#Law Devera

[agentofreedom]

{You Can Road-Rage At Me Anytime - Read on AO3 }

Ch. 2: now we’re talking business

Read ch.1 on tumblr here

Unfortunately, luck was decidedly not on Violet’s side, evidenced by the ominous clunk-clunk-clunk that reverberated from Andarna’s engine when she turned her on the next morning and drove her out of the garage to better inspect her beloved. The noise had not been there the day before. Nor had the vibrating sensation under her feet when she pressed on the brake.

She parked on the side of the road outside her apartment, and popped open the bonnet, dread rising in her chest. She hadn’t actually expected to find any damage, but she had to admit - miserably - that she may have taken that turn to avoid the crash yesterday much too harshly for her aged (but well loved) car. She winced again at the memory of the screeching tyres - she had at least checked them first, and they were thankfully okay.

“Okay, girl, let’s get this over with,” she murmured, patting the shimmering bonnet before rolling up her sleeves and leaning in to get a closer look at the engine.

When Violet had spent almost her entire savings on Andarna, the car had been sitting at the dealership for a long while, having been overlooked by customers because of her custom paintjob. But Violet saw her and could hear the ghost of her dad’s voice rumbling in her head, his fondness for this car brought on by his own childhood constantly travelling through various states and counties with his parents thanks to their work and the only constant being their Chevy, his first home. And when she had slid into the driver’s seat, the interior wrapped itself around her like a welcome hug, and something inside her warmed up like a healing balm.

She threw herself into researching all the ways to best look after her car - after affectionately naming her Andarna, another ode to Dad - and no one could argue that when Violet put her mind to learning the ins and outs of something, that she wouldn’t master it.

“Shit,” she hissed presently, as she took stock of what had made the ticking noise. She reached for the snapped timing belt she could just about see the frayed ends of, tugging until the damage was clear. Narrowing her eyes, she peered at it, then hummed to herself. That didn’t explain the vibrations though.

She heaved a sigh and fished around some more, and was elbows-deep trying to get a look under, cursing and sweating, when her phone rang.

Groaning, Violet straightened up slowly and reached into her back pocket, grimacing at the oil on her fingers as she swiped at her phone. Devera, her screen alerted her, and her eyebrows shot up as she answered.

“Hello?”

“Violet,” her boss answered, “We’ve just had a new lead come in. How far are you?”

Violet pursed her lips. It wasn’t exactly unheard of to wrap up a case only for a new one to come their way immediately after - but it was definitely a rarity. “I’ll be there in 20.”

“I’ll fill you in as soon as you arrive,” she promised before shutting.

Well. That was strange. Violet blinked down at her phone, then at her car, the engine still on full display, and dropped her head back with a gusty sigh. “Looks like you’ll have to wait for me, girl,” she murmured, gently dropping the hood and locking her car before turning back to head inside her apartment.

Seventeen minutes later, she was stepping out of Rhi’s car, having scrubbed off the engine oil at home and freshened up, catching her friend before she could head down to her law firm down the road from Violet’s own workplace. She had ordered a new timing belt to arrive tonight so she could at least knock off one thing on her list by the time she returned home after work.

She blew a kiss back at her best friend and got one in return, then strode into the foyer, mind abuzz with what kind of priority lead they may have received if Devera hadn’t wanted to mention anything over the phone.

They’d had a couple of significant leads in the past like this.

Of course, Violet had a keen eye for high security leads considering her upbringing and consecutive distancing from Lilith Sorrengail, deputy chief of the law enforcement department, among other things that Violet had yet to work out. Well, and her mother. She hadn’t chosen to become a private eye after her father passed away just for the hell of it - although there was no doubt she sought the thrill of solving cases and piecing information together.

She nodded at Nadine at the front desk as she walked on through to Devera’s office, knocking lightly once before entering.

Whatever she had thought to find inside, she never would have expected to come face-to-face with one Cam Tauri, sitting across from a stern Devera. They both looked up as she stepped in, her wide eyes fixed on the familiar but more grown-up face of the Tauri family’s youngest. She shut the door behind her with a decisive click of the lock, not taking her eyes off him.

“Violet,” said Devera, motioning for her to sit. “It seems you’re both already acquainted.” Her keen gaze didn’t miss much.

Violet narrowed her gaze, not sure what game Cam was playing in coming here - she hadn’t heard from him in years, and she didn’t exactly trust his father or older brother Halden, so she held her tongue until he spoke first, clearing his throat.

“Yes, I… your reputation precedes you both, of course,” he said smoothly, glancing between the two women, the cool look of haughtiness covering his expression where Violet could see nervous lines before. “As I told your partner here,” he added to Violet, “I’m looking into my brother’s disappearance.”

“Your brother’s disappearance,” she replied, flatly.

Alic Tauri’s name had spread through their databases last year when his father, the chief of the law enforcement department - also her mother’s higher-up - had tried to hush up the details around his disappearance, seemingly embarrassed by whatever his incompetent foolhardy son had gotten caught up in and any damage to his own reputation as a result. But as far as Violet knew, Alic had gone off the rails a long time before that.

“And that,” said Devera flatly, “is the extent of what he’s told me.”

Violet looked at her carefully; she clearly did not know who sat before them. Again, what game was Cam playing?

“Well, yes, you see - I’d like to work with Sorrengail alone,” he added coolly.

She raised her eyebrows, and exchanged glances with an unimpressed Devera.

Devera was not exactly her boss, more so a mentor in the field, but she had many years of experience under her belt, not to mention her time with the military; so Violet trusted her expertise while also using her knowledge to gain a leg-up in the PI world. They worked almost all their cases together, Violet being much more suited for field work than her older counterpart, while Devera managed their databases and kept things running smoothly in the office.

“Well, then,” she said, spreading her hands as if to say go ahead to Violet. “You heard the man. He can follow you to your office.”

Cam met her eyes and stood up swiftly, waiting for Violet to take the lead. She communicated silently to Devera that she had this covered, and received a grim nod in return. The older woman may not know who exactly this was, but she clearly gathered he was more high profile than their usual leads.

Still silent, Violet ushered him into her office, closing the blinds of her windows and once again locking the door behind her.

“Alright.” She turned to him sharply, watching him stand up straight defiantly at her attention. “What’s this about, Cam?”

“Aaric,” he immediately said.

“What?” she asked, perturbed.

“You’re to call me Aaric in company, and not a peep of the family name,” he muttered, then seeing her deadly narrowed eyes, added, “Please, Violet.”

She let loose a long breath and counted to ten in her head. “And your brother? Alic? Am I also to call him by his middle name?” she asked, sarcastically.

He dropped his mask a bit to frown at her, having the nerve to actually look affronted. “Don’t be silly, we both know he’s dead.”

