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whimsicallyreading · 3 years

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Dark Roast No Sugar

Chapter Three

Aelin would never admit it out loud, but a day off was just what she needed. She spent the morning napping, snacking, and reading. Her stomach settled, and when she took off her shoes, her feet didn't look like they belonged to a bloated cadaver.

Spending that time with Aedion was also refreshing. He kept the conversations light. Telling her about the antics between hostesses at The Pits, a run-in between Ren and the police. A story about the drug dealer they'd roughed up and how he'd pissed his pant when he saw Aedion and the stray puppy Kyllian had snuck into The Den.

When they got hungry, Aedion offered to make them a late lunch. Her mouth watered at the prospect of his famous grilled cheese with two kinds of cheeses and ketchup.

Lysandra came up to join them for lunch and her nose wrinkled at the sight of them dragging the cheesy goodness through globs of red sauce. "By the dark god, you two. That's disgusting."

Aedion grins, a dot of ketchup on his chin, "You haven't even tried it yet. This meal is a riot with the guys and saved my ass with foster siblings." He wiped his face on his sleeve and leaned back in his chair. "You don't shit on the kid who can actually make edible food."

Aelin laughs and dusts her hands off like a lady. "Actually, you don't shit on the kid who looks like he started doping at eleven. But yeah, I'm sure it was your budget lunches that saved you."

"Shut up, you love it when I cook," Aedion collected their plates.

Lysandra pulls up the chair next to Aelin's at their tiny, rickety table. She set down her container of salad, looking classier with her more mature pallet. Aelin swiped a cucumber from the top and chewed into the seasoned veggie. "Your food is nostalgic. What can I say?"

Aedion's playful demeanor seemed to deflate suddenly, a furrow creasing his brow. "I suppose why I have you two together, we should talk some business."

"Uh oh, that doesn't sound good." Lysandra tensed up, shooting a worried look at Aelin.

"Is it the bidding for this month? I told you I could get at least an extra hundred dollars to you by the end of the month. If you need more, I could-"

Aedion cut off Aelin's rambling with a raised hand. "It's not the bidding. Elias pulled enough to cover our bets for the month." Relief flooded through her, and she breathed out a sigh of relief.

The underground fighting game in Orynth was wildly exclusive. To get a spot during prime hours when tickets were hot and the betting pool was hotter, the local gangs had to participate in an auction. It was pricey, but the cuts you got from winning a fight made up for it big time.

Unfortunately, the Bane was not a wealthy group of men. A lot of them had families or relatives they were supporting. They usually scavenged up enough money to get two or three guys into the fights, and those funds were just enough to pull them through to the next month.

Like Aelin, those families did what they could to fund money towards the bidding. Initially, she was going to volunteer as a fighter, but she found out about the baby, and they all agreed it was too risky for her to get in the ring. As soon as she was cleared, she still intended to participate in the fights to Aedion's chagrin.

Between the extra patrols of her street and snuffing the rumors of her existence in the city, it took a chunk of the Bane's recourses and time. Aedion assured her that the guys understood her circumstances, but she contributed as much as she could monetarily until she could contribute physically as well. "What's going on then?"

"Rolf took a beating in the ring last night. He's going to be out of commission for a while, but we didn't lose any money. He managed to bust the guy's head at the last moment and pulled through." He paused.

Aelin was confused, though. It wasn't uncommon for one of the guys to get roughed up a bit, so long as they didn't lose, there wasn't an issue. "That's too bad about Rolf, but I don't see the problem?" she pushed him to continue.

"He swears the guy was tripping on Synth," Aedion breathes out, pained.

Oh.

"Shit," Lysandra swears and stands up. "Is he sure it was Synth?"

"It's kinda hard to rutting mistake, Lysandra," Aedion snapped. He was right, though. The Pits had rules against cheating, but they were followed loosely. If they couldn't see a knife being pulled, the fight wouldn't be called. Some of the Bane even doped before a match just so they wouldn't get caught at a disadvantage.

Synth had a lot of physical effects. Adrenalin coursed through the user at such high rates it was practically superhuman. It gave them crazy speed, strength, and heightened focus. On the flip side, it also caused fever, bulged veins, twitching, bloodshot eyes, and uncontrollable rage as you came down. It would be hard to mistake it for any other street drug. Aelin had taken Synth once before, and it wasn't an easily forgettable experience.

The detail they were glossing over was that only one person was currently capable of leaking a drug like Synth on the streets.

Arobynn Hammel

"So," Aelin finally said, breaking up the heated glares they were sharing. "He's making his presence in Orynth known."

Quiet.

"We can't know it for sure," Aedion looked at her with a sickening amount of pity. Aelin didn't want sympathy or comforting falsities. She wanted the truth.

"Bullshit," Aelin declared, making Aedion wince at the sudden sharpness. "We've had sightings of Tern and Mulligan already. We knew he was sending eyes out. They must have seen us."

Lysandra sunk back into her chair and rested her head in her hands. "I thought we made it?" her voice sounded extraordinarily young, feeble. Not at all like the vivacious woman they were used to seeing.

"Lys," it was Aelin's turn to rest a comforting hand on her friend's shoulder.

Her eyes were glassy and hollow when she looked up. "I really had myself believing we made it."

Aelin's heart broke for her.

Arobynn was a sick son of a bitch. She, Lysandra, and Sam had all come into his care at different times and served various functions within the Manor. One thing was the same though, they were all children.

They were all coerced into doing grotesque things for Arobynn's sake. Things that they should, in all honesty, spend years in therapy to recover from. Yet, some horrors were too big for even Aelin to pretend to understand.

Horrors that Lysandra was forced to live with every day.

Arobynn's unofficial mistress.

Aedion's fist slamming against the table startled them both and snapped Aelin from her thoughts. Lysandra flinched and leaned closer to Aelin. "It doesn't matter."

He pointed his finger at them and then stabbed it into the table. "It. Does. Not. Matter. Where that piece of shit is. Rifthold? Wendelyn? He can be an hour away or watering the rutting flowers next door, but he will never have either of you ever again." The golden core in Aedion's eyes was molten.

The excitement was too much for Lysandra, and the dam behind her eyes broke. Deep, heavy sobs ripped from her chest, and her body wilted forward like a wind-whipped flower.

They moved at the same time, but Aedion was faster. He pulled Lysandra from her seat and gathered her against his chest, shushing her and whispering sweet nothings into her hair.

The bells rang downstairs.

Aedion looked up helplessly, but Aelin raised a hand and mouthed, "It's fine."

None of them wanted Lysandra to be alone right now.

Aelin slipped her shoes back on and hopped down the stairs quickly. Hopefully, they wouldn't be too pissed no one was behind the counter when they walked in, she mused to herself. It only took her half-a-minute to get downstairs, but it was amazing the things people got outraged over.

Mala forgive that the coffee gets in their hand a second later than usual.

"Do my eyes deceive me, or was Aelin Galathynius taking a break?" Dorian Havilliard's greeted her with a bright smile and upraised hands. No trace of agitation at all.

Chaol Westfall stood behind him and meekly tilted his chin. "Hello, Aelin."

"Hello, Chaol." She greets him with a smile and walks into Dorian's outstretched arms. Aelin wasn't a hugger, but Dorian's hugs had a magic to them.

"Where did you go?" Dorian asked without breaking his grasp. "I never thought I'd see the day you weren't slaving away behind the counter grinding beans."

"We weren't super busy today, and I wasn't feeling the best," Aelin admitted.

