#Plum Wine Dispenser

[apifacture]

｡˚ 𓆤 ˚｡ MUSE AESTHETICS

fill out with 3-5 items / aesthetics that fit your muse for each category . repost, do not reblog .

emotions / feelings

confidence . The Lord’s Blade is nothing if not assured.  Ciaran knows her self-worth, is wholly aware of her capabilities and limitations. She is satisfied with the work she undertakes, the connections she has made and her position under Lord Gwyn.  For the most part, she is centred and composed. daring . To be a Knight of Gwyn, and a leader of a guild of assassins, requires boldness and intrepidity.  Contained though she is, Ciaran is bold when it is required of her, and will face foes many times her size and strength without hesitation. pride . Although not inclined to bragging, she is proud of her achievements – of the rank she has attained and reputation she has garnered, of becoming the only female Knight of Gwyn, standing shoulder-to-shoulder with some of the most skilled and noble warriors alive. vindictive . Don’t think for a minute Ciaran is above bearing a grudge or acting spitefully.  There is a malice that is inherent to the assassin, and she unsheathes it when it suits her, when her paths cross with one she believes deserving of her ill will.   withdrawn . Although a Knight of Gwyn, Ciaran is somewhat removed from the fold – such is the secretive and underhand nature of her work, and the fact that she also holds the tenure as the Lord’s Blade.  Her duty is not only to Lord Gwyn, but to the assassins who train and work beneath her.  It is in her nature to remain guarded, to value her personal space, to trust only a few.

colours

amber . The assassin’s eyes are a rich saffron shade, all golden and honeyed tones. crimson . For the blood she spills, that so often stipples the smooth expanse of her porcelain mask. gold . Elegant streaks paint the air, following the lethal lines of her gold tracer.  A colour significant to her home, a city of sunlight. lavender-violet . Reminiscent of Lord Artorias’ soul.  Unbeknownst to Ciaran, hers is of a similar shade, a muted purple-grey flare with a spark of pale gold flickering at its core. smalt blue . The deep, smoky blue of her garb, a colour that helps her meld with the shadows, leaving the pale face of her mask luminescent.

scents 

blood . Death is her trade, and she is proficient in her butchery.  Metallic and unmistakable, beneath all the notes and layers of Ciaran’s scent there is blood and something akin to decay. clove . Springing from the mineral oil that she uses to sharpen the edges of her innumerable blades, her collection of daggers and knives meticulously and lovingly cared for. perfume . An exquisite, expensive scent that is spicy, woody and faintly floral all at once, blending orange blossom, honey, winter berries, cinnamon, tuberose, pepper, plum, anise, ylang-ylang, labdanum and opoponax. smoke . Reverent and subservient to the gods, the musky aroma of religious incense clings to the assassin, along with the primal scent of woodfire smoke. wine . Her preference is for red, full-bodied and dark, with notes of blackberry, dark cherry, fig and tobacco.

objects

bed . Towering, wide and sumptuous, it was built with taller demigods in mind and dominates her chambers.  At the end of each mission, Ciaran savours sinking her aching, naked body into its softness, losing herself in a sea of sheets and blankets. porcelain mask . Blank and unreadable, pale and distant as the moon, cold as bone, a porcelain tundra in place of a face. signet ring . Emblazoned with a hornet, it is the symbol of her position as a Knight of Gwyn, a recognition of all her efforts stretching back to the War of Fire and earlier. twin tracers . The gold and dark silver tracers are the most beloved weapons in Ciaran’s extensive arsenal, and they are her first choice when it comes to dispensing death in the name of Lord Gwyn.  The assassin has formed an emotional attachment with them, and those close to her might know that she refers to them as her errant daughters. vials . Ornate bottles and jars rattle in drawers and pepper the polished surfaces of Ciaran’s chambers.  Some are innocuous elixirs, their petite vessels filled with oil, perfume or healing draughts.  Other substances have been blended with harm in mind, and house draughts that are highly flammable, corrosive, or poisonous.

body language

at ease . Those deemed close and trustworthy enough to see her stripped of her Lord’s Blade garb, who are permitted to map the constellations of freckles on her bare face, may be witness to a considerably less formal and guarded facet of Ciaran’s being.  When free from her duties, she unwinds her braided hair, golden tresses falling free in a wavy tumble, often pulled forward over one shoulder. eyes . For a woman whose facial features are often obscured, it’s all in those discerning eyes framed by her mask.  Ciaran is perceptive, attentive to her surroundings.  She isn’t afraid to make unwavering eye contact, nor to scrape her gaze over another person’s form, to drink deep of their expressions and read their body language even as she obfuscates her own. poise . For all her neutrality of expression, Ciaran typically stands square and tall – as tall as her short stature permits, at least – her body coiled and primed for action, carrying herself with unmistakable authority and confidence. reverence . Ciaran is deferent to those she serves, respectful of the divines whose noble company she keeps.  No stranger to prayer, she bows her head in holy spaces. stealth . It is second nature that she keep her own body language largely inscrutable.  A diminutive demigod, she is unrevealing and stealthy, and possesses an uncanny ability to conduct herself in near silence, to fade away into the background.

aesthetics

blades . Knives and daggers, forged from all manners of material, coming in a myriad of shapes and sizes.  Beautiful and functional, the assassin boasts a fine and expansive collection, their razor silhouettes glinting like teeth. hornets . This unbeloved insect is the one that Ciaran feels most kinship, a frightful stinging creature, at home within a humming nest populated primarily by females.  The assassin is also drawn to moths – the walls of her chambers have some particularly impressive species pinned and framed – and is not immune to the beauty of fireflies collected in glass jars, nor to the spiders who so expertly weave webs. shadows . The Lord’s Blades cloak themselves in shadow, unseen and omnipresent.  They are deeps wells brimming with secrets, they are the final moments before death, the light dying in a target’s eyes. stinging / burning sensations . Both physical and emotional.  It might be from the kiss of her tracer, or the prick of an uncensored remark.  Ciaran is made up of many sharp edges and she is not in the habit of tempering them for anyone. wildflowers . There is almost always a vase of these in her room and, just as she harbours tenderness for the most unloved of creatures, her favoured flowers are those that go overlooked for their toxic properties.  Foxglove, monkshood, poison hemlock, lords-and-ladies and deadly nightshade frequently keep the assassin company, perfuming the still air of her chambers.

tagged by: nobody, I’m bringing this back! tagging: @through-fire-and-flame, @fishermcn, @hawksblooded, @sunmad, @derjaegermond.

[najia-cooks]

[ID: A spoon full of a dark brown liquid lies on a table in front of a jar of the same liquid. End ID]

Usata sosu / ウスターソース (Japanese Worcestershire-style sauce)

Japanese Worcestershire sauce, like its English counterpart, consists of simmered vegetable or fruit juices, sugars, vinegar, salt, and spices. It was first produced by Japanese manufacturers, who modelled it off of imported sauces, in the Meiji era (late 19th century); however, it did not achieve widespread popularity in Japan until after WWII, with the increasing popularity of Western-style food (洋食 / yoshoku).

Japanese Worcestershire sauce is commonly used to flavor okonomiyaki, yakisoba, and yaki udon; it may also be placed on the table in a sauce dispenser alongside soy sauce in restaurants or in the home. In western Japan, especially the Kansai region, it has become so prevalent within yoshuko that the term ソース (sosu), theoretically used to describe any Western-style sauce, usually means Worcestershire sauce.

Common sauces derives from usata sosu are 中濃ソース (chuno sosu), of a medium-thick consistency, and 濃厚ソース (noko sosu), also known as とんかつソース (tonkatsu sosu), of a thick consistency. Tonkatsu sauce also tends to be sweeter, while Worcestershire-style sauce is more heavily spiced.

This is the from-scratch version of a sauce that home cooks in the West sometimes make by mixing pre-made sauces (such as Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce and ketchup) together. Carrots, onions, tomatoes, fruits, spices, and herbs are simmered together to produce a tangy, fragrant sauce, more complex and punchy than the quick version. See my yakisoba recipe for my quick version—it’s still delicious, though mellower.

Recipe under the cut!

Patreon | Tip jar

To make Japanese Worcestershire sauce, you will first need to make a dashi (stock): this recipe calls for a combination of kombu and shiitake dashi and vegetable stock. You will then need to simmer vegetables, fruits, herbs, and spices in the stock. Finally, the sauce should be blended and strained through a fine cloth to remove plant fibers. The sauce may be thickened at this point, if desired.

This recipe makes about 2 cups of ウスターソース (usata sosu).

Equipment:

A nut milk bag or cheesecloth

A large pot

A blender or immersion blender

Ingredients:

For the dashi:

6g (4” x 4” piece) kombu, dirt wiped off but keep white stuff, slit with scissors

3-5 dried shiitake mushrooms (10g)

2 1/4 cups water (to make 2 cups kombu dashi)

2 cups vegetable stock

Fruits and vegetables:

1 yellow onion

1 medium carrot (125g)

2 medium sweet apples (200g each)

1-inch chunk (10g) ginger

2 cloves garlic

1 rib celery (including end and greens, if available)

3 roma tomatoes

2 plums or prunes (optional)

Spices and herbs:

3 bay laurel leaves

1 tsp coriander seeds

12 whole cloves

2 sprigs fresh oregano, or 1/2 tsp dried

2 sprigs fresh thyme, or 1/2 tsp dried

1 tsp cumin seeds

1 tsp freshly grated nutmeg, or 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg

1 stick cinnamon (Indonesian or Vietnamese cassia)

1/2 tsp black peppercorns

Dried bird's eye chili, crushed (optional)

Bay laurel leaves, or Mediterranean bay leaves, are the type of bay leaf most commonly in use in the U.S.A. and Europe. They will have small lines radiating outward from a central vein.

Cassia is the most common variety of cinnamon in North America; Chinese, Indonesian, and Vietnamese (Saigon) are common sub-types. Chinese and Indonesian cassia are thick strips of bark rolled into quills; Vietnamese cinnamon is too brittle to be rolled and is sold in thick chunks.

Seasonings:

⅓ cup soy sauce

6 Tbsp mild vinegar (balsamic, apple cider, or red wine)

2 Tbsp molasses or brown sugar

2 Tbsp date paste (or substitute more molasses or other sweetener)

Salt and ground black pepper, to taste

Thickener (optional):

3 Tbsp tapioca flour

Instructions:

1. Make the dashi. Make “first” dashi (一番だし / ichiban dashi) by soaking kombu and shiitake mushrooms in 2 1/4 cups cold water overnight. Then heat kombu and its soaking water, uncovered, in a sauce pot on medium-low and slowly (over the course of about 45 minutes) allow it to come to a simmer. Occasionally skim off the bubbles at the top to remove unwanted debris. You can skip the overnight soak to make "quick" dashi.

