#i believe there was also a case where they arrested people for telling others to resist the draft

[gotta-bail-my-quails]

yeah but historically US of America has not cared for free speech when it comes to protesting war. This history goes all the way back to like. the late 1700s and the Sedition Act.

[beautiful-basque-country]

In September 2001, the Guardia Civil entered the house of Unai Romano's parents - where he lived - in the middle of the night. He was accused of being an ETA memeber, arrested, and brought to the Guardia Civil headquarters in Gasteiz.

For two days, he was tortured to get more presumed member names out of him. Here's how Unai recently recalled the abuse he was subjected to:

Another question session, more questions. And they started throwing different practices into the mix, one called "the elevator", that consisted in standing up, go down to a deep squat, standing up, up and down, questions, do you know this person? no, you're hit, up and down again. They also threatened me with electrodes. I remember I got them on my testicles, penis, my earlobe. It wasn't a very high intensity, my fear of what it could be was bigger. They kept mixing methods: [choking] bag, electrodes, the infamous elevator, and beatings. There came a moment when I was physically exhausted and when I was on the verge of losing consciousness and fall to the geound they reanimated me and started all over again. But I reached a state I couldn't go on anymore, and they sit me down on a chair; and started telling me they had arrested my mother. I refused to believe it, how can they arrest a 70y/o woman? They were saying this at a distance, pretending they were talking on the phone with the officers of the Gasteiz reservoir, and between guardia civiles, screaming: we're torturing your mother, we're making her go through the elevator, while I kept sitting down on the chair. One of them came to me from behind and told me she has died and it stopped there. I refused to believe, I refused, but I was kept there for a while until they brought me down to my cell [forced to stand up there]. Due to the beatings they gave me, my head begin to swell, so much that I had a hard time at keeping my eyes open, I had to do this gesture continously to keep them open. My face and head burnt, everything was very swollen. So I decided I had to sit, until I heard somebody opened the spyhole and although I got up very quickly and tried to cover it up, he saw me, entered and slapped me hard.

He was left like this :

After enduring all this, Unai Romano was absolved.

He started a crusade to get some justice and has brought his case to the Human Rights Court after the Spanish justice failed him. The judge considered Unai wasn't subjected to torture.

That judge is the current Minister of Justice of Spain, Fernando Grande-Marlaska. Member of a presumed progressive government.

Also, a presumed progressive newspaper like El País, wondered in 2006 - Unai's case had happened 5 years before - if there was torture in Euskadi or was ETA-supporting propaganda.

ONU and the Committe for the Prevention of Torture have expressed in several occasions their concern regarding torture in EH and the total lack of investigation by the Spanish justice system.

There are tens of people in prison due to what they said while being tortured.

Unai, just like many other torture survivors, is still fighting, court after court.

[matan4il]

Believe it or not it is possible for people to agree with the fact that Jews are native to the land, while simultaneously thinking that does not give them the right in the here and now to establish their own state there (and displace the people who have been living there for several hundred years).

Believe it or not, recognizing that Jews are native to the Land of Israel, while denying them the rights that come from that, is not the great line of defence you think it is.

Native rights are not conditional.

A people does not lose its right to self determination, to self rule in their ancestral land, no matter what they had done at one point in time. The Cambodian Khmer Rouge massacred at least 1.7 million people, Cambodians and other minorities living in Cambodia, but I'm sure you don't go to the blogs of Cambodians on Tumblr, to tell them that they lost the right to their state in their own land. The Japanese committed atrocities during WWII, such as the Nanjing massacre, yet no one says Japan has lost the right to exist. And of course, Nazi Germany started the bloodiest military conflict in human history, and committed the most extreme case of a genocide, which was actually industrialized. I'm looking forward to you coming off anon, to show me the asks you sent to Japanese or Germans on Tumblr, telling them they don't have a right to their own state anymore...

If the only native rights you treat as conditional, are those of the Jews, your stance is antisemitic.

2. That's before we get to the part where you distort Jewish history to vilify Jews, and their national liberation movement. Zionists absolutely did try to coexist with the Arabs in Israel.

Here's one piece on Jewish attempts to reach peace with the Arabs before the State of Israel was even established. Here's another on the Weizmann-Faisal peace agreement between Jews and Arabs in 1919, in which both sides agreed to respect and help with the national aspirations of the other side. On Faisal's part, the agreement was conditioned on Britain's promise to help create a greater unified Arab state. This was never fulfilled, so the agreement became void, too. But I think its importance is in showing the Jewish attempts at peace, and the fact that following it, Faisal wrote a favorable letter about Zionism. If Zionism had been inherently anti-Arab and hellbent on displacing Arabs, this agreement wouldn't have existed, and such a favorable view of Zionism by an Arab leader would not have been possible, not even temporarily.

Most importantly, at the moment when talk turned into practice, as the UN voted in 1947 on a suggestion to divide the Land of Israel roughly equally and create a Jewish state and an Arab one there, the Jews accepted it, the Arabs did not (the latter also rejected the 1937 Peel Commission, which suggested a similar divide, except the Arabs would get roughly 81% of the Land of Israel).

The displacement you mentioned cannot negate the native rights of Jews in Israel, because they weren't the ones who caused it. The displacement of the Land of Israel's Arabs is a result of the war the Arab leadership started, due to their rejection of what was essentially a two state solution.

If your anti-Zionist denial of Jewish rights cannot stand without blaming Jews for the decisions of the Arab leadership, it is both antisemitic, and racist, erasing the agency of Arabs.

3. Now let's go back for a second to your implication that one group displacing another from the land, where the latter has lived for centuries, negates the former's right to self determination. I'm putting aside for a second the centuries of discrimination and persecution which Jews had suffered in Israel, I'm putting aside the religious persecution (for example, how the Arabs succeeded in their campaign of harassment of Jews praying in Jerusalem, and in their demand that the British arrest Jews for blowing the shofar, praying out loud, or bringing Torah scrolls to the Western Wall, the second holiest place to Judaism, after the Temple Mount), I'm putting aside the repeated massacres of Jews, and I'll only talk about displacement, since that's what you mentioned. Because in 1929, Arab violence towards Jews in Israel resulted in the displacement and ethnic cleansing of Jewish communities from places like Hebron, where Jews have lived for THOUSANDS of years, and Gaza (to name just two of the communities harmed), almost 20 years before the State of Israel was established.

Somehow, I have a hunch that you won't come off anon to denounce the right of Palestinians to a state of their own based on this displacement and ethnic cleansing of ancient Jewish communities. Do I really need to explain why such a discriminatory application of this (very flawed) logic, in the name of anti-Zionism, is antisemitic?

But, you know. Congrats on at least not erasing the fact that Jews are native to Israel, two seconds before most of the world celebrates the birth of a Jewish man in Israel, more than 2,000 years ago.

(for all of my updates and ask replies regarding Israel, click here)

[archive245]

Random rinaverse hc

- Remi cried when he overheard the girls talking about star signs because he thought anni had cancer

- Niko wanted to be a power ranger growing up, gareth wanted to be spiderman, killian wanted to be superman, jeremy wanted to be batman

- Ronan the typa guy to be like “i got it, i got it, i don’t got it” while trying to catch a ball

- Moreover good thing this man plays soccer be hes horrible at catching things

- Kimberly has an upside down smile and Xander has an eye smile (like the ones where your whole closes yk??)

- Glyns favourite barbie movie was princess charm school and annikas was barbie and the 13 dancing princesses

- Gareth cannot do anything without airpods

- Glyndon doodles all over her homework and occasionally draws on kills arm with a pen while he focusing on something

- Kimberly says “well my dad said” atleast once a day

- Kirill and adrian like going to museums and art galleries, damien gets dragged along because if he doesn’t he gets all petty that they didn’t invite him even tho he complains the entire time their there

- Maya has a severe friendship jealousy issues when it comes to her friends having other friends (mood girl same)

- Reina loved going out to celebrate no matter how small the matter was killian got 100 on his spelling test? celebration, Asher won a court case? celebration, gareth got first place in track and field? celebration

- Ava always had her nails done with long acrylics and likes to just click them around to tell people she just got them done

- Once Xander and Ronan got arrested and they used their one free call on Cole and said your mom and hung up

- Nikolai sucks at spelling and texting example

- Killian drinks a whole pack of cola in a week

- I honestly think Jeremy was scared of girls as a child and when he first met Maya and Mia he was so scared of them he constantly hid from them but to them they just thought Jeremy was ignoring them bc hes a bitch

- Ronan is actually really smart but doesnt like showing it, so instead he acted like the dumb cluless one and people believe it

- Teal actually is a marvel nerd and forces ronan to binge watch the entire series with her

- Cecily started to wear glasses in grade 6, because 1 she thought they made her look like a nerd and 2 because she thought everyone viewed the world as blurry

- When ever Elsa would go on vacation she would buy small trinkets thats reminded her of them for everyone

- When ever anni sees a cat she ll take a picture of it and send it to creigh

- Nikolai consistently looses things, even things that were in his hand, looks away from one second BOOM missing

- Eli got tattoos to try and piss off Aiden little did he know Aiden also has tattoos so he was chill about it

- Creighton was scared if loud noises for a long time, and once Eli scared Creighton by like sneaking up behind him and he had a panic attack and since then Eli payed extra attention to his well being

- Xander is aggressive drunk loves fighting or arguing people, Coles definitely horny drunk disappears minutes after getting drunk, aiden doesnt get drunk, and ronans giggly drunk

- bonus knox is the type you would put on a lease drunk because he runs around and falls alot, definitely wakes up with bruises everywhere

- Teal turns soft and adorable when drunk so she doesnt drink infront of people, Kims also giggley drunk (ronan and kim can be seen just laughing and giggling with eachother on a sofa), elsa is sleepy drunk and silver is definitely the all in or none (she gets blackout drunk or sober no in between)

- Ava always plays a princess peach during mario kart and mia always plays as shyguy

- Gareth was the type ti start assignment weeks in advance, while nikolai started them the night before

-Lan was definitely a kid who needed to be on a leash because he would run around everywhere and get lost, “astrid or levi king please come to the front desk we have your son” was heard every time on the loud speakers every time they went out for a family gathering

[comicgeekery]

Sherlock and Shoscombe

So, after the deep dive I did with Sherlock & Co and the issues with the Case of Identity storyline, I thought it was only fair that I talk about their take on The Adventure at Shoscombe Old Place.

