#but since you have to get a permit and have training to own a gun in germany I assume it would be less likely that somebody would try

[ochnoe]

I'm watching the Mythbuster episodes uploaded to YouTube, and they are checking this gun myth and are constantly like "Do not try this at home!"

And at first I was like? Who'd eveb have a gun at home?

And then I remember that this is an american show, and that many americans do, in fact, have a gun at home, and some of those may be stupid enough to try this, or may simply be kids who know will try it with their parwnts gun bc they don't know better.

[ptpgunmedia]

How to Renew Your Maryland HQL License

Many handgun owners of Maryland feel the need to know how to renew their Handgun Qualification License (HQL). If you're near the expiration date of your license, or if you just want to know more about the renewal process, I'm here to coach you through the steps from PTPGUN. In this article, I'll break down what you need to know in order to make sure that renewal of yours goes smoothly and efficiently.

Know Your Maryland HQL License

If you purchase, own, or carry a handgun in Maryland, then you definitely do need an HQL license. The HQL testifies that you have undergone all the legally mandated training and other checks to arm the owners of handguns.

What is an HQL License?

An HQL License is an official permit issued by the Maryland State Police that gives a person the legal ability to buy handgun. One has to qualify for certain requirements before obtaining the license. This involves successfully passing a background check and undergoing a state-approved firearms safety course. Having an HQL License is one way in which the state seeks to provide further hurdles to the good guys in their pursuit of legal gun ownership while ignoring the fact that the problem children could care less about the law.

Why You Should Renew Your HQL License

Before acquiring or owning a handgun, it is important that you know why a renewal is necessary for your HQL License. Validity is essential because one of the grounds for the expiration of license could be up for litigation, and the restriction of acquiring handguns limits your capability.

License renewal is a way of the state stealing more of your paycheck. You are prohibited from buying the handgun woth an expired HQL and hence, they hold that over your head. Renewal is an indication, among others, that you remain legally in the right and have paid their fine for being a "law abiding citizen".

Eligibility to Renew

When you choose to renew your Maryland HQL license, you should find out about the requirements for renewal. There are now new requirements under which only applicants who qualify will be able to get their license renewed. To avoid setbacks, learn what the requirements are.

Age and Residency Requirements

However, by the laws of Maryland, you need to be at least 21 years old to obtain an HQL license renewal. You have to be a resident of Maryland.

Requirements for Conducting a Background Check

One of the things that should determine renewal of a permit involves a thorough background check. In this regard, it will establish whether you are still within legal thresholds to possess the firearm or not.

Even your own criminal record and mental health are going to be scrutinized in detail. Anything that has gone drastically different since your last application can disqualify you from renewal. By collecting all documents beforehand, the inspection process would become easier, hence making the process less stressful. The effort in taking proactive steps to understand what the background check entails can come in very handy to ensure compliance throughout renewal processes.

Renewal Process Step-by-Step

In analyzing your current Maryland Handgun Qualification License, I would encourage you to go through these simple steps and make sure everything goes correctly with the renewal process:

1.      Gather necessary documents

2.      Fill out the online renewal application

3.      Pay for the renewal fees

4.      Submit your application

Submission of Application Online

On the web, it has been easier for me to submit my renewal application on the Maryland State Police website. Just have your number for the HQL and other personal details ready so that you could fill out all the paper work properly.

Renewal Fee Payments

To effect the renewal of your HQL license, it only requires you to pay fees applied for that particular license. And this would be a $20 fee paid via card on their website.

Technological Issues with Online Submissions

Some of the technological challenges likely to happen in the online submission process regarding your Maryland HQL renewal are shown below.

Sometimes, there are technical difficulties while trying to submit your online application that keep it from accepting your submission. Downtime of the website, an error message, or even the inability to navigate to the submission portal might be a result. First, refresh the page or open through another browser. If these also prove problematic, you are instead instructed to contact customer support for recommendations on the steps needed so that your submission is actually successful.

FAQs on HQL License Renewal

Still, most people are still in the dark concerning the procedure for renewing an HQL license. This is one aspect that creates much confusion. Here, I make an attempt to answer some questions that people have regarding the process of renewing this license effectively.

How Often Should the License Be Renewed?

Below, I would note that your HQL license is required to be renewed after every 10 years. It is essential to keep track of your renewal date so you do not violate the rules of the tyrants.

What To Do If Your License is Expired?

An expired HQL license means that it is not possible for you to purchase or own firearms. In such a case, you would need to get a new set of livescan fingerprints and submit an original application- unless you have an active Maryland Handgun Permit.

General FAQs emerge as to what one should do after your license expires. If you have an expired HQL license, don't waste your time trying to buy any handguns until you have your new HQL license.

Summarizing the procedures that follow the renewal process of your Maryland HQL license, one needs to ensure that they keep abreast of their licenses. For example, you can get all the necessary forms from the PTPGUN, and then follow the applications procedure while submitting the permit requirements so you'll be sure to follow all the legal steps. Then, you will still enjoy your rights as long as you comply with the infringements on your Second Amendment right.

Original Sources: https://www.ptpgun.com/post/renew-your-maryland-hql-license

[claimedvalley]

indie, private, very low/sporadic activity, & highly selective oc gang multimuse, set within netflix's cobra kai. gang concept established 01/23, blog est. 11/22/23. side-blog to @valleykarate

❝ rule #3: if another member of the gang desires to have what's you've already claimed as yours, you must prove to ryker, our leader, that you're worthy in a no-holds-barred fight. with the exception of guns, all hand-to-hand weapons & underhanded tactics are absolutely permitted. win, you get to either keep - or gain - the object of your desire. if you're not dead by the time ryker deems the fight over, you lose. rule #4: a loss results in ryker having the final say in your fate. simply put, he is the one that determines if you live, & stay in our ranks, or die. ❞

carrd tbt. | prompts. | start here.

HEAVILY AFFILIATED with @taughtdefense , @taughtpain , @taughteagle , @taughtcutthroat & all of mine+mads' blogs.

mobile muse list under read more, please note that it is still a wip as i expand the claimers lore. muse list last updated: 11/23/23.

Ryker Hightower. Gang leader since he was 15 years old ( currently 21 years old post s5 ). literally Awful human being & a piece of shit to his own gang members. His family founded the Claimers, making him a sixth-generation legacy Claimer. Privileged, spoiled brat with a temper & huge psychopathic/sociopathic tendencies, checking almost all of the boxes for being a massive fucking red flag. He is currently, entirely obsessed with getting ❝ revenge ❞ on Robby Keene for leaving the Claimers, & successfully claiming Ethan Wilson-Keene as ❝ his ❞, all in a messed up attempt to one-up Robby. Season introduction: Post Season 5, but frequently mentioned by the ex/current Claimers throughout Season 2-Season 5. Aromantic but hyperseuxal. Entirely closed to romantic shipping. No genuine romance will be plotted or found with Ryker. Just pure, deranged, warped & very toxic obsession. FC: tba.

Kieran Bauer. Ruthless Second-in-Command to The Claimers since he was 16. Has somewhat pulled away from his duties as Second-in-Command, a move that has angered Ryker. Fourth-generation Claimer. He is currently 25 years old post Season 5. He is trying to take back the Claimers from Ryker's tyrannical rule & overthrow him. Boyfriend of Melanie Garrick, practically married ( minus the legal documents ). Had a minor role in assisting/convincing Robby to leave the Claimers. Selectively open for polyamorous shipping with Melaine. Bisexual. Season introduction: Middle of Season 3. Does not actively participate in the Karate War, he watches everything unfold from a distance. FC: Hero Fiennes Tiffin.

Melanie 'Mel' Garrick. Ex-Claimers member with a heart of gold, ready to kill to defend her friends if need be. Third-generation Claimer. She is currently 23 years old post Season 5. Had a major role in assisting/convincing Robby to leave the Claimers, actively fearing for his safety, sanity & mental health; Melanie & Cosima (@taughteagle , then 13 at the time of Robby joining the Claimers ) attempted to shield the then 12-year-old Robby from the horrors/realities of gang life. Girlfriend of Kieran Bauer, practically married to him ( minus the legal documents ). Selectively open for polyamorous shipping with Kieran. Bisexual. Season introduction: Middle of Season 3. Does not actively participate in the Karate War, she watches everything unfold from a distance. FC: Josephine Langford.

Hannah Dozier. A fourth-generation Claimers member & the younger twin sister of Nicholas 'Nick' Dozier, who moves to the Valley with Nick under Ryker's orders, in search of Kieran & Melanie. She has a particular affinity for knives as her weapon of choice. Hannah's role in the gang is mainly training new recruits that Ryker or Nick brings into the fold. Is currently 19 post Season 5. She's deadly serious when it comes to being a part of her gang & defending them from threats, but despite this, she's secretly hoping that Kieran succeeds in overthrowing Ryker. Selectively open for shipping. Pansexual. Season introduction: Beginning of Season 5. Dojo affiliation: Cobra Kai, joining in 5x01. Participates in the Karate War. Does not join Miyagi-Fang after Cobra Kai's takedown, instead remaining loyal to the fallen dojo. FC: Alexandra Daddario.

Nicholas 'Nick' Dozier. A fourth-generation Claimers member & the older twin brother of Hannah, who moves to the Valley with Hannah in search of Melanie & Kieran under Ryker's orders. Recruiter of the gang, who also occasionally gets involved in the daily illegal activities of the gang, mostly when bored, or if recruitment is slow. Nick is the older twin brother of Hannah. He is hardened to violence, & tends to manipulate others just for the hell of it. Is currently 19 post Season 5. Bisexual. Selectively open for shipping. Season introduction: Beginning of Season 5. Dojo affiliation: Cobra Kai in 5x01. Does not join Miyagi-Fang after Cobra Kai's takedown, instead remaining loyal to the fallen dojo. FC: Matthew Daddario.

[capricorn-stark]

Protégé

pairing: red hood!jason todd x robin!reader, slow burn 

warning: swearing

a/n: for context, this is somewhat loosely based off of Battle for the Cowl (2009) which I definitely recommend as a read! 

There was something about falling that you would never, ever get tired of. 

Ever. 

Probably.

With the wind whistling in your ears, your hair floating up in a million directions, and your limbs seemingly weightless as the buildings and lights blurred into one endless streak of color, the rush of adrenaline that ran through your body right before your grappling hook shot out and you landed quietly on the concrete was about a million times better than any sparring session back at the cave. 

You grinned as you straightened, rather proud of the fact that you had actually managed to land so smoothly without nearly paralyzing yourself. Again.The landing was something you had been working on for a while now.

You could practically hear Bruce’s voice ringing through your head after your little stunt, lamenting on and on about how you had more important things to focus on during patrols, and you let out a sigh as you ran down the backway of the nearly empty streets. 

The heavy man who had been bound up with a decently made gag and one of Bruce’s fancy tech pieces (Batcuffs, maybe? Something else with Bat smacked in front of it?) grunted beside you. 

“What? Not like you had someplace to be.” You grabbed the back of his rather tacky-looking spandex suit to drag him along back to where your mentor was supposed to be.

Despite your (many) disagreements and his (many) criticisms of your hand-to-hand combat skills, attitude issues, and pretty much everything else relating to you, Bruce had actually still allowed you to go off on your own tonight. It might’ve been because he wanted a few hours of nothing but beating up petty criminals by himself for stress-relief, it might’ve been because he had started trying out that whole independence thing with you a little more (even though you were still only permitted to be about five blocks or so away), it might’ve been plot-convenience - but either way, you appreciated the gesture.

It didn’t take long for you to pull your new friend over to what should’ve been your rendezvous point with Batman, letting the man drop with a dull thud and a grunt of protest against the concrete as you glanced around for the other man. You weren’t particularly concerned by the fact that the Bat himself wasn’t there yet - after all, he was the goddamn Batman. He��d show up eventually. In the meanwhile, you decided to go over the information you had gotten on the criminal with you. 

Just for the sake of it. Bruce would make you go over it anyways.

“Drury Walker, thirty-two years old, found him trying to mug someone in a back alley and make an escape. Called himself…” you paused, looking down at his sorry-looking outfit for a few moments while he looked up at you with murder and vengence in his eyes. “...Killer Moth.”  

“Killer Moth?” A completely new voice repeated in disbelief, causing you to immediately whirl around to face them in a fight stance, heart racing at a million miles per hour. The guy in front of you had his hands up in the air, his face concealed with some sort of red knock-off Iron Man helmet. He was gonna get copyrighted by Marvel Studios. “Shit, sorry,” he started at the sight of you, still leaning up against one of the walls. “I was supposed to make a wholeass dramatic entrance, but you said his name was Killer Moth and that-” The man made a noise that was either a sharp cough or a laugh of some kind. “-sounded so fucking lame I couldn’t help myself.” 

Despite the fact that you were definitely in some sort of major trouble with this new guy, he really did have a point. Even Killer Moth himself would’ve been embarrassed by how trash his name was, if not for the fact that he looked like he was on the verge of an aneurysm - understandably so, since the new guy had produced not one, but two guns out of apparently nowhere. 

“And let me guess,” he continued, pointing one of them at your head, his tone still all-too light and easy. “You must be the Bat’s brand-new Robin.” 

Now this is where most people would've shut up and proceeded to be complicit with the dude holding two guns. But Batman hadn’t seen reason and made you his (sort of) partner because you were like other people. Hell no.

“Do I look like a traffic signal to you?” It had been the very first of your amendments with Bruce. You would not be fighting crime looking like a literal traffic signal or, at best, a clown from Haly’s Circus. And the tiny green shorts had to go. “Or Robin Hood?” The guy had a rather awkward pause where his gun sort of dipped. Killer Moth was looking between you with wide eyes. “Do I?” 

“I guess you kinda got a point.” You huffed and he raised his gun again, getting more in-your-face as his already angry-looking helmet somehow managed to look angrier. You weren’t exactly sure how a helmet could convey so much emotion. “But you work with Batman. And I heard you went by Robin.” 

Okay, so you couldn’t make him change the name, but you had agreed it would be more of an honorary thing.

“It’s complicated.” 

Using such a phrase as an excuse to escape from situations you didn’t want to go into was one of the many things you had learned from Bruce in your five months of training. Somehow, that seemed to trigger the guy further.

“So you do work with Batman.” 

Before he could do something actually insane, you had managed to push the gun pointed at your head away from you, using his brief second of surprise to take it out of his hands, kick him in the chest, and round back on him with it in hand. 

“And what about it?” 

As cool as you thought you might’ve sounded didn’t cover for the fact that you were still nerve-wracked about what was happening right then. Especially after the guy started to dramatically slow-clap like some sort of evil thespian in a high school drama. 

“Not bad, Robin. Not bad.” He looked at the gun in your hands and grinned. “If you weren’t Batman’s new replacement sidekick, I might’ve believed you had the balls to use that thing.” 

Now, you were an excellent fighter. You had to be, after your excessive training with the guy who had literally mastered about every martial art in existence during his (give or take) five year-long mission to find himself. Plus, some personal experience. But fighting someone like this guy? Built like a tank and padded up in a whole lot of armor and packing an assortment of knives, guns, and even a damn taser you got a first-hand taste of?

You fought hard, but about five minutes and another round of the taser later, you saw the knock-off Iron Man helmet staring down at you before the world went black.

~*~

You woke up in what you assumed was the self-dubbed Red Hood’s safehouse of sorts. 

“How the hell did he rope you into this shit?” he demanded with what you could only assume was him glaring at you through the helmet. Probably some expression that made someone look all angsty and annoyed - which was fair, since he had been trying to drill you for information you straight up refused to give while bound (way too tightly) to a chair for quite some time now. Rather rude. “Let me guess. You watched your parents die.” You stared at him before shrugging.

“Nope.”

“Oh, so they just went ahead and died somehow. Untimely accident caused by some psycho bitch in a Spirit Halloween costume.”

“…nope.” 

“They abandoned you as a child.”

