#tw; bribery and corruption

[terrence-silver]

Can I be blessed with some CK Terry and college beloved headcanons Bea💚 I just started my freshman year of college recently and I'm already getting stress acne it's only week 2 🫠 (also you’re sticker on my water is helping me get through my criminal justice class half the time lol I'll just stare at it looking at all the beautiful detail keep up the amazing work!)

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― You sure you don't your diploma simply...you know, bought? Because that's the first idea that permeates Terry Silver's mind; just cut to the chase and buying the damn thing for you like he would buy a new race car or a new mansion. Maybe give the college or university in question a tactical 'generous grant' that leaves them indebted to him, as a benefactor, doing so to such a high degree letting you graduate under mysteriously premature circumstances is simply a given. Is it unfair? Yeah. Is it sleazy? Yeah. Does Terry care? No. In fact, the notion that it's morally wrong makes the whole idea more attractive as a prospect to him. Maybe he should simply charmingly threaten the head Dean if the place proves to be incorruptible, which only makes his desire to corrupt all the more ardent; whatever the case, Terry might see the college as an obstacle to himself. All the time beloved's investing focusing on exams, learning, studying and extracurriculars is time not spent with him, which is the way it should be. But, it isn't. And that's a problem. He's a territorial person, you see, and everything could potentially be a threat; even college.

― As a result, he undoubtedly mentions the whole 'lemme buy your graduation credentials for you' plan very, very, very often. On the daily. Tries to practically muscle you into it, not taking 'no' for an answer, having a whole onslaught of reasons why his standpoint is correct and why you're, in his opinion, making this harder for yourself than it really should be; he comes off strangely compelling and logical about it too. Why spend years and years on this when he knows the right people who know the right people. Not that Terry Silver's against education; on, in the public eye he's the patron of all causes noble (supposedly), so clap in awe of him, except, in his own private life he's just too greedy to share those he considers his. Too possessive to be eclipsed. Look at you; your face is breaking out in zits from the stress, oh, beloved; that right there, among many other factors is a tool of manipulation Terry might use to have you capitulate and let him have his ways because these pricks and punks are here stressing his beloved out to the degree the stress is physically manifesting all over their face. There should be hell to pay for that. He wants revenge on your behalf.

― But then again, as an upside Terry Silver does enjoy having a beloved currently in college because for the lack of a better word, it's hot, regardless if this is a very young post-Nam era Twig, 80's Terry Silver or old man Terry, the fact beloved's still in education has major fetishistic qualities for him and not to lie, said fetishistic quality only ripens and gets stronger as he ages. Old man Terry, for example, is fully aware the fact he's with someone who's still in college would raise eyebrows, run into critique and even downright judgement and disgust but he doesn't care and in fact, he relishes in it for that specific reason. It's quite literally a trope as ancient as can be and he realizes this, playing into it majorly; an older man and the student. Just the sound of that makes him gleeful and turned on and while he might be meddlesome and feel jealousy over the actual educational aspect of...you know, getting an education, the sound of it suits him far better than the practical aspects. Suffice to say he's as invested in this as beloved themselves is, if not more. Everything beloved does is something Terry himself is overinvested in more than beloved.

― Means that while he'd might wanna keep beloved away from school, or invent tactical shortcuts to the whole process by pretty much buying everything for them and presenting it on a silver platter (because, why not, if he can?), but he sure likes the sound of beloved being in college and regardless if beloved consents to this or not he will absolutely meddle, one way or another, into all of this. He'll be there making donations to the university, becoming a backer and a sponsor for various projects around campus, he'll be attending opening ceremonies, holding speeches, probably opens a Karate extracurricular headed by Cobra Kai just to drill the point home that this is now his territory through you and if it's at all possible, he'll invest so much into this philanthropic deeds around this college that these people will have no choice put to put up his framed picture in the lobby. It's like Terry Silver's presence infects everything it touches. Beloved's only a freshman and my god, the man they're with is already in everything. People who fight against it or speak up on the subject? Promptly fired. Maybe they get embroidered in a convenient scandal not of their making if Terry decides that's more fun for him.

― It's obsessive, yeah, but Terry loves beloved. Adores them. In his own messed up, dark way, sure. This is how his devotion manifests; this university? Better be honored to have someone his within their walls. That he's allowing beloved to grace this place at all. Better give them a preferential treatment as a result. They better be just as biased as he is. Yeah, they better be afraid on the downlow because he's butter up, shake everyone's hand, lowkey threaten everyone, bribe whoever he feels needs it and weave everyone into their web to ensure this happens. You want this education? You'll have it. And you'll have it however you want on whatever terms. He could've bought it for you and he's infinitely disappointed you didn't accept that route (or...maybe you did) but these people will worship the very ground beloved walks upon because he'll ensure that happens through his power and influence; the long reach he has. Might not be immediately apparent, but when you're loved by someone as influential as Terry Silver, it pays off. When your significant other's picture hangs in the hallway? People tend to notice. Might just make you valedictorian by the end of your educational career because Silver money just lined the halls of that school.

― Nothing's for free, see? Beloved does graduate with exemplary grades and achievements regardless if they actually did or if, uh, the system of said university got a couple of well meaning nudges in the right direction, if you catch my meaning. If Terry made the right people a couple of offers they couldn't refuse. They're their generation's best student. Probably got handled multiple accolades and awards too simply because Terry had the itch to see them happy and beaming. And he'd do it. He'd do anything to make them content and fulfilled. He's undoubtedly with them, right there on that stage once they graduate because he's invited up to hold a speech. An audience of hundreds of students know beloved belongs to him. Heck, they might even know a great many of these achievements are a source of complete and utter nepotism, but Terry doesn't care. He's amused by it. Totally gleeful like a smug snake. He laps it all up. Sees it as feeding fuel. He crapped over the system in effect in the name of devotion. Beloved's all smiles. Terry's won in their name by any means neccessary. So, that's all that matters to him. If they said 'burn down the campus' he'd just as easily do that as well, so everyone should count their blessings all beloved wanted was a diploma and a graduation cap and not blood.

― 'Perfect' Terry would purr looking over beloved's immaculately perfect grades in the back of his limousine he's totally bribed out of the professors for them. All the better if beloved's just naturally that accomplished and talented, but my god, if they aren't, the whole world's gonna be what Terry Silver wants it to be because he'll make it so.

[ahllohehn]

okay as an angst lover officially in love with moral-dilemma mumbo could I perhaps have a little treat of moral-dilemma mumbo

tw // mentions of murder, crime note: separate fiction from reality. /srs

It's not like Mumbo doesn't care. It is because he cares so much that it feels wrong to do something so careless such as forcing his best friend into a corner.

Grian. Before he was a murderer, he was Mumbo's roommate. Before he was Mumbo's roommate, he was his best friend. Before he was his best friend, he was someone who he had sworn to grow old with at the day they first met on each side of the fence between their childhood homes.

But, was he really only a murderer only after the fact that he was Mumbo's roommate? Was there ever a time that it was "during" and not a before and after?

Nonetheless if it was before, during, or after, the fact that Grian had been a man Mumbo solely believed was mercy on earth had been true all throughout.

Grian was a mischeivous sort, but not to this point. At least, that's what Mumbo had been believing until now.

"Protection," Grian suddenly speaks up, causing Mumbo to snap out of his mindspace. He notices Grian's squint before he realizes first that he had unconsciously taken a step back.

Mumbo stiffens in place, out of fear of being hurt or out of fear of being the one hurting, "Protection?" He croaks out.

"When those of authority use their title to inflict such acts..." Grian gestures to the body on the floor, "Is it not in the name of protection? Of justice?"

The atmosphere continues to grow tense, even the night winds don't dare sing their usual whistling melodies.

Mumbo swallows anxiously, "That is only because they're of authority-"

"I don't need a title to know who is deserving of a life or not."

"That's egotistical! And... plainly wrong.." Mumbo argues weakly.

"But when those of the higher status does it, it's normal?"

It's normal because they're trained to do what is believe is the best choice. That's why they are given such high statuses in the first place. But when Grian's eyes meets his, Mumbo finds it hard to verbally defend them.

Grian is given the time to monologue.

"Shoplifters and Hit and Run criminals could get away with enough money."

"Corruption gets away easily with enough bribery."

"Abusers could go through multiple trials only to serve shortly and live freely enough to do it again."

"The world needs.... faster initiative."

Mumbo's breath hitches as Grian takes a step forward, hands slowly reaching out as if to hold him. They stop short when Grian notices Mumbo's trembling.

"Mumbo, it's why we're here." Grian's tone is softer, gentler. Mumbo feels chest tighten despite himself.

"We take initiative to bring justice in our own ways, to help for a better place. Isn't that great?"

The journalist does not respond once again. The killer does not let him.

"I don't want you to live in such a rotten world, Mumbo."

Mumbo exhales shakily, "But what if the world is fine as is?"

Grian's smile does not reach his eyes, "Then you spout lies."

The journalist who wrote to seek change and document change. Such an honest life that wouldn't live long here, but the journalist risks his life anyways.

But considering the current situation, did he ever actually wonder how he lived for so long this way?

[gmarksthespot]

BLOOD TW

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HRJGJHKHKHK......SERIAL KILLER AU

referenced from the 1st volume cover of Brutal: Satsujin Kansatsukan no Kokuhaku (do NOT read this manga if you're a minor/please only read on sites with VERY thorough trigger warnings before each chapter)

anyway. more details on the au from convos with my 🐶 mutual (mutt-ual) in relation to X specifically under the cut, and also the sketch + original colors because im indecisive lol

(warning: contains descriptions of murder/death)

takes place in a city with rampant crime and an infamously corrupt police force. they are easily bribed, so its a crime haven for those with the right supports or the rich with twisted interests

(prefacing this with this au starting with mutt-ual suggesting nicewreck with a hannibal and will graham dynamic, im just obsessed with X, so, starting with him)

((also, for now this is a no trust value/heroes au))

civilian X is chief of the police/investigative department; since he rose to his position there's been a crackdown on bribery

and yet...it seems like despite less killers on the streets (one way or another), the death count is still rising? perhaps to do with a new, very effective serial killer they can't seem to catch....

either that, or the death count is decreasing, but the number of arrests have not increased....and it seems like the corpses found are increasingly belonging to other serial killers

(basically. X as a serial killer who murders other serial killers)

((because he hates filing paperwork for prisoners as chief of police LMAO))

X kills in mysterious ways, as if by magic. People will be found in impossible circumstances, or killed as if in a magic trick gone wrong; sawed in half, organs missing despite no breach in the skin, suspended from impossible to reach places, body ripped in to pieces yet the time of death shows they were alive while their body parts were spread across the city, etc.

