#detective undercover drama

[pizzaandcoffeeintherain]

Miss these two. A Matter of Customs with Wong Hei and Jessica Hsuan

[fuckyeahchinesefashion]

OP: Check out. The fully-sexual charged cinematic movement design.

Cnetizens: How did the director come up with the idea to have him kneel on a playing card, adding so much aesthetic energy, is that some kind of genius?

[lifewithaview]

MyAnna Buring in In the Dark (2017) Ep4

Helen is approached by Sherwood, who tells her Paul's death was caused by someone "younger and blacker", leading her to suspect that it was concerned with the turf wars responsible for the drive-by shootings. She makes enquiries among local youths, including Theo, on the run after his other gang members are shot dead. Following a break-in at her flat she learns that Paul was working undercover to unmask corrupt officers passing information to mobsters whilst new evidence links Sarah to Paul's death though she is too scared to admit who blackmailed her into taking part. A further tip-off identifies the man who put Sarah up to it, using gang members as cover. Now Helen must seek Theo's help in more ways than one.

[botanicalsword]

How they approach you ✧ Check their Mars Sign

Mars symbolizes our energy, desires, and pursuit methods. It's associated with our passion, sex drive, and how we chase what we need. In relationships, Mars plays a significant role. It's about how we express our desires, assert ourselves, and handle conflict.

Photo credit @le.sinex

Mars in Aries

They're similar to determined marathon runners who charge forward with enthusiasm, undeterred by any obstacles. Just don't be surprised if they occasionally bump into a wall or two in their relentless pursuit.

Mars in Taurus They're the patient gardeners of love, carefully tending to their relationships like nurturing plants. They take their time to analyze the soil, wait for the perfect weather, and then make their move with unwavering determination.

Mars in Gemini They're the social chameleons of dating, adapting their approach to match the vibe of the person they're interested in. It's like they have a whole wardrobe of different personalities they can slip into, making them the masters of versatility.

Mars in Cancer They're the masters of dropping hints, leaving a trail of clues like a mischievous detective. They keep you on your toes with their mysterious and unpredictable behavior, making every interaction feel like an episode of a thrilling crime drama.

Mars in Leo They're the extravagant romantics, showering their love interest with grand gestures and lavish gifts. They believe in expressing themselves boldly and fearlessly, even if it means occasionally emptying their wallet in the process.

Mars in Virgo They're the undercover romantics, pretending to be cool and collected on the surface while secretly hoping for the other person to make the first move. It's like they're playing a game of emotional hide-and-seek, waiting for someone to uncover their hidden desires.

Mars in Libra They're the hesitant lovers, constantly second-guessing themselves and fearing rejection. They overanalyze every move and struggle with decision-making, like someone trying to choose the perfect Instagram filter for their relationship.

Mars in Scorpio They're the stealthy strategists, waiting in the shadows for the perfect moment to strike. They believe in the power of patience and calculated action, like a ninja plotting their next move.

Mars in Sagittarius They're the jacks-of-all-trades in the game of love. They have a bag full of tricks to please their partner, from witty banter to spontaneous adventures. They're like a one-person circus, always ready to entertain and surprise.

Mars in Capricorn They're the master manipulators, using their cunning and wit to get what they want. They play the game of love like a seasoned chess player, making calculated moves and occasionally catching their opponents off guard.

Mars in Aquarius They're the enigmatic superheroes, silently observing from the sidelines until they muster up the courage to reveal their feelings in a blink-and-you'll-miss-it moment. It's like they have a secret identity, waiting for the perfect time to save the day.

Mars in Pisces They're the poetic dreamers, expressing their feelings in intricate metaphors and whimsical prose. Trying to understand their emotions is like converting a riddle wrapped in a love letter, but once you unravel the mystery, it's like discovering a hidden treasure.

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[vieshiftsx]

more dr ideas bcs i have too much of them on my mind and i need an outlet:

: ̗̀➛ a dr with a childhood best friends to lovers storyline

: ̗̀➛ "i only have a soft spot for you" rich ceo x the most oblivious person ever - i just wanna live my 15 y/o wattpad dreams bro leave me alone 😭

: ̗̀➛ private detective

: ̗̀➛ a private school with students who came from the richest families in town - like gossip girl ig, but it's up to you what happens. high drama potential.

: ̗̀➛ a reality where nothing digital exists

: ̗̀➛ spy dr - you're in a group of young secret agents, who are also the strongest in the agency. in the spy world, everyone knows you're the best of them all because you and your team has never failed your missions. think of all the spy stuff you get to do omg. ALSO, if you want to have a s/o, you can script that you met them while doing an undercover mission. little do you know, they're also a spy from a rival agency, going for the same intel you were assigned to look for. this can go two ways: you end up fighting each other and staying rivals (a rivals-to-lovers trope), or you can work together and become the most iconic spy partners. another choice: betray your agency and be on the run with your s/o.

[saint-hymn]

YOU — "The- this... is... L'Manberg.."

DRAMA — Now we're up in shit's creek with naught a paddle, my liege. Sorry.

Drama is up next! this is like the Hymn filler episode, i don't have a muse to continue my other stuff yet so this is what you get

I sure tried to squeeze in some Stuff in there, like the stupid omnipresent tricorn hat among others. I switched to the regular portrait look (completely missing the point of the hazy look of the Skills, yes, leave me alone) since trying to emulate the dry brushing of the original skill is miserable.

just got here and don't understand what Drama is or what the hell did I just draw? Here's one straight from the Disco Elysium wiki! (yes, this is a Disco Elysium AU where I slap on the skills on the characters)

Play the actor. Lie and detect lies.

Cool for: Undercover Cops, Thespians of the Stage, Psychopaths

Drama urges you to treat the world as a stage – and on it, to perform. It will enable you to lie, to concoct the most elaborate and wonderful stories; to take on ingenious personas and perform acts of stagecraft in an entertaining amalgam of fourberie and deceit! As well, it enables you to see through would-be actors and their false antics. If they lie, you’ll know. Immediately.

At high levels, Drama may render you an insufferable thespian – one prone to hysterics and bouts of paranoia; for to know the world is a stage is to know that Truth is a Vanity. However, with low Drama you cannot lie – or discern when others lie. And a cop who can’t do either is a cop who’s soon going to be lying six feet under.

Now, who does that sound like? Hoho!

[talistheintrovert]

Hi, Talis! I have a bit of a random question - do you have any sort of 'starter pack' recommendations for Chinese dramas? (I've really been enjoying Mysterious Lotus Casebook, but haven't been sure where to go from there.)

oooooh, EXCELLENT question!!

If we're going via "these men are in love but [CENSORSHIP SIREN RINGS LOUDLY]" then I'd go for

Guardian: semi-modern sci-fi/fantasy featuring a chaotic bisexual detective and the all-powerful god-like uptight professor he bothers into loving him. 10/10, bonkers CGI and ridiculous side characters only add to the enjoyment

2. Sound of Providence/Ultimate Note (really any of The Lost Tomb series but these are my personal favourites). Three idiots that call themselves The Iron Triangle (said idiots are a genius, a wiseguy, and a semi-immortal amnesiac) and their various tomb-raiding adventures!

Also has iconic side characters, might I add. The chronology of this whole series is so baffling and ridiculous I may have to make a video about it, but these two series hold a special place in my heart - they came out within weeks of each other, but in one the characters are in their 40s and in the other they're like... 22? at most? ICONIC, BEAUTIFUL, SHOWSTOPPING-

also the genius and the immortal amnesiac are in love, and the wiseguy is basically their third, it's a whole thing

3. Under the Skin

modern day crime series, featuring a detective and an artist. The artist is a SAVANT who can basically draw ANYTHING he puts his mind to, but in the past it meant he accidentally got an undercover cop killed without knowing. A few years later, he decides to become a police sketch artist as repentance. Said cop was our detective's mentor, and he's still salty about it but OH LOOK, THEY'VE BEEN PARTNERED UP!

4. WORD OF HONOR

my favourite of the fantasy homoerotic dramas, and the one that inspired me to start writing a video essay about them. Two soulmates meet who are destined for nothing but misery - one is trying to destroy the entire martial arts world for revenge and the other is an ex-assassin who's chosen to die slowly as penance for his murders. Through each other (and their idiot adopted son) they find happiness, kinda. This show is part of why I liked Mysterious Lotus Casebook so much - very similar found-family vibes, except they start out as enemies in MLC, whereas in this they start out as reluctant allies.

non-extremely-homoerotic recs:

Love Story Between Fairy and Devil

Evil being who has been trapped in a magical prison escapes said prison by accidentally body-swapping with an innocent fairy, but even after they swap back, he's tied to her (feels pain when she does, etc.) and so has to keep her around against his will. Enemies to lovers gorgeousness.

