#he's just a run of the mill authoritarian

[tanadrin]

@sadoeconomist

Something politically aware people on every part of the political spectrum from the left to the right think is true and leaders of the Russian, Chinese, Israeli, etc. governments believe in enough to talk about publicly and make major geopolitical decisions based on maybe is not just a crazy fringe conspiracy theory, could be that there's some truth to the CIA, NED, etc. having more involvement in these events than the video author thinks I watched all this stuff happen in real time, and I read your notes, which went over how Russian hybrid warfare succeeded in Crimea in 2014. Every major power takes hybrid warfare seriously, what's objectively stupid is your mischaracterization of how it works. Trying to astroturf a revolution out of nowhere simply by paying random citizens en masse to overthrow the government would indeed be stupid but that's not what it is. Your notes seem to suggest that the video says US was paying little attention to eastern Europe until 2013 but Russia was frequently reacting to imaginary US provocations because they are stupid. It's like there's a giant America-shaped hole in the video's narrative. Ukraine was understood to be a NATO-Russia geopolitical battleground long before Euromaidan, it wasn't just Putin shadowboxing imaginary opponents out of pure stupidity that led to this.

You seem to be operating on the basic assumption that governments don't do stupid things for no reason, or fall prey to obviously inane conspiracy theories. That's simply not true; governments are led by human beings, human beings are subject to a common set of cognitive biases, and when you're an authoritarian right-winger (as the leaders of Russia, China, and Israel all are right now), an explanation for your apparent unpopularity that pins all the blame on the CIA instead of your shitty policies and your attempts to cling to power flatters those biases.

But we don't need to speculate about the propensity of governments to do stupid shit, because we have plenty of historical and contemporary examples of governments believing in nonsense: Havana Syndrome in the US, AIDS denialism in South Africa, anti-Semitic conspiracy theories in Nazi Germany and Imperial Russia, etc., etc. And often these false beliefs lead to real strategic blunders: the Bay of Pigs, the Iraq War, World War II, etc. Sometimes world leaders are stupid! Like, leadership probably tends to select for some kinds of intelligence and ability--charisma, social intelligence, and so forth--but it doesn't automatically make you a geopolitical genius, or make you immune to believing false things about the world.

And the biggest problem with the conspiracy theory outlined here isn't just that we can trace its origin to a fringe American political cult, it's that it's not necessary to explain any development in politics since 1989. There is no problem in understanding the revolutions of '89 or 2000-2014 that CIA involvement is necessary to solve. Indeed, as the videos point out (if you would actually watch them), trying to use "the CIA did it" as an explanation adds considerable problems, bc color revolution theory doesn't work. It's based on misconceptions, misunderstanding of data, and a healthy dose of paranoia.

The only real problem is trying to explain Putin's behavior--and that doesn't require color revolution theory to be true, only that Putin believes it is true. And why he would believe something is true, when he has the supposedly vast power of the Russian state at his beck and call, is easy to explain: authoritarian dictators surrounded by yes men do not have accurate pictures of the world! From Idi Amin to Saddam Hussein to Vladimir Putin, there is a common pattern of authoritarian dictators losing touch with reality, getting really weird, and coming to believe all kinds of counterproductive stuff that flatters their egos. It would be an even bigger problem to try to explain why Putin was immune to that dynamic after 24 years in power.

"World leaders don't shadowbox opponents out of pure stupidity" is an assumption that seems wholly ungrounded to me. Why not? World leaders do foolish things all the time on large and small scales. World leaders make mistakes. World leaders can become paranoid and out of touch--and if they lead countries without functioning electoral democracies, they can stay in power regardless. World leaders are not a magic special class of human being. They're just people. And whether it's because they're your uncle who watches nothing but OANN and Fox, or they're the President of Russia and they have yes-men and the Global Research guys telling them only what they want to hear, they can end up making absolute nonsense a load-bearing part of their worldview.

#like putin has benefited from this myth of being hyper competent and calculating for years in the west #and i just don't think that was ever true #he's not some super capable genius supervillain #he's just a run of the mill authoritarian #who was willing to placate russian elites to get what he wanted #and once in power gradually solidified his power base #in a very run of the mill fashion

[canichangemyblogname]

The symbolism of Syril Karn trading in a brown shirt for a suit and tie...

Sure, the metaphor shows how he's just a number; one of millions of similarly dressed drones going about their mind-numbing work in an authoritarian culture that prizes their assimilation and their compliance, but it comments on so much more than the authoritarian nature of capitalistic work culture. This show is constantly reinforcing with giant-fucking-arrows and flashing lights that Karn is a fascist, and the brown shirt is yet another example. It is far from subtle.

Watching a brown shirt trade his uniform for a suit and tie isn't symbolic of him "hanging up" the uniform (fascism) and "turning a new leaf" (giving up the ideology). Rather, it is reflective of a real-life phenomenon: the "new" uniform of White supremacy. And this phenomenon actually reflects an old trend: the link between fascism and western business fashion and western fashion designers. It also reflects the emphasis put on conformity in authoritarian systems and under white supremacy.

The run-of-the-mill fascist does not wear a brown shirt (in Italy's case, it was black shirts) or even a white hood. He presents himself as a "professional," he recruits in a suit and tie. Fascists go to lengths to embrace western business fashion, a fashion already dedicated to sterility and whiteness, to give themselves an air of supposed "respectability." Because a man in a suit, working an average job and coming home every night to take care of his mother surely isn't a threat, right? Surely he's a morally upright and honest man. Right?

The suit and tie-- or the khakis and polo-- just serve to help someone blend in. Their image is carefully manicured; tailored for the white supremacist power structure. The uniform is designed to achieve complete assimilation. The alt-right uses style to legitimize itself, disarm opponents, and expand their acceptability, leading to the impression of them and their ideology being mainstream.

They want you to believe that they're the same people we'd go to church with on Sundays, sit next to at the community potluck, or even invite over to dinner.

#Andor (2022) #Andor Spoilers #Syril Karn #I know that his feelings of stagnation will fuel his resentment #and his anger will turn toward others #others who are not #beholden to the fascist power structure

[shallowrambles]

What is your favorite episode or saying from Supernatual

Over time, the lines that have stuck with me are Dean's and Cas's words about trying to get better/be better.

I think Cas's was something like: "You can start being good anytime." and Dean's (to Jack) was "Every day we have to believe we can get better."

I have come to love Optimism for the showcase of Dean's growth away from the fear-clinging in particular.

To Jack, he says: "It's not about being right. You're gonna make mistakes."

And I LOVE that.

///

Sorry I get...rambley when I'm sick:

Since I got here, I notice in fandom that there's a lot of "specialist talk," where ppl identify themselves as an X-girl brand themselves as stuff like: "I'm an understander, I'm a Ph.D is <special topic> and I'm literally always right about my analyses."

And well. I think it was maybe ilarual or angelsdean or maybe even queermania that put it best: SPN is a revolving door where each character goes through periods where they enjoy the moral high ground.

(And I know I've said this a couple times, BUT if I ever go on any of my blogs professing to be "right" or "an understander", please please please shoot me. I'm either already dead or someone is impersonating me.)

The truth is, no one is "right" all the time, in the story or the analysis. All the mains say hurtful things. They all engage in defense mechanisms that hurt others. They all horribly overreach for power, and that reaching for power tends to have multiple, sometimes even competing motives:

(1) For Sam, he wants to be strong to do all this "good guy” stuff, but he also loves the power itself; his tendency to dissociate and sunder his emotions (like *Rowena) can manifest in callous pragmatism. (2) Dean wants to take out the threats, and so many of his arcs are about torturing too! Which is about the revenge power fantasy, of "being the one to dole out the suffering for one (see: Dean in hell, Demon Dean). Dean is neurotically rigid at times because he so desperately wants to keep you safe. (Mary and Dean’s convo in Exodus comes to mind.) (3) Cas wanted to be a "just" God, to put beloved humanity first, but he also really really really wants to punish, becoming authoritarian, demanding adoration, love, etc as reward for his good deeds. Those good deeds ranged from real political threats to thought crimes and run-on-the-mill hypocrisy, often lurching into overly severe punishments.

And Jack ofc, has arcs that echo and represent all three: doomed child that might need to be executed, sacrificial soldier-child, and disconnected heir to the throne/"God."

///

SPN does a pretty good job showing flawed men, and though the flaws of characters like Lisa ("doormat tendencies and people as projects") and Amelia (“currently having a great big OOC freakout/nervous breakdown"), Jo (“become a hero to fill the void of the loss of her father”) are present in small doses, it goes even harder with characters like Amara and Mary! I love love love that no one is an ideal.

So when I talk about it, know that I favor it because it represents how real relationships tend to generate and change. When an ideal exists, it's usually positioned as a fantasy or juxtaposed with a character's psychological wound/big freakout in response to a stressor. (Yes, I think even Sam from season 8 is having a Big Freakout. An "OOC" Nervous Breakdown, if you will. It happens. When Sam goes hard into hunting or gets back into hunting, he tends to overcorrect. He doesn’t wanna “choke again.”)

And Mary Mary Mary…my love. Mary's whole arc was, "I'm not just a mother," because it's trying to make the point that archetypes, even in writing, are just simplified boxes, and we have to step back sometimes and reminds ourselves of that.

///

I feel like the back-half of SPN and especially SPNwin is about loss, closure, and trying to see each other as the flawed selves that we really are. “I wanted you to see that the real Mary was better than (the ideal).”

I feel like sometimes we can veer into distinctly Chuck-coded territory when we pretend we are always right or don't change our minds about a topic OR don't entertain both the least charitable and the most charitable viewpoints.

I've come to realize that I can hold several viewpoints at once, including "Dean as neurotic-controlling villain / Sam as callous-pragmatic villain / Cas as grandiose-idealistic villain," shadowlines. It’s about the anxiety underlying worst self / best self.

Which is pretty cool.

#asks #meditations on fandom #if you always agree with yourself #are you really challenging yourself? #i wonder #vance isn't vance #you can't pick work over me jimmy! #shadow selves and the idea of the worst self #ugh i started rambling

[americasass81]

Peeling Back The Layers

Warnings:- Implied Body Image Issues, Fluff, M & F Smut.  Do not read if any of these warnings are upsetting.  Feedback is welcomed.

By proceeding you are acknowledging that you are over 18 and are consenting to the content below the cut.

A/N:- This came about due to @saiyanprincessswanie love of Brock Rumlow, my dislike of him and a challenge to myself to see if I could turn him into a fairly decent human being with actual feelings.  Well Missy, let me know if I pulled it off.

Pairing:- soft!Brock Rumlow x Reader

Word Count:- 2,614

Leaving the shop after a successful day shopping, you were so wrapped up in the excitement of getting back out into the world that you forgot to take stock of the people milling around you.  Feeling the sudden push from an authoritarian looking woman with her nose so far up in the air it could probably injure some unsuspecting bird, you prepared to meet the ground and lose your precious cargo.  Catching your arm before you could fall however, your breath caught from fear or something else, you weren't sure.  Looking up into the hazel eyes of a gruff looking soldier type figure, your senses stopped spinning long enough to realize that not only had he prevented you from sustaining a horrible fall, but everything had happened so fast that your purchases were still intact. 

Smiling shyly back at him as he still held you while you pulled yourself together, you failed to notice the lingering looks he sent your way or vice versa.  Living a few houses apart, you would have to be blind and deaf not to recognize your would-be knight or remember the things the neighbors said about him.  Brock Rumlow, though slim, gruff and powerful, was someone you had noticed on those days you felt well enough to tend your beautiful garden.  Though by no means fragile, your health left you a bit exhausted from time to time, but it in no way diminished your appetite for life.  And this too was something Brock had noticed.

Finally composing yourself, you thanked him for coming to your rescue, but he simply flashed you what could only be considered a roguish smile before releasing you.  Afraid your legs were going to give out again, albeit for different reasons now, you decided to take advantage of your rumbling stomach and asked Brock if he would care to join you for lunch.  Agreeing straight away, he asked if you wanted to drop off your purchases at your car, but when you told him you had chosen to take a taxi, he came to your aid once again.

"Well now, that just won't do.  I was actually just on my way back to my car.  How about we drop your stuff off there, head to lunch and I can drive you home later.  We're both going in the same direction anyway." he offered and you had to admit it did make sense.

Thinking of how it would look coming home with someone considered to be pond scum, but then not really caring, you smiled back at him, nodded your head and walked beside him towards his car.  Talking and listening along the way, you soon discovered that the old saying of don't believe everything you hear could have been written with Brock mind.  Though looking like he could snap a man in half without breaking a sweat and having a reputation for going after anything in a skirt he, like you, actually loved nature and you could find your skin heating up a bit when he began heaping praise on your garden.

Finally having stashed away all your stuff, you headed off to one of your favorite restaurants where you both tucked into a glorious meal of spaghetti with red wine.  Surprised when Brock ordered the same, he chuckled while telling you he wasn't a complete neanderthal, all while regaling you with tales of his last trip to Paris.  Watching intently as his eyes lit up while he explained in animated detail his love of various parts of the city, a part of you wondered how this man, who seemed to hide a deep romantic side, was still single.

Forgetting your manners in the wonder of his conversation, you actually blurted this out, but he simply smiled a bit sadly as he told you of his last failed relationship and how since then he had been a bit more careful with his heart.  Shocked to discover that someone like him could also taste the sting of rejection and be so changed by it, you were quickly reminded that being human too, his heart and emotions could just as easily shatter.

Sensing a slight shift in the atmosphere, he easily lightened the mood by informing you that there had since become someone to whom he has taken a liking.  Returning to your meal as he told you of the strong, kind and beautiful young woman who now held his heart, you nearly choked on your food as this handsome mountain of a man reached forward, took your hand in his and kissed it tenderly before winking at you.  Staring back at him as if he had suddenly grown two heads, he held his hands up and chuckled once more.  "Oh, dear, I'm going to scare you away.”

"No.  No really . . . I'm fine." you reassured, taking a generous mouthful of your wine.

"Yeah?" he grinned, questioningly.

"I'm fine." you repeated, taking a few deep breaths to steady your racing heartbeat.  "It's just that I don't understand what someone like you could possibly see in . . . "

"A plain Jane like you?" he interrupted, parroting back the words you had only ever uttered to your reflection in those private moments when you were being overly hard on yourself.

Looking anywhere but at him, he reached out for your hand once more and ran his thumb gently along the back of it until you finally lifted your eyes to his.  Gazing at the light reflected in his golden orbs, you felt yourself sinking into him as you tried to respond to his statement.  "Ex-exactly." you stuttered.  "I mean, you've traveled the world, served your country, and I'm just the girl you loves reading and gardening.  Not exactly compatible." you added, slipping your hand from his as the waiter came to collect your empty plates.

Taking a moment to compose yourself while Brock ordered dessert, you found yourself staring a bit too long at the specimen before.  Rugged good looks in a not too obvious way, his hazel eyes and short brown hair had images flashing before your eyes of him gazing up at you from between your legs as your fingers nestled in his spiky locks.  Shaking your head and blaming the wine as you tried to remove the offending image, it didn't help any when you two were at last alone again and Brock could see the rattled look on your face.

"You doing okay there, gorgeous?" he asked and you nodded slowly hoping your expression wouldn't betray the thoughts your brain had been producing.  Groaning inwardly when the waiter returned shortly after with chocolate covered strawberries, you rubbed your thighs together under the table in the hopes of somehow relieving the sensation building in your core.

Smirking at you as he brought the delicacy to his lips before biting down on it, you wondered if he could somehow read what your body was hiding.  Chewing quickly before dropping the remainder of the fruit into his mouth, he then picked up another and reaching across the table, held it out before you.  Opening your mouth to take the offered dessert, he pulled it back playfully before moving it forward once again.  This time leaving it for you to reach, your tongue shot out and licked a streak of chocolate off the fruit and it was now his turn to groan at your wanton behavior.

Enjoying the rest of the dessert in good spirits, you bit your lip as you wondered if you should address the matter of his past.  Ever since he settled in the neighborhood, talk had been rife about the type of soldier he was and the things he had done.  Suspecting what was now on your mind by your anxious expression, he asked if perhaps this conversation could wait for a more private location.  Agreeing without hesitation, he then helped you from the table and paying the bill, walked you from the restaurant back to his car.

Driving in silence back to your house, he opened your car door before helping you carry your purchases indoors.  Walking up the path to your house, he stopped to admire your daisy path and you found it somewhat endearing as it really was your pride and joy.  Welcoming him inside as you both placed down your shopping, you offered to mix up some margaritas on the rocks while he wandered around your home, though remaining within your view.

Working seamlessly around your kitchen, you quickly whipped up a batch of the splendidly delicious beverage before joining Brock in the living room to find him running his hand along your over burdened bookshelf.  Handing him the glass, you took a sip while walking towards the couch before sitting down.  Following your lead, Brock joined you, though kept himself at a respectful distance.  Taking a generous mouthful, he nodded approvingly before setting down the glass and facing you.

Telling you all about his days as a government operative and admitting that some of the things he was required to do were the reason he was now an ordinary civilian, you suspected the guilt he obviously carried might also be part of the reason his relationships had crumpled.  Getting up to refill your now empty glasses, you returned and sitting down on the table in front of him, cupped his cheek and reassured him that his past was not an issue for you and did not define who he would be going forward.

Smiling up at your tender expression, he reached forward slowly and placing his lips against yours, he tentatively kissed you while waiting for you to pull away.  Remaining still as his soft lips met yours again while his warm, wet tongue seeked entry, his hand moving to your thigh released a moan allowing his tongue to meet yours.  Pulling you forward onto his lap as his lips and tongue explored your mouth and smothered your moans, his hands began to work under your top as your hands went to his shirt.

Pulling back eventually to draw some oxygen into your lungs, you both smiled at each other before reaching for your drinks and downing them rather quickly.  Removing your top, you maneuvered yourself off his lap before reaching out and taking his hand.  Gazing up at you through lust-filled eyes, you bit your lip under his intense gaze before speaking.  "Take me to bed and make love to me Brock.  Please." you begged and was thoroughly delighted when he rose from the couch, removed his own top and told you to lead the way.

Tossing you gently on the bed, he looked down on you in your bra and leggings as your chest rose and fell under his hooded gaze.  Licking his lips and winking at you as his hands descended to the waistband of his jeans, he swiftly undid his pants, pulled everything down and kicking off his shoes, stalked towards you.

Suddenly very self conscious of how you looked in comparison to this god, you reached for the throw only to find the task halted.  "Hey gorgeous, don't do that.  Let me see all of you." he pleaded as he coaxed the throw out of your slightly trembling hand.  Sitting down next to you, he then pulled you into a sitting position before speaking again.  "You've heard the worst of who I am and what I've done and you're still willing to give me a chance.  Let me see how beautiful you are."

Nodding your acquiescence, Brock pushed you back once more before claiming your lips once again.  Kissing you tenderly while his hands roamed over your body, you soon found his head resting at the top of your leggings as his stubble covered chin worked its way left and right across your stomach.  Laughing at the burn and tickling sensation he was creating, he took advantage of your distraction and peeled said leggings down your legs until he yanked both them and your shoes off your person.

Tossing the now useless items aside, Brock then proceeded to treat your lower body to the same treatment as your upper body and soon you were nothing more than a writhing, moaning mess beneath him.  Satisfied with his progress thus far, he then kissed his way back up your body, while his fingers found your panty clad core.  Peppering your tits, neck and lips with butterfly kisses as he worked his hand up and down your moistening folds, he didn’t stop until your body shook and you called out his name.

Grinning at you like some Cheshire cat, you swatted his chest, but being that he had just pulled you apart, your heart wasn't really in it.  Laughing at your feeble attempt, he placed his forehead against yours as he brought his moist fingers to your lips.  Smearing your release along your lips, he then sucked the excess off before kissing you once more.  "Has anyone ever told you you taste delicious, gorgeous?" he asked and you turned your head away to hide your embarrassment.

