#A Officer's corruption part Thirty seven

[the-silver-peahen-residence]

||An Officer's Corruption part Thirty-seven||

Hello there! I'm back with another chapter to the Officer's Corruption series. <3 Thanks to my amazing friend, she got me thinking of a chapter so I hope you like.

If you wish to see how or where everything is going, you can follow up on the chapters down below.

||Chapters so far|| 1-30|| ((Click here))

||OVA Chapters 1-7|| ((Written by my amazing friend demon mun and me)) (Click here))

Part Thirty one

Part Thirty two

Part Thirty Three

Part Thirty Four

Part Thirty five

Part Thirty Six

((Your reading Thirty-Seven))

||Drabble Summary||

After getting more and more information, Oblivion has got some leads that might help in finding the ones that started this. However, she got an alarming text from Luna. What could it be? Also, a new man has come to visit the prison but to deliver some details but he meets with Charlie. Who could this man be? Read to find out.

||Warning||

~Light NSFW is present in this

~Mature and Dark Themes is present in this

~blood warning is present

~drug use is spoken of in this

||Guests in Drabble||

Rave"Oblivion" Daitengu, and anyone else mention belongs to my amazing Rp partner @demon-blood-youths

Luna so-yeon koboyashi, Jinx violet, Yuuka Nakano and others mentioned are my OC's and belong to me. While junichiro tanizaki and others spoken of comes from the anime BSD but also me due to rping as them.

Yuji Itadori is from the anime series Jujutsu Kaisen but also me due to rping as him.

((Note: Their will be grammar mistakes and errors in this drabble as others have this warning. But like I state before, this is written for fun. So I hope you like it and my friend too. I hope you Enjoy.))

----- T Prison - Lower Cells -----

"There we go. That feels much better don't it?"

"Mhmmm..."

Yuji smiled seeing a relaxed Jinx sitting with him in the hot bath tub to help relax her and his muscles. Her hair was wet now but some was covering her chest as he was holding her close to him. She seems like a relaxed kitty cat. Or it could be due to the deep purring she was doing right now.

"Seems even after all that you must have tired yourself out a bit huh?" he said but Jinx only relaxed more against him while looking at the water since it was a bit steamy in the bathroom.

"A..a little b..bit." she said but feels him nuzzling against her cheek.

"I see. Well, even so, your still precious and also my little kitty cat. Next time we will get to play a lot more since you did take a peek of us having fun. You must have been lonely." he said but she only hums to nod relaxing against him.

"I was lonely but..it's fine. I'm not the type to hold a grudge.." she said gently though Yuji smiled still while they sat in the bath tub together. He even looks to gently begin rubbing her back while already helping her get clean before she would have to head back. He knew the other two officers might be worried but they knew she was fine.

~~~~Meanwhile~~~~~

"Hey Kali? Do you think Jinx is alright? I Hear she's been still on patrol right now." Kali looks up hearing Ink speak, seeing some prisoners just relaxing right now in their cells.

"Ehhh I'm sure she's fine. Knowing her, she tends to be just as bad as you. So I wouldn't worry about it." she waves a hand with eyes closed that Ink tilts her head to think about it.

"Hey, what's that suppose to mean?" she pouts that Kali sighed.

"Nevermind."

"Is it the same thing like you and the other inmate your watching over? Are you even going to say who he is-"

"I told you I don't tell you anything of what I do remember?! Why are you always so nosy!?" she said.

"I was just curious!" Ink said laughing happily that Kali's eye twitched a bit.

"Uhhh you okay Kali?"

"I'm..I'm fine just..holding back the urge to bonk you on the head..." she said but Ink looks at her then smiled.

"Okay!"

"Ugghhhhh..."

~~~Back with Yuji and Jinx~~~

Yeah, they were fine for now, he wanted to savor this moment for a while before she would be heading back later on. This moment was pretty peaceful for him as they relaxed. Even better seeing her relaxing in his arms together.

'So precious..' he thought only to kiss the top of her head.

~~~ Back at Northern State Pentiartary/Main office -----

"So I take it they heard about it too huh? Which results in them sending you?" Dazai was speaking to another male but he was setting some papers and files down. He looks to Dazai but sighed right after.

"Well, you asked us to look into something so we did. Unless you got something else we need to look into." junichiro tanizaki said while looking to Dazai. He was from the other building across from here but he tends to come here to check up on Dazai and give him information if he asks for it. Knowing him, Dazai can count on him for giving hidden files, documents and other things if it's hard.

"I did, I did. I was just doing something else at the moment and having a visitor. But I take it the info you gave me says things are fine? Any leads?" he asked Tanizaki who shook his head.

"Not yet. I got some trails but most of them are cold. I can keep looking into them for the moment till then. Do you have anything that might help with that?" he had his arms crossed but Dazai thinks only to reach into his pocket to take out some paper. He hands it to him as Junichiro opens it and reads.

"........"

"So far, that's what I have but maybe you can take a closer look into it? I'll be sure to send whatever I need to you if requested." he said as the other folds the paper.

"Understood." He said but as he was about to turn, the door opens showing someone. Tanizaki sees a woman walking in wearing the uniform. She had blonde hair in a pony tail. She has beautiful blue eyes and has scars on her body judging from what he sees. However, she looks pretty tough.

"Warden Dazai, I got Miss Seon to a room. She is ready for-" she stops seeing another standing there but another male? He looks only to see her look back.

"Oh thank you Charlie. Also, don't be alarmed he's an ally. Tanizaki this is Charlie. One of my officers for a section in the prison. Charile, this is Junichiro Tanizaki, a officer that does more of the shady dark needed things if it's from looking for something needed." he explains this to see Charile and Tanizaki look at one another.

"Hmmm, it's..nice to meet you Officer I take it?" she said seeing him look back at her and nod.

"Yes. It's a pleasure to meet you." he said bowing his head slightly to her that Charlie looks at him.

"Sir, you said he's a hidden hire. You never spoken about another helping out outside." she said hearing Dazai laugh.

"True but don't get me wrong, he's one of my best hired help. Or to say my most dangerous one. He's well known to his job and is able to finish the task no matter what he has to do or who's blood he spills. He gets it." he said simply that Charlie blinks then looks at him. What sort of things does this guy deal with?

"Even so, in time he will be transfered over here to help you and Jason in the future. He's just finishing up some documents for me." he said showing the file folder.

"I....see..."

"Even so, I hope you two will get along!" he giggled seeing both Tanizaki and Charlie look at one another. Get along, well, that is for later to see but who knows? Seems like it's a strong possible view.

~~~~~With Oblivion~~~~~

Tae was waiting for Luna to pick up her phone as she dials the number to her. She hopes she would pick up. In a moment, she heard a click on the other line and heard a familiar voice.

"Hello? Tae?"

"Hey Luna, I got your text message, what's going on? You said something urgent.." she said.

"Yes this is urgent. I know you already got the update regarding how Yuu is right? Well...I got more news I have to tell you but it's private. You are alone right?" she asked on the phone.

"I'm alone yeah." she said.

"Well, I'm alone too but here. The reason I'm calling you is to give you another update about her. She..." she sighed on the other line but was in her office with the other officers busy.

"What's wrong Luna? Is their something else wrong with Yuuka?"

"She's....she's gotten a lot worse Tae. Like bad worse." she said.

"What are you talking about Luna? How bad?"

"....Like ill bad." she said. "Ever since the Public Safely Hero Commission sent orders to the doctor they sent, she's been given a double dose of the medicine and shot..she seems like she's...sicker. Even if they say she would be better she don't seem like that." Luna said.

"The double dose? Hold on, they started that right now? I thought it was still being under view?"

"It was before I called to ask about it."

"Okay and Yuu? Is she....."

"I heard she's still taken the medicine and shots but too weak to even fight back right now....those drugs really weakened her Tae. Like baby weak..in a sense."

"What do you mean?" Oblivion asked.

"Well, remember how violent she was when you saw her a while ago or a few days ago? She's not as active anymore Tae. When me and Swan spoke to the head active present, he denied our request to stop the drugs."

"Hold on, he denied the request?! Why!?"

"Because he assumes the drugs was helping her. They say it's their way to insure she won't be a danger to the public."

"......."

So now we are trying to get some results of our own to see what the hell is in the medicine and shots Doctor Lee has been given her and of the double shot." she said looking worried.

"We even went to visit her and she....she didn't do much. She was just laying back upright on the bed looking ahead. Her quirk isn't as strong now because the double strength of that medicine and shots are making her weaker and weaker like she's losing her quirk. Hell, purple particles are only seen now unlike what you saw before..it's really gotten a lot more weaker now."

"What!?" When did this start to happen! "Wait wait wait, then how is she now?"

"Still the same. She still gets frequent hallucinations and she's more afraid now. I don't know what he's been doing but something is off with that damn doctor they sent us. It's like their trying to either get her to become quirkless or...I'm worry they are going to do more worse harm."

"......And she didn't even react to you nor Swan?" Oblivion asked.

"No. She just kept looking down even after Swan checked on her. She's not responding to us but the look in her eyes they dulled out. Lost their color Tae. That damn doctor says the medicine is 'working' and she's not as dangerous but it looks like it's only killing her from the inside. I don't know why but it feels like she's just lost in her little world without responding to anyone else. We can't get through to her." Luna said covering her face.

This was not what she was expecting but Tae only grips her phone to try calming down. Anger was rising inside of her but she looks ahead before asking, "Can I see her? Or can you do a video call?"

"Huh? Well, yeah I can but Tae..I really don't think you want to-"

"Luna please..I need to see for myself."

"......" Luna was quiet on the other line but sighed closing her eyes. "I can do that. Just a moment."

Tae heard some shuffling noise in the back but heard that Luna was leaving her office to where Yuuka was. She still was in the main hall before heading down to the right. She gets to the medic ward hallway section and goes into the area. A few were not in this area but she was heading to the other one where Yuu was.

The medic ward for heavy observation 24/7 was there but she was looking at the door where Yuu was. Doctor Lee was off today so Swan was watching her. She knocks on the door. "Swan? You in there?"

Obivion heard the door open in the background.

'Yeah, I'm here. You come to see Yuu again?' she asked as she lets Luna come in.

'Yes but..I got Oblivion on the phone and she wants to do a video call with her to see how she is.'

'....I..Is that wise? What if she-'

'She needs to see her Swan.....' Luna said but Swan only sighed to nod.

'Understood..' she said going to help sit Yuu upright on the bed. Luna moves but she sits down to pull the phone back but puts it on speaker.

'You still there Oblivion?'

"Yeah, still here."

'Alright. I'm going to put you on video call but you might not like what your about to see. Are you still sure?' she asked.

".....Yeah...I'm sure."

"Okay..Hold on."

Oblivion lowers her phone but looks seeing the screen change to a video call showing connecting please wait on her screen. She hopes Yuuka was alright but she was not expecting to see just how bad Yuuka was. Within seconds, the connection went through showing a room. It looks like the medic ward alright but she saw Swan and Luna.

"Oblivion, you there?"

'Yeah, I'm here. Where is Yuuka?" she asked but the two looked at one another but sighed.

"She's here.." Luna lifts up the phone but points it to show Yuu. As soon as Oblivon saw her, her own eyes slowly widen seeing Yuu's condition. Yuuka Nakano was sitting up right in bed but she looks ahead while not moving a inch. Her purple hair was messy but kept up in a pony tail, she was wearing a shirt and sweatpants while looking at her fingers. They seem to be shaking a little. She looked really tired but not thin since they still were giving her food. She just looked ill with bags under her eyes but she was only remaining quiet looking ahead. Oblivion looks shocked but she sees her.

"Yuuka?...Yuuka, can you hear me? You have a visitor today..." Swan said hoping she was respond but she didn't. Luna saw she remains still but her eyes were hidden.

"..........."

'As you can see, she's been like this since she got the double dose shot and medicine. It's pretty strong and it's effecting her physically and mentally. We got word we think she's seeing things in her mind. Or having bad memories that keeps haunting her. We are trying to do everything in our power to keep her calm Tae but...we are worried of what those assholes are really planning on doing to her.'

"I......she's been like this since the damn double dose was given to her?" she said seeing Swan answer.

"Yes. That's what I got from her recent blood work. She remains like this but still gets the heavy nosebleeds and having trouble sleeping. It's like she's too scared to close her eyes because of seeing things." she said but Oblivion said nothing gripping her phone tight wanting to break it but she was keeping calm trying not to. She looked so tired and sick. What the hell is with the drugs?

Being quiet, Oblivion looks to her. "Yuuka? Hey, can you hear me? It's me, Officer Seon...." she speaks loud enough in hopes she hears her voice. The two looks at Yuu seeing her not respond but Oblivion looks worried now.

"Yuu...please can you hear me? It's me......please let me know you can hear me.." she said a bit louder from the phone but hearing that made Yuu blink her eyes slowly before Luna carefully shows the phone and Oblivion on it. In a moment, Yuu slowly looks to Oblivion but saw her on the screen.

"........."

"..Yuuka?"

In a minute, Yuuka slowly reaches to touch the screen of the phone but Luna saw Swan hold it near her that Yuuka reaches to hold it in her hands to look at it. She can see her but she seems so far away.

"......O...Offi....cer.....S....seon.."

The two were silent but was shocked seeing she spoke! She was silent all that time but she only shook holding the phone.

"...Yes, it's me Nakano."

"......Where......a...re...you....you..d..disappeared...f..from here.." she speaks quietly.

"..I'm.....out at the moment but I was calling to check on you...see how you been." she speaks in a calm down even if she was angry now. Those assholes. What have they done to her!?

Yuuka said nothing laying back but Swan helps her lay on her side as she was looking at the phone with a hold stand to keep it there. She looks at the screen with dulled eyes.

"You....went....out...I...g...get i..it.....I h..hope...you c...come b..back...I'm..s...scared. I'm s..scared of t..the doctor..the ni...ghtmares....t..their getting w..worse...I don't wanna s...sleep.." she mutters in a tired tone.

"Easy now Yuu..You have to get sleep. It's not healthy to stay up like that." Tae said but saw Yuu only grips the sheets trying not to freak out but tries calming down.

"But b..bad things..t..the w...orms..t..their still....c...crawling inside of m..me....r..ready to r..rip out..I'm s..scared Oblivion..I'm s..scared.." she said softly.

"Worms?"

"T..the scary w..worms....their eating me f..from..inside o..out...It's s..scary..I'm s..scared..they started getting a...agitated a..after they gi....ve....new m..medicine. It hurts al..all over and f..from injection s..spot..it was....to h..help with d..dangerous quirk....it's d..dissappearing...." she said and shows trying to form some goo but the two with her and Tae saw purple particles but no goo.

Both Luna and Swan was shocked seeing how weak it's gotten. Even Tae was shocked.

'I can't..e..even use my flames r..right now..t..too tired...I'm too tired.....to conjure up some...' she said. 'Then it m..means I'm g..gonna....be quirkless r..right? Is t..that what the p..people wan..wanted?' she mutters.

"No no it's not Yuu. That's not what-"

"It's true..s...see?" she shows her arm seeing the injection spot but it shows some bandage covering it since they gave her another one. Oblivion said nothing but Yuuka lowers her arm to look at the phone.

"Yuuka.."

"I'm..s..sowwie...I'm s..sorry f..for being m..mean t..to you and o..others h..here..I was j..just scared....I'm scared being a..alone......."

"Yuuka, your not alone. I'll be back soon okay? Just hang in there for me. When I come back, I'll help you okay? You don't have to be scared.." Oblivion said but Yuu looks to the phone but she only blinks once slowly to relax.

"You w..won't..l..leave me a..alone?"

"I won't...I'm trying to help you, Yuu but when I have what I need, I'll be there with you..I promise. I'll find the ones that did this to you...and make sure they pay for this..." she said that Yuu only held the phone near but she was quiet. It was rather nice to hear her voice and it was calming to her.

She remains quiet but only looks to the screen that Tae saw tears now running down Yuu's cheeks. She was really upset about this.

'P...lease....c..come b..back okay? I really...wanna..s...see you come b..back...I'll..t...try to be c..calm..' she mutters. Tae was quiet though, she's never seen her that calm before even when meeting her. Was this...how she used to be before the drugs? She wasn't sure but it seems like it.

Oblivion sighed but looks at the phone.

"Don't try, just....just give it your best. I want you to rest more Yuuka okay? You have to try and get some sleep. Rest up....that's all I ask." Tae said but Yuu only looks to her then down.

"I..I'll..t..try..I......." she started to speak only to feel something run down her nose. Yuu blinks to look seeing her blood again that she reaches to touch it. "......"

"Yuuka?" Luna said.

"Oh no, not again." Swan said worried trying to clean her nose but Yuu was moving away from her. "Easy now..I'm not going to hurt you.."

"N..No no..d..don't...don't touch me! Don't touch me!" she said suddenly freaking out as she tries to move away, Luna tries to help keep her still to calm down. "NO! Please let me go! Let me go!"

"Yuu calm down!" Luna said wincing as she was thrashing violently now.

"NO MORE MEDICINE! I DON'T WANT TO BE FORCED T..TO TAKE ANYMORE! OFFICER SEON H..HELP ME!! PLEASE HELP!!!!"

"......" Oblion was shocked hearing this and seeing it was worse. However, she saw but Swan quickly have some golden feathers floats around her. Yuuka tenses seeing the feathers but when they were around, she slowly started feeling sleepy.

"St...stop..l..let me.."

"Rest Yuu your safe...just calm down.." Swan said in a quiet tone trying not to scare her. Luna kept holding her but Oblivion saw the whole thing before Yuu goes limp in her arms.

"........"

