#it's basically russian taxi driver

[raviscin]

Saw Brat a couple days ago and it's still spinning in my head. I am going to be SO annoying about Danila now, RIP to the people that know me

#brother 1997 #brat #it's basically russian taxi driver #i am going to he just like me fr the shit out of russian Travis #movie toughts

[gin-stan]

Redrew this [ Old (June 2023) Vs New (Feb 2024)]

I've recently gotten a tablet and a new art program, now I dont have to use my old phone to draw anymore. It's crazy the difference now that I have a bigger screen to draw on 💀.

This is my first time drawing my own interpretation of Jake. He's still a work in progress. (I have some bits of his personality in coherent thought, but that's about it).

I imagine his impulse control is like that scene in Peacemaker where the two ladies asked, "What are we gonna do with this guy?" (He's tied up in the back of a moving van) and vigilante and Peacemaker immediately pull out a gun and try to shoot him.

He's very respectful, especially of elders, he's the type to help old ladies(people) cross the street.

Basically, he lives by the code of "Don't start nothin' there won't be nothin.

He's not ultra violent, either. He does what he needs to do in order to serve Konshu and protect the system, but he doesn't necessarily enjoy it. It's a job the same as being a taxi driver.

Of course, he still speaks Spanish, but he can also speak other languages as well. Out of the system, he's the one who can speak the most languages fluently. [Russian, Spanish, English, ect.].

Out of all of them, he has the more explicit mouth. He can get very creative with his curse words and insults

I can't think of anything else, so just ask. I'll come up with an answer.

#drawing #i like making fun of fanon jake from time to time #steven is in a totally different art style than the other two...RIP #art #sketch #fanart #artist #chibi #artwork #moon knight system #moon boys #moon knight fandom #moon knight #jake lockley fanart #jake lockley #marc spector fanart #marc spector #steven grant #steven grant fanart #marvel moon knight #moon knight fanart #digital aritst #digital art

[maxwell-grant]

What a lot of people don’t seem to understand about Goncharov is that it isn’t just “another Scorsese gangster film” (which in itself is a pretty gross oversimplification), it was a crucial part of the pivotal point of his career as a director. It was Scorsese applying everything he learned about effective low-budget filmmaking from Roger Corman (who co-produced Goncharov as well, albeit uncredited) during the making of Boxcar Bertha, as well as applying John Cassavetes’ advice on making the genre films he wanted to make rather than the more documentary/autobiography works he’d done so far.

With Corman’s assistance (himself notorious for being able to stitch new films together out of scrapped footage from old ones), in 1973 he was able to finish and release two films: Mean Streets, and Goncharov, both films sharing actors, sets, even small bits of footage. Mean Streets happened to be the classic that would launch his career, and Goncharov would remain mostly forgotten until now.

Now, we all know of course that Goncharov got tangled up in international copyright issues from the get-go, with the 1983 and the 1996 recolors only further complicating things as the movie got passed around to different studios, and by that point there wasn’t much Scorsese could even do to get the film back and he was tangled up in a lot of other projects (although some theorize this as one of the reasons why Scorsese would later go on to notoriously champion film restoration and preservation, knowing firsthand what it’s like to have a passion project fall through the cracks and be taken away from you).

Still, the movie did have a limited release in the US and Canada (with a pretty strong fanbase in Winnipeg, actually, for the past decades most of the available copies of Goncharov came from VHS releases in Winnipeg, although very poorly preserved), and it wasn’t terribly well received at the time either. Even if these odd strokes of fate hadn’t destroyed Goncharov’s release I doubt the film would have fared that well much the same.

Where as Mean Streets reads like a blueprint for Scorcese’s gritty masculine hits like Taxi Driver and Goodfellas, Goncharov in many ways feels more in line with Scorsese’s more oddball projects like King of Comedy and Hugo, actually it really does have more in common with Hugo than his other crime films. I think part of why Goncharov’s become popular on Tumblr lately is because it’s remarkably, whimsical? It’s a weird way to describe a movie that gets so dark but, it feels way more grounded in fantasy than his other works (it even has that clock motif that Scorsese would later use in Hugo)

The name itself is a tribute to filmmaker Vasily Goncharov, a film pioneer from the Soviet Union. Goncharov was the first filmmaker to record a film using two cameras and use sound effects, he’d directed the first feature film made in Russian history as well as the first blockbuster with 1812. This was the period where Scorsese was hanging out with De Palma and it shows because there’s a lot of scenes in Goncharov that are explicitly in tribute to Goncharov’s works like Ivan the Terrible and Khas Bulat.

Some of you are wondering where do the queer elements in Goncharov come from or why is Katya unusually pro-active for a Scorsese female lead (or even why this film has a female lead at all when so many of his other works don’t really have one), that’s a side effect of this movie’s debt to Goncharov’s works, particularly Charodeyka (The Enchantress). Katya is basically Scorsese’s take on the Nastasya / Charodeyka character.

In the fifteenth century, Nikita, the vice-regent of Novgorod, and his son Yuri fall in love with Nastasya, the owner of a local inn. But Nastasya is actually the sorceress Charodeyka. The local deacon Mamirov tells Nikita’s wife about Nastasya, and the wife poisons her. She dies in Yuri’s arms, and the enraged Nikita kills Yuri - Jess Nevins, on Charodeyka (1909), description taken from The Encyclopedia of Pulp Heroes

Albeit described as “evil” and being depicted as a witch, Charodeyka bears no blame for any of the tragedy that happens in the movie, she just happens to be a beautiful woman targeted by dangerous affections of men and women alike (the movie does go some way towards showing it isn’t just jealousy that drives Nikita’s wife to murder Charodeyka) while bearing a secret of her own. I’m not saying Charodeyka was a queer tragedy by any means, but it is a tragedy of doomed love affairs and toxic family relationships and that seems to be what Goncharov’s playing with (Scorsese’s Goncharov cut out the implied incest and I’d say that was for the better).

This is kind of why Katya Goncharova kinda feels a little disconnected from Goncharov’s narrative up until the point they first meet and their fates intertwine tragically. Instead of a witch, she’s a femme fatale, and it damns her much the same just as Goncharov’s past catches up to him. It isn’t quite a remake but it’s taking a lot from Charodeyka and Ivan the Terrible and Vasily Goncharov’s other works, and Scorsese didn’t quite manage to blend these influences and tributes smoothly into the story, which is why the movie is kind of all over-the-place in a way that makes describing it make it seem like it’s an epistolary shitpost, which it very much isn’t.

It’s, among all the other things people have described it as, Scorsese’s oddball love letter to his influences as well as an important yet forgotten parts of film history (it’s not for nothing that Goncharov attempts suicide by train). Obviously, for many reasons, it was never going to catch on the way Mean Streets did, but it is fascinating nonetheless and I’m glad to see it’s been rediscovered.

#goncharov #martin scorcese #cinema #robert de niro #roger corman

[rivertalesien]

I'm not trying to jump on a bandwagon, but now that the internet has suddenly decided Goncharov is relevant again, maybe start getting some of your facts straight and give credit where it is due:

It's been well-documented (most recently in Michael Donati's biography of Ida Lupino as well as others) that Scorsese's film was basically cribbed from an unproduced screenplay written by Lupino while she was working on The Trouble With Angels with Hayley Mills and Rosalind Russell.

According to the man himself, Russell had been in touch with film legend Orson Welles during the production, excited about a project she thought would be perfect for him: a Russian mafia melodrama with underlying themes of hidden identities and betrayals, but Welles was neck-deep in Chimes at Midnight, his Falstaffian masterwork.

In a 1975 interview on the Dick Cavett show, Welles shared his conversations with Russell about the screenplay; how Lupino came up with the idea while directing for Gilligan's Island (if Goncharov's theme of being "stranded" isn't ringing any bells); how she had become depressed and isolated during the Angels production, lending a darker tone to her then-untitled story, which became an exploration of personal violence and societal injustice, seen through the eyes of a younger generation of Russian mobsters.

Troubled angels

According to Welles, Lupino was distressed by the onset antics of her young star, Hayley Mills and the various, dark-suited figures who would visit the set, making various "deliveries" to the former Disney favorite's trailer. Welles claimed that Disney's controlling behavior was a major contributor to many of his former protegee's "rebellious streaks" with Mills being no exception.

Russell, Welles said, was witness to various terse "discussions" between Lupino and Mills, with dialogue that would eventually end up in the screenplay (and unchanged by Scorsese), including the infamous (and often censored) "Katya and the Bookkeeper" scene.

When asked how Scorsese learned of Lupino's screenplay and why she would be given no credit, Welles explained Lupino's fears for her career (even with an implied threat from Disney, though he had passed away in December of 1966, following TTWA's release), and that she did not want her name associated with anything so "lurid."

With Scorsese updating the Russian setting to Italy (with the help of the screenwriter Welles called "that bastard Mateo"), Goncharov became thoroughly stamped with the now-familiar trademarks of Scorsese's later works, including Taxi Driver and Hugo.

But its origins belong to one of Hollywood's first women filmmakers who dared to push against the traditional boundaries that kept women (like Katya) from achieving greater status.

Without Ida Lupino, there would be no Goncharov.

#goncharov #film history #ida lupino #orson welles #martin scorsese #unreality

[slowishgreen]

Today I dreamed that

I don't remember much of what happened at first as always, but at one point we were rescuing something from this giant woman. It was me and some other people. But something went wrong and she disappeared.

Then everyone basically forgot she existed but me, and I tried to tell people what happened, but no one believed me, and I basically became the laughing stock of my small town. I even went to church once thinking I'd be treated well there, but people started to make comments about me and I left.

Time passed and now people were starting to tell lies about me, the worse being that I was a cannibal. So I was going home and I met some people that used to go to my church, including this guy I had a crush on, and they were bullying me, and I started crying and begging them to understand, and asking if they really did believe that I was a cannibal. The guy got this sad expression, but said nothing.

I went inside my garage and then my uncle arrived, he told me the guy said he should talk to me, so he said he'd hide me. I entered his car and he drove me to another place, but in the middle of the way a woman entered the car. She thought it was a taxi somehow. So I hid my face with a blanket and started talking with this weird russian accent, pretending I was pregnant. My uncle stopped the car in front of a bar, and went in, and so did the woman. I stayed in the car, but somehow she found out who I was and went after me. She gave me a jumpscare in the window, so I went to the driver's seat and just drove away, badly of course.

Then there was a lot of driving very badly.

After that I was back home and some people from my church band were here including my boyfriend and my ex. I was helping him fix his pants because they were falling, so I left to go grab a needle.

Then I was running again, being followed. I ran through the train station and through the near streets, hid under yhe bridge and the I saw this road to the forest, so I ran there.

And then I ran through so many different forests. At aome point I was running with someone else, and we turned into cartoony dogs. We stopped in this house to hide and our followers weren't able to see us. We lived there a bit and we were human again, and he was my boyfriend.

Then whatever followed us found us so we had to run more. We were dogs again and run to another house, and we hid with this other group of dogs.

Then there was a fighting part between me and the followers, in this vast camp with square buildings.

Then we were playing a game against the bad guys, together with our church friends. After that we were preparing to leave and the bad guys were bullying me, and our friends were defending me, and I had to stop my boyfriend from holding the tip of the bad guy's scarf, so they wouldn't fight

Then i woke up

#im always running #always #sometimes theres nothing behind me sometimes there is #personal #dream diary

[mostlymovieswithmax]

Movies I watched in March

Thought I’d chronicle the films I’ve been watching over the March period, from the 1st to the 31st, and how I’d rate them. If you’re looking for something to watch, perhaps this will help. A lot of these movies are available on streaming services also.

The Wolf of Wall Street (2013) - 10/10

I hadn’t watched this in a couple of years but I was blown away. Peak Scorsese.

Rushmore (1998) - 7/10

Not the best Wes Anderson movie for me but still fun.

Lion (2016) - 8/10

I discussed this at length on my podcast: The Sunday Movie Marathon. Great movie!

The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014) - 10/10

Now this is one of the best Wes Anderson movies. I discuss this more on The Sunday Movie Marathon. Fantastic, funny and I watched it twice because it’s so much fun.

Inception (2010) - 10/10

Discussed on The Sunday Movie Marathon. Best Christopher Nolan movie for me, Inception is just breathtaking.

The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou (2004) - 5/10

This might be Anderson’s weakest film (at least from what I’ve seen) but it’s still not as bad as a lot of directors at their worst.

The Royal Tenenbaums (2001) - 10/10

I was really on an Anderson binge in March. The Royal Tenenbaums is one of the most wholesome movies I’ve seen and certainly one of his best films.

Rome, Open City (1945) - 4/10

This was filmed in Nazi-occupied Italy and from that premise, the film enticed me. Despite having some interesting qualities, I do feel that initial pull is most of what the movie has going for it.

The Prestige (2006) - 7/10

I showed this to my brother and for what it’s worth, he enjoyed it. I do think this is one of Nolan’s weaker efforts but considering how much I like it, that speaks a lot to Nolan’s filmography as a whole.

Nostalgia (1983) - 10/10

I watched Nostalgia three times in the space of a week and reviewed it on The Sunday Movie Marathon. It’s phenomenal.