If you already have reconstituted kombu and shiitake mushrooms from making a past batch of dashi, make “second” dashi (二番だし / niban dashi) by simmering them in water for 1-2 hours. Second dashi is a bit less nuanced than first dashi, and so it tends to be used for sauces, stews, and glazes rather than soups.

2. Strain dashi and add 2 cups vegetable stock.

3. Prepare vegetables. Be sure to wash your fruits and vegetables thoroughly, but there is no need to peel them. Chop or dice the carrot, onion, apples, celery, and tomato (smaller pieces, or diagonal cuts, mean more surface area exposed to the stock and so more flavor extraction). Remove seeds from tomato. Slice the reconstituted shiitake mushrooms from making the stock.

4. Simmer chopped vegetables in the stock, covered, for one hour.

Rather than simmering, it may be possible to use a juicer to extract the flavors from the fruits and vegetables, then simmer the herbs and spices in the resulting juice--but I have not tested the recipe this way.

5. Roughly crush coriander, cloves, cumin, and black peppercorns in a mortar and pestle or spice mill. Add everything in the list of spices and herbs to the stock and simmer for another hour.

6. Remove cinnamon and bay leaves. Use an immersion blender to roughly blend the sauce and then simmer, covered, for another 15 minutes to half an hour (the most surface area is exposed to the stock at this point).

If using a countertop blender to blend the sauce, allow it cool down first.

7. Allow sauce to cool. Strain through a nut milk bag and reserve the pulp for a soup or stew. I had three cups of liquid at this point.

8. Return liquid to the pot and add seasonings. Simmer, uncovered, for about 30 minutes to thicken. Add tapioca starch dissolved in a bit of cool water if extra thick sauce is desired.

9. Taste and adjust sugar, salt. and black pepper (tonkatsu sauce tends to be sweeter than thin Worcestershire sauce, while thin Worcestershire sauce is more spiced). Add a pinch of ground nutmeg and clove, if desired.

Store in a sealed jar in the fridge for several months.

[nirikeehan]

I heard no one's sent you some Awful Shit™ yet tonight SO: Thalia & Samson, 14 days of lovers prompts, "Ravish"

well you know what, it's September and I've been picking at this horrific scene for at least six months and I'm sick of seeing this prompt in my inbox so have a terrible taste of what I have in mind for a future chapter of Through a Glass, Darkly.

For @dadrunkwriting

WC: 970

CW: Impending dubcon/non con implied

---

Inside the lord’s chambers a fire was roaring in the hearth, and Samson had made himself at home. Furniture of traditional Orlesian make was strewn haphazardly about, competing with the ensemble of someone with garish yet expensive taste. A whole rack of polished swords glinted in the firelight; surfaces overflowed with bottles of wine and spirits and other unmentionables. For some reason, a dead halla stood stuffed and erect not far from the ornate four-poster bed. 

Samson reclined on the sofa, a jeweled goblet in hand. His eyes glowed red with the reflection of the flames. Or was it something else? Before him the low table was covered in vices. A silver platter lay with traces of glittering scarlet dust upon it, and that was what Thalia had a difficult time looking away from. 

The guards paraded her in front of him, then hastily retreated. Thalia stood between the fireplace and the man on the sofa, trying not to tremble. The heat of the fire was at her back, so at least she was warm. 

“Good evening.” Samson’s voice was slurred, more so than usual. Thalia forced herself to look him in the face. His grin looked ghoulish in the dim light, but there was no mistaking the glazed look in his eyes. He’d had a number of indulgences tonight, and she could tell from his expression alone he expected more. 

“Hello, Samson.” Thalia kept her voice calm and even. This was precisely what she had bargained for — she had no right to be surprised. 

“You’re looking particularly lovely tonight,” Samson said, taking a deep sip from his cup. 

“Thank you.” 

He cocked his head, indicating the cushion beside him. “Why don’t you take a seat?” 

Heart thumping, Thalia walked around the table to the desired spot. Her bare knee poked out of the slit in her skirt; she caught Samson eyeing her pale flesh and her skin crawled. She almost wished he would dispense with the pretext and get on with it. 

She sat as demurely as she could, no easy task in a dress with so many holes. She crossed over leg over another and folded her hands on top. Samson was, to her relief, not in his red lyrium armor. He wore a black jerkin over a loose shirt, embroidered with cloth-of-gold and crimson thread, matching breeches. An attempt to look civilized, Thalia thought distastefully, yet still leagues better than the monstrous, interlocking bits of metal that thrummed and burned without heat. 

“Wine?” Samson asked, swinging the goblet in her face. 

Thalia shook her head. “No, thank you.” Whatever happened, she needed her wits about her, she decided. 

Samson shrugged. “Suit yourself. It’s the finest vintage from the Heartland region of Orlais, supposedly. Sweet like plums and honey... though not half so much as you.” 

Thalia tried her best not to cringe. “Why all this flattery? You’ve already won.” 

“Ah, love, I’m hurt.” Samson smirked. “Didn’t I tell you I could be a gentleman? I’m trying to prove that to you.” 

“I’d rather you didn’t.” Thalia tried to find a point in the room to look at that that wasn’t him. She settled on a marble bust on the far side of the hearth. 

Samson rasped out a laugh that turned to a deep-seated cough. “Oh, is that right? You’d rather have me at my worst, would you? Little better than the guttersnipe from Kirkwall, is that how you see me?” 

Thalia examined her shaking hands, refusing to dignify him with a response. 

Samson sighed, putting down the goblet. He leaned closer, brows knit, appraising her. “I’d like to see you with your hair down. Is that too much to ask?” 

“I suppose you might not know.” Thalia swallowed. “Highborn Ostwick girls are not supposed to let their hair loose around unmarried men. It’s a terrible faux pas.” 

“Mm.” Samson slouched against the sofa cushions, propping his chin up on his elbow. “It’s a good thing we’re not in Ostwick then, eh?” 

She thought of the times Cullen had removed the pins from her hair at the end of a long day, the two of them reveling in the sensual freedom. He was the only man outside her own family she’d ever let see her hair down. She missed him with a painful certainty, and hoped he would be able to forgive her for this. 

Thalia reached behind her head and began to pluck the pins from her braids. Samson watched with growing fascination as she deposited one after another on the table beside the silver platter. He must have been snorting the red lyrium, based on the residue. How much had he had? Was he planning to do more? 

Thalia set to work unraveling the multiple braids she had plaited into her hair this morning. At last she shook it all out, so that her auburn hair hung in heavy waves about her shoulders and down her back. 

A stray strand fell across her face. Samson leaned forward, brushing it aside. His fingers grazed her cheek, rough and calloused and raw. Nails bit down to the quick, with dirt and who knew what else caked beneath them. Thalia shuddered. 

“I’m not a complete monster, you know,” he murmured. “I’d prefer you enjoy yourself, too.”  

Something in Thalia’s chest twisted painfully. “I don’t see how that will be possible.”

Samson leaned past her, snatched the wine bottle, and poured the red-black liquid to the brim of a goblet matching his own. “That’s a good start.” He pressed it into her hand. 

Thalia raised her eyebrows. “Is that how you woo all your women? Get them too drunk to resist?” 

Samson let out a guffaw. “Not all. But everyone knows unpleasant things go down a lot sweeter with some wine in your belly. So drink up, dear heart.”

[shopwinebar]

The best home bar consoles give you the freedom to party hard and enjoy to the fullest without worrying about the next morning. Assorted home bar consoles are the perfect addition to your wine and bar cabinet and to add suave and style to your cabinet. Get what your home bar deserves at huge discounts today. 

[austerulous]

muse aesthetics

fill out with 3-5 items/aesthetics that fit your muse for each category. repost, do not reblog.

—  ciaran

emotions / feelings

1. confident The Lord’s Blade is nothing if not assured.  Ciaran knows her self-worth, is wholly aware of her capabilities – and her limitations – satisfied with the work she undertakes, the connections she has made and her position under Lord Gwyn.  For the most part, she is centred and composed.

2. daring To be a Knight of Gwyn, and a leader of a guild of assassins, requires boldness and intrepidity.  Contained though she is, Ciaran is bold when it is required of her, and will face foes many times her size and strength without hesitation.

3. prideful Although not inclined to bragging, she is proud of her achievements – of the rank she has attained and reputation she has garnered, of becoming the only female Knight of Gwyn, standing shoulder-to-shoulder with some of the most skilled and noble warriors alive.

4. vindictive Don’t think for a minute Ciaran is above bearing a grudge or acting spitefully.  There is a malice that is inherent to the assassin, and she unsheathes it when it suits her, when her paths cross with one she believes deserving of her ill will.  

5. withdrawn Although a Knight of Gwyn, Ciaran is somewhat removed from the fold – such is the secretive and underhand nature of her work, and the fact that she also holds the tenure as the Lord’s Blade.  Her duty is not only to Lord Gwyn, but to the assassins who train and work beneath her.  It is in her nature to remain guarded, to value her personal space, to trust only a few.

colours

1. amber The assassin’s eyes are a rich saffron shade, all golden and honeyed tones.

2. crimson For the blood she spills, that so often stipples the smooth expanse of her porcelain mask.

3. gold Elegant streaks paint the air, following the lethal lines of her gold tracer.  A colour significant to her home, a city of sunlight.

4. lavender-violet Reminiscent of Lord Artorias’ soul.  Unbeknownst to Ciaran, hers is of a similar shade, a muted purple-grey flare with a spark of pale gold flickering at its core.

5. smalt blue The deep, smoky blue of her garb, a colour that helps her meld with the shadows, leaving the pale face of her mask luminescent.

scents 

1. blood Death is her trade, and she is proficient in her butchery.  Metallic and unmistakable, beneath all the notes and layers of Ciaran’s scent there is blood and something akin to decay.

2. clove Springing from the mineral oil that she uses to sharpen the edges of her innumerable blades, her collection of daggers and knives meticulously and lovingly cared for.

3. perfume An exquisite, expensive scent that is spicy, woody and faintly floral all at once, blending orange blossom, honey, winter berries, cinnamon, tuberose, pepper, plum, anise, ylang-ylang, labdanum and opoponax.

4. smoke Reverent and subservient to the gods, the musky aroma of religious incense clings to the assassin, along with the primal scent of woodfire smoke.