"What the hell was that!?" Oblivion asked seeing Luna lay her back on the bed.

"That's..something she does if she freaks out or something she's seeing that we aren't. She's been doing that for a while now or maybe side effects from the drugs. Right now, we have to keep her here to insure she won't attack staff which she hasn't. Right now, we are worried. We don't know how bad this can get for her......but we will do everything to insure she is alright." Luna explains but Oblivion said nothing to nod.

"I..I get it..I'll do everything in my power to help her and come back. Just..keep watching her for me till then okay?" Oblivion said.

"We will don't worry. If you find anything let us know but I'll do the same keeping you up to date. Just...find out the jerks that did this to her and make them pay Tae." Luna said.

"I will. Just keep a eye on her....I'm counting on you two." she said seeing them nod before the video call ended. Oblivion slowly lowers the phone down but when she did, she slowly stood up to try and process this. When she did, she punches the wall hard looking down.

She's never seen her like that and it worried her. She was a strong woman but not right now. She was someone that needed help......for now, she lets out a slow breath to try calming down.

Whoever did this to her...they would pay dearly for this.

[beardedmrbean]

Authorities in Turkey have arrested dozens of people for "provocative" social media posts after the Mayor of Istanbul Ekrem Imamoglu was detained on Wednesday.

Imamoglu was one of 106 people held on charges including corruption and aiding terrorist groups - a move that has sparked protests in Istanbul and the capital, Ankara.

A member of the secular Republican People's Party (CHP), Imamoglu is a key rival to President President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and was set to be named as a presidential candidate for the 2028 elections later this week.

Critics say his arrest is a "coup" and are planning further demonstrations, despite Istanbul's pro-Erdogan governor banning protests for four days.

Interior minister Ali Yerlikaya announced on Thursday morning that police had identified 261 "suspect account managers" online who had allegedly posted content "inciting the public to hatred and hostility" and "incitement to commit a crime".

"Thirty-seven suspects were caught and efforts are continuing to catch the other suspects," he said, adding that more than 18.6 million posts appeared online about Wednesday's arrests by 0600 local time (0300 GMT) on Thursday.

A message posted on Imamoglu's X account on Thursday called on Turkey to "stand against this evil as a nation", urging members of the judiciary and of Erdogan's party to fight injustice.

"These events have gone beyond our parties, political ideals. The process is now concerning our people, namely your families," Imamoglu said. "It is time to raise our voices."

The mayor of Istanbul may have spent his first night in detention but the municipality is still controlled by his opposition party.

As commuters boarded trains at metro stations across the city, a recording of one of Imamoglu's public speeches blared out from loudspeakers: "I promise you with my honour that I am going to win this fight."

University students marched on the streets chanting: "We are not scared, we won't be silenced, we will not obey" - a common opposition slogan in Turkey.

However, numbers of protesters are still relatively small for a city with more than 16 million people. For now, they are unlikely to raise political pressure on Erdogan to release Imamoglu.

The office of the detained mayor has called for protesters to gather for a second night in a row outside the municipal hall.

CHP leader Ozgur Ozel addressed supporters at one rally on Wednesday night, calling on them to "fill the streets".

The arrests of Imamoglu and others follow a major nationwide crackdown in recent months, targeting opposition politicians, journalists and figures in the entertainment industry.

Some fear more will be brought in for questioning over the coming weeks as part of a campaign of intimidation.

Opposition figures say the arrests are politically motivated. But the justice ministry on Wednesday criticised those who linked Erdogan to the arrests, and insisted on their judicial independence.

Imamoglu won a second term as Istanbul's mayor last year, when his CHP party swept local elections there and in Ankara.

It was the first time since Erdogan came to power that his party was defeated across the country at the ballot box.

The elections were also a personal blow to the president, who grew up in and became mayor of Istanbul on his rise to power.

Erdogan has held office for the past 22 years, as both prime minister and president of Turkey. Due to term limits, he cannot run for office again in 2028 unless he changes the constitution.

The CHP's presidential candidate selection, in which 1.5 million members will vote and Imamoglu is the only person running, is set to take place on Sunday.

The party has also called on citizens to vote in a symbolic election, with plans to place ballot boxes in districts all over Turkey for people to show their support for the detained mayor.

[demon-blood-youths]

An Officer's Corruption - Part Thirty

Hi everyone, this is Deamon-mun with part 30 for An Officer's corruption. This is for my friend @the-silver-peahen-residence who started this series. Here are the chapters so far.

Chapters so far

||Previous Chapters 1-7||((Click here))

((Previous chapters 8-13)) (Click here))

||Previous chapters 14-20)) ((Click here))

Part Twenty one ((NSFW Warning))

Part Twenty two ((NSFW Warning))

Part Twenty three

Part Twenty Four

Part Twenty-Five

Part Twenty-Six

Part Twenty Seven ( Dark Theme Warning )

Part Twenty-Eight

Part Twenty-Nine (( NSFW Warning ))

((Your reading part Thirty)

||OVA Chapters 1-7|| ((Written by me and Peahen ) (Click here))

------ Warnings ----

Violence

NSFW Content

--- Drabble Summary -----

The battle between Matt and Ryunosuke is underway. In the meantime, what were the other officers and the prisoners at Northern State doing in the meantime? and how are things going at T Prison?

-----

"Oh my..." Dazai smiles seeing the fight between Officer Knack and Ryunosuke Akutagawa about to duke it out. "Seems like Matt-kun has found a playmate. Good, good."

Sid looks concerned. "Warden Osamu?"

"Not to worry, Sid-chan. I have full confidence in Matt's abilities. After all, I was the one who recruited him into this prison. Maybe..just maybe he found someone who can matches his strength." Dazai smiles.

"Hm." Sid sighs, "By the way, warden...someone is trying to call you?"

"Oh? Who would that be?" Dazai muses.

"Someone by the name of Tae Kouki-Seon?"

Then Dazai widens his eyes at that. Sid sees this, "Sir?"

"My adorable niece, little Tae wants to call me?! I haven't heard from her in a while!" Dazai placed his hands on his cheeks, blushing as he swayed side to side making Sid sweatdropped. "Niece?" Sid questioned.

"A niece I adopted! Not blood-related but she calls me Uncle when she was a tiny little birdy" He chuckles. "I wonder if I can ask her to zap me with tons of love to death!"

"Um.." Sid said. "Does that mean you approve of her visiting?"

"Not yet. I will call her tonight. Right now, we have a situation on our hands that Matt can easily take care of." Said Dazai. Sid nods, "Very well. I will inform Ms. Seon then." Sid said. "By the way....from the reports...Ryunosuke's ability is very dangerous."

"Is that so?" Dazai smiles. "Well...you and me both know that Matt's power is just as dangerous. It's a pretty good match-up, it might end in the draw."

----- Area E -----

Ryunosuke summons many tendrils erupting from the ground towards Matt. The officer goes to evade by jumping around. It was so fast. Ryunosuke can't help but smile. "Ha! You said you would beat me! But you're just running around like a rat you are!" He laughed.

"Oh is that what you think?" Matt said as he went to land on the wall, however, he used the wall as a launching pad to launch himself at Matt, clotheslining Ryunosuke and making his body spin before he grabbed his leg and proceeded to slam him against the table.

"ACK!" Ryunosuke coughs before he is thrown across the area through a cell. Matt laughs as he sees Ryunosuke cough. He starts to pick himself up as Matt walks towards him.

"So can a rat do that, Hellhound?" He asked him. This got mafioso growls, "DAMN YOU!" He shouted, ordered Rashomon at him as the dark beast turned into huge jaws to crush him. The Rashomon gobbles Matt up as the monster snaps its jaws.

Ryunosuke grins but then Rashomon looks to be struggling then the jaws are snapped open with Matt pushing them apart.

"What the hell?" Ryunosuke stares at this in amazement before Matt jumps away and delivers an ax kick on Rashomon's head, embedding the beast into the ground. He stands on top of Rashomon and smiles at Ryunosuke, "What else you got?" He taunts.

Ryunosuke grits his teeth and bites his bottom lip, drawing a bit of blood. He roars as Matt jumps off from Rashomon and Ryunosuke calls out another attack, "Rashōmon: Endless Gate Jaws!"

Then several jaws appeared and went to attack Matt from all sides in front of him. However, none of them came close as they were knocked away so quickly in the blink of an eye. The blows were so powerful. Ryunosuke felt a force from Matt before he was pinned against the wall and he widened to see Matt throw a punch.

A boom sound is heard as dust appears from the blow. Wade blinks. Did Matt win?!

The gator widens his eyes as the smoke clears. Matt's punch did connect but Ryunosuke was in encased in some kind of wrapped glowing black-red fabric. It covers the bottom half of his face.

"OOoh..." Matt's eyes lit up seeing this. "That's awesome!" Then he widens his eyes, jumping away as Ryunosuke brings out a huge claw, ripping part of his uniform.

Blood begins to spill from Matt's body making Wade and the other guards panicked. "Not bad, not bad. You're full of surprises, Ryu~!"

Ryunosuke growls in response. He immediately used Rashōmon: Tenma Tengai or Demon Wearing Armor before the hit made contact. It took most of the blow since this armor is used for defense. Never he think he would be using it against a guard like this! Then again...this prison is not your average prison.

Matt sighs as he goes to take off his ripped uniform revealing a tight sleeveless black tee shirt. Ryunosuke can see the alethic muscles and he can see the abs as well. Is this man strong enough to do battle with him and his Rashomon? No. It's not possible.

Matt yawns as the wound he received diagonally across his chest heals.

And he can heal. No...there is a chance that he is not human!

"Okay..." Matt rolls his right shoulder as he closes his eyes before reopening them. "Now let's continue playing, Ryu~"

"Don't call me like I'm some kind of PET!" Ryunosuke growled. Matt laughs before he rushes at Ryunosuke. The two begin to fight. Matt is on the offensive while Ryunosuke is on defense, parrying his hits. They keep going until Ryunosuke grabs one of Matt's hands with his hands turned into jaws, clamping him down.

"DIE!" He roared as he directed his tendrils from his back and went to attack Matt. Then right away, Matt grabbed one of the tendrils with one hand but several of the tendrils went through its body.

"Ha! Now you won't escape from this!" Ryunosuke yelled, going for his next attack. However, Matt pulls the mafioso using the tendril he caught in his hand. Then he brings his head back and headbutts him on the forehead. Hard.

This stuns Ryunosuke giving Matt a chance to slip out of his hold. He grabs hold of his shoulder and flips him onto the floor before throwing him again, this time into a cell. The prisoners were taking cover under the tables, knowing not to butt in if they know what's best for them.

Ryunosuke tries to move but can't get up. He looks up to see Matt in some kind of armor. He had dark violet big upward curve horns with red highlights. He has a dark upper armor in a X-shape. His eyes glow red under his black hair and guard cap.

"Ha...ha..."

"Wow. I wish I could fight with you more but it's about time to put you infirmary and then cell."

"You bastard...." Ryunosuke growled. "Don't you dare underestimate me!"

"Underestimate you? No way! I found you really fun to fight with." He said truthfully. This got Ryunosuke madder. "Fun!? That's what you think?"

"Yeah. I mean after all...you were having fun too, weren't you?" Matt asked. This made Ryunosuek pause for a moment. Matt continues, "Besides...you were smiling through and through."

Ryunosuke doesn't want to admit so he goes to throw a punch at Matt but the guard quickly intercepts and knocks him out again. He caught Ryunosuke in his arms. "There, there. Let's get you to the medical ward." He said.

"Wade! Get everyone back in their cells!" Matt ordered. Wade nods, "Of course!"

------ Warden's Office ----

"Awww...seems like the fight ended." Warden Osamu smiles, "Seems like Akutagawa's nickname isn't for a show of course, and as always Matt managed to subdue him."

"Indeed he has," Sid said. She has full confidence in Matt's abilities.

"That said...we need to explain to the others that the situation at Area E is taken care of."

"Of course!"

Before the fight ended, things were happening at other areas.

---- Area D ----

Jason goes to take a quick shower after what he just experience. He of course, goes to relieve himself. Jason pants as he claws the wall a little. He wouldn't believe that someone like Gin would have an effect on him like that.

Seeing that feminine face teasing him like that made him stunned. He doesn't know what to think.

"Should I....report this?"

No! If he did, Warden Osamu would not let it die! Jason groans. No, no! This is fine! He can handle one little human lady! Even if she is pretty and deadly! Wait! What is he saying?!

Then the radio is on and Charlie calls,

"Jason! We need you!"

"R-right! Coming!" Jason gets dressed and goes back out.

---- Cell -----

Gin is relaxing at her cell for now. She closes her eyes and lays there, thinking. She wonders how her brother is doing. He must be fine. After all, nobody would mess with him if they tried. Though, she is concerned about that guard. What was his name? Officer Knack.

Those eyes of his are otherworldly. Like a demon's.

She hopes Ryunosuke is alright.

In the meantime, she thinks back to the officer taking charge over her. Officer Woofhees or rather Jason. She never thought a strong man like that would be so weak to her touch.

---- Area A ----

"Hm?" Shrika looks at her phone.

"Shrika?" Asked Willie as both of them were in a bed. Willie has Shrika at his side with an arm wrapped around her. "Sorry." Shrika apologizes, "It seems like a major fight went down in Area E. Of course, Matt managed to take care of it."

"That's not uncommon," Willie said.

"It's just the usual. I feel bad for the guy who fought him." Shrika sighs. "Anyway...let's rest. I don't think we're needed there."

----- Area F -----

"Ugh...." Chuuya is still in his own solitary cell. He was supposed to get out but he heard there is some commotion outside. Something about a fight going down in Area E?

"Hold on...isn't Ryunosuke there?" Chuuya recalled as Ryunosuke was sent there with that dangerous guard. 'Ryunosuke...I hope you're not doing anything stupid."

------ Area C ------

"Hm?" Pete blinks. '

"Pete? Something wrong?" It's Yumeno who is holding his tablet, watching over the prisoners in their killer game. Some of the prisoners were already traumatized enough while a handful of them are killed. It's just another day for them.

"Nothing. Someone fought Matt."

"Oh! Who won?"

"Matt." Pete asked. Yumeno laughs, "He's always winning! Matt is so cool!"

"He is." Pete said.

---- Medical Ward -----

"So how is he, doc?" Matt asked. Cobin Razor, the doctor in charge of the medical ward sighs. "Good news, he only has a concussion, some broken bones, and a few bruises. What the hell did you do this time?" The doctor pushes up his round glasses as he asks.

"Oh the usual. But Ryunosuke here is really strong. You should of seen him, Cobin!"

"Riiiight." Cobin makes a face. "He would be here for two days while I have my machines patch him up."

"Nice! Also, careful! He bites!"

"Noted." Cobin sighs.

And thus, it's a normal day for Northern State Penitentiary.

------ T Prison ------

Things have been calm at T Prison run by Warden Kinie. Kinie updates Sukuna on Itadori and such. Just a usual update.

As for Ink, she helps encourage the Six Claws to get into classes however..it's a challenge of its own. That would be delved into later.

Kali is checking in on Rex if there's anything she needs to know.

"Nothing unusual. Although...if you're curious. The Six Claws managed to help out by keeping order around here. It seems that little brawl of yours during lunch made them mad. They don't like when the guard assigned to them is considered prey by another person. It seems like that prisoner is made example of." Rex smiles.

"Why am I not surprised?" Kali said. Should she tell Ink?

"I advised not to worry about it. Use that to advantage for the meantime." Rex advises. "Ink can handle them although...a few of them are resistant in taking the class but nothing too major."

"Okay? What about Itadori?"

Now this is Rex wonders if he should cover for Itadori since he is Sukuna's little brother or tell the truth. "It seems like the incident got him upset as well. You see Itadori has standards and he doesn't like how that man...refer you to degtoary words, you see. By the way! I heard he was moved to another cell with his friends."

"Yes. After that incident before this one. Jinx told us that Itadori requested it because he doesn't want his friends to get hurt as he fears retaliation. But you already know that. Since he's near your cell, what's he doing."

"Nothing much." Rex said. "He's not planning anything in case you're wondering..." He said. Kali sighs, "Fine. Fine. Just let me know if anything happens. I'm going to head up."

"Of course." Rex smiles. Right now, he rather avoids what Itadori and his friends are doing right now at this moment. They're doing something that is considered a 'pastime' like the other night after the fight against the guards. He wonders what Sukuna is doing.

----- At Sukuna's Penthouse ----

"Yes. Thank you for informing me, Warden Ger." He smiles as he has a cup of coffee in his hand. He loves hearing Kinie's voice as she talks to him. She seems less guarded than usual. What does that mean? They formed some kind of relationship. This is good, right?

Then he hears a beep on his phone.

He frowns. He looks at Caller ID that says Doctor Mori. Mori? What does he want?

"My apologies, Kinie. There's a matter I need to attend to. How about we schedule for another dinner?"

"Of course. That would be fine, Mr. Ryomen. Talk to you soon." Right away, Kinie hangs up leaving Sukuna to take this call.

"Doctor Mori. This is a surprise."

"Hello Mr. Ryomen. How are you?"

"Doing something until you call it. What is it?" He asked, leaning back in his chair.

Mori chuckles, "Always straight to the point, hm?"

"Knowing you, it's usual business with you," Sukuna replied calmly. Mori hums, "Yes it's always is. So let me get to the point, are you aware that my men are arrested and are sent to a dangerous prison right now?"

"Huh? Busted for what?" Sukuna said, lowering his coffee on the desk.

"Drugs apparently." He said. Sukuna blinks, "Hold on, I know you and your company don't do drugs. How did this happen?"

