#and we've contacted law enforcement

[fereldanwench]

you know the saying bad things come in threes?

last thursday it was putting ares to sleep, and this thursday is my husband getting mugged on his way home from work

cant wait to see what's in store for us next week

[astercontrol]

If KOSA passes

Or if any other form of censorship (there are many in the works!) ever succeeds at stepping in to impede our ability to communicate online:

We have to make plans.

Now, I dunno who'll even see this post. The few followers I have are TRON fans (who despite the fantasy we live in, tend to have realistically dismal views IRL about Disney and the various corporate uses of software).

And this fandom, on average, is pretty tech-savvy. It's where I've encountered the most people under 20 years old who actually know how to use a desktop or laptop computer.

So, if there's any hope for what I'm thinking about, this is prolly a good place to start with it.

(As with all my posts, I encourage reblogging and containment-breaching.)

(Gifs are clips from TRON 1982, mainly the "deleted love scene," from the DVD extras.)

Anyway.

Current society has moved online communication much too far onto major social media sites for my comfort. Whoever you communicate with over the internet, chances are you do it through a service owned by a big company: Tumblr, Twitter, Discord, Telegram, Facebook, whatever. Even TikTok (shudder).

These sites, despite their many flaws, can provide experiences that are valuable and hard to get otherwise. And once all your friends are on one site, you can't just leave and stay in touch with them all, not unless they all go the same place. It's easy to see why it's hard to abandon any social media platform.

But a backup plan is important. Because, as we've seen over and over, social media sites can't be relied on. They change their policies suddenly, without good reason-- and are inconsistent, even discriminatory, about enforcing those policies.

If they're funded by ads, the advertisers are their main customers, and your posts are the product. Their goal is that the posts most valuable to the advertisers get seen by people the advertisers consider desirable customers.

Helping you communicate-- making your posts get seen by the people you want to communicate with-- is optional to them.

Not to mention that the whole business model of an ad-funded website is generally unsustainable. Many of these sites are operating at a loss, relying on shareholders in a fragile bubble, doomed to fail soon just from lack of real profit.

And the more restrictions --like KOSA-- that the law puts on freedom of online speech, the likelier they are to go down or just become unusable. Every rule a site is required to follow is another strain on its resources, and most of them are already failing badly at even enforcing their own self-imposed rules.

If we want any control over our continued ability to stay in touch with our online friends-- we need to have a backup plan. Maybe it'll be simple at first, a bare-bones system we cobble together-- but it's gotta be something that will work. For a while at least.

There are lots of really good posts about ways to build your own website, using a service like Neocities. I VERY MUCH recommend learning this skill-- learning to make websites of the very simplest, most stable, glitch-resistant type, made of html pages-- which you can upload to a host while you store backups on your home computer. If you value the writing and art that you put online, this is probably the safest you can keep it.

But that's for making your own creative work public.

As for communicating with others-- for example, receiving and answering other people's comments on your work-- that gets more complex. I personally haven't found it worthwhile to troubleshoot the problems that come with having a system that allows visitors to comment publicly on my website.

But what we do still have-- and likely will for a long time-- is email.

Those of us who came of age before social media's current hold... well, we might take this for granted. Email was the first form of online contact we ever encountered… and thus it can seem to us like the most ordinary, the most boring.

But in the current world, it is a rare and precious thing to find a method of communicating that doesn't require everyone in the chat to be signed on with the same corporation.

Email is, as of now, still perfectly legal-- as much as social media companies have been trying to herd the populace away from it. I'm sure there are other ways to share thoughts online that are not bound by laws. But I am not going to go into that here.

Email service is provided by law-abiding companies, which will comply with subpoenas if law enforcement thinks you are emailing about doing illegal things. So, email is not a surefire way to be safe, if laws become dystopian enough to threaten your freedom to talk about your own life and identity.

But it's safer than posting on a public social media page.

For now.

Email is beautifully decentralized. You can get an email address many different ways-- some reliant on a company like Gmail, others hosted on your own domain. And different people, with all different types of email addresses, hosted in all different ways-- can all communicate together by the same method.

Of course any of these people, individually, can lose their email address for some reason or other, and have to get a new one. But as long as they still know the email addresses of their contacts, they can reconnect and recover from that loss. The structure of a group linked by email is reliant not on a single company-- but on the group itself, the friends you can actually count on.

This is why I am trying to promote the idea of forming email lists, as a backup plan to give people a way to stay in touch as mainstream social media sites prove to be unsustainable.

I'm envisioning a simple system of sending emails to several addresses at once, and making each reply visible to everyone in the chat by using "reply all" (or, if desired, editing the To field to reply to only some).

If enough people get used to using email in this way, it could fill most of the needs met by any other group chat or forum …without depending on a centralized social media company that's taking dystopian measures to try and make the business profitable.

So here are some thoughts about how I personally imagine it could work.

(Feel free to comment and bring up any thoughts I haven't addressed, or suggestions to customize how specific groups could set it up. This is meant as more of a starting point for brainstorming than a catch-all solution.)

As I see it, here are the basics of what you and your friends would each need to start out:

An email address. Any kind, hosted anywhere. You should use a dedicated email account just for this group, one that you do NOT use for other communication. Being in this group will result in things you don't want happening to your main email address-- like getting a TON of email, one for every post and reply. Or someone could get your email address that you really don't want any contact with. Use a burner email account (one that you can easily replace) and change it if needed.

The knowledge of how to "REPLY ALL" in your email. This will be necessary in order to add a comment that everyone in the group can see.

The knowledge of how to EDIT THE "TO" FIELD in your email, and remove addresses from the list of all recipients. This will be necessary if you want to CHANGE WHICH PEOPLE in the group can see your comment.

The knowledge of how to FILTER WORDS in your email. This will be necessary if a topic comes up that you don't want to see any mentions of.

The knowledge of how to BLOCK PEOPLE in your email. This will be very important. If someone joins this email group who you do not want to interact with, it will be up to you to BLOCK them so that you do NOT see their messages. (If they are bad enough to evade the block with multiple burner accounts, that's what you have a burner account for. Change it, and share the new one only with those you trust not to give it to them.)

Every person in the group will be effectively a "moderator" of the group, able to remove people from it by cutting their email addresses out of the "To" field. Members will all have equal "moderator" privileges, each able to tailor the group to their own needs.

This means the group may naturally split, over time, into other groups, each one removing some people and adding others. Some will overlap, some won't. This is good! This is, in my opinion, what online interaction SHOULD be like! There should be MANY groups like this!

In this way, we can keep online discussion alive, no matter WHAT happens to any of the social media websites.

If the dystopia got bad enough to shut down email, we could even continue with postal mail and photocopies, like they did in the days of print-zine fanfiction.

If it looks like the dystopia is gonna come for postal mail too, we'll use the connection we have to preserve whatever contacts we can with people who live near us.

Not saying it's GONNA get that bad. But these steps of preparation are good no matter exactly what kind of bad stuff happens.

As long as some organized form of communication still exists, we'll have a place where it's at least a little safer to be your true self…

to plan events and meetups…

and maybe even activities a little too risque to make the final cut of a 1982 Disney movie.

They're trying to censor us. We want a Free System. So we're gonna fight back.

For the Users. Not the corporations.

Peace out, programs. <3

[aledethanlast]

Seriously, how are those FBI agents doing in that Baltimore hotel for the David Wesninski AU? They signed up for none of this, yet here they are, dealing with the craziest family drama any of them have ever witnessed. Honestly, their faces when it gets confirmed that Wymack is the identical twin of this serial killer must be priceless

The first thing you need to understand about fbi ops is, you don't just write those up on a whim. Theres investigations and plans and preparations. They were prepared for the Hatfords to push the agreed boundaries and kill against orders. That's why they were contacted in the first place. They were prepared for the cleanup, and the inquiries, and to throw the Hatfords under the bus as an excuse to begin what was sure to be a years-long investigation into Nathan Wesninski's network.

The second thing you need to understand about law enforcement operations is that you're either going shit shit shit shit shit when things are going according to plan and fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck when they aren't.

So, on the whole? It was a shitty night. The whole thing got pushed back by like two hours because of an alleged break in, and then by three more hours after a fight with op command on how much can they look over the police's shoulder without tipping their hand. And then it all goes down, and there's corpses everywhere, and it's all gone to shit...

And then Junior is on the front lawn.

Which, first of all, how are you not dead? Rhetorical question, clearly Nathan tried. Second, no seriously, how are you not dead. The fuck you mean it's a secret bitch I will [redacted]-

But it's fine. It's fine. Actually, hold on, this is great. They get to skip years of investigation all it costs is some witness protection. The kid seems like a real shithead but once they get him talking...

And then Towns says "We gotta talk about his team."

Oh right, them. "Once they calm down we'll give them a basic rundown of what's happening and send them home. Considering what they said so far it doesn't sound like they know much."

But Towns shakes his head. "You don't know who they are, do you?" Browning raises a brow. "Palmetto State Foxes?" Nope. "Edgar Allen. The ravens." Nope. "Kevin Day?"

That does sound familiar, but Browning knows he doesn't get the points for that. "Sure, one of the other players, no?" He never cared for exy, personally, and while he gets that people get excited about college sports he's always believed in some healthy iconoclasm. He shakes his head.

