#Banking Expert Witness

[bankingexpertwitnessuk]

Expert Witness Testimony in Bridging Loan Defaults: Legal Ramifications

Bridging loans serve as a crucial financial tool in various industries, facilitating temporary financing solutions for individuals and businesses. However, when borrowers default on bridging loans, it can lead to legal disputes and complexities. In such cases, expert witnesses specializing in financial services, commonly known as Banking Expert Witness or Financial Services Expert Witnesses, play a critical role in providing testimony and insights regarding bridging loan defaults and their legal ramifications.

Understanding Bridging Loan Defaults:

Before delving into the legal implications, it's essential to comprehend the nature of bridging loan defaults. Bridging loans are short-term loans typically used to bridge the gap between the purchase of a new property and the sale of an existing property. These loans often have higher interest rates and are secured against the property or other assets of the borrower. In the event of a default, where the borrower fails to meet repayment obligations, legal proceedings may ensue.

The Role of Expert Witnesses:

Expert witnesses specializing in financial services bring a wealth of knowledge and expertise to legal proceedings involving bridging loan defaults. Their role encompasses various aspects, including:

Financial Analysis: Expert witnesses conduct thorough financial analysis to assess the circumstances leading to the bridging loan default. They examine financial statements, transaction records, loan agreements, and other relevant documents to provide a comprehensive overview of the financial situation.

Evaluation of Default Causes: Expert witnesses delve into the root causes of the loan default, identifying factors such as financial mismanagement, market fluctuations, economic downturns, or unforeseen circumstances that contributed to the borrower's inability to meet repayment obligations.

Assessment of Loan Terms: Banking Expert Witnesses scrutinize the terms and conditions of the bridging loan agreement to determine if any clauses, covenants, or obligations were breached by either party. They evaluate the fairness and enforceability of the loan terms within the legal framework.

Industry Standards and Practices: Financial Services Expert Witnesses provide insights into industry standards, best practices, and regulatory requirements related to bridging loans. They assess whether the lending institution followed standard procedures in approving and disbursing the loan and if adequate risk assessments were conducted.

Quantification of Damages: In cases of loan defaults, expert witnesses quantify the damages incurred by the lender, taking into account outstanding loan amounts, accrued interest, penalties, legal fees, and any other financial losses attributable to the default.

Legal Ramifications and Expert Testimony:

Expert witnesses' testimony holds significant weight in legal proceedings concerning bridging loan defaults. Their expert opinions and analyses assist legal professionals, judges, and juries in understanding complex financial matters and determining liability, damages, and appropriate remedies. Some legal ramifications of bridging loan defaults may include:

Breach of Contract Claims: Lenders may file breach of contract claims against borrowers who default on bridging loans, seeking remedies such as repayment of outstanding amounts, interest, and damages for contractual breaches.

Foreclosure Proceedings: In cases of severe defaults, lenders may initiate foreclosure proceedings to recover their collateral, such as the property secured by the bridging loan.  expert witness financial services provide insights into foreclosure processes and the valuation of collateral assets.

Negotiated Settlements: Expert witnesses may facilitate negotiations between parties to reach settlement agreements outside of court, minimizing litigation costs and expediting resolution.

Compliance and Regulatory Issues: Expert witnesses also assess compliance with financial regulations, highlighting any regulatory violations or non-compliance issues that may have contributed to the loan default.

In conclusion, 

Expert Witness Testimony in Bridging Loan Defaults involves a comprehensive analysis of financial data, legal implications, and industry standards. Banking Expert Witnesses and Financial Services Expert Witness play a crucial role in elucidating complex financial matters, aiding in legal decision-making, and navigating the legal ramifications of bridging loan defaults within the framework of financial laws and regulations.

#Banking Expert Witness #expert witness financial services #Financial Services Expert Witness

[sayruq]

In the early afternoon of 29 November last year, several Palestinian boys descended on to their street in the occupied West Bank, where they often played together.Minutes later, two of them lay dead from gunshots fired by Israeli soldiers - Basil, 15, and eight-year-old Adam. As part of an investigation into the conduct of Israel's security forces in the West Bank, which has been under military occupation for more than half a century, the BBC has pieced together what happened on the day the two boys were killed. Mobile phone and CCTV footage, information about the movements of Israel's military, witness testimony and detailed investigation of the scene, including taking measurements, combine to reveal evidence suggesting serious human rights violations. The evidence we found has prompted Ben Saul, UN special rapporteur on human rights and counter-terrorism, to say the death of Adam appears to be a "war crime".Another legal expert, Dr Lawrence Hill-Cawthorne, described the use of lethal force as “indiscriminate”. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said the circumstances of the deaths were “under review” but said “live fire is used only in order to remove immediate threats or for arrest purposes, following arrest protocols after exhausting other options”.

Video footage from 29 November shows Basil standing next to a hardware store, its shutters firmly locked down. When Israel's military arrives, shops close quickly in Jenin, a city in the West Bank - Palestinian territory which, unlike Gaza, is not run by Hamas. Witnesses said gunfire had been ringing out from a nearby operation by Israel's army in the Jenin refugee camp. Adam, a football fanatic and massive Lionel Messi fan, stood with his older brother Baha, 14. There were about nine boys on the street in total, all captured on CCTV cameras that provided a nearly 360-degree view of what happened next.

A few hundred metres away, a convoy of at least six armoured Israeli military vehicles turned a corner and began heading towards the boys, who clearly became uneasy. Several of the boys started to move away. At this precise moment, mobile phone footage shows the front door of an armoured vehicle opened. The soldier inside had a direct view of the boys. Basil had darted into the middle of the road, while Adam was 12m further from the soldiers, running away. Then at least 11 gunshots rang out.

Medical reports obtained by the BBC show that two shots hit Basil in the chest. Another bullet struck eight-year-old Adam in the back of the head as he ran away; his older brother Baha desperately tried to drag him to cover, leaving a trail of blood as he screamed for an ambulance.

#yemen #jerusalem #tel aviv #current events #palestine #free palestine #gaza #free gaza #news on gaza #palestine news #news update #war news #war on gaza #west bank #children of palestine #palestine genocide #war crimes #end the occupation #end the genocide

[redroomreflections]

II HANDS II HEAVEN 5

Natasha Romanoff x Fem!Reader

Summary: Natasha Romanoff and Reader reluctantly team up for a couples retreat mission. Despite initial resistance, they find themselves drawn together by unexpected circumstances and shared experiences.

W/c: 3.2k.

Masterlist | General Masterlist

“Red or Blue?” You asked Natasha as you sifted through one of your many suitcases. Clothes were strewn about on the floor around you as you debated what to wear. It wasn’t exactly a tough choice but first impressions mattered. Even if the first impressions you were banking on weren’t the other hotel guests. 

“What?” She glanced up from her phone, confusion evident in her furrowed brow. “Why are you asking me?” 

She was busy debriefing Steve and the team on a few minor details. Small things she picked up about the resort from your time in the lobby. So far, as expected, everything seemed normal. 

You glanced over, noticing her distraction, and rolled your eyes. "Just trying to involve you in the decision-making process. You know, team effort. Don’t you have girlfriends that you discuss outfit choices with?” 

 "Not really my style," She replied dryly, before resuming her conversation with Steve and the team, seamlessly slipping back into her professional demeanor.

“I can see,” You muttered as you slipped into the bathroom. You took your time changing into the black suit, tying it as best you could behind your neck before you snapped the straps of the bottoms on your waistline. You walk back over to your suitcase, squatting to find your favorite lotion-sunscreen combo that always has your skin looking lovely and sparkly. “I guess it’s not okay to ask you if I should wear my hair up or down?” You tilted your head, a playful smirk dancing on your lips as you applied generous amounts of lotion to your legs. With one knee bent, you glanced over to Natasha, waiting for her response.

Natasha raised an eyebrow, her lips twitching with amusement as she glanced up from her phone. "I suppose you can ask," she replied. "But don't expect any expert advice from me."

You shook your head. What a shame. "Fair enough," you conceded, finishing up with the lotion before returning to your suitcase. "Looks like it's just me and my questionable fashion sense then."

It’s then Natasha truly looked at you. This bikini was wow. In every sense of the word. It was very little, borderline inappropriate, but also somehow still tasteful. Natasha's gaze lingered on you for a moment longer than necessary as she took in the sight, a subtle appreciation glinting in her eyes.

"Um, Natasha?" You prompted, noticing her prolonged scrutiny.

Natasha blinked, snapping out of her reverie. "Oh, uh, sorry," she replied, clearing her throat. "Wear your hair down. It suits the look."

You didn't catch her response at first, too engrossed in adjusting the straps of your bikini top. "What was that?" you asked, looking up to meet her gaze.

Natasha repeated herself, her tone more decisive this time. "I said, wear it down. It looks good." 

You grinned in response, nodding in agreement before turning your attention back to your reflection in the mirror. Natasha's subtle compliment brought warmth to your cheeks and a little more pep in your step.

“Are you wearing that?” You gestured to her as you made eye contact in the mirror across from the bed. It's an interesting choice on the resort’s part. Natasha’s outfit was homely but not in an insulting kind of way. A comfy set since the both of you had spent hours in the car.  With this blonde hair, she resembled the everyday girl next door. 

“Of course not,” Natasha shook her head. She grabbed her bikini from the luggage she’d unpacked already at this point.  “Don’t turn around.” She warned you. 

You turned your gaze toward the mirror, only to witness a blur of motion behind you. Clothes flew through the air as Natasha swiftly shed her sweatpants and t-shirt and stepped into her one-piece swimsuit with practiced efficiency.

The speed and fluidity of her movements left you momentarily speechless, your mouth suddenly feeling dry as you watched in awe. You attempted to distract yourself with the jewelry in front of you. Diamond hoop earrings and a small heart-shaped necklace. 

Natasha looked up from fastening her sandals. "Are you ready?"

You raised an eyebrow in mock indignation. "You just got dressed and you’re already rushing me?"

Natasha chuckled, her smirk widening as she shook her head. "I like to stay ahead of schedule," she replied, her tone teasing. 

You rolled your eyes with a grin. "Alright, alright," you conceded, reaching for your sandals. "I'm ready when you are."

“You’re wearing jewelry to the pool?” She questioned, pushing the Fendi sunglasses over her hair. 

Natasha's question caught you off guard as you adjusted your jewelry, a puzzled expression on your face. 

You glanced down at your accessories, contemplating her observation for a moment before shrugging nonchalantly. "Why not?" you replied, your fingers deftly arranging the delicate pieces. "A little extra never hurt anyone."

Natasha raised an eyebrow. “ If you say so," she conceded."Just don't come crying to me if you lose something in the water."

“Don’t worry I’ll find some hot pool boy to find it for me,” You shrugged. 

Natasha arched an eyebrow, a smirk playing on her lips as she shot back with equal snarkiness, "Just make sure he's qualified for the job."

***********

The pool area stirred with activity, a lively mix of people young and old enjoying the serene surroundings. The crystal-clear water sparkled under the sun's gentle rays, creating a picturesque scene that called to you.

Finding a few empty seats nearby, you and Natasha made your way over, the soft chatter of voices and the occasional splash of water filling the air. There was some reggae mix on the stereo as the bartender called out names for drinks. Dropping your bags and book onto the nearest chair, you settled down with a contented sigh, sinking into the welcoming embrace of the cushioned seat.

“Joan, sweetie,” You said with a mischievous grin, turning to Natasha. “I left my towel back in the room. Won’t you be a dear and grab me one?”

Natasha narrowed her eyes at your request, having just settled into her seat. She tilted her head slightly, a hint of annoyance in her gaze as she considered your cheeky demeanor. With a low growl, Natasha stood and walked over to the shelf where the spare towels were. She grabbed a few, walking back over to you with a frown. 

“Here,” She gently passed a towel to you. “Anything else?”

“Hmm,” You thought long and hard. “I’d love a strawberry-lemon mojito.”

Natasha's eyes narrowed further at your response."Keep dreaming," she wanted to say, but for the sake of appearances, she sighed and walked over to the bartender.  

You watched her walk away, your eyes lingering on certain assets longer than necessary. You could admit that Natasha had an amazing physique. Something you had always admired from a distance. 

A subtle flush crept up your cheeks as you realized the direction of your thoughts. Despite your professionalism, you couldn't deny the admiration you held for Natasha's physical prowess. It was a quality you had always respected, even if you had never openly acknowledged it before.

She’d probably kill you if you did it anyway. 

Turning your attention back to the pool, you made a conscious effort to focus on the task at hand, pushing aside any lingering distractions. Beside you, you noticed an older woman with graying hair casting a curious glance in your direction. Her eyes flashed with interest as she leaned closer, a warm smile gracing her lips.

“Newlyweds?” she ventured, her voice tinged with a hint of curiosity.

"Yeah, how'd you know?" you replied, feigning innocence as you awaited her response.

The older lady chuckled softly, her eyes sparkling with amusement at your response. "Oh, it's just something about the way you two carry yourselves," she explained with a knowing smile. "There's a certain glow of happiness and togetherness that newlyweds often have. It's unmistakable."

“Wow, you got all that in the five minutes you saw us together?” You questioned. “Are you a psychic or something?”

"Only in a past life," She laughed lightly. "I'm Leslie. And this is my husband Frank. “She referred to the sleeping man with a slight sunburn next to her. You are?" she introduced herself, extending her hand in a gesture of greeting.

"Alexis," you replied with a warm smile, accepting her handshake. "Nice to meet you, Leslie. My lovely wife over there is Joan."

