#victimless mysteries

[theupfish]

If you enjoy unsolved mysteries, but your mental health can't take any more "true crime," then "lost media" is a great alternative--especially if you're already interested in movies, music, nostalgia, or behind-the-scenes shenanigans.

Blameitonjorge is one of my favorite Lost Media channels on YouTube. Jorge's voice and narration style are easy on the ears, and his research is very thorough. Occasionally he'll do a serious unsolved crime case; but most of his videos are about things like lost commercials or banned TV show episodes--victimless mysteries, I like to call them.

[grimfox]

antlers

drawn like some old elder god

out of the fog or mist,

your ardent mystery wistful,

pardon minstrel's mention of your gift.

your heart is swift-

a strident bliss that

winds the sights of wilderness.

i must insist,

the witches' wiles are whimsy.

why not envy this?

the pride of ancient visions

set in victimless dimensions.

heart of forest.

soul of this old vicious horror.

landscapes drowned in mist.

the truth a fist to plunge-

your blood like honey-

flooding with a wish.

this gift is endless-

winds to whip across-

the leaves atop this forest shifting

glimmered emerald.

world turnin' ephemeral.

dimmer in the glint.

intentions never mentioned,

sightless sigh unwinding,

writhe in loneliness.

[bergoozter]

I'm late to the party because I've had no internet for a couple of months and now it's finally back so I've just watched all the episodes I missed, and I somehow forgot how much I love these people.

I should say though, I was not sure what I was going to think about MF because even though I enjoyed bfu tc at the time because of the dynamic, I'm not huge on true crime. BUT after watching all the mf eps+debrief I have to say I LOVE this choice they made because in fact they didn't just copy it and instead they made the best possible choice they could by focusing on interesting, usually fun and mostly victimless (rip the livestock in the chupacabra ep) mysteries and I'm so happy they did that!!!! Like they could've gone the same route again and it would've probably been ok but they decided to choose something more lighthearted and within their vibe (+kinda more ethical imo) and it's perfect!!!!!!! 🥰🥰🥰🥰 10/10 no notes

And most importantly :) FUCK RON DESANTIS

ahh so glad to have you back anon <33

and i FULLY agree w you !! i love that they’ve given themselves a much broader spectrum of potential topics w this show as opposed to the very narrow one they had w bfutc. i’m so glad they’re gonna keep topics lighter too! it’s already making eps more fun and enjoyable since they’re not discussing real people’s real tragedies while peppering in respectful jokes - which i believe they were always really good about but still it’s nice they won’t have to toe that line anymore.

i absolutely adored this season and can’t wait for more!

[rexaleph]

Doing poorly so i'll finally be breaking my silence on the bachelor with nick viall from 2017.

So id never seen the bachelor before, but in 2017 people on the internet were laughing at this weird woman contestant with her adult nanny and cucumber snacks + she also was really hot, 100% my type at the time + turns out griffin mcelroy and his wife had a podcast abt the bachelor franchise and were following the season episode by episode, so i decided to check it out.

The bachelor that year was a 36 y o man called nick whose job was being on the bachelor. He had previously been on 2 seasons of the bachelorette where he got p far but was not chosen, and then he went on bachelor in paradise, which i dont super understand what it is but he failed to find a gf there as well, and basically that is what his life had been for multiple years at that point. He was p attractive, however any time he tried to do serious relationship talk to the contestants he was supposed to pick his wife from it was like listening to a 14 y o boy say lines he'd heard on tv. Like he'd be thoughtlessly rude to a woman, she'd try and bring it up and he'd mumble canned lines like you call me on my shit, that's what i love about you while looking at his hands. Incredible manbaby, what a prize.

So coming back to the weird girl contestant. Her name was corinne, she was 23 (none of the women were over 31 to nick's 36) and lived with her parents allegedly helping out with their mystery business. They employed someone she called her adult nanny, who made her cucumber snacks and cheesy pasta. On the show she came off as childish, silly and very sexually aggressive, she took off her bikini top and made nick hold her tits in a photoshoot, sprayed whipped cream on herself and made him lick it off i wanna say the very first night, told the camera that while her heart is gold, her vagine is platinum. And nick loved that shit!! She'd rudely monopolize him and barge in when he was with someone else and he'd just follow her like a puppy. And the other women would get upset and he'd lamely apologize but it was clear that corinne was whom that idiot man wanted and deserved. The show was making her out to be a reality tv villain, and the crazy thing is that even the normal smart people i knew who watched the show kept getting mad at her for the antics. Like how dare she make him lick cream out of her cleavage on the meat market show? How dare she take her top off on the show with the dedicated sex episode where i think you have the officially sanctioned chance to test drive 3 partners in a special fuck room? Bizarre.

There were 2 other leading contestants, a teacher and an attorney, both 30+, established beautiful people. and like okay, i get that they can't be like, ah, i do not in fact want to marry a professional dating show contastant babyman. They had to do the show. But why do you, as a feminist critical reality tv enjoyer, want a woman you like be saddled with someone like nick? I guess you wanna see the good guy win, but winning here does mean accepting nick viall's marriage proposal. Nick choosing corinne would have been a victimless crime, they were completely on the same level, she might have outgrown him eventually, but really who cares, they're reality tv people. I was rooting so hard for those two beautiful idiots to make it, true stupid lust against reality tv convention where the good guy had to win. But ofc nick was weak, he did not follow his heart and ended up choosing the teacher who i wanna say spoke 3 languages, was a pillar of her community and throughout the show kept trying to talk to him like a grownup. Which like tbf she can't have been doing that great if she's going on the bachelor, but still miles and miles beyond anything nick had any right to hope for. She accepted his proposal and they broke up a couple months later.

Right after that season the bachelor franchise went fully down the toilet iirc, there was like grotesque overt racism with the bachelorette and i think sexual assault on set, so it stopped being a semi-respectable guilty pleasure. I certainly never watched anything other than that one season. But i still come back to thinking abt corinne and how bought in the people who treated it as a guilty pleasure and considered themselves above it were into the weird horny-prudish adolescent logic of the show.