“No, they didn’t - does divorce count?” 

Red Hoodlum’s hands kept clenching and unclenching while he stood there, staring at the wall behind you in silence. From the way his chest kept rising and falling, you were tempted to believe he was practicing breathing exercises amidst his rather violent twitching. 

“Divorce - what the hell is your trauma supposed to be? Why did he pick you?!”

“Hey, just because my trauma doesn’t include people dying doesn’t make it any less traumatic,” you scoffed in response, knowing you were absolutely right about that. Your middle school guidance counselor had said so (and it’s true, ladies and gentlemen, trauma comes in many forms!). “Kinda rude to assume it didn’t affect me somehow.”

He seemed rather abashed at that and you heard him clear his throat a little. 

“...right, yeah. Sorry.”

“Apology accepted - can you loosen these ropes a little? It’s starting to kinda hurt.” 

“Do I look ten? That’s the oldest trick in the book, I’m not gonna-”

“I’m not going to run, just loosen the ropes a little.” He still looked like he didn’t believe you. “Come on, I don’t think I can outrun your guns.” As in his literal array of guns tacked up to the wall behind him, not his gigantic biceps. 

And you weren’t too worried about being held hostage by him, either. You figured you had ten minutes tops before Batman burst in through the doorway, ready to give you a lecture on why straying from the specifically designated parts of Gotham he had let you traipse around was a terribly stupid idea. 

“No.” He was already walking towards the door, because apparently, he had enough of trying to interrogate you. 

“Hold on, I feel like my wrists are actually about to start bleeding or something - where are you going?”

“Keep talking and I’m gonna get the duct tape.” 

“Is that a threat?” Sounding more confident than you actually felt should eventually make you more confident. Eventually. 

The Red Hood sucked in a breath, stopping by the doorway and turning to face you, reaching into his pockets to get what you assumed was either a gun or duct tape when you both startled from a sudden crash. The man in front of you was already whirling around with two guns positioned to shoot when you heard the familiar voice of someone else.

“Hold your fire, soldier. I’m not here for you.” A pause. “Or I wasn’t, but now I kind of am.”

Apparently, Batman was too busy to save you. Now, you got Nightwing. 

And as much as you liked Nightwing, that still kinda stung. 

[fandomn00blr]

OC Questionnaire

@cleverblackcat tagged me into this one a few days ago, and I started filling it out for Delilah Howe (not an OC...an adopted NPC!) and I am still working on it for her. But then @funkypoacher tagged me, and gave me specific permission to do it for *my* versions of Carver or Stroud...lol...

So anyway, here’s Stroud, everyone’s Warden Dad(...dy...? jk jk...unless?)

THE BASICS

Character’s name: Jean-Marc Stroud

Role in story: He’s your dad now...unless you’re Loghain and then he’s your infuriating boyfriend/husband whom you are absolutely smitten with...also, Warden-Commander of the Eastern Wardens after Dragon Age Awakening

Physical description: I feel a bit guilty constantly objectifying this poor man and his mustache, but he is just...*chef’s kiss* (Loghain’s POV, but also mine):

Stroud’s quite fit for a man his age, an unmistakably sturdy V-shaped torso atop well-muscled legs, with broad shoulders and strong, defined arms. He’s never quite realized just how chiseled and square his jaw is, either. And as his eyes rove over his face, he tries not to stare too longingly at his lips, which he’s already been acquainted with, though it feels like it’s been ages since that cave-in, and he certainly wouldn’t mind getting re-acquainted. With any part of him, really.

(LOGHAIN! STOP BEING SO HORNY FOR YOUR BOYFRIEND, YOU GRUMPY OLD BASTARD!)

MBTI/Enneagram Personality Type: IDK

INTERNAL LIFE

What is their greatest fear? Probably disappointing anyone who is depending on him for safety/protection/reassurance

Inner motivation: Is ‘just wants everyone to feel safe’ an inner motivation? No. Shoot. STROUD WHAT MOTIVATES YOU?! Oh, I know...the fact that he lost everyone and everything he cared about to the Game and instead of going on a fucking rampage, he internalized it and joined the Wardens so that their deaths wouldn’t have been a total waste. What’s that called?

Kryptonite: If one of his Warden ‘kids’ is hurting, it hurts him...doubly so if he can’t do anything about it.

What is their misbelief about the world? Ok, so this is a tough one. Dude has been through all of it, and still believes in the power of kindness and duty and compassion, but not in a naive way. He chooses it, right? So I wouldn’t call it a misbelief, but he genuinely believes everyone is capable of choosing good, or trying to do better, or whatever. Shut up. I’m not crying, I swear.

Lesson they need to learn: You can’t save ‘em all (he still has regrets about what happened with Anders and Justice).

What is the best thing in their life? His little Eastern Warden family...Vigil’s Keep comes to feel like home to him.

What is the worst thing in their life? The thought of ever having to deal with Orlesian politics again...which is why he’s so grumpy in Inquisition.

What do they most often look down on people for? He has very little patience for people who manipulate others for their own personal gain.

What makes his/her/their heart feel alive? Seeing his Wardens thrive/come into their own/embrace duty/grow/find love...I SAID I WASN’T CRYING!

What makes them feel loved, and who was the last person to make them feel that way? Stroud doesn’t need a lot of personal reassurance to know that people care about him and that he serves a purpose...but if someone goes out of their way to do something just for him, he absolutely falls apart. Loghain making an Orlesian-inspired dish for his birthday was the last thing I wrote of this variety, but I imagine that Loghain does a lot of stuff like that just to see Stroud’s cheerful stoicism obliterated...and also because he loves him.

Top three things they value most in life? Helping others/compassion, his found family, and his duty as a Warden (but not in, like, a stupid way...)

EXTERNAL LIFE

Is there an object they can’t bear to part with? He keeps a portrait of his family tucked away among his things...the only item he brought with him from his former life when Clarel recruited him to the Wardens.

Describe a typical outfit from top to bottom. Heavy silverite Warden armor while out on missions, over a dark blue quilted tunic with a silver embroidered griffon and leggings (?). All very official. Off-duty, he wears simple undyed cotton or wool tunics (they’re probably fitted well) and woolen breeches (also fitted...um...well...*fans self*). It’s hot. <- Loghain, again?! Yeesh...

What is their method of manipulation? He’s not big on manipulation (see above), but he knows how to get what he wants from Loghain by wiggling his mustache and just...staring at him...all twinkly-eyed. Maybe chuckling good-naturedly if he wants to bring out the big guns.

Describe their daily routine. (Whoops...I missed this one, I guess!) Wake up early. Breakfast and paperwork in his office. Meetings, etc later in the morning. Then lunch with Loghain somewhere outside, weather permitting. Meetings/more paperwork/drills and training in the afternoon. Dinner with everyone in the dining hall at the end of the day. Quiet evenings. Then bed!

Their go-to cure for a bad day? Feet up in front of a fire...some tea? Maybe with a bit of whiskey in it. And something sweet to munch on like cookies. Bonus if Loghain is there with his little shawl, reading or complaining to him, preferably both...

GOALS

How are they dissatisfied with their life? He still harbors a lot of anger and resentment toward the Game (I mean...), but he’s actually pretty satisfied with his life as a Warden.

What would bring them true happiness or contentment? This is the most selfless thing ever, but he would love to see Loghain and Anora reconciled.

What definitive step could they take to turn their dream into a reality? He would never, but he totally could invite Anora to dinner at Vigil’s Keep or something and pretend it was Loghain’s idea...lol. OMG...AU where Stroud is the meddling spouse...!!!

How has their fear kept them from taking this action already? Not so much fear as it is just respect for personal boundaries or whatever...

How do they feel they can accomplish their goal while still steering clear of the thing they are afraid of? He hopes Loghain will eventually reach out to his daughter himself, or Anora will force her way back into her father’s life. During Inquisition, Loghain and Alistair (who is King and married to Anora in this world state) have a bit of a scuffle, then manage to get over their shit (sort of), so Stroud has some hope that they’ll all figure it out eventually. He just won’t be there to see it cuz he stays in the Fade, the self-sacrificing bastard.

[chronicbatfictioner]

Exchanges and Compromises - Chapter 17

Jason was having the time of his life.

Dick was sure of it. He might grump and sulk a lot more than before, but Dick was sure that he was having fun. Sure, guarding Damian might be a little more than tasking, after a while - especially since Damian was so certain that he could face Bane alone if it comes down to it, conveniently ignoring the fact that: a. he's ten and practically one-tenth of Bane's size; b. the Waynes most likely would detest having to clear intestines off the marble floor if Damian were to be let near a katana and/or Bane, and c. Alfred definitely would detest cleaning intestines or parts of Damian off the floor or walls.

And d. Bruce Wayne seemed to actually enjoy having Damian around and has no qualm in talking to Damian as if he was twice his age. Bruce's age, that is. Not Damian's. Dick suspected that Bruce has spent a lot of time talking to 60-year-olds.

But there were numerous forms of excitement that were offered by the Wayne Manor. First and foremost were the cars. Dick has never learned to drive - being a Talon kind of impeded the learning process of 'common human things'. Jason, however, was an excellent driver. He had mentioned something about being a getaway driver in warzones, and Dick couldn't be sure if he was telling the truth or joking. Either way, he rather enjoyed it whenever he and Jason had to take Damian somewhere in town.

Except for today, as somebody seemed to have tampered with the car.

It wouldn't brake, and they were cruising really, really fast.

Hence Dick's belief that Jason was having fun. He did not look perturbed at the slightest as he controlled the car, swerving crazily over the backroads, making sharp u-turns instead of going into the city roads and went back where they came from. Within a mile from the Drake House's gate, Jason finally managed to cut down the speed to the point where the car's engines died and it rolled to a stop. On the Drake House's gate.

"Seriously, people," Tim remarked dryly as they walked in - leaving the car at the gate and settling their respective adrenaline back down. "I've heard of visiting the neighbors, but must you be like, dying and/or damaging people's property before you come here to say hi?"

"The car was tampered with," Damian reported. "Must be the brute. And I shall replace your gate, Drake."

"I think I'm down to like, eight lives. No-- seven." Dick admitted, "my heart's still beating a hundred miles per minute. Good thing, though, at least that way I know I'm quite alive."

"Dick, you're a bird. Not a cat." Tim deadpanned. His eyes never leaving Jason, who had lit up a cigarette as he walked through the house. "Since when do you smoke?"

"Since I was eleven," Jason replied. "And since I walked into a house that has laser triggers that were set up by a lunatic. Smoke worked to reveal them all."

"I'm... partially scowling because smoking kills. But I suppose laser triggers would kill faster..." Tim replied.

"The lasers are used to trigger booby traps just about Damian's height. If he were to be a common kid and run around the house, he'd be decapitated within the first few days." Jason continued bitterly. "What the fuck is wrong with that giant lump of steroids, anyway? He was ready to kill a child!"

"The nutshell version is that the child would prevent his usurping the Waynes' wealth." Tim pointed out. "The long version is that I don't think he's really the child of Dr Wayne, the Waynes know of it, and they're literally being held hostage in their own home. Also, you people are being watched, too, by drones. I've asked Harper to kill those drones for entering my property."

Tim then explained Bruce's visit and the USB. "Oracle has contacted him and told him we... the Birds, that is - are investigating the evidence."

"How long until we can punch the asshole out of the house for good?" Jason demanded, accepting a bottle of water Tim handed him. Slowly and gently. Making sure his fingers brushed Tim's. And Dick had to swallow a grin.

"That, unfortunately, would be up to the GCPD. Did you guys saw the news? Vicky Vale's article on Damian?" Tim... preened a little, waving his hair as he walked away from Jason. Dick's lips itched, he wondered if Barbara or the other girls -- if Selina or Dinah have noticed this. The two were definitely flirting.

"I have seen it. It had good pictures of my mother and grandfather, and quite... adequate descriptions of both of them." Damian replied. "Evidently father has made a comment to the writer about me looking like him when he was my age."

"Well, you kind of do look like him, except for the green eyes." Dick pointed out. Bruce's eyes were blue - like both his parents. But from the photos of little Brucie around the house, Dick could see a little of Martha Wayne in Damian's still-round face. "When did Bruce make the comment?"

"Oh, Vale called him." Tim snickered. "She still has his personal number, and she commented something about hearing a - quote: 'constipated buffalo sounds in the background' - unquote. She was also wondering if Bruce was in a bullfighting ring somewhere."

"Seriously?" Dick laughed.

"Seriously. Even Barbara couldn't stop laughing hearing that." Tim assured him. Jason rolled his eyes but looking amused, anyway.

"Sooo... a possible off-road accident for the apparent heir is in the books?" Jason suggested.

"I won't put it past Bane. Damian...?" Tim started. But Damian already nodded in acknowledgment.

"I shan't eat anything that is not presented by Todd or Grayson, nor will I frolic the manor on my own. This shall be more to bear witness to your insinuation of my 'child-like' behavior than to take care of me, Drake, as I am quite capable of sustaining my own life." Damian scoffed.

Tim paused visibly for a good two seconds, before nodding, "of course. Furthermore, I can assure you that Alfred is safe, mainly because as a butler, his focal interest would be the actual Waynes. That's in his training - unless an offspring is publicly announced, they are not to be cared for by the Butler. In Wayne Manor, the proverbial child would solely be Bruce - for obvious reasons, and Damian, whom Bruce has publicly acknowledged." Tim explained.

"He was in MI6," Jason remarked. "Alfred, that is. Not Bane. It would be safe to say he's loyal. He told me of the booby traps and that Bane has a daily dose of injection of the steroid-like substance. But I-- we shall prepare you emergency rations - just in case, anyway."

"You guys can always drop by here. And don't think that Damian would be Bane's only target." Tim reminded. "If I was him, I'd take out the big guns - that is you two - first; and then Bruce, because he'll want to be protective of his son; and then Dr and Mrs Wayne last."

"Then I'm afraid you are forgetting one of the members of the household that is most dangerous, Master Tim," a voice spoke; Jason pulled out his gun, Damian automatically hid behind him while pulling out a small dagger.

Dick wanted to lunge right toward the source of the voice until he realized that it was Alfred Pennyworth, both hands raised up to show that he was unarmed.

"How...?" Jason growled, "I didn't hear the front door open."

"Apologies, gentlemen. I should have informed you that there is an underground passageway between the two houses that were once used frequently, but now has all been forgotten." Alfred explained. "You were right that I was in MI6, Jason; as you were right that my focus will and forever shall remain the true Wayne blood, Master Tim. Not ones who claimed as such and refused to provide irrefutable evidence."

"Does Bane know of this passageway?" Tim asked.

"It is located in the staff's wing, and as he is not permitted to be there, I sincerely doubt it," Alfred replied. "I have my own... booby traps and surveillance that should tell me if anyone has been there." he smiled. "I am aware that both of you have prowled the entire house at one point or the other in the past few weeks." he nodded toward Jason and Dick. "You were stealthy, indeed."

"But not stealthy enough?" Dick quipped. "I gotta go back to training... Anyway, why are you here?"

"I saw your vehicle's mishap and its stop here. If anything, Bane is not... stealthy enough." Alfred pulled out a small memory card. "To get to the garage, one must pass the servants' hall. And the garage is my province."

Tim accepted the memory card, plugged it into his cellphone; and then projected its content to a wall. "Huh... this should be enough evidence of tampering..." Tim commented. The memory card showed a clear date stamp - that morning, a few hours before Bane and the Waynes left the house. It also showed Bane himself, jacking the car that was now resting with a dented bumper at Tim's gate, while holding a plier.

"Anyone watching our car now?" Dick commented. "Won't be cool to have it suddenly fixed, will it?"

"Harper should be. Plus, y'all are on my property. If he trespasses, I'll have his ass arrested." Tim huffed. "So... if anyone has ideas--" Jason and Damian's eyes lit up; Tim glared at them and continued "--that do not include sharp and/or exploding objects of how to remove Bane from the Manor..."