The last top serial killer was caught by civilian X, to the embarrassment of the current chief at the time. Civilian X consequently got promoted

mutt-ual suggested perhaps X killed his own mentor, leading them on by pretending to be a different serial killer the mentor was chasing after....i'll let them elaborate if they so choose (and tag them later ashgjgkh)

All/most of the other (top 10) heroes in canon are associated with the justice system/police force and are also secretly serial killers (will probs post about them after drawing them....)

Enlighter as an investigative journalist/true crime podcaster who is investigating the murders, but gets arrested because why would he know so much about the crimes if he wasn't the killer??

mutt-ual: sk!X who sees Enlighter as someone who could have so much potential as a killer, considering how thorough his theoretical knowledge is

X who draws portraits of those he kills with their blood, similar to how in canon he can turn people 2D and embed them in walls

mutt-ual: X who makes statues out of the corpses to make them look like enlighter

(and then enlighter getting arrested. again. because the lower level cops suspect he is making self portraits due to ego)

Ahu is a drug detecting police dog that X took in. Yes, he is also a serial killer

[dragon-swords-prophecies]

WIP Re-Intro: Herald At Dawn

Title: Herald at Dawn

Genre: Murder Mystery, vaguely noir, vaguely historical fantasy

Status: draft 3 ! / 20k words as of late feb 2025

Setting: Unspecified American city in September/October of 1949

Universal TW/CW: Murder, corruption, legal systems being really really shit at their job, period-typical homophobia, cheating/affairs on spouses (past), bribery, death, implied past sexual assault, severe injury, discussion of war, religion (& complicated relationships to it).

Plot/Synopsis: In 1941 Alexandrina McLelland was a court reporter, covering the case where Evelyn Belmont was tried for the murder of her husband's mistress, Marisol Ekker. Ms. Belmont was acquitted, Marisol Ekker’s son went to live with distant relatives, and the case drifted out of the public eye. A world war later, and with Marisol’s son now 18, Alex is ready to expose the dirty laundry of the Belmonts--one of the most powerful families in the city-- , & the corruption that let Geoffrey Belmont bribe a judge and three members of the jury, & the systemic hatred that meant he didn’t need to bribe the other nine to ensure his wife’s freedom. Shortly after her article is published--in The Clockwork Herald, the paper her father wrote at for two decades--one of the highest ranking politicians in the city is murdered. There's seemingly no connection, until someone points out that he was a member of the jury during the Ekker Trial. 

Notes: Two major things are different from actual, historical september/october 1949: fae exist, and passenger pigeons didn’t go extinct in 1914. they are not extinct at all, and in fact exist in large numbers. They’re also sentinent, but that really has more to do with the fae than anything else.

Main Characters & Important Side Characters:

Alexandrina "Alex" Gates. 31, she/her, aroace. She's been The Clockworks Herald's investigative reporter for the last 8 years, and before that she was a court reporter for another paper. She writes under the name Alexandrina McLelland, the same last name her father used when he was the Herald’s investigative journalist 20 years ago. She wants to finish what her father started and expose the crimes of the city’s wealthy and powerful, but it's going slower than she would like. 

James Blakely. 32, he/him, gay, editor at the Herald. Alex's childhood friend, and Leo's partner. Is best described as a golden retriever with anxiety. He worries too much for his own good. James inherited editorship of the Herald from his uncle 5 years ago, but he had been working there in various capacities since he was a teenager. He cares about the truth, and about his friends. 

León "Leo" Rivera. 33, he/him, bisexual & bilingual. Writes the pages on politics at the Herald, James' partner. Leo wrote the original Herald articles on the Ekker trial 8 years ago; he used to be a court reporter. He does his best to not get hurt by his job, but sometimes he’s terrible at it (Chapter 10. Chapter 10 is when he’s really, really terrible at it.). He’s also cursed by the Fae, but he tries not to think about that. Leo’s favorite hobby is annoying politicians, and he’s extremely good at it. 

Ronald Wilkes. 58, he/him, ???. Sports reporter at The Clockwork Herald. Donovan was his best friend, and they worked together before he died. He blames himself for Donovan’s death, got a cigarette addiction about it, very sad all the time. I think far too much about him. He wants to stop Alex from dying the way her father did, but it isn’t really working. Alex & Amelia’s godfather. Desperately in need of therapy. Unfortunately, the 40s. 

Donovan Gates. Deceased, died 20 years ago (he was 37, he would be 58). He/him. Former investigative reporter at the Herald. Currently, his main job is making his best friend (Ronald) very, very sad. Alex & Amelia’s father, Ronald’s best friend, Mary’s husband. He was murdered in an alley when he was 37, because he was working on an article about cheating at the horse races, until the subject found out and objected strongly. He wrote under the pen name “D. McLelland”. 

Amelia Gates. 37, she/her, ???. Fae liaisons clerk. Her job is to deal with all the random Fae shit that goes on in the city, and she doesn’t get paid enough about it. Alex’s older sister, Donovan & Mary’s daughter. Close with Ronald. She wants Alex to not die the way their father did, doing dangerous shit just for tiny fragments of information. She also wants Alex and their mother to start speaking to each other again. 

Mary Gates. 58, she/her, ???, retired. She used to be a switchboard operator. Alex & Amelia’s mother, Donovan’s wife, and Ronald’s... it's complicated. She blames Ronald for Donovan’s death, and they haven’t spoken for 20 years, but they used to be good friends. She’s worried for Alex (who has the exact same job her father did), and feels bad for what she said to Ronald the last time they spoke. 

Nathaniel Ekker. 19, he/him, queer. Tailor, and the son of the woman whose murder was the focus of the Ekker trial. He agreed to do Alex's article on the condition it would be anonymous (and it was). He was 12 when his mother was killed by his father’s wife. His aunts (fae and cursed by the fae, respectively) raised him, and he hasn’t lived in the city since his mother died. He wants his mother’s murderer to be brought to justice, but he also wants to have a quiet and unnoticed life without having to deal with his father.

Taglist maintained below the cut, ask to be added or removed!

@thelaughingstag @gr3y-heron @another-white-void @amethyst-aster @akindofmagictoo @zinabug-writes

[eternity-just-fangirls]

Chapter 9: The arrest

TW: Manipulation and gaslighting.

If these topics make you feel uncomfortable please stop reading or seek professional help. 

Another purely Astrea centric chapter. The fic is written mostly from her perspective so there are a lot of them. So no Nacht in this one too.

“She either trains till she runs out of mana and almost faints or is awake all night reading files or doing paperwork,” A blue rose member said, looking at Astrea, clearly concerned. 

“I heard she got two new spells in a few months,” another member said

“Will she be fine?”

“I don’t know. Isn’t she being too hard on herself.”

“You both.” A voice commanded, “Enough with the gossip. Get to work.”

“Yes, captain,” They said together and left.

(1 week later)

“Surround the mansion,” Astrea ordered. She was dressed in her uniform and her hair was tied into a braid.

She took a step inside the Celeste estate. “Don’t let a single person escape.”

“Yes, Senior.”

Today, she was entering the mansion as a knight not as the black sheep.

“Lady Astrea?” The staff were surprised to see her.

“Where is the head of the house?” She spoke.

“In the study my lady.”

Astrea walked towards the room determined. She was finally going to put an end to it all with her head held high. No more shivering, no more abuse.

It’s about time you pay for your sins, father. She thought while opening the door. It’s time everyone does.

“What are you doing here?” Her father asked

“Can you explain this, Lord Celeste?” Astrea said, dropping a file on her father’s desk.

“What is this?” He frowned.

“Proof of tax evasion, bribery and other corrupt activities by multiple members of your house including you.”

“What is the meaning of all this?” He frowned going through the file.

“It means that you are under arrest.”

“You can’t arrest me.”

“Actually, I can,” Astrea pulled out an arrest warrant.

“You!!!” He got up from his chair and raised her hand to slap Astrea

“Energy magic: energy shield.”

“How dare you-”

“Energy magic: Stinging binds,” Astrea casted the spell and her father fell on the ground. 

“What is this?” He kept struggling which caused him to flinch.

“My new spell,” Astrea pulled her father’s chair and sat on it. “Another offense assaulting an on duty magic knight. You really want to get locked up.”

Astrea’s Father tried to reach for his grimoire but Astrea snapped her fingers causing him to scream.

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you. The spell is merciless. The more you struggle the more it hurts.”

“My child,” Astrea’s father stopped struggling. “How could you do this to me? First, you didn’t visit us for 2 months and when I finally saw you again you arrested me. Whatever I did was because I couldn’t control my anger but I still loved you. No one is perfect. You can not turn your back on your family. Who will be there for you when everyone gets busy with their own lives. Who will have your back like -”

“Energy magic: Energy gag,” Astrea sighed. “Don’t worry you can have a happy reunion with your family in jail and as for me Blue rose is my family.”

(2 days later)

“Congratulations,” One of the rookie blue rose members threw confetti around.

“Well done Astrea.”

“Congratulations on getting a star.”

“Senpai, you were so cool.”

Astrea felt so proud. She was finally free.

“Keep it up.” Captain Rosalei said.

“Yes, Captain.” Astrea grinned ear to ear because the person she admired for so long gave her a compliment.

“Astrea,” Puli pulled her aside. “Now that you have faced your past don’t you think it’s time to face your heart?” 

Author’s Note: 

Astrea is finally free from her family but what’s going to happen between her and Nacht? For that you must read the next chapter.

[oc picture in header was made on picrew]

Thank you for reading. If you can please give feedback or let me know your thoughts. I'll appreciate it a lot.

[wenwenbittercake]

Chapter 4: Angel in Hell City

(Thank you for reading this fanfic. Bear in mind, all this event happened after Edward stalked Mr. Joon who went to give his daughter money. The story line is not originally written by me. It’s the storyline of the Riddler 2022 comic. I just insert Y/N in the plot for the sake of the fanfic. TW: Bribery, Drugs, Stalking, Death)

 “Wait!! Whatt!! You did whattt??” Y/N’s eyes widened in shock.

“Shh shh slow down the others might-“Edward whisper-shouted her in a nervous tone.