"Oh, I love this newer generation of out and proud love," Leslie smiled wistfully. "It’s so beautiful to see. Such a beautiful couple too. Is this your first time at the resort?"

"Thank you, Leslie," you replied sincerely, touched by her kindness. "Yes, it's our first time here. We heard wonderful things about the resort and couldn't resist experiencing it for ourselves."

“And how do you like it?” Her eyes sparkled with interest. 

"It's been quite lovely so far," You added. “It’s been a while since we’ve taken a proper vacation together. I’m so excited for the week we’re here.” 

Leslie's excitement was contagious as she spoke about the upcoming events at the resort. "You’re going to be blown away by all of the events this week," she grinned. "There’s a special bonfire tomorrow night that’s simply fabulous. It’s intimate and cozy. Allows you to make friends on vacation."

Your interest was piqued at the mention of the bonfire, as it hadn’t been mentioned in any of the research you’d done. Maybe it was a new development."That sounds wonderful," you replied with genuine enthusiasm, masking any hint of suspicion behind your smile. "We'll definitely have to check it out."

“You absolutely should,” Leslie began to stand. “It would be wonderful for a lovely couple like you to grace us with your presence.” Leslie’s aching bones limited her mobility as she shuffled around the chairs. “I’m going to the bathroom. If Frank wakes up, which I doubt he will, be a dear and tell him I’ll be back.”

“Will do, Leslie,” You nodded, offering a warm smile. She seemed nice enough. You returned your gaze to Natasha to see that she was engaged in a conversation of her own. Seems that people naturally gravitated to both of you. 

*******************

For the first time in days, Natasha found a moment of peace at the bar. She settled onto one of the stools, swaying gently to the rhythm of the music as she signaled to the bartender. As he approached Natasha did a quick once over of his body. Something someone of his attractiveness would be used to. His dark, mahogany skin glowed with a natural warmth, complemented by a smile that seemed to light up the entire bar. 

His hair, a messy of glossy curls, framed his face in a wild and untamed mane, adding to his charm.

He was dressed in a crisp white shirt and black pants that appeared to be the uniform for all of the staff. 

"Hello," Natasha greeted him with a warm smile, her tone playful yet composed. "I'll take a strawberry and lemon mojito, and hmm," she paused, pressing a finger to her chin in contemplation. She was completely in character at the moment. "Surprise me. Something fruity."

"Coming right up," he replied with a nod, before stepping over to his work area. 

Natasha watched him for a few moments longer before her eyes trailed over the pool area, she couldn't help but notice the diverse display of people and their lively parties. Briefly, her gaze flickered in your direction, a silent acknowledgment of your presence. You managed to look so relaxed already. Though she could see the subtle ways your eyes would flick over the pool area whenever you laughed or spoke to the older woman sitting beside you. 

“Hey, Henry, that couple’s here again.” A short woman with bone-straight brunette hair and botox lips informed him as she stepped behind the counter. She did quick work of washing her hands and gathering abandoned dishes on the bar. Natasha squinted to see her name tag. Blanca. A fitting name. 

“Which one?” Henry, the bartender Natasha had spoken to moments earlier, briefly glanced over to her. 

“The one with the dog,” Blanca sighed. “Don’t know why Jorge keeps allowing them to bring it. He’s anxious and it’s too hot out here for him anyway.” 

Henry furrowed his brow in concern, glancing briefly in the direction of the couple with the dog approaching. "That doesn't sound good," he remarked."Have they caused any trouble?"

Blanca shook her head, her lips pursed in disapproval. "Not yet, but it's only a matter of time. You know how Jorge is, always bending the rules for certain guests."

Natasha's mind raced with possibilities as she listened to their conversation. The mention of Jorge and his leniency towards certain guests hinted at a potential breach in security or protocol. 

“Here you are ma’am,” Henry passed Natasha both drinks before she stood to walk back to her seat. 

As she passed the couple, the dog in question moved over to sniff Natasha in greeting. 

“Oh, hello there,” Natasha smiled warmly, reaching out a hand to give the dog a gentle pat on the head. This certainly wasn’t a service dog based on his relaxed demeanor.

“Oh, Ozzy is so friendly, I’m so sorry,” The woman with platinum blonde hair and several tattoos attached to the leash apologized to Natasha, a hint of concern in her voice.

Natasha waved off the apology with a gracious smile. "No need to apologize, he's quite adorable," she reassured the woman, her tone friendly and welcoming.

As Natasha continued interacting with the dog, she noted the couple's appearance and demeanor. Something about them didn't quite fit the typical resort guest profile of this caliber, and Natasha's instincts told her there might be more to their presence than meets the eye. They both seemed so uptight and frazzled. 

Natasha gave them another smile and walked back over to you. 

“Took you long enough my drink is probably watered-down liquor,” You pouted. “Eh, this is wow.” You coughed. It wasn’t nasty. It was strong and certainly had more alcohol than fruit somehow. 

Natasha arched an eyebrow at your remark. 

"Well, perhaps next time you can come behind the bar and make it yourself," she quipped, her tone laced with playful sarcasm. "Then you can ensure it meets your exacting standards."

“My existing standards led me to you,” You said through your teeth. 

Natasha's lips curved into a smirk as she settled into the seat beside you, her gaze locking with yours in a silent exchange of understanding.

"Well, lucky me," she retorted. "I'll make sure to keep living up to those standards then."

"Does it ever end?" You fake whispered, turning your head towards Leslie, attempting to convey your thoughts discreetly.

Leslie caught your gaze and smiled kindly, her eyes reflecting understanding. At least she had the decency to pretend she wasn’t listening. "Oh, dear," she replied with a chuckle.  "Sometimes it feels like it never does, but there's always a light at the end of the tunnel."

"J, this is Leslie," You introduced Natasha smoothly, seamlessly slipping into your cover story. "She’s my new best friend."

"It's lovely to meet you, Leslie," Natasha added with a friendly smile, her tone warm and genuine.

“Well, aren't you two just the sweetest pair," she remarked, her voice tinged with affection. "I'm delighted to make your acquaintance, Joan. I was telling your wife here about the bonfire tomorrow. It’s something special. You have to see it."

You nodded in agreement, your smile genuine as you responded. "We wouldn't miss it for the world, Leslie. Thank you for the recommendation. It sounds like a wonderful way to spend the evening."

As the conversation dwindled, eventually Leslie drifted over to the poolside and began to make conversation with a few older women. Natasha began to go through the bag she’d brought to the pool and found a small bottle of sunscreen. 

"Here, rub this on me," She instructed you, handing you a bottle of sunscreen.

"Why?" you asked, a hint of confusion in your voice as you eyed her pale skin. "Didn’t you already put some on before?"

Natasha gave you a pointed look, her expression conveying a mixture of exasperation and amusement. "Don’t question the logic, just do it," she replied firmly, holding out her arm expectantly.

As you began applying sunscreen to Natasha's exposed skin, you couldn't help but feel a sense of resignation wash over you. Silently, you wondered why you had taken on this job in the first place. It wasn't that you were truly angry; in fact, you were the complete opposite. 

This part of the mission had never been difficult before. Playing the part of a fake doting wife had practically become second nature to you. But being here with Natasha felt different. There was something about her presence that stirred emotions within you, emotions you hadn't expected to surface during the mission.

Natasha turned her back to you, dropping the straps of her swimsuit lower on her arms so you could reach her shoulders. The intimacy of the moment caught you off guard, and for a brief moment, you found yourself lost in the sensation of her warm skin beneath your fingertips.

As you rubbed the warm cream into Natasha's skin, the muscles of her back flexed slightly beneath your touch. You couldn't help but notice the way her body responded to your ministrations, and a rush of thoughts flooded your mind. They weren't entirely pure thoughts, and you couldn't help but feel a twinge of guilt at the direction your mind was wandering.

But then, a small comfort washed over you - at least Natasha couldn't read minds. You silently thanked whatever higher power existed for that small mercy, grateful that your innermost thoughts remained your own.

"I think we could hang out by the pool for a few hours and then call it a night," Natasha suggested, her voice breaking the comfortable silence between you. "Maybe go over some things."

"Sounds like a plan," you replied, masking any hint of hesitation with a casual tone. "A bit of relaxation by the pool is exactly what I’m here for.”

“Only that?” Natasha looked over her shoulder to you. “And the beautiful women,” You muttered under your breath. 

Natasha's expression shifted slightly, a flicker of annoyance crossing her features as she turned to face you fully. "Really?" she questioned, her voice carrying a note of exasperation.

You chuckled, recognizing her annoyance but unable to resist pushing her buttons just a little. "Hey, just stating the obvious," You replied with a shrug. 

Natasha rolled her eyes. "Well, try to keep your eyes open okay?" she retorted, a touch of teasing in her tone despite her annoyance. “Don’t sleep with anyone behind my back.”

“I wouldn’t dare,” You pressed a hand to your chest, faking scandilization. “How dare you insinuate I would ever cheat on my beautiful, intelligent, and hot wife.” 

“That drink was stronger than you’re letting on,” Natasha smirked knowingly. 

“Maybe,” You shrugged. “I guess we’ll never know.” You sighed as you lounged in the chair, your head pointed towards the sun. Natasha turned in her chair to watch you for a few seconds longer before she laid back in her chair. 

So far, there was nothing out of the ordinary about this place. It seemed like a typical resort, with sun-drenched pool areas, lush tropical foliage, and guests lounging lazily in the warm afternoon sun. 

Everything appeared to be just as it should be, with no signs of the covert operations or clandestine activities that you had been tasked with uncovering.

Despite the lack of immediate danger or suspicious behavior, you remained vigilant, knowing that appearances could be deceiving.

next part

#natasha romanoff #natasha x reader #black reader #black widow x female reader #black widow x reader #natasha romanov #natasha x you

[letsquestjess]

The Bad Batch and Watching a Sunset (TBB x GN!Reader)

Summary: Sunsets can be pretty romantic and the Batch enjoy watching them with you.

Warnings: None. All fluff!

Hunter

Hunter has convinced himself he isn’t much of a romantic, but you know different. Whenever the team finds a safe planet for a few days, he never misses a chance to watch the sunset by your side. With the sun gradually descending, he’ll prepare a dinner outdoors and chat with you, sharing jokes and opinions on trivial topics. Once you’re finished, he will lovingly cradle you in his lap as you watch the day depart.

During one memorable trip, Tech enthused all day about a rare sky phenomenon that graced the planet during sunset once every hundred cycles. Eager to share the experience with you, Hunter set out cushions by the ship, and invited you to join him. With his legs on either side of your hips and his arms tightly wrapped around your middle, you settled to watch the display. The sun set in a blaze of lilac and jade hues, and as the last arc of sunlight slipped below the horizon, the sky burst into a kaleidoscope of colours, translucent waves fluttering like a celestial blanket. In a moment of heightened awareness, Hunter told you to watch and pointed out a cluster of birds just before they emerged from the trees. You jokingly called him a show-off, but you wouldn’t trade being by his side for anything else in the galaxy. 

Echo

Echo gets a little fussy when you both watch a sunset, but only because he wants you to be comfortable and most places outside lack suitable seating. When you nestle your head on his shoulder and draw nearer, he eases a bit and relishes the tranquillity of your shared time. You rarely get time to stop and enjoy some peace, so when you do, he savours every moment. 

While watching one sunset, Echo recounted what they were like on Kamino. When the rain ceased and the clouds dispersed enough to make out the horizon, it was like watching a ruby drop into the water. Tiny and unimportant to most, but he found solace in it. No matter what happened, suns would always rise and fall and rise again. Rather like him. His peaceful expression captivated you, the lines near his eyes barely creased and the calm in his hazel eyes holding you spellbound. It was a rare sight, and you made a conscious effort to soak in every aspect. When you asked him to tell you more, he vividly recalled the strange weather he had witnessed and the funny situations it had caused, often involving lost brothers and their antics. Cuddling him again, you listened to his tales, the sun long gone and the stars lingering to listen too. 

Wrecker

Wrecker is an expert at savouring sunsets and turns them into memorable evenings. He plans everything thoroughly, carefully selecting your favourite snacks and drinks, and arranging a cosy nest of blankets and pillows for the two of you. His primary goal is to lavish you not only with a picturesque scene but also with immense love and adoration that those quiet moments are perfect for. 

One evening after an early dinner, Wrecker placed a blindfold over your eyes and carefully led you into the sparse copse close to where you landed. When he removed the fabric, a wave of awe washed over you. Dimmed lanterns gently swung between the boughs. As you approached the bank of the lake, you noticed a delightful arrangement of blankets and cushions, and a food hamper. He had even scattered vibrant petals around the area too. He gently grasped your hand and settled you down, pulling you close as the sun started to descend, all the while whispering words of love in your ear. You both spent the night there, sleeping in each other’s embrace until daylight broke again.

Crosshair

The first time you and Crosshair experienced a sunset together, it happened spontaneously. While hauling supply crates into the ship, you paused for a moment to witness the sky change. Noticing you’d stopped, Crosshair asked what you’d seen, thinking there was danger, but he relaxed a little once you explained you were merely fascinated by the way the sunlight cut through the trees. He couldn’t comprehend why some were so captivated by it, but you seemed to relish it, so he watched a little longer. The sunsets after that, you would sit in solitude, taking in the impressive sight. Eventually Crosshair joined you, secretly revelling in the way his surroundings grew calm. There were no loud noises or screams, or frightful sprints back to the ship. Everything was perfectly quiet.