That caught her attention swiftly. Chewing on her bottom lip, Violet eyed him in a new light. He had grown, that was right, but there really was something else there - an edge in his eyes, the way he fixed his jaw, the light brown fuzz there and the shadow behind his scowl giving the look of someone who carried a hidden weight. Also, while she’d had her suspicions about the middle Tauri son, she hadn’t actually known for certain that he was dead, and she had definitely had much greater things to keep an eye out for over the past few years than the whereabouts or living status of the family of a man she despised.

“No,” Cam - or Aaric - continued, his eyes sweeping her room unseeingly in a nervous tic, seemingly unaware he had just dropped a minor bombshell on her. “That’s just my cover story.” When he looked back at her, Violet felt alarm bells start to ring in her head, almost wishing she could stop the next words from leaving his mouth. “What I really need you to do, is uncover my father’s secrets.”

–

When Violet had left the field of law that she had been studying with Rhi, to instead pursue a career as a private investigator, her closest friends hadn’t so much as batted an eye. They had seen how formidable she was in her research, how she was able to uncover facts about her case studies and piece together the relevant laws and procedures in a fraction of the timespan it took some of her peers. They didn’t question her motives, besides that she was a natural at the job.

She had never told a single soul what pushed her to make the leap.

Not even Mira, who had spent the better half of six months going between her and their mother, thinking she had had a hand in the youngest Sorrengail’s decision, and then trying to convince her ‘baby’ sister that law was what she was meant to do, and didn’t she remember what Dad had always envisioned for her? But when she had seen that Violet had made up her mind and had gone into the PI world with all the finesse and cunning of a seasoned investigator, she had taken a step back and become one of Violet’s fiercest cheerleaders.

But still, Violet didn’t tell her.

For all that anyone knew, their eldest brother Brennan - detective lieutenant of his own police squad - had died in an accident, a leaked gas explosion, years ago on a job that their mother had authorised. That Tauri had authorised. He had supposedly been chasing a trail on one Riorson, of Riorson and Sons, a cybersecurity firm that Lilith Sorrengail had had viciously shut down in a power move one night a few years ago following Brennan’s death, on various counts of fraud and money laundering. But Violet knew that Brennan, in the weeks leading up to this alleged case, had been following leads on an unrelated homicide charge - although how she knew that was arguably not within the bounds of ‘legal’.

Their father’s health had become incredibly poor in the months after, the loss of his son and firstborn a heavy weight on his already-tired heart, and the grief that followed had torn the Sorrengail family apart for good.

Violet hadn’t communicated with her mother in a good four years - but that didn’t mean she hadn’t kept tabs on her…. and, consequently, on Tauri Senior.

Not even Devera knew what Violet kept in her own personal databases; and now, Cam Tauri stood before her, about to unravel all that she had been working on in the background, by his mere presence.

–

Violet was faintly surprised she hadn’t worn a hole right down her office carpet from how many circles she had paced while Cam spoke.

Besides his casual sharing of his brother’s fate, he had not mentioned anything so far that Violet was not already aware of. Tauri Senior was running a tight ship in the law enforcement agency, those closest to him kept quiet regarding his real motives behind certain moves - such as the Riorson case - which he had administered charges against with a swiftness and brutality that belied the usual bureaucratic processes around here. The man had made many enemies on the streets, that much she knew, and of course Lilith was right up there with him, her hands allegedly just as dirty. But she could not prove it, or uncover what exactly they were working on, or why it all felt so shifty except that her gut - which had not steered her wrong yet - told her there was more underneath the surface.

And then, Cam uttered words she had to pause and repeat, confused. “Wait, did you say you think he has his hands on VENIN tech?”

“Yes,” Cam said grimly.

“But…” She trailed off, thinking fast. “How? Barrens Inc. got shut down long before they finalised that kind of tech, and with good reason.”

“Shut down by who?” he asked pointedly.

“Fuck.”

“Exactly.”

How had she missed this? “How are they operating it? Are they operating it? It was meant to be breakthrough research that had backed it up, it’s not something any old engineer can just run,” she ruminated, thinking out loud. Cam watched her silently. “This changes everything. We’re not supposed to be thinking about using that kind of technology on civilians, not even by the law enforcement.” How many layers were hiding under the widespread corruption that she still had no real leads on?

Well - no leads until now.

“Yeah, well,” Cam muttered, dropping his head into his hands tiredly. “We can’t have our enemies threatening public security now, can we? Of course we need every heads-up we can possibly use.”

Something about his words niggled at Violet’s already whirring brain, besides the thick sarcasm coating his tone, but she moved sharply behind her desk and fired up her personal laptop instead of pulling on that thread. She could not use the shared databases for this - it was much too risky for anyone, even Devera, to catch even a whiff of what they might be working on - so she settled into her chair and pulled up her own databases instead.

“Right,” she said, ignoring the twinge in her shoulder as she began to type rapidly. “Here’s what we need…”

–

It was well past sundown by the time Violet slipped out of the cab she’d taken home, letting him drop her off at the beginning of her street rather than her doorstep so she could walk in the silent, dark, cool night air for a few minutes, needing a respite from the hours of thinking and trying to piece together pieces that refused to fit.

She paused by Andarna to sweep a hand over her metallic bonnet, half-wishing she could have spent the day tinkering away here instead of this relentless weight of Cam’s - Aaric’s, she had to remind herself - new lead. She shook her head, continuing up the steps of her building to her unit. There was a small delivery box waiting for her outside her door, and she checked the sticker to find that it was indeed the car’s timing belt she had ordered earlier that day.

At least one thing would be fixed by tomorrow morning.

Remembering the shuddering of her car underneath her feet when she had braked to park earlier that day, Violet grimaced. She knew it was the brake pads. They had needed a service before her last job which had taken the better part of a fortnight, and lots of driving around, so she knew logically that it had only been a matter of time before they gave up. It was just her luck that they happened in this moment.

As she let herself into her small home, throwing herself gladly on the couch to finally lay still on a horizontal surface (her aching joints thanked her loudly), she let herself think of the mysterious X in her phone contacts list. She knew that she could ideally claim the damages to her car from his own insurance, as she had already insinuated to him that she would do, but the idea of going through that whole process with insurances and making claims was enough to flare up a headache; let alone talking to him again which set her stomach twisting uncomfortably. Now that her mind was slowing down from the constant whirr of the Tauri lead, she couldn’t shake off the lingering intensity of his dark gold-flecked gaze as she wondered for the umpteenth time what a man like that was doing running - or speeding - away from that ferocious woman who had followed him.

