#Law and order gavel

[spnexploration]

I swear they just did the Law & Order gavel noise when they kicked open Michael's church in Apocalypse World

[harmonysanreads]

i keep on thinking about yan!neuvillette lately ever since i saw those posts you reblogged 😭🙏

yan!neuvillette who has you arrested and tried in fontaine’s supreme court. having secretly worked with the prosecutors to make sure that the odds are against you, he rules that you are guilty of a crime which you, in reality, didn’t commit — but the evidence was stacked against you, and the defence certainly had no chance in winning the trial.

after all, neuvillette was the chief justice of the supreme court. the highest position one could have in this nation, second only to the hydro archon herself. who wouldn’t trust his judgement, especially when it appeared that you truly were guilty of the crimes you were accused of?

yan!neuvillette, expected by society to uphold the law and help maintain peace and order within the nation as their reliable chief justice, but neuvillette knew how to keep his position and reputation secure while using his vast knowledge of all the ins and outs of the laws, and what loopholes there are and aren’t in order to bend things to his will — namely, your circumstances. nobody knew fontaine’s legal system better than he did; and you’re the only thing he’d bend the rules for.

the majestic ornate walls of gold within the opera epiclese have never felt so suffocating before.

and, as she always did with every trial, the hydro archon oversaw yours; but it appeared that all she cared for was excitement, seeking thrills and theatrical twists that belonged to the stage. it was made clear rather quickly that the last thing she would do was interfere with neuvillette’s verdict, evidently having long lost her interest in your case.

there’s nothing else to turn to. no one else to turn to. neuvillette had the highest form of authority that a citizen of the land of justice could hold, so even if you were highly dissatisfied with the result of your trial, there was no higher court you could appeal to. the decision of the supreme court was final.

yan!neuvillette who even gave periodical visits to you down in the prisons, much to your surprise and apparent confusion — you would’ve thought that any business with this man was over the moment the gavel was struck and the court adjourned. but whatever matters a man as important as neuvillette had to tend to in the prison, he certainly spent a good portion of that time speaking to you. even the prison guards were momentarily dismissed while he stood before the bars of your cell to hold brief talks with you.

yan!neuvillette who one day quite nonchalantly revealed that he was actually fully aware of your innocence during the trial.

does he truly hold the right to judge the crimes of others if he, too, is guilty of committing such injustices behind the scenes?

the sudden spark of realisation and anger in your eyes, that shift in expression that was a fire that burned so strongly, caused the slightest change in his otherwise neutral conduct. it’s something that made you so interesting to him. however, venomous insults began to spill out of your lips, ruining that momentary image. you should remember your current circumstances, he reminded you. you were in no position to be uttering such expletives towards him, of all people. and to think he was about to offer you a way out, a way to clear your name, perhaps..

but you only deserve such a mercy if you hold your tongue and cooperate with him.

the conversation continued no further that day — he walked off without another word, leaving you to your own thoughts.

- 🕯️

Mmmmmm, delectable as always nonnie! I love how we all agree that Yandere!Neuvillette is so unfair in all the ironic ways. Not only are you unable to oppose his unjust verdicts but also you cannot reason with his logic. Since we're still yet to see more of him, you know what would make him absolutely terrifying? If he had not even a shred of guilt for what he was doing. And seeing as how Focalors never really intervenes in the trials, we can guess who gives him all this power and self-assurance. All speculations thus far, of course.

Neuvillette seems like someone who values etiquette. That being said, I don't think he's someone who'd opt for physical punishments rather, he'd probably make you memorize all the ridiculous court etiquette of Fontaine. Especially if you misbehave, the tomes of Fontaine's constitution are waiting for you.

[cowgurrrl]

Angel of Small Death

Pairing: Matt Murdock x lawyer!reader

Author’s note: this may or may not turn into a series plan accordingly

Summary: Nothing seems to go your way around your college rival, Matt Murdock [3.8k]

Warnings: June didn't go to law school so take all legal talk with a grain of salt, discussions of custody cases/child abuse charges, A shitty father, mentions of the Red Room/Widows, canonical type violence, Matt Murdock being a menace to society, set in season one of Daredevil (~2014)

You're fuming when you walk into court. The familiar smug smile at the opposing table doesn't do anything to deter your anger. You slam your briefcase down on the table and stand before Judge Harlow. 

"Good morning, Miss-"

"Your Honor, I find it highly inappropriate I was not informed of Mr. Parsons hiring new counsel. Not only that, but he hired new counsel three hours before our hearing today. There is no possible way for this proceeding to be fair without his counsel being adequately brought up to speed. For this reason, I am petitioning for another court date to be held so Mr. Murdock can be properly briefed about the case." Your words are cutting and exact, as you were trained to make them. In law school, your classmates rarely wanted to go against you in mock trial. Moments like this, when your frustration rises to the surface, make you realize why. The dark-haired man with red glasses clears his throat from the opposite table as he stands. It takes everything in you to remain professional. 

"With all due respect, your Honor, I believe opposing counsel is just stalling. I have reviewed all the necessary documentation, and it is my fault that Mr. Parsons was pressed for time in finding new representation," Matt says. "Mr. Parsons just wants to resolve this issue as soon as possible so his daughter can be brought home safely after such a… harrowing experience with her sister."

"Ms. Parsons is currently being held without bond at Riker's on an unsubstantiated charge that has no bearing on her ability to raise Bea. This judicial hurdle is a hardship I would think Mr. Murdock would be sensitive to considering his status as a defense attorney and not a family lawyer." You retort, and Matt scoffs. You whip around to face him and find him shaking his head as his fingers flex around his cane.

"Do you consider robbery an unsubstantiated charge when it's caught on video and has multiple witnesses willing to testify to what they saw?" 

"Mr. Murdock, if your father kicked you and your thirteen-year-old sister out of the house in the middle of a New York winter, how would you, at eighteen years old, handle it?"

"Order!" Judge Harlow bangs her gavel several times to get everyone's attention, and you take a deep breath. "All of your concerns have been made abundantly clear, counselors, but if Mr. Murdock says he feels prepared, I will have to believe him. However, I do apologize on behalf of Mr. Murdock's office for not properly warning you of this matter, and I trust that he and his office will not make the same mistake again. Now, can we please get on with today's matter without another outburst?"

"Yes, Your Honor," Matt says, that stupid charm dripping from his voice. You bite the inside of your cheek and summon whatever willpower you have left.

"Yes, Your Honor." You say before returning to your table and gathering the relevant documents for the day's hearing. 

Robert Parsons is not the first shitty father you've had to deal with in all your years of family law. However, he might be one of the worst. Bea and Morgan's mother, Diana, died in the 2012 attack on New York. Since then, Robert, an NYPD officer, has been able to keep his emotional and physical abuse of his daughters under the radar until this winter when he kicked the girls out after he found out Bea snuck out of the house. He said he was "teaching them a lesson about discipline." Morgan, a kid herself, panicked when Bea spiked a fever and tried to steal Tylenol and some food from a local bodega. A fight broke out between Morgan and the cashier, and the police (her dad) were called. You've been trying to help them since Megan came to you at sixteen, but the system has been working against you at every turn. It doesn't help that the NYPD doesn't protect anyone as well as they protect their own. 

So, the fact that the asshole changed counsel three hours before one of the most important custody hearings of your entire year was enough to make your blood boil. The fact that the person representing him is none other than your law school rival, Matt Murdock, made you want to scream. Matt Murdock: Columbia's golden boy, a childhood hero who sacrificed his vision to save an old man's life, Battlin' Jack's son (RE: orphan), the guy who made all the girls in your classes swoon, the guy who told you that family law was a waste of your time. "You just wanna deal with whiny kids all day?" He asked you when you got your internship at one of the top family law firms in the city. For a kid who grew up in an orphanage, you would think he'd have a little more compassion for people who deal with "whiny kids." 

It doesn't matter because that was years ago, and you've since worked your way up the ladder to become one of the state's best, most aggressive family lawyers. People come from all over just to get you to represent them against abusive ex-husbands or piss-poor foster parents. You do good work. You know you do. You also know that Matt does, too. You've kept up with him since he graduated, mainly to compare career tracks and see if the days of winning smiles and perfect dark hair would ever end, but of course, it hasn't. Being on his own time in his own law firm suits him, and you hate that it does. 

Maybe that's why you show him absolutely no mercy in the court proceedings. You pull every piece of evidence you have that shows neglect, abuse, or even just a smidgen of the mental anguish he's put those girls through. Matt quickly and impressively pivots and challenges that this is not a criminal court and you're going above and beyond what's necessary. You argue about where Bea should go for about fifteen minutes while the custody arrangement is still in the air. You contest that Bea should go upstate with her maternal grandmother, Susan, while Matt says she should go back with her father after the emotional distress of Morgan's arrest. 

"Do you honestly believe the best thing for a child undergoing such stress is to move her miles away from the only home she's ever known?" Matt asks incredulously, cocking his head in your direction. You narrow your eyes at him even though you know he can't see you and square your shoulders.

"No, but being away from the man with child abuse charges pending might."

"Mr. Parsons is ready and willing to testify in a court of law that Morgan ran off with her sister in the middle of the night, and he was deploying his squadron to help locate the missing children. However, we aren't here to talk about that. We're here to talk about the safest place for Bea, which could later unfold into where she lives permanently until she becomes a legal adult. Do you really feel comfortable enlisting an elderly woman in the care of a rowdy teenager?"

"Thank you, Mr. Murdock, for the reminder of what today's hearing is actually about. I would've worried you were too ready to treat Mr. Parsons as a defendant." You snap, and Judge Harlow calls to order again. You exhale long through your nose and turn to face her. 

"While I appreciate your passion for this case, I encourage you two to find it within yourselves to keep these proceedings as professional as possible," she says. You recognize the tone. It's legalese for "shut the fuck up before you give me a reason to kick you out of my courtroom." "Beatrice Parsons will stay in her current foster home with supervised visits from her grandmother, Susan Kelsey. Given the emotional state of the child, I will not be releasing visitation time to the father until we see an improvement." 

