#tumblr is simply a way I can talk about my dogs in a semi-social manner

[doberbutts]

vilkasdaina replied to your post “Is your new puppy really healthy? She looks sickly and thin”

How is that puppy unhealthy looking?

The answer is that there are people who actively don’t like me or my blog or how I run my life and have nothing better to do than be inflammatory for no reason. Can’t stand to see me living my best life happy and unconcerned about what people I’ll never meet think of the choices I make.

[wickednerdery]

Title: War and Ruin Author: @wickednerdery Fandom: The Night Manager Pairing/character: Jonathan Pine/Female Assassin Rating: Mature Summary: “No one’s beyond help.” Notes: Like with Death, War and Ruin are not real names nor are they meant to be War and/or Ruin literally. The masterlist is here. This one’s mainly just got a murder…for that and consistency, “Read More”.

He knows CIA operative Joel Steadman lives in this quiet neighborhood outside Washington DC and, while friendly, mainly keeps to himself and his work. No family, no significant other, no one about to pop over the house unexpectedly. He knows there are cameras and an alarm system, yet these have been disabled for two days without being addressed. Perhaps the agent’s too tech-illiterate to realize there’s a problem or, perhaps, he’s merely too lazy to get them back online. It hardly matters.

What does matter is that Steadman’s home office, like so many in this field, is filled with the man’s work...files, notes, off-site research. All those classified documents taken home for examination that workdays filled with filings and meetings simply don’t allow. Ironic: all those efforts taken to protect asset identities and information only to carry it all off somewhere totally exposed.

Shadows give way in the lighting up of a neighbor’s lawn as its dog excitedly barks his knowledge to the winds. War’s come to town. The man slips back into the dark, waits to ensure the dog’s dismissed, brought in under scolds for barking at nothing, then carries on as the spotlight times out. No one suspects, no one thinks to worry, not even the federal agent.

“So...we all know about your dealings with international businesses, your philosophy on improving and maintaining not just a peoples’, but also company’s, wellbeing...”

Ruin smiles, near blushes, at the clichéd opener.

“...But apparently you’re concerned about wellbeing beyond that as well.” The newswoman finds his flushing face remarkably charming, even sweet. “You have a number of non-profit children’s homes both in your homeland of Australia and across Europe, but are hoping to expand into the States as well now, is that right?”

“Yeah.” His voice is gravely, but pleasant. “Yeah, I do. You know, the way I see it, children’s wellbeing is paramount. Whatever a child feels growing up, that’s what they carry into adulthood, carry on to their work, their families...the world.”

“And your organization works with a very specific set of children...”

It’s leading, so Ruin dives in. “RUIN - Refuge for the Underage, Indigent, and Neglected - tends to take in those who are, sorta, already on the wrong end of things.”

“The wrong end of things?”

“Those born below the poverty line, to places without a support structure already in place for them. Those born into addiction and violence and all manner of...” he thinks of the wording “deficits that may go beyond even what one might expect from a child taken in by social services.”

“Some would say there’s risk in that. How do you get others to back you in a project that, many may argue, is little more than throwing money at those beyond help?” It’s meant to be a challenge, but her smile remains.

“No one’s beyond help.”

War makes quick work of the backdoor lock, slips into the kitchen scanning everything around him. He knows the house, studied its layout long before tonight, but he checks and double checks. Everything is as it should be; nothing but a faint light coming from the office upstairs as another American works long past his workday.

He calculates: lure Steadman down and risk an armed agent or slip up and risk a witness via mobile or computer? He chooses the latter and climbs carefully, avoiding the parts he already knows will creak and give him away. Outside the door he listens, takes in the man’s deep voice and analyzes it for cadence and vocabulary...there’s no suggestion he’s speaking to anyone but himself, his work.

“Can you speak to that? Any success stories?”

Ruin smiles. “I don’t wanna name names, part of what we wanna do is give these kids a new start, a chance to distance themselves from where and what they came from, but...” the smile turns mischievous “I will say some of our early graduates have gone on to become doctors and lawyers, giants in the tech and business industries.”

