#here’s hoping she uses her detective skills to find a way to help simon and wille be together | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

transjinako · 4 years

Text

I was looking at Yugioh cards and was inspired to make Pierre Simon Laplace a servant so here she is.

Foreigner: Pierre-Simon Laplace

Alignment: Chaotic Good

Parameters:

Strength: C+

Endurance: C+

Agility: B+

Luck: B+

Mana: A

NP: A+

Traits: Existence outside of the Domain B+, Territory Creation A, Cosmic Core A+

Skills:

Laplace Transform! EX: The Laplace Transform is a mathematic transformation of a function of a real variable into a complex one, done on a Complex Frequency. However, this term is often used to call up Laplace’s suit of armor. Laplace says quite assuredly that her suit is made along the basis of the Laplace Transform equation, though no one can possibly follow her reasoning when she explains.

It is therefore obvious that... B-: Laplace was and still is a true genius, her mind moving and deducing at speeds that could even rival certain detectives. She is able to come upon ideas and theories that would be beyond anyone’s reasonable way of thinking, so even though her mind rivals that of a certain detective, she can’t quite explain her ideas well to others so the skill isn’t as strong as it could be.

Ultra Heavy Stars A-: A destructive skill that carried over from Laplace’s approaching of a black hole. These Ultra Heavy stars are weapons Laplace often uses in combat, their gravity pulling in light, magic and anyone else too close to it’s vicinity, anything that touches it’s surface is quickly crushed from is deadly pull. However, due to their imperfect nature, they can’t last too long and collapse in on themselves soon after creation.

Noble Phantasms:

Laplace’s DAEMON

Rank: A

Type: Anti Causality

Description: Laplace had theorized that a higher being, or someone or something that understands the universe from the stars and planets in the sky to the tiniest atom would not see the past as the cause of the present, nor the present as the causality of the future as normal humans do. Instead, it would see all events laid out before it as though it were a complete mechanism. With the help of her suit, the Arcueil, Laplace is able to expand the limitations of her mind in order to see the past present and future as if they were all the same time. Technically speaking, it is not precognition, as this skill moves the user to the perspective of an outsider looking in, the forward movement of time being meaningless to that thought process. It cannot be considered to be divining one’s Destiny either, as it also takes in account the many variables of events. All this to say, Laplace is the only one able to comprehend and apply what she learns from this Noble Phantasm.

The Arcueil

Rank: B++

Type: Anti Divine

Description: The suit of armor Laplace transforms into when going into battle. It was created for the soul purpose of learning more about the galaxy, the solar system, the stars, while also being made with them in mind. It draws on the power of the solar system thanks to Laplace’s deep understanding of it’s harmony. The suit was also made to prove that the solar system is a function of nature rather than something divine or otherworldly controlling everything, as such, it gains the power of nature to stand in defiance of higher beings that claim to have created and control it. In another dimension entirely, it would likely be the basis for a certain police force from space.

The Harmony of Nature

Rank: EX

Type: Anti Threat Against Nature

Description: This noble phantasm is the culmination of Laplace’s relationship with nature as well as the solar system. As someone who researched the solar system as well as the forces of nature, she has become extremely close to it. In respect to her harmony, her automation, her infinite complexity toward her simple goals, Laplace can only ask to power the power of nature so that she might be able to protect her. When granted this blessing, it is something akin to the Anima Animusphere, although instead of controlling the stars and planets to her will, she moves with their will. For just a short while she becomes a part of the infinitely complex mechanism that is Nature for the sole purpose of protecting it.

(All that being said, the attack she uses while in this state tends to be a destructive kick from the air, it looks extremely heroic.)

Description of Servant: Laplace is a strange case when in person. She is almost always wearing her armor, looking more like a robot than anything. She doesn’t put off the disposition of being a friendly person, as she can be quite robotic, dry and maybe overly logical, but she really is. She can easily get lost in telling people the things she has learned and in kind learning about others and what they know as well. She can be pretty socially dense, she doesn’t quite know when people don’t like her so she goes along acting friendly toward them when she can, it can be pretty charming in some cases.

The reason Laplace is always wearing her Arcueil is because it allows her to be closer to nature, which might seem odd to others but when you consider how much of her life she threw into the study of astronomy you might be more understanding. She can be convinced to present herself as a normal human at times though, as that can be another way of being a part of nature, but also when she figures she doesn’t need to constantly monitor her surroundings.

Although her alignment does claim her to be Good, she works chiefly for the good of the world. You might think a certain greater being had influenced her, but that is simply the way she is. She doesn’t hold humanity’s importance over that of the world, but she does acknowledge that humans have a duty to know about the world and defend it together, this is what drives her to keep teaching and defending humanity.

Interactions:

Voyager: Oooh, I know of you, little traveler, but not about you. If I could be a little bold...maybe you might be able to recount me on your findings personally? If it wouldn’t trouble you at all, as well as how you were made. You are a machine, yes? Perhaps I can use you to improve my...ah? Oh, don’t worry, I would never take you apart. You are much too precious.

MHXX: Is that…? E-excuse me, officer…? Ah, yes we are very much matching. Ahem, who exactly...made that? I- yes, yes your suit is very cool. Regal as well, in its own way. But I just wanted to ask- my own? Erm, well, I was inspired by nocturnal birds, as they use the stars to navigate and- Y-yes! I would like to talk more sometime! Uh, see you...later? ...I couldn’t even ask where she acquired such an armor….

Waver: That Waver fellow reminds me of some of my own colleagues and professors, though he is a lot more pleasant to be around. He’s also quite expressive, i’ve been able to tell when the things i say fly right over his head several times now.

BB: A being from the moon, or rather, an AI from the moon’s supercomputer. She’s incredibly strange but….interesting too...perhaps she would let me study her, or perhaps help me study the moon some? But then again, even I can pick up on those murderous vibes so...maybe i’ll ask someone else…

Da Vinci: Ah! Madam Da Vinci! Might I join you in the lab today? I promise I will only look over the shoulder and not add too much input, I know it harms your focus! Er, not even over the shoulder? I have to sit next to Holmes…? Well...as long as he is...all up there…

Jeanne Alter: Oh hello Master, I was only popping in to get some of my books. You see, Madame Alter seems to be interested in some of my work. I saw her reading a book of mine, muttering it out loud, when our eyes caught. I was happy to give her a more personal account of course, though I do hope I didn't catch her at a bad time. When I left she seemed slumped over, as though tired. Ah, well, I can at least lend her more of my books.

Sun Servants: You all claim to be the sun itself...Well. There are three of you and yet only one sun so- o-oh your all the sun, together. Well, and I do not wish to...question any of your logic. But perhaps you merely...derive your power from the sun instead of- Ah, as I said, lord Ozymandias, I do not wish to question- hm, Ms Quetzalcoatal I do not wish to challenge you for- Oh...it's part of your...appeal? Ms Tamamo? ….I see...n-nevermind.

Napoleon: Oh. Napoleon. Hm. Oh, don’t worry, master, we don’t have a...terrible relationship per say, but I definitely wouldn’t call us friends, even if he insists on such. We have, an understanding, I suppose. So I can tolerate him for the most part.

#servant oc's

17 notes · View notes

shoeshineyboy · 4 years

Note

yo! how would you rank the ace attorney defence attorneys and prosecutors from best to worse?

like… in terms of how good they are at their jobs? that’s what I hope you meant-

Defence Attorneys

Raymond Shields (of course. but for real. he’s good. he became a lawyer at just 19 back when that was unusual. he’s really really smart, even if he doesn’t see it, himself.)

Gregory Edgeworth (this man’s dedication to the truth was unreal.)

Phoenix Wright (I’m ignoring AA5/AA6 here. he is brilliant in the courtroom, like for real. he doesn’t give up. he took a system that was pretty much in tatters and started piecing it back together. he finds contradictions no one else would think of. he asks for help when he needs it. he’s wonderful.)

Apollo Justice (given the state of the law in AA4, he’s fighting a losing battle with corruption, but he’s still fighting and that’s what matters.)