*Ahem*.....This was a lot of fun! I just looked up a summary of the original story because I didn't remember it well, and no wonder! It was the very last Sherlock Holmes story Doyle published, later collected into The Casebook, and thus...one of the boring ones. I'm sorry. I really don't like The Casebook stories. It's also the last batch of stories that the Doyle estate was clutching onto before Sherlock went fully into the public domain, which makes the story feel doubly tedious to me.

But! These episodes were a blast! Practically a survey of all the best parts of Sherlock & Co! There's fun banter! Heaps of character background! A really clever update to the original set-up! BRILLIANT acting and foley work! A cheeky cameo! And a truly exciting, satisfying end! I think this is the most direct information we've gotten about John's past since, well ever, but certainly since we learned about his memories of his dad. Now we know that he grew up in a very class-divided town that once felt so much bigger. And he was deeply in love once, with a woman he lost partially because of classism. (Which is such a great mirror for Beatrice and her husband's situation!) He also lost his friends because they had privileges he didn't. (Did John join the military partly as a way to get away from his roots? Out of a desperate need to be praised as a hero?)

No wonder John has so much resentment for the wealthy when it's so deeply personal. I think it's going to be comically awkward and VERY interesting when he finds out that Sherlock is mega super rich. Holmes is often theorized to be the son of a lord in canon. I figure he's at least from a wealthy family that was able to pay for him to go to tons of fancy schools. And then personal tutors. And a full-time staff that always took care of cleaning and stocking up the groceries. (For all his observation skills, I do think Sherlock grew up never considering who made his household run.) I think part of why Sherlock has been so touchy about John's anger at rich people is because Sherlock is SUPER nervous it would ruin their friendship. I am also so pumped to see what the podcast does with Mycroft! I wonder if his autism might be more limiting than Sherlock's. Like he's got the genius skills, he's got the deceptively powerful government job, but he can't handle going out into the world. Going to Baker Street would be an ordeal. Might have a full meltdown if he's not at home, work, or whatever the Diogenes Club is updated to. But.....It's hard to tell how much Sherlock & Co wants us to suspend our disbelief about some things. John and Sherlock have very clearly committed a LOT of crimes on their publicly available podcast. Maybe that will never be addressed or MAYBE Sherlock, Mycroft, or other Holmes allies have been bribing and intervening to keep them from getting arrested. Imagine the drama! "You hate the rich, but you owe all your success to MY money and power, 'Dr.' John Watson!" *Blinks rapidly*

Where was I? Oh yeah, Shoscombe. That. God. Damn. Chase. Scene! So bold for a podcast to have a climax with a car chase at the center. The foley work was top-notch for the driving and the terrain and then the crash and sinking in the lake. Whoever plays John Watson, you did an incredible job! The reckless car chase where, OF COURSE, he still narrates everything, the diving for Robert (and the clever layer of the recorder fritzing), and that CPR! It was all so engaging and believable! I love when John does doctor stuff generally, but this was my favorite example since the gunshot wound at the wedding with The Solitary Cyclist. Not sure I buy Robert's at-home crematorium as being 100% good, but I can believe John thinks so. Might help that John's a bit more desensitized to cutting into corpses than most folks. Finally, I'm sure folks are quite excited that a certain James made a cameo. (Maybe he's interested in why Sherlock and John keep getting away with all their crimes.) I knew he was going to show up at some point, and making Moriarty a listener shout-out is delightful. I just hope it's a while longer before he's ON the show. It always frustrates me when Moriarty winds up becoming basically Lex Luthor. Then again, we've already had similar cameos for Irene Adler and Baskerville Hall (and probably some I've missed) without them showing up yet. We'll see how it goes!

Good job, Sherlock & Co! I'm excited to see what you do next!

[girlfriendsofthegalaxy]

tuesday again 7/23/24

i woke up at ass o'clock monday morning to find BOTH of my cats sleeping on the bed with me :') temporary peace and love on planet niceys

also read a book where my takeaway was that there are SO many opportunities in the world for evil engineering but not nearly enough for evil puzzle games

listening

my sister sent me ONE instagram reel/screencap of a tiktok and ive been muttering "emergency! emergency! paging DOCTOR BEAT!" under my breath for the past three days. alarmingly catchy remix of this gloria estefan song. this specific video below is pretty close but there are approximately eight zillion versions

-

reading

Dark Wire by Joseph Cox (photo from here, description from the publisher's site).

The inside story of the largest law-enforcement sting operation ever, in which the FBI made its own tech start-up to wiretap the world, shows how cunning both the authorities and drug traffickers have become, with privacy implications for everyone. In 2018, a powerful app for secure communications called Anom took root among organized criminals. They believed Anom allowed them to conduct business in the shadows. Except for one thing: it was secretly run by the FBI.    Backdoor access to Anom and a series of related investigations granted American, Australian, and European authorities a front-row seat to the underworld. Tens of thousands of criminals worldwide appeared in full view of the same agents they were trying to evade. International smugglers. Money launderers. Hitmen. A sprawling global economy as efficient and interconnected as the legal one. Officers watched drug shipments and murder plots unfold, making arrests without blowing their cover. But, as the FBI started to lose control of Anom, did the agency go too far?   A painstakingly investigated exposé, Dark Wire reveals the true scale and stakes of this unprecedented operation through the agents and crooks who were there. This fly-on-the-wall thriller is a caper for our modern world, where no one can be sure who is listening in. 

i really liked this one! cox did a really good job of slowly unfurling the extremely technical details as they became relevant, instead of one horrible infodump near the beginning, and has a real gift for humanizing little anecdotes that illustrate the concept. he's also dryly funny in a very british way, eg the transition between one paragraph describing a very talented olive oil salesman and his lifestyle to how that olive oil processing covered up drug labs with the sentence "But Catanzariti didn't stay with olives; he pivoted instead to methamphetamine." i loooooove reading about how the drug trade gets around customs. i love edge cases and figuring out why things fail. i truly think some of the finest materials engineers of our time are out there trying to figure out how to get cocaine into australia.

this is deeply reported in a way that's very different from a lot of popsci and pop-history books that annoy me: this is NOT a book where it feels like the author is simply padding out a wikipedia page, supplemented with articles he's already written. he's been on this beat since 2016 and it shows: he has quotes from hundreds of people on many sides of the drug war. something i also appreciate is that cox is not automatically, rabidly pro-cop; he does not gloss over the very real tortures and kidnappings and all the other nasty realities of the global drug trade, and frequently shows how much overreach and entrapment took place during this whole endeavor. i particularly liked a chapter where he flipped back and forth from various law enforcement officials assuring him they of course complied with all relevant privacy laws and blacklisted anyone using it for simple secure communications, and lawyers telling cox "no the cops very much did spy on my privileged communication with my clients and i know this because these texts came up in court". also gratifying to read about some cases overturned or thrown out, in the odd case a judge decided it looked too much like entrapment.

i feel like i devoured this book SO fast but it's a solid 352 pages in hardcover. i also had to wait a good two months on the libby holds lists so there is strong interest in this book! good for cox!

how did i find this book: it's austin underscore walker's fault. they used to be coworkers at vice and cox and three others broke off last year to found 404 Media, which has had an absolutely crazy amount of real-world impact for the size (again! four people!) and how long they've been around. rip vice. wish u did better by your people.

-

watching

watched Hercules (1997, dir. Clements & Musker) with my bestie's five year old. i did not grow up with disney movies and don't really have a nostalgic affinity for them but this shit holds up! i like how meg has the silhouette of a greek vase

-

playing

powerwash simulator has a new free DLC out! we get to go to the aquarium and wash some exhibits and wash the research submarine!!! VERY soothing. took me a good solid two hour podcast episode to clean the exhibits.

the temporary summer event in genshin impact is very darling this year-- there are big indie game vibes and unlocking every chest is a little more complicated or has a little bit more story attached than usual. very excited to see if this continues with the next big update that introduces a whole new land.

i also like that they've picked An Art Style to work with-- everything is very toy-like or origami. not that genshin doesn't have a distinct art style, but playing around with something less realistic is fun!

-

making

look im going to have to add a cross stitch update to the morning reblog. the lighting in here is simply Not Good Enough

[0heartangel0]

Pt. 3: YOU'VE ACTIVATED MY TRAP CARD!

We're skipping to the aftermath of Alice's defeat; all of the desires are brought back to their rightful owners, Alice has a change of heart of her own and apologizes on live television over what she's done, and Ann feels remorse for her, since Alice is gonna be suffering a fallback that might take a long while to recover from. However, questions still hang in the air on how Jails work, or how Alice was able to do what she did with EMMA. If only they could get into contact with her to look into her phone and see for themselves-

GASP

IT'S OUR ☆~QUEEN~☆!!!

