#but—and this is key—he does not want to be a honeypot

[polysyndetonaddictsupportgroup]

Hi! Thank you so much for giving us sea glass gardens i love it sooo much!! I can't wait to get to the absolute insanity of yuuta and co trying their best to do psychological warfare and not actual warfare on the zenin clan before the adults catch wind of their disappearance loll. I wonder when Gojo Shoko and Nanami will realize it's A Bit Too Quiet Around Here, and that's Suspicious. Also your solo leveling analysis is absolutely on point and hilarious and made my day (if youre interested in a show that commits to the horror of ship-of-thesus-ing its protagonist with actual interesting characters, I would recommend To be hero x, a superhero show that bases its power system on belief of the masses which affects the physical appearance and even basic personality aspects as well as powers of the heroes. also gorgeous animation!) Anyway thank you so much for writing!! I'm gonna go reread sgg for the 15th time haha

The kids very casually told Shoko that they were going to step out for a bit and to call them (Yuuta) if anyone (Megumi) needed them (Yuuta). They picked Shoko because she cannot divine delinquency the way Nanami can. She assumed they were getting ice cream or something and has not questioned it since. This is inspired by that time when I was eighteen and my older sister drove me and my younger sister across state lines to illegally gamble (illegal because my younger sister was underage) at a casino. We just told my parents that we were going out for a bit and they, for some reason, assumed that meant we were getting ice cream. Several hours passed before they started to think that we had been gone an awfully long time to be getting ice cream.

Thank you for the recommendation! That sounds fascinating and I’ll absolutely be checking it out.

[forthegothicheroine]

How Other Great Detectives Would Solve the Riddler Murders

A series I do sometimes. This is based on The Batman (2022). I will be assuming that none of these universes have already established superheroes and supervillains unless it's also in that canon.

Sam Vimes: The Watch as a whole might solve the case, but Vimes is going to be in the wrong headspace. Carcer was bad enough as playful serial killers go, but a serial killer who liked Sam Vimes and wanted to be his best buddy? I think that would make Vimes need his own stay in Arkham.

Sam and Peter: This one is my favorite, it works so horribly well! The Riddler, having been a huge fan of American Vandal, addresses his messages to these two teenage goobers (and it is in fact in the form of vandalism.) Selina ends up saving their lives due to secondhand embarassment when she sees them trying to interview Carmine Falcone about whether he was on any Gothamite subreddits. (Oswald Cobblepot was happy to talk to them about it!) It all comes down to whether the pressure of stopping a serial killer causes the boys to bloom or break, and I'd like to hope it would be the former.

Phryne Fisher: I totally get why the Riddler would fixate on and write letters to Phryne, she's a very good person to fixate on and write letters to! (I've often said she's like if Catwoman were Batman.) Phryne sleeps with Selina and gets surprisingly flirtatious with Oswald. Having already taken down a cocaine ring, she knows enough to honeypot her way into the lower floor of the Iceberg, and very narrowly avoids death at the hands of Falcone. She can solve riddles easily enough, though I don't know if she'd put them together in time to stop the flooding of the city. I'll call this success with a similar casualty rate to Batman's.

Sammy Keyes: This one is a real dick move on the Riddler's part. Addressing your serial killer messages to a tween girl who'd been involved in catching other criminals, thus revealing she's living in an apartment illegally and potentially getting her taken away by social services? It's absolutely something he would do to make a broader social point, but still it's a serious dick move. I think Sammy is way out of her depth here but I want her to succeed because I love the idea of subsequent Sammy Keys books having recurring characters that include the one cop slightly sympathetic to her, the junior high mean girl, and the serial killer who sends her cryptic letters from incarceration.

L: I just know that somehow this is going to involve Edward Nasthon, Forensic CPA, being on the team to catch the Riddler and him and L having a vaguely but unconsumatedly homoerotic dance between friend and enemy. I don't think he'd want to kill L, though, since he'd rather have him alive to acknowledge him as the smartest coolest guy ever, so I'll give L the edge here.

Jane Marple: No matter how I twist it, I just can't see a scenario in which the Riddler would send serial killer messages to Miss Marple. Instead, I think Edward Nashton would just meet her at a tea shop, they'd have a friendly conversation about the novel she's reading, and then she'd call up the police and tell them she's found the Riddler.

Columbo: This isn't a great setup for Columbo, since his method of detection is all about catching people in their lies, which is hard to do with a killer who is a nobody and who keeps to the shadows. He would definitely put Falcone away in the course of the investigation, but I don't know if that's enough to stop the grander scheme in play. If he does catch him, though, he would stop the flood because Edward Nashton would be SO vulnerable to casual conversations about hypothetical approaches to crime.

Philip Marlowe: I think Marlowe would kind of work his way backwards here. He'd get deep into the grime of Gotham, end up stopping a plot to flood the city, follow that up by an investigation into the mob and unconsummated sexual tension with Selina, just barely escape getting murdered by Falcone, get hit on the head by Cobblepot and have hallucinations involving penguins with umbrellas, then finally catch Edward Nashton, the petty little nobody who killed people to make himself feel like somebody.

Dale Cooper: This is a good case for Cooper, lots of subplots that lead into other subplots, nothing overtly supernatural but a vague general feeling of curses and doom. He would find deeper meaning in all the coded riddles that pointed to dark truths about the universe, topped off with dreams of cats and penguins doing his taxes. I sure hope the Riddler is willing to wait for all that before flooding the city, because Coop works at his own damn pace.

Hercule Poirot: I can see Poirot fitting in to the art deco Gotham of the animated series, but the modernist urban grime of the 2021 film is viscerally unpleasant to imagine him in. He could solve the riddles and aid the police, certainly, but more than any of the other detectives, my mind is rebelling against my attempts to imagine these people in the same room at the same time.

Sam Spade: Selina Kyle hires him to help get her friend out of a jam at the same time as Cobblepot hires him to get a few murders discreetly solved before the cops get too nosy, and then Falcone tries to have him whacked when he gets too close on both accounts. The Riddler would take him completely by surprise, but I'm having so much fun imagining Edward Nashton looking up at him with big Peter Lorre eyes and babbling about what crime really means that I'll allow him to at least stick around for that. I think he can get out of this still alive, but it would be a close call.

Kinsey Milhone: Why her, she wonders? Sure, she's a detective, but she's hardly a household name. She goes through all her files to see if this could be connected to anything she's ever worked on, and lo and behold, back when she was an insurance fraud investigator, they always worked with a forensic CPA named Edward Nashton. Now, what could have ever become of that guy...

Sherlock Holmes: Sherlock Holmes either immediately solves this or fails utterly, and it all comes down to how quickly you think he could decode things using a computer.

[justinspoliticalcorner]

Olivia Troye at Living It With Olivia:

Elon Musk has officially announced his departure from the Trump administration, stepping down as head of the Department of Government Efficiency, DOGE, in name and irony. The announcement followed closely on the heels of a blistering CBS interview aired earlier this week, where Musk made his disillusionment unmistakably clear: [“I think a bill can be big, or it can be beautiful. I don’t think it could be both.”] He was referring to President Trump’s latest budget bill, a $3.8 trillion deficit driver loaded with pet projects, retaliation slush funds, and performative cuts dressed up as reform. It's the kind of legislation that tells you everything about this administration's priorities: consolidating power, not governing effectively. Let's not romanticize Musk's role. He signed up for this. He knew what he was getting into, or at least he should have. But even he couldn't survive the dysfunction. His exit, after just six months, speaks volumes. Granted, he does have to go legally, given the spot he occupied in the government as a Special Government Employee, but since when does the Trump Administration abide by the law? That to me is the biggest tell. No extension or lies covering up for you, Mr. Musk. The man who redefined electric vehicles and launched rockets into space just got grounded by Trump's Washington. Musk came in promising $2 trillion in government savings. Instead, he claimed $175 billion in government cost-saving initiatives, many of which can't be verified. The rest? Red tape, infighting, and a political environment where facts are inconvenient, and loyalty is currency. He got what he wanted, though, access. His companies benefited from proximity, and he walked away with the keys to more information than most Americans will ever know exists. Databases that were purposely separated to prevent one individual or group from gaining access to all that data at once. Russia also enjoyed a nice piece of it, and I'm not talking about the perfect American honeypot. At one point, Musk’s DOGE team was granted extraordinary access to data inside the Department of Treasury, including internal audits, financial compliance systems, and even elements of IRS enforcement targeting. Where did all that information go? Who has it now? What protections were put in place, if any? Remember this whole fiasco? But hey, if nothing else, in addition to destroying the lives and careers of many public servants, he gave us a government era defined by endless, bizarre references to “Big Balls.” Perhaps that’s the legacy he wanted. Someone should commission a plaque for the U.S. Department of Treasury’s lobby. 

Musk’s departure isn’t just a headline; it’s a symptom. A sign that even billionaires with moonshot visions can't navigate the wreckage Trump has made of governance. Too bad the Trump propaganda machine knew this day would come and has been laying the groundwork for months to ensure that the MAGA crowd doesn’t connect the dots enough to realize that his departure is a red flag. In recent months, Trump-aligned media and surrogates began deliberately distancing themselves from Musk. Once a vocal Musk fan, Steve Bannon dismissed him after Trump reportedly denied Musk access to a classified Pentagon briefing. Conservative outlets started pushing the narrative that Musk was no longer aligned with Trump’s agenda. The point was clear: if Musk walked away, they wanted the base primed to believe it was because he wasn’t loyal enough.

Elon Musk said his goodbyes to the Trump Administration. During his time as a part of it, he helped decimated our country along with TACO Trump.

See Also:

The Guardian: Elon Musk announces exit from US government role after breaking with Trump on tax bill

AP, via HuffPost: Elon Musk Is Leaving The Trump Administration After Criticizing President's 'Big Beautiful Bill'

[seekers-who-are-lovers]

Kazuki’s honey trapping

and Rei’s yearning for a (stray) cat

Just some thoughts on the first episode: Piece of Cake

On the day Rei took a stray cat to his loft and had an all-nighter playing video games was the night Kazuki didn’t go home. Kazuki went on a mission to bed one of the hotel staff members to obtain information about the Varint Hotel where their Christmas Eve assignment was going to happen.

Episode 1, Piece of Cake

Honey trapping, an act “involving the use of romantic or sexual relationships for interpersonal, political (including state espionage), or monetary purpose,” is obviously Kazuki’s turf. What if Kazuki’s expertise on amorous adventures in comparison with Rei’s lack thereof might have triggered the latter’s search for caring a living creature?

“Hey, I want to love, is this true love? Is just wanting to be loved insincere? What should I do?” The opening credits, “Shock!” by Ayase

This might be a long stretch, but could Rei have been heartbroken and jealous whenever Kazuki had to sleep with someone else (again), thereby attempting to replace that loneliness by adopting a cat he found on the street?

Does that mean that the instances where Rei has brought a stray cat at home coincides with him trailing behind (“stalk”) Kazuki whenever he becomes a honeypot or visits the casinos and rents a companion? I’d like to think that Rei does this. And because it is a recurring theme in their household, he didn’t forget to buy cat food this time around.

I assume, Rei snubbed Kazuki’s cooked food and ordered a takeaway instead just to spite him, not because he was a lazy sod. Or it could be a combination of both.

His “couch-crasher” insult might be a commentary on Kazuki’s sleeping around with different people. But not because he crashes at his luxurious loft. That’s why the vitriol after Kazuki took the cat away from him. Resistance is futile. Rei seems to be weak when it comes to Kazuki.

Concerning Rei’s attitude on relationships, he’s probably suppressing his feelings, a trait he’s learned more reinforced growing up in a Mafia family. Moreover, Kazuki keeps on pointing out his allergic reaction to forming any dalliances to anything or anyone due to their dangerous profession, which will soon become nil courtesy of Miri.

In that case, Miri holds the key to make his two “fathers” open up their feelings to each other.

The question is: will they show it or is it going to be implied through a tragedy that will befall the three? A kidnapping? A shooting? The kid will be taken away bc laws?

Apropos: The official website posted this. Too bad, it is canon that Kazuki might have thrown away the cat food. Oh, that is cruel, Kazuki.

[thekatebridgerton]

Ever consider the Bridgertons as a Mafia family AU? Like, the aesthetically pleasing sight of them in all black, Violet going down hall and one by one from oldest to youngest child appear either side of her. Right: Anthony, Colin, Eloise, Gregory. Left: Benedict, Daphne, Francesca, Hyacinth. Just Violet in the centre. Bonus: the spouses are normal people who wanted a normal life… most of them.

Omg yesss. I can see this totally happening.

-Daphne and Simon, with Daphne convincing Simon the very normal investment banker to be her cover/ Alibi anytime she's out playing honeypot for the mafia. Except they do fall in love and Simon joins the family business.

-Anthony and Kate as the typical mobster/ detective enemies to lovers where Kate is always trying to arrest him. But one day she shows up at his place badly injured because he's the only one she trusts not to kill her and Anthony absolutely loses it and goes on a murder spree on whoever hurt his favorite detective. Eventually Anthony and Kate come to a compromise and they open a detective agency together with him as a partner consultant

-Benedict falling inlove with a mystery girl at one of their mafia parties. But also absolutely crushing on Sophie the hard working barista of his favorite coffee shop. Until Araminta tries to sell Sophie to a pimp behind her back and Benedict practically kidnaps her and sets her up to be his mother's maid because there's no way he's letting her go back there. And unless she plans on letting him kill Araminta, she's his now, and he's keeping her. Even if she refuses to be his mistress. but eventually Benedict does give up the mafia to confess his love and have that normal life Sophie wants.

-Colin thinks his sister's best friend is the only thing pure and innocent in his life. Until he follows Penelope to a bdsm club and discovers she's actually into stuff way badder than him. Oh the betrayal, but also, the makeup sex. And friends to lovers passion, joining teams to build their own crime ring

-Eloise went undercover pretending be the cousin of some bothanist dead wife because he was developing a deadly plant excellent for mafia uses. But she got too carried away playing house with this Phillip and his kids. Fell in love And decided to marry him for real behind her family's back. When her 4 mobster brothers tried to kill him Phillip was not amused. But turns out he's a boxer and an excellent shot, so he fits right in with the family business and as long as Eloise doesn't leave him, he's okay with pretty much anything, her family's crimes included. (Years later it's Eloise who takes over for Violet after Anthony goes civilian)

-Francesca tried getting out and married John. But when he was murdered and she discovered that John's cousin Michael is sort of a mobster himself. so he pulls her back into the criminal world while they figure out who murdered John. Michael seduces Francesca, and Francesca seduces Michael. They marry and low key run the Scottish criminal world

-Hyacinth went on a seduction mission to steal Gareth's ancestral family diamonds, but the diamonds were fake and she ended up seduced herself. Teaming up with Gareth to bring down his narc of a father. Hyacinth never actually finds out what Gareth does for a living. Opposing mob Madam Agatha Danbury prefers it that way. Neither ever tells the other that they're 3rd generation mafia kids

-Gregory Fell in love with a popular girl in school and asked her best friend for help. He ends up liking the friend a lot more. After some time hanging out with him Lucy stumbles on Gregory's mob identity and he ends up teaching her all about it. Turns out Lucy is good at this. Because her uncle is a total creep. And she basically learned intimidation tactics at home. Gregory realizes he's inlove and she's inlove with him too. But when her uncle puts her in danger to save himself from charges of national treason. Gregory does everything he can to save her.

Someone plz write this!! Plz 🥺🥺

[heyitssmiller]

Clandestine

It’s here! The Sweater Weather/Coast to Coast Spy AU has officially begun! Thanks to everyone who’s asked questions/thought of ideas/showed excitement for this!! As always, characters belong to the lovely @lumosinlove! And thank you, @donttouchmycarrots​ for proofreading this!

Here’s the Clandestine Masterlist

Chapter One

.

Remus Lupin was being followed.

He hadn’t been out in the field for years now, but some habits would always stick with him. Surreptitiously glancing over his shoulder as he walked down the street towards his flat, listening for falling footsteps or sudden noises, and – most importantly – trusting his gut.

