#ly merrick

[shitty-mh-aus]

au where everything is the same but they all talk like Sims

.

[veryincorrectmarblehornets]

[tokillamockingbird427]

Elias talking to Merrick about his sons over coffee going "Yeah they're great, they love each other so much, I'm really happy they look out for each other." like he didn't have to rip them apart from each other because they were fighting like rabid dogs over the last blueberry bagel mere minutes before (Merrick was a witness to said event)

[squarebracketsmileyface]

does jay ever get confused or surprised by his own emotions or actions? i feel like its even worse whrn you dont even know why youre acting like this, because you cant explain ky to yourself, let alone other people

I think so. I know he definitely doesn't really realise he's doing some of it in the moment, especially when he's angry. Like, he just lashes out without even thinking about it, then refuses to let himself feel like he's in the wrong in the moment, because that'd mean "losing" in some way, so he usually doubles down. But like, yeah, I feel like a lot of the time he doesn't expect to react as severely as he does? Like, he's fine fine fine fine, until he's not and he just flies off the handle and can't really do anything about it until he's landed again, and then he can start trying to pick up all the pieces, y'know?

He definitely beats himself up when he settles on "oh I fucked up" after he does something (and tries to get Alex to beat him up over it too lmao, uh, anyway 💀) yeah, if you asked him WHY he did something? Chances are he'll bullshit you about the explanation. Like, I feel like hell make it sound like he knows why he did it, but then if you actually start prodding past the made up, surface level shit he came out with, you'd realise really fast that he doesn't know why he did something.

Either that or sometimes you'll get a massive flood of every single reason he can possibly think of for why he did something? Like you know in Sorry, It's Locked chapter three, when Tim kisses him and he freaks the fuck out and runs away, and then after that he kinda gives Tim just this massive flood of every single thing that lead up to that moment of him panicking and trying to run away.

He's all or nothing, 0 or 100, nothing in between. Either he knows every single thing about why he reacted how he did, or he doesn't have the foggiest, y'know?

[springagainafter]

Alas, romanced Liara's dialogue post-Noveria is exactly the same as friend Liara's, which is what I thought I remembered.

I've tentatively decided that Merrick's going to do a lot of hovering and Ash is gonna get Liara off the ship to go talk and be her person to vent to about how she's mad at Saren/her mom/herself/probably pretty much everyone on the ship but particularly Ash and Kaidan and Shepard for being there when her mom died.

Engineer Adams and Kaidan are of course Liara's (canonical!) people that she tells Benezia stories to. Approximately 90% of what goes on with Liara post-Noveria only gets described post-Thessia in 3.

[shelbym3rrick]

i had to make a whole post about this because….

[badolmen]

If I think about Hesh for too long I think I’ll burst into tears. This poor fucking guy. He has to sit helpless while a monster forces his little brother to shoot their dad. All he can do is scream. And when it comes time to kill that monster he barely makes it out alive, and then only thanks to his little brother. And the nightmare is over but it isn’t because the monster cannot die and takes away the only family Hesh has left. He has to sit helpless while the monster drags his little brother away. All he can do is scream.

His story ends bleeding and orphaned and alone.

[dreaminginthedeepsouth]

At a hearing in Washington, Republican representatives pull out their flame throwers, but have no facts to support any of their allegations. It's a bizarre exercise in the politics of lies, aggressively asserted. US Republican lawmakers on Wednesday accused the justice department of political bias in a contentious hearing with attorney-general Merrick Garland that focused on the criminal case against Joe Biden’s son. Jim Jordan, the House judiciary committee’s Republican chair, said that by naming David Weiss — the US attorney in Delaware — as special counsel to oversee cases involving Hunter Biden, Garland had “picked the one guy he knows will protect Joe Biden”. Garland strongly disputed accusations of a biased Department of Justice, stating repeatedly that he had maintained his promise that Weiss has full authority over probes into Hunter Biden.

“Our job is not to take orders from the president, from Congress, or from anyone else, about who or what to criminally investigate,” Garland said. “As the president himself has said, and I reaffirm today: I am not the president’s lawyer. I will also add I am not Congress’s prosecutor. The justice department works for the American people.” Republicans on the judiciary committee have been highly critical of the DoJ’s handling of the case against Hunter Biden. A previous plea deal meant to resolve the case collapsed earlier this year, and last week Hunter Biden was indicted on federal gun charges. The committee’s Republican members criticised Weiss for being too lax, and Jordan called the original plea deal “ridiculous” and last week’s indictment “face-saving”. The US attorney’s office in Delaware did not immediately return a request for comment.

The tense exchanges highlight the febrile environment in the US as the country gears up for presidential elections next year. Donald Trump, who faces four separate criminal cases at federal and state level, is the favourite to become the Republican presidential nominee. The former president has pleaded not guilty in all cases and has called the charges politically motivated. The White House said in a statement that House Republicans had “cranked up a circus of a hearing full of lies and disinformation with the sole goal of baselessly attacking President Biden and his family”. The hearing comes just days after Kevin McCarthy, the Republican Speaker of the House, launched an impeachment inquiry into Joe Biden related to his son’s business dealings. McCarthy has alleged the president “lied to the American people” about his knowledge of Hunter Biden’s business deals. The White House has repeatedly denied any allegations of wrongdoing. When discussing Weiss’s appointment as special counsel, Republican congressman Tom McClintock asked if the move was because of “corruption or incompetence”. Garland responded: “Those are the kinds of questions that judges would rule out of order.”

[Financial Times]

[cannibalcleaver]

Fun marble hornets facts I learned while watching the S3 DVD w/ creators commentary

-Tim Wright works as a short order cook at 15th Street diner

-Joseph, Tim (S) and Troy have all hit trains with rocks at the train tracks in entry #53

-Tim Wright supposedly was playing the part of a construction worker during Alex Kralie's "Marble Hornets", due to where Tim worked at the time and his access to heavy machinery

-Tim Wright can play Beethoven on Ukulele.

-In the music room flashback, there was a bass guitar that's actually Jay's :3!

-The piano Alex messes around with is Tim Wright's (the piano actually belongs to Tim Sutton, and was given to him by his grandma.)

-The Spectrograph in Decay (TTA) is actually Brian Haight, who portrays Brian Thomas.

-Members of the cast got recognized while filming in entry #55, which is just neat

-Joseph DeLage wears Tim's shirt during entry #53

-In Entry #58, when Hoodie appears, he's played by Joseph DeLage

-Joseph DeLage said himself that Alex Kralie isn't the best director

-Troy Wagner stated that Jay Merrick never got better at lying throughout the series, but that writing Jay's excuses and lies was pretty fun.

