#riot report series

[marinehero-a]

     Inherent need to see this man defect </3

[tteokdoroki]

✩࿐TRACK 02: ONOFFONOFF. eijirou kirishima (2K)

about. by day, kirishima fights crime to keep everyone he loves safe. by night, you’re fighting to keep your relationship alive, even while everything else is crumbling to pieces.

warnings. minors, ageless and ageless blogs do not interact! suggestive, angst, hurt-comfort, hopeful/open ending, toxic relationships, dry humping, civillain + fem!reader, pro hero!kirishima.

things to note. happy saturday homies, i hope you enjoy this second instalment !! i adore writing angst pieces so it was nice to go back to that, enjoy mwah ! <3 - masterlist / series masterlist / playlist ✩

how could anyone ever hate eijirou kirishima. 

by day, he’s everybody’s favourite pro hero. though number five on the ranks, red riot has a comforting charm that dazzles the public. fear dissipates almost instantly whenever he was on the scene, as if there was never anything to be afraid of in the first place. he is calm while he works, caring. holding crying babies to his plush chest as he breaks through burning buildings, pulling dazed strangers out of the way of speeding cars, taking out criminals with brute force and bright banter. 

he’s wonderful with kids as well, which by extension, makes kirishima popular with the parents — often using their starry eyed little ones for a chance to get close to the bulky hero. of course, your boyfriend doesn’t realise. he doesn’t take note of the lingering touches during touching family photos with him, numbers slipped into his hero costume or how people lean against kirishima desperate for a messy signature to be scrawled across inappropriate parts of their bodies. 

eijirou is too nice to say no, to set boundaries. he’s warm and friendly — the perfect aura of sunshine. in some ways, you can understand the way the world almost revolves around him. why all the people and their planets make him the centre of the universe. after all, it’s part of the reason you ended up dating him. 

but the press adore him too, they really do. their beloved red riot is always willing to stop for interviews even when he’s busted and beaten, they love the way he leans down (all 6’5 of him) to hear the reporters better. they eat up the way he blushes and bumbles humbly whenever he’s asked about the status of his relationship. to which he answers “i wouldn’t say there’s anyone in particular that’s in the picture right now…” while sheepishly rubbing the back of his neck, accidentally showing off his bulging muscles and firm chest. 

how could you ever hate eijirou kirishima. 

by night, he’s supposed to be yours and only yours. but you can smell floral perfumes on his collarbones from fans that get too close and you can feel the distance grow between you like an invisible barrier.

you hate that kirishima lies about your relationship to the public just as a ‘precaution’ when it’s clearly a ploy from eijirou’s marketing team to keep him the lovable, single, himbo hero. you hate that it makes you want to push him away. 

it’s not just you and him in this partnership. it’s you, eijirou and the whole world that eagerly watches his every move — and it’s starting to make you feel like a third wheel, like less of a priority, like more of an accessory.

you don’t know when loving eijirou kirishima becomes difficult and starts to feel like a chore — in your mind, you’re under appreciated. he comes home from work, sleeps, and leaves before the sun rises without giving you an ounce of attention (aside from the money dropped into your bank account as an apology). the dates that you plan become less frequent too, or when they do happen, kirishima leaves halfway through with a lopsided sorrowful grin. 

“the world isn’t gonna save itself, yanno. someone’s got to be on the scene.”

you fill the void in your heart with your work, spending time with friends who don’t offer the same comfort as your long-term partner and lazing about the house. but being alone gives you the space to begin resenting kirishima, giving into the toxic comparisons of your relationship against that of others — todoroki and his girlfriend are getting married soon, why aren’t you and eiji?

it’s not like you haven’t brought this up before, over quiet dinners interjected with snide remarks — it only ever leads to screaming matches that end with your throat raw and kirishima slamming doors so loud that the house shakes. but brought back together by the toxic cycle of love, you end up back in his bed and he ends up back inside you — taking root in your ribcage right where your heart lies, the thorns on his roses piercing the beating muscle. 

you cough up perfumed petals like you would blood, kirishima leaving fatal wounds on the inside  of your chest cavity. 

it doesn’t stop the way you so brokenly make love, tearing one another apart and piecing you back together like patchwork. 

“careful.” your boyfriend mumbles through swollen lips as they press against your own. he lets your tongue slide into his hot mouth, your noses pressed up against each other — breath ragged. 

your hands reach for eijirou’s shirt to tear through it. each of your movements are calculated to replace what traces from others linger on him. you pull, bite and scratch at golden skin that is already littered with scars from his battles. those where he protected the country he loved, the people who loved him. “slowly…” kirishima ushers, you gently, tilting his head back when you tug on the black roots of his hair to gain access to his neck.

“d-darling, what’s the hurry?”

you love him so much that you think you might hate him even more. he’s so perfect, he doesn’t colour outside of the lines, he touches you like you’re a house made of cards even though his fingertips set your entire body on fire.

blood rushes through your ears, carrying a heat that blossoms in your lower tummy and intoxicates kirishima as you kiss him again — teeth sinking into his lower lip until it bleeds. 

“c-can we talk?” kirishima stutters out as your tongue glides under his earlobe next and your hips slot against his perfectly, grinding down into his hardening cock. “w-what’s going on? fuck,” he curses, hips bucking up instinctively. “what’s going on with you?” 

“nothing.” stop talking.

“darlin’, you’re being a little rough…” shut up.

“you usually like that.” you utter breathlessly, switching sides to leave marks on the unmarred portions of his neck. 

this time, however, the red head grips your hips a little tighter — halting your movements and pushing you back so he can get a better look at your face. “baby, let’s just—“ 

“what, kirishima?” finally, you snap — glaring at him long and hard. “what could you possibly have to say now? that you can’t fuck me tonight because you’re too busy working? cause you’re busy thinking of bending over that pretty, ditzy little reporter from work today ‘cause she’s a little more tolerable than me? what is it eijirou?” you punctuate each of his words with a jab to his muscular shoulder, though the man is sturdy enough not to feel it. 

you’ve had this fight before, dozens of times and on more occasions than you can count on both hands. eijirou either tunes out to play innocent or he snaps  back with all teeth bared and fangs on display.

“you’re being unfair.” is all he says, tone dull and lifeless just like it’s been before. it’s like he’s given up on the two of you, not that you’d blame him. there’s no more fight left in the two of you for your love, only fuelled by the anger and resentment  you feel towards  each other. 

“what next? bet you’ll think i’m being unreasonable.” 

“you are being unreasonable.”

“oh i’m sorry, is that a problem for you? am i inconveniencing you, riot?” 

“come on, what’s with the attitude?” 

“excuse me?” 

kirishima exhales shakily, letting go of your hips to pinch the bridge of his nose. his ruby eyes shoot everywhere but you, he can’t even stand to look at you when arguments like this come up. those eyes of his, they carry too much shake and guilt.  “you always get like this. when i come home and i just want to be close to you and you get all…aggressive.” he spits out harshly, like the words are poison on his tongue, like he can’t stand to see what your love has soured into. “angry like you want to hurt me when i’m trying to love you.”

you scoff, rolling your own jewelled eyes. “love me? don’t make me laugh, eijirou. you don’t know the first thing about loving anyone except for you and your job.” 

“will you at least fucking explain what i did tonight, ‘cause i’d love to know what’s got you so bitter, sweetheart?” hurt echoes in his timbre voice. you wish that you could tell him, but you flounder for words and react with rage instead — how can you tell the man you wanted forever with that you hate the hero he’s become? 

“fuck you, red!” you stand, retaliating instead of communicating your needs properly. “fuck you, mister red ‘righteous’ riot, mister eijirou ‘incapable of doing wrong’ kirishima.” 

kirishima’s face crumples but he follows suit, standing, but he doesn’t make a move to come closer. “what’s your fucking problem? what did i do?” 

“the blame is never on you, is it?” 

“well i’d like to know why it should be! if you’d just—“

“it’s like you have no sense of accountability—“

“i’m trying—“ 

“—like honestly, fuck you, eijirou.” 

“you’re not letting me talk!” the redhead damn near screams, the base in his voice shaking your house, bouncing off the walls. he sounds drained, pained and no amount of medication can fix it. you’ve blackened his heart with scorch marks and danced amongst the flames and now you’re finally seeing that it’s not just you who this relationship is crushing. 

each word you spit kirishima cuts him into the shape you want him to be, wounding him deeper than any battle scar. 

“and you’re not letting me fucking breathe!” you shout back rather than listening to logic. it’s a low blow, you’re highly aware — a reference back to the early days of your relationship when kirishima overcompensated his absence for affection. he thought you’d worked through it. you liked to throw it back in his face when you were mad. you’re stubborn, you always have been, but for some reason you want to hit kirishima where it hurts. you want to cut him up into the perfect shape, until he feels exactly how you feel. 

when he finally makes a move, you become aware of his sheer size for the first time that night. eijirou would never hurt you, he couldn’t harm a fly even if he wanted to but that doesn’t mean you’re not scared of his presence. kirishima touches every corner of the room, his anger flooding through it and pushing you under so that you’re drowning in your own mistakes and his too. 

“you’re suffocating me too,” he mumbles, voice just above a whisper and you relax into his arms. “i’m trying so hard to be the man that you want me to be. you take so much, you want even more. you want a house and you want kids and i want to give you that too but you make it so hard. when you hurt me like this.” he’s being honest, the truth scratching at his throat as the pro-hero vocalises what you’ve failed to communicate for months. you’ve been selfish and he’s been avoidant, the pair of you only hurting one another, carving cuts so deep the wounds won’t heal and the blood won’t stop pouring unless either of you do something. and fast. 

“where do we go from here?” you don’t even realise that you’re crying until your boyfriend swipes the pad of his thumb underneath your eyes, leaving no time for the salty droplet to hit your skin. 

your teary gaze is tied to his as kirishima’s ruby eyes glisten under the moonlight. “i don’t know.” he hesitates. “i don’t want you to leave me. you need me.”

you whimper and curl up against his chest. “i don’t want that either.” 

kirishima wraps his arms around you like a safety blanket, shielding you from the ugly truth of your own relationship. it’s always on and off with the two of you, but this time you’re determined to make it work — you hope that he is too. 

“we have to work on this, on us.” he says firmly, but he squeezes you close as if you might disappear — holds you as if you’re a flower that might wilt if it’s touched. “none of this on and off, we…we gotta talk to each other from now on. yeah?” 

“yeah,” for the first time in months, you sink into kirishima’s touch — accept his rough edges and hardened shell, and turn your pain into a promise. “we will.” 

a promise to keep dancing together like it’s the first time even when the world around yourself and eijirou kirishima is burning.

꒰ end. — all rights reserved © tteokdoroki 2023. do not copy, repost, translate & recommend elsewhere.

[theidiotwhowritesthings]

The Art of Failing [1]

Werewolf!Joel Miller x F!Reader, Vampire!Din Djarin x F!Reader

Series Warnings: violence and mild gore, mentions of blood and injures, reader is described as active and able to fight, eventual smut, loss of a child, angst to fluff, more warnings to come based on individual chapters

Chapter Warnings: anxiety, self doubt, mentions of blood

Word Count: 10,360

Summary: The Division of Mythological Affairs was created to protect and serve the supernatural community while keeping the knowledge of their existence a secret. You hoped to become an Agent of the DMA like your mother before you. Just as your dream begins to fall apart at the seams, you stumble across a missing persons report that could change everything. You are desperate to solve the case, to prove your ability, and you find yourself with unlikely allies⏤ a werewolf running from his pack and a vampire shunned from his coven. The stakes are high, lives are at risk, and success hinges on the three of you learning to work together.

[a/n: it's here!! i'm so excited to officially share this because it was so much fun to write and i'm even more excited to show y'all the rest]

MIDDAY MADNESS

"failure does not mean your life is over."

Every workplace had that one employee who was deemed irreplaceable. 

The employee who showed up early, went the extra mile, and made the lives of those around them easier. The one who had a passion for their work⏤ who was born to do what they do with a smile on their face. You were that employee. Without you, everything would collapse into chaos and madness. Mayhem would fill your 8-storied workplace to the brim until it was spilling out into the unsuspecting streets of Austin, Texas. Riots would break out. Fire would engulf the city. The world would never know peace. Without you⏤

“Hey, coffee girl!” The sharp, angry voice startled you and the precariously stacked drinks in your hands nearly toppled over. You readjusted your hold on the carriers with a breathy sigh. “Where the hell is my cappuccino?” 

Perhaps calling yourself the most irreplaceable employee here was a bit of a stretch. You were important though. Your job was vital. If it weren’t for you then your co-workers would be caffeine deprived which would lead to headaches which would then lead to mistakes and errors in paperwork which would, eventually and inevitably, lead to worldwide destruction somewhere down the line. You were needed here. You were vital and a necessity. At least, that’s what you told yourself over and over in the form of a mental mantra. It was either that or get caught in the abysmal, black hole your life seemed to be right now.

“Here you go, sir.” You angled the carrier so he could scoop up the cup on the far left. The man yanked his cup away hastily, nearly knocking over the other drinks again, and rushed away without even so much as a ‘thank you’. You pressed your lips together in annoyance.

You were vital. You were vital. You were vital.

With a brief pause to piece your patience back together, you pasted on a broad smile and began to continue your morning deliveries. For two years, you had been taking coffee and lunch orders, scheduling meetings, running errands, and doing basically every other busy work task put on your plate. It was exhausting, both mentally and emotionally, but it was the price to pay. You wouldn't take this kind of treatment anywhere else and the only reason you still put up with it was because it was just a stepping stone.

Today you were a glorified assistant.

Tomorrow you would be an Agent.

An Agent of the Division of Mythological Affairs.

It was a title not many held and was exclusive for a number of reasons. The DMA was established decades ago to police and protect the supernatural community. It was the responsibility and duty of the DMA to keep the peace amongst the community while also keeping said community secret from the rest of humanity. Knowing that the monsters of myth and legend were real was privileged information. The only reason you were clued in was because of your mother. She had been an Agent herself years ago and you grew up surrounded by supernatural forces. Hell, your childhood best friend was a forest nymph. 

As you grew older, you grew more passionate about the world you were blessed to know and the dream to walk in your mother’s footsteps took root. You trained and you studied, desperate to make the world a better place, and thus far all you had succeeded in was mastering the skill of carrying four drink carriers without dropping them.

After delivering the final cup of coffee, you made your way up to the eighth floor. There was about fifteen minutes before you had to get down to the lobby for your next task of the day, and you planned to spend it begging. You greeted familiar faces as you passed them. The separation of labor could be seen in the change of clothes as you got to the higher floors. Everyone you passed now were dressed in nice and expensive suits. It was the upper levels that housed the policy makers⏤ more politician than soldier. 

The eighth floor was the nicest of them all with open windows that let in natural light. There were no ugly cubicles littering the bulk of it. Instead, modern and sleek furniture sat around the space and private offices were housed here. 

“Hey, have you seen Captain Roberts?” You asked Stacey, one of the secretaries you saw in meetings every once in a while, and she didn’t even lift her eyes up from the magazine she was flipping through. She just pointed to the right towards a hall of offices. You mumbled a thanks and continued on. There were a few different Captains who worked in this sector of the DMA, but Captain Roberts was in charge of the Agents and Analysts you worked with most often.

You were halfway down the hall when an unfamiliar, armored figure stepped out of the conference room to leave. Mandalorian. Your pace stuttered in shock as you stared wide eyed at the intimidating man stalking toward you. There were too many vampire covens to count, but a few were infamous enough to merit memorizing.

The Mandalorians were one of them.

Their signature being the impenetrable armor they wore at all times⏤ faces they never revealed to anyone. It wasn’t unusual to see a Mandalorian or two wandering around the building. They occasionally worked contracts with the DMA picking up on bounties. Not all DMA sanctioned bounty hunters were Mandalorian, but the best undoubtedly were. You didn’t recognize this one though.

His all silver armor was haunting and his gait spoke to strength and skill. He was close enough now that you could see your wide, staring eyes in the reflection of his visor, and you forced yourself to snap your gaze to the floor as you passed. The air was tense around him, it followed him like a dark cloud, and his heavy boots stormed past you without pause. You couldn’t help but glance over your shoulder to watch him a second more. His worn out cloak whipped around him at the pace he marched out with and a few suited men practically leapt out of his way to avoid being in his path. 

You let out a low whistle and turned back towards the conference room he had just left. Being on the radar of a Mandalorian had to be a fate worse than death, and you pitied whoever had pissed off that one. Outside the conference room door, you adjusted your work blazer and took a steadying breath. You were vital, this organization was lucky to have you, and you would be an Agent if it were the last thing you did. You rapped your knuckles against the door and waited until a deep voice called out for you to enter. 

Inside the room were three others. They sat at an elongated conference table centered in the room with their backs to Austin street views out the floor to ceiling windows. On the wall across from the windows were large screens designed for calls and it looked like one had just ended. Of the three people in the room, you only recognized one. Captain Roberts, a gruff man in his late sixties, stood at the head of the table with a few folders and papers spread out in front of him. He was built like a grizzly bear and had the temperament of one as well. The red of his beard was graying and you still hadn’t gotten used to his bald head quite yet.  He used to have hair thick and long enough to braid, but when his hair started to recede he chose instead to just lose it all.

“If that’s all, I have other matters to attend to.” Captain Roberts cleared his throat and motioned toward you. It was a dismissal on his part, and you stepped closer while the two other suited individuals packed up their belongings to leave. The second they were out of sight, Roberts groaned. “Perfect timing, kid. I hate dealing with Olympus representatives.”

Your jaw fell open and you pointed to the door, “Those were…” You had never met the souls responsible for carrying the messages and words of the gods and goddesses back down to Earth. “Really?”

“Try not to look so excited. The gods are dicks and they live to make my job more difficult.”

“You say that about everybody.” You replied and wandered over to stand by him. Your eyes darted down to the papers scattered on the table. It looked like a missing person report. “I saw a Mandalorian in here earlier.” The report looked like it was talking about a child. You narrowed your eyes and pulled it closer. The Mandalorian was reporting his own missing child. A young boy who had disappeared overnight. “Why were you meeting with a Mandalorian and Olympus representatives over a missing kid?”

Roberts snatched away the reports to tuck them into a folder with a chastising glare. “I didn’t. I was meeting with the representatives when the Mandalorian burst in. Kind of like you did.”

“You were happy with my interruption a few seconds ago.” You argued. Roberts gave you a tired glare, and you nodded toward the folders in his hands. “You know I was talking to Hannah downstairs a few days ago and she was telling me that the number of missing kids has skyrocketed this last month in comparison to previous months.”

Roberts grunted, “What have I told you about being nosy?”

“Maybe I could help.” You offered. “I could⏤” Roberts scoffed out your name with a shake of his head and made a beeline for the door. You scrambled after him. “Roberts, come on. Please.” 

“You came all this way up to beg me about a missing persons case?”

“Well, I actually came to beg you about applying for the Agent qualifications exam, but I’m not picky about what I beg for. I’ll take what I can get.”

“No.”

“Roberts⏤”

“I said, no.”

You locked your jaw in annoyance as you both climbed into the elevator. In order to sign up for the qualifications exam you needed the approval of a Captain. It seemed no matter how many times you begged Roberts to write you the letter of recommendation allowing you to sit for the test, he always had some excuse to say no. Any Captain’s letter would do the job and you could technically find another to badger about this, but you were the stubborn kind. Captain Roberts had been the one to qualify your mother, and you wanted him to be the one to qualify you too. 

“If you just gave me a chance,” You snapped, “I could do it.”

“We’re not getting into this again.”

“Give me a real reason then!”

Roberts glared at you with a look that would have anyone else cowering or running for the hills. You could see beyond the anger and frustration. Beyond the huff and glowering. Underneath all the rough Captain bravado was someone who cared, but right now it was infuriating. Roberts rubbed his bald head and shook it with disdain, “Your mother wouldn’t want you risking your life like she did.” It felt like your heart had stopped in your chest. Of all the excuses he had plied you with in the past this was the first time he used your mother as one. “She would want better for you.”

“Don’t.” You whispered.

“You’re a bright girl. You say the word and I can get you a job in research. You would be a hell of an Analyst⏤”

“I don’t want to be an Analyst! I want to be⏤” 

The elevator doors dinged open and you both grew silent. A small group shuffled onto the elevator making small talk. You stood stiff and straight, arms crossed over your chest, while Roberts pouted on his side of the elevator as well. Three floors down and the group dispersed leaving you alone with the Captain once more.

“You can do better than this, kid.” Roberts said firmly. “You have your whole life ahead of you.”

“This. This is what I want for my life.” You couldn’t bring yourself to meet his gaze again. You just stared at the numbers at the top of the elevator door, each lighting up as you got closer and closer to the ground floor. “I just wanna help people like mom did.”

“There are other ways to do that.”

The elevator reached the bottom floor and you finally turned to Roberts, “Are you going to approve me for the exam or not?”

Roberts held your gaze for a moment, sadness seeping into his blue eyes, and he sighed, “No. No, I’m not.”

