#assassination attempt

[simp-for-fictional-hotties]

Hello, I hope this finds you well, may I ask for a Lucifer x reader where they recently got married and are at a performance and an assassin tries to shot reader but failed?

Writing One shot: Lucifer Morningstar ★

•❅───✧❅✦❅✧───❅•

⋆ ★ Character: Lucifer Morningstar

⋆ ★ Fandom: Hazbin Hotel

⋆ ★ Plot: Lucifer x Reader, Recently got married and are at a performance and a assassin tries to shoot the reader but fails.

⋆ ★ Request: @myluckymoon

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✦ You had recently got married to the king of hell. Something you never thought would happen. When you first met him, you thought he’d be the cruelest person in hell.

✦ But you judged a book by its cover and got hit in the face with reality. Lucifer was the silliest yet caring guy you met. That first interaction turned into a second, then a third.

✦ You would think he’s the best person in hell and he clearly thought the same when he got down on one knee and proposed.

✦ You almost thought he would give you a duck shaped ring, but it was a red Diamond ring, only the box he proposed with was duck shaped.

✦ Everyone in hell knows of the proposal. Reaching the ears of many people.

✦ After you both got married, Lucifer wanted to celebrate by going to a performance in the grand theater you had first met him in.

✦ “After you, my love” he opens the door for you, smiling lovingly at you still in a happy love fever after just having the wedding with you.

✦ “Thank you, Luci” You smile back, just as happy as he is. Once inside you both loop arms together and walk to the VIP section that had the best seats.

✦ Soon, the curtains raise and the show begins.

✦ “Aw, It’s the performance that was playing when we first met…” You smile at how endearing this was of your husband.

✦ “Of course, I’d never forget the day when we first met, how you had told me if I was into ducks! Haha!” Lucifer had teasingly reminded.

✦ You get a little flustered at the reminder, you had blurted out your dumb thoughts when you first saw him enthusiastically talked about ducks before the performance started.

✦ “Oh shut up, that never happened” You dismiss causing him to laugh more. Both you and Lucifer’s hands interlock on the seat. Both your rings clinking against each other.

✦ After a few minutes, your attention was on the stage down below. Unaware of your surroundings, unaware of a shark like Sinner in a coat who had a gun pointing at your head from afar.

✦ You pay attention to the performance, ignorant of the sound of a gun clinking, being loaded up.

✦ Bang!

✦ You jump and gasp. The performance keeps going but the audience jumps from the sound as well.

✦ You feel something behind you head, something that trailed down to your neck and back.

✦ “Luci…?” You question. It was Lucifer’s wings that were shielding you from behind. Both soft yet strong.

✦ Strong enough to shield bullets.

✦ “Shit!” The shark Sinner cursed, knowing he fucked up.

✦ “Y/n…” Lucifer stands up, his voice a tone lower than you were used to. A serious expression on his face.

✦ “Are you okay?”

✦ You nod, confused and shocked at the sudden turn of events. “Y-Yes..”

✦ Lucifer turns his attention to the Assassin that looked as if he regretted his stupid decision.

✦ “You try to kill, MY Partner…In my presence…on OUR date!?” His voice slowly turned more Demonic. Pissed that someone tried to shoot the love of his life, and angry that he also ruined their date.

✦ “Fuck! I’m outta here!” The assassin tries to escape, running out of the theater. Lucifer’s angry and cold expression turns into a gentle smile when he turns to you.

✦ “I’m going to deal with a little problem my love and come right back, you stay here okay?” You nod slowly as he gives you a small kiss on the cheek.

✦ “don’t have too much fun without me, I’ll be back in a few minutes!” He flies out of the theater in a blink of an eye. Causing you to sit there alone to just process what just happened. This was your first assassination attempt after all.

✦ Like the saying, the show must go on, the performance continues to play as the audience slowly reverts back to normal and enjoy the show. You sit there, waiting for your husband to return. You look around your surroundings every few moments just in case.

✦ Five minutes go by and Lucifer calmly walks back in, dusting his shoulders off and sitting back down next to you with his usual little smile.

✦ “I hope I didn’t miss too much, dear” he places his hand on yours once again.

✦ You smile back at him, much more calmer now.

✦ “Not too much, It only just began after all” you rest your head on his shoulder. You both look to the stage and continue to watch the performance. You interlock fingers with him and sit contently.

✦ You decide to ignore the small bits of blood on the ends of his sleeves.

════ ⋆★⋆ ════

One shot: End.

[write-it-motherfuckers]

Person A: “Ah shit.”

Person B: “What’s wrong?! It got really noisy all of a sudden!”

Person A: “Oh don’t worry about that, someone’s just trying to kill me again. Give me five minutes and I’ll call you back.”

[crash-bump-bring-the-whump]

Whumpril 2024 - Day 7 - Hesitation

-A huge demon enters the sitcom stage to raucous applause, spreading his arms and grinning at the other actors- GUESS WHO'S BACK AFTER BEING ON OC VACATION, at least now and then yk, I missed Gabe

TWs: attempted murder/assassination, threats, brief and vague reference to noncon by whumpee, blood, blades

“Please–” Gabriel watched the angel in front of him tremble. She clasped her hands in front of herself, brilliant purple eyes fixed on the bright cerulean soul in his hand. “Please, Prince Gabriel, don't do this.”

Gabriel sneered, rolling the little soul around in his palm, feeling the magical sparks against his skin. “Why?” He walked closer, idly toying with one sword he'd taken. His foot came to rest on the blade of the other. “You tried to kill me in my own home. Give me a reason to spare two assassins.”

She winced back, mouth gaping as she struggled for a reason. Gabriel laughed and dropped the blade with a clatter, bringing the soul up to his mouth. He rolled the marble into his mouth, holding it between his teeth. Everyone who knew of Gabriel Rivas, Demon Prince of the Wrathful Chase also knew how he liked to dispatch the souls of his enemies.

She dropped to her knees, tears springing from her eyes. Sobbing, she scrambled forward, desperately grabbing at the sheer silks he was wrapped in. “No, not him, not Alistair, he's all I have–” 

Something in how her voice broke, in how her watery purple eyes looked up at him with such desperation, made Gabriel pause. Suddenly the soul didn't feel as satisfying to have in his mouth. He pulled the soul away from his teeth with a sigh, brows furrowed.

“Hmm.” He thought for a moment, before grinning again. “Alright, alright. I'll make you a deal.”

She pressed her hands to her mouth and sat back on her heels, looking up at him with a frantic nod. She reached to his silks again, feeling at his hips, starting to tug the fabric away from his skin. “Anything, anything at all, sir, whatever you want I'll–” 

Gabriel felt his grin drop away as his stomach rolled. He stepped back, reaching a hand up sharply. “Quiet. Don't touch me. I don't want–not that.”