Dorian pulled away slightly to look down at her in concern. His dark, thick-framed blue light glasses slipping down his nose.

"It's just the baby," she assures him. "Not the flu or anything. You don't have the right parts to catch what I've got."

Chaol snickered, but Dorian's concern only worsened. "In all seriousness, you aren't working yourself too hard?"

Aelin rolled her eyes. If one more person asked her that-

"I'm fine, Dor. It was just some morning sickness and a stressful customer that came through. No big deal."

His shoulders relax, and he releases her from his arms. "I believe you. Just-" he fumbles for the words to say, "If you have troublesome people coming in here and bothering you, let me know? Chaol can come over and hang out for the day. He has a friend, Nesryn. If it gets bad, I am more than willing to hire her-"

Aelin smiled at him and waved at him. "No need for bodyguards. People are rude. It happens. Now, what can I get for the both of you?"

Dorian was the son of the esteemed son of Dorian Sr. The owner of Adarlan Vaults, the most extensive banking chain across Erilea. It was a total accident that they stumbled into each other when Aelin went in looking for a loan to start The Stag with.

At first, he was a bit of a flirt with her. When Aelin made it clear that she wasn't interested in his advances, Dorian backed off right away and fell into the role of the supportive friend. He and Chaol had been the first patrons of the shop when the doors opened.

Chaol was technically his hired protection, but he and Dorain were life long friends bound by something more powerful than money. She never saw the two of them apart. While he appeared to be a quiet sort, he had a sharp mind and fierce loyalty that Aelin admired.

"Two iced girl scout americano's," Dorian pulled out his wallet and handed her a twenty. "Large, please."

Aelin accepted the cash and started filling cups as the two took their standard seats. She just got the espresso machine heated when a set of hands pushed her's aside and began flipping the switches for her.

"Aedion," she groaned as his hip bumped her to the side, and he took over her tasks. "Seriously?"

"You are supposed to be taking the day off," he looks at her pointedly. "Go sit with your friends. I've got this."

"Do you have this?" Aelin set a hand on her hip. "You haven't used these machines before."

Aedion scoffed, "It cannot be that complicated. Now go. Before Lysandra comes back down and wipes the floor with both of our asses." He pulls out two large mugs and grabs out a bottle of coconut flavoring. "Baby A is shielding you for now, but that woman has the memory of a rutting elephant. Don't think you can hide behind my niece or nephew forever." He's more talking to himself by the end as he starts over pouring syrups into cups. Did he even know what he was making? Aelin winced.

She might have to return the twenty to Dorian.

Aelin walks away reluctantly, "Mind if I sit here for a minute, boys?"

Chaol stands up and pulls a chair out for her, "Not at all."

He holds out a hand to help her sit, but she waves it away. She wasn't that pregnant yet.

Dorian has a hardbound book sitting in front of him, the face of his expensive watch catching the light as he turns the page. "I haven't seen you by the bank this week," he says without looking up from the page.

"We've been enjoying the peace," Chaol sits back in his own seat and flashes her a grin. "That's a joke, of course. It's been horribly boring."

"It's been a busy week. I haven't had a chance to drop my deposit off yet." Aelin typically made an excuse to visit the bank at least once a week. Dorian would kindly excuse whatever teller was working to take a break and promptly close the register so they could sit in the break room and talk over cookies and drip coffee.

She was planning on going yesterday, but her feathers were too ruffled after the incident.

"I suppose I can live without that excuse since I've taken it upon myself to visit you at work." He pulls a plastic bag filled with assorted chocolates and places it on the table between them. "If you need to drop off a deposit, I can take it back with me?"

Aelin's hand darts to the bag of sweets and pulls out a dark, salty square. "Have I mentioned you are the most attractive man I've ever met?"

They hear a loud scoff from the kitchen.

"You've mentioned it a few times." He glances up from his book long enough to wink at her. "What about that deposit?"

"I don't think I will have a big enough deposit to warrant the trip this week," the excuse isn't well-formed, and she hears it when the lie falls from her lips.

"You said you had a busy week?" Dorian frowns.

I did, but I'm putting aside extra money to fund my cousin's gang because my former foster father has a hit out on me.

"The tips have been bad" not a total lie. "Maybe it will pick up again over the weekend," Aelin shrugs nonchalantly.

Aedion walks over with two cups of coffee and a mug of tea. He lets Dorian's drink slosh over the side as he sets it down. Dorian lifts his book away from the mess and glares.

She wasn't sure what went down between Dorian and Aedion that made them hate each other. Chaol and Aedion had no qualms. They were even drinking buddies on the weekend, but Aedion had a bone to pick with Dorian long before she'd arrived back in Orynth.

Aelin half-heartedly scolded Aedion as she accepted her drink. Taking a deep drink from the mug, she was surprised to find that it was made exactly as she liked.

Chaol sipped his coffee, and Aelin watched as he barely held back a grimace. Dorian reached for his own cup, but Chaol discretely pulled it away before he could drink. Aelin caught the motion, but thankfully Aedion was already back in the kitchen and hadn't noticed.

"I will remake those for you before you leave," Aelin assured them.

"It's alright. As much as I love coffee, I really came by to spill tea," Dorian took his glasses off and leaned back in his chair.

"Gossip," Chaol translated. "He means gossip."

Dorian rolls his eyes, "That's what tea means, Chaol." Leaning forward with his elbows on the table, "A company called Wendlyn Ops. bought out The Pits."

"What?" Aelin shouts a little too loudly. Dorian shushes her, and Aedion peers out from the kitchen with worried eyes. She waves him away and whispers in a quieter tone. "What do you mean The Pits have been bought out? What for?"

"I didn't realize you would care this much about the seediest bar in town," Dorian laughed. "It's not like you can drink."

"You aren't drinking, right?" Chaol scowls.

Aelin reins back her emotions. She was definitely losing her tack being off the job for several months, but the secret basement underneath The Pits was where the fights were usually held. Iona Jayne would never sell the property when it brought in so much money.

He either owed someone a rutting ton of money, he was being blackmailed, or the most likely option.

Iona Jayne was dead.

Aelin flipped Chaol off, "Of course I'm not drinking. No promises on that in about five months... Just, who would want The Pits? Are they repurposing it?" She can already feel a headache forming behind her eyes.

"That's the interesting part," Chaol murmured. "The title for The Pits was transferred to a new owner just a few days before it was sold for triple its market value."

Dorian's grin became mischievous, "Shady deals are going on, and I'm determined to find out what."

Shit. Shit. Shit.

Aelin forced a matching smile on her, "Well, this sounds like the making of an adventure."

Aedion was deeply involved with all the goings-on at The Pits. If Dorian managed to learn too much and expose them, he would go down hard. She wasn't directly implicated in anything beyond a little racketeering, but one prolonged look at her record would raise some eyebrows. Which could tie her back to Rifthold and numerous murders. A lot of murder. Thievery. Hired assassinations.

They would be screwed, essentially.

Damn it all to hellas, she needed to talk to Aedion. Aelin understood why Dorian was interested in this. His father was involved with so many corrupt dealings they followed him like a shadow. She knew he was socially isolated beyond herself and Chaol. No one dared to associate with the son of Dorian Sr.

Unveiling a corrupt business dealing and aiding the community could help separate his image from his father's. Rectify some of the wrongs his family has committed. Give him a chance at making a future for himself out from Dorian Sr.'s thumb.