Moving his hand down to grab his shaft and push your panties aside, he coaxed you to look at him once more while he coated his impressive length in your juices.  "Tell me you trust me,  gorgeous." he said as his tip slipped in before returning to your folds.

"I trust you Brock.  Go on." you urged with a smile and a kiss as his tip entered you once more.  This time, holding your hips before leaning forward to kiss you gently, he sheathed himself within your heat in one powerful thrust.  Capturing your moan with his mouth, he stayed in place as he nuzzled his chin along neck.

Waiting until you could no longer take it, he chuckled when you whined out his name.  "It's okay, I got you." he whispered against your ear as his hips finally began to move against yours.  Thrusting in and out of you at a steady pace as his lips continued to suck and dance along your skin, he felt his past slipping away as his name left your lips in a worshipped chant over and over and over again.  Never in his wildest dreams did he ever think his name could be spoken with such love and reverence.  Eventually feeling your walls begin to clench around him as the pressure in your core tightened, Brock snaked his hand beneath your panties and finding your clit, worked his magic until you shattered beneath him and came like you never had before.

Trying to get your breathing back under control, Brock continued to work you through your orgasm while his cock began to pound into you in earnest.  Recognizing the stirrings of another release, this time as you cried out your protests, you both came together as wave after wave of bliss radiated throughout your body and Brock's cum painted every inch of your pussy.

Kissing you tenderly as his softening cock gently moved within you, he finally released you and leaving the room, returned with a damp cloth.  Too dazed to wonder where he got it, you relaxed against the pillows as he removed your panties and cleaned you up before placing you under the covers and sliding in beside you.  Closing your eyes knowing full well that Brock would be gone by morning, you drifted off to sleep totally unaware of the profound effect you had on him.  Laying there with you nestled safely in his arms, he finally felt like the parts of himself he hated could now at long last be sent into the aether as a bright new future stretched out before him with a woman who accepted and loved every part of him.

Tagging: @saiyanprincessswanie

#soft!brock rumlow x reader

[prettyricky187]

Consequences

Request: When you purposely try to make Hotch jealous, you have to suffer the consequences

A/N: I was a part of the secret fic swap created by dontkissthewriter for our discord server. I got dontkissthewriter and it gave me a branch out of my comfort zone. This is the result. I hope you all like it 🙂 Again, thank you to imagining-in-the-margins for being an amazing beta reader. My writing wouldn’t be nearly as good without her!

Couple: Hotch/Fem!Reader Category: Smut Content Warnings: degradation, choking, spanking, semi-public, oral (male receiving), facial Word Count: 2.8K

MASTERLIST

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

‘My office. Now’

That was the message that kicked everything off.

It was quiet in the bullpen, everyone trying to get through case reports as quickly as they could in order to go home. The most recent case had been a run of the mill case for BAU standards and the team wasn’t there long. It was long enough for you to formulate and execute a plan, which had clearly worked based on the text message you’d just received.

“You comin’ lil mama?” Derek’s voice broke you from your thoughts. You look up to see him eyeing you expectantly while he shrugs on his coat.

“No, you go ahead.” You smile. “I’m going to finish up here. I have a bit more to do before I’m done.”

“Did you want my help?”

You laugh and shake your head. “No, thanks. I appreciate the offer though.”

He nods and bids you goodnight, leaving just you and Aaron left. Although you wouldn’t know it beyond the pale light filtering through his closed shades.

“And then there were two.” You mutter as you swivel your chair to face his office window.

You knew what you had done while the team was in Albuquerque. After all, you had done it on purpose, simply to get a rise out of one man: Aaron Hotchner. He had decided that he was too busy for you and that just simply wouldn’t do. So, you may have harmlessly flirted with the lead detective on the case, laying it on extra thick whenever your unit chief was within range. You knew you were getting to him as the days rolled over. His stance was getting more rigid and his words more tense. It all came to a head when he snapped on the poor detective over an innocuous mistake. You felt bad for the guy, you really did, but you smirked internally at how you’d succeeded at getting under Aaron’s skin.

You took a deep breath to prepare yourself for what was waiting for you behind that door. You straighten out your clothes and curtly knock on the door. You’re not entirely sure why you knocked, because you opened the door before you ever heard an answer.

“You wanted to see me sir?”

You can’t help but take in the image before you. He is able to command the room even from behind the desk. Always the stern authoritarian, his face was impassive and giving away nothing about why he called you in. You knew why, though.

“Come in.” His voice was deep and stern, and you felt a shiver run through you at the tone. “I wanted to discuss your behavior on the case.” His eyes never left you as you came to stand next to his desk, but refused to sit down.

“What do you mean?” You asked, tilting your head in the perfect picture of feigned innocence.

“You know exactly what I mean.” His glare was intense, and you waited to see how long it would take him to blink.

You innocently shook your head with a tiny smirk. “I don’t know what you mean.”

“Practically throwing yourself at Detective Morrison.” He cut straight to the point, not even bothering to entertain your charade. His words hung in the air as you stared each other down. “You were so desperate for attention, just like the cheap whore that you are.”

You were prepared for his words and made sure to keep your expression neutral, although a heat began rising in the pit of your stomach.

“It was pathetic to watch.”

The air was tense while you both waited to see who would talk next. It would be Aaron.

“So, here’s what you’re going to do,” he begins, pushing back and creating a gap between himself and the desk, “you’re going to get on your knees and you’re going to make yourself useful while I finish these reports.”

“What?” You ask, excitement blooming through you despite your apparent objection.

“You heard me. It’s your fault this has taken me this long, so you’re going to make up for it.” He looks at you expectantly and you know better than to question him further. Last time you pushed him and questioned his order, your throat was sore for a week from how far he shoved his cock down it.

“I gave you an order.” He raised an eyebrow, signaling to you not to make him wait any longer.

It would not be enough to walk to the desk; that would provide you with dignity you didn’t deserve. Instead, you carefully dropped to your knees and crawled towards him, making sure to add an extra sway to your hips as you moved. He deserved a show, which explains why he watched as you settled between his legs and began working on removing his slacks.

You enjoyed the fact that he was already straining against his zipper, trying to act as unaffected, but his body betrayed him. He let out a sigh of relief as his erection was freed.

“Get to work.” He commanded, and you didn’t waste any time before moving forward and engulfing the tip of his dick. You moan at the taste of him and moved down to slide him to the back of your throat. You can hear a faint hiss and grunt from his mouth, but he makes no move to touch you.

Still, he doesn’t leave you completely unmentioned, his voice raspy and low when he finally spoke. “You know, deep down, he was only being polite. Even he recognized that a slut like you constantly needs attention. We both know he would never touch you.” He doesn’t touch you as he talks, let alone spare you a glance. The only inclination that he was affected by your mouth was the tensing of his thighs.

“I know what you were doing.” He continues. “Trying to make me jealous simply so that I would pay attention to you. I thought you were an adult beyond such petty games. Clearly I was wrong.”

He leans back to watch you work and you can’t help but moan at the sight of him, still in his suit jacket and tie, looking down on you sucking his dick under his desk. He pulls his cock from your mouth and begins tapping and rubbing it against your face. You moan at the sensation and he chuckles knowingly.

“You love the smell of my cock, don’t you? Such a needy slut.” He grunts as he drags his cock up and down your face. You moan as his hot skin glides across your face and the heady smell fills your senses. You want so badly to reach into your slacks and touch yourself, but you resist knowing he’d notice and leave you high and dry for the foreseeable future. It just wasn’t worth it.

“More.” You gasp, looking up at him with what you hoped would be enough to induce some pity from the man. He looks down on you and slaps your face with his dick, bringing a cheerful smile to your lips. He smears his precum on your cheek and lips.

“Should’ve known.” He mumbled.

“Aaron...” You moan, not even caring that you sound whiny. You just want him. You need him.

“What?” He snaps.

“I need more.” You pathetically beg. He was everywhere, but it still wasn’t enough.

“You don’t need more, you want more. Like the greedy slut that you are.”

You nod in agreement– what else is there to do? – and he lets out a dark chuckle.

“You should be thanking me for wasting my breath on you. For giving you the opportunity to taste my cock.” He taunts. “Sometimes you’re so pathetic I wonder why I even bother. Why I shouldn’t put you out of your misery.” His words were harsh, but they always hit in a different way and you loved it. The meaner he was to you, the more in love you fell.

“Get up.”

You wordlessly follow his instruction and look down on him as he remains in his chair.

“Take off your pants and over. Grip the sides of the desk.” He orders, knowing full well that you will comply. You watch as he stands up and makes quick work of his tie before yanking it entirely off. Your eyes widen in wonder as he undoes his cuffs and rolls his sleeves up to his elbows, exposing more and more of his skin. You don’t even bother trying to hide the moan as the sight unfolds before you. You catch his tiny smirk at the sound.

“I’m waiting.” He says. You bite back your snarky comment as you slowly remove your pants and fold yourself over his desk.

“Glad you know how to follow directions.” He says, trailing his fingers across your skin, causing goosebumps to rise in their wake. The gentleness of his touch is sharply contrasted by the way he roughly grabs hold of your hip, pressing you down against the desk before raising his other hand.

“Who do you belong to?” He asks, his hand harshly coming down on your ass before you have a chance to answer. The sound reverberates around the empty room and the accompanying sting courses through your body, causing your toes to curl in your shoes. You want to answer, but there is no time between the extreme responses he’s causing. Each time you started to say ‘You, god, you’ he’s moving again, his anger palpable in the air. The stoic Aaron Hotchner devolved into nothing but a man hellbent on breaking you down to nothing.

“Answer me, bitch!” He snaps, slapping your ass again, his voice raising with, again, no time to respond. “I will use my belt if I have to. Maybe my hand isn’t enough for a filthy slut like you.” You know he can hear the ragged way you were breathing between the sobs, but he didn’t seem to care. When you do manage to speak, it’s more of a pitiful croak.

“You!” You finally cry. Because while you do love when he uses his belt, you’d like to actually be able to sit down after this.

“That’s right.” He says through clenched teeth with another harsh slap, “You’re mine and you’ll always be mine.” His hand was relentless, his pace and power of both words and motions increasing with each passing second. “Mine to fuck! Mine to mark up! Mine to tie up! Fucking mine!” Each sentiment was followed by a resounding slap, and you were certain there were various angry marks across your sensitive skin. You’d look at them later and fondly recall this moment. The moment Aaron Hotchner called you his.

“Fuck…” You hiss, “Aaron, please.”

“Stop begging. You don’t get a say in this. You’re nothing but a toy for me; something for me to use whenever I want and however, I want.” He snaps, rubbing his dick on your ass, much like he did on your face. “My own personal whore.”

There is a brief silence, and all you can do is wait for what he wants to do next.

“I already know what you want.” He states. “You want me to fuck you, like the greedy bitch you are.”

“Please.” You don’t even bother denying it. There’s shuffling behind you and suddenly his hand is gripping your jaw as he brings his face beside yours.

“Open your mouth.” No sooner than you do, he stuffs his tie in your mouth and drags your arms behind your back, holding them together with one hand. “Much better. Now I don’t have to listen to your disgusting voice.” He snarls.

Without another word, he buries himself to the hilt inside you. You cry out from both the pleasure and pain of his sudden intrusion, the noises muffled behind the tie. They are buried in his broken moans and curt grunts as he relentlessly pounds into you.

“Who knew I’d get lucky by hiring such a fucking slut like you? Always have to have a dick in you to behave.” He moans, his hips never stopping their movements.

“You do suck my dick so well though.” He grunts. “Always so ready for me.” He wasn’t even talking to you and you knew it. He was talking to hear himself talk, reveling in the power he had over you. The way that he could command you to hold the business end of his loaded gun in your mouth and you would do it.

“I love that you know when to shut the fuck up. When I don’t want to hear your stupid fucking voice.” He continues, grabbing your hair and pulling your head back at the same time he gives a particularly hard thrust, causing your body to fold in a way it is definitely not supposed to. Aaron doesn’t care.

“Fuck!” Your cry is muffled from his tie, but he understands what you’re saying.

“Turn around.” He orders as he pulls out of you, watching you awkwardly shuffle around until you’re on your back laying across various reports with your legs around his waist.

When he entered you next his movements were slow and purposeful. He took his time, enjoying the way your face contorted as he stretched you open. His hand trailed up your body like you were porcelain, barely touching you until it came to rest at your throat.  

“That poor detective would have no idea how to handle a filthy slut like you.” He sneered, tightening his grip around your neck before he snapped his hips forward, the menacing and pain in his movements returning with a vengeance. “You’re too bratty for him.”

You looked up at him and couldn’t help but notice how the veins and muscles in his arm were bulging under the tension. You clenched around him at the sight of how fucked out he looked. All because of you. You did this to him. Only you could.

“Fuck yes.” He hisses. “Clench around my cock like the desperate whore you are.” He moans. You continue to clench around him again and again, until his movements start to falter, and his hand tightens once again. He gives you a few more thrusts before abruptly pulling out and yanking you off the desk.

You almost fall to the floor, but manage to find your feet before it happens. You look down and bite your lip at his glistening cock bobbing between you.

“On your knees.”

The look he gave you left no room for argument; not that you had any left. Any of the attitude you’d walked into his office with, he’d fucked out of you. He’d simply fucked you into submission. On your knees, you watched as he wrapped one of the hands he’d used to beat you around his cock.

“I’m going to make you look beautiful for once in your life.”

“Please.” You beg. You love it when he marks you however he wants.  There have been countless days where you’ve had to wear a turtleneck to cover the bitemarks and bruises he’s left on your neck and shoulders. You often have bite marks so deep you can practically make out each tooth. You wished they would never fade. As he touched himself to the vision of you on the floor before him, you dropped your mouth open with your tongue presented to him, ready to take whatever he would give you.

“So, fucking good. Always so willing.” He grunted as he quickly stroked his cock while standing over you. He puts his other hand on your head to hold you steady. You continued to watch as his hand flew over his dick, still wet with the evidence of how badly you wanted him.

“Oh...fuck.” He grunts as the first rope shoots out and lands on your cheek. You close your eyes and smile as each warm shot lands on your face. The hand on your head slackens before falling away and you clear the cum from your eyes before opening them to look up at him.

“Finally,” he says smiling fondly, “you look beautiful.” His voice was uncharacteristically soft. You two looked at each other for a moment before his usual stoic personality shifted back into place.

“Clean yourself up and go home. It’s late.”

You look up at him in bewilderment, your legs rubbing together and your entire body rocking as you arched your back. “What about me?”

You pout as he straightens his clothes out. He doesn’t answer at first, straightening his things like he was preparing to leave. He hardly looked at you through it all, even going so far as to open the door and turn off the lights in the room. When he did look at you, you wondered what he saw in the girl still on her knees in the dark, covered with his cum and begging for more.

“What about you?” He asked in that trademark monotone. You were going to respond, to plead your case and beg him to touch you before he left, but before the words came, he had already closed the door.

#Criminal Minds #hotch #aaron hotchner #smut #writing for a friend #Aaron hotchner smut #hotch x reader #hotch imagine

[anarchistcommunism]

Trump has said repeatedly, out loud, that he won’t concede the election. He has framed mail-in voting as rife with fraud. He has ordered federal police into cities to disappear protesters off the street. Trump doesn’t rule by fiat–he merely steers a loose coalition of forces within and outside the state. But these forces have still managed to lay the groundwork for a power grab. They’ve packed the courts with incompetent judges with bizzare and distrubing beliefs, purged the Republican Party of dissidents through retirements or primaries, and flexed in the streets.

For its part, the GOP has obviously devolved into a power-hungry, racist, authoritarian mess. Whether this unfolded over 40 years or 4, whether it represents nascent fascism or your run-of-the-mill authoritarianism, these nuances won’t matter so much in the coming weeks. It’s enough that Trump is a self-obsessed kleptocrat surrounded by a party of sycophants, doomsday evangelicals, regular racists and some fascists. They pursue overlapping goals and punish common enemies, and have little interest in checking Trump’s authoritarian desires. So whether out of cynical self-interest or true belief, the GOP and its networks are primed to support a stolen election with constitutional veneer.

If the Democrats have a plan for securing power, they haven’t shared it with their supporters. Most likely we’ll see a series of legal challenges matched by Trump’s own and mired in his judiciary. We need only look to the so-called Brooks Brothers Riot of 2000 for an example of the spinelessness we can expect from them. Biden is probably only prepared to fight in the courts, while telling his base to stay home and let him iron out the details. If Trump fills Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s seat, Biden will face an even steeper battle.

In the meantime, Trump’s coalition is able to alter the balance of forces on the ground. Trump doesn’t have the full support of the military, but he may not need it. The uprisings this summer revealed a secure base within the state: Homeland Security and police rank-and-files across the country will gladly carry out voter intimidation or repress protests. Efforts to rein in these forces have proven toothless, even in cities with Democratic leadership. We should expect similar independent police action during the election.

Outside the state, Trump’s base of QAnon paranoiacs and militiamen are ready to take matters into their own hands––rallying around the call to “stand back and stand by.” Kyle Rittenhouse was a Trump fan more than anything else, living in the unreality created for him by Republican outfits and outlets. In a power grab, others like him will follow the lead of the Patriot militias. As Matthew Lyons noted, the alt-right supported Trump as a way to accelerate the development of the right but still viewed him skeptically, while the Patriot movement has aligned with him in a more committed way. Militias bring along greater capacity for vigilante repression, and they’ve been active for months defending their country small businesses from an imagined antifa takeover.

The capitalists are split. Billionaire libertarians like Peter Theil are supportive or at least neutral toward Trump. Lobbying groups like the Chamber of Commerce are divided about hedging toward Democrats. In a pinch, capitalists might flock to Biden because they want stability and can stomach regulation, or flock to Trump because they want to crush the left and can stomach volatility. A lot depends on whether Trump makes himself the only viable option.

And what about the left? The uprising this summer showed a vast potential for street action, but lasting organizations in neighborhoods and workplaces–socialist, anarchist, Black radical, whatever–are few by comparison. Trump can’t name a communist group in the U.S. and has no clue what “antifa” is, but he’ll use these boogeymen to attack all of us in a second term. A constitutional coup might be just one building block in the emergence of fascism. But it’s a muscle we shouldn’t permit the right to exercise.

How do we stop a coup? And how do we do it without legitimizing the Democrats, and instead establish conditions for a more autonomous movement going forward?

#usa #trump

[redantsunderneath]

I’ve Never Seen David Lynch and George Lucas in the Same Room at the Same Time…

The thematic parallels between David Lynch and George Lucas are something I keep coming back to again and again, but their careers and evolution have a lot of overlap too.  They were born in the earliest Boomer cohort (George Lucas in May 1944, David Lynch January 1946) and had experiences growing up that were colored by the idyllic 1950s, but shifted into a distrust of authority structures that was common for many of their age cohort in the 1960s. They both came of age wanting to do something physical with her hands that felt creative to them in large grimy spaces - fixing cars for Lucas, and painting and installations with a fascination with organic materials, industrial metal, and rot for Lynch. They both fell into film because they were looking for something that satisfied their artistic bent (although film was never a primary aspect of her life to that point).  They wound up making a handful of short films over a 3 year period, culminating in a longer short-film that would eventually get them noticed at roughly the same age (Electric Labyrinth THX 1138 4EB [1967] and the Grandmother [1970] for Lynch).