Kangaroo Jack (2003) - 1/10

Another one I watched for the podcast. Kangaroo Jack is truly terrible and it upset me a great deal. Avoid this movie.

Stalker (1979) - 10/10

Another Andrei Tarkovsky movie (director of Nostalgia). I watched this again during the day before my second watch of Nostalgia and while it’s hard to compare such different movies, I enjoy Stalker more. It’s a staple of Russian cinema for a reason.

Four Lions (2010) - 5/10

Watched for the podcast. I didn’t really gel with this comedy but it would certainly appeal to someone who enjoys the humour, as my co-hosts did.

Revolutionary Road (2008) - 6/10

This Sam Mendes joint was a tad too melodramatic but still boasted some great performances from Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet.

Metropolis (1927) - 6/10

This silent film is a staple in cinematic history. Its themes are as painfully relevant today as they were in the 20’s, yet despite that I found a lot of it to be intensely boring. After it hit the hour mark, I started playing it at 1.5x speed.

Crimson Peak (2015) - 4/10

A lot of great set design and costumes and colours, yet the story itself was madly uninteresting.

Eternal Sunshine of The Spotless Mind (2004) - 10/10

Who doesn’t love a good movie written by Charlie Kaufman? I reviewed this on The Sunday Movie Marathon and after a third watch, it is as fascinating as it is gut-wrenching.

Godzilla (2014) - 3/10

If you wanted to see Godzilla fight a bunch of monsters for two hours, then this is not the movie for you. There’s maybe about ten minutes total of on-screen Godzilla action and considering that’s really all anyone’s watching this for, it’s amazing the titular sea lizard occupies so little of the movie.

Prisoners (2013) - 10/10

Brilliant mystery thriller by my favourite director, Denis Villeneuve. Discussed on the podcast.

Eraserhead (1977) - 7/10

David Lynch’s debut feature film went down in my estimations this time around. You can listen to why on The Sunday Movie Marathon. Still, Eraserhead is a very good movie.

Raiders of The Lost Ark (1981) - 6/10

The first Indiana Jones movie proved to be a fun romp and Harrison Ford plays the character beautifully. I’m just not a big fan of Spielberg and his average verging on pretty good but rarely ever great movies. Perhaps on a second watch, I may enjoy this more.

The Seventh Seal (1957) - 9/10

Watching this movie again was so much fun. So far, it’s my favourite Ingmar Bergman film. It’s a celebration of life and love, with an underlying sense of dread as death looms ever-present.

Indiana Jones and The Temple of Doom (1984) - 5/10

I can tell why this generally looked on as the weakest in the trilogy. Harrison Ford is still great but the movie dragged a lot and felt more like a bunch of things happening for the sake of it rather than a fun action/adventure.

Indiana Jones and The Last Crusade (1989) - 7/10

The Last Crusade was a lot of fun and maybe it was Sean Connery’s inclusion, or perhaps the bottle of wine I drank through the movie elevated my enjoyment. But alcohol aside, I still believe this to be the best in the series.

Justice League (2017) - 2/10

People really weren’t kidding when they said this was bad. I watched this in preparation for the Snyder cut and I was not happy. This took years off my life.

Zack Snyder’s Justice League (2021) - 3/10

Barely any better and double the run-time of the original. I discussed this on The Sunday Movie Marathon and I was certainly not impressed. Better luck next time, Zack!

The Truman Show (1998) - 10/10

Brilliant movie and one I would highly recommend for a stellar Jim Carrey performance. This was another recommendation for the podcast.

Eighth Grade (2018) - 7/10

I was impressed with Bo Burnham’s debut feature. This is a coming of age story centred around a young girl growing up in the modern world and how it can affect the youth of today. Burnham shows a deep understanding of youth culture and a real knack for filmmaking.

Bad Education (2019) - 8/10

A real “yikes!” movie. If you want to learn a bit about the embezzlement that took place in an American school back in the early 2000’s, you need not look further than this tight drama with fantastic performances from Hugh Jackman and Allison Janney.

Twelve Monkeys (1995) - 8/10

One of the only movies where the time travel makes sense. I recommended this for The Sunday Movie Marathon and it’s pretty great.

Ready Or Not (2019) - 7/10

Despite a premise that is not wholly original and a super goofy third act, Ready Or Not is gory, violent fun with a lot of stylish art direction.

Dead Man (1995) - 3/10

Recommended on the podcast. I really did not get a lot out of Dead Man. It’s a very slow movie about Johnny Depp going through the woods and killing some people on the way, but it’s two hours long and hugely metaphorical and sadly it just didn’t connect.

Misbehaviour (2020) - 6/10

A big draw for me in Misbehaviour is Keira Knightley; I think she’s a great actor and I’m basically on board with anything she does. I’d been wanting to see this for a while and I was shocked to see just how relevant it is (being set in 1970) to the world we find ourselves in today, where women are still fighting to be heard and to be treated equally. While the film is not spectacular, I still got a lot from its themes, so recently after the murder of Sarah Everard and how women are being treated in their protest.

Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned To Stop Worrying and Love The Bomb (1964) - 7/10

I was surprised at just how hilarious this early Kubrick movie is. While I can’t say it floored me or took any top spots, it’s still a great examination of the military and how they respond to threats or try to solve problems and the side of war we don’t often see in films: the people in the background sitting in a room making crucial decisions.

Taxi Driver (1976) - 10/10

Wow! I can’t believe I’d never seen this before but I’d never really had access to it. Taxi Driver is a beautifully made movie with so much colour and vibrancy. De Niro puts on perhaps his best performance and Paul Schrader’s timeless script works miracles.

Sleepy Hollow (1999) - 5/10

Classic Tim Burton aesthetics in a pretty by the numbers, almost Supernatural-esque story eked out over an hour and forty minutes.

Seaspiracy (2021) - 6/10

Everyone’s going crazy over this documentary and I agree it tackles important issues we’re facing today surrounding the commercialization of the fishing industry, but a lot of what’s presented here is information already available to the public. The editing feels misplaced at times and the tone is all over the place. Nonetheless, it’s still quite fascinating to see good journalism being done in a way that exposes this side of the industry.

Pirates of The Carribean: The Curse of The Black Pearl (2003) - 8/10

Super fun and a great first instalment in a franchise that sadly seems to have peaked at the first hurdle.

My Octopus Teacher (2020) - 8/10

Great cinematography and a lovely premise, this documentary has garnered an Oscar nomination and I can see why.

The Sisters Brothers (2018) - 8/10

A really solid western I was happy to watch again. It’s a shame no one really talks about this movie because it is excellent with stunning visuals and great performances.

Pirates of The Carribean: Dead Man’s Chest (2006) - 5/10

A strangely massive drop in quality from the original. If I didn’t like the whole concept of this franchise so much, I might have had a worse time.

Reservoir Dogs (1992) - 8/10

On a second watch, Tarantino’s first feature is still wildly impressive.

Life of Brian (1979) - 7/10

This is perhaps my third time watching Monty Python’s Life of Brian and it’s still incredibly funny, however it never manages to measure up to its predecessor (and one of my all time favourites), Monty Python and The Holy Grail.

#march #movies #film #wrap-up #monthly #follow for more #the wolf of wall street #rushmore #lion #the grand budapest hotel #inception #the life aquatic with steve zissou #the royal tenenbaums #rome open city #the prestige #nostalgia #kangaroo jack #stalker #four lions #revolutionary road #metropolis #crimson peak #eternal sunshine of the spotless mind #godzilla #prisoners #eraserhead #raiders of the lost ark #the seventh seal #indiana jones and the temple of doom #indiana jones and the last crusade

[grapefruit185]

OCs!

I am not good at writing!! I wish I was, but my thing is visuals, so I think of scenes and scenarios that my ocs get up to... with a basic story to back it up lol

The Difference in Distance:

Would be a movie that takes a lot of inspo from early 2000s indie films that are extremely pretentious and kindaa taking that piss out of them... but also not lol. I’d call it.. a coming of age story for boomers pushing 30 :P It’s a sort of meta film that the main character, Sam is creating with his super 8 and disposable cameras (lol). It jumps from the romanticized “movie” to “reality” and often the visuals are juxtaposed against one another to create the mood and tone of a certain scene. It’s set in Seattle in 2011 and follows the characters Sam, Leona, Florence, and Dante. They all decide to go on a trip around the country and end up learning a little something from one another. It would delve deep into insecurities, mental illness, nostalgia, and beauty in the mundane. I’ve had the idea that this could easily be a silent film with no dialogue, since it would rely heavily on visuals. And because of that, it’d be segmented into “parts” that would show a title screen with a poem or phrase that Sam wrote. The “movie” parts that Sam shoots would have Leona’s music playing over it, too. That’s pretty much it idk. It’s a very.... loose idea. 

Sam- He/him, bi, white. Used to be named Stellone and used to look like this. (him, florence, and dante are turning 10 next year holy....) He’s a writer and English class middle school teacher and lover of poetry, photography, and film making. 31 y/o who’s stuck inside his own head and struggles to go outside his comfort zone. Not for a lack of trying though, he just has a lot of anxiety. Is the husband of Leona, and adopted brother of Dante. 

Leona- She/her, bi, native american. 30 y/o singer songwriter of the band “Primrose” (includes her and 3 other people who’re old friends and neighbors). Used to be heavily involved in leftist politics and ran for local positions. Fell out of it after it got too stressful and got back into music, from when she was really into it in her teens. Though, she still incorporates some political imagery her song lyrics. And still occasionally helps out with others’ campaigns. Her and Sam both struggle with anxiety and find art as an outlet to express themselves and often collaborate on projects.

Florence- She/her, ???, white russian american. 24 y/o. She’s an enigma. Nobody knows what she does for a living or what she gets up to. Often she just shows up and causes problems on purpose. She struggles to take much of anything seriously and spirals out of control sometimes, though often ends up feeling guilty about it afterwards. Her and Dante are long time bffs. They are ride or die, even when they shouldn’t be. She owns an 80s vw van in which they use to travel the country in. 

Dante- He/him. Formerly known as Riley. Gay, Italian american ayy. 26 y/o. Part time Hollister cashier and taxi driver. Youtube vlogger in 2011. Materialistic. Turbulent, just like Florence. Does what he wants, when he wants. Often feels claustrophobic with things staying the same, and remedies that feeling with impulse buying. Sometimes it’s for himself, other times it’s to spoil his long list of friends, and his fam. He has two moms, who he loves very much and spoils them rotten.(.. i know italian american lesbians... unrealistic but it’s MY little world ok). As annoying as he sounds, he’s actually a really fun person to be around cause he’s always got something to say and somewhere to go. This extravertedness often helps Sam and Leona break out of their shell a bit... even if it ends up being a bit much at times.

DND/Fallout:

(setting and character building often just end up blending together)

Risette- She/her, they/them. 29 y/o. Formerly “Rizzo”. A haughty French aristocrat who travels out west in search for adventure, but quickly realizes she’s stupid and actually gave up easy comfort. Now she’s stuck in a frozen desert called Folsom (setting like the mohave.. only cold) and needs to make her own way. She becomes a taxidermist/fur trader/shotgun surgeon who roams around the wastes on her reindeer-like mount named “Croque Monsieur”. She also sports new overtly american attire to blend in with the locals. She ends up becoming intrigued with the little town with its peculiar politics and “otherworldly” charm. Something’s up with Folsom.. and she’s gonna find out what.. Eventually she befriends a local named Roz. They both bond over art and travel and end up hitting it off. They team up to get the the bottom of the town’s strange history.

Roz- She/her. 27 y/o. She’s a woodworker/farmer/secret necromancer on accident. (Theme song is running up that hill by Kate bush😌) She moved out to Folsom in her early 20s in hopes of starting a woodworking shop, but ended up having to take up farming to make ends meet. She takes care of her brown and white spotted highland cow named Little Banjo. Her mom lives in the neighboring city of Limbo and Roz often travels to visit her, and vice versa. Her dad went missing when she was a kid and she's never really gotten over it. Roz is also very religious, but not a part of the local church. She doesn't agree with how politics and religion in her town are being enforced. It took a bit for her to really understand the impact that these town "leaders" had on their townspeople.. with the help of Risette, they start their investigation. 

#ocs #sam #leona #florence #dante #risette #roz #tdid #dnd #fallout #ocs about

[bruh-haikyuu]

can i have Hcs of nekoma & fukurodani (Maybe karasuno too) teams reaction to manager reader speaking languages other than japanese? Like, in the middle of training they(reader) get a phone call and just starts talking in another language.. Thankss💙

A/N: I read Haikyuu-bu again and got inspired to give the boys some peak dumbass interactions like this! I hope you enjoy!!

‘What’s our Manager Saying?!’ w/ Fukurodani & Nekoma

summary: in which you are on a call with someone on the phone... but really, what are you talking about?

warnings: none

Fukurodani

It’s like a hurricane to Bokuto. It’s even worse that you pick up the call in the middle of one of his moods, so he gets even more restless about what you’re saying over the phone.

“Hey, are you talking about me?” “L/N I know you’re talking about me.” “I hope you’re saying good things about me.”

Everyone else is rather impressed though, despite the daily surprises that has numbed them down. Komi tries to mouth off some of the words you’re saying and correlate them to Japanese (“Why are you even trying if you failed Japanese?” Sarukui asks).

