#having levi slowly begin to work on increasing his confidence and going out of his comfort zone?

[666writingcafe]

Reuniting With Henry

Levi

I've been working on myself lately. It's been a challenge, especially with also having to prepare to venture out into the human world, but I feel like it's been worthwhile.

Instead of spending all of my free time in my room, I've tried to socialize with other people in the real world. Specifically, some of my online friends. I figured that if they liked me in that space, then they'll probably be okay with me in a real-life setting. And for the most part, they do. I mean, there's been a couple of incidents where the opposite has been true, and that was demoralizing in the moment, but then I think about what MC would do or say.

One of the things I like about MC is their willingness to take risks, particularly when it comes to interacting with people. If they worry about looking like a fool, they don't show it. Rather, they allow themselves to be authentically who they are, regardless of what others may think about them.

As I watch MC observe Henry, I reflect on our relationship and how it's progressed. I certainly didn't like them in the beginning. I thought they were just another scummy normie who only cared about themselves. Of course, some of that was probably me projecting what I felt about Mammon onto them, but still. It wasn't like I was a big fan of them, either.

But scummy normies don't insist on befriending someone simply because they like them. They usually want something in return, but not MC. It seemed like the harder I pushed them away, the more persistent they were, but it wasn't obvious at the time. No, it was little things that they did that added up overtime, and soon I couldn't deny it: I liked MC.

Enough to let them chill in my room with me.

Enough to want to experience things outside my comfort zone.

Enough to touch them.

Kiss them.

Fu--

"Levi? Are you alright?" Shit. How long had I zoned out for? Apparently long enough for MC to move on from Henry and start rummaging through a box of games.

"I'm fine," I answer, trying not to sound too startled. "Just thinking, that's all."

"About...?" My anxiety tells me to change the subject, but I won't let it dictate my actions this time. I know MC won't judge me. They've proven that time and time again.

"You."

"Me?" They stand up, and I force myself to step closer to them. They seem surprised, but not in a bad way. At least, I don't think.

"I never thought that I would enjoy spending time with you." I take a deep breath, trying to calm my nerves. "I always have a lot of fun when we're together. I mean, I know we've been playing games online, but it's not the same as having you next to me." MC smiles.

"I feel the same way about you." They reach up and pat my shoulder, and I have to will myself to stay put and not run away. "I'm proud of you, Levi. I know you struggle with admitting your feelings, especially towards me."

"I'm trying to get better at that."

"It takes time." MC pauses as they grab my hand. "The important thing is that you're trying."

They look so sweet.

I know what the moment calls for, but I can't seem to move. At all.

"You're blushing."

"I have to prepare myself." The thought leaves my mouth as soon as it pops into my mind. Thankfully, MC appears to understand what exactly I'm referring to, for they gently touch the side of my face.

"On the count of three?"

"Okay." Did not expect that to come out as a whisper. Then again, my throat feels a bit tight, so that would explain why I sound a bit hoarse.

"One." I close my eyes and focus on the feeling of their hand.

"Two." I take a deep breath, and my mind suddenly becomes clear.

"Three." I don't know which is more surprising: the fact that I'm the one who finished counting or the one who initiated the kiss. In any case, MC embraces me, and the next thing I know, I'm sitting on my computer chair with them straddling my lap.

[the-traveling-poet]

Attention

Captain Y/N has shown great effort with her valiant efforts to aid the Scouts, and this doesn't go unnoticed by Captain Levi.

Set on finding a way to compliment her efforts, despite his usually indifference, Levi might first fight for her ever sought after attention.

Pairing: Levi Ackerman x Y/N reader

Warnings: None. Just slow burn fluff. Language.

Another day, another meeting.

Levi sighed. As much as he prioritized the safety and well being of the Corps, these weekly meetings were growing tiring. Not to mention, time consuming. How many reports he could finish within this time, how many cups of tea could have been made....Yet here they were, once more going over old information with nothing new to show for their endeavors.

"...And so I should ask of you all once more; Does anyone have anything to add?" Commander Erwin finished from the head of the mahogany table they all sat around.

After a moment of murmuring amongst the group, Y/N, a fellow captain in the corps, leaned forward and raised a hand confidently.

Erwin nodded to her, allowing her to proceed.

"Pardon me if I misunderstood, but if I understand correctly, you mean to set four squads into two teams to scout the southern section of the forrest five hundred meters south of Shiganshina?" Y/N spoke slowly.

"That would be correct, Captain Y/N." Erwin confirmed.

"If I may suggest, shouldn't we have each separate squad enter both north and south of the forrest to track the titan's numbers and movements more efficiently? I understand spreading our numbers so thin is a risk within itself, but if this is merely an observation expedition, I should think we would need as many eyes in as many places as possible to calculate the titan's activity more accurately. We have flare signal guns and acoustic rounds; we can easily alert nearby teams to imminent dangers." Y/N spoke quicker as the excitement of her own idea spurred her on as she voiced her thoughts.

For a moment, the room was silent as everyone absorbed her words. Levi was left speechless at her revelation, though his mask of indifference remained.

Why didn't I think of that? He wondered.

Immediately, his respect and awe for her increased. Though, if he were honest with himself, he wasn't sure how she could continue to surprise him so. After all these years working alongside her team out in the wilderness, her cleverness never ceased to amaze Levi.

Finally, Erwin stood, his deep blue eyes trained souly on Y/N.

"Y/N....I think you may be onto something here. Keeping my men alive is, of course, one of my first concerns. But your strategy seems to be the more logical one. I think we should bring this to the attention of our comrades in Rose and Sina for further verification, but you have my respect and admiration for such cleverness." Erwin smiled brightly at the younger Captain.

Y/N's eyes grew large at her Commander's words, which seemed to irk Levi slightly. Though he agreed full heartedly with Erwin's words, he couldn't help but feel aggravated with the man's presentation of his admiration.

"So, you're telling me, we've spent weeks in here plotting our next expedition, when we could have asked Y/N for the perfect solution from the very beginning?" Captain Mike chuckled in disbelief from across the table from where Levi sat.

"Y/N, you could have saved us hours of time with this!"

Y/N blushed in embarrassment.

"Well, I've been thinking about this event ever since our first meeting a couple weeks ago, and this morning it finally clicked in my head, so I thought I'd share it," she modestly admitted.

"Are you kidding? Y/N, that's genius!" Hange also stood and reached over the table to grab at Y/N's shoulders. "Erwin, I think if she wanted to, she could replace you!"

Levi unconsciously shot Erwin, Mike, and Hange a scowl, to which none of them noticed with their attention trained on Y/N. He himself wanted to say such kind words to her, for reasons he couldn't quite understand yet, but he lacked the vocabulary to convey such thoughts to her. Much less in a crowded room.

"Alright, I think this meeting is adjourned! This is the most progress we've had in awhile, so it's safe to say we can all take a break." Erwin chuckled, much to Levi's relief.

Finally.

Levi, Y/N, and Mike stood from their seats and joined Hange in saluting Erwin, of which he returned. Everyone began to file out of the room in a line; with Erwin, Levi and Y/N near the back.

With the other's attention trained on leaving to room to go about their days, Levi made up his mind that he would take this opportunity to congratulate Y/N on her brilliance like the others had. But the moment he subtly gained her attention and opened his mouth to speak, Erwin approached them both and placed a sturdy hand onto the woman's shoulder.

"Y/N, would you mind taking a moment to sign your signature onto a form I must send to Commander Pyxis in regards to this meeting? Keeping him informed on our movements is one of my requirements. And since this was your idea, I want you to have the honors of taking the credit."

Erwin smiled brightly down at the younger Captain.

"But, sir, are you sure?" She asked breathlessly.

"Of course, Y/N. I value you, and as such, I want you to take the credit for your own genius; as Hange put it." Erwin reassured.

Levi shot a look up towards Erwin, but the Commander didn't seem to notice. With a scoff, Levi made for the door.

As much as he wanted to speak with Y/N, he knew it was pointless to try now. He would simply have to wait.

As he left, he heard the sweet sound of Y/N's laughter as she agreed and thanked the Commander when he handed her a form sheet.

Though he hadn't meant to, Levi closed the door behind him with a bang.

Slightly embarrassed and confused by his behavior, he clicked his tongue and made for his own office to finish his unattended work. Perhaps this would distract him from the odd pinging feelings in his heart…

…Pining?

═══════════

Around two hours later, Levi was finished. With nothing else left to do, he stood from his desk and stretched. Before he could even make up his mind as to what he should do now, he heard voices outside his closed office door.

Y/N? He immediately wondered.

Briskly walking to his door, he flung it open and darted his eyes back and forth up and down the hall. And indeed, there she stood.

Y/N and one of the cadets in her squad walked side by side down the hall, engaged in some sort of chit chat.

Combing his hair back with a hand and straightening his uniform, Levi left the safety of his office and closed his door behind him.

Maybe now, he could congratulate her.

Thinking about this, he couldn't help but scoff.

He'd never thought this hard about praising someone for their work before. Actually, as he thought about it, he'd never congratulated anyone on their work before.

What does this mean? He wondered.

When Y/N's eyes met his, she suddenly faltered in her step and stopped mid sentence. She awkwardly waved to him, and quickly averted her gaze. When he awkwardly waved back, not knowing how else to react, she quickly sent the cadet on their way and approached Levi.

Once in front of him, she stammered for the right words to say.

"Good afternoon, Levi," she smiled.

"Afternoon," Levi struggled to reply, a sudden knot forming in his throat.

Get it together, Levi…

As Y/N opened her mouth to speak, Levi also spoke.

"So, I-"

"You did well."

They simultaneously paused to understand what the other had said, both taken aback.

"I-I'm sorry, you first, sir." Y/N stammered out after a moment.

"Uhh..." Levi felt his face grow hot, which both embarrassed and aggravated him. He cleared his throat and attempted to start over.

"I...apologize. Please, you first."

"Oh!…Well, I was just on my way to see you, actually," Y/N admitted, unconsciously turning her face away.

Levi suddenly forgot all he had planned to say to her, instead just settling to watch her as she awkwardly looked at anything but his face. Suddenly he felt overwhelmed by her presence and wasn't sure how to react. But after a moment, he composed himself and decided how he wanted to continue from here.

"I'm glad you were. I'd like a word with you, if you have the time to spare," he finally managed.

Y/N's eyes lit up, but before she could respond, a loud screech followed by the thudding of footsteps filled the corridor around them.

"Y/N!!"

Both Levi and Y/N turned sharply towards the noise, only to see Hange running full speed up the hall their way towards them.

Levi couldn't believe his luck today. First Erwin, now Hange? He folded his arms across his chest and stared Hange down as they finally came to a stop, yet they didn't seem to take any notice. Instead, they ran directly towards Y/N and came to a stop less then two feet from the poor girl's face.

"Y/N, you have to help me!" They blurted.

"Hange? What's wrong?"

Y/N was immediately distracted.

"You see....My poor test subject broke free of his restraints during testing...I could use some help subduing him?" Hange gave Y/N their best pleading look, which seems to do the trick. Sadly.

"Okay, okay, I'll be right there! Levi just needs a word with me first..." Y/N turned to look at Levi with a hopeful smile, but the man couldn't help but sigh.

"Go, this is obviously more important than a few words," he scoffed.

A slightly hurt look flashed through Y/N eyes before Hange grabbed her by the arm.

"Thanks shorty, I'll bring her back!"

With that hasty promise, Hange soon disappeared with Y/N in tow.

Once again, Levi stood alone.

"Damn them," Levi cursed under his breath as he wandered off from his office to find something else to distract his mind from her with.

═══════════

At this point, the sun was beginning to set below the horizon. The halls were near silent and completely empty. The only movement to be seen was the flickering of candle light produced from lanterns in the halls, covering the stone walls and floors in unique shapes and patterns.

Once more, Levi sat at his desk; a mug of warm tea in one hand and an ink quill in the other. Yet he had nothing to write, despite the many words that swam around in his head.

"Shitty brain....shitty feelings," he muttered to himself. Still, he couldn't figure out these strange sensations plaguing his mind and heart, despite the three years he'd spent trying.

Just then, a quiet knock sounded at his door. Barely lifting his head to investigate, he grumbled out a quick 'come in'.

The door opened, and light footsteps made their way over towards his desk. Still he didn't look up, already fed up with his day.

That was, until the person cleared their throat nervously.

Whipping his head up, he met the gaze of a rather sheepish looking Y/N.

"Hey, I uhh, finished helping Hange," she grinned. Upon seeing her smile, Levi couldn't help but return a small one of his own, though to most it appeared as more of a grimace than a gesture of relief.

Y/N took a seat opposite him at his desk, and so began their little chat.

A little chat turned into an interesting conversation. A conversation led into a lengthy discussion, which in turn led to their opening up to one another. Neither of them paid any attention to the passage of time, which flew by them in what felt like the blink of an eye.

And at lost last, he finally found his moment to compliment the enchanting woman sitting across from him, in his own way.

Finally.

[oneyeartoparty]

The Brothers react to an MC revealing they have a chronic illness

This is based off of my own experiences with my chronic illness. I hope it brings you all joy. Have an awesome day!

Lucifer

Already knows about your chronic illness because it was in the dossier he received on you for the exchange program.

At first, he checks in on you and makes sure you have everything you need. He asks you to update him when you need anything resupplied and will ensure you have access to any medical services you may need.

When you start to grow closer, he becomes far more attentive. His check-ins focus much more on how you’re doing and if he can help in any way more than just a checklist he got from Diavolo. He asks many questions and gets to know how your illness affects you and how he can best help.

If you ever need to go to the doctor, he’ll offer to accompany you, and will shift around his schedule so that he’s available, no matter how late notice it is. If you ask he’ll come to see the doctor with you, and if not, he’ll wait in the waiting room until your done. He’ll also takes you for a special treat after every appointment, or have a present waiting for you when you both arrive back at the House of Lamentation.

If there has been some bad news or you’re having a bad day, he’ll lavish you with love and attention until you feel better. He buys numerous different teas for you to try and makes you your preferred flavours when you’re unwell.

It’s not an uncommon sight for you to wake up to Lucifer doing his work in your room so he can watch over you. Doing this helps keep him reassured your ok and that someone is there if you need help.

Mammon

Lucifer told him about your chronic illness when he was assigned to look after you. He didn’t consider it at first; after all, he didn’t want to be looking after you in the first place.

This quickly changes as he becomes attached to you. If anyone will keep an eye on you and make sure you’re doing ok, it’ll be him. After all, he is your first, and no one can look after his human better than him.

He asks you about your chronic illness and how it affects you. He wants to learn as much as possible so he can always be there to help.

If you’re having a bad day, he turns into a mother hen. He watches over you the entire day, getting you anything you need (and a few things he thinks you’ll need or will make you feel better).

He also grows concerned when you aren’t doing the best, but he tries to hide it because he doesn’t want to upset you. But he sometimes needs cuddles, so he’ll cuddle up to you with the excuse of doing it to make you feel better. If you can’t do cuddles, he’ll stroke the top of your head or sit as close as he can to you and tell you fun stories or discuss the latest happenings in the Devildom.

He set up a small space in your room for his things so he can sleep in your room if you need someone there. He has a similar area for you in his room, should you need to or want to stay the night.

Leviathan

When you tell Levi, it doesn’t change his opinion of you at all. You’ve been there for him through so much, and he will be there for you no matter what. He knows he’s not the best with words; he gets nervous and struggles to get out what he wants to say. So, he decides to show you how much he cares with actions.

He does a lot of research online about your chronic illness. He talks to those suffering from the same illness and learns how to help you when you need it.

You always find little things from Levi. A note with a joke from an anime he’s been watching, a video game character plushie tucked into your bed for you to snuggle with, or something from Akuzon you’ve talked about buying. No matter how bad things get, Levi will find a way to cheer you up.

On your bad days, he moves into your room, or have you move into his. That way he’s there if you need him and he can spend time with you playing games, watching anime or simply laying together on your phones.

He sets up a gaming and entertainment space in your room for you. It has everything the two of you will need, from the latest gaming consoles to a DVD player so you can watch that super limited version of I was a wizard who accidentally turned myself into a goose, and now I have to save the kingdom by stealing a bell from the top of the evil queen’s castle that was only released on DVD.

He’ll also go to your room so you can do online classes together should you need to stay at the House of Lamentation.  Of course, this often leads to an impromptu gaming session or anime marathon rather than any work getting done, but the scolding from Lucifer is well worth it.

Satan

Satan immediately begins research into your chronic illness once you tell him. To him, knowledge is power, and knowing everything he can about your chronic illness is the best way to be there for you should you need him.

He’ll get as many books and papers as he can on your condition and keep himself up-to-date with the latest research. He keeps you updated on any developments, so you’re well informed about your condition.

Also keeps track of how your doing and makes a note of anything that arises. You joke that he’s your demon doctor with how much he knows about your illness.

He’ll smuggle in cats into the House of Lamentation to cheer you up. He secretly constructs a series of ramps up the side of the House leading to your room, so the cats have safe and easy access whenever you need some comfort. This leads to him spending a lot more time in your room with you and the ever-increasing number of cats.

If you’re having a bad day, he comes to your room with a stack of books and lets you pick one for him to read to you. He’ll keep a mental note of your favourites and bring similar books in the future. If you’re already reading something, he’ll read that for you instead.

To help you sleep, he’ll hum his favourite songs to you. He has an incredibly soothing hum that can relax and put anyone to sleep, whether human, cat or demon. If you’re ok with it, he’ll softly stroke the top of your head or the side of your arm as he hums.

If you can’t go to RAD, he’ll take notes for all the classes you miss and get any homework that’s handed out. Of course, Satan will be there to help you with any schoolwork you struggle with.

Asmodeus

When you first tell him, Asmo is shocked. You’ve always been so confident and strong around them and knowing you’ve been dealing with a chronic illness this whole time on top of everything that’s happened in the Devildom so far is a surprise

He respects and adores you even more now, and is incredibly grateful for all you’ve done for them, despite your struggles.

He reassures you’ll always be beautiful to him, no matter what. He also promises to go all out to show you how much he cares.

Can’t wear certain types of clothing or need special clothes made? No problem! He’ll make whatever you need. It’ll be made from the highest quality material and be in the latest style. He loves watching you try on everything he makes and adjusts it based on your feedback.

He has no issues cancelling a night out if you need him. There is no party or event in all the three realms more important to him than being there for you.

If you’re not doing well, Asmo will be ready to pamper you with a spa day. He’ll prepare a bath surrounded by candles and with your favourite scents in the water. With your permission, he’ll wash your hair with your favourite products, all while telling you about his latest Devildom gossip, his latest work at Majolish or his next photoshoot.

After the bath, its time for every treatment he can think of. A facial, manicure, pedicure and body massage are all on the table. He understands if you can’t or aren’t able to do certain treatments. He’ll find a way to show you how much he adores you, even if that’s just showering you with compliments.

Beelzebub

Beel is the most anxious of the brothers. He knows you’re not as strong as them, and knowing you have a chronic illness hammers that fact down for him.

You’re important to him, and he doesn’t like that you’re not always 100%. He wants to protect you and keep you safe but feels like he can’t. He struggles with this feeling at first but decides he’ll do his best to be there for you and protect you in every way he can.

If you have a special diet you need to follow or can’t eat certain foods, he’ll create a meal plan for you and make sure that there is enough food there you can eat whenever groceries are done.

He’ll also learn recipes that fit your dietary requirements. He doesn’t know much about cooking, and he struggles to finish without eating the ingredients, but he tries his hardest to make something for you. He ends up bringing in Belphie to help stop him from eating everything.

He does the same with a workout plan. He creates one that fits your needs and pace and stays with you, keeping an eye on you to make sure you’re not overwhelmed and giving you compliments on how well you’re doing.

Beel loves using tickles and hugs to cheer you up. Being engulfed in a massive hug from Beel or getting into a tickle war with him are always known to bring a smile to your face.

Also keeps a closer eye on the other demons. Humans are considered weak already, but because of your chronic illness, they may think you’re much easy target. Beel is there to remind them you have someone watching over you if any demons get any ideas.

