#police academy 2: their first assignment

[iwannaliveinadream]

#90 of 2022 - Police Academy 2: Their First Assignment.

#Police Academy 2: Their First Assignment #movie tracking #film tracking #2022 movies

[80smovies]

#Police Academy 2 Their First Assignment #Steve Guttenberg #Bubba Smith #David Graf #Michael Winslow #Bruce Mahler #Marion Ramsey #George Gaynes #Jerry Paris #Barry W. Blaustein #David Sheffield #James Signorelli #80s

[incorrectlooneytunesquotes]

Elliot Sampson: Porky, you're the most incredible butt-kisser I have ever seen.

Porky: Th-th-th-th-thank you very much, sir. I do my best.

#elliot sampson #porky pig #source: police academy 2: their first assignment

[monsterfuker3000]

Training Room

Wrote a little sub!Leon for the people (this is so totally for me. I’ve never written something so self-serving in my life.)

Warnings: sub!virgin!Leon, it’s implied reader has some experience, reader is afab, NSFW, oral (m receiving,) p in v, crying, unprotected sex (*sprays you with a spray bottle,*) RE2 Leon cries after sex and I will not be taking questions or criticisms. Not proofread we die like men, I’m positive there are continuity issues in this but I wrote it with my pussy and not my brain so I apologize. This is for you babes sorry for the wait @jacaerysthinker

Word count is a grand 3,479 I got carried away whoops. I wrote a part 2! It’s called A Lesson in Dining Etiquette

Alright, this isn’t how Leon necessarily imagined this sparring session going, but considering how good it felt to have you grind against him, he certainly wasn’t going to complain.

The two of you had gone to police academy together and had quickly become close friends. By sheer dumb luck, you were both assigned to two newly vacated positions in Raccoon City. What are the odds?

Leon was good at what he did, scary good. You, on the other hand, had some trouble. You excelled in every category but sparring, the one curriculum that had allowed you to pass just by the skin of your teeth. Leon worried for your safety because of this, and you knew you needed practice. That’s what landed you in the practice room late one night after everyone had gone home.

You’d been here for hours already, sweating and losing patience. Leon, on the other hand, had barely broken a sweat, his stupid hair still falling perfectly over his stupid face. You were working on an especially critical move, one that would have you sweeping a suspect’s legs out from under them and wrestling them to the ground on their stomach, allowing you to easily cuff them behind their back. This one was really giving you trouble, and you were growing frustrated that Leon seemed to fight you off as easily as he’d swat away a fly.

Nearly every attempt landed you straight on your ass. Leon was kind enough to help you up, but as your best friend, he couldn’t help himself from laughing.

“Maybe we should take a break, you’re not going to get anywhere when you’re this frustrated,” he mused.

“Not yet, I can do it this time,” you spat. He barked out a short laugh.

“Fine. I’ll give you one more try, and after this we’re breaking for dinner. I’m starving,” he replied with a smile. He was enjoying this too much. You, sweaty and panting, alone with him for hours? He’d been half-hard since the two of you stepped into the practice room and hoped to God you didn’t notice.

You didn’t, thank God, you were too busy cursing his name as you tried like hell to take him down, determined you’d do it this time if it was the last damn thing you did. You nodded. You could do it this time.

You moved into your defensive position and signaled to Leon to begin. He moved to attack, and you ran through the steps just as he’d been showing you for the last few hours. Sidestep, grab his arm, kick the back of his legs. Yes! You did it, you finally got him on the ground. Now, to complete the move you just had to turn and plant a leg on either side of his back so you could place your body weight on him, pinning him.

The first half of the move went off without a hitch, you were certain you had him this time. What you didn’t foresee was Leon rolling onto his back just as you came down on him, landing you square on his crotch. You were ecstatic you’d gotten this far, not paying attention to where you’d actually landed, but Leon was a bit distracted by your position.

“Yes!” You cried out, pumping both fists in the air and bouncing slightly. Leon grunted underneath you, but you were still oblivious. “I got you, I got youuu~” you practically sang as you swayed back and forth, still sitting on him. With this shift, however, you felt Leon’s semi under your ass and your eyes widened. “Oh, oh Lee I’m so sorry, I-“ you began as you tried to stand. His hands flew out to grab at your hips, keeping you there.

“No!” He cried out. “No no no, please,” he panted, his eyes screwed shut. “Please don’t move,” he trailed off, his voice small.

Oh my God.

Leon, your best friend, the man you’ve been pining for for months, was whimpering underneath you. You hadn’t told him the huge, embarrassing crush you have on him of course, how could you? You gave an experimental roll of your hips against his and he cried out again, a high whine from the back of his throat. Oh. You could work with this. You rolled your hips again and leaned down to whisper in his ear.

“You got a problem there, officer?” you teased. He shivered and his face flushed such a pretty shade of pink, the color dusted across his cheeks and even his nose. You could feel he was now fully hard beneath you. Cute.

“I-I’m sorry I. . . I’ll get up, you don’t have to-“ you cut him off, pressing against his chest as he tried to sit up. You leaned in, your lips just an inch away from his as your breath ghosted over them, giving him a chance to pull back. When he doesn’t, you press your lips to his.

You began gently, placing a chaste, closed-mouthed kiss to his lips, testing the waters. Leon had other ideas. He moved one hand from your hips to the back of your head, pulling you in and kissing you hard. You gasp, and he uses the opportunity to lick into your mouth. You pull back, surprised, and Leon instantly begins fumbling again.

“I’m so sorry, that was too much I. . . I’ve wanted to kiss you for so long and I should have asked you and I don’t know whatcameovermepleaseforgive-“ you place a hand over his mouth and give him a soft smile.

“Lee, honey, it’s okay. You did nothing wrong. Now,” you replied, glancing down at the very obvious outline of his now rock-hard cock, “are you going to let me help you with that, sweetheart?” He nodded, looking at you with what you could only describe as idolatry.

You removed your hand from his mouth and watched it fall slack, his eyes wide. You lifted yourself off him and moved to unbuckle his belt, but stopped. “Lee, is this okay?”

“Yes, God please, it’s more than okay, just please touch me, baby,” he whined. Even cuter. You still hesitated.

“Have you done anything like this before?” Your question seemed to take him by surprise, and the adorable blush on his cheeks only deepened. He seemed to shrink in on himself as he shook his head slowly. You were astounded. A man like Leon had never moved past first base? Astonishing, but something to ponder over another time.

Your silence and surprised expression did nothing to comfort Leon, and he only became more unsure of himself, seemingly trying to make himself as small as possible. He sniffled a bit, and your heart broke as you watched those big blue eyes fill with tears as he stumbled over an apology.

“I’m sorry, you don’t have to do anything, I don’t know how to make you feel good. . .” he trailed off. You gave him another gentle smile and placed a hand against his cheek, stroking it with your thumb.

“Well, Lee, we’re in a training room, aren't we?” You grinned, watching him relax a bit. “Besides, I want to help you. Will you let me?” you asked, looking into those still-teary eyes. So pretty.

He nodded, still shy, and you smiled. You unbuckled his belt for him and undid his pants, pulling them down to his knees along with his boxers. He cried out and you winced; only then did you consider that the rough drag of his boxers over his cock and the slap against his stomach as it sprung upward might be too much for him. Oh, but what a pretty cock it was.

About six inches long and girthy as all hell, it was beautiful. There was a thatch of curly hair at the base, just a bit darker than the pretty blonde on his head, and the tip was such a deep red that it almost looked angry. You couldn’t help but swipe a finger over the bead of precum gathering at the slit and pop it in your mouth, earning an incoherent cry from Leon, along with damn near the widest eyes you'd ever seen. You moaned and smiled softly around your finger at the heady taste, both satisfied and wanting to put on a bit of a show for the man.

Leon was fairly certain you were trying to kill him.

You took him into your mouth as he still laid sprawled on the ground; he decided this was just fine because he knew the second you opened your mouth for him he would have fallen to his knees, whether that be from weakness or exaltation, he did not know.

You took as much of his cock into your mouth as you could, allowing it to push into your open throat and brushing your nose into the curls at the base. He cried out, sounding almost pained, but were you not torturing him? Both of his hands were curled tightly into fists at his side, banging against the padded ground as he tried desperately to keep from grabbing the back of your head and fucking into your mouth. This just would not do.

You pulled away, and he lifted his head to look at you and whined at the loss of contact, his lower lip even sticking out a bit and his eyes still teary. God, so cute.

“Relax, sweetheart, hm?” You took one of his hands in yours and moved it to the back of your head. He wound his fingers tightly in your hair and gave an experimental pull, letting go as if he was burned when you moaned.

“‘M sorry, did I hurt you? I didn’t mean to, I swear-“

“Lee, it felt good. Besides, what did I just tell you?” You raised an eyebrow at him and he breathed deeply.

“I’m relaxing, I promise, I’m relaxing.” He dropped his head back to the floor and looked up at the ceiling.

You sat up to look at him more directly, once again taking in the full view of that pretty pink blush on his face, and he met your eyes.

“Leon, I want you to do what feels good and natural for you, okay? I promise that if I don’t like something you do, I’ll tell you right away, and I promise I’ll do the same for you. You promise you’ll tell me if you don’t like something or you want to stop?” He nodded but you shook your head. “I need to hear it, baby, promise me you’ll be honest with me, no judgment whatsoever.”

He cleared his throat, wondering when it began to feel so dry. “I promise. I promise I’ll tell you if I don’t like something so please touch me, let me touch you, anything,” he answered. You smiled down at him.

“Of course, honey,” a hint of condescension in your voice. “Good boys get whatever they ask for, don’t you know that? Are you a good boy?”

Leon’s breath caught in his throat and his cock jumped. ‘Oh my God,’ he thought, ‘she’s seriously going to fucking kill me.”

You moved to stand, undoing your pants and sliding them off to give him a view of your panties before sliding them off as well. You straddled him again, sitting so that the underside of his cock was pressed against you as he moaned. You rocked your hips forward, coating him in your slick. His hands flew to your hips and grabbed them, hard. You smiled, he was finally letting loose a bit. You continued to rock gently back and forth, giving him some time to adjust to the sensation before lifting your hips and using your hand to line his cock up with your entrance before using your other hand to grab his face, forcing him to look at you.

He stared, wide-eyed, cheeks slightly squished and eyelashes still wet from unshed tears. “You okay with this Lee?” you asked.

Jesus Christ, was he okay with this.

He whined, hips bucking upwards searching for some friction, stopping when you gave him a stern look. Words. Words. You only accepted words. He could come up with some words, right?

He was frustrated, he just wanted you to touch him already, he wanted you so bad he could barely think. A nearly pained cry ripped from his throat before he began babbling.

“Please, please sit down, please fuck me, please touch me I’ve been such a good boy I promise I have! Please just take whatever you want, fuck me however you want, use me-fuck!”

You cut him off by sitting down, sheathing him in you completely, balls pressed to your ass. You didn’t think he could get any prettier than he already was. But with his back arched, his teeth gritted, his brows furrowed, and his big blue eyes screwed shut, this was definitely the prettiest you’d ever seen him. You tried to bounce on him a bit but he gripped your hips, keeping you flush with his pelvis.

“No, please don’t move yet, give me a second,” he whined. He was fairly certain that if you moved he was going to cum within seconds, and he wanted to make you feel good before he did that. He took a deep breath. “Can you. . . Show me what to do? Is there something I can do with my hands that will make you feel good?” He asked, still shy.

You smiled fondly at him, deciding not to tease him this time, as easy as it would have been. You nodded and lifted one of his hands off your hip, guiding his thumb to your clit and showing him how to circle it just the way you liked. You let go of his hand to let him take over, and he kept up the pace perfectly, even adding a bit more pressure here and there, causing you to buck your hips and moan softly. Quick learner, hm?

“You can move now, please,” Leon whined. As much as he wanted to get you off he didn’t think that he could keep lying on the floor, balls deep in the person he’s loved for months without going crazy.

“Okay baby, I’m going to start slow, okay? Tell me if this is alright,” you said. He nodded and you decided to cut him a break just this once. You placed your hands on his chest and lifted yourself up just a few inches and dropped back down, and he keened, a pathetic sound that reminded you of the time he dislocated his shoulder in training. You picked up the pace, bouncing on him gently as he damn near writhed beneath you, his thumb fighting to keep circling your clit all the while. He’d already gotten you close when you were only seated on him, so it didn’t take long for your climax to approach.

“Lee, baby,” you panted, “I think I’m gonna cum. Please don’t stop what you’re doing, keep going just like that.” God himself could not have ripped him away from you right now, so he obliged. You began to lose your rhythm, but Leon, bless him, kept circling your clit like his life depended on it. You came, rutting your hips sharply against his and digging your nails into his chest. He watched your face closely, taking in every detail, every twitch in your expression, knowing damn well he’d be imagining this moment every time he jacked off for probably the rest of his life. Leon’s thumb began to feel a little too rough, the overstimulation getting to you, so you lifted his hand away from you and placed it back on your hip.

“Lee honey, you wanna cum in me?”

Oh my God.

“Are. . . Are you sure?” he asked. He may not know much, but he knew cumming inside was no small thing.

“Mhm,” you replied, nodding and leaning down to peck his lips. “Plus,” you continued, “I want your pretty cock in me when you cum. Don’t you want to see your cum leaking out of this pussy? And I keep telling you baby, relax. I want to hear more of those pretty sounds that I know you’re trying to hold back.”

Jesus Christ. You were actually trying to kill him.

When he didn’t answer because he was fairly certain his brain had turned to mush and started leaking out of his ears, you rolled your hips against him again, snapping him out of his haze. “Come on baby, you gonna ask to cum in this pussy?” you asked. He whined. He would fall to his knees and beg for this opportunity if he had to, and here you were, offering it up on your own.

“Please, angel, please let me cum inside, I wa-want to so bad. I was so good for you, wasn’t I? Darling, I’ll do w-whatever you ask of me, I swear, just please, please let me fill you up with my cum.”

Good enough.

You picked your hips back up and slammed them back down with an intensity you’d been holding back until now. You fucked him almost brutally, and good God did he let loose so you could hear him.

He looked beautiful like this, his hair mussed and spread out on the ground like a halo, his mouth hanging open slightly and his big baby blues glazed over and once again filling with tears. You had him so tightly wound that it didn’t take long for him to get close.

“I-I think I’m-I think I’m gonna c-cum, I’m gonna cum, I’m cumming, fuck baby I’m cumming, I’m cumming, I’m cumming.” He repeated this like a mantra and you took mercy on him, finally slowing down so you could feel every twitch of his cock as he pumped you full of his cum and fat tears spilled freely from his eyes.

“Hey, hey, sweetheart, what’s wrong?” you asked, gripping the front of his shirt and using it to haul him into a sitting position as he wrapped his arms tightly around your waist. He buried his face into your chest and freely cried as you stroked his hair and rocked him back and forth.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” he repeated through sobs. There was nothing you could do but continue trying to soothe him and tell him he had nothing to be sorry about.

He finally stopped crying a few minutes later, settling back down into only the occasional sniffle. You peeled him away from you to look at him, holding his face in your hands and wiping away a few stray tears with your thumbs.

“Hey, honey, what’s wrong? Did you not like something? Talk to me here baby,” you spoke to him gently as if you were trying to soothe a wild animal. He sniffed, his nose red.

“I. . . I don’t know,” he cried, unable to meet your gaze. “It felt so good, I don’t know what happened, I’m so sorry-“

You cut him off. “Hey. Look at me,” you said, and he finally lifted his eyes to meet yours. “You have nothing to be sorry for, Lee.” You paused, trying to come up with the best way to explain this to him. “When you cum, Lee,” you continued, “your brain releases tons of endorphins, and sometimes that makes people cry. It’s nothing to be ashamed of, okay?”

He sniffled again. “Really?”

“Really,” you replied. You pulled him back in for a hug and he once again buried his face in your chest. He took a deep breath. He had to ask.

“Is this. . . Is this a one-time thing? Do you want to just stay friends?” He asked, hoping to God that’s not what you wanted.

You chuckled lightly. “No Lee, I don’t want this to be a one-time thing. I’d love to do this again, maybe go on some dates, if you want to take me.”

He straightened, moving to look at you as his eyes lit up. “Really? You want to go on a date with me?” he asked, almost comically enthusiastic. “I’d love to take you, there’s tons of places I’ve thought of taking you to, there’s this restaurant-“ he cut himself off abruptly, eyes widening as he realized he just let slip he totally had a crush on you and also totally had said crush for a good long while. You laughed.

“I’d love to go to dinner with you, Officer Kennedy,” you replied playfully. He couldn’t help but smile, flashing that crooked grin you loved so much. Then he watched you wince, looking at you curiously with his head tilted to the side like a puppy. You’d felt his cock finally soften, slipping out of you and being followed closely by his cum that was quickly seeping out onto his belly. “Before we do that, though,” you said, “we have got to find some paper towels.”

ZOO WEE MAMA thank y’all for reading! Might write a part 2 where reader gives Leon and intro to *ahem* oral presentation hehe

#leon kennedy #leon s kennedy #re4 leon #spotify #leon kennedy reader #re leon #smut #resident evil #re2 #re2 leon #re2make #re2 remake

[qs63]

Amestris Military structure and organization

This is the first of my series of long posts about the Amestrian Military. This one goes over the structure and organization of the military (and the country). To see the rest of this meta series check out the Main Post.

Amestris is a military state, surrounded by other hostile countries on all sides, the country has always been at war over its borders. For this reason, even before Bradley became Führer-president, the military was the center of the government. However, when Bradley became Führer-president in his 40s[2], twenty years prior to the series beginning[3][4], he took control of the government, parliament, and courts, effectively making current Amestris a military dictatorship.[2]

Each regional branch has a commander and a sub-commander appointed to the headquarters who serve as the head of the local government.[5] Grumman served as commander of the East until his appointment as Führer-President, with Mustang serving as his sub-commander until his transfer to Central, after which he was replaced by Major General Hakuro.[2][4][5][6] It is implied by Grumman that Roy Mustang and Olivier Armstrong became the commanders of the East and North, respectively, after the Promised Day.[8]

Administrative Organization 

In terms of organization Amestris is divided in 4 regions (East, West, North, and South) and a fifth administrative district at the center of the country (Central City). Each region is a semi-independent government ruled by a branch of the military, but all four regional branches are controlled by Central Command. That means a General assigned to Central Command is higher in hierarchy than a General of the same rank assigned to one of the regional branches. This is why being assigned to Central is considered a promotion and vice versa.[1] 

Aside from being in charge of the regional branches Central Command is also in charge of the Military Police and the Wide Area Government (Most likely based on Japan's koikigyouse. A branch of government in charge of coordination and operations that go beyond the jurisdiction of the local governments). In turn Central command answers to the Führer's Office, which is also in charge of the military academy, the alchemy research institute, the state alchemy agency, and the alchemy school. The military as a whole is also in charge of a multitude of establishments around the country, like hotels and hospitals.[2]

As mentioned before, the Führer's office also has control of the court and the parliament despite these technically being separate entities from the military.[2]

Diagram of the Composition and organization of the Amestrian military. [2]

What is interesting about Amestris’ administrative organization and division is that this kind of autonomous or semi-autonomous government branches usually serve the purpose of power decentralization (i.e. State vs Federal government) which is the antithesis of a dictatorship. The regional divisions must have predated the Bradley administration, all the way back to a time when the parliament and democracy still worked. 

The homunculi choosing to alienate the regional branches instead of dismantling them was probably their biggest mistake. In the end, even if Central held all the political power, the soldiers were still loyal to their local branch. That left each regional command with about 1/5th of Amestris’ military power at their disposal. If the Promised Day showed us anything, it is that losing control of two of the regions (East and North in this case) is enough to overthrow the central government. 

It could be said then that the measures taken to keep power decentralized somewhat work even after the fall of democracy.

An example of the military’s ability to govern is Bradley passing executive order 3066 during the Ishval Civil War, as well as his subsequent Ishvalan Policy, which prohibited the resettlement of Ishval. [7][8] Another example is Roy Mustang's New Ishvalan Policy (which involves domestic development in Ishval and international treaties with Xing).[8] This latest example hints towards a shift away from Bradley's authoritarianism under Grumman's tenure, where the regional branches are allowed more control over their own policies as opposed to being micromanaged by Central Command.

General Mission

As any armed force the main purpose of the Amestris military is warfare. However, as a military dictatorship their role goes beyond defending the country and right into governance. The military holds the executive power through the Führer-President, with the regional branches acting as local governments, and is indirectly in charge of the legislative and Judicial powers (through the parliament and court).[2]

The Amestrian military is also in charge of domestic security and order mainly through the Military Police.[2]

Military Ranks

The Amestrian military has a total of 15 ranks, 11 officer ranks and 4 NCO (non-commissioned officer) ranks, at least per the perfect guides.[1][2][3] The Wikia includes two more (unsourced) NCO ranks, but I'll explain later why those might not make sense in the “real world influence” post.

Amestrian military ranks. [1]

Führer-President (大総統 - Daisōtō)

From top to bottom the ranks are:

Officer ranks

King Bradley 1894–1915,

Grumman (1915–?)[8]

General (大将 - Taishō)

Roy Mustang (1917–?) [4][8]

Lieutenant General (中将 - Chūjō)

Grumman(?–1915)[8], Raven, Gardner

Major General (少将 - shōshō)

Olivier Mira Armstrong, Hakuro, Gärtner

Brigadier General (准将 - Junshō)

Basque Grand (1908–1914) [13],

Maes Hughes (posthumously promoted two ranks),

Klemim,

Edison,

Fessler,

Roy Mustang (1915–1917)[4][8]

Colonel (大佐 - Taisa)

Roy Mustang (1910–1915)[4][8][10],

Henry Douglas

Lt. Colonel (中佐 - Chūsa)

Roy Mustang (1909-1910)[4][10][11],

Basque Grand (1908)[12],

Storch

Major (少佐 - Shōsa)

Alex Louis Armstrong,

Miles,

Roy Mustang (1908)[4][12]

Captain (大尉 - Taii)

Focker, Buccaneer,

Vato Falman (post canon)[14],

Maes Hughes (1908) [12]

1st Lieutenant (中尉 - Chūi)

Riza Hawkeye (1911–?),

Yoki

2nd Lieutenant (少尉 - Shōi)

Maria Ross,

Jean Havoc,

Heymans Breda,

Vato Falman (1915),

Henschel,

Rebecca Catalina,

Darius,

Heinkel,

Jerso,

Zampano,

Riza Hawkeye (1909-1911)[10]

Non commissioned officers ranks

Warrant Officer (准尉 - Jun’i)

Vato Falman (pre 1915),

Riza Hawkeye (1909) [11],

Roy Mustang (1905) [7][11]

Master Sergeant (曹長 - Sōcho) 

Kain Fuery

Sergeant (曹長 - Gunsō)

Denny Brosh

Corporal (伍長 - Gochō)

Cadets do not seem to have a given rank. They aren't shown with rank insignias or epaulets in the OVA “Another man's battlefield” nor in the complete art book. More about this is the Training regime Post.

Roy Mustang and Maes Hughes during their cadet days. [15]

Aside from the ranks above, two other subdivisions exist under the military structure. The State Alchemists, who have an equivalent to the rank of Major, and the Military Police, who don't seem to have military ranks at all.

The qualification exam is administered at the State Alchemist examination Hall in Central City, while the yearly evaluation can be turned in at any of the military Headquarters. [2]

State Alchemists 

The State Alchemists are government employed alchemists that have passed the State Alchemists qualification exam. To become a State Alchemist, you must pass four tests: written, practical, psychiatric evaluation, and an interview. Furthermore, even after obtaining the national qualification, candidates are required to undergo a yearly assessment based on a report and practical skills, and if they do not receive a good evaluation, they may be disqualified from the program. This yearly evaluation includes commissioned officers like Basque Grand, Roy Mustang, and Alex Louis Armstrong.[1]

After acceptance into the program each new State Alchemist is granted a silver pocket watch and a certificate with an official title by the Führer as proof of their service. [1][2][10] 

The state alchemists have the obligation to participate in war. In addition they must follow three laws:

Obey the military

Do not create gold

Do not create people 

In exchange for their services they receive privileges in the form of research funds in the tens of millions of cens annually (the equivalent to tens of 70k dollars a year), access to military documentation and facilities, and a rank equivalent to a Major. [1][2]

It is never stated when the State Alchemist program started, but only 200 people have ever passed the exam to date, and a surprising number of them fail the subsequent yearly evaluation or quit on their own. [1] Many State Alchemists renounced after the Ishval extermination war. [13]

This makes long serving State Alchemists like: Edward Elric, Roy Mustang, Alex Louis Armstrong, Basque Grand, and Giolio Comanche an oddity rather than the norm.