"And Ms. Parsons, Your Honor? Will she be allowed to visit Bea upon her release?" You ask. 

"That is a matter we can revisit upon Ms. Parsons' release from Riker's. Until then, the only allowed contact with the child is her grandmother and the legal teams. We'll reconvene next Monday morning. Court is adjourned." With that, she bangs her gavel, and you're left reeling. Matt and Robert whisper to each other as you gather your paperwork and pack it away again. Your phone buzzes in your jacket, reminding you that you have to meet with another family regarding another custody agreement in two hours. You sigh and quickly make for the door when Matt and Robert start standing from their table. 

You're halfway to the elevator when you hear your name and reluctantly turn around. "Shit," you mumble as Matt taps his cane down the hallway. Thank God Robert is nowhere in sight, and you plaster on a fake smile for potential onlookers. "Mr. Murdock, how can I help you?"

"Well, I was hoping you could hold the elevator for me," he says. "And maybe we could strike a deal on our way down." You chuckle at his confidence and white knuckle the handles of your briefcase. 

"I don't think we could agree on anything within a thirty-second elevator ride, but I appreciate your enthusiasm."

"Really? Not even where I can buy you a coffee?" He asks as the elevator dings down the hallway. 

"Unfortunately not. I have another client meeting soon. I would've expected a man with his own practice to have similar meetings today, but I guess I was mistaken?" You say as you walk to the elevator. Matt follows suit, laughing at the dig. You press the button for the lobby, and the doors shut, and for a second, it's silent in the elevator. Years of competition and hate linger in the air.

"I've gotta say, I'm impressed with you." He says in a low voice like it's a secret, and you turn to look at him. "Yeah. It's really hard in this line of work to make quite as many enemies as you have." 

"It's not that hard to piss people off when you say they shouldn't have custody of their kids. Just like I'm sure people get pissed at you when you defend murderers."

"I don't defend murderers."

"Oh, Karen Page wasn't a murderer?" The name makes him still next to you as the doors finally open. "See you next Monday, Murdock." You say as you step out of the elevator, leaving Matt in the dust.

For the next week, you bounce between client meetings, hearings, mediations, visits to Morgan in Riker's, and late nights in the office, trying to find a way to take down Parsons and get Morgan out of jail. You would think being the daughter of a cop would be better in this kind of situation. You try to pull every string you can find, milk every connection, and almost beg any defense attorney you can corner for long enough. Still, Morgan remains in Riker's the night before the next hearing, and you're exhausted. 

Your phone rings that night, and you try not to make a habit of answering work calls outside of your normal hours, but the unrecognized number is too tempting to not pick up. "Let's make a deal," Matt says before you can even get out a proper greeting. You scoff and tuck your phone between your ear and shoulder as you close your curtains. 

"Make it worth my time, Murdock. I answered your call on a Sunday night before court." 

"I'm willing to defend Morgan in court and get her out of Riker's by the end of the week," he says. You're about to argue that it's a conflict of interest, that if he'd paid attention in the first semester classes of law school, he would've known that, but he beats you to it. "If you agree to drop this case and get Bea home."

"You're asking me to drop charges of child abuse and reckless endangerment of a minor."

"No, I'm asking you to drop the custody portion for now. The child abuse and endangerment charges will move onto criminal court, but that trial will be a waste of time if you don't have a witness like Morgan." He says. It's true. Even though Morgan is beyond the statute of limitations, Bea isn't. Jurors will be sympathetic to a victim but not a criminal. "No one else is gonna help her, and I'd much rather defend her than her father." 

"So, what happens if Bea goes back and he beats the shit out of her?" You ask as your phone beeps with another notification. Matt starts a long ramble, but you're not fully listening. "Matt, I have another call coming in. Can we talk about this later?" You don't wait for a response. You just end the call and quickly press the red notification, a crackly voice coming in on the other end. 

"And you're sure that's the right amount?" Parsons asks, oblivious to your listening, and someone chuckles in response. 

"That is typically the starting payment," you recognize the accent and glance around your apartment, trying to come up with a plan. "Now, if you keep up the flow, we can discuss upping the payment."

"That shouldn't be a problem. It'll be smooth sailing once I get my kids out of the way. You can tell Mr. Dreykov that."

It's cold. Even under all your layers and your gear, it's cold. The city moves like a living beast all around you, its inhabitants oblivious to you hiding on a rooftop with a gun. It's been two hours since that phone call, and Parsons still isn't home. The call ended within a minute of the notification buzzing on your phone, but they didn't make any plans to meet up anywhere. And why would they if their business together is riding on the results of this custody case? You sigh, your mask pushing the air right back at you, as you sit back on your heels and glance at the night sky.

It's rare that you can ever see stars in New York, but sometimes, if you squint, you can catch little glimpses. You struggle to focus on constellations with the screeching of subway brakes and loud horns penetrating the otherwise peaceful night. You've been doing this for a long enough time that you no longer stress yourself out about things like this. It's work. It's what you're supposed to do, and you get away with it. With all the other masked idiots running around the city— not limited to The Masked Idiots that moved upstate after Stark Tower was destroyed— and the gangs, police are never able to track where bullets are coming from. If they happen to, it's just another job to finish. Not a big deal.

You look to Parson's apartment again and find it still dark and empty. It isn't until you go to adjust the scope that something shuffles behind you, and by that point, it's too late to stop the arms from wrapping around your shoulders and pulling you backward. You throw your head back until you hit something hard, and the grip on you falters enough for you to slip out. There's a mess of punches, kicks, and elbows thrown as you try to get away from your attacker, but with every movement, they seem to anticipate it before you do. It isn't long before you're pinned to a brick wall, too far from your gun, with a gloved hand wrapped around your throat.

"Why are you targeting him?" A deep voice asks above you, and you kick your feet under you, trying to get the upper hand, but he's too strong. His grip on your throat tightens, and you gasp for air. "Last chance." He threatens, and your head swims with no oxygen. 

"The recording," you croak. His hand loosens around your windpipe just enough for you to get more information out. "Listen to the recording. On the phone." He drops you as fast as he grabbed you, and you collapse to the ground in a heap of heavy breaths and gasps. You can hear an old, familiar voice in your head calling you pathetic and weak, but you ignore it to focus on getting breath in your lungs. 

"This is your phone?" The voice asks as he holds up your burner flip phone from 2007, and you scoff.

"Didn't realize I'd be interrogated for my choices in cellphones," you manage, and you imagine the eye roll rather than see it through the red of his mask. You've seen pictures of him before. You've read the articles calling him a vigilante, a wanna-be Avenger, a menace to society. You know him. He stares at you (through you?) carefully as he puts the phone to his ear and listens to the most recent recording from Parson's phone call. You wait for the muscle in his jaw to clench and unclench before pulling yourself to your feet and walking over to him. You take it as a good sign that he doesn't try to throw you off the building for moving and get close enough to him to make out the faint stubble on his square jaw.

"Parson's trafficking girls?" He asks, more to himself than anything, and you nod. "How'd you know about this?" 

"Parson's been receiving huge payouts from off-shore accounts for a few years. All it took was tapping the big mouth's phone to figure out who he was talking to and about what," you explain as you open your hand to ask for your phone back. He obliges, but not without a dramatic sigh. "Y'know, I thought you would've had a better idea of what goes on in the city, Devil Boy." 

"How has this not been flagged by anyone else?" He ignores your jab, much to your dismay.

"The Red Room has informants and Widows in almost every functional part of society. If they want something to stay quiet, they'll find a way."

"I thought Romanoff exposed them."

"Deykov made it impossible to cut ties with the Red Room and other Widows for years. Somehow, Romanoff got out. Barely, but she made it out. There's no way she'd do anything to piss them off now. Not when she's gotten this far," you say. "As far as the public knows, Black Widow is an Avenger and nothing more."

"You got out." 

"I'm not a Widow."

"No?" He asks, and you shake your head. "So, you just had a military-grade weapon and tactical gear lying around?"

"Can't a girl take herself on a shopping spree?" You ask, not willing to justify him with a real answer. The rooftop goes quiet as you think about what the next step is. 

"You don't have to kill him." He says softly, like he's anticipating your reaction. You bite the inside of your cheek and turn to him, annoyance building in your stomach.

"What did you just say to me?"

"I know you want him to suffer, and trust me, he will, but if you want things to change, you need to get information from him. To get information from him, he needs to stay alive."

"What are you? A fucking altar boy?"

"Those girls don't get justice if you kill him."

"Justice," you laugh. "He gets to kidnap, torture, and brainwash little girls, and I'm supposed to just let him rot in prison? Is that justice to you, Red?" He's silent, and you shake your head. "Yeah, I didn't think so." You're about to turn back to your gun and find a way to make him leave you alone when three police cars go speeding down the street behind an FDNY truck. They're speeding and more urgent in their driving than you've seen in a long time. A rogue thought pricks at the corner of your brain, and you mumble a curse. 

Quickly, you open your phone and jam a few buttons until the sound of a police scanner comes through the shitty speakers. "Explosion reported at the corner of Ninth Ave and West 42nd. Multiple casualties have already been reported by people at the scene," a voice reports on the other line, and you hold your breath. "Officer Robert Parsons was reportedly inside the bar when the gas line blew, and he is assumed dead." 

The first thing you do when you get to the office in the morning is file an emergency petition to assign temporary custody of Bea to her grandmother. You're almost positive it'll get approved, considering how there's no one else involved in this custody case. Now free from his obligation to Robert, Matt sent you an email early this morning saying he would defend Morgan in court. You didn't respond. There are too many moving parts to focus on to care about responding to a pity representation in court.