These films netted both of them a patron (Francis Ford Coppola for Lucas, the American Film Institute for Lynch) and started filming their first feature-length film two years after those films.  They both got their biggest name recognition bump by films released in 1977 and pulled away from the power of the studio system in roughly 1984. Famously, Lucas offered Lynch a chance to direct what would become Return of the Jedi in about 1981 ( I prefer the story where Lucas does this by picking him up in a Lamborghini - I’ve heard a phone call version too, but it’s not as perfect) and Lynch answered something like “it’s your movie George, you direct it.” They both spent the mid 80s in movie jail, and although they took very different paths in general after (I’ve been emphasizing the similarities) there are still things that jibe in the history - they both reminded people of what they liked about them with a late 80s movie, spent a lot of the 90s on TV projects, did one project around classic radio, returned to theatrical notice around the millennium, all the while generally keeping their own council and disappointing a lot of fans.

There’s obviously a world of difference. Lucas is a left brained technologist who equated freedom with an owning of the means of production.  Lynch is it right brained impressionist seeing freedom-as no one ever being able to tell you what to do, acting as a solo artist with collaborators who merge with his sensibilities.  Lynch is a production lone wolf, depending mostly on people believing in him and funding him, and losing out in the popular consciousness by making uncompromising art that may not be what the audience wants, meaning funding is sometimes hard to come by. Lucas is like the Democratic party controlling the Congress and presidency - having total power but unable to turn that into what he really wants to make, somehow. The idea of Lynch selling his body of work to Disney is absurd.

But the correspondences in this are telling and help to explain the thematic similarities and divergences.  Plus, the differences often relate to the similarities - Lucas identifies with corrupted controlling paternalistic power as a horror of inevitable capture of the individual by larger structures, while Lynch sees the corrupted masculine influence as an archetype, the call coming from inside the house, agency coopted by a collective taint in the universal pattern .  But on some level these are the same thing - what is this person I am capable of becoming seeing as I am in control but yet not, doing horrific things?  Lucas’ constant commentary on slavery is about hegemony and a systemic oppression he is complicit in, while Lynch has whole pantheons of beings that turn people into vessels that oblate the self and make them act on subconscious programming.  Neither probably think the word neoliberalism too much but tend to communicate similar things about it is almost diametrically opposed ways.  

The thematic similarities are rooted in a few areas that unpack in to a variety of subspaces which overlap – patriarchal structures as psychoanalytic dynamics (more Freudian father fixation for Lucas, Jung for Lynch), boomer generational failure as socio-first-but-economics-ultimately, the artist as in struggle with larger forces (largely of the self), and an eastern religious metaphysics that is American Christian in flavor.   The major line of difference running through this is gender/sex/desire, Lynch being on main with a lot of spiritual overtones of sin, guilt, and “the fall” and Lucas finding this kind of guilt and sin as a secondary phenomenon that is mostly actively suppressed and unconvincing when it shows up; yet both wind up often finding physical consummation at direct odds with art in a gendered creation way (that also links Eraserhead to Age of Ultron and the original Frankenstein). Try doing a psychosexual reading of Howard the Duck sometime.  

Lucas’ developmental through line is this: dude in love with 50’s culture but informed by 60s counterculture makes a movie where the young granola-ish revolutionaries win against the fascists in an effort to rewrite society but, having secured rights for “independent spirit” reasons now finds himself in control of something huge and immediately starts making art about boomer men becoming their controlling fathers and then moves on to movies where powerless freaks are the real focus.  After a creatively fallow period, he comes back to make a sequel/prequel trilogy that is one of the most misunderstood complicated statements about people becoming what they hate as an eternal cycle at the level of the personal, the societal, the political, the spiritual, the artistic, you name it!

Lynch’s developmental through line is this: dude in love with 50’s culture but informed by 60s outsider/art counterculture makes a movie where the young artist struggles with the idea of a regular life, initiated by fatherhood, which attempts to destroy the artistic spark, after which he enters the Hollywood system and makes an artist as freak movie and a movie about plucky rebels conquering space authoritarianism (that the future of is books about that ending in messianic authoritarianism) and then disavows that system.  He then proceeds to make art about subject and object as a supremely gendered thing, in a land that has fallen from grace, moving inexorably towards the idea of eternal cycle at the level of the personal, the societal, the political, the spiritual, you name it!

They both have an idea of the father-artist identified with the abject oppressed, under siege as figure, resentful from being kept from creation, over a career realizing that their “self” is the horrific villain of their own story.  For Lynch, this is psychosexual, then spiritual, with a resisted toxic masculine urge to control and overwhelm, often in a violent way.  It is the artist’s own urges that get in the way of making art, of desiring in the universe that has an unbalanced power structure from some far off echoes of an original symmetry breaking inherent to the archetypal gender dynamic. For Lucas, it is the realization that the artist in control has a tendency to become the controlling dad and sexual relations are inherently problematic in a political and spiritual way.  Real art seems impossible if the artist has control, identifying with the downtrodden is a bit of a lie, happy endings can’t happen not because of the happiness bit because of the ending bit.  For both, there is a fundamental flaw in the cycle, which is patriarchal in nature, but Lynch just approaches this much hornier.

The boomer part probably requires the most discussion, but the TLDR is that they are both are crawling out, through Vietnam, from the 50s social order, and grappling with how badly the 60s idealism failed.  Lucas does this in the prequels as a big canvas critique of how the social revolution was co-opted by the generation not being able to see its own flaws, of not seeing the system taking over again, an Empire calling itself a Republic.  An inability to look in the mirror and really see.  The wisest oldest hippie is the only one who sees what’s happening, but is powerless as his apprentices are inevitably spit out, and the next generation has to be raised not by a skeptic but a true believer in “liberal” “democracy” (cynic quotes theirs).

Lynch is interesting here in that he most directly addresses this only in Twin Peaks, but we see more naked reflections, divorced of contemporary politics, in his other works. In Twin Peaks, Ben Horn is the Palpatine figure, who winds up a sweet old man buying off the harm his life’s work and progeny have produced while ignoring the poor and next generation personally. Jacoby the neutered, fried Yoda that eventually slides into Alex Jones territory (the canonical Boomer ethos in a nutshell – “what me” neoliberalism and change the world ideology going crackpot).  All of Twin Peaks except for Fire Walk with Me is directly socioeconomically generational (Bobby Briggs becomes a young Republican in season 2, the mill, the trailer park), but the other works are full of class issues informed by Lynch’s age.  From Blue Velvet’s suburban kid exploring his darker side by going to the poor part of town through a career of classist low-life encoding (Bob is a denim jacket wearing homeless person, all the covered in grime by the dumpster/trailer park characters, Ronette as the factory floor version of Laura, etc), culminating in Inland Empire and Twin Peaks the Return chronicling the fall of man as partially an (generationally specific in TP) economic fall into a unequal class defined world of needing an opening and leaving the house to labor as where evil is born. TP OS is about how boomers turned out just as bad, the Return is about how we inhabit the world of their ideological blindness.

All filmmakers seem to, at least to a certain degree, bring the question of creation of art directly into their work via distant or close metaphor. In Eraserhead and Elephant Man, Lynch values the spark of art which the downtrodden protagonist is trying not to lose. In Dune, the visionary with a big project that seeks to upend the system (but that we know eventually become something even worse) is a project that fell apart due to studio interference.  Blue velvet is about the act of watching awakening something uncomfortable in us that is incompatible with normie life (it wouldn’t be weird to say it was about porn). Twin Peaks is about television, FWWM about movies, and all at least partially about closure being a death act in art.  Lost Highway is about the artist tortured by desire, Mulholland Drive about desire being central to be eaten alive by the Hollywood system.  Inland Empire is about filmmaking as a way into understanding the world on a deeper level (as is its unofficial sequel Inception) to cure its ills.  All of this is art’s struggle against power, with an element of the major powers being subconscious forces that control us leading to desires that ablate the artistic impulse.

Lucas' projects have over time been about a young upstart independent filmmaker, losing his soul by becoming successful, and becoming the system, man.  He then tries desperately to identify as really not the one in charge, until he admits to what he has become.  He consistently dips back into filmmaking as an adventure or a good fight, but he has to set these in a time period before his birth.  As in Lynch, having a child is equated with not being able to fulfill the kind of artistic destiny, but Lucas goes further in equating it to an excuse for why the powerful artist goes bad and needs redemption.  He had a naïve or-is-it canny motif focused on the short inhuman outsider, often related to music or primitive settings (often with wooden cages) as a recurring thing for a while.  These characters are often wise, or at least no filter tell-it, and are similar to the Elephant Man.  This is a trope, sure, the wise different wavelength other, but there is also an identification of the artist at knowing and right yet impotent and a clue to the author’s metaphysical system.

Lynch is the mainline protestant in upbringing and very much influenced by a kind of proto-eastern religion (you can just say the Vedas for shorthand).  Lucas is not very religious, but was brought up Christian, influenced by Christian symbolism and became interested in world religion as narrative via figures like Joseph Campbell.  Hence, they both gravitate towards some kind of Gnostic Proto Christian, So-Cal zen, Thomas Aquinas “gets” Plato kind of amalgam, which informs their work.  Lynch has veered towards an eternal cycle framework, and the very physics compatible idea of something in the past breaking and causing consciousness/suffering, through which we can achieve joy as a counter only through letting go of the self, and the recurrence of ruptures on all scales demonstrating a fractal pattern of hurt and redemption.  Lucas also sees a big cycle, but it is one more of human existence as narrative that has a tendency to return, with a little bit of Nietzsche and movie eastern spirituality thrown in. Both believe in a recurring pattern that plays itself out in a way that is terrible, but hopeful, as the struggle is where hope derives from.  Both have inherently Christian ideas and symbols in their work but lean back on non-Christian ideas that the Christian ideas have a history with. Lynch has his virgin Mary as the real Christ figure female angels that show up, while Lucas has turnt space Jesus.

Suffice it to say that the tree trial scene in the Empire Strikes Back and the lodge sequences in Twin Peaks are a very good place to start looking for how the two auteurs meet.  Compare Anakin/Luke Skywalker to Mr C, look at the 90s turn they both made, register their seeing the “sleeper must awaken” of fiction being terribly fraught, compare the force vs. the universal field, the way their relationship status and partners carve their work into eras, and their continued existence as mainstream experimental filmmakers. 

#george lucas #david lynch

[justforbooks]

Michel Piccoli obituary

Stalwart of French cinema whose prolific career included films with Luis Buñuel, Jean-Luc Godard and Claude Chabrol

By Ronald Bergan

For more than half a century, there seemed to be one constant in French cinema – the actor Michel Piccoli. With his death at the age of 94 something vital has disappeared from the screen.

Never young looking – he was prematurely bald – Piccoli grew in maturity and power over the years, with directors such as Luis Buñuel, Jean-Luc Godard, Claude Chabrol, Marco Ferreri and Claude Sautet seeking his services more than once. He also worked for directors of the stature of Alfred Hitchcock, Henri-Georges Clouzot, Jacques Rivette, Costa-Gavras and Louis Malle.

Even when he was a big name, Piccoli was never too proud to play small supporting roles or even bit parts if he liked the screenplay. But whatever the size of the role, whether playing a goody or a baddie, Piccoli would bring to the character a gravitas (with a tinge of humour) and an ironic detachment, simultaneously revealing a real, recognisable human being beneath the surface.

Piccoli was born in Paris to a French mother and an Italian father, both of them musicians – his mother was a pianist; his father a violinist. At 19, he made his screen debut in a walk-on part in Sortilèges (1945), directed by Christian-Jaque.

After several roles in the cinema and theatre, he met Buñuel. “I wrote to this famous director asking him to come and see me in a play. Me, an obscure actor! It was the cheek of a young man. He came and we became friends.” Piccoli appeared in six of Buñuel’s films, usually cast as a silky, authoritarian figure.

His first performance for Buñuel was as a weak, compromised priest trekking through the Brazilian jungle in La Mort en Ce Jardin (Death in the Garden/Evil Eden, 1956). In Diary of a Chambermaid (1964), he was the idle and lecherous Monsieur Monteil, sexually obsessed with Jeanne Moreau as the maid Célestine.

Just as louche was his smooth bourgeois gentleman who persuades a respectable doctor’s wife (Catherine Deneuve) to spend her afternoons working in a high-class brothel with kinky clients in Belle de Jour (1967). Piccoli reprised the role charmingly almost 40 years later in Manoel de Oliveira’s Belle Toujours (2006).

He was discreetly charming as the Marquis de Sade in Buñuel’s La Voie Lactée (The Milky Way, 1969), subtly overbearing as the home secretary in The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie (1972) and sinister as a prefect of police in Buñuel’s penultimate film, Le Fantôme de la Liberté (The Phantom of Liberty, 1974).

In the 1950s, apart from his one film with Buñuel and his appearance as María Félix’s jealous lover in Jean Renoir’s French Cancan, Piccoli was cast mainly in run-of-the mill “policiers”. During this period, Piccoli was part of the Saint-Germain-des-Prés set in Paris, which included the writers Boris Vian, Jean-Paul Sartre and Simone de Beauvoir, and the café singer Juliette Gréco, to whom he was married from 1966 to 1977. He was also an active member of the French Communist party.

The 60s was his most creatively exciting and varied decade. His first leading role (with Serge Reggiani and Jean-Paul Belmondo) was as an unscrupulous gangster in Jean-Pierre Melville’s Le Doulos (The Finger Man, 1962).

This led to one of his best remembered parts, as Brigitte Bardot’s husband in Godard’s Le Mépris (Contempt, 1963), in which he plays a screenwriter, willing to sell his wife to a producer (Jack Palance) in order to get his script filmed by Fritz Lang. In a homage to Dean Martin’s character in Vincente Minnelli’s Some Came Running, Piccoli wears a cowboy hat in the bath.

As memorable as this image was the name of the character he played in Jacques Demy’s Les Demoiselles de Rochefort (The Young Girls of Rochefort, 1967). As Simon Dame, he is continually being greeted as Monsieur Dame (a joke that works only in French), and is rebuffed by Danielle Darrieux, who cannot bear the thought of being called Madame Dame.

It was in 1968 that Piccoli met Ferreri, who starred him in Dillinger È Morto (Dillinger Is Dead), a bleak study of alienation, in which a man’s life is laid bare. Piccoli is brilliant as an industrial designer who, while spending an evening at home, making himself a meal, watching TV and seducing the maid, decides to kill his wife and go to Tahiti.

It was the first of seven films the actor made for the Italian-born director, the most infamous being La Grande Bouffe (Blow Out, 1973), an excessive film about excess, where Piccoli as a TV personality, along with a pilot, a judge and a chef, all bored with life, literally eat themselves to death.

Piccoli’s few roles in English language films were less than challenging: they included his secret agent in Hitchcock’s Topaz (1969) and the suave card dealer in Malle’s Atlantic City (1981).

He was much happier in France, where his talents were not only respected but revered. His several films for Sautet showed him as a complex and flawed hero, starting with Les Choses de la Vie (The Things of Life, 1970), in which he played a man who, although having an affair, finds himself still attached to his estranged wife, his son and friends, and consequently unable to make the absolute commitment his lover requires.

In 1973, Piccoli formed a production company which kicked off with that year’s Themroc, directed by Claude Faraldo, in which he played a factory worker, living in a squalid flat with his mother and sister, pursuing an existence of repetitive routine and urban grind, before he rebels. What made this biting social satire particularly unusual was that language was abandoned completely, with the characters having to communicate in a series of formless noises, something Piccoli does particularly effectively.

Piccoli then returned to his speciality – the urbane bourgeois – in Chabrol’s blackly comic Les Noces Rouges (Blood Wedding, 1973), where he played a mayor’s deputy having an affair with his boss’s wife. In Godard’s Passion (1982), he was a factory owner whose wife is having an affair with a film director.

He gave three of his largest and most impressive performances in his late 60s and 70s. In Malle’s Milou en Mai (Milou in May, 1990), he is the ideal repository of all the director’s sympathies, the upholder of the best of traditional country values, unambitious, unacquisitive and a lover of nature, in contrast to his greedy middle-class family gathered for a funeral.

Rivette’s La Belle Noiseuse (1991) cast him magisterially as a famous artist trying to capture a new nude young model on canvas. In Oliveira’s Je Rentre à la Maison (I’m Going Home, 2001), Piccoli struck a personal and poignant note as an actor trying to deal with old age, and refusing to compromise his principles.

He shone in what amounted to almost a cameo as the courtly but bumbling elderly relative of the Duchess of Langeais (Jeanne Balibar) in Rivette’s Ne Touchez Pas la Hache (Don’t Touch the Axe, 2007), a version of Balzac’s novel on erotic obsession.

For the English language The Dust of Time (2008), Theo Angelopoulos’s last film, Piccoli joined such stalwarts of European art cinema as Bruno Ganz and Irène Jacob in a love triangle that covers the latter part of the 20th century. Despite some of the stilted dialogue, Piccoli bares the soul of a character whose sufferings include his internment and escape from a gulag.

He dominated every moment as a reserved and modest cardinal who panics when elected pontiff in Nanni Moretti’s semi-satire Habemus Papam (We Have a Pope, 2011). The first close-ups of him, when he realises he has been appointed the new pope, suggest, with subtle expressions, emotions ranging from surprise, humility, ambivalence, excitement and then horror.

In Vous N’avez Encore Rien Vu (You Ain’t Seen Nothin’ Yet, 2012), Alain Resnais’ intriguing, self-reflective examination of actors and acting, film and theatre, Piccoli, playing himself, is the doyen in a cast of leading French actors of the day.

He directed the features Alors Voilà (1997) and La Plage Noire (The Black Beach, 2001), the former winning the Critics’ prize at Venice, to add to the many prizes he had won as an actor. It was appropriate that when Agnès Varda filmed One Hundred and One Nights for the centenary of the cinema in 1995, she cast Piccoli as Monsieur Cinema.

He was married three times. His first two marriages, to Eléonore Hirt and to Gréco, ended in divorce. He is survived by his third wife, the screenwriter Ludivine Clerc, whom he married in 1978, and by his daughter, Anne-Cordélia, from his first marriage.

• Michel Piccoli, actor, born 27 December 1925; died 12 May 2020

© 2020 Guardian News

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24 Badass Female Superheroes, From Batwoman to She-Ra and More (Photos)

Our guide to women with kick ass powers in comics, movies and TV

Margeaux Sippell and Ross A. Lincoln | October 7, 2020 @ 6:34 AM

Saving the world in spandex isn't just for guys. We've compiled a list of memorable and bad-ass superheroines. From Wonder Woman to Captain Marvel, here are some super-women you don't want to mess with. 

DC

WONDER WOMAN  Whether you met her first in DC Comics, played by Linda Carter in the 1970s, or played by Gal Gadot in Patty Jenkin's 2017 hit film, if you know only one name on this list, chances are it's this one. Created in 1941 by William Moulton Marston and H.G. Peter, Wonder Woman is the immortal, super-strong, magical genius daughter of Zeus and Hippolyta. After moving to the world of mortals as an emissary of the Amazons, she fights for justice and equality solo and as a founding member of the Justice League against a rogues list that includes literal gods and colorful criminals like Cheetah. Good thing she has a magical lasso and an invisible jet to help her out. 

The CW

SUPERGIRL  Superman's cousin Kara Zor-El -- known on earth as Kara Danvers in the very excellent The CW series starring Melissa Benoist -- is another survivor of Krypton's destruction who fights for truth and some very needed social justice while protecting earth from threats like time traveling supervillains and Martian authoritarians. She's also a very good journalist. Her superpowers aren't just flight, invincibility, laser vision and so on, she's also just an excellent person.

Marvel

CAPTAIN MARVEL  Originally known as Ms. Marvel (a title now used by another entry on this list), Carol Danvers assumed the Mantle of Captain Marvel in honor of her mentor, the alien hero Mar-Vell. Created by Roy Thomas and Gene Colan in 1968, she's an air force pilot and feminist activist who fights supervillains as Captain Marvel, and sexism in her civilian guise. Played by Brie Larson in the 2018 film, Captain Marvel has superhuman strength, stamina, durability, and agility, and can fly faster than the speed of sound. She has the “Seventh Sense,” which allows her to predict future danger. She can also heal from injuries quickly, has immunity to toxins and poisons, and can shoot light beams from her hands.

