debt reduction strategy in place, you need to be capable of calculate when you’ll have paid off your whole money owed . The extra money you put toward your debt, the faster you'll be able to pay it off for good. For example, you can earn additional money by selling gadgets from your house, starting a facet hustle, or producing revenue from a pastime. Services from Ignite Spot could make life easier for a small-business proprietor. We obtained feedback indicating that, based on the proposed rule, our value estimate was low. Due to revisions made to the rule the fee estimates offered by the commenters, nevertheless, might no longer be correct. As famous previously in this release, we do not believe that Congress meant for accounting companies to duplicate and retain all of the issuer's monetary information, data, databases, and stories that may be read, examined, or reviewed by the auditor. Some companies restrict their counseling providers to householders with FHA mortgages, but many provide free assist to any house owner who’s having trouble making mortgage funds. Call the native office of the Department of Housing and Urban Development or the housing authority in your state, city, or county for assist in finding a legitimate housing counseling company close to you. Put merely, when it comes to money flow vs. debt reduction, it’s not an either/or state of affairs. Cash flow ought to be a big factor of your technique from the very beginning. Improving cash flow can help increase working capital, giving you the power to repay your debt obligations in a well timed trend. Do not make choices primarily based upon which collectors are making the most noise. Fixed And Variable Costs Averages are good indicators of where you may land so you’re not surprised—and maintain paying consideration so you’re not shocked by changes. Determine 會計師事務所 for each variable expense in your price range. When you’re figuring out the annual common for a variable expense, avoid the temptation to only have a glance at the previous 12 months. Graphically, the total fastened value appears like a straight horizontal line whereas the total variable value line slopes upward. Most enterprise house owners finances their variable expenses based mostly on the actual expense from the earlier 12 months. You can already inform that your business’s break-even level can't go decrease than its mounted expenses even without understanding its gross sales and variable bills. Regression evaluation is much like the scattergraph strategy in that each match a straight line to a set of information factors to estimate mounted and variable costs. Labor and direct supplies constitute the majority of direct prices. For example, to create its product, an appliance maker requires metal, electronic components and other uncooked supplies. Two in style methods of monitoring these prices, relying on when your organization uses supplies in production, include last-in, first-out or first-in, first-out . This may be helpful if the costs of your supplies fluctuate in the course of manufacturing. It’s in your best interest to unfold out your fastened prices by producing extra items or serving extra customers. And, if you’re questioning what is a variable expense, it’s an expense that could be greater or decrease from one month to the next. A third category of bills is a mixture of mounted and variable. Let’s say you’re paying $100 for web hosting every month, however one month you go over your bandwidth restrict and are hit with an extra $20 payment. You’ll pay the $100 no matter what, but the further $20 is variable. Rules Of Financial Administration Identify all actions that must be included in the calendar and organize them chronologically. These items and providers offered by governments are typically thought of important to the common public interest and welfare. It unlocked the ability to budget and forecast in a means that could enable the pursuit of millions of dollars in funding. Jirav interprets complex information with dashboards that bring the enterprise to life. Using a single platform, you can provide related insight that drives business forward. This means that, in distinction to a finances or forecast, you can not plan your actuals earlier than they occur. You can solely analyze them upon getting the info of a completed time period. A budget represents the financial metrics that your company is predicted to hit all year long. These numbers embrace income, bills, cash move, money runway, and another metrics you’re tracking along with your financial mannequin. Cost facilities could experience a sharp improve in buying, coaching, and onboarding new talent. Everyone knows when the federal minimal wage increases, payroll costs go up. One instance is when a new product goes viral and demand skyrockets. The above instance exhibits that by month six the budgeted expenditure on salaries was set at £120,000. However, the actual spending on salaries in those six months totalled £132,000. Find out how the company used IBM planning analytics to offer monthly and weekly reporting for engineering, advertising, gross sales and operations. Line-item budgeting remains to be probably the most widely used strategy in many organizations, together with colleges, due to its simplicity and its management orientation. It is referred to as the "historical" approach as a outcome of directors and chief executives often base their expenditure requests on historical expenditure and income information. What is the importance of "debt ratios?"These ratios give readers a basic concept of the federal government's general debt capacity. Monetary Reporting They are a group of stories along with a canopy page and a desk of contents. Our firm is among the many country's select few to earn a Profit First certification. Our specialists provide clear insights to ensure higher decision-making for increased profits. Securities and advisory companies offered by way of National Planning Corporation , Member FINRA/SIPC, a Registered Investment Advisor. Making it simple to get began, keep related and get more out of your monetary information. You will provide all documents like Invoices for fastened Assets Purchase or sales together with collection of funds for Capital work in progress to take care of a separate account to maintain track of all payments and their capitalization. Gross revenue margin, operating revenue margin, operating expense ratio, and so on., all have totally different applications and utilization in a relevant financial data-story. Take your time to determine those you want to embody in your financial report of an organization so as to keep away from multiple repeats afterward. For most of use, after we think of accounting stories, we instantly consider taxes. And, certain, taxes are at all times a consideration when reviewing a company’s financials. But these reviews are much more impactful and rather more generally used for other functions. Most notably, these stories are used by administration within an organization to get perception into what’s occurring within the varied segments of a business and make selections about its operation – tips on how to generate income and grow profits. If sales and marketing trigger price increment, possibly additionally they ship excessive volumes of income so the balance is wholesome, and never unfavorable. An indicator over 1 signifies that the corporate is making a revenue above all expenses whereas a coefficient beneath 1 will point out that the corporate is dropping money. When calculating the berry ratio, normally exterior earnings and interest aren't included, however depreciation and amortization could possibly be, depending on the particularities of your financial technique. This is measured by dividing your business’s internet revenue by your shareholder's fairness. In the overview, we will see that scatter plots and bubble plots will work greatest in depicting the connection of the data while the column chart or histogram in the distribution of data. What's A Management Consultant? But when inspired leaders at all ranges, act with braveness to attach and have interaction these around them, an entire business can be remodeled. AGH might help create a forum outside your corporation to discuss and address the wide selection of issues households expertise when doing business collectively. Addressing these issues before they turn into unsolvable problems will help preserve household and business concord. You may be able to find an alumni of your college who has worked on the consulting agency you are interested in and choose their mind on what it takes to interrupt in. Being a marketing consultant takes a novel ability set that balances analytical abilities and stellar communication. Much of your time as a advisor will involve analyzing knowledge and pulling together a story, and finally suggestions, for the consumer. However, an enormous chunk of the project will involve interviewing staff, presenting information to a group of executives, and convincing the necessary thing players that your recommendations are sound. And as you in all probability guessed, an enormous a part of being a marketing consultant is touring to the shopper website. Examining your competition could be intimidating, but with the best mindset, you'll be able to study a lot from them about tips on how to develop and enhance your consulting enterprise. Moreover, you can determine gaps available within the market and discover new methods to improve upon their strategies. As you develop and master your consulting enterprise, keep organized and constant. High-quality outcomes are the best way to incite referrals from previous purchasers — and referrals may be your finest supply of new gross sales. Bookkeeping Services Assets additionally include mounted belongings which are generally the plant, equipment, and land. If you look you take a look at the format of a balance sheet, you will notice the asset accounts listed in the order of their liquidity. Asset accounts start with the money account since cash is completely liquid. After the money account, there's the inventory, receivables, and fixed property accounts. Sage additionally makes it straightforward to cancel; there isn't a long-term contract that prices extra to break, however you do have to provide the company advance notice of cancellation. Another purpose we chose Sage for freelancers and self-employed folks is that it's easy to arrange and navigate. The software program automates plenty of the accounting processes which are sometimes manual, corresponding to posting expenses and payments and sending invoices and reminders about past-due bills. Thanks to its integrations and apps, Sage is well expandable as your corporation grows. A bookkeeping service provides a three-tiered method to growing and maintaining your company’s general financial processes and management. The first prong is created by the accounting software program specialist. The objects topic to sales tax will range from state to state. What Sorts Of Economic Statements Do Small Companies Use? Cost of goods sold bills are reported within the gross revenue reporting part whereas the operating expenses are reported within the operations part. Other bills are reported additional down the statement within the different gains and losses part. In addition to good faith differences in interpretations and reporting of financial data in income statements, these monetary statements could be limited by intentional misrepresentation. Operating expenses are totally different from “costs of gross sales,” which had been deducted above, as a end result of working bills can't be linked on to the manufacturing of the products or services being offered. An operating expense is an expense that a enterprise often incurs corresponding to payroll, rent, and non-capitalized equipment. A non-operating expense is unrelated to the primary enterprise operations such as depreciation or curiosity charges. Similarly, working income is revenue generated from primary business activities whereas non-operating revenue is revenue not referring to core business activities. The balance sheet shows how a company puts its belongings to work and the way these assets are financed primarily based on the liabilities section. 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[anightflower]