Aelin just wished he knew the depth of the task he was taking. How deep, dark, and dangerous this viper's den was. Sweet, sheltered Dorian Jr. would be eaten alive. A blue-eyed pup, trapped in the jaws of an adder.

Little did he know that Aelin was a wolf herself, and she would not stand for that breaking.

Aelin directed the conversation to safer grounds following the bomb he dropped. They discussed the book he was reading, the litter of pups his dog was expecting, his disgusting little brother. Chaol seemed to sour at the mention of Holland.

Soon they were provided with fresh drinks, and Aelin ushered them out under the pretense of needing a nap. Definitely not a lie. Her stomach was rolling again, and that blooming headache was now a whole damn rosebush in her brain.

Rubbing the knot between her eyes, she made the difficult decision of closing for the day. Business was slow. Lysandra hadn't come back downstairs. Aelin wasn't feeling well, and there was no chance she was letting Aedion use her precious machines again.

Aelin looked outside the window. It was grey and dreary outside. Perfect conditions for the three of them to order pizza, rent a movie and just put this day behind them.

"Aedion, I'm closing up." She didn't hear a reply. Aelin shrugged it off. He'd probably gone back up to sit with Lysandra.

She opened a can of coffee grounds and inhaled wistfully. What she wouldn't give for a cup of straight caffeine. With one last longing sniff, Aelin refilled canisters for tomorrow and got to cleaning up the machines.

All that was left was to close up the registers.

She'd just unlocked the drawer when the ring of the shop bells went off.

"Sorry, we're closed," Aelin said without looking away from the task at hand. She would have to remember to lock the doors first next time.

Heavy boots thudded against her wooden floors as whoever it was approached the counter. Her irritation peeked. What was with the influx of entitled assholes lately?

"We are close-" Aelin's stopped and her eyes narrowed at the gun barrel aimed at the center of her forehead.

I’m figuring out how the tagging list thing works- ☺️

If you would like me to add or take your name off the list for future updates let me know~

@thisismylibrary

@highladywhitethrone

@bee55

@royalsqueeze

@rowaelin-cressworth

@sjmships

#aelinandrowan #poorlysandra #sexyapronaedion #aelinneedsadamnnap #coffeeshopau #fanfic #suspenseintensifies

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harrypotterfirsttime · 4 years

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I once again want to address JK Rowling specifically.

I myself am a person who menstruates (or used to menstruate before I had the privilege of gaining access to hormone replacement therapy) who is not a woman. This specific issue always seems silly to me, for two reasons: 1) not all women menstruate, some women have had hysterectomies, some have hormonal imbalances that don’t allow them to, and some women are transgender; and 2) last time I checked, women continue to be people, so saying “people who menstruate” takes nothing away from the fact that the vast majority of people who menstruate are women. It just doesn’t hurt to include those who aren’t when talking about it.

Literally no trans person has ever said that sex doesn’t exist. In fact our sex is specifically what causes us grief, since it doesn’t align with our lived experience of our gender identity. Sex is however malleable, because it isn’t just about chromosomes, but also hormone levels, genitals, and secondary sex characteristics. Three of these four things can be altered, if a person wants to pursue that kind of transition. Don’t pretend you love trans people when you clearly do not. I know nothing about being a woman and moving through the world as a women because despite doing it for 22 years, I haven’t in such a long time that I cannot pretend to experience those struggles anymore. If JK Rowling met me she would not look at me and see a woman, and would not feel that kinship with me, which completely obliterates her worldview that we inherently have a shared experience because we were born with vaginas.

We are discriminated against. By you, specifically, repeatedly. My life has also been shaped by being female. Nobody ever said that that’s a hateful thing to say. What is hateful is watering down everyone’s experiences to what genitals they appeared to have at birth, and assuming that will create some kind of kinship and shared experience between you. Despite claiming to respect us, you seem to have an awful lot of issues with us just living our lives and calling out hateful things said by cis people.

Feminazi, sure. Bitch, yeah when it’s not warranted. But TERF is simply an accronym describing the beliefs and actions of certain feminists like JK Rowling. And does she forget that she wrote an entire series about witches? This isn’t woman hating, it’s holding you accountable.

I just want to reiterate that I DO NOT support JK Rowling as a person, as an author, as any kind of activist or decent human being, because she continues to prove that she is not. I am reading books that were purchased before 2010, that my mother kindly let me borrow to read, and I am watching the movies through online links. I refuse to monetarily support her in any way.

I cannot begin to express the disappointment of coming home from a peaceful protest for human rights only to see a powerful, rich white cis woman shitting on people who aren’t like her.

#not hp #jk rowling #transphobia #terf

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pennywaltzy · 4 years

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(Banner by @strangelock221b)

…And All The Men And Women Merely Players - Mycroft Holmes is not-so-subtly trying to make sure there’s a reconciliation between his youngest sibling Sherlock and his ex-wife, Molly Hooper, by forcing them to work together on a theatre project. But it isn’t all smooth sailing when his and Sherlock’s sister comes back from the States with a boyfriend who is the devil incarnate…and all hell is about to break loose.

READ CHAPTER 1 | READ CHAPTER 10 | BUY ME A COFFEE?

By the end of the day, Sherlock felt he would be rightfully justified in denying Moriarty a part in the play. He wasn’t suited for the nuance of the material, going loud and boisterous when he should be quiet and contemplative. But that was just him being himself, Sherlock supposed. Still, he looked at the faces of those whose judgment he trusted and saw none of them were impressed.

With Russell in the care of his “uncles,” and no doubt soon his “grandmother,” Sherlock invited both Mary and John to his home to talk about all the actors they had seen that day. Neither John or Mary made any qualms about Moriarty being not right for any of the parts, though two other actors, Sally Donovan and Philip Anderson, had caught their attention for roles. Unfortunately, John and Mary thought the suitable for different roles, so he hoped Molly could be a sort of tiebreaker.

“I think Phillip would do well as the morgue assistant,” Molly said once the food they had ordered arrived and they sat in the sitting room, eating out of the cartons. “It’s slightly comedic, even if it’s a smaller role, and he seems more suited to that.”

“And Sally?” Mary asked.

“Perhaps the morgue attendant, if she’ll wear men’s dress,” Molly said, tilting her head for a moment before eating some lo mein. “She seems to have a bossy look when she’s talking in the clipped tones a woman impersonating a man would have. And I don’t think it will be a stretch that a black woman would use a disguise to infiltrate the medical system. At least, disbelief should be suspended during the duration of the play because she’s a charismatic actress. I just loved her during the reveal to the detective.”

“Which reminds me,” Sherlock said. “I’d like to have them both come back and play off of you, John, as I haven’t seen anyone else so far I’d consider for the role of the detective.”

“I’d be honored, Sherlock,” John said with a grin.

“And do I get a sneak peek at any role I might get?” Mary asked with a wry grin.

“Of course, Miss Ricoletti.” Sherlock gave her a wink and Mary grinned widely.

“I know there are other women who would be portraying the ghost if we were keeping this closer to the true story,” Molly said, “but I think I can tweak the script so Mary can do a bit more in the ghostly sense.”

“So this is all really based on a true story?” John asked.

Molly nodded. “I was visiting a friend in London while I was living in New York, and we went on a ghost tour, and her grave was one of the spots. The more I looked into the story the more fascinating it became. It’s still hotly debated whether she committed suicide or whether she was killed by the group of women to put her out of her misery with her illness, but her likeness was seen along the streets of London and at the deaths of London’s finest for weeks to come after the murder of her husband and her suicide.”