[sciencestyled]

BioArt: When Yeast Became Leonardo da Vinci and Bacteria Went Viral on TikTok

BioArt! A form of expression that practically screams, “Why settle for a boring old painting when you can watch mold bloom on a petri dish?” BioArt, for the uninitiated (looking at you, nose-in-the-phone crowd), is the art movement where artists toss brushes aside in favor of gene-editing tools, petri dishes, and entire bacterial colonies. This is art that’s alive—yes, you heard right, alive. BioArt uses living organisms—yeast, bacteria, fungi, even plants—as a medium. Just imagine your favorite celebrity on TikTok. Now, imagine if their latest ‘fit’ involved live moss and neon-colored fungi. Same level of commitment to shock value.

So, let’s roll up our sleeves, pop on our lab goggles, and dive into the mind-bending world of BioArt, where bacteria are the new Van Gogh and fungi get their five seconds of fame. This is the science of living media, dear students, and yes, that algae on the wall might just be a legitimate art installation.

Now, picture this: You stroll into a gallery, maybe you’re expecting a Picasso or two, maybe a splash of Monet. But instead, you find E. coli carefully painted onto an agar plate in rainbow hues, spelling out something vaguely philosophical about human nature or maybe just the artist’s Wi-Fi password. Welcome to BioArt, where you’re just as likely to see a plant that responds to human touch as you are a mural, and yes, that plant might be rigged to slap your hand away if you get too grabby. Don’t be offended—it’s just a little artful sass.

Take the BioArtist Oron Catts, for instance. This man doesn't “paint” with colors; he sculpts with cells. In one of his exhibits, Victimless Leather, he grew a miniature leather jacket out of living cells—no cows harmed, just a stylish bit of lab-grown couture. Imagine that: a jacket that’s alive but can’t, you know, be worn. It’s a paradox for the ages! Call it wearable art, but only if you’re okay with a slimy jacket that’s both a fashion statement and a biological hazard. And Catts is just the tip of this peculiar iceberg.

If you’re wondering if there’s a point to this madness, well, besides wowing Instagram followers, BioArt dares to ask life’s biggest questions: What does it mean to create with life itself? How much bacteria is too much bacteria? Will a fungus ever surpass the Mona Lisa’s mystery? I know, all this is super relatable, right? You’re welcome.

Now, moving on from the spectacle of it all, let’s chat about the science. You didn’t think this art form could be all fun and games, did you? Oh no, BioArt treads precariously close to the world of bioengineering. Some of these artists, in their lab coats and latex gloves, are more scientist than painter. They manipulate genetic codes as deftly as you edit captions. With CRISPR, the go-to genetic editor of our era, artists are now not just growing cells, they’re customizing them like it’s a Build-A-Bear Workshop for microbiology.

Picture CRISPR as a pair of those impossibly fancy tweezers (like the kind your roommate stole from your bathroom)—it allows scientists and artists to snip and swap DNA with the kind of precision that’d make a watchmaker blush. Now, in the right hands, CRISPR could be used to, I don’t know, cure genetic diseases. But in the hands of BioArtists? It’s used to grow neon-green fish, bioluminescent plants, and, if we’re lucky, something that glows in the dark with a message that says, “Look, Mom, I’m art!”

Yet, as with all things that push the boundaries of “normal,” BioArt is not without its critics. Some ask—aloud, usually, with a finger-wag—whether it’s ethical to use living organisms as canvas and clay. After all, if that moss could speak, would it thank the artist or demand royalties? And what about bacteria? One rogue E. coli in the wrong place, and suddenly your avant-garde exhibit becomes a public health incident. So yes, there’s a bit of a “mad scientist” vibe here. But isn’t that the price we pay for progress, darling? For every Mona Lisa, there must be at least one fungal sculpture that looks suspiciously like it has a life of its own. Balance in all things, right?

But before you go thinking BioArt is just a reckless hobby for lab junkies, let’s get philosophical. (Yes, philosophy—it’s required in any vaguely academic discussion, so buckle up.) These artworks challenge everything we know about art as a static, final product. BioArt literally grows and evolves. That petri dish masterpiece? It might look entirely different by the time you’ve put it on your TikTok feed. Imagine an art piece that defies selfies, that rebels against permanence, that transforms overnight, like that bad bleach job you got at 2 a.m. but with a bit more finesse.

And speaking of living art, let’s not ignore the high-tech “plants as art” phenomenon. A little light genetic engineering, a splash of biotech, and voilà! You’ve got a plant that plays music when you touch it, or one that blinks in Morse code (that one might be saying “water me”). Botanists are turning into artists, and artists are wielding plant DNA like watercolor paints. And hey, with AI and robotics thrown into the mix, it’s only a matter of time before we have “smart plants” that post their own selfies. Just imagine: a cactus with an Instagram page more active than your own. Pure genius, or ultimate existential crisis?

And here’s where things get wild—because BioArt is like that one weird dream you had after watching Stranger Things and downing too much caffeine. Imagine you’re in a world where bacteria become the Banksy of the lab scene, where petri dishes showcase art exhibits about life, death, and whatever lies in between. When art meets science, it’s like The Avengers—epic, a little messy, and with enough philosophical implications to fill a semester of ethics classes.

This fusion of science and art is no small feat. On one hand, we’re using the very tools that might one day cure diseases to create art that, quite literally, rots before your eyes. Is it morbid? Sure. But isn’t it also magnificent, in a way? Like that banana taped to the wall that sold for $120,000, BioArt raises questions—most of which you’ll avoid answering, because it’s easier to just look at the glowing algae and say, “Cool.”

And as for the future? Buckle up, because with CRISPR and other biotech marvels, tomorrow’s BioArt may feature hybrid organisms that haven’t even been invented yet. We could be looking at glowing blue plants designed to light up your living room (who needs lamps?), or bacteria programmed to spell out your name. Maybe you’ll be able to custom-order your own “mini-ecosystem” artwork. Or perhaps there will be a world where artists create petri dish paintings that sing karaoke or perform Shakespeare in yeasty choruses. Art is getting weird, people, and BioArt is at the cutting edge—or should I say, the pipette’s tip.

So, if you’re ever in a gallery and find yourself faced with a bizarre greenish blob that’s bubbling mysteriously, go ahead, look closer. It might be the next Mona Lisa—or at least something weird enough to go viral. And remember, in the world of BioArt, the rules are as alive and unpredictable as the art itself.

