#Massachusetts state police

[subaquatic-skyscraper]

“Yeah, she’s a babe—weird Fall River accent though” is the most Boston text message ever sent

[chaddavisphotography]

An officer with the Massachusetts State Police walks down the sidewalk in Milwaukee during the 2024 Republican National Convention.

[petnews2day]

Mass. State Police robot dog, ‘Roscoe,’ shot in Cape Cod standoff – NBC Boston

New Post has been published on https://petn.ws/kVVZi

Mass. State Police robot dog, ‘Roscoe,’ shot in Cape Cod standoff – NBC Boston

A Massachusetts State Police robot dog was shot during a standoff on Cape Cod this month, officials said, calling it an example of how the technology can make police work safer in dangerous situations. The dog, known as Roscoe, was shot as a SWAT team dealt with a man barricaded in a home in the […]

See full article at https://petn.ws/kVVZi #DogNews #Massachusetts, #MassachusettsStatePolice, #Robotics

[thefreethoughtprojectcom]

A federal grand jury on Wednesday indicted a now-former Massachusetts police officer for allegedly killing his 23-year-old pregnant mistress — a woman he had been having sex with since she was 15

Read More: https://thefreethoughtproject.com/cop-watch/disgraced-cop-raped-and-murdered-pregnant-mistress-court-documents-show

#TheFreeThoughtProject

[nando161mando]

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[particularj]

Link to article, dates December 22, 2023.

20 years after gender* marriage equality in Massachusetts, police are raiding schools for queer content.

We must be forever vigilant to keep our rights, because fascists will be forever aiming to quash them.

(*we don’t have marriage equality until people with disabilities can marry without penalty)

Oh, so we've got armed police raiding schools to remove LGBTQ books. Cool. Coolcoolcool. Very normal society.

[whats-in-a-sentence]

But there was a note from Masen on the table, pegged down with a salt shaker.

Mr Trenton,

Steve Kemp has been picked up in a western Massachusetts town, Twickenham. Your wife and son are not, repeat, are not with him. I did not wake you with this news because Kemp is standing on his right to remain silent. Barring any complication, he will be brought directly to the Scarborough S.P. barracks for charging on vandalism and possession of illegal drugs. We estimate him here by 11:30 A.M. If anything breaks, I'll call you soonest.

Andy Masen

"Cujo" - Stephen King

[subaquatic-skyscraper]

I never knew he was a Statie before

[xtruss]

Historically, when Students at US Universities have protested, there has been a common refrain that "Outside Agitators" are to blame.

Experts say it's a convenient way for officials to delegitimise the motivations of some political movements and justify calling in law enforcement to stop direct actions that are largely nonviolent and engaging in constitutionally protected speech.

During the Civil Rights Movement, protests involved local community members and organisers from other parts of the state or country. Officials often targeted this, alleging that the protests were orchestrated by outsiders.

The label was used as a weapon against community members who spoke up or provided support to protesters and organisers, says Dylan C Penningroth, an author and historian. Nearly half a century later, the 2014 Killing of Michael Brown By a Police Officer in Ferguson, Missouri, sparked widespread protests against police brutality.

Again, "Outside Agitators" were frequently invoked and blamed for destruction, looting and the burning of buildings. The same language was used to describe protests in the wake of the 2020 Killing of George Floyd by Minneapolis Police. Amid the current US student protests against the Terrorist, Fascist, Apartheid, War Criminal, the Bastard Child of the United States & the West and the Illegal Regime of the Zionist 🐖 🐷 🐖 🐗 Isra-hell, there are a Handful of examples of Officials Using the Outside Agitator Rhetoric Nationwide.

In referencing the protests on campuses at Atlanta's Emory University, Boston's Northeastern University, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge, School Officials and Law Enforcement have made Inaccurate and Unsubstantiated Claims about the Presence of Non-Students.

Similarly, New York City Mayor Boak Bollocks and an Idiot to His Core Eric Adams repeatedly cited the presence of "Outside Agitators" on New York Campuses to justify the use of police force, with officers in riot gear swarming Columbia University's Campus, clearing out its encampment, and arresting more than 100 people on April 30.

[usauthoritarianism]

>Providence police will force two homeless encampments out. Where will they go?

Encampment will be cleared this weekend

On Sunday, Barnett, 40, will be forced out of the place she calls home, along with 60 to 70 other residents, as Providence police push them out of two encampments with a standard 48 hours worth of notice.

[atlabeth]

northern attitude

geyser (where hurricane is introduced)

pairing: luke castellan x daughter of poseidon!reader

summary: you and luke meet for the first time. (or luke saves you from a monster, you argue with each other the whole time, and he realizes that he doesn't want to survive alone anymore.)

a/n: by popular demand, hurricane is back for a sequel! and potentially more. lol. enjoy some insight into her (justice for weird little girls) and try not to think about the fact that she dies 6 years later! title comes from new england king noah kahan for these new england icons

wc: 4.6k

warning(s): some inner luke angst, monster encounter and short fight (luke gets a bit injured), they argue but in the fun way. they're just lil nine year olds

“Why are you looking at me like that?” Luke muttered. 

