#The Conman and The Investigator

[justmoreocs-edits]

The Conman and The Investigator Story Introduction

Charlie Doyle was used to people comparing her to the greatest creation of her great-grandfather: Sherlock Holmes. As soon as they heard she was an investigator, after realising she really was related to the creator of such a famous character, there was no turning back. But, if she was being honest she would prefer to be compared to a man of facts in comparison to the man who believed in the supernatural (which she thought was utter rubbish). Until one day she meets a blond Scouser in a bar, and her life is changed forever.

[justmoreocs-writing]

The Conman and The Investigator Story Introduction

Charlie Doyle was used to people comparing her to the greatest creation of her great-grandfather: Sherlock Holmes. As soon as they heard she was an investigator, after realising she really was related to the creator of such a famous character, there was no turning back. But, if she was being honest she would prefer to be compared to a man of facts in comparison to the man who believed in the supernatural (which she thought was utter rubbish). Until one day she meets a blond Scouser in a bar, and her life is changed forever.

[the-unconquered-queen]

Shoutout to the human Mal-romancing girlies, because I'm just thinking about how he went from fantasizing (and lying) about seducing contessas to being loved by a princess for real

Actually y'all are mad greedy like wasn't it enough to have the Tangled fairytale y'all still had to sweep everywhere else too huh 😭

[hexarcana]

*why would I be doing graphic design (my job) when I could be drawing frantic doodles of my OCs with various Pines family members (my purpose)

[kellydixon765]

Fraudster Suryawanshi cheated people from different cities, promising gold at cheap rate, he collected lakhs of rupees from gullible victims

Mukesh Suryawanshi, the fraudster who duped several persons at various cities in the state by luring them with cheap gold, is currently behind the bars. Suryawanshi impressed people by his posh lifestyle and duped them of lakhs of rupees.

A 28-year-old woman from Baner, Pune, entrusted Rs 42.80 lakh to Mukesh Suryawanshi in January 2018. However, he only returned Rs 17.59 lakh to her, and after July 2018, stopped repaying. Fleeing to Dubai, he returned to Goa on March 6 of this year, where he was arrested upon arrival at the airport. He was later transferred to the Mumbai police for further investigation. A farmer from Dhule also fell victim to his deception. Suryawanshi convinced the farmer to invest in gold with the promise of doubling the returns. The farmer, trusting Suryawanshi and his family's lavish lifestyle, believed in the offer, especially as the initial repayments were assured. However, as time passed, Suryawanshi ceased payments, and he is said to have duped over 60 farmers from Dhule, Nashik, Jalgaon, and other districts in a similar manner. Suryawanshi also victimized two women from Thane. He promised one woman gold at a discounted price and told the other he would sell her gold at a higher price than market value. Both women were left devastated. Furthermore, he defrauded several married women under the pretense of marriage, promising to accept their children as well. He met these women on Facebook, gaining their trust before taking large sums of money. It was an alert investor, Satyanand Gaitonde, who tipped off the authorities. Suryawanshi duped him and his family out of about Rs 60-70 lakh. Gaitonde, who was based in Dahisar, Mumbai, met Suryawanshi in 2013 on a film set, and was later contacted on Facebook and WhatsApp. He put his trust in Suryawanshi, who persuaded him to invest in a gold business he claimed to have set up. Between 2018 and 2019, Gaitonde invested Rs 15.62 lakh, with his family members contributing as well. Upon realizing he had been scammed, Gaitonde unsuccessfully tried contacting Suryawanshi and eventually filed a police report. Gaitonde is calling for strict legal action against Suryawanshi and encourages other victims to come forward so that such frauds don't continue. for 10 seconds

A 28-year-old woman from Baner, Pune, handed over Rs 42.80 lakh to the fraudster in January 2018. However, he returned only Rs 17.59 lakh, and after July 2018, he stopped making any repayments. He later fled to Dubai and, after spending three years there, arrived in Goa on March 6 this year. Upon arrival at Goa Airport, the police arrested him and subsequently transferred him to the Mumbai police for further investigation.

A farmer from Dhule also fell prey to his deceit. The suspect duped the farmer of five tolas of gold by promising double profits on the investment. The farmer explained that Mukesh and his family had a high-profile image and lived an extravagant lifestyle, which easily won over the trust of many. Initially, the fraudster made assured repayments for three months, but then the payments ceased. In total, Suryawanshi is said to have duped around 60 farmers from Dhule, Nashik, Jalgaon, and other districts.