[packagecfgirlyevil-a]

"Well, you know what they say, there's no reason to start something unless you know where it's going to end. I mean, why settle for a single date, when we can just go all in?" She links her arm through his as they head towards their favorite late night spot, the only one who didn't judge Merrick for how much she ordered at 2am. "I mean, how many kids are we planning? Are we going back to Maine, or Georgia, or starting our own life somewhere altogether? Let's just throw a dart at the map and go there, whatdya think?"

Kellan smiles as she plays along. He knows she feels the same way he does, he can feel it, but he understands her reasons for hesitancy. Selfishly he wished he could have met her before anybody else even got the opportunity to break her heart. "A lot of demands from somebody who won't let me take her out on a date," he jokes. Despite the teasing he remains patient, happy to have whatever little bits of Merrick he can get in the meantime.

[strlingsav]

Bestie. Can I request Keegan. He needs the Savannah treatment. Tension with reader and they bang. That’s all I need.

Can be enemies, can be friends who refuse to acknowledge the tension, what ever you fancy. ✨🌚❤️

Anything for you and your man 🫶🏻 ily

Requited

– Keegan P. Russ x F!Reader

— Tension between yourself and Keegan comes to a boiling point post-mission.

Explicit sexual content under the cut. Read at your own risk.

Your recon-patrol mission had finally come to an end, an exhausting endeavour among the rubble of No Man's Land with a short detour. Alex, having been successfully extracted from the stadium, was all too keen on retreating to safety and crashing for the evening. You yourself found the invitation for sleep nearly impossible to resist, but your stomach had been growling loudly for majority of the evening.

You'd showered, scrubbed every particle of blood, dirt and sweat from your body, still sore from the day's work. Your arms ached, legs stiff and your back tight; the warm water worked at the knots in your muscles, but a good night's rest was still calling to you. You opted to find something to settle your stomach, before heading to bed.

Elias and Thomas busied themselves in the kitchenette, raiding the cabinets for some form of liquor to wash down the stress of the day. You tried to slink into the room unnoticed, hide your presence under the loud laughter and talking from only a few feet away. Your eyes shifted as you caught a glimpse of Keegan, hands on the table, nodding along with the conversation.

You'd first met Keegan under complicated conditions- working with the Federation to further their cause, you'd only recently come to join the Ghosts and their efforts against the organization.

He'd nearly killed you when you met, filled with unbridled rage as he demanded to know Rorke's whereabouts and what exactly you knew of him. It was a long night of interrogating, shouting, swearing; threats passed between you before it crumbled with your confession. News of your commanding officer's betrayal spurred your decision to leave, whether it meant joining Keegan or being executed.

You were shown mercy, recruited to their task force with the overwhelming knowledge and insight you held of the federation. You were valuable, though still sat on the outskirts of their brotherhood, a stranger.

Your feelings for Keegan were layered between pure hatred and attraction, though they had softened over the last few months while working with him. In fact, to your reluctant dismay, you even had moments of weakness where he was endearing.

It grew from a vague fondness to entertaining the thought of his hands and lips on your body. Even now, noticing the swell of arousal seeping into your lower stomach.

You'd never admit it- you clung to the shadows, kept yourself hidden from the spotlight and cooperated as best you could to avoid ruffling feathers. Making yourself obvious was not in your interest, nor was drawing attention to your conflicting feelings about Keegan.

You were a bit annoyed with yourself for finding Keegan's presence, physical appearance, even his voice from across the room- to be attractive instead of irritating.

You'd be lying if you hadn't imagined what it would be like to kiss him- after a long day, to pull the mask off his face and taste words of affection and praise in that gruff voice that gave you goosebumps. Only late at night would you let the thoughts snowball, otherwise, he was still as far out of arm's reach as he'd always been.

You noticed most of them, including Keegan, were half-way to intoxicated. You tried to wiggle your way in unnoticed, but Merrick drew attention to you as soon as you stepped in the room, calling out your name.

"Join us," He gestured, waving you over to the aged table. "Long day calls for a drink."

"Just getting something to eat. I'll see you in the morning."

You'd managed to find a ration hidden in a scarcely-stocked cabinet, and held it up to show him.

Keegan's eyes followed you in your military-issued T-shirt and sweatpants that you managed to fit into so well. Ghost trails plagued his vision, watching you dig through the cupboards for a utensil of any kind, then straighten again. He took a shot of the cheap liquor being shared, his eyes narrowed at you, when you turned and met his gaze.

"The Rookie's too good for a drink with us," Keegan spoke up, indifference in his tone, but you picked up on a sour note. "Let her go." He shrugged.

You wanted to pretend it didn't sting- the rejection hurt more than you cared to admit, especially given the man it came from. It wasn't like you were trying to weasel your way into their good graces, but some slack would've eased your nerves.

Keegan didn't look away when your eyes met his, instead, he took it as a challenge. A dare, of sorts- who would cower from the exchange first. It wouldn't be him, couldn't be him; not with the alcohol in his bloodstream and sudden onset of intrigue - or something like it- simmering in his gut.

His eyes moved to the outline of your curves. Sometimes, he swore you knew exactly how you made him feel; infuriatingly aroused. It always irked him, the feeling of betrayal, like allowing himself to picture you in any way other than the enemy made him a traitor.

His brain hadn't yet entirely rewired itself to see you as his teammate. He still held contempt for your past secrecy and cooperation with the federation. It was only a coincidence that this contempt manifested itself into a sick irony of attraction, admiration, lust.

He had been impressed by your commitment to your cause, though your new-found loyalty to the Ghosts was much easier to digest. He was still suspicious, of course- good looks and a glimpse of your ass wouldn't change that, but his mind always wandered to what you felt like, sounded like, especially if it were to involve him.

He'd spent more than a few frustrating evenings with his legs spread, head against his pillow, fist wrapped around his cock as he imagined you riding him- something he desperately wanted to stop doing but couldn't. You didn't help, either; always unknowingly adding to the collection of mental images he'd circle back to in the darkness of his bunk.

"Nothing you could say would interest me anyway, Russ." You answered, watching him drop the bottle from his lips.

Elias and Merrick hid their grins, watching Keegan's face drop.

You bowed out, a sliver of pride settling in your chest, and strode away to your bunk to devour your meal. It wasn't worth the extra effort to stay and argue, wasn't worth destroying the already delicate ecosystem between yourself and Keegan. Anything tipping it off balance would be potentially catastrophic for you and the task force.