"I'm fresh out," Jason replied mournfully. "No sharp objects, no exploding objects... what do you expect me to do? Poison him?"

"But Todd, did my mother not teach you the arts of food as medicine?" Damian piped up.

The sudden silence as all eyes landed on Alfred was quite ominous.

"I will not conduct a crime, young masters," Alfred remarked dryly.

"Oh nooo... not a crime," Jason grinned mischievously. "It's just... you know that Damian was born in the Middle East, yeah?"

"I may have quite a culinary skill, but I fear that my Middle Eastern cuisine knowledge is rather limited," Alfred said demurely.

"Well, mine isn't." Jason grinned. "Besides, what else should one do to celebrate one's entrance into such a distinguished family; but hold a family dinner?"

"You're going to poison him." Dick groaned.

"Not to death!" Jason protested. Dick gave him an unimpressed glare. "Just... to the point where he would realize that he and I have opposing objectives."

"Do let me know of the ingredients you require, Jason." Alfred intoned. "Or perhaps you prefer to shop on your own? I shall fetch a new, un-tampered-with vehicle."

"Oh, please do, Alfred. I doubt we can make a single trip. But they will be fun." Jason replied, grinning.

Dick knew that the sense of foreboding was not in him only. Tim looked like he was contemplating moving away to Alaska.

"For the records, I don't know anything about cooking," Dick said defensively.

"I'm... truly and fully reconsidering my life choices," Tim admitted.

"Oh, don't worry, Drake. Todd was trained by the best," Damian grinned mischievously. "I pity the fools who think him as a brute. I pity the brute who think that small equals weak."

[alyss01]

|[It's a family business]|

[comfy cartel x reader]

Part 4/ finale

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[part 1] [part 2] [part 3] [part 4]

Genre: mafia AU/ action

Word count: 4K

Requested: no

To request: it's possible to request for the comfy cartel, for one character in the comfy cartel setting or just the whole, the requests are open!

Synopsis: Corpse joins the cartel, and soon you accompany him, together with Rae, Lily, Sykunno and Toast to a new opening casino to deal with some unpaid debt.

Warnings: violence, murder, crimes, blood, fighting, gunfire, shooting

A/n: I can't believe this is the end of this small series. It's been fairly small but I'm so proud of myself for finishing this and keeping it small. Honestly this chapter could have been divided in two but I just wanted to finish it for everyone. This started as a one shot idea and progressed into so much more so I didn't want to leave everyone hanging. Thank you everyone that has supported this! Enjoy!

Masterlist

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"the place is getting flooded with security." Micheal's eyes scanned the screens that displayed the security cameras that hung around the building. He was the only one that could watch them as empty hallways were displayed for the actual security of the building to hide your whereabouts.

Toast walked in front and led the way, the gun still positioned in his hand as he carefully kept his eyes on the hallway in front of him.

Sykunno walked behind him, providing a second pair of eyes in case Toast missed something, anything.

Similarly to the entire night, Corpse stood by your side, his sleeves pulled up to above his elbows as the gun hadn't left his gloved hand.

Lily and Rae guarded your back, carefully keeping their eyes on the empty hallway behind you to make sure no one showed up unexpectedly in your back.

Gun shots occasionally echoed through the building, the amount of bodies you passed increased as the time passed.

Toast's reflexes were fast, clipping in a new load of bullets in his hand gun as he tossed the empty one aside. He didn't allow anyone in your way a bare second to even pull their own trigger.

If they came with more than one, Sykunno was right beside him. The two worked together perfectly, seemingly reading each other's mind as they shot in perfect sync.

More than once you could see Lily and Rae turn around behind you as they shot their own gun before turning back around to follow your little group.

The amount of people that came at once increased, each side hallway checked roughly before moving on.

"There's a large group heading your way from your direct front. You'll have to pass them to access the stairs, the elevators aren't working."

"How many?" Rae's words were stern as she fired her gun to the area behind your group. You could see Corpse's hand clench around the gun as he watched the situation around him.

He didn't like this, getting caught in a trap with limited freedom of movement and unknowing from which side he'd be attacked from next. He was new to working as a team, only having started to do it since he joined the cartel a small month back. Getting caught in these type of situations made him anxious.

"I'm unsure, probably 15, each heavily armed." You could hear Toast groan in front of you as you spoke, "they're late, we've already done our job, why are they only coming now?"

Micheal sighed as the continuous typing continued, "if i had to guess, they wanted to confirm identities first and then engage, you must've been faster than they expected."

It was one of the few times when you had seen Micheal as serious as he was now, the speed of the typing increased as he spoke up once more, "they'll reach you in a few minutes."

Toasts brow was furrowed as thoughts shot through his head to figure out how to deal with this situation accordingly. They had nothing to shield them in the empty hallway, getting inside a room could lead to potentially trapping yourself in. They were definitely with too many to take down without casualties.

"Are there any routes to avoid them completely?" Toast asked sternly as he guided your group into a side hallway before leaning to the side back into the original hallway before gunshots echoed through the space.

"There is one, but they'll go there straight if they won't find you here and they'll catch you right in front of the stairs."

"If we run?" Lily asked for the first time since you had gotten into this situation as Rae gave her a look from the side.

Micheal scoffed, "are you Usain Bolt?"

Toast squinted his eyes as a plan formed in his mind. It was risky, but not impossible. It was a guess, a liability, but it wouldn't be impossible. It was a gamble.

A fifty fifty.

"Y/n how fast can you run?" You furrowed your eyebrows at Toast's serious question, "not as fast as Usain Bolt if that's your question."

He nodded his head, nodding towards Corpse and Sykunno as he spoke, "you two go with her to the stairs with the other route, Rae, Lily and I will be right on your heels after taking care of these guys."

Your eyes narrowed as you watched Toast, your voice silent as the words left your mouth, "you're sure?"

He gave you a small disarming smile, one which you looked right through. You had known him for a long time. Through ups and downs in and outside of the cartel. You could see the nerves he hid behind the small smile like no other.

You returned it, a small smile tugging on the corners of your lips as you nodded. You couldn't stand still any longer, time was precious.

Nodding at him you spoke, "then I'll see you outside." He gave you a small nod in return as he held out his gun, ready for whatever would come at him in the next minutes, "I'll see you there."

Despite feeling like time had stilled, you needed to go. Rae gave you an encouraging smirk, and Lily gave you a small but reassuring smile as you pulled your heels off, holding them in one hand as you gathered your dress out of your way with the other as you ran off with Corpse and Sykunno.

Micheal guided you through the building, within a few more minutes you could hear the noises of gunshots echoing through the building before they reached your ear piece.

You could feel anxiety bubble in your chest but ignored it as you moved through the building with the two males by your side.

Toast's reflexes were what saved him in the heat of the moment, yanking one of the security men to the ground before shooting him in his head and pulling his rifle from his fading grip.

Rae smirked as she shot the approaching men, hiding behind the corner of the wall as she got fired at before leaning forwards once more and firing her a few times and pulling back once more.

One of them approached under the cover of his colleagues fire, attempting to round their corner with his gun to deal unthinkable damage.

Instead he was met with a knife slitting his throat as Rae passed the gun to Lily who swiftly started to aid Toast's antics as she fired the device with expertise.

When she joined the cartel, it was never meant for her to fight like this. The dirty jobs would get taken care off by Toast and the others. It was before most of the cartel had joined, the early and green days of the organization.

"Don't worry. You'll be the comfy front, we'll manage whatever dirty business there is, you won't have to concern yourself with that." Toasts words had reassured her back then.

A small smile played on her lips as the gun shook in her hold. As the cartel had grown, similarly to you, she couldn't be kept away from the flames.

Beside her, Toast looked at his two companions as they worked together, frequent teamwork resulting in the perfect work they displayed. Together they were quick and efficient. He was glad to have them by his side now.

You hurried down the stairs, one hand grabbing Corpse's as he guided you up the steps hurriedly. Sykunno stood in front of you, checking the top of the stairs to make sure the coast was clear.

"Soon we'll return to the ground level." Corpse spoke, obviously hinting to your appearance, walking bare feet, part of your dress in your hand to keep it out of the way of your feet.

The three of you wouldn't mingle with the common visitors of the casino, instead taking the hallways around the main lobby to reach an emergency exit.

That didn't mean it wasn't an area where you wouldn't meet regular customers as they explored the ground levels of the building.

As you reached the ground floor you brushed the hair our of your face, smoothed out your dress for a second and set your heels on the floor as you stepped in them. As long as you seemed like a normal visitor for the grand opening, people would believe it.

Both Sykunno and Corpse hid their guns from sight as you stepped out of the door leading to the mass of staircases.

Corpse offered his arm to you as his eyes scanned the hallway, Sykunno peacefully walking on your other side, his nerves on edge as the familiar adrenaline rushed through his veins. His senses heightened as his heart raced with the thrill of the job.

The hallways were grand on this level, luxuriously decorated to suit the expensive atmosphere of the casino. Unlike the business setting of the other floors except the ground and second floor, it was grand and allowed for freedom of movement.

Big bright windows decorated one side of the wall. Beautiful and elegant to the naked eye but your trained eyes could easily spot the thick bullet proof glass the windows were made off.

The hallway was quiet, maybe even suspiciously so as you heard the distant but loud music from the lobby.

The lighting here matched the lighting of the lobby, a stark difference against the bright spaces of the other floors, it was dimly lit as the night crawled on.

You could hear a relieved sigh over your ear piece as you continued to walk, Toast confidently announcing he was on your tail as he would soon follow your little group.

The situation didn't permit for you to wait for them as you continued on. But you couldn't ignore the relieved sigh that left your throat, or how Sykunno's face seemed to clear up at the words.

Corpse's expression was hard to read with the mask, but his body language told you he too was glad with the success.

Maybe it was because in that small moment of relief you had slipped off guard to your surroundings.

Corpse stiffened beside you as Sykunno protectively stepped in front of you. A small group wearing expensive suits and long flowy dresses stepped out of one of the doors, their eyes locking with yours immediately told you it was not a coincidence that you met them.

Your feeling had been correct when you realized it was too silent. Now you couldn't help it as the group came closer, and even in the dim lighting you could see the guns in their hands.

They weren't pointed at you yet, as if they needed something else instead of a simple and clean kill.

Something seemed to click in your mind, as if the puzzle pieces finally aligned to show you the true picture. You realized what the man's words had truly meant in the vault, you had walked straight into their trap, giving them a chance to capture you and hit right on one of the few weak spots the cartel had.

The first bullet was yours, flying through the hall as it connected with one's skull. Sykunno and Corpse were immediate to follow your lead, they were fast as the bullets flew from your weapons.

They started to fire back, only as expected, the difference between you and them was that you didn't try to avoid fatal shots.

You scoffed as you realized that you truly had walked straight into this carefully laid out trap, where your target had only been the bait. The group was relatively small, consisting of five people who were quickly taken down by your fast bullets.

They were quickly wiped out, yet you could only call yourself lucky to not have been injured.

You took a second to catch your breath as you returned the heated gun to it's holster, pulling your hand through your hair as you turned to Sykunno, the frown on his face evident that he reached the same conclusion you had.

"Sykunno, you'll check if the emergency exit is even opened in the first place. Toast will catch up soon enough and we need to be certain of our escape route before continuing." You knew he didn't want to follow your order, but he knew it was necessary so ensure your escape out of this building.

Toast's voice could be heard through your earpiece as he spoke, "we'll be able to catch up in about 10 minutes if we continue moving as we are right now. Sykunno you'll check the exit as instructed and Corpse you are not to leave her side under any circumstances. Keep moving."

Sykunno responded that he had understood, trying his best to give you a small reassuring smile that didn't manage to reach his eyes in the current situation. He turned around and ran through the corridor, Micheal in your ear guiding him through the building as you continued with just Corpse by your side.

It wasn't hard to see that the male beside you was on edge as he walked, his eyes scanning the area like a hawks as you moved forward.

It didn't seem like you were the only three that got held up by a group of seemingly regular guests. Toast's group soon encountered their own struggle only futher solidyfing that this had been a thought out plan all along. 

It took a few a small ten minutes for Sykunno to have reached the exit, confirming it was open. He considered returning to your and Corpse's side, but instead Toast ordered him to go to Micheal's van and drive it as close to the emergency exit as possible. You didn't have the luxury to walk another fifteen minutes to reach the vehicle right now. 

Toast, Rae and Lily had successfully taken down the group they encountered, announcing they were hot on your heels once more as they closed in their distance. 

It felt as if you could breathe freely at the good news. A weight lifted off your shoulders as this nightmarish nighted seemed to come to an end as you closed in on the exit. 

So close to the exit that you could practically feel the breeze from outside, it felt as if your fingertips could graze the door despite the distance still between you and the door. Beside you Corpse too became relaxed, knowing that this would be it for this task, knowing he was so close to coming out if this unscathed. 

You had to admit, the growing relief accomapanied with the naiveness that the end of this task brought probably made the final attack, a stray last attempt that had hid in the dark, all the more surprising. 

Corpse noticed it as soon as you were pulled backwards from his side. A heavy weight on your throat as you felt someone tighten the muscles on his arm that had wrapped around it from behind when you fell backwards. 

Instinctively, Corpse's gun was pointed right at the person's head, who held their own gun to your temple as their arm clenched around your throat. You had fallen backwards in their hold, legs bent in attempt to keep yourself up and relieve the ever growing stress on your throat. 

Corpse could see the redness in your face grow, a result of the lack of oxygen that reached your lungs. Micheal watched with wide eyes over the camera's you paid his voice in your ear no mind as he explained the situation at Toast who only grew more anxious as the precious seconds passed, breaking out in a sprint. 

Your hands clawed at the arms, who seemingly paid it no mind. The adrenaline in your veins demanded oxygen as not even the scream stuck in your throat reached the air. In the haze of the situation you could see another figure slowly approach Corpse from his back. His mind raced to find a solution to get you out of this person's hold, resulting that he didn't notice his own attacker approaching from behind, a mere knife seemingly the only weapon they carried. 

A plan bubbled up in your mind. 

Closing your eyes and releasing the grip on the man's arm, you allowed your body to give in as it went limp, your speedy hand ripping the knife beside the holster stripped on your thigh loose. 

In that same movement you stepped back, the sharp heel of your hellish heels you had worn that night driving into the top of the person's foot as they loosened their hold on you for a small second. It was enough for you to pull yourself out of the hold, ducking to the ground out of the way of the gun as you twisted your upper body and cleanly sliced through the clothing of the person to reach their skin and cut into their stomach. 

As you turned back to Corpse, you could see his widened eyes, his gun pointed to the man on the ground who raised his gun at you from his position on the ground and cleanly shooting a bullet straight through his heart. Despite that he was still blissfully unaware of the figure sneaking up on him, who now jumped closer to take advantage of the current action. 

Your arm instinctively pulled back, twisting the knife in your hold as you threw the weapon at Corpse, barely missing him as it hit his attacker in the arm in which he held the knife. Now you were forever grateful of the lessons self defense Rae had given you over the years. 

Corpse turned around in surprise, dodging the falling knife that his attacker once held as he fired his gun once more. Ending another life that night. 

You sat on the ground, eyes teary as coughs wrecked your body when the sweet oxygen filled your lungs. Corpse stepped closer to you, both of you splattered with blood, although thankfully it wasn't your own. Toast's worried voice filled your ears as Corpse told him you were alright. 

Your coughing wrecked through your body as your hands found themselves at your throat. You struggled to find your breath for short while, Corpse by your side as he watched the surroundings, allowing you precious time to regain your breath.

He offered his hand, pulling you up as you walked those last few meters to the exit. 

At the end of the narrow alleyway the exit lead to, stood a familair white van, Sykunno walking towards the two of you as he opened the side on the vehicle. 

Holding Corpse's arm, you climbed into the van. He followed you quickly, and as he did you could hear the door of the exit get slammed open as Toast ran out of the building first.