Towns grumbles. Then out of nowhere, he says, "Call Suzie."

"What?"

"Call her. Right now. Put her on speaker."

She should be at lunch, so Browning obliges, but he really doesn't see what his teenage daughter has to do with...

Click. Suzie's high, confident voice. "Daddy?"

"Hey Suzie, it's Freddie, your dad's pal from work," Towns says.

"Oh. Um. Hey?" Suzie sounds nervous suddenly. "Is my dad okay?"

They both suddenly realize what this call must look like, especially after Browning hadn't come home last night, and they both rush to reassure her that he's fine. "We've just had a long night," he reassures her. "No, I'm just calling because...hey Freddie, why am I calling?"

It's Towns' turn to raise an eyebrow, as if to say watch this. "Nah, I was just wanted a reminder, what's your husband's name again?"

Silence. A quick, sharp inhale, and in his mind's eye Browning can see his daughter's eyes focus like an eagles. "Well, first of all, it's future husband, because daddy says that the law says I have to be 18 to get married..."

Ohhhhh.

Fuck.

"But his name is Kevin Day. He's the world's best exy player, even after he had an accident last year. A lot of people abandoned him but I'm never gonna because when a mom and a dad love each other very much..."

A thousand dinner conversations run through Browning's head line an electric current as he opens his phone browser and searches the name. The results look nothing like the bruised shell of a man his colleagues have stuck in a hotel room, but they look like every poster on Suzie's wall. A terrible, terrible thought strikes him. "What about his friend. The, um, the short one."

The response is automatic. "Neil is cute too I guess. There aren't as many good posters of him, but Jessica from biology did her binder from shots she printed from youtube. Her dad yelled at her for wasting the ink."

Fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck.

[beardedmrbean]

The Fourth Amendment's protection against unreasonable searches and seizures extends to the length of a seizure, a federal court ruled last week, significantly restricting how long law enforcement can retain private property after an arrest.

"When the government seizes property incident to a lawful arrest, the Fourth Amendment requires that any continued possession of the property must be reasonable," wrote Judge Gregory Katsas of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia in a unanimous ruling.

Most courts of appeal to pass judgment on the issue—namely, the 1st, 2nd, 6th, 7th, and 11th circuits—have held that, once an item is seized, law enforcement can retain the item indefinitely without violating the Fourth Amendment. These precedents have allowed police to retain personal property without clear legal grounds, effectively stripping people of their property rights merely because they were arrested. The D.C. Court of Appeals' ruling complicates this general consensus.

Though law enforcement does not have to return property "instantaneously," Katsas wrote, the Fourth Amendment requires that any "continuing retention of seized property" be reasonable. So while police can use seized items for "legitimate law-enforcement purposes," such as for evidence at trial, and are permitted some delay for "matching a person with his effects," prolonged seizures serving no important function can implicate the Fourth Amendment, the court ruled.

Given that the D.C. court finds itself in the minority on the question, some say that the case may be primed for the Supreme Court if the District chooses to appeal. "This case has potential to make national precedent," Paul Belonick, a professor at the University of California, San Francisco law school, tells Reason. "The influential D.C. Circuit deliberately intensified a circuit split and put itself in the minority of circuits on the question, teeing it up cleanly for certiorari."

The plaintiffs each had their property seized by D.C.'s Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). Five of the plaintiffs were arrested during a Black Lives Matter protest in the Adams Morgan neighborhood of D.C. on August 13, 2020.

As they were arrested, MPD officers seized their phones and other items. Though the protesters did not face any charges and were, in Katsas' words, "quickly released," MPD retained their phones for around a year. Some of the plaintiffs had to wait over 14 months to get their property back.

In the meantime, the plaintiffs say that they were forced to replace their phones and lost access to the important information on the originals, including personal files, contacts, and passwords. "The plaintiffs have alleged that the seizures at issue, though lawful at their inception, later came to unreasonably interfere with their protected possessory interests in their own property," Katsas explained.

"MPD is aware of the ruling and will continue to work with our partners at the United States Attorney's Office to ensure that our members are trained appropriately to ensure compliance with recent rulings," a spokesperson for MPD tells Reason.

"Practically, this case is important because police have been exploiting a gap in the Fourth Amendment," Andrew Ferguson, a professor at American University's Washington College of Law, tells Reason. "In situations where there is a lawful arrest, but no prosecution, there are no clear rules on retaining personal property. In these cases, police have been confiscating phones to punish protestors."

Michael Perloff, the lead attorney for the plaintiffs, agreed that the D.C. Circuit's decision could set an important precedent going forward. "Nationally, we've seen litigants attempt to challenge similar practices only to fail because the court concluded that the Fourth Amendment does not limit the duration of a seizure," he tells Reason. "Moving forward, we are hopeful that the D.C. Circuit's opinion will lead courts to reconsider those rulings and, instead, enforce the Fourth Amendment as fully as the framers intended."

[missvelvetsstuff]

The Wrong One

Bucky Barnes x Reader, Steve Rogers x Reader

Reader meets Steve while he is on the run and sticks with him through everything. Until he sees Peggy Carter.

Chapter 14: Gotcha

Warnings: swearing, angst

After waiting out of sight to make sure Sharon was taken care of without getting caught up with the local authorities, Bucky helped a dazed Y/N into the car. He tried to engage her but she seemed almost catatonic except for the barely audible humming of the theme song from Camelot.

Sam sat in the back seat with her and put an arm around her shoulders, hugging her to him and speaking softly. "It's alright sweetheart, Sharon is gonna be fine and we will have Winnie back before you know it."

She stopped humming and looked up at him "Steve did that to her, I don't understand. How could he do something like that to her, to anyone? Something happened to him. The quantum thing touched his brain or something, Steve wouldn't do that." She grabbed his arm tightly "What about Winnie? Is he going to hurt her? Sam we have to find her!"

Sam rubbed her shoulder "Hey hey, it's alright we're gonna get her back, I promise you. He wouldn't go to all this trouble to get her and then hurt her." He shook his head sadly. "And Steve will be dealt with so he can't do anything like this again.

We've got you."

Bruce was helping Bucky with the gps tracker and app to figure out where Steve was headed to next.

Bruce sighed "He's moving east, probably to Monaco where there's no extradition treaty with the U.S.. That will make taking him into custody more difficult."

Bucky scoffed "He will need to survive what I'm going to do with him when I find him before I worry about extradition. If we catch him before he gets to ask for asylum and I beat him half dead and stuff him in the trunk then the rest is irrelevant. When the public finds out what he has done, no one will be interested in protecting him."

Bruce shook his head "This just doesn't make any sense. He isn't acting like himself."

Y/N sneered "Or he's finally acting like himself after playing a part all this time."

Bucky looked at her sadly "I don't think he was playing a part when we were kids but that was a long time, and a shit ton of trauma, ago for both of us. I didn't think he would ever leave you but here we are." He sighed "I'll be honest, right now I'm  not interested in how he got like this, saving Winnie is all I really care about. If he survives, and Winnie is safe with Y/N where she belongs, then maybe we can see what's wrong in his head."

Bruce looked at Bucky with wide eyes "What do you mean 'if he survives'?"

Buckys voice was cold "Exactly that. I won't be holding back except to protect Winnie. If I go up against him I will do whatever it takes."

Sam nodded "I'm right behind you, Buck. However it goes."

Bruce looked pale and fell back in his seat mumbling "Yeah, me too."

Sam contacted Shuri and Brunnehilde asking them to meet on the outskirts of Monaco in the morning. He also contacted a field agent assigned there to work with law enforcement to find Steve and Winnie, with firm orders that they weren't to engage, just report.

Y/N fell asleep as they drove in the dark, she leaned up against Sam so he tried to keep still and quiet so she could rest.

Bucky drove as fast as he could on unfamiliar roads at night.

He was relieved when the sun started coming up and they passed the border into Monaco. He woke Bruce up to help him find the safe house where they were supposed to meet Shuri and Brunnehilde.

When they arrived they didn't see any cars or other transportation nearby but considering Shuri's tech, that didn't necessarily mean anything.

As he pulled into the drive the front door opened and Shuri came bounding out.

She smiled sadly at Bucky "My favorite broken white boy." And hugged him tightly "I'm glad to see you but wish it were under better circumstances. Let's get inside and see what we are dealing with."

She turned to welcome Bruce, then Sam who was trying to move without waking Y/N. Unfortunately he failed and she groaned at the sunlight in her face.

Bucky rushed to the door closest to Y/N and helped her out carefully. She shook her head trying to clear out the cobwebs. Once she was standing she saw Shuri "Princess, thank you so much for your help I don't know how-"

Shuri shook her head "To start please call me Shuri" she moved over to hug Y/N gently "and second, you don't need to do or say anything. I will always help the White Wolf and have a deep seated anger for people who imperil children. It sounds like your Steve isn't the man we all believed him to be."

Y/N sighed "I don't even know what to think about him anymore."

Shuri took her arm and led her towards the house "Let's move inside to figure this out. We have food ready."

The first thing they saw was Ayo standing in the doorway, keeping an eye on the princess. When Bucky passed her she nodded "White Wolf" and he returned the greeting before introducing her to Y/N.

Then they could see Brunnehilde in the kitchen, plating up a variety of breakfast foods. Once everyone was introduced they sat down to eat and discuss the situation.