“Is there going to be information on the case in the playbill?” Mary asked.

“I think it would be interesting to include,” Sherlock said. “But in the end, that’s a discussion between my brother and Molly.”

“I think we’ll include information, maybe with a picture of the woman herself and the bare-bones facts as their known with a link to find out more,” Molly said. “At least, that’s what I’d like.”

Speaking of your brother,” John said, “I was surprised he brought Greg today. Was that because they knew the bastard would be making an appearance?”

“Yes,” Sherlock said, his mood souring slightly. “I don’t know if they had known I’d be bringing Russell to the auditions, but the idea was to keep Moriarty from auditioning. Unfortunately, as they say, the best-laid plans of mice and men, etcetera, etcetera.” He poked at his beef a little harder than intended. “He made a comment that makes me feel like it’s stuck in my craw. He said Russell looked like he did as a child.”

John and Molly’s eyes widened. But it was surprisingly Mary who spoke first. “Well, I didn’t know his name was James Moriarty until today. I thought he was Jonathan Martin.”

“What?” Sherlock said, nearly dropping his food.

“I’d seen a play he was in...oh, three years ago? And I swear his name on the marquee was Jonathan Martin.”

“The bastard,” Sherlock said, shutting his eyes. He quickly set his food on the side table and stood up, reaching for his mobile in his pocket.

“What is it, Sherlock?” Molly asked.

“John Martin was the name Janine told me the bastard gave her,” he said, “Moriarty is Russell’s father.”

“Bloody hell,” John said, slumping back in his seat. “So that malignant tumor on your family is his sperm donor?”

“Unfortunately,” Sherlock said as he finished pressing the speed dial for Janine. He hoped she wasn’t celebrating a recent betrothal yet. Or perhaps hopefully she was and this would make matters simpler.

“Hello?” Janine asked.

“Have you ever met my sister’s boyfriend?” he asked.

“No. Sherlock, I haven’t even met your sister, remember?”

“I believe you have,” he said.

“Met Eurus? No, I’d remember that.”

“No. I believe you’ve met Moriarty. Also known as Jonathan Martin.”

There was an audible gasp on the other side of the connection. “What?”

“Janine, whatever you do, stay away from London for the time being. If you want Russell, I’ll have Mycroft and Gregory take him to you. But I don’t think it would be a good idea for you to be here while he’s in town, at least until Russell’s paternity has been put to rest for good.”

“Daniel proposed last night, and I said yes. He knows the truth and he loves us both anyway.”

Sherlock felt some of the tightness leave his chest. “Good. I’ll send you both a bottle of expensive champagne to celebrate once Moriarty has left.”

“You don’t think he’ll try and take Russell, do you?” Janine asked.

“No. But I think if he sees you and puts two and two together, he’ll try and extract something from myself or my family or you, and none of us need that.”

“Well, I have work that will take up my time here for a few weeks. Perhaps Daniel and I can go abroad for a bit, if you’ll keep Russell that long?”

“That might be best,” he said. “But I promise, as soon as we can, I’ll give him back to you.” He paused. “You do know my brother, his husband and John are aware of the truth, aren’t you?”

“I am now,” she said. “It’s not a well-kept secret, but as long as my family doesn’t know...”

“Understood,” Sherlock said with a nod, even though he couldn’t see her do so. “It will be alright, Janine. I promise. We’ll do what we can to get my sister and the bastard away from England until after your marriage if necessary, even if it means calling in favours in the States.”

“Thank you,” Janine said. “I’ll call to say goodnight to Russell in a few hours.”

“I’m sure he’d love to hear from his mum,” he said. “Good-bye for now.”

“Bye,” she said, hanging up.

Sherlock lowered his mobile and pinched the bridge of his nose. He realized by having the conversation in front of her, Mary knew the truth now as well, but that was a small problem if it would be a problem at all. He sat on the sofa next to Molly, who put a hand on his shoulder and squeezed gently. “Of all the potential sperm donors in the world, this had to be the worst one,” he said.

“Does it really matter if it comes out?” Mary asked. “I mean, you’re on the birth certificate, you’ve claimed him.”

“But Moriarty could have some claim as well, I’m not sure. Mycroft can have his solicitor look into specifics discreetly.” He sighed and then lowered his head. “I’ll do whatever it takes to keep Moriarty out of Russell’s life. Legally, monetarily, perhaps even utilizing illegal means.”

“Wait to see what the solicitor says,” John said. “That’s why your brother has one on retainer for family matters.”

“I know,” Sherlock said, looking up and turning to Molly. “I’m sorry you’ve come back into my life in the middle of this.”

“I wouldn’t be anywhere else,” she said, leaning over and kissing his cheek. She dropped her hand from his shoulder to take his hand in hers and he squeezed it gently, not letting go when he was done. At least he knew he had the support of family in friends in doing what was best for Russell, and that was keeping his biological father as far away as possible.

#sherlock #sherlolly #mollock #fanfic #fanfiction #sherlock holmes #molly hooper #john watson #mary morstan #janine hawkins #multipart: and all the men and women merely players

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annerbhp · 6 years

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Harry has financial liquidity yet he pays the Weasleys nothing for his upkeep and they are pressed for money?! He gave Ron an Omniocular (SIC) but Ginny got a book for her 17th birthday?! Why didn't Harry buy Ginny that broom she really wanted?? Why doesn't he give Ginny that Portkey to Tawang. If she would let him , go with her. Isn't it time he started acting like a caring adult. If he wants to be 'her guy' he needs to pony up. I finally finished The Changeling. . Snuck up on it 3 ways.

Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed it.

As for your questions, I’d like to take them in turns, as I have some thoughts and reasons behind my choices in the fic. Though we may just be coming from very different places!

“Harry has financial liquidity yet he pays the Weasleys nothing for his upkeep and they are pressed for money?!“

I think we can definitely assume Harry has tried to offer money at some point. But the Weasleys would never take it. Besides that though, I think we have to keep several things in mind. One, Harry doesn’t understand money. He has no real relationship with it. He never had money growing up. He doesn’t know how to manage it, use it, or even understand it. Financial literacy is not something people are just born with. And while I think Harry would gladly open his entire vault and give every last knut to the Weasleys, he knows that his money makes Ron uncomfortable.

Harry looks around at the Weasleys and the Burrow and sees nothing lacking. They are warm and loving and comfortable and there is always food and attention, and to Harry, that is the richest thing there could ever be. The Dursley’s posh, well-furbished house in a nice neighborhood was sterile and painful and empty and bankrupt of love. And coming into a fortune at the age of 11 didn’t do anything to make Harry’s life anymore easy from his point of view (even though it could be argued that it definitely did).

Harry knows the Weasleys actually like him for him. That is…something more precious to Harry than anything else in the world (it probably doesn’t even occur to him that some people value money more than that). He also wouldn’t ever want to offend them. Harry is constantly sure he’s one fuck up away from alienating and losing everyone. Like they all might wake up one day and realize he’s not worth their time and affection. It terrifies him. He helps people he loves the one way he knows how–taking on all the burdens and risking himself over and over again. Making himself useful.

I do plan on exploring what Harry’s wealth will come to mean to him and his values, but he’s currently got a lot of other things on his mind.

“He gave Ron an Omniocular (SIC) but Ginny got a book for her 17th birthday?! Why didn’t Harry buy Ginny that broom she really wanted?? Why doesn’t he give Ginny that Portkey to Tawang. If she would let him , go with her.“

If you recall, Ron was really worked up over those Omnioculars. He was like, okay, I really want that, but now you aren’t allowed to buy me anymore gifts ever. And then he got all upset about it later when he found out the leprechaun gold he used to pay him back disappeared. This is Harry’s one experience with buying people he cares about expensive things–straining his relationship with Ron and making Ron unhappy. I doubt he was eager to do that again.