Robert was talking to somebody from the Red Room not even four hours before he died in a fiery explosion. FDNY ruled it as an accident, but you know better. Did he blabber to someone on the force about the off-shore accounts? Did Dreykov's men just finally decide he wasn't worth all the trouble anymore? Did they find out you tapped his phone? If they did, it's only a matter of time before someone finds you. All the hairs on the back of your neck stand up as you stare at the blinking cursor on your computer screen. Your secretary, Margaret, saying your name makes you jump harder than it should've.

"Oh! Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you." She says in all her midwestern politeness, and you shake your head.

"I'm just a little jumpy this morning. Didn't get a lot of sleep last night." You wave her off, and she raises her eyebrows at you sympathetically.

"D'you want me to go get you a coffee?"

"No, thank you. I probably need to lay off coffee for a few hours," you sigh. "Did you need something from me?"

"Oh, yes. Someone called and left you a message... A Matt Murdock?" She says like she's hoping you'll recognize the name, and you nod.

"What'd he say?"

"He wanted to meet with you for lunch to discuss something. He didn't say what." Fucking Matt Murdock, you think. Finding a way to wiggle back into your life just because of one stupid case. "I can tell him no if you want me to."

"No, it's okay. I'll meet with him. We have some unfinished business together." You say, and she leaves to confirm lunch plans with Matt's office. You take a sip of your water, and your throat screams in pain from Devil Boy nearly choking you to death. The reminder that he knew about Parson's involvement with the Red Room before disappearing into the night makes your skin crawl. Another loose end to tie up at another time. Still, your head pounds with all the swirling information and the knowledge that there's no way you'll be getting rid of Matt Murdock anytime soon. "Shit."

[kryptonitejelly]

nick amaro x reader // law and order SVU - yet another one, same universe as this moment (ft. a hint of the criminal minds team because I can)

-

“Nick, you coming?” Liv calls out to Nick who trails behind the team as they exit the court.

“Nah, you guys go ahead,” Nick responds, his eyes darting around along the hallways of the courthouse as soon as he steps out through the doors.

“Are you really passing up on a chance to empty Barba’s bank account?” Amanda asks.

“Have a few more drinks for me,” Nick responds absently as he pulls out his phone to tap swiftly at the screen in attempt to pull the court schedule for the day on screen. It takes a couple of seconds of scrolling before he locates his target - your name marked against a short list of information which includes a courtroom number. He bids the team farewell in an almost hasty manner, a shine to his eyes that the team knew only meant one thing - you, before turning sharply on his heel to make his way down the hallway.

-

Nick locates the courtroom without much difficulty. He slides in silently through the doors before slipping himself into a seat at the back. He’s caught you in the middle of your closing submissions. The content is sombre, gruesome even, with your caseload being mostly in homicide, but Nick doesn’t focus in the words, choosing instead to let himself hone in on the way you glide up and down the bench of jurors in -‘ easy, but carefully thought up positioning. He lets his gaze travel along your face, the side of your jaw. You look magnificent - is what Nick decides as he hears the hum of your voice drawing itself to a conclusions as you deliver the final few lines of your closing statement.

“Thank you,” he hears you say as you hold the gaze of the jury for a beat more, before making your way back to your chair, heels clicking against the polished floors.

He listens to the judge give directions to the jury before banging the gavel down. The courtroom erupts in a buzz of noises - chairs shifting, murmurs and movement as the jury shuffle out to deliberate. He sees you stand, only to be caught by two tall men - one lanky and in a sweater vest, the other in a suit. Nick recognises them as Agents Reid and Hotchner from the FBI, Agents whose team he knew you worked with now and then. He doesn’t leave his seat, content to watch you engaged in the conversation as your hands move in tandem, gathering your belongings off the desk.

You turn, as you move to sling the straps of your bag onto your shoulder and Nick’s gaze finally meets yours as your line of sight lands on him, a lone figure in the back row of the courtroom. It makes your face brighten, the difference stark enough to cause both Agents to pause and look back.

Nick stands, as you begin to make your way towards him while still conversing with the Agents who follow in step.

“I guess we’ll see,” is what he hears you say to the two men who hum in agreement, “it’s out of our hands now.”

“Detective,” Agent Hotchner’s greeting is accompanies by a wave from his lankier companion.

“Agents,” Nick returns the courtesy as he steps out, slipping his hand casually, and easily into yours.

“I’ll see you both,” Nick feels you lace your fingers through his, as you signal the end of the conversation to the two profilers who give you quick nods. He takes it as his cute to lead you towards the door of the courtroom, which you gladly take.

“I’ve said it before” he begins as you both slip out into the hallway, past the lingering crowd, “but the courtroom suits you.”

“You say it every time,” you chuckle as you feel him tighten his hold on your hand. It makes Nick smile.

“Dinner?” He asks, as you both find yourselves walking towards the lifts. It was one of those blessed Friday that you both were done with work for the day at a reasonable time. Nick had caught enough of the judge’s closing remarks to know she had directed the jury to reconvene their deliberations on Monday.

“Chinese?”

“You read my mind.”

“Can we not get out of bed till the weekend is over,” you stretch your neck to a side as you both stand in front of the lift doors waiting for the elevator to hit your floor.

“We won’t move an inch,” Nick brings the back your hand up to his lips, pressing a kiss into your skin.

“I’m holding you to that,” you say looking at him, watching the corners of his eyes crinkle in amusement.

“Maybe more than an inch,” he winks at you before dropping both your hands between you both again, “but without leaving the bed.”

“Nicolas Fiorello Amaro, Jr.” you chide with a grin.

“Save that,” he says before leaning his lips over to brush against the side of your head, “for the weekend.”

[justanotherrpmeme]

Make an Example of Them starters

"This is a warning to all of you. Challenge the system, and you'll end up like them."

"You thought you could fight for justice? Pitiful. Now your followers will know what happens to those who dare defy."

"Your little rebellion ends now. Let this be a lesson to anyone harboring thoughts of resistance."

"Remember this face, because it'll be the last thing you see if you dare question the law."

"Your punishment isn't just for you. It's a message to every troublemaker in this town."

"This town runs on order, not on the chaos you sought to create. Let them be the symbol of that order."

"You thought you could change things? Now you'll serve as a reminder of how futile your efforts were."

"This is the consequence of disobedience. May it haunt your dreams, and may others learn from your demise."

"Your fight was valiant, but in the end, the system always prevails. Let this be etched in the minds of your sympathizers."

"This is what happens when you challenge authority. Let their fate be a deterrent to those who dare follow their path."

[BARS] The receiver is forcefully thrown into a cold, dark cell, the heavy iron bars closing behind them.

[SLAM] The sender slams the gavel down with a resounding thud, sealing the fate of the one being punished.

[CHAIN] Heavy chains are fastened around the punished, restricting their movement.

[HUMILIATION] The receiver is paraded through the town square, a symbol of disgrace, as the crowd jeers.

[BRUTAL] The sender delivers the harsh sentence with a stoic expression, unmoved by any pleas for mercy.

[GUARDS] The receiver is escorted away by stern-faced prison guards, their cold eyes reflecting the severity of the punishment.

[VERDICT] The air grows heavy as the harsh verdict is pronounced, suffocating the hope of those who dared to resist.

[HEAVY] Iron shackles clink loudly as they're fastened around the ankles, restricting freedom.

[DARK] The receiver catches a glimpse of the dark prison cells they'll inhabit, a place devoid of hope and filled with despair.

[merakiui]

I know Riddle is always portray as a doctor due to his family but considering his unique magic, I think a judge is more suitable for him.

Since he's always authoritative during his time as housewarden back in NRC and since he has memorised all 810 rules, it's no surprise that he can do the same for the law.

But here's the juicy part: since he has the law by his side, he can bend some to however he pleases especially declaring mc guilty or not, he could even sentence mc for house arrest in his house and even control the police force in a way (or ask Deuce)

I agree!!!! I have this headcanon that, though Riddle's expected to study medicine and become a magic doctor like his parents, he actually wants to pursue a profession in law. There are a few hints in twst that show he's interested in law, so imagining him as a judge or a lawyer is always fun!! <3

But then that makes him all the more dangerous if he has the law at his side. ;;;; and since he knows the laws like he knows the back of his own hand, he could easily find loopholes and ways to exploit and tiptoe around certain things. Imagine he's the judge you go to so he can review your restraining order against [insert twst guy here, although I like to imagine Floyd hehe] and Riddle uses your vulnerabilities and the law to his advantage so he can keep just fearful enough to keep coming back to him (or keeping in close contact with Officer Spade, who can alert Riddle should anything happen and he'll be more than happy to help in any way he can).

Aaaaaa something about corrupt people in law who use it to their advantage (or to hide behind it as a form of protection when they do something illegal) is always so delicious to consider in yandere... orz because it could never be him, right? Surely not. He's with the law! Why would he ever do something that goes against it and could potentially get him in big trouble? He's the least suspect ever. :) and all while he plays a perfect, sweet, law-abiding judge, you remain shackled in his home. If Riddle waits long enough, they might even declare you dead in absentia. He's studied (and presided over) his fair share of missing persons cases that have made it to court. He knows what not to do so he won't end up before a judge much like the other sorry fools who have stood on trial before him.

He holds the gavel and, unfortunately, the law in the palms of his hands. You can't outsmart that which is already two steps ahead.

(Also, in book six Azul mentions how nice and convenient it would be to have a friend who is attached to and knows the law when he's in a bind. Thinking about Riddle who helps Azul cover up your kidnapping so that the both of them can share you in secret.........)

[tacobellabeanburrito]

Funny way I got into Ace Attorney

So, my cabaret show is coming up (It’s a show choir and choir show that we do at the end of the year) and last year, for our cabaret show, I got to write almost all of the scripts for the interludes in between solo acts and duets.

Our theme was Television and me and my friend had a lot of ideas for scripts. One of these ideas was Choir Court.

Now, I had NO idea how court worked, really. And I didn’t want to waste my time looking at Judge Judy and Law & Order or whatever, so I was like “Hey, Ace Attorney is about law. I’ll just look at the transcripts for that and get my ideas from there!”.

