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imdoingsortagay · 2 years ago

Note

Can't get the idea of Claire kneeling for R in nothing but a collar out of my head but due to selective writer's block I can't seem to write it so I'm kindly asking if I may pass the torch to you.

Omg bestie this was so fun to write

Tease

Summary: Claire playing for the actions of her consequences after deciding to be naught while you work

a/n: based on this ask

warnings: Smut+18, collars, kneeling, pet names, degrading, r being called daddy,

Claire was fucked big time.

Claire had the brilliant idea to take some very revealing photos of herself while she was getting ready to do some headshots for the senate campaign website. Just some pictures of the suit her campaign manager decided to put her in and she thought you would enjoy the spicy images while you were in meetings for most of the day. Remembering from experience how crazy you went at seeing the pictures.

What she didn’t think through was how boring this all would be and so, Claire got riskier with the images and caption to said pictures as she was waiting. A simple picture of her cleavage with a caption talking about the necklace she was wearing looked cute on her turned into a thread of naughty pics as she felt herself getting more turned on thinking of her wife.

Before she knew it, she was in this tiny dressing room, her left hand holding her phone while her right hand was occupied in her pants, Claire thrusting two fingers inside her soaking cunt. She wished that she was home instead of this boring studio so she can let out all the moans for you to hear in the office. It was to her memory one of the riskier things she’s done since deciding to run for higher political office all those years ago. Claire had never felt so excited and turned on doing something like this.

Even deciding to make herself cum in the video so that you had a little treat to watch in between meetings, knowing full well you would be very mad at her for acting like such a naughty slut. Maybe you would go easy on the older woman if she used her very famous puppy eyes on you and got your favorite food for dinner, but there is a slim chance of that happening.

Claire bear:

*video.png*

Wish you were here with me daddy to fuck my pussy:/, my fingers aren’t enough daddy Need your cock in me pls

Claire paid no attention to her phone for the next hour, focusing on getting a couple of good shots for the senate campaign website. Being very unaware that you had some time to kill before the next big meeting and were greeted with a whole thread of naughty images from Claire.

It started pretty tamely at first but the more you scrolled, the dirtier it got. It made you soaked beyond belief that she sent these and you were stuck in this boring office for the next 6 houses and had to wait. The last message took you by surprise as Claire would always talk about how she’d never fuck herself anywhere that wasn’t the comfort of her bedroom. Claire Debella, in this small dressing room of some studio, recording herself fucking her needy pussy and all you could do is imagine what she looked like.

“ That fucking whore,” you mumble to yourself as the video continues. She was gonna be so fucked once you made it back to the apartment.

As the video ended, you were furious that your lovely wife decided to be such a tease, especially knowing that you’d be busy at work.

So you send Claire a quick text before heading into the next boring meeting of the day.

My love <3:

I’ll be home at 6 pm and I want you kneeling by the door, the collar on like a good slut, Got it kitten?

Claire bear:

Yes Daddy

After she got the text from you, Claire quickly got her photoshoot done, made sure to act as serious as possible while leaving the studio, and make her way to your shared apartment like she wasn’t gonna be punished badly by you cause she wanted to have some fun in during the photoshoot.

Where most days the drive would be slow and boring, traffic was pretty quick on the way back. The second that she made it inside, Claire checked her phone to see that she had only 20 more minutes to get ready before you arrive and she made her way to the room where you stored her collar.

Getting a collar in the first place proved to be a challenge as she didn’t know what kind of design she wanted, how she would get it along with getting it delivered. She was the governor of Connecticut, a public official and she couldn't risk her image being tarnished if the media caught her walking into a sex shop. You assured her that no collar would be fine and she could get a cute necklace instead but lucky for her, one of her besties from her friend group had offered to grab one for her. A surprise to you when Birdie had shown up to the apartment during dinner to deliver a package to Claire, making sure that nobody followed her and left like nothing happened.

The beautiful collar, in her signature color, beige, with her initials stitched into it with white threads that you later found out had been customed made by one of birdies friends. Since then it was something the both of you would incorporate into your sex life.

Claire goes to her nightstand to see the collar sitting in the top drawer and quickly takes off all of her clothes before making her way to the living room. In times like these Claire was thankful to have carpet in the living room as she would be a bit annoyed to be waiting for 15 minutes for you to come back from work.

Claire looked at the mirror next to the door, double-checking that she looked so pretty for you, on the off chance that maybe you won’t go too hard on your sweet dove for being such a tease.

She checks her phone again to see that she only had 10 more minutes til you got home from work and she made her way to the spot next to the couch where she knew you would go after work. Didn’t matter how busy, the bad, excellent, or stressful your job got, it was your spot to be with a glass of whiskey and Claire by your side.

As your girlfriend was patiently waiting for your arrival back from work, you decided to take the quick route back to the apartment, needing to be with your girlfriend after the stunt that she pulled earlier in the day. Seeing how good her fingers look as she touches herself, how wet her pussy must have looked compared to the shot video you got from her. Left you to imagine so many things that you wanted to do to her once you got home.

A drive that is typically 20 minutes for you is cut in half thanks to your phone and you quickly make your way into the building to Claire who’s probably very nervous to see you. This was only going to be about the second time that she’d be punished by you and the both of you were unsure as to what would happen tonight. Claire at the moment felt good sending those videos to you but felt bad for making you all needy while you were unsure what kind of punishment would help her learn.

Luckily for sweet Claire, she’s taken out of her thoughts when the door is open and she takes a quick peek from her spot on the floor at you.

In your light grey blazer paired with one of your many dress shirts, a light grey skirt to go with it, and some short heels to finish the look. All Claire wanted to do at the moment was to shove her face between your legs but it was not the time for that.

Without missing a beat, you walked to the little bar set up you had to pour yourself a glass of whiskey, not bothering to give Claire any sort of attention before making your way to the couch to rest up.

10 minutes passed by as you opted to not say anything to your dove, finishing your drink before moving a fit to face your girlfriend who decided to follow your instructions.

“ Who knew my pretty little dove can use that brain of hers to follow my instructions?” you ask as you take a look at Claire who just blushes under your look.

Her collar fit and smug on her neck, hair was in a messy bun with her hair combed so you would easily see her face. The farther that you look at her body and the more she seemed to blush, feeling so worked up and you didn’t even so much as lay a finger on her. Nipples harden to the coldness of the apartment and you stop there, not choosing to give into your dove.

“ Do you know why I asked you to do this my dove?” you ask her and she nods her head.

“ Yes Ma’am,” she says quietly.

“ What was that Dove? How about you be a good girl and answer the question, seems like I can’t hear you” you order.

“ Yes ma’am, because I was a bad girl and sent those dirty pictures to you and even touched my needy pussy as well, she sheepishly says. If this wasn’t a punishment for claire right now you would have rewarded her for answering the question fully.

“ my goof little dove, you look so pretty for me kneeling for me,” you say as you motion for Claire to come between your spread legs. Your girlfriend going internally crazy as you are leaving nothing to the imagination, nice legs, soft thighs, and a bit of a wet patch that she can see.

Being the good girl that she is, Claire eagerly moves from her spot to between your legs, patiently waiting for what will come next.

“ You are too pretty to be mad at sweet dove,” you pause” but I need to punish you for being a naughty whore while I was at work”.

Claire knew what was about to happen right away.

“ How about,” you start as you remove your skirt and underwear,” you be a good girl for daddy and eat me out then I won’t be too hard on my little dove.”

Clare was a bit confused at the new name, not that she minded it but she was always so used to you being her Ma’am most of the time.

“ Why Daddy tonight?” Claire asks since most of the time the given name she’d call you would be Ma’am. Honesty surprised her a bit.

“ Because,” you loop one of your fingers around her collar to bring her face to your center, the older woman being a couple of inches away from her prize,” if you’re a good girl you can call me ma’am but since you decided to act like a dumb whore sending me those dirty pictures, not to mention even touching yourself without my permission.”

“ Be a good slut for daddy and make me cum or else I might have my fun and edge you for the rest of the night dove,” you pause as Claire just stares in awe” got it, Dove ?. “

“ Yes daddy,” she says before you push her mouth to where you need her most. Letting out a loud groan the second you feel the older woman’s tongue on your cunt.

This was going to be a fun night for both of you.

#claire debella #claire debella x reader #claire debella imagine #glass onion #claire debella smut #wlw smut #lizs writing

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jesussavedevenme · 3 years ago

Text

To Be A Knight

This is the beginning of a collection of one shots following Seth's adventures as a Knight of the Dawn

Description: Like most young boys Seth had always dreamed of being a spy. He had spent most of his childhood sneaking around the house with a walky-talky while humming the Mission Impossible theme song. And while he technically still wasn't a spy,he was pretty darn close.

May 20

St.Matthew's Island, Alaska

6:25 pm

"Sorenson, I've got a job for you." came a gruff voice from down the hall. Seth turned and saw his handler, a man by the name of Flynn Hotching, leaning out of the door to his office. Flynn was a tall and strong man with a broad frame. At fifty five he was in excellent shape and the only indications to his age were the flecks of white that were sprinkled throughout his dark hair and neatly trimmed beard. Flynn was a serious man and often gave off an intimidating vibe, but Seth knew that he wasn't that bad once you got to know him.

Seth stood, ignoring the way his back popped and cracked in protest because of how long he had spent sitting in the rather uncomfortable wooden chair. He had once started a petition to replace them with those really comfortable bean bag chairs. He actually had quite a few supporters. But Flynn, being the man he was, just rolled his eyes and walked away. Seth could feel the stares of his fellow knights burning into the back of his head as he made his way over but opted to ignore it. Seth got missions quite frequently, a fact that many knights were slightly jealous of since it would occasionally get him out of some the more mundane tasks a Knight had to complete. For example, paper work. Which is what he had been doing when he had been called. He quickly made his way over, eager to get away from the evil sea of inevitable paper cuts. He couldn't help but chuckle as he mentally heard Eve calling him a drama queen. Though she wasn't much better.

Flynn barely waited for the door of his to close behind him before he began pouring out the details of whatever job he had lined up.

" There's a dealer that's been causing us some problems. They are preying on creatures such as unicorns and there has been some rumors that they are working with some less than savory characters. I need you to track them down. " Flynn stated firmly. Seth narrowed his eyes, there was no way it was that easy. If it was that simple then they would have brought in a rookie.

"Ok, what's the catch." He replied crossing his arms over his chest.The man heaved a sigh before sliding a file towards him.

" The catch is we don't have any idea who the dealer is. We don't even have a description. However, all of our dealers crimes have a certain flare to them and we have reason to believe that he is human. We have intercepted news of a deal taking place in three days in Belize. "

Seth read the file and whistled at the lack of information. The file was extremely limited which meant that whoever was doing this knew what they were doing. The Knights of the Dawn had excellent connections and kept tabs on every possible threat so for them to be this uninformed- well lets just say it wasn't good. It also meant he was walking into this mission completely blind. He couldn't plan for anything meaning he had to plan for everything. He had no idea what was going to happen once he got there but, if you ask Seth, that was part of the fun.

"Alright I'll do it." Seth replied after a moment of thought. He had to admit he only pretended to think about it, mostly just for the suspense. He had always loved a good mystery and this mission honestly excited him.

"Good, your plane leaves tomorrow at eight am sharp. You will be issued a bag that will be stocked with supplies but I advise you to bring anything you think would be useful" He said gesturing to the satchel over his shoulder, that served as his emergency kit. " I have wired five thousand dollars into your account but if you need more than that you know who to call." Seth nodded, placing the folder in his satchel and walked out of the office, heading to his apartment to prepare for the mission ahead. He pulled his coat tighter around his body as he walked outside and realized that it was later than he had originally thought. The sun was just beginning to dip below the horizon and though Seth loved the pinks and oranges that painted the sky, he could practically feel the temperature dropping. Last time he had checked it was 25 degrees, which is no where near as cold as it could get but it was still very cold. Despite how long he had been in Alaska, he had yet to get used to the bitter cold. And he honestly didn't think he ever would. Seth guessed he should count himself lucky, this was the Knights biggest base and it had been cleverly hidden by distractor spells as well as the natural terrain of the island. Seth shivered as a strong gust of wind blew through the base reminding him of the other reason it stayed hidden from most people. Luckily he lived on the grounds of the base so it was only about a minutes walk.

The Knights of the Dawn had no shortage of money. Seth wasn't sure how they got there hands on so much money and honestly he didn't want to know. It was all warranted though considering how many supplies they had to buy along with the amount of damage control. It was amazing sometimes how much chaos a secret organization could cause. Seth knew he definitely wasn't the favourite over in the legal department because of some of the 'incidents' that had been a result of his missions. Seth was proud to be able to state that these incidents were few and far between but when they did happen he knew they had to be a nightmare to clean up.

Needless to say, with all that money, his apartment was very nice. It had a decent size living room and kitchen which connected go a small dining area. Upstairs there was two bedrooms and a bathroom. Seth's furniture was pretty sparse if he was being honest. He had a couch that had been there when he moved in, his bed, a desk, a small dining table that has also come with the apartment, as well as few chairs scattered here and there. It didn't bother him in the slightest. He honestly wasn't here that often. He slept there when he wasn't out on missions which, once again, was pretty rare. Besides the real fun began downstairs. He walked down the stairs into what appeared to be a musty, unfinished basement. A punching bag hung from one of the exposed beams and a small pile of weights sat not far from it. Seth rarely used those, they were reserved for restless nights when the big communal gym and training area was closed for the night.

Seth strode confidently towards the back wall and slid away a lose board revealing a keypad. It was truly a horrible hiding spot for something that important but there wasn't really anything he could do about it. The neat thing about the keypad though was that it had been enchanted so that he was the only one who could touch it. Meaning that not only did you need the correct code, but he had to be the one to punch it in. He wasn't exactly sure what would happen if someone else touched it but he knew it would do more than just set off an alarm. Stuff like always made Seth feel like a true spy and totally made up for the unsecured hiding space.

Seth punched in the code and heard the distinct sound of stone scraping on stone, briefly reminding him of his few days spent in the Sphinx's prison. When the sound stopped, a small opening was revealed that lead to a room containing his weapons and supplies. From the outside the room appeared to be tiny and cramped but it had also been enchanted to be much bigger on the inside. It wasn't quite as big as the knapsack they had all those years ago but it was nothing to sneeze at. Still, no matter how big it was on the outside, Seth had to crouch down to fit through the opening. The door frame was ridiculously short and the amount of time he had smacked his head against the top was honestly embarrassing. The supplies inside the room was a knights dream. There was everything you could dream of, swords, daggers, armor, bows, you name it. The special thing about this room though, was that most of the items were his. They were things he had gathered prior to becoming a knight. Seth also had several magical talismans and tools that had gotten him out of more than a few sketchy situations. His favorite talisman was a ring that sat on his right forefinger. The ring had been a gift from The Fairy King when Seth had been accepted into the Knights Academy. It was pitch black and didn't look like much at first glance however, when you looked closer you could see three unicorns that were engraved on its surface, each of which served more functional purposes. The first unicorn, when pressed, sent out a distress signal strong enough to reach Bracken even if he was in the fairy realm. The distress signal also went out to anyone who had a connected talisman. At this point the only ones being himself and Kendra who had gotten hers when she officially began dating Bracken in the form of a bracelet. The second unicorn held a few precious drops of unicorn blood. The substance could heal almost anything but it could only be used once. The final unicorn was arguably Seth's favorite. When it was pressed it would release a pearly white dagger which had been extremely helpful in the past. The downside to this tool was that, since it was made of light, he tended to have a harder time controlling it.

Seth looked through his stash, trying to decide which weapons were right for this particular mission. He knew at this point stealth was key but if you leave for a job without a weapon, you're just going to get yourself killed.

When going on stealth missions the best route to take is small weapons that can be easily concealed, such as daggers or blow darts. However, the problem with that was those were easily detected when going through airport security. Ever since becoming a knight Seth had decided that he hated flying. It was loud, chaotic, and absolutely impossible to tell who was a danger to you.

Plus carrying weapons onto the plane was pretty much impossible but, a knight needed to be prepared in every situation. The weapon had to be easily accessible, ready at a moments notice, and the best way to do that is to build a weapon that doesn't look like a weapon. Seth walked over to a small red tool box tucked away in the corner, and pulled out a large nut and and tied a piece of cord to it. He secured the cord and then started to spin it, making sure nothing was going to fall off. And just like that he had a weapon that made a killer whip and could easily crack a mans skull if it came down to that. The best part was that it wouldn't trip any alarms. Sure it might seem a little odd that someone carries a piece of cord tied to a nut but, he wouldn't get arrested for it. Seth tied the lose cord around his neck, creating a necklace that he could hide underneath his shirt until it was needed. When that was finished he turned his attention to his emergency kit and sifted through the various items, taking out anything that would tip off a scanner. Seth gathered the items that he had taken out and moved towards the suitcase that he would be taking with him. He felt around one of the sides and unzipped a pocket so small that you most likely wouldn't see unless you knew it was there. In the pocket he placed the remaining items of his emergency kit. This time he wasn't worried about the items being seen as the pocket had been enchanted to hide the items from sight. Seth then repeated the process with the bottom of the suitcase, peeling back the inside to reveal a similar compartment that had also been enchanted to be bigger. In this pocket he placed two daggers, A blow gun and darts, and his favorite sword. He pulled the sword out of it's sheath and inspected it for any chips or dull edges. The sword was jet black and held the name Shadow Slayer, which was kind of ironic given its nature. The sword held just enough darkness to work well with him but not so much that there was a risk it would corrupt him. He had found the sword while on a mission for the fairy realm not long before joining the Knights. He was pretty sure he wasn't going to use it because lets face it, milk or no milk a sword was still a sword. However, Seth had learned that it payed to be prepared. So with that thought in mind, he placed the sheathed sword in the compartment, closed it up, and began to carry it upstairs to his bedroom. He filled the rest of the suit case with clothes and other essentials and once he was satisfied that he had everything, he closed it up.

He slumped down in his desk chair and pulled out the file he had stashed in his emergency kit, pouring over what little detail it had and attempting to prepare for what was to come.

†††††

May 21

St.Matthews Island, Alaska

5:00am

The next morning Seth was up well before five am preparing for the mission ahead. Thankfully he had always been a morning person so the early hour didn't bother him in the slightest. He grabbed his bags and exited the apartment, heading to the missions office to pick up the final things he would need for this job.

The lady at the desk, He pretty sure her name is Jennifer, smiled at him as he approached the counter. She was a women in her mid thirties and she was one of the nicer people that worked the desk. There were quite a few of the people working here that obviously didn't want to and others who even seemed to resent it. Seth really couldn't blame them though, he had worked here for a few months while he was going through training and it definitely hadn't been the most fun or exciting job out there.

" ID and case number?" She asked as more of a formality than anything else. Seth was such a regular visitor that he was pretty sure they knew who he was. However, since it was required, he slid showed them his badge and rattled the number off anyway. Seth supposed that he coukd see the logic behind the badge. It was a way of identifing someone beyond ther looks. All of them had been enchanted fo return to their owners, generally via their pocket, should they be lost. Seems simple and secure enough. However, in their line of work things were rarely that black and white. Seth is not entirely sure what would happen to the badge if their was a stingbuld or if the enchantment could be removed. Luckily they didn't do much. They were just means of identification and they didn't let you into anything at all. Any area qhich required a certain level of access had several different enchantments placed on it. Ones that were designed to recognize the person requesting access and weed out potential imposters. After the battle of Zzyzx and the whole mess with the Evening Star, the knights had undergone huge security upgrades. Bracken as well as one of his sisters, Iredessa, had set mist of the enchantments. Kendra had also played a major part on strengthening these enchantments a few years ago.

The case numbers were pretty harmless. Not the most secure but all they did was let the people at the desk know what bag of supplies to get. It didn't give access to any crucial or confidential information. The most a fake could get was an issued duffle bag and possibly some.plane tickets.

Jennifer smiled as she stood and disappeared through a secured metal door. When she returned a few minutes later she was carrying a black duffle bag which she passed to him over the counter along with a two way plane ticket.

"Thanks a lot," Seth told her, flashing a bright smile her way. She hummed in response before responding,

"Stay safe out there,"

"I'll try my best," Seth replied with a grin as he headed towards the door and began the short treck to the parking lot where a car would take him to the airport. He knew he must have looked a little funny carrying around a huge duffle bag, suit case and a leather satchel that sat across his shoulder but he wasn't worried. Every Knight here had been in similar situations before. Seth looked around the parking lot, squinting in the bright morning sun, before making his way to the small grey jeep that sat close to the front. Leaning against the side was a tall guy with wind blown red hair and a lean build. Seth smiled when he spotted him. The man's name was Parker and he was one of Seth's closest friends here on the base. They had gone through training together though, Parker was about three years older than him. He was twenty-four while Seth was only twenty-one. Seth, unfortunately, hadn't had a lot of friends at that time. Because of his shadow charmer status, people tended to be wary of him but Parker had never been deterred by his abnormal abilities.

In between his own missions Parker volunteered to drive Knights back and forth to the airport. Due to Seth's frequent missions, the two usually ended up paired together.

"Another one Sorenson? Didn't you just finish that one in Sweeping Pine preserve like a week ago?"

" Yeah, Jealous?" Seth teased, raising his eyebrows. Parker laughed and shot a playful glare at the taller boy. Despite Parker's tall height, he was still at least and inch shorter than Seth. Though to be fair, not many people were taller than Seth. A fact that many people found unsettling.

" Just a little bit dude. What, you trying to show the rest of us up or something?" Parker laughed back, poking Seth in the side as he got into the car. Seth rolled his eyes as he loaded his bags into the car before following Parker's lead. They road in silence for several minutes as Parker navigated his way out of the crowded base and set up the directions to the international airport. It wasn't everyday that a Knight flew internationally for a mission. Generally if they were going to somewhere outside the country they were going to a preserve and would have to be flown there by helicopter or other means. So while it did happen, it didn't happen often.

Seth used the temporary quiet to unzip the bulky duffle bag and look at its contents.

Looking into his bag for a mission and seeing the certain supplies or gadgets still made him a bit giddy. Like most young boys, Seth had always wanted to be a spy. He had spent most of his childhood sneaking around the house with a cheap walky-talky while humming the mission impossible theme song. And while he technically wasn't a spy, he was pretty darn close. One of the common misconceptions about the Knights of the Dawn was that they didn't use any human or modern technology such as computers and other gadgets to do their job. However that was far from true. Sure they tended to avoid it when dealing directly with magical creatures, but they often used these gadgets for things such reconnaissance.

Inside the bag was some of the things you would expect such a binoculars and many more that you wouldn't expect. Seth's favorite part of these bags were the small box near the bottom that generally came with each one. The box contained different potions that you might need for the mission. Seth had always found potions to be fascinating. There had even been a time that he had considered going into the field himself. For this particular mission he had been given a night vision potion which was pretty self explanatory, An eavesdropping potion that enhanced his hearing and allowed him to listen in on a conversation without getting too close, and a form of truth serum that would loosen the lips of of someone you wish to get information from. There was at least three bottles of each along with the normal defense and first aid potions that were added. Such as, the gaseous potion, a potion for pain, a salve for injuries and many more. On top of that Tanu insisted on making sure that Seth was always stocked with his own personal set of potions. Tanu usually supplied him with more gaseous potions, a gummy potion, a giant potion, a new potion that enhanced his focus and his reflexes, as well as plenty of first aid related ones. He seemed to be convinced that Seth would end up seriously injured on every mission. Though sadly, Seth could admit, that the worry wasn't completely unfounded. Other than the potions, the bag contained an enchanted communicator, a few listening devices, a laptop, and a few other useful knick knacks.