Y/N sat listlessly, picking at her food, moving it around the plate without actually eating anything.

Bucky sat next to her, worry on his face at her demeanor. He whispered softly "Hey doll, I know you don't feel hungry but you need to eat, to keep your strength up for when we find Winnie."

Shuri saw Y/N's lack of interest in her food and asked her to step away from her meal for a moment.

When they were in the hall Shuri stopped her "I brought a breast pump for you, the best of Wakandan tech. It's set up in one of the bedrooms, with plenty of bottles to fill and an ice chest for storage. James said you forgot to bring yours." She gently rubbed Y/N's arm "You'll be more comfortable and able to deal with whatever comes next if you eat and pump."

Y/N nodded, looking down so Shuri couldn't see the tears tracking down her face "Thank you."

Shuri looked at her sadly, no one deserved this. "Think nothing of it. There are also clean clothes and plenty of hot water. I think we will rest until sunset, it will be easier to retain the element of surprise in the dark. Please take care of yourself and before you know it your little girl will be in your arms again."

Y/N nodded, doing the best she could to keep from collapsing in a heap of sobs. She steeled herself, Winnie needed her to be ready to deal with Steve again. She would do it for her.

She went back to the table and ate as much as she could stand, then pumped which made her feel a hundred times better filling up 4 large bottles before it slowed down. Then a hot shower with some delicious smelling products. She put on a large t-shirt and climbed into a large bed, listening to Bucky shower.

When she was almost asleep she felt Bucky climb under the blanket and pull her close.

Y/N was only able to sleep for a few hours before the nightmares started. Bucky helped soothe her but she couldn't go back to sleep. It was after 3pm so they both suited up, although hers was just jeans, a t-shirt, jacket and boots. Then she helped Bucky with his straps and buckles, lastly securing his collection of weapons.

When they left the bedroom they found Shuri and Ayo making sandwiches for everyone.

They all loaded up into the aircraft Shuri brought since it had a stealth mode so he wouldn't see them coming.

As Shuri and Ayo prepared to take off, Bucky's phone rang, private number, he answered and put it on speaker "Yeah?"

That familiar voice replied "Is Y/N there? She really needs to hear this."

Bucky snapped "She's here, say your piece."

Steve chuckled "You should be nicer to the man who holds your girls daughter. We wouldn't want anything to happen to precious little Sarah."

Y/N felt like she was going to throw up and gritted out "I'm right here. Talk"

Steve sighed "That's no way to talk to the love of your life. Anyhow, this is what's going to happen. Y/N, You will come to me and the three of us will go home and live our lives without any interference from your second string Avengers. If any of them, or anyone really, comes to mess with us or you try to mess with me, Sarah dies first, slowly so you can watch knowing it was your fault, then you."

Y/N worked hard to keep her emotions in check, holding Bucky's hand so hard her nails left marks. "Her name is Winnie! I don't believe you would go to all this trouble just to hurt her."

"It's not my first choice but actions have consequences. We can always make more."

"Why do you even want me, Steve? You left me behind without any consideration once, how can I trust you?" She took a breath, feeling like her heart was going to burst "And what you did to Sharon...."

Steve laughed "I can't believe you all care so much about a turncoat like Sharon. How is it that the great team of Wilson and Barnes didn't figure out that she's the Power Broker who wants more super soldiers? At least, as long as she can contain them. She had everything I did to her, and more, coming.

Regardless, get yourself into a car and come to the address I'm sending you. Alone. I see anyone else and well, you know."

She was shaking, trying not to lose it "Fine. I'll be there as soon as I can."

"Looking forward to it, sweetheart."

As soon as the call ended, Bucky spoke up. "No, there's no way I'm letting you go in alone. I can hide myself in the back of the car or something. I don't trust him, doll."

She smiled softly at him, "Of course we can't trust him but we need to play along to keep Winnie safe. You guys have the stealth Shuri jet and I'll take the car"

They revised their plan and Bucky watched her get into the car and drive towards the meeting place, scared that he would never see her again.

A short while later she pulled up to a small house that was far enough off the pavement that it just looked like the woods from the road. She crossed her fingers that her team was overhead since she had refused any coms, not wanting to take the chance that Steve figured it out.

She walked up to the front door which was opened before she could even knock. Steve gave her a broad smile but there was something wrong with his eyes, something darker.

Her eyes widened at his attire, an all black suit like his regular tactical suit but instead of a star on his chest the Hydra octopus.

He noticed where her gaze was directed and cleared his throat. When she looked up at him he winked.

"Like it?" He smirked "Come on in, do you want something to drink? Or eat?"

She shook her head stiffly "I'm fine, thanks."

Steve tutted at her "Now honey, you need to relax. Soon you will be back with Sarah, who's napping, and we will be on our way home where none of your friends can bother us"

"They used to be your friends before you got all crazy."

He laughed "None of you figured it out? That's just sad."

He grabbed her and pulled her close, one hand on her lower back and the other on her neck. She tried to pull back but he was too strong and kissed her. He checked her ears for coms and frisked her intimately to make sure she wasn't wired or carrying any weapons.

She turned her head away and even bit his lip but he just laughed "Oh sweetheart, don't you know I like it rough? I'm not the Steve you used to know. I'm going to train you to be my perfect wife and sex toy." He kissed her again, forcing his tongue in her mouth and pulling her hair painfully when she tried to bite him again.

He held her hair tightly as he kissed down her throat, nipping her painfully.

"Where I came from, you're dead. When you found out you were pregnant you tried to run from me. I sent the Winter Soldier after you with strict instructions that you were not to be harmed. Unfortunately for all of us he got carried away. It wasn't really his fault, he was in love with you too and was so worked up by the chase that he fucked you in the alley where he caught you. He was too rough, broke your pretty neck.

I think he thought that you were his reward since you had been so many times. Sadly I had to kill him too, what good is a weapon that doesn't work right?"

He ripped the front of her shirt and continued his 'inspection' "When your Dr Strange started messing with the timeline I went to our Strange and learned about the multiverse. He works for Hydra now, like anyone worthwhile. He didn't want to help at first but I convinced him. He's waiting for me to contact him and he will bring the three of us back. You will be the wife of the most powerful man in the world and we will have so so many more babies."

"Where is our Steve?"

He grinned "I'm touched that you still care. Don't worry, I didn't kill him I just explained to his nurse how bad it would be for him, for her, for her family, and anyone else that got in my way if she didn't keep him in the house and away from any means of communication. She will be notified when we are safely away from here and he can live out the rest of his useless existence."

A loud crash distracted them, Steve looked in the direction of the noise. "Gee sweetheart, I hope Bucky doesn't accidentally kill you here too. I guess I should go look."

While Steve was monologuing Bucky and the rest had disabled the house alarm system and started going through the rooms.

Sam found Winnie and her eyes lit up "Sssaaa Sssaaaamm"

He picked her up carefully "That's right baby girl, we got you. Let's go find your mama"

He quickly got both of them out of that room and started looking for Y/N.

Winnie clapped "Maaa Maaa peeeesse!"

Steve ran into Bucky in the hallway and grinned "Hey buddy, how about you leave before you get someone killed."

Bucky looked at him with pure hate "The only one who might get killed is you and I'm ok with that."

"But I'm your oldest friend" Steve mocked

Bucky scoffed "I don't even know you. Some knock off from a parallel universe means nothing to me. You hurt my girls so I'm going to hurt you."

Bucky and Steve went at each other until Shuri entered the room from behind Steve and hit him with an electrical jolt, then quickly restrained him with vibranium handcuffs.

Y/N was up against the wall trying to stay as far as possible from Steve, when she heard crying and babbling echoing from the hallway. Her head picked up and her eyes darted around frantically to see where it was coming from.

When Sam entered the room, holding her baby, she gasped and started crying then moving towards them.

When she saw her mother, Winnie clapped her hands and started squirming in Sam's arms so he had a hard time holding on to her. "MaaMaa!!" She cried and babbled.

When they reached Y/N, Winnie grabbed her mama and wouldn't let go.

Y/N's knees were weak and Sam held her up as she cried and hugged her baby, looking her over for any injuries. She kissed all over Winnie's face, telling her "I love you" over and over.

Since Steve was secured Bucky hurried over to see his girls and make sure they were alright, with tears in his eyes and relief in his heart. He enveloped them both in his arms and all three of them relaxed.

Sam and Bruce took Steve to The Raft until Dr Strange could decide what should be done with him. Sending him back to his own universe would give him the chance to return and cause more trouble but his Hydra might come looking for him if they kept him here.

Bucky took Y/N and Winnie to the safe house where they fed an put pj's on Winnie before laying down with her between them. Y/N nursed her while Bucky rubbed her back. His girls fell asleep but Bucky couldn't, he needed to keep watch, who knew what plots were being worked up to get the super soldier baby. He had to keep them safe and close.

Chapter 15

[mochafoxdoodles]

Wonky bastard is up next for a new reference sheet-

TW for S.A, Death and Abuse

"Tobias is noted to be charismatic in nature, though it's important to keep in mind Tobias E. Rogers displays an uncanny ability to switch his 'masks'- as we've both decided to call them- to suit his needs in a situation, therefore he should be considered an opportunistic liar and never taken at face value."