[anythingeverything0000]

Insider Trading and Ethics: Exploring the Impact on Commercial Law with Barristers

Insider trading and its implications

The world of finance is often shrouded in mystery, with whispers of insider trading and clandestine deals swirling around the boardrooms of Wall Street and beyond. But what exactly is insider trading, and why does it matter? In this article, we delve into the murky waters of commercial law to explore the implications of insider trading, shedding light on its impact on the market, investors, and the very fabric of our financial systems. As barristers specializing in commercial law navigate the complex web of regulations and ethical considerations surrounding insider trading, we uncover the fascinating intersection between morality and legality within the realm of high-stakes investments. Join us as we unravel this enigmatic practice and unravel its far-reaching consequences for businesses, shareholders, and aspiring entrepreneurs.

Legal framework: Regulations and legal precedents

When it comes to navigating the complex field of commercial law, having the expertise of experienced commercial law barristers is crucial. One key aspect of this legal framework is keeping abreast of ever-evolving regulations and legal precedents. In today's globalized world, businesses constantly face new challenges and opportunities, thus underscoring the necessity for a thorough understanding of these laws and precedents.

As legal frameworks continue to adapt to technological advancements and changing economic landscapes, there arises a pressing need for commercial law barristers to interpret and apply these regulations in innovative ways. Furthermore, with increasingly interconnected markets and cross-border transactions becoming more commonplace, this area demands a deep familiarity with international legal standards as well. With such dynamic developments continuously shaping the legal landscape, staying ahead of the curve is paramount for effective guidance within commercial circles.

The interplay between regulations and legal precedents offers fertile ground for creative interpretation by experienced commercial law barristers. By juxtaposing past case decisions with current regulation updates, practitioners can build persuasive arguments that push boundaries within established legal frameworks. As such, their role extends beyond mere application of existing laws – they must also anticipate future shifts in regulatory trends while strategically positioning their clients to thrive amidst evolving business environments.

Ethical considerations: Moral implications of insider trading

Ethical considerations surrounding insider trading have long been a topic of debate, sparking discussions about the moral implications of this controversial practice. From a legal perspective, insider trading involves using non-public information to gain an unfair advantage in the stock market, raising serious questions about integrity and fairness in financial transactions. On the surface, it may seem like a victimless crime, but the reality is that insider trading undermines trust in the market and erodes the level playing field for all investors.

Experienced commercial law barristers are often at the forefront of delving into the complex ethical dilemmas posed by insider trading. They grapple with balancing individual freedom with societal responsibilities, seeking to navigate through intricate legal frameworks to ensure justice is upheld. Furthermore, they play a crucial role in advocating for transparency and accountability within corporate structures, driving home the message that unethical practices such as insider trading will not be tolerated. Ultimately, by addressing these ethical considerations head-on, commercial law barristers can pave the way for a more just and equitable financial landscape that benefits all participants in the market.

Impact on commercial law: Effects on market integrity and fairness

Experienced commercial law barristers play a crucial role in upholding market integrity and fairness. They are instrumental in ensuring that business transactions adhere to ethical standards, thus contributing to a level playing field for all market participants. Their expertise in navigating complex legal frameworks enables them to identify and address potential breaches of market integrity, ultimately preserving the trust and confidence of investors and consumers alike.

Moreover, the impact of commercial law on market integrity extends beyond immediate legal implications. It sets the tone for corporate behavior and accountability, shaping a business environment where transparency and ethical conduct are non-negotiable. By holding entities accountable for their actions, commercial law barristers contribute to fostering a culture of fairness and responsibility within the marketplace, thereby safeguarding its long-term stability.

In essence, experienced commercial law barristers serve as guardians of market integrity by actively addressing legal gray areas and promoting fair competition. Their commitment goes beyond mere compliance with regulations; it encompasses an unwavering dedication to upholding the principles of fairness and equity that form the bedrock of modern commerce.

Barristers' role: Advising clients, representing in litigation

Experienced commercial law barristers play a crucial role in advising clients and representing them in litigation. Their expertise goes beyond legal knowledge to include strategic thinking and the ability to foresee potential challenges. When advising clients, these barristers provide not only legal strategies but also practical solutions tailored to the client's specific business needs. This proactive approach helps clients navigate complex legal issues with confidence.

In litigation, experienced commercial law barristers stand out for their impeccable advocacy skills and thorough understanding of courtroom dynamics. Beyond just presenting legal arguments, they strategically leverage their negotiation skills to secure favorable outcomes for their clients. Their ability to adeptly handle cross-examinations and present compelling evidence can significantly impact the case's trajectory. Ultimately, these barristers serve as trusted allies for businesses, steering them through legal complexities with a blend of astute counsel and formidable representation in court.

In conclusion, experienced commercial law barristers offer much more than just legal advice - they bring a comprehensive set of skills that encompass both advisory services and representation in litigation. By combining deep legal knowledge with strategic acumen, they help clients not only mitigate risks but also capitalize on opportunities amidst daunting legal challenges.

This captivating blog section highlights the value of experienced commercial law barristers, shedding light on their multifaceted roles as trusted advisors and formidable litigators within the dynamic realm of business law.

Case studies: Notable examples of insider trading cases

As a commercial law specialist, delving into notable examples of insider trading cases can provide valuable insights into the complexities and consequences of this illegal activity. One such case revolves around the infamous Martha Stewart, who was convicted for insider trading related to her sale of ImClone Systems stock. This case shed light on the ethical and legal obligations of corporate insiders and the severe penalties for breaching those responsibilities.

Another intriguing example is the Galleon Group case, where Raj Rajaratnam, a prominent hedge fund manager, was found guilty of insider trading through extensive illicit networks. This case highlighted the pervasive nature of insider trading in the financial industry and demonstrated the significant impact it can have on market integrity. These high-profile cases serve as cautionary tales and underscore the imperative for robust regulatory enforcement and corporate compliance measures to safeguard against insider trading.

Examining these cases from a commercial law perspective underscores the need for comprehensive education, vigilant monitoring, and rigorous enforcement within corporate structures to prevent insider trading. By navigating these complex examples with a critical eye, commercial law specialists can gain valuable insights into establishing effective compliance protocols that protect businesses and investors alike while upholding market transparency and fairness.