2. 19th Floor

fantasy/sci-fi drama where a group of strangers get thrust into an AI world (in a good way, the way AI ACTUALLY MEANS) where if you get hurt in the game, you go into a coma in real life. Every level has a different extremely fucked up mechanic to solve, and the cast are an absolute delight, also the main male lead is played by one of my favourite actors, so I'm slightly biased. Extremely cuntslay show.

3. My Journey to You

A group of female assassins go undercover in a kingdom to apply to be wives to the royals in order to take them down from the inside but OH NO, MIGHT THEY ACTUALLY FALL IN LOVE WITH THEIR TARGETS???? Also the female assassins are weirdly sapphic with each other, which I thoroughly enjoyed, and Esther Yu is one of the hottest women to ever exist and you may quote me on that.

gif from here: https://talistheintrovert.tumblr.com/post/730663645629054976 because it wouldn't let me do it properly (credit: @xiaolanhua )

4. You Are My Glory

dorky romance between two of the most stunningly beautiful people I've ever seen in my life, seriously, it's ridiculous. Their chemistry is good, the story is easy, and it's generally a fun, romantic watch.

5. Love You Seven Times

two gods(?) forced to live seven different lifetimes together because of a mishaps, it's glorious, it's gender envy, it's enemies to friends to lovers to enemies to lovers to friends to lovers excellence.

6. Till the End of the Moon

Did you like Love Between Fairy and Devil? then you'll LOVE this show, which has functionally the same plot, except that the female lead KNOWINGLY tries to seduce the future evil villain in order to either assassinate him or stop him from becoming evil, it's a coin toss for her. A brilliant show with fantastic performances and some of the best costume design on this list (which is a high bar, the costumes in all these shows serve unbelievable amounts of cunt).

I hope those are enough to keep you going for a little while! I'm always here to answer rec asks fr, it's one of my favourite things.

Anyway, I'm off to cross the nullabor, so I'll be out of range for the next few days, I hope you enjoy this nonsense!

[shijiujun]

WHY YOU CAN TRY WATCHING YUAN ZUI 原罪 Original Sin (2024)

Okay I've watched up to 20 episodes (out of 25 I think) and can say that this is a mild, low-level rec — just for people who MIGHT be interested in it, and don't have too much expectations on script etc. Off the cuff, it's very SCI-esque production but with slightly worse lines and acting (I'll explain later) BUT the filming visuals aren't bad, main characters are cute, and the cases objectively are pretty okay. My two cents is - if you're bored and looking to just pass the time, you could watch this, but if not, you won't be losing out on much either, but it's worth a try.

IN GENERAL

It passes as a detective drama - to be very fair, they've really tried their best to do a detective drama properly with the hints, the process, the autopsies, the high management police relations, some spy work, some vulnerabilities, some teamwork, some misunderstandings and arguments, some backstory and some PTSD < they've got all the makings of a good show, plus Wang Haoxuan and Chen Huan the two main leads are nice to look at, and their acting is passable.

Clunky script, lines and acting - Personally I think a lot of the lines were not necessary, and because you stuff like a scene out of place, there's like a lot of unnecessary emotion at strange places you wouldn't expect logically LOL. Some of the clues are also a bit ??? I mean I watch with a lot of suspension of disbelief trust me, but I found myself LOL-ing with a cringe at some places. A little overboard in acting also for the PTSD or like the cases that really affect the two male leads, like you can feel it's a tad over the top in terms of trying to get a feel for the scene, but I mean, like I said, low expectations.

If they had a better production and more episodes, I think this might have turned out to be 100% better. It's a hardcore detective drama, so much so that technically some character development scenes would have done it well but they're like almost overly focused on the detective parts of it and like relationships are all for show, but we'll make do.

SUMMARY

Dai Yu (played by Wang Haoxuan), a medical examiner, works closely with Zheng Ming (played by Chen Huan), a police squad captain to solve five cases (5 episodes per case) — they've known each other for a long time, as Zheng Ming's mentor is Dai Yu's dad, and their relationship goes way back. Between them is the death of Dai Yu's father, who was shot right in front of Dai Yu, and the death of Zheng Ming's best friend Hai Shan, who was exposed for his undercover role and shot to death by Zheng Ming by accident during a hostage situation. This results in Zheng Ming being unable to shoot a person after, afraid that he would miss his shot like he did. As they work through several cases, they unravel secrets of what happened in the years after these two deaths.

Total 25 episodes

Playing on iQIYI, but don't know if there are subs since it's so obscure as a production there's barely any promo of it online

BROTHERHOOD (AHEM)

Truly a brotherhood like as if they're allergic to bromance BUT there are really like split seconds where you have to do a double take OKAY! They're kind of close because Dai Yu's dad was Zheng Ming's mentor, but Dai Yu himself took a while to warm up to Zheng Ming and Zheng Ming is kinda hot-headed, and misunderstands people really quickly. The both of them switch between being real familiar with each other to super professional like SUPER professional.

EP. 1: Zheng Ming sends Dai Yu back but Dai Yu has fallen asleep in the car so he literally removes the seatbelt for Dai Yu and then they just fall asleep in the car like that.

EP. 6+7: Dai Yu has his own house but when he sleeps over at the police housing he rooms with Zheng Ming, and Zheng Ming always nags at him for sleeping with his shoes on. And always buys him breakfast. And when Dai Yu once again falls asleep while talking to Zheng Ming without taking his shoes off, Zheng Ming takes it off for him and is all like "There you go again, sleeping with your shoes on."

EP. 15: After having a cold war with each other for like 3 episodes, Dai Yu tags along on a bust without permission and nearly gets knifed and Zheng Ming is pissed off as fuck going like: "What if that blade really hit the mark?! If it was a gun, you'd also step right in front of it?!" and then he walks off and then Dai Yu says, "If it was you (in danger), I definitely would stand right in front of the gun."

There are a lot of other moments, but it's always just RIGHT when you think it could be a bromance moment NOPE they make it so professional I'm like BRUH!!!

But otherwise for me personally, who's a low-maintenance viewer, this hits the spot and I'd keep watching!! Edit: Just finished watching the whole thing and ARGH wow talk about the most abrupt cold-feeling ending ever LMAO?!!?!

[starskytohutch]

It’s funny when I get into other shows and movies and media or whatever and like, I will see like actual canonical queer representation and depictions and it will STILL not compare to whatever the actual fuck starsky and hutch have going on. Like genuinley I don’t think anyone is ever topping a coffin for starsky. The whole just, something, concept? Like I don’t even understand. Yes their cops, but it’s almost like them being cops in itself is an allegory for being lovers? Since you are not only partners? But your entire job and line of duty is yes, saving people/protecting the city, but also as cops who are partners, specifically undercover detective cops, your duty is to protect each other first. Like it’s just- starsky and hutch- for being a formulaic buddy comedy/drama has such an incredibly large scope for looking through it via a queer or romantic lens. Which again, is insane, considering it is a straight formula buddy comedy cop show, which that genre is known for accidentally creating the perfect set up for queer coded themes, tropes, and characters. By still.

[welcometothejianghu]

Welcome to another round of W2 Tells You What You Should See, where W2 (me) tries to sell you (you) on something you should be watching. Today's choice: 成化十四年/The Sleuth of the Ming Dynasty

(The) Sleuth of (the) Ming Dynasty (it's hard to get an agreement on how many definite articles should go where) is a beautiful, high-budget 2020 drama about a weenie genius detective, his long-suffering and deeply traumatized sugar daddy, and the eunuch with the most difficult job in the Great Ming: keeping these two dumbasses from getting their fool selves imperially executed.

Depending on how you like it, it's either an OT3 or an OTP with an intense, underage third wheel, and either way, it's delightful. I wouldn't call it a comedy, but it has very many funny elements that keep the drama fun and engaging. The first half is full of shorter mysteries that are clever and thoughtfully plotted, and the second half goes in on the longer mystery that ties them all together.

I've already done my quick guide to the early-episode characters, if you want a taste of just how many people are running around and how wonderful they all are. But in case you want to know a little bit more before you commit yourself to a 48-episode series, here's five reasons I think you should watch it!

1. The whole thing smacks of gender

Yeah, this was originally going to be selling point #2, but I know what the people want.

This is not a show about gender. But boy it is a show that has a lot to say about gender, and not just by way of critiquing premodern Chinese gender roles (though it does do that!). Many of the cis characters are either a) somewhat gender nonconforming, b) canny enough to weaponize binary gender expectations, or c) both. Sui Zhou's entire third-act storyline is about how expectations of masculinity exacerbate PTSD in veterans. Three different AFAB characters either dress or live as men. The part where one of the male characters goes undercover in drag is played for laughs, but the joke isn't 'ha ha, a boy in a dress,' it's 'ha ha, this particular boy in a particular dress, and also he's terrible at it.'

And that's even before we get to the eunuchs.