Normally, they are responsible for investigating incidents. However, in some cases, military personnel take command and directly participate in the investigation. A typical example of this is the search for Scar. [2] Another example is Maria Ross’s arrest and persecution in which Colonel Henry Douglas of the Military Police Headquarters took command.[9]

Military Police

The military police is a subordinate organization of the military. They receive orders from the Military Police headquarters (which in turn receives orders from Central Command) and act as the on-site execution force of the military. [2]

Colonel Henry Douglas confronts Colonel Mustang after Mustang burned Maria Ross.[9]

While the Military Police Headquarters is under the control of Central Command and parallel in hierarchy to the regional branches, the Police officers themselves are at the very bottom of the military hierarchy, and seem to be expected to obey orders from the regional branches. The police officers don't wear a rank insignia and can be seen throughout the story helping the military personnel. [2]

If you happened to read Fullmetal Alchemist Under the Faraway Sky — Roy's vacation section, you may also have noticed that Hughes has more jurisdiction and influence than Mustang outside of East City despite being a rank below him. This is again because Hughes belongs to Central Command while Roy belongs to East Command. Roy can pull rank on him, but Hughes’ job is one level above Roy's in the government structure.

Afterthoughts

The way the Amestris military is organized means that despite Roy Mustang being Hughes’ and Edward’s superior, he is hierarchically below them. This is why in episode 1 of Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood Bradley not only has to inform Mustang that Fullmetal is in the city, he also has to grant him permission to use Ed to capture McDougall. This is because the State Alchemists are under the direct command of the Fuhrer's office. They do not answer to Central Command or the regional branches. Bradley is Edward's one and only boss. Ed still has to obey direct orders given by Mustang, since State Alchemists have the authority equal to a Major and a Colonel is two ranks above that, but he doesn't have to work for him. This is why Mustang considers anything done by Ed as a favor to him rather than him just doing his job.

Yeah, that also means Hawkeye was hierarchically above Mustang when she was working as the Fuhrer's aide, therefore in the Fuhrer's office. She couldn't give him orders, but she was probably handling his (or his direct boss’s) assignments, and helping approve or deny his paperwork.

Chapter 24: Fullmetal Alchemist [10]

Source

Fullmetal Alchemist Manga 

Chapter 25: Master and Apprentice [6]

Chapter 36: Alchemist in distress [9]

Chapter 58: footsteps of ruin [7]

Chapter 59: the immoral alchemist [12]

Chapter 108: Journey's end [8]

Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood

Episode 30: The Ishvalan war of extermination [11]

Episode 64: Journey's end [14]

Military Uniform Post

Fullmetal Alchemist side story: “Start of a Journey” [13]

Fullmetal Alchemist perfect guide 1 [1]

Fullmetal Alchemist perfect guide 2 [2]

Fullmetal Alchemist perfect guide 3 [3]

Fullmetal Alchemist Chronology [4]

Fullmetal Alchemist: the abducted Alchemist [5]

The complete art of Fullmetal Alchemist [15]

#fullmetal alchemist #fma #fma meta #fullmetal alchemist brotherhood #amestris #my work

[rustboxstarr]

🎻You Don’t Have To Say You Love Me🎻

Pairings: Eddie Munson x UndiagnosedAutistic!PlusSize!ViolinPlayer!Orchestra!Harrington!Reader (Goddamn thats a lot)

Plot: When Dustins 15th birthday comes up Eddie is set out on a mission to get Steve to help. Unbeknownst to Eddie, Steve has a younger sister, a very strange, very mean sister. Theres something about her, he needs to understand how she became to be so different from her brother, so hes set out on his next mission to get the answers to his questions.

Summary: Eddie seeks out Steve and is introduced only briefly to you.

Chapter warnings: Practically absent father, slightly abusive mother, unfair treatment between Steve and Reader, Steves kinda mean, swearing, use of Y/N. Read series masterlist for storys warnings, tropes and Reader description, dw they're not major just a few)

Wordcount: 3.7k

A/N: This is the first chapter for You Don’t Have To Say You Love Me, thank you to everybody who voted for a series! This first chapter is short but they'll be longer in the future :)

Love yas!

Check out my other works! Series Masterlist

Next chapter

Dirty white Rebocks pattered against the gravel as Eddie hopped out of his van and made his way across the fading white lines littering the parking lot outside of Family Video. Looking around at the surrounding businesses littering the industrial area on the outskirts of town. All built with weakening concrete, mustard yellow and cream whites turning darker and blacker with age, just as the video store was. Hints of pink and purple painted the horizon as the sun and heat were starting to ease up from summer 1985 now that September was approaching. 

He was thankful for it as he started wearing his jeans again, leaving his worn down cargo shorts to gather dust under his bed till he had to dig them out again next summer. He had never been a fan of those cargos, but he had trouble finding any other article of clothing that could strife away the scalding temperatures, so he had been stuck constantly pulling at the hem by the waist, forcing them to stop sagging from under his belt, he felt ridiculous walking around in the, hanging off him as if he’d dressed himself in a trash bag, but now he was back in his comfortable skin wearing properly fitted jeans. 

He was on a mission after he’d been told by Mike that this was where the infamous King Steve worked and was given precise instructions on how to approach the subject, instructions which went in one ear and out the other as Eddie fought with the gamestick playing Pacman at the arcade only one day prior.

A greening gold bell rang above his head as he opened the glass door and stepped foot in the building lined with dark brown wooden shelves sporting various movies from a stingy amount of genres, the shelves depicting a confusing maze within the wallpapered walls. Whoever was in charge of planning how to best utilize the space, clearly had no idea what they were doing. 

He shimied around shelves placed too close together and far too close to comfortably open the door, navigating to a counter placed in the middle of the room as You don't have to stay forever, I will understand was heard through the tinny speakers, Elvis Presley's You Don’t Have To Say You Love Me occupied as the only sound in the room. The desk connected to the back wall where a relatively large box television hung silently playing Police Academy 2: Their first assignment. Eddie recognised the faded people moving about the screen but barely remembered the film, he knew he had seen it and from what he could remember he concluded that he was probably laughing his ass off with Gareth, completely out of it as they passed joints back and forth for hours on end.

Having Gareth over so often for weekly sessions was probably the biggest reason as to why his room smelled like skunk whenever someone entered it, smoke attaching to the fibers of his curtains, bed sheets, and clothing all dumped out onto the floor. Had they been at Gareth's house more often he might not get in trouble with his teachers quite as much as he did, being sent to the principal's office to be scolded and threatened with police by a strong whiff of weed lingering on every clothing item he had in his possession. 

The store wasn't exactly busy but stray patrons roamed the isles, selecting movies to gawk at for their perfect little family movie nights or possibly to numb the pain of living in the sleepy town of Hawkins on a friday night, that's what Eddie would do anyway. 

He’d never been close enough to see Steve Harrington in proper, only ever seen him roaming the halls when he attended highschool or picking up Dustin from hellfire but it was undoubtedly him as he laid eyes on a lemon yellow polo shirt fitting tightly over a muscular figure slouched at the counter flipping through some comic with his head resting flat on his palm, even more so certainly judging by the golden brown hair flopping over his eyes, the same hair he overheard girls fawn over as he walked past. Gag. 

Even though he had never even attempted to get to know Steve he still felt a distaste for the man, writing him off the instant he noticed him. Popular, jock, boring, basic and probably a complete asshole just like the rest of the school. He did sometimes find himself wondering how on earth he had managed to befriend Robin Buckley of all people, a grade below him and on the complete opposite side of the social spectrum. He himself knew Robin in passing and from what he had gathered she was far from the type to associate herself with the populars. That was a mystery no one could figure out. 

“Steeeeve” he said in mock excitement throwing his arms out as if he was meeting up with an old friend he hadn't seen for a while. Steve looked up, confusement painting his face as he locked eyes on the metalhead before him. Long brown wavy hair cut into a shag, ripped jeans, ratty band tee with a fading print of a metallica album, softening leather jacket and silver chains and jewelry adorning his body. They were polar opposites. “Do I know you?” he asked unamused. “Funny” Eddie sneered as he sauntered over, placing his hands on the linoleum surface. 

Eddie may not be popular but he would like to think he made himself well known as a town pariah, devils worship, selling drugs, petty criminal, trailer trash and all that. 

“What do you want?” Steve closed his comic which Eddie noticed being Albedo Anthropomorphics issue number 7 as Steve straightened up on the stool, squaring his shoulders to give Eddie his undivided attention. “You're Dustin's babysitter right?” He was intentionally getting on Harrington's nerves, because it didn't matter how annoying he was, he knew Steve would help, despite Mike and Lucas’s warnings. A fact that that was proven as he remembered Dustin ranting about the exact same comic Steve was reading. 

Unamusement turned to disgust as he glared at Eddie. 

“NoO, I am not” he corrected, the second vowel raising in pitch as if correcting a child who he was very impatient with. “Yes you are” Eddie grinned, “Anyway, I need your help” he smirked, slanting his body to the left and cocking out his hip as his firm hand on the counter supported him “And why exactly would I help you?” boredom laced Steve's words as he narrowed his eyes in annoyance. 

“Aren't you supposed to be in customer service?” he gestured towards the fact that Steve was sitting at the checkout counter in a literal store “Show me that customer service smile” his grin widened but in response all he got was a deep scowl. “Anyway” he straightened his back to watch Steve intently “It's Dustin's birthday next friday, he is under the impression that his lovely sweet mother is taking him out to dinner, but in reality he’ll be getting a surprise party” Steve couldn't help but let his scowl ease slightly “-and that's where you come in” Eddie continued as he pointed towards the video store clerk. “-we need some help planning.” 

After some convincing and some very weak pleading from Eddie, Steve gave in although making it very clear the only reason he would endure Eddie's presence was because of Dustin and Dustin alone. His shift ended at 5 pm sharp and informed Eddie he could come by at 5:30 to plan. “But you're not staying past 6:30, I don't want you in my house” he had crossed his arms, eyes staring at Eddie as he scoffed “Relax, I wouldn't want to be surrounded by your mothers ghastly interior for more than an hour at a time anyway.”

And that was where they were now, sat in Steve's kitchen, bickering about the theme of the party as they faced each other at the round table. As expected Eddie had made faint remarks about the previously mentioned interior when he entered the Harrington home, much to Steve's dismay. As Steve began going on a rant about how Eddie was in under no circumstances allowed to bring alcohol Eddie glanced out the window in boredom. But the only thing to entertain him was a round figure walking lazily down the sidewalk, back straight and arms swaying, head held high and confident, so he found his eyes drifting back in to the kitchen and was brought back to the argument at hand. “You think I'm that irresponsible that I would bring Alcohol to a birthday party for a 15 year old?” 

“Well..”

“Oh shut up” Eddie's upper lip curled in displeasure at the accusation.

Steve seemed unbothered when the door clicked and swung on its hinges in the next room over, and continued with his assignment on planning. Taking it upon himself to start writing a shopping list, not yet sure if he trusted Eddie with the responsibility of following through with getting all the things they needed or if he should take care of it himself. 

That same round figure showed up in the open doorway drawing both of the men's attention. Eddie barely got a chance to look at her, only registering her face as she leaned halfway over the threshold with a simple “Yo”. Her face looked slightly annoyed he registered, cupid's bow pulled up almost as if in disgust while a slight furrow showed between her brows. “Hey” Steve returned before she turned promptly and made her way down the hall, he heard as footsteps led her up the stairs and out of earshot. 

“Whoa trouble with the missus?” Eddie chuckled, leaning back in the fancy intricate wooden chair that matched the rest. “What? That's my sister” Steve frowned, a frown similar to yours but more deep set. “Really? You look nothing alike” he marveled, within the few seconds he laid eyes on you he could only distinguish the fact that your hair was a shade darker, and that your body was very clearly the opposite of Steves. His lean form and sleek muscles were obviously something that he had not inherited or something that ran in the family. “All siblings don't look alike you know” Steve breathed as he sat back in his chair, one leg crossing over the other to rest his ankle on his thigh. 

“Why does she look like that then?” it wasn't a comment on your body but on your expression as you appeared by the open frame, Steve had already anticipated the question, he knew it was coming the second you stepped through the door.  “I dunno, she has like a permanent frown, shes fuckin’ unapproachable, hence why she has no friends” Eddie looked surprised as Steve rolled his eyes “Well in school anyway, even if she was approachable shes too i hate everyone to even make an effort” he made bunny eared quotation marks in the air as he described your personality. “Wow, didn't know easy breezy perfect King Stevie ‘The Hair’ Harrington had a sibling so different from him, or well one at all actually” he felt a surge of annoyance at Eddie's words. “She your older sister then?” Steve only rolled his eyes again, you were clearly invisible to everyone around you .“She's a senior at your high school, shouldn't you know everyone by now? Seeing as it's your second year as one?” he felt slightly proud at his jab at the man across from him who'd been getting on his nerves all afternoon. “She is?” Eddie ignored the latter.

“Told you, she's unapproachable, sticks to herself” that was true but he couldn't help feeling slightly sad for you, even if you were in his parallel class he would have hoped at least someone would know who you were, you weren't all that different from Eddie, both weird. “She used to be in band, with Robin” he squinted his eyes slightly to gather information on whether or not Eddie knew who Robin was, he continued when he got a single nod of confirmation “But now she's in some orchestra in New Castle, so she doesn’t like stick around after school” he explained, giving Eddie another reason as to why he had never heard of you. “Her? In orchestra?” from the brief look he had gotten of you, you did not look like some nit picky orchestra person. “Yeah she plays the cello” “The cello?” Eddie asked, utterly baffled. “Yeah the-” he held his hands up by his neck, pulling an invisible bow back and forth “That's a violin man” 

“Yeah whatever” 

The conversation surrounding Steve Harrington's sister and how you were so unlike your brother died there and the topic of Dustin's party was brought up again, to the slight disappointment of Eddie.

–

“Mm?” was your answer to the knock at your bedroom door, allowing Steve to open it and peep inside, finding you propped up against your headboard, a paperback copy of In Cold Blood by Truman Capote in your hands. “I’m having some people over” he jumped straight to the point, hand resting limply on the doorknob while the other found its place on his hip “For that party planning thing I was telling you about so please don't like, play your weird loser music or that stupid viola.”

“First of all” you sat up to glare at Steve “Elvis Presley is not weird loser music, second it's a violin you dick” you scowled, the frown which Steve said you wore constantly, tightened. “Yeah yeah, just shut up for the evening ok?”

“I was done with practicing but just because of that, I think I might continue” an ill intentioned smirk formed on your lips.

“You are so fucking annoying” he breathed.

“Tell me something I don't know” you rolled your eyes, lying down and turning away from him. Even though you utterly sucked he still had to inform you “We're eating alone tonight by the way, Mom's at the country club playing golf and Dad's staying late at work” 

“Great” you answered sarcastically before Steve shut the door. 

You weren't necessarily complaining, it was a regular occurrence that Charles Harrington stayed late to handle the law firm and you would rather Sharon Harrington was far out of sight when he was. Bad blood simmered between you and your mother, her constant criticism for your behavior, style and eating habits were not something you particularly looked forward to when you came home especially in comparison to Steve who had always been mommy's perfect little boy. 

–

Eddie, Mike, Lucas, Will and Steve sat strewn across arm chairs and couches in the off white pristine living room of the Harrington residence. They had only just sat down, notebook on the ready for budget planning and fresh coca colas from the fridge in their hands when the undeniable sound of a bow slowly brushing over hard metal strings was heard throughout the house.

The second you heard Steve welcome them in on the Sunday afternoon you got up and kept your promise to continue practicing on your instrument. Steve audibly groaned below you, its volume traveling up the stairs and through your open door only egging you on further as you began playing Symphony n.5 by Beethoven moving your bow up and down the strings. 

Sure Steve had taken on his brotherly duty to play nice and explain the situation for tonight, not that it was any different from any other night, and he was on occasions friendly with you, but that didn't change the fact that he was a fucking ass to you. During your 18 years on this earth Steve had bullied you, pestered you and made your life almost as miserable as your mother did, she claimed it was Steve's way of showing love but you didn't accept that fact as true. You may have, however, if you actually knew what Steve did for you, multiple times he had gotten into fights with classmates to defend your honor, both in his childhood years up until the end of high school, only easing up when he was no longer in contact or around to hear the crude remarks about you. But, you didn't know, so you had no issue with creating a slight hell for him as he did for you. 

With each 8 beats the chord changed and you only increased in strength. “Is that Y/N?” Mike asked as he listened in on you upstairs “You knew he had a sister??” Eddie piped up, turning towards him “You have a sister?” Lucas was shocked “Of course I know he has a sister, doesn't everyone?”

“No!” 

The vigorous strumming and skillful fingerwork slowed to slower notes, slowly building as Steve started to get annoyed, rising from his comfortable seat in the armchair and preparing for battle. “She's gotten really good since I last heard her, damn” Mike awed as Steve brushed past him and out into the hallway, following the sound of shorter notes echoing throughout the house. You were clearly interrupting but Eddie couldn't help but feel amazed at the sounds, so different from the instruments he usually heard in his music or the music he listened to, a whole different genre but from what he gathered you were very good with the violin. He listened in a daze, as if your bow and strings cast him under an enchantment as Steve stormed down the hall and made a loud show of him coming up the stairs, giving you one last chance to back down. You did not. 

Eddie was torn from his enchantment as the music suddenly came to an abrupt hall. 

“Give that back you fucking asshole! That's a ten thousand dollar instrument!” 

He had ripped the fragile maple wood from your hands in anger. 

“I told you not to play it while I had people over!” 

“And I told you I dont give a shit!”

The shouting match had begun.

“Of course you don't! Because all you care about is this stupid fucking thing!”

“Because it's my life! That thing is my whole life! That is my ticket to a degree! Don’t go giving me shit because you’re too fucking stupid to even get in to community college!” you screamed but within an instant your voice softened to an insulting hiss upstairs “You couldn't even pass the PSAT’s at a respectable grade.”

“I would take having a life over whatever your sad excuse for one is anyday! Locked up in your room every waking hour studying, oh unless you're in school where you don't even have the human decency to talk to people or be in any way polite” Steve was no longer shouting but spewing words with pure venom.

“Because they’re all fucking pieces of shit! Who don’t give a flying fuck about anything other than mindless sex, popularity and LYING to themselves that this fucking Hawkins Indiana is the place to be!” he heard you scoff before an exasperated shout “LIKE YOU!”

“And if you're not at school you’re at fucking orchestra practicing for shows-” his voice became firm and short of a temperfull whisper as he interrupted your speech “-who no one ever comes to”. It seemed a shame, your playing had been amazing, from the short snippet he heard you had some intense skills, it must be wasted to play for only a few people.

Eddie couldn't have known that Steve had the urge to throw your precious violin that disturbed his peace every day of the week in to the wall, maybe even thrust it onto the ground and smash it to tiny pieces under his sock clad foot, but a part of him in the back of his mind knew that would both leave you heartbroken and that he would never come back from doing such a cruel thing to you, so instead he tossed the violin onto the soft plush of your bed before storming out with a “Fucking bitch” muttered under his breath and slamming the door behind him. Eddie heard you shout a “Sanctimonious piece of shit!” back at him and then footsteps down the stairs. 

The group scattered around the livingroom sat awkwardly as Steve emerged from the hall and back to them, they didn't know what to do or say and it was clear on their faces. Steve breathed a heavy breath before apologizing “Sorry about her and that you had to hear that” Eddie raised his brows at him as if to say Are you kidding me? Steve saw it and was quick to announce “Trust me, we’re fine, we fight all the time”

Even though you were upset you would not back down, you were quick to retrieve your violin and find its place resting atop your shoulder and under your chin. 

“She's gonna start playing again any second, she's fine” Steve sank back down into plush leather just as the music started up again. He gestured his hand up at the ceiling to prove his point. 

Eddie was experiencing a mixture of feelings, all reeling around his head as you began playing again, a new found interest for the classical genre, sadness for you who had to go through that, anger at Steve for saying such hurtful things but also surprise at how even though you had been insulted so harshly which would have left the girls he knew, granted only a few, crying, you continued playing, as if it didn't bother you. 

And it barely did bother you, Steve was right, you did fight all the time, and through years of bullying from classmates and close family you had become tough, strong, learnt to deal with feelings, push them as far down as your mind would allow you and move on. It was even the moments after the horrible fights that you had learnt to cherish, just as you did when everyone had left for the evening. Steve didn't verbally apologize but you knew he was sorry, and he showed it by becoming your friend again and ordering pizza for dinner, paying with it from his hard earned money (your parents didn't give him allowance since he got a job) and sat with you, watching soap operas on the couch. 

It was a destructive and toxic relationship, being bullied and only fighting back when no parents were around to hear it and then instantly becoming friends, but it was your destructive and toxic relationship.

#80s #90s #eddie munson #eddie munson fanfiction #eddie munson has adhd #eddie munson headcanons #eddie munson smut #Eddie Munson headcons #Eddie Munson plus size reader #Eddie Munson x plus size reader #Eddie Munson x reader #headcanon #headcon #StarrWrites #StarrThinks #eddie munson fluff #eddie x reader #eddie x autistic reader #eddie x harrington reader #Eddie x Harrington!Reader #Eddie x Mean Reader

[saragarnier]

Love&Work

summary: y/n is a police officer that had a situationship with Jay Halstead, but after him there's another one and he discovered it in the worst way possible.

pairing: jay halstead x reader

warning: i don't know actually, maybe some angst(?) and swearing? mention of sec, just mention.

i don't really like this but i spent so much time on it, that's why i want to share it with you. tell me what you think guys and if you like it i can write a part 2, maybe.

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Being a female cop was not easy at all, and you knew that even before entering the police academy; you knew that you would have to demonstrate your value, to demonstrate that you deserved that badge, you deserved to be a cop. It was clear to you since the first moment you decided to be a police officer and you tried to show your value since the first day into the academy.

When you were assigned at the 17th district, you were happy to start your career as a police officer and you just wanted to do your job in the right way, but it wasn’t like you expected. Since the first day you felt judge by everyone in the district, expect for the other female police officers, even if there were few of them. Your partner wasn’t happy about having you by his side, but he accepted that, and he just tried to keep as much distance as he could between him and you, like you were an alien or something to avoid.

Besides that, the first two year in that district went very well; you did your job well and you saved lives, even your partner’s live when he got shot during one shift. Even if you saved him, covering him and applying pressure on his chest, he never really thanked you for what you did; you weren’t angry at all, you knew how it worked and you knew that it was too early to be considered a good agent on the field, especially since you were one of the few women in a men’s world, because that’s what police was considered: a job only for men.

Someone maybe thought that it wasn’t true, there would have been at least someone who thought that women in police was an amazing thing, but surely it wasn’t like that in the 17th.

The only thing you could have done to making thing worse would have been sleeping with someone that worked in the same district as you. You tried to avoid that, you really tried to keep things separated between your private life and your job, but you lost. One night, you met one of the detectives that worked in the 17th district, and you took a beer with him, thinking that there wasn’t nothing bad about it; after some beers, anyway, he kissed you and everything changed.

The next day, everyone knew about it inside the district, and everyone thought that were trying to get a promotion sleeping with one of the detectives. You were fucked.

Asking for a transfer was the only choice for you and that’s how you met him, Jay Halstead. He was just a man sitting in a bar when you first met him, you didn’t know he was a detective and he didn’t know that you were a police officer; you were just two people in a bar, having a drink together. That night you slept at his home and the next morning you were gone, thinking that you wouldn’t have met him again.

Obviously, you were wrong. God, you were definitely wrong.

When you discovered, on your first day at the 21st, that he was a detective in your new district, you both tried to keep that a secret and you also tried to pretend that nothing happened between you two, but you just couldn’t deny the attraction that there was between you and him. And after few weeks you both lost.

 You tried to keep it a secret as long as you kept sleeping together, and, when you ended it weeks after, you were relieved to discovered that he protected you without telling anybody what happened between you two. You were grateful for that because you wouldn’t have been able to deal with it another time.

Even if you were still working hard to become one of sergeant Voight’s detectives, you couldn’t deny that some kind of attraction formed between you and your partner, Sean Roman, after some months. Maybe it was because he was always so kind with you, maybe because you spent so much time together, maybe because you went through difficult moments together, but you ended up dating each other in secret. You weren’t sure if you started dating him trying to forget Jay, since you were pretty sure to have fallen in love with the detective, but you just tried to enjoy that moment, you tried to live it without making to yourself too many questions. You were confused about your feelings, you really were, and you needed time alone to think about it, especially since you started dating Roman right after you heard that Jay dated one of his CI.

It then something happened when you didn’t expect it.

You and Roman were just kissing each other on a night shift, taking just few minutes for yourselves, when it happened. It was a calm night, nothing happened ‘till that moment and you didn’t think that things could have gone worse in less than a minute. You were too much focused in kissing him that you didn’t hear the footsteps, nor you saw him approaching the car were you and Roman were into. The first things you heard were the gunshots fired against you; you didn’t catch a single bullet but Roman did, he caught every single shot and you screamed.

“Sean!”

You got out of the car, seeing a man running away in the dark of the night, picked up your gun and followed him at once, asking for backup and for an ambulance at the radio. You really hoped that Sean was okay, you really hoped that he was still alive and that he would have survived; he took at least three bullet and that all because you both were too focused on kissing than in everything else. You shout at the offender to stop, but he didn’t and, knowing that he had a gun, you just shot him, hitting him in his back; he fell on the ground, you handcuffed him immediately, bringing him with you to your car. You needed to be sure that Sean was still alive.