He took a deep breath, golden eyes lingering on the intact halo that hovered above her head. It matched her eyes perfectly. Her cloudy, dark grey wings shivered behind her back, pulled as tightly against her as possible. Messy black hair framed her face. Her arms wrapped around herself, like she might fall apart if she didn't. 

“if you can survive out there for forty-eight hours then you're free to go.” He motioned to the window, to the clogged, labyrinthine streets that lay far below his uncanny skyscraper. The screams and howls of the hunted couldn't be heard this far up. “You won't be able to fly. My demons will be hunting you the whole time. But if you can do it, you get to leave. Both of you. He'll stay in my possession until then.”

She swallowed hard and nodded. “Okay. I, yes. Yes, I accept. And if I don’t, you’ll kill us.”

“Give me your name." Gabriel said with a nod, offering a hand out to her. She grasped it. When he helped her to her feet, she seemed to barely weigh as much as Throl.

“Felicia.”

“Go on Felicia, you have a fifteen minute start time.”  

Gabriel didn’t know how he felt, watching her disappear into the elevator, shoulders squared.

As the doors closed, he shifted again and a sharp pain raced up his leg. Glancing down, the sword blade he’d stepped on before had bitten into him. Curiosity spiking, he lifted it to examine the sole of his foot. Golden blood started to languidly ooze, but there was no burning. He wasn’t being immolated by holy magic. He curiously looked to the other, and realized that it didn’t smell holy either–that had been the angel. 

Neither one of these blades could have killed him.

“Huh. Well, Alistair. Guess things are a little more complicated than I thought. Let’s just see how Felicia does while I think about where to go next.”

[stairnaheireann]

#OTD in 1926 – Dublin-born, Violet Albina Gibson, daughter of Lord Ashbourne, shot Benito Mussolini in Rome on this date.

Italian Fascist leader, Benito Mussolini, had just given a speech in Rome to the International Congress of Surgeons when a bullet nearly ended his life. After Mussolini finished his speech praising modern medicine, he walked to his car. At the time, no one noticed Violet Gibson, a small Irish woman with a long history of mental illness, standing among the crowd, just feet from Mussolini. Once…

[laurikarauchscat]

worry

Assassination attempts in the Imperial Palace are quite commonplace.

They would usually be followed by his staff clucking about him a touch more concerned than usual for a day or two, and perhaps Vattier would throw a couple of tantrums about his heirless rule, or the failings in his choice of guard.

It is only after Cirilla and her Witcher joins him in Nilfgaard that he experiences what it is like to have people truly be relieved he lives to breathe another day.

[cissyenthusiast010155]

In Her Time of Need ~Elizabeth Keane xFem Reader

Summary— [SPOILERS] After the assassination attempt on Keane’s life is the season 6 finale, Carrie and Elizabeth have to find somewhere to hide out. Reader is off the books and one of Elizabeth’s closest confidants. Basically a little fic about the after effects of the assassination.

Mommy… Master List

Requests & Prompt-List

Warnings: SPOILERS, implied assassination attempt, near death experience, trauma, anxiety, angst, comforting, physical comforting, safe house, happy fluff ending, etc.

Enjoy (;

The rap on the door was succinct and concise.

“Hi I’m Carrie, we haven’t met. I’m sorry, this is such short notice, we didn’t know where else to go—”

In front of you on your doorstep stood blonde, the one who spoke, and behind her cowered what you could make out to be Elizabeth.

“Of course, come in come in.”

You hurried the two women through the threshold of your brownstone, quickly shutting the door behind them. You guided them into your kitchen, swiftly grabbing a couple glasses of water and handing them over to the two ragged women. They accepted the drinks with silent nods and grateful hearts.

“I heard what happened over the television. I immediately called my contacts but no one had heard from you. They thought…” you rambled.

“The hit came from within the company. That’s why. No one knows.” Carrie breathed out, anxiously brushing her hair behind her face.

Elizabeth fidgeted with her glass, her gaze not meeting yours. You pursed your lips and nodded towards the blonde. Your gaze traveled back to the brunette, sympathetic and caring for the woman who seemed to be carrying the weight of the world on her shoulders.

“I see. Well you’re both welcome to stay here as long as you need. Elizabeth knows this is an unsanctioned, off the books safe house. That’s how I assumed you found me.”

“Completely off the books…?”

You pursed your lips once more and nodded. Carrie sighed in relief and nodded eagerly back.

“Good good.”

Silence took the room. It gave you the chance to finally hear Elizabeth’s shallow and erratic breathing. Her lip was trembling and you could tell she was as struggling to stay standing. It broke your heart. You rounded the kitchen island over to the brunette, placing a light hand on the back of her right shoulder.

“Hey.”

Elizabeth jolted upright a little at the touch. But she quickly leaned closer to your warmth, spooning your figure with her back frame.

“Hi” she choked out, as she fought back tears.

You sighed. Carrie shuffled her feet, feeling a little out of place in the now very domestic feeling kitchen. You took note of her discomfort, turning your gaze up and to the blonde.

“Up the stairs, first door to the left is yours. Standard guest bedroom, everything you’ll need is there.”

Carrie nodded swiftly.

“Thank you. Really.” She said before scurrying up the stairs.

Once the two of you were alone, Elizabeth finally let her eyes close even if it was just for a moment. She let out a pain staking, shuttering sigh. You could feel her trembling increasing, so you took her and your glasses and placed them on the counter for better stability.

And just as you came back to her, the woman’s knees buckled. You swiftly pulled Elizabeth into your arms, saving her from slamming into the ground. She would have protested about her being a strong, independent woman and being able to handle herself, but not today. Today she needed you. She needed to be taken care of. And there was nothing wrong with that.

“How about a bath, hmmmm sweetheart?” You hummed softly.

Elizabeth nodded slowly, curling her face into your chest as the tears began to stream down her face. You nodded and carried her upstairs and into the main bathroom. Running the water, you helped strip her of her tattered clothing, putting it aside, and then helping her into the partially filled tub.

The brunette curled into her chest, wrapping her arms around her legs, cradling herself in the tub, her head tucked into her knees. Your hand gently caressed her upper back. As you pulled away to give her some space, Elizabeth’s hand shot out and grabbed your wrist, pulling you nearly into the tub with her.

“You want me to join you…?” You gently asked.

Elizabeth finally looked you in the eye for the first time, her eyes glossy and overwhelmed with tears. Her lips trembled even harder as she nodded shakily. She let go of your wrist.

“P-please…”

You immediately nodded, standing up fully and stripping down all of your clothing, throwing them aside to deal with later. You then carefully entered the large bathtub, sitting behind Elizabeth and wrapping your legs around her from either side so that she was in between and could lean back on your chest.