“And you’re telling me this now! In the staff room?” She whisper-shouts at him back.

“Look I know, I break the promise but look. I found something crucial. I found some lead I could grab on to. There’s more to this Y/N.”

“I know but this isn't  child plays Edward. Seriously, something's off, something big. I don't want you to get tangled up in whatever mess might be lurking.” She said in a serious tone."Y/N I know but, if what I suspect is true, there's corruption and manipulation happening right under our noses. Someone needsto shine a lighton it.” “I getthat you wantto do theright thing but this. This could bedangerous, even life-threatening.” “But this isdifferent. I can't justturn a blindeye when I know I canfind every shady businessgoing on over here. I know I can.” “I'm not asking you to turn a blind eye. I just want you to consider the dangers involved.” Y/N try to reason with him but- “I have Y/N, but I can't sit back and watch, knowing that I have what it takes to bring it out. All my life I had sit back. Sit back and be a reject. Sit back and be passed over . Now I have something in my hand. Something concrete and I can’t let it go yet. I-I just need to know. The missing piece. Why wasn’t it me? I have nothing to look forward to than this. Nothing.”

 His tone starts to get a bit emotional, his word fumble all over the place and she noticed that.

So did he.

The room turns silent like the wind after a storm.

He sighs with his head down, he turns to leave.

  As his hand reached for the doorknob, he felt a pair of soft small hands, firmly holding his. He doesn’t need to turn around to know the owner of the hands. Just a slight touch of hers would be enough to stop him in his tracks. He turns slowly to face her worried eyes.

“I just don’t want you to go down the rabbit hole, ok? I…I don’t want you to be gone.” Y/N voice hitches a bit at her last word. Edward can feel the worry in her voice. All he wants to do right now is kiss the crown of her head, rub her soft hands in a reassuring way and tell her he won’t be gone. Not again.

 “Don’t worry, I won’t go away.” His voice softens and squeezes her hands slightly in a reassuring way. Y/N eyes look up at him, she looks like she wants to tell him something but is unsure of it. She parts her lips to say something but-

“Hey Edward! MR. Stones want to see you.” Zach burst right in the staff room.

His eyes travel to Y/N’s hand which was holding Edwards. Her face reddens in embarrassment. Her hand jolted away from Edward’s hold and left the room in a hurry. Zach eyes follows her as she leaves before turning back to Edward who is left with a dumbfounded expression.

“Seriously? She's with you?”

 ．<{=．．．．．<{=．．．．．<{=．．．．．<{=．．．．．

“Knock Knock.”

“Come in.” The gravel voice of Mr. Stone came out from the inside of the office.

Edward enters the room. The atmosphere shifts. Just as he closes the door behind him. He felt himself trapped, like prey caught in a trap. He felt his heart drop, but he remained calm. Just breathe.

 “The files you brought to my attention the other day.” Mr. Stone said as Edward sat at the seat in front of his desk.

He knows. He definitely knows. Edward glanced at the empty paper shredder beside Mr. Stone’s desk.

Oh, he knows.

“You were right to flag it. I will talk to the owner myself and handle any further investigation. Consider it taken care of. Thank you, Edward.”

Lier

However, a sense of pride bubbled in him a bit at the thought of being thanked by Mr. Stone. He had never been noticed by a higher up like Mr. Stone in his life before.

“Your welcome sir.” He said as he unclenches his fist from the arm rest. Relaxing a bit. Just a bit.

“But that’s not why I called you here. Edward, do you have any relationship with Wayne Enterprises?”

Wayne? Of course, he had.

“No sir.”

“No conflicts of interest at all?”

You matter.

“None at all”

“Good, seems like everyone in this city does. They are being sued again. I’d like to bring you on to do a full-blown review on their accounts. Would you like that?”

．<{=．．．．．<{=．．．．．<{=．．．．．<{=．．．．

"The next station is Exl. City Park station. Doors closing.”

  Edward looks out the train window out to the city. Is something good finally happening to me? Could his brain finally get put to use? Y/N’s words ring through his head as he walks out the station.

‘I don’t want you to be gone.’

Edward sighs. Could she really remember? No can’t be.

His mind battles with himself that night. Y/N is right. This is a dangerous deal he’s putting himself into. He knows better about this than anyone and yet. He needs to know. Why the pieces don't fit. It’s a riddle he couldn’t get his hand around. That's why he needs more pieces. Need more parts to see the complete picture.

   He ran through local IP. Scanners. Easily hacking into different CCTV cameras around the area. Not only that, he even learnt to write his own codes, gradually being able to get all the parts he needs. Now he just needs to wait. He starts to dive deeper into the case. Drifting apart from his reality. Absorbing himself in very little free time, he has to dedicate his life into the art. No one could have thought a common accountant would be digging Renewal shady background, would they? After all he’s just a nobody. Invisible but that’s his advantage. Because he’s invisible, nobody suspected a thing when he pulled out his phone to check all the CCTV cameras he hacked. Except one person of course.

   He can’t ignore it. No matter how hard he tries he can’t. He’s not even sure getting her attention is a blessing out a curse at this point. Those wide doe eyes were just too much for him to bare. He gulps and drops his head down to his work; he bites the inside of his cheek in frustration knowing how her lips would fall a bit in a sadden expression. Y/N would then leave, going back into Mr. Zach office. He knows she’s trying her best to give him space, maybe she thinks Edward had gotten mad at her after what happened between them but no. She has to understand, he is dying to reciprocate her attention. He misses how she would come to ask for coffee, or how she pats his shoulder, praising him for his brains. God, he loathes it. He feels like he is trying to pull both ropes up a cliff. If he let go of one, he’ll lose everything he worked up for, he will lose himself but if he let go of the other, he would lose you. The distance between you both will increase. He will become someone you used to know again. And he can’t let that happen.

    June 5th Edward's plan comes into motion. He climbs up to the roof of a building across from Mr. Joon’s apartment. A building that gives him a clear view of the room. He set out his meticulous plan to go as perfectly as possible. To be frank, he doesn’t know what he will be seeing tonight, nor if his plan will be perfect enough to go as it planned. He could only hope. He adjusts his binoculars; his eyes focus on Mr. Joon. He seems to be packing his luggage in the dark room until.

“Flick”

The lights turned on. There sits Mr. Stone in a chair behind him.

“Going somewhere? Mr. Joon?”

Edward adjusts his air pod to listen clearly from the other pair of air pod that he put in Mr. Joon’s pocket, earlier that day to listen in on their conversation.

“Uh No, sir. Not going anywhere.” Mr. Joon lied miserably.

“Do you know why I’m here, Mr. Joon?” Mr. Stone said eerily.

“Uh, No sir. No one told me you were coming.”

“There was an employee at my company who brought to my attention of your work in the books. We weren’t expecting that. Thankfully, that’s been taken care of, and I’m keeping my eye on him, just in case.”

“I change the numbers every week, sit. Just like you show me.”

“Maybe so but it’s a good thing my employee caught it. Because do you know what I saw when I looked beyond the official books? When I looked at our product and cash flow. I saw that someone was skimming a little money off the top.”

“Not me sir! I manage the store, sir. Just like you show me. I do good job, sir.”

“This is your daughter, is it not?” Mr. Stone said as he shows Mr. Joon a photo of Mr. Joon and him in front of her apartment. Mr. Joon seems to be holding an envelope in that photo which causes Edward to raise a brow in curiosity.

“Yes…I..”

“And What’s in the envelope?”

“I give her money I earn. So she can leave Gotham someday, sir.”

“And you were planning to go with her?”

“No. I mean, yes. I…I take her there then I come back.”

“Mr. Joon, someone taking money from our store means someone taking money from me. And someone taking money from me means someone taking money from Mr. Falcone. Are you aware of what happens to people who take money from Mr. Falcone?”

“No, sir, it was not me. I swear sir. That is my money. I work hard for that money. I earn that money I give her!”

“I’m disappointed, Mr. Joon. Goodbye.” With that Mr. Stone stood up and left leading to the two-man Mr. Stone came in with to drag Mr. Joon out of the room with,

“You’re coming with us to the back of the store, pal.”

Mr. Joon cried and screamed as he was dragged away. With that, Edward jumped from his place down the emergency ladder. He ran down the emergency stairs back to a safe place where he could view the cctv camera in the back of the store. Edward’s heat races as he pulls out his laptop on to the counter of a public bathroom. Hoping he got to view it in time. 

  As he opened the cam, he was there in time. Seeing Mr. Joon tied up in chains by the two men. He turns up the volume a bit which he will later regret doing so.

“---Mistake! Please! I brought my daughter here so she could have a better life. But life is worse here in Gotham. I am trying to get my family out. Out of this city of hell. But that is my money I earn!”

The voice of another man emerges after Mr. Joon screams for justice.

“I had to make bail, so I took a little cash off the top. I’ll make sure your daughter is taken care of. Ya know how Mr. Falcone gets rid of his bodies don’t you?”

This leads to Mr. Joon’s cries for no and then.

Crack

Crunch

This follows with Mr. Joon’s agonizing scream only to cut off with a final-

Crack Crunk.

The image on the laptop screen shows Mr. Joon’s body twitches and seize only to stop. Then the next thing you know, Mr. Joon’s headless body dangled upside down in the room. Edward gasps and backs away from the laptop screen at the sight of it all. Blood pours down from Mr. Joon’s decapitated head. Edward can’t take it anymore. He takes off his air pod and holds his head in his hand. His eyes wide from what he just saw. His body is trembling slightly, and his fingertips numb. He takes a deep breath and exhales shakingly to ground himself. Just breathe Edward. Just breathe. His trembling finger moved the mouse to click the recording button to stop recording. He has proof which comes with a great sacrifice. He phones the screen light up with a notification. His dilated green eye shifts from the tile counter to the phone screen.

Y/N <3 : Hey I know it’s been a while but how are you doing?

  Edward let out a shaky exhale. Y/N. She knows too much. The weight of the situation starts to weigh him down. He doesn’t care if he died doing this. Hell, he cares less for being killed for outing these rats but Y/N. He cares about her. The thought of her being in Mr. Joon’s place for being in the wrong place at the wrong time raised a bile up his throat. He can’t, no he won’t let it happen.

You: Can we meet up? Right now?