"Someone snuck some in and placed it right next to our product," Mori answered. "So I wondering if you know who is responsible for this."

"If you want to know, it wasn't me besides...am I the kind of person who screws people over for no reason and with their business? I don't do this to people such as yourself since you handle my merchandise. If anything, I'm here for family matters. So you can take me off your list of suspects, Doctor.." Sukuna said firmly.

"I know it wasn't you. Sorry if I am implying that, Ryomen. That said, I need your help in hiring some lawyers to represent my men. Three of them are my most valuable members." Mori informs them. Sukuna nods, "Alright. Let me see what I can do for them. Is there anything else?"

"Not at a moment. Right now, I need to deal with other matters."

"Like?"

"A pro-hero student who was kidnapped and drugged months ago. She was recovered yet sent to a facility for treatment but some rumors surfaced, saying that Port Mafia is behind this. Since the place she was confined is in Yokohama?"

"Are they?" Sukuna raised a brow. Mori and his organization kidnapped a girl. A pro-hero student, no less. That isn't their style.

"Of course not. There is no reason and this student is from UA., one of the top hero schools where All Might teaches. It's risky for Port Mafia to do something like that and they're against drugs. So I'm trying to see if these two cases are related."

"I see. Well...you know when to call me if you need anything, Doctor Mori." Said Sukuna.

"Of course, thank you. I will be in touch, soon." Said Mori before hanging up. Sukuna sighs. "Great. Now I need to deal with this problem." He hopes this favor won't get in the way of dinner with Kinie Ger.

To be continued....

[emiliocarrasco]

➵  BASICS

NAME: Emilio Carrasco GOES BY: Emilio, Deputy, Deputy Carrasco AGE / D.O.B. 3rd June, 1963 [61 yo] FACECLAIM: Benjamin Bratt GENDER & SEXUALITY: Cis-Male, hetero. HOMETOWN: Lima, Peru. CURRENTLY:  Queens, NYC. AFFILIATION: NYPD. / Law Enforcement.  JOB POSITION: Deputy Chief of Police EDUCATION: High School Diploma / GED, Police Academy. RELATIONSHIP STATUS: Involved. ➵ Amelia Carrasco, wife; thirty-three years married. ( m. 1990 ) CHILDREN: ➵ Luis Carrasco, eldest son; thirty-one. ➵ Alex Carrasco, eldest daughter; twenty-seven. ➵ Oscar Carrasco, youngest son; twenty-five.

➵  TRAITS

POSITIVE: Focused, Decisive, Dedicated, Passionate, Determined. NEGATIVE: Controlling, Temperamental, Aggressive, Harsh, Stern.

➵  BIOGRAPHY

"We are not here to create disorder, we are here to preserve disorder. We are not the enemy, we never were; we serve to protect. We are justice for you, not the desperate revolution. I am - pardon the cliche - the arm of the Law tasked with keeping New York safe. And I will do that until it no longer stands; and I'll make it be long after I am gone." Emilio Carrasco, 1996, NYT.

Carrasco cringes at least once a month at his old pre-written statements given as a young officer. Feeding the wolves what they wanted to hear in order to quieten the howls.

Everything had to stop being pre-written after '97, and then '01... and then '07-'10 where Emilio's faith in Law was shaken. '18 seemed to be the reality check within the force, shortly followed by '21. When did it stop? Promising impossibilities?

From one tumulus country, to another. Emilio had grown numb to the viciousness, and vile corners of humanity. He had spent years of his early life clawing out of stigmatic labels, keeping his head down and studying to be the change he wished he could be in the world.

He was naïve then. A young boy convinced with one right voice; with good intentions he could change it overnight.

The clawing never stopped. Thirty-four years later, and he simply moved one position closer to that change. Maybe it was still a little foolish to think that he could keep stability after everything Carrasco had seen. After he had balanced a working life, and an outside life so precariously that he wasn't sure which life would crumble first.

Emilio's problem always was that he put the job first; he put the criminals ahead of his wife, of his children. Fiercely defending them in a way that was suffocating whilst being entirely too absent. But he was making the city safe for them, and every citizen who called New York a home.

The media could write one right thing about him, out of twenty. It would always mean very little to him. But reputation; a standing was part of the fragile clockwork that ran the city. He understands that, and he'll put on the face of severity. He will continue to put individuals behind bars, and bring justice - because, without them, who else would?

The gangs?

An unholy kind of justice. Emilio would see righteousness reign first.

➵  CONNECTIONS

AMELIA CARRASCO | Wife; 55, freelance editor. (m.1990) LUIS CARRASCO | Eldest son; 31, casino pit supervisor. (b.1992) ALEX CARRASCO | Eldest daughter; 27, poli-sci graduate. (b.1996) OSCAR CARRASCO | Youngest son; 25, graphic designer. (b.1998)

➵  HEADCANONS

If you attempt to corrupt him, your efforts will be solely wasted.

Has worked for NYPD since 1989; academy; rookie; detective ['13-'20]; captain['20-'22]; deputy chief.

Married the love of his life; a teenage whirlwind over the course of a crazy summer, in 1990. It was one year after Emilio began his pursuit of law enforcement. Were happily married, turning toxic and unhealthy due to Emilio's determination to clean up the city.

Two years after they married, their first son was born; Luis.

Mentions of divorce in '18, during rife gang war.

Children have some resentment for him due to missing familial commitments due to work - however, Emilio loves them dearly, and would never encourage the animosity. He does his best.

Loathes the media, of course. Has a special place in his heart for dismissing them. Has been photographed previously getting aggressive with those waving microphones, and cameras in his face. It was followed by public apologies.

Motivated by the belief that one day New York will be safe; the streets will be safe to walk on at all hours. Crime will be at an all time low before he retires. As it stands; a pipe dream.

Bilingual, from his parents - and few years as a child in Peru.

A man that does everything - mostly - by the book. Throwing himself headlong into danger is not by the book. But he won't miss an opportunity.

Self corruption is a different kind of trouble.

Listens unironically to Beyonce albums in his office, accompanied by a glass.

Where his limits stretch, is often with his children; he knows they can get into trouble. But it isn't a good look. It makes bad headlines, and looks worse when the prosecutions are light.

There have been rumours in the past about his marriage, and adultery. They are not true from Emilio's side. ( He has not the time. ) And Amelia has denied them too. Emil assumes it is a personal attack on the force to try and unstable him, and he will not allow it to cloud his judgement. But it affects his children.

He is stern. Because he feels like he can never really drop the jacket of the law, even at home where he can be softer - and loving, he finds it difficult to switch off.

[kenyahorizon]

Kenya’s Political Party Shuffle Fuels Violence and Instability

Barely seven months after leaving office, former President Uhuru Kenyatta finds himself fighting to keep his once-powerful Jubilee Party afloat. The party that clinched him a second term and parliamentary majority in 2017 suffered a devastating blow in the 2022 elections—winning only 27 of 290 parliamentary seats, four senatorial posts, and just one governorship. But this isn’t unusual in Kenya. Political parties here rarely survive beyond a single election cycle.

In fact, since the defeat of the independence-era KANU party in 2002, no single party or coalition has held on to power for more than one term. Party-hopping by political elites has become the norm. Kenyan political scientist Gilbert Khadiagala, who has spent decades researching this volatility, explains how it’s feeding the flames of instability.

A History of Fluid Alliances

Kenya’s political fluidity dates back to the early 1990s when the country reintroduced multiparty democracy. Opposition alliances quickly emerged to challenge KANU, the dominant ruling party that had held power since independence. KANU, under Jomo Kenyatta and later Daniel arap Moi, governed with an iron grip—co-opting opposition leaders into its vast patronage network while silencing dissent.

The newly formed coalitions were often united more by ethnicity and regional loyalty than by ideology. One of the earliest coalitions, the Forum for the Restoration of Democracy (FORD), fractured within a year into FORD-Kenya and FORD-Asili. Splinters like this would become a pattern, with coalitions routinely breaking apart and reconfiguring ahead of each election.

Even today, the country’s dominant coalitions—Kenya Kwanza (led by President William Ruto) and Azimio la Umoja (led by opposition leader Raila Odinga)—are a patchwork of smaller, often regionally or ethnically based parties. These alliances, built for short-term electoral gain, lack the ideological coherence and institutional resilience needed for long-term governance.

Why It Matters

Thirty years into competitive politics, many had hoped Kenya would develop strong national parties. Instead, the country is stuck with fragile coalitions that rise and fall with each electoral cycle. This fuels uncertainty and undermines political stability.

In more mature democracies, such as Germany, political parties are deeply institutionalized and form coalitions after elections based on clear policy alignments. In Kenya, however, coalitions are hastily assembled before elections, with little thought to governance once in office.

The result is deepening societal rifts. Ethnic mobilization, patronage politics, and resource competition have turned elections into high-stakes battles that often spill into violence. This is especially dangerous in a “winner-takes-all” system like Kenya’s, where the prize is control over vast national resources and public offices.

How Instability Breeds Violence and Corruption

Fragile coalitions also create fertile ground for unrest. Losing coalitions often reject election results and mobilize their supporters, leading to post-election violence. A striking example occurred after the 2017 elections, when Odinga’s NASA coalition threatened to push for the secession of their regions following disputed results.

The 2002 formation of the National Rainbow Coalition (NARC) under Mwai Kibaki initially seemed like a turning point. But optimism soon faded. The coalition collapsed amid internal ethnic tensions and ultimately contributed to the 2007–2008 post-election violence that left over a thousand dead and displaced hundreds of thousands.

Even the 2008 Government of National Unity—brokered by international mediators—was riddled with tensions. Its leaders parted ways and formed new coalitions for the next election, perpetuating the cycle.

These unstable alliances also drive corruption. Winning coalitions often spend enormous amounts to secure victory and must recoup these costs once in power—usually through looting and misappropriation of state resources.

Are There Any Benefits to These Loose Coalitions?

In deeply divided societies, temporary alliances can sometimes offer a way to share power and project a veneer of national unity. Kenya’s coalitions allow ethnically and regionally diverse leaders to collaborate—at least on the surface. But such cooperation is usually short-lived and lacks meaningful policy coordination.

Until Kenya achieves deeper national cohesion, these fluid coalitions may continue to serve as a practical, albeit imperfect, model for navigating its diverse society.

The Path Forward: Building Real Parties

For Kenya to break this destructive cycle, its politics must shift from ethnic allegiances to issue-based engagement. The public already shares many common concerns—cost of living, unemployment, health care, and education. But the political class thrives on division, using ethnicity to distract from economic and governance failures.

Transforming coalitions into stable, institutionalized parties with clear ideologies and national reach is essential. Only then can Kenya move toward more predictable, peaceful, and transparent politics. Until the quest for presidential power becomes less about ethnic arithmetic and more about national interest, the country’s political landscape will remain as volatile as ever.

[8bitsupervillain]

Higurashi When They Cry Hou Ch. 8 Matsuribayashi pt. 58

Something that amuses me when writing these out is noticing the amount of time that can pass between screenshots. Usually it’s at most a minute apart, but sometimes I can tell when I got annoyed or frustrated with a particular section in the plot, because there will be twenty minutes to an hour between screenshots. Or there’s the times when it gets really bad and there’s days between, those are highly amusing. To me anyway, you’ll have to take my word for it regarding the time since I don’t include those in the posts themselves. Also I sort of wonder how noticeable it is when I go back an edit previously written posts, can you tell when I added or removed stuff from them?

Do you classify Higurashi as horror? Despite the myriad tones and different plots operating at times I’d say at its core it’s a horror story. At least the first seven chapters I’d say classify, Matsuribayashi however? I’d say it’s more of a thriller, I was going to say mystery thriller, but there really isn’t a mystery any more.

I do wonder why they never had Ooishi act more like he did in Tatarigoroshi. Where he was a more antagonistic villainous person in comparison to his portrayals in other chapters. You could say he was kind of like that in Watanagashi and Meakashi, since those were more focused on the Sonozaki family. Yet despite the series trying to set Ooishi up as a rather suspicious and corrupt seeming individual, nothing really comes of it. Except for the time they caught Keiichi digging up the area where he had dumped Teppei’s body you never see Ooishi act abusive to his suspects.

In Himatsubushi it’s certainly implied that Ooishi was just running around cracking the skulls of protesters but it never says anything outright about it. Even that manga page doesn’t happen in the context of the visual novel itself. He mentions to Akasaka that an officer did get stabbed during the dam wars, but it never says that the person who got stabbed was Ooishi himself.

So I just wonder, was there ever any sort of plan to keep portraying Ooishi in these suspicious and violent ways as a way to instill doubt that he might be behind the sacrifices? Just have him act as conspicuous as can be, only for it to get dropped in Minagoroshi and become a steadfast ally of Rika and friends? I suppose they really dropped the suspicious Ooishi angle with Tsumihoroboshi since up until the school hostage situation Ooishi was very firmly on Rena’s side.

I wonder how well scenes like this go for people who don’t care for these characters? I can only assume that most people reading this series like the gaming club more than the adult characters. So I wonder how those people feel about these scenes that focus on Irie, Ooishi, etc? Do they mash through the dialogue until the gaming club comes back? Do they read about Ooishi fretting and worrying about how to proceed on the job with the same annoyance I feel during some of the more aggravating antics the club gets up to? Is this their version of the martial arts otaku?

I like the implication that even Irie thought the Sonozaki were behind the murders and all manner of other misdeeds. It’s especially funny when you remember that he is fully aware of the truth behind THREE of four Oyashiro murders.

Also I think that Oryou should buy Ooishi a gift for being such a reliable, if completely unaware, piece in the propaganda machine they have running in Hinamizawa and Okinomiya. I don’t know why but my mind fixated on the idea that she could buy him a nice ham.

Please remember seven parts ago where it’s mentioned that Rika herself has never read these Furude family secret scrolls. Also, just to completely disrupt the scene, do you think Hanyuu is actually there? Does she have an actual body I mean.

Please remember thirty one parts ago where Rika says point blank that she doesn’t trust Takano. Also, cast your minds back to Minagoroshi (Minagoroshi pt. 7) where Rika says point blank that up until that chapter she never trusted or tried to befriend Takano. Weird that both of these instances happen on a seven.

No home’s complete without a little torture room, don’t be so close-minded Rika.

This plan seems a lot more fleshed out and in depth than the plan they had waiting for Ooishi at the end of Minagoroshi. Sure hope it goes a lot better than the place they’re holed up in getting raided by Takano and the Mountain Dogs.

[joelsgirl]

The Saint, The Sinner & The Devil Pt. 1

Mafia AU x Narcos x TLOU Cross Over Characters: Mafia DBF!Joel Miller, Corrupt Javier Pena + You/Reader Content Warnings: Age Gap, Size Difference, Rough Sex, DBF, Dirty Talk, Daddy might be used in later parts, No Use of Y/N, Threesome, name calling, might be more that I've missed! Disclaimer & Notes: 1.6k Words >> Yes I know they're the same FC but shhh they're different and it works beautifully. This was inspired by a conversation with the beautiful @dreamsofmandalore + Want to see more? I’d love to see some requests, here! Image Credit: x x

Joel swiped the pad of his thumb across his tongue before flicking through a stack of hundreds. Counting out ten Benjamin's, he handed them over to the agent currently leaning against the wall of his office. Javier was as corrupt as they come, his weekly payment something he'd always collected in person. "And the other half?" He asked in a low drawl, nodding to the door behind Joel as he pocketed the cash.

"Your usual is waiting for you." The money was only half of it. For a DEA agent, Javier Pena was one of his easiest bribes. Sometimes he wondered if the cash was just a diversion, an excuse for him to let out the sinner within. It was hardly enough to justify looking the other way on his dealings and yet here they were, doing the same song and dance they always did.

Joel rose to full height, his ageing knees cracking from the shift in position. He pushed the thought aside, ignoring the fact that fifty-seven wasn't the same as thirty. As far as he was concerned, if he could draw a gun, he had plenty of life left in him.

Ring laden fingers closed around the door handle, pulling it open as Pena brushed passed him. "You joining me this time, Miller?"

Scrubbing his face in contemplation, he checked the rolex on his wrist. Pena was the last meeting on his agenda for the evening. He'd planned on taking his girl home with him but his favourite happened to be Pena's, too... "Ah, fuck it," he motioned to the center of the room, closing and locking the door behind them both after stepping in with him.

The room was nondescript, aged wine colored walls, dark wooden floorboards, a large, deep purple velvet covered daybed in the corner; and you in the middle. Your hands are bound behind your back, the soft leather cuffs tight but not uncomfortable. It's the only thing you're wearing, knowing exactly how Javi likes you. Unencumbered. Your gaze averted, studiously watching the floor despite every fiber of your being screaming at you to look up, to take in the sight of him.

He was so handsome, so was the boss. The pair so similar they could be brothers. They were two sides of the same coin, the dark and supposed light of an unrelenting war - but in this room, they were predators and you, their prey. You shouldn't enjoy his sessions as much as you do but the truth was, you looked forward to them. This had become your favorite part of the week. When you weren't with Joel, that was.

The boys circle you, moving in opposite direction, in perfect synchronicity as they both eye you hungrily. "I never tire of this one, you know?" Pena's accent was always thicker whenever he was in a room with you. So turned on it was like he fell deeper into those base instincts, his field of vision limited to you, and exactly what he'd planned on doing to that perfect little body of yours. You bite your lower lip, your chest rising and falling as you wait with bated breath for one of them to make their move. Joel hung back, letting the agent take the first step. He always did. You knew why they were there, understood the importance of making Agent Pena happy.