Conclusion: Balancing legal, ethical, and commercial interests

In the dynamic landscape of commercial law, finding the delicate balance between legal mandates, ethical considerations, and commercial interests is crucial. While legal requirements provide a framework for conducting business, ethical standards form the moral compass guiding decision-making. It’s essential for businesses to navigate these elements thoughtfully to uphold reputational integrity while pursuing commercial success.

One way to achieve this equilibrium is by seeking guidance from a commercial law specialist in London. These experts can offer tailored advice that aligns with both the legal principles and ethical best practices relevant to specific situations. They can also help companies proactively address potential conflicts between competing interests, ensuring that all aspects are carefully considered within a legally permissible framework.

Navigating the intersection of legal, ethical, and commercial concerns demands a nuanced approach rooted in expert knowledge and strategic foresight. As London continues to solidify its position as a global economic center, businesses must prioritize compliance with legal regulations alongside ethical conduct to drive sustainable growth.

[canichangemyblogname]

“Victimless crime” refers to an illegal or criminal act that does not have an identifiable or “real” victim. Traffic violations like a parking ticket are a good example of this. So is embezzlement from a corporation like Amazon, because a large corporation is *not* a person and no one person within the company was directly harmed. So is consensual adult incest and sexting between teenagers (which *is* considered CP).

The illegality of a victimless crime is considered a preventative approach to justice and is often a way for the state to declare the immorality of certain behaviors. However, people do debate whether such crimes are truly “victimless,” believing that, ultimately, someone is harmed, something is damaged, or that the state has a vested interest in prevention. This category also often blurs distinctions between civil and criminal law, creating procedural interchangeability and making it difficult to implement. The term is certainly controversial and I won’t pretend it isn’t.

States in the US have been updating their laws around the creation and distribution of CSEM to account for emergent technologies like AI and animation, turning the creation and distribution of CSEM into a “victimless crime.” No living, breathing child was exploited in the AI generation or the animation, but it still features children as the recipients of and participants in a sexual fantasy. People have been prosecuted and faced jail time for CSEM featuring animated anime children. Illinois provides a good example of this with it’s relatively new laws around AI, deepfakes, and biometric privacy.

“It’s not real and it’s fictional, so by definition cannot be illegal” is literally incorrect in this circumstance. The argument you’re really trying to make is that because it doesn’t feature real children, then it *should not* be illegal, and that is a moral “ought” argument. So, set up your argument accordingly. You believe that it ought not be illegal.

“We don’t call people who draw murder mystery comics serial killers, so why is a picture of a 12 y/o anime girl giving head be considered CSAM?” You’re asking why explicit material featuring a sexual fantasy of a child is CSAM? The logic goes like this: making art about murder isn’t actually murdering anyone. Making explicit content where children are the sexual object of the fantasy and exploitation, or content that features sexual fantasies and exploitation about a child, is exactly that.

The logic is that the state recognizes how the research shows that the more a person who does sexually fantasize about children is exposed to such content, the more likely they are to act on those impulses. Keep that in mind the next time you come across anime kids in compromising positions or fics that depict the exploitation of children. It’s not just triggering you; it’s also triggering someone out there who may be seeking help (or desire help) for their fantasies.

Me when the people on this site clearly demonstrate that they don’t understand that the distribution and creation of CSAM can be a victimless crime:

[very-grownup]

ACE ATTORNEY FANFIC WHAT I HAVE WRITTEN

Camouflage; or A Field Analysis of the Habits and Disposition of the Average American Teenage Boy: Apollo and Clay have a sleepover in high school. About being a teenager and wanting to fit in or not and forming friendships and also parental loss.

Begonia, Bittersweet: post-Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney, Apollo visits Vera Misham in the hospital to have a circuitous talk about forgery and victimless crimes.

The Normalacy of Grief: post-Ace Attorney: Spirit of Justice, Apollo, Nahyuta, and Rayfa talk about dead dads.

Snatching Closure from the Jaws of Chaos: five years after Ace Attorney: Spirit of Justice, Apollo takes a trip back to LA when Kristoph is making noise about appealing his murder convictions. Apollo, Trucy, and Klavier POV. Tying up the dropped threads from Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney. Apollo/Klavier.

*Citation Needed: WIP about Klavier visiting Apollo in Khura’in approximately six months after the above story. Currently four chapters. Romance of uncertain burning temperature. Murder mystery. Political machinations. Apollo/Klavier.

Lanugo: formerly amnesiac mother has some complicated feelings about meeting the son she thought was dead and then was amnesiac about with both of them knowing who the other is.

Missing You/Missing Time: some mystical bullshit goes down while Apollo and Klavier are juggling a long-distance relationship and it sucks for both of them, for different reasons, and the best person to help is Maya Fey. Apollo/Klavier.

[themirokai]

So by the 2020s Hob would have to be pretty great at taking an identity, making it look like that person is dead and creating a new functional identity, right?

Well what if he used those skills for others as well? I’m thinking victimless crimes and noble causes only of course.

Someone trying to leave an abusive living situation. Someone trying to get away from a stalker. A political dissident at risk of being disappeared by an authoritarian regime. Someone who fell in with a criminal organization and needs a safe way out.

Maybe people can find him on the dark web but it’s more likely that the information is spread by word of mouth. The kind of people who others go to for help hear about this mysterious forger/hacker who will help people disappear and get new lives.

He’s known as the Stranger’s Friend.

[lylahammar]

please please please can more murder mystery/detective fiction be made in order to give people an ethical outlet for their true crime interests

like I don't even give a shit about true crime anymore I just love murder mystery so much and I want the true crime fad and subsequent criticism to lead to more fictional and victimless detective stories 🥺🙏 please

[everyonewasabird]

Brickclub 4.6.1 ‘A Malevolent Trick of the Wind’

Everything is connected, and in the world that exists just underground from respectable society, it’s even more so.

The Gorbeau raid might be the closest thing we get in this book to the police acting “justly.” The crime was real and serious, the perpetrators had committed many such crimes before, and the “correct” people were put in jail.

And even then, no good came of it. Men who were experienced criminals continued on as they were, while women and children suffered. Madame Thenardier will die, Eponine looks newly ghastly and haunted, who knows how Azelma is doing but I’m going to guess “not well”, and Mamzelle Miss and Magnon, who weren’t even there, are in jail and their young children are lost on the streets.