Queen of the Underworld; A Mandalorian Fanfic

PROLOGUE 

Din Djarin x Reader

Warnings: Violence, injury, mentions of rape

Your breath heaved through your chest as you forced your body to move faster. You gritted your teeth as you jumped over a log, biting back a pained animalistic sound. You should have been more careful, you shouldn’t have gone to the bar, you should’ve left as soon as the Mandalorian’s beskar caught your eye. Maybe, just maybe, then you wouldn’t be limping through the woods away from the man that was sent to hunt you down. 

You had caused a good distraction as soon as his helmet landed on you. You knew there was a bounty on you, you had been in hiding for over a year now, believing that every second could be your last. Yet, recently you had gotten cocky, so you decided to grab a drink. 

Turns out the Underworld is still looking for you. But now instead of the hookies who you knew how to avoid, he had sent a Mandalorian. 

You quickly looked away and gestured to the bartender. “Martini, give it an extra kick.” The man gave you a quick nod as the Mandalorian sat next to you. 

“You’re a hard woman to find.” His modulated voice hummed to you. You felt a shiver go down your spine. How many times had you heard that voice, once he used to follow your every command. Oh how the times had changed.

“There’s a reason for that Mandalorian, much like there’s a reason you don’t take your mask off.” You purred, trying to keep the fear out of your voice. “Tell me, how did you find me?” You eyes meeting his visor with an unwavering glance.

“There are some very powerful people that put a good price on your head, care to tell me why?” He asked and damn did that voice sound dangerous. 

“Oh my dear Mandalorian, that is something you will have to learn.” You teased, as the bartender handed you your drink. “Lye, this man right here is paying for my drink.” You said with a smile, grabbing your martini glass and standing up. 

The Mandalorian grabbed your other wrist as you got up, causing you to drop your drink and reach for the blaster you kept on your thigh. He was quick though, he grabbed his blaster as well and pointed it at you. “I can bring you in warm, or I can bring you in cold. Your choice.” 

“Such a sensual voice for such foul threats.” You tsked, leaning closer to his helmet, you smiled. “Send my regards to the Underworld.” You whispered sweetly and shot at your spilt drink, causing flames to burst, making the Mandalorian drop your wrist and jump back. 

The other bar goers screamed as your fire set off the  bar’s alarms and sprinklers. You sprinted out with the pushing patrons rushing towards the exit disappearing into the crowd to lose the Mandalorian. You pushed into one crowd to the next, joining a large band of tourists, hiding yourself amongst them as the Mandalorian raced out of the cantina, looking to and fro to try and spot your figure. 

When you were sure you had lost sight of him, you slipped out of the group and headed towards the path that led you to your ship, it was a long walk away, but that was what you had to sacrifice to not be caught. 

You picked up your pace wanting to get to your ship before the sun set. Why did you have to get a drink (Y/N)?” you chastised yourself. “You could have just gotten supplies, gotten to your ship, and gone into the wind, but no, you had to try and do a mundane thing to make you happy. You’re so naive.” You mumbled to yourself, pushing branches out of your way. 

“I forgot you liked to talk to yourself,” a familiar voice mused. Your heart dropped at the sound of that voice, you turned around, hand on your blaster. 

“Kargan, it's been a while, how have you been?” You said, forcing a false cheerfulness to your voice. 

“Your husband misses you.” Kargan said, a sickening smile on his face. “He’s very hurt over your sudden disappearance. Many of us are.” His bright purple eyes were filled with unbridled rage as he took a step forward towards you. 

“Tell me, are the burns still healing? I had hoped they had killed him, but alas, beggars can’t be choosers.” You shrugged. 

“You’re going to pay for your insolence to the Underworld. Your husband has so many plans for you-” Kargan purred taking a step towards you. You took a step back as two twi’leks joined him, both of them looking ready to eat you alive. 

“Aw Kargan, can’t we play with her before bringing her back? Sian did say as long as we brought her in one piece” One of the twi’leks cooed, his eyes filled with a lust that made your stomach roil. 

You let out a fierce growl. “Come any closer and I’ll shoot.” You raised your blaster at them in promise. 

“There’s three of us and one of you, looks like the odds aren’t in your favor, poppet.” The same Twi’lek laughed. His laughing was cut off by a blast to his face. The man fell to the ground motionless. 

You looked at your blaster shocked, you hadn’t fired anything- 

Silver caught the corner of your eye again as Kargan and his goon took cover. You immediately began to run towards the direction of your ship again while they were all distracted but only made it about 20 feet before a shot hit your leg. You let out a pained scream and collapsed, crawling behind a tree to take cover. 

You held your blaster tightly to your chest as you listened to Kargan’s gang and the Mandalorian shoot back and forth at each other. You heard a cry, as one of them was hit. Knowing you had to get moving, you ripped a piece of your shirt off and tied it around your injured calf, biting your lip to keep a scream of pain in. 

You didn’t realize how silent the woods had become until you were done wrapping your injury. You slowly leaned around the tree and looked for any of your attackers. Both of the Twi’leks were dead, Kargan was gone, and the Mandalorian- 

Was looking right at you. You could feel his eyes burn into you through his visor, without a second thought you took off running. 

“Dank ferrik!” You heard him cry out behind you before his footsteps picked up. 

You had to get to your ship, this man wanted to bring you in- he was no better than Kargan.

“Please, just keep going, we’re almost there.” You muttered painfully to your injured leg. You could hear the Mandalorian catching up to you, his footsteps getting closer and closer. 

You cried out as his whipcord wrapped around your good leg and brought you down, causing you to drop your blaster as you put your hands out to brace yourself. 

You scurried to get up as the Mandalorian approached you. “Stop.” He ordered sternly. 

You ignored him, reaching for your gun as he kicked it away from you. He grabbed your flailing arms and forced you to look at him. “Stop, you’re only going to make your injury worse.” 

“Oh and I am supposed to suddenly listen to you when you had planned to kill me not even 20 minutes ago?” You snapped trying to rip your hand out of his steel grip. 

“No, you’re supposed to listen to the man who wants to help you, who you once trusted.” He argued. 

You scoffed. “How in the hell am I supposed to trust you? Do you really think I am that naive?” 

You heard the Mandalorian sigh as he reached down to untangle his whipcord from your leg. “I swear on my creed that you are safe with me and I will not harm you.”