After Futaba starts one of the funniest running gags in this game,

Zenkichi congratulates the thieves on a job well done, citing the intel he gave them as part of the reason for it. And so, because of it, he comes in today expecting to get something similar back in return - the response to the deal he offered about three days ago (once again, they don't owe him anything in return for something he gave willy-nilly, but whatever. Gaslight away, my man). He even tosses in "a lil' bonus" to his offer, which is getting answers from Alice for them.

(This dude, I swear... even after the thieves pop in from another alternate reality, he still manages to find and eavesdrop on them. Alternate title to this arc is 'Man Stalks A Bunch Of Teenagers For Three Days Straight'.)

The PT point out that this deal is unnecessary, because they've already cleared their names, for Alice has confessed and is going to pay for her crimes.

It is here, where Zenkichi finally reveals to the Thieves - and us the audience - that he has tricked them, he has decieved them, and, most assuredly, he has bamboozled them.

As it turns out, Alice isn't an isolated incident, for this Change of Heart epidemic is happening "aaaall over the country."

This is where I finally reveal the plan that I've been foreshadowing for two posts now.

If you recall when I told you to put a pin on the whole Alice interview incident, I'm pulling the pin off, and presenting it to you now.

Back when Zenkichi was first talking about this epidemic with the thieves, he was only referring to the stuff going on with Alice, and not any other incident outside of Alice that would still relate to the epidemic. He intentionally left out this detail to throw them off, and think that they're only dealing with the one case with Alice. And even then, he only mentions the interview incident, and not any of the other weird behavior from other people that involves Alice (buying out her stock, obsessing over her, etc.).

And he knew there were other cases prior to Alice, for we hear about them in the opening scene in the police meeting. And Alice wasn't even a talking point during that meeting. In fact, Zenkichi arrives in Yongen Jaya the day the interview happens. We know this, because right as you're leaving for the interview, Zenkichi is seen (and heard) at the booth eating curry!

Why the Hell would he intentionally leave out that detail? Was it to put them into a false sense of security, thinking this wasn't gonna be as big of a deal, so they'd just go about their usual thievery? Probably, because he then reveals soon after that their calling card for Alice only made them look even more suspicious to the police, especially since, as was stated, this is happening everywhere.

So, in just letting the thieves do this, Zenkichi made it so the police now are more gung-ho to arrest them, forcing them to come crawling back to him. Thus, explaining his little smirk during the calling card sequence.

It's perfect. It's downright genius.

Let's also not forget that when telling them about the whole Alice thing, Zenkichi claimed that it was the police who were suspecting the thieves originally. He, however, states that he doesn't believe that they're the culprits, even after dropping the other shoe that is the Change of Heart epidemic. He even claims that to be the reason he's making this deal in the first place.

BUT, looking back once again at the police meeting scene, when the men in the room are questioning the logistics behind all of these cases of people going looney, it is Zenkichi who pipes up, and brings up the PT as suspects, with the presenter confirming that he might be right on that suspicion.

So, while Zenkichi says it's just the police that are suspicious of the thieves, and not him, we know that this is total horse-honkey. This is just a further tactic of him trying to get them to work with him, because while the police as a whole don't seem trustworthy, he is!

He even tries to scare them a bit by giving them a weird wake-up call to the situation by saying:

He's practically stating there's no choice in the matter when it comes to taking his deal, because it's the safest option to make. Any other one results in their arrest. He kind of left them with no other alternative.

After he puts down his suspicions of there being another culprit, the gang kick Zenkichi out for a bit to discuss (bet you ten bucks he was still eavesdropping). Long story short, as I've pointed out, they have no choice in the matter. Even Futaba looks through the web and finds that Zenkichi really wasn't lying about the Change of Heart epidemic after all. The only real problem that they can't avoid is having to explain to Zenkichi how they do what they do. It's here where Makoto suggests just taking him to the Metaverse physically. They reluctantly agree, since there's no other way around it, and Joker's freedom is on the line here. The thieves invite him back in, and take him to the bridge in Shibuya, while also explaining the Metaverse to him on the way there.

By the time they get there, Zenkichi is all but convinced that they're on drugs. However, the thieves, Makoto especially, aren't having any of it and drag him into the Metaverse. What proceeds is one of the funniest moments in the game, where we get to watch a middle-aged man lose his God dang marbles, somehow never falling off the building in sheer shock and horror.

I think the best part about this scene is us the players finally getting the satisfaction of watching Zenkichi getting taken down a peg for the first time. All throughout this arc, he's been nothing but smug and thinking himself above you. He even seems to be a few steps ahead when you think you got a running start. So, getting to watch him finally being put in his place is nothing short of gratifying. And funny.

I love this game.

Also, he says this:

This just tells me two things:

He's confirmed to drink alcohol.

Apparently, after the Alice calling card, he proceeded to go out to drink for some reason, and doesn't remember to what extent. Interesting.

So after successfully traumatizing the poor man, they take him back and have him ruminate on this life-altering knowledge for a hot second, where he says he'll "strive to understand."

A little detail I love is that when Makoto brings the topic back to their deal, Zenkichi immediately switches back to his cool and collected demeanor, almost like he's blocking out what he just found out, and is grasping for anything that he can at least wrap his head around.

Zenkichi then lays out the deal, saying this:

This is the part where I tell you to put another pin on this. A big, GIANT pin. This is gonna be on the test.

Afterwards, you have some optional responses to this, and while everyone picks the last one, because it's funny ("Get along with the talking cat"), I'm more interested in the middle response ("If you screw us on this..."). The reason is due to Zenkichi’s response to it, which I've always found fascinating:

There's so much to unpack here with that line alone. The way Zenkichi immediately jumps to that conclusion, assuming the thieves would have no qualms doing something like that, his delivery sounding less terrified, and more-so just stating it matter-of-factly, and most interestingly, something he ends up admitting to himself later on at the end of this arc that I will cover (so add this as another pin (somehow relating to the other pin)).

Zenkichi goes on to explain that the thieves will be meeting with him in Sapporo on the 8th, since one of his main suspects won't be back until then. In the meantime, they can't use public transportation out of fear that since they've made it public that they personally took down Alice, other Monarchs might be scrambling to try and take the thieves down by potentially brainwashing one of their drivers (I always found it interesting how Zenkichi immediately clocks in on that, despite admitting his confusion on this "cognitive mumbo-jumbo"). Zenkichi himself can't provide a ride either, since that could potentially link back to their deal, and he can't have anyone knowing about it or the case.

And with that, Zenkichi leaves, while muttering that "this is real, Zenkichi..."

I'll be concluding everything in the next part, so get hyped!

Pt. 1

Pt. 2

Pt. 4

[deathmetalunicorn1]

Hello! If you don’t mind, can you do ror family x Teen!Reader who runs away because she doesn’t think she deserves them but with a happy ending? I always love reading your stories and they always brighten up my day (づ ◕‿◕ )づ I hope you’re having an amazing day!

-This wasn’t real- you kept telling yourself this as you swallowed hard, unable to believe it.

-This was the first family who was willing to adopt you- not foster- actually adopt you! Nobody adopted teenagers-especially one that had a track record like yours. It wasn’t that you were a bad kid- heavens no- it’s just that you didn’t take crap from anyone, and when you foster families attempted to turn you into their punching bag, you would always run and go straight to authorities.

-Yes they would get arrested and blacklisted from fostering, but that would go on your record as another failed foster family, which would turn others away from helping you.

-You were to the point you didn’t care; you could take care of yourself, you’ve done it for years now- but these stupid laws that required you to have a guardian, as you were a minor, was BS.

-When your caseworker told you that you had actually been adopted, you laughed in her face, holding your gut, thinking it was a prank, but when you saw her sympathetic face, you were stunned stiff with wide eyes- it wasn’t a prank!

-This new family of yours was absolutely massive! Over 30 different individuals, gods, warriors, and valkyries, made up your new family and it was honestly a bit overwhelming having so many people in such a large house.

-Unlike your other families, which unnerved you, they treated you with so much respect- giving you your own room, your own space, inviting you to join in activities, but not pushing you, making sure you ate and went to school and were just overall very caring about you.

-They were a bunch of weirdos, you determined that the first day when you saw a bunch of them sparring in the backyard, using real weapons, which was unnerving, and there were so many wild personalities that you had a hard time learning about everyone.

-Despite them being so warm and welcoming to you, you kept your distance- you didn’t want to believe that this was real- it couldn’t be. This was just a cruel prank on their part- where they would lure you into a false sense of security and make you think you’re happy, only to pull it away at the last second.

-You convinced yourself this was true, but it was so hard for you to keep believing this- you were treated with so much respect, not like a punk teenager that so many others had treated you like.

-You were struggling to make sense of this, and it was getting harder and harder each day- you were scared to let your guard down- you didn’t want to be hurt again!

-So that’s why you ran, sneaking out of your bedroom window after dinner, taking your stuff with you- you didn’t know where to go, this family didn’t hurt you, so you had no reason to go to your case worker or the police, so you just ran, looking for a place to lay low for a while.

-It’s a good thing you weren’t the stealthiest of people, as many saw you sneak out. They knew that you were hesitant with them, knowing of your past- and they could see your apprehension of getting closer to them. They should have realized that you were scared of thinking this would be like the other times, where you were going to get hurt- you were just protecting yourself.