Belphegor

He brushes it off as no big deal but is secretly almost as worried as Beel. Once you tell him, you notice him keeping a closer eye on you, especially when you’re out of the House of Lamentation. If you’re illness starts affecting you, Belphie will be by your side to check on you.

He slowly asks questions about your illness and its effect on you over time. Often when you settle down to nap, he’ll ask a question or two. He never falls asleep while you’re talking, and will be attentive the entire time.

If you need help getting to sleep, Belphie will be there with a quick text. He is open to snuggling you or being snuggled, whatever makes your sleep more peaceful.

He buys and tests a bunch of different blankets, pillows and bedsheets so you can get the best for when you need sleep. He is determined that your rest will be the best it can be.

He also lends you his pillow whenever you need it. This shocks his brothers at first because they know how much Belphie relies on his pillow when the urge to nap arises.

Even if you’ve had a horrible day, your dreams will be wonderful. Really into a new book or manga? You’re now the protagonist and get to explore the world at your leisure with him at your side. Are you missing the human world? Now you’re there, and it looks picture perfect. Whatever dream you want Belphie will meticulously make for you.

Secretly sets up a napping room full of only the comfiest blankets and pillows at RAD so the two of you can skip class and nap if you ever feel the need to rest.

[mangobilorian]

Cooperation | (explicit)

Pairing: Captain Rex x Reader

Genre: Smut

Words: 5085

read first chapter

Summary: You fully intend to get a night alone with your captain.

Even if it means disguising yourself and outrunning rabid paparazzi.

Many people think that princesses live in indulgence. Opulent palaces, luxurious vacations, rare fashion. They’re not wrong; most of the time you find yourself living a more expensive life than the majority of the galaxy. But the galaxy is at war. A war that your planet, including many others, was dragged into. A war that blurs the edges between right and wrong, loser and victor. In wartime, there’s little to celebrate except for winning battles. However, despite the war sowing chaos and famine and death among your people, you can say, with confidence, that there's one good outcome to come of it: Rex.

Rex has been your one indulgence in the entire war, ever since the first attack on your diplomatic mission to now, nestled next to him in a dark alleyway. You would never be caught in such a scandalous position, your head nuzzled into his neck, arms wrapped tight around his armored body. The thought of getting caught, ruining your reputation, and potentially being cast off from your family occurs to you almost immediately, but— wrapped in the comfort of Rex’s arms— you can ignore the impending consequences for a bit longer.

“Are they gone?”

“Hopefully. Let’s wait for a bit longer,” Rex says, voice a filtered whisper above your head. He leans back, eyeing you through his visor. It’s not his usual helmet, no blue paint or jaig eyes or tally marks. No, he wears a simple white one to match his mostly-new, slightly scuffed armor. You remember him telling you that he swiped it off a shiny. The disguise worked of course; since the army is made up of identical men, civilians won’t bat an eye. As for your disguise… you should have worn better makeup and maybe a less transparent headdress. Or possibly a sturdier one? Honestly, you should have dressed up as anyone but a Pantoran. Oh well. You didn’t listen to Riyo when she said the plan wouldn’t work, but it’s not her place to talk when she has her own clone commander to sneak out with.

“You good? How’s the makeup holding up?” You frown. The blue paint already faded from your fingers long ago when you first held a cold glass of beer. It was an amateur move, and you’ll use better body paint next time. If there is a next time.

“I feel sticky. And hot.” Rex chuckles, causing you to rock in his arms.

“We did run around Coruscant.” He lifts a finger to your cheek and wipes. “Yeah, the yellow is completely gone.” Of course. The distinctive Pantoran markings were the first to go once you and Rex started fleeing. Rex peers over your shoulder and slowly detaches himself. You try not to whine at the loss of contact, but you do anyway, and Rex gives your shoulder a gentle squeeze. “Come on.” His hand warms your own and, despite being slightly overheated due to an unforeseen chase, you welcome it.

Together, you dart between buildings and people. As you near a more commercial area, the crowds begin to grow. Rex separates himself, opting to walk a few paces behind. Even with the headdress on, you make sure to duck your head. No one questions Rex since the armor is a big enough deterrent. When you see two Coruscant guards, you force yourself to keep moving. It would be more suspicious for you to wait for a random clone trooper talking to his brothers.

By the time they reach Rex, you’re far enough ahead that you can’t make out their conversation. As much as you want to hide and wait for him so you can maintain a reasonable distance, you have another task at hand. You hail down a speeder cab, making small talk with the droid driver. Just before you speed off, you turn to Rex, a few meters behind. He scratches his helmet, once, twice. To anyone else, it wouldn’t be anything of note. To you, it’s a sign that he understands. Feeling reassured, you speed off.

The entire ride through the busy Coruscant night traffic is in complete silence. While the droid tries to make some conversation, your mind is entirely focused on one clone captain. The last time you both had the chance to meet was around three standard months ago. His recent campaign had been a long one, and he didn’t want to talk about it. You understand. It’s hard to lose fellow soldiers. It’s even harder when they’re your own brothers.

Despite not having any siblings of your own (courtesy of the strict regulations on the ruling family), you know what it’s like to lose the ones you care about. The last three months have been hard on you too: traveling all over the galaxy, passing legislation at home, dealing with scheming politicians. But the majority of your worry centered around Rex and how he was doing. It's sad, you think, that the moment he got back, he had to immediately deal with the complexity of your relationship.

He never explicitly told his brothers about you, but they know him well enough to read between the lines. Especially Kix. The medic figured out Rex’s feelings before he even confessed. He never compromised his duties, but suspicious marks on his neck and sneaking out at random hours only added to the theories. You worried that the rumor mill would spread, and your relationship would reach your parents.

While you might be stripped of your title as princess or forced to marry someone else, Rex faces the very real threat of decommissioning. Or reconditioning. Thankfully, the clones only gossiped amongst themselves. So while an entire battalion could know certain, scandalous details, no one else (not even their commanding Jedi) would know.

When Rex got back, you planned a simple date night at a bar with him. With precautions and his brothers’ discreet help, of course. He had to dress up as a shiny since, as Anakin Skywalker’s second in command, he was among the most recognizable clones. For you, a princess who’s friends with multiple senators, the spotlight isn’t new. Everything was going well, and you were well on your way to being tipsy. But—as odds have it— you were spotted. The people who saw you hounded you with questions. What neither you nor Rex knew at the time, was that a female Pantoran celebrity landed on Coruscant the day before. The media hoped to catch a glimpse of her and, despite your yellow tattoos looking nothing like hers, they latched onto you. And the fact that a clone trooper was next to you. You sincerely hope the real Pantoran won’t suffer too much from the media’s onslaught.

The droid’s robotic voice jolts you out your thoughts. Fumbling a bit, you insert a credit chit (a temporary, untraceable one), and hop off. The apartment building itself isn’t that discrete. While the building doesn’t reek of poverty, it pales in comparison to your regular Coruscant residence. You think of the handmaidens and guards you tricked and hope they aren’t too mad you snuck out.

Sighing, you enter the unit and flick on some lights when something grabs you. It’s a testament to your upbringing that you don’t scream outright. Or attack back. The attacker in question begins laughing, a full-bellied, happy laugh. You’d smile if it weren’t at your expense.

There, grinning from ear to ear, Rex stands, one hand on your arm.

“How did you get here before me?” He shrugs, leading you further into the unit and tossing you a pack of wipes.

“Skipper and Boot dropped me off two buildings down.” Ah. The two Coruscant guards, you suspect. You begin wiping the blue paint off your face and neck first before moving onto your hands.

“They weren’t suspicious?” Rex gives you a little grin before sliding a hand to your backside and giving a little squeeze. You yelp, more out of how uncharacteristic it is than surprise. You try to levy a glare, but his smug face is too much of a deterrent. Bastard. Hot, sexy, romantic bastard.

“I’m not the first clone who snuck off to an apartment building. And since I look shiny, they were even more willing.” He takes the wipe from your hand, rubbing at the spots you miss, and you have to stop from swooning at how sweet he is.

“Oh really?”

“Yeah, something about ‘little brothers growing up.’ I told them I had a hot Pantoran waiting for me, and they broke half a dozen laws to get me here.” You raise a brow, a smile tugging at your lips.

“That eager, huh?”

“Always,” Rex whispers. It occurs to you, just now, how close you are. Sometime during your conversation, Rex had maneuvered you to press against his armorless chest, one hand on your waist, the other on your lower back. He tugs you even closer, and you can feel the hardness of his muscles beneath his skin-tight blacks. You realize, with some disappointment, that you’re still fully clothed in a heavy outfit, cloak, and headdress. Rex seems to have the same realization, and he leans down to steal a kiss.

You let him, closing your eyes and reveling in the steady, comforting way his lips move against yours. A hand slides up your shoulders, and you hear the gentle thud of your cloak falling. The fresh air against your now bare arms makes you gasp, and Rex takes the opportunity to brush his tongue on the roof of your mouth. You shudder, head already swirling at the sensation.

Rex leads you with a steady grip on your waist. You don’t bother separating, and stumble a bit. He catches you, and you giggle, breath mixing with his own. The ground moves beneath you before something hard presses into the backs of your knees. You open your eyes just as you tumble backwards into the bed, headdress already discarded. Rex gives you a smile, trying to be seductive but looking much too adorable. You can’t help but laugh. He flushes, the beautiful red decorating his dark skin, and his cuteness increases tenfold. It gives you whiplash, honestly, how someone so hot and sturdy can be a total, bumbling sweetheart.

Hands grab at the closures on the side of your dress, and you shift downwards to allow the garment to slip off. Rex throws the dress to the side, and if it were anyone else, you’d complain. The dress, despite being a disguise, is still a collector’s item from Alderaan’s latest fashion season. But, since Rex was the one to haphazardly throw the dress equivalent of priceless art on the ground, you hold your tongue. Actually, you open your mouth, but only to let Rex slide his tongue into it.

Moaning around his lips, you feel the rest of your undergarments loosen and fall aside. In your haze, you grasp at Rex’s biceps, pleased at the strength under his muscles. You slide a hand down his chest, feeling every hard plane, every dip. Rex pulls off you for a moment, eyes wandering over your exposed body. He unzips his blacks hastily, almost desperately, and you mourn about the fact that you didn’t have enough time to admire Rex in his blacks. It’s a simple protective undergarment, but the way it hugs his body is much too tantalizing for you.

You sit up on the bed, bracing yourself on your elbows, and watch. The material clings to his skin, even as he wiggles out of it. It’s tempting to say that he strips sexily. With his darkened eyes and languid movements, Rex definitely looks like a seasoned man. But the concentration on his face alongside the uncooperative fabric makes him seem all too adorable. You want to laugh again but opt for sending him a smile instead. Just because Rex’s ego isn’t high doesn’t mean you should damage it right before sex.

You don’t bother hiding your appreciation as he reveals more skin. Finally, after what feels like hours of agony, Rex stands bare. Without another second to spare, he leans over you, nudging you to your back. Lips graze over yours for a moment before forcing your mouth open. Groaning, you wrap your arms around Rex’s broad shoulders.

He slides you up the bed, closer to the headboard, and his lips leave yours before attaching to your neck. The steady sucking and occasional bite make your head dizzy, and you close your eyes. Your cunt throbs already, anticipating, waiting. Rex shifts, tongue licking at the skin below your collarbone, and you feel something half-hard against your leg. It feels good, like always, to have Rex’s mouth on you, but a sudden thought pierces through your hazy mind.

“No. Visible… marks,” you manage to say. Rex’s head lifts from his assault on your neck.

“Oh. Forgot about that,” he says, sending you a sheepish smile. He’s cute, you think. Too cute. And, despite being so much bigger and stronger, you have the urge to wrap him up in a big hug and protect him forever. After you get your brains fucked out of course. It seems like he’s on the same wavelength, and his adorable face plunges into the valley between your breasts and- oh .

Rex goes straight for sucking and biting and licking everywhere but the one place you need him. By the time Rex finishes marking your entire chest, your nipples almost ache at being left untouched. You whine, going so far as pushing his head closer to you. He chuckles, and his warm breath feels so good against your already heated skin. Finally, after moments of pure torture, his tongue grazes over your right nipple.

You moan, momentarily satisfied. Laying here, with Rex’s mouth on you, feels better than expensive vacations or gaudy clothes or aged alcohol. Rex makes you descend into pure bliss, and he manages it with foreplay alone. You shift a bit, trying to open your legs to wrap around his waist. He lifts up, and your legs ease out from beneath him.

With Rex paying attention to your chest, you take the opportunity to grind up against him. Your clit grazes against his lower abdomen, just above the thing you desperately want inside you. But you have some patience and, since it took a lot of work to plan this night, you have hours to spare. The thought makes you giddy; hours alone with Rex sounds like the closest thing to heaven.

You rock gently against him, the grinding just enough to satisfy you. Rex, ever the vigilant lover, takes notice and separates from your chest. Before you can whine, he unhooks your legs from his waist and crawls down. A moment later, he wraps his arms around your thighs, encasing his head between your legs. You only have a second to breathe before a warm tongue touches you right there . Your right leg drops to the bed, no longer held, and a hand reaches up to wrap around your breast.

Rex’s tongue circles your clit, once, twice, three times in slow, delicate motions. It’s akin to torture and only makes your clit throb. You try to push up off the bed, but his grip on your left leg traps you down. The only thing you can do is throw your head back and close your eyes.

“F-fuck, Rex. Too… slow,” you groan. He chuckles in response, the uneven vibrations of his voice making you even hotter. Rex squeezes your breast for a brief moment then begins to suck on your clit in earnest. He alternates between sucking and using his tongue to swipe in multiple directions. Up and down, left and right, even a constant pulsing motion centered around your clit. To add to your yearning, he doesn’t even touch your center. You know, without a doubt, that you must be dripping.

All it takes a long swipe up your entire cunt for you to scream. Thankfully, you manage to throw a hand over your mouth despite your head being too fuzzy to think about anything else. His tongue continues to lick you, coaxing you through the high, until you whine about overstimulation. After a minute or two, your breathing slows, and the tingles all over your body seem to subside. When you open your eyes, you see Rex grinning over you. His mouth is shiny and wet—your doing, you think with pride— and you pull him in for a kiss, not minding the taste.

“Good?” he murmurs softly against your swollen lips.

“Yeah. Very good,” you say and pull away for a second to plant a messy kiss on his neck. Just as you open your mouth to suck a hickey there, Rex backs off. Suppressing a pout, your eyes trail from his neck, down his chest, and to the very hard cock Rex holds in his hand.

He spreads your legs with his knees, and lowers down. A hand hovers right above your mouth. You give Rex the sexiest look you can manage—to which he responds with an endearing smile— as you lick a wet stripe down his palm. You take two of his fingers in your mouth, sucking and swirling with your tongue. His smile transforms into something hungrier, more primal, and you clench around empty air. It’s messy and wet and much too hot, even for you. Against your protests, Rex retracts his hand. He pumps himself once, twice. Despite him already being hard, his cock seems to grow larger. He has a prominent vein on the underside of his cock, a glistening red tip. You want him in your mouth but… Force, you need him inside you first.

“ Please , Rex,” you plead. He presses himself against your core, and thrusts his hips up and down, coating his cock with your wetness. His motions cause the head to brush against your pulsing clit.

When he’s satisfied, Rex pushes in just a little bit. “Ready?” You nod desperately, too excited to think straight. Rex groans as he slides in the rest of the way. It’s a tight fit— Rex is a supersoldier, and you haven’t had sex in three months— but Rex manages to fill you up perfectly. The first time you had sex had been a tad painful. The both of you were inexperienced since he never bothered with sex, and you had a reputation to think about. Granted, you fucked in an empty closet aboard a Star Destroyer, which might have added to the somewhat painful encounter. But here, trapped by his arms in a secret apartment, you’re proud to say that Rex stretches you in the most delicious way without any hints of real pain.

He pulls back a little bit before thrusting a little harder, and he starts at a steady pace. It’s not fucking, but Rex definitely isn’t going as slow as he can. There’s a slight urgency in his movements, a hint of care and intimacy. He leans over you, bracing himself on his elbows, and you grip his biceps, his hips meeting yours with every thrust.

“Fuck...,” he groans. “You’re so. Kriffing. Tight,” he says, dipping his head into your neck. You feel the bare trace of teeth and tense, slightly worried about marks, but it’s his tongue that darts to the dip above your collarbone.

Rex alternates between an in-out-in-out-in-out motion and grinding as you reach down to rub your clit. “So good,” you mewl, baring your neck for Rex. It’s altogether a bit too much: your fingers combined with Rex’s cock send you spiraling. You can feel the tell-tale sign of an orgasm coming— the urge for release just barely out of reach.

“Close?”

“Hmm... yeah.” Rex detaches himself, and you pout. The absence of his chest on yours allows the room’s air to cool your sweaty, heated skin. His thrusts slow until they stop. Frowning, you try to grind back, but Rex places a hand on your lower stomach and presses down.

“Can we change positions? For a bit?” Rex asks, looking shy despite his cock seated deep inside you. You nod; the brief interruption already has your orgasm dancing even further out of reach.

Rex pulls out in one motion, and you groan at the sudden loss. You spare a glance at his cock, moaning all the while. Rex flushes. Cute.

Hands grip your hips and gently urge you to turn. You follow his instruction, pushing yourself up on your elbows to flip and lie on your stomach. The air feels good against your back, and you prop your knees up, face planted into the sheets. It’s a presentation of sorts, a tantalizing, submissive position. You shake your ass for a good measure and smile when you hear Rex’s breath hitch.

You yelp when a rough hand grips your ass for a second, squeezing tight , before leaving. Then a sharp slap rings throughout the room, and a distinctive, stinging pain registers. “Good?” Rex asks, voice throaty and raw and much too attractive.

“Yes, captain,” you say, smiling into the sheets. When you first addressed him by rank, you had been making out in an empty medbay. He came in his blacks—armor included— and apologized profusely to which you responded with another kiss.

Rex slaps you again, and you jolt in surprise. The force isn’t hard, but it surprises you nonetheless. You feel two hands on each of your cheeks, and they pull at the flesh there, exposing you. The air feels good on both your holes but not as good as Rex manhandling you. He pushes your cheeks together and apart again. Rex moves them up and down too, pinching at the junction of your ass and thighs, massaging your lower back. He’s playing, you realize, and you love it. “Your ass is so fucking good,” he groans, sending another slap down. One of his hands snake to your waist and grips the skin there.

“Please, captain. I need-” Rex shuffles on his knees a bit and, without warning, pushes into you all the way. At this angle, he fills you deeper than before, and you have no choice but to take it. Rex starts slowly, making sure you get used to the new position. A hand settles on the dip of your lower back.

He grinds down and little by little starts to pick up the pace. His speed pushes you up the bed, and you can hear the supports squeak against the floor. You manage to sneak a hand between your body and the bed, finding your clit with practiced ease. As you begin rubbing yourself in desperate figure-eights, Rex thrusts a little faster, a little harder. He presses down, rocking your whole body, forcing all coherent thoughts out your head.

“You like that, princess?” You can only groan in reply, the warmth in your stomach building. “So kriffing hot,” he grunts and licks a blistering stripe up your spine. He presses in as deep as he can and, instead of almost pulling out and ramming back in like before, he thrusts shallower but harder. The increased pressure makes your head loll, and you distinctly feel a wet pool by your chin where you drooled.

Your fingers on your clit pick up their pace, bordering on pure agony and pleasure. You forget following patterns and move messily to stimulate your clit. It’s harder to keep your hand there though because Rex leans over to press against your back, trapping you. His chest is sweaty but hard and sturdy and firm. “ Fuck , princess. You’re so good to me.” He sends a particularly hard thrust into you, and you yelp at the pressure.

“I- kriff- love you, Rex,” you breathe out, mind delirious but honest. Your confession seems to send him into a frenzy because he pulls away, grabs your biceps to haul you off the bed, and sets a bruising pace. He bends you so your back arcs, face upturned to the ceiling while the captain pounds into you from behind.