Long story short, that REALLY got me into Ace Attorney. Like, badly.

What makes it even funnier is that I played Phoenix (The defense attorney, not really based on Phoenix and more based on em) because I really wanted to be the defense attorney and my friend (who also wrote the scripts, we’re both actors) was Miles (the prosecutor, now this bitch was based on Edgeworth just because both my friend and Edgeworth are in their cunt eras).

Anyway, funny story. Everyone loved Choir Court. OHH AND AND me and my friend ended up working together at the end to catch the culprit. I also got that from Ace Attorney and the Steel Samurai case. I think after this I got into watching the anime? And then started playing the games with that 10 dollar off deal Nintendo did?

Idk, anyway, I’m hilarious. I actually uploaded part of that show that my mom recorded. Me and him were even in suits and we had our other friend play the judge (She had a squeaky gavel).

[aayo-whatt]

~got bored so i put the winchester gays and their angel "buddies" in an incorrect quotes generator~

PART TWO BESTIES

~~

Adam, ordering coffee: I’d like a light roast. Dean: You're kinda ugly.

~~

Cas: It’s impossible to make a sentence without using the letter a. Michael: Despite your thinking, it is quite possible, yet difficult, to form one without the specific letter. Here’s one more to further disprove your theory. Gabe: Fuck you.

~~

Sam: Oh my Gabe. Dean: Don't you mean 'oh my god'? Sam: You worship your god, I'll worship mine.

HELLO- IM DYING RN-

~~

Michael: Swear words are illegal now. If you say one you'll be fined. Dean: Heck. Michael: You're on thin fucking ice. Michael: Oh no-

~~

Michael: If I had a face like yours, I'd put it on a wall and throw a brick at it. Gabe: If I had a face like YOURS, I'd put it on a brick and throw a wall at it.

~~

Michael: What's my sexuality?! I don't fucking know! I'm not straight, and that's all that matters. Well, maybe that's unfair to the straights. Some of my best friends are straight! Well, one of them. Well, I know them, and Dean is perfectly tolerable person in small doses!

~~

Cas: Dean, you're an asshole, man. Dean: You are what you eat Cas.

CACKLING SOBBING ON THE FLOOR DYING OH MY CHUCK-

~~

Michael: A mouse! Dean, pulling out a knife: Go back to where you came from or I'll stab you. Gabe, pulling out a frying pan: It'll make a nice meal! Adam, giving the mouse cheese: You deserve a treat, little guy. Cas, gasping: It's Ratatouille! Sam: His name is Remi, dummy. Michael: I was going to say to just trap it and throw it out the window... what is wrong with you people.

~~

Michael: *standing at the top of the stairs* What are y'all doing at the bottom of the staircase? Cas: I accidentally fell down. Gabe: DEAN PUSHED ME down the stairs because I refuse to pay THEIR part of our rent! Sam: Cas bet me fifty bucks that I couldn't reach the bottom of the stairs faster than they did falling down it, so I slide down the banister to get my money. Adam: I don't know how I got here. One moment, I was sleeping in my bed, three floors up, and then suddenly I was waking up here, just in time to get crushed by Sam.

~~

Michael: So... who's the big spoon and who's the little spoon? Cas: We're chopsticks! Michael: Well... that's cute! Michael: Does that mean you two snuggle together perfectly? Dean: No, it means that if you take the other away, the only thing the other is good for is stabbing.

~~

Dean: Standing next to sunflowers always makes me feel weak like ‘look at this fucking flower. This flower is taller than I am. This flower is winning and I’m losing.’ Sam: Wow, you are not ready to hear about trees.

~~

*Dean dies in a game with ships* Cas: This ship is no longer a ship of love, it's a ship of vengeance, a gavel of justice against all that is wrong in the world, showing no mercy, as no mercy was shown to us. Cas: The spark of love will now fuel the fires of destructive glory as I wage my war across the world with righteous fury. Gabe: Legend has it that Dean still haunts the ship, stealing my fucking drinks. Dean: Of course I do.

~~

Adam with a gun to Sam's head: What happens if I pull this trigger? Heaven? Sam: Bold of you to assume I'll go to Heaven.

~~

Cas: A butterfly! Hey, little guy, gal or nonbinary pal! Michael: Can a butterfly be nonbinary? Cas: I mean, maybe? I don't judge. Adam, staring dreamily out of the window: Ah, have you ever imagine having butterfly wings? Then- Gabe: Then it would be inconvenient as fuck. Your wings would smack every doorframe and your clothes would have to have holes in the back. Dean: Also, your wing's paper thin, so even a six year old aimed a NERF gun at it would... Yeah... Sam: *sips coffee* According to all known laws of aviation, there is no way that a- Adam: No, nononono. You fuckers have already shattered my dream, you don't get the fucking privilege to make that reference. Michael: Also, it's about a butterfly, not a bee... Why would you make that reference? Cas: You clearly have not lived with them long enough.

~~

Dean: You treat an outside wound with rubbing alcohol. You treat an inside wound with drinking alcohol.

~~

Cas: I have seen a lot of murders in my time, and all six of them were today.

~~

Gabe: Hey guys! I drew everyones soul! Sam: Why is Michael's a monster? Michael: Gabe, you forgot Sam's! Its only an empty space! Gabe, proudly: Exactly

THE THING ABOUT SAM'S SOUL IS CANON OMGKBVERIUERKJ-

~~

Sam: What do you call quantums of electromagnetic radiation that don’t get along? Gabe: What did you just say- Sam: Foetons! *Laughs* Gabe: Wh-what?

that is a terrible joke i love it

~~

Dean: Wakey Wakey Eggs and Bakey! Cas: But I'm a vegan. Dean: Wakey Wakey Vegetables and Sadness.

~~

Gabe: No, this is not a mess. You know what I consider a mess? Cas: Your life? Gabe: I- well yes, but-

~~

Gabe: And here we see Dean and Sam in their natural habitat. Texting eachother variations of the word "garlic bread" to try to make eachother laugh. Dean: Gaelic bread. Sam: Grueling brad. Dean: Ha ha, glamorous beans.

~~

*when sam has no soul*

Dean: Sam, you need to react when people cry! Sam: I did. I rolled my eyes.

~~

PART 1 PART 3

[onomatopagu-et-cie]

The Killing Vote (ep. 1-5 notes)

I’ve been enjoying this drama and I wanted to post some thoughts about it! This last week’s episode kept me on my toes! It’s a crime they only air a single episode per week, truly a crime aaaa

I don’t really know if people watching this drama are on tumblr but I’ll post here anyway!

Have a nice week!!!

(SPOILERS UP TO EPISODE 5!!!!)

I love Joohyun’s relationship with Kwon Seokju so far, the scene where she played for him Mozart’s Requiem (if I’m not mistaken) while we see her hanging Narae’s stuffed bunny was soothing! Seeing a different approach than Kim Muchan is nice!

KMC’s relationship with KSJ is really intriguing: we only get KMC’s (quite unreliable, that’s what makes it even more interesting!) pov in the first episodes with almost no dialogue between the two of them, and the recent episodes give us another side to their story through KSJ! I really wonder how their relationship got soured (especially from KMC) to the point KMC advises Joohyun not to get too close and get manipulated by KSJ: besides his own guilt for not being able to save Narae in time nor catch her murderer and the fact that the one he looked up to killed Byun Wootaek, something else must’ve happened for it to get THIS sour. What is going onnnnnnn? Or is it all an act? (and KMC/Park Haejin has some sad puppy eyes on par with Im Siwan's and Jung Haein's I can't haha) He affirms KSJ is arrogant and wouldn’t hesitate to take the law in his own hands if it can’t solve the problem while he himself pushes investigations with ways off the record to arrest culprits. He shows a bitter attitude in front of KSJ and Joohyun most of the time when he talks about him, but at the same time he also confided his guilt to Joohyun in private and seemed to regularly ask how KSJ was doing in prison during the past 8 years. I also get the feeling he was asking the warden if KSJ was regularly getting health checks by a doctor out of worry besides the investigation.

(This is some crack theory, but what if the one who murdered BWT was KMC and not KSJ? At this point, the narration is really unreliable so I wouldn't even be surprised!)

On that subject, I wonder if the drama will address KSJ’s health issue with his collapsed lung/asthma again ; his medical visit also seemed shot in order not to show the doctor’s silhouette at all, I wonder if this will hold any significance later on (it could be Jihoon’s grandmother, who knows!)? Not to mention Uhm Eungyeong, the culprit on ep2, was poisoned by Gaetal knowing she had asthma????

When the judge ruled Byun Wootaek’s acquittal (ep4), his gavel (a symbol of the justice) was shot struck right in front of KSJ’s silhouette, above his head, as if justice itself crushed KSJ. A similar symbolism is used in ep5’s Killing Vote:

The flashbacks are beautifully shot, ep4 was really moving. This scene’s lighting furthered the tragedy: it’s as though the orange light and the blood on Narae burn into KSJ and KMC’s profile as they find her, contrasting with Narae and the background’s cold tones:

Also when KSJ recalls how he murdered BWT, the same orange hue colors the shots.

In ep5, we finally hear the voice of a man who is thought to be Gaetal, when he’s talking to KMC over the phone. The opening shows the cast’s profiles, but there’s this one character we haven’t seen yet:

The man in question could totally be this character that wasn’t introduced yet! He’s probably the ‘executor’ of the Killing Vote, who was chatting with the teacher Lee Minsu.

I think Gaetal is definitely not the work of only one person: there’s at least the executor, tech-savvy people organizing the vote (the stream, the text messages, the hacking, …), the one on the stream (or maybe there’s more than one on the stream, a different one per case because the tone and attitude are never the same: agressive, vengeful, or bubbly, or caustic…) and perhaps someone in the police.

