#Spite is a investigative journalist/hacker

[dread-red-queen]

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Chapter 11 of En Garde is up on Ao3

Summary:

With the Foil competition just a day away, preparations were in full swing. The Diamond had been transformed, setting the stage for an opening ceremony that promised to be a grand spectacle. But beneath the excitement, there was apprehension, the Venatori were notorious for disrupting such grand events, their protests usually ending in violence, and in response, security measures were at their highest level. Amidst the chaos and stress of organizing such an event, Viago gives Lucanis the talk. And in the end, the Demon of Vyrantium and the White Rose finally put a name to what they were.

READ CHAPTER 11 HERE

Snippet:

"I was thinking perhaps you might like to have a meal in the sit in restaurant tonight." She smiles softly "Are you asking me on a date." He nods stepping closer "It's been a while." He purrs leaning down to kiss her.

She sighs sliding her hands up his chest as he tilts his head and deepens the kiss, he pulls back before they get carried away and looks at her. "The restaurant is formal dress only." She nods. "I have something I can wear." He glances around the room spotting a deep purple silk dress hanging in the wardrobe and smiles to himself wondering what she might look like in it. "I have a few more errands to run first, I shall book us a table." She smiles and leans up on her tip-toes to kiss his cheek.

He holds her in his arms reluctant to let her go, making her grin. "You won't finish those errands if you stay here." She teases and he pulls her closer. "I shall see you tonight." He kisses her deeply and then pulls away stepping back, he chuckles when she opens her eyes. "See you tonight." She smiles as he leaves her room.

She stares at the dress in the wardrobe and swallows thickly, was she brave enough to wear it, to have her scars on display, would seeing them put him off? It was something she feared whenever she had started a new relationship, as few as there had been before Lucanis, one had ghosted her once they had seen them.

She sat on the bed and shivered at the memories, the accident she barely remembered, only fragments but she remembered the looks she had got during her recovery, the pity in everyone's eyes as if she was more disfigured than she actually was, the scars were not even that bad, time and the fact she was so pale hid most of them, her back wasn't so bad, her hip and lower abdomen looked the worse but nowhere near as bad as when it had healed initially, the skin was raised and curled around her hip but it had faded alot.

She shook her head, Lucanis didnt strike her as shallow, he seemed to value connection before anything else, it had taken him time to even kiss her, Which was fine with her she wasn't interested in a fling, she wanted connection and she felt that with him, perhaps since the moment they met, there had just been something about him.

She would wear the dress, let him see that part of her and see what happened, she had a feeling he would surprise her, he always did. As soon as she thought she had him figured out he would do something unexpected.

READ FROM THE START HERE

[gyrlversion]

Assange victim shames Labour: Diane Abbott blasted

But a friend of the Swedish woman – referred to as Miss A (pictured) – told the Mail: ‘It really is not “all about WikiLeaks”.’

A woman allegedly sexually assaulted by Julian Assange has issued a stinging rebuke to Diane Abbott.

The Labour frontbencher was accused of downplaying the allegations against the WikiLeaks founder.

Miss Abbott insisted in a TV interview that Assange had been dragged from the Ecuadorian embassy over cyber crime, saying: ‘It’s all about WikiLeaks.’

But a friend of the Swedish woman – referred to as Miss A – told the Mail: ‘It really is not “all about WikiLeaks”.’

The friend added: ‘She says it is about him treating people like s***, especially women.’

Assange had been in hiding for seven years after skipping bail in 2012 to dodge being extradited to Sweden over allegations he raped one woman and sexually assaulted another in 2010.

But Miss Abbott and Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn called his arrest on Thursday politically motivated.

In a BBC interview, Miss Abbott, the Shadow Home Secretary, insisted he was targeted because he had embarrassed the American military.

Critics queued up to accuse Miss Abbott of ‘ignoring allegations of sexual violence’ – and even a Labour shadow minister branded her intervention ‘disgraceful’.

The Shadow Home Secretary Diane Abbott has been blasted as she is accused of downplaying allegations against Julian Assange

The woman’s friend told the Mail that treating Assange as a political victim was ‘not helping the cause – no matter how important’, and suggested Miss Abbott was aiding the WikiLeaks boss whitewashing the claims against him.