(Well, that was a lot. Phew, ok. Um yea I hope you all like it. I know that was a lot but yeah. I’m sorry if the description is a bit confusing in the setting. If you read the comic, you will understand. 80% of the time I don’t know where the hell they are but I’m trying my best. Thank you for the support. Oh also there is a point where the dialogs are all jumple up and it's on purpose to show the stress he and reader are feeling, how words don't make sense anymore but can still get the point of it. By the end of the dialog, most words separate showing the clarity of how Edward feels and the distance it cause between reader and him. Thank you for reading and hope you enjoy, there will be more chapter to this series so please follow to keep up to date with the post.~”

Chapter 5: Apologies unheard

[seth-burroughs]

Soldier anon back from the trenches and. Um. I was going to do a really deep dive into this but then I was sick + took psychic damage from the wiki so this is as far as I got 🙏🙏🙏

Hate crimes (Against detectives?)

Ethnic persecution (Of detectives?)

Mass murder (Chapter 0 detectives)

Attempted genocide (Against detectives?)

Abuse (Whatever he has going on with Electro)

Abuse of power, Slander, Corruption, Police Brutality (The Game)

Extortion (The church?)

Propaganda (Runs a dictatorship)

Bribery (Chapter 1, from the church)

Money laundering (?)

Sabotage (Submarine go boom)

Wrongful executions (Cube)

Torture (Cube)

Psychological abuse (Whatever he had going on with Electro)

Blackmail (Yakou wife, maybe?)

Child abuse (Treament of Kurumi when she's suspected of murder?)

Animal Cruelty (I guess he goes run a dictatorship? Peacekeepers have probably crueled animals under his name)

Coercion

Physical and psychological abuse (Whatever he has going on with Electro)

Defilement (???)

Incrimination (????)

Sexual harassment (Whatever he has going on with Electro)

Arson (The submarine?)

Murder (Chapter 0)

Psychological manipulation (Whatever he has going on with Electro)

Attempted murder

Unlawful imprisonment (He runs a dictatorship send tweet)

Stalking (The cameras he has? I guess?)

Assault (Clobbering Yakou with his Gucci doc martens)

Treason (Blows up property)

Terrorism (Blows up property, runs a dictatorship)

Slavery (??????)

Thank you for your bravery soldier anon here is me trying to make sense of these

Once again I can't believe detectivephobia is a canon form of bigotry in the Master Detective Archives: Rain Code universe but that's on me for being ignorant. I'm sorry detectives

I think the "attempted genocide" part refers to the earlier crackpot theory of Yomi actually wanting to nuke Kanai Ward all along and build cube factories over it's ashes, but could also refer to the killings of the detective nation.... if you think about it Yakou was at the moment literally the last of his kind at Kanai Ward before he got got with the gas which is so fucked up omg I can't believe Yomi would do this #yomiisoverparty #tw yomi hellsmile mention

Okay so this may get me burned on the stake like the witch I am, buuuuut I don't think his, uhh... *gestures* with the woman named Martina Electro also known as Swallow Electro, can really be considered 100% abuse. We only got a single scene of them together alone, in which he does kick her but she very visibly has zero problem with it I cannot overstate how much she did not give a fuck. I believe if we take into account him literally was sitting on her right beforehand, I'm pretty sure they were still doing their disgusting little kinky five shade roleplay up until he Got Weird With It (The Cube). Like I don't deny their wretched situationship was best comparable to a disastrous trainwreck that left 87654 injured and 2 survivors, but I swear some people are acting as if Martina was some helpless battered housewife that got waterboarded by Yomi every day and not the 3rd most powerful person in Kanai Ward after Yaoi and The Mask (by Dream). Like, strictly canonwise, their relationship was way more harmful to literally everybody else unfortunate enough to be in their vicinity, than any of them. Like was that comprehensible? Idk man I'm barely alive rn I ate a lot of khachapuri today

Extortion was Seth's and Seth's proud achievement only >:(((((( Why are you discrediting him..... In the end Yomi always ends up taking everything from him...... no joke Seth and detective are two of the most opressed species in Kanai Ward still

I think money laundering refers to him being stated (by Makoto) to..... wait no wait but wasn't that like, he got promotions by the, by bribing people around the world with the money- no but didn't he obtain the money like illegally no was that or that stated can't remember fuck I cannot think for shit rn aouuuughhh christ. I can relay most of what was going on from my canon/source/whatever the fuck yall call it, but concerning the game canon??? chapter 5 mystery labirynths like a not real to me anymore its been long before man. um anyway ignore this i fel like i havent said anything even

Treatment of Kurumi was actually, as far as I checked, 100% on Martina <3 Seth and women get discredited of their achievements so often omg

animal cruelty I have NO idea. but maybe this could refer to the scrapped lost media 6th DLC where Yomi launched 27 puppies with a catapult directly at Yakou's submarine. And the defilement section could refer to how I felt reading the

As far as I'm aware the sub was never really set on fire, so I believe the "arson" part might actually refer to when I bounced with m. No you know what nvm this is not worth it moving on

stalking I have no idea I guess the detectives felt very stalked it's so hard being a detective in modern kanai ward the people are so intolerant

The slavery bit......... Somebody else do that for me I cannot do this anymre my final message I'm going to the kitchen

[avvail]

writing snippet #26

tw: kidnapping, mind control, non-con touching (not sexual)

“You won’t get away with this,” the hero hissed through gritted teeth, jerking against the metal restraints that pinned them thoroughly down against the table. Supervillain’s lips quirked into a smirk, clear amusement dancing in their eyes.

“Darling,” they purred, stopping by the edge of the table. “You’re cute when you’re trying to be funny.”

The hero gulped, trying to keep the fear off their face. They hadn’t meant to get captured by Supervillain, and they had been separated from Sidekick moments before their trap had sprung, and Hero had been knocked out cold. They hoped their sidekick was getting backup, or getting out of here.

Supervillain was dangerous. Far too dangerous to have been wandering in their lair, but Superhero had orders, and they were meant to follow. The Agency had been keen on tackling the supervillain to prevent their most recent plans from going ahead.

But it seemed they were unaware that by doing so, they’d given Supervillain exactly what they wanted.

“Let me go,” they ordered, clenching their fists. “The Agency will come for me, and there’ll be nowhere for you to hide.”

Even though they were confident, they had to stop their voice from shaking. It boomed around the room, flickering with fear every so often. Supervillain hummed, smiling, before they slid their finger against the hero’s temple.

“Turn your attention to that painting, will you?” They ordered, and against their better judgement, Hero obeyed. The supervillain was known for being able to assert control through touch, but the Agency knew it wasn’t strong enough to completely overwhelm a person’s thoughts. They were perfectly lucid when given a command, and it could only be initiated through touch near the mind.

Hero’s eyes locked onto the long painting against the wall, swallowing thickly.

“Know what that is, darling?” They asked, glancing at them thoughtfully. The hero couldn’t think straight, but they shook their head regardless, spitting an answer through gritted teeth.

“No.”

“Shame,” Supervillain sighed, crossing their arms over their chest. “I am quite a big fan of the Catilinarian Orations, you know. In fact, I enjoy all of Cicero’s works. I think he’s an oratory genius, despite the irony that it was what got him killed.”

Hero tugged lightly on their restraints. Still not moving. They tried to focus on their breathing, eyes moving along the painting.

“It’s such a fascinating painting,” Supervillain drawled, staring at it in awe, as if they were seeing it for the first time again. “Beautiful. See here, this man, Cicero, delivering his famous speeches to the Senate to convince them that that man, Lucius Sergius Catilina, has intentions to overthrow them. The way it captivates his isolation, the boundless power of rhetoric against evil—don’t you find it truly amazing?”

Hero could sense their focus shifting, the effects of the minor control fading away. They blinked rapidly, meeting Supervillain’s terrifying gaze. They swallowed thickly, mustering up the courage to reply.

“I’m not a big lover of paintings,” they responded coldly, eyes darting elsewhere. “Or the Greeks.”

The criminal coughed. “Romans, but I’ll let you off, darling. I find myself rather similar to Catiline, in some ways.”

Hero pressed their lips into a thin line. “Is that a good thing? Wasn’t he supposed to be evil?”

“To the Senate, of course he was,” Supervillain grinned, stepping around the table, admiring the way Hero watched them beadily. “They were looking after themselves, after all. He may have been painted as an evil figure, but really, the Senate was in desperate need of getting rid of.”

Hero blinked, confused.

“It was corrupt. Riddled with bribery, and weak willed old men who would bow to any man who threatened to turn their armies on Rome. Collapse was necessary. Know what that reminds me of?”

The coy tone in their voice had Hero shaking their head, voice turning angry. “The Agency isn’t corrupt.”

“And I’m sure those Senator’s thought the same thing, in one way or another. Or told themselves that so they could simply stay in power,” the criminal chuckled darkly. “Turning on any man who threatened their position, and their precious Republic. Catiline was humiliated, torn from his people, and forced to adhere to their poor excuse of a government. The Agency doesn’t care about you, Hero. They don’t care as long as they get their money; I find the Agency has a particularly heavy price on my head for my capture, no?”

The hero’s hairs stood to attention, stomach twisting with nerves.

“That’s because you’re evil,” they hissed in a breathy whisper, jerking on their chains. “Let me go.”

“That’s what the Senate claimed too,” Supervillain whispered back, carding their hands through Hero’s hair. They let out a trembling cry and jerked harder on their restraints. “To hide behind their own wrongdoings. I threaten to expose them for what they are, and destroy them from the inside. That’s why they love to paint me in a negative light. But will it truly be bad, if the Agency is destroyed?”

Hero felt a hand tighten in their locks, stopping their head from thrashing. Their eyes burned with tears as terror punched straight through their gut, voice rising to a desperate scream.

“Let me go!”

“Let one evil thing destroy another,” they hummed calmly, smiling down at them. “I have always been of the opinion that unpopularity earned by doing what is right, is not unpopularity at all, but glory. Ironic, that a quote from the First Oration speaks to me so much. Maybe Cicero was nothing but a coward compromising an outcome that benefitted nothing but himself, but who am I to say? Oh well, it’s all in the past now, isn’t it?”

Hero felt a sharp pinch on their neck, and they seized up, spilling into pained sobs. They felt fingers pressing against the sides of their temple, vision starting to swim.

“Just a little something to strengthen the effects of my power, that’s all. Need to keep your conscious asleep so you’re all mine to use. You understand, don’t you?”

Hero could feel their muscles melting into the table, something sliding through their thoughts and dousing them all out.