She had unlocked her phone and found his number while thinking. She had to snort at the pretentious ‘X’ he had labelled himself - had he not realised she had caught his name from the woman, Catriona? Or was he accustomed to going around putting his contact details in girls’ phones under a solitary initial? Maybe he thought it added to his dark and mysterious charm-

Charm? Her brain definitely meant something else.

But - she stubbornly moved her thought process on - he had purposefully chosen to give her his number. This told her, at surface level, a few things:

1. He didn’t want her to have his licence details which, coupled with the fact that he hadn’t given her his entire first name, added to her certainty that he was holding onto some sort of privacy with regards to his identity.

2. He didn’t take her number, so he was sure that she was going to contact him.

3. That meant he knew he was at fault and that she likely had damaged something in her car to need to contact him in the first place.

4. He was an arrogant piece of work.

She huffed a breath, feeling frustrated all over again.

Never one to ignore a challenge, she pressed the call button and raised the phone to her ear.

Maybe she was just keen for a distraction.

The phone only rang once before that low voice answered. “Yes?”

What was she doing?

Violet set her jaw. “It’s me.”

There was a pause on the other end. She, once again, quashed the flush that rose up her chest at her own nonsensical response.

She heard a faint mutter of what might have sounded like ‘violence’ but before she could demand coherence, he said clearly - and she could hear the cocky smirk in his voice, “Thought I’d never hear from you. What with how hot and bothered you were yesterday, I figured you’d waste no time assessing your damages and ripping me a new one as soon as you got home.”

Did this dickhead think this was a game? She sat up, shooting back sharply, “I’m flattered you were waiting for me.”

He chuckled, a quiet sound that sent tingles straight down her traitorous spine. “You’d like to think so, wouldn’t you?”

What the hell. “I wouldn’t sound quite so cocky if I were in your position,” she gritted out.

“And why not?”

“Because, you asshole, you owe me repairs, like I said.”

“I’ll Venmo you the amount,” he said easily, as if he hadn’t given her a headache yesterday arguing with her about who was at fault.

She pulled the phone away for a second to rub a hand down her face, irritated all over again. She returned it to snap, “What’s your deal?”

“What’s your deal?” he snapped back, and she narrowed her eyes in a deathly glare that she hoped reached him somehow.

“I’m sorry?!”

“You called me for your repairs, and I agreed. What’s your issue, exactly?”

“You!” she cried, forgetting for a moment that she was speaking to someone who was probably involved in the kinds of things she was usually hired to uncover, if yesterday’s weird exchange was anything to go by. “My issue is that you’re infuriating to deal with, has anyone ever told you that?”

“Yeah, that doesn’t make you special. You’ll have to get in line,” he growled.

That voice and his words were doing opposite and confusing things to her body, and she was really starting to regret this entire phone call.

She huffed, not caring that it sent static down the line. “Fine, whatever. I’m texting you the amount. I’d like to get Andarna back on the road in the next couple days ideally. Work doesn’t wait.”

Another brief pause, then a surprised, “Andarna?”

Ugh, she did not need a hot stranger’s judgement at this point. “Yes,” she said shortly. “Goodbye, Xaden.”

She felt a fierce vindication when she heard a very audible surprised breath sucked in from his end, before she shut the line in lieu of the flipped bird she really wished she could send him instead.

She texted him her Venmo with just her first name for reference, and the amount for repairs after taking a moment to search up the required parts; then tossed her phone aside and dropped her head back on her couch’s headrest, doing her best to relax and release the tension in her neck and shoulders. It was no use, she was ten times more wound tight than she had been before the stupid phone call.

Her phone dinged three times with consecutive notifications, and she groaned, shutting her eyes tightly. She didn’t need to see what the messages read. It wasn’t important.

But her traitorous hand inched towards the phone anyway, and without opening it she read the replies on her lock screen:

X

Done.

7:43 PM

X

Violet, huh? Looks like Violence suits you.

7:44 PM

And the third was a notification confirming she had received the amount deposited into her account.

She stared at the two messages until her phone screen dimmed. This confusing man was not going to let her mind rest, clearly.

[abraao-vidal-galdino]

Bom dia

Guardai-os e observai-os, porque isso é a vossa sabedoria e o vosso entendimento à vista dos povos, que ouvirão todos estes, estatutos, e dirão: Esta grande nação é deveras povo sábio e entendido. Pois que grande nação há que tenha deuses tão chegados a si como o é a nós o Senhor nosso Deus todas as vezes que o invocamos? E que grande nação há que tenha estatutos e preceitos tão justos como toda esta lei que hoje ponho perante vós? Tão-somente guarda-te a ti mesmo, e guarda bem a tua alma, para que não te esqueças das coisas que os teus olhos viram, e que elas não se apaguem do teu coração todos os dias da tua vida; porém as contarás a teus filhos, e aos filhos de teus filhos;

Deuteronômio 4:6-9

Keep therefore and do them; for this is your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the nations, which shall hear all these statutes, and say, Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people. For what nation is there so great, who hath God so nigh unto them, as the LORD our God is in all things that we call upon him for? And what nation is there so great, that hath statutes and judgments so righteous as all this law, which I set before you this day? Only take heed to thyself, and keep thy soul diligently, lest thou forget the things which thine eyes have seen, and lest they depart from thy heart all the days of thy life: but teach them thy sons, and thy sons' sons;

Deuteronomy 4:6-9

APP Bíblia Bilingue - Disponível na Google Play

[iwontdancenetwork]

"Shape of You (Acoustic)" by Ed Sheeran | Choreography by Anthony Lee

ft. dancers: Anthony Lee, Carlo Darang, Chad Mayate, Charles Nguyen, Chase Lihilihi, Jawn Ha, Justin Santiago, Law Devera, Trevor Takemoto

The Kinjaz

[ouroutlet]

Ed Sheeran "Shape of You (Acoustic)" Choreography by Anthony Lee

[doctorwhoandfairytaillover]

Chismoso - Ivar x Latina Reader

Summary: Ivar learns a new word from his wife and is more conscious that he might like gossip 

Pairing: Ivar x Latina Reader (romantic)

A/N: This was one of my requests by a very kind anon asking for another Latina reader where Ivar gets really into gossip

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

It was hard to hide the smile on Ivar’s face when he saw the house of his in-laws come into view. He took a quick glance to his wife (Y/N) and saw the equally bright smile on her face.

Before he had met (Y/N)’s family, he thought that he had a large family but on marrying into her family, he underestimated the amount of relatives that she had. Despite this, Ivar held a fondness for a number of her relatives that were quick to accept him and his own family with open arms.

When they arrived, Ivar spotted some of the men near the grill, some of the women sitting at tables that had been set up and talking amongst themselves, and the children ran around playing games. Helping (Y/N) out of the car, he couldn’t contain his excitement to spend time with his in-laws.

