#BC A LAWYER NAMED JUSTICE— | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

moon-rivr · 1 month

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beyond love

pairing: miguel o’hara x lawyer fem reader

contents: reader’s emotionally unavailable lol, matthew murdock’s a warning on his own too, implied cheating (not from reader and miguel), smut in future parts 🥸

synopsis: you’d moved to nueva york after finishing up with law school, getting a job at nelson and murdock. one day, one of alchemax’s employees comes in needing your legal expertise. tension arises with one of the witnesses.

author’s note: ended up changing the name bc i’m super indecisive but sorry this took me so long to get out 😓 i hope y’all enjoy though :) i did take some inspo from tasm for this one

word count: 6.8k

"You're hired."

That was certainly not what you were expecting to hear. You were barely getting out your resume from your briefcase, having gone over the list of internships you'd done throughout law school. you blinked quickly, almost as if you were trying to assure yourself it wasn't just a figment of your imagination.

"Thank you, I promise you won't be disappointed," you finally ended up mustering out upon regaining your composure. You stood up, shaking the man's hand. He'd introduced himself as 'Foggy' before leading you to your office space to get acquainted. "Feel free to do whatever you want to the space, just don't make any holes in the walls," he told you before leaving the space.

You'd spent all day going from firm to firm, going through your extensive list of internships during law school to end up getting rejected towards the end. You'd gotten used to the forced smile that one of the partners gave you, whispering a half-assed 'I'm sorry' or 'we'll call you soon' with a pat on the back. Not that you actually expected a call back by any means.

You'd missed the subway to go back home, your heels not doing you in any justice when it came to trying to catch it. And just as your luck would have it, the next one wouldn't be coming for another hour. You ended up walking down the streets dejectedly, your briefcase barely hovering above ground with every step that you took.

Stepping into Nelson and Murdock was a last resort, if anything, just another rejection you were expecting to get added to the list. t

The space didn't seem all that extravagant, but at least it had somewhat decent reviews when you searched it up. "Hi, welcome to Nelson and Murdock!" You were immediately greeted by the blonde receptionist at the front desk, the name tag in front of her reading 'Karen.'

You quickly learned why you got hired so easily. The firm was essentially running off good luck and pure positivity. The debt accumulated by the light bill, rent, and phone service surpassed that of what the four of you combined earned per month. The cases that you took outside of the one regarding Wilson Fisk and his subsidiaries were solely pro bono.

Though you supposed a decent plus from it was that you were never hungry. The collection of baked goods quickly grew in your apartment, each a little token of appreciation from your clients. Items from banana bread, muffins, and chocolate chips cookies had accumulated in your kitchen counter. Your clients' faces lit up at the prospect of a reduced sentence or winning their case, immediately showering you in thanks.

Maybe it wasn't so bad.

Another pro from the job was that you had somewhat of a social life now. You went from buying dinners for one to enjoy while watching Netflix on a Friday night to going out with your coworkers.

Your social life before stepping foot into Nelson and Murdock was practically nonexistent. The only reason you'd ever bothered to talk to anyone during law school was to have some form of a study group, purely for your own self interest. As much as any of the other students there. You hadn't bothered to keep in contact with any of the other alumni after graduation.

Josie’s had become your spot to get a drink with the trio after work, usually on Friday night to have time to recover from your hangovers. The stickiness of the floors and the overwhelmingly bad taste of the drinks was overridden by the company that you were with. Conversation with Foggy and Karen was easy enough to engage in, jokes flowing between you three throughout the night. Matt was more reserved than the two of them, though he indulged you in a game of pool sometimes.

"All I'm saying is that I would have less stress in my life if I would've become a butcher. Nothing to worry about except for selling sausages and meat," Foggy remarked after the four of you started to talk about the developments in the Fisk case. The man was much more methodical and complicated than you anticipated, one step ahead every single time.

"Every time you retell that story, my interest in it just gets peaked more and more," Matt muttered from the side, taking a sip from his drink.

"Really?"

"Absolutely not."

You took a sip from your own drink, watching the exchange between the two of them with an amused smile on your face. You hadn't even noticed that the conversation had shifted until you had two pairs of eyes facing in your direction. “Sorry, can you repeat that?"

"Did you ever think about becoming anything else other than a lawyer? Like I dunno, a butcher?"

You took a couple seconds to think about the question, setting your glass down on the table. You'd entertained the idea of dropping out during your time in law school, maybe pursing something along the lines of starting your own business. Though, it was nothing more than a fleeting thought. Nothing really excited you more than practicing law.

"I did think about it, but not to be a butcher. Something in business, maybe."

Foggy moved on to ask the question to Karen, even going as to question if she would consider a career as a butcher one day. She'd ended up saying yes, for the sake of indulging Foggy in a fantasy where stress wasn't a key part of everybody's life. While the two were talking, you couldn't but notice that Matt was staring into you, almost as if he could see you better than you ever could.

The end of the night approached you quicker than you'd expected, the once socially awkward woman now complaining that the night was ending so early. (it was 1 am) Matt stayed later than the two of them, the two of you sharing drinks and playing a couple rounds of pool before you eventually gave up. "Seriously, how are you so good at that?"

He'd managed to get most of the balls into the holes while the only one you'd managed to get in was due to his assistance. "Just listening to how the balls ricochet, I guess," he shrugged off the win like it was nothing, leaning against the table as he downed the rest of his drink down. The two of you leaned against the pool table in silence, finishing up the rest of your drinks before you headed out for the night.

"Can I walk you home?" You heard from behind you, Matt making his way out of the door. He tapped his cane against the floor, making his way over to you. You nodded, your eyes widening slightly upon realizing your mistake. Matt didn't seem too offended by it, letting out a small chuckle as he held onto your arm. "You just nodded, huh?" He ended up asking, the two of you walking down the street.

"Yeah, sorry about that," you responded, enjoying the silence of the night for once. The streets of Nueva York had seemed to calm down with the two vigilantes in the streets, Daredevil and Spider-Man. While their actions weren’t exactly legal, you'd heard of the police divulging details with one of the two to get help with an investigation. Overall, thefts and petty robberies had gone down dramatically.

You and Matt walked to your apartment in silence, though it wasn't uncomfortable by any means. You always found Matt to have somewhat of a relaxing presence, from the way that his words poured out like melting honey to the way he calmly carried himself around. You did notice however, that despite him grabbing onto your arm, it seemed like he was leading you more than you were guiding him.

"Thank you," you spoke up once the two of you approached your apartment, stepping away from Matt. You walked up the stairs, digging through your pockets to find your keys. It always did seem that the moments where you needed them the most, they seemed to just vanish. Eventually, you'd managed to dig them out after practically stripping your pockets from its belongings.

Before you had the chance to step inside, matt cleared his throat to capture your attention. "Would you like to go out with me? I know this great place," he asked, your movements on the door knob coming to a halt. You'd heard of how much Matt got around, from the trip he took to Los Angeles that ended him up with Jen Walters to the nurse that he ended up seducing. You didn't mean to overhear, it's just that the walls at the firm were relatively thin.

"I'm sorry, I just don't think I should in the position that we're in. With you being my boss and all," you responded after a couple seconds, listening to the faint sigh that Matt let out.

"If it makes for a convincing argument, I promise that I won't let our situation affect what we have going on at work. Those are two completely different things and I'm capable of treating them as such."

Well, yes, you knew that he was capable of hooking up with a co-worker and pretending like it never happened the next day.

But.. you weren't so sure about yourself.

"Just take a couple days to think about it and get back to me, okay?" He ended up speaking up after a couple seconds of your silence, departing your apartment.

Your thoughts kept going back to the offer every single time you had a spare second to yourself. And even with that, the answer wasn't making itself any clearer. You had a duty to yourself to make the best out of your law degree and you liked this job too much to give it up for a cheap thrill. But yet, you still couldn't help but wonder about what it would actually be like to go out with him.

After what seemed to be a week of deliberation, you agreed to go on a date with Matt. A test run, of sorts. Nothing that would end up horribly if it didn't work out well. And well, you had to admit that the place he picked out did have some pretty good food. Conversation with him was a bit awkward, given that the two of you hadn't had a reason to talk to each other outside of work but you found it somewhat fun getting to know him.

"Wait so you learned Spanish in college?" You followed up after he shared his experiences in Columbia, how the whole Murdock and Nelson firm came into fruition.

"I did, it wasn't that hard to learn. It serves me now since some of the people in the community speak mainly Spanish. Often overlooked in the legal system so I try to facilitate that."

"So, could you say something in Spanish now?"

"You know, I kinda tend to hate that question since all the Spanish vocabulary from my head just disappears. Give me a couple seconds to think about something."

You were about to tell Matt to forget it after he divulged into thought for a couple seconds, a bit guilty for putting him on the spot like that. Before you had the chance to speak, he broke the silence first.

"You have a face como un burro."

Your eyes widened slightly upon hearing his pronunciation, the accent coming out relatively well given the situation. He'd even managed to roll his r's when he spoke.

"Uh.. do you mind explaining what that last part means?"

"You have the face of an angel."

You knew that he couldn't see your face, but somehow that made the compliment all that much better. The fact that he thought you were pretty just by the way you acted and the way you talked was enough to get you flustered. Though, a small doubt planted inside your head that maybe it wasn't the true meaning of the phrase. You'd have to look it up at a later time if you remembered.

The date continued smoothly, and eventually, the one date turned into multiple dates. Well, whenever the two of you had the time. It was one of the easier parts of dating a fellow lawyer, that he understood the conflicting work schedules imposed upon you. And while conversations with him began to flow easier the more that you got to him and you grew to enjoy his company with each passing date, you still couldn't help but feel as if something was off.