The CW

BATWOMAN Ruby Rose played the openly lesbian superhero Kate Kane, a.k.a. Batwoman, in the first season of The CW series "Batwoman. In the series, Kane returned to Gotham to take over for the Caped Crusader and save the city. For the second season, Javicia Leslie was cast as Ryan Wilder, a brand-new character (not in the comics) who takes on the Batwoman persona.

SHURI  Sister to King T'Challa, the current Black Panther, Shuri is Wakanda's top scientist -- which makes her pretty much the world's top scientist. As played by Letitia Wright in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Shuri not only designs Black Panther's ultra-advanced tech and numerous other world-changing inventions, she's also a powerful warrior in her own right. Her comics counterpart, created in 2003 by Reginald Hudlin and John Romita Jr., is even more badass: she's been given Black Panther powers, she can transform into animals, and she's even managed to come back from the dead.

Marvel

BLACK WIDOW  Black Widow emerged as one of the crucial heroes of the Marvel Cinematic Universe thanks to her portrayal by Scarlett Johansson. Created by Stan Lee, Don Rico and Don Heck, she's a former Russian spy who defected to S.H.I.E.L.D. and the Avengers. In the comics, her powers include resistance to disease and aging, ability to suppress and replace memories, agility. In the films, she's just a run of the mill extreme badass, master athlete and martial artist with a talent for psychological manipulation -- and a great leader too. Her backstory will be fleshed out a lot more in her self-titled solo film, whose release is set for May 2021.

Netflix

JESSICA JONES  Created by Brian Michael Bendis for Marvel's "Alias" comics in 2001, Jessica Jones has been a hard drinking expert private detective, an Avenger and even a high school classmate of Spider-Man. She's strong, she can fly, and she isn't here for your B.S., especially on her Netflix show, where she was played by Krysten Ritter.

Warner Bros.

HARLEY QUINN  While formerly an absolute villain, Harley has since crossed over into a more heroic, or at least, non-villainous role. Introduced in the 1990s show "Batman the Animated Series," originally she was Dr. Harleen Quinzel, an Arkham Asylum psychiatrist manipulated by the Joker into helping him escape and joining his gang. After years of cruelty, she finally left him and since then DC comics stories have emphasized that she's an abuse survivor trying to figure out her own way in a world. Incredibly smart and immune to almost all toxins, she frequently teams up with fellow supervillains Catwoman and Poison Ivy. She's played by Margot Robbie in "Suicide Squad" and 2020's "Birds of Prey," and by Kaley Cuoco in DC's animated "Harley Quinn" series.  

Marvel Studios

THE WASP  More than one Marvel hero has been known as The Wasp, but the best known is Hope Van Dyne, played by Evangeline Lilly in "Ant-Man" and "Ant-Man and the Wasp." In both the movies and comics, she's the daughter of the original Ant-Man and The Wasp, Hank Pym and Janet Van Dyne -- though unlike her comics counterpart, in the movies she doesn't have innate powers. No worries though. She's a gifted strategist and formidable martial artist who, thanks to some pretty sophisticated technology, is also able to shrink to the size of an insect (with proportional strength) and fly. She can also punch really, really hard.

Netflix

SHE-RA  She-Ra is the superpowered alter ego of Princess Adora, long lost twin sister of Prince Adam/He-Man from "He-Man and the Masters of the Universe." Raised on the far away planet of Etheria, Adora uses the Sword of Protection to transform into She-Ra, leader of the resistance against the tyrannical Evil Horde. Originating in the 1985 cartoon "She-Ra: Princess of Power," She-Ra was brought back on Netflix's acclaimed ongoing series "She-Ra and the Princess of Power." 

The CW

THUNDER  Thunder, a.k.a. Anissa Pierce, is the eldest daughter of the superhero Black Lightning. But she's more than just a family legacy. Thunder can increase her body density at will, making her immovable and almost completely invulnerable. She is also bullet proof and can create shockwaves by stomping on the ground -- really handy when taking down bad guys. She's memorably portrayed by Nafessa Williams in the CW's "Black Lightning" series, where like her comics counterpart she's an out lesbian.

Warner Bros.

CATWOMAN   One of Batman's most enduring love-interests and, like Harley Quinn, somewhat reformed from crime in recent years, Catwoman is an expert cat burglar with acrobatic prowess whose preferred weapon is her brains, and a bullwhip.  Catwoman has long had an uneasy relationship with Batman, though in a recent storyline the two got engaged -- until she called it off. She's most notably been played in live action by Michelle Pfeiffer in "Batman Returns" and by Anne Hathaway in "The Dark Knight Rises."

Marvel Comics/Art by Robbi Rodriguez

GWEN STACEY / SPIDER-GWEN  In the Mainstream Marvel Comics universe, Gwen Stacey was Peter Parker's college girlfriend, who died tragically when she was dropped off the George Washington Bridge by the Green Goblin.  But in the 2014 "Spider-Verse" storyline, it's revealed that in an alternate universe, Gwen was the one bitten by a radioactive spider, becoming that world's Spider-Woman. She got her own comic book series called "Spider-Gwen" in 2015 and played a major role in the Oscar-winning animated film "Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse."

LIGHTNING  Black Lightning's other daughter, Jennifer Pierce, can manipulate electricity and generate it from her own body, as well as fly. So don't mess with her. She's best known for being played by China Anne McClain on The CW's "Black Lightning," a show all of you should be watching. 

ABC

THE BIONIC WOMAN  A spinoff of the 1973-78 sci-fi action series "The Six Million Dollar Man," "The Bionic Woman" followed Jaime Sommers (Lindsay Wagner), a tennis player critically injured in a sky diving accident whose life is saved with bionic implants including an ear, an arm and both legs, giving her fantastic abilities. Though the show lasted only three seasons, its enduing popularity led to several TV movie revivals, and it influenced a ton of subsequent female heroes.

OKOYE  Created by Christopher Priest and Mark Texeira in 1998, Okoye was long one of Marvel's lesser-known heroes, until she became a straight up icon thanks to Danai Gurira's performances in "Black Panther," "Avengers: Infinity War" and "Avengers: Endgame."  Okoye is the head of Black Panther's personal bodyguards, the Dora Milaj. And what she lacks in Black Panther's literal superpowers, she more than makes up for with martial arts expertise and a genius at tactical and strategic thinking.  No wonder she not only went toe to toe against the children of Thanos and lived, she also single-handedly saved Wakanda after The Snap wiped out trillions, including Black Panther.

Cartoon Network

BLACK CANARY  Black Canary has been fighting crime since her debut in DC Comics' "The Flash" in 1947, first as the alter ego of Dinah Drake -- who eventually married police detective Larry Lance -- and later by her daughter, Dinah Laurel Lance, who most frequently teams up romantically and crime-fightingly with Green Arrow. Originally written to have no powers, she later acquired a sonic scream called the "canary cry" that can shatter objects and kill enemies.  She was voiced by Morena Baccarin in Cartoon Network's "Justice League Unlimited," and three different versions of the character have been played by Katie Cassidy, Caity Lotz, and Juliana Harkavy in The CW's Arrowverse. Jurnee Smollett-Bell will play her in the upcoming "Birds of Prey" live action film.

DC / Cartoon Network

KATANA  DC Comics' Katana is a Japanese superhero whose power lies in the blade of her sword, called the SoulTaker -- which contains the soul of her dead husband, Maseo. Created by Mike Barr and Jim Aparo, Katana is part of the Justice League, the Birds of Prey, and the Outsiders, Batman's hand-picked team for black-ops missions. She's played by Rila Fukushima in The CW's Arrowverse, was by Karen Fukuhara in Warner Bros.' 2016 film "Suicide Squad."

Marvel / ABC

DAISY JOHNSON / QUAKE  Aptly named because of her ability to generate earthquakes, Quake, a.k.a. Daisy Johnson, is the daughter of the super villain Mister Hyde. A high ranking member of S.H.I.E.L.D. (behind only Black Widow and Nick Fury), she's best known for being played by Chloe Bennet on "Marvel's Agents of S.H.E.I.L.D.," where her powers come from the fact that she's an Inhuman (an element later imported into the comics).

DC / Cartoon Network

BIG BARDA  Created in 1971 by the legendary Jack Kirby, Big Barda is one of DC Comics' New Gods. Raised on planet Apokolips to serve the cruel dictator Darkseid, she changed sides after falling in love with Mister Miracle and eventually escapes with him to Earth, where she's been a big part of teams like the Justice League and Birds of Prey. She's immortal, super strong and nearly invincible, and a highly trained soldier whose weapon of choice is the mega-rod. Audiences will see for themselves in the upcoming "New Gods" movie -- director Ava DuVernay says Barda is her favorite superhero.

Marvel

ELEKTRA  Best known for being played by Jennifer Garner in 2003's "Daredevil" as well as her own standalone 2005 film, this Marvel superheroine is an expert martial artist and assassin who has worked on both sides of the law (until she eventually killed the evil aspects of her personality in a duel.) She was created by Frank Miller in 1981.

CBS

BATGIRL / ORACLE  Created in 1967, Barbara Gordon, adopted daughter of Commissioner Jim Gordon, has been a superhero in multiple forms. As Batgirl she operates alongside Batman and Robin in Gotham. After being paralyzed by the Joker in a 1988 storyline, she because the information broker known as Oracle, who assembled the Birds of Prey and basically served as tech overlord to Gotham City's heroes. In recent years, a timeline reboot (long story) has her back in the suit as Batgirl but still capable of serving as oracle when needed.

Marvel

KAMALA KHAN / MS. MARVEL  A Pakistani American teenager from New Jersey, Kamala Khan is also descended from the Inhumans, and when exposed to terregin mists developed the ability to shape shift and recover from almost all wounds. She operates under the name Ms. Marvel in tribute to the original, Carol Danvers, who has since assumed the name Captain Marvel. Created by Sana Amanat, Stephen Wacker, G. Willow Wilson, Adrian Alphona and Jamie McKelvie, she's the first Muslim character to headline a Marvel comic book, "Ms. Marvel," which has been praised for its writing, and for bringing greater visibility to Muslims in comics. A Disney+ series featuring in the character is due in 2021.

Disney

ELASTIGIRL  Not to be left out is Elastigirl from "The Incredibles." The alter ego of Helen Parr, wife of Mr. Incredible (Bob Parr) and mother of Violet, Dash, and Jack-Jack, she can stretch any part of her body and mold herself into different shapes and sizes. She's voiced by Holly Hunter.

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[cloudphillips]

Two

"Excuse me!"

  A First year Ravenclaw taking a casual stroll along the halls of the Lower West Wing suddenly shrieked in surprise when she heard thunderous footsteps and felt the blast of the raging wind that knocked her off her feet. The books she'd been holding fell scattered on the floor and she was left dazed at the sight of gold and scarlet hurricane leaving destruction in its wake.

  "Coming through!"

The male Hufflepuff student dropped the pot of Mimbulus Mimbletonia from his grasp when he accidentally collided against a rampaging brick wall in the form of a Gryffindor student. He got sprayed by the plant's stinksap and was covered head to toe with its filth. It didn't take another second for him to fall unconscious because of the foul smell. "Run for your lives!" A Slytherin girl screamed at the top of her lungs, promptly alerting the students within the vicinity to scamper away and avoid the area like the plague if they didn't want to smell like dung for a month.

  Everything was in chaos ever since that hurricane of a Gryffindor came.

  "Bitch move!"

  Said hurricane took the form of Kim Yerim and she stopped her rampage along the corridors of Hogwarts when she stumbled upon a couple, a male Gryffindor snogging his girlfriend Ravenclaw, who completely blocked the entrance to the Great Hall. The audacity!

  Yerim didn't have time to tolerate this public display of affection and sheer disrespect, so she unceremoniously shoved them out of the way then barged into the Great Hall without caring if she would bump into someone or not. Judging by the shocked expressions she was getting from the rest of the student body, Yerim guessed that she must've looked like a possessed woman but her appearance was the least of her concerns as of the moment.

  For now, she needed to share the news to her friends. The news that currently circulated in Hogwarts rumor mill. The news that pulled her knickers in a twist and left her at her wits' end.

  The young Gryffindor scanned the hall in search of her friends and it didn't take her quite long to spot them huddled together at the far end of the table. Sooyoung looked positively bored as she mindlessly played with her food and gazed at the distance, Seulgi was gobbling down some chicken and mashed potatoes like a starved Threstral and Joohyun was absorbed reading the Daily Prophet.

  A frown slowly settled on her face when she noticed that their social circle was more subdued than usual. Maybe because there was the lack of mindless chatter. Seungwan, the one who usually initiates the conversation, was noticeably absent but Yerim shrugged off her concerns. That blonde nerd was probably out there doing dumb shit like trying to get initiated into a Centaur clan or reading fairytale stories to lonely ghosts.

  Either way, she wasn't worried that her Ravenclaw friend was in danger because if she was, Joohyun would be raving like a lunatic and she'd literally burn the wizarding world to the ground in order to find the culprit that hurt Seungwan. She'd even stare Death right in the face when the situation calls for it.

  Yerim crossed the hall with a few quick strides and upon reaching their group, slammed her hands against the table. "Did you hear the news?!" The Gryffindor could barely manage to control her laughter when she successfully startled both her Slytherin friends. Joohyun, in particular, shrieked like a dying whale and it gave Yerim such satisfaction to elicit distress from the older girl. The intense glare she received from the Prefect was totally worth it.

  You see, Kim Yerim was born into this godforsaken world for one purpose and purpose only.

  That was to annoy the hell out of Bae Joohyun.

  And maybe wreck some havoc while she was at it.

  "Kim Yerim." The Prefect's features contorted into a scowl and her voice dripped with venom as she regarded the young Gryffindor with malice. Any normal person would've been scared shitless after witnessing this murderous side of Joohyun but after long years of constantly being reprimanded due to her troublemaking tendencies, the Gryffindor had somehow developed an immunity to the Slytherin's method of intimidation. Trust Yerim to disregard authoritarian figures like their existence didn't matter.

  Despite her irritation at the younger girl, the Slytherin Prefect still scooted over and allowed Yerim to sit beside her. Whatever disagreement they had before was now forgotten as they ate their lunch in peace and chatted harmoniously with each other.

  "Which one?" Seulgi muttered inbetween mouthfuls of chicken and mashed potatoes. "Hogwarts has hundreds of rumors circulating every day. It's hard to keep track." The Hufflepuff turned to Sooyoung and asked for a portion of her red velvet cake which the taller girl begrudgingly gave her.

  "If this is about that Bulbadox powder that Filch drank in his tea, I swear I had nothing to do with it." Sooyoung pointedly munched on her cake and expertly maintained a neutral expression when she regarded her friends with a level gaze. She shrugged off their suspicions and acted all innocent.

  However, Joohyun wasn't one to be easily tricked. "You pranked the Caretaker?" She transformed into her Prefect mode and narrowed her eyes at her fellow housemate.

  Okay. They were getting off topic here.

  "No. I only smuggled Devil's Snare into his office and kept him locked in there while I transfigured Mrs. Norris into a cauldron but other than that, I did nothing else." Sooyoung casually admitted to her crimes as if they were just talking about the weather. Like smuggling a dangerous plant inside the school and literally endangering everyone was just another regular day in her life.

  Yerim couldn't help but be impressed. Never once had she thought of using Devil's Snare to terrorize the Caretaker. It was brilliant and certainly life-threatening. A prank of this magnitude was a ground for expulsion but Sooyoung managed to pull it off effortlessly. The Gryffindor suddenly developed a newfound respect for the Slytherin. Leave it to Sooyoung to take things to the extreme. She was amazing! Just bravo!

  "You did what?!" The raven-haired girl screeched in frustration as her sanity slowly dwindled away. Other students shifted their attention towards their table after that sudden noise but one glare from Joohyun was enough for them to turn away and mind their own business. The Prefect was mad. In fact, she was livid. The growing urge to strangle a certain tall Slytherin was difficult to ignore. "That's dangerous! You could've cost us our House points!"

  "Could you, like, chill for just a second? That was just only a few hours ago. He'd have escaped by now--" The tall girl stared into the distance and tapped her chin thoughtfully. "--or not." Her features contorted into a grimace as she internally debated on whether or not she should check on Filch. In the end, her conscience won. "Okay fine. I'll check on him later after I finish eating."

  "You better." Joohyun grumbled before settling back to her seat, still unappeased by Sooyoung's placations, and found a new habit of frowning at her food. She already lost her appetite. If only someone would comfort her and allay her worries but alas, that someone was busy out there training her flying skills.

  "By the way, where's Seungwan? I haven't seen her today." Seulgi momentarily stopped eating to glance at Joohyun. There was a topic in Astronomy that she had difficulty understanding and the Ravenclaw seemed like the best person to ask for help.

  "Quidditch practice." Came the Slytherin's response as she tucked away the newspaper she was reading in favor of her notes. Care of Magical Creatures would be her next class and it didn't hurt to familiarize herself with the new topic they're going to discuss today.

  "Seriously. They're already training at this time?" Yerim was incredulous. The next Quidditch match wouldn't be held until like two months from now. It seemed like the Ravenclaw team was preparing in advance, which was completely unnecessary since they're already a formidable force to be reckoned with.

  Ahem! No offense Gryffindor team. Yerim felt conflicted. Her mind was telling her to support their Quidditch squad yet her heart was telling her to root for Ravenclaw. Why? Because the Gryffindor team sucked and the players would rather showboat instead putting up a good game. It's no wonder they lost every match.

  Looks like we have a traitor here officer!

  "Their team are trying to get a head start for their next match against Slytherin since they are tied for the cup." Joohyun shrugged casually and her statement elicited some unexpected reactions from her friends. They all looked at her as if she had grown a second head.

  "Really? An uptight Prefect like you was keeping tabs on the Quidditch match?" Yerim exclaimed. Her mind couldn't quite comprehend the words she just heard. She shook her head in disbelief. "The world must be ending."

  "I thought you didn't care for trivial things like Quidditch." Seulgi was appalled. In her long years of friendship with the said girl, she had never displayed any interest in the sport, which was surprising since Joohyun came from a Pureblood family and Quidditch was like, the obsession of the wizarding world. Seulgi was curious as to why her friend suddenly became involved with the sport.

  "Oh, I still don't but Seungwan is so into it and you know how intense she gets. If she had her way, she might as well marry the sport." That thought alone caused Joohyun to frown and she accidentally ripped the edges of a page from the book she was reading.

  After that display of a rather passive-aggressive act, Sooyoung glanced at Yerim and they exchanged knowing smirks. Guess who slept on the wrong side of the bed today?

  The young Gryffindor decided to add fuel to the fire and teased the irate Prefect. "That's understandable since you can't deny that Seungwan is the best Seeker Ravenclaw has ever seen in centuries. She could be playing for the Big Leagues if she weren't such a nerd." She stabbed a piece of chicken meat and munched on it loudly.

  "That doesn't mean she should just spend all her time flying that stupid broom and catching that golden bastard. She has better things to do." Joohyun crossed her arms then sulked like a baby. Loneliness has made a home inside her heart and the Slytherin Prefect wondered if she could ever recover from this emptiness she was feeling.

  Okay. She was being dramatic now.

  Sooyoung rolled her eyes and gave Joohyun a goblet filled with clear liquid. The Prefect seemed confused at the sudden offer. "What's this?"

  "Water."

  "What for?"

  "To quench your thirst."

  Suddenly, the doors burst open. The topic of their conversation and the very cause of Joohyun's thirst entered the Great Hall. Seungwan scanned the surroundings in search of her friends and automatically locked gazes with Joohyun. It's as if their eyes were drawn to each other and the Slytherin Prefect was unable to look away. She still kept staring when Seungwan made her way towards them and Yerim took it upon herself to bring her friend back to reality. "You're drooling."