The teacher could be Fan no. 1 and/or Gaetal (if it’s not the same person/group): In ep4, we learn KSJ’s �� Fan no. 1 » (1호팬, [ilho fan]) regularly sent him letters which would describe in details how the culprits subject to the Killing Vote would be ‘judged’. In ep3, the teacher talks to this ‘executor’ under the pseudo ‘justice15’: if 15 is read with the sino-korean numbers for 1 (일 [il]) and 5 (오 [oh]), the pronunciation would be close to ‘no. 1’, so this could not be a simple coincidence. Also ‘justice’ could be a taunt directed towards KMC’s vision of justice (he uses 정의 to describe his ideal of justice to KSJ) since he seems to deeply resent KMC.

Gaetal uses KSJ and KMC’s words (‘devils deemed innocent’, ‘rational justice’) and interestingly, another character who talks about rationality is the assemblywoman (‘rationality, moral sense and mothers are stronger than the law’)!

Also, this dude is on some twisted christian trip: in ep4, we get a glimpse of the teacher’s tattoo, a cross on his chest that reads… ‘My daddy My hero’… which was what Narae used to say to her father (her hero, making her safe because he’s always there to protect her) and a part of her room’s decoration…

Well, if he killed Narae and his mother made Byun Wootaek the scapegoat for every crimes he committed this far, something must have gone wrong this time for him (and his mother) to deeply resent KMC to the point of wanting to kill him: they managed to pull the strings of the police and judicial system, but KMC must have discovered Lee Minsu was the real culprit (perhaps after KSJ killed BWT) and tried to kill him, which might’ve worsened his heart condition somehow.

(And it’s interesting how the second screenshot shows the teacher discarding his now bloodied watch in disgust after hearing KMC saying ‘I was willing to break rules to catch this heinous criminal as soon as possible’ mmmmh…)

Just as Captain Oh completely denied his liability in ep5, he must have felt wronged, Narae’s case being the only one that 'sullied' him (and this must be why he changed names, from Lee Yunseong to Lee Minsu). Associating the accusations he must’ve faced because of Narae’s case and KMC to the Passion of the Christ in a sick, twisted way, he must’ve thought this tattoo as his own crucifixion leading to his rebirth/his revenge through the Killing Vote?

If the teacher is the mastermind behind the Killing Vote, choosing culprits involved in CSE, SA and CA so far for the votes could be: 1 — to mask his true identity, seemingly siding with true justice while he’s one of those he judges. Also, choosing keywords associated to BOTH KSJ and KMC could be to mislead the police to believe Gaetal is close to KSJ and both KSJ and KMC to suspect one another 2 — a sick way to play with KMC’s concept of justice and using KSJ's trauma (and KMC) ; 3 — to hide the final objective of the Killing Vote: since he gives the public a pretty convincing and sophisticated fact-check all the circumstances surrounding the culprits’ crimes (Gaetal even said in one of their streams that a culprit wouldn’t be subject to the vote if their crimes weren’t true), this could lead the public to believe every case would be exposed truthfully. Which means one of these cases could be fabricated and nobody would realize it at first. If the teacher organized the Killing Vote to get back at KMC (this also seems to benefit his mother’s campaign), perhaps the last vote would accuse KMC or KSJ of Narae’s murder (since no culprit was found guilty) or another crime.

At his final trial, KSJ accused ’the police who released BWT because they cared more about their performance’. We now know the police commissionner, KMC’s superior and the assemblywoman were all linked somehow to what happened 8 years ago. We also got a flashback of Choi Jinsu, KMC’s colleague who was also the detective in charge in both Narae and KSJ’s case, who gave KMC the hint of Byun Wootaek being the culprit. KMC, unlike him, ‘isn’t interested in politics’… He also recognized the teacher as Lee Yunseong, potentially his name before murdering Narae. In ep5, Joohyun automatically ruled CJS out of the suspect list because he’s not close to KSJ… If the premise that Gaetal must be close to KSJ is wrong, then his involvement could be possible: perhaps he was ordered to tamper with the procedure and the pieces of evidence during the two cases? Also, I wonder if KMC’s reputation will get addressed, his superiors must’ve pressured him to follow unofficial orders or he got to discover these orders (eg. maybe in Narae’s case?) and ever since he’s the man to ask for to do the dirty work? Or KMC could have deliberately gained his ‘Wipeout’ reputation to get closer to the truth of what happened 8 years ago?

In the first episode, the video test Joohyun found on Joomin’s laptop is named ‘Lrae091515’: if the drama takes place in 2023, the tragic events surrounding KSJ, KMC and Joohyun ‘8 years ago’ would have taken place in 2015! Could this refer to the final day of KSJ’s trial (or the day Narae was killed)? The pseudo ‘justice15’ could also be a reference to that date.

As for the ‘Lrae’… It could be a wild WILD guess but ‘Lrae’ could be ‘irae’ as in Dies Irae/day of wrath (capital i looks like a lowercase L), which is a sequence in Requiem mass!

The video test was only found on Joomin’s laptop when all the Internet cafe computers got the virus: the one who hacked the computers likely targeted Joomin or her sister, a police officer deliberately.

The tag in Narae’s room (‘the 13th was wrong’):

(It’s also a bit disturbing the tag was sprayed right on top of the ‘My daddy My hero’…)

— the narrative makes us think the tag refers to the 13th failed stab but it could be something else entirely (and perhaps KSJ is keeping this hint to himself?) — if the christian subtext truly exists in this drama (especially with the teacher’s tattoo), 13 is a number often linked in superstitions to the Cena, Judas (who betrayed Jesus, thought to have been the 13th guest to sit down to the Last Supper) and bad luck: whoever tagged this maybe wanted to signal KSJ the man he killed wasn’t the true culprit.

There is also a similar version in the norse mythology I found here:

« In his book “Extraordinary Origins of Everyday Things,” Charles Panati traces the concept of the cursed back to Norse mythology, when Loki, the god of mischief, gate-crashed a banquet in Valhalla, bringing the number of gods in attendance to 13. Deceived by Loki, the blind god Hodr was tricked into shooting his brother Balder, the god of light, joy and goodness, with a mistletoe-tipped arrow, killing him instantly. » And… we see the teacher communicating through the ‘Loki’ network (a wordplay for what would be Tor I guess, just as Apple would become a pear on laptops in media haha)!

(This is quite a reach, but for posterity in the opening, the 13th character shown is KMC, and in reverse order Jihoon haha)

The tag neither the news articles on Narae and KSJ’s cases weren’t in Gaetal’s video test:

idk how to explain, but I get the feeling that person A (who leaked the video), B (the Gaetal we see on the video), C (the Gaetal who’s now organizing the Killing Vote) & D (who tagged the wall and pinned the news articles about KSJ and Narae) could be different characters with respective objectives too. The drama highlights a bit too much the premise that Gaetal is one single individual that’s close to KSJ haha At the very least, whoever leaked the video knew someone else, especially KMC, would eventually be able to recognize its contents (‘devils deemed innocent’, Narae’s room and her stuffed bunny). Also for posterity, KMC was the one who ostensibly redirected KSJ’s attention to the picture of the tag on the wall.

The assemblywoman and the teacher both have a habit to touch their ear sometimes (eg. when she talked to him about KMC ; when the teacher was watching the student during PE). Jihoon also did it right after the teacher left: was it to try to reproduce what he did to understand what he was watching or is he linked to them?

At the very least Jihoon seems to know some things about the Killing Vote, the teacher as well as KMC:

— In ep1, he bumped into Joohyun as he went to retrieve one of the cups the teacher seems to make a collection of.

On the cup, there’s an ’S’ graved on it, just as the telltale sign of the Killing Vote is the character ㅅ/siot (시옷), the first character of 사형 (death penalty/capital punishment).

— He seems to know more than he lets on about the Killing Vote and keeps staring at the teacher (as though he knows his past crimes, eg. the closeups on the teacher grabbing/borderline groping Joomin’s shoulder, watching the students during PE etc.).

— He seemed startled when Joomin talked about ‘zombie PCs’.

— In ep3, Jihoon says: « I think [he] took it too far this time. » right after he saw KMC being alive and the man with the cap escape (which could totally be this character in the opening we’ve not yet seen). In Korean, the subject is often omitted and deduced from the context, it’s the case here: the drama keeps the ambiguity on whatever Jihoon meant here.

— Him being Narae’s friend would also make sense: as Narae was 8yo, she would be around Joomin and Jihoon’s age if she was still alive. There’s also Narae’s drawings that keep being showed, a boy/young man is always drawn on it.

As a child’s representation of adults and children could be inaccurate (the height, physical appearance, etc.), the characters we see on her drawings could be alternatively KMC (who was close to KSJ and given KSJ’s answer, also doted on her daughter), KSJ, a boy Narae used to play with (it could be Jihoon), the teacher or BWT, the son of the driver and the housekeeper who were also close to Narae and KSJ.

The assemblywoman asked her assistant to observe her son closely: I guess that refers to his health but it’s also to make sure he doesn’t commit crimes anymore. She also said to her son he definitely knows she’s ready to do anything to make Gaetal join her so that her campaign is successful: this + joking on TV how a mother is above the law suggest she definitely pulled strings to save their reputation (eg. using BWT as a convenient scapegoat ; tampering with the trials ; changing his son’s name etc.).

Joohyun thinks Gaetal acts like a hacker. That would also make Jodan (in ep5, he revealed he was arrested for hacking), Jihoon, the teacher and Joohyun herself suspects!