5. wine Her preference is for red, full-bodied and dark, with notes of blackberry, dark cherry, fig and tobacco.

objects

1. bed Towering, wide and sumptuous, it was built with taller demigods in mind and dominates her chambers.  At the end of each mission, Ciaran savours sinking her aching, naked body into its softness, losing herself in a sea of sheets and blankets.

2. porcelain mask Blank and unreadable, pale and distant as the moon, cold as bone, a porcelain tundra in place of a face.

3. signet ring Emblazoned with a hornet, it is the symbol of her position as a Knight of Gwyn, a recognition of all her efforts stretching back to the War of Fire and earlier.

4. twin tracers The gold and dark silver tracers are the most beloved weapons in Ciaran’s extensive arsenal, and they are her first choice when it comes to dispensing death in the name of Lord Gwyn.  The assassin has formed an emotional attachment with them, and those close to her might know that she refers to them as her errant daughters.

5. vials Ornate bottles and jars rattle in drawers and pepper the polished surfaces of Ciaran’s chambers.  Some are innocuous elixirs, their petite vessels filled with oil, perfume or healing draughts.  Other substances have been blended with harm in mind, and house draughts that are highly flammable, corrosive, or poisonous.

body language

1. at ease Those deemed close and trustworthy enough to see her stripped of her Lord’s Blade garb, who are permitted to map the constellations of freckles on her bare face, may be witness to a considerably less formal and guarded facet of Ciaran’s being.  When free from her duties, she unwinds her braided hair, golden tresses falling free in a wavy tumble, often pulled forward over one shoulder.

2. eyes For a woman whose facial features are often obscured, it’s all in those discerning eyes framed by her mask.  Ciaran is perceptive, attentive to her surroundings.  She isn’t afraid to make unwavering eye contact, nor to scrape her gaze over another person’s form, to drink deep of their expressions and read their body language even as she obfuscates her own.

3. poise For all her neutrality of expression, Ciaran typically stands square and tall – as tall as her short stature permits, at least – her body coiled and primed for action, carrying herself with unmistakable authority and confidence.

4. reverence Ciaran is deferent to those she serves, respectful of the divines whose noble company she keeps.  No stranger to prayer, she bows her head in holy spaces.

5. stealth It is second nature that she keep her own body language largely inscrutable.  A diminutive demigod, she is unrevealing and stealthy, and possesses an uncanny ability to conduct herself in near silence, to fade away into the background.

aesthetics

1. blades Knives and daggers, forged from all manners of material, coming in a myriad of shapes and sizes.  Beautiful and functional, the assassin boasts a fine and expansive collection, their razor silhouettes glinting like teeth.

2. hornets This unbeloved insect is the one that Ciaran feels most kinship, a frightful stinging creature, at home within a humming nest populated primarily by females.  The assassin is also drawn to moths – the walls of her chambers have some particularly impressive species pinned and framed – and is not immune to the beauty of fireflies collected in glass jars, nor to the spiders who so expertly weave webs.

3. shadows The Lord’s Blades cloak themselves in shadow, unseen and omnipresent.  They are deeps wells brimming with secrets, they are the final moments before death, the light dying in a target’s eyes.

4. stinging / burning sensations Both physical and emotional.  It might be from the kiss of her tracer, or the prick of an uncensored remark.  Ciaran is made up of many sharp edges and she is not in the habit of tempering them for anyone.

5. wildflowers There is almost always a vase of these in her room and, just as she harbours tenderness for the most unloved of creatures, her favoured flowers are those that go overlooked for their toxic properties.  Foxglove, monkshood, poison hemlock, lords-and-ladies and deadly nightshade frequently keep the assassin company, perfuming the still air of her chambers.

tagged by: @umbrclflame​ and @yellowfingcr, a million years ago – thank you! ♡ tagging: @frostchild, @notahunter, @a-bottomless-curse, @umtplex (for leonhard!), @bcwblade, @deifiler, @sunpraised​, @worstheir​.

[sardonic-at-heart]

Last Date

I wanted to make this the first chapter for the series related to Fragile where it’s all flashbacks of Sam’s memories with Mika, but then I wrote the end of this fic and said to myself, “Yeaaahhhh maybe not.” You’ll see why I changed my mind. Enjoy!

Summary: Tipsy Mika and steak eater Sam enjoy a night out together.

It was a comforting and delightful thought to know that even after two years of marriage, Sam was still captivated with his wife like the very first time he realized he fell for her. Her smile, her laugh, her blush. Every quirk she had he loved, because it all unequivocally defined Mika Anderson.

As he listened to her talk about her day now, he couldn’t help the smile creeping at the corners of his lips at her enthusiasm.

She stopped suddenly and narrowed her eyes. “Why are you grinning? I’m talking about waiting in line for three hours just to get my driver’s license renewed.”

He chuckled. “You just look really great tonight, is all.”

And she did. She was wearing her lace plum dress, a recent favorite she bought a few months ago. He loved the way the skirt swished around her legs like a princess he saw her as. Her long black hair was swept in a loose ponytail, a few strands framing her face. Picturesque and effortlessly beautiful.

Any man would worship the ground she walked on and Sam didn’t mind swallowing his pride to do so if given the opportunity.

“W-wha—” There it was: that famous blush he enjoyed causing so much. And that cute stammering she did when she couldn’t find the right words to say.

“Sorry. Go on, I’m listening.”

“How am I supposed to continue after you caught me off guard like that!”

He smirked. “You thank me for being the best husband in the world and compliment me back.”

She huffed, lips in a pout.

“What else did you do today?” He changed the subject for her sake. Because he was the best husband in the world.

“I went grocery shopping because we were out of eggs.”

“Thanks again for buying it.”

“I didn’t mind,” she grinned. “It was a good excuse to also go out with my friends and try this new gelato place Suzu showed us. We need to go back so you can try it! The key lime pie flavor was very light and refreshing.”

He narrowed his eyes. “They were supposed to be getting ready for their flight to Italy today.”

Mika waved dismissively. “Naomi made sure Suzu packed a few days ago.”

Sam chortled. Suzu wasn’t exactly the type to plan anything. At all. Luckily her fiancée was a lot more responsible than her and kept her important dates in check.

They postponed their conversation momentarily when a waiter came to their table. He ordered well done steak (which always made his wife grimace at his “lack of taste”) and she ordered garlic shrimp pasta. She took a glance at the alcohol menu, and he grinned at how her eyes sparkled once she found white wine to pair with her dish.

“How was your day?” Mika asked.

“Don’t get me started,” Sam grumbled.

“Hey, I had my chance to rant about my day, so it’s only fair you do the same.”

He smiled briefly before it soured into a scowl. “A lot of paperwork. Again. That’s why I was late coming over here.” He paused. “Sorry for that, by the way.”

“It’s no problem. You don’t have to apologize.”

“You sure? How long did you have to wait?”

“Sam. I’m sure now and I’ll always be sure the next time you ask. And it was just five minutes.”

His expression twisted in guilt. “If I’d been here at least five minutes earlier—”

She let out an exasperated chuckle. “Sam. I’ve known for quite a while that your job makes you incredibly busy and I understand that you’ll be late sometimes. Don’t worry about it, okay?”

He measured her with a stare, taking in her relaxed smile and green eyes with an earnest gleam, and then conceded with a sigh.

Mika’s smile brightened knowing she’d won.

Their dinner and wine arrived then and, because Sam knew she always did this when it came to food and Instagram, he leaned back in his seat so she could take a couple pictures of their dishes. Or ten. She made sure to take them at different angles, even though it was the same freaking thing in every shot. He would have laughed at her ridiculous positions and silly expressions scrunched in concentration, but he was getting hungry the longer her photo session dragged on.

“Take your last shot right now or I’m going to eat your shrimp,” he threatened.

“Alright, alright,” she chuckled before she frowned at her screen. “Wait, that was a little blurry. Let me do it again—hey!”

He warned her, but she didn’t listen.

She finally put away her phone with a glare that lost its edge as she pouted. “If your steak wasn’t so charred I’d do the same.”

“Sounds like a you problem,” he cut a piece while snickering.

They talked a bit about their favorite band’s album that had been released recently while they enjoyed their food. There were rumors that one of their new songs would be featured in a video game Sam liked to play and he hoped it was true.

She showed him the pictures she took this morning for Sammy’s Instagram and he chuckled at how adorable the Rottweiler was curled up in his new bed. Once in a while Sam heard the sound of a camera snapping, but when he turned to his wife she acted like he was just hearing things. She was probably taking more pictures again. He let it go with a shrug and kept eating.

After they had finished a delectable chocolate mousse cake, Sam was quick to pay for the bill before Mika could reach for her wallet. Luckily she was tipsy enough to thank him with a noisy kiss instead of insisting she should take care of it like she always did.

He suggested they do a night stroll to gaze at the city lights and she happily agreed, giggling to herself at a joke only she could hear. When she was in this state it was best to have her walk around a few minutes until she had a clear head. He wasn’t planning to repeat the last time she drank too much.

She tripped a few times and he threw his head back and laughed while helping her up. To his relief she was able to walk like a normal person after ten minutes, but then she took out her phone and randomly recorded them together for reasons that were lost on him. He took note to keep an eye out for her newest post later.

Sam heard her light snores as he parked his truck in their driveway and he chuckled to himself. As much as he loved the sight of his wife asleep, he couldn’t let her anywhere near the bed with her dress and her makeup still on. Reaching over to unbuckle her seatbelt, Sam swept her in his arms and made his way inside. Their Rottweiler perked from his sleeping position when his owners entered the bedroom and yipped in an energetic greeting.

“Sammyyyy,” Mika groaned, opening her bleary eyes. “Inside voice.”

He kept yipping.

Sam placed her in their bathroom and motioned her to shower. “Going to take him outside. Don’t fall asleep in there, okay?”

She mumbled her response and closed the door. He made sure to hear the sound of the showerhead turning on before carrying Sammy to the backyard. It only took a couple minutes for him to relieve himself, and Sam spent an extra few minutes to clean it up and chase him around to expend all that excitable energy. It made feeding and refilling his water dispenser much easier that way.

He made sure Sammy’s paws were clean and dry and then let the little rascal run up the dog stairs at the end of their bed and over to where Mika lay, snuggling up to her side on the left. Eyes half open but still aware of what was going on around her, she cooed and petted him as Sam left to take a quick shower as well.

“Still up?” He asked when she glanced at him as he climbed into bed.

“I wanted to stay up until you joined me.”

“I’m here,” he lazily rested his arm around her waist. “Get some shut eye.”

She hummed her assent, leaning in to kiss him. “Tonight was lovely. Thank you for being the best husband in the world.”