He didn’t get an answer back. He was, after all, talking to a fish. 

Maybe it didn’t like that he was a criminal. Luke had snuck his way into the New England Aquarium—he wasn’t going to cough up twenty-five bucks to look at marine life—in desperate need of a reprieve from the city, and he fought the urge to check his back every second. If there was one thing he’d learned from being on his own, it was that kids traveling alone always attracted attention. The last thing he needed was attention. 

Talking to a fish probably wasn’t good for that, but Luke wasn’t exactly in the best headstate. 

Because honestly, he didn’t really know what he was doing in Massachusetts. He tried staying in Connecticut after running away, but it still felt too close to home. He could still hear his mom yelling, could still see her glowing eyes. So he bought the cheapest bus ticket he could find to Boston, hoping a state in between would help. 

That was the second thing he’d learned while traveling on the road: everything was way too expensive. And for a kid with no job living off the allowance he’d saved up and some extra money he took out of his mom’s wallet, that wasn’t great. If Luke couldn’t get something dirt cheap, he stole it. His father may not have answered any of his prayers in the past few years, but at least he had naturally quick fingers. 

Luke sighed as he turned away from the fish, who was clearly not interested in striking up a conversation. He weaved his way through the crowd as he tried to think of where to go next—it wasn’t the smartest decision, but he was tempted to get a little whale plush from the gift stop—when he heard the middle of a conversation. 

“You made a mistake coming here, dearie.” 

The hairs on the back of his neck stood up as Luke froze in place. He couldn’t even murmur an apology to the people who bumped into him because the gears in his head were turning rapidly. 

“Let go of me—” a voice protested in response. 

“Quieting down would do you some good. Did your mother not teach you manners?”

He was still trying to see who it was when he finally found it. A middle-aged woman moved through the crowd with a girl around Luke’s age, her hand wrapped tightly around the girl’s arm. Her nails were more like claws, and she had a strange gait that she tried to cover up. That was when he knew. 

See, Luke had gotten used to distinguishing creeps from freaks with all his time on the road. Cutting a monster down would turn them into dust—normal humans would call the police. And if there was anything more dangerous for a runaway juvenile than monsters, it was the police. 

But if a monster had ignored every single person in this building to get to you, it meant he’d somehow stumbled his way into the path of another half-blood. And Luke wasn’t going to let another half-blood die right in front of him. 

So he took a deep breath, hoped the five second plan he made up in his head would work, and moved in.

“May, where have you been?” Luke tried to put on his best brother voice, and made himself as imposing as a nine year old could be. He didn’t focus at all on the monster, instead communicating to trust him as much as he could with his eyes. “Mom’s been worried sick!”

Both you and the woman turned to look at him, and Luke immediately knew he made the right choice from the blatant fear in your expression. 

“Sorry,” you said, letting your shoulders fall and your gaze drop to the ground. Luke tried not to let his relief show over you playing along. “I really wanted to look at the sea turtle—” 

“You should’ve said something instead of just wandering off,” he insisted. “We can all go look at it together—once Mom is done lecturing you, at least.” Luke took your hand and you let him pull you over to his side, positioning himself in front of you ever so slightly as he looked up at the woman. “Thanks for keeping an eye on her. I appreciate it.” 

“You should be more careful,” she said eerily. It felt as if she was staring right into his soul. “You never know the kind of things that are out there.” 

“I know,” he said, shaking his head. “Sisters, am I right?” 

As soon as they were out of hearing distance, he lowered his voice and tightened his grip on your hand. “Come on. Try and look casual.” 

“You know what she is,” you whispered.

“Yes,” he said, then he shook his head. “I— not exactly. But I know she’s a monster.”

“I knew it,” you muttered with vindication. Luke felt your eyes on him. “So you’re like me?”

He nodded. “Yeah.”

“One of your parents is—” You stopped, as if you still weren’t sure. 

Luke knew the feeling all too well—desperately trying to tell someone what he was only to be met with that look adults loved to give. You’re clearly talking nonsense, but I feel bad for you so I’ll humor you. And all the normal kids he’d tried to tell the truth to thought he was just playing a game. 

“A god,” he finished quietly. “Yeah.”

You started to look back, but Luke stopped you. 

“Don’t.” Their chances of getting attacked in a place so full of people was lower, but Luke had dealt with some particularly bold monsters. One able to disguise themself as a human would have an advantage—Luke learned people hated listening to kids, especially ones they could pass off as delusional. “You don’t want her to catch on.” 

“Who are you?” you asked. 

“My name’s Luke,” he said. “What about you?” 

You said your name, then you glanced at him. “You know a lot about all of this. More than me.” 

“Are you a runaway too?”

You nodded, and a part of his heart broke. You had no right to be out here, not when you were so young. 

And he says so, too. “You shouldn’t be out here on your own. It’s dangerous.” 

You frowned. “You’re out here on your own too.” 

“I’ve been on my own for a few months,” he said. “I know what to expect. How long have you been out?” 

You shrugged. “A week.” 

Luke let out a ragged sigh. “You’ve got bad luck if monsters are already coming after you.” 