“No. No, no, please, no,” they slurred, eyelids fluttering with drowsiness. “No, no. Please...”

“Hush, pretty thing,” Supervillain whispered softly, stroking their temples and soothing their worries. “When you wake up, the Agency will be gone. And you won’t have to worry about them ever again...”

[duskoon]

Yandere!Pokèmon rankings:

❂) In this post, I will be ranking the yanderes within Pokèmon. Considering the large rooster, it will be edited multiple times as to include the remaining characters. ❂) It will be denoted by a ⭑. There’s five ranks, the first being the least intense whilst the fifth being the most intense. ❂) It will be based on the yandere’s presence in their s/o’s life, the length they will go to obtain their s/o, the danger they impose on others, and their possessiveness regarding their beloved. ❂) Character that have asterisk behind their name, may change ranking later on.

Tw: Yandere themes, Disturbing themes, Obsessive behaviours, Possessive behaviours, Mentions of torture, Implied murder, Stalking, Conditioning, Brainwashing, Implied Stockholm syndrome, Manipulation, Psychological abuse, Power imbalance, Unhealthy relationship, Blackmailing, Corruption, Sadism, Bribery, Criminal activities, Abuse of authority, Violence, Dead dove: do not eat.

⭑⭒⭒⭒⭒~Harmless, albeit uncanny.

Presence:Unnoticed. Possessiveness:Extremely low. Manipulative:Extremely low to none. Danger:Minimal.

Those within this category are slightly delusional, yet mild in nature. You might find some insignificant items missing, like a hair pin or brushes. Perhaps, even finding a sweet love letter and a gift on your nightstand from a secret admirer.

They are working hard behind the scenes to protect and serve their darling in any way they possibly can. And, would do so without inciting violence whatsoever or cause unnecessary bloodshed. They revere their darling and by extension their relatives, so long they aren’t abusive towards their beloved.

Most won’t initiate contact with their darling, and would prefer watching them from a safe distant as not to scare them away. If they did come out, they will wax praises and pamper them. Overall, the best yanderes to get stuck with seeing that they’re the least overbearing and manipulative.

Erika

Prof. Elm

Prof. Birch

Alder

N Harmonia(Game & Masters & Generations)

Kahili

Leaf/Green

Red

⭑⭑⭒⭒⭒~Supportive, with a wary streak.

Presence:Noticeable, yet somewhat amiable. Possessiveness:Low. Manipulative:Low. Danger:Low.

Unlike the previous category, these yanderes are more involved in their darling’s life. However, it isn’t with a malicious intent as they only seek the best for them. They are confident in their abilities to mask their obsessive tendencies, in hopes of supporting their beloved. All they want for their s/o is success and would ensure it occurs, even if they have to tweak the system in their favour.

Some would feel guilty, but would eventually delude themselves into thinking that is the best course of action. Most within this category, would try and sway their darling from other people if they personally felt their beloved was threatened. Which is almost, if not, always. If they happen to come across as manipulative, they won’t notice owing to how paranoid and/or delusional they are.

However, they refuse to use physical violence in their confrontation with the assailant. The weight of their words alone should be sufficient in getting them out of the picture. For the most part, they are easily manageable so long you don’t push them away too hard. You would still have your personal agency and autonomy intact.

Blue/Gary

Koga

Sabrina

Lorelei

Prof. Sycamore

Crasher Wake

Fantina

Burgh

N Harmonia(Pokèmon Adventures)

Flint

Elesa

Caitlin

Prof. Juniper(Game)

Guzma

James

Prof. Kukui

Prof. Burnet

Shelly

Matt

*Archer

Petrel

⭑⭑⭑⭒⭒~Danger under the guise of a protecter.

Presence:Overbearingly noticeable. Possessiveness:Medium to high. Manipulative:Medium. Danger:Fluctuating; with a preference to render the opposition defenceless.

Things start to take a turn from this rank and onwards. Yanderes from within this classification would limit their beloved interactions with the external world as much as possible. Mainly due to the nature of their work, or they had previously lost a partner pokémon and would prefer for history not to repeat itself with their beloved. Which makes them seem controlling and rigid in hindsight.

In contrast with the ranks above, they are willing to use violence if they deem it necessary enough to protect their darling. However, they won’t go too far to kill for that goes against their disposition and would cripple their image. In addition of using abusing their respective positions, to keep their s/o alongside them.

Also, they won’t shy away from framing any suspicious individuals for a crime they have not committed for the greater good of their darling. It shouldn’t be that hard considering they hold a significant amount of influence in their regions/organisations. Which would cements them as trustworthy figures. Your personal agency and autonomy starts to dwindle.

Lt. Surge

Bruno

Lance

Norman

Glacia

Steven Stone

Maxie

Archie

Byron

Volkner

Lucien

Cynthia

Looker

Jupiter(Game)

Saturn(Game)

Mars(Game)

Brycen

Drayden

Grimsley

Marshal

Prof. Juniper(Pokémon Adventures)

Malva

Olivia

Nanu

Jessie

Lusamine(Masters)

Ariana

⭑⭑⭑⭑⭒~Run, hide, disguise, and repeat.

Presence:Uncomfortably felt, but not seen. Possessiveness:High. Manipulative:High. Danger:Fluctuating.

They resemble the first rank in the manner they conduct themselves, completely blind from the public’s sight. Yet, their motives are wholly different. They are keeping tabs on you, so they could pinpoint your attributes and use it to their advantage later on. It might take months, even years to plan and execute their scheme. But, they are willing to wait for the right opportunity to do so.

They are self-assured that their efforts will not be for nought, because they will make sure of it by any means available to them. Yanderes within this grouping are elusive, deliberate, and pragmatic in their methods of collecting their beloved and aren’t susceptible to attempts of manipulation.

If there are alternatives that will not attract the attention of the Interpol toward themselves, then they will absolutely take it. Rather than resort to an avoidable murder out of abrupt jealousy. They will only kill, if their hands is forced. Granted that, it will be behind the back of their beloved.

They hold their darling in the highest regards, to the point that the yandere will most likely end up worshiping them. That is the main reason on why they start the process of isolating and conditioning you. So, that you can be receptive only to their affection after your “relocation”. Which is not a matter of if, but when. Escaping them is nigh-impossible, as they have vast resources to find you again. It will definitely not end up very well for you, once they do manage to find you.

Your personal agency -at this point- is very restricted, whilst your autonomy is threatened at best. A word of advise to follow is to run, hide, disguise while you can, and better hope that they do not apprehend you.

Proton

Courtney

Jupiter(Pokémon Adventures)

Saturn(Pokémon Adventures)

Mars(Pokémon Adventures)

Cyrus

Colress(Game & Generations)

Lysandre

Faba

⭑⭑⭑⭑⭑~ Arceus, have mercy on you.

Presence:Frightening, yet remains hidden to untrained eyes. Possessiveness:Extremely. Manipulative:Extremely. Danger:Do absolutely not engage with them at any point.

Kill, maim, torture, bribery, blackmailing, and all those just to get their darling. Do not be mistaken, despite that they remain strategic and level-headed in their means like the rank above. Yet, what separates them is their modus operandi. They’re far more selfish and crueller. No moral restrains to hold them back.

Some would murder to make an example of the people, who dared to leer their disgusting eyes on their beloved. They would even make so, that the murder are not directly traced back to them. Yanderes within this rank are likely to be lucid, save for few. They are notable for their shrewdness, controlling, sadistic, and machiavellian deception.

Their area of influence is substantial and much feared comparable to the third rank; it slithers down to the offices of politicians. Which gives them the perfect opportunity to offer them this wonderful “proposal”. They either choose to hand over their beloved, or else the blood of their own people will be on their hands. May-haps a humiliating scandal from their past will make them budge, if they were not concerned for the well being of their people.

Before that, they prefer to try their hands on subtler methodologies. Such as offering their beloved to live with them, if accepted then it will make the processes smoother. Otherwise, they will make sure that you throughly regret your choice. They will toy with your fears, dreams, and values until your mind finally crumbles and submit to their will. They will ensure that you can sense them, but be completely helpless against them. (Usually, by sending their underlings to observe you. It is obvious to you, but not to others. Which makes it harder on your part to seek help. The people you’re seeking help from either would accuse you of paranoia or they were bribed not to help you.)

Pleas of help are utterly useless, as they have absolute control in places where only your mind can imagine. Tis but a price for your disobedience, they say. Once you’re in their hold, they will addle your mind. So much, that the only thing left in your head is to venerate them as much as they do to you. After all, they are the only one who you can truly depend on and love. For they have sheltered and took care of you, in your time of need. Your sense of self has been fully compromised.

Ghetsis

*Colress(Pokèmon Adventures)

Giovanni

Lusamine(Game, especially S/M)

Sird

{Reblogs and feedback are much appreciated.}

[hoffmans-hoffman]

What dating pre blood hungry Valentino Corleone would be like

Tw: Smoking, Swearing, Drinking, Parties, Meds, Medicine

For @sclvixtcxnnxcticn to help him have a better night

-----------------------------------------------

You know he's busy but he always makes time to get dinner or a movie with you

You know be does one of these at least once a week racketeering, conspiracy, illegal gambling, bribery, extortion, contract killing, counterfeiting, fencing, hijacking, political corruption, loan sharking, money laundering, murder, fraud

When he took the fall for his younger sister You visit him in jail

He hugs you tightly and never wants to let go

Cuddle bug

Always dances with you(Weddings, Birthdays, ect)

You are his little Bug

You remind him to take his meds and he reminds you

He loves forehead kisses

Protects you with his life

Doesn't like bringing work home but has to sometimes

Kisses your cheek when he's around his brothers

You guys prank everyone

Him being the acting Don when everyone got the flu and you were his second in command

Gives you books, necklaces and his mom's homemade Panna Cotta

Sent his basic other adopted brother Johnny Fontane to sing to you at the ass crack of dawn

Gifts you Dr. Pepper

Michael: Fuck, Vito, gently smacks Michael, You and Valentino: Yeah watch your fucking mouth, Vito smacks both of you in the back of the head

[lavenderbau]

you drew stars around my scars

Photographer Elle Greenaway teams up with journalist Jennifer Jareau to expose corruption, what happens when that’s not the only thing exposed?

tw: mentions of rape, suicide, gunshot wounds/guns

words: 2.3k

ao3 link here 

story is bellow the cut!