-Hercules, Lu Bu, Apollo, and Qin Shi Huang were the ones to go after you, to bring you back home, with Lu Bu doing the tracking and the others following after him.

-They found you at the local train station, looking up at the ticket board, trying to figure out a train to take when a hand clapped down on your shoulder. You turned and your eyes went huge, seeing QSH there, “Hao! We found you Y/N!”

-The terror on your face was apparent, thinking they were mad at you before Hercules pulled you up into his arms, hugging you tightly, it was firm but also very warm, “Why did you run? Did something happen?”

-You were hesitant to answer, which they could see before Apollo smiled softly and herded the group to the Starbucks in the station, ordering drinks, including your favorite, for everyone.

-Once you had the drink in front of you, you were wringing your hands in your lap, not wanting to meet their gazes before Apollo spoke, “Are you all right, Y/N?”

-You exhaled softly, not realizing you had been holding your breath as you had been panicking, “You- you guys aren’t mad I ran?” they seemed surprised by your words before Lu Bu, who was sitting next to you, lifted a hand to ruffle your hair lightly, comforting you as Hercules spoke, “Of course weren’t not mad at you- why would we be? You’re just protecting yourself, right?”

-Your sharp intake of air made them all kind of flinch as you lifted your head, finally looking at them, seeing that they had been able to guess why you ran so easily.

-Tears welled in your eyes again, your bottom lip trembling slightly before you finally broke, “I-I don’t… I don’t want to be hurt again! And you guys have all been so nice to me- I’ve never- never felt so safe before- so happy! I just don’t want to… I don’t want…” QSH pulled you into a side hug as they all realized the truth in why you ran.

-They let you cry, sniffling over your drink quietly, before Apollo held out his hand, asking you to take it, “C’mon Y/N- let’s go home!”

-Home… a small smile slowly lifted to your lips as you took his hand and Lu Bu’s hand, holding them both, feeling happy tears lifting to your eyes as you spoke, “Yeah- let’s go home.” They all smiled softly at you. It would take some time, but it was a good thing your family cared about you and were willing to be patient.

[tanadrin]

Is it plausible that children are most often abused by people that they know (rather than strangers) because we've steadily and consistently reduced the capacity for children to interact with strangers in potentially abusive situations? I'm pretty sure that's not the case, but you've frequently discussed the topic and it seems like you'd know if there was anything to back up the idea.

I think children are most often abused and exploited by people they know because children spend most of their time around people they know, and children have a marked lack of autonomy in our society. In the past (and, sadly, too often in the present still) there has been a marked taboo around discussing these issues, a refusal to educate children in age-appropriate ways about sex (meaning they often don't even have the language to explain what has happened to them), and a reluctance to believe victims of abuse. In fact, I think the real incidence of CSA has probably gone down markedly in the last 75 years, but it's hard to get clear numbers on this bc for so long we refused to admit the problem even existed. A problem people refuse to acknowledge exists will of course seem to have a much lower rate of occurrence than one people openly acknowledge.

Stranger danger has never been the primary risk to children. The primary risk to children is parents, relatives, teachers, pastors, and other figures of authority in their lives. That's true for CSA, and for physical abuse, and for emotional abuse. And it makes sense; if you were the kind of person to abuse or terrorize or sexually exploit a child, the easiest children for you to target are children in your community, where your reputation and authority can protect you, where nobody could possibly believe such an awful thing, but you know, poor Bobby has always been troubled, etc., etc.

There is no clean solution to this problem. I think most parents, and most people who spend a lot of time around children by choice, do so because they genuinely like and want good things for them! I think the best protection against child abuse and exploitation is being open and communicative with children, educating them in age-appropriate ways, giving them the tools to defend their autonomy, and making sure that when they have problems they are heard.

And incidentally, I think a similar approach is also the best tool for online safety for kids. It's a lot harder for strangers with bad intentions (who do exist, though they are not the primary risk to children) to target kids with a stable, loving home life, who aren't ashamed to talk to their parents or to other adults in their lives about what's going on, and whose feelings and autonomy are respected by those adults. We cannot arrest and punish our way to a world that is safe for children! This is an authoritarian lie we tell ourselves, because the truth--that there is no escape from the hard work of actually caring for and about each individual child--implicates how we think about children in uncomfortable ways.

[httpsryu]

bittersweet

pairing : wonyoung x fem! reader

summary: wonyoung always thought her and y/n would last for a long time-even until death. until something shifted between them.

category: best friends-to-strangers, high school au

genre: fluff and heavy angst

warnings: heartache, one-sided love, y/n can't come to terms with herself, wonyoung is lowkey toxic

a/n: thank you sooo much for the love on kites and as always, feel free to request!

it was always 'wonyoung and y/n' or 'y/n and wonyoung' everywhere you go. from primary school all the way through high school.

wonyoung and you met at the age of five during the first day of primary where the taller female approached you while you were crying because you thought your parents left you there forever.

ever since then, the both of you could never get separated. EVER

along with growing up together, there also came a consequence of unrecognizable emotions towards other people. for wonyoung's case; her emotions were always towards you, even now.

"hellooo? earth to wony?" you wave your hands in front of your best friend, wondering why she's spacing out in study hall AGAIN.

the other female swiftly shakes her head, blanking a few times to get back in the zone. "huh?"

"you okay? you've been spacing out these days." concerned, you place your hand on the other's forehead, not knowing how much this suffocated wonyoung.

wonyoung feels her heart beating loudly against her chest at the sudden touch from you. "i-i'm okay."

"you sure?"

"positive."

you nod and smile at your best friend. "alright, as i were saying, i still can't believe jungwon invited me to roller skating. like me? me out of everyone in this school?"

there it is again.

that sick feeling forming in the pit of her stomach again when she imagines you and jungwon holding hands this friday at the newly opened skate rink.

"you're amazing, y/n." wonyoung manages to say without feeling too nauseous. "there's no wonder he asked you."

at her words, you feel your heart melting. "thanks wony, your words mean the most to me."

if they mean the most to you, does that mean if she asks you to not go, would you not go?

"they do?"

you nod, grinning brightly at her. "of course. you're my favorite person in the world, wonyoung."

wonyoung couldn't help but to smile at your eye-smile. you should be arrested for being beautiful. she tells herself that it isn't fair for others on this planet when you're walking around carelessly not knowing the affect you have on others.

"you're my favorite too, y/n."

the taller female smiles softly, ignoring the way her heart is beating loudly against her chest.

of course; the moment becomes short-lived and ruined when jungwon walks through the classroom and surprises you by putting his hands over your eyes.

"guess who?" jungwon says from behind, his dimple evident.

wonyoung watches you, knowing you're excited.

if only she could be jungwon for a day.

seeing the way you do your makeup appealingly through your bedroom's vanity mirror makes wonyoung focus and take her breath away. (specifically because of your face)

"you don't even need makeup anyways." wonyoung says, feeling envious of the fact that you're doing makeup for jungwon and that he gets to be the one to see you.

you roll your eyes. "but it's our official first date."

"did he even say it was a date?" the taller readjusts herself on your bed, now sitting up to directly make eye contact with you through the mirror.

something about her eyes gives you a weird feeling. you can't quite put your mind to it.

"no, but he-"

now, it's wonyoung's turn to roll her eyes. "so, why even bother trying to look good for him? if anything, he probably is still sitting in his room playing video games instead of putting the effort to look presentable for tonight."

"i guess you're right.." you put down the blush you were going to apply with a sigh.

wonyoung smiles softly, patting the spot next to her, motioning for you to sit. "let's make matching bracelets before you have to leave."

you smile as you get up from the vanity's seat, making your way towards your bed where wonyoung is already humming while taking out the bracelet kit from her backpack.

"we should put our initials in them too!" the other suggests, picking out the letters.

"sure! just make sure it doesn't look like we're lovers." you giggle. "jungwon won't be too happy about that."

wonyoung is positive she can hear her heart shattering. "w-why? we're best friends. he knows that."

"yeahh-but he would feel left out."

the other furrows her eyebrows in anger. "sometimes, i wish jungwon would've never asked you out."

what? why?

"why would you say that?" you gasp, appalled at how your best friend is acting. "i make sure to spend enough time with you and him as promised."

wonyoung dryly laughs, poking the inside of her cheek with her tongue. "clearly, you'd rather be with him than me."

"he's my BOYFRIEND, wony!" you argue back. "i thought you were happy for me?"

yeah, she is.

"i am..." wonyoung looks down at your bed sheets.

"then, why are you so upset with the idea of me dating him?"

the taller female brings her gaze up at you. "because i'm in love with you, y/n."

oh.

but you don't feel the same way as her.

or do you?

"i-i'm not into girls like that." you mutter, feeling guilty all of a sudden. "you know that, wonyoung."

"i have to go." wonyoung quickly gathers her things.

"wony."

she bids you a quick goodbye after getting off your bed and grabbing her backpack. "see you at school on monday."

jungwon hands you the cherry slushy you ordered, taking a seat besides you. "cherry, just how you like it."

"thanks." you smile at him, grabbing it from him while your hand softly grazes against his, causing the both of you to go red and awkwardly cough.

"i had fun, y/n." the cat eyed male smiles, his dimple appearing as your eyes look down at it.

"yeah, me too." you reply, taking a sip of the slushy.

jungwon notices your short response, worry suddenly circulating his mind. "are you alright? you seem a little out of it tonight."