You paused at that, looking into the visor that was now at your level. You knew how much he valued his creed, but things had changed since those years, did he really still follow it with his life?

After a few moments of consideration you nodded. “Fine, just get me back to my ship and I will be fine from there.” 

“Your ship is destroyed. Kargan and his men got to it before you did. He also posted more men around the area to track you down in case you got away.” The Mandalorian explained as he unwrapped and observed your injury. ““We need to get back to my ship before any of Kargan’s other men see you.” He explained. “Quickly.” He added, his visor still focused on your injury as he offered you a hand. 

You took it without hesitation, your mind so focused on the loss of your ship, that you had barely comprehended his last couple of words to you. Your ship had been your home and refuge for the past year, the one place you felt safe and now everything, the few items you had, the life you had made on the run, was gone. In the blink of an eye.

You were brought back to the present as pain shot through your leg and you stumbled. The Mandalorian caught you, but you pushed away from him, forcing yourself to stand on your injured leg. “I’m sorry, your ship? How do I know you won’t just put me and carbonite and call it a day? Your creed be damned.” 

“Listen, you can either come with me to my ship, where I promise I will help you, or you can stay out here and get an infection- and that’s if Kargan’s men don’t find you first.” The Mandalarian said, annoyance coating his voice. 

You hated how he was right, but you took a step forward towards him. “Fine, but any sign of funny business and I am shooting you with my blaster.” You threatened, looking around for said blaster. 

Mando cleared his throat and held it out to you, a peace offering. You took it and looked at him. 

“You can’t run on that leg, we’re going to have to jet back to my ship.” He said. 

“Absolutely not. I can run just fine, I even gave you a run for your money-” You argued turning away from him and nearly stumbling again. 

He rushed to catch you and scooped you up. “Sure you can.” He said as he shot into the sky. 

You suppressed a scream and closed your eyes. Mando remained silent, but you could have swore you felt him smirking underneath the helmet. Bastard.

You didn't open your eyes until you felt you had landed. Mando carried you up into the ship, his steps echoing off the small ramp. He placed you on a little pull out table and unwrapped your leg again. 

“Stay here.” He said as he closed the ramp and got medical supplies. Your heart pounded as you realized you were closed in with him. Your heart pounding as watched him walk around.

“I swore on my creed that you are safe and I meant it, whether or not that means anything to you is not my problem, but I can hear your heartbeat over here.” His voice said, breaking your tense silence. 

You remained silent, unsure of what to say.

“I never thought I would see you again.” He continued, his voice calm. “I should have recognized your face as soon as you, Queen of the Underworld.”

“Don’t call me that. I don’t run with them anymore.” You snapped. 

“I’ve heard.” He said. 

Tense silence fell one again, broken only by Mando shuffling through his supplies. He made his way back to you and gently unwrapped your wound. You resisted shivering as they ghosted over your skin. 

“This is going to sting a bit.” He said gruffly, grabbing the bactaspray and applying it to your leg. You bit your lip to keep from whimpering and closed your eyes, forcing yourself to breathe through the pain. 

Your eyes shot open when you heard a tiny coo. 

Mando sighed. “Kid, I told you to stay inside your crib until I came and got you.”

You looked down at the tiny child at your feet and suppressed a small squeal. Its green ears were probably ⅓ the size of its body and eyes nearly ten times the size of its little nose. The creature cooed at you curiously, causing you, despite the horrific situation you were in, to smile at it gently. 

“Hello little one.” You whispered. The kid gave you a toothy grin. “I didn’t realize you had a kid.” 

“It’s a long story.” Mando said curtly, scooping up the child and making his way to the ladder that led to the cockpit. “You should get some rest, there’s a bed behind that panel, just press the button to the right of it.”

Before he could completely disappear up the ladder, you stopped him. “Why are you helping me?” You blurted out. “What is your price for this? Nothing is for free, I know that better than anyone.”

There was a long pause of silence between the two of you. “Because you’re not the first bounty I’ve been lied to about.” Mando said, his voice caring a lighter tone to it as he looked at the kid. Its big black eyes lit up and it let out a loving coo at him. He didn’t say what he really wanted to. And because I could never hand you back over to that bastard again.

A slow smile came across your face. “Looks like you and I are one in the same little one.” You said gently, the child smiled at you and you giggled before he and Mando disappeared into the cockpit.

___________________________________________________________

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[publiccollectors]

From the discussion “Towards A Self Sustaining Publishing Model” hosted by Printed Matter.

Some things I have learned in over 30 years of publishing since my teenage days as a zine maker, administrating my project Public Collectors, and from working in the group Temporary Services and our publishing imprint Half Letter Press.

I have just ten minutes to speak. If only one or two things that I share are useful, that’s plenty! It took me decades to understand some of this stuff.

Use every exhibition invitation with a budget to print something. Use the whole budget to print something. Make something in a large enough print run so that you have something to give away and surplus that you can sell. Your publication can be a folded sheet of paper, a booklet, a newspaper, a poster, a book, or anything in between.

Be able to print at least something at home. Buy a cheap laser printer or inkjet printer, find a used copy machine, buy a RISO or some other duplicator, carve something into a potato or a piece of foam and print it. Being able to do at least some of the printing and production at home—even if it’s on a tiny scale—will compel you to print things that you might have convinced yourself not to send out or bring to a professional printer. Hopefully the ability to print impulsively and compulsively will result in good work. Figure out how to keep making things on every scale. Look for cheap used printing equipment on Craigslist. Team up with friends and buy equipment together that you can share. Start a printing collective in your basement.

Ideally your publication should cost 1/5th or 1/6th of the retail price to make. If you sell a $10.00 publication through a store, you are probably only going to make $6.00 or less after the store takes its cut. So ideally your $10.00 book costs $2.00 or less to make. Don’t aim to just break even. Aim to make a profit so you can keep making more publications and pay for your life. Publishing will probably never be your sole income but don’t lose money on purpose. Make things that are priced fairly and look like they justify what they cost to buy. The fact that you didn’t find a more affordable way to print something is not an excuse to sell something that feels cheap and shitty for a ridiculous sum of money. Good cheap printing is easier to find than ever before. Do your homework.

Figure out the cheapest and least wasteful ways to do everything. Ask other publishers where they get their work printed. Look for local printers so you can avoid shipping fees. Ask local printers if you can pay in cash for a discount. Ask printers if there is a cheaper way to do what you want to do by adjusting the size of your paper or the paper stock or some other small shift in form. If you print things yourself, buy the paper that is on sale. Design a publication around the paper that you found for cheap. Discount warehouses sometimes have good paper. Even dollar stores sometimes have good paper. I’ve even bought paper at flea markets. Costco sells an 800 sheet ream of 24 lb paper for $6.99. I use it all the time. It rules. I also recommend getting your jugs of organic olive oil there, but you can’t print with that.

Free printing is good printing. If you have access to free printing, use it. Free printing is like free food at art openings and conference receptions. It is one of those pleasures in life that never gets old. Come up with an idea that is based around the aesthetics of whatever free printing you have access to and make the publication that way. Eat the cheese and bread. Drink the wine. Make the copies at work.