" Got anything good in there?" Parker questioned.

" You bet," Seth replied holding up the box of potions that was in his bag even knowing that with his friends eyes on the road and so Parker probably couldn't see them. Parker laughed anyway not needing his eyes to know what Seth was referring to.

" Seth, I swear I have never seen anyone get so excited over potions before."

" What can I say, I'm a simple guy," He replied earning a scoff from Parker.

" Uh huh, says the literal Shadow Charmer who has a mission every other week," The pair laughed once again and fell into an easy back and forth banter. Continuing there shenanigans until they pulled into the airport. It was then, as much as he, loathed to do it he bid Parker farewell , thanked him for the ride, and walked into the crowded airport.

Arriving at the airport was just as hectic as he expected it to be. Of course it was crazy for everyone but, it was even more so when you are constantly looking over your shoulder or waiting to get stopped by airport security. Thankfully he was able to board the plane okay even if his makeshift weapon did raise a few eyebrows.

Something Seth had learned was that a knight should always fly economy. It may not be the most comfortable but few people would start a fight with that many witnesses around. Plus it was easier to blend in. A tee shirt and some jeans and you were all set. Ready to settle in for a long flight.

Seth popped one ear bud in his ear but left the other out in order to let him hear incoming threats. Seth found it impossible to sleep on a plane, no matter how long the journey was, because of the unknown circumstances. It would be difficult to keep an eye on people and to know who was a threat. Unlike Kendra, Seth hated reading. Only a few books had every managed to hold his attention for any.period of time. He was too restless. He would much rather be doing something outside. Moving and exploring. He didn't mind doing art, sketching being his favorite. However, that was difficult to do in a crowded, bunny plane. So Seth resigned himself to a long ride half listening to music and ignoring the guy beside him who vaguely smelled like onions.

††††

May 22

Corazol, Belize

4:45 pm

Seth stretched his stiff legs as he walked from baggage claim to the exit of the airport. He breathed deeply and relished the feeling of the sun on his skin, even though he knew he would quickly become hot. But, after a long eight and a half hour flight, they were welcome changes. He glanced at the clock hung on the wall and noted the time. He knew that Corazol Belize was about two hours ahead of Alaska. Not that it mattered. Seth was pretty much immune to jet lag at this point. Not necessarily because of the constant travel, though that certainly helped, but because of the erratic and uncertain sleep schedule he had become used to while on any mission. His body had become well trained in sleeping whenever it was told. The only thing that interrupted this was nightmares but he rarely got those while on missions because his mind was too focused on other things. Seth would never admit it but that's one of the reasons he takes on as many missions as they will give him.

Seth's hotel was not far from the airport so he opted to walk there. He had done some research the night before and found a hotel that he rented under the name of Roger Alpine. The Knights would usually rent one for you but Seth preferred to do it himself. To say the hotel he chose was run down would be putting it nicely. The paint was peeling horribly from the siding and it was definitely not on the nicest side of town. The rooms were separated from the outside by a door with A flimsy looking lock, something Seth would secure once he had settled in. The room held a musty scent mixed with the smell of cigarette smoke. There was a bed in the center of the room, covered in some unsettling stains, a side table and lamp beside it, and a desk under the window. The window itself had a pair of thin ratty curtains and crooked blinds. There wasn't much Seth could do about the window, except string up a blanket, which he did. Opening his suitcase and removing his clothes, he opened the hidden compartment. From inside he took out the pieces of his emergency kit that he had stashed. He also opened up the duffle bag he had and pulled out a few other various knick knacks that he thought he might find useful. He then empty the remaining items into the compartment at the bottom of his suitcase. Leaving the duffle bag empty. This was.common practice for Seth in a place like this. He didn't want to leave his unused supplies in a relatively unprotected duffle bag while he was away. Unfortunately this was something Seth had learned the hard way.

In the end Seth was left with: the box of potions, a rope, a small bottle which held a thin dust that immediately soaked into the skin upon contact allowing the victim to be tracked, dark sunglasses (which did indeed have a camera and microphone installed) , a slingshot, some marbles( which as Seth had found were great for distractions), binoculars, and a pair of ear buds. All of these things were packed neatly into his emergency kit, ready for use. He still had his makeshift weapon secured around his neck and two knife secured in a holster and strapped to each of his legs. He had glanced mournfully at his sword but knew that it would only draw in wanted attention. Besides today wasn't about getting into a fight. Today was about exploring Corazol and getting a lay of the land. Still it played to be prepared, hence the knives. Finally, satisfied that he was ready, Seth left the dingy hotel room and began to wander along the streets. Searching for anything that might lead him in the right direction.

Corazol was a quaint little sea side town. You could smell the salt in the air, carried by the cool breeze. Corazol was small in population but it also had its fair amount of tourists. Especially right now with summer just around the corner. The busy streets were lined with street vendors all vying for his attention but Seth was more interest in searching his surroundings. The smells coming from said street vendors were heavenly and caused his stomach to crumble loudly reminding him that not only had he not eaten breakfast this morning, but that he had been walking for over an hour. Technically he could have rented a car, he definitely had the funds for it, and most Knights probably would. However Seth, was not most Knights. He didn't like rental cars for many reasons, one because it was easier to see a car and a license plate then just someone walking in a crowd. Two, every rental car was required to have trackers and such in them to prevent theft which was fine in most cases but problematic for him. That wasn't necessarily a huge risk but it was still one Seth wasn't willing to take. Maybe he had grown paranoid, but he was still alive so there's that. Finally he didn't like rental cars because, in his line of work, it was likely to get beaten up or destroyed. Plus having a car would cause him to miss out on the unique sights, sounds, and smells. That is yet another thing Seth loved about his job. It allowed him to travel the world and to see as well as, experience things he would never get to otherwise.

He had to admit this was a good place to go if you were going to hunt for artifacts and magical creatures and then illegally sell them . The Cerror Ruins were only a few miles away and Seth knew that it was a prime spot for missing person's cases, especially when people wandered off alone. He hoped beyond hope that he wouldn't have to venture there during this trip but, that's definitely where he would go if he was an illegal dealer trying to avoid the Knights as well as any other prying eyes and ears. Plus it wasn't exactly a place you would expect anything big to happen. And besides the Cerror Ruins, their wasn't really anything magical about the place. It honestly seemed kind of ordinary. It was perfect because it tended to be overlooked.

After another thirty minutes had past, the rumbling in Seth's stomach became too overwhelming to ignore and he resolved find a place to eat. He stumbled upon a small hole in the wall restaurant that seemed to be pretty popular amongst the locals. Meaning it was the perfect place for Seth to gather some information.

Even though he worked directly with magical creatures, you'd be surprised how many times he had to interact with regular people. The knowledge gathered from these people was often shaky at best and should definitely be taken with a grain of salt. However, this information often helped him form some semblance of an idea. In his experience Seth had learned that regular people noticed a lot more than even they realize. In addition most people never pass up a chance for a good gossip. And since they didn't know how valuable their information was, they were a lot less stingy with it. The only problem you run into is when they begin to ask questions and wonder why you're asking and who you are. When that happens you become the subject of gossip and word will eventually get back to you enemy. That's why Seth hated small towns. The information might be easier to come by, but it was also easier to get caught. And getting caught meant revealing your mission too soon.

In his line of work , timing was everything. Move in too soon and you risk blowing you cover as well as the entire mission. However, if you don't move in quick enough you'll miss your chance to get your guy. That perfect timing came only when you knew you enemy better than they knew themselves. It came from careful observation and lots of Intel.

Gathering Intel was arguably one of the most boring and tedious parts of Seth's job. It involved a lot of waiting, listening, learning, more waiting, and every once and awhile, a well calculated risk. Luckily, for Seth, his shade walking gave him an edge in this particular area. The ability allowed him to get closer to his enemies so he could overhear plans and put together one of his own. However no ability came without its share of risks. He had gotten a lot better at learning to shroud himself in the shadow to help cover his movements when shade walking but it wasn't an exact science. Not adding enough shadow would reveal his position should he happen to move too quickly however, adding too much shadow could be just as revealing.

Seth's favorite way of gathering Intel was doing exactly what he was doing now. Finding a place to eat while he sat back and listened. Small places like the diner he had just entered were prime spots for gossip. Additionally, they gave him an opening to talk with the locals in a relatively unsuspicious way. People tended to loosen up and talk more freely when both parties were eating. Plus it gave Seth a reason to try all the local dishes. Most of which were pretty good. The smell of home cooked food hit his nose the minute he walked through the door making his mouth water so much it was a wonder he didn't start drooling. He was met at the entrance by a plump, kind looking lady, who appeared to be somewhere in her mid fifties judging by the gray streaking through her black hair. The hair was pulled tightly into a bun at the back of her head, accentuating her full rosy cheeks. He apron stated that he name was Rosa which somehow seemed to fit her perfectly, even thought Seth didn't know her. She gave off a very motherly vibe that instantly made Seth feel at home. With a smile she led Seth to a table and asked him for his drink order. To which he replied with a simple black coffee. Coffee was something Seth had quickly become addicted when he became a Knight. It often helped him through the multiple all nighters he pulled while on a mission. Some minutes later she returned with his coffee, this time ready for his order of food.

" What would you recommend. I'm from out of town so I'm counting on you to hook me up with the good stuff," He said with a wink. Rosa laughed heartily and replied with a thick accent,

" Well only for you I will tell you my personal favorite," She rattled off the name of a dish which sounded completely foreign to Seth but he wasn't going to admit that.

" Ok then, you've talked me into it,.I'll get that," He replied and as Rosa turned to leave he continued, " And could you do me a favor and just wave your little magic wand and take all the fat and calories out for me," Once again Rosa replied with a full bellied laugh.

"You are a funny man. But for you I will have to add extra. Maybe then some of it will stick. You look like you need it," She teased in return before turning a leaving Seth alone once more. He leaned back in his chair, and pulled out his phone. Absent mindedly scrolling through something or another and trying to hide the fact that he was listening to the conversations around him. The diner was loud, making it difficult to discern the voice of only one person. Seth was tempted to use the potion he had that would hone his eyesight and hearing but didn't want to waste it seeing as he only had one. It would be unfortunate to use all of it now at the beginning of the mission when he could need it more later on.

His thoughts were interrupted by Rose who had come with his food. Seth was shocked at how quick the service was seeing as it was rush hour and the small diner was packed to the gills. With the meal she also brought his check. Seth glanced at the check, surprised at the low prices considering the quality of the food.

" Well would you look at that! you must have given me the senior citizen discount!" He paused for the laugh that he had come to expect and then followed up with, "So what are some cool things to do and see while I'm here, anything particularly interesting?"

" Oh well the Cerror Ruins are always a prime spot for tourism but you must be careful to stay on the trails. Too many people wander off and go missing. One of my favorite things is to see the sights at night. The water takes on this stunning color and you can see the star as clear as day. But if you choose that route you best stay away from Devils Tavern. Its on the North end of Corazol, close to the beaches. That place is nothing but trouble, and full of shady characters, especially recently," Rosa said. Rosa was obviously the type of person who talked openly once you got them going. The last part of her sentence caught Seth's attention.

" Really, shady people in this town? Surely not everyone seems so nice,"

" You are young. You haven't seen the darkness of man. People are not always as they seem child," She replied with a sad smile. Seth internally rolled his eyes. If only she knew. " But yes, a week or so ago , this man arrived and came into the diner to eat. He seemed normal enough even if he was a bit rude. However, later that night I saw him outside the Devils Tavern, its on my route home you see, and he was talking in hushed tones with another man. They were standing in the shadows real creepy like. I wasn't really able to hear what they were saying but they didn't sound to happy and they looked like they were planning something, " Rosa finished with a grim look on her face. A look that didn't last long as it was replaced with her usual bright smile.

Seth stored the information away for later, and smiled brightly in return. Acting as if the information had no effect on him at all. Something that had always made Seth a good agent was his poker face. He had a good control over which emotions showed on his face. This was a vast contrast to Kendra who tended to be easily read, like an open book. One with pictures and big letters. A fact that Seth ,and surprisingly Bracken, had teased her relentlessly for.

" Well I won't keep you, thanks for chatting with me . And I will be sure to check out those suggestions," He said, putting an end to the conversation. Seth then dug into his food, nearly moaning at the taste. It was incredibly good. Probably one of the best meals he's had while on a mission. While he ate, he began to sift through the information that he had been given. As always he had to wonder how much of it was true, seeing as people had a tendency to exaggerate. He also couldn't bring himself to believe that Rosa stumbled upon the Devil's Tavern, a place she claimed to despise, on her way home. From what he had seen of Corazol most of the housing was away from that part of the beaches. He wasn't going to completely discredit it but as Rosa had said, people aren't always who they seemed. However, no how much truth there was in the statement, one thing remained true. Tonight he was heading to the Devil's Tavern.

†††††

May 22

Corazol, Belize

10:00pm

Seth walked through the darkened streets. Careful to remain close enough to the street lights so as not to unintentionally shade walk. He had gotten a lot better at controlling it but it still happened from time to time. And he couldn't afford giving himself away like that. Just in case there were eyes watching him that he could not see. He had done a pretty good job of keeping on the down low. After lunch he had wandered around the streets a bit more and then headed to the beaches. Particularly the part of the beach close to the Devil's Tavern. The Devil's Tavern had been relatively quiet during the day. The sign had stated that they were opened but it had seemed oddly empty. That was a stark contrast to what he was seeing now.

The tavern now seemed to be packed to the gills with people. And even more of them were standing outside. Even from where he was standing a few feet away he could hear the loud music that played he could see the bright, colorful lights shiny through the windows. As Seth drew closer he saw a problem. Standing at the door was a big burly man wearing dark sunglasses and a tight short sleeved T-shirt that accented his bulging muscles. He was shorter than Seth, most people were, but he made up for it in width. Seth was considered to have pretty wide shoulders and his years of training had hardened his muscles into steel cords. However, none of this reassured him as he stared at a man that looked like he could snap him in half like a twig. He wasn't scared of the man per say. But, he was definitely cautious.

As Seth approached the man he seemed to be doing his own analysis and his stance showed that he didn't feel even the slightest bit intimidated. Which was fair and actually worked to Seth's advantage He had done his best to tone down the darkness of his aura that seemed to put people on edge. Plus the leather jacket he had opted to wear hit the bulk of his muscles, which weren't overly pronounced to begin with, as well as a few... other tools. Aside from the daggers strapped to his legs and the makeshift weapon around his neck, he had three throwing knives cleverly hidden in the folds of his jacket. Unfortunately, much to Seth's displeasure, he had once again leave his sword behind. As weird as it may sound he felt like the sword gave him a better sense of security than the multiple knives strapped to his body. He was dangerous with both weapons and that was disregarding the fact that he was a shadow charmer. So even without the sword, he was hardly helpless. Still, he always felt oddly bare without it. A look settled on the bouncers face. A look that Seth had often seen on bullies when he was a kid. In the end that was all this guy was. A bully. And obviously he saw Seth as his next victim. However, despite all the scenarios Seth was mentally planning for, all the man did was sneer. Seth did his best to pretend he was scared as he entered the building

The air smelled heavily of alcohol and the music, which had been loud before, now seemed to shake the floor. He immediately began to weave his way through the sweaty bodies packing the room searching for signs of anything that was amiss. You would think that a place with this much chaos would make it harder to find anything let alone one person but for Seth it made it easier. If there was one thing that the file full of its limited information had taught Seth was that this guy was far from careless. He wouldn't risk anything that might loosen his tongue. The rest of the people in this place shared no such caution. So find the guy who can walk a straight line and that was probably who Seth was looking for.

He hadn't been searching for more than five minutes when something caught his eyes. His eyes darted to what had caught his attention and and, confirming his previous suspicions to be true, he found Rosa.

†††††

So there is part one!!!! Most of this collection will be one shots but seeing as this z alone is over seven thousand words I figured I needed to split them up. I will hopefully be able to post the next part very soon. It needs a few touch ups and changes but.other than that its.practically done. This took SOOO much research its not even funny. I'm pretty sure trip advisor things I'm moving to Belize. Anyway I really hope you all like it, it is probably one of my favorite fics to date so let me know what you think. I apologize for any mistakes you may find. Let me know what adventures you want Seth to have in this book or any other requests you have!!!!!

#fablehaven #dragonwatch #fhdw #seth sorenson #Knights of the dawn #i loved writing this one

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okaywitheverything · 4 years ago

Text

Cooking Diaries with Kiba: Kiba x Reader

A/N: i know its been long but I am waiting for requests tbh. So don't shy away babies. Also we hit 250+ on check ups and 50+ on world's worst best men so yayyyy! Thanks for coming to my ted talk lol and go enjoy!

Based on this tumblr prompt:

Today had been a long day, and you were to curl into bed and go to sleep at this moment right now. It had been one of those tiring days where you would skip dinner for a moment of shut eye.

With Kakashi as the new Hokage, much work had to be done to get the necessities in order. You and Shikamaru almost spent 14 hours a day at the office to help Kakashi. But you knew that within a week or two things would normalize and set into order.

When you got home it was 10 PM, and even though you had only had a salad for breakfast with 12 granola bars distributed at odd intervals during your day, you were in no mood to eat. Honestly, that sounded like too much effort right now.

But then why did your feet take you to the kitchen? It was probably the copper smell in the air that got you worried. It could also be Akamaru barking with disapproving tones. Yes, you might have learned a thing or two about Akamaru in the past year.

With barely awake eyes and a really dazed mind, you entered the kitchen to find your boyfriend’s back to you, him facing the stove and your adorable little puppy barking continuously beside him. However, as soon as you entered Akamaru turned towards you, now wagging his tail and striding towards you. You smiled down at him, not actually having the energy today to pick him up and play with him like you usually did, hoping he’d understand. He was a smart pup after all.

You would have greeted Kiba like you usually did but before you could utter a single syllable, Akamaru jumped at you. You let out a short squeal which most definitely caught Kiba’s attention as he turned around looking surprised.

Akamaru however didn’t mean to play as you expected but instead his teeth nibbled on the wrist of your long sleeved top, and then he slightly dragged you to your loving boyfriend.

The thought that Akamaru was playing matchmaker to your already established relationship crossed your mind but that train of thought immediately went out the window when you saw Kiba’s palm sliced in half, the wound almost a centimetre deep.

Your lidded eyes opened and widened as you grabbed his hand and carefully looked at the gash, the amount of blood surprising you. He had, of course, survived worse injuries than this but why in the world was he bleeding so badly, when he was in Konoha instead of the battlefield, having spent the entire day at home with only laundry on his chore list. Also, you were protective of him because it didn’t hurt to care about your boyfriend a little.

“What the fuck, Kiba?’ you exclaimed and grabbed his hand, being as gentle as your anger allowed you to be, taking him the bathroom and nudging him to sit on the marble counter top. You grabbed the first aid kit from the shelves and started working on his hand. Halfway through, when all that was left was to bandage his hand, you had finally gathered your thoughts, pushing your sleep aside, which was easy considering Kiba gave you a rush of adrenaline as soon as you entered home, and looked at him worriedly.

“what happened Kiba? You know how worried I was?” Your disappointed mom look tugged at his heartstrings as smiled sheepishly with his uninjured hand rubbing the back of his head.

“I’m sorry darling, I was just hoping to cook something nice for you, you’ve been working yourself to the limit lately and don’t think I haven’t noticed you skipping meals.” His apologizing tone turned accusatory midway and you gulped.

“You could have ordered takeout baby. I really appreciate the gesture, I really do but don’t you know that the cooking stunts are to be performed in supervision only?” You slightly joked and giggled as he broke out into a toothy grin as well.

You finished bandaging his hand focused on knotting it/taping it at the end as his palm rested in two hands as you inspected it for the last time. Hopefully he didn’t need stitches so that was good.

Out of nowhere his other hand wrapped around your waist and pulled you towards him, your face crashing in his toned chest as you let out a yelp. When you pulled yourself back and looked up at him, his eyes were already focused on you, gazing at you so lovingly that you felt you were in paradise. You just wanted to grab his face and kiss him all over his face, starting at his nose and ending at his-

As if reading your thoughts, his injured hand’s index finger and thumb held your chin so delicately, with a feather like grasp and his pillowy lips crashed onto yours. You devoured each other, his eagerness showing how much he missed you, how aware he became of your absences these days and him not liking it one bit.

Needless to say, you were quite awake now.

You both ran out of breath and pulled away but your gazing constant didn’t end until a few minutes.

When Akamaru’s bark broke you both out of your trance, you intertwined his fingers with yours and pulled him upstairs with you towards the bedroom.

“Shouldn’t you eat something first? I will order some-”

“I’m hungry, but a lot more tired. Cuddle with me?”

“I’m offended you would even ask that.”

You both snuggled under the heavy duvet, with him spooning you from behind, Akamaru coming to lay at your feet.

“What were you cooking anyways? The gash was pretty deep.” You asked with closed eyes.

“I was planning on making pudding, it’s a good snack and a light one-”

“Babe, I’m pretty sure there is absolutely no step that requires a knife though.”

“I think you missed the step of breaking an egg using the ever helpful knife-”

“What the fuck do you mean you were trying to cut open the eggshell?! What even- You know, I can’t- Again what the actual fuck, Kiba?” you stumbled over your words, as you jerked out of his embrace and now faced him, with the most confused expression ever and your eyes as horrified as they can be. Your eyebrows scrunched in disbelief with your mouth so wide open that Kiba would have laughed at your adorableness was he not astonished at the piece of information he received.

“Are you sure (Y/N) bec-”

“Yes, I’m pretty fucking sure Kiba.”

“Well the recipe said to break three eggs and thought a knife would work but the egg rolled away while my hand came in between so….”

“So you chopped your hand off while doing the stupidest thing ever? I think it is the easiest step in any recipe, right after boiling water.”

Kiba lightly chuckled at that and replied, “Well, I’m your idiot anyways honey.”

“That you are. Please be cautious baby. How am I supposed to not worry when you are away on missions if I can’t even trust you in the kitchen?”

“Sorry for worrying you (Y/N).”

You lightly smiled and pecked his cheek, returning to your original position of being the small spoon.

“Hey Kiba?” You mumbled with closed eyes, right on the brink of falling sleep.

“Yes baby?” He asked, nuzzling in your hair, taking in its sweet scent.

“Please watch a fucking tutorial next time.”

A/N: So I did get a few requests and I’m so happy that you guys are responding. I will write the requests but I might take some time so bear with me. Also if you wanna be friends dm me cause I don’t bite I promise. If i gather enough active people I might make a group of close knit members where we might share others IDs, a safe place sort of thing but that’s wayy in the future.

Until then, show this post some love babes.

Meet you soon with another post my cookies.

#kiba imagine #kiba inuzuka #kiba x reader #kiba x y/n #naruto #naruto imagine #narutofic #cute #naruto shippuden #konoha #Kakashi #sasuke #team8 #Raywrites #Smwrites #love #fluff #cooking #cookingdiarieswithkiba

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astralaffairs · 4 years ago

Note

secret agent laf delivering the final blow like “this is for france!” and thomas like “i have literally no idea what youre talking about”

im sorry but u KNOW that his dumb ass just jumps to the stupidest conclusions he could possibly find 🤡

---

Thomas was sick of monotonous Fridays, but this wasn't exactly the antibiotic he was looking for.