Then as far as Ginny goes, we have two additional things going on. One, Harry suddenly buying her expensive gifts is not exactly keeping their relationship on the down low. (And who has he seen buy expensive gifts as a romantic overture anyway? Petunia and Vernon? Not exactly his relationship goals. And Molly and Arthur never seem to buy each other things. Or Bill and Fleur.)

Two, Ginny neither wants nor needs that stuff from him. She doesn’t want a new broom. She wants the one she has. She doesn’t want a sugar daddy, and she isn’t looking for anyone to provide for her. It’s probably fortunate that it doesn’t occur to Harry to offer. He shows his affection through his actions, not his purchases. (That book he bought her wasn’t about how much it cost him, or even the book, but him trying to make her smile and laugh and just feel better. Behold his success.)

I can say that if Ginny ever decided she needs to ask Harry for something, he would do it without a second thought, and without strings attached, just as he did for Hermione. Just as he would do for anyone he cares about. But not having a childhood where he understands social exchange all that well, he isn’t keeping an eye out for it necessarily.

We haven’t seen what he gets Ginny for her birthday yet, though it will not be an extravagant show of wealth. Also, who says Ginny wants Harry coming to Tawang with her? She’s checking in with her best friend she hasn’t seen in years. That trip isn’t about Harry. It isn’t about Tobias. It’s about Ginny and Smita. Full stop.

“Isn’t it time he started acting like a caring adult. If he wants to be ‘her guy’ he needs to pony up.“

I think Harry has shown himself a caring adult a million times over. He listens to Ginny when she asks for space even though he’d rather be with her. He waits for her but doesn’t put the burden of his expectations on her. He respects her request for secrecy even if it isn’t his favorite thing. He listens to what she says she wants/needs, and has learned to ask rather than assume. He gives her the benefit of the doubt rather than being a jealous prat. For all his bumbling and lack of experience, Harry is light-years ahead in the caring adult category.

(And, if I may, the assumption that men are only useful in a relationship as they can monetarily support a woman is tired and old and creates a dynamic in which women are dependent on men, and in which their affection, body, and attention is the price paid for these gifts. An exchange of commodities. No thanks. And since when is ‘ponying up’ = caring? Caring is an emotion, an action, a willingness, something born of empathy and compassion. It’s a vulnerability. Unless it comes from those places specifically, money is just a power move.)

#harry james potter #ginny weasley #money #the changeling #armistice series #just my blathering thoughts on money and romantic relationships #your mileage may vary

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segenassefa · 3 years

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8: To Be Young, Gifted, and Black: An Interview with Ehiko Odeh

One of the best parts of Toronto is the large, flourishing community of black creatives that has developed over the years within the city. After engaging with her vibrant, sometimes larger-than-life pieces on Instagram (and hopefully, soon, in person) I was intrigued by the work of local artist, Ehiko Odeh, who's artwork centers around life, the divine, and her Nigerian heritage.

I had the opportunity to ask Odeh a few questions about her creative process and her inspirations, holistic healing, and her words of wisdom to other young, black creatives on their respective journeys.

☆～☆～☆～☆～☆～☆～☆～☆～☆～☆～☆～☆～☆～☆～☆～☆～☆

Segen Assefa: At what point in your life did you realize that you wanted to be an artist and why?

Ehiko Odeh: I moved to Canada in 2015 and was about to graduate from high school in Hamilton. I knew I wanted to get into art and be more serious with it. Life is all about creativity. Art is magic and my way of connecting the divine, as well as being a tool that has healed me in so many ways. I hate how people see artists as unsuccessful - I want to show artists that success is what you make of it - not just what it can bring for you monetarily - and that art should be taken seriously.

SA: And just to clarify, do you consider yourself an artist in the traditional sense, or would you prefer to give yourself a broader title?

EO: I don't like to put myself into categories since there is more to oneself than labels. Therefore, I am a multidisciplinary artist, because there are multiple ways to express oneself and the divine.

SA: You draw a lot of inspiration for your art from Nigerian culture. Why is this important to you, and more importantly, why do you think it should be important to others? How has this changed your relationship with your background and your roots?

EO: I wasn't really exposed to my culture(s) that much, growing up in Nigeria, and identity is something has always been important to me. When I came to Canada [in 2015], I became obsessed with knowing more about my culture and my history to maintain a grasp on myself and where I come from - I didn't want to "lose" myself, you know? Art was a great way to channel that, in addition to doing more research on my heritage.

My journey of cultural exploration has been important to me because there is a comfort in knowing who I am and the people who came before me. It's important to keep an open mind because there's so much we can learn from one another - making art about my background has drawn me closer to those who came before me, those who are still here, and those who are yet to come.

SA: Knowing that you have a Nigerian background, and coming from an African background myself, I know how parents can be when you tell them your passion is doing something other than what is considered the “norm”. How did your parents feel about you wanting to pursue a less traditional career path?

EO: At first, they weren't so comfortable with it - they thought I was joking. But I wrote them a whole letter about my intentions on this path, showing them how serious I was and that I wasn't going to fold on what I wanted. Since then, they've been incredibly supportive, and I feel blessed to have that.

SA: I see you have a deep appreciation for herbs and natural healing (from what I’ve seen on your story ☺). How is this important to your personhood - as a creative, a Black woman, and as a person in general?

EO: Yesss! Learning more about herbal medicine has been the best thing I’ve ever done for myself, just because it brings me so much joy! For me, herbal medicine began when I was trying to revert my menstrual cycle back to being more regular, after having an irregular cycle for years. These doctors were trying to put me on birth control, and I said fuck no! I began finding different herbs to heal the womb, as well as beginning Yoni steaming and being more intentional in the means in which I heal myself. The whole learning process of natural healing and herbal medicine has been my biggest flex.

I think it’s so important for people - especially Black women - to know that there are many other alternatives than what has been given to us. It's just about doing the work and discovering what works for you. I've had doctors tell me that irregular periods and other bodily ailments were normal when they're not, and treated me and others as if there aren’t alternatives for healing your body.

Holistic medicine saved my life and has taught me so much about living in balance, respecting nature, and taking only what you need. Anything can be healed when you address the root of the problem and are disciplined in your healing journey.

SA: So, would you say there's a specific connection between art and health for you?

EO: I'd say in a way, there is. To me, making art is medicine within itself. Being on top of my health and in alignment with my body allows me to create better and be more in tune with my work, as well as more intentional in my processes.

SA: How has this pandemic changed how you maneuver your creative processes and how you view the world in relation to your art?

EO: I really miss working in the painting studio at school, but the pandemic forced me to re-evaluate how I see and utilize the space I do have. I turned half of my room into a mini studio space and it's been blessed ever since. I haven't been able to create really large scale works or work with mediums like oil paint, but over time, I’m finding new ways to manipulate other mediums. This pandemic has allowed my works more intuitive and expressive, rather than planned and structured.

SA: Ok, and lastly, if you had to give any advice to other creatives, specifically Black women, what would it be?

EO: Surrender to the process - let it teach you. Keep creating because you never know whose watching you. Trust yourself. Take each day as it comes and try not to compare yourself or your art to others because no one is YOU!