The water was now warm and the tub filled, so you turned the tap off. Elizabeth immediately took the hint and curled up on your chest. Her left cheek rested on your sternum, her hands on the expanse of your left chest. She took another shuttering breath. But this one was a little calmer. Even though you could feel her heart racing on top of you, you also felt her starting to relax a little bit more.

It was silent for a while after that.

“I—I’m sorry…” she stammered in a whisper, finally bringing sound back into the room.

“Hey. No apologies… If you want, we can talk about this in the morning. Tonight, you just rest. Understand?” You cooed gently.

Elizabeth nodded. And before long, you heard the woman dozing off on your chest.

~~~

Elizabeth Keane Masterlist ~Coming Soon (;

[newyorkthegoldenage]

Dr. Martin Luther King and his wife Coretta are smiling and cheerful during their interview at Harlem Hospital on September 30, 1958, as King recovers from a near-fatal stabbing ten days earlier at a book signing in Harlem.

Photo: Al Pucci for the NY Daily News

[aussiepineapple1st]

I have a chreon fic (or drawing) request if you are accepting oh Lord of Angst <3

What if Leon gets attacked (an attempted assassination?) in his own home while Chris is on his way there, but the attacker hears him coming and leaves before finishing the job. Cue a panicking Chris, a dying Leon, and a frantic ride to the hospital. (With a happy ending please 🥺🥺)

*cracks fingers and rubs hands together* Your Lord is accepting of this request my little Llama.

Assassination

Chreon

Words: 1,459 Contains: Blood, Attempted Assassination, Angst, Whump, Death?

Leon keeps checking the time on his watch, flicking up his left wrist he adjusts the leather strap with his right hand. Both hands dropping back to his lap sitting in a lounge, Chris was late.

Dinner was keeping warm on the still hot stove, only just been turned off, but Leon didn't want to eat without Chris. There was a slight rustling he hears from outside the window to his left, causing him to stand from the lounge. He didn't have time to even think when a silenced pistol shoots a round into Leon's left shoulder blade.

"AH!" An assassination! Leon drops to his knees and rolls behind the lounge he was sitting on, holding the exit wound on his left peck. Almost got his heart, too high though.

Leon didn't have a weapon around him right now, searching for potential candidates the window smashes as the assassin enters the house. He knew exactly where Leon was as he hadn't left from behind the lounge yet. Keeping his ears open he listens for every delicately placed foot on the wooden flooring, one of the main reasons Leon and Chris had carpet removed and wood installed.

Shuffling around the lounge opposite to where the assassin was, he could make his way to a pair of boots he had removed at the back of the lounge. It wasn't the best, but 2 heavy boots to the head would be enough for him to at least run to the hallway. He silently takes one boot in each hand and peaks his head up, the pistol immediately sighting him and he ducks for the round to skim the top of the lounge. He knew where they were now.

Throwing one boot over the lounge he makes a run for it as the assassin is stunned. Sprinting towards the hallway he throws the second boot so the assassin doesn't have time to shoot. A hasty round does take out the plaster on the corner of the wall as Leon disappeared behind it, bullet going through the wooden door to an office.

The assassin takes off running after Leon, getting a shot in once again. This bullet goes straight through Leon's right calf. Crumpling to the ground he manages to reach for a gun still left out on the dresser as the Assassin enters the room.

This time it was Leon's turn to shoot, the Assassin seeing the weapon aimed at him drops like a sack of potatoes, the round going through the ceiling. Having now taken out a knife the masked assassin stabs the blade into Leon's right shin, causing Leon to shout out in agony once again. His reaction was to kick the hand and blade away rather than shooting. He could have had a clear shot at the assassin's head, but zombie instinct had kicked in with wanting to get them away from him first before shooting. He never really dealt with living, cognitive humans, let alone an assassin who seemed to be very good at his job.

In this short time of Leon kicking away the assassin's hand his own weapon was kicked from his grip, the leg of the assassin swinging around at great speed. Grabbing their ankle with his other hand as it came around, Leon throws the leg of the assassin up causing them to roll on their back. He grabs his weapon and the Assassin's, running into the ensuite and locking the door. He drops the magazine out from both weapons, both empty. SHIT!

Leon reaches to his phone in his pocket as he tried his best to call Chris, the door to the bathroom slams open as the assassin rams through. Leon in the way was taken out by the momentum of the body barrelling through the doorway. Pushed into the glass wall of the shower it smashes, the assassin gaining composure and sinking his knife into Leon's right side. Great, there goes a kidney.

Leon being stunned could only shout out in pain and throw fists up at the Assassin, the first swing connecting to his jaw. Pushing the assassin back off him he kicks him away.

Hearing a sound coming from the front door the Assassin turns his head and stands up, darn, he couldn't finish the job. With a last attempt he throws his knife at Leon, it sinking into his chest. The shout was enough to draw the attention on whoever had just entered the house so he sprints towards the window in the bedroom and exits the house.

-----

Chris closed the door to his car, walking up to the house he saw the lights were still on, Leon was probably angry he was late for dinner. It wasn't like he could help it though, work had been swamping him lately. Putting his key in the door he unlocks and opens the front door.

"Leon I'm h-" Chris spots boots on the ground, his eyes then drawn to the blood splatter on the coffee table and ground. He hears Leon shout out in agony from down the hallway, the ring of his voice sounded like he was in a bathroom. Then the smash of a window. The Bedroom!

Chris sprints down the hall, taking out his pistol from the holster on his right leg and aims it towards the now smashed window. Whoever it was, they were gone. His eyes look down at the blood pooled on the wooden floorboards, following the droplets to the ensuite, the door had been smashed in.

Running to the threshold his heart stops, Leon was on his back, covered in glass from the shower, bloodied with a knife stuck in his chest. "LEE!" He calls out and rushed to Leon's left side, falling to the knee guards he was still wearing.

Leon opens his eyes and gives Chris a cocky smirk, blood spilling from his mouth. "You're late... Dinner's going cold."

"Forget about the dinner I need to get you to a hospital." He says trying to find the best way to pick Leon up. In the end he just scoops his husband up in his arms and carried him through the house. The front door was still open, walking through he hooks his foot and pulls the door shut. Racing down the stairs of the porch he awkwardly opens the front passenger side of the car and sets Leon in the seat.

Making sure to be careful of the knife sticking out of his chest Chris puts the seatbelt around Leon and lays the seat back slightly, still sitting but partially laid back. "Keep pressure on your side."

"I know..." Chris closed the door and rushing around to the driver's side.