Mia Fey (I really really really wish we’d got to see more of late career Mia. she seems like a brilliant investigator)

Dhurke Sahdmadhi (god fuck I love his hair and I love how he loves his wife and also Datz. he’s a very very good rebel leader and I expect he was a decent lawyer. fought against a mad corrupt system and you know what I really respect that. I wanna be like him)

Athena Cykes (I love her as a character but I don’t like her game. she’s better than everyone thinks she is, but she’s still Very Very New To This and it’s a shame we never get to see her actually flourish)

Jill Crane (going behind Blaise’s back like that took some serious balls. and she must’ve had a remarkably strong character. and I think she’s pretty. I nearly put her at 4.)

Diego Armando (he reminds me of our sister department’s manager in that he’s decently competent but thinks he’s way better than he actually is)

Kristoph Gavin (I think he’s probably a really, really good lawyer in terms of, like, defending super rich people and getting them off charges for things they definitely did.)

Marvin Grossberg (I think he’s an interesting character but it’s whatever. idk I find stories about corruption really interesting for some reason. he’s just a tired old man who’s weighed down by guilt, which I think is an interesting character but doesn’t have much bearing on his skill)

Aristotle Means (he gets wins WHATEVER but I don’t like DD and I don’t like him. Capcom waved him in our face like “haha look! look how corrupt the legal system is! haha look this is worldbuilding!” and then gave a bullshit plot. he’s symbolic of by beef with the Dark Age arc. fuck this dude. at least his design is somewhat interesting)

Robert Hammond (I hate this dude so much and Yanni Yogi did god’s work. corrupt, uncharismatic, self-centred Severus Snape looking bitch)

Prosecutors

Klavier Gavin (Klavier is very very good at his job. Klavier wants to help the truth be found and that’s pretty much his main motivation. he wanted to help us overcome the corruption that was tainting the law, until corruption overcame Capcom and he was shelved indefinitely)

Miles Edgeworth (he was off to a shaky start, but he got good. his logical way of thinking has served him well, he’s very skilled and he can think in ways that not everyone seems to be able to. good at dealing in international affairs, too.)

Franziska von Karma (comes into her own in the Investigations games. she was born to be an international prosecutor. she uses her authority and general kinda scary personality for the best possible uses in those games. she cares about people close to her, but can keep up her strong front, and that’s actually way cool)

Neil Marshall (cared about justice and was good enough to get the King of Prosecutors trophy, which probably says more about his skill than the games ever will. chased after a criminal himself. brave dude.)

Byrne Faraday (cared enough about finding the truth to become the Yatagarasu. that’s something, alright. worked nicely with his detective partner which is a refreshing change in this series sometimes)

Simon Blackquill (made DD bearable but idk if he’s as good at prosecuting as he is good at scaring the shit out of people with his eagle. was willing to protect Athena though and you know what? that’s awesome)

Sebastian Debeste (look! he has the potential to be very good! but the majority of AAI2 didn’t really shine him in a super good light. I believe in him. and he saved our asses at the end of the game)

Nahyuta Sahdmadhi (I Don’t like how he treated Athena and nothing about his prosecuting skills stood out to me at all. also he was trying to get Phoenix murdered, the fucker. however he wasn’t as outwardly cruel as some of the fuckers on this thing so he can stay at number 8)

Lana Skye (this PAINS me but we never see her prosecute. I adore Lana as a character but she was probably way better as a detective, since that’s the career she chose. I’m just putting her above Blaise because she deserves better but we know Nothing about her skill like at all)

Winston Payne (has shit taste in suits. I can admire that. but he couldn’t kill a rookie if the rookie handed him a loaded gun, both physically AND metaphorically)

Blaise Debeste (UGH look if he made Chief Prosecutor he must’ve been solidly alright I guess? ugh. he was a brilliant villain, anyway)

Jacques Portsman (I almost forgot this dude)

Gaspen Payne (I’m like vaguely aware that he exists. fuck him. shit at his job and tried to get Phoenix killed)

Manfred von Karma (is legitimately the least skilled prosecutor in AA. sure, he won, but only through intimidation. his arguments needed very little prodding to fall apart, and prod we did. completely unprepared for any sort of surprise - couldn’t work with Larry’s sudden testimony at all. no adaptability whatsoever. it’s almost funny if he wasn’t so genuinely evil)

if I missed anyone, I’m sorry!

#Anonymous

46 notes · View notes

pantherlover · 5 years

Text

Rosemary and Rue Re-Read: Part 1

I decided that I wanted to do kind of a deep-dive re-read of the October Daye books, to see if I could catch any clues I missed during my first read, and to see if I could come up with any theories about where the story is going to go. PLEASE come and discuss things with me if you’re at all interested! Or remind me of something I’ve forgotten! I have a feeling I won’t make it as far as I’d like if I don’t have proper motivation lol.

Note: While I haven’t read a lot of the books in a while, particularly the first two, I have read all of them up to Night and Silence at some point and I will be referring to things that happen in later books as I go along. These will not be spoiler free recaps.

Prologue/Chapter 1

Prologue

This phone call between Cliff and Toby in the opening scene is basically the only time that I like Cliff in the entire series - it’s genuinely sweet, and I really love Toby’s goodbye (although it does feel like she was tempting fate a little bit). I think it does a good job of showing what Toby’s lost when she gets back and realizes that not only did he not wait for her, he’s basically turned her daughter against her too.

(That might be a little harsh, but I am seriously Not A Fan of Cliff. I will totally own up to the fact that a lot of that dislike is Toby bias, but I judge his handling of the situation a little. I know Toby disappearing and him being forced to raise Gilly by himself is a really difficult situation, and I don’t blame him at all for moving on (and not just because I like Tybalt better). 14 years is a long time to hold on to someone that’s probably never going to come back, and I think it’s completely reasonable that he decided that he didn’t want to raise Gilly by himself.

... That decision absolutely did not have to involve letting Gilly think that Toby abandoned them and didn’t love her. Cliff can say that he made the choice to let Gilly think that for her sake all he wants, I flat out do not believe that Gilly thinking that her mother abandoned her, and letting some other woman replace her was better for Gilly. I also don’t really think that he believed that Toby had abandoned them; he loved her, enough that they were raising a child together, and yet he didn’t know her well enough to know that she’d never run away from her responsibilities? Bullshit. I think it’s a lot more likely that thinking she’d left on her own was easier for him to let himself believe, because it’s a lot easier to move on from a woman who’d abandoned him to raise a child on his own than to move on from a woman who had possibly been killed while working a potentially dangerous job)

I really like the marsh water charms! I was kind of sad that they fell by the wayside when Toby’s powers got stronger, but maybe they’ll be used more often since they were brought up again in Night and Silence.

I forgot how much Toby struggled with using magic in the beginning of the series. It’s super infuriating to realize that that was a deliberate choice on Amandine’s part - not just trying to turn Toby human, but to not teach her how to use her own magic to protect herself. It’s especially infuriating because we know that she taught August about her own heritage.

“I go out, I find out what’s going on, and I let the knights who earned their titles in battle take over. I’m not stupid; I don’t engage.” This line, and the line coming up where Toby says she “doesn’t have a death wish” get funnier the longer the series goes on. I want to know exactly how much Seanan McGuire cackled when she wrote that line.

Toby demonstrates her STELLAR detective skills by narrating how Very Suspicious Simon’s current living arrangements are, and then... failing to consider that he might be setting up a trap. How on earth did Toby ever become a private detective when she is the LEAST curious person ever. (I’m still waiting for her to go back to the Library to research bloodlines; that way, she might actually notice the next time a Firstborn randomly shows up in her orbit instead of being surprised by it)

It does seem very suspicious, rereading this book, how... human, Simon’s set up is? Toby notes that he’s paying cash at his rental; that doesn’t really seem like something that someone from the Summerlands would’ve picked up on, as opposed to someone who’s used to operating in the mortal realm. It definitely feels like Simon deliberately set this up so that Toby would notice, and no one else.

Now we meet Oleander de Merelands. Given how much Evening hates mixing bloodlines, she employs a surprising amount of people with mixed blood. (Also, Toby says that Oleander is half Tuatha, half Peri. We’ve met Tuatha before, but I don’t think we’ve met any Peri yet. Something to look forward to?)