“They already have,” you murmured, and you looked back at him. “How old are you if you’ve been doing this for months?” 

Luke frowned. “Nine. How old are you?” 

“I’m also nine,” you shot back. “So you can’t say anything to me.” 

He opened his mouth to retort—Luke hadn’t been a child in years, not since Hermes left him alone with a cursed mother and a burning rage inside of him that he couldn’t let go of, no matter how hard he tried. But if you chose to run away from home too, then you were in the same boat. Kids like you two didn’t get to be kids. 

“Fair,” he conceded. “But it’ll be a lot easier to give her the slip if we work together.”

“…I can deal with that.” You cleared your throat. “Thank you for saving me, though. I… I just froze.” 

“It happens more than you’d think,” Luke muttered. “We have to throw her off our trail, though. She’s not gonna be happy.” 

“She’s probably ecstatic,” you said, shaking your head. “She’s got two kids to eat instead of one.” 

“Aren’t you an optimist?” he remarked. 

You chuckled. “Sorry. It hasn’t been a great day.” 

“It’s fine.” Luke didn’t know the last great—god, even good—day he’d had, even before he ran away. Honestly, this conversation with you had been the highlight of this month. “But we can’t just leave. She has our scent, so she’ll be on us as soon as we’re on our own. It’ll be even easier out in the open. We’ve gotta set security on her trail to get her off ours.” 

You nodded as you turned another corner. “We should get to the gift shop. It’ll be less populated, but still enough to hide us.” 

Luke nodded. “Smart. And security’ll have an easy path there in case of shoplifters.” 

“So tell a sob story, get security, set them on her,” you said, looking at him. 

“Then get the hell out of here,” he agreed. 

“Think we can get a souvenir for the occasion?” you asked. “We’ve probably earned it with all this dodging.” 

Luke thought about that whale plushie again. “Maybe.” 

“The stairs are that way.” You gestured with your head, and Luke turned—he’d been going the completely wrong direction.

“Thanks,” he said. “You know this place?” 

“I’m from Boston,” you nodded. “And I’ve been here a lot with my mom.”

Luke figured he should have guessed by the accent. He didn’t know how long he was going to stay, but it would be useful to have someone with him who knew the city.

“You’re still pretty close to home,” he noted. 

You shrugged. “I’ve been doing all the things I’ve wanted to do now that I’m officially on my own. I know I’m gonna have to leave eventually, but…” you sighed and shook your head. “I guess I’m scared. Brave enough to run away but too scared to make it official.” 

Luke understood that more than you could know. It took him feeling like he was going to burst out of his skin before he got the strength to leave Connecticut. 

“You don’t wanna leave your mom,” he guessed. 

You nodded. “I love her more than anything, but I’ve already put her in too much danger. I’m leaving until I can figure out how to keep her safe.” 

You’re a kid, Luke wanted to say. It should be the other way around. But he’d already been hypocritical enough for today, and you’d probably say the same. 

“That’s sweet,” he said. “Stupid, but sweet.” 

“We’re both nine-year-old runaways,” you said. “You don’t get to tell me what’s stupid.” 

He chuckled and shook his head, letting the matter drop as you finally got to the gift shop. Luke had been stressed about how to strike a balance between cautious enough to keep your backs covered but confident enough to not be questioned, but it turned out talking with you was all he needed. 

On the way to the front, Luke caught sight of a whale plushie. His fingers itched to grab it, but he kept his eyes on the better prize of not dying and came to a stop at the cash register. 

“Hi,” Luke said, getting the attention of the employee at the front, hoping he sounded adequately fearful. “There’s a woman out there that tried to get my friend to go with her. Tall, middle-aged, dressed in grandmother-y clothes with glasses. She grabbed her arm and threatened her.” 

“You kids aren’t joking around, are you?” the cashier asked. 

“No,” you said, and Luke was shocked by how close to tears you sounded. “It was really scary— my parents were in the bathroom and I was waiting for them, and she just looked so nice, but—” somehow, a tear actually fell from your eye as you let out a sob— “but she tried to take me away.” 

The woman shook her head as she went back and grabbed a walkie talkie from below the register. The moment she turned away, you glanced at Luke and nodded, and he just stared in awe. She relayed Luke’s description then said a couple other things, then she crouched down to be on their level to look you straight-on. “Where are your parents?” 

“They’re in the bathroom on the second floor,” you provided. “We came here because we didn’t know where else to go.” 

She sighed, falling for every part of it. You were much better at garnering sympathy than Luke was. “I’m sorry, sweetie. I called our security— they’ll be here in a second to get a statement from you.” 

You nodded, sniffling a bit as your lip quivered. “Thank you. I— I just want my mom.” 

The employee put her hand to her heart, and when you went for a hug, she reciprocated. “Don’t cry. You’re gonna be safe, okay? I’ll wait with you until security gets here. One of our guards is already out there looking for her.”

“Okay,” you agreed. Luke caught your eye from behind her back, and you dropped your act in a second to smile knowingly at him. He just shook his head with a slight smile of his own—you were good at this. 

Eventually, two security guards arrived—Luke doubted they would be good for handling a shoplifter, much less a mythological monster—but they took yours and Luke’s statements, and were about to leave before you spoke up. 