“Go ahead and greet everyone, mi amor. I’m going to find my cousin, okay?” she said.

“Are you sure (Y/N)?” he asked.

Shooing him away, he laughed and went ahead to greet everyone. He was met with cheers and greetings.

“Era hora que llegaran, Ojos azules” one of (Y/N)’s cousins said.  “We thought with (Y/N) being close to her due date that the both of you would stay at home.”

“And miss all the fun? What were you thinking pendejo? Tu ya nos conoces” Ivar said, slowing his speech to pronounce the words correctly.

“Miralo!” said another. “You’re getting better Ojos azules, soon enough we won’t be able to talk shit about you.”

“As if you all needed an excuse to talk shit,” Ivar mused taking a swig of the beer they gave him. “Speaking of which, en donde esta el Canicas?”

“That fool? He got home late and drunk, Marisol had told him if he did that again she would take the kids to her mother. Well he didn’t listen and he’s been trying to get her to come back for a week” someone chuckled.

Ivar listened intently, drawn in by the stories and goings on of either close or distant relatives of (Y/N).

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

Later when (Y/N) and Ivar had gone back home late from her family’s home, she sighed in relief to lay comfortably on her bed after the tiring day.

“I love my family Ivar, pero deveras it can be too much” she chuckled. “How was it being with the men? You all looked like you were having fun and especially with how intently you were listening to my cousin Marcos.”

“Oh you know, Marcos and some of the guys were telling me stuff. Like what happened between Canicas and Marisol, plus some other stuff” Ivar said nonchalantly.

She looked to him in disbelief and laughed, “No me digas are you becoming a chismoso Ivar?”

“Of course not,” Ivar protested indignantly. “What exactly is a chismoso?”

“It basically means you’re becoming a gossip and love to know about other people’s business” she giggled. “Soon enough you’ll be like a comadre.”

He huffed with a pout, a bit offended that she would say so.

“Don’t pout,” she said. “I’m glad that you’re getting along so well with my family but try to not listen to everything they say. Sometimes it’s better to not stick our nose where it doesn’t concern us, even if the stories are interesting. Okay?”

“Okay,” Ivar conceded. “But can I at least tell you some of what I heard?”

“Of course,” she giggled. “Anything for my favorite chismoso.” 

All My Works Tag (Open): 

@pinkrockstar19​ @xbellaxcarolinax​ (thought you might wanna be tagged with this one)

[heartists]

IMPORTANT PSA

recently, my mom attempted to force me to send fake messages to my friends that would undoubtedly have damaged some of my relationships. i managed to give advance warning that it was fake this time, but next time i may not be so lucky. she has been telling me to quit RP and cut ties with all of my internet friends for years, and now i see that she has the willingness to try and force that. she blames my depression, ADHD and some of my other mental problems on tumblr, when really the opposite is true: she is the #1 source of damage to my mental health, whereas all of my friends have been loving and supportive. i fear that one day she will make me write a fake announcement saying i am quitting RP, or message all of you telling you that i don’t want to be with you anymore. i don’t want to put you all through that. i would never want any of you to think that i suddenly hate you for no good reason after everything we’ve been through together.

if she tries to make me do this again, i will do everything in my power to prevent it from happening. i will argue with her. i will fight her if she tries to physically impose herself on me, or if she tries to send the messages herself. i will grab the nearest cellphone and call 911 if she doesn’t back down. heck, i might even run to my neighbors to call the cops, or just to find somewhere safe. but the thing is…i don’t trust the law to handle situations of emotional abuse well--i know the courts hate cases like mine because they consider emotional abuse to be hard to prove, and i’m scared that if i call for help, people might not believe me or think i’m overreacting. moreover, i am skittish around police or the law in general--i would only turn to them if i had no other option, which i don’t. and i’m worried that even with a plan in mind, i will fail to prevent a bad end. so if all else fails, here’s what i will do.

If you receive a message or see an OOC announcement post with the words “erei devera Galra” in it, IT IS FAKE. DO NOT BELIEVE IT. I am being coerced and will touch base with you about the message as soon as it is safe for me to do so.

oh, and if you wanted to know what that phrase means--it’s in my made-up altean language and it means “fucking galra agenda.” 

because my mom is acting an awful lot like a galra would, isn’t she?

thank you for reading and understanding. i love you all and i hope this finds you well. <3

~天

[frncsjnglgttb]

Living in Martial Law is so tough and hard

There, he Allan Devera, a kid

heard guns and bombs

Guns and bombs scare him lot

Crying in moms hugs when it starts

Playing outside he never been

As he is scared to be seen

Looking from a far

Their dreams filled with scars

Unfulfilled, plans unfinished, unsatisfied

There also, Maria Bohol

Widowed by her apple Chris Amorsolo

Living alone, militar takes her owns

Home is alone, Chris is not home

Bombs and guns makes her morn

Mesmerizing how her own killed by boom..

How her heart filled with lone

September 21, 1972

Whole town get scared

Allan, Maria experience the darkest

Phase... in their heart it is still on

Darkest phase that is written in their mind and souls

[choreographique]

DANCE [Kinjaz] Choreography: Anthony Lee (@_anthonylee_) Assistant Choreography: Chad Mayate (@chadporeotics) Law Devera (@lawbd_) Trevor Takemoto (@trevortakemoto) Performers: Anthony Lee (@_anthonylee_) Carlo Darang (@carlodarang) Chad Mayate (@chadporeotics) Charles Nguyen (@charlesvnguyen) Chase Lihilihi (@chaselihilihi) Jawn Ha (@jawnha) Justin Santiago (@justin.m.santiago) Law Devera (@lawbd_) Trevor Takemoto (@trevortakemoto) FILM [Vibrvncy] (@vibrvncy) Directed by: Anthony Lee (@_anthonylee_) Jonathan Shih (@jyshih21) Director of Photography: Gerald Nonato (@geraldnonadoez)

[daisy-language-and-coffee-blog]

Where to start / Onde começar (with native language).

    I have been having some difficulty with, “where to start and after starting where to go next,” when studying English. If I didn’t know anything about the language, if I was just starting, it would be easier, because I would start with the basics. However, I studied English from the age of 10 to the age of 17. I am almost 27; that means almost 10 years without properly studying the language. So, the question is… where do I start? I don’t even know where I left off.

   Eu tenho tido uma certa dificuldade relativamente a “onde começar e qual o próximo passo a dar” no que toca ao estudo de inglês. Se eu não soubesse nada da língua, se só estivesse a começar agora, seria fácil, já que começaria pelo básico. Contudo, eu estudei inglês desde os 10 aos 17 anos. Neste momento, tenho quase 27; o que significa quase 10 anos sem estudar decentemente a língua. Portanto, a questão é a seguinte… onde é que começo? Eu nem me recordo onde fiquei.