"Though it should be noted that due to past traumas he is also non responsive in high emotion situations, when forced into these situations, he displays extreme violence and rarely but notably, stress induced seizures (foaming at the mouth, enlarged pupils, coiled body)"

"While he does indeed remember past traumas, recollecting them results in extreme stress, though he has given a brief explanation of certain events over time, cross referencing this with the Rogers family's notable status as renowned and trusted business owners in car sales and repairs and the eventual conviction of Daniel E. Rogers, these stories seem to be true."

"Lyra, deceased; motorcycle crash that lead to both a loss of life and Tobias' facial deformity. He describes himself as the catalyst of following events, explaining that under her supervision the two snuck out so she could teach him how to ride a motorcycle, a task he was previously banned from due to his disabilities. Tobias displays extreme remorse and distress over the memory."

"Daniel, incarcerated; 4 acts of possession and use of illegal substances, assault with a deadly weapon on 3 counts, battery, assault of law enforcement, disturbance of peace etc. etc. Tobias displays an odd fondness for a previous connection with his father though simultaneously and very frequently mentions that he intends to "do violent things to that man that no prison will want to hold him for out of fear". Tobias has had no contact with his father and has no knowledge of his whereabouts. It is believed that Daniel was the one whom encouraged Tobias' early degree in mechanical engineering, while he was unable to handle the social side of the family business, he was guided into the repairs side of things, as such, Tobias now finds comfort in taking vehicles apart and putting them back together. Noted that Daniel only began to spiral after the death of Lyra and the deformation of Tobias. "A blatant reminder of my stupidity" as Tobias notes.".

"Connie, Deceased; brutalised and burned alive. Note that Tobias displays extreme distress at his actions and while he will not go into major detail, it's believed that after the events of Lyra's death transpired and the down spiral of Daniel, Connie resorted to both extreme violence against Tobias while simultaneously love bombing and attempting other intimate acts in an attempt to comfort herself, this is listed as S.A in his case file. Tobias proceeded to have a stress induced meltdown, so no further notes have been made."

it's probably worth noting that Tobias is never tagged as 'Ticci Toby' on my account, He is either Tobias, Toby or Toby Erin Rogers, 'Ticci Toby' in his lore is a media given name and he himself is violently against being associated with it.

please do not use without credit, thank you loves~

[neon-junkie]

If the War had ended in peace for the Republic and the Jedi, if the GAR were given the choice to serve in the reformed galaxy or retire, do you think any of our favorites specifically would choose to retire somewhere peaceful? And, an even more uncommon thought, would any of them want to change their names? Would any of them want to take on more civie-like names? Or maybe just change their name in an attempt to put their pasts behind them?

I don't think any of the clones would want to change their name. From what we've seen, clone names are 'earnt.' It's like a medal of honour, and they wear those medals with PRIDE.

It's also a great talking point. Imagine meeting a guy and his name is something like Droidbait or Tup. I'd obviously question its origin, and the conversation flows from there! (Tup likes tupperware so much that he named himself after it?????)

Generally, I can see the clones wanting to work. It's really built into their system that they have to work/serve, but they now have so many options to choose from. They're natural protectors, so I can see many going into jobs like law enforcement and security. Maybe the GAR repurposed them to protect the galaxy, like a galaxy spread police force? (I'm very ACAB, but I'm trying to think star wars.)

Those who don't fancy doing that would probably want to 'retire' and pick a more relaxed job. I can see a lot of them following Cut, and becoming a farmer. They'd probably find interest in 'basic' jobs, like working in a shop or a restaurant. It gives them a sense of normality, plus it's a new experience for them!

Clones with a special talent could find a job based on their skills. I can see someone like Peli Motto hiring Tech because he's a mechanic (and I can see them getting along in their own weird way.)

Wrecker seems to enjoy fishing, so maybe a Pabu fisher hires him? Not to mention that Wrecker can do all the heavy lifting. Big catch of the day? Not a problem for our big boy.

Rex would probably want to 'retire.' I think he'd get into contact with Cut, and see if he can lend a hand on the farm. If given the opportunity, I think him and Cut would be really close. Same goes for Hunter! We saw how good those two got along in season 1, so Hunter would probably look for work with him.

A lot of clones would probably enjoy cooking, seeing as their former diet consisted of ration bars. Echo would probably enjoy baking, whilst Fives wants something more social, like bartending.

Waxer and Boil seemed to get on with kids, maybe childcare is the right path for them?

Fox is quite the tough cookie. I think he'd stick with the GAR, and go into law enforcement.

Cody? Well, he's Obi-wan's husband, which is its own full-time job.

As for Crosshair? Yeah, I really don't know. He might be the type to bounce between jobs. A couple of month here, a year or two there. He probably wouldn't pick a customer focused job. I do like the idea of him being a cliché angry line cook. Echo works on the sweet treats, whilst Crosshair does the mains.

I'm totally rambling now, but I think you get the jist lol.

[clonehub]

hm wanna play around with why anakin and kiki might have an ideological split between them. anakin is a former slave who doesn't recognize slavery unless it mirrors his experiences (the in-universe explanation for why he doesn't clock the clones as being a slave army. the irl explanation is that the writers also don't clock them as such)

kiki's been fighting slavery and helping labor/union rights since she was about 14 or 15. she's about 24 or 25 by the end of the war, so that's ten years of working on every aspect of slavery and labor rights. that's knowing when and how to work with law enforcement if the need arises. sex workers, trafficking victims, immigrants of both the documented and undocumented kinds, children, and all sorts of exploited and abused people. she spent much of her childhood watching other children lose theirs.

so I've set up a situation in which Anakin and kIki are both investigating an underground indentured servant/slaving ring in a busy city on a backwater/mid rim planet. they find the evidence they need. anakin says call the cops and kiki says no.

anakin by this point is pro status quo in the fascist sense. whatever he believes is the right authority to contact IS the right authority. kiki says that as much as the cops might help, theyre also hostile to immigrants and stowaways and the poor. the more likel;y outcome of calling the cops isn't going to be just the arrest of the ring leaders, its going to be the arrest of the vicimts too because on (forged) paper, they've overstayed their welcome. the city had no infrastructure in place to help people in need, none at all. there would probably be a time to alert authorities, but it wasn't right then and there. it also explains why none of the victims went to the authorites themselves. the cops are hostile to them. and also corrupt. which kiki didnt' explicitly say but she thought anakin would know/catch already.

anakin disagrees, he doesn't think the cops are corrupt, he's taken a narrow view of the situation and is worried more about the punishment of the offenders than the safety of the victims. kiki's like can we at least call republic authorities before notifying all the law enforcement in this shitty city that we've caught the slavers out? because there's a risk of the ring leaders retaliating against/harming the people they DO have captive.

which gets anakin to pause. but he's still thinking only in terms of punitive action and not like, the entire web of safety nets and considerations they need to make. im toying with the idea of him alerting the wrong cops or taking matters into his own hands and nearly ruining everything (or successfully ruining everything) for everyone

[theculturedmarxist]

Two members of Moms for Liberty, a right-wing activist group, have reported several Florida school librarians to law enforcement. They claimed they had evidence that librarians were distributing "pornography" to minors and requested that law enforcement officers be dispatched. This represents a serious escalation of the tactics deployed by members of Moms for Liberty against school librarians. 

On October 25, Jennifer Tapley, a member of the Santa Rosa County chapter of Moms for Liberty and a candidate for school board, contacted the Santa Rosa County Sheriff's Office. "I've got some evidence a crime was committed," Tapley said in an audio recording of the call obtained by Popular Information through a public records request. "Pornography given to a minor in a school. And I would like to make a report with somebody and turn over the evidence." Tapley made the call from the lobby of the main office of the Santa Rosa County Sheriff's Office in Milton, Florida.

She told the dispatcher that she did not want to provide her name because she was "afraid of people getting mad at me for doing this." Tapley said that she would tell the Deputy Sheriff her name, but she didn't want "any public records with her name on it because then people could look it up." 

In an interview with Popular Information, Tapley said she was "scrolling through Facebook" this summer and saw "a video of a mom reading a book" that was "really disgusting." She later learned that there was a Moms for Liberty chapter in her area addressing the issue and joined the group. As a member of the group, she learned that local schools had "some really shocking pornographic books in our libraries." 

Tapley was accompanied at the Sheriff's Office by Tom Gurski, who is also active in the local Moms for Liberty chapter. Soon, Deputy Sheriff Tyler Mabire and another officer arrived and interviewed the pair. 

"The only reason we are here: A crime is being committed. It's a 3rd-degree felony. And we've got the evidence," Gurski said in a body cam video of the interview obtained by Popular Information. "The governor says this is child pornography. It's a serious crime," Tapley added. "It's just as serious as if I handed a playboy to [my child] right now, right here, in front of you. It's just as serious, according to the law." The video has been edited to protect the identity of a minor:

The "pornography" at issue is actually a popular young adult novel, Storm and Fury, by Jennifer L. Armentrout. The book, which is 512 pages, is mostly about humans and gargoyles fighting demons. The main character of the novel, Trinity, is 18 years old. There are some passages with sexual themes, including a few makeout sessions, and one where the main character almost has sex. In the 2020-21 academic year, the Florida Association of Media in Education (FAME), a professional association of Florida librarians, recommended Storm and Fury on its "Teen Reads" list. FAME says books on the list "engage" teens and "provide a spur to critical thinking." Barnes and Noble recommends the book for readers 14 to 18. It was also recommended for students by the School Library Journal.