“Our parents are definitely looking for us,” you said, already back on the verge of tears. “Can— can you take us to them? When they went to the bathroom, we were by the coral reef.” 

“‘Course.” One of them nodded and looked at his partner. “I’ll get them back to their parents—you look for the suspect.” 

After a short discussion, the three of you set out, you still holding Luke’s hand as he leaned closer to you. 

“On my signal,” he murmured. “We’re gonna blend into the crowd and get out of here.”

You nodded. You were so close to the exit, but you allowed the guard to take you up the stairs, and thankfully the crowd around the middle of the giant ocean tank was huge. Luke counted off quietly, and when he got to three, you split off, blending into a group of kids on a school field trip to get back to the stairs. 

You started moving at a much quicker pace, the exit within your sights, but just as they were about to make it, Luke spotted their monster. And now, she was definitely a monster—Luke couldn’t remember the name, but she’d shed her disguise, looking like some kind of bird-human hybrid thing. It didn’t really matter in his opinion, because she really looked like she wanted to kill the two of you. 

Luke cursed and grabbed your arm, immediately pulling you flat up against the wall with him. “She’s here.” 

“We told security about her,” you protested. “How hard could it be to find her?” 

“A bit harder when they’re gonna be seeing something different.” Luke glanced at you. “You said you’ve already dealt with monsters before.” 

You nodded. 

“Do you remember feeling like you were the only one who actually saw what was happening? Like you saw the monster for what it was while it was trying to kill you, and everyone was still freaking out, but not as much as they should have been?” 

You nodded again. 

“Well, that’s a thing. Normal people can’t see what monsters really look like—only we can.” Luke peeked his head around the corner again. “And if she’s shed her disguise, it means she wants to go in for the kill. And it means we’re completely on our own.” 

“We’re not on our own,” you said. “We’ve got each other.” 

Luke found himself smiling. It had been a while since that was true. It had been a while since he’d smiled. 

“Yeah,” he agreed. “And it’s harder to kill two half-bloods than one.” 

He poked his head out again and immediately withdrew it, cursing under his breath as he stared up at the ceiling. “I never should have come to this city.”  

“Excuse me?” You stepped away from the wall as your brows furrowed. “Boston is the greatest city in the world.” 

“If you’re gonna be wrong, be wrong quietly,” Luke urged, gesturing with his head for you to get back. “And you are wrong, by the way.” 

“I’m not wrong.” You crossed your arms, refusing to budge. “Did you know that we have the first public park? And the first public school! And we have the T! Where are you even from?” 

“We can talk about this later,” he insisted. “We’re trying to hide. Have you ever hidden before?” 

“We don’t need to hide when you’ve insulted my Commonwealth’s honor,” you said. “Especially when you’re in our aquarium. Where are you from to be talking so badly about the Bay State?” 

“Connecticut,” he finally said, hoping that would get you to finally quiet down, but that only ramped you up further. “Place called Westport.”

“Connecticut?” you marveled, throwing your hands up. “You’re from some podunk town in Connecticut and you’re insulting Boston?” 

“Okay, Westport is not a podunk town—” Luke started, but he didn’t get the chance to finish defending his hometown before he caught sight of their monster—and she’d caught sight of them. 

Luke cursed even harder under his breath with words no nine year old should have known, then he grabbed your hand and pulled you along into a jog, interrupting your immediate protests. 

“She’s got us pinned,” he said, trying to keep his voice low enough to not be detected while making sure you could hear him. “Together, our scent is too strong. We’re not gonna be able to lose her—we’ve gotta kill her.”

“Could the fish help with her knowing where we are?” you asked as you started running with him. “Because they’ll be happy to help us. They don’t like her either.”

Luke did a double take. “What?”

“I can hear what they’re saying,” you said, as if it were completely normal. “It’s a little overwhelming with so many in one place, honestly.”

If they weren’t on the run from a monster, Luke would have worried a bit more about the fact that you were crazy. But he wasn’t awarded those kinds of luxuries these days. 

“We’ll—” Luke let out a sigh, because what did you mean that you could hear what fish were saying (especially because they clearly weren’t conversation prone)— “we’ll get out of here, and get the upper hand, and we’ll kill her. Okay?”

“Okay,” you nodded. “But Boston is still the greatest city in the world.” 

He huffed, taking his eyes off the path forward for a moment just to look at you. “Are you seriously still on this?” 

“Of course. We also have the greatest baseball team in the country.” You gestured with your free hand. “Do you see how many people here have Red Sox hats on?” 

Luke laughed out of pure shock. Was this the kind of stuff he’d been missing out on while traveling alone? 

“Listen,” he said. “If we get out of this alive, you can tell me all the Red Sox facts you want. But we actually have to work together through all this. Deal?” 

“Deal,” you said immediately. “You’re way more focused than I am.” 

Luke let out a loose breath and shook his head. “Well, I’ve had to be. Do you have a weapon?” 

“I took a kitchen knife before I left,” you said, “just to be safe. It’s worked pretty well.” 

“Do you know how to use it?” 