Lips attach to your right shoulder, and you keen as Rex bites down. With every thrust in and out, you hear the sinful way your ass smacks against his hips, the wet squelch of his cock rearranging your guts. Rex’s rough grunts when he grinds deeper into you, your choked moans at his roughness. He rocks against you, pushing up-up-up . It’s thrilling: being used like this. You’re like a rag doll in his arms. And it’s oh so delightful to let Rex wreck you. With his speed and aggression, your breasts bounce uncontrollably, almost painfully. In your haze, you manage to cup your chest with your hands, trying to ease the pain. Your fingers roll around your stiff nipples which sends a new wave of pleasure to your cunt. But you can barely hold on; the sheer speed makes your breasts bounce too fast. Rex’s thrusts send your hands tumbling away, unable to grip on.

The bruising pace makes your eyes roll, and you finally let go. Your entire body goes limp in Rex’s hold, content to let him have your heart and your body and your mind. He continues to use you, not relenting in his pace. Sensing your tiredness, Rex lowers you to the bed, unlatching his hands from your biceps but keeping one on your lower back, still pounding into you.

It takes three more deep thrusts before you come, gasping into the pillow. Colors burst behind your closed eyelids, clouds of pure pleasure and dizziness and affection. Rex grunts once, twice, and tenses, groaning. You feel a warm burst, and suddenly, you’re fuller than you thought possible.

He drapes his body over yours, and the both of you stay there, content to be together. It takes minutes before you return to your senses, and even then you’re still a little fuzzy. He stays inside you the whole time, and you feel his cock soften with a slight throb here and there. Even while limp, however, he still manages to fill you enough so nothing leaks out.

Something gentle brushes against the side of your face, tethering you to the physical world. “Love you too, princess,” he whispers, pressing a kiss to your cheek. “My cyare,” Rex adds with another kiss on your neck. You shiver despite feeling much too hot and grin into the bed.

A moment later, he pulls away, the both of you groaning. You feel empty and cold, and your cunt clenches as he leaves. A steady trickle of his release drips down your skin and onto the sheets below. Rex lets you go and, with an undignified grunt, you roll to your back, Rex joining you. The two of you lay there, basking in the aftermath. More cum drips out of you, and the thought makes your clit throb. Fuck, you just came twice and you’re already horny again.

“Come here,” Rex orders, tugging you into a hug. He grabs two pillows and places them under your heads, but you migrate over to his. “Pillow stealer,” he accuses. You smile back. After all, it’s much better to share one pillow. He drapes an arm over your torso, and you nuzzle into his neck.

“That was good,” you murmur.

“Yeah? You liked that?” There’s a small hint of vulnerability in his voice, something unsure and worried.

“Of course. You know what I like.”

“I guess... I didn’t go too hard, did I? You went limp all of a sudden, and I thought I hurt you.” You separate from his neck, looking up at his concerned face.

“You’d never hurt me. Never. It just felt so good that I let go. I’d… like that again,” you blink up at him. Already, the pull of sleep calls to you.

“Oh. Ok.” His eyes drift down to your neck. “Sorry.”

“Hmm?”

“There’s quite a few visible marks.” You smile tiredly at his guilty expression.

“I can cover it with makeup. I’ve gotten better at it, haven’t I?” The both of you laugh. Rex places a hand on the back of your head and tugs you closer. You entangle your legs and, with a shy smile, feel the wet trace of his cum spill down your thighs. He seems to feel it too because he tenses. Worried that he might be uncomfortable, you try to pull back but stop when something nudges against you.

“Already? How?”

Rex grins. “Enhanced human, remember? Besides, you’re sexy and naked and tight.”

“And wet,” you add on.

“And wet.”

“I’m a little tired though,” you say as a yawn escapes your lips. While the thought of getting fucked by Rex again is enough for even more of his cum to gush out, you’re still tired. The whole day has been exhausting: putting on a disguise, running from the press, and getting fucked by the man you love.

“If you want, you don’t have to move.”

“Oh?” He hums, tracing a nonsensical pattern on your skin.

“I’ll be on top and you can lay there. You can even sleep.” The idea is tempting; not having to do anything while Rex fucks you sounds like a dream. But you want to make sure he doesn’t get too tired or feel like he’s being used. He deserves to relax. You think of ways to show him how much he deserves it. Maybe later, after a round or two, you can wrap your mouth around him, bob your head, and taste him for the first time in three months. Swirl your tongue on the underside and-

Well. You’re tired but still very much horny.

“If you really want to.”

“Oh I definitely want to, princess.” You giggle at his enthusiasm and place a tiny kiss on his collarbone, eyes almost closing out of exhaustion.

“Well then, captain, go ahead.” He pulls away to lean down and peck your lips then turns you to lie flat on your back, already slicking his impossibly hard cock against your cum-filled, dripping cunt. Rex slots into you and the intrusion is tighter than before. You’re already a little sore, and you definitely won’t be walking straight tomorrow. He thrusts shallowly then slowly picks up the pace, grunting delicious sounds. Part of you wants to stay awake just to see and hear him. But a bigger part of you wants to rest, and his promise of fucking you to sleep is too novel and exciting to pass up.

The last thing you see before you sleep are his golden eyes looking equal parts hungry and adoring.

[welcome-to-afterlife]

I just read the obey me after life ell crossover and I'm so excited to see the next post because it was 🔥🔥🔥 but now my brain at 3 am is chugging out a custody battle for mc fanfic that I'll never write and I'm holding you accountable for it

Finally finished! This is a lot longer than I thought it would be, but I still had a lot of fun writing it.

AFTERL!FE X OBEY ME CROSSOVER

The air was buzzing with tension. Hushed voices filled the room as spectators poured into the courtroom, both from Devildom and the Otherworld. Humans and demons sat in the audience, waiting for the historical decision made today. No human from the Otherworls had ever been sentenced to work at Devildom, but that was about to change.

Both the defendants and plaintiffs sat at the front of the room. On the left side, the Morningstar family were checking over all their belongings to make sure they hadn't forgotten anything. Besides them was the future king of Devildom, Diavolo, and his butler, Barbatos. Lucifer was talking to Diavolo with great concern, pointing to Solomon, who was shuffling through the endless papers on his desk. Although the sorcerer had never touched a law textbook in his life, the Otherworld laws had a strict human-attorney-only (dead or alive) policy.  While Lucifer insisted on contacting his lawyer contacts in the human realm, Diavolo opted for Solomon. The future king of Devildom claimed that Solomon had the best understanding of their situation and that his slithery tongue would be the cause for their victory. Lucifer could only hope that he was right.

On the right side was noisy chatter from Nyang Lead Manager, Housemaster Sei, and the soul reapers from the 14th Department. Unlike Lucifer, the reapers were confident and relaxed. They had the upper-hand in the situation as Youssef, the lawyer with an record-breaking winning streak, was their attorney. The only being that was anxious was the Lead Manager, who was too busy hissing at Youssef to notice the judge entering the room.

As the judge walked into the room, the crowd became silent. Behind her was the manager of the 14th Department-- the focus of the case. The judge stood at the center podium while the manager positioned themselves behind the left podium.

"Welcome everyone. Today we will begin the formal proceedings for the civil case Morningstar vs. The 14th Department." The judge slammed the gavel on the podium. "I will decide whether the manager of the 14th Department should transfer to Devildom or continue their activites in the Otherworld. We will begin the proceedings by asking the plaintiff to state their case."

That was Solomon's cue. He stood up and cleared his throat. "Your honor, the Morningstar family-"

"Make it quick, dumbass. You guys are gonna lose anyways," Quincy shouted from the opposite side.

The entire court turned to him, including the judge. "Sir, I highly suggest that you compose yourself in this professional environment or else your will be forcibly removed. Mr. Solomon, you may continue."

Ethan rolled his eyes and whispered, "Great going, you brat."

Mammon and Levi snickered as Quincy crossed his arms and glared at them.

Solomon glanced at his papers once more, before continuing. "As I was saying, the Morningstar family believes that the 14th Department's manager is best suited for Devildom. They have already spent an entire year as an exchange student and returned for an additional amount of time. We believe that their managerial expertise would benefit the exchange program as the manager would be in charge of guiding new exchange students. As a human, they would be able to provide emotional support and act as a resource for information....."

The brothers watched in amazement as Solomon handled himself with poise and grace. Diavolo grinned and elbowed Lucifer's ribs. I told you he'd be great.

"Wow, he's almost as good as Lucifer," Satan said.

"Who knew that academia could be so sexy?" Asmo whispered.

"Looool so you're into nerds now?" Levi asked.

"I'm hungry," Beel groaned.

"Shut up, all of you. Or else I'll hang you from the roof by your feet," Lucifer hissed.

"Hey, I didn't say anything! Why ya threaten' me?" Mammon exclaimed.

Meanwhile, the soul reapers began to worry. Solomon was a lot more throughout than they had expected. The longer he talked, the more likely the judge would agree with him. Ell, in particular, was so anxious that he went on another sneezing fit. Although Licht tried to assure him that everything would be alright, Ell couldn't ignore the possibility of losing the manager. He was supposed to be their guardian angel. What type of angel was he if he couldn't protect them from other people? Fortunately, Housemaster Sei anticipated this, so brought a noise-canceling mask for the angel.

Once  Solomon finished presenting his case, the judge spoke. "Thank you, Mr. Solomon. Now we will ask the defendant to speak."

Yousseff shuffled his papers. He took a deep breath and stood before the court.

"Your Honor," he started. "The 14th Department believes that the manager should not transfer to Devildom. This the first manager in the soul reaper history. Consider it a test run, if you will. With the manager, we will be able to determine whether having a manager is effective in soul reaper activity, especially purification rates."

He took a paper filled with graphs and charts. "According to this report from the Reaper Archives,  the 14th Department had the lowest purification rates last 5 years."

"What the hell? Is he trying to embarrass us?" Sian shook his head.

"Have some trust in him. After all, he's the lawyer," Nine shrugged.

"With this in mind, the department leaders believed that we would benefit from additional managerial support. And ever since then, our purification rates have increased by 30%. Furthermore, we are the only department to have such a large in increase in rates while maintaining the ethical aspect of purification." Youssef continued.

"If that is the case, why not take another human as the manager? Mr. Solomon made it clear that the manager was the first exchange student who has extraordinary magical capabilities, so their presence is important in Devildom. What makes them so special that you cannot retrieve a replacement?"

"Yeah, why can't y'all just pluck another human from your Otherworld thingy?" Mammon leaned back in his seat.

"How about I pluck your glasses and shove them up your ass," Quincy snorted.

"Why use glasses when there are a whole variety of toys? That's much more fun, no?" Asmo said.

"Sir-" The judge started.

"There are children in the room, you filthy, narcissistic freak," Ethan snorted.

"Order!" The judge shouted.

"Don't talk to my brother like that!" Satan shouted.

"Then stop trying to steal our manager, or else I'll bite you!" Kati growled.

Mammon laughed. "Listen pipsqueak. You see Beel over here?" He patted Beelzebub's muscles. "He'd swallow you whole and eat the rest of your team."

"Well I'll be happy to inform you that I've got a whole magical book on how to control demons," Ghilley held up a golden book in his hands.

"Order in the court!" The judge shouted again.

Lucifer glared at the soul reaper, his wings slowly unveiling themselves from his back. "Where did you find that?"

The judge sighed. "Sir, didn't I just-"

Quincy snickered. "What? Now you're scared of some tiny book? I thought you were supposed to have big ego. You know, after God kicked you out of-"

Lucifer lunged for the younger demon. Mori pulled out his cards and threw them at Lucifer's direction. The Avatar of Pride dodged, shifting his target to Mori. But before he could cause further damage, Diavolo and Barbatos grabbed his arms.

"I'm so sorry for Lucifer's outburst. However Quincy, that's a large statement from a demon with a major inferiority complex," Diavolo's smile was tight and thin.

"Alright let me at this motherf-" Quincy ran, but Ethan and June held him back.

"Order in the court!" The judge slammed the gavel. "The next person to speak out of turn will be permanently banned from this establishment."

Everyone sat back in their seats, sending glares to the opposition. The judge looked at Youssef, who continued his case.

Once Youssef ended presenting his case, the judge thanked him and reexamined the paper on their desk.

After a minute a long minute of silence, the judge removed her glasses. "Well both sides make compelling arguments with the manager's prescience needed at both locations. However, we're missing the most important part."

She turned to the manager. "My decision is entirely based on your response to this question, so I'd like you to answer it with some thought."

The manager nods. "I'm ready."

"Do you want to stay in the Otherworld or live in Devildom?"

[vannahfanfics]

Hello! For my final one-shot prize, may I have Sting x Yukino with the prompt "White"?

Thanks for your patience! Here you are~

Magnolia

Yukino’s toffee-colored eyes were scrunched up in nervous panic as she slowly poked her head into the threshold of the door to peer into the bustling party within. Lucy had been kind enough to invite her to the celebration of her publishing deal, and of course Yukino had elected to attend the fellow Celestial Spirit mage’s honoring of her momentous achievement. However, though she felt very comfortable around Lucy and her inner circle of friends- comfortable enough to have paid many visits to her apartment in the last several months- she was suddenly feeling a little out of place surrounded almost entirely by Fairy Tail mages. She wished she had at least brought along a plus one; Lucy wouldn’t have minded in the slightest.

Sting would have come with me… she thought with a blush creeping onto her cheeks. There was nothing for it now, however; she was all trussed up and at the venue, so she might as well give Lucy her congratulations. She sucked in a sharp breath through her nose and straightened up, making sure the flowy skirt of her long white dress contained no creases before confidently striding into the large hall.

A few of the mages gave her passing glances, and a few of the friendlier ones jovial waves and cheerful greetings, but for the most part Yukino was unnoticed as she proceeded into the crowd. She found the pretty blonde by the refreshments table chatting animatedly with a short, petite blue-haired girl Yukino dimly remembered as Levy. Yukino approached cautiously, not wishing to interrupt an obviously animated conversation, but the other girl noticed her incoming and pointed it out to Lucy. Yukino’s cheeks reddened a little as Lucy spun on her heel with an excited squeal and dashed right up to throw her arms around Yukino in a firm hug.

“Yukino! I’m glad you could make it!” Following the initial shock of the sudden embrace, Yukino relaxed and returned the sentiment.

“Of course. Congratulations on your publishing deal. I know you’ve worked very hard!” she said while patting the top of her head affectionally. Lucy pulled back to give her a beaming smile that scrunched her eyes up into little crescent moons. Yukino always had marveled at how the girl could smile with her entire being. Lucy’s face then took on a playful and almost mischievous grin.

“So? Where’s Sting?” Yukino released a very unflattering choking sound at the very brazen inquiry and the even more brazen implications. Despite herself, Yukino maniacally glanced around the nearby crowd to see if she could catch a glimpse of him; when she could not, she began to suspect that Lucy was cruelly joshing her and gave her a dour pout. “Don’t look at me like that! He’s really here; Rogue, too! Natsu invited them, supposedly.” Yukino knitted her eyebrows together critically. If he was invited, why didn’t he tell me? Sting had been nonchalant about approving her venture to Magnolia for the party and had made no mention that he would be attending. Surely they would have traveled together if that had been the case! What motive would he have had for not telling her? Lucy looked just as puzzled as she. “Wait… Did you guys not come together?”

“Ahhh, damn it. Now this is awkward,” Yukino heard a groan from behind her. Cheeks pink, she whirled around to see Sting meekly rubbing his neck with a discomfited smile. “I was gonna surprise you, Yukino…” Lucy squeaked and put her hands over her mouth in mortified guilt.

“I’m sorry! I didn’t know!” Her apology was muffled by her interlaced fingers. Sting gave her that cocky smirk that made Yukino’s heart melt every time it graced his fine features and waved dismissively before sliding his hands into his pants pockets.

“Don’t worry about it.” Yukino compulsively straightened her back as his glittering gaze landed on her. He looked exceptionally handsome, dressed in a pair of black slacks, a matching black vest with silver adornments, and a white dress shirt underneath. As dapper as he was, he was still Sting; the man despised sleeves and so they were rolled up above his elbows, buttoned to hold them in place. Yukino was stupidly aware of how his biceps bulged underneath the taut fabric, and really couldn’t help but gawk for a few precious seconds. It was only a few seconds, but apparently long enough; when she finally willed herself to tear her gaze away from the rugged muscles and give him the proper courtesy of speaking to his face instead of his arms, he was smirking perceptively. She gulped loudly and felt the smoldering heat rising to her cheeks. Shit… “I’m here now, so that’s what matters.” Yukino knew he was talking to Lucy, but his eyes remained fixed on her, very much implying that the words were for her alone.

“Right! Thank you so much for coming. Enjoy yourselves; I’d better go make sure Natsu isn’t getting himself into trouble…” Though incorrigibly rude, Yukino couldn’t bring herself to look at Lucy as the girl dashed off into the crowd. She was still owlishly staring at Sting, who was still wearing that smirk like it was all he needed for currency. She couldn’t stop the jolt that jerked her body as he abruptly stepped toward her. Her heart had begun to hammer in her chest so hard that she just knew he could hear it. He could see and hear and know the things he was doing to her, simply by appearing before her like a cunning demon who could lay claims to her soul… If he’d only asked her for it.

Yukino didn’t know how long she’d been in love with Sting. It had just gradually grown over time, a seedling budding in the recesses of her mind until its flower bloomed with radiant brilliance to make itself known. It was a rose, devastatingly beautiful but rich with thorns of longing and pain; she treasured it immensely, watered it with her hopes, but found herself constantly pricked by its barbs of possible rejection. She dare not bring it forth and bare it to him, so there it subsisted in the greenhouse of her heart, shielded by blacked-out windows waiting for its chance to see true daylight one day.

“Yukino, you’re so spacey.” Yukino’s face blazed pink when she realized he was standing right in front of her and knocking on her forehead to bring her out of her thoughts.

“O-oh… Sorry…” she meekly answered while rubbing the small pink mark he had pushed into her forehead. He grinned radiantly and dropped his hand, pleased that he finally had her attention. She blushed darker when she looked at the collar of his dress shirt. “You, um… You look really good in white.”

“You think so? That’s good. I wore it for you.” Yukino squeaked as her heart rate rocketed into critical levels. She glanced up, thinking that surely he was messing with her, but the expression on his face was terrifyingly calm. “It’s your favorite color. I knew you were going to wear white, too.” Her teeth worried her bottom lip to channel her screaming anxiety when he reached up with light fingers to play with the satin straps of her sleeveless dress, which were looped loosely around her neck. As he played with the silky fabric, his fingers occasionally brushed against her collarbone and the surrounding area, sending electricity spiderwebbing through her nerves. “You look beautiful, Yukino.”

His husky whisper and the way he closed the miniscule distance between them to very purposefully bump his chest into hers sent her heart rate blasting into orbit. Her eyes were blown so wide the muscles surrounding them strained but she couldn’t help it; there was something so captivating and dangerous about him and what was happening right now. She simultaneously felt like a princess under his reverence and a captive under his control. Surely… Surely now is the time, she thought distantly.

She reached for the flower, marveling at how its petals had increased in sheen in the last few minutes, but the thorns sank deep into her palm.

“You shouldn’t tease, Sting,” she grumbled and pushed into his chest with the flats of her hands. The smirk finally fell from his lips, replaced by a befuddled frown. Sting was naturally flirtatious. She was no one special and believing anything but would only set her up for bitter disappointment. “I’m going to say hello to Rogue,” she huffed, trying to mask the hurt in her voice and turning her face as the tears stung her eyes. She quickly gathered her skirts and went to turn on her heel, but he caught her wrist in a tight grip- desperate but not painful. Sting immediately realized what he had done and hurriedly retracted, loosening his grip to slide his hand up to her elbow and pull on it invitingly. Eyebrows cinched in confusion and worry, he gestured with a jerk of his head to the side of the venue, behind a row of columns and curtains that would provide an ample amount of privacy.