For a club so well-established, you find it very loud, so you take the conversation elsewhere and leave the boys to your curiosity. It’s fine for a while and they’re back to their usual groove... But when you start mentioning off their names, that’s when they truly start to panic.

You’re laughing. Why are you laughing? Even for a fraction of a millisecond, Akaashi can feel a shiver run up his spine. What are you discussing over the phone with this foreign person? Why is it so funny? The questions run through their heads the whole practice session and Coach Yamiji has to force them back to ground with extra drills.

When you come back, you have to explain to them that a foreign cousin of yours had just returned to Japan and was asking you about who you wanted to invite for a yakiniku dinner he was going to treat you with.

“Yakiniku! It was yakiniku all along!” “Yakiniku... what a troublesome topic to be talking about in another language...” “I can’t believe we got pins and needles over grilled meat.”

At least they enjoyed the dinner.

Nekoma

Your parents were off on holiday abroad, and even then, you were rather frustrated over the fact that they’d keep contacting you to translate to locals even though you’d installed a translation application onto their phones. It was during a 3-on-3 match between the members of the Boys’ Volleyball Club that your mother decided she’d ring you up to talk to a stubborn taxi driver.

It was so strange—surreal even—to see Nekoma’s precious manager to be talking so sharply over the phone in some sort of alien lingo. Just who were you talking to?!

“That’s gotta be Russian, right? The syllables seem so complicated. Hey, Lev, what’s L/N-san saying?” “Eh...but I was born and raised here. Fukunaga-san probably knows more Russian than me.” “... Nyet...”

The discussion has gotten so rowdy between the first and second-years that with the addition of the third-years, their deductions about your topic of discussion has gone too far off target.

The more popular option was that you were part of the international yakuza, for some unknown reason. Why else would you be getting so gruff over? Some others like Kuroo and Kai didn’t want to believe in such assumptions, but the longer they discussed it... the more vivid that image became. And suddenly, you were being dubbed ‘L/N Y/N  the Impregnable Dragon’ behind your back.

Kenma, who’d seen enough go down in such a short span of time, decided to really ask you what was going on after you dropped the call. Of course, all the anticlimax only brought about disappointment, yet still created a deep fear over the fact that you could furtively talk about them with your multilingual skill in hand. So of course—

“Hey, Y/N, can you teach me a few basic words?” “Me too! Me too! How do you say ‘I can play volleyball’?” “Inuoka, you’re too boring~ Teach us curse words!” “Sensei! L/N-san-sensei!”

Things at Nekoma’s Boys’ Volleyball Club were never drab, were they?

#bruh haikyuu writing #haikyuu!! #haikyuu #haikyu #haikyuu x reader #haikyuu headcanons #haikyuu hcs #nekoma x reader #fukurodani x reader #sfw #haikyuu fluff #bokuto x reader #akaashi x reader #kuroo x reader #kenma x reader #hq x reader #haikyuu writing #tetsurou kuroo #bokuto koutarou #akaashi keiji #kozume kenma

[yonymii]

2 arabesques

a/n; this one was hard to write bc I did it while having writers block but I hope it's ok!! I love alisa a lot she is lovely and I would marry her if she was real 🥰🥰😍😁😁 also I got very absorbed like, halfway through so y/ns personality is basically me. yes

wc; 3.9k

warnings; cursing,

genre; fluff, strangers/friends to lovers, romance

pairing; alisa haiba x gn!reader

listen to 2 arabesques here!

She reminded you of the old paintings of angels you’d seen in art galleries as a child. It was weird, seeing something so ethereal reincarnate as a university student. She didn’t belong here; she belonged on a pedestal, deserved to be adored. But life was unfair, you supposed, and not everyone could experience the excitement of such an elaborate life. Perhaps that was why she was studying fashion modeling in the first place (whatever that was). You’d probably never know. She had absolutely no idea who you were.

By the time you’d stopped daydreaming, your final class of the day was over and everyone had left. Only you were left in the lecture hall, sitting at the very back with your head resting ontop of your arms, the shuffling of the professor packing up his things quickly making tiny little noises at the front of the room. He left, the door swinging shut behind him, but it wasn’t locked. 

It didn’t take you long to pack up, seeing as your laptop hadn’t left your bag in the first place. You swung it over your shoulder after your coat, tucking your hands into the sleeves to protect them from the bite of the wind. It had been snowing when you arrived in the morning, and it took and hour to wake up your fingers to be able to type, let alone write anything. 

The hallways were quiet (as usual; it wasn’t as if anyone wanted to stay in school when they didn’t need to). The little shop on the ground floor had a few students in it, but they were in a hurry to leave too. The large exit doors had obviously been open all day and it was absolutely freezing. You were glad you’d put on your big coat in the morning; it was a long walk back to your apartment and you planned on going to a coffee shop before going there.

It had stopped snowing, but the ground was covered in puddles and your boots and feet got soaked in numbingly cold water as you wandered towards the place you usually studied. It was slowly getting darker as you walked and the sun was lowering itself below the tall line of skyscrapers and apartment blocks when you entered the coffee shop and joined the small queue of teenagers and tired-looking adults ordering their drinks. 

It was quiet inside but you were thankful for the warmth the heaters provided, and the low hum of voices under the music wasn’t unwelcome; you payed for your drink quickly and went to sit at your usual spot, the two-seater table in the corner. There was a small, dim light hanging above your head and it lit the space in a soft, golden glow, unlike the rest of the coffee shop that was lit by streetlamps outside. The moon was hid behind a building, only half of it visible, but you still found yourself staring at it for an unnecessary amount of time. It reminded you of her; your friend’s friend. The girl studying fashion modeling. 

To be quite honest, you didn’t see her that often, so it was a mystery as to why she plagued your mind so often. Apparently, her brother played volleyball for a highschool called Nekoma (albeit not very well), and she was half Russian. Not that it mattered to you, though. You supposed that you’d like her anyway. 

Suddenly, you found yourself snapped out of your little trance by the waiter bringing your mug to the table and setting it down a little too loudly. He walked away quickly, avoiding any sort of contact with you, but you weren’t bothered by it. You were focused on your book so the lack of conversation wasn’t disappointing in the slightest. The bell at the door rung again, and because of the small distraction of your drink arriving you raised your head to see who it was, somewhat begrudgingly, despite it being completely of your own accord.

Your eyes were met with a pair of stark green ones that seemed to go right through you; you shivered, not because they were unfriendly. Admittedly, you knew who she was, but your frank lack of energy made it hard to want to communicate with anyone, and so you pretended not to see her, looking back down at your book and swiftly burying yourself in the pages, as if you were trying to hide from her.

You knew your efforts were futile though. She was almost too nice, and it wasn’t like she knew you were already half-asleep and probably weren’t able to form a coherent sentence. At this point, you weren’t even reading. The words were going right over your head. 

You heard her footsteps before her voice, and you didn’t even need to look up to know she was smiling. “Y/n!”. Too loud. You tried not to wince to noticeably.

“Hey, Alisa,” you managed to spit a greeting out. You weren’t sure what you thought about her at this point. You were tired, and it was late, and you had so many essays due that you doubted you’d get more than an hour of sleep over the next few days. Yeah, sure, you loved her but you were so overwhelmed you didn’t think you’d be able to handle talking to one more person. Emotions were confusing (especially when you considered yourself to be in love, whatever that felt like).

“How have you been?”, her voice was like silk, and you had to wait a moment to process what she was saying. Alisa continued, “I haven’t seen you since last month! How have you been?” she looked down at your book, then at your bag that barely held all the paper assigments from your classes. She laughed (the same laugh that gave you heart palpitations. This  was the reason she wasn’t good for you) “You look busy.”

You laughed (it was sort of forced, but that isn’t the point), “Yeah. School tends to keep you busy,” you paused, adding shakily, “I’m used to it, though. Don’t worry about me!” 

The blonde girl frowned as she watched you panic, your eyes darting everywhere but her. It was hard not to worry when you watch someone you consider a friend fall apart in the back corner of a coffee shop. She tried her best to ignore it though, and as soon as you managed to look back at her she continued the conversation.

“I don’t think we have each other’s numbers yet, y/n. Do you mind exchanging? Maybe we could go out together sometime, since i have to get home and look after Lev,” she sighed, and her eyes closed momentarily, “He’s a bit of a handful. For a fifteen-year-old.”

You didn’t have the energy to feel sorry for her but you let her enter her number into your phone, and she listened attentively when you told her yours to make sure she didn’t get it wrong and end up texting a random stranger to make plans. After you watched her leave, take-out cup of coffee in hand, you lay your head on the darkening pages of your book, ear pressed to the paper. You closed your eyes for a moment and then sat up, breathing deeply as you drank the rest of your tea. You closed your book, tucking it into the bottom of your bag and standing up, patting your coat pocket to check that your phone was still in there. 

It was pitch-black when you stepped outside, and the streetlamps made you squint and cover your eyes with one hand; your apartment wasn’t too far away but it was cold and taxis were easy. You flagged one down and climbed into the back, sitting directly behind the driver (it made you feel safer anyway), and you put in your headphones. 

The drive passed quickly, and as soon as you paid for the journey and exited the car you began to walk briskly up the stairs to your place. Your keys were in the same pocket as your phone, and you pulled them out wearily, pushing the silver one into the lock and turning it till you heard the familiar click. 

The door felt extra heavy tonight, and your bag dropped to the floor just as quickly as you dropped onto your bed. The lights were too bright to turn on but the fairy lights lining the walls were fine; you opted for them as you dropped your thick coat next to your bag and shoes. Closing the window from the freezing cold and switching on the little heater, you crawled into bed and let the warmth envelop you. You fell asleep in mere seconds, ignoring the loud vibrations from your phone carry across the room. 

-

Most of the time, when you don’t want to reply to someone’s message or call them back, you just pretend to have not read it or noticed in the first place. It was weird, leaving the notification there, just to remind yourself that she texted you first. When you’d exchanged numbers the previous week, you just assumed that you’d be the first one to reach out. That’s how it had been with every other friend you’d made. You weren’t disappointed; in fact, you were grateful. You hated having to initiate conversations, however you still felt bad for not replying. 

It had been five days since Alisa first messaged you, three since the second time, and fifteen minutes since the last. The latest one read ‘I’m coming over. Be about 20 minutes!’. 

You sighed, reading it once more and then turning your brightness down. Just because you hadn’t replied to any of her texts didn’t mean you weren’t ok. The music barely reached your ears since you were buried so deep under your covers, but that was fine. You weren’t really listening to it anyways.

There was a knock at the door. You didn’t think that the person on the other side realised how thin it was, but you definitely heard them sigh and let out a string of curses after you didn’t reply. It was Alisa, but you knew that. Nobody else would want to check in on you. The doorknob rattled and you winced; too loud. It opened, a little quieter this time, and slowly, the covers were peeled off of your figure. Alisa sighed (again. How sick of you could she possibly be? You only got back in touch less that six days ago) and looked down at you with disdain. 

“You need to get up. Have you missed any classes?” you shook you head in response to her questions. You couldn’t miss classes. It’s not as if you found them particularly difficult. Just a little boring, that’s all. 

You closed your eyes, tapping your fingers against the mattress. The blinds had been opened and now the evening light was pouring into your room unfiltered. Alisa grabbed your wrist gently, pulling you up painfully slowly. You groaned, rubbing your eyes and patting her hand to let her know you can sit up on your own. 

You opened your eyes somewhat begrudgingly, squinting from the still too-bright light. Alisa was stood at your small fridge, rifling through whatever food was left in there. She pulled out a half-full bottle of milk and a packet of ham. “Do you not uhh,” she paused, “have any… other kinds of food? Or is your diet limited to milk and ham sandwiches?” 

“I usually get takeout. Or ham sandwiches. Sort of depends how lazy i’m feeling on that day.” She turned and smiled at you, nodded her head back towards the door. “We can go to mine. I have ‘good’ food there. Lev needs feeding anyways.”. You grinned, “I thought Lev was fifteen?” 

“Yeah, but he’s still incompetent. I’ll teach him to cook later, when i’m not taking care of you.”

You looked down at your lap, and then at the pair of shoes on the floor next to your bed. Sliding them on, you stood, looking at Alisa for approval. “You look fine. When was the last time you changed?”

You hesitated, thinking for a moment, “A few hours ago, when i got back from class.” You grabbed the brush on the bedside table and combed through your hair a few times, evening it out from the mess it was a minute ago. “C’mon,” Alisa opened the door, “Don’t forget your keys! I doubt you wanna get locked out, right?”

-

Alisa’s house was big. She was lucky not to have to live in student accommodation, in all honesty. When you sat down on her large sofa, you heard the voices of two adults nearing. You weren’t sure what to think at this point. You and Alisa barely knew each other, and she’d come to your apartment, dragged you out of bed, invited you into her home where her whole family was. 

“Alisa, darling? Have you brought a friend over?” 

You saw her nod out of the corner of your eye as she made your meal, humming quietly to the tune of the music. There were loud, fast footsteps in the corridor that her parents had exited and looking up, you saw a lanky grey-haired boy with the same stark green eyes as her. He was almost as tall as the ceiling, and when he entered the room he had to duck to get through the threshold. You assumed this was Lev, Alisa’s high school age brother. Volleyball boy. Whatever. He was unimportant, and you were hungry. 