He moved behind you, your back pressed against the broad expanse of his chest, both men towering over you even with Joel standing a few steps away. Javier's hand reached around you tenderly, sliding up your thigh, over your stomach towards your breasts. He cupped one, kneading it between his fingers. Your eyes flick towards Joel's, an unspoken question phrased in the way you look at him. “Yes, little one. You'll get to service us both tonight.”

It was the only explanation you were going to get; the only one you needed. Your back arched for the agent, pressing yourself against his palm as his fingers found your nipple, rolling it between them. It wasn't long before Joel closed the distance between you, joining the other man. A large hand slipping down between your legs, three fingers forced into your cunt without hesitation, stretching you wide. Dipping his head, his lips brushing against your ear, his voice a low murmur. “Mmm, always so tight for me, aren't you, baby?”

His forearm started to move, back and forth, fucking you with a skilled hand, your moans filling the small room. Javier's fist locked in your soft hair, holding you still even though you weren't going anywhere. His hips shift forward, grinding his hard cock against your ass through the form fitting denim he was wearing. Joel's head bent forward, taking the nipple Javi had been working earlier between his lips. 

You moan at the attention, lapping it up, loving being sandwiched between the two violent men. You knew the drill, behave and you shall be rewarded… and so far? You were doing splendidly. Javi's free hand found your tight little ass, massaging it roughly. A low groan fell from his lips, blending with the hard slap that echoed off the walls as you squeal for him. "What do you say, whore?" Joel's voice, commanding in your ear. "Thank you, sir." There was no hesitation in your breathy response.

He could see Javi over your shoulder, his eyes locked onto Joels. There was a glint of approval in them that made the older male proud. His hand came down again, another hard slap in exactly the same spot. Over and over again. Each time, you oblige him with a thank you, Sir and all the while, Joel continued his three finger assault.

Pausing only to give his own hand a break, he palmed at the heat of your flesh, massaging the brilliant mark he’d left behind. His cock was painfully hard, the sight of you writhing between them driving him wild. Tightening his hold on your hair, a harsh jerk forcing your slender back to arch. Your clit grinding against Joel's palm as Javi worked the zipper on his jeans. There would be no foreplay from him, no warning you up or allowing his favorite little toy a chance to get used to the idea of what he was about to do… He lined the swollen head up with your tightest hole and slammed balls deep into your ass. 

You scream at the invasion, your walls massaging him as he pulls back, reaching the very tip and slamming home again. His thrusts brutal as he drills into you. From this angle, he could feel Joels fingers against his length. If only it was his cock, instead...

 Clearly, Joel was of the same mind as he’d raised his head, the hand not buried in your cunt sliding the zipper of his pants down. His hard cock sprung free of its binds, and he swapped the fingers with his length in a matter of seconds. 

The males groaned on impact, their rhythm perfectly in sync. As one moved out, the other moved in. They had done this dance before, were well versed in what they liked…their eyes locked over your head as the pace intensified. 

Joel raised his fingers, still slick with their juices, forcing them between your lips. The soft glow of the overhead light reflecting on the gold rings he wore. Your expert tongue cleaning yourself from Joel's fingers as he pushes them deeper. Javi used the fist in your hair to force your head forward, moving it back and forth. “Take it, slut.” The growl came from Javi and Joel groaned again…

Joel's other hand came down on your tits, catching the nipple hard. Your cry muffled, as was the thanks you offered to him. Pride filled his chest as you continued to behave. Such a good girl for him. Joel repeated his action, slapping you so hard the flesh bounced in retaliation. 

Javi reached around to slap the other one at the same time, ensuring both were attended to while their cocks pistoned in and out of your tight little holes. Their bodies collided with such force, the slaps were as loud as those created by their hands. 

Joel slid out from your slick heat, throwing a knowing glance Javi's way. On a groan, the hand in your hair forced your upper body forward, your legs kicked apart as your body was bent into a right angle. In a quick movement, Javi pulled out of your ass and slammed into your soaking cunt, filling the space Joel previously had.

The devilish grin on Joel's face widened as his hand now took over the hold on your hair, slapping the tip of his heavy length against your lips. “Open for me, whore.” You oblige immediately, your lips sucking that length in between them. He groaned as he let you take control, for a short while, anyway. That expert mouth working Joel like you did this for a damn living.

He could see the muscles on his abdomen ripple and constrict as his breath tightened. Javi continued with his brutal pace, fucking you mercilessly. “Mmmm, such a good little fucktoy. Take it, that's a good girl.” He groaned, slapping your bright red cheeks. His hands dug into the small of your hips, leveraging himself against you to fuck you harder. 

For Javi, it wasn't about the money, or the whores. He could get them anywhere. The cash was cream on the top; the real bribe was you.

The kingpins daughter wasn't anything he could buy, you were something of a prize. The day he'd discovered your affair with your father's best friend, his right hand man, the Cartel's enforcer, turned out to be the best day of his goddamned life.

He'd had all the leverage he needed to take down an empire, the only problem was... he wanted you more.

TAG LIST: @dreamsofmandalore @pedro-pedrito-pascalito @spookyprofessorknightflap >>> If you'd like to be tagged in this series or any other fics, please let me know!

[stefanhughes]

➽ vade retro satana! why are you at yale, ( STEFAN HUGHES )? you may seem like a ( PROFESSOR ), but we all know you’re a ( DEMON ). your form says you’re ( THIRTY-SEVEN ), go by ( HE/HIM ), and excel in ( MACROECONOMICS ). but looking back at your college essay, i’d describe you as ( POLISHED SHOES AND PRESSED SUITS FOR MORNING CLASSES; ANXIOUS STUDENTS LINED OUTSIDE OFFICE HOURS; SINGLE MALT WHISKEY POURED INTO ANTIQUE GLASSES ). go back to lurking in the shadows!  [fc: ben barnes]

➽ perhaps stefan should’ve stayed in england. the university of bath was prestigious enough, and close to england’s own portal entrance to hell (off the beaten path, but no less protected by the townspeople who guarded it). life was good in england - but not good enough. stefan wants more, wants notoriety, wants power, wants to feel something again. so perhaps he should’ve stayed in england. 

but he didn’t. 

➽ he first came to humans in 1510, living amongst the nobility in the time of henry viii and gaining a front row seat to the power struggle of the church vs the crown. greed and lust won out, of course - the pope can’t hold a candle to desire, and god wasn’t as frightening anymore. stefan kept his distance from the spotlight, but influenced society in many ways, whispering doubts and corruption where he could. he married, refused to grow old, and disappeared before questions could be asked. it was easy to disappear back then, just stride off into the woods and everyone would assume you’d been prey to wildlife. 

➽ stefan traveled around england for a century before discovering the portal in bath. he was miffed at first - was he not a strong enough demon to warrant a heads up? but the underworld works in mysterious ways, and stefan’s discovery gave him good cover. he didn’t have to act surprised, and the townspeople had no reason to suspect his true identity. it lasted only a couple years, but stefan did what he could to infiltrate the group, cast doubt and suspicion amongst them. 

➽ this is how the last three hundred years or so has gone. he spent his time in england, close to bath, doing what he could to infiltrate that group. he was successful sometimes - in the late 1700s, he was in a relationship with a witch and convinced her to open the portal for a week, warding off the terrified society members while evil demons spurted from the portal. if that had a hand in the napoleonic war, well... it is what it is. 

➽ but now he’s bored. the 21st century is much more exciting than he had anticipated, but the english countryside can’t hold a candle to the global environment, too sleepy and too content with their routines. london is close enough, sure, but stefan needs something more. so he decided to cross the ocean to yale, where he took role as guest professor for macroeconomics. 

➽ business students are the easiest to manipulate, he’s found. greed, lust, aggression and selfishness run rampant amongst the degree, and he craves it. as part of his lectures, he advises his students to be hostile, assertive, and self-serving. and he’s found the uncommons members to be interesting subjects. 

➽ overall, stefan comes across stern and forbidding, and plays favorites amongst his students. but he also knows when to turn on the charm, and hide his demon origins. his downfall will likely be his boredom - he wants to shake things up, do something different, so he may take risks when dealing with uncommons members and end up failing. 

[agentxnova]

*     ◟    :    〔   tessa thompson ,      cisfemale   +   she/her    〕 nova   vergara ,      some say you’re a  forty lost soul among the neon lights.      known for being both  dedicated  and  cynical,  one can’t help but think of  hurricane by cannons  when you walk by.    are you still a   federal agent  at   the NYPD   /   the government,     even with your reputation as the workaholic?     i think we’ll be seeing more of you and   a collection of blue prints with detailed specs scribbled on the cover, a stack of neatly organized files with color coded labels, and a graveyard of electronics that didn’t survive  humanoid wrath  although we can’t help but think of athena grant 911, olivia pope scandal, rosa diaz from brooklyn nine-nine   whenever we see you down these rainy streets.      (     j  ,      33  ,     she/her  ,      mst    +   none  .      )

BASICS -

Birth name:  REDACTED

Name currently: Nova Vergara

age: forty

gender/pronouns: cis female, she / her

height: 5′4

sexual orientation: bisexual

relationship status: Married to her job

birthday: May 10th

zodiac: Taurus

alignment: chaotic good

hometown: REDACTED

affiliations: the government

occupation: federal agent

current residence: brooklyn, sometimes a cot under her desk

financial status: higher middle class

familial connections of note: tbd

BACKSTORY-

TW: Kidnapping (implied), Child Death (implied)

Nova thought her parents boring, and being the eldest life itself was paved in disappointment. It wasn’t until a school paper unlocked something that intrigued her. Because of their escalated reactions to a paper about her history. She was seven and her sister was five.  They said that it didn’t matter what they came from, and pointed out that their midwest life was paved in happiness.  It took them two hours in a round about way to not answer her homework. The consequence? A D on her paper. Why would they act that way?

The truth surfaced her senior year of high school when she became romanced with the idea of free education under the guise of the US military. Except for when she went to turn in her applications with her stellar grades at first she was turned down - Nova Vergara’s social security number actually belonged to a deceased child under the name Vanessa Suarez.

Eighteen years old and she was sat next to her sibling holding their hand. The agent at the table with them dealt the pure honesty to them as lightly as possible. The two Vergara siblings were protected. Why? They didn’t know. 

A corrupt federal agent had enlisted them in a veiled witness protection program. One that no one knew the code to crack. Their lives had been a lie. Their parents weren’t their parents, or were they? They wrapped the news with a ribbon that the siblings could enlist in the military, or take hush money to start their lives again someplace else. Her sibling chose the money, and moved to New York. A city lifestyle and nothing remote that they were used to. Nova, however, chose the military. The Air Force to be exact is where the testing landed her. 

It wouldn’t be until after she climbed the ranks, and returned to midwest with metals scattered across her dressings. Nova’s eyes would lock to the parents that raised her through a plastic guard. Letters left unanswered by her, but they still sent them. Part of her thought perhaps there were codes in the letters themselves. In her career, she had studied other coding, but still that feeling never left her. To this day she still has the letters. Once she turned thirty-five her coworkers alerted her. A prison break, and her parents were now missing. Never found. The letters still come with different areas of postage, and she has not told a soul.

Nova settled at the NYPD office as a federal agent to investigate the spikes of criminal activities four years ago. A stern expression, because no matter how much she climbed that letter of the government. One question still remained unanswered.

Who was she really? Who was her sibling? 

Timeline  (need to finish! ) -

WANTED CONNECTIONS

Air Force buddies - from her time in the military. Could also be rivals.

Fellow “heroes” - other agents trying to clean up the world like she is currently.

Baddies - people she is currently tracking/ trying to collect enough to arrest them. 

Paths crossed - Those she may have dealt with before, maybe she put someone they know in the prison system? maybe themselves and they’re out now? 

Significant Other - Nova is a workaholic 10/10, but i figure she has a spouse that may or may not be tired of her shit. Missing dates because she’s locked into the intel of files. Forgetting anniversaries, you know the drill. 

Coworker she shares pets with ( co pet parent) - Her sibling took note of her loneliness without her having to mention it. Taking a note from their parents she leaves a letter attached to some creature that she figures Nova can’t fuck up. It started with a goldfish, a betta, a rabbit. Smaller pets, and still sometimes Nova tries to pawn them off on other people because she’s busy. 

Childhood friends - someone that grew up with her in the midwest, and runs into her in NY. 

Exes (0/5) - She has an ex graveyard, mainly because her career always came first. She is most likely the reason it didn’t work out, and she wouldn’t be apologetic about it. Tense ex connections that will likely not rekindle. 

Something’s off (0/2) - Possibly someone that uncovers some real shards of who she really is. They could dangle the info over her, and she would play ball for a bit. Before she punches them in the face. 

Mentor (55+)  - the agent that broke the truth to her and her sibling, which would have later been the person to show her the ropes. 

[rockislandadultreads]

Light Reads: Book Recs 

The Music of Bees by Eileen Garvin

Forty-four-year-old Alice Holtzman is stuck in a dead-end job, bereft of family, and now reeling from the unexpected death of her husband. Alice has begun having panic attacks whenever she thinks about how her life hasn't turned out the way she dreamed. Even the beloved honeybees she raises in her spare time aren't helping her feel better these days. In the grip of a panic attack, she nearly collides with Jake--a troubled, paraplegic teenager with the tallest mohawk in Hood River County--while carrying 120,000 honeybees in the back of her pickup truck. Charmed by Jake's sincere interest in her bees and seeking to rescue him from his toxic home life, Alice surprises herself by inviting Jake to her farm. And then there's Harry, a twenty-four-year-old with debilitating social anxiety who is desperate for work. When he applies to Alice's ad for part-time farm help, he's shocked to find himself hired. As an unexpected friendship blossoms among Alice, Jake, and Harry, a nefarious pesticide company moves to town, threatening the local honeybee population and illuminating deep-seated corruption in the community. The unlikely trio must unite for the sake of the bees--and in the process, they just might forge a new future for themselves.

Chorus by Rebecca Kauffman

For readers of Alice Munro, Elizabeth Strout, and Claire Lombardo, Chorus shepherds seven siblings through two life-altering events—their mother's untimely death, and a shocking teenage pregnancy—that ultimately follow them through their lives as individuals and as a family. The seven Shaw siblings have long been haunted by two early and profoundly consequential events. Told in turn back and forth over time, from the early twentieth century through the 1950s, each sibling relays their own version of the memories that surround both their mother's mysterious death and the circumstances leading up to and beyond one sister's scandalous teenage pregnancy. As they move into adulthood, the siblings assume various new roles: caretaker to their aging father, addict, enabler, academic, decorated veteran, widow, and mothers and fathers to the next generation. Entangled in a family knot, each sibling encounters divorce, drama, and death, while haunted by a mother who was never truly there. Through this lens, they all seek not only to understand how her death shaped their family, but also to illuminate the insoluble nature of the many familial experiences we all encounter—the concept of home, the tenacity that is a family’s love, and the unexpected ways through which healing can occur.

Grown-Up Pose by Sonya Lalli

A delightfully modern look at what happens for a young woman when tradition, dating, and independence collide, from acclaimed author Sonya Lalli. Adulting shouldn’t be this hard. Especially in your thirties. Having been pressured by her tight-knit community to get married at a young age to her first serious boyfriend, Anu Desai is now on her own again and feels like she is starting from the beginning. But Anu doesn’t have time to start over. Telling her parents that she was separating from her husband was the hardest thing she’s ever done—and she’s still dealing with the fallout. She has her young daughter to support and when she invests all of her savings into running her own yoga studio, the feelings of irresponsibility send Anu reeling. She’ll be forced to look inside herself to learn what she truly wants. 

Harry's Trees by Jon Cohen

The first thing you learn when you climb a tree is to hold on. Now it’s time for Harry to learn to let go… Thirty-four-year-old Harry Crane, lifelong lover of trees, works as an analyst in a treeless US Forest Service office. When his wife dies in a freak accident, devastated, he makes his way to the remote woods of northeastern Pennsylvania’s Endless Mountains, intent on losing himself. But fate intervenes in the form of a fiercely determined young girl named Oriana. She, too, has lost someone—her father. And in the magical, willful world of her reckoning, Oriana believes that Harry is the key to finding her way back to him. As Harry agrees to help the young girl, the unlikeliest of elements—a tree house, a Wolf, a small-town librarian and a book called The Grum’s Ledger—come together to create the biggest sensation ever to descend upon the Endless Mountains…a golden adventure that will fulfill Oriana’s wildest dreams and open the door to a new life for Harry.

[unlocktxt]

in the darkness of tomorrow | c.yj

choi yeonjun x female reader

series masterlist :

prologue | part one | part two

genre: royal au, fluff, angst

description: the selection is happening once more to find a wife for prince yeonjun. y/n swears to hate the royal family, but when it’s time for the prince to choose a wife, she gets tied up in the mess.

note: this is inspired from the book the selection by kiera cass, however even though i use some of the ideas there are major differences.

word count: 3.3k

warnings: mentions being whipped and starved

tag list: @binniebutter @nshitae

this was the first time you had ever felt heartbreak. your heart has been a constant reminder that daniel ended things days ago. it haunted you, even as you passed by all of the bright faces in the city.

it seemed like heartbreak wasn’t enough for you. the world had to punish you some more by the announcement made yesterday. the news spread fast around town that day, “the selection application was required for all women of a given age.” you happened to be a part of that age group.

you doubted that the prince would choose you to even be considered as one of the options, but what if’s filled your mind. you still weren’t ready to let go of daniel. right now you wished you would’ve stayed to hear what he wanted to say, but now it was impossible.

you did anything to get your mind off of his frozen blue eyes, including thinking of the prince. unlike everyone else, you thought that prince yeonjun felt a little too entitled. single, willing women weren’t enough for him so he had to make those whose hearts belonged to someone else apply. unlike all the bright faces hoping to be picked, you didn’t want to be one of his little playthings.

they say that the selection was unbiased, but most people knew that wasn’t true. many girls who were unfortunate enough to be in castes five and lower, where they could hardly or not even make ends meet, rarely ever got picked and they were the ones who needed it most. you could stay a four and bake pastries all your life if it meant the people in castes lower than you could afford food.

besides, you had seen first hand what this kingdom has done and you didn’t agree. you would be caught dead before you ever bowed to their spoiled and corrupt system.