Yukino felt bile bubbling up in her throat as her anxiety mounted; the wounds from the thorns still leaked red blood and she did not know if she had the courage to reach again. Her legs tensed, ready to bolt once more, but then he gave her the most sad, pleading look.

“Yukino… Please.”

She did not resist him as he tugged on her elbow more insistently, guiding her body. Her heels clacked unsteadily against the tile floor as her feet moved on instinct, traveling in the direction he willed her. Gently, keeping his troubled gaze on her all the while, he escorted her to the side of the spacious room. They tucked themselves away in the shady alcove, hidden. She was beginning to score the skin of her bottom lip with how much she was tearing into it; she watched him nervously as he checked to ensure no one would come after them before looking at her with incredulous hurt. “Yukino, I… What do you think this is?”

The poignant question threw her for a loop. She wasn’t sure what she had expected to come out of his mouth, but it wasn’t that. She opened and shut her mouth a few times, struggling to form words, before finally squeaking them out.

“I-I don’t know, Sting. I don’t know.” It was a pathetic answer perfectly suited to her pathetic self. Mortified, she hung her head to spare herself his likely scathing reaction. She had tried not to cry, because she would look frightful from her mascara running, but the black-dyed tears began rolling down her cheeks all the same. “I’m frightened of what it could be.” Her body tensed instinctively at the sound of his dress shoes striking the tile floor, and through her tear-laden lashes, she could see their shiny surfaces appear at the edge of her vision. It was disgusting, really. She was normally so confident and sure; however, she was everything but when it came to Sting. She never knew what to do, or what to say, because she was scared- scared, that it was all in her head and she would make a fool of herself.

Yukino had been humiliated once. It was the most awful experience, the lowest she had ever been wrought. She could never, ever feel such shame again. “I’m afraid you’ll make fun of me…” she admitted through a heaving sob and put her face into her hands. She knew she would smudge the black tears into her foundation, but it was better than them staining her pristine white dress. White, her favorite color. White, which he wore for her. The thought made sour acid spread over her tongue.

“Yukino…” His voice was so soft, so welcoming. She didn’t tense this time when his hands gently enveloped her wrists to pull them away from her face. He pulled them down to rest on his forearms before cupping her face on either side, catching her cascading tears with his thumbs. “I promised you that I would never let you be humiliated and laughed at again. Do you really think that I would ever make fun of you?” Yukino sniffed miserably in response. Of course he wouldn’t. It was stupid of her to think that he would; after all, it was Sting. Sweet, kind, supportive Sting. Timidly, she raised her face a little to look at him.

His sweet smile took her breath away. She had never seen him look so gentle and tender. His blonde hair bounced a little as he tilted his head and continued to stroke her cheeks with feather-light touches. “Let me tell you what this is, Yukino,” he purred, and the sound rumbled through her entire body, quieting every screaming nerve to awash her with tranquil calm and trust. Trust in his words, in that smile that was undoubtedly full of love. “I’m so in love with you that it’s stupid. You’re the most beautiful girl I’ve ever had the privilege of meeting. I could try to compare you to the most beautiful things- angels, goddesses, queens- and they all fall drastically short of you. I should’ve said something sooner, but the truth is I felt so unworthy of you that the words never could come. Then tonight, you walk in here in that dress looking like the moon herself and I finally had the guts to tell you the truth. And now look…” She hiccupped pitifully as he brought his face closer, lips twisted into a miserable smile, “I’ve gone and made such a pretty girl cry. I really am hopeless.” Yukino couldn’t help but tearfully giggle at his self-deprecating romances.

“Don’t apologize… I shouldn’t have freaked out,” she sighed contritely. Really, she ought to be a blushing, stuttering mess at his entire confession, but she was oddly calm. Still trapped in that blanket of tranquility Sting had wrapped over her, warm and safe and at peace. It felt like she was bathed in sunshine and no shadow in the world could creep close. She licked her lips anxiously, then added in a meek voice, “I-I love you too, you know. Very, very much.”

“That’s good, else this would’ve been the most embarrassing day of my life.” They both laughed in ugly snorts and her head bumped against his as she looked down, shoulders shaking with barely-constrained giggles. Happy tears threatened to leak over the dam of her eyes, so she hurriedly pushed the base of her palms into them.

“I probably look like a frightful hag,” she laughed derisively, feeling more mascara smudge underneath her eyes.

“Nah. Still beautiful to me.” Yukino dropped her hands to give him a questioning smile, and he took advantage of the momentary drop of her guard. He swooped forward to claim her mouth in a searing kiss, and her falling arms settled around his neck as if they belonged there. She pushed herself up onto the tips of her toes as he tugged her against him by the waist, angling his head to kiss her with a ravenous hunger. Her fingers toyed with the ends of his spiky blonde hair, while his found purchase in the sweeping folds of her dress, digging into the fabric in an effort to bring every inch of her into contact as possible. Yukino felt like she was blossoming under his fiery touch, like a flower that had long since closed its petals to the darkness finally being graced with invigorating light. She was her flower of love incarnate, finally brought forth into the world by his words shattering the glass cage.

They kissed there for several minutes, in the secluded corner of the venue, before braking apart with flushed faces and ragged pants. Yukino laughed at the smears of pink lipstick across his face, and she had no doubt her make-up was effectively ruined now. Still, he was looking at her like she was the most radiant creature on Earth.

“A magnolia,” he said abruptly. She narrowed her eyebrows curiously, wondering if she had kissed his mad. He laughed at her incredulous look and pulled her close by the waist again, tucking a swathe of her light blue-white hair behind her ear. “That’s what you remind me of. The most beautiful magnolia.” Touched but also embarrassed, she snorted again and tucked her face into the side of his neck to hide her burning blush.

“You’re too good at the flirting thing…”

“I did a lot of practicing. Lector plays a very good Yukino; he blushes almost as much as you.” She didn’t know if he was serious but the thought of him flirting shamelessly with his Exceed partner made her begin to giggle hysterically. He enveloped her in his thick arms to give her an affectionate and crushing hug, all while nuzzling his chin along the side of her head. “He’s more of a dandelion weed than a magnolia, though.”

“How cruel! He’s way cuter than a dandelion weed!” she laughed while lifting her head. Seeing her happy smile made him grin, and he leaned in to press a chaste kiss to her lips. “… Thanks, Sting.”

“No need to thank me, darling.” The pet name sent all the blood rushing right back to her face. Sting grinned devilishly, an obvious sign that he had meant to embarrass her. With a squeal, she buried her face back into the shielding embrace of his neck. His body shook violently with his raucous laughter. “You’re so cute when you’re blushing! Come on, don’t hide, lemme see.” She squeaked protests and squished her face further into him, stubbornly to the point that it was hard to breathe through her nose. “All right, all right, I relent; please, Yukino, come on.” With a click of her tongue, she obediently retracted and looked up at him with a childish pout. True to his word, he no longer teased her, but offered the handkerchief tucked into the pocket of his face for her to wipe the make-up from her face. She took it gratefully and did her best to remove the ruined cosmetics, using her distorted reflection in the white tile as a mirror. “Whelp, Lucy’s calling for you,” he remarked as he peeked out from behind the curtain.

Yukino hastily removed the last streaks of the make-up from her face before straightening up and adjusting her disheveled dress. Before she could instruct Sting to stay a while to keep people from talking, he grabbed her hand and yanked her out from behind the alcove. A few people definitely glanced at them and grinned, which made Yukino’s face blaze the color of a rose.

“Sting! What are you doing?! People will talk!”

“Let them!” he grinned jovially and settled in beside her, lacing their hands and giving her that smirk, that one that was all he needed to get by. “Let them talk. I want the whole world to see just how much I adore my pretty magnolia.” Yukino flushed and cringed into herself at how stupidly sweet yet excruciatingly embarrassing the sentiment was. Sting called out to Lucy as she strode by in a tizzy; the blonde whirled around, about to say something, but froze when she saw the two holding hands. She then grinned knowingly and wiggled her eyebrows at Sting, pointing at his mouth. Yukino gasped and wiped at the smears of her lipstick still on his face, which she had neglected to remove, while Sting squirmed and protested at the harsh scrapes of her palm. She finished just as Lucy began to sidle up to them mischievously, and Yukino could only sigh and look at the grinning Sting.

If I’m a magnolia… Then you’re definitely the sun that makes me bloom.

Enjoy this oneshot? Feel free to peruse my Table of Contents!

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Darth Plagueis Review

By Z.H. Brown

“Did you ever hear ‘The Tragedy of Darth Plagueis the Wise’?”

The Republic is in a Golden Age while the galaxy at large enjoys a peace that has lasted nearly a millennia. But beneath this prosperity, corruption and suffering fester; the Galactic Senate is almost universally filled with self-serving politicians or have been bought out by various, wealthy corporations and business; the Outer Rim is left almost completely at the mercy of organized crime, with violence, poverty and slavery running rampant. Over seeing this time of peace is the Jedi Order, which has become both completely reliant on the Senate for action while also being so wrapped up in their own meditations and traditions that all but a few have failed to notice the creeping spread of the dark side once more beginning to envelop the galaxy. And behind it all is the Order of the Sith Lords, operating both from the shadows and in public personas to facilitate this decay as the Grand Plan draws nearer to its culmination. This is the story of two of the most important Sith in the history of Bane’s Order; the Dark Lords that would enact their long-awaited revenge and once more bring Sith rule to the galaxy. This is the story of the Sith Lord that trained the most powerful Sith the galaxy had ever seen. This is the story of Darth Plagueis. 

The story opens with Plagueis’ on his final mission with his own Sith Master, Darth Tenebrous. While investigating a deposit of the lightsaber-resistant metal cortosis, the stumble upon a pocket of natural gas which triggers an explosion that threatens to bury them. The two use the Force to shield themselves from the cave-in, but Plaguies suddenly sees (or receives) an opening and allows his master to be crushed by some of the debris. Tenebrous is both impressed and disappointed in his apprentice, as while he acted exactly as the way of the Sith and the Rule of Two dictates, Plagueis himself is both wounded and now trapped deep underground. Plagueis assures him that he has enough strength and skill to escape as he watches the midi-chlorians within his master slowly fade back into the Force, though Tenebrous gets in one last dig by hinting that Plagueis was not his only apprentice, to which Plagueis finishes off his master himself. 

Plagueis does indeed escape, and eventually makes his way to a spaceport where he stows away aboard a ship heading in the general direction of Muunilinst, his homeworld. The crew discovers the Sith Lord, and while Plagueis tries to get them to get him to take him to where he needs to go, they prove resistant enough for him to resort to slaughtering the crew and commandeering their ship and droid, 11-4D. Plagueis takes the droid into his personal service before arriving at a gangster controlled space station to have his ship and evidence of his crime destroyed and to commander another craft. 

Plagueis finally makes it home, where he inducts his new droid into his experiments; Plagueis had long been fascinated in midi-chlorians and their connections to both the Force and life within organic beings. Plagueis has been attempting to influence the midi-chlorians in other beings in order to stave off death, but so far had been unsuccessful; with the Sith Grand Plan entering its final stages, Plagueis has grand plans of his own: to achieve immortality for himself, to bring the very Force itself to heel with the power of the dark side, and to rule the galaxy forever alongside his future apprentice and partner, as Plagueis also intends to discard the Rule of Two, believing that it has served its purpose but that the Sith must work together to bring their goals to fruition. 

Whilst attending a private gathering in his public persona as Hego Damask of the InterGalactic Banking Clan to tend to both personal and Sith business, Plagueis is drawn into a trap by none other than Tenebrous’ other apprentice, Darth Venomous. Venomous sees himself as Tenebrous’ true apprentice and attacks Plagues in a fury; the Bith is indeed a capable Sith Lord, but Plagueis is simply to strong in the Force to be overcome with a lightsaber and Plagueis turns him into another midi-chlorian experiment, bringing him to the very brink of death before slowly coaxing him back to life. The last loose end he has to tie up is Venomous’ own candidates for apprentices, though he finds none of them to be worthy of the title.

As Plagueis’ experiments and plans continue, he is drawn into a on the planet of Naboo as some of the Mid Rim world’s nobles are opposed to getting into bed with either the IGBC or the Trade Federation. However, Plagueis receives unexpected assistance in the form of extortion material from an unlikely source; the son of a minor noble named Palpatine. As Hego Damask, Plagueis reaches out to Palpatine and finds that not only is the boy strong in the Force but also already seeped in the dark side. Palpatine’s father tries in vain to stymie the friendship, but eventually the elder Palpatine pushes too far and his son gives into the dark side completely and murders his entire family. Plagueis takes the boy under his wing, shaping him into a politician that could one day sway the galaxy to embrace his rule, as well as inducting him into the Sith and dubbing him Darth Sidious. 

After years of training together, things begin to take shape for both Plagueis and Sidious; the Sith Master is slowly beginning to understand how to bend midi-chlorians to his will, while Palpatine has managed to rise to the rank of Junior Representative in the Senate for Naboo. Following the assignation of the previous Senator, Palpatine is promoted to the position, just as his Master begins his search for the tool that will be used to destroy the Jedi. His first candidates, the Yinchori proved not only ferocious fighters, but also highly resistant to Force-influence. Unfortunately, the reptilian species proves to be too un-pliable for the task, though Plagueis’ study into their unique midi-chlorian abilities gives him new insight into his experiments.

Plagueis also begins working on Jedi Masters that have proven to be outspoken on the corruption in the Senate and the Order’s subservience to the legislative body rather than actually doing their duty to protect and serve. Two such Jedi are Masters Dooku and Syfo-Dyas. Dooku has grown exacerbated and disillusioned with the Jedi because of their adherence to tradition and serving the Senate, while Syfo-Dyas has long been worried of a coming galactic war that Jedi would be unable to handle with their limited numbers. Plagueis both works on widening the split between Dooku and the Order as well as laying the seeds for Syfo-Dias to consider creating an army in secret to be used when needed. Plagueis also imparts on Sidious the necessity of turning the galaxy against the Jedi, so that when their destruction ultimately comes about, the citizens of the galaxy will celebrate their destruction; this stroke of genius leads Sidious to bequeath his master with the title he would forever be known by: Darth Plagueis the Wise. As the Sith grow in strength, they begin attempting to bend the Force fully to the dark side, while around this time, Sidious comes into the possession of an infant that Plagueis allows him to train to be their weapon, dubbing him Maul, though Plagueis insists that Sidious keeps his own master’s existence a secret.

As Sidious grows in both Force power and political power and Plagueis’ control over midi-chlorians increases to the point that he is able to heal his own body from grievous injuries sustained in an attempted assassination; Maul continues his training, turning himself into a devastating weapon of the dark side with a singular focus of slaying Jedi, while the Sith move their pawns in the Senate and corporations closer to both open conflict as well as sowing the seeds for secession amongst the dissatisfied and the greedy in the Republic.

After years of positioning Sidious for the spot of Supreme Chancellor, as well as weakening the current Chancellor’s position and prestige by engineering scandals of corruption, things come to a head on the world of Naboo. Just as a new queen assumes power, Sidious uses a new tax about to be levied on Outer Rim trade to convince the Trade Federation to blockade their trade partner in the name protesting the tax; the Sith intend to use this incident to finally get Palpatine elected after which he will appoint “Hego Damask” as Co-Chancellor, at which point the two would effectively be in position to rule the galaxy for an eternity.

However, things do not go as planned, as Chancellor Valorum secretly dispatches two Jedi to convince the Trade Federation to give up their blockade. The Jedi, Master Qui-Gon Jinn and his apprentice Obi-Wan Kenobi survive an assassination attempt before making to the surface of Naboo and rescuing Queen Amidala before escaping from the planet completely; unfortunately, their hyperdrive is damaged in the escape, forcing them to land on the Outer Rim world of Tatooine. Sidious is forced to dispatch Maul to capture the queen and return her to Naboo, but just as the Sith apprentice locates his prey, the Jedi mange to escape once again and this time make it back to Coruscant.

From there, everything comes to a head: Senator Palpatine manages to convince Queen Amidala that the Senate has become to ineffective to help, and that the only way to save Naboo is to replace the current leadership of the Republic via a vote of no-confidence in Chancellor Valorum. However, Sidious also learns of something that might potentially jeopardize their entire plan from his friend, Master Dooku; Qui-Gon discovered a boy on Tatooine so strong in the Force that he believed him to be The Chosen One of Jedi prophecy, believed to have been conceived by the midi-chlorians themselves. Sidious is flabbergasted by this, as he was in the boy’s presence multiple times and sensed absolutely nothing about him; Plagueis is likewise stunned by this news, and even considers the possibility that this boy, Anakin Skywalker, was created by the Force as a counter-action following his and Sidious’ attempt to bend the Force to their own will; Plagueis tries to peer into Anakin’s future, only to be overwhelmed by a deluge of intense sensations and dark premonitions. 

While, Amidala, Skywalker, Jinn and Kenobi return to Naboo to free the planet themselves, with the election for the new Supreme Chancellor pending, as Sidious and Plagueis shore up Palpatine’s support, Plagueis imparts upon Syfo-Dyas one last time his concern of an immanent galactic war, and that he believes he has found the means of creating the secret army he once spoke of in the form of the cloners of Kamino, though he imparts upon the Jedi Master that it would need to be Jedi to commission the army if it is to be used by the Republic. At long last, the Sith achieve one of their goals when Palpatine wins the election and is proclaimed the next Supreme Chancellor. Plagueis and Sidious retire to celebrate their victory privately, though as Plagueis overindulges in drink (and not having slept in nearly two decades due to his ability to refresh himself via midi-chlorian stimulation), Sidious takes this opportunity to turn against his master, mocking him with is moniker “The Wise” by revealing that Sidious never intended to share rule of the galaxy with him, and that he was merely using him to achieve ultimate power; something Plagueis had become blind to due to his belief that the Rule of Two had been ended and he and Sidious were considered equals. Sidious short-circuits Plagueis’ breathing apparatus before strangling him with the Force in order to make it seem like his death was due to natural causes. 

As Sidious celebrates his ascension to the highest office in the Republic, he laments the loss Darth Maul at the hands of Kenobi, though he has already started to move on, first by intending to induct now-Count Dooku into the way of the Sith, but also by keeping a close eye on Anakin Skywalker in order to watch for a potential threat to his plans or for a useful tool. But mostly, Sidious plots to bring about his ultimate victory by destroying both the Jedi and the Republic and ruling over the galaxy with an iron fist and the unstoppable power of the dark side.

Going into this book, I was already aware of most of the broad strokes, namely that this book is meant to tie up the loose ends and offer explanations for much of what we see in the Prequel era. However, despite ostensibly knowing what the book was about, getting into the nitty-gritty of it was still a fascinating read; not only do we learn about the life, accomplishments and philosophy of one of the most famous Sith never to appear in the films, but we also get to see all of the little maneuvers made to both weaken the galaxy and ensure their own ascension; whether its by backing Jabba the Hutt in his muscling in on Tatooine, stirring up resentment amongst the disenfranchised who have been marginalized by the Senate and convincing them to invest in weapons and other war material manufacturing, or even just operating in plain sight of the Jedi while completely hiding their true nature, seeing everything that went into the culmination of the of Grand Plan and the revenge of the Sith was impressive in just how much thought went into the politicking. 

Despite shedding light on many heretofore unknown machinations of the Sith, as well as clearing up some contention in the canon (namely that midi-chlorians do not correspond to one’s power in the Force, but rather one’s connection to the Force), there is still plenty left unanswered; I was surprised in that Palpatine’s first name wasn’t in this book, instead calling him by his family name by his own choosing; we also don’t get a definitive answer on Anakin’s creation, just speculation on the part of Plagueis; and despite being another book steeped in the lore of the Sith, we only get very brief mentions of Sith Lords that existed in the time between Zhanna and Tenebrous. While I know that the book already had a ton of information to cover and wrap-up in a satisfactory way, I will admit to being slightly disappointed at the lack of information concerning the history of the Order of the Sith Lords in an official work; however, that is a pretty small complaint, as the revelations we did get were still fascinating.