They said: ‘He has, all the time, wanted to draw attention away from his own failures and has used the importance of WikiLeaks to wash his own name. It has been painful to watch.’

Vicky Atkins, the minister for women, said: ‘Diane Abbott’s dismissal of rape charges speaks volumes about Jeremy Corbyn’s Labour Party.

Julian Assange arrives at Westminster Magistrates’ Court in London on Thursday

‘It’s astonishing that the party which prides itself on fighting for women’s rights is so willing to ignore allegations of sexual violence.’

Even a Labour shadow minister admitted: ‘Championing Julian Assange is the last thing we should be doing. It is disgraceful. Jeremy and Diane seem to have a blind spot.’

Miss A accused Assange of sexual assault in 2010. She claims Assange violently forced himself upon her after an initial consensual encounter.

The five-year statute of limitations on her allegation has passed.

The lawyer of another of Assange’s alleged victims, referred to as Miss W in court documents, has said they will ‘do all we can’ to reopen the investigation in Sweden.

Assange, 47, denies assaulting the two women. Because he spent so long absconding from justice, the sexual assault allegation was dropped in 2017 because of legal time limits.

But the rape allegation can be re-opened any time before August next year, and Swedish prosecutors are now deciding whether to renew Assange’s extradition request.

Assange inside his fetid lair: Revealed, the full squalid horror that drove embassy staff to finally kick him out

by Simon Walters for the Daily Mail 

The full scale of disgusting personal hygiene, arrogance and paranoia that brought Julian Assange’s seven years holed up in an embassy to an end can be revealed today.

Exclusive photographs seen by the Daily Mail show how the WikiLeaks founder mounted ‘dirty protests’ at the Ecuadorian embassy in London.

Just weeks ago, he left soiled underpants stuffed down the lavatory in a fit of rage. On other occasions he left excrement smeared on the wall. He defied pleas not to constantly leave an electric stove on, and ignored repeated warnings not to leave half-eaten meals and unwashed dishes in the kitchen.

Staff grew so exasperated they even threw out his pet cat after he failed to clean up its mess. They also feared he had hidden a camera in its collar to spy on them.

He ignored repeated warnings not to leave half-eaten meals and unwashed dishes in the kitchen

Standing in the bathroom defiled by Assange just weeks ago, Ecuador’s UK Ambassador Jaime Marchan said: ‘When Assange wanted to be unpleasant he put excrement on the walls and underwear with excrement in the lavatory. We had to remind him to flush the toilet and clean the dishes. He had to be reminded of normal standards of behaviour all the time. He would always leave the cooker on.’

Mr Marchan, 72, a distinguished lifelong diplomat, is relieved to be rid of Assange. ‘The asylum system is to protect innocent people. [He] abused it. He is a predator.’

Just weeks ago, he left soiled underpants stuffed down the lavatory in a fit of rage. Pictured is his bathroom which he also smeared his excrement across

This newspaper is the first to have access to the embassy since Assange was dragged out of hiding after the Ecuadorian government ended his asylum status.

He now faces being jailed in the US for computer hacking, and the threat of legal action in Sweden for alleged rape.

Mr Marchan took the Mail on a tour of the embassy – and explained how he finally lost patience with his squalid and spiteful ‘tenant’.

The soiled underpants incident occurred in January – and when told to clean it up, Assange is said to have replied: ‘I won’t clean it. I won’t!’ The embassy’s cleaner had to do it instead.

Mr Marchan wrote a formal letter of complaint to Assange’s lawyers informing them he had broken a ‘hygiene protocol’ drawn up because of his dirty habits.

But they wrote back saying he had had a ‘stomach sickness’ and their photo was proof the embassy had ‘infringed his privacy’.

Staff grew so exasperated they even threw out his pet cat after he failed to clean up its mess. They also feared he had hidden a camera in its collar to spy on them

The tour also showed Assange was not as cooped up as it seemed. While he couldn’t go out, he had the run of virtually the entire embassy – which is the size of a luxurious Belgravia apartment. Unable to exercise outside, Assange caused mayhem by skateboarding down the central polished wooden corridor and playing football like a rowdy teenager.

