#*ayanna x owen.

[naturiisms]

@owenrobinson // murder mystery fundraiser, denver public library

brown hues wandered around the room for a familiar face instinctually, a bit of disappointment washing over ayanna as they remembered that their friend no longer worked at the library. it should have dawned on them before coming to this event in hopes of seeing them, she realized, continuing on into the room. the disappointment was quickly replaced with excitement as they spotted owen, remembering him from the strawberry festival. walking over, she tapped his shoulder and waited to get his attention, grin plastered on her features.

[sagehqs]

X - Xceptional - Who is the most exceptional person in their life? Are there any rules that they have notable exceptions to? What gets them excited in life?

headcanon a-z

Who doesn't Sage think is exceptional? From Carly supporting her through work and life to Vince being a person she can always count on for guidance and support, to Ayanna helping her sort through feelings -- Sage thinks most everyone in their life is exceptional. In nearly every person they meet, they can find some good -- that's how they were taught to see the world. However, they're very, very smitten with Owen and in awe of him. He's pretty spectacular in their book and they could ramble on and on about him, his compassion, his brain, his sweetness... you get the idea. So, if you asked them, they'd currently answer Owen without missing a beat and with a wide grin on their face.

[naturiisms]

"oh fuck," she huffed, "why didn't i think of wine! i changed my mind we're wagering for wine!" their hands moved faster than before, displaying her sense of urgency and pairing it with giddy laughter. his confidence was amusing, one eyebrow raising as high as it could. with a prize in mind and a win at stake, they were determined to at least make it a close call. "you're about to be real embarrassed when you get your ass handed to you by a stranger!" they tossed the bean bag in their hand a couple times after finishing their announcement, a sort of preparation for their throw. stepping away from owen and a considerable distance from the platform, ayanna copied a pitcher's pose from memory ( poorly ) before turning toward him. "nah, i'm just fucking with you." she laughed, turning back toward the platform and giving a good underhand throw, sinking straight into the hole. arms raised into the air as excitement spread across their features, making their way toward him as they signed. "i've been in town exactly long enough to kick your ass at cornhole." it was deadpan, a large grin following shortly after. "so, about three months now. almost four. how long have you been here?" then nodded for him to take his turn.

"Perfect because I've been wanting to try the fresh strawberry wine and I'm sure it'll taste even better with a hint of victory." Owen shot right back with a grin, always down for a bit of friendly banter- even if it was with someone he had just met. He raised an eyebrow at their comment some, perhaps feeling a bit too over confident. "That's alright, we can keep where we are. Make you think you have a shot at winning before I take you down." Nodding his head in their direction for them to go ahead and go again. Though he knew deep down, there was very much a chance he was going to get his ass handed to him. Owen waited a moment before brining his hands back up, figuring there was no harm in some conversation as well in their game. "Have you been in town long" He asked, always curious how many others were local or if they were new to town, what might have brought them out here.

[bountyofbeads]

https://theintercept.com/2019/07/12/border-patrol-chief-carla-provost-was-a-member-of-secret-facebook-group/

"The chief of the Border Patrol, the person who said “These posts are completely inappropriate and contrary to the honor and integrity I see” was a member of the secret Facebook group, the Intercept reports, as were several other supervisors." "https://t.co/buqG89Y7Hd

BORDER PATROL CHIEF CARLA PROVOST WAS A MEMBER OF SECRET FACEBOOK GROUP

Ryan Devereaux | Published July 12 2019, 7:48 a.m. | The Intercept | Posted July 12, 2019 |

WHEN NEWS BROKE that thousands of current and former Border Patrol agents were members of a secret Facebook group filled with racist, vulgar, and sexist content, Carla Provost, chief of the agency, was quick to respond. “These posts are completely inappropriate and contrary to the honor and integrity I see — and expect — from our agents day in and day out,” Provost said in a statement. “Any employees found to have violated our standards of conduct will be held accountable.”

For Provost, a veteran of the Border Patrol who was named head of the agency in August 2018, the group’s existence and content should have come as no surprise. Three months after her appointment to chief, Provost herself had posted in the group, then known as “I’m 10-15,” now archived as “America First X 2.” Provost’s comment was innocuous — a friendly clapback against a group member who questioned her rise to the top of the Border Patrol — but her participation in the group, which she has since left, raises serious questions.



The original post made to the Facebook group. Some personal information and names have been redacted for privacy.