Barely a minute later followed Rae and Lily. Crossing through the alley and climbing into the vehicle as Sykunno sat behind the wheel. Micheal sat in the passenger seat as he typed on his laptop.

"So who's informing Yvonne of this?" Toast asked as you looked at the exhausted smile on his face. Sykunno started driving and guiding you away from the casino.

Leaning into your seat, you groaned, "Lily? Can you do it?" It was almost like a whine as you brushed your hair out of your face.

She looked at you, a small relieved smile on her face as she held her phone, "I'll do it, as long as I don't have to explain to the Don how you came to look like that." A small chuckle escaping her throat with the words.

You realized what she meant as your eyes widened, looking at the obvious crimson that stained your dress and arms. A sigh left your throat as you started to think of excuses to explain your appearance.

With your mind lost in thought, and Lily conversing with Yvonne, you failed to notice how Corpse beside you had taken off his suit jacket and handed it to you.

"It'll hide the stains." He spoke as you looked at him, curiously raising your eyebrow, "it'll get stained with blood."

A small chuckle left his throat, and you couldn't help but smile at the sound, "it wouldn't be the first time."

You nodded and silently thanked him as you wrapped the piece of clothing around your shoulders. It was horribly oversized on your form but you didn't mind it, if anything it provided extra warmth.

Corpse smiled silently at the sight, the gesture hidden by his mask as you leant backwards in your seat once more, huddled in the warmth of Corpse's jacket.

•••

It had been a few days since completing the task at the casino, and although you managed to keep the events of the night partially hidden for Scarra, he had undoubtedly figured out parts of what happened.

Despite that Corpse's jacket had indeed been enough to cover up the state of your appearance from Scarra who had gone to greet you as you returned.

Now you knew you'd be stuck at the cartel for at least a while longer as Scarra refused that you'd go out into the field once more after last time.

You figured you could at least do so much to keep your brother's mind at ease. Besides that you had more than enough to do to keep the exact events of the casino hidden from the government.

Naturally bodies had been found, yet nothing could be traced back to the cartel, everything hidden perfectly as you pulled the strings from behind the scenes.

The building and it's interior had been successfully transferred to the cartel as the official loanshark of the man.

In the end, everything had worked out.

"So, how have you been getting used to the cartel?" You asked, leaning back into the chair as you took a sip of your drink, watching Corpse on the other side of the grand table.

He shrugged his shoulders, "it's been different," his signature mask back on his face instead of the black facemask he had worn at the casino.

You raised your eyebrows in question as you looked at him, "different? Cause you're not used to working with others?"

Somewhere you remember reading that in his file barely an hour before he first entered the cartel.

Nodding his head, he looked at you, silent but with furrowed brows as he watched you. As if something bothered him.

"What's bothering you?" The words had left your mouth before you even realized it. He leaned on the side of his chair as his eyes narrowed at you,

"That night, why didn't you wait for me to have figured out the situation? He could've shot you as soon as you moved." Something clicked in your head as he spoke. He was bothered by that accident barely before you had reached the exit.

A small smile formed on your face, "I could see his companion sneak up behind you. If i hadn't done anything then he would've reached you before you could've done anything."

There still was a furrow in his eyebrows and a crease in his forehead as the words left your mouth. The smile on your face turned more genuine and gentle as you leant forward on the table.

"The cartel is like my family. Now that you've joined, you're part of that family too," a genuine smile that reached his eyes could be seen as you continued.

"This cartel," you gestured to everything around you,

"it's a family business."

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Comfy cartel tag list; @another-fantasy-world, @and-claudia, @lo-manburg, @stickystrawberrysyrup, @in-fucking-deed, @jadesbabylon, @victoria-a567

If i missed anyone, if you want to be added or removed from this taglist, please message me!

[noirandchocolate]

All right, since I was asked very nicely by a couple people when I complained in general about how Americans don’t get properly taught about their own Constitutional rights, here is a post explaining why, in the US, jurors are not permitted to do their own research outside the courtroom (even if they think something a witness said might be incorrect or ‘wrong’).

The Fifth Amendment to the US Constitution states that a person may not be deprived of her life, liberty, or property “without due process of law.”  More specifically, the Sixth Amendment guarantees a criminal defendant the right to a trial by “an impartial jury,” and the right to be “confronted with the witnesses against him.” 

The “impartial jury” rule has been interpreted to mean, among other things, that the jury must make its decision based solely on the evidence presented in court, and that the verdict must not be tainted by outside influences.  The “witness confrontation” rule also comes into play with this topic, as I’ll explain below.  But basically, the short answer to the question “why can’t jurors do their own research?” is “because the Constitution says they can’t, and the Constitution is the supreme law of the land.”  But that doesn’t explain WHY that’s the rule, and is therefore unsatisfying, so here’s some good reasons why a criminal defendant shouldn’t want jurors to be able to consider things outside the evidence presented at their trial!

1)  Publicity--One of the major things jurors are instructed not to look at while a trial is ongoing is news media.  Why?  Because news outlets are not forbidden from reporting about ongoing criminal matters (First Amendment!), and exposure to such publicity can jeopardize the impartiality of a juror.  Let’s say you are charged with robbing a convenience store, and your trial has just started.  A news reporter posts an article online about the robbery.  It has a pretty sensational headline, something like “Father of Two Threatened with Gun in Convenience Store Holdup.”  A juror hearing your case, let’s call him Rick, is curious about the location of the store, and googles its name.  The news article comes up and Rick sees this headline.  Oh, wow, the cashier has kids?  He was threatened?  It was a “holdup”?  That sounds terrible!!  Humans are very susceptible creatures and can be swayed by all kinds of things.  Would you, the defendant, want Rick to read that headline, much less the article giving out a bunch of details that haven’t (yet, or ever) been revealed in court?  Would you trust Rick to listen to your side of the story, and base his decision in your case on the evidence in court, after reading such inflammatory things about the incident?

Many times, very high-profile cases are moved out of the jurisdiction where they would normally be tried, because the local area has been inundated with pretrial publicity making it difficult to find jurors who haven’t heard about the case and formed some kind of opinion, conscious or unconscious, about it.  Keeping a sitting jury from being exposed to media publicity during a trial is just as important.

2) Right to Confront Witnesses--As stated above, the Sixth Amendment guarantees this.  What does it mean?  That the prosecution must base its case on witness testimony and evidence that it puts before the jury in court, and you the defendant must be given a chance to cross-examine those witnesses about their testimony and the evidence presented, to call its truth into question, challenge whether it establishes all the elements of the crime you’re charged with, or otherwise poke holes in the case against you.  This is the reason hearsay evidence is barred unless one of a number of exceptions applies.  So what does that have to do with jurors doing outside research?

In our faux robbery trial, let’s say that juror Keisha thought there were some gaps or inconsistencies in the cashier’s testimony, so she looks him up online to see if he talked about being robbed on social media closer to when it happened.  Not only does she find his tweets from right after the incident, which bolster the story he told on direct examination (and that your counsel did their best to bash holes in during cross), she finds his cousin’s Facebook.  The cousin has an emotionally charged post about how the cashier came to her house sobbing after talking to police, and everything he told her about the robbery.  During deliberations, Keisha shares the tweets and the cousin’s post with the other jurors.  Now, wouldn’t you be mad if you found out that there was another witness against you in the case (the cousin) that you didn’t get a chance to question?  Wouldn’t you be upset to hear that the jurors were using the cashier’s tweets as evidence for your guilt, when the prosecutor didn’t present them in court and you didn’t get an opportunity to ask the cashier about them (and they may have been inadmissible, as discussed below)?  Your Sixth Amendment right to confrontation has been violated, because a juror did outside research!

3) Expert Witnesses--This is obviously linked with the last point.  When explaining evidence will involve some technical knowledge, the prosecution may present an “expert” witness to provide that background and knowledge.  Such an expert might or might not have any other link to the current case.  For example, where a gun is involved in a crime, a ballistics expert might be called to testify in general about bullet calibers, how guns work and how bullets can be matched to them, etc., and then may be asked to provide an expert opinion based on that knowledge--perhaps whether, after performing some examination, she believes a bullet fired into the floor of the convenience store during the robbery appears to “match” with a gun found in your home.  Before an expert witness may provide such testimony, both the prosecution and the defense will ask her questions about her qualifications as an expert, such as her education on the subject, whether she has any certifications in the field, whether she attends ongoing training to update her knowledge, things like that.  Then, the judge will make a finding whether the qualifications are sufficient for her to testify as an expert, and will tell the jury that it should consider those qualifications when deciding whether her opinion has any weight.

Now, for an example, let’s say juror Winn didn’t think the ballistics expert sounded very certain about matching the bullet to the gun police claim they found in your home, and is wondering how much weight  they should even give the witness’s testimony.  At home, they do a quick google search to see if the kind of gun police claim was at your house uses the type of bullet they found at the store.  They find a website listing many types of guns and bullets, read that the gun can indeed fire that type of bullet, and even see the site creator’s opinion that this kind of gun is an “assault weapon” and that those bullets are particularly damaging.  During deliberations, Winn tells the other jurors what they learned.  Whoops!  That website may have been used by the jury as an “expert witness,” despite the fact that its creator may only be a hobbyist gun enthusiast without formal education!  You didn’t get to question this mysterious person about their qualifications to speak about ballistics, you didn’t get to cross-examine their opinions...and you should really file an appeal if you’re convicted.

4) Inadmissible Evidence--Prior to any criminal trial, there will probably be at least some discussion (and motions) by your counsel and the prosecutor about whether certain evidence is admissible at trial.  For example, your lawyer might move to suppress your confession to police, because they used improper interrogation tactics or violated your Miranda rights.  Or, if you have a prior record, the State might try to submit evidence of your earlier convictions (a type of evidence that is highly prejudicial, because it makes it look like you’re “a criminal,” particularly if your prior conviction involves a similar offense to the one currently charged).  In fact, let’s go with that example.  Let’s say you have a prior conviction for assault, from several years ago.  The court rules that the prosecution may not bring up that conviction to make you look bad during their case.  However, if you choose to testify, the prosecutor will be allowed to ask you some basic information about it--its degree, and when it happened, but NOT what offense it was for--so the jury can assess the credibility of your testimony with the knowledge that you have broken the law before.  Maybe you choose to testify anyway, and that “sanitized” (a legal term) info is told to the jury.

Hearing that you had a prior conviction, Amir is curious, and searches for your name and the phrase “conviction.”  He finds the record of your conviction, which is public, and finds out it was for assault.  Well, the very information the court ruled inadmissible is soon shared with the whole jury, and several members now think of you not just as someone with some vague prior offense, but as someone who assaults people.  You know.  Like a robber does.  Alternatively, let’s say you decided not to testify, because you worried that the jury would find out you had a prior conviction and become biased against you.  So, the prosecutor wasn’t allowed to talk about the subject at all.  But Amir still wondered in general about what kind of person you are, so he still did his google search for your name and found out about your conviction anyway.  You gave up your chance to tell your side of the story, and the jury still discovered exactly what you wanted to hide! 

This point can also dovetail with the prior ones.  What if Amir found your mom’s blog post where she mentioned how you confessed the robbery to police, despite the fact that the judge ruled your confession inadmissible and the jury would otherwise have no idea it existed?  The jury now knows that you “confessed,” but since the confession was never discussed at trial you didn’t have a chance to cross-examine the cops that interrogated you about the subject.  So the jury doesn’t know they withheld food from you for hours and wouldn’t let you speak to your attorney.  As far as the jury knows, the cops did nothing wrong!  You didn’t get the chance to confront that evidence against you.

5) Mistakes or Misinformation--Seriously, a website might have a typo in it.  The problem can be as stupid and yet as vital as that.  Plenty of sites have agendas or viewpoints they’re trying to push, too.  Sure, a person testifying in court might lie (on pain of being found out and charged with perjury!) or make a mistake or not remember something correctly.  But it’s a really bad idea to add into that mix the chaos of internet research, when a criminal defendant’s liberty is on the line.  Jurors are expected to evaluate whether they think witnesses are credible based on what goes on in the courtroom.  Allowing them to “check” witness testimony online, using sites that might also not be credible at all, simply doesn’t make sense.  In court, at least a witness can be cross-examined.  You can’t cross-examine a juror’s Wikipedia trail.

6) Even Positive Stuff is Bad--Okay, you may be saying, but all these examples involve jurors discovering stuff that’s bad for me the hypothetical defendant.  What if a juror googles a cop witness and finds his racist tweets, hurting his credibility?  What if a witness lies about something, and a juror finds their Facebook where they told the real story?  What if a witness misstates something and a juror looks up a website that tells them the accurate facts?  That would help me!  I guess so, and the lack of prejudice to you the defendant’s constitutional rights might be taken into account if, say, the prosecutor finds out about these types of jury taint and moves for a mistrial.  But the government also has a strong interest in maintaining the integrity of a trial, and that will also be weighed.

In the end, the answer to the question “why don’t we let jurors do outside research” is “because your Constitutional right to a fair trial is so important.”  You shouldn’t be deprived of your liberty without due process, and due process includes the right to question, cross-examine, and call into question all of the evidence against you.  As a result, the verdict in your case needs to be based on the evidence officially presented in court during your trial, not whatever mishmash of sources the jury might discover outside.  Even though there might be the off chance that some juror’s research could help your side, there are so many ways you could be hurt by it.  If you were facing the possibility of several years in prison, would you want to take that chance, and have this key rule be changed?

[moonlit-imagines]

Headcanons for being Best Friends with Lila Pitts

Lila Pitts x reader

warnings: tua 2 spoilers! guns, knives, violence

a/n: 💖💖

prompt: @cullens-stuff: “Can I request a HC of being bffs with Lila? Please and thank you! You have a Lovely day!”

you were the child of a commission member

ironically, a commission member that the handler could. not. stand.

you and lila snuck around a whole lot during your childhood

but the handler always found out one way or another

i mean, you weren’t “special” like lila, but you were of use to the handler since you and lila got close

“i might as well train the both of you”

“really?! that would be amazing!”

“yes, it would. especially since it gives me an excuse to shoot you”

“you won’t regret this!”

“sweetie, i don’t regret anything”

you and lila just trying to be kids in such a tough environment

“wanna sneak out for a bit? try something new?”

“uhhh, depends? what year is it again?”

stealing candy from the handler’s desk

and anywhere else you may find candy

there was an abundance of candy at the commission, kinds from different time periods

training with lila was very stressful at first

“why dont you keep up, y/n?!”

“im trying! tell you mom that i don’t want a bullet in my leg!”

“if i do, she’ll aim higher!”

laying in the grass and taking a breather

occasionally the handler permits a sleepover

but only at her house and most of it is off-limits

better than nothing?

you have access to any and all programs and movies ever created

“pick a year, any year”

“uhhh, nineteen-seventy......five!”

“how do you feel about wonder woman?”

“count me in!”

lila wasn’t allowed to have popcorn

dont ask me why i just feel like she wasn’t allowed

tbh she probably wasn’t allowed to have candy either, that’s why you guys constantly snatched it up

you went on missions before her because you were “disposable”

lila got very jealous

“i just don’t understand why my mum would clear you for missions, but wont let her own daughter do an ounce of work!”

“i mean...she’s pretty protective of you. really sorry, lila, wish you could come along”

“no, it’s alright. i’m not mad at you, just be careful”

“psh, what am i, an amateur?”

her wanting to know every detail of your missions when you get back

“did you stab anyone? shoot? punch? maim? tell me all of it, please!”

and you always did, and she was always at the edge of her seat for it

she really did wish that she were there, too, though

“god, i wish my mum would trust me to go on a real mission someday, it’s not fair that you get to see all the action”

“give it time, lila, she’ll come around”

lila and you were together when you found out that the handler had been shot in the head

“oh, god. what am i going to do without her?”