  Joohyun immediately clammed her mouth shut and half-heartedly glared at Yerim, which was pretty much useless since it had no effect on the Gryffindor. She clenched her teeth and remained stiff in her seat, not daring to move a single muscle, as Seungwan settled beside her. The raven-haired girl caught a whiff of her intoxicating earthy scent and needless to say, she was addicted.

  "Hey." Seungwan was a little breathless but she still flashed Joohyun that same brilliant smile that put the sun to shame. Her silky blonde locks clung to her porcelain skin in sticky waves and she was positively disheveled. The blue and gray robes she was wearing were all creased. She looked like she just ran a marathon around the castle grounds but despite this, she still took Joohyun's breath away.

  "Hey." The Slytherin Prefect swallowed the lump in her throat and fidgeted with the hem of her clothes. Oh look! There's a ketchup stain on her robes. Maybe she'll wash her garments later and sprinkle it with some fabric softener for it to smell divine once it dries.

  It took her a while to gather the courage she needed to fix the blonde's necktie. She bit her lip when her fingers accidentally brushed against the smooth satin skin and fought hard to keep her hands from trembling. She heard Sooyoung mutter the word whipped but she ignored it in favor of tucking away the stray locks that partially obscured Seungwan's face. "Done with practice?" Joohyun's voice came out so soft and gentle. It sounded foreign to her ears.

  "Yes. I'm quite famished." Seungwan pouted adorably. Her cheeks looking all tender and squishy and Joohyun was positively sure her heart had stopped beating.

  That was it.

  Joohyun had become undone.

  Yerim coughed then pointedly nudged her arm and that broke Joohyun out of whatever trance she was trapped in. The Slytherin blinked once, twice, before shaking off her stray thoughts and grounding herself back to reality. She grabbed a plate, cut the food into smaller portions then offered them to the starving Ravenclaw. "Eat some Seungwan-ah." Joohyun was too busy fussing over Seungwan that she didn't notice the disgusted expressions the devil duo were making after witnessing that cheesy display of affection. "Do you want some seaweed soup? I could make one if you like."

  "No it's okay." The blonde shook her head and proceeded to dig in. She wolfed down the food like a ravenous beast. Joohyun thought that she must be really hungry. Meanwhile, Sooyoung wondered where the food that Seungwan ate went. All the nutrients she'd been consuming did no wonders to her height.

  "So how was practice?" Seulgi felt confused at the sudden change of the Slytherin Prefect's demeanor upon the blonde's arrival but just chalked it up to one of her friend's tendency to be a mother hen. It was no secret to their group that Joohyun was quite affectionate with Seungwan. The Hufflepuff was about to mind her own business and resume eating when she witnessed Joohyun casually wipe away the bead of sweat that cascaded down Seungwan's forehead.

  WITH. HER. BARE. HANDS.

  That disgusting shit. Who in their right minds would do that?

  The Hufflepuff was scandalized as she glanced at Sooyoung and Yerim and telepathically asked them, through her shocked stare, if they saw that cheesy moment too. Judging from their grim features, they did and they looked like they were seconds away from hanging themselves.

  The disrespect.

  "I think our captain is trying to kill me." Seungwan shuddered at the memory of her captain's rigorous training regimen specially designed for Seekers like her. "She had the team gang up on me and had them throw Bludgers my way." The Ravenclaw shrugged it off casually like being chased to death by enchanted bloodthirsty balls was a normal everyday occurrence for her. A cheeky smile graced her lips when she turned to Joohyun and wrapped an arm around her waist to pull her closer. "How's my favorite Prefect doing? I haven't seen you all day."

  The Slytherin Prefect squeaked in alarm and got flustered at their close proximity. She felt the warmth Seungwan radiated against her body and if this keeps up, Joohyun would be a few seconds away from fainting.

  "Oh that's good to know..." Seulgi trailed off when she realized that Seungwan was no longer talking to her. Still distracted away from her food, she observed why her two friends were suddenly acting all chummy towards each other.

  "I'm fine thanks." In an effort to remain calm and not get carried away by Seungwan's touch, Joohyun shifted all her attention to Yerim. Her last bit of hope to keep her anchored to reality. "Sorry. What was it that you wanted to share?"

  "Right..." The Gryffindor tried not to laugh at how her friend looked like a deer caught in the headlights. She thought that whatever news she was about to share now seemed a little irrelevant after witnessing the lovefest that was still occuring at their table. Seriously. Why did they have to do that right in front of her salad? Do they have no decency?

  "Hogwarts will be hosting the Triwizard Tournament this year."

  This important piece of information garnered quite the reactions that were far from what she was expecting. Seungwan dropped her fork. Seulgi choked on her food and some of the particles flew to the air, much to everyone's disgust. Sooyoung rubbed the Hufflepuff's back in an effort to alleviate her choking ass. Meanwhile, Joohyun remained impassive as usual. "Students from Beaubatons and Durmstrang will be arriving tomorrow."

  "No way!" Sooyoung exclaimed in disbelief.

  "Why so sudden?" Seungwan wondered why she only heard about this now. News this big would usually spread like wildfire around Hogwarts.

  "Maybe Professor Dumbledore will explain everything." Joohyun handed some water to Seulgi, who was still choking, and worriedly gazed at her.

  The Hufflepuff thankfully recovered from her coughing fit and profusely apologized to everyone for causing such inconvenience. The girls waved off her apology and Sooyoung handed her a napkin to wipe the stain on her face.

  "Isn't this exciting? We could make friends from other schools and maybe get the chance to meet the famous Quidditch Chaser Park Bogum!" Yeri could barely contain her happiness and made no attempts to do so. She was literally vibrating with excitement. "I heard he's currently studying at Durmstrang."

  "Of course you'd only care about boys." Sooyoung sighed airily and shook her head in disapproval. She cared about boys too but she was being low-key about it. "Talk about thirsty."

  "I am not thirsty!" The Gryffindor fired back at her friend's blatant jab. She couldn't let Sooyoung diss her without throwing her own comeback. "Just dehydrated."

  Yerim smirked and Sooyoung grinned mischievously in return as they gave each other a high-five. Seulgi merely frowned. "Gross."

  "Shut it Pooh bear!" The Gryffindor threw some shade at her.

  "I literally have no idea who that is." The Hufflepuff was confused as usual.

  "Oh it's this Muggle cartoon that children watch." Seungwan took the liberty to enlighten her clueless friend. She took a sip from the goblet of water Joohyun handed to her before resuming her explanation. "It's about a bear who has an obsession with honey."

  "Don't tell her anything." Yerim sneered at the blonde. Her eyes blazed with fire that threatened to burn Seungwan if she so much as continue talking. "These Purebloods don't need to know what we do in our world."

  "You speak as if being associated with us is shameful." Joohyun was amused at the Gryffindor's antics. She couldn't find it in herself to become offended since it was Yerim. That girl throws insults and sarcasm like she does it for a living.

  "Of course." The Gryffindor casually stabbed her salad with a fork and loudly chewed on it. "You guys are so fixated on this Pureblood Supremacy shit. It's time we fight back and start our own cult of Muggle World Domination."

  "What about me?" Sooyoung piped up. Being the only half-blood in the group, she was feeling kinda left out. "Which side am I on?"

  Yerim looked at her dead in the eye and stated in a deadpan tone. "None. You're the factory reject."

  "Yah!" The Slytherin objected and that ignited an all-out insult war with the two youngest throwing shade at each other. Amidst their argument, Seulgi figured that it was the appropriate time to voice out. "I still don't know what a cartoon is." But her query was only ignored. She sulked like a baby and ate her lunch half-heartedly.

  Joohyun glanced at her wristwatch and frowned upon realizing that she was running late for the Prefect's meeting. "Seul hurry up or we'll miss the gathering!"

  "Aww you're already leaving? But I just got here." In her desperate act of begging for her friends to stay, Seungwan unintentionally displayed a rare moment of cuteness. Her brown eyes turned all soft like a puppy and her lips jutted out to form a pout. She clearly had no idea of the effect she had on Joohyun because she successfully rendered the girl useless with no effort at all.

  Thankfully, Yerim swooped in to save the Prefect from further distress since it seemed like she has short-circuited. "Brilliant! I'm heading to my next class anyway so I might as well come with you." She bid them farewell and grabbed a really flustered Joohyun then a sulking Seulgi before unceremoniously hauling them out of the Great Hall.

  The students from other houses stared dumbfounded at the spectacle the three friends made but shrugged it off and continued minding their own business. Apparently, this was a normal occurrence in Hogwarts. The sight of two respectable Prefects getting dragged around like puppets by a Gryffindor troublemaker was something they were used to seeing.

  Now all that's left were Seungwan and Sooyoung.

  "Shouldn't you be in Divination right now?" The Ravenclaw furrowed her brows when she noticed that some students were already leaving the Great Hall to attend their classes. Meanwhile, the Slytherin was just sitting there and eating her lunch. She made no move of getting to her class.

  "I'm not going." Sooyoung waved off her query and nonchalantly took a sip from her pumpkin juice, acting like skipping classes wouldn't be detrimental to her future.

  "What? But that's against school rules!" Seungwan was scandalized. She was horrified at the thought of missing lessons. Learning magic was amazing! How could anyone just disregard their education like it was nothing? Her inner Ravenclaw was having a hysterical fit.

  "Oh, you don't get to pull that on me when you literally snuck out after curfew just a few nights ago." The Slytherin rolled her eyes at her friend's pathetic behavior. It's as if she was acting all blasphemous and Seungwan itched to burn her heretic ass to the ground. She paused for a moment to contemplate about something before leaning close and narrowing her eyes to observe the Ravenclaw. "You're lucky Joohyun didn't report you."

  "I didn't mean for her to find me." Seungwan bit her lip and scratched the nonexistent itch at the back of her neck. She at least had the decency to look sheepish. Sooyoung did have a point and her claims were true. After that one fateful night were she was caught roaming around the halls by the said girl, Joohyun didn't even reprimand her nor take away house points from Ravenclaw. She just gave the blonde a stern warning never to repeat it again then let her off the hook and pretended like the whole thing never happened.

  "But she did anyway and told no one about it. Joohyun can be lenient when it comes to you." Sooyoung stared at her pointedly, as if there was a secret message she was trying to convey with her eyes, and Seungwan, for the love of God, had difficulty getting the memo.

  Upon noticing her friend's confusion, the Slytherin sighed in exhaustion as she massaged her temples to alleviate the growing headache. "Merlin's beard, you're so hopeless." She was tired, so very tired, of putting up with the blonde's cluelessness. Joohyun was out there giving out obvious signs but Seungwan and her blind ass just wouldn't take the hint.

  How could someone be so smart yet so stupid at the same time?

  "Anyway--" Sooyoung decided to change the topic since it would take her friend centuries to finally catch up with her subtle implications. "--I'm not completely disregarding my studies. I just have other priorities as of the moment."

  "Like what?"

  "Learning a new spell."

  "Which is?"

  The Slytherin stared at her for a complete minute and conducted an ocular inspection to see if Seungwan was worthy of knowing the vital information that she kept secret. Leaning closer on the table and wringing her fingers in a tight knot, the tall Slytherin adopted a serious expression that was rather uncharacteristic for her personality. The Ravenclaw couldn't help but follow suit. "The Patronus Charm."

  "You want to conjure a Patronus?" Seungwan clarified for one more time to check if she was hearing things correctly and to ensure that she was not being tricked. "Why?"

  "Well, aside from wanting to know the corporeal form of my Patronus, learning a complex spell like this would certainly help me in the future." The Slytherin shrugged and took a bite from her cake. "Give me an edge in Auror training and all that jazz."

  Oh. Now that was an actually valid excuse to skip classes.

  "Look Sooyoung. I'm glad you have the motivation to further your education but trust me when I say that the Patronus charm is really difficult to cast." Seungwan recalled all those sleepless nights and failed attempts she had to undergo before she could perfect the spell. "I tried doing it since second year and it was seriously daunting--" Her ramblings were suddenly interrupted by Sooyoung.

  "Wait. Hold up." The Slytherin held up her hand. A gesture to stop the Ravenclaw from talking. "You started practicing the charm since we were second years?"

  "Yes and I have learned to perfect my technique over the years." The blonde stared at the distance. A small wistful smile had settled on her lips. "It's a shame I can't use it on a real Dementor though." Seungwan returned back to reality only to witness Sooyoung's features morph into a scowl.

  The Slytherin lunged to grab the Ravenclaw by the collar in an attempt to strangle her and unleashed all the profanities she'd been holding. "Why didn't you tell me?! You could've spared me the effort of desperately begging Professor Flitwick to teach me. My pride and honor has been tainted!"

  Seungwan tried to escape but it was futile since Sooyoung held on firmly like a Boa constrictor. Thankfully both of them were the only ones left in the Great Hall or else other students would witness the commotion they were making and prevent rumors from flying around Hogwarts about Seungwan being a wimp.

  "I'm sorry!" The Ravenclaw wailed pathetically as she struggled to breathe and gather air into her lungs. "I just accidentally stumbled upon it while reading a book in the library and figured that it would be fun to try!" She wheezed and started seeing white halos in her vision.

  This was it. This was the moment she was gonna die. Her death would be brought not by the claws of a cat, but by the constricting arms of Sooyoung.

  The Slytherin growled and smacked her on the head. "While we were learning to levitate a fucking feather and doing dumb shit like unlocking doors, you were out there practicing a supremely advanced spell just because it was fun to try!" Sooyoung grabbed the breathless girl by the shoulders and shook her relentlessly.

  "Teach me!"

  "Okay okay! I'll do it!" Seungwan could feel her neck crack from the continuous motion. Her vision blurred and she was getting dazed. Thankfully, Sooyoung stopped her assault just in time. She smoothed out the wrinkles in Seungwan's collar, tucked away stray strands of blonde hair and patted her cheek affectionately before smiling menacingly.

  "Good. Meet me in the Courtyard tomorrow." Her gaze was dark and her voice dripped with poison. The glint in her eyes seemed almost threatening and Seungwan couldn't suppress the shiver of fear that ran down her spine. The Slytherin glanced at her watch and sighed dramatically. "Oh great. Now, I have to check on Filch to make sure he wasn't eaten by that blasted plant." She talked as if this greatly inconvenienced her and Seungwan thought. Who's fault was that?

  With that, Sooyoung��left the Ravenclaw and set off to save the Caretaker. Seungwan could only stare at her retreating form as she wondered.

  Just what has she gotten herself into?

  ***

  A ship emerged from the waters of the Black Lake.

  It exuded a skeletal aura with dim, misty lights shimmering through its portholes and making it seem like a ghostly wreak. The enchanted ship glided across the docks and created turbulent waves along the shores.

  Meanwhile, a gigantic, powder blue, horse-drawn carriage, the size of a mansion, soared through the air. It was pulled by winged horses, all white and each the size of an elephant, over the grounds at Hogwarts.

  When Seungwan saw all of this, she was rendered speechless. She never thought she'd get the chance to witness something so magnificent, having only read about ghostly ships and flying carriages on the Muggle books she kept back home. She only relied on her wild imagination before but now she actually witnessed for herself how her dreams became reality.

  "Stop gawking and let's continue."

  Her blissful moment was rudely interrupted by the tall Slytherin who threatened her into sharing her techniques in conjuring the Patronus charm. They've been up since early morning, only stopping their sessions to attend classes and Quidditch practices, and spent most of their free time training. It was a little past two o'clock in the afternoon now and they were still making no progress.

  "Hey. It's not every day one gets to see ghostly ships and flying carriages." Seungwan crossed her arms and tried to defend her case, which was completely useless since she could never win an argument with Sooyoung.

  The tall girl merely rolled her eyes and stated in a condescending manner. "Ghost ships and magical carriages are common in the wizarding world. Everybody has seen them."

  This privileged motherfucker.

  Seungwan sighed in defeat and gestured at her friend to continue practicing. Sooyoung closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Relaxing her body and letting her mind focus on the memory receiving her Hogwarts letter for the first time. The elation she felt was undescribable and she allowed this positive energy to envelope her. "Expecto Patronum."

  A silvery whisp erupted from the tip of her wand and formed a white spectral shield. Sooyoung was ecstatic at the sight her progress but she lost focus and got distracted. The magic lasted for a few seconds before it fizzled out into nothing.

  "Are you sure that you're thinking of a happy memory? The spell won't work unless your memory is a powerful one." Seungwan frowned after witnessing another one of her friend's failed attempt. She crossed her arms and tilted her head in contemplation. Their methods weren't working. Maybe they were missing something? She'd better go and check her book just in case.

  "Say that again one more time and I'll slip some Draught of Living Death into your morning tea." Sooyoung growled in annoyance because she was already exhausted from her countless failures. The tall Slytherin clenched her teeth and tightened the grip on her wand before trying to cast the spell once again. This time she injected more force into her incantation. "Expecto Patronum!"

  The same silvery wisp emerged for a few minutes before it completely disappeared.

  "Honestly!" Sooyoung groaned in exasperation and threw her hands up to the air in defiance. "Why does this have to be so difficult?!" She glared at the heavens for causing her such distress. It's like the universe was conspiring against her when all she just wanted to conjure her Patronus. Was that too much to ask?

  "Don't be too hard on yourself. I had a hard time learning this spell too." Seungwan approached her friend and laid a comforting arm on her shoulder. Fatigue has been wearing them down and affecting their spellcasting abilities. She tried to reassure the Slytherin as best she can. "Most witches and wizards don't even have Patronuses and that's okay. It's not the end of the world if you're unable to cast the charm."

  "I know that." Sooyoung's eyes prickled with tears as feelings of inadequacy started to strain her and thoughts of doubt clouded her mind. "But how can I become an effective Auror if I can't even conjure my Patronus?"

  The sight of her friend's anguish tugged at Seungwan's heartstrings and she pulled the younger girl into the comforts of her embrace. She hummed a simple lullaby and rubbed the tall girl's back in an effort to relieve her misery. The Slytherin choked back a sob and buried her face into the blonde's neck.

  "You can do this." She cooed in Sooyoung's ear and traced random patterns on her skin. "I know you can."

  Then a brilliant thought flashed into her mind and the Ravenclaw brought it upon herself to cheer Sooyoung up. She pulled away from their embrace and grinned brightly. "Wanna see something cool?" When the Slytherin nodded in affirmation, Seungwan closed her eyes and recalled the happiest memory she had.

  Five girls

  Brilliant smiles

  One from Gryffindor

  Sunny skies

  Another from Hufflepuff

  Warm hugs

  Two from Slytherin

  Innocent laughter

  And one from Ravenclaw

  Souls connected with each other for the first time

  She held out her wand and voiced out the incantation she had grown familiar with. "Expecto Patronum."

  Sooyoung gasped in awe when, out the end of Seungwan's wand, burst not a shapeless cloud of mist, but a blinding, dazzling silver animal. She screwed up her eyes, trying to see what it was, and realized that it looked like a bird. A small, beautiful and elegant bird. It silently flew around them in circles, lightly nudging its head on Sooyoung's cheek before landing gracefully on the shoulders of its owner.

  The Slytherin was greatly impressed and she forgot about the negativity she felt earlier. "So your Patronus is a bird?" She asked after a minute of admiring the spirit guardian.

  "Not a bird!" Seungwan was offended. She didn't spend all those years of suffering from sleepless nights and learning a ridiculously advanced spell just for her Patronus to be called a bird.

  "A Nightingale!"

  Sooyoung narrowed her eyes and inspected the said animal for one last time before directing her skeptical gaze on Seungwan. "Doesn't look like a Nightingale to me." Her tone dripped with mockery and her eyes brightened with mischief. She wrapped an arm around the blonde and seemed to be having a great time teasing her friend.

  The Ravenclaw was about to retaliate by stating a rather scathing remark when she heard someone call out their names.