"yeah! it's just wonyoung and i broke out in a fight earlier before." your mind flashing back to what happened in your room today and wonyoung's words repeating in your head. "i'm sorry this ruined our night. i was looking forward to it all day and i ruined it."

feeling a hand grab yours, you look down at it.

"don't be sorry." jungwon reassures you, his thumb rubbing circles on the back of your hand. "as long as you still had fun."

"oh! i absolutely did." you reply immediately, having the male besides you giggle cutely.

"good." jungwon smiles even brighter this time, his smile suddenly turns into a shocked expression from the feeling of your lips on his dimple.

"thank you for this night, wonnie." you look away after the peck, flustered.

jungwon can't help but to feel like a child, grabbing your hand to his mouth and pecking the back of it. "thank you, my girl."

however, in the back of your head, wonyoung sits there.

just finished my last final for the year! scholar things :P

[artistshadow]

In the novel, are there any Disney heroes involved with war of roses?

SPOILERS FOR BEYOND THE ISLE OF THE LOST: WONDERLAND!!!!

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Hopefully this helps answer any questions pertaining to the new Isle book. If anyone has any more questions, feel free to ask if this didn’t answer anything! I just felt like this will be easier than going back-and-forth pulling small tidbits to add 🤣😂😂

Okay, so here’s the briefest summary of what happens in Beyond the Isle of the Lost: Wonderland. We learn that Wonderland is sealed off from Auradon because the Queen didn't want to be under the Beast’s rule, I believe, so she raised an army to fight back just in case. This was known as the War of Roses. It sounds like there never was a fight. It sounds more like the Queen showed that she was no punk and wasn’t gonna let anyone scare or intimidate her, or most likely, she just didn’t want to be the one not in control so out of fear, Auradon closed the Rabbit Hole, which is one of two ways to get in and out of Wonderland, the other being The Pool of Tears. Because of this, Red has never been outside of Wonderland and doesn’t know much about what is going on in the outside world. The Queen has turned Wonderland pretty much into a dictatorship prison where so many things are outlawed that it doesn’t even seem like Wonderland anymore. She wants Red to follow in her footsteps and rule like she does, but Red ain’t having none of it. She wants to rebel against it all, but because she hasn’t had any sort of influence from anyone since everyone in Wonderland is scared to death of her mother, they never act out, so she doesn't know how. In comes Ace and Chester, two characters who sort of help her rebel, but they don’t know much either. Chester is, I believe, the son of the Cheshire Cat or at least a descendant of him. Ace…I'm not sure cause they never established, but if I were gonna take a wild guess, I would say that he could be the son of an Ace card. They do things to rebel and bring life to Wonderland by throwing parties, two to be exact, and the first failed royally, which resulted in them being arrested by the guards, and the Queen just dismissed them. The second party they throw in the throne room which makes the Queen blow her lid and start arresting everyone, which in turn makes Red, Chester, and Ace go on the lam. They plan on going to the Pool of Tears so they can escape Wonderland, but unfortunately, C and A get captured by the card soldiers. They tell Red to run for it and escape Wonderland, but she doesn’t want to leave her friends, so she goes back for them. Big mistake because that was a trap by the Queen, who throws her in the dungeon with them. The next day in front of all of Wonderland, the Queen shows just how much of a royal evil bitch she is by showing what she does to people who break her laws: She turns them into mindless card soldiers, as she demonstrates with Ace. It’s very heavily implied that she did this to the other kids she captured at the party. She then turns Chester into a cat, who then disappears. It goes without saying that Red is heartbroken, distraught, and traumatized by this, and her mother doesn’t give a flying fuck. So, Red now has this deep resentment toward her mother and is probably willing to do anything to get back at her. She probably wants to escape Wonderland more or perhaps take her anger out on the land.

This actually does something the other “prequel” books did as it gives us a look into who the character of Red is and her mother as well. It also gives us a glimpse of how much of a threat the Queen of Hearts is because when I heard that she was planning a coup in the movie, I was like, “yeaaaaah, but she’s really not that big of a threat like Maleficent, Uma, Audrey, or any of the other villains or ‘villains’ so how will this work?” But this gives us more information. It also gives a little more backstory as to why Wonderland is separate from Auradon and why Uma is looking to invite people from there to go to school in Auradon. Do I think they will reference some of the things from this movie? Maybe a little because a lot of it gives us reasons to see the Queen as a threat and more about why Red wants to rebel so much. Do I think we’ll get closure for Chester and Ace? Most likely not, and I hate that because while the other books left their endings with shots of happiness, this one ended completely depressing and horrifying.

Something to note: the Queen HATES cupcakes. In the summer preview, there was a picture of her younger self holding a plate of cupcakes while looking sad, so I wonder if we’re gonna see the reasons behind her hatred for them.

Maddox, the son of the Mad Hatter, is a science teacher at Wonderland High who is in the Queen’s favor. He’s interested in…wait for it…time travel, which is the basic plot of the film.

Reading this really makes listening to Red’s part in the new “What’s My Name” hit a little deeper, especially the parts where she says, “My mom’s as mean as it gets” and “It was rough growing up.”

I don’t know where Merlin Academy, Cinderella, and the other characters come into play, as the book mainly focused on Red, but I guess we’ll find out more in the new film.

It’s pretty much confirmed that the Queen was never on the Isle of the Lost (which makes the mention of her hair salon in the second book kind of weird), so that means Red is probably the only VK who wasn’t born on the Isle. She’s heard rumors about it but has never seen it. The only people she has met from the Isle are Harry and Jasper, who apparently got trapped in Wonderland after the VKs got released from the Isle in the 3rd film. But how they got trapped there if Wonderland was sealed off before they were born is what’s puzzling me. But timelines have never made absolute sense in this franchise so I’m not gonna get to deep into it😄😂

[ghostlynighty]

Hi, can I request PtN character's of your pick with a vision user reader?

Female Chief with a vision user reader!

pairings : female chief x vision holder reader

requested : yessir

warning(s) : uh not prooread

I've picked chief for this ask, I hope that is okay. Reader's vision is electro.

meeting each other :

• chief met you around syndicate when she heard news that there could be a new potential sinner. she brought along hella and hecate to investigate your case.

• they saw you looking beat up and with what seems to be lighting covering your entire body and your weapon. you were alone fighting all of the corruptors and monsters.

• after clearing off all of the monsters, chief arrested you and immediately shackled you. Well, tried to. she was confused to see that nothing was happening, it wasn't working.

• there she new that you were no ordinary sinner, no ordinary human for that matter. she kept on thinking this until you told her about your situation.

• so you weren't from here, you were from a world called teyvat and suddenly appeared here when you walked along a path that doesn't lead to nowhere? yeah, she thinks bs. it sounded like a story you tell to a child.

• after a little bit showing how your powers works and some stories about teyvat, chief was starting that maybe you are telling the truth.

how would she react :

• when chief finally accepted that you are not from here...she didn't really know how to react but she also thought that she has encountered a lot of impossible things before, so she just treated it as a normal thing.

• chief was fascinated with you, especially with your vision. you've told how people in your world get these, it was a gift from the gods, you said.

• even after getting together, chief was still amazed with this power you have. it gave you the power to manipulate lighting or in your term, electro. this shouldn't really be new to chief since a lot of sinners have some kind of powers as well, some sinners even have this lighting kind of power. so she doesn't know why she's so amazed by yours...it might because of chief's feelings for you but who knows.

• though she does find it very irritating when you would try to tease her with it.

"I forgot to ask, love. Can you also control the storm with this?" Chief asked you while you two were just hanging out in her office. She had a lot of paper works again, you immediately noticed that this was a normal thing for your lover. A bit concerning actually.

"Nope, I can't. That will be too much, I believe." You sat up from the couch in the office, slowly approaching your lover. You were bored and feeling a little mischievous. Maybe one spark would be enough?

"Ouch! Hey!" You laughed when Chief jumped, holding her arms where you gave her a light spark of lighting. Chief glared at you, rubbing her arms to soothe out the pain.

You giggled, telling her that it didn't hurt that bad. To apologize for your actions, you sat down on her lap, cuddling with her as she works on her papers.

Having a lover that has the power to control lighting-electro didn't really affect chief much. What's kind of affecting her is you being from a different world. She won't know what to do when you go back.

If one day, you found a way to go back to your world, maybe, just maybe, she could come with you and spent the rest of your lives together there. Teyvat seems to be a lot better than DisCity.

[it-was-funeral-grey]

Over your head (Al Haitham x F!Reader)

Prequel Part 1 Part 2 Part 3

Summary: knock knock! who's there? matra. matra who? you're under arrest, anything you say will be held against you. what.

Warnings: Vulgarities, getting arrested, doctors, boat travel

Word count:<2.6k words

Inspired by:-

Author's note: i hope this is ok! i was also able to visit my grandma the day after i posted the last part :)

Please give criticism! Also, if i missed any warnings, do tell me so i can add them!

If you had a Mora for every time a random dude cried himself to sleep on your couch, you'd have one Mora. Which isn't a lot, but it's strange that it happened once.

Oh, but if you had a Mora for every time the Matra arrested you for kidnapping, you'd have another Mora. Two Mora isn't a lot, but it could help you get a new bottle of Harra spice. Archon knows that prices have gone up recently.

"Secure the house," a man wearing the Matra's iconic teal and bronze uniform barks as three of his colleagues surround you. "And call a doctor!"

It happens so fast. Chains are fastened around your hands, and you feel a hand push against your back, forcing you forward.

All around, your neighbours peek out of their houses, watching as the three Matras lead you out of the village. You can hear them gossiping amongst themselves, casting curious glances as you pass them.