Seated in a shaded spot and watching the bright star dip one peaceful evening, he began to talk. He knew you were curious about certain parts of his past, and he assured you that you were free to ask whatever you wanted. He’d answer honestly, no detail spared or horror held back. You caught the vulnerability in his voice and didn’t want to pry, but when you glanced up at him, you could see he wanted to tell you; he just needed a bit of prompting. So you asked him everything you had ever wondered, every brief allusion he had ever made to the dark patches in his past. True to his word, he opened up. With each sunset you witnessed together, he would divulge more, disclosing personal details that even his brothers didn’t know about and dismantling the emotional fortress he had built around himself. 

Tech

When it comes to Tech, observing a sunset is initially approached as a scientific study. Every planet he visits, he positions himself at the best vantage point, datapad in hand as he records the angle of the descent, the trajectory, the variation in hues, and cross-references it with data from other planets. He will talk while he observes, explaining exactly what he’s doing to fill the silence between you. Your one-sided conversations often end with him rambling for some time, not that you mind. You can see the joy radiating from him as he indulges in it. But there’s a small part of you that wants nothing more than to nestle into his arms and watch it together. Over time, he notices small subtle cues that you aren’t enjoying the sunsets as much as he is, and after confiding in Wrecker, he realises why. 

The next sunset was one you wouldn’t forget soon. You joined Tech as usual, plonking yourself down on the makeshift bench as the twin suns chased each other towards the eastern horizon. Fiery hues blended in the middle and the sky and began to burn gold, clouds and birds fleeing the impending night. For the first time since you can remember, Tech was not engrossed in the streams of information filtering through his datapad. In fact, you couldn’t see it anywhere on his person. He encircled his arms around your shoulders and brought you close to him. Instead of offering facts, he commented on the breathtaking beauty of the sunset and how he cherished the opportunity to experience it with you.

#tbb #the bad batch #tbb x reader #the bad batch x reader #tbb x you #the bad batch x you #tbb hunter #tbb hunter x reader #tbb hunter x you #tbb echo #tbb echo x reader #tbb echo x you #tbb wrecker #tbb wrecker x reader #tbb wrecker x you #tbb crosshair #tbb crosshair x reader #tbb crosshair x you #tbb tech #tbb tech x reader #tbb tech x you

[sleekervae]

New York Romantic .2

Masterlist

pairing: Tom Blyth x ballerina!oc

summary: tom and noelle have dinner together

word count: 3572

taglist: @watercolorskyy @carolanns-world @alana4610

The first few weeks should've been easy, at least that's what one would've thought entering a faculty of acting. But the fact was out of the eighteen kids in Tom's classes, ironically a lot of them were very shy. Oh sure, you had the stand out performers; the 'put your spotlight on me' students whose bravado followed them even off the stage.

Not to mention the workload was quite overwhelming at first. Very quickly Tom found himself staying up late into the night, reading papers and excerpts from a handful of philosophers and authors that discussed everything from the precariousness of religion to ethical questioning of the modern nouveau. A couple of his classmates complained amongst themselves about how boring and dry the readings could be, and some were definitely more bland than others. Though when his roommate, Sunny, began his evening warm ups and practice Tom found the urge to dive in came so naturally. It just didn't come in handy when he was going into the early morning hours.

Sunjit, or Sunny as he preferred to be called, was an Indian native who'd grown up in Manchester. He figured Doris roomed them together simply for the fact that they were both English. And Noelle was right when she said he was a ray of sunshine; every little problem or obstacle they came across, be it commuting in the city or their arduous work load, Sunny always had a more optimistic disposition about everything. It was refreshing, and he and Tom became fast friends.

He had also been quite taken with Noelle, the ballet student just a year ahead of him. She was a year younger than him but had been accepted into her faculty a year ago. He'd see her around on the campus, usually flocked by her dancer friends in their joggers, leotards and slick buns. And when she caught his eye, even for a fleeting moment, she never hesitated to wave hello. Sometimes they'd catch up together in the hall or on their way to school. Noelle had travelled all the way down from Maine and she'd never been anywhere outside of the East coast, so suffice to say she had a few questions about England; the people, the weather patterns, if he'd ever witnessed one of the queen's convoy or her corgis. He quickly learned corgis were her favourite dog. Her questions, especially the sillier ones, always made him smile.

This particular Thursday had been rough. Sunny didn't have class today so he spent up until 2am practicing his tremolos, legatos, and all the other chords Tom didn't half understand. As a result, he slept in enough to just miss his bus, thus he was late to class. As if that wasn't bad enough, because he had been in such a rush he forgot his notes on his readings at the loft. That had certainly gone over well when his professor -- a well studied and prolific expert on the material -- called on him to give him opinions. It didn't quite go over as well as he'd hoped.

He also had a bit of a jump scare when he checked his bank account and the funds were dwindling. Expenses in New York were truly nothing to laugh about. And despite his mum's assurances that she'd send him the money he'd need, Tom knew it was in his best interest to get a job to help keep up. Where though remained to be seen.

Suffice to say dragging himself up the stairs after school was his mountain of a molehill. At least the lobby was quiet, not even Doris was at her desk to watch soap operas and eat her burnt popcorn. So he sat on the steps, exhaling heavily through his nose, trying to will away the headache that was tapping away to be let in. It had only been two weeks, and already Tom was exhausted.

He didn't so much as bat an eye or look up when he heard the door swing open. He did however open his eyes when he heard footsteps come his way, and he looked up to find Noelle staring down at him. Her hair was still tied slick, loose strands hanging from her ears, with her jeans pulled up over her leotard. Her big brown eyes were soft, complimenting the small gape between her lips as she watched him curiously; an overall calming and ethereal presence.

"Hey," she smiled kindly, rocking back and forth in her mis-matched converse.

"Hi," Tom grinned, moving to shift from his position, "Sorry, you probably need to get by,"

"Don't worry. Are you alright?" she simpered, "You look like you got woken up by one of Wallace's cracking contraptions,"

Tom bore a smile back, shrugging dismissively, "Yeah, I'm alright. It's been a long day," he replied.

"Tell me about it," she took a seat next to him, letting her bag slump to the floor, "First time today I've been off my feet,"

"What time did you start today?"

"Seven am,"

"Ouch,"

Noelle shrugged, "I'm used to it by now. I don't know if that's a good thing or a bad thing but..." she trailed off with a bashful giggle, her eyes still laced with concern, "Do you wanna' talk about it?"

"No, it's fine," he shook his head, "It's just been a lot, you know?"

"Hey I get it, the first couple of weeks are hell. Only by the time Christmas rolls around you feel like you're finally getting a handle on everything," she reached around to pull her elastic from her hair, shaking her head as her long hair fell around her shoulders, "You were picked out of over 2000 applications, only to be accepted into a class of not even twenty people. That's not something to scoff at,"

Tom chuckled, "You got a point," he glanced at her, "You look like you've got it all figured out, though," he said.

"Well, it sure didn't take overnight," she grinned, "Even now -- sometimes I realize I've forgotten my toe pads when I'm on the bus and if I'm late then I'll be drawn and quartered,"

"That doesn't sound pleasant," he simpered back.

"It's a living," she shrugged back, glancing up at the stairwell behind them. She then looked over at the desk, confirming that Doris wasn't at the desk. She then turned to him, "Are you hungry?"

"I could eat," he nodded.

"Alrighty then," Noelle stood and slung her back over her shoulder, "I'm making dinner,"

Tom was taken aback at first, after all, he barely knew her well enough, "Oh, I don't wanna' make trouble for you," he said.

Noelle shook her head, "Oh please, it's no trouble at all," she assured.

"Isn't your roommate home?"

"She's working right now, won't be home for a bit," she extended her hand to him, "You coming or no?"

Regardless of his reservations, Tom took her hand, letting her pull him to his feet. Standing up he realized she towered over him as she stood on the second step. Noelle seemed to come to the same conclusion.

"Damn, is this what it's like to be tall?" she raised her hand level to the top of her head, bringing it forward over the gap atop his own head.

Tom chuckled amusedly, "Savour it while you can," he took the step up and sure enough he towered over her again. Noelle simply rolled her eyes, smiling nonetheless as she lead him upstairs.

Noelle's loft was as cozy and warm as she was, the pale walls were bathed in the soft glow of lamps and the fairy lights strung up along the low ceiling. And one of them had an affinity for succulents, there were a plethora of tiny pots scattered across shelves and window sills. That wasn't to say the place was pristine, though; there were some loose jackets tossed over chairs and shoes piled up at the door. The kitchenette mirrored his own, only the pile of plates and utensils in the drying rack proved it was used way more than his own was.

Tom took a seat at the dining table, curious as he watched Noelle pull out packets of instant noodles, some eggs, and vegetables from her fridge. He offered to help where he could but she assured him she had it all under control. Ten minutes later she had two bowls of upgraded instant ramen at the ready.

The dining table only had four chairs, pressed up against a window with a faint view of the city. Tom was pleasantly surprised with Noelle's cooking, it was the first home cooked meal he'd had since arriving, and it was the tastiest dinner he'd enjoyed in a long time.

"Do you like it?" she asked between bites.

"It's fantastic!" he awed, tilting his head, "I'm also happy to find nothing's burnt,"

Noelle rolled her eyes, "Oh, shut up. It was one time," she giggled, "I've been cutting back on my noodle intake, but when I can't be bothered to stand at the stove for long I break 'em out,"

"Hey, a meal's a meal, sometimes nutrition is overrated," he replied, "And they're cheap, too,"

"That's a nice perk," she nodded, "If you want cheap groceries, Paddy's down the street is great. So long as you get there before 9am, that's when the nonnas go in and squeeze the shit out of the tomatoes and bread,"

"That's nice to know. Thank you," he sipped from his water glass, "Do you work, too?"

Noelle nodded, "Weekends at Frames. I slice pizza for the bowlers," she replied, "Sometimes my boss lets me take home some of the canned tomatoes if we didn't sell out,"

Tom hummed, "Is that what I'm tasting here?" he asked curiously.

She smiled, "Yeah! The spice is gochujang,"

"It's fantastic, Noelle," he replied, "Have you always liked to cook?"

"My aunt taught me how -- and my uncle served as the proverbial guinea pig," she said.

He cocked a brow, "You lived with your aunt and uncle?" he asked.

Noelle stopped mid-chew, realizing she'd let her tongue slip, "Yeah, my parents weren't really around. It's a bit of a long story," she shrugged back.

Tom swallowed heavily, "I -- I didn't mean to impose on you like that, I'm sorry,"

"Oh my gosh, don't be sorry!" she assured, "I mean -- my mom had some substance issues and my dad... well, we don't know where he went. So my aunt and uncle were named my legal guardians," her voice trailed off, bordering on dejection with every word she recounted.

Tom stopped at that, his heartstrings tugging but his curiosity nevertheless peaked. That being said he kept his questions at bay, he didn't want to offend or trigger her, especially being in her own space.

"I'm sorry to hear that. But you liked living with them?" he asked.

Noelle nodded, "They're wonderful people. I probably wouldn't have auditioned for Julliard in the first place if they hadn't encouraged me," she replied.

"How long have you been dancing for?" he asked, finding an out for new conversation.

"Since I was ten years old. I thought it might've been too late because everybody else usually starts at age three, but... here I am," she smiled back.

"Here you are," he smiled back, "And obviously you're very good if you've made it,"

"I suppose you have a point," she simpered, twirling her fork in her bowl absentmindedly, "Well, what about you, Tom?"

"What about me?" he asked.

She shrugged bashfully, "Did you like growing up in England?"

"As compared to the places I couldn't grow up in?" he simpered back, "I did. My parents split up when I was younger but I had a good relationship with both of them,"

"What do your parents do?" she asked.

"My mum's a counsellor in an employment office, and my dad was a show producer," he replied, "You ever hear of Emmerdale?"

Noelle shook her head, "Can't say I have. But that's pretty cool, though!" she said, "Is that how you got into acting?"

"Kind of. My mum signed me up for a youth theatre group to keep me busy -- awakened something in me I guess," he grinned sheepishly.

"I see. And is your dad still working in tv?"

Tom shook his head, the corners of his lips falling, "No, he passed about six years ago,"

Noelle nearly dropped her fork, quite taken aback though nonetheless she wanted to be respectful, "My God. I'm so sorry. How old were you?"

"Fourteen," he shrugged back solemnly, "It's alright, though. We're all making out okay,"

"Yeah but -- I can't imagine that could've been easy --" she stopped herself suddenly, becoming flustered, "I'm sorry, I know it's super personal and it's none of my business,"

"No, it's alright," he assured her, "Life's pretty fucked up sometimes, but we have to keep moving forward is all,"

Noelle nodded slowly, "You're right; and you made it here, after all. I think your dad's very proud of you," she replied.

Tom smiled, hoping the lighting was low enough that she wouldn't pick off the tinting in his cheeks. Taking a sip from his glass was the only natural response he could muster before uttering a quiet 'thank you'.

"I'm sure your family's quite proud of you too, Noelle," he said, "Anyway, enough sad stuff,"

"Good," Noelle huffed, jokingly rolling her eyes, "It was starting to get wishy washy in here,"

He simpered under his breath, "Alright. What are your plans when you graduate?" he asked.

Noelle rested her chin in her hand, smiling with giddy, "To get a spot at New York Ballet. They're the American equivalent of the Russian Ballet," she replied.

"Beautiful," Tom mired.

"What about you?"

"Go audition for a movie or two, I guess," he chuckled simply, "Hope and pray I don't fuck it up,"

"Have you worked on any productions before?" she asked curiously.