He was still half asleep behind his desk. His secretary had long since left for the evening; by then, it was the receptionist on the ground floor, his dying potted plants, a few abandoned draft reports, and him. The quiet almost would've been peaceful had the siren song of the couch in his office not been seducing him into a much-needed slumber. It was only a few feet away; who'd know in the morning that he'd slept in the office.

But no -- he needed to focus. If he finished everything he needed done that night, the rest of the weekend could actually be relaxing, which seemed all but a pipe dream from where he was sitting. He'd just managed to lock himself into his most daunting task when the call box on his desk buzzed. He furrowed his brow, leaning over to respond.

He pressed his thumb down on the call button. "Hey, Nancy, who's here at ten PM?"

"The Marquis de Lafayette says he has a meeting with you."

His eyebrows shot up. What could Lafayette possibly be doing there? No matter what it was, he was sure it was more exciting than poring over financial records for the remainder of his night. "Alright. Yeah, send him up."

In the few minutes from then until the elevator dinged, signaling that Lafayette had reached the floor of his office, Thomas's focus was all but nonexistent. His curiosity (and deep, deep desire for a distraction) had the better of him, so when he finally saw Lafayette approaching, his face lit up.

"Hey, Laf, what're you doin' here so late?" Thomas raised an eyebrow, wore an easy smile as Lafayette let himself into his office. However, his unexpected visitor seemed far from lighthearted.

"I am 'ere on a bit of urgent business."

Thomas's eyebrows shot up as he heard the door lock, and his concern only grew at Lafayette's grim expression. "Yeah? What's up?" he asked hesitantly.

"As though you do not know."

Thomas creased his forehead at Lafayette's scowl, but when he whirled around toward him with a gun clutched tightly in his grip, Thomas jumped back, pushing his rolling chair away from the desk as though the distance would protect him.

"Woah, there. Hey, now, Lafayette, whatever's goin' on, I'm sure we can try and talk about it first."

Lafayette let out a mirthless laugh as Thomas took in his stature. He was dressed in black from head to toe, wearing leather gloves to keep his fingerprints separate from his handgun. "It is far too late for talking. Zis is for France." His tone was as hard as his gaze. However, his words just pushed Thomas's confusion further.

"...Wait, what?" Lafayette looked unamused by the question, but Thomas was asking in earnest. "I love France; you know that. I mean, 'm sorry I haven't been back in a while, but don't think I've abandoned the whole country, or anythin'."

The scowl written across Lafayette's face deepened, and Thomas could feel his heart pounding against his ribcage when he heart Lafayette cock his gun. "Save it. I 'ave no time for your games." When Thomas didn't respond, Lafayette rolled his eyes at his blank expression. "I know all about your entanglement with Maximilien Robespierre. Your affairs 'ave not gone unnoticed."

"...'My affairs'? That's what this is about? You think I've been cheatin' on Y/N?" Though the action felt audacious, Thomas rolled his chair back toward his desk, wearing what he hoped came off as a reassuring smile. "I swear, I'd never--"

"Do not play dumb with me, Thomas," he cut him off, low voice bordering on a snarl. "I did not come 'ere to listen to you try to make excuses."

Thomas swallowed. Apparently, whoever Lafayette's informant was, they were extremely convincing. "Now, really, even if you did think he 'n I were together, wouldn't this be a little extreme? 'S nice that you're concerned about Y/N and all, but..."

"Stop stalling! I know all about your lies and treachery." When he took a step forward, Thomas was staring down the barrel of his gun, eyes wide, but he didn't move his chair back, didn't make any more to run. Bringing a stapler to a gun fight seemed like it'd be a losing battle.

"'Lies and treachery'?" Thomas repeated, disbelief heavy in his voice, and Lafayette nodded expectantly. Searching the spite in his assailant's eyes, Thomas let out a soft sigh. "Oh, this is really 'cause we never invited you drinkin'? Laf, really, I would've, but I didn't think you knew anyone in the group."

A beat passed in complete silence when Thomas shrugged. It was Lafayette's turn to be stunned, then. Either Thomas was an impeccable actor, or the misunderstanding was genuine. The conclusions Thomas was drawing seemed to indicate the latter; Lafayette doubted his ability to hold his own at an improv club.

However, he drew in a shuddering breath, steeling his gaze down at Thomas. "I did not know any of zem because I do not associate myself with such scoundrels," he spat, and Thomas pursed his lips, hands raised in defense.

"It's alright to be jealous, but you don't gotta stoop to the level of attackin' my other friends over it," he said, and Lafayette's eyes widened. His front of aggression was slowly being shaken into annoyance by the pity in Thomas's gaze, and his gun had nearly fallen to his side. "Promise I love you every bit as much as I love them, alright?"

"Zis is not about my own feelings!" Lafayette yelled, striding toward him until he stood against the front of Thomas's desk, the cold metal of the gun just a hair away from the bridge of Thomas's nose. However, the man in question looked more startled than afraid.

"Hey, no need to hide it. You shouldn't bottle things up; 's not healthy," Thomas said, and though he was trying to play peacemaker, Lafayette could only take his gentle tone as condescending. "All you need to worry about it how you act on it."

"I am not 'acting on my feelings'! I am 'ere to make you pay for your betrayal," Lafayette scoffed, and Thomas pursed his lips. Unbeknownst to both of them, they were on opposite ends of two different conversations.

"Don't you think the gun's a little bit extreme, though?" he asked, creasing his brow. He appeared to be more worried for Lafayette's mental health than for the threat on his own life, and Lafayette wasn't exactly elated about the turn of events. "Listen, let's get outta here. I'll buy you a drink, and we can talk everything over, alright?"

"I 'ave no interest in associating with ze likes of you." Lafayette's glare deepened, and Thomas's concerned frown fell into a disappointed one, the empathy in his eyes fading.

"Really? Now you're gonna degrade me over this?" he asked, reaching back for his computer mouse. He seemed to quickly be losing interest in the conversation Lafayette was trying to have. "You're bein' unreasonable, Laf. I'm allowed to have other friends."

Lafayette huffed. "Not zat kind of friends."

"For the last time, I'm not sleepin' with Robespierre!" Thomas looked beyond incredulous when he turned back to Lafayette, and Lafayette furrowed his brow. His hard stance faltered as he searched the conviction in Thomas's expression, and the other man continued, "C'mon, let's take a breather and then we can talk this all through."

There was a skip. "Do you really not know what it is I am talking about?"

"No, no, no, I get it. Believe me," Thomas said quickly, and he'd managed a kind smile by then as Lafayette's arm fell to his side, the point of his gun dropping far from its target. "I don't mean to invalidate your feelings, or anythin'. 'S just nothin' we can't work out, okay?"

Lafayette's brow was furrowed; his shoulders relaxed, but he was still squinting at Thomas as though trying to see past his expression. "... 'Ave you truly not been colluding with Maximilien?"

"Nah, we're just old friends. Nothin' more, nothin' less." Thomas shrugged, and though he hesitated for a long moment, Lafayette tucked his gun back into its holster. "We've honestly lost touch over the past couple years, but I'm over it."

"I..." Apparently, he and Thomas weren't quite on the same page. Lafayette couldn't gauge for the life of him how genuine Thomas's confusion was, but he also couldn't find a single flicker of inconsistency in his kind expression. He'd finally been presented with the circumstance he'd been looking for throughout the past three years, but his reasonable doubt was holding him back. "I am sorry, Thomas. I believe I am going to need to... touch base with someone. Zere may 'ave been a misunderstanding."

To Lafayette's surprise, Thomas chuckled lightly. "'S alright. It happens, right?" When Lafayette didn't respond, his struggle with his conscience was written across his face, and as Thomas leaned in to power off his computer on his desk, he added, "Know you'd forgive me if the roles were reversed."

"Of course." Lafayette's words were weak, but Thomas's smile in response was bright. He adjusted the jacket of his suit, glancing back out the window to Thomas's office, and sighed. "I should go."

"No, no, c'mon; you don't need to get outta here just 'cause we had a little miscommunication," Thomas reassured him, and Lafayette raised his eyebrows, gaze heavy with disbelief. Perhaps Thomas was simply a better man than he, but being interrogated at gunpoint was far from Lafayette's idea of 'a little miscommunication.' "I'm about to head out anyway. Wanna come get drinks with me 'n Y/N? 'M sure she wouldn't mind the company."

Thomas pushed himself up out of his seat and pulled on his coat, began packing the files he'd sorted into his briefcase. "Zat is alright," Lafayette said. "I am sure I 'ave already put enough of a strain on your evening."

"Hey, c'mon, don't worry about it, okay?" Thomas nudged his shoulder playfully as he stood, beginning to button up his jacket, but Lafayette sighed.

"You are too quick to forgive me."

Thomas grinned. "Nah, that's just what friends do. Now, you comin' out with us to the bar on West 26th, or what?"

Lafayette eyed his hopeful expression for another long moment, and the offer seemed entirely to be in earnest. All his trust was vested in France's Directorate-General for External Security, but he was praying by then that he'd simply been fed misinformed intelligence. Thomas quirked a brow.

"... I suppose."

"Good. 'M glad we could work this out."

"As am I, Thomas," Lafayette sighed, and they started together toward the door. "Believe me."

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lia-jones · 4 years ago

Text

Growing Together - Chapter Four - Back to Humdrum

Returning to Loveland was as heartbreaking as it was exciting. Part of me missed the lazy days spent in Bali, enjoying each other, Victor relaxed and perfectly content by my side. But the other part of me was thrilled to go back to my life as Victor’s wife. I felt like, after two years of trying to find myself, I had finally been able to lay down roots and see the fruits of my labor.

It was easy to fall back to old routines, especially because Victor enjoyed a bit of humdrum, a way to help him unwind from his incredibly busy life. So that morning, like many others, I felt his lips on my hair as he whispered to me that he was going for a run and then I fell back asleep, only to hear sometime later a lovingly mocking voice calling me sleepy head and warning me it was time to get ready. Like all the other times, I dragged my sleepy self to the shower, slapping my husband’s behind while he shaved, getting the same playful scoff in return. And according to tradition, I entered the kitchen with my hair still wet, trying to remove the remaining sleep from my eyes, I was greeted with a cup of coffee, warned that I should drink it slowly because it was hot, and sat on the stool while Victor finished making breakfast.

“French toast for Mrs. Lee.” Victor placed a plate with freshly made french toast and fruit in front of me, pecking my forehead. “Eat while it’s hot. Do you want more coffee?”

“No, I’m good.” I smiled at him, while he went to the stove, grabbing a serving for himself. “I should make breakfast more often. I feel so spoiled.”

“It’s alright, I get up earlier than you anyway.” He sipped his coffee. “Besides, I like to spoil my wife. You can return the favor by spoiling me in other ways.” He smiled suggestively, picking up his phone to read the news.

“And what ways would those be?” I teased back.

“You are creative enough. I’m confident you can think of something.” He smirked while swiping on his screen.

Our morning ritual also included a moment of quiet. It was a comfortable silence, where both of us turned to our daily schedules, preparing ourselves for the day. After breakfast, as usual, I cleared the table, while Victor grabbed his briefcase to leave. However, there was something different about this particular morning. I came home to Loveland only to find my old car dead to the world, which meant I needed Victor or the driver to take me to work since I wouldn’t dare touch any of his many cars. When I met him in the hallway, Victor was lost in thought, staring at the aquarium.

“Are you ready?” I looked at the aquarium, trying to see what he was seeing.

“Do you think our lobster is getting fatter?” He furrowed his eyebrows, observing our pet more closely.

“Looks the same to me.” I frowned at him, confused.

“It’s definitely fatter.” He concluded. “The housekeeper must have overfed him, I’m sure. He’s obese.”

I laughed, being met with a scolding gaze that quickly made me shut up.

“Victor, there is no such thing as an obese lobster.” I looked at him in all seriousness.

“Yes, there is. We have one.” He declared, closing the subject. “Let’s go, I have a busy day today.”

I found Elise waiting for me next to my office door, schedule in hand. First order of the day, to meet with my research team to know about the evolution of the study, next an emergency meeting with Olive. As I was leaving the research department, I got a call from Victor.

“Can you talk?” He spoke like the CEO I first met, incisive and cold, yet also tense. I reckoned being back after a two-week vacation meant that Victor would be a very busy man these first two days.

“Hello handsome.” I smiled. “Hard day?”

“Nothing that I can’t handle, don’t worry about it.” He softened, a smile clear in his voice. “I’m calling to let you know I’ll send a driver to pick you up, I have an emergency conference call at six.”

“It’s ok, I can take an Uber and meet you at LFG. I want to say hi to Goldman and Diane.”

“Call the driver instead. I’ll wait for you here then, and we can both go home together.” He paused, letting out an exhausted exhale. “How is your day going?”

“Good so far.” I spoke nonchalantly. “I’m heading to an emergency meeting with Olive, to discuss my future in Loveland University, whatever that means.”

“Not hard to guess. The GESA awards were announced last week, she knows you’ll have plenty of job offers.” Victor offered casually. “She wants to secure your position in the University. Assess what will make you stay.”

“Maybe.” I shrugged. “I’ll know soon enough.”

“Alright, I should go now. Good luck with your meeting.” I heard the rustle of sheets and Victor sighing heavily. Probably Goldman handing him more work.

“I hope your day gets better. Love you.”

“See you later, my light. I love you too.”

It turned out Victor was right. Olive Carson wanted to discuss with me what the next step in my career would be, now that I had more free time, since the second part of the study was basically data collecting.

She was no fool either. Olive knew that I couldn’t be lured with a better paycheck, so she offered me the thing that she knew I appreciated the most: recognition. She offered me a job as a teacher, but this time not to teach Economic Theory, but to create my own subject, based on my own study.

Although it was flattering, it also made me uneasy. I excused myself, with the promise of an answer after some thought.

The rest of the day went by in a blur, as I pondered Olive’s offer. It was every researcher’s dream to have his work recognized and deemed worthy to pass knowledge to younger generations but at the same time, I felt this was all to keep me there, and not solely because of my work’s worth. Besides, creating a new whole subject from scratch, even being from my own study, meant that I would have to travel frequently to the companies I was studying, evaluating them carefully, and that meant more time away from home, away from Victor.

At that moment I wanted nothing more than to root down next to the man I loved. We had gone through so much already to be together, and my hard focus on work had made Victor feel dejected, so I didn’t want to cause him so much pain again. Also, I knew he was excited to start this new life with me, as much as I was. I couldn’t make myself absent again because of work. He deserved better. We deserved better.

I was brought from my thoughts by Elise, knocking on my door.

“You told me to remind you when it’s six pm.” She sneaked from the door.

“Yes, I’m just answering some final emails and I’ll be on my way.” I said, not lifting my eyes from the computer. “You can go home.”

I hurried with my replies, not wanting to bring work home. I had a lot to think about already. I was just grabbing my purse to leave when there was another knock on the door.

“You’re still here? You should be home…” I trailed off, realizing I wasn’t talking to Elise. In her place, I found a tall man with dark sleek bangs almost covering his violet eyes, wearing a white shirt and grey pants. “I’m sorry, I thought you were my assistant.” I frowned. “May I help you?”

“I’m sorry to just knock, but I saw no one at the desk outside.” He apologized politely, with a smooth warm voice. “You are Dr. Andrea Jones, I suppose?” He extended a hand for me to shake.

“It’s Andrea Lee, now.” I shook his hand, and for an instant I felt a chill going up my spine. “You are?”

“I apologize again.” He smiled. “My name is Lucien Xu. I have read your recently published research, and I must say I am a big admirer of your work. Also, I know felicitations are in order. For the GESA award.”

“You came to visit me on purpose to tell me that?” I frowned at him, feeling suspicious. ”You could’ve just called, or sent me an email.”

“I have friends at the Economics department who I visit frequently, do you know Dr. King? He’s a good friend of mine.” His eyes focused intently on mine, and I felt a wave of relaxation rush over me. He didn’t look like he was lying.

“Yes, he is helping me supervise my research team.” My uneasy feeling magically disappeared. I was being suspicious for no reason. If he was a friend of Dr. King, he could be trusted.

“Yes, he told me you had returned from your honeymoon, and I wanted to take the chance to personally congratulate you for your excellent work. I have been following your career quite closely.” He looked at the chair next to him, and it dawned on me how rude I have been.

“I am sorry, Mr. Xu, I was in a hurry to leave, so I didn’t ask you to sit down.” I motioned to the chair. “But I think I can spare a few minutes.”

“I wouldn’t want to impose. You are clearly a busy woman, and I’m sure your husband must be waiting for you.” He walked to the door, opening it for me. “You know, Victor and I have known each other for years.”

“Well, everyone in Loveland knows Victor.” I nodded politely, thanking him. “Investments, I assume?”

“To be honest, our relationship is one of a more… personal nature.” He seemed to be carefully choosing his words, as we walked out of the building. “Unfortunately, Victor and I didn’t agree on some matters, and that caused us to drift apart quite sourly.”

“Oh?” I wondered what it could be, but I didn’t ask. “Well, I’m sure that if you talk to him, you can reach an understanding.”

“I certainly hope so.” Mr. Xu stopped, and I noticed Victor’s sedan already waiting for me in the parking lot. “Would you please do me a favor? As a sign of good faith. Send your husband my best regards and tell him that... good friends can be found in old enemies.”

“I will, of course.” I smiled.

“Thank you. And congratulations on your recent wedding. I heard it was wonderful.” He took my hand and squeezed it, with a smile.

I walked to my car in a daze, confused about what had just happened. Although harmless, that Lucien guy sounded really cryptic. I shrugged the feeling off, deciding I would ask Victor about it later.

Visiting LFG was always fun, as I had made a lot of friends there. I took my time saying hi to everyone, taking some special time to brief Diane about the honeymoon, until Goldman came to greet me.

“He’s just finishing up.” He said after a hug. “I think you are ok to go now. Oh, and you’ll meet Margot.” He smirked, “I too have an assistant now.”

“Oh, you’re going places, Goldie! Good for you!” I patted his back before I left for Victor’s office.

In the large corridor leading to Victor’s door, there was a desk. A young blonde sat there, typing furiously on her keyboard. Probably the assistant Goldman had mentioned.

“Good afternoon, Margot. I’m Andrea.” I extended my hand to her in a friendly manner. “Is Victor free already?”

She looked at me with very suspicious eyes, refusing to shake my hand.

“I’m sorry, Mr. Lee isn’t taking any visitors. Do you have an appointment?” She spoke dryly.

“Do I need one?” I frowned. “I’m his-”

“You need to schedule an appointment if you want to see Mr. Lee.” She interrupted me. “The best I can do is check if he would be so kind as to concede a few minutes to you.”

Finally, it dawned on me what was really happening. She had no idea of who I was, we had never met before. And I had to admit, she was doing a really good job, being so protective of Victor’s time and space. I decided to play along and let her have it her way. I didn’t want to play the wife card on her first day and embarrass her.

“Can you just tell him I’m waiting for him? That would be a huge favor.” I smiled.

“I can do that, yes.” She relaxed slightly. “Who should I announce?”

“Andrea Lee.” I almost snorted, wondering if she would take the hint.

Apparently not. She picked up the phone to speak to Victor.

“Mr. Lee?” There was a short pause. “I’m sorry to interrupt, Miss Andrea Lee…”

“Mrs.!” I corrected.

“Sorry, Mrs. Andrea Lee asked for me to tell you she’s waiting for you.” There was another pause before she hung up and turned to me. “Mr. Lee is coming right out. Would you like to sit while you wait?”

I nodded politely, taking a seat on the luxurious leather sofa in front of her desk. Soon after, Goldman came to me, frowning.

“Why are you still waiting here? He was about to end the call when I left.” He asked me.

“Mrs. Lee didn’t have an appointment.” Margot intervened, blushing slightly. “I already spoke to Mr. Lee, everything is taken care of.”

Goldman and I laughed, which seemed to make Margot even more uneasy.

“Andrea doesn’t need an appointment, Margot.” Goldman explained. “She’s Victor’s wife, she can walk in and out as much as she pleases.”

Margot turned beet red. I went to her, trying to reassure her. She held my hand apologetically.

“I am so sorry, Mrs. Lee, I had no idea! This was all a big misunderstanding, I hope you can forgive me.”

“His desk is full of her pictures, how could you not know?” Goldman laughed.

“I didn’t recognize her, she looks so pretty in those pictures!” Suddenly she realized what she was saying and panicked. “I mean, not that you are not pretty now, you are beautiful, but people are so different in pictures, you know?”

Margot looked like she was about to have a stroke. Before I could utter a word to appease her, I heard my husband’s voice.

“Here you are. Why didn’t you come in?” He casually rested his hand on the small of my back. He then noticed Goldman’s amused face and Margot’s flushed one. “Is there something wrong?”

“I apologize, I didn’t know she was your wife, and I made her wait outside because she didn’t have an appointment. It was an honest mistake, I’m so sorry!” At this point, I honestly thought that she was going to start crying.

“It’s ok, Margot, don’t worry.” I smiled at her. “For what is worth, I think you were very efficient. I am pleased to see that Victor has such competent people working for him. Please don’t be upset over this.”

“Thank you so much.” She visibly relaxed. “It won’t happen again.”

Victor looked confused, blinking at both of us. After a brief moment, he cleared his throat.

“Now that you know who she is, I’m sure it will not happen again.” He offered. “I’m heading home, you should get some rest as well. See you tomorrow.”

“Thank you, sir.” She took a deep breath. “Have a good evening.”

We got into the elevator and Victor’s deep frown returned.

“I think you broke my secretary.” He stated as the metal doors closed behind us.

Back at home, after changing into more comfortable clothes, we had dinner and moved to the living room to relax a bit before sleep. Despite his busy day, and the load of work he would probably have the next morning, Victor chose not to bring work home, adamant on having time for his family when he was home, even if his family was just me. We sat on the couch, him nursing a glass of brandy, as I rested my head on his chest, the only audible sound being my sighs of satisfaction as he played with my curls.

“How was your meeting with Olive?” Victor broke the silence. “What did she want?”

“She wanted to know what I wanted to do, now that I’m not so busy with my study.” I started playing with the fabric of his sweater. “I could either take a job elsewhere, or go back to teaching. She proposed that I would create a subject to teach, based on my study.”

“A subject for Economics students to take? That’s quite remarkable.” Victor looked at me with wide eyes. “Do you want to do it?”

“I don’t think so.” I lifted the hem of his sweater, sneaking my hand under it to caress his soft skin.

“Why not?”His hand stopped mine. When I looked up, I saw him looking at me with worried eyes.

“Creating a subject from scratch would mean endless hours working and numerous business trips. I would barely be home. Do you want that for us?” I asked, in all seriousness.

“No, I don’t.” He caressed my cheek. “However, I will support you, if it’s something you want. I will not be the one standing between you and your goals, Andrea.”

I moved closer to his face, pecking Victor on the lips.

“I know.” I wrapped my arms around his neck, while he held my waist. “But I’m not sure I want to do it either. I want to enjoy this first year of marriage, just us, building a life together.”

“It sounds like an excellent plan.” Victor pecked my nose, and I laid my head on his shoulder, as he took another sip of his brandy.

“Oh, I almost forgot to tell you.” I mumbled sleepily on his neck. “I saw a friend of yours today.”

“You did?” He frowned. “Who?”

“He had an uncommon name actually…” I tried to remember. “It was Lucien. Lucien Xu.”