   As I wrote before, I decided to wake up one hour earlier each morning, to study before work. In the first few study sessions I would get frustrated due to spending more time searching for materials than actually studying. Although I was waking up at 5:50 a.m., I wouldn’t have any time to study because I got lost in all the websites that would show up. Each one had a different study plan, some lacking a complete course, other spending more time (and wasting my time) advertising than teaching. I had to stop, take a breath and be patient with myself. I came to the conclusion that I had to prepare for studying before starting studying.

   Como já referi anteriormente, decidi acordar uma hora mais cedo todas as manhãs, para estudar antes de ir trabalhar. Nas primeiras sessões de estudo, ficava frustrada por passar mais tempo à procura de materiais de estudo do que realmente a estudar. Apesar de acordar às 5 e 50 da manhã, não tinha tempo suficiente para estudar, por me perder na quantidade de sites que iam aparecendo. Cada um com um plano de estudos diferente; a alguns faltando um curso completo, a outros gastando mais tempo (e fazendo-me perder o meu…) com anúncios do que a ensinar. Tive de parar, respirar e ser paciente comigo própria. Cheguei à conclusão que tinha de me preparar para o estudo, antes de estudar.

   From my life experience the best way to make a plan is to know where I want to go. So, I focused on my goals: applying for the Cambridge Advanced Exam and regaining conversational fluency. For speaking fluency I decided to create an account on the mobile app called “hellotalk”, an app I already used for Korean. Then, I decided to do what I did in law school: practice the exam exercises, and see what kind of subjects I needed to study. That’s when I discovered a website called www.flo-joe.co.uk, and what I liked about it was the simplicity of the layout. I consider simplicity as being of great importance, when studying. Simple explanations, simple annotations, simple methods of studying, among other things, is a must. It’s easy to get caught up in trying to do everything at the same time. Focus demands simplicity.

Pela minha experiência, a melhor forma para se fazer um plano, é saber onde se quer ir. Portanto, foquei-me nos meus objectivos: inscrever-me no exame de Inglês Avançado de Cambridge e voltar a ter fluência verbal. Para esta, decidi criar uma conta na aplicação HelloTalk, a qual já usava para o coreano. Decidi também, fazer como fazia na faculdade de direito: resolver os exercícios de exames, e ver em que matérias precisava de trabalhar mais. Foi assim, que descobri o site www.flo-joe.co.uk, e a simplicidade do seu layout, foi aquilo de que me fez gostar deste site. Considero que a simplicidade é deveras importante quando se estuda. Explicações simples, anotações simples, métodos de estudo simples, entre outras coisas, é necessário. É fácil sermos apanhados na onda de tentar fazer tudo ao mesmo tempo. Foco exige simplicidade.

   I threw out all the other links I found, considering this one the best, and I bought (…my mom bought) a book specializing in the CAE, called “Advanced Grammar in Use”, and I started by only paying attention to those two sources. (By the way, a great online bookstore is the Book Depository - https://www.bookdepository.com/). For practicing my writing, I use the website www.lang-8.com, in which my diary entries can be reviewed and corrected by native speakers of my target language.  In conclusion: I will follow the book’s study plan, because organizing a plan by myself is too difficult. In terms of vocabulary I will continue reading well known British authors for a bit each morning during my coffee break. As for speaking, I recently made 2 friends, one is American and the other one is British, so I will practice with them.

  Descartei todos os outos links que encontrei, considerando que este era o melhor, e comprei (…a minha mãe comprou) um livro especializado no CAE, com o título “Advanced Grammar in Use” e comecei a prestar atenção somente a essas duas fontes, (já agora, uma óptima livraria online é a Book Depository - https://www.bookdepository.com/). Para treinar a escrita, uso o site www.lang-8.com , no qual as minhas publicações podem ser revistas e corrigidas por falantes nativos da minha língua de estudo. Em conclusão: Irei seguir o plano de estudos do livro, porque organizar um plano por mim própria é demasiado complicado. Em termos de vocabulário, vou continuar a ler, um pouco todas as manhãs, autores britânicos conhecidos, enquanto faço a pausa para o café. Quanto a falar, como recentemente fiz dois amigos, um britânico e outro americano, irei praticar com eles.

[thewitchwrites]

SC decision over CHED Memo 20 disappoint Filipino language advocates

SC decision over CHED Memo 20 disappoint Filipino language advocates

Various groups air dismay over the Supreme Court’s decision to lift a 2015 Temporary Restraining Order on Commission on Higher Education Memorandum Order No. 20, series of 2013 or CMO No. 20 which excludes Filipino, Panitikan, and Constitution as core subjects in college.

Timeline and Basis

           The CHED Memorandum Order No. 20, series of 2013 otherwise known as the “General Education Curriculum: Holistic Understandings, Intellectual and Civic Competencies” is the policy cover for the revised General Education Curriculum. The new curriculum and would be implemented in school year 2018-2019. It was issued on June, 28, 2013 under Commission on Higher Education Chair Patricia Licuanan.

           On April 15, 2015, Filipino Language Advocates filed a petition before the Supreme Court to stop the implementation of the CMO No. 20 that will exclude courses on the national language from the general education curriculum in colleges.

           On April 22, 2015, the Supreme Court (SC) spokesperson Theodore Te announced that a Temporary Restraining Order on the implementation of the CMO No. 20 has been issued.

           On October 9, 2018, the Supreme Court declared K-12 constitutional and lifted the Temporary Restraining Order on the CMO No. 20. Series of 2013.

           The Supreme Court considered three points in determining its decision. First, it said that under R.A. 7722, CHED is authorized to revise the curriculum. Second, the exclusion of Filipino, Pantikan, and Constitution as core subjects in college is to ensure that there would be no duplication of subjects in Grade 1 to 10, senior high school and college. Third, nothing in the stated laws required Filipino and Panitikan in the tertiary level and that the memorandum does not limit does not limit academic freedom in universities and colleges if they wish to require Filipino, Panitikan, and Constitution courses in their curriculum.

           Filipino Language Advocates

This decision of the Supreme Court gained a lot of protests from various groups and alliances that advocate for the Filipino Language. Tanggol Wika, an alliance of educators from more than 40 colleges and universities in the country, hoped that the alliance could stop “imminent cultural genocide, the impending murder of our national language and local literature” and also claimed that the court’s decision is “patently unjust” as it would cause thousands of job displacements for faculty members teaching Filipino at Pantikan.