"A couple here and there. Mostly small parts. I just finished a short film over the summer, though," he replied.

"No kidding! What's it about?" she had both elbows on the table now, leaning in closer as though he would share a secret.

His smile widened, "My character's an aspiring journalist who stumbles upon this gang who like to take rounds in a tumble dry machine for kicks,"

Noelle's eyes went wide, her shoulders caved forward as she recoiled at the thought, "Jesus -- really? Tell me this wasn't based off --"

"A true story? I'm afraid so," he confirmed, "The moral is about how journalism doesn't care about right or wrong as long as it captures their audience's attention,"

Her face twisted in a combination of horror and intrigue, the same way most people react when learning about a serial killer, "Lemme' guess: your character gets found out and thrown in the dryer?"

"You'll just have to watch the film to find out," he chuckled smartly.

She sighed dramatically, "Oh, you mean the torture of having to physically sit and watch a movie? Unspeakable torture," she teased.

Tom playfully rolled his eyes, "If you can withstand Don't Breathe for an hour and something, I think you can withstand this,"

"I'll take your word for it," she simpered, "Do you want to move to Hollywood after you graduate?"

Tom pondered it for a moment; the thought had struck him numerous times but he was on the fence about it. The racket, the chaos, it was such a stark 180 contrast compared to England. And perhaps that was why New York struck the perfect balance with familiar inklings of home.

But hey, there would always be sunshine...

"I'm not sure. I might go back to England, we have a pretty strong film industry over there. Or maybe I'll stay here?" he wondered aloud, glancing out the window, "Obviously, you'd like to stay in the city?"

Noelle nodded happily, "I would, but I'd also love to do some travelling. Farthest I've been outside of Maine was Disney World in Florida. Not that I'm complaining," she chuckled bashfully, "Maybe I'll come visit you in Birmingham one day?"

"I'd like that," he beamed back, "We'll wait out in front of Buckingham Palace and try and spot the queen's corgis,"

"Oh my goodness! Don't threaten me with a good time!" she teased back.

Their chatter died down when they heard the lock click, both of them looking over to find Bianca, Noelle's roommate, sauntering in. Another petite girl, she had vibrant blonde hair hanging loose and tousled past her shoulders, soft Bambi eyes that were tired and glazed, and her checkout uniform was wrinkled and warped as the fabric caught in her jacket. She was strikingly beautiful, the epitome of a blonde bombshell.

She stopped short when she saw Tom and Noelle, perplexed but nonetheless fronting a smile as she dropped her bag into a corner. She tossed her jacket over the back of the couch, sauntering over with her hands buried in her back pockets.

"Hey! What's going on over here?" she asked, looking curiously between the pair.

"We're commiserating about life over ramen," Noelle replied, extending her hand out to Tom, "Tom, this is Bianca. Bianca, this is Tom. He lives across the hall,"

"Nice to meet you," Tom smiled politely at her, nevertheless he had he feeling he was a mouse within the eye line of a cat.

"Likewise. You go to Julliard?" she asked.

"I'm an acting major," he nodded.

Bianca raised her brows, "That's awesome! Well I hope you make it," she turned on her heel and started for the fridge, "Do we still have that buttered broccoli?" she asked Noelle.

"Second top shelf on the left" Noelle replied.

Bianca gave an quiet, victorious 'ah ha' as she pulled a container out from the fridge, then fished for a fork from the drawer, "If you guys don't mind I'll bid you adieu," she gave a small bow, "I have a date with my bed,"

Noelle cocked a brow, "Honey, put the broccoli in the microwave at least," she said.

"Don't worry, it's fine!" Bianca waved her off, "Don't have too much out here!" and with that she sauntered down the hall, a slam of a door followed after.

Tom nodded, glancing curiously at Noelle as she just shook her head, "I promise she's usually nicer than that," she huffed.

"It's okay," Tom replied, "She looks like she had a long day,"

"She works at the grocery store,"

He cocked a brow, "So you're both on your feet all day, basically," he noted.

"It's a living," Noelle shrugged listlessly, "We do what we have to to get by,"

"I hear that," Tom glanced over at her empty bowl, reaching over to take it along with his as he stood up. "Here, let me,"

"What? No!" Noelle protested, "I can do that!" she moved to get up as well.

"Hey, it's the least I can do! You've been on your feet all day, and you cooked dinner for me!" he replied.

"Tom..." she darted to his side by the sink. He nearly reached out to touch her shoulder but hesitated, mindful of not overstepping any boundaries too quickly. It was then the pair realized how close they stood in proximity to each other, closer than what young strangers should've been. He could pick out the black diamond flecks in her irises, the faint freckles across her cheeks, the subtle but sweet notes of apple and bergamot that wafted under his nose. And the indent of an old piercing scar under her bottom lip.

"I got it, Noelle," he assured her kindly, willing himself to focus.

Noelle rolled her eyes, she knew she had a tendency to be stubborn but she could tell she'd met a match in Tom. She glanced at the soaking pot in the sink, already having made up her mind as she reached for it.

"Lemme' get this in the dishwasher at least," she decided.

"Fine," he conceded, stepping back to give her room.

Noelle huffed as she put the pot away, glancing at him over her shoulder, "What's your sign?" she asked suddenly.

His brow furrowed, "My sign?"

"Your zodiac," she clarified, "Like I'm a Gemini,"

"Ah," he nodded, "Um -- Aquarius,"

Noelle chuckled, "Damn, you're just as stubborn as me. And here I was thinking you'd be a pushover... I'm joking, by the way," she quickly clarified.

"Your dripping sarcasm wasn't evident of that?" he teased back. Before she could get a word in to protest, he placed the bowls in the sink and made a grab for the dish soap.

"Thank you," Noelle finally conceded, "Do you mind if I go get changed?"

"Not at all," he glanced behind his shoulder with a satisfied grin, "I'll be here,"

Noelle collected her bag off the floor and started for her room, pausing at the mouth of the hall and taking another look behind her. Tom was none the wiser to her silent presence, his back turned to her while his broad shoulders lifted and fell with each move he made. He had this unassumingness about him at first glance, she wouldn't necessarily pick him out from a crowd but if she knew to look for him she wouldn't have a problem. And when he smiled, little wrinkles formed at the corner of his bright eyes, clear blue eyes a sharp contrast to his pale complexion.

She turned swiftly on her heel and skittered down the hall, coming to the odd realization that she had never paid any mind to the drama department -- at least, not until now...

#tom blyth #tom blyth x reader #coriolanus snow imagine #coriolanus x reader #coriolanus snow fanfiction #coriolanus imagine #coriolanus fanfiction #tbosas #the hunger games #the hunger games the ballad of songbirds & snakes #the hunger games x reader #the ballad of songbirds and snakes #original story #original content #original series

[class1akids]

I saw on Twitter that the Chapter 399 title is reference to this poem by Miyazawa Kenji (the "Be not defeated by the rain" poet):

(this panel ties the two poems together)

Preface

The phenomenon called I Is one postulated, organic alternating-current-lamp Blue illumination (A complex of all transparent ghosts) Together with scenes and with everyone Busily, busily flickering Very surely to keep on lighting,

One karmic alternating-current-lamp Blue illumination (Light persisting, its electric lamp lost) These, from twenty-two months’ Direction sensed to be past Papers and mineral ink assembling (Everything that flickers with me Everyone senses at the same time) Continuing on to this, Are links and links of light and shade, Sketches of mental images as they are About all this, people, galaxies, asuras and sea urchins Eating cosmic dust, inhaling air or saltwater

Might think up fresh ontologies But they are ultimately a mental climate Yet surely these recorded scenes are Each the very scene recorded as it is And if it is nothing, nothing itself is as it is And so to an extent is shared by everyone (All is within me everyone So everyone within each one is all) Yet within the Cenozoic alluvial epoch’s Enormous shining accumulation of time, The words supposed to have been rendered correctly In a light’s eclipse, time’s mere speck (Or a billion years of Asura) Might have already changed composition or quality And yet both I and the typographer Might sense them to be not changed at all, That, as a tendency, is possible, Really as we sense our receptive organs And scenes and characters Just sensing them in common, So what is called records and histories, geological histories Along with various data (Under the temporal spatial constraints of karma) Are no more than what we sense Perhaps two thousand years from now A pertinently different geology will be adopted Relevant evidence will emerge one by one from the past So everyone will think that two thousand years before There were colorless peacocks filling the blue sky And then aspiring scholars at the upper stratum of the atmosphere From the place of glittering frozen nitrogen Will excavate splendid fossils Or might well find In a stratified plane of Cretaceous sandstone Gigantic footprints of transparent humankind All these propositions are asserted As properties of images or time itself In the fourth dimensional continuum

And some explanation about the context and meaning of the poem from here:

Eternal Light

Kenji had a very good reason, too, to feel the burden of responsibility toward the weak and the meek. He was the eldest son of a man, Masajirō, who made a fortune running the town’s pawnbroking shop. In those days, pawnbroking was a far more respectable profession than it seems to be today. A small provincial town in a prefecture far from the centers of development in the Meiji era (1868–1912) lacked the banking facilities of the big industrialized trading cities. The Miyazawa family business provided essential financial services to the destitute farmers of the region.

As a boy Kenji witnessed many encounters in his father’s shop, where poor farmers came in with whatever they could barter for a bit of cash to feed their families. He grew up with a keen sense of guilt over this and saw it as one of his missions to repay the farmers by teaching them through his writing how to achieve happiness and comfort in life. Not only that, he became an expert on the use of fertilizer and worked tirelessly to increase its applications. Suffering from pleurisy and tuberculosis, it was his indefatigable—perhaps the right word is obsessive—missionary spirit and social activity for the betterment of the local farmers that led, in part, to an early death.

Kenji described himself as a blue light in the preface to his poem “Spring and Pandemonium.” The light that is Kenji flickers incessantly in harmony with all else in the universe. This light—the life of an individual—does not die out at death. He writes in this preface that it is only the lamp, or the body, that is lost. The light remains on, flickering forever.

Though we die, the light and its memory continue to shine; and it is that light that can be seen throughout the cosmos. That is why some of Kenji’s characters end up in the heavens. Campanella, one of the heroes of his exquisite novel Ginga tetsudō no yoru (trans. Night on the Milky Way Train), alights from a train that is traversing the night sky. Another character in this novel, the scorpion, becomes a star so that its body can provide light and heat for an age. Yet another, the nighthawk in “Yodaka no hoshi” (trans. “The Nighthawk Star”), flies straight up into the sky, also turning its body into a star.

Kenji’s characters defy time and space to set for us, if you will, shining examples.

#bnha manga spoilers #bnha 399 #kenji miyazawa #all might #toshinori yagi

[dragon-kazansky]

Spirit of the sea

Izzy Hands x Reader (GN)

SEASON 2 CONTENT AHEAD!!!

Blackbeard rules the sea. Despite wanting his captain back, Izzy realises his mistake. Protecting the crew is his concern. Protecting you is his life mission. Stede's return brings hope, but there's a lot of work to be done before this crew becomes a family.

{Masterlist}

{Previous Chapter} - {Next Chapter}

Warnings: Spoilers. Ed catches one fish one time. Stede is the shit. Also, the sea is on fire. Sorry Zheng.

Chapter Sixteen - Sea on fire

♡♡♡

You wake up in the morning with a smile. The memories of last night come rushing back to you immediately. You've never been serenaded before. You could almost still hear him singing to you now.

Izzy wasn't in bed, you noticed. His hear was gone, so he was well and truly up and at it already. You chuckle softly as you glance at the sparrow and the unicorn on the table.

A familiar thud echoes down the hall and your eyes are drawn to the door where Izzy appears. He leans against the door frame with a smile on his face.

"Morning, sleeping beauty," he says, his eyes shining with love and amusement.

"Good morning."

He grins and looks you up and down. "We weren't the only ones who had fun last night."

You chuckle. "Oh? Weren't they taking it slow or something?"

"Think last night got to them."

Right. Stede and forced Ned off the plank. He was long gone now.

"Come on, get up. We're at the Republic of Pirates." Izzy tosses your shirt over to you. You smile as it lands on the bed.

"No lipstick today?" You ask.

"Fuck off," he says softly, smiling as leave the room.

He can hear you laughing as he goes.

♡♡♡

You and Izzy walk together. The crew had a little time to themselves for now. Everyone was bound to end up at Jackie's later.

As you walk, you look at the ring Izzy had given you. It hung around your neck like it had done on Izzy all those years. It glittered under the sun.

Izzy walked quietly beside you. You made sure to go at his pace as with his leg he couldn't move quickly easily. He seemed content to stroll.

You eventually find yourselves down on the beach. It's quiet. Everyone else is in town. Izzy follows you down the bank, eyes looking out at sea. You smile softly.

"What?" He asks, having seen you in the corner of his eye.

"Nothing. Just... you and the sea go together, ya know?"

He turns his head to look at you.

"You belong out there on it," you say, smiling softly.

"Do I?"

"Course you do." You walk closer to him and take his hand.

"And you? Where do you belong?"

Your smile seems to get brighter, if that were possible. Izzy is almost mesmerized by the sight. You're so beautiful, and so... you. He loves that. He loves you.

"I belong right here beside you. No matter where you go, I will follow. I'm never having you again."

Izzy smiles. His eyes seem to sparkle. He is so open with you. "I'm never leaving you again either."

Izzy leans in to kiss you, but you smile mischievously and push away from him. He looks at you confused before realising what you're doing.

You stand there with your sword drawn.

"Duel me."

He laughs. "What?"