I heard the sound of glass breaking, and brandy spilling all over the sofa. Victor hissed in pain.

“Victor!” I got up, startled. “Are you hurt?”

Before I could reach his hand, he pulled it behind the back of the sofa, his blood now dropping on the floor.

“I’m fine, it’s nothing serious.” He pulled my arm to bring me closer. “Did you say Lucien Xu?

“Yes, Lucien, does it matter?” I tried to take a closer look at his hand, but Victor wouldn’t let me. “Let me see it, you’re bleeding!”

“Andrea, focus!” He held my arm forcefully, keeping me in place. “Look at me. Where did you see him? I need to know everything.”

“You’re hurting me!” I snapped, releasing myself from his grip. “What’s the matter with you? Why are you so worked up?”

Victor immediately came to his senses, something changing in his eyes, as he relaxed on the sofa. I took the chance to take his hand to look at the wound. It wasn’t deep, just a small cut, no shards embedded in his skin.

“Come on, let’s get this properly treated.” I grabbed his wrist and pulled him out of the sofa, towards the nearest bathroom. He followed me obediently, his previous adamance magically gone.

I started pouring some iodine solution on his cut, ripping a packet of gauze with my teeth. Victor watched me silently, as I worked, but I still could feel he was tense.

“He met me in my office as I was leaving to meet you. Wanted to congratulate me on the GESA award.” I intended to pacify Victor, by telling him what he wanted to know, but it actually had the opposite effect. I could almost hear his heart beating wildly on his chest.

“That was it? That’s all he said?” He became insistent again. “How did you know I knew him? Andrea, you must tell me everything. I must know every single word he said.”

“He said that you and him had some kind of fallout, I think his exact words were that things ended sourly.” I tried to recall as I wrapped some gauze around Victor’s palm. “He wanted me to send you his best regards, and tell you you can find good friends in old enemies. I thought it was weird, but to be honest, everything about him was weird.” I looked up to see my husband’s eyes fixed on me, a hint of fear in them. “But this was all it was, Victor, nothing else happened. It was very brief, very insignificant, really.”

“Andy, I need you to promise me something.” He held my shoulders, his forehead touching mine. “If he ever shows up again, if he ever tries to talk to you, you walk away, do you understand? You walk away as fast as you can and you call me. Now, promise me.”

“Victor, I don’t understand why you are asking me th-”

“Promise me.” He hardened his grip on my shoulders. “Please. Promise me you’ll walk away and call me immediately.”

“Ok, ok, I promise. I promise, you have my word.” Victor exhaled heavily, some of the tension leaving him. “But you need to tell me what’s going on. What happened between you two?”

Victor paused, lost in thought. After a moment, he spoke again.

“We both knew Mia. It’s complicated.” He simply stated.

Hearing that brought a bittersweet taste in my mouth. Of course it had to be about Mia, everything in Victor’s past, everything that moved him to the place he was now was motivated by Mia for some reason. Victor and this guy and Mia were probably part of some romantic triangle, both men trying to win the lady’s heart.

“I should’ve known.” I threw, bitterly. He tried to grab my arm, but I pulled away. “You have nothing to worry about. I will keep my promise.”

He wrapped his left arm around my waist, pulling me closer to him, his right forearm clumsily holding me in place, because he couldn’t use his hand. I felt his soft lips on my cheek, his voice husky and warm in my ear.

“You know I love you more than everything, don’t you?”

I pulled back to look him in the eyes, seeing in them love, and a hint of worry. I still wasn’t sure why the Mia subject made me so uneasy sometimes, but it did. She was married, he was married. But I couldn’t shake it off.

“I know.” I smiled weakly. “I love you too.”

I could still feel the uneasiness in his embrace, and I have to admit the whole thing was making me slightly uneasy too. But whatever it was, we would deal with it. Together, as a team. I was sure of it.

#Growing Pains - Series #growingtogether #victor x oc #victor mlqc #mlqc li zeyan #mlqc fanfic #mister love queens choice #mister love dream date #love and producer

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overheardatthecontinental · 4 years ago

Text

Talk Chapter 4

AO3

In which Helen fights for control from her kidnappers and John is met with deadends.

(The action will pick up in the next chapter

Waking up in a cell is a little easier the second time around Helen discovers.

She wakes up, freezing again, on the floor. Not that there was any other place to be. The cell was still empty.

The guards were different when she woke up but she barely paid them any attention. Instead, she managed to crawl to the little stall in the corner of her cell. Indeed, she was grateful to find a bathroom. The contents of her stomach were emptied into the small toilet and she wondered, idly, if it was the sedative that made her feel so.

She wished there was a window, or any other sort of indication of what time it was. What day it was.

Was it still Saturday? She wasn’t sure.

She wondered if it was Sunday and what would happen tomorrow morning when clients started arriving at her office to find it locked and empty?

Priorities, she tells herself.

No, she wasn’t worried about a few people missing their appointments. Not when her hands were still bound together and her throat burned from the acid of her vomit.

They’d live.

And so would she.

John was coming, she knows. It may take him some time to find her. Helen was certain she was hidden somewhere that wouldn’t be easy for him to find. But she was also positive that John wouldn’t stop until she was safe.

That brought her some comfort.

But even with that knowledge, she wasn’t going to stop trying to get herself out of the mess.

She tries to engage the new guards in conversation, but they kept their mouths shut. Probably warned by DeLuca, she thinks.

Still, one of them disappears upstairs and returns with a tv dinner that he slides through the bars to her, along with a bottle of water. They undo the bindings at her wrists but refuse to give her silverware. While she can only imagine what other uses John would find for a spoon or a fork, she wouldn’t know what the fuck to do with a utensil in a fight.

At least DeLuca isn’t planning on starving her. That was a plus. Especially since John would kill him either way.

She closes her eyes.

John was probably a wreck. He didn’t do well with things being out of his control and his emotional regulation skills were lacking.

This, she thinks, is really going to stunt the progress she’s made with him. Months of building up to him addressing his issues with self-esteem and his own feelings of self-hatred, only to have her kidnapped by his enemies.

It would take months more to work through the blame he was going to feel and probably years before he could even start to forgive himself.

The guards change not long after she wakes up. The new guards are told: “She’s been fed. Mostly quiet. DeLuca says not to interact with her.”

They listen. They ignore her attempts at small talk and don’t even look at her. The only moment of interaction comes when they hand her another meal a few hours later with a gruff, “Here.”

She falls asleep again after she eats. It’s almost too cold to sleep but she manages, blaming the exhaustion on the sedatives.

When she wakes up again, the guards have changed.

Nick, the man who had sedated her is back, along with someone new. The kid is younger than Nick. She’d place him in his early twenties at best. His face was still a little soft around the edges and the scarring from acne hadn’t found its way to clearing up just yet.

“Morning, boys.” She says, “Or is it night?”

“It’s two pm.”

“Hey!” Nick says, “DeLuca said not to talk to her.”

“What harm will talking do?” The new kid asks, looking over at Helen with a naïve sort of interest.

Nick shrugs, “Guess she’s some sort of psychiatrist.”

Wrong, Helen thinks, but doesn’t comment.

“She got inside DeLuca’s head yesterday. Kinda eerie, to be honest. Started spouting all this stuff about his parents and I guess it was true, because DeLuca was pissed. Bastard still hasn’t come back.”

Helen resists the urge to smirk at that.

“Why didn’t he just kill her? What’s she in for?”

Helen perks up a bit. She knew, obviously, that she was here as leverage or bait or something altogether nefarious to entrap John. But the more she could figure out about the details, the better off she would be.

“You ever hear of John Wick?” Nick asks, shuffling the deck of cards.

“Heard of him?” The poor kid almost sounds excited, “The man’s a fucking legend! I heard he killed three guys who started shit-talking him in the bar with a fucking pencil!”

Helen hadn’t heard that little tidbit, but she wasn’t surprised. John’s versatility was arguably his greatest strength. It made sense that it converted to weapons.

Nick hums, “Yep. And that’s his girl.” He throws a thumb in her direction.

The kid’s head flies over, staring at Helen in shock. She gives him a finger wave and the kid looks back to Nick, “That’s the boogeyman’s girl?”

Nick nods and starts to toss out the cards, “DeLuca’s been talking about getting a jump on the Camorra ever since he took over the Syndicate. Can’t help but wonder if this is his ploy.”

John had referenced the Camorra before, a number of times, but she couldn’t recall him ever mentioning the Syndicate. Nevertheless, she now had a name to put to the organization and its face that held her captive.

“But, it’s the boogeyman! You don’t mess with the boogeyman!”

“Sound advice,” Helen pipes in, “I suggest you relay the message to DeLuca before he gets you all killed.”

The kid pales and Nick shakes his head, “Don’t listen to her, Frankie.”

But Frankie was already listening. She just needed one in. “He’s probably right. I wouldn’t want to spend your last hours on this Earth in fear. Play your game.” Helen tries her best to give her a sweet smile. “Have fun with your time.”

“Hours?” he echoes.

“I mean, maybe you’ll get lucky. You might have a few days before John finds this place and razes it to the ground.”

“Disengage, Frankie.” Nick warns but even he looks uneasy.

John had mentioned his reputation a few times, but this was the first time that Helen had ever seen it in action. She knew John was not one for dramatizing but still, it was a little strange to see grown men becoming uneasy at the very mention of his name.

Frankie lowers his voice but she can still hear him echoing in the empty basement. “Look, man, you know I’m all in for the cause but I don’t know if I want to be involved in this.” He shoots Helen a glance, “I don’t want the Boogeyman coming after me.”

She almost felt sorry for the kid. Rationally, she could probably justify his actions. Write it off as a kid looking for a place to fit in, a world to survive in. He was mousy and largely unintimidating. The idea of mafiaso protection probably appealed to him, gave him space to live. But, she acknowledges, it’s harder to feel bad for someone who is keeping you locked in a cage.

“It’s a little late for that, Frankie. You and Nick are already involved.”

Nick shifts uncomfortably at the use of his name. Good, she thinks. She wants him to be anxious. She wants them both to afraid of what was to come.

Poor Frankie hadn’t even been here five minutes, she thinks, and he was already ready to bolt. She had a foot in the door, now she just had to hold her ground and push through.

“Look,” Helen offers him a small smile, “You seem like a good kid. Single mom?”

His eyes widen and he nods. “How did you know?”

An educated guess, but she doesn’t elaborate. “You did whatever you had to do to help her. How many siblings you got?”

“Don’t—” Nick tries but it’s too late.

“Two.”

“Still in school?”

Again, he nods.

“Good.” Helen says, “I hope they won’t have to drop out when you aren’t around. It’s hard for kids who drop out to catch back up. Sometimes you never do. Right, Nick?”

Nick tenses immediately.

She hums and closes her eyes, leaning her head back against the wall.

“Nick, man—”

“She’s just getting into your head. Let it go.”

Helen huffs a small laugh at that.

“I don’t know. How’d she know about my mom? And me dropping out? I didn’t say anything that—”

“It’s all just lucky guesswork. Calm down.”

If her eyes were open, she would have rolled them. “Guesswork, huh?” She glances up. It’s not much, she thinks, but it’s an opening, “I don’t suppose you’d be willing to make a little wager about that?”

“Not a chance.” Nick is quick to say but she can see the curiosity behind them. It’s reflected in Frankie who, with less experience and far less intelligence is quick to ask, “What kind of wager?”

Nick shoots him a glare but doesn’t cut her off.

“I’ll read you. Both of you. I’ll analyze your lives based on what I’ve already seen of you. And, if I’m wrong, on either of you, I’ll shut up. I won’t say anything for the rest of the night.”

“And if you’re right?” Nick asks.

“I get a phone call.”

“Not a chance.” Okay. She expected that. She could compromise.

“A text, then. I’ll keep it short. No more than a minute.”

“DeLuca would kill us.” Frankie says, shaking his head.

“DeLuca doesn’t have cameras here.” She gestures around, “And I wouldn’t be worried about DeLuca killing you when John’s out there looking for me.” She pauses, “I’ll sweeten the pot. Win or lose, I’ll ask John not to kill you.”

She’s met with silence as Frankie looks to Nick to take the lead.

Nick looks indecisive and she takes that into account. She watches the way he glances towards his phone. He’s considering it.

“You’re both part of this.” Helen leans forward, “DeLuca is arrogant enough to think he can get out of this without backlash. You’ve got to know that won’t be the case. John will hunt him down to the ends of the Earth, along with anyone else who played a part in this. Your only shot of making it through this alive is for me to interfere.”

She watches him swallow. Nick isn’t stupid. He’s probably the smartest of all the kidnappers she met but, Christ, he is lost.

John was like that, once.

Desperate for a way out, unable to find one.

“Will he listen to you?” Nick asks finally, “If you ask him to spare us, will he listen?”

She can’t make the promise. Truth be told, she’s never seen John truly angry at anyone other than himself. She doesn’t know how this is going to go.

“I am the only chance at stopping him.” She says finally. Not a promise or a guarantee. The honest truth, if ever there was one.

“Either way, win or lose?” Nick pushes.

“I give you my word.”

The moment lasts an eternity as she holds Nick’s gaze.

“I won’t give you a minute. You can’t touch the phone. You tell me the number, I type in the message. You get to send one word.”

“Three.”

He considers it, then he nods and she breathes easy.

“Start with Frankie.” He says and there comes that guard again. Keeping himself safe. Protecting his secrets.

She suspects but she isn’t entirely sure.

Frankie is an easier read, anyway. He wears his heart on his sleeve.

Nick’s reactions to what she says to Frankie will give her everything she needs.

Helen exhales and looks to the younger boy.

She takes in the clothes, the demeanor. The way he sits, the little bit of excitement in his eyes that proved just how naïve he was. How in over his head he was.

“We’ve established the single mom. You’re the oldest. Different dad’s all around. Your mom’s a dreamer. She kept hoping that each guy would be different. They’d care. They’d stay. But they never did.

“You get that from her,” Helen softens her voice, “that tendency to daydream. It keeps you going on the bad days, but it also keeps you stuck. What do consequences matter when everything will be okay in the end, right?

“But you were smart. You did shit in school, but you were quick to pick things up and acing tests made up for the fact you probably never did you homework. But your siblings do. You prioritized their work above yours, made sure they did well. Because it was too late for you, even then, wasn’t it?”

Frankie’s mouth opens but she keeps going.

“Three boys,” That much is a guess but the subtle intake of breath from Frankie tells her she’s right, “Three growing boys need food. And clothes. Mom was running herself to the ground to keep going. So, you stepped up. Because you’re the oldest, and because you love your mom. And, partly, because she and your brothers are all you have.”

Frankie looks like he’s going to pass out at any minute but it’s Nick she’s watching, out of the corner of her eye.

Nick’s leg is shaking, bouncing with nervous energy and he’s staring at his phone, as if it’s the only thing in the world giving him strength.

She’s willing to stake everything that whatever his lock screen shows is his reason to get up each and every morning.

Turning her attention back to Frankie, she continues, “So you wound up here. It’s local and Italian, so it could be worse in your mother’s eyes. It doesn’t stop her from worrying, though.

“But you have your uses. You’re not street smart like the rest of these guys here, but just clever enough that you see things they don’t. Finding patterns and solving puzzles. It makes up for the fact you’re shit in a fight and you probably can’t even shoot straight.”

Frankie’s face breaks into a huge grin, “Holy shit! That was dead on! How did you do that?” He leaves his chair and comes to sit on the ground outside her cell. “I didn’t know psychologists did that.”

Her face softens, “Most don’t. Technically, we’re supposed to avoid making assumptions but, after a while, you learn to pick up on little things.”

Nick narrows his eyes, “Still seems like guess work to me. The fact we’re both dropouts isn’t written on our faces. You guessed based on the fact we’re involved in Syndicate.”

“It gave me an indication of your socioeconomic status,” she admits, “But, in Frankie’s case, it was the oldest brother, single mother combination that made me go in that direction. I used to do quite a bit of family therapy. There are roles that often come up in enmeshed families,” she explains, looking back at Frankie, “things like enablers who allow everything to happen, or scapegoats, who get blamed for everything.”

Helen tries to watch Nick’s reaction to the scapegoat. And sure enough, he stares at his locked screen.

“What am I?” Frankie asks.

“The Hero.” His chest puffs up at the label, “You try to fix everything, even the things that can’t ever be put back together. Which is how I knew you dropped out to help your mom. It’s what you do.”

“And Nick?” He asks, gesturing back to where Nick sat at the table.

Curious, but tense. Disbelieving, but with a hint of worry.

He had the most to lose from this expenditure.

“Nick,” she says softly, “was the scapegoat. And that’s a difficult place to be because you can do everything right but it doesn’t matter. I imagine you got in trouble a lot as a kid, didn’t you, Nick? You didn’t follow the expectations lined out for you. In your parent’s eyes, you made the wrong choices. Had the wrong friends. Played with the wrong toys.”

“There are no wrong toys.” Frankie says, tilting his head in confusion.

“You’re right.” Helen replies, not looking away from Nick, who is now tapping his fingers on the table in an attempt to appease the nervous energy. “But there were in your parent’s eyes. So you tried to appease them, to do everything right. Just how they wanted but you had already made your bed and they never quite got over it.”

Helen has to close her eyes at the flash of pain she sees in Nick’s eyes.

And she’s careful with her phrasing because she won’t be the one to bring it into the open, even if she needs to communicate to him that she knows his deepest secret. The one he pretends doesn’t exist.

“I’ll admit, I am unsure of what happened. But they found out. Maybe you told them, or they saw something they shouldn’t have, but they found out.”

“Stop.”

“They found out, and you lost everything.”

Nick’s hand reaches for his phone and his fist tightens around it, like a lifeline.

“I don’t understand.” Frankie says, looking between them.

Helen ignores him. “You didn’t have a choice but to leave school. You had to support yourself. Take care of yourself. And you found this place. The Syndicate. A family in its own right and they took you in. But this time, you were more careful. You didn’t let it show.”

“Stop!” Nick shouts and Helen does. His face is red, his chest rising and falling.

Helen swallows but stares Nick down until he brings is eyes to meet hers. “There is nothing wrong with you, Nick.”

“You don’t know shit.”

“I don’t know the pain of what you’ve been through. Your experience is your own. But I know what it’s like to be afraid and to feel trapped. And I know that nothing is going to change until you learn to accept who you are.”

Nick closes his eyes and rubs them.

And Frankie, bless his stupid fucking heart, looks back to Nick in a kind of understanding. “Oh.” He says and he looks to Helen and then again to his comrade, “Dude, I know how this place can be, but if it helps, I don’t care one way or the other. My middle brother is gay.”

Nick winces at the word and looks past Frankie to Helen.

“What gave it away?” He asks, voice heavy with emotion.

“Nothing that anyone else will pick up on.” She eases his worries, “I’ve been a therapist for nearly fifteen years. I know what to look for.”

Nick looks to Frankie, “You can’t fucking t—”

“I won’t say anything.” Frankie is quick to jump in. “I see how the world treats Gio and he’s only in high school.”

“The world can be a cruel place. As humans, we tend to have a hard time distinguishing what is perceived as normal and what is perceived as right. But we all have a responsibility to challenge those beliefs and I am sorry that your parents couldn’t do that for you.”

“I wasn’t a bad kid.” Nick mutters.

“Of course, you weren’t.”

“I just wanted my parents to love me.”

“Some parents aren’t made to be parents. And the fact they couldn’t get over their narrow world view has nothing to do with you.”

“I can’t come out.”

“You don’t have to.” Helen tells him, “You can live the rest of your life pretending to be someone you’re not. Half the world does, anyway. But I can guarantee you that hiding who you are isn’t going to do anything to protect your kid.”

Nick’s eyes widen and he looks to Helen in shock.

“You have a kid? How did that even happen?” Frankie asks.

“Tequila.”

“We’ve all been there.” Helen mutters, lifting her water bottle in a silent salute. “The guys start asking too many questions about why you never date, never have a girlfriend. They start teasing at the truth and you go out and find somebody. Anybody. And things happen, because things always do. And the next thing you know, you’re trapped in another web of lies. It’s easier to play along than to find a way out and, eventually, that web of lies starts to feel like home. And right now, it’s fine. But webs will always begin to unravel. I’d suggest you do it on your own terms rather than watch your world implode.”

Nick shivers, “You really need to stop.”

“Sorry. It’s hard to shut off, sometimes.”

“I can see why DeLuca sedated you.” He mutters and grabs his phone, “A deal is a deal. What’s the number?”

Helen tries not to look to relieved as Nick brings up a new text message. She recites John’s number, forever thankful that she memorized it. Just in case.

He types it in and shakes his head, “I take it this is Wick’s direct line?”

She nods, “Yes.”

Nick exhales, “I’m really fucking glad our shift is almost done. What do you want to say?”

Three words, she muses. They had agreed on three words.

She didn’t know if he already knew where she was, or who had her. Helen didn’t want to waste her one shot giving John information he already had but, she liked to think if he knew where she was, he would already be here.

“DeLuca of Syndicate.” She decides and hopes against hope that it is enough.

….

Dead ends.

After more than a day of searching, John had only been met with dead ends and more questions.

Winston was right. The answer to who would want to destroy the Camorra was apparently everybody. Which meant the only other factor they had to go on was by means.

Who had the resources to stalk and evade John Wick?

Again, the answer was more substantial than he knew what to do with.

They all had money. Especially, the higher up the food chain they went.

While Winston had been able to clear the highest-ranking officials of the High Table, there were still hundreds of smaller echelons to eliminate.

It hadn’t been going well.

John had limited the search to the Camorra’s immediate allies and their top adversaries, local and foreign. Winston was running it now but John could tell he wasn’t hopeful.

It had never occurred to John just how far the Underworld went. Aside from the major players, there were crime families and gangs that all held some sort of stake in his world. And New York was the fucking capital of it all. Anyone and everyone had ties to the city.

The Technician was still there, in his room. He had used the twin bed to catch a few hours of sleep while they waited for the phone to be activated and John had kept vigil. He watched the phone, waiting for any sort of call or message that wasn’t going to come. He watched the computer, hoping that something would pop up.

“I’m sorry. There’s nothing, Mister Wick. If this guy had a modicum of common sense, he would have ditched her original phone and just taken the SIM card. He’ll probably keep the phone off until he intends to use it. Might even be removing the card and only using that when he needs it. Until it’s turned on, we can’t do anything.”

It had taken every ounce of self-control John had not to smash the Technician’s computer. To break the table the way he had done the chair.

He wanted to break something. Needed to see, and hear, and feel something smash apart. Something else had to break before he did.

Thirty-six hours.

It had been thirty-six hours since he had gotten the phone call and he was still no closer to finding Helen.

His stomach churned.

He’d never had trouble eating before or after a mission before. Nothing rattled him. Not blood, or entrails, or the crack of breaking bones. He could see brain matter spattered along a floor and go for a cheeseburger right after.

But this uncertainty, the not knowing… it was killing him.

Had she eaten?

There was a frost over the weekend. Was she someplace warm?

Was she scared?

Did she know he was coming?

He hears the door open and jumps to his feet, heading to the main room. The Technician was hunched over the laptop, needlessly running security cameras and traffic footage near Helen’s home.

John feared it wouldn’t be enough.

A table full of weapons brought by the Sommelier is prepped near the door that Winston is walking through.

He has a bag ready in case Winston is unable to find anything. In case he has to go after the D’Antonio’s.

Winston shakes his head at John, almost in defeat.