"Kidnapping? Her? Who would have thought…"

"She has always been so kind…I can't believe it."

Where to? You don't know. If you were courageous enough, you would've protested- ask what is happening. But words fail you. Your tongue feels like a brick, refusing to let you plead your case.

You've been told stories about the Matra. Village elders would spook kids with tales of the 'all-knowing, scary, and will eat you if you misbehave!' Matra. You've never thought of them as scary before, though. But now, you're beginning to think that the village elders weren't exaggerating.

Their presence alone was enough to render the bustling village silent on this beautiful, sunny afternoon. You've never heard the village go this quiet, not even during the dead of night. The only sound you hear now is the pounding of your heart, together with the remaining Matra stomping into your home, throwing things around in their search for evidence.

But evidence for what? Kidnapping? Who did you even kidnap?! The Green dude? You were only helping him, for archon's sake!

"The nerve! Kidnapping the Acting Grand Sage!" a neighbour rages to another. "Sumeru is relying on him to lead us out of this mess, and she dares to harm him! Oh, may Lesser Lord Kusanali punish her!"

Wait. Hold on.

Acting. Grand. Sage?

Mr Green man is the Acting Grand Sage?!

Kaveh is going to kill Al Haitham.

It's one thing to take his keys and only let him in after 5.05 pm.

It's a whole other thing to take his keys and not come home. Leaving him outside. In the rain. For the entire night. And it's the peak monsoon season in Sumeru, so he can't even dry his drawings that had been drenched the night before.

"Seriously! He's gone from bad to worse," Kaveh laments to the shorter man. "He didn't even tell me he wasn't coming home!"

"Well, have you seen him since yesterday?" the shorter man asks, taking a seat in his office and letting out a tired sigh as he sinks into his chair. He had just come back from tracking a scholar in the desert. He really doesn't want to listen to his friend's rant right now, but he doesn't have the heart to drive him away.

"No! He left that morning at 8:55, as usual. I tried to get him to drink a cup of coffee, but he ignored me! That arrogant fungus! I swear, I'm going to-"

There's a hasty pound on the door, interrupting Kaveh's rant. But before Cyno could invite them in, the door burst open, revealing a frantic Panah.

"General Mahamatra, Mr Kaveh," he greets, panting as he leans over, hands on his knees. He must have run from the Grand Sage's office. "Have you seen Acting Grand Sage Al Haitham?"

Well, that makes two people who have asked about his whereabouts today. Usually, this wouldn't be strange. As the scribe, Al Haitham had the habit of never being where you expected him to be. Even Cyno wouldn't be able to locate him if he seriously didn't want to be found.

But he's the Acting Grand Sage now. And for the last couple of months, he has always been findable- in his office or somewhere speaking to personnel. Cyno stiffens in his seat. Something doesn't feel right.

"No, we haven't seen him," Kaveh answers. But then he frowns. "Wait- what do you mean, 'Have you seen Al Haitham'? Did he not report for work today?"

Now, that's a concerning thought.

"Yes," Panah takes another deep breath, composing himself. "He hasn't come into his office yet. I know it's only ten minutes past 9, but-"

"Al Haitham isn't one for tardiness," Cyno interrupts, standing up. "Kaveh, are you certain he isn't home?"

"Well, yes," Kaveh replies, furrowed brows giving away his concern about his roommate. "He has this annoying habit of using the shower at full blast in the morning. It's unbelievably loud. I would have heard that if he were home since the front door is close to the bathroom."

"Panah, would you happen to know Al Haitham's last know location?"

"He was heading to Port Osmos. He was going to speak with someone in the Wikala Funduq."

Damn, Cyno curses. Port Osmos is at least a good three hours away by boat. Grabbing a loose sheet of paper from his desk, Cyno scribbles a note before sealing it and passing it to Panah.

"Pass this along to the dusk bird handlers. Tell them to send it to the Matra stationed in Port Osmos as soon as possible."

"On it!" Panah grabs the note, dashing out of the office.

"As for me, I'll be heading to Port Ormos now," Cyno states, grabbing his polearm. "Don't worry. I'll bring him back."

"Who says I'm worried? I just want to get into the house- hold on, I'm coming with you!"

Al Haitham is going to kill Kaveh.

It's one thing to wake up to the sound of him hammering away on another one of his projects.

It's a whole other thing to wake up to him screeching about- "Oh archons, if he dies, what am I going to do?"

First off, he's not going to die. He's not ill. Just tired, you fickle fungus.

Second of all, where in Teyvat is he?

There's a faint rocking sensation, and he can hear the faint sound of water sloshing nearby.

A boat, Al Haitham figures. Why is he on a boat?

Opening his eyes, he is immediately greeted by the sight (and sound) of Kaveh panicking at a lady in a white gown. A doctor, Al Haitham realises.

"Sir, the Acting Grand Sage isn't going to pass on," the doctor sighs. "He's just exhausted. He must have fainted from exhaustion- please tell him that he must get sufficient rest to recover!"

Before Kaveh can respond, Al Haitham sits up, fighting the dizziness that came with it. Nope. He doesn't want to hear Kaveh's annoying, panicky voice. Not now, when he can feel a headache coming.

"Al Haitham!"

"Keep your voice down, you-"

"Are you alright?" Kaveh interrupts, concern lacing his tone. But he doesn't give him time to answer before he continues. "Honestly. To think that you'd be kidnapped! You, of all people! Who could even stand having you as a prisoner?"

Huh?

But before he could ask Kaveh what he meant by 'kidnapped', the door to the room opens. Through the door, Al Haitham can see the deck of a ship. So he was right. He is on a boat.

"You're awake," Cyno says. "How do you feel?"

"I'm fine," Al Haitham groans, massaging his temple. "What's going on?"

So Cyno is here as well. Something big must have occurred.

Still a little groggy, Al Haitham rubs his eyes as he tries to recall what happened.

Ok, Al Haitham takes a breath. Let's think this through.

He was at Port Ormos around one in the afternoon to speak to the trade supervisors of Wikala Funduq. He wanted to talk to them about restoring the port for business- but the letters he sent there from the Akademiya were never answered. So, he had to make a trip down there himself, much to his annoyance.

That sounds about right. What happened next?

When he reached the port, he was greeted with silence. There was not a soul on the streets. The same could be said for the Wikala Funduq building, the place deserted and collecting dust, save for a lone cleaner working in a corner.

"Oh, you're looking for Mr Dilawar and Mrs Gauhar? They're not here. No one has been here for a while. There's no work here! Nothing to do!"

"Where can I find them?"

"Well...Mr Dilawar lives in Vimara village. I'm not too sure about Mrs Gauhar."

So that's how he ended up travelling to Vimara Village. He had to walk four hours to get to the village entrance since there weren't any boats that could take him there- the captain of the one that brought him to the port from Sumeru city had declined, saying that he had a personal vendetta against the village or something. Al Haitham didn't bother listening.

Yeah, he remembers that part. What happened then?

A soothing voice. A homemade meal. A gentle hand on his back. A comforting presence that made him feel so safe- something he hadn't felt in a very long time.

Wait.

Oh, no.

Before Cyno could answer his question, Al Haitham had already figured out the answer.

"You didn't happen to arrest a villager for kidnapping me, did you?"

"Oh, so you do know what happened," Kaveh answers on Cyno's behalf. "Yeah-"

"That wasn't what happened," Al Haitham interrupts, stumbling off the uncomfortable bed. "Where is she?"

"Hold on, what do you mean-"

"I mean what I said," Al Haitham snaps back, heading towards the door. The headache is now hitting with full force, and he hides a wince. "Cyno. Where is she?"

If you weren't in your current predicament, you'd probably be running around the deck, admiring the way the water below reflected the stars above. You've never been on a boat this big before- it wasn't as large as cargo vessels or cruise boats that carried rich Snezhnayans, but it's larger than anything you've ever boarded.

You also would have been really excited about going to Sumeru city- home of the rich, the smart and the accomplished. You've never travelled beyond Vimara village, apart from heading to Port Ormos every once in a while.

It's a quiet night. Apart from the occasional jingling of your chains secured to the railings on the deck, the two Matra who watch over you don't make a sound apart from occasional sighs. Curling yourself into a tiny ball, you hug your legs, burying your head on your knees. It's getting cold. Goosebumps have risen all over your limbs, and you try to rub your arms to get rid of them but to no avail.

Slam!

The loud sound shocks you back into reality. Lifting your head, you see that the door to the boat's accommodation has been flung open, the light in the room spilling out onto the dark deck.

A tall figure exits the room- although your eyes have already adjusted to the dark, you can't really tell who it is, but the two Matra seem to know. They immediately stiffen in place, standing at attention as the silhouette approaches the group.

As the figure comes closer, you see a faint green glow on its shoulder.

It's him. The Acting Grand Sage. The green man- ok, you gotta stop calling him that.

The Acting Grand Sage stops just a step away from you. You raise your head to glance at him, and he meets your gaze with an emotion you can't quite name.

"Ok, hold on!" there's the sound of hasty footsteps. A man with a feather in his hair runs up to the Acting Grand Sage. "What do you mean, 'that wasn't what happened'?"

"I'll have to ask you the same," there's calmer voice, this one belonging to a shorter man. "We can't release her if you don't tell us what happened."

The Acting Grand Sage sighs, facing the two that have just joined him. There's a tension in the air.

"I wasn't kidnapped," he starts. "I spent the night at her house. That is all."

Woah, that sounds suspicious.