Ecuador’s UK Ambassador Jaime Marchan, 72, said: ‘When Assange wanted to be unpleasant he put excrement on the walls and underwear with excrement in the lavatory. We had to remind him to flush the toilet and clean the dishes’

He demanded – and got – a bigger bedroom, though Mr Marchan says it was partly for vanity. The one he bagged had a balcony where Assange made speeches to Left-wing fans on the pavement.

His bedroom is now sealed off pending an investigation by the authorities. Mr Marchan added: ‘He played loud music because he said it stopped anyone listening in. It was impossible for us to work.’ The mistrust was mutual. Assange’s cat was removed because he couldn’t be bothered to look after it, though the ambassador added: ‘It could go in every room – we were suspicious it may carry a device … to spy on us.’

Mr Marchan is full of praise for how Foreign Office minister Sir Alan Duncan helped the embassy remove its graceless tenant. ‘Without Sir Alan, we could not possibly have done this.’

He says that with hindsight, it was a mistake to give Assange refuge in the first place. He said: ‘We have proved Ecuador respects human rights but he didn’t comply with his obligations. He is very selfish. I told him, “One day you’ll realise how much Ecuador did to protect you”.’ 

GUY ADAMS: Telling their stories, the women who say Julian Assange tricked them into sex without protection within just days of each other

by Guy Adams for the Daily Mail

Back in August 2010, a newly-famous Julian Assange touched down in Sweden on a ten-day visit to promote and raise money for his suddenly modish non-profit outfit, Wikileaks.

At 39, the eccentric former computer hacker might not have been exactly young. But he was very much free and single, having recently started to discover the romantic perks that his rock-star status could afford.

Weeks earlier, Assange had collaborated with a number of news outlets to publish the first tranche of more than 400,000 leaked military and diplomatic cables, detailing years’ worth of US operations in Afghanistan and Iraq.

The coup had turned this socially-awkward Australian into a sort of a folk hero among liberals, rendering him irresistible to a certain demographic of Left-leaning young women. And Assange seemed happy to take full advantage.

Julian Assange delivers a Wikileaks seminar in Sweden in 2010 while Miss W (foreground with glasses) sits in the audience

On his very first night in Stockholm, he attempted to seduce the English girlfriend of an American journalist who’d been invited to dine with Wikileaks activists at a Lebanese restaurant called Beirut.

Over the course of the ensuing seven days, Assange would enjoy two further romantic forays, seducing a pair of young women in turn, both of whom would walk into police stations days later to accuse him of sex crimes.

Each of the two, Miss A and Miss W complained that initially consensual encounters with him had suddenly turned darker, ending in them being forced into unprotected sex in circumstances they found uncomfortable.

Their testimony set in train a series of events that would see Assange spend the next two years in British courts, fighting extradition to Sweden where he was wanted for questioning, followed by another seven hiding inside London’s Ecuadorean Embassy.

Assange, who has always protested his innocence, variously accused the two women of being ‘notorious radical feminists’ who had ‘got into a tizzy’. So who are they and what were the disputed events that spawned their now-notorious complaints?

Miss A is an experienced political activist and equal rights campaigner. In her early 30s at the time of the alleged incidents, she was involved in inviting Assange to attend a seminar entitled ‘How Truth is the First Victim of War’ and hosted by the Christian wing of Sweden’s Social Democratic party.

Planning to be out of town visiting family when he arrived mid-week she generously offered him use of her flat in Sodermalm, Stockholm. Assange, who often dossed down on the sofas of supporters, accepted.

On Friday August 13, she returned to town and went out for dinner with Assange, before returning to the one-bedroom property where they were both to spend the night before the seminar. Her statement to police alleges they then sat down to drink tea. It was at this point he began stroking her legs. They embraced, after which he began pulling off her clothes.

Miss A’s statement claims she initially attempted to put clothes back on, because the situation was ‘going too quickly’ for her liking. But she says that Assange ‘ripped them off again’, breaking a necklace in the process.