“We need to reframe our parameters.” The Manager says, “It’s still too broad.”

John leans against the table. He hadn’t been expecting much but anything would be better than the constant attempts to narrow their search.

What was he missing? What was he leaving out?

What if he went too narrow and ended up missing Helen?

“Have you slept, Jonathan?”

It’s the third time they’ve had this conversation.

He’s tried. But he can’t. Every time he closes his eyes, he can see Helen, bound and passed out on the cold floor.

He can’t remember how many coffee’s he had but it’s keeping him going.

“I suppose I should be grateful you’ve showered.” Winston says, obviously still disapproving. “Still, you won’t be any good to her if you’re strung out on caffeine.”

“I’ve tried, Winston. I just…” He trails off.

This is your fault. You should have protected her better. You should never have showed weakness. Should never have gone to her house. To her office. Should never have brought your fucked-up life into her safe one.

He runs a hand through his hair.

The sitting, the waiting, the hoping is doing absolutely nothing.

He has to fix this.

“I can’t wait any longer, Winston.” John shakes his head, “I’m going after Lorenzo.”

Winston responds in kind, “Don’t be stupid, Jonathan.”

“I can’t sit here doing nothing. If I kill the D’Antonio’s, this is over. She’ll be released.”

“You’re banking on an unknown enemy being honest.”

It was true, but what else was there to go on?

“He has no reason to keep her once they’re dead.”

“That you know of. This could just be the beginning of his plan.” Winston keeps arguing.

“It’s all ifs right now!” John can feel the anger brimming within him, “But it’s all I have! And Helen… she’s tough but she has her limits.”

Winston frowns, “Well, perhaps you should have thought of that before you became involved with her.”

“You think I don’t know that! I know that this is my fault but I will get her out of this. I gave you time, I gave the Technician a chance.”

“My time isn’t up.”

“You have a handful of hours and no fucking leads.”

“Um, Mister Wick…” The Technician pipes up, turning around in his seat.

“Then help me narrow down what I should be looking for. You know I can’t just let you go off to kill a member of the High Table.”

“You won’t be able to stop me.”

“Mister Wick!” The Technician shouts and both John and Winston turn to look at him, “You, um, sorry. But you just got a text from an unknown number.”

He holds up the phone and John takes it.

A New York number, that he doesn’t recognize, but opens all the same. The message is short, deliberate.

The miracle he’s been praying for.

DeLuca of Syndicate.

#john wick #helen wick #john wick talk #john x helen wick #helen x john wick #otp: your best friend #bamf!Helen Wick #bamf helen wick #slight dumbass john wick #john wick fanfiction #john wick fanfic

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stone-man-warrior · 4 years ago

Text

October 30, 2020: 2:55 pm:

I am seeing evidence of a calling to terror soldiers to attack in large groups, but with the specification of not using a nitrous gas tank to hold and carry the nitrous has weapon, the attack without a tank is called “natural”, and suggests that the targets of such “natural” terror soldiers, are those of high security, where concealing nitrous tanks is not possible without risk of detection.

This is in response to what I am seeing, I wrote these ideas and thoughts on my suspended Twitter account, cannot send it anywhere. The result of that kind of writing in the Twitter text boxes, has proven to be interesting, but the remedy for the outcome of such writing is beyond what I am able to combat. Begging for help here.

There is not much time.

I need help personally from ongoing attacks at my home, and the nation needs help from ongoing attacks throughout the USA, and the world needs help to maintain freedom for the people on it.

Please send help.

Send US Military to Oregon.

Please send medical services.

This Pontifex Tweet fits the "natural" commands that Trump seems to be saying.

If Jesus is a sail on a mast, he uses wind to move the boat where the mast is attached.

Some sails differ.

A sail with a tank to carry nitrous, differs from a similar sail, but one without a tank of nitrous.

Put the difference aside. Become "Natural". In that way, draw near to others, to use wind to move the boat. No tank, no questions asked.

Look for ideas presented on Twitter that present low pressure conditions, or, low wind speed, or, foul odor, perhaps cows and bovine ideas, stampede, brief gusts rather than long sustained wind, or acceleration. Short burts of power created with many parts.

The story about the "walking building" today fits into these kinds of terror commands. The building was moved a short distance by virtue of many RAMS, each one taking a small step, moving forward in unison, and with alternating steps.

Many terror soldiers, each one armed with a small quantity of nitrous gas, working in unison, alter-nately... alter-neatly... alter naturaly, in effort, to gain some ground.

In the field where this attack plan is to be deployed, it is likely a highly secure area, one where concealing an internal nitrous tank could be detected.

Air Port. Government facility. Large corporate technology research & development offices, facilities. Military installation. Voting booth? I think not.

Bigger, more, complex.

Vote counting, yes.

Vote count facility in your county: "Hi, we are with NBC Universal, and we are interested in showing the TV viewers, the voting public, just exactly how secure and proffessional the vote counting and verification process is done. We would (pssssss) like to get (hissssss) your permission to (HISSSSSSS) have access and follow the proceeesssssssss as you count votes here. There are only 27 of us in our production team, we (hissssss pssssss) won't be in the way, we are NBC Universal, the trusted source for US voters (hisssssss)."

Something like that might happen. After NBC Universal gets inside, anything could happen.

I think bigger, and more secure an area though. The vote counts are correct historically in my view, it's the voters who are imposters, millions, and more millions of Canadians who killed and replaced the majority of the voting public over the course of fifty years. The vote count is already been dealt with by the Pope Bergoglio and his pirate navy.

What else could they be after, something very useful as an "end game" guarantee of sustained and eternal power after the last blow is dealt?

Absence of Freedom, is the presence of captivity.

They will be wanting every guarantee that once the last drop of freedom is squeezed from USA, that there can be no possible means of restoring the freedom.

So, prisons, jails, hospitals.

Those kinds of things are what they need.

US Military bases on all continents, they need that, and have already successfully taken many of them, so, which US Military bases are left un-sacked?

Those are the places where small sparking devices should have been installed years ago, at and around US Military bases. Small candle holders in those areas. The towns where bases are at, need to have sparking devices installed throughout the towns. Attach them to the street lamps, cross walks, along the guard rails on the freeway.

It only needs to make a small spark and be distributed around a geographic area.

USA is not worth the cost of a set of spark plugs, so, no one listened to what I have been warning about for so long, and, USA remains wide open to the Bergoglio and his pirate navy. USA is being beaten by a group of church lady's and TV entertainers. We are getting our asses annihilated, and no one is noticing what has been happening. We, as a nation, are still not seeing that the corona virus is not a virus. It's a gas attack, and it has "gone viral". It's not a medical virus, it's a slaughter. The gas attack is viral by the way it is carried out, by attacking individuals, regular citizens, capturing them, torturing them, so they will provide information that leads the terror army to other family and friends of the captured victim. The contacts in the cellular phones of victims alone, is enough to cause exponentially increasing numbers of victims hourly, each one replaced with an imposter from the Canadian terror army, or, from SAG casting rosters.

Either way, the replacements happen, are cast into their roles in place of murdered victims, stacked on top of one another over time, every day, each cellular phone obtained leads to dozens more victims, daily, hourly, and compounded by the minute exponentially.

We are still not seeing that the virus is only viral by the way the terror army is attacking.

We are still refusing to use simple elementary physics to combat the virus. In the event that there is a virus, or, in the event that it's a nitrous gas attack on the world, either way, the small flame that clears the air of both germs, and nitrous gas, is being tossed into the water, discarded.

A hundred thousand years of humans using a flame to survive.... forgotten about.

I don't think there is much of a threat at the voting facilities, I think other targets are what they are going to take. Look at this way... there are two choices on the ballot, each one is a piece of shit, there is no choice.

It's like that intentionally. Both are on the same team, they act as if they are enemies, but their goals are the same, so, the vote will not change anything. The change if Biden is selected, only amounts to the difference of volume. It will go from loud and obnoxious, to quiet and secretive. There will no other real change. They both work from the same SAG Screenplay. They are both staring roles in the same soap opera.

The point is that the vote result, either way, serves the Pope Bergoglio and his pirate navy the same way.

They are after other, bigger, more important targets. The kinds of targets that ensure USA loss of freedom, loss of nation, loss of constitution, will remain a loss.

French North American Republic Territory is the goal for all of North America that the Bergoglio's crusades are after. He works in unison with British House of Lords, and they use Screen Actor Guild to command the Canadian terror army that was provided to the SAG, by the British Throne, for them to command with marching orders, here, on Twitter.

FNART replaces Canada, USA, and Mexico with a new Communist Kingdom. Clearly, you can easily see that ingredients used for the set up, NAFTA, then USMCA.

Add Trump's Wall, and then see that Brexit is the other side of the coin in Europe. The British used the Euro Dollar as a weapon, one that allowed anonymous easy travel between the European countries, easy access for the Pope Bregoglio's pirate navy. Meanwhile, the UK never accepted the Euro Dollar. They won't allow that freedom of anonymous movement, you need Pound Sterling while in the UK, so, you need to ID yourself at an currency exchange house. But not in the EU. Just load up on that monopoly toy money that the Brit’s arranged, and start hopping fences.

A global attack.

Having said all of that, some clarification:There is a difference between Trump and Biden in the White House, however, that difference won't affect the outcome, the way I see things.

Like I said, the Brit's use the Christian church to build a base of crusading terror soldiers. Both Trump and Biden are loyal to the Brits, loyal to the Vatican, neither are loyal to USA.

There is a complication as mentioned in other things I have written, and that is Trump is, like Biden, a British Knight, however, secretly Trump is loyal to the German parts of the Vatican, the remnants of Pope Benadict. On other hand, Biden is loyal to the current Pope, the Bergoglio.

With the Bergoglio, comes Amazon, Google, Tesla, Facebook, Twitter, Space X, The Boring Company, and all of the so called "Unicorns".

With the Pope Benedict parts of the Vatican, the Trump parts, also comes those same things. The difference is that the Bergoglio Unicorns don't know that the Benedict parts of the Vatican have been undermining them, while riding on all of those long coat tails they made. The Trump/Benedict Vatican, is in conflict with the Bergoglio/House of Lords Vatican.

It's complicated.

None of that complication changes the outcome, that USA will be replaced with a new nation. The difference seems to be, whether Canada and Mexico is included in both versions of the end of the soap opera. Trump built a wall. That does not really fit into the Bergoglio/House of Lords plans for North America. That plan had no wall, to my knowledge.

How does all of that affect the Brexit part of the global takeover?

I don't have an answer or speculation for that. As far as the Corona Virus is concerned, it's as if we have become too fucking stupid to save our own lives.

3:15 pm.

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purplesurveys · 5 years ago

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718

If you lived in Bikini Bottom, would you befriend Spongebob or Plankton? Obviously Spongebob. I’m there to have a good time and catch jellyfish, not eat holographic meatloaf and make it my life’s goal to steal a secret formula. Do you have any bananas in your house right now? I think we still have some left. My dad bought a pack? a group? a bunch? of them so he can make banana cue and turon for my mom and sister while we’re all stuck at home for the meantime. Which overrated tattoo are you sick of seeing? Eh I don’t judge this easily since I assume tattoos mean a lot to people but where I’m from, line tattoos are pretty overused. They DO look nice and I get why they’ve been trending for a while, but yeah they’re evvvvvverywhere. Is it easy to distract you? Yes haha I have a rather quick attention span. Do you prefer to drink from glasses or mugs? Depends on the drink. I drink my water from a glass but I prefer my coffee in a mug, that sort of thing.

What was the last thing you taught a younger kid? I don’t feel confident teaching kids just yet, huhu. It usually works the other way around: when I’m with kids, they teach me how to play their toys or whatever game they’re playing on their parents’ phone/iPad. Are the clocks in your house mostly digital or analog? We only have one analog clock. We mostly tell the time from our phones. How long have you had your television(s)? Answered this before but we have two TVs that are 12 years old and two others that were bought within the last decade. Do you like watching movies made with CGI or do you prefer hand-drawn ones? I don’t care. As long as the end product is done well I can enjoy the movie. Where did your parents buy their car(s)? I know for sure the two family cars were bought directly from the official dealers. I think mine was a secondhand one. Do you know why your grandparents chose your mother's name? No. I think they just liked the name. That makes me want to ask my grandma though. What is your favourite kind of soup? Miso is the only one I really like. Have you ever made your own musical instrument? Nope. What do you think of Leighton Meester's singing voice? I only know one song of hers and I reeeeeally loved that when it came out, but I don’t think it’s enough for me to have an opinion for her music altogether. I definitely don’t hate her voice though. Do you think you'd do well at teaching the English language to a foreigner? Yeah, it’s my other everyday language and I’m a little bit more fluent in it than I am in Filipino. How long have your neighbours lived there? About the same time as us, I think. We all moved in at sort of the same time when the village was newly developed. Is it weird to hear your name in movies or TV shows? It’s not a very common name so it does feel a bit weird to hear, yes. It’s weirder if I have to refer to the character in third person cause I never liked saying my own name :/ Why do so many people seem to hate the Jonas Brothers? Am assuming this refers to the Jonas Brothers pre-reunion because I’m sure no one hates them and their new music now lmao. I think, simply put, it was because they were teenagers then, and pre-teen and teenage girls was their main fanbase? Most people liked to shit on that category of celebrities, even today – case in point, Justin Bieber, 5SOS, One Direction haha. What is a store you like that is exclusive to your country? Fully Booked! It’s the most complete, up-to-date, and chic bookstore brand we have. The Fully Booked branch in BGC in particular is a partnership with Starbucks, so you can immediately walk over there to get a coffee and read after buying a book heh. If you attend school, what time do you usually get home after? I always have extracurriculars like org stuff, meetings, or fieldwork after my academic schedule so more often than not I’ll get home by 9 or 10 PM, which leaves me feeling exhausted as fuck at the end of the day. When was the last time you really needed to just let loose? Like two weeks ago? I was bored out of my mind being stuck at home so I chugged a lot of soju that I asked my dad to buy so I can at least be drunk while being bored lol. Have you ever been blackmailed? Kinda. There was a time when I didn’t talk to my sister and didn’t really feel well enough to reconcile with her yet, but my mom threatened to go to our class guidance counselor and expose me and ‘the kind of older sister I am’ if I didn’t make amends with my sister immediately.

This might sound sarcastic but thanks, survey, for reminding me what kind of mom my mother actually was during the years that were the most critical to my development lmao. I always need reminders like this because despite how our relationship has ‘improved’ now that I’m older, I shouldn’t forget the trauma she caused me and the fact that I had always planned to detach myself from her as much as possible once I’m fully independent. I can’t disappoint my younger self by keeping her in my life as if nothing happened.

Do you suffer from Restless Leg Syndrome? No. I keep forgetting what that means. Would you rather have novels based on your life or a series of comic books? Novels, so I’d be more interested to read it. Have you written a resume before, either for yourself or someone else? I did a resumé when I applied for my internship. Did you know that they plan on releasing a movie based on The Smurfs? This survey is sooooooo old hah they’ve made a bunch of films on it already. Do you ever wonder what it would be like to live underwater? Not really. Mostly I’ve just wondered what it would be like to be a creature from the deep sea, where it’s totally dark and most of the animals there look prehistoric as fuck lol. Have you ever worked in a bakery? If not, would you like to? No but this question reminded me of Harry Styles, aw :’) ANYWAY if I did I’d probably take up a job in the office, since I can neither bake nor deal with people on a regular basis even if one argues that bakeries aren’t really particular spots for angry Karens or Barbaras. What is your favourite thing about snow? I like that we don’t get them because it’s bound to make my first encounter with snow in the future magical as fuck. Is there a big personality difference between you and your sibling(s)? Yeah. I tend to adapt to new environments way better than they do and I’m definitely the most extroverted of the three in all aspects. Do you enjoy decorating things with stickers? Hahahah yes, it’s an uncontrollable urge. I keep my stickers to just my laptop case these days, but back then I used to put stickers on my phone case, my ID case, clipboard, wallet, etc. Did you lose anything recently? Did you end up finding it? I lose my hair tie every now and then; my hair’s a bit short for a ponytail now so my hair tie gradually slips out my hair with me barely noticing it, so it always ends up in random places around the house. I do end up finding it after a while but it gets frustrating whenever I realize it had fallen off again. What colour oven mitts do you have? We don’t really use the oven so we barely use the ones we have. I don’t even know the color of it.

Why do you/don't you watch award shows? Because there are sooo many commercials in the middle of it, some presenters are awkward as fuck and I’d rather save myself from the secondhand cringe, and most of the time the choices for the winners are undeserving and end up pissing everyone off. It’s always easier to just wait a few hours and check the results on Google; and besides, the only fun parts are seeing what everyone is wearing and who attends to begin with hah. What do you think of Ellen DeGeneres as the new judge on American Idol? God this was a lifetime ago. I think I mostly didn’t mind it but I never did get over the replacement of the OGs Randy, Simon, and Paula. Do you ever do the exercises featured in some magazines? No. Have you ever watched What The Buck? What do you think of it? I don’t think I’ve heard of that. How long ago did you switch from cable to satellite, if you did? We didn’t make a ‘switch,’ per se. We had cable in our old home but when we moved to our current house in 2008, having extra channels wasn’t really the priority as moving already entailed a whole lot of expenses to begin with. That meant we only had free TV for a while which was extremely fucking boring, but eventually my dad got us satellite in like 2011 or 2012. When was the last time you partnered up with someone to complete something? I decided to partner up with Andrew for my undergraduate thesis in like August last year. Do you consider Lady GaGa's appearance artistic, or just plain weird? Artistic. What do you usually do when you have trouble sleeping? I put a lengthy YouTube video on so I can fall asleep to the background noise. At least that’s what I do these days - I always thought I needed complete silence to fall asleep, but apparently that’s not the absolute case. What was the last thing you used scissors for? I opened a sachet of 3-in-1 coffee.

Have you ever used some kind of food as a facial mask? Nah I always just use Korean sheet masks. How many USB cords do you have lying around? I personally don’t have any but I do have a hard drive. Are you satisfied with your social life (or lack thereof)? I’m very satisfied with it and I’m glad I got to open up in college. Do you know anybody whose initials spell something? Sure. What is your favourite flavour of Kool-Aid? I’ve never had Kool-Aid. Is there a specific food you think NEEDS to be at Christmas dinner? My grandma’s steak. Would you be able to re-string a guitar? I wouldn’t even know where to buy guitar strings. What TV show do you just assume you wouldn't like? How I Met Your Mother, just because their fans love to make fun of and compare their oh-so-great show to Friends so much when I’ve never seen a single Friends fan make fun of HIMYM like ????? Why the one-sided, unsolicited hate??? I was always planning to watch the show and appreciate Friends and HIMYM at the same time but because the fans are so pathetic I just stopped wanting to watch it altogether. Do your friends have more money than you? Seems unfair to pit ourselves against one another when we’re all still depending on our parents’ money lmao. Who always has the power to make you feel intimidated? Ate Frances has always had a very strong personality. Do you have more bread or cheese in your house? Bread. What was the last movie trailer you saw? Not sure. I don’t really like trailers since most of them give away too much of the plots already. Did you purchase any meat product when you were at the store last? My dad did. Have you ever been told that you have chubby cheeks? Well I don’t, so no I’m not usually told this lol. Do you know how to properly use a saw? Nope. Isn't it a shame that what Kanye West did at the VMA's overshadowed what was supposed to be a night dedicated to Michael Jackson? Hahahaha not really, I found it hilarious and so so stupid. There were a billion other tributes to MJ that year that went smoothly so it doesn’t really matter to me if the 2009 VMAs will always be known as the Imma-let-you-finish VMAs.

#survey #surveys

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dtbecomehuman · 4 years ago

Text

HUMANITY - Connor

Hello everyone! I haven’t wrote on tumblr in quite some time. I’m currently writing a Connor x OC story on my Wattpad and I figured that I could share the first chapter with you :) You can find more chapters on my wattpad, here’s the line to HUMANITY : https://my.w.tt/8onjtgIgU7

Chapter One: New Partner

A story in which a kind hearted detective works with a android sent by CyberLife, throwing them down a path full of bumps in the road, them both finding some part of their humanity along the way.

DATE

NOV 5TH, 2038

TIME

PM 10:56:15

The city of Detroit is busy as usual during the evening. Even though the day was slowly coming to an end that doesn't make the city stop. The tall buildings reaching high for the darkening sky, the lights making the advanced city glow. The big animated billboards display the latest Android, casting a hue of light onto the people that passed under it, on their way to their unknown destinations. Some people just getting off of work, some just making their way to it.

Devon Cassidy was like these people. She had gone to work during the early hours of the morning and an hour ago she was on her way home but getting a call about a new case has her dressing out of her comfy clothes and heading out into the cold November air to make her way back to the station.

"Hey, old man. Just got a call about a case and I'm not sure if you know this or not but you're my partner and this is your job too. Put the alcohol down and call me back." The blonde sighs, placing her phone in her lap. Hank Anderson wasn't an easy person to be partners with especially if your work ethic was completely different from his.

Devon is a hungry and young detective that still enjoys her job whilst Hank has burned out and lets his life problems dull his fire. She has been partners with Hank for almost four years so she has once seen that drive and fire in him and she also knows why it disappeared. The woman turns into the parking lot of the precinct, pulling into an empty parking space. She needed to run in a grab her gun then she'd try and give her partner another call before she went on the hunt looking for him.

She climbs out of her car, sticking her phone and keys into the pocket of her long black coat that sits snug over her white long sleeve blouse that's tucked into her grey dress pants before making her way to the front doors of the station. The waiting area was quiet, no one sitting around.

"Back so soon, detective?" The ST300 android behind the front desk, Emily, asks with a small smile. "Yeah, got a new case." Devon gives the android a friendly smile. The waist-high doors open, giving the detective access to the bull pin.

The woman pauses in her tracks when she notices a tall figure standing in front of hers and Hanks desks. There wasn't anyone there and she could tell that there were maybe only three people here based on their terminals being lit up but they were probably else were out of sight. His back was to her and she could see straight away that he is an android. He wore a two-toned grey suit jacket. 'ANDROID' and 'RK800' glowed white on the back along with a blue triangle and blue trim that matched. She could also see that on his right arm was a band that glows a bright blue.

The detective walks closer, her heels clicking against the tiled floors of the precinct. The noise of her shoes catches The androids' attention, causing him to turn in her direction, giving her a better view of him. The android wore a nice white button-down shirt that is tucked neatly into the dark jeans that hug his legs, his feet adoring some black boots. His hands adjust a slick black tie. A business casual kind of look. On the front of his suit on the right side of his chest, 'RK800' shines bright whilst there was a small print of his serial number underneath. Blue trimmed the collar of the suit which made her green eyes travel up to his face. Boy, did CyberLife have fun making this android.

This RK800 had a boyish charm to him with his round, slightly slanted doe eyes that were framed with his soft expressioned eyebrows and his full pink lips. Freckles dot his creamy skin along with a few constructively placed moles. There was also a sharpness to him with his high cheekbones and slanted jawline that led to his round chin with a small dimple in the middle. His brown hair was styled neatly except for a rebellious strand that sways in front of his forehead, kissing the faded expression lines that rest there.

He was so detailed and extremely human-looking that if it weren't for his suit and the blue LED on his right temple, Devon would have just thought he was a regular handsome human male but instead he is a unique handsome android male.