“Ah! Lyovochka! Are your teammates here? Do they want food?” she didn’t look up from the kitchen counter as she spoke but Lev nodded, running back to ask his friends if they wanted food. (He never came back to give any sort of answer, though)

“So!” the sudden appearance of Alisa’s mother was unexpected. She was just as pretty as her daughter, but very obviously older. “What’s your name?”

You stuttered, panicking slightly, avoiding any possible eye contact. You looked to Alisa for help, and caught her gaze as she hurried over, sitting next to you. “This is y/n, mom. We met a while ago but i invited her over for lunch today,” she looked at you and patted your thigh, trying to calm you down slightly, “We might go out to the city later, if that’s okay with them.”

Alisa’s mother raised her eyebrows at your unwillingness to speak; maybe she thought you were being rude, but you didn’t have the capacity to worry about that right now. “Nice to meet you, y/n.” You nodded, slightly dizzy from being so overwhelmed but trying to be as polite as possible nonetheless. Alisa’s dad was stood behind the sofa, a large cup of what you assumed to be tea inbetween his hands. 

Alisa stood and ushered her parents away, towards the door. “Were you going out?” they nodded, grabbing bags and phones on the way out, “We’ll see you later, then!” Her father tried protesting, but Alisa reassured them that Lev was completely fine while you and her were here. 

Once the door was closed, Alisa looked back at you apologetically. “Sorry about them! They can be a little overbearing sometimes.” she gave you a small smile and pulled out two plates. “I think that’s an understatement.” you replied quietly. 

She laughed loudly, earning a smile from you. “I’m glad you’re okay now though.” she looked at you, smile instantly gone from her face. “You are okay, right?” You nodded, and she relaxed, serving your food onto the plates and bringing them round to the coffee table you were sat facing. “It might be a little hot. Wait a bit before you try it.”

You picked up your plate and put it onto your lap, the warmth of it heating your legs, as if the heat of the room wasn’t already enough. Your face felt warm and your hands shook slightly as you reached to pick up the food; you were either hungry or nervous. It was probably best to not think about it too much.

Alisa was staring at the TV that was sat on a polished wooden desk by the wall, her eyes mirroring the images from the screen. From the looks of it, she was watching a documentary on animals in the arctic, probably one you’d seen before. You weren’t looking at it, but the narrator’s voice sounded familiar and when you were little you’d watch stuff like that constantly, sometimes the same one over and over again until you got bored of it then moved on to the next one (which you’d also - metaphorically - beat half to death and then abandon)

After your meal, the two of you were still, to your displeasure, sat it silence. Alisa had turned the show off and was now sat reading a book and you were fiddling with your hands, waiting for her to notice you and let you go home (really, you could leave any moment, but you didn’t want to say anything first). 

You stood up upon hearing Lev shouting from what you assumed was his room, and Alisa’s head immediately snapped up. She checked the time on the clock above the kitchen counter, and gasped, looking at you apologetically. 

“Gosh! Y/n, you should have told me it was so late! I’ll walk you home.”

You shook your head, and the blonde girl in front of you sighed. “Are you sure? It’s getting dark. At least let me call you a taxi, ok?”. You hummed out a noise of approval and she picked up her phone that had been resting precariously on the arm of the sofa. 

As she was speaking to the person on the other end of the line, (a series of yeses followed by her address and then your street. You smiled, tapping your chest and then sliding your arms into the sleeves of your jacket. She opened the door for you and the taxi pulled into her drive as you stepped out of the threshold; you waved at her, thanking her for your stay, and then wandered over to the taxi, sitting in your usual seat (behind the driver) and she only closed the door of her home when the car drove off. Your phone buzzed; ‘text me when you get home safe, ok! -Alisa <3’.    

-

The next month was January.

The holiday season had passed without you seeing Alisa once, except for in a corner shop once, where you pretended not to see her but ended up being approached anyways. That time there was a pink coating her porcelain skin (you weren’t sure whether it was makeup, the cold or an actual blush, but you opted for the last one to satisfy yourself somewhat).

You sort of wished that you’d been able to spend the holidays with her, though. Sometimes, you found yourself thinking about her unconsciously. It was weird, but you ignored it. Stuff like that seemed like a lot of effort to you, and you were not notorious for being invested in relationships, platonic or romantic. 

You only had one class today, and after that you saw her in the hallways. She’d obviously had a class in the same building of you, and as usual, you pretended not to have seen her. You just kept walking, coffee in hand, eyes on the floor. Again, like the first time you’d really talked, you heard her footsteps approaching and accepted your fate. 

“Y/n! Hey!” she kept walking after you; you buried your face into your scarf and tried to get yourself to stop but it felt like your feet were moving on their own. Why were you ignoring her? You liked her, for god’s sake! You barely knew her, you should be using moments like these to get to know her better! What the hell were you doing?

Her hand landed on your shoulder and pulled you back. By now, the pair of you were outside, and your feet were crunching over newly layed snow. It was coming down thickly, you had to squint to see her properly. She looked tired, and her face was pale in comparison to the pink of the tip of her nose and her ears. It was cold, after all, and she didn’t have a scarf of hat or anything. You wanted to lend her yours; that was what people who were close did, wasn’t it? Why did she look so bedraggled anyway? 

“Y/n, seriously, stop.” 

You frowned, confused. You looked sad? And why would she care anyways? You weren’t close, and you could see her friends looking on from the steps of the building. The snow was catching in her hair and it felt like time had stopped; she really did look unreal. “I didn’t know you cared about me so much, Alisa. We’re not close, and we barely ever talk.”

It looked like she was about to cry. Maybe it was the cold?

“I don’t need a reason to care about you, y/n!” she reached a hand up to rub her eyes, “I can’t seem to stop thinking about you, and it’s driving me crazy!” she pointed to her friends on the steps, “They know it!” she was shouting now, and the wind seemed to whistle even louder in your ears, “Everyone else seems to know i’m in love with you except you! And i’m sorry if i didn’t make it obvious enough for you.”

At this point your brain was going overdrive to process what she’d just told you. You knew you probably looked stupid just standing there and staring at he but what else could you do? This wasn’t exactly how you’d pictured your evening going, and despite receiving confessions before this one felt different; you felt like your heart was on fire. It burned, and you were out of breath despite standing completely still. Alisa reached out and took your freezing cold hand into her own. She was surprisingly warm, and there were tears dripping off of her chin onto her coat. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said that, you probably never felt the same way. Like you said, right? We barely even know each other.”

You stepped forward (again, it felt like you weren’t in control of your own feet) and with the hand Alisa wasn’t holding, cupped her cold cheek. She looked back at you and you could see her friends out of the corner of your eyes chewing the inside of their cheeks. It was embarrassing to say the least, but necessary. Alisa sniffed, and you looked back down at the ground, shaking your head. “No that’s not what i..” you tried to make your voice louder, “I just didn’t expect you to also feel like that.” 

She laughed (it was probably the most beautiful noise you’d ever had the pleasure of hearing) and leaned in so that your foreheads were touching, her pretty smile still adorning her lips. “I’m glad,” she whispered, and the burning of your cheeks felt like a blazing fire across your face. 

“Call me later, ok?” you nodded as she moved her face away, hand leaving yours reluctantly. “We can go out sometime. If it’s uhh.. okay with you, of course.” You giggled, and Alisa waved, her friends running after her (also giggling and patting Alisa’s head in what looked like celebration). It had stopped snowing, and the sun was shining through the clouds in a golden evening glow, lighting up the city marvellously. You decided to walk home today.

tags; @chqrryvelvet @wissbby

#alisa haiba x reader #alisa haiba #haikyuu scenarios #haikyuu x reader #x reader #reader insert #alisa haiba x y/n #gn!reader #gender neutral reader #haikyuu drabbles #haikyuu fanfiction #haikyuu writing #haikyuu #haikyuu!! #haikyū!! #haikyu x reader #selene's writing #🌙works #lev haiba #haiba x reader #nekoma x reader #nekoma high #nekoma

[alice-beaumont-ravenclaw]

Hottest Spot South of Havana (Part 1)

A/N #1: Yay! The first part of the first fic in the Brazilian series is finally here! It was supposed to be a much shorter fic, but turned out way longer than I expected. Thankfully, dividing it into two parts works. The title is inspired by Barry Manilow’s Copacabana (At the Copa). Fun fact: that song is about a murder. 

“Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Galeão International Airport. Local time is 8:10 pm, and the temperature is 27°C. For your safety and comfort, please remain seated with your seat belt fastened until the Captain turns off the Fasten Seat Belt sign. This will indicate that we have parked at the gate and that it is safe for you to move about. Please check around your seat for any personal belongings you may have brought on board with you, and please use caution when opening the overhead bins, as heavy articles may have shifted around during the flight. If you require deplaning assistance, please remain in your seat until all other passengers have deplaned. One of our crew members will then be pleased to assist you. On behalf of British Airways and the entire crew, I’d like to thank you for joining us on this trip, and we are looking forward to seeing you onboard again soon. Have a nice stay!” announced the flight attendant.

“I can’t believe we’re finally in Rio!” said Penny as she looked out the small window. 

“I can’t believe we’re finally going to get off that plane! Poor Dennis. Transfigured into a plush toy for 13 hours,” said Tulip, petting a plush frog.

“They wouldn’t have allowed a live frog on a flight. Besides, why didn’t you leave him at home? You’ll have to transfigure him every time we go somewhere,” asked Andre.

“Not every time! He can roam free on the beach. And I would never leave Dennis behind. I’d feel like I was abandoning my child!”

“I’m sure no one will stare at a girl with a toad on a leash at the beach,” mumbled Alice as she took her backpack from under the seat in front of her, the seatbelt sign having been turned off.

“Why couldn’t I bring Newt with me?” asked Barnaby.

“Your bowtruckle?” asked Tonks, to which Barnaby nodded.

“Because they are magical creatures Muggles know nothing about. It’s like if I wanted to bring a dragon…” said Charlie as he took out carry-on luggage from the overhead bins.

“With the big difference that bowtruckles won’t try to burn everything around to a crisp,” said Diego, smirking as he took the handle of his carry-on.

“Dragons are very misunderstood creatures,” said Charlie with a small pout.

“Sure they are,” said Alice, giving him a small peck on the cheek as she took his hand to lead him out of the plane.

After going through customs, the group went to pick up their luggage before heading toward the taxi area.

“Ok, so, Diego, you take one taxi with Andre, Barnaby, and Charlie. I’ll go with Penny, Tonks, and Tulip,” said Alice as they waited in line.

“Why am I in charge of that group?” asked Diego, raising an eyebrow.

“You speak Spanish.”

“You are aware they speak Portuguese in Brazil, right?”

“I know. But no one speaks Portuguese in our group. We speak Latin languages, so we might be slightly better at understanding Portuguese.”

“Are you sure?”

“Oh look!” said Andre pointing at a sign indicating “Escada rolante” over an escalator. “They have an Escada up those stairs!” 

“Oh! And they even have a library at the airport. I wonder how borrowing works at an airport library,” said Penny as she pointed at a bookstore with the word “Livraria” above it.

“You were saying?” said Alice, looking at Diego.

“Ok, you might be on to something. But that doesn’t mean we’ll be able to understand when someone speaks Portuguese.”

“Oh, I know I won’t. I thought the flight attendant was speaking Russian after making the English announcements until I realized it didn’t make sense since we were heading to Rio, not Moscow. But we still have a small advantage over our friends.”

“Wait, so the guys will be in one taxi, and the girls in another? What if something happens?” asked Charlie. 

“We are four witches. If anyone tries something funny with us, I’m pretty sure we’ll be able to defend ourselves,” said Alice, crossing her arms as she looked at Charlie, bemused.

“Not to mention, I have a stash of dungbombs with me,” added Tulip, making everyone turn around to stare at her.

Before anyone could say anything, it was their turn to take a taxi. They separated into the two groups Alice had planned and headed toward the Copacabana Palace. In the girls’ taxi, Penny and Alice were busy telling Tulip to be careful with the dungbombs while Tonks sat at the front, trying to have a conversation with the taxi driver. In the boys’ taxi, Charlie sat at the front, keeping an eye on the girls’ taxi, Barnaby doing the same thing as he sat in the middle of the backseat. Andre was nodding off as Diego tried to understand what the taxi driver was telling him. 

When they finally arrived at the hotel, Alice made her way to the hotel’s reception while her friends looked in awe at the lobby. 

“So this is how the other half lives,” said Tonks as she looked at the chandelier dangling from the ceiling.

“I’m pretty sure it’s the top 1% that lives like that,” said Tulip as she stared at the people walking around. 

“I feel so out of place,” whispered Charlie to Andre.

“Don’t. Just enjoy it. Your girl really gave us a treat,” whispered back Andre.

“Actually, it’s my father’s treat,” said Alice as she stood behind them, keys in hand.

“Alice! How long have you…” started saying Charlie.

“Long enough to tell you there’s no reason you should feel out of place. You are a charming young man who was raised by the one and only Molly Weasley. As long as you don’t fart or burp in public, and you don’t walk around public areas stark naked, you’re good,” said Alice, linking her arm with her boyfriend’s.