Provost is one of several Border Patrol supervisors The Intercept has identified as current or former participants in the secret Facebook group, including chief patrol agents overseeing whole Border Patrol sectors; multiple patrol agents in charge of individual stations; and ranking officials in the Border Patrol’s union, who have enjoyed direct access to President Donald Trump. (It is technically possible that someone else posted in the group using the individuals’ accounts.) The group’s existence has already generated at least two investigations from lawmakers and internal Department of Homeland Security oversight bodies.

Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., chair of the House Homeland Security Committee, sent a letter to the DHS Inspector General’s office last week specifically requesting that investigators examine whether Provost and Acting DHS Secretary Kevin McAleenan knew about or had previously addressed the problem of government personnel posting “violent, racist, misogynistic comments and pictures” in the “I’m 10-15” group.

“This is why I have requested a full investigation into this matter,” Thompson said in a statement to The Intercept, after being informed of Provost’s participation in the group. “We need to know who in CBP leadership knew about these deplorable groups, when did they find out, and what action they took, if anything.”

Customs and Border Protection, the agency that oversees the Border Patrol, did not dispute that Provost and other senior agents had commented in the group. Provost did not respond to a request for comment. In a statement, CBP said its Office of Professional Responsibility “is investigating the material provided to CBP this week from multiple sources.”

“CBP does not tolerate misconduct on or off duty and will hold those who violate our code of conduct accountable,” the statement said. “Several CBP employees have received cease and desist letters and several of those have been placed on administrative duties pending the results of the investigation. These posts do not reflect the core values of the Agency and do not reflect the vast majority of employees who conduct themselves professionally and honorably every day, on and off duty.”

ProPublica was first to report the existence of the secret Border Patrol group on July 1, revealing that members used the page to joke about migrant deaths and share sexually violent and threatening posts about several Democratic lawmakers, including, in particular, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio Cortez, D-N.Y. Politico followed up by reporting that senior officials in the Border Patrol, as well as CBP public affairs officials, had known about the group for years and used it as an “intelligence” stream to monitor the sentiment of the workforce. The Intercept then reported that the public revelations sparked an internal purging of the Facebook group’s content, but not before we archived hundreds of posts shared over multiple weeks.

CBP’s press office disputed reporting that it had monitored the group. “While the Agency has taken appropriate action to review, investigate, and caution employees about inappropriate posts brought to our attention, the Agency does not restrict employees from affiliating through social media groups,” a spokesperson told The Intercept in an email. “Further, contrary to previous media reports, CBP’s Office of Public Affairs does not continuously monitor the personal use of social media by CBP employees.”

Evidence of Provost’s participation in the secret Border Patrol group comes as Ocasio-Cortez, along with Rep. Veronica Escobar, D-Texas;, Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich.; and Rep. Ayanna Pressley, D-Mass., head into a hearing with the Committee on Oversight and Reform and the inspectors general of DHS and the Department of Health and Human Services on Friday to discuss their recent visit to detention centers along the border.

As both ProPublica and The Intercept have reported, the lawmakers visit was a hot topic among “I’m 10-15” members, who discussed throwing burritos at the members of Congress or, in the case of one El Paso-based agent, staging a “bang in” to relieve stress from their presence. In a statement to the press Wednesday, Rep. Elijah E. Cummings, chair of the oversight committee, said the Facebook group would be a topic of discussion at the hearing. The Maryland Democrat has opened an investigation into the group and, in a letter to Mark Zuckerberg, requested that the Facebook executive see to it that his company “preserve all documents, communications, and other data related to the ‘I’m 10-15’ group” including “log files and metadata.”

Shortly after the Facebook group was revealed, CBP’s Office of Professional Responsibility issued a public statement, citing Provost, saying that it had alerted the DHS inspector general’s office and that an investigation had been launched. McAleenan later saidthat an unspecified number of individuals had been placed on “administrative duties” following the disclosures over the last week, while ABC News obtained an internal memo showing that CBP “was aware, as early as February 2018, of at least one private Facebook group that included ‘inappropriate and offensive posts’ by its personnel.”

Whether the group in question was “I’m 10-15” is unclear. As CNN reportedlast week, CBP employees have also participated in a group known as “The Real CBP Nation” that shared similar content to the Border Patrol group.

A CBP spokesperson told The Intercept that it “investigated and took action regarding specific inappropriate social media posts and associated individuals that the Agency was made aware of in 2016” and that OPR “distributed guidance to the workforce that warned CBP employees can be disciplined for inappropriate social media posts, including posts in private groups” in February 2018. As for current investigations, the spokesperson said, “Several employees have been placed on administrative duty (also known as restricted duty).”