Elle sighed. She had heard rumors about the infamous Jennifer Jareau. How she was a stuck up bitch. Elle had worked with snobby journalists before, but she’s heard that she is next level. Elle just had to make it work with her for one article. That was it. Then she would never have to see her again. This was her chance for that big break she had been searching for. Although Elle was taking a big risk with this. Fisher King & Co. was one of the biggest law firms in the country. And with this Jen- Jayje girl, they were going to expose them for corruption and bribery. It was an ambitious task, but one that fascinated Elle. If it took working with this girl to get her big break and finally leave the BAU Times and open her own photography business.

Elle was startled from her thoughts when the door opened. “Miss Greenaway you can come in,” said editor in chief Aaron Hotchner. Or as Elle called him in her head a major pain in her ass. “As you know you will be working with one of our finest. She is very talented and  not someone you want to mess with. I think you two will work well together. Don’t prove me wrong Miss Greenaway,” Hotchner continued. 

“I wouldn’t dream of it sir. Also, it’s Elle not Mrs. Greenaway.” Hotch let out one of his rare small smiles before a knock sounded on the door. 

Listen, Elle knew she liked girls. That wasn’t new, she went through the whole questioning of her sexaulity thing before. However, this wasn’t a girl. This was a woman in every sense of the word. The way her bright blonde hair framed those beautiful blue eyes. When Elle imagined what an angel looked like, it was her. The warmth and hope she seemed to radiate from her bones made Elle want to smile. Although she could see pain in those eyes she already loved so much. She was good at concealing it, but Elle recognized it. She had spent many hours in the mirror trying to erase that pain from her own eyes. With time little blondie would stop expecting to be able to hide it. That’s what happened to her. Elle thought to herself there is no way this perky blonde chick is the bitch she had heard about. If it was, Elle was certainly in for a fun time.

“Hi, you must be Elle. I'm Jayje. I'll be the journalist for this project,” JJ said while extending Elle her hand in a pleasant tone. 

“Nice to meet you JJ. So I was wanting to sit down with you and talk about what type of photos you want and what you want them to represent. I’m down to get started as soon as you are.”

Hotch cleared his throat, “Okay ladies it looks like you guys are on the right track, let me know if there is anything I can do to help.”

Both Elle and JJ nodded and left his office. 

“We can use my office to discuss this project. There is one thing you should know. This is the project I have been building my career up towards, and if you’re gonna screw this up or not handle it you can leave now. We are going after one of the biggest law firms in the country, we are going to have a target on our backs for the rest of our lives. You may just be the photographer but everyone involved in this will be experiencing backlash. Can you handle that?” JJ asked in a hard tone. Elle was impressed. She didn’t think blondie had it in her to be the major bitch she heard about. It seemed like she was wrong, which Elle rarely is. 

“I can handle it,” Elle responded in a cold voice. She wanted to prove to her that she could give back as well as she was given.

Jayje burst into a smile. “Great, I was hoping you would. I want the best of the best on this. And I heard that you were the best,” JJ said with a wink. 

Elle smirked. She was being surprised at every turn by this girl. Elle decided to test the waters, “You know what they say, only the beautiful can capture it in photos.”

Jayje let out a gorgeous laugh, “Well I’ve never heard of that saying before, but people should start saying it if you’re any indication.”

Elle smiled. This was going to be fun. 

Maybe Elle spoke too soon. She was three weeks into this project and Jayje was on a mean streak. They were having trouble finding evidence on the firm, as it was so big nobody wanted to speak out against them. Elle was getting frustrated. When they were interviewing a witness yesterday that had changed their mind on coming forward Jayje yelled at her and said that she was a disgrace. Elle agreed that the firm was off, but finding enough evidence was damn near impossible. As much as Elle hated to say it, maybe it was time to throw in the towel. 

“JJ as much as I hate to admit it, I just don’t think we have enough here to bring them down.”

JJ immediately turned to glare at the other woman. “I thought you said you could handle it? I told you this wasn’t going to be easy. You think I know we don’t have enough evidence? I have been building this article since I stepped into the BAU Times. I will do whatever it takes to finish it. If you want to go and take photos that anybody with an eye could, the door is right there. However if you want to stay on what could be the biggest breakthrough of the year I suggest you sit your ass down right now and get that attitude of yours in check. 

“You have no right to scold me like I’m a fucking teenager. Why are you so invested in this? You are destroying yourself and everyone else that you meet for this, is it worth it? Tell me will it be worth it?” Elle was flamming. However through her anger, she had to admit this was the sexiest Jayje has ever looked. Still that did not soothe Elle’s temper. 

“You don’t understand! You have no idea what I have sacrificed for this! I busted my ass every minute of my life for this! I won’t have some little no work ethic bitch tell me to stop!” Jayje and Elle were all up in each other's faces. 

“Well then make me understand!” Elle screamed back.

Honestly if you asked Elle what happened next, she wouldn’t be able to answer you. She was so shocked by what had happened that she could barely process it. The second the words left her mouth Jayje grabbed her face and pulled her lips to her. Elle pulled away at first, before kissing her back. Elle couldn’t help but notice this was one of the best kisses she’s had. Suddenly, JJ pulled away looking like a kicked puppy. Without notice she started running out of the office before Elle could stop her. With a sigh and a hand to her lips that still tasted like her strawberry lipstick, Elle packed up her things and left the office.

The next day she thought it would be full of awkwardness and ignoring each other. Hell, Elle wouldn’t be surprised if Jayje finally decided to give up on this story. What she didn’t expect was for Jayje to have a board full of evidence and pacing in her office.

“Listen Elle I’m about to tell you two things that very few people know about me. The first is that I like girls. If you couldn’t tell by me kissing you last night,” she said with a little nervous laugh that never failed to melt Elle’s heart. “And I like kissing you. I like you Elle. The past three weeks have been stressful but I’m glad it was you by my side. I like you a lot and I want to go out with you, but before I ask you I need to tell you the reason this article is so important to me. My older sister was raped. The guy who did it was rich and he got a lawyer from Fisher King & Co. to not charge him. There was a shit ton of evidence and there was no way he got off. I overheard a phone call with his lawyer offering the judge money. He was found not guilty, and I found my dead sister in a bathtub the next day. She had killed herself. She knew she wouldn’t be able to face the people in our town and him everyday. So she didn’t. And I promised myself I would not give them the satisfaction of doing what they did to my sister to anyone else.” JJ now had tears on her face. Elle’s heart broke for her. Suddenly she knew the reason for the pain those beautiful blue eyes tried to hold. 

“I have an idea,” Elle said in a low voice. “First we’re going to go on a date tonight, second we’re going to take Fisher King & Co. down to the depths of hell.”

It had been another two weeks since Elle said that. Her and Jayje were going great. They were both constantly enourmed with each other. When they weren’t making out they would be touching each other in some way. Most people would not think they had only been dating for two weeks. They did all the things a normal established couple did. Slow dancing in the kitchen together, check. Going to the movies, check. Helping the other take down a company, check. Okay so maybe not all of the things a normal couple did. But still. It was Elle and JJ. Elle lived for small little forehead kisses Jayje was obsessed with giving her. Jayje cherished the moments in the morning when Elle pulled her body closer to hers. 

Elle and Jayje had been up all night. Not for the reasons they wished, but tomorrow was when their article was being published. Elle’s photos perfectly captured everything Jayje had wanted them to say. And Jayje’s writing, goddamn that girl could write. If Elle didn’t already love the blonde, she’s pretty sure she could just through her writing. Jayje had sent Elle home telling her to get some rest. However, she did not know that Randall Garner would be there waiting for her. Elle was shocked to see the CEO of Fisher King and Co. in her girlfriend’s living room. She tried not to let the surprise show on her face, but Elle couldn’t pull her mask up fast enough. 

“Well if it isn’t Miss Greenaway. You know I am shocked to see you here, this late at night too. It looks like Miss Jareau has some explaining to do, doesn't she? You know I was going to make sure that article never sees the light of day and I think I know just the trick.” Suddenly he pulled out his gun and fired it at Elle before she could respond. The last thing she heard before she passed out was sobbing, and it sounded a lot like Jayje’s. 

When Elle wakes up the first thing she notices is the pain in her chest. The second is the sweaty hand holding hers. She opened her eyes slowly. She couldn’t tell if the drugs she was on were what made Jayje look like an angel or if she was actually in heaven. 

Jayje looks up with red rimmed eyes and the look of relief she gives Elle, makes her heart melt. “You once asked me if this article was worth it. And I was so sure it was. Falling in love with you solidified that, but it wasn’t worth it. Seeing you get hurt because of me,” Jayje took a shaky breath and had tears spilling out of her eyes, “that will never, ever be worth it. I am so sorry I did this to you.”

“Did what? Give me a woman I love? Give me the happiness I have been searching for my entire life? Because that is all you gave me. You gave me everything I wished I deserved. What is love without a few scars?”

“You’re hurt because of a mess I made, one that you knew I would. This isn’t just a few scars Elle, you almost died. I thought you were going to die. I thought I’d never give you the chance to say I love you.”

“I love you too. And this is not on you okay? This is on the man that pulled the trigger on me. Do not blame yourself for trying to help people.” Jayje let out a shaky nod, still overcome with emotions. “So how did the article do?”

This made Jayje let out a small smile. Elle could still tell she was riddled with guilt, as she was tracing stars on Elle’s hand and she recognized it as her nervous tell. “Amazing. People are writing stories about our story.” Jayje pulls out her phone and shows Elle. “Here, look at this.”

It was an article about them. It talked about how they took on Fisher King & Co. and how they fell in love.

“I wanted someone to know our story in case it was the end,” Jayje whispers. “You’ve been in a coma for the past week. The doctors weren’t sure if you were going to wake up. A reporter heard that we were together and you got shot and asked if I wouldn’t mind being interviewed. I didn’t know if you were gonna wake up so I said yes.”

“Trust me it could never be over. Jayje I love you too.” She pulled her hand to her lips, pressing a small kiss to it. And somehow even that smallest kiss sent sparks up and down them both. Huh, this is what love is, Elle thought. It wasn’t half bad.

[rundcvil]

below you’ll find my new muses and more information about them.

new muses:

lyang chaerin.

30 years old, living in the united states.

oldest; half-sister to hyunah & hyoyeon.

director of the cia.

speaks: english, korean, japanese, mandarin, thai, spanish, german, french and russian fluently.

the ‘mastermind’ of the crime trio: LKC.

excels in: corruption, evading the law, manipulation, bribery.

cha hyunah.