Armentrout told Popular Information that it was surprising to learn we are "living in an era where, apparently, some adults find it appropriate to contact the police over a fictional book involving gargoyles." She said Storm and Fury "is very close to my heart, as the main character has the same degenerative eye disease, retinitis pigmentosa, as I do." Armentrout said she wrote the book "to educate people on a little-known disease in a fun, suspenseful, and adventurous way." The purpose of the book, Armentrout said, was not to "incite sexual excitement."  

Tapley told Popular Information that any book that has a "sex scene" is pornography and not "appropriate for minors." She did acknowledge that there may be exceptions for "extreme classics." But the books Moms for Liberty is targeting, Tapley says, are "without significant literary value." 

Florida law, however, only bans distributing a book or other material with sexual content if it is "harmful to minors," a standard established by Supreme Court precedent. Under Florida law, a book is only "harmful to minors" if it  "[p]redominantly appeals to a prurient, shameful, or morbid interest" and is "patently offensive to prevailing standards in the adult community as a whole with respect to what is suitable material or conduct for minors." Storm and Fury, a book that is predominantly about fighting demons, is routinely recommended by adults for high school students. 

Gurski told the officer that Storm and Fury was checked out from Jay High School "by a 17-year-old, which is important because she is a minor." Tapley showed the officers the book, with the offending passages marked with orange sticky notes.

In Santa Rosa County schools, once a book is challenged for sexual content, the policy is to take it out of circulation within five days, pending a review. Tapley alleged, "we have already turned in this book," but the Jay High School librarian did not remove it. That allegation appears to be incorrect. Storm and Fury does not appear on lists of challenged books in Santa Rosa County maintained by the school district and Tapley. 

In addition to the librarian at Jay High School, Tapley points the finger at Ruth Witter, the head librarian for the county. Tapley presents the officers with a printout of Witter's Facebook page and claims it is proof that "she [has been a] member of Santa Rosa County Stop Moms for Liberty since May." She explains that "Moms for Liberty is trying to… get rid of these books" and "fights for parents' rights." Meanwhile, Tapley alleges, Stop Moms for Liberty "are the people who are against Moms for Liberty." 

Tapley claims that, by following the Santa Rosa County Stop Moms for Liberty group, Witter is "fighting us actively." She also connects this to alleged "death threats" against 

Moms for Liberty members, without elaborating. Tapley does not mention that Witter also follows several conservative pages on Facebook, including Fox Nation and a Republican candidate for local office. 

The librarian at Milton High School is also singled out by Tapley for posting in a Facebook group called Emerald Coast SWEEP, a local chapter of the group Red, Wine, and Blue. Tapley describes Red, Wine, and Blue as "a very liberal activist group of people fighting for abortion rights" that opposes the removal of books from public school libraries. Tapley says the Milton librarian is seeking "liberals" to join the school's book review committee, which Tapley claims is "illegal."

Asked if she would like to see librarians criminally charged, Tapley told Popular Information that it "depends on if there's an intent." She said her hope was that the Sheriff would tell the librarians, "you can't do this," and "if you continue to do this, then there would be charges." Tapley added that she "didn't really want to see anybody have their life ruined." 

In an interview, Tapley downplayed her role at the Sheriff's Office, claiming she was not "seeking out any books and trying to go to the police with it or anything." She described her role "as a helper." She only put her name on the report "so that somebody else could be protected." In an email, Tapley said she "had no interactions with the Sheriff’s Office beyond accompanying a citizen there" and "any reporting that states otherwise would be unfactual."

Popular Information has posted the full video from the Santa Rosa Sheriff’s Office on YouTube.

"To see the orchestrated campaign to remove books from schools escalate to a police station is shocking," Kasey Meehan, a Director at PEN America, a non-profit dedicated to free expression, told Popular Information. "Professional librarians apply sensible measures to curate their collections for diverse audiences of readers, and they should not be punished for making knowledge accessible to students that falls well short of the well-established legal standards for obscene materials." Stephana Ferrell of the Florida Freedom to Read Project described the tactics of Moms for Liberty members in Santa Rosa County as an effort to “bully the district into sacrificing access to protected speech.”

Popular Information contacted Mariya Cakins, the chair of Santa Rosa Moms for Liberty, for comment. Cakins said that she would be happy to speak, but the request needed to be routed through the national Moms for Liberty organization. The group never responded to that request. Popular Information was unable to identify reliable contact information for Gurski. 

The efforts of Tapley and Gurski to initiate an investigation by the Santa Rosa County Sheriff's Office appear to be unsuccessful. According to a document obtained through a public records request, the Sheriff's Office quickly referred the report to Daniel Hahn, the director of safety at Santa Rosa County Florida School District. The Santa Rosa County Sheriff's Office then closed the case. 

Gurski, however, is having better luck with other law enforcement agencies. 

Florida police department has open criminal investigation of Florida librarians

"Approximately ten days ago, I had a book in my hand that was issued by the Milton school library, which is not your jurisdiction," Gurski told Deputy Mabire at the Santa Rosa County Sheriff's Office. "I went to the Milton police station. Submitted an affidavit and the evidence of that particular book. And they have that now for investigation." Gurski said he considered the book pornography. 

Tapley says the book reported by Gurski to the Milton police was another young adult novel, Naomi and Ely’s No Kiss List, by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan. The book is a romantic comedy and has some sexual situations and discussions. It also includes LGBTQ characters. It is recommended by Common Sense Media, an independent non-profit that evaluates media for parents, and Publishers Weekly for readers 14 and older. 

In response to a public records request, the Milton Police Department said it could not release any information regarding Gurski's complaint about the book because there is an "open and active investigation pending State Attorney review." 

The Vicki Baggett connection

Tapley told Popular Information that Vicki Baggett, an English teacher in Escambia County, has been "helping us." Baggett, who Popular Information interviewed earlier this year, has challenged hundreds of books in public school libraries, including many that have LGBTQ characters or address racism. Baggett told Popular Information that she challenged When Wilma Rudolph Played Basketball — the inspirational story of a Black woman who overcame racial prejudice to become an Olympic champion — because it would make white students "feel uncomfortable" as "they are being white-shamed.” In a follow-up report, Baggett's current and former students alleged that Baggett openly promoted racist and homophobic beliefs in class. Nevertheless, Baggett has been successful in getting numerous books removed from Escambia public schools. The Escambia school district is now facing a federal lawsuit from a group of authors and First Amendment advocates. 

Tapley described Baggett as "a valiant warrior for the kids, an amazing English teacher, and a wonderful Christian woman." According to Tapley, Baggett has come to Santa Rosa County and "has been helping us see what's in our libraries." Many of the challenges in Santa Rosa County are duplicates of those Baggett submitted in Escambia County. "She's been the catalyst really for a lot of this," Tapley said. "She taught me how to do it." Baggett initially submitted the challenges in Santa Rosa County herself, but those were rejected because she is not a resident. Many of those challenges have been resubmitted with Baggett's name alongside a Santa Rosa County resident. 

[batz-surveys]

11.

How many bedrooms does your home have? One. What kind of phone do you have? I have a Samsung Galaxy S8, haha. It's old but it still works pretty good, so I won't be upgrading anytime soon. Have you ever been assaulted? Unfortunately, yes.

What was the last thing that made you feel fortunate? Reading that last question and realizing how lucky and fortunate I am that I got away from my last relationship in one piece, because some women aren't as lucky. It wasn't until I was in my relationship with my now husband, that I realized how badly I was treated and controlled, and was blind to all of it.

Can you hear a lot of traffic noise from your house? Sometimes. We mostly hear the restaurant that's down the road.

Are there any good Thai restaurants where you live? I haven't had Thai in such a long time. The one that I used to go to, before going vegetarian went out of business, so I'm not sure. I don't eat Thai food because I know they use fish sauce in a lot of their recipes and I don't like asking for them to make it special just because I don't eat animals. Have you ever drawn or painted a self-portrait? I have. What was the last red thing you ate? Salsa. Do you know anyone in a relationship with someone who’s old enough to be their parent? No. Have you ever found something really interesting at an antique store? We used to have this place called Attic Mall, and it was like, a bunch of little shops in one big warehouse, and I used to love browsing each shop. I'm sure I found loads of interesting stuff over that time period. What brand of laundry detergent do you use? We use Kirkland brand laundry pods. Have you ever driven a Mini Cooper? No. Who was your last voicemail from? It's been so long since I've gotten a voicemail, because I voiced to my family to not leave one unless it's an emergency, haha. But it was probably my mom. Do you have any Italian heritage? I don't think so. Did your longest relationship make it past the 5 year mark? Yes, we've been together for fourteen years, married for four of those this Halloween. (: What time do you usually eat dinner? Around 630pm, sometimes 7pm if I'm cooking. I don't get off of work until six in the evening. Would you ever want a career in the performing arts? I think it would be cool, but I also think I'm too shy and have too much anxiety to be a performer of any kind. I can't even do karaoke with my family without feeling anxious and protesting against it. Do you know any narcissists? I'm starting to think I do. What has been your favorite job you’ve ever had? When I was a nanny, it was really great, but specifically this one girl - I nicknamed her Green Bean - that I cared for. She was such a sweet baby, and as she grew up, she was just so smart and well behaved. Her family was amazing, too. I still keep in contact with all of them. I've never cared for a kid that made that much of an impact on me since. When was the last time you had a power outage from a storm? This past Friday morning, actually. Have you ever been falsely accused of something serious? Yes, but not to the extent where law enforcement needed to be involved. Do you ever Skype/Facetime your friends and family? Sometimes my mom will want to use the Google equivalent of those platforms to have a conversation. I can't remember the name of it. Anyway, that's once in a blue moon that we do.   What did you think of the last movie you saw in theaters? The last movie I saw in theaters was the newest Exorcist movie, and I thought it was pretty scary and it was worth seeing. Did you ever set up a lemonade stand when you were a kid? Nah, I never did that. When was the last time you spoke to someone in a different language? Hahaha, a long time ago, when I was in high school and took French, and had an oral exam where I had to only speak French.