In addition, Suryawanshi cheated two women from Thane district. He told one woman that he could procure gold for them at a price lower than the market value. Similarly, in 2013, he convinced another woman that he would help her sell her gold at a price higher than the market rate. Both women ended up being left high and dry. Moreover, the conman also deceived several married women by falsely promising marriage and accepting them along with their children. He extracted lakhs of rupees from these women by targeting them on Facebook, particularly those from Pune and Ahmedabad.

Suryawanshi was eventually apprehended due to an alert complainant, Satyanand Gaitonde, who works as an agent with the National Security Service Canada. According to Gaitonde, Suryawanshi duped him and his family members of approximately Rs 60 lakh to Rs 70 lakh. Gaitonde, who owns a flat in the Dahisar area of Mumbai and visits the city occasionally, first met Suryawanshi in 2013 on a film set. Later, Suryawanshi contacted him through Facebook and WhatsApp, gained his confidence, and persuaded him to invest in gold by claiming he had started a company. During 2018-19, Gaitonde invested Rs 15.62 lakh, and his family also contributed. When Gaitonde realized that he had been duped, he tried to reach out to Suryawanshi, but received no response. Consequently, he lodged a complaint with the police. Gaitonde now calls for strict action against the fraudster and urges others to come forward with their complaints so that another conman like Suryawanshi does not emerge.

[cathygeha]

REVIEW

Malibu Burning by Lee Goldberg

Sharpe & Walker #1

Fiery, fast paced, immersive beginning to a new series with great promise!

What I liked: * Danny Cole: master thief, conman, a bit of a Robin Hood, charismatic, brilliant, strategic thinker, wealthy, and puts the humanity before money

* Walter Sharpe: arson investigator, intelligent, puzzle solver, experienced, looks for clues and facts to verify when investigating fires, willing to share knowledge, doesn’t jump to conclusions

* Andrew Walker: new to arson investigation after working as a US Marshall, married, soon to be a father, “hunter” who always gets his man, a bit of an adrenaline junkie…maybe

* The introduction to Sharpe & Walker and the foundation for their working together as a team – would like to know more about them

* Danny and the team he put together for the heist

* That rights that were wronged

* Being able to see the story and believing it would work on the big or small screen

* Being able to relate to the fires as I grew up in California and have experienced and seen fires like those described

* Knowing there is another book to look forward to in the series

What I didn’t like: * Who and what I was meant not to like

* The fires and the damage they do – wish that Danny had come up with a less damaging way to achieve his goals – so many animals suffer as well as the land destroyed

Did I like this book? Yes

Would I read more in this series? Yes

Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for the ARC – This is my honest review.

4-5 Stars

BLURB

For a professional criminal and a relentless arson investigator, fear and revenge spread like wildfire in a an incendiary thriller by #1 New York Times bestselling author Lee Goldberg. Hell comes to Southern California every October. It rides in on searing Santa Ana winds that blast at near hurricane force, igniting voracious wildfires. Master thief Danny Cole longs for the flames. A tsunami of fire is exactly what he needs to pull off a daring crime and avenge a fallen friend. As the most devastating firestorms in Los Angeles’ history scorch the hills of Malibu, relentless arson investigator Walter Sharpe and his wild card of a new partner, Andrew Walker, a former US marshal, suspect that someone set the massive blazes intentionally, a terrifying means to an unknown end. While the flames rage out of control, Danny pursues his brilliant scheme, unaware that Sharpe and Walker are closing in. But when they all collide in a canyon of fire, everything changes, pitting them against an unexpected enemy within an inescapable inferno.

[starcurtain]

Hear me out. I know it's unlikely that Ratio would ever have been foolish enough to directly get taken in by a scam, but considering that we know:

One of the groups specifically tricked by Kakavasha before he joined the IPC was the Intelligentsia Guild

What he tricked them about was Tayzzyronth's Swarm remnants, the exact same thing we see Ratio investigating in his very first appearance in the game, and

The researchers were described as "extremely cautious"

I am surprised that "Ratio was at least somehow connected to the Intelligentsia Guild team fooled by Kakavasha before he was ever even a Stoneheart" isn't more popular with the Ratio and Aventurine fandom.