He could feel eyes on the back of his head and knew from experience that he wasn’t just being paranoid.

He took a few seconds to think about it, then grabbed his phone, pretending to be oblivious, and called Potter before slipping his phone back into his pocket and keeping his steps even and casual. Sure enough, his follower tried to take advantage of his supposed slip in focus and grabbed his arm. But Remus knew it was coming and caught the assailant by the forearm, using their forward momentum to pin him to a nearby wall.

“Why are you following me?” Remus demanded, breath clouding in the cool night air before he recognized his attacker. Dark curls, dove-gray eyes, high cheekbones.

Sirius Black, a prominent member of the Snakes, the Slytherin mafia. Sirius Black, who was actively being hunted down by the intelligence agency Remus worked for.

Sirius Black, who wasn’t even trying to fight back or break free. For some unknown reason, he was in Gryffindor - where an entire intelligence agency was trying to take him and the organization he was a part of down - and yet he seemed completely calm. Nonchalant, even. As if this were just a walk in the park on a lazy Sunday afternoon.

Remus narrowed his eyes at Black. “What’s going on?”

Black reached into Remus’ pocket, pulled out his phone, and ended the call to Potter. “Not here. Do you have somewhere quiet we can talk?”

Remus arched an eyebrow. “Yes, but I’ll need to call that guy back. If I don’t he’ll panic and he won’t hesitate to shoot on sight if he thinks I’m in trouble.”

That wasn’t necessarily true, but Black didn’t need to know that.

After quickly calling Potter back and explaining what was going on, he hung up and led the way back to his flat. He knew that was a better option that going back to Gryffindor Intelligence. If he felt like this put him in danger, he could move pretty easily. It’s not like he had many belongings to begin with. Uprooting the agency would be next to impossible.

“If people end up breaking into my house after this, I will hunt you down.”

“Yeah,” Black scoffed, kicking a rock farther down the sidewalk, then kicking it again when he caught up with it. “You’ve done a great job of that so far.”

“And yet you’re here for some reason. That can only mean two possible things.”

Black had to abandon the rock as they took the stairs up to Remus’ flat. “Oh? Do tell.”

“One, this is a crazy scheme to slowly kill off Gryffindor Intelligence one by one and, for whatever reason, you decided to start with me.” Remus fished his keys out of his pocket and unlocked his door. “Or two, which is more likely, you need our help. The only question I have left is why the great Sirius Black is stooping to ask us for help.”

He closed the door behind them and watched as Black took in his surroundings. It wasn’t much: a ratty old couch, a coffee table, warm brown-toned walls, and too many dying potted plants. 

He really needed to remember to water those.

“I ran away from the Snakes and I can help you take them down once and for all.”

Remus blinked at the suddenness of that statement. This… this could change everything. They might actually be able to take the Snakes down, after years of trying and failing. He had so many questions. What changed to make him want to leave? Why now? But none of those seemed to matter at that moment. There was only one question Remus needed to know the answer to immediately.

“What’s in it for you?”

Black shifted on his feet. “My brother…” He sighed, refusing to look at Remus. “He’s still there. And he’s innocent in all this – as innocent as he can be, in a situation like that. I need you to ensure that you can get him out safely before we take them down.”

“I’m sure something can be arranged.” Remus agreed. He knew of Regulus, of course. It was his job, after all. And he didn’t seem as innocent as his older brother was trying to paint him out to be. At the end of the day, though, it didn’t really matter. Letting Regulus go free, guilty or not, would be a small price to pay for taking down one of the biggest mafias in the country. “What’s your plan?”

For the first time Remus had ever seen, Black smiled. “It’s all in the flash drives.”

Remus called Pots and Moody over; this was too much for him to deal with on his own. James he trusted with everything - it didn’t even cross his mind not to call his friend. He was probably dying of curiosity after that phone call, anyways. Remus wouldn’t have been surprised if he was already on his way to Remus’ flat before he got the call. And Moody could sniff out a liar like no one Remus had ever seen. If Black was lying - about any of this - Moody would know.

James opened the door then, making a beeline for Remus and dragging him into the kitchen to talk to him in private. “Alright, Loops?”

“I’m fine.”

Pots relaxed, but only slightly. “So he just... showed up?”

“Tried to grab my arm on the way home.”

“So you brought him back to your flat? I mean, I know you voted for him as the most attractive in Criminal Choice Awards, but come on, Loops.” He said, referencing the game they’d played with the rest of Gryffindor Intelligence over New Year’s while outrageously drunk.

“First of all, we don’t talk about that game. That was a fiasco and should be considered top secret intel. Second of all, what else was I supposed to do? He said he could help us take down the Snakes. I couldn’t just let an opportunity like that pass us by.”

“Ok, fine.” James agreed reluctantly. “We’ll hear him out, but I can’t promise we’ll do anything else.” He then turned to walk back into the living room and glared at the stranger in the room. “Black.”

“Potter.” Black said with a taunting smile. “How’s the kid?”

“Don’t you dare – ”

Moody walked into his flat with his gun already drawn and aimed at Black. Remus sighed. “Is that really necessary?”

“You can never be too vigilant.” He mumbled, not taking his eyes off Black, who just grinned and sent Moody a sarcastic wave.

“If we’re going to get this done,” Remus interrupted, still clutching James’ arm in a firm grip to hold him back. “We need to work together. So stop antagonizing each other and let’s get to work. Black, you mentioned flash drives?”

Black nodded. “Riddle keeps all the information about the Snakes on seven separate flash drives. I could tell you some of the information, but there’s too many groups and people that I don’t have memorized. If you want to catch all the members and informants and organizations under the Snakes’ control, you need those flash drives. As soon as you try to take the Snakes down, they’ll all scatter and you’ll never find them again if you don’t already know who you’re looking for. Do you have coffee? It’s quite late and this is bound to be a long conversation.”

“I don’t drink coffee.” Remus lied, although he could tell Black saw right through him. “Keep talking.”

He sighed dramatically and rolled his eyes, leaning back on the couch to get more comfortable and staring up at the ceiling as he continued in a bored tone, “He keeps the drives in different locations. One he keeps with him at all times. One’s in a safe in his office, and two are with his most-trusted men – Bellatrix and my brother.”

“And yet your brother is innocent?” Remus asked skeptically.

Black glared at him, all sense of nonchalance gone. When he spoke, his voice was deadly. “He’s done more in terms of taking the Snakes down than you have. We’ve been trying to destroy them from the inside for years, but there’s only so much two people can do.”

Remus understood now why people were so afraid of him. That piercing gray gaze was chilling.

“Ok, fine. Where are the rest of the drives?”

Like a flip had been switched, Black reverted back to casual as if nothing had happened. “There’s three in separate safes across the city – one’s in the police station, and two are in safety deposit boxes in different banks. That’s seven.”

James met Remus’ gaze. “Winter? He’s the best at cracking safes.”

Black grimaced. “And there’s our biggest roadblock. The Snakes know who you are.”

“What?”

“All of your active agents, the ones who have tried to take the Snakes down previously, they have files on.”

Moody looked like he was about to have a stroke. Black shrugged. “Their informants are no joke.”

“So what do you expect us to do, if we’ll be recognized as soon as we step foot into the city?” Remus demanded, running a list of their agents through his head and eliminating nearly all of them one by one. 

“Surely you have some agents who haven’t gone up against the Snakes yet.”

Remus blinked. “You’re joking. This is your grand plan? That eliminates about ninety-five percent of our candidates. And those five percent left? Maybe two percent are trained and ready to go out into the field. This is a huge op - we can’t just send anyone.”

“You got a better idea?”

“Hang on,” James said, and Remus groaned. He could see that glint in his eyes. The glint that meant he had an idea brewing.

Nothing good ever came from that glint. 

“We can send O’Hara.”

“See? We already have a candidate!” Black cheered, kicking his feet up onto the coffee table. Remus bristled. “Who’s O’Hara?”

“We recruited him right after he graduated from Harvard last year. He’s got a near perfect memory, and he’s really good with people. He normally does stake outs or reconnaissance and the occasional honeypot.”

“He’d be good for this,” Moody gruffly added. “He can charm the pants off of just about anybody. Makes it easy to get what you want.”

“I think Tremblay would be a good fit, too.” Remus chimed in, thinking it through. They’d work well together. Finn might drive Logan insane, but they’d get the job done. Hopefully. “Bring in some extra muscle just in case things get dicey, which they always do with the Snakes.”

“He hasn’t worked a Snakes mission before?” James asked.

Remus shook his head. “He’s been back and forth between here and Beauxbatons, remember? Since he’s fluent in French.”

“Can he crack open safes?” Black asked impatiently.

“No,” James said, but he was still smiling. “But we know someone who can.”

Remus thought about it for a second, then turned to gape at James when he figured it out. “James, you can’t be serious.”

“Why not? He’s a perfect fit! And the only other person besides Winter who can consistently crack a safe.”

“He’s a kid.”

“He’s not that much younger than O’Hara or Tremblay, and you’re fine with sending them.”

“He’s never even been out in the field before!”

“Winter says he’s almost as good as himself.”

“He’s inexperienced, and he’s going to get himself or one of the others killed.”

“Ok, so then what do you suggest?” James demanded, throwing up his arms in frustration. “Do you know anyone else who could do it?”

Remus stared at him at a loss, much to his chagrin. They’d never had to worry about this before - Winter did all their missions when they needed to break into something. They’d never needed anyone else before.

Now it seemed like their biggest operation to date would be in the hands of a rookie.

After a beat of silence, Moody spoke up. “I agree with Potter. He’s our only option, if the rest of our agents are compromised. We can talk to Winter in the morning, see if he’s ready for this.”

Remus sighed, but didn’t argue.

“I’m sorry,” Black said. “But who are we talking about?”

James grinned. “Nut.”

“That’s his name?”

“Oh my god.” Remus groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose.

***

Leo Knut (it’s pronounced newt, thank you very much) sat at his work station with twelve different locks in front of him, along with his pick, rake, and tension wrench. He took a deep, steadying breath and started his timer before instantly getting his hands on his first lock.

Insert tension wrench. Use the pick to find the binding pin and set it. Set the rest of the pins. Turn the tension wrench and…

The lock clicked open.

Leo quickly set it down and picked the next one up, repeating the same steps and singing along quietly to the song playing on his phone.

“All I want, all I want is you, your violet disposition, my unsound intuit – aaah!” He shouted when someone suddenly sat down on the bench next to him. “Fuck, Winter.”

Kasey raised an eyebrow. “You need to pay more attention to your surroundings when you’re on the job. Also, you’re tone deaf.”

“Thanks.” Leo muttered, reaching over to stop his timer and turn his music off. “Why are you here so early? Aren’t you usually asleep right now?”

“Yeah, but I got a call from Loops.”

Leo, always one to keep his hands busy, began messing with another lock. “You got another job?”

“No,” Kasey said, drawing out the vowel. “But you might.”

Leo laughed. “You’re kidding.” After a few seconds of silence, he looked back up again. Kasey’s face was dead serious. Leo set his lock and tools down. “You’re not kidding. What the hell? What’s the job?”

“You’d be going after the Snakes.”

Normally, Leo appreciated being direct and straightforward. 

This was not one of those times.

“As in the mafia? Those Snakes?”

“Yup.”

“Holy shit.”

“Yup.”

Leo knew of the Snakes, of course. And he knew that Gryffindor had been after them for years, which meant it was a big deal. So why were they putting him on the job and not Winter? He had experience in pickpocketing tourists in the streets of New Orleans and opening locks. He’d only started cracking safes under Winter’s instructions eight months ago. Why him?

“Is Loops insane? This would be my first job!”

“It was technically Pots’ idea.”

“Oh. Well, that makes a lot more sense.”

“Nut – ”

“That’s not my name – ”

“This is big for a first job.”

Leo fiddled with another lock, listening to the soothingly repetitive sound of pins setting. It was familiar, solid ground.

This, though, would be uncharted territory.

“I know.” He said anyways, trying to settle his nerves. 

“You think you’re ready for it?”

Leo looked down, collecting his thoughts before speaking. “I’ve got to prove myself somehow, right? What better way to do that than by taking down one of the biggest gangs in the country?”

Kasey laughed. “You’re crazy.”

“I’m from Louisiana – it’s in our blood.”

“Okay, you crazy Cajun. You’ve got your first debriefing at 10:30. Please don’t be late your first day on the job.”

“Who am I working with?” Leo asked, tilting his head. “I mean, I’ve got to have partners, right?”

Kasey just smiled. “Trust me, Nut. You’re going to love them.”

***

Logan and Loops were the only ones in the briefing room so far.

And it was awkward. 

Obviously Logan knew who he was – everyone knew his story – but they weren’t talking. The briefing room with the almost-hilariously large table was completely silent besides the occasional rustling of paper or the sound of the air conditioning turning on again. Logan couldn’t remember ever talking to the handler before. Maybe briefly, at that disastrous New Year’s party.

God, that party.

Logan steadfastly refused to think of the New Year’s party.

That is, until a familiar face walked through the door.

The redhead looked up, doe-eyes widening as he recognized Logan. “It’s you!”

Fuck, he was even more attractive now that Logan was sober.

Logan forcefully pushed aside hazy memories of laughing too loud at a story the redhead was telling, cuddled up on the couch with red solo cups in their hands and an almost-kiss as the clock struck midnight that Logan had wanted more than anything. He smiled faintly instead. “It’s you!”

The agent sat down excitedly next to Logan, eager eyes peering out at him from behind tortoiseshell glasses. “How’ve you been? Guess we’re partners now, huh?”

“Guess so.” He said faintly, the word fuck rattling around in his brain on an endless loop.

“I don’t think I caught your name at the party.”

“Oh. Logan. Logan Tremblay.”

“Finn O’Hara.” He replied, holding a hand out for Logan to shake. He then looked over to Loops. “We’ve still got a few more coming, right?”

He nodded reluctantly. “Unless one of you knows how to crack a safe, by any chance.”

Logan snorted, then shook his head. He wasn’t good at small, delicate things like that. Bashing heads in and upper cuts, though... “Nope.” He said simply, leaving it at that.

“Absolutely not.” Finn agreed.

Loops sighed. “That’s what I – ”

The door slowly opened to reveal a tall, blond boy with messy hair and cornflower blue eyes. He looked at the three of them, seeming a little nervous. “Uh, hey. I’m Leo – is this the right room?” He asked in a softly-accented voice.

“Yeah, come on in.” Loops said, which made Leo smile and –

Dimples.

Logan quickly shifted his focus back to Loops as he began to talk again. “Knut, meet O’Hara and Tremblay. They’re your partners for this mission. We have one more person coming before we can get started,” He glanced down at his watch. “But apparently he’s running late.”

“Oh, Lupin, you almost sound concerned.”

Logan’s head shot up at the voice. Sirius Black strode through the door, giving Loops a flirty wink before looking at the three of them. He grinned. “So which one if you is unfortunate enough to have the last name Nut?”

Leo sighed, while the other two fought to keep their laughter at bay. “It’s pronounced newt.”

“Not anymore. You can’t expect people to pass up a nickname like that, kid.”

“Please don’t call me that.”

“What? Nut or kid?”

“Both.”

Black just grinned again. “Not a chance.”

“Are you done harassing our operatives, Black?”

“Why? Are you feeling left out?”

Loops glared at him, but his cheeks turned slightly pink. “Why don’t you start debriefing them instead.” It wasn’t a suggestion.

“Buzzkill.” He muttered, but threw himself into one of the chairs. “You might want to write this down – I’m only saying it once and I don’t have any of it in files or anything.”

Logan couldn’t decide whether he should be impressed or repulsed by the lack of professionalism. He looked over at Nut, who was already waiting with a pen and notepad, clicking his pen repeatedly. Logan gritted his teeth and tried to tune out the noise. O’Hara was just sitting back in his chair, content to listen apparently. Logan settled for somewhere in the middle and grabbed one piece of paper and a pencil.