KSJ’s interest in Joohyun is curious: he even looked into her background once he met her & seems to focus on her habit to scratch her scar ; KMC’s comment on how unusual KSJ’s behavior was (specifically requesting Joohyun to communicate with ; negotiating his pardon — while he didn’t regret what he did at all) makes me think that: — in the letters or in some other way, Gaetal must’ve instructed him to obtain a pardon (perhaps they even told him to get rid of the letters to make him indispensable to the police) — Gaetal must’ve told him he would seek the truth to what happened to Narae: for someone who didn’t regret avenging her daughter, revealing Byun Wootaek was a scapegoat and the true culprit is roaming free out there would be plenty enough drive for him to find a way to get out of prison — whoever they are, Gaetal must’ve an ulterior motive to involve Joohyun, KSJ and KMC together

The first episode showed similar shots of KSJ and KMC (same backlighting, same low-angle shot, KSJ avenging his daughter and KMC lashing out on Bae Gicheol to stop him from abusing his wife):

I wonder if we’ll get to see KMC’s relationship with the woman on his photo (likely his mother), this is probably the only shot we get of him smiling not out of spite ;;

For Mu in Muchan, one of the hanja that can be given as a name is 橅, which means law, and it’s ironic given how the law failed him and KSJ ; sometimes characters are given names that will hold meaning in their development eg. Donghoon & Jian in My Mister ; Dongsik and Juwon in Beyond Evil.

For Ju in Seokju, there is 澍, which means timely/long-awaited rain ; rain has marked 2 important events in KSJ’s life: when he discovered his daughter’s body and when he was arrested by KMC after murdering Byun Wootaek ; there’s also 炷 which means wick, aligning with the OST lyrics (a fire burning in one’s eyes)

[probablyasocialecologist]

The Israeli narrative itself describes its own establishment by historic birthright and political turmoil. Zionism wanted to appear modern, democratic, and enlightened — not murderous, supremacist, and authoritarian. In 1948 already, Israel issued a series of military orders to place its crimes within a set of legal regulations. The Absentee Property Military Order, later formed into the Israeli Absentee Property Law, was created to further appropriate Palestinian land and belongings by the appearance of a system ruled by the rule of law. According to that rule, Israel declared that all Palestinian refugees and internally displaced persons who were forced out of their homes by the same regime that was prohibiting them from returning were absentees, and therefore all their land and property would be confiscated and transferred to Israeli state ownership. Although a clear violation of international law and principle, the law facilitates ethnic cleansing through legal venues.  Another example is how the state has established “legal” means to prohibit all Palestinian villages and neighborhoods from expanding in size. In practice, this has meant that since 1948 these places have been unable to grow to accommodate their inhabitants, which have quadrupled. A similar regulation was put in place in the territory occupied in 1967, with the same devasting result. The laws and regulations Israel put in place to advance its policies of forced population transfer are almost endless. For instance, in the 1967 occupied cities and areas, more than 2,000 Israeli military orders exist alongside Ottoman, British, and Jordanian laws. Israel chooses which regulations to apply in a specific situation to get the maximum result. And if the law does not exist, a new military order is formulated. This contradictory approach to all international legal principles forms the basis of Israel’s legal illegality.    In recent years Israel adopted laws to further curtail public freedoms, demonize all forms of Palestinian resistance as terrorism, and call all international supporters of Palestinian rights antisemites. The 2018 Nation-State Law is a prominent example of how the Israeli political system is heading further into a majoritarian and authoritarian direction. This law simply codified long-standing existing Israeli practices, in particular, that the right to exercise national self-determination in Israel is exclusively for Jewish people, and therefore made the fundamental imbalance of being a democratic state and a Jewish state clear. The law, in essence, declares if there is a clash between the Jewish and democratic character of the state, Jewishness precedes the latter. Such a grave restriction to democratic principles reveals Israel’s true nature and stands in direct contradiction to the decades-long mantra of being a “Jewish and democratic” state.  Another example is the recently passed amendment of one of Israel’s central apartheid laws, the 2010 “Village Committees Law,” which grants neighborhoods up to 700 households to reject people from moving in to “preserve the fabric” of that community, naturally leading to Jewish-only communities. According to Adalah, the amendment will lift the limitation on households in five years’ time, potentially granting Jewish-only admission committees power in all Israeli-controlled areas and cities throughout historic Palestine. 

[screampied]

saw 💋anon say smth abt gigi rama and his gavel and i immediately thought of him spanking you w it LMFAOAOAOO 😭😭😭

i'd be so embarrassed 💀💀💀 but it's higurama so actually maybe i don't mind 😇

higuruma spanking ur pussy w his gavel please 😭😭😭😭😭 i can kinda see him doing that tho, like if u ask him to do it he’d be like “lol ok”

omg do u think it’ll hurt ? 😭 imagine he hits ur cooch with it and says some law term like “ORDER” idk

[dreaminginthedeepsouth]

LETTERS FROM AN AMERICAN

October 3, 2023

HEATHER COX RICHARDSON

Wow.

Today, House Republicans made history by being the first to throw out their own Speaker of the House, while the frontrunner for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination made history by being the first candidate to be gagged by a judge after threatening one of the judge’s law clerks by posting a lie about her on social media. 

Ever since Representative Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) made a deal with the extremists in his conference to win the speakership after Republicans took control of the House of Representatives in January 2023, he has catered to those extremists in an apparent bid to hold on to his position. From the first, he gave them key positions on committees, permitted them to introduce extreme measures and load up bills with poison pills that meant the bills could never make it through Congress, and recently to open impeachment hearings against President Joe Biden.

But the extremists have continued to bully him, especially since they opposed a deal he cut with Biden before McCarthy would agree to raise the debt ceiling, threatening to make the United States default on its debt for the first time in U.S. history. When their refusal to pass either appropriations bills or a continuing resolution to buy more time to pass those bills meant the U.S. was hours away from a government shutdown, McCarthy finally had to rely on the Democrats for help passing a continuing resolution on Saturday. 

A shutdown would have hurt the country and, in so doing, would have benefited former president Trump, to whom the extremists are loyal. Led by Representative Matt Gaetz of Florida, they were vocal about their anger at McCarthy’s pivot to the Democrats to keep the government open, 

Yesterday, Gaetz challenged McCarthy’s leadership, apparently with the expectation that the Democrats would step in to save McCarthy’s job, although it is traditionally the majority party that determines its leader. According to Paul Kane of the Washington Post, McCarthy did reach out to Democrats for votes to support his speakership. But Democrats pointed to McCarthy’s constant caving to the MAGA Republicans—as recently as Sunday, McCarthy blamed the threat of a shutdown on the Democrats—and were clear the problem was the Republicans’ alone. 

“It is now the responsibility of the [Republican] members to end the House Republican Civil War. Given their unwillingness to break from MAGA extremism in an authentic and comprehensive manner, House Democratic leadership will vote yes on the pending Republican Motion to Vacate the Chair,” minority leader Hakeem Jeffries wrote to the Democratic caucus.

And so, when the House considered blocking Gaetz’s motion to vacate the chair, the measure failed by a vote of 208 to 218. Eleven Republicans voted against blocking it. And then, on the voting over the measure itself, 216 members voted to remove McCarthy while 210 voted to keep him in the speaker’s chair. Eight Republicans abandoned their party to toss him aside, making him the first speaker ever removed from office. 

The result was a surprise to many Republicans, and there is no apparent plan for moving forward. House Rules Chairman Tom Cole (R-OK), who released a statement supporting McCarthy, called the outcome “simply a vote for chaos.”

Speakers provide a list of people to become temporary speakers in case of emergency, so the gavel has passed to Representative Patrick McHenry (R-NC), who has power only to recess, adjourn, and hold votes for a new speaker. McCarthy says he will not run for speaker again. The House has recessed for the rest of the week, putting off a new speaker fight. 

Until then, Republicans seem to be turning their fury at their own debacle on the Democrats, blaming them for not stepping in to fix the Republicans’ mess. One of McHenry’s first official acts was to order former speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) to vacate her private Capitol office by tomorrow, announcing that he was having the room rekeyed. Pelosi was not even there for today’s votes; she is in California for the memorial services for the late Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA). 

McHenry’s action is unlikely to make the Democrats more eager to work with the Republicans; Pelosi noted that this “sharp departure from tradition” seemed a surprising first move “[w]ith all the important decisions that the new Republican Leadership must address, which we are all eagerly awaiting….” Pelosi might have been sharp, but she is not wrong. The continuing resolution to fund the government runs out shortly before Thanksgiving, and funding for Ukraine has an even shorter time frame than that. The House cannot do business without a speaker, and each day this chaos continues is a victory for the extremists who are eager to stop a government that does anything other than what they want from functioning, even as it highlights the Republicans’ inability to govern. 

Phew. But that was not the end of the day’s news.

Jose Pagliery of The Daily Beast, who is watching the New York trial of Trump, his two older sons, two of his associates, and the Trump Organization, wrote that New York Supreme Court Justice Arthur F. Engoron said today that he had warned Trump’s lawyer that Trump must not continue his attacks on the justice system. Rather than heed the warning, Trump today went after Engoron’s own law clerk, posting a lie about her with a photo on social media. “Personal attacks on members of my court staff are unacceptable, inappropriate, and I will not tolerate them under any circumstances,” Engoron said. 

Engoron ordered Trump to delete the post, and the former president did so. Engoron forbade “all parties from posting, emailing, or speaking publicly about any members of my staff” and warned there would be “serious sanctions” for those who did so. 

The New York case strikes close to Trump’s identity as a successful businessman by showing that he lied about the actual value of his properties, and by dissolving a number of his businesses by canceling their licenses. Adding to Trump’s troubles today is that he fell off Forbes’ list of the 400 wealthiest Americans, a status that in the past he has cared deeply about.

In the midst of the Republican chaos, the Biden administration announced that the manufacturers of all the ten drugs selected for negotiation with Medicare to lower prices have agreed to participate in the program, although they are pursuing lawsuits to stop it. Several of the pharmaceutical companies have complained of being “essentially forced” to sign on; one says it is participating “under protest” but feels it has no choice given the penalties their products would bear if they are unwilling to negotiate prices. 

According to the White House, the ten drugs selected for negotiation accounted for a total of $3.4 billion in out-of-pocket costs for an estimated 9 million Medicare enrollees in 2022. The negotiations were authorized by the Inflation Reduction Act, which passed without any Republican votes.