No matter what kind of harm is done, this book says, the people who are made to suffer most from it will be the people who always suffer most.

I don’t know what to do with this thought, but Hugo keeps repeatedly connecting Thenardier to the buying and selling of children. Thenardier is renting a child in the first half of this book, he’s renting out children now--Hugo is leaving a particular kind of evil at his door specifically. And also, Hugo is pulling his punches with what that entails--whatever small children might have been bought and sold for in 1820s Paris, a victimless grift where they’re treated well and (if all had gone well) receive an education in the bargain is a spectacularly least-worst option.

Of course, the novel ends with Thenardier massively upgrading the scope of who he gets to buy and sell.

As many others have pointed out, Magnon is another Theodule, mysteriously hated by the narrator who doesn’t really give us much reason to agree. Maybe she’s not a selfless altruist, but she treated the kids well, and she cared enough to use the time when she was being arrested to make sure they got somewhere safe. That’s a big deal in this book!

I’m also fascinated by the ten pounds a month she payed Thenardier for the privilege of keeping them. Thenardier was at one time receiving money for holding onto a child, and now he’s receiving money for giving children up. He’s very good at finding ways to twist petty profits out of things--and, as we get further confirmation of this chapter, he’s very bad at actually turning any kind of profit overall.

But I’m also interested in the fact that this went on for years and the sum stayed ten pounds, when with Fantine he raised it as often as he could. But Magnon is well-connected within criminal Paris (and also to at least some extent within respectable Paris), and she’s savvy, and she must have the wherewithal not to let him get away with upping the price.

Poor Fantine. Poor mômes.

Poor Magnon, too--however indifferent the narrator thinks her, she lost four children this chapter.

[lunarblazes]

i made a desertduo playlist and then decided to be a nerd and write explanations for all the songs! like a nerd!

playlist link: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5ZGylutQpyTbgX7MY7Lrzz?si=t8_kBwBHSYG5kxTvZoIrTQ&dl_branch=1

QUICK DISCLAIMER: i am aware that a lot of these songs may have or imply romantic connotation! i would really really like it if these were not read as though those romantic connotations carry over to scar and grian. even if we’re just talking about the third life characters, i would prefer not to ship them or imply romance between them on this post. thank you so much and keep reading if you’d like to see the playlist analysis!

and now that that’s out of the way, PLAYLIST TIME!

•

passerine- the oh hellos

“you were the song that i’d always sing/you were the light that the fire would bring/but i can’t shake this feeling that i/was only pushing the spear into your side again”

this song really just... firstly, it’s one of my favorite songs, and the line i chose there pushes home the sort of terrified devotion i think the desert has. plus there’s a fun line about the cold wind blowing in from the north in the ending bits that i think very much fits their conflict with the red army, and a lot of legally obligated flight imagery that i need to have in every possible song because i’m a fuckin nerd.

•

no children- the mountain goats

“i hope that our few remaining friends/give up on trying to save us/i hope we come up with a failsafe plot to piss off the dumb few that forgave us”

i will admit that no children isn’t a perfect fit, but the general vibe of sort of defiant pessimism and betrayal fits very well with them! it’s very triumphant in its death, and i think that is very desertcore, because what’s more triumphantly dead than being the last duo left alive?

•

skulls- bastille

“when all of our friends are dead and just a memory/it’s always been just you and me/for all to see”

okay like this entire song is SO MUCH DESERT VIBES? LIKE SO MUCH. if i were to ever make an animatic for them i’d do it with this song. ���a match is our only light, it’s day of the dead i’m indiana jones, yeah,” “i hope you can make me laugh six feet under when we’re bored of each other,” “i don’t want to rest in peace, i’d rather be the ghost that annoys you,” IT JUST KEEPS GOING. i think this song would work well with any third life duo, honestly, but these two in PARTICULAR just because of how it ended with them literally ‘buried’ next to each other, and again, the chaotic death vibes.

•

freaking out- mystery skulls

“i just keep out of my tongue/til all you want is done/and you just wanna leave me, oh yeah”

this song is a very third life grian song to me in particular! it could be my bias because of my little headcanon of grian burning on his red life, but seriously, this song is very reminiscent of the back and forth of loyalty that grian has with scar. the above line is sort of representative of the betrayal on red, and of course grian’s life debt.

•

night running- shin sakiura

(this song is in japanese! these lyrics are the rough english translation i found on google.) “someday we will stand at this place once again/for sure we will stand up again and again/we will watch it will the end/i want you to live freely”

this song is actually the ending theme for the anime bna, which i adore, and i just added it on a whim before looking at the translated lyrics. but um. holy hell the lyrics hurt me because they’re about running in search of someone, running for no reason, looking for something, and it just really hit, because the desert never really had a goal! they didn’t expect to survive, they were trying to survive, but what was their longterm goals? nothing. so that sort of endless search felt fitting for this. plus the song is a parallel for the two estranged best friends of the show so! perfect.

•

summer nights- siames

“it’s summertime/singing al green in your car/heading to a party/and the night air feels alive”

okay again, i will admit this song is mainly on here because i absolutely love it, but i also do think it fits well. it’s also about healing/estranged friendships, with a very distinct feeling of nostalgia for a happier time. maybe for a time when this was all a game, when there was no blood or betrayals on their hands. little canon divergent, but it’s fun for me, so into the playlist it goes!

allies or enemies- the crane wives

“are we allies or enemies/this will be the death of me, this will be the death of me/all’s fair in love and war but i can’t fight with you anymore”

. i just. points to that lyric. it literally led to both of their deaths. are they allies or enemies? it also fits with scar still wanting grian to be his friend even after he’s no longer indebted with the line “what happens now? do we have another go, do we bow out?” another very good animatic song that i’ve considered heavily. i listen to this playlist a lot

•

burn him down- kitsch club

“you must destroy, oh you must destroy, beyond all recognition/you gotta burn him down, you gotta burn him down, beyond all recognition”

this song just has a lot of fire and arson and high energy vibes. my little war criminals look at them go

•

rose- the oh hellos

“what's true is like a sickle/it'll cut you to the middle/your rose is without a thorn/but no, my mouth don't taste of metal/from the pot here to the kettle/i think we got a lot we gotta learn”

this one is like the exact opposite vibe of burn him down. the oh hellos are so poetic and this song just... feels like the healing potions after a battle. many of the metaphors here fit, i think

•

lone digger- caravan palace

“hey, brother, what you thinking/that good ol' sound is ringing/they don't know what they're missing/(they call it lonely diggin')”

okay this song is straight up just a dance song. i added it because i like it and also for some reason it feels ominous to me? i’ve got no idea why, it’s seriously just a club song, but it’s a banger and it’s in this playlist because i said so

•

feed the machine- poor man’s poison (suggested by my friend argonaughtkeene!)