And here’s where Toby gets turned into a fish, thus beginning her Trials and Tribulations. I don’t remember a lot of the plot of The Winter Long, but I do remember that Simon insists that turning Toby into a fish was the merciful option. I think it’s interesting that Simon’s ‘mercy’ results in the exact same situation that led him down this path in the first place - losing her fiance and child. Especially because he deliberately puts Sylvester through this too, so his malicious actions and his merciful actions end with the same results. (Simon, why are you so terrible at everything)

I also think it’s fascinating to compare how all three of them handle the situation - Sylvester completely falls apart until he gets his wife and daughter back (and even when they do come back, their relationship is fractured to the point where Rayseline tried to murder her own mother, and might never be repaired), which nearly costs him his other daughter. Simon tries so hard to find his daughter - despite it being her own choice to be lost - which ends not only with both of them still out of his reach, but with Simon losing himself, first metaphorically and then literally. Toby, on the other hand, accepts that her family is lost to her (or at least tries to accept that) and is able to move on and build a new family for herself.

So, I have a question: We know from The Brightest Fell that the reason that Luna and Rayseline were kidnapped was because Evening wanted Toby gone, so Simon used them to draw Toby out. Was it ever explained what Toby did to make Evening want her gone at this point in time? I don’t think it was Toby finding the knowe - I believe it’s been several years since the knowe was found, and while Evening’s clearly capable of long term plans, I think she’d be impatient to get rid of a threat she’d consider ‘beneath’ her. Does anyone have any ideas, or remember from a later book?

Chapter 1

I think the woman with ‘oily black curls’ buying ice cream and diet coke is the first appearance of the Luidaeg. If it is, then she’s the first in a long line of ‘seemingly inconsequential, unnamed characters who appear in the background and then turn out to be VITALLY IMPORTANT later in the story.’ I’m going to try to keep track of these moments; we’ll see how well I do.

Mitch! I LOVE Mitch and Stacy; I really hope that they can have bigger roles in an upcoming book. Maybe they can help Toby when she tries to rebuild Home?

I don’t normally reread the first two books, and this scene with Toby at her job is reminding me why. She is crushingly lonely, and she feels like she deserves to be, because she feels like she failed everyone - failed Raysel and Luna by not finding them, failed Sylvester by not being there, failed Cliff and Gilly by abandoning them - while completely ignoring how they failed her too, by not looking for her.

I think this introduction scene with Tybalt is the one time in the entire series where I actually believe Toby when she says he doesn’t like her. This is definitely the most outright assholish he ever is with her, and there’s no real underlying affection to combat his dickishness. I really wanted to punch him in the face during this scene the first time I read the book.

I really like the description of how Toby literally grabs shadows to use in her illusions. I don’t think I’ve ever heard magic described like that in any other series; it’s very creative.

That’s the first two chapters! WOW I had no idea this was going to get this long. Again, please please PLEASE come talk to me about these books! I have been dying to find people to discuss these books with for ages.

#October Daye #Rosemary and Rue #ReRead Project

156 notes · View notes

bytheangell · 5 years

Text

This Is the Coda That Never Ends... part 23

(Read on AO3) (Read from the start)

Simon thinks that his trip to spread the word about the whole ‘Clary Situation’ to the Downworld Leaders on behalf of Isabelle and the Institute goes pretty well. Meliorn is, well, Meliorn, but that’s fine. Lily is pleasant enough, with her usual teasing edge that he’s grown pretty used to this past year. In fact, it always feels a little like Clary’s friendly, sister-like teasing, which helps because despite his tendency to gravitate towards the Shadowhunters even without Clary being among them, well, he is still a vampire and he does still need that support system on his side. He doesn’t need to speak with Lorenzo, he got filled in on his own after everything with Clary at the Institute and the memory demon, and of course he’ll use any excuse to visit Maia who he doesn’t seen half as much as he wishes he did these days.

It’s a busy day, which is good, because the moment he’s back at his apartment at the end of it all he can think about is how much he wishes he could go back to the Institute and hang out for a while. He knows why he can’t. He gets it, really he does. But it still sucks. Having Isabelle and Jace to distract him was the only thing keeping him from thinking about Clary, and now he’s stuck thinking about how he doesn’t have any of them right now.

He’s tempted to call his sister and check in on things in Florida, but decides against it. Not while he’s being all mopey, since those conversations always have their own hints of sadness to them, no matter how nice it is to hear his sister’s voice after a while.

Instead Simon turns to the tried-and-true world of sci-fi movies, popping in one of the original Star Wars dvds he keeps around when he needs background noise, alternating between listening to it and plucking away at a few new ideas on his guitar. And then he switches to sketching some stuff for a new graphic novel idea he has… and then he starts playing a video game instead.

He can’t focus on any one thing because none of them are what he really wants to be doing, and he can’t seem to get invested in any of it.

He’s about to just give up and see if he can swing by the Institute anyway when his phone starts to ring. The name on the screen is the last he expects to see, and it rings three more times before he breaks himself out of his shock to swipe the call open.

“Clary?” he says, his tone a failed attempt at casual even though he’s afraid that he’ll spook her by sounding as excited as he feels just then.

“Hey Simon,” Clary says. It’s all she says at first and a silence hangs over the line after, one that Simon isn’t quite sure how to fill. Still, talking is one of his strong suits, and nervous rambling a niche he’s pretty well known for, so he dives right in anyway.

“How are you feeling? I know you seemed fine when you left last night, but, well, I guess fine is pretty relative right now.”

“I’m alright,” Clary says before lapsing back into silence. “Sorry. I know I’m the one who called you, but I just-- I wanted to hear your voice again. And say sorry for running out the way I did.”

“Hey, don’t worry about it. You don’t have to apologize, I totally get it. It’s a lot, everything you’re sort of remembering, and then to find out you had this, like, whole part of your childhood that you didn’t even remember even though it was just us being silly in coffee shops and stuff. I’m sure all that needs some time to process.”

“Yeah, it does. And I am still letting it all sink in. But I… I don’t know. I went to paint today and I just felt so overwhelmed by everything, and my first instinct wasn’t to call my roommate this time, it was to call you. So I did.”

Simon knows he shouldn’t be happy that she feels overwhelmed, which is why it’s a very good thing that she can’t see the way he beams to himself over the knowledge that he’d the first one she wants to turn to now.

“I’m glad you did, Clary. That’s what best friends are for.”

“Yeah, I guess it is,” Clary says, and there’s something about the hesitance behind her words, the uncertainty in her tone, that makes Simon’s good mood plummet. He’s relieved that she doesn’t seem to totally hate him for the role he played in taking her memories, but that doesn’t make them best friends again overnight.

“Listen, can we meet up, and talk? Are you busy?” Clary asks.

“I think I can pencil you in,” Simon says, glancing around his apartment at the chaos of discarded distraction attempts. “Should I come to you?” He suggests hopefully, not wanting to have to try and clean up his entire life in the next 10 minutes.

“How about we meet at Java Jones?” Clary suggests, which works just as well.

“Perfect. I’ll meet you there.”

They hang up and Simon makes sure he’s vaguely presentable before making his way to the familiar coffee shop, tossing his messenger bag onto his and Clary’s old usual table and ordering Clary’s drink which finish just as she makes her way in through the door.

“Here you go, one black coffee, just the way you like it,” he says, handing it over.

“Thanks,” she says, instinctively taking a seat at the table where Simon’s bag is without him needing to point out he saved it for them. “And thanks for meeting me with like, no notice. I just didn’t want to stay in the studio and I didn’t want to go back to my room just yet. I hope I didn’t interrupt anything...”

Simon shakes his head. “Not at all. Honestly, I’ve been bored out of my mind for the last three hours, so I should be the one thanking you,” he admits.

“This is all just so weird. I know we’re close, and I have all these memories of us falling back into place now, but then I think about how I spent the last year not knowing you exist when we grew up together our entire lives! Tell me this isn’t weird for you, too?” Clary asks.

“It is a little, yeah. But I’ll take weird over you not knowing I exist any day,” he admits.

Clary bites down on her lower lip and fidgets with the edges of the plastic lid on her coffee cup. Simon can read her tells enough to know she’s upset about something, and suddenly fears that the something is him.

“If this is too much, just tell me, okay?”

“It isn’t that, it’s just-- I could see the way you and Isabelle and Magnus looked at me last night. There was so much expectation there, and I can’t- I hate that I can’t be whatever it is everyone expects me to be.” She sighs. “I’m trying, but the more I try the more it backfires. I’m starting to wonder if I should even be talking to you now.”