There are several professionally dickless, permanently unmanned characters running around. One-third of the OT3 canonically had his external genitalia nonconsensually removed when he was five years old, and because of this, he has been given unimaginable authority. He's basically the second most powerful man in the entire empire, and he only gets that way by being unquestionably, ostentatiously, and genuinely submissive to the first most powerful man.

I have seen other Chinese media where eunuchs are treated like sinister clowns, good only to be the bad guys and the butts of jokes. Sleuth's main eunuchs are real and complex characters, and because of this, the show gets to explore what it is to live in this weird third-gender category of incredible power and powerlessness.

Now, don't go into this expecting woke gender treatises. Wang Zhi's never going to sit down and go, "You know, my friend and fellow eunuch Ding Rong, because of my lack of a penis, I understand my relationship to masculinity differently than other men do." But the show understands that even if he doesn't say it, it's true. And that makes a lot of the characters and their relationships just so much more interesting.

2. Uncle Jackie Money

Sleuth was the was the fourth c-drama I dove into, following the Untamed, Word of Honor, and Guardian -- or, Some Money BL, Less Money BL, and No Money BL. So imagine my absolute wall-eyed shock to find this was All The Money BL, courtesy of its executive producer, Jackie Chan (seen here with some of his handsome boys):

Sleuth looks good. The costumes are amazing. The sets are stunning. The cinematography is beautiful. Everything is so detailed, and while I can't speak to the absolute historical accuracy of all those details (see point 3), they're still gorgeous. In fact, you know what? I'm going to shut up and show you some of the promotional images.

(For actual screenshots, I'm just going to point you at @rongzhi's tsomd photoset tag, as they have done a tremendous service to the fan community -- though do beware of spoilers.)

Uncle Jackie's influence doesn't end with the money, though. Even though things get a bit goofy and wirework-y near the end, most of the drama's fights are shows of real martial arts skill. You can see his fingerprints on a lot of the choreography -- I'm thinking particularly of the time Tang Fan tries (and fails!) to stab Sui Zhou three times, which is pure Jackie Chan high-speed dexterity.

Add this one to the category of shows your Average American Television Enjoyer Who Can Handle Subtitles would like. In fact, I have shown the first episode to my normie father-in-law, who was impressed. Show it to your dad! See if he picks up on the gay!

3. I am from ... HISTORY!

The Chinese title translates to "The 14th Year of Chenghua," which works out to the year 1478. There are some clear anachronisms, but they tend to be played for comedy, so it's hard to hold that against them. On the whole, though, the show is trying real hard to evoke a very specific moment, and I feel it does so beautifully.

This does, however, mean that several of the characters are real people. I don't even have a good sense of how many of them are based on historical figures, that's how many. Hilariously, Wang Zhi's tag on AO3 used to read "Wang Zhi (?-1487 CE)."

Moreover, these are characters I've seen pop up in other media, played very differently! In particular, Noble Consort (up there in blue) tends to be written as an uncomplicated villain elsewhere, whereas Sleuth gives her a chance to add some goodness to her badness, until, damn, you can't but root for the bitch. (It also downplays the cradle-robbing, which, honestly, is for the best.)

You may have guessed from the eunuch section earlier, but it bears repeating: Wang Zhi is straight-up the best character in the show. He's smart as hell, and he has to be, because the second he's stupid, he's dead. I actually consider it helpful to know ahead of time that he's never going to do a heel turn -- I feel like on my first watchthrough, I was holding my breath for the first two-thirds of the show, waiting for his sudden but inevitable betrayal. It does not come. Wang Zhi is one of the heroes.

He's also, like, evil. He orders people flogged, tortured, and executed. The very first thing you see him doing is sinister as hell. And the show clearly doesn't think this is good, but it also doesn't judge him for it. He's a traumatized seventeen-year-old who has not had a normal moment of his entire life. He's working thanklessly for a boss who could kill him on a whim -- and he's doing it because he literally, physically was made for his job. He's mildly freaking out because he has no emotional grounding to help him understand that these weirdos want to be his friends.

Was the real Wang Zhi like this? That's beside the point. The point is, you get to see how someone in that position could wind up as the war-crimes-committing platonic ideal of a little meow meow.

4. oh my god the food

Warning: This show will make you hungry.

Again, beware of spoilers, but @peppersandcreamsicle and @qinzai have put together an entire cook-along Google Doc so you don't just have to drool -- you can do something about it! Or you can just read it and learn about Chinese cuisine, which is a little more my speed.

But it's not just about how good the food looks. Food is a vital emotional part of the series. People bond over it. They make and share it as a sign of love and care. It indicates status, ethnicity, interest, personality. The show's message about the healing power of cooking for the people you love will bring you to tears.

And yes, Sui Zhou is the main one doing the cooking, so get ready to drool over both the dishes and the handsome man preparing them.

Oh, and as though that weren't enough, Fu Meng Po can actually cook in real life. He's so dreamy. Absolute unreal handsome man with a devastatingly sexy voice. (I know my opinion might be different if I could hear his Taiwanese accent, but I can't so it's not!)

5. An Unsunk Ship

So like I said, my intros to c-drama couples had been WangXian, WenZhou, and WeiLan. That meant I'd basically come to terms with the idea that you can't have a main couple in a BL-but-not-really drama without splitting them up at least a little in the end, for no-homo plausible deniability reasons.

Tang Fan and Sui Zhou are still definitvely, unequivocally together when the story ends, as the iconic pentultimate scene of the series confirms with beauty and simplicity. I refuse to give any more details than that, but that ship's afloat.

(These shirtless pictures aren't from the end, but I wanted to include them, and I didn't have a better place to do it. ...Also, you know, ships and water? Yeah?)

And I think their winding up together reflects Sleuth's entire attitude. Tang Fan is made of sunshine, and the series loves him for it. There is tragedy aplenty in this show, but there's no misery. It is ultimately a hopeful show that believes in the power of second chances, if you're willing to take them. Time and again, the moral of the story is that you are only ever as good as the people who have your back -- but you have to be willing to let them have your back. Let people help you. Let people cook for you. Let people give you a reason to keep living. And then keep living.

Also, Sui Zhou gets two good kabedons off on that little twink, which means they're legally married now. I don't make the rules.

Bonus: Banger opening theme

This is one you will watch all 48 times.

Bonus #2: The Halo Video

This is the video that made me go, huh, these Sleuth boys seem like other boys I've enjoyed! Perhaps I shall enjoy them as well! And then I did. So if that might be convincing to you too, well, have at it. Even if it isn't, it's a fascinating three-minute study of shared those-boys-are-in-love visual language across these shows.

Fair warning that it contains shots from right up to the end, so if you'd rather go in completely blank, give this one a pass until later. (Excuse me while I now go watch it for the 10000th time.)

Have I convinced you to watch it yet?

It originally ran on iQiyi, though Viki's got it as well, and Viki's is free if you're willing to put up with some ads about it.

...I just noticed iQiyi's description of the series reads, "When the two handsome leading actors Darren Wang and Fu Meng-Po work together, what will happen? A lovely prefectural judge and an arrogant embroiered [sic] uniform guard join hands to crack unusual cases! Are you going to choose a new idol?" And you know what? Yes. The details are a little off, but that is the correct spirit. Thank you, thirsty blurb.

[thewulf]

Thick and Thin || Jake "Hangman" Seresin

Request: Reader is a former police officer, but now is working at the hard deck. Her last undercover work went terribly wrong and she was hurt really bad (got captured and held in a damp and cold cellar.... See rest here

A/N: We’re pretending the aviators are at Top Gun for a few months not a few weeks! This is Part 1. This will be a 2-part mini-series. More of a background and some interaction at the bar. The juicy drama will be in the next part :)

Pairing: Jake "Hangman" Seresin x Y/N

Word Count: 4,500+

“Hi Penny!” You chirped hugging your friendly lightly. The relationship between you and her  moving from boss and employee to friendship quickly over the last few months. You adored the self-assured woman who put arrogant pilots in their place daily. She quickly took you in under her wing showing you the ins and outs of being a bartender at the Hard Deck. The rest was history and you two became thick as thieves even with the age difference between you. It never bothered you. It didn’t bother her. She was your best friend and confidant.

You’d only been working there for about a month before you got sick again. Sick enough that you had to call in for a few days. You hated that you had to do this to Penny, but she understood once you explained your situation. She understood telling you to take the next few days off and rest up. It didn’t surprise you that you got nothing but support from her. You never told anyone the nitty gritty details though. Just a run of the mill glossy explanation.

You absolutely despised your new body after the incident. A body that had unfortunately been brutally attacked. A body that was constantly feeling the repercussions of a literal knife to the back. A body that could only take so much stress before it went down. Once you felt the fever set in you knew you needed to get to a doctor. Every fever after the abduction was a result of the injuries you sustained that horrific night.