Buy bulk shipping mailers on eBay. Find bubble wrap and other packing materials in the trash. Look out for neighbors who just bought new furniture—it’s usually wrapped in miles of packing material you can use for shipping books. Boycott terrible right wing fuckers like ULINE. Seriously, they give money to everyone horrible. Trump? Check. Ted Cruz? Check. Scott Walker? Check. ROY FUCKING MOORE? CHECK FUCKING CHECK! Tear up their catalogs and use them as packing material to protect your books. Make publications that have a consistent size so you can purchase cardboard mailers in bulk and get a discount on them. Buy packing tape in bulk. Buy everything in bulk. You can store your extra reams of paper under your bed or on top of your kitchen cabinets if necessary. Be like a wacko survivalist prepper, but for office supplies. Go to estate sales and look for the home office in the house. Buy the dead person’s extra tape and staples and rulers and scissors. I’ve been using some random dead person’s staples for years because I bought their staple hoard. Staples aren’t like meat and milk. They don’t expire.

I’m against competition. Try to avoid competing with other artists for resources. If you don’t truly need the money, don’t ask for it. Artists should have a section on their CV where they list grants they could have easily gotten but didn’t apply for because they are privileged enough that they don’t need the money as much as someone else. I almost never apply for anything but the one thing I do apply for and get every year is a part-time faculty development grant from Columbia College Chicago where I teach. It pays adjuncts up to $2,500 a year to fund their projects and seems to be completely non-competitive. My union negotiated to get us more money. I have used that grant to make over a dozen publications. The value of the publications I make and sell with each grant is about three or four times the value of the grant itself. Some years I make more from the grant than I do from the limited number of classes I teach. But I don’t depend on this grant to be a publisher and I’d still be able to make things without it.

Make things in different price ranges so everyone can afford your work, but also so that you can sustain your practice. Make a publication that costs $2.00, that costs $6.00, that costs $20.00, and make something special for the fancy ass institutional libraries that have a lot of money to spare and can buy something that costs $300.00. Likewise, make things in all different size print runs. Is there something you can print 1,000 of that you can keep selling and giving away for years, to enjoy that quantity discount that comes with offset printing a large number of publications?

Collaborate with people and pay them with publications (if they are cool with that) that they can sell on their own. Sometimes this ends up being better pay and more useful than an honorarium, and it helps justify a larger print run. But see what they need—don’t assume. Barter with other publishers and sell each other’s work and let each other keep the money. This helps with distribution. Sometimes it’s easier to sell their work than it is to sell your own. Help others expand the audience for their publications.

Fund your publishing practice by asking your friends who teach to invite you to talk to their college classes about your work. Use those guest speaker fees to print something. I sometimes tell people on social media: If three or four people will invite me to speak to their class, it could fund the entire next issue of X booklet series that you like so much. This has often worked. Also, sometimes their students end up ordering publications. Sometimes lectures about publications generate more income than the publications themselves.

Have an emailing list and write newsletters to announce new publications. Stay in touch with people who like what you do. Expect to spend a ton of time corresponding with people. Have some cheap things and cool ephemera on hand that you can send people for free when they mail order your publications. Reward people who support you directly with something nice that they didn’t expect. People like handwritten notes. It’s okay if they are very short but sign the packing slip and at least write “Thank you!”

Above all, know that publishing is a life journey and not a get rich quick scheme, or even a make very much money scheme. Enjoy the experience of meeting and working with others, trade your publications with other publishers and build up an amazing library of small press, hard to find artist books. Get vaccinated and travel and sleep on each other’s couches. Be generous with your time, knowledge, resources, and work. Tell Jeff Bezos to fuck off by never selling anything you make through Amazon. Find the bookstores that you love and work with them forever. It’s nicer to have deeper relationships with fewer bookstores than surface level interactions with dozens of shops run by people you don’t know.

Think about your publishing family. Bookstore people are your family. People that organize book fairs and zine fests are your publishing family. Other publishers are your family. People who follow your work for years on end are your family. Printers and binderies are your family. The postal workers that know you by name and that you know by name are your family. The person who doesn’t care if you make the free copies at work is your family. Over thirty years later, I’m still in contact with people I exchanged zines with through the mail when I was a teenager. In some cases I still haven’t met them in person. It’s fine! They are my family. Your students are your family—particularly once they graduate or drop out, as long as they continue making books and zines. Your family is your family, particularly if they value and support your publishing practice. And for this reason, this talk is dedicated to my late father Bruce Fischer, who let me use the company copier and postage meter when I was in high school, and to my mom who sat on the floor with me and helped me hand collate and staple my zines.

That’s what I’ve got for now. Stay in touch and with luck, and enough vaccines and masks and hand sanitizer, maybe I’ll see you at a book fair. – Marc Fischer • Thank you to Be Oakley of GenderFail for the invitation to present, to the other presenters Vivian Sming, Yuri Ogita, and Devin Troy Strother, and to the wonderful people at Printed Matter for hosting this! You should be able to find the video archived on Printed Matter’s YouTube Channel.  Presented on April 2, 2021

[sasa-gay-yo]

Just Us (Chapter Ten: Request)

← Chapter Nine 

“We only have a bag of flour to give you this time.” He handed me a bag smaller than any ones they had before. I knew this might be the last time they would give me anything for my bread, so I took it without any word, but not without a nasty look. The cloth tied around my mouth hid my frown from him as I looked down at the small bag that even had a hole in it. This wasn’t going to make more than twenty loaves and I knew I was quickly running out of my own supply. I had tried to use my extra money to stock up as harvest came, but the price of wheat flour was so ridiculous, only the government could afford it. They bought most of the stock themselves and were hiding it. This small bag of flour was probably scooped out of a big box as they laughed in tricking me. 

I walked out the doors of the stock yard, pausing as the soldiers carried out another covered body on the stretcher. I wondered if I could recognize the person if they showed me their face. I had started giving the people my own names and using the interactions I had with them to guess their positions in Shiganshina. Some refugees were nice and would have a conversation with me while I ate my allotted rations on the edge of the stage they set up. It was a precaution so the refugees couldn’t run and push over the food stand like they had done a few months previous. It happened on my day off, so I wasn’t there to see it happen, but the next day, a stage had already been built with stairs that forced them into single file lines. If they pushed each other, the Garrison now had an above view to punish and hit those who forced themselves in line. 

I had conversations with some children and taught them a hand game from my youth to pass the time. Some of their parents would talk to me too, if they were young, and ask about the situation outside of the stockyard. Since violence had increased outside the barracks, they easily found a scapegoat and restricted the refugees to only the stockyard. It had no effect on the violence, but it seems the citizens of Trost found comfort in having someone to blame for the slow downfall of humanity. 

The trio never talked to me. Their grandfather always greeted me with a smile in line and I would give him the four loaves of bread for the children. The boy, Eren Jaeger, would get into fights with the guards more and more, but he would always be pushed to the ground or saved by the girl. It reminded me so much of myself. Was he getting beat up because it was something to do? Maybe it was the only thing that would make him feel something throughout the day. I desperately wanted to approach them and talk to them, but I never was able too. As soon as I would spot them, they’d disappear to some place in the stockyard and the smaller children would crowd around me to play the “clapping game” as they called it. 

Everyday I walked home alone, knife gripped in my pocket, I thought of what I would say to Eren Jaeger if he ever was thrown on my doorstep. He probably wouldn’t care for the pity of an older woman who had no relation to him. He also probably wouldn’t care about my time in the Underground and how I thought he acted like I did. I had made a game plan and everyday would go over it and tweak some parts. I’d have the trio help me make bread, talking to them about anything. Slowly, I’d tell them I was an orphan and maybe find some relation with them. The only adult figure around them seemed to be the grandfather and that made me wary because of the situation they came from. Their parents were no doubt killed by titans. 