Your relationship with Matt was.. complicated to say the least. The countless dates that he took you to didn't seem to matter when it came to commitment. He called you his girlfriend in private, whispering sweet nothings and calling you names such as 'darling' and 'love' yet the two of you didn't do much apart from eat together and have sex. He acted like a coworker in public, keeping you at an arm's distance. Never once acknowledging you as something other than your last name.

And yet, every time that you wanted to leave the situation you were in, he managed to pull you right back in his grasp with that stupid smile of his. Whispering empty promises as he slid inside you, promises that would long be forgotten by the time morning rolled around. Promises that kept you sticking around until you doubted him again, repeating the cycle once more.

"Hi," a timid voice from behind you broke you out of your thoughts, making you immediately turn around to face them. You'd gotten distracted thinking about your relationship status with Matt again. The thought of leaving started to implant itself in your head. He'd been making excuses for missing dates, leaving you to try to rationalize his absences. The first thing that you noticed about the man was that he was covered head to toe in bandages, obviously in your office for a personal injury case.

"Hi, sorry about that. Welcome to Nelson and Murdock, can I get you something to drink?" You snapped back into it, making a beeline for the coffee machine. "Just a glass of water, please," the man spoke up, his tone making it seem like it was an inconvenience.

You handed the cup of water over to him with a small smile, hoping to help him get more at ease with the situation. You beckoned him to sit down, taking your notepad out of your desk to begin writing down the details that he would share. The more that you listened to the man's story, Max, the more that your bewilderment grew. Electric eels? No wonder the man was covered up the way he was.

"So you fell into a tub of electric eels while you were working overtime?" You asked after he finished speaking, wanting to make sure you'd gotten the details right. You set down your pen, leaning a bit forward on the desk. "Yes, that's exactly what happened. I’m seeking out your services because I got fired right after the incident and I want to regain my position at the company."

Ah, they'd fired him to avoid a personal injury case. Which was exactly what you were going to convince Max to file.

"You know that you can get some type of compensation for what happened? Given that you got injured in a work space. I can help you get your job back but I believe that you're deserving of much more than that and I can be the one to help you throughout that path."

After a bit of convincing from your part, you'd managed to get Max to agree to the conditions that you were setting in place. You'd managed to get the paperwork rolling to get the lawsuit filed before he left, leaving you only to go to Alchemax and try to get some testimonies. You did a bit of research on the subject, distracting yourself from the thought that Matt hadn't bothered to step foot in his office all day. not even a call to let you know he hadn't died or something.

You weren't sure what you were expecting upon meeting the CEO of Alchemax, Miguel O'Hara. The photo that he had up on the website was a portrait of him with an unamused expression on his face, his brows furrowed as if he were willing for the camera to click faster. The very same expression that he was currently giving you right now. "Hi, I'm the attorney for Max's case. I was wondering if i could get your testimony."

The only sign of acknowledgment that you got from him was a grunt before he turned over to look at Max, his expression softening a bit. An expression that you would've missed had you not been conditioned to look out for every minor detail. "Can I talk to you really quick?" Miguel asked, unwilling to acknowledge that you were still in the room before he walked into a conference room behind him with Max.

You leaned your ear to the door, trying your best to listen in on the conversation. It had been a harder task than you'd expected, a couple employees shooting you dirty looks upon seeing you against the door. You could make out a couple sentences in between their hushed whispers, your brows knitting immediately as you heard the exchange.

“I'm saying is that I don't think she's a good fit for this lawsuit. She looks inexperienced. You know I could get my lawyer for you if you wanted, Max."

"You know I respect your opinion and all, Miguel, I really do. But isn't your lawyer mostly just based on family law?"

"Well yes, but I'm sure he has some lawyer at his firm designated towards personal injury lawsuits."

You stepped away from the door, dusting off your clothes as you let out a scoff to yourself. How dare he. How dare he make those comments without even bothering to have a full conversation with you? The most he'd given you was a glimpse, if you could even count the three seconds he looked in your direction as that. The two men in question departed the room and the first you noticed was the scowl that adorned miguel's features.

"How long have you been practicing personal injury cases exactly?" Niguel's voice snapped you out of your thoughts, like he was the one you needed to convince rather than Max. While your experience as a lawyer was mostly based around criminal law, you weren't about to divulge that information with Miguel. Not when he already doubted your abilities.

"I practice mostly in criminal law now, but I have some experience with those types of cases after completing a internship during law school," you responded, trying to maintain some semblance of your composure. You could tell that max greatly valued the opinion of his superior, if the look in his eyes was anything to go by. You had to impress him if you wanted to impress Max.

Miguel's eyes slightly narrowed at the statement but he decided not to question you further, having asked what law school you went to prior to that. "I'll see you later when you take my testimony?" He asked, to which you nodded. He departed the space, leaving you alone with Max. You guided him inside the conference room that he'd been with Miguel a couple seconds back, deciding to host your questioning inside.

You'd gotten the gist of what the lawsuit was concerning from Max when he first came in, but you wanted to make sure you had every detail on paper. From what time he'd clocked in to what time he'd clocked out, what he'd worn to work, small details that would normally be overlooked at first glance. You turned on the small recorder that you brought along, setting in the middle of the table so it would pick up every word spoken.

"So you came in at 5 am and left at 8 pm?"

"I did, yes."

"Were those overtime hours voluntary or were they placed upon you?"

"The boss of the division told me I had to stay behind to work on it when I was getting ready to leave. I was planning on going out and buying myself a birthday cake that day."

You couldn't help but feel a bit of sympathy for Max, your brows furrowing as you wrote down what he was telling you. You shut the recorder off, having collected most of the information that you were looking for. "For what it's worth, happy late birthday Max," you spoke up once you were finished writing, a surprised look on his face as the words registered. Almost as if it was the first time that someone had ever said those words to him.

"Thank you, no one really bothered to remember," he responded, sounding less timid than when he'd first stepped foot into your 'office.' While at first you were simply viewing him as a client, a means to build your expertise, you couldn't help but feel upset the more you talked to him. He'd come into your office, simply looking to get back into the job that had done him wrong. He seemed like a genuinely nice guy, overlooked by everyone in his life.

"Alright. I'll make sure to keep you updated on any developments in the case and when a court date has been established. The company's mostly likely gonna want to settle so it's up to you if you want to accept the compensation that they offer. My advice would be not to, at least not on the first offer," you spoke up, standing up after you were finished. You handed your card over to Max, helping him out of the building.

It was only after Max had left that you made your way up the stairs, looking for Miguel's office. You browsed through the different rooms, his being the furthest one in the hall. The biggest one. Of course. You knocked on the door, waiting for some type of answer. You looked through the window, noticing that all the lights had mostly been dimmed down. You weren't expecting anyone to actually open the door, collecting your stuff to attempt to come back at a later time.

"Can I help you with something?" You heard before you had the chance to get too far, Miguel standing in front of the door. you saw the look of exhaustion on his features, the darkness around him almost emphasizing it. "I was wondering if i could get your statement now but I can come back at a later time if you want."

Miguel didn't say anything, walking back into the room once you'd finished speaking. He had left the door open, though. You took that as a silent invitation, stepping inside the space and closing the door behind you. The sunlight peeking in through the windows helped illuminate your way over to the desk he was sitting at. "I'll take care of a phone call and I'll be back to answer whatever questions you have, attorney."

The statement that Miguel had given you was strangely detailed, every detail regarding the scene memorized. you couldn't help but notice he seemed to mutter out every sentence he spoke, barely making an attempt to open his mouth. The only times he'd spoken clearly were when he had his back to you and even then, he seemed to speak with a bit of a lisp.

"So I'm not saying you have to alter this right away, but you're gonna have to speak up louder in court if you want them to hear you." you spoke up after he finished answering one of your questions, making sure to approach the subject with caution. You didn't know if he would be sensitive towards it.

Even through the darkness of the room, you couldn't miss the glare that he gave you even if you tried. Yup, clearly sensitive. "I can't speak any louder if I tried. I'll try to keep it in mind though," he made more of an effort to make himself sound louder, though not by much. But at least he was willing to take your advice into consideration. You made a mental note to talk to the judge about adjusting his microphone volume.

"¡Papi!" A small girl approached miguel, her arms reaching up to where he was sitting. Miguel was the most vulnerable that you've ever seen him, his angry resolve melting into pure butter at the sight of the little girl standing in front of him. "Hola mija, how was school?" He asked, the two of them getting into a conversation about how her recent math quiz had gone. It was nice seeing the two of them interact, the way he followed up to every statement that she made.

"You don't mind if my daughter stays here during the interview, right?" Miguel asked, clearing his throat as he looked up at you. And just as soon as his resolve melted, it came back. "No, I don't mind since she's not testifying," you responded, watching as Miguel reached into one of his cabinets upon hearing your response. He took out a board game, Operation. he handed it over to the girl, her eyes almost seeming to shine in the darkness enveloping the three of you.

"Gracias papá," Gabriella told him upon receiving the game, skipping over to a lab table to play by herself. You jumped back into the questions after making sure that Miguel was ready, his demeanor seeming less hostile as compared to earlier. He responded to your questions with much more precision, adding in as many details as possible. You could tell just by the way he was fidgeting around that he was anxious to be home with his kid. You wrapped up the process pretty quickly, making swift movements to clear the desk from your belongings.

"Miss Lawyer Lady? Do you wanna play with me? It's just.. my mom doesn't really play games with me anymore," Gabriella spoke up before you had the chance to leave. You walked over to the table she was sitting at, putting your briefcase down. "Gabriella, I'm sure 'Miss Lawyer Lady' has things she needs to do. I'll play with you," Miguel told her, making the little girl turn to look at you with puppy eyes.

And you did have things to get done.

You had to review the evidence you'd collected today. Go through the different voice recordings to make your own recollection of events. Go through countless hours of security footage.