“Alright, here’s the deal. I’m sure you know who I am: Sirius Black, ex-member of the Snakes, blah blah blah. You get it. Well, I’m here to help you take the Snakes down. All the evidence we need of importing drugs, trafficking, laundering, bribery, blackmail – Christ, this list is long. You get the picture. Everything illegal they’ve done, the evidence is on seven flash drives. We need you to get all seven and get my brother out safely before we can officially take them down. Easy enough, right?”

“This is going to be a long op,” Loops cut in, making meaningful eye contact with the three of them. “I’m talking weeks to months here. We’ve got a lot of intel we still need, a lot of planning to do. And it’s not going to be easy. If you don’t feel like you’re up for the task, speak up now.”

Logan sent a surreptitious glance at his new partners. O’Hara looked excited at the prospect of a mission like this. Nut still looked nervous, but his eyes were determined, focused.

They all stayed silent.

“Perfect. Then let’s get started.”

[traitorousheroes]

Taboo (Comedian!Will AU)

(This is a snippet of something that I may or may not ever finish. Season 3 AU after Hannibal turns himself in.)

“And we’re back with Will Graham, who’s new comedy special, Signs of Anxiety, is now streaming on Netflix. Will, great to see you.”

“Thanks for having me on, Conan.”

“Now, you’ve had a meteoric rise in the comedy world. You started about a year ago in Baltimore, right?”

“Yeah, it’s been a really wild ride. Definitely not the way that I saw my life going.”

“You used to work with the F.B.I., didn’t you?”

“Like I said, not what I imagined my life to be.”

Will shifted on his bed, trying in vain to get comfortable. After a few minutes he sat up, leaning against the wall and window frame behind him, and stared at the chair next to him. It had been over two months since Hannibal had sat in it. There was a faint coating of dust, slightly less in the places where he had been, but just enough to leave an impression of him.

The cold of the windowpane seeped into the back of his skull, a counterpoint to the still healing stitches that tugged on his forehead. According to the doctor he had seen the laceration was healing well. She had complimented whoever had done the stitches. Will hadn’t had the heart to tell her that the one who had been carving into his skull had been the one to fix him up. Granted, Hannibal had undone the ones that Cordell had made, but Will figured it was just another sign of his possessiveness.

“Not going to think of me?”

Will let out a deep sigh, opening his eyes to see Hannibal sitting on the chair. The doctor looked much the same as he had the last time Will had seen him. There was a hint of a smile around Hannibal’s lips, which he found himself mimicking.

“I knew it was a lie,” Will told him. “You didn’t.”

“And here again you stand victorious.”

“I don’t feel victorious.”

Hannibal tilted his head to the side, considering him. “What do you feel?”

“I don’t know,” he said. “I thought it would feel better.”

“You have court in the morning, do you not? Will you see me there?”

“No. Not tomorrow, at least. Maybe at the actual trial, if the lawyers don’t decide that I’m a terrible witness.”

“A witness to your own manipulations. I can see how the prosecutor would like that.”

“I won’t be one of your victims,” Will said. “If I’m lucky they’ll both decide that I’m too compromised to be of use.”

“Compromised?” Hannibal asked.

“I know you as well as I know myself,” Will admitted. “The prosecution won’t use me because your defense would use the fact that I was a honeypot to discredit me. The defense won’t use me because you won’t let them.”

“I won’t.”

“Zero sum. We’ve made sure that I’m off the board.”

“Then what will you do? You’re free.”

“Am I?” Will asked him. “You said I was in your memory palace, victorious. And yet here you are.”

“Victorious,” Hannibal replied with a smile. “You know where I am, just as you wanted.”

“Just as you wanted.”

The words came out biting, but Hannibal only smiled. Will sighed, looking over at the clock. The neon green lights blinked out that it was only ten p.m., far too early for him to even think of going to sleep. Sleep was a fickle friend these days, but one that he had hoped would quell the thoughts that raced through his head.

Will swung his legs over the side of his bed, standing up and walking past the empty chair to his kitchen. Buster looked up from his dog bed, toddling up and rubbing against his leg as he flipped on the light. The smile on Will’s face felt a little more genuine as he reached down and gave him a pat. There was a bottle of whiskey on the counter, almost gone, which Will looked at with a grimace.

In a snap decision, Will walked over to his dresser and pulled out a pair of jeans and a dark henley. Grabbing his coat, Will stuffed his wallet and keys into a pocket before putting on a pair of boots. A few more of his dogs looked up, but he let out a sharp hiss that made them lay back down. Closing the door and locking it behind him, Will walked over to his station wagon. It took the better part of an hour to drive to Baltimore, and a little over twenty minutes to find a bar that was open on a Tuesday night. Parking his car, Will made his way to it, paying the cover charge before going and finding a seat at the bar.

There was a pretty generous crowd, though most of them seemed to be focused on the stage where someone was performing standup. Will paid the man half an ear as he ordered a neat whiskey. It was nice background noise, the laughter of the crowd polite as he landed a joke. Before long the comedian finished his set, ceding the stage to the next performer. Will felt a bit bad as he started his set, the man clearly nervous and unsure.

“You know, you’re the only guy with his back to the stage.”

Will glanced at the man who had taken the seat next to him out of the corner of his eye. He shrugged, wincing slightly as the joke the new performer made fell flat. The man next to him waved to the bartender, who apparently was familiar enough with him to place a drink down with no need of an order.

“Raymond Kirk,” the man introduced himself.

“Graham,” Will said, not willing to bet on the man not recognizing his full name.

“Not a fan of comedy?”

“Needed to get out of my house. This was the first place I saw. Your set was good.”

“You were paying attention.”

“It’s better than listening to canned music over a stereo system.”

“You wound me.”

Will glanced at him again, his mind automatically placing the most damage that he could do. Raymond wasn’t stocky, but a strike to his midsection would wind him, bend him double as he tried to gasp for air. It would be easy enough to throw his head against the wood of the bar, denting the skull hard enough that he would never wake up. Or perhaps grabbing him around the neck, putting enough pressure on his throat for him to go limp before snapping it.

“If I wanted to do that, you’d know it,” Will told him, shaking off the thoughts. “You aren’t from around here, are you?”

Raymond laughed. “That obvious?”

“Not to most people,” Will said with a shrug. “What brings you to Baltimore?’

“I’m on tour,” Raymond said. “I thought it’d be nice to try out a few new jokes at some open mics while I’m out.”

“Sounds nice.”

“It’s not too bad. So, you don’t do anything with comedy?”

“Never had the chance,” Will said, lightly tapping his temple with his knuckle. “My job doesn’t really intersect with it.”

Unless he considered the puns and jokes that Hannibal had made. Which he tried not to.

“Never watched a special on Netflix or anything?”

“I don’t really have time for it.” Will thought for a moment. “I didn’t have time for it.”

“Well, it's never too late to try something new,” Raymond said. Will looked askance at him. “You go up and give it a try, and I’ll get you tickets to my show.”

“I don’t have a set.”

“You look like someone who does well under pressure,” he replied. “I know the guy who’s running this tonight. If I give you twenty minutes for a five minute set, you think you can do it?”

Will looked at him, meeting his eyes for a split instant. Raymond was open and honest, moreso than anyone else he had been around in a year... aside from Hannibal. For a moment it threw him, and Will looked back down at his glass. Even so, he hesitated for a moment, before downing his drink.

“Add another drink to that bet and I’ll do it,” Will said.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“So, most comedians tell stories about how they bombed their first set,” Ellen said. “I know I have. What was your first experience in comedy like?”

“Probably a bit different than most people,” Will said, crossing his legs. “I had just walked into a bar looking for a drink, and then somebody -”

“Raymond Kirk,”

“Raymond, yeah,” Will said, a fond smile crossing his face. “Comes up to me and dares me to go up on stage. He told me later that he originally thought it would be a laugh and that he would give me tickets to his show as recompense.”

“But you surprised him.”

“I think I surprised everyone that was there. Certainly I surprised myself.”

“And it’s true that the set eventually became part of your special?”

“Yeah, actually. People really seem to like it when you talk about how fu-” Will caught himself, sharing a chuckle with Ellen. “How screwed up the human brain can be.”

“And you’re something of an expert on that.”

“In more ways than one. I never thought my college degree would be used for comedy.”

“You have a Master’s in Forensic Science?”

“Yes. I was a cop for ten years, and I taught at the F.B.I. Academy at Quantico about criminal profiling based on forensic evidence.”

“Definitely not what most people think when they think of a comedian. Now your special deals with mental health, specifically troubles that you yourself have had. Do you find it hard to be so open about it?”

[touchmycoat]

HC/LQG!Anon: Oh man, LQG has got zero game, You can't tell him he's running a honeypot. HC just dresses him and tells him to stand there and cross your arms, flex a bit. Ok, pick up that book in the low shelf. Reach up and get that red book. Slowly stroke your finger along the binding; now loosen that tie. Sit down and sprawl, spread your legs a bit, perfect. And the mark has been completely distracted - drooling - and SQQ/LBH are in the background stealing EVERYTHING. (contd 1/3)

HX/LQG cont: But if you tell him he's running the honeypot he's lost. HX hates using LBH for honeypots because after that he has to listen to an hour of LBH crying and clinging to SQQ for having betrayed his love. I also love that LQG doesn't look like a hitter - he goes into a room with the hard guys and they're all like who's the 小白臉 except for the ones who recognize him who are sneaking out the back hoping he doesn't see them. 2 minutes later he's the only one standing. (2/3)

HX/LQG (3/3): Tara!HC???? PERFECTION. Ahhh - red/black camaraderie? More like Torment LQG squad. Caterpillars!!! I giggled so much. I think there also has to be a honeypot where LQG is floundering and HX comes in to - ahem - put on a show so that the mark will get jealous and/or want a threesome ;P AHHHHH - this AU is so fun - I love the idea that kids gravitate to LQG. He's got a grumpy face, but they know who will be first to defend them.

--

I'M LAUGHING SO HARD AT THE THOUGHT god, so LBH's the first one to clearly state: "the way you can tell if LQG likes you is to give him a direct order for a simple physical action, like 'turn left' or 'duck' or 'put your hands above your head.' All verbal questions aside, if he follows your order, he likes you."

Obviously, the reason LBH knows this is bc he sees LQG doing this with SQQ and aggressively not doing it with LBH. But that also means LBH sees right through him when LQG starts doing it with HX. LBH's goal-oriented as fuck, and is the number one xuange shipper bc if LQG's getting it on with HX, then great! No more pesky best friend nonsense for Shizun! So LBH starts setting up these little demonstrations of LQG's affections—when he or HC tell LQG to do anything, LQG aggressively refuses on principle. When SQQ or HX say jump, LQG says how high.

But HX's defense against that is to flat out tell LQG. LQG gets flustered ofc, but it kind of turns out...he can't help it??? He says it's just a job loyalty thing but honestly it's more like an Ella Enchanted situation where even if he tries really really really hard not to, if HX says "get that file for me" he'll angrily stalk across the room, fling the file at HX, and throw himself out the window. And at this point, it's more embarrassing for LQG than it is for HX so HX is not above using it for honeypot missions. He plays LQG like a twister board while, yup, bingqiu steal everything in the background.

jlnkjnSDKJFJSANFL LBH YOU RIDICULOUS LITTLE MAN. The first time he seduced a mark he was absolutely terrific, but hunched in a corner back at the bar and hissed whenever HX got too close. "I feel dirty," he hiccuped, burying his face into the back of Shen Qingqiu's outstretched hand. "I feel used. I'm sorry Shizun, I would never ever ever—"

"Yes yes I know Binghe. You'd never betray me. That's fine."

小白臉柳大哥！！！！Give us that classic Eliot scene where he walks into a warehouse full of rugged large men, the one in charge has their boss on the line, who's warning them that HX sent somebody. The guy's like "pft, don't worry boss, the only person here's this little pretty boy. What brings you to the bad part of town, sweetheart? If you're looking for the hair salon that's two blocks over." and while everyone's cackling, LQG's glaring them down and silently shutting all the doors and windows. "Oooh you sure you wanna do that? Aren't you gonna be scared of the dark?" "Wait wait, hair? Good-looking guy?" "Yeah boss, dipshit's out here with a ponytail—" "Ponytail? And a beauty mark under his left eye?" "Uh, yeah?" "You fucking idiot—RUN! THAT'S LIU—" wham bam thank you ma'am everybody's down for the count.

YEAH OH MY GOD WAIT. LQG gets stuck distracting a mark again, LBH does the lift, SQQ copies the key code and HC uses the hidden folders to apply pressure on the corrupt CEO, etc.etc. So now they can pull back, except the mark won't leave LQG alone. LQG is as unpleasant as he knows how to be, but the mark is convinced they're good to go, so HX has to step in and play the dangerous and possessive ex. And when HX slams LQG into the bar (HC drawling in their ears "I don't know what instructions you want me to give him here, Black Water, I assume he's already letting you do whatever you want to him"), the mark is meant to find this to be too much trouble and run, except he just kind of...licks his lips. Oops.

also i plotted out the entire First David and Second David jobs for this AU, goddammit. it works almost stupidly well.

[sserpente]

Cool me down | Loki Summer Series Part I Imagine Tony Stark invites you all to spend a relaxing week in Greece. You insist that Loki joins you and after some agitated convincing on your behalf, he does. Sounds like a promising vacation, no?

A/N: Wow! Throughout several parts, this Imagine will literally combine six requests from four anons, @reebgirl13 and @thatcrazyfangirl100 and eleven of my own ideas. Enjoy, everyone!

Words: 2181 Warnings: aerophobia

“Who’s ready for a week in Greece?!”

“Wait, what?” Smiling, you looked up from your book and watched Tony Stark, aka the owner and billionaire of this massive building you were allowed to live in, dramatically enter the room with a sly smirk on his face.

The rest of the present Avengers, all of them occupied with their favourite activities, which included Captain America reading the newspaper, Natasha and Bruce sipping coffee and Thor abusing Tony’s X-Box, mimicked your reaction.

“Spontaneous vacation trip. You know. Summer, sun, sex on the beach…” He trailed off, wriggling his eyebrows. It sounded wonderful. The heat was killing you, a luxurious bathtub filled with cold water barely replacing a refreshing pool or the vast sea.

Tony often surprised you with pricey last-minute gifts. Obviously, with the amount of money on his bank account, a week in Greece was barely worth mentioning.

“That sounds amazing, Tony.”

But what sounded even more amazing was that you would get to introduce Loki to a typical Midgardian vacation. Unbeknownst to him, you had taken quite a liking into him. A mischievous god from outer space, outrageously handsome with a dominant villain complex… it all drew you to him like bees round a honeypot and now that he had changed for the better, healed a little and decided to help Thor save the world from Thanos… you had hopelessly fallen in love with him.

“When are we leaving?” Natasha asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Tonight. My jet will be ready in a few hours.”

Which meant you had to start packing right away and tell FRIDAY to order some sunscreen. What protective factor did Frost Giants need anyway?

“Alright. We can manage. Thank you, Tony. I’ll go and tell Loki.” You announced, putting your book down to stand up and making an effort to leave the room.

“Sorry, kid.” Tony replied unnerved. “I’ve only booked five suites.” That’s right. Clint was staying home with his family and with Bruce and Natasha sharing a suite, there were four left for Steve, you, Thor and Tony himself. His ice cold tone drove daggers straight through your heart. He had purposely excluded him then.

“What do you expect him to do, stay here and sulk away in your library?” It wasn’t like the God of Mischief had been doing just that the entire time already; leaving him behind like this, however, felt incredibly wrong. Had he not suffered enough? The Avengers had all promised to Thor to give Loki a chance. It certainly did not feel like that right now.

“Suites, you say? There’s still enough space then. Loki can stay with me.”

“(Y/N), no. I don’t want to spend my vacation with a would-be god with a ruling complex. Reindeer Games stays here where FRIDAY can keep an eye on him, period.”