I took the cloth off of my mouth as I got far enough away from the stockyard and took a deep breath of the slowly freezing air. It was going to get cold again, but the farmers had predicted a nicer winter than last year. We’d be lucky to get any snow this time, but it was better because they could chance growing more late winter crops. I decided that for the end of the year, I might as well open my shop and keep the tradition of year-end and winter pastries, hoping people would buy even without the fresh fruit. Another motivation is that some of my supplies were going to go bad and I didn’t want to lose more money than I had already. People like something sweet when they’re going through a bad time, so I’d hope they’d want my sweets. 

“Eva! Eva! Eva!” I looked up and saw Elias running towards me, paper in hand. He had a growth spurt over the summer and fall months, and now he was almost to my chin. His hair was also much too long, but he wouldn’t let me cut it because apparently the other boys at school also had hair like his. During summer and current late fall, I had taken them in pretty much everyday, commissioning them to make bread with me and giving them a few slices. Since Wall Maria had fallen, their parents had gone a bit crazy and so had a lot of other people in Trost. The Order of the Walls had grown into a huge following and not just a tiny cult anymore. They were going to build a church soon in the city square and the kid’s father was too busy with that to care for the proper needs of his children. I mended their clothes, helped them with homework, and even let them sleep on my couch when they got a little too full after dinner. Their parents didn’t even notice their absence when I brought them back home. 

“Yes, Elias?” He pushed a piece of paper into my hands and I saw the hundred percent he had gotten on the spelling test we had worked on together. I was awful at spelling, but I knew enough to help him. We would use flour, spread out on the table, to practice spelling words. This past list was increasingly difficult and I had to even look at it again a few times. 

“I got a perfect score on the spelling test!” his smile beamed up at me and made me stop thinking about the year-end and the refugees for a few seconds. 

“I’m proud of you Elias. You practiced hard for this.” He started following me back to the café and I knew he probably would want to come in and do his homework on Levi’s table. It was funny that Elias had such an unconscious affinity for him. His favorite toy was still the horse, he would sit at his table and do homework, and he started drinking tea because I refused him coffee. When Elias sat at the table doing his homework, it helped to fill the void that was left. 

Levi hadn’t returned in four months, almost five this coming Monday. The only thing I had was the button down and two letters he had sent before his work consumed him. I was waiting on a reply from a letter I had sent maybe three months ago. I knew that he was still alive and right outside of Trost, but only cadets would come in and out for refugee security. Everyday, I would hear them open the gates a six and I would open the window of my apartment, hoping to see him on his horse. I’ve probably watched the Scout cadets come into Trost so much, they must know my face by now. 

I missed him. 

Elias grabbed my hand unconsciously as we walked and broke me out of my thoughts for a second time. It seemed that there were three reasons I woke up everyday. The refugees, the kids, and the Scouts. It’s good that I had things to live for now. 

“Can I do my schoolwork in your café, Eva? There’s a lot of people over at Daddy’s house today and June’s at the bookstore.” June had recently got an apprenticeship at the book binder’s shop as he had no sons to pass it down to. I had given him the recommendation and once he saw the knowledge June had about books, he accepted her in. She was mostly selling books to people, proving her worth to the book binder, before she got to learn the secrets. Sometimes she would bring back broken books he had given her and think of the ways she would fix it. I was surprised at how close she actually was in her guesses. However, her new job had left Elias to fend for himself and grow up now without his sister at his side. He would play with friends, but once they had to go home, he was by himself. I was happy to indulge him in anything he wanted to do since I was alone too. We’d be lonely together. 

“Of course, Elias. We can go pick up June when she’s finished too.” That was good enough for him and he ran ahead, turning right out of the alleyway to get to the door of the café. I wonder who would fill my days once Elias was old enough to gain an apprenticeship. Jonas would be off somewhere delivering, the kids would be gone, and Levi would be on some expedition. Maybe I’ll get a cat.

“E-Eva?” I turned the corner and stopped walking to survey the scene. My stomach instantly dropped and I felt like I wanted to throw up. Why were these two here? Elias looked up and the tall, blonde man, instantly recognizing him. Their faces didn’t seem distressed and they were just leaning against the wall of the café, horses tied to the wooden posts. He can’t be gone, I would have felt it.

“Miss Evylnn Flynn?” He was the first to speak up and Hange kicked herself off the wall, wagging her finger at me. 

“I knew you were lying to me! Both of you!” They weren’t sad or upset. He had to be fine, but why were they here and not him? I can’t say I wasn’t disappointed to not see him behind Erwin’s shadow.

“Miss Flynn, we would like to have a word with you in private?” Erwin gestured to the door of the café and I swallowed hard. Was I in trouble? Why is the Commander here to talk to me in private? 

“Elias, you can go up to my apartment and do your school work on my desk. I’ll come up and get you when I’m done talking to the Commander.” Elias looked back at me, his eyes whimsical. He was pretty much meeting his hero and I was pushing him away from it. Erwin looked down at the boy and smiled. To pay him for listening, I’d ask Erwin to talk to Elias. If he had time to come and talk to me personally, he could spend five more minutes to entertain Elias.

“Can you do that for us, Elias? I promise it won’t take too long.” He nodded rapidly and Erwin reached down to fluff his hair. As soon as he was done, Elias ran up the stairs to my apartment, shutting the door with a slam. I’d have yelled at him if I wasn’t in this situation. My heart was speeding up and, if they could, my palms would be sweating. 

“Miss Flynn?” Erwin turned and gestured to the café door again. I nodded once and walked over, unlocking the door and leading them both in. What could they want? My mind was running through a hundred scenarios. Most of them ended with something happening to Levi. The other popular answer was that I was somehow in trouble. 

Once the door closed behind me, I got the nerve to turn around and smile at them. Hange’s presence made me slightly more comfortable, but this was the first time I had met Erwin. His energy was completely overwhelming and even if he looked nice, you could tell the amount of power he had. It was like the positive version of Levi. 

“Can I get you two anything to drink?” I whipped my hands on my jacket, looking to the floor. 

“Do you have any juice? I’m so thirsty, I barely had time for lunch!” I smiled a bit at Hange and walked over to the icebox I had. The only consumers of the juice were Elias and June, so it was nice to give it to someone else. 

“C-Commander?” I asked, silently cursing at my stutter. How was he more intimidating to me than Levi had ever been? He smiled at me and nodded before sitting down at the center table. I picked out another glass bottle and took one for myself. Hopefully they liked orange.

They both were just staring at me, waiting for me to come and join them. I handed them the juice and paused for a few seconds before sitting down. They both seemed so relaxed and I was exactly the opposite. My hands were fidgeting under the table and I dare not look at Erwin. Levi would probably yell at me for how shy and weak I seemed to them. Hange even downed her juice and let out a big ‘ah’ as she slammed it down on the table while we sat there. Only then, I realized the thin film of dust on the table. If Levi found out I sat his Commander on a dirty table, it would be over for me.

“Miss Flynn-”

“Eva. You can call me Eva. If we’re going to be seeing each other multiple times, it’s better to be one first name basis.” He smiled a bit, probably to calm me down, and continued. 

“Well, Eva… I don’t know how to begin this conversation, but I believe I can start by asking you what your relationship with Captain Levi is?” I blinked and looked at Hange. She was leaning forward, smiling at me, expectant at my answer. Had they found out? Was there a reason Levi might have told them about us? What if there’s only suspicion and I’m the one who outs us because I wasn’t careful? Was Erwin trying to intimidate me off of a hunch Hange had? 

“Why are you asking?” I wasn’t going to give them a straight answer. Erwin smiled a bit, a genuine one this time, and put one hand up.