Ehiko Odeh is a Nigerian multidisciplinary artist based in Toronto. Her work can be found both on her Instagram, @ehikoo, and on her website, ehik0studio.com.

#cm$#art #ehiko #cashmoneysegs #blog post 8 #toronto

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shirlleycoyle · 3 years

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The Movie Theater as We Know It Is Dying. We Can Make Something Better

One of the things this pandemic has taken from us is the summer blockbuster. The summer months came and went, and throughout that time movie-goers largely stayed home. For people like director Christopher Nolan, whose movie Tenet released in theaters after a delayed launch and performed below expectations, this is a sign of the end of cinema. Outside of the strict confines of Hollywood, though, small theaters and distributors are seeing new ways to show movies and create community. Along the way, they're redefining what it means to be movie theaters.

The blockbuster is a relatively new invention. Although the early days of cinema had movies that were huge hits—like the 1927 movie It, which turned Clara Bow into a star and smashed box office records at the time—one movie dominating theaters for an entire summer wouldn't happen for another 30 years. Steven Spielberg's Jaws and George Lucas's Star Wars ushered in the age of the blockbuster in the 70s, in a time when the landscape of cinema was moving away from the studio system and into uncharted waters.

Cinema is at another crossroads now, in the age of the pandemic. In New York and Los Angeles, two of the biggest cities for movies, theaters are not allowed to open, and haven't been since March. Rather than a Marvel movie topping the charts at the end of the year, Sonic the Hedgehog has dominated by virtue of just being able to come out. The success of Trolls World Tour had studios scared back in April; it made over one hundred million dollars premiering as a digital rental. In response, AMC threatened to stop screening movies from Trolls' studio, Universal. One movie theater chain, Regal, has closed all of its 536 theaters in the US, blaming New York's pandemic rules for the closure.

Tenet | Image Source: Warner Bros.

From the start, Nolan has made it a personal mission to continue to support movie theaters. Not only has he refused anything except a traditional, theater first release for Tenet, he has written op-eds about keeping theaters open and made a point to see movies in theaters himself. But the very real threat of COVID-19 has gotten in the way of seeing movies in theaters—by December, the movie had only grossed around $57 million domestically, though the international gross has been higher, at $300 million. The movie cost $200 million to make.

Tenet's dismal performance seems like the final nail in the coffin. Some of the movies that were supposed to open concurrently with Tenet, like the new Wonder Woman movie, have changed their strategies so that they're available to watch at home at the same time as they're available in theaters. Theater chains like AMC have struck deals to shorten the window between theatrical runs and movies becoming available on video on demand services. Even more recently, Warner Bros. has announced that their entire slate of movies for 2021 would premiere on HBO Max as well as in theaters.

The pandemic has forced movie theaters to change a system of distribution that has been in place for over half a century. This doesn't just mean figuring out how to show movies online, but how to serve the communities that rise up around theaters themselves.

When the pandemic started, Spectacle Theater was a 35-seat, volunteer-run theater in Williamsburg that showed movies from way, way off the beaten path. It immediately complied with the order to close in March, but it was difficult for the volunteers who run the theater to know what to do next. After one of the volunteers started streaming movies on their Twitch channel, the members of Spectacle decided to have Twitch streams of their own.

Spectacle Theater is a microcinema, with about 30 seats. Its space in Williamsburg, Brooklyn is so small that I have walked past it every day when I used to commute to the VICE office without noticing it once. Caroline Golum, a programmer from Spectacle who said they were speaking in their capacity as a member of the non-hierarchical, volunteer-run theater and not as its leader, said that some of its screenings would have as little as five people in the audience before the pandemic.

"We like to say that if we had a dollar for every person who was like, 'I love Spectacle,' but hasn't actually shown up, we would be on fucking easy street," Golum told Motherboard.

On Twitch, it's a different story. They got viewers in much, much higher numbers than their theater would have been able to seat, as well as attracting people from all over the world who had only been to their theater once, if at all.

“Christopher Nolan is encouraging theaters to open up in the middle of the pandemic. This was the wrong thing to be crusading for right now.”

"In May or in April, we did a series of screenings with Matt Farley and Charles Roxburgh who are two regional filmmakers from New Hampshire who make these shoestring budget genre films. They've been doing it for like 20 years. In an alternate universe, those guys would be famous and Kevin Smith would be a fucking nobody, and you can print that," Golum said. "They were in the chat and people were asking them like, 'Where'd you film this? What were your favorite influences?' all this stuff. And they loved it."

"I think for filmmakers who don't have an avenue for public exhibition but make work that should be viewed collectively, it's nice for them to have an opportunity to know that their work is being seen," they continued.

Spectacle has worked with organizers and programmers from all over the world, giving them an international reputation. Programming on Twitch has allowed the people who have always wished they could have gone to Spectacle a chance to actually attend. Spectacle now has over 2,000 followers on Twitch, several hundred times more than would fit inside the theater. Spectacle is now offering a membership to their out of state and international fans so that they can support the theater monetarily from afar.

"I was just surprised by the number of people that were like, 'Oh, I've always wanted to go to Spectacle and I never got to,' or someone that lived in London was like, 'I've been following your programming and can never got to catch anything,'" Golum said.

Spectacle Theater | Image Source: Spectacle Theater

For Aliza Ma, director of programming at Metrograph, a renowned art house theater in Lower Manhattan, not being able to show movies meant a chance to reevaluate what a theater can be. For starters, opening a theater at this moment in time is not the right approach, she said.

"Christopher Nolan is encouraging theaters to open up in the middle of the pandemic. This was the wrong thing to be crusading for right now. It felt like a sort of misguided or misplaced machismo almost," Ma said. "Maybe the better thing to do would be to ask for some subsidies to get all these artistic institutions through this time of hardship instead of asking for the normalcy that we were used to, when that's just going to endanger our lives."

There are ways that a theater can serve its community without showing movies, and Metrograph has explored some of those options. Ma said that during the Black Lives Matter protests, Metrograph was able to open as a space for protesters to get water, charge their phones, and rest.

"When the protests were breaking out, we were in between having closed and trying to launch a new website," Ma said. She said that it felt wrong not to say anything about the mounting unrest in New York; protests against police brutality would march through Lower Manhattan, where Metrograph is located. Ma and the rest of the staff at Metrograph also wanted to take physical action.

"So we got together on a meeting and we said, 'We know so many people who are organizing in that neighborhood or who could be in that neighborhood, and you know, all we would need to do is get power strips for people to be able to charge their phones. We could get water bottles for people. We can just open up the bathrooms for people,'" she said.

Ma said that the approach that other theaters have taken, where they have tried to crunch the numbers on how many staff they can have on site and how little money they can charge for a ticket in order to break even, was not what Metrograph wanted to do.

"It's really sad. I mean, it's not really gonna make much of a difference at the end of the day. There's no thinking outside the box here. Movie theaters are an important social institution that could be reappropriated at this time…. I was really glad that, you know, when the protest started in April, that we were able to open our lobby to protestors. Just because we couldn't show movies doesn't mean we couldn't be another sort of support pillar for that neighborhood."

Pivoting to Twitch was an easy move for Spectacle not just because members of the organization already knew how to use it. The moviegoing experience isn't just about sitting in the dark in front of a huge screen—it's also about being with other people who love movies, and Twitch's chat function is an easy way to replicate that part of the experience. While geared towards games, at the end of the day, Twitch is a service where anyone can broadcast whatever they'd like; Spectacle is simply using the service in the same way one would use public access television.