The man with the feather looks like he's about to have a stroke. His jaw has dropped. Meanwhile, the shorter man looks like he has been frozen in place, eyes nearly budging out of their sockets.

"You- huh?!" exclaimed the feathered man, head whipping in your direction, intense eyes burning into yours. "You, let HIM spend the night? HIM?"

You jolt back in surprise, not quite expecting to be talked to, hitting your head on the railing with a loud 'ping'. You grimace in pain, bound hands raising to massage the area, chains jingling as you moved.

"Get your head out of the gutter," The Acting Grand Sage snarls, standing between you and the feather man. "She cared for me when I passed out. I slept on the couch."

"Passed…out?" the feathered man frowned, voice now soft.

"Well, the doctor did say he was exhausted." the shorter man added.

"That's not the time for this," the Acting Grand Sage changes the topic. He faces the shorter man. "Will you release her?"

The shorter man ponders for a moment.

"I can remove her chains," he answers. "But she'll still have to come to the Akademiya to give a statement. A report still has to be submitted, so I'll need your statement as well, Al Haitham. I'll go to get the keys."

With that, the shorter man leaves. The feathered man looks shaken up but quickly follows after the other.

"Are…you alright?" the Acting Grand Sage asks once the two are out of earshot.

"I…I'm fine," your voice wobbles. You haven't spoken since the Matra arrested you because you were afraid that your words would have been used against you later on. Well, that and the fact that you were scared shitless. You feel pressure build behind your nose. "I'm just-"

Your sniffle cuts your sentence short. Your eyes begin to water.

Behind, you hear the two Matra shift uncomfortably. Gosh, are you really gonna cry in front of everyone? How embarrassing. You're even making the Matra feel awkward. You avoid his gaze, trying to blink away tears.

The Acting Grand Sage seems to have picked up on your discomfort as he waves the Matra away. He tried to be subtle about it, but you don't miss the considerate gesture, even with your tear-filled vision.

"There's goosebumps all over your arms," there's a faint rustling of fabric. "It's not surprising. The wind is picking up. It'll probably start raining soon."

He walks behind you, and you feel something drape over your head, blocking your sight.

It must be his cape. It's warm.

You hear him lean onto the railings, letting out a sigh. A silence fills the air between you two.

It's nice. Relaxing. Comforting.

No one will see if I cry now, right?

So, you do.

But you weren't crying out of fear. No, these are tears of relief.

And through it all- the sniffling, the sobbing, the snivelling, the man behind you never said a word. But he didn't need to.

His presence was enough. Enough for what? You don't know.

All you know is that everything is going to be alright.

You're safe here. With him.

Join the Taglist!

[gearbox-doll]

Okay but I'd love to genuinely have a debate with someone, where everything is completely neutral and I don't have to worry about getting judged outside of the room, about why incest is bad.

Because like. Beyond the ick factor that most people feel, which wouldn't exist if it weren't so heavily stigmatized, why is it bad? I want a well thought-out, logical, neutral answer.

If it's because their kids would have mutations or whatever: first off, stikes me as kinda like eugenics. "They shouldn't have kids because their kids might be disabled", is what you're saying. Plus, the really bad stuff tends to crop up only after a few generations, and honestly I don't see that happening unless the family is specifically only marrying within itself? Like, I feel like in a world where incest is normalized, there would be equal chances of falling in love with a family member as there are falling in love with someone you aren't related to. Just because it's a possibility doesn't mean it's gonna overtake everything else. And that's not even bringing up y'know, gay couples or childless couples in general.

"It's wrong!": Why? Why is it wrong? Does the bible tell you that? (Genuinely asking, it's been a while since I've read the bible.) If it does, what about people who don't believe in the bible? Setting aside the idea of "everyone should believe in the bible", what is a non-religious reason someone should think incest is bad? Why does the bible say it's wrong? Are there explanations? Is it a case of "this was dangerous back then but now we have ways to deal with it"?

Abuse: no relationship style is inherently abusive, so I ask you this: why is incestuous abuse worse than non-incestuous abuse? Why is romantically abusing your child worse than romantically abusing someone the same age as your child? They should hold the same weight, no? And if they do, then why isn't it illegal for someone to date someone the same age as (or younger than) their child? If the person is an adult, don't they have a similar dynamic?

What about siblings? Siblings usually have a smaller age-gap right? What about twins or triplets? Why is incestuous abuse in this kind of case considered worse than domestic violence? Obviously it's not illegal to date an abuser that's similar in age to you. You can get them arrested for abuse, yes, but it's not illegal to date them, or for others to date them.

And yes, I know there are certain dynamics that are only found in families (golden child vs scapegoat, the power a parent has over a child, etc), but I think those are symptoms of other issues that should also be solved. A parent only has that much power over a child because children don't have equal rights. So give the kids more ability to stand up for themselves! And even so, in a relationship with that kind of age gap, I'd be willing to say that the older partner has that kind of power over the younger partner regardless of whether they're related or not, because often it's the older partner who has more money, a better space to live, is older so they "know better" etc which so easily allows them to control the younger partner. Just like in a parent/child relationship, the older party has to be aware of what kind of control they have, and make sure they aren't hurting the other, to be a good parent/partner.

As for golden child vs scapegoat, I think that kind of dynamic can just as easily be found outside of family structures, though for different reasons. A popular kid and someone who's bullied, for example. You get what I'm saying?

Like honestly if you can give a good, well thought out response to this I'll read it and consider it! I'll see if I agree with you or if I can find evidence to refute you! Let's make it a debate.

If you're just going to yell at me bc incest bad or whatever though, you're getting blocked.

[rraaaannnn]

My Sherlock

``I can't believe you forgot your work permit card''

Minji says it while looking at you in disbelief and mild anger

‘’It's okay,one is enough to get us in!’’

You are Minji's assistant. You joined the Officers College a year ago, and now this training year, Minji was in charge of you because she has more experience than you

She is better than you in everything, that's why she is your boss now

You and Minji entered the practical section of the college after Minji put her card as an admission print for the two of you

I clung to her back to enter with her, we were about to fall, she looked at me with more anger, I smiled at her face to calm her down, it seems that my face is not helping

She kept walking so I quickly followed her

Having received the task, we head to its location

“Wah, I remember living in this neighborhood when I was little!”

''fits you''

Minji replied while looking at the paper full of information

It was an old neighborhood full of people who had a prison record and I think they had priors

“In that case, I should be your boss, since it suits me.”

“Just remember that the person is being arrested on charges of borrowing money from the bank without returning it, 47 years old, his name is Michael John.”

She is still looking at the paper

“Leave it to me, you spoiled girl.”

We reached the door of his apartment, Minji knocked on the door

He opened the door

‘’Hello Mr. Michael John-’’

''I don't want offers!''

Close the door in our faces

"I don't blame him, my boss. You have the face of a beby I wanted to hug you while you were talking to him politely…"

''Stop’’

She rolled her eyes, and knocked on the door again

''I said I don't want offers! Go away, kids.''

He tried to lock the door again, I put my leg up and pushed the door hard before he locked it

''Who wants to give you offers, silly man?’’

I was staring at him as I moved my legs back

He was about to speak but Minji spoke before him

"I'm Minji, we from the Officers College want you to come with us to the College to pay off your loans’’

She took out her card

“I don't have loans, you seem to have misunderstood.”

‘’Michael John, 47 years old, your first loan was to buy a new car, now you have three loans and you haven't paid them off’’

Minji said with a stern expression on her face

“I don’t have money now…”

He replied with a sad expression

"You still have to go to the Officers College with us."

"Just let me change my clothes and put on shoes."

We waited two minutes outside

“What if he escapes through another door in his house?”

I said while looking at Minji's precious watch

“If he runs away, he is the stupidest person in the world. He will replace you in stupidity. His house is ahead of us, even if he runs away.”

"Calm down, Sherlock, it was just a question."

I said while looking bored at her

While we were still waiting, an old woman passed by us

"Girls, do you know where Main Street is?"

I was looking at Minjie while she was explaining to her with a smile. I also noticed that the middle-aged boy was approaching the older woman. After the old lady shook Minjie's hand to express her gratitude, the woman started walking while the boy followed her

Michael left his house

''Let's finish quickly''

he said annoyed

We were about to go until we heard the old woman screaming, to see the boy running with her bag, perfect timing to steal something

I quickly ran after the boy

''Y/N’’

I heard Minji calling me

“Go to the Officers College, I will catch up with you later!”

I said while turning right so I could catch the boy

She had no other choice, she had to drive Michael to college and complete the tasks on her own, She called you more than once but you didn't answer

Mingy couldn't tell the college, your first violation is not carrying your work permit, your second violation is deviating from your main mission, there are enough violations you have, maybe this will lead to your expulsion

Minji finished the tasks,She called you again, you didn't answer,She started to worry more

Her work in college is over, she decided to go back to the neighborhood, even though it's not one of Minji's habits, she calls while searching the neighborhood, it's been two hours and she's asking people in the neighborhood while describing what you look like, she couldn't find you

It became night, so Minji decided to go back to her house, while the expressions of frustration did not leave her face, and tears gathered in her eyes

What if you got involved in something while you were going after the boy? Why didn't you answer your phone? Should you be reported? Will you get fired?

These questions revolve around Minji's mind

As Minji walks home, she sees a figure sitting on her doorstep. She approaches more cautiously while bending over to see the face

''Hey my Sherlock…''

''Y/N!''