"Come on, like old times. Duel me."

He looks at the way you're standing, prepared for a fight. You're keeping him on his toes... so to speak.

Izzy draws his sword. "You asked for it."

You grin as he swings. You block. Izzy only holds back enough for it to not be lethal. He is, after all, an expert swordsman. He's still strong. You manage to hold him off.

Izzy appreciates your footwork. He taught you a lot about using a sword. He taught you how to survive. It pleases his heart to know you took his lessons seriously.

It's just the two of you alone outside on the beach. Not another soul to witness the two pirates practising down on the beach. You manage to keep up with Izzy really well. In the blink of an eye you manage to disarm him and get up behind him, wrapping an arm around him and holding him close. You keep your sword pointing away, not wanting to actually hurt him

"I win."

Izzy pants, turning his head to look up at you. "Yeah. I suppose you did."

You let go of Izzy and watch him as he steps away. He looks at his sword in the sand. A look overcomes him.

"What is it?" You ask softly.

"Nothin'."

Izzy places a hand over his thigh on his bad leg. You see his fingers twitch.

"Izzy?"

"I'm losing my touch."

You frown. You walk over to Izzy's sword and pick it up for him. Turning, you look at his face. "No you're not. You're still the best pirate I've ever had the privilege to meet."

"You're just saying that because I'm sweet on you."

"Shut up, Izzy. You know that's not true. You're one of the greatest men on the planet. It has been an honour to sail with you all these years. And even bigger privilege to be the keeper of your heart. I love you, silly fool."

Izzy looks at you with such a tender gaze.

"What would I do without you?" He asks.

"You'd probably be a bit lonely." You hand him back his sword. He takes it from your hand allowing his fingers to brush against yours.

"I love you."

You smile. "I know. I love you too."

You lean forward and give Izzy a soft kiss. He seems to melt under your touch, chasing your lips when you go to pull away. You let him draw close again and kiss him once more. His hands settle on your waist.

"Shall we get ourselves a drink?" You ask.

"Yeah, why not. Bet the crew already are."

You chuckle and take his hand. Both of you slowly make your way back up the bank heading back into town. No doubt everyone was at Spanish Jackie's by now.

As you pass through the docks you both spot Ed. Izzy brings you to a stop.

"You go on ahead, I'm gonna talk to him."

You nod, kissing his cheek softly before letting go of his hand. You give Ed a little wave as you walk past and carry on going.

♡♡♡

In Spanish Jackie's you find the crew all in there. The Swede is working the bar. It seems like the news of Ned Low got around quick. The crew were being celebrated.

You walk past Stede who seems to have a few fans gathered. He's telling them some tales. On the other side of the room Lucius and Wee John. You walk over to them.

"Having fun?" You ask, smiling at them.

"Isn't this totally crazy?" Lucius asks.

You chuckle. "Kind of. I never expected this crew to get so... popular."

Lucius smiles. "It feels weird."

"Stede seems to be enjoying himself," you point out, looking over at where the captain was.

"Yeah. People know his name now."

You wonder if this sudden popularity of Stede has anything to do with Ed sitting outside by himself. You hope Izzy might be able to enlighten you later.

♡♡♡

""Having a think, are ya?" Izzy asks, approaching Ed.

"Ya know what I did this mornin'? Bright and early?" Ed asks Izzy, watching the fishermen.

"Made your boyfriend blush." Izzy smiles. "Ya threw away your leathers, I saw ya."

"'Course ya did."

"How'd it feel?"

"Fucking great," Ed says softly.

"Maybe you should listen to it." Izzy tells him.

It was clear Edward had been doing a lot of thinking. Izzy could read it in Ed. Izzy knew he would leap at the chance to do anything, as long as he had you by his side. So, why shouldn't Ed do the same for Stede?

As long as they were happy.

♡♡♡

Izzy enters the bar and scans the area for you. He finds you sat with Lucius, laughing. He smiles as he watches you. Just seeing you made him feel lighter than ever.

The familiar tap of his wooden leg on the ground brought your attention to him. You smile as he draws near. Izzy places a hand on your shoulder and walks past you. You chuckle softly to yourself knowing he wants to sit in the back away from most prying eyes.

Lucius smiles at you as you leave the table, following after your man.

You slide into the booth next to Izzy and smile softly. He watches you, a smile of his own upon his lips. He loved looking at you.

"Well?" You ask.

"I think Ed is having some thoughts."

"Oh. Shit. Izzy, you didn't feed him some bullshit that's gonna have him run off again, did you?"

"If he runs off, that was unintentional. I told he should probably listen to his feelings."

"Oh, Izzy. Have you met Edward? Is that a good idea? He panics when it comes to his own feelings. We've literally seen it before."

Izzy reaches out and takes your hand.

"Maybe..."

You sigh and lean over, resting your head on his shoulder. "You're not going to leave me, are you?"

"Fuck no. That's a promise, love."

♡♡♡

Night draws in. You and Izzy had been say in the bar for a while now. The crew were still having a great time. The number of times you had made Izzy laugh in the last hour alone was honestly the best feeling ever.

You laugh as you watch Frankie walk past sith planks in his hand, trying to sell them as merchandise. Izzy chuckles.

Pete and Lucius are selling "autographs" from Stede. Wee John is doing tattoos of Stede's face.

Stede had returned to the tavern alone, you had noticed. He had taken to sitting in the corner with his new friends, telling them more stories.

Izzy pats your knee as he gets up and makes his way over to talk to him.

You sip your drink quietly.

You watch from your table. Izzy talks to Stede quietly. It seems like Ed did leave. It seems like one of them always leaves the other.

You can't imagine ever leaving Izzy again.

At one point Izzy glances over at you. You smile at him, but can't help wondering what he's saying. Stede just nods beside him.

Izzy sits down beside Stede. They look at each other. A look of understanding.

You watch them a little longer.

Izzy looks up and turns back to you. He waves you over with a swift gesture of his hand. You get up and walk across the bar, joining them at their table.

"It's about seeing what's good for you," Izzy says. He's looking right at you. You look at him confused, not understanding what he meant by that, but your heart flutters pleasantly in your chest.

Stede just smiles.

Izzy then turns to Stede. "Let's get you back on the ship. You need it. Besides, you stay here much longer, you're gonna end up on the wrong end of a sword."

Voices at the bar draw Stede's attention over there. Zheng is with Olu talking to Jim and Archie.

"What's she doing here?"

"She's recruited half the island." Izzy tells him.

"She better back off my guys," Stede says, frowning heavily.

Stede gets up and makes his way to the bar, clearly unhappy with Zheng. You shrink down in your seat. "Shit."

"Oh, I see. We're all friendly now. Zheng, last we saw each other, you were trying kill everyone."

"Hi, Stede." She greets him politely. "Congrats on the Ned Low thing, that's big for you."

"Leave my crew alone."

"Are you sure they're yours?" She asks him.

"They are. We've been through hell together."

Olu tries to explain, but Stede gets the message. Olu wanted to go.

"You're gonna stab me in the back right in front of me? For her? I took her whole crew down with chamomile tea!"

"Let's not do this here," Zheng pleads softly.

"Do what? We're just talking, aren't we? Unless, you had something else in mind." Stede puts his hand on his sword.

"Shit," you whisper.

"I'm going to pretend you didn't just touch your sword."

"Should I pretend you're not pushing my crew?" Stede asks.

Izzy leaves your side to go stand by Stede. You quickly get out of your seat to join him. This is going to end badly if Stede didn't stop soon.

"It's not poaching if they wanna leave," she tells him. "Maybe go spend some time with your serial killer boyfriend. Or did he already leave you again?"

Stede steps forward. "Who told ya that?"

"Oh, shit, really? That was a lucky shot, but, yeah, figures."

Steak Knife steps in front of Stede.

"That was really mean."

"I'd back up." Zheng tells him.

"Now, I'll be mean."

"Okie-dokie." Zheng manages to take Steak Knife out with a very quick manoeuvre using only her hands.

You were impressed. Queen's got moves.

Stede draws his sword.

"Draw."

"Oh, Bonnet, no." Izzy sighs. This is what he was trying to avoid happening.

Zheng draws her sword work a wicked flourish. "I'll make this quick."

"You're gonna die quickly, are you?" Stede asks.

He swings, but Zheng manages to step on his sword. She hit him with the flat edge of her sword. "You fight like a towel boy."

He frees his sword from under her boot and swings again. Everyone backs up as the two fight it out, Stede backing himself into a table. Zheng stands over him with her sword pointed at his neck.

"I've killed mediocre men. I've killed exceptional men. But you're the worst kind: a mediocre man who thinks he's exceptional." She tells him.

"Thing about being mediocre, no one sees you coming." He throws a bottle at her, but Zheng ducks. It hits someone else instead.

Now he's done it.

The whole bar breaks out into a fight. You stand there with a hand over your eyes as Izzy throws a chair at someone who dared put their hands on him.

Jackie comes down furious. "Take this shit outside!"

Zheng takes it outside. She kicks Stede, getting him down onto the ground.

"Stay down Stede," Pete says.

"Stede, please don't get up." Zheng says to him. "Say mercy and this all ends."

"Just do it," Olu pleads.

"Sat it, Stede."

"Merci... beaucoup." Stede tries to throw some dirt at her, but misses.

You groan. Izzy leans on you for support as he watches this unfold.

Zheng picks up a plank that had been propped up behind Stede. She starts hitting him with it. "Is this how you plank someone, Stede? Am I doing it right?"

Stede is on the ground with nowhere else to go.

"Well, actually." He stands up. Zheng hits him in the head with it. He falls back down.

"Fucking hell," Pete mutters.

You're finding it very hard to keep watching. Izzy's hand slips into yours.

"Now the plank walks you!" Zheng says, holding it over her head.

Everything that happened in the next few seconds was unexpected. You would never had predicted any of it happening.

Just as Zheng was about to hit Stede again the sea lit up in flames. Zheng's fleet had been sitting in the water just opposite where you all were. Each and every one of those shops exploded before your eyes, lighting the water up.

Canons fired in the distance.

Izzy instinctively grabbed you, pulling you away along with the crew as the town was shot at. You grab onto him tight and flee back the way you all came from.

Stede scurried away as Zheng was left to watch her empire burn.

The Republic of Pirates was under threat.

♡♡♡

@grippleback-galaxy - @askmarinaandothers - @godlikegallagher - @for-fuck-sake-im-alive - @whiskeyswriting - @lxsm2 - @bloody-bunni666 - @the-chocoholic-writer - @bugbugboy - @callmemana - @the-shenny-of-azkaban - @cool-ontherun-world - @outer-space-beech - @ahewi24 - @grace585 - @innertimemachinegirl - @dmitrytherat - @emilynissangtr - @fruitymoonbeams-blog -

#izzy hands x reader #spirit of the sea #our flag means death #ofmd #ofmd spoilers #ofmd s2 #ofmd season 2 #dragon writes

[simply-ivanka]

Letitia James Turns the Screws on Trump

The inflated $464 million bond required to appeal effectively denies him due process.

By The Editorial Board

Wall Street Journal

March 18, 2024 

New York Attorney General Letitia James’s use of lawfare to take down Donald Trump is getting uglier by the day. She is now threatening to seize the former President’s assets after effectively denying him the ability to appeal the grossly inflated civil-fraud judgment against him.

Mr. Trump’s lawyers wrote Monday in a court filing that they’ve been unable to obtain a bond to guarantee last month’s $464 million judgment. Defendants are required to post bonds to appeal verdicts. Mr. Trump’s lawyers say securing the full bond would be “impossible” since most of his assets are illiquid.

One way to satisfy the bond would be to borrow against his real-estate holdings. But Mr. Trump’s lawyers say that only a handful of insurance companies have “both the financial capability and willingness to underwrite a bond of this magnitude,” and “the vast majority are unwilling to accept the risk associated with such a large bond.”

What’s more, his lawyers say that none of the insurers that Mr. Trump’s team approached “are willing to accept hard assets such as real estate as collateral for appeal bonds.” This isn’t surprising given the recent write-downs in commercial real estate and enormous uncertainty about their valuations, especially in places like New York. Insurers may also fear Ms. James’s legal retribution if they provide the bond to Mr. Trump.

Thus in order to appeal the judgment, Mr. Trump could have to unload property in a fire sale. If he were later to win on appeal, his lawyers rightly argue that he would have suffered an enormous, irreparable loss.

Ms. James no doubt knows she has Mr. Trump in a bind. She and courts have opposed his requests to reduce the bond even though a court-appointed independent monitor overseeing his businesses eliminates the risk he could dispose of or transfer his assets to make the judgment harder for the state to enforce.

As we wrote last month, the judgment is overkill. None of Mr. Trump’s business partners lost money lending to him or claimed to have been deceived by his erroneous financial statements. No witness during the trial said his alleged misrepresentations changed its loan terms or prices, and there was no evidence that he profited from his alleged deceptions.

Nonetheless, state trial judge Arthur Engoron ordered him to “disgorge” $355 million in “ill-gotten gains.” This sum was based on the interest-rate savings that a financial expert retained by Ms. James estimated Mr. Trump netted from his legerdemain. But this calculation seems dubious since banks said they didn’t alter their loan terms.

The judge also tacked on profits that Mr. Trump putatively made on properties for which he submitted false financial statements without demonstrating that the latter enable the former. He also added “pre-judgment interest” dating back to the day Ms. James launched her investigation in 2019. This makes Mr. Trump liable for alleged wrongdoings before he was even charged. All of this provides plausible grounds for appeal.