“Graduates?”

“We don’t just house them, that’s...that’s what other places do, are for. At RUIN we educate them, prepare them for the next step after us. It’s not just aging out, it’s graduating.”

Deep breath, turn in, and two bullets fire into Steadman’s head before the man can even think to look up. Double-tap and two more for good measure. War’s breath hitches as he watches that proverbial light in the other go out, his lips lift at one corner in the pleasure of success.

He slips gun back in holster, pulls on gloves from pocket, and begins to rifle. He grabs files, notebooks, loose leafs. It’s all out in the open, not even the vaguest semblance of coding...not even on the agent’s phone. Shoving the man from his chair War gives it a spin, then another as he plops down to begin downloads. The computer is also an open book, spreading under the man’s fingertips as he types.

“God, I love the dumb ones....” War licks lips as he glances around the desk. Amongst the paperclips and Post-Its is a framed photo of Joel Steadman with a woman...Caucasian, same approximate age, significantly shorter in stature. “Hmmm...” he leans over, picks it up. “Who might you be....?” A closer look reveals dark, curly, hair and pleasant face with smart, searching, eyes.

“What principles, if any, do you carry over from your success in business to your philanthropic work?”

The man shifts, thinking over the answer. An answer that will ring true, that is true. “Give someone a purpose, have a purpose.”

“Purpose? Really?”

“Yeah.”

“Not passion or sense of community or -”

“Nah, see, those are good. They are important. But not as much as purpose. Passion without purpose can become chaos and a community inevitably falls apart if its people don’t have their own sense of purpose. Purpose...” he smiles “Give someone purpose and they’ve something to work, to live, for. They’ve a reason for existing.”

Tongue flicks out, runs across lips, as War scans his surroundings with vague interest. When the hotelier speaks he turns back. “Yes, thank you. Could you hold any calls I might get tonight or tomorrow? I’m afraid it was a very long celebration and I’d like not to be disturbed, please.”

“Yes, sir...Did you at least enjoy yourself, I hope?”

War chuckles. “Very much.”

The man smiles. “Glad to hear it. Have a good night, sir.”

“Thank you.” He heads up, locks and checks room, then texts from a secure mobile:

To: Ruin Ceremony was perfect. Got swag bag for you. Home tomorrow evening.

Pine gets the news over encrypted app message and he understands why. Security aside, Angela’s likely in no state to speak on it. Whatever she and Steadman had went beyond a business relationship and, he suspects, beyond a simple friendship as well.

He wonders what happened, how a CIA operative can be killed in his own home without there being any witnesses, any evidence. Pine wonders what information they might’ve taken and what they might plan to do with it. He wonders who it was.

Jonathan also wonders if, perhaps, Death might know something…

So, first and foremost, I’ll clarify any potential confusion: this piece goes back and forth between War (assassinating CIA agent Joel Steadman who worked the Roper case with Angela Burr & Pine) and Ruin (being interviewed on a UK talk show) with a bit of Pine finding out Steadman was murdered at the end. Thought it a good intro for the newbies - an arm’s dealing assassin and human trafficking semi-retired assassin - and you’ll learn more about them as we go...though next piece is most likely Pine and Death again, lol!

(Gifs found from Google, combined by me)

Tags: @sleepless-nights-with-your-king @chibiyanai, @my-world-of-imagines @lokilvrr @rizzo87 @tarithenurse @creedslove @wadeyouwitch @annievvv7 @cassadius @lady-crowned-with-stars @moonfaery @wintertink @holykryptonitekitten @musiclovertjeever @ultrarebelheart @lukeevansandjdmobession @merlinspantsandbeard @alexakeyloveloki @kimanne723 @mysacredstardust …If anyone wants on or off this list please just let me know! (Strike-throughs are those Tumblr wouldn’t allow proper tagging of.)