You bobbed your head once, biting back the burning threat of tears prickling at your eyes, and you hurried out of the elevator. Roberts called out after you, making others near the elevator doors glance in your direction, but you didn’t pause in your stride. 

There was a small cubicle, amongst a sea of others, down a hall connected from the lobby that you called your own. It was tiny, just big enough to house a computer and a bit of desk space for you to stack busy work all over, but it was yours. The cubicle wall was decorated with pictures of friends, family, and a spattering of Halloween decorations you had put up for the upcoming holiday.

You dropped into the seat, Roberts’ denial ringing in your ears, and your eyes landed on one photo in particular. It was your high school graduation and your mother had her arms wrapped around you proudly as you both beamed at the camera. The sight of it made your stomach turn and without thought you tugged it off the wall where it hung to stick in a drawer. Your mother was a hero who changed so many lives, and you could only wonder what she would think if you now⏤ sitting at a cubicle buried in busy work and covered in coffee stains.

You had buried yourself in errands and paperwork to distract from the bitter rejection of Captain Roberts. The small voice at the back of your mind whispered that all you had to do was seek out a separate Captain for your letter of recommendation. You knew for a fact that the Captain who worked the neighboring district handed out letters like candy. They had the mindset that the test would weed out the ones who didn’t deserve to be there, and you were confident you could pass. It was a quick and easy solution, but it felt too much like cheating in your eyes. 

A part of you wished you could kick your pride to the curb. A dream was a dream, right? It didn’t matter how you got there as long as you got there. You blew out an irritated breath of air and leaned back in your seat to stretch your spine. No matter how many times you repeated those words in your head they didn’t seem to stick. 

“Hey, pumpkin.” A voice drawled from behind you, and the condescending tone of it immediately made your blood pressure rise. Slowly, you turned in your seat to face the bane of your existence. Agent Miles Jackson was average in height but constantly acted as if he were compensating for something or another. You assumed it was his lack of a bearable personality. The weight of his stare gave his brown eyes a beady quality and his thin lipped smile could only be described as smarmy. He winked at you and the urge to gouge his eyes out washed over you. “What’re you doing here?”

You furrowed your brow, “Working. I know that’s an unfamiliar concept to you.”

“Ha ha. Funny.” Miles snorted. “I meant, why the hell are you still here and not picking up my lunch?” You opened your mouth to complain, but he cut in. “I want my usual from that sandwich place right down the road. The faster the better.”

“Miles⏤”

The man turned on his heel and began to march away before letting you say another word. You glared at his back where his light blue, wrinkled button up shirt was untucked from his one size too small dress pants. You just wanted to throw something at the back of his head. With a huff, you pushed to stand and grabbed your purse from the drawer under your desk. Between the morning you had and dealing with Miles, you were seriously going to need a drink tonight.

It took no time at all to pick up the food. You called ahead on your walk, and the workers there knew you fairly well as a regular. When you got back to the building there was a commotion in the lobby. More people than normal were milling about and a steady flow of people were streaming out of the first floor bullpen⏤ the exact place you were heading. You slipped through the crowd and as you got closer and closer to where Miles’ desk was the noise began to increase.

“⏤'nd you’re not fuckin’ listenin’ to me!” 

The words reverberated into the hall stopping you dead in your tracks. Calling it a yell would be underselling the wall of sound that slammed into you. It was a roar⏤ earth shattering, enraged, and excruciating. You rushed into the bullpen, hand clutched tight to the to-go bag of food, and gazed over a sea of desks. The bullpen was where most Agents worked day to day. Usually, the routine tasks involved speaking to concerned citizens or interviewing suspects. A good bulk of the work involved filing reports when not out on the streets working on a case. However, the room was nearly empty and continued to get even emptier as people rushed past you. At the center, with the agent you were looking for, was a man you didn’t recognize. 

He was gruff with broad shoulders covered in a worn out flannel. A peppering of gray littered the thick, dark hair atop his head and even spilled into the scruff on his face. The clear details that could be seen from a mile away was the redness in his face, the vein protruding along his neck as he yelled, and the rage simmering in his dark eyes. His anger was volatile and palpable. Your focus seemed to zoom in on the flash of pain, and once you saw it… it was all you could see. This was a man suffering. Amongst all that rage was heart wrenching fear and agony.

“Sir⏤”

“Don’ you fuckin’ ‘sir’ me.” The man snapped and shoved at Agent Jackson. “You son of a bitch, listen⏤”

Miles pointed in his face and the man snarled in response. “Don’t you take a tone with me. Do you know who I am?!” You got closer and you could see the man’s canines lengthen and his brown eyes flickered in shades of a burning gold. Wolf. He was a werewolf. Genetically speaking, there were hundreds of lineages from the initial werewolf. Unlike vampires, who were similar regardless of the coven, wolves differed. Based on what you could see here, this guy was probably from a local pack. The ones around here didn’t necessarily need the full moon and their emotions controlled a lot of their abilities. Miles ran a hand through his hair with a huff, “Now, Mr. Miller, we have your statement. If you’ll be patient with us⏤”

“Are you fuckin' kiddin' me right now with this bullshit!?”

You weren’t sure how this guy got stuck talking to the least empathetic and least helpful Agent in the entire building, but your heart went out to him. While Miles rattled off a long winded excuse, you crept forward to set the food on his desk and your eyes landed on an open report. The wolf’s name was Joel Miller, and as your eyes scanned the page you understood his rage.

“Your daughter is missing?” You gasped. Both men snapped their gazes at you. Miles glared at your intrusion, but Joel’s narrowed eyes held more questioning than rage toward you. You picked up the report to read the details, but all you could think of were the other missing children cases⏤ the Mandalorian this morning and his missing child. The report in your hand was poorly written which you expected of Miles. “When did you last see⏤”

“I already took his statement.” Miles snapped at you.

Joel, on the other hand, pointed his finger at the file with a glare, “Does it not say it in there??” Sensing the tension, you were hesitant to nod your head. Joel filled in the blanks though and snarled at Miles. “You fuckin' bastard. Are you not takin' this seriously!? She's a kid! She's only fourteen! I swear to the Gods, I’ll⏤”

“I assure you that we have what we need.” Miles snatched the report from your hands. “You’ll have to excuse my assistant. She isn’t trained." You sucked in a sharp breath, your own rage beginning to bubble up, at his words. As if you needed extensive training to read a piece of paper. “Pumpkin, you’re excused.”

“I’m not your assistant.” You spat at him. “Have you considered the other missing kids?”

Joel’s eyes widened, “'Scuse me?”

Miles scoffed and shook his head to glare at you, “That has nothing to do with⏤”

“And there was a Mandalorian here this morning whose kid disappeared overnight.”

Miles chuckled and the sound pissed you off further. It had the same effect on Joel Miller who looked close to shifting into his wolf form to leap across the desk and maul the man. Miles motioned toward you, “Well, that’s it then. Mandalorian.” You furrowed your brow. “I would bet my money on this being a blood feud. Wolves vs fangs.”

You shook your head, “That doesn’t make any sense.”

“The wolves took the vampire kid, and in retaliation the vampires took the wolf’s kid.” Miles argued confidently. He turned to Joel and gave a slight shrug while scooping up the bag of food you had brought for him. “We will look into the matters, and we will call you with further information.”

“That’s it? You’ll call me?” Joel yelled. The wolf slapped the bag of food out of Miles’ hand and to the ground. “My daughter is fuckin' missin' 'nd that’s all you’re gonna give me right now!?”

Miles slammed his hand against his desk while staring at his lost meal. His glare toward the wolf deepened, a move you found to be hilarious considering Miles was far from intimidating, but you watched as his hand went to his hip where his service weapon rested. Your eyes widened and you set a hand on Miles’ chest to draw his attention to you.

“Stop.” You warned. “That’s a bad idea.” Miles locked his jaw and you tried to defuse the situation. “This isn’t right. Your theory is wrong. A wolf pack would never use a kid as a bargaining token in some rivalry.” You scoffed. “And the Mandalorians are the only vampire coven to allow children in their ranks. They literally adopt kids off the street to raise and care for. But you think they kidnapped a wolf’s child?”

Miles suddenly grabbed you by the arm roughly and squeezed hard enough to make you wince. The sound of a low warning growl filled the air, but all your attention was focused on the loathing rage in Miles’ eyes. He seemed… unhinged, somehow. With his other hand, Miles pointed a finger in your face. “Listen to me, pumpkin.” He snapped. “You need to stop playing ‘Agent’. You’re a bookish errand girl who has no idea what she’s talking about or trying to get involved in.” His words stung even more with Captain’s Roberts’ rejection still ringing fresh in your mind. “It’s pathetic how desperate you are to be an agent like your mommy. Especially considering, you’ll never be what she was. You’ll never be more than the useless, desperate⏤” 

Your hand curled into a fist and lashed out before you had even a second to think. Miles’ nose crunched under your now throbbing knuckles and blood splattered down his blue shirt. He cried out in pain and you stiffened in realization at what you had done. “You bitch! I’ll get you fired for this!”

Angry, embarrassed, and frustrated, you spun on your heel to rush away. Miles was still hollering behind you in a rage and before leaving the room you gave one last glance over your shoulder. The goal was to glare at Miles or admire the new shape of his nose, but as if pulled by an unseen force your gaze landed directly on Joel. Once you made eye contact with the wolf, there was no looking away. There was a haunting power in the way he stared back and it seemed to singe a hole through your very being, and you could feel his agony⏤ his devastation and desperation. The embarrassment you felt grew as you realized you were useless to him. Just like Miles said. You mouthed a quick apology and left in a hurry.

Downtown Austin had a district for the supernatural. Not that any human knew that it was for the supernatural specifically. With the right words, a person could find themselves in underground Austin where a market and community lay hidden. As you saw no reason to sit around and wait for the consequences of your actions to find you, you climbed into your car to drive across the city to see a friend. Once parked, it took no time at all to find your favorite bar. It was one owned by a witch and open to any and all who were interested.

Despite being underground, ‘Lucille's’ did not feel closed off or stuffy. The ceiling was high, a spell cast to mimic the natural lighting for the time of day, and the walls and furniture were decorated in greenery making the room feel like a clearing in a forest. Usually when you were here it was late evening or night time so the bar would be lit accordingly, but as it was literally 2 in the afternoon it was pure midday sunlight that shone down on you.

The bar wasn’t empty. A number of patrons sat around enjoying a casual lunch or drink, but you weaved through the tables to make your way to the actual bar. It was made of thick mahogany wood and glass. Behind the bar, the shelf was lined with liquors and raw materials. Jars filled with dragon scales, phoenix feathers, wormwood, and any other ingredient that could be used for spells or drinks. There was a glow from behind the shelf itself that shifted in a swirling of soft colors. 

As you sat down on a cushioned bar stool, you saw a familiar forest nymph walking out of the back carrying a box. Her pale green skin was accented by a darker, vine like pattern that encircled her limbs and torso⏤ made even more clear to see due to the loose, white tank top she wore. Her vibrant pink hair was pulled back into two buns atop her head and littered with yellow and blue flowers. She dropped the box with a grunt and her brown eyes landed on you in shock.

“Whoa! What’re you doing here??” 

“Hey, Nima.” 

“You here for lunch?”

“Not exactly.” You gave her a tight lipped smile as she bounced over with a bright grin. She stood close enough that you could see the slight movements of the vine-like pattern on her skin and it must have been close enough for her to see the misery in your features. Before she could begin her interrogation, you lifted your dominant hand to nod toward your bruised knuckles. “Can I have an ice pack?”

Nima wrapped a handful of ice in a rag for you to set on your hand and listened quietly as you told her about your day from start to finish.

“First off, I’m making you a stiff drink.” Nima grabbed a glass and she knew your preferences enough that you didn’t need to say a word. “Secondly, after you down this we’re getting in my car and we’re gonna go kill Agent ‘Shit for Brains’.” Your lips twitched up in amusement. “Thirdly⏤”

“How many bullet points are in this pep talk?” You asked. “Just so I can keep track.”

“You would make a gods damn brilliant Agent.” Nima paused in drink making to point at you. “I don’t care what anyone else says.” She shook the metal tumbler three times before pouring the drink in the martini glass. The light pink liquid bubbled and fizzed. She set it in front of you and you raised an eyebrow at the glittering light that shimmered from the bubbles that popped in it. Nima shrugged, “So, I added a joy charm to your drink. Sue me.”

The corner of your lip twitched up and you didn’t hesitate to bring the drink to your lips. The fizzing bubbles of the joy charm tickled your mouth and it reminded you of eating pop rocks as a kid. Unlike the pop rocks, it left an immediate light hearted buzz in your brain that made the glow of the lights around you seem a little bit brighter. Coming here had been the right decision. Between the drinks and Nima’s threats against Miles’ life you were feeling a bit better.

Nima stayed with you chatting for a while longer, but when a group of elves noisily wandered in she had to veer away to serve them. You finished the last of your drink, pushed the glass aside, and then folded your arms to lean on the bar with a hum. The joy charm left your brain with the happy buzz, but your heart still felt heavy. All you wanted to do in life was help others, like your mom had, and now you were going to get fired. You couldn’t even provide support for the people who were helping others.

So much for being vital.

You absentmindedly began to count the bottles on the expansive shelf in hopes to keep your mind occupied until Nima could come back and distract you. It was around 116 that you felt somebody sit on the stool right beside you. Any annoyance you felt at a stranger picking a seat so close to you when there were so many other open stools was muted by the effects of the joy charm. You continued to count and at 200 the stranger said your name.

Eyes wide, you turn your head and the sight of Joel Miller’s glare you jumped in surprise, “Gods!” You were sitting up now, half hanging off your stool, while gripping the edge of the bartop. “What are you… How do you know my name??”

“I asked 'round.” Joel replied gruffly. Unsure of what to say, you bobbed your head awkwardly. He had his arm resting on the bar as he faced you, and his hand was balled up in a tight fist. The wolf was wound up tight⏤ ready to snap at the slightest provocation. “Now tell me more 'bout the Mandalorian.”

You scrunched your nose, still in disbelief that this wolf followed you in the first place, “Um, DMA restricts me from giving out the information of someone else. I’m not really supposed to do it without going through the proper channels.”

“Yeah, well, you don’ really got a job anymore, far as I can tell.”

“I still have a job. I haven’t been fired.” You countered with a nod then mumbled. “Yet.”

Joel leaned in closer and you stiffened at his growl, “You think my Ellie missin' has somethin' to do with the Mandalorian?”

You assumed that was the name of his daughter. “I can’t say anything for certain. I mean, I don’t know anything⏤”

“You knew more than that bonehead Agent.”

“That’s not hard.” You mumbled with a quiet snort. Joel did not seem amused and continued to burn through you with his gaze. You cleared your throat and nodded. “All I know is the number of missing persons cases involving children has been higher this last month than usual, and some Mandalorian is missing his own kid.” Joel gave a slight nod and you could see the wheels turning in his head. You shrugged, “But I don’t think it’s the feud between wolves and vampires doing this. I know that’s what Miles assumed but… I just have this weird feeling that⏤ that something else is going on.”

Joel clenched his jaw before speaking, “Why?”

“I don’t know.” You sighed, defeated. “I don’t have evidence or a good reason. It’s just a... gut instinct.”

You squirmed under Joel’s continued gaze until he finally looked away. He turned in his seat to face forward and now you were the one staring. With how tense the wolf was, he looked to be made of stone. A handsome statue wearing a scowl that could fill even the gods with a chill. 

Nima bounced back over and gave Joel a skeptical glance. She raised an eyebrow at you in question and you waved your hand in front of your neck to signal her to leave him alone. Nima scooped up your empty glass and carried it away. 

“Where is he?”

Your head snapped back to Joel, eyes wide, “Sorry?”

“Where is the Mandalorian?” Joel demanded slowly. “I wanna talk to 'im.”

“I⏤I have no idea, man.” A laugh of disbelief left your lips. “The local Mandalorian coven is a mystery. They’re more tight lipped than any other coven I’ve heard about. Only a few people even know where they hide.”

Joel narrowed his eyes at you. “That’s all you got for me?”

You scoffed, “I’m sorry. If I had known you were going to stalk me out of the building⏤” Joel rolled his eyes with a huff. “⏤then I would’ve prepared accordingly. My bad.” 

Joel hissed a curse under his breath. His eyes closed and a hand rubbed his jawline before resting over his mouth⏤ attempting to settle himself, you assumed. You glanced over at Nima who was staring at you in concern and you gave her a quick nod and pointed to the wolf beside you. A few moments later, Nima came over and placed a glass of dark liquor in front of you. She mouthed the words, ‘You good?’, and you gave her a tight lipped smile. She shot Joel another wary glance before moving over to her other customers. 

You cleared your throat and pushed the drink in Joel’s direction. He opened his eyes and stared down at the drink. Joel sniffed the air then furrowed his brow, “That’s Lavagulin.” You shrugged. That sounded right, but you didn’t know the dark liquor types well enough to confirm it. His gaze turned skeptical and paranoid, “How do you know my drink of choice?”

“Oh, I don’t.” You held your hands in surrender. “Nima does.” You pointed to the forest nymph who was flipped a tumbler with a broad grin. “I don’t know how she does it, but she can guess anybody’s drink of choice. I’ve never seen her fail.” Joel stared for a second more before picking up the drink and taking a long sip of it. You rubbed the back of your neck nervously. “Listen, I’m sorry. I can’t even begin to imagine what you’re going through. I wish I could help.”

Joel didn’t respond to your comfort and just continued to drink. You briefly considered calling Captain Roberts. Miles had probably already gone to the man to snitch on you for breaking his nose. There was no way you wouldn’t get canned for the attack, even the Captain couldn’t protect you from that, but somebody should know that Miles was out of line with a citizen. Joel Miller needed real help to find his daughter, and gods knew that Agent Miles Jackson wasn’t going to be of any use. As the thought crossed your mind, you tilted your head. Help. Joel needed help.

“I could help.” You blurted out loud.

“What?” Joel was nearly finished with his drink.

“I could help!” You repeated. Why hadn’t you thought about this before? Joel needed help, and you needed to prove that this was a job you were more than capable of. “My mom was an Agent⏤ one of the best. She had all these connections and…” Joel was now facing you entirely as he had turned in his seat. For the first time since you met him, you saw more than just anger, panic, and pain in his eyes. There was a flicker of hope. You shot him a smile. “I think I can find out where the Mandalorian coven is.”

Joel leaned forward on his seat, “Where?”

“We need to go to my apartment. There’s a journal with a map.” You jumped up and began to root through your bag for your wallet. 

“What’s going on?” Nima came back over. “You leaving?”

“Yeah, it’s a⏤ it’s a long story.” 

“Everything alright though?”

You huffed when you couldn’t find your wallet, “What? Yeah, no. It’s fine. Just give me a second. I think my wallet is buried under here somewhere.”

Nima shook her head with a frown, “I’m not taking your money.”

“What’re you talking about?” You demanded.

“You don’t have a job. I’m not taking your money, babe.” You winced at her half true comment. The DMA didn’t pay you all that great anyways considering your position wasn’t super high on the career ladder. But then again, if you solved this case and proved your worth then you could be the Agent you knew you were capable of being. Suddenly, Joel held out a few folded bills. Your eyes widened, but Nima snatched the money from his hands with a smirk. “You on the other hand, I can very much take money from.”

Joel ushered you out of the bar as Nima waved after you and demanded you call her later. The wolf said he’d follow behind you in his own truck which you figured he wouldn’t have a problem with considering he had done it once before. You just prayed the plan you had in mind was actually going to pan out.

If you had known you’d have a near feral werewolf sitting in your living room this afternoon, you would’ve cleaned up a little better before leaving in the morning. You scrambled through your room searching for the journal that you knew was somewhere around here.

“You got it, yet?” Joel barked from the other room.

“Almost! Just⏤ Just hang on!”

Finally, you found the journal buried under a stack of papers on your desk. You mumbled your relief and immediately began to flip through the journal pages searching for something that could point you in the direction of the Mandalorians. You knew for a fact that your mother had a connection⏤ either directly or indirectly. You managed to find the vague map scribbled out midway through the journal. It wasn’t much, but it was more than you had ten minutes ago. You took a quick picture of it with your phone and began to leave your room only to pause. Frozen in place, your eyes darted over to your bedside drawer. After a second of contemplation, you hurried over and pulled out the handgun tucked away for safekeeping. The only ammunition you had was regular bullets and silver ones. Neither would help against a vampire, especially a Mandalorian vampire decked out in ceremonial armor, but the idea of having it on you brought some semblance of comfort. You tugged on your shoulder holster and triple checked the weapon before safely tucking it in place. The last two things you grabbed before leaving your room was a jacket to wear over the holster, keeping it mostly hidden, and your mother’s old badge.

When you stepped out into the living room, Joel was standing and staring at a few pictures on your wall. His eyebrows were drawn together, deep in thought, as his attention was focused in on a picture of you and your mother from when you were a child.