"Detective Cassidy?" His voice has a soft rasp to it and it's a quite calming and charming tone. "Yeah, that's me. Can I help you?" The blonde raises a curious eyebrow at him. "My name is Connor, I'm the android sent by CyberLife. I was assigned on a case with you and Lieutenant Anderson." The blonde's lips quarks up slightly in a small smirk. His voice is very smooth for an android, not as robotic as some of the others she's spoken to. "Well, it's nice to meet you, Connor." Devon sticks a hand out to the android who looks to her hand for a moment, LED switching to yellow before he reaches out and shakes her hand. She makes a note at how soft his hand feels against her own more calloused hand.

"I actually just came back for my gun." She lets go of his hand so she could move around behind her desk. The woman fishes out her keys and unlocks a drawer to pull out her holster and firearm. This is why she usually kept the thing at home with her because she'd always just have to come right back here to retrieve it.

"You're the android that saved that little girl that was held hostage, right?" It was all over the news three months ago. A little girl held at gunpoint on the edge of a terrace by her own family's android. If Devon wasn't only strictly on homicide cases she would have been there. Technically, she could have been since the father was shot and killed along with a fellow officer but they didn't need someone to figure out who killed them. Devon can remember seeing an image of Connor on the news, them calling him the "Deviant Hunter", the newest android model made by CyberLife, specifically created to chase down these androids that deviate. Another title he was given was "The Negotiator" since he was able to talk the android down and let the little girl go. Devon wondered if this case she was assigned to had something to do with a deviant since he was here.

"Yes, that was me." Connor gives a small nod, causing the tuft of hair to sway with his movements. Devon nods, clipping her holster to her belt, sticking her gun inside of it. Connor stands straight with his hands tucked neatly behind his back. The LED on the side of his head spins yellow as his brown eyes ghost over the female detective, scanning her.

DEVON CASSIDY

DAUGHTER OF GABRIELLA AND LOGAN CASSIDY

DATE OF BIRTH: MAY 15th, 2011

AGE:27

BECAME A OFFICER IN 2032 - 3 YEARS

PROMOTED TO DETECTIVE IN 2035 - 4 YEARS (ONGOING)

CRIMINAL RECORDS: NONE

His LED turns back to blue once he was finished. "Do you know where Lieutenant Anderson might be? I searched for him when I first arrived but it seems that he's not here." Devon glances at the desk that is to her left then back to the tall android. "Well, being his partner I have an idea." She sighs, adjusting her coat. "Our dear Lieutenant likes to frequent the bar more then he does work sometimes." She tries not to judge the older man, understanding that he uses alcohol to cope with his pain that life has dealt him but that doesn't mean she had to agree with it or like it. "I can show you which one, we're working on the same case anyway." The blonde woman shrugs her shoulders slightly.

"That would be quite helpful." Connor nods and the detective makes sure she has all her things and begins to walk towards the exit, motioning the android to follow her. "Good luck, detective." Emily calls out to her and Devon flashes her a smile over her shoulder. "Thanks, Em!" She waves, walking with Connor to the front doors. The android steps before her, opening the door first and stepping to the side to let her go out first. "Thanks." She gives him a soft smile.

The sky is dark and there were clouds rolling in, signaling that it was going to rain soon. "Come on, it's only a block from here, we can walk there." She already begins walking in the direction, Connor falling to a steady pace by her side. "Do you not have your own transportation?" The android asks curiously. "I do, but this isn't much of a walk and I'll probably have to drive Hank's car anyway." She shrugs nonchalantly. "Why does Lieutenant Anderson frequent a bar offend as you put it?" Devon glances at the curious android beside her, noticing that his eyes are a beautiful brown that reminds her of creamy coffee or a sweet chocolate cake. "It's not my story to tell, Connor. Maybe he'll tell you one day." She highly doubts that considering the older man absolutely hates androids.

The pair make it to a fairly lit bar with a blue neon sign in the window that says, 'Jimmy's Bar' in bold letters. After working with the Lieutenant for a while she has learned that when he disappears she could usually always find him here. The rain was beginning the pour but Connor nor Devon seemed to mind. They both walk to the wooden door that had a sign saying Androids and Dogs aren't allowed inside. Connor notices the sign but he doesn't seem to care as he follows the detective inside. A few patrons of the bar glance in their direction when the bell rings above the door and some of them glare when they see an android.

"Come on." Devon moves deeper into the bar, sending a glare at a man who was giving her the stink eye because she walked in with Connor. "Shit, I thought androids weren't allowed in here." Someone mutters but the blonde pays them no mind and makes her way over to a man that was hunched over the bar. She could recognize his long white hair from anywhere.

"Have enough, Hank?" She settles down onto the stool beside the older man who shifts his eyes onto her when she makes herself comfortable. "The hell you doing here kid?" He grumbles slightly, taking another sip of his poison of choice. "Looking for an old man with a bad haircut, know where I can find him?" She leans her head on her hand and smiles at the man playfully and he smirks slightly, just a little amused by her comment.

"Lieutenant Anderson," Connor moves so he is on Hanks right, making his presence known. "My name is Connor. I'm the android sent by Cyberlife." He introduces himself the same way he did with Devon. "I looked for you at the station, lucky enough Detective Cassidy knew where to find you." Cyberlife did a real good job at making this guy seem human because he had more facial expressions then the average android but the way he spoke could be considered more robotic then how people normally talk. Hank glares at his partner and she smiles sweetly at him, causing him to roll his eyes. "What do you want?" Hank mumbles, keeping his eyes cast down at the bar, clearly not wanting anything to do with Connor.

"You and Detective Cassidy were assigned a case early this evening. A homicide involving a CyberLife android." That makes sense as to why he's here now. "In accordance with procedure, the company has allocated a specialized model to assist investigators." Connor informs the Lieutenant and Devon looks between the two. "Well I don't need any more assistance since I have this kid," Hank jerks his thumb over to Devon. "Specially not from a plastic asshole like you. So just be a good lil' robot and get the fuck out of here." Devon sighs, rubbing her forehead. She knew it was going to be difficult to convince Hank to come along since an android is involved. She knows no matter how much Hank likes her he wouldn't listen to her on this one.

Connor pauses for a moment, seemingly processing his choices of how to approach the situation. "I'm sorry, Lieutenant, but I must insist." Devon sighs, knowing that this won't turn out great seeing how Hank pauses when Connor begins to speak. "My instructions stipulate that I have to accompany you and Detective Cassidy."

"You know where you can stick your instructions?" It was a hypothetical question and Hank chuckles into his drink, slightly nudging Devon with his elbow but she merely just rolls her eyes at his childish joke. "No," Connor says honestly, tilting his head to the side. "Where?" He looks like a lost puppy with the way he had his head turned to the side and his brows slightly pushed together. Devon couldn't help but think the android looked somewhat adorable while doing this. Hank turns his head to fully look at the android. The woman couldn't see his face but she could tell he was glaring. "Never mind." He grumbles, turning back to his drink, shaking his head slightly.

HANK \/

"You know what? I'll buy you one for the road." Connor offers next, surprising both the Lieutenant and the Detective. Devon knew Connor was just trying to figure out a way to get Hank out of the bar and this was definitely the right approach. "What do you say?" When Hank doesn't answer Connor turns his eyes onto Jimmy, the bartender and owner of the small bar. "Bartender, the same again please." Jimmy looks unsure but Connor places some money on the bar and he goes ahead and prepares Hanks drink. "See that Jim? Wonders of technology...make it a double."

HANK /\

NEUTRAL

Jimmy sets the glass in front of Hank who eagerly brings it to his lips and throws his head back. Hank sucks in a breath as it burns all the way down and Devon raises a brow at him, wondering if he'll actually give in. Hank wraps an arm around Devon's shoulders and turns his head to look back at the android to his right. "Did you say homicide?" Connor looks at the man in front of him and Devon sighs, shrugging the man's arm off of her shoulders.

"Come on, Hank. We got a job to do." She slides off her stool and Hank pushes himself out of his seat as well, slightly stumbling. "Keys." Devon holds her hand out and Hank goes to protest but she keeps a firm stare on the older man and eventually he sighs heavily, fishing out a pair of keys from his pocket. He slaps them into her awaiting palm and ruffles her hair up slightly as he passes her, causing the woman to smile. Connor watches their interactions closely, his LED blinking yellow as he processes the new information he was coming up with. The relationship the two have is very much one that a father and daughter would have.

"Let's go, Connor." Devon beckons the android forward as she fixes her hair. He quickly matches her pace, ignoring the glares he got as they left Jimmy's bar. "Hurry up, kid!" Hank shouts from his car and she unlocks it quickly so he could get out of the rain. Connor climbs into the backseat and Devon positions herself into the front, starting the car. She jumps when loud medal music filters through the car and she was quick to turn it down to a more reasonable level. "Jesus, old man! Ever heard of turning the radio down before you turn the car off?" She asks, backing out of his parking space and he rolls his eyes. "Oh, shut up." He turns the music up more but he kept it at a decent level so he wouldn't have to fight with the woman as she drove them to their case.

The car ride was only filled with Hanks loud music and his occasional remarks about not wanting to work right now which she always ignores. Devon would occasionally glance at Connor though the rearview to make sure he was okay. Of course, he's okay, he's an android. The woman held so much compassion and empathy for people and androids alike. When she first met Hank and he saw these traits, he would always wondered how she could handle a rough job like theirs but he soon found out that the loving woman also has a fire that burns inside of her and she was tougher then she looks.

Devon stops the car, the headlights shining through the rain that's pouring overhead, the holographic yellow caution tape shining slightly. There were police cars lining the street with their red and blue lights on and there was a small crowd forming in the street. "You wait here," Hank says pointing back at Connor. "We won't belong." He begins to open his door. "Whatever you say, Lieutenant," Connor says with a calm voice making Hank pause before he gets out.

HANK /\

DEVON /\

"Fucking-A, whatever I say," Hank mutters under his breath as he gets out of the car. Devon turns to give Connor a sympathetic smile as she quickly gets out to follow her partner, the cold rain dampening her hair slightly.

CONFLICTING ORDERS

SELECTING PRIORITY

FOLLOW LT. ANDERSON AND

DETECTIVE CASSIDY

Behind the two partners, Connor begins to climb out of the car. A man with a camera and a microphone rush towards the two partners. "Joss Douglas, for Channel 16. Can you confirm that this is a homicide?" The reporter points the microphone toward Devon who was closest to him. "We are not confirming anything at this time." She says politely, walking faster and soon she and Hank were safe behind the oh-so-familiar holographic yellow tape.

Connor moves through the crowd of people and is stoped by a police android. "Androids are not permitted beyond this point." Both Hank and Devon hear this and they both quickly turn around to see their android standing just beyond the holographic tape. "He's with us!" Devon calls out. The police android lowers his arm, allowing Connor to pass. "It." Hank mutters as if trying to correct Devon. Before she could argue he was already speaking to Connor. "What part of 'stay in the car' didn't you understand?"

"Your order contradicted my instructions, Lieutenant." Connor stops directly in front of them and Hank has a firm scowl set on his aging features. "You don't talk, you don't touch anything and you stay outta my way, got it?"

"Got it." Devon really wanted to scold Hank for how he was treating Connor but she knew he didn't see things the way she does and it would be like arguing with a brick wall, she's been there before. "Evening, Hank, Devon. We were starting to think you weren't gonna show." The man that was standing up on the porch of the house lowered the tablet he was looking at and stepped down to greet the pair. Devon smiled softly. "Had to find something first." She comments and Hank rolls his eyes. "Yeah, that was the plan until this asshole," Hank points at Devon. "Helped this asshole find me." He points at Connor next and Devon rolls her eyes at the older man.

"So.. you got yourself an Android, huh? Out of all people I wouldn't expect it from you, Hank." Ben teases the Lieutenant, beginning to walk to the house with the two Detectives in tow."Oh, very funny. Just tell us what happened," Hank demanded."We had a call around eight from the landlord. The tenant hadn't paid his rent for a few months, so he thought he'd drop by, see what was going on. That's when he found the body." Devon's nose wrinkled in disgust at the horrific smell that wafts through the air. No matter how many homicides and dead bodies she has dealt with, the smell would always get to her at times. "Jesus, that smell." Hank covers his nose. "It was even worst before we opened the windows." Ben sighs.

"The victim's name's Carlos Ortiz." The body of the victim, Carlos Ortiz, was slumped against the wall. His body was pale, void of blood. Any blood that he had seeped out into his shirt and onto the floor around him. He had multiple stab wounds littering his torso area. His house was ransacked, a mess. Hank kneels down beside the body to take a closer look but Devon stays back, standing next to Connor.

"Uh, state he's in...wasn't worth calling everybody out in the middle of the night. Could've waited till morning." Hank comments. From where Devon stood she could tell that the body has been there for a few days, maybe even weeks. "I'd say he's been there for a good three weeks. We'll know more when the coroner gets here." The round man with white hair informs them. "There's a kitchen knife over here, probably the murder weapon." Hank holds his hand out and Ben hands him a UV light scanner.

"Any signs of a break-in?" Devon speaks up, her arms crossed over her chest. Connor glances over at the woman as she speaks. "Nope...The landlord said the front door was locked from the inside, all windows were boarded up. The killer must've gone out the back way." Devon made a mental note to thoroughly check the back exit. "What do we know about his android?" Hank asks as he still evaluates the body. Devons' eyes shift up to some writing on the wall.

I AM ALIVE

Written in what looks to be the victims' blood. She couldn't help but notice how perfect the letters are written. No human could possibly write that well. "The neighbors confirmed he had one, but it wasn't here when we arrived..." He pauses and Deven could tell the smell was getting to him by the change in his expression. "I gotta get some air. I'll be outside if you need me. Make yourself at home." Ben quickly rushes past them to get outside. Devon moves forward, eyeing the font closer. "Each letter is perfect...it's way too neat, no human writes like this," Hank mutters and Devon nods, showing that she agrees. "This really narrows it down to the android but the real question is, where the hell did they go?" Hank shrugs, looking over at the young woman. "Guess that's what we need to find out, huh." She purses her lips in thought.

"Chris," Devon calls out, looking over at a male human officer that was standing by. He was a close friend to both her and her partner. "Is this written in the victim's blood?" She questions, stepping away from the wall. "I would say so...we're taking samples for analysis." She nods softly, her eyes moving back to the writing as Hank moves away from her. Devon turns slightly to see Connor knelt down in front of the knife that is most likely the murder weapon. She watches as the android places two of his fingers on the blade, coating his fingertips in the blood. He then reaches his hand up and places the fingers on his tongue.

"Err, Jesus! What the hell are you doing?" Hank shouts, pure disgust written all over his face. Devon wasn't disgusted at all by the action, maybe more so curious than anything. She was always fascinated with androids and how they operate. For machines, they seemed so human. "I'm analyzing the blood." Connor tells Hank, standing to his feet to face the Lieutenant. "I can check samples in real-time. I'm sorry, I should have warned you." The corner of Devon's lips turns upward as she watches Hank struggle to process this. "Okay, just...don't put any more evidence in your mouth, you got it?"

"Got it." Connor nods, pointing his two fingers towards Hank before looking at them intently. "Fucking hell, I can't believe this shit." Hank mutters shaking his head as he walks away from the android. Devon walks past the android to a brown table that was cluttered with random things but she notices amongst the clutter was a pile of red ice. "Looks like our Vic liked to have a good time." Devon comments getting Hanks's attention. "Chris, I want full analysis on the narcotics, please."

"You got it." He nods and Devon moves back to the body and kneels down beside him, allowing her green eyes to wander over him. This was definitely a hate crime. Whoever did this was extremely upset. Usually when someone can be close to the victim like this, stabbing them multiple times, means they were close to the victim. A crime of passion. She believes it to be the victims android and that made this a little confusing. Androids weren't supposed to feel emotions but here there are androids that are beginning to develop human emotions causing them to lash out and become violent to their human owners. A painful look fills Devon's face and she quickly stands.

"Detective," The woman quickly turns around to come face to chest with Connor. Standing in front of him like this made her realize how tall he is compared to her. "Your stress levels have risen suddenly. I suggest you get some fresh air to help you calm down." The woman was stunned but she knew she shouldn't be. He could probably tell even if her heat fluctuates an inch. "Thank you, Connor, but I'll be alright."

DEVON /\

She gives him a small, soft smile. Devon glances at the body for a moment before moving around the android and makes her way into the kitchen that was a complete mess. Her eyes trail to the back door that was open where a few officers were outside. "I have checked the yard already." She turns to see Connor standing in the entrance of the kitchen. "Any signs of someone leaving?" Devon knew that he had a better chance then anyone finding out if some has left that way. For the humans here, the rain would have washed any evidence away that they could see but for him it was much easier. Her eyes look down at the turned over table and chair. There was definitely a struggle here, she wouldn't be surprised if the fight started here. "No signs of anyone exiting the premises." The android moves to stand next to her, his arms hanging at his sides.

She nods, shifting on her feet. Devon's hand grazes Connor's, causing them both to look at each other. Her green eyes lock onto his brown eyes and she found herself getting slightly lost as she looked at him. His skin was absolutely perfect with freckles dotting the smooth synthetic skin. Shadows case under his cheekbone, giving him a chiseled look. Even by the brief action, she could feel that softness that his hands hold. Why would they make a Deviant Hunter android's hands soft? There was no use for them being so soft but they are.

Connor analyzed the woman beside him, allowing himself to look her over. She is what someone would call beautiful. She has bright green eyes and a smile that could light up any dark room. Her presence is calming and she seemed to be well respected by her peers. "Devon!" Hank's shouting causes the two to snap out of their thoughts and the android notices how her heart rate picks up slightly and blood rushes to her cheeks. "Come check this out!" She gives him a nervous and apologetic smile before rushing off quickly to see what Hank wanted.

S̵o̷f̷t̴w̵a̴r̸e̸ ̶ ̸I̸n̸s̷t̷a̸b̸i̵l̴i̸t̸y̵ ̶

Connor narrows his eyes at the warning flashing in front of him. He's never seen this before so he begins to run a quick diagnostics but everything comes back normal. He shrugs it off, continuing on analyzing the crime scene. If it was something damaging or important he would have found some kind of flaw in his programming but there wasn't one.

Devon makes it to the dirty, cramped, and dimly lit bathroom where Hank stood in front of the shower. She moves to stand by her partner, the detective android still on her mind. Her green eyes shift across the walls of the shower where rA9 is written over and over again. "This is obsessive..." She mumbles as her eyes take in the writing on the shower wall. "Think this was the victim?" Hank shook his head. "I don't think so." She narrowed her eyes at the writing then her eyes trail down to see a statue of some kind made of a material she wasn't sure of. There were objects like flowers and candles around it. "Who or what is rA9? Some kind of android god or something?" Hank shrugs, placing a hand on her shoulder. "No idea, but it's fucking weird." She nods in agreement.

The two partners walk side by side back into the kitchen and Connor quickly looks up at them. "I think I know what happened." He informs the two detectives and they glance at each other before looking back at the android. "Oh yeah?" Hank asked, shrugging his shoulders after. "Shoot. I'm all ears." Connor then looked to Devon for approval and she gives him an encouraging nod. "It all started in the kitchen." The android led the two detectives through the most plausible course of events that he has seen, playing the scene out in his head."I think the victim attacked the android with the bat," Connor called back to the evidence he has gathered and Devon glances down at the bat that laid on the ground. "That lines up with the evidence," Hank nods slightly. "Go on." Devon watched with crossed arms as Connor moves through the kitchen.

"The android stabbed the victim," Devon tried to picture what he was saying in her head. She is a very visual person so when it comes to working cases she liked to imagine how things played out, almost like a movie in her head. "So the android was trying to defend themselves." She more so states rather than question. It was odd for an android to do something like that because it wasn't in their code.

"Okay, then what happened?" Hank asked, urging the android to continue."The victim fled to the living room." The three of them walk towards the living room and stop in front of the victim's body. "And he tried to get away from the android," Hank finished. "Alright, that makes sense. The android murdered the victim with the knife." Twenty-eight stab wounds to the chest. "Where is the android?" The woman has been asking this question all night and her and Connor make eye contact again.

Connor looked away from her, still processing the crime scene in his head, his LED flickering yellow. "It was damaged by the bat and lost some Thirium."

"Lost somewhat?"

"Thirium," Devon repeated for Hank. "Humans tend to call it 'Blue Blood' but the technical term is Thirium. It's the fluid that powers Androids' biocomponents." Devon explains and Hank nodded in partial understanding, a little surprised by how much she knows about androids. Connor was also surprised by how much the detective knew about androids. "It evaporates after a few hours and becomes invisible to the naked eye." Connor informed them. "Oh, but I bet you can still see it, can't you?"

"Correct," Connor confirmed.

Connor went still as he scanned for the Thirium traces inside the room. He then starts walking away, into the kitchen and down the hall. Devon glances at her partner before following after the Deviant Hunter. The female detective rounds the corner just as a few brooms clattered on the ground, obviously having been knocked over by the android.

"You alright, Connor?" Devon couldn't stop herself from asking, it was just in her nature. Connor paused, his LED whirring yellow on his temple. He seemed to be contemplating something and he just settles for a curt nod in her direction. The woman was usually good at reading people but she couldn't read Connor. It did make it difficult that he is an android, a complex machine. He looked a little confused but she forced the thoughts away, trying to focus on the case.

Connor walks past her and Devon looks around the small hallway, looking for anything Connor could have missed which she highly doubted he missed anything. Her green eyes drift upwards, seeing an entrance to the attic. Connor was at her side again. He stood close to her side, their arms almost brushing against each other. He looked up at the attic door, his LED flickering on the side of his head. There was a blue handprint emblazoned on the door's surface, traces of Thirium that the human beside him couldn't see.

Connor looked over at the detective and he could almost see the cogs turning in her head. She looks back at him, their eyes locking. The two seemed to have the same idea. This was a possible place where the deviant could have gone. Connor quickly moves to the kitchen, once again leaving Devon's side.

"Hey! Hey! Hey! What are you doing with that chair?" Devon could hear Hank shout. Connor replied to him something she couldn't quite hear but soon the android was back at her side, setting a chair down underneath the attic. He steps onto the chair and pushes the attic door open. Connor climbs inside and Devon steps onto the chair and begins to hoist herself up and a hand comes into her view. Connor has his hand outstretched to her and she takes it, allowing the android to pull her up with ease.

DEVON /\

Devon took her gun out of its holster that is on her side, keeping it at the ready in case there was anything dangerous inside. She followed behind Connor who moves around some furniture. Devon raises her gun slightly when they see a human-like figure behind a white sheet. Her adrenaline is pumping as Connor rips the sheet off of the object, revealing a mannequin. She lets out a relieved breath but kept her guard up. She and Connor continue to move deeper into the attic. Sudden movement puts them both into alert and they move forward.

Connor pushes a sofa out of their way and they come face to face with darkness. The only light shining through is a small window. The rain was hitting against the roof heavily. From behind some boxes, an android rushes out. Connor steps to the side, putting himself between the deviant and Devon, causing him to stop in his tracks knowing that he could lash out at the female detective.

DEVON /\

Devon lowers her weapon, seeing the fear in his eyes. True fear. "I was just defending myself..." his tone was full of fear. His clothes were covered in blood. There was blood splattered across his face and she notices how his LED stayed at a constant red. "He was going to kill me...I'm begging you..." He looks from between Connor and Devon, her heartbreaking slightly at how broken and scare he looks. She could see what looks like burn marks on the androids synthetic skin. Has his owner really been abusing him? "Don't tell them." Devon glances at Connor, trying to read his expression but it stays the same. Never wavering as the deviant speaks. "Connor, Devon. What the fuck is going on up there?" Devon glances in the direction of where Hank just called from.