After deciding to consent to sex, she then attempted to reach for a condom. However Assange held her arms and pinned her legs to prevent her grabbing it, the statement claims.

Eventually, he agreed to wear protection. However during the ensuing moments, she felt him ‘do something’ to it with his hands. It was only afterwards that she realised it had been torn. She believes deliberately.

Despite her experience, Assange’s host allowed him to remain in her flat for much of the remainder of his visit. Some nights, she decamped to a friend’s. On others, she slept on a mattress. She alleged to police that Assange continued to make advances towards her every day.

On Wednesday August 18, she alleged he’d approached her, naked from the waist down, and rubbed himself against her.

Julian Assange arrives at Westminster Magistrates’ Court after being arrested and forcibly removed from the Ecuadorian Embassy earlier this week

The arrest warrant subsequently prepared by Swedish police lists three specific allegations against Assange, which contributed to a charge of sexual assault against Miss A.

The first is of ‘unlawful coercion’ – meaning he took a consensual encounter too far. The second is he deliberately broke a condom during sex after she insisted he use one. Thirdly, he was accused of having ‘deliberately molested her’ days later.

Assange has of course never allowed himself to face these allegations in a Swedish court, and the crime has a five-year statute of limitations which passed in 2015, meaning he’s unlikely to face trial for it.

However, writing about Miss A’s claims several years later, he declared their night together was ‘unremarkable’. He added ‘she seemed totally happy’ at a party the next day. Photos of them together at the event have been published by supporters of Assange, who believe they undermine Miss A’s claims.

That day was also when Miss W came into the picture, meeting the Wikileaks founder at the aforementioned seminar. She would later tell police how she had become fascinated with Assange, a man she considered ‘brave and admirable’. She spent weeks reading about him, before apparently obtaining a press pass to the event as a photographer.

Dressing to catch his eye, she chose a shocking-pink jumper and sat in the front row. Assange, dressed in grey jeans and a suit jacket, spoke for 90 minutes.

What then unfolded has been compared to the meeting of a groupie and a pop icon. Waiting outside the venue to meet her idol, Miss W approached a member of his entourage, who invited her to join them for lunch at a local eatery called Bistro Boheme. There she struck up conversation with Assange who invited her to spend the afternoon with him.

After a short walk, she told police, they’d decided to visit a cinema. Watching the film did not appear to be on Assange’s mind: he’d instead spent his time kissing her and putting his hands inside her clothing. Walking in a park afterwards, he’s said to have declared ‘you are very attractive to me’. When they parted, the duo swapped numbers.

They didn’t speak again until Monday, 48 hours later, when Assange agreed to meet her in the evening and suggested they spend the night at her flat.

Miss W wanted to go to a hotel, but he insisted on coming to her home, in the city of Enkoping a 50-mile train ride away. Star-struck, she bought his £10 train ticket because he had no cash (and said he didn’t want to use his credit card in case his movement was being tracked).

At Miss W’s home, she told police, they moved to the bedroom and started to have sex. However Assange did not want to wear a condom, causing her to move away because she had not wanted unprotected intercourse. The Wikileaks founder had then lost interest, she alleged, and fallen asleep. However, during the night, they had both woken up and had consensual sex when ‘he agreed unwillingly to use a condom’.

Early the next morning, things took an ugly turn: Miss W says she went to buy breakfast before returning to bed and falling asleep beside Assange. She had awoken to find him on top of her, having sex.

And when she asked if he was wearing a condom, he said no. Miss W’s police statement claimed she responded ‘You better not have HIV’ and he answered: ‘Of course not.’

In Sweden, having sex with an unconscious, drunk or sleeping person can lead to a rape conviction punishable by up to six years in prison. This crime has a ten-year statute of limitations, meaning Miss W’s allegations could still see him facing trial. Assange has vigorously denied they had unconsensual sex.

When details of her police complaint leaked several years ago, he wrote that their encounter had ended amicably: She had kissed him on the cheek and asked him to call soon. However like many a sexual predator, Assange of course didn’t call.

A few days later, things escalated in the most unlikely fashion: Miss W called the office of Miss A, whom she had briefly met at the seminar, to discuss future political collaborations. In the course of their conversation, the duo realised to their anger that they had both fallen victim to Assange’s charm, within a few days of each other.