[mermaidsirennikita]

Top romance novel moments that live rent free in your mind.

(I take it back include derek this time I want to read that wild mf again and I need the inspo)

OH HOW THE TURN TABLES

Dreaming of You: obviously, the scene where Sara is all "oh no don't!!!" because she's breastfeeding at the end and he's like "OH YES" and purposefully drinks it because he's a real man; the scene where he thinks she's a ghost and is a blubbering mess of emotions; the "sometimes I want to punish you a little" scene; the "YOU'VE HAD ME LIKE A DRAWN DOG" scene... Like.... That shit.... is so nasty. And I. Live. For It.

The Duke's Perfect Wife by Jennifer Ashley: there's this scene where Hart fucks Eleanor when she literally has her arm in a sling and he's like "Iiiiiiii don't know if we should be--" and she's all "UM YES PUT IT IN ME" and I love her a lot; there's a scene where after they fuck for the first time in years they're on a boat and he pulls the whole yOU COULD BE WITH CHILD!!!! thing and she's trying to turn down his proposal but then she looks in his eyes and realizes he like, super wants a baby, his womb is EMPTY, and she's like *sigh* yes I will marry you; of COURSE the whole *Eleanor straddles Hart while he scowls and growls at her and she boops him* moment

When the Duke Was Wicked: Rum! On! Lips! Obviously! But I also really love the moment when Lovingdon is like "well we must get married now that we've had sex and I think it'll be great because we're really good buddies and do sex good" and Grace is like "... what" before gathering the blankets up around her being all "GET OUT" in a very dignified manner. He was flabbergasted

The Bride Goes Rogue: lol similarly Preston Clarke doing a "BUT WHAT ELSE IS THERE?" proposal and Katherine politely turning him down, to which he reacts by stumbling to her dad, who he hATES, all she *sob* won't *sob* marry *sob* me!!!!

The Duke Gets Even: the entire book but especially--"I'm going to cover you in bite marks, darling"; Nellie finding out Lockwood's Secret and clearly falling for him in that moment and him being like "pls calm the fuck down I'm only like dying basically"; the pool scene; the scene where he gets trashed to impress her cousins and they're all lmao Nellie isn't a virgin and he goes "THANK CHRIST FOR THAT"; "I'm keeping you, Eleanor" both times; the scene where he finds out nobody in law enforcement cares about him being a duke, like, at all; the scene where he manfully walks away from her and you can tell he's thisclose to bursting into tears the entire time

Mafia Madman by Mila Finelli: when Gia bites Enzo right before they have penetrative sex for the first time, like fully bites into his bicep so that it's dripping blood and his response is "stop, you'll make me come"; him returning to her after slaughtering like 20 people to save her sister, covered in bled, being all "suck my dick in the shower while I tell you about all the people I killed" and he looks down during and realizes she's touching herself and is all "THIS IS THE IDEAL WOMAN"; the scene where he keeps her chained to his bed and fingers her while his home reno employees work like six feet away; the scene where he's having a panic attack and she teaches him how to breathe through it and then they have emotional cowgirl eye contact sex and she says "make me your good girl" because... lmao.... the grovel... THE BOOK, basically

Mafia Target: this is one of the only books that has ever pulled off love at first sight so jot that part down; Alessio blowing Giulio in the club and then Giulio getting sent a pic of the guy who's been sent to murder him and realizing it's Alessio lmao; when Giulio finds Alessio chopping wood on the tiny island where they first fell in love, barehanded because he's angsty following a failed grovel, and Giulio is all "oh my god you're fucking up your murder hands you IDIOT" and takes him inside and makes him pasta

The Dragon and The Pearl by Jeannie Lin: the tattoo scene. that is all

Waking Up with the Duke: Ainsley and Jayne's parting and him telling her that he lied before and he'd rather be in her husband's place than in his own; Jayne feeling the baby kick and impulsively taking Ainsley's hand to put it on her belly and him being like "it CAN'T be mine" and freaking out because he wants the entire marriage baby thing with her now

Shadowheart: Allegreto telling Elena to take confession and Elena refusing because she can't handle the idea of going to Heaven if he's not allowed in; conversely lol, a scene where she visits him in prison and like... mouths his dick through his clothes.... and it's reeeeeally hot, especially because they have something of a femdom dynamic lol

New Camelot Trilogy: obviously, every threesome scene; the scene where Greer asks Embry to do CNC with her so she can work through some shit and also, if we are being VERY REAL about that series, CNC is absolutely Greer and Embry's Deal Together; Ash and Embry's Last First Time (and also their first first time tbh); there's this scene where Greer is all "WELCOME HOME CHEATER" because she thinks Embry cheated on them! with her cousin! and I think she like confronts him and is all does she taste sweeter than me is she prettier than me is she softer than me super meanly and he's like "NONE OF THE ABOVE" and goes down on her and it's GREAT

The (ongoing) Lyonesse Trilogy: uhhh in an extra scene there's a moment where Tristan goes "sir?" and Mark replies "Yes, puppy?" and I literally can't stop thinking about that shit. I also really love the face sitting scene in Salt Kiss. More m/m face sitting in romance novels plsthx.

Heated Rivalry: when Shane is on the phone with Ilya after Ilya's dad died and he's like "well just tell me everything that's bothering you in Russian, I don't speak it, just vent" and Ilya vents for five minutes about how he thinks he's in love with Shane and he doesn't know what to do about it and then switches to English all "ANYWAY"

The Kingmaker: the sweatshirt scene. GIRL.

Thief of Shadows: Winter taking the pins out of Isabel's hair; Winter going down on Isabel for the first time and being like "I'm sure I can figure it out somehow" lmao; Winter holding Isabel after she tells him she can't have children and just letting her cry and admitting that he would've loved to have had biological children with her but he wants her above all else oh my HEART

Duke of Midnight: TAKE MY COME FOR IT'S ALL I CAN GIVE YOU.... that whole sex scene is.... insane

Kingdom of Dreams: Royce calling Jennifer a bitch and grumpily dragging her bodily to the altar because he doesn't wanna be there any more than she does!!!

Scandal's Bride: Richard coming back to rescue Catriona from a fire only for her to yell at him after to which he basically says "WHAT. YOU CRAZY BITCH". Also, Catriona going "nobody will believe we had sex Richard" and Richard immediately sketching a pic of her ass and going "lmao well how do I know about your ASS BIRTHMARK" then because of course, he'd just been fucking her from behind like six hours prior.

[tdciago]

Fargo Season 5: The Rashomon Effect

This post will contain spoilers for episodes beyond 5.3.

"The Rashomon effect is a storytelling and writing method in cinema in which an event is given contradictory interpretations or descriptions by the individuals involved, thereby providing different perspectives and points of view of the same incident. The term, derived from the 1950 Japanese film Rashomon, is used to describe the phenomenon of the unreliability of eyewitnesses."

There has been some contradictory weirdness already in season 5.

As noted in a previous post, the Halloween decoration outside Dot's house changes in several ways between 10/29 and 10/31, without any notice being taken by the characters.

It also seems like Roy hired Munch to kidnap Dot, and Munch then selected Donald Ireland as his accomplice, based on the expected simplicity of the job. But in 5.3, Gator implies that he found Donald Ireland himself, who then must have contacted Munch.

Gator seems oblivious to the fact that Revere Gas 'n Go was the scene of the previous night's showdown when he stops there to "drain the snake" in episode 2. But when talking to Roy in episode 3, he mentions Munch returning to the scene of the crime. It also appears that he must have asked to see the security tape, which doesn't make sense if he was covering up Nugent's murder. And he notes that law enforcement already took the tapes because of the previous night's incident.

Then there is the wedding photo of Dot and Roy, on the wall at the ranch house. It's a different pose than we've seen in a teaser, in which Lorraine is looking at a wedding photo where Dot and Roy look somber and are posed like the couple in "American Gothic." Certainly there could be more than one photo, but it's interesting that the one Roy looks at shows the couple happier and interacting with each other in a positive way. Are we seeing Roy's version of their marriage, and is that different from objective reality?

IS there any objective reality in season 5, or are we seeing various versions of events from the perspective of different characters?

ETA: "The phone's saying one thing, sign's saying something else. Turn right, circle back. We'll find them."

I think this season may end by circling back.