Whatever his transgressions, defendants are entitled to due process, which includes the right to appeal. Ms. James is trying to short-circuit the justice system to get Mr. Trump, as she promised she would during her 2018 campaign. Anyone who does business in New York ought to worry about how Ms. James could likewise twist the screws on them.

#trump #trump 2024 #ivanka #americans first #america #america first #repost #president trump #donald trump #democrats #wall street journal #New York #Democrat Corruption

[soobadnoonecanstopher]

Can I Stay? (A Baekhyun Story) Part 2.

Pairing: You x Baekhyun

Rating: M

Word Count: 5.4K

Warnings: Longing looks, unspoken stolen glances, daydreams and overreactions, an unspecified age difference, an English story that uses the word Noona for lack of another word in English that carries the same feeling, if you don’t like this, then don’t read this story.

Author‘s note: remember all those years ago I said I’d write a Baekhyun x Noona fic? This is that fic.

Inspired by the Ray LaMontagne song Can I Stay

Tag List: @andimoon @his-mochi-cheeks

Links: Can I Stay? Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5

The important parts of the meeting were a blur.

The very important, critically vital, future deciding parts of that meeting, yeah, that meeting filled to the absolute brim with the most VIP of VIPs was all kind of a blur.

You probably did fine. You’d done enough of these by now that you knew you could trust your mind to perform expertly on autopilot.

Metrics to report? You had them.

Deliverables? In spades.

Facts to show where your team outshone the others? Child’s play.

Story after story of your team’s very clear successes with you, their trusty captain at the helm? You had too many to recount, even when you picked just the best scenarios it still felt like bragging.

But that was the point of these things. Showing off for the people who mattered; the senior directors, the production team leaders, the deep pockets, the huge investments, and the big opinions who’s fortunes grew fat and heavy off the backs of the labor of thousands. The decision makers, the cord cutters, and the trigger pullers were all present today.

Meetings like this didn’t happen often but when they did they always mattered.

As you went through your slides and your carefully planned speech you kept your eyes steadily ahead of you at a level just above all of their heads. You’d occasionally allow your gaze to touch upon a few select sets of eyes such as the Company’s Vice President’s no nonsense eyes that watched the presentations with expert level eagle eyes ready to pop off a difficult question at a moment's notice for some of the less prepared members of this upper management team. You’d had none from her. Only a rare tick of her head with an impressed eyebrow lift and an even rarer concealed smile toward you as you were speaking. Many of the others eyes that watched you had far too much pressure when you allowed yourself to lock on, so you mostly looked at the foreheads and you kept your wits about you.

You only very briefly held President Byun’s eyes — the President of this company who had famously worked his way up from the bottom, or so his Wikipedia page said.

The President’s eyes bore a striking familiarity in their shape and in their color to his son’s. A superficial familiarity, because something deeper was very different from the set of eyes that carelessly burned a hole right into the very center of your chest almost an hour ago out there in that secluded hallway.

You could physically feel that same careless set of eyes on you now. A tingling sensation came from the left section of the room where the assistants to the management team stood by armed to the teeth with items ranging from a fresh set of batteries for a wonky laser pointer, a spare laptop for a machine on the fritz, to a box of every single cable and adapter and connector known to all of current and past technology on the off chance that some important person with enough zeros in their bank account might wish to connect a 1991 LaserDisc player to the several thousand dollar HD projector system installed in this meeting hall.

You were winding down now, finishing off with a well received joke that brought out an audible chuckle from the room and you could feel the pressure lessen as you easily answered the few questions that were posed.

You couldn’t help the way your eyes began to drift to the left side of the room. As if you had been called by him, your gaze moved so damned easily. It was probably because your speech was all done and you’d reached the end of the slide. You’d never quite mastered exiting one of these things with poise and ease and when your eyes drifted over they naturally settled right onto Baekhyun’s face.

The feelings that coursed through you were conflicted. Comfort and concern. Sanctuary and danger. You wanted to look at him. He felt like a friend and a comrade in here amongst so many others that expected and demanded so much from you. He was safe. He had been safe. He’d helped you prepare for the weeks leading up to this and you knew he was on your side. And you’d been holding it in so well. No one suspected a thing, you were sure of it. You’d been on top of the pesky crush you’d been hiding ever since you met him. And it had been just that. Just a silly passing crush.

You had fully planned on saying goodbye to him in three weeks time and moving on with your life with yet another unrequited love under your belt and a few unrealized fantasies in your head to hold you over until you found enough hours in the day to actually start dating someone. Someone closer to your level. A similar enough age not to raise any eyebrows at work, and a similar family background. Just someone normal and definitely not someone from a family like Byun Baekhyun’s. While the age gap between you and Baekhyun wasn’t completely unheard of, the gap in social status was pretty vast. Sure you’d reached a level of professional success through sacrifice and hard work but every single hard earned dollar you’d made was the result of your own efforts.

How would you even begin to compare to this man? Baekhyun and you came from entirely different worlds.

How much trouble would you be in if all these leaders found out you were falling in love with their very own untouchable Prince? How much of him were you actually allowed and how far would your fall from grace be if you took too much?

Baekhyun’s smile was wide and genuine and his eyes shaped into little half circles. His hands were moving with the silent secret applause he gave you with just the tips of his fingers before shooting two quick thumbs up in your direction. You held your breath as you looked at him. You found it difficult to do both of those things simultaneously it seemed.

‘You’re so cool!’ He mouthed and you pulled your lips in between your teeth to keep your face impassive. It was self preservation. You knew you should not have looked for him at all.

The room was in motion again as the next team manager took to the center of the room. You took your seat for the rest of the meeting and steadied your gaze to the front of the room. You would not, absolutely would not waver.

But your memory, like your eyes earlier, drifted in his direction. You stared straight ahead ignoring the strong pins and needles feeling over your skin that came from the assistants section and your mind replayed the feeling of his long thin fingertips slipping along the surface of your face. His fingertips that touched along your jaw at first then moved higher. So light it felt like silk over a porcelain vase until those fingers threaded into your hair behind your ear, his pinky at the nape of your neck, his thumb pressing over your earlobe and the soft warmth of his palm along your jaw, guiding your face to him; urging you into his lips.

His lips and the yielding uncertainty in them.

His lips and the warmth of the exhale from his nose.

His lips, begging and your own, too scared to reply.

The speaker at the front of the room had said something funny. An audible chuckle sounded out around you and you dropped your hand from your face quickly and your index finger released its touch on your bottom lip and you looked around, chastising yourself for letting your mind wander in this way. The slight panic that you’d missed something important pulled at your nerves and your eyes, out of habit, sought out the familiar.

You found him so easily. He stood out like a sparkling Diamond in a room of rocks. The giggle in the room was winding down but those brown eyes were already locked into yours the second yours found his. Baekhyun’s expression was flat and serious and it was obvious that he, like you, wasn’t laughing. Perhaps he had missed the joke as well. Baekhyun was quiet and he was motionless, sitting amongst a group of assistants who could never really be his peers, they all giggled and whispered among themselves all worked up from the end of this tortuous meeting or from the entertaining speech they’d all been witness to, you couldn’t be certain.

You caught onto his eyes from across the meeting room. There was a moment of almost peace, when you looked at his serious face and he stared at you in silence, clearly lost inside his own thoughts.

The moment did not last long because his eyes seemed to widen and a bubble had popped, awakening him or alerting him, his posture changed and he pulled back instantly, averting his gaze with a recoil of his features he lifted a hand to rub over his face; he looked away from you. You wondered what had him so engrossed. What had been interrupted inside of his mind just now.

Had your own self resolve been weaker, the curiosity might just eat you alive from the inside out like acid.

Bodies were moving around the room. Your name was called by many a friendly smiling face pulling someone you simply just had to meet. Your introductions were filled with flattery on the excellent work you always produced. You were humble and you were grateful.

Out of the corner of your eye you caught the bounce of a blonde head of hair in the crowd as the small groups mingled about.

“My son has been making his way through the company learning the ropes from the very best we have in each department!” A deep voice boomed and your ears caught a few friendly chuckles as responses as one important man showed off to a group of other important men.

“When are you moving onto the next team?”

“I want to stay where I am for longer. I still have a lot to learn from my manager.” You were close enough to make out Baekhyun’s voice through the murmur of the crowds around you.

“Nonsense,” the old man began and to your surprise, Baekhyun’s voice firmly interrupted.

“No, not nonsense, Dad. I’m staying on this team for two more projects, at least. Maybe more. I haven’t even been involved in the beginning and end of anything yet because My Daddy keeps moving me around like a chess piece just to one-up his friends.” Baekhyun’s voice was quiet enough for the others in this room not to hear him, but you’d grown so accustomed to his particular way of speaking that you could just make out every word he spoke to his father, despite how under his breath he tried to keep it.

“How am I supposed to show my face around these people if you keep pulling me out before anything gets finished? How do you think that makes me look? Do you think that earns me any of their respect?”

Your curiosity betrayed you when you turned your head around just enough to catch the determined look on Baekhyun’s face. You felt a strange mixture of shock and pride watching him respond with such purpose and confidence to his father’s whims that you felt your jaw drop open just a little just from the surprise of witnessing this. You were so caught up in what he was saying and how he was saying it that the small tick of his eyes in your direction caught you off guard and made you flinch. How long had he known you were here? He certainly didn't let your eavesdropping stop him from making his point. His eyes touched yours only for a moment before he inhaled a steadying breath, lifted his chin and spoke his final piece.

“Respectfully, If you want to be able to trust me with your company in the future you need to start trusting my judgment about my life right now, Sir.”

The old man didn't speak right away but Baekhyun’s eyes didn't stay on his father’s face. Those flighty eyes of his gave you away instantly. President Byun turned his head, following his son’s eyes to find you standing close by; not close enough for it to be obvious that you had heard the entire exchange, but your proximity to and your current work with Baekhyun certainly made you feel guilty for lurking around the two family members having a private conversation.

The president didn’t betray any conceivable suspicions he may or may not have had of you, but you did find yourself pulled forward out of your duty to the company and pure politeness.

You greeted them both with a smile and respectful head nod and even reached out to shake President Byun’s hand as he addressed you by name and complimented your presentation. It was a conversation that had been repeated all afternoon and you responded in kind, giving humble appreciation for your excellent team and their efforts.

You’d expected the pleasantries to be the end of it, but the President kept speaking with a wry smile and a genuine twinkle in his eyes this time.

“So you are the reason why my son suddenly has the guts to stand up to me for the first time in his life,” he remarked matter of factly and you heard the deep chest filling breath Baekhyun slowly inhaled beside you. He then cleared his throat out loud and crossed his arms over his chest. The gesture had no effect on the old man who was clearly not new to embarrassing his children.

“Baekhyun has been an incredible addition to my team. I haven’t known him for very long but what I knew right away was that your son has an incredible sense of conviction and determination — he must take after you in that regard.”

This brought a grin to the President’s face and he reached out a heavy hand to lay over his son’s shoulders. Baekhyun’s face held a barely concealed wince and he rocked back and forth on stiff legs. He really should have tried harder to control his face. You’d had the same forced smile on your lips for a solid hour and a half now and your cheeks were starting to go numb from the efforts. For a man who smiled as easily as Baekhyun did, he really didn’t seem to be able to turn it on at a moment’s notice when he didn't genuinely mean it.

“I’ll tell you what,” President Byun turned to speak to you, “You turn him into you and I’ll promote you to Director.”

You pushed the final laugh out of your chest at the ridiculous promise and you said your farewells. You really needed this meeting to be over so you could get out of these heels and into the quiet sanctity of your office. You had several tasks left for the day and not enough hours left in the work day to get them done.

You gathered your things and you gathered your own important person and you left. While, no, you didn’t physically drag Baekhyun out of there, he followed on his own without so much as a word or even a glance from you. Your silent egress down the hallway toward the elevator was echoed by the familiar comfort of his quiet trailing footsteps. When you paused inside the elevator with a light hand to keep the doors open, he kept his eyes down at his feet and stepped inside.

The elevator doors closed and you stared ahead of yourself at the blank silver elevator side panel and he stared ahead at the numbers panel and you instantly missed the excitable chatty assistant you had before today.

This Baekhyun was too quiet and too serious. This Baekhyun was holding his breath beside you and you knew it because when you stole a glance at his face his cheeks were pink and his eyes and mouth were all closed up tight, ready to pop.

It seemed a nerve was being worked up.

It seemed maybe something was incoming and your hackles began to raise. This was the last thing you wanted to happen inside this enclosed space with no escape.

Perhaps it would be an apology for the stolen kiss in your sanctuary. An apology for taking that particular funny joke too far just for the sake of laughing at you.

You weren’t always like this; cynical and mistrusting. Sometimes you let the delusions play out. A microscopic voice inside whispered a hopeful and naive, ‘perhaps it would be a confession.’ You bit down a little on the side of your tongue to keep from making a sound. Someone like him? Surely he had his pick of women. He was so handsome, young, smart, capable, and he came from money. The kind of money that controlled the world.

You were a few of those things, you had your own money, not the world controlling kind but you could take a nice vacation anywhere in the world and even travel first class without batting an eye, and you even had your fair share of suitors. Hell, just this morning the creepy married father of two in your building ogled you in the elevator — gave you the old up and down and a suggestive wink.

And when you got off the bus at work this morning the homeless man across the street who usually shouted nice ass, changed it up and shouted nice tits at you and he was right. Your tits did look nice today. And perhaps the most eligible, most exciting of your suitors, the handsome new barista behind the counter at Starbucks who for three days in a row, had drawn a small sharpie heart after your name on your coffee cup. That could be flirting, right? The tiny little black thing perfectly drawn, as if he’d taken his time with it like he might, with you.