Searching for the keys to the car he couldn't find them. "Shit." He must have dropped them inside when he saw what had gone down. Running to the front door he saw his keys still in the handle, he hadn't even removed them from the lock.

Pulling the keys from the handle he then takes off back to his car and hops in starting the car. Chris looks to Leon as he turns on the engine, Leon's hand was loose over his wound, no pressure being held on it at all. His head turned away from Chris, his fringe cover his face. "Leon?" He calls waiting for a response as he starts speeding out of the long gravel driveway.

No response. This send a pang of fear straight through his torso, starting at the base of his stomach. "Leon, Wake Up!" His voice cracked, the amount of panic he was experiencing right now was unreal. But he keeps focused, calling the hospital to say he was coming to the emergency drop off.

Chris kept an eye on Leon, checking on him every few seconds. Still not moving, not a single muscle. Leon's hand did slip from his stomach to his lap while turning a corner, but that was all.

Arriving at the hospital he was met by nurses and doctors of the like, he runs around to Leon's side and opens the door. Removing his seatbelt and pulling him from the vehicle, Chris placed Leon on the bed provided.

He hadn't noticed the tears falling down his face until he entered the hospital, a nurse stopping him with a hand on his chest and a box of tissues in hand. Chris stands there watching his husband being wheeled away, his legs loosing all strength as he collapsed to the ground. The nurse who was standing in front of him now had an arm around his back as she called for assistance with the distraught man.

Chris had his face in his hands, letting all his fear a worry out now as he cried.

🏷️: @phoenix666stuff @maehemthemisfit @greywardensaywhat @growingupnrealizing @starcrossedreaders

[rosealiceroyal]

"Do try to make a good impression tonight,” Henry mutters under his breath.

Alex’s jaw clenches just for a moment before he wills himself to relax. “Only if you try to get that stick out of your ass.”

-

After two months - two dreadfully long, boring months - of being married to a man that seemingly does not want anything to do with him, Alex gets a tip that his husband is going to be the target of an assassination attempt. He deals with it about as well as you'd expect him to.

ft: light whump, rash decisions, and sex in a bath tub.

Language: English Words: 8,833 Chapters: 1/1 Comments: 68 Kudos: 866 Bookmarks: 155 Hits: 8,716

[empirearchives]

One of the guys that tried to kill Napoleon was his former teacher 💀

[past-imperfect-if]

will we ever see Shae's perspective when Mc died? I like angst, and seeing their reaction when mc died taking the blow for them (persumably, the description said Monarch's Assasination) is going to be absolutely delicious

You will definitely see the night that the MC was killed. I actually have a few plans for it right now, but I don’t want to spoil anything. It may end up being in Shae’s PoV, but if it ends up not being so? I’ll make a separate thing where you can see that night through Shae’s eyes regardless.

[snowdice]

Big Bang Editing Story [Day 117]

I started writing this fic while editing my Big Bang story years ago, but am going to continue doing it for other things now that Kill Dear is out. I will write and publish 100 words of the story every time I finish doing whatever task I’m doing. If you’d like to block these proceedings, please feel free to block the tag ‘proofread stories.’ I will reblog this post with the parts of the story I do today. Edited chapters are linked; everything else I’ve done so far is under the cut.

My Master Post Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7 Part 8 Part 9 Part 10 Part 11 Part 12 Part 13 Part 14 Part 15 Part 16 Part 17 Part 18 Part 19 Part 20 Part 21 Part 22 Part 23 Part 24 Part 25 Part 26 Part 27 Part 28 Part 29 Part 30 Part 31 Part 32 Part 33 Part 34 Part 35 Part 36 Part 37 Part 38 Part 39 Part 40 Part 41 Part 42 Part 43 Part 44 Part 45 Part 46 Part 47 Part 48 Part 49 Part 50 Part 51 Part 52 Part 53

Got walloped by a mix of vacation, adult responsibilities, illness, and the broken computer issues mentioned last time I worked on this. Going to do just a little bit today, but I don't want to skip more days.

Because I still don't have my tags, I will be tagging all of these with only #tag later. All tags you can read in the edited parts above apply.

Chapter 54 (Patton) 

“I still can’t believe he’s allowing this,” King Thomas said from next to Patton. The two of them were standing at the edge of the arena outside the horse stable, watching from a safe distance. 

“If he hadn’t tried to bite me earlier, I’d think he was a different horse,” Patton agreed. 

“He doesn’t even let Logan ride him,” the king said. “At least not ride him and give him directions.” 

Patton was very aware of that. Logan did on occasion choose to get up onto Mr. Apples’ saddle. However, Mr. Apples was always the once who got to decide where they went after that. Logan had no say. 

With that in mind, Patton, Logan, and every stable hand who’d heard about the prospective riding lessons had tried to convince Virgil to learn to ride on a different horse. Virgil was just as stubborn as Mr. Apples however and had insisted. Logan, being the only one who could be around Mr. Apples without risking being kicked, had become his de facto tutor. 

Not even Logan could have expected that within a week, Virgil would be able to control Mr. Apples. Though perhaps ‘control’ was the wrong word. Nothing could control Mr. Apples, but for some reason, Mr. Apples seemed willing to do as Virgil asked. 

Even right now Mr. Apples was trotting around the training arena like he was a well-trained trick horse warming up with his rider. 

“Logan told him we could go on an actual ride today if the lesson went well,” Patton told the king. The lesson seemed to be just getting over because Logan said something to Virgil and Virgil started to climb off. Mr. Apples was patient and still as he dismounted. 

“Do you think he’d mind if I went with you?” King Thomas asked. 

Patton shrugged. “Mr. Apples might.” 

“Mr. Apples definitely will,” the king replied. “I’ll come anyway.” 

Logan had walked over to where Patton and the king were standing while Virgil fed Mr. Apples some apple pieces as a reward. 

“I hear you’re going to go riding today,” King Thomas said. 

Logan nodded. “Mr. Apples seems to listen to him well enough,” he said. 

“I might join you if that’s alright. Where are you kids going?” the king asked. 

“I was thinking the main forest path,” Logan replied. “It’s not a particularly difficult route, but it’s also a part of the castle grounds Virgil hasn’t been able to see yet. Loraine told me it has been recently cleared after the winter.” 

“That sounds like a good idea,” the king said. “Are you going now?” 

“Once Patton and I saddle up our horses,” Logan said. “You can come.” 

“Great,” the king said with a smile. “I’ll ask for Bella’s saddle to be brought out. I haven’t gone on a ride yet this week.” 

He turned then to walk towards the stables leaving Patton and Logan alone. 

“Do you think he’s been acting weird?” Logan asked, turning towards Patton. 

Patton frowned. “No,” he said. “Not really.” 

“I’m just wondering why he wants to go horseback riding with us.” 

“He likes spending time with you?” Patton guessed. 

“Yes,” Logan said, “but typically in a setting that doesn’t involve Mr. Apples.” 

Well, that was fair. 

“I mean, it’s not too weird,” Patton said, thinking back through the last couple of days. King Thomas had been a bit… clingy. 

“He’s been hanging around a lot,” Logan said, echoing Patton’s thoughts with narrowed eyes. He glanced back at Virgil. “You don’t think Virgil let something slip, do you?” 