“We have no ill will with the conversation. Both Hange and I are just curious about the situation our Captain may be in. The way you answer, however, might lead to some concerns.” Well, that makes me not want to answer your question, Commander. I took a sip of my juice before sitting up straight again. If we were to have this conversation, it would have to seem like I was being truthful. My hands were still shaking as I sat them on my lap.

“What has the Captain said?” Hange almost jumped out of her chair.

“Barely anything! I’m aching to know how Levi is when he’s with you! Is he a cuddler? Does he know nothing about relationships?” My eyes widened at her answer and it made me believe that he had to have said something to them. But, why? Did they back him into a corner?

“I’m sorry to disappoint, but the Captain and I are only friends. I haven’t seen him in over four months since I closed my café.” Hange leaned back in her chair and laughed crazily. I was starting to see what Levi meant. 

“I appreciate the loyalty you have to Levi’s and your private life, however, he has already informed us of you two’s relationship. We are only finding time now to come and visit, but we’ve known for a month.” I choked on my juice at Erwin’s words and wiped my mouth, swallowing hard. 

“He… did?” It was squeak and that got Hange laughing even more. So, how did they know if they were being truthful? Erwin nodded and handed me a handkerchief from his coat pocket. I thanked him and wiped the leftover juice off my hands.

“He believed it best that, as the Commander, that I know about your existence for various reasons. Hange also happened to be in the room because she is the only person who has officially met you and vogue for your personality. I had no idea about your visit to the Scout Headquarters until yesterday and that is a security risk.” I nodded and tried to calm down my racing heart. It was… interesting to finally have someone know about our relationship. Especially the Commander of the Scout’s. It was also concerning that the one who gossips the most in the Scouts also holds that information. Levi had told me how Hange revealed weekly who was having sex with who during boring meetings. 

“May I ask, what were his reasonings?” 

“As Commander of the Scout Regiment, I am the first line of defense for my soldiers. I pledge to protect them as best I can within our job description. This pledge of protection goes to their families and loved ones as well. I believe it to be Captain Levi’s intention that you are also under this hedge of protection concerning this period of political and societal unrest we are currently experiencing. He told us about a recent mishap you had with the refugees in Trost.” 

“Oh, yes, that makes sense.” He shifted in his chair and pulled out an envelope from his jacket. 

“Another reason is that I have personal services that deliver mail much faster than the average carrier and much more secretive as well. Currently, the Scout’s are being monitored for reasons I cannot reveal to you. He believes, and I concur, that if your existence is publicized to the government, you could be used as bait or a bargaining chip. Some in the government are not happy with Captain Levi’s placement and rank in the Scouts and the repercussions of his past come back to haunt him. If not now, sometime in the future.” I took the envelope off the table and recognized Levi’s wispy handwriting. A response to my letter. This made my heart sing with joy. He hadn’t forgotten to write back, but he was pushed in a difficult situation that didn’t allow him to. I shouldn’t have doubted him so much.

“Did the monitoring begin around three months ago?” He nodded and I noticed Hange was looking between be and the letter. She’s very curious about Levi’s private life, and I couldn’t blame her. I had been that interested in him as soon as he walked into my café. 

“There is information that the Scout’s have been given that can be perceived as a huge security threat if society gets wind of it. I also agree with the government’s judgement on that and am trying my best to limit security breaches in the Scouts.” That’s when the real reason they were here hit me. It wasn’t to deliver a letter and oogle at our relationship. I was a security threat to them. I was in trouble. My mind went back to the night Levi and I had before he left. Had he told them about that too? How much has he said?

“I see. That is why you came here today, I assume.” I looked him right in the eyes and he didn’t seem to have any anger in them. I remembered Levi and I’s conversation about Erwin. I wasn’t going to know at all what he was thinking until he specifically told me.

“I have known Levi enough to build trust with him. I trust him with information that is top secret and dangerous for society. If certain things get out, it could cause riots and more civil unrest as the expense of the Scouts. Levi has told me that you support the Scout’s endeavors the most out of any branch of the military. I hope that the support you have for us also translates into loyalty.” He didn’t blink, waiting for my response. 

“He hasn’t told me anything of that nature, Commander. The only thing he has told me is that he cannot morally support whatever the Scout’s are doing at the beginning of the coming year.” Hange seemed to let out a sigh of relief and I even saw Erwin sit back an inch. I understood why they might be on edge about that. They have no idea how Levi is when he is with someone like me and I am someone who frequents the refugee camps. 

“Yes, that seems to be a common theme among our officers. However, we do not have the power needed to fight back against orders directly from the government. I hope that once the plans reach the public ear, your support of the Scouts and Captain Levi doesn’t waiver. It would be a shame for the Captain to have a good thing leave him for something that he didn’t have a choice in.” I took another breath and noticed my heart was slowing down. I wasn’t going to be thrown in some dungeon and tortured for the information I don’t know. That made me feel better about this conversation. 

“Now, I must plainly state the requests we have for you. They shouldn’t be unreasonable, but I will say this is the first time we’ve had someone of Captain Levi’s rank be involved with a normal citizen. I think you can see why we have the need to be cautious and explain common Scout things to someone who isn’t in our place. You could be a security threat if you do not know proper protocol.” That was only slightly demeaning. 

“Yes, Commander. I do understand the need for me to know what I can and cannot do or say.” He smiled again and it amazed me the duality he had. He made you feel welcomed with his smile, and then completely intimidated with his status and demeanor. 

“As you are in a relationship with someone who is given classified information on a daily basis, it can be possible for it to easily slip out of Levi when he isn’t thinking. We ask you not to repeat anything you hear from Levi, even if you disagree with it. There may come a time when people you know are involved or put in danger by the operations of the Royal Government, therefore I’m asking you to bear some of the pain of a Scout officer in these situations.” 

“It seems you’re setting me up for the coming year, Commander… or at least you have a situation in mind currently.” Hange smirked and pointed at me. 

“You’re smart, Eva. I can see how you might last around Levi’s.” I wonder what they think Levi and I’s interactions are. They probably don’t think I’m the one who makes him suffer with my words more than he does me. Imagine if they knew how much I made their Captain blush. I smiled thinking about it. 

“The next request. As I extend my protection to you, I request you do the same to Levi and any Scout who is in need of assistance. Captain Levi was once a wanted man, and the government could easily turn their back on him if they deem it worthy of their agenda. There might come a time where you will have to shield or protect Levi or members of the Scout Regiment from the Royal Government. I’m best stating that, as someone in a relationship with the Captain, you may need to lie and commit treason for his or our safety. You are a part of the Scout Regiment now, and that is some of the responsibility that comes with it.” I sat there and thought that one over. It was a huge request, but not one that would easily deter me from Levi and the Scouts. I thought of the Garrison soldiers kicking down Eren Jaeger everyday, or Mitras not dispatching any MPs or food supplies to the districts struggling to stay alive. If I knew it was for the better, I could easily betray them. I owe nothing to the government.

“You don’t have to accept this right awa-” I shook my head and stopped him. 

“No, I can do that. The government has never done anything for me. I can easily betray them for a cause and people I believe in.” This made both of them smile instantly. 

“Levi was right, your loyalty and regard seems to be astounding, Eva. I believe he has found a fine woman to be with.” I looked down at my hands, trying to hide the blush with my hair. I don’t know why that compliment hit me the way it did, but people admiring our hidden relationship made me happy, I guess. Especially the Commander. It wouldn’t happen much more than this, so I should savor it.

“Am I able to make requests, Commander?” I looked up at him again when my blush subsided. 