Your nerves had settled after retreating to safety, though were quickly rattled again as Keegan appeared at your door nearly half an hour later. You set the rations aside, standing to meet him, before he entered of his own accord.

"Do you like being alone, rookie?" He asked, leaning against the door frame. His question came in the form of an accusation, rather than genuine curiosity.

You hated the nickname- your rank was equal to that of Keegan's, though he liked to be poignant about how he viewed you. You weren't yet truly a part of the task force.

"No, I'm just tired."

Your argument was cut short as he neared you, uncharacteristically bold. You'd known him as a quiet man, a bit antisocial when he wasn't working- but his demeanour had changed, his tone cutting your words in half. You suspected the alcohol had something to do with it.

"I've seen you sneaking off. Makes me think you're hiding something."

You quirked a brow up, knowing you'd hurt his ego with your snide remark. You wanted to scoff in his face, but swallowed your attitude for later. As he came closer, you felt a familiar tremble of arousal beginning in your gut- the same one that shouldn't be there.

"Not hiding, just staying out of the way." You insisted.

"I know your history."

"I don't have anything to hide," You said, lifting your head to meet his eyes.

You gulped, hoping he was oblivious to the unsavoury thoughts and feelings you'd been experiencing about him. Surely, he was suspicious because of your past with the federation- still, your heart raced in your chest for all the wrong reasons.

"Seems like you do. And I don't think you've forgotten how it ended last time."

You breathed out, now imagining his large hands punishing you. The bittersweet sting of his palm against your ass while his hips rocked into you- it made you shiver. You squeezed your thighs together, hoping it was more subtle than it was.

He closed in on you, nearly chest-to-chest.

"I have nothing to hide," You repeated, watching his brows furrow.

"Bullshit," He scoffed. "I can see it on your face."

"Sergeant," You warned, feeling flustered and overwhelmed, but now filled with a bit of contempt for his relentlessness. "If you have reason to believe I'm hiding something, say it. Otherwise, I'm going to bed."

He set his jaw, taken aback by your sudden influx of confidence. He was almost confused, the liquor amplifying every emotion he was feeling, including the strange sensation in his gut that yearned to touch you, feel your lips just once even if never again.

"You're trouble, rookie. I just know it." He shook his head.

"Maybe," You said into the air, locking eyes as he licked his lips. "Or are you just looking for it?" It wasn't meant to be laced with a sultry tone, or sound so deviously sexual, but it hit Keegan's ears and caused a rush of blood to his groin.

He shook his head again, trying to lose the wild thoughts that snuck up on him. He knew you were trouble- maybe not a traitor, but a damn tease. His cock was already pushing against his jeans just watching the furrow of your brows and small pout you put on. Everything about you was inviting- your eyes, your lips, your smell.

"I don't need to look, I know it when I see it."

"You're just looking for a reason to get rid of me, Russ."

"I'm looking for you to be honest," He growled. "You've got something you're not sharing with the rest of us."

"I'm entitled to my privacy."

"Not with your past offences."

"Are you always an asshole to your teammates, or do you save it for me?"

"You'd know if I were being an asshole."

"I'd hate to be around when that happens."

"I think you can handle more than you let on, Rookie."

"If my position on this task force is too much for you to handle-"

His hand came up to rest beside your head, his body moving closer yours, leaving barely an inch between you. It became clear when his next words passed his lips, what exactly his intentions were.

"I can handle you, rookie," He said; quiet, but filled with the deep husk of his voice in your ear. "I promise you that."

Your knees nearly melted, dropping an inch as you met his gaze. Your hands flattened against the wall, your stomach tying itself in knots.

A surge of arousal awakened your confidence once more- fairly certain that his interrogating was not the result of suspicion, but lust. You straightened your legs, finding his eyes as you stood up.

"Don't make promises you can't keep, Sergeant. I'd hate to be disappointed." You pursed your lips, afraid that you'd gone too far, that he hadn't meant what he'd said the way you perceived it.

But he cracked a smile- a twitch of his lip that made you exhale harshly. He liked a challenge. Didn't back down from dangerous or difficult conditions- he was notorious for his resiliency. You weren't going to be an exception, not when he wanted you so badly.

The air stood still for a moment- the two of you silently reading the unspoken words settled in your eyes. It was tense- undeniably rigid, heat passing between your bodies.

Without another moment passing, he lifted his hand to the back of your neck, rough callouses scraping your skin as he pulled you closer. His lips engulfed yours so quickly, it shocked you, caused your teeth to clash together and your brain to pause for a moment while you registered the chain of events.

Whether passion or frustration, he opened his mouth, forcing yourself to do the same, and slid his tongue against yours.

Your small squeaks and quick breaths turned to quiet moans as his other hand snaked around your waist, pulling your groin flush with his. You could feel the thick length of his cock pressing against your abdomen, and a flutter of excitement tickled your insides.

Your hands lifted to his shoulders, wrapping around to feel the hair on the nape of his neck, pulling him closer into you, pressing your breasts against his chest.

"Shit," He cussed, low and quiet. He prompted you to jump up into his arms, his hands gripping your ass as he held you close to his groin.

You clung to his waist, reconnecting your lips as he travelled slowly to the small bed against the wall. With each step, your lips and teeth knocked against each other, tongues sliding together, hands tangled in his short hair.

He dropped you down, eyes locked on yours like a predator about to devour his prey. He used his hand to push the waist band of your sweatpants down, finding you bare beneath them. In response, he groaned.

"Damn, you infuriate me," He breathed.

"Shut up," You replied.

You pressed your lips against his again as his fingers crept toward your pussy, two of them beginning to rub circles over your clit, in turn causing your back to arch off the mattress. He watched with parted lips, so focused on your expression of pleasure he nearly forgot about the aching in his pants.

He listened to your sweet moans of desperation, watched your lips part as you breathed deeply, moaned quietly. Your arms had tangled themselves around his shoulders, holding onto him tightly as he slowly forced his fingers inside you.

His head dropped, eyes wandering to your breasts, hard nipples pressing against your T-shirt, and the view of his fingers inside your wet cunt as he yanked your sweats off.

He could hardly believe how soft you were- tight around his fingers and almost moulding around them. He flicked them inside you, massaging the spongy dome that made you clench around him, while his thumb returned to your clit.

He took a deep breath in, resisting the urge to slide inside you without anymore delay.

"You are trouble," He breathed, his head dipping down to your ear. "Were you thinkin' about me before I came in here?"

You opened your eyes to find his, your mouth opening and closing as you tried to find the words to respond. Haphazard strokes over your clit were already helping lead you closer to orgasm, and his fingers filling you only pushed you over the edge.