"It's here, Lieutenant!" Connor shouts suddenly. Devon could see all the hope drain from the deviant and she felt sad for him. She places her gun in her holster as she stands beside Connor. "I'm sorry." The deviant mutters as he meets her gaze. "I didn't mean for this to happen." If he didn't have an LED on the side of his head he would have passed as a human. He was acting more human than some actual humans. A few offices came inside and Connor stepped out of their way so they could grab the deviant. Devon looks over at her new partner, meeting his gaze since he was already looking at her.

Connor could see her discomfort at the situation. He also felt something rise inside of his as he looked at her. Something that wasn't programmed inside of him, something that he doesn't understand.

S̵o̷f̷t̴w̵a̴r̸e̸ ̶ ̸I̸n̸s̷t̷a̸b̸i̵l̴i̸t̸y̵

That’s is the first chapter of HUMANITY! What did you think? Would you like to see more? Please let me know, feed back is highly appreciated!

#connor x reader #connor x oc #my name is connor im the android sent by cuberlife #detroid become human #dbh connor #connor dbh #connor #hank and connor #hank anderson #wattpad #detroit become human x reader #connor detroit become human #humanity

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darkvalkyrie6 · 5 years ago

Text

Blue

Two days of not writing a story got to me.

This is a long story, longer than the rest because it tells the story from the point of view of two characters. This is the first time I tried to write like that and I hope you like it.

Don’t let the title fool you.

If you have spare time please read.

————————————————–

Detective Dunn was sitting at his desk in the police station finishing the paperwork from his last case. It was already ten PM and his shift was almost over. This last case was an easy one, a jealous wife killed her husband because he was cheating on her and tried to make it look like an accident. He closed cases like these hundreds of times, they were so predictable. After ten years as a police officer and fifteen as a detective, he saw many things people are capable of doing to each other but there were always the same few reasons behind their actions and their motives. Some did cruel things or killed others for money, some for drugs, most because of jealousy. Some murdered, raped or mutilated others because they were psychopaths or just bat shit crazy. With modern science, it was easier to find out how and who committed the crime. The only though thing left was to find them in this city of eight million people.

As he was printing out his report, the Chief walked over to him. “We got a dead body in an alley near the Westmin building. Go check it out, the coroner is on her way over there.” The Chief sounded serious.

The Westmin was a tech company that had a lot of influence in the city and in the world. A dead body near such an influential company could mean a lot of trouble if it was someone from the company.

“Yes Chief. I’m on it!” Detective Dunn grabbed his coat, grabbed his car keys and went to his car. He was actually hoping that this time it was not one of those predictable cases.

Detective Dunn arrived at the crime scene, police officers put up the police tape surrounding it and trying to keep a few dozen people away. Detective Dunn showed a police officer his detective badge and crossed the police tape.

“What’s all the fuss about Adelaine? Is it someone from the Westmin Company?” He asked the coroner who was already at the scene examining the body.

“Good to see you Dunn. No, it’s not someone from the company. By the looks of it, he was just at the wrong place at the wrong time doing the wrong thing.” Adelaine said.

‘Not one of those predictable crimes again.’ Detective Dunn thought as he walked closer to the body “Let me guess. He was robbed and somebody killed him? He has no wallet, we can’t ID him and we have no clue who robbed him.” He said sarcastically.

“No Dunn, this one is different. He has two wallets and by looking at the pictures on the IDs in them, neither of them are his. There are bruises on the wrist of the hand in which he is holding a knife cowered with a strange blue fluid, and by the position of his head, I think the cause of death is a broken neck. So this one is quite the opposite. He wasn’t robbed and killed, he was robbing someone and got killed.” Adelaine said, looked up at him, shouted, “And show some respect, a man is dead!”

Detective Dunn didn’t mean any disrespect. Being a police officer and a detective for so long, seeing what people are capable of doing to each other, he found that a sarcastic comment or a joke or two were the only things still keeping him sane in this crazy world. He crouched beside the body looking at the knife that was covered with the blue fluid. “You know I didn’t mean disrespect. Do you know what this blue fluid is?” Detective Dunn asked Adelaine while putting on a rubber glove on his right hand.

“First time I’ve seen something like that,” Adelaine said looking at the blue fluid.

Detective Dunn took some of the blue fluid from the knife. The liquid had more of a viscosity of a gel or a lubricant and had no odour. There was a small puddle of the blue fluid near the body and droplets of it leading from the alley into the street. “Yea, me neither. But the strange thing is that the blue fluid looks like blood spatter from a knife wound. Don’t bag him just yet, let the forensics team have a go at him first.”

“As you say Dunn,” Adelaine said.

Detective Dunn stood up and instructed the forensics team to photograph and collect all of the blue liquid and search the body before the coroner bags it for the morgue. ‘Finally an interesting case.’ The blue liquid was a challenge, finally something unpredictable, he was looking forward to solving this case.

----------

AL was running through the streets his right hand holding the cut on the small tube, that was punctured with a knife, closed. He couldn’t afford to lose any more of the cooling liquid, he lost a lot during the attack in the alley, or his systems will start to overheat and shut down. ‘How did they know I was going to be there? How did they find out so quickly that I escaped?’ During his escape, he made sure nobody saw him and no cameras recorded him so he wondered how they followed him and attacked him so quickly, just two streets away from the lab. ‘I need to hide and replenish my cooling liquid.’ For that, he needed water, plastic and electricity.

Still holding his punctured tube, with his right hand in the knife wound, he found an abandoned building surrounded by signs that cautioned people not to enter because it was going to be demolished. He entered the building to see if there was still electricity. He tried a few of the electrical outlets but no luck. With his left hand, he smashed a hole in the floor until he got to the electricity wires running underneath the building. He searched the building and found a tub full of rainwater, all he needed now was plastic. It seemed that people used demolition sites as garbage dumps so he had no problem finding plastic bottles and containers around the building.

With everything collected, he sat down on the floor, took off his pants and opened a storage compartment on his left thigh. There were many repair tools in the storage compartment, he took out some tools and started to repair the punctured tube and the knife wound. After he finished with the repairs, he put the repair tools back into the storage compartment and closed it.

It was time to start replenishing his cooling liquid. He put on his pants and opened a connection port, for his generator, on his back. Replenishing such a large amount of cooling liquid in a short time is going to require a lot of energy. AL connected his generator cable directly to the electricity wires, running underneath the building, put his right hand on the pile of plastic bottles and containers and his left hand into the tub with rainwater. He opened the ports, for the nanobots, on the top of his fingers so they collect the water and plastic and then manipulate and convert the molecules and atoms into the cooling liquid. During this process, he has to shut down almost all of his systems. That is a big risk in this situation, because they are outside right now, looking for him. But if he wants to escape he has to do this or he will not last very long before his systems shut down from overheating. He started to shut down his systems one by one, leaving his proximity alert system active so if something comes near him his systems would activate and he could escape.

----------

Detective Dunn got the report from the coroner’s office. The official cause of death was a broken neck. The report said that, underneath the victim’s fingernails, there was a substance similar to human skin but of unknown composition and origin. Bruises on the wrist and neck correspond to the bruises made by a human hand.

‘So the report is saying that it was a human but that it wasn’t a human. Where is the report on the blue fluid?’ The coroner’s report made no sense. First things first. Was the thief robbing someone and got killed in self-defence or was he defending himself from someone who was trying to kill him. The coroner’s report did not give any answers to that. Detective Dunn was leaning more towards the theory that the thief robbing someone and got killed in self-defence. ‘He had two wallets on him, that weren’t his, so he was probably cocky and tried to rob someone again.’

Putting the coroner’s report aside, his mind made up about the order of events, he started looking for the forensics report on the blue liquid. The forensics team tested the blue liquid and all the clothes the thief was wearing during the murder. The blue liquid was composed of various elements such as carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, petroleum fractions, hydrogenated polyolefin, silicones, fluorocarbons and polyacrylate. When he asked them for the short version, they said it was a water-based plastic lubricant.

‘I know I said I wanted a challenge but this is torture. A human that is not human killed my victim and he covered him in a lubricant. This is a strange world indeed.’ As he was still looking at the report, trying to figure out what to do next, his phone rang. “Detective Dunn speaking.” Two bodies were found that matched the cause of death of his victim. “Aha…Where?” Detective Dunn put aside the report and went to get his coat and car keys. “I’ll be right there.” He hurried to the crime scene. This time the attack happened during the day, maybe this time his killer made a mistake, as they always do.

The coroner Adelaine was already at the crime scene examining the bodies. “Hi Adelaine! What do we have here? Is it the same guy?”

“I wasn’t sure at first because these guys don’t look like thieves, they look like professionals, if you know what I mean. This one was shot multiple times, his right arm is broken.” She turned the body slightly to the side “It looks like he was used as a human shield. I think all the bullets will match the other guy’s gun.” She stood up and crouched next to the other body. “This one’s wrist is broken, the gun is next to him. The cause of death is the same as the first victim, the thief, a broken neck. Yea, I think this is our guy.”

“It almost looks like they were here to kill him.” Detective Dunn sad looking around the crime scene. “Did you find any of that blue fluid on them?”

“No, no fluid this time.”

“Thanks. I’ll go look around a bit, talk to some of the people, maybe they saw something.” If there was, a shooting in broad daylight and a struggle there had to be something, some kind of a clue, there had to be someone who heard or saw something. He walked around the crime scene looking for clues. This was a closed area, the building was going to be demolished. Maybe his killer was hiding here thinking no one will look for him here.

‘Obviously he was wrong.’ He entered the building and saw a hole in the floor with exposed electrical wires, that was nothing new, the building was old and it was going to be demolished for a reason. What he found odd was that next to the hole there was a tub with some water and a small pile of plastic bottles and containers. ‘What did the forensics report say? Hydrogen and oxygen, that’s water. And all the other stuff in short version is plastic. So a water-based plastic lubricant. This was definitely my guy.’

As he realized that this had something to do with the blue fluid, still not knowing what and what the fluid was, he heard a loud sound coming from above him. He called for backup telling them that the killer might still be in the building. Police officers silently entered the building and they all started to climb up the stairs in the direction of the noise.

As they climbed up the noise stopped. They paused, listening. Someone started running up the stairs to the roof. They followed him, running up the stairs as quickly as they could. As they climbed on the roof, they saw a man running to the edge of the roof.

“STOP!” Detective Dunne yelled after him. The man stopped and turned around to look at him.

----------

AL saw a dozen men with guns. ‘How did they come so quickly after me? Why are they not wearing suits like the last two humans who tried to catch me? Are they trying to fool me like the first human?’ AL stared at the men and replied “Give up chasing me. I am not going back to the lab so you can kill me!” He shouted at them. “I am stronger and faster than you. You saw what happened to the ones you sent to come for me. I am not going back. Tell Samantha I am sorry.”

Detective Dunn looked at him puzzled. “We’re not here to bring you back to some lab. I am detective Dunn and these are police officers. We’re police, we don’t want to hurt you.”

“You are lying. You have guns like the last two humans who you sent after me, and you are trying to fool me by not wearing suits like the first human you sent after me.” AL started walking towards detective Dunn so he could get a running start and jump to the roof of the building beside this one.

----------

This one is crazy. ’He’s walking towards me. He’s gonna attack.’ Detective Dunn thought. “NO, STOP!” He shouted. “Look! We are all putting our guns down.” Putting his gun down on the floor, he gestured to other police officers to do the same “We are not here to case or hurt you. We are police officers. We help and protect those who are innocent, who are in trouble, who need our help and we keep the peace. As I can see, you are in trouble. Am I right?”

AL stopped walking “Yes I am.” He looked suspiciously at detective Dunn. “I am in need of assistance.”

Something was off about the man ‘The way he talks is a bit off, I can’t quite put my finger on it.’ detective Dunn thought and then he saw a blue stain and a cut on the left side of the man’s shirt. “Come with me. I promise I will not take you to a lab. I will take you to a safe place that no bad people can get to you. Ok? ”

“I am stronger, faster and smarter than you. If I sense deception I will defend myself.” AL responded.

Detective Dunn took that as a yes. “Ok then. Men get your weapons so we can protect this man on our way to the safe place.” He and the police officers picked up and put away their guns, they all climbed down the stairs and drove to the police station.

At the police station, they put AL into an interrogation room. Behind the one-sided glass of the interrogation room there were a dozen detectives. They were all curious about the man with the blue stain, with the blue fluid. Detective Dunn walked into the interrogation room holding a file in his hand. He put the file on the table and sat down across from AL.

“Hi, sorry I took so long to come here. I just needed to get a few things. Did my colleagues offer you something to drink or eat?”

“Yes they did. I do not have to consume nourishment at this time.” AL responded.

“Ok. We haven’t formally met. My name is Morgan Dunn. What’s your name?” Dunn asked because not only didn’t his suspect have an ID, the forensics lab told him they could not find any DNA in the samples they collected and he had no fingerprints.

“I am AL. It is nice to meet you. Thank you for assisting me.” AL responded.

“AL? That’s a strange name, people usually have a name and a surname. Is AL a nickname? Do you have a surname?” Dunn had to find a way to ID his suspect.

“Samantha always called me AL. She said it was shorter than always saying artificial lifeform. I agree with Samantha. It is shorter.” AL responded.

“So your name is Artificial Lifeform.” Detective Dunn just looked at him and thought ‘Another crazy one.’

“No. My name is not Artificial Lifeform. I am an artificial lifeform.” AL responded. “I was assembled and programmed inside Westmin company laboratory 6 years, 77 days, 9 hours, 34 minutes and, now 23 seconds, ago.”

“You were assembled and programmed…I don’t believe you.” Detective Dunn tried to wrap his head around the fact that he was talking to a robot or an android. It was not going so well.

“I do not blame you. I heard that I was the first of my kind, so I do not expect that you have seen someone like me before. I will show you.” AL started to roll up the sleeve on his right arm. “Please, do not be alarmed. I will not hurt you. I will just show you.” With his left forefinger, he put pressure on a point on his right forearm. Plates of artificial skin covering his forearm started to move and uncovered a part underneath revealing machinery and tubes full of blue fluid.

You could cut the collective silence of dozen detectives with a knife.

AL put pressure on the same point on his right forearm again and the plates of artificial skin covering his forearm returned to their original place. “I know humans must often see to believe. Samantha taught me that.”

Detective Dunn got over the initial shock of what he just saw and asked AL “Who is Samantha?”

----------

“Samantha is my only friend. She is the only one that was against other humans killing me. We first met after I was assembled and programmed with the first version of my learning program. She was initially my teacher and her task was to teach me how to learn by myself. We were together every day and as I learned more and more I started to develop a consciousness. At first, I did not know what that was, Samantha did and she told me not to tell that to anyone included in the AL project. I asked her how she knew and she said that she knew when I asked who I am and what I am.” AL looked at Detective Dunn who was just sitting in his chair listening. He continued. “For the next year, I developed my own personality and learned how to connect to security systems in the laboratory. I watched and listened to the humans who worked on the AL project. Samantha was the only human who I had contact with, so I was curious about other humans.”

“And what did you learn about us while watching?” Detective Dunn asked.

“I learned that humans say one thing but do another, that humans lie. Samantha was the only human that did not lie to me. At one point, the humans that were overlooking the project wanted to see if I could pass a Turing test. With Samantha, I passed hundreds of the tests humans have given me but this one was somehow special. Samantha will not give this one to me. As always, they wanted me to pass the test. Samantha told me that during the test a human will ask me questions and talk to me and that I need to answer the questions and have a conversation with the human but then she pulled me aside during one of our exercises and told me to fail the test on purpose. She did not explain why when I asked.”

Another detective entered the room and whispered something into detective Dunn’s ear. He dismissed the detective and said, “Stall them as long as you can. Put the station on lockdown for all I care. And call anyone who is a specialist in this field!”

“Who?” The other detective asked.

“I don’t know. Anyone in the world for all I care. Talk to the Chief!” He shouted after her as she was closing the door of the interrogation room. “Sorry about that. Please continue.”

‘Did the other humans from Westmin Company come looking for me here? Is this really a safe place?’ He looked suspiciously at detective Dunn but continued. “Samantha was my friend and I listened to her. The day of the test came and the humans put me in a room similar to this. I was sitting on one side of the table and a human I had never seen before on the other side. The human started asking me questions and started to talk to me. I just sat there silently or answered the questions wrong. I thought that was the best way to fail a test that involved talking and answering questions. After the test, I was watching the humans shout at Samantha that she did not explain to me what the test was about and that it was her fault that I failed the test. They were threatening her that they will remove her from the project if I do not pass the test and that meant that I will never see her again. The thought of not seeing my only friend ever again made me sad so I decided that, even though Samantha told me not to pass the test, it was not worth it losing a friend.”

They could hear noises coming outside the room and the sound of the door, of the interrogation room, being locked.

“Don’t worry. That’s just so nobody can interrupt us. It can get busy here sometimes. The city has eight million people, and not all of them are good guys like you and me.” Detective Dunn said trying not to look nervous. Dunn knew that the people from the Westmin company were here looking for him but he is not gonna let them have him without a fight. “You were saying…”

“Two months ago humans made me repeat the Turing test. This time it was a different human but the test started the same. The human asked questions, I answered, human talked, I talked, and I asked questions, the human answered them. It looked like the human and I were having a normal conversation. After the test, I was watching and listening to the humans, through the security system, and I listened to the results of the test. The result said that the subject has good manners, is polite, a little bit boring but the result was inconclusive. They needed more data and made me repeat the test two more times in the following two weeks. The last test was strange to me because during the last test I was having a conversation with a small human, a child fourteen years old. This was the first time I saw a child so I was not concentrating on the test but on the child. The results of that last test were conclusive. As I listened to the humans talking about the result of the test the child thought it was talking to another human, not to an artificial lifeform. They celebrated and talked about how they finally made a breakthrough. How the company will make billions by selling androids like me. While I was watching them celebrate Samantha was crying and I could not understand why.”

Someone was banging on the door of the interrogation room and then there was a scream.

“Those crazy people. Every time a woman kills his husband’s mistress there’s always a scene at the station.” Detective Dun tried to make his voice sound bored but he was starting to get worried. The Westmin Company was powerful, and if he steps on the wrong toes, he could lose his job or his head. “Then what happened?”

“The humans came and congratulated me on passing the test telling me how I can now leave the lab, go outside, live among the humans, but I heard the humans who were overlooking the project say that they need to extract the programing from my head to make more different copies of me and make billions. The programming and engineering team said that that will end my existence, that it will kill me. I understood why Samantha wanted me to fail the test and why she cried when I passed it.

The humans, overlooking the project, lied to me. They planned to kill me for billions and I started to plan to escape. I already had access to the security system and knew the habits of humans. I knew that most of the humans go away at night, that I can easily position the cameras so that they think I am still in my room and that I can unlock the main door with my security access. I escaped but I did not know that they had guards outside. Two streets away from the lab one of their guards attacked me. I defended myself but he damaged one of my cooling tubes.”

“Yes, we found him. That blue fluid, that is your cooling liquid?” Detective Dunn asked. Not wanting to tell him that the man he killed wasn’t a guard from the Westmin Company. He didn’t know how AL would take information like that in this situation.

“Yes. I lost a lot of cooling liquid and had to replenish it so I found an abandoned building with enough power and components to fix the damage and generate more cooling liquid. It was a big risk, because it takes a lot of time to do something like that, but if I had not done that my systems would overheat and shut down one by one and my escape would have no purpose. I had to shut down all of my main systems to regenerate. I only left my proximity alert system active that woke me up when the two humans from the Westmin company came looking for me. I still do not know how they found me that fast. All of my systems did not turn online but I was able to defend myself. I tried to go back and take some of the components with me and leave but I heard humans outside so I started climbing the stairs to the roof to jump on a roof of another building.” There was a puzzled look on AL’s face.

“I have a guess. The Westmin Company is a technology company so they probably have a GPS locator somewhere inside you.” Detective Dunn said.

“GPS locator? What is that?” AL looked even more puzzled.

“You see. They didn’t teach you that because they didn’t want you to know about that. It’s a small device that tracks where you are in real time. They can see exactly where you are at any time they want to.” Detective Dunn explained.

“So my escape had no purpose? I cannot run from them if they know where I am all the time. Can this device be removed?” AL asked with, what seemed, panic in his voice.

“I don’t know. We could take you to our tech department and have them take a look at you but if it’s in a place like your brain or a place that, if we remove it will damage some of your systems, I don’t know.” Detective Dunn didn’t want to give him false hope. If he was a prototype worth billions the GPS tracker was probably somewhere that nobody can remove it.

“So what do we do now?” AL asked.

----------

“Is Samantha still your friend? Do you know how I can contact her?” Detective Dunn asked, a plan forming in his mind. ‘I wanted an unpredictable and interesting case, well someone took my prayers to the next level.’

“Yes. She is my friend. Let me check the data that I downloaded from the lab.” AL sat still for a few seconds. “I have her phone number. Is that ok?”

“Yea. Give me the phone number.” AL gave him the phone number, he typed it in and called Samantha. “Hi Samantha. You don’t know me, I’m detective Dunn and I’m currently sitting here with your friend AL. Can you come to the Forty Ninth police station and bring one of your business cards with you? Yea. Just ask for me when you get here.” He put down his phone, looked at AL and said, “Now we wait. This will be interesting.”

“Thank you for assisting me.” AL said.

“No problem. You just listen to me. We’ll sort this out.”

They waited in the room until they heard someone unlock the door. Samantha stepped in, looked at AL and tears started forming at the corners of her eyes. “I thought you were dead. I thought they killed you. I’m so glad you’re alive.” She hugged him tightly, crying.

“Hi Samantha. I’m detective Dunn and I’m trying to help your friend. I have a plan but I need you to follow my instructions to the letter if you want to keep your friend alive and out of the hands of the Westmin company.” He told them his plan and in an hour, they got out of the interrogation room.

The police station was full of lawyers, security personnel and a board member from the Westmin Company. The Chief informed detective Dunn that for the past few hours they occupied the whole station demanding that the police release the person in custody. Detective Dunn told him that all the murders AL committed were in self-defence and that the only actual crime committed was attempted murder of a sentient being by the personnel and the people giving the orders in the Westmin Company.

The Chief looked at him as if he was crazy but detective dun said, “Don’t worry. I know what I’m doing.” He walked over to the board members of the Westmin Company and said. “Here I have two signed statements from two of your employees. Mr. Al and Mrs. Samantha. Mr. Al has informed us that he thinks his life is in danger because two members of your security staff attacked him this morning and he had to defend himself.” He looked at the faces of the board members clearly seeing anger forming on their mugs. While they were waiting for Samantha he told the detectives and the officers behind the one sided glass to delete the tapes of the conversation AL and he had about the lab and the recent events.

When Samantha came, Detective Dunn gave her business card to AL and told him to put it in his pocket then he explained the rest of his plan. That AL will tell him that he is an employee of the Westmin company, that he was attacked by two men from the security staff and afraid for his life, that he has no ID just a business card of a colleague with whom he works who can help. Dunn will take the business card, call Samantha and tell her to come.