“hey, dont think like that”

suddenly finding out that a bullet to the head wasn’t enough to kill that crazy lady

visiting the handler in the hospital during her recovery

she wasn’t happy to see you

but its okay :,)

lila finally got a mission! well, sort of

it wasn’t an official commission objective, but it was given by the former handler

and you got to be in on it!

“when and where are we going?”

“dallas, texas. 1963”

“any idea why?”

being separated from lila

but visiting in the asylum for updates

you met with other hargreeves siblings

*searched for

they weren’t very available

luther was working for a...dangerous man. no more dangerous than yourself, really. you could end him in a swift second.

diego was lila’s mark

allison was working in a hair salon, you’d be on your way there soon enough

klaus was leading a fucking cult, it would be difficult to get close to him

five, still nowhere to be seen

ben...still dead

vanya was difficult to track down, but there were a few missing ads popping up in the papers that fit her description. check back later

lila calling you up later to let you know she was out of the asylum

the story at elliott’s: “lila, oh, my god! when did you finally get out, i was so worried about you! i was just about to go visit you again. this must be that ‘diego’ you were telling me about”

“oh—you, you told them about me?”

making buddy-buddy with diego for the operation

teasing lila about him cuz you could tell she was starting to like him

“be quiet, y/n! let’s keep things professional”

“yeah, right! tell that to yourself!”

scheming

the good ol’ scheme team

yeah

having to cover for each other pretty often

“five knows”

“what?! how?”

“mum told him”

“what?? is she trying to get us killed?”

situation is weird, me no likey

watching diego and her get ~closer~

“awe, you two are soooo cute”

“cut that out”

to diego: “if you hurt my best friend, she’ll kill you”

“oh, i don’t doubt it for a second”

after the handler got what she wanted (AJ the fish), the mission was just about done

the commission got all wacky and you were starting to get a lot more cautious

lila got promoted!!

“y/n, what would you think about a security job?”

“i dont know...i mean, i’m already an field operative”

“and a damn good one! what if i brought diego in to be on my security team?”

she fuckin did

“i dont know, lila, can we trust him?”

“of course we can trust him!”

lila saw the report on her parents

something felt off about the whole thing, though...lila said her parents were killed in an armed robbery, so why did the handler lie all these years? and why was the handler there to take lila in?

final battle-type thing

it was interesting, indeed

all the agents in the same place

something just didn’t feel right

you were, of course, shielded from the blast

and got to see lila’s powers up-close

five explained some things in between the fighting that started to make sense of the whole thing

“lila, maybe we should listen to him?”

“no! he killed my parents and i’m gonna kill him”

“yikes”

you ended up trying to pull her away from all this, but she knocked you away

you ended up watching diego try and help her, which was a bit heartwarming tbh

until the handler shot you all

(new timeline)

until the handler was shot and you were all saved

before you could even get to lila, she time-traveled away and you were left with the umbrella academy

you ended up going back with dot and herb to fix up the commission a bit

until next time, i guess

taglist: @alwaysananglophile // @cullens-stuff // lotsoffandomrecs // @takethebladeawayfromme //

[gracelessmeredithgrace]

Since you don’t believe people should own weapons, which is enshrined in our constitution, do you feel you should live somewhere where guns are more heavily regulated? Would you move to Canada or Mexico since you think they are doing things better than America?

I don’t think any of this was a genuine question, and more a rephrased version of the tired “if you don’t like it, get out of my ’Murcia” rhetoric, but here we go anyway :)

1. I never said I don’t believe people should own weapons.

2. I’m assuming that by “enshrined in our constitution” you are referring to the second amendment.

Let’s ignore for a minute that the constitution was intended to be a living document open to change as needed (as evidenced by the very existence of amendments as well as the process to repeal amendments) because I don’t think we need to change or remove the second amendment to have reasonable discussions about gun control.

What people entrenched in toxic gun culture in this country love to ignore about the second amendment is the beginning that refers to “a well regulated militia.”

Right to gun ownership was never meant to be about every single person owning absolutely any gun they wanted to with no oversight whatsoever. Regulations were always part of it. (Especially considering the over 200 years of innovations that have happened since the amendment’s ratification creating weapons the writers could have never anticipated.)

We can have have gun ownership coexist with responsible regulations.

3. Speaking of regulations, it’s great that you bring up Canada because they have some fantastic common sense regulations such as:

Permits/licenses

Acquisition certificates

Required safety training

Background checks

Excluding people with a history of violence from gun ownership

Gun registries

Limits on magazine capacity

Limits on what types of guns can be owned

Laws on gun modifications and devices

Waiting periods

Laws about safe gun storage

I think all of these are great examples the US could take note of. I think limits on the number of guns someone can own would also be something to consider for both countries. 😊

To answer your question: I would love to live in a country where gun violence and accidents were not constants, where school shootings were the stuff of nightmares and horror movies rather than a very real threat that I had to sit through drills for, where blood money couldn’t sway politicians to ignore the issues, where people don’t consider gun ownership a personality trait, where I can point out how ridiculous gun culture has gotten without being told I should get out.

I would love for the United States to be that country, but if it refuses to be I’m open to a change of scenery.

[athenaquinn]

Bury It || Ally & Athena

TIMING: Current (today) LOCATION: The middle of a forest in White Crest PARTIES: @alejandra-solano and @athenaquinn SUMMARY: Ally and Athena run into a spriggan. Everything is fine. CONTENT: very brief allusions to physical and emotional abuse

Even after everything, there was still a certain peace Athena felt in the woods. Peace and a sense of power. It was somewhere where she could take control and where she could deal with things however she saw fit without having to worry about other people. Usually, at least. Except for some hikers here and there, but Athena also often found her way into more secluded parts of the forest. Today’s venture was somewhere in the middle ground - not so secluded that she was all but guaranteed to be alone, but also not somewhere that she knew many hikers would be going. Especially as the Maine weather began to tease the coming of a proper spring, she knew she’d have to be more mindful of humans when she went out on her hunts. She felt goosebumps run up her arm, then - and so she scanned the clearing, trying to figure out where it was coming from. Eastward, she thought, if she let herself concentrate enough. Another benefit of not many people being around was that it was easier to locate. Rolling her shoulders, Athena began to walk in that direction, fingertips ghosting against her hip where one of her many knives sat, under her jacket.

Ally was going to figure out where that goddamned cabin was whether it was the last thing she did. People can’t just be forming towns in the woods. She trudged through the underbrush, something she had done a lot over the past few weeks. Being alone was something that Ally struggled with. She was vulnerable when she was alone, but the hobbies she took under her belt left her alone so often. She tried to shake the thought away and as she did, she realized she wasn’t alone. She heard someone walking parallel to her and she paused, peeking between the trees. Out of the corner of her eye she noticed what looked like a tree move. Again she shook her head, she had been awake for a long time. “Who is there!” she yelled, grasping the gun at her hip, and looking to the spot in the woods where she last heard walking. 

She had the option to leave town now, if she really wanted to. Leave and study somewhere else just like she and her brother hadn’t been permitted to do for college. Except she had reasons to stay here - Ariana, for one - and even if she wasn’t bound to her obligations in the same exact way as before, she still had a duty to protect people, and letting fae run amok all over town wasn’t something that would ever sit well with her. Athena continued to make her way through the forest, careful to not step on any branches, or knock over any piles of rocks. She felt her body tense up again - which had to mean she was headed in the right direction. A figure was moving between some trees. That had to be it, didn’t it? She regarded it (always an it, never anything more, when she was hunting - it was important to separate monsters into their own category), though noticed that it was beginning to approach another woman and for a moment she caught her breath, wavering. The other figure was human - or so she thought - but she felt a bit of doubt swirling in her chest. She could take them both out if need be, she told herself - though she would give it a few moments more, see what happened. Athena let her hand slip under her jacket, fingers wrapping around the hilt of her knife. She could at least guess that the fae was possibly a spriggan, at least based on size. That was one thing to go off of, and to watch out for.

Out of the corner of her eye Ally saw a tree move again. Damn, had she really been awake that long? Still she turned, and what she saw took her breath away. A being creeping through the woods. Was she dreaming? Her mind tried to wrap itself around this impossibility, not a vampire, not a person, not an illegal village in the woods. What was it? Before she could catch her breath it was moving toward her, and she leaped back, tripping over a rock and watching her weapon go flying in the other direction. She always joked about keeping her stake on her, and now she really wished she had. She felt a sharp pain in her ankle when she tried to get back up, watching the beast before her approach. “What do you want from me?” she yelled, pushing herself back. She felt hands wrap around her legs, holding her in place. Its eyes were locked on her badge, attached to her jacket. 

The other woman was human. Had to be, at this point. Or at least not fae - and if she happened to be something else, Athena would find a way to deal with it. What was most important was helping someone who was being hurt by a fae. That was always what was most important (at least in her mind, at least now) (her parents might well have had other things to say but she didn’t want them to enter her thoughts and mind again - not now - please, not now) and so that was how she would have to deal with it. Get rid of the fae first, figure everything else out later. She watched the woman fall and winced involuntarily, because that had to hurt (did hurt, she knew, recalling a memory from years ago) more than the mats in her family’s training room. Then the fae was on top of the woman and holding her down. If it was hurting her, then Athena knew she had double the reason to go on the offensive. “Stop that!” She called, suddenly, stepping out from her hiding place. The spriggan (it had to be, all signs pointed to that) took little note of her words, instead continuing to hold her down. “Try to push it off!” She called out, taking a few steps closer. “Knee it, or something. See if that works!” 

Ally whipped her head around as a girl appeared from the woods. Brave. Braver than she had been in the same situation. Not the time, Ally. She was wriggling under the hands of the creature and felt herself come up with a sarcastic response. Instead she swallowed and gathered all of her strength. With her good leg she gave a strong kick, flinging it back a little bit. That was when it split into two. “What the fuck is happening?” she yelled at the girl who seemed far too calm for the situation at hand. She felt her attention being pulled elsewhere, toward a moss covered log in the distance. Why did she care about a log? She pushed herself to pull her attention back as the two beings lunged toward her again, hands reaching for the glimmer of her badge. She grasped on to a branch, swinging it to swat one hand away, but the other grabbed her arm. “You knee it!” she yelled. 

Maybe asking a civilian, even a police civilian to handle this themselves was a stupid idea. Athena knew full well that at least most of the police were far too human - or not human at all. Either way, even if her parents had made certain she (and their family) were in the police department’s good graces, they also reminded her that there were too many things (countless, even) that she knew how to handle that the police simply could not. That she’d been designed to handle since she was a child. “That thi-that creature-being - is attacking you.” She resisted the urge to huff, because that would only distract her - and for once in recent times she actually felt like she had at least a bit of a handle on things. “Which I know is stating the obvious.” The spriggan continued to attack her, and part of Athena wanted to watch in morbid fascination - wondering what exactly it was that was making this one so keen to attack as much as it did, rather than just steal and leave. “I cannot knee it given that it’s closer to you.” She grabbed her knife, finally removing it from its resting place on her hip. “If you give it a kick, I can,” deal with it, “assist. I can also- ” her sentence cut off, she watched as the spriggan made another lunge at the woman, trying to pull at her hair and grinning, its eyes on the badge. Some spriggans kill after they obtain their desired object. She could see the words on the page in front of her, hear her father’s words. “Just- ” she took another few steps forward, the blade of her knife cutting into the fae’s leg, a small, surface-level wound. That was something of a start, though the spriggan hardly seemed to mind it.

Ally was finally locked in, pushing past the surprise of whatever was on grabbing at her. She could deal with the fact that even though she had spent her whole life researching vampires she had never seen a tiny horned one later. What she needed to focus on now was not getting bit and staying alive. She was annoyed by the girl before her, wondering why she wasn’t doing anything. She watched as she cut into the being with her knife and leaned against a tree, pushing it back towards the girl with her legs. A knife would do nothing if this was a vampire, she knew that, but maybe it would run off if it was inconvenienced enough. “The slicing and dicing isn’t really working.” she yelled, using the branch in hand to swing at the creature again as it leaped toward her. “Fuck this.” she exhaled, deciding that if the girl wanted this thing closer to her, she was going to help. “I hope you’re ready to assist!” she called. As it launched itself at her again she jumped at the creature, trying to pin it down. She was back on the ground and she felt it’s hand close in around her badge. “Now would be a good time.” she said, writhing beneath the creature as she felt claws dig into her skin. 

The slicing and dicing isn’t how I’d put it, but it will work, I know that much, was what Athena wanted to say, but held her tongue. Even if an adult was behaving in a ridiculous manner, they still deserved respect. Usually - so long as they weren’t vermin of some sort themselves. That was something that she doubted she’d ever fully shake (even if she knew she’d made at least one notable exception) - but it also wasn’t the worst behavior to have - after all, basic politeness did wonders, she’d found. She raised an eyebrow, impressed at the woman’s willingness to jump into action, though she knew that she had only a little time to work with as it jumped at the woman again. Athena ran over, kneeing the creature before it could grab the woman’s badge, watching with an amused smirk across her face as it crashed against a nearby tree. She didn’t have too much time to focus on the precision of her kick, because this spriggan was either particularly aggressive or particularly determined, or some combination of the two. She ran after it, knocking it to the ground and straddling it, holding her knife to its throat, letting the burn of the iron begin before she sliced it open. Except that the spriggan started to reach out towards her necklace - the one Ariana had given her for Valentine’s Day, and with that she sliced into its shoulder. “You know that thievery is illegal, don’t you?” She spat, watching a bit of blood fall to the ground, though it was still very much alive, struggling under her. She looked over to the woman. “How are you? Did it scratch you at all?”

Ally was sure this was how she was going to die. She always knew that it was going to be related to the supernatural in some way. How would they cover it up? What would they tell her dad? She thought of all the dozens of excuses she had given to bereaved parents in the past. She would soon be one of those. Suddenly the weight was lifted off her body, faster than she had time to register. She watched as the woman sat atop the creature, talking to it, as if she knew what it was. Too calm she remembered. When the girl addressed her, Ally snapped out of her shock. She looked at a small tear in her jacket, a scratch across her skin from it’s claw. “I’ll get a bandaid later. You know how to deal with this? I have a stake...” she fumbled, still stuck on the idea that this was a vampire. The world was too small for there to be anything other than vampires. Right? Ally searched the ground for something, anything to help, frustrated by how defenseless she was. She settled on another loose branch, slowly approaching the struggling pair. She watched as the beast lunged for the necklace at the girl’s throat again. “Watch out!” she called. This thing was injured but damn it was determined. 

Her parents had always said that she could use her size to her advantage - that being small was of incredible benefit. It had to have been true, after all - her mother was even smaller than she was and she was one of the most powerful - and, if Athena spent too much time thinking about it - terrifying - people that she could think of, and so it had to be. Use everything about you to throw people off your tracks, throw off any would-be suspicion her parents had said so many times that she had lost count. “I’ve got a bandaid and bandages - we just - there’s a few things to deal with, first.” Adjusting her position to ensure that the spriggan didn’t go anywhere, she blinked rapidly a few times. “A stake? I - no. The offer’s really appreciated and good on you for carrying that around but that won’t work for this.” A laugh escaped from the spriggan’s lips and Athena turned back, hitting it across the face. “I really wouldn’t laugh if I were you.” In her momentary distraction she didn’t notice the spriggan reaching for her necklace again. “The heads up is appreciated!” She called out to the woman, returning her knife to the spriggan’s throat, a smirk crossing her lips. Well, she always appreciated having to work for something. Though still rewarding, when fae put up no fight it made everything just a bit less fun. “Things like this rob and steal and can do much worse, if we let them.” She clicked her tongue against her teeth. 