“So, are we getting to our rooms? It’s like midnight in the UK, and if I don’t see a bed soon, I am crashing on those sofas,” said Penny, pointing at the sofas in the lobby.

“Yeah, yeah, just let me tell the bell boy where to drop our luggage,” replied Alice.

After speaking to the bell boy, Alice rejoined her friends and led them to the elevator. Once inside, she pressed on the top floor button.

“Top floor, huh? Isn’t it usually where the penthouse is?” whispered Andre with a sly smile.

Alice froze for an instant, glancing at Andre, before looking back to the elevator’s buttons.

“Oh. My. God. We are in the penthouse?!” loudly whispered Andre.

“Shhhh! We are in two penthouse suites, but nobody needs to know about the penthouse part,” angrily whispered Alice.

“Like they won’t notice. Are you trying to make Charlie uncomfortable? Why didn’t you go for standard rooms?”

“You think I asked for those rooms? They were the only ones left! Dad didn’t tell me until I was back home for the break. He meant well, but I know it looks like I’m flaunting my family’s wealth,” grumbled Alice as the elevator doors opened.

“Welcome to the Penthouse level,” said two butlers.

“So much for keeping the Penthouse part a secret,” said Andre as he patted Alice’s back.

“Crap. Butlers,” said Alice under her breath.

“Penthouse? Damn, Alice, your father is giving us the royal treatment,” said Tonks, tapping her friend’s back as she left the elevator.

“Are you the Beaumont party?” asked one of the butlers.

“Yes, we are,” said Alice as she followed the others out of the elevator.

“Let us show you to your rooms,” said the other butler as they led the group to two doors.

“Ok, so, we will be four per room. The girls will be in that room,” started saying Alice, as she handed the keys to her friends. “The boys will be in the other one.”

“Wait, you’re not sharing a room with Charlie?” asked Penny, raising an eyebrow.

“Hum, no? Why would I?” said Alice, staring at Penny.

“Well… You two are a couple. And after last summer, I thought…” started saying Penny.

At the mention of the summer vacations before their seventh year, both Alice and Charlie became red in the face.

“Welp! Time for bed! Good night everyone!” said Alice as she pushed Penny inside their room.

“But, Miss, we have to unpack your luggage,” said one of the butlers.

“We can manage, thank you,” said Alice as she quickly grabbed the suitcases before closing the door.

“What just happened?” asked Barnaby as the guys entered their room.

“Not really sure… Wait, did you and Alice…” said Diego, staring at Charlie.

“Yup. They totally did,” said Andre, smirking.

“Do you have to tell him?” asked Charlie, frowning.

“Come on. It was all over your face when Penny alluded to it.”

“What did Alice and Charlie do?” asked Barnaby.

“The birds and the bees, Barnaby,” explained Diego.

“What’s so special about Transfiguration?” asked Barnaby, scratching his head.

“Ok, Barnaby and I will take the room, you two get the rollaway beds,” said Charlie as he entered the room.

“Hey! We didn’t even discuss it!” complained Andre.

“You two can’t mind your own business, so you deserve the rollaway beds,” replied Charlie, slamming the door behind him.

“I think we went a bit too far with Charlie,” said Diego, sitting at the edge of his bed.

“Meh, he’ll get over it,” replied Andre, shrugging as he dropped his bag on his bed.

“Huh… Guys?” said Barnaby, standing in front of the bedroom door.

“What?” asked Diego and Andre.

“You think I can go in there even if Charlie just slammed the door in my face?”

A/N #2: Hope you enjoyed this first part which is basically their arrival in Rio and some info about Alice and Charlie’s relationship. Part 2 coming soon.

#hphm fanfic #hogwarts mystery fanfic #brazil series #brazilian fics #alice beaumont #charlie weasley #Charlie x Alice #charlie weasley x alice beaumont #charlie weasley x mc #jacob’s sibling #hphm mc #andre egwu #penny haywood #tulip karasu #nymphadora tonks #diego caplan #barnaby lee #rio de janeiro #copacabana palace

[sodamnbored]

So I had a kinda weird dream.

The whole thing was set up like a blockbuster movie. This guy (somewhat shady, seemed like a hitman or spy or grumbly ex army type, but it was never confirmed what he was. But he was that typical kind of guy and had skills and contacts) met this girl who needed help getting somewhere and he was kind of pushed into helping her because she was hurt and/or sick and it seemed like she was in danger, like someone was following her.

She told him she needed to get to “the garden” and she’d be safe there and it was really important she get to the garden. She was German and mostly kept calling it the garten, she spent some of the dream talking German even when the guy couldn’t understand what she was saying, and fever dream German muttering and all the guy could really get was the word Garten. But sometimes when she spoke English it came out with a Russian accent, so that was weird. But she passed out from like an injury or something right after saying she had to get to this garden. And he was t just gonna leave her.

Basically he wound up driving her cross country in a big old truck while she was mostly unconscious and couldn’t give more details. He got the truck from his buddy who was like like “You’re (some sort of scary guy, assassin or whatever). Since when did you become a taxi driver.” And pointing out he didn’t even know where to go or if this garden was real or what she was tied up in. It wasn’t his responsibility. And he just said that she’s told him it was in New York, so he’ll drive there while she recovers and then she can give him some more details. She just kept saying “I have to get to the garten. It’s what I came here (to America) for. They’re waiting for me at the garten. We’re supposed to meet at the garten.”

Then she said it was the garden in Times Square. And he’d been looking into it during the drive trying to figure out what garden she could possibly mean in the middle of Times Square. And he kept showing her maps getting annoyed saying “Look, see? There’s no garden - it’s all buildings. No garden.” But she just kept insisting “No, no. He said the garden is there. It’s there.” And he got frustrated saying “We’re supposed to meet in the garden. That better not be some biblical metaphor for a suicide pact or something.”

Anyway but eventually they make it there and he’s still kinda looking around like “All buildings here. No gardens. Told you so.” And she’s like limping along super climatic and dramatic and then it zooms in on her face and she smiles and breathes “There it is. The Garten. I told you.”

And it was an Olive Garden. She was just meeting her friends for lunch or something.

#weird dreams #just felt like sharing #maybe I can sell it to Olive Garden as a new ad campaign #no drama. just lunch #or something #random thoughts #cinematic dreams #shitpost #my dreams #olive garden #I know about Bryant Park and Central Park. But they’re not where Olive Garden is. So it counts #New York #times square #I’ve never been to Olive Garden. why am I dreaming about them #stupid stuff

[simmyseo]

Flights To Moscow

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In any case, the city likewise compensates those voyagers who adventure outside of what might be expected while keeping up some level of road smarts: odd bars, scrumptious dinners, and fascinating, abnormal individuals encompass you. In the course of recent years, I've cut out a specialty as an English language "fixer" for Russian new businesses trying to grow their activities toward the west. I've made seven excursions to the Russian Federation in this time, spending a joined all out of four months living and working among the individuals there. Here is the listing of some things which you need to keep in mind, before booking online flight reservation for Moscow. Get a local sim card for your smartphone I originate from a group of logical voyagers who will regularly skip on "extravagance" costs, similar to a nearby sim card that makes one's cell phone usable while going through an outside nation. 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You'll without a doubt use part of your cell phone battery for the standard every day errands, however Moscow's low temperatures will guarantee the rest. Telephones may show a charge as high as 40 or 50 percent before the continued virus tricks the telephone into closing down, thinking the battery is in reality dead. Regardless of whether the battery holds a charge or not, you won't have the option to betray. In the event that this transpires while you're investigating Moscow neglected, you'll be glad to have a "hop starter" with you. Your smartphone GPS is not reliable in the centre of city As the Moscow Times puts it, "the Kremlin has GPS for breakfast." GPS ridiculing equipment inside the Kremlin dividers serves to ward off meddlesome quadcopter drones, disappoint Pokemon Go players, and delude local people and travelers the same. In these occasions, you'll need to depend on a paper map, a cordial more bizarre's headings, or a nearby companion who knows the way. Learn a fer russian phrases ahead of time or else cab driver will rip you off You might be very glad for figuring out how to ask "Do you communicate in English?" in Russian, however this expression is pointless at the air terminal. Starting a discussion thusly flags that you can be "had a good time with." The before you know it, you've paid $100 USD in taxi toll to get to the focal point of the city — an outing that generally costs about $25 USD. Rather, learn phrases like "What's your name?" and "Where are you from?" It will assist a great deal with having the option to check to ten on the off chance that you need to attempt such an arrangement. Duolingo has an amazing Russian course that is totally free. The flights to Moscow from Vancouver are also there. Exhibiting even restricted capacities with the Russian language will go far toward getting you a decent deal in Moscow. Yandex Translate is generally better at Russian than Google Translate. Introduce the cell phone application Yandex Translate and use it for all your Russian interpretation needs. Yandex is the hunt organization well-contextualized as "Russian Google." In my experience, its interpretation item is better than Google's with regards to the Russian language. And take complete advantage of the flights from Vancouver to Moscow. Your linkedin account is meaningless there LinkedIn's administrations are totally nonfunctional in Russia. There was some show in late 2016 that saw the organization declined to impart information on its Russian clients to the Russian government. The nation's media guard dog, an association called Roskomnadzor, started authorizing a square on LinkedIn that is as yet going solid today. So book your Vancouver to Moscow flights now. So do your systems administration face to face. Take off your shoes when you enter someone's home The bottoms of your shoes are dingy from tromping city surfaces. It is basic Russian civility to jettison your footwear you visit somebody at home. A special note about "Na zdorovie!" This celebrated Russian drinking toast is really a banality conceived from Hollywood motion pictures. Significantly more usually, Russians will give a short, extemporized discourse as a toast. That discourse may now and then end with "za zdorovie," which signifies "to wellbeing." But "na zdorovie" is generally recognized as an old, musically challenged state. The metro is fantastic It's quick, it's solid, and it covers the whole city. Its lines are ceaselessly refreshed and extended, even into present day. The longest you'll ever sit tight for a train is maybe three minutes, and even long rides are made alright with the free installed WiFi What's the best time to visit Moscow? The best an ideal opportunity to visit Moscow is March and April. So get low cost airline tickets for these months, And enjoy Moscow's vibe. The harvest time a long time of September and October is additionally a decent an ideal opportunity to visit the city. During these months, the city floods with guests from around the world. The normal temperature stays 75°F to 90°F (- 59°C to 32°C) during these two months, which is agreeable enough to investigate the city during the day time. Winters in Moscow, in any case, are nippy. The normal temperature during December and January stays around - 80°F to 80°F (- 62°C to 27°C), which goes down further in the eastern part like, Siberia. Winters are extraordinary for skating however. Likewise, voyaging south towards the Black Sea can be a help from the thorny chilly climate. Walk is a stunning chance to visit St. Petersburg also. You can visit the popular royal residences and exhibition halls without the group around. The flights to Moscow from Toronto will be a great choice to make. These Toronto to Moscow flights will prove beneficial in every sense. The flights from Toronto to Moscow are going to be your best choice, so make the bookings soon.

Flights to Moscow from Calgary, Calgary to Moscow Flights, Flights from Calgary to Moscow, Flights to Moscow from Toronto, Toronto to Moscow Flights

#Flights to Moscow from Calgary #Calgary to Moscow Flights #Flights from Calgary to Moscow #Flights to Moscow from Toronto #Toronto to Moscow Flights

[officialcherubcampus]

Three futures - The Playboy

So what happens to James, Lauren, Kerry and all the gang after Shadow Wave?

Robert Muchamore has written three stories, depicting alternative futures for James and Kerry set in the year 2031.

Las Vegas - October 2031

James Choke sat at the end of an emperor-size bed. He was in a 53rd floor penthouse suite with floor-to-ceiling windows that overlooked coloured lights stretching five kilometres along the Las Vegas strip.

James would celebrate his 40th birthday in less than two weeks, but his personal trainer kept him in shape. He looked fit, dressed in boxers, with slicked back hair with touches of grey down the sides. He’d look even better when he put on the $80,000 hand-cut silk suit, and diamond crusted Rolex resting on the duvet alongside him.

“Why are you showing off?” James asked, as he looked round at a stunning blonde, whose head poked out between a mound of pillows and cushions.

She was James’ current girlfriend, a twenty-two-year-old cowgirl called Sue Loewe. Her voice was high and her accent came out of East Texas.

“I had your baby,” Sue said bitterly. “If you love me you should marry me.”

“I’ve been through four wives and four divorces already,” James said, trying not to lose his temper as he pulled his suit trousers up his legs. “That’s enough marrying for one lifetime. Now are you getting dressed for the opening ceremony or not?”

James ducked as a couple of velvet cushions spun angrily across the room towards him.

“Four wives and four hundred girlfriends,” Sue shouted. “But there’s only ever been one woman you loved. So why don’t you walk down your precious red carpet with her?”

James buckled his trousers and crawled up the bed towards Sue. She’d come to Vegas to compete in a rodeo, with model looks, an athletic body and the enormous breasts that had drawn James’ eye when he’d pinned on her runner-up rosette for the steer wrestling competition.

“This is the biggest night of my year,” James said. “The dress you’ve had made costs more than most cars.”

Sue hissed, “I want your time and attention, James. Not dresses. Not cars. Not money.”