It’s also fascinating to see the beginning of Bane’s Order versus the near end of it; Bane had insisted on working mostly from the shadows, using intermediaries and only involving themselves directly when need be while also trying to keep the Republic mostly intact, in order to make it easier to conquer. Bane also was completely dedicated to his new Rule of Two, insisting upon the apprentice overthrowing the master once they had nothing left to teach them. While still working from the shadows, Tenebrous, Plagueis and Sidious all have very public, high-profile identities that often bring them into close contact with the Jedi, though by this point, the Sith have mastered the skill used by Zhanna when she infiltrated the Jedi Temple in her days as an apprentice. They are now also at the stage in their Plan where they are ready to implement a ‘divide-and-conquer’ strategy by whipping up every grievance planets, sectors and business have with the Republic. Also, this is a minor difference that I noticed, but while Bane and Zhanna both considered the adoption of a Sith title to be a personal choice to be made by the apprentice, Plagueis (and as we would later see, Sidious), bequeathed their Sith names upon their apprentices, seemingly after being inspired by the dark side. 

Darth Plagueis is an essential read for fans of the Sith, fans of the Prequels, fans of Star Wars novels, or anyone looking to find out about what was going on behind the scenes that ultimately led to the events of Episodes I, II & III. While some readers might be turned off by it being essentially an exposition piece, finally learning about both Darth Plagueis and the beginning of Emperor Palpatine’s career makes it a must read in order to fully understand the Star Wars saga. Next time, we continue our time exploring the Sith by looking at an incident briefly mentioned in this book when we cover Darth Maul: Saboteur. 

Connections to the GFFA

Since this is both another deep dive into Sith history and lore as well as explaining the minutiae of the Prequel era, there are quite a few references: 

After slaying his master, Plagueis mentions prior Sith having to be wary of their vanquished master utilizing essence transfer, which is indeed what happened with Bane and Zhanna in Darth Bane: Dynasty of Evil, though the technique had since been lost.

Plagueis also mentions another Sith technique: the ability to take life from others to extend one’s own, which is what Darth Vitiate did to become immortal and how he kept Reven alive for centuries as his prisoner in The Old Republic: Reven (though Plagueis himself is not entirely convinced on Vitiate’s “supposed” lifespan).

Amongst his collection of Sith artifacts is a piece from Queen Amanoa’s collection, who appeared in the Tales of the Jedi comic.

During his study of midi-chlorians, Plaguies also looked into the anti-Force abilities of the ysalimiri and the vornskrs, both of which would be utilized against Jedi decades later for this same reason by Thrawn and the Yuuzhan Vong, respectively. 

Plaguies mentions the exploits of prior Sith such as Naga Sadow destroying entire stars and binding his spirit to his sarcophagus, which we saw in the Golden Age of the Sith comic, as well as Exar Kun’s paralyzing of the entire Senate in the Tales of the Jedi comic.

Plaguies makes mention of Belia Darzu’s fortress on Tython, which Bane infiltrated in Darth Bane: Rule of Two.

Plaguies briefly encounters an Iktochi prophet is able to accurately predict the impending Clone Wars as well as the rise of the Galactic Empire.

Plaguies makes mention of several ancient names and entities at one point: he calls the light side of the force and the dark side by their original names – Ashla and Bogon, respectively. He also mentions the Celestials and their ability to move entire star systems (as was the case with the Corellian system) as well as the Rakata and their Star Forge, which was a major part of the first Knights of the Old Republic game.

When Sidious asks if the dark side will physically warp his appearance, Plaguies says it’s possible and points to King Omnim of Onderon (who appeared alongside his wife in Tales of the Jedi) as well as Darths Sion and Nihlus (two of the main antagonists in Knights of the Old Republic II).

Sidious’ lightsaber is partially made of phrik, a lightsaber-resistant metal like cortosis but of a lower quality; during the Clone Wars, Republic Commandos were dispatched to disrupt a Separatist production operation that was making battle droids with an alloy including phrik.

When Sidious expresses a desire to visit worlds important to the Sith, Plaguies lists off Korriban, Ziost and Droummund Kaas (all former capitals of the Sith), Yavin 4 (where Naga Sadow fled and where Exar Kun based his operation from), and Dxun (where the tomb of Freedon Nadd was located).

As previously mentioned, Plaguies insists on he and Palpatine learning to mask their Sith allegiance when in the presence of Jedi, just as Darth Zhanna did during her infiltration of the Jedi Temple in Darth Bane: Rule of Two.

He also mentions Sith ships imbued with consciousness, something that we’ll see waaaay down the line with Lumiya, Caedus and the Lost Tribe of the Sith.

Some Proto-Disney Canon tidbits: Both Mother Talzin and Savage are briefly mentioned (though the later not by name); they were of course created for The Clone Wars animated series. The Zillo beast also gets a roundabout shout-out as the name of a Malestare fuel company. The Senator of Rodia, Onnaconda Farr is also mentioned, though interestingly is described as a “typical militant Rodian.”

Plaguies introduced Palpatine to Sate Prestage, who would go on to become Grand Vizier of the Galactic Empire.

Ko Sai, the Kaminoan hunted by Clan Skirata in the Republic Commando series, was present during Plaguies preliminary plans for the Clone Army.

Palpatine mentions that there was a time when only Jedi were allowed to be Supreme Chancellor, which occurred during the Republic’s Dark Age and later Syfo-Dyas mentions the Ruusan Reformation by name, which ended the practice and effectively created the status quo amongst the Republic and the Jedi for nearly a millennia.

Following his near assassination attempt, Plaguies makes mention of other Sith Lords forced to rely on life-support, such as Darth Malak (who lost his lower jaw to his master, Darth Reven) as well as Darth Bane and his dependence on his orbalisk armor. 

The Stark Hyperspace War is briefly mentioned, as is the Battle of Galidran, in which Jango Fett slaughtered a dozen Jedi single-handedly, both of which occurred in the Republic comics.

Plaguies calls Maul’s lightsaber an “Exar Kun design; Kun was the first in recorded galactic history to wield a double-blade lightsaber. 

The Sun Guard, Plaguies’ personal protectors, refer to his abilities as “sorcererous ways,” which is how Darth Vader’s abilities are derisively described as in Episode IV.

Maul’s killer protocol droid, C-3PX, is briefly mentioned.

The events of both Cloak of Deception as well as Darth Maul: Shadow Hunter are briefly alluded to. 

Maul’s one-of-a-kind ship, the Scimitar, was designed by Darth Tenebrous and previously owned by Darth Plagueis.

It was Senator Orn Free Ta of Ryloth, who appears as a background character in the Prequels and is a minor character in The Clone Wars series, was the one to nominate Palpatine for the Chancellorship. 

The Jedi learned about the Rule of Two nearly a millennia ago from Darth Zhanna’s cousin, fittingly in the book Darth Bane: Rule of Two.

Final Score: 8.5/10

[may8344]

The Journey of a Forgotten Soldier (Levi x OC)

Relationships:

Alana Frey (OC)Levi (Shingeki no Kyojin)/Original Female Character(s)Levi Ackerman/Alana FreyFurlan Church/Original Character(s)Furlan Church/Alana Frey

Characters:

Levi (Shingeki no Kyojin)Furlan ChurchIsabel MagnoliaAlana Frey (OC) - CharacterErwin SmithHange ZoëPetra RalGunther SchultzEld JinnOluo BozadoKeith ShadisSpecial Operations Squad | Squad Levi

Additional Tags:

Graphic Description of CorpsesBlood and InjuryViolenceMurder

Summary:

Alana Frey, a girl born in the Underground City, longed to see the true sunlight every morning that she would wake up. Alongside her comrades: Furlan Church, Isabel Magnolia, and Levi, Alana’s life as a thug continued with no way around it; until the sudden day she and her companions were offered the deal of a lifetime.

“Once you complete this job, not only will you be generously compensated for your work,

but you will also earn the right to live above ground.”

Word Count: 2k

---

Chapter 8: Beyond the Walls

Several months later in the southern Shiganshina District, the whole army of Scouts were positioned in front of a large gate on their horses. On each of the three Walls, there are four towns on the periphery known as “districts”. Each southern district had a gate leading outside of the main Wall. The gate had a stone silhouette carving of a different female face with a crown on top of her head. 

This was Wall Maria’s gate; the gate that separated humanity from the outside world.

The large, steel bell above rang out, alerting the expedition was about to commence. Surrounding the lines of soldiers, the citizens of Shiganshina stood to wave them off. Some cried, some jumped up and down in excitement, and others watched in disgust and disapproval. 

In the front centre of the group, Commander Shadis lifted his head to the Garrison soldiers that ran the walls and gates. Raising his voice, he commanded loudly, “Open the gate!”

The head Garrison soldiers yelled out commands to their subordinates and scurried along the walls. Soon enough, the large concrete gate began to rise, shaking the ground beneath. Every soldier watched in anticipation, some even tearing up in fear. After all, this—like every other expedition—could be leading them to their deaths. 

Levi, Furlan, Isabel, and Alana sat on their horses behind Flagon and Sairam. Each of them gave a glance to each other, nodding unison. 

“Today, we take one step forward!” Shadis yelled. “Show me what you’ve learned in training! Teach them the power of the human race!” Once the gate had reached its maximum height, he riled up his horse as he kicked the animal’s side. “We will now begin our twenty-third reconnaissance mission! All troops! Advance!” Immediately, he rushed forwards with great speed. The clomping of horse hooves followed behind their leader as everyone began to move.

“Hey, now would be a great time… Someone… Someone tell me this isn’t happening,” Furlan shuddered as he watched their comrades in front of them begin to move. He was confident in his strategy, but now he was beginning to regret the idea.

“Well, it’s certainly hard to believe-” Levi agreed as he urged his horse forwards. “-that humans from the Underground could set foot outside the walls.”

Following their Squad Leader, the quartet rode underneath the wide, gated area and the wall. Before they knew it, the sunlight past the walls peered down on each of them as the vast outside world spread across the lands. The ground went on for miles and miles without a wall in sight. Clear air surrounded everyone and the birds overhead flew without a care in the world. 

“Incredible!” Isabel yelled with a large smile as she stared up into the endless blue sky, making out the shapes of the soft, white clouds. Her eyes glistened with hope and happiness. Both Alana and Furlan were speechless at the sight. They were finally on the surface and past the walls. 

“Yeah,” Levi said while being in awe himself. His silver orbs shinned in the sun, almost appearing more of a light blue color. “Not bad.”

Just as quickly as Alana’s excitement had come, it was gone like the wind. While the outside world was breathtaking, she remembered what laid in store for her and her comrades up ahead. Anxiety was visible on her face as she looked down and gripped her reins tighter.

Noticing this with his sharp, observant eyes, Levi turned his head back towards her and frowned. “Don’t worry. I’ll do something about the Titans.” 

“But Levi!” She argued, “These are Titans, not humans!”

“Don’t you trust me?”

That made her quiet almost immediately. Instead, Furlan spoke up, “It’s not that we don’t trust you. It’s just that…”

Isabel gave off a teasing laugh. “Hah, Furlan, you’re tremblin’ ain’tcha?”

“Hey! Speak for yourself!”

“Sure! Leave it to me, Furlan!” The confident redhead gave him a thumbs up. “I’ll take care of those Titans lickety-split!”

“You little…”

“Stop the chatter!” A voice yelled behind them. Making their way closer, the soldier happened to be Sairam, the only other member of their squad. “The Titans aren’t as soft as you think! How many elite soldiers do you think have been eaten by TItans?! You think a few punks from the Underground have a chance against them!?”

“Hey,” Isabel cut him off with a calm, but determined face. “You say that, but if I end up beating the Titans, then doesn’t that make all them elites lower than punks?”

And just as the redhead had hoped, that had made Sairam even more angry. “Wh— How dare you!? You little—” However, he was cut off by Levi guiding his horse in between the arguing pair. His slanted silver eyes sent off a death-glare to Sairam, a gesture to stop them. “What are you lookin’ at!?”

“Sairam, cut it out!” Flagon demanded as he made his way to his quarreling squad. 

“But, Squad Leader!”

“Calm down! We have to prepare to drill the new formation! Titans could show up at any time! Don’t disrupt the ranks!” Flagon’s eyes drifted to Levi’s as he directed his next comment to the cocky ravenette. “Real battle’s not like training.”

“Titan spotted! At 10 o’clock! One fifteen-meter class in the forest! It’s coming this way!”

Everyone flinched as they heard the alarm from a nearby squad. 

Shadis, at the front of the formation by Erwin, frowned. “It’s too close. We can’t just slip by. There’s no choice but to engage!” He turned his body around to face the soldiers behind him. With his bellering voice, he commanded, “Vanguard with me! The rest of the force, keep advancing to the supply point! Don’t let it out of the forest! Switch to maneuvering!” He guided his horse towards the Titan on the left with Erwin following close behind as they covered their supply wagons. 

“There was a second one in hiding!” Another soldier screamed as he saw a twenty-meter Titan emerging from the forest. “We’ll draw it away! Rear guard! Increase speed, and shake it off!” Two soldiers broke off formation and started to turn towards the trees to lead it away. “Lead it into the forest!”

“Hey! Over here you big half-wit!” The other yelled, trying to grab it’s attention. 

But it didn’t stop. Instead, it kept going straight towards the large formation of soldiers who were still on the run.

“What’s wrong!? It’s not following!”

Flagon, who’s squad was only one squad away from the Titan, took notice of the strange behavior. “Oh no. This one’s…” His eyes widened in fear as he remembered. “It’s an Abnormal going your way!”

“No good! The column’s too long! The wagon’s are wide open! Flagon’s Squad, close the distance and fight to the death!” The squad in front of them yelled as they took charge towards the Abnormal Titan. Four pairs of wires launched towards the beast as they attempted to fight. 

Without knowing how to react, Flagon turned towards his squad with fear evident in his eyes. “Don’t let the Titan’s near the wagons!” His eyes glued back on the fighting group to his left.

Each of them launched around the being and sliced to the best of their abilities. Despite their strength, one of them was too reckless as he found himself held in the Titan’s strong grip. Slowly getting lifted to the beast’s gigantic mouth, the poor soldier screamed for help. He squirmed and fought in its hand, but to no avail. The Titan had crunched down on the helpless soldier, eating him with no hesitance. 

While the Abnormal was distracted with eating, two of the remaining fighters launched themselves towards the nape of the monster’s neck. However, just as the name ‘Abnormal’ insists, it’s behavior did not mirror the mindless Titans. It began to move its body around in order to shake the grappling hooks off. 

As one soldier was swung in front of the Abnormal’s mouth, the Titan took no time to bite him out of midair. Blood spilt everywhere. The two remaining Scouts were knocked out on the ground. Once it was done, it began sprinting towards the formation once again.

Flagon was taken completely aback but the massacre of the squad. “Damn, it started running again!” He clicked his tongue in anger. Thoughts ran through the Squad Leader’s mind, but he made a decision quickly. “Sairam, follow me!” He screamed as he rode his horse on the right side of the sprinting Titan.”

“Yes sir!”

Although the leader was focused, he was taken aback by another horse following closely to Sairam’s. On top of it was Levi, face as hard as steel. “You little punk! What are you doing!?”

“You said I shouldn’t underestimate the Titans, right?” Levi asked in a completely calm voice. “Then why use these half-assed tactics to fight them?” With that, he took off ahead of his shocked leader. Isabel, Furlan, and Alana followed closely behind. “Isabel! Lana! Furlan! Let’s go!”

“Shit! If I’d known that this was gonna happen, I’d still be back there drinking sewer water!” Furlan whined as he followed, afraid of what was to come.

“Furlan, shut up and get ready!” Isabel called back.

“W-Wait, you’re still rookies!” Flagon screamed at the rushing three. Unfortunate for him, he was completely ignored. 

“The way he swung his arms around? That’s going to be a pain. But while he’s doing it, his legs shouldn’t be moving!” Levi analyzed and explained to the group. 

“How you keep a level head during this is beyond me,” Alana mumbled at Levi, uneasiness still written all over her face.

“Damn, he’s big,” Isabel looked up at the Titan with a determined smile.

“Yeah, there’s no way in hell we can beat him. Even so…” Furlan’s face slowly showed relief as he watched Levi who rode in front of him. The ravenette’s cape flew behind him, and it almost looked like a scene from a movie. The blond couldn’t help but admit that he truly looked up to the strong, silver-eyed man.

Levi turned his head and stole a glance at each one of his friends. “Lana, cling to the Titan and draw its attention. Furlan, Isabel, take out its knees and immobilize it. Got it?”

“Easy as pie!” Isabel agreed, determined to take it down.

“Yeah, sure…” Furlan replied with a half-assed smile. 

Alana nodded and propped herself to a standing position on her galloping horse’s saddle. She took in a deep breath and launched her ODM Gear to hook onto the Titan’s lower back. Shooting herself towards it, she landed on her feet on the back of the monster while being held up by her wires. She plunged her swords into its skin in order to hold herself on. 

With a swift reaction, the Abnormal began twisting his body, trying to shake off the ravenette. 

“Now, go!” Levi yelled at the remaining two. He himself shot out his hooks, grasping onto the Titan’s shoulder, propelling himself up even higher with his acceleration. Soon enough, he was about twenty meters above the Abnormal’s head. 

“Here we go, Furlan!”

“Oh, god! Fine!” 

Both of them launched their wires simultaneously on the back of the Titan’s legs. They swung around to the front side and hurled towards its kneecaps. With a large slice, the Titan’s balance was thrown off as it began to fall forwards. 

That’s all that Levi had needed. Shooting himself downwards towards the nape of the neck, he regripped his swords to his liking; one forwards and the other backwards. Spinning sideways in order to gain acceleration, he cleanly cut out the chunk of skin on the neck and jumped off onto the ground. Alana also pushed herself off of the large being before it fell. The limp body of the Titan began steaming from the massive heat of its body temperature. 

“No fucking way…” Flagon watched in awe from the sidelines with Sairam. 

The four regrouped on the ground, each grinning from ear-to-ear. 

“Oh, man! That was awesome, Levi!” Isabel yelled, jumping up and down in excitement. 

“You three did well, too.” He responded, ruffling the redhead's hair. 

Erwin, who had also finished off a titan, witnessed the teamwork between the quartet. Instead of staring with amazement, he wore a large, open-mouthed smile. 

“So your wings really are the real deal, Levi.”

---

(A/N) In all honesty, this chapter was a very difficult one to write at first. Earlier on (I believe chapter three?) I explained to my previous editor that action was not a strong suit of mine, and it still isn't. Even so, it is still one of my favorite (non-fluff) chapters I have written, so I hope that was able to convey to the readers. This expedition is definitely a huge one for the quartet and the story line.

Although I still have a couple more chapters pre-written, I am losing my creativity and will to write at the moment. There may be an upcoming hiatus, but I'm not sure about it yet. Thank you all for reading and have a lovely day!

Part 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 

[buglersboots]

Hunting Camp, part 1

Uncle Jason and my dad had been best friends since they were children. Although I have always called him uncle, he and dad were not related even though he was considered part of the family. Dad’s unexpected death just before Thanksgiving hit me pretty hard and Uncle Jason said getting out in the woods, doing something he and dad loved would honor his memory.  I hadn’t been to Uncle Jason’s camp since I was a teenager, but dad and Uncle Jason always scheduled three or four trips every year during deer and turkey seasons. I don’t remember a lot of hunting happening the few times I tagged along with dad, but I killed my first buck at Uncle Jason’s. From what I can remember, we spent three or four hours in tree stands or shooting houses every day, and the rest of the time back at camp playing cards and Uncle Jason and dad drinking beer and telling stories. Dad gave me my first sip of beer on the trip when I killed my first buck. He said I was a man now. But he made sure I understood that what happened in camp stayed in camp. Oh, and we also had lots of good food. It seems like being out in the woods brings out the cook in men.