“Anytime, doofus.”

“I should pay you back.”

“Wait, what—”

“Because you paid for dinner and I need to return the favor.”

“Mika, you don’t have to.”

“I want to,” she looked so determined that Sam didn’t have the heart to argue. “How about I bring you a home cooked meal at lunch time tomorrow?”

Oh, okay. He was fine with that. “Sure thing. Text me when you’re there?”

She nodded, closing her eyes. “Yup. Night, Sam. I love you.”

“I love you,” he pressed a kiss on her and Sammy’s forehead and turned off the lights, hoping to get enough sleep for tomorrow’s shift.

Want more? Read my fics here!

[hellishputa]

How Tinnitus is Cured

Tinnitus:

Tinnitus begins from the Latin word tinnier, or "to ring", to appropriately articulate, allude: [ti-nahy-tuhs, tin-I-]. Tinnitus is a hear-able pipedream, a clamor irregularity that starts in the ear. This isn't an illness however an indication. Tinnitus can't be hereditarily acquired except if an uncommon air known as neurofibromatosis is excluded. The most well-known sorts of tinnitus are undergoing commotion frequencies like sharp murmuring (whistling, ringing or shrill ringing) and thundering (low-pitched murmuring). Different cases qualify, giving the individual is seeing clamors, for example, peeping, individuals talking, shrieking, and click here surprisingly the sound of music.

How to do I look for treatment for my tinnitus?

Looking for treatment for singular circumstances shifts, reliant on whether the patient is managing emotional or target tinnitus. Visiting a nervous system specialist or otologist whose skill is nearby ear illnesses would be recommended. In light of the biopsies done by a nervous system specialist or otologist, your tinnitus would then be able to be appropriately ordered into a classification.

Are there solutions for Tinnitus?

Would i be able to MANAGE MY TINNITUS?

Solutions for Tinnitus

Sound eating routine and body control:

Keeping a sound eating routine is fundamental for appropriate recuperation, utilization of crude products of the soil helps the body recuperate from irritation, the sugars your body digests from leafy foods will help invigorate the mind, hear-able and sensory systems permitting a better blood stream to the head region. Getting important nutrients and minerals are additionally an extraordinary way to ensure your body is accepting its fundamental enhancements. Nutrient A, Vitamin B, and Vitamin E are brilliant mixtures for battling tinnitus and can be gotten up nearby store. Minerals like Zinc, Magnesium, and Chlorine are somewhat more expensive however serve your body's invulnerable framework. It is vital that you make a point to watch your circulatory strain, hypertension causes aggravation and can set off tinnitus besides.

What food varieties can help smother disturbance and irritation?

- Almonds

- Apples

- Apricots

- Berries

- Cherries

- Cucumbers

- Dry Fruits

- Fish

- Garlic

- Grapes

- Kelp

- Nectarines

- Nuts

- Oranges

- Peaches

- Pineapple (new)

- Pickles

- Plums

- Prunes

- Raisins

- Vegetables Sea Vegetables

- Tomatoes

- Wine

What Herbs help smother tinnitus?

There are a few spices that can help you with your tinnitus however not all devise. Ginkgo Biloba is said to smother tinnitus yet there is little proof of this. Albeit this spice has shown no negative affects in demolishing tinnitus. Different spices that are supported and demonstrated to be more effective would be sesame seed. Chinese cultivators have utilized sesame to cure tinnitus for century and it is an extraordinary substitutes for Ginkgo Biloba. Mistletoe tea is another extraordinary spice that helps upgrade blood dissemination, to make this tea you blend three cups of water in with three tbsp of the mistletoe spice, at that point let sit over night, channel in the first part of the day, warm, and drink unsweetened. This is another acceptable way to bring down your circulatory strain. Fenugreek Seed Tea is another extraordinary spice, this can kill the event of ear clamors, whenever taken consistently. Castor Oil and Onion Oil are valuable natural ear drop arrangements, take Castor oil as ear drops in gatherings of a few. Onion Juice can undoubtedly be gotten by stripping an onion and stressing for juice. Placing onion juice in the ears each and every other day is an incredible way to dispense with the manifestations of tinnitus. To forestall spilling when applying drops put cotton balls in the ears. Natural concentrates, for example, Plantain and Passion Flower are legitimate too. Enthusiasm Flower helps control your synapses and course, where Plantain fills in as an incredible mitigating plant, keeping the ears sound.

[fwoopersongs]

殊途难归 - Diverging Paths

Lin Chen A free spirit unsullied by mortal cares, spurring his horse on in the wind. The talents under Heaven Langya gathers, welcoming all - the wealthy and influential. Sword in dancing in the wind, sleeve like clouds, a physician’s heart so pure; bearing another's wish to return to the battle front, wholeheartedly, he commits his support.

Gong Yu A modest attire heightens exquisite features; fingers gentle over the zither’s strings, strumming to thin air as the years pass, words still unspoken - a knot of yearning grows. A melody is played for that him over the river, where a subtle fragrance drifts, her eyes on that leaf-shaped boat, she repays a debt once owed.

Meng Zhi A loyal heart quelling enemy schemes, conspiring to press for an inquiry into the past. When that storm stirred the emperor’s family, he watched tides surge and rain pour. At Meiling where their bones were long buried, would a cup of wine relieve that sorrow? For years, he never thought there would ever come a time when they could meet again.

Consort Jing A whole courtyard filled with the scent of herbs in memory of old days; will they ever know? That year, the chaos left in the wake is still unresolved - debts and grudges remain; when they were brought to mind again, already, ten autumns had passed. How fortunate that the clouds have parted, the wait has ended, her time has come.

Mei Changsu Since Mei Lang came to Jiangzuo, he’s held sway over the wind, clearing the river's flow. Those brilliant strategies to expel enemies from he in robes of white, one still remembers... Known to all heroes under heaven; the wings of Chiyan have not been folded, kept away. When will the beacons of war rest, that we may read of those who remain or have passed.

Prince Jing Before tasting the bitter cold, one could be carefree, fame and fortune dispensable. Rise or fall, the empire’s fate is now my duty; you ask if I worry, if I sorrow? In my heart, I cannot let go; through the snow I search but daylight is late, it has not come. As we must part ways and there’s no forcing fate, may I offer this toast of unstrained wine?

Mu Nihuang Leaning out to pluck the plum blossoms of the courtyard, the plum blossoms look down, like a hundred thousand soldiers bowing in deference, stepping forth. Rise and fall reined in hand; fame is hollow, one’s name need not be left behind. In ink dark, for a thousand autumns and forevermore, naturally, it will live on.

Fei Liu This world, clear or muddied, black or white all distinct through the tenderness in his eyes, good and evil both yet to be understood, fighting skill, marvelous, unparalleled. Knowing little of the world, in that heart, there is innocence still; daring to take pride in loyalty, ardent and true, following behind in neither plot nor scheme.

All Ladies Time cannot be stayed; there’s no need to ask of fate to unfold as you will. Beauty fades, one may look back and let it slide through their fingers. The water from wind and rain has begun to dampen.

All Men Slip off glory and grandeur, lonely shadow with your drink on the return journey to the end, fighting for home, for kingdom; in the red of blood, loyalty left as an indelible mark.

Mei Changsu Upon returning home, how difficult it shall be to see another crisp Autumn day.

主 蔺晨—小玖州【南风】 逍遥于出尘无垢 策马生风流 天下才琅琊尽收 不拘名利手 飘渺剑舞云袖 悬壶心通透 承一愿重披甲 倾心相扶相守

主 【宫羽】—小玖州【以冬】 素衣荆钗映花容 锦瑟绕指柔 空弹流年倚旧楼 默然相思扣 一曲潇湘某某 闻暗香幽幽 目随一叶行舟 偿还江湖恩仇

副 蒙挚—迟溪【流浪的蛙蛙】 肝胆忠义安敌权 谋前尘回首 风云惊动帝胄窥潮涌 雨骤 梅岭埋骨旧 杯酒可解愁 昔年未曾料 故人他朝再聚首

副 【静妃】—青砚【樱九】 满庭药香都为叙旧，故人知否？ 那年尚未平息的乱流，恩仇。 再思及往事，已是十年秋。 有幸是守得云开时候，出岫。

主 梅长苏—祁言【卿雲】 自有梅郎于江左 尽断风清流 绝策逐敌白衣客 犹记筹与谋 遍识天下英雄 赤焰羽未收 江山烽火何休 览阅人间去留

主 靖王—祁言【佑旻】 未尝苦寒可无忧 名与利无否 天下兴亡可任责 谓我几多愁 意自难平于胸 踏雪遍迟昼 纵歧路命难求 可奉一杯浊酒

副 【霓凰】—青砚【鸦青】 探身折庭中梅花 梅花低眸 便似十万儿郎皆俯首，扶袖。 兴亡挽于手，浮名无需留。 浓墨中自有万古千秋，世不朽。

副 飞流—迟溪【庄严】 天下清浊黑白分透 眼中温柔 善恶未明武道奇绝难 敌手 不谙人间事 犹有稚心留 敢以诚赤傲 骨随身后非诡谋

女音合—祁言 岁月难留 无须将世事多求 红颜旧 可回首 并作一抔 风雨如初透

男音合—小玖州 褪去风华孤影 觥筹 归途终究 报以家国吴钩 赤血忠长留

结束 梅长苏—祁言【卿雲】 若归故里难���清秋

[otonymous]

Flutter (MLQC Lucien - NSFW)

Description: Get inside Lucien’s head during the explosive events of Chapter 13 Warnings: NSFW/18+:  Explicit/graphic language — reader discretion is advised.  SPOILERS - up to and including chapter 13!!!!  Trigger warnings: mild depictions of physical violence, angst Word Count: 1035 words (~5 mins of angst, smut-lite™) AO3: read here Author’s Notes: Needless to say, the recent update of Mr Love: Queen’s Choice had me SHOOK in the best of ways.  I love a good dose of angst in my star-crossed romances and Lucien does not disappoint.  

I wrote this story in an attempt to get into the enigmatic professor’s head, thinking it would be interesting to see his reaction to the crazy events of Chapter 13.  

The lines marked with an asterisk were taken directly from this chapter, and some liberty was taken in my interpretation of the events.  Please note the warnings (especially the bit about SPOILERS) and happy reading! 😊

All characters & Mr Love: Queen’s Choice owned by Elex

The flutter of her eyelids so entranced him that Lucien was reminded of the gentle movement of butterflies, wings slowly drawing open and closed, iridescent under the morning sun as they patiently waited for the dew that weighed down tiny bodies to evaporate.  Patiently waiting for the chance to fly.