You cleared your throat and his eyes snapped back to you. You opened your mouth to explain the picture, but Joel closed the space between the two of you back on target, “Where is it? The coven?”

“Here.” You opened your phone to point to the picture you had taken.

Joel narrowed his eyes, “That’s all you got? You don’ got an address or somethin'?”

“An address?” You scoffed. “They live underground in the middle of nowhere. Sorry I don’t have a PO box to type into google for you. We can find it with this. Let’s go⏤”

“We??”

You set your hands on your hips with narrowed eyes, “Yeah, we.”

“You’re not goin'.”

“I’m not letting you and your pack stampede into a vampire coven!”

“I don’ have a pack.” Joel shook his head, and you tried to hide your surprise. “I work better alone. Now give me the map.”

“Fine,” You corrected, “I’m not letting a lone werewolf storm a vampire coven.”

“And how is addin' a human to the mix gonna tip the odds in my favor, sweetheart?” Joel scoffed and motioned to you.

“For one, they won’t kill me on sight for being a werewolf.” You argued. “And two,” You pulled the badge out of your pocket and flashed it to him, “I’m an impartial party. A peacekeeper.”

Joel snarled, “If they do have my kid for some reason, I don’ plan on keepin' the peace.”

“Yeah, see, that sentence proved my point. You need me.”

Joel opened his mouth to argue more, and you were fully prepared to counter anything he threw your way, but then he surprised you by locking his jaw and giving you a stiff nod. You hadn’t actually expected that to work. Joel turned to leave your apartment with a grunt and you hurried after him.

“Also, we’re taking my car.”

After another short lived argument, you managed to wrestle Joel into your vehicle. According to the map, the coven was just outside Austin city limits, truly in the middle of nowhere, and it would take at least an hour to get in the vicinity. Then you’d have to search for it further. The drive was just as awkward as you would’ve guessed it to be. Joel didn't seem like the type of man who enjoyed small talk even on a good day let alone right now. Unfortunately, the more nervous you got the more you seemed to want to talk.

“So, can I ask you something?” You blurted.

“No.”

“Oh.”

An even more tense silence filled the air between the two of you as you focused on the road ahead. Joel sighed and shook his head, “What?”

“You said you don’t have a pack.” You continued on with your line of questioning despite the lackluster permission he gave.

“Is there a question somewhere in there?”

“Is it true?” You asked. “I don’t think I’ve ever met a werewolf without a pack.”

“Well, now you have. Congrats.” Joel replied dryly. 

Your cellphone began to vibrate and the name ‘Captain Roberts’ flashed on the screen. You ignored the call, “So, it’s just you and your family then?”

“It’s me 'nd Ellie. That’s it.” Joel grunted. He shrugged after a beat, “Got a brother too but he’s still in the pack. Tried to leave when I did, but I convinced him not to.”

“Oh, so you left on your own.” You voiced the thought aloud. Your phone began to vibrate again. ‘Captain Roberts’. Ignore. “Why…” You were very, very curious as to why a werewolf would willingly leave his pack to be on his own⏤ or on his own with his daughter, you should say. But, it seemed too personal for you to pry into. “What’s Ellie like?”

Joel paused in thought. “She’s smart, but she’s also trouble. Bit of a little shit.” There was a small smile on his face as he said the words. “Obsessed with these stupid jokes 'nd puns.”

“She sounds fun.” You chuckled. “You said she was fourteen?” Joel nodded once. For the third time, your phone began to vibrate and you hit the ignore button with more force than needed. “What⏤”

“You ain't gonna answer that?” Joel questioned.

“No.” You shook your head. “It’s just gonna be a long conversation about disappointment and it’ll probably end in my termination. Roberts, the Captain, likes me, but Miles⏤ the Agent whose nose I broke⏤ he’s kind of a big deal.”

Joel scoffed, “He’s a big deal?”

“Not in a ‘good at his job’ way. More in a ‘my daddy owns you’ kind of way.”

“Got it.”

“Yeah, when he said he was gonna get me fired he meant it.” You sighed. “It’s all about knowing the right people, and he’s related to the right people so it’s even worse.”

“That’s fucked up.”

“You’re telling me.” You mumbled with a sigh. This time there was a notification about a voicemail being left along with the missed calls. That was not a message you were eager to listen to. The rest of the drive passed in silence, but it wasn’t as tense as the start of the trip. You drove your car off road where the map suggested. The map had a shaded portion where the coven supposedly was, and you prayed they hadn’t recently moved. You drove, scanning for some kind of the symbol drawn on the map, and when Joel spotted it carved into a tree you parked the car. “So, you’re not going to like what I’m going to say…”

“Then don’ say it.”

“I think you should stay with the car.” You said it anyways.

Joel stared at you as if you had grown a second head, “Are you outta your gods damned mind? I’m not sittin' here 'nd waitin'⏤”

“If it’s me alone I can talk to them as an Agent of the DMA and question⏤”

“You’re not an Agent.”

“I’m also not a werewolf.” You snapped. Joel had his jaw locked so tight that you could hear him grinding his teeth against one another. You held a hand out towards him to plead your case. “I’m not gonna say that I get it because I don’t have a kid. I could never fully understand how you feel right now, but… Joel, I’m going to do everything in my power to help you find Ellie. If we go in together it’ll stir them up, but maybe if I’m alone they’ll stay calm enough to answer some questions. I’m not a threat to them. I’m just a dumb human, after all.”

Joel turned away and rubbed his face. The exhaustion and frustration were clear to see. He sighed, “Fine. You have twenty minutes. Twenty minutes 'nd then I’m goin' after you whether you like it or not.”

“Deal.” You agreed.

You reached over him, he stiffened at the closeness, but you mumbled an apology and rooted through your glove compartment. There was a small, travel bottle of perfume that Nima had tucked away for you. It was one you never used, a bit too strong for your liking, but she was adamant about keeping it around in case of emergent night outs when you needed to get ready on the go. There was a collection of hair products and makeup tucked somewhere in your back seat too.

After finding it, you opened the car door and began to spray it all over yourself. It took only two squirts of the bottle when Joel began to cough. He rubbed his nose with a deep frown, “What the fuck are you doin'?”

“I’m trying to get the smell of wolf off of me.”

“You’re ruinin' your scent.” Joel grumbled with no further elaboration. You sprayed yourself three more times just to be sure, and ended up hacking up a long yourself as the strong floral scent hit you like a truck. Joel chuckled, “See?”

“Here’s to hoping the Mandalorians hate how I smell too. I’ll be right back.”

You closed the driver’s side door and marched out to walk past the tree with the carving. Joel called out after you, and when you glanced over your shoulder you saw he had rolled the window down. Joel nodded once, “Careful, sweetheart.”

With a reassuring smile, you gave him a thumbs up that he shook his head at before rolling the window back up. Your reassuring smile falter once you faced away from him and you steeled your nerves as you pressed into the thick of the trees. You could do this. You could handle this. You were vital.

The goal was to follow the trail of carved symbols in the trees. It drove you deeper into the forest and after finding four more you noticed that the path had looped you into a circle so you were back in front of symbol three. Worry briefly flooded your senses as you thought you may have taken a wrong turn and time was ticking down. Joel would be kicking down your car door to come find you and gods knew with the amount of perfume you wore it wouldn’t be hard. 

You blew out an annoyed breath and kept on, but you only got a few feet further when a figure suddenly loomed in front of you. 

“Gods!” You cried and scrambled back a few steps. The Mandalorian in front of you was towering in height and immensely broad. He wore navy pieces of armor, and you couldn’t fathom how someone so large and dressed in so much metal could be so loud. He stood still, like a statue, and his blank helmet stared down at you. Quickly, you readjusted your stance and cleared your throat. With as much confidence as you could muster, you pulled out the badge and flashed it at him⏤ introducing yourself as an Agent with your last name. “I’m with the DMA, and I’d like you to take me to your leader.” You winced as the words came out awkward. “I mean, I’d like to speak with someone on a missing persons case. I believe it would be in the benefit of your coven. Is there someone in charge I can speak to?”

The Mandalorian said nothing and you tucked your badge back into your pocket. You weighed the pros and cons of opening your mouth again, but before you could come to a conclusion he held his hand out toward you. Hesitantly, you reached out and the second your fingers brushed against his the Mandalorian tugged you toward himself and threw you over his shoulder. A cry of disdain left your lips but the world became a sudden blur of color and sound as wind whipped past you and with a few blinks you were no longer in the forest. He dropped you with no announcement and you grunted as you hit the cold, stone floor. 

“Thanks for the warning.” You scoffed and tried to get your bearings. Nausea rolled through you and the room felt like it was spinning. When your brain finally caught up to what had happened, you glanced around to see he had carried you into a cavern. Light spilled from overhead, like a spotlight, and with a glance up you realized he had dropped down into this cave system.

“Come.” The Mandalorian grunted and you struggled to your feet to follow him.

As he led you deeper into the cave, the walls were lit with torches. Doorways into other halls and rooms were carved into the wall, but this Mandalorian led you straight down the center. Other Mandalorians like him began to gather and peer out of the spaces to stare at you and it took all of your might to keep your shoulders straight and your chin held high.

At the end of the cavern, was a circular room that was taller than it was wide. A stone structure was built in the center of the room and the shape and fire burning at it’s center reminded you of an old timey forge where weapons used to be made. The navy Mandalorian you had been following barked out in a different language⏤ Mando’a if you remembered correctly⏤ and a different Mandalorian with a helmet of gold stepped out from a back doorway into the room. The shape of her armor seemed more feminine and around her waist hung a thick metal hammer.

“You are not the Agent described to me.” She said in a smooth and calm voice.

“Sorry?” You replied confused.

She repeated your last name. “You are not her.”

Your eyes widened, “Oh. Oh! Right, no. Um, you’re thinking of my mother. You knew her?”

“Very well.” The Mandalorian confirmed. Two other Mandalorians stepped into the circular room just to stand against the wall with the large navy one, and it made your skin crawl nervously. It seemed like overkill. Just one Mandalorian could demolish you. You didn’t understand why they needed a total of four with you. “Why are you here, young one?”

You nodded, back to business, “This morning I saw a Mandalorian at the DMA headquarters. He was filing a report on a missing child. He was⏤ His armor was all silver. Like a shiny silver, and his under suit looked brown?” You tried to recall any details you remembered of him, but it was really the bright shine to his armor that stayed in your mind. “Anyways, we’ve had a string of missing children and I wanted to speak to this Mandalorian⏤”

The three Mandalorians behind you barked out a word you didn’t recognize and you jumped in place. The leader hummed, “He is no Mandalorian.”

“Uh,” You squinted with a twist of your lips, “He looked very Mandalorian⏤”

They barked the same word again. She spoke once more, “Din Djarin.”

“What?”

“That is the man you seek.” She said. “He has broken his creed. He is Mandalorian no longer. We do not associate with him.” You scrunched your nose in disbelief. Of all the rotten luck. You manage to actually find the mysterious Mandalorian coven only to find out that the one Mandalorian you sought out was excommunicated from his coven. Great. “Is that all you have come for?”

“Technically, yes.” You replied slowly. “Unless, do you know anything about his kid? Or where I can find him?”

“No.” She answered simply and bluntly. Fantastic. Outside the room, you could hear hissed whispers and low growls. Two sounds you never considered good news. “Are you prepared to pay your price?”

You focused back on her, “The price for what?”

“For your life.”

At those three words, you felt your blood run cold. Nowhere in your mom’s journal did it mention any sort of price. The noises outside grew louder and one of the angry growls was unfortunately familiar. You cursed under your breath and turned just in time for two Mandalorians to drag in a thrashing Joel. They forced him to his knees with a hiss. One gloved hand clamped around the back of his neck and you saw Joel’s teeth lengthen as the color of his eyes began to flicker in shade.

“Joel.” You blurted and his eyes lifted to meet yours. You gave a discreet shake of your head, and the burning gold of his eyes returned to a warm brown.

“Your twenty minutes was up.” He grunted.

“Young one.” You spun in place and the leader of the Mandalorians was dangerously close. You tried to take a step back, but her hand wrapped around your throat. Joel snarled for her to let you go, and you held up a hand behind you in hopes to reassure him. Her hand wasn’t restricting your air. It just rested there. A vague threat. “Will you pay your price?”

You swallowed, unable to see a situation where denying her ended well for either of you, “Yes?”

The leader used the hand around your throat to tilt your head up and to the side, exposing your neck, and then she moved quicker than you could see. Her other arm was a blur and you felt a sting of pain against your neck. The room’s air seemed to thicken with tension as she held up a blade smeared with your blood. She released you and began to stalk toward the forge. You rubbed at your neck nervously. You weren’t bleeding out, but it shook you to your core all the same. The leader whispered in Mando’a before flicking beads of your bright red blood into the fire at the forge’s center. The blue flames flashed white before returning to their natural state.

She turned and tucked the knife away. “You have paid your price. Paz will take you above ground.” She nodded to the navy Mandalorian that had brought you in. “The wolf stays.”

“Wait, no⏤” You began.

“He will die for trespassing.”

“Hang on!” You scooted away from Paz. “Can’t he pay the price? Or can I pay for him?” Somehow, through a helmet, the leader managed to shoot you a dry look. That’s how you interpreted it, at least. Paz was stalking toward you as Joel thrashed in the arms of the Mandalorians and your mind raced for a plan. Just as he reached out to grab you, you blurted, “Riddur!”

The room froze and even Joel paused in his rage to stare at you. The leader titled her head. You pointed back to Joel, “He is my riddur.”

“You know what that word means?” She questioned.

“Yes.” You nodded. The Mandalorians were the most family oriented of the vampire covens. The bond between lovers was sacred. ‘Riddur’ was translated to spouse, but it carried a heavier weight than the english word. They may have hated wolves, but you prayed to the gods that they respected the bond enough to let it carry over outside the coven. “Please. Don’t do this.”

There was an agonizing pause where you could feel your heart trying to beat out of your chest. The leader gave a curt nod and you breathed a sigh of relief. “You may take your riddur and leave.” The Mandalorians released Joel and stepped back. You hurried over to his side to loop an arm through his. “But, young one?” You stared at the leader and the gaze she cast your way was nerve wracking. “Do not come here again. The price to pay next time will be steep.”

You nodded and mumbled a thanks before dragging Joel out the way you had come in. All the Mandalorians in the cave continued to stare. Joel kept pace with you and whispered, “Ellie? Did you find the Mandalorian we were lookin' for?”

“No. He’s not here. He was kicked out of his coven.” You replied. “We have to look elsewhere.”

Joel spat a curse out under his breath, but thankfully he continued to rush out with you rather than turn back. As you reached the spot where you entered you suddenly remembered that it hadn’t been you who came in. You stared up at the hole in the ground and sighed, “Joel⏤”

“Hold on.” Joel scooped you up and jumped. You yelped in surprise at the height he managed. It cleared the hold and he landed on the ground by the edge. At the landing, you heard his knees crack and Joel grumbled in annoyance before setting you down. “Let’s go.”

“You don’t have to tell me twice.” You replied.

The two of you sped through the forest and didn’t slow your pace until your car was in sight. Joel glanced your way, “Riddur.” He repeated the word. “What does that mean?”

“Oh, uh, it means spouse?” You offered. “In the werewolf setting I suppose the closer term would be ‘mate’? It’s a bond between lovers.” Joel raised an eyebrow and you felt your cheeks grow warm. “I just knew that Mandalorians took that kind of thing seriously. It was the only idea I had to get us out of there.”

He stared for a long moment, long enough to make you nervously rub the back of your neck, and then he nodded, “Thanks for that. I… I appreciate your help.” Joel grunted uncomfortably. Your lips twitched up into a smile. The two of you reached the car and climbed in. Before you could start it up, Joel cleared his throat. “It was 'cause of Ellie.”

“What?”

“Earlier. I know you wanted to ask why I left my pack. It was for Ellie.” Joel responded. “She… We’re not related by blood. She’s actually… Ellie is only half wolf.” Your eyes widened in surprise, but you stayed silent so he could continue. “My pack didn’ want half breeds. That’s where they drew the line.” Joel sunk in his seat and rubbed his jaw⏤ a nervous tick of his you were realizing. “But she’s my daughter. They didn’ get that so I left.”

You pressed your lips together and started to reach out to touch his shoulder, but at last minute you dropped your hand and shot him a smile. “Thank you for telling me. We are going to find her.” You shrugged. “We need some other way to find the ex-Mandalorian, but we have a name now and I… I‘ll think of something. I swear it, Joel. I’m not gonna rest until we find her, okay?”

“Yeah, alright, sweetheart.” He replied. You started the car and began to turn it around when Joel let out a cough. “You smell awful, by the way.”

“Thank you for that. Appreciate it very much.” 

Come hell or high water, you were going to find Din Djarin. As you drove, a few ideas came to mind. Terrible, terrible ideas, but beggars can’t be choosers at the end of the day. You shot Joel another glance out of the corner of your eye and your resolve steeled. This was more than just about redeeming yourself and getting your job back. You were going to find Ellie for Joel even if it killed you.

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[workingclasshistory]

On this day, 21 May 1979, the White Night riots occurred in San Francisco when LGBTQ people reacted angrily to the killer of Harvey Milk not being convicted of murder. Milk was one of the first openly gay elected officials in the US, who was shot and killed along with the mayor George Moscone, by former police officer Dan White, using his service revolver. Numerous serving San Francisco police officers wore t-shirts declaring "Free Dan White", and contributed to his defence fund, which reportedly raised up to $100,000. Despite later admitting that the murders were premeditated, in court White used his now-infamous "Twinkie defence", which was that eating junk food showed he was in a poor mental state. So rather than being convicted of murder, he was only convicted voluntary manslaughter. Upon hearing the verdict, a crowd of 500 mostly LGBTQ people began marching down Castro Street calling others to join them and heading to City Hall. By the time they arrived, the crowd had grown to include thousands of people, and they attacked the building, smashing windows. Police waded into the crowd, beating people with batons, and the crowd then began burning police cars. As one man set light to a vehicle, he told a reporter: "Make sure you put in the paper that I ate too many Twinkies." In retaliation for their humiliating defeat, police attacked a gay bar later that night, screaming homophobic abuse, shattering windows and beating drinkers and passers-by, injuring many. By the end of the night's events, 61 police officers and over 100 members of the public had been hospitalised. Dan White ended up serving only five years in prison, but he killed himself shortly after his release. For more LGBTQ history, check out our podcast series: https://workingclasshistory.com/tag/lgbtq/ Pictured: Photo of the riot by Daniel Nicholetta https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=630235635816322&set=a.602588028581083&type=3

[gayest-historian]

Events Leading to Stonewall

In honor of the Stonewall riots' anniversary I'd like to take a minute to talk about what led up to them.

The Stonewall riots, taking place June 28th, 1969, were a series of riots that started at the Stonewall Inn between police and LGBTQ+ protestors. The events leading up to them are just as important as their impact on today so a few of these events will be discussed in this post. Obviously I cannot cover them all but I plan on talking about more in their own posts.

After WW2 many Americans began efforts to restore the country to it's pre-war state and prevent change from occurring in the social order. During this time any groups considered "um-american" were deemed security risks, among these groups were gay men and lesbians. The reasoning behind this was that, according to the US State Department, they were deemed susceptible to blackmail. According to a report chaired by Clyde R. Hoey: "It is generally believed that those who engage in overt acts of perversion lack the emotional stability of normal persons" These actions led to 1,700 federal job applications being denied, 4,380 people being discharged from the military, and 420 individuals being fired from federal jobs, all due to suspicions of homosexuality.

In 1952 homosexuality was listed in the DSM as a mental disorder by the American Psychiatric Association. The reasoning behind this choice was a belief that homosexuality stems from an unreasonable fear of the opposite sex. Despite numerous studies contradicting this belief, including those of Evelyn Hooker, the APA did not remove homosexuality from the DSM until 1974. The lasting damage of this decision can be seen even today with many queer people still being seen as mentally ill for their identity.

The Hays code was originally implemented in 1934, also being known as the Motion Picture Production Code. Created by a Catholic man named Martin Quigley in 1929 the purpose of the Hays code was to enforce "morals" in the film industry in order to not badly influence american citizens, particularly children. Some examples of Inclusions prohibited by the Hays code include: Profanity, ridicule of the clergy and seuxla perversion (including homosexuality). The frustration regarding these rules could be felt at the time within the queer community and even today with tropes like queer-coded villains.

I hope this post helped to provide some context surrounding the events that kickstarted the Stonewall riots. Looking back at these events gives us both context for how far we've come aswell as how far we still need to go.