Knives, a band-aid, who was this woman? The medic of the forest? Won’t work for this. What is this? It felt like the world was both expanding and collapsing around Ally. There was more to be afraid of, more to protect people against, and more to learn. The wind left her lungs and she slowly took in the information that the woman was offering up. She hadn’t noticed but the stick she was holding had dropped from her hands. The spriggan must have seen the opportunity because it reached out, grabbing a hold of her bad ankle. She let out a scream and kicked at it, her ankle in searing pain. Grabbing a hold of the stick she stabbed at the hand grasped around her ankle. ���Let’s not let them, yes?” she expressed, wriggling. She was frustrated she had been caught in its grasp again. 

She had to say, if she had to run into any police officer in the woods, this woman seemed to be one of the best options she had. At least she was willing to jump into action and she’d yet to call Athena a kid, which automatically gave her bonus points, even if she was thinking it. Except that the spriggan had at least partially gotten out from under her and was grabbing the woman’s ankle, knocking her onto the ground. “Seriously? You’ve gotta give up sometime, you know.” Athena muttered to the spriggan, cutting into its arm, forcing it to let go of the woman’s ankle. “You know what happens if you misbehave, don’t you?” It continued to move, hissing and screeching as it attempted to grab at the other woman again.

Ally kept struggling and watched as the woman cut the being. As it’s hands slipped from her ankle, her boot caught on to it’s pocket. As she kicked it away, she watched a few small items fall to the forest floor. She didn’t think much of it, but was surprised to see what looked like roots spreading throughout the ground. “Is that normal?” she asked, feeling the earth developing beneath her. As it shook the being seemed to become more distressed, grasping at the ground, theoretically searching for whatever had fallen. The rage of losing the items seemed to send one more surge of strength through it, as it started flailing around. “Can I help? Do we...?” She didn’t want to say the last part of that sentence, because she didn’t like to think about it as killing. As she attempted to rise off the ground she uttered some curses under her breath. She hadn’t really been paying attention to the pain in her ankle but as she moved to stand it was clear that this wasn’t a simple fix. 

“Normal’s subjective.” Athena pressed her tongue against the roof of her mouth. The woman deserved at least that much, she figured. She wasn’t about to get into all the ins and outs of everything, but if she had some vague (even if over-generalized and misguided) idea of what vampires were, saying that much wouldn’t do any harm. “I appreciate the offer, but I don’t want this - well, I don’t want you to come to harm, and I’ve - my mom runs - ran a gym in town so I’ve got lots of training.” The spriggan was flailing just enough and Athena moved to kneel by it, toes of her boots digging into the ground as she slit its throat, watching until it stopped thrashing. She couldn’t take any more time to more fully observe it now, though. “It won’t hurt you any more, don’t worry.” Her voice oddly calm, she grabbed a cloth, wiping off the blade as she glanced over to where something had fallen from the spriggan’s pocket.

His blood seeped into the soil along, crying out as he had. Blood had a memory like no other. It carried with it all his grief and his rage, and his desire for the things he could not have, it carried the cold disdain of the one who had spilled it, and the moral struggle of the police officer nearby. A sacrifice had been made, even if it had not been intended. It was a terrible, wonderful first meal. Tiny roots stretched out from the seeds. For a moment, it was quiet. Then, the ground groaned as the roots expanded and grew deep into the foundations of White Crest. With a loud creak, the seeds rushed upwards, saplings only for a second as thick bark wrapped around the body of the spriggan, lifting it up so that for one horrifying moment it was poised upright like a scarecrow before the wood swallowed up his features, and branches began to form around his arms. Still, the tree grew, up, up. The bark reached for Athena too, as the roots tried to grab at Ally. Inside, they could hear the Spriggan’s body squelch as the branches grew up the length of the tree, tearing its arms from the rest of its body, trapped inside. Leaves spread to fill a gap in the canopy which had not been there before. When it was finished, there was one last creak, as if the tree was sighing in relief, and then all was still. 

Ally staggered back as the tree sprung from the ground, swallowing up the creature. She watched with wide eyes as it was violently devoured. It had been hell bent on attacking her only moments before, but still she gulped down a feeling of sadness and guilt. There was darkness as its leaves spread throughout and she waited a second for the tree to do something. “Was that part of it? Is this like a thing it does?” she asked, kicking the base of the tree. “Hello?” She looked over at the other girl, waiting for the guidance she seemed to provide. 

Athena jumped - just slightly - as a tree rose from the ground and wrapped around the spriggan. For a brief moment, she watched in morbid fascination - it was something that she’d never seen before, and that made it remarkable (and, she noted, a convenient disposal method for the body). Except then the bark reached out for her and she couldn’t help but let the start of a scream escape her lips as she jumped up and away, the other woman’s words drawing her attention. “Not at all.” She made her way over to the tree, knife still in one hand as she ran her fingertips along the bark for a quick moment before bringing her hand away. “I’ve never seen anything like that. But we might not want to be right next to it - in case it tries to go after us again.” She bit her lip. 

Ally nodded and took the other woman’s advice, stepping over the roots that had spread throughout the ground. “What have you seen? You knew a lot about...whatever that was.” Ally said, raising a brow. Her eyes glanced to the knife still in her hand. Had she seen too much? She kept a careful distance between herself and the woman with the knives, especially because she didn’t have her weapon with her. “I’ve seen some things but nothing like that. Or this.” she said, peering up to the top of the trees. 

“I’ve lived in this town my whole life so… a lot.” Tongue pressed against the roof of her mouth again, Athena wasn’t sure what to say. There were a lot of ways that any phrasing she provided - even the most basic and simplest - could make someone look at her like she had two heads or didn’t know what she was talking about. Could make them use the same terms she and so many others had used for Blanche back in high school - which now left a sour taste in her mouth in more ways than one. “I will say the whole tree thing,” she gestured towards it, “is new. The thing that attacked you, I’m a bit more familiar with.” 

“A whole life of this shit does stuff to you.” Ally muttered under her breath, gazing up at the tree. At least she only had vampires to deal with, not weird tree things. That brought her to her next line of questioning. “Are there more...things? Out there?” she asked, her voice shaking slightly. She didn’t know how she would grapple with a world where every person could be a different kind of monster. She would lose her mind. “Also what exactly was that, and why did it want my badge? I can’t imagine weird little monsters care about impersonating a police officer.” She then realized she had forgotten something important. “Thank you, for helping me. That thing was...scary.” she still didn’t trust the woman, but she had saved her from whatever that was. 

“I guess it can!” Athena shrugged, over-enthusiastic again. Not willing to delve too deep into whatever the woman might have been implying. She’d dealt with the spriggan and she didn’t want to think too much about why the tree was growing - if she’d managed to mess something else up - again. “I - there’s a lot out there.” She blinked, because part of her duty was to not let super-average-ordinary humans get more of an idea of everything that was out there. That would lead to too many trying to go after things themselves, when they weren’t properly skilled for it. “Some… things… like to steal for the fun of it, but they can do far worse than just steal.” At the ‘thank you’, Athena shrugged. “Of course. It’s - well, it’s what I do. She opened up her bag, pulling out a bandage. “Do you want me to help out with what happened? I’m pre-med, so I know what I’m doing.” She offered her best reassuring smile.

There’s a lot out there. The breath left her body, a feeling of deep despair pouring through her. Was it all true? Was every book she read full of fantastical creatures just a depiction of the world she couldn’t see. She was lost in her thoughts and pulled out by the other woman’s statement. “What you do? Find them? That’s what you do?” That’s what Ally tried to do, albeit mostly unsuccessfully. Maybe this woman was an ally rather than a foe. She hesitated at the offer for help, but she had a pretty deep cut. “Sure. Although I think I’m going to have to get this ankle looked at by someone with a degree.” she said, frowning at the ankle that hurt whenever she put the lightest amount of pressure on it. “My name is Ally, by the way. You are?” She wanted to look into this mysterious woman. 

“Yes.” You could say that. That’s one word for it. “Find them, and make certain that they do not hurt others, because some of them are really keen to do so.” Athena made a small face. She hoped she didn’t sound too crazy, too off-putting. She didn’t want that, especially with humans, and especially a human who also happened to be a police officer, regardless of her thoughts or her parents’ thoughts on the effectiveness of the police in town. “I understand - there’s a reason they don’t just let anybody practice medicine.” She scrunched up her nose as she knelt next to the woman and began to bandage her up. “Athena.” She grinned. “Pleasure to meet you, Ally.” 

“Is it like...an organization. Are there others?” Ally asked. Maybe she wasn’t as alone as she thought. Maybe there were other people out there driven to make the world better. She watched as Athena bandaged her and suddenly felt grateful that there was at least one. It made the burden feel just a little bit less, like Athena had lifted the weight of the world off of her, even for just a minute. She noticed the clock on her wrist. They had been out here a while, she had to be back at the station soon. “Fun question, do you know how to get out of here?” she said.

“Yes. Sort of, but not a super formal- ” well, formal but not in the way I will explain, “well, not like when I was in Girl Scouts but yes. There’s people around who help out the town and help keep it safe.” Athena let a soft smile cover her lips. “Getting out of here?” She looked up at the forest around them. “I don’t know right off the bat, but I earned every badge there was to earn, and helped my brother earn some of his for Boy Scouts, too.” She stood up, and offered her hand to Ally. “What do you say?”

There were more people. It wasn’t just her. Today she had been devastated and uplifted. It was too soon today that she wanted to know them, but she slid the knowledge to the back of her mind. She needed to do what she always does. Research. Instead she took Athena’s hand and smiled. “Take me away girl scout.”

[gll-chui]

☲☲☲☲☲☲☲☲☲☲☲☲☲☲☲☲☲☲☲☲☲☲☲☲☲☲☲☲☲☲☲☲☲☲

★彡( 𝙻𝚘𝚐𝚐𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝙾𝚗 )彡★

Well, today was fairly uneventful if you were to take it at face value. But if you were Lieutenant Garuru, he’d call this day a success.

It all started in the early morning, Garuru woke up and did his usual morning routine; getting cleaned up, going on a jog around the nearby park, and then making an incredibly fast breakfast to go with his piping hot cup of coffee. He moved like his body was on autopilot around this hour, head filled with absolutely nothing but residue of whatever it was he happened to dream about during the night or those ‘life contemplating shower thoughts’ that rack his brain relentlessly. Garuru happened to just be recalling the dream he had last night that had something to do with him going on a mission with his platoon to stop an evil ruler on some desolate planet who enslaved her own people. They managed to stop her by using nothing but music--yeah, as if THAT was a thing--when his communicator rings. Well, not really ‘ring’, whenever it’s a text message the sound that plays is the sound of a chamber being reloaded and then a short burst of three shots from a gun.

The text message was a notice that was being sent to all military personnel at the main military base in Gerosect, the notice was so wacky that Garuru had to stop himself from taking a bite of his egg sandwich in mid lean. He scrolls back up to the very top of the short message to reread it.

‘Attention all military personnel: due to recent circumstances we are now ordering that ALL stickers receive a soldier’s salute from now on. Verification of identity is no longer required for stickers. Thank you!’

You got to be fucking kidding.

Starting from the very beginning when someone is just a new, wide-eyed recruit in their training uniform you’re taught that there are specific times and places you are to salute to someone, and you can only go into ‘at ease’ once you’re addressed. It’s literally drilled into you all the way until the end of your military days for most. Some instances can be made, for sure, like if you were to specifically realize that the soldier is a higher officer than you salute. If you’re greeting a soldier from another platoon, or greeting a comrade back after a prolonged absence, etcetera, etcetera. The stickers that the notice was speaking of were referring to military stickers that can be seen on space crafts and vehicles, something that definitely does not affect him or his department but DID in fact interfere with the work of the gatemen.

Ah, he remembers those days when he was a young private and he was given the task to stand at the gate for eight hours a day to check space crafts and military vehicles before they entered into the base’s facility. It definitely wasn’t fun at all, it did pay rather well however and he only had the assignment for a good two months. Also, he wasn’t technically alone, he had a spotter with him, a Corporal or Sergeant that would stand beside him with a weapon in hand to ensure his safety (since he was not given a weapon). Thankfully his spotter was quite kind, chatting with him briefly when their shifts got slow and even guiding Garuru on how to recognize the different stickers, spot the anomalies on identification cards to determine their authenticity….oh, and his “personal favorite”: how to chat with cute girls.

Usually, you didn’t even have to ask for identification to tell that the spacecraft that was tied to the military sticker belonged to that soldier, but Garuru remained thorough in checking their cards anyways and saluting when the soldier came in. Sometimes though, you’d get those times that a spouse of the officer would be using the vehicle--no problem, more times than naught the spouse was also a soldier so Garuru just had to give the craft a pink slip or yellow slip to the vehicle. A pink slip for the spouses using the vehicles, and yellow for ‘other but still a soldier’ using it, be it a son, daughter, father, aunt, grandmother, so on. Then you get those rare instances where you get a civilian vehicle coming in, mostly those belonging to businesses bringing in supplies for the base’s hospital or construction crews coming in for repairs. Usually, they present their licenses or permits then they’re allowed in and they do not get salutes. Nor do the civilian spouses who come driving in sporting their lover’s spacecraft that bears the military sticker on it, though Garuru knows that some soldiers will not really care and give the spouse a salute. He remained firm on his own ideology: Are you a soldier? No? Then you don’t get a salute.

Something must have happened the day before if the base was now giving out a notice for all stickers to be saluted to, no doubt an entitled spouse who thinks that they deserve a salute because their lover is laying their life down for Keron. Thankfully he’s only ever dealt with a couple of them, not even worth counting on one hand, mostly because the moment the spouse sees the burly, threatening, mountain of a soldier behind him holding a semi-automatic in his hands the spouse would just make a face, throw him an insult under their breath, or curse him quickly before driving through. Unfortunately, there weren’t many soldiers with skin as thick as his, and it was the pointless rule changes like this that made all the cursing, swearing, and threats he had to put up with as a private all for naught. Not just him, plenty of other soldiers had gone through this. Garuru had stepped in more than once when he saw someone screaming at a poor Private because they can’t ‘park in their husband’s military space’, yes lady, even though your husband’s a Staff Sergeant and you got his vehicle with the sticker that doesn’t mean YOU are a Staff Sergeant and can park there.

Garuru was still making a face when he took a long sip from his coffee, now nearing lukewarm because he kept staring at the little pixelated words on his com. Did his father pass this? How could he? There had to be a misunderstanding...or worse. Maybe his father just saw ‘new mandate’ and signed it off like it was no big deal. He usually doesn’t try to text his father so early in the morning but he was curious about the old man’s thought process when it came to confirming this rule for the base. So Garuru sent him a good morning, asked how he was, and then asked about the mandate. Then his com went radio silent.

Well, so much for getting his father’s input on that.

While he was walking to the Main Base the Lieutenant thought deeply about the whole thing, trying not to let it show outwardly that the notice was still bothering him. To think that someone thought it was a good idea to salute to every single sticker that comes onto the military’s property, who in their right mind would salute a sticker? And what if it was fake? Or not a military sticker to begin with? That was when the lightbulb in his head went off, when he was waiting patiently on the street corner for the light to change he took out his com and read the message again just in case. A small smile pulling at the tug of his lips before he turned his com away, all stickers then? Sure thing.

When he reached the base Garuru did not pass the opportunity to put his plan into motion, there was a construction crew just on the corner fixing some pipes and they just so happened to have a sticker with their company’s logo on their helmets. Garuru stopped walking, saluting the gentleman and standing there at attention while they stopped and stared back with confusion and fear. Well, fear at first because they thought that someone of a higher rank than Garuru was behind them trying to get their attention or chastise their work. But no, no one else was there except for the five or so men that were working. Realizing that it was just them, one of the men quickly and awkwardly inquired what he was doing.

“It’s a new mandate. Soldiers are required to salute all stickers, sir.” The construction crew had a short laugh about it, finally realizing that Garuru was saluting their helmets and ‘ordered’ him at ease. The Lieutenant even grinned a little as he left when he heard one of the men going on about his own helmet that was completely covered in stickers, stating that if the stickers reflected a rank then he’d be a captain. Thankfully today he had desk duty, the rest of his platoon was off doing their own work according to their ranks and a little part of him thought if Tororo was doing the same as him. Being that the tadpole was notorious for being annoying and finding loopholes Garuru could definitely see him use this new rule to his advantage to stay home because he’s saluting to a sticker on the toaster all day.