Simon shakes his head immediately. “We don’t expect anything from you. If you don’t want to remember, that’s one thing. No one is going to make you keep trying if you just want to go back to school and look the other way.” It hurts him to even say that, but it’s true. This isn’t about them, it’s about Clary. Getting these memories back, if it’s possible at all, isn’t going to be an easy road from the looks of things. So if she changed her mind about wanting them back…

“How am I supposed to know if I want them back when I don’t know what they are?” Clary asks suddenly, and that idea stops Simon’s thoughts dead in their tracks. He thinks about the way she lost her mother, about how she almost lost Jace, about what she had to do to Valentine, and Jonathan…

Would she be better off not remembering, even if she wants to?

But he’s learned his lesson in making decisions for Clary, no matter how much he thinks he might have the right idea. He hopes they all have.

“I can’t tell you that. But you don’t have to know now, either. You were right to want to leave and take some time.”

Clary nods, looking a little relieved at that. They decide to get some fresh air, walking and talking about a little of everything - some of it about their childhood, some questions Clary has about those places she keeps being drawn to. Simon gives vague answers, wanting to help but knowing that he can’t say too much, not until someone has a better idea of exactly what’s happening with Clary’s memory and the way it’s coming back all painful and in pieces. He can’t risk saying the wrong thing, or too much, and sending her into some memory-overload coma or something.

He’s very, very vaguely saying something about magic and warlocks after Clary brings up Magnus when he feels eyes on him.

That’s when Simon notices them. He isn’t sure at first, but the hint of angel blood in the air increases the closer they get. It’s such a faint distinction from normal human blood but Simon spends enough time surrounded by it to be able to pick it out of a crowd by now, a skill he never imagined would come in handy before now.

He spins around as they walk, walking backwards to face Clary as he talks, but in reality he’s looking behind them to spot the two Shadowhunters trailing them. He sees them almost immediately - another benefit to spending so much time around the Institute, he can recognize most of the active Shadowhunters now, and two familiar faces avert their gaze in an attempt to avoid detection.

Simon laughs, pretending Clary just said something funny, as he continues walking and spins himself back around to bring an arm around Clary’s shoulder, pulling them close enough together that he can whisper to her.

“Don’t react, but I think we’re being tailed. It’s fine. Well, it’s probably fine. But we definitely cannot go back to Magnus’ to look at those paintings now.”

“Tailed? Who would be following us?” Clary moves to look behind them but Simon keeps his arm around her shoulders to keep her facing forward, using just enough of his vampire strength to keep her in place without hurting her.

“People from the building you tried to get into yesterday,” Simon says vaguely.

“But I haven’t done anything wrong!” Clary says, her voice rising in panic.

Simon can tell this is going to get out of hand if he doesn’t get a handle on it ASAP.

“You haven’t. And we’re fine. They aren’t following us to hurt us, they’re just… watching. They’re spying on us. In retrospect, I, uh, probably shouldn’t have met up with you in public like this, but it’s way too late for that now.” He has no idea if he’s the one being watched or Clary, but his money’s on Clary, not that he’s going to say that to her.

She’s already plenty freaked out as it is.

“Please don’t leave me alone,” she begs him, panicked but at least having enough control to keep walking forward with him instead of straining to see behind her again.

“Of course I won’t. So if we aren’t splitting up, we just have to be horribly boring until they give up instead. Any ideas?” Simon asks.

They’re both silent for a minute or two, trying to think of something they can do that would make the people watching them realize they aren’t going to do anything worth watching.

Suddenly Clary turns to him with a smirk. “I think I have just the thing.”

Fifteen minutes later they’re in a common area of Clary’s school, a media room set up with a television and streaming accounts for the students to use, along with sofas and beanbags to sit on. Embracing the childhood memories Clary recently got back, she puts on an anime that she and Simon used to spend countless hours watching after school and on weekends and the pair of them settle in.

To the Shadowhunters’ credits it takes three full hours before the scent is gone and Simon tells Clary they’re in the clear again, which is much longer than he imagined any ‘normal’ person would be able to sit through Naruto.

“What the hell was that about,” Clary demands, the show playing on in the background.

“You know how we told you that you aren’t supposed to be remembering the things you are?” Simon asks, and waits for Clary to nod before continuing. “Well, those are the people who don’t like it the most. If they saw us together they probably thought I was telling you things, or that you remembered me from… well, that you remember me more than you do. They’re just paranoid, it’s in their nature.”

“So what, they’re going to follow me for the rest of my life now?” Clary demands. She tries to sound angry about it but Simon's heart aches at the fear in her tone.

“Probably not,” Simon says unhelpfully. “I’ll talk to them. Say we met up for some… project on childhood memories you’re doing, hopefully get them to chill for a while. But I promise they aren’t going to hurt you. You don’t have to worry.”

Simon wonders if that’s a promise he can really be making, but he can’t leave Clary on edge like this. Surely if there was any actual danger or concern Isabelle would’ve warned him, right?

“Right. I’m being stalked but I have nothing to worry about,” Clary sounds dubious.

“You don’t. And if you are worried, just call me, and I’ll be there so fast it’ll make your head spin,” Simon promises, and that’s a promise he knows he can make. There’s nothing he wouldn’t drop to be by Clary’s side right now with everything she’s going through.

That does seem to make her feel better, and some of the worry eases from her expression. “Okay,” she says finally. “I should be getting back anyway. It’s late and I have to finish a project before morning. Thanks for coming, even if it wasn’t quite what I planned for the night.”

“Nothing wrong with an impromptu anime marathon,” Simon says, smiling. “It’s good to see you again, I missed this.”

Clary smiles back. “I did, too.” She pauses, and then steps forward to wrap her arms around him in a hug he returns without hesitation.

“We’ll figure the rest out, okay? You’re not alone, I’m just a call away.” Simon is pretty sure he’s said that about half a dozen times by now, but he’ll say it half a dozen more if that’s what it takes for Clary to believe him.

She looks like she does this time, nodding and actually turning to go back to her room, or the studio, or wherever she’s off to for the night. Simon’s tempted to follow just to get a glimpse into this part of her life he’s missed out on for so long, but he knows better, especially after the scare they got earlier. So instead he turns and heads back to his own place, mentally preparing for the inevitable earful he’s going to get from Jace and Izzy over all of this.

Even so, he can’t shake the smile from his face knowing it was totally worth it.

#simon lewis #clary fray #shadowhunters #oops i didn't get to post this last night because jetlag got the best of me and my nap turned into sleep #but here we are!#long post #elle writes a few deadbeat lines

1 note · View note

mirrorofliterature · 6 years

Photo

sometimes, a door opens

Where Simon is an oblivious idiot, Maia is smooth, Magnus and Alec are loveable dorks and Luke is trying to hold all these lovestruck saps together, all in an afternoon at the precinct.

Loosely inspired by Brooklyn 99.

Beta’d by the lovely @zahrabane.

Read on AO3.

It wasn’t often that silence fell over their precinct.

Simon sighed, flipping through the case file to find the necessary information he needed to enter into the system.

Neither was it common for it to be so slow.

So, of course, when a man in a burgundy coat stepped into their precinct, his guest pass tucked neatly into the folds of his black shirt, curiosity was lit within Simon’s chest.

The man swept past Simon’s desk. His hair was styled high.

Such sheer elegance did not belong in a police precinct.

Simon leaned forward. “Who was that?”

Maia shrugged. “Dunno. Wait a second.” Her eyes squinted as she tracked the man walking across the room. “Is he heading for Captain Lightwood’s office?”

Similar murmurs of gossip were starting to spread across the room, like flames bursting from the initial bonfire of the man’s unexpected entrance.

The man in question didn’t seem fussed. He reached for the handle - of Captain Lightwood’s office - without a second thought.

“What’s he doing?” Simon hissed at Maia.

No one entered Captain Lightwood’s office without permission.

No one.

It was an infinitely idiotic thing to do.

Maia shrugged again, her hoop earrings swaying. “Sue me if I know. Think I’ve seen him at the bar a couple of times.”

Gone were the days when Simon had sung at the Hunters Moon whilst Maia had bartended, now a working formality to their relationship where there had once been teasing familiarity.

Simon didn’t mind the career change. It made him feel useful.

“Hey,” Sergeant Garroway called from the other side of the room, “get back to work.”

So Simon ducked his head back down, grumbling, clicking the mouse of his computer to put in some awfully dry details about a recent theft at a local thrift shop.

But as Simon ducked his head, he caught sight of the man physically stepping into Captain Lightwood’s office, unannounced.