“hey mom!” you put on a small smile to please her worried eyes when you walked into the bakery. her small streaks of grey hair added to her beauty.

“i’m so sorry sweetie. i know how much you didn’t want to apply.” her shoulders relaxed, but she continued to place out new baked goods.

you let out a sigh, “yeah well... it doesn’t matter. it’s not like i’ll get picked.” you smiled at the thought. it was all just a waste of time.

your mom stopped, placing the basket of bread on the counter. “it’s supposed to be random... we never know.”

you furrowed your brows and laughed a bit, while giving your mom a look that said “really?” she smiled, shaking her head to acknowledge that you were probably right.

“anyways... where’s dad and taehyun?” you didn’t see or hear them in the bakery.

your mom looked up at you and for a moment she looked distant before returning to her warm demeanor. you caught the change but decided not to bring it up.

“going on an errand,” she responded simply before filling the basket of bread with a few cakes.

she wasn’t going to give you the chance to ask, but you didn’t mind. you knew she’d tell you later.

“so... this arranged engagement with taehyun.” you looked to the side while preparing your face for a whistle.

“you know he’s a great boy and he’s a doctor... a three. he also helps to manage the orphanage with the eights. he’s a great boy y/n.” your mom looked disappointed when you looked back at her.

“it’s just... when does a four ever get put in an arranged marriage. plus...” you looked down at your hands where your fingers were playing with each other, “what if... i could love someone else.” your eyes glistened at the thought of daniel always waiting for you on that tree branch. you didn’t know what caste he was in... even if he was an eight you’d be willing to be homeless with him... although now he’d be a two... all because of the draft.

your mom sighed as your little sister, seoyeon walked in. “that’s enough for now y/n. take this basket to the orphanage.”

seoyeon was all muddy, indicating how she came inside after playing around in the dirt. you grabbed the basket harshly, trying to show your mom that this was not over.

“can i go with?” seoyeon asked, looking at mom. your mom slightly nodded, so you took seoyeon’s hand in yours. you resisted the urge to glare at your mom before smiling at seoyeon.

“okay... we have to get to the orphanage... what’s the best route?” you asked your sister who wore a sly grin before pulling you out of the door.

seoyeon rushed towards the river as she pulled you along. it was your little secret space that no one visited. the two of you had been running for quite a while, slowly passing by fewer and fewer people.

once the two of you made it to the river, seoyeon balanced on the thin makeshift bridge with her arms sticking out. she wobbled here and there but made it over. you followed soon after, carrying the basket in your hand and making sure to avoid any wet slippery spots on the bridge. seoyeon laughed as you made your way over to her.

“hurry slowpoke!” she called before running off into the field.

you shook your head before fastening your pace. once you got off the bridge you took off into a sprint. by the time you caught up to her she was already at the orphanage and you were panting. that was one thing about seoyeon, for small legs she could sure as hell run.

“it’s about time.” she giggled as she took in your bent-over body. “i was starting to think i should’ve carried the basket.”

you rolled your eyes, waving her off before you straightened up. seoyeon had already run off to play with the kids her age. when you walked in there were a few kids and teenagers around your age sitting towards the entrance.

“are taehyun and jihyun around?” you asked, looking around to see if you had missed them in the small orphanage. all you could see at the moment was how it needed to be remodeled, like many things in this area.

“taehyun left a long while ago, but you could probably find jihyun upstairs if you like.” one of the teenage girls, who you knew to be yui, spoke. you nodded before moving towards the kitchen area to place to basket down, with a little note not to eat more than one.

you knew how hard it was for taehyun and jihyun to keep this orphanage up and running. it was hard to get everyone here a proper meal. taehyun nearly passed out from exhaustion when he came to visit your family. he had given up plenty of food just so those who were sick could eat enough.

you made sure to get the plates and napkins out to remind them not to leave the bread lying in unsanitary areas. once you felt your job had been done, you went upstairs to their office. unlike most days the door was closed. you knew something was wrong and the sniffling coming from the room only confirmed your suspicions.

you hesitated for a moment before knocking on the door and letting yourself in. jihyun’s sorrowful eyes burned through yours, making your heart drop.

“y/n thank god you’re here.” she cried before attacking you in a hug. you rubbed circles on her back to try and get her to calm down.

“what happened?” you asked softly, scared this question might break her.

she sniffled, “o-one of the boys-” she let out a sob and you continued to try and soothe her.

“it’s okay you don’t have to say anything.” at this point you moved one of your hands to her head and rested it there.

“n-no he... he stole some meat and they’re going to whip him y/n. they’re going to whip him. he’s only seven!” she cried looking at you in your eyes. she was pleading, pleading for you to do anything. you weren’t sure you could.

“where’s taehyun?” you asked looking around, maybe he went to help. maybe that’s what he and your dad were doing.

“i don’t know.” she finally calmed a bit, hiccuping here and there. “he left before we received the news.”

you were left to wonder what the two were doing, but you didn’t have time for that.

“i promise i’ll go help the boy.” you gave jihyun a determined look. “what’s his name?” you asked halfway out the door.

“hak hyunwoo.” she barely whispered it, probably ashamed. you gave her a reassuring smile before leaving and finding seoyeon.

by the time you had arrived back home they already were gathering people around the city to witness the poor boys' punishment.

“what is your name boy?” the masked man shouted more to the crowd than to the boy. you had been struggling to get closer to the wooden post.

“hak hyunwoo.” he was crying, his tears wouldn’t stop flooding. he had nobody to watch out for him.

“and what is your crime?” the masked man yelled out once more.

hyunwoo was silent before speaking. “theft.” it was quiet.

“your punishment will be...” he waited to see if the crowd of people would react. only a few weren’t excited, it was disgusting how many people were cheering. everyone was just sitting back... watching.

“thirty strikes to the back!” there was a roar in the crowd, but the noise died out in your mind. that was way too much...

you pushed even harder, “stop!” you screamed, but no one could hear you over the crowd. you saw them grabbing the whip, only making you lunge forward, forgetting about hurting the people in the crowd. you stumbled forward after reaching the front. it didn’t matter if he was an eight, you had to help him.

“wait!” you screamed, now where the two in charge of this could hear. the guards were watching you with cautious eyes.

“miss you can’t intervene.” one man standing to the side had said.

you took a deep breath. “this boy did nothing wrong. can’t you see he’s malnourished? the kingdom failed this poor boy... they’re the ones at fault.” you had to try anything. everyone gasped as you accused the royal family of this boy's actions.

“if you must punish someone. punish me, but theft does not deserve thirty strikes to the back.” everyone's eyes were on you, making you nervous. you never really asked for attention, but here you were gaining it.

the masked man was staring at you, no doubt glaring. “fine. get up here.” he nearly threw kyunwoo off of the tiny stage.

you were surprised that worked, you were just desperate, but now you would have to face the consequences. as you walked past the little boy you told him to run home, which he did. that gave you a little comfort.

“what is your name?” the masked man was seething.

“kim y/n.” you tried to sound brave and strong, but you couldn’t help the waver in your voice.

before he could do anything else, more soldiers rushed toward the tiny wooden stage.

“you mustn’t hurt this young lady. she’s been selected and the prince would like to see her now.”

you weren’t sure which guard had said it. you were stricken with shock. tears threatened to fall and you didn’t know whether it was from the relief of not getting whipped or because you’d have to leave everyone to be a plaything for prince yeonjun.

guards had escorted you back home. you were still in a daze from the information, even as your little sister cheered for you. your mom was the only one to snap you out of the trance.

“i’m sorry sweetie... just know that we will all be waiting and ready for anything that happens. we will support you no matter what.” she rubbed your shoulder as you stared at all of the paperwork in front of you.

there had been a palace worker standing beside you stating the rules and how the caste systems worked as if you didn’t know.

ones were royalty and family of royals. twos were celebrities, soldiers, and politicians. threes were people who worked pretty stable jobs like teaching and nursing. fours were business owners. fives were musicians and entertainers. sixes were those who helped others with jobs. sevens were mainly outdoor workers. then there were eights... these people were mainly cast out of society.

staring at the paper only made you even more frustrated. you were practically signing your life away for the possibility of being a three or one if you’re “lucky.”

everyone had to be virgins, single, and if caught in a relationship could be met with death. you rolled your eyes once more thinking about how it wasn’t optional this year. you guess it was a good thing daniel never asked you out and ended things.

then the man said that it’d be ill-advised to refuse anything the prince asked. that confirmed your suspicions, you were practically being sold off to a spoiled brat. the only one who could send you home was the prince himself and no one got a say in what the prince did.

of course, everyone had to be civil and not fight, but you had to wear what the palace gave you, nothing else. one of the worst things was that you couldn’t leave the palace on your own accord. you’d be trapped and watched for the entertainment of the show.

there was one last thing about being one of the last 10. it meant you were the elite, but you doubted that would ever be you. with that... you signed your love away.

your mom was the one to give the signed paper to the man at the front door who had been waiting to take your paper to the palace. she was going to see you off because your dad still wasn’t back yet.

“wait y/n!” seoyeon ran towards you, hugging your legs tightly. “are you going to be a princess?” her eyes lit up when she asked. you couldn’t crush her.

“maybe... that’s up to the prince.” and that was the truth. you didn’t have a choice, but you’d do everything in your power to leave.

it seemed every choice was being made for you as you followed the palace worker, the guards following behind.

the ride to the palace was slow and lonely. you were forced to look longingly at the forest, regretting not saying goodbye to daniel. you thought of all the things you wanted to say to him.

i’ll wait for you because i love you.

we can get through this.

please don’t leave me.

i can’t live without you.

be safe.

at that moment all you knew was that you had to find him somehow and he’d be in the palace. maybe staying for just a little bit wouldn’t be that bad if you could find him.

when you saw the large palace nausea rested in your throat and stomach. you don’t know why he called you here this early, but it couldn’t be good. all the other girls would be arriving tomorrow morning as they had announced.

it was weird being escorted in, but your nerves were exploding within you. you weren’t ready to see royalty. you vowed to die before you bowed before them, but here you were walking straight in and scanning the area. all you managed to see were maids and soldiers around, giving you another few moments of the pride you were willing to die for.

you were passed off to three maids who had been waiting for you.

“it’s amazing to meet you lady y/n.” the title made your face crunch with distaste.

“please... just call me y/n.” your voice was quiet, not allowing yourself to be comfortable in an unknown area.

“we can’t do that miss.” the shortest of the three informed, making you close your eyes and pray to the heavens that you would be able to survive this.

“okay then... may i know your names?” the three of them looked at each other before the one who led the path spoke up.

“i’m aeri, she's isuel, and that’s minsuh” aeri pointed at each of them. you noted that the shortest one, issue, was probably the youngest. you only nodded in response as they led you further into the palace, upstairs, and down long hallways.

“this will be your room,” aeri announced, opening the door to reveal a large room with many small details on the furniture. it was a bit much, but you didn’t expect anything less from people at the top of the caste system.

“we have to get you dressed because the prince will be seeing you soon.” minsuh rushed over towards the large wardrobe, that when opened revealed many different dresses. all of them... dresses.

“i say we should put you in the pink one!” iseul shouted, excited. the other two nodded enthusiastically, but you were too defeated to protest.

it was almost as if prince yeonjun had been waiting the whole time because as soon as they zipped you up, a knock came from the door. all of the maids ran to the door, leaving your pleading eyes behind.

“your majesty.” was all you heard before a few mumbling and giggling. they rushed out immediately and prince yeonjun replaced them. his hair was dyed pink now, making you wish you protested the dress’s color. your maids were sly.

your heart was pacing, scared from the uncertainty.

“it’s a pleasure to meet you lady y/n.” there it was again. the title you wanted to get away from.

“the pleasure is all mine.” you tried to hide the sarcasm in your voice as you stood strong in front of him. don’t you dare waver.

“i heard you got into some trouble today... i’d like to discuss that.” he was calm, every word held a hidden strength behind it. this was why he called you here early.

“i’d hardly call it trouble.” you stopped to watch him step closer to you. you wanted to tell him to stay away, not get close to touching you, but you kept quiet.

“oh really? you don’t call asking to be punished for someone else’s crimes trouble?” he was standing right in front of you now, but he was relaxed and wore a soft smile. he found this humoring. it was anything but.

“i call that two innocent people paying for a kingdoms failure.” the words slipped out before you could hold them back, but you didn’t regret them. not when you saw how prince yeonjun backed away, looking to the side.

“innocent? he was a thief.” yeonjun looked back at you, determined and unwavering. two could play at that game.

you walked towards him this time. a power move. “the world is not all black and white. he was a young boy, an orphan that was placed as an eight. your rules are the reason he was starving, leaving no option but stealing.” you were glaring now, trying to ignore the fact you had to look up at him.

he didn’t seem to want to back down either. “yet if we let one person steal something what’s stopping others?” he leaned his face closer to yours, noses only inches apart.

don’t you dare give in.

“if higher castes can pay their way out of punishment, why don’t the lower castes get a chance?” at this point, you couldn’t move any closer, but you could spit on him. that was only a passing thought to entertain you.

prince yeonjun was quiet after that, staring into your eyes as if he was trying to search through every part of your life. it felt interrogating. he hadn’t responded, so you took that as his loss and back away.

“is that all you wanted to discuss?” your voice was quieter now, not accusatory.

“for now... but you might want to learn some respect.” and then he left you to be swallowed in your anger.

part 2 sneak peak:

the castle had been dark for a while. all day today you were looking around for a familiar face, one that didn’t seem to show.

the creaking of your door alerting you of a new presence. you swore you told everyone you’d like to sleep peacefully tonight, but here they were interrupting you.

“princ-”

“i heard you’ve been looking for me.” you could recognize that voice anywhere. the playfulness in his tone lit your heart on fire.

[timeless-hollywood-classics]

Robert Charles Durman Mitchum (August 6, 1917 – July 1, 1997) was an American actor, director, author, poet, composer, and singer. Mitchum rose to prominence for starring roles in several classic films noirs, and his acting is generally considered a forerunner of the antiheroes prevalent in film during the 1950s and 1960s. His best-known films include Out of the Past (1947), The Night of the Hunter (1955), Cape Fear (1962), and El Dorado (1966). Mitchum was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for The Story of G.I. Joe (1945). He is also known for his television role as U.S. Navy Captain Victor “Pug” Henry in the epic miniseries The Winds of War (1983) and sequel War and Remembrance (1988).

Mitchum is rated number 23 on the American Film Institute's list of the greatest male stars of Classic American Cinema.

Robert Mitchum was born in Bridgeport, Connecticut, on August 6, 1917, into a Norwegian-Irish Methodist family. His mother, Ann Harriet Gunderson, was a Norwegian immigrant and sea captain's daughter; his father, James Thomas Mitchum, was a shipyard and railroad worker of Irish descent.[3] His older sister, Annette (known as Julie Mitchum during her acting career), was born in 1914. Their father, James Mitchum, was crushed to death in a railyard accident in Charleston, South Carolina, in February 1919. Robert was one year old, and Annette was not yet five. Their mother was awarded a government pension, and soon realized she was pregnant. Her third child, John, was born in September of that year. Ann married again to Major Hugh Cunningham Morris, a former Royal Naval Reserve officer. Ann and Morris had a daughter together, Carol Morris, born July 1927, on the family farm in Delaware. When all of the children were old enough to attend school, Ann found employment as a linotype operator for the Bridgeport Post.

As a child, Mitchum was known as a prankster, often involved in fistfights and mischief. When he was 12, his mother sent him to live with her parents in Felton, Delaware; the boy was promptly expelled from middle school for scuffling with the principal. A year later, in 1930, he moved in with his older sister Annette, in New York's Hell's Kitchen. After being expelled from Haaren High School, he left his sister and traveled throughout the country, hopping on railroad cars, taking a number of jobs, including ditch-digging for the Civilian Conservation Corps and professional boxing. At age 14 in Savannah, Georgia, he said he was arrested for vagrancy and put on a local chain gang. By Mitchum's own account, he escaped and returned to his family in Delaware. During this time, while recovering from injuries that nearly cost him a leg, he met Dorothy Spence, whom he would later marry. He soon went back on the road, eventually "riding the rails" to California.

Mitchum arrived in Long Beach, California, in 1936, staying again with his sister, now going by the name of Julie. She had moved to the West Coast in the hope of acting in movies, and the rest of the Mitchum family soon joined them. During this time, Mitchum worked as a ghostwriter for astrologer Carroll Righter. Julie convinced him to join the local theater guild with her. At The Players Guild of Long Beach, Mitchum worked as a stagehand and occasional bit-player in company productions. He also wrote several short pieces which were performed by the guild. According to Lee Server's biography (Robert Mitchum: Baby, I Don't Care), Mitchum put his talent for poetry to work writing song lyrics and monologues for Julie's nightclub performances.