“Erwin. You can call me Erwin, and I will try my best to accept them. If it is something I cannot do, I will have to refuse. Our positions of freedom are very different, Eva.” I nodded and took another sip of my juice. There has been something bothering me since Levi and I had talked about Erwin. 

“If you are asking me to put my life and reputation on the line for the Scouts and Levi, I must request that equally. I understand you cannot predict the outcome of expeditions, and I know we both know that Levi won’t die simply because of that. I’m specifically asking for you to protect him against the government.” He crossed his arms and I still couldn’t tell what he was thinking.

“I don’t think I know what you mean, Eva. You can’t be asking me to commit treason for one soldier? I am unable to do that.” I shook my head at him and formulated my next sentences. I also had a specific scenario in my mind. 

“If the government asks something of Levi that would lead to his certain death, no matter how it will help society, I want you to do everything you can to protect him from that fate. Refuse his service. Discharge him from the Scouts. Anything it takes. I know he’ll take it, no matter what they give him, but I want to be selfish for him. He’s too valuable to humanity to be lost in such a simple manner. ” 

“It seems you’re setting me up for something, Eva… or at least you have a situation in mind currently,” he mimicked my words and it made me smirk a bit. We could play the same game with each other. It felt nice to be able to be on the same level with him right now unlike the last few minutes. We were bartering back and forth. I was in my element. I could never match his strategy or intelligence, but I knew how to make a deal. 

“Secondly, give him more breaks. Every time I see him he’s tired and complaining about the amount of paperwork he has to do. I haven’t seen him in person in almost five months because of whatever you seem to be planning. At least a monthly break. You know how he gets when he’s overworked.” This made Hange laugh again and I noticed then how quiet she had been throughout Erwin’s requests. It made me think how intelligent she was as well. All the officers must be. She had her quirks, but she knew when to be serious.

“That… that is something I cannot promise you. I can try my hardest, but when we are as busy as we are now, I cannot let anyone slack off because their family requested it. You must see I have to be fair about it.” I frowned, not liking that answer, but I knew he wasn’t going to change that. I was being more selfish than I could be right now. I even had one more, morbid request to get through. This one was one that I had thought about over the last few months. What if. 

“Lastly, if Levi does die, I want you to tell me directly, Erwin,” I looked up, locking eyes with him to make sure he knew how important this request was, “I won’t believe any random cadet or Garrison soldier who comes to deliver the news and I won’t believe it if I don’t see him come back with the rest. I’ll make up excuses and scenarios. I want you to tell me personally that he’s finally gone and let me go get his things from the HQ. If it comes from you, I know it’s true. It doesn’t have to be in person, a letter would suffice, but I want it directly from you Erwin,” my eyes were pleading for him to accept, “Can you do that?” He looked back at me after thinking for a few moments. 

“Yes, I can do that, Eva. However, a letter can easily be copied and someone can steal my signature. If I do send you something… I’ll send it along with my bolo tie,” He pointed to the green orb on a cord around his neck,  “I can’t assure how quickly the news will come, but you will be the first civilian to know. This request, however, I have no anticipation of needing to do any of this.” I nodded, accepting that answer. We both had equal confidence in Levi’s ability.

“Thank you… Erwin.” I sat up and looked to Hange, waiting for her to say something. She had been leaning more and more forward as I talked through my requests. She wanted to say something, but wouldn’t interrupt her Commander for it. 

“Oh, it is my turn! I only have one request for you and then a ton of questions to ask you! Is that okay? I know you have the kid to take care of. By the way, son? Brother? Who is he?” I held my hands up and shook them ‘no’ when she said son. 

“He’s just a boy I watch because his parents don’t. I take care of him and feed him. He has an older sister, too.” 

“Ah,” Erwin nodded, “Captain Levi also told me you take kids off the street and give them a second chance. Is he one of those children?” I raised an eyebrow. 

“No, he has a home and family. What else has Levi told you about me?” I didn’t know we were just giving out information about each other to people. Hange answered my question again. 

“You own a café where he gets tea. It’s your past caretakers café. You were given it after he died. Uh, what did he say about your character? He said you’re fiercely loyal, which is definitely true, and that you’re very charitable, hence taking care of the kids. He didn’t say it all nicely like that, but I think you can guess how he said it.” 

“He said something to the effect of ‘She has this awful part of her where she puts all her faith in anyone and takes in brats to give them a second chance’, which, I understand why Levi sees that as a bad thing, but I find it nice to be charitable.” It made me laugh for the first time, Erwin trying to mimic Levi’s tone of voice.

“My request!” Hange hit the table, like she just remembered that she had one to give. I wonder how crazy this one was going to be. 

“I’ll try my best, Hange.” 

“My request is that you make him happy,” My heart skipped a little when she said that and she continued after she heard no protest, “We don’t know much about him or the way he thinks, but we do know what he’s been through. The expedition before he met you, his two friends from the Underground were eaten by titans when he wasn’t there to save them. He was getting so temperamental and would blow his lid at anyone just like that when we came back. No one could blame him, he had just lost his friends to titans and he found out that he didn’t even need to. There are a lot of details, but I’ll leave that to Levi. Anyways, we needed to get him out of HQ, so I recommended this café because I think your strawberry turnovers are excellent! After he came here, he started to change. Mellow out as much as Levi could. All the officers started wondering why he’d changed so rapidly and we thought he was sneaking out to go drink himself to death. Then, I saw you at the year-end festival with him. I knew then it was you, and think of the amazing confirmation he gave me when he kept requesting me to go get you after his injury!” I felt tears well up in my eyes for some reason. I remembered how he looked when he walked in: tired from death. I didn’t know it was the death of his friends that made him that way, and here I was trying to tease him over some tea. I was such an idiot. 

“I think you’ve made Captain Levi feel something he’s never felt before. He still acts the same towards us because he has to keep up this façade, but with you, I’m sure he’s completely different. Actually, he has gotten more relaxed around the cadets and makes them run a bit less. Slowly, your impact is breaking into his everyday life. So, my request is that you keep doing that. He’s a broken kid, but he’s found someone to heal him. That’s what he told us you do, isn’t it?” The way Hange was looking at me, I just wanted to cry then. I don’t think anyone’s ever said something like that to me. She’s putting me at such high regard for something that I so desperately want to do for others. It was a confirming moment telling me that I was doing something right. 

“I-I promise, Hange.” Her smile grew bigger and Erwin slowly stood up, signaling her it was time to go. I stood up too, but held my hand up to him.

“Yes?” 

“I have a last, small request for you, Erwin. That little boy, basically as Commander of the Scouts, you’re his hero. He’s starting to have this obsession with them ever since I got him this toy. If you could just talk to him for a bit and tell him about the Scouts? You know, minus the bad things?” He huffed once in laughter and agreed to do it. When I yelled to call Elias down stairs, he almost fell on his face when he tripped on the kitchen door. He looked up at Erwin expectantly. 

“Elias,” I put my hands on his shoulders, pushing him forward, “This is my friend Commander Erwin. He knows how much you like the Scouts and can tell you about it if you want…” I trailed off at the end, but Elias had already ran up to Erwin, looking up at the man three times his size. 

“How big is a titan?!” I smiled as the two blonde haired boys sat.

Hange came over to the counter where I was sitting and hopped up there with me. I didn’t mind and made room for her, staring at the interaction that was happening in front of us. Elias was even showing him the toy I had bought. 

“So… What does Levi think about the kids?” She so badly wanted to prod Levi’s brain and find out how he ticks, but she’d have to do it through me. Now that they knew everything, I’d guess I’d tell her a little bit. 