So he gasped. Opening up another window, he quickly logged into Facebook.

Simon Lewis (12:13): did u see that?

Maia Roberts (12:14): yeah, I’m right across from you.

Simon Lewis (12:14): the blinds open?

Maia Roberts (12:14): yeah.

Simon Lewis (12:14): can’t see anything from here.

Simon Lewis (12:14): :(

Simon Lewis (12:14): garroway will freak if i come over to look.

Maia Roberts (12:14): get back to work, lewis.

Simon Lewis (12:14): lies. i know u r watching.

Maia Roberts (12:14): fine

Simon Lewis (12:14): so what’s happening?

Maia Roberts (12:14): cap hasn’t noticed yet. he closed the door pretty silently. there’s a bag?

Garroway’s voice interrupted his thoughts once again. “I can see you typing way too enthusiastically, Simon. Just talk, stop draining the internet at least.”

Simon gave him a sheepish grin, barely resisting the urge to finger gun. “Alright.”

“And keep us all updated. If we move he might get suspicious,” Garroway said, winking.

Alright. Maybe they were all a tad unhealthily involved in their Captain’s life.

So sue them.

Maia grinned. “Lightwood’s noticed. He hasn’t kicked him out immediately. He’s not even scowling. Wait.” She paused, almost dropping the pen she was writing with. “Is he smiling?”

Simon grabbed a random case file off his desk, wandering over to Maia’s side.

“He is,” he confirmed, his glance into the Captain’s office not subtle, the rainbow flag peeking out of his pen basket catching his eye in the otherwise drab office.

Simon paused, tapping on the desk absentmindedly. “Clary?” Simon said.

Clary, from her place of organising their hectic schedules, looked up. “Hm?”

“Who is that with Lightwood?”

Clary shrugged, looking a little helpless. “Hell if I know. He won’t tell me anything about his personal life, though I’ve seen pictures of his sister and she’s gorgeous.” She sighed wistfully.

Simon couldn’t help the feeling of disappointment from swelling in his chest, the crack into their Captain’s life sealing over.

Maia frowned. “He’s shutting the blinds!”

Simon turned his head, just in time for Lightwood to glare at him through the glass.

“He looked so soft,” Maia muttered, “like he wasn’t about to go and murder someone.”

Sergeant Garroway cleared his throat. “All right, excitement’s over folks. Back to work.”

It was difficult, but not impossible, to almost slip back into the lull of work.

But Simon couldn’t deny that his eyes wouldn’t stop flickering to Captain Lightwood’s door.

After an hour or so, his computer started to bleep.

Maia Roberts (1:21): He’s opening the blinds!

Simon Lewis (1:22): miracles do happen. what do u see?

Maia Roberts (1:22): smiling, looks human. the man w/ him is smiling too.

Simon Lewis (1:22): how odd.

Maia Roberts (1:22): true. crap. act like we’re working.

Simon Lewis (1:22): why?

Maia Roberts (1:22): boss coming out w/o mysterious man.

Simon Lewis (1:23): sure thing.

Facebook closed almost instantly, Simon picked up a pen and started to sign off some cases. Nothing major, a few minor thefts solved within the last few hours. Some instances of public indecency.

It was with somewhat of a shock that Simon realised that Lightwood wasn’t completing his usual, generic sweep of the precinct.

Instead, he was quietly chatting with Garroway.

Lightwood was making a broad, sweeping gesture with his hand, the ring on his left-hand glinting.

Garroway nodded, hiding a smile.

“You two are such saps,” Simon heard Garroway mutter.

Lightwood shook his head - was that a blush creeping up his face?

“Go enjoy your lunch break,” Garroway continued, this time louder, more audible, “the precinct won’t collapse whilst you’re gone.”

Lightwood grinned. He looked so - light. “I’ll hold you to that.”

He slipped back off to his office.

Simon stared at Maia. “What was that?”

“No idea,” Maia replied, her voice dropping, “but do you think we should get some lunch ourselves?”

The mysterious man had been all but swept from Simon’s mind.

“Excuse me?” he responded after a much too long pause, somewhat breathless.

Maia smiled, her eyes sparkling, truly the most beautiful thing in the room. “On a date, you idiot. To that bakery you always rave on about.”

Yep, Simon’s boss was definitely the furthest thing from his mind right now.

It didn’t matter the setting - holy crap, Maia Roberts was asking him out.

“Yeah,” he said, eyes meeting hers across their desk. “That’d be great.”

It was at that moment that Lightwood’s door opened again.

“But first,” Maia whispered, leaning against the desk, “we figure out what Lightwood’s got up his sleeve.”

Simon couldn’t help a smirk from slipping through his nervous façade. “Definitely.”

It wasn’t that hard to spy on their boss as he left the precinct with the mysterious man.

Indeed, he was too wrapped up in the other’s presence to pay his employees any mind at all.

The man was whispering into Lightwood’s ear, and his eyes were soft as they left the precinct together.

Looked like the best way to make his boss less intimidating was to simply become his friend.

Garroway grinned after the two had gone down the elevator, as chatter once again broke across the room.

“Now, now,” he said, raising his voice. “I’m sure all you gossips are very curious of who that was. Luckily for you, Lightwood gave me permission to disclose that information.”

A sudden hush fell across the room; like a blanket had been draped across their midst.

“That was his husband, Magnus.”

His words cut the silence, brought the world of chatter back shattering down upon them.

Simon turned to face Maia again, his eyes wide.

“Did you know about this?”

Maia laughed, shaking her head almost fondly. “I’ve never met Magnus formally before, but I definitely know of his existence.”

“Wow.” Simon rubbed at his eyes. “I really need to polish up on my detective skills, then.”

“Come on, Simon,” Maia said, her eyes bright with the warmth of her unrestrained laughter. “Let’s go grab some lunch of our own.”

Simon couldn’t help but stifle a yawn. “Thanks.”

Maia grinned, devious and light. “It’s much better to tease you there.”

As they left the precinct, in the path of old love, Simon hoped for the discovery of his own; a possibility for something in his own life to blossom into something else.

A chance for love.

#my writing #malec fic #saia fic

24 notes · View notes

riley1cannon · 6 years

Text

Favorite books of 2017

A Murder is Announced, Agatha Christie; Miss Marple mystery

The Zig Zag Girl, Elly Griffiths; first in the Magic Men mysteries (Brighton, after the war; DI Edgar Stephens & Max Mephisto – if you want to picture, say, Dan Stevens and Matthew Goode, I certainly won’t object – are on the case.)

Wouldn’t It Be Deadly?, D.E. Ireland (Eliza Doolittle has to prove Henry Higgings didn’t murder someone. Yes, I know, and honestly my expectations were set really low for this one, but it was vritually free so what the heck. Turned out to be fun, however, and the main trick was fancasting the characters in my head to provide distance from the musical.)

Ghost Talkers, Mary Robinette Kowal (The Great War, mediums employed – in a scheme dreamed up by Houdini and Cona Doyle – to debrief soldiers who have passed over; a cameo by J.R.R. Tolkein; a tear jerker romance; a murder and other skullduggery to solve; and ghosts.)

Design for Dying, Renee Patrick (Our heroine, Lillian Frost, teams up with not-yet-legendary costume designer Edith Head to solve the murder of a starlet – and Lillian’s former roommate – Ruby Carroll in 1930s Hollywood. Look for cameos by Preston Sturgess, Bob Hope, and Barbara Stanwyck, along with a fun cast of original characters, and a pretty good mystery.

Rules of Murder and Death by the Book, Julianna Deering (Books one and two in the Drew Farthering Golden Age-style mysteries. One head’s up: These are from a Christian book publisher, and matters of faith do pop up. It’s not pervasive or preachy, however, so unless you just absolutely loathe even the tiniest whiff of that, you should be able to enjoy these. Example: There is a romantic subplot going on, and while things are kept chaste and above board, there is plenty of sizzle going on between Drew and Madeline.)

Lost Among the Living, Simone St. James (The author’s farewell to the 1920s, but still featuring a heroine getting to the bottom of a what’s behind a haunting.)

A Fatal Winter, G.M. Malliet (The second Max Tudor mystery, and rather better than the first, although I enjoyed that too, with a couple of reservations. Max is former MI5 agent who left the service after a mission went bad, and found a new calling as vicar Nether Monkslip. His former skill set serves him well when murder comes to his parish. If you love Grantchester, this should go over well. Frankly, Max may prove better company than Sidney does at times.)