After a brief discussion, they agreed to contact Assange and asked him to take a test for STDs. However, for reasons that are unclear, he refused.

Miss W seemed especially anxious about the possibility of HIV and pregnancy. Miss A recalled her being deeply upset.

It was in this febrile state the two women, who had previously barely known each other, decided to take a momentous step which would have ramifications few could have predicted – a few days later, they walked into a police station, and sat down to tell their stories.  

The post Assange victim shames Labour: Diane Abbott blasted appeared first on Gyrlversion.

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[viralhottopics]

Security News This Week: At Least 76 iOS Apps Are Vulnerable to Attacks

There’s a lot going on in the world, but the slow march of cybersecurity research and incidents plods on no matter what else is happening. This week research showed that many mobile VPNs fall short on delivering security and privacy benefits. International law may be the best mechanism for addressing large-scale ransomware attacks on Internet of Things devices (like hotel door locks). Attacks using a stealthy type of “fileless” malware that hides in computer RAM are on the rise. And it’s time to get real about strategies for keeping smart TV manufacturers from spying.

In the political sphere, the Email Privacy Act, which would reform dated and problematic aspects of the Electronic Communications Privacy Act, took a step in Congress toward becoming law. Trump’s Homeland Security Advisor Tom Bossert seems promising—he’s known as an effective and even-keeled dude. And links between Silicon Valley and the Pentagon remain strong in spite of recent political turmoil in the US. Oh, and there’s no easy fix for a clever and effective slot machine cheat developed by Russian criminals that has been plaguing casinos around the world for years. So have fun with that one.

But wait! Theres more. Each Saturday we round up the news stories that we didnt break or cover in depth but that still deserve your attention. As always, click on the headlines to read the full story in each link posted. And stay safe out there.

Dozens of iOS Apps Are Vulnerable to Man-in-the-Middle Data Attacks

Seventy-six iOS apps are vulnerable to man-in-the-middle data interception attacks, thanks to sloppy configuration that could allow a forged certificate to be authenticated and decrypt data protected by the Transport Layer Security (TLS) protocol, thus exposing it. Will Strafach, CEO of mobile security company Sudo Security Group, found the compromised apps while the company was developing its mobile app analysis product. Problems with TLS validation have been around for a long time, and they’re particularly problematic for apps that handle sensitive data like health or financial information. Nineteen of the 76 apps Strafach found handle this type of “high risk” data. Apple has advocated that iOS developers use its App Transport Security protocol to ensure that every iOS app implements TLS, but ATS alone still doesn’t resolve certificate verification issues. Apple also indefinitely pushed back the deadline to implement ATS—the cutoff was originally supposed to be the end of 2016. Strafach says that hundreds of other apps he analyzed seemed to have the same flaw, but he only pursued analysis of those that he could confirm were jeopardized.

Arbys Breach Affected Payment Systems at Hundreds of Corporate Locations

Arby’s has been working to address a breach of customer credit and debit card information since it learned of the situation in mid-January. Malware on payment systems at hundreds of restaurant locations around the US captured hundreds of thousands of card numbers throughout the fall. Arby’s says that only a portion of its 1,000 corporate-owned locations were impacted, and that franchise locations were not affected. It says that the malware has been eradicated from its networks. Arbys Restaurant Group “immediately notified law enforcement and enlisted the expertise of leading security experts, including Mandiant,” the company told Krebs on Security. The investigation is ongoing.

Republican Officials Found an Encrypted Chat App to Prevent Breaches

Members of the Trump administration and other republicans have been using a secure messaging app called “Confide” to communicate with lower risk of leaks, according to an Axios report. Confide uses end-to-end encryption, with the bonus twist that messages self-destruct after being read. The service also integrates with iMessage, so it’s easy to use. Official government electronic communications are legally required to be accessible and archivable for transparency, so depending on who is using these apps and for what, they could be too secure. But the trend may simply reflect broader adoption of end-to-end encrypted apps like WhatsApp and Signal, and may not be part of official government interactions.