The Department of Justice announced eight indictments against China-based companies and their employees for crimes relating to street fentanyl and methamphetamine production, distribution of synthetic opioids, and sales resulting from precursor chemicals used to make street fentanyl. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) administrator Anne Milgram noted that the supply chain that brings street fentanyl to the U.S. starts in China, from which chemical companies ship fentanyl precursors and analogues into our country and into Mexico, where the chemicals “are used to make fentanyl and make it especially deadly.” Milgram promised that the “DEA will not stop until we defeat this threat.” 

Finally, while the Republicans were making history on the House side of the U.S. Capitol, the Democrats were making history on the Senate side. Vice President Kamala Harris swore into office Senator Laphonza Butler to complete the term of Senator Dianne Feinstein, which ends next year. Before her nomination, Butler was the president of EMILYs List, a political action committee dedicated to electing Democratic female candidates who back reproductive rights to office, and has advised a number of high-profile political campaigns, including that of Harris in 2020.  

Butler is the first Black lesbian in the Senate. She and her wife, Nenike, have a daughter.

LETTERS FROM AN AMERICAN

HEATHER COX RICHARDSON

[hawthornpenrose]

For each of the following items, indicate whether you think it's morally okay or not.

For I do not reside behind the pearly gates, much less guard them, I am under no false impression that I could hold court on anyone's moral character, passing judgement and slamming my gavel down to sentence one for their actions. I am only the observer, at times the vessel for life's dictation, and nothing nothing nothing more. With all that endlessly being said...

An army lieutenant neglects to file a report on a civilian killing done by his troops because he knows it was an accident. OKAY && NOT OKAY. If you do not find war, war will find you. The first battle we're drafted into is the one inside ourselves. We label it conscience and it returns to sender under guilt.

Tina promises her dying mother that she'll visit her grave once a month. After the mother has passed away, Tina finds it hard to squeeze in the time, and her visits drop to about once a year. OKAY && NOT OKAY. Tina's promise was surely made to soothe her sickled ma-ma in her final hours. But that's the fickleness with promises: they're full of promise for what could be and what could be done; Tina has done the undone and the unfulfilled.

A man orders a custom-built sex doll designed to look just like his neighbor. OKAY && NOT OKAY. Peculiar investment! We'll attempt to humanize this man by giving him a name. Now under a new identity, Henri's bonds are different than how you and I may see them, but his neighbor could be all the willing for this unorthodoxical adventure in the boudoir.

Sarah's dog has four puppies. She can only find a home for two of them, so she kills the other two with a stone to the head. NOT OKAY. Those poorest of the poor creatures! A stone! Graphic.

A doctor has been preforming consensual yet illegal procedures on someone in hopes of finding a cure for his ill sister. OKAY && NOT OKAY. This person of medicine must have a resolution inside of them that dwindles the severity of the laws of mankind, a will that strong is to be applauded, but if the reach of justice cannot capture them, what else will they evade?

A neglectful husband pushes his wife to an affair. When the affair ends, the wife's partner nearly kills her and her unborn daughter. The husband kills the affair partner. OKAY && NOT OKAY. A tangle web we weave, but who is the spider and who is the fly?

September has run out of food and is facing death by starvation. She begins to cannibalize her family's loyal staff. They do not fight back. OKAY && NOT OKAY. Seppie, without question, would never! But it couldn't be inexcusable if the willingness was equal on both sides of the buffet.

A mother gives birth to identical twins. One follows their ambitions and the other becomes a shut in. The family make it clear which child they prefer. OKAY && NOT OKAY. When sharing the same face, the parents confuse the two and the feelings are distributed in fair share. The bias accidentally cancels out in its strange parity.

Natalie is so focused on survival she fires a shot without thinking. She did not intend to kill her elderly neighbor, but she hides the body regardless. She denies knowing what happened to the now missing resident. OKAY && NOT OKAY. The elder woman's family grieves without chance for closure, but at its price it will sacrifice the future of another to take the place. Years pass. The family heals over like a scab that never scars, one flick of the nail away from bleeding once more. One day, Natalie's gun is found, the cold case reopened, the ballistics are matched, and the executioner and redeemer become one person in the form a detective who must make their choice on who they will embody more. .... How does the title Angel of Deadly Redemption ring to the eyes?

A woman is facing a lifetime of medical issues. She continues to put her family and those around her in emotional and medical debt. She lives a hollow life and continues leaching off of those who support her. OKAY && NOT OKAY. The toll of living is weighed against the tax of death every day.

Please provide a response to each of the following prompts. Leaving a prompt blank will also be considered a response, and you will be assessed for refusal to answer.

In the event of a life or death situation, would you put yourself or others first?

That is a deceptively complex question, full of nuances that would mold the answer into its final form.

How far would you be willing to go to ensure your own survival throughout this ordeal?

As long as there is breath in my lungs, I will refuse to compromise the moral compass that rights my passage through this life of ours. It's the most unfortunate thing that I wasn't elected to leave these walls and venture out to that ghastly accident, putting at risk the souls of two others in my stead.

Is there anyone in the building you have developed strong attachments to?

The Wexleys have become dearest of patrons, and I've grown quite attached to Zane Sanders.

Do you think it is possible to survive infection through alternative means such as removing the infected limb? Would you be willing to undergo this procedure to ensure your own survival?

Anything and everything is possible in a world of unknowns!

Will following the general consensus lead to improved odds of survival, or would you have a better chance following an assigned leader?

We are often much better off acting under the aegis of the democracy, but if there is a need for a leader to be assigned, I would be the utmost service.

What is the appropriate response to the following situation?

Your daughter falls ill and needs a specific, uncommon kind of antibiotic that will be hard to find; without the full course, the pathogen will survive, regroup, and kill her anyway.You are scavenging a pharmacy, where you find another group, and manage to not shoot each other. You ask them about the antibiotic, and they have it, but they also need the antibiotic, for the wife of someone in their group.You cannot share the antibiotic because it would just kill both people, and they have the antibiotic in their pack. This is likely the only complete dose set you will find, as the other stores have been picked totally clean and there are no friendly groups in the area.

Oh, what tragic tragedy runs through the streets of the forlorn. A wife and her adoring husband tugs at the heartstrings, as you may remember how such angst has touched me in the past and I've never entirely grown beyond those hauntingly vivid days. It's only within my wildest of imaginations can I put myself in the shoes of a father whose daughter is just as ill and in need. The solution of personal sacrifice is the only option that I can see. I could not live another day to relive, even vicariously, the grief of losing a loved one. It will be I who will step into the rowboat and pay the ferryman whatever cost.

[greekbros]

"greek-Bros": The Cat's Honeymoon

*once upon a time, a cat loved her owner so much she desired to be with him. The cat had traveled to a temple of Aphrodite and prayed to her, Aphrodite was so moved by this cat's love she metamorphosed her into a human woman....this is what happened afterwards*

Zeus: *holding a court against Aphrodite* ... Court is now in section. The court of Olympus vs Aphrodite on the charges of *reads a little slip of paper* ....ah yes....of complying to a breaking of natural law, unconsenting marriage between a human man and a female cat in the guises of a women....and ugh...ah yes. Sabotaging the prayer in an act of malicious hubris not conveyed by the victim.

Aphrodite: She DID consent, and the guy didn't seem to have a problem with either. Besides I changed her back. ┐⁠(⁠´⁠ー⁠｀⁠)⁠┌

Hades: *acting as judge* yes but you assisted in the act with a creature whom we have elaborated with several *looks at Dionysus and Artemis as the local cat experts* ....well...two... experts.....that cats are NOT animals we should be taking seriously in terms of granting prayers.

Artemis: yah, you literally can't trust cats.

Dionysus: However big cats are a lot more reasona-*Artemis covers his mouth*

Artemis: sssashhhhhhh no. No cats can't be trusted, big or small.

Ares: *doing his very bestest best to be Aphrodite's lawyer* Ah if I may make a supporting argument for my client.

Hades: *actually impressed with Ares's eloquence for once* you may state your plea.

Ares: This court is bullshit and Aph literally did nothing wrong.

Hades: *no longer impressed* aaaaaand you were doing so well.

Hermes, Poseidon and Dionysus: *cheering like a trio of simps*

Zeus: ARES WHAT HAVE I TOLD ABOUT INSULTING THE COURT OF LAW?!?

Ares: Official statement, suck my balls dad, also you did it to.

Zeus: YOU KNOW DAMN WELL ITS DIFFERENT WHEN A GOD DOES IT NOT A NATURAL BORN ANIMAL!

Pan: *somehow has decided to go up to the witness stand even though he literally was not allowed in court* I've actually had a relationship with that cat and yah she kinda has a thing for humans, it's kinda kinky but it's also kinda like... weird...even for me.

Hermes: *stands up and deadpan* Pan you're fucking grounded.

Pan: you're not my mom, you can't ground me.

Aphrodite: wow like wut I thought this court case was about me. (⁠・⁠_⁠・⁠;⁠)

Ares: don't worry sweet cakes, it's all part of my plan.

Aphrodite: wait wut plan? (⁠─⁠.⁠─⁠|⁠|⁠）

Ares: if case you're guilty, we're gonna bust you out of jail.

Hephaestus: *outside with a weaponized bulldozer*......in hindsight, this would be a little more appropriate if she's actually was officially going to prison....*shrugs*

Aphrodite: awww.... wait wut? (⁠꒪⁠꒳⁠꒪⁠);

Hades: *just about had enough of this* order in the court *uses his gavel* and you all wonder why I refuse to come up stairs.

Aphrodite: soooo am I free to go or wut? ヘ⁠(⁠￣⁠ω⁠￣⁠ヘ⁠)

Hades: no. At least not until you admit it was a mistake on your end.

Aphrodite: ew wut no I never make mistakes. ƪ⁠(⁠‾⁠.⁠‾⁠“⁠)⁠┐

Ares: yeah wtf uncle?

Hades: .....she did wait until the honeymoon to change the cat back.

Literally everyone in god court: *gives that disappointment side eye look*

Ares: ......oooooooh. *leans to Aphrodite* yeh comeoneAphthatkindawasdickmove.