Like imagine being Dr. Ratio. You tell your colleagues, "This seems like a scam. Are you sure you should trust this 'local guide' you've made contact with? Tell me about him. A picture? Does this even look like an Egyhazan native to you? I won't save you fools from making idiotic decisions." (You end up having to clean up the aftermath of their idiotic decisions anyway. There is sand in places on your body you didn't even know existed before this. How mortifying for the Guild. For you, by association.)

Then, next thing you know, you get a mission briefing slid across your desk from your IPC connections. They want you to work with their new Stoneheart. You open the packet to see... that little bastard with the enthralling eyes who had your moronic colleagues scrambling in the dirt on a backwater planet for months. Apparently he's made a career out of fooling you your supposedly competent guildmates.

You run off to confront him. You never met him personally back then, but you deserve compensation for the idiocy you were subjected to nonetheless. He deserves to know how much of a pain in the ass he's been in your life already without ever having met your eyes--

He proceeds to shove a gun into your hands and tries to make you an accomplice to a suicide. Apparently, this is normal behavior for the man now called Aventurine. Somehow, it's supposed to prove to you that he is a sane and reliable individual.

Absolutely nothing in your life has been normal since Egyhazo.

You would like to have mundane problems, sometimes.

How do you keep ending up in this beautiful manic clever conman's orbit, and why, like binary stars, can you not escape the gravitational pull?

[muddypolitics]

(via Democrats Grill Officials on Insider Profits From Trump’s Tariff Reversal – Mother Jones)

“Who in the administration knew about Trump’s latest tariff flip flop ahead of time?” Sen. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) asked in a Bluesky post Wednesday. “Did anyone buy or sell stocks, and profit at the public’s expense? I’m writing to the White House—the public has a right to know.”

On Wednesday, just a week after imposing massive tariffs, or taxes paid by purchasers of foreign goods, in what he called “Liberation Day,” Trump—who for days had claimed he would not budge—abruptly changed course in the face of stock market plunges, warnings of a global recession and a sell-off of US Treasury bonds...

Suspicion about the reversal stemmed in part from earlier posts by Trump. “BE COOL!” he wrote Wednesday morning on Truth Social. “Everything is going to work out well. The USA will be bigger and better than ever before!” Minutes later, he added: “THIS IS A GREAT TIME TO BUY!!! DJT”...

If investors took Trump’s post as a signal to buy—either his own stock or the stock market more broadly—they would have done extremely well, achieving returns of more than 20 percent.

Schiff and other Democrats noted Wednesday that the market swings created opportunities for corruption.

“These constant gyrations in policy provide dangerous opportunities for insider trading,” Schiff wrote.

“Was it corruption in plain sight?” Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass) asked in a floor speech on Wednesday. “We need an independent investigation into market manipulation because Americans need to know whether President Trump or anyone in his administration manipulated the market to benefit their donors, all while they are working for the American people, and while small businesses and those working families are paying the price.”

Conman in chief (and his friends and family) makes more and more money off the backs of the  american people.

[johanna-swann]

White Collar had Matt Bomer as a conman who investigated all sorts of artsy stuff all over New York, he goes undercover all the time - in museums, at the opera, etc. But not once did they have him go undercover on Broadway.

Opportunity wasted.

I can actually see it in my head. Peter doesn't pay attention to his c.i. for one minute and suddenly Neal is auditioning for some musical. Peter is exasperated / amused by the entire thing, Neal has the time of his life. Elle is extatic.

[alex31624]

What do you see the kids doing in the future?

Great ask.

I feel like Huey belongs in the science field. Working at McDuck Labs, first as an intern, then as a scientist. He would have a PhD. He would eventually become the head of the lab. The Junior Woodchucks are an important part of Huey; I don't see him leaving that part of his life behind. Like Launchpad, Huey would be in charge of the Duckburg troop, guiding the new talents.

Dewey wants to do everything and try everything. He's a singer, an actor, a semi-professional golfer, a professional wrestler, a professional pilot, and an adventurer. He goes where he feels he needs to go.

Part of my headcanon is that Louie paints, and it's an important part of his life. Let's go a little outside the box with him and say he made it his profession. A famous, established, and millionaire painter. Perfect for him. Still, he makes time to run a profitable business, which we'll talk about later.

Webby is an adventurer, you can't take her out of her element. She explores the world and discovers its secrets. Sometimes alone, sometimes with the company of her family and friends. She's also a S.H.U.S.H. field agent.