Flight.

The girl really should’ve known better, and Ares wondered what she would do if given the choice all over again.  Would she choose to fly — far, far away from the palm of his hand?  Or would she choose to throw herself into his embrace, doomed to repeat her error?

He struggled to imagine it many times before — a reality where he was completely immune and impartial to her charms.  How easy it would’ve been to accomplish the objectives of his mission instead of drawing it out, torturously slow…just for the chance to see her eyelids flutter once more like they did now — the girl digging the tip of his pen into the soft flesh of her throat.  And as cold steel extracted crimson drops that coalesced to impregnate the “X” etched into the body of the pen, Lucien watched as rivulets of red ran down the neck he so loved to kiss.

Hadn’t her eyelids fluttered that night when Lucien brought his lips so close to hers, plum-stained from wine and trembling to feel the warm caress of his breath? ��Deliberately refraining from touching her, the professor ignored the anticipatory heaves of her chest as he tested himself for the umpteenth time:  

All you have to do is walk away.

But he didn’t.  He couldn’t.  The line between Lucien and Ares was blurring, and his chest clenched painfully when he realized he could no longer fathom the border between truth and lies.  Shadow and light had mixed to form a murky grey that held him in its sway, until all he could focus on was his own reflection in dilated pupils, her body honest in a way he was not.

Not to her.  Not to himself.

Suddenly, she speaks, attempting to project her voice like a cornered animal trying to appear larger than it was.  Her words tremble pitifully, shaking like the pen that burrowed further into skin to increase the flow of blood.  But under the influence of adrenaline, the girl didn’t even flinch.

“Let me go.”*

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

“I’ll never let you go.  Does that scare you?”

She smiled as she shook her head in response, and the earnestness of his own voice shocked Lucien, sounding every bit like a young boy standing beneath the shade of a camphor tree, promising the world to a little girl in exchange for a paper crane.

“Not at all.  It makes me happy.”

Her smile faltered, shapely lips giving way to a rounded gasp as Lucien dove even deeper inside her, pressing his face to the delicate hollow between her neck and shoulder to hide the emotions that rose up to colour his mien.

“Foolish girl.  Do you even know what you are saying?”

Tongue tracing up the length of her carotid to feel its frantic pulse beneath delicate skin, Lucien whispers against the shell of her ear before sucking the lobe into his mouth.  And when she presses her body — hot and desperate — to his in response, his heart brims over with an affection so rare as to feel foreign.  

Reaching one hand behind him, Lucien further secures the legs wrapped tightly around his waist, relishing the way her hips surged up to deepen their connection until their bodies merged in climax, seized by the same convulsions that made them cling to one another, vulnerable to the dictates of desire.

“Is that a promise then?  That you’ll never let me go?”

The girl held up her pinky, cheeks rosy in her post-coital bliss, and the juxtaposition of naïveté and eroticism proved entirely too intoxicating for Ares.  

So he wrapped his little finger around hers, the gesture one of utmost sincerity when he says,

“I’ll always come back for you.”

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

“Let me go!”*  

The girl repeated, the shake of her hand now visible even to the men in black, waiting impatiently behind Ares.

“You think you can negotiate with me?”*

The light in her eyes falters for a moment and Ares’ breath catches slightly, practically imperceptible even to himself.

“You…you still owe me a thank-you gift.”*

Good girl.

Lucien regards her with the pride of a teacher looking upon his favourite student, already anticipating his next move as he spoke,

“Don’t let me catch you again.* You won’t be so lucky next time around.”

Her eyelids flutter once more — relief tinged with the hue of disbelief — before opening wide to see Ares dispense with the men charging at her with a singular flash of white light, the scene around them suddenly peaceful again, as if the entire event was a figment of her imagination, the remnants of some feverish dream.

But the sight of Lucien before her told her this was real, even if he had wanted her to believe that everything about him — about them — up to now had been lies.

And as he walks away, body slowly merging into shadows that crept into day like insidious fog, the pen slips from her hand to clatter on the ground, the echo drowned out by the girl yelling with all her might behind him,

“I will never trust you again, Ares, because you are not Lucien!  He would never harm me…Ares and Lucien have nothing to do with each other!”*

Turning around to face her before the rift swallowed him up entirely, Ares looked into her eyes, wet with tears, and found that it was his heart that fluttered this time.

For she was right.  Ares and Lucien had nothing to do with each other, because both had ceased to exist in the world they had inhabited as lovers.  Only the man who adored her remained, nascent and nameless.  

And as the professor succumbed to the rearrangement of every particle in his body, a gravitational pull so strong it distorted the space around him, he mouthed the words,

“I’ll always come back for you.  So wait for me, little butterfly.”

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

Thanks for reading!  Check out more of my work here! 📚

[bountyofbeads]

Inside a Brazen Scheme to Woo China: Gifts, Golf and $4,254 Wine https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/14/business/deutsche-bank-china.html

Inside a Brazen Scheme to Woo China: Gifts, Golf and a $4,254 Wine

By Michael Forsythe, David Enrich and Alexandra Stevenson | Published

Oct. 14, 2019 Updated 3:24 PM ET | New York Times | Posted October 14, 2019 8:10 PM ET |

It was a brazen campaign to win business in China by charming and enriching the country’s political elite.

The bank gave a Chinese president a crystal tiger and a Bang & Olufsen sound system, together worth $18,000. A premier received a $15,000 crystal horse, his Chinese zodiac animal, and his son got $10,000 in golf outings and a trip to Las Vegas. A top state banking official, a son of one of China’s founding fathers, accepted a $4,254 bottle of French wine — Château Lafite Rothschild, vintage 1945, the year he was born.

Millions of dollars were paid out to Chinese consultants, including a business partner of the premier’s family and a firm that secured a meeting for the bank’s chief executive with the president. And more than 100 relatives of the Communist Party’s ruling elite were hired for jobs at the bank, even though it had deemed many unqualified.

This was all part of Deutsche Bank’s strategy to become a major player in China, beginning nearly two decades ago when it had virtually no presence there. And it worked. By 2011, the German company would be ranked by Bloomberg as the top bank for managing initial public offerings in China and elsewhere in Asia, outside Japan.

The bank’s rule-bending rise to the top was chronicled in confidential documents, prepared by the company and its outside lawyers, that were obtained by the German newspaper  Süddeutsche Zeitung. The previously undisclosed documents, shared with The New York Times, cover a 15-year period and include spreadsheets, emails, internal investigative reports and transcripts of interviews with senior executives.

The documents show that Deutsche Bank’s troubling behavior in China was far more extensive than the authorities in the United States have publicly alleged. And they show that the bank’s top leadership was warned about the activity but did not stop it.

Josef Ackermann, the bank’s chief executive until 2012, said in an interview with The Times and separately in answers to written questions that he was not familiar with many of the details contained in the documents. But he defended the bank’s broader practices.

“This was part of doing business in this country,” Mr. Ackermann said. “At the time, this was the way things were done.”

For years, Deutsche Bank has been a poster child for misconduct in the finance industry. Regulators and prosecutors around the world have imposed billions of dollars in penalties against the bank for its role in a wide range of scandals. Most recently, the bank has been under investigation for the facilitation of money laundering in Russia and elsewhere.

Deutsche Bank — which for two decades was the primary lender to President Trump — also has been under scrutiny by two congressional committees and by state prosecutors in New York who are investigating Mr. Trump’s finances.

In August, the bank agreed to pay $16 million in a settlement with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission related to allegations that it had used corrupt means to win business in both China and Russia, violating anti-bribery laws, though it did not admit wrongdoing.

That penalty, the documents show, amounted to a small fraction of the revenues gained in China from business stemming in part from the activities. The bank’s outside lawyers had warned executives in 2017 that they could face a penalty of more than $250 million from the S.E.C. related to China. There is no evidence that German regulators investigated the bank’s activities in China, though they were alerted to some of it, according to the documents.

Reasons for concern appear throughout the documents, which include internal investigations conducted by two law firms, Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher and Allen & Overy, at the time of the S.E.C.’s action.

Deutsche Bank, the documents show, dispensed hundreds of thousands of dollars to secure meetings for top executives with China’s leadership. An obscure company received $100,000 to arrange a 2002 meeting between Mr. Ackermann and Jiang Zemin, then the country’s president.

In all, the documents show, the bank paid seven consultants more than $14 million, including for help buying a stake in a Chinese bank and winning coveted assignments from state-owned companies. Some of the payments were flagged internally as problematic but allowed to go through.

On multiple occasions, according to the documents, Deutsche Bank tried to win business by collaborating with family members of Wen Jiabao, China’s premier from 2003 to 2013. The Wens’ enormous accumulation of wealth was the focus of a 2012 investigation by The Times that found family members had controlled assets worth at least $2.7 billion.

Winning Over the Wens

Among its many ties to China’s political elite, Deutsche Bank cultivated a deep relationship with the family of Wen Jiabao during his term as premier of China. Mr. Wen himself received gifts from the bank valued at more than $15,000. But it was a family affair, involving his son, daughter and their spouses, as well as a close business associate of the family.

The bank, at least in part through its hiring of people with political connections, won hundreds of millions of dollars in Chinese deals. Such hires can be illegal if they are done in exchange for business. The bank’s outside lawyers calculated that just 19 of its so-called relationship hires helped bring in $189 million in revenue, including a plum assignment in 2006 managing a state bank’s market debut, then the biggest initial public offering in history.

Most of the Chinese government officials entangled in the bank’s activities have since retired, among them Mr. Jiang and Mr. Wen. But two parents of people the bank employed are now members of the Politburo Standing Committee, the country’s pinnacle of power. And the country’s vice president, Wang Qishan, accepted gifts from the bank when he held previous positions, such as mayor of Beijing.

Efforts by The Times and Süddeutsche Zeitung to reach Mr. Jiang, Mr. Wang and Mr. Wen — as well as other Chinese officials, executives and relatives mentioned in the documents — either were unsuccessful or received no response. Several current and former Deutsche Bank employees declined to comment.

Tim-Oliver Ambrosius, a spokesman for the bank, did not respond to specific questions about the documents. In a written statement, he said that the company had “thoroughly investigated and reported to authorities certain past conduct,” adding that the bank had “enhanced our policies and controls, and action has been taken where issues have been identified.”

“These events date back as far as 2002 and have been dealt with,” the statement said.

Mr. Ackermann said that he had cautioned the bank’s staff that “no business is worth risking the bank’s reputation.” Though he pushed employees to increase revenue and profits, he said, “feeling pressure cannot excuse violating compliance rules and regulations or the law of the land.”