That night was like hell for you: Sean got a surgery and, fortunately, he survived, the offender was brought to the hospital as well but no-one found the gun on him and that’s why you were there, one month later, sitting in a court to testimony your version against the man who almost killed your partner. Everyone from the district was there with you, trying to give you, their support. There was Platt, Voight, Upton, Burgess, Ruzek, Atwater, few of the other patrol officers and even Jay, in all his beauty.

When the defence lawyer got up to ask you some question, you didn’t expect this.

“So, miss y/l/n, I heard that you usually date your colleagues, isn’t it?”

You at once got tense on your chair, looking at Jay and Sean, nervous. Sean knew everything about your “relationship” with Jay, but no-one else did so you should have been relaxed about that. Maybe he was just talking about the thing you had with the detective from your previous district, after all.

But it was not like that, not at all.

Before your lawyer could have even protested, the defence talked to the judge, explaining to him why he did that question.

“Before I got interrupt, I just want to understand if anything happened in that car that could have bring the test to us violence against an innocence without even considering that he wasn’t the offender. I’m pretty sure that the jury would want to see what I found. She had her reasons to react badly, without thinking and I just wanted to expose that.”

You froze, gulping; you really hoped that the judge would have refused, but he let him continue.

“Miss y/l/n, did you have a relationship with one of the detectives back at your previous district?”

 “It wasn’t a relationship.” You responded, tense.

“What was it, so?”

“I slept with one of the detectives, yes. It was just for one night and I was drunk.”

The layer chuckled, like he had you in his fist, under his control, and maybe he really did.

“But it wasn’t the last colleagues that you dated, right?”

Before you could have answered, your lawyer protested again, but he was stop by the judge for the second time in a row; you were fucked, you wouldn’t have been able to avoid that, you couldn’t lie  under oath, you had to tell the truth.

But how did he know?

“No, it wasn’t the last.” You answered, quietly. You looked at him, trying to avoid Jay’s gaze, trying to be relaxed, trying to be strong; you didn’t want to give up, you would have fought again and again if it was necessary. You had to tell the truth and you really didn’t want to, but since you had no choice, you wanted to do it with your dignity.

“Who was the next? And remember that you’re testifying under oath.”

You looked at him in the eyes, biting your bottom lip.

“It was Detective Halstead.” You answered. “But I met him the night before my new job at the 21st so-.”

Before you could have even finished the sentence, he stopped you, smiling widely; you felt Jay’s and every other’s gaze on you, and you felt embarrassed for the first time after you entered the police. Why was he asking you that? Why was he trying to make you lose your job? Why were your love stories important to the case? That man almost killed your partner, and he was torturing you now.

“You just have to answer my question, miss y/l/n. Now, was Detective Halstead the last police officer that you dated so far?”

And that was it.

You finally understood why he was asking you so many questions about your private life; he was trying to make the jury thinks that you shot that guy without thinking at it lucidly just because you were dating Sean. He was trying to blame you, to make everyone think that you confounded him and that because you were shocked not only because Sean was your partner but also because you were in love with him.

Were you, though?

“No.” you answered, feeling Jay’s gaze still on you; you didn’t have the courage to look at him or to look at the others, especially not to sergeant Voight, knowing that you probably have just lost the opportunity to enter the team since you slept with Jay. You lost your career, you lost your dignity, since your private and sec life was put on public, and you were now accused of being a bad police officer.

Beautiful day, wasn’t it?

“Evidence number seventeen, I just got it this morning and I couldn’t inform the accuse before the process. Now …” he got near you and handed you one pic, the same that he just gave to your lawyer and to the jury. “Was that you kissing your partner Sean Roman the night of the attack?”

You gulped, then you looked up and finally you ended up meeting his gaze, Jay’s gaze. He looked hurt and furious at the same time, even if you knew that he had no right to be; you stopped sleeping together almost two months before and he even had a thing with one of his CI, which was illegal, so he had no right to look at you that way. You were the one that would have lost his job, not him, not Roman, you. You were the one that would have been called bitch and slut just because you ended up in the same bed with some of your colleagues and you were affronting that trial, exposing yourself like you hadn’t done before.

“Yes, that was me.” You answered, trying to sound as much calm as you could.

“Now tell me. Were you shooting at my client because you really thought that he was the offender, even if he hadn’t a gun with himself, or were you just trying to revenge your boyfriend without thinking at all? Were you just trying to get revenge? Were you sure about the gun that you think he had? Were you lucid enough to arrest the same man that you thought shot your boyfriend? Was the woman that pulled that trigger the police officer or just a girlfriend trying to protect his partner?”

“Your Honor! That were not questions, he was trying to induce the jury to think his way!” Protested your Lawyer before you could have responded.

The judge, this time, agreed with the accuse and tried to induce the jury to not consider his last questions when it would have come to a verdict. Anyways, you ended up leaving the court knowing that everything you’d done in the past to prove how much you deserved to become a detective, simply wasn’t nothing anymore. You would have been remembered as the female cop that ended up in the same bed with three colleagues, not as the police officer that saved a child, not as the police officer that almost risked her life to save his partner and Jay, not as the police officer that got undercover with the Intelligence to help them with a serial killer.

Your image was fucked.

You were nothing now.

You lost everything.

You lost your dignity.

And even after that, all you could think about was Jay’s expression after he heard about you and Sean; that was when you finally discovered that you really fell in love with him: when you worried about him while your career, dignity and future were crumbling all around you. All you need to be happy again was just one of his hugs. That was what you needed.

Him.

#oneshot #fluff #jay halstead #chicago pd #angst #chicago fire #chicago med #fanfic #adam ruzek #kim burgess #hank voight #trudy platt #kevin atwater #hailey upton

[sapphires-and-silver-linings]

The Betrayer | Chapter Six: The Trial

Just another casualty to mourn, you thought bitterly.

Pairing: Albert Wesker/F!Reader, Chris Redfield/F!Reader

Tags: Angst, Violence Mention, Terminal Illness, Minor Character Death

Notes: Finally finished chapter 6! This chapter took a bit longer to get out both because it's finals season at university so I've been swamped with assignments and exams, and also because I wanted to get the details of the station right. I had to flip back and forth between the RE2 remake and a bot match in DBD so I could note the differences. I know I could have just not mentioned some of this stuff, but Lucky is a cop and an observant person and also she worked at the station for a decade, so I feel like she'd notice lol. ANYWAY, enough rambling. As always, hope you enjoy! Let me know what you liked about it!

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Day 2; R.P.D.

You remembered the first time you ever stood in front of the Raccoon City Police Department. You were filled with such awe and pride then, having just finished your training at the academy. 

You never really dreamed of being a cop in your youth, but you had always been loud and brash and determined to stick up for what was right, so it seemed a good fit. Who really planted the seed for such a career was your mother, though she would never know it.

She was a free spirit, one who had marched on the side of liberty during the civil rights movement, despite the risk of jail and potentially losing her job as a nurse. She was emotional and bright and always knew the right thing to say to convince you to join her side. 

Your mother truly believed the world could be saved with a strong sense of justice and a burning hope for the future. When you were born, she chose to become a stay-at-home parent and made sure to instill these beliefs into you. 

Your childhood was full of her warmth and laughter. During the day, the two of you would watch her favorite action shows and talk about how anyone could be a hero. And every night, she wove tales of strong-willed princesses and how love would always win in the end. 

You clung to her every word, making sure to reenact those epic stories on the playground with any child who was willing to play along. And as you aged, you brought these lessons with you into the classroom, standing up to bullies and showing those who were tormented by them the kindness other students refused to.

You wanted to make her proud. You wanted to grow up to be just like her.

And you were only seven years old when she first got sick.

Your parents didn’t tell you right away, but you had always been an observant child, despite your audacious nature. You knew from the start something was very wrong. But your mother often spoke of miracles, and you had been so confident that if anyone could pull one off, it would be her. 

The doctors had only given her a year to live, but she pushed right through. Sure, the chemo cost her her beautiful long hair, and her natural curves were sharpened by protruding bones as she kept losing weight, but she was alive and as dignified and tenacious as ever. 

If she was afraid, she never showed it. Even now, as an adult, you could only ever dream of being that brave.

As the months passed, however, you started to lose hope she would make it.

You were nine–nearing ten–when she became bedridden. 

Still, you sat with her every day after school to watch those cheesy action shows she loved so much, and every night you would lay your head on her chest as she told you her fantastical tales despite thinking you were getting too old for bedtime stories and knowing them all by heart, anyway.

“You know, honey,” she started one evening, carding her now bony fingers through your hair, “the world could really use more heroes. My whole life, I wanted to be one, but I think the time for that has passed. You, though… You have the makings of a great one.”

You felt tears well up in your eyes as you looked up at her. “But I’m not strong like you are, Mom.”

“No,” she replied, a soft smile alighting her face, still beautiful despite her sunken features and pale, sickly skin, “you’re stronger.”

She passed away only four months later.

You became an anxious and angry kid after that, and for a long time, you stopped believing in miracles. But as you looked back, you supposed the real miracle was that you got to spend an extra two years with her before she died. A silver lining.

Despite the rage that followed your adolescence, you kept your mother’s words close to your heart. If she believed you could be a hero, then by god, you would become one. 

You continued to fight bullies, but now there was an edge of violence to your attempts at peace-keeping. More often than not, you came home with a busted lip and bruised knuckles. The other kids–even the ones you helped–started to fear you, and you were getting into near-constant trouble with the school. 

You didn’t care at the time. You needed to feel like you were doing something. The adrenaline pumping through your veins after a good fight was one of the few things that could quell the cold emptiness inside of you where your mother’s warmth had once been. 

One day, when you were sixteen, a young police officer who had been tasked with dragging you away from a particularly brutal fight, pulled you into the empty auditorium and sat you down next to him right on the stage. As your legs dangled off the side, kicking nervously, he asked you why you were doing this. It was something no one had bothered to question since your mother’s death. 

For the first time, you let it all out, shocked even with yourself that you were telling a complete stranger every damn thing that had been tangled up in your chest for years. You explained your pain and your anger and your desperation to do the right thing. He listened intently and even let you cry on the sleeve of his uniform. 

After a moment of silence, as you sniffled and wiped your eyes, he said something that would change your life forever:

“Your anger is justified and your intentions are good, but there’s more to fighting for justice than going after someone who’s done something wrong. Violence can be necessary, especially when you’re defending yourself or another person. But kid, you need to learn the difference between violence to protect and violence for the sake of it.”

His words stuck with you. You decided after that talk that it was time to turn things around. You never asked his name, something you regretted, not knowing that your paths would someday cross again.

You convinced your dad to put you in mixed-martial arts classes to take out your aggression in a more controlled way and stopped getting into physical altercations unless the other person attacked first. You even learned how to take them down without hurting them, something you had become proud of.  

Then, as soon as you graduated high school, you joined the police academy. Finally, you had a way of weaving your desire for justice with the wrath that always bubbled underneath your skin and the training to manage it, surrounded by others who felt the same way. A perfect match.

Before long, you were hired at the R.P.D., ready to take on the world. For once in your life, you felt like you belonged.

You knew that corruption ran rampant in law enforcement; your mother, as an activist, made sure you were aware that sometimes the police were on the wrong side of the fight. But the R.P.D. never had a scandal, and every cop you had interacted with over the course of your volatile teenhood had been kind to you and to others. You went out on a limb to trust it was the right choice for you.

Knowing now that the higher-ups of the department were in the back pocket of Umbrella the whole time made you realize they were probably just very good at sweeping their messes under the rug. To think you ever took part in that, even unintentionally, made you feel sick to your stomach.

And, as you faced the abandoned precinct before you, you also felt a deep sense of dread and a soul-crushing kind of sadness. 

It was raining, the droplets of water freezing as they splashed upon your face. You glanced around the dark courtyard, horrified by the sight that greeted you.

There were bodies… everywhere. Wrapped up in cloth and piled on top of each other next to the entrance. 

Was this how it looked when the outbreak happened? Before everything was reduced to nothing but ash? You wondered if any of those bodies belonged to people you knew. 

But they couldn’t be actual corpses, right? They were just set dressing. Just a painful memory conjured up to hurt you and your friends. 

You don’t think you ever wanted to test that theory, though.

Beyond that, there was some strange orange substance bubbling through cracks in the walls, the ground, and various other surfaces. The doors of the station looked like they were torn from their hinges and you could see inside the main hall a bit, books and papers scattered on the dirty floor.

What had once been a home away from home was now nothing more than a stage built to display your execution. 

How much crueler could the Entity hope to be? 

Reflexively, you squeezed your hand into a tight fist, forgetting that Chris’s was in your grasp. You looked up at him and he offered you a sad glance when he saw the mix of emotions on your face. 

It seemed like he wanted to say something, but there was no need. You would just have to suck it up if you wanted to survive.

“This way,” Jill said in a low voice, pulling you from your reverie as your group shuffled along the side path of the station instead of going inside it. “There’s usually a gen over here.”

You released Chris’s hand before following behind them, making sure to avoid touching that orange matter, whispering, “What is this crap?”

“We don’t really know. Hard to study it when the only time we see it is during trials. Not to mention, we don’t know if it’s dangerous to touch,” Rebecca replied.

You simply blew air out through your teeth as the four of you reached the generator, situated pretty evenly between the gate and the east half of the station. There were only three sides available to work on and you gave the team a questioning look.

“Here,” Chris said, beckoning you over towards him as he knelt in front of the section that faced the building, “I’ll show you how to do it. The next gen, I’ll let you try.” 

You nodded in nervous agreement, watching intently as Chris worked the machine; crossing wires, moving around gears, and reconnecting hoses. It looked… complicated.

He was going slow for you, quietly explaining what each action was meant to do, and you were trying your best to retain his instructions.

You nearly jumped out of your skin when the sound of a helicopter blared overhead, shocked you didn’t yelp and garner the attention of whatever killer you were facing today. 

You stared at the sky in confusion, seeing that there was nothing but the distant light of false stars and the Entity’s moon adrift between billowy clouds, the rain stinging your eyes. 

You looked at your friends, Jill and Chris not even phased by the loud noise. Rebecca didn’t jump, but you could tell she was tense.

“What was that about?” you questioned, returning your attention to Chris’s large hands, maneuvering through the repairs with practiced ease. 

Jill glanced at you for a second before turning back to the generator. “We think it’s like an echo from our world. The Entity just pulls things from our memories.”

“Fantastic,” you responded under your breath.

After another moment, the generator came to life, the floodlights that had been flashing were now fully lit and bathed the path in a bright white glow. You were reminded of how there was no electricity in the survivors' camp, while all the lights in this empty building–and any repaired generators–were working perfectly fine. 

Just another cruelty, you supposed, to force you to live by firelight.

You swished your hair behind your shoulders to get the rain-wet strands out of your face, forgetting exactly why you had kept it hanging across your collar in the first place. In the gen’s floodlights, Chris’s eyes raked over you, immediately seeing the bruise that marred your throat.

He rushed over to you and inspected it, his hand so careful as it caressed your skin. “What is this?” 

“Ghost Face tried to kill me, remember?” you replied dryly, awfully distracted by Chris’s warm fingertips against you.

Chris’s other hand balled into a fist at his side, his eyebrows furrowing in anger.

“C’mon, guys, we gotta find another one,” Jill said, trying to keep the two of you focused as she headed toward the side door of the station. 

Chris only shook his head and retracted his hand from your neck. Despite yourself, you immediately began to miss the gentle contact.

As you trailed behind them, you passed by what you recognized as a meat hook, looking so out of place as it stood by the fire escape. The sharp metal was stained with blood and you wondered if that was a decorative decision on the Entity’s part or if it was used so many times, it was just coated in it. You shivered at the thought of the latter. 

You entered the building, thankful to be out of the cold, wet courtyard until your gaze fell on the floor, met with streaks of dark red blood staining the linoleum.

Well, that’s not foreboding at all.

Jill led you through the east office and you paused, scanning the disheveled room to find what had once been your desk. Your eyes traveled to the one next to it, taking in the messy surface. 

Kevin. 

You were just a beat cop when you started on the force. You had been assigned partners with Kevin Ryman, who was only a couple of years older than you. 

You were rather serious-minded when you began your career, the carefree attitude of your new partner something that often drove you crazy. Eventually, he taught you how to relax a bit. You then fell into an easy friendship and had each other’s backs through hell or high water. 

As the months passed, the two of you started to feel more than friendly with each other, sharing lingering glances and gentle touches. One day, it came to a head, the two of you throwing caution to the wind and jumping into a passionate romance. 

You spent your time together drinking at J’s Bar and playing darts, which you’d always win (shocking he was so bad at it, considering he was a great shot with a gun). And every couple of weekends you’d drive out of the city, no real plan but to get as far away as you could.  

He taught you how to better your aim with firearms and was to blame for the smoking habit you would soon develop. He easily gained the respect of your father, wooed your stepmother, and your siblings adored him.

It lasted three years. 

The two of you knew it was for the best to end things, both for your careers and your differences in what you wanted in life. He was noncommittal, with no desire to settle down, while you wanted to get married and have kids.

It broke both of your hearts that the relationship didn’t pan out, but you would remain close friends for several years. A part of you would always love him.

You kind of fell out, though, once you joined S.T.A.R.S. He would never admit it, but you knew he was bitter that you got in on request by Wesker himself after you told Kevin initially you weren’t interested, while he was rejected twice.

However, it was as you got closer to your fellow S.T.A.R.S. teammates that you and Kevin started to really drift apart. You still hung out on occasion, but between your new workload and Kevin being assigned a different partner in your stead who definitely kept him busy–the rookie being somehow more straight-laced and by the books than you had ever been–your lives shifted in opposite directions. 

You were filled with guilt and regret as you gazed at his desk, wishing you had tried harder to keep in touch. The sudden fear that he may be one of the bodies tossed out in the courtyard bloomed painfully in your chest. 

“Do you know what happened to Ryman?” you asked your friends quietly, the group exiting the room through a large hole in the concrete. You noticed another one in the wall of the hallway–somehow even bigger than the first–which led into the lobby, the debris from it making a sort of ramp. 

You wondered if it was the Entity who had created these, or if something from your world had. Neither reality conjured up a pleasant feeling.

“Last I heard, he moved out to Florida,” Chris answered.

He survived.

You smiled wistfully. “He always told me he preferred hot weather. Must be living it up, spending all his free time on the beach.” 

“I definitely got that impression when I got ahold of him.” He chuckled. 

You wondered why Chris went through the trouble of tracking him down. They had met–even got along to a degree when you went on group outings together–but they were never friends. You supposed Chris just wanted to know who all survived the outbreak. You’d have to ask him later if that was the case.

Rebecca silently pointed out a generator sitting next to the storage closet, the door of it boarded up for some reason. The gen only had three sides facing outwards, like the one on the courtyard path, and Chris beckoned you to kneel before it, squatting beside you to help you with the repairs.

On the floor nearby was a sleeping bag and a couple of filthy shirts. The police station must have been a shelter during the outbreak. 

You then realized the generator was in front of where the vending machines (that you must have sunk hundreds of dollars into over the years) once belonged, a door that you knew didn’t exist in the real R.P.D. in their stead.

It felt more like a dreamlike approximation of the place as opposed to an exact recreation. 

Or a nightmarish one, you mused.

As you looked at the generator, you didn’t even know where to start. You pulled a screwdriver from your toolbox and reached out your hands to the machine, but paused, unsure of yourself. 

“Here,” Chris said, placing his hands over yours. He guided you to a loose component that needed its screws tightened, his lips so incredibly close to your ears as he added, “Like this.”

You felt your cheeks redden at his proximity, internally admonishing yourself for acting so juvenile. You pulled in a deep breath and focused all your attention on the task in front of you. 

Feeling confident in your capabilities, he retracted his grip. The generator was almost done on your side, the only thing left was to reconnect some wires and you would be good to go. 

But as you went to touch them together, your hand slipped.

“Wait!” Chris exclaimed, reaching forward to stop you.

He was too late. 

You were blinded when the generator exploded in your face, Chris tugging you backward and into his arms to prevent you from being electrocuted by the exposed wires. 

“Fuck, I’m so sorry,” you cried, terrified that the noise would alert the killer to your whereabouts.

“Hey, it’s okay. We’ve all fucked up a gen before. You were doing pretty damn good for your first time,” Chris reassured you.

You were frankly shocked by his blase attitude, considering the situation, but you only let out a sigh and leaned forward again to finish the job. 

Before you could, though, you heard the heavy sound of boots on linoleum approaching from down the hall, likely entering from the side door as you had. 

Your heart dropped and the four of you leapt to your feet, booking it through the large hole in the wall that led into the lobby. 

Jill and Rebecca took to the stairs, heading for the upper east wing. You were about to follow, but Chris grabbed your arm, steering you towards the west side of the station instead. 

“It might be a good idea to split up,” he explained. “We can cover more ground this way and force the killer to bounce between us.”

You only nodded as he pulled you into the west office. You turned just in time to see the tail of a long black trench coat disappear behind a wall upstairs. It made your blood run cold.

You hoped Jill and Rebecca would be okay.

As Chris led you through the room, you saw the “Welcome Leon” sign hung from the ceiling. You knew it was Marvin’s doing. He had done the same thing for you when you first joined the force. 

Imagine your surprise when your lieutenant turned out to be the cop who saved you from yourself when you were just an angry teen. He ended up becoming your mentor and a father figure to you.

You learned later he had been married once, but his wife died in a hit-and-run. That ever-present grief was something you shared, the bond between you strengthening. 

They never had kids, and he told you all the time that if he had a daughter, he’d want her to be just like you.  

Your heart suddenly hurt when you remembered what Leon had told you, that his first day on the job was when chaos had already consumed the city. Did he even get a chance to meet your lieutenant? 

“Did Branagh–” you started as you darted into the hallway, met with more blood stains that soaked the floors and walls, to your dismay, “did he survive?”

Chris slowed to a brisk walk, looking behind you to make sure you hadn’t been followed before turning forward, refusing to meet your imploring gaze.

“He, uh… he turned, after helping Leon find a way to escape the R.P.D. during the outbreak.” 

“Oh…” was all you could say, your breath shuddering. You could feel tears spring to your eyes, but you refused to cry. Not now, when you needed to get out of here.

Just another casualty to mourn, you thought bitterly.  

Chris cursed under his breath when he realized there wasn’t a generator in the safety deposit room, deciding to head for the stairs. The two of you reached the second floor, cutting through the library and the lounge into the hallway that you knew so very well.

The two of you entered yet another giant hole in the wall, this time in the linen room, which took you directly into the S.T.A.R.S. office.

“There’s one in here,” he said, relieved, as you arrived in the enclosed space.

You swallowed thickly, taking in the disordered state the place was in.

All the desks that used to be in rows of two along the far wall were haphazardly pushed into the middle of the room, a vending machine that had once been in the hallway sitting against one of them. The large dispatch console, where the S.T.A.R.S. team would man the comms, was moved from in front of the hole you entered to the side. On the other end of the room, the wall that separated the armory from the main office was nonexistent, the area only holding some lockers. 

Two red ones had been set there as well, and you were reminded of what Carlos had told you about them yesterday: 

“The red lockers can be used to hide in, but don’t stay for too long. For one, the killers know to check them, but the crows that hang out around the place will start flocking overhead to snitch on you. Sometimes I feel like the damn things are useless.” 

The thought made you uneasy as you met the eyes of one such crow, standing on the floor nearby. The large black creature twitched its head towards you at an unnatural angle and you grimaced. 

You returned your attention to the rest of the room. 

It was… strange… to see it like this. Everything that once showed the personalities of your friends–like pictures or jackets or bags–was nowhere to be seen. Like it was just another office in the police station and not a place you all made a second home of.

You thought of your fellow officers, then. The ones you would never see again. Of the times you all shared together in this very room. 

You thought of Joseph and Forest, how they used to joke around and play pranks. You thought of Marini and how he’d roll his eyes and admonish them, trying to hide his amused smile.

You thought of Richard’s soft-spoken words of encouragement on the days you complained about doing paperwork instead of missions, and Kenneth's half-hearted complaints that he seemed to be the only one to take the job seriously.

You even thought fondly of Brad, despite how annoying you used to find him. Until you remembered the fact he abandoned your team in the wilderness to fend against monsters. Monsters that killed them all. 

God, it hurt. All of it. 

You dropped to your knees beside Chris at the generator. It was up against the wall of Wesker’s office and you could see through the window, all of the blinds torn from their panes. 

You stared at his desk, images of that last night you met with him before everything went to shit flooding your brain. You could almost still feel his cool fingers against your skin when he gripped your face.

He betrayed you all. He got so many of your friends killed. He got you killed.

And yet, you still missed him. So fucking much, it made your chest tighten. 

If only I could see him again… 

“You can do this, Lucky,” Chris told you, breaking you from your thoughts. He must have believed you were nervous about messing up again, which was technically true.

You nodded, taking a deep breath before diving into the guts of the gen.

You were about halfway through, the repairs going without a hitch, when you heard a bloodcurdling scream echo from across the police department.

“Rebecca!” you cried, about to drop the tool in your grasp. 

“Hold on,” Chris said firmly, placing a hand on your arm to stop you from getting up. “Jill was with her. Let’s wait to see if she can save her so we can finish this gen.”