“The cases are still being investigated. When the facts are ascertained in the investigative process, the report is reviewed to determine whether the case should be heard by the Agency’s Disciplinary Review Board or referred to local management for review under management’s disciplinary authority. We cannot comment on individual cases.”

CATERING TO CURRENT and former Border Patrol agents and other CBP employees, the “I’m 10-15” group had more than 9,500 members before being exposed. As of Friday morning, the number was a little over 4,000. Though efforts were made to remove recent disturbing content, much of the group’s past posts and comments sections remain intact, with the names of members who have left the group appearing in gray.

The names of three current chief patrol agents appeared in The Intercept’s search of the Border Patrol Facebook group, including Matthew Hudak, of the Big Bend sector, whose last post was on August 10, 2016; Rodney S. Scott, of the San Diego sector, who remains in the group and whose last post was on November 17, 2018; and Jason D. Owens, former deputy chief patrol agent for the Laredo, Texas, sector, who now oversees operations the Border Patrol’s Houlton sector in Maine. The Intercept additionally identified nine current or former group members whose names match current patrol agents in charge, or PAICs, of individual Border Patrol stations.

The names of Border Patrol union figures also appear in the group, including Hector Garza, who was among the first active-duty agency members to establish a relationship to then-candidate Trump in 2015, and Tucson chapter union head Art del Cueto, host of the Breitbart-sponsored Border Patrol union podcast “The Green Line” and frequent Fox News guest.

While posts shared by Border Patrol supervisors viewed by The Intercept were generally benign, that was not true in all cases.

By all indications, group member Thomas Hendricks was something of an edgy memelord in “I’m 10-15,” never cowering before the politically correct demands of so-called snowflakes. When Hendricks appeared to disappear from the group last summer, his stature and mystique grew, prompting “who is Tom Hendricks” and “we are all Tom Hendricks” style posts.

The truth, as ProPublica reported this week and as comments reviewed by The Intercept indicate, is that Hendricks appears to be a supervisor in the Border Patrol Calexico station with more than two decades on the job. He returned to “I’m 10-15” on June 21, posting “That’s right bitches. The masses have spoken and today democracy won. I have returned. To everyone who knows the real me and had my back I say thank you. To everyone else? This is what I have to say…”

Hendricks then included an image of a smirking Trump forcing  Ocasio-Cortez’s face into his crotch by the back of her neck.

The post, which garnered more than 250 likes, was on the ProPublica website less than two weeks later.

[naturiisms]

she was impressed with his counteroffer, admiring his willingness to bet with a stranger that seemed to match her own. that's what community events were for, right? they weren't for bets specifically, but if ayanna could get a win and a free pie out of the day, they definitely weren't going to turn it down. she nodded at him animatedly, looking around at all of the different booth options and realizing if she won, the booths would be her oyster. "oh, it's on! how could i say no to an offer like that? personally, i'm going for a strawberry pie, one of the ones with the cute leaves on them, you know?" her face contorting toward the end to emphasize her question. "we can go ahead and start over and you can go first, so that i don't have a head start on you, seeing as i'm about to kick your ass and all."

Owen grinned widely, always down for some friendly competition, even with a complete stranger. And who knew, sometimes strangers often became friends, something he was always more than open to as well. His eyes stayed on them as he leaned down to grab another bean bag, nodding along as they suggested the rules for them to play. "Sounds good to me, seems more than fair." Owen replied with a nod of his head as he did so. Though as they mentioned the stakes, Owen couldn't help but let out a small huff. "I feel like we should up it some- Instagram bragging and, I don't know- a treat of the winners choice. Jam, a pie, whatever catches their eye." He added to it, figuring that it was still pretty simple as prizes came. Something just to up the ante a bit along with bragging rights.

[naturiisms]

"that's because i do mean business!" she laughed, eyes following his hands intently. it seemed like he'd picked up on the fact that they weren't exactly an expert at signing, but they conversation was still flowing well. their favorite part about the language was the expression, the way facial expressions and body language put emphasis on different signs. being an overly expressive person, ayanna felt that it helped keep the essence of their personality even in translation. "how about this," they signed with their free hand, the other tossing a bean bag up and down in their hand. "we can play traditional rules. bag on the platform is one point, bag in the hole is three. whoever gets to twenty one first, wins." they explained, pausing to give him time to throw the bag. watching as it landed in the hole, they pointed to it and smiled. "like that, would be one point." she couldn't help but laugh at the face he made, shrugging her shoulders. a game is a game and she loved to win! "and whoever wins will have to post a picture of the other one declaring them the cornhole champion! lowest stakes possible, i'm pretty sure."