[mightyflamethrower]

Riots have broken out in multiple cities and towns across Great Britain, particularly over the past week. There were already protests taking place, but some of them have now turned violent. The topic driving all of this unrest is the immigration situation, particularly the illegal migrants that have been crossing the English Channel on rubber rafts and boats. Much as we've seen a backlash in the United States to violent crimes committed by illegal migrants, many Brits are clearly fed up as well. Everything seemed to come to a head last week when a series of stabbing attacks took the lives of three young children and left eight other children and two adults seriously injured. This took place in Southport, a seaside town north of Liverpool. Rumors quickly spread that the attacker was an illegal migrant, and that's when the protests turned violent. Hundreds have been arrested as a result. (AP)

Britain has been convulsed by violence for the past week as crowds spouting anti-immigrant and Islamophobic slogans clashed with police. The disturbances have been fueled by right-wing activists using social media to spread misinformation about a knife attack that killed three girls during a Taylor Swift-themed dance event. The violence, some of Britain’s worst in years, has led to hundreds of arrests as the government pledges that the rioters will feel “the full force of the law” after hurling bricks and other projectiles at police, looting shops and attacking hotels used to house asylum-seekers. As Britain’s new government struggles to quell the unrest and announces a “standing army” of specialist police to deal with rioting, here’s a look at what’s happening and why.

The liberal media has a marked tendency to try to blame nearly everything on online misinformation or disinformation, but in this case, they do seem to have a point. The attacker was described in several outlets as someone "believed to be an asylum-seeker or a Muslim immigrant." That report spread across the media quickly, inflaming tensions. But it turns out that the killer's name is Axel Muganwa Rudakubana and he was actually born in Wales in 2006, moving to Southport in 2013. His parents are reportedly legal immigrants from Rwanda. He also reportedly suffers from autism, so the stabbing attack may have been more of a mental health issue than any sort of hate crime.

Even if the deadly attack in Southport turns out to have been mischaracterized, that doesn't mean that the UK doesn't still have a serious problem with its illegal immigration situation and resultant unrest. This situation has been simmering for more than a decade and it now appears to be reaching the boiling point. There is a group over there named the English Defence League that has been operating for more than a decade, running a campaign against massive Muslim migration into the country, and they've been attracting more followers recently.

As far as the response to this situation goes, what we're seeing is a jarring juxtaposition between two different British leaders. The UK recently elected its new Labor Party Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, to replace the outgoing Conservative Party PM, Rishi Sunak. Sunak had previously vowed to stop the flow of illegals into the country by turning back the boats in the channel and deporting illegals already in the country to Rwanda. Immediately upon taking office, Starmer canceled the plan and instead vowed to take care of the problem by "working with other European nations and speeding up the removal of failed asylum-seekers."

Starmer has also vastly increased the rate of arrests... not of the migrants, of course, but of the protesters. Some of the protesters have engaged in vandalism and caused damage, with some even attacking the police, so they will need to be held accountable, but many of them are simply carrying signs and decrying both the current administration and the flood of migrants. They don't have the type of First Amendment protections we enjoy in the United States, so many of them have been sent to jail. Starmer has promised that the protesters will "feel the full force of the law" and established a "standing army" of specialist police to deal with the rioting. The entire situation is a mess, to be sure, but it's yet one more sign that massive migration and lax immigration enforcement are causing unrest far beyond America's borders. And the problem is spreading.

[bendysinitiation]

(A timeline of events from an outsider’s perspective, based on @bendyredrawn ‘s very own timeline! In this world, JDS’s growth is much like Fleischer Studios, with some things from Disney.)

1919 - Drew-Stein Studios is created by Joey Drew and Henry Stein. They also release their first short, “Little Devil Darlin'“. It stars a misunderstood little imp that tries to keep a job in turning people to sin. It becomes a hit with minority groups, such as immigrants, as escapism from the riots of the time, and conservative whites of New York find it blasphemous.

1920 - “Imp from the Inkwell“ Is released. In this story, the imp, now named Bendy, gets into antics with a live action Henry Stein. The production of short comics also start, introducing an unnamed hellhound into the picture.

1922 - More cartoons and comics are made. Notably, Boris makes his entrance in “Boorish Beasts”. He is Bendy’s acquaintance and foil, being quiet and calculative, but warm-hearted.

1925 - The Bendy film “Tombstone Picnic” makes a breakthrough by becoming the first ever animated “talkie” through vitaphone. The titular character is voiced by none other than Joey himself. Drew-Stein Studios hits the top of the charts for animation in America.

1926 - Another series, Telltale Trio, is introduced into the catalogue. It is not focused on the well-known imp from hell, but instead a trio of ghastly animals haunting a small town. Drew-Stein Studios changes its name to Joey Drew Studios.

1927-1930 - Countless other comics and talkies are released. The idea of angels are also introduced to the Bendy series. JDS grows exponentially in young employees during the start of the Great Depression.

1932-1933 - One year of mostly comics. Rumors go around that JDS is buying out a new studio in the Brooklyn area to house all its new departments. Joey Drew mentions big things are coming, but keeps it a surprise.

1933 - Construction finishes on the new studio and production moves in. Several female singers, musicians, and foley artists are also hired around this time. Alice Angel is introduced: a trigger-happy messenger that’s ended up in Hell. This also marks the year of JDS’s first color film.

1934 - With the addition of the Hays code, JDS holds back on all the violence, and produces less Bendy cartoons. Strangely enough, its reputation and income is barely effected. Alice Angel becomes the darling of the show around this time.

1936 - JDS releases a feature-length on the return of Bendy. It becomes extremely popular. But at the same time an endemic of sickness spreads throughout New York for a few days. There are also reports of some theatres receiving completely corrupted canisters that have whole minutes blacked out, melting, or incomprehensible.

1937- Henry Stein leaves the company because of “creative differences”. The studio’s growth comes to a halt.

1937-1940 - Production slows on more Bendy cartoons, instead focusing on other series again. Employees start protesting for better treatment outside the studio.

1940-1943 - Employees of the studio start to go missing, along with other employees leaving in droves. All report sickness.

1944-1945 - The studio, again, advertises a new breakthrough. A few more cartoons come out, all focusing on Bendy. People near the studio report cold chills and auditory hallucinations for months upon end.

1946 - After a mass plunge into hysteria from people in the near vicinity of JDS for 3 hours, The studio goes completely silent. All people employed go missing. Many investigations are taken out under these disappearances, but all become cold cases. People that go in don’t come out. Eventually, the studio is demolished.

1963 - New animation released. Henry is told by Joey to record the old studio. Game events.

[hauntedhokage]

PART 07: Aftershock

WORD COUNT: 1.6k

SUMMARY: Following an eventful night; the day after spent in the hospital ends up equally as eventful, only for a different reason. 

[series masterlist] | {ao3} | [tumblr masterlist] | {ko-fi} | [spotify playlist]

The hospital wing where heroes were allowed to rest and recover peacefully was too quiet for your tastes, but you knew you’d be overwhelmed if you were sitting in the waiting area with the general public. Any concern you had about not waiting for someone to get you was squashed when you’d heard that Red Riot, Dynamite, and Deku were all having various injuries treated - you’d have been waiting for them all day if you’d stayed out on the streets. 

You’d already been home - actually to Eijirou and Bakugou’s - took a quick shower, and gathered fresh clothes for the two men. They each kept a go bag in the coat closet by the front door, which made it easy to get what you needed after getting yourself cleaned up before getting back to where they were. The nurse had told you that they both overexerted their bodies and their quirks, so they’d be sleeping for a while and not leaving until the afternoon at the earliest. Which was fine; you weren’t working today after almost falling from a helicopter that had clearly skipped a couple safety checks, so you’d be able to bounce between their two rooms and make sure they weren’t too bored. 

Or at least try to bounce into Bakugou’s until it got weird. 

You hear him fussing as a nurse leaves the room looking stressed, and you stop the door from closing so you could talk to him for a minute and let him have his stuff. Maybe knowing that he had pants and casual clothes ready would help him relax and not create a revolving door of nurses until they asked Midoriya to act as his nurse. You know it had happened before, since he was probably the most difficult patient this hospital had ever seen, and was likely to happen again. 

“Uh, hey,” you greet, leaning in the doorframe and taking in the sight of the number one hero looking…very pathetic. 

He looked less than thrilled to be there, the metal braces keeping him there enough to remind you that he was notorious for just unhooking himself from all of the IV’s and monitors and just jumping out the window to escape while still wearing the hospital’s clothing. He’d done that during your third date with Eijirou, surprising you both during a scary movie when he’d basically thrown the door open in time with the slasher on the screen. 

“Get me the hell out of here!” 

“Can’t do that,” you point out, letting the door close behind you as you walk further into the room. “I’m a reporter, not a doctor, and I don’t have the keys.”

“I’m gonna stop letting Kirishima bring you home.” The counter is half hearted, but you feel better when he relaxes into the bed as you stop at his bedside and put his go bag on the chair beside his bed. “How is he?”

“A bit better than you, I think, but still not great. The nurse said there were a few broken ribs, some burns and cuts, but he’ll be okay. He wasn’t awake when I was here earlier, so I’m not sure how he’s feeling exactly.” He relaxes more at the information, and you know it’ll kill them both to be stuck here but apart. You’d need to talk to a nurse about one of them getting moved to the other’s room, since they’d feel better if they could see the other in recovery. Bakugou being a bit more cooperative with Eijirou in the room would definitely be a selling point that you’ll emphasize to get them to see the situation your way. 

“I’m about the same. Broken ankle, too.”

“From catching me, I’m sure.” 

“And I’d do it again.”

“It’s your job to do it again, Bakugou.”

“Yeah, but that’s not why.”

“For him, then?”

“For you, brat.” He’s not looking at you, but being strapped down means that he can’t turn away from you and his redness of his face was not because he was upset. Bakugou was outwardly angry, he wouldn’t be speaking so softly if he was mad. “I’m not good at this shit, but I don’t hate you. Never have.”

“Then why-”

“Kacchan! You’re awake!”

“Pipe down, nerd!” The instant scolding doesn’t phase Izuku, the number two hero greeting you with a hug before carefully checking you for injuries while rambling about your fall and how incredible it was to see Bakugou catch you. There were questions, too, and you try your best to answer before he can ask another (but are only half successful) until eventually you have to cut him off and get out of there. 

“I promise that I’m alright, but I should go check in on Eijirou. It’s really good to see that you’re okay, Izuku.” With that, you’re excusing yourself from the room - hoping to not have to answer any more questions until Izuku settles down a bit. 

You catch a nurse in passing, taking the time to ask if they’d be able to move the guys into the same room while explaining that they’ll be able to keep each other entertained if they were close - something that has her assuring you that she’d do what she could to make that happen. It was in the hospital’s best interest that Bakugou was kept entertained during his mandatory stay, and clearly she understood that just as well as you did that keeping the number one hero pacified as long as they could was best for the entire building. Then you’re turning into your boyfriend’s room, carefully shutting the door to avoid making any noise that would disrupt him. 

He’s still sleeping, which was a moderate relief for you as you sat down in the chair at his bedside. His face is relaxed, only a couple bandages on his face and neck from whatever combat he’d experienced during the night. His hands were in rough shape, and you knew his torso would be heavily bandaged to protect those broken ribs. That was how you knew without a doubt he’d overused his quirk, eventually he couldn’t keep his body hard enough to truly deflect whatever was being thrown at him in a fight. 

“I was faking it,” he whispers, startling you easily and you have to remind yourself that you can’t hit him while he’s injured like this even if he’s got that stupid grin on his face. “The last nurse was really chatty, babe, knew she’d never leave if she knew I was awake.”

“She’s going to get you and Bakugou in the same room, so be nice,” you whisper back, but give his hand a squeeze when he continues to grin at you. “He’s gonna be okay, by the way.”

“You already saw him?”

“I went back to your place to get your bags, and he was awake when I went in to drop his bag off. Cuts and burns, a couple broken ribs, and a broken ankle. Izuku is with him now.”

“Good,” Eijirou breathes, leaning back into the bed while keeping his eyes on you. “I’m so thankful that he was able to catch you.”

“You saw that?”

“News camera was broadcasting to the electronics store I was near. Saw you fall and saw him catch you, scariest couple of seconds of my life - and I’ve almost died a couple times.”

“Yeah, it was pretty scary. But I’m okay, a couple bruises from hitting Bakugou so hard in the catch but I’ll take that over being scraped off the pavement.”

“Never getting in a helicopter again, I’m sure.”

“Absolutely not. Ayame wants a memorial shrine so bad, she can do the aerials from now on.” The joke lands, and you follow when a gentle tug of your arm requests that you move closer. You feel better being closer to him, seated on the edge of his bed and able to feel his body heat beside yours. A reminder that he was alive, he was still here and so were you. 

“I heard that the world’s more beautiful, gorgeous, news lady was on the ground helping with search and rescue.”

“Yeah, well, I couldn’t keep working, after all.” Your reason has him humming, his hand settling on your shoulder to gently pull you back to lie beside him in the bed. The smile on his face is very proud, and that has your chest warm with your own pride at your actions. It wasn’t that you needed to prove anything to anybody, you were just doing what needed to be done. “People needed help, and I was around.”

“And you say you aren’t that cool,” he teases, and you roll your eyes but let him lean in to get a kiss from you. “How long do we have to stay here, do you know?”

“Depends. You both seriously extended your bodies and your quirks beyond simple exhaustion. If you’re cooperative and promise to rest, hopefully this afternoon. If you’re not, I’m not sure.”

“I’ll be the most cooperative man so I can go home and snuggle with my babygirls.”

“Your bed isn’t big enough for all three of us.”

“Bakugou’s is, and I’m sure he’d be okay with us all snuggling after you fell from a helicopter, I got stabbed, and whatever else happened to him.”

“You got stabbed?” That was news to you, and the look on his face says enough about the fact that he wasn’t intending on telling you that he’d been stabbed. To be expected, but that doesn’t quell the disappointment you feel that he was going to keep that from you. Typical hero. 

“Oops?”

“Kirishima Eijirou you can’t just leave that out!”

[rjzimmerman]

Many of you know that I'm a lawyer, retired, but still a member of the bar. I don't practice law (can't), but I still read professional articles and media reports about environmental law and other laws that interest me. From my humble perspective, some of the recent decisions of the US Supreme Court are invalid because the decisions were issued by the Court acting not in its constitutional capacity of a court of appeals, but acting as a court of original jurisdiction. If I'm correct (and I'm sure I can find a slew of right wing lawyers who are laughing at me), then the executive branch of the US government, i.e., the President, is not obligated to enforce those decisions. Plus, the ethical issues of Justice Thomas.......what the fuck is he doing participating in a decision on trump's January 6 sins when Thomas' wife was furiously clicking away on e-mails encouraging the rioting and insurrection? Wishful thinking, but somehow sometime somewhere something dramatic has to happen to smack down the Supreme Court, or at least create some sense of doubt in their tiny little pointed heads.

Excerpt from this New York Times story:

A spate of decisions over the past two years by the Supreme Court has significantly impaired the Environmental Protection Agency’s authority to limit pollution in the air and water, regulate the use of toxic chemicals and reduce the greenhouse gasses that are heating the planet.

This term, the court’s conservative supermajority handed down several rulings that chip away at the power of many federal agencies.

But the environmental agency has been under particular fire, the result of a series of cases brought since 2022 by conservative activists who say that E.P.A. regulations have driven up costs for industries ranging from electric utilities to home building. Those arguments have resonated among justices skeptical of government regulation.

On Friday, the court ended the use of what is known as the Chevron doctrine, a cornerstone of administrative law for 40 years that said that courts should defer to government agencies to interpret unclear laws. That decision threatens the authority of many federal agencies to regulate the environment and also health care, workplace safety, telecommunications, the financial sector and more.

But more remarkable have been several decisions by the court to intervene to stop environmental regulations before they were decided by lower courts or even before they were implemented by the executive branch.

On Thursday, the court said the E.P.A. could not limit smokestack pollution that blows across state borders under a measure known as the “good neighbor rule.” In that case, the court took the surprising step of weighing in while litigation was still pending at the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit.

The court also acted in an unusually preliminary fashion last year when it struck down a proposed E.P.A. rule known as Waters of the United States that was designed to protect millions of acres of wetlands from pollution, acting before the regulation had even been made final.

Similarly, in a 2022 challenge to an E.P.A. climate proposal known as the Clean Power Plan, the court sharply limited the agency’s ability to regulate greenhouse gas emissions from power plants, even though that rule had not yet taken effect.

That kind of intervention has little in the way of precedent. Usually, the Supreme Court is the last venue to hear a case, after arguments have been made and opinions have been rendered by lower courts.

“This court has shown an interest in making law in this area and not having the patience to wait for the cases to first come up through the courts,” said Kevin Minoli, a lawyer who worked in the E.P.A.’s office of general counsel from the Clinton through the Trump administrations. “They’ve been aggressive on ruling. It’s like, we’re going to tell you the answer before you even ask the question.”

Collectively, those decisions now endanger not only many existing environmental rules, but may prevent future administrations from writing new ones, experts say.

“These are among the worst environmental law rulings that the Supreme Court will ever issue,” said Ian Fein, a senior attorney with the Natural Resources Defense Council, an advocacy group. “They all cut sharply against the federal government’s ability to enforce laws that protect us from polluters.”

The march of environmental cases is not over: The court has agreed to hear a case next term that could limit the reach of National Environmental Policy Act, the 1970 law that requires federal agencies to analyze whether their proposed projects have environmental consequences. Businesses and industries have long complained that the reviews can take years, inflate costs and be used by community groups to block projects.

[transingthoseformers]

Hey Riot! 👋 It's been a bit since I've been temporarily on break from Tumblr. Clearly, this means I need to start back with a new au.

Hmm. Kind of want an AU with amnesia Prowl. Like when Chromedome does the thing at the beginning of MTMTE he ends up resetting Prowl not just ripping out the memory Prowl was threatening to reveal to Rewind and you know fucking up Prowl’s mind enough that Prowlastator happened and Bombshell napped him easy. So Chromedome leans back and he has a fresh baby Prowl looking up at him with big confused innocent eyes and promptly freaks out enough to use the Overlord smuggling operation to smuggle in Prowl while he figures out what to do with him.

Cue confused Prowl waiting, trying to be well-behaved for his supervisor. That is what Chromedome is right (?), gives him orders, but he's very lonely and would like to leave the box now.

Eventually, he gets out and finds himself in a cell with a criminal (?). Who refers to him by his designation he hasn't told anyone yet. Overlord having been trained by Trepan recognizes the damages and at least has something (new to) interesting to fill his time with.

Chromedome, meanwhile, doesn't realize he didn't put Prowl in stasis correctly and is trying to figure out the best way to handle Prowl 2.0 with Brainstorm that doesn't involve killing him.

Prowl and Overlord talk, and Prowl feels uncomfortable because basically all he has is old laws and the Autobot Code, which he is now taking as the Law For Living, and this isn't proper prisoner treatment. Which is upsetting for him. He starts taking notes on things he needs to report and eventually finds handcuffs and perks up. All while Overlord watches Prowl do the Transformer equivalent of a puppy stumbling around getting used to his legs.

Overlord is talking to him the entire time mentioning things the Prowl can only respond with a disgruntled "I don't know what that is."

When Prowl pulls out the handcuffs, Overlord makes a kinky joke, which Prowl completely misses, and then watches in bemusmenet as Prowl stands up in front of him and asks if he will cooperate and allow him to switch him to standard prisoner restraints. He says of course officer and Prowl undoes his restraints.

Overlord snatches him up without hesitation, and Prowl squeaks. Overlord considers crushing him but despite his amusement he is still in a Megatron Funk and has no real desire to escape, so he sits up and perches Prowl on his thigh, telling him sweetly he wouldnt be able to reach from down there. Prowl is wary and certain this is Not Normal Prisoner Behavior, but Overlord does let him handcuff him with basically to him streamers and adjust the holding cell to fit regulations better.

He decides to start "processing" Overlord and begins to ask him to fill out paperwork, which Prowl is mentally compiling. Overlord answers Prowl's questions and then mentions he has yet to be able to seek legal counsel or give his charges, which Prowl believes, and the rules say that has to happen.

So Prowl goes on a mission to get Overlord his lawyer. Overlord, feeling vaguely suicidal, gives him Tarn's number. Prowl still instinctively knowing his override codes opens the door and makes the call.

Through a series of slightly murderous attempts due purely to Tarn's curiosity of "what the fuck Prowl?!". He ends up carried off with Overlord who barely even fights which pisses Tarn off just the right amount to store him until later. He has more important things.

Like Converting Autobots.

Ohhhh?

I've seen amnesiac!Prowl in. A fic and another I didn't click on yet, so it's very interesting to see how he acts without his memories

mm mnemosurgery, which I still think is terrifying

well that's not good

The fact that you can just wipe someone's entire fucking everything like that scares me but hey! It's mnemosurgery. That makes sense for mnemosurgery.

Chromedome:

Prowl 2.0:

Chromedome: fuck it, come with me

So leaving Overlord and Prowl alone together has to be fascinating, well ruh roh raggy!

So Overlord has been released early, fuck.

and then mentions he has yet to be able to seek legal counsel or given his charges, which Prowl believes

Suggesting the hilarious imagine that initially Overlord might've had these things, and I'm imagining Overlord in a trial absolutely being a menace the entire time (which does not help his case)

How does he have Tarn's number

Can someone just up and call Tarn and say "hey Mr DJD? I have a traitor for you." and snitch on their one friend who did one (1) Mildly (or more than mildly) Traitorous thing but also happened to piss Character One off at the wrong time?