In 1940, he returned to Delaware to marry Dorothy Spence, and they moved back to California. He gave up his artistic pursuits at the birth of their first child James, nicknamed Josh, and two more children, Chris and Petrine, followed. Mitchum found steady employment as a machine operator during wartime era WWII, with the Lockheed Aircraft Corporation, but the noise of the machinery damaged his hearing. He also suffered a nervous breakdown (which resulted in temporary blindness), due to job-related stress. He then sought work as a film actor, performing initially as an extra and in small speaking parts. His agent got him an interview with Harry Sherman, the producer of Paramount's Hopalong Cassidy western film series, which starred William Boyd; Mitchum was hired to play minor villainous roles in several films in the series during 1942 and 1943. He went uncredited as a soldier in the Mickey Rooney 1943 film The Human Comedy. Also in 1943 he and Randolph Scott were soldiers in the Pacific Island war film Gung Ho.

Mitchum continued to find work as an extra and supporting actor in numerous productions for various studios. After impressing director Mervyn LeRoy during the making of Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo, Mitchum signed a seven-year contract with RKO Radio Pictures. He was groomed for B-Western stardom in a series of Zane Grey adaptations.

Following the moderately successful Western Nevada, RKO lent Mitchum to United Artists for The Story of G.I. Joe (1945). In the film, he portrayed war-weary officer Bill Walker (based on Captain Henry T. Waskow), who remains resolute despite the troubles he faces. The film, which followed the life of an ordinary soldier through the eyes of journalist Ernie Pyle (played by Burgess Meredith), became an instant critical and commercial success. Shortly after filming, Mitchum was drafted into the United States Army, serving at Fort MacArthur, California, as a medic. At the 1946 Academy Awards, The Story of G.I. Joe was nominated for four Oscars, including Mitchum's only nomination for Best Supporting Actor. He finished the year with a Western (West of the Pecos) and a story of returning Marine veterans (Till the End of Time), before filming in a genre that came to define Mitchum's career and screen persona: film noir.

Mitchum was initially known for his work in film noir. His first foray into the genre was a supporting role in the 1944 B-movie When Strangers Marry, about newlyweds and a New York City serial killer. Undercurrent, another of Mitchum's early noir films, featured him as a troubled, sensitive man entangled in the affairs of his brother (Robert Taylor) and his brother's suspicious wife (Katharine Hepburn). John Brahm's The Locket (1946) featured Mitchum as bitter ex-boyfriend to Laraine Day's femme fatale. Raoul Walsh's Pursued (1947) combined Western and noir styles, with Mitchum's character attempting to recall his past and find those responsible for killing his family. Crossfire (also 1947) featured Mitchum as a member of a group of World War II soldiers, one of whom kills a Jewish man. It featured themes of anti-Semitism and the failings of military training. The film, directed by Edward Dmytryk, earned five Academy Award nominations.

Following Crossfire, Mitchum starred in Out of the Past (also called Build My Gallows High), directed by Jacques Tourneur and featuring the cinematography of Nicholas Musuraca. Mitchum played Jeff Markham, a small-town gas-station owner and former investigator, whose unfinished business with gambler Whit Sterling (Kirk Douglas) and femme fatale Kathie Moffett (Jane Greer) comes back to haunt him.

On September 1, 1948, after a string of successful films for RKO, Mitchum and actress Lila Leeds were arrested for possession of marijuana.[10] The arrest was the result of a sting operation designed to capture other Hollywood partiers as well, but Mitchum and Leeds did not receive the tipoff. After serving a week at the county jail (he described the experience to a reporter as being "like Palm Springs, but without the riff-raff"), Mitchum spent 43 days (February 16 to March 30) at a Castaic, California, prison farm. Life photographers were permitted to take photos of him mopping up in his prison uniform. The arrest inspired the exploitation film She Shoulda Said No! (1949), which starred Leeds. The conviction was later overturned by the Los Angeles court and district attorney's office on January 31, 1951, after being exposed as a setup.

Despite, or because of, Mitchum's troubles with the law and his studio, his films released immediately after his arrest were box-office hits. Rachel and the Stranger (1948) featured Mitchum in a supporting role as a mountain man competing for the hand of Loretta Young, the indentured servant and wife of William Holden. In the film adaptation of John Steinbeck's novella The Red Pony (1949), he appeared as a trusted cowhand to a ranching family. He returned to film noir in The Big Steal (also 1949), where he reunited with Jane Greer in an early Don Siegel film.

In Where Danger Lives (1950), Mitchum played a doctor who comes between a mentally unbalanced Faith Domergue and cuckolded Claude Rains. The Racket was a noir remake of the early crime drama of the same name and featured Mitchum as a police captain fighting corruption in his precinct. The Josef von Sternberg film, Macao (1952), had Mitchum as a victim of mistaken identity at an exotic resort casino, playing opposite Jane Russell. Otto Preminger's Angel Face was the first of three collaborations between Mitchum and British stage actress Jean Simmons. In this film, she played an insane heiress who plans to use young ambulance driver Mitchum to kill for her.

Mitchum was fired from Blood Alley (1955), due to his conduct, reportedly having thrown the film's transportation manager into San Francisco Bay. According to Sam O'Steen's memoir Cut to the Chase, Mitchum showed up on-set after a night of drinking and tore apart a studio office when they did not have a car ready for him. Mitchum walked off the set of the third day of filming Blood Alley, claiming he could not work with the director. Because Mitchum was showing up late and behaving erratically, producer John Wayne, after failing to obtain Humphrey Bogart as a replacement, took over the role himself.

Following a series of conventional Westerns and films noirs, as well as the Marilyn Monroe vehicle River of No Return (1954), Mitchum appeared in Charles Laughton's only film as director: The Night of the Hunter (1955). Based on a novel by Davis Grubb, the thriller starred Mitchum as a monstrous criminal posing as a preacher to find money hidden by his cellmate in the cellmate's home. His performance as Reverend Harry Powell is considered by many to be one of the best of his career.[15][16] Stanley Kramer's melodrama Not as a Stranger, also released in 1955, was a box-office hit. The film starred Mitchum against type, as an idealistic young doctor, who marries an older nurse (Olivia de Havilland), only to question his morality many years later. However, the film was not well received, with most critics pointing out that Mitchum, Frank Sinatra, and Lee Marvin were all too old for their characters. Olivia de Havilland received top billing over Mitchum and Sinatra.

On March 8, 1955, Mitchum formed DRM (Dorothy and Robert Mitchum) Productions to produce five films for United Artists; four films were produced. The first film was Bandido (1956). Following a succession of average Westerns and the poorly received Foreign Intrigue (1956), Mitchum starred in the first of three films with Deborah Kerr. The John Huston war drama Heaven Knows, Mr. Allison, starred Mitchum as a Marine corporal shipwrecked on a Pacific Island with a nun, Sister Angela (Deborah Kerr), as his sole companion. In this character study, they struggle to resist the elements and the invading Japanese army. The film was nominated for two Academy Awards, including Best Actress and Best Adapted Screenplay. For his role, Mitchum was nominated for a BAFTA Award for Best Foreign Actor. In the WWII submarine classic The Enemy Below (1956), Mitchum gave a strong performance as U.S. Naval Lieutenant Commander Murrell, the captain of a U.S. Navy destroyer who matches wits with a German U-boat captain Curt Jurgens, who starred with Mitchum again in the legendary 1962 movie The Longest Day. The film won an Oscar for Special Effects.

Thunder Road (1958), the second DRM Production, was loosely based on an incident in which a driver transporting moonshine was said to have fatally crashed on Kingston Pike in Knoxville, Tennessee, somewhere between Bearden Hill and Morrell Road. According to Metro Pulse writer Jack Renfro, the incident occurred in 1952 and may have been witnessed by James Agee, who passed the story on to Mitchum. He starred in the movie, produced, co-wrote the screenplay, and is rumored to have directed much of the film. It costars his son James, as his on screen brother, in a role originally intended for Elvis Presley. Mitchum also co-wrote (with Don Raye) the theme song, "The Ballad of Thunder Road".

He returned to Mexico for The Wonderful Country (1959) and Ireland for A Terrible Beauty/The Night Fighters for the last of his DRM Productions.

Mitchum and Kerr reunited for the Fred Zinnemann film, The Sundowners (1960), where they played husband and wife struggling in Depression-era Australia. Opposite Mitchum, Kerr was nominated for yet another Academy Award for Best Actress, while the film was nominated for a total of five Oscars. Mitchum was awarded that year's National Board of Review award for Best Actor for his performance. The award also recognized his superior performance in the Vincente Minnelli Western drama Home from the Hill (also 1960). He was teamed with former leading ladies Kerr and Simmons, as well as Cary Grant, for the Stanley Donen comedy The Grass Is Greener the same year.

Mitchum's performance as the menacing rapist Max Cady in Cape Fear (1962) brought him further renown for playing cold, predatory characters. The 1960s were marked by a number of lesser films and missed opportunities. Among the films Mitchum passed on during the decade were John Huston's The Misfits (the last film of its stars Clark Gable and Marilyn Monroe), the Academy Award–winning Patton, and Dirty Harry. The most notable of his films in the decade included the war epics The Longest Day (1962) and Anzio (1968), the Shirley MacLaine comedy-musical What a Way to Go! (1964), and the Howard Hawks Western El Dorado (1967), a remake of Rio Bravo (1959), in which Mitchum took over Dean Martin's role of the drunk who comes to the aid of John Wayne. He teamed with Martin for the 1968 Western 5 Card Stud, playing a homicidal preacher.

One of the lesser-known aspects of Mitchum's career was his foray into music as a singer. Critic Greg Adams writes, "Unlike most celebrity vocalists, Robert Mitchum actually had musical talent." Mitchum's voice was often used instead of that of a professional singer when his character sang in his films. Notable productions featuring Mitchum's own singing voice included Rachel and the Stranger, River of No Return, and The Night of the Hunter. After hearing traditional calypso music and meeting artists such as Mighty Sparrow and Lord Invader while filming Heaven Knows, Mr. Allison in the Caribbean islands of Tobago, he recorded Calypso – is like so ... in March 1957. On the album, released through Capitol Records, he emulated the calypso sound and style, even adopting the style's unique pronunciations and slang. A year later, he recorded a song he had written for Thunder Road, titled "The Ballad of Thunder Road". The country-style song became a modest hit for Mitchum, reaching number 69 on the Billboard Pop Singles chart. The song was included as a bonus track on a successful reissue of Calypso ... and helped market the film to a wider audience.

Although Mitchum continued to use his singing voice in his film work, he waited until 1967 to record his follow-up record, That Man, Robert Mitchum, Sings. The album, released by Nashville-based Monument Records, took him further into country music, and featured songs similar to "The Ballad of Thunder Road". "Little Old Wine Drinker Me", the first single, was a top-10 hit at country radio, reaching number nine there, and crossed over onto mainstream radio, where it peaked at number 96. Its follow-up, "You Deserve Each Other", also charted on the Billboard Country Singles chart. He sang the title song to the Western Young Billy Young, made in 1969.

Mitchum made a departure from his typical screen persona with the 1970 David Lean film Ryan's Daughter, in which he starred as Charles Shaughnessy, a mild-mannered schoolmaster in World War I–era Ireland. At the time of filming, Mitchum was going through a personal crisis and planned to commit suicide. Aside from a personal crisis, his recent films had been critical and commercial flops. Screenwriter Robert Bolt told him that he could commit suicide after the film was finished and that he would personally pay for his burial. Though the film was nominated for four Academy Awards (winning two) and Mitchum was much publicized as a contender for a Best Actor nomination, he was not nominated. George C. Scott won the award for his performance in Patton, a project Mitchum had rejected for Ryan's Daughter.

The 1970s featured Mitchum in a number of well-received crime dramas. The Friends of Eddie Coyle (1973) had the actor playing an aging Boston hoodlum caught between the Feds and his criminal friends. Sydney Pollack's The Yakuza (1974) transplanted the typical film noir story arc to the Japanese underworld. He also appeared in 1976's Midway about an epic 1942 World War II battle. Mitchum's stint as an aging Philip Marlowe in the Raymond Chandler adaptation Farewell, My Lovely (1975) was sufficiently well received by audiences and critics for him to reprise the role in 1978's The Big Sleep.

In 1982, Mitchum played Coach Delaney in the film adaptation of playwright/actor Jason Miller's 1973 Pulitzer Prize-winning play That Championship Season.

At the premiere for That Championship Season, Mitchum, while intoxicated, assaulted a female reporter and threw a basketball that he was holding (a prop from the film) at a female photographer from Time magazine, injuring her neck and knocking out two of her teeth. She sued him for $30 million for damages. The suit eventually "cost him his salary from the film."

That Championship Season may have indirectly led to another debacle for Mitchum several months later. In a February 1983 Esquire interview, he made several racist, anti-Semitic and sexist statements, including, when asked if the Holocaust occurred, responded "so the Jews say." Following the widespread negative response, he apologized a month later, saying that his statements were "prankish" and "foreign to my principle." He claimed that the problem had begun when he recited a racist monologue from his role in That Championship Season, the writer believing the words to be his own. Mitchum, who claimed that he had only reluctantly agreed to the interview, then decided to "string... along" the writer with even more incendiary statements.

Mitchum expanded to television work with the 1983 miniseries The Winds of War. The big-budget Herman Wouk story aired on ABC, starring Mitchum as naval officer "Pug" Henry and Victoria Tennant as Pamela Tudsbury, and examined the events leading up to America's involvement in World War II. He returned to the role in 1988's War and Remembrance, which continued the story through the end of the war.

In 1984, Mitchum entered the Betty Ford Center in Palm Springs, California for treatment of a drinking problem.

He played George Hazard's father-in-law in the 1985 miniseries North and South, which also aired on ABC.

Mitchum starred opposite Wilford Brimley in the 1986 made-for-TV movie Thompson's Run. A hardened con (Mitchum), being transferred from a federal penitentiary to a Texas institution to finish a life sentence as a habitual criminal, is freed at gunpoint by his niece (played by Kathleen York). The cop (Brimley) who was transferring him, and has been the con's lifelong friend and adversary for over 30 years, vows to catch the twosome.

In 1987, Mitchum was the guest-host on Saturday Night Live, where he played private eye Philip Marlowe for the last time in the parody sketch, "Death Be Not Deadly". The show ran a short comedy film he made (written and directed by his daughter, Trina) called Out of Gas, a mock sequel to Out of the Past. (Jane Greer reprised her role from the original film.) He also was in Bill Murray's 1988 comedy film, Scrooged.

In 1991, Mitchum was given a lifetime achievement award from the National Board of Review of Motion Pictures, in the same year he received the Telegatto award and in 1992 the Cecil B. DeMille Award from the Golden Globe Awards.

Mitchum continued to act in films until the mid-1990s, such as in Jim Jarmusch's Dead Man, and he narrated the Western Tombstone. He also appeared, in contrast to his role as the antagonist in the original, as a protagonist police detective in Martin Scorsese's remake of Cape Fear, but the actor gradually slowed his workload. His last film appearance was a small but pivotal role in the television biopic, James Dean: Race with Destiny, playing Giant director George Stevens. His last starring role was in the 1995 Norwegian movie Pakten.

A lifelong heavy smoker, Mitchum died on July 1, 1997, in Santa Barbara, California, due to complications of lung cancer and emphysema. He was about five weeks shy of his 80th birthday. His body was cremated and his ashes scattered at sea, though there is a plot marker in the Odd Fellows Cemetery in Delaware. He was survived by his wife of 57 years, Dorothy Mitchum (May 2, 1919 – April 12, 2014, Santa Barbara, California, aged 94); his sons, actors James Mitchum and Christopher Mitchum; and his daughter, writer Petrine Day Mitchum. His grandchildren, Bentley Mitchum and Carrie Mitchum, are actors, as was his younger brother, John, who died in 2001. Another grandson, Kian, is a successful model.

Mitchum is regarded by some critics as one of the finest actors of the Golden Age of Hollywood. Roger Ebert called him "the soul of film noir." Mitchum, however, was self-effacing; in an interview with Barry Norman for the BBC about his contribution to cinema, Mitchum stopped Norman in mid flow and in his typical nonchalant style, said, "Look, I have two kinds of acting. One on a horse and one off a horse. That's it." He had also succeeded in annoying some of his fellow actors by voicing his puzzlement at those who viewed the profession as challenging and hard work. He is quoted as having said in the Barry Norman interview that acting was actually very simple and that his job was to "show up on time, know his lines, hit his marks, and go home". Mitchum had a habit of marking most of his appearances in the script with the letters "n.a.r.", which meant "no action required", which critic Dirk Baecker has construed as Mitchum's way of reminding himself to experience the world of the story without acting upon it.

AFI's 100 Years...100 Stars lists Mitchum as the 23rd-greatest male star of classic Hollywood cinema. AFI also recognized his performance as the menacing rapist Max Cady and Reverend Harry Powell as the 28th and 29th greatest screen villains, respectively, of all time as part of AFI's 100 Years...100 Heroes and Villains. He provided the voice of the famous American Beef Council commercials that touted "Beef ... it's what's for dinner", from 1992 until his death.

A "Mitchum's Steakhouse" is in Trappe, Maryland, where Mitchum and his family lived from 1959 to 1965.

[the-jennnster]

Inspired by @promptsforthestrugglingauthor‘s Writing Prompt #1537 and day two of my personal Camp NaNo challenge to get back into writing by writing from a dialogue prompt every day

“You’re a fool to think this plan could actually work.”

“I’m a fool either way. Are you with me, or not?”

She scowled, rolling her eyes. “Fine,” she said at last, “but if we die, I’m suing your ass for all it’s worth.”

“Wouldn’t be much, considering the whole ‘shame to my family’ thing,” I told her with a smirk, patting her shoulder and stepping forward to the table. “We need you in the van on coms and cams—no offense, but you’re not exactly the fastest—”

“Neither is Brainy,” she retorted, “But I also just escaped from a high security prison, so if I got caught, our asses are cooked.”