In your past life you were a detective at the Milwaukee Police Department. Swiftly rising through the ranks being known as an overly thorough and excruciatingly precise officer. You rarely made mistakes, often wrapping up cases quicker than your counterparts. You were good. Great even. Until you made that one, almost fatal, miscalculation. Playing right into the trap of the serial killer your department had been hunting for the last year.

You should’ve known better. You were smarter than that. But the bliss of maybe finally being able to catch him, even if it was a sliver of a chance, made you slip up. Entering the abandoned house, you were quietly ambushed and put to sleep with a cloth being placed over your nose and mouth. You knew you were fucked when your arms instantly went limp making you drop the gun that was firmly in your grasp. Not long after you took another ragged breath in your knees gave out before your eyes shut completely.

Waking up in a daze you felt your hands tied above you letting your feet barely rest on the ground. Fuck. It dawned on you that he got you. Blinking rapidly, you tried to take in your surroundings, surveying a way out of this mess you managed to put yourself in.

The only light came in through a window on the far side of the basement you presumed you were in. It was cold, dark, and musty. You had to be in the abandoned houses basement. You prayed your team was on their way like they said they were. How far behind you could they really be? You’d had the chance to be knocked out and wake up and they still weren’t here? Spiraling in your own thoughts you heard a snicker from the corner of the room snapping you right back into the reality of the situation.

You shuddered seeing a man in the corner watching you slowly wake up while registering the trouble you were really in. Taking a few steps forward towards you, you saw a sick smirk coming from the man. Breathing deeply you knew you needed to find your courage. You couldn’t let this man get the better of you again.

“Miss Y/L/N. I must admit, I wasn’t expecting you. You’ve always seemed so much more… calculated.” He grinned slowly walking around you.

A frown adorned your face. Don’t let him get the better of you, “My team’s just slow.” You answered him knowing you needed to keep the conversation going. The longer he talked the longer you had a chance to get out of this mess.

A low chuckle emitted from the dirty man that was eyeing you like candy. You were able to get a closer look at him now too. You don’t know what you were expecting but it wasn’t that. He didn’t look the part. He was skinny, scrawny even. He was too dirty to be this precise. Too small to seem so big. It didn’t add up to you.

“That I know Miss Y/L/N. That I know. I’ve gotten away with what, eleven times now? Eleven. Fucking. Times. That’s pathetic.” He sighed taking a long pause making sure to eye you up and down, “Guess you’ll just be number twelve.”

Adrenaline raced through your veins as your heart rate spiked. Maybe it really was your time. Your team should’ve been here by now. He must have moved you. He had to of moved you. God, you prayed they would figure it out quick enough. Why didn’t Spencer Reid really exist? He’d be great right about now.

You shook your head trying to appear more confident than you really were. You just had to keep buying yourself some time. You just had to make him angry. A narcissist always had to be right. You had to make him feel wrong.

“Doubt it.” You chirped sounding surprisingly confident despite the feelings buzzing through your head.

He hummed stopping his walk around you, “You’ve got a mouth on you huh? A pretty one at that.”

Rolling your eyes, you knew it was working, “I thought you did your research? Don’t you know everything about me?”

Your eyes only grew wide when you saw his hand come for your face. Not having enough time to react you felt his hand contact the side of your face. Did he really just slap you? Fuck. You had to admit that one hurt. Head still twisted you spit the blood right out of your mouth.

“Ouch.” That stupid motherfucker made you bite your tongue.

This time he rolled his eyes giving you the same treatment you were just giving him. It made you smile knowing you had him worked up, “That’ll be the least of your concerns Y/N.”

“Why? Why’d you do it?” You had to ask. You needed to know before he killed you. You’d spent too much time chasing this guy not to know.

He shrugged reaching for something in his back pocket, “Why not Y/N?”

“Really?” That pissed you off. For no other reason? There had to be a reason, “Eleven people for nothing? Ruining their families lives for nothing?”

He nodded taking another step closer pulling a shiny silver knife out of that back pocket, “Really Miss Y/L/N. And your family is next my dear. Such a shame really.”

You swore you heard car tires rolling up on the house. Maybe just maybe it was your team. Just keep him talking for a little bit longer, “I don’t think so.”

He drew the knife to you neck, clearly more than a little pissed off. Pressing the blade down you felt a little trickle of blood down your chest. Damn. Maybe this really would be it. You had to think of something. Anything to buy you just a few more seconds.

“Now what makes you say that Y/N?”

You wish you could shrug but your hands were a little tied up, “The agents walking around upstairs.” You let out a rather loud scream hoping to draw the attention of your fellow officers down to the basement.

A sharp pain ripped from your back right side before he attempted to hightail it out the basement window. It didn’t quite register with you that you’d been stabbed until you heard the panic from the other officers in the room. You heard faint mumblings of, “Officer down. Stab wound to the side.” Before the darkness took over.

When you woke the doctors told you everything. You lost a kidney which put you at elevated risk for infections. The infections would lead to fevers. Fevers would lead to endless doctor’s visits for steroid shots and antibiotics. You didn’t believe them at first until the first fever took you down. You’d gotten taken out like a light ending up having to stay in the hospital for a few days. Learning quickly that you needed to take this seriously. After a few months you realized it wasn’t changing. This was your life now. You were newly riddled with health problems thanks to the asshole that stabbed you. He never did get to twelve. It made you happy knowing that you living was his last mistake. He was spending the rest of his life behind bars without a chance of getting out.

You were given permanent medical leave after month five. You were so fucking sad that you had to leave but it was best. You weren’t you. You were no longer great. You were broken. A sad pathetic broken version of yourself. Or so you thought.

After a while of bouncing around you ended up in San Diego staying with a friend for a while. She was lonely and you needed a place to go so she invited you to stay a while. A while turned into forever as you slowly fell in love with the place. The beach seemed to help heal you mentally which led to less bouts of sickness. The happier you grew the stronger you were.

That’s when you found Penny and decided this was your new home. You slowly began to fall back into the swing of a somewhat normal life. Only to be reminded of your inability to stay healthy after everything. Thankful you had Penny. You surely couldn’t have done it without her.

Things only got better when a new batch of aviators made their way to San Diego. It started with Jake’s incessant flirting. Bradley then caught on and began doing the same. After constant rejection to both of them they both finally caved and actually became really good friends with you. They had your back like no other. One of their eyes always seemed to be on you when you were working. Just making sure none of the clowns in the bar tried anything you didn’t like. Jake and Bradley had to tell a few drunk guys off a couple of times but nothing major ever happened.

Falling for Jake seemed to happen very slowly then all at once. At first it was the little things. He always seemed to make you laugh at work. He opened doors for you. You always seemed to have a small glimmer of hope that he would be going to the bar the same time you’d be working. You rejected him so heartily at first because you’d heard the stories from Penny. The horror stories of her and Mav. She was a hypocrite though, falling back in love with him the second he came back around. You had to hand it to him though, Mav seemed deeply in love. Like he wouldn’t let her go this time.

You realized you had fallen for him when you got a little too jealous seeing him flirt with all the pretty girls that came around. Nearly losing it when you saw him take one of them home one night. You hated to admit it, but she was far prettier than you are too. You were sure she wasn’t dealing with your shit ass body either.

Bradley caught on quick. He noticed your small glances towards Jake. How your body always seemed to turn towards him. How you laughed at his corny ass jokes. Bradley wasn’t jealous he was just a bit confused. How in the hell could Jake manage to get your attention? In Bradley’s head you were so far out of his league it blew his mind. But in yours you’d never even take a step up to the plate.

“Y/N,” Penny snapped getting your attention. Mindlessly cleaning dirty glasses, you realized you must’ve zoned out.

“Yeah?” Setting the clean glass down you turned towards your friend.

“Joe called off. It’s just me and you tonight.”

You groaned throwing your head back in annoyance, “Does he ever show up for Friday night shifts? We’re going to get killed tonight.”

She smiled softly at your annoyance, “More tips for us?” She tried to reason with you.

“Yeah, yeah. More tips. Blah blah.” You turned back to your work trying to get it done a little quicker hoping to help your very busy self later.

“That’s the spirit Y/N.” She laughed returning to stocking the bar up for the night.

“Love ya Penny.”

“I know you do!” She laughed turning her attention back to her tasks at hand. She too didn’t want to be too distracted before the night swept her away.

It was slower than usual for a Friday night. Suspiciously slow. You didn’t feel like you were drowning the entire night. Not that you were complaining. Not at all. You loved when it happened. You were able to chat with your regulars enjoying the casual banter with everyone. If there was one thing you loved about this new life was the interactions, you had with people at work. People liked talking with you at work now. Before it was interrogations and arguments. Now it was learning about the family or fending off heavy flirting from a pilot. You loved the change not realizing how much you actually enjoyed casual chatter with people.