           The University of the Philippines Diliman’s Departamento ng Filipino Panitikan also objected the court’s decision and released a statement on their website saying, “Ang panukala ng CHED Memorandum Order No. 20. Series of 2013 ay paglalapastangan sa pagpapahalaga sa kasaysayan, karunungan, at diwa ng kasarinlang mahabang panahong ipinaglaban at nilinang ng mga naunang salinlahi ng mga Filipino”

           Another Filipino Language Advocate, Aurora Batnag, the president of Pambansang Samahan ng Linggwistika at Literaturang Filipinno, Ink., said in a stement, “isang malaking pagkakamali ang aksyong ito na sa kolehiyo inalis ang Filipino sapagkat ito ang antas kung saan mayroon nang mas malawak na kaisipan ang mga mag-aaral upang mas matanggap, maintindihan, ang kultura at panitikan ng bansa”

           Effect of CMO No. 20

           On a Facebook post made by Tanggol Wika, a list of universities that implemented the CMO No. 20 was released. These includes Saint Louis University-Baguio, Ateneo de Davao, Tarlac State University and more.

           On September 2019, CHED sent survey forms to universities and colleges in order to know how many faculty members that were teaching Filipino and Panitikan lost their jobs.

           The current chair of CHED, J. Prospero Devera III released in a stement in Inquirer also urged Higher Education Institutions to still require Filipino and Panitikan as core subjects in their curriculum. He also said that since the memorandum was issued on 2013, none of the current CHED commissioners were in office at that time and therefore were not privy to the context and discussions that were the basis for the CHED Memorandum.

           On May 2019, the Supreme Court also denied the Filipino Language Advocates filed motion to reconsider its decision on the implementation of the CMO. No. 20 claiming that the groups failed to present substantive new arguments and that the CMO No. 20 did not invalidate the constitution. Sabrina Estrada

 This is a 2019 article written for my JOURN 103 class.

[phgq]

Legazpi police files case vs. nCoV prankster

#PHnews: Legazpi police files case vs. nCoV prankster

LEGAZPI CITY -- The Legazpi City Police Station filed a case on Tuesday against a vlogger who claimed to be a novel coronavirus (nCoV) patient in front of a mall here.

Lt. Col. Aldwin Gamboa, Legazpi City police chief, in an interview on Wednesday said they filed an "alarm and scandal" case before the City Prosecutor’s Office against Marlon Devera of Barangay Bigaa. 

"We decided to file a case against the suspect since he created disturbance, anxiety and fear to the public after he played himself as carrier of nCoV in front of a mall in Barangay Bitano on Sunday afternoon. It is a public crime and a violation of a law," he said.

Devera, he added, could be arrested once the court issues a warrant against him.                                                                

Gamboa said since the government is now addressing the nCoV threat, people must cooperate and refrain from inciting panic of the public. 

"We must be a help to the community, it is not good to make nCoV a joke for it is a national issue and a public health concern. Instead of making joke, let's help together to give awareness to our community. He as a vlogger must share informative, factual and necessary information that will help educate the public," he said.

Gamboa said vloggers or anybody who posts anything on social media must be responsible for the information that they share to the public.  (PNA)

  ***

References:

* Philippine News Agency. "Legazpi police files case vs. nCoV prankster." Philippine News Agency. https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1092945 (accessed February 06, 2020 at 04:49AM UTC+14).

* Philippine News Agency. "Legazpi police files case vs. nCoV prankster." Archive Today. https://archive.ph/?run=1&url=https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1092945 (archived).

[capitaldocrime]

Constatava pelo olhar a  incongruência alheia, apesar de se empolgar ao avançar para um beijo deveras desastrado, ele não parecia muito crente diante suas promessas, talvez ele não fosse a criança que imaginava e fosse inteligente afinal, nesse momento só Deus para saber o que se passava naquela cabeça, mas talvez com o tempo conseguisse compreender quem de fato ele era. Afastou-se deixando um animado homem que pelo visto não só compreendia como apreciava alguns prazeres físicos, na mansão teve tempo para refletir e descansar, ainda não havia superado, tampouco perdoado a humilhação da noite passada, embora a sensação de ter se safado após assassinar uma das crias de um certo crápula fosse de fato reconfortante. 

Contudo, Konan havia voltado a chamar a sua atenção, atiçando uma curiosidade a respeito de seu passado. Sabia que ele havia sido retirado de um hospício, mas como era sua vida antes de ser trancafiado naquele lugar? A forma mais lógica de descobrir seria lhe perguntando, mas duvidava que agora possuísse intimidade para tal. “Konan”, era tudo que sabia a seu respeito, um nome bem comum, que com o tempo seria esquecido caso ele continuasse como um lacaio para aquela família. Ainda sim o desafio era excitante, pegou o telefone e contatou um homem de confiança a visitar o tal hospício e descobrir mais sobre Konan, aquele prédio decrépito e bizarro seria o lugar perfeito para encontrar alguma pista. 

Após desligar o telefone, deitou-se e fechou os olhos, o seu sono era pesado, dormiu por várias horas enquanto tinha estranhos pesadelos envolvendo a noite passada, mas um incômodo maior viria. Dois homens batiam na porta escandalosamente, Law levou algum tempo para se levantar, quando abriu a porta dois homens em alvoroço diziam que o “mascote” do chefe havia se metido novamente em problemas, e de fato. Já haviam levado seu corpo para a enfermaria da mansão, quando Law entrou ele estava inconsciente em cima de uma maca de alumínio, precisava se apressar, não sabia como ele havia ferido o braço, mas se não conte-se aquele sangramento ele não sobreviveria por mais que dois minutos. 

SEUS MERDAS, VOCÊS NÃO DEVIAM TÊ-LO VIGIADO? O QUE ESTAVAM FAZENDO, TREPANDO? SAIAM DAQUI, EU RESOLVO A CAGADA DE VOCÊS.

Tentou fazer de tudo para salvar o braço alheio, mas a melhor opção seria amputá-lo, o estrago havia sido tamanho, que se não o fizesse o membro lentamente entraria em estado de necrose e poderia piorar o seu quadro. Primeiro o anestesiou para evitar que acordasse durante o procedimento Cauterizou uma lâmina, e cortou pouco acima do cotovelo a partir de onde o estrago era mais grave. Felizmente era bom, mesmo com poucos recursos conseguiu evitar que Konan morresse, mas por outro lado não havia conseguido lhe salvar por inteiro. Colocou o braço em uma bacia com água e gelo e com algumas ataduras envolveu todo o dorso do maior, incrível como aquele cara era um fodido, um verdadeiro azarado.

Levou Konan para um quarto, sua recuperação levaria alguns dias, talvez ficasse inconsciente dois ou três, só o tempo diria, por hora lhe deixaria descansar e no dia seguinte voltaria para analisar a evolução de seu quadro. 