"I-" You gulped, pausing to catch your breath. "I was thinking about you," You answered. It was honest, vague- there were too many things you'd thought about.

"Thinkin' about the guy you hate making you cum?" He sped up his pace, earning a tortured squeak from your lips.

"Asshole," You breathed.

"Give it up, baby. I know you wanna cum."

You wanted to be irritated, but his fingers were still inside you and he showed no signs of relenting until you climaxed, which meant there was no focusing on anything other than the building suspense in your gut.

It unraveled quickly, especially with his confession to paint a vivid picture in your mind. Your pussy convulsed around his fingers, and his lips found yours amongst your open-mouthed moans.

You were muffled by his lips, whimpering quietly into him when he removed his fingers and undid his belt in one fell swoop. He had hardly dropped his pants off his hips before he was pulling your shirt over your head and lavishing your breasts with hot kisses.

Your breathing increased, chest heaving as he savoured the taste of your skin, ran his warm tongue over your nipples. At the same time, he guided his cock to the heat of your pussy, gently probing before sliding deep into your soft, silky depths.

He groaned harshly, matching a soft moan that bubbled up from your throat as you felt his cock fill you. Your chest flooded with warmth, abdomen clenching as he reached your cervix and pulled back.

He cursed, gathering your hands in one of his and pinning them above your head.

"You feel just as good as you look," He grumbled, his hips moving slowly.

Your nostrils flared as you tried to regain some semblance of control, widening your legs to allow his hips to become flush with yours. Your back arched again, unintentionally wrenching against your flesh restraints before settling beneath him.

"Keegan," You whimpered, meeting his gaze as his pace began to pick up.

His breaths of exertion fanned your face, disappearing until he was beside your ear and you could hear every moan and groan that left his lips.

His cock continued to penetrate your walls, shifting your hips to angle it in a way that made your teeth clench. His cock rubbed against your clit, simultaneously stimulating your G-spot.

Your eyes squeezed shut, hands flexing open and closed while he met your hips with aggressive thrusts. Your breasts were pressed against his chest, quiet moans escaping between deep breaths.

"You're hard to resist, you know that?" He grunted.

You turned your head, watching him as he watched you. His hand released yours, and you took the opportunity to force him beside you, sliding over his lap as he lay back.

His brows lifted in shock, lying back as he helped guide you over his lap.

"It doesn't have to be that way," You breathed, repositioning yourself until you were comfortable. "Stop the interrogating, and I'm willing to surrender- anytime."

You gently sat down, his hand helping to guide his cock back inside you with a short grunt.

He grinned softly, until you moved your hips forward and rode his lap. His hands flew to your hips, grabbing at your flesh. His palm left a quick smack against your ass.

"Deal," He nodded. "Just don't stop now."

You continued, grinding your hips against him, thrusting his cock inside you. Your hands planted themselves on his chest, your hips moving at a pace that began to cause a build up of tension in your stomach.

His fingers began to rub circles over your clit again, causing a shudder to run through you before you continued.

"Shit-" He cursed, feeling you pulse around him. "Shit baby, that's it."

You exhaled, throwing your head back and watching the ceiling as you tried to avoid cumming, to avoid giving him the satisfaction of making you orgasm twice; but your stomach twisted with pleasure.

Your fingers dug into his skin, your head falling as your orgasm descended and you froze. Aside from your hips grinding sloppily, your lips were agape, breath stopped.

Keegan continued, gently thrusting up into you as he neared his own orgasm, watching your eyes meet his with desperation, pupils blown from the adrenaline and oxytocin in your veins. His hands moulded to your hips, gliding around your waist and thighs until he reached your hands on his chest.

"I'm gonna cum, baby," He moaned, squeezing your hands before letting go.

You didn't relent, continuing to ride his cock until he went rigid. His fingers probed your flesh, grabbing harshly as he released inside you and his hips stuttered. He shivered, blinked a few times before he regained sentience and met your gaze.

"You're trouble," He grinned, exhaling harshly. "But I won't hold it against you."

[justinspoliticalcorner]

Lisa Needham at Public Notice:

It has often been said that Donald Trump was running for president to keep himself out of prison. Mission accomplished.

But the fact that Trump wasn’t behind bars long ago, that he didn’t suffer any consequences for his criming and now likely never will, can be laid squarely at the feet of one man: Attorney General Merrick Garland. Garland dragged his feet on prosecuting Trump for election interference and pilfering classified documents, making it easy for him to run out the clock.  Coming in on the heels of a literal insurrection, Garland was a bad fit for his job from the jump. He made clear early on that he didn’t see addressing issues from the Trump era as a priority, declaring that he would not look backward. Garland is an institutionalist, leading him to see his real job as protecting the Department of Justice rather than imposing any consequences on Bill Barr and others who turned the DOJ into a corrupt playground. Someone who saw the abstract notion of an institution as more important than actual people and actual wrongdoing was never going to be the person who aggressively pursued an ex-president whose crimes were always in full view, which was what the country desperately needed back in 2021.

Bringing a knife to a gunfight

Rather than moving quickly to prosecute people — including Trump — for January 6, Garland’s first moves were to take actions that actually favored Trump, all in the name of protecting the institution. In May 2021, the DOJ went to court to block the release of most of a Bill Barr memo that might have revealed how hard Barr worked to avoid charging Trump with obstruction of justice after the Mueller report. There, Garland was continuing work that had begun under Trump. But while it made sense that Barr would want to block the release of information revealing his role in helping Trump, it made no sense for Garland to want the same. The country had both a right and a need to learn everything possible about what happened during the first Trump presidency and led to a spasm of treasonous violence. That’s far more important than getting a generally favorable ruling on the DOJ’s right to sit on memos. 

Garland also moved quickly to defend Trump against defamation claims by E. Jean Carroll, brought after Trump claimed she made up her accusation of sexual assault to sell books. The DOJ filed a brief substituting the government as the defendant for Trump so it could argue that Trump’s defamation of Carroll was done in the scope of his employment as president, which would likely have resulted in the case getting dismissed. As with the Barr memo, Garland decided it was more important to preserve the DOJ’s general ability to protect federal officials from defamation claims than to acknowledge the unprecedented nature of Trump’s behavior and let him suffer the consequences he clearly deserved.  Taken in a vacuum, neither of these actions would be quite so galling. In both instances, Garland was generally trying to maximize the DOJ’s power, which isn’t necessarily awful. But what is galling is that he took these two steps with such swiftness, only a few months after being confirmed, while not showing nearly the same concern to address Trump’s crimes. 