Penny was secretly thankful it was dead as well. Even though it meant a few less hundred dollars for the night at least she could enjoy the night. She too hated when it got overwhelming. She got the chance to chat with Pete in between customers. She and Pete were as happy as ever. Especially once he got back from the mission. The two seemed to be attached at the hip.

You got excited when you saw the Naval squad you’ve gotten close with over the last few months come through the door. They’d completed the mission that they were all initially here for. Half of them had deployed off to other bases. The other half opted to stay as teachers, given the opportunity after they came back. You were more than overjoyed when both Jake and Bradley decided to stay for a while.

The two of them didn’t like each other but they didn’t hate each other either. They acted more as causal acquaintances.  Accepting that they were going to be around the other and it was best to lay off each other.

Your grumpy attitude nearly vanished when you spotted your favorite blonde boy walking over towards you. A big toothy grin crossing his face made you join him in a big smile. Penny caught your grin out of the corner of her eye taking note of the two of you. She had her suspicions of the two of you. Jake straight up admitting he had a crush on you to her and you refusing to admit anything, she was in for a treat.

Jake walked up sitting down on the stool in front of you. He winked at you before he opened his mouth, “So, I was thinking…”

You gasped stopping him dead in his tracks. He looked at you in confusion from your outburst, “Didn’t know you could do that Jake.” Throwing that wink right back at him you watched his confused face turn down into a frown. You loved this. Looked forward to it even. The back and forth that always turned into flirting with him. Over the last month your nerves morphed to some weird confidence when you talked with him You couldn’t get enough of it. Of him.

“Ha. Ha. Very funny sweetheart.” Jake rolled his eyes dropping that sweet nickname so casually. Looking away quickly you went to serve somebody else so he couldn’t see your blush. God, you hated that you wore your heart on your sleeve. Emotions literally written across your face.

Jake popped back up once you were done with the customer, “Can’t run away from me Y/N.” His smile grew into a smirk knowing he had you there. It wasn’t like you were going to leave Penny to fend for herself on a Friday night. Even if it was dead.

“You’re right,” You grinned, “But I can make you walk back and forth all night. And all I have to do is turn around.”

Shaking his head he leaned on the bar, “You sure do make me work.”

“Would you have it any other way Mr. Seresin?”

“Never sweetheart.” He gave you a soft smile. One that was really only reserved for you, not that you knew that. It wasn’t often that Jake felt comfortable around someone to let his guard down. But with you? He felt so different around you. Like you’d never judge him. He could tell you the most insane thing and you’d still find the silver lining in it. Jake adored that about you. Loved it even, “Can I continue?” He asked you faking irritation even though he was smiling.

“Sure. Still don’t know if it’s a good thing that you can think or not though.”

“You wound me.” He feigned hurt dramatically placing a hand on his chest, “Anyway, we’re heading to the beach tomorrow. You should join us.” He pointed to the aviators by the pool table.

Pouring him a beer you looked up to him, “The beach?” You thought for a moment. You wouldn’t have hesitated before. But you hadn’t put a bikini on since the accident. You weren’t even sure if you had a swimsuit anymore. You never looked at the scar. You sure as hell weren’t letting anyone see the damn thing.

“Yeah, that big sandy thing out there.”

“Smart ass.”

“The only and only darling.” Sitting down in a new barstool you opted to just talk to him instead of turning around.  

“I’ll think about it.” You tapped on the wooden countertop afraid to look him in the eyes.

“What’s there to think about?” He raised an eyebrow taking a drink from his glass. After setting it down he nodded towards you, “Thank you, by the way.”

“Sure thing, Jake.” Taking a second you thought of a weak excuse, “I might be working. Not sure yet.”

“Penny!” Jake yelled motioning for her to come over.

“Jake, I have paying customers I’m trying to serve.” She eyeballed you knowing you probably weren’t going to charge the man. Not that she cared that much, but she had to make a point as a best friend. Penny had hounded you about Jake. Just like Bradley had. Just like half the dagger squad had. But you still wouldn’t cave. You couldn’t cave. You loved this thing you had with Jake far too much to fuck it up. Especially if he didn’t feel the same way about you. So, you opted for friend. Flirty friend but friend, nonetheless. If he made a move, you’d dive in headfirst but until then you’d sit back. A solid plan in your own head.

“Carry on. Just one question, can I have Y/N tomorrow afternoon for some beach time?”

“Sure. She’s not even on the schedule.” Penny nodding giving you an overly sweet smile. Great.

You shot daggers at your friend. She was acting as anything but at the moment, “Okay, I’ll go.” You said as you turned back towards Jake.

“Great! I’ll pick you up around eleven?”

This time you raised your eyebrows. A habit you had picked up on from Jake, “You will?” His question took you by surprise. You were more than capable of driving yourself to the beach.

“I will. It’s only right since I invited you sweetheart.”

Penny nodded walking back to her tasks. Her suspicions about the two of you confirmed after watching the one innocent interaction between the two of you. It was so painfully obvious the both of you were into the other but were simply clueless. Penny was planning on teasing you later on that.

She knew underneath all the shit Jake was a good man. He had all the good characteristics of one. He was fiercely loyal. Defending his and his pilots honor time after time. Not only did he talk the talk he walked the walk. Jake wasn’t afraid to get a little down and dirty. Penny knew he would protect the hell out of you. He would love the shit out of you. He would comfort you when you were sick and be by your side when you needed him to. She was rooting for the two of you. She just needed to figure out a plan. She’d talk to Bradley about it. She knew he was trying as well.

“Alright.” You nodded, “You remember where I live?”

“’Course I do darling.” He bobbed his head up and down.

“Okay then. Eleven tomorrow.”

Throwing you one last wink he nodded towards you, “See you then sweetheart.”

Giving him a hesitant laugh, you gave him a short nod back, “See you then Jake.”

You thought you would’ve jinxed it by now, but it was still slow. Twelve o’clock on a Friday and you weren’t busting your ass? You felt like you were thriving. You noticed Bradley enter not too long after Jake giving you a quick wave. He decided to wait on bugging you until you were free. He’d wait until the end of your shift if he needed to. This was Bradley’s new favorite thing. Closing the bar with his best friend. You loved it too, but you’d never admit it to him. Giving him a hard time was much more fun.

Penny gave you a short break seeing as there weren’t many people there. You waved Bradley down pointing to the deck outside letting him know you’d be heading out that way. He gave you a quick thumbs up letting you know he’d meet you out there.

“Hey stranger.” You nudged his side. He was leaning on the rail overlooking the Pacific Ocean.

“I know you like him.” Sucking in a breath you shook your head. This was so Bradley. He never beat around the bush.

Tilting your head you gave him the most confused expression, “What are you talking about Bradley?”

He chuckled taking a long pull from his beer, “Jake. You like Jake. For whatever fucking reason you decided to go and like him.”

Eyebrows raised you studied your friend. Growing best friend. The man who really gave it to you straight. Like no other friend would. He wasn’t even asking for a confession from you. He was telling you, you liked Jake. Like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

To Bradley it was, “Jesus Christ Y/N. You like him, right? Come on now. Spit it out.” Bradley continued on. Just egging you on.

You shook your head, ��So what if I do. It’ll ruin everything.” You admitted to him with only slight hesitation.

Bradley rolled his eyes, “Don’t be stupid now.”

Mouth dropping slightly, you rolled your eyes in return, a tad bit dramatically to boot, “That’s rude Bradley.”

Taking another long drink to make you think long and hard he finally continued, “Are you blind? He likes you just as much as you like him. Fuck. Both of you are the dumbest fucking people I swear.”

“Jesus Bradley. Rough day?” You giggled feeling someone comforted by his words somehow. He was comfortable around you.

He shook his head, “Good day actually. You two are just dumb. I’m annoyed s’all. You’re not really dumb. You’re just a romantic dumbass.”

“He doesn’t…”

Bradley leaned over to bar placing a finger over your mouth stopping you immediately, “I’m advising you to shut the hell up right now. Listen to me. He likes you. He might even more than like you. He never shuts up about you Y/N. Any of the guys can tell you. In the locker room he always somehow brings you up. It’s remarkable actually. I’ve got a bet with Fanboy about it.”

Shaking your head, you refused to hear him, “Bradley I’m not…” You paused thinking of the right words, “I’m not desirable. I’m half the person I once was. I’m weak and always sick. That’s not a life I’d want to put on someone. Especially not somebody like him. You guys are so fast paced, and I can’t be. One minute I’m fine and the next I’m in the hospital. I…”

Bradley sighed giving you a once over, “You just don’t get it. And that’s okay. Really it is. I can’t imagine what you’re going through. From what limited amount of information, you tell me.” He raised his eyebrows at you making sure to let you know he wasn’t pleased you were holding back on him, “You lived a life like ours. Go, go, go. I get it. I would be losing my mind if I had to drop this tomorrow and change my life completely. I’d be a mess. But stop and think Y/N. What did you look for in a partner back then?”