State-Sponsored Hackers Set Their Sights on Accounts of Prominent US Journalists

Google has notified some well-known US journalists that state-sponsored attackers have been trying to steal their Google account passwords and access their Gmail. Jonathan Chait of New York Magazine, David Sanger of the New York Times, Brian Stelter of CNN, Julia Ioffe of the Atlantic and others told Politico that they had received the Google warnings. A Google spokesperson said in a statement that, Since 2012, weve notified users when we believe their Google accounts are being targeted by government-backed attackers. We send these warnings out of an abundance of caution—they do not indicate that a users account has already been compromised or that a more widespread attack is occurring when they receive the notice. Stay safe out there, journos!

Read more: http://bit.ly/2kv6cOW

from Security News This Week: At Least 76 iOS Apps Are Vulnerable to Attacks

[dread-red-queen]

En Garde Chapter 12 Is up on A03

Summary:

Suspicious activity in the Diamond the night before the Opening ceremony sets Chance and Heir on edge, Someone used Illario’s security pass to enter the building, but Illario himself is nowhere to be found and the Security Camera's seemed to have been tampered with. meanwhile Lucanis learns more about Altara’s Scars and comes to a realisation.

READ CHAPTER 12 HERE

Notes:

things are getting tense, we learn a bit more about Altara's past, Spite does what he does best and the plot thickens

Snippet:

She hears Lucanis's door shut and the sound of him moving around in his room, a few minutes later the adjoining door opens again, He is dressed in an white Antivan crow T-shirt with grey joggers with a black hoody, his cheeks are still flushed, he runs his hand through his hair trying to tame it he looked adorable.

He smiles, noticing she was still in her night clothes and had only put on a dressing gown. "Viago isn't a patient man, You should get dressed." He teases her. "I'll meet you in the cafeteria," She says, going through her drawers looking for some clothes to wear. He hesitates as if he wants to say something, but stops himself, the moment was gone.

"Right." He sounds a little disappointed before he returns to his room, she hears his door open again and then the sound of his retreating footsteps down the hall. She smiles to herself. Something has changed between them.

She couldn't put her finger on it, but there was a new tension between them, something that ran deeper, something tender. they needed to talk about it, it was clear what he had intended, the way he had looked at her just before Viago interrupted them.

She wanted to be sure they where both on the same page, that this was truly what he wanted, she didnt want him to feel obligated or pressured, she had been very insistent they go at his pace for that very reason.

She tries not to dwell on it as she gathers some clothes. she had to admit that was the best night's sleep she has had in a long time, She had felt so safe in his arms, she wondered if he felt the same, he had been so warm, his presence alone had kept her usual nightmares at bay.

She grins, whatever conversation they needed was going to have to wait until after breakfast. Pulling on some clothes and running a brush through her hair to untangle it, she pulls on a hoodie and exits her room, heading for the lift and the cafeteria.

READ FROM THE START HERE

[dread-red-queen]

🚫Do Not Re-Upload/Edit My Shots/Art Without My Permission🚫

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En Garde Chapter 13 - Balestra is up

Posting a day early as im going to be super busy tomorrow packing for a trip and might not have time.

summary:

Zara Renata had been in the Diamond, and the cameras had been tampered with. While investigating the maintenance room more closely, Heir and Chance discover something that could endanger everyone. With the opening ceremony mere hours away, can Lucanis convince his cousin that Zara isn't who she claims to be? Will the recovered footage be enough to convince him of her guilt? Can they stop her from destroying all they hold dear before it's too late?

READ CHAPTER 13 HERE

Snippet:

"You know I should be getting paid for all these favours I keep doing for you," Viago smirks right back. "If you can figure out what they have found, I'll consider it." Spite grins and winks at Lucanis before heading for the stairwell. "Stay here, I will call you as soon as we know something." Viago then follows after Spite.

Lucanis lets out a tense sigh. "Why was Zara here last night?" Altara asks, standing in front of him, and he shrugs. "I don't know, whatever it is, it can't be good, Illario wasn't with her, she came with someone else, I'm worried." He begins to pace, he was not exactly on speaking terms with Illario right now.