Playing Catch-Up

When Mr. Ackermann was picked in 2000 as the next chief executive, his ambition was for Deutsche Bank to be universally recognized as a global leader. And he wanted it done fast.

China was critical. It was the most populous country in the world and on its way to becoming the second-largest economy. Yet Deutsche Bank was far behind its rivals there.

Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley had been at the forefront of helping China modernize its moribund financial system and network of state-owned businesses. In 1995, Morgan Stanley helped set up the country’s first investment bank, China International Capital Corporation. Goldman won the rights in 1997 to bring China Telecom, the country’s phone monopoly, to the international market through an initial public offering in Hong Kong.

Mr. Ackermann had to play catch-up.

A first step for the bank was poaching Lee Zhang, the head of Goldman Sachs’s Beijing office. Mr. Zhang was fluent in the ways of both China and Western business. Born and raised in China, he had studied in Canada and later moved to California, where he worked for Hewlett-Packard and studied business administration. He then went to Hong Kong, eventually landing at Goldman.

Mr. Zhang’s mandate was to transform Deutsche Bank into a player in China. That required winning over the Communist Party.

Mr. Zhang began hiring aggressively. Many of his recruits — dozens and dozens of them, according to spreadsheets compiled by the bank’s lawyers — were young, inexperienced and well connected. They came to know him as Uncle Zhang.

Ma Weiji, whose parents were senior executives at state-owned companies, interviewed for a job in 2007. It did not go well. A senior Deutsche Bank executive emailed Mr. Zhang that Mr. Ma “was probably one of the worst candidates.”

He got the job nevertheless. Soon, Mr. Ma was using his family connections to secure meetings for the bank with his parents’ companies, according to a memo by Allen & Overy.

Another job candidate was a son of Liu Yunshan, then China’s propaganda minister. He “cannot meet our standard,” a Deutsche Bank employee wrote in an email about the company’s equity capital markets group. He was offered a job anyway.

The younger daughter of Li Zhanshu — now a top member of the Politburo Standing Committee — was judged unqualified for the bank’s corporate communications team. She got an offer, too.

Even for qualified candidates, political connections were taken into account.

Wang Xisha, whose father was the top official in Guangdong Province when she applied in 2010, was a veteran of the rival bank UBS and had also interned at Goldman Sachs. During her recruitment process, one banker noted that she would “have access” to a state-owned automaker, according to Allen & Overy. Her father, Wang Yang, is now a member of the Politburo Standing Committee.

In 2006, Deutsche Bank began to engage in what it called referral hiring. The goal was to drum up business for the bank by doling out personal favors to current and prospective clients, the S.E.C. found. Premier Wen Jiabao’s son-in-law, who was a senior official at China’s banking regulator, referred one candidate. Mr. Wen’s daughter-in-law referred another. Both were hired.

A state railway executive in China referred the son of a judge on the Supreme People’s Court. The assistant president of the oil refiner Sinopec referred a candidate, too. So did the general manager of the state-owned Industrial and Commercial Bank of China.

Mr. Zhang, reached by phone, declined to be interviewed for this article. He also did not respond to written questions sent through a business associate.

“It’s a relationship country,” Mr. Ackermann said in the interview. “Of course we cultivated these people.”

Cashmere Overcoats

The roster was set. The first nine foursomes to tee off at Deutsche Bank’s Beijing golf invitational in October 2003 were a predictable mix of German and Chinese executives.

The 10th group was different. It included Winston Wen, son of the newly appointed premier, as well as Huang Xuhuai, a close business associate of the Wen family. They were joined by a top official from PetroChina, a state-owned oil company.

The fourth player was Mr. Zhang. The following month, he, Mr. Huang and Mr. Wen would be off to Thailand for more golf, and later to Germany, according to documents compiled for the bank’s internal investigation.

The relationships that Mr. Zhang built with the golfers were microcosms of how the bank made a name for itself in China beyond its strategic hiring. They were showered with gifts. They were enlisted to introduce Deutsche Bank executives to Chinese decision makers. And they were hired as consultants to help win the bank work.

Among dozens of gifts to political leaders and heads of state-run companies, the oil executive received golf clubs and a bag valued at more than $2,500.

Executives at China Life Insurance, which picked Deutsche Bank to help manage its I.P.O. in 2003, were treated to Louis Vuitton luggage, cashmere overcoats, golf clubs, even a sofa, totaling more than $22,000, according to a memo by Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher.

The bank prohibited gifts to public officials unless the legal and compliance departments signed off, and Gibson Dunn found that Mr. Zhang, who generated many of the expenses, had violated that policy.

The law firm’s research showed that from 2002 to 2008, bank officials gave more than $200,000 in gifts to Chinese officials, their relatives and executives of state-owned companies. More than a fourth went to people on the Politburo or their relatives, including Mr. Jiang, the president; and Mr. Wen, the premier.

Some of the gifts, like the crystal tiger for Mr. Jiang, who was born in 1926, the year of the tiger, were “provided” by Mr. Ackermann, according to the internal investigation.

Mr. Ackermann said that while he didn’t recall personally giving the items, he was aware that the bank’s staff thought it a good idea. He has not been accused of wrongdoing in China.

“They said that’s what Goldman and JPMorgan are doing, so we should do it,” Mr. Ackermann said in the interview. “I don’t think Wen Jiabao would be somehow influenced by a gift of a few thousand.”

In 2016, JPMorgan was fined $264.4 million by the Justice Department for its Chinese hiring. Other banks were also known to engage in similar practices. The Swiss bank Credit Suisse paid $77 million last year in criminal penalties and other fines. Goldman Sachs has not been accused of wrongdoing in its China business.

‘Red Flags’

The plan to increase Deutsche Bank’s clout in China also included buying a big stake in a midsize Beijing bank, Huaxia.

The acquisition plan, code-named Project Rooster, involved hiring Mr. Huang, one of Mr. Zhang’s golf partners. Mr. Huang had no experience in banking but had worked in a diamond company run by the wife of the premier, according to a background check that was done for the bank at the time. He was paid the equivalent of more than $2 million.

The bank’s compliance department didn’t stand in the way of the consulting role, but some senior executives were uneasy.

“Based on the information from the search firm, if this person is not known to the market and industry, why are we paying for the service and what are we paying for?” Polly Lee, the bank’s head of compliance in Hong Kong, wrote in an email to Till Staffeldt, a regional executive who was pushing for Mr. Huang’s hiring. “My concern is this individual is fronting for someone else.”

Mr. Staffeldt is now Deutsche Bank’s global chief operating officer for regulation, compliance and preventing financial crime.

Deutsche Bank’s bid for Huaxia was successful. In late 2005, the bank secured a 9.9 percent stake, which later increased to almost 20 percent. It was unclear what Mr. Huang did to help the deal go through, but Gibson Dunn later found that the circumstances around his hiring raised “red flags” that might have violated the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, in part because of Mr. Huang’s ties to the family of the premier, Mr. Wen.

In 2006, Deutsche Bank again brought Mr. Huang on as a consultant. This time, his task was to “study in-depth the financial safety of China’s banking industry.” He received $3 million.

Inside the bank, concerns had been mounting about Mr. Zhang’s use of consultants to win business. Frank Nash, who ran the bank’s Asian corporate finance division until 2004, warned a top executive, Michael Cohrs, about the problematic use of politically connected consultants.

Mr. Cohrs shared those concerns with the bank’s lawyers, including Richard Walker, a general counsel. They concluded that Mr. Zhang was operating inside the law, three people familiar with those discussions told The Times.

Mr. Zhang kept going. In 2006 he turned to another consultant named Huang to help the bank secure a role in the I.P.O. of Industrial and Commercial Bank of China. The stock offering was set to be the world’s largest ever. The banks handling the transaction reaped not only huge fees but also coveted bragging rights.

That man, Huang Xianghui, was lacking in banking experience, and a background check found that the Beijing company he claimed to work for did not appear to exist at the address on his business card. But what he did have, according to the bank’s documents, was a previous affiliation with PetroChina, the state oil company. Mr. Zhang hired him.

Mr. Huang’s original contract said he would receive $3 million for services that were “solely focused on the energy industry.” In a draft, someone crossed out “the energy industry” and wrote “ICBC,” a reference to the giant state-owned bank. Deutsche Bank went on to win a high-profile role in the I.P.O.

The success ingratiated Mr. Zhang with his superiors, especially Mr. Ackermann. Mr. Zhang would escort him to meetings with top Chinese leaders, including the president and premier, as well as to gatherings with cultural and academic experts, Mr. Ackermann said. While at Deutsche Bank, Mr. Zhang was appointed to a top government advisory body, signaling his insider status.

“He introduced me to all sorts of people,” Mr. Ackermann said in the interview. “He was always an honest person and had good ethical standards.”

But Mr. Cohrs, who was the head of investment banking, warned the company’s lawyers that he was “scared of how Lee Zhang was doing business and whether there was money being passed around in envelopes,” the documents show.

There was reason to be concerned.

A Settlement, No Wrongdoing

In 2010, the head of I.C.B.C. approached Mr. Ackermann and said he wanted to hire Mr. Zhang, citing his excellent work at Deutsche Bank, according to Mr. Ackermann. He became senior executive vice president at the giant Chinese bank.

Two years later, Mr. Ackermann stepped down as chief executive. A top executive warned his successor, Anshu Jain, that the bank had grown overly reliant on winning business from state-owned companies, an area rife with corruption risks, according to a person with direct knowledge of the warning.

In 2013, when the United States began investigating JPMorgan’s hiring practices in China, Deutsche Bank initiated an internal review. It found a troubling pattern of politically connected hiring, and reported the findings to the S.E.C. and the Justice Department.

The S.E.C. subpoenaed the bank in April 2014. Months later, Deutsche Bank sued Mr. Zhang, accusing him of profiting from one of the consulting companies he had hired because it was owned by a relative. Mr. Zhang denied wrongdoing in the suit.

The Times and Süddeutsche Zeitung found two other consulting companies used by Deutsche Bank that appeared to be owned by Mr. Zhang’s wife.

Amazing Channel Holdings and Speedy Link Holdings, both registered in the British Virgin Islands, list Ji Zhengrong as the owner, according to documents found in the Panama Papers. Mr. Zhang’s wife has the same name, and her birth date, listed in Hong Kong court records, matches the birth date in the offshore company records.

Speedy Link was paid $3.65 million by Deutsche Bank to assist in its successful bid to help manage the I.P.O. of China Life Insurance Company in 2003, according to the bank’s documents. Amazing Channel Holdings was paid $100,000.