“somethin’s goin” on, just look around/fear is on the rise, and there’s blood all over the ground/let’s all just blindfold the poor, we all know what’s in store/ we got ‘em now, just break ‘em down a little bit more”

this song is a VIBE for both desertduo members. there’s parts for both of them. it’s ruthless, gritty, very maniacal, perfect. listen to it and you’ll immediately understand why i added it.

•

sweet tooth- scott helman

“i hold hands with cosmic entities/i’ll take this two-ride if i please/i got this sweet tooth baby, yeah i got this sweet tooth baby/i exploit my opportunities/some broken hearts, some cavities”

sweet tooth is super upbeat and bright with these strangely dark lyrics? like i’m pretty sure it’s about addiction. in any case, i thought the “i hold hands with cosmic entities” very funnily fitting for both of the desert boys. it’s a banger!

•

necromancin’ dancin’- bear ghost

“when i’m necromancin’, everyone’s dancin’/nobody can stop me, i dare you to try/the dead are infused with insatiable groove and they’re coming for you, there’s nowhere to hide”

necromancin’ dancin’ just. bastard vibes. there’s not much more to say it’s just huge villain song vibes. i adore it.

•

crazy = genius- panic! at the disco

“if crazy equals genius/then i’m a fucking arsonist/i’m a rocket scientist/if crazy equals genius/you can set yourself on fire/but you’re never gonna burn, burn, burn”

i. yeah. y. yeah. more bastard vibes. also shoutout to an artist i saw (i think it was strifesolution?) who made a desertduo piece to this song because i have not stopped thinking about it ever

•

sweet bod- lemon demon

“i’m diggin’ up your coffin/and pouring out the contents/your sexy, sweet solution/is ripe for distribution”

you know how i said freaking out was a grian song? this one is a scar song. it’s my favorite lemon demon song and also it has the total macabre capitalism vibe that third life scar NAILED. more bastard vibes good for him <3

•

drunk- the living tombstone

“feel so much better than usual/i feel indisputable, oh/but now i’m feeling so beautiful/don’t wake me up from this spell i’m under, if i’m still breathing/i know that i will be ugly when i feel like myself again, oh/but right now i’m feelin’ so beautiful”

the descent of this song, starting off with a polite gathering and ending with a gasping drunk in the parking lot gazing at the stars that he can barely see? yes. yeah. mhm. i used a line from this song for a fic, actually, it fit so well.

•

oh no!- marina

“one track mind, one track heart/if i fail, i’ll fall apart/maybe it is all a test/cos i feel like i’m the worst so i always act like i’m the best”

bubbly pop track about false confidence, the ruthlessness of the pop industry, and the influence of the media? you know why this is here. it vibes. it rocks.

•

do it all the time- i don’t know how but they found me

“we’re taking over the world/a little victimless crime/and when i’m taking your innocence/i’ll be corrupting your mind/no need to cry i’m only doing everything i want to do because i do it all the time”

EVEN MORE BASTARD VIBES! SOMEHOW THERE IS MORE! this playlist is half villain songs and half heart-wrenching ballads and that’s the real desert experience i think.

•

the phoenix- fall out boy

“i’m gonna change you/like a remix/then i’ll raise you/like the phoenix”

BATTLE SONG BATTLE SONG! i’ll be honest i partially chose this song because i am a huge sucker for phoenix grian imagery in particular, but it’s also just a very good war song for them. villain song no 18372948 except this one originally had a hero vibe and now it’s changed specifically for them?? wild. their power

•

the other side- the greatest showman

“right here, right now/i’ll put the offer out/i don’t wanna chase you down, i know you see it/you run with me/and i can cut you free/out of the treachery/and all you keep in”

scar and grian’s desert monopoly conversation went exactly like this canonically because i said so fuck you <3

•

icicles- the scary jokes (suggested by my friend demizorua!)

“icicles don’t soften when they die/so why should i, why should i?/oh, icicles don’t soften when they die/they sharpen into sabers and they stab you in the eye”

this song actually has specific parts for both grian and scar! my cool epic friend mx demizorua pointed both of them out to me and i adored it so much. it’s a very spiteful song, just like the desert boys. also it feels vaguely murderous. perfect

•

problems- mother mother (suggested by my friend demizorua!)

“i’m a loser, a disgrace/you’re a beauty, a luminary, in my face”

literally this entire song fits them. particularly their relationship with the flower husbands, to me, honestly— the whole “when we meet at the pearly gates/you’ll get the green light/and i’ll get the boot in the face” reminds me a lot of them hdksjdks

•

tongues and teeth- the crane wives

“i know that you mean so well/but i am not a vessel for your good intent/i will only break your pretty things/i will only wring you dry of everything”

h. yeah. this song is literally gaslight gatekeep girlboss and i attribute it to the desert for that reason alone. songs to commit murder to!

•

you’re nobody til somebody wants you dead- saint motel

“you’re nobody til somebody wants you dead/and the list, it grows, and grows, and grows/it grows, and grows, and grows/and grows, and grows, and grows/until it’s everyone you’ve ever known”

this one is very self-explanatory. enemies pogchamp

•

curses- the crane wives

“there’s a fire in my brain and i’m burning, love/oh my, oh my/keep running to the sink, but the well is dry/oh my, oh my/every word i say is kindling/but the smoke clears when you’re around”

okay again! this one has two very specific parts for both of them. grian’s the first verse, which is above, and scar’s the second verse!! i really do like my fire imagery for these two don’t i? well, i blame them for having a fuck ton of tnt on them at all times and literally burning their enemy’s banners as a final act of defiance.

[ao3feed-assassin-class]

Victimless Crime

victimless crime by haikku

There's a lot of words that can be used to describe the relationship between Akabane and Asano; rivals, arch-enemies, schoolmates. But more recently, it seems as though friends, and perhaps even lovers can be added to the list.