Thankfully, it looked as though he was not the only one who came up with his idea. There were three soldiers saluting at the reception desk and the poor girl there was looking absolutely mortified. She was not a soldier so having three of them standing there, saluting, and not moving was probably confusing the hell out of her. Garuru stops walking right at the reception desk, seeing the small Pekoponian ‘Hello Kitty’ sticker on the woman’s planner, and salutes to it as well. The other soldiers there share a grin but don’t say anything else as they go back to being stone-faced, the poor girl looks desperately to Garuru,

“Sir---what are you all doing?” Even though she works here she didn’t get the notice? That just solidified Garuru’s suspicion that the mandate extended to soldiers--all soldiers--and just solidified his plan. He explained to her that it was a new notice for all soldiers to salute stickers from now on, giving her another minute before he nods his head towards her planner. Her reaction was priceless, pure unadulterated confusion made home on her face as she looked at the soldiers individually and realized that, yes, they were doing the same thing. She stutters out a small "at ease", getting a collected sigh from the other soldiers who greeted the other before leaving like they weren't just standing there for twenty or so minutes.

Garuru asked the girl for his P.O-box key and wished her a good day while making his way to the elevator with a few other soldiers. He's in the middle of twirling the little keyring around his fingers when he looks up to see a "fire safety" sticker. Well, a rule is a rule. He salutes, prompting surprised and puzzled expressions until the other soldiers looked up and saw it.

Now, if someone had told Garuru that they had somewhere important to be or was on their way to a meeting then for sure he would have excused them, this order was not that important that it had to keep someone from running important work to be trapped in an elevator. But no one said a thing, instead, they all looked at each other and then saluted as well.

Silence fell in the little metal and glass box, even when the elevator had opened doors three times to let soldiers off, closed, then continued climbing upwards. The longer the soldiers kept standing there in awkward silence doing nothing but saluting to the withered fire safety sticker above the doors the more Garuru was enjoying this. He would never admit it in a million years but to be ‘defiant’ was something he’s always wanted to do when he was young, he never had a rebellious teen stage aside from playing music so loud it threatened to affect his hearing. His life always revolved around being a better example, pulling through the closest of odds, being the best he could be and sometimes he just wondered what happened if he would have snapped back those years ago. What if instead of following that one rule that nearly cost him and his men their lives he told the higher officer to go pound sand?

Well, he definitely would never be where he is today, but it made moments like this where he was following foolish orders to a T that made all those ‘yes sir, no sir’s worth it. A bit of some malicious compliance if you will, it was his lifeblood.

Someone on the higher officer floors had called the elevator now because instead of them going downwards towards the ground floor they were now climbing upwards. Up, and up, and up, and up. You could cut the tension in the air with a knife now from all the anxiety the other men were building up, the soldiers began to shimmy a little in place as they looked at one another in panic before tensing up again when Garuru turned his gaze to them. Even when Garuru’s com makes that familiar ‘ka-chlick, pow, pow, pow’ noise he doesn’t bother reaching for it. He lets his arm relax just for a moment without even removing it from his salute, loosening the muscles just enough so that it doesn't feel like his arm would cramp up.

Who they were greeted with when the doors finally opened on the twentieth floor was absolutely perfect. It just so happened to be the Demon General Guroro himself. Garuru’s father.

It took the much older Keornian a good minute or so of seeing a whole elevator full of saluting men before he could really react, his sharp eyes quickly scanning over the soldiers before him and finally landing on Garuru’s confident-looking gaze. Guroro asked quickly what they were doing, putting his hand out to hold the elevator door open as he still couldn’t fathom the sight. It took just about every muscle in Garuru's body to resist the urge to smile at his father when he answered clearly and calmly that they were just following the new mandate, unlike the receptionist, however, he didn’t bother nodding his head to what exactly they were saluting at. He mostly did this because he wanted to see if his father actually knew of the rule that was passed, or if he just did the usual ‘I’ll just sign whatever is in front of me’ shit. Unfortunately, Garuru got his keen mind from his old man, because the moment that the word ‘mandate’ escaped his lips Guroro is already frowning in disapproval, taking a single step inside the elevator to look up above its metal and glass doors to see the fire safety sticker and then let out a frustrated growl.

“For the love of--all of you are dismissed, and I better not see this again in the elevator.” Guroro snaps, almost immediately the soldiers all dispersed from the elevators and ran off in different directions, even though this wasn’t their floors. Garuru was the only one left inside, standing a little more comfortably with a hand on his hip as his father comes aboard and presses the thirteenth-floor button.

“Fifth floor, if you please Pops.” Garuru insists, cool as ever even when his father looks at him at the corner of his eye with a threatening glance. “Oh, right,” he reaches for his com to look at the message that was sent, coincidentally, it was from Guroro himself, explaining that the mandate was in effect and remains in effect until further notice. No wonder his father was looking a bit frazzled, he probably had put two and two together the moment he saw him with the other group of soldiers. “Sorry I couldn’t reply fast enough, I was too busy saluting--”

“Do not tell me that you started all of this.” you could hear the poison drip from Guroro’s words the moment he said them, what usually would leave a good hundred men quivering in their hats only did nothing but fuel the giddy Garuru felt. It would have been an honor if people had copied his idea, but no, it was not nearly as satisfying as knowing that there were other soldiers out there just as peeved about this rule that they went out of their way to do the same as him. Oh, nothing was as beautiful as knowing that people had gathered together for a cause out of pure pettiness.

“Started all of what, Pops? I’m just following orders like everyone else.”

“You cheeky little bastard.” Guroro sighs out a groan, taking the moment to tap his hand against his arm while he has them crossed over his chest in contemplation. The First Lieutenant made sure that the smile on his face wasn’t seen by his father when the doors opened to the thirteenth floor, being greeted to the sight of a dozen or so higher officers all saluting a menu standee that had cute star stickers decorating it. Guroro turns around, grabbing the doors of the elevator open and looking at Garuru right in his eyes, pure unadulterated frustration housing themselves there. “The new mandate will be ineffective by this afternoon, if I find you out in some--some hallway saluting a damn wet floor sign then your ass is cooked. Am I clear?”

“Yes sir.” Garuru salutes, going at ease when his father lets go of the elevator doors, about to turn around. “But remember Pops, the mandate is for stickers, not wet floor signs--”

“You know what I mean, young man!!” Guroro yells back, Garuru lets the smile slip just as when the doors are closing, waving to his father from behind the glass doors as the elevator finally descends to the fifth floor. It was a shame that he didn’t get to run into his father again after that incident, he only managed to catch a glimpse of his dad yelling at the officers in front of the standee to get back to whatever it was they were doing.

It had been hours since then, now nearing the end of Garuru’s desk duty shift as he’s enjoying his third cup of coffee in hand. Garuru is casually watching the little window with a frog emoticon hopping across the screen with a little file in its hand while it’s sending the papers he filed out to his superiors while he recollects the day. The First Lieutenant has been in a good mood since the morning and being that his day was almost done he decided to take out his communicator so he could look back at the new message that was sent to all the soldiers by lunch,

‘Attention all personnel, due to unforeseen incidents following the new mandate we have decided to recall the order. Please go on about checking identification for all MILITARY stickers on VISITING vessels. Thank you!’

Mission Complete.

☲☲☲☲☲☲☲☲☲☲☲☲☲☲☲☲☲☲☲☲☲☲☲☲☲☲☲☲☲☲☲☲☲☲

★彡( 𝙻𝚘𝚐𝚐𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝙾𝚏𝚏 )彡★

[muddy-t-wheels]

(Please ignore me) So I had this dream a few weeks ago, and it’s been stuck in my head since then...

Very quick summary: Our world combines with MHA Universe, I become an Art/English teacher at UA (more of an assistant teacher for Present Mic), and I was reminded of how stubborn people can be. Also soulmates exist in this world for some reason...

So in the dream, both worlds were collided, and faster than you can blink, anything MHA related was whipped from the face of the earth, and while it took a while- everyone silently agreed to not speak of the fandom/content for a very long time. Which of course was very sad, but it is what it is. One of the more common trends that happened was that anyone from our world was as “Qurikless as it gets”. It also came to the attention of everyone in both worlds that while soulmate marks don’t exist in our world, apparently they did in the MHA world.

A few years later, I had become an established teacher, specifically due to the fact that many students seemed to be drawn to me, even if I hadn’t taught them at all. One day, I had gotten an email from someone in Japan, asking if I would be interested in a teaching for the future heroes of Japan at “U.A. High school”. While I was surprised, and thought it was BS (for obvious reason), I decided to respond for the fuck of it, YOLO.

But low and fucking behold, the email turned out to be legit. Principal Nezu and I started exchanging emails back and forth until plans were formed. I had become fluent in Japanese, got a house to call home where I could move in with my mom and sister (we are all very close). Eventually it was agreed that I would assist Hizashi Yamada with teaching English (grammar wise) but I was also going to be the art teachers. I the day came up when I went and met with Nezu and I vividly remember the ending question of the meeting. 

Incase you can see the image: (Nezu: Alright, so all the paperwork is filled out, I do need to ask this, since you’re quirkless and all... How will you defend your students?)

(Me: Ah yes, I thought a good bit about this and I came up with some ideas!)

(Me: I went ahead and got a permit to carry a specialized gun! The gun can shoot tranquilizer darts. The darts can stun most people for roughly one hour. Of course, I can understand if you or others dislike this idea so I also started taking Wing Chun class-)

Yes, I know conceal carry permits don’t really exist like they do in America but it was a dream ^^”

(Nezu: Oh no, you’re fine, just make sure the students don’t see it!

Me: Wha- I mean, of course, but will the guardians of students be okay with this?

Nezu: Ignorance is bliss now have you thought about what your “quirk” should be? From what your references told me, I think “Mom” could be a good one!)

We had spoken about me faking a quirk to see how long it would take anyone (outside of the faculty of course) to notice that I was indeed quirkless.

(Me: ...

Nezu: ... Do you not like “Mom”?)

This then led to us discussing what my “quirk” would be. We had agreed on calling it “Mom” and essentially allowed me to release a caring/nurturing aura that made most people feel drawn to me in the sense of seeing me as a “mother figure”. With it, the “quirk” it allowed me to be in tune with certain individuals that I grow close with and could vaguely sense if they were in great distress.

After this I was brought to the teacher’s lounge and introduced to all the other staff members. When the principal left, I sat and talked with the teachers of 1A, who eventually asked who came up with the fake “quirk” idea, and when I told them the reactions were defiantly mixed...

(Aizawa: You... You’ve got to be kidding me!

Me: I wish I was... 

Hizashi: OMFG! I CAN’T BELIEVE IT! HAHAHAHAH-

Me: That makes three of us-

Toshinori : ...

Me: Four of us... ow my ears)

Not too long afterwards, I became an official member of the U.A. staff. Nothing too major happened for a few years had passed, and one winter morning I was getting ready for work when my sister came into my room to do something (idk what) but then asked when I got a tattoo on my back. Confused, I questioned what she was talking about, she took a picture and showed me the image. Sure enough; there was a blue flame on my left shoulder, a purple heart in on my spine, and a red wing on my right shoulder... defiantly looked like a tattoo! 

We did some quick research we learned that at the age of 16, people from the world of quirks would get their soulmate marks. However, all soulmates must reach the age of 16 before the other soulmates get their marks. Another thing we learned was that once the marks appeared, soulmates would be able to talk with each other via their minds. We also learned that it was becoming more and more common for people in our world to get soulmate marks!

With all this information, it started to get me worried. I was 22 (going based off the year), and if one of my soulmates just turned 16 then there was a bit of an age gap. Don’t get me wrong, it could’ve been bigger but it irked me a little. I also realized that the marks were sensitive to certain fabrics, so I had to quickly change the shirt I was wearing.

Soon enough I began to hear my soulmates’ voices, I had two, and they would “talk” often. Apparently they knew each other and already had an established relationship, so I kept quiet for a bit... until one of them made a bad joke that caused me to snort and respond to the terrible joke. Yeah, it freaked them out at first, but it got us talking, and we learned things about each other!

Eventually years flew by, I was an established teacher at UA and I had fallen into a routine. I knew who my soulmates were (Hawks and Dabi (incase it wasn’t painfully obvious)), they didn’t hide their identities very well, and I had somehow managed to keep my identity mostly under wraps (idk how (I’m very talkative) but they always asked questions about me). They would constantly pester me so that they could know more about me, and I would just... keep quiet.

At one point, I had stated that it would probably be better if the two forget about me, saying that I was shoe horned into their relationship because of the worlds colliding. If it hadn’t my mark wouldn’t be on their backs, so I got some medication that would help remove myself from their relationship. It started working, after roughly a year or so (at least going based on the calendars nearby) their marks and voices were starting to fade.

During the year of me teaching class 1A (and protecting my students from various villian attacks) I eventually met them in person (begrudgingly). Thankfully they didn’t seem to recognize my voice, however I did get the idea that could sense something was off cause I noticed they would be nearby. So I got in contact with a close friend of my and called in a favor. We went to school together and were constantly mistaken for couples because I was very affectionate while he would throw hands with someone if they got too close for his liking. So I asked if he would join me for a “date” so that some people would potentially get a hint and leave me alone.

He agreed and came to Japan and we went to the U.A.’s school festival together, we even went the extra mile and got matching fake tattoos so they would act as our “soulmate marks”. Surprisingly it worked- when the students asked who he was I stated he was my date (which wasn’t a lie). Eventually, I had stepped away to go get us something to drink, but when I had returned I saw he was being confronted by two people.

I sighed trying to think of what I could do before getting and idea. I had begun to shake the two soda cans before walking up to the two individuals and getting their attention, once they turned to me, I opened the cans and sprayed it in their faces. They stumbled back in response, obviously caught off guard, I stated that they need to cool down and began to walk away with my friend in tow. I got us something else to drink, and we continued on with the festival.

We enjoyed the rest of the festival and waited to see Eri and Aizawa off, before we left, we were approached by some of my students who wanted to know my relationship with my friends. We looked around, making sure that we were in the clear before confessing that we were just friends. That this was all just a ploy to get some people of my back and to hopefully stop pestering me. We even showed that the tattoos we were wearing were fake, everyone seemed to understand and agreed to keep it under wraps.

Thankfully things seemed to flow smoothly from there on, nothing to crazy happened. However, one day I was doing some training and decided to take a break. I was wearing a simple tanktop and sweats, which wasn’t too bad, since the soulmate mark was almost completely faded at this point, it would take a keen eye to see the remains of the “tattoo”. I was lost in my own world when two soda cans were dropped into my lap, two voice stated that I looked like I needed to cool down.

I had frozen up and slowly looked up to see that both Hawks and Dabi were standing behind me, I gave a weak smile with an equally nervously chuckle. I quickly got up to get away from them, but I was grabbed just as quickly, and thrown to the grown with them still standing over me. I sighed and chuckled once again and held my hands up by head.

The last thing I remember was me saying, “Alright, alright, you caught me, but the mark is almost gone so if you two just waited a little bit longer, you wouldn’t have me as a soulmate anymore. So why on Earth are you two still chasing me?”

Dabi smirked, “Probably cause we wanted you to be our soulmate! Fucking idiot- If you thought we were just going to leave you alone after you stated that we would be better off without you then we have some serious problems.”

Hawks chuckled, “Yeah, but don’t worry, we figured out a way to fix this, it just requires a lot of lovin from us! We gotta get that mark bright and vivid again!”

AND THEN I WOKE UP!

[the-lady-writes-what]

Let Horikoshi tell his story, goddamit!