  "Seungwan! Sooyoung!"

  Joohyun approached them with a metaphorical cloud of darkness following her wake. Her features were grim and her gaze burned intensely. She looked like someone broke her wand and was on a rampage to wreck havoc on Earth, bringing upon destruction and chaos to all those who oppose her.

  Once she reached them, her gaze travelled along the length of Sooyoung’s arm that was wrapped around Seungwan’s waist. It lingered for a few minutes before she schooled her features into an unreadable expression. All her thoughts concealed under a mask of indifference and her eyes devoid of any emotions.

  That was the moment Sooyoung knew.

  She fucked up.

  The tall Slytherin quickly realized her error and jumped meters away from Seungwan then put some good distance between them. After ensuring that she was avoiding the Ravenclaw like the plague, she turned to Joohyun and tried not to wilt under her scrutiny. "It's not what it looks like, I swear! She was just teaching me the Patronus Charm!" Sooyoung was never really the type to keep a level-head during times of crisis and right now, under the pressure of Joohyun's gaze, she finally cracked and was in a state of panic.

  "You don't have to explain." Joohyun sounded calm and composed but her eyes told a different story. It raged like a storm and burned with the fires of hell. Sooyoung was never really a believer but now she prayed to every deity in the heavens to have her life spared just this once.

  Seungwan didn't understand why her friend was suddenly acting all nervous, as if Sooyoung was caught red-handed for a crime she didn't commit, and decided to clear up any misunderstandings. "It's true Hyun. I'm helping her cast the spell." She held up her hands in a placating gesture as if she was trying to tame a wild animal. Here she was, defending herself even though she didn't do anything wrong. She honestly felt like she was being reprimanded.

  "I can see that." Joohyun glanced at the silver spirit guardian still perched on blonde's shoulder. Her face still impassive. "Nice bird."

  Seungwan groaned and shook her head in disbelief. "Merlin's beard! It's a Nightingale for crying out loud!" Sooyoung faked a cough to hide her laughter. Her eyes glinting in amusement. It's nice to know that she found delight in Seungwan's despair.

  Joohyun remained indifferent when she addressed the both of them. "We're late for Potions class." She took off without further ado and left her friends in the dust, never even turning back to wait for them.

  Sooyoung and Seungwan briefly stared at each other, silently agreeing to continue their training session later, before running off to follow their friend.

  The trip to Potions class was relatively quiet. Joohyun kept to herself the whole time and Seungwan and Sooyoung didn't dare spark a conversation with her. The Ravenclaw knew that something caused the Prefect to become irate but she had no idea what it was. It felt like she was walking on eggshells around her friend and she was honestly getting tired. Hopefully, their lesson for today wouldn't require too much thinking on her part so she could have the time to relax and take it easy.

  Seungwan should've known better than to expect things to go her way. The universe had a vendetta against her. Surely, she'd have learned her lesson by now.

  Wrong.

  Fate just loves to make a fool out of her.

  She should've known that things were going south when they were greeted by excited chatters and furious gossips from the students as they arrived at the Potions classroom.

  She should've known when she observed how Professor Slughorn was acting more chipper than the usual. The smile never left his lips when he flitted around the room to gather the materials that will be used in the class.

  She really should've known when Sooyoung voiced out. "This is going to be fun." As the tall girl noticed Joohyun stiffening like a rock and successfully imitating a statue by the time the professor announced.

  "Today, I'll be discussing Amortentia. The most powerful love potion in the world."

  Well shit.

  "Finally!" A boy from Gryffindor pumped his fist to the air in excitement and the rest of the class burst out in laughter. He glanced at Joohyun and smoothly winked in her direction but the Slytherin acted like it never happened. That blatant display of flirting caused Seungwan to worry for her friend. She knew that Joohyun despised unwanted attention, especially ones from arrogant boys who think they have a shot with her.

  "Hey you okay?" Seungwan moved to stand beside Joohyun and angled her body to shield her friend from the Gryffindor boy's line of sight. She gently grabbed Joohyun's arm and to her great surprise, the Prefect flinched as if she was spooked. The blonde was confused. Joohyun never shied away from her touches before.

  "Yeah I'm fine." The Slytherin faked a cough and distanced herself away from Seungwan. She focused all her attention on their professor and didn't even bother looking at the Ravenclaw.

  "I appreciate your enthusiasm for today's lesson Suho. The topic of love really never gets old." A small indulgent smile graced Professor Slughorn's features when he complimented the Gryffindor student. Suho looked quite smug with the praise he received. It was no secret to everyone that Slughorn took quite a liking to the young boy. Suho was a promising Quidditch captain and a popular dueller. Rumor has it that he was scouted to play as a Beater in a professional Quidditch team.

  Professor Slughorn's eyes twinkled when he continued with the lecture. "As I was saying, Amortentia is a rather potent concoction. Rather than create true love, this potion induces in its drinker an unhealthy obsession with its provider. Those conceived under the influence of this are doomed incapable of love. It is extremely powerful, dangerous, and must be continuously administered to maintain its effect." The smile on his face disappeared and his gaze turned stern. His voice dropping into a serious tone to emphasize his point. "Thus, we must exercise extreme caution when handling this potion."

  "This potion sounds dreadful Professor. Why is it even here?" Sooyoung raised her hand in question and Seungwan nodded in agreement. Why would they study this concoction if it was dangerous in the first place?

  Most importantly, why would Slughorn teach a bunch of hormonal teenagers, who all had the tendency to make brash decisions, to brew a complicated love potion that may or may not be used for illegal purposes?

  "So that you can study its appearance and commit it to memory. That way you can recognize and avoid Amortentia if you happen to encounter it." Standing close to a bubbling cauldron, Professor Slughorn turned down the fire until it was completely extinguished and removed the lid that sealed the brew.

  The love potion emitted a pink-colored steam that wafted into the air and envelopes the entire room. Everyone caught a whiff of its potent fragrance and Seungwan couldn't help but wonder why the scent seemed awfully familiar.

  Freshly-laundered clothes sprinkled with fabric softener

  Blooming flowers under clear sunny skies

  Deliciously cooked seaweed soup

  "The scent of Amortentia is unique because it differs for everyone. Its fragrance caters to which a person finds most attractive." Professor Slughorn scanned the room to search for volunteers and smiled in delight when his eyes landed on Joohyun. "Ah Ms. Bae, would you please come in front and share to the class what you smell from this brew."

  For a moment, Joohyun seemed like she was hesitating and Seungwan thought her friend was going to decline. To her surprise, the Prefect nodded in agreement and simply walked towards Professor Slughorn. Her movements were stiff, almost robotic, as she made her way towards the front.

  Once she was close enough to the cauldron, she swallowed the lump in her throat and studied the bubbling liquid for a while, brows furrowed as if she was debating on whether she should smell the potion or just run the fuck away from here. Fear was evident in her eyes but it was carefully concealed under a mask of calmness.

  Everyone waited with bated breath as they watched the Slytherin lean closer and closer her eyes to inhale the scent. Several seconds passed and Joohyun jolted awake looking quite disoriented. She blinked rapidly to gather her thoughts and clenched her hands into fists to keep anchoring her into reality. A brilliant shade of red dusted her cheeks and she looked visibly shaken. Their gazes accidentally met and it took all of Joohyun's self-control to look away. It's almost as if she was burned when Seungwan's gaze left tendrils of fire on her skin.

  "So Ms. Bae, what do you smell?" Professor Slughorn sealed the cauldron and stared expectantly at the Slytherin.

  Joohyun nervously bit her lip and muttered something under her breath that no one caught. Her hands wouldn't stop trembling. Seungwan had never seen her look so anxious before. The love potion must've really affected her. "I smell the pages of an old book, the musky scent of wood burning in a fireplace, the sour tang of blue oranges and--" She  straightened her posture and clenched her jaw like she was about to reveal something that could make or break the world.

  "Freshly baked pastries."

  There was something in the way Joohyun uttered the last line. She wasn't angry nor sad... just resigned. It's like she was finally accepting the fate she had long denied. The fight seeped out of her bones and now all that's left was surrender.

  Sooyoung sidled up next to the Ravenclaw and muttered under her breath. "Oh crickets! I wonder just who could she possibly be smelling." Her tone was sarcastic, almost mocking, and her eyes held judgement for Seungwan as if accusing her for a crime she didn't commit. It left the blonde very confused.

  "Thank you, Ms. Bae. Fifty points to Slytherin" Professor Slughorn applauded to show appreciation for his student and resumed in discussing the subject more extensively.

  The Prefect returned to the empty space beside the blonde and mostly kept to herself throughout the whole duration of the class, never sparking conversation with anyone, not even Seungwan. Something was clearly bothering Joohyun since she mostly spent her time deep in thought. "Penny for your thoughts?" The blonde tried to broach the topic and internally hoped that her Slytherin friend wouldn't find her meddlesome.

  Joohyun gazed at her pointedly, eyes shimmering with something Seungwan couldn't quite understand, and it lingered for a few moments before she dejectedly shook her head and smiled bitterly. "You won’t understand." Her response was short and brief, almost too formal, and the Ravenclaw was caught off-guard at this cold treatment.

  She was seeing another side of her friend for the first time. The curt, proper and unbelievably prideful side. The one ingrained since birth only if you grew in a powerful Pureblood household. The blonde wouldn’t deny it. This side of Joohyun made her feel insignificant. Like the Slytherin was in another plane of existence, too high up in the heavens, unreachable and definitely out of Seungwan’s league.

  The Prefect focused all her attention to the ongoing discussion while jotting down notes seriously and completely ignoring Seungwan as if her life depended on it. The blonde turned to ask Sooyoung. "Did I do something wrong?" She thought of all possible ways she could’ve offended Joohyun but she came up with none.

  The tall Slytherin glanced at her with pity evident in her eyes. "What do you think?" Her statement caused the Ravenclaw to frown.

  Where did she go wrong?

  ***

  "Tonight, I'm pleased to announce that Hogwarts will be hosting a legendary event. An event that fosters camaraderie, friendship and inter-school magical cooperation."

  It was Dumbledore's first greeting once the sorting ceremony was finished. The rest of the students in the Great Hall buzzed with excitement because this could possibly be the moment the Headmaster might finally shed light about the sudden appearance of ghost ships and flying carriages within Hogwarts grounds.

  Seungwan tried to pay attention, she really did, but after that incident in Potion's class and Joohyun's change in attitude, she couldn't even be bothered to care. The Slytherin started acting all proper and formal around her and she didn't know the reason why. It’s like they were back to the time where they were still acquaintances.

  She sighed helplessly before shifting her attention towards the Slytherin table where Joohyun sat and casually ate her food. She was engaged in a conversation with Sooyoung. The Prefect seemed fine. Gone were the traces of the formality she displayed earlier and even allowed herself to smile. Their gazes accidentally met and Seungwan held her breath when Joohyun simply acknowledged her existence with a curt nod.

  Okay. Maybe Seungwan was reading too much into this. She should just relax and try not to overthink.

  "The Triwizard Tournament!"

  Dumbledore announced proudly and seemed totally pleased with himself for maintaining an aura of absolute mystery and for keeping this information under the wraps. Little did he know that the whole student body practically knew of his secret due to the circulating rumors around the school. He paused for a moment to build-up suspense and basked in the excitement that enveloped the entire crowd. "Now please help me welcome, the lovely ladies from the Beauxbatons Academy of Magic with their headmistress Madame Maxime!"

  The doors of the Great Hall opened to reveal sophisticated-looking women. All wearing pale blue robes made of fine silk and exuding an aura of grace. Pink little butterflies flew when they passed and the scent of expensive perfume lingered in the air. They all looked unbelievably stunning. A girl in particular, one who had strawberry-blonde hair and enchanting brown eyes, stopped before the Ravenclaw table together with her lovely friends, blew Seungwan a sweet kiss then headed to the Hufflepuff table where the Beauxbatons students gathered.

  Good Lord. Seungwan sat reeling and dazed after that unexpected interaction. Her presence has been acknowledged by one of the most beautiful people she had ever seen and her brain was still in a state of shock. A small, almost dreamy, smile settled on her lips. She must've done something good in her past life for her to be graced with this blessing.

  Suddenly, she felt this uncomfortable sensation of being watched. Like someone was drilling holes into her head and stabbing her back. A quick scan around the hall confirmed her suspicions when she noticed Joohyun shooting daggers at her from the Slytherin table. Her features morphed into a scowl and she gripped her fork so hard that her knuckles turned white. Apparently, she witnessed that little interaction between Seungwan and the Beauxbatons girl and she didn't look quite happy about it.

  "Next, let us greet the proud sons of Durmstrang and their high master, Igor Karkaroff."

  All the buzzing hushed down as everyone turned to look at the doors of the Great Hall in anticipation. The lights dimmed and floors vibrated. A loud booming roar was heard before an entourage of all-male students, wearing fur cloaks and blood red robes, made their entrance. They started twirling, tumbling, and doing other forms of acrobatic shit. A person conjured flames from the tip of his wand and it morphed into a ginormous dragon. The Hogwarts students gaped in awe and clapped in delight at the magnificent display of advance magic.

  "Holy shit that's him!" One of Seungwan's housemates gushed like a maniac. "That's Park Bogum!"

  He pointed at one student in particular. The one that stood out from the others. He was quite tall, sported dark raven hair, eyes intensely narrowed and wore a grim expression. His overall serious look greatly contrasted with his innocent features. He took long confident strides and his presence demanded attention. With chin held high, he joined his Durmstrang brothers in the Slytherin table.

  So that's him. Seungwan thought to herself. The Greatest Chaser in the world had come to grace Hogwarts with his presence.

  Dumbledore stood patiently in the podium and waited for the excitement to die down. When the chattering finally stopped, he started his speech. "Eternal glory!"

  He paused for a dramatic effect and Seungwan smirked in amusement because of course the Headmaster had a flair for theatrics. "That's what awaits the champion of the Triwizard tournament but let me remind you that this is not for the faint of heart for each competitor must face three tasks." Dumbledore glanced at everyone in the hall. His voice turned dark and foreboding. "Three extremely dangerous tasks. For that, only one is crowned as champion. To prevent premature deaths and ensure that no life is wasted, no student below the age of 17 is allowed to enter the tournament."

  The hall broke into chaos as most of the students, especially those who failed to meet the age requirement, voiced out their complaints. The people from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang were shocked at the ruckus the scholars from Hogwarts were making and Seungwan could only shake her head in disappointment. The students were certainly doing wonders in upholding the school's reputation. Dumbledore cast a Sonorous spell and yelled "Silence!" which did its desired effect because it rendered the Great Hall to become completely quiet.

  He stepped off the podium and with a flourish of his wand, transfigured said podium into a golden tower adorned with shimmering jewels. The other students gasped in awe. Dumbledore doing magic was such a rare sight and it still rendered everyone speechless.

  A silent incantation passed his lips and the golden tower melted until it revealed a rather rusty-looking bronze goblet. Blue fire burned at the tip of its rim and a cloud of silvery mist circled around it.

  "The Goblet of Fire."

  The Headmaster turned serious again and everyone was enraptured with his commanding presence. "Anyone who wishes to enter must only write their name on a piece of parchment and drop it to the cup before Friday midnight."

  Seungwan swallowed the lump in her throat when Dumbledore finished his announcement.

  Well, that was an interesting dinner.

#red velvet #irene #wendy #seulgi #joy #yerim #harry potter #hogwarts #magic #wenrene #the magic between us

[twoontheaisle]

Bay Area Theatre 2019 - the Top 10

Friends, Bay Area residents, theatre lovers, lend me your clicks, for we are about to look back at the best of local theatre in the past 12 months. (Or, at least the best I was able to see. With some 300+ local companies, it’s impossible for anyone to see everything.)

Usually I do this one post at a time, building anticipation for which show will take the top spot on the list. This year, we’re binging - you get it all at once.

#10 - “King of the Yees” at San Francisco Playhouse

Here’s a tip for successful theatre-going: if Francis Jue is in it, buy a ticket. Jue was one of the reasons Soft Power made last year’s list (and went on to a successful run in New York), and he was just as good in this very San Francisco story of a Chinese family and its crazy lovable patriarch. A charming look at parental expectations in the Chinatown culture.

My full review is here.

#9 - “Seascape” at American Conservatory Theatre

Edward Albee was a master at recreating the language of relationships, and he was never better at it than with this odd work about a newly-retired couple who squabble (gently) on a beach - until they are interrupted by the appearance of two scaled sea creatures (another squabbling couple) who show interest in leaving behind the life aquatic and evolving into land-dwellers. James Carpenter and Ellen McLaughlin were brilliant - and so was David Zinn’s spectacular dunescape set. 

Full review is here.

#8 - “American Psycho” by Ray of Light Theatre

Ray of Light does only three shows a season, but this seems to give them the focus they need to do them exceptionally well - especially for a relatively small company with limited budget. American Psycho, based on the novel by Bret Easton Ellis, was just as stunning in its own way as last season’s Top 10 honoree from Ray of Light, Hedwig and the Angry Inch. But whereas that Hedwig was a rough-edged look at a down-on-her-luck trans rock star, playing a seedy venue (which made RoL’s home, the seedy Victoria Theater, the perfect place for it to play), American Psycho was all about Manhattan glitz, opulence and wealth. The cast was terrific and the show was bloody fun - in multiple senses of “bloody” and “fun.”

Click here for the full review.

#7 - “Rhinoceros” at American Conservatory Theatre

As I said in my review, if I’d seen this play pre-Trump, I might not have appreciated its razor-sharp satire on the dangers of group-think and conformity in an age of authoritarianism. It would just have seemed creaky and odd. But in our times, and in this splendid production from artistic director Pam McKinnon (and director Frank Galati), the tale of a small town where everyone starts turning into rhinoceroses was simultaneously frightening, insightful and hysterical.

My full review is here.

#6 - Mother of the Maid" at Marin Theatre Company

Pretty much every take on the story of French hero Joan of Arc focuses on the teen girl who claimed visions of saints and led France’s armies to some key victories in the Hundred Years’ War. But in Jane Anderson’s moving play, we see Joan’s story from the point of view of the mother who tries to protect her daughter from the world’s dangers - just as all good parents do, and too often tragically fail at.

Click here for the full review.

#5 - “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child” at The Curran

This is scheduled to run in San Francisco (the only place it’s playing outside of London and New York) for two years - though rumor mill has it ticket sales aren’t meeting expectations. Still, I loved it - especially for its stunning stagecraft and theatrical illusions. If you haven’t read all the books, you will still likely enjoy the adventures of a grown-up Harry Potter (and his son, Albus), but I’d recommend perusing Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, as it does the best job of preparing you for this extension of the Potterverse.

The full review is here.

#4 - “Becky Nurse of Salem” at Berkeley Rep

There are very few shows I see that I’d be willing to sit through again immediately (the way I sometimes used to sit for another showing of a movie when I was a boy - and when that sort of thing was allowed), but Becky Nurse of Salem is one of them, due to its multi-layered look at fanaticism, feminism, family, history... Its threads intertwine and unravel and reweave themselves in ways both fascinating and funny. Plus, Pamela Reed was a marvel, creating a character we both love and judge.

The full review can be found here.

#3 - “The Jungle” at The Curran

Carole Hays must love renovations, for she’s done it three times with her beloved Curran. Most recently, the entire theater was redone for Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, and Carole spent a couple of years (and millions of dollars) remaking the space after she purchased it initially. 

For The Jungle, a tale of the refugee camp that sprung up near Calais, France, she pulled all the seats from the main floor of the theater, turning it into a simulacrum of the camp, complete with different areas for refugees from different countries: Syria, Afghanistan, Somali and others. A working kitchen was installed, producing fresh, hot naan and chai that were served to attendees. (At least some attendees, I missed out and was peeved when the person next to me let their slice of naan sit there and get cold.)

The experience was immersive and thrilling.

Full review here.