May works in fashion. She started as Daisy's apprentice, then developed her own style and is now a famous couturier. She also writes, having published a few horror and mystery books. They're not a global phenomenon, but she has a loyal fanbase. Of course, she also joined S.H.U.S.H., but she was later transferred to The Agency, where she conducts even more secret operations. The codename she inherited is Double Duck. Yes, she's her father's successor.

June is a mechanical engineer. She also works at McDuck Labs and sometimes argues with Huey over projects. And while she loves her job, her night shift motivates her even more, as she patrols the streets of Duckburg under the mask of Duck Avenger. That's right, she also inherited an alter ego from her father. Of course, Uno is her faithful ally.

Lena runs a magical creature control and enchantment business. If you're having trouble with harpies, if ghosts are keeping you awake, if you've fallen under a voodoo curse, Lena is the one to call. Her work takes her all over the world, where she also takes the opportunity to help homeless children. No one should have to go through what she went through. The business is run by Louie, and the two are happily married.

Violet is also a scientist, but unlike Huey, she can't do a deskjob. Violet joins Webby and Lena on their expeditions to investigate the secrets of the world, the biology of magical creatures, and other mysteries. She has several published works and won several awards. She is happily married to Huey.

B.O.Y.D. is another scientist, and also works for McDuck Labs. Technically Huey's second-in-command, the two best friends prefer to call themselves co-heads of the lab. Gyro has upgraded his body every year so he can grow alongside his friends. He supports Lena in her quest to improve the living conditions of homeless children. Happily married to May.

Gosalyn is a hero. The vigilante who watches over St. Canard under the mask of Quiverwing Quack. Unlike Darkwing, she has no problem teaming up with another hero, making the duo of Quiverwing Quack and Duck Avenger the most feared by criminals. Her day job is as a professional hockey player, because did we really think Gosalyn would do anything else? They aren't officially married, but she and Dewey might as well be.

Thanks for the ask @conman-17, hope you liked it.

[eugenedebs1920]

Trump is the most dishonest, corrupt, self serving, manipulative president of all time. He is high in the ranking worldwide. What has he done since he got into office? He fired almost 20 inspectors general. He gutted the aviation security agency, TSA, and FAA. He pardoned his shadow white supremest militia. He fired dozens of FBI employees. He’s purged DOJ. He’s allowed a foreign billionaire to hack the Treasury Department, giving access to every Americans personal information and access to the $6 trillion dollars of U.S. taxpayer dollars. He nominated and the Republican senate confirmed, known authoritarian murdereous dictator sympathizer, Tusi Gabbard, a woman who was on a flight watchlist regarding associations with American adversaries, to lead our intelligence agencies.

He’s asking for the resignation of 3,000 CIA agents now, demanding documents from the FBI, on behalf of his involvement in the January 6th 2021, election interference and seditious conspiracy, riot case, that he promoted, organized and led, be turned over, and requesting any agent that worked on the case be fired, mind you this was the largest criminal investigation ever undertaken due to its sheer scale and size, and threat that its impact would have to our representative democratic constitutional republic, that this was the first attempted seizure of the capital since the early 1800’s, who’s primary legal obligation was to make an example for the consequences that occur when one assaults an officer of the law, when one desecrates a federal building, particularly the capital, and when one tries to stop a constitutionally mandated congressional procedure, in an attempt to overturn the election, a case that in one way or another involved hundreds of agents on over a 1,000 separate cases, which accounts for almost 75% of the workforce would have had contact with it. (Wew! That was quite a sentence! 😅)

Less than a month ago if id told you this story it would have been interpreted as the ramblings of a crazed liberal, brainwashed by the vast and all powerful left wing media apparatus that had warped my mind into some Marxist sphere of delusion.

Yet here we are…

You don’t need to be a top notched intelligence expert to see what’s going on. This lunge towards coverup and away from accountability is clearly visible. Why would someone oppose fact checking? Because they want to lie. Why does someone remove individuals tasked with investigating fraud and corruption? Because you wouldn’t want to get caught committing fraud and corruption. Why does someone want to eliminate those tasked with asserting whether you committed crimes or not? If you were innocent wouldn’t you await the day you could clear your name? You do that when you want to hide what your involvement was.

Why would someone violate the Constitution, dissolve essential agencies and fill them with loyalists, take over independent law enforcement agencies with loyalists, and release a shadow military force through pardons? Because they intend to overthrow and usurp an entire country’s constitutional government and claim rule of it as an emperor.