Suffer with Akabane's classmates as they face the absolutely frustrating being, the most mysterious of all, Akabane Karma himself.

Words: 1744, Chapters: 1/1, Language: English

Fandoms: Assassination Classroom

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences

Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply

Categories: M/M

Characters: Akabane Karma, Asano Gakushuu, Shiota Nagisa, Nakamura Rio (mentioned), Class 3-E

Relationships: Akabane Karma/Asano Gakushuu

Additional Tags: Secret Relationship, Coming Out, Relationship Reveal, Established Relationship, the class is surprised for sure, Akabane Karma is a Little Shit, Dialogue Heavy, literally zero plot to be seen, bickering is their love language and we love to see it

Read Here: https://archiveofourown.org/works/37308760

[octoagentmiles]

Do you think Kwazii has a criminal record? Meomi did say he has a “mysterious pirate past”, and pirates are, by definition, criminals. What if he had some sort of redemption arc before joining the Octonauts? :0

I made a Kwazii backstory theory post a while back, which I'll quickly tag you in the replies in a sec so you can read it if you want

———

but as for what Kwazii has personally done, probably not that much, but I could see him being very easily influenced by other pirates. Especially ones he looks up to. He already looks at Calico Jack with star-eyes whenever he sees him, so I can only imagine how a younger and more impressionable Kwazii would be like. (He also has a habit of mimicking people he likes, which would contribute to this--)

he's strictly against harming creatures, but a quick steal or (victimless) raid? more likely.

he knows better now, and if he has done anything bad in the past, he definitely regrets it. just because of who he is, I'd say he probably felt bad WHILE doing it too. (if he did anything at all.)

[ts2mortalswar]

Introduction III: No Such Thing As A Free Drink

“Well, look at that little brother, while we’re busy attending to our tenants, these two have been having a nice little drink!”

Bertrand Ysengrin chortled, while Berthe raised her glass in a toast to her husband Raoul and her sister-in-law. 

“It’s good stuff! Arbor red, your mother’s favorite, Raoul!”

“You’ve been raiding her wine supply? Gods help you,” said Raoul, attempting and failing to look stern.

“Ahhh... Don’t worry about it son, nothing stolen here, this fine bottle was left as a gift with one of our servants,” answered Bertrand, “I would guess it’s from someone trying to gain favour with our family, but the servant said that he left no name. A most mysterious benefactor.”

“See love? A victimless crime”, noted Berthe, taking one more sip.

[lovelyirony]

Footnotes

it’s been a bit since i added to the bookshop au: time got away from me! 

We’re taking over the world/a little victimless crime -Do It All the Time, IDKHBTFM

Tony notices that Bucky doesn’t come into the store for a month. This is fine. Should be fine. Not like he wonders what Bucky will think of the newest latte, which is geared more to the warmer weather that has been breezing in cheerfully. The iced latte, flavored with caramel and coconut, had been a hit with MJ and Ned, who both loved it. 

But Bucky hadn’t come in and tried it.

His anxiety tells him that he is found out and are currently waiting until Tony leaves the building to set up a trap and probably blow up every single book and also him.

But that would be stupid. There’s no way that the Avengers know who Iron Man or War Machine is. Tony Jarvis is a nice guy who runs a bookstore, has a suspicious amount of money from inheritance, and got a degree in English from a local college. 

He even photo-shopped pictures there with Rhodey and everything. (Thank god for anti-aging technology and Rhodey’s genius.)

But he still kind of wants Bucky to come in and look at books. He even has a few records pulled just for the occasion.

“You are quite honestly the worst kind of person,” Rhodey says. “Who gets a crush on who is supposed to be their arch-nemesis and wants to make a custom coffee menu for them?”

“Not me,” Tony says quickly, pushing away the lemon-blueberry scone idea. “And besides if anyone would be my arch-nemesis, it would clearly be Black Widow. We match each other intellectually.”

“Not a chance,” Rhodey says with a snort. “Or did you forget the time you got so nervous you—”

“Hello?” comes a voice from the front. Rhodey immediately cuts off, going back to filing new shipments. Tony looks over.

“Hey, you’re back!” Tony cheers.

Rhodey makes a motion of gagging. Tony flips him off with one hand behind his back as he comes forward.

“Sorry I haven’t been in. Work has been…enlightening.”

“Usually code for ‘I-don’t-get-paid-enough’” Tony teases. “You wanna try an iced coffee drink?”

“I’m game.”

“Sit down at the table, I’ll get it out for you.”

Bucky has to admit that a good apron can do wonders for an ass. Or maybe Tony just has a really nice one. Either way, the view is spectacular.

“What has work been having you do?” Tony asks, pouring in syrup.

“Oh just…the usual,” Bucky says. He’s horrible at lying. He really, really is. “They keep twisting up what they want, it’s getting confusing.”

“Bookshops, luckily, are much simpler than that,” Tony says, smiling. He slides the drink over to Bucky. “Try it. Tell me what you think.”

Bucky takes a long slurp. Puts his head back.

“Tony, you ever experienced a masterpiece?”

“Once or twice,” Tony says, smiling.

“This is the damn Mona Lisa of drinks.”

Tony grins. Bucky sips a bit more, sighing in contentment.

“Hey, I know that last time I learned that you sold records. What are, um, your favorites?”

“I’m glad you asked…”

Bucky learns about new music. He learns that he needs to google new bands. AC/DC is a clear favorite of Tony’s, who sings along. It’s a funny juxtaposition with his cardigan and old jeans, glasses perched on the bridge of his nose.

Bucky finds some of the old ones, which Tony doesn’t look surprised at.

“You have an old soul,” Tony says.

“You don’t know the half of it,” Bucky mutters.

“Don’t I?” Tony teases. “You act as if you’ve never had iced coffee before.”

Bucky has to turn back to the player to stop from laughing in front of him. What Tony doesn’t know…well. He’s damned sure he doesn’t know that technically all of Bucky’s favorite records were either unable to be found, most likely questionable, or long disintegrated with time.

Oh, Tony knows. He knows for a damned fact that Bucky has never had iced coffee, most likely does not know who the hell Jimmy Carter was and knows how to disassemble and reassemble most weapons in under sixty seconds.