#2 - “The Good Book” at Berkeley Rep

The Good Book was nothing if not ambitious, aiming to tell the story of the origins of the Bible and its impact on worlds both modern and ancient - but it succeeded mightily. Staged with tremendous energy and passion by director Lisa Peterson (who also co-wrote the show with actor Denis O’Hare), The Good Book had me enthralled from start to finish.

Read my full review here.

#1 - “Cabaret” at SF Playhouse

One of my all-time favorite shows, and SF Playhouse’s production is my all-time favorite staging of it, edging out the production I saw at Studio 54 in New York with Alan Cumming as the Emcee and Michelle Williams as Sally Bowles. Simply put, Marin native Cate Hayman put Williams to shame with a performance that was heartbreaking and uplifting at the same time. Everything about this production was top-notch: set, lighting, direction (by Susi Damilano), music - plus every performance. 

It’s no wonder it grabbed the number one spot.

Full review is here.

[mrsdeanwinchester19]

Summer Love-Chapter 1

Summer Camp AU for @sunmoonandbucky #1.5kconstellationswritingchallenge

           Well, here it is I think to myself as I pull up to the main cabin.  Camp Winnebago, my home for the summer.  It’s not technically a summer camp, because we’re adults and they want to treat us like adults, but it’s about as close as you can get.  Instead of camp counselors, we have cabin leaders; and instead of camp rules, we have camper expectations.  It’s called a nature retreat, but it’s a summer camp.  

           “Have you checked in yet?” a man wearing a blue shirt with a staff lanyard asks me.

           “Um, no, not yet,” I reply.

           “Alright, what’s your name?” he asks.

           “Y/N.”

           “Ok, Y/N,” he says, writing it on a Hello, my name is sticker before handing it to me. “My name is Sam Wilson and I’m one of the cabin leaders, just ask for me if you need any help, but you’re going to head over to that long table at the top of the hill and get checked in with the registration staff.  Oh, and welcome to Camp Winnebago!”

           I get my duffel bag from my backseat and swing it onto my shoulder, tucking it under my arm, and grab my rolling suitcase from the back as well.  I walk up the sloping hill and a girl with flaming red hair greets me.  I tell her my name and she finds it on a list.  “Y/N Y/L/N, you’re cabin is Bethel and you’re cabin leader is me.  My name is Natasha but you can call me Nat.  You can go get set up in the cabin, a few of the other girls are in there already.”

           She hands me a map of the camp and I see Bethel isn’t far from the Great Hall, where the registration desk is set.  I walk to my cabin and look at some of the other campers milling around; some in their late teens while others are in their early thirties.  I reach my cabin, pull open the screen door, and immediately am surrounded by four girls.  

           “Hi, you must be one of our cabin mates!  I’m Sharon,” a bubbly blonde girl greets.

           “I’m Wanda, I’m from Sokovia,” a girl with an accent says.

           A girl with black hair pulled into a long sleek ponytail comes up and shakes my hand.  “I’m Hope van Dyne, the top bunk on my bed is open if you want it.”

           “Sure, that sounds great,” I say.

           “I’m Shuri,” the youngest looking girl in the cabin says.  “If you’re interested in technology, you’re welcome to help Hope and I on a project we’re discussing, better ways to get clean energy to the camp.”

           “Oh, that’s sweet but gadgets are not my area of expertise.  I’ll be doing a lot of art this summer, I thought maybe being in nature would help me give me inspiration for a nature collection.”

           The girls nod at my idea and go back to unpacking.  I take my suitcase over to my bunk and pull the sheets out to start making my bed.  I climb on the top bunk, careful not to bump my head, and start stretching my sheets over the thin, lumpy mattress.

           “Ooh, two hot men moving into the cabin next door,” Sharon says, looking out the window on the other side of the room.  I hop off the bed and go to stand next to her, not seeing anything.

           “You just missed them walking in, but I’ll point them out at the camp meeting. Trust me, you’ll be able to notice them.”

           During the day, a few more girls come in.  A girl with dyed red hair and green skin named Gamora who tells us straight away not to worry about the green skin; she played the Wicked Witch of the West in a theater production of Wizard of Oz and the dye stained her skin, but it should go away within a few weeks, and a brunette girl who introduces herself as Jane.

           The last girl to come in is a girl with a British accent, who takes the top bunk that makes an L shape in the corner with mine, so our heads will be close to each other.  She has on flowing blue dress with her hair pinned back and curled.

           “I like your dress,” I say, hoping to have a good friendship with this girl.

           “Thank you, it’s vintage,” she replies in her soothing accent.

           “I’m Y/N,” I say, holding out my hand.

           “Peggy,” she says, shaking it.

           “What did you come to camp for?” I ask politely.

           “I’m writing a book about the role of women during World War II.  I’ve done most of the research and now just have to put it all together in a form that makes sense so I thought getting away from the city to a nice quiet nature retreat would be a good place to clear my head and organize my thoughts.  My bag is still filled with books written by primary sources so I can extend my research even further if needed.”

           “That sounds amazing.  I’ll definitely buy a copy when it’s published, so long as you sign it.”

           She laughs, “Deal.  What are you here for?”

           “I’m an aspiring artist and I’m here to do a nature collection.  My works are shown in some smaller town galleries but someday I’m hoping to have a gallery in Manhattan.”

           “What kind of art do you do?  Photography, paintings, sketches?” she begins listing things off.

           “Mostly painting, but I do a little photography.  Usually only to take reference shots if I don’t have enough time to paint when I see a scene I want to capture.”

           “Well, I’ll be the first person to visit your future gallery.  Since we’re cabin mates I’ll get to see the whole process.”

           The sound of a huge bell tolling rings out across the camp and Natasha pops in the cabin to inform us there’s a full retreat meeting in the Great Hall, which is essentially the dining hall.  We walk down to the hall and I sit on the floor, since all the chairs and tables are stacked and folded up, between Sharon and Peggy.

           Sharon grabs my elbow and excitedly points towards the door, “There they are, the hot guys next door!”

           I look to where she’s pointing and have to keep my jaw from hitting the floor. Two of the most attractive men I’ve ever set my eyes on walk in side by side.  One has shoulder length chestnut hair, striking blue eyes, and a strong chin. His chest, biceps, and thighs are bulging with muscles; clearly he goes to the gym a lot.  However, it’s the man next to him that catches my eye more.  He also has bright blue eyes, but he has short blonde hair and a gentle face that looks like it could flip to authoritarian in a heartbeat.  His nose is sharp and his lips are full, begging to be kissed.  His shoulders are broad while his waist is thin, a very fit triangular figure.  He and his friend walk past us to find an empty spot and oh god, why is his butt so much better than mine.  

           I lean over to Sharon and whisper, “Dibs on the blonde.”

           The blonde, yet to be named, turns around as if he heard me, looks around the room, then sits down.  A tapping on a microphone draws our attention to the front of the room where a man with neatly trimmed facial hair is standing, next to a girl with long strawberry blonde hair.  Conversations quickly dissipate as people wait for him to talk.

           “Alright everybody, my name is Tony Stark and this here is my fiancé Miss Pepper Potts.  We’d like to welcome you to Camp Winnebago!”  The room breaks out in cheers and Tony continues once it’s quiet again.  “I am the owner of the camp-“

           “Wrong,” Pepper cuts him off but he continues.

           “And the camp President, with Pepper as the Vice President-“

           “Also wrong.”

           Tony playfully rolls his eyes and continues his speech.  “Ok, she’s right.  My father was one of the co-founders, and the President is a man named Nick Fury, and the Vice President is a woman named Maria Hill.  You’ll meet them later during the retreat but due to a friend of both of theirs passing away, they aren’t able to be here for the first week, so Pepper and I were asked to give the opening speech and camper expectations.  I am also the Head of the Cabin Leaders, so if you want to switch cabins with someone else, you have to come to me about it. That brings me to my first camper expectation: Men and women are not allowed to share a cabin, and that includes sneaking into a cabin late at night.  I know you’re all consenting adults, but you are living with at least 5 other people so be considerate.  Camper expectation #2: Lights out at 10:30.  I know that’s early but that just means you have to be in your cabin by 10:30. Phones, laptops, and small lights that won’t keep your cabin mates awake is still allowed.  Camper expectation #3: No taking out canoes or kayaks without the permission of a cabin leader, and no swimming if a lifeguard isn’t present. Camper expectation #4: Meals and activities are scheduled and the schedule will be posted every week.  The activities are for if anyone is bored, it’s usually field games like Capture the Flag, and meals are recommended but not required.”  He goes through a few more camper expectations like doing what you think is right and the camp borders being clearly marked.  “And finally, we all want this to be a good summer so the last camper expectation is to have fun!”

           Everybody cheers and he dismisses us.  Once outside I see people running for the lake, others heading towards the volleyball and basketball courts, while I think of what to do.  Someone stands next to me and I look over to see it’s Peggy.  “Should we take a walk around the grounds?”

#1.5kconstellationswritingchallenge #steverogers #steve x reader #steve x reader image #bucky barnes #peggy carter #summer camp #AU #summer camp au #mcu #avengers

[shellcollector]

What Is Your Dream AU, also Tell Me A Headcanon (and who do you wish would write it) ?:D

Oh god you had to ask the HARDEST TWO QUESTIONS okay. I can do this. Also: this is long, I did warn you.

Dream AU: the difficulty I have here is that there are so many AUs that are dear to my heart and which I think about Often, for instance I still sometimes think about the Borrowers AU that a bunch of us dreamed up in which Valjean, Marius and the Amis are all Borrowers and Enjolras is a Very Brave Tiny Man with a needle sword.

Or there’s the AU that Elliot and I still talk about where Marius is a cat and Valjean is a dog but everything else is the same, which started as a joke but then swiftly became heartbreaking because in fact the last chapters make even MORE sense emotionally in this AU and Cosette finally finding her poor old dog in the building where they used to live after he ran away because she got a cat and he took it personally.... and he’s too weak to get up and run to her but his tail thumps on the floor when he sees her... help I’m going to stop before I cry.

But I guess maybe more in the spirit of this questionmeme are the AUs I’m going to keep occasionally requesting in fic exchanges in the hope that I win the exchange lottery and get matched with the like 1 or 2 people in the whole world who would even consider them, namely:a) Les Amis are radical disabled activists in the DAN era, pulling a bunch of stunts like chaining wheelchairs to buses. Mainly I heard a few of the original DAN members speaking on a podcast and I loved their entire approach, it’s the kind of joyful boisterousness meets savvy calculation that I’m heavily Into politicswise.

b) the Technically Is This Even An AU (yes shell it is) crossover with The Mill in which... I dunno, in my mind one of the English speakers, probably Combeferre would make most sense here tbh, has various correspondents and one of them happens to be a Manchester cotton mill engineer and trade unionist, and they become more and more friendly and SOMEHOW everyone ends up on a visit to England and also it’s discovered that Feuilly and Esther Price are distant cousins and it’s Good because they are both kids who lost a family and then made their own. Also they all end up in the GRITS together so there’s a nice reunion coda for you. Then of course there is the REAL star AU, namely the Actual Modern AU in which they’re all anti-authoritarian communists and their activities reflect the reality of organising today, and they distribute bananas and bustcards at demos, and babysit kids because Care Is Radical, and do a bunch of other Actual Political Work, and they Still somehow get into a confusion about who’s taking minutes at the meeting.

The problem with this AU is that I can’t even request it bc to research it a person needs to like, Seek Out Their Local Leftist Group Meeting, Not The SWP By The Way Steer Clear Of Them, and while I wish fervently that this were the kind of research that people were willing to do for fic (and then maybe they would... you know... end up staying for the ride) it doesn’t seem to be, alas and alack.

Headcanon? Oh hmm. This one’s hard! I have a bunch of headcanons which I will personally always write but I don’t think that counts. Also I feel kind of weird about Naming People I want to write stuff - it’s awkward! It feels demanding! What if they don’t want to! What if they Did want to and I named someone else and they think I don’t want Them to but that’s not the case I was just picking one name out of the many eligible contenders! And then also: I say ‘I have a bunch of headcanons’, but what in truth is a headcanon, what qualifies as such, how shall we break this down, et cetera. Okay well one firm belief of mine which I know you share & which is certainly a headcanon, on the grounds that there is nothing in the text requiring this over another interpretation, so I certainly don’t think people writing otherwise are Wrong it’s just Not How I Tend To Read It, is that Joly’s maladies are not entirely imaginary, it’s just that the state of medicine in his era doesn’t allow him to fully understand them. They’re probably quite minor! I would find it upsetting if he did actually have some fatal ailment, even if circumstances would have rendered that moot regardless. Also I don’t think he is Frightened of them so much as... I dunno, I have experienced this kind of anxiety, it’s where you have to keep Poking at a thing and trying to get it to go away one way or the other, and you end up having a worse time than if you hadn’t Poked at it but then again you were at least Doing Something, which feels better than doing nothing. Anyway I am going to nominate @marschallin to write this just bc I am thrilled that there is another canon era medicine fiend in the world and I love it when she writes about this stuff.

#pilferingapples #jumping on bandwagons

[genericpseudonyms]

Time blurs at the funeral parlor. I’ve lost track of how many hours Papa’s been dead but I know this is the second sunrise of a world where he belongs to the past tense. Exhaustion sets in. Isolation lures me into sleep. I spend hours tossing and turning on the floor of the back room. Friends, strangers, and strangers who were once friends send me condolences over social media. It helps. Here, I don’t open my mouth except to say “Thank you” and “No, I’m not hungry.” It’s no one’s fault. Ironically, Papa was the one who ensured I never spoke Korean properly. My stepmom cries the entire drive over to the crematorium. The two of us follow the hearse carrying my father’s coffin. It’s a sweltering, sunny day and she refuses to turn on the air conditioning. I am dizzy from the heat, baking in my black mourning dress. I end up conking out for most of the ride, waking only when she tells me we’ve arrived. The grieving swarm the cemetery grounds. Families clad in black, processions of wailing widows and stoic white-gloved sons. They pass us, one son carrying a photo of the deceased, and another carrying an urn. One woman screams for her dead mother in front of me. “How do we live now?” She sobs, thick globs of tears and snot running down her red face as two men drag her forward. “Mama, how am I supposed to live?” We are a small group in comparison. Just me, my stepmom and two stepbrothers. We mill around until it’s our turn to carry Papa’s coffin to the kiln. In the meantime, I stare at the hearse’s tinted windows. Inside, I know there is a pine box. And inside that box, is a man wrapped in linen. A man that used to be my father. I don’t really feel anything when the time comes. My stepmom cries and tells me to touch the coffin, the place where I’ve written his name in sharpie. I press my hand to the wood and say a final goodbye. “Booth 17,” the attendant says. My stepbrother puts an arm around my shoulder and leads the way. The crematorium has a whole line of numbered booths. There are four seats to each and at the center, a window. In front of the window, you can see the portraits of the dead. It takes a second for me to realize, however, what that window is for. “You don’t have to look,” my stepmom says as she sits down. “I’m not going to watch.” I refuse to look away. I watch as the attendant holds up a slip with Papa’s name on it. I nod. He gives me a thumbs up, salutes, and flips a switch. My heart clenches and twists as the mechanized gurney feeds Papa’s coffin into a steel oven. The door shuts, and I close my eyes. Inside, I know the fires will burn at 1,800 degrees Fahrenheit. The flames will lick the wooden coffin and devour Papa until there’s nothing left but fine gray ash and chunks of charred bone. It takes two hours for his body to burn. When it’s done, we go to another window. My stepbrother hands over the biodegradable urn we’ve purchased. I watch as they dump Papa inside. It’s surprisingly heavy, and hot to the touch. From there, we walk to the field where Papa will rest until the stars burn out. It’s small, humble, and crowded. If my mother were here, I think she’d tell me her father’s tomb is larger. Grander. I squint and shield my eyes from the sun. The sky above is so blue, and I think maybe Papa would like that. A teenager with a pimply face checks our paperwork. I like him, he has a kind, polite voice. My stepbrother hands him the urn, which he places against his hip with care. He’s gentle as he explains the process, of which I understand nothing. Instead I just watch as he plops the urn down into a hole. This boy then opens it, and sticks his trowel into a pile of earth. He mixes it with Papa’s ashes and then closes the lid. He scoops up more earth, and packs it down around the urn. Scoop and pack, scoop and pack. He does this until the hole is full. At the end, he lifts a large paddle and gives the ground a loud thwack. Once, twice, thrice. As many times as it takes until there’s a small mound. And then it’s over. It feels like something in my chest hollows out. This is it. When we leave, I will get in a car and travel to the airport. I will board a transpacific plane and fly fourteen hours across 6,800-some odd miles back to New York. My father, once a living man, became a corpse and then a pile of dust. I am fatherless, left to contend with his legacy and all my unanswered questions. Like who was he? Was any of his love real? Why did he choose personal glory over family? Was he a good man? Where did his loyalties really lie? Was the man he was at the end truer to his nature, or was the severe authoritarian who raised me the man he always was? Did he feel shame for womanizing? Did he regret abusing Mama? I close my eyes and breathe deep. I shake my head. In his last hours, I whispered in his ear about a day at Prospect Park. I rode my bike for the first time in months. Huffed and puffed my way up the hills, and then let myself fly along the long downhill slope. I did two-and-a-half laps around the park, three downhills drives total. I asked him if he remembered teaching me how to ride. How he pushed me down a hill on a bike with no training wheels and told me not to be afraid. And for once, I listened. That, I think to myself, was real. For now, that is enough.

Ashes to ashes, dust to dust, 06.03.2018

#spilled ink #spilled words #memoir #diary #my writing #writing #quotes #death #excerpts from a book i'll never write #indie #grieving

[newstfionline]

Friday, March 5, 2021

Water crisis continues in Mississippi, weeks after cold snap (AP) Mississippi’s largest city is still struggling with water problems more than two weeks after winter storms and freezing weather ravaged the system in Jackson, knocking out water for drinking and making it impossible for many to even flush their toilets. Residents in the city of 160,000 are still being warned to boil any water that does come out of the faucets. “I pray it comes back on,” Jackson resident Nita Smith said. “I’m not sure how much more of this we can take.” City officials on Wednesday continued distributing water for flushing toilets at several pick-up points. But they’re giving no specific timeline for resolving problems. Workers continue to fix dozens of water main breaks and leaks.

‘It’s Madness’: American Factories Scramble To Secure Critical Supplies (NPR) For American factories, business is good these days. Almost too good. Unexpectedly strong demand for furniture, appliances and other manufactured goods is providing a windfall to many of the country’s industries. But as factory gears spin faster to meet the surging demand, a big headache is emerging: Supply chains are getting stretched more than ever, and critical components are proving a lot harder to procure. Take the word of Drew Greenblatt, the president of Marlin Steel in Baltimore. “The economy is snapping back in a big way,” Greenblatt said. But hinges that used to arrive from his supplier in a day or two now take three weeks. Steel he uses to make pail handles is back-ordered for months. More robust consumption caught many factories by surprise, and they’re now struggling to catch up.

Vaccine robbery: New ground for organized crime (Bloomberg) Billions of doses of coronavirus vaccines will travel the world over the coming months, valuable cargo that is in the crosshairs of organized crime and paramilitary attacks. An individual shipment of coronavirus vaccines can be as high as $70 million per load, and freight haulers are putting only their very best, most experienced and trustworthy drivers on the case. Interpol is bracing for an increase in armed robberies of vaccine shipments, and on the dark web purported vaccines are going for $200 per dose. German freight hauler Aircargo Transport has souped up a dozen trucks for vaccine shipments, a $300,000 load-out entailing an alarm system, a panic button and a kill switch.