Fairness to the point of absurdity

Garland’s desire to always appear evenhanded is also what led to the ridiculously aggressive pursuit of Hunter Biden, naming a special counsel and ultimately successfully prosecuting the president’s son for tax evasion and lying on a federal form to obtain a gun. And don’t forget how swiftly Garland appointed a special counsel to investigate President Biden’s retention of classified material. In early November 2022, the White House voluntarily disclosed that some classified documents had been found at Biden’s think tank. The FBI opened an investigation five days later, and Garland raced to name a special counsel, appointing Robert Hur in January 2023. Hur was a Trump appointee, serving as United States Attorney for the District of Maryland from 2018 to 2021, and he demonstrated his hackishness by releasing a report in February of this year that did grave political damage to Biden by gratuitously describing him as an “elderly man with a poor memory.”

While Garland couldn’t move fast enough to protect the DOJ and to aggressively pursue the Biden family to show his evenhandedness, he didn’t get around to naming Jack Smith as a special prosecutor until November 2022, nearly two years after the insurrection. By that time, it was likely already too late. This is true even if Smith had not run into unexpected obstacles, such as Trump winning over the Supreme Court with an absurd argument that he was basically wholly immune from criminal charges.

[...]

All those motions and appeals take time, which is why it was a bad idea to wait until November 2022 to appoint Smith, who then had to convene a grand jury to consider criminal charges over Trump’s willful retention of classified documents and his lies to the FBI about it. Smith didn’t issue an indictment in that case until June 2023. Smith had to convene a separate grand jury for charges related to the insurrection, so the DOJ didn’t indict Trump on those charges until August 2023.

This left Smith overseeing two incredibly complex cases against a defendant with nearly limitless resources, given that Trump could keep tapping political action committees for his legal bills, shifting the cost to his campaign donors and the RNC. By March 2024, Trump had racked up $100 million in legal fees, and while he kept draining the coffers of various PACs, donors were always eager to replenish those funds. Therefore, Trump could file as many frivolous motions as he wanted and run out the clock without taking any money out of his pocket. Smith never honestly had a chance that these cases would wrap up before Election Day. Garland’s foot-dragging on naming Smith is precisely what allowed Trump to run out the clock on his federal criminal charges, setting the stage for a presidential run that culminated Tuesday with his shockingly thorough defeat of Vice President Kamala Harris.

Appointing Merrick Garland to AG was a terrible choice in retrospect, as his timidness allowed a criminal to get off scot-free and run for President (and win).

[mykneeshurt]

Ice

Keegan x AFAB reader

This is what he’s wearing in this … Keegan is underrated in this outfit. @sashadiurnal @taurus-ted I know you love him, and thank you once again to @yeyinde for these perfect clockwork gifs.

Warnings - 18+, minors DNI, p in v, fingering, unprotected sex, implied breath play and choking, praise kink, cream pie

Walking through the snow you tried desperately to keep up with Keegan. The snow nipped at your knees as you waded through the vast landscape. The terrain was as unforgiving as it was beautiful, the moon shone down on you both casting elongated shadows before you. Your lungs burnt from the cold air permeating the tissue deep within your chest. You were running on empty.

It was meant to be a straight forward mission, get in, extract the information and get out. Meant to be being the operative phrase. What went wrong, did go wrong. The guards were alerted early, forcing you to abandon the mission. Hesh, Logan and Merrick got split off from you as you tried to escape, forcing you to pair with Keegan. Not that you minded, you’d be lying if you didn’t admit you’d had a crush on him since day one.

‘Come on kid, gotta keep up’ his husky voice burst through the deafening silence between you. The cold air burnt as you tried to keep your breaths steady, trying to focus on just moving one foot in front of the other. ‘You still with me kid?’

‘Barely’ you shot back, not meaning for it come across as blunt as it did. He turned his head briefly, giving you a once over.

‘I can see something up a head looks like an old building or house. We’ll head there for the night.’ Groaning in agreement you again focused your mind back on your breathing. In and out. Nice and slow. The snow crunched under your boots, hypnotising you as you counted your steps. Anything to distract you from the cold.

Approaching the old structure you breathed a sigh of relief, you weren’t sure what you were looking forward too more. Sitting down or taking your boots off. It was an old run down cottage, the top floor had caved in on itself long ago. Keegan cautiously opened the door, he swept the downstairs area checking for any imminent danger. Once he was satisfied he returned to the living room and threw his backpack on the floor .

The ground floor consisted of a small living room, dilapidated kitchen and bathroom. An old torn sofa was the focus point of the living room, along with an old stone fire place. You walked over to the fire place and stuck your head up the chimney. Lucky for you chimney was still open, meaning you could light a fire. ‘Keegan?’

‘Yeah?’

‘We can light a fire!’ Your voice echoed up the empty chimney.

He joined you at the chimney bending his 6’1 frame to meet yours. ‘Don’t hurt yourself now’ you quipped, a grin on your face. He rolled his eyes ‘hilarious, I’ll go look out back see if there’s any wood.’ Nodding you went and sat on the sofa removing your boots. Stretching your cramped feet a moan of ecstasy escaped your lips.

Keegan returned empty handed, ‘no luck?’ You asked as you massaged your aching feet. ‘Nothing. But that might do’ he said nodding his head towards an old table. He walked over to it and flipped it upside down, gripping the leg he pulled it clean off. Now while the table was likely rotten he still made it look effortless. He grunted softly as he yanked off the remaining three legs. You watched in awe, thinking about how his strong hands would feel around your throat.

You didn’t realise how zoned out you were till Keegan was stood in front of you, hand out stretched. ‘Lighter?’ Plummeting back to reality you shook the depraved thoughts from your mind. As you handed it to him the tips of your fingers grazed the palm of his hand. He held his hand there a little longer than usual as your eyes met. He watched as your mouth opened slightly, a shaky featherlight breath danced along your lips.

‘Thanks.’

He hovered by the fire place as he tried to set some old cloth alight. Eventually he managed to get a decent size fire going, ‘finally’ he huffed. He stood there warming his hands against the flames. You stood next to him and placed a hand on his shoulder ‘thank fuck, good job sir.’ He felt his heart flutter at the praise, you’d praised him before, but not like this. Not in these circumstances.

Sitting on the floor your stretched out your legs, removing your jacket so you were just in your base layer. Keegan sat next you and did the same, as he removed his jacket he glanced over at you. He took in the shape of your body as the orange glow of the fire enveloped you. How your shadow flickered against the stone wall of the cottage, accentuating the shape of your breasts and neck. He could feel his self control faltering.