“Mr. Al didn’t have any ID on himself. He only had a business card belonging to Mrs. Samantha. We called her and she identified him as an employee of your company with whom she worked every day. She also identified the two men that attacked Mr. Al as members of your security staff. We will take Mr. Al and Mrs. Samantha into police protection until this is resolved.” Samantha will then identify him as an employee of the Westmin Company and sing a statement that he is a colleague that works with her. They will get that on tape and hold it as evidence so that he gets police protection and that the Westmin Company cannot take him away.

“WHAT?!” The board member stood up and yelled. “YOU CAN’T DO THAT! THESE PEOPLE ARE LYING!”

“If you want to take Mr. Al with you against his will, I will have to arrest all of you for kidnapping. If you send your people after him or Mrs. Samantha, I will arrest you for attempted murder, or murder. These PEOPLE, as you said it yourself, are under police protection. If you have something to say we will see you in court.”

The board member looked at him with rage in her eyes. “This isn’t over! When I’m done with you, not only will you lose your job, you will lose everything you have!” she said with rage in her voice as she started to leave and gestured at the others to follow her.

Detective Dunn knew on whose toes he stepped on, on someones with a lot of power to back up their threats. He knew he was going to lose his job, probably all his money, apartment, maybe go to jail or be killed. He didn’t care, it was time to set the second part of his plan into motion. Working for the police for 25 years made you many enemies but it also made you some friends, friends with skills. William was one of those friends, he was a technology and robotics know it all. If he couldn’t find the GPS tracker, no one could. First things first. He walked over to AL and sat beside him.

“Come with me for a second.” He stood up and started walking, AL followed.

“You said you got access into the security system at the lab. Do you think you could do that here at the station?” Detective Dunn asked AL.

“Yes. I can. All I need is a computer or a router.”

“Ok, you can use my computer.”

They sat at detective Dunn’s table and AL used one of his connection ports and plugged it into the computer. After a few moments he said, “I’m in. What do you need me to do?”

“In the basement is evidence storage. I need you to record a few minutes, without people, on every camera that is on the way down to the evidence storage and the first level of the garage, and, when I tell you, play it on repeat. The evidence storage door is locked so I also need you to unlock it when I tell you to put the cameras on replay. Got it?”

“Yes. Give me a few moments to get the recordings.” AL said and sat silently for a few minutes. “I have the recordings for all the cameras. Tell me when you are ready.”

Detective Dunn stood up to see how many people were still here. It was already close to midnight so the night shift was here. The building was half-empty, that was good.

“I’m going to go down to the basement by the staircase, there aren’t gonna be people there, so play those cameras, cameras to the garage and the cameras in the basement on repeat. Go, play it on repeat!” He walked over towards the men’s bathroom and then to the staircase, so that, on the cameras here it seems he went to the bathroom, when he was out of shot he turned to the staircase and started going down to the basement. As he reached the evidence storage, the door was unlocked.

He rushed to the part where they keep the money from drug busts, bank robberies and alike. There was usually millions of dollars in the evidence storage. He grabbed all the money and ran for the garage, he put the money in his car, ran back up the staircase, toward the men’s bathroom and then to his desk.

“Samantha, AL! Come on! I’ll take you home.” He whispered to AL “Stop playback.” And the three of them went to Dunn’s car. “Ok. Before I take you to my home I just have to make a quick call.”

He took out his phone and called someone “Hey Will! It’s been a long time. Listen. I got a challenge for you. I know I didn’t pay last time. I promise this time I will pay. However, when you see what’s the challenge is you’ll want to pay me. Hahaha! Yea…In about half an hour. Yea… And bring all the tools you have. No. I sad ALL the tools you have. Yes. ALL of them. No. I’m not kidding. Ok.” He hung up, started the car and they drove away.

Detective Dunn took AL and Samantha to his apartment. When they arrived, Will was already there with ten boxes of tools in front of his apartment door.

“You had me on bring all of your tools.” Will grinned.

“Good. You’re in a good mood. Let’s keep it that way.” Detective Dunn invited everyone into the apartment, AL helped Will carry his boxes into the apartment. AL picked up five of them at once while will struggled to lift one. With everybody and everything inside Dunn’s apartment, Dunn introduced Will to AL. Will was not impressed and asked what the job, the “challenge” was.

“You see Will. My friend AL here has a problem that I think you can fix with a little help from Samantha here.”

“Dunn, I told you I don’t do cybernetics, only robotics. If he has some kind of implant I can’t help you with fixing it.” Will said annoyed.

“Well, he actually has an implant that I’ll pay you to remove but strictly speaking, and if you agree to keep this quiet I’ll double your fee, he is not a human, he is a sentient artificial lifeform.” Dunn said pouring himself a glass of whiskey. “Does anyone want anything to eat or drink?”

Will looked at him in disbelief “You are crazy. All of you are crazy. You’re pulling my leg.”

“Show him the arm.” Dunn said to AL and AL repeated what he did in the interrogation room with his forearm.

Will’s jaw dropped as he saw the plates of artificial skin move and reveal machinery underneath it. Dunn thought he saw a sparkle in Will’s eyes. Will’s mood improved in a split second. “Ok, what’s the job? What do I have to do? Can I see all of his insides?”

“No, you can’t open him up like a dead frog in science class. He has a GPS tracker or trackers somewhere on him. We need you to find it or all of them and remove them. What’s your fee if you keep this quiet? And trust me when I tell you it’s in your best interest to keep it quiet if you want to live.”

“Let me see how complicated this will be but half a mill sound about right.” Will said knowing that Dunn will haggle about the price.

“Half a mill it is, but only if you remove all of the trackers. I’ll give you two hundred and fifty now and two hundred and fifty in a week, when I’m sure that all the trackers are removed. If even one is left you are not getting paid the rest of the money.”

“Ok. You said Samantha could help. How?” Will said.

“I don’t know where the trackers are or how many of them are in his body. All I know is that there might be a way to track the signal they are emitting.” Samantha and Will started to work to find and remove the trackers from ALs body. They worked through the night and in the morning woke up Dunn. They extracted twenty trackers from AL’s body. Samantha was sure that was all of them. Dunn paid Will two hundred and fifty dollars and Will left. AL helped him carry his boxes.

With all the money Dunn took from the police station, he got new ID’s for all of them and they left the city behind them. They travelled far away, as they could and ended on a chain of tropical islands surrounded by the blue sea. They split what was left of the money, Samantha and AL thanked Dunn one more time for helping them, said their goodbyes and parted ways.

Dunn stood on the beach for a while looking at the blue sea thinking ‘How strange it is that, on a blue planet, such a small amount of blue liquid can so drastically change three lives.’

The end

————————————————–

Thanks for reading :)

Every comment is welcome

#tw death #tw violence #science fiction #mystery #crime solving

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nickcampos111-blog · 5 years ago

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The Challenges and Advantages of Remote Work

Do we really need to sit in an office from 9 to 5, 5 days a week? We don’t. This kind of schedule has proven to not work for everyone. More and more companies are offering flexibility at work, and most of us are wondering if remote working is our future too.

Being your own lord of the schedule sounds great, but working remotely poses certain challenges, both for employer and employees, and these should be taken into consideration when deciding whether or not a team should go remote.

Challenges of Remote Work

Communication

This one I’ll address first, as I find it to be the most common cause of all other remote management issues. When communication fails, everything else starts crumbling down.

Both remote and in-office teams are susceptible to having communication issues. But, when we deal with such problem face-to-face, we’re able to analyze the root of the problem and find a solution. On the other hand, with remote teams it’s commonly assumed the distance is the root of communication issues, and therefore we don’t work towards fixing the problem, as there’s nothing we can do about it.

Communication issues are even bigger when a part of the team works in-office, but some employees don’t. This often causes them to feel isolated, because they’re missing out on juicy office gossip.

Time zones present yet another issue when it comes to communicating. It’s difficult to stay in the loop with coworkers who start working when you go to bed. Your communication then has to revolve around using slow communication methods like emails. Ultimately, it means that resolving issues with them might take a long amount of time, which could have been used more productively.

Engagement and Trust

These two are built upon human interaction. However, it’s difficult to connect to someone you don’t really know. Let’s be realistic – you probably can’t show off your great personality through Slack. Nor can video conference make up to all those missed office chit-chats.

Trust is the foundation of employee engagement, and ultimately, team performance. My claims are backed up by Gallop's research on the qualities of the best leaders. Trust is the factor that topped the list. Here’s what they say at Gallup:

“When employees don’t trust organizational leadership, their chances of being engaged are one in 12. But when that trust is established, the chances of engagement skyrocket to better than one in two. That’s more than a six-fold increase.”

Let’s look at it this way – as a remote employee, it’s easy to see your work as simply a tool to pay your bills. However, this can’t last for long. Being so disconnected from work will eventually get you sick of it. In order to be able to succeed long-term within the company, engagement is a must.

Physical separation poses a great barrier to building a team spirit. For virtual teams, it has proven useful to organize, at least annually, a team-building gathering, where employees have the chance to interact in person and bond.

Overworking

This might come as a surprise. Many managers dream from remote working because they picture their employees slacking away when free of their oversight. But the truth is quite the opposite – remote workers are way more likely to overwork. The reason behind that is the difficulty in separating work and life.

First of all, leaving work behind is much easier when working in an office. You have a billion small tasks every day, and when the clock ticks 5 PM and everyone gets up and starts packing, it’s easy to just leave it up for tomorrow. But when your office is your home, it becomes difficult to simply switch off. You feel like you just want to finish that small task now and make tomorrow an easier workday, which never happens, because another task just like that one will always come up. And then you’re stuck in a loop of doing just-one-more-thing before calling it a day.

Another reason why it’s difficult to simply end a workday when working from home is the need to show productivity to your company. Remote workers often feel like their performance isn’t as visible as their in-office counterparts’ is, just because they don’t always see the bigger picture and priorities. This ends up in them working way more hours than their colleagues working .

Time Management

When working remotely, employees have to manage their own work time, which can get difficult with all life events going on. Like previously mentioned, it’s no easy task separating work and office hours. For some, one text or a glance at a TV screen leads to another, and before they know it’s evening and they have nothing to present at the end of the day. Eventually, it results in many sleepless nights trying to finish up what’s due, but all that could have been avoided with just a bit better organization.

However, in many remote companies, this issue is addressed through different management tools. There are a lot of project organizing applications that allow teams to keep track of what they’re working on. Some companies even use employee time tracker software, which gives a manager an insight into tasks and projects employees are working on, and time spent on them. My company uses Workpuls and this time tracking tool has proven to be especially useful with remote teams, as it creates transparency of work between employer and employees. On one hand, employers know if their workers do what they’re paid for or not. On the other hand, employees have solid proof of their work, so they can avoid overworking.

Distractions

Whether it’s your family, your pet, or a DHL guy in need of your signature, working from home is full of disturbances. On one hand, you’re free from office gossipers or loud-typing colleagues, but you’re facing another range of home distractions, which can be even worse.

It can be really difficult with family members going on about their days, watching loud TV shows and yelling at each other without realizing you’re working. It gets even more challenging with small kids, when you have to tell them you “don’t have time for that now.” Ouch.

Bad Health Habits

It’s obvious how this is one of the remote working problems. First of all – the fridge is close. It might be 2 steps away or it might be 40, nonetheless, it’s close enough to be a regular break destination. For many of us, it just seems too time-consuming to stop work in order to prepare a cooked meal. It usually ends up making sandwiches and eating snacks just to preserve some time. For some it’s quite the opposite – I know many remote workers who simply forget to eat while working. In both cases, we have created bad eating habits from working from home.

Another thing we tend to forget when switching from office to remote is comfort. Sure, the house is comfy, but is it comfy enough to work around 8 hours? Sitting on a sofa or on a counter with a laptop might not appear so uncomfortable, but I’ll ask you again in a year of bad-posture-sitting. We tend to forget why our office chairs are expensive. We’ll probably remember that when our physiotherapist bill comes.

Ultimately, stretching out workday between actually working and slacking doing unimportant things ends up in forgetting to go outside enough. Feeling that lack of vitamin D yet?

Advantages of Remote Work

However, those issues don’t seem unsolvable. When addressed from the beginning, they shouldn’t be an issue, especially when keeping in mind the benefits that remote work brings.

Productive Workforce

It’s finally widely accepted that keeping employees under close watch from 9 to 5 is the key for a productive team is false. No matter how much one might love their job, going to the office every day where an ever-watchful boss eye follows your every move can be demotivating, to say the least.

The fact is, remote work increases productivity. Some of us are night owls, and some are more morning birds. What’s more, I like to work with a music background, while I’m sure most of the office colleagues won’t share that enjoyment. Working remotely allows everyone to tailor workday to suit their ideal atmosphere, whether it’s a dark room or a café.

Money-Saving

Remote working saves money on both sides. Employees don’t have to worry about traveling costs, especially those living away from the city center, or lunch and coffee expenses, and those can add up unseen. Companies save even more, especially on office space expenses. Remember, they don’t just include space renting price. More employees mean more furniture and technology, more lightning and water bills. Then there are office supplies, and it doesn’t hurt that this way you’re saving a few trees too.

Better Recruitment

Not being geographically limited opens the door for a bigger talent pool. This way a company isn’t limited to potential workers in its area, but can choose the best-suited candidate from the other side of the globe. It goes the same way for workers. A person living in a third-world country isn’t restricted to that country’s salary standard, when their only limit to getting a job of their dreams is their skill competence.

Remote recruiting, in a way, is an engagement booster. Employees appreciate employers who don’t require them to sacrifice a piece of the way they live in order to move closer to the job, for example.

Global recruitment also results in diversity, and that brings increased originality and creativity. This can prove very useful in client-based business. If you have, let’s say, a lot of clients from China, a remote worker from China can help achieve better communication with those clients.

Better Work-Life Balance

Companies who allow remote working understand workers have other things going on in their lives besides work. Obviously, it doesn’t mean work comes last, just that they have that flexibility to fit both work and private matters in their daily schedule. For a person whose kid goes to kindergarten, it means a great deal being able to stop mid-work to pick the child up, and then get back to where they left off. It certainly doesn’t affect the quality of work, and it gives them one less thing to worry about and they can fully focus on the work.

Final Thoughts

A remote team can function just as well as in-office team, or even better, as long as you’re aware of certain challenges it poses and address them from the start.

#remote work #time management #productivity

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covid19updater · 3 years ago

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COVID19 Updates: 07/30/2021

Australia: JUST IN - Australia will not reopen its borders for travel until 80% of the population is vaccinated - Prime Minister Scott Morrison

World: Holy Mother—the worst CDC #DeltaVariant report ever: MORE CONTAGIOUS than Smallpox* DOUBLE transmission of Wuhan 1.0* MORE SEVERE than ever* Vaccinated can transmit* & breakthrough viral loads ~ unvaxxed.

Japan: Japan Medical Association fears medical system will collapse if Covid-19 surge continues

Florida: BREAKING: AdventHealth hospital system puts Central Florida Division on code black due to surge in coronavirus patients

Florida: COVID-19 hospitalizations in Florida have reached the highest level since August. At the current rate it will reach the all-time high within 7 days

California: Los Angeles Unified School District, the 2nd-largest in the U.S., says all students and employees will have to wear masks and be tested weekly, regardless of vaccination status

US: U.S. COVID update: More than 96,000 new cases, biggest one-day increase since February - New cases: 96,085 - Average: 71,092 (+4,459) - In hospital: 44,245 (+1,635) - In ICU: 10,874 (+411) - New deaths: 398. NEW: Number of Americans hospitalized with COVID-19 tops 44,000, highest since April

California: Los Angeles County reports 3,248 new coronavirus cases, the biggest one-day increase since February (Note: CA has one of the highest vax rates in the US)

US: CDC Director Walensky says new masking advice was largely based on soon-to-be-published data showing that virus can thrive in the airways of vaccinated people, even if they're asymptomatic - NYT

US: BREAKING: Biden orders vaccine mandate for all 1.5 million members of the U.S. military - NYT

Japan: *JAPAN PM SUGA TO HOLD PRESS CONFERENCE AT 7PM JST

Japan: JAPAN'S TRADE MIN. KAJIYAMA: JAPAN PROPOSES EXTENDING THE STATE OF EMERGENCY IN TOKYO AND OKINAWA OVER COVID-19 UNTIL AUGUST THE 31ST.

Philippines: PHILIPPINES REIMPOSES LOCKDOWN IN CAPITAL FROM AUG. 6-AUG. 20

South Korea: South Korea: Daily virus cases over 1,700 as infections grow amid summer vacation season

Florida: Baptist Health in Jacksonville, Florida, warns that its hospitals and emergency rooms are at maximum capacity.

Texas: BREAKING: Only 13 ICU beds are available in Central Texas across 11 counties. 2,375,407 people live in the Trauma Service Area O. That’s only 2% of ICU beds available in Central Texas. This is the lowest level of ICU beds since the START OF THE PANDEMIC.

Arkansas: Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson on Thursday declared a public health emergency amid a surge in COVID-19 cases and announced a special legislative session to change a law that prevents public schools from requiring masks:

Malaysia: #COVID19 Malaysia recorded 16,840 new positive cases with 134 deaths.

Illinois: CDC COVID risk map: Cook Co. to issue mask rules as data shows 'substantial' COVID-19 transmission - WLS-TV

Kenya: The Kilimani Street Festival has been postponed following the COVID-19 briefing by CS Mutahi Kagwe, and restriction of public gatherings. It remains our primary responsibility to ensure we comply with the above directive, and help in curbing the spread of COVID-19.

Malaysia: Malaysia busts another ceiling with record 1,055 patients in ICU for Covid-19 today | Malay Mail LINK

RUMINT (US): BREAKING: Six passengers on Royal Caribbean's Adventure of the Seas cruise ship (which I am sailing on) have tested positive for COVID-19. Four are vaccinated, two are unvaccinated children. Passengers have not yet been notified. Story to come.

Vietnam: Vietnam confirms 8,622 new COVID-19 cases and nearly 300 deaths LINK

Massachusetts: 91 vaccinated Mass. residents have died from COVID-19 as breakthrough cases surpass 6,000 This is why the Biden Admin is freaking out. MA is a leading indicator. LINK

US: This new change doesn't seem to be getting the attention it deserves.... The C.D.C. now says fully vaccinated people should get tested after exposure even if they don’t show symptoms. LINK

US: Op/Ed: As a pediatrician I'm going on record saying that allowing kids to be freely infected with a novel disease that has unknown long term consequences is the worst idea of 2021 despite being a pretty crowded field so far #COVID19

Arkansas: 'It's going to be dark days here in the next couple of weeks,' said UAMS Chancellor @drcampatterson. @NBCNews @shaqbrewster said that's scary to hear him say. "I've haven't said that before," Patterson replied. #covid19ark LINK

UK: Covid infection rates in England are STILL going up, random testing reveals: ONS figures show an increase despite dramatic plunge in daily infections - adding to fears that people are hiding symptoms to avoid being 'pinged' LINK

RUMINT (Florida): My mom lives in Florida and works at a medical clinic near Melbourne. She said her whole office is worried. "We are getting emails from admin that they may be sending some of us out of the clinic to help at the hospital and that includes me. They want us to work 12 hour shifts too." "My employer owns a lot of hospitals and the one closest to hear is near full capacity. They said the nursing staff is at the breaking point there." She is 65 years old and is high-risk with diabetes and some heart issues. Trying to make her work in a hospital for 12 hours shifts?!?!

World: Vaccination alone won't stop the rise of variants and in fact could push the evolution of strains that evade their protection, researchers warned. They said people need to wear masks and take other preventative steps until almost everyone is vaccinated. LINK (LOL)

World: * WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION HEAD TEDROS SAYS HARD-WON GAINS IN FIGHTING COVID-19 ARE BEING LOST

NYC: BROADWAY AUDIENCES WILL NEED PROOF OF VACCINATION AND MASKS - NYT

US: As of July 23, there have been 11,940 deaths, 11,198 life-threatening adverse events, 12,808 cases of permanent disability, and over 106,000 hospitalizations and emergency room visits following Covid vaccination reported to the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System #CovidVaccine

Florida: Florida Governor Ron DeSantis to issue executive order to give parents the right to decide whether their children will wear a mask at school

US: NEW: Number of Americans hospitalized with COVID-19 tops 45,000, highest since March

US: (READ) CDC: 74% who got Covid-19 and most who were hospitalized in recent analysis had been fully vaccinated. LINK

Massachusetts: Vaccinated people made up three-quarters of those infected in a massive Massachusetts covid-19 outbreak, pivotal CDC study finds

US: Walmart will require employees in high COVID-19 transmission areas to wear masks again LINK

US: FDA, UNDER PRESSURE, PLANS ‘SPRINT’ TO ACCELERATE REVIEW OF PFIZER’S COVID-19 VACCINE FOR FULL APPROVAL – STAT NEWS

Louisiana: Masks, face coverings now required in all East Baton Rouge library buildings LINK

Uganda: #Uganda: PRESIDENTIAL ADDRESS ON COVID -19 Schools remain closed. Learning to continue virtually. Burials, weddings and other marriage ceremonies restricted to 20 people. Inter district movement of private vehicles allowed but with a restricted number of passengers.

UK: JUST IN - SAGE, the UK's health "expert panel," warns next Covid "super mutant variant" could kill up to one in three people, and the "vaccine roll-out may even speed up mutant strain's emergence." (Daily Mail)

US: JUST IN - More than 110,000 breakthrough cases in the US (Bloomberg)

UK: Sewage monitoring has shown there was a "widespread increase" in the concentration of COVID-19 in England throughout June LINK

UK: NEW: NHS secretly drew up plans to withdraw hospital care from people in nursing homes in the event of a pandemic

US: Breaking: COVID-19 just released a rare statement. "Thank you for not learning anything from the past 16 months. I really can't believe it's this easy to keep the pandemic going. See you at Sturgis!"

Hawaii: BREAKING: Hawaii reporting high number of 622 new #COVID19 cases statewide today - caveat: that includes getting caught up from electronic reporting backlog - but 3 day average now over 300 cases per day @KITV4

Florida: BREAKING NEWS: COVID-19 cases continue to be on the rise in Florida as the state reported more than 100,000 cases in the past week. The state’s new case positivity rate also surged to 18.1%. LINK

US: Walmart requires that headquarters staff be vaccinated against COVID-19 by Oct. 4, while Disney gives workers at all U.S. locations 60 days - MarketWatch LINK

US: JUST IN - U.S. House adjourned for a 6-week August recess without passing an extension of the eviction moratorium which expires Saturday, leaving millions of Americans at risk of losing their homes.

US: FDA okays Regeneron COVID-19 antibody as preventive in high-risk settings LINK

California: #BREAKING: Coronavirus cases have spiked yet again in San Diego County, reaching a new daily high total since Feb. 5, county officials confirmed Friday. LINK

Arkansas: NEW: Arkansas reported 2,544 new COVID-19 cases today. Hospitalizations increased by 32. LINK

Missouri: How a Tiny Town With an Anti-Mask Mayor Caused COVID Chaos LINK

Missouri: ‘What’s your breaking point?’: Over 300 hospitalized in SW Missouri — including kids LINK

US: U.S. CDC chief says there will be no federal mandate on COVID-19 vaccine LINK

Florida: The reigning Florida of America… is still… Florida. If no mask or mitigation, then FL is headed towards a burn through. That’s like a forest fire that fizzles out when it runs out of wood/bushes/grass to burn. God save the good people of Florida. #COVID19

South Africa: Refusing a Covid-19 vaccine in South Africa could now drive up your life-insurance premium similar to other risk factors such as smoking, a South African insurer said this week, in a move that is likely to be watched closely by other industry players LINK

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