Metrograph, for its part, built their own proprietary streaming service in order to make this work. Though there are video hosting services that they could have used, Ma said that they don't have all the features necessary to replicate the essential aspects of seeing a movie in a theater. Metrograph recently launched a new website, along with its own proprietary streaming service which functions very differently from buying a movie on demand, or watching one through a streaming service like Netflix.

Metrograph's online screenings have a pre-show that begins ten minutes before show time, as well as introductions, question and answer sessions, and sometimes a panel discussion. The actual movie starts later, and the archive of the entire screening remains as a VOD for 72 hours.

“Why are we relying on these corporate-backed streaming platforms when we are very vehemently opposed to corporate media?"

"A nice thing that I miss about showing up early to a film and is then being able to sit in the theater and just kind of watch upcoming trailers or whatever other ephemera ends up being shown in the pre-show," Ma said.

"Even though you're not in the same building, there's a collective sense that everyone's tuning in at the same time to watch something which is kind of comforting right now," she added.

Exploring these new avenues has also led to some dead ends. When I spoke with Spectacle Theater, it had just been served its first strike on its Twitch channel for nudity for showing the 1973 satirical French film Themroc. To get around this, Spectacle is now building its own streaming platform, similar to Metrograph, but with a couple of differences that would better suit its audience. For example, Spectacle's experiences with Twitch have led it to include a chat feature in its streaming platform, because it found that people watching its programming enjoyed being able to talk about the films without disturbing other people.

"I think we had a lot of reservations about the chat function because you rightly hear so many horror stories about the nature of these chats on gaming platforms. You know, obviously hashtag not all gamers, but it can be a bit of a cesspool," Golum told Motherboard. "At the end of the day, we don't really have to do much moderation because our audience is predominantly pretty chill. It's just people who like weird movies and want to hang out, it's a really good vibe in there. It's also really interesting to see how people engage with the chat when the filmmakers are in there too."

Golum also said that they would make their code open source, allowing other theaters to develop their own streaming video services with the backbone they developed.

Movie theaters are the site of a community, a place for people to not just see a movie, but engross yourself in the culture of cinema with your friends and family.

"The impulse behind that was: why are we relying on these corporate-backed streaming platforms when we are very vehemently opposed to corporate media and our whole programming ecosystem is designed to go against the grain of what you're seeing in movie theaters and festivals?" Golum said. "That was kind of the impetus was to build something that's, if you'll pardon the expression, for us by us, that will allow us to kind of control the narrative around what we stream and not have to worry about takedowns."

Across the country, some independent theaters are making some of the same pivots to online screenings as Metrograph and Spectacle.

The Roxie Theater in San Francisco is now offering an online membership similar to Metrograph, for example. Chicago's Music Box Theater started an online movie rental service called The Music Box At Home, where proceeds from the rentals go towards keeping the theater in business. Some cinemas, like Seattle's Northwest Film Forum, are screening ticketed movies through sites like Eventive, taking advantage of video hosting sites like Vimeo to give the viewer access to the film in question for a limited time. All of these are attempts to do more than just get people to watch movies, but to recreate what we like about going to the movies when we're all stuck at home.

While Twitch and bespoke streaming services are decent stopgaps, it's clear that the technology necessary to create an industry where more kinds of movies are accessible outside of major cities has just not been invented.

Hollywood has existed in a system where a major blockbuster could buffer the loss from an arthouse indie movie that plays on only a few screens in Los Angeles and New York. It's a system that is controlled and defined by film distributors like Universal or A24, which set release dates and make the films available to theaters. As that system collapses, it's easy to see not just how it's done a disservice to those films, but also to people who would have loved them.

Brett Kashmere, executive director at Canyon Cinema, a distributor of 16mm films and experimental and avant garde cinema said that on their end, demand for work from their collection is still huge, especially from libraries, which is their primary audience. They just don't have the technology to deliver it.

"We're in the process of reviewing all of our artists contracts and figuring out if we need to put any language for licensing of work to a library for like three years," Kashmere said. "That's what libraries are increasingly interested in, is not actually purchasing a physical media copy of something, but they're also not really capable of actually dealing with digital files. So they don't want to buy a digital file and they don't want to buy a physical copy, but they want us to be able to stream."

Canyon Cinema's small size compared to much larger, more corporate distributors, is an advantage. It might not have the same capital backing, but it's able to make these pivots very quickly, allowing Canyon to catch up with the changing market during the pandemic much faster than Disney or Universal can. Similarly, both Ma and Golum said that their small sizes as organizations have allowed them to make decisions on the fly during a time when the future of the industry is uncertain.

"I think we were in a really privileged position being a small team that we could all just executively decide [open our doors to protesters], being on, you know, a similar political wavelength and having this camaraderie between coworkers," Ma said regarding Metrograph's choice to support the Black Lives Matter protesters. "I don't think this would have been possible with a bigger nonprofit institution, even if the personal political desire was there."

A scene from Made In Hong Kong, currently screening at Metrograph's wesbite | Image Source: Made In Hong Kong

In comparison, the solutions being rolled out by large movie chains like AMC and Regal seem untenably slow and ill-suited to the task. While Regal has permanently closed all its locations, AMC is now allowing potential movie goers the opportunity to rent out an entire theater to see a movie. Though new movies are coming out in a slow trickle, it's been clear that audiences do not want to go to movie theaters as the pandemic still rages, making this venture a questionable idea at best.

But going to the movies is about a lot more than just putting your butt in a seat. They are the site of a community, a place for people to not just see a movie, but engross yourself in the culture of cinema with your friends and family. As Spectacle and Metrograph demonstrate, there's still a need for that kind of community space among movie lovers.

These theaters are not just attempting to solve the problem of showing movies in a pandemic. They're trying to find a new space for the lobby where you talk about the movie with your friends, the exclusive showings with director Q&As, and the smart screening series put together by film scholars as well. Their success is an indication that the heart of cinema lies with these endeavors, and not necessarily the relatively new phenomenon of the blockbuster.

Before there's a widespread vaccine for Covid-19, movie theaters are either going to have to find ways to pivot to digital, or close their doors. Nolan tried his absolute hardest, but Tenet was not able to bring moviegoers back to theaters in a way that could stave off that reality. Nolan has said that people are "drawing the wrong conclusions" from Tenet's performance at the box office, saying that the movie has grossed a lot more money than most people thought possible during the pandemic. He went so far as to say that the decision to stream new releases on HBO Max on the same day they premiere in theatres "makes no economic sense."

Nolan isn't exactly wrong about this, but he's also not quite right. His own adventure in premiering Tenet in theaters despite the pandemic appears to prove him wrong. That big-budget studio blockbuster did not save movie theaters. If movie theaters are going to survive, they need to save themselves.