I stood but was surprised to turn back, Minji hugging me tightly

I slowly raised my hand and wrapped it around her neck, feeling calm from her holding me

“Do you miss me, my boss?”

She kept holding me, when she spoke her voice muffled as she spoke while planting her face in my shoulder

"Where did you go? Why didn't you answer my calls?"

“Sorry, I forgot to tell you that I forgot my phone with my card.”

Her body moved away from mine I could feel the warmth pulling away with her

I can see her eyes filled with tears, I'm starting to worry about why she's crying

''Y/N Why is there a red bruise on the side of your eye?''

Oh my God, her nose is red, her voice is shaking from crying, and she is asking about me, no one knows how much I want to kiss her

“Nothing serious, I promise, just someone hit me in the eye, but I finished him off and returned the stolen things.”

"What do you mean nothing serious? I almost reported you missing. You say nothing serious!"

I put my hands on her cheeks and wiped away the falling tears

"Look at me, I'm here, I'm not hurt."

"I want to believe you, but all I see is this bruise and the cut near your lips."

I took out a similar watch from my pocket

"Your watch, it was in the old woman's bag."

I gave her the watch and she still looked at me puzzled

"The old woman stole your watch, so the boy stole the bag."

She started drying her tears with her sleeve

"You look awful, get inside, I'll clean your face."

Hiding her face in her jacket, pulling her hat close to her head, and putting her hands in her jacket pocket, she walked without turning to me as she walked through the door

How can someone be so cute now, and she is the strictest person in her job

After I caught up with her and we took off our jackets, she ordered me to lie on her bed while she cleaned my face

She was quietly placing the plaster on my face, and there was a comfortable silence between us, but I decided to break it

“Thank God you are not a doctor!”

"Why is my hand heavy on you? Did I make it more painful?"

She asked me worried

‘’No just all of your patients will have a heart attack from your beuty’’

"Are you supposed to be flirting?"

We fell silent again

"Okay, I'm done with your face. I'm going to make some food for us."

I grabbed her wrist before she left

"Thank you, but you really don't have to do that."

“You could have said that before you lay down and growled in your stomach.”

She finished her speech with a smile trying to tease you with it

You were trying to act cool and ended up cursing your stomach

I followed her and watched as she cooked how she could be perfect without trying

“If you're going to stare at me…get the salt behind you’’

“Oh…”

You saw behind you to see that there were five colored packages, each one having a different color. Why didn't you bother putting the names?

I took a bundle facing her back, now I would stretch my hand on her shoulder so that she could see the bundle and choose which of them was the salt

''fine I'll take it myself then-''

She turned around until her hands collided with my chest, my hand still stretching out

What a shot from a romantic movie

We are so close to each other, I can see the surprise on the faces of both of us

I don't want a proper excuse to stay like this

''I-I thought you wouldn't bring salt''

I see the confusion on her face

"I'm so grateful that you thought the way I bumped into you’’

''What!?''

She starts pulling her hands off my chest

Did I make a mistake?

Since she's starting to get away from me, I'll apologize to her and won't talk about it again, it's ridiculous why I thought she'd like me

''Sorry, did I take it too far?’’

''Not that just--it was weird’’

"I'm sorry I promise I won't do it again I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable"

''No, don't think like that, you didn't make me uncomfortable, I just-''

“Choose your salt…”

I gave her the salt, she continued cooking, now it's the awkward silence

She served me food while looking into my eyes I could feel her, but I couldn't face her I couldn't look into her eyes I was looking at my plate

''Thank you for the food''

'’No need to thank me'’

We finished our food in silence

I did the dishes and she handed me the towel to dry my hands

"I don't want you to keep your promise."

You looked at her confused

''What?''

"You promised not to do that, which means we'll never be close again."

She said with a smile staring sternly into my eyes

‘’Huh…?’’

''I'd love to be close to you, I'm just too shy to say it, but it looks like I hurt you with my reaction''

"It's okay, you're my boss-"

“I am talking to you as Minji, not your boss.”

''Oh…’’

''You can approach me as you like''

“Oh really, Minji, what if I come closer now?”

"Come close, I won't go away, Y/N, no matter how close you are."

I started getting closer

''Tell me the limits''

I said and moved closer

"Come as close to me as you want, even if my soul gets mixed up with yours, I don't care!"

I'm two inches away from her face, she looks me in the eyes with her sternness, I can look into her eyes now, are you going to hate me for my next move?

I pursed my lips to hers, I could feel her tension

Kiss those lips you always wanted to kiss

She started kissing me, I could feel her trying to balance our lips

We started to drift away from each other a bit

"Do you like mixing our lips instead of our souls?"

I finished with a smile, she smiles too but she is shy so she decided to hide her shyness in my neck

"Y/N What do I do if you don't come back today? I'd quit being an officer in the college to hang your pictures everywhere."

"Stop thinking about it, I'm already here, and I'm sure you'll find me my Sherlock."

From that moment on, you and Minji made the best duo of officers

-

[vikkirosko]

Hihihihi :DDD

Can I request Phoenix and Miles adopting a male teen reader with a punk/gothic style? It can be seperate ofc

(because I lack a father figure in life)

Here's the background info about our spunky reader.

The reader is around 13-15 years old in foster care, he is always forced to move in with different foster houses, no matter how much he tries to prove that they can be worth something (oop abandonment issues 😜)

Basically, his parents left him in the dump when he was an infant, leading up to their arrest and losing their parental rights. Nobody in his biological family wanted to take him, thus turning him in for foster care.

The reader is the definition of a typical teen, he dyed his hair, skateboards around the streets, spray painting murals and street art with kids around his age (legally ofc).

The reader's personality really fits the whole 'Don't judge a book by its cover' thing. He's a sweet and laid back kid, often running around the streets and helping the locals with their errands. He can be cunning, compulsive, and sarcastic at times, often having witty banters with the local kids in his age.

The reader is doing his usual errands when he witnesses the murder first hand, thus turning him into a key witness to the case. And now we meet both Nick and Edgey.

They both find it surprising that he's actually very cooperative and polite in contrast to his looks.

While gathering his testimony and his background info, they learn about the reader's past and current situation.

They then started to develop a father and son relationship throughout the trial, answering the reader's questions about their work, the reader rambling on about their current interest, and even helping the reader in his homework.

After the trial concludes and fast forward to a few months later, they have a little surprise for the reader and they pull out the adoption papers.

(Yes you can adopt a child in foster care if the biological parents' rights gets terminated by the court.)

Also sorry if it's too specific Kdhdndhsk-

Platonic headcanons Don't judge a book by its cover

⚖️ Phoenix Wright x teen male!Reader 🚲

You met Phoenix during one of the investigations. You were a teenager who was problematic in the eyes of society. That's what the police thought when you told them you witnessed a murder. They didn't believe you, thinking you were trying to interfere with the investigation, but Phoenix believed you. He knew from his own experience that it was not worth judging people by their appearance, so looking at a teenager with dyed hair, in a black leather jacket and with a skateboard, he was sure that you could really help him get to the truth and protect his client

You were talking in his office and then he found out that your appearance and your character were very different. Behind the gloomy exterior was a nice guy, polite and ready to help with the investigation. You tried to tell as much as possible of what you remembered and agreed to stay in the office until the investigation was completed. Phoenix was afraid that the real killer might try to get rid of you, because you were a key witness. He offered to call your parents, but you said it wasn't necessary. You openly told him that you lived with a foster family and that they didn't care where you were if you didn't cause them problems

Phoenix sincerely sympathized with you and did not understand how it was possible to treat you like this. During the time that he conducted his investigation, you seemed to him a good child. You chatted a lot, he helped you with homework as much as he could, you talked about art, because as it turned out, it was interesting for both of you, and Maya joked that you looked like you were father and son. This confused Phoenix, but the very thought did not repel him

After the completion of the trial, Phoenix continued to communicate with you. You saw each other often and he cared about you much more than your foster parents. A few months later, he called you to his office and said that there was something important that he had to tell you. After that, he took out the adoption documents. All these few months he has been preparing everything so that he can adopt you. When you found out about it, you couldn't hold back the tears. You were happy that a real father would appear in your life who really cares about you and who loves you

⚖️ Miles Edgeworth x teen male!Reader 🚘

Prosecutor Edgeworth has always taken his job seriously. That's why when he found out that there was a witness to the murder who saw everything that happened, he decided to talk to this witness himself. He was surprised when he saw a teenager with dyed hair, a black leather jacket, pierced ears, leather bracelets with spikes on his hands and a skateboard. You were the witness

At first he thought it would be a problem to get information from you, but it turned out not to be so. You didn't hide anything and were ready to help the investigation. Miles also took a responsible approach to finding out more about you, because he could not ignore the fact that you could lie and be associated with the killer. But it wasn't like that. You were an orphan with a difficult past and an equally difficult present. That's why you preferred to be in the police station or the prosecutor's office than in your temporary home

He didn't mind you being in his office. You didn't cause him any problems, you could talk peacefully, you were a smart and polite guy, he even helped you do your homework and explained topics that you didn't understand when he had free time. Several times he took you to a cafe so that you could eat properly. He acted like he was your father. You didn't have a father figure in your life, but Edgeworth handled that role well

After the completion of the trial, the prosecutor continued to spend time with you. The police are already used to seeing you, because you often came to Edgeworth. A few months later, when you came to him, a surprise was waiting for you. Adoption documents. Edgeworth wanted to adopt you, if of course you didn't mind. He wanted to become the same person for you as his father was for him. He wanted to give you a good life and a loving family that you deserved more than anyone else