You didn’t like the idea of leaving Rebecca to just hang from a meat hook. “But–”

“I know, it’s not ideal. But the faster we finish the gens, the faster we all get out of here in one piece, okay?” 

“Fine,” you replied, still upset, though you knew he had a point. 

You just got back into what you were doing when you heard another scream. It was definitely Jill’s.

“Shit,” Chris said before standing up. “I’m going to go help them. You stay here and try to finish this gen.”

“Wh-what do I do after? Where do I go?” The idea of being left alone terrified you. 

He gripped your shoulder as he looked down at you. “If I don’t come back, you can try to come get us off our hooks. If the killer finds you first, try your best to outrun them and maybe pick a place to hide. If you can’t make it to us in time, a hatch will open somewhere on the first floor. It’s the only other way to escape the trial if you can’t get the gens finished, but it only shows up for the last living survivor. Do you understand?”

Your mind was racing as you parsed through his words. “Y-yeah.” 

He leaned forward, kissing you on the top of your head, a sensation of warmth radiating from his lips. “We’ll get through this, don’t worry.” 

With that, he sprinted out the door. 

You shook your head to clear it, wishing he didn’t leave you behind, and went right back to fixing the generator.

Everything will be fine. 

You were getting close to finishing when you heard a deep yell bouncing off the walls of the empty station. 

No, Chris!  

Your hands began to tremble and you started to hyperventilate as you pushed on, desperate to fix this gen so you could go and help them. 

“Come on, come on!” you begged, pulling the final crank. 

Now all that was left was to cross the wires. You rubbed your sweating palms on your pants, fingers shaking as you took them in each hand. 

You were just about to press the ends together when you heard heavy footsteps approaching behind you, coming fast. 

You panicked and dropped the wires in order to make a run for it, the gen exploding in your face like the one downstairs. You fell onto your ass, vision white, before you tried to scramble to your feet.

You froze in place, though, when the killer spoke, their voice so hauntingly familiar:

“There you are.”

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#albert wesker x reader #chris redfield x reader #albert wesker #chris redfield #dead by daylight #resident evil #dbd #re #the betrayer

[jedivoodoochile]

WHEN LESLIE EASTERBROOK STARRED IN ‘POLICE ACADEMY'

On this day, March 29th, in 1985, the laughter continued with the release of Police Academy 2: Their First Assignment. As the sequel to the wildly successful 1984 film Police Academy, this slapstick comedy brought back the lovable cast of misfit police officers, eager to prove their worth on their first real assignment.

#leslie easterbrook

[pryntery-moved]

please give us the roommate au lore

Hehehheheheeeh gladly

The Roommates au takes place 2-3 years after P5R! So everyone is in college except for Futaba and Sumire, who are high school seniors.

This is in no way a serious au, it's just all fun, goofy, and unhinged stuff.

I'll break it down based on the room assignments

The Yongen Jaya Residents | Akiren, Akechi, Morgana

They live in a 2-bedroom apartment near Leblanc!

Akiren moves back to Tokyo for college. I'm not sure what he's studying... I'm open for input on that. He decided to live off-campus so he could bring Mona with him. Don't judge him, he has a lot of 7 am classes he needs his alarm.

Akechi went MIA, under the radar, etc after the events of P5R and is now back under a fake name! Let's pretend it's all Pubsec's doing. He still works as a detective, he just gave up the whole "detective prince" thing. He's also in college, but not in the same university as Akiren. He goes by the alias Robbie H.

Shibuya The Ueno Park Pals | Haru, Makoto, Yusuke, Matthew

I wrote Shibuya in the chart but retconned it to Ueno after some research

They live in a big apartment near Yusuke's campus! Either it's Haru's late father's property, or Haru handles most of the rent.

Haru! She's still the same as ever! Working for the company, getting her degree, whilst opening her cafe! Our girl is hustling!

Makoto... Due to my disdain towards the police, I'll say that she quit the police academy and transferred to a university. The dark recesses of my brain are telling me she's studying PolSci or law

Yusuke is still Yusuke. He just goes to art school now.

They became roommates when Haru went to Yusuke's dorm to pick up a painting she commissioned for the cafe and ended up dragging him back to the apartment like a stray kitten.

Haru unintentionally started a business selling Yusuke's old paintings he hates. To make room for more canvases he'd give them to Haru to use as firewood but Haru simply couldn't destroy them.

No one knows where Matthew came from. The working theory is that lobsters live in the sewers in rich neighborhoods.

Makoto is the mom! She keeps everyone in check and makes sure everyone does their chores.

Author's note: They eat up my brain the most bc their living situation is closest to mine! I'm an art student & my roommate is a painter. I like to joke that we're both Yusuke.

French | Ann

Ann mentioned wanting to go abroad at the end of P5R, I only placed her in France because Model + That's where my friend is studying! I don't know what she's studying though.

A few things that came to mind for me are: Business, Psychology, Liberal arts, and Fashion

She lives in an apartment with a photography student named Erica

I like to think she sends the PT's the weirdest most unhinged photos of Paris. Like the fat rats in front of the Eiffel tower or sculptures at the louvre purposely taken in the wrong angles to tease Yusuke.

Nagoya? | Ryuji

I don't actually know where he is, I just said Nagoya because that's where my friend studies.

I don't know if he's going to college if he's taking a gap year, or something else. I like to think he's in college & joined his university's track team. I don't know what he's studying though.

I like to think he's started getting back into running!

Goes back home a lot to visit his mom! Would crash at Akiren's place to hang out when he does. He always comes without Akechi knowing and Akechi hates it

If you know Omori, I like to think Ryuji's like the Kel of the group. He somehow keeps everyone in touch!

The Shujin Seniors | Futaba, Sumire

Sumire approached Futaba at first to get help with her studies (balancing gymnastics and high school isn't easy) and they quickly became close!

They hang out a lot outside of school. It's like, they somehow complement each other so they end up having fun trying new things together?

Futaba teaches Sumire Gen-Z lingo.

They hang out at Akiren and Akechi's apartment sometimes to slack off from studying.

The only serious/angsty thing in this au that I can think about is Akiren's relationship with Akechi. Akechi just pops back into his life so Akiren would have some... Thoughts.

If this were a spin-off slice-of-life/sitcom anime I'd like to imagine Akiren and Akechi having a deep conversation about life on the balcony, both overcome with their strong feelings from one another, anger? Yearning? Who knows. And then it cuts to Haru, Yusuke, and Makoto, trying and failing miserably at catching a rodent that broke into their apartment. Some wacky, Community-Esque hijinks ensue.

So yeah that's the roommates au, sorry for making it long,,

#p5r #college au #persona 5 royal

[bluenpjm]

the kang code ✹ 1 — knj x oc

© bluenpjm | all rights reserved. do not repost, translate or claim as your own.

synopsis. when you can’t trust your instincts anymore, what do you turn to? 

genre. murder au + detective namjoon + angst + fluff

pairing. knj + oc 

rating. M

wordcount. 1.6K

warnings. mentions of corpses.

a/n. to my best friend, the one that gets me like no other. happy birthday, hyo~ i love you ♡ !

chapters. one — next // new chapters every day at 00:00 KST

May 7th, 2022.

A body was found in Busan. It is far from my legislation but I was curious about it. I had never seen a case like that. Seokjin sent me a message asking for my help solving some encrypted messages. I took a week off and jumped on the first train there. 

5:47 AM

Some might say that this time is too early even form a sentence. I see it the other way around. Mornings are where my energy is at its highest peak. Although, if I manage to not pass out from exhaustion, I have some of my most creative thoughts around the first hours of the new day. 

This is a waste of time. I have a 2-hour trip. I need to focus on this code.

P.S.: Remind Hoseok to check on Saku if not back in 2 days.

Namjoon takes out his notebook as the sun’s first rays gleam through the oval-shaped windows of the train. His carriage was nearly empty and he felt almost as if he was being sang a lullaby, much like the movement as it traveled through the rails was rocking him peacefully to sleep. 

He tended to keep his mornings quiet. Most of his shifts would end as the sun rose and he thought time too precious to waste on sleep. He would tend to some reading and to his plants. Sometimes, though, he would be interrupted by his loud neighbor Hoseok. Still, they had become… friends? Perhaps. That was a tricky word for Namjoon.

He flips through the battered pages of his small book. 

The people nearby can smell the soft scent of coffee. It had been countless the times that notebook had been doused in the liquid as Namjoon would drift off momentarily while trying to analyze a case. His whole career was traced in those pages. 

He had a perfect picture of the code on his phone. He could easily analyze that version instead of the one he had roughly sketched. Still, there was something — it could be from the touch of his calloused fingers against the smooth paper, or simply the fact that, deep down, he was an old soul. It made him think clearer, faster even. As if a new part of his brain was unlocked just by the simple sight of paper.

In his text message, Seokjin was very vague about everything. Namjoon met him while in the academy and they became good friends instantly. In fact, Seokjin became good friends with everyone. He was the kind of guy that had this charisma to him — it was impossible to not like him. When their training ended and they received their badges and guns, Namjoon was assigned to the police department of Seoul and Seokjin was sent to Busan. They would text each other from time to time. 

He kept on admiring the sketch he had made of the cipher. He could easily recognize some shapes. The e’s, the m’s, the g, the c, and the s’s. But then it wouldn’t exactly make sense as he tried to put the letters together. He tried counting each stroke. He read it backward and frontward, straight and upsidedown. And he only stopped when the train announced that the next step would be Busan. 

He got up, hand gripping the rail as the train came to a stop. People rushed out, some bumping into Namjoon as they left. He tightens the grip on the strap of his bag. Seokjin was supposed to pick him up but canceled last minute. So Namjoon decides to walk. He had only been to Busan once, as a kid. 

After 20 minutes of walking, he finds a coffee shop. He figured it was time to stop, maybe ask for directions. 

The store is small and nearly 5 tables fit inside. Still, it’s full and he can only order a coffee to go. Black, two spoons of sugar. But after taking his first sip, he doubts they listened. The bitter taste makes him shiver, eyes shutting as his glands take in the flavor. 

Namjoon has no choice but to sit on the small bench in front of the coffee shop.  Again, he takes out his notebook, examining the code as he took yet another sip from his coffee. Eventually, his mouth gets used to the bitter taste. 

“Is that a riddle?” Namjoon doesn’t react but his heart rate shoots up at the sudden presence by his side.

“Something like that.” He looks up, but not too much, his eyes falling directly on the petite girl standing by his side. 

“Are you perfecting it, or simply trying to figure it out?” The girl sits next to Namjoon and he scootches over to the end of the bench. If it weren’t for the armrest, he would’ve fallen to the ground. 

“The latter, minus the simple part.” 

She hums in response, her cup being held slightly in between her lips as she scans the code on Namjoon’s notebook. For a second, they stand silent, trying to analyze the code. 

“Have you figured anything out yet?” 

“Hmm-” Namjoon is pensive. Not anything concrete. And he doesn’t like to speak without being certain. “There’re some letters that stand out.” 

Namjoon points out all his ideas. The girl nods, attentively listening throughout his entire explanation.

“Well, that is definitely a C. And next to it looks like an A- or an X.” 

“If we follow that line of thought, it might be a word. CA makes more sense than CX.” 

“Cat?” Hyori makes the first suggestion. 

“Car?” 

“Cam?” 

“We’re already deducing it’s 3 lettered.” Namjoon laughs lightly. 

“I mean… It could be bigger but if you compare it to the others, it makes sense it’s 3 — or maybe 4 lettered. But not more.” 

“You’re right.” Namjoon’s eyes aren’t on the old pages of his notebook. Instead, he notices how fair her skin is and how her lips are slightly parted, wet from the coffee she had in her hand. “I’m Namjoon, by the way.” 

“Hyori.” She meets his eyes, giving him a gentle smile. He returns it, a dimple showing on his cheek. She immediately feels herself blushing at the thought of how handsome he is.

“Can?” 

“Can what?” She’s suddenly dragged back to planet earth. 

“The word. It could be Can. Especially considering the question mark at the end.” 

“Oh-” She examines the sketch quickly and a smile forms on her lips. “Good thinking!” 

They continue their line of thought, word after word. Some are simpler than others. And Hyori’s spirit makes it somewhat lighter on Namjoon. By now, had he been all alone on that bench, he would’ve given up. Actually, he would be curled up in the dark motel room he had booked only a couple of hours prior, nose buried into his small notebook, his hair slowly turning gray as he tried to solve the riddle. Instead, he was enjoying the warmth of the sun on his skin, swiftly swapping ideas with a stranger he had just met. And somehow, she felt more than just that. 

“Those could easily be numbers, no?” Namjoon ponders out loud, finger softly tracing the line on the bottom. 

“Did it come with that?” Hyori meant the line underneath the supposed numbers. 

“Yeah,” 

“So it must be important. Like that first word from the middle occupies so much more space than the others.” 

Namjoon nods. “It would be really important to know his name.” 

“Or hers.” Hyori points out and Namjoon laughs in agreement. “The first one looks like a 2.” 

“And the other a 4. If you flip it.” He completes her line of thought. 

“So, 24…” Hyori looks up at the sky, her mind trying to think of what it could be. “A date, a time? A street name?” 

“Might be…” 

“Oh, God!” Hyori hops from her place on the bench. Namjoon is startled and gets up as well. “I’m very late!” 

“I- Oh- I’m so sorry!” Namjoon can’t express himself, suddenly showered with a hint of guilt for keeping her occupied. 

“No- it’s not your fault! I lost track of time.” Hyori speaks quickly. “I have to run to the bus but-” 

Namjoon notices as she presses her lips together. “Can I-” 

“I really want to know how that ends, so please don’t take this the wrong way…” She looks down at the floor. “Can I have your number? And once you solve it, you can tell me all about it.” 

“I-” Namjoon is speechless for a moment, a shade of pink covering his face. “Of course.” 

They exchange their phone numbers and Namjoon watches Hyori leave until she’s out of his sight. He feels like it might also be time for him to leave, a sudden empty feeling confining inside him. He shrugs it off as soon as his eyes land on the pages in front of him. He had made good progress and was sure Seokjin was going to appreciate it. 

Namjoon finally gets to his motel room. The room is gloomy and has a strange odor in the air. Namjoon sighs, bag dropping to the floor as he closes the blinds in the room. For a moment, he sits on the edge of the bed, notebook tightly closed in between his fingers. He ponders about opening it again. He feels exhausted just imagining the code in his mind, the strokes magically dancing and moving places. 

DING

Namjoon doesn’t remember falling asleep. But he must’ve slept for the entire day as the closed curtain of his window seems black, with no ray of sun to be seen. His body was needing it. It had been more than 24 hours since the last time he had shut his eyes. No one said that the detective life was going to be easy. Still, Namjoon was keen on the career path. Ever since joining the academy. 

A text comes in. And another. Sitting up on the cheap mattress, he unlocks his phone.

[ chapter two ]

#bluenpjm #the kang code #btswritingcafe #wkcnet #namjoon #kim namjoon #detective au #mystery au #namjoon detective #namjoon angst #namjoon fluff #namjoon smut #namjoon au #bts namjoon #namjoon scenarios #namjoon fanfic #bts au #bts scenarios #bts fanfic #bts fluff #bts angst #bluenpjm.docx

[jannah1721]

The state of my heart

This is a fanfiction, meaning that all events and occurrences in this story are all fictional and all are part of my imagination. Any resemblance to actual life events and people, living or dead, are all purely coincidence. I am not, in any way, affiliated to Snow Man members or Johnny’s Entertainment so I do not own the Snow Man members mentioned in my fanfiction.

________________________________________________________________

A team of police, investigators and forensics surrounded the house.

 “The identity of the victim?”, a police in his 50s asked.

“Miyadate Hiroyuki, 35 years old. Program manager at Toshiro Tech”, a young policeman next to him answered.

“Who is the first discoverer?”, the old man continued.

The young policeman points his index finger to a lean man who’s sleeping on a sofa.

“He brought me here asking for help and as soon as I opened the main door and we saw the corpse, he fainted”.

 Meguro Ren. This is the name of the young policeman. After 4 years in a police academy, Meguro is a freshly appointed police officer. He was assigned to the criminal investigation team after the seniors acknowledged his skills and abilities as an investigator during his internship. Today is his fourth case as an official investigator.

 === 1 hour before ===

 Meguro was on his way back home from hanging out with his friends. They ate at a nice restaurant and went to karaoke after that. Ahh it was a fun night.

 He was just carefreely walking down the street when suddenly he was surprised by a man in white clothes rushing onto him and more surprisingly, squeezing him in a tight hug. The man was visibly shaking.

“Please help me…”, the man whispered.

Before Meguro can even asked what happened, the man hold his hand and pulled him to the direction of a 2-storeys house. The name “Miyadate” is carved at the entrance.

 When they arrived at the entrance door, the man looked hesitant. Meguro saw that the man was panting hard too. Seeing the frustration on the man’s face, Meguro volunteered to open the door. What he saw beyond the door was a bloody body of a man lying down on the floor. He heard a thud. When he turned back, the man in white was already on the floor, fainted.

 === Current time ===

 A cute, pink-haired forensic officer approaches Meguro and his superior.

“The cause of death is organ failure from stab wounds. Seems that he was killed instantly as the stab wounds reach his heart. He was stabbed another 6 times in other parts of the body. The weapon is nowhere to be found”.

He continues while holding up a huge toolbox, “We have finished taking the fingerprints and collecting evidence. We’ll go back first to analyze these at the lab.”

“Good job, Sakuma. We’ll reach out to you later”, said Meguro’s superior, Iwamoto, while patting his hand on Sakuma’s shoulder. Sakuma nods and makes his way to the entrance door.

 Meguro hears a groan. Seems like the man in white had awake.

“You go get his statements. I’ll look around the house a little bit more”, urged Iwamoto to his junior. Meguro nods and walks to the said man. Meguro examines the man – pretty tall but not as tall as him, soft features and lean. Doesn’t look like he could murder anyone but Meguro shouldn’t judge a book by its cover. The man in white looks up at him with his big eyes.

 “Hello. I’m Meguro from Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department. It’s a scary coincidence that you brought a police officer to a crime scene”, Meguro greets. He held up his notebook, “The victim has been sent to the hospital for post-mortem. Now, kindly introduce yourself and what is your relation to the victim”.

The man in white sits up properly. “My name is Abe Ryohei”. Abe looks sadly at the floor where the victim was found dead. “I was taken in by the Miyadate family since 7 years ago after my other family members passed away. You might know about the mass murder using poisonous gas at a wedding ceremony 7 years ago. It was the wedding of my relative. It was supposed to be a joyous celebration, but that day turned out to be my worst nightmare”. Abe covers his face with his both hands, “I was supposed to be there too but fortunate…or unfortunately, I have a high fever that day so my parents didn’t allow me to attend the wedding. The bride was my close relative too.”

 Meguro sits down next to Abe and soothes his back. Meguro vividly remembered the case. It was the talk of the whole country back then. It turns out that the perpetrator was the bride’s ex-boyfriend, who was so obsessive of the bride. He can’t believe the fact that his ex-girlfriend left him for someone better.  Abe calms down a bit and continues, “I still have other relatives, but they live in other countries and it didn’t seem like they would like to take me into custody. Miyadate-san was my father’s best friend. He offered to take me into custody as my official guardian, however, I’m keeping my family name, Abe. I was only 16th at the time. I was yet to reach the age where I may engage in legal rights and responsibilities. That’s why a guardian was needed. Or else, I thought I would be able to survive by myself at least for a few years with the wealth my late family has left behind.”

 Abe takes a deep breath and turns to Meguro, “It’s only me and Hiroyuki-niisan who live in this house. The other family members live at Edogawa. We moved here 2 years ago, because it’s nearer to my university and his workplace. Hiroyuki was my foster brother. Today he arrived home earlier than usual. I was in my room when I heard slamming sounds. When I went down, I saw niisan was surrounded by a pool of blood”. Abe paused, hugging himself, “I saw a man. He was wearing a black cloak with a joker’s mask on his face. He was holding a bloody knife. He ran up to me too, but I was able to get away. He chased me throughout the house and when we entered the library, I used all my strength to push the big table onto him, towards the fireplace. The fire was still on when it happened. He finally left the house by cracking the window there with his back in flames. That’s when I immediately ran up to the front door and met you”, Abe finishes.

 Meguro writes down everything in points and asked, “May I know what do you study at university?”

“I’m currently a post-graduate majoring in Informatics in the Department of Science and Engineering”, Abe answers, with light in his eyes.

Meguro is stunned for a while. “A genius, I see. I never like Science”.

Abe laughs a little, “For me, Science is the tool I use to understand the world around me. It provides logic and sense and order in what might otherwise seem chaotic”.

Meguro just smiles and stares at the man beside him. Abe has a nice smile.

 Inspector Iwamoto seems to have finished his rounds and come up to them. Meguro showed him the notebook. Iwamoto-san sneers, “Anyways, until we can prove the existence of this masked man you talk about, you will be regarded as the prime suspect of this case. You said it yourself too, that only you and your niisan live here.”

Abe puts his head down. The way this man speaks hurts him a little. “I understand, inspector. I will cooperate”.

 “Ryohei!”

Everyone turns their heads to the door. There’s a man, probably the same age as Abe.

“Ryota!”, Abe runs up to this “Ryota” and envelopes him in an embrace, just like what he did to Meguro earlier.

“I saw the police tape in front of the house. What happened?”, Ryota asked.

“Niisan is dead, Ryota. He’s dead. He was killed by a Joker! The Joker tried to kill me too, but I escaped from him”, Abe answered, still embracing Ryota. Ryota soothes Abe’s back in circles with his hands, “Thank God you’re safe”. He then moves his attention to the two officers in front of him. “I’m Miyadate Ryota. Hiroyuki’s cousin. You might be wondering why I came here this late at night, but this is normal. Sometimes I swing over after work before I go home to hang out with Ryohei and Hiroyuki.”

Abe releases himself from the hug and nods, acknowledging Ryota’s statement.

 Meguro doesn’t know why but his detective guts is telling him that there is something fishy about this Ryota guy.

“Hang out? What do you guys do?”, Meguro questioned.

“What do we do? Just normal things people do during hang out. Eat, drink, play games, storytelling…” Ryota answers, looking strangely at Meguro.

Meguro nods, “Just routine question. Don’t mind it. Anyways, where do you work at?”

“I work as a chef at Juicy Diner near here”, answered Ryota.

“Ahh Juicy Diner! I’ve eaten there once and the steak was so delicious. I shall come over again some other time. Hmm, ok, what about your home? Is it near here?”

“Yeah. Just a 10 minutes’ walk from here”.

“You live alone?”

“Yeah. My parents work outside the city, so I live alone here”.

 Meguro finished writing more points in his notebook. “I think it’s good that you came here, Miyadate-san. We would need to seal this house to preserve the crime scene and to avoid any evidence being tampered with. So would you kindly bring Abe-san to live with you for a while? We will try our best to solve this case as soon as possible”.

“That would be no problem. We’re no strangers to staying at each other’s place and sleeping on each other’s bed”.

Meguro flinches and he can also see his superior lift his eyebrow. Was the last part necessary to tell? But Abe doesn’t show any discomfort with Ryota’s words.

“The house is also not in a good condition for you to live in now”, Inspector Iwamoto adds, pointing to the direction of the broken window of the library.

 Meguro turns his head in the direction of Abe and Ryota when he sees Ryota caressing Abe’s face. “Come, let’s pack your things and we can go home. You need rest”, said Ryota.

Meguro is feeling that doubtful instinct again. As if a danger is going to come. What is this unsettling feeling?

“Well then. I think that’s all for tonight. Thank you for your cooperation. We shall keep in touch with you guys until the case is closed. I’ll ask the security police to keep an eye on you two so be quick with the packing. We shall take our leave now. Have a good night”, Inspector Iwamoto exits the premise, ushering Meguro to follow suit.

Meguro turns back and look one last time to the disappearing figures of the two men inside the house.

 “Keep an eye on them”, Meguro hears Iwamoto-san says.

“Excuse me, sir?”

“I know you are suspicious of them too. Let’s dig more on those two later. There must be something in their private lives that could serve as a motive for murder. That Abe guy, he is studying Informatics he said? There could be a relation with Miyadate Hiroyuki’s job at the tech company”.

Iwamoto-san sighs, “Good job today, Meguro-kun. You must be tired. Have a good rest tonight and I’ll see you tomorrow at the HQ, alright. My house is this way. Be careful on your way home”.

“You too, sir. Good night”, Meguro bows till his superior is a few distance away.

 “The estimated time of death is between 8:45pm to 9.30pm last night. According to the length and width of the wounds, the murder weapon is probably a 12-inches cooking knife. No other abnormalities were found in the body”, Sakuma explains. “We also analyzed other evidence inside the house but no other fingerprints aside from Abe-san and the victim was found”.

“Hmm. Is he lying after all?”, Iwamoto-san thinks.

“However~”, Sakuma sing-song. “We found footprints outside the house near the broken window”. Sakuma pushes forward a photo of a footprint. “Size 9 shoes.”

Meguro and Inspector Iwamoto look at each other.

“We have checked the shoes in the house. Seems like both Abe-san and the victim share the same shoe size – size 10. So…where does this size 9 came from?”, Sakuma suggests, with a smile.