27 years old, living in seoul.

youngest; hyoyeon’s non-identical/fraternal twin.

ceo and model of a fashion brand.

speaks: english, korean, japanese and some mandarin.

the ‘unpredictability’ of the trio: LKC.

excels in: persuasion, fraud, money laundering, business matters. 

kuan hyoyeon.

27 years old, splits her time between the states and seoul.

older than hyunah by 30 minutes, also has a different father to hyunah.

professional choreographer.

speaks: english, korean, japanese and some mandarin.

the ‘safety shield’ of the trio: LKC. 

excels in: hand combat, theft, reckless driving, distractions.

Sisters’ Empire

Chaerin’s weapons:

pistols, handguns, riffles, shotguns and kunai (throwing knife).

Hyunah’s weapons:

knives, butterfly swords, sabers, hook swords.

bō (wooden stick used in martial arts), dangpa chang (spear), shuriken, nunchunks.

Hyoyeon’s weapons:

brass knuckles, katana (japanese sword), pistols, nunchucks.

yumi (bow) and kunai (throwing knife).

Shared Garage

Dodge Charger (2019; dark grey).

Toyota Camry (2018; metallic black).

Toyota Prius (2018; dark red).

Audi A8 (2019; white).

Porsche Panamera Turbo Executive (2017; chrome grey).

Jaguar F-type Convertible (2013; green).

Mercedes Benz AMG GT (2018; matte black).

Bugatti Veyron Super Sport (2015; black and orange).

Aston Martin Vantage (2019; metallic silver).

BMW 8 Series Coupe (2018; red).

Audi TT RS (2018; blue).

Porsche 918 Spyder (2015; yellow).

Rolls Royce Phantom Convertible (2017; white).

Bentley Continental GT Convertible (2017; red).

Individual Cars

Chaerin:

Cadillac Ciel (2017; metallic black).

Hyunah:

Maserati GranTurismo MC (2018; red).

Hyoyeon:

Lexus LFA (2012; orange).

THE BACKGROUND STORY

(tw: prostitution mentioned, tw: suicide mentioned, tw: crime, tw: weapons)

Cha Hyunah and Kuan Hyoyeon are fraternal twins that don’t share the same father. Their mother, a high-level prostitute (as she’d call herself), had sexual intercourse with two men in the same night - which resulted in her getting pregnant with twins. At the time, she already had a child aged three, Lyang Chaerin. The custody of the twins and Chaerin were given to Lyang Hoseok, a wealthy business man that lead a stable life in Seoul, South Korea. Despite not being the father of either twin, neither of the twins’ fathers stepped forward when it came to claiming their paternity, claiming it had been a one night thing with their mother. With barely any contact with their maternal figure, the custodial fight for the twins lasted for a few years, well into the twins’ early teenage years.

Growing up with their half-sister Chaerin and seeing her as someone they could rely on in a maternal way, the trio became very close from the very start, relying on each others when times got rough, when the twins’ mother would try to come take them away despite having no conditions to raise them, nor intention to leave behind the life of prostitution for a stable nine to five job. The custody fight ended with their mother eventually taking her own life. When Chaerin became of age, her father introduced her to a world she’d never seen, to a world no one thought he carried on his shoulders: the world of organised crime. Teaching Chaerin from a young age was just the beginning of a legacy. Upon the tragic incident that led to Hoseok’s passing, Chaerin took the twins on board - teaching them everything they needed to know about the life they were meant to carry on. She trained both twins differently: choosing to enhance Hyunah’s skills in edged weaponry and Hyoyeon’s in hand-to-hand combat. 

It wasn’t long before crime took over the cities of Seoul, Busan, Daegu, Incheon, and so on. Little things from the start: shop lifting, street racing, theft but things quickly took off for the newly formed trio, now self-dubbed, LKC. Low crimes no longer phased them, South Korea didn’t hold an awful lot for them so they went on to pursue different careers among themselves: Chaerin as the mastermind of the trio opted to go straight down the criminal justice route focused on tainting it more than it already was to give her family the life they all deserved; Hyoyeon followed a personal interest and went into dancing, initially she specialized in contemporary but soon switched and remained in hip-hop which she still teaches around the world; Hyunah was always the trickiest of the three as she held no particular interest other than money and reputation, so she worked her way up to the top becoming the CEO and model of a fashion brand.

Nowadays the sisters work in a well-organised trio. Chaerin is the director of the CIA in the United States where she resides, Hyoyeon is a professional choreographer constantly travelling the world from edge to edge, and Hyunah is a wealthy CEO and model of a fashion brand. They are so widely known that one would think that is how they manage to build the empire they have, oh if only the world knew what lies within.

[deadfractals]

-RORY WILLINGHAM; BEHOLD AND BEAR WITNESS.

Remind me of the weight I carry with me always And I made it so close to pretend that I'm not Everything you wish you could be

tw General Death Cult stuff, Eyes Wide Shut type sex weirdness but it’s vague, a post that is just so long.

Known in English as the “Beholders of Decay” or in some sects, the “Witnesses of Rot,” The Bertrachter Des Verfalls were initially a small coven of little to no repute based centrally in Munich, Germany. Hinged entirely on the bloodline of two families, the Fuchs’ and the Drachens, the witches within the Bertrachters were pureblooded, married off to one another within their family’s preferences to produce capable witches with skills based in necromancy, blood magic, alchemy, and potioncraft. Existing for some time with little issue for those around them, the Beholders would take their name upon a ‘vision’ experienced by one of the children among them of a mass extinction event that would spare only those who agreed to behold the aftermath, to sit by and witness the destruction, to claim the bodies left in the char for themselves as obedient, mindless puppets, and guide the few survivors to a greater, more controlled future. The child spoke the apocalypse- and her superiors believed her.

Given her position over the coven at a mere 15 years old because of her ‘gift’, Marianne Fuchs would for a time, be guided by advisors, only to prove that her position of power was both well earned- and ill advised. At a mere 18 years old she would take full control on her own, pushing her followers further into the depths of their already dark practices, and opening the once limited base of coven members to include other groupings of supernaturals within the surrounding area, wolf packs and vampire clans offered the services of the capable witches the Bertrachters produced in exchange for their obedience and loyalty. No longer pushing for witch supremacy on the surface the coven allowed for marriage between their people and a select handful of loyal clans and packs, generating psychics and mediums with a firm encouragement to avoid producing half-wolves, viewing those laboring under the curse as less useful when imbued with magic, as opposed to half-vampires, who had some use to the leadership.

The coven would spread from there, and quickly radicalize into a cult.

Believing that they were the true inheritors of the earth, the Beholders had little regard for their fellow man, regardless of species, curses laid for minor discretions only to charge hundreds to remove the very thing they’d inflicted themselves, werewolves and vampires seen as simple beasts of burden to those superior to them, those with magic roaming their veins. Led for the better part of a half century by Marianne- with little power afforded to the man who gave her her heir or the husband she took from one of the many vampire clans, she would only sink her people further and further into their studies, their hunt for life eternal and full control over those who dare dissent against the one true rule offered beneath her. This would not change within her training of her son, Johannes, teaching him the long-held tenants of the Beholders with an unwillingness to bend.

Witches are the inheritors, all those who serve our means will be spared- but never within power.

Death has no bearing on the actions of the beholders, for they give life where it faded once before. Decay and Rot eat away at puppets and pawns, but they return not to the soil until they can serve us no longer.

Nothing is off the table when it comes to power and control, murder, blackmail, corruption, bribery- hold and maintain your iron grasp upon those beneath you and if they attempt to rise up, see that they are made an example of.

Pleasure at its core, is a means of control as well, but hedonism is our birthright, sex, feasts, drugs, venom, all are ours to experience before our time, the sweetest fruits of the earth before the earth falls to ash.

Vampires and Werewolves are beasts of burden, corpses reanimated by magic not unlike Beholders servants and mere dogs masquerading as men seeking some kind of validation and power. While Vampires have their uses, Wolves are practically useless- be cordial, but never welcoming beyond the parties- and marry off only the disappointments into the packs.

Revelry and study should be observed in tandem, partake in the flesh and then your lessons, seek immortality just as fervently as you seek the embrace of another’s body.

The only God is the one within us, the one that deigns us fit to hold the thin, spidery strands of fate and corruption. the only true finality is that eventually, it will all rot away. But we will remain eternal.

Upon her death, it was Marianne’s oldest son who took power from her, as the female heir to her position- a half sibling on the Drachen side of the coven quickly given the “Fuchs” name as customary, was born a year after her death. Under Johannes, the Beholders twisted all the further. Murder, gluttony and debauchery, grand and lavish parties littered with wine, riches, expensive food and drug use punctuated by masked attendees in heaps of tangled limbs marked the beginning and end of each week, as the new covenhead, a mere 18, had been quickly led to believe the loss of his mother was something they could have circumvented had their research been further along, had the revelry held morale high enough.

A dangerous young blood witch, Johannes’ practice was not with that which was spilled, but the sanguine still flowing in the veins of his followers and the unlucky petitioners to the now powerhouse that had been made of the beholders. Puppeteering the living as his compatriots could control the dead, Johan’s will was impossible to defy, as telling him ‘no’ did little more than upset the cruel boy- often ending in being forced to act against one’s own will, prisoner to his wants and a passenger within the body. Within his thrall, the Beholders spread, their thorns tangling around the eyes and mouths of those in power all across Europe to blind them to reality- and bind them to the will of the cult. On their way to being a global superpower, the Beholders would experience a massive setback upon the forced changing of their now 30 year old leader.

A vampire, as the tenants stated, could hold no power within the Beholders, the seat intended for a witch and a witch alone. Ousted from his place by his family- people who once spoke of him with reverence viewing him as little more than a servant now- Johannes experienced, perhaps for the first time, awareness of where his people had gone. He took his leave that night, but not without taking many other things with him. The several tomes containing their research into immortality, recipes for potions and alchemical compounds the Beholders had shared to no one outside their circles, and a handful of other essential books were spirited away from the mansion library, and with the remnants of a number of explosive and fire-imbued potions, Johannes would burn the Fuchs family home to the ground, purple and green flame climbing high into the dark of the night, smoke rising and blanketing the sky for days, until all that remained of the only home he’d ever known- and the headquarters of a towering cult- was a charred plot of land and those lucky enough to escape.

Their next heir would be a mere 11.