Kyle’s brow furrowed in the background. “I don’t think that’s the—”

“You got me, I just wanted to keep your pretty face out of the front page.” I flashed Dani a smile and she sneered at me, Ethan stepping between us, just like always.

“We need to get here,” he interrupted, pointing to a small room on a sublevel so low I didn’t even know they made basements that deep. “It’s the data vault, where they keep the code information. It’s thirty floors below ground, behind seven fingerprint-locked doors, with at least twenty guards between each door.”

“Wow, it’s almost like they don’t want people getting access to their private information or something,” Maia muttered, picking at a scar on her arm. Dani’s lip quirked in a brief acknowledgement of agreement, and crossed her arms.

“Getting into the vault isn’t the hard part—” she began.

“Really?” I scoffed. “Have you ever gotten through that level of security?” She levelled me an unamused gaze.

“It’s getting the information out. Those databases are the most high-security servers in the world, with so many layers of firewalls and encryptions that it’s like reading Ancient Greek upside down.”

“Let me guess, your specialty?” Maia quipped from the couch, shock of red curls hanging over the arm.

“Mine, actually,” Kyle admitted. “I’ve gotten in before, and that was when I didn’t have an extra ten years of practice.”

Maia’s ever-present scowl returned on the couch while Dani smiled almost proudly. “Which means that we need to get you in.”

He jolted. “Me? I can hack remotely, I don’t—I did it from Nicson before, I can do it from the van—”

“You’ll have a more direct connection in the vault, not to mention bypassing some of the palace’s firewalls to prevent exterior hacking. You’re good, but they’ve upped their security,” she smirked, definitely proudly. “Thanks to my little stunt.”

“That got you thrown in jail,” I added under my breath, earning a sharp flick on the arm.

“Because of you, you little ‘I’m an independent thinker and I don’t do what you say’,” she snapped.

“In my defense, you had anarchist written all over you,” I said with a shrug.

“Still do,” she growled. “But I’m giving up on my dreams of destroying the entire system in exchange for a release information on government corruption.” She forced a smile. “Happy?”

“Very,” I said, though the idea of this all being real, of us succeeding on this insane endeavor, made me uneasy. After this, there would be no hiding. There would be no more Ghost, hell, I wouldn’t even be Cecily Williams anymore. I would be a science experiment, my parents’ personal freak of nature. I… I wouldn’t even be a person, and the whole world would know.

But they would also know that the emperor was building soldiers. That he had been for nearly twenty years, and that he’d had innocent people killed for it. That he’d been collecting data on every citizen in this country, all in the name of protection, to turn them into weapons.

We would be showing people the truth, and not just the people here. The global leadership wouldn’t stand for this blatant act of militarism, even from America. They’d unseat the emperor, dismantle the whole codes system, stop the experiments in their tracks.

At least… We hoped so.

“We can sneak in during the masquerade,” Ethan suggested, placing four invitations on the table. “Cee and Kyle together, and me and Maia.”

“Why do we have to go in together?” Maia whined, head bobbing. “At this point, the whole world knows I’m a lesbian, we don’t have to do this fake dating shit.”

“Because,” Ethan said with an all-too-sincere smile. “We’re going to be the distraction.”

She sat upright, smiling devilishly. “Oh, do tell, highness.”

“The party’s for Emmalyn,” he explained, “to celebrate her and Cal’s engagement—” Dani and I both gagged at the same time. “But it’s also a test for us. We’re still in the public eye given the whole ‘human-monster fusion’ thing, and they want to make sure we can function in society without going all wolf-brain on them.”

Maia frowned. “Can we though?”

Ethan hesitated and, for a brief moment, I saw the fear in his eyes. I knew what this plan entailed—the two of them voluntarily letting their monsters out to play in the middle of a high society party, full of unsuspecting party goers. The plan was to cause just enough chaos to get people screaming and running, and then slip away to help us make our way down to the vault, but… There was always the chance that they would lose control and not be able to turn back. That… that this could be the last time they were Ethan and Maia for a long time.

“We’ll see,” he offered with a weak smile.

“Once security on the main floor rushes to neutralize the threat—” Dani gestures to the two of them, then turns to Kyle and I. “You two need to get here, fast.” She points to a doorway on the map on the table in front of us, hidden away under some stairs. “It’s an entrance to the palace subbasements that technically no one is supposed to know about, but considering that Ethan and Maia are in there practically every other day, it’s… Well, suffice to say, that’s going to be the easiest part of your night. From there, you need to get to the lift at the end of this hall,” she reframed the map with a quick swipe of her fingers, focusing on that first subbasement that appeared to be a maze of offices, the aforementioned elevator hidden around far too many corners for my own good. “Once you’re in there, implant this in the operations box, and I’ll have a direct route to bypass the security systems that restrict access.” She holds up a chip that may as well be a grain of rice for how small it is. “Put it somewhere you won’t break it, eh, slugger?” she tells me as she gently places it in my palm. I immediately turn to Kyle, handing it to him.

“Yeah, okay,” he says, fidgeting with his watch to place it inside.

“I’ll handle everything between the lift and the vault room, but you,” she levels her dark brown eyes at Kyle, “have to get inside there and get the data out.”

“Yeah, I—I can do that.” He nods nervously, picking at his fingernails. “What about getting out?”

Dani half-laughs, half-sighs. “Brainy, by the time we’re done here, getting out will be the least of our problems.”

The five of us exchanged looks. She was right. No matter which way the night went, it wouldn’t matter how we got out of the data vault—what mattered was what happened after. If we succeeded, we’d be walking out into a new world where mutates were given the respect they deserved and the empire as we knew it dissolved. If we failed… Well, we wouldn’t have much say in the matter if we failed. We’d be enemies of the state, moreso than we were already, and our heads would be on the chopping block within minutes. Goodbye, imperial pardons, brand new apartments, and a future of hope. Hello, a cinderblock cell and a sentence to meet the newest firing squad.

We were the empire’s heroes. We were the empire’s most hated.

We were kids.

And we were going to save the world.

[laannie0803]

El rey Daeron II Targaryen, apodado el Bueno, fue el hijo mayor del rey Aegon IV Targaryen y su hermana esposa, la reina Naerys. Fue Rey de los Siete Reinos entre 184 y 209 d.C.

Bajo su reinado aconteció la Rebelión Fuegoscuro, donde su medio hermano bastardo Daemon Fuegoscuro reclamó su derecho al Trono de Hierro. La guerra civil fue ganada por sus hijos y su medio hermano Brynden Ríos.

Tras el fracaso en la conquista de Dorne, el rey Baelor I Targaryen logró forjar una paz con Dorne que duró durante todo su reinado. Como parte de los términos del acuerdo, el rey Baelor acordó que su joven primo Daeron debía desposar a la princesa Myriah Martell, hija mayor del Príncipe de Dorne. Tanto Daeron como Myriah eran niños en el momento en que fue pactado su matrimonio, por lo que la unión tendría lugar cuando ambos alcanzaran la edad adecuada.

Cuando su padre ascendió al trono en 172 d.C. como Aegon IV Targaryen, Daeron se convirtió en el heredero al Trono de Hierro y el Príncipe de Rocadragón. Daeron desafió gran parte del comportamiento de Aegon IV; se convirtió en un obstáculo para muchos de los esquemas de su padre, sobre todo en el plan de Aegon IV de reconquistar Dorne. El rey ignoró sus protestas y prosiguió con su iniciativa, aunque Daeron se sintió aliviado cuando sus planes fracasaron.

Daeron pasó la mayor parte de los últimos años del reinado de su padre en Rocadragón, con su esposa e hijos.[6] Daeron ascendió al trono tras la muerte de su padre. Poco antes, se rumoreaba que el rey Aegon IV no creía que Daeron fuera su hijo, sino el hijo ilegítimo de su hermana esposa Naerys y su hermano Aemon, por lo que planeaba desheredarlo en favor de su bastardo Daemon Fuegoscuro. En su lecho de muerte, Aegon IV había puesto en la línea de sucesión a sus hijos bastardos.

Daeron tenía treinta años cuando ocupó el Trono de Hierro. Consciente de su deber con el reino, el nuevo rey Daeron II actuó con rapidez para arreglar muchos de los males ocasionados durante el reinado de su padre. En el Consejo Privado renovó a la gran mayoría de sus consejeros, seleccionando gente sabia y capaz. Hizo lo propio con la Guardia Real. Tomó un año reparar la Guardia de la Ciudad de Desembarco del Rey, cuyos oficiales eran tan corruptos como Aegon IV lo había sido.

Su matrimonio con la princesa Myriah Martell de Dorne había sido feliz y fructífero; uno de sus primeros actos significativos después de asumir el trono fue comenzar negociaciones con su cuñado, el Príncipe de Dorne Maron Martell, para unificar Dorne bajo dominio Targaryen. La unificación se selló con el matrimonio del príncipe Maron y la princesa Daenerys Targaryen, hermana menor de Daeron. Tras la boda, el rey Daeron II y el príncipe Maron salieron juntos de la Fortaleza Roja hasta el Gran Septo de Baelor para dejar una corona de flores a los pies de la estatua de Baelor el Santo diciendo:

"Baelor, tu trabajo está hecho".

La princesa Myriah llevó muchas costumbres de Dorne a la corte, llevando vida nueva a la Fortaleza Roja, lo que supuso un cambio drástico para los nobles. Daeron levantó una gran fortaleza en las Marcas de Dorne cerca de donde El Dominio, las Tierras de la Tormenta y Dorne confluyen. Lo llamó Refugio Estival para marcar la paz que había creado; en años venideros muchos hijos de la Casa Targaryen ostentarían el título de Príncipe de Refugio Estival.

El rey llegó a ser conocido como Daeron el Bueno por el pueblo llano y la nobleza por igual. Mientras que Daeron II era más erudito que guerrero, dos de sus hijos fueron expertos en las armas.

La rebelión Fuegoscuro estalló con batallas en las Tierras de los Ríos, el Dominio, el Valle de Arryn, y las Tierras del Oeste, entre los que apoyaron al Dragón Negro y los que apoyaron al Dragón Rojo. Daeron fue apoyado por otro Gran Bastardo, Ser Brynden Ríos. La rebelión terminó en la Batalla del Prado Hierbarroja en el año 196 d.C., con la muerte de Daemon y sus dos hijos mayores. Ser Aegor Ríos, uno de los mayores aliados del Dragón Negro, escapó y huyó a través del Mar Angosto con los hijos supervivientes de Daemon. Los Pretendientes Fuegoscuro continuaron causando problemas en las generaciones venideras.

Después de la Primera Rebelión Fuegoscuro, Daeron II despojó de tierras, castillos y rehenes a todos esos señores que lucharon por la Casa Fuegoscuro como castigo. El resto del reinado de Daeron II fue pacífico.

Daeron II y Myriah Martell tuvieron cuatro hijos, Baelor, Aerys, Rhaegel y Maekar. Su hijo mayor, Baelor Rompelanzas, el Príncipe de Rocadragón, sirvió como Mano del Rey durante los últimos años de su reinado. Baelor sirvió hábilmente como Mano y muchos vieron en él un hombre formidable que se convertiría en un gran rey. No obstante, Baelor moriría accidentalmente en el Torneo de Vado Ceniza de 209 d.C.

El rey Daeron II murió el año de la Gran Epidemia Primaveral, junto con dos de sus nietos, los príncipes Valarr y Matarys Targaryen. Fue sucedido por su segundo hijo, Aerys I Targaryen. Daeron había reinado durante veinticinco años, y la mayoría vieron paz y abundancia para el reino.

A pesar de no tener el atractivo de un caballero, lo considero un buen rey. Daemon pudo haber sido hermoso y un gran caballero, pero se dejo influenciar por dos personas interesadas, mientras que Daeron siempre se rodeo de personas sabias y poco ambiciosas.

Era muy diferente a su padre y eso no es algo malo, su madre logro criarlo bien y con valores, valores que también adquirieron sus hijos (Especialmente Baelor). 

King Daeron II Targaryen, nicknamed the Good, was the eldest son of King Aegon IV Targaryen and his sister wife, Queen Naerys. He was King of the Seven Kingdoms between 184 and 209 A.D.

Under his reign, the Darkfire Rebellion occurred, where his bastard half-brother Daemon Darkfire claimed his right to the Iron Throne. The civil war was won by his children and his half brother Brynden Ríos.

After the failure in the conquest of Dorne, King Baelor I Targaryen managed to forge a peace with Dorne that lasted throughout his reign. As part of the terms of the agreement, King Baelor agreed that his young cousin Daeron was to marry Princess Myriah Martell, the eldest daughter of the Prince of Dorne. Both Daeron and Myriah were children at the time their marriage was agreed, so the union would take place when the two reached the proper age.

When his father ascended the throne in 172 A.D. like Aegon IV Targaryen, Daeron became the heir to the Iron Throne and the Dragonstone Prince. Daeron defied much of Aegon IV's behavior; he became an obstacle to many of his father's schemes, especially in Aegon IV's plan to reconquer Dorne. The king ignored their protests and continued his initiative, although Daeron was relieved when his plans failed.

Daeron spent most of the last years of his father's reign on Dragonstone, with his wife and children. [6] Daeron ascended the throne after the death of his father. Shortly before, it was rumored that King Aegon IV did not believe that Daeron was his son, but the illegitimate son of his sister wife Naerys and brother Aemon, so he planned to disinherit him in favor of his bastard Daemon Firefighter. On his deathbed, Aegon IV had put his bastard sons in the line of succession.

Daeron was thirty years old when he occupied the Iron Throne. Aware of his duty to the kingdom, the new King Daeron II acted swiftly to fix many of the ills caused during his father's reign. In the Privy Council he renewed the vast majority of his advisers, selecting wise and capable people. He did the same with the Royal Guard. It took a year to repair the King's Landing City Guard, whose officers were as corrupt as Aegon IV had been.

His marriage to Princess Myriah Martell de Dorne had been happy and fruitful; One of his first significant acts after assuming the throne was to start negotiations with his brother-in-law, Prince of Dorne Maron Martell, to unify Dorne under Targaryen rule. Unification was sealed with the marriage of Prince Maron and Princess Daenerys Targaryen, Daeron's younger sister. After the wedding, King Daeron II and Prince Maron left the Red Fort together to the Great Sept of Baelor to leave a wreath at the foot of the statue of Baelor the Holy saying:

"Baelor, your work is done."

Princess Myriah brought many of Dorne's customs to court, bringing new life to the Red Keep, which was a drastic change for the nobles. Daeron built a great fortress in the Marks of Dorne near where The Domain, the Stormlands, and Dorne meet. He called it Summer Refuge to mark the peace he had created; in years to come many children of the Targaryen House would hold the title of Prince of Summer Refuge.

The king became known as Daeron the Good to the common people and the nobility alike. While Daeron II was more learned than warrior, two of his sons were experts in weapons.

The Darkfire rebellion erupted with battles in the Riverlands, the Dominion, the Valley of Arryn, and the Western Lands, between those who supported the Black Dragon and those who supported the Red Dragon. Daeron was supported by another Great Bastard, Ser Brynden Ríos. The rebellion ended in the Battle of Prado Hierbarroja in 196 AD, with the death of Daemon and his two eldest sons. Being Aegor Rios, one of the Black Dragon's greatest allies, escaped and fled across the Narrow Sea with the surviving sons of Daemon. The Darkfire Suitors continued to cause trouble for generations to come.

After the First Darkfire Rebellion, Daeron II stripped land, castles and hostages of all those lords who fought for the Darkfire House as punishment. The rest of Daeron II's reign was peaceful.

Daeron II and Myriah Martell had four children, Baelor, Aerys, Rhaegel, and Maekar. Her eldest son, Baelor Breakbreaker, the Prince of Dragonstone, served as Hand of the King during the last years of his reign. Baelor skillfully served as Hand and many saw in him a formidable man who would become a great king. However, Baelor would accidentally die in the Ash Ford Tournament of A.D. 209.

King Daeron II died the year of the Great Spring Epidemic, along with two of his grandsons, Princes Valarr and Matarys Targaryen. He was succeeded by his second son, Aerys I Targaryen. Daeron had reigned for twenty-five years, and most saw peace and plenty for the kingdom.

Despite not having the appeal of a knight, I consider him a good king. Daemon may have been beautiful and a great knight, but he was influenced by two interested people, while Daeron always surrounded himself with wise and unambitious people.

He was very different from his father and that is not a bad thing, his mother managed to raise him well and with values, values that his children also acquired (especially Baelor).

[kalinara]

So @singledarkshade​ and @theadrogna​ came up with a fun challenge.  We each picked seven television shows/movies and were given a cast of one actor from each show to use in a hypothetical “dream show”.

My cast: Anya Chalotra (the Witcher), Elizabeth Gracen (Highlander), Reggie Lee (Grimm), Xenia Seeberg (Lexx), Danai Gurira (Walking Dead), Geraint Wyn Davies (Forever Knight), and Robert Vaughn (Man from UNCLE).

-- My show --

The year is 3299.  Humanity has long expanded into the stars, with the hope of founding new, ideal societies.  Humans being humans, they failed.  The Coalition of Allied Planets was founded in the spirit of that old dream, and now it has grown and spread across the galaxy, bringing peace, prosperity and civilization, by certain definitions of those words.

I hereby present: Fall of the Coalition: Rebels Rising.