“Stark, why not?” Thor tossed in, finally pausing his wrestling game. Had he… actually named his character Thor the Thunderer? “Loki has changed for the better, I don’t see why my brother shouldn’t join us.”

“Maybe it’s because he tried to kill each and every one of us at least once?” Natasha responded unsolicited. You rolled your eyes.

“If Loki is not coming, I’m not coming.” You stated, crossing your arms.

“Why are you defending him?” Steve had finally abandoned the newspaper on the counter and now faced you sternly like he did when he gave orders on a mission. He made you shrug defiantly. Frankly, you were not going to tell them you were crushing on the mischievous Trickster. Hell, not even Loki himself knew about that.

Tony faked gagging. “Fine. Take him. But he’s yours—and Thor’s—responsibility. Something happens, he’s acting funny or misbehaves, I’ll send him straight back and lock him in a cell.” Because that worked out so well the first time you did it, you thought. Or the second time.

Rolling your eyes once more, you nodded and finally left the room, seeking out Loki in the billionaire’s library. He looked like a statue as he sat there on the windowsill, raven hair hanging into his face and blue eyes focused on the many letters in his book. A silent sigh escaped your lips.

“Loki?”

He looked up in an instant. Surely, he must have noticed your presence already but you often came here to read in peace as well, he did not expect you to come in because of him. He frowned in a surprised manner.

“Yes?”

“Tony is taking us on a trip to Greece for a week.”

The Trickster lightly shook his head, raising his eyebrows and pouting a little as he said— “Well, have fun then.”

“Oh but you’re invited too.”

Now, you had really confused him. Loki shut the book he had been reading, his entire godly body turning towards you. You gasped inaudibly—you hoped.

“Is that true?” He asked mockingly, a barely visible but irresistible smirk playing on his thin lips.

“Of course! It’ll be fun?” You offered friendlily. But this time it was Loki who rolled his eyes.

“No. I do not like the heat, besides, I would much rather spend my time here, surrounded by books instead of these self-proclaimed superheroes.”

“Your brother is one of them.” You shot back, shaking your head irritated. “Please, Loki. Come with me. We can swim in the sea, eat ice cream, jet-ski… please?”

The God of Mischief took a deep breath. Blue eyes boring intently into yours, he seemed to consider for a moment. “No.” He concluded disgusted. But you were not going to give up just yet.

Grinning to yourself, you approached him and unceremoniously sank down on his lap to wrap your arms around his neck, enjoying how his soft hair felt against your forearms. He did not complain.

Loki had grown quite used to your hugs after a while. You loved being affectionate when it came to him, knowing that he could use the occasional cuddle, for you insisted that even if he did not show or pretended not to be fond of it—he rather liked the closeness.

“Are you trying to manipulate me?” He teased, fighting back another smirk.

“Maybe? Is it working?”

Loki chuckled darkly, the sound sending pleasant shivers up and down your spine and then, straight between your legs. You shifted inconspicuously.

“No.” He was going to say something else. You knew when he sighed. “I’ll come. Just this once.”

Squealing, you hugged him even tighter.

A couple of hours later, with your suitcases packed and your sunscreen (and a brand-new pair of sunglasses because you could not resist) at the ready, you found yourself in Tony Stark’s private jet and sank down on the soft leather seat next to Loki, immediately fastening your seatbelt even though the engine wasn’t even on yet.

Yes. This was one disadvantage of travelling—aerophobia. Taking a shaking breath, you dug your nails into the leather and closed your eyes for a bit to calm down. Fortunately, you usually didn’t get sick but the fear was always there.

“Are you alright?” Loki asked quietly. So quiet in fact, that none of the other boarding Avengers were able to hear it. You flinched when the engine hummed to life and started rolling along the landing strip to take off.

“Yeah, I’m okay. Just… a little fear of flying… or much rather, of crashing and bursting asunder into a million pieces.” You admitted. You never realised you had grabbed Loki’s arm for support—his dark leather armour replaced with light green clothing revealing his pale forearms—and holding on to him for dear life.

His smile was genuine, warming your heart as he did not pull away and instead, put his hand on yours. His touch cooled you down and heated you up at the very same time. Your heart jumped. Well… that way, twelve hours would pass in no time.

And fortunately, they did. You fell asleep quickly to wake up in Santorin, Greece. The spot Tony had chosen was isolated from the many tourists destroying the peace. The sea was blue, the typically Greek buildings hovering into a cloudless sky and when you landed, the hotel was beyond anything you had expected from the billionaire. High ceilings, ornamented with golden paintings and decorated with chandeliers, ancient carpets and a smoothly polished marble floor…

The receptionist handed you all your keys—heavy golden metal pieces with a beautiful pendant. You turned to Loki when you received yours.

“We share a room, if that’s alright?” You began, realising now you had not yet told him you were going to be staying in the same suite. “They didn’t have any more suites.” You lied, adding a silent Actually, Tony wanted you to stay home but I queered his pitch.

“I shall promise not to stab you in your sleep.” Loki mocked jokingly, making you grin and blush at the very same time. Perhaps you could already consider him a friend. He never joked around like this with anyone else, expect for Thor maybe. It almost seemed like he knew something you had not quite figured out yet.

So, as soon as you had dropped your hand luggage and admired the luxurious suite as well as the view from your balcony, you got changed into more comfortable clothes. Given it was around six pm in Santorin already, you could barely wait to browse the streets and markets—and to take Loki with you, of course.

“Are you ready?” You asked excitedly, finding Loki leaning against the balustrade of the balcony, blue eyes fixed on the sea. Honestly, the colour of his eyes was more beautiful than the Med.

The God of Mischief frowned. “Where do you want to go?”

“Out. Exploring a little.” You shrugged. “Maybe we’ll find a nice restaurant.” You had taken some money with you, of course and you were ready to spend it on some delicious local food. Joyfully, you smiled when Loki nodded.

Five minutes later and without telling Stark where you both had gone, Loki and you were strolling down a small market offering food, toys for children, souvenirs and jewellery. You resisted the urge to reach for his hand and hold it, unsure of how the Trickster would react if you did. You had the entire week to get closer to him, after all.

Then, you nearly collided with his broad back when he suddenly stopped to admire some pieces of jewellery in a glass cabinet. There were diamonds in all colours of the rainbow, decorative golden and silver rings, earrings, necklaces and bracelets. One of them shone out in particular—it was a golden necklace, twenty carat, and equipped with a beautiful green diamond. Was it an emerald?

Your fascinated gaze instantly caught the beautiful piece of jewellery. It reminded you of him. Loki chuckled when he noticed.

“Would you like to have it?” He asked, ignoring how the seller of the jewellery stand joined you both with a mumbled Kalispéra.

Shocked, you looked up. “Oh, no, no. It’s beyond beautiful but that’s way too expensive for my budget.”

Loki smirked. A green shimmering of light coated his hand for just the fraction of a second and then, suddenly, he was holding a very thick bundle of banknotes. The seller’s eyes widened but so did yours.

“Wait, where is this money from?”

The God of Mischief shrugged. “I took it from Stark’s wallet.” Your jaw dropped. Perhaps you should be mad at him for stealing from the billionaire, yet on the other hand it posed the perfect payback for him refusing to take Loki to Greece. You giggled.

“Consider it a gift. You were the only one who wanted me to join this vacation, were you not?” You sighed. He was perceptive beyond your comprehension. So this was what he had known this entire time. Smiling and fighting back tears of affection, you nodded and bit your lower lip as you watched Loki point at the golden necklace for the seller to take it out of the cabinet. He handed to him, named the price (a price that made you gulp) and Loki paid him with scrutinising eyes, with you realising then his magic had not only conjured money but also the correct currency.

As soon as the seller had left again, the God of Mischief smirked. “Turn around.” He demanded softly. You obliged, goose bumps spreading on your skin when he brushed your hair to the side, fingers ghosting over your sensitive neck. Painfully slow, he put it on you.

You looked down. It looked absolutely breath-taking. “Thank you, Loki.” You whispered, feeling the cool gold caressing your skin as you reached for it to feel it with your fingers. Wearing his colours now, you felt like he had just claimed you to be his. You wished, desperately, that it were true.

“Let us go down to the beach for a bit.” He suggested then. You nodded. This time you did not hesitate to simply hold his hand. Loki did not pull away. This week was going to be amazing.

Part II can be found on my masterlist!

 If you like this story, would you care to support me a little by buying me a cuppa? I would appreciate it so much! ko-fi.com/sserpente

[agallimaufryofoddments]

What's up! Hope you're doing great today. I wanted to let you know that I'm a big fan of your fanfiction, The Honeypot Affair being my absolute favorite, I love Maiza and you do a wonderful job at writing him. Everything feels very in-character. Under the Ceddar Tree also tore at my heartstrings quite a bit! Plus, Speak of The Devil made so much sense to me, I feel like this most definitely would happen in 1935. Fermet (as much as I despise him) might be a key for Isaac and Miria's development.+

(Context for those who haven’t heard of/read Speak of the Devil: it’s a one-shot I wrote in which Fermet “takes an interest” in Miria, set during the 1935 arc.)

Thank you for letting me know, anon; I deeply appreciate it!

I guess I’d better put the response under the cut, since this will involve some 1935 arc musings and I’m not sure how long it’ll end up being.

Edit: Also 2003 musings.

And boy, if Fermet preying on one or both of them is what it takes for us to get I&M backstory in full… yep, I’ll take it. (sorry but I just gotta know). He does find it interesting that I&M might attend the party at Ra’s Lance in 1935-C, but I’m not sure whether that means we may get to see him interacting with them more in 1935-E…

I wonder. In 2002, Huey advises Fermet that deliberately excluding I&M (if Fermet deliberately excluded them) from his 2002 plans was a critical error; in doing so, Huey remarks that not factoring in I&M/not allying with them is what ultimately caused his own 1935 plans to fail. Which leaves me questioning what Fermet personally thought of I&M’s actions during 1935-E (whatever those may be, and assuming he actually knows to some extent what they did)…

…that is, if he: A) didn’t actually consider their role in 1935 a critically important one, or B) that he did and that’s in fact why he (potentially) deliberately excluded them from 2002 in the first place. In other words, he might have come away from 1935 concluding it would be better not to involve I&M in his plans (viewing them as inherently risky)–but he didn’t realize that “excluding them” is just as likely to cause problems as is “leaving them to their own devices.”

Either way suggests to me that he won’t have much opportunity to interact with them further in 1935-E, which…one might expect if he’s not planning on attending the party in person (but also: boo, I want it). He hasn’t interacted with them much as of 1935-D, for that matter, so it’s hard to say how much time he’d have to get to know them, by which I mean “scuttle under their skin and figure out if there’s anything lurking there he can use.”

If we don’t get any I&M backstory out of 1935 then 2003 is our last shot at backstory from the main series, so…fingers crossed there. It sounds like a long last shot, I know, but hey–Isaac and Miria didn’t realize they were immortal until 2001, so maybe that in itself is an opportunity for their backstories to belatedly catch up with them.

And maybe Fermet could still be involved in that. See, there’s something on my mind I haven’t mentioned yet, and that’s how we’ve seen more than one character compare Isaac and Miria to Elmer. You know, the guy who Fermet loathes and is physically + mentally repulsed by.

I can’t help but notice that Fermet hasn’t made that connection yet…and I can’t help but think it’s more a matter of when he does, not if. 

Well, I’m a bit surprised we haven’t seen him make that connection by 1935-D–though, again, he hasn’t spent much time with them…so maybe it’s more surprise that he hasn’t felt any Elmer-vibes from them at all. (Hm–what if he feels those vibes in 1935 and that’s why he excludes them from 2002? But Elmer is involved in 2002 as well, so.)

The more specific ‘something’ on my mind is that Fermet hates Elmer in part because Elmer can’t break. Elmer is empty and impervious to all physical/mental harm Fermet might subject him to. 

Thing is–Isaac and Miria do have the potential to break. To be hurt. To be corrupted, like all good little innocents. So if/when Fermet links them to Elmer, and if/when he realizes that, unlike Elmer, they can be affected by him…

…I think that could pique his interest in affecting them, so to speak. Which could, in theory, lead to backstory stuff. Maybe.

So… Many of us really want Elmer to meet Isaac and Miria in 2003, myself included, but this post has me thinking, “Okay but how could and would Fermet ruin this for them and us?”

First of all: There’s nothing stopping Fermet from taking Huey’s 2002 advice and allying with Isaac and Miria. He does so love the long cons, and it would be consistent with his track record if not modus operandi. That is, he usually befriends his targets before he really gets to work. Remember how he spent four years manipulating Jean as his friend and ally (and came back into Jean’s life 10 years later to finally drop the painful shoe)? Yeah.

So what if, by the time Elmer meets Isaac and Miria, they’re already “Lebreau’s” bosom buddies? You know they would be delighted to see he’s alive 70+ years on. (I once brought this up to @toushindai when musing over a potential Fermet + I&M reunion in Alveare by way of Czes–they absolutely would be delighted). You know he’d happily take advantage of their happiness.

Just as Elmer might use Isaac and Miria as a tool for spreading happiness to others, perhaps Fermet might try to use them against him. And/or Huey, because it would be neat if Huey was there for Elmer meeting Isaac and Miria. Fermet really should know by now that Elmer is immune to his poison, but I suppose he might like the idea of ‘ruining’ Elmer-like people and doing so in full-view of Elmer…

(There might be a chance of this backfiring due to just how forgiving Isaac and Miria are as people and how they always assume the best of others–but again, Fermet has all the patience in the world. The longer it takes to break them, the sweeter it might be. Anyway, going after Isaac and Miria would be guaranteed to hurt Czes, so.)

Edit: (The fishing scene -should’ve- made it clear to Fermet that rubbing tragedy into Elmer’s face doesn’t really work, and he seems to be happier avoiding Elmer than directly engaging with him these days. Still, I&M aren’t just anyone--I think Elmer would be very intrigued by those two and how he could use them for his own benefit.

(Even if Fermet might not successfully use them ‘against’ Elmer, I feel like he’d get some second-hand catharsis out of ruining them. Like a ‘next best thing’ substitute.)

There’s so much that Narita needs to address/wrap up/deal with in 1935-E that I fear we might not get any I&M backstory slipped in, at this rate… I can see Isaac making a remark or two hinting yet again at a wealthy upbringing (e.g. implying that his parents attended similar functions or something), maybe. (The party is an East Coast shebang so I doubt his parents would be ~surprise guests~, but hey, you never know. Maybe a friend of a friend of a family friend is there.)

Mm, since Fermet does plot to give Upham a “little push” in 1935-C, maybe there’s a chance we’ll see him try to influence Isaac and Miria at the last minute as well. Maybe. 

Agh, my poor brain. Wrapping my head around all of this is starting to muddle me all up, as is the speculating. I’m not sure if any of this was actually coherent, but I think the gist was, “I’m not sure if Fermet will have the opportunity and/or think to upend Isaac and Miria in 1935, but I’m not ruling out 2003 for I&M backstory via Fermet while we’re at it…”

[friendshipcampaign]

Session Recap 3/10/19: Gearing Up

Erwyn struggled in the grip of the living beard, trying to wriggle free. He promised that once he was certain his friends were safe he would come back to listen to the man’s stories. His captor, however, just told him he was very rude. He remained restrained, unable to break out by himself.

Ditto and Voski returned to the glade with the portal where Tiktik was waiting for them. Berylbimbedon informed the pair that Erwyn had gone over to the other side. Voski tried asking her for more information, but she remained recalcitrant to reveal anything important about the test. Ditto concernedly tugged on Voski’s sleeve and said they should probably hurry, considering the state Erwyn had been in when they’d last seen him -- as well as his tendency to get hurt even when he was doing better.

The pair stepped through the portal to the other side and were greeted by the pigeon. Voski asked them if they’d seen Erwyn and, on hearing that they had, if they had anything else to share. All the pigeon revealed was the direction Erwyn had gone off in, through the fields towards the town, and the two women hurried off to try to find him. Once they arrived in the circle of buildings, Voski tried casting Locate Object on Erwyn’s cloak pin and got a ping from inside the largest building, in which they could faintly hear some kind of struggle going on. They investigated the outside of it at first, wondering if Erwyn would really have gone inside alone, but on failing to find him, they opened up the door themselves.