And yet, you found yourself agreeing to play a game of Operation with her. You convinced yourself that you were staying solely because those puppy eyes made you weak. You'd been planning on taking it easy on her but the thing is, she was much more talented than you at the game. While you were making the game buzz time after time again, she took out the items with ease.

"Makes sense why you decided to be a lawyer instead of a surgeon," Gabriella teased you after you messed up on the heart. You reluctantly handed the tweezers over to her, letting out a small chuckle as she struggled with the same section. "Think she might've killed your patient by now, Gabi," you hadn't heard Miguel come by and suddenly, he was standing next to you. "Fine, then you try it big guy," you challenged, handing him the tweezers when it was your turn again.

You almost wished you hadn't bothered to tease him. Despite the size of his hands, he was able to maneuver the tweezers in a way that guaranteed the piece wouldn't touch the board at all. All you could do was swallow your words when you looked over at the stupid smirk directed your way. But at least the scowl was better than the scowl he seemed to have reserved towards you.

“Hey, what does ‘cara de burro mean?’” You asked after a couple seconds, the sentence making itself back into your head. You’d meant to search up the meaning of it months ago but you seemed to forget every time you actually got close to a computer. “donkey face,” Gabriella answered, keeping her attention on the board in the middle of the table. You looked over at miguel for some kind of a reaffirmation, being met with a nod.

Oh, that shocking bastard.

You looked down at your phone upon hearing a buzz, your face immediately forming into a frown once you read the contents of the text. Another cancelled date. Three times these past two weeks alone. you looked up to see Gabriella looking curiously at you, waiting for you to divulge who and what the text was about.

"Just some guy I'm seeing. Cancelled our date again."

"Why don't you dump him already if he's done it more than twice?"

Because you still held out some hope that maybe, by some miracle above, he'd start to put in the effort that you needed so desperately. "It's more complicated than that, he's good when he wants to be," you weren't sure why exactly you felt the need to rationalize Matt’s actions to a eight year old but here you were.

"Just seems like he doesn't know what he has. You're very pretty, Ms. Lawyer Lady. Even though you suck at Operation, you're still pretty smart."

You couldn't help but smile at her words, going back to messing up your round of Operation. Hearing her say that was almost reassuring in a way, that maybe you did deserve more than what Matthew had been giving towards you. You could've sworn you felt Miguel's eyes almost boring into you for a couple seconds, though he had his attention on Gabriella when you turned to look at him.

The three of you spent about an hour playing Operation before Gabriella had to get ready for her soccer practice, leaving you wandering the streets of Nueva York. While Matt had cancelled on your date with him, you figured that maybe it wouldn't hurt to take the date over to him. You stopped by his favorite spot to get noodles from, getting a dinner for two before heading over to his apartment.

The sight in front of you made you regret even spending one more penny on what he wanted.

What awaited you in Matt’s apartment was a sight that you weren't expecting. He was sprawled out on the couch, bruises and cuts adorning his body like a second skin while a black haired woman worked on rubbing some alcohol into the deep marks. Wearing one of his button down shirts. With nothing underneath.

"What are you doing here?" Matt’s voice broke you out of your frozen state of shock, your grip on the takeout bag tightening so you wouldn't drop it. "I came here because I thought that we could share a dinner but clearly I was mistaken," you couldn't hide the bitterness out of your voice as you spoke. You were trying not to yell, knowing how sensitive he already was towards everyday sounds.

"It's not what it loo-"

"No. I don't care what you think this looks like. Because what it looks like to me is that you've been disregarding my texts and my calls to be out with this woman. That you've been cancelling out on our dates but you have no problem making time for her."

Matt and the woman remained quiet, almost as if they both knew that they wouldn't be able to come back with a rebuttal to that. "I can't believe I took time to beg you for a relationship," you finally muttered as you made your way out the door. You stopped by the steps, almost as if you were waiting for the woman and Matt to follow. For matt to beg you to come back to his apartment while the woman left in shame.

Unfortunately, you only stood there like a fool for two minutes. the door remained closed, their hushed whispers bleeding out through the walls. You made your way down the stairs, maintaining the last bit of your pride as you headed back home. The only thing you had to console yourself with was the noodles in your hand, though they were cold by the time you'd gotten home. You'd ended up eating your dinner alone, playing one of the videos of Gabriella playing soccer that Miguel so generously sent over.

Matthew hadn't been lying when he said that he was able to act like nothing happened between the two of you. The next day he was back to handing you case files and asking what you wanted for lunch like the event didn't happen. And normally, you'd appreciate the gesture. But now, all you could feel was infuriated. How much time you begged him to give a relationship with you a chance only to end up crying into your pillow the next day. And now, he acted like it was a glitch.

Like you were nothing more than another average employee.

You were able to act as nothing more than an average employee after taking a couple days to let yourself mourn the loss of your relationship. The evidence that you collected towards Alchemax was overwhelming, almost assuring you a 100% chance of winning the case. You'd made sure to talk to the judge about adjusting the microphone settings and turning off some of the lights to make things comfortable for your witnesses. Well, one specifically.

You could tell that Miguel appreciated those little details, his shoulders becoming less tense when he set foot onto the stand. He made an attempt to try to speak louder into the microphone, even if he was still trying to cover up his teeth. You appreciated the effort that he put into it, making sure to let him know that he'd done a good job. "Just focus on winning the case," he muttered after you were done, but you could've sworn you saw a hint of a smile on his way out.

Or maybe you were just delusional and you were looking for little signs that weren't there.

The countless hours of overtime that you spent reviewing past cases regarding this section of the law, working out drafts of the prosecution that you wanted to present, had come to fruition in the work. Max received a hefty amount upon the jury's decision, the verdict stating that the company was fully responsible in the damages that were caused to him. In turn, the company also took him back and made sure to sign on an agreement where they swore to make their work area more secure.

Overall, a win-win scenario.

"Congratulations. I suppose you're not completely incompetent," Miguel remarked upon seeing you walk in the restaurant, his arms folded across his chest. You planned on taking that as a compliment being that it was the only semblance of praise that he'd given you so far. "That might be the nicest thing you've said to me all day," you remarked, making your way to the table where Max was waiting for the two of you.

He invited the two of you out to drinks after news of the verdict got out, seeming like he needed ideas on how to spend the money he'd gotten. To which you graciously accepted.

"Thank you. For the time that you put into my case, I know how busy you lawyers tend to get," Max told you after greeting you, his gratitude towards you evident. No matter how many times you'd get praised by your clients, you'd never quite be able to get used to the way they spoke to you. They spoke to you like you were a hero, expressing their thanks time after time again.

Max and Miguel got into a conversation about one of the experiments that they were working on, the two of them including you into the conversation whenever you had a question to ask. You appreciated that the two of them tried to include you despite your limited knowledge in the science field. "No, the variable needs to be in a 90 degree room to be able to thrive properly. Otherwise, we just have to go out and scrap the experiment," Max explained to one of your questions, expressing how crucial that aspect was.

While it wasn't exactly riveting to hear the two of them explain the differences of DNA and RNA, you still found yourself having a pleasant time by the end of the night. "Sorry guys, I have to get going. But thank you for coming out tonight and for winning my case," Max dismissed himself around 8:30, giving the two of you a handshake before departing the restaurant. Despite the fact Max had offered the drinks, you and Miguel still chipped in for your individual drinks.

"Y'know, I tried to act cordial around you and treat you as respectful as possible, but you still don't like me. I’m curious as to why," the alcohol in your system loosening up your tongue, the words escaping from your mouth before you even got the chance to think about them twice. Your eyes widened as you looked over at Miguel, expecting him to just leave the money on the table and leave.

Rather, he seemed somewhat amused by the situation. Well, as amused as you'd ever see him be. "I don't like you because you're one of the most unpredictable women i've met. You just make me nervous. And frankly, it’s attractive in a way," he finally spoke up after a while, taking his own drink in hand. You blinked slowly, hoping that with a couple more seconds, you'd be able to register what he'd just said to you.

He continued to speak after your silence, taking advantage of the situation. "Sorry if I'm overstepping any boundaries here, but I feel as though there's some tension between us. I was wondering if you wanted to explore that."

Always the geek, even when he was trying to lure you into his bedroom.

"I'm not exactly looking for anything serious right now."

Your battered heart wouldn't be able to take being treated the same way Matt did to you again. Not even one more single time. You were determined to avoid getting put in that situation even if it meant you were missing out on opportunities.

"I'm aware. But I’m not looking for anything serious either, just something for the night."

Out of all the things that came out of his mouth tonight, that certainly wasn't what you were expecting.

Well, now or ever.

But.. you also couldn't deny it to yourself that you felt some of that tension that he'd been mentioning. Even if the two of you could barely be in a room together most of the time, he was still infuriatingly attractive. especially in the stupid button down he'd chosen to wear, his arms practically bulging out the sleeves when he rolled them up to his elbows. The pants he had on didn't help the situation either, the material accentuating his thighs and his slutty waist.

You wouldn't have figured as much. you would've imagined him seeking out a serious relationship, someone that would be able to properly take on the mantle of being Gabriella’s stepmom. But, in a weird way, you supposed that it also made sense. He and Gabriella both had their own sets of issues after his wife left the two of them behind, both of them wanting that sort of connection without actually putting themselves at risk of getting hurt.

You looked down at your phone when you felt it vibrate, seeing Matt’s name pop up on the screen. as much as you wanted to disregard his call, you figured that it probably wouldn't be the best thing to do. He was still your boss after all. This could be a call related to something about the Fisk case.

"Hey, what's up?" You tried to mask your reluctance as you spoke, though Matt almost seemed to notice it every time that it happened.

He didn't seem to care this time, jumping straight into the case of this phone call.

"I'm calling to see if you want to come over, darling. I mean, breakup sex has to be up on the list for top experiences."