Meguro doesn’t understand why but he suddenly feels relieved.

 “Come to think of it, when I looked around the house last night, I saw that all the knives were in place in the kitchen. So there is a possibility of someone else breaking into the house and killed Miyadate-san with their own knife”, Iwamoto-san utters.

“12-inches cooking knife is pretty heavy, so the perpetrator has to be someone that has huge hands and stronger built. Probably someone who is used to cooking with that heavy knife”, Sakuma adds.

Meguro’s mind immediately goes into thinking Miyadate Ryota.

“I know what you are thinking Meguro-kun. We can meet Miyadate Ryota later to confirm our suspicions, but we are yet to find concrete evidence. What about data from Miyadate Hiroyuki’s phone and laptop, Sakuma?”

“The data analyst team is currently working on it. I will report to you with our findings at the soonest!”

“Great! Thanks for the update, Sakuma. Come Meguro-kun, we’re going to Juicy Diner!”

 “Welcome to Juicy Diner!”

Meguro and Iwamoto-san was greeted by a bubbly waitress. “For two?”, she asks.

Meguro holds up his right hand and brings out his police badge from his coat pocket. “We’re from the police. I believe there is a chef here with the name of Miyadate Ryota. May us see him?”

The waitress nods and calls for the said man.

 Miyadate Ryota comes out of the kitchen, looking dashing even in chef’s uniform. “Good afternoon, officers. Please come with me over here”, he greets and bring both the policemen to the corner seating.

“Please have a seat”. He then brings out two glasses of water for the policemen before he sits down in front of them.

“Any updates on the case, officers?”

“A bit. We’re here to confirm several things with you. Were you working last night?”, Meguro questions.

“Yeah. I worked till closing time last night. You can ask the other staffs too”.

“Ok. Next, may I know your shoe size?”

Ryota lifts his eyebrow. “I’m a size 9. But why?”

“We found footprints that doesn’t match the shoe size of your cousin and Abe-san”.

“Ok. May I know the shoe size?”

“Size 9. Your size.”

 Ryota freezes but immediately regains his composure. He laughs.

“I see. So I kinda become the main suspect now, is it? Haha ok ok I understand. It’s understandable that you guys are suspicious of me. But officers, he was my dearest cousin. I will never hurt him or Ryohei. And I have no reason to murder him at all”.

Meguro snickers. “Don’t take it to heart, Miyadate-san. Again, it’s just routine questions. We need to check every nook and cranny so that we won’t overlook any possibilities. As you mentioned just now, you were working here last night. So if you are the murderer, we have to knit the loopholes in your alibi”.

“You’re right. Well then. I’m leaving the rest of the investigation to you, officers. Please find the killer soon. For Ryohei’s sake”. Ryota smiles, as if challenging the officers in front of him. Meguro doesn’t like that.

“How was Abe-san?”, Meguro queries.

“In trauma, I guess. I was woken up by his scream last night. He was dreaming of “The Joker”. He said the Joker is coming to get him. But I managed to calm him down soon after. Other than that, he’s ok. I can see he was trying to be as normal as possible this morning. Even though I can still see sadness in his eyes. He must be trying his hardest to accept this situation he’s currently in. I told him he doesn’t have to attend his classes today and just take a rest but Ryohei being Ryohei, he doesn’t want to. Ahh he always made me worried”.

Meguro realizes that when it comes to Abe, Miyadate Ryota’s tone turns fond. He doesn’t like this either.

 “Ok. We will come back if anything else comes up. We might visit Abe-san too in the near future. Thank you for your cooperation”.

Both policemen leave the diner after confirming with the staffs, the whereabouts of Miyadate Ryota the night before.

 “Miyadate Hiroyuki’s last LINE chat was with his colleague. About work-related things. However, he made a call to Kitayama Rintarou an hour before his death”, Sakuma reports, when both Meguro and Iwamoto-san returns to HQ in the evening.

“Who is this Kitayama Rintarou?”, Iwamoto-san asks.

“He is Abe Ryohei’s university lecturer”.

“Hmm? What is the relation between the deceased and this university lecturer?”

“From the LINE chats with this Kitayama-san, we found that this Kitayama-san is currently doing his PHD. Once he had used Abe Ryohei’s research findings in his thesis without consent. Abe-san eventually found out about it when his findings were deemed plagiarized during a presentation. Abe-san confronted the man, but he ended up getting assaulted. Maybe Abe-san reported this to Miyadate Hiroyuki so the deceased tried to take care of the matter”.

“I see. Anything else?”

 At this moment, there is a call to the office. Meguro picks it up.

“Miyadate Hiroyuki seemed to have done extensive research on this guy. The night before the incident, he sent Kitayama-san a threatening text message – saying that he knows other mischiefs Kitayama-san had done. He even attached some evidence. This guy is disgusting. He even offers “Sex-for-grades” with his students”, said Sakuma while scrunching his face.

“Hmm. So this Kitayama-san is afraid of Miyadate-san exposing his wrongdoings so he killed him, is a possibility, isn’t it? Alright! Looks like we have a new suspect. We shall investigate this university lecturer soon. Thanks again, Sakuma. You’re really helpful”.

“Sir!”, Meguro yells. Both Iwamoto-san and Sakuma turn their heads to him.

“We got a call from a crime scene in Chuo ward. The victim’s name is Kitayama Rintarou”.

 The crime scene is inside an apartment on the 5th floor of a 7-storeys apartment building. The dead body of Kitayama Rintarou is lying on the floor of his living room.

 “Similar modus operandi”, Sakuma starts. “Deep stabbed directly to the heart followed by few more stabs on random parts of the body. We will find out if it’s the same weapon once this body gets examined for autopsy later”.

 Meguro looked around the house. From the photo frames on the desk, he can deduce that the deceased is still unmarried. There are only photos of the deceased himself and together with who might be the deceased’s parents. There are also numerous certificates on the wall which indicate his achievements. Meguro sneers. He wonders how many of these certificates the deceased actually achieved with his own hard work and effort.

 Meguro moves to the bathroom. Only one toothbrush. He can confirm that the deceased lived alone. He walks to the kitchen next. Nothing else seems out of order aside from a jug of orange juice on the counter, along with a bottle of sleeping pills beside it. A jug? Means that the deceased was going to serve the juice to other people. Means that…the deceased was waiting for someone. He immediately shouts from the kitchen, “Sakuma-kun! Take a photo in the kitchen later. There’s a jug and sleeping pills. Suspicious!”

He can hear Sakuma replies with, “Roger that!”

 “SENSEI!”

Meguro hears a familiar voice and rushes out from the kitchen. Abe Ryohei is standing at the front door, with both his hands covering his mouth, looking shocked. Meguro doesn’t understand why his heart skips a beat.

 “Abe-san? Why are you here?”, Meguro approaches him.

“Sensei texted me this afternoon. To meet him here…”

“Why is that?”

Abe breaks eye contact with Meguro. “That is…”

“Is it about the research findings that he stole from you?”, Iwamoto-san queried. Abe freezes. “We already found out about that from the data of your niisan’s phone. Do you know that your niisan was checking the background of this sensei of yours till he was able to get hold of some evidence of other misconducts that this sensei had done? We believe that your niisan was trying to expose this dude’s dirt after what happened to you”.

“Ohh niisan…”, Abe falls to the floor, he’s visibly crying now.

Meguro reaches down to hold Abe’s shoulders. “Let’s talk outside, Abe-san. Show me the message you received from Kitayama-san this afternoon”.

 Meguro brings Abe to sit down in the lobby of the apartment. Abe shows him the message. It reads: “Come to my apartment at 8pm. I am terribly sorry for my actions previously. Let’s settle this out in peace.”

Meguro cringes reading the message. Settle in peace, my foot!

 “I can’t believe that niisan actually went a long way to bring justice to what happened to me”.

Meguro looks at Abe. The man has his right hand on his chest.

“Can you tell me more of what happened? And do you know about other unpleasant things that your lecturer had done?”

“It was a month ago when I found out about sensei’s fraud. I came to confront him at his staff room. It was a frustrating experience. I was humiliated in front of other scholars. I wasn’t aware that my findings were already published under sensei’s name a week prior. The scholars who attended the presentation already read through sensei’s research paper, so they called me out for plagiarizing”. Abe hugs himself before he continues, “I never heard of any bad reputation about sensei. I know why after I went to his staffroom that day. He gave me a drink. I drank it. Then I feel dizzy. Then suddenly…He was…He was on top of me…He was…He was touching me everywhere. Then he told me to wait. Then he shoved his phone in front of my face. Thankfully there was a part of my mind that was still on alert. I know where this is going. I know what he’s going to do. With all the strength I had left, I pushed him, I kicked him and I ran away. I ran till I reached home. It was long. I might’ve run for about 30 minutes. But I didn’t feel tired. I didn’t feel anything other than sadness and disappointment. And my mind was already in haywire that I don’t even gave any thoughts of what other people might be thinking seeing me at that moment. Niisan just got back home so I bumped into him in the living room. I cried in his embrace. He asked me what happened. I told him my hard work is ruined. I told him my lecturer stole my research findings. I told him if I were to start with a new research topic, I might have to extend my university period. I might have cursed sensei some more or told niisan several other things too before I exhausted myself to sleep”.

 Meguro clenches his fist. The jug in the kitchen…Kitayama might be planning to do the same thing again tonight. What a disgrace!

 “Ever since that day, I avoid meeting him. I didn’t attend his classes. It was only this afternoon that we finally contacted each other after a while. But Meguro-san. The fact that sensei was killed too…Means that sensei wasn’t the one who killed niisan, right?”

“That’s right”, Inspector Iwamoto suddenly appears before them. “Both of you, follow me to the control room”.

 “This is the CCTV recording from the emergency staircase”. Iwamoto-san then point to the black hooded figure on screen. The figure was walking slowly till there was a point that he was walking closer to the camera that the CCTV could capture the figure’s face. Abe gasps. “It’s him! It’s the Joker!”

 The Joker was captured at every level’s staircase from the bottom to the 5th floor. The Joker stopped in front of Kitayama’s room and rang the bell. For a second, the Joker looked like he moved his mask upwards to his head, but the CCTV couldn’t capture his face as his head was covered by the hoodie. Kitayama opened the door, and the Joker went in.

“One thing we know now is that Kitayama-san knows who is this Joker”, Iwamoto-san states.

 Few minutes later, the Joker was seen going out from Kitayama’s apartment with his mask on. The Joker looked at the CCTV for a while – as if mocking the police who are going to find out about this later.

“Come to think of it…Meguro-kun, who was the first discoverer?”, Iwamoto-san asked, looking like he was just reminded of something.

Meguro shakes his head. “An unknown person. The emergency hotline receives a call from the victim’s phone, saying that Kitayama Rintarou has been murdered at his residence. The caller was using a voice changer and before the staff could ask for more details, the caller hung up. So the staff forwarded the call to our division. Also, when Sakuma and the forensic team arrived just now, the door was unlocked. We suspected that the Joker was the one who made the call”.

 Inspector Iwamoto sighs. “This is troublesome. By the way, Abe-san, where were you before you came here?”

Meguro lifted his eyebrow. Such is a life as a detective. You got to be suspicious of everything!

“I was at the university since the morning. I went here straight from there. I walked here together with my friend, Fukazawa before we part ways halfway through. I can give you his number if you need it…”

“I see. I’m sorry if you feel uncomfortable with me treating you like a criminal, but I hope you understand that it’s my job to suspect anyone, especially if they are directly involved in a case”.

Abe shakes his head and cracks a little smile, “Don’t worry, Inspector. That firmness is what makes you a respectable inspector. I understand”.

“Good. Let’s recap what we know so far. Miyadate Hiroyuki threatened to expose Kitayama Rintarou’s malpractices, so we suspected that Kitayama was the one who murdered Miyadate-san. However, that wasn’t the case because Kitayama was murdered in the same way Miyadate-san was murdered. From the text messages, we assume that both of them never had a direct meeting with each other. Which translates to no one else knows that these two knew each other. The only thing connecting both of them is you, Abe-san. But we won’t exclude the possibilities that either of them might have told someone. Say, have you ever heard your niisan talking to someone about Kitayama-san?”

Abe shakes his head. “I didn’t even know that he was researching sensei’s background and his past offenses. He might have done it in private”.

“What about Miyadate Ryota? Does he know about what Kitayama-san did to you?”

“Yeah, obviously he knows. He’s the next person after niisan that I would talk to about my problems”.

“How was his reaction when you told him about Kitayama-san?”

Abe glances at Inspector Iwamoto. His eyes are glowing with, probably anger. “What’s this? Are you suspecting him?”

Iwamoto-san raise both his hands up, in a surrendering pose, “Like I said, it’s my job to suspect everyone”.

“Why would Ryota killed niisan though? They’re cousins, for God’s sake! A close one too! They thought of each other as their own siblings. Me too, he’s like a brother to me too. Remember that the Joker was going after me as well? Ryota will never do that. Ryota has always been caring. He never hurt me. It’s impossible for him to be the one doing these murders”.

“Ok Ok calm down, Abe-san. We actually visited him this afternoon and he has an alibi for last night. Iwamoto-san was only making sure that we won’t overlook any possibilities”, Meguro interferes, sensing Abe was feeling offended. “But you should answer his question though, how was Miyadate Ryota’s reaction when you told him about Kitayama-san?”, Meguro asked again, in a soft tone.

Abe sighs. “I’m sorry I got emotional. Ryota is important in my life. I don’t want to lose him too”.

Again, Meguro doesn’t understand why it feels like a storm is raging in his chest. Ouch!

 “Hmm…How he reacts? Ryota is not the type that shows his feelings much. I think he might’ve just asked me to calm down and said that karma will bite back while pulling me into his embrace. Yeah. I think that’s what happened. That’s so Ryota. May I know why you ask?”

“Is that normal? I mean, we saw how he treated you last night. It’s that…it’s unusual to see two grown up men being that affectionate with each other, you know…”

Abe finally comes to a realization and blushes, “Ahh…That…Umm…It’s habit, I guess. Because we’ve been together for so long. The first time I met Ryota was on the day I was adopted into the family. I was still emotionally unstable, I felt overwhelmed by lots of things happening at the same time, so I remembered I was crying most of the time within the 3 months after the incident. Ryota’s parents are always busy with work so almost every day, Ryota will come over to our house to play. We all lived in Edogawa at the time. The Miyadate family owned a huge plot of land where all the families lived in one area. So our house, Ryota’s house and the other relatives’ houses are all within the same area. Anyways, it’s always Ryota who calms me down when I have my breakdowns. It’s always Ryota who came to my aid when I was faced with troubles. Ryota didn’t talk much, he just envelopes me into his embrace. And I find myself feeling relaxed, all the time, with him just doing that. And I think I had become dependent on him emotionally since that time…”

 Meguro is speechless, listening to Abe’s explanation. Inspector Iwamoto clears his throat. “Alright. Do either of you have a partner? I mean, romantically”.

Abe shakes his head. “Neither me, Ryota or niisan is in relationships. We always tease each other about this. When will each of us have a girlfriend? But we all agreed that for now, we are still too busy to commit to a relationship. So yeah, none of us has any girlfriend”.

 Iwamoto-san nods. “That was a touching story, Abe-san. Thank you for cooperating with us tonight too. We will reach out to you again if there’s any updates on these two cases. Meguro-kun, please send Abe-san home. Now that we confirmed that the Joker is real, I’m afraid he might come to attack Abe-san next. Follow him till the entrance door”, Iwamoto-san ordered.

“Yes, sir!”

“I’m sorry for this inconvenience…”

“No, no, not at all! It is my duty!”

Abe gives a small smile, “Thanks…”

 Meguro thinks he’s in love. Yeah. He must be.

People say you’ll feel butterflies in your stomach when you are crushing on someone and yes, that’s exactly what Meguro is feeling right now. Other than that, he is feeling some other crazy emotions! He is feeling uncontrollably giddy at Abe just saying “Meguro-kun” and is feeling shy to look at the said man eye to eye. Another crazy thing he thought is that…He just met Abe-san last night! Can a person really fall in love in that short amount of time?

 “Meguro-kun, turn right at the next intersection. Then it’s the second house on the right”.

 Abe leads him to a huge 2-storeys house at a high-end residential area. Meguro is flabbergasted.

“Uhh…So Miyadate-san lives here all alone…?”

Abe laughs a little. He understands the look Meguro is giving. “The Miyadate family is pretty wealthy. However, they aren’t involved in any huge businesses or anything so not many people know about the family name”. Abe reaches out to touch Meguro’s left hand on the steering wheel. Meguro gulps. “Thank you for sending me home tonight. As you can see from here, there’s no one lurking around so it should be safe. You don’t have to leave the car. I can take my leave from here. I hope you will be able to catch the culprit soon. Good night”.

“Ahh! Abe-san!”

Abe turns around before he can open the door. “Yes?”

“Here is my card. Please call me if you find anything strange, ok?”

Abe gratefully accepts the card. “Will do. Thanks”.

 Meguro waits until Abe enters the house. Abe even waves at him before he closes the door. Meguro gladly waves back.

 Meguro doesn’t drive home yet. He drives and parks his car at a side where he can monitor the house. He’s determined to protect Abe-san. So he keep a lookout for any suspicious figures around the house.

 About half an hour later, he sees a figure coming out to the veranda on the 1st floor. It was Abe-san – now already changes to more comfortable clothes, an oversized white shirt. He’s gazing at the sky above, looking at the stars. He had a melancholy expression on his face. Meguro decides that it is such a breathtaking view. A sudden poetic thought comes up on his mind – we are looking at the same stars, yet you are so far from me. Oh no. He had turned gloomy too. He quickly switches on the radio to distract himself from unnecessary thoughts.

 At a little past 11pm, Miyadate Ryota arrives home. Abe, who is still on the veranda waves down at him with a wide smile on his face. Meguro can see Ryota waves back and running fast towards the entrance door. In a moment, Ryota is there on the veranda too. They hug each other, a “normal” thing they did and Meguro notices that Ryota doesn’t leave his hands off Abe’s waist for a long time. Looks like they talk a bit before Ryota escorts both of them back into the house. Meguro tightens his grip on the steering wheel before he drives off. Damn, ugly jealousy!

 “How are you, son? I’m worried about you. I’m sorry I can’t visit you”, Abe’s foster father can be heard from the other side of the line.

“Don’t worry, father. You’re not in good health. Please, don’t stress yourself. I’m fine, really. I’m staying with Ryota now. We can protect each other. I’m sorry for niisan’s passing, father. You must be sadder, since niisan is your biological son. I’m really sorry, father…”

“Shh…I am indeed sad, son. Which father will not be sad when his son was taken away from him? But it already happened, son. I can’t bring him back to life even if I want to. What I can do now is to just be strong for him and to pray that the killer to be caught soon”.

 Abe slowly laughs. His foster father is really strong-minded. As expected from a retired army. Abe always admires his foster father’s wisdom. Miyadate-san is the most patient man Abe has ever met.

“We will have a funeral for Hiroyuki after his body is released. I hope by the time, justice will be served. I’m glad Ryota is there in Tokyo too. Please take care, both of you”.

“You too, father. I will call you back later. Bye!”

“Bye, son”. The call ends.

Relief is a feeling Abe has after calling his father. Feels like some burdens from his shoulder are removed.

 Abe is packing his bags to be brought to the university soon when his phone rings. It’s from an unknown number. He picks it up. “Hello”.

“Ryo~hei~” A deep, creepy voice answers. “Ryo~hei~”. Abe feels chills on his spine.

Abe quickly switches on the voice recording app on his phone. “Hello. Who…Who is this?”

The voice on the other line keeps on repeating his name.

“This is not funny. Come on, who are you?!”

The person on the other line creepily giggled. “You look so beautiful in white, Ryohei”.

That sentence makes Abe vigorously check his surroundings but there’s no one in sight. “You’re the one who killed niisan and sensei, right? What is your motive?”

“Hehehe…”

“What’s so funny?!”, Abe’s voice turns more agitated.

 Suddenly there’s the sound of an explosion from outside the house. He screams. It shocks him.

“Hehehe… That’s my present for you, my dear. Expect more from me next time”. And the call ends.

 Abe looks out at every window, but he can’t see any figures around the vicinity. When he peeks at the front garden, there is a bouquet of flowers and a “Jack-in-a-box” doll on top of the table inside the gazebo. Perhaps the explosive was put inside the “Jack-in-a-box” and the doll pops out when it exploded. It is not wise to go outside by himself now. He takes out Meguro’s business card and swiftly dials the number.

 Meguro miraculously finds another link between Miyadate Hiroyuki and Kitayama Rintarou. The name is Fuji Ichiro. The name comes up in both Miyadate and Kitayama’s contact list. Meguro is about to check Miyadate and Kitayama’s previous chats in case there are any chats with this Fuji Ichiro guy, when his phone rings. “Hello, Meguro speaking”.

“Meguro-kun, it’s me Abe”. Meguro instantaneously stands up from his seat.

“Abe-san? Is something wrong?”

“He was outside the house. He just called me. He left a bouquet of flowers and a “Jack-in-a-box” outside the house. There was an explosion too…”

Meguro’s mind grows alert hearing the word “explosion”. “What?! You’re still in the house, right?”

“I am. I’m supposed to go to university now but…”

Meguro cuts his sentence. “Stay there! I’m coming. Don’t open the door to anyone. Anyone, ok? Even the people you know!”

“Ok, Meguro-kun. Drive safely”. He hung up.

 “What happened?”, Iwamoto-san asks from his desk.

“The Joker was at Miyadate Ryota’s home. He called Abe-san”.

“What?! Hey! Don’t go alone! You don’t know how strong the man is if you were to encounter him. Take Hikaru with you!”

“Roger!”

 Meguro runs to the Security Operations Department in search of Iwamoto Hikaru, his superior’s son.

“Hikaru-kun! You have a task from your father, let’s go!” Meguro shouts, from outside the department.

A tall man with a nice built, stern-looking face, neatly gelled side parted hair, looking dashing in full suit walks fashionably towards Meguro with both hands in his pocket.

“Where to, Meguro-kun?”

 “Abe-san, you may open the door now. I’m outside”, Meguro requested by calling Abe.

The door opens soon after. Abe observes the surroundings outside.

“We’ve checked till the backyard. There is no one around. I’m Iwamoto Hikaru. Nice to meet you”, Hikaru casually introduces himself to Abe and hold out his hand for a shake. Abe shakes his hand.

 Meguro inspects the items the Joker left behind. There is a note in red ink attached to the doll. It says, “You are mine, Ryohei”. What kind of sick game is this?!

Abe peeks through Meguro’s shoulder. He gasps when he sees the note. The Joker is targeting him after all. He shivers when he examines the bouquet of flowers. A combination of Red Camellias, Azaleas and Yarrows. In flower language, it means “You are a flame in my heart, you are in danger, I love you for eternity”.

 Hikaru whistles. “Looks like you got a secret admirer, huh?”

Meguro shushes him. “Be sensitive. His brother and teacher got killed by this man!”

“Ehh~~~ Alright, alright. I’m sorry~”, he might be apologizing but his tone sounds insincere. Abe doesn’t take it to heart. People have different characters after all.

“We’ll take these to Sakuma-kun. Now come, Abe-san. We’ll drop you at your university”, Meguro ushers Abe to the backseat of the police car.

 Abe plays the recording of the Joker’s call in the car at Meguro’s request. Hikaru is driving.

“This can be filed as a stalker case. Looks like he’s following your every movement. The problem is he’s still invisible to us. We have no idea who this stalker is. We don’t know who we have to protect you from”, Meguro states, frustratingly.

“Hmm. For now, it’s risky for you to go anywhere alone, Abe-san. You should be accompanied at all times. I suggest you stick with your trusted best friends to go with you anywhere in the university. The more the better. We can’t exclude the possibility that your closest friend might be the culprit. You can’t trust even your closest friends now. Avoid secluded areas. Call Meguro if you find anything strange. Also, he can fetch you from and to university. Just inform him of your schedule. And I suggest you stay with Meguro until your partner is home”, Hikaru advice, with a serious expression while Meguro gives him a side-eye. “What?”

“I’ll take your advice. I’m sorry for troubling you…”

“Don’t be sorry. That’s what the police are for. To protect the citizens from danger”.

 The car is now entering the small road leading to the university. It’s still a little far from their destination though. So not many people and cars are in this area during non-peak hours. Just like at this moment…

 Out of nowhere, a hooded man wearing Joker’s mask suddenly jump out directly in the middle of the road.

“SHIT!” Shocked, and in an attempt to evade the man, Hikaru rapidly turns the steering wheel to the right. The car crashes into a fence wall of a house, causing immense damage to the front of the car. All men inside the car are thrust forward from the impact and air bags are deployed.

 “Ugh…” Meguro’s field of vision is tunneled for a while. He sits up straight and takes a deep breath before he regains full vision. He looks to his side. Hikaru seems to have fainted. Then he hears the sound of broken glass and Abe’s scream.

“AGHHHH! STOP! LET ME GO!”

 The Joker breaks the window of the backseat and grabs Abe’s hand, pulling him out of the vehicle.