‘What’s the plan?’ You asked innocently looking over to meet his gaze once more. ‘Rest for the night, see if we can get out of this comms black out zone …’ he looked around nervously. ‘What?’ You asked, eyebrows raised. ‘We’ll have to share the sofa.’

‘For warmth?’

‘For warmth.’

You felt your heart rate pick up, butterflies now making themselves known in the pits of your stomach. The flutter of their wings transcended from your stomach to your cunt, causing you to clench against the seam of your trousers. ‘Ok’ you breathed heavily, trying to keep some composure about you. He’d ditched his jacket, his thick muscles pushed against the fabric of his undershirt. Without his jacket on you could see his sculpted body teasing you from beneath his clothes. ‘You want the inside or the outside?’

‘Of what?’ Your mind too distracted to think straight. ‘The sofa.’

Oh.

‘Inside, I like to be near something solid when I sleep.’ He nodded.

‘Found some old blankets we can use. Might smell, but it’ll do.’ You smiled and nodded at your Sargent.

Yawning you made your way to the sofa, feeling on edge, were you excited? Excited at the prospect of what could happen? Surely not. He’s your superior, a friend. Was this a line you wanted to cross? You felt giddy with questions.

Facing the back of the sofa you felt it dip behind you as Keegan slid in next to you. ‘Is this ok? I know it’s not ideal.’ You could feel his warmth seep through your clothes as he relaxed into you. ‘Yeah’ you whispered, your mouth suddenly becoming dry. As he settled down next to you, the only sound that could be heard was the crackle of the fire. His breath tickled the baby hairs at the nape of your neck.

The oxygen in your lungs felt heavy, you could feel your panties becoming wet from the mere thought of him touching you. You stared wide eyed at the worn patterned fabric in front of you. Begging yourself to fall asleep, but you couldn’t shut off your mind. ‘Can I just …’ Keegan shifted behind you, sliding his arm under your neck. Settling back onto his arm you could feel his muscles tense against your skin.

You counted your breaths as you tried to steady your heart, it was now or never.

Trying to disguise it as just moving you arched your back, pushing your ass into him. You felt his arm tense under you as you heard his breath hitch in his chest. Keegan bit his lip trying desperately to compose himself, you were his subordinate. This was wrong. But he wanted it, he wanted you.

‘Kid?’ His pet name for you brushed over you in a wave of pure excitement. ‘Keegan.’ He laid his free hand on your hip, drawing small circles. Tracing the texture of your skin under the pad of his thumb. Closing your eyes you swallowed, hard. You arched your back again. This time Keegan squeezed your hip pulling you in closer to him.

You turned your head slowly as you looked up at him through your lashes. His ice blue eyes bore down into your own as his grip tightened. You dropped your gaze to his lips, his perfect rosey pink lips. Your chest felt heavy with want as you hovered just above his lips. Breath fanned over each others lips, silently daring each other to make the first move. Keegan flitted his eyes from your own to your lips, his mouth gently brushed yours as he moved his hand from your hip to your jaw. He brushed your jaw with his thumb urging you to give in.

You whispered his name into his lips as you pressed yours against them. All the tension fell from your body as you relaxed into the kiss. It was cautious at first, but it was soft and tender. Keegan caressed his fingers along your neck causing you groan into his kiss. Pulling back you nipped his bottom lip and smiled at him. Brushing hair out of your face he bucked his hips into you as he coaxed your mouth open, deepening the kiss. Reaching behind you, you cradled the back of his head whilst running your fingers through his jet black hair.

With your foreheads still pressed together you broke the kiss, trying to catch your breath. ‘Touch me Keegan, please’ you whimpered. He searched your eyes as he smiled at you ‘you sure?’ You tried to find words to answer him but found none. ‘Words sweetheart, use em.’ Sighing you focused your mind just about managing to whimper a ‘yes.’

Dropping his hand to your trousers he popped the button sliding his hand into your panties. His breath wavered as he trailed his fingers along your slit. ‘Please’ you begged again.

‘So needy, you sound so pretty when you beg.’ You could practically hear him smiling behind you. ‘Just fuckin touch me Keegan’ you hissed between your teeth. He let out a cocky grunt as he pressed against your clit causing you to jolt. ‘That feel good?’ You grunted a moan of affirmation.

As he slowly gathered your arousal on his fingers he whispered into your ear ‘I want you to taste yourself.’ He brought his fingers to your mouth, you ran your tongue along his fingers savouring the taste of your pussy. He whispered praise against your cheek as he sunk his fingers back into your trousers. He toyed with your cunt once more before plunging a finger into your tight hole. You bit your lip as you bucked your hips back into him. ‘So fukin wet’ he praised.

The palm of his hand ground against your clit as he moved his fingers inside you. Your moans became more frequent, intense which only spurred him on more. ‘Fuck, you feel so good, this pussys perfect.’ The praise was sending you wild, but you wanted more. More of him. ‘Fuck me … please.’

Without wasting any time Keegan pulled his trousers low enough to free his cock. You pushed back into him once more, ‘patience’ he mumbled into your neck. A choked giggle bust from the back of your throat, you really did sound pathetic. But part of you loved feeling like this, putty in his hands, coming undone beneath him. He gathered your juices on the end of his cock before pushing himself into you. Both of you gasping for air as he gripped your hips.

He thrusted slowly at first, allowing you to get used to his girth. ‘Fuck Keegan’ you drawled, slurring your words as he started to pick up his pace. Using his arm that was under your neck to pull you closer to him he pawed at your breasts. Tweaking your nipple as he placed the other around your neck. ‘Fuck baby … fuck …’ his voice began to crack as his eyes rolled back into his head.

You moaned into his arm but Keegan pulled your throat back into him, ‘I wanna hear you, I wanna hear when you come round my cock.’ Feeling as though you’d now gained permission you allowed yourself to moan louder. He upped his pace again, burying his cock deep into your dripping pussy. He became breathless as his groans shifted to the back of his throat. He could feel you begin to tighten around him ‘that’s it, atta girl … I can feel you, cum for me sweetheart.’

‘Don’t stop Keegan, fuck … don’t stop’ you choked out. You gripped onto his muscular thighs as you dug your nails into his skin. Turning your head you kissed him once more, swiping your tongues against one another’s in between moans. ‘I’m close’ you whisper as you zone in on your muscles tightening. ‘Come on, come on my cock … good girl.’