The last time he had tried to convince Illario of Zara's wrongdoing doing he had shut down the conversation and refused to speak with him unless he had to. Had Zara done something to Illario? Usually, they were always together, was that why she had shown up without him? had she disposed of him so he wouldn't interfere?

Altara gaze softens, Lucanis was to kind hearted for his own good sometimes, Illario had been nothing but an asshole to him recently yet he still cared about him, he was family after all. she supposed she understood, she had her share of arguments with Viago but she would move hell and earth if someone tried to hurt him, he was all she had left.

"You should call him, you have evidence this time, maybe he will listen" He nods, then makes the call, he waits for a moment and winces when Illario picks up. "Listen to me please, don't hang up, this is important. Where were you in the Cantori Diamond last night?" He listens for a moment and sighs.

"Just answer the damn quistion, please." He pinches the bridge of his nose. There must have been something in his tone of voice because Illario finally relented and answered his question. "Well, Zara was here last night, and before you jump down my throat, I have proof." He listens. "Come to the diamond, if she is with you. Don't speak a word of this to her, make an excuse to leave, I will explain when you get here."

He grits his teeth. "Cousin, please, you could be in danger." He closes his eyes. "I will meet you in the Foyer." He hangs up and swallows. This was becoming a bigger headache than he anticipated.

"Is he coming?" He nods. "Yes, but he isn't happy about it. I just hope the screenshot is enough to convince him." She hugs him and he freezes in surprise, unused to public displays of affection whilst in the Diamond. He smiled, curling his arms around her. he stared across the foyer to the stairwell and frowned. he hopes Spite can figure out what the hell was going on, he had a sinking feeling in his gut.

READ FROM THE START HERE

[dread-red-queen]

En Garde Chapter 10 Sneak Peak

I am very proud of this chapter, its a flashback chapter of how Spite became Lucanis's roommate, it's nice to see a different side to them both, Spite being a bit of badass, but his mouth gets him in trouble, Lucanis being cool as a cucumber under pressure. its got it all.

Thought I would share a little snippet of the moment they met because I don't know how I'm going to contain my excitement until next Thursday when I can post it on A03 as im trying to pace myself and not upload chapters to close together as my chapters can be a bit long sometimes.

Snippet: He groaned coming around in a small room that smelt of mold and decay, a bright light was in his eyes making it difficult to see at first. "Who are you." A cold voice asked a hint of distaste in their voice as if the thought of communicating with him disgusted them, she sounded familiar.

"You must be Zara Renata." He smirked hoping to shake them by knowing who they were, someone struck him in the face, and he gasped spitting blood, it was then he realised the predicament he was in, he was tied to a chair, he glanced around dazed by the blow, he took stock of the room, there were two men one on either side of him, oh this wasn't good, another blow, he cried out and the women chuckled as if amused by his pain. "Enough." The men pulled back, Spite tried to catch his breath hearing heels on the stone floor as she stepped closer.

"What were you doing snooping around, who sent you." She growled and he laughed spitting more blood to the side. "Like I would tell you." He taunted her and it earned him a slap, he chuckled.

"Is that the best you got?" Another blow this time a fist from one of the men beside him, perhaps he shouldn't taunt his captors when he was at such a disadvantage but his mouth always ran away from him when he felt cornered, they had not killed him yet, clearly they wanted something. "Nobody sent me, I just really like fish." He couldn't help but joke, they were in an aquarium after all but Zara didnt sound amused. "You think you're funny dont you." A cold bony hand slid under his chin, long sharp nails digging into his skin forcing him to look up at her.

"You're here for him aren't you." He shakes his head and grimaces as her nails dig in further drawing blood. "I'm just a journalist." He flinches when she releases his chin roughly. "He is nobody throw him in with the Demon, we can dispose of him later, once we have what we want." He is pulled from the chair and then gets punched in the gut, he nearly vomits from the blow and then passes out as they drag him from the room like a sack of potatoes.

20 minutes later

He groans and awakens in a different room, this one much larger, moss and some type of grass is growing through cracks in the floor, empty fish tanks lined one wall, and a few others lay broken in a corner with fish bones piled next to it, he rolls his shoulders and can't feel the wire he had tapped under his shirt, he curses they had taken his camera and gun too, without them he had nothing to show for his hard work.