“Abe-san!”, Meguro is still a bit dizzy and he’s struggling with removing his seat belt. When he is finally able to get out from the car, he sees that the Joker is having a hard time pulling Abe into a van parked near there. Abe is flailing so much to remove himself from the Joker’s grip. He runs up to them but before he can reach them, Miyadate Ryota suddenly appears to save Abe from the situation.

 Ryota grabs the Joker by the shoulders from behind and throws a punch to the Joker’s head. The Joker punches Ryota back and when Ryota evades the punch, the Joker runs away from them all. Meguro lets out his gun and aims it at the Joker’s legs. He pulls the trigger.

“AGHHH!” Bullseye. The Joker falls to the ground.

 Both Meguro and Ryota run up to the Joker. The Joker tries to get up when suddenly, he starts to cough vigorously, then he holds his neck with both of his hands. Looks like he choked. Both Meguro and Ryota stop in their tracks. In a split second after, the Joker falls back down. The two men continues to reach the Joker.

“Oi! You are under arrest for an abduction attempt!”, said Meguro, breathing heavily. He crouches down, shaking the Joker but there is no response. He turns the Joker around first and removes the mask. A young man he never seen before and Ryota also looks like he doesn’t know the man. Meguro shakes the Joker again. “Oi! Wake up!” At that moment when his face is close to the Joker, he feels no breathing. Meguro stops his action. It can’t be! He checks the pulse on the Joker’s neck and wrist. Inexistent. The Joker is dead.

  It takes about 15 minutes before the ambulance and police force arrive at the scene. Hikaru is already awake by this point, helping Meguro inspect the van while Miyadate Ryota accompanies Abe at the backseat of their damaged police car, getting medical attention. The main doctor declares the Joker is dead and takes him away by ambulance. Meguro finds the Joker’s wallet inside the van and identifies him as “Fuji Ichiro”. Meguro suddenly got reminded of the mutual contact he found in the previous two victims’ contact list. He checked his mobile phone for the data. Indeed, it’s “Fuji Ichiro”.

 “Thank God you’re safe, son, Meguro-kun!”, Inspector Iwamoto approaches them both near the van.

“Yeah. It’s unfortunate that the perpetrator is dead when we captured him though”, Hikaru said.

“Hmm. Run me down what happened and who is behind this Joker?”, Iwamoto-san implores.

“We were on the way to send Abe-san to his university when the Joker suddenly appeared in front of us. Hikaru tries to evade the man, sending the car crashing. The Joker attempted to kidnap Abe-san by pulling him into this van but before that happened, Miyadate Ryota suddenly appears. They had a little fist fight before the Joker tried to run away. I shot his legs and he fell. We saw that he was like choking, and when I finally reached him, he was already gone”, Meguro explains in detail. “The man is identified as Fuji Ichiro, a post-graduate at the same university as Abe-san. I did my research at the HQ before I came here, this name actually came up in both Kitayama-san and Miyadate-san’s contact lists. But I still haven’t checked what is the link between the three of them”.

“Good job, Meguro-kun. After listening to your story, I become more suspicious of this Ryota guy”, Iwamoto-san whispers. “After they receive medical attention, we shall bring both of them to HQ for statement. Hikaru, son, thank you for helping Meguro-kun today. You guys should seek medical attention too. You never know what side effects you will be having after the crash”.

Meguro and Hikaru nod. “We’ll go to the hospital ourselves after we got the statement from Miyadate Ryota and Abe-san”.

 Ryota and Abe are sitting side by side inside the interview room of the Tokyo MPD. In front of them are Iwamoto-san and Meguro, notebook ready as well as ready for questioning.

 “Abe-san, do you know a man by the name of Fuji Ichiro?”, Meguro starts.

Abe is thinking. “Umm…I can’t recall anyone by that name. May I know who he is?”

Meguro puts a photo of Fuji Ichiro on the table. “This…is the Joker”.

Abe gasps. “Ehh…? But…I didn’t know him. Why is he after me?”

“He attended the same university as you. A post-graduate too”.

“Ahh…then, we might have come across each other. But really, I didn’t know him”.

Meguro leans back on his seat. “We find his contact in both your brother and your sensei’s phone. We will analyze their chats, if any, to find out what could be the motive”.

“He knows my brother?”, Abe asks, looking confused.

“Don’t worry, Abe-san. Our team is very efficient. We will find the relation between them in no time”, Meguro assures him.

Abe smiles and says a soft “Thank you”.

 “About you, Miyadate-san. Why were you there at the crime scene?”, Inspector Iwamoto questioned, his tone stern and looking suspiciously at the man in front of him.

“Ryohei informed me about the explosion at the house. At first, I offered to take him to university but he said that he had already called the police so they would be the one to accompany him to university. We kept on texting until Ryohei said the police has arrived and we ended our conversation”, he pulls out his phone from his pocket and shows the policemen the chat between him and Abe.

“I was obviously still worried. So I tracked him using “Find my Iphone”. When I saw that he wasn’t moving from the location for a while, I rushed to the scene”, Ryota explains calmly.

“Wha…When did you set up that feature on my phone?”, Abe asks him, clearly surprised.

“Last night when you were sleeping. I’m worried, Ryohei. If it’s not for my work, I don’t want to leave you alone. I’m afraid that things like today happened”, Ryota softly says while caressing Abe’s left hand with his right. Meguro decides that Miyadate Ryota must enjoy showing his affection towards Abe-san in public. “Does that answer your question, Inspector?”

Inspector Iwamoto gave him a look. He’s not satisfied with Ryota’s answer just yet. “Hmm alright. Where were you before you arrived at the scene then?”

“When Ryohei called me, I had just finished shopping for ingredients. I was at the diner. My workplace and Ryohei’s university are not that far, if you’re wondering how I rushed to the scene on time”, Ryota finishes his statement.

Truth be told, Iwamoto-san is still very wary of Miyadate Ryota even after the explanation. His stories are too perfect, too calculative. Something is definitely fishy about the guy…

 Inspector Iwamoto looks at the clock on the wall.

“Ok, I guess that’s enough statement. Thank you for cooperating with us again today. I’m sorry that you had to go through the experience of getting in a car accident in a police car, Abe-san. I’m glad you didn’t suffer any fatal injuries”.

Abe shakes his head, “No no! I should be the one apologizing for putting Meguro-kun and Hikaru-san’s life at risk. Since I was the target after all”.

“Hmm…I think we won’t bother you so much anymore now that the Joker is dead. We will contact you again probably if we need further information and when we have settled the three cases. You may take your leave now. Have a pleasant day”. All the men shake hands.

 Before Ryota and Abe leave, Abe turns to Meguro. “Thank you so much for all you’ve done for me, Meguro-kun. Here, a little token of appreciation from me. I hope you can keep it with you always. Hehe.”

Abe hands over a flower bouquet charm to Meguro. It’s a combination of blue and white flowers.

“They are blue violets and gardenias”, Abe mentions, and somehow, he suddenly looks shy. “You can search for its meaning later. Until we meet again”, Abe bows and left towards the direction of Ryota. Meguro’s heart rate speeds up and he can’t utter a single reply. He is so happy to receive something from Abe-san. However, during the whole interaction just now, he could see, from the corner of his eye that Miyadate Ryota was glaring at him. He doesn’t know why but he’s pleased with that reaction.

 Back from Tokyo MPD building, Ryota brings Abe for a meal at Juicy Diner and persuades him to stay at the diner until Ryota finishes work so they can go home together. Abe has a productive rest of the evening, peacefully doing his university work at the corner seating of the diner.

 When they arrive back to Ryota’s home, Ryota takes a bath first while Abe continues doing his assignment some more. After Ryota’s done bathing, Abe strides to the bathroom and has a relaxing, long bath.

 Abe gets out from the bathroom after about half an hour. He is only in his boxers, and he sees Ryota reading a book on the bed. Abe opens the wardrobe, rummaging its inside for his nightwear.

“Nee, Ryota”

Ryota turns to him, acknowledging.

“When the police finally settle everything about niisan’s murder later, I believe I can return to the house. I will not bother you anymore hopefully sooner”, Abe casually comments.

He finally pulls out his signature nightwear, an oversized white button-up shirt. While buttoning up his shirt, Ryota suddenly hugged him from the back.

“Ahh~” He startles when Ryota bites his neck.

He nervously looks to his side. “Ryo…Ryota?”

Ryota looks up at Abe while helping him button up his shirt. “Why are you in such a hurry to leave me? I don’t mind if you stay here forever. I love your company”. After Abe’s shirt is fully buttoned, Ryota buries his head into Abe’s neck, inhaling the smell of a freshly bathed Abe.

Abe smiles and raises his hand up to pat Ryota’s head. “Stop behaving like a possessive boyfriend. I’m tired. Let’s go to sleep”.

Ryota chuckles and let go of his Ryohei. Oh he doesn’t know.

 === The next day ===

 Meguro is in cloud 9. He searched for the meaning of the flower charm as soon as he got back home last night. He found out that the flowers mean “Secret Love”. Could it be? Meguro animatedly punches the air before he covers his face with both of his hands. He’s excited just thinking about the possibility that his feelings are reciprocated. If that’s the case then he should look for clues and more evidence fast so that the cases will be settled – then, he will be able to meet his Abe Ryohei.

“Yosh!”, Meguro is very motivated now.

 “Ding-dong! May I come in?”, Sakuma slides open the office’s door.

“Welcome, Sakuma!”, Inspector Iwamoto greets, gesturing for the pink haired man to enter.

“Good news or bad news? Which one do you want to hear first?”, Sakuma asks.

“The good one”, Iwamoto-san answers.

“Ok! I shall report to you what we know so far~ Fuji Ichiro’s cause of death is heart failure. Ahh you must be thinking how could a healthy young man like him have a sudden heart failure, right? Because that’s what I thought too. If the deceased is an old man I will conclude it just there but since this is a young man, it is pretty suspicious especially for someone who has no history of heart diseases nor inherited conditions. So we checked the stomach contents very carefully. There is still quite a volume of material left in the stomach, meaning that the victim had his meal just before his death. Seems like he had a burger. We took a sample and Walla! Poison. We believe this is the kind of poison that doesn’t killed you right away. It stays in the body for a few hours before the toxin spreads throughout the body especially to the heart, causing a heart attack. The poison might also speed up its action from vigorous activity. Like running”, Sakuma explains, while passing all the relevant documents to Iwamoto-san.

“Poison? Did he took it voluntarily or was he unaware that he was consuming the poison?”

Sakuma claps. “You should hear his story then. So let’s start with how he is connected to both Miyadate Hiroyuki and Kitayama Rintarou”.

Meguro passes a chair towards Sakuma and gestures to him to sit down so he can report his findings comfortably.

 “All the information I’m about to tell you is gathered from these 3 people’s LINE chat. Fuji Ichiro was Kitayama’s student and he had been sleeping with the sensei since a month ago. He was doing this to gain information and firsthand evidence of the sensei’s misconduct. He would always make the sensei drank lots of alcohol because truth always came out when a person is intoxicated. And it looked like the sensei wouldn’t remember anything when he sobered up. Fuji then passed whatever information and evidence he gained to Miyadate-san. We can’t be sure of the nature of Fuji and Miyadate’s relationship though. The first chat between those two was Fuji telling Miyadate-san that he’s willing to provide Miyadate-san with information regarding the wicked sensei to help Miyadate-san with his brother’s case”. Sakuma shows the printed copy of the LINE chats.

 “However, we came up with one possible reason why he was doing this. Look!” Sakuma shows them the wallpaper of Fuji’s phone. It was a candid photo of Abe! Meguro throws a questioning look at Sakuma.

“Uhuh. Next, look at his gallery”. Sakuma opens the photo gallery of Fuji’s phone. It was full of Abe’s candid photos! Photos of Abe in lectures, Abe reading book at a cafe, Abe playing the violin, Abe working with other people, Abe at a flower garden, Abe at the museum, even Abe stargazing at the balcony of his house in his inviting nightwear, and many more…

“He even wrote poems and stuffs, fantasizing about being together with Abe-san. Hear this:

When I loved you, the whole world became my enemy;

I rejected the whole world, and choose you today;

Your love is my kingdom;

You’re my persistence, my passion;

I’m heart burnt; you’re my addiction.

What do you think? He can write! I like it!” Sakuma recites dramatically. Meguro can feel a headache coming.

“So you mean…This Fuji…is obsessive over Abe-san that’s why he’s willing to help Miyadate-san to expose Kitayama sensei? Ok, I got the connection but if that’s the case, then why did he kill Miyadate-san? It just doesn’t make sense”, Meguro questions while rubbing his temples.

“Ahh~ That leads us to the bad news I’m going to convey to you today”.

 Sakuma takes a deep breath. “Fuji Ichiro…is not the Joker that killed both Miyadate and Kitayama”.

Inspector Iwamoto and Meguro stared at each other.

Sakuma repeats, “Fuji Ichiro is indeed Abe-san’s stalker, but he was not the Joker that killed these two people. Why? Because his footprints don’t match with the footprints we found at the first and second crime scenes”. Sakuma puts down the printed copy of the forensic results on top of the table.

Meguro is trying his hardest to make sense of Sakuma’s words. What is this plot twist? He thought they were already moving towards the end of the investigation. “Ehh…Ehh? So you mean…Fuji Ichiro was not the killer, correct?”

Sakuma nods. “From here, we can assume what happened: the real killer knew about Fuji’s obsession towards Abe-san, possibly persuades him to be the Joker with the reason so that he can acts on his fantasy towards Abe-san since this Fuji guy is quite withdrawn, feed him a meal with poison, then finally, wait for him to die”.

Meguro thinks hard. “Hmm. It’s a pretty foul proof plan, if not for the footprints. But still, we are nowhere near finding out the motive behind the murder. I have a suspect in mind. In my point of view, it must be him pulling the strings behind all this. But we have no solid proof other than that his shoe size matches the footprints found on the crime scene”. Iwamoto-san and Sakuma know who Meguro is referring to.

“Don’t you think he is over-protective of Abe-san? Maybe he wanted to remove whoever posing a threat to Abe-san’s life. But that doesn’t explain why he would kill his own cousin. And why would he chase Abe-san? Ugh! This is so confusing!” Inspector Iwamoto aggressively scratches the back of his head.

 Meguro’s phone rings. The caller ID shown on the screen named “Abe-san”.

“Hey, speak of the devil”, Sakuma comments.

Meguro shushes Sakuma and picks up the call. “Yes, Meguro speaking”.

“Meguro-kun…It’s still happening…”, Abe is talking in a really soft voice, as if whispering as well as in fear, from the other side of the line.

Meguro frowns. He suddenly had a bad feeling. “Can you explain what’s happening, Abe-san?”

After a long pause, he can hear Abe take a deep breath and says the next line frantically, “Someone sent me frightening letters. With candid photos of me. I’m afraid, Meguro-kun! What should I do?” Abe-san is sobbing now.

“Hey, hey, calm down, Abe-san! Ok, listen to me. Take a deep breath. Do it together with me. One, two, breathe in~~~and out~~~ Let’s do it one more time. One, two, breathe in~~~and out~~~ Ok, tell me where you are. I’m coming as soon as possible”.

“I’m at the university’s lab. Today is the weekend so there are not many people on campus. And I’m alone here inside the lab. It’s on the west side of the campus. I’m so scared to even move now Meguro-kun. I feel like I’m being watched. I’m sorry to trouble you but can you come to the lab? I’ll send you the location”, Abe whispers, trying to sound calm but Meguro can hear fear in his voice. Probably fear that this conversation will be heard by “that” someone.

“No problem, Abe-san. I’ll move now. Ahh! If it’s ok with you, please keep this call running. Hopefully it will lessen your fear knowing that I’m here, listening to you, ok?” “Alright. Thank you, Meguro-kun”.

 Abe puts his phone down on top of the table and takes another deep breath. At least he feels relieved after talking to Meguro-kun. He sits down on the stool then rubs his temple. He gazes at the cardboard box with his candid photos and creepy “love” letters in red ink inside it. Abe would think of these words as romantic, if not delivered to him this way.

“You’ve resided in my heart”

“After awakening the magic of desire, you’ve made me crazy”

“You’re stealing my peace, taking my sleep away”

“I’ve written your name on the walls of my heart”

“My heart is restless, jealous – when someone looks at you”

“The moonlight of your love, has settled in my eyes; The fragrance of yours, has settled in my breaths”

“The fire that is burning in my heart, didn’t extinguish even with many rainfalls”

“This intoxication and silence, this distance and helplessness, these heights and depths, these riddles and blockers; Love is a difficult thing”

“If this is madness, then I want to remain mad today”

“This longing doesn’t let me be far from you, even when I am at a distance”

 Abe shakes his head. No, he can’t be weak. Whoever does this to him must have some mental issues. Any sane person will approach the one they like with kindness and affection, not by instilling fear. He gently slaps his cheeks, “Focus on the work now, Ryohei”, he reminds himself. He puts the box aside and restarts his experiment.

 His peace is short lasting as he is disturbed by the sound from the announcement speaker resounds throughout the lab. “Ryohei~”

He gasps. He is indeed being watched! He looks around frantically. Then it occurs to him that if the perpetrator’s voice can be heard from the speaker, means that the man is currently in the broadcast room. The problem is…he doesn’t know where the broadcast room is! His body is in a “Fight or Flight” mode now. He brings his phone up to his ear and in a shaking voice, he asks, “Meguro-kun, can you hear that?”

A screeching sound can suddenly be heard from the speaker, followed by the person dark chuckling from the other side. That person continues with singing: “Secret~ I’m a secret~ I’m hiding here and there in the smoke~ Yes, I’m incognito~ Secret~ I’m a secret~” Then he lets out a big, evil laugh before it turns silence.

It feels like the calm before the storm, Abe hates this.

 He can hear Meguro utters “Shit!” from the other side of the line. “Hold on! I’m nearly there! Don’t move from there, ok?”

Abe hopes Meguro will arrive soon. He feels paranoid. He tries hard to be as calm as possible and carefully cleans up the apparatus he uses for his experiments just now. After that, he packs his stuffs and anxiously tapping his fingers on the desk, waiting for Meguro. After a while, he hears footsteps coming nearer. The person knocks on the door. Abe has a bad feeling. But he braves himself, “Meguro-kun?”

 The door is roughly opens…by a man in black, hooded, and with a Joker’s mask on his face. The man is holding a knife on his gloved, right hand.

“AGHHHH!” Abe screams. Then he throws whatever apparatus near him towards the Joker. The Joker slaps the equipment away and it breaks on the floor. Abe runs within the lab. Trying to block the Joker from reaching him as much as possible. There is only one entry and exit door. He must go in a circle before he can get out of the room. Fighting the man head on is not a choice since the man looks like he has stronger built. He could be stabbed in a flash. Abe is glad that he can still somehow think rationally in this situation.

 “How do you like my presents, Ryohei? Don’t break my heart~”, the Joker speaks out in a Joker-y tone.

 Few more steps till Abe reaches the door. The Joker seems to be aware that Abe is aiming for the door, so he fastens his pace. Abe manages to push the anatomy model near him towards the Joker before dashing out of the room. “HELP!”

 The laboratory is located in a secluded area, 15 minutes’ walk from the main campus. People say it’s an ideal location for horror stories – what’s with a long tunnel before the entrance and the buildings are literally inside a forest. Today, Abe unfortunately experiences that horror. Enhance with the fact that it is currently raining and stormy outside.

 Abe is running towards the tunnel when he turns around. The Joker is catching up to him. “AGHHH HELP!” He sprints as fast as his feet can go.

“Abe-san!”. Meguro is racing towards him.

“Meguro-kun!” Abe quickly hides behind Meguro as soon as he reaches him, while Meguro shoves his gun out in the direction of the Joker.

The Joker stops in his tracks then turns around, making a run from it. The Joker is running to the left to the right, not allowing Meguro to get a perfect aim. When the Joker finally reaches the end of the tunnel, he turns back around to look at both Meguro and Abe. The Joker makes a salute pose before he jumps headfirst towards the bush on the right. Meguro grabs Abe’s hand and runs in the direction where the Joker disappeared. No traces, no movements. It’s as if the Joker had disappeared into thin air.

 Meguro opens the backseat door of his car then ushers Abe to enter. Meguro follows, entering the backseat as well. They are soaking wet from the rain. Both of them pant hard, tired from all the running. Meguro holds out a bottle of water towards Abe. “I’m sorry I don’t have any towels but here, water. You must be tired from all that running”.

Abe gladly accepts the water. “Thanks”.

Meguro stares at the view of Abe gulping down the water. He is certainly feeling something. He quickly averts his gaze away.

“I’m sorry for making your car wet. And thank you for your help back there”.

Meguro lets out a tiny smile. Abe-san is apologizing and expressing his gratitude for the trivial things.

“You are mentally strong, Abe-san. With all the things happening around you, you’re still able to do things as per normal. I mean, with your niisan’s passing, I thought you might be grieving all the time – at least for this period. And it’s understandable if you do”. Abe snickers. “I am grieving. I am still grieving. I only let out my sadness when I’m by myself. I have to be strong. For me, life must go on. Excessive sadness is not good for anyone’s mind. Plus, I’m not good at not doing anything. We need distractions to steer away from thinking about sad things all the time”.

“Good. I’m impressed”.

They sat in silence for a while, didn’t know how to continue the conversation. Abe is now hugging himself while rubbing his arms with his hands in an attempt to keep himself warm.

 “Umm…I have searched the meaning of the flowers”, Meguro starts.

Abe turns his head towards him first, before he realizes something and blushingly looks away. “Ohh…you do?”

“Yeah…” Meguro is feeling awkward now. What should he say next?

 Meguro turns his whole body facing Abe. “Abe-san, I feel the same”.

Abe gazes at Meguro in disbelief. “Ehh?”

“Umm…How should I say this? I…Whenever I see you, I have this jittery feeling in my belly…Uhh…Like a flutter of electricity runs through my body…My palms sweat more than usual…Umm…Whenever we part ways, I longed to see you again…I don’t know…I mean…Those are signs that I’m in love with you, right? I’m sorry that I’m not good with this kind of thing…”, Meguro confesses fast, stuttering in between sentences. He is looking anywhere but Abe.

Abe laughs softly. He finds Meguro looking so cute right now. “I’m glad”.

 Abe reaches out to hold Meguro’s hand in his. Meguro stops panicking. Abe gazes at him directly in the eyes. Meguro is sensing a change in atmosphere. He unconsciously moves his gaze towards Abe’s lips. So tempting, he thinks.

As if listening to Meguro’s mind, Abe licks his lips. Meguro gulps.

“Nee, Meguro-kun. You know what people do after their confession is accepted?”

Before Meguro can answer and gives any reaction, Abe moves forward, claiming Meguro’s lips.

The kiss starts slow as Meguro is still in a daze, not believing this is happening. But as Meguro already makes sense of the situation, he dominates the kiss, turning it into a hungrier, passionate kiss. Meguro had his hand at the back of Abe’s head at this point. They broke the kiss for oxygen. Meguro watches as Abe’s expression turns sultrier, with cloudy eyes and his inviting lips slightly parted. He is about to initiate the next kiss when a ringing from Abe’s phone interrupts their moment. Abe quickly moves away from Meguro before answering the call. Meguro curses in his head.

 “Hello. Ryota?”

“Ryohei! I’m sorry I didn’t pick up your call earlier. Was busy in the kitchen. Anything you want to let me know?”

“Umm…Ryota…The Joker is not dead yet”.

The other line is silent for a moment. “What do you mean the Joker isn’t dead?”

“He was here. He sent me scary letters and photos of me! He also tried to kill me again! But thankfully, Meguro-kun saved me”.

Silence again. “Are you ok, now? Is the officer with you?”

“Yes, I’m alright. And yes, Meguro-kun is here”.

“Can you please pass the phone to him?”

“Sure”. Abe passes his phone to Meguro. “Ryota wants to speak to you”.

Meguro takes the phone. “Yes, Miyadate-san?”

“Ahh Hello officer. I would appreciate it if you could send Ryohei over to Juicy Diner. I’ll make sure to keep an eye on him so that nobody can hurt him”.

Meguro doesn’t know what comes over him at that moment. Perhaps, jealousy? Maybe this is how possessiveness feels like too. He replies with, “I think it would be best if he is under the supervision of the police at the moment. Don’t worry, I’ll make sure to keep Ryohei safe. Well then”. He ends the call. He also put Abe’s phone in silence mode.

Abe is dumbfounded with the way Meguro answered. “Hey, why did you…Hmph!”

Meguro pulls Abe into a tight embrace and roughly slams his lips onto Abe’s. They continue to kiss, without caring that there is another call made to Abe’s phone.

 Meguro drives both of them back to his house. Meguro lives in an upper-middle apartment in Shinagawa City. “My home is not as luxurious as the Miyadate’s. I hope you don’t mind”.

Abe chuckles. “It feels homey. I like it”.

Meguro is glad. “Make yourself at home. Let me take a towel and a change of clothes for you first”. Meguro dashes into his room to find the towel and clothes for Abe. Abe is standing still at the entrance, afraid to make the apartment wet from his soaked clothes.

“Ahh Here! The bathroom is over there. Take your time in the bath. I’ll cook dinner”.