Warning: Long post ahead but this is something I needed to get off my chest. Spoiler warnings if you haven’t read the manga in the last few volumes. 

What I’m about to say might be slightly controversial, but I’m not in love with the My Hero Academia fandom right now. We’ve always known that aspects of the hero society was shit and something was going to give. The culture and society Horikoshi created has major flaws, people get left behind, and people turn into Shigaraki. Twice deserved better than what he got. The Hero’s Commission is run by assholes. Hawks is both a victim and enabler of a system that coddles civilians and exploits everybody else. It’s shit. But you know what else? I don’t think any of that justifies the actions of certain characters. 

The kind of world that the P.L.F is trying to create is a world worse off than the one heroes created. We’re talking about the wanton use of quirks, which are basically weapons. It isn’t a stretch to compare guns to quirks. Gun laws, at least in theory, are supposed to keep them out the wrong hands, hold gun owners to higher safety standards, and to ensure the safety of those who live with people can legally own and operate firearms. The kind of world that P.L.F wants is where everyone can use quirks to their hearts content regardless of the rights of others and the strong to rule and perhaps even to oppress the weak. That’s pretty much the same thing happening now, except to a grander scale. 

Can you imagine Eri growing up in that kind of world if the antagonists win? She spent most of her life being abused by someone much stronger than her. Would she even be safe? Would civilians with weak quirks or having no quirks at all be able to take up the load left behind when everything they knew is dismantled? We’re talking catastrophic socio-economic consequences to a revolution in which it’s basically every man for himself. Would the vast population of Japan in My Hero Academia be able to take up the load burdened on them in the vacuum created by a hero-less society? Considering that most of them enjoyed a huge drop in criminality while heroes were around, they wouldn’t consider themselves safe. And those with weaker quirks or being quirkless altogether would barely be able to hang on to the society that protected them for so long against crime and domestic terrorism. 

Shigaraki is a tragic, almost sympathetic villain. Maybe even just an antagonist rather than a villain. He was abused, manipulated, and forgotten by society, but that doesn’t excuse the literal damage he’s done to the general population. It might just be my salty opinion, but I generally don’t think that being abused as a child is an excuse to hurt others. No matter if Shigaraki somehow wins, he won’t be satisfies. He’s stated multiple times that he hates everything in the world. He is the worst outcome of what happens when people get ignored and he is the very monster that hero society helped foster. Even so, Shigaraki was kept in the black and white mentality of a child and never permitted to grow out of it. He’s like a teenager who gets bullied at home and at school until one day he takes his dad’s gun to school and opens fire. I have seen some people simp after the man in a similar way degenerates idolize the Columbine shooters. Nothing that was ever done to him justifies the world he wants to create that would end up doing more harm than good and hurting people like Eri. 

Finally my last point is that this is called My Hero Academia. It’s supposed to be about heroes. We are watching a bunch of kids trying to better themselves and become the kind of heroes who help people, who do it for the greater good. Hero society fucked up and Hawks killed Twice. That’s on Hawks and the Commission, not those damn kids. Do you think for a second that if and when Midoriya or Ochako or any of the other 1-A students find out what happened, that they’ll give up or become just like Hawks? If yes, then what is the point of watching them grow? There’s only two reasons why writers create problematic societies like the one in MHA. 1) It’s a dystopian 2) They plan to fix that society with their protagonists. Since My Hero Academia doesn’t fit the definition of a dystopian story in the truest sense, then I believe that Horikoshi plans to use the students of U.A to fix the problems of society. We have seen them grow, seen their anxieties and frustrations, and if all that was for nothing then why did Horikoshi set out to write a story to give up on his characters and make a for such a sad, pessimistic, depressing end?

The most frustrating part of observing the fandom is scrolling through posts where people are rooting for Shigaraki and the other antagonists. They’re not wrong in that the hero society is extremely flawed to say the least, but don’t throw those kids under the bus. I don't think for a second that Ochako is going to react well if she learns that a hero killed someone, even a villain. I don’t think any of those kids will. I think Tokoyami is in for some major soul-searching if he wants to continue in his hero training. 

Don’t lump in the actions of a fucked up society in with Class 1-A and the other protagonists. They’re there to learn how to be heroes and Horikoshi has written a piece that gives off too much hope in these kids to suddenly swerve into despair. Right now, the main protagonists are facing what we in the writing world call a “darkest hour.” Morals and skills are being tested, hopes are low, and it doesn’t look good. Even if they win (which if I’m going to be honest is going to happen because again the manga is called My Hero Academia), they’re going to regroup, recoup, and think about how they going to meet the next challenge. They’re going to question everything they know, even hero society. After the “darkest hour,” protagonists always learn and come back stronger and wiser than before. This is a really hard read but I have hope that these kids are not only going to learn the harsh realities of the world they live in but also figure out how to improve it. Our world right now is pretty fucked up too and I personally find solace in MHA even despite the current arch. It’s because I have the hope that these kids are going to fix the problems in their own society, but certain pessimistic fucks won’t let them. Let Horikoshi tell his story and at the end you can make your judgment call whether or not it was right investing hope into the main characters and the rest of Class 1-A. 

[chiauve]

True North - 1

Captain Enrico Marini entered the STARS Alpha Team office with to the usual casual greeting and a couple dramatic gasps of horror from Redfield and Frost.

“Wesker busy?” he asked Barry.

“His door’s open.”

“Oh no, they’re colluding,” Frost hissed at Redfield and Valentine.

Wesker, hearing the antics, stepped out of his office, swilling apathetically low paper cup of coffee. “Yes, we are. Survival and rescue training out in the mountains next weekend, you know that.”

Barry sat up, hand raising like he was a student in school, “Wesker, I can’t make it, I...”

“It’s not your daughter’s birthday, I checked. Nice try.”

“Worth a shot.”

“But it is my daughter’s birthday!”

“Shut up, Chris. Anyway, I expect all your gear ready and up to standard and I swear to god, Brad, if your pistol starts jamming again because you didn’t properly clean it...”

Wesker let the threat hang and Brad tried to slide behind his computer, out of view.

“Otherwise,” Wesker waved them all away, “I have nothing left for you all today, I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Alpha gave a round of ‘good nights’ and ‘see ya’s and began packing up for the day or settled back to whatever they were working on. While always on call, when not on missions the STARS officers kept semi-regular hours on rotation, and otherwise came and went as work required. They’d trickle out on their own. Enrico followed Wesker into his office to the sound of Vickers plaintively explaining to Cris that he did clean his gun, and had no idea why it was jamming so bad. He shut the door.

Wesker slung another office chair out from the corner to Enrico before sitting in his own. Enrico accepted it, shoving aside the regular wood Underling Chair. As vice captain he had access to The Nice Chair; perks of the job. He sat down with a sigh and stretched out his legs.

“It’s like wrangling children,” Wesker said, tossing his empty paper cup into the trash.

“You know, if you treated your team like actual adults you wouldn’t have that problem. That’s why Bravo doesn’t give me headaches.”

“Yes well, I have to get my power trips where I can.”

Enrico rolledhis eyes and sat forward, regarding the mess on Wesker’s desk. Maps of the mountain trails outside Raccoon City, a few permits, scribbled outlines of required materials and remaining paperwork, and Enrico’s own typed up tasks and trials STARS was to undergo in the field. Wesker was in charge, as always, but survival was Enrico’s specialty and the Alpha captain was allowing him to direct the show, for the most part.

Looking at the paperwork and required reports for Chief Irons, Enrico never envy him that part of the job.

“Do we have a victim for the rescue mission yet?” he asked.

“Irons denied my attempts to get a citizen,” Wesker’s lip curled in disgust at the man’s name. Chief Irons wasn’t a popular man in the RPD but Wesker had a heightened distaste of him. Enrico was sure that if he had to deal with the chief more than he already did he’d probably want to murder him in his sleep too.

Wesker continued, “I was hoping to get an unknown this time, but with that out my last attempt is Redfield’s sister.”

“Oh?”

“She’s supposed to be paying a visit. He sometimes brings her down to the station, and if so I was hoping to convince her to play victim. She seemed the type to embrace that kind of thing, and who doesn’t enjoy hassling their brother?”

“I didn’t know you had siblings.”

“I don’t, not really. Anyway, if she doesn’t show up I guess it’s you or me again, since Brad and Dewey will be CASEVAC this time.”

“Flip you for it?”

Wesker shrugged and pulled out a quarter. “Heads or tails?” He flicked it and the coin arced, spinning through the air.

“Top.”

Wesker arched a pale brow at him as the coin hit the desk and bounced to the floor. He picked it up. “So it is.”

“Well that’s one thing settled.” He turned the map towards him, looking over the red and blue pen lines tracing trails through the mountains. “You still set on the southern trail route?”

“Most hikers and campers use the lake trails. I want everyone to familiarize themselves with them.”

“Sure, but putting everyone out of their element would make for better training. Also the lake’s frozen over this time of year.”

“Precisely, I’d like to focus there. And should anything actually happen the copters can land in the open camping spaces.”

“I still think mountain rescue on the north trails is better time spent, but you’re the boss.”

“Yes, I am.” Wesker paused, peering at his office door and listening. “I’m sorry, Enrico, I’ve been thoughtless. Would you like a coffee?”

“The real stuff or the black pipe water?”

“From my supply, of course.”

“Sure.”

Wesker nodded and stood. He slid some of the outlines towards him, “Feel free to add anything. I’ll be right back.”

Enrico had read through it all already, but now he could focus on the south trail specifics. Moreover, Wesker was very good at his job, but this was Enrico’s element and the STARS captain relied on his experience. With Wesker playing victim, that also meant Enrico was going to essentially be on his own on directing the teams. Wesker was in the perfect position to observe and grade their performance, but he’d leave the herding the proverbial cats to the vice captain.

Which wasn’t so hard a job, despite their joking. STARS was made up of the best, and when on mission or training, everyone was professional to the last. They knew their jobs, knew their skills; training was for keeping those skills sharp.

The door opening and clicking shut heralded Wesker’s return and he placed a mug of coffee into Enrico’s waiting hand. The Bravo captain regarded the mug with incredulous eyes. It read World’s Best Dad, but “dad” was heavily scribbled out in permanent marker and replaced with CAPTAIN.

“Uh...”

“Valentine hasn’t learned the art of sucking up too well yet.”

“This is from Jill?” Enrico was not expecting that.

“A bit Freudian, isn’t it? Maybe she did it on purpose, I haven’t pinpointed her type of humor yet.”

“Maybe it was a dare from the others.”

“I didn’t consider that,” Wesker mused, “It’s likely.”

Enrico shrugged and took a long sip of the burning liquid. Dark, bitter, but in a proper coffee way, unlike the stuff in the break room. “So...?”

“Everyone’s gone home,” Wesker said, gathering up the paperwork.

Enrico folded the maps and passed them and his mug of coffee to the captain. “I won the toss.”

“Yes, you did.” Placing the whole stack up on the bookshelf, Wesker began to walk around the desk.

Enrico surprised himself with how fast he stood, grabbing Wesker’s shoulders and shoving him against the wall, attacking the STARS captain’s jawline and mouth with his own. His hands slid down to Wesker’s sides, pulling at the material of his shirt.

Wesker chuckled in his ear. “I should give you my coffee more often, if this is the result..”

[cyb-by-lang]

... what would, purely hypothetical, a CYB-Temeraire-crossover look like?

Long post incoming.

Well, the first thing to figure out is if the situation involves a straight up crossover--one group of characters visiting another setting--or a full fusion AU where the characters are depicted as always being part of the same world.

A straight crossover would probably be the fault of someone on the Naruto side of things, because space-time ninjutsu is a thing and also a very easy excuse, given that the Temeraire universe doesn’t have magic. Despite the dragons.

I’d personally prefer to shunt Tailed Beasts like Isobu out of their seals, because a world with indigenous megafauna is as much a playground to them as the seas of One Piece. It also effectively gives Kei a ship, which during the era of the books helps a lot for transportation problems. Steam ships are still a couple decades from full development. The Temeraire series takes place before the widespread development of rifled firearms, but basically every military in the world uses some kind of long gun as their mainstay. Cavalry is still effective, except in direct combat with dragons.

Most of the weird life-forms are dragon-adjacent, such as the sea serpents and the tunneler/deinonychus/Onix creatures colloquially known as “bunyips,” which are extremely effective at eating people. And creating Sarlacc pits.

And since Kei is Japanese--by ludicrous technicality if nothing else--that raises some interesting questions during this point in history. During the Tokugawa shogunate/Bakufu, the country was closed. The only foreigners permitted anywhere in-country were the Dutch (which is incidentally where everyone got their guns for the Warring States period), and no Japanese nationals were allowed to leave the country either. When Laurence ends up in Japan due to classic protagonist weirdness, he spends a lot of time running away from the locals or in disguise, even with the help of Lady Kiyomizu (who is a massive dragon) and her various subordinates. Japan is also aligned against China (which is allied with Britain for most of the book timeline), which is basically the world’s main superpower during the series, which makes Laurence’s post-book-two rank as a Chinese prince a bit...awkward.

What the hell is that sentence.

All of this to say that Kei might like interacting with Temeraire and his fellow dragons, but hate working around the social restrictions of the human cultures at the time. The era is not great for women, commoners, or foreigners in any given country. Since basically all the dragon-adjacent beings can talk, this doesn’t cut down her socializing opportunities as much as you’d think. She’d probably find their math aptitude a little off-putting. The dragons of England would probably just be happy to see a non-aviator human who doesn’t run away from them while screaming.

Isobu would probably likewise get along great with the dragons, but hate the humans a whole lot. Leaving aside the likelihood he gets mistaken for like, the mythical Leviathan, the sailors that he’s most likely to encounter are the most superstitious part of the population. They do not like things that turn ships into scrap heaps by sneezing.

And even if Isobu liked seeing them spooked, he doesn’t like humans who mistreat Kei. He also wouldn’t be able to help as much with aerial battles, what with being ground-bound and more specifically stuck in the ocean. He might end up taking that out on a convenient navy, unless “rolling over everything like a murderous cart wheel“ is the tactic of the day. He’d be such a nightmare to the locals, not least because he out-masses damn near everything in the setting.

That’s before you get to the water control, illusions, and mouth lasers.

So, at this point we take a left turn to deal with the idea of a Kei born into the world of Temeraire, dragons and all. Full fusion AU!

Kei’d be born some twenty-six years before Laurence and his coterie land anywhere interesting, because it gives her time to establish herself. She’d be born to the daughter of a disgraced samurai family, likely struck down by the shogun’s order, and a commoner man whose primary income was firework-making.

She’d probably actually be named Keiko. Astonishing.

During this period, katana were restricted solely to the true samurai class, Kei probably wouldn’t get to be a swordswoman this time. Her mother’s primary weapons would instead be the yumi (bow), the naginata, and the tanto.

There’s also a very strict social hierarchy, since this is still a feudal society. The only way out is through breaking a ton of rules. Like joining an organization such as the Oniwabanshu or the yakuza. As a result, Kei probably would have the more thorough girls’ education that she mostly missed in CYB.

Kei’s parents probably survive her childhood and adolescence, if only because their livelihoods are not as dangerous and there’s not currently a war on.

In Japan.

For now.

Kei’s brother Hayate would be trained more in their dad’s livelihood, and grow up to be a merchant instead of a shinobi.

During her teens, Kei makes friends with a feral Japanese Sui-Ryu dragon, whose true name was Isobu. Because of the breed’s importance to Japanese society in the Temeraire universe, being the chosen companion of a giant monster that doesn’t care about human rules is a massive boon to Kei. And Isobu gets a companion with thumbs.

Isobu doesn’t like people much here, either, but is willing to let Kei follow along as he patrols the area around Japan’s western seas as long as she entertains him.

Basically, Kei becomes a very weird freelancer, mostly due to her boon companion’s eccentricities rather than her own. And if Lord Isobu says “jump,” everyone else had better already be three feet in the air.