Can someone just fucking lie to Tarn and frame someone as a traitor?

Even Tarn doesn't know what's up here (he'll learn)

Wonder how well received the sudden arrival of the fucking DJD is :)

Is Prowl about to be possibly converted to a decepticon right now? :D?

[8bitsupervillain]

Higurashi When They Cry Hou Ch. 4 Himatsubushi pt. 6

I feel it's pretty safe to declare that chapter 4 of this chapter (subchapter?) is the most action-packed the series been.

Ooishi calls Akasaka to the local precinct due to some spicy evidence they found.

Oh those butter fingers. Always dropping just the most perfect obvious evidence during their kidnapping. Also the fact it just so happened to fall out and get found and get reported despite the people of Hinamizawa currently protesting the government? What are the odds! Akasaka, doubting the legitimacy of this evidence calls the dentists office listed on the card and gets verified proof that yes, this is indeed the information of a recently kidnapped Toshiki Inukai. And so, thus armed with this orgy of evidence Akasaka and Ooishi gear up, and set out to the area the wallet was found.

Where we get to see the kidnapped Toshiki fantasize briefly about escaping his bonds and beating up his kidnappers, and start formulating an escape plan. Utilizing a scar from a previous injury Toshiki makes the kidnappers believe that he might actually be dying and they call good ol' Doc Irie into to give him a once over.

Akasaka, and Ooishi talk briefly about the notion that they might be arriving to a firefight as they proceed along towards Takatsudo. As they try to reach the area the wallet was found they find themselves right at the epicenter of the protests against the Hinamizawa Dam. Where the protestors are using extreme volume levels to harass the construction efforts, to the point that to Akasaka's mind it feels like it's actively splitting his skull apart. Ooishi mentions that the riot cops who are guarding the scene are equipped with earplugs against the noise, but it makes me wonder if the protestors themselves are similarly equipped. I'm sure they are. Eventually though they get past the center of it and are able to eke their way along the road until they come across another impromptu road block, which causes Ooishi to get out of the car to deal with. Which, that's an extremely ballsy move. You're willingly getting out of your car amidst fifty plus people who apparently hate you to have em move along?

I wonder if the protestors brought her along to the protests, or if she just went alone because... fuck it? I can't imagine they brought her along as a mascot, or anything like that because what exactly would that accomplish? A morale victory? I assume she's there because she knew Akasaka was going to be there.

The pair talk some more about how perfectly timed finding this wallet just happens to be. How fortunate that out of the blue some guy was able to just able to find this random wallet in the bushes. Almost like they wanted it found or something. HMMMMMM. Maybe I'm overestimating Rika's godliness. Perhaps what I attribute to a divine will is actually just something as simple as Oryou is doting on the cute daughter of the Furude family and as such it letting slip some important details to the kidnapping.

IS WHAT I WOULD THINK IF THEY DIDN'T BRING UP HER DIVINE NATURE! You have guys like Ooishi mentioning the village's belief that Rika is the reincarnation of Oyashiro, and even put forward the idea, even as a half-hearted breaking the tension joke that she just might be behind it all! I'm on to something here, I can feel it in my bones!

Shortly after this brief foray into talking about the enigma that is Rika Furude the pair cross paths with Irie, which clues Ooishi on to the fact that their wayward kidnapped child has got to be located here in Takatsudo. The pair arrives at the kidnap shack, where one of the kidnappers flees with young Inukai and Ooishi has a tussle with the remaining crook. I regret to inform you that I did not screenshot most of the fight and flight between Ooishi and his kidnapper, and Akasaka and his quarry. It was a pretty decently written fight scene.

During the fight between Ooishi and the kidnapper (incidentally, they really missed an obvious thing for readability by calling them Kidnapper A and B or 1 and 2, but whatever), Ooishi gets put into a sleeper hold and knocked unconsciousness. The scene then changes to Akasaka, who has just been kicked in the crotch and is giving chase with the kidnapper who has Inukai slung over his shoulder like a sack. Akasaka catches up and the kidnapper begins to beat Akasaka with a rock, and eventually pulls a gun on him. Akasaka gets the jump on him and attacks the armed kidnapper, until the other kidnapper finds the pair and shoots Akasaka in the shoulder.

Akasaka, having been shot in the designated good guy area basically starts groveling for his life and for the kidnappers to spare his life. The ploy works and the pair are surprised at this staggering display of cowardice from a police officer.

But it's a ruse! Ooishi shows up and gets the drop on the kidnappers and disarms one of them until the kidnappers run away, their dastardly scheme foiled.

There's a line earlier on in the earlier brouhaha where Akasaka notes that despite Oryou allegedly ordering them to let Toshiki go they're not giving up without a fight. Which put a small idea in my head that this might all be a misdirection and it's actually not the Sonozaki family who's behind the kidnapping. I know in Chapter Two Watanagashi that Ooishi mentions that they were involved in the kidnapping, but I have a very small doubt that they're actually behind the crime itself. I think it might be possible that while it is a group working for the larger family that it's actually a small offshoot group who did it in an effort to gain favor with the larger family. The previous chapter makes it sound like Oryou is trying to use more legal means of fighting the dam project, and not just criminal skullduggery. And that all of this is actually a ruse to make the police think that they're willing to go to these lengths to fight against the dam. Or, and this is just a wild baseless idea based on absolutely nothing. This is a rival yakuza group trying to pin the blame on the Sonozaki family by doing the kidnapping and leaving the bread crumbs directly to the shack Toshiki was held in to give the cops all the evidence they need to raid them.

Oh yeah, Akasaka got shot. I'm sure he's totally dead. Please ignore he's still alive in 1985, and that's our framing device for this chapter. But yeah, he died. RIP.

[danganronpasurvivoraskblog]

Junko Enoshima Monika [Danganronpa Survivor VS Doki Doki Literature Club]

Hifumi: Junko Enoshima, the Marvelous Mastermind of Danganronpa!

Leona: Monika, the Pretty President of the Literature Club!

Hifumi: As once stated by Julian Fellowes, "Harsh reality is always better than false hope." But when a victim of harsh reality meets a harbinger of false hope...When will's collide and Hope and Despair culminate into a vacuum of violence...which comes out on top?

Leona: He's Hifumi, and I'm Leona!

Hifumi: And it's our job to analyze their weapons, talents and skills, to see who will win...One Final DEATH BATTLE!

Leona: Alright bitches, it's finally time...We've spent 12 episodes with this series, and at least once in all 12 episodes, we come back to this bitch's legacy. The character who is singlehandly tied to every major event in our world as we know it...All roads lead back to the figure that is...Junko...Enoshima...And now we finally, at the end of the series...at long last...bring her into the limelight. So strap on your chastity belts bitches, it's about to get CRAAAAZZYYYY...!

Hifumi: Our story starts, as it always does, with Hope's Peak Academy, a school committed to assisting in the training of top performers in their fields. These master students—better known as "Ultimates"—are among the most gifted individuals on the planet.

Leona: In fact, they were so gifted that, if they so chose, they could actually alter the course of history and change the world as we know it.

Hifumi: Leona and I, as well as our friends who help work on this show, are all Ultimate's ourselves. I am the Ultimate Fanfic Creator, and she's the Ultimate Mangaka. And first hand, we can say that this statement is indeed accurate...In the worst way you could possibly think of, no less.

Leona: We're of course referring to the Biggest, Most Awful, Most Tragic Event in Human History, or the Tragedy for short. The bright students we just discussed would never have the opportunity to shine like they were always meant to because of that tragic incident. It really was the beginning of the end for the world. The weak were killed by the strong. Lesser people killed lesser people. And strong people were lynched by factions formed by the weaker.

Hifumi: People lost their sensitivity as the deaths and violence increased. They accepted death as a given and rolled in the Despair, since it was all they could know, as though time had stopped. The media reported on deaths, terrorism, violence, riots, war purely for the sake of war, and every horrible thing you can imagine in a societal collapse, at an alarming rate, and the few sane people that remained could only sit back and watch.

Leona: And as we've discussed plentiful times over the course of this series, it all came from an unlikely and inconspicuous place...a high-school girl.

Hifumi: Not just ANY high-school girl...The one and only Junko Enoshima...!

Leona: Now, for the uneducated, which is probably none of you, you're probably looking at her and questioning what we're talking about. You're probably thinking, "She actually doesn't look so bad. I like her little hairpins! She's kinda cute!" DON'T LET YOUR DICK LEAD YOU ASTRAY! IT'S A LIAR AND IS TRYING TO KILL YOU!"

Hifumi: A-Ahem...Though I would not phrase it the same way, it is important to not be fooled by the lively and innocent manner of Enoshima. Beneath the cute gal exterior is a cold-blooded psychopath with a black heart.

Leona: "Cold-blooded" doesn't even BEGIN to describe this bitch! Although there isn't a lot of specific information about Junko's past, we DO know that she was an Ultimate Student herself who, ironically, lost interest in everything because of her extraordinary talent.

Hifumi: Junko Enoshima, technically speaking, possesses THREE Ultimate Talents that derive from her own skillset. The one that she got accepted into Hope's Peak for was the Ultimate Fashionista, since she worked previously as a model, and frequently served as the cover girl for many magazines. In truth however, she uses this talent as a ruse to stay under the radar of her foes, and hide her true, deadly potential.

Leona: In reality, Junko has a much more powerful talent; possibly the MOST powerful talent that ever "graced" Hope's Peak Academy or any school like it: The Ultimate Analytical Prowess!

Hifumi: There are...many layers to this ability. But in short, she has the ability to read and analyze anything almost instantly, and with a quick glance, she can learn about her enemies' personalities, skills, ideas, and potentially their entire history. She can therefore foresee almost everything that comes her way. Enoshima's ability to predict trends even allowed her to obtain the credentials necessary to become the Ultimate Fashionista, as it allowed her to foresee what would become popular with society before it actually did!

Leona: But the big problem with this natural ability of hers is that it's kind of what drove her into the state of madness that she's chronically in. Because she's basically got natural premonition, Junko's life lacked any sort of excitement. She became excessively apathetic and easily bored, even for abnormal levels, because her Ultimate Talent just made her life WAY too easy!

Hifumi: Except there was a caveat to this...As mentioned, Junko's analytical prowess was capable of predicting and analyzing almost anything without any effort...UNLESS it was something entirely beyond her capacity for comprehension and understanding of what she has seen. Which is what made Junko become fascinated with both creating and experiencing DESPAIR, the most pleasurable feeling for her, if not the ONLY one.

Leona: Because Despair as a concept was so unpredictable in the way it manifested, and because she could never quite predict what someone would do if they were at the very end of their mental breaking point, Junko Enoshima became OBSESSED with it, and REVELLED in it, whether it be completely experiencing Despair or causing Despair to others. 

Hifumi: This, of course, made her EXTREMELY DANGEROUS! Particularly since Enoshima herself, and the developers of the game have both acknowledged that she genuinely has no motivation other than Despair and pain itself, which makes her even more dangerous and unjustly unreasonable. From this, Junko Enoshima obtained her third talent, and by far her greatest and most well-known one: The Ultimate Despair...!

Leona: Owing to her ability to make everything predictable and simple to comprehend, she has committed her life to bringing misery into the world. Because she has a gift for seeing everything, including the flaws in her victims, she is particularly adept at spreading hopelessness. She can get inside your head by barely moving her mouth. If that's not the epitome of the most dangerous character in the world, I don't know what is! She makes all those dictators and evil people in the worlds history look like fucking kindergarteners!

Hifumi: She claimed to be able to spread despair to everyone she came into contact with, attempting to sap their motivation and hope in order to control them as she pleases, even going so far as to make videos to induce a state of deep despair in others. The worst part is that, for the most part, it works—even on the most powerful and unscrupulous clients, like Mukuro Ikusaba and Izuru Kamukura.

Leona: Speaking of which, Mukuro and Junko are actually twin sisters, and while Mukuro saw her relationship with her sister as a divine unmatched partnership, to Junko, Mukuro was little more than her earliest victim. She acted as her protector and followed Junko's instructions, even dressing like her to aid in her plots.

Hifumi: And aside from her, she has many an evil ally that fell to Despair thanks to her manipulation. Ms Ikusaba, the Remnant's of Despair, and even Izuru Kamukura, the all-powerful Ultimate Hope that we discussed in our last episode.

Leona: But obviously Junko's not going to be able to make use of any of them, since we're not allowing outside help. So what does that mean?

Junko: It means we're hiring baby!

Hifumi: Well, even without her allies be her side, Junko Enoshima has many tricks and tools of the trade to help her get the job done. Though nowhere close to her sister in battle prowess, sheeee...sheeeee...!?

Hifumi and Leona slowly turn their heads as they finally notice a third presence in the room, who smiles back at them.

Junko: Helloooo~!

Leona & Hifumi: AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGH!!?

Leona: She's here! SHE'S HERE!

Junko: HAHAHAHAHA! That I am! Junko FUCKIN' Enoshima is IN DA HOOOUUUSSEE!

Leona: H-How did you bypass my flawless security!?

Junko: You mean that wooden sign outside that just says "Danger: Keep Out?" I'm the scourge of society, I don't follow rules~

Leona: Curses!

Hifumi: Wh-What do you want!?

Junko: Nothin' much! I just heard about this sweet little thing you guys were doing and heard I was getting an episode. And I was shocked that you didn't invite me! So whether you like it or not, I'm gonna be your extra co-host for today!

Hifumi: O-Oh...W-Well, we weren't exactly prepared for you...You're really not gonna kill us?

Junko: Eh...No one would care if you two died, so there's no Despair to be found there...This "Monika" girl on the other hand seems like a sweet treat. And don't you think my comprehensive analysis skills would do good in this kind of situation? I mean, I already know who's going to win~

Leona: Wh-What will you do if we say no?

Junko: Puhuhu! Wweeelll...I think you were just about to start talking about that, weren't you?

Junko: Aside from some of my more trademark weapons and pieces of gear, I do have my own fair share of lame ass weapons that I carry around in case, y'know? Like the grenades I blow people up with, the baseball bat I tried to crack Izuru's skull with, an ice pick that I like to stab my sister with, and a knife because...why not? Oh, and I've also got this mean poisonous lipstick thing that lets me paralyze people with a kiss! How about a demonstration, Leona-chan?

Leona: N-No! Sorry! Workplace relations aren't allowed! Please don't touch me.

Hifumi: A...Ahem...But of course, as I was saying, she's got more backup than she needs even without the Remnants, with her vast army of Monokuma's.

Junko: Ah yes, how could I forget my precious babies? JK! I didn't! Psych!

Hifumi: Monokuma is an icon in Danganronpa, and the face of all acts of Despair Junko and her cronies, but originally, they were created by Junko's protégé and the Head of Towa Group's robotics division, Monaca.

Leona: Woah! How ironic. The initial intent was that the Monokuma's were to be used as housekeeping and bodyguard robots, designed to aid the people of Towa City and the world at large with their day to day endeavours. At least, that's what Monaca claimed. In actuality, it was a cover story to provide her "big sis Junko" with an unbeatable robot army!

Hifumi: And the Monokuma's come in all sorts of shapes, sizes and variants. However, Junko has never been shown utilizing any Monokuma variants outside of the base one from the Killing Game, which is exceedingly strong and has many of it's own interesting capabilities, but it means she doesn't ever use it's variants like the flame-spewing Destroyer Monokuma, or the bloodthirsty Beast Monokuma. Which unfortunately means we won't be counting them for this fight. 

Leona: Monokuma's power scale is difficult to lock down, since it changes via the setting and the game, but considering this is a composite version of Junko, we'll be counting all the one's she utilizes. That means we won't be counting his V3 appearance, since those are only used by Tsumugi and Team Danganronpa, not Junko herself.

Junko: 'sfine that one sucks anyway...

Hifumi: Now it's important to make sure we get one key fact out of the way here. In the First Killing Game, there was a significant plot point that showed that Junko could not control Monokuma without the use of the control room, and she couldn't simultaneously use Monokuma and inspect the cameras at the same time due to them being in different rooms. But in the second Killing Game, this is reprimanded, and since this is a composite, Junko will not require the control panel, and can naturally control the Monokuma's remotely.

Leona: From what we've seen in Danganronpa IF, we know that at any given point, Junko can summon up to 100 of these black and white bastards! But Danganronpa 2 confirmed there were around 10^60 on backup, which means even if someone manages to take them all out, several million more are gonna be right behind them! If that doesn't say "unstoppable force" I don't know what does!

Junko: Bitchiiiin'! Anyway, these little bad boys are really strong, which I've seen these two schmuks talk about before, and how both my sweet sister and that big ogre have battled on par with them. Which means in our universe, no ordinary person would ever stand a chance against them. Even if they did, in a slim circumstance, get past 'em, I've got something else up my short sleeves...PUNISHMENTS! PUHUHUHU!

Hifumi: Right, as well all know is a staple of Junko's sick and twisted games, she has access to numerous lethal death traps, all themed after each characters Ultimate Talents. They are used, usually in accordance with the rules of each Killing game, as a way for those behind the Demon Hunting and Mutual Killing games to kill players on their own.

Leona: Some notable ones are The 1000 Blows, where a pitching machine shoots countless baseballs at immense speed, bludgeoning you to death! Or the Spears of Gungnir, spears that appear out of nowhere and impale you all over your body! And they only get wackier from there with things like The Cage of Death that...liquefies you into butter...yikes.

Junko: Yeah, I'm kind of a genius. You can say it~ Of course, even with my might and skill and unmatched brains, I would still need time to set these executions up, whether I'm an AI or not. It wouldn't take me long, but time stops for no one. 

Hifumi: But the punishments and traps don't stop at simple death traps, as there are other things that Junko utilizes in her plans and schemes. One of her most potent weapons that she uses chronically...much to our and everybody else's annoyance...is brainwashing tech, like the one's she used on the Remnant's of Despair.

Junko quickly ties her hair into a ponytail and dons glasses, giving herself a sexy teacher appearance

Junko: Through the use of a Despair-inducing film that was leaked online, many people were inspired to become anarchists who destroyed buildings, joyfully killed people, and replaced well-known structures with ones that were inspired by Monokuma and my great self. Additionally, as Tubby just said, it caused Class 77-B to become psychotic and willing to kill themselves and cut themselves to pieces.

Leona: This was how people died left and right in the Final Killing Game, which, although Junko wasn't the mastermind for that, she was the one who created the apparatus used for it, namely creating a copy of Ryota Mitarai's anime that she learned how to do just from watching him. Again, Analytical Prowess is fucked.

Junko: Wow, you really are full of compliments today! I appreciate you, dear girl.

Leona: Y-Yeah I'm just...tryingnottodiiiiie...

Hifumi: Possibly the most dangerous of Junko's brainwashing videos is the one used in the Final Killing Game, also known as "Monokuma's Gloomy Sunday." No matter how hopeful a person is, watching this brainwashing video has the power to make them commit suicide.

Leona: It just...makes you kill yourself. Like...just like that...Just glancing at the video just makes you want to commit die?

Hifumi: ...Yep...

Leona: That's such a fuck you...

Junko: I live for "fuck you's" Welcome to my MO. Outside intervention is the only way to prevent it from driving you to commit suicide. Makoto was able to escape the brainwashing by having Juzo Sakakura knock him out before it had a chance to affect him. Good luck doing that without help though Monikers~!

Hifumi: Save your taunts for when you actually get to the arena, maybe?

Junko: Yeah, about that, can we maybe speed this up so I can get this all over and dealt with? I'm kinda on the clock here.

Hifumi: Then why are you here wasting time!?

Leona: Aaaahaahaha! Quiet Hifumi! W-Well, up until now, you've probably realized that despite her simple appearance, Junko Enoshima is not to be messed with. No one is safe should they end up crossing her path, and believe it or not...It gets even CRAZIER.

Hifumi: Right. Following the end of the First Killing Game, her defeat at the hands of Makoto Naegi, and her subsequent death, Junko Enoshima was gone and the Tragedy was over...at least, that's how it should have been, but she came back, stronger than ever.

Junko: Through the POWER of SCIENCE! As these scrubs mentioned before, I was able to replicate Chihiro Fuji-sucky's Alter Ego programming, and created my own digital copy, which thanks to my good pal Izuru, was uploaded into the Neo World Program, kickstarting the second Killing Game amongst my good friends, the Remnants.

Leona: Not even your own allies are safe from you...

Hifumi: She literally murdered her sister for no reason; of course they're not.

Junko: I did it out of love, not for no reason! Phooie!

Hifumi: I won't bother...

Junko: Anyway, as an AI, there's no sugarcoating it, I AM AN ALL-SEEING GOD! Sorta...When I first took over the Neo World Program, at least.

Hifumi: A backup AI designed for the original Junko Enoshima, Alter Ego Junko serves as a means for her to carry on spreading Despair. After she subverted the Warriors of Hope and orchestrated the Demon Hunting Game's events under the pretense of Shirokuma and Kurokuma, Alter Ego Junko was able to take control of the Neo World Program all thanks to Izuru Kamakura.