Abe scrunches his face. “Umm…What about you? You’ll catch a cold if you keep wearing that”. It is simply an innocent statement, but Meguro thinks otherwise. Meguro slowly approaches Abe till Abe’s back hits the wall.

“What? Is that an invitation?”, he asks, seductively.

Abe is confused. But once he realizes, he vigorously shakes his head and runs inside the bathroom. His heart beating fast. He can hear Meguro’s laughing from outside.

“Hey, I’m kidding! You’re so adorable! No worries! I’ll dry myself and change into fresh clothes! Remember, be careful of what you say, Ryohei~” Meguro said the last sentence in a suggestive tone.

 Abe emerges out from bath about 20 minutes later. He is still embarrassed about what happened with Meguro just now, so he prolongs his time in the bathroom. But he thought that Meguro-kun probably needs to use the bathroom soon as well, so he went out after 20 minutes of dealing with his emotions. Meguro gave him a black silky pajama set. It’s a little big on him, both top and pants. But Abe doesn’t mind. Abe forgot about his emotional situation when he smells food. He walks to the kitchen. He is presented with a view of Meguro’s back. Meguro is now wearing new clothes – a simple white T-shirt and comfortable pants. He’s making fried rice.

 “Hmm. Smells nice~”

“Tastes nice as well. Have a seat”.

Upon seeing a drink station, Abe walks to the said place. “I’ll prepare the drinks. What do you want?”

“Hehe being helpful on our first date. I like it. You’re a good husband material”, Meguro teases.

Abe throws him an annoyed look. “Awww you’re cute when you’re angry too”, Meguro continues to tease. “Anyways, green tea for me”.

Abe laughs softly. Return his attention to the drinking station. “Then, I’m taking the rose tea, ok?”

Deep inside their hearts, both of them enjoy this domesticity.

~~~

Meguro and Abe sitting facing each other at the dining table. “Itadakimasu!”

“How was it? Good, isn’t it?”, Meguro proudly asks.

“Hmm! It’s delicious! It’s amazing that you can cook like Ryota does!”

Meguro’s smile falters, unknown to Abe. Speaking of Miyadate Ryota, he suddenly remembers about the Iphone tracking.

“Ohh about Miyadate-san…Did he…The Iphone tracking…?”, Meguro unable to form a sentence but Abe gets the hint.

“Ahh that! I switched the feature off last night. That Ryota, he did that without my permission. It drains my phone’s battery, you know! Ohh he must be worried. I should inform him…”, Abe is about to get up to get his phone when Meguro grabs his arm from across the table. “Meguro-kun…?”

“I know I’m being selfish…but can I ask you to not talk about other men when we are together? Especially Miyadate-san. I’m sorry, I…I’m feeling agitated whenever you mentioned him. All the way here I was trying hard to distract you away from your phone. Don’t worry too much about Miyadate-san. You heard what I told him in the car, right? That you’ll be under the supervision of the police. He’ll understand. I’m sure of it”, Meguro explains, desperately.

Abe’s eyes soften and link Meguro’s hands with his. He lays his cheek at the back of Meguro’s hand. “I’m sorry. I understand. Come, let’s continue to eat before the food gets cold”.

Just like that, they continue eating and have small talk, getting to know each other better, throughout the dinner.

 “Tomorrow is Sunday. You have any plans?”, Meguro asks while flipping through the TV channels.

“Hmm…Not exactly but I’m planning to continue working on my thesis”.

“Such a hard worker, aren’t you?”

“Hehe what about you, Meguro-kun? In you scope of work, I believe you still have to go to work if needed even during weekends, right?”

“Such is a life of a police officer. Our family has to be understanding with our job too”.

“Hmm…”, Abe nods, agreeing. A vinyl player at the edge of the room suddenly catches his attention. “Hey! An antique vinyl player!”, he exclaims, excitedly hopping towards the thing.

“Ahh That’s used to be my grandfather’s. After his death, my father said that I can have it. So I take it with me to this house”, Meguro also goes towards the vinyl player. “Let me make you listen to my favorite songs”. Meguro then rummages through his collection of vinyl.

“Yay!”, Abe cheers.

 Meguro brings out a classic vinyl of a Canadian singer, Dan Hill. The song track is “Sometimes When we Touch” from 1977. He inserts the vinyl onto the player. The song resounds within the apartment. Abe is peacefully enjoying the song when Meguro stretches his hand towards him. “May I have this dance?”

Abe snickers. So cheeky of him! He accepts Meguro’s hand for dance. He links his right hand with Meguro’s while he adjusts his left hand on Meguro’s shoulder. Meguro on the other hand, has his right arm on the other’s waist. They start dancing to the beat.

 And sometimes when we touch The honesty's too much And I have to close my eyes and hide I wanna hold you 'til I die 'Til we both break down and cry I wanna hold you 'til the fear in me subsides

 Both of them got deep into the song that in their subconsciousness, they start to do more than just dancing. Meguro closes the distance between them, staring at each other’s eyes and he can feel that Abe’s left hand now roams around his body. They didn’t kiss just yet. Simply continue the staring contest, while their breaths mingling with each other.

 Meguro lost his patience first. He claims Abe’s lips, gently this time, before their tongues start fighting for dominance, in which Abe predictably loses. Swayed by passion, Meguro leads Abe inside his bedroom, without stopping the kiss. Only when they reach the bedroom that they break the kiss for oxygen. Abe looks at Meguro with his hazy eyes – it ignites a fire Meguro doesn’t know he had inside him. He swiftly picks Abe up and gently throws him on the bed. His Ryohei looks so alluring right now. Meguro wants to ravage him. He got major aroused right now.

 Meguro crawls on top of Abe, ready for a feast when Abe blocks his face with both of his hands. “No. Don’t”.

Meguro stops in his tracks. “Do you want me to stop here?”

Abe peeks out. He shakes his head.

“Then, what do you want?”, Meguro softly asks. “I won’t do things you don’t want me to. So tell me what you want”, he caresses Abe’s head.

“Umm…I want you…but I don’t want…I mean…I don’t know…”, Abe hides behind his hands again.

Meguro gets the hint. He chuckles. “You’re so cute, Ryohei. It’s ok, we can take it slowly. We won’t do it all the way today”.

Abe lets out a little laugh. He’s glad that Meguro understands.

 Now that Meguro confirms Abe’s desire, the sensual mood resumes. He reaches out to take the necktie he wore to work yesterday from the chair in the room. Then he crawls back on top of Abe, takes both of Abe’s hands away from his face before tying them up with the necktie. He brings the tied hands on top of Abe’s head.

“Trust me. I won’t betray your trust”, Meguro reassures. Abe nods.

Meguro then takes off his clothes, revealing broad shoulders and abs that shows how Meguro frequents the gym. Abe licks his lips.

 Meguro proceed with unbuttoning Abe’s pajama top, one by one, while they’re having a staring contest again. After that, Meguro swiftly removes Abe’s pants. Abe was panting sensually throughout the whole action. Meguro lays back to admire the beauty in front of him. His Ryohei, with an unbuttoned top that reveals his attractive body, and underwear, with his hands tied above his head. It’s as if he’s unboxing a present. Meguro moves forward now to firstly, bites Abe’s earlobe. “Ahh~” The action emits a luscious moan out of the other man. Good step. Next, he moves to kiss Abe’s forehead, then both of his eyes, down to his nose, skips the lips, directly to the chin. Then he moves to kiss Abe’s collarbone and bites his neck, which results in Abe’s arching his back from the pleasure and he moans again. Meguro moves down to play with both nipples with his fingers for a second, which emits another pleasurable moan from the man beneath him, before he places kisses on the abs.

 Meguro uses his fingers to trace the area below the belly. “Ahh~~~”

Abe lets out a long moan while arching his back. So he feels the most pleasurable right there. Meguro smirks. He moves down to caress both of Abe’s thighs, also biting the inside of Abe’s right thigh. Abe squirms. Meguro holds both of Abe’s legs in place again and continues kissing down to his feet. Meguro had kissed all over Abe’s now aside from his lips and obviously, the private part. He’s satisfied with this today. They can take this slowly. He can explore more of his beloved’s body next time. Now he moves back up to claim Abe’s lips, passionately while his hands roam all over the other man’s body. When they break the kiss, Meguro moves back to place airy kisses on Abe’s collarbones and neck while his fingers traces over the area below the belly. Not long after, he hears a lewd chanting of his name.

“Meguro-kun…Ahh~ Meguro-kun… Ahh~ Ahh~ Ahh~~~”

Only the sound of their pants can be heard right now. Even the music outside had long stopped. Abe finally reaches his climax.

 Meguro smiles and unties the bind on Abe’s hands. “You’re so great. So beautiful”. He gives Abe a peck on the nose before he moves to his wardrobe, pulling out a fresh boxer and putting it at the edge of the bed. He also takes a tissue box from his work desk then puts it on top of the boxer. Abe sits up. The afterglow causes Abe to take a little while to be able to think rationally again. He just keeps on staring and following Meguro’s every movement. Meguro walks to the door. He turns around and says, “Don’t worry, I’ll take care of this in the bathroom”.

 When Meguro returns from his “business”, he finds Abe already asleep on his bed. Meguro let out a smile. He wishes that time will stop to let him enjoy this happiness a little bit more. He doesn’t want to think about his work, his commitments, just yet. He just wants to spend more time with his Ryohei – falling in love again and again with every little new things he knows about the other person.

 Before he can switch off the light, Abe suddenly jolts up from his slumber and lets out a fearful scream. Meguro quickly moves over to envelope Abe into his embrace, while whispering, “It’s ok. It’s ok. I’m here. I’m here. No one can hurt you, ok?”

Abe, who is awoken by a nightmare, tightly hugs Meguro back. He is sobbing.

“It’s the Joker again, Meguro-kun! He’s coming to get me again!”

Meguro steps back and wipes the tears off Abe’s face.

“Shh…He won’t be able to hurt you now. I’m here. I’ll protect you”.

Abe pushes himself towards Meguro’s chest, holding him in a tight hug again. After a while, he calms down. “I felt someone caressing my face in my sleep. At first, I saw my dad. I missed him. I took that hand in mine. Then I felt that hand moved away. I followed that hand when I finally felt something cold and metallic. When I looked up, the Joker was staring at me! I’m afraid, Meguro-kun!”

“Shh…Don’t worry, I’ll protect you. I’ll make sure to expose who is behind the Joker next time”.

Abe then falls asleep in Meguro’s embrace.

~~~

Meguro is not sleeping yet. He has been silently watching Abe’s sleeping face for the past hour. Now, he wants to go to the kitchen. He’s suddenly thirsty. It takes a few attempts before he successfully removes himself from Abe’s embrace. Abe is hugging him like he is his teddy bear. He chuckles at the thought.

 After he finished drinking, his eyes caught Abe’s phone lights up on the living room’s table. He picks up the phone and sees that “Ryota” is calling. Meguro picks up the phone.

“Ryohei! Thank God you finally pick up! Listen, don’t do this again! You don’t know how worried I…”

“This is Meguro speaking”, Meguro cuts Ryota’s frantic lecture. “Ryohei is already asleep right now”.

Silence. “Is that so? Where do you let him stay now, officer?” Meguro doesn’t know how to describe it, but he feels as if Ryota’s tone turns tense.

“My home. Don’t worry, Miyadate-san. Until we catch the Joker, I’ll keep Ryohei safe. I hope the Joker can reveal himself soon”, Meguro emphasizes on the last sentence, as if challenging. “You should go to sleep too, Miyadate-san. It’s late”.

“…You can send him home tomorrow, officer. I have an off day tomorrow so I can look after him”.

Meguro lifted his eyebrow. This man doesn’t give up. “I’ll tell Ryohei later. He can decide if he wants to go home or stay here. Good night, Miyadate-san”. Meguro ends the call.

Meguro feels like he wins.

 Abe wakes up to a view of someone’s chest. The memories of last night return to his mind. A warm feeling is engulfing his chest. He looks up to a handsome sleeping face of a man he loves.

After a while, Meguro opens his right eye. “Do I look that handsome?” Sneaky! Meguro is already awake!

Meguro then playfully pokes Abe’s sides. “Ahh!”, Abe squeals.

Meguro widened his eyes. “You’re ticklish there!” He pokes Abe’s side again. And Abe squeals again.

“Hey! Stop it! Hahaha!”

They end up playfully wrestling each other before the day officially starts. Ahh how they wish this will last forever.

~~~

“Meguro-kun, I’m going back to Ryota’s house today, alright? He said that he’s taking the day off today”.

Meguro frowns. “But…” Meguro moves around restlessly, desperately trying to think of an excuse to not let Abe leave his place. He sighs. He gave up thinking of an excuse and just told the truth. He puts his arms around Abe from the back and kisses his neck. “But I don’t want you to leave. Say, what about we go to Miyadate-san’s house together for you to pack your things up for the night?”, Meguro suggests.

Abe snickers. “Officer Meguro, it seems that you’ve taken your job seriously, hmm? Officers don’t usually let their protected persons stay at their own homes”.

“Hmm…whose fault is that? You’re guilty for seducing an officer to let you stay at his place”.

“Hehe Alright then. Let’s go”.

 When Meguro and Abe arrive at Miyadate Ryota’s home, the said man surprisingly wasn’t at home. Abe rings the bell numerous times, but nobody answers. “Hmph! This Ryota! He said he’ll be home all day”, Abe complains while rummaging inside his bag for the house key. “Maybe he’s going to the convenience store for a while. I’ll text him later. Come in, Meguro-kun”.

 “AHHH HELP! THIEF!”

Both Abe and Meguro turn their heads to the scene at the other side of the road. A thief is running away after stealing a woman’s purse.

“I’ll come back later, Abe-kun!”, and Meguro sprints towards the direction of the thief.

 Abe shakes his head. He goes into the house and immediately up to his room. He unconcernedly packs his things and when he’s done, he brings his small suitcase back down. When he arrives downstairs, he can see a black shadow from the corner of his eyes. He thought Ryota is back.

“Ryota? Where have you…AGHHHH!”

Standing in front of the entrance door, is the Joker.

The Joker bops his head before he charges towards Abe. Abe left his suitcase and darts into the closest room he sees – the guest room. The Joker manages to somehow catch up to him and he’s stuck in his left hand so that Abe won’t be able to close the door. Abe forcefully pushes the door so that it could more or less hurt the Joker’s arm and hopefully made him give up. At the meantime, Abe can make out a golden chunky chain bracelet the Joker wore on his hand.

After a few attempts, the Joker finally gives up and Abe slams the door shut, locking it as well.

The Joker is slamming the door from outside. In Abe’s panic state, he first thought of calling Meguro but when notices that the slamming has stopped but the lock of the door as if the lock is being picked, his mind comes up with an idea of opening the window, so that the Joker will think that he had escaped outside. While actually, he’s still hiding, inside the room.

 The door finally opens. The Joker notices the window opens wide and it seems that no one is in the room. Abe is actually hiding inside the closet, covering his mouth with his both hands. After a minute, he can hear rushing footsteps going far and far away. Once he makes sure the sound is totally gone, he immediately comes out from his hiding place, dashing to the entrance door, then goes outside.

“MEGURO-KUN! MEGURO-KUN!” Abe shouts with all his might.

However, who emerges soon after is Miyadate Ryota instead. He runs up towards a hysterical Abe, holding Abe’s shoulders, asking him what had happened.

“Ryota! Ryota! The Joker was here! The Joker…” Abe pauses.

Ryota has moved his hands to caress Abe’s face. That’s when Abe notices the bracelet that Ryota is wearing. It’s the same bracelet he saw on the Joker.

 Miyadate Ryota follows Abe’s line of vision. He finally realized. Abe steps back from Ryota.

“Ryota…Are you…”

Ryota suddenly grabs Abe harshly by the hair, bringing him back inside the house.

“AGHHH! RYOTA! IT HURTS! STOP!”

Ryota tosses Abe onto the sofa in the living room relentlessly. He then crawls on top of Abe and forcefully kisses Abe on the lips.

Abe is struggling to push Ryota off him, but the kiss makes him breathless and his movements falter after a moment. When Ryota finally let go, he lovingly caresses Abe’s face again. He’s drunk with this view of Abe with his hazy eyes and plump lips.

“How long should I wait until you ask the state of my heart?”, Ryota whispers.

Abe is unable to think straight. Ehh? Is Ryota the Joker all this time? “But…why?”, Abe softly asks.

“The reason is you. The reason is always you, Ryohei”. They are still in their position. Ryota just inches his face closer to Ryohei.

 “I didn’t mean to kill Hiroyuki-niisan, Ryohei. But you know what? I saw it!”, Ryota harshly cups Abe’s chin in his hand. Abe flinches. “I saw what niisan did to you! He forced himself on you, wasn’t it?” Ryota raises his voice.

 === A day before the first incident ===

 Ryota informed Abe that he’ll be visiting Abe’s house as usual after work. Abe would leave the entrance door unlocked around the time Ryota would usually be coming, which is around 10.30pm – 11pm so that Ryota could freely came into the house.

Ryota came a little later than usual that night because cleaning the diner took longer than usual as they are short-staffed that day.

 “Hello~”, Ryota greeted, but no one answered.

He then tried to be cheeky and surprised either Abe or Hiroyuki, whoever he saw first. So he tiptoed inside the house quietly. However, he was the one to be surprised instead.

 “Ahh~”

Ryota heard a soft moan. He walked slowly in the direction where he heard it.

It seemed to come from the music room. The door was left slightly ajar too. Just enough for a person outside to peek in.

Ryota’s blood boiled. Abe was bent over at the edge of the table, holding himself up with his elbows, while Hiroyuki-niisan was behind him, straddling his Ryohei’s legs.

“Ahh~ Stop~ What if…What if Ryota sees? Ahh~ He’s going to arrive soon…”

“Hmm? Then let him be. He’s a man too. He’ll understand that men have needs. If you’re lucky, maybe you’ll get both of us tonight”.

“Ahh~ No~ Ahh~” Abe was a moaning mess at this point.

“Hmm? What is this? Do you get excited by the thought of being seen by Ryota?”, Hiroyuki teased.

Ryota watched the erotic display in front of him until both of them reached the climax.

~~~

“And then I went back to the entrance and greeted you guys aloud, as if I didn’t see anything. That’s what triggered all of this, Ryohei! I am in love with you since forever! I always make sure to show my affections towards you, but you never noticed! At first, I was ok with it. So what if you don’t love me the same way? I can still love you silently, protecting you from afar. But to see in front of my eyes, my cousin who doesn’t even love you as much as I do, did “that” to someone I love – It’s too much! It’s not fair!”, Ryota explains exasperatedly.

 “I can’t sleep that night. I toss and turn on my bed but the image of you and Hiroyuki-niisan keeps on appearing in my mind. I called Hiroyuki-niisan the next morning. I told him that I want to discuss what to do on your birthday. He said he’ll come back early from work and that we should discuss it before the usual time I visited the house. My mind was already not in a right state, Ryohei. I indeed planned to kill him that night, but the rational part of my mind also told me to wait and listen to Hiroyuki-niisan’s explanation. If my judgement said that he should be killed, then I’ll kill him right away. And that’s what happened”.

~~~

=== Nearly an hour before the first incident ===

 “Sawamura-kun. I already prepared all the ingredients here, the broth is still boiling over there. I’m going to the loo. You know me, “No.2” can take a long time. Ughhh my stomach hurts”, Ryota hurriedly removed his apron and chef hat, and rubbed his belly, faking a stomachache.

“Hahaha! Yeah, sure! Take your time. I’ll take care here”, Sawamura-kun laughed heartily and allowed Ryota to go.

 Ryota obviously didn’t go to the loo. He was rushing to Abe’s house to meet Hiroyuki and initiated his plan. He brought a knife from the diner and wore the hooded long jacket on the way, as well as the Joker’s mask.

 He arrived at Abe’s house in no time. He knew that Hiroyuki-niisan unlocked the door for him so he quietly sneaked into the house. He saw his cousin in the living room. He sneaked up behind his cousin quietly and touched his cousin’s shoulder. Hiroyuki jumped in surprise.

“Shhhhh…”, Ryota raise his index finger to his mouth then slipped off the mask.

“Oh my God, Ryota! You scared me!”

“Hehe what do you think of this concept for Ryohei’s birthday?”

“What? Haha he’ll freak out!”

“By the way…I saw it”, Ryota was now staring at Hiroyuki darkly.

“Hmm? What did you saw?”

“You and Ryohei. Last night”.

“Ahh~”, Hiroyuki pointed at the music room, then looked at Ryota as if asking for a validation. “Haha is it a problem to you?”

“How long? Is he ok with it?”, anger is evident on Ryota’s face now. His volume also rose.

“Ryota~Ryota~ You do understand that men have needs, right? And that boy is available within my beck and call, at least in this house”. Hiroyuki took a sharp breath before he continued, “I did it with others too, outside. But no one had ever left me as satisfied as he does. You’re a Miyadate, too. You can try to ask him if you want. You understand what I mean, right?”

Ryota sees red. So Hiroyuki was treating his Ryohei like a toy, wasn’t it? It disgusted him!

His mind decided at that time. He would end his cousin’s life.

 When Hiroyuki walked past him to go to the kitchen, he took the knife out from his pocket and in a flash, stabbed his cousin directly at the heart. Hiroyuki was still able to turn around to look at Ryota. In his last moments, he was still able to slightly fight back by grabbing Ryota’s shoulder then pushing him to the wall, which caused Ryota to push Hiroyuki back to the wall on the other side before Hiroyuki fell dead on the floor.

~~~

“My hands were trembling, Ryohei. I can’t believe what I have just done. I have no backup plan as well. And you…You’re not supposed to see what happened there that night. I got panic when I heard your footsteps going down the stairs. I quickly put on the Joker’s mask, and I decided to just play the villain at that moment. I have no intention of killing you, Ryohei. I will never”. Ryota releases Abe’s jaw. He takes Abe’s right hand and leads it to his back. Abe can feel uneven skin texture. “You did this to me that night, Ryohei. I left the house with a burning back. But I was pleased with it. This is the mark that you left on my body”, Ryota smiles wickedly and kisses Abe’s hand.

Abe shivers. Ryota loves Abe’s reaction. He then moves forward to trail kisses from below Abe’s ears down to his collarbone.

“Ahh~~~”, Abe lets out a delicious moan.

“Hmm…You’re so sensitive. Hiroyuki-niisan really taught you well”, Ryota comments, amused.

 Abe squirms. He doesn’t remember when it started, but what he knows is that he can never say no to his niisan’s requests. Perhaps because he is indebted to the Miyadate family, that he is willing to give his body to pleasure his niisan. And as his niisan said, men have needs. And Abe himself got his needs fulfilled by doing it with his niisan. His niisan never forced him if he didn’t want to, never used the Miyadate’s name to manipulate him into doing it and they always done it safely. He thought it was a silent agreement between both of them.

 Abe tries hard to focus on Ryota’s statements. Ryota is still ravaging his neck. With a shaking voice, he continues to ask, “Ahh~ What about Kitayama-sensei? Why did you kill him?”

Ryota abruptly sits up. “Hmph! He’s the one that was very deserving to die! He made me sick! He did not only hurt you by stealing your hard work, but he also tried to do sick things to you! Just thinking about it irks me!”

 “I knew that he was waiting for you at his condo that night. I got the information from Fuji-kun. So I came to him before his appointment with you and killed him”.

 “About Fuji-kun”, Ryota snickers. “He’s simply beneficial for me. About a month ago, I accidentally caught him in the act of stalking you. He took so many candid photos of you when he was dining at Juicy Diner. At the time, you just complained to me about your sensei’s mischief. I thought it was a blessing. I could use this man to help you. So I approached him – told him that if he wanted to help Ryohei, then he had to help me gain information about the wicked sensei and passed it to Hiroyuki-niisan. I knew that Hiroyuki-niisan will do his best to bring justice to what happened to you. It’s in his character after all”.

 “Remember the day you were attacked inside the police car? That was my plan to deceive the police into thinking Fuji was the killer for both cases. I gave Fuji the Joker idea, to scare you. You don’t know that he had sick fantasies involving you. So I let him do what he want to you. I asked him to share his plans so that I could initiate my own plan afterwards. He came to the diner, I served him a burger, a poisoned one. He must’ve felt betrayed when he saw me on the scene that day. But I don’t care. I knew he was going to die after all”.

 “Stop! Ryota!”, throughout the entire time of Ryota retelling his stories, he managed to unbutton Abe’s shirt and unfasten his belt, pulling down the pants to his thighs. Abe’s attempts to push Ryota away from him are in vain. Ryota is too strong for him. “Then why did you keep the role of the Joker? Why did you keep on scaring me?”

Ryota uses his fingers to trail along Abe’s body from the chest to below the belly. Abe arches his back, feeling the pleasure. “No~”

“Why? Because you look so spicy when you’re scared, Ryohei. Whenever I remembered how you look that night when Hiroyuki-niisan died, I got turned-on. How helpless you look. It excites me! It made me want to protect you and ruin you at the same time”.