[iwontdancenetwork]

The Kinjaz | “Weathered” by Jack Garrett | Konnect

City Duet Choreography by: Saaya Anzai, Justin Santiago | Nature Duet Choreography by: Arnel Calvario, Leo Matsuyama | Nature Group Choreography by: Arnel Calvario

Solos by: Law Devera, Anthony Lee, Mike Song, Darren Wong 

Nature Group Dancers:  Jon Aldanese, Saaya Anzai, Arnel Calvario, Ben Chung, Gino Claudio, Lawrence Devera, Anthony Lee, Leo Matsuyama, Daniel Nicolas, Sonia Park, Mike Song, Justin Valles, Darren Wong 

City Characters:  Jakob Barba, Drew Devera, Jeff Labastida, Angelia Orocio, Brendan Orocio, Gialana Orocio, Avery Velasco, Katie Shafer

[newstfionline]

A different tune

Kevin Sieff, Washington Post, May 24, 2018

On weekends, the Border Patrol agents perform in Spanish. They play love songs and Mexican ballads, crooning about pain and heartbreak, pausing to remind their audience who they are.

“We are Customs and Border Protection,” says lead singer Manuel Maldonado, putting down his accordion, a pistol holstered in his belt. “Sí, somos de a deveras.”

“Yes, we are real.”

Down here, close enough to Mexico that you can throw a football across the Rio Grande, the officers who chase migrants through ranches and across highways are not especially popular. Federal agents needed a way to soften their image. So they formed this band.

Their name? Los Federales.

“Is it a shock to people? Probably, man,” Maldonado said. “But this is how we connect with the community.”

At a time when the White House has warned of a border under siege, calling for deployment of the National Guard and a wall that could slice through South Texas back yards, federal agents are trying to strike a balance between enforcing immigration law and not alienating the communities where they operate.

One solution is Los Federales. The band started performing six years ago, when the region office of the Border Patrol participated in a Hispanic heritage event. Over time, senior officials in the agency began to see the band as one of their greatest outreach tools.

Recently, they played at a public park on the banks of the Rio Grande. Families ate tacos and drank Corona. Some weren’t happy to see the agents, viewing them as a sign of hypocrisy in a country that eagerly hires millions of undocumented immigrants even as law enforcement pursues them.

“They’ve probably all got illegal Mexican women cleaning their houses,” said Maria Palacios, whose family set up their cookout about 50 yards from Maldonado.

Then she started dancing, a little two-step. Her husband, Jose, joined in.

The band members say that when they perform, they aren’t looking for people to detain, even though they are technically earning federally mandated overtime. They know that when they play for a large crowd in the Valley, there are likely undocumented immigrants in the audience.

“We’re not there to check papers,” Maldonado said. “The objective is to connect with the people, to become a conduit.”

[inexcon]

RSI Comm-Link: Clean Shot: Deceptive Cargo

Deceptive Cargo

Start Transmission

Welcome to Clean Shot, the show dedicated to delivering all the latest hauler news and product reviews. I’m your host, Craig Burton.

I’ve gotta say, it’s good to be back and settled into the captain’s chair, which is not just a figure of speech by the way. I am actually sitting in the pilot’s seat from my old, long-retired Hull. Don’t know what it is about this chair that makes it so darn comfy, but I made sure to have it taken out of the ship and brought into the studio. Maybe I’ve simply worn in the grooves real good. Regardless, the thing just feels like home.

Anyways, we’re back among the familiar confines of our studio after attending this year’s Intergalactic Aerospace Expo and, can I say, it was a real treat talking to MISC designer Grigory Astier about collaborating with the Xi’an on the Reliant. And sitting down with three-time Cargolympic champ Kitt Devera was something I had been wanting to do since her first win. Skinny picked up so many components to review that we had to book him a separate transport just to haul everything back. Really good stuff.

Doing a show at the IAE was a lotta fun, but also a ton of work. A big thanks to the entire production team for running around to make everything go as smoothly as it did. Producing Clean Shot while on the road is a lot like taking a new route for a routine long haul — nerve-racking and strangely familiar at the same time.

Oh, and a big thanks to the folks in Eri City for their hospitality. How they handle such a big event invading their hometown every year and still remain so pleasant is beyond me, but I’m grateful for it. If you’re a ship fanatic and have never attended, seriously, do yourself a favor and start planning for next year’s event now. I know that sounds ridiculous, but trust me, with as much stuff that’s shipped in for the Expo you can most likely hustle and find a contract that takes you out there for a delivery. The hauls might not always pay the best, but it’s a solid way to earn some credits and get a good lay of the land before everyone else shows up. Play your cards right and your ticket to the event practically pays for itself. That’s what I’ve always loved about being a hauler, your office goes wherever you go.

I could sit here and ramble about the IAE for hours, but Skinny’s giving me that look that we need to move on. Back to the business of hauling with another installment of TroubleZone.

Let’s turn our attention to the Centauri System. This is a peculiar one, folks. Some haulers out there might have fallen victim to this scam and not even known about it, which raises some interesting ethical questions.

First things first, anyone working this system should be aware of the water import restrictions to Yar. A devastating drought that’s lasted years has forced the local government to impose strict regulations in an attempt to keep the price of water from skyrocketing, and they aggressively pursue those that skirt these regulations. Following a series of high profile busts, some of the water smugglers seeking to capitalize on the situation have changed tactics to shift the risk onto unsuspecting or uninformed haulers.

Here to provide details on exactly what is going on is Timothy Trogdon. He’s an attorney representing accused smuggler Juliet Korman, who claims she was scammed into breaking Yar’s strict water import laws.

Thanks for joining us today, Mr. Trogdon. Start by telling us exactly what happened to your client.

Timothy Trogdon: Someone took advantage of her, plain and simple. Juliet Korman is a lot like many of the haulers who tune into your show. For years, she crewed ships and saved credits until she could afford her own. She then spent decades traveling the Empire and establishing a solid reputation, while never once running afoul of the law.

What she did do, and this is clearly seen in her ship logs, was make a habit of picking up humanitarian hauling gigs. These runs, like delivering aid to Vega, were all about prioritizing people and not profits.

I know the feeling, I do a few of those a year myself and it’s something that I urge my viewers to do as well. Like my dad used to say, “ain’t nothing that pays better than helping someone in need.” What exactly happened to Ms. Korman to make this run different than the others?

Timothy Trogdon: Well, that’s the thing, nothing seemed suspicious about it. Juliet simply accepted a hauling gig to deliver emergency supplies to an outpost on Yar. She was aware of the planet’s dire situation and hoped that any little thing she could do would help.

She picked up cargo on Saisei and took it to this outpost in the middle of the Red Desert. After unloading the cargo, she was swarmed by Archibald Protection Force ships while attempting to take off. It was only after hours of interrogation that Juliet finally discovered that the cargo contained an unauthorized water shipment.