You paused before you spoke catching your sentence before it came out. Closing your mouth, you thought for a second. What did you look for in a guy back then? Back when you were unstoppable. Someone kind and understanding. Someone incredibly patient. Someone who was different than you.

You could admit that. Or you could keep deflecting like you always did, “I didn’t date much before really.”

Bradley smirked like he got you, “My point exactly.”

“What are talking about?”

“You didn’t have time to date. We, all of us,” he pointed to the pilots huddled around the dart boards inside, “didn’t really date much either before the mission. Now, we finally have the time. He doesn’t want to date someone that’s nonstop. He wants somebody that’ll be home. That’ll always be there. You’re not undesirable Y/N. Don’t ever say that again.”

You sighed knowing he was right. But there was that one thing that stopped you, “Bradley I’m sick.”

He shrugged, “Every now and then.”

“It’ll never stop.” You countered.

He continued shrugging, “Look I don’t know Jake that well, but he doesn’t seem to care Y/N. If it were me, I wouldn’t care. Nobody’s perfect. Life is about compromises and sacrifices. High highs and low lows.” Taking a final sip from his beer he set the glass down on the railing, holding it in between his hands.

You didn’t know what to say. He was right. Of course, he was right. Bradley always seemed to be right. And blunt. So, fucking blunt. Something you adored, and hated, about the man.

Bradley decided to break the silence, “Look, go after him. Don’t go after him. It’s up to you. But he likes you. A lot. He’s just like you though. Too damn scared to make a move.”

You sighed nodding your head, “I hear you, Bradley.”

“Good. Now get back in there. Penny look’s a little stressed.”

“Alright, I’ll see you later.” You stood pulling him out of the chair with you.

“You sure will.”

Part 2

Tag List: @senjoritanana

[lunarriviera]

look who made the front page of MDL y'all

Chinese mystery thriller 'Under the Skin Season 2' announces premiere date

by Lily Alice, December 5, 2024

Under the Skin Season 2 has confirmed its release date for December 10. 

Under the Skin is a mystery thriller that tells the story of Shen Yi (Tan Jian Ci), a portraitist, and Du Cheng (Jin Shi Jia), a captain in the criminal investigation team, forced to work as partners to solve a series of bizarre and mysterious cases. 

The second season will continue to build on the core theme of the first season, "Revealing truths through colors, portraying the depths of the human heart." Through the outline of the portraits, it delves into the complexities of human nature. The Beijiang squad, composed of the portraitist Shen Yi, criminal investigation team captain Du Cheng, and others, will persist in unraveling the enigmas of human nature and pursuing the culprits behind the cases.

Tan Jian Ci plays Shen Yi, a young painter who resigned from his teaching position at an art academy and unexpectedly joined the Haicheng [sic] Public Security Bureau. Seven years ago, while still a student sketching on the streets, a stranger approached him with a photograph of a child, requesting him to create an image of what the child might look like as an adult. This drawing, however, inadvertently led to the exposure of undercover officer Lei Yifei's identity, resulting in Lei's tragic death. Five [sic] years later, burdened by a heavy sense of guilt, Shen Yi decided to uncover the truth. He accepted an invitation from Chief Zhang of the Public Security Bureau and became a portraitist for the criminal investigation team. Shen Yi's bromance with Du Cheng is one of the drama's highlights. 

Jin Shi Jia plays Du Cheng, the captain of the Beijiang Police Criminal Investigation Team. A decisive and relentless leader, he often operates unpredictably and spares no effort in solving cases, regardless of the cost.

Baby Zhang plays He Rong Yue, a forensic specialist in the Beijiang Police Criminal Investigation Team.

A courageous, meticulous, and highly skilled forensic expert, she is known for her integrity and boldness. During investigations, she often uncovers subtle truths that others might overlook. Her keen observations and expertise have helped Du Cheng and Shen Yi discover crucial details and solve numerous complex cases.

Her in-depth understanding of human anatomy has significantly contributed to cracking difficult cases. She holds great admiration for Shen Yi and, during their work together, often glances at him intentionally or unintentionally while handling cases.

Zhu Jia Qi plays Jiang Feng, a member of the Beijiang Police Criminal Investigation Team.

A junior team member and loyal follower of Du Cheng, he is straightforward and outspoken. Although he means no harm, his honest comments often lead to misunderstandings. Despite this, he is immensely loyal and is one of Du Cheng's most trusted subordinates.

He harbors feelings for his colleague Li Han, but in her eyes, he is nothing more than a coworker.

Qin Hai Lu plays Chief Zhang of the Beijiang Police Department.

A kind and approachable leader, she balances the sense of duty inherent to a police officer with the amiability of a good leader, while also commanding the authority expected of her. Recognizing Shen Yi's exceptional talent in sketching, she brought him into the department to assist the police in solving cases with his unique skills.

Fang Zi Bin plays Yan Tan Sheng, a detective in the Beijiang Police Criminal Investigation Team. He is highly professional, meticulous, and deeply committed to justice. Always willing to lend a hand, he supports newcomers to the team with his guidance. 

Under the Skin Season 2 will premiere on December 10. The C-drama will be available to stream on iQIYI and TencentVideo. Watch the trailer here.

[adding in Li Han played by Lu Yanqi bc they forgot my babygirl]

[lifewithaview]

Rachel McAdams in True Detective (2014) Church in Ruins

S2E6

Desperate to locate a missing woman with intel about Caspere, Frank meets with Mexican drug dealers; Ani infiltrates an exclusive inner circle, with Ray and Paul keeping close tabs.

*Frank Semyon: You may be one of the last friends I got.

Detective Ray Velcoro: Wouldn't that be fucked up.

[snnrinc]

Codename: ROOK

Now completed on AO3!

Ch. 1 /11- Outside Contractual Obligations [AO3 Portal]

— PAIRING : Dabi/Touya Todoroki x F!Reader x Hawks/Keigo Takami

— WARNINGS : NSFW (Not in this chapter), Noir AU, No Quirk AU, Porn With Plot, Sexual Tension, Threesome - F/M/M, Drugs Blood and Violence, Crime Scenes, Organized Crime, Murder, Eventual Smut, Cunnilingus, Double Penetration, Masturbation, Analingus, Mildly Dub-Con, Not Canon Compliant, AFAB reader, She/her pronouns for reader

— SUMMARY : Being a police officer in a city where crime runs high and respect is non existent has got to be one of the shittiest jobs you've ever had. But it pays the bills. However, once you and detective Keigo Takami are assigned a case that deals with the murder of a prolific law enforcer and the subsequent chain of disappearances happening all over Musutafu, you realise that having your bills up to date is most definitely not worth all the danger you're up against. Especially when that danger is named Dabi, one of the most sought after criminals that you've been trying to catch red handed for years. Nonetheless, this is your only opportunity to make your job finally mean something, so you and Keigo decide to go undercover right in the jaws of peril, its razor sharp teeth waiting to bite into your neck like a guillotine. But you won't back out now, will you, officer? Good luck on the job, codename Rook.

— NOTES : This was supposed to be a smutty one shot I have no idea what the fuck happened. It's been gathering dust in my Docs for over a year and yet this is the only chapter I have 💀 I left notes for myself saying "don't go overboard with the plot because the point is for them to FUCK" and now here we are. It definitely worked. For sure... Still hope you enjoy!

“A big-name agent of ours went missing a few months ago. No trace of his whereabouts until a couple weeks ago, when his body was found in the dumpster behind a hole-in-the-wall restaurant. Well, parts of it anyway.”

The man in front of you took a final puff from his dying cigarette and promptly extinguished it in the ashtray in front of him, right next to a bowl of sweets with generic labels. He exhaled the smoke in billows and it vanished in the air, lingering with a pungent smell of tobacco and an awful chocolate flavouring. Your nose scrunched up slightly and you resisted the urge to cough.

“We have no evidence left at the crime scene and the body being chopped up makes it near impossible to determine the murder weapon,” he continued. “We have some of our best agents dealing with the autopsy and the case as a whole, but no clear suspects so far.”

“This seems like highly classified information. So why are you telling me this?”

You closed the file you were handed and placed it back on the desk, eyes shifting to detective Enji Todoroki sitting across from you, watching the way his eyebrows dropped down just a little in an expression that seemed to almost be judging your intelligence.

Really, you felt like you should be the one judging here.

To say you were confused would be an understatement. When you were called into Enji's office, you had assumed you did something wrong on the job, since most people in your workplace seemed to overlook you even when it came to small tasks. Sometimes you felt that if you wouldn't turn up to work one day, no one would notice. Usually, you didn't mind — being invisible meant you could do your work in peace without being bothered by unnecessary small talk or the occasional office drama that you sometimes overheard in the break room. You were just an officer, one of the lowest ranks in the force, so the only time you expected any attention was when something went wrong.