You couldn't help the groan that escaped from your lips upon hearing the request, almost laughing at the audacity that he presented. Though, you figured he would've called an asylum had you started laughing now. He's still your boss. He's still your boss. He's still your boss.

"No, I'm not interesting in hooking up with you. I didn't think I had to tell you but I don't want you calling this number unless you have something related to our job. Goodnight."

You didn't give Matt a chance to respond, putting your phone away in your purse. You were busy mulling over Miguel's words, gulping down the last of your drink. You tried to think of any negatives that sleeping with him would have, but you eventually came up with nothing. You wouldn't have any obligation to see him if this all went south and the two of you agreed beforehand that this was something casual.

So, there was really only one thing for you to do now.

"Sure, let's go back to your place."

tags 🫶🏼: @yougavemeyourheartyouknow @lazyjellyfish300 @pxtched @nympholove @ifiwasaguybrickedup @yournextbimbogf @nixinluv02 @lizaistewdelulu @monarchberrysblog @loser-alert @spiderpapi2099 @sloverr

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idiopath-fic-smile · 3 months

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uhhhhh e/r beach bum + lifeguard au

from "name an AU and i'll tell you five facts about it" here

this is a lovely prompt and i'm gonna apologize rn bc i will not be able to do it justice due to the fact that i wilt at the slightest hint of sun or sand

grantaire was once a young surfing prodigy who washed out (no pun intended) after an injury and now he sometimes sells popsicles on the beach. he can't bring himself to surf again but he also can't bring himself to totally leave those waves behind. he is making a very patchy living and camping out on the couch of ex-lawyer friend bossuet, who runs a little seaside bar

enjolras is an idealistic lifeguard who really believes in making the beach experience as accessible as possible, not just for wealthy tourists. grantaire starts showing up on days grantaire isn't working just to watch enjolras ensuring the safety and wellbeing of everyone on the beach

combeferre is a marine biology grad student gathering data on like local seaweed. grantaire feels so bad for this poor nerd who is clearly totallly at sea (no pun intended) that sometimes grantaire helps him accumulate samples without knowing combeferre is enjolras's longterm bff.

there is an Inciting Incident where grantaire is so distracted by the majesty of enjolras like reprimanding some drunk tourists for throwing rocks at sea lions (Marine Mammal Protection Act, motherfuckers) that grantaire forgets to observe proper sun safety rules and gets sunstroke, oof how embarrassing for a local.

enjolras sees grantaire drop to the sand in a half-faint and runs to him with a bottle of water and escorts him to the shade. enjolras crankily (but gently) rubs sunscreen on grantaire's back and lectures him about Slip, Slap, Slop (slip on a shirt, slap on a hat, slop on some sunscreen) and grantaire woozily says "isn't that for Australia?" which it is, it's part of the Australian Cancer Council's messaging and grantaire only knows this because he toured australia when he was a hotshot kid athlete. which is about the time enjolras puts together that grantaire is the same promising young surfing talent who inspired enjolras to get into lifeguarding.

(bonus) they share a popsicle and kiss under a bridge but way later bc there is nothing sexy about sunstroke

#askmemery #5 au facts meme

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dewdrop-writes · 2 years

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i was wondering: what if (friendship lv.10) yanfei was the only one to side with the imposter au reader? i imagine the whole “those who dare wear the face of our god/goddess must be punished blah blah blah” is not only unfair & unlawful but also like,, have any of them *cough* zhongli, ei, xiao and diluc come to mind instantly *cough* ever thought that perhaps their deity decided to bless the “imposter” who’s just been minding their own business and not trying to abuse their lookalikeness by giving them the same looks???? bet they’d feel stupid after the truth comes out and they realize yanfei’s the one who saved their god from getting murdered on spot. . .

srry for rambling. this yanfei main just wants any crumbs for their main;-; + i rlly don’t think she’d go “must kill the heretic” without at least hearing us out bc shes a lawyer and stuff and there’s no way she won’t be able to find a loophole/obscure law to protect us from everyone’s wrath while we’re finally given a chance to share our side of the story

In the name of justice

You are absolutely right, anon! Yanfei cares about justice, and is an overall kind person, so I would imagine she would not be one to jump on the "imposter" hate bandwagon just like that!

PS: this is super late of a response but I was really feeling a Yanfei mood recently so here it is! It ends on a bit of a cliffhanger, but I might write more eventually!

Length: 2k words

cw: slight mention of injury

Screaming.

There was so much noise.

Your shaky feet bouncing off the pavement as a warm hand engulfed yours like a flame, dragging you behind them.

Dragging you through the labyrinthine streets of Liyue.

Only when the crowd's horrific angry sounds were muffled by the distance, did the warm hand release its grip on yours. You were quick to snatch it towards yourself, fearful eyes raking over the figure of none other than the legal advisor of Liyue.

She motioned a raised index to her lips, ushering you towards a smallish cramped building - you were unable to speak due to the ashy metallic taste in your mouth - lungs burning from the recent fleeing.

Finally, as she'd seated you down and bolted up the door, you managed to gather yourself enough to utter out a few words in succession.

"Why are you helping me?"

She frowned.

"Well, you're clearly being unjustly persecuted," she stated, crossing her arms huffily.

"Yes, you may bare a striking resemblance to the creator - but so what? If anything, people should take it as a divine blessing," she ranted, beginning to pace in front of the bolted door.

"Besides, its not as if you were claiming you were the creator," she added, raising her hands in frustration.

"I mean, I tried to reason with the Qixing on this - but I suppose when it comes to the creator, everything goes out the window," she sighed, leaning against the door once more.

You nodded slowly.

You were still somewhat confused by the whole creator aspect, but Yanfei seemed to be on your side at the very least.

You supposed you could do worse in terms of allies.

"I see...thank you, Yanfei."

She smiled brightly, before the expression faltered.

"I never did introduce myself," her brows furrowed as she cast a confused look your way. "How did you know my name?"

You stuttered, nervously glancing around the room, searching for an answer.

"Well...of course I know the legal advisor of Liyue...you're known far and wide," you laughed nervously, shifting in your seat.

"Oh. Well...I'm glad to see my reputation precedes me," she rubbed the back of her head, an awkward smile on her features.

"Where are you from, then, creator lookalike?"

"The name's (Y/n)," you spoke nervously, trying to stall for answers. As your gaze shifted over a worn map hung up on the wall, your eyes scanned the nations.

"And I'm from a small village in...Natlan."

"Oh, that's quite far away! I don't think I've met another person from Natlan before!"

You smiled and nodded nervously.

"Oh! Where are my manners," she chuckled. "Would you like some tea and a bite to eat?"

You nodded eagerly - the long sequence of running having drained you of all energy.

The meal went by without much fanfare - Yanfei made idle conversation, and you spilled stories of the nation you claimed to be from - mostly stringing together what little content there was about it in game and outside of it. For the most part - she seemed content with what you provided her with.

"Well, I say its about time for you to get some rest," Yanfei stated after glancing at the time.

"I'm afraid it isn't that safe in this shabby place - but no worries! I have a safer spot in mind," she explained, rising to her feet and hopping over to an antique teapot.

You recognized the item immediately, having had a similar one yourself in game.

She smiled at you mischievously.

"Hang tight!" she warned you, before raising the lid of it.

In a swirl of colors, you awoke on a quaint meadow - the skies painted gold with an eternally setting sun. Occasional sandbearer trees along with bamboos covered the mostly flat ground. Off in the distance, you could see a couple more floating islands.

You stared at your surroundings in awe, coming to a halt on the three story Liyue-styled house that had a lovely garden of wildvests and glaze lilies sprawling around it.

Yanfei came to a stop before you, reaching out a hand. You took it gently, allowing her to pull you to your feet.

"Let me show you my real abode," she said giddily, ushering you inside.

You were greeted by the scent of a roaring fire - and a sight of bookshelves littering the walls.

"That's...quite a lot of books," you spoke, awed.

She smiled sheepishly.

"As a legal advisor, I've collected every edition of Liyue law!"

"And have you had the time to read all of it too?"

She nodded happily.

"I've had more time to study than most people would think," she winked, hinting at her true nature as an adeptus.

You nodded slowly, following her through the entry hall.

"I've got a spare bedroom for you - it's right through here," she explained, before pushing a wooden door open.

The room was simple - clad in amber and brown hues - a bed by the wall, along with a matching dresser, bedside table, and a folding screen with a lovely scene painted upon it.

"It's not much, but I hope you don't mind - I haven't had guests in a while," she admitted, smiling sheepishly once more.

"No, no! It's perfect!" you exclaimed, taking in the room with a befuddled expression.

"That's a relief," she sighed. "Anyway - I have some work to do. I need to start building your case," she spoke, glancing at the looming library behind her.

"We gotta make sure you'll be safe from the rest of Liyue once we leave this place."

You nodded.

"I don't know how to thank you..."

"There's no need for that! I'm simply doing my job. Where there's an injustice - I will always be there to object."

With a brief goodnight, Yanfei set off to do research. Having nothing better to do, you settled in - getting changed out of your dirtied rags and into the silky salmon sleepwear you found in the drawers of the dresser. You crawled into bed, and with a heavy heart, you manage to battle your way to sleep.

Days in the teapot went by peacefully -Yanfei was pouring over legal papers throughout the days, accompanying your for meals and doing her best to host you. You felt yourself opening up to her a little more - sprinkling in little truths about your life back home and the friends and family you'd left behind.

A part of you ached to tell her the full truth - but you'd gone so long with those little white lies that you could never really speak your mind, afraid you'd lose the little haven and support you'd found.

Yanfei seemed to sense there was something you were keeping from her, but never pressed the matter - she was always cordial and understanding with you. It was no wonder most held her in such a high regard. She was kind, intelligent and sociable - everything packed in a fiery little package.

Eventually, the calm days of the teapot had to come to a conclusion, however.