"This is going to be great then, I'm a bit overly competitive myself." He grinned as he signed back to them, still making sure to keep his signing a bit slower than what he normally would. Just because someone knew sign, he didn't want to assume how well they did. Even if Ayanna's look really good. So he kept his hands steady and slow, doing his best to not move them too fast. Owen watched with an eyebrow raised as they took their position, a laugh falling from his lips. "You know, I don't know now. You look like you really mean business." Having a feeling that he was in fact about to get his ass kicked. Owen watched as they threw the bean bag, pretty impressed, knowing that odds of himself making into that hole were probably slim. "I'm starting to think we should make these stakes very low-" Another round of laughter falling from his lips, "Mainly because I have a feeling I'm going to get my ass kicked." He grabbed for a bean bag, throwing it towards the other platform, making it onto it but still a bit from the hole, making a face as he looked back up at them.

[naturiisms]

observing his stature, ayanna was sure that a game of cornhole wouldn't be a tall task for him. for a moment the competitor in them grumbled, almost hoping that someone with less skill would've been the one to be walking by. they could be a sore loser though, even if it drove them up the wall. "i didn't know they had games here!" she expressed, being sure to turn toward him as she signed. they made note of his sign name, taking a moment to practice it. "nice to meet you, owen." she smiled warmly, then leaned down to grab one of the bags and move back into position away from the platform. "i'm a-y-a-n-n-a," she signed with her free hand, "do you wanna go first or do you want me to? we'll see if you're gonna destroy me or not before we decide the stakes!"

The excitement and honestly, pure joy, that Owen felt each time someone signed to him was unexplainable. It didn't happen often, that he would run into someone that knew ASL but when it did, the feeling he got was unmatchable. To be able to communicate with someone in his language, to not have to guess and try to read lips. It was such a welcomed relief. "Perfect." Owen signed back with a grin. With his eyes still on them, he easily caught the bean bag that was tossed his way. "So up for a game of it." he grinned, "I was hoping I'd run into some who'd want to play a game." Owen signed with his the hand that wasn't holding the bean bag, nodding towards one end of the cornhole game. He made his way over to it, thankful that even with a distance between them, they could still easily sign. "Owen by the way." he added, finger spelling his name before showing his sign name as well.

[naturiisms]

ayanna waited as he approached them, offering a smile and a wave of their own. as he got closer, she took a few steps to meet him halfway, leaning forward and taking a moment to read the words on his screen. his laugh was infectious, eliciting one of their own as she nodded enthusiastically. there was one class ayanna had paid attention to in school. with foreign language being required, they'd figured it would be worth it to learn american sign language. they'd dedicated their hands to making all kinds of art, speech included. "it was definitely about cornhole," they signed, face animated as they gestured to the platform. she was grateful that he'd come over at all, knowing that if it weren't for her outgoing nature, she never would've walked up to a stranger that flagged her down the way he had. "are you up for a game?" her eyebrows raised, head nodding up at him. they smiled, turning around to pick up a bean bag and made eye contact before tossing it his way.

If there was one thing Owen loved to do on his days off, it was getting out and about. Sure, he could spend his days off from the ER on his couch, watching too many episodes of bad reality TV. But instead he always found himself out doing something and today was no different. It was the strawberry festival that had grabbed his attention on the community calendar list and was exactly where he found himself a while later. Owen didn't have anything in mind when it came what to do. He had strolled around the booths for a while, eyeing what he wanted to pick up later in the day on his way home. Though it was really the area with games set up that caught his attention. He was competitive as they came, always down for a little friendly competition.

He stood there for a minute, debating if he should ask someone if they wanted to play a game with him. But someone seemed to be looking at him, their lips moving as they said something. Owen was still a bit too far to really make out the movement of their lips, a slight frown working its way onto his lips. Instead though, he flashed them a smile, holding up a finger as he made his way over to them. As he approached, Owen was already reaching into his pocket and pulling out his phone, fingers moving quickly over the keyboard. So when he was closer now, standing in front of them, Owen turned his phone around so they could read what he had typed down.

Sorry, missed everything you said. Though part of me is really hoping it was something about cornhole. He grinned, a rumble of a laugh in his chest.