“He didn’t say anything,” Patton said. “I think your dad would say something if Virgil let slip he was an assassin somehow.” 

“Unless he let slip something that didn’t quite implicate himself but invited suspicion.” 

“Your dad doesn’t seem suspicious,” Patton said. At least, Patton didn’t think he did. He hadn’t been acting mean in any way. In fact, he might have even been acting nicer. 

Logan frowned. “We should keep an eye on him, especially around Virgil.” 

Patton bit his lip. 

“What?” Logan asked. 

“Are we ever going to tell your dad about Virgil?” he asked. 

Logan hesitated. “I don’t…” he trailed. “I’m not sure.” 

“It just feels weird lying for so long,” Patton said. Patton didn’t lie a lot. Sure, maybe he’d pretend to not know what Mama was talking about when sweets went missing from the kitchens or he’d pretend to not know what Logan’s birthday gift was, but he’d never lied about anything serious before now. 

“I know, but,” Logan glanced back at Virgil once again, “even if we did decide to tell, we’d have to convince Virgil everything would be alright beforehand. I don’t think we’re at that point yet. He was terrified of Father until a few months ago, and he’s still cautious around him sometimes.” 

Logan was right, of course. Virgil was getting more and more comfortable around the king, but he figured any of the progress made would go down the drain as soon as they brought up telling King Thomas about where exactly Virgil had come from. Patton didn’t know if Virgil would ever be comfortable enough. 

“We should go get our own horses,” Logan suggested, and Patton nodded. 

Patton and Logan’s horses had already been saddled by the stable hands in anticipation of their ride and it didn’t take long for the king to saddle his own horse, Bella. 

The forest path at this time of year was very pretty, Patton thought. The tree branches now had small green leaves on them after having been barren for the entire winter and flowers were starting to grow. In a few weeks’ time it would be even prettier, but it would also be harder for the groundskeeper to maintain as well as it was right now. 

Virgil really did seem less anxious around King Thomas now. The path was only wide enough for two horses to go at once, and he didn’t seem to mind that he and the king ended up next to each other while Patton and Logan lagged behind. In fact, he and the king seemed to be having a nice conversation about the local wildlife. 

However, if Patton looked close enough, he did sort of see what Logan meant. Virgil may not be anxious talking to the king now, but the king himself seemed just a little bit nervous at least at the beginning of the ride. 

He seemed to relax a bit as they rode (even laughing when Mr. Apples tried to bite him when he got too close). 

Logan had been teaching Virgil the basics about things like animals, but there was still a pretty big gap in his education when it came to anything that wasn’t about training to fight and kill. King Thomas seemed more than willing to answer any of his questions when it came to the animals and plants around them even if they were sometimes a bit silly. 

He’d seen a bird that looked like a dove. (It may have even been a dove, but Patton hadn’t seen it.) This had been a source of endless confusion for him. 

“But shouldn’t it live in the dovecote?” Virgil asked. 

“Not all birds live in a dovecote,” the king explained again. 

“But it’s a dove,” Virgil said with a frown. 

“Not all doves live in a dovecote,” the king replied. 

“But it’s a dovecote,” Virgil argued. “It’s for the doves.” 

“Yes, but there are also wild doves,” the king said. 

“That doesn’t make any sense,” Virgil replied. 

“What about it doesn’t make sense?” the king asked with a laugh in his tone. 

“Doves go in the dovecote,” Virgil said. 

Patton was starting to have trouble following this argument. 

“Dovecotes are made for doves,” the king said, “but not all doves go in dovecotes.” 

“Why?” 

This seemed to stump the king momentarily, but he still answered after thinking for a bit. “Doves existed before people got to them,” the king explained. “People caught and trained some of them, but there was no way to catch all of them. So, some stayed in the wild and continued with their lives like they had been before humans. Plus, sometimes domesticated doves fly off and never come back. Sometimes they might die, but other times they may have just gotten lost and had to build a new life somewhere far away. Or maybe they even decided that being a trained dove working for humans wasn’t for them, so they decided to go off on their own.” 

“You let them do that?” Virgil asked. 

“We can’t really stop them in the end,” the king said. “People can try, but it never ends up working as long as they can fly.” 

Virgil thought about this. “I still don’t understand,” he said, “but okay.” 

“We should take you to the cliffs,” the king suggested. 

“What are the cliffs?” 

“The castle grounds were built for defense,” King Thomas explained. “The edge of the grounds to the North is a large river and overlooking it is a huge cliff. It’s a good place for picnics and for birdwatching. It’s a bit of a trip, but now would be a good time of year to go.” 

He glanced over his shoulder back at Logan and Patton. “What do you boys think about going to the cliffs sometime? Maybe in about a week?” 

Logan squinted at his father suspiciously. It wasn’t so much the fact that the king was asking them to go to the cliffs. They did that every so often. However, this time, it only supported Logan’s claims that the king was hanging out with them a lot recently. 

“Sure,” Logan said, after a moment. 

“Sounds fun!” Patton said cheerily right after, trying to cover for the lack of enthusiasm in Logan’s voice with his own. Judging by King Thomas’s expression and Logan’s tight-lipped scowl, he may have overcompensated. 

“Great,” the king said. “I’ll” make sure to make arrangements when we get back to the castle.” 

Chapter 55 (Logan) 

Virgil was beginning to be able to read some of the common instructions in magic books, but Logan still made sure to read out the instructions to him at least twice before setting him loose. He’d started to jot down notes to himself about things, though these notes were not words, but various symbols that only made sense to the boy himself. 

Logan had asked about their meaning at one point and received an answer that, while earnest, was unintelligible. The symbols were mostly just pictures of things to represent certain steps in spell casting, but they were filtered through Virgil’s rudimentary penmanship and often bizarre perception of the world. 

Though, despite the fact that Logan could not often decipher his chicken scratch, it did seem to help him produce impressively quality charms even as Logan began to introduce more complicated processes to make them. He was a very good student even if he didn’t have the best foundation for learning. 

“I add lavender for the next step, right?” Virgil asked, his finger on a word in Logan’s magic book. 

“That is correct,” Logan confirmed. 

Virgil looked back at the book and mouthed the word ‘lavender’ to himself before turning back to his potion. He grabbed a few sprigs of lavender and threw them into the cauldron. 

The liquid popped and bubbled violently, but Virgil didn’t flinch as he once would have, prepared for it now. 

After the lavender, Logan knew that it would have to simmer for 5 minutes. Virgil looked down at the boiling liquid, contemplating it for a long moment. 

“Can I soak a knife in it?” he asked. 

“What?” Logan asked. 

“Can I soak a knife in the potion once it’s done?” 