There was a change in Baekhyun’s face. You saw his lips purse outward and he slowly began to exhale the breath he had been holding. His cheeks were still pink but his eyes were open and he cleared his throat and angled his torso toward you a tiny bit.

It was happening, he was ready to apologize for playing silly tricks on you.

He was ready to pull apart that hole inside of your chest with his slippery fingertips and let out the last scattered fragments of your self esteem.

“Miss Manager,” he addressed you, alone in this quiet elevator without anyone else around to care, without his usual nickname for you. His voice held a seriousness that you’d never heard from him before. It made the air inside of this elevator feel stale and stuffy and you looked away from his grave face and his trembling lips.

The first words out of his mouth burned as they hit.

He didn’t call you Noona. He always called you Noona. From the very beginning there was affection and endearment in that word he used to address you by and you had been annoyed by his audacity and the unearned familiarity of that word at first, but the absence of it in this very moment paired with that look on his face and his flat out refusal to meet your eyes had your mind reeling and your skin crawling from the emptiness of it all.

Three more weeks. You had three more weeks, or less if his father decided to pull him sooner.

Maybe it was better this way. Maybe it would hurt less to sever the ties of familiarity now and go back to a strictly professional relationship with your temporary assistant Byun Baekhyun.

The elevator dinged and the doors opened and you inhaled a swift breath to speak.

“If you are going to apologize to me, there is no need. Let’s both just pretend it never happened.” You struck hard and you struck fast and you watched his face just long enough for the realization to hit him. You watched his face just long enough to see the quick blinking in his eyes and the way his jaw muscles clenched down hard.

It was better this way. He wouldn’t get attached to the Noona who didn’t deserve his sweet nicknames and you wouldn’t have to survive being left again. Not that your last several romantic relationships were anything to compare to this functional strictly work relationship but there was a sort of sick satisfaction in you finally being the one to say it first.

‘This is over.’

‘We should end this.’

‘I’m in love with someone else.’

‘She’s pregnant, I’m sorry.’

He was stuck in the elevator again.

“Assistant Byun, are you coming?” You couldn’t help yourself with the overly formal title. Afterall, he started it with that Miss Manager shit inside the elevator and you could feel your emotions getting the better of you as he stood there silently watching you without moving his feet.

You had tasks to finish for the day. You both had so much work to get done.

He wasn’t moving.

“Are you mad at me?” His question was as small as it was childish. This was a professional workplace. Your jaw dropped and your head tilted and you just looked into his eyes for a second. Was this man really asking you this just outside of your office where your entire team worked?

Yes. Yes maybe you were mad at him, but you’d be damned if he knew about it. You closed your eyes and inhaled slowly.

“No,” you lied and he watched your face too closely so you spun around on your heels and walked swiftly back to your office, taking quick steps through the rows of cubicles filled with your team members to reach your office door and you pulled it open, half wondering if he was still stuck back in that stupid elevator. Maybe you could send him a chair and a desk so he could get some work done in there.

Inside of your office was quiet. You had your plants in the corner beside the window that offered a nice view of the city and your desk was covered with stacks of files that needed your attention. You kicked off your shoes and tossed them away. Your blinds were open to the rest of the team’s area and a few minutes after you entered and heard the single click of the door behind closing you telling you that you were completely alone at last.

Then another sound happened.

The door opening again, the door closing again, the sound of a human body inside of this closed office with you. A body who had sprinted across the crowded office full of your entire team, no doubt calling insane amounts of attention to himself in the process and you heard the telltale sounds of that human body behind you, somewhere lower now toward the floor.

To your horror, you spun around quickly to find Baekhyun down on his knees with his head hung low and a look of severe penance on his pretty face. The blinds of your office were open and several curious faces peered around their computer screens, trying to get eyes on whatever was going on in the bosses office right now.

You rushed to the blinds, pulling them closed as quickly as you could, which you realize only makes things look that much worse and would only make those peering faces that much more invested in the drama.

“Baekhyun, get up. People are watching.”

You had to step around him to reach the next window. He was very much in the way.

“Not until you forgive me, Miss Manager.”

There it was again. You angrily yanked the last of the blinds closed and stood in place with a hand on your chest as you willed your emotions to calm down. This was work. It was ridiculous of you to be so upset at his title for you. Hadn’t you been the one insisting a month ago that he call you that?

Behind you, he was still down on the floor and you felt a tiny poke that stung on the back of your heel.

“You have a blister,” his voice whispered quietly before the sounds of his movement signaled that he was moving around the room.

Two hands landed on your shoulders and gave a gentle push. Your legs resisted at first but the push became less gentle and you risked either falling flat on your face or giving in to his pushing.

“Assistant Byun, I assure you, I am more than capable of handling my own blister.”

“Evidently not, Miss Manager, it is already popped and bleeding.”

The pushing turned to steering and his response to you was downright snarky sounding. You found yourself shoved into a side chair in the middle of your office and you landed with a huff, immediately crossing your arms over your chest and offering as hard a glare your eyes could manage.

You glared at the man who was crouched down on the floor in front of your feet and his eyes glared back at you with a matching intensity that took you off guard. Why was he mad? Was he mad just because you were mad? Without his own reason to be mad? How dare he?

He was gripping your foot. You gave the smallest tug, resisting this but his hand wrapped around tighter as he ticked his tongue in annoyance.

“Be still,” he scolded without earning any sort of authority at all. He was leafing through a first aid kit that you had no memory of ever seeing before in your office.

“I told you I could do it myself.” When you snapped back at him, his eyes shot up at you.

“Miss—” as soon as the first word of that stupid formal title left his lips you rolled your eyes hard. You had absolutely no control over it. It just pissed you off to hear coming from his lips. “-Manager,” he finished but his eyes widened marginally at your obvious reaction.

“Miss Manager?” He said again, softer this time with a question in his tone. You set your jaw, tightened your arms over your chest and looked across your office.

“Noona,” he called and your jaw unclenched as you bit down on your upper lip. You could feel warmth creeping up your neck and filling your cheeks and you swallowed away the saliva that pooled under your tongue and you did your absolute best not to look down at him.

“Noona,” he called again and your eyes darted down into his. Your eyebrows rose a few millimeters in response to him and gone was the snarkiness and glare in his eyes as he looked at your face. There was something softer brewing in those eyes that watched you now. You saw the beginnings of a smile on his lips.

“You’re cute when you’re mad,” he said with a lift of a single eyebrow and he looked down at your foot. He was spreading some sort of ointment over the open blister on your foot now that you’d stopped fighting him about it.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about, Baek. I already told you I wasn’t mad.”

“You were so mad, you almost kicked me when I was begging for forgiveness earlier,” he said in a mock serious tone. He was pressing a bandage carefully onto the heel of your foot and you felt afroned by his baseless accusation. His joke. You did no such thing! You felt a small laugh escape your chest and you pushed forward with your foot, the one he was holding in his hand and pushed it lightly against his chest. His balance teetered but he stayed upright and held on tighter to your foot to keep his balance.

“I did not!” You felt the first giggles break free from your chest.

“Look! You just did it again! This is an abuse of power!” He was laughing now, and his hand still hadn’t released your foot even though the first aid care was complete.

The hand holding your foot had wandering fingertips that gently caressed the skin over your Achilles tendon, seemingly smoothing the already smooth bandage there. With his other hand he carefully dropped the pieces of wrapper from the bandage into the trash can beside the chair you occupied. Your eyes followed as his slim fingertips carefully and slowly dropped each tiny piece of trash one at a time into the basket, taking way too long with it. They floated down and landed on top of an empty Starbucks coffee cup with the name Baekhyun written in black sharpie followed by a little hand drawn heart.

Apparently that new Starbucks hussie drew hearts on everyone’s cups.

Just like that you were down another suitor.

“Help me, somebody, anybody. This lady is crazy. She only paints half of her toenails,” he was outright laughing now gesturing to one foot with bright pink polish and the other with completely bare toes. You remembered your failed attempt at a home self care spa day. You’d gotten through a half a bottle of wine and half of your toenails when your work phone rang and you had to abandon your other foot to deal with a work crisis that only you could fix.

It somehow made you feel just a little sad, hearing how hilarious he found you. And knowing he was right about how much of a mess you were — with only a married sleaze and a dirty catcalling street bum offering you any sort of real attention, even if it was the absolute worst kind of attention.

You pulled your foot away. He was done with you now, he could have his laugh all he wanted on his own.

You had work to do.

You resisted the urge to kick him for real and stood up quickly, extracting yourself from his seated body and you made your way toward safety behind your desk where he never dared to step.

Only this time you felt him behind you in an instant with his hands grabbing your arms and shaking with the smallest pout on his lips. His laughter had quit the instant you stood up.

“You’re not still mad at me, right?” He was shaking your arm, pulling you back from behind your desk, where he must have known he wasn’t allowed.

“Right?” He shook your arm again. You knew this tactic. You’d seen it before. He was trying to wear you down by being annoyingly cute and he was really, really good at it.

Your anger had dissipated a while ago. This wasn’t anger you were feeling and you sighed out loud with your expression calm and steady. The anger was long gone. You had reached the final stage — acceptance.

Baekhyun would be leaving soon. You and him, he and you, the two of you like this together, it had an expiration date.

“We should finish our work,” you spoke clearly and plainly and his eyes widened as the shaking of your arm stopped and the pout disappeared.

“All of it, Baek. We should finish everything. And we should do a good job so you can get the most out of the last few weeks you have here… with me.” The last two words came out as a whisper and you had been staring down at the stack of folders on your desk.

Baekhyun was looking at your face. Gone was the cutesy act and the mocking laughter on his voice and his next words pulled your attention up from endless folders of work you still had to do.

“Noona, Can I stay?”

[To be Continued]

Links: Can I Stay? Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5

#Baekhyun fic #exo #exo fic #baekhyun #exo baekhyun #girl dinner

[bankingexpertwitnessuk]

The Ethics of Advocacy: Balancing Advocacy and Objectivity as an Expert Witness

As financial services expert witnesses, professionals are tasked with providing impartial analysis and opinions to assist courts in reaching fair and just decisions. However, navigating the fine line between advocacy and objectivity presents a significant ethical challenge. In this article, we explore the ethics of advocacy in the role of Banking Expert Witness and financial services expert witnesses, examining the importance of maintaining objectivity while advocating for one's analysis and opinions.

The Role of Financial Services Expert Witnesses:

Financial services expert witnesses play a critical role in litigation involving complex financial matters. They offer specialized knowledge, expertise, and analysis to help courts understand intricate financial concepts and make informed decisions. While expert witnesses are expected to advocate for their opinions and analysis, they must do so within the bounds of objectivity and impartiality to uphold the integrity of the legal process.

Balancing Advocacy and Objectivity:

Advocacy:

Advocacy involves presenting one's analysis, opinions, and conclusions in a persuasive and compelling manner to support the position of the party that retained the expert witness. Advocacy may include highlighting strengths, weaknesses, and inconsistencies in the opposing party's arguments, presenting evidence in a favorable light, and advocating for the admissibility of expert testimony.

Objectivity:

Objectivity requires expert witnesses to approach their analysis and testimony with impartiality, neutrality, and integrity, regardless of the party that retained them. Objectivity entails conducting a thorough and unbiased analysis of the facts, applying sound methodologies and principles, and arriving at conclusions based on evidence and expertise rather than personal biases or interests.

Ethical Considerations for Financial Services Expert Witnesses:

Independence and Impartiality:

Financial services expert witnesses must maintain independence and impartiality in their analysis and testimony. They should avoid conflicts of interest, undue influence, or bias that could compromise their objectivity. Expert witnesses should disclose any potential conflicts or relationships that may affect their impartiality and adhere to professional standards of integrity and ethics.

Transparency and Disclosure:

Transparency and disclosure are essential ethical principles for financial services expert witnesses. Expert witnesses should provide full and accurate disclosure of their qualifications, expertise, methodology, and any potential limitations or biases in their analysis. Transparent communication fosters trust, credibility, and confidence in the expert's testimony and enhances the integrity of the legal process.

Integrity and Honesty:

Integrity and honesty are fundamental ethical values for financial services expert witnesses. Expert witnesses should present their analysis and opinions truthfully, accurately, and objectively, even if it may not align with the interests of the party that retained them. Misrepresenting or exaggerating evidence, findings, or qualifications undermines the credibility of the expert witness and erodes trust in the legal system.

Professionalism and Civility:

Professionalism and civility are essential aspects of ethical advocacy for financial services expert witnesses. Expert witnesses should conduct themselves with professionalism, respect, and courtesy toward opposing counsel, parties, and the court. Engaging in inflammatory or unethical conduct detracts from the integrity of the legal process and reflects poorly on the expert witness and their testimony.

Case Study:

Consider a case involving allegations of securities fraud against a financial institution. The expert witness retained by the plaintiff presents a detailed analysis of the financial statements, transactions, and communications involved, concluding that the defendant engaged in fraudulent activities. While advocating for the plaintiff's position, the expert witness maintains objectivity by objectively assessing the evidence, applying relevant accounting principles and regulations, and disclosing any potential limitations or biases in their analysis.