When Enji personally came to look for you before you went on patrol for your shift you felt your stomach drop. Yes, the job sucked a good majority of the time, since you noticed you were often not taken seriously by your colleagues, sometimes probably even considered a liability when dealing with more violent cases. But like any other person roaming the earth, you still had rent to pay and food to buy if you wanted to continue existing, and working for the Public Safety Commission ensured you did just that and still had some money left for your more frivolous wants. Straightening your back, you followed Enji to his office, every bad scenario playing in your mind only getting worse when, as soon as you sat down, he dropped a file containing the case details on the desk in front of you, pushing it forward in a silent prompt for you to read it.

And now here you were, bombarded with information about a murder you were pretty sure you were not qualified to deal with, at least judging by your contractual obligations. You had half a mind to ask if you'd be getting paid more if you worked on the case, but you bit your tongue from the overwhelming feeling of uneasiness creeping up your spine.

“Of course, I don't expect you to understand things so quickly.” You resisted the urge to roll your eyes at his comment. “But surely you've gathered by now that you have been assigned as an assistant to this case.”

“That much is obvious,” you couldn't help but retort. “The question is still why?”

“I was meant to be assigned to this case, but the crime rate has spiked in recent months. I have bigger issues to deal with, so the Commission decided that we need someone that can slip under the radar.”

Ah, so they just needed some cannon fodder. Part of you thought you should've expected as much from the Commission.

“I still think I'm terribly underqualified to be working on this case.”

Enji leaned back into his chair, tapping one of his armrests with his index finger. “So do I, but you'll be working under detective Takami.” He heaved a sigh and allowed a sarcastic undertone to lace his voice, “Who should've been here to give you a quick overview of the case progression so far, but who are we to count on his punctuality?”

Wait a second, working under who?

You blinked and did a double take at him, replaying his words in your mind as if trying to dissect their meaning. This was fantastic in the worst possible way. Not only did you practically have a murder case of a prominent agent dropped into your inexperienced and unsuspecting arms, you were now the right hand of the second best detective of the Commission, Keigo Takami.

If only you had these kinds of odds bestowed upon you if you played the lottery, surely you'd have won enough to ditch this job.

You thought back to what Enji had just revealed to you and couldn't shake the feeling that there was a different reason why they would ask an officer to help with this case, other than just “slipping under the radar”. With one of the best detectives taking over, you figured the Commission wouldn't be stupid enough to allow someone like you to get in the way of the investigation.

As the questions multiplied in your mind, your tongue was tied, unable to figure out a way to put your doubts into words, especially since you knew Enji would do nothing to soothe them.

There was a knock on the door breaking your train of thought, before it opened to reveal detective Takami, an easygoing smile etched on his lips, his gloved hands buried inside the pockets of his shearling jacket, with only one coming up to push his aviator sunglasses that were resting on the bridge of his nose to the top of his head.

“Sorry I missed the introductions,” he said, “but I'm sure we weren't called here just to chat.”

“At last you grace us with your presence, detective. A little while longer and our officer here would've taken over the case in your stead.”

You whipped your head towards Enji, almost ready to ask him if he was serious, before you looked back at Keigo to see him meet your gaze.

“I'm Keigo Takami, it's a pleasure to meet you.” He gave you a charming smile and extended his hand for you to shake. You grasped it firmly and introduced yourself. “So, were you one of the first responders at the scene?”

“Actually,” Enji interjected, “the officer is unfamiliar with the case at the moment, save for the basic details.”

“Oh?” Keigo frowned in confusion.

“As of today, this is your new assistant in this case.”

Keigo blinked a few times, then shook his head and huffed a laugh. “I'm sorry. What? An officer? Not that I mean to doubt your judgement or anything, but isn't this case a little too sensitive for an officer to deal with?” He turned towards you. “No offence.”

“None taken, I'm a little confused myself.”

Enji sighed and massaged his temple with one hand before he leaned forward. “You see, your role in this case will be a little more... 'hands-on' than usual. I mentioned we don't have any concrete suspects, but we do have an idea of the organisation that might be responsible for the murder, which is why we need to employ your help for the investigation.”

“I don't see how this is anything new,” Keigo said. “We've been investigating the League for a while, they operate in this area. Tying them to this murder would be the most obvious first step.”

“The League?” you interfered.

Enji raised an eyebrow at you. “Are you familiar with them?”

“Uh, yeah.” Your eyes shifted between the two men watching you. “They've made a name for themselves amongst the police officers. We've been trying to catch a few of them in the act but they always slip away.”

“Unsurprising for the police force,“ Enji scoffed and you frowned. “Let's hope we won't have the same disappointing results in this case. We have no time to waste on pathetic failures.”

Keigo looked at you from the corner of his eye and noticed the way your shoulders tensed up. He leaned over and dug his hand into the bowl of sweets on the desk, effectively catching both of your attentions. With a fistful of candy, he resumed his questions for Enji who was dishing out your responsibilities.

“So is this about the NOMU Program?”

Enji's eyes narrowed. “How do you know about that program? It's classified information, even for you.”

Keigo shrugged and shoved some more candy into his mouth. “If it is about that, I'd argue that's even more reason why we shouldn't drag an officer into this.”

“Sorry,” you interjected. “What is the NOMU Program?”

“Don't concern yourself with things outside of your duties,” Enji snapped.

“Come now, let's be courteous with our colleague,” Keigo said with a light-hearted tone before turning to you. “It's a codename used by the League. We figured it stands for Network of Metahumanoid Units. A fancy name that's probably got to do with their attempts at reanimating corpses.”

Fuck, so now you were dealing with zombies? Sure, technology as a whole was impressive, but it was nowhere near sophisticated enough to bring someone back from the dead. As far as you knew, every attempt to reverse death was futile. So then why would someone bother?

Enji noticed the confusion in your eyes and spoke before you could ask any questions. "They're planning to use them as weapons. Keigo called them corpses because essentially that's what they are: on the brink of brain death.”

“The only reason why they don't collapse is because the League is pumping them full of a drug called Trigger that boosts their baser powers,” Keigo continued, earning an annoyed glare from Enji at how readily he presented the classified information to you. “We've only had a few attacks reported so far, and we weren't sure what exactly we were dealing with, so we had our top agents deployed to deal with them. Which is why the police weren't mobilised.”

“Sounds like a pretty important omission to me,” you countered with a frown. “So is this what we're dealing with here? Drugged up zombies?”

“We're still unsure,” Keigo answered. “If this victim was supposed to be part of the NOMU Program, then we wouldn't have a body cut up into pieces on our hands. Maybe they're trying to send a message.”

“That's where you two come in," Enji announced. "This time, you will not be dealing with any forensic analysis, suspect interrogation or evidence collection. Instead, you two will act as our eyes and ears and infiltrate the League.”

An insurmountable amount of pressure crashed over you and clenched your muscles in a vice grip, to the point where you almost felt as if it would crack your bones at any moment. You tried to control your expression in an attempt to stop your shock from washing over your face, but surely the vein that started throbbing painfully in your temple was enough proof.

“Hold on.” You raised your hand again to signal for Enji to slow down. “You mean to tell me you called me here to act as your spy?”

Enji scowled. “I don't like it either. They shouldn't send a rookie in for such a big case. I should've been the lead, but it wasn't my decision to make, so I suggest you suck it up and do your job.”

Your voice was exasperated, “There are so many ways that this could go wrong if you send me out there! I'd just hold detective Takami back!”

“I have to agree,” Keigo said. “It's best if I work on my own as usual.”

“Well you see, Takami, things are not so easy in this line of work,” Enji snarled, then produced two folders from his briefcase and stood up, handing them to you and Keigo. “Commission's orders and instructions. Read them thoroughly. Good luck with the mission detective, officer.”

And with that, he stepped out of the room and you felt as if all oxygen made an exit along with him, your heart pounding in your chest so hard you could almost hear it through the grave silence that fell over the room as you read the instructions:

“Officer,

As of today you will refer to yourself as Rook and to your mission partner as Hawks. Forget your real name. Return your weapons, badge, uniform and any other equipment that may be in your possession at the reception of the PCS HQ.

While infiltrated do not contact anyone outside including family members, friends, acquaintances and other PSC employees except for your partner.

You will not have any accolades attached to your name. Your achievements will not be disclosed by the PSC if you succeed. You will receive no posthumous awards if you die. This is your duty to fight for the people. Failure to comply could result in dismissal, sanctions and/or prosecution.

Destroy this document after reading.”

This job was so not worth it.

You watched the grainy screen of the tube TV perched in a corner of the office intently, listening to the news broadcasted somberly by the anchor along with your colleagues. Keigo was by your side, expertly twirling a pen in his fingers, but his focus was zeroed in on the screen, his nose and mouth buried in the raised collar of his jacket.