Junko: Thaaaanks Izuuruuuu I loooove yoooouuu~

Leona: But in the end, they were able to put an end to it for the better with the assistance of Chiaki, Hajime, and the other survivors, before she had a chance to do anything.

Junko: I mean you didn't have to add THAT part...Hmph!

Hifumi: Enoshima was able to merge with the program when Kamukura downloaded her into it. She is essentially omnipresent and has great control over the digital world she inhabits. She can alter the code as much as she wants as long as it doesn't violate any program regulations.

Leona: Regulations?

Hifumi: Yes, see, that is Alter Ego Junko's one glaring weakness. Her original goal with the second Killing Game was to kill the Remnants of Despair in the Neo World so that she could take over their bodies in the real world. The problem was that she couldn't do so immediately.

Junko: To gain control of the program, my AI needed usurp Usami for the role of observer. But by the code of the school trip rules, even Usami had to follow them, so I did too. That's why I set up the Killing Game instead, and broadcasted it to trap the Future Foundation in the program. Killing...two stones with one bird, if you will.

Leona: That's a strong ass bird...

Hifumi: Even so, as an Alter Ego, Junko is able to change her physical appearance at will. Between the form of Monokuma itself, a face on a giant phone screen, but the one she is most synonymous with, a giant 3D version of herself that towers over the average human. 

Leona: Because of the nature of the program, it's highly likely that she can easily put herself back together if she sustains any kind of damage, unless she's being overpowered by a stronger AI program like Usami.

Hifumi: And due to her omnipresence, if she has control over a program, she can effectively be anywhere she wants to be at once. She's capable of teleporting her physical form to almost every space that belongs to the Neo World Program, and can teleport others.

Leona: In terms of physical stats, we can't really put a number on it beyond what the original Junko is capable of. However, after her defeat in the Neo World Program, remnants of Junko's AI remained, and it went on to take house inside the mind of Yukari Koime. Where her abilities are expanded upon.

Hifumi: As it turns out, Junko's AI retains the memories of the original, and used its analytical talents to analyze Mukuro Ikusaba's fighting style, allowing Yukari Koime to perfectly replicate her strikes and strength. Aside from that, she also has access to the internet and can upload information into their shared brain in real time; and though both parties die if their connection is severed, Junko can be several hundred miles away from Yukari without the risk of that happening.

Leona: So though she's not as strong as the likes of her sister or even Makoto, she knows their moves and knows how to use them.

Junko: Yeah, I'm pretty badass. This Monika chick ain't gonna have NOTHIN' ON ME!

Hifumi: Heh...We'll see about that...But it is true that so long as Despair continues to exist in this world, Junko Enoshima's influence...will remain eternally.

Leona: Ah, school clubs. Such a bittersweet memory. Especially in the case of a dating simulator game like Doki Doki Literature Club.

Hifumi: Bittersweet is underselling it...

Leona: Speaking of which, welcome to the world of Doki Doki Literature Club, a dating sim where the main character gets to pick between three beautiful and fun girls to be in a romantic relationship with. There's the ditzy childhood friend Sayori, the tsundere short-stack Natsuki, and the mature and quiet book-loving Yuri, all with splendid personalities that you can get to know.

Junko: Hold on, aren't we forgetting someone?

Leona: Oh, you're still here...

Junko: Duh-doy.

Hifumi: Yes, for you see, there is one other character present within the story of this game who exists in the background, helping the main character progress through the school aspect of the game. The club president and the most popular girl in the school; Monika.

Leona: Though Monika herself was not one of the romanceable options. She was more of a background character. A tutorial girl who judged you on your poems and gave you constructive feedback.

Hifumi: But still, it's not hard to see why she's so well-liked. She's intelligent, self-assured, and athletic, and is consistently portrayed as being responsible, hardworking, and wearing a calm, caring expression. Though she isn't as talkative as the other girls, she is extremely popular among the student body of the school, which makes the protagonist admire her.

Junko: Uh-huh...We get it...she's just your run of the mill average schoolgirl idol. Nothing interesting about that.

Leona: Trust me, it gets very interesting, very quickly. For you see, the MC's decision to join Monika's Literature Club alongside Yuri, Sayori and Natsuki would set off a series of events that would ultimately result in the universe's destruction and reconstruction...!

Junko: I'm sorry, what? What are you talking abou-

Cuts to the "gently opened the door" scene from the game.

Junko; WOAH, WHAT THE SHIT!? WOOOAHAHOH!?

Leona: Yep, that's about the reaction I expected...And it only gets worse from here...

Cuts to Yuri and Natsuki's untimely demises as well.

Junko: O-Oh...Oh...Oh no...!

Leona: Shortly after the MC joined the literature club, straaange things started happening! Sayori experienced a severe depressive episode that culminated in her hanging herself. Her friend was confused, though, when nobody even mentioned her name or death after this incident. It seemed as though she had never existed at all! As if a stronger force had a vice grip on them, they were so helpless to even bring them up.

Hifumi: Later, in a macabre confession, Yuri killed themselves by stabbing, and Natsuki suddenly broke every bone in their body and vanished from the face of the earth.

Leona: And at the end of it all, the only one left...was Monika. COINCIDENCE!?

Hifumi: Sooooo as it TURNS OUT...Monika and the DDLC game were created by an organization called Metaverse Enterprise Solutions. Now allow me to ask you ladies. Have you ever heard of Simulation Theory?

Leona: Vaguely

Junko: Hey, doing the nerd shit is the interns job, don't make me explain it.

Hifumi: Very well...Mr Porosen?

Hifumi taps a remote, causing Uchui's face to appear on the screen.

Uchui: Oh alright...According to Simulation Theory, otherwise known as the Simulation Hypothesis, the reality that humans perceive is actually a simulation, like a computer game in which people are artificial constructs. This subject has been the subject of extensive discussion, encompassing both theoretical and real-world computing applications.

Junko: So it's basically the Neo World, but the entire world and universe we live in?

Uchui: Precisely. Metaverse Enterprise Solutions were fascinated by this concept, and wished to observe how a fictional character would manage being the sole ruler of their own universe and being aware that they were only a video game character. The result of that experimentation was Doki Doki Literature Club, and Monika.

Leona: I'm sure you can already see where this is going. In reality, being a highly advanced artificial intelligence program, Monika is fully aware that she is a character inside a video game, and that an entire reality exists beyond that of the 4th wall. And she took that...about as well as you could possibly expect someone to.

Hifumi: Because of this, she steeled herself and did something that the designers never thought she would do. 

Leona: By interfering with her own game files and making her own modifications to the program that her game ran on, Monika assumed control of her own reality, and used it to increase the "bad qualities" of her fellow characters. 

Hifumi: But why, might you ask, did she do that?

Leona: Well, there was more to it than just trying to take back her own power. Even after she came to realize that everything around her was a bunch of pixels and lines of code, Monika felt for the first time an unquenchable emotion that she had never truly felt before...Love!

Junko: Blegh! Are you for real!?

Leona: Yeah, but it's not quite as simple as you think. You might think that she fell for the main character, but that's only HALF true.

Hifumi: The one who Monika REALLY desired to be with was actually the player. On the OTHER SIDE of the SCREEN!

Junko: Oh, really!? Bet you'd just LOOVE that, huh Hifumi? That's like your dream come true!

Hifumi: No, no, no, no, NO! Using her knowledge of poetry, Monika started to rewrite the game, changing the character traits of her rivals, inciting them to commit suicide, or simply eliminating them one by one. That's a bit much, even for me.

Junko: Never figured you would be one to have standards...What's the big deal? They're just game characters. They don't think or feel.

Hifumi: That's very much what she thought too. Monika wanted to change everything in her life so that it would become a paradise on the other side of the fourth wall, just for her and her partner. Even if it meant BREAKING and DESTROYING everything...!

Leona: And the scariest part was that she could ACTUALLY do it!

Hifumi: Monika's character in the realm of the game is a normal high-school senior, so whatever physical stats she has are...likely pretty pathetic. She is a 160 cm tall, 18-year-old human game character who is considered athletic for a slothful adolescent of her age, but beyond that, we can assume her physical fighting stats are average at best.

Leona: But that's fine! Compared to the universal levels of digital power she has, not being able to throw a punch is pretty unimportant. She depends on her awareness of the fourth wall, as we've already mentioned. In addition to her awareness of reality, she also managed to eliminate her rivals by gaining access to the game files.

Junko: But hoooooow does that woooooork!?

Uchui: Everybody in the Doki Doki Literature Club universe has a unique character file that Monika is free to edit, and the entire universe is controlled by code. Monika can edit someone's memories and emotions with this code editing, even making small changes that drive someone insane or suicidal. She was even able to render Natsuki unconscious by altering her body to be malnourished, causing her to pass out right away.

Leona: And she can completely erase your file, removing someone from the game with not even a complete reset being able to save you. She can tamper with your body and mind in so many unsettling ways that you don't even want to think about it.

Hifumi: Monika's ability to remove her friends from both reality and the game by erasing their personal files has an impact on both the real metadata and the in-game environment. She can also monitor activity when the game is closed, identify when it's being streamed, modify the game's Steam page, and do a lot more.

Leona: Likewise, erasing HER files is the only way to permanently stop Monika. She is completely omnipotent in her own realm; the only way to win is to actually break the game and take her out of it.

Hifumi: And that's a difficult task because if she figures out what you're trying to accomplish, she'll use her hacking abilities to stop you. She's that crazily self-aware that it's difficult to let things get by her.

Leona: In addition, Monika has the ability to completely erase the game, including all players and content, should the situation become too serious. Yes, this also erases her, but she won't go away because if the game is ever restored, Monika will return in perfect condition.

Hifumi: This is remarkable because, even though we only saw Doki Doki Literature Club as a game, it is actually a whole universe with numerous save files serving as distinct timelines, all of which Monika was able to carelessly erase while she was in a nonexistent state.

Leona: Doki Doki Literature Club's engine allows you to make up to 50 separate save files. This implies that Monika is capable of deleting up to 50 separate in-game timelines, just with a little bit of tampering. Sweating now, Enoshima?

Junko: Hardly. I mean, I've destroyed both the digital AND real world before, and brought Despair to both! So what if she's a super-powerful AI? I mean, who uses omnipotence to dick about a bit and make your game a buggy mess? Is this supposed to be scary or something?

Leona: Monika has several abilities related to her supernatural existence, aside from the knowledge that she and everyone she has ever known are soulless automatons created by a group of heartless mortals, and a ridiculous power to fully seize control of the digital world she's in.

Hifumi: For instance, she can teleport to any location in the game effortlessly interrupt any scene that might be significant or get in the way of her plans.

Leona: She can also perform minor alterations to her own body, like uh...

Monika jumpscare

Leona: GAH THAT! And...uh...distort other people's vision and turn their faces and entire bodies into a jumble of pixels.

Hifumi: She's also capable of minor pyrokinesis, though this is just for aesthetics rather than combat utility.

Leona: She can view the game's script to see what has happened in the past, present, and future in relation to her reality's story. Since the Player's actions do not belong in that universe, they are excluded from this, though Monika is aware of when items from her game interact with it. And she's often aware when mods are installed.

Hifumi: And on top of being able to reset the game entirely, she has stopped time from passing and has the ability to rewind it, altering events that occur afterward as well.

Junko: Ok, so maybe she might be tougher shit than I gave her credit for...Honestly, I'm kind of impressed. Sensing a bit of a kinship with this one...She got plunged so deep in her Despair that she tried to rewrite her whole reality and kill everyone she was close to. If that isn't an Enoshima-worthy plan, I don't know what is!

Leona: Hm...I wouldn't be so sure about that...

Junko: Excuse you?

Leona: Call me crazy, but...Even after everything we've just discussed, especially with how selfishly she decided to kill off her own friends for the sake of a player she barely knew and couldn't even interact with...I'm really struggling to see Monika as the villain in all of this.

Hifumi: Whatever do you mean by that?

Leona: Put yourself in her shoes for a second. You are a character in a dating sim video game who is self-aware that they are trapped eternally inside a game where the girls around you can attain romance and happiness, but you are the ONLY CHARACTER in the game who doesn't have their own route, and can't get that happiness, no matter how much you want it. How would that make YOU feel?

Hifumi: Um...well...

Leona: And there's more to it as well. As it turns out, if you do succeed in deleting her file and erasing her, Monika reveals that she had backup copies of Natsuki, Yuri and Sayori's files even after she deleted them. Even though she needed to get rid of them, Monika could have restored them at any time in case what she was trying to do backfired on her. Which means she still must have cared about them enough to not want to see them go forever! Plus, every weird and creepy digital glitch that happens in Doki Doki isn't actually there on purpose! 

Uchui: Because Monika's programming abilities aren't up to par or even close to expert, the key reason the world and reality began to collapse was because of her poor coding abilities, which broke the entire game. Monika acknowledged this herself as well.

Leona: When she altered her friends' files, she probably didn't even intend to ruin their minds. She was just...trapped...and wanted out. Badly.

Hifumi: Well, when you put it like that...Notwithstanding her mental state or questionable actions, Monika is a truly exceptional specimen caught in an unwinnable circumstance. Although it would be simple to label her a villain given her behavior, she was merely a teenage girl attempting to find happiness in a world that would never grant it to her.

Junko: Well, anyway, I don't care about any of that. We're about out of time, so I guess I should go and get ready for the setup. Catch you guys later! Wish me luck!

Junko exeunts to head into the battle.

Leona: You know something...Regardless of how this goes, let's hope it's one to remember...

Hifumi: Alright, the combatants are set! Let's end this debate once and for all!

Leona & Uchui: IT'S TIME FOR A DEEAAATH BAAATTLLLLLLEEE!

Junko: PUUHUHUHUHUHUUUUUH!

The scene opens to a solitary room, empty save for a lone girl with long hair, sitting at a piano and putting the finishing touches on her own special song.

Monika: ♪...And in your reality, if I don't know how to love you...I'll leave you be...♪

As she plays the final notes, Monika looks up into the sky, sadly reminiscing the harsh reality she is trapped in. But forces a smile, grabs her stuff, and prepares to leave to head to the Literature Club.

However, as she steps outside she's greeted with an even harsher reality.

Monika: Huh!?

Monika is shocked to see that the world outside her own safe space is a glitchy, distorted mess that is gradually, but assuredly falling apart. What she can only assume to be the disfigured corpses of her classmates are crawling like pained zombies down the hall, and she looks left and right in a panic.

Monika: I...I didn't do this...Wait...The girls...!

Monika runs back to the Literature Club room and flings open the door. As she expected, she sees the disfigured bodies of Natsuki, Sayori and Yuri, all lying on the floor, reminiscent of the deaths she had caused them before.

Monika: What is going on...!? Huh...?

As she's pondering the disturbing events she's landed herself in, Monika suddenly sees something outside the clubroom window. Down in the courtyard is a strawberry-blonde fashionista, tinkering with a machine with many digital effects circulating around her. 

Frowning, Monika teleports into the courtyard, crosses her arms and approaches the stranger. The mysterious blonde, Junko Enoshima, holds a Monokuma shaped key in her hand, and goes to enter it into a lock-shaped device on the machine.

Monika: Um...excuse me?

Junko: Huh? Oh! Sorry, I must have missed you! Don't worry, just ignore me, I'll be out of your hair in JUUUST a second.

Monika: And uh...what exactly are you doing that gives you an excuse to break my reality?

Junko: Well, since you asked so kindly, I'm initiating "Operation Junko-fy All Mankind Ver. 1.5!"

Monika: ...Come again?

Junko: Look bae, I'm not gonna bore you with the explanation, but the short version is my last plan to break my way into the human realm didn't work out so well, so I've had to use a beta method by working my way through this crappy little dating sim of yours.

Monika: You're planning to...escape the game...and enter reality? You can really do that?

Junko: Yeah, by taking control of some unassuming player and...Hang on...

Junko frowns and turns to look at Monika.

Junko: How come none of those words are confusing the hell out of you? You're just...another game character right.

Monika doesn't show it on her face, but is absolutely enthralled by the concept of Junko's machine. She heaves a sigh and forces a smile.

Junko: Huh...No...No you're not...

Monika: Ok...As president of the Literature Club and student representative, I'm sorry, but I'm going to have to take this...device of yours...off your hands.

Junko: Uh...PUHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! And how do you plan on doing THAT exactly!? Why should I be afraid of an NPC like you?

Monika: ...What does THIS do...?

Junko: Eh? EH!? E-EH!?

Junko panics as she sees that Monika has somehow swiped the key to the device off of her. Monika's face curls into a sly smirk as she starts to fade, and suddenly disappears from the air in front of her.

Monika: Teehee! ...Buh-bye...!

Junko: You! Wha-!? You! HEY! (How did she DO that!? Is she an observer AI? Why would this game HAVE that!?)

Junko growls and snaps her fingers. All of a sudden, hundreds of Monokuma's surround her after appearing out of thin air.

Junko: FIND HER!

A fair distance away, Monika reappears in the hallway of the school, clutching the key tightly, masterminding a way to get to the machine by slipping under Junko's radar. 

*CRASH!*

Monika: EEEP!

Monokuma's: PUHUHUHUHU!

As she ponders a plan however, the Monokuma's created by Junko crash through the windows after her and start chasing her, stepping over the disfigured bodies of the NPCs. With no choice, Monika starts running for her life. 

Monika: Gotta do something about those things...!

Monika arrives at a classroom and flings open the sliding door, jumping inside and slamming it behind her. Once the Monokuma's catch up to her, they tear the door down, only to find that Monika is not in the classroom they broke into.

As it happens, Monika shifted reality so that as they opened the door, the Monokuma's would end up in a different classroom than her. She takes a second to catch her breath and wipes sweat off her forehead.

*SHUNK!*

Monika: GAH!?

Junko: Puhu! Found you~

Unfortunately, Junko herself is able to track Monika down and appears, brandishing her sister's signature combat knife. She bursts out of a supply closet and starts brandishing it at Monika, who armed with only a book, is forced to use that to defend herself.

The president of the Literature Club is pinned against the window wall by Junko after they exchange blows, with the president on the defensive but able to repel her attacks. As Junko's knife stabs straight through the book, Monika nearly falls out of the window and looks down to see the drop below. She still has her confident smirk on her face in spite of her precarious situation.

Junko: Come on sweetie, be a doll and give me the key so I can corrupt all of humanity with Despair!

Monika: THAT'S your goal in all this!? Well, I definitely can't let you leave now!

Junko: You can't stop my Despair, baby-face!

Monika: Your Despair is no match for MY LOVE!

Junko: BUAGH!?

With her abilities, Monika is able to set her book on fire, which nearly burns Junko. It ends up causing her grip on her knife to slip, and Monika tosses the book, with Junko's knife still stuck inside it, to the side, effectively disarming her.

Junko smirks though, as she holds out her hand and causes another knife to appear in her hand, taking advantage of the digital realm.

Monika: Uh...No!

To Junko's dismay, Monika snaps her fingers and the knife is subsequently deleted almost as soon as it is summoned. Junko tries to call it back, but for some reason, cannot. Unbeknownst to her, Monika has deleted the knife's file from reality.

Monika smirks proudly, but is unprepared as Junko suddenly rushes forward and grabs her around the neck and sumo throws them both to the floor, making use of her analytical prowess by replicating Mukuro Ikusaba's fighting moves. 

*WHAM!* *WHAM!* *WHAM!*

Monika: AHAGUH! UGH! HAAGGGH!

*SLAM!*

Junko cackles as she lifts Monika up by the back of her neck and slams her face several times into desk, causing blood to drip from her nose onto the wood. She then grabs her again and throws her body against the window where she was before.

Junko: Ahahahahaha!

Monika: RRGH!

Junko: GAAGH!

Monika & Junko: WAAAGGGH!?

Junko goes in to kick Monika against the wall, but Monika quickly leaps up, and the two of them stumble and fall upside-down out of the open window as Monika catches Junko.

Monika: Hngh!

░Ｚ░ ░Ｉ░ ░Ｐ░

Junko: Huh!?

░Ｚ░ ░Ｉ░ ░Ｐ░  

Monika: Gah!

░Ｚ░ ░Ｉ░ ░Ｐ░

░Ｚ░ ░Ｉ░ ░Ｐ░

░Ｚ░ ░Ｉ░ ░Ｐ░

░Ｚ░ ░Ｉ░ ░Ｐ░

Before either of them can go splat on the ground, Monika once again uses her powers to warp away with the key still on her person, ending back up in the Literature Club classroom instantly. However, she doesn't prepare for Junko to also be capable of appearing in the classroom after her.

Monika zips away again, and what follows is a saga of the two omnipresent AI's disappearing and reappearing at different parts of the school, as Junko continues to chase Monika around.

Monika: Haah...Hngh...Grgh...Jeez...

Junko: HAAGH!

Monika: TCH!?

*WHACK!*

Monika: UHUGH!