This is a coup.

He’s not a king, he just plays one in TV. Just because he’s a criminal doesn’t mean he can break the law. He’s not a dictator but a clown in a circus of his own making. The executive branch is but one part of a multilayered system. Remember when Biden declared that the equal rights act was “officially the law of the land.”? That was an executive order also and everyone just blew it off as non binding and ceremonial. His EO’s are the exact same thing.

Just a criminal trying to get away with crimes. Just a conman working his con. Just a clown in the circus.

[justmoreocs-writing]

Information Post

As I wasn't really sure what to do for my OCs, I just wanted to know who interested people, I'm going to do some quick updates for the stories people have showed favour for in different ways.

So, without further ado, I'm going to start with my fanfiction story characters that people asked about during my latest exchange, and who did the best in the most recent polls.

As I'm currently trying to focus on a certain amount of stories at any one time, and only one story per fandom, I'm going to try focus on those.

Harry Potter - Stories of Hope: This story has gone through a lot of different drafts and redrafts over the years. Mostly, it's always been a collection of moments, sometimes told in letter form, other times just as random drabbles. Currently, I'm hoping to work on this as a sequential story, with letters for the beginning and end of it. The story itself follows Hope, a Gryffindor in Fred and George's year, and how their lives are at Hogwarts. The story will be third person, following Hope.

Grimm - Unseen Things: None of my Grimm OCs are actually being worked on at the moment, but the first one on my list to look at is Jessica 'Jessie' Becker. She's a friend of Nick's and Grimm who finds his complete lack of understanding kind of funny. She does her best to help him with things, but given how he's always been more of a mentor to her than the other way around, it causes some issues for her to flip that relationship. Like I said, I've written nothing for her, and don't even have a plan, but her story would probably be first person following Jessie.

Constantine - The Conman and The Investigator: This is the next Constantine story I'm going to try working on (the first finished one was Rising Light, which I wrote with fiercefray). All I know about Charlie so far is that she's an old friend of John's who believes none of his stories about the supernatural. She's a descendant of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, but the appeal of the supernatural and psychic and things is something lost in her family. She's a private investigator, and finds herself along for the ride with John one time. Her story would be told in the third person, possibly with some little hints of paperwork that her job would require in chapter titles, or openings.

Stranger Things - A Knife's Edge AND Music and Lyrics: Currently undergoing a planning rewrite so I can actually tell Belle and Mia's stories properly. This was originally focused on series 4, but I realised it didn't feel right to me starting their stories there. I'm hoping to figure out how they fit into things in general so I can write the first series with them before finally making their story for series 4 something I'm really proud of [I've realised, series 4 seems to be a big motivator for me in general; Peaky Blinders did the same]. The story follows both Belle and Mia in the third person, but also Eddie and Robin because of how important they are to the others.

The Librarians - Bedtime Stories: The story follows Bonnie, an old friend of Ezekiel who hasn't actually seen him in a very long time. Her story came about because I was sad the series was over, and I wanted to try my hand at something in that world. I've written a couple of draft chapters for her story, but nothing concrete even though I was happy with them. Some of the tensions she has with the other characters is something I'm really looking forward to exploring. Her story is not a happy one though, which worries me in general. The story would be told in the third person following Bonnie, though it's subject to change.

[scarefox]

current QLs I am enjoying~

Every You, Every me (Thailand) : alternative universes, drama, soulmates, boss x assistant, car mechanic x customer, guitar teacher x students brother, BL actors, falling in love in every universe, humor, struggles, fluff, death, loss, abusive ex partner (not between the mains) See Your Love (Taiwan) : crime, thriller, drama, rich brat x caretaker, mafia business, mute + deaf main, martial arts, hurt / comfort, attempted murder, rich brats assistant x mafia assassin, dysfunctional family, loving family, friendship

Caged Again (Thailand) : mystery, drama, humor, animal to human transformation, boarding school, bullying, shy x feisty, animal trafficing, spirits, swim tournament, school clubs, friend group, nerd x dorky Jack & Joker: U Steal My Heart! (Thailand) : action, humor, debt collector x thief, poverty, (friends to) enemies to lovers, time jump, mafia, dysfunctional family, costuming & cross-dressing, from parents disowned children, heists, betrayal, secret relationships, wound patching, social injustice, martial arts, rich snob x poor thief, child adoption, rich to poor, violence, false friends