Although I loved hunting growing up, it had been years since I had been on a hunt. I got on with a local trucking company just before graduation. I couldn’t drive over the road until I turned 21, but Mr. Levi didn’t have a problem with 17 year old me moving the trucks around the terminal. He insisted that his trucks and trailers were clean before they left the terminal for a haul. So by the time I turned 21, I had no problem getting my CDL, and have been on the road ever since. I did manage to marry my sweetheart and have two wonderful babies, fraternal twins, Jeremy and Jenny. The demands of a wife and young family put the kibosh on things like hunting trips, so when Uncle Jason suggested the hunt, I decided to take him up on his offer.

We pulled into camp just after lunch and Uncle Jason and his sons, Brian and Mike, showed me where we would be hunting the next morning. Maybe it was because there were no kids this time, but there was a lot of sexual innuendo in the conversations of Uncle Jason and his sons.

We got back to the cabin and Uncle Jason began preparing supper while Brian, Mike and I went out back for a little target practice. Since I hadn’t fired my rifle for a few years, I was grateful for the practice. It didn’t take long to get dialed back in. Between shooting, Brian and Mike brought up the sleeping arrangements. I forgot that the cabin only had one bed and a sleeper sofa. The adults slept in the cabin and us kids would sleep in tents in front of the cabin when we were young. I had never given any thought about the adults’ sleeping arrangements before. I always figured Uncle Jason slept in the bed and dad slept on the couch. Now that we were adults, all four of us would sleep in the cabin. Brian and Mike said they were used to sleeping on the couch since my dad and Uncle Jason always slept together on their hunting trips. I had slept with other guys on overnight school trips, never with an adult, but hey, part of a hunting trips is about the camaraderie.

Sleeping arrangements made and Brian and Mike confident that I could hit a deer if a shot presented itself, we made the short walk back to the cabin. It wasn’t long before Uncle Jason had our supper ready. Food always tastes better out in the woods, but Uncle Jason outdid himself. With our bellies full, we pushed away from the table and Brian, Mike and I cleaned up.

Our task done, we joined Uncle Jason around the fireplace and sipped on beer. This was story telling time. There was a story for each of the heads mounted on the wall. Stories about the ones that got away. Even a few stories about close calls that could have had tragic outcomes. All the while, the number of empty beer bottles slowly filled the garbage can. Knowing that we needed to be in the stands early the next morning, we finished story time a little after 9. Brian and Mike pulled out the sofa bed and Uncle Jason and I headed to the bed.

Uncle Jason was the first to hit the bathroom before bed. By the time I had drained my lizard, Uncle Jason was already in the bed. I walked around to the other side, took off my shirt and pants and got in bed wearing my boxers and t-shirt. That’s when I found out something I didn’t know about my dad and Uncle Jason.

“Ben I hope you don’t mind me sleeping in the nude. Your dad and I always slept nude here at the cabin.”

OK. So I found out from Brian and Mike that dad and Uncle Jason slept in the same bed on their hunting trips, but I never imagined them both in bed naked. “Sure, Uncle Jason, no problem,” I said. I reached over and turned off the lamp by the bed.

Sometime during the night, Uncle Jason rolled over and ended up spooning me. I woke up with his head next to mine, feeling his warm breath on my neck and his arm across my waist. I could feel the his dick in the beginning of hard on press against my thigh. Before I could figure out how to roll him over without waking him, his hand slipped down and rested on my dick. Once his hand found my dick, he started slowly massaging it. I let out a soft moan of pleasure as I felt my dick start to engorge with blood. Whether it was the moan or the response of my dick to his massage, he began working my dick faster. Soon I was at full mast.

Uncle Jason easily maneuvered my dick through the fly of my boxers. Once the head poked through, he leaned over and licked the precum from the tip of my dick while his hand continued to work on my shaft. We both moaned in pleasure. Me from the work Uncle Jason was doing on my dick and Uncle Jason from the taste of my precum. Before I knew what was happening, Uncle Jason had my boxers off and was on his hands and knees over me, his mouth moving up and down my hard shaft. With my dick sufficiently wet, he moved his tongue up the underside of my dick from my balls to the head. When he reached the tip, he began to tongue fuck my slit. Then he tenderly cupped my balls in one hand as he took my dick back into his mouth. I felt the head of my dick hit the back of his mouth. He paused there for just a moment before he swallowed it all the way down his throat. I could feel his tongue sliding around the underside of my dick as it went down his throat. No one had ever taken all of me before. I was in ecstasy!

He came up for a breath and resumed working on my dick with both his tongue and his lips. He could tell from my moans that I was getting close. He came back up and said he needed to feel my dick inside him. He reached over and pulled a tube of lube out of the night stand. He flipped open the lid, squeezed a dollop onto his hand and lubed his hole. He worked one finger in, then two, and finally three. He finger fucked his ass until he thought he was loose enough to take me. Then he moved up and positioned his hole above my spit lubed dick. I had never fucked a dude before. As he lowered himself, I felt my head make contact with his pucker hole. As he continued lowering himself, I felt my head breach his sphincter. “Wow,” I thought to myself, “this is so much tighter than a pussy.” I thought vaginal sex was wonderful, but the feelings I was getting now was so much better than any girl I had ever had sex with.

Once Uncle Jason had lowered himself all the way down, he paused, getting used to my dick inside him. Then he started moving up and down, going up until my head was almost out and sliding back down again, impaling himself on my raging hard on. He increased in frequency and soon I was bucking my hips up and down with him. I could tell that I was getting close. I told Uncle Jason I was getting close and he said he wanted me to fill him with my seed. Once I told Uncle Jason I was close, he started squeezing his butt muscles around my dick as he went up and down. It was more than I could take. My load erupted inside his bowels, I released a guttural scream that surely woke Brian and Mike sleeping in the other room.

“I was hoping I could get a rise out of you,” he whispered into my ear. “Your dad was always ready for a little fun out here.”

“Wait, you and dad fooled around with each other?” I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. “But you and dad both are married and have kids.”

“Ben, remember back when you took your first buck and your dad let you have a beer that night. He made sure you understood that what happens in camp stays in camp? Your dad and I have been fooling around since we were teenagers. After we both got married and had kids, we needed to find a safe place. This hunting camp was the perfect place.”

[millicent231-watt]

(AoT) Stay With Me - Levi X Reader

Anime / Crossover: Attack on Titan

Songs: No

Request: No

Modern AU: No

NSFW/R-18: No

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

May be slightly triggering for some people. Includes mentions of sexual assault and forced sexual actions. No descriptions, but mentions of it.

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

I, Y/N, lay on my bed, shaking and facing the wall as Heichou buttoned up his shirt. Why me? I think to myself as I heard him walking out the door. He said it was an order but... Yes, I was being forced to perform sexual acts to and with my superior, by my superior. And no, I don't hate him, I actually really like him, but when he acts the way he does during these times, demanding and possessive...it scares me, a lot. So much so that I've begun having nightmares of it. "Y/N!" My best friend, Hange yells as she bursts through the door. "Oh no...He did it again, didn't he?" She asks softly as her footsteps approach me. I turn around to face her and nod before crying and burying my face into the sheets. She sighs and kneels in front of the bed, pushing my tangled and knotty hair out of my face. "Are you sure you don't want me to talk to him?" She asks and I shake my head quickly. "If you tell him, he'll kill me! I wasn't supposed to tell anyone...not that I did." I end with a whisper. "Y/N, I found out on my own, so it's not like you disobeyed him." She says and I shake my head. "You just...you can't." I beg. "Alright. I'll leave you on your own for a bit, I've got some work to do." I nod before she walks out of the room. I sigh and pull the covers over my head. "I need to do it soon."

Hange's POV

I walk towards Levi's room with rage-filled eyes and a mouth ready to spout any insults I could think of. I'm sorry Y/N, but I've gotta tell him to stop doing this to you. I kick the door in and walk over to his desk. "You better be ready to replace that, four-eyes." He says as his eyes skin over the paperwork. I slam my hands onto his desk and he looks up at me, unimpressed. "What?" He growls as he places his paperwork down. "What are you playing at Levi?" I ask and he cocks an eyebrow. "What the fuck are you talking about? Did all your experiments affect your brain or something?" He says with a scowl before I grab his shirt and cravat, pulling him forward. "I'm talking about Y/N!" I yell at him and he grabs my hand. "I don't know what you're talking about." He says as he puts an increasing amount of pressure on my wrist. "S...stop that!" I wince as he begins twisting my hand back on itself. "Get the hell out of my office." He says, pushing me away harshly. I grab my wrist in pain and look up at him. "She's gonna leave, you know." I say and he flinches. "She can't leave without my permission. I'm her superior." He says and I open the door. "That might be true, but if she gets the go-ahead from Erwin and he sends her to another division, your opinion doesn't matter." I say before turning on my heel and leaving to the infirmary.

Your POV

I take a deep breathe and bring my fist up to knock on the Commander's door. "CADET Y/N!" I hear someone yell and I quickly salute. "Y...yes, Heichou?" I ask as I try to remain calm. "What the hell do you think you're doing?" He asks and my salute falls. She told him... "N...nothing, Sir. I was just-" "I don't care what you're doing, you're coming with me." He says before he grabs my arm. "I....I'm sorry, Sir, b...but I have to drop off something to the Commander." I say as I try to pull myself from his grip. "Levi, let her go." I hear the Commanders voice demand and I quickly try to pull my arm away. "Tch, why? I've got a job for her." Captain Levi says as he tightens his grip. I wince and whine in pain as I try to pull away. "Are you really so stubborn that you'd hurt one of your own cadets, just to get your own way?" Commander says and Captain's grip softens greatly before he lets go and walks off. "Now, what did you want me for?" Commander asks with a warm smile. "I...uh...I want you to sign something..." I say and he lets me into his office.

"Come, sit." He says and I sit in the chair across from his desk. He holds his hand out for the paper and I hesitate for a second before handing it to him. "A resignation form?" He asks. "Uh...kinda. I don't wanna resign from the military, I just..." I sigh and hang my head. "Do you wanna move to another branch in the military, or do you just wanna switch squads?" He asks, causing me to quickly look up in shock. "How did you-" "Hange told me this might happen, she never mentioned why this would happen though. Do you mind telling me?" I twiddle my thumbs and look down. "With all due respect Sir, no." I say and he shrugs before grabbing his ink pen and dipping it in the ink. "Are you sure about this?" He asks and I think for a bit. "To be honest, I don't want to....like, at all, but I know if I stay here any longer I'm sure to become less attentive." I say and he nods. "Alright." He says and signs his signature on the dotted line. "Done. Go get your things packed, say goodbye to everyone, because you will be changing squads tomorrow." I nod and stand up. "Thank you, Sir." I say with a salute and walk out.

I walk back to my room and begin packing my things. "So, I'm assuming he signed it then." I hear my friend say and I look back to the door. "Yeah..." I say before turning back and continuing packing. "So...where're you going?" She asks nervously. I stand up and face her. "Why'd you tell him?" I ask and she jumps a little. "W...what do you mean?" She asks and I hold back any teas I had. "Why did you tell Corporal? He probably hates me now!" I yell at her. "Y/N...I was just-" "You know what? No, just get out. I don't wanna talk to you." I say as I turn around and zip my suitcase up. I hear her sigh and leave the room. I sigh and sit down on my case. "What am I even doing anymore?" I ask as I rub my temples.

The Next Day

I fix up my horse and get her saddled up. "Y/N, what are you doing?" I hear Heichou say. "Getting my horse ready." I say blandly. "I can see that, dipshit. What are you getting it ready for?" He asks and I turn to face him. I grab the paperwork from my pocket and hand it to him." I'm leaving your squad." I say before jumping up onto my horse, leaving my luggage for the relocation. "You can't do that without my permission!" He says angrily as he grabs my wrist again. "I don't need your permission if I have the Commanders." I snap, tugging my hand away from him and patting my horse. "Is that anyway to treat your superior, you shit?" He barks and I glare at him. "Is the way you treat me anyway to treat a cadet?" I snap back and he stumbles on his words for a bit. "I'm not putting up with you doing that to me anymore 'Captain'. I'm done." I say before riding off.

Levi's POV

I drop the resignation paper she gave ne and watch her figure slowly dissapear into the fog. "I warned you Levi." Hange says as she walks up next to me. "I didn't treat her badly. Did I?" I ask. "In her eyes you raped her, so yes, in some cases you did, but not from your point of view. You loved her didn't you?" She asks as I pick up the papers. I scoff at her comment and begin walking off. "You just didn't know how to convey your feelings to her. Why are you walking away?" She asks and I jump on my horse. "I'm not, I'm going after her."

Stay with me Y/N...I need you...

Your POV

I sniff and wipe my nose, grabbing my gloves and scarf that I brought on my horse. "It's a good  thing I brought these." I say to myself as I walk down the hallways of my new housing that belonged to the Military Police. I sigh as I remember all my friends back on my old squad. "CADET Y/N!" I hear my superior yell and I salute. "Yes, Sir!" I say confidently. "Stop spacing out and get to your lecture." He orders and I nod, making my way towards the lecture. This lecture might take my mind off of him.

1 Hour Later

Ok, scratch that. It only made me think of him more. Stupid Hange, learning new thing about Titans, making everyone take a lecture on Titans. I started thinking of her, then him! I scowl as I sat on my bed. "Stop scowling Y/N. You scowl more than Annie." Hitch says with a giggle. "When's my stuff gonna get here? At this rate, it'll be quicker just to go and get it myself." I say and she laughs. "Well then, why don't you?" I flinch and look away. "I can't..." I mumble before hearing her walking away. I sigh and swing my legs back and forth. "Y/N, Commander Nile is calling for you." I hear Annie say as she walks past my room. "Okay, thanks." I answer as I jump off the bed and walk to the Commanders office. I knock on the door. "Sir? This is Y/N, you called for me?" I say and he allows me in. "Yeah, I need you to clean the stables today. Annie doesn't want to, so it's up to you." I sigh and nod. "Yes, thank you Sir." I say as I turn to make my way to the stables.

"Ugh, why do I have to clean the disgusting, muck ridden stables, while everyone else is having fun and eating dinner?" I grumble to myself as I see the rest of the Cadets inside, having a fun time laughing and drinking. "Fuck this." I growl before throwing the shovel onto the ground and stopping. "Y/N!" I hear someone yell and I turn to my head only to get pulled into a tight hug. "W...what are you doing?!" I ask this mysterious person. "Corporal Levi?!" I ask in shock as I try to push away from him. "Don't you dare leave my squad again!" He orders, but it wasn't his normal voice, it was more....caring? "U...umm, corporal?" I ask as I try to get a clear view of his face. "Do you understand me?" He asks, back to his usual tone. "Y...Yes, Sir." I mutter in amazement. Had I actually managed to get some feelings through this concrete wall? I nervously put my arms around him as he hurried his face further into my neck. "Uh...corporal?" I ask as I pat his back uncomfortably. "What is it Y/N?" He asks and he looks at me. "H...have you been crying corporal?" I ask as I see his puffy red eyes. He jumps slightly and moves away from me. "No..." He says and I step forward, kneeling down and looking up at his hidden face.

"Yes, you have. Why?" I ask seriously. I hear him growling slightly before grabbing my wrist tightly. "Why do you have to know, huh?" He yells and I whimper in fear. "S...I'm sorry! Let me go, please." I beg as I try to to break away. He lets go and moves away from me. "God-damnit!" He says as he kicks a bucket. "Get your horse, you're coming back to my squad." He orders and I stare at him, holding my wrist in pain. "N...no..." I say as I take a few steps back. "What? Come on Y/N." He says and I shake my head, taking a few steps back. "No! I'm not going back there just to end up being raped!" I yell at him as tears fall from my eye. His eyes widen slightly and he walks towards me, eventually trapping me against a wall. "Listen to me Y/N." He says before grabbing my hand gently. "Just come back. I won't do it again, I'll explain it all in my office." He begs, and to my surprise, he was actually kind of crying. Not bawling, just tearing up. "O....ok, but if you do, I'm never going to go back to your squad again." I warn as I jump on my horse and follow him back.

Time Skip

I walk into Captain's office and sit down on his command. He removes his jacket and places it on the back of his chair. I jump slightly as he sits down next to me. "Please don't be scared of me any more..." He says as he grabs my hand and looks me in the eye. "I can't trust you, you know that." I say as I turn my head. "Please...look at me." He says softly as he grabs my chin gently. Why is he being so gentle? So caring? I think to myself as he pulls me around to face him. "Don't do this...." I beg as I try to look away. "Don't do what?" Hey asks as he hold my face gingerly, cupping my cheeks. "Don't give me hope..." I say before he begins wiping away any tears that had fallen onto my cheeks. "Y/N, I love you." He admits with a slight chuckle. "W...what?" I ask with wide eyes. He nods. "No, you can't. What about all those things that you did to me?" I ask and he frowns. "I didn't know how else to tell you, but I never intended to hurt you. I had no idea that what I was doing was putting so much pain on you." He says sadly. He sighs and lets go of me. "I'm sure you wouldn't want to accept my feelings now anyway. I....just don't leave me again. You can hate me all you like, but stay on my squad. I need to make sure you're safe." He says.

What is this? I ask myself as my heartbeat began to speed up and go at an indescribable pace. "Y/N?" Corporal asks, but his words sound as if I were underwater as my heartbeat began to drown out all sounds. I look down to his lip quickly before looking back up at him. I...I shouldn't... I think before scooting closer slowly. Another incoherent mumble came from my superior before I quickly moved up against him and kissed him. I cup his face in my hands before pulling away. "Y/N?" He asks and I smile a little before moving away. "I didn't like it because the way you acted during it scared me, but I...I l...like you too...Levi." I say with a blush and smile before he hugs me tightly. "Thank you." He whispers in my ear before I wrap my arms around him, hearing his whimpers.

I'll stay with you Levi. I'll always stay with you.

[rwise]

Levi’s is restoring its iconic power by using storytelling to put it back in the heart of pop culture all over the world

A brand that begins with a legendary story

In the midst of the California gold rush Levi Strauss had the idea that the sure money was not in panning for gold but in selling stuff to the men combing the hills and rivers in search of fortune and fame, specifically with well-made trousers in heavy canvas. One thing about those gold seekers, they didn’t have time for anything that wasn’t hunting for gold. They slept just long enough to stay alert, ate hurriedly and sorely resented any interruption to their work schedule - including having to repair a rip in their trousers. So Strauss had a simple idea: put copper rivets in the corners of the pockets, making them virtually indestructible. Miners paid top dollar for these sturdy, riveted denim trousers and the Levi Strauss brand of blue jeans was born. They didn’t just corner the market. They created it - out of whole cloth. Their trousers, overalls and lined coats became a staple of outdoor and frontier life.

One thing leads to the next...

More than 150 years later, denim now accounted for about 7% of all apparel sales and Levi-Strauss was no longer the only brand on the market but had done well to evolve with times and was a $4 billion global business, headquartered still in San Francisco, where it had all started. Typically the company had been run by lifers, but sometimes the leadership slots would be given over to outside “garmentos,” people who specialized in fashion, mass apparel and retail. The business was stagnant but the company’s board knew they had a powerful brand on their hands. So they tapped into the talent pool of the world’s historically greatest consumer brand builder and hired P&G veteran Chip Bergh to run the company. Chip insisted that the company have a clear brand strategy and a sound business plan. With his new head of brands, Jean Sey, they hired hot agency Wieden+Kennedy (who had birthed Nike) and when the crash of 2008 hit, W+K gave them “Go Forth,” a campaign that seemed more like “Occupy Wall Street” than true Levi’s. It didn’t do much for the brand and it didn’t have global appeal. What to do?