But it’s cute to mess with him. His brow furrows. Tony has a thing for furrows.

“Hey Tony?” Rhodey asks, head popping up from the upstairs. Bucky automatically looks up, finding the face to be vaguely familiar.

“What is it Rhodey-dear?” Tony calls back out.

“I have a computer glitch, you gotta come see it! Now!”

“This better not be a repeat of the pinball incident,” Tony mutters, turning back to Bucky. “I’ll be back in five minutes, I promise.”

“Take your time, love,” Bucky responds.

Bucky then immediately wonders if he bangs his head against the column near him if Tony and Rhodey will hear it. Tony also called his…person “Rhodey-dear.” Dear! Does he even have a chance?

But this brings him to think about Rhodey. He looked familiar. Bucky’s life doesn’t consist of knowing that you know someone from a certain social event and trying to place them. No, Bucky knows people because of two reasons:

1.)         He tried to kill them.

2.)         SHIELD has something on them.

He’s pretty sure that if he was faced with someone like Rhodey, he wouldn’t be able to kill him. Even from the head poking out, he could see a pretty defined shoulder and a look set to his gaze that read as very competent, entirely capable of taking down an authoritarian government, and also probably likes gourmet cheeses. The last one is a guess. But Bucky likes to guess pretty damn accurately.

Rhodey…

Rhodes. Colonel James Rhodes. Close with Tony Stark, who went missing. They thought he had something to do with something. He moved to New York pretty quickly after that, refusing to go into military service to a “previously unreported mental incapacity.”

Bucky smells bullshit.

Tony Stark. Another mystery in this puzzle. Bucky remembers trying to kill Howard and Maria Stark. It was the wrong person. Winter Soldier never missed his targets. Of course, Tony Stark wasn’t the target.

-

Rhodey is freaking out. Someone at SHIELD figured out there was a tiny bug in the system.

“When did they hire someone competent?!” Tony whisper-yells. “I thought they were two years behind schedule!”

“We made that schedule when we were drunk out of our minds from Moscato,” Rhodey hisses.

“Still! It was Moscato. It wasn’t like we drank vodka until we were shit-faced. That would’ve ended up disastrously and possibly given Dum-E and U a new sibling before Butterfingers.”

“Butterfingers wants a baby, just so you know,” Rhodey says.

“Why are you telling me this now?” Tony asks.

“Because you know what you’re doing and I figured you should know what your daughter is up to. It’s very important in developmental psychology.”

“Do not,” Tony hisses. “Let me fix this…”

With a couple more frantic curses, one eye shut, and a yelp, the problem is (mostly) taken care of.

“You think they can trace it?”

“It’ll trace back to a random e-café,” Tony says. “And there will be Justin Hammer who is currently trying to work out why his dating profile isn’t working. I’ll give you a hint: it’s the bio and the fact that he looks like he’s going to bail on paying for your dinner.”

Rhodey smiles, shaking his head and looking out the door.

“Get back down to Barnes. Don’t let him know what this is.”

“When would I?”

“You tend to be a terrible liar around people you like.”

“Why you—!”

“Thank you for helping with the pinball machine again!” Rhodey says, throwing his voice. He shoves Tony out of the office. Tony’s cheeks are bright red, he’s flushed, and he can barely walk down the stairs.

He’s not sure what exactly happened. He knows someone found out about them, tried to trace the bug back. That simply wouldn’t do because Tony runs a legitimate business. Pays taxes on April fifteenth and everything.

“Sorry about that, emergency with a pinball machine game,” Tony says.

“Understandable,” Bucky says. “What was wrong it? A bug get in?”

“Uh, not exactly,” Tony responds, body going tense for a moment. “You want to pick out a new record?”

“Yeah, sure…”

They find out that Bucky absolutely hates the pop, almost-fake music from the fifties.

“It’s…unsettling,” Bucky says, shuddering. “Gross.”

“Let me get some Benny Goodman then,” Tony says.

“How’d you know?”

“Everyone likes his music,” Tony says. “But then again, you did say you were an old soul.”

Bucky can hear the familiar music fill the air as he hums to himself.

“Hey handsome, wanna help me with something?” Tony asks. “I have some books that need to be shelved. I was wondering if you could help?”

“No problem,” Bucky says, grinning. “Can’t reach the top shelf?”

“Why you—”

“I’m shelving!” Bucky calls, grabbing one of the boxes.

Tony thinks that no one should be attractive when they’re lifting boxes. Especially when they’re holding what is essentially about forty pounds with one arm. His left one, but still.

There is also the matter of making sure that Barnes never finds out who he is. Tony has been quite careful about that, although the “bug” comment got to him. Does he know about them? Is he playing some sort of long game?

Answer: no. Bucky got distracted by a book title that he remembers from years ago.

“I forgot I read this,” he says, smiling. “It was forever ago.”

“Old books get to you like nothing else,” Tony responds. “I grew up with Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. You read that one yet?”

“Add it to the recommended box,” Bucky answers.

He has his own box now. Technically a crate, but Tony’s been putting books there for Bucky when he thinks he’s found one that he’ll like. Which of course, Bucky will like whatever book is in there if Tony chose it. He likes anything Tony chooses. He would wear the worst outfit in existence if Tony chose it.

Shelving goes by with little conversation, although they both hum along to the music being played softly over the intercoms. Tony comes and goes, helping customers with different items, brewing some more coffee, and getting some more boxes.

Bucky likes the routine.

He’s sad to go, taking his books with him and waving a soft goodbye. Tony’s leaning against the doorframe, a fond look on his face as the bookshop light floats out onto dark pavement. He wishes he could be there all the time.

And then, of course, people are in his apartment.

“Bookstore again, huh?” Steve asks. Natasha’s looking through the pile of receipts on the kitchen counter.

“You go there a lot,” she murmurs.

“I like being literate, gives me a headstart on Clint,” Bucky answers glibly.

“Even if someone liked reading this much, they wouldn’t be buying obscene amounts of books and coffee.”

“I don’t buy every book. To—the owner lets me take some home if I return them the next day.”

“You’re on a first name basis?” Natasha asks, eyebrow arched. “Just what bookstore are you going to?”

“One that’s none of your business,” Bucky says.

“It says it on top of the receipt,” Steve says.

Bucky curses.

Steve laughs at him.