Erwyn, by that point, had managed to get a hand on his sword, and was trying to pull it -- and his arm -- out of the restraining beard. Annoyed by the intrusion, the small gnome-like man informed Voski and Ditto that they weren’t being any more polite than their friend, prompting Ditto to introduce herself with her full Gnomish name. He returned the gesture, saying his name was Jerry Snitch Snatch Scrumdiddly Whiskers Gramps Growlfoot Tall-Tale Tallyho Bumbleberry Honeypot Nutty Newburrow Brick-A-Brack Glimmet Stompy Sweetooth Hairyboy Bugbelly Fleabane Layabout Chompers Wailaway Hearthhoard Dingle Dan Grizzlegump.

Voski introduced herself as Helen. 

She tried to smooth over the situation to see if the man would be appeased if they sat and listened to his stories for a while, and asked how long he thought would be polite. He replied, “Three days,” and she suggested that to start, he could try releasing Erwyn and see where that got him.

Voski told Jerry that she would stay and listen to his stories while Ditto and Erwyn went and dealt with the trial on this half of the simulation. He offered her some tea before setting Erwyn down in a chair and spinning him out dramatically, then pulling it up for her to sit. Erwyn immediately started babbling apologies, explaining he’d been worried about the others and going to find the other key was all he could think to do, but neither Voski nor Ditto were particularly accusatory about it.

“The others are fine; you did the right thing getting a head start here,” Voski said. Erwyn seemed a little bewildered at the response to him having gotten himself in a situation he needed to be rescued from.

Jerry gave Ditto and the now-free Erwyn a vase of flowers, eating a nasturtium from it before handing it over, and said it would help them with the next puzzle. It had five different kinds of flowers in it: buttercups, violets, daisies, bluebells, and some other, uneaten nasturtiums. The pair were ushered out the door so Jerry could tell his stories to Voski. Outside, they took stock of their surroundings -- five smaller buildings in a circle around Jerry’s home, each with a window box containing one of the kinds of flowers in the vase.

Ditto mentioned to Erwyn that she’d been noting sort of a Grizzlegump theme, which confused him, and she tried to explain the concept of the nonsense monster to him.

“Do elves not have Grizzlegumps?” she asked.

“We… we have rabbits,” he said, and explained that as a kid, he used to go pet the ones that other people in the community he’d grown up in had kept for their fur. 

Ditto seemed interested in this, and added that she’d like to hear more when they didn’t have such pressing matters.

They approached the first building and went to knock on a door, but the knocker suddenly animated into a gnomish face, which asked the pair a riddle: “What has an eye, but does not see?”

“A needle?” Erwyn asked, and the door swung open.

Ditto announced that they were going to poke around as they entered, in case anyone was home. As they started to explore the interior, she spotted a sewing basket, from which she triumphantly plucked the needle, along with an in-progress embroidery pattern.

At the next building, with the violets in its window box, the knocker also animated to ask a different riddle: “Why is leather armor the best for sneaking?”

“I… I mean, it makes less sound?” Erwyn said.

“Because you can hide! It’s made of hide!” Ditto excitedly shouted.

The two stepped inside the next open door and spotted a faded mannequin, which looked as if there were usually something resting on it. Ditto peered around in the darker corners of the room and was able to spot a set of animated leather armor “hiding” from the two of them up on the ceiling. She flew up to it and reassured it that it had been very good at hiding, but asked if it would come with the two of them. The armor obliged.

The knocker on the door of the houses with the daisies asked the two: “What does a cleric of Urdlen call his mace?”

Erwyn asked Ditto about Urdlen, who was one of the gnome deities. She explained he was a giant mole who couldn’t see, didn’t eat his vegetables, and had once maybe tried to eat the sun, but she wasn’t sure. This puzzle took them a little longer and they had to throw out a few ideas, but eventually, Erwyn groaned a little and said “It’s not mole-y, is it?”

“Their mole-y symbol? Their mole-y weapon?” Ditto asked, far more amused.

Again, the door opened for them and revealed another cottage with fairly eclectic decor. Ditto and Erwyn had to poke around through a number of odds and ends, but eventually they found a mace whose top appeared to be made out of many animated mole heads, which twisted and mewled as Ditto cast Mage Hand to retrieve it without touching it herself (as both she and Erwyn were deeply perturbed by it).

At the house with the bluebells, the knocker asked, “What has a face and hands, but is headless and armless?”

“A clock?” Ditto and Erwyn said simultaneously. Ditto flew up to Erwyn’s height and slapped him excitedly on the shoulder, startling him a little.

Inside, they found a clock with somewhat creepily realistic hands. Both agreed it was still less creepy than the mole mace.

As they approached the door to the final house, the knocker asked them, “What’s brown and sticky?”

“A stick!” Ditto shouted immediately. She turned to Erwyn as the knocker kept laughing and said, “I heard that one before.”

“Where?” Erwyn asked incredulously.

Inside the house was, of course, a stick.

Having collected all the items from the houses, the pair contemplated what they should do next. As they walked, however, there was a strange shimmer, and they realized they had walked through an illusion in the middle of the neighborhood disguising a wild, gigantic contraption with gears of wood and recycled belts and things that passed through each other in impossible ways. Erwyn expressed incredulity that they’d missed it before, and when Ditto said illusions could be hard to spot, he quietly admitted that he’d been training to be an illusion specialist when he was in school.

There were five platforms, labeled with a series of sequential numbers. Erwyn suggested placing the objects on the platforms in the order that they’d found them. When they did so there was a whirring of gears, and a spring-loaded arm pressed a bellows that made a raspberry noise at them.

Ditto looked at the vase that Erwyn was still carrying and realized there were two buttercups, three violets, five daisies, one bluebell, and four nasturtiums. When she pointed this out, they moved them to the corresponding platforms based on the numbers of flowers. This time, the whirring and chugging went on for longer. A chicken manifested and wandered off at one point, and finally another platform lowered down, with a plaque on it that read:

“So the buzz is, you want the next key. What a sting your departure will be. Now don’t break out in hives, Bumble back to your lives The plane starts, and this ends, with a ____”

Ditto and Erwyn agreed with each other they should head towards the bee hives nearby. As they went, Ditto sent a Message to Voski asking how things were going. There was no response. As they tried approaching the hives, Erwyn accidentally stumbled and upset some of the bees within. Anxiously, he cast Speak With Animals to try to smooth things over. The bees asked why they should trust him, and he Druidcrafted a flower in his hands to offer it to them. They were quickly placated. 

Though they examined the hives, Ditto and Erwyn were unable to find anything else on their own, so Erwyn used the cantrip to give the bees another flower and asked them if they knew where people found the key, usually. They told him that the keeper of the key was the machine, and he asked if the bees would come over to it with him and Ditto. They were happy to oblige, as he kept Druidcrafting them flowers. With the bees present, the machine took a few minutes to winch up a box that, when opened, had the portal key inside, with a symbol on it that Erwyn was able to identify as that of Mechanus. When he explained it to Ditto, she mentioned that she’d caught a glimpse of it back in Soreth in the microportals that had been forming in the well.

Ditto Messaged Voski to let her know they’d found the key. Voski replied asking if the next one was the Hells, and was reassured that it was not. Inside the house, Helen then tried to explain to Jerry that she had to take her leave as the others were in a hurry, but told him she would put in a word with the Gatekeepers about the fact that no one ever talked to him. When she asked if there was anything he’d like to have sent his way, he told her he’d like some books. She assured him she already had some exciting ideas about an exchange program between some of the test ground employees, and took a scone for the road.

Once Voski had joined Erwyn and Ditto by the machine, the latter Sent a message to Amaranth to let her know that they’d found the other key. Amaranth started to climb up towards the place where they’d spotted the key, and Kriv, still singing, tried to follow, but had less luck. He waved carefully at the Grizzlegump, which just waved back at him. 

Ditto had told Amaranth to reply only when she was ready so that they could coordinate, but the rogue responded right away -- quickly enough that it was easy to catch the discrepancy -- so Ditto Sent another message for the same purpose. By that time Kriv had been more successful in joining Amaranth, and a countdown was established. As the party members touched the keys, both sides caught a glimpse of each other -- and then all came together on the surface of what appeared to be a giant, flat gear, interlocking with another perpendicular one that seemed to stretch up to another platform. They had reached the simulation of Mechanus.

Ditto tried flying up to the next gear and felt gravity shift as she reached the threshold. Landing on the “vertical” gear, she was able to walk back in the direction of the others. Kriv tried putting one hand and foot on it while keeping his other limbs on the original gear, and was struck with a very disorienting sensation. He released the first gear and “landed” on the other one safely. As Erwyn tried to question the safety of this method, Amaranth made a running leap onto the other gear, trying to ruffle his hair as she passed him after landing -- but missing, due to being a little too high up. 

Amaranth spied a strange, starfish-like creature on the gear above them, as well as a grid of squares. As she went to investigate, Erwyn closed his eyes and rolled into a ball to hit the gear, making a clumsy but still safe landing. Voski, too, made the running jump, meaning everyone had made it to the second gear. Ditto then flew to the third and Kriv cast Bless on Erwyn, Amaranth, and Voski before attempting the climb over to the next gear and just barely making it.

Noting that Amaranth was still looking drunk and Erwyn’s fear of heights seemed to be kicking in, Voski slapped hands on both their shoulders.

“It’s just leaping into nothingness on a giant clockwork plane simulation,” she said to inspire them. “It’s fine. It’s fine. Incidentally, would anyone like a scone? Don’t get crumbs anywhere, I’m sure they hate that here.”

Amaranth made the jump fine, but Erwyn staggered at the edge. His foot slipped, and he pinwheeled and fell backwards. Kriv, who was jogging along the side of the gear, shouted encouragement. Shaken, Erwyn told Voski he would try again and went for it a second time, which allowed him to get over the edge. Voski followed, tucking her cloak up round her shoulders before she leapt. She mixed her feet up for a moment, but shifted her weight and instead rolled onto the next gear with a decorative flourish. 

With everyone over the side, the group addressed the creature Amaranth had spotted earlier, which turned out to be a pentadrone. It explained that their next task was to cross from one corner of the grid in front of them (A1) to the corner diagonally across from it (H8). It said that there would be rules and warnings and obstacles on the way, but gave little detail. Cautiously, Erwyn stepped forward onto the first square. The floor of it went translucent and revealed a modron, which intoned simply, “One.” When Erwyn and the rest of the group stepped forward another space, the floor revealed a duodrone, which instead said, “Two.”

The party asked if the numbers were revealing the proximity and number of hazards, and the pentradrone observing them confirmed this was the case. Cautiously, they kept progressing around the grid, trying to logic out where the potential “obstacles” might be. When Erwyn stepped onto square C2, however, the floor gave way and he fell in. The top closed over him, and when Kriv tried hitting it to free him as Erwyn cried out in fear, the ceiling lowered above him. It was decided that trying to get him out might not be the safest idea. The pentadrone said they would have to wait until the end to retrieve him.

Continuing their progress cautiously, the party made it all the way to E3, at which point Ditto had an idea. She asked if summoning Tiktik would be allowed, and the pentadrone said yes, but that her familiar could not lead. She summoned the cat anyway, who was a little worried upon seeing the group that Erwyn had died again until Ditto explained the situation. 

The group kept moving until they hit D6, when the floor gave way again and this time Kriv, who had been leading, fell through as well. At the same time, the ceiling on Erwyn’s lowered again, this time to almost just above his head, causing him to cry out, scared, once more to the rest of the group. 

The ladies of the group continued to creep across the board carefully, thinking through the information they kept receiving from the modrons below. Eventually, they made it to the final square, H8, where the suddenly transparent floor revealed a modron, who said, “One,” before offering up the portal key. The ceilings over the boys released and stairs appeared in their respective cubes to let them return to the surface level. After they’d made their way over to the others, Erwyn, who was still wringing his hands a little, ears twitching, confirmed that the symbol on this key was the one that represented the Nine Hells. On learning this, Ditto dismissed Tiktik, whom she assured that she’d be fine.

[spookyjarchivist]

literally dying over here that someone enjoyed my tags this much but i have realized that im not done here

btw it’s important to note that im using the books for my tolkien analysis bc jackson’s movies made eowyn’s storyline in particular a misogynistic late 90s/early 2000s “Girl Power” story as opposed to tolkien’s original surprisingly feminist narrative that, as my previous tags note, breaks down the gender binary without ignoring the biological necessities of the “time” insofar as middle earth having a recognizable time frame in terms of our reality, there’s also the low-key transphobic handling of dwarrowdam when gimli is talking to eowyn about about them

also ive never seen a bond film or read the books, i just know how famous their “bond girls” are for being prop prizes and damsels in distress

BUT let’s first talk about bond

The first Bond book was published in 1953 (a year before LotR in fact) and the first movie was released 1962. After WWII women were more interested than ever in working outside the home, though there had been strong steady movements on that front since the lates 1800s in terms of college education. The main difference is that middle class women wanted to enter the workforce in more traditionally men’s spaces. And they did. Including spy work (Here is an article I read on the topic. Warning, it is in fact thinly veiled marketing and recruitment propaganda for MI6, but it DOES include interesting history from first-hand accounts and talks a bit on the influence of James Bond on spy work in the UK). This influx of women in the workforce gives the James Bond stories absolutely zero excuses not to include women in their stories. Even if we go with the classic strong female lead that uses her femininity to her advantage, there are ways outside of the classic misogynistic honeypot trap (a strategy that the linked article notes is extremely ineffective).

Okay, we’ve established the lack of excuses for Bond. Let’s talk Tolkien.

Like I said previously, there’s just not a lot of excuses for Tolkien to bring in more women than he does. It’s a war story from the perspective of soldiers. His writing style restricts him to main points of the story, and he’s working in a perceived time frame where women were unlikely to be in positions of power due to traditional inheritance laws. On top of that the societies we’re talking about need to be careful about putting childbearing people in dangerous situations or else there will be no people.

We’re working with roughly middle ages level of healthcare (maybe 1800s for certain countries if we’re being VERY generous), so birthing is a hard and dangerous process that’s likely to kill people. Miscarriages, which can also be dangerous, are most likely going to happen fairly often as well. They’re still extremely common, so suffice to say there would be even more.

Keeping childbearing people out of military service is one of those things that, yeah isn’t all that great in terms of personal autonomy, but is explicitly necessary in terms of survival. We can’t even take the elves magical healing stuff into account because they’re not exactly going out into other kingdoms and if they did it would most likely be for royalty or at least nobility. The only thing the birthing process has going for it right now are the fact that they’re most likely using midwives to help with the actual labor. When medical care developed historically, involving doctors actually made the process more dangerous because they weren’t properly trained like midwives were and were unaware of stuff like germs. Hell, going to a midwifery is not a bad idea even now, just make sure it’s close to a hospital or works with one incase there’s an emergency (Here is a link to the Sawbones episode on birth, it’s a good overview and in my opinion is a great way to understand this particular issue when considering why and how we need to think about this particular biological function when world building in fantasy and historical or history-based fiction)

So we’ve established why there are so few women in LotR. Now let’s talk about how Tolkien actually addresses women narratively. It should be noted that I’m going to be pulling from two specific examples, mostly because of how salty I am about how Jackson handled them. Eowyn and dwarrowdams.

Before I go into depth on the women I actually have to touch on the men. Funnily enough, one of the things Jackson changed on purpose was giving pretty much all of the royal and nobility characters major character flaws they didn’t have previously in order to make them more relatable (or hate-able if you’re Denethor). This is actually Kinda Bad in terms of Tolkien’s themes because he uses royalty as a metaphor for ideal virtues and character traits. That’s not to say they’re perfect. They have weaknesses and many of his royalty characters fall to those weaknesses, but the ones we’re shown in LotR are expected to have learned from the mistakes of their forebears and even their own. They aren’t expected to be perfect, but they are expected to show a strength of character above other people because of their responsibilities. Aragorn in particular is held to an even higher standard because of his role as King of Gondor. He is, in essence, the ideal man, thematically speaking.