Conclusion:

The ethics of advocacy for financial services expert witnesses involve striking a delicate balance between advocating for one's analysis and opinions while maintaining objectivity, independence, and integrity. By adhering to ethical principles of independence, transparency, integrity, and professionalism, expert witness financial services can uphold the integrity of the legal process and contribute to the fair and just resolution of financial services litigation. Balancing advocacy and objectivity is not only an ethical imperative but also essential for preserving the credibility and trustworthiness of financial services expert witnesses and the legal system as a whole.

#Banking Expert Witness #expert witness financial services #Financial Services Expert Witness

[fair-lead]

Today (11/14) the IOF has entered/attacked parts of al-Shifa Hospital. Additionally, raids and arrests have happened in Jenin, in the West Bank. Here is a link to Al Jazeera's current live updates page.

The following are some excerpts. Alt text is included, but I've also put transcripts under the read-more.

(Full interview is on the linked page, try ctrl+F "Watch:" if you're having trouble finding it.)

Image 1:

It’s just after 7am (05:00 GMT) in the occupied Palestinian territories and Israel.

Here’s a recap of recent events:

Israeli soldiers have entered the surgical and emergency buildings at al-Shifa Hospital, Gaza’s chief of hospitals has told Al Jazeera.

Dr Ahmed El Mokhallati, a surgeon at al-Shifa, earlier described to Al Jazeera the fear within the hospital as Israeli forces attacked.

Israel’s attacks on al-Shifa started just hours after a White House spokesperson said – without providing any evidence – that Washington has “information” that Hamas is using Gaza hospitals.

Doctors, human rights experts and analysts have rejected similar claims made by Israel and reiterated that hospitals are protected under international humanitarian law.

Image 2:

Ardi Imseis, an international law expert at Queen’s University in Canada, says Israel has a history of presenting questionable and unverifiable evidence to the international community.

In an interview with Al Jazeera, Imseis added Israel carries the burden to “produce evidence” and prove its claim that the hospital has been used by Hamas as a base.

“The object of the attack is a civilian object. Until such time that the Israelis provide proof that it has been converted into a military object, the civilian nature of the object does not change,” he said, referring to al-Shifa Hospital.

Image 3:

Israeli forces make several arrests during raids across West Bank

According to the Palestinian news agency, Wafa, at least five people have been arrested in Jenin city in the occupied West Bank after Israeli forces raided several homes in the area.

Witnesses told Wafa that Israeli forces surrounded the residence of one family in the Jabriyat neighbourhood of Jenin, demanding that everyone leave the house before the arrests were made.

Israeli forces surrounded another house in the al-Marah neighbourhood and made arrests.

In Tulkarem, two brothers were arrested in the Shuweika neighbourhood, while a man and his young son were detained in Beit Fajjar south of Bethlehem, according to Wafa.

In Beit Daqo, northwest of Jerusalem, Israeli forces arrested two young people, the agency said.

Image 4:

Analyst ridicules Israeli claim al-Shifa is a Hamas ‘command centre’

Palestinian analyst Thabet Al-Amour played down the military significance of the Israeli raid on al-Shifa, stressing that the hospital is an easy target.

He said a single Israeli warship could besiege al-Shifa, which sits no more than 400 metres (437 yards) from Gaza’s shores, with its firepower.

“The occupation army said, ‘We have a specific mission of eliminating Hamas’,” Al-Amour told Al Jazeera. “Did they think the leaders of Hamas and the leaders of the resistance will be waiting for them in the main lobby of al-Shifa Hospital – with the captives alongside them?”

He added: “This is madness, absolute madness … It’s a hospital.”

#palestine #current events #sorry that I havent posted one of these in a few days

[menalez]

to those of you who were blindly believing the israeli govt backtracking and claiming they didn’t bomb the hospital and those of you who were laughing at people pointing out that we are witnessing a genocide.. read this. and remember that you laughed as palestinians were being killed by the IDF & genocided by israel, and that you justified decades of this.

“We are sounding the alarm: There is an ongoing campaign by Israel resulting in crimes against humanity in Gaza. Considering statements made by Israeli political leaders and their allies, accompanied by military action in Gaza and escalation of arrests and killing in the West Bank, there is also a risk of genocide against the Palestine people,” the experts said.

“There are no justifications or exceptions for such crimes. We are appalled by the inaction of the international community in the face of belligerent war-mongering,” the experts said.

#palestine #israel #gaza

[ttrpgbrackets]

Propaganda under the cut

Outburst

When things get intense, sometimes it’s all you can do to let it all out. Explode with intense emotion, revealing or introducing a new fact to the case, something they’ve been keeping hidden. When you outburst, pick one:

Reveal how you’re involved with the crime, through screams and shouts

Incriminate someone other than the suspect, through sobs and heaves When you use this move, fill one section of everyone else’s Epiphany Clock.

What makes it cool?

justicar is a game all about playing out ace attorney style cases, and outburst is a single-use move the character who's on the stand can use that imo perfectly emulates the famous Ace Attorney Witness Breakdown, encouraging the stand player to really get into their dramatics while also implicitly moving the case forward in the same way that ace attorney breakdowns always act as huge advances to the case's mystery. this is how i'm involved! this is how THEY'RE involved! and no matter what, everybody gets one step closer to solving the mystery….

Like Looking Into a Mirror

You can always tell when someone is lying to you.

What makes it Cool?

you're an expert at secrets and manipulation. you can never be fooled by the guard at the bank who thinks he can give you a fake delivery time and get away with it. you can never be thrown off by the presence of bodyguards when your client promised they would come alone. you don't believe the bluecoat in the too-clean shoes for a second when they tell you they're down and out and just looking to buy. you are not surprised when your husband tells you he's taking the kids and leaving - you knew this would be coming as soon as you heard him say "i love you" two months ago and realized that it really is, every time, like looking into a mirror.

#indie ttrpg #ttrpg community #ttrpg design #tumblr bracket #round 1

[ridenwithbiden]

("It's Your Money" Not His) "Since leaving office in 2021, former President Donald J. Trump has spent more than $100 million on lawyers and other costs related to fending off various investigations, indictments and his coming criminal trials, according to a New York Times review of federal records.

The remarkable sum means that Mr. Trump has averaged more than $90,000 a day in legal-related costs for more than three years — none of it paid for with his own money.

Instead, the former president has relied almost entirely on donations made in an attempt to fight the results of the 2020 election.

Now, those accounts are nearly drained, and Mr. Trump faces a choice: begin to pay his own substantial legal fees or find another way to finance them.

November 2020 to Early 2021

Mr. Trump raised a staggering $254 million online from Nov. 4, 2020, the day after the election, to President Biden’s inauguration on Jan. 20, 2021, as he urged supporters to fuel an “election defense fund.”

The contributions came so quickly that on Nov. 9, Mr. Trump formed a new political action committee, Save America, to store all the cash.

Only a fraction of the money, however, went toward recounts and other legal challenges to the election. Some went to Mr. Trump’s lawyers during his second impeachment, related to the Jan. 6 riot.

But Mr. Trump banked much of the cash.

Rest of 2021

Mr. Trump started to use the money to fund his post-presidential political operation and what would eventually become his sprawling legal teams. In February, Trump renamed his 2020 committee to “MAGA PAC.”

By the end of 2021, Save America, which continued to bring in new donations, held a substantial portion of Mr. Trump’s fund-raising: $105 million.

2022

Both Save America and MAGA PAC spent significantly in 2022 on legal bills and other related expenses. The House held its impeachment hearings. The F.B.I. searched Mar-a-Lago for missing classified documents in August. Mr. Trump’s legal fees rose.

Mr. Trump spent about $27.2 million on legal-related costs for the year.

As Mr. Trump prepared to announce his 2024 run late in 2022, he faced a quandary: His PAC could not directly spend money to elect him as president. So Save America transferred $60 million to a pro-Trump super PAC called MAGA Inc.

2023

Save America began 2023 with $18.3 million. But Mr. Trump’s legal expenses were about to soar. He was first indicted in March 2023 in New York. Three other indictments followed.

Mr. Trump spent close to $60 million on legal and investigation-related costs — which included his lawyers, a document-production company and an expert witness in Trump’s New York civil fraud case.

Early last year, Mr. Trump made a change to bring more money into Save America, the PAC that was paying his legal expenses. At first, one cent of every dollar he raised online went to Save America; the rest went to his 2024 campaign. But with Save America short of cash to pay lawyers, he increased that to 10 percent.

It was still not enough. By June 2023, Save America had less than $4 million on hand. In an unusual move, Mr. Trump asked his super PAC for a refund of the $60 million he had given just months earlier, so that Save America could continue paying for his legal expenses.

By the end of 2023, more than $42 million had been returned from his super PAC to Save America.

2024

With his first trial looming — in the New York case related to hush-money payments to a porn star in 2016 — Mr. Trump’s legal costs continued to rise. He spent at least $9.7 million in January and February.

The more than $100 million in legal spending since leaving office does not include spending from Mr. Trump's 2024 campaign, which has not paid for his personal legal bills.

To cover the ongoing legal costs, his super PAC refunded an additional $10 million in January and February. But there is now only $7.75 million left to refund. Save America had less than $4 million at the end of February, when accounting for unpaid debts.

The Trump team has said the Republican National Committee won’t pay his legal bills. But his new shared fund-raising agreement with the party directs a portion of donations to his Save America PAC before the party itself.

Still, the account paying Mr. Trump’s legal bills will most likely be out of money by summer at the current spending pace.

Then, Mr. Trump will have to decide: Whose money will he use to pay his lawyers?"

[jennifermurphseo]

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Navigating the SEO Landscape with Indian Professionals

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In Conclusion

Investing in cost-effective SEO solutions by hire SEO expert India is a strategic move towards online success. The combination of affordability, tailored expertise, and a focus on strategic optimization ensures that your digital footprint stands out in a competitive online world. Embrace the power of Indian SEO professionals and witness your online presence soar to new heights.

#seo #search engine optimization #seo expert #seo experts in india #seo in india #seo services in india

[the-light-of-stars]

Israel's Minister of Finance calls for a resettlement of Gaza with Israelis, says Israel will not allow for 'two million people to live there' and calls for all but at most 100.000-200.000 Palestinians to flee Gaza. Meanwhile the German Government and its experts still insist that calling this a genocide is wrong and inappropriate.

" A right wing extremist israeli minister advocates for an israeli re-settlement of the Gaza strip after the war. Minister of Finance Bezalel Smotrich told the israeli military channel on sunday, if Israel proceeds correctly there will be an emigration of Palestinians and "we will live in the Gaza strip."

According to a post by the channel on the platform X Smotrich said furthermore: "We will not allow for a situation where two million people live there. If 100.000 or 200.000 Arabs live in Gaza, the discussion about the 'day after' will be a very different one." He added "They want to leave, they've been living in a ghetto and in suffering for 75 years."

Out of worry of a mass flight Egypt as well as Jordan have refused the intake of refugees from the contested Gaza strip. This is also due to the worry that it would result in a permanent displacement. Smotrich is an advocate of the vision of "Great-Israel" and also advocated for the annexation of the occupied West Bank."

And yet the German Government and the experts it and the media keep quoting still unequivocally claim that this is not a genocide and that saying it is is a baseless claim and 'very very inappropriate' :

[from an article about a pro-palestine protest at a university in Berlin. Earlier in the article the expert also claimed that the protesters holding up their palms, that have been painted red to symbolise Germany's complicity in the genocide, is 'highly antisemitic' and claimed it symbolises the protesters calling for the death of jewish people.]

"What happens here is a shifting of the limits of the sayable. We've been witnessing the misuse of the apartheid term for a long time already, especially by the BDS-Movement [...] Here they always bring up images of the apartheid regime in South Africa and connect them with Israel to condemn israeli politics - even though that's very obviously not comparable.

The use of the genocide term is even way, way less appropriate. What is a genocide has been very distinctly defined by the international law: the intentional and thus legitimised, announced killing of a national, ethnic or religious group because of those traits. The motive of destruction and annihilation is very important in this case."

So according to this expert, and others like him, this is not a genocide because high ranking Israeli government officials calling for the emigration or death of all but 100.000 Gazans and the subsequent resettlement of the land with Israelis, while destroying 70% of all infrastructure in Gaza and killing more than 20.000 people in just about two months, is somehow not 'intentional and legitimised killing of a national, ethnic or religious group because of those traits'.

Somehow, high ranking israeli government officials saying they want all but 5-10% of Palestinians in Gaza to 'go away' so the land can be settled by their own citizens does not show a genocidal motive, according to these people, but instead their motive is considered 'self defense' and is treated as righteous and in need of (military) support.

The israeli government again saying they simply 'must' annex further parts of Gaza for the sake of a so called 'demilitarisation' , does not show any such occupational motives either, according to those experts.

"The Philadelphi corridor or, better, the southern end of the Gaza strip must be in our control." , said Netanyahu in a televised address. The region must be cordoned off. "It is clear, that every other regulation would not ensure the demilitarisation, that we are aiming at."

Not to mention that when someone like Smotrich calls the living situation of Palestinians in Gaza "living in a ghetto and in suffering for 75 years" to support his argument that all Palestinians should just leave and, according to him 'want' to leave (implying that Israel is really doing them a favor by speeding up this emigration), it is acceptable and reasonable, but when someone like jewish journalist Masha Gessen makes the same comparison to call on international governments to stop Israel's attacks and oppression it is considered "An unspeakable comparison that oversteps a red line" which caused the cancellation of an award ceremony in which Gessen was supposed to receive the Hannah Arendt Prize for political thinking.

#palestine #free palestine #gaza #current events #german stuff #if someone has the link to Gessen's article feel free to add (I couldnt find it again for some reason) .thank you