James thought about trying to kiss Sue, but he didn’t have the heart. He’d been through enough women to know this relationship was in its last stretch: Sue would head back to her mother in Texas with the baby. She’d lawyer up and settle for a few million dollars a year in child maintenance. James would make sure his infant son wanted for nothing and fly him into Vegas for some daddy time two or three times a year.

“My chopper will be here in twenty minutes,” James said calmly, as he rolled off the bed. “I haven’t got time to fight with you right now.”

“You’re a greasy arse,” Sue shouted, as she grabbed a glass tumbler and lobbed it at his head.

Wives and girlfriends had been throwing stuff at James for years. He ducked expertly, leaving the glass to smash against the wall behind him. Then he grabbed his shoes, watch and the rest of the clothes off the end of the bed and made a swift exit through double walnut doors into a grand hallway.

The hallway was more than thirty metres long, with a chequerboard marble floor. The cleaning lady pushing a big scissor-mop acted like she’d heard nothing, but the black-suited bodyguard standing by the lift showed no such reserve.

“Your life would be a lot simpler if you could learn to keep your dick in your pants,” Bruce Norris said.

James grinned - as well as being James’ bodyguard Bruce was one of James’ oldest friends.

“The day I give up womanising is the day I give up breathing, Brucey Boy.”

Bruce shook his head, showing disapproval, tinged with jealousy. Bruce had toured the globe and won three ultimate fighting belts, but he’d now put wild days on the road behind him and lived a quiet life in a Vegas suburb, with three boys and a wife who worked as a croupier in one of the big casinos.

“I had a call earlier,” Bruce said, as James handed him a jacket so that he had free arms to pull on his shirt and bow tie. “From your oldest sister.”

James looked shocked. “Lauren! What did that fruitcake want?”

“She’d got a meeting in New York tomorrow. Said she’s passing over Vegas and asked if her name could be added to the guest list for tonight’s opening ceremony.”

“What did you say?”

“I checked with Kerry. She didn’t seem to have any problem with it.”

James was slightly irritated. “Lauren’s my sister, why didn’t you check with me?”

“You were out of contact,” Bruce said, raising one eyebrow. “Sharing the executive washroom with that hot Russian translator.”

“Oh her,” James said fondly. “Did you get her number by the way?”

“Lauren or the Russian?”

“The Russian.”

“I’m your bodyguard, not your pimp,” Bruce said tetchily. “We’d better get up to the helipad. Kerry will barbecue your balls if you’re late.”

...

Debbie Shan was the on-screen reporter for the local Vegas television station, but the gala opening of Choke Grand Plaza Casino was national news and even though she was on home turf, she felt out of place in the press pen outside the massive new casino, jostling with more famous faces from major news outlets from around the world.

“OK, Debbie,” the bearded cameraman said. “Take it again from the top.”

“Was the last take no good?” she asked.

The cameraman gave a reassuring nod. “Your take was fine, but with all this hullabaloo we need to get a couple down to make sure we can edit out all the background noise.”

“Right,” Debbie said, as she pushed her hair off her face, then switched to the more careful tone she used when speaking to camera.

“Twenty years ago, two newly married Stanford graduates drove from San Francisco to Las Vegas. But James and Kerry Choke were no ordinary honeymoon couple. James was a card shark, intending to use his maths skills to win big on the blackjack tables. Kerry was a smart young businesswoman who’d already made her first million from an online shoe store she’d set up while still at university.

“Over the last decade-and-a-half the Chokes have become the biggest thing in Vegas. Starting with the purchase and turnaround of the tiny run-down Boulder Gate Casino, the Choke Corporation rapidly became a multi-billion dollar business empire comprising casinos, hotels and sports teams that now stretches from the ownership of James’ favourite Premiership football outfit to the first ever mega-casino built in Beijing.

“When the Chokes’ marriage broke down, James’ affair and eighteen month marriage to movie star Kate Porpoise catapulted James to celebrity status as he entered one of the most gossiped about relationship in Hollywood history. Despite two more whirlwind marriages in the past five years for James, and Kerry settling down with new husband Paul Hartt - the couple have remained close friends. James and Kerry continue to work successfully as business partners, and in bringing up their three daughters.”

“Tonight we’ve seen wave after wave of celebrities from the internet, films and music arriving for the opening of Choke Grand Plaza, which Kerry Choke claims is the biggest and most glamorous casino anywhere in the world. The casino hotel has over 7,000 suites, 50,000 square metres of gambling space and an 80,000 seat stadium for the Choke Corporation’s newly instated Las Vegas Knights NFL team. What’s more I’m told we’re going to see more than seventy million dollars worth of fireworks go up in smoke before the doors of this colossal new gambling palace open to the public on the stroke of midnight.”

Debbie paused for a long breath, then looked away from the camera. “Was that OK?”

The cameraman nodded. “Perfect. I think we had the noise under control, but we’ll do it once more just to be sure.”

...

Lauren Adams had arrived at Vegas airport more than three hours earlier. Her hair was a tangle, she wore ripped jeans and dirty canvas pumps. Her only luggage was a small canvas holdall containing a computer, basic toiletries and a couple of changes of underwear.

With a title fight on at one end of the strip and a new casino opening at the other, Vegas was rammed. She’d had to queue more than an hour for a taxi at the airport, followed by 90 minutes through gridlocked traffic.

Even then, the driver couldn’t get within a block of the Choke Grand Plaza. The temperature was touching thirty, even though it was past 10pm and Lauren had to fight through the crowds who’d come out to watch the fireworks, and get a first peek at the latest Choke Corporation casino.

Lauren found Las Vegas tacky and revolting. The Choke Grand Plaza comprised four sixty storey towers clad in fake marble and gold leaf. The building had all the subtlety of a kick with a steel-toe capped boot and to make the place even worse, the rooftop penthouse complex atop the tallest tower was shaped like a giant NFL football. Lauren also spotted well-disguised cranes, suggesting that the Choke Grand Plaza wasn’t quite as ready for it’s grand opening as her brother and ex-sister-in-law would have liked the public to believe.

Still, Lauren was late and her associates had been working on her plan for months, so there wasn’t time to stand around gawping at the gaudy monstrosity. If getting to the casino had been a scrum, she was elevated into much classier surroundings as soon as Grand Plaza security blipped the VIP pass that Kerry had sent to her mobile.

“Mrs Rathbone,” an oily little guard dressed in casino uniform said, as he raised a velvet rope to let Lauren into a hotel lobby with a five storey atrium, giant waterfalls and chandeliers the size of a mini-van. “I’m Keith Selway, head of security in tower three. You should have called us when you landed, we had a driver waiting for you at the airport.”

Lauren felt gutted, because when she thought about it she even remembered Kerry saying something about a limo pick-up.

“I didn’t even know James Choke had a sister,” Selway said, as he led Lauren towards the elevator. “You must be very proud of him.”

Lauren smiled awkwardly. “Oh, I’m so proud.”

“Do you see your brother often?”

“It’s been a few years,” Lauren said. “But our children are quite close. James’ three daughters holiday with my brood in Sydney most summers.”

“You live in Australia?”

Lauren nodded. “My husband’s Australian. Now if you don’t mind, I need to get to my room and change as quickly as possible. I can’t really step on to the red carpet looking like this, can I?”

As Lauren spoke, Selway tapped away at a touch-screen computer. He read something before looking up.

“Your phone should operate the lift automatically, there’s no need to check in. As requested, Kerry Choke has arranged for a selection of evening wear and jewellery to be delivered to your room, with her compliments. Simply wear whatever outfit you prefer and the rest will be returned to the shop. A parcel also arrived for you today, and it’s been placed on the desk in your room.”

“Excellent,” Lauren said.

The elevator opened directly into a huge room that was a good deal more tasteful than the building’s exterior. Selway made a great fuss, hoping to earn himself a tip by showing Lauren everything from which button raised the Jacuzzi bath out of the floor, to the electric massage function built into the lounge chairs. In the end Lauren handed over $10 just to get him out of the door.

As soon as Selway was gone, Lauren looked quickly at a clothes rail with half-a-dozen designer dresses on it. She picked one without much thought, along with matching white shoes. She took far more care over unwrapping the small parcel on the desk. It contained a set of screwdrivers and wire cutters, plus a thumbnail-sized wireless modem.

Lauren knelt under the desk and unscrewed the faceplate on a computer network socket. The socket was a standard network port, but when Lauren pulled the cable a few centimetres out of the wall she found the point where the device linked into a fatter optical cable. This cable linked to the hotel’s main network hub and would enable a hacker with suitable passwords to gain high speed access to Choke Grand Plaza’s central computer system.

Between the copper and fibre optic cable was a transponder box that turned electrical pulses into optical ones. Lauren opened its plastic clamshell case and inserted the tiny modem. After crawling out from under the desk she picked up her phone and told it to call Gareth.

“Gareth, I’ve fixed your device into the hotel network,” Lauren told the phone.

“I just saw the connection pop up on my screen,” Gareth replied, sounding a little arrogant. “I’ve been sitting here waiting. I said I’d need an hour to get the job done, but the ceremony starts in less than half that.”

Lauren sounded cross. “Kate’s people asked me to do this as a favour. I’ve got four kids to look after back in Australia, so be grateful for what you’ve got.”

Gareth grunted before hanging up.

Lauren felt anxious as she crawled out from under the desk and screwed the faceplate back on to the network socket. It felt wrong abusing her relationship with James in order to make a political point, but although she still loved her brother it had been years since she’d really connected with him.

Kerry had always kept James grounded, but Lauren felt her brother had given in to his baser instincts when they’d divorced: womanising, gambling and partying. And while James constantly complained about press intrusion, he secretly seemed to revel in his bad-boy-billionaire profile.

...

“Daddy!”

Gwen Choke was 11 years old and still got excited when she saw her dad. James lifted her off the ground as he hugged her. At 13 and 15, Sarah and Ellen were more reserved and settled for kisses on the cheek.

Gwen and Ellen had their mother’s straight dark hair, while Sarah was a blonde who might almost have passed for her auntie Lauren at the same age. All three girls wore matching, slightly punkish, outfits, with black motorcycle boots, red stockings, mini-skirts and leather jackets with the Grand Plaza Casino logo on the back.

“Loving the matching gear,” James said. “Did your mum pick them?”

“They’re horrific,” Ellen spat. “I feel like a billboard. Why can’t I just wear what I like? Everyone else gets to.”

“Your mum’s put a lot of thought into this,” James said, trying to sound parental. “You get to wear what you want the rest of the time, don’t you?”

Kerry stepped into the bare concrete room and sensed her oldest daughter’s unhappiness. “Still moaning about that dress?”

Ellen shrugged. “I’m wearing it, aren’t I, for Christ’s sake?”

James and Kerry kissed. Kerry’s smell always set off a longing inside James, but he tried to ignore it.

“Is Sue not coming?” Kerry asked.

“She’s in a mood,” James said, as he shook his head. “Post-natal depression, I think.”

“I guess that’s the last we’ll be seeing of Sue then,” Sarah said cynically. “I wonder which dumb blonde we’ll be calling Auntie next?”

James wanted to tell his middle daughter off for being sarcastic, but the other two girls were smirking. And it wasn’t like Sarah had said anything that he hadn’t thought himself, so he changed tactics.

“So where’s your husband?” James asked.

“Medical Conference in Toronto,” Kerry said, as she glanced at her watch. “You’ve known for months that Paul wouldn’t be here tonight. Anyway, it’s time we rolled out.”

“Mum reckons Auntie Lauren’s coming as well,” Gwen said. “She’s not got her kids with her, but it’s still cool. I haven’t seen her since summer.”

“Haven’t bumped into her,” James said dismissively. “And I’ve no idea why she’s here. Last time I spoke to Lauren about the casino business she told me that it leeches profits from the poor and stupid and leads to gambling addiction and family breakdown. So what’s she doing at the opening of a glitzy new casino?”

“Casino do leech their profits from the poor and stupid,” Ellen said, unable to resist having a dig at her parents.

James laughed. “I tell you what Ellen, when you get your driver’s permit how about I make a charitable donation to gamblers anonymous in your name, instead of buying that Porsche you’re after?”

“She’d wreck a Porsche if she got it, anyway,” Sarah said.

“Shut up, bitch,” Ellen snapped back.

“You two,” Kerry shouted. “Behave!”

Sensing that family harmony was about to collapse, Kerry turned the conversation back towards Lauren.

“Maybe Lauren just saw an opportunity to make up for lost time,” Kerry suggested. “You two used to be so close. When did you last speak to her?”

James shrugged. “She phoned me at Christmas? Or was it when the girls were in Australia the summer before last?”

Gwen sounded outraged. “That’s fifteen months, daddy. How can you go fifteen months without talking to your own sister?”

“They had a fight,” Ellen said.

“Lauren and I never had a fight,” James said firmly. “We just grew apart. We lead different lifestyles and have very different attitudes.”

“We need to move now,” Bruce said, as he came into the room through a fire door. “Unless you want to miss your own fireworks.”

The Choke family walked through a concrete corridor that smelled of damp and new paint. It was built under the main fountain at the casino entrance. Kerry’s bodyguards, Alfie and Max, led the way up a spiral staircase. At ground level they all emerged into a luxurious gazebo where a couple of really big name celeb who’d been paid vast sums of money to show their faces at the casino opening nibbled crab-cakes and sipped wine.