The Movie Theater as We Know It Is Dying. We Can Make Something Better syndicated from https://triviaqaweb.wordpress.com/feed/

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rapmillionaire · 7 years

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cool and kind w/ a diamond mind

Alaikum asalaam 🌠🌅. It is of pleasantry that I challenge you intellectually, for this is what defines the mode of our existential chemical intertwinement. Fanciful and practical were blurred amongst one another, yes? Well good indeed, for I believe dreams may come true thus my aptness toward delusion. I once had a friend of African descent who told me, "king Suleiman, do you know the reason why women are placed among the children, beyond their care for them?" I replied, "why no, my friend, why?" He went on, "because women mentally are of a lower stature than man himself, and therefore are nearer the wavelength of naivety and ignorance akin to that of children, than men. The men talk business and politics while the women remain in the background amongst the young, left to do what they most aptly may - to care for the inferior ones". I thought how ridiculous, and sexist, and inaccurate. And yet so it is, we find oft times that the cultures whereupon Islam resides are left in the backward thinking times of indigenous-ness while the rest of mankind, of which many are less religious and spiritual, show improvement and innovation and progress and leading-edge growth. The reformation of the mind whilst keeping the principles of Islam in tact - that's the greatest jihad for each of us individually, and as an ummah. Where are the great artists who are Muslim? The cultural icons. Where are the great athletes who are Muslim and bring esteem to the young teenage boys and girls who look up to such athleticism. Where are even the lawyers and doctors and professors who seek to change the system toward the betterment of humanity rather than to maintain the legitimacy of the systemic quo that is doing the oppressing like a turnstile rotating in its positioning? You know, prescribe a drug to be taken off of a drug. Side with the accused for the sake of needed experience and monetary gain rather than because truth resides on his side. Last week i attended a speaking engagement at NYU, featuring a young NYU student body leader who shared with us his thoughts on 2 verses from the Qur'an which touch upon how Allah is the all-Knowing, All-seeing, as the Creator of both the Heavens of the Earth; how He has made us into tribes and nations and races so that we may get to know one another. One thing led to another and the featured guest speaker began telling us his story of a time he was in the Midwest, and on his way back to the airport to catch a flight to NYC. He ordered an Uber, whose driver happened to be an avid Trump supporter. The driver was curious and wanted to speak-on and debate why the Muslim brother was for Hilary and against Trump. One thing led to another and the Muslim brother found himself shot in the arm. No, just kidding. In fact, the Muslim brother stated he was not in the mood whatsoever to have a discussion with this Trump supporter. To him, the mere fact that this man was a supporter of Trump totally turned off the Muslim brother and eliminated the mutual interest and respect he had for the Midwestern man. To cut a long story short, at the end of the 3 hour ride en route the airport, the Uber driver was pleased to have met the Muslim brother and stated, if anybody ever injured his daughter, to tell him and he would bring a gun and shoot the man up who did that to his daughter. Quite dramatic indeed, but filial love and loyalty is the message, not the violence. The Muslim brother got scared and feared for his own well-being. With that said, the Muslim brother gave the Midwestern Trump supporter his phone number upon request, and yet blocked the man's phone number. So with no replies, how does the Trump man now feel of the way he was treated by the Muslim brother? What is there to be feared in getting to no another whose beliefs are different from our own. How extreme it was for Obama to pay Cuba a visit to resume talks with Castro during his tenure as President. How extreme it is for the Muslims to engage with the communities of the disenfranchised blacks, with the communities of the gays, with the Trump supporting community. If our own leaders fear interacting with the common folks of these community groups and belief systems, then what are the leaders doing for the people they lead; the rest of the Ummah followers? What sort of message and reality is this creating among the Arabs and Muslims themselves, a few of whom tend to be racist toward reverts, converts, African and Malaysian Muslims.. Nothing is to be feared. Only understood. If Allah is the creator of the Heavens and the Earth and all in between, what are we doing fearing Allah's Creations? To heed is wise. To respect takes knowing. To know takes courage. Knowing can only get understanding. We fear the other too much, more than the other fears us at times as proven in the story above. Who will bridge the gap, the Muslims or the other? If we are equipped with the great Message of Islam, one of excellence, courage, discipline, and duty, then why do we oft times conform to our most innate cultural biases and limited beliefs garnered out of a lack of study and understanding Islam for it's truest message, that Allah is the creator of all things, and none is to be feared but Him. The mere fact that varying tribes and nations have been created is testament to the differences of humankind; the Jews have the strength of teamwork and loyalty all of humanity would benefit to learn from. The Africans have a spirit all of the humanity may be of benefit to hearken. The Hispanics have the working efforts of ants. The Chinese contain order and discipline most wish they could possess an ounce of. The Arabs too have been blessed with resources and business wherewithal. The White man is unafraid to claim what he believes belongs to him via his will-power and visionary and worldly desires. We can all learn from the other, including man from woman, tolerant from the racist, constituent from the murderer, and so forth.

What level of Faith do you have? Does your faith sway from time to time, or are you 99% strong-held in the your firm faith in Allah as Him being the one who answers all prayers in it's just and due time.. I myself have gone through ups and downs, as we all have. I have not reached absoluteness yet. I pray when I feel the need for it's assistance. I do best when I am with God at each moment in my life and am living freely and am being myself effortlessly. Sometimes I require prayer, other times my life is the state of prayer itself. If that makes sense...

My vision career wise is to not have a career in the colloquial sense of the term. I will create a livelihood for myself independent of being hired or fired. I am self-sufficient and will continue to create such reality for myself iA. As I am already capable of doing it on a small scale, iA it will increase and grow evermore. My primary means of doing this is via my tennis business (intermediate stage), my writing business (amateur stage). I do work at times to make more money, but to be a dedicated 10-20 year worker doing a 8 hour shift each day, five days a week.I haven't found a job yet that I am happy doing in such a role. And I will not settle either. Hamduillah though, Allah is good and has blessed me. it just takes some patience and continuous perseverance and hard-work. I am of utmost faith that I will someday (within the next 5 years iA) be of a blessed state. I have various timelines of plans for action for how to make ends meet throughout my life and to garner the appropriated livelihood that is monetarily fruitful. One version of this plan has been to move overseas (to Egypt) in fact, to focus on my investment endeavors. to make such a move, i would first need to save up to $50,000 USD. Hamduillah that is possible. My most profitable business has been giving tennis lessons, subhanallah; and this is in NYC, which is not a tennis city (like California, Atlanta, Florida, etc.).. Thus, the trajectory of my life work is still in progress, however in due time (whether sooner than planned, or later), all connects based upon my own actions and free-will. I could easily give up and settle, but I won't because I know I will achieve what I desire most in my heart. bismillah .. As for my livelihood vision, i am a simple yet systematic, time-efficient and organized.. I do not need a nice expensive car, nor a big television set, nor game consoles or lavish furniture and paintings. I just need a laptop, a bed, some good books, internet connection, a pen, a notepad, my headphones, my microphone, my tennis racket(s) and tennis balls, a basketball, a soccer ball, some dumbbell weights + a portable pull-up bar called the flexrSport, some food (i cook these days but i usually prefer eating out as it's much faster for me- though it is healthier to cook albeit to cook a 30 minute meal and to eat it in less than 10 min -_- me no like ha), a car for expedient travel whence needed, some nice clothes that make me feel good when i wear them (collared shirts, jeans, khaki pants), a couple of pairs of shoes (black dress shoes / worker shoes, tennis shoes, sandals for the shower), some rubber-bands, some cash, a phone for communication, some paper towels, some organic soap - shampoo - tooth paste - deodorant, some hot sauce for the food, a couple of hats, a couple of mirrors, a couple of lights, and all of this in a nice little place that is near a mesjid iA, and if I have only $2Million, then i am willing to buy a home for a cost of up to $400,000 at most. iA then the other $1.6million would be divy'd up as I have planned already including to (pay zakat) $60k (Palestine kids|zaytuna school|mesjid built)... til then, i'll be renting and saving $ and reinvesting in myself.

October 14, 2017

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pennywaltzy · 4 years

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…And All The Men And Women Merely Players (10/?)

And I seem to be on a roll with this fic...

READ CHAPTER 1 | READ CHAPTER 10