[torchickentacos]

Okay, this is far above tumblr's paygrade but I genuinely need help on this and wanted to cast a wide net for people with different experiences to answer. tw for mentions of abuse (I'm fine, it's not for me) but I keep it very clinical and as light (wrong word but just. you know. as undisturbing) as this topic possibly can be. just a cut and dry kind of thing, no specifics for privacy, no specific descriptions of abusive actions or any of that. I almost went to reddit for this but ultimately reddit tends to front-page things with no input from op and tumblr has more of an anonymity and privacy that I want for this question.

I have a friend, 22ish, who has a bad family situation, we've been friends since high school. They regularly go months without answering in our 4 person HS group chat. This is normal, but concerning because they used to not be like this. It's been going on for a couple years now though. We'll hear from her once every couple months but it's gotten less and less frequent. We've discussed a wellness check, but can't guarantee her mother will not get mad at her for us sending it even though we have not been in contact at all and it was not requested. It's getting to be really concerning, though, as for a couple of minutes yesterday, friend flashed another friend in the chat her location. this is after MONTHS of no contact with us. no context was provided, and checking news reports in the area provided no news of anything. We haven't heard from her since and are thinking it was an accidental butt dial kind of thing, but it's still weighing on me. I know rationally there is nothing I can do. I could take her into my house but she won't answer texts or tell us anything. Our hands are tied, as getting law enforcement involved is a serious step to take (yes, acab, but this is a really specific situation and for her safety we're considering every option available, even the pigpen- she's very white passing and we did take that into consideration since wellness checks for racial minorities tend to go far more poorly due to systemic racism) and I cannot guarantee her safety afterwards if her mother was to take the wellness check out on her. I cannot text and ask anything specific because she won't answer and we never want her mom to be suspicious.

Ultimately, I think there's nothing I can do. She refuses to text us if she even has access to her phone, I have no idea if she's going back to another state miles and miles away for school in the fall, if she's still working or in college or ANYTHING, I have had no contact or context for such a long time now that there's no way to make an educated decision. I think I have to just wait until we hear from her, which could be months and months and months. But if anyone here has been in a similar situation, please tell me what you did. I hate coming to fucking TUMBLR for such a pressing issue but again, I want a wide net of opinions and experiences for this, as I'm entirely lost.

[koifishart]

I want to be Your Koi Fish - Nine Tails

Warning: +18 content, criminal underworld, intercourse, strong language - and so on

Fanfiction based on: "Baki" by Itagaki Keisuke

>18<

The police rarely showed up at his place for casual chat. Inspector Sonoda was the one exception with which the arrangements even paid off for him. In addition, they were both involved in the case of the escaped prisoners, he delivered to his police station, as he then believed, a barely alive Spec. In fact, he did because he was closest there - Morio was active in Shinjuku, as was Kaoru. He did not intend to do more than this one incident for the police, but the inspector did contact him from time to time. So they sat sipping whiskey, talking about a few loose topics and a few less. After all, they were bound by territories, it was proper to live in proper terms, unless the situation called for something else. However, he knew perfectly well that Sonoda did not want to mess with him. With Hanayama, the police at all levels preferred to be careful. Hanabi didn't even flinch as the inspector waited for her to leave. He thought they would be alone, he was wrong. This time he was not going to drive her out. He knew he was prancing up his ears and would probably cut in at some point, but that didn't bother him. She let her hair loose, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear to reveal a row of earrings. She was seated again with her laptop on her lap, wearing a light, floral sleeveless blouse, white slacks, and openwork, heavily cut ankle boots with a high, narrow heel. On the finger there was an inseparable ring with three diamonds arranged in the shape of a lotus. The visitor was clearly embarrassed to talk in front of her, but the yakuza didn't care. The key is not to waste his precious time.

- At least we've got the escapees out of our minds! - He laughed finally, a bit nervously.

- I would hold back on such judgments, Inspector. You sound like you've forgotten how much damage they've done. - Hanabi said, turning her head. - I recommend extreme caution.

- They're harmless now. - he snorted, waving his hand.

- I may be ignorant ... but due to my experience, people like them become harmless when they are dead. - she replied firmly. - I hope your superiors, Inspector, have at least offered to look at what is happening to them and that it will be done properly. We don't need a repeat of the entertainment in Shinjuku. I suppose not the police either.

- Yes, I'm going to do this myself. - he grunted reluctantly.

She was wonderful at expressing his thoughts in words. Although he perfectly remembered the condition in which he had thrown a 97-year-old serial killer on the hospital bed, his wife was right - not just any hurdles, but a bunch of guys with the opinion of the most dangerous murderers in the world. The probability that they were pretending to be insane or gathering strength while allegedly dying was very high. Which meant the police would have a problem again any minute. He was quietly hoping for a repeat, though the Spec had spoiled him enough.

As it turned out, she was not much wrong. In less than a few weeks, television was buzzing with news of a fugitive running happily through the streets of Tokyo. He didn't need to listen further to know that law enforcement didn't deal very well with this type of opponent. He had absolutely no business helping them. The specialist personally barred their way as they strolled around the city in the evening. It was unfortunate that the cops were following him. Hanayama noticed this as the side alleys were swarming with special forces. Hanabi stopped short at the sight of a two-meter-tall bald man in a dark, loose tracksuit. He could almost feel it being bristled, and goose bumps peeked under the light sweater that draped over the dark skirt. She remembered him, recognized him even though she had only seen him once, on her first visit to the Arena. Worse, she had no plans to back out. He wasn't going to let a hair fall off her head. He took a step forward, tucking his glasses into the pocket of his suit.

- I was hoping to meet you boy! - the condemned man laughed, taking off his sweatshirt. - We have a small, unfinished business.

As usual, he delivered the first blow that hit Kaoru right in the face. Hanabi stepped back slightly, respected his methods, rather not intending to intervene unnecessarily. Out of the corner of his eye he caught Sonoda coming out of hiding. He did not have time to wonder what the police would do in this situation. The opponent tried one of his aces again: an extremely fast attack with apnea. The blows turned out to be much faster and stronger than before, he didn't know by what miracle, but despite lying still in intensive care, as Hanayama imagined, Spec returned to his former form and even strengthened. Not only him. Kaoru curled his hand into a fist and, finding a gap in the hail of blows, struck right in the jaw, sending him running far ahead. The latter, however, recovered surprisingly quickly, setting the loosened jaw joint with his wide hand and struck it with a high kick this time. The young yakuza landed right under his wife's feet, he was not going to give up. The spec, on the other hand, changed the goal. He walked as if nothing had happened to the frozen dark-haired woman.

- What a beauty ... and that fearless look! You'd probably be very pissed if I broke her neck? - he asked innocently, extending his arm towards her. - Your girlfriend?

The great tattooed paw was held back by a tiny hand, a steel grip holding back the attack so the other could dig her fingers into a sore point in the armpit. A man's muscled arm dropped loosely, and a moment later another followed, barely trying to slide towards her. The spec stood stunned, and in a split second she was on his shoulders, sitting like a small child on the nape of his father.

- Maybe I'm not as strong as my husband, but definitely faster. - she murmured in a low tone, pressing down on another vital point.

The fugitive lost control of his whole body, fell like a long one on smooth asphalt, and she landed with her own lightness, tapping the lacquered pumps with her high heels. He had spent so much time with her that he forgot what she was doing. In fact, he never asked for details of the contract killer trade. Not only Hanayama was surprised to see the tiny woman who knocked down a huge, insanely dangerous man in seconds. With a staggering step, disbelief clearly written on his face, none other than the police inspector approached them.

- Do you have a wanted poster for that fugitive, Sonoda-san? - she asked innocently.

- Y ... yes ... - he muttered, still in shock.

- So you'll call for the full amount for the DEAD option. - she replied firmly, adjusting the tie on Hanayayama's massive neck - In cash, preferably in beautiful brand new, colorful yen.

- The ... hehehe ... I escaped the death penalty, girl ... - groaned the still immobilized Spec.

- Relax, it will catch up with you. Judging by the tattoos you like rituals ... so I'll give you ritual death. - she muttered, crouching beside him, examining the drawings on his hands, then added, turning her head slightly. - Of course you are invited, Inspector. You will be able to confirm that the punishment has reached the fugitive.

- Kizaki, we have something big to transport. - Kaoru muttered into the phone.

He wondered what she was planning, he was a bit afraid of what would happen next, but ... at the same time he was terribly curious. He didn't mind killing those who deserved it, and the death penalty had long hung over Spec. Hanabi did not reveal the details to him, but she took care of a certain setting. As she promised, it was supposed to be a ritual death. He thought he would rely on traditional seppuku*, but it's hard to get someone like that to commit suicide, right? As soon as he expressed this suspicion, she quickly shook her head and added that the gaijin** was not worthy of a samurai death. Prepared as usual, he admired the accuracy with which she was able to handle such tasks. She learned a little about her victim and combined with her own knowledge ... to create a quite coherent whole. American, globetrotter, fighter. There was only one way out of this equation.