Kerry made a big show of hugging everyone, while James helped eleven-year-old Gwen overcome her shyness and get an autograph off the star of her favourite TV show. At precisely six minutes to midnight, the first firework barrage lit up the sky.

James felt like he’d entered a warzone as he stepped along the red carpet towards the Grand Plaza’s huge Gothic-columned entrance, with a long haired daughter on each arm. Fireworks cracked above and hundreds of cameras flashed, from both photographers in the press area and snappers in the 30,000 strong crowd.

As another blast of fireworks erupted, a woman broke through the security barriers and threw a giant pair of gold knickers at James’ head. They missed, but James stopped to pick them up as security guards dragged the woman away.

“Thank you so much,” James said. “I always wear this brand and I was running low.”

James got a gentle whack from middle daughter Sarah. “Dad, you’re so embarrassing. If the boys in my class see a picture of me in the paper wearing this stupid outfit while you hold up a pair of gold knickers I’ll die of embarrassement.”

But James barely heard his daughter’s complaint because the next barrage of fireworks was powerful enough to shake the ground they walked on.

Two dozen VIPs had been given giant scissors to cut the ribbon on the stroke of midnight and declare the casino open, but before that could happen there would be a short video presentation of all the thrills that the new casino was going to offer.

Lauren wasn’t important enough to get scissors, but she had been allowed to stand with a slightly larger group of VIPs off to one side of the casino entrance. Her three nieces all made a beeline as soon as they spotted her.

“Auntie Lauren it’s been ages!” Sarah said, as Gwen hugged her.

“I totally want another holiday at your vineyard,” Ellen said. “It’s so mellow out there.”

“How’s Uncle Rat?” Sarah asked.

“Did that sick horse get better?” Gwen added.

“Uncle Rat and Mabel the horse are both much better,” Lauren said. “Rat’s hair’s grew back after the chemotherapy stopped and I really hope you can all make it out to Australia for Christmas this year. I know my kids are mad keen to see you again.”

“I want to go surfing again,” Sarah said. “And little Mac is so cute.”

James was approaching too, but as he was about to pull Lauren into a hug she felt her phone vibrate and took it out of her bag to see a message from Gareth that read, Job done. Seconds to spare!

“Was that more important than me?” James said irritably as Lauren stared at the phone.

“Little Mac’s got an ear infection,” Lauren lied, as they finally hugged. “Doctor’s given him antibiotics.”

“Sorry to hear that,” James said. “It’s been way too long since I saw you. I think you were pregnant with Mac and how old is he now?”

“Three next month,” Lauren said, as they squeezed each other. “You should visit when Kerry and the girls fly over. You stopped coming, but I never stopped inviting you.”

“Maybe I will this year,” James said, though it as an empty promise: he didn’t share his daughters’ liking for Lauren and Rat’s dusty ranch and vineyard, and the Aussie press didn’t give him enough room to misbehave when he went out partying in Sydney.

“You’re coming Daddy!” Gwen said, wagging her finger. “I heard you promise.”

“I said maybe I’ll go,” James replied, but he tailed off because the fireworks had stopped and the sixty storey casino towers had blacked out, apart from two vast video screens erected to show a short promotional film.

James had watched and approved the video himself, so he was unpleasantly surprised when instead of showing a sweeping helicopter shot of his new casino, the screens cut to a picture of his second ex-wife, the gorgeous movie actress Kate Porpoise.

She stood against a stark grey background and began speaking to camera.

“Don’t worry everyone,” Kate began, in a soothing voice. “In two minutes time the lights will come back on, the casino doors will open on schedule and you can all have some fun. But before you walk through the doors, maybe you should think about all the glass, concrete and steel that went into making this vat new casino, and all the resources it will use before it gets all shabby and they blow it up and build a replacement.

“Maybe you can also spare a thought for the four construction workers who were seriously injured during the building process. And maybe instead of going inside and gambling your money in order to make the Choke Corporation even richer than it is already, you could take five or ten dollars and help make the world a better place by donating it to one of the following organisations. Thanks for listening and whatever you decide to do, I hope you have a great evening!”

The crowd and VIPs looked stunned or confused as a short list of organisations and money transfer barcodes flashed up on screen. James whacked Ellen’s hand as she held up her phone, but he didn’t manage to stop her before several dozen photographers snapped her using the spend function to donate $70 to an environmental group.

“Your mother is going to be livid,” James said. “She spent months making sure every detail of this ceremony was spot on.”

Kerry walked up to James and whispered in his ear as a ten second countdown appeared on the screen.

“Keep smiling for the cameras,” Kerry snarled, with the worlds fakest grin etched on her face. “But I’m going to sue that bitch ex-ife of yours for every penny she has.”

“Seven,” the crowd chanted. “Six...”

“Our company will not be suing my ex-wife,” James said. “She’s the mother of my twins. Think about the boys.”

“Five...”

“So what, we just let her get away with this bullshit?” Kerry hissed.

“It’s the hacker we should worry about,” James pointed out as the crowd chanted four. “If they can hack into hotel systems can they get into the air conditioning, or the security cameras? There’s over ten million dollars cash stored in the casino vault.”

“Three...”

“I’ve already texted the security director telling him he’s fired,” Kerry said.

“Two...”

Lauren had recoiled slightly at the thought of a hacker hunt, but nothing could ever be traced back to her, provided she removed the modem she’d attached to the network socket in her room before she checked out the following morning.

“One...Zero!”

Cheers erupted as the countdown clock reached zero and a midnight chimed. Gwen Choke joined the celebrities in cutting the ribbon with giant scissors and then the two lines of security guards stepped out of the way and allowed the huge crowd to surge up a dozen escalators into Las Vegas’ newest and most luxurious casino.

James turned to Lauren after Kerry and his daughters had headed inside with the crowd.

“Still playing jokes on your big brother eh?” James said, smiling fondly.

Lauren practically swallowed her tongue. “I don’t know what you mean.”

“Aww give over,” James said. “You and Kate Porpoise have always got on well. You’re both into environmental causes and it’s pretty damned suspicious that you should fly in from Australia and turn up out of the blue for a casino opening when you hate casinos.”

“I just came here to catch up with you,” Lauren said unconvincingly. “I’m meeting a friend in New York for dinner tomorrow and I had to change planes somewhere along the way.”

“Kerry will be pissed off, but I don’t much care,” James said casually. “We’ve shelled out millions of dollars in adverts and paid celebrities to walk down our red carpet on opening night, but I’d bet that little sabotage stunt you and your eco friends have pulled off will get us more publicity than all of that.”

“Bad publicity,” Lauren said.

“There’s no such thing,” James said. “Well, maybe if I got my wang out and tried molesting some cocktail waitress over a craps table that would be bad publicity. But a few eco-mental hippy types whinging won’t hold much sway with our customers.”

Lauren bristled with anger at her brother’s description of environmentalists, but Bruce tactically intervened.

“Hiya, Lauren,” Bruce said warmly, as he hugged his old friend. “Are you in Vegas for long? I’d love for you to come over for dinner and meet my boys. I’m giving them all ninja training. My three year old smashes roof slates with his bare hand.”

“Bruce, I want you to escort Lauren up to her room,” James said, sounding more like a boss than a friend. “Help her to remove her hacking equipment before hotel security has a chance to find it.”

Bruce looked awkwardly at Lauren, before pointing at the big screen, which was now back to showing the Grand Plaza casino logo.

“I should have known it was you,” Bruce said, smiling. “That’s old skool! The kind of prank we’d have pulled back in our CHERUB days.”

James didn’t like the fact that Bruce found it so funny and shook his head. “I’ll never hear the end of this if Kerry finds out,” James told Bruce. “Frankly Lauren, I can’t understand why you’ve done this. Maybe you and I aren’t that close anymore, but our kids are and they’ll be the ones who’ll get hurt the most if you fall out with Kerry.”

James had a good argument, but Lauren wasn’t about to accept a lesson in responsibility from one of the most irresponsible men she’d ever met, so she snapped back angrily. “Jesus James, the planet is choking to death and you’re building a casino with ten thousand air conditioning units in the middle of a desert. How can you live with yourself?”

“I live very nicely,” James said, grinning. “In my 53rd floor penthouse with a stunning girlfriend half my age, a private jet and a woman who charges eight hundred dollars to manicure my nails.”

Bruce sensed that this argument was about to get explosive and pushed himself between the sibling.

“Come on, you two,” Bruce said. “Cool heads, eh?”

“Just get her out of town,” James said, as he took a step back. “When you’re done in Lauren’s room, take her to the airport and arrange for one of the Choke Corporation jets to fly her to New York, or wherever it is she’s really going.”

“Goodnight James,” Lauren said, as her brother turned to head back into his corporation’s new ten-billion-dollar casino complex.

But the funny thing was, although James and Lauren hadn’t agreed on anything in years, there was so much history between them that they couldn’t bring themselves to hate each other.

James turned back to Lauren. “Am I still invited for Christmas Dinner?” he asked.

Lauren smiled. “Always.”

“Then I’ll be there, with my girls this year,” James said. “And as long as you let me know how your hacker friends got into our computer system, I’ll make sure that Kerry never finds out that you were involved.”

Lauren smirked. “Hacking your casino was easy because you never change your password. You’ve been using LordSexyPants55 since you first joined CHERUB.”

James jaw dropped, but he tried to brush it off as he disappeared into a mass of bodies, surrounded by casino security guards and members of the public. They reached out to shake James’ hand and begged fro autographs.

Bruce and Lauren headed the other way, walking down the now desolate red carpet, past the empty press pen and back towards the gazebo while the crowds continued pouring up the escalators.

“So, do you hear much from the old gang?” Bruce asked.

“I see Rat most days,” Lauren said.

“I mean apart from your husband,” Bruce said, laughing. “Kyle’s disappeared off my radar lately.”

Lauren nodded. “He wasn’t even at the last campus reunion. Gabrielle came out to Aus for a holiday last year with her husband. She’s earning big bucks working for a bank in Hong Kong. Bethany e-mails every now and then, but I haven’t seen her in years. And of course there’s people like Kevin and Dante, who’ve got jobs at CHERUB.”

“And Callum and Connor design skyscrapers,” Bruce said. “Did you see that thing they built in Taipei?”

“Monstrosity,” Lauren said. “But it won like a gazillion awards, so what do I know?”

“Next time you’re in Vegas, you must stay long enough to have dinner with my family,” Bruce said.

“Join us for Christmas out in Aus,” Lauren said. “I assume my brother pays you well enough to take the family on a good holiday once in a while.”

“He pays me a lot,” Bruce said. “But I’m not sure it’s enough for some of the messes I have to clean up, or some of his majesty’s little tantrums.”

“He can be such a pig,” Lauren said. “I’ve actually lost count of how many kids James has got now. Is it eight?”

“Ten,” Bruce said, “by six different women. But for all James’ money, and being the party boy clubbing ‘til 5am and hanging out with rock stars and being in the gossip columns, I don’t actually think he’s a very happy person.”

“Kerry?” Lauren asked.

“Obviously,” Bruce said solemnly. “James has always loved her and always will. But Kerry gave him more chances than he deserved and he still got his picture in the paper coming out of a nightclub with his hand up a stripper’s shirt.”

“If he’s unhappy he’s got nobody to blame but himself,” Lauren said firmly. “So, do you wanna stop off at a bar on the way to the airport? I don’t know about you, but I could murder a gin and tonic or five.”

Bruce looked at his watch. “Vegas is supposed to be a party town, isn’t it? So yeah, why the hell not?”

#CHERUB #cherub books #Robert Muchamore #Three Futures #James Adams #Bruce Norris #Lauren Adams #Kerry Chang

[lastsonlost]

How did I miss this one?

ATHENS — A prospective client walked into the narrow, dimly lit room in the basement of a broken-down building in central Athens. Elena, 22, took off her robe and stood up. Evaggelia, her 59-year-old, fiery-tempered madam, immediately went into her pitch.

“My girl is flawless,” Evaggelia said in Greek. “I recommend her without reservation.” She recited the “menu,” and added that with one exception, “my girl does everything in bed.”

Without taking off his sunglasses, the paunchy middle-aged client rubbed his chin and eyed Elena, a Russian-Polish prostitute, as she flipped her blond hair and turned in sky-high black heels. “O.K.,” he finally said.

I was sitting a foot away on a small couch fitted with a plastic slipcover inside a brothel, witnessing this age-old transaction. We were on Filis Street — a warren of alleyways and dingy two-story houses — which has been home to Athenian brothels for most of the past century.

The trade is more desperate now because of Greece’s lost decade since the 2008 financial crisis, which has left no profession unscathed. The collapsed economy and the arrival of tens of thousands of migrants have pushed even more women into prostitution — even as prices have fallen through the floor.

And for all the talk of a new era in gender relations, with women around the world speaking out and forcing a reckoning against sexual violence, #MeToo does not exist here in this room bathed in red and purple lights, where the women are silent and their bodies are for sale, and a coffee table is loaded with condoms.