Miseinen: Mijukuna Oretachi wa Bukiyo ni Shinkochu / Our Youth (Japan) : high school, nerd x delinquent, abusive parent, secret friendship to lovers, hurt / comfort, opposites attract, wound patching Doku Koi: Doku mo Sugireba Koi to Naru / Love is like a Poison (Japan) : investigation, humor, lawyer x conman, court battles, cohabitation, stern x playful, power couple, blackmail, trauma, abusive parent, talking with succulents (lol), street kids, underground gang, corruption

Petrichor (Thailand) : thriller, mystery, serial killer, forensic investigation, detective x forensic pathologist, crime investigation, enemies to lovers, autopsy, gore, incompetent police, feisty x cold, corruption, lovely siblings, coworker friend group Winter Is Not the Death of Summer but the Birth of Spring (Thailand) : thai prison setting, strangers to lovers, rough environment, prisoner x prisoner, homophobia, sexual harassment, based on a real story, hookups

Love in the Air: Koi no Yokan (Japan) : Love in the Air remake, students, senior x junior, bike racing, auto mechanic, dominant x submissive, friendship, seduction, sexual abuse in the past Bad Guy My Boss (Thailand) : boss x assistant, mutual pining, power couple, possessiv, business life, multiple hookup partner, dubcon, attempted murder, shady business, jealousy, so many HR violations, blackmail, cheating, abusive side couples, spying, scheming, miscommunication, slightly dark romance

recent finished ones I rec to check out:

Affair (Thailand) : childhood friends, rich vs poor, family tragedy, time jump, friends to lovers, possessive, mutual obsession, stalking, rich to poor & poor to rich, abusive ex, divorce, secret relationship, suicide attempts, doctor x musician Let Free the Curse of Taekwondo (S. Korea) : martial arts, strangers to friends, friends to lovers, bullying, unrequired love, abusive parent, time jump, stern x dorky, poor vs rich, hurt / comfort, misunderstandings The On1y One (Taiwan) : enemies to friends, mutual pining, cohabitation, nerd x nerd, power couple, dorm life, exam phases, not blood related soon to be step-siblings, forbidden love, secret love, coming of age, yearning, teacher x teacher side couple, hurt / comfort, unrequired love

4 Minutes (Thailand) : crime investigation, mystery, alternative realities, time jumping, patient x doctor, mafia, shady business, murder, hookups, drug use, corruption, death, violence, criminal x cop, hallucinations, cheating, blackmail, abusive lover (not mains), abusive parent, fixing mistakes Battle of the Writers (Thailand) : romcom, childhood friends, writer x writer, fictional parallel universe, secret relationship, friends to lovers, editor x writer, writer collaboration, BL writing, social commentary, childhood trauma, strangers to lovers Eccentric Romance (S. Korea + Thailand) : mystery, crime, romcom, childhood friends, friends to lovers, mutual pining, murder, bilingual, language students, working out, school club, friend group, investigation

Meet You at the Blossom (China + Thailand + Taiwan) : historical, fantasy, humor, dark romance, magic, rich noble families, playboy, crossdressing, noble son x assassine, fake identity, intrigues, fuck or die, royalty, doctor x servant, betrayal, childhood friends, misunderstandings, hurt / comfort at times, abduction, obsession, jealousy, abuse, imprisonment, torture, illness, implied unrequired cousin crush, abusive parent, dubcon My Damn Business (S. Korea) : office romance, short series, humor, boss x subordinate, misunderstandings, fluff, jealousy, teasing, drinking buddies, BL comic, talk about exes The Hidden Moon (Thailand) : historical & present, ghosts, mystery, horror, unrequired love, death, murder, accident, different era time jumps, ghost x human, time loop, friend group, enemies to lovers, forbidden love, f/f m/m m/f side couples, violence

[shsl-hubris-guy]

I think Hiro and Genocider should've been friends actually. He takes the organs off of her victims; once she's done trussing them up, he just cuts them open by the side and takes what he needs. Most assume that Genocider Syo works alone, but higher up officials and investigators know that this is a duo, not a lone act

They met by chance. Toko had been saving some of her earnings from her novels to get a reading from a clairvoyant said to be the best in the business. It's not like she really believes in that stuff, but hey, she's desperate, and she wants to know if she'll ever find someone to love. It was bad luck he used a little pepper to put on his meal before the reading started.