“I’m really good at chopping vegetables,” you said. “And I killed a monster with it the other day.” 

“Glowing reviews,” Luke chuckled. “I’m pretty good with my sword, so we should be okay.” 

“You’ve got a sword? How?” 

“...My dad left it for me before he left,” Luke said. “I guess he wanted to do one good thing for me in his life.” 

“I’m sorry,” you said. Luke offered a tight smile. 

“Doesn’t matter much anymore,” he said. “Soon as we get outside, we get to the street and get to some empty alley. We hide on either side, wait for her to find us, then take her down. Okay?” 

You nodded resolutely. “Let’s do it.”

The beginning of the plan wasn’t too difficult. Your faces would probably be plastered all over the place once the staff realized you were missing, but that was a problem for another day. You knew the area well so you took charge—and you took the time to spout random facts about the city on your way, of course, like a nine-year-old tour guide—and soon enough they were indeed in an empty alleyway. 

You and Luke stood on each side, weapons in your grasp now that you weren’t surrounded by a whole aquarium of people, and he watched as you stared straight ahead, trying to keep your breathing steady. Besides the whole hearing fish thing, you seemed pretty well-adjusted for where you were. 

But then again—you’d only been at this for a week, and the way you talked about your mom, your home life was the complete opposite of his. 

Luke shook his head. It didn’t matter what your life was like—you both ended up in the same place. 

His thoughts were mercifully ended when Luke heard sharp nails scratching against the brick of the alleyway. He grimaced, his grip tightening on his sword, and he looked over at you. Your eyes were slightly wide, but you nodded when he did. You were ready. 

“You two are clever,” the monster sang, her voice just as grating as her nails against the wall, “but I never miss a meal. And those measly workers just wouldn’t sate my appetite.” 

Her steps got closer and closer, and Luke held his breath. Right before she would be able to see you both, he yelled, “Now!” 

You were out first, immediately lashing at her with your knife. She took the cut against her shoulder and slashed at you in turn, but you dodged out of the way, giving Luke a chance to come in with his sword. But his angle was off, and she deflected the blow then sunk her claws into his arm. Luke cried out, landing a kick on her chest as he ripped himself out of her grasp, but her focus was already back on you. 

You stabbed at her with your knife and actually landed it in her chest, but it wasn’t Celestial bronze—all it did was make her angrier. She screeched and tackled you to the ground, knife still sticking out of her, claws poised to rip your throat out. You grit your teeth as you wrestled her arms away from you, but your strength was fading fast. 

Luke’s eyes widened and he grabbed his sword from the ground. He wouldn’t make it in time, but you could. 

He called out your name and threw his sword, and you didn’t even have to look to snatch it out of the air. Storms raged in your eyes as you stabbed the monster through the side.

“You shouldn’t have come here, dearie,” you spat. 

The monster’s scream dissolved with the wind as she exploded into dust, dousing you in yellow powder. The sword fell out of your grip as you coughed, and you just laid on the ground, drained.  

“Gross,” you grumbled. 

Luke wiped his hand across his forehead as he fought to catch his breath, ignoring the blood seeping down his arm. “Are you okay?” 

“Yeah,” you said between coughs. “I’m great.” 

Luke went over and offered his hand, and he pulled you up after you took it. “I’m so sorry. I guess I’m a little rusty.” 

“Neither of us are dead, are we? I’d say it went pretty well.” You grimaced as you wiped the powder off your face, groaning again. “This is gonna take forever to get off.” 

Luke chuckled as he took his backpack off and took out a towel, which you accepted gratefully. A demigod always had to be prepared. “You say you’ve only been on your own for a week?”

You nodded as you started cleaning your face and arms off. “Not my first monster, though.”

“It never is,” he murmured. Luke tipped his head back towards the sun and closed his eyes, letting out one final, long breath as the buzz from battle started to fade. And along with that, his adrenaline—the wound on his arm began to sting, and he sighed. He really didn’t feel like dealing with that. 

“You’re hurt,” you said, and Luke opened his eyes. 

“I’ll be fine,” he said. “They’re surface level.” 

You frowned. “Are you sure?” 

“I’ve stitched myself up a few times, and this doesn’t need them,” he said, his lip curling at the memory. He was not a very good doctor. “I have some first aid stuff in my bag—once we get out of here, I’ll fix it up.” 

“You said we,” you said. 

Luke blinked. “I did?” 

You nodded. “When we get out of here.” 

He blinked again. He didn’t even notice—didn’t even really think about where you would go after the monster was dead. It was kinda sad, but Luke was pretty sure he’d smiled and talked more in this one hour with you than the past few months on his own. He’d already started thinking of you and him as a collective. 

“What d’you think, then?” he asked. “You wanna stick together?” 

You frowned. “You’re willing to kick it with a girl you just met?”

He shrugged. “You fight well, obviously. And you’re way better at making people feel bad for you than I am. That’s useful when you’ve got nothing.”

“We’re kids on our own,” you said. “It’s not that hard to get pity points.”

“I’ve been told I’m… abrasive,” Luke said. “Besides, I like you already. You were arguing for your baseball team while running for your life. It’s annoying, but impressive.”