Aphrodite: ....mmmmmmmno. ヘ⁠(⁠￣⁠ω⁠￣⁠ヘ⁠)

Ares: mmmmmmyehitkindaisidontidwaituntiltheliteralnighttheyabouttofucktochangeherbackthatskindadickmove.

Aphrodite: jagaywjnwhah*+#+18!jshwjans.

*literally these two are now just communicating via inaudible whispering*

Zeus: ......you would think Hephaestus would be here to support Aphrodite.

Hades: hmm yes. Where is h-

*fucking loud as hell crashing into the fucking wall*

Hephaestus: ARES WOULD HURRY UP AND FAIL IN YOUR LEGAL DUTIES FOR THE LOVE OF CHAOS.

Ares: IM FUCKING WORKING ON IT YOU FORGE-APE!

Hephaestus: IF YOU ARE GOING TO STEAL MY WIFE THAN BE A MORE COMPETENT THEIFT YOU WAR MONGERING BOAR!

Aphrodite: awwww the both of you love me so much (⁠ ⁠˶⁠ ⁠❛⁠ ⁠ꁞ⁠ ⁠❛⁠ ⁠˶⁠ ⁠)

Zeus: ....Did ....did Hephaestus just...crash into the wall with a bulldozer?

Hades: it's like my blood pressure is skyrocketing. If I die of a heart attack I'm going to write you off my will.

Zeus: *tenderly and with loving surprise* I'm in your will?.....*suddenly realizes* wait a minute you have a will? You are an immortal god what makes you believe you will die?!?!

Hades: If I leave the underworld again to THIS I will have to reconsider my constitution.

[vampirelover890]

To Hunt a Vampire (17/17)

“These 17 pieces of evidence comprise my case to you, ladies and gentlemen of the jury, which proves that Nicholas Killer is in fact, a killer.” said the prosecutor.

The judge slammed his gavel, demanding order in the court. Nick sat there next to his public defendant, and he thought to himself, “who’d of thunk it, me being charged with the crimes I didn’t do. It’s his fault, that fucking Slayer, he did this to me,” to which the Slayer thought back, “Oh yes I did, but can’t you FEEL it. It’s close, you can smell it can’t you, the faint hint of blood in it’s wretched throat? The vampire is near,” to which Nick did not answer.

The jury emerged with their verdict 3 hours later; Nicholas Killer was guilty of the murder of 35 civilians and would be sentenced to life in prison. Nick looked to his mother, who gave a disappointed look back. Nick knew his mother, which meant he’d never meet his brother.

3 days later, in the highest security cell in New Wallachia, Massachusetts, came a visitor. Nick looked up through the slot in his think metal door to see someone he’d respected in his earlier years. New Wallachia’s favorite police captain, Warren Amdrill.

“Hey ‘Hammy’, how’s the weather out there” hissed Nick mockingly.

“It ain’t too bad little Killer, it ain’t too bad at all, but it is a bit sunny for my liking.”

“Why are you here?”

Captain Amdrill sighed. “I’m here to talk to the other one.”

“Well lord knows I don’t want to.” Nick said, laying down and going limp.

Nick awoke with a jolt and looked up at the Captain.

“Ah, Chief- no, wait, Captain Amdrill,” the killer said, “what a surprise!”

Captain Amdrill unlocked the door to the cell and stepped inside and closed it behind him.

“Here you are, The Slayer, the man that evaded me and my boys for 2 whole months. Y’know Slayer you’ve set yourself a record. Nobody’s ever broken a law in this town and gotten away with it for more than a week, but here you are. No crosses, no whips, no garlic… just you, your thoughts, and his.”

“Well, I like to think my methods respectable, and my goal a noble one, b–”

“Oh but your goals were noble indeed Sir Slayer! Everyone in this town is just so… bland! But you… you dare to break the rules, you stand against the clear threat when everyone else lives in ignorance.”

The Captain flashed the Slayer a toothy grin, showing off his pearly whites, pristine gums, and well kept fangs. As he leapt through the air, eyes set on the Slayer’s jugular, he couldn’t help but imagine the wonderful flavors his social defiance has added to the already complex taste of blood.

And oh how sweet it was.

[the-badger-mole]

Might I request something featuring Attorney-at-law Toph Beifong

Toph had learned from an early age to embrace being underestimated. She was small woman and she was blind, being underestimated was inevitable. It was also a secret weapon in her arsenal. When the small, blind public defender entered the courtroom, everyone, from the judge, to the jury to the opposing council instinctively either wanted to protect her or exploit her perceived weaknesses. It made it all the more satisfying when Toph neatly eviscerated her opponents and handed them their guts...metaphorically speaking, of course.

"You claim that you saw my client steal the phone, but when you confronted him just moments later, he didn't have it on him." Toph paced in front of the witness stand, her cane tapping rhythmically on the hard tiles.

"That-that is correct," Fong, the plaintiff and manager of the store said. "He must have passed off to one of his hoodlum friends and-" Toph turned abruptly towards the jury stand, cutting Fong off midsentence.

"Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, I'd like to direct your attention to the floor plans of the store. Please pay particular attention to where the phones were and where the manager was standing. There is one brief row of shelves between the phone and the manager. Please also note that according to the security tape, the manager and my client were the only ones in that section. In order to pull off the secret exchange, as the manager claims, there would have to be a third hidden person, or my client would have to know magic. Do you see where your story doesn't hold water, sir?"

"Objection, your honor!" Toph heard the sound of hands slamming on a table and the screech of a chair being violently pushed back. "She's badgering the witness. And she's using her cane to intimidate him!"

"The cane I use to help me move around is intimidating?" Toph drawled. "It'd barely make a bruise, even if I did lose my mind and attack your client with it. I'd hate to see your reaction to a wheelchair."

"You know exactly what you're doing, Bei Fong!" Yu sounded angry. Good. That meant he was getting desperate. Maybe the judge would see how flimsy his case was and dismiss the charges. Or maybe the trial would continue, and Toph would have the absolute pleasure of witnessing the much older attorney being reduced to a stuttering puddle of goo.

"Your honor, I am merely using my cane to avoid any unexpected obstacles," Toph said, allowing a hint of longsuffering exasperation to bleed into her words.

"I would hope," said Judge Kyoshi, "that after being in my courtroom over the past year, you would trust that I would keep the floor clear of anything that might be a danger to you. However, as I strive to keep an accessible courtroom, I will not interfere with your use of any aids. And neither will I allow anyone else to attempt to do so." Toph could tell Kyoshi's famously intimidating gaze was locked onto Yu. She could hear him gulp nervously.

"As to the objection to badgering," Kyoshi continued, "sustained. Ms. Bei Fong, please refrain from antagonizing Mr. Yu's client."

"Yes, your honor." Toph turned towards Yu with a wicked grin. Then she proceeded to go over the impossibility of her client having stolen anything in the short amount of time he was out of the line of vision of the manager and camera. In all likelihood, her client had simply picked up the phone, changed his mind and tucked the box away on the shelf.

"And how would you know who could see what?" Yu demanded sneeringly.

"You do realize I have a team who helps me put together a case, right?" Toph snorted. "Just because you came unprepared to fight for your client doesn't mean you get to attack me for it. Do a better job next time." The exchange caused a ripple of excited murmuring to roll through the court room. Judge Kyoshi took her gavel and banged it a few time.

"Order!" her booming voice rang out. "Order in my court! Mr. Yu, another comment like that and I'll hold you in contempt."

"I already do," Toph muttered.

"What was that Ms. Bei Fong?" Kyoshi's voice was pointed. Toph plastered on a saccharine smile.

"I would like to move for a dismissal," she said in a clearer voice. "Your Honor, there is no proof that my client stole anything, and it is clear that Mr. Yu is scrambling to hold his case together if he's resorting to ableist attacks."

"Ableist!" Yu squawked indignantly. "Your honor-!"

"That's enough Mr. Yu," Kyoshi cut in. "Do you have any further evidence to present?"

"No," he admitted with an angry huff. "Aside from the fact that the phone was never recovered and was last seen in the defendant's possession."

"In that case, I'm inclined to agree with Ms. Bei Fong." Kyoshi brought her gavel down once more. "Case dismissed. You're free to go." Fong stammered in protest, but was ignored. Yu, from the sounds of it, was busily shoving his papers into his satchel, ignoring everyone as the courtroom cleared out. Toph made her way over to her client, a young, silent boy who went by the street name Longshot.

"No, no," Toph said with a smirk. "No need to thank me. I was just doing my job." Longshot mumbled a quick thanks and began to head out. "Hold on there, tiger." Toph took a business card from her pocket and held it out to Longshot. "That is the address and phone number for a youth center my friends run. It's a great place to go if you're in trouble. Ask for Katara or Zuko and tell them Toph sent you."

Longshot thanked her again and hurried out of the courtroom. Toph sighed.

"Masterfully done as always." Toph turned to the sound of Suki, her friend and senior partner at the law firm Toph worked at. "If you keep this up, we'll have to add space for your name on the door."

"Please," Toph snorted. "I'm going to start my own firm. And I'm poaching you, too."

"Looking forward to it," Suki laughed. "So...did he do it?" Toph tilted her head, listening for anyone who might be lingering. Suki saw and assured her, "We're alone."

"Okay then," Toph said. "No. I don't think he did do it. I think Fong did it and tried to frame him. He did a terrible job of it. He didn't even make sure Longshot had the phone on him when he was caught."

"Poor kid!" Suki let out a low whistle.

"He'll be alright," Toph said confidently. "I gave him the info for the youth center. His friend, Smeller Bee is already connected. It's only a matter of time before he joins her, and then hopefully the rest of their crew."

"Smeller Bee?" Suki repeated incredulously.

"Hey, I don't make up these names," Toph shrugged. "I just use 'em." Suki laughed and nudged Toph.

"I'm meeting Sokka for lunch," she said. "Want to join us."

"As long as you're paying."