“I had a flower shop for 18 years — and now I’m here out of necessity, not out of joy,” said Dimitra, a middle-aged woman who lost her shop in the crisis and now works as a madam on Filis Street. “I used to be called Mrs. Dimitra, but now I’ve become a whore.”

“Prostitution has increased and changed, basically in the context of the new political, economic and cultural environment,” said Grigoris Lazos, a professor of criminology at Panteion University in Athens, referring to Greece’s painful economic austerity.

Mr. Lazos spent six years researching how the country’s twin crises — migration and economic austerity — had changed prostitution in Athens. He found that the number of prostitutes in the city had increased by 7 percent since 2012, yet prices have dropped drastically, both for women working on the streets and in brothels.

“In 2012, it would require an average of 39 euros” for a client to hire a prostitute in a brothel, Mr. Lazos said, “while in 2017 just €17 — a 56 percent decrease.”

According to Greek law, a brothel has to be at least about 655 feet away from schools, hospitals, churches, nurseries and public squares, among other places. But given the density of downtown Athens, it’s virtually impossible to house prostitutes there legally. Mr. Lazos found that only eight of the 798 brothels operating in the city in August were legal.

The number was vastly different from the police statistics, which count no more than 300 brothels in the city. A spokesman for the Athenian police, Theodoros Chronopoulos, explained that the official number does not include hidden brothels.

Mr. Chronopoulos said that officers aggressively work to break up trafficking rings, pointing to rising arrests. But the police mostly leave brothels alone, he said, partly because of the sense among the authorities that they help single men deal with loneliness.

“We’re quite tolerant when it comes to brothels,” he said, “because we understand that what they do is social service.”

The police later provided an additional statement, with Mr. Chronopoulos saying: “There is no tolerance when it comes to brothels. The checks are intensive and constant and violations are applied where appropriate.”

None of the women I interviewed spoke of their profession as a social service, and they often expressed disgust for their male clients. Evaggelia, the madam where Elena works, said of the men: “They’re not worthy enough of a girlfriend. They think that by paying 20 euros, they buy something.”

All the women insisted on using only one name because of the stigma and for safety reasons. None said that she had been forced — except by necessity — to be there. But none wanted to be here.

“I hate sex,” Elena said. “I like the money, not the job.”

Anastasia, known as “Amazon” to clients, has worked as a prostitute since she was 14. She’s now 33, and says the work is harder than ever.

“People don’t have money anymore,” she said one afternoon in Satovriandou Street outside a hotel named Easy Access, where clients have sessions that last from 10 minutes to a half-hour.

Anastasia says they promise, “I’ll come when I get paid,” or they ask for bargains. Men often ask for unprotected sex, she said, and many prostitutes who are drug addicts take on such clients for less than 10 euros.

“The ones that do it have AIDS, so they don’t care, they’re even doing it for vengeance,” according to Anastasia, who is in rehabilitation for drug addiction. “But they’ve destroyed the market.”

The number of H.I.V. cases in Greece has actually dropped since 2012, when intravenous drug use was rampant during the height of the financial crisis, said Dimitra Paraskeva, the head of Greece’s H.I.V. office. Greece had 628 H.I.V. cases last year, almost half the number from six years ago, according to official data.

In the cheaper Athenian brothels of Metaxourgio, I met Monica, a 30-year-old Albanian prostitute who grew up in the northern city of Thessaloniki. She said she entered the business 10 years ago, when she lived in Crete. She moved to Athens five years ago, in search of a new life, and initially worked in a taverna.

She had completed one year toward a culinary degree to become a cook and wanted to use her earnings to pay for a second year — but her boss never paid her a salary.

“I came here,” she said of the brothel, “because it’s the only job that, once you do it, you know you’ll get paid.”

Today, she spends six to eight hours a day trying to entice clients, but most do not stay.

“They don’t have money,” she said. “They haven’t had money for the past seven years.”

When she does get a client, she charges 10 euros for 10 minutes, and is allowed to keep half.

“A few years ago, they used to tip,” Monica said. “They’d give you 20 and 50, even 100 euros if they liked it. Now, no more tips.”

With the Greek crisis, the clientele changed, too, the women noted. They are now largely migrants, many who live in the apartments above the brothels in the gritty, low-rent areas. Many Greek men are simply too poor to pay anymore.

“Their wages used to be 800 or 900 euros,” Monica said. “Now they get nothing.”

Besides the increase in migrant clients, Mr. Lazos’s research pointed to an uptick of about 5 percent in Greek clientele between 2012 and 2017.

“It’s something that a man can’t quit,” Manolis, a 33-year-old taxi-driver and brothel regular who insisted on being identified only by his first name, whispered one afternoon on Filis Street. A small white light was on outside several doors left half-opened, a signal to roaming clients that a prostitute was available.

“Sex is like smoking,” Manolis said. “You’ll find 20 euros for it, one way or another.”

Despite the drop in prices, customers have become choosier.

“Seven or eight years ago, 20 to 30 men would go to the bedroom with the girl,” said Vaso, 65, who has been a madam for the past 20 years. Today, she said, it is more like five or six.

“Now they come, take a look,” she said, “and say, ‘I’ll be back.’ ”

[qqueenofhades]

The Procurator: 2

Rating: M (may change to E) Summary:   Garcia Flynn is a widowed single father and specialist in complicated acquisitions, who has worked for a shadowy international syndicate for almost seven years and – until now – asked no questions. Lucy Preston is an American history professor leaving her past behind to start a new life in New Zealand, but who discovers that it has followed her in unsettling ways. When they’re thrown together unexpectedly, and when Flynn’s clients start mysteriously dropping dead, sparks may just fly. If they don’t kill each other first. Previous: Chapter 1

Dhaka, Bangladesh

9:16 AM BST

You don’t really go anywhere in Dhaka. It’s just not the way the experience works. You point roughly in your desired direction, hope for the best, and shove off, into a place into which the words crowded or bustling barely do justice, while you are assailed to all sides by rickshaws, crammed buses, rickshaws, scooters, rickshaws, private cars, rickshaws, taxis, bicycles, rickshaws, carts, and lest you forget, rickshaws. Pedestrians in Dhaka are basically the bravest people in the world. Sidewalks, traffic lights, and other common delineating features between human and road are taken as passing suggestions more than anything remotely obligatory, and the fight for turf is intense. The only comparable place that Flynn can think of is Manila, in the Philippines, which has this same sort of manic, unceasing energy, this constant rush and roar at all hours of the night and day. Traffic, to say the least, is a Lovecraftian horror. A journey of a few miles can often take well over an hour.

It is close to the morning peak, which does not help, as Flynn sits in the back of an intermittently air-conditioned taxi and taps his fingers restlessly. His flight from Istanbul was delayed arriving into Shahjalal, and getting through customs took another hour, as the border guards apparently all decided to go for a tea break at the same time – not an unreasonable idea at six o’clock in the morning, but to Flynn’s impatient thinking, very much so when you are trying to run an international airport. It’s also just into the start of May, which means that right on schedule, the monsoon is arriving. It’s not quite to its full potential yet, but fat drops are beating on the windshield, slowing progress further, and there’s always the possibility of a flood. Dhaka lies on the lower reaches of the Ganges delta, and it must have pissed off a particularly vengeful member of the Hindu pantheon at one point, given how hard nature is trying to wipe it from existence. Floods, cyclones, tornadoes, fires, and the increasing pollution of the megacity’s air and water are all fairly common. It’s also one of the places most affected by climate change, since it’s barely twenty feet over sea level. There are just too many people, and not enough places to put them.

Nonetheless, Flynn supposes, he should count his blessings. He made it out of Tashkent and onto the plane without being detained, which also owed to his strategy of slipping a small metal item into the pocket of the man a few places ahead of him in the security queue. While the detector went off and the man was patted down, Flynn made damn sure his keys were in the tray, and waltzed through without a chirp. Nobody yanked Dr. Khodzhayev’s briefcase for a closer look. It hasn’t left Flynn’s possession since, and assuming traffic moves before the end of days, he will deliver it in a few hours. The payday should be substantial. He doesn’t know exactly what it was, but he does know what Khodzhayev works on, in some extremely secret Russian research facility. There had to be only a few procurators in the world they could trust to pick this up.

“How much further?” Flynn asks his driver, which is basically a hopeless question. He speaks in English, since Dhaka used to be Dacca, handsome outpost of the British East India Company (colonialism, take a shot). He was supposed to meet his courier in Ramna Park, but what with the rain, they may have to relocate. Besides, that means they have to get all the way through the city proper and down to the southern suburbs, and that seems wildly optimistic. His rendezvous is scheduled at noon. “Is there a back route?”

“No, sir. Sorry.” The driver turns down the loud Bengali talk radio he has been listening to. “I can see if it is clearer on the N3, but that goes a little more around.”

[read the rest on AO3]

#timeless #timeless ff #lucy x flynn #garcy #garcy ff #the procurator

[newstfionline]

Headlines

World’s 26 richest people own as much as poorest 50%, says Oxfam (Guardian) The growing concentration of the world’s wealth has been highlighted by a report showing that the 26 richest billionaires own as many assets as the 3.8 billion people who make up the poorest half of the planet’s population. Oxfam said the wealth of more than 2,200 billionaires across the globe had increased by $900bn in 2018--or $2.5bn a day. The 12% increase in the wealth of the very richest contrasted with a fall of 11% in the wealth of the poorest half of the world’s population.

Trump vows not to ‘cave’ on 32nd day of government shutdown (AFP) President Donald Trump had a message Tuesday for Democrats hoping he’ll relent in the political arm wrestle that has seen funds blocked to swaths of the government for a record 32 days: “No Cave!” Trump’s defiant tweet again blamed congressional Democrats for the chaos, insisting he will not lift his shutdown on federal government funding unless they approve his $5.7 billion plan for more walls along the US-Mexican border.

Newark Airport Resumes Normal Operations After Drone Sightings Temporarily Halt Traffic (Reuters) Reports of drone sightings in northern New Jersey temporarily halted arrivals at Newark Liberty International Airport on Tuesday, but normal operations had since been resumed, officials said.

Venezuela’s Opposition Takes to Streets to Seize Momentum Against Maduro (Reuters) Venezuelans will take to the streets on Wednesday as the opposition hopes to capitalize on several weeks of momentum and force a change in the government of President Nicolas Maduro, who has overseen economic collapse and the erosion of democracy.

Striking Taxi Drivers in Standoff With Police in Madrid (AP) Striking Spanish taxi drivers demanding more regulations for app-based ride-hailing services are blocking access to a trade exhibition center in Madrid where a major tourism fair begins Wednesday.

Macron hangs tough on reforming the French economy (Reuters) Exactly 226 years after the decapitation of King Louis XVI, who failed to quell popular discontent over a France’s feudal society, President Emmanuel Macron started his speech at a pre-Davos dinner at Versailles by invoking the king and his wife Marie-Antoinette. Macron, speaking to an audience that included J.P. Morgan CEO Jamie Dimon, Snapchat chief Evan Spiegel and Microsoft boss Satya Nadella, said he would not follow the path of guillotined French royals and would continue to reform the French economy despite occasional violent revolt.

Italy’s Salvini Hopes Macron’s Support Dwindles at EU Elections (Reuters) Italian Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini said on Wednesday he hoped the French people would not choose President Emmanuel Macron’s party in European parliament elections later this year, heightening recent tensions between Rome and Paris.

Russia Presents Info on Missile US Says Violates Pact (AP) The Russian military has released the specifications of its new missile, seeking to dispel the U.S. claim that the weapons violates a key nuclear arms pact.

China Detains Students, Labour Activists in Deepening Crackdown (Reuters) About a dozen Chinese labour activists and university students have either gone missing or been detained by police this week, sources told Reuters, amid a deepening crackdown on activists seeking improved rights for factory workers.

Hong Kong Moves to Make Disrespecting Chinese National Anthem a Crime (Reuters) Hong Kong on Wednesday presented a controversial bill to lawmakers that prescribes jail terms of up to three years for disrespecting the Chinese national anthem, a move critics say raises fresh fears over freedom of expression in the city.

Thailand to Hold First General Election Since Coup on March 24 (Reuters) Thailand will hold a general election to restore civilian rule on March 24, the election commission said on Wednesday, announcing a new date for the often postponed vote, which will be the first since a 2014 military coup.

South Korea Condemns Japanese Patrol Flight Over Ship as ‘Provocation’ (Reuters) A Japanese patrol aircraft made an “intimidating” pass over a South Korean warship on Wednesday, in what South Korea’s military said was a “clear provocation” toward a friendly neighbor.

Landslides, Flooding From Dam Kill 8 in Central Indonesia (AP) Torrential rains overwhelmed a dam and caused landslides that killed at least eight people and displaced more than 2,000 in central Indonesia, officials said Wednesday.

No Screen Time: Tonga Faces Weeks of Internet Disruption (AP) People in Tonga could face several weeks without Facebook, YouTube and even some basic services like credit card transactions due to a fault in the undersea cable that connects the Pacific nation to the rest of the world.

Afghanistan Says Taliban Mastermind of Deadly Attack on Military Base Killed (Reuters) Afghanistan’s main spy agency has killed a Taliban commander who was the mastermind of this week’s deadly attack on Afghan forces at a military base in the central province of Maidan Wardak, officials said on Wednesday.

#headlines