“In that potion?” Logan clarified. “In the emergency hand warmer potion?” 

“Yes.” 

“Why?” 

“I think a hot knife would be useful,” Virgil said. 

“For what?” 

Virgil shrugged. “Cooking food on the road,” he said, “burning wood, stabbing someone and immediately cauterizing the wound.” 

“That is… not a standard use for this potion,” Logan said. 

Virgil titled his head at him. “Would it work though?” 

“Well, I don’t know,” Logan contemplated. “Perhaps. The potion can cause burns if one uses too much of it or if it is used without an appropriate layer between it and the skin. If one were to pick a knife with enough surface area and let it soak long enough, it could in theory get hot enough to do as desired. Hmm…” he thought about it. “There would perhaps be the problem of the potion not sticking to the knife very long as it is intended to soak into fabric. However, cardamom could solve that issue as long as it doesn’t interact with any other ingredients. Let me see that spell.” 

Virgil stepped out of his way so he could study the page. “Yes,” Logan said after scanning through all of the ingredients. “I think coriander would work for something like that. Let me go find some.” 

He turned to walk towards where he kept his supplies of potion ingredients. Virgil followed on his heals. 

“Can we use a serrated knife?” 

“Oh, that’s a good idea, Virgil,” Logan said, nodding as he searched through the cupboard that should hold the coriander. “The knife being serrated would help keep the potion stuck to the blade after many uses and would increase the surface area.” 

“That was certainly my intentions,” Virgil said smoothly. There was something odd about the tone that had Logan turning to him and blinking at him. Virgil just smiled at him innocently and Logan turned back to the cabinet finally locating the coriander. 

“So how are we going to use that?” Virgil asked. 

“We’ll put it in right before the last step and let it sit for about 3 minutes,” Logan said. “If it doesn’t quite work, we may need to make another batch. There are options other than coriander, but that’s the first idea that comes to mind and it a lot simpler if it works.” 

He continued to speak of the many other options they could try as they returned to the caldron as well as how they could test the hot knife. It was already about time for the next step and Virgil did it without interrupting Logan’s rant. 

Virgil listened to his suggestions with interest all while still making sure the potion he was making was progressing well. 

Logan did eventually take over to finish the potion with the revised steps he’d come up with and they ended up with a potion that looked perfect except it was a few shades darker than the one they’d originally been planning to make. 

“Well, it looks good,” Logan declared. “We will need to acquire a knife to test its effectiveness, however.” 

“There are a few good ones in the kitchen,” Virgil pointed out. “I especially like the one 10 inch one with the black and white handle.” 

“You have been eyeing up the kitchen knives?” Logan asked. 

Virgil rolled his eyes as though that was not a perfectly reasonable question to ask him. “We should steal that one,” Virgil said. 

“Do you think we’ll be able to sneak past Ms. Heart to steal a knife from her kitchen?” Logan asked. 

“We can’t,” Virgil said. 

Logan almost didn’t believe him… and then he remembered the water pouch incident. “It’s the dinner rush,” Logan said. “We should probably wait for a bit.” 

Virgil was shaking his head. “The dinner rush is the best time,” he said. “Everyone will be distracted, and all of the knives will be out and in prime stealing position.” 

“And if Patton’s mother catches us messing around in her kitchen during her busiest time of day, she will have Father ground us for a week.” 

“Then we just won’t get caught,” Virgil said. 

“I’m not sure if it’s that simple,” Logan said with a frown. 

“You can stay here if you want,” Virgil offered. “I’ll just go by myself.” 

“No, I’ll come too,” Logan relented, though he did still have some reservations about the idea. 

He let Virgil lead him towards the main dining hall. By now, Virgil knew the kitchens and dining hall very well. 

“Stay here,” he said. They were in a hallway a few feet down from the staff entrance to the kitchen. “I’m going to do some reconnaissance.” 

“What type of reconnaissance?” Logan asked, but Virgil had already disappeared before his very eyes. With a blink, Logan looked up and saw a dark figure disappear onto a balcony overhead. 

Well, Logan really had no choice but to wait there for him. It wasn’t like he could follow him. He could hear the clatter of silverware on plates from the dining hall down the corridor as he impatiently waited. It only took Virgil a bit over five minutes to return. He dropped suddenly from above and landed in front of Logan in a crouch. 

“Well?” Logan asked, letting a bit of irritation into his tone so Virgil knew he was displeased. Virgil did not seem to care. 

“Got it,” Virgil said with a wide grin, brandishing a large kitchen knife. 

Logan flinched back at the unexpected sight of a weapon. 

“You said you were doing reconnaissance!” he sputtered. “Not…” he trailed off remembering that while they weren’t in eyesight of anyone right now, they could be in earshot of someone. He lowered his tone, “stealing the knife already.” 

“I was doing reconnaissance,” Virgil said with a shrug, “and then I used the information gathered by that reconnaissance to steal a knife.” 

Logan narrowed his eyes at him. 

Virgil just smiled. “You would have gotten in my way.” 

“I would not have,” Logan insisted. 

“How many times has Patton’s mom caught you stealing food from the kitchens in the past?” he asked. 

Logan pursed his lips. “That is Patton’s doing,” he said. 

“Sure,” Virgil said with an eyeroll. “I’ll have you prove it some other day, but for now,” he twirled the knife around in a way that made Logan cringe even though he did seem to have an expert handle over it. “We have a knife.” 

“Right,” Logan agreed with a nod. “We should continue the experiment.” 

Virgil stored the knife away… somewhere on his person, and they snuck back to Logan’s rooms. 

When Virgil handed over the knife, Logan did have to admit it was a perfect specimen for their project: long and saw-like with a heatproof handle. 

Logan carefully set it in a shallow dish and proceeded to pour the potion they’d made onto it. They let it sit for a little under half an hour before carefully pulling it out of the concoction with tongs and letting it airdry. Meanwhile, Virgil suggested they set up a testing area with various old sheets and clothing. They’d even found and decorated an armor stand with an old suit that Logan particularly disliked. 

“Well,” Logan said once he’d tapped the handle and had not gotten burned by the potion. “I think we can test it now.” For safety, he made Virgil put on thick heatproof gloves before handing him the knife. 

“So how do I make it work?” Virgil asked. 

“The original potion works through light friction,” Logan said. 

“So just start stabbing things?” 

Logan went to respond, but before he could, Virgil had already twisted around and sliced through one of the sheets hanging in Logan’s potion room. There was a sizzling noise as the knife cut through the sheet like it was tissue paper leaving two aflame halves flapping about. 

Logan leapt forward to tear the pieces of sheet down and the two of them stomped on the flames to put out the fire. 

“It’s perfect,” Virgil said with a grin once the charred remains of the sheet were extinguished. 

“It does seem to work as intended,” Logan agreed. 

“Let’s do it again,” Virgil said. 