As stated in my previous tags, Tolkien uses Eowyn to further this narrative and twists that ideal man into an ideal person instead. He shuns the toxicity of violent masculinity and focuses instead on the valor of protection and healing, even though it’s an unseen one as opposed to the “glory” found in war. People will sometimes get upset that Eowyn becomes a healer in the end because they feel that it’s a traditionally feminine role that punishes her for her wanting fight as a man, but they’re missing that it’s only then that she actually fulfills the wish she’s had from the beginning to BE Aragorn. “The hands of the king are the hands of a healer.” SHE is now the ideal man. The ideal person. Not only is Tolkien saying that traditionally feminine roles are just as important as traditionally masculine ones, but by making both Eowyn and Aragorn skilled fighters and healers he’s also saying that they are not inherently gendered either.

As for dwarrowdams, I know this seems like such a small thing when compared to how I went on about Eowyn, but it’s the thing that makes it all come together for me. We’ve established that Tolkien is recognizing the need for childbearing people to stay safe in times of war and the unfortunate necessities of the time that enforces a certain amount of lack of autonomy due to the dangers. We’ve also established that he recognizes the ability of women to still perform those “masculine” duties regardless. However, I believe the thing that cinches LotR as one of the most feminist works of our time (and certainly of Tolkien’s) is that when he talks of how the dwarves are only about a third women, he explicitly states that part of the reason their population growth is even slower than that would suggest is because they often simply choose not to have husbands. This is not framed as crazy or weird. It’s not demonized. It’s a simple fact that sometimes women just don’t want to marry and that’s okay. If even a “population struggle” doesn’t overwrite someone’s right to choose whether to marry or not, then certainly nothing else can. And this was written during a time when women were still heavily pressured and expected to get married and have children!

So of course LotR is more welcoming of women than James Bond. They’re allowed to be people with wants and desires. They’re not belittled for doing traditionally masculine things. They’re not arm candy or a prop. They’re not punished for not devoting themselves to a man. They’re just people.

the Lord of the Rings is a story about some guys. There are women in the story, but they are not for the most part the main characters. James Bond, likewise, is a story about guys where women are side characters. But the Lord of the Rings does not exclude women from the narrative or give the impression of a “boys club” in the way that James Bond does, despite the fact the James Bond has more women in it. The problem is not with how many women are represented, but whether women are welcome in the worldbuilding. There is no more issue with writing a story about a group of guys than a group of girls, both of which are groups it is okay to have. But the men in James Bond are a group because they are misogynist, whereas the fellowship is a group of guys because they like hanging out with each other, and when women show up they’re thrilled to hang out with them too. In this essay I will…

[activatingaggro]

INKTOBER DAY 1: POWER

PHERES DYSSEU | 16 years old / ~7 sweeps | 1,401 words

Raphae's hive is all done up in blues and pinks, cloying enough that it looks like it stepped straight out of a magazine. There's dancing bears on the walls, and carved into the furniture, and decorating the couch. There's stuffed birds with their glistening black eyes and tiny beaks everywhere. When Chapar reaches out for Iphige's lusus, you don't have time to warn him.

Turtleduckdad pulls his neck all the way into his feathers with a warning hiss, eyes snapping open, and Chapar drops him with a yelp.

"I'm so sorry," you murmur, gently shooing the duck away. Chapar just folds his arms, tucking his hands into his sleeves.

"Wow. This apartment is definitely, like -" He exhales slowly as he looks around, but you can't quite bring yourself to try and see it like he does. Maybe the first time you’d walked in, you’d been impressed. The only hive you’d ever seen back then was the Birdhouse, crowded wall from wall with trolls who’d never left and never would, and from the detritus of those long gone. Back then, it’d been breathtaking.

But now.. it's been too many sweeps since the first time Sipara hauled you in. You've had too many customers since then, from cerulean to indigo, to even a violet, once, and next to all of that -

Raphae’s hive does look like it’s from a magazine. Unfortunately, it’s just not the priciest one on the rack, and when push comes to shove, there’s only so impressed you can be with any apartment that features a crying bear as the entryway’s centerpiece.

Chapar, though.. he’s never gone on deliveries like you! He’s never truly had a clade with the amount of wealth you’re used to. The closest he's ever had to a clade is Malaya's troupe, and when he's fawned over Malaya's apartment every time the two of you’d spent the day there, you've never been able to quite bring yourself to pointing out exactly how little a navy's stipend can truly pay for. It was all very impressive, from the carpets to the television, and Malaya had expected the both of you to be impressed.

It’s just.. well. It’s hard to be impressed by a television, after you’ve been inside homes with proper theaters.

"It's nice, isn't it?" you say lightly, bouncing up on your toes. There's an empty teacup on the nearest endtable, one of the ones that weeps rainbows from the mouth. You gently spin it around before Chapar can see, then drift towards the piano room, because - well, there's no reason, really, except that the way his breath catches at the sight of it is uniquely gratifying. It’s real wood, with the sort of imperfections that come from being cohorts old. The one in Malaya’s house had been teak. "Ah, I want to show you the kitchens!"

"Don't you mean the kitchen?" he says, faint.

"Ah - no. I hate to brag, but.." Chapar's looking at you like he's daring you to finish. You titter, hand flitting in front of your mouth, but it doesn't quite hide your sheepish grin. His eyes widen.

"Would you believe," you murmur, apologetic, while he just stares, "we've got three?"

He stays tight on your heels as you lead him through the front hall, and - perhaps you shouldn't feel so smug about the way he’s just growing more and more skittish with every step. After all, this isn't your hive, ultimately. This isn't your home, in any sense of the word. You've always been on the very outskirts of the clade, just like you hover on the outskirts of Malaya’s, and while Sipara belongs here, you're just her moirail. You've always slept in her recuperacoon, and you’ve always considered yourself lucky for it.

But - no, it’s not really like Malaya’s clade, is it? You’re not properly a part of that at all, for all that the two of you are practically matesprits. No, here, at least, you’ve got a key, and you've got a quadrant who lives here, one who’s willing to wear your colour and use your name. And Raphae's said over and over that you're free to stay around as much as you'd like. He adores you, the way clade’s supposed to, and Iphige tolerates you, and if Iconic brightens at the sight of you, for all the wrong reasons -

- well! Iconic's supposed to be out tonight, which is why you dropped by. The rest of the trolls here are your clademates, and that means you belong here, even if it isn’t yours. If Sipara was here, she’d expect you to show it off, really.

And she should be here. Iconic’s out, but she didn’t have anything scheduled. You can hear clanking from the nearest doorway. You start to lift a hand, but when you glance back, it's unnecessary: Chapar's stopped by a telephone, his hands locked behind him like he's afraid of breaking it.  "Sipa," you call out, "are you here?"

There's a clattering. Sure enough, Sipara flounces out from behind the doorframe of the kitchen, covered in flour.

A moment later, like a ghost, Iconic trails out after her, an arm slung loosely around her shoulders. He's in the air - when isn't he in the air, these nights? - and he's making her tow him like a boat behind. "Siparaja," he complains, and although his eyes narrow when he sees you, his voice doesn’t slow. "You're going to tug my arms off, ashmite, and then where'll we be? And the butter’s going to scald!"

But she's not paying any attention to that. She's looking at you, and then she's peering past you, all the way back at Chapar.

Her eyes lock onto his symbol, but you can practically see her running the numbers in her head. The next smile she flashes is as bright and sunny as any she'd aim at you. "Pheres!" she shrieks, giving Iconic a shove as she shrugs him off forcibly. Her eyes are still fixed on Chapar, and - oh! If it'd been Malaya, you'd never have risked this. But you know how Sipara works.

You know she'll take anything over a blueblood, even if it's an olive with more blue hanging from his ears than skin.

And sure enough, she doesn't so much as direct a snarl his way. Sipara gets right intp Chapar's face, bumping her nose against his as he flinches back. "Hi!" Then she pivots to fling herself into your arms, full-bodied. When you stumble, she just wraps her arms around you, burying her face in your hair like it's been perigees, not one week. "Pheres, tyrian tits, I missed youuu. Who's this? The fuck, you didn't say you were coming - you didn't say you were bringing anyone --"

"Sipara," you say, muffled. She's butting her head against your chin like a cat, and you're having to avoid curls in your mouth with every word. Perhaps you’d be better off if you just accepted them, because ID looks like he’s ready to cull you right here. "Hello! Ah - this is Chapar! I've told you all about him -"

"Hi," Chapar squeaks, his ears pinned, and for a moment, you think Sipara's going to say something. Her nose wrinkles like she just might.

You're not expecting Iconic to beat her to it. "You're bringing home strays now? My goodness gracious, Dysseu." How much condescension can one troll fit into his words? Your face's warming as he takes in Chapar, eyes dragging up and down him like he's trying to judge. "I just didn't know we were a gosh darn hostel -"

You open your mouth.

"Oh my god, ID, shut up," Sipara snaps over her shoulder instead, before you can get the words out, and in the sudden silence, you could hear a pin drop. She doesn't seem to notice, though. She just grins at you, toothy and eager, and twines her arm through yours as she tugs you towards the nearest kitchen. "C'monnn. We made honeypots! You should try 'em. D'you like honeypots, dude? 'cause, like, spoiler alert, I'm the best cook for 'em in the entire fucking city --"

Beside you, Chapar's brows are knit, but he's trying to match her grin, nervous though he is. But when you beam, you're not watching Sipara. No, your gaze is locked on Iconic.

He does not smile back.

[shirlleycoyle]

A Roundtable of Hackers Dissects ‘Mr. Robot’ Season 4 Episode 1: ‘Unauthorized’

It’s been one year, nine months, and 23 days since the sizzling season 3 finale of Mr. Robot, and the show is back for its last season.

This week, we discussed [SPOILERS, obvs] the probability of getting an envelope with a ringing dumb phone with a hacker on the other end of the line, dead man’s switches, hacking cameras at Grand Central Station, and honeypot houses. (The chat transcript has been edited for brevity, clarity, and chronology.) This week’s team of experts include:

Emma Best: a former hacker and current journalist and transparency advocate with a specialty in counterintelligence and national security.

Bill Budington: a long-time activist, security trainer, and a Senior Staff Technologist at the Electronic Frontier Foundation.

Jason Hernandez: Solutions Architect for Bishop Fox, an offensive security firm. He also does research into surveillance technology and has presented work on aerial surveillance.

Harlo Holmes: Director of Digital Security at Freedom of the Press Foundation.

Micah Lee: a technologist with a focus on operational security, source protection, privacy and cryptography, as well as Director of Information Security at The Intercept.

Freddy Martinez: a technologist and public records expert. He serves as a Director for the Chicago-based Lucy Parsons Labs.

Matt Mitchell: a hacker and Director of Digital Safety & Privacy at Tactical Tech. He founded cryptoharlem, which aims to teach basic cryptography tools in the inner city.

Christina Morillo: a New York City-based information security and technology professional working as an information protector on Microsoft’s cloud & engineering security team.

Zachary Julian: Security Associate at the security consulting firm Bishop Fox.

Freddy and His Package

Yael: Are there instances where you get a package with a ringing phone, or is that just in TV/the movies? Like has that happened in real life?

Harlo: I don’t know about in real life, but this is a thing in Black Mirror, and American Vandal.

Micah: For it to happen, Elliot would have had to be tracking the package and waiting outside the building to know exactly when to make the call. Which he was.

Emma: If the phone had GPS enabled, Elliot could have tracked it and known when it arrived, assuming there wasn't already a webcam compromised in there. Elliot also could have been listening in through the phone’s microphone in real-time. He hears the phone arrive. Hangs up. Dials back.

Bill: I'm assuming Elliot had either delivery confirmation or a GPS unit to know when the phone and video was delivered.

Micah: I don't think he would have needed GPS. He could have just watched delivery person enter the building with the package, and as soon as they left the building made the call.

Emma: True, Micah. Even simpler, he had an in-progress call to the phone going.

Jason: There are Android apps that will trigger sending a text or whatever when they're in proximity to a given Wi-Fi access point or at a certain latitude / longitude. It's pretty simple to set up.

Matt: Tasker app does this.

Harlo: It doesn't seem to be Android. It's a dumb phone (probably a Tracfone or something similar). So it's likely Elliot has it tracked via… maybe skip tracing?

Bill: Yeah, it looked like a dumb burner phone.

Micah: I think it was like a pay-with-cash Tracfone, which is the smart way to do it anonymously anyway.

Freddy: The simplest explanation is that he had someone else watching him and tracking the dude and reporting back.

Yael: What's a Tracfone?

Harlo: It's a brand of pay-as-you-go phones you can buy from pharmacies, 7-11s and other places. it has only mobile text and voice; no data.

Micah: It’s just one of several types of cheap phones you can purchase at corner stores in cash. You don't need ID or credit card or anything, and they have fairly cheap options with old flip phones, even today.

Matt: Buying a Tracfone with cash, buying service for it with cash, and then not talking when you call the service number to set it up is a pretty anonymous way to get a U.S. cell phone.

Harlo: I agree with Emma that the easiest way might be keeping a live call on during delivery, then listening for the pick-up. Or having actual surveillance on the office. Or maybe even tapping into any video surveillance on premises.

Yael: He had access to Freddy’s screen too, right?

Bill: I don't think he had access to the screen… maybe he just saw via binoculars that he was watching the video.

Yael: Okay so flash forward to the call. So then Mr. Robot/Elliot is trying to get Freddy to click on a phishing link (which he thought was ransomware, but it wasn’t)—and to copy the .pst file in his inbox to the thumb drive. How does that work?

Micah: Since Freddy was copying the .pst file himself, and not the malware, my guess is clicking the phishing link was simply to get malware on the law firm's network for future use.

Harlo: Maybe this is either 1) a diversion for the IT admin to not notice the immediate export/download of an employee’s entire inbox, or 2) one of those things where you gotta hack the admin to complete the exploit.

Zach: It seems like the malicious link was just to provide an excuse as to why the inbox was compromised.

Freddy: If he had network access, he would just dump the active directory [a Windows service that controls access to shared resources on a network, like user logins and credentials], but the point of the plot was to incriminate the lawyer. It wasn’t about getting the emails. It was about incrimination.

Jason: Owning active directory usually takes a while and it can be kind of a hassle.

Micah: Elliot did need the emails to find all the banking details he needed.

Harlo: But if you want to hide your involvement, you're also pinning it on the mark who "clicked a link, oops totally not an orchestrated op by Mr. Robot."

Freddy: The way to get the emails isn’t really how you would do it if you already have malware on the network.

Micah: PST files are an Outlook inbox. A lot of the big email leaks that get reported on start out as a PST file. He was using a cool tool to import them and search through them, "Expansion Inbox," which I've never heard of.

Yael: So shout out to Iceweasel! We saw it on Elliot’s laptop on the train.

Bill: Debian's Iceweasel had resolved its naming issues with mainline Firefox in early 2016 but remember this is still in late 2015. So they're staying true to the time period.

Yael: Is Iceweasel like an open source Firefox? Wait, isn't Firefox open source?

Micah: Firefox is open source, but there was a trademark conflict for use of the "Firefox" name and logo inside Debian. Debian handled it by just renaming it to Iceweasel and providing their own logo.

Dead Man’s Switch

Yael: Elliot said he could get the videos to send to Freddy’s kids and the FBI… like a dead man's switch…

Micah: OnionShare has a dead man's switch feature. You can set a time in the future to start sharing files, and it gives you the Tor onion address right away. It wouldn't work for this exact use case, but you could, for example, tweet an onion address and a date, and if you don't manually close OnionShare before that date, it automatically starts sharing whatever data you want.