Lois Lane: Fallout, Gwenda Bond (While I didn’t love this one as much as hoped, it was still a lot of fun. There is a strong Smallville vibe, and that’s not a bad thing.)

Holding Court, K.C. Held (The other YA title on my list. This one is a mystery, with some romance, some laughs, and twist or two along the way. It’s a stand alone title but could easily be the start of a series.)

Speaking From Among the Bones & The Dead in Their Vaulted Arches, Alan Bradley (Books five and six in the Flavia de Luce series.)

The Invisible Library, Genevieve Cogman (Librarians saving the universe, w/steampunk fanasty elements. Difficult to describe; heap of fun to read.)

Claws for Alarm & Crime and Catnip, T.C. LoTempio (Books two and three in the Nick and Nora cozy series. Nora is a former true crime reporter, now operating a sandwich shop in a fictional SoCal town; Nick is the cat who adopted her after his other human, a private eye, disappeared. If you like cozy mysteries with cats, this is a good series to check out. And in case you don’t know, cozy mysteries with cats is a huge, huge thing.)

Romancing the Duke, Tessa Dare (A romantic frolic with engaging characters, and enough substance to maintain interest. Just when you think it’s going right over the top, it doesn’t. If that make any sense. Steam rating: High.)

Foxglove Summer, Ben Aaronovitch (Wacky paranormal hijinks for Peter Grant in the English countryside. So, you know, par for the course, and enjoyable as the preceding books. Bonus points for this one for giving us some more insights into Nightingale, although the man himself doesn’t appear very often. And when am I going to get around to reading The Hanging Tree? It’s been in my to read stack for ages now...)

Indigo Slam, Robert Crais (Private eye novel featuring L.A. detective Elvis Cole and Joe Pike. This time the guys are hired by some kids to find their father. Since it’s Elvis and Joe, of course things get way more complicated.

Property of a Lady, Sarah Rayne (Another ghost story/mystery, the first in a series featuring Oxford don Michael Flint and antiques dealer Nell West. The story revolves around a creepy old house, and there are some genuine chills as Michael and Nell investigate. Their primary means of investigating involves discovering hidden documents. That begins to strain credulity a bit, but I found I coud put up with it. I will probably read more, to see if something at the end of this one is followed up in a subsequent book, and to discover if we ever actually meet Michael’s cat, Wilberforce.)

Night of the Living Deed, E.J. Copperman (Another cozy, this time with ghosts.)

Borrower of the Night, Elizabeth Peters (The first Vicky Bliss novel, and a fun intro to her and her life. John won’t turn up until the next book but there are other romantic interests. Not to mention mysterious shennanigans in a creep old castle, some shivery moments, and a bit of history along the way.)

A Familiar Tail & By Familiar Means, Delia James (Another cozy cat mystery, this time with a pinch of witchcraft as well.)

Whiskey Beach, Nora Roberts (Suspense, romance, family ties, longer than it needed to be but someone I mind that less with Nora than some other authors. Steam rating: Moderate.)

Garden of Lies, Amanda Quick (One of the things I love about AQ books is that along with the romance, we usually get a murder mystery to solve, often with paranormal elements. Another thing is, that although she has some Regencies in her backlist, she’s staked out the Victorian Era as her primary time period. Nothing against Regencies but this reader does sometimes need a break from the ton and all that. Now AQ appears to be moving into the 20th century, which this reader also applauds. Bring on the Jazz Age, baby! Anyway, I liked this one and only wish it was the start of a series of Ursula and Slater mystery romances. Oh well… Steam rating: Moderate.)

Agatha Christie: They Came to Bagdhad; A Pocketful of Rye, The Mirror Crack’d from Side to Side, Murder with Mirrors, 4:50 from Paddington (The first is one of her non-series novels, a fun thriller that kept me on the edge of my seat, and also made me wish Dame Agatha had turned her hand to spy thrillers more. The rest are Miss Marple mysteries.)

Mary Stewart: This Rough Magic & Madam, Will You Talk? (This Rough Magic was a reread, and one that held up quite nicely. Young actress on holiday on Corfu, intrigue, romance, gorgeous scenery, and a charming dolphin. Madam, Will You Talk? is her first novel, but just as polished as the later ones. Young, war widowed teacher on holiday in France, brooding hero with dark past, gorgeous scenery, and even car chases. Why there aren’t a series of movies based on these books mystifies me.)

Those were the print books. Here are the ebooks that made a good impression:

Little Clock House on the Green, Eve Devon (Contemporary romantic comedy set in a quirky English village. My only complaint with this one is that certain reveals, re: the heroine’s motivations, took too long to come to light. It wasn’t a huge problem for me, though. The characters were good company. Steam level: practically Hallmark Channel.)

Murder at the Brightwell, Ashley Weaver (First book is the Amory Ames mystery, an homage to the Golden Age, and this one isn’t bonkers. Amory is at the Brightwell, a resort hotel, to help out an old friend--and one-time romantic partner--as well as evaluate the state of her marriage to husband Milo. And then of course there’s a murder. I went into this one expecting one thing to happen, re: Amory and the men in her life, and wound up rather nicely surprised at developments. The mystery was good too.

The Yankee Club, Michael Murphy (Another historical mystery. This time we’re in 1930s New York, with a private eye-turned-mystery writer back in town and getting involved in the murder of his former partner, reunited with his former girlfriend, now a Broadway star, and winding up hip deep in a conspiracy that threatens the very foundations of America. There’s some actual history to back that up, however, and it doesn’t play as over the top as it may sound. Like Design for Dying above, there are cameos by real life celebrities of the time like Cole Porter.)

Bed, Breakfast & Bones, Carolyn L. Dean (Young woman in need of a change moves to a small town on the West Coast, decided to revive the bed & breakfast, finds a body--the usual cozy formula. It’s played well here and I wouldn’t mind reading more books in the series.)

Southern Spirits, Angie Fox (This time our cozy heroine is struggling to keep her ancestral home, while she gets involved in a mystery and is assisted by both the local hunky sheriff and a ghost. I went in expecting nothing, and in fact anticipating to wind up deleting it, and wound up pleasantly surprised. An instance of: don’t judge a book by its cover.)

The Undateable, Sarah Title (Contemporary romantic comedy. A librarian finds herself part a meme that goes viral. This leads to a makeover and a quest to prove she is not the most undateable woman in San Francisco, and it is really way better than I’m making it sound. Promise. Steam level: practically Hallmark Channel.

Act Like It, Lucy Parker (Contemporary romantic comedy, set agains the background of the British theater world, and employing the fake dating trope. I loved it. Steam level: also moderate.)

Marriage is Murder, Emma Jameson (Historical mystery once more. England just before the War, and our doctor hero is sent to a small town in Cornwall, the same town his wife left behind her, and where secrets abound. They no sooner arrive than the wife is killed in a hit-and-run, and the husband left badly injured. Horrible accident or was it murder?)

There were other books–58, total–and many not listed here had their merits, but this batch were the ones that were the page turners, the don’t want to put it down and go to bed ones, the can’t wait to get back to it ones.

There were several books started and not finished; there were others started and put back the shelf to try another time. The latter, I think, is the better option. They may win me yet.

I have no reading agenda for 2018. Just more books, good books, and if I’m lucky one or two that surprise me by being so much better than they looked going in. Love when that happens.

#books #mostly mysteries

17 notes · View notes

biofunmy · 5 years

Text

Your Thursday Briefing – The New York Times

At Group of 7 meeting, Britain will walk a tightrope

Prime Minister Boris Johnson set off on his first foreign trip as Britain’s leader on his way to the Group of 7 meeting this weekend in France, where he faces a delicate diplomatic dance with world leaders over Brexit.

He is also keeping an eye on domestic opponents as a general election becomes a possibility.

Ahead of a potentially chaotic no-deal Brexit on Oct. 31, Mr. Johnson needs President Trump’s help to cushion the economic impact. But he can ill afford to appear too chummy, given Mr. Trump’s unpopularity among both Europeans and Britons.

Analysis: Mr. Johnson hopes that the prospective damage to European economies, especially Ireland, will force Brussels to reopen negotiations and drop the “backstop” designed to assure there is no hard border between Ireland and Northern Ireland. European leaders, on the other hand, will be loath to make concessions with an election potentially imminent.