[naturiisms]

they raised their arms in an exaggerated shrug, head leaning toward their shoulder to aid the expression. "what can i say," she started signing, taking a moment to remember the sign for competitive. "i'm really competitive. i'm gonna leave here with all the strawberries!" she laughed, watching carefully as he signed to make sure she caught everything. while the classes they'd taken were extensive and they liked to refresh with youtube videos, asl was always evolving like any other language. if he used any signs they weren't familiar with, they'd want to learn them right away. ayanna nodded at him, laughing as she nodded. they stepped over to the platform, looking at owen and taking an exaggerated breath and getting into form. "you ready for this?" she looked at him before turning back, grabbing a bean bag and bringing her arm back to toss it. they gave the throw all they could, sending it hurtling toward the platform and dunking into the hole. "hell yeah!" she said aloud, turning toward owen to sign. "now about those stakes?"

"Nice to meet you as well!" Owen signed back with a grin, beyond thankful for the easy flow of communication between them. While he didn't mind typing stuff down and lip reading, it truly got exhausting after a while. And this was beyond nice. At their comment, he couldn't help but let out a laugh. "Playing for stakes are we? Perfect." He grinned, weighing the beanbag in his hand for a second, pretending to be in deep thought before he flashed them a smile. "It's been years since I played- why don' you go first- I have to size up my competition. I feel like you might be the one destroying me here." Owen replied truthfully, knowing full well it had been quite some time since he played. And hell, he had no idea if he was actually still decent at the game or not. Though there was also no denying just how competitive he was, so if it came down to it, his competitiveness might win out.

[naturiisms]

"trust me, i don't do things i don't want to," she chided, body language still relaxed as she assured him. in their mind, two was better than one and she certainly couldn't see herself cracking the case without a partner. there was a buddy system for a reason and it hadn't failed them yet. "i really don't mind at all, in fact, i'm happy to have you on my team because i've been told there's not much up here," they breathed a laugh, knocking on their head for extra measure. with a shake of the head, they took a moment to scan the room, noting the different knick knacks and potential clues around the room. people were mingling, but they hadn't delved into the plot yet, or at least if they had, she'd missed the announcement. "no, no, nothing really. i think he just explained the characters and what the gist of the night is, and now he's giving us a minute to get in character. did you pick up one of the cards when you came in? what did you get?"

"Same." Owen replied with a grin, it was indeed great to see a familiar face here. "Teaming up would be great-" Though as they went on, Owen was sure a look of surprise crossed his face as her offer. "Are you sure? I mean- I don't want you to feel like you have to interpret or anything..." for whatever reason, there was always a part of Owen that felt guilty when someone did interpret for him, even if they offered, and it made things by far much more easier for him. But they were right, there was a lot going on, and Owen knew there was no way he would be able to keep up. "If you don't mind, I would really, really appreciate it." He followed up a few seconds and sure enough, there was that feeling of guilt as he took her up on it. Though he did his best to push it down, keeping his attention on Ayanna instead. "I totally agree, we're going to be unstoppable. Has anything major happen or been said? I think I was somewhat following along for the first minute but everything since has sort of been lost on me." Owen admitted, though he was beyond glad for them suggesting that they team up and work together.

[naturiisms]

the welcome response brought a bright grin to ayanna's features, brown hues lighting up as they realized he recognized them. it wasn't as if they'd spent a lot of time together, leaning more closely to strangers than anything else. running in the same circles had mostly brought them together, but seeing him here even after her friend left town felt like a clear sign that they were meant to be friends. "you have no idea how glad i am to see a familiar face," she signed back, glad to feel more at ease instead of wandering around the event alone. surely that would make her a likely suspect for the mystery, right? "what do you say we team up and show these guys what holmes and watson were all about? you can consider me your interpreter for the event, if you want, since there's a lot going on? i feel like with you on observation and my sly skills, we definitely have this in the bag."

Owen had been debating back and forth about going to the murder mystery fundraiser but eventually settle on going. But as soon as he got there, it was like he had been expecting. Crowded with people which always made lip reading harder for him. Granted, it was a struggle most of the time but with someone one on one, it was much easier for Owen. But trying to navigate multiple people talking at once? There was no chance in hell he was going to be able to do that. He lingered for a few minutes, already feeling that familiar sense of being overwhelmed, pretty sure that he was just going to head home after all when he felt the tap on his shoulder. An instant clue that it had to be someone he knew, who knew he was deaf. So he turned around, a look of relief almost flooding his face as he saw that it was Ayanna. Sure, they had only played a game of cornhole together but they had been nice and plus, it was who Phoenix was interested in. Which by far made them pretty cool in his book. So Owen flashed them a grin. "Hey- it's great to see you again."