Emma: A dead man's switch would be super easy to set up. Have a couple of computers running a check every 10 minutes on a data file, see if it's been 24 hours yet. If it has, send the emails. If not, check again in 10 minutes. The email doesn't have to have the data, just a key and instructions on how to access it. The data can be anywhere. Elliot could check in with infected machines via a command and control system and reset the clock in the data file. The data could be stashed on some random server. The email to the FBI could contain the target’s IP address, user/password and decryption key. The files would be too large to just send to the FBI directly, and if they were forcibly dropped on an FBI system, they wouldn't touch it. But of course, Elliot didn't need a dead man's switch. He just needed the mark to believe he had one.

Bill: I mean I don't think Elliot really wants Freddy to formally do something incriminating, it would be easy enough to frame Freddy, and Elliot doesn't care about laws. Maybe he just didn't have time to code the malware that would do all this email-copying for him. After all, he mentions to Mr. Robot that they only had two weeks to prepare for this target.

Harlo: Two weeks, and everybody's on drugs, so subpar performances all around.

Yael: Haha so much coke.

Freddy: Lawyers reading this chat: please don’t do illegal drugs.

Bill: Clearly you've never been in a 1980s law firm before.

Yael: It’s… not illegal if you don’t get caught?

Harlo: ALSO, it WAS SENT as a DVD. Which he left in the player. So the FBI will see the evidence when they go to his office anyway.

Zach: Perhaps Elliot was expecting him to clean up the evidence instead of killing himself ¯\_(ツ)_/¯. I think eventually it would become public that this law firm's emails were compromised, and Elliot/Mr. Robot needed a plausible excuse in place about why that happened to take the heat off of them.

Image Credit: Micah Lee

Grand Central Station

Bill: I like how Elliot mentioned to Freddy to turn off and leave behind anything "with an on/off switch"—but Elliot forgot about the fact that an RFID ping can also be used to determine location.

Harlo: It’s Bluetooth, actually!

Yael: I saw the Bluetooth symbol.

Bill: So is it actually Bluetooth? I mean, cheap RFID cards might have that symbol anyway.

Jason: Most access cards don't support Bluetooth, but you can buy access cards that include Bluetooth low energy (BTLE) beacons. They're a little more expensive and I wouldn't expect a law firm with what looks like kind of cheap IT and security to go for them, but they exist (about $10/unit on Alibaba).

Emma: It could be both RFID and Bluetooth. The presence of a Bluetooth connection is annoyingly used as a layer of security verification by some systems. -_-

Jason: Yeah, the cards I found have RFID and BTLE.

Image: USA

Zach: It’s interesting he left all electronics behind to go to the station, but I assume he would still be trackable through Tracfone pings to the cell towers.

Yael: Even with a dumbphone.

Zach: Those phones will still ping the cell towers.

Emma: That's not super precise, though.

Yael: Yes, it still pings but is not as precise, at least according to Serial podcast season 1.

Jason: You have to consider the setup time to follow a brand-new mobile phone with a fresh IMEI [device serial number] and IMSI [user identifier].

Micah: Those phones still ping cell phone towers, but I don't see how Dark Army would know which IMSI to try tracking in crowded NYC, assuming they had no idea about this phone thing ahead of time.

Bill: You could use something as simple as this Bluefruit LE sniffer to triangulate the location of the badge.

Jason: There are a lot of apps that scan Bluetooth for navigation. there's even one by Amtrak that is designed to help you navigate Penn Station (it might also support Grand Central now). if you had access to an ad network that fed back Bluetooth MAC addresses within range, you could get pretty accurate tracking.

Yael: How did Elliot get eyes inside Grand Central Station? Did he hack into a surveillance camera or something?

Zach: Seems that way.

Harlo: With an app that I think is made-for-TV. I can’t find it. CamSec Pro? Anybody? But I guess it's worth noting for the audience that, you don't have to restrict your Kali Linux setup to what comes pre-installed. You can totes outfit your Kali USB with persistence [preserving the filesystem instead of wiping everything every time the OS shuts down] and other cool things.

Fred: It’s movie magic for sure, most of those networks require some kind of VPN access and username / password. Hard to believe it’s hacked that quickly.

Jason: There are plenty of internet connected cameras with default credentials.

Micah: I would assume he pre-hacked the Grand Central Station cameras in anticipation of this operation, so he could have spent a few days on it.

Freddy: But to be able to get that level of access and to be able to move PTZ (pan-tilt-zoom) you would need access to the network operations center (NOC) for Grand Central.

Jason: A lot of these cameras are administered through simple web apps that might not be particularly locked down, even the pan-tilt-zoom controls.

Harlo: What if it were 2015/16? What exploits would we have used? Like, any NOC web app exploits that have been long since patched?

Zach: I saw this online from 2006: stationary Bluetooth devices throughout Grand Central Station. Something like that could be exploited by the Dark Army for Bluetooth tracking.

Bill: Who knows, there could be networks that don't advertise with beacon packets that are protected only with WEP [a weak and outdated security protocol for WiFi networks] or something that can be easily cracked. And the cameras often don't have any authentication layer at all, since it's assumed that the network will provide the security layer. I've seen a lot of these in stores, access points that don't send beacon packets but have devices authenticated with them.

Zach: I think IRL, though, the Bluetooth tracking would be difficult to set up. Either stationary devices in advance or some sooper-leet mass phone ownage to turn their devices into trackers, similar to FSociety's FBI hack. I would think the webcams in Grand Central Station are secure but honestly, who knows. That may be the most realistic part of this scene. Like Bill says, it could be a hidden Wi-Fi network secured with WEP and a bunch of security cameras.

Yael: I guess no cameras on the train that Elliot has evil Freddy meet him at?

Christina: I found that super odd. Like cameras everywhere but there, hmm.

Micah: Maybe there were cameras on the train. Elliot did have his hood up; maybe he didn't care.

Jason: Cameras on the train might not be internet-connected, if they exist. You'd have to figure out the network backhaul for that and it would be expensive and tricky (lots of dead zones in cellular coverage) for limited benefit.

Honeypot Houses

Yael: Did Mossack Fonseca have a distress signal/honeypot house where they torture people? How realistic is this?

Emma: As realistic as a hostile actor wants it to be. Formations House (#29 Leaks) wouldn't have. Some of their clients would, though.

Micah: I don't think it was a Mossack Fonseca-like company with the honeypot house, I think it was more like the Dark Army with one.

Yael: Hmm, do we know any IRL cases where people had a honeypot house? I guess they've kept them secret…

Harlo: Whitey Bulger.

Emma: The mob. Escobar, I think.

Micah: It would be really expensive to run a honeypot house. Like, even just having a normal house is expensive.

Bill: Well, when you own the world's currency it turns out you can buy a building in Manhattan.

Yael: With e-coin.

Emma: Well, the building would have served more purposes. It's fake addresses and mailing points. It's full of safe houses and temp housing. It has no prying eyes.

Yael: I know people have owned buildings for sketchy things but I'm not familiar with the process to get folks there via social engineering as opposed to, like, brute force. Do we know any IRL cases where people had a honeypot house? I guess they've kept them secret…

Christina: No but Jay-Z had a stash house on State Street, Brooklyn.

Harlo: Trump Foundation; I’m just throwing it out there.

Yael: I mean there was that newspaper that owned a bar in the greatest act of undercover reporting of all time…

Harlo: Something I dig about the honeypot house: cellular dead zone. Essentially a SCIF.

Emma: That can be done with the right paint, or even tape. DoD used to have its own special tape that could basically Faraday any surface. Make sure radio signals can't penetrate, soundproof, all panels secure. Often it has entrances guarded. It's usually in a government building of some sort, but Rockefeller had one in his barn IIRC.

Yael: “This doesn't feel right! The building is owned by E-Corp!" (Jump, Elliot, jump!)

Christina: Or like, don’t fucking go in, Elliot.

Bill: They couldn't get out the window. That's why you should Always Carry A Bat.

Harlo: Or a tactical pen?

Yael: And a ladder!

Harlo: Oh also, Christian Slater says something like "be careful, you're on the owner's Wi-Fi," which… hey hackerman: turn your radios off when not in use.

Micah: Did you all notice that at the end, when the Dark Army people were forcing Elliot to overdose, that he has a very old school rotary phone?

Harlo: IT'S A CLASSIC WHITEROSE FLOSS MOVE.

Micah: Man, in season 1 they were all like, "Let's get the Dark Army to help us with the China data center backups," and by season 4 I think they're understanding that was probably a bad call.

A Roundtable of Hackers Dissects ‘Mr. Robot’ Season 4 Episode 1: ‘Unauthorized’ syndicated from https://triviaqaweb.wordpress.com/feed/

[dakotaxmp]

The Big Shift - //Self Para//

[ You know the drill. Don’t run with it, it’s not for you. Don’t steal it, that’s not cool. Don’t forget it, hurt builds the strength of tomorrow. You can talk about it with me or in the ooc if you want. Muzzy bae, this one’s because I miss you.]

//

   It’s been days. Days since the last text, a full week since the last time he saw Muzzy, his boss, and learned the new schedule. 

  At the time Dakota didn’t think much of being handed the keys that open the brewery and all its doors, lock boxes, and offices. He doesn’t think much of the way that his employer detailed the goings-on of everything- literally everything- in the brewery and the back garden space where the ladies, those glorious bees that give the gold that is the powerhouse of the establishment. None of this phases him, the demigod assuming that it is just that time in his work life that he is deemed responsible enough to handle things in the event that his boss takes a morning to himself for once. It would make perfect sense since he hasn’t skipped even one day before and his skills have gotten better. He had come a long way from burning his hands on stove tops and spilling flour in the back kitchen.

   He’s come so far, and learned so much. The intricacies of not only the menu, the brews, and the bees but of the people, the other worker, and the god that was his boss. In the span of the time he had landed the job there to the sudden embrace Dakota found himself in the last time he had seen Muzzy, he had grown to be aware of the various ways that the Mayan god spoke without saying anything at all.

   Dakota has come so far, so when he stands blind sighted by the realization that his boss is not coming back, he feels stupified.

  He stands outside the door of Honeypot, eyes wide as he reads the city notice of new management. Who in the hell would have the gall to try and run this place like Muzzy did? Is there even anyone with the skill set to do it?

 “Oh heeeellllllll naaaaahhhh,” he murmurs to himself as his eyes scan the whole offensive notice, looking for the name of the ass that is even going to try. He’s got a few choice words for that motherfu--

                                        ‘ Dakota Kim.’

  His eyes blink rapidly, widen, blink again several times. That’s his name. That’s my fucking name! In disbelief Dakota comes closer to that plastered paper, seeing his name really there and touching it to be sure. Under the pads of his fingers is the texture of that notice- not a figment of the deranged imagination. He snaps his hand away as if stung by an unseen force, reeling at the implications of what that all means.

  Suddenly the keys in his pockets feel heavier.

                                      Responsibility.

     Dakota pulls them from his pocket, eyes on them before he brings the right one to the lock and slides it in. The cool of the undisturbed restaurant lifts his skin to goosebumps even as the summer evening air is at his back as he steps inside. Closing and locking the door again behind him, hazel eyes seek something to be a signal of upheaval. 

   Everything is exactly the same as when he was last in, nothing missing or overturned or uprooted save for the feeling of authority. Dakota bristles at a new feeling as he passes along the back of the bar, his reflection trapped and turned upside down in the myriad of glasses and bottles on his way toward the back. Was he missing the authority of someone? Lost hands run like they have so many times over the chrome of the kitchen surfaces before reaching up out of habit to sweep the metal soup ladles and slotted spoons that hang on the wall. Their metallic chimes sound but aren’t followed with a familiar voice that chides about scraping metal to the walls, ringing out their lonely sound as the youth exits the kitchen and stops before two doors.

   One leads out to the back garden; that sacred space where the work was done endlessly and felt like a home. The other leads to the room he only ever stood on the threshold of; Muzzy’s office. He pushes the key he learned belonged to it into the door, turns it and hears that deafening sound of it opening. The chill he felt before is nothing to the grip of absence that greets him as no one on the other side of the door does. Inside the dark space of that office is the clear presence of something very different than the warmth of his boss.

                                             Adulthood.

    The veil of trust that was set in place by Dakota only ever standing on the threshold and looking in is broken as he takes a breath and steps inside the office room. Still there tidbits of his employer decorate the room and make it seem as though he’s only stepped out. A comfort provision Dakota recognizes from seeing the empty room of someone from his own past to make the blow of departure seem far away, less painful when the truth sets in. The chair creaks as young hands push it back just enough to allow for a now-heavy body to sit on its seat and Dakota sinks into the position passed to him.

   “Fuck,” he sighs and lays his head on the desk. It’s a moment of silence that threatens to fold him into its hold before Dakota rises up again, face the same but the eyes filled with something that will age him in time.

                                           Determination.

    And it’s this way, that a crown passes from one heir to another. That a boy becomes a man.

[imsarabum]

Responses to {Part 25} I Won’t Stop You // Jeon Jungkook, Vampire!AU Asks~

Please ‘Keep Reading’ to find my response to your ask ^^ As always, I have copied and pasted all asks into this post in regards to last night’s chapter to avoid clogging up people’s dashboards and to avoid spoilers for those who may still wish to read the chapter. Thank you ^^

(I have also included asks that I received in the hours before IWSY was posted ^^)

@ofwolvesandbutterflies said: Oh mai gawd it's tuesday! you know what that means... IWSY part 25 is coming tonight!

IT’S VAMPDAY! Hehe :3 I’m excited!!

@life-guru said: It's Tuesday!!!!!! I am so ready😙

Yay! I hope you’ll enjoy it love :D

@openup-yourmind said: Hi, i just wanted to let you know that i can't wait for the next chapter! ♡ You're a breat writer and i send big love from Montreal/Canada 😘❤🍁 *big hug* :)!

Thank you so much honeypot! I really hope you’ll like it :D Yay hugs from Canada! Have some hugs from the U.K too *hugs* hehe ^^

@bangtangurlarmy said: Girl, I live for your writings. ABANSJWJAIWKAKKWNWIMWALMAJW I CAN'T WAIT FOR THE NEXT CHAPTER AND I HAVE FINALS ON SATURDAY BUT IT'S MY LAST EXAM SO HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHA.  I love you❤❤ And Justin Seagull❤ and Jack, Christian Chim Chim....Yoonki Min as well... Oh wait, I love Monie and Jin and J-dope too😌

I BURST OUT LAUGHING AT J-DOPE LMAO OH YM GOD xD Ahhh your nicknames for them all are so cute, when will I ever~ And hey, you’re one to talk! I’ve been sneaking through your Taehyung scenarios like *wiggles eyebrows* and I love your writing so much! And of course, I love you a lot too ❤  I hope your finals won’t be too stressful for you my dear, you’ll do well I know you will!

@mocking-butts said: I like can't focus properly because I'm waiting for the new update~ I need to know what happens mumsy oh god I'm dying here ㅠㅠ

I hope you’ll enjoy it honeypie! :3

Anonymous said: OMG ONE FUCKING MINUTE

LET’S GOOOOO!

Anonymous said: AHHHHH SHES PREGNANT DJAJVDJSJSBSKSKNXNSNZJ

GASP!

Anonymous said: That was heavy man...

Good heavy I hope~

Anonymous said: ACKKK THAT WAS SO GOOD! CAN'T WAIT FOR NEXT WEEK!! LOVE YA❤ -Anon+friend⚇

Thank you so much anon and friend! I love you too :3

@mocking-butts said: WAIT WHAT OH MY- IM MAMING THE MOST UNGODLY NOISES IM LIKE I CANT EVEN MUMSY WHYYYYY PLEASE BE NEXT WEEK FATSER~ ksjsndndkdkdkek I forgot how to speak I'm going to go cry now and drown in my tears 😭

Please don’t cry please smile for me :( I hope you enjoyed it though! :c Thank you for reading my love!