Germany: On Wednesday in Berlin, Mr. Johnson’s first stop, Chancellor Angela Merkel effectively challenged him to produce a detailed, practical solution within 30 days to avoid a hard Brexit.

Bewilderment in Denmark amid Trump feud

President Trump added to strained European relations, saying that the new prime minister of Denmark, Mette Frederiksen, had been “nasty” to him by calling his interest in buying Greenland “absurd.”

He then took to Twitter to further assail Denmark, saying that as a NATO member it did not contribute enough to military spending.

The president is interested in Greenland, a semiautonomous territory of Denmark, for strategic military purposes, as well as for its natural resources. He said he canceled his planned September visit to Denmark over its rejection of his overture.

Meet Mette Frederiksen: The 41-year-old is Denmark’s youngest prime minister ever. Two months into her term, she has prioritized fighting climate change. She dismissed speculation Wednesday that the brouhaha had damaged Danish-American relations.

Timing: The scrapped Greenland venture comes at a moment when Mr. Trump has made particularly erratic statements. In recent days, he proudly quoted a radio host declaring that Israeli Jews love him as if he were the “King of Israel” and “the second coming of God,” while Mr. Trump himself accused Jews who vote for Democrats of “great disloyalty.”

Reining in disinformation mills on Facebook

The Western Journal, a site founded by an American political provocateur, used a steady stream of misleading headlines and sensationalized stories to become one of the most popular and influential publications in America, shaping the political beliefs of more than 36 million deeply loyal readers and followers.

Now the publication is battling the very technology firms that enabled its rise. Its Facebook traffic has declined sharply, after an accumulation of “false” ratings from fact-checking websites made it less likely to appear in users’ feeds. Google News blacklisted the publication last year. Apple News followed suit in June.

Big picture: For decades, enterprises belonging to the Brown family, which owns The Western Journal, have blended political campaigns and partisan journalism, helping reshape American politics and earning tens of millions of dollars along the way. President Trump’s movement was the family’s most lucrative opportunity yet. But it could also be their undoing.

Trump moves to detain migrant families indefinitely

A new Trump administration rule would allow the U.S. to detain indefinitely families who cross the border illegally, abolishing a 20-day limit.

The regulation, which must be approved by a federal judge, would also let the White House set standards for conditions at detention centers. It is expected to be immediately challenged in court.

Legal background: The overhaul would reverse protections set under the Flores settlement in 1997. Here’s how they came to be.

If you have 6 minutes, this is worth it

In Japan, the abacus is a lifestyle

Schools across the country still teach how to calculate dizzying sums by sliding tiny beads along rods in wooden frames, and at least 43,000 students take advanced lessons. Many practitioners sit for exams, and the elite take part in national competitions, like the All-Japan Abacus Championship in Kyoto this month, pictured above.

“Unlike the computer or calculator, you have to watch the movement of the beads with your eyes, and then think with your brain and make a move with your fingers,” one expert said. “It’s a very foundational learning process.”

Here’s what else is happening

Italy’s political future: The warring enemies of Matteo Salvini, who as leader of the anti-migrant League party has been at the center of Italian politics, began the horse-trading to form a coalition government that could relegate him to the sidelines. Separately, in response to the coalition collapse, markets are not panicking (yet).

Brazil: Fires are burning in the Amazon rain forest at the fastest pace since the country’s National Institute for Space Research started keeping records on them in 2013. The center said 74,155 fires had been detected this year — an 84 percent increase from the same period in 2018.

China: The government acknowledged on Wednesday that it had detained an employee of Britain’s Hong Kong consulate, Simon Cheung, who disappeared earlier this month after visiting Shenzhen for a business conference.

Cardinal George Pell: An Australian court on Wednesday upheld the sexual abuse conviction of the cardinal, the highest-ranking Roman Catholic leader ever found criminally guilty in the church’s child sex abuse crisis.

Upskirt case: A man accused of surreptitiously taking videos up the skirts of more than 500 women in Madrid has been arrested, the Spanish police said.

Snapshot: Above, the Titanic, where a team of divers visited the world’s most famous shipwreck this month to assess its status for the first time in 14 years. All agree that the once-grand ship is rapidly falling apart. (We hope it never lets go.)

What we’re reading: This excerpt from Lyz Lenz’s new book “God Land,” in Pacific Standard, published shortly before the online magazine ceased publication. “It examines the definition of ‘rural’ and the intersection of religion, gun ownership and class,” writes Dan Saltzstein, our senior editor for special projects, “and is a great encapsulation of why I found the book so fascinating.”

Now, a break from the news

Cook: For weeknights, stick to easy dinners like a shrimp and kimchi rice bowl.

Watch: The documentary “American Factory” looks at what happened when a Chinese company took over a closed General Motors factory in Ohio. We made it a Critic’s Pick.

Go: In search for the “big bang” of country music in Southern Appalachia, with some great photos along the way.

Smarter Living: Irritated by a colleague’s constant social media updates? Our Work Friend columnist advises that what some older workers see as shameless personal brand-building might be millennials’ strategy for surviving in a precarious job market. They’ve seen that they need to keep their brands burnished through social media, skill-building and networking.

Cookbooks written by white Southerners circulated the recipes, and after the Civil War, freed black entrepreneurs, especially women, plied train stations to sell fried chicken to travelers.

The dish spread nationally during the Great Migration of black Americans from the Jim Crow South, and the Kentucky Fried Chicken chain eventually took that version around the world.

Who first sandwiched fried chicken in bread may never be known — one writer found an ad for a fried chicken sandwich in a 1936 Kansas newspaper.

That’s it for this briefing. In case you’re inspired, here’s The Times’s own guide to frying chicken.

— Melina

Thank you To Mark Josephson and Eleanor Stanford for the break from the news. Andrea Kannapell, the briefings editor, wrote today’s Back Story. You can reach the team at [email protected].

P.S. • We’re listening to “The Daily.” Our latest episode is about a push by chief executives in the United States to change their business practices. • Here’s today’s Mini Crossword puzzle, and a clue: New York Times podcast, with “The” (five letters). You can find all our puzzles here. • Gillian Wong, who manages much of The Times’s coverage of the protests in Hong Kong, discussed how we do it. (Breathing masks and goggles are involved.)

Sahred From Source link World News

from WordPress http://bit.ly/2ZhaXjr via IFTTT

#IFTTT #WordPress

0 notes

marjaystuff · 7 years

Text

Phryne Fisher Interview by Elise Cooper

If you do not already know of her meet Phryne Fisher, the 1920’s detective that took Australia by storm. She came on the scene in 2006, the fabulous character of author Kerry Greenwood. Made into a TV series by Deb Cox and Fiona Eagger in 2012 it aired for three seasons and can now be seen on Netflix.

Those who enjoy the show and books might get more of Phyrne since the creators are hoping for feature films. Also, this year the publisher, Poisoned Pen Press, released an anthology, Bound By Mystery, celebrating its twenty years, with an installment by Greenwood featuring Phyrne entitled, Taking The Waters. As with all the books and TV shows it encompasses a social issue, in this case, the shell shock of WWI veterans intertwined in a riveting mystery, the disappearance of a girl.

Below is an interview with the author and creators.

Elise Cooper: Please describe Phyrne.

Deb and Fiona: A rebel who does not like the pomp and ceremony. She is emotionally engaged in whatever injustice she is investigating. She embraces wealth and likes the fine things in life.

Kerry: Strong, sassy, unconventional, independent, elegant, pretty, fabulously wealthy, sharp, and has a sense of justice.

EC: She is more of a role model because she is realistic and believable and is not a super-hero like Wonder Woman. Do you agree?

Deb and Fiona: She is a detective without the official badge. Any girl can be Phyrne. She makes her own choices. She feels she has nothing to prove and never sacrifices her femininity or womanliness; yet she is ahead of her times by driving a Hispano-Suiza car and flying a plane. She is fun, proactive, and has a social conscience.

Kerry: Wonder Woman is a goddess. I prefer to think of Ms. P as semi-divine. Louise Brooks in appearance. What I had in mind was a female James Bond with better clothes and fewer gadgets. More specifically, she was to be Simon Templar’s more level-headed younger sister.

EC: Please describe her counterpart, detective Jack Robinson.