After the discovery of the body of the Commission's agent, the disappearances around Musutafu increased by a concerning margin. What was worse was that not all of them were agents, some were simply civilians that seemingly had powerful or useful builts and abilities, like the person whose face was now on the screen, their name, last known location and clothes they were last seen wearing listed underneath the picture.

You crossed your arms over your chest and frowned. If this was what you were dealing with, even with your training and experience you were unsure how you'd survive as a double agent. You had no special skill, no upper-hand tactic and you couldn't rely on Keigo—Hawks—for fear that you'd hold him back and compromise the mission.

With how they had you bring back anything that would suggest you'd ever had any contact with the Commission, it really seemed as if they were trying to erase any trace of your existence. This job was all you had, all you ever worked for since you were just a bright-eyed trainee at the police academy, ready to take on any danger coming your way if it meant you could save someone else from it.

How naïve.

Maybe you should've just given up when you were still a child, still able to choose a path that would fit you and your capabilities more. The society in which you lived was unforgiving to weak people, so you had to adapt. But women were not always respected in the police force, and those who were got there because of their network rather than their own abilities more often than not. Not to mention that a police officer's chances of advancing without having someone behind them were close to none.

In other words, there was no way out for you. But at least you weren't exactly the perfect catch for whatever the League was planning, by the looks of things.

From the fog of your worries, you felt Hawks tap your shoulder to catch your attention. His collar was now pushed down neatly and you could see the serious way in which his lips were pursed. He gestured with his head for you to follow him and you complied with a nod.

You reached his office, after stopping by your desk to collect the last bits and pieces you had left laying around, and sat down in front of his desk, one hand worriedly rubbing your chin as you looked out the window. His eyes never left you as he sat down and leaned back in his chair, the pen he was playing with earlier still in his hands. He watched carefully as your brows turned downward in a frown that casted a shadow of concern over your eyes, before he put the pen down on the desk, the sound making you turn to look at him.

“I know you're worried,” he started, “but I want you to know I won't let anything happen to you.”

You let your hands fall into your lap. “Please, don't worry about me. I don't want to be a drawback in this mission.”

“You won't be,” he said, but noticed you were unconvinced when the corner of your lip lifted in what was supposed to be a polite smile, but didn't quite reach your eyes. “You graduated as the top eighth trainee in the police academy, surpassing like, what, 22 of your classmates? That's pretty impressive.” You stared at him in a mix of confusion and surprise and he shrugged nonchalantly. “I've read your file. You've got a lot of potential, officer.”

You smiled and nodded as thanks. In the past, this kind of compliment would've left you feeling all warm and fuzzy on the inside, feeding into your pride and fuelling your determination to get even better. But now, the comment felt like tossing a coin down an endless pit, nowhere near enough to fill the hollow space in your chest and, despite its value, ultimately useless. When did your outlook on your job get so sour?

Maybe it was when you were put up for disciplinary action after attempting to stop one of your fellow officers from brutalising a murder suspect. Or maybe when you had one case shut down because the culprit was the daughter of an acclaimed attorney that somehow found the perfect team of lawyers to render the evidence null. Or maybe it was simply after you had graduated from the academy and were thrown out into the real world. Any way, perhaps this was the universe's way of making up for all the times it fucked up. By giving you a new opportunity.

You picked up the pen from Hawks's desk and fiddled with it. “Officer, huh? I thought my new name was Rook.”

Hawks chuckled. “They're really terrible at picking codenames, huh? Sounds like we're just two bird enthusiasts with no imagination.”

You chuckled at his comment and after a moment you bent down to rummage through the box in which you had collected your remaining possessions from your desk, pulling out a document. You opened it, quickly finding the file in which you and Hawks took notes about your action plan.

“So,” you started, scrolling through the notes, “you were saying you already have a way to get inside the League?”

Hawks leaned forward on his elbows to get a better look at the notes. “Well, yes and no. Enji didn't tell you this, but remember how I said we've been investigating the League for a while? Well, I've been in contact with one of the members. I managed to get close enough for him to think I'll soon defect and join them.”

“So you've been planning to go undercover for a while now?”

“It's the only way I could squeeze any information out of them. They seem pretty loyal to their cause, so getting one of them to become an informant for the PSC was highly unlikely.”

You nodded in thought. “So who's your contact?”

“A guy named Dabi.”

Your blood ran cold and your eyes shot up to Hawks. You knew that name too well. Not only was he notoriously known among the law enforcement as one of the most dangerous members of the League, but he was the person responsible for numerous counts of arson in your area, courtesy of his pyromaniacal tendencies. You'd been trying to find a way to get closer to catching him for years. Each time, he slipped out of your hands, your attempts always too late or too little.

You knew what Dabi was capable of, and without the comfort of a self defence weapon and protective equipment by your side, you feared you'd be turned to ash before you even tried to get any information out of the League.

You stared through Hawks for a few seconds. His eyes searched your expression as he frowned in confusion at your sudden change. You noticed that and blinked a few times, clearing your throat.

“So this contact is our ticket inside, but how do I get him to trust me? I think I'd be found out before I even get to talk to him.”

“No need to worry, I'll send him your way somehow. You then offer to be their informant. We'll have to act separately to avoid raising suspicion, so if we cross paths, try acting like you don't know me personally.”

You nodded in acknowledgement then remained quiet for a second before frowning in thought.

“I don't understand. If you already have an in, then why would the Commission send me to help?”

Hawks sighed. “You heard what the Commission said, you'll be the bait.” He leaned back in his chair. “The League is reluctant to let me join because I'm a well-known detective. They know who I am and what I do, but they don't know you. If you manage to convince them you're also just a crooked law enforcer, that would be the last step we need to finally get inside.”

“How am I supposed to do that?”

Hawks regarded you thoughtfully, tilting his head and looking you up and down. His scrutinising eyes seemed to glow as the final rays of dusk poured through the blinds of his office window. Before he even spoke, you knew that his idea would not be to your liking.

“Say, how comfortable are you with flirting?”

[selfship-quotes]

small town AU with your f/o(s).

[there's just so much you can do with a small town AU. small town mysteries. small town drama. small town living. etc. someone from the city moving to a small town? undercover detective going to a small town to uncover something? being stuck in a small town after your car breaks down and you can tell something is off? the possibilities are endless.]

[god-breast-america]

Why does he look queer

Cause he was. Duh /j

Ok but actually these pics are from when Roosevelt was assistant secretary of the navy, and I got a REALLY funny story about his time in that position and queerness, so I’m gonna yap under the cut real quick. Also this story does cover nsfw topics so be warned.

So the year is 1919, and this story begins with two patients at the naval base hospital in Newport Rhode Island, their names are Thomas Brunelle and Ervin Arnold. Now, somewhere in conversation, for one reason or another, Thomas lets it slip to Ervin that gay men, both civilian and navy, regularly meet up at the Army and Navy YMCA and the Newport Art Club to find partners, both romantic and sexual.

So after he hears this, Ervin does his own investigation into Thomas’s claims, and what he finds is, by societal standards back then, absolutely INSANE. These guys are having parties, they’re cross-dressing, they’re doing coke and having sex with eachother, some real wild shit for the time. And once he’s done investigating, Ervin brings a report of his findings to his superiors

Now, Admiral Spencer Wood of the second navy district is involved, and he orders an investigation and has a court review Ervin’s claims, and once they were done with that, they came to the conclusion that an investigation was warranted. Now Roosevelt gets involved, and he approves the courts recommendation, and he asks Attorney General Mitchell Palmer to take on the investigation.

Now, at this point in the story, you’re probably asking, “Mr. B, you said this was a FUNNY story, what’s so funny about this blatant act of homophobia?” And to that I have to say, the funny part comes with the… rather interesting methods of investigation that they chose, and we’re gonna get to that right now.

So General Palmer assigns Ervin, the guy that brought this whole thing to light, to lead the investigation, as he was a former Connecticut state detective, and he has the idea of an infiltration approach. So he chooses 13 investigators on the basis of looks and age to be his undercover agents. And how exactly did they choose to go through with this investigation?

BY HAVING UNDERCOVER SPY SEX WITH ACTUAL GAY MEN OF COURSE!!!

That’s right, over the course of several weeks, these agents submitted DAILY reports to Ervin, including DETAILED descriptions of the activities they participated in. And, at least according to the Wikipedia article im reading, they quote “rarely reported any hesitancy or qualms about their direct participation.”

So that’s where this story ends, secret agents infiltrating the queer world of the navy by having gay sex, and Roosevelt’s minor involvement in it, though he would definitely get caught up in the drama that followed. The only thing I can say is that, even with the investigation’s homophobic intentions, the whole situation was so ridiculous that I’m genuinely unable to take it seriously even as a gay man myself.

And also that there had to have been at least one sexual awakening from that debacle