With a few more thrusts you fell into the void of complete euphoria. Your pupils blown wide with pleasure and lust as you felt Keegan’s thrusts become sloppy. Sensing he was close you placed your hand on his lower back ‘in me Keegan, cum in me.’ His voice broke into a whimper at your command. It was enough to push him to his climax, cumming inside your stretched pussy. Thick ropes of cum coated your walls as you felt his cock pulsate within your cunt.

Heavy breathing filled the suddenly silent room, the fire had withered away to embers, the orange glow has become a dull light in the background. He pulled you in tight kissing your cheek ‘ready?’ You nodded, as he pulled out you both hissed at the sudden loss of sensation. He watched as his cum oozed out of you, you looked ethereal in the dull glow of the fire, so … breed-able.

Standing he pulled up his trousers and went to stoke the fire, rolling over you watched as he knelt down and tended to the dying flames. He turned back to see you smirking at him ‘what?’

‘Nothing.’

‘Doesn’t look like nothing.’

Your grin grew wider ‘just enjoyed myself is all.’

His gaze softened as he looked at you ‘it’s always been you, you know.’

‘What?’ Your eyes widened as you sat up onto your elbow. After poking the fire he returned to your side and cupped your face, ‘I said it’s always been you.’ Pulling him into a tender kiss you ran your thumb along his jaw, ‘then you’ll always have me.’

[packagecfgirlyevil-a]

"I get it," she said earnestly. And she did, at least as much as she could. There was a reason she didn't have the ambition for fame like her mother had, or the desire to be the best like her sister did. Sometimes a life at the top looked so hollow to her - how could you trust anyone around you to be genuine, to be what they said when they only wanted certain aspects of their personalities?

"I mean, as much as I can. Travel and money and luxury sounds nice, but if you're surrounded by people who only want you for that, who do you have to come home to?" She reached her hand out, grasping onto Jody's, her heart aching for him.

"For the record, you always have a home here, with me." With them. She knew she had to tell him, but how she was going to was impossible. She'd kept all pictures of Lucas off social media, anything that would showcase his father's features in him at least, and had so far evaded showing Jody anything either.

But he had to know. She knew that. But what if telling him was akin to throwing dynamite in his life? Even if he was lonely, he was happy enough - and she didn't want to ruin that. "Not that you'd want it. I mean, it sounds nice in theory, but reading Clifford ten times before bed is exhausting, especially if you have to do the voices. And the farthest I've been since he was born was probably the Florida coast - it just doesn't make sense until he's old enough to appreciate it, y'know?"

Lonely?

Jody was visibly taken aback by that, somewhat perplexed. The other thing about being famous was that an echo chamber was built around you. Whatever you say, goes. Any anxiety that simmered underneath press events or interviews or photoshoots was pushed aside, mostly by way of empty praise from his so-called friends, his agent. Whatever got them out of there and into all the designer stores or the fancy steakhouses faster. Yeah, man, you looked great. You killed it, you did!

It had been a long time since somebody had been honest with him, and bluntly so. Often his coach in college, and sometimes his coach in the pro league right now—but even the latter was always buffed with some sort of sweet talk to keep spirits up. If he sucked, he wanted someone to tell him he sucked. If he was lonely, he wanted someone to tell him he was lonely. Otherwise he wouldn't realize it until it was too late.

He just lacked that self-awareness, he supposed.

"Yeah, I don't know if 'lonely' is the right word," he answered, though he was—probably very clearly, to Merrick—in denial. "Those reporters ask stupid-ass questions, like, 99% of the time. It's hard to take them seriously." But that wasn't what she really meant, was it?

He took a drink, cleared his throat, and faced her question. "To be honest, it's been a while since I've thought about 'home.' I don't really know where my home is," he said, chuckling. "It sounds dumb as fuck but. Ever since high school graduation I've been going all over the place. And yeah, it's a stupid thing to complain about—oh, you're traveling sooo much and meeting all these different people and all this shit—but I don't know. Sometimes I wish I could go somewhere and feel like I really belong there."

[springagainafter]

Was fiddling with the lines in the Benezia convo and there's a "Liara's here because she wants to be. Not because I asked her to" option.

Yeah, earlier when they figure out Benezia's on Noveria Merrick definitely lays out the possible scenarios (most of them bad) for how things might go to Liara and is insistent that it's her choice whether or not she goes along.

[bryhoney]

Recognisance Pt.3

Keegan POV!

(yay!)

I may come back and edit this if I proofread it again...

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Keegan knew it was a set-up. 

He knew that Rorke had purposefully leaked the intel of his next location to bait them. Among the information recovered was your old alias, and that’s all it took to lure the Ghosts. 

He hated that they were playing right into Rorke’s hand. He rolled his shoulders, trying in vain to ease the tension between his muscles. He’d been lying on rocky terrain for hours, anticipating Rorke’s arrival. 

Merrick had picked a mountainous region a few miles from the target coordinates to conduct the re-con mission. It was further than Keegan would’ve liked but he knew to trust Tom on this. Keegan was barely in his right mind. 

He knows that he should’ve sent Kick in his place but, much like the Walker brothers, he’d insisted he was sent out. It was meant to be a standard surveillance mission; observe and report back. Engage only if necessary. 

Yet, the three men were completely wired, hardly speaking to one another. Logan sat to his immediate right, lying in the same position as Keegan, staring down the scope of his rifle. Hesh sat beside his brother, he had been meticulously recording parts of the compound a few hours ago. Now, he watched the scanner in front of him impatiently whilst quietly petting Riley who lay beside him. 

Keegan couldn’t be sure which of the brothers bore the brunt of the guilt over your capture; Logan who knew that Rorke was after him, that if you hadn’t intervened you wouldn’t have been captured. Or Hesh, the eldest sibling by mere months, who believed he’d failed at keeping you safe. Who had watched Rorke toy with his brother before taking you, he’d been unable to stop him. 

Keegan had read several reports of that day, but only the reports filed by the Walkers detailed what had happened to you. 

A mechanic had written about how you’d commandeered one of the available helicopters when you realised there wasn’t any exfil for your brothers. 

A pilot had described watching your aircraft being tailed, how you’d screamed down the comms when Hesh had called for ‘Checkmate’. He watched you go down as close as you could to the tracks, a lucky shot from the Federation had caught your rear propeller.

Hesh had described how Rorke had been dragging Logan away when he first saw you, bruised and bloodied from the crash landing, carrying only a knife. He watched you stalk up the beach, barefoot towards Rorke. You’d launched yourself at Rorke, plunging the knife into his shoulder, mere inches from his jugular. He’d moved at the last possible moment. 