That’s incredible. Did Ms. Korman have any idea about what kind of emergency supplies she was hauling?

Timothy Trogdon: Not specifically, no.

Wasn’t she the least bit curious? Particularly considering that water would be at the top of the list of emergency supplies needed by the planet?

Timothy Trogdon: Juliet’s heart was in the right place. She’s done emergency resupply runs across the UEE and never had to question their integrity. It might have been naive of her to not give this particular run more scrutiny, but it’s certainly not criminal.

I get where you’re coming from, but unfortunately for her, officials on Yar are arguing otherwise. To them, it’s much more clear cut. She hauled a restricted item onto their world. Whether she knew it or not is secondary. Which brings us back to the old debate about how morally responsible a hauler is to know exactly what they’re transporting.

Timothy Trogdon: There are a handful of interesting court cases on that very subject. One that bears a resemblance to Juliet’s is Kwon vs Terra, which I referenced extensively in my brief to the court.

Well, I’m sure folks all across the spectrum would love to know more, but before you get started, we need to take a quick commercial break. I’ll be back with our guest Timothy Trogdon, and then Skinny will be reviewing one of the shiny new power plants he picked up at the Expo. All that and more right after these messages.

Keep it locked here for more Clean Shot.

http://bit.ly/2AwhGxj

[sad-ch1ld]

via RSI Comm-Link

Deceptive Cargo

Start Transmission

Welcome to Clean Shot, the show dedicated to delivering all the latest hauler news and product reviews. I’m your host, Craig Burton.

I’ve gotta say, it’s good to be back and settled into the captain’s chair, which is not just a figure of speech by the way. I am actually sitting in the pilot’s seat from my old, long-retired Hull. Don’t know what it is about this chair that makes it so darn comfy, but I made sure to have it taken out of the ship and brought into the studio. Maybe I’ve simply worn in the grooves real good. Regardless, the thing just feels like home.

Anyways, we’re back among the familiar confines of our studio after attending this year’s Intergalactic Aerospace Expo and, can I say, it was a real treat talking to MISC designer Grigory Astier about collaborating with the Xi’an on the Reliant. And sitting down with three-time Cargolympic champ Kitt Devera was something I had been wanting to do since her first win. Skinny picked up so many components to review that we had to book him a separate transport just to haul everything back. Really good stuff.

Doing a show at the IAE was a lotta fun, but also a ton of work. A big thanks to the entire production team for running around to make everything go as smoothly as it did. Producing Clean Shot while on the road is a lot like taking a new route for a routine long haul — nerve-racking and strangely familiar at the same time.

Oh, and a big thanks to the folks in Eri City for their hospitality. How they handle such a big event invading their hometown every year and still remain so pleasant is beyond me, but I’m grateful for it. If you’re a ship fanatic and have never attended, seriously, do yourself a favor and start planning for next year’s event now. I know that sounds ridiculous, but trust me, with as much stuff that’s shipped in for the Expo you can most likely hustle and find a contract that takes you out there for a delivery. The hauls might not always pay the best, but it’s a solid way to earn some credits and get a good lay of the land before everyone else shows up. Play your cards right and your ticket to the event practically pays for itself. That’s what I’ve always loved about being a hauler, your office goes wherever you go.

I could sit here and ramble about the IAE for hours, but Skinny’s giving me that look that we need to move on. Back to the business of hauling with another installment of TroubleZone.

Let’s turn our attention to the Centauri System. This is a peculiar one, folks. Some haulers out there might have fallen victim to this scam and not even known about it, which raises some interesting ethical questions.

First things first, anyone working this system should be aware of the water import restrictions to Yar. A devastating drought that’s lasted years has forced the local government to impose strict regulations in an attempt to keep the price of water from skyrocketing, and they aggressively pursue those that skirt these regulations. Following a series of high profile busts, some of the water smugglers seeking to capitalize on the situation have changed tactics to shift the risk onto unsuspecting or uninformed haulers.

Here to provide details on exactly what is going on is Timothy Trogdon. He’s an attorney representing accused smuggler Juliet Korman, who claims she was scammed into breaking Yar’s strict water import laws.

Thanks for joining us today, Mr. Trogdon. Start by telling us exactly what happened to your client.

Timothy Trogdon: Someone took advantage of her, plain and simple. Juliet Korman is a lot like many of the haulers who tune into your show. For years, she crewed ships and saved credits until she could afford her own. She then spent decades traveling the Empire and establishing a solid reputation, while never once running afoul of the law.

What she did do, and this is clearly seen in her ship logs, was make a habit of picking up humanitarian hauling gigs. These runs, like delivering aid to Vega, were all about prioritizing people and not profits.

I know the feeling, I do a few of those a year myself and it’s something that I urge my viewers to do as well. Like my dad used to say, “ain’t nothing that pays better than helping someone in need.” What exactly happened to Ms. Korman to make this run different than the others?

Timothy Trogdon: Well, that’s the thing, nothing seemed suspicious about it. Juliet simply accepted a hauling gig to deliver emergency supplies to an outpost on Yar. She was aware of the planet’s dire situation and hoped that any little thing she could do would help.

She picked up cargo on Saisei and took it to this outpost in the middle of the Red Desert. After unloading the cargo, she was swarmed by Archibald Protection Force ships while attempting to take off. It was only after hours of interrogation that Juliet finally discovered that the cargo contained an unauthorized water shipment.

That’s incredible. Did Ms. Korman have any idea about what kind of emergency supplies she was hauling?

Timothy Trogdon: Not specifically, no.

Wasn’t she the least bit curious? Particularly considering that water would be at the top of the list of emergency supplies needed by the planet?

Timothy Trogdon: Juliet’s heart was in the right place. She’s done emergency resupply runs across the UEE and never had to question their integrity. It might have been naive of her to not give this particular run more scrutiny, but it’s certainly not criminal.

I get where you’re coming from, but unfortunately for her, officials on Yar are arguing otherwise. To them, it’s much more clear cut. She hauled a restricted item onto their world. Whether she knew it or not is secondary. Which brings us back to the old debate about how morally responsible a hauler is to know exactly what they’re transporting.

Timothy Trogdon: There are a handful of interesting court cases on that very subject. One that bears a resemblance to Juliet’s is Kwon vs Terra, which I referenced extensively in my brief to the court.

Well, I’m sure folks all across the spectrum would love to know more, but before you get started, we need to take a quick commercial break. I’ll be back with our guest Timothy Trogdon, and then Skinny will be reviewing one of the shiny new power plants he picked up at the Expo. All that and more right after these messages.

Keep it locked here for more Clean Shot.