...and then comes back to the power of stories

It wasn’t until Chip meet James Curleigh that he finally grasped what the brand was all about and saw how to apply a great insight to a growth momentum strategy. Jim had reengineered the Salomon brand of skis by making the company stop thinking “ski equipment” market share and focus instead on their “share of mountain.” Salomon set its sights on mountain sports all year long: not just the downhill skiing but the cross country, the hiking, the climbing, the trekking. Salomon became a vibrant mountain sport company for which Adidas eventually paid $1 billion. Similarly, Levi’s would start thinking not share of jeans, but share of closet, which is why today, Levis Strauss & Co includes the Dockers and Denizen brands. But what were the jeans about? For they were the icon, the glue that holds the company together. Jim persuaded Chip that it was all about stories…

The story of people finding their true selves

Chip created a job for Jim, Brand President. Jim had the company look at the social and cultural history that surrounded jeans. After the miners, blue jeans were adopted by cowboys, who, as Marlboro would celebrate 75 years later, were living symbols of rugged independence. Then the bikers. Then the “rebels without a cause.” Then hippies. Then hipsters. Then start-ups. What did all of these cultural iconic lifestyles have in common? A desire to be true to themselves and a readiness to seize the day, trust their instincts, take action…to really be alive. They were all people who wanted their life to be a story, not a routine, not a calculation. In order for the brand to be ready for the next great generation of story seekers, it would have to think of itself as 150-year-old start up. It would have to live its own brand. And, slowly but surely, they began to realize that their new global brand idea would be: Live In Levi’s. They fired W+K and brought back FCB who had given them a soulful campaign years earlier, “the 501 Blues.” What would they do now with “Live in Levis”? And what kind of results could it deliver?

The purpose comes from the personality

The way Levi’s has executed the next chapter in its story is grounded in its brand personality and values. The brand purpose, finding your truest self, is deeply implicit in them. The brand personality is effortless cool. The brand values are authentic self-expression. The emotional benefit is feeling fully alive. So the key for the brand has been to trigger the telling of stories. Its reach and resonance would come from amplifying those stories around the world in all kinds of different cultures.

To trigger stories, you have to know your own

Levi’s found an amazing way to tell the story of its own authenticity and legendary past. It wouldn’t be fussy or boring. And it would trigger sales. They created a new line of clothing called “Authorized Vintage.” Levis takes vintage stock and reclaims it as theirs: inspected, cleaned, certified: lovingly prepared for a second life. This taps into the Millennial’s love of vintage clothing while at the same time taking Levi’s historical creds and turning them into a saleable product. Everybody wins.

True influencers are born storytellers

Levi’s isn’t interested in glossy Instagram “influencers” who are living advertising campaigns pretending to be your celebrity friend while adding you to the eyeballs they sell to their advertisers. Instead Levi’s, in concert with AKQA sought out people like music producer Caroline de Maigret, who have cool stories to tell, involving Levi’s most iconic mark, the 501s and who would be interested in talking about them in a global campaign called “We are 501.” (Link)

In the UK, supporting music - where new stories are being born

In the UK, Levi’s got behind music as a way of telling stories, creating culture, giving people something so powerful to believe in, so they can change their lives. They partnered up with music hero Skepta and created a youth music facility in Skepta’s hometown, Tottenham North London.

In Pakistan, Levi’s boldly backs the return of live music

There is something special and life-changing about live music. You’re there, under the spell of the musician, your life energy focuses into a beam and suddenly your craziest dreams and ambitions turn into something you’re really going to do. In that spirit, in 2017, Levi’s became a major backer for the return of the live Indie music scene in Pakistan, rebounding from Islamist harassment.

In India, Levi’s gives voice to women who want to shape their world

With 7 out of 10 women in India feeling that they don’t “measure up” to expectations concerning their appearance, and in a culture that pressures them with messages about how an Indian woman is supposed to look, Levis used its brand to become a projection of her most confident self, of, indeed, how she “shapes her world.” With social influencers that included a transgender model, a cancer survivor and a rape victim, the brand sharply contrasted itself with Indian stereotypes and, with zero paid media, obtained 10 million unique views in 2017 and a 22% sales increase in the Levis 300 “Shaping Series.” (Link)

In China, 2.6 million self-created ads in 2 weeks

Today’s 20-something style seekers in China had mostly tuned out Levi’s even though it had painstakingly built excellent mass distribution. Why not let this new generation make their own statement with the brand? Levi’s put together a platform on WeChat where they could select from different Levi’s and insert themselves into a fashion statement complete with their selection from a music library on TenCent QQ put together by Levi’s with a nod to its own values as a brand. The click-through on this was 50% higher than anything they had ever done. It generated 2.6 million co-created ads in just two weeks. It increased e-commerce sales 45% and total sales 15%.

In Malaysia, Levi’s redefines Chinese New Year

The fact is, Chinese New Year can be oppressive. Everyone feels obligated to send out a cavalcade of messages, head back home for the family reunions, get inspected by Grandma, eat traditional dishes…what if you’re young and cool and living in KL?  Levi’s stepped forward with a cultural meme of #NewYearMyWay.

Bringing it all together, “Live in Circles” hits home

That moment when you’re in a club or at a really great party and you overcome your fear and you step into the middle of the floor and you get your groove on and everybody eggs you on and suddenly you feel free and loved…that’s what Levi’s celebrated in Live In Circles. Like Smirnoff, it connected with the Millennial’s love of living in a diverse and inclusive world where everyone comes together but remains exactly who they are. Inspiring and joyful, “Circles” hit YouTube’s top ten most watched commercials in 2017 with 22 million views and counting.

It’s working

Jim Curleigh joined Levi’s in 2014. “Live in Levis” kicked off in 2015. The campaign has gone glocal for two years now. More will be revealed later. But in 2017, Levi’s had its best year in over ten years. There’s something going on in this 150-year-old start-up that looks promising indeed. With the simplest of integration, an anthem – Live in Levi’s – and a clear grasp of the power of its brand personality and values, Levi’s is executing around the world with an astonishing mix of story-telling, product innovation, activation, co-creation and culture-specific messaging that shows just how much local can go into glocal.

[thecoroutfitters]

For all of my adult life, I’ve heard the Republican Party being accused of being war mongers. Obviously, these accusations come from people who are not Republicans and are done with the intent of making Republicans look bad.

But of the 14 international wars that United States armed forces have participated in since the Civil War, the split is exactly even between Republicans and Democrats.

However, if we look at the cost of those wars, especially the cost in human lives, the scale has to come down on the side of the Democrats. I say that because there were Democrat Presidents in office at the beginning of most of the bloodiest wars that we have participated in, specifically World War I, World War II and the Korean War.

So the idea that Republicans are war mongers and that Democrats are peace-loving people just doesn’t stand up to scrutiny. Republicans do stand for a strong military, while Democrats tend to hate the military and reduce their funding.

The Republican idea is to have a strong enough military that we don’t need to get involved in wars, simply because nobody would want to take the chance of fighting a losing war with us.

Nevertheless, the idea of Republicans being war mongers prevails and is widely touted as fact. Perhaps this is, at least in part, because the people propagating that narrative are mostly in the news media, and as we all know, they are over 90 percent Democrats, who are more interested in spreading anti-Republican propaganda than they are in real news.

War and the Economy

Part of this narrative is that Republicans use wars to boost the economy, while Democrats are perceived as being able to boost the economy without wars. While there might be some truth to that statement, it is largely coincidental, rather than actual.

Changes to the economy generally happen slowly enough, that they aren’t realized during the tenure of a sitting president, but rather appear years later, during another presidency.

One prime example of this is the financial crisis caused by the bursting of the housing bubble. This came about because of banking regulations passed during Clinton’s presidency, which allowed accelerated rate loans and bubble loans for home mortgages.

These loans were a boon to the housing business, increasing the number of new homes built and homes bought, key economic indicators that made the Clinton presidency into an economic “golden age” for the country. But as we all know, when those balloon payments came due, people couldn’t afford them.

Not only that, but housing prices had artificially risen to the point where many people couldn’t refinance their homes. So the bubble popped during the end of Bush the second’s presidency, sending our economy into the most serious recession since the Great Depression.

On the other hand, there is one thing that a president is able to do, which can immediately stimulate the economy. It’s actually more along the lines of public relations than anything else. That is, the president can do a lot to increase public confidence, specifically confidence in the economy.

When they do, it always results in a boon to the country’s economy.

Bill Clinton did this quite effectively, which explains why the years of his presidency are looked at as “golden years” for the nation’s economy. It looks like President Trump is doing so as well, especially as people are starting to realize the impact of the recent tax reform package that he signed into law.

Why War for the Economy?

What makes war look like an economic boon is the vast amount of money the government has to spend to fight a war. War is expensive business; just ask any Democrat you meet. They can probably quote you figures on how much the “War on Drugs” has cost us, just looking at the wars in Afghanistan and Iran.

They blame the national debt on this, even though those wars only account for a small portion of the national debt.

Actually, the idea that wars boost the economy hearkens back to the early days of the last century, especially the years of World War II. President Franklin Roosevelt has been quoted as saying during that time that as much as 40% of the country’s GNP would have to go into war production.

Winning the Second World War was a national goal, with pretty much the whole country pulling together to help ensure that win.

This Could Kickstart World War Three

Many of the country’s great corporations were built from infancy to mega-corporations on government contracts issued during that time. Aircraft manufacturers, shipyards and automotive companies received purchase orders to build all they could on a “cost plus 10 percent” basis.

With guaranteed profits like that, massive investment was made into those companies manufacturing capability, which continued to help them once the war was over.

Keep in mind that the country came out of the Great Depression the same year that World War II started. While it wasn’t until later that we entered the war, it is fairly widely known that FDR was working behind the scenes to support the allies as much as possible and to get the US into the war.

Public opinion prevented our entry into the war though, until the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor.

World War II did boost the nation’s economy; much more so than any war before or since. Yet even smaller wars have helped the economy, simply by increasing military spending. With the military paying top dollar for everything, any company that has military contracts benefits from war.

That benefit then spreads through the rest of the economy, as those companies and their employees spend their profits.

But Start a War for Profits?

The very idea of starting a war for financial profits is just about as cynical as you can get. Perhaps that’s why Democrats make so many accusations against the Republicans for doing just that. Democrat politicians are masters at smear campaigns and saying that George Bush started the war in Iraq (for example) just for financial gain, protecting his family’s financial interest in the oil industry, is a great way of making Bush, and by extension all Republicans look bad.

Starting a war for financial gain is probably the ultimate way of saying that some lives are more valuable than others. It is saying that some people have to die, so that others can make a profit. While I have no doubt that there are people in the world who see things that way, I seriously doubt that our country’s political system would allow them to ascend to high office.

One little detail that most people forget is that the President doesn’t have the power to declare war; that power belongs to Congress. The President is the Commander in Chief and the War Powers Act does allow the president to send troops wherever he sees need, in the national interest.

But that is a limited power. He (or sometime in the future, she) can only do that for a maximum of 30 days. If Congress doesn’t agree with the president in that time, they have to recall the troops.

So, there are checks and balances against even an evil person who attains the presidency, using that position for personal gain in this manner. They would have to convince over half of Congress that there was a necessity for the war and that it would be right for the United States military to continue participating in it.

Of course, the conspiracy theorists will always have an answer for this, telling how manufactured evidence was created to sell Congress on the idea. But that’s a whole lot harder to accomplish than they believe. The number of people who would have to be involved in such a deception would ensure that the truth eventually came out. Their “unnamed sources” don’t count.

It’s a Moral Issue

Ultimately, going to war or not going to war is a moral issue. Throughout history, there have been kings and rulers who chose to go to war for personal gain, conquering new lands to expand their empire. But the United States has never done that. Our wars have been fought on moral grounds.

Even the Revolutionary War and the Civil War were fought on moral grounds. We fought the Revolutionary War to gain our freedom, when Great Britain was levying taxes on the colonies, without giving our forefathers representation in Parliament. That was a moral issue.

While the Civil War was fought for a number of reasons, one of the central ones was over slavery. That’s a moral issue as well. Granted, both sides thought that they had the moral high ground, but it was still a moral issue.

Oh, there are wars that we have been involved in, which can be stated to have a non-moral basis, such as the Whiskey Rebellion and the Indian Wars. I won’t argue that. But by and large, when the United States has gone to war, it has been for the protection of our land, our rights, our freedom or that of other countries around the world.

With this in mind, the very idea of starting a war, just to boost the economy is ridiculous. It goes against the American psyche; against our character; against who we are. Yes, we will use war to profit economically, in any way that we can. But that’s not the same as starting a war for financial profit.

But There’s Another Reason

Anyone who is really watching the economy, rather than just listening to the talking heads on the Democrat propaganda machine, otherwise known as the mainstream media, knows that we don’t need to go to war in order to boost the economy; it’s already receiving a much-needed shot in the arm.

It’s called “the Trump effect” and it started as soon as the results of the 2016 presidential election were in, before the inauguration. President Obama had been so anti-business, that companies were hoarding their profits and moving them overseas.

Little business expansion was happening, because companies with the means to expand were unsure of the business climate. They didn’t want to invest in what could very well be a losing venture.

Business is risky enough as it is. Any experienced businessperson knows how to reduce their exposure as much as possible. So they look for sure things or at least as sure as they can find. A stagnant economy, where the administration is anti-business is not a good place to invest. New regulations could shut down that business opportunity, before it could begin to show a profit.

But Trump is a businessman, who understands business. His pro-business stance has been clear from the very beginning of his campaign. One of his campaign promises was to reduce government regulation, something that he started on as soon as he was sworn in to office. That, in turn, has given corporate boards and private businessmen the confidence to start investing in our economy once again.

Add the recent tax reform to that raised confidence and it’s no wonder that the stock market is riding at record highs, companies are giving bonuses to their employees and major corporations are investing in new facilities, infrastructure and products.

Of course, you don’t hear about this in the mainstream media, because that would make Trump look good, something they can’t tolerate. But it is the truth. Donald Trump has managed to do what Barack Obama couldn’t do, turn the economy around. Rather than a slow recovery from the 2009 recession, we are now seeing a real growth in the economy; one that it looks like we can expect to see continue.

So no, there really isn’t any reason to go to war, at least not to boost the economy. There is enough happening already on that front, without even thinking about using a war for economic gain. If we do go to war, it will have to be as it was in the past, a war to fight injustice in the world; perhaps a continuation of the War on Terror.

But whatever it is, it will be based upon the principles this country was founded upon, not on furthering progressive policies or lining someone’s pockets.

This article has been written by Bill White for Survivopedia.

from Survivopedia Don't forget to visit the store and pick up some gear at The COR Outfitters. How prepared are you for emergencies? #SurvivalFirestarter #SurvivalBugOutBackpack #PrepperSurvivalPack #SHTFGear #SHTFBag

[cocoachoux]

Even as a teenager, Mikasa still finds a way to be a little shit get Eren and Levi together.

HAPPY BELATED BIRTHDAY @imasmi​!!! 8D She has been asking for a COMH sequel for a while now, and while the main fic is done, I thought that this fluffy side short would suffice. o3o I know that I could've added this to COMH: BTS, but I believe this could be read as a standalone fic as well since there's such a big time gap between chapters.

This could also be renamed as 'Chapter 57.5' since this takes place before the last chapter. ^^

It started as something minor.

At first, she didn’t say anything about it, thinking it was a one-off thing that wasn’t worth a second thought – it was a relatively common sight in this day and age, after all, so she shrugged it off.

But then it happened again but from the other person.

She still didn’t say anything about it, still thinking that it wasn’t much an issue – deeming it must be important if the other person did it as well.

But then it happened more and more often that it became a regular occurrence. A habit.

Mikasa’s lips twisted to a frown when she saw that both her dad and her anne were looking at their phones, typing away, not eating the dinner she had (painstakingly) prepared for them.

She tapped restlessly on her plate with her fork (something that she knew her dad hated with a passion), but no word of acknowledgment or even a head turn. They were so engrossed with their devices that Mikasa sighed loudly (again, nothing) and stood up.

“I’m done.”

For whatever reason, that seemed to gain her dad’s attention. Finally. “What’s wrong, Mikasa? You barely touched your plate.”

“You barely touched yours either,” she countered, gesturing the full plate of food with her chin.

Levi shook his head just as Eren put their phone away. “I had to respond to an email from one of the sponsors for the upcoming trip.”

“And I just got the photos from the last modeling shoot that I did,” Eren explained, “I had to upload a few teaser pictures on Twitter before I forget.” They gave Mikasa a smile. “But we’re good now. Come sit down, let’s eat.”

Mikasa spared them a wary look before sitting back down again and waited for her parents to start eating before she did, the frown still present on her face. They didn’t even apologize for their actions.

She discreetly watched the way they behaved next to each other. Their conversations have come to a strange lull, in which they don’t have much to say other than how much progress they were making on their respective projects or upcoming video ideas they wanted to share. Besides that, meals together tended to be a quiet affair – with her breaking the silence by telling them about her day and what homework she had and complaining about her school workload whenever she couldn’t stand the silence any longer. It soon became all too common for her to take lead during dinner conversations. Somewhere in the past few months, their conversations turned into a meeting, rather than enjoying each other’s company.

The sound of a phone buzzing snapped her out of her thoughts, eyes narrowing when her dad immediately grabbed hold of his phone and swiped the screen.

Levi’s eyes went back and forth as he read the new message. “Hey, Eren? Can you forward me the confirmation email for the flight? The organizer needs to know when we’ll arrive to have someone pick us up.”

“Hold on for a second.”

To Mikasa’s dismay, Eren had their phone in hand in an instance and was scrolling through to find what their husband was asking for. “It says that we’ll be there by 1:35, but we have a layover that’s only half an hour long. How much are you willing to bet that we’ll miss our connecting flight?”

Levi snorted. “It’s definitely going to happen. Just give me the flight number and I’ll send it to them. They can figure it out.”

At this point, Mikasa excused herself from dinner and walked out. She didn’t hear any protests from them, just their continued conversation about work.

She flopped on her bed in frustration. She knew she was being irrationally upset, but she couldn’t help but feel hopeless as she thought about her parents and how they were now compared to how they were at the beginning all those years ago. Their relationship turned… stagnant, if she was being honest with her observations. They weren’t necessarily on bad terms but they weren’t as close as they were either.

Sighing for the umpteenth time, she took out her own phone and messaged the two people she could always confide with.

Mikasa I need help.

Annie Don’t we all

Armin Annie, please. What’s wrong, Mikasa?

Mikasa Do you guys mind if we go on group chat?

Armin I’ll be on in a second.

Annie Same

Switching over to her tablet, she logged in and waited for her friends to be online. She made sure she locked the door beforehand and settled on the foot of her bed just as her tablet started ringing.

Accepting the call, she was immediately greeted with Armin’s worried voice.

“Are you okay, Mikasa?”

“Sort of… I was hoping you guys can help give me advice with something.”

“What’s up?” Annie chimed in.

Mikasa eyed her door before responding in a low voice, “You see, it’s about Dad and Anne.”

“What about your parents?”

“I’ve been noticing how distant they are lately.”

“To you?” Armin asked.

“A bit, but it’s more to each other. I don’t know, for the past couple of months, I’d noticed that they don’t talk to each other as much as they used to. They’re not fighting or anything, but they’re just… there. Like being with each other but also not really.”

“What makes you say that?” Even Annie, who was usually the stoic of the three, sounded concerned.

“For one, they’re always on their phones whenever we eat together. And I mean always. We made a rule of not using devices on the table a long, long time ago, but now, they both have their phones practically attached to their hands. And everything they talk about with each other is always related to work. I don’t even remember the last time they joked around and had fun together.”

There was a brief moment of silence before Annie mumbled, “That is kinda bad.”

Mikasa’s face settled into a frown. “So you don’t think I’m overreacting?”

“No,” Armin interjected, “If it’s something like this has been going for a while, I would be worried too.”

“When was the last time your parents went on a date? Just the two of them?” Annie asked.

She scrunched her brows together. “I honestly can’t remember… maybe around Valentine’s Day?”

“That was months ago.”

“I know, right?” Mikasa sighed in frustration. “I don’t know why or how it turned out like this.”

“I can kind of understand why it’s been such a long time,” Armin said, “Uncle Levi and Eren’s occupations are unusual compared to most parents. They’re public figures who need to make lots of content for their increasing fan base. I’m guessing their increasing workload means that they’re undertaking many projects at once which makes them constantly busy. Busy to the point that they’re not spending time together, even if they’re living and working under the same roof.”

Mikasa nodded slowly. Leave it to Armin to analyze the situation and understand it perfectly. “Exactly. And I can see that they’ve been stressing out from their work as well but not saying anything about it.”