Your brother’s report detailed your bravery, and how you managed to initially subdue Rorke. Keegan could feel Hesh’s pride as he described his sister, a civilian, going against one of the most experienced soldiers in the country, the former leader of the Ghosts. 

While you’d been raised by soldiers, and been taught combat manoeuvres, you never trained as a soldier. 

He’d overpowered you in the end, and Hesh had to watch as Rorke slammed your head against the rocks you had fought so valiantly on. 

Rorke had taunted the brothers, laughing through pained breaths at how much easier it would be to break Elias’ only daughter. He told them he was coming back for Logan. How it was his fault his sister was taking his place. 

He’d laughed as he carried you away. 

It had broken Keegan’s heart, there you were, his girl, fighting for your brothers. 

The reports unnerved him, Rorke was a man who’d taken a .44 to the chest and still managed to walk away. You didn’t stand a chance against him. 

Keegan had berated himself for months after you were declared a P.O.W. He hadn’t been there to protect you, he’d done nothing to stop Rorke. He didn’t get a chance to say goodbye, to tell you-.

Movement to his right caught his eye, interrupting his thoughts. It was Logan, who’d gently reached into his breast pocket to retrieve the picture he carried with him everywhere.

It was of the Walker children, you were between Hesh and Logan who were wearing their tactical gear. You had an arm over each of their shoulders as they raised you into the air, so the three of you were the same height. Hesh was doing his best to lift Riley into frame with his free arm. You were laughing, the sun shining brightly behind you.

Elias had made his children recreate the photo every year after your adoption at age four, the boys had quickly outgrown you. 

You’d been missing for the last two years and Elias was no longer there to take the picture. 

Keegan swallowed the lump in his throat. 

He forced himself to look away, to shake off the heavy weight that settled over him whenever he thought of you. 

His relationship with you had begun to change into something more in the months leading up to your capture. He remembers the dressing-downs he’d received from each of the respective Walkers when they found out. 

He also remembers how you’d confronted them after, giving it back to them as good as they gave. 

It had been only weeks before his death when Elias had summoned Keegan to his Office. Yet, the infamous Scarecrow had sat opposite him and smiled, placing a hand on the Sergeant's shoulder before saying, “You treat my girl right”. It was an order and a thinly veiled threat all rolled into one.

Keegan had failed him, had failed you. 

His hand seized; he wanted to hurt someone. He wanted someone to hurt just as badly as he did. 

Hesh’s voice broke the silence, “Picking up a helo, two minutes out,” his voice was calm, steady. 

Silently, the three men looked onward, fixating on the landing pad to the south of their position.

Keegan swore he heard Logan release a shaky breath, he would’ve reached out to check on him if he hadn’t been so focused. 

There.

A helicopter burst over the top of the mountain range to their left, moving quickly towards the helipad. This was it. Hesh fumbled momentarily, before setting up the feed again and recording the scene in front of him. Riley stood up, alert, as though he understood what was happening and what was at stake. So far, he’d found no trace of Federation soldiers being out in this area and would let them know if he sensed anyone approaching on foot. 

It left the men to focus on the mission. 

Keegan mentally talked himself through his breathing as he watched the helo come in for landing. His composure was outwardly calm, displaying no visible weakness.

His heartbeat was traitorous, amping up as he watched heavily armed men and women exit the aircraft. 

His eyes narrowed as he recognised Rorke’s figure stepping onto the tarmac, Keegan watched as Gabriel turned raising his arms before-

“No-” Hesh breathed. 

There you were. 

Alive

And right there. 

Rorke was holding you, guiding you away from the helo as it began gearing up to take off. He led you towards a group of individuals that had assembled just minutes before your arrival. 

Keegan couldn’t make out your features, your emotions. He couldn't-

Hesh continued, “I’ll fucking kill him-”. 

Riley growled next to the boys, mimicking his owners. 

Keegan knew he should’ve told him to shut the fuck up but he too was blinded by rage. 

He was seething, you were right there and Rorke was holding you as though-

What’s he done to you, Baby?

Logan’s voice was quieter, more frantic, “Why-? What’s he doing? Has he?” his voice laced with anguish and Keegan forced himself to regain control, he wasn’t losing another Walker today. 

“Quiet, both of you. Keep the feed steady, we’re getting her back”. He was almost surprised by how calm he sounded, how unphased he appeared. 

“That’s my fucking sister-” Logan choked on his own words, his anger silencing him. The outburst from the quietest, most reserved Walker revealed his fraying hold on his composure.

They were going to get you all killed. 

“This is what he wants, do not give it to him. That's an order, Logan” Keegan paused for a moment before adding, “He’s taken Elias from us, I’m not letting him take her too”. 

He was a Ghost, he could do this. 

He’d failed to get Ajax back-

No. 

Hesh’s voice was both frantic and yet soft, “Yeah- Yeah, we will. We’ll get her back, Logan. I promise”. 

They watched as Rorke led you away from the group and towards the edge of the rooftop. It was almost a sheer drop onto the rocks, the base had been carved out of the side of a mountain. You wouldn't survive the fall. 

Logan shifted his stance immediately, his hand moving to the trigger of his weapon. He was no longer just watching the base, he was now actively locked onto a target with a loaded weapon.

“Do not engage, Kid” Keegan grunted, “He’s baiting us, do not engage!” Yet, his finger itched to pull back on the trigger. Hypocrite. 

Keegan prayed he made the right call as he watched Rorke stand behind you, leaning you over the edge. His jaw aches from clenching his teeth, he's doing nothing to stop Rorke.

Was he going to drop you?

“Keegan?” Hesh’s voice rose in panic, seeking an answer that Keegan didn’t have. 

He watched as you moved your hands to wrap around Rorke’s forearms as he leaned you even further over the precipice. You lifted your head skyward to accommodate the precarious angle you were balancing at. 

He was going to watch you die. 

No.

Please, No. Not you. 

He’d only just found you again. 

Your neck was exposed and he watched as Rorke moved to dip his face towards the expanse of your neck. It looked-

Keegan’s blood boiled and he immediately lost his cool, “that motherfucking-” he spat through gritted teeth. He hadn't even realised he'd readjusted his rifle, aiming directly for the man's skull. His breathing was heavy as he fought for control over himself. 

He knew we’d be watching.

Just as quickly as it had started, it was over. 

Rorke brought an arm around your shoulder before turning you forcefully away from the edge. Keegan watched as the pair of you moved towards the compound entrance before vanishing behind reinforced doors. 

He vaguely hears Logan throwing something behind him, yelling incoherently. 

I’m gonna get you out of there, Kid. I promise.

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