He glances around until his eyes fall on the figure he had seen being dragged into the building on the camera feeds earlier, the black hood still over their head, they were still, eerily so, sat on their knees their hands though bound sat in front of them resting on his lap, one might think they were meditating if it wasn't for the torn bloody clothes and the raspy breaths they where taking, he probably had a few broken ribs from the sound of it.

"You're awake." The figure rasps hearing him moving about, his voice is gravely as if his throat is dry but it is strangely calm. "Are you who I think you are?" Spite asks his voice strained, he still feels a little woozy from the beating he took earlier. "Depends on who you think I am." They reply cooly as if they were not bound and in a damp basement that smelt of dead fish.

"You're Lucanis Dellamorte, the Demon of Vyrantium right?" The man chuckles. "Perhaps." Spite raises an eyebrow. "I will take that as a yes." Lucanis chuckles again then winces in pain. "What are you doing here?" He grunts, Spite ignores his question and shuffles closer thankful they had bound his hands in front of him, he grabs the black hood and pulls it off and smiles meeting his pained gaze.

[dread-red-queen]

Chapter 10 - Disengage is up and its a big one

We find out how Spite and Lucanis became roommates and get another hint about Altara's past

Summary:

Spite was a journalist, willing to go places others wouldn't dare, willing to do legally questionable things for a scoop. This had landed him in hot water with his boss on more than one occasion when he had broken into buildings to get what he wanted, but his results spoke for themselves, so his boss turned a blind eye, as long as the fallout didnt come back on him or the Treviso gazette. But when the Demon of Vyrantium goes missing, Spite suspects the Venatori are involved, so he investigates, was this Dangerous? Absolutely. But where there’s the Venatori, there’s a story. And this one, Is about to cost Spite more than he was ready to lose.

or Altara asks Lucanis & Spite how they became roommates, and Spite with encouragement from Lucanis obliges

READ CHAPTER 10 HERE

Snippet:

He took a detour to Café Pietra for a coffee and to clear his head before heading to his apartment, when he arrived he found a notice taped to the door, it said his rent was overdue. That couldn't be right.

He could have sworn he had already paid this month, He cursed this was the last thing he needed, he pulled out his phone to check his bank balance and frowned. There had been more than that in his account the last time he checked, he scrolled through the list of transactions and frowned not recognising some of them, he would need to make some calls, and cancel his cards, his account was compromised.

"They are on to me." He quickly tore the notice from his door and entered the apartment, closing the door behind him and locking it, his apartment was a mess like someone had gone through his stuff looking for something, ornaments were scattered on the floor, a framed painting was lying face down on the carpet with a muddy boot print on the back, the door had been locked, with no sign of forced entry, none of the windows were forced open either, how had they got in?

He felt fear for the first time since falling down this rabbit hole, the landlord must have let them in, it was the only explanation, it was then that he realised his rent probably wasn't overdue at all, this was a threat, they probably scared Mark into letting them in, His landlord was a coward.

The notice on his door was most likely all he could think of to try and get rid of him, he couldn't just evict him for no reason, but rent being overdue was the perfect excuse and he paid cash in hand, there was no paper trail to prove he had paid his rent. He wasn't safe here anymore but what could he do exactly, he had nowhere else to go.

He surveyed the damage, nothing valuable had been taken at least, this was definitely a scare tactic there was no doubt about it, this was why his boss was asking him to drop it, the Venatori were clever, they knew how to scare people into doing what they wanted. and they were good at covering their tracks.

It had to be them, he was digging his nose in where he wasn't wanted and they were coming after him, that meant he was getting under their skin, getting too close for them to ignore anymore, there was no way he was quitting now.

READ FROM THE START HERE

[dread-red-queen]

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Human Spite with Detective Neve Gallus discussing a case

This is for Chapter 18 got 2 chapters before this happens XD

This pairing came as a surprise for me but it works so well for En Garde with Spite being an ex investigative Journalist turned ethical Hacker and Neve being a Police Detective XD