“What they need is a vacation,” Annie suggested.

“That sounds good in theory, but they’re both workaholics. Taking a long break would probably stress them out even more considering that they create and edit their own content and feel pressured to still upload videos, even when they shouldn’t.”

“They’re going to another city for a convention as guest speakers, but it’s all going to be just work,” Mikasa agreed, “Eren told me that they also planned on meeting with their publisher for their upcoming book while they’re there while Dad is going to be testing some AR machine prototypes.”

“Man, Uncle Levi is so lucky…”

“Armin, focus.”

“Oh, right. Hm… I do think Annie’s right, though. Your parents need a break of some sort, but how about making it for a day at a time so they don’t miss as much?”

“And take away their phones so they won’t have it as a distraction,” Annie added.

“I guess it’s a worth a shot,” Mikasa said after thinking on it. A day without their phones wouldn’t kill them. “But how do I go on about doing that?”

“Ah, but what kind of friends would we be if we don’t help you trap your parents together like the good ol’ days?” Annie chuckled at Armin’s remark and Mikasa couldn’t help but smile, her mood perking up considerably.

“You definitely take after Uncle Erwin alright.” With a smile still on her face, reached for her pen and pad of paper, poised and ready to start taking notes. “Now, let’s get this plan started.”

Levi wearily eyed his daughter beside him. She was humming a happy tune as she drove the car, not noticing his blatant staring as she entered the intersection before making a left turn.

He glanced at the rear-view mirror and caught Eren’s eyes with his. Eren had a look of confusion on his face and he shared the same sentiment. Mikasa was behaving strangely all morning, demanding that he and Eren get dressed before leaving the house, not answering to any questions on where they were going before she literally pushed them outside and into the car. Any further questions about where she was taken them were met with silence so they eventually gave up and let her continue with her parent-napping.

Levi turned his attention to the window beside him, unsure of what else to do. Absentmindedly, he took out his phone and saw the notifications of unread emails. He internally sighed as he began to answer the emails, not noticing how Mikasa’s happy behavior dimmed down once he did.

After some time, the car came to a complete halt and Mikasa parked the car. “We’re here.”

He looked up and saw that they were at the entrance of a hotel. Finding the name scrawled on the side, he turned to look at her. “Santa Monica Beach? Is there a conference here or something?”

She scoffed and muttered, “Of course you would think of that,” before taking off her seatbelt, not answering his question. “Come on, get out.”

Levi and Eren got out of the car and followed her into the lavish lobby. Mikasa went straight to the front desk while her parents stood off to the side awkwardly as she started talking to the receptionist.

“What do you think she’s doing?” Eren asked.

“I don’t know. She’s been acting weird for the past couple of days.”

“Really?”

It was Levi’s turn to ask him a question, “You haven’t noticed?”

“Not really,” Eren replied back hesitantly, “I’ve been kind of busy lately.”

Levi hummed in agreement and their whispered conversation stopped once Mikasa came back with keycards in her hands. “These are for you,” she declared as she pushed the cards into his hands. “I arranged for an early check-in for your room. You guys will be staying on the second floor in room 216 with an ocean view. I’ll be right back.”

She fled out of the hotel before either Eren or Levi could utter out a sound. Levi looked at the shiny cards in his hands and before he knew it, Mikasa was back with his and Eren’s usual carry-on bags for flights and placed them on the floor. When did she pack those?

“Final thing, give me your phones.” Her arms were outstretched and she took the surrendered phones and pocketed them in her hoodie. “Perfect.”

“Mikasa, can you please tell us what’s going on now?” Eren asked.

The teenager crossed her arms and jutted her hip to the side. “You two are going to have a day off together. No phone, no work. Just a day for you two to catch up.”

“You can’t be serious, we have business to do,” Levi argued.

“Your work can survive without you for a day,” Mikasa said. “I’ll take any calls for you while you guys are having your day together.”

“But-”

“When was the last time you two went on a date? Just one day to enjoy each other’s company and not thinking about work?”

Eren and Levi looked at each other, trying to remember the last time they were alone together, looking ashamed as they did.

The few seconds of silence was all that Mikasa needed to hear. “See?” She had her smug, “I-told-you-so” voice and the two adults frowned on how right she was. “So take the day off. It’s not going to kill you.”

Backing away from them, she continued, “I’ll pick you up here around noon tomorrow for check-out. Oh, and don’t bother to call Uncle Erwin or Uncle Farlan to pick you up because they were the ones who booked the room for you.”

“Ta-ta for now. Have fun and always remember to use protection!” She practically skipped her way out of the lobby and smirked when her parents yelled after her.

They watched as she got back into the car and drove away. Eyeing the cards again, Levi turned to Eren with a sheepish look on his face. “Shall we?”

Eren beamed and Levi’s breath hitched for a moment. When was the last time he saw Eren smile at him like that? Thinking back on it, maybe Mikasa was right about having a day to themselves.

Returning the smile with his own, he reached for Eren’s hand and took hold of their bags with the other, wondering how the rest of the day would turn out like with just the two of them.

[fantaisie-pastorale]

Levy Chiefland Florida 32644 – How Addiction Works

Why Individuals Using Drugs in Levy, Chiefland, Florida.

The reasons individuals use drugs are differed. Basically, though, drugs give us a wanted result producing a sensation of bliss that makes us feel much better– a minimum of momentarily. There are numerous ways that drugs assist individuals handle life and everyone has their own reason that they select a specific drug.

Drugs can help soothe you down, give you energy, get rid of shyness, and prevent sensations of isolation. They might you feel bolder and desire to take threats you would not normally take. They are utilized to possibly suit social circumstance and enter a “celebration” state of mind as well as to celebrate pleased events. Clinically, drugs are utilized to alleviate discomfort, help you to sleep, reduce anger, combat anxiety, and prevent depression. They can be used to handle stress, promote your desire for sex, and reduce weight. Numerous people report that they began using drugs as a reaction to peer pressure. Those around them would use drugs, so to fit in, they started using too. The methods drugs affect us are many– for everyone. A lot so that often it seems that drugs can cure all our ills and assist us overcome whatever troubles us. If that’s all there were to it, we may consider each drug to be some sort of “wonder drug.” This is where the thought procedure gets a little skewed. People begin to yearn for the feeling of euphoria that they get when they utilize drugs which’s when it ends up being a problem. It can be a vicious circle. You feel you cannot live without the feelings that drugs offer you which you simply will not have the ability to cope with life without those drugs. That’s exactly what types addiction. To find out more about drug dependency, get the 5 part Drug Rehab Course for people in Levy, Chiefland, Florida 32644.

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Identifying Your Drug Issue

When you utilize drugs, they can quickly end up being an issue. Dependency can happen prior to you understand it. You need to truly have a look at your drug usage and be honest with yourself when examining whether that substance abuse has actually become a problem. Start by asking yourself one simple concern: “Do you sometimes think you have a drug issue?” If the answer is yes, you most likely do have an issue with addiction. Why? Most of the time, drug abusers deny they have an issue, or they hide from it by making reasons. It’s a natural reaction to defend yourself and your habits. However your defenses break down occasionally. So if you in some cases believe you have an issue, you nearly definitely do. Consider how you feel the early morning after heavy using. Your body pains, your head is cloudy, you feel guilty for over-using and guarantee yourself you’ll stop. You decide that you won’t be utilizing drugs that day. You feel beaten and broken and wish to do something about it. Your defenses are down and you are susceptible to your very own logical ideas. As the day goes on, though, your defenses begin coming back up once again and you start excusing yourself for the previous day’s binge. You begin to make excuses for your over-indulgence. You tell yourself you were having a bad day, you didn’t consume enough, you were actually stressed out, or some other excuse. You choose to let yourself use “just a little”. After all, you were having a bad day yesterday. Today will not be the same. And the cycle continues. To find out more about drug addiction, get your 5 part Drug Rehab Course for residents in Levy, Chiefland, Florida 32644.

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How Dependency Works

Medical research shows 2 major causes of physical dependency. First, your cells adjust to the drug and, second, your metabolism ends up being more efficient. To your cells, the drugs you’re utilizing become a way of living. Each time you use a drug, your blood brings it to every cell in your body. Your cells adjust. They grow to expect these dosages on schedule. Your cells discover how to manage various drugs by defending themselves versus the drugs’ poisonous impacts. Cell walls solidify to retain stability and lower toxic damage. However as your cells get tough against drugs, slowly a growing number of can be taken in. Your tolerance boosts. In the long run, nevertheless, cell walls break down. At this point, your cells not only lose their capability to keep toxic substances out however likewise end up being unable to maintain important nutrients. Many of them stop operating completely or start working unusually. That’s when your organs (heart, brain, liver, or lungs), which are absolutely nothing more than whole systems of cells, start to fail. The problem with metabolism is that it is intimately linked to diet plan. Your body metabolizes food (simplify into its constituent parts) to obtain important nutrients to all the cells. To serve this purpose, your body can metabolize several foods and can discover how to gain nutrients from nearly any sort of food you give it. Metabolism likewise helps to rid the body of unwanted toxins. The liver is the crucial organ in this procedure. The liver “sees” drugs as unwanted contaminants and begins producing enzymes that will assist remove them from the body. It produces a different mix of enzymes for each drug. Additionally, the liver becomes exceptionally effective at producing these enzymes. The more it “sees” a particular drug, the more effectively it produces the enzymes that suspend that drug. Hence, a drug that you utilize often will get eliminated from the body with greater and greater efficiency. It’s as if the liver begins to “anticipate” that drug and has enzymes all set and waiting. This is a key factor that tolerance increases, that is, why it takes greater and greater doses of a drug to get the same original impacts. For more info about drug addiction, get a 5 part Drug Rehab Course for people in Levy, Chiefland, Florida 32644.

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Safe Detoxing

Drug detox is the most crucial part of ending up being devoid of dependency, and due to the fact that of this drug detox ought to be managed with excellent care. Drug detox is a medical treatment. Drug detox must be managed in a medical center under fantastic guidance. The factor for this is due to the fact that drug detox can be fatal. What happens to the body when one ends up being addicted is a chemical change, and to take this chemical away from the body simultaneously without appropriate care from the drug detox can turn from a positive process to a fatal one. If you choose to get in a rehab facility, you will have the assistance and help you require to survive the detox procedure. However, if you decide outpatient rehab is more your speed, you should contact a doctor and be under his or her guidance while you are ridding your body of drugs. The physical symptoms of detoxing vary according to exactly what kind of drugs you are coming off of. Because there are countless chain reactions that occur in our body as an outcome of the drugs, taking the drug away will affect those chemical responses. Signs vary from cold sweats to shaking to things as major as convulsions and heart palpitations. To learn more about drug dependency, get a 5 part Drug Rehab Course for residents in Levy, Chiefland, Florida 32644.

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Building Your Self-Esteem

It is almost difficult to efficiently journey down the path to healing without recognizing that you are worthy of to be drug-free. Structure your self-esteem requires effort on your part, and, much like during your self-assessment, it likewise requires individual sincerity. Building self-confidence assists not just with personal approval, however with staying strong during your healing as well. Keep in mind, you are an unique individual and are no less deserving than anybody else in exactly what you should have from life. If you was reluctant to address, or answered adversely to any of the questions above, please keep reading. You produce your very own tomorrow today. Altering a thought process or your inner expectations is important to recovery. Favorable affirmations are very crucial in building your self-confidence. They will become your mantra as you work on the parts of you that you want to change. They can also be helpful when you are feeling weak throughout the recovery process. A positive affirmation can be anything you desire it to be, however it needs to be positive! Look in the mirror, look into your own eyes, and recite your affirmation over and over again. Change your state of mind from not thinking what you say to wholeheartedly accepting that it is the reality. Do this numerous times a day if you have to. Eventually, you’ll begin thinking what you say without having to peaceful down those unfavorable thoughts when they sneak in. To learn more about drug dependency, get the 5 part Drug Rehab Course for people in Levy, Chiefland, Florida 32644.

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[fantaisie-pastorale]

Levy Morriston Florida 32668 – Why Individuals Use Drugs

Why People Utilize Drugs in Levy, Morriston, Florida.

The factors people utilize drugs are varied. Essentially, however, drugs provide us a preferred impact producing a feeling of ecstasy that makes us feel better– a minimum of temporarily. There are numerous manner ins which drugs help people deal with life and everyone has their own reason why they select a particular drug.

Drugs can assist soothe you down, provide you energy, overcome shyness, and prevent feelings of solitude. They might you feel bolder and wish to take threats you wouldn’t usually take. They are used to maybe fit into social circumstance and enter a “party” mood and even to celebrate happy events. Medically, drugs are utilized to minimize discomfort, assist you to sleep, reduce anger, battle stress and anxiety, and avoid depression. They can be used to handle stress, promote your desire for sex, and reduce weight. Lots of people report that they began utilizing drugs as an action to peer pressure. Those around them would utilize drugs, so to suit, they began utilizing as well. The methods drugs impact us are countless– for everyone. A lot so that frequently it seems that drugs can treat all our ills and help us get rid of whatever troubles us. If that’s all there were to it, we might consider each drug to be some sort of “wonder drug.” This is where the thought process gets a little manipulated. Individuals start to crave the feeling of bliss that they get when they utilize drugs and that’s when it ends up being a problem. It can be a vicious circle. You feel you can’t live without the feelings that drugs provide you which you just will not have the ability to deal with life without those drugs. That’s exactly what types dependency. For more details about drug addiction, get your 5 part Drug Rehab Course for people in Levy, Morriston, Florida 32668.

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Determining Your Drug Problem

When you use drugs, they can rapidly end up being a problem. Dependency can occur prior to you know it. You require to actually have a look at your drug usage and be sincere with yourself when assessing whether or not that substance abuse has ended up being an issue. Start by asking yourself one simple question: “Do you often believe you have a drug issue?” If the answer is yes, you probably do have a problem with addiction. Why? Many of the time, drug abusers reject they have a problem, or they hide from it by making reasons. It’s a natural reaction to safeguard yourself and your behaviors. But your defenses break down every so often. So if you sometimes think you have an issue, you practically certainly do. Think about how you feel the early morning after heavy using. Your body aches, your head is cloudy, you feel guilty for over-using and pledge yourself you’ll stop. You choose that you won’t be utilizing drugs that day. You feel beaten and damaged and desire to do something about it. Your defenses are down and you are susceptible to your very own rational thoughts. As the day goes on, though, your defenses begin returning up again and you begin excusing yourself for the previous day’s binge. You begin to make excuses for your over-indulgence. You inform yourself you were having a bad day, you didn’t eat enough, you were truly stressed, or some other excuse. You choose to let yourself use “just a little”. After all, you were having a bad day yesterday. Today won’t be the exact same. And the cycle continues. For more details about drug addiction, get a 5 part Drug Rehabilitation Course for residents in Levy, Morriston, Florida 32668.

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How Dependency Works

Medical research study shows 2 major reasons for physical dependency. Initially, your cells adjust to the drug and, 2nd, your metabolism becomes more effective. To your cells, the drugs you’re using become a way of life. Every time you use a drug, your blood brings it to every cell in your body. Your cells change. They grow to expect these dosages on schedule. Your cells find out to manage various drugs by safeguarding themselves against the drugs’ harmful impacts. Cell walls solidify to maintain stability and minimize poisonous damage. But as your cells get tough against drugs, slowly increasingly more can be taken in. Your tolerance increases. In the long run, nevertheless, cell walls break down. At this moment, your cells not just lose their ability to keep toxins out but likewise end up being unable to maintain vital nutrients. A number of them stop working entirely or begin working abnormally. That’s when your organs (heart, brain, liver, or lungs), which are absolutely nothing more than entire systems of cells, begin to stop working. The problem with metabolism is that it is thoroughly connected to diet. Your body metabolizes food (breaks it down into its constituent parts) to obtain crucial nutrients to all the cells. To serve this function, your body can metabolize numerous different foods and can discover the best ways to get nutrients from nearly any type of food you give it. Metabolism likewise assists to rid the body of unwanted toxic substances. The liver is the key organ in this procedure. The liver “sees” drugs as undesirable contaminants and starts producing enzymes that will assist remove them from the body. It produces a different combination of enzymes for each drug. Additionally, the liver ends up being extremely effective at producing these enzymes. The more it “sees” a specific drug, the more effectively it produces the enzymes that inactivate that drug. Hence, a drug that you use frequently will get eliminated from the body with higher and higher effectiveness. It’s as if the liver starts to “expect” that drug and has enzymes ready and waiting. This is a crucial factor that tolerance increases, that is, why it takes higher and greater doses of a drug to obtain the same original results. To learn more about drug dependency, get the 5 part Drug Rehab Course for residents in Levy, Morriston, Florida 32668.

50% Complete

Drug Rehab eCourse

Live a better life with what you already have! Our 5 part drug rehab course will put you on top again!

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Safe Detoxing

Drug detox is the most essential part of becoming free from dependency, and since of this drug detox should be handled with fantastic care. Drug detox is a medical procedure. Drug detox should be managed in a medical facility under fantastic guidance. The factor for this is since drug detox can be fatal. Exactly what takes place to the body when one ends up being addicted is a chemical change, and to take this chemical away from the body at one time without correct care from the drug detox can turn from a favorable process to a deadly one. If you elect to go into a rehab facility, you will have the guidance and help you have to get through the detox procedure. However, if you choose outpatient rehabilitation is more your speed, you should contact a medical professional and be under his/her supervision while you are ridding your body of drugs. The physical signs of detoxification differ inning accordance with what kind of drugs you are coming off of. Due to the fact that there are thousands of chemical reactions that happen in our body as an outcome of the drugs, taking the drug away will affect those chemical responses. Signs vary from cold sweats to shaking to things as major as convulsions and heart palpitations. To find out more about drug addiction, get a 5 part Drug Rehabilitation Course for residents in Levy, Morriston, Florida 32668.

50% Complete

Drug Rehab eCourse

Live a better life with what you already have! Our 5 part drug rehab course will put you on top again!

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Building Your Self-confidence

It is nearly impossible to efficiently journey down the path to recovery without realizing that you deserve to be drug-free. Structure your self-esteem requires effort on your part, and, similar to throughout your self-assessment, it likewise needs personal sincerity. Structure self esteem assists not just with individual acceptance, but with remaining strong during your recovery as well. Remember, you are a distinct person and are no less deserving than anybody else in what you should have from life. If you was reluctant to respond to, or answered negatively to any of the questions above, please keep reading. You produce your own tomorrow today. Changing a believed procedure or your inner expectations is important to healing. Favorable affirmations are really crucial in constructing your self esteem. They will become your mantra as you work on the parts of you that you wish to change. They can also be practical when you are feeling weak throughout the healing process. A favorable affirmation can be anything you desire it to be, but it needs to be positive! Search in the mirror, check out your own eyes, and recite your affirmation over and over again. Modification your mindset from not believing what you say to completely accepting that it is the reality. Do this numerous times a day if you have to. Ultimately, you’ll begin thinking what you say without needing to peaceful down those negative thoughts when they sneak in. For more details about drug dependency, get the 5 part Drug Rehabilitation Course for people in Levy, Morriston, Florida 32668.

Drug Addiction

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Levy, Morriston, Florida 32668 Drug Rehab Treatment Help

#Alcoholism #DetoxFromAlcohol #AlcoholAbuse #AlcoholAbuseTreatment #AlcoholAddiction #AlcoholAddictionTreatment #AlcoholDependence #AlcoholDetox #AlcoholRecovery #AlcoholRehab #AlcoholRehabCenters #AlcoholTreatment #AlcoholTreatmentCenters #AlcoholWithdrawal #DrugAbuse #DrugAddiction #DrugAddictionHelp #DrugAddictionTreatment #DrugAndAlcoholRehab #DrugAndAlcoholTreatment #DrugAndAlcoholTreatmentCenters #DrugDetox#DrugHelp #DrugRehab #DrugRehabCenters #DrugRehabFacilities #DrugRehabs #DrugTreatment #DrugTreatmentCenters #DrugTreatmentPrograms

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