“People also say that about me,” you said sagely. Luke smiled and held out his hand more. 

“So? You wanna join forces?”

You stared at it for a while. “Even if I spend the next couple of hours telling you all about the Red Sox?”

Luke chuckled. “I did say you could if we got out of this alive. And I feel pretty alive.” 

It took you another second, but you nodded intently and shook his hand. “Then you’ve got yourself a deal, Luke.” 

“Glad to hear it,” he said, his smile widening. 

You handed him the towel and he went to put it back in his bag when he saw the… souvenir he’d taken before you left the gift shop. He grabbed the whale plushie that had been on his mind all day and held it out to you. “Here.”

You frowned. “When did you even have the time to get this? You definitely didn’t pay for it.”

“Idle hands are the devil’s playthings,” he said. “They won’t miss it. It’s a much better use marking the start of our friendship. Besides,” Luke shrugged, “you did say you wanted a souvenir.” 

You smiled as you took it. “Looks like we’re a trio, then.”

“Welcome to the team,” he said with a grin. “It’s a small one, but I think we’ll make it work.”

“Me too,” you nodded. “And it’ll be nice not being alone.”

Luke thought back to all the nights spent sleeping under bridges, commandeering benches, purposefully choosing overnight buses so he would have somewhere to rest. Constantly watching his back because he had no one else, wondering if each night he camped in the woods would be his last. 

He looked at you, a girl who ran away from home because she didn’t want to hurt her mom. Your clothes were covered in yellow monster dust, sweat dripped down your forehead, and Luke had nearly gotten you killed—but you were still smiling. And he found himself smiling too. 

“Yeah,” Luke murmured. “It will be.” 

[beggars-opera]

Few people are aware that the Massachusetts State Police can, in fact, deport you from the Commonwealth if you do not listen to folk punk

[beardedmrbean]

Centrist Democrats are slamming their far-left colleagues following Election Day, arguing that their emphasis on "identity politics" and other issues handed huge victories to the GOP.

Rep. Ritchie Torres, D-N.Y., argued that President-elect Trump has "no greater friend than the far left." Like-minded Democrats say racial politics, anti-police rhetoric and gender hysteria are alienating millions of voters.

"There is more to lose than there is to gain politically from pandering to a far left that is more representative of Twitter, Twitch, and TikTok than it is of the real world," Torres wrote on X. "The working class is not buying the ivory-towered nonsense that the far left is selling."

Longtime Democratic strategist James Carville put it more bluntly in a Sunday interview with the New York Times, calling "defund the police" the "three stupidest words in the English language."

"We could never wash off the stench of it," he said.

Torres is one of several Democratic lawmakers in both the House and the Senate who have called out his party's "nonsense." One centrist House Democrat complained to Axios on Monday that the "identity politics stuff is absolutely killing us."

Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., argued on Sunday that Democrats are "out of touch with the crisis of meaning/purpose fueling MAGA."

"We don't listen enough; we tell people what's good for them. And when progressives like Bernie aggressively go after the elites that hold people down, they are shunned as dangerous populists. Why? Maybe because true economic populism is bad for our high-income base," Murphy wrote.

Not all Democrats are ready to make a change, however. When Rep. Seth Moulton, D-Mass., broke with his party to condemn biological males playing in women's sports last week, he faced an avalanche of hate.

"Democrats spend way too much time trying not to offend anyone rather than being brutally honest about the challenges many Americans face," Moulton said in a New York Times report. "I have two little girls, I don’t want them getting run over on a playing field by a male or formerly male athlete, but as a Democrat I’m supposed to be afraid to say that."

The statement resulted in calls for Moulton to resign, and at least one of his staffers quit in protest.

Massachusetts state Rep. Manny Cruz suggested Moulton's stance was "a betrayal" in a post on X.

"Congressman Moulton, your commitment then was protecting the LGBTQ community, standing up for their rights, and compassion. Now, on a political whim, our Congressman has betrayed the words he signed onto just last year by scapegoating transgender youth in sports for the failures of the national Democratic Party and leaders to win the presidential election. You said you 'would stand with Nagly and with all our community … against all forms of bigotry, discrimination, bullying, and harassment,'" Cruz wrote. 

Salem city Councilor Kyle Davis, another Democrat, called for Moulton to resign. 

"I’m not looking for an apology from [Moulton], I’m looking for a resignation," Davis wrote in a post on X.

Moulton refused to apologize and instead doubled down in a statement late last week.

"I will fight, as I always have, for the rights and safety of all citizens. These two ideas are not mutually exclusive, and we can even disagree on them. Yet there are many who, shouting from the extreme left corners of social media, believe I have failed the unspoken Democratic Party purity test," he said.

"We did not lose the 2024 election because of any trans person or issue. We lost, in part, because we shame and belittle too many opinions held by too many voters and that needs to stop. Let’s have these debates now, determine a new strategy for our party since our existing one failed, and then unite to oppose the Trump agenda wherever it imperils American values."