"I think I've finally built up a case strong enough to present to the Qixing," she stated as she poured you a cup of tea, her chipper voice having an excited edge.

"Wow! That's great!" you responded eagerly, grinning up at her.

"I think - if it's fine with you - we should go and meet with them today."

You nodded slowly, feeling excitement mixing with anxiety in the pit of your stomach.

"You'll have to wear something concealing while we get there, though," she hummed in thought. "I should have some clothes with a hood. Something to hide your face with."

You allowed her to pick out a nice silky robe for you - one with a large hood that cast a shadow across your face - making you unrecognizable and unable to stand out too much in a crowd.

With that done, Yanfei gathered up her notes - her tomes, and grabbed your hand in her delicate warm one - exiting the teapot and stepping foot back inside that dingy house in Liyue.

"Well. Let's be on our way, then," she spoke, holding her hand out for you to take.

"Let's prove to the world you're a blessing, not a curse, hm?"

You chuckled.

"I like the sound of that."

"We are here to request a hearing with the Qixing," Yanfei spoke to the secretaries, allowing you to keep a slight distance.

"It's concerning this so called 'imposter' situation."

Soon, there were footsteps hurrying away to gather up the members of the Qixing.

You felt anxiety squeezing at your lungs, restricting your airways.

Yanfei cast you a reassuring smile.

You could do this.

"So, you've brought the imposter to us, very good, Yanfei," Ningguang spoke from her seat across the room, her gaze landing on your uncloaked form. You swallowed thickly, feeling her gaze pierce through you as sharply as the rocks she commanded.

"No, actually," Yanfei spoke firmly, pulling out her paperwork.

"I'm here to prove they're not breaking any law just by existing."

"Oh? Is that so?" Ningguang spoke, leaning forward, placing her elbows elegantly on the table before her.

"I'd like to see how you can argue that, when they're stood right beside you, wearing the face of the creator."

"They were simply born with that face. If anything, it should be a blessing."

Ningguang scoffed - her reaction mirrored by the other members of the Qixing.

"Our law dictates that no one is to be judged by their social or financial standing - nor their appearance," Yanfei spoke, flipping trough her book to find the according law.

"I would say this situation falls under this law."

"Maybe so, but you are forgetting that there is also a law dictating that you may not impersonate someone you are not."

"If I may be so bold - they were not claiming to be the creator. They simply entered Liyue - and were attacked and chased before they could even do anything," Yanfei had a confident smirk on her delicate features, her back straightened proudly.

"Well...yes, I suppose that's true, but still.."

"And as long as they never claim to be the creator - we have no right to persecute them on any grounds," Yanfei continued, confident in her win.

"I know this situation concerns the creator - trust me, I too take such matters very seriously, but we must not act rashly. It could reflect badly on Liyue, if we turn someone blessed by the creator, into a petty criminal."

Ningguang leaned back in her seat, crossing her arms and seemingly deep in thought.

"I suppose you are right in that regard..."

Yanfei grinned.

"Alright. I suppose we will not convict them of any crime. But we will be needing to keep a close eye on them - lest they get any ideas."

You cast your gaze aside, feeling anxious.

Would Ningguang's employees dig into your supposed past? Would they find out you had none in this realm?

"Alright. I suppose we will call off this hunt for them. And the two of you are free to go. But I do warn you - we will keep a watchful eye on you," she spoke, staring directly at you.

You felt a chill run down your spine.

As you turned to leave, you kept your gaze glued in front of you, back straight and trying to seem as confident as you could. However, you cursed your clumsiness as you tripped over your own feet. In mere moments, you were plummeting towards the ground.

Your head made contact with the smooth polished floor below you with a sickening thud.

Your ears were ringing as your vision swam - you were certain you could smell something tangy and metallic lingering in the air around you.

Suddenly - you heard multiple pairs of feet rushing towards you - the soft thuds echoing throughout the room and amplifying the ringing in your ears.

"Someone call a medic!" you heard what sounded like Keqing exclaim.

"Your grace! Oh geo lord..." you heard someone else speak frantically.

Slowly, your vision faded to black, along with the voices echoing around you.

#genshin impact #genshin x reader #genshin #sagau #genshin sagau #genshin cult au #sagau villain au #yanfei #yanfei x reader

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imperiuswrecked · 10 months

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The main difference i think is the justice systems of the us and mexico. Not that the u.s. is good, i just heard mexico does things differently?

It's very late, I'm very tired, and I've been trying to stay offline because the sheer amount of racism, misogyny, and hate I've seen directed to both Tenoch and Elena is honestly horrible and I've been feeling very burned out from people in general but I assume this ask is about the recent statement Elena released, which I had to translate and piece together so if I'm wrong please let me know.

Tw: sexual abuse discussion

Elena released this as a response to Tenoch's statement:

Basically what I understood is that Tenoch is a flirter, a womanizer, and has had lots of flings, casual consensual sex with women with no promise of commitment and often ghosts them after sex, or sometimes hooks up with them again later.

Elena felt used because this happened to her. Ghosting after sex isn't a crime, it might make Tenoch a cad, and it's a shitty thing to do, but its not a crime, flirting/making you feel loved isn't a crime either. Again it seemed like even after they broke up last year things were fine between them up until sometime this year.

Then she goes on to say that Tenoch abused her because one time during (consensual) sex he removed the condom, and she says that even if sex acts start off as consensual they can turn non consensual and removing a condom is what changed it to abuse. That's the issue here, and she goes on to claim that other women have told her he does this, but she doesn't name or reveal any information about the others, the one other woman (an actress) who posted a public tweet about Tenoch saying she had a bad experience with Tenoch once (7 years ago) has gone private on twitter after deleting that tweet.

Elena accuses Tenoch of Stealthing, which isn't a crime in Mexico, but in the U.S. only California recognizes Stealthing and the guilty party can face fines or up to 6 months in jail, and yeah I googled it for this answer bc I'm not a lawyer.

Stealthing is when someone removes a condom (known or unknown) without consent from the other person.

Which brings me to your question, yes the way Justice Systems work are different and not all things that are registered crimes/civil offenses in the U.S. are recognized in Mexico. Which is probably why Elena did not file a police report because they do not recognize it as a crime or abuse.

This is once again a "He said, She said", and when/if other women speak up then there nothing else to say, because again, we don't know what happened between them in the bedroom. Speculation about whether Elena was ok with it then and later changed her mind or that she wants to extort money from Tenoch which is why he hired lawyers or if she's lying or if he's lying or anything else is just that, speculation. It doesn't mean anything.

I will say personally I think there could be truth in her words but I wasn't in the room with them to know so I do not know if this is truth or if she decided to exaggerate what happened, but if more of his past partners come out affirm this then it's likely true.

However I will say that the way Elena handled this, tacking the accusation on during a dispute about money, leading people to believe that Tenoch is a huge rapist who assaults and preys on women in the worst way (I'm not downplaying or ignoring her experiences with him or questioning if she was abused) and not stating things clearly from the start have created a super toxic environment that could have been lessened if she had just posted that statement or done an interview outright. I'm not victim blaming here, but I am pointing out that her handling of this made it worse because it gave people time to speculate, create wilder accusations, and go on a near week long harassment spree directed not just at her but also at Tenoch, if she wants to claim cyber bullying from Tenoch's "fans" (I don't doubt that Tenoch fans harassed her but I'm pretty sure a huge chunk of those vile people don't even like Tenoch, they just hate women) then it's only fair to point out that he is also cyber bullied because of the racists who hate Tenoch and thats not either of their faults because people suck. What's also sad is many people who are nice people in the Namor/Tenoch fandom also got harassed because of this, mostly on the Spanish speaking side of things. I don't think that all of this hate wouldn't have happened even if she had come out with a clear statement from the beginning but I do think that it was worse because of how it played out.

I tried to keep up with what's going on but it's actually super depressing to see so much gross hate from all directions.

Anways I'm done with this whole thing and this is the last I'll be talking about it.

#tenoch huerta #elena rios #current events #imp answers

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rosefinch07 · 2 months

Text

Jaime's career paths

Dentist or lawer

I'm rather partial to dentist, but i write jaime as a lawyer more often bc im usually writing movie!jaime specifically lmao

It is what the plot demands hehe

Dentist jaime running his own office, he's older, looking at dental students who work under him with a fondness that comes from being in their shoes. He's the go-to dentist for his family because he is family. He keeps lecturing milagro on proper dental hygene like he used to when they were younger, but now he has the techical terms for it instead of "dont let your mouth get all gross! We share sodas! Be mindful!" He grins at the "Jaime Reyes, Cosmetic Dentist" on the window, a symbol of his civilian accomplishments

Lawyer jaime having his own firm that he starts with an old classmate, he has a quick mouth and a quicker mind, he lets out a breathless laugh when his name was first on the sign "Reyes &–" he keeps an eye out for sleep deprived interns before they're able to spill coffee on important documents like he once did, it's like his hands curled around Justice's scales for a split second, as if he's on top of the world

Both paths taste like victory, smell like joy

Both jaimes send a teasing smirk to a co-worker and ask if they've gotten any sleep since the paperwork started pouring in

Both jaimes get pens thrown at them

#jaime reyes #rose finch fic rambles #dentist jaime reyes #lawyer jaime reyes

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tenbiin · 4 months

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I hate his ass

EDIT: Putting some bio here idk

Name: Thenes Aegeus

Sign: Libicorn

Age: 10 sweeps

Ethymology:

His first name may refer to Cleisthenes was an ancient Athenian lawgiver credited with reforming the constitution of ancient Athens and setting it on a democratic footing in 508 BC which refering he is a lawyer and it could be from Demosthenes which is a politician that accuses someone else about corruption which impifies Thenes accuses his own moirail for corrupting corrupting money.

His back name is from the name of Aegeus which is a founder of Athenians insitution and is the founder of Athens city. Athens is widely referred to as the cradle of Western civilization and the birthplace of democracy which is created by Cleisthenes. For these accomplishments, historians refer to him as The father of Athenian democracy which might be reffering to him trying to add a new law in the whole Alternia which is about justifying the lower bloods but this make the higherbloods despise him alot. His back name might also be from Aegus which is a genus of stag beetles which has similiar pincers with his horns or can be refering his lusus which is also a beetle.

Troll handle: acebricTribunal

Acebric because of how critically sarcastic his words to intimidate others and tribunal because law place, teals ykyk.

Other stuff: He just thinks hes the same as those nobel highbloods, he hates the lowbloods despite being as a teal someone who works for the law system. He just does all of these law things because he just have to and because money. Hes a huge workaholic and have a bad tasting buds, ussually eats unused scrapped papers in his hive. He just treats everyone like shit including his moirail and matesprit but thats how he shows affection.

All of them are horrible beings, him and his matesprit culled his kismesis and just kiss infront of the remainings.

Lusus is a stagbeetle and deer mix and ps Id like to think hes just like the actual Libra sign like Terezi but its justice with a twist since the sign is more curly like.

He speaks by replacing sS as $ and anything like I, Me, Myself, Mine always have a capslock infront as if he thinks hes just great. everything else is lowercase and >B-} >B-[ <B-[ emote variants ig.

Art styles might look different but all sprites and arts are by me 👍

#homestuck #artwork #ocs #fantroll #libicorn #teal blood #teal #homestuck oc

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handreaches · 17 days

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ᴀɢᴇɴᴛ ʜᴇʀᴍᴇꜱ ・ in your hand is a heart made from porcelain, or maybe bone, or maybe antler—something porous, something not-quite-alive. someone has slipped a pearl in its left ventricle. it's not yours, but it could be, if you wanted.

01. at a glance.

FULL NAME — hong sungmin

ALSO KNOWN AS — saint, agent hermes, the baker (don't use this one.)

GENDER / PRNS — demi man, he/they

CURRENT OCCUPATION — field agent for mercy ( thirteen years ; junior agent for three; took solaris upon promotion to field agent status. )

FORMER OCCUPATION(S) — 13th special missions brigade (sk); card sharp professional poker player

RADIANCE — bread generation / manipulation — can summon bread at will by picturing it in their mind. bread must be leavened. doesn't work on individual ingredients. appears to only be limited in size by saint's imagination, but does require (1) feasibility, and (2) energy.

AGE — forty-two

BIRTHDAY — may 13th

02. outside.

FACECLAIM — lee dong wook

HEIGHT — 189 cm / 6 foot 2 in

PIERCINGS — none

TATTOOS — none

FASHION SENSE — utilitarian, which is for the best. if given the choice, saint would probably dress like a resident of margaritaville. don't ask if it's supposed to be ironic.

03. inside.

MORAL ALIGNMENT — chaotic neutral

CARDINAL VIRTUE — justice

CARDINAL SIN — sloth

LIKES — gambling; puzzle boxes; tea, in all senses of the word.

DISLIKES — team sports; lawyers; rainy weather.

NOTABLE TRAITS — one of the more approachable senior agents; affable, but distant. if they ask you to play cards, say yes at your own risk. fears commitment. very good spatial awareness. thinks they're funnier than they actually are. trained in taekwon-do, jiu jitsu, muay thai, and kickboxing. encyclopaedic knowledge of bread.

HABITS OF NOTE — likes to keep their hands occupied; tends to be in motion if not working. always has nicotine gum on them. usually heralded by a jaunty little whistle ( whistles while they walk ).

CURRENT CONCERN — they've become increasingly aware that many agents around their age are starting to leave or become tactical agents.

04. history.

soon, but tl;dr : you have two wolves inside you, and both are g— one craves freedom, while the other craves devotion. this is where the trouble starts.

during their mandatory military conscription, saint demonstrates exemplary aptitude, leading to their recruitment into a special forces unit. they rise the ranks. they run. don't ask about it.

vegas, this time. they get roped into a gang's casino scheme. they rise the ranks. they run. don't ask about it—seriously.

life number three : apex city. mercy. they demonstrate immense potential for field work. they take solaris when the opportunity arises. they are unsuccessful in cutting administration of the drug. i don't think you can run away this time, buddy.

so you tethered your life to the system in exchange for the ability to pull bread out of your ass ( the air, to be clear )! you win some, you lose some, i guess.

but in some ways, i'm catastrophizing. they've been lucky, all things considered. no major injuries, very good track record, is more sane on paper than a great number of their colleagues. the best of the best? close, but not when you take more relevant powers into account. the most loyal? no, but prudent enough to not ask too many questions to the people that matter.

05. headcanons & misc. bits

the bread thing is mostly little more than a glorified party trick, but saint is infamous for two uses of his power: once, he used it to assassinate a drug kingpin with a gluten sensitivity, and another time, he was able to staunch a teammate's bleeding with his bread, saving their life.

office gossip.

tends to get sent on one-and-done missions ( e.g., assassinations, retrievals ), rather than long-term, undercover assignments.

got the hermes moniker bc he's quick. the fact that hermes is the god of thieves, tricksters, and runners is a coincidence, mostly. :^)

character parallels : nicholas d. wolfwood ( trigun ) ; phoenix wright ( apollo justice : ace attorney ) ; shidou ryuusei ( blue lock ) ; kishibe ( chainsaw man )

06. wanted connections.

soon!!

#mercyorg:intro #bread boy.................#anyway this isn't done but. it's something !!

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tilda-del-mar · 10 months

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2004 // Jack’s just this clueless 18yo Army kid, and he tries to flirt with this hotshot special ops dude one day, and he gets shot down with sth along the lines of ‘I’m hella flattered but you gotta be less conspicuous jfc kiddo’ and then just a couple days later, special ops guy saves sweet Jackie’s life in the aftermath of an IED incident, dramatic firefight and all.

2023 // Jack’s by now an accomplished lawyer, currently an ADA after having spent years with a successful firm, yadda yadda. His actual job is to go after white collar criminals, but one night as he fills in for his colleague ADA Rogers he stumbles across Brock’s name among the recent arrests in some case to do with a creepy cult/militia type org. And, like, Jack knows the dude won’t be the same, and probably is bad news these days what with the company he keeps and all that. But he also fucking owes him his life. So he goes to see him in hospital/jail, and Brock’s burned and bitter and sarcastic and self-deprecating and he doesn’t need anyone’s help and he certainly wouldn’t dream of taking the sweet plea deal Jack’s offering in exchange for intel on the leader, Pierce, and all that. Except he totally does bc life in prison would suck and also he finds that he really likes Jack’s visits.

And then there’s complications because Rogers comes back from his medical leave and he really isn’t fine with Brock potentially getting to just walk away and so he tries to sabotage the plea. Maybe bc the cult sucked his dear friend Bucky in who’s now missing or totally fucked up over it or whatever. But their boss sides with Jack bc he just wants Pierce behind bars bc that would be a big win for him and good for re-election and stuff.

And then there’s the trial coming up, and there’s need to keep Brock hidden in shitty motels lest he get assassinated. There’s also intel to go over, evidence to discuss, testimony to prepare. All lovely opportunities for Jack & Brock to get real close amidst ever changing rundown settings and take out and nice wine for Jack and cheap beer for Brock. And then one thing leads to another and they totally shouldn’t fall for each other under these circumstances & hey Brock’s not even a halfway decent man anymore (maybe he never even was) but for Jack he may be willing to try. But also it’s also not like Jack’s this shiny beacon of justice for the little guys either, he is in it for political reasons or sth & so if being with Brock corrupts him a little more, so be it, Jack’s perfectly fine with that.

From there, all goes mostly well, not counting some assassination attempts and action-y shit and them getting to safe each other.

And then, eventually, they live happily ever after, the end.

#modern day au #fic ideas #tildi tries to write #hydra husbands

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lamphous · 3 months

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and now we bring you to another episode of Crimes of Autistic on Main: this week, keaton tries to rectify their getting fired by SJW Soap R Us for having a flat affect, being refused accommodation, and having friends outside work. hashtag disability justice thoughts below

really frustrating thing to learn on my eeoc call yesterday is that, had my friend in management not hinted to my evil ex manager that "neurodiversity may be a factor" in the "behavioral issues" she was going to discipline me for BEFORE she talked to me, I might not have a case at all,* and even then I may not still bc stacey didn't explicitly say I'm autistic and for all that people may informally understand "neurodiversity" (esp in this context)** to be a nicer way of saying "mental disability", it's not synonymous under the law

* bc the argument apparently must be that she discriminated against me and denied me accommodation AFTER explicitly knowing I am autistic, not just that she was discriminating against me for the behavioral manifestation of said protected disability both before and after knowing that is the term for me

** roy from the eeoc is likely glad he no longer has to be the one to deal with me bc I kept going into too much detail really for the initial interview, but this is an argument I really do want to stress: that even if my medical diagnosis was not stated outright (by a third party who understandably respects my privacy), a generally understood synonymous term*** in the context of specifically the behavior in question (ie not just mentioned in another conversation abt idk how people get depressed or smth, but specifically as a factor in the behavior she took issue with)

*** another reason roy is glad to be rid of me: I kept asking if there was a list of federally protected mental disabilities that I could cross reference with those generally understood to be covered by "neurodiversity", to see what percentage overlaps. if I had any memory for names and numbers, I'm telling you, I'd be such a good lawyer

#oh damn ykw i should email my old disability studies professor to see if he knows any lawyers i could get pro bono advice or rep from....#im soooooooo broke @davidmitchell DAVIIIIIIIIIIID #soap slinging #< MAN REMEMBER HER?? i miss her every day...#txt

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hazyla · 2 days

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Woah woah, okay. So I just finished spirit of justic except for the special episode. Current thoughts from a foggy memory:

realizing this post is super long so it’s under the break, also soj spoilers

Implied that Phoenix and gumshoe correspond on their own when Phoenix mentions something to Edgeworth. When he’s questioned about it he just says something like “I have my sources…” and Edgeworth tells him to inform his source of a paycheck cut.

Even though Athena got a case of her own to do I feel like she didn’t have as strong of a presence and idk man balancing three lawyers kind of a crazy move

I found rayfa oddly charming because of her silly insults

Not utter dogshit but I see why people generally dont like dual Destinies and spirit of justice as much

My mom misses gumshoe

I did not call the queen being powerless like at all

if there’s another ace attorney game I want a dedicated scene about Apollo and Trucy getting told the truth

Hard to pick a favorite case but I think I liked case 2 and turnabout storyteller just bc it was pretty fun. Also can not believe Athena’s case was the super short filler one!

would’ve appreciated more Maya

cannot believe they just added on characters that were never previously mentioned. Oh yeah, there’s a secret fourth group gramarye member. Apollo? He actually has a brother and was left behind by his foster father at about fifteen or so.

Did the archaeologist guy just… steal a bunch of shit from Adrian’s exhibit? He had literally everything. Good god I wonder how he felt about that scroll having gravy on it

on the plane ride back why did Trucy sit (and fall asleep on) Edgeworth instead of idk her father. What did Athena really want to sit there or something. It’s very cute but also why

Actually Maya and Edgeworth should’ve sat next to eachother on the plane so they can debate about plumed punisher. “You gave away your one of a kind steal samurai themed watch FOR A RIPOFF KEYCHAIN” and then he throws her off the plane (personally, of the belief he would throttle ms inmee [not actually])

about that, it’s so funny to me that he ranted about the show to Datz, a guy he just met and is a revolutionary

Need to mention that Edgeworth’s cravat gets attacked by a dog, I don’t even have a comment I just need to iterate that fact

The breakdown scenes were fun and dynamic but idk I didn’t care for them that much

kind of thought they were gonna channel Apollo’s dad Jove fucking justice

It was funnier when I, for a split second, assumed that since nobody knew the name of his father that Apollo chose his last name to be Justice.

just now realizing that Apollo who shares a namesake with the god of music has two musician parents now

I am so happy that the 3d sprites look better than in dual destinies I don’t know if I could take it if they looked like that again

My mom’s favorite character design is Rayfa’s (but her favorite character is Susato who has nothing to do with soj)

Maya should get an “I survived TWO kidnapping” shirt because everyone wants leverage over Phoenix.

From what I saw online before playing the game I thought nahyuta would be super insanely awful, and then they introduce him as a level headed guy. Then I think oh he seems okay, and then he tells Apollo to go to the depths of hell and that he’ll be reincarnated as a piece of shit

When investigating phoenix tells Edgeworth that he think’s he’d like a gaudy house, to which Edgeworth is offended. And then Phoenix makes fun of him for his bright red sports car in his mind.

Would’ve loved a reference to some older characters, like Iris who is just like never brought up again. Anyways, what’s with spirit channeling families and being super fucked up

i am so sorry to say that Apollo looked like really good in that one cg with his hair antenna down (the one where he almost drowned) (not my best moment)

How in the world did Apollo survive as a teenager? If dhurke left him 10 or so years before this he’d be about fifteen? Did he just get dropped off at a boarding school, who the hell took care of him and how did he become a lawyer.

Why didn’t Amara just resume the throne herself? Idk if I totally missed something but isn’t she still a rightful heir

Khura’in spent EIGHT HUNDRED MILLION DOLLARS ON A LIE. THEY WERE DONATIONS. AND FIVE YEARS OF LABOR (Amara’s tomb)

So funny to me that nahyuta drags Ema around everywhere like a little ragdoll back and forth country to country

The pun names in this one were wild 🤪 (suggested emoji)

oh god what if Edgeworth and rayfa were to talk about plumed punisher

Yeah we’re back to this, edgey’s sitting in a rebel hideout with lizards hanging from the ceiling and he watches the plumed punisher??? I kinda forgot the timeline but either Maya is currently kidnapped or dhurke’s in jail “oh okay I’ll stay behind” “let’s turn on the tv” “what the fucj is this”

One time phoenix’s phone went off and I jumped out of my seat because I also have the steal samurai theme as my damn ringtone

I get that it’s just fun sprite stuff but where does nahyuta get all his necklaces? How does his floating ribbon work?

In aa4 with my vague recollection, there’s a scene that kind of made me assume Ace attorney definitely took place in some weird fantasy land that coexisted with real world. (It was something that had to do with the founding fathers? And apollo “yes I know what America is” justice, like they currently don’t live there. It was some exchange during the case where klavier’s guitar blows up). Guess how surprised I was when oh golly now they’re full blown Americans!

since I mentioned aa4 and I already got off track everytime my mom hears that song (which Apollo made his ringtone) she complains about it and gets bad flashbacks. She told me everytime she hears a piano arrangement she thinks about the case. Maybe it wore off by now but it was her version of blue badger

Uendo was my favorite witness

Yeah I don’t think I have anything else to say, what a nice note to it on.

Nope I remembered something, queen ga’ran made me want to use the royal we.

#haz text #ace attorney #spirit of justice #long post #soj spoilers #apollo justice trilogy

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look-how-they-massacred-them · 9 months

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Preliminary Poll

Matthew Leibowicz/Two-Gun Kid

Submission reason:

"Matt Hawk (real name Leibowitz), when introduced, was a jewish defense lawyer from 1873 who firmly believed in the right of EVERYONE, even a guilty man, to a trial. While he also moonlights as the cowboy masked adventurer Two-Gun Kid to protect the town of Tombstone, he takes on defense cases even for criminals he knows are guilty because they still have that right to a defense, guilty or not. This is a foundational trait of his character seen over and over again in multiple stories (and he predates Daredevil by a year and a half) But ever since Steve Englehart got ahold of him, people have been sanding that aspect of him away. Even the Very Gay scenes with Hawkeye don't make up for the fact that he's been reduced to ""teehee cowboy man stuck in the future!"" removing all of the strong moral compass that made him stand out from the other Kids (I've already submitted my essay on Colt but Matt is a close second) Dan Slott completely wiping away his ability to practice law and reducing him to a ""Man of Action"" when his action has ALWAYS Been fuelled by his moral compass while also trapping Matt in the future in such a way that he could NEVER GO HOME AND SEE HIS LOVED ONES AGAIN was bad enough ESPECIALLY when he proceeded to treat TG as a joke for most of the run when there was actually a lot of REALLY INTERESTING legal shit going on that Matt SHOULD HAVE HAD OPINIONS ON.... then Ed Brubaker decided to add insult to injury by saying ""OH tee hee no Two-Gun can go back to the past actually! But only when ALL HIS LOVED ONES ARE DEAD and he's not allowed to stay in the future where he built a life! No! All he can do is waste away in a nursing home as an old man with no one he loves left alive BUT IT IS OK BC HE GETS TO SEE THE AGE OF HEROES BEGIN!!!"" BULLSHIT BULLSHIT BULLSHIT HE IS STILL ALIVE IN 616 HE IS LEADING THE DESERT STARS EXCEPT NO ONE CARES ABOUT HIM MARVEL FIX THIS HE DESERVES A BETTER ENDING!!!!"

Matt, for the vast majority of his appearances, is a principled defense lawyer because he is a firm believer that everyone is entitled to legal representation in court, guilty or not. He takes on guilty clients, he takes on clients for FREE. He has a second identity as the masked vigilante the Two-Gun Kid, but as the Two-Gun Kid, he does not kill- though he specifically keeps the two identities seperate to protect himself and his loved ones. There's a lot of time travel bullshit that happens with Matt, wherein he goes to the future, gets to be cowboys with Hawkeye for a while, then goes back to the past before being permanently trapped in the present time as a sentence for illegal time travel. (this is relevant later) He's not allowed to practice law anymore, and with it all of Matt's eloquence and thoughtfulness is stripped away. He's just a cowboy, and the part of Matt that made him so principled and so concerned about justice is gone- he's a comic relief character that gets shoved into a love triangle and never seems to miss the people back in his own time (Because he has AT LEAST FIVE BEST FRIENDS) or he's used as background cameos when Marvel needs superheros to get trapped in earthquake rubble. To add insult to injury, ED BRUBAKER decided to write a book about the Golden Age heroes, realized he needed someone to die of old age to inspire the new Golden Age. He decides that, instead of letting Matt settle peacefully into a life in the future with new friends and new family (and Hawkeye, probably) he's going to amend Matt's sentence so that when he's old and all of his friends are dead- and that is explicitly stated in the text- he HAS to go to the past and die alone and among strangers. But it's OK! Matt gets to see the Golden Age of Heroes!!!!! Anyway Marvel also can't decide if he's alive or dead in present 616 canon even tho tha'ts his canonical end, can someone PLEASE Get the Cowboy Lore Straight And Put His Characterization Back Where It Came From Or So Help Me-

#look how they massacred them poll #look how they massacred my boy #marvel comics #matthew leibowicz #matt leibowicz #two gun kid

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homomenhommes · 4 months

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THIS DAY IN GAY HISTORY

based on: The White Crane Institute's 'Gay Wisdom', Gay Birthdays, Gay For Today, Famous GLBT, glbt-Gay Encylopedia, Today in Gay History, Wikipedia, and more …

January 1

I hope you are enjoying This Day in Gay History. The postings come from many sources, some of them credited in the masthead, but also from tips and suggestions from members. As we move into a new year, you will find you have seen many of the postings before, but always check them out, because there will always be something new, especially as so many public figures are now coming out of the closet.