“Levi bought him that horse. Elias doesn’t know it, but Levi said he wanted an eight year old boy to have what he wanted at that age. He’s only talked to June once I think, but he helped her win over some boys in her class. I don’t think he could tolerate Elias’s questions as much as Erwin is doing right now though.” She nodded.

“When you two have kids of your own, I think he’ll like them a bit better than he does other people’s kids.” I choked on the air and coughed loud enough that both Erwin and Elias stopped their conversation and looked over at us. Hange just waved them off and patted my back. Kids? He hasn’t even kissed me yet. 

“Hange, we’ve only been together for a few months, and for most of them I haven’t even seen him.” She shrugged and gave me her crazy smile again. 

“I don’t know, you two seem pretty compatible. Now, I haven’t seen you interact, but from what I can tell, you like each other enough. I’ve never seen someone hang around Levi as long as you have. Mark my words, you’ll have cute kids. I want to help name one!” I gave her a crazy look, willing her to stop talking about the topic. Imagine if she mentioned it to Levi, how irate he would be with her. I can’t even talk about sleeping in the same bed with him. 

“Hange, we’re not-” Erwin stood up and patted Elias’s head again. Thank gods they were done. I don’t know if I could deal with any more of Hange’s future visions and questions. Is this how Levi feels with me?

“Hange, it’s time for us to get back. We have another meeting soon and Levi’s waiting to reprimand us for coming here when he said not to.” She puffed out air like she wanted to continue our conversation further, but hopped off the counter and walked to the door with Erwin. 

“It was good meeting you, Eva. I’m sure we will have many more of these in the future.” 

“Bye, Eva! Bye, Elias! Don’t worry, Eva, he’ll be home soon! Hold on a bit more!” Hange screamed as she walked out the door behind Erwin. I could still hear her gossiping as they got on their horses and rode off back to HQ. 

“Eva, why did they want to talk to you?” Elias broke the silence as I stared at the door. Home. He’ll be home. Was I home? 

“Elias, can you keep a secret? A super, super top secret that no one else can know?” His eyes widened and he nodded over and over again. 

“Yes, I can. I promise!” I smiled down at him and ruffled his hair a bit more. 

“Even Erwin doesn’t want you to tell this secret to anyone.” That got the boy more excited to know, and I knew it would keep his mouth shut. 

“I promise! Tell me, tell me, tell me!” If Levi had already told two people, I guess I could too. What’s the harm in telling an eight year old boy? 

“Captain Levi and I are together.” He pulled a weird face, sitting down at the table and pulling out his school work. His excitement immediately dropped away.

“That’s it? I thought it was going to be a fun secret, Eva.” This little boy is incredible. The first person I tell, and he could care less.

“You’re the only person in Trost who knows, Elias. It is a fun secret!” I tried to defend my relationship in front of the eight-year-old. I guess he was picky on which Scouts he liked. 

“Eva, can I have some juice please?” I gave him an annoyed look as he completely skipped over the subject. I should’ve told June first and not a little boy who still thinks girls have cooties. 

“No, you can have it after you finish your homework.” He groaned at my payback and shifted back and forth in his chair. I didn’t waiver and decided to ignore his pleas in favor of reading the letter I had been anticipating for months. 

His handwriting was so nice and I wondered even who taught him how to write so well in the first place. My handwriting was awful because the orphanage had a limited budget for pencils and teachers. I could barely read cursive and only used it to sign my name. When I told Levi this is a response to his first letter, he had laughed at me in his reply, but wrote it all in print for me. Even his print was perfect. It made me annoyed, but they were pretty to look at in addition to their contents. They weren’t love letters by any means, but they were nice to receive and imagine what he was doing. 

Dear Mara (This one doesn’t seem to fit your face, but it’s the only one I could think of), 

As you requested in your last letter, for some reason, my daily routine: 

4 AM - I am either up or wake up from an hour or two of sleep to take a shower. The water pressure is the best at this time as no one is taking one.

5 AM - I make myself tea, now, it’s the peppermint you sent me. I thank you for that, but now my tongue can’t stand any other flavor that’s not on par with it. I’ll light a candle and do some light paperwork and plan the morning workout for the cadets, waiting for the sun.

6 AM - The cadets have 30 minutes to get ready in full gear and come to eat breakfast until seven. I eat early, limiting the interactions I have with Hange as she’s loud in the morning. 

7:30 AM - Training starts with a morning run and workout. They might do hand-to-hand after or work on ODM. Whatever I feel like sitting and watching that day, I make them do. On the days when they’re getting really annoying, I’ll make them practice ground maneuvers since it’s hard to kill titans with no trees. Recently, we’ve been starting to go over formations for the mission I can’t tell you about. 

12 PM - We eat lunch, and recently it’s been bad. The food shortage has hurt our stock and I know the Garrison probably laughs at us as they get to eat meat. We ran out of meat last week.

From then on, the cadets have classroom work to do to memorize our signals and formations. I usually do more paperwork and we have officer meetings over and over again until dinner at six. After that, surprise, paperwork again. We went to the capital to get talked over again last week, so that was a break in my routine, but other than that I do paperwork until my eyes hurt, then I’ll go make more tea and take some biscuits from the canteen. Sometimes there are small disputes I have to settle, cadets to discipline, or one-on-one meetings with Erwin. Recently, he’s asked me if I want to create a Special Operations Team with the best Scouts for the next mission and beyond. I’ve been studying and reading over the files of each Scout. Maybe, you can help me form the team if I come across any trouble picking, but it’s not like there are many to choose from. 

I plan to tell Erwin about our relationship soon. During our meetings in the capital, my position is always questioned and threatened by the four heads of the Royal Government. If they find out about any weakness, not that you are weak now that I’ve trained you, they might use that against me. If I tell Erwin about you, he can give you certain protections. Other than him, I have no intention of telling anyone else and it hasn’t seemed to come up in regular conversation. Hange always has something off to the side to say about you, and I suspect she knows something, but she keeps quiet around others. If she doesn’t keep her mouth shut, you might not hear from her again. Perhaps I will tell my Special Ops Team since trust is needed for a team to work, but that won’t be for another few months or even a year.

You asked me if I needed anything and currently, I would like a bit more tea, if possible. I’m limiting myself to three cups a day since my tea leaves are dwindling. I’m struggling without you and your tea, but I know you can’t ship yourself here through the carrier system. I was right about the cuddling… I miss it and it does make it difficult to try and sleep, knowing a much more comfortable option exists. I won’t go on more because I don’t miss your teasing. Hopefully, I will see you in the next month's time, but right now, it seems the Royal Government is about to monitor us. Going back and forth to you might harm you, and I won’t risk that. It’s helped, this feeling of missing you, by the cadets used for refugee security. It’s been reported almost everyday that a light-brown haired woman, no older than 30 with light green eyes leans out a window about a café with a red lettered sign and stares at the Scouts coming in during the sunrise. I knew right away it was you. I hope you’re getting enough sleep and not being irresponsible with the amount of hours you work on the refugee’s bread. 

I must now go to another officer’s meeting in Erwin’s office to discuss something boring. I’d rather be helping you knead dough for a thousand loaves then sit in his office one more time. 

My questions for you: Has the Garrison brought those brats you said to sponsor over yet? Have you decided to open back up the café? Has the girl gotten her apprenticeship? Have you told Jonas that if he touches you one more time while I’m going, I will break his fingers? You said you might cut your hair, is this true? Have you yet? 

Till your next letter and next delivery of twenty grams of peppermint tea, 

Captain Levi

Chapter Eleven →

Chapter Masterlist

xx Everyone say thank you to MAPPA for Levi and Armin’s faces <3