[snowysosturn]

Allies or Affiliates? - Chris Sturniolo Part 29

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7 Part 8 Part 9 Part 10 Part 11 Part 12 Part 13 Part 14 Part 15 Part 16 Part 17 Part 18 Part 19 Part 20 Part 21 Part 22 Part 23 Part 24 Part 25 Part 26 Part 27 Part 28 Part 29 Finale

Pairing : Y/n x dealer!Chris Sturniolo

Summary : Law student Y/n’s life takes a turn when she reconnects with Chris, her brief teenage flame who is now a dealer for a dangerous Boston drug gang. As their bond reignites, Y/n is drawn into Chris’s tumultuous world, where rival gangs clash and loyalty is everything. Balancing her love for Chris with her own ambitions, can their connection survive the chaos that threatens to pull them apart?

Warnings : MDNI, mentions of death, mentions of murder, courtroom setting, trial

It had been ten months since that fateful night in the Airbnb when the news of Vince’s arrest had sent shockwaves through our lives. So much had changed since then. Vince was never granted bail and had remained in custody, his iron grip on the Crimson Cartel shattered the moment the truth about Danny’s death came to light.

The footage had done what we’d hoped, and more. Crimson disbanded in the weeks following the arrest. Some members, disillusioned by the betrayal and violence, saw it as their chance to escape the dealing life altogether, to walk away and start over. Others, however, moved to H Block, aligning themselves with the only gang left standing in Boston’s drug trade. The streets had quieted down, but the tension lingered, a reminder of everything that had been lost and the shadows still lurking.

For Chris, it meant freedom. With Crimson dismantled and Vince off the scene, the need for him to hide was gone. Those who had once believed he was dead, made a pact to keep it that way for Vince’s ears. Even from behind bars, Vince’s wrath was something none of them wanted to risk. But now, with their shared hatred for the man who had destroyed their lives, they protected Chris by staying silent.

Chris no longer had to live like a ghost. He didn’t have to hide in Airbnb’s, constantly looking over his shoulder. For the first time in years, he was free to step into the world without fear of being hunted down whether that be from the police, or Vince. It was a kind of liberation none of us had dared to dream of when this all began.

The scars of the past weren’t gone, but they had started to fade. Boston’s streets were different now. And for us, the end of Vince Moretti marked the beginning of something new, a chance to rebuild, to heal, and to figure out who we were beyond the chaos that had defined us.

Today was the day of Vince’s trial. After months of waiting, the day had finally arrived, and the courtroom was buzzing with a mixture of tension and anticipation. The evidence against Vince was rock solid, with the footage we had risked everything to obtain forming the cornerstone of the prosecution’s case. It was expected to be a straightforward trial, but nothing ever felt certain.

For me, this day carried a weight I couldn’t quite put into words. In the ten months since Vince’s arrest, I’d worked tirelessly to regain my footing in law school. Now, in my final year, I had secured an internship that had somehow landed me in this very courtroom as a junior lawyer representing the state of Massachusetts. It felt surreal to be here, not just as an observer but as part of the team seeking justice.

I stood by the prosecution table, dressed in my best blazer, trying to maintain a calm and professional demeanor. My heart, however, was racing. Being in this courtroom wasn’t just about advancing my career, it was deeply personal. I was here not just as a lawyer in training but as someone who had been touched by the devastation Vince had caused.

As the court filled with reporters, family members of Danny’s including Nate and the general public. The air was thick with anticipation. Vince was escorted in, his expression impassive as he took his seat beside his defense attorney. Even in cuffs, he carried an aura of control, but for once, it felt hollow. He didn’t hold the power anymore.

The lead prosecutor leaned over to me and whispered instructions, snapping me back to the present. My role in today’s proceedings was small but significant, assisting with evidence presentation and ensuring every detail was flawless. My professor, Mr. Hawkins, had worked closely with this team, and I was grateful for his recommendation.

As the judge enters, everyone rises. “Be seated.”He announces as the murmurs within the courtroom die instantly as everyone takes their seats.

“This is the case of The State of Massachusetts vs. Vince Moretti, case number 2025-1203. The defendant is charged with first degree murder, drug trafficking, and organized crime activities. Are both sides ready to proceed?”

“The State is ready, Your Honor.”

“The defense is ready, Your Honor.”

The trial begins with the prosecution presenting their opening statement. The lead prosecutor sat next to me, a middle aged man with a commanding presence, stood for his opening statement.

“Your Honor, members of the jury, today we bring forward irrefutable evidence of the defendant’s guilt. Vince Moretti, once a feared leader of the Crimson Cartel, stands accused of first degree murder, drug trafficking, and other organized crime activities. We will show you clear evidence, including video footage and testimony from former associates, that will leave no doubt in your minds.”

He paced slightly, his voice steady and confident.

 “At the conclusion of this trial, we will ask you to deliver a verdict that ensures justice is served.”

I glanced at Vince, whose expression remained stony, as if he knew this was inevitable.

The defense attorney rose, her tone sharp and rehearsed.

“Your Honor, members of the jury, the evidence presented by the state may seem compelling at first glance, but we urge you to remain open minded and to question the circumstances under which this so called evidence was obtained. My client is not the monster he’s been painted as, and we intend to prove that the accusations against him lack the necessary foundation to convict.”