Hiro wasn't sure what to make of the change at first, but he's not so naive to not recognize the threat before him. Instead, he switches gears, insisting he's also happy to make sure her identity remains secret- for a small fee, of course. Syo doesn't know whether to kill him outright or just laugh, but, well, he's definitely not her type, so she can't just go breaking her own rules. So they get to chatting instead, and find that, hey, they actually sort of get along, in an odd way. It snowballed from there.

Hiro is personally convinced he's doing the right thing. These men are total creeps anyway, going after a young girl in high school, and besides, he needs that money for his retirement fund! It's a little entrepreneurship is all; what's wrong with a side hustle? Syo, meanwhile, is just happy to have someone she doesn't need to pretend to be Toko around. The guy's not the greatest at keeping cover, but he has just the right reputation of 'bumbling conman' for people not to take him too seriously anyways. Together, they slip just under the radar

[ddagent]

"A Bond Tested"

Matching March Day 03

The Guardian [October 7th 2003] The body of a woman who was found in the Thames two days ago has been identified as Russian national Irina Morozova. Enquiries are still ongoing, although the Metropolitan Police have said that they are considering her death as suspicious.

Transcript of interview with Margo Madison and Met Police, October 8th 2003. Present at Margo Madison, CEO of Midnight Aerospace, her solicitor Ellen Waverly, and Detective Sergeant Eric Bradley.

Detective Sergeant Bradley: Ms Madison, thank you for coming in to talk to us today.

Margo Madison: I don't know how much I'll be able to help you.

DSB: I think you'll be more help than you realise. Do you know this woman? For the tape, I am presenting Ms Madison with a photograph.

MM: Her name is Irina Morozova. I met her a few months ago in St. James' Park. We were...friends.

DSB: Were?

MM: Well, she's dead, Detective. At least that's what the newspapers say.

DSB: Of course. And what did your friendship involve?

MM: Normal things. We met up for coffee. She came by the house once or twice. She worked at an auction house; she found me some jazz albums I had wanted to add to my collection. [EW clears her throat] I'm sorry that she's dead. We weren't...close but it was still a shock to hear.

DSB: Let's talk about your husband. Did he know Ms Morozova?

MM: No.

DSB: Are you sure about that?

MM: I am. He was never at the house when she came by. We never went out as a group.

DSB: Are you sure they didn't know each other? They're both Russian nationals.

MM: Russia is a big country, DS Bradley.

DSB: I see. So, you met your husband in '83, correct?

MM: I did.

DSB: Quite the romance. For the tape, I am showing Ms Madison a few headlines from 1983. Forbes, Time. National Enquirer. Margo Madison, CEO of Midnight Aerospace. The Virgin CEO. A little harsh, don't you think?

EW: Is there a point to this? What does this even have to do with Irina Morozova?

MM: I was called a lot of things by my competitors because I didn't want to fuck them, DS Bradley. I didn't take it personally and neither should you.

DSB: Sure. And, Ms Waverly, I'll get to my point very soon. You met your husband in London, right? At a gala, correct? That's you two there?

MM: It is.

DSB: Midnight Aerospace CEO Margo Madison with engineer Sergei Bezukhov. Nice. Only his name isn't Bezukhov. It's Nikulov. But you knew that already.

MM: My husband's name is Sergei Bezukhov. Your information is...incorrect.

DSB: It's not, Ms Madison. Your husband is not an engineer. He's a conman. He was hired by Ms Morozova to seduce you. To steal your fortune and then run off into the night.

EW: Jesus Christ.

MM: [laughs] Do you write fiction, DS Bradley? Because that is one hell of a story.

DSB: I don't. But it is quite a story. A lonely American CEO attends a gala in London and meets a handsome man who says he's an engineer. She hires him and they spend a few years flirting until he proposes. Now, the plan is to get her to sign over all her money. Run off with the cash. Maybe even kill her. But your lawyers are good. And Sergei Nikulov can't get the payout he wants. You married in, what, 1992?

MM: [long pause] Yes.

DSB: At that point you're worth twice as much as you were in 1983. What's a Russian conman to do? He fucks over his partner. Leaves Morozova in the dust. And he takes the stipend you give him in exchange for fucking you on the first of every month—

EW: —I'm sorry, are you insane? Is this bullshit why you dragged my client down here in the middle of the night?