“Er, well, perhaps we shouldn’t…,” Logan started, but Virgil had already set his eyes on the armor stand they’d set up. That suddenly seemed like not such a good idea to Logan. 

He stabbed the armor stand viciously. It went up in flames instantly. Logan’s eyes widened as the blaze only seemed to get bigger as Virgil drew back the knife. 

Virgil did not seem to share Logan’s worry as he turned and stabbed another piece of hanging clothing, setting it ablaze as well. 

“Virgil, no! You’re going to burn the room down!” Logan yelped. 

The armor stand at that very moment decided to fall to the ground. They had, perhaps, not set the testing area up as well as they should have because it fell directly onto one of Logan’s rugs and set that on fire as well. 

“Oops,” Virgil said, eyes wide. 

Above the sound of crackling fire, Logan heard a tapping on the door between his bedroom and work room. It opened slightly after a moment and Logan’s father’s voice called out as he was sticking his head into the room, “Um, what do you mean Virgil… is burning the room down!” 

The moment Logan’s father fully processed the presence of the flames, he was bursting into the room. He at least remembered that there was a fire extinguishing powder stocked in Logan’s work room even though that fact had slipped Logan’s mind in the chaos. (Perhaps Logan should have thought to set it out when they were testing a fire knife, but Logan would just add that to his growing list of regrets.) 

The king managed to put all of the fires out within 30 seconds of poking his head through the door, but the fire left in his eyes when he turned to them afterwards was perhaps more dangerous. 

Virgil slowly hid the knife behind his back. It was probably a bit late for that. 

“What were the two of you doing in here?” the king asked. 

“Nothing,” Logan said. Virgil shot him a look that told Logan what the boy thought about his lying abilities. 

Logan’s father put his hands on his hips. “‘Nothing’ set the rug on fire?” 

“We may have been doing a small experiment,” Logan said. 

“What experiment?” the king asked. 

“…I don’t wish to say.” 

“Logan.” 

“Virgil wanted a fire knife.” 

“A what?” 

Virgil frowned over at Logan. “Your resistance to interrogation techniques is deplorable.” 

Father turned to look at Virgil and obviously spotted the fact that Virgil was holding something behind his back. 

“Give it here,” Father said, though his tone was a bit gentler with Virgil than it had been with Logan. 

Virgil debated it for a moment, but then offered over the knife with a pout on his face. Father gingerly took it and the fire-resistant gloves from him. “Where did the two of you even get this knife?” 

“You can’t tell her,” Logan said. 

“You stole a knife from the kitchens?!” the king asked. 

“We borrowed it,” Logan said. 

“Can it be used for cooking anymore?” 

“…Well.” 

“In the intended manner.” 

“No.” 

“Then you stole it.” 

Logan just frowned and looked away. 

“I’m going to go put this in a secure location,” Father said, grimacing at the fire knife in his hands. “No more experiments for you two for a month. I’ll sic Patton on you.” 

With that, he picked up what was left of the fire extinguishing powder (just in case) and turned to exit the room. 

“Well,” Logan said once he was gone. “That was irresponsible.” 

“I could steal it back from him.” 

“N-no don’t do that.” 

“I definitely could though,” Virgil said. 

“I did not hear you say that,” Logan said, putting his hands over his ears. “I am not responsible for any more of your actions in this matter. I am going to the library.” 

He walked out of the room then and Virgil followed him to the upstairs library. He said nothing more about the fire knife, but Logan would be a fool to suppose he forgot about it. 

Chapter 56 (Thomas) 

“Good day for a picnic,” Helen commented as she handed over the basket Thomas had requested from her a few days before. He was taking Logan, Patton, and Virgil to the cliffs today and it was perfect weather for it. Spring was truly here, which meant that those of Thomas’s duties that had laid dormant over the harsh winter were about to start up again. 

The world had been on pause for a bit considering no armies or agents from any kingdom could get through the snow the last few months, but the concerns of last fall were showing their heads once again. 

Thomas had just gotten word a day ago that the queen of Lamir had routed out a second assassin hiding in her ranks over the winter. The assassin had been sent shortly after it was made clear that the queen wouldn’t bow down after the assassination of her mother. Luckily, the assassin sent for Queen Cecil had not managed to complete her mission during the winter months. 

While there had been no similar attempt on Prijaznia soil, Thomas couldn’t help but feel it was only a matter of time now that the snow had melted. They were already working on increasing security in the coming weeks and, though it was doubtful an assassin had managed to hide in the castle all winter without revealing themselves, they’d be closely scrutinizing all of the newer staff members. 

It would be a stressful time in the coming months, which is why, despite everything Thomas needed to do, he was still going to take his son and his son’s friends on a picnic today. Logan had already started taking on royal duties as of late, but he still hadn’t taken them all on quite yet. Considering this was last summer before Logan was of age, they should at least try to take advantage of it where they could. Patton was a year younger, but the sentiment held for him as well. 

Then there was Virgil. Despite their best efforts, they still didn’t know enough about Virgil, but Thomas was fairly sure he’d never had a summer to enjoy until now. 

“Thanks for prepping lunch for us,” Thomas said to Helen with a smile. 

“No problem,” she said waving them off. “I put in some of Virgil’s favorites.” 

“Great,” Thomas said. “Do you know where the kids are?” 

“Patton said they were going to go pet the cats, so I’d guess they’re in the gardens.” 

Thomas thanked her again and told her to have a good day before exiting the kitchen. There was a nearby door that led straight towards the part of the gardens Patton and Logan had always favored. He figured they’d either still be around there or they would have wandered towards the stables by now knowing that they’d be taking horses to the cliffs. 

So, he decided to simply walk the normal path from the door to the stable, hoping to find them. 

His prediction ended up being hilariously correct. They were indeed on the path Thomas had chosen. It was clear they (or at least Logan) were attempting to make it to the stable. However, as was typical, a portion of the party had been waylaid by whimsy. 

Logan was standing further down the path, arms crossed and frowning as he watched his friends. Patton and Virgil were surrounded by cats. Patton was sitting down, holding two of them in his lap and watching Virgil’s legs being swarmed by the rest of them, maybe two dozen in total. 

Virgil looked confused, but not unhappy about the presence of so many cats. He was leaning down to try to pet them all. 

Logan met Thomas’s eyes as he approached and waved a frustrated hand at the two of them. Logan couldn’t help but smile. 

“Virgil fed one of them,” Logan complained as though he wanted Thomas to somehow go into the past and prevent this crime. 

Patton and Virgil looked over at Thomas, noticing him when Logan addressed him. 

“You’re going to make Princess Marisol jealous,” Thomas said. Logan frowned at Thomas as he used the ‘Princess’ label for the cat. 

“Princess Marisol decided not to come,” Virgil said with a shrug. He continued to pet one of the cats. 