The defense attorney sits as the prosecution begins presenting their case.

“Your Honor, we call Detective Kevin Alvarez to the stand.”

Detective Alvarez walks to the stand, takes the oath, and sits.

“Detective, can you explain what led to the arrest of Vince Moretti?” The lead prosecutor questions.

“Yes. Following a tip, we conducted a raid at a dock warehouse tied to the Crimson Cartel. There, we found substantial evidence of drug trafficking. Later, we obtained security footage from a neighboring property that captured Mr. Moretti committing murder.”

I rise and present the footage to the technician, who dims the lights and plays the footage on a screen for the court. I avoided looking at Vince during the playback, focusing instead on the jury. Their faces told me everything I needed to know, they were horrified. This was it. The evidence was airtight, the narrative clear. Vince Moretti was going to pay for his crimes.

“Detective, is this the footage you reviewed?” The lead prosecutor smugly asks.

“Yes, it is.”

“And the person committing the act, can you identify him?”

“That’s Vince Moretti.”

The prosecutor looks at the jury, ensuring the gravity of the evidence sinks in.

“No further questions, Your Honor.”

The defense attempts to cross examine but gains little ground. There was only so much defending you could do to such a damning piece of evidence, and soon later the judge adjourned the hearing.

“Members of the jury, you will now deliberate. Court is adjourned until a verdict is reached.” announces the Judge before rising from his seat.

As court adjourned, I stepped out into the hallway, letting out a breath I hadn’t realized I was holding. I turned on my phone and saw a message from Chris, sending me a simple text: “How’s it going?”

I typed back quickly: “Going well so far. It’s all coming together. The jury is deliberating right now.”

It was best for Chris to stay out of the courtroom, as much as he wanted to be here to support Nate, we couldn’t run the risk of Vince seeing him. He trusted me to see this through, and that trust was what kept me steady as the trial pressed on.

After two hours of deliberating, we were summoned back into the courtroom. The room is packed as the jury files back in. The judge addresses the foreperson.

“Has the jury reached a verdict?”

“We have, Your Honor.” The foreperson responds.

“Please read the verdict.”

“In the case of The State of Massachusetts vs. Vince Moretti, on the charge of first degree murder, we find the defendant.. guilty. On the charge of drug trafficking, we find the defendant guilty. On the charge of organized crime activities, we find the defendant guilty.”

A wave of emotion sweeps through the courtroom. Vince’s face finally cracks, his cold demeanor replaced with a scowl.

The judge thanks the jury for their service. “Sentencing will take place next week. Court is adjourned.”

A wave of relief swept through me. Vince’s reign of terror was officially over. For the first time, Boston felt like it could breathe again. As I packed up my notes and prepared to leave, I realized this wasn’t just a victory for the state or for those Vince had hurt. It was a victory for all of us who had fought to break free from his shadow. This chapter of our lives was finally closed, and the future felt wide open.

I left the courthouse immediately after Vince was taken away. The crisp air hit me as I stepped outside, but it wasn’t enough to calm the storm of emotions coursing through me. Relief, exhaustion, and a sense of finality mixed into one overwhelming wave.

Sliding into the driver’s seat of my car, I took a deep breath. Having a full license now was a game changer, and being able to drive myself felt like a tiny slice of independence amidst the chaos that had been my life for so long. I started the engine and pulled onto the main road, heading toward the house Chris and I had moved into together just two months ago.

Our home.

The drive felt shorter than usual, my mind preoccupied with the moment I would walk through the door and tell Chris the news. By the time I turned into our driveway, the weight of everything seemed lighter.

I stepped inside, the familiar scent of Chris’s cologne lingering in the hallway. He was in the living room, sprawled out on the couch with the TV on, but he wasn’t paying attention to it. When he looked up and saw me, his face lit up.

“Hey” he said, sitting up. “How’d it go?”

I dropped my bag by the door and made my way over to him, my heart racing in anticipation. “It’s done” I said, unable to hold back the smile tugging at my lips. “Guilty on all three counts.”

Chris shot to his feet, his excitement radiating through the room. “Are you serious?”

I nodded, and before I could say anything else, he pulled me into a tight hug, lifting me off the ground for a moment. “Holy shit” he said, his voice filled with disbelief and joy. “He’s actually done for.”

He set me down but kept his hands on my shoulders, his eyes searching mine. “That’s it, then. No more looking over our shoulders. No more hiding secrets from your parents. No more Vince.”

“It’s over” I confirmed, my voice steady despite the tears welling up in my eyes.

Chris’s grin widened as he let out a laugh, running a hand through his hair. “You have no idea how good this feels. Like we can actually breathe again.”

I laughed softly, leaning against him. “I think we’ve earned that.”

We stood there for a while, letting the reality of the moment sink in. Finally the future seemed like something we could look forward to instead of fear.

Chris pulled back slightly, his arms still around me as he spoke. “I was talking to Willow earlier” he said, his voice soft but full of excitement. “She said her and Nate are heading to Cape Cod tonight for a little getaway to celebrate.. well, everything.” He gave me a playful look. “They want us to join them.”

a/n: 1 more part :( JUSTICEEEE IS SERVED

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