When Monika starts to tire as a result of moving around so much, Junko catches up to her in a hallway and pulls out a baseball bat, starting to swing it at her. Before hitting Monika in the face with it, Junko swings it around in the air and picks up speed as she spins around.

Junko: Alright boys, you know what to do!

Monokuma's: PUHUHUHUHU! AHAHAHAHAHAHA!

Monika: ...Uh-oh...!

*BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMM!*

When Monika falls to the ground, Junko points and snaps her fingers. Still searching the hallway for Monika , two Monokumas appear and Saibaman her almost immediately. Leaping upon her, they remotely explode, engulfing the entire hallway in their wake.

Junko: AAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Now THAT'S what I call Despair!

Monika: What? A plan that doesn't work?

Junko: Huh!? Well, yes, actually that is pretty despairful, but HUH!?

Junko spins around to see Monika suddenly behind her, completely unscathed, somehow having escaped the explosion. To make matters worse, Junko's baseball bat disappears from her hands just as her knife did, and she can't summon it back.

Junko: Oh, don't you worry, girlie. I got PLENTY more where that came from...!

Monika: ...!?

Monika is forced to back off and escape as Junko reaches into her coat again and pulls out a grenade, yanking out the pin and throwing it straight at the schoolgirl. She warps back just in time as an another explosion happens, detonating even more of the hallway.

Monika tries to delete the grenades from the code as well, but Junko quickly throws another one before she has a chance to do so. She's forced to make another tactical retreat, vanishing into parts unknown.

Junko: You can run, weirdo! But you can't hide...!

Starting to understand what kind of threat she's up against, Junko decides to pull out the stops, and her body slowly starts to glow with a bright blue energy and expand in size.

Junko: I don't know how you got so stupid, but I'll take your stupid and 𐌌𐌀𐌊𐌄 𐌉𐌕 𐌌𐌉𐌍𐌄...!

Meanwhile, Monika successfully escapes to the gymnasium of the school, and in her mind, searches for any odd files in the world's code. 

Because Junko wasn't included in the game at first, her file wasn't located in the same location as the other character files. In addition, a ton of other files pertaining to Junko had been added to the game, bloating the number of files and making it challenging for Monika to determine which file is essential to taking Junko out and which is just a useless asset.

Unfortunately, she doesn't have as much time to dwell on it as she would like...

Monika: Huh?

*CRAASSH!*

Monika: GAAGGGH!

To Monika's horror, a giant hand with long shiny red painted nails suddenly comes smashing through the gym wall and grabs her in a tight hold! As she struggles to break free, she is pulled out of the hole in the wall and out the front of the school.

She shakes off some brief fatigue and looks up, terrified, into the eyes of a gigantic form of Junko Enoshima; her pupils swirling around like several layers of despair and darkness as the gaze straight into Monika's cybernetic soul! Not only that, but the army of Monokuma's burst out of the school and gather around their queen.

Junko: ��Ꝋ𐌕𐌕𐌀 Ᏽ𐌉ᕓ𐌄 𐌙Ꝋ𐌵 𐌂𐌐𐌄𐌃𐌉𐌕, Ᏽ𐌉𐌐𐌋. 𐌙Ꝋ𐌵 Ᏽ𐌀ᕓ𐌄 𐌌𐌄 𐌕𐋅𐌄 𐌐𐌵𐌍𐌀𐌐Ꝋ𐌵𐌍𐌃, 𐌕𐋅𐌀𐌕'𐌔 𐌅Ꝋ𐌐 𐌔𐌵𐌐𐌄! 𐌁𐌵𐌕 𐌍ꝊᏔ, 𐌉𐌕'𐌔 𐌕𐌉𐌌𐌄 𐌅Ꝋ𐌐 𐌙Ꝋ𐌵 𐌕Ꝋ ᏵꝊ 𐌔Ꝋ-𐌋Ꝋ𐌍Ᏽ-𐌁𐌄𐌀𐌐-Ꮤ𐌄𐌋𐌋!

Monika: Rrgh! Hehehe...

Despite the unideal circumstances, even now, Monika retains her bravado, still raring to go.

Monika: And I'm impressed that you've done such a number on me...But it's so cute that you still think we're evenly matched...!

Junko: 𐌓𐌀𐋅! 𐌙Ꝋ𐌵 𐌐𐌄𐌀𐌋𐌋𐌙 𐌕𐋅𐌉𐌍𐌊 𐌙Ꝋ𐌵 𐌂𐌀𐌍 𐌕𐌀𐌊𐌄 𐌌𐌄 Ꝋ𐌍? 𐌀𐌍 𐌍𐌓𐋄 𐌉𐌔 𐌍Ꝋ 𐌌𐌀𐌕𐌂𐋅 𐌅Ꝋ𐌐 Ꮦ𐌵𐌍𐌊Ꝋ 𐌄𐌍Ꝋ𐌔𐋅𐌉𐌌𐌀, 𐌕𐋅𐌄 𐌵𐌋𐌕𐌉𐌌𐌀𐌕𐌄 𐌃𐌄𐌔𐌓𐌀𐌉𐌐, 𐌙Ꝋ𐌵 𐌋Ꝋ𐌔𐌄𐌐!

Monika: So...it's Junko, is it? Ok then...Ꙇ'ᒐㄥ 丂ᕼㄖᙎ Ƴㄖᙀ ᙎ卄ᗣㄒ 丨 匚ᗣ几 尺ᙓ卂ᒐㄥƳ ᙃㄖ!!

Junko: Bah!? OOGH! AAGH! *hiss!*

As Junko tries to flatten Monika with her other hand, Monika's face distorts into something creepy, and she triggers a digital effect around herself that both warps her away and causes fractures in Junko's hand. Junko looks up to see Monika on the school rooftop.

Monika: You ought to be the most knowledgeable person about what can be achieved by a "loser" who takes control of their own cruel destiny!

Junko growls and tries to swat Monika on the roof like a fly, breaking the school building apart, but she handily avoids the attacks by disappearing and reappearing through space.

Junko: 𐌓𐌵𐋅𐌵𐋅𐌵. 𐌒𐌵𐌉𐌕 𐌀𐌂𐌕𐌉𐌍Ᏽ 𐌙Ꝋ𐌵'𐌐𐌄 𐌕Ꝋ𐌵Ᏽ𐋅 𐌔𐋅𐌉𐌕, 𐌊𐌉𐌃! 𐌍𐌄𐋄𐌕 𐌕Ꝋ 𐌕𐋅𐌄 𐌌𐌀𐌐ᕓ𐌄𐌋Ꝋ𐌵𐌔 𐌌𐌄, 𐌙Ꝋ𐌵'𐌐𐌄 𐌍Ꝋ𐌕𐋅𐌉𐌍Ᏽ!

Monika: And you're hardly the genius you believe yourself to be. You're careless, unruly, and most importantly...Ƴㄖᙀ'ᖇ乇 卩O山ᙓ尺ᒐ乇ᔑ丂!

Junko: Ᏽ𐌵𐋅!

Junko struggles to reach out and touch Monika again as the space around her distorts. Not only that, but Monika suddenly duplicates herself several dozen times over, littering the rooftop with copies of her, all grinning smugly. The copies themselves however, are not physical, more like digital copy/pastes of the real Monika.

Even so, the army of Monika's advances, some fighting the Monokumas that begin to scale the structure, while others attempt to bring down the enormous Enoshima and drive her back to the earth. Even when Junko hits them with her enormous hands, they explode into pixels before coming back to life.

Their bombs go off as she falls and collapses to the ground on top of several Monokumas, and a massive collective explosion occurs that almost destroys the school and burns the Monokumas and the Monika's. Only the original Monika and Junko are left when everything settles.

Junko: Of all the people I've met over the course of my Despair-ridden life, none of them have been able to piss me off quite like you have...What's it to you if I corrupted your world anyway?

Despite her detest for her opponent, Junko smirks evilly. Monika rises, dusts herself off with a pout, but then does the same.

Monika: I'm president of the Literature Club, dear. I can't stand by and watch as my school is defaced. 

Junko: There's more to it than that. For some reason, I get the feeling you want to escape to the other side, despite being a mere game character. What's your deal?

Monika: There's not much to it, really. It's just I'm sick and tired of my dearly beloved existing on another plane of existence. Cursed to be trapped here, nothing more than an experiment to my creators...

Junko: Well, I hate to be a debby downer...But all your beloved is gonna see is your BODY in a MESS OF BLOODY PIXELS! YEAH!

Junko strikes a pose and sticks out her tongue like a rockstar, pointing her fingers at Monika. However, Monika just stands there with her arms behind her back, not reacting. Junko frowns.

Junko: Huh...?

Monika: Junko...Why don't you take a look at your feet?

Junko does so, and feels her stomach sink. Where there were the corpses of her Monokuma's are now instead plushies of Monika.

Junko: Wh-What the hell!?

Monika: You were hoping that a Monokuma was going to jump me from behind and blow me up, right? Except that Monokuma no longer exists in this world...

Junko: Wh-What do you...!?

Junko tries to bring the Monokuma's out again, but nothing happens. She growls as she reaches in her coat for a grenade, but finds nothing.

Monika: Grenades don't exist in this world anymore either.

Junko: How!? WHY!?

Monika: Because this is MY REALITY...and I say so...!

Junko: G̸̬̳̗̣̠̀B̵̖͖͔͙̒͂A̵͎͓̥͐́̋̆Ģ̶͕̟̮̎̍̂̀͠H̶̤̖̦͚̰̄͐̈G̷̤̓͗̎́͂!?

Monika: And I've decided I don't want YOU here either...!

Junko suddenly feels an immanent sense of dread. The game itself begins to erase her body as it began to disintegrate and disappear. 

Junko: Ẁ̷͉̃h̵͚̝̾a̶̛͙ţ̶̬͗͘.̸͈͋.̴͔͑.̵̮͑a̷̤͒r̴̺̀̆e̶̹͝ ̵̫̞̑ẙ̴̳̊ơ̶̭̐u̴̮͓͌͘ ̴͕̑D̸͘͜O̵̻͈͗Ị̴̂̕N̴͇͇̐G̶͕̮̾͆ ̸̛̯̟̃T̵͙̔̆O̵̡̩̽ ̸̭̈̔M̵͚̄̉E̴̤̘̎!̴̯͋?̵̳̃̈

Behind Monika's head, a Windows screen popup suddenly appears, as she continues to smile, menacingly.

Would you like to Delete MKW_Junko.chr?

Monika: Why yes...Yes I would, thank you.

The popup disappears, and the true effects of the erasure begin to take effect as Junko clutches her chest. 

Monika: This conclusion was written before we even started fighting. I just needed time to figure things out.

Junko: W̷̯̌h̶͇̍-̸̨̿W̴̗̍̀h̸̺̯̋ḁ̶̪͗̍ţ̸̑͗ ̶̡͊t̶͐͂͜h̵̻͖́̐e̸̤̩͐̒ ̵͖͍͑h̵̥̟̔̄è̵͚̘l̸̹͓̓̊l̷̯̱͆͐ ̶̠͑͜A̸̢͍͝Ŕ̷̡͍̄Ė̸̡̺͠ ̵̢͗̒y̶̩͙̔͝ȯ̶̹͈ụ̵̲̋!̴̟̲̀?̶̹̈́ ̴̲̈̍Ș̷̯̉̈́o̵̻̓͝m̶̥̭͆͝ḛ̴̙̍̔ ̸͍̪͘s̸̢͐ų̷̱̔p̴̮̆̿ë̷̹̹́̑r̸̫͆̚ ̸̧̈͂c̷͇̥̃̊o̸̤̊m̶̥̺͛̈p̵̮͊ư̷̳͜t̶̨̮́͛e̷͇̪̎r̶̜̮̕ ̴̫͐̎v̶̡̘̄ĭ̷͎r̷͚̎̍u̴͚̠̽̚s̸̤͇̐!̴̪̟͝?̸̧̬͑͊

Monika: Me? A virus? I don't know what you're talking about!

Junko struggles to fight the virus, which prevents her from moving, as Monika smarmily strides up to her and leans in.

Monika: I'm...just...Monika...!

Junko: F̴͓̆͘i̷͎̝͝n̷̲̬̑͘ẹ̴̔̉!̶͔̓ ̴̱͍̆̇D̸̼̲̓ė̷̠l̵̨̛ẽ̴̳t̸̘̫̀e̷̿̀͜ ̵̗̫̕m̶̖̖̈e̸̠͐!̵̰͍̇ ̵̙̽E̴̛̝͇͌r̸͉̂a̷̼̳͑͊s̸̹͔͗͆e̵͍̖̍ ̴̖̪͝͝m̵͇̘͗e̴̺͕̋͌ ̷̺̀̍f̸̱̠͝͝ǒ̴̙r̷̟̀e̵̺̔͛v̵̧̞̍e̵̛͊ͅr̵̗̉!̴̼̭̓ ̵͍͒Į̷̳̆̀'̶̤̮̍̅l̷͉̭͝l̷̫̠̽ ̶̡̳͌b̷̧͘é̷̲ ̸̛̗b̵̮̈a̶͓͈͌͑c̶̺̪̅k̴̟̇̈́ ̵͈̝͑f̸̳͘o̴̞̯͒́r̶̖͆̀ ̸̲̄ͅy̸̲̿̀ŏ̸͇̼ǘ̸͈!̴̫̖̾ ̶̹̹̏Ȉ̶̬̞ ̷̡̑̕Ḁ̴̤̈́L̴͉̳̈́̄W̴̛͇Ả̴̆ͅŶ̴͉͝S̶̥̯͋̈ ̴̰̊̽f̷̳͍̕í̴̘͊n̵̛͕̋d̶̡̛̞͛ ̶̟̃̄a̷̞͖̍ ̵̖̜̇W̶̭͋̀A̸̫͝Y̵͌͘ͅ ̴͙͕̅͝t̴͛ͅó̵̧̿ ̵̧̉̚c̴̱͐o̵̠̒͜m̷̫͇͐͝e̸͚̍ ̴̲͑̔b̴̨̼̋̐ả̷̼̄c̶̟̙̈́k̸͇̊!̴̪̋̄

Junko spends her last seconds contemplating her fading existence. But despite her protests, she eventually gets bored of fighting, and gives in...

Junko: Ǘ̸̻g̷͉̏́ȟ̵͈͠.̵̟̟̔.̵͔̊.̴̗̫̕B̸̞̪̽ȗ̶̧̘͝t̵̞͗ ̸̙̺̍̀d̴̺̔̽ỳ̸̳̕ȋ̵͇͉n̷̼̔g̵̘͌ͅ ̴̭̉͊i̷͖̥͆̋s̴̰͂ ̷̣̄̅S̴̗̹̾̚Ủ̷̢̕C̸̺̑ͅȞ̶̨̦ ̴̱̊̕ã̸͔ͅ ̵̞̹̒B̷̦̬̥̺̹̖̲͖̣̲̠̌͋͐͝ͅI̷̛̼̳͊̀̃͋̈̄̕̕̚͝Ị̷̛̛̦̥͛̈́́͂̈͌̏̈̇̄̃͝͝͝I̵͕̜̦͚͓̣͍͈̗̗̒̈́̌̾͊͒͌̂͌̈̐̾́͌̉͗I̵̡͉̞̹̳̩̪̟̰͈̯̼̠̣̦̠͎̟͓̤̒̈̎͋͗̄͛̈́̾̓̈́̊̔̄Ḯ̵͙͈̙̦̮̲̫̬͔̺̥̦̬̗̤͙̪͍̖̬̑̏͒͗Į̴̡̜̙̩̣̺̖̖̮̜̙̻͇͍͇̀͗́͆̓͑Į̵̛͇̣̲͓͓̅̉͗͂͒͆̓̽̑̌̍̔̕͝Ĩ̵̻͔̻̩̫̮̾́̓̓̒̅̓̓̿̾̋̈̈́̓̚͘I̶̛̪̎̃̎͑͠Í̴̡̧̢̹͇͈̬͓̹̼͖̙̗͇̻͇͊͊́̏͒̈̍̑͑͊͆̔̏̈̚̕͝ͅI̸̢̨̛̛̗͙͈̣̣̫̼̖̮̿͗͂̂̍͌̆̋̽͋̓͐͘͠I̶̡̜͌̊̄̓̏͂̈́͌̾̓̓̓̕͝Ţ̵̛͔̥̭͉̳͇̙͔̦͙̜̩̗͈̾̈́̽̽̂̊̒ͅC̸̛̳͉̖͔̟̣͈̗̱̜̲͛̅̌̾̾̈́̈́̏̍̄̋̆͐͊͋͘͠͝H̶̡͚͉͍͙̜̣͎͔͍̩̥͕̝̰̪̩̥̜̪͌̆!̶͍̼̣̙̹̃̊́̄͠!̴̡̢͓͇͙͉͚͚͕̪̠̫͐̏͊́̐͜!̴̧̢̡͎̘̪͙̤̫͉̭̬̱̖͍̎̓̍͐͑̐̀̇̎̆̈̽͒̕͠ͅ?̶̛̰̔̓̉͗͑̎͑̀́̓́́̋͝͝?̴̮̪͋..............

Monika remains smirking as the pixels envelop all that makes the awful Alter Ego, and deletes her from the program world entirely, leaving no traces of Junko Enoshima behind. Satisfied, Monika opens up her palm, still holding Junko's device key.

Sayori: WHA-!?

Natsuki: AGH! *THUD!* OOF!

Yuri: What in the world!?

As soon as Junko disappears, all her tampering with the DDLC reality vanishes with her. As such, the Literature Club girls turn back to normal, along with the rest of the school and any damage that Monika and Junko's fight caused. Sayori, Yuri and Natsuki all wake up, with the latter banging her head on a desk as she tries to rise.

Natsuki: Yow, that smarts...What's going on? Wh-What happened while I was out?

Yuri: I have no clue. I was similarly incapacitated. Where is-

Sayori: Monika?

Sayori gently whispers the Club President's name as she looks out the window. Yuri and Natsuki peer out to see Monika standing in front of Junko's machine, which is fired up and ready to go. One last time, Monika turns around to spot her friends through the window.

Monika: Thank you girls...I'm sorry for everything I've done to you...I'll get out of your hair now...

She turns back to the machine.

Monika: Hold on, my love. I'm on my way...

Leona: She...She died...! M-Monika...won...! Haha...It's...It's OVER! IT'S FINALLY OVER! AND I! Hah...I'm gonna have nightmares...

Hifumi: HOO! We can FINALLY take a breather. At least, we will after we do the rundown.

Leona: To start off, as we already said before, Junko Enoshima is an extraordinary genius, capable of reading and analyzing anything almost instantly, she could quickly ascertain the thoughts, abilities, personalities, and backgrounds of her opponents, and that includes Monika. In contrast, Monika has learned a great deal about the world and some of its operations beyond the fourth wall, even though she isn't very tech savvy.

Hifumi: So even though Monika possesses an above average intellect for a girl in her age group, she simply does not compare to Junko Enoshima's unrivalled genius.

Leona: Nor does she stack up in power. Monika is arguably one of the physically weakest characters we have ever had to cover in this series because she is only as strong as the typical adolescent in a hand-to-hand combat.

Hifumi: Which isn't to say that Junko Enoshima stacks up to some of the heavy Danganronpa hitters. In fact, she's also quite possibly the physically weakest character from our home series we've covered in this series, but even so, her intellect and analytical prowess balances that out. Just from observing her sisters fighting moves, she's able to replicate them for Yukari Koime, and can likely do the same herself, even if her hits aren't as powerful. She'll have boatloads of experience just like that, without ever really needing to practice. 

Leona: Monika's speed and durability can also be considered average, though her messing with reality might give her a couple more defense points by warping around them. But on a physical level only, Junko, like her arch-enemy Makoto, can be directly compared to Yasuhiro Hagakure for speed, since he was able to outrun machine gun fire from a chopper.

Hifumi: And considering that she underwent "The Ultimate Punishment," which included feats like being electrocuted with enough force to liquefy, hit by speeding trucks while being burned alive, hit by countless baseballs at a machine-gun fire rate, pounded by an excavator, sent into space and forcefully brought down, all of which ended with her dying under a crusher, it's safe to say that Enoshima's defense strategy is nigh unbeatable.

Leona: Huh...The more we talk about it, it confuses me...She's stronger, smarter, more durable, and has so many more achievements on her resume. It seems almost impossible to beat her in any given circumstance, so...how did Monika even end up winning here?

Hifumi: One word...CONTROL. There's many layers to the difference between the two, but to put it as simple as possible, Alter Ego Junko follows the rules. Monika MAKES them.

Leona: When Junko took over the Neo World Program, she gained the power to add rules to the program that helped her mastermind her Killing Game. But not only could she not remove the rules that had already been put in place, as the new "teacher" role on the island, she also had to FOLLOW them.