MM: It's fine, Ellen.

EW: No, it's not. My client came here to assist your investigation with what little she knows, not to be insulted and have her sex life speculated upon.

DSB: I intend to do more than speculate on Ms Madison's sex life. I'm even going to go as far as accuse her of murder.

EW: Oh my God.

DSB: You found out, didn't you, Ms Madison? That you'd been married to a con man. Irina told you. Not the first time. Maybe not even the second or third. But she wanted her cut. And you were angry. Angry at being manipulated. Angry at being lied to. Angry at being used. And so you snapped.

MM: I didn't kill Irina Morozova.

DSB: That's not what your husband says.

MM: [laughs] I'm sorry?

DSB: We've got Nikulov next door. He's told us everything. How he lied. How he fucked you for a nice car and a nice watch and an even nicer house. How Irina came to him first and he told her to fuck off. How she came to you and you snapped. [pause] Nikulov sold you out for a reduced sentence on his fraud charges. So you might as well admit it.

MM: [a long pause. the a laugh.] Did you honestly expect that to work?

EW: We are done here. My client will not be answering any further questions. She's made it clear that she had nothing to do with Irina Morozova's death. And if you had anything other than some 80s cop show bullshit, you would be charging her. So, until you do, we'll be leaving.

[Interview terminated at 11:59 pm]

Margo went home, after the police interview. Went back to their house in Greenwich and up to their study, where she looked through their telescope at the Moon and the stars and where Mars should be until she heard the front door open. This was supposed to be a new life for them, in London. New offices, leaving Aleida to run the flagship in Houston. An opportunity for them to start winding down as they thought about retirement. That had been the plan, of course, until Irina Morozova had shared her newspaper with Margo in St. James Park.

"Are you alright?"

Her gaze fell from the telescope as she turned towards her husband. Sergei Nikulov seemed even older than his years as he took his familiar seat on the other side of their study. He shrugged. "They accused me of being a conman. Of whoring myself out to my rich wife. They accused me of planning to kill you. They accused me of actually killing Irina." He sighed. "They said you had told them everything. That you were angry; that you had discovered the truth and wanted me to suffer."

Margo stared at him. "Did you believe it?"

"Not for a moment. If you had wanted to do that, you would not have paid the ransom money all those years ago."

"No. I wouldn't have."

It was the hardest decision she had ever made. Ellen and Molly had argued with her, saying it was ridiculous to fork over that amount of cash to the Russian mob or the KGB or some con artist – to save a man who, admittedly, had been lying to her for the nine years of their acquaintance. But Margo had known three things. Sergei Nikulov loved her. He was brilliant at math. And he was a terrible liar. He had never been a conman. Just a sweet Russian engineer offered a job in America with strings he had never realised were there until they wrapped around his throat and pulled.

"They pulled the same stunt with me. Saying that you'd thrown me under the bus for a reduced sentence."

Sergei shook his head, chuckling darkly. "And you knew, yes? Knew I would never tell them this?"

"I did. I do." Margo smiled at her husband. Her husband of eleven years. It fell, slightly, as she thought of the woman who had tried to ruin that. Who had come into this house having earned Margo's friendship, her trust, and had tried to manipulate them against each other. The lies. The missing items. The cameras. Margo suddenly crossed the room and took Sergei's hand in hers. "But I need you to promise me something, Sergei. If it comes down to it. If the cops get their heads out of their asses and actually find some evidence, you will tell them it was me. Promise?" She squeezed his hand. "Promise me you won't tell them a damn thing about Aleida.

His grip on her hands tightened. "Not a word."

[hedgehogcryptid]

AU where the family insist on bringing Jason's identity back to life thinking that being in the public eye will make it more difficult for him to crime lord. Except every time they do he just very convincingly fakes his death (because fuck them. If they don't actually want him in the family then he's not giving it to them). It gets to the point that the public is convinced something is very wrong with the Waynes, who have tearfully welcomed their dead son/brother back to the living five times in a row. The three leading theories are:

- they're cloning him and the clones eventually kill themselves when they find out

- they're gaslighting/brainwashing body doubles to believe they are a dead guy (who then kill themselves when they remember their actual lives)

- the family falls for it every time a half convincing conman approaches them saying he's the dead kid, and they kill him when they find out the deception, making it look like a suicide to avoid further investigation.