At the time, Deutsche Bank’s top lawyer was Mr. Walker, who had been warned of executives’ concerns about politically connected consultants in China.

Before joining Deutsche Bank, Mr. Walker had been the head of the S.E.C.’s enforcement division. Now, as the agency’s investigation unfolded, bank officials were feeling optimistic.

Lawyers for Deutsche Bank traveled to the S.E.C.’s office in Salt Lake City to give a presentation on the company’s internal investigation. They argued that its hiring of Chinese princelings was far less extensive and systematic than at other banks, according to a person briefed on the meeting.

The lawyers told Mr. Walker afterward that the S.E.C. seemed to share the bank’s perspective, the person said. The agency’s investigators had concluded that when the bank hired politically connected employees, they were generally well qualified — something the bank’s internal reviews had cast doubt on.

This August, the S.E.C. announced that it was closing its investigation and had settled with the bank without requiring an admission of wrongdoing. Asked about the previously undisclosed Deutsche Bank documents, Chandler Costello, an S.E.C. spokeswoman, said, “The S.E.C. does not comment on details of any investigation, but, as always, the S.E.C. is committed to pursuing violations of federal securities law, wherever or by whomever they may occur.”

Earlier this year, the bank disclosed that it remained under investigation by the Justice Department for its hiring practices and use of consultants in foreign countries.

The German public broadcaster WDR contributed reporting.

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

How Deutsche Bank Hired Its Way to the Top in China

Confidential documents reveal the troubled German bank’s brazen campaign to win business in China by charming and enriching the political elite. Here are six key takeaways.

By Alexandra Stevenson | Published Oct. 14, 2019, 12:23 PM ET | New York Times | Posted October 14, 2019 |

Foreign companies have long clamored for access to China, the world’s most populous country and second-biggest economy. But when Germany’s biggest lender, Deutsche Bank, set its sights on China nearly two decades ago, it was late to the game and faced fierce competition.

An investigation by The New York Times and the German newspaper  Süddeutsche Zeitung found that, for Deutsche Bank, playing catch-up meant cutting corners and bending rules. It paid millions of dollars to Chinese consultants with access to politicians, hired dozens of relatives of China’s ruling Communist Party and showered some members of the political elite with lavish gifts, according to confidential bank documents that contain spreadsheets, emails, transcripts of interviews with top executives and internal investigative reports.

A spokesman for the bank did not respond to specific questions about the documents. In a written statement, Deutsche Bank said that it had “thoroughly investigated and reported to authorities certain past conduct,” adding that the bank had “enhanced our policies and controls, and action has been taken where issues have been identified.”

“These events date back as far as 2002 and have been dealt with,” the statement said.

Here are six takeaways from the investigation.

In China, it’s all about who you know

Like other investment banks, Deutsche Bank learned early on that relationships were crucial to securing deals in China, particularly with the Communist Party elite who controlled most of the country’s assets.

Joseph Ackermann, who led Deutsche Bank from 2002 to 2012, turned to Lee Zhang, who had been running the Beijing office of a rival, Goldman Sachs, to help play catch-up. When Mr. Zhang joined Deutsche Bank, he quickly moved to get the bank a seat at the table for some of the biggest public offerings of China’s state-owned companies.

Mr. Zhang led a fast turnaround. Two years after having had virtually no presence in China, Mr. Ackermann was meeting with China’s president at the time, Jiang Zemin. The bank also footed the bill for golfing sojourns with high-profile guests, including the son of Wen Jiabao, then China’s premier.

“He introduced me to all sorts of people,” Mr. Ackermann said in an interview.

By 2006, Deutsche Bank played a leading role in the initial public offering of Industrial and Commercial Bank of China, the world’s biggest offering at the time. This not only brought the bank a windfall, but also gave it fresh bragging rights in China. By 2011, it topped Bloomberg’s rankings for banks managing initial public offerings in China and Asia, outside of Japan.

Playbook Lesson 1: Lavish the political elite with gifts

Deutsche Bank handed out gifts totaling more than $200,000 to Chinese officials, their relatives and the executives of top state-owned companies, the documents show.

Mr. Jiang, the president at the time, received a Bang & Olufsen sound system. The premier, Mr. Wen, was given a crystal horse, his Chinese zodiac animal. Other gifts included a bottle of 1945 Château Lafite Rothschild wine, cashmere coats, golf clubs and stays at luxury hotels. There was even a car seat, valued on internal documents as $3,977, that went to a top executive at the state-owned oil giant PetroChina.

“They said that’s what Goldman and JPMorgan are doing, so we should do it,” Mr. Ackermann said in the interview. “I don’t think Wen Jiabao would be somehow influenced by a gift of a few thousand.”

Playbook Lesson 2: Pay consultants for access

When Deutsche Bank wanted to buy a big stake in a Chinese bank in 2005, it hired a consultant named Huang Xuhuai. Mr. Huang helped provide information about competing bids, enabling Deutsche Bank to come in with the winning bid. Mr. Huang was paid more than $2 million. Though the bank knew Mr. Huang had close ties to the family of the premier, Mr. Wen, which might raise red flags, Mr. Huang was hired again and paid $3 million.

The bank made payments worth more than $14 million to seven consultants who helped it win deals with state-owned companies.

Playbook Lesson 3: Hire the children of political elite

Deutsche Bank hired aggressively. Dozens of these new hires were young, inexperienced and very well connected, according to spreadsheets produced by lawyers for the bank. One was deemed “probably one of the worst candidates” by a senior bank executive. Nevertheless, he got the job. His parents were top executives at big state-owned companies.

Another applicant “cannot meet our standard,” an employee wrote in an email to colleagues. The candidate, the son of Liu Yunshan, China’s propaganda minister at the time, got an offer.

Even the candidates who were qualified were often assessed based on their connections. One banker noted that another candidate, Wang Xisha, whose father is now a member of the top Politburo Standing Committee, would “have access” to a state-owned automaker in Guangdong, where her father was a top official.

An internal bank investigation of 19 of these so-called relationship hires found that they helped bring the bank $189 million in revenue.

“It’s a relationship country,” Mr. Ackermann said in the interview. “Of course we cultivated these people.”

Red flags were raised

The internal bank documents show that while Deutsche Bank’s compliance officials didn’t put a stop to certain practices, some senior executives were uneasy.

When discussing whether to hire Mr. Huang as a consultant, for example, the bank’s head of compliance raised questions in an email. “My concern is this individual is fronting for someone else,” Polly Lee, head of compliance in Hong Kong, wrote to a senior executive, Till Staffeldt.

Mr. Staffeldt went on to become Deutsche Bank’s global chief operating officer in charge of compliance, regulation and preventing financial crime, a job he still holds.

Others were worried about the ties that Mr. Zhang cultivated, too. The head of Deutsche Bank’s investment banking at the time wrote to lawyers that he was “scared of how Lee Zhang was doing business and whether there was money being passed around in envelopes,” according to the documents.

A law firm hired by the bank later found that the circumstances around Mr. Huang’s hiring raised “red flags” that could have violated the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act.

Deutsche Bank paid a relatively modest penalty

In August, Deutsche Bank paid $16 million to settle allegations by the United States Securities and Exchange Commission that it used corrupt means to secure business in China and Russia. The bank was not required to admit wrongdoing. The bank’s internal documents show its legal counsel had warned executives that it could face penalties of more than $250 million from the S.E.C. related to China alone.

Asked about the previously undisclosed Deutsche Bank documents, Chandler Costello, an S.E.C. spokeswoman, said, “The S.E.C. does not comment on details of any investigation, but, as always, the S.E.C. is committed to pursuing violations of federal securities law, wherever or by whomever they may occur.”

In written responses to questions from The Times, Süddeutsche Zeitung and the German public broadcaster WDR, Mr. Ackermann, the former chief executive, said he had cautioned the bank’s staff that “no business is worth risking the bank’s reputation.” Though he pushed employees to increase revenue and profits in China, he said, “feeling pressure cannot excuse violating compliance rules and regulations or the law of the land.”

Alexandra Stevenson is a business correspondent based in Hong Kong, covering Chinese corporate giants, the changing landscape for multinational companies and China’s growing economic and financial influence in Asia.

[maevefiction]

Your Light in the Mist - Chapter 42

We left the Gold Coast on February 13th, returned home for two days, then were off again…first to Berlin for a screening of ‘The Night Manager’ with a Q & A session, then on to Vietnam, where shooting began the day after we arrived. The entire experience there was life-altering, in a way. The people, who were so kind, generous, and welcoming, and the locations, some of which had never before been filmed, were majestic and evocative of a land time had, to our benefit, forgotten…but most of all, the opportunity to immerse myself in a culture I had little knowledge of was humbling, and miraculous, and I made every effort to be out and about with every spare moment I had. When production wrapped in mid-March, Jordan announced that he was planning on relocating to the area, and I found myself just the tiniest bit jealous. There was such a sense of peace there, despite such a tumultuous upheaval in the not so distant past…a testament to the human spirit, our ability to keep pressing onward, to continue to live, and even thrive. A lesson in perspective, I suppose.

Tom was due in Los Angeles on March 20th for a photoshoot, so we opted to go directly there instead of heading home to London and then back out again. The 21st was booked with interviews, which would be followed by the official ‘I Saw the Light’ premiere on the 22nd. This was the first time I’d be walking a red carpet with him, other than the brief appearance at the Cube. Though Tom normally preferred the Beverly Hills Hotel, we were staying at the Loews Hollywood due to its proximity to the Egyptian, where the screening would be held, and Sadie’s Kitchen, the venue chosen for the after party. Our room was on the 15th floor, modern décor in shades of grey, white and burgundy, with a view of the Hollywood sign…currently packed with a team of stylists, garment bags and rolling racks making me feel like a sardine in a tin. Granted, a very lovely tin, but a tin nonetheless. Tom was almost ready to go, his bright blue suit complementing his eyes perfectly, black necktie offering a bold contrast to his white dress shirt. I was still in my skivvies, one of the gals taping me into my strapless bra ‘just in case’. Despite the opportunity it created for an epic wardrobe malfunction, I was totally in love with my gown. It was strapless with a sweetheart neckline, gradient purple, near black at the top, fading to pale lilac midway down in the front and plum in the back. The skirt was floor length and full, and both a portion of it and nearly the entire bodice were decorated with silver vines and leaves, cascading downward like a waterfall. I’d opted for dark purple heels, on the thick side because I figured there was less of a risk of tripping in front of the press line that way. Around my neck was my tourmaline necklace, and my hair had been pinned up in a loose bun. As I pondered what food choices awaited me at Sadie’s, the gal announced that my tits were secure and I was instructed to step carefully into the gown, zipped up, and released into the wild to fend for myself. Tom’s hands descended upon my shoulders as I inspected the contents of my clutch one final time, making sure I had a room key, my cell phone, tissues and a Snickers bar.