“She’s probably sleeping on my pillow,” Logan said, sounding grumpy. 

Thomas just chuckled. Princess Marisol was technically Logan’s cat, at least that’s what the kids said, and she did spend much of her time in the royal rooms. However, she was very clearly actually Virgil’s cat. Virgil just spent a lot of time in the royal wing as well. 

In fact, Thomas still didn’t know where Virgil was supposed to be sleeping. He and Mr. Deknis had actually tried to tail him a couple of times, but he always ended up sleeping in Logan’s room those nights. 

Knowing Virgil, he might just sleep in the walls. Though that still did not answer the question of where his parents or guardians were. They still had not figured it out. Thomas would assume he was an orphan who’d snuck onto castle grounds for safety, but Virgil had told Mr. Deknis during their first meeting that he was supposed to be in the castle, and it had not been a lie. 

Then again, it had slowly become apparent that Virgil was good at dodging the multrum’s powers. It was starting to seem more likely that he’d somehow inserted a second meaning into his answer to Mr. Deknis that night than he somehow had some ghost guardian no one was able to locate working in the castle. 

[stairnaheireann]

#OTD in 1981 – Civil rights campaigner and former Westminster MP, Bernadette McAliskey (née Devlin) and her husband were shot and seriously injured in a gun attack in their home near Coalisland, Co Tyrone.

“To gain what is worth having, it may be necessary to lose everything else.” –Bernadette Devlin As the gunmen left the house, they were grabbed by British paratroopers. One of the soldiers came into the kitchen. Bernadette heard her husband say they needed an ambulance. That was the first time she knew he was alive. For more than half an hour, she says, the soldiers stayed outside while she and…

[dontmeantobepoliticalbut]

The man who allegedly attacked House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s husband early Friday posted memes and conspiracy theories on Facebook about COVID vaccines, the 2020 election and the January 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol, and an acquaintance told CNN that he seemed “out of touch with reality.”

David DePape, 42, was identified by police Friday as the suspect in the assault on Paul Pelosi at the Speaker’s San Francisco home.

Three of DePape’s relatives told CNN that DePape has been estranged from his family for years, and confirmed that the Facebook account – which was taken down by the social media company on Friday – belonged to him.

His stepfather, Gene DePape, said David DePape grew up in Powell River, British Columbia, and left Canada about 20 years ago to pursue a relationship that brought him to California.

“I really don’t know what to think,” the suspect’s uncle, Mark DePape, said of his nephew’s alleged attack on Pelosi. “Hopefully it’s a scam. I don’t want to hear something like that.”

People who knew DePape in California described him as an odd character.

A 2013 article in the San Francisco Chronicle identified him as a “hemp jewelry maker,” and said that he lived with a nudist activist. Other photos published by the Chronicle show DePape – fully clothed – at a nude wedding on the steps of San Francisco City Hall.

Linda Schneider, a California resident, said she told CNN she got to know DePape roughly eight years ago and that he occasionally housesat for her. When they met, she said, DePape was living in a storage unit in the Berkeley area and told her he had been struggling with hard drugs but was “trying to create a new life for himself.”

She said that he was extremely shy. “He said he couldn’t even go and have a bank account because he was terrified of speaking to a teller,” Schneider said.

But Schneider later received “really disturbing” emails from DePape in which he sounded like a “megalomaniac and so out of touch with reality,” she said. She said she stopped communicating with him “because it seemed so dangerous,” adding that she recalled him “using Biblical justification to do harm.”

DePape’s social media presence similarly paints a picture of someone on a worrying trajectory, falling into conspiracy theories in recent years.

Last year, David DePape posted links on his Facebook page to multiple videos produced by My Pillow CEO Mike Lindell falsely alleging that the 2020 election was stolen. Other posts included transphobic images and linked to websites claiming COVID vaccines were deadly. “The death rates being promoted are what ever ‘THEY’ want to be promoted as the death rate,” one post read.

DePape also posted links to YouTube videos with titles like “Democrat FARCE Commission to Investigate January 6th Capitol Riot COLLAPSES in Congress!!!” and “Global Elites Plan To Take Control Of YOUR Money! (Revealed)”

Two days after former Minneapolis Police Officer Derek Chauvin was found guilty of killing George Floyd, DePape wrote that the trial was “a modern lynching,” falsely indicating that Floyd died of a drug overdose.

He also posted content about the “Great Reset”– the sprawling conspiracy theory that global elites are using coronavirus to usher in a new world order in which they gain more power and oppress the masses. And he complained that politicians making promises to try to win votes “are offering you bribes in exchange for your further enslavement.”

BLOGS SHOW IMAGES OF PELOSI, QANON AND ANTISEMITISM

Most of the public posts on DePape’s Facebook page were from 2021. In earlier years, DePape also posted long screeds about religion, including claims that “Jesus is the anti christ.” None of the public posts appeared to mention Pelosi.

More recently, two other blogs written by someone with the username “daviddepape” have posted content similar to that on DePape’s Facebook page.

In a string of posts on a Wordpress.com blog over the course of several days in August 2022, the author complained about big tech censorship and posted statements like “Hitlery did nothing wrong.” The site has since been taken offline.

And another blog, also attributed to “daviddepape,” featured antisemitic screeds and content linked to the QAnon conspiracy theory. One video posted on the site includes a shot of Pelosi swinging a gavel during one of former President Donald Trump’s impeachments, and another video includes an image of Pelosi and other politicians. A third video includes a clip of Pelosi speaking on the House floor.

Other posts from the last few weeks featured videos accusing LGBTQ people of “grooming” children, and declared that “any journalist saying” there is no evidence of election fraud “should be dragged straight out into the street and shot.” The most recent post – linking to a YouTube video comparing colleges to cults – went up the day before the Pelosi attack.

CNN was not able to confirm that the two blogs were written by DePape.

Another former acquaintance of DePape’s also told CNN he exhibited concerning behavior over the years.

Laura Hayes, who also lives in California, said she worked with DePape for a few months roughly a decade ago making hemp bracelets when he was living in a storage shed in the Berkeley area. She said DePape sold the bracelets as a business.

“He was very odd. He didn’t make eye contact very well,” Hayes said. She recalled him saying that “he talks to angels and there will be a hard time coming.” But she didn’t remember any seriously threatening comments, and said she didn’t think much of it because “it’s Berkeley,” a place where eccentric characters aren’t uncommon.

Hayes, who was Facebook friends with DePape, called his more recent posts “so phobic in so many ways” and filled with “so much anger.”