[dragon-swords-prophecies]

WIP Re-Intro: Herald At Dawn

Title: Herald at Dawn

Genre: Steampunk fantasy murder mystery

Status: 30k, draft 0 mostly finished

POV: Third person limited, multiple POVs

Setting: A steampunk city called Volimere, loosely based on victorian/edwardian london. Fashion is 1890s based, technology is, uh, wherever I think is coolest before the 1940s. Technically, its set in september & october of 1891, but thats largely because any later and the sleeves on women’s shirts get unmanageable. 

Universal TW/CW: Murder, corruption, legal systems being really really shit at their job, implied homophobia, cheating/affairs on spouses (past), bribery, death, implied past sexual assault, severe injury

Plot/Synopsis: 11 years ago a woman named Marisol Ekker was murdered by the wife of her son's father, Evelyn Belmont. Despite all evidence, Evelyn Belmont was acquitted and faced no punishment. Nearly a decade later, investigative reporter Alexandrina McLelland approached Marisol Ekker's son, Nathaniel Ekker--who was 12 at the time of her death--, to write an article about the corruption in the case. It is published in The Clockwork Herald, the newspaper where Alexandrina works, and exposes the dirty laundry of one of the city’s wealthiest families, the Belmonts. Soon after a string of murders begins. At first suspicions point to someone entirely unconnected with the Ekker trial or Alexandrina’s article, but as the pressure mounts (and the danger gets much closer to home), it becomes clear that the article and the deaths are far more connected than anyone initially thought.

Main Characters & Important Side Characters (Character Into links to be added):

Alexandrina "Alex" McLelland. 31, she/her, aroace. Investigative reporter at The Clockwork Herald and the narrator for this story (most of the time. sometimes there's another narrator)! Possesses a strong sense of justice and a weak sense of self preservation. Firmly believes in pockets. She wants to finish what her father started and expose the crimes of the city’s wealthy and powerful. This is, unfortunately, going rather slowly.

James Blakely. 32, he/him, gay, editor at the Herald. Alex's childhood friend, and Leo's partner. Is best described as a golden retriever with anxiety. He worries too much for his own good. James inherited editor-ship of the herald from his uncle 10 years ago, but he had been working there in various capacities since he was a teenager.

León "Leo" Rivera. 33, he/him, bisexual & bilingual. Writes the pages on politics at the Herald & is James' partner. Leo wrote the original articles on the Ekker trial 11 years ago; he used to be a court reporter. He does his best to not get hurt by his job, but sometimes he’s terrible at it (Chapter 10. Chapter 10 is when he’s really, really terrible at it. Though to be fair it is not in any way his fault). 

Nathaniel Ekker. 23, he/him, queer. Tailor, and the son of the woman whose murder was the focus of the Ekker trial. He agreed to do Alex's article on the condition it would be anonymous (and it was). He was 12 when his mother was killed by his father’s wife. His aunts raised him, and he only returned to Volimere 4 years ago t0 reopen his mother’s shop. 

Arthur Hall. 30, he/him, cishet. Investigative reporter at the Volimere Daily, and Alex's (mostly friendly) rival. Also one of her closest friends. Despite this, they have a lot of disagreements. He was supposed to co-write the article with her but ended up not doing that.

Ronald Wilks. 65, he/him, bisexual & polyamarous. Sports & Entertainment reporter at The Clockwork Herald. He used to work with Alexandrina’s father (Donovan), before Donovan died. He was not supposed to be as plot relevant as he is and I do not have a lot to say about him (yet).

Taglist maintained below the cut, ask to be added or removed!

@thelaughingstag @gr3y-heron @another-white-void @amethyst-aster @akindofmagictoo

[vonnamoc]

The culture of corruption in two of the authoritarian regimes in Southeast Asia

Singapore: 

Firstly, he recognized his status as the Prime Minister of Singapore and his status as the Lee family's eldest son. He has to recognize that 38 Oxley Road has enormous historical significance. LHY or LWL does not recognize this since they are not held responsible for Singapore's citizens. LHL is shown in his objection to demolish the house, saying Singaporeans' sentiments were still raw when LHY asked he does so after the death of LKY. It was the home of LKY, the founding father of Singapore, and Many essential and vital decisions were made there. Secondly, LHL was unsure as to whether LKY desired to have the house demolished. In the 5th and 6th Will, the demolition clause was removed but reinserted in the Last Will, after meddling by LHY and his wife; this caused reasonable doubt by LHL in whether LKY was informed and aware during the drafting of the Last Will. Thirdly, LWL requested to continue to stay there, thus postponing any decisions regarding the house; this is disputed by LWL, stating that LHL wanted her to continue staying there to prevent the house from being demolished. It is well known that LKY was vocal about demolishing the house after he passed away, as he did not want it to be turned into some shrine for gawking fans, which is entirely consistent with his disdain for cults of personality. It is also true that preserving the house would limit the amount of development in its environs, which is not acceptable from a purely economic standpoint. So the case for demolishing the house is pretty strong.

Malaysia: 

Najib set up 1MDB, the "sovereign wealth fund" of Malaysia, to siphon out all of Malaysia's wealth into his Swiss bank accounts by buying counterfeit companies for inflated prices, and then they paid him a cut into his Swiss account. Despite all the oil wealth, the Malaysian government cronies are entirely corrupt. In a country where police commonly openly solicit bribes, why would they task the most useless "anti-corruption" unit to investigate why Najib has $700M in his Swiss bank account? Not sure how any modern chairman can justify why their company bought $41B of bogus companies, but they knew nothing about it and take no responsibility. He was either implicit in the bribes, and it was siphoned to his Swiss bank accounts, or he is completely incompetent. Either way, it seems Najib has screwed over Malaysia and embezzled Malaysia's entire sovereign wealth fund.

Conclusion:

The Singapore leaders, primarily the late LKY, recognize that the country has to be corruption free without substantial resources to sustain and develop. He also sent a message to the world that Singapore practices the rule of law, and bribery has no place in their society. He practices meritocracy; also, you earn your pay based on your effort and contribution. Every cent has to be accounted for. There can be no wastages. It cannot allow a mentality that one can buy his way or gain favor using dishonest means. If any political system allows crooks or those with dark agendas to gain Power, that country is bound for hell.

Look at all the countries surrounding Singapore where corruption is rampant. Look at the foreign reserves held by them, look at their exchange rate, their wastages of funding's, and resources. Their performances are way below that of Singapore, and this being that they have ample natural resources. However, no attempts were made by these governments to make effective eradication of these vile practices. It is business as usual for each successive Government. It has become a norm, and if there were any prosecution, only the small 'fish' are punished. It is a question of how much resources they can afford to squander before it runs out. They will probably increase taxes to raise revenue. LKY priority is to ensure the long term survival of Singapore. Nobody owes you a living, and this message is drilled hard into the minds of every Singaporean. He also has to send this message that there is no tolerance for corruption at home and abroad. Even a minister was charged. This particular minister later committed suicide. Another senior minister was asked to resign because he kept a mistress. LKY is fully aware that his lifestyle dictates the personal behavior of an individual. Senior officials in Singapore would be under scrutiny if one were to live beyond one's means.

Moreover, government officials are very well paid in Singapore. There should be no other reason for them to seek additional 'income.' Any official caught and convicted will not only be jailed. They lose all their benefits, even their pensions it shows the seriousness of the Government's effort no one is insulated. Singapore has progressed ahead of many of her neighbors even in times of economic downturn. During the Asian financial crisis, the Singapore dollar was not that badly affected. Her reserves are sufficient to ward off any speculative attacks. Government's of lip service were given, especially in SEA, and it seems no progress were made to eradicate corruption. For Malaysia TW problem is like a cancer and it is spreading. It would be difficult to bring back the very basic value of human decency when the emphasis fundamental makes a 'killing' at the people and the country's expense. Corruption in Malaysia has become a way of life and it cannot be overcome because it is expected and accepted, especially if one is politically well connected. Lord Acton said "Power tends to corrupt, and absolute Power corrupts absolutely." He further says that great men are almost always bad men. If these other SEA governments were to use Singapore's anti-corruption rules and regulations as a yardstick, ninety percent of these political leaders would be jailed.

[dragon-swords-prophecies]

WIP Re-Intro: Herald At Dawn

Title: Herald at Dawn

Genre: Steampunk fantasy murder mystery

Status: 25k draft 0, working on draft 1 & rewriting some of draft 0

Pov: Third person limited, multiple POVs

Setting: A steampunk city called Volimere, loosely based on victorian/edwardian london

Universal TW/CW: Murder, corruption, legal systems being really really shit at their job, implied homophobia, cheating/affairs on spouses (past), bribery, stabbing, implied past sexual assualt

Plot/Synopsis: 11 years ago a woman named Marisol Ekker was murdered by the wife of her son's father, Evelyn Belmont. Despite evidence to the contrary, Evelyn Belmont was acquitted, and faced no punishment. Nearly a decade later, investigative reporter Alexandrina McLelland approached Marisol Ekker's son, Nathaniel--who was 12 at the time of her death--, to write an article about the corruption present in the case. Shortly after the article is published a string of murders begins, with no seeming rhyme or reason to connect the victims. But the timing seem suspect, and as the fallout of the articles publishing hits Nathaniel, more and more people keep dying, until the killer targets somebody much closer to home than Alex would've ever guessed.

Main Characters (Character Into links to be added):

Alexandrina "Alex" McLelland. 30, she/her, aroace. Investigative reporter at The Clockwork Herald and the narrator for this story! (most of the time. sometimes there's another narrator)

James Blakely. 32, he/him, gay, editor at the Herald. Alex's childhood friend, and Leo's partner. Is best described as a golden retriever with anxiety.

León "Leo" Rivera. 33, he/him, bisexual. Writes the pages on politics at the Herald & is James' partner. He's also bilingual, and is who wrote the original articles on the Ekker trial, 11 years ago.

Nathaniel Ekker. 23, he/him, queer. Tailor, and the son of the woman whose murder was the focus of the Ekker trial. He agreed to do Alex's article on the condition it would be anonymous (and it was).

Arthur Hall. 30, he/him, cishet. Investigative reporter at the Volimere Daily, and Alex's (friendly) rival. Also one of her closest friends.

Taglist maintained below the cut! Ask to be added or removed!

Taglist (ask to be added or removed!): @thelaughingstag @gr3y-heron @another-white-void @amethyst-aster