Kerry: He was supposed to be my version of Detective-Inspector Parker from Dorothy Sayers: competent, initially suspicious, and later accepting of the help of the gifted amateur sleuth. On TV he did morph into her love interest.

EC: Do you think the series appeals to males as well as females?

Deb and Fiona: Yes. They really enjoy the cars and the crimes.

Kerry: Judging by the fan mail I get, her appeal is broadly impartial, especially to older gentlemen. Who would not want to meet her?

EC: Beyond the gripping mystery you also cover social issues?

Kerry: The 20s were surprisingly modern in outlook. Their issues were ours, in so many ways. Women’s issues have changed little. Luckily, if you are rich and entitled (then as now) and you convince the world that normal rules don’t apply to you, then you will get away with it. The 1920s is a perfect time for Phryne, because the dearth of surviving men from the Great War meant that women took many spaces and occupations previously denied them. It also helped that I had written my Legal History thesis on the 1928 waterfront strike, so I already knew a great deal about that year.

Deb and Fiona: We did a book per TV episode. Each was part of a different world. We wanted to make the book stories come alive. We think Phryne’s consciousness comes from Kerry.

EC: Where did you get the idea for the series?

Kerry: It was chosen for me! My first publisher (McPhee Gribble) told me that they did not want my historical novel, which had been a Vogel Award finalist, but they would really like a historical detective story. Overjoyed, I agreed, because crime fiction suits me. There must be a plot, there must be a mystery, and the mystery must be solved to the satisfaction of both Phryne and the reader. My favourite? Cocaine Blues, because it all began there, the first book. Phryne appeared, perfectly formed, on my way back from that first meeting with my publisher. She is named after a famous Theban courtesan mentioned in Herodotus. Phryne is my wish-fulfilment figure. But after I had written the first five chapters of Cocaine Blues, thereafter I had no control over her. Ever since, it is as though I have been a medium, channelling her thoughts and reactions. Occasionally she shocks me.

Deb and Fiona: After forming our company we wanted to launch it with something really good. We read the Phryne books and thought this would be perfect. It is a period drama that appeals across the ages. It has a mystery, social issues, and historical content. When we met Kerry we knew it was a match made in heaven.

EC: Phryne reminds me of Marlene Dietrich with her sexual independence. She loves the falling in love and the sensuality of it all, the romance. Did you base her on the legendary actress?

Deb and Fiona: I think Kerry said she is based on her sister. But she certainly has Marlene’s sophistication, her playful manner, and her European attitude. We did have a little controversy since she was called promiscuous. We responded that no one should judge a woman considering no one judged James Bond who had many sexual liaisons.

EC: The casting down the line was perfect: Essie Davis as Phryne, Nathan Page as Jack, Hugo Johnson-Burt as Hugh, and Ashleigh Cummings as Dorothy (Dot). What was the process?

Deb and Fiona: We knew the qualities we were looking for. We realized we needed an actress who could be mature, sophisticated, womanly, and someone with theatrical skills. The role calls for deliberate acting, a Noel Coward kind of deliberate. Both Nathan and Essie had the language down and knew how to use it. They were the full package. It was lovely to be there when Kerry was introduced to Essie.

Kerry: They were all wonderful. Exactly what I had in mind. Essie is magnificently insouciant and perfectly sure of herself. And the camera loves her. Ashleigh Cummings, without question is my favourite. Her Dot is sensational and absolutely right: devoted, iron-willed (in her own way) and the perfect foil to Phryne’s extravagance.

EC: Since it is off the air will there be any other projects with Phryne?

Deb and Fiona: We are hoping to make feature movies. In order to make it happen we need the fans support so we launched the crowd funding campaign to show we have world appeal. Crowd funding has fans put in money for rewards such as visiting the set for the day, being an extra, getting a tote bag… depending on the amount of money pledged.

http://www.missfisherthemovie.com/

EC: Would you ever attend any conventions, such as Bouchercon, Thrillerfest, or the Romance Writers of America?

Deb and Fiona: We know conventions are more popular in the US than here in Australia. There is a fan created and operated Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries Convention that will be held in Oregon in the US.

(http://adventuressclubamericas.tumblr.com/post/164750273013/the-news-is-out)

EC: I hope the casting will remain the same?

Deb and Fiona: The cast is so perfect it would be hard to cast anyone else. We were asked to change them but we refuse to dump people including our director Tony Tilse. We have to get around these barriers. We have had some interest including Netflix, but they want a marquee cast with famous people. We want to stay with all the TV cast and not just put in a ‘movie star.’

EC: Can you give a shout out about the plot?

Deb and Fiona: Deb wrote it with input from Kerry who is our inspiration. She contributes as a consultant and is an integral part of the creative process. Miss Fisher & the Crypt of Tears takes place in the late 1920s and has Phyrne attempting to find the missing treasure, solve numerous murders, and break all aviation records as she wings her way home again! Phryne meets a young woman who lost her whole family in a sandstorm. Her Uncle is a Sheik who works with the British and through him becomes enmeshed in the British world. The social issue will focus on colonialism, the relationship between Britain and the colonies. It is an adventure for Phyrne and Dot as they travel from Australia to Jerusalem to England and back to Australia. We also resolve what happened with her and Jack. Both come together to solve the case.

EC: Any other projects?

Kerry: The next Phryne book? On hold until I finish the next Corinna, another series I write, which will be soonish. There is a short story in the latest Poisoned Pen Press anthology in the USA called Taking The Waters.

Deb and Fiona: There is a spin-off in the wings. It is a prequel on how Phryne learned her skills, became so independent, and used her womanly ways to get information. It is set during WWI. Obviously it will be with a completely different cast. It also has her befriending a wealthy suffragette who lives in a mansion. From her she gets her understanding of women and the glamorous world. Another friend of hers, Bernie, is a butch woman who teaches Phryne to ride a motorbike, drive a car, and handle a gun. Jack is a young police officer and we might see him in the background.

THANK YOU!!

0 notes

biofunmy · 5 years

Text

Your Thursday Briefing – The New York Times

At Group of 7 meeting, Britain will walk a tightrope

He is also keeping an eye on domestic opponents as a general election becomes a possibility.

Germany: On Wednesday in Berlin, Mr. Johnson’s first stop, Chancellor Angela Merkel effectively challenged him to produce a detailed, practical solution within 30 days to avoid a hard Brexit.

Bewilderment in Denmark amid Trump feud

He then took to Twitter to further assail Denmark, saying that as a NATO member it did not contribute enough to military spending.

Reining in disinformation mills on Facebook

Trump moves to detain migrant families indefinitely

A new Trump administration rule would allow the U.S. to detain indefinitely families who cross the border illegally, abolishing a 20-day limit.

The regulation, which must be approved by a federal judge, would also let the White House set standards for conditions at detention centers. It is expected to be immediately challenged in court.

Legal background: The overhaul would reverse protections set under the Flores settlement in 1997. Here’s how they came to be.

If you have 6 minutes, this is worth it

In Japan, the abacus is a lifestyle

Here’s what else is happening

Upskirt case: A man accused of surreptitiously taking videos up the skirts of more than 500 women in Madrid has been arrested, the Spanish police said.

Now, a break from the news

Cook: For weeknights, stick to easy dinners like a shrimp and kimchi rice bowl.

Watch: The documentary “American Factory” looks at what happened when a Chinese company took over a closed General Motors factory in Ohio. We made it a Critic’s Pick.

Go: In search for the “big bang” of country music in Southern Appalachia, with some great photos along the way.

Cookbooks written by white Southerners circulated the recipes, and after the Civil War, freed black entrepreneurs, especially women, plied train stations to sell fried chicken to travelers.

The dish spread nationally during the Great Migration of black Americans from the Jim Crow South, and the Kentucky Fried Chicken chain eventually took that version around the world.

Who first sandwiched fried chicken in bread may never be known — one writer found an ad for a fried chicken sandwich in a 1936 Kansas newspaper.

That’s it for this briefing. In case you’re inspired, here’s The Times’s own guide to frying chicken.

— Melina

Thank you To Mark Josephson and Eleanor Stanford for the break from the news. Andrea Kannapell, the briefings editor, wrote today’s Back Story. You can reach the team at [email protected].

Sahred From Source link World News

from WordPress http://bit.ly/30mk1VC via IFTTT

#IFTTT #WordPress

0 notes