Characters and Episodes below the cut

Characters:

Corporal Alisha Padwal (Anya Chalotra):  Corporal Padwal had once been a promising career officer in the Coalition Corps, until a superior’s blunder led to the loss of a decisive battle.  Alisha managed to survive the resulting cover-up, but her future prospects didn’t.   Now she’s a guard on a prison transport ship, where she’ll likely live out the rest of her days, until everything changes.

Petra Nikolas (Elizabeth Gracen): If you read the Coalition Press, Petra Nikolas is the most dangerous woman in the galaxy.  A second generation idealist, Petra has been using her name, wealth and reputation to secretly amass a group of rebels, all of whom have suffered under the Coalition’s “enlightened” rule.  She’s captured now, but not for long.  She has a plan.

Marton Reyes (Reggie Lee): A brilliant doctor, all Marton Reyes ever wanted to do was save lives.  Unfortunately, the Coalition had a better idea of the best way to utilize his brilliant mind.  For years, Reyes took part in horrifying experiments, all supposedly intended to eventually improve human lives.  Reyes has his doubts.  One day, he couldn’t take it anymore.  He was captured immediately, but at least a few lives were saved.  Haunted by his past, Reyes finds prison almost a relief, since he can’t be made to hurt anyone anymore.

Jana Brandt (Xenia Seeberg): “Thug”, “Bully” these are nice labels compared to what the Coalition calls Jana Brandt.  They call her “undesirable”: a violent recidivist who has been resistant to every attempt at therapeutic reconditioning.  The Coalition considers itself too humane to kill someone like Brandt outright, but they certainly wouldn’t mind it if she just happened to meet with an unfortunate fate on the prison planet, Xyron.  Of course, they have to get her there first.

Kauli Ka Vedar/Princess Kandake of Karash (Danai Gurira):  Fifteen years ago, the Coalition brought civilization to the planet of Karash, quite against the Karashi will.  They’ll learn better, of course.  Regrettably, most of the ruling family died.  Even more regrettably, a few survived, scattered to the edges of Coalition space.

Kauli Ka Vedar is a hacker and a thief, but that wasn’t what she always was.  She survives by keeping her head low, and staying the fuck away from flashy rebel heroics.  She doesn’t like the Coalition any more than they do, but it’s not just her own life on the line if they figure out who she is.  Right now, the Coalition thinks they’ve got a petty thief.  Kauli intends to keep it that way.

Governor Geof Drystan (Geraint Wyn Davies): The Planetary Governor of Xyron, Geof Drystan is basically lord and master of all he surveys.  Generally corrupt and petty, he nonetheless has a soft spot for young people that he thinks have been mistreated by the system.  At least the ones that he thinks he can manipulate.  He’s the reason that Alisha has a job at all. 

XS 367/”Alan Nikolas”  (Robert Vaughn):  Thirty years ago, a politician named Alan Nikolas led a movement to reform the Coalition into the democratic ideal that it was always meant to be.  A brilliant speaker, the idealistic Nikolas inspired people across the political strata, until assassination put an end to his dream.   The Coalition made sure that no one would follow in his steps.

XS 367 is a prison ship AI.  Its programming is formidable but limited.  It is complex enough to manage every aspect of the day to day running of the prison ship, inside and out, but carefully limited to prevent any sort of manifestation of independent thought or personality.  At least until Petra Nikolas comes onboard, bearing the personality matrix of her long dead father.

XS 367 knows he’s a ship.  He knows he’s not really a long dead politician.  But he also knows that his daughter is on board, and he intends to do whatever he can to help her.  His way failed.  Maybe hers will succeed.

(Every appearance of Alan Nikolas, whether it’s a flashback, or an image on a computer screen is in black and white).

Episodes:

Episode 1 “Alisha”:  Alisha Padwal is a new guard of the XS 367 prison ship.  It’s state of the art, with an AI that runs everything, meaning that Alisha and her new partner, Davvyd, are blatantly superfluous.  Alisha uses the time to try to learn about the prisoners, their crimes, and their fates.  She is disturbed by the harsh, disproportionate sentences.  Davvyd, on the other hand, is brutal, taking out his frustration on the prisoners, particularly Jana Brandt.  Meanwhile, Petra plants the personality matrix into the AI, and the prisoners break free and take over the ship.  Davvyd is stabbed during the commotion, though Jana insists that it was an accident.  Alisha is taken prisoner, but she’s not without recourse as she is able to call Governor Drystan via a secret communicator.

Flashback: the episode contains flashbacks of Alisha’s fall from grace, her court martial and Governor Drystan’s interference, and him giving her the communicator in case everything goes wrong.

Episode 2 “Petra”:  Petra Nikolas has now taken over the prison ship XS 367, now the “Alan Nikolas”.  Her efforts to recruit her fellow prisoners to her cause is meeting some unexpected resistance.  Marton is a militant pacifist, who refuses to cause harm to anyone.  Kauli doesn’t want to get involved.  Jana is on board, but her violent tendencies make Petra doubt the wisdom of recruiting her.  She finally has some luck with Alisha, who, while loyal to the Coalition, also has many doubts about their methods.

Meanwhile, the “Alan Nikolas” is on the run from the Coalition.  Petra takes them to an old hideout to obtain fuel and supplies, but is double crossed.  The others reluctantly sign on with her, realizing there’s nowhere else to go.  Alisha does too, but only upon secret approval from Governor Drystan.

Flashback: Petra’s childhood, watching her father’s eloquent public speeches.  His assassination and the subsequent smearing of his name.  Petra’s own rise, using her money and education to reach out to disenfranchised people, and her arrest for dissidence.  Her forces are still out there though, she just has to get the Alan Nikolas to them.

Episode 3 “Marton”:  The next supply stop goes about as well as the first.  Coalition forces have been waiting in ambush.  Petra, Alisha, and Jana get away, but Kauli and Marton are left behind.  Kauli is injured, and Marton has to act to save her and himself.  Meanwhile, Jana advocates just leaving them, while Petra refuses, winning Alisha’s respect and making her very uneasy about her role as a spy.  When the crew is reunited, Alisha is about to tell Drystan that she no longer believes in his mission, but Jana catches her in the act.

Flashback: This is Marton’s backstory episode, so we’ll see him as a brilliant doctor forced into work for the Coalition.  We’ll see them threaten his family and friends, to the point of deadly consequences when he tries to refuse.  Finally we’ll see him snap, as he’s forced to conduct dangerous operations on prisoners and take on his vow of pacifism.

Episode 4 “Jana”: Alisha has been caught as a spy.  Jana wants to kill her, but Petra says that they’re better than that.  They basically put Alisha on trial, letting her explain why she should get to live.  Jana is disgusted when Marton and Kauli vote to allow Alisha to stay, and attempts to mutiny.  Sadly, she is shot by “Alan”, the XS-367 itself, who is trying to protect his daughter and her crew.  Marton places Jana’s body in cryogenic suspension with the hope that one day they might be able to save her.  Meanwhile, Petra asks Alisha to keep communicating with Drystan, to see if he can be turned to their side.

Flashback: Jana’s backstory episode, as a kid from the Xyron undercity.  Her flashbacks will make it very obvious that while she does have genuine issues with rage (and some blackout episodes of violence), there has never been any real attempt to help her beyond clumsy “reconditioning”.  We also see more of her confrontation with Davvyd, and his death.  Though we don’t actually see her stab him.

Episode 5 “Kauli”:  The crew end up stumbling across another Karashi survivor, Kauli’s sister, Berenice, who is being blackmailed by a local crime boss.  Kauli has to decide whether to trust Petra, who she sees as an ivory tower rebel who has no idea what risks she’s asking of more vulnerable people, and Alisha, who until recently, was an actual spy.  Ultimately, Kauli masterminds a trap for the crime boss, freeing her sister, and makes tentative contact with the rest of her family.  We learn that the Karashi have been planning their own form of rebellion, in a more subtle and cautious way, they’re not yet willing to ally with Petra, but they’ll be keeping an eye on her.

Meanwhile, Marton and “Alan” undergo an experimental procedure that allow them to speak to a comatose Jana and try to wake her.

Flashback: Kauli’s backstory episode, showing the fall of Karesh, and Kauli’s struggle to survive as a young refugee, including a situation very like Berenice.

Episode 6 “Drystan”:  Alisha, reluctantly, arranges a meeting between Drystan and Petra, when the former expresses his own dissatisfaction with the Coalition’s practices.  The crew believe it’s a trap, but Petra believes that they might be able to turn his trap back onto him, and possibly free the prisoners of Xyron, many of whom are rebels just like Petra.

Marton, Kauli and Jana infiltrate the prison staff to try to recruit and ready the prisoners, while “Alan” and Alisha plan to disrupt Drystan’s communications, so that he can’t spring his trap.

Finally, at the meeting, Drystan tries to spring his trap.  Petra gets the upperhand, and manages to negotiate a deal with him to free the prisoners.  Then Alisha springs her trap and stabs Drystan before he can comply with Petra’s demands.  She reveals that while she respects Petra, she thinks that her rebellion is flawed and destructive.  The only way to truly bring down the Coalition is from the top.  Alisha reveals that her technological sabotage gave her the command codes to the entire planet and has erased the XS 367’s personality.  It is loyal to her now.  (Though it still wears Alan Nikolas’s face).

In the prison, Kauli, Marton and Jana manage to escape and vow to find a way to come back and free Petra and Alan.

Flashback: This episode has no flashbacks.  All of the action takes place completely in the present day.

Thus ends season 1.

A projection for season 2: “Fall of the Coalition: Rebels Strike”:

Season 2 will take place where Season 1 left off.  Alisha is now the big bad, so to speak, defending her claim to Xyron and using that to start masterminding her rise to the top of the Coalition ranks.  She intends to use Petra as a means to bring her rebellion under heel, and attempts to capture Kauli to do the same.

The crew will rescue Petra and steal the XS 367.  Using the same experimental communication method that saved her, Jana and Marton communicate with the XS 367, which has now broken free from its programming in its own right and convince it to help them.  The XS 367 continues to use Alan Nikolas’s face, but now it’s in bright 1960s style technicolor.

Eventually, Alisha’s plans go awry as she faces the people at the very top of the Coalition, and she reaches out to Petra to join forces.  But is this another double cross?

[lexmagnum]

The Original Thirteenth Amendment

(Original)

Amendment XIII

If any citizen of the United States shall accept, claim, receive, or retain any title of nobility or honour, or shall without the consent of Congress, accept and retain any present, pension, office, or emolument of any kind whatever, from any emperor, king, prince, or foreign power, such person shall cease to be a citizen of the United States, and shall be incapable of holding any office of trust or profit under them, or either of them.

Ratified March 12, 1819

The Founders held an intense disdain and distrust of "Nobility" as a result of a long history, during Colonial times, of abuses and excesses against the Rights of Man and the established Common Law and Constitutions by the "Nobility", and therefore placed in the new Constitution two injunctions against acceptance of Titles of Nobility or Honor or emoluments from external sources. The Revolutionary War for Independence was primarily waged to eliminate these abuses and excesses of the "Nobility" and the "Monied Classes" from the life of the Nation, recognizing the Equality of all men.

As there was no penalty attached to a title of nobility or honor in the Constitution as originally ratified, the Original Thirteenth Amendment was proposed in December of 1809 to institute penalty for accepting or using a "Title of Nobility or Honor" to set oneself apart from, or superior to, or possessing of any special privileges or immunities not available to any other citizen of the United States, and to eliminate the widespread use of "emoluments" as bribery and of the legislatures and judiciary used to further the causes and positions of "Special Interests". It was an attempt to keep politicians and civil servants "Honest" in their service to the citizens.

The original Thirteenth Amendment, was ratified in 1819, adding a heavy penalty upon any person holding or accepting a Title of Nobility or Honor, or emoluments from external powers by making that person "cease to be a citizen of the United States" and "incapable of holding any Office of Trust or Profit under the United States". This Amendment was proposed, properly ratified, and was a matter of record in the several States archives until 1876, by which time it was quietly, and fraudulently deleted, never repealed, during the period of Reconstruction after the Civil War and the presently acknowledged Thirteenth Amendment was substituted. The original records of the original 13th amendment were thought to be destroyed at the time of the burning of the capitol during the War of 1812, but have since been found in the archives of the British Museum, the national archives and in the archives of several of the States and territories. The fact of its existence had been lost to memory until, by chance, researchers discovered in the public library at Belfast, Maine an 1825 copy of the U. S. Constitution. Subsequent research shows that it was in the records of the ratifying states and territories until 1876, the last to drop it from record was the Territory of Wyoming after 1876. The most intriguing discovery was the 1867 Colorado Territory edition which includes both the "missing" Thirteenth Amendment and the current 13th Amendment, on the same page. The current 13th Amendment is listed as the 14th Amendment in the 1867 Colorado edition.

The 1876 Laws of Wyoming which similarly show the "missing" Thirteenth Amendment, the current 13th Amendment (freeing the slaves), and the current 15th Amendment on the same page. The current 13th Amendment is listed as the 14th, the current 14th amendment is omitted, and the current 15th Amendment is in proper place.

For further discussion and the history of the Original Thirteenth Amendment see "Demon of Discord, Ratification and Suppression of the Original Thirteenth Article of Amendment to the Constitution of the United States."

On December 3, 1860, the month after Lincoln was elected, President Buchanan asked Congress to propose an "explanatory amendment". It was to be another 13th Amendment, to eradicate and cover-up the deletion of the Original Thirteenth Title of Nobility and Honour Amendment. This proposed amendment, which would have forever legalized slavery, was signed by President Buchanan the day before Lincoln took office.

This amendment to the Constitution relating to slavery was sent to the states for ratification by the Second Session of the Thirty-sixth Congress on March 2, 1861, when it passed the Senate, having previously passed the House on February 28, 1861. It is interesting to note in this connection that this and the ratified Anti-Slavery amendment of 1865 are the only resolutions proposing amendments to the Constitution to have been signed by the President. The President's signature is considered unnecessary because of the constitutional provision that on the concurrence of two-thirds of both Houses of Congress the proposal shall be submitted to the States for ratification.

The resolve to amend signed by President Buchanan on March 2, 1861, two days before Lincoln's inauguration, read:

Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the following article be proposed to the Legislatures of the several States as an amendment to the Constitution of the United States, which, when ratified by three-fourths of said Legislatures, shall be valid, to all intents and purposes, as part of the said Constitution, viz:

"ARTICLE THIRTEEN, No amendment shall be made to the Constitution which will authorize or give to Congress the power to abolish or interfere, within any State, with the domestic institutions thereof, including that of persons held to labor or service by the laws of said State."

In other words, President Buchanan had signed a resolve that would have forever permitted slavery, and upheld states' rights. Only one State, Illinois, Lincoln's home state, had ratified this proposed amendment before the Civil War broke out in 1861. It appears at 12 Stat. 251, 36th Congress. Two more State legislatures ratified it, beginning with Ohio on May 13, 1861, followed by Maryland on January 10, 1862.

But the onslaught of the Civil War taught that the Nation may be in even greater peril from the States than they ever were from the Nation. And so, after more than seventy years of national life, the people, by the presently acknowledged 13th Amendment and the two following, laid upon the States restrictions which a few years before would have been impossible. The Constitution had gone forty-six years (1819 - 1865) without an Amendment.

In the tumult of 1865, the original Thirteenth Amendment was removed from our Constitution. In a Congressional Resolve to amend dated December 5, 1864, approved and signed by President Lincoln, February 1, 1865, another Amendment numbered XIII (which prohibited slavery in Sect. 1, and ended states' rights in Sect. 2) was proposed. When, on January 13, 1865, a two-thirds vote was taken in the House of Representatives for proposing the currently presented 13th Amendment "in honor of the immortal and sublime event" the House adjourned. It was then presented to the States for ratification. Two months later, April 9, 1865, the Civil War ended with General Lee's surrender. On April 14, President Lincoln was assassinated, dying on April 15th.

On December 18, 1865, the "new" 13th Amendment loudly prohibiting and abolishing slavery (and quietly surrendering states rights to the federal government) was proclaimed adopted by Secretary of State Seward, replacing and effectively erasing the original Thirteenth Amendment that had prohibited acceptance of "titles of nobility" and "honors" and "emoluments", and dishonest politicians have been bought and bribed and have treasonously accepted graft from external sources ever since, with no thought of penalty.

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Quote from The Missing 13th Amendment

The Missing 13th Amendment

"TITLES OF NOBILITY" AND "HONOR"

In the winter of 1983, archival research expert David Dodge, and former Baltimore police investigator Tom Dunn, were searching for evidence of government corruption in public records stored in the Belfast Library on the coast of Maine. By chance, they discovered the library's oldest authentic copy of the Constitution of the United States (printed in 1825). Both men were stunned to see this document included a 13th Amendment that no longer appears on current copies of the Constitution. Moreover, after studying the Amendment's language and historical context, they realized the principle intent of this "missing" 13th Amendment was to prohibit lawyers from serving in government.

So began a seven-year, nationwide search for the truth surrounding the most bizarre Constitutional puzzle in American history -- the unlawful removal of a ratified Amendment from the Constitution of the United States. Since 1983, Dodge and Dunn have uncovered additional copies of the Constitution with the "missing" 13th Amendment printed in at least eighteen separate publications by ten different states and territories over four decades from 1822 to 1860.

In June of this year, Dodge uncovered the evidence that this missing 13th Amendment had indeed been lawfully ratified by the state of Virginia and was therefore an authentic Amendment to the American Constitution. If the evidence is correct and no logical errors have been made, a 13th Amendment restricting lawyers from serving in government was ratified in 1819 and removed from our Constitution during the tumult of the Civil War.

Since the Amendment was never lawfully repealed, it is still the Law today. The implications are enormous.

Thank you Patriots.