“You look gorgeous, as always.”

I turned my head to meet his gaze. “You don’t look half bad yourself.” He grinned, releasing me, and I spun around to get a better look at him. “Mmm. That is a nifty suit. To the left…to the right…where will…aha, LEFT. What’s that, eight out of ten or something?”

“I didn’t realize we were collecting data. Will the results be in the form of a bar graph or a pie chart?”

“A fifty page thesis, actually. Available for sale on Amazon. I figure we can fund our retirement with it.”

He laughed, interrupted by his phone chirping. “Car’s here. Let’s roll.”

“Walk. I’m going to walk. Probably. Rolling sounds like ‘a YouTube Star is Born’. But I suppose that could fund some shit too…”

We exited arm in arm, piled into the elevator with a bunch of other fancy people I didn’t know, then climbed into the black SUV waiting for us. It was still light out, the day bright and sunny. Our vehicle was sixth in line when we pulled up to the Egyptian Theater, and my jaw dropped at how old-school big-glam Hollywood it looked, the red carpet lining the courtyard, velvet ropes and press wherever I looked. It was far from my first rodeo, but it was the first time I’d be at such an event in the capacity of ‘movie star’s plus one’. A low whistle escaped my lips.

“Wow, so we’re like, really doing this. Surreal, Tom. Sur-REAL.”

He took my hand in his, pulling my attention away from what I could see outside the window. I smiled at the sight of the excitement written all over his face. “It is that, positively. And I’m…I’m…well, I’m like a live wire, Maude. Crackling and vibrating and super charged with energy because I’m not walking this one alone, you’re going to be right by my side and…” He let go of my hand, flinging both his up in the air and waving them around jazz-style as he grinned. “I. AM. UNCONTROLLABLY EXCITED!”

I leaned in to kiss his cheek, quickly wiping the lipstick I left behind away with one of my tissues. “My god you are just too cute. Does this car have a sick bag? Because the cute is going to make me barf, for sure.” I mock-gagged.

He continued to grin like a fool as he pointed to the window behind me. “We’re up! It’s time! Let’s go, my lady. LET’S GO!”

Before I could ask for a moment to get my shit together, he was out of the car, the roar of waiting fans greeting him as he ran around to my side and opened the door for me. I took his proffered hand and stepped out into the daylight, the roars growing louder, our names being shouted above the din by press and onlookers alike. As we made our way down to the entrance, Tom stopped to sign and take selfies as long as time would allow, and then it was time for us to strike a pose. The flashes were the worst part, a ceaseless strobing that made it very difficult to focus, but mid-way through my eyes and brain seemed to adjust and I found myself having a really good fucking time mugging for the cameras with the man of the evening. The interviews were a blast, Tom taking the lead and doing most of the talking, pulling me in here and there when it was someone he’d interacted with on previous occasions or mentioned my name. We were like a comedy improv team that sang on command, and by the time we made it into the actual screening I was totally high on fun. Not exactly the right vibe for such a serious, angsty, sad movie, but in the end I was grateful I went into it with a boost because the ended pregnancy talk scene was difficult to watch even though it was the second time around. There I sat, holding back tears with Tom’s hand in mine, shaking, and me rubbing his wrist with my thumb. As soon as the credits rolled we were ushered quickly to the car, and then it was off to Sadie’s. I was a very intimate setting, the décor an eclectic mix of woods, stones, metals and glass. The food was a bit too micro for my taste, and there were moments when I seriously considered grabbing an entire tray of hor d'oeuvres and making a break for the coatroom. Tom had been indulging in champagne all evening, and Rodney’s band was in the house, so I knew that it wouldn’t be long until an impromptu jam session occurred. I’d avoided going to the bathroom since we left the hotel, and the three sodas I’d guzzled made it impossible to postpone any longer. I kissed Tom on the cheek, leaving him with the drummer whose name I’d been given but could absolutely not recall and headed for the rest room. Fitting into the stall was the first hurdle, turning around was the second, and it actually got more and more complicated every step of the way until my hands were full of fabric and my ass was on the chilly seat. Figuring out how to wipe was the Rubik’s cube of the process, and I stared at the toilet paper dispenser for an untold amount of minutes. I heard the band begin to play Move It On Over, heard them finish, then start up with Long Gone Lonesome Blues. Tom’s yodeling snapped me out of my stupor and I bunched all the fabric in the crook of one arm, tore off the necessary quantity of sheets with my free hand and took care of business like a boss. As I thanked the gods for auto-flush, I unlocked the stall, dropped the fabric back in place and propelled myself outward…right into Lizzie, who was wearing a far more practical dress that wasn’t all floaty and poufy and just waiting for an accident to happen. She grinned.

“So? Enjoying the party? Or did you come in here to hide like, you know, I DID?”

I laughed. “So far, so good. Nice to know it’s not just me who seeks refuge in bathrooms, though. But this time it’s a legit visit. Which was terrifying.”

“Maude, there are more dresses in my closet that I wound up buying because they were unfit to return then I care to count. Wine, toothpaste, hair gel, lipstick, chocolate, things I don’t even know what they are and probably don’t want to…and lemme tell ya, I know all the best bathrooms for hiding in SO many cities all around the world. The private ones with really loud fans are just…” She sighed. “Perfection.”

Washing my hands, I nodded. “Oh yeah. Peace and quiet. If they only came with a Do Not Disturb sign…”

“Oh my GOD, there’s a bathroom in a restaurant in Toronto, I can’t remember the name but I know where it is, I can see it…damn…anyway, they HAVE that.”

“No they do not.”

She nodded, walking to the stall furthest from the door. “Yes they do! Best twenty minutes of my night a few years back.” Turning, she waved. “Okay, I’m goin’ in. If anyone’s looking for me…”

“I have no idea where you are.”

She blew me a kiss. “Bless you.”

As I re-entered the chaos, I was hit with an extra-loud, slightly slurred version of Hey Good Lookin’, and I couldn’t wait to round the corner and see Tom in action. And take a video. Which I’d totally post on Tumblr because surely it was something the entire world needed to see. The band had set up on one side of the dining area, which had been cleared of tables, and they were surrounded by cast and crew, some standing and clapping, others dancing. Tom was easy to spot, and as I worked my way through the crowd, I noticed that there was a woman hanging on him, her arm resting on his shoulder as she shimmied to the beat. She was waiflike, incredibly thin and tall, taller than Tom, even, in her white stilettos, her white mini dress so short I didn’t think it would be possible for her to sit down without putting on one hell of a show. There were triangular cut-outs at the waist, and her platinum blonde hair hung halfway down her back. Her eyes were huge, greenish-grey, and beautiful, the stand out component of her heart-shaped face with its perfect Cupid’s bow mouth. I’d never seen her before and had never asked him to point her out in the film, though I now recognized her from it, and as I registered that it was the woman he was terrified of running into, and that we’d forgotten the possibility of her being there, or at least I had, my heart began to pound in my chest. Claudia. Right there, in front of me, rubbing up against my fiancé.

As the song ended everyone cheered, and she placed her hands on either side of Tom’s head, turned his face towards hers, then kissed him squarely on the lips in far too intimate a fashion and for entirely too long. I heard a few gasps, but they were eclipsed by the roaring of my heartbeat in my ears, and I fought the urge to scream as I watched him gently push her away. He turned back toward the crowd, stone-faced, and when his mask slipped almost imperceptibly I knew he’d spotted me. I wanted to run, flee the scene, disappear into the night but this was a party full of his co-workers, part of the promo, and doing so would certainly hit the gossip rags in a flash and had the potential to damage the success of the film and so I stood, and I faked a smile as he walked toward me with the woman who possessed a cache of sex tapes starring them both at his side. Once they were two feet away, she opened her clutch and pulled out what I knew to be a hotel room key, as it bore the same logo as the one in my own. Her voice was a much higher pitch than mine, volume just loud enough for both Tom and I to hear when she spoke, pressing the plastic rectangle into his hand.

“Here’s my key. Panorama suite two. I’ll see you shortly.” She turned to me, smirking, then back to him, gesturing in my direction with her thumb. “You can bring her too, if you want, even though she’s not exactly my type. That giant cock of yours more than makes up for it.”

She grinned widely at me, then walked across the room, hair swaying back and forth as she rolled her hips, finally vanishing around the corner and into the hall that led to the exit after what seemed like forever. I heard Tom say my name, and I looked up, but I stared at the knot in his tie because I couldn’t look him in the eye. He took my hand in his, which I permitted, and after his first ‘good night’ it dawned on me that one, I should do the same because two, apparently he’d decided it was time to get the fuck out of there. As soon as we rounded the same corner Claudia had minutes earlier, I pulled my hand from his. Neither of us spoke then, and when he began to do so in the car, I silenced him with a terse ‘not now’.

The ban continued as we entered the hotel, and throughout the elevator ride. Once the room door was closed and locked behind us, I held up both hands, palms toward him.

“Tom. I’m going into the bathroom. I’m going to take this dress off. I’m going to take a shower. I’m going to try and calm down and return to some sort of quasi-rational version of myself. You are going to stay out here.” I could feel the rage bubbling up, words I shouldn’t say spilling out of my mouth. “Unless, of course, you’re planning on joining Claudia, which, FYI, I am NOT.” I took a deep breath. “I’m sorry for that. That’s exactly what I’m trying to avoid. I’ll be out when I’m ready.”

Once safely tucked away, I focused on each individual detail of every task. Zipper down. Dress off. Hang up the dress. Tape off. Bra off. Underwear off. Water on. Test water. Step into shower. By the time I’d dried off, I once again understood that the man on the other side of the door loved me, and that I loved him, and trusted him, and that we needed to discuss what had happened because there was a side to this story I’d yet to hear, and doing or saying or thinking anything without having that knowledge would be unreasonable. And wrong.

He was sitting on the floor, jacket and tie off, shirt unbuttoned ,back leaning up against the bottom of the bed with his knees up and his head in his hands. Hearing me pad across the carpet, he looked up at me, his forlorn expression shifting briefly to one of desire, which baffled me until I realized I was naked. Knowing that he wanted me in the midst of all this was strangely comforting, and empowering. I pulled a robe out of the top dresser drawer, wrapping it around myself as I walked to the bed and sat down, his body to the left of my own. His gaze was cast downward again, and I reached out and began rