May I request some headcanons for one of my favourite MotP ships, Leopold and Lady Highmore? I love these two so much, you don't understand!😭
Of course! They're a very lovely, underrated couple; I've only seen you and one other person really talk about them!
They like to discuss and healthily debate literature, philosophy, history, and politics with each other.
Although their mobility/athleticism is limited due to their old age, they do like to take strolls throughout the city/nature, depending on their mood.
The only arguments they ever had was regarding Horatio. Minerva thought Horatio was too dangerous to be/keep around, and wanted Leopold to entirely cut him off, but Leopold was hesitant to do so.
They have a photo album of moments together, as they always took two identical photos when in front of a camera. The album functions as a scrapbook as well, as they would make notes/write short anecdotes next to photos and newspaper articles in the book.
They enjoy reading together in their drawing rooms with gramophone music playing softly, making the environment warm and comforting. They don't speak to each other as they read, but they still consider it to be a lovely time spent together.
Even before Larry was arrested, Minerva plainly told Leopold that Larry was easily her least favorite of his sons, even though Leopold insisted he didn't have a favorite child.
In fact, Minerva wrote a passive aggressive yet clearly extremely scathing letter to Larry in prison after Leopold's death, giving him a written thrashing about being an unsupportive, ungrateful son complicit in his father's suffering.
Minerva knew Leopold's late wife (Larry and Rockley's mother), and considered her to have been a lovely woman. Usually, Lady Highmore would make feelings of the romantic sort clear to any man who interested her, but she refrained from doing so with Leopold, waiting for him to confess/make the first move, so to speak, in the case that he did not want to have another lover after his wife. Minerva never wanted to seem like she was trying to replace Leopold's late wife.
She brought Leopold to suffragette and other similar meetings, and Leopold was a great supporter of the female vote. Leopold would be an ally to pretty much any underprivileged group, really.
RIP these two old, intelligent, lovely people. As always, Horatio ruins anything happy, but I hope you enjoyed!
If Argo ever became a victim and the team had to solve his death, how would his case roughly play out? What would be the events that happen between chapters, and what would the AI be?
Nolan already has one in the works lol
Personally thinking of him being killed in a alleyway by a thug or someone, or maybe even die at Lawson’s own hands and the team had to figure out whether it really was Lawson, or someone else
If I had a nickel for every time I was asked how I would kill Argo off, I'd have two nickels - which isn't a lot, but it's weird that it happened twice!
I'm sorry I took so long to respond to this ask. I was waiting until I posted a specific chapter ("If You Love Somebody, Let Them Go") in my story before answering it. I needed it to reveal a significant change I’m making to Argo’s story, which plays a part in this answer.
Now that I’ve done that and thought out how to write this hypothetical case let’s see one way I could potentially kill Argo! I’m going to lay it out similar to how I plot out my OG cases in my notebook. (Yes, I have a notebook for OG cases, and yes, it's OCD-level organized to the point that it’s colour-coded by season.)
Info for this case before getting into it:
This murder substitutes the final case. Someone once asked me in an OG case I made for S3 (“Murder From The Past”) if I would kill off Argo in the final case instead of Charlie (I hadn’t even introduced Argo yet, and people already wanted to know if I would kill him or not!). So you’ll see that some things from Last Stand For Justice will be reused for this OG case
Argo and Diego have gotten back together (Argo and Jason broke up during Coyote Gorge) and have been romantically involved since the start of Crimson Banks
For the sake of parts of this case, we'll say that the Squad was already aware that Argo and Diego aren't human (Not sure if they’ll find out in my story or not yet)
The transition between this and the case before it is similar to canon, but instead of Charlie returning to the airship, it’s Argo, and Isaac goes with him
Since Maddie just gave birth and her husband isn't missing, instead of her going to the airship, it’s Arthur with Katherine (who escaped with the Squad during “Best Laid Plans”) tagging along since she knows how to avoid the Justice Corps thanks to the Resistance. That’s how they end up as the investigators
Case Outline
Title: Sinking Justice (Alternative to Last Stand For Justice)
Season: 4
Between cases: N/A - final case
District: Capitol Peak
Partners: Arthur Wright & Katherine Woolf
Summary
Victim: Argo Acquafredda
Murder Weapon: Handgun
(Shot in the heart; heart removed post-mortem)
Killer: Diego del Lobo (Justin Lawson)
Suspects
Diego del Lobo (Profile pieces: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5)
Constable Ramirez (Profile pieces: 1, 3, 5)
Isaac Bontemps (Profile pieces: 1, 2, 3, 5)
Jason Nicchi (Profile pieces: 1, 2, 4)
Maddie O’Malley (Profile pieces: 1, 2, 3, 4)
Quasi-Suspects
Dora Umbright
Lady Highmore
Evie Holloway
Killer’s Profile
The killer eats ration biscuits (Argo’s body)
The killer knows The Caesar Cipher (message delivered by Caspian)
The killer uses moisturizer (Caspian)
The killer has torn clothes (bullet)
The killer has brown eyes (Argo’s necklace)
Crime Scenes/Clues
Airship Navigation room
Victim’s body
Talk to Isaac (no clue needed)
Police notebook (Constable Ramirez)
Squad Airship
Baby bag (Maddie)
Caspian’s letterholder
Capitol Peak Harbour
Flying Squad badge (Diego)
Newspaper article (Isaac)
Caspian
Airship Gangway
Argo’s crutches (Constable Ramirez)
Toolbox (Jason)
Harbour Dock
Engagement ring (Diego)
Fiocco Nascita (Maddie)
Gun (Jason)
Airship wheel
Argo’s necklace
Ship’s wheel
Disclaimer: The order of steps varies; this is just a rough outline of what would happen in each chapter
Steps - Chapter 1
Investigate Airship Navigation room:
Victim’s body (autopsy - Dick)
Police notebook (faded name on the cover; decipher name; Constable Ramirez. New suspect: Constable Ramirez)
Talk to Isaac about the murder (admits he and Argo got separated on the way to the airship, and when he arrived, Argo was already dead)
Talk to Ramirez about being on the crime scene (reveals the Justice Corps tasked him to guard the airship after the Squad escaped but had stepped away for a snack break during the time of the murder, and he never saw Argo enter the airship)
****New Crime scene: Squad Airship (Prerequisite: talk to Ramirez)
Investigate Squad Airship:
Bag (Search; baby supplies; note addressed to Maddie. New suspect: Maddie O’Malley)
Caspian’s letter carrier (Unlock; Coded message; analyze - Evie)
Talk to Maddie about the baby bag (discover she asked for Argo to grab the bag of baby items she had to leave behind on the airship when they fled. Maddie is shocked to find out Argo is dead, and Charlie comforts)
Get results: Autpsoy and coded message
Autopsy revealed: killer eats ration biscuits; left crumbs on Argo’s body
Code message revealed: killer knows The Caesar Cipher; coded message was from Argo to his killer asking him to meet him at the airship
****Chapter transition: Charlie interrupts Arthur and Katherine, who were summarizing the case, to announce he’d just received a telegram from a Resistance member informing them that Argo had been spotted at the harbour before his death
Steps - Chapter 2
Investigate Capitol Peak Harbour:
Flying Squad badge (faded engraving; dust; badge number; Arthur IDs it as Diego’s badge number (there are less than ten members; I doubt that many badges have been issued that Arthur doesn't know which belongs to who). New suspect: Diego del Lobo)
Torn newspaper article (Repair; old article about Isaac’s brother’s death. Talk to Isaac again)
Inform Diego of Argo’s death (Reveals he visited the airship after hearing the Squad had been captured; assumes he must have dropped his badge on the way there as he carries it to remind himself there is still hope true justice will be restored. After being told Argo is dead, Diego becomes distraught and is unconsolable hearing his lover is dead)
Talk to Isaac about the newspaper article (Same as canon; it reveals the truth behind his brother’s death and how Argo found the article, causing the old memories to resurface)
Get results: Unknown substance
Reveals the killer uses moisturizer as it was the unknown substance on Caspian’s wing, but it was not the type Argo used, so it had to have been left by the killer. Viola speculates the killer must have attacked Caspian during the murder and brought the bird to the harbour to dispose of him in the water
Investigate airship gangway:
Argo’s crutches with crumbs on them (Collect with vacuum; unknown crumbs; analyze - Viola)
Toolbox (Search; ID band; compare; Jason’s ID code. New Suspect: Jason Nicchi)
Talk to Jason about his toolbox being on the crime scene (Learn that Mayor Lawson tasked him with checking the airship for traps the Squad could have set. Knew nothing about the murder and was shocked Argo was dead)
Get results: Crumbs
Crumbs belonged to trail mix. Katherine recalls that was the snack Constable Ramirez had mentioned eating
Ask Constable Ramirez about why he handled Argo’s crutches (Confesses he went aboard the airship after the murder and found Argo’s body, dropping trail mix on the crutches after seeing the dead detective. Panicked and ran out of the airship, taking the crutches since his trail mix was on them and hiding them outside to avoid becoming a suspect)
****Chapter transition: Same as in canon; Lady Highmore tells everyone to hide because Judge Umbright is coming, so Arthur and Katherine leave the mansion to search the harbour again
Steps - Chapter 3
Investigate Capitol Peak Harbour Docks:
Locked ring box (Decode lock: open; engagement ring with engraving “Mi Corazón Es Tuyo - Tu Lobo”. Talk to Diego again)
Torn fabric (Repair; Fiocco Nascita with George Dupont’s name and birth info. Talk to Maddie again)
Trash can (Search; Gun; analyze - Rose)
Question Diego about the engagement ring for Argo (Reveals he was going to ask Argo to marry them (even if it was just a symbolic marriage) after the fall of the Justice Corps)
Ask Maddie about George’s Fiocco Nascita (Tells them that Argo made the Fiocco Nascita for George and that she regrets asking Argo to find her baby bag, thinking she caused him to spend unnecessary time on the airship, which allowed his killer to get him)
Get results: Handgun
Discover the gun is the murder weapon. Rose also discovers that these guns are used by the Justice Corps and are manufactured by Jason. Talk to Jason again)
Confront Jason about building the murder weapon (Is shocked to find out he made the gun that killed Argo but promises he did nothing more than build the guns on Mayor Lawson’s orders. He doesn't know who the gun was issued to)
Investigate Airship wheel:
Argo’s necklace with substance on shell (Collect; transparent substance; analyze - Viola)
Transparent substance: Killer’s tears: reveals the killer has brown eyes
Ship’s wheel: Fibres caught in the wheel: reveals the killer has torn clothes as the fibres did not match Argo’s clothes
Arrest Killer: Diego del Lobo (Or is he???)
Diego confesses that Argo has asked to meet him at the airship as they had been secretly communicating about how to take down Justin. No one was around when they arrived, so they were going to grab what they needed and then flee to join the rest of the Squad at Lady Highmore’s mansion
But Justin appeared and caught them sharing a kiss in the navigation room. Furious, Justin demands to know why Diego (still wearing his Eddie Lebold disguise) was kissing a wanted man
Diego’s real identity is discovered, and Justin draws his gun, planning to take Diego and Argo in himself. The couple pleads for Justin to put the gun away and promise to go with him willingly, but Justin keeps ranting about “perfecting justice” and “ridding the world of corruption” while brandishing the gun
During the argument, Justin shoots at Diego, but Argo steps in front of his boyfriend and takes the bullet meant for Diego. The two stumble backwards into the airship’s wheel, breaking it and collapsing to the floor
Diego is distraught as he holds Argo while he’s dying, and Justin, shocked by what he’d done, leaves without trying to take Diego in
Argo dies in Diego’s arms and asks his boyfriend to take his heart (The Heart of The Ocean; long story short, magical rock that serves as Argo’s heart) so it won’t fall into the wrong hands before he passes
Diego does as requested and takes Argo’s heart; somehow, Argo’s body sustains a physical form. Diego assumes it might have something to do with the fact that the stone is cracked because of the bullet, and thus, the magic is on the fritz
Diego hid the heart in a safe location to retrieve it after Justin was taken down. But Arthur and Katherine caught Diego before he could find evidence to prove Justin killed Argo since Diego didn’t think they would just take his word for it
Thankfully, they believed him, and while they still kept Diego locked in a bedroom, the Squad now focuses their efforts on taking down Justin and getting justice for Argo
****Chapter transition: After Diego’s “arrest,” Maddie appears to reveal George has been taken by Judge Umbright like in canon (but happens late in this case), and now they have to save the baby and take down Justin
Steps - Chapter 4/Additional Investigation
****Following the introduction of the AI, we need to talk to Rose about George’s kidnapping and Diego about defeating Justin
****Maddie and Charlie stand in as partners for the George plotline
****Isaac and Arthur partner for the Justin plotline
Rescuing George Dupont plotline:
Talk to Rose and find out about her plan to save George
Investigate the Navigation room
Baby box (Unlock; baby rattle; analyze - Rose)
Get results: Weaponized rattle
Rescue George Dupont from Judge Umbright using the weaponized rattle
Defeating Justin Lawson plotline:
Ask Diego about his and Argo's plan to take down Lawson (Charlie still made the tracking device but was less involved in the “True Justice” plan since Argo takes his place in this case)
Canon results about how we need to wait until Justin stops moving to catch him
Timeskip happens - Charlie reports that Justin has stopped at the Capitol Peak harbour
Investigate Capitol Peak Harbour
Tracking device
The battle between Justin and the Squad happens like in canon, but he confesses to killing Argo. However, he no longer feels guilty since Argo was “against justice” and disobeyed Justin
Justin shoots Isaac, but the bulletproof vest saves him, and while Justin is distracted, Arthur shoots the mayor in the heart, killing him
Since they are at the harbour and Justin is standing close to the edge of the dock, he falls into the water, but by the time Arthur and Isaac reach the dock’s edge, his body is carried away by the waves and is never recovered. It was lost at sea forever, never to have a proper final resting place
(It was the ocean’s revenge for Justin killing her heart. His soul can never truly be at peace)
Everyone regroups following Justin’s death. Diego is released now that Argo’s true killer is gone, and he’s officially cleared of the murder despite taking Argo’s heart (since the Squad knows Argo isn’t human, they understand why Diego did it and therefore, he isn’t charged for any crime)
The plot continues as usual, with Lady Highmore becoming the new mayor, followed by Argo's funeral. His body was cremated, and his ashes were scattered at sea at the cove behind his house
Diego recovered the Heart of The Ocean from where he hid it but didn’t return it to the sea, hoping he could find a way to fix the cracks and bring Argo back
Another time skip happens, and the Squad meets in the airship, where everyone reminisces about Argo. Charlie says he has something that might help with their grief that he brought to work but left in his automobile. Maddie goes with him to collect it
After investigating the gangway, they find the film reel Charlie had brought, and after recovering the label to make sure it's the right one, the Squad gathers in Charlie’s lab to watch the film
The film shows the message Argo recorded in case anything happened to him while trying to take down Justin. He talks about how thankful he is to have met the Squad and the friends he has made since coming to Concordia. He tells his family and friends he loves them, along with other personalized heartfelt messages for his family and teammates. The film concludes with a message for Diego where Argo tells him how much he loves him and wishes they could have spent eternity together and hopes one day they will meet again, either in this life or the next
After the film ends, Arthur tells the team that the Squad will be going on an extended vacation. However, Diego announces that he will not be returning to the Squad and plans to leave Concordia to find a way to restore the Heart of The Ocean. The team tells him he is welcome to return and they will always be there for him if he needs help
Phew! That was a workout! Admittedly, my real OG case outlines aren’t this detailed, but this still gives you an insight into how I plot out my OG cases and keep track of everything!
While this isn’t an entirely new original case, I wanted to try my hand at using the idea of Argo taking Charlie’s place as the final victim. Which version do you think is more tragic? Canon or this one?
Either way, I’ll get the tissues!
Thank you for the ask, st4r-th0ughts! This was a fun challenge, and I loved creating a case in which one of my MCs was the victim! (Now that’s a dark thing to be happy about…)