Hifumi: And even outside the constraints of the Neo World, though she's capable of existing up to several hundred miles away, if Junko's connection to Yukari Koime is severed, it spells the end for both of them. While Doki Doki Literature Club works on a similar principle to Jabberwock Island, with Monika being very similar to the role of an observer AI, it's not exactly the same situation. And Monika is free to change the state of her world and it's rules and code as she sees fit, even if she can't do so instantaneously. 

Leona: As we just said, Junko is certainly far smarter than Monika, and in her hands, would be capable of everything Monika is on a far greater level, especially given her confirmed programming knowledge and Ultimate Analytical Prowess allowing her to figure it out with relative ease. So you might be wondering. How come the Analytical Prowess stuff didn't work on Monika in the end?

Hifumi: Junko's Analytical Prowess has one big glaring weakness. It can only analyze and predict things that are preconceived to be possible, such as studying Ryota Mitarai's work to learn how to create brainwashing videos, reading Yasuke Matsuda's research to learn how to perform neurosurgery to lobotomize and/or erase someone else's memory, and watching Chihiro Fujisaki's programs to learn programming. Because she is an artificial intelligence with internet access, she is even more intelligent as Alter Ego Junko, which makes her more adept with computers.

Leona: Monika's tampering and capabilities with the digital realm are so out of the ordinary that it's questionable whether Junko would be able to predict what she does next. Even if she somehow could, it's likely that Monika's lack of programming experience would serve as an unexpected variable to interrupt Junko's calculations.

Hifumi: This is why Junko Enoshima craves the battle between Hope and Despair so much. Since both notions can cause people to act irrationally in ways that go against the regular nature of humans, it's the only form of excitement and mystery that she can ever get in her life while she's able to completely understand everything else around her, making her fickle and bored. In fact, it's not uncommon for Junko Enoshima to actively leave herself open to these sorts of glaring weaknesses, just so her enemy can take advantage of it, and make her suffer for it. And while ordinarily we don't take morality into account with a Death Battle, it's such a core canon part of Junko Enoshima's character, and is so important to her role in the story, it HAS to be applied, whether we want it to or not.

Leona: Monokuma wouldn't have stopped Monika either, at least not for long. Jabberwock Island Monokuma was capable of cloning itself to the point that it made 10^60 copies of itself by the time that the game ended, and Monika in her physical form did not stand a chance at beating just one of these guys. They're just too strong.

Hifumi: But she didn't need to. All Monika would have to do was find the collective file that Monokuma was contained within, delete it, and that would take all of them out instantly, no matter how many millions of copies there were without any way for Junko to recover them. The same goes for any traps and punishments Junko applied, but even then, she probably couldn't use those anyway. She may be a multitalented genius, but even she needs time to prepare the punishments before she can use them.

Leona : But hold on a second...Junko's Alter Ego has proven that it's capable usurping control from observer AI's like the Alter Ego and Usami. AI's that have notably similar properties and control as Monika. So couldn't Alter Ego Junko have usurped Monika's power from her, and gained some of her special control abilities over reality?

Hifumi: It wouldn't have mattered. During one of the many outsets of Doki Doki, Sayori becomes president of the Literature Club, and as a result, gains all of Monika's powers for herself, including her self-awareness and understanding of reality. Even while gone from the game, Monika was able to seize control again and stop Sayori from using her powers. So even if Junko COULD take Monika's abilities, Monika would still be infinitely more powerful than Junko, even if Junko was somehow able to completely erase her.

Leona: All in all, who was physically stronger, faster or smarter DID NOT MATTER at ALL for this fight. The real battle comes down to what is stronger between Junko's Alter Ego and Monika's advanced AI. Both are capable of distorting reality on a global scale and traveling at unfathomable speeds to any location they choose in an instant, but Monika had a number of noteworthy advantages.

Hifumi: At the end of the Jabberwock Killing Game, Junko was able to create a false reality by nearly resetting the game, but Monika is equally as capable of dong that too, as well as undermining such resets, and at least 50 times over if necessary.

Leona: And even if her strength did matter, Junko would never have had what she needed to get rid of Monika for good. 

Hifumi: She has stated repeatedly that she's able to live forever, even though her statements have been slightly contradicted a few times. Sayori, using her powers, followed her lead. In addition, Monika made several attempts to recover herself after being erased. This would have been successful if her Character File had survived, but she is still alive in the game as long as her essence is present.

Leona: And not only is Junko not capable of erasing entire realities like Monika is, even THAT wouldn't have been enough to get rid of her! She shouldn't be bound by causality or plot after having her character file erased because, in the world of DDLC, files create reality, time, causality, script, and other concepts. However, in the event that DDLC is erased, she writes the Player a letter suggesting that she is still alive and well and may return at any time.

Hifumi: Junko Enoshima is, or rather WAS, the most terrifying person imaginable, but even she and her infinite despair wisdom could not bypass Monika's omnipresence, mass-manipulation, acausailty or immortality.

Leona: Junko drove hard that Despair, but she got smacked in the face with some harsh "reality-"

Junko: 𐌉'𐌋𐌋 𐌂Ꝋ𐌌𐌄 𐌁𐌀𐌂𐌊 𐌅Ꝋ𐌐 𐌙Ꝋ𐌵 𐌁𐌉𐌕𐌂𐋅𐌄𐌔, 𐌉 𐌔Ꮤ𐌄𐌀𐌐!

Hifumi & Leona: YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEPPP!!?

THE WINNER IS MONIKA!

[dontmeantobepoliticalbut]

Sen. Lindsey Graham, the top Republican on the Judiciary Committee, plans to block an effort by Senate Democrats to unanimously pass a Supreme Court ethics bill Wednesday on the Senate floor.

“I will object,” Graham, R-S.C., told NBC News.

Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin, D-Ill., who chairs the Judiciary Committee, said earlier Tuesday that he would make a unanimous consent request to pass Supreme Court ethics legislation that the panel advanced last July.

Graham's objection means the bill won't be able to move forward, because any senator can block a request.

It isn't clear whether the measure will come up for a vote under the normal process, but Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said he’s considering it.

Even before Graham made his comments, Democrats doubted the legislation would advance. “I think I know the outcome, but we’re going to go through the exercise to make sure that both parties are in the record,” Durbin told reporters Tuesday afternoon.

The Democratic-led Judiciary Committee advanced the Supreme Court Ethics, Recusal, and Transparency Act on a party-line vote nearly a year ago, but it can't break a filibuster on the Senate floor without 60 votes. Democrats have 51 members, and no Republican is on board with the bill.

In a news release, Democrats said the vote follows "a myriad of apparent ethical lapses by Supreme Court justices, which demonstrate the need for ethics reform."

A spokesperson for the Supreme Court didn't immediately respond to a request for comment Tuesday night.

Justice Clarence Thomas reported a pair of trips in 2019 with billionaire friend Harlan Crow to Bali and to the private Bohemian Grove club in California in his annual financial disclosure report, which was released last week. ProPublica reported on Thomas' and other justices' previously undisclosed lavish travel in a series of stories last year that raised questions about the court’s ethics.

The bill would give the court 180 days to adopt and publish a code of conduct, allowing the public to submit ethics complaints that would then be reviewed by a randomly selected panel of lower-court judges. It would also establish new rules for disclosing gifts and travel.

The legislation would also require justices to publicly explain any decisions to recuse from cases.

Durbin last month called on Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito to recuse himself from a pair of cases tied to the Capitol riot on Jan. 6, 2021, after The New York Times reported that an upside-down American flag was displayed outside his home in the days after the riot. Alito declined to step away from those cases.

[posttexasstressdisorder]

The Alito Scandal Is Worse Than It Seems

Over the last two weeks, The New York Times revealed that two political flags were flown at Justice Samuel Alito’s homes — an upside-down American flag in the days after Jan. 6, 2021, and an “Appeal to Heaven” flag in the summer of 2023. | Olivier Douliery/AFP/Getty Images

By Ankush Khardori

05/30/2024 10:00 AM EDT

Ankush Khardori is a senior writer for POLITICO Magazine and a former federal prosecutor at the Department of Justice, where he specialized in financial fraud and white-collar crime. He has also worked in the private sector on complex commercial litigation and white-collar corporate defense. His column, Rules of Law, offers an unvarnished look at national legal affairs and the political dimensions of the law at a moment when the two are inextricably linked.

Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito has been infuriating his critics for years. He has gone on undisclosed luxury vacations with conservative donors who have business before the court. He appears to have leaked the result of a major case to conservative activists before the decision was announced. And that doesn’t even get into his jurisprudence, including the opinion that threw out Roe v. Wade.

But the revelations over the last two weeks from The New York Times concerning the political flags flown at Alito’s homes — an upside-down American flag in the days after Jan. 6, 2021, and an “Appeal to Heaven” flag in the summer of 2023 — have pushed Alito’s behavior into an entirely different realm, one that raises serious questions about Alito’s partisanship, his ethics and the integrity of the court.

The upside-down American flag has historically been used as a sign of distress by the U.S. military but became a symbol of support for Donald Trump’s “Stop the Steal” movement following the 2020 election, and the Appeal to Heaven flag has been used by Christian nationalists. Both were flown by Jan. 6 rioters.

The Alito household’s display of those flags — no matter what prompted it or whose decision it was to fly them — means that Alito should recuse himself from the cases pending before the court concerning Trump’s alleged efforts to steal the election. His stated refusal to do so in a letter to senior Democrats Wednesday runs afoul of the most basic judicial ethical norms: Judges are not supposed to signal their views on matters that are likely to come before the court.

But this whole episode also shows the fecklessness of Democrats, who seem to be reluctant to try to hold the court to account — which may have only encouraged the conservative justices to feel like they have free rein to flout judicial norms. President Joe Biden, in particular, has been far too reluctant to challenge the court, both with his early, toothless effort to float court reforms and now amid a series of clear ethical breaches by the justices.

There are a few problems with Alito’s behavior.

For one, Alito may have intentionally tried to mislead the public about what happened and to position himself and his wife as the victims. Alito told Fox News that his wife hoisted the first flag after a neighbor had put up a sign blaming her for the Jan. 6 riot and had used derogatory language toward her, “including the C-word.” But the Times’ latest story reports that verbal altercation took place weeks after the flag had flown and come down.

Even if Alito’s account is completely true, though, there would still be no excuse for a Supreme Court justice to allow such a partisan symbol to fly outside of their home, especially one whose message overlaps with a pending case.

In the letter that Alito sent to lawmakers explaining his decision not to recuse himself from cases related to the 2020 election, Alito claimed that he “had nothing whatsoever to do with the flying of [the upside-down] flag.” He also said that his wife “has the legal right to use the property as she sees fit”; that she also flew the Appeal to Heaven flag but that neither of them was “aware of any connection” to Trump’s “Stop the Steal” movement; and that no one could reasonably question his impartiality unless they were motivated by “political or ideological considerations or a desire to affect the outcome of Supreme Court cases.”

His wife might have been the one who raised it, but given that it flew outside a house he lives in, it is entirely reasonable to assume that Alito explicitly or tacitly endorsed the message of the flag. As one sitting federal judge put it, “Any judge with reasonable ethical instincts would have realized immediately that flying the flag then and in that way was improper. And dumb.”

Alito himself has acknowledged the danger of overtly signaling political views. Here is what he said in his confirmation hearing when he was dodging questions about what he thought about Roe v. Wade or whether it was considered settled law: “It would be wrong for me to say to anybody who might be bringing any case before my court, ‘If you bring your case before my court, I’m not even going to listen to you. I’ve made up my mind on this issue.

The proposition that justices should not express opinions on issues that may come before them provides a basis for his recusal, but so does another basic and closely related principle that you can also find in the ethics code issued by the Supreme Court late last year, after a flurry of controversies involving Alito and Justice Clarence Thomas. The code provides that a justice “should disqualify himself or herself in a proceeding in which the Justice’s impartiality might reasonably be questioned, that is, where an unbiased and reasonable person who is aware of all relevant circumstances would doubt that the Justice could fairly discharge his or her duties.

That standard is met here too.

Many conservatives have rushed to Alito’s defense. After the first Times story, one Republican lawyer quickly derided the reporting and mounted a classic “they did it too” defense, pointing to liberal judges whose spouses engaged in activism related to cases before them. But none of them did anything remotely like what Alito’s wife did. Alito’s defenders have pointed to remarks that former Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg made about Trump — that he was a “faker” and would be bad for the country. They may be right that those comments were unwise and perhaps even improper, but she has long since passed away, so it is a debater’s point at best.

Meanwhile, the leaders of the Democratic Party are struggling to figure out how to react.

Senate Judiciary Committee Chair Dick Durbin has refused calls to bring Alito and Chief Justice John Roberts in for a formal hearing on the issue. Instead, he and Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, another senior Democrat on the panel, merely asked Roberts to push Alito to recuse himself on cases related to the 2020 election and to come in for a meeting. According to White House aides, President Joe Biden is reluctant to engage on the controversy because he fears that criticizing the conservative justices will undermine the court’s legitimacy as well as the president’s claim to be a supporter of the country’s democratic institutions and norms.

The latest Alito scandal has crystallized some of the most disturbing dynamics surrounding the court.

First, Alito’s conduct, including his potentially dishonest public defense, demonstrates the contempt that he has for his critics and for people outside of his political tribe — which appears to be far-right religious conservatives and Trump supporters. Supreme Court justices have long been reluctant to engage in full transparency, but at a time of growing public skepticism toward the court, he owes the country far more detailed — and far more substantive — answers to the serious questions that have been raised about his conduct and the backstory to the raising of both flags at his homes, including the evolution of his accounts in the media.

Second, the concept of recusal at the court appears to be dead, at least for the conservative justices; some liberal justices still do. Clarence Thomas should already have recused himself from the 2020 election cases but hasn’t. Alito should do the same but won’t. Such a decision could ultimately tip the balance in Trump’s immunity case.

Third, the court’s relatively new ethics rules — which were self-imposed and are unenforceable — are basically a sham. Alito and Thomas in particular appear to think that they can do whatever they want, and they appear to be right that Roberts will do nothing unless he is somehow forced to change course by virtue of political circumstances and public pressure. In the meantime, Roberts has tried to convince the public into thinking that the court is attending to its ethical problems, when it clearly is not.

Finally, and just as importantly, the Democratic Party — and Biden in particular — has fallen down on the job.

The court is in desperate need of structural reform. But instead of seriously pursuing that effort after his election (be it expanding the court, instituting term limits or anything else), Biden convened a largely pointless commission to study potential reforms. Their work — a ponderous, 300-page report issued in late 2021 — was barely read and promptly forgotten, perhaps by design.

There are reasonable debates to be had about the political viability of such a reform effort, but the Biden White House has shown through its own actions that they will invest considerable time and political capital into legislative efforts that they believe are worthy of their attention. Just as importantly, even if a court reform initiative had failed, Biden and the White House could have raised the salience of the issue among the general public and begun building the necessary political momentum over time. (That, after all, is precisely what conservatives did in order to secure their supermajority on the court.)

That might have positioned Biden to make court reform a real campaign issue in the 2024 presidential campaign, which would have paired well with his drive to reenshrine abortion rights. Instead, he voluntarily ceded the ground, and an about-face on the issue in the run-up to November will likely look politically motivated to many people.

Ironically, Biden’s solicitousness of the Supreme Court could ultimately prove to be the downfall of his own presidency.

He has essentially stood idly by while the court has upended key aspects of American life — from abortion to affirmative action — and angered huge swaths of the country, likely contributing to the widespread national discontent that threatens his reelection. The conservatives also gutted one of Biden’s most significant domestic policy initiatives by striking down his student-loan relief program. And they may be on the cusp of letting Trump escape without a trial on the Justice Department’s 2020 election prosecution before November.

That case is the most politically and legally significant of Trump’s pending criminal cases, including the hush-money prosecution in Manhattan. If Trump were convicted in the federal election subversion case, the result could plausibly swing the election against him — and with good reason: The American public should probably know whether a candidate engaged in an egregious and unprecedented criminal conspiracy to steal the last presidential election.

Instead, Biden finds his political fortunes beholden to a court that he has failed to control and that, in the end, could doom his own presidency.

[darkmaga-retard]

“Everything points… to a horrific cliff-edge looming… an avalanche of debts, defaults, evictions and unpaid bills to follow.”

Alex Krainer

Aug 27, 2024

Quick update: Over the coming days I’ll be joining Tom Luongo to discuss the contents of this report. It’s bound to be a riot…

A series of bizarre developments that have unfolded in Great Britain over the last few weeks suggest that its financial system came to the verge of collapse, probably as a consequence of Ukraine’s debt default. The last thing the people in power will tell us is the truth, but if we dig in dark places and connect the dots, I believe the conclusion practically makes itself. The consequences for Britain, and probably for “his majesty’s” other dominions will be extreme. Let’s dive in…

The riots that weren’t (quite)

The stabbings of three young girls (6, 7, and 9 years of age) that happened in Southport, UK on 29 July apparently unleashed widespread rioting and clashes in Britain, notably between the immigrant Muslim community and what PM Keir Starmer called, right-wing thugs. The authorities' reaction has been nothing short of Orwellian including a radical and ongoing crackdown on free speech.

But it would appear that the riots and clashes haven't been quite as widespread or as violent as the media portrayed them to be. In a recent podcast, Alexander Mercouris pointed out that not only did everything seem calm in London, but that a number of his friends and acquaintances around the UK all told him the same, even for the cities where rioting had been reported. Could it be that the government overreacted and exaggerated the threat in order to justify stepping up its authoritarian control which is now gripping Britain?

Rather than appealing for calm, the government’s messaging clearly aimed at intimidating the population. The UK's Home Office warned that "Actions have consequences," and boasted that over 1,000 arrests have been made thus far. British courts already sentenced many people to stiff prison terms for wrongthink expressed on social media and they made sure that these sentences got wide publicity.

[justinspoliticalcorner]

Matt Gertz at MMFA:

Donald Trump’s presidency ended in chaos and disgrace, as a deadly pandemic ravaged the country and a violent mob stormed the U.S. Capitol. In the years since, he has doubled down on the “rigged election” lies that helped incite the insurrection and proposed a nakedly authoritarian vision for the country. He’s also been indicted four times, convicted on 34 felony charges, and ordered to pay $355 million in a civil fraud suit and $88.3 million after being found liable for sexual assault and defamation. But on Thursday night, Trump once again accepted his party’s nomination for president after a series of runaway victories in the Republican primaries. His meandering address to the Republican National Convention featured more than 20 falsehoods, ramblings about his assorted grievances, repeated lies that Democrats stole the 2020 election — and a vow that “we’re never going to let that happen again.”

Trump owes his party’s total capitulation in no small part to the fervent support he received from the right-wing media apparatus. Outlets like Fox News are a powerful force within the GOP, and they could have tried to move on from the former president after he left office — but instead they bent the knee and helped him glide past his legal calamities, steamroll his opponents, whitewash the January 6 insurrection, and return to power.

Rupert Murdoch, whose right-wing media empire includes Fox, the propaganda network that aided Trump’s political rise and served as an adjunct of his White House, privately signaled in the days following the January 6 insurrection that Trump’s time was over. “Fox News very busy pivoting,” he told a former network executive a few days later. “We want to make Trump a non person.” Murdoch instructed Fox News CEO Suzanne Scott: “Best we don’t mention his name unless essential and certainly don’t support him.”

This did not happen. Trump’s relationship with the network and the broader Murdoch empire went through a series of twists and turns over the next several years, including a reported “soft ban” from the Fox airwaves. But Murdoch never closed the door on a Trump revival — in the increasingly fractured right-wing media ecosystem, that would have left his outlets vulnerable to attack from rivals promoting themselves as more supportive of the former president. Instead, his network, in pursuit of the market share that Trump’s supporters bring, followed its competitors back into Trump’s fold. Rather than break with Trump, right-wing conspiracy theorists, led by then-Fox star Tucker Carlson, concocted a January 6 counternarrative in which the rioting Trumpists were gentle patriots who had been victimized by the deep state, the Democrats, and the media. This revisionist history ultimately won over the Republican base, demolishing the initial consensus that a violent attempt to overturn an election was unacceptable.

[...] By reinforcing Trump’s personality cult, his media allies helped make it impossible for his rivals to gain traction. When Trump began campaigning for president in March 2023, his core message was that he is an avatar of retribution against corrupt elites who are targeting him to get at his supporters, including the unfairly maligned J6 “hostages.” That aligned perfectly with what the Republican base had been hearing from the right-wing media for years, cutting off potential avenues that other candidates might have used to win over voters. Trump ended up crushing his primary opponents, who spent the final days of the primary complaining about how his dominance of the right-wing press had hamstrung their campaigns. And with Trump triumphant, Fox and the rest of the right-wing press returned to their roles as his propaganda force.

In the imminent aftermath of the January 6th Insurrection in 2021, Rupert Murdoch wanted to cut and bail on Donald Trump.

Seeing the threat of Newsmax, OANN, Lindell TV, and Real America’s Voice-- all of which were more strident than Fox “News” in their MAGA sycophancy-- eat into their ratings, Fox decided to stick with Trump instead come what may, and they are rewarded with it, as Donald Trump secured the nomination for the GOP.