Anonymous said: Shit just went down I love when your fanfics get angsty OMG thank u Sara  --wifey anon

I’m glad you enjoy the angst wifey anon c: Plenty more where that came from! ^^ Thank you so much for reading it :D

Anonymous said: I was having a poop week, and this made my day. BUT THAT CLIFFHANGER!! AND I'M PREGGERS *screams* PS I forgive you and love you too :) *more screams* -Vampnip anon

I’m sorry you had such a poop week *hugs* I hope your week gets better! AND YES OMG YOUR PREGGERS CONGRATS BABE! lolol c: Thank you for forgiving me Vampnip anon c: And thank you so much for reading!

Anonymous said: *says in ratchet voice* OMG NO! You did not just do that to me bitch! Like how the fuck am I supposed to be able to live for another week to read the rest of this story! Like, hell to the no... just saying you better come to my funeral Luv u bitch xxx

I DID JUST DO THAT TO YOU~ muhaha ^^ I’ll be there dressed in my best I’M KIDDING NO PLEASE DON’T DIE ID BE REALLY SAD FOR REAL :( I love you too lol and thank you for reading the update :3

@mini-mini-jiminie33 said: In response to the cliffhanger on chapter 25 of I Won't Stop You--yOU ARE THE GOD OF CLIFFHANGERS AND IDK WHETHER TO LOVE YOU OR HATE YOU FOR THAT OMG IM SCREAMING AAH

I WOULD PREFER IT IF YOU LOVED ME BUT IF YOU WANT TO HATE ME THEN THAT’S OKAY TOO I’LL SPEND THE REST OF MY ADULT LIFE TRYING TO EARN BACK YOUR LOVE *cries*

Anonymous said: I SWEAR!! I FLIPPING SWEAR!! DO YOU ENJOY THE THINGS YOU DO TO ME?! DO YOU KNOW WHAT THIS FEELS LIKE!?

I do rather enjoy the things I do to you ^^ Does that make me evil like Yoongi? Probably c: thank you for reading my love :3

Anonymous said: OMG THE OC Is PREGNANT FUCK YES! Hmm pregnant from all that fucking 😉😏😏I HOPE THE BABY IS OK

*jay parks aquaman plays in the background* ‘lemme call you mama cos we abouta make a baby’ OML YES ALL THE FUCKING~ haha thank you very much for reading the new chapter doll :D

@jynxy24 said: YOU. MAKE. ME. WANNA. SCREAM. AND  CRY. OMG. SAAAARRRRAAAAAAAAAAA! HOW COULD YOU?! I TRUSTED YOU TO PROTECT MY HEART BUT MY HEARTEU! MY HEARTEU IS, ARRRHHHH!!  Okay, rant is over. How've you been, Sara!! I hope you have been well, is the weather there great? Stay healthy!! >.< CHAPTER WAS AWESOME BTW AAAAHHHHH!! I'M SO FRICKIN CURIOUS OF WHAT YOONGI IS GONNA DO!! I hope Namjoon turns good at the end(I can frickin sense it) :3 I have to go, stay awesome, Sara! Love you!

I promise you that your heart will be okay and that everything will work out in the end!! I’ve been okay, super stressed and busy and hardly any time to do anything other than study and work but I am trying to hard to stay on top of things ^^ The weather is FREEZING but I wrap up warm. How are you doing?! And thank you so much for reading the new update and I love you too honeypie!! :3

@deangetoutofmyspleen said: SARA IM UGLY CRYING I FUCKIN KNEW ITTTTTTTTTTTT OHMYGOSHIMINSHOCK MY HEART IS EXPLODINGNGGGGHHHH

shh...it’s okay...it’s all gonna be okay c: ehehe~

Anonymous said: jimin hates white ppl xoxo

xoxo Gossip Girl xoxo

@doubletroublesince1994 said: This is literally making me die and anticipation omgg I loved every bit of this chapter but man waiting for another week for the next chapter is gonna be hard for me 😂😂😂 Thank you so much for writing this, this is truly a blessing I love youuu ❤

Ahhh thank you so much for reading it and I love you too! I know it sucks waiting for things to come out :( but I’m glad that you still read every week despite the wait!! I appreciate it so much :3 Thank you darling :D

Anonymous said: I... Don't know what to say... So much just happened in part 25, Yoongi has 'me' in custody, 'i'm' pregnant with Jungkook's baby, and Jungkook has it so bad that he decided to protect both 'me' and the baby. Fucking Yoongi. Literally, the song 'Why' by Taeyeon is playing in the background and that is  the one word going through my mind right now. How do you write so well and give me the ultimate feels?! I love you, take care of yourself, and yeah. r.i.p. me. - army anon

It really was a chapter filled with so many emotions and feelings and points of view, I’m glad it could give you ultimate feels! Ahhh Why my Taeyeon is a beautiful song, you’ve put me in the mood to listen to it now! I love you too and I hope you will have an amazing week Army anon ^^ thank you so much for reading it!

@theninjachan said: this is gonna sound weird but yoongi is my bias so instead of being pissed of or angry with his villainous chuckles i was rather......turned on???? HAHAHA. anyway this was a great chapter as usual. and y/n is pregnant? oh boy oh boy oh boy i'm excited for tuesday to come

No no not at all! I rather enjoy that passive-aggressive asshole type behaviour and it is high-key sexy as fuck in so many ways lol (THIS IS WHY ALL MY RELATIONSHIPS HAVE FAILED I MAKE THESE BAD DECISIONS) lol thank you so much for reading again this week love ^^

Anonymous said: I'm dying a little bit by every sentence I read,  I know this is a fiction (and a VERY GOOD at that), but it still rips me apart reading this chapter especially when Serrena told Jungkook about the unborn child, and I know JK love her and their unborn child with all his life, he will protect them at all cost even if it means his life been taken away :( --Lotsa love Erica from U.S--

Hello Erica!! Thank you so much for reading IWSY it means a lot to me and I’m so happy you think it’s good! And yeah, it’s both a happy and a sad thought. When I was writing the chapter, I was actually listening to Flyleaf’s song ‘Circle’ and the lyrics ‘no man shows greater love than when a man lays down his life for his beloved’ was echoing throughout my mind ^^

@mysr3 said: WHAT!*still shock*What! I thought they were being sAfe! Sara u 've serious explanations to do! I luv how u had JK shift on so many emotions in such short span. the moment of JK n his mom is touching. N u w/ ur evil genius plot Twist! U n this ch r the reason my emotions r over the place rn! Just "Ding-dong” at the end had my imagination run wild of what will happen next. Y Yoongi sounds so hot! Ahh the torture week of waiting for IWSY now begin 😭glare, pouty 😤lol LuV u! ❤️ Thank you!

Don’t glare or be pouty at me!! :c hehe but heY WAIT I THOUGHT YOU SAID YOU WEREN’T LOOKING FORWARD TO THE UPDATE HM?? ;) lolol I’m glad I could put your emotions all over the place, this makes me very very happy ^^ But thank you once again for reading this weeks chapter and I love you too despite the amount of apparent pain I’ve caused you :3

Anonymous said: It's 11:35 pm my time and I can't control my emotions. Like fuck man. Y/N is preg-a-nant and like I'm happy af.  But why Yoongi gotta fuck everything up. Like couldn't their happiness have lasted a little longer. But it's okay cause y/n a bad bitch you can't kill her. Then JUNGKOOK  gonna fight Yoongi and save his girl cause he a real man-vampire. This story so good that I'll wait another week but these dramatic cliffhangers gotta stop mom (Name the baby after me plz) Love you  💜 ~LilKookieAnon

She is definitely a bad bitch, Yoongi don’t know who he’s fucking with! :3 AND NO NEVER THE CLIFFHANGERS ARE HERE TO STAY I’M SORRY JUST EMBRACE THEM AND ACCEPT THEM AS A PART OF YOU OKAY?! hehe~ thank you my love for reading and I hope you’re having a great week LilKookieAnon ^^

@jeonjungrude said: OMGG THE CLIFFHANGER AND THE FACT THAT SHE IS PREGNANT!! OMGGG WHY U DOING THIS TO MY POOR POOR HEART !! 😭😭😩😩 now i have to wait till next week omg may god save me !! 🖤

Because...I enjoy your pain *evil laugh* I guess this makes me similar to Yoongi lol we are sadists with our intentions :3 But I think mine are far less sinister, well...I hope :3 thank you so much for reading my love and I hope you enjoyed it ^^

Anonymous said: Didn't they have unprotected sex after the ball? How come she become pregnant?

Do you know how sex works my love? :3 You can still get pregnant when you use a condom because nothing (except abstinence) is 100% safe!! And also - if you read the parts when they have sex, there are instances when Jungkook is having sex with the reader when he isn’t wearing a condom. For instance, the morning after the first time they have sex. The reader is on top and he hasn’t got a condom on. Yes - he doesn’t “finish” inside her, but that doesn’t mean you still can’t get pregnant ^^

Anonymous said: Me: OH ITS TUESDAY! *reading IWSY* Fic: Ding-dong” the bell chimed. To be continued..." Me: -_________- well shit NOOO WHY?! EVEN JUST ONE MORE DETAILED SENTENCE THAT EXPLAINS EVERYTHING. *depressed* *needs to wait for another week ㅠㅠ* Hehehe...i honestly love ur works! Specially IWSY! It's really unique for my opinion and it's im telling u IT'S WELL WRITTEN. It's soooo gooood. I've never been this excited just for tuesdays, ever in my life😂. It's really of the best and one of my favourites! 💕

Thank you so much for thinking that it’s unique and well written, that makes me so happy ^^ Thank you very much my love!! :3

@coppertopging said: I KNEW IT!!!!!! I KNEW SHE WAS PREGNANT!!! AHHHHHHHHH!!!! WHY IS TUESDAY 7 DAYS AWAY AGAIN?!?!?!?!?!?!

DUN DUN DUN! c: You guessed correctly! I’m sorry for the long waits :( I wish I could write more than one chapter a week :( thank you my love for reading :D

Anonymous said: OH MY GOD PLEEEASE let this have a happy ending!!! My heart my poor heart😭😭😭

I hope it will have a happy ending for you my love!

@ananyak26 said: Omg author nim! Part 25 was cruelxD. It was amaaazingly written, and I loved it a lot. Great job!

I apologise for it being so cruel :c but thank you so much for reading dear!!

@life-guru said: Ahhhhhh she's pregnant!! I hope everything works out and that namjoon gets saved somehow! Thank you for blessing us with such a great story!!❤️😘

I hope so too c: thank you so much for reading my stories!

Anonymous said: FRICK. That is all I have to say about IWSY chapter 25. Thank you and goodnight.  - 종달새 ❤︎

I hope that’s a good thing! c: Thank you very much for reading my love - good night!!

@animeimmortal said: WHY WOULD YOU DO THAT LIKE SHES PRGNANT WHAT AND ANOTHER CLIFFHANGER PLEASE LET ME LIVE IM TRYING TO LIVE IN PEACE AND THIS IS OMG the storm is really not helping and Serena? Lord she could have told Y/N about it at least -.- love you 😍❤❤❤

ALL THE FRUSTRATING THINGS GAHHHH! hehe, thank you so much for reading it aand I love you very much too ^^

@noceurash said: Im!!! I'm so hyped over iwsy omg it's happening!!!! I can't wait for the next part, I love you!! This chapter was so good aaah. I hope you have a good day~~

YAY I’M SO GLAD IT GOT YOU HYPED! Thank you so much my love, I hope you have a good day too :D

@toxic-seoul said: I AM FREAKING OUT SARA OH MY GOD dcdjsjicfk I'm so ready for the next chapter I wanna kno what Yoongi is planning. I want Serena 2 come in like a badass mama & save her son & every1 cuz moms r awesome & shit but I also want JK to tear Yoongi apart. But then I also want Yoongi 2 fuq reader up cuz I'm messed up like that lol bUT NO YOONGI NEEDS TO CHECK HIMSELF BIH IM NOT LIKING HIS ATTITUDE. Bitch boi got another thing comin if he thinks he's getting away with that pfft. Amazing as always btw lol

Badass mama here to save the day! I hope she does that c: AND YES WE CANT LET HIM GET AWAY WITH IT HOW DARE HE, HE’S SO RUDE D: hehe, thank you so much for reading honeypot, you’re awesome an I hope you have a great day ^^

Anonymous said: Oh my god!! All those asks about the reader getting her period!!! And now!!!!! The latest chapter was great and I'm always amazed by your vocabulary :3 Thank you so much for writing I Won't Stop You!

I KNOW LOL IT’S LIKE ‘JESUS CHRIST JUST WAIT FOR THE STORY OH MY GOD’ lol like...please :( haha thank you so much doll, that really means so much to me :D Thank you for reading IWSY and for messaging me too :D

Anonymous said: IM ABOUT TO EXPLODE!! I DIDN'T EXPECT THAAAAAT FHRJKEDJJDKDJFJJ A CHILD?? OMG YAS!!! I WON'T BE ABLE TO SURVIVE THIS WEEK GOD DAMN IT

Please don’t explode no D: YES A CHILD! YES YOU CAN SURVIVE THE WEEK I PROMISE YOU CAN :D hehe~ thank you so much for reading my love ^^

Anonymous said: Wow for once I'm here relatively early and //HOLY SHIT !! The plot is thick and everything is so emotionally charged right now and I'm dying ... but lowkey looking forward to full squad next week (even if 4/7 of them are baddies)

Thank you very much for reading it! I’m glad you’re finding it emotionally charged c: And yep! The gang is all together hehe :D

Anonymous said: i can't wait for nxt tuesday alrd 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭

Me either! :3 thank you!

@brilliantbellesoares said: IWSY FEEDBACK: I don't know if I'm crying of joy because I'm happy they're having a child or of sadness because of what could happen to that child

That two edged sword tho ;D hehe! thank you so much :D

@wanda-rog said: You're so nice and such a good writter! Still so evil...how dare you give us another cliffhanger? You probably laugh maniacally when you type "to be continued". I just want her to be back with Jungkook! And now she is pregnant and in danger TT another long week before update 😭

My evilness is a charm, I promise ;D Whenever I finish it and read it out to my mum, she screams in distress, so I already have an idea of what will happen :3 thank you for reading my love ^^

Anonymous said: HOOOOOOO BOY SHE FUCKING PREGNANT SJDJDJ oh my god this chapter has my ass up the entire time djdjdjd WHAT THE FUCK im dying to know what yoongis after for y/n what thefcuk

All will be revealed soon! :3 hehe thank you so much for reading ^^

Anonymous said: FUCK ME ON THE ASS WITH A SPOON IM FUCKING DYING I CANT FUCKINT BELIVE JINT HSI FUCKING BITCH OH MY GOD DJSJSJDJS SHES FUCKING PREGNANT DIDNT THEY USE PROTECTION LIKE UNTIL THE LAST SEX PART WHERE JK FUCKED HER RAW IM FUCKING DYING AND SHES GONA DIE INT HECOLD FUCKING YOONGI THAT BITKCH ASS MUTHAFUCKIN I SWEAR TO GOD

LMAO OHMY GOD hahahaha xD Well - if you read the parts when they have sex, there are instances when Jungkook is having sex with the reader when he isn’t wearing a condom. For instance, the morning after the first time they have sex. The reader is on top and he hasn’t got a condom on. Yes - he doesn’t “finish” inside her, but that doesn’t mean you still can’t get pregnant ^^ And also, just because you’re using a condom, doesn’t mean you can’t get pregnant! Thank you for reading love :D

@semisweetsuga said: AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA -IWSY by Koto

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA - by Sara THANK YOU BBY

Anonymous said: The scale for this story isn't 0 to 100 anymore. It's just 100 to 5000 at this point ya know? There's never a point where this story rests at 0

heh, I think that’s a matter of subjectivity my darling. There are points in which I believe this story is calm and tranquil depending on the situation - take the moment in the restaurant for example, or various soft/romantic moments that the reader is subjected to. Of course, it is a Vampire fiction, so the element of thrill would naturally be quite high :D

@xokookiebts said: I swear im choking. If her baby gets hurt, im breaking my phone i stg. I will sue min yoongi. That little shit.

Please don’t break your phone! I hope that everything works out for you in the story c: thank you for reading my love!