Police request 60-day extension of Guard at US Capitol (AP) The Capitol Police have requested that members of the National Guard continue to provide security at the U.S. Capitol for another two months, The Associated Press has learned. Defense officials say the new proposal is being reviewed by the Pentagon. The request underscores the continuing concerns about security and the potential for violence at the Capitol, two months after rioters breached the building in violence that left five people dead. And it comes as law enforcement was on high alert Thursday around the U.S. Capitol after intelligence uncovered a “possible plot” by a militia group to storm the building. The more than 5,000 Guard members currently in Washington, D.C., are all slated to go home on March 12, ending the mission.

Virus surge forces Sao Paulo to shut as Buenos Aires reopens (AP) A swell of COVID-19 cases is halting samba steps in Brazil’s biggest metropolis while Argentina’s capital tiptoes its way back to the tango floor. The two biggest cities in each of the neighboring South American countries are headed in opposite directions. Sao Paulo, home to almost 12 million people, is bracing for the worst two weeks yet in the pandemic and the growing risk that its once-resilient health care system will collapse, Gov. João Doria told reporters Wednesday. More than 75% of the city’s intensive-care beds are occupied by COVID-19 patients and some wards—like those of the private Albert Einstein hospital—are full for the first time. Meanwhile, the nearly 3 million residents of Buenos Aires are enjoying an easing of their restrictions, with authorization to attend movie theaters taking effect this week. On Wednesday, official figures showed just 26% of intensive-care beds were occupied by COVID-19 patients. The low hospitalization rate also enabled local authorities in mid-February to reopen bars and restaurants until 2 a.m.—something long sought in a city famous for its all-hours culture. That means Buenos Aires’ famed steakhouses are reigniting their fires, while counterparts in Sao Paulo extinguish theirs.

UK government may start offering financial rewards for becoming healthier (The Guardian) The government is expanding access to weight loss services and may start offering people financial rewards for maintaining a healthy lifestyle as part of the fight against obesity. The Department of Health and Social Care is giving the NHS and local councils in England £70m to pay for up to 700,000 overweight or obese people to go on weight management courses, such as those provided by Weight Watchers or Slimming World, or work with a personal coach to help them shed unwanted pounds. In addition, it has asked Sir Keith Mills, the creator of the Nectar and air miles reward schemes, to look into whether financial incentives would motivate people to eat better and exercise more. He will look at whether initiatives such as the national step challenge in Singapore could work in England. Citizens are offered cash payments if they do a certain amount of physical activity, such as walking and running, and their progress is measured through wearable devices.

Germany Places Far-Right AfD Party Under Surveillance for Extremism (NYT) For the first time in its postwar history, Germany has placed its main opposition party under surveillance, one of the most dramatic steps yet by a Western democracy to protect itself from the onslaught of far-right forces that have upset politics from Europe to the United States. The decision by the domestic intelligence agency will now allow it to tap phones and other communications and monitor the movements of members of the far-right Alternative for Germany party, which not only sits in the Federal Parliament but has become entrenched at all levels of politics in nearly every part of the nation. News of the move came on the same day that France banned Generation Identity, a militant youth movement considered dangerous for its slick rebranding of neo-Nazi concepts, and as lawmakers in the European Parliament in Brussels forced the party of Hungary’s semi-authoritarian leader Viktor Orban out of the mainstream conservative group.

Myanmar crackdown on protests, widely filmed, sparks outrage (AP) Footage of a brutal crackdown on protests against a coup in Myanmar unleashed outrage and calls for a stronger international response Thursday, a day after 38 people were killed. Videos showed security forces shooting a person at point-blank range and chasing down and savagely beating demonstrators. Despite the shocking violence the day before, protesters returned to the streets Thursday to denounce the military’s Feb. 1 takeover—and were met again with tear gas. U.N. special envoy for Myanmar, Christine Schraner Burgener, described Wednesday as “the bloodiest day” since the takeover. “I saw today very disturbing video clips,” said Schraner Burgener, speaking to reporters at the U.N. in New York via video link from Switzerland. “One was police beating a volunteer medical crew. They were not armed. Another video clip showed a protester was taken away by police and they shot him from very near, maybe only one meter. He didn’t resist to his arrest, and it seems that he died on the street.”

‘The East Is Rising’: Xi Maps Out China’s Post-Covid Ascent (NYT) Xi Jinping has struck a confident posture as he looks to secure China’s prosperity and power in a post-Covid world, saying that the country is entering a time of opportunity when “the East is rising and the West is declining.” But behind closed doors, China’s Communist Party leader has also issued a blunt caveat to officials: Do not count out our competitors, above all the United States. “The biggest source of chaos in the present-day world is the United States,” Mr. Xi said, a county official in northwest China recounted in a speech published last week on a government website. He quoted Mr. Xi as saying: “The United States is the biggest threat to our country’s development and security.” That warning, echoed in similar recent public comments by senior officials close to Mr. Xi, reinforces how he is seeking to balance confidence and caution as China strides ahead while other countries continue to grapple with the pandemic.

Powerful quake hits off New Zealand, prompting evacuations (AP) One of the biggest earthquakes to hit the South Pacific in modern history forced thousands of people in New Zealand to evacuate and triggered tsunami warnings across the world Friday, but it did not appear to cause injuries or major damage because it struck in remote ocean. The magnitude 8.1 quake was the largest in a series of tremors that hit the region over several hours, including two earlier quakes that registered magnitude 7.4 and magnitude 7.3. The earthquakes triggered warning systems and caused traffic jams and some chaos in New Zealand as people scrambled to get to higher ground, but their remoteness meant they did not appear to pose a widespread threat to lives or infrastructure.

Israel condemns ICC investigation (Foreign Policy) The International Criminal Court’s chief prosecutor, Fatou Bensouda, has announced plans to investigate alleged war crimes by Israeli forces and Hamas in the Palestinian territories from June 2014 onwards. The Palestinian Authority’s foreign ministry referred to the move as a “long-awaited step,” while Israeli President Reuven Rivlin condemned it as “scandalous.” In a statement referring to the Palestinian “situation,” U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken opposed the ICC decision and questioned its jurisdiction.

Concerned about the spread of Ebola, CDC lays out new rules for travelers from Congo, Guinea (Washington Post) Federal health officials said this week that airlines will be required to collect contact information for travelers coming to the U.S. from Congo and Guinea, two countries that have experienced recent outbreaks of the Ebola virus. Officials say the information will allow them to monitor and identify anyone who develops symptoms so they can be isolated and treated. In addition, health officials will be able to warn those who may have been exposed. Health officials said experience with previous Ebola outbreaks showed the virus, which is spread through contact with bodily fluids, is highly contagious and can spread quickly among people who come in close contact with a person who has been infected.

Ethiopia’s deadly Tigray crisis (AP) Civilians massacred. Journalists arrested. People starving to death. Ethiopia’s government is under growing pressure to allow the world to see firsthand what has occurred in its embattled Tigray region as its Nobel Peace Prize-winning prime minister rejects “partisan interventions.” That pressure is expected to spike this month as the United States chairs the United Nations Security Council and addresses the first major African crisis of the Biden administration. Millions of dollars in aid to Ethiopia, a key security ally in the region, are at stake. Last month The Associated Press exposed the killing of an estimated 800 people in the city of Axum, citing several witnesses, and a week later Amnesty International reported “many hundreds” killed there, citing more than 40 witnesses. Soldiers from neighboring Eritrea, long an enemy of Tigray’s now-fugitive leaders, were blamed. Ethiopia continues to deny the Eritreans’ presence, even as senior officials with the interim Tigray government that Ethiopia appointed are increasingly outspoken about them. There is growing concern that Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, who won the Nobel in 2019 for making peace with Eritrea, has now teamed up with it in war. Eritrea called the AP story on Axum “outrageous lies.” Amid the denials, untold thousands of civilians have been killed as Ethiopian and allied forces pursue the former Tigray leaders who once dominated Ethiopia’s government before Abiy took office in 2018. Each side came to regard each other as illegitimate, then turned to fighting.

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Powell to Testify as Focus on Economic Pain Persists: Live Updates Here’s what you need to know: Jerome Powell is returning to Capitol Hill as Democrats push for a new $1.9 trillion spending plan.Credit…Al Drago for The New York Times After it rocketed higher last year, the United States’ official unemployment rate has fallen to 6.3 percent. But top economic officials are increasingly citing a different figure, one that puts the jobless rate at a far higher 10 percent. The higher figure includes people who have stopped looking for work, and the disparity between the official rate and the expanded statistic underlines the unusual nature of the pandemic shock and reinforces the idea that the economy remains far from a full recovery. The reality that labor market weakness lingers, a year into the pandemic, could come up again as Jerome H. Powell, the Federal Reserve chair, testifies before Congress starting on Tuesday. Mr. Powell is set to speak before the Senate Banking Committee at 10 a.m. Tuesday, then before the House Financial Services Committee on Wednesday. The Bureau of Labor Statistics tallies how many Americans are looking for work or are on temporary layoff midway through each month. That number, taken as a share of the civilian labor force, is reported as the official unemployment rate. But economists have long worried that by relying on the headline rate, they ignore people they shouldn’t, including would-be employees who are not actively applying for jobs because they are discouraged or because they are waiting for the right opportunity. Now, key policymakers are all but ditching the headline statistic, rather than just playing down its comprehensiveness. In an alternate unemployment figure, they’re adding back people who have left the job market since last February, along with those who are misclassified in the official report. “We have an unemployment rate that, if properly measured in some sense, is really close to 10 percent,” Treasury Secretary Janet L. Yellen said on CNBC last week. And a week earlier, Mr. Powell cited a similar figure in a speech about lingering labor market damage. “Published unemployment rates during Covid have dramatically understated the deterioration in the labor market,” Mr. Powell said recently. People dropped out of jobs rapidly when the economy closed, and with many restaurants, bars and hotels shut, there is nowhere for many workers who are trained in service work to apply. Mr. Powell will be testifying as Democrats look to pass $1.9 trillion in new economic relief, an effort that has raised concerns in some quarters about the potential for higher inflation. Mr. Powell has said he and his colleagues do not expect inflation to move much higher persistently, and has typically pushed for additional government support to help the economy through the pandemic. Rates on longer-term government bonds — which serve as benchmarks for things as varied as mortgages and credit-card debt — have been grinding higher and investors will also be watching carefully for any hints at how the Fed is interpreting that increase. If confirmed, Wally Adeyemo will be a pivotal player in America’s economic diplomacy efforts.Credit…Leah Millis/Reuters Wally Adeyemo, President Biden’s nominee for deputy Treasury Secretary, plans to emphasize the importance of rebuilding the United States’ alliances to combat China’s unfair trade practices and halt foreign interference in the country’s democratic institutions at his confirmation hearing on Tuesday, according to a copy of his prepared remarks, which were reviewed by The New York Times. His remarks highlight the importance that the Biden administration is placing on multilateralism as it seeks to undo many of the economic policies put in place by former President Donald J. Trump. Mr. Adeyemo will tell members of the Senate Finance Committee that Treasury Secretary Janet L. Yellen has asked him to focus on national security matters at the department. If confirmed, he will be a pivotal player in the country’s economic diplomacy efforts. “We must reclaim America’s credibility as a global leader, advocating for economic fairness and democratic values,” Mr. Adeyemo will say. Mr. Adeyemo is expected to be introduced at the hearing by Senator Elizabeth Warren, the progressive Democrat from Massachusetts. Ms. Warren, who established the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau before joining the Senate, worked with Mr. Adeyemo, who served as her first chief of staff. Mr. Adeyemo will discuss the nexus between economic and national security, arguing that “Made in America” policies will make the country more competitive around the world. If confirmed, he is expected to conduct a broad review of Treasury’s sanctions program, which the Trump administration used aggressively, but often haphazardly, against Iran, North Korea, Venezuela and other countries. “Treasury’s tools must play a role in responding to authoritarian governments that seek to subvert our democratic institutions; combating unfair economic practices in China and elsewhere; and detecting and eliminating terrorist organizations that seek to do us harm,” Mr. Adeyemo, a former Obama administration official, will say. Born in Nigeria, Mr. Adeyemo emigrated with his parents to the United States when he was a baby and settled in Southern California outside Los Angeles. At the hearing, he will also talk about his working-class upbringing and the need to ensure that low-income communities and communities of color, which have been hit hardest by the pandemic, receive relief. Shelly Ross found herself in a bureaucratic nightmare after requesting a second loan via PayPal for Tales of the Kitty, her San Francisco cat-sitting business.Credit…Anastasiia Sapon for The New York Times Nearly a month into the second run of the Paycheck Protection Program, $126 billion in emergency aid has been distributed by banks, which make the government-backed loans, to nearly 1.7 million small businesses. But a thicket of errors and technology glitches has slowed the relief effort and vexed borrowers and lenders alike, Stacy Cowley reports for The New York Times. Some are run-of-the-mill challenges magnified by the immense demand for loans, which has overwhelmed customer service representatives. But many stem from new data checks added by the Small Business Administration to combat fraud and eliminate unqualified applicants. Instead of approving applications from banks immediately, the S.B.A. has held them for a day or two to verify some of the information. That has caused — or exposed — a cascade of problems. Formatting applications in ways that will pass the agency’s automated vetting has been a challenge for some lenders, and many have had to revise their technology systems almost daily to keep up with adjustments to the agency’s system. False red flags, which can require time-consuming human intervention to fix, remain a persistent problem. Numerated, a technology company that processes loans for more than 100 lenders, still has around 10 percent of its applications snarled in error codes, down from a peak of more than 25 percent, said Dan O’Malley, the company’s chief executive. Nearly 5 percent of the 5.2 million loans made last year had “anomalies,” the agency revealed last month, ranging from minor mistakes like typos to major ones like ineligibility. Even tiny mistakes can spiral into bureaucratic disasters. Ardagh’s can-making business has grown by working with several seltzer-based beverage companies, like White Claw and Truly Hard Seltzer.Credit…Richa Naidu/Reuters The company that makes the aluminum cans used by LaCroix, White Claw and other beverage giants is spinning off that business in a deal that values the new company at $8.5 billion, according to several people with knowledge of the plan. The deal by Ardagh Group, which is based in Luxembourg, would be in the form of a merger with a special-purpose acquisition vehicle, or SPAC, backed by an affiliate of the Gores Group, the California private equity firm. It could be announced as soon as Tuesday, said the people, who spoke on the condition that they not be named because the negotiations are confidential. It is a bet on the continued growth of the can business, as companies increasingly weigh the environmental consequences of their products. Nestlé announced the sale of its water business for $4.3 billion this month, in part a move to shift away from water packaged in plastic. Aluminum cans are far easier to recycle than plastic bottles. The Gores SPAC, named Gores Holdings V, is the seventh such deal the group has done. Ardagh will retain a roughly 80 percent stake in the company after the deal. Investors are contributing a $600 million private placement, while Gores is putting in $525 million in cash. The new company, Ardagh Metal Packaging, will issue $2.65 billion of new debt. Ardagh generates more half its roughly $7 billion in annual sales from making cans for beverage companies. This past year, sales by the unit grew 2 percent, fueled by beverage sales and environmental awareness, while earnings before interest tax depreciation and amortization grew 8 percent. Ardagh will keep its glass packaging business. For beverage companies, cans have become an increasingly important tool for branding, providing colorful and sleek packaging. When Ardagh acquired its canning operation in 2016 for $3 billion, it did most of its business with legacy brands like large soda and beer companies. It has since worked with younger and faster-growing seltzer-based brands like White Claw, LaCroix and Truly Hard Seltzer to help charge its growth. To prepare for further expected expansion in the United States, it bought a factory in Huron, Ohio. Globally, the company is eyeing growth in Europe and Brazil, where beer sales remain strong as consumers are increasingly shifting from tap to cans. When movie theaters reopen in New York City, masks will be mandatory, and theaters must assign seating to patrons to guarantee proper social distancing.Credit…Angela Weiss/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images Movie theaters in New York City will be permitted to open for the first time in nearly a year on March 5, Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo announced at a news conference on Monday. The theaters will only be permitted to operate at 25 percent of their maximum capacity, with no more than 50 people per screening. Masks will be mandatory, and theaters must assign seating to patrons to guarantee proper social distancing. Tests for the virus will not be required. Movie theaters were permitted to open with similar limits in the rest of the state in late October, but New York City was excluded out of concern that the city’s density would hasten the spread of the virus there. The virus has battered the movie theater industry. In October, the owner of Regal Cinemas, the second-largest cinema chain in the United States, temporarily closed its theaters as Hollywood studios kept postponing releases and cautious audiences were hesitant to return to screenings. AMC Entertainment, the world’s largest movie theater chain, has increasingly edged toward bankruptcy. The economic effects of the pandemic have been particularly felt in New York City, one of the biggest movie markets in the United States. Theaters in the city closed in mid-March, as the region was becoming an epicenter of the pandemic in the country. While other indoor businesses, including restaurants, bowling alleys and museums, had been allowed to open in the city, Mr. Cuomo had kept movie theaters closed out of concern that people would be sitting indoors in poorly ventilated theaters for hours, risking the further spread of the virus. Theaters that open will be required to have enhanced air filtration systems. Public health experts say when considering indoor gatherings, the quality of ventilation is key because the virus is known to spread more easily indoors. Mr. Cuomo’s announcement was applauded by the National Association of Theater Owners. “New York City is a major market for moviegoing in the U.S.; reopening there gives confidence to film distributors in setting and holding their theatrical release dates, and is an important step in the recovery of the entire industry,” the association said in a statement. In a statement, AMC’s chief executive, Adam Aron, said the company would open all 13 of its New York City theaters on March 5. The move came just days after Mr. Cuomo said that indoor family entertainment centers and places of amusement could reopen statewide, at 25 percent maximum capacity, on March 26. Outdoor amusement parks will be allowed to open with a 33 percent capacity limit in April. The governor also said that the state was working on guidelines to allow pool and billiards halls to reopen after the state lost a lawsuit from pool hall operators. Those establishments will be allowed to reopen at 50 percent capacity with masks required, he said. Cases in New York remain high despite climbing down from their January peak. Over the last seven days, the state averaged 38 cases per 100,000 residents each day, as of Sunday. That is the second-highest rate per capita of new cases in the last week in the country, after South Carolina. The coronavirus pandemic dealt a big blow to WeWork’s business.Credit…Kate Munsch/Reuters Adam Neumann, the flamboyant co-founder of WeWork, and SoftBank, the Japanese conglomerate that rescued the co-working company in 2019, have in recent weeks made significant headway toward settling their drawn-out legal dispute, according to two people with knowledge of the matter. That battle has stalled SoftBank’s efforts to take WeWork public. As part of its multibillion-dollar bailout of WeWork, SoftBank offered to pay $3 billion for stock owned by Mr. Neumann and other shareholders. Several months later, after the coronavirus pandemic had emptied WeWork’s locations, SoftBank withdrew the offer. Mr. Neumann then sued SoftBank for breach of contract. SoftBank was already a big investor in WeWork when it withdrew plans for an initial public offering in 2019. Now, SoftBank has plans to combine WeWork with a publicly traded special-purpose acquisition company, a type of deal that has recently become a popular way of quickly bringing private companies public. The legal dispute between Mr. Neumann and SoftBank is a threat to such a deal because it leaves unresolved the question of how much control SoftBank has over WeWork. The settlement talks, which were reported earlier by The Wall Street Journal, could still fall apart, the two people said. Under the terms being discussed, SoftBank would buy half the number of shares that it had originally agreed to, one of the people said. As a result, it would pay $1.5 billion, not $3 billion. Mr. Neumann would get nearly $500 million instead of almost $1 billion, but he would retain more of his shares. Under Mr. Neumann, WeWork grew at a breakneck pace and was using up so much cash that it was close to bankruptcy before SoftBank stepped in. Under the management team SoftBank installed, WeWork has tried to cut costs by slowing its growth and negotiating deals with the landlords it rents space from. Source link Orbem News #Economic #focus #Live #pain #Persists #Powell #testify #Updates