1533 – Italy: Michelangelo writes a love letter to Tommaso de Cavalieri, devoting "the present and the time to come that remain to me."

1801 – Ireland was added to Great Britain by an Act of Union thus creating the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. It also put Ireland, and today, Northern Ireland under British laws on morality and particularly homosexuality.

Rare snapshot of Charles Kains Jackson

1857 – Charles Kains Jackson (d.1933) was an English poet closely associated with the Uranian school.

Beginning in 1888, in addition to a career as a lawyer, he served as editor for the periodical the Artist and Journal of Home Culture, which became something of an official periodical for the movement. In it, he praised such artists as Henry Scott Tuke (to whom he dedicated a sonnet) and Henry Oliver Walker. He also befriended such similar-minded contemporaries as Frederick William Rolfe, Lord Alfred Douglas and John Addington Symonds.The homosexual and pederastic aspects of the Artist declined after the replacement of Kains Jackson as an editor in 1894. The final issue edited by Kains Jackson included his essay, 'The New Chivalry', an argument for the moral and societal benefits of pederasty and erotic male friendship on the grounds of both Platonism and Social Darwinism. According to Kains Jackson, the New Chivalry would promote 'the youthful masculine ideal' over the Old Chivalry's emphasis on the feminine. Jackson's volumes of poetry include Finibus Cantat Amor (1922) and Lysis (1924).

Kains Jackson was a member of the Order of Chaeronea, a secret society for homosexuals founded in 1897 by George Ives, which was named after the location of the battle where the Sacred Band of Thebes was finally annihilated in 338 BC. Other members included Samuel Ellworth Cottam, Montague Summers, and John Gambril Nicholson.

1895 – Although never elected to any office, J. Edgar Hoover (d.1972) wielded tremendous political power in the United States government for almost five decades, and through eight presidencies, as head of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Under his leadership, the Bureau developed from a weak and ineffectual collection of political appointees into one of the most efficient police agencies in the world.

It also developed into an undercover secret police that frequently used illegal means to gather damaging information, not only on criminals and political dissidents, but also on political leaders as well. Although Hoover was always in the front lines of government attempts to harass homosexual liberation movements, rumors that he himself was gay followed him throughout his career.

Hoover went to work for the Justice Department in 1917 as a clerk, but moved up quickly by virtue of his efficiency and his vigorous action against Communists and radicals during the late 1910s and 1920s. He supervised the deportation of foreign-born radicals in the great strike wave of 1919.

In 1924, he was appointed head of the Bureau of Investigation of the Justice Department (renamed Federal Bureau of Investigation in 1935). Hoover immediately began to tighten up the slack Bureau. New agents were hired and promoted based on merit and strict performance reviews. He used his library experience to re-organize records and files, and he began amassing his famous "secret files," confidential information, often illegally obtained, which he kept to use against anyone who might threaten his power or tenure.

Hoover soon became both famous and feared for his zealous campaigns against such criminal and "subversive" groups as the Communist Party and the Ku Klux Klan. During the prohibition era, his "G-men" hunted down and caught many prominent gangsters, such as Al Capone and John Dillinger.

During the 1950s, he participated fully in the McCarthy witch hunts, zealously seeking out Communists and fellow-travelers.

Along with pursuing Communist sympathizers, Hoover also led a campaign of harassment directed at the new "homophile" groups such as the Mattachine Society, which sprang up to protest mistreatment of gay men and lesbians. F.B.I. agents took pictures and license plate numbers at demonstrations and infiltrated meetings and conferences of the fledgling homophile groups.

Many believe that Hoover took this anti-gay stance to cover his own homosexuality. Although he constantly (and violently) denied it, whispers about his sexuality followed Hoover throughout his career. For example, a 1943 internal F.B.I. memo reported claims that the director was homosexual.

Hoover's lifestyle fit many gay stereotypes: he was a sharp, dandified dresser, known for his white linen suits and silk handkerchiefs, who collected antiques and lived with his mother until her death when he was 42. He was never known to have even one date with a woman, yet he had several intimate relationships with men, notably a more than forty-year relationship with the handsome Clyde Tolson, his second-in-command at the F.B.I.

Hoover and Tolson rode to work together, ate lunch and dinner together most days, and took vacations together. Many observers described their relationship as marriage-like. Although some commentators believe that Hoover's rigid morality and strict religious beliefs would not have permitted him to have a physical relationship with a man, the rumors of his homosexuality were accelerated by the appearance, after their deaths, of photographs of Hoover and Tolson in drag, photographs that were allegedly Mafia blackmail pictures.

If Hoover and Tolson were homosexual, as seems more and more likely, their roles as persecutors of other homosexuals casts into bold relief the nightmare-like quality of the McCarthy era's war on homosexuality.

Hoover remained in charge of the F.B.I. until his death from a heart attack on May 2, 1972.

1901 – The Commonwealth of Australia was founded as six former British colonies became six states with Edmund Barton as the first prime minister, and Canberra as the capital. Today, Sydney, the biggest city in Australia, has one of the world's largest gay communities. It's annual Mardi Gras celebrations draw nearly a million a people from all over the globe.

1927 – Maurice Béjart (d.2007) was a French born, Swiss choreographer who ran the Béjart Ballet Lausanne in Switzerland. He was the son of the French philosopher Gaston Berger.

Perhaps the preeminent descendant of Sergei Diaghilev and Serge Lifar, Maurice Béjart was a significant presence in late twentieth-century and early twenty-first century dance as an innovator with a radical vision. Central to his reinvigoration of classical ballet was his creation of palpably homoerotic dances that celebrate male beauty.

After studying with Léo Staats, Lubov Egorova, and Madama Rousanne (Sarkissian) in Paris, he performed with Mona Inglesby's International Ballet and the Royal Swedish Ballet and sealed his reputation as industrious and disciplined before creating dances for his own path-breaking companies.

Symphonie pour un homme seul (1955, with a score by Pierre Schaeffer and Pierre Henry), featuring the first electronic score to accompany ballet, established Béjart as an innovator with a radical vision.

After presenting an electrifying interpretation of The Rite of Spring (set to the classic Igor Stravinsky score) informed by myth, sexual heat, and stage flash in 1959 at the Théâtre Royale de la Monnaie in Brussels, he founded The Ballet of the Twentieth Century, a company that had a major influence on the European Dance Theatre movement.

Nijinsky: Clown of God (1971, set to a score combining music by Peter Ilich Tchaikovsky and Pierre Henry), a dreamlike meditation on Vaslav Nijinsky and his legacy, is only one prominent example of Béjart's personal identification and connection with his choreographic subjects.

Many times that connection, as in Nijinsky: Clown of God, was palpably homoerotic. In addition to reimagining Ballets Russes classics such as The Firebird (to the original Stravinsky score), Pétrouchka (to the Stravinsky score) and The Specter of the Rose (to a score of a piano piece by Carl Maria von Weber, orchestrated by Hector Berlioz) to spectacular effect, he also derived inspiration from such gay icons as Prometheus, Dionysus, Orpheus, and Saint Sebastian.

Collaborating closely with many extraordinarily handsome men (Argentine Jorge Donn and Italian Paolo Bortoluzzi among them), Béjart consistently created dances celebrating male beauty and eroticism, not the least of which was the all-male variant of his Boléro (1960, to the throbbing score by Maurice Ravel).

Audiences and critics were either enthralled or enraged by later offerings such as the celebratory Ballet for Life (1997, set to a score combining classical Mozart with pop-rock Queen), in response to the AIDS-related deaths of his friends Jorge Donn and Freddie Mercury of the rock group Queen; and Bolero for Gianni (1999, set to his all-time-favorite Ravel score), a tribute to the murdered Gianni Versace, who had designed the eye-popping costumes for that 1997 dance.

Although beset by kidney problems and other illnesses in his final years, Béjart continued working until the very end of his life. He died on November 22, 2007.

1959 – Fidel Castro seized power in Cuba after leading a revolution that drove out dictator Fulgencio Batista. Castro then established a Communist dictatorship. Although homosexuality was illegal under the Batista government the laws were largely ignored in fun loving Cuba. Since Castro, tens of thousands of gays have been rounded up and imprisoned.

1968 – Joey Stefano (d.1994) was an American pornographic actor who appeared in gay adult films. Born Nicholas Anthony Iacona, Jr., Stefano grew up in the Philadelphia area (Chester, Pennsylvania). His father died when he was 15. After several years of prostitution and hard-core drug use in New York City, Stefano moved to Los Angeles and quickly became a star in gay pornography. In addition to his good looks, his persona as a "hungry bottom" (sexually submissive but verbally demanding) contributed to his popularity.

His image and success caught the attention of Madonna, who used him as a model in her 1992 book Sex.

During his lifetime, he was the subject of rumors (some of them spread by himself) regarding his relationships with prominent entertainment industry figures who were known to be gay. At a May 1990 dinner and interview with Jess Cagle (Entertainment Weekly) and Rick X (Manhattan Cable TV's The Closet Case Show), Stefano discussed an alleged series of "dates" with David Geffen, who at one point implored Stefano to quit using drugs. After the videotaped interview appeared on Rick X's show, OutWeek Magazine "outed" Geffen, who went on to announce his homosexuality at an AIDS fundraiser.

He was HIV positive. According to a subsequent biography Stefano died of speedball overdose (cocaine, morphine, heroin, and ketamine) at age 26 in the shower of a motel on Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood, California. His body was taken back to Pennsylvania where he was buried next to his father.

Stefano's life is chronicled in the book, Wonder Bread and Ecstasy: The Life and Death of Joey Stefano by Charles Isherwood. His life is also the subject of a one-man-play, Homme Fatale: The Fast Life and Slow Death of Joey Stefano, by Australian playwright Barry Lowe.

2008 – Queen Elizabeth II makes actor Ian Mckellen a Companion of Honor, one of only 65.

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