Abe is stunned, hearing all of this. He can’t think at this moment. He wishes that a miracle will come his way soon and save him from this predicament. He can feel tears threatening to fall. He brings both his hands up to cover his face. The shock leaves him with no more energy to fight. “Please let me go, Ryota…”

 Ryota hears a clicking sound from the back of his head. He turns around. He is face-to-face with a gun, pointed at him. Then he sees the angry face of Officer Meguro.

“You’re under arrest for the murder of Miyadate Hiroyuki, Kitayama Rintarou and Fuji Ichiro”.

 Ryota sighs. He stands up, facing Meguro. “So this is it? Then it’s game over for me”. Ryota gazes at the coffee table near him. There is a paring knife on it. He dashes to the table to get hold of the knife. He then positions the knife to his neck. Then a gunshot was heard. Meguro shoots Ryota’s arm, dropping the knife to the floor. Ryota screams in pain. “Just kill me, officer. I better off dying than living without seeing Ryohei”.

~~~

When Meguro returned to the house, the house was silent. Maybe it’s his detective instinct, but he decided to look behind Miyadate Ryota’s house first. How shocked he was when he saw the black hooded long jacket and the Joker’s mask on the ground! He tried not to react brashly. He quietly walked to the back of the house and found the back door leading inside through the kitchen, was unlocked. He walked into the house and eventually heard Ryota and Abe’s voices. His eyes widened when he saw the condition Abe was in. But then, it seemed that Ryota was confessing his crimes. So he moved further in, closer to them and recorded the whole happenings until he confessed about his perverted fantasy towards Abe. The two of them were too occupied to even notice that Meguro was there the whole time.

 With that, Miyadate Ryota is arrested and there’ll be no more Joker in Abe’s life.

 It doesn’t take long for the judge to decide on the sentence to be made on Miyadate Ryota.

There was enough evidence, plus, Ryota also plead guilty to the crimes.

 Abe was looking at Ryota sadly. Even though Ryota had hurt him, he still feels sorry for the man. Ryota will always be his best friend, no matter what. When Ryota walks past him, guarded by the police on his sides, Ryota stops. He looks back at Abe and bitterly smiles. “Happy birthday, Ryohei. Come visit me always”.

 27th November – this date will always remind him of the hauntings of the Joker, aside from his birthday.

 Few days after Miyadate Ryota was sent to jail, the police released Abe’s house and his niisan body can now be collected from the morgue. The Miyadate family is obviously devastated with both the death of Hiroyuki and that the perpetrator was actually, Ryota. Still, they prepared a funeral for the late Hiroyuki at their hometown at Edogowa, and Abe invites Meguro to the occasion. “It’s a good opportunity to meet my family”, Abe said.

And when Meguro asked why, he saw the other man blushing. “If you are to be my partner for life, isn’t that the ideal thing to do?”

And Meguro can’t stop himself from pouncing on after that. This man is too cute too handle.

 Abe introduced Meguro to his family as the policeman who helped him during the whole ordeal and now, they had become “friends”. The conversation he had with the family is mainly regarding Ryota’s case. After the funeral, Meguro asked Abe if he wanted to accompany him for a walk first before he excused himself for the day. Abe accepted the invitation. Before they leave the graveyard, Miyadate-san, Abe’s guardian, stopped them. “Meguro-kun, we’ll be having a belated birthday dinner for Ryohei later. Please, stay with us”.

Hmm. Seems like he’ll be staying until dinner then. Meguro accepted. Abe then led him to the park nearby. They strolled around the park, enjoying the scenery and the moment. A date.

~~~

“Happy birthday, Ryohei!”

 Meguro stares lovingly at the smiling Ryohei. The man is now surrounded by the other excited family members, taking turns to take photos of/with him with his birthday cake. The room was decorated with balloons and a banner on the wall which says, “Happy Birthday”.

 “Meguro-kun!”, one of Abe’s cousins calls out to him. “Come here, take a photo with Ryohei”.

Meguro awkwardly walks to Ryohei’s seat.

“Stand behind him, Meguro-kun. Awww don’t be too stiff! Hmm…it’s better if you move to left. Now put your right hand on Ryohei’s right shoulder. Yes! Ok, that’s nice! Ready~ Say Cheese~”

The cousin then hands him the polaroid.

First photo with his beloved. He’s going to treasure this forever.

~~~

The celebration ended pretty late. Meguro didn’t expect to find himself getting comfortable with Ryohei’s family so easily. It’s a warm family, and Meguro hopes that he can build a family like this too in the future.

 Abe accompanies Meguro to the train station. Before they parted ways, Abe thanked Meguro for the day.

“Thank you for coming here today. I’ll be staying here till the weekend. See you in Tokyo next week?”

“We should! Thank you for inviting me too. Your family is so warm and welcoming”.

“I’m glad”. Then Abe looks down shyly. Seems like he wants to do something, but he hesitates.

“Hmm? Anything you want to tell me?”

A peck on Meguro’s cheeks. It was so fast that Meguro thought, did Ryohei just do that?

 “Umm…I hope you don’t mind me doing this…from now on…”, Ryohei’s face is all red now. Ahh this man is so cute that he’ll be the death of me, Meguro thought.

Meguro then brings Ryohei’s head forward, kissing his forehead. This is his reply.

“I’ll text you. See you next week, love. Good night”.

 They waved and parted ways.

~~~

This is a story about obsession. About how dangerous a man could become with obsession. How obsession will ruin and eventually destroy you.

 Do everything in moderation. Don’t love too hard, don’t trust too much, don’t overthink, don’t hold on too tightly. Because that too much, can hurt you so much.

 === FIN ===

[graminhani]

Police Academy 2: Their First Assignment (USA, 1985): 🍿

Carey Mahoney (Steve Guttenberg) era o mocinho que conquistava as garotas (Sharon Stone inclusive) e resolvia tudo no final. Depois do quarto filme ele se recusou a fazer qualquer outra sequência, decisão da qual ele se arrependeu mais tarde.

Larvell Jones (Michael Winslow) era disparado meu personagem preferido. Ele conseguia reproduzir com a boca QUALQUER som. Era hilário. Além disso era mestre em artes marciais. Participou de todos os sete filmes.

[funkyfreshb]

Thoughts on the Police Academy movie series

I've been a fan of the Police Academy movies for as long as I can remember and watched them whenever they appeared on TV. I've never actively gone out of my way to watch them however, so I had no idea which movie was which. I finally decided to watch through them all and felt like sharing my thoughts. For your information, the boxset I own only contains the movies, so this doesn't talk about the two TV shows that apparently exist. Let's start with a synopsis of each movie.

The first movie is of course Police Academy, in which a bunch of misfits? (Mahoney, Jones, Tackleberry, Hightower, Hooks, and more) join the titular academy, helmed by Commandant Eric Lassard. We follow them on their journey to becoming fully fledged officers of the law.

In Police Academy 2: Their First Assignment, the new officers have been called in to help a station in trouble, where they must attempt to stop Zed and his gang from terrorizing the city, all the while Mauser is trying to sabotage for them.

In Police Academy 3: Back In Training, our cast of characters is about to expand as Zed, Sweetchuck, and others join the academy. This time, the original class are among the teachers. The new class must succeed, or else the academy could be shut down.

For Police Academy 4: Citizens On Patrol, Commandant Lassard has come up with a new initiative, in which a group of citizens work together with the police to help report crimes. How could this possibly go wrong?

Police Academy 5: Assignment Miami Beach sees Commandant Lassard get honored as police of the decade, which takes him and the gang to Miami where he'll accept this award. Meanwhile, a band of thieves have stolen some highly valuable diamonds. These have managed to come come in the Commandant's possesion, and now they must find a way to get them back.

Police Academy 6: City Under Siege sees the gang on another mission. A mysterious set of robberies have been happening around town, all executed perfectly. For this to happen, they seem to get information from within the force, but who could be their informant?

The seventh movie, Police Academy: Mission To Moscow, once again has our protagonists travel somewhere, this time to Russia where they'll investigate the creator of a suspicious hit game.

With that out of the way, a bit on the structure of the movies. Watching them, I felt that 1 through 4 (maybe with the exception of 2) had a structure of "location, situation, what do?": Our characters are at a location, say a gym; Here our characters will do something, say train on various manuevers; What fun things can happen with this premise? Then you get some fun scenarios out of this, like Michael Winslow doing his "kung fu master" bit, Sweetchuck getting defeated by an old lady, or all the times the students fawn over Callahan. Doesn't lend itself well to an involved story, but works great for a comedy like these.

5 through 7 (and maybe 2) on the other hand felt more story focused, as they didn't seem to follow the structure described above. More focus was given to the villains, taking time away from the protagonists. While I enjoyed 6, both 5 and 7 were "location movies" at the same time. 5 was a trip to Florida and there were therefore a lot of shots you typically see in movies sponsored by resorts: activities you can do there. For example, a lot of the shots featured during the beach scene were essentially tourists enjoying the beach; felt like there weren't a ton of jokes there. Same goes for the the limbo scene, not a whole lot of jokes. As for 7, it taking place in Russia meant they had to focus on its culture, like the circus and the family. Both of these movies have redeemable qualities (I liked 5's ending section and Lassard's time wih the Russian family in 7 was fun), but don't have the same quality as the others, especially as both introduce a new straight man to replace the one who left.

All of the movies are fun to some degree, so I recommend them all... except for 7. Mission to Moscow is just a boring movie. I felt that many jokes didn't very well, and its cast being what it was didn't help. Regarding the cast, essentially half the cast is gone from this entry. Only Commandant Lassard, Jones, Tackleberry, Callahan, and Harris return, so with half the character archetypes gone it feels rather empty, and with no character for Harris to bounce off of it feels like everyone is being extra mean to him. It's just not up to par.

Regarding the cast, I feel they had a retention problem. 1 through 4 felt like they built up the cast: 1 introduced everyone, 2 kept most of them and put them on a mission, 3 introduced new cadets including characters from 2, and 4 kept some while introducing more. Starting with 5, the focus was solely on the main cast, as there were no new cadets and basically everyone introduced after the first movie were gone. Regarding removed characters, since Mahoney didn't return for 5, they felt the need to replace him with a new straight man, this being Nick Lassard, the Commandant's nephew. He was fine, but he was also replaced after the sixth movie, where a cadet named Connors takes the straight man role. Instead of replacing Mahoney (twice), I feel like they maybe should've given the straight man role to Callahan. In a world of absurd characters, I feel she was the least absurd of the ones remaining, so she could've taken over the role and removed the need to introduce new characters. Of course, if you want the straight man to be a man with a love interest who's a woman, the straight man being a woman doesn't work.

Anyway, go watch them if you want. Prepare for the eight movie's release, whenever that is. Apparently it was announced back in 2003? Should be out soon, then.

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

Original post

#ffblog #police academy #thoughts #review

[samandmaxfan]

The Great Zootopian Detectives

Wow. Ok. That took forever, so sorry that’s so late, it was NOT working, but let’s look in the bright side! Chapter two is up!!😁😁 Again I own nothing except for my OCs who have like no point in this fiction and this is all for fun!!

MAJOR SPOILERS FOR ZOOTOPIA!!

CHAPTER 2: Furtive Fox

It's been 15 years since the Gideon incident, and Judy Hopps has joined the police force, and it was time to celebrate with Mayor Lionheart:

“As mayor of Zootopia, I am proud to announce that my mammal inclusion initiative has produced its first police academy graduate. Valedictorian of her class, ZPD's very first rabbit officer, Judy Hopps!”

Cheers from her family, friends, coworkers, and fellow graduates filled the her ears as Lionheart told Assistant Mayor Bellwether to give Judy her badge, the lion looked over at Judy “Judy, it is my great privilege to officially assign you to the heart of Zootopia, precinct one, city center.” the cheers grew louder as she smiled,

“Congratulations, Officer Hopps!” the sheep told her,

“I won’t let you down!” she said before lowering her voice, “It’s been my dream since I was a kid.”

“You know, it’s a- it’s a real proud day for us little guys.” Bellwether told her in the same tone of voice, Judy smiled,

“Bellwether, make room will ya? Come on, let’s see those teeth Officer Hopps!”

~~

It was the day for Judy to go to Zootopia, and her parents were saying goodbye. Judy knew that they were proud and scared but this was her dream. Her father tried to give her Fox Away products, including a taser, she grabbed a spray so he would stop talking, when the train arrived, she jumped on, but looking at her parents and how her dad was sad that she did not say goodbye. Feeling bad she quickly ran out of the train and kissed them goodbye.

On the train, she put on some headphones and listened to ‘Try Everything’ by Gazelle.. Zootopia was beautiful, Sahara Square was incredible you could really feel the heat as she saw some camels jog by, next was Tundratown, all the snow was so cold that it immediately froze the window, Judy had to wipe it to get a better view, last but not least, was the Rainforest District, seeing all the animals with their umbrellas made Judy feel nice and warm inside the train as the rain dripped down the window.

At last, she was at the heart of Zootopia, the city center.

She was so excited she could barely hold it in, so as soon as possible she ran to her apartment, the owner was a armadillo, who was sure to tell her not to lose her keys, next she met her neighbors who were a kudu and a oryx

“Oh, hi! I’m Judy, your new neighbor!”

“Yeah well we’re loud.”

“Don’t expect us to apologize for it.”

Her apartment was, to say the least, interesting. The walls were greasy, her bed was rickety, and her neighbors, well, she knew that they were there..

“I love it!” she yells falling onto her bed.

After a long day Judy goes to bed, after all, she has to wake up extra early to get ready for work, so when her alarm goes off at exactly 5:30 am she’s up and ready to go, and leaves the fox repellent, and then grabs it.

At the station, Judy could see a wolf who was muzzled and being carried away by other officers, she also saw a cheetah who eating a donut and decided to ask him were roll call is,

At first the cheetah didn’t see her but when he did he called her cute which she quickly explained why he should not,

“I am so sorry! Me, Benjamin Clawhauser, the guy everyone thinks is just a flabby, donut-loving cop stereotyping you. Aw…”

Judy giggles but then noticed a donut on his neck, it took him awhile to find it, but when he did he eat it, and told he the way to roll call,

“That poor little bunny’s gonna be eaten alive.”

Roll call had lots of animals there. Judy felt small, she saw arm wrestling, and a little fighting. When she got to her spot, she looked over to her desk partner, a rhino, trying to start a conversation, she talked,

“Hey! Officer Hopps. Ready to make the world a better place?” she took out her paw ready for a fist-bump, but the rhino just grunted took out his fist and slides her away,

“Atten-hut!”

A bull walks into the room,

“Allright. Allright! Everybody sit. I’ve got three items on the docket. First… we need to acknowledge the elephant in the room. Francine,” Everyone looks at the elephant, “happy birthday.” all the animals start to punch her in excitement and she noogies one of them,

“Number two; there are some new recruits who I should introduce,” Judy grins, “but I’m not going to, because I don’t care.” Judy’s smile fades, but when all the officers start to laugh, she tries to too.

“Finally; we have fourteen missing mammal cases - all predators - from a giant polar bear to a teensy little otter, and City Hall is right up my tail to find them! This is priority number one!” The chief says as he’s given the files to pass out “Assignments: Officers Grizzoli, Fangmeyer, Delgato; your teams take missing mammals from the Rainforest District.” he gives them their files “Officers McHorn, Rhinowitz, Wolfard; your teams take Sahara Square.” They take their files and leave “Officers Higgins, Snarlov, Trunkaby: Tundratown.” The last of the cops are given their files and then take their leave, “And finally our first bunny: Officer Hopps…” Judy, all alone, excited, takes a breath, “parking duty. Dismissed.” Judy was confused.

“Parking duty?” she murmured to herself before trying to get the chief’s attention “Chief? Chief Bogo?” he sets down his reading glasses “You said that there were fourteen missing mammal cases.”

“So?”

“So I can handle one. You probably forgot, but I was top of my class at the academy.”

“Didn’t forget. Just don’t care,”

“Sir, I’m not just some token bunny.”

“Well then, writing one hundred tickets a day should be easy.” Bogo says before leaving, Judy thumps her foot in annoyance, “A hundred tickets, I’m not gonna write a hundred tickets,” she stops and thinks “I’m gonna write two-hundred tickets, before noon!” and so she was off.

Using her rabbit abilities, she wrote two-hundred tickets in no time,

“Boom! Two-hundred tickets before noon!” Then she heard a ‘ping’ noise next to her and grones, her police car and was in the spot longer than it should have been, “Two-o-one.”

Looking around she sees a little cafe, and it being lunch time, she decided to take a break, sure this was not what she wanted for a job, but within time, she’ll improve and she won’t be a meter maid.

Looking around, she saw many animals there, there were lions, tigers, and bears, sheep, goats, giraffes, mice, elephants, and many more, she wondered if she would even get in during her break, since there was already a line,

“Just wondering, how long would it take for me to get a seat?” Judy asked a antelope with the name tag ‘Annie’,

“‘Bout forty minutes,” she said, “Or are you the one who got the reservation?” Annie asked,

“Um, N-” she started

“We are.” Judy looked behind her and saw two mice, the taller one was wearing a small long brown coat with a small deerstalker cap, the smaller one had a mustache, and blue sweater with a darker blue shirt and a purple tie,

“You’re Basil?” Annie asked the mice “I thought you were taller,” the taller spoke, “I’m Basil,” he told the antelope, “This is my friend Dr. Dawson,”

“Basil…?” Judy asked herself, “Where have I heard that name before?” Then she got a sudden flashback to the Gideon incident, the little mouse that Travis held was right next to her, an old friend who was Basil of Baker Street.

“Basil!” Judy said and the mouse turned to her,

“Pardon?” Basil asked,

“Hi!”

“I’m sorry, miss, do I know you?” he asked,

“Yes!” she exclaimed, “I’m Judy Hopps, the girl from the Zootopia play fifteen years ago!”

“You're that girl who helped stand up to Gideon Grey!” Basil exclaimed

“Wait. You know her,” Dawson pointed to Judy, “And she knows you,” He pointed to Basil, “And everyone acts like this happens daily!?”

“Calm down doctor, this is my old friend Judy, she’s the bunny I told you about,” Dawson looked at him confused, “That’s Judy? The one that saved you when you were younger?”

“The one and only,” Basil smiled

“Yeah, but if it wasn’t for you, Sharla, Gareth, and my little sister wouldn’t have gotten their tickets back,” Judy said,

“So, you finally got that job being a-” Basil looked at her for a moment, “Meter maid?”

“Yeah, it’s not the best thing ever, but one day I’ll do better and the chief will have to choice but to promote me!”

“You mean Bogo? Good luck with that, even if your the greatest cop in the world Bogo would still treat you like a extra,”

“Wait… how do you know Chief Bogo?”

“I’m the ZPD’s detective. Basil of Baker Street, at your service!”

“Wait. Wait wait wait! You're the greatest detective? You’re the Great Mouse Detective! No way!” Judy almost screamed in excitement, but Dawson looked a little impatient, “Sorry to interrupt, but Basil, Miss Annie is waiting,”

“Oh, yes, of course,” Basil said,

“I guess I’ll be off then, see you around Basil!”

“Good day, Judy!”

Judy left the cafe in search for another place to eat,

Suddenly there was a loud honking sound and Judy looked over to a sheep in a truck just stopping in time for a fox to get by,

“Hey! Watch where you’re goin’ fox!” the sheep yelled in anger, the fox held his hands in a ‘hey, calm down’ manner.

Although she thought she should just leave it alone, Judy keeps an eye on the fox, whom she saw sneakily enter an elephant ice cream joint, she follows.

Looking into the store window, she realized the fox had disappeared,

“Where did he go?” she whispered to herself as she walked into the large building, that fox was talking to the owner of the joint,

“Listen, I don't know what you're doing skulking around during daylight hours, but I don't want any trouble in here,” he told the fox, Judy opened the fox repellent,

“I'm not looking for any trouble either, sir. I simply wanna buy a Jumbo-pop” the fox’s voice softened, “for my little boy” a little fennec fox in an elephant costume shows up, and Judy, touched by the kindness, closes the repellent.

“You want the red or the blue, pal?” the little fox waddles over the the cherry flavor jumbo pop,

“Ugh, I’m such a–” she complained to herself for even thinking about using the repellent on a father fox, but the owner didn’t care, he looked over at the fennec “Okay, come on, kid, back up.” Then he looked at the older fox “Listen, buddy, what? There aren't any fox ice cream joints in your part of town?” Judy’s ears perked up,

“Uh, no, no. There are, there are. It’s just, my boy,” he pats the little fox on the head, “this goofy little stinker, he loves all things elephant, wants to be one when he grows up.” the Fennec puts on his elephant mask and trumpets like an elephant. “Isn’t that adorable?” Judy can’t help but ‘aww’ a little.

“Who the heck am I to crush his little dreams, huh? Right?”

“Look, you probably can't read, fox,” he grabs a sign with his trunk “‘We reserve the right to refuse service to anyone’, so beat it!” Then a female elephant nudges him a little from behind, “You’re holding up the line.”

“Hello? Excuse me?”

“Hey, you're gonna have to wait your turn like everyone else, meter maid.”

“Actually,” she pulls back the meter maid jacket, “I’m an officer. Just had a quick question: are your customers aware that they are getting snot and mucus with their cookies and cream?” Suddenly a elephant couple spit on each other, “What are you talkin' about?” the owner asked

“Well, I don't wanna cause you any trouble, but I believe scooping ice cream with an ungloved trunk is a class-three health code violation,” The elephant looks over to his employee who was just holding ice cream in his trunk, dropped it, and then walked away sheepishly, “Which is kind of a big deal. Of course I can let you off with a warning if you glove those trunks and, I don't know, finish selling this nice dad and his son a…” she leaned over to the fox and whispered “What was it?”

“A jumbo pop, please.” he said looking at the elephant,

“A jumbo pop.” Judy repeated, the elephant groans in annoyance, “Fifteen dollars.”

“Thank you so much,” then the fox turned to Judy “Thank you,” then went to grab his wallet, felt around and opened his eyes in surprise, “Oh no, are you kidding me? I don't have my wallet! I'd lose my head if it weren't attached to my neck. That's the truth.” Then he looked over at the younger fox, “Oh boy, I’m sorry pal.” he pats the youngin on his head, “Gotta be about the worst birthday ever, please don’t be mad at me.” then kisses him on the head, “Thanks anyway.” Then they leave.

Judy slams a twenty dollar bill on the counter,

“Keep the change!”

--

Ok. Ok. I know it seems as if I’m just adding them. BUT IT WILL ALL CLICK! Trust me! 😄😄😊 I love feedback!

Also same rules as last time: the more the feedback and likes, the better chance I’ll continue it ❤️❤️ stay safe everyone

#judy hopps #basil of baker street #nick wilde #Finnick (Zootopia) #Dr. Dawson #the great mouse detective zootopia #the great mouse detective fanfic #the great mouse detective fanfiction #basil the great mouse detective #zootopia fanfic #zootopia crossover #zootopia fanfiction #Some of these tags aren’t real #did this instead of sleeping #yay #second chapter #i am not a fan of tagging #Maybe when I’m done all do another with Sam & Max #:) #add tags later

[beonhwarp]

hi! can i know more about the gladiolus knights? how can one become a knight? how long does the training process last? are there any rankings within the knights? what do they usually do when there are no wars to fight? what is the age range of knights? sorry about the many questions!

ever since the uprising, anyone is able to join the gladiolus knights if they so desire. one would simply swear their sole allegiance to the house of gladiolus and undergo training at the grounds in the beonhwa outskirts. a qualification test is held every 6 months for aspiring knights to join the ranks (this may be retaken as many times as necessary). the average training period for most ranges between 2-5 years. however, there have been instances where some have managed to pass the qualification test within a few months to a year of training. those who are unable to pass the qualification test are offered the opportunity to continue working under house of gladiolus in different positions. there are several units of knights designated to particular areas of beonhwa, each of which are composed by the ranks listed below. it is important to note that different units do not dictate a higher tenure than another. anyone of the same rank is considered equal to one another. units are rotated to different areas of beonhwa every decade in order to keep the gladiolus knights familiar with different areas of their nation. it is, however, possible for individuals to be transferred between units at any time, if need be.

head of house: has sole command over every unit of gladiolus knights. as this rank is chosen by the previous head of house, they are highly respected by all and drives all knights to work harder under the belief that they might, one day, inherit the rank themselves.

grand officer: they are the first in command over their respective units and have a direct line of contact to the head of house.

captain: second in command, any messages to or orders from the grand officer are relayed through their unit captains. as they act as the eyes and ears of each unit, it is highly recommended that you watch what you say or do in their presence.

knight (1st class): generally considered to be "elite" and more experienced knights. though they are usually known to have been in the knighthood for a longer period of time, newcomers who show exceptional talent during their qualification tests are placed directly into this rank upon joining.

knight (2nd class): the newest recruits! often given the "runt work" by their superiors until they can move up in the ranks themselves.

the daily life of a gladiolus knight usually consists of patrols around their unit's designated district. occasionally, they act as guards for official events or assigned to work (temporarily) for the other houses if needed (i.e. personal guards or outer nation escorts). overall, you can pretty much think of them as beonhwa's local police force. as for age ranges, one may begin training as early as 13 years old. it is often considered a popular alternative to attending the academy.

#bhrp:answered #thank you for your patience!!! im sorry for the delay!!