At her command, a makeshift sacrificial altar, unlike anything he had ever seen, was erected in the valley outside the city. He was not from Asia. He was too crude, crude, and the patterns of wolves or snakes did not match any of the beliefs he had heard of. In the middle is Spec, slung by his hands, restrained by shackles blocking the flow of chi. She was not going to let him escape, he was absolutely going to die there. Behind him stood two fireplaces, one with a knife heating in it and the other with an ax. The cream of the triad he headed has gathered. The Mafia wanted to see how ruthless their boss's woman was, or rather whether she was what she was meant to be. Hanayama was absolutely sure that Shiro Kitsune would not disappoint their expectations. Sonoda appeared along with Bisquit Oliva, which has been inseparable for some time. Out of the corner of his eye, somewhere in the trees, he also picked out the silhouettes of Baki and Kozue. He guessed that the girl did not believe that Hanabi was capable of murder, and the boy did not want to let her go alone to such a dangerous place. Finally she arrived, completely calm, in a white fur tightly covering her with a large hood. All he could see was a light, flowing, long black dress, or rather its lower part, covering the legs. Judging by her height, she arrived barefoot. She stood in front of the condemned man when he woke up and tried to break free from the shackles. She neutralized him while he was asleep. Sometimes this skill terrified him. It was enough to touch a few places that a person would not be able to use their full potential. So petite, so tiny, and she could easily knock a large man down to force him into submission. The prisoner looked at her very differently than before. Despite his rather cheerful disposition, he was furious. It's hard to be surprised.

- You'd have to bring in the Death God himself to kill me, little girl. - he gasped with difficulty.

- It's funny that you ask for it, because that was my plan. - she muttered, tossing the fur over her back.

A long, flowing, yet tight-fitting black dress, revealing the shoulders, with a slit at the left leg, reaching the hip bone. He took a closer look. If she pampered the smallest detail of each of her orders in this way, he was not surprised that she was sometimes exhausted, and also so much in demand - long after the wedding she received messages to which she stubbornly replied "NO". She made her victim fear. The left side of the body, including the face, was painted to look like an anatomically perfect skeleton, glistening with green, fluorescent paint, strongly reflecting against a black background. It made her look half alive. Even her eyes seemed to glow differently than ever. The character she chose was familiar to the fugitive.

- The Norse goddess Hel*** ... - he muttered, shocked and as if impressed. - Why ... she?

- I'm just going to send you to her. - she replied again in that low, creepy tone. - Vikings, great travelers, like you, I suppose, believed that all the unworthy, dishonorable and filthy go to this goddess ... so why not?

She entered the altar, still completely calm, even winter and professional. But through his skin he could feel her excitement, excitement. He had felt it before when she prepared the whole plan at home. She was enjoying it as if she had returned to her beloved, long-abandoned job. Before she stood behind Spec's back, she reached for his increasingly frightened face, though it might as well be a play of appearances, and hissed:

- You will howl in pain to fly into the clouds like an eagle with outstretched wings. You will not know the goodness of Odin's honey after death.

Kaoru held his breath as she finally walked over to one of the hearths and took a hot knife out of it, which she skillfully used to cut the skin on the man's back. The condemned man let out a long howl, unable to endure the searing pain. The first drops of blood fell to the ground, slowly gaining strength. When she had made the right incision and spread the dripping flaps to the sides, she put the blade into the fire to take the ax handle with both hands and forcefully slash it straight in the back. The stench of burning human flesh rose in the air, the crunch of chopped ribs and a wild scream, and she continued, completely ignoring the red stains on her face. The man was losing consciousness more and more with each passing moment. Finally she put down the gun to open his chest with her own hands covered with black gloves. Nobody twitched or made any sound, only heard Kozue's muffled groan from the distance, at the sight of the still throbbing lungs laying on his muscular arms. Spec's head dangled loosely, Hanayama could see only a few last tiny nervous tics. To finish the ritual, she reached with her dirty right hand, leaving a streak of blood on her cheek.

- Hel, the ancient goddess of death, worshiped by the great Vikings, accept this stray soul for she is unworthy of Valhalla. - she said sternly, descending the altar, disgusting at the same time lapping the rest of the juice on the face of the dead man with the rest of the juice from her hand.

He had never seen anything like it, but he could not afford to lower his jaw to the ground. The yakuza boss should be tough and unshakable. Instead of showing surprise, the most calmly in the world he approached his wife and draped a pale fur over her shoulders. She accepted it gratefully, taking off her gloves and taking his massive hand. As she walked a few paces away to speak to the stunned and also apparently disgusted inspector, a large African American stepped in front of her, bowing to her.

- I salute your artistry, Mistress Unchained **** - he muttered proudly.

She didn't react, just looked at Sonoda to remind him of the money for cleaning up the mess.

____________________________

* seppuku - honorary suicide, the ritual of taking one's own life in ancient Japan, which is a privilege of the samurai caste; it resulted from the Bushido code;

** gaijin - foreigner

***As the White Kitsune is sometimes taken as an omen of death, it was logical to associate it with one of the goddesses of the world of the dead; for Hanabi it was natural to choose the Scandinavian goddess Hel;

****Mistress Unchained - a title loosely given to her only by Oliva, meant to mean the equivalent of a freed prisoner (Hanabi has never been in prison);

[wearejericho]

open to android muses! canon-divergent post freedom march!

❝ we're not moving. ❞ markus had made up his mind. there was no going back now. he couldn't preach about standing their ground and then turn to run. it probably meant dying here, but it was a risk he felt was worth taking.

the firing continues. the police aren't backing down. he has to do SOMETHING. markus takes a few steps forward, not breaking eye contact with law enforcement. they waste no time pulling the trigger. he's shot in the chest, the bullet grazing and damaging his thirium pump. all goes black, just for a few seconds. when he opens his eyes again he watches his people run in both directions. a few charge forward and are shot down, while the majority retreat.

❝ simon? ❞ admittedly, he's a little surprised. just moments earlier simon had been insisting that they leave. and that's when he realizes what he's doing. ❝ simon, no. ❞ markus pleads quietly to himself. brief eye contact is made between the two, and a sad smile from simon before the officer ends the android's life. he feels someone grab the hood of his jacket, dragging him across the gravel. we've gotta go!

────────────────────────────────────

we need blue blood! now! overheard. markus is in bad shape. it's been less than ten minutes since the android was shot, but he's lost so much blood that he's starting to shut down. vision and hearing are choppy and distant. he can't really move, or think straight, or really focus on anything except staying alive. the others lay him down on the ground and get to work on repairing him. and all he can think about is simon. why did it have to be him?

[twinxleaf]

LA County deputy faces possible charges in off-duty traffic deaths of two Marines-CHP investigators have recommended that vehicular manslaughter charges be considered against Deputy Michael John Miscione

327 days ago, my entire world changed. My parents drove to my job in Wilmington to inform me that my 20 year old brother and his friend had been killed in a car crash. We were initially told by the police force there that they had 30 days to complete the accident report. Then it became they had 3 months. And then…we found out that a member of law enforcement was the driver. James and his two friends were awaiting a tow truck after their car had become disabled after being side swept. They were waiting in their car in an HOV lane. California Police Officer Michael John Miscione, dob 1/11/1997, fell asleep while accelerating onto the highway, and crashed into the back of their disabled car, at 88 mph. Miscione crashed into them at least 33mph faster than the posted speed limit of 55mph. James and Samantha sustained many fatal injuries, but their COD is listed as blunt force trauma. After the crash, Miscione walked out of his own car and was found by the law enforcement first responding, where he was taken to the hospital. Miscione only listed injuries were “complains of pain to head, left hand, and left quadricep”. He was also not relieved of his policing duties during the 313 days we had been waiting for answers. To my understanding he has been on desk duty, and our families were unable to talk about the accident publicly as it took the department 313 days to complete their officer-involved accident report.

We know for a fact that the Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer has the accident report. We still need your help in encouraging them to make the right decision in prosecuting Deputy Miscione for vehicular manslaughter. Charges have been recommended, but we all know that can mean delay/delay/delay/coverup coverup/coverup when said charges are recommended against law enforcement. They need to know that the Pattons might be 2,600 miles away, but there is a zero percent chance their burying this report and transferring Miscione to a new department. They can be reached at this link - https://orangecountyda.org/contact/

I'm glad the article mentions that California Highway Patrol listed Deputy Michael John Miscione address and phone number as the one of the Century Sheriff Station - about 50 miles away from the crash site. The accident report also stated that Miscione did not have car insurance, which is its own legal issue. (However, he does have car insurance. They just wanted identifying the driver to be harder on the victim's families.) I wish the Orange County Register article had included that their vehicle got immobilized after being side-swiped against a wall by another vehicle that did not stop. I just don't want there to be any room for any speculations of victim blaming. It's clear all of this is part of a nearly year long coverup to protect Deputy Michael John Miscione from the consequences of taking two lives. Why is his future more important than the futures he ended due to his OWN gross negligence. My life has been in complete turmoil during the past year. I have been in so much emotional pain and anguish over the death of my brother, James Robert Patton. My older brother is struggling deeply with this tragedy. Samantha Berrios has three younger siblings who are also going through hell. We all saw our sibling's coffin being shut, and we've been waiting almost a year for California Highway Patrol to offer some sort of explanation. All of our futures need to be considered when deciding to prosecute Deputy Miscione for the crash on 11/05/22. How are the five of us supposed to go on believing in the legitimacy of any of our criminal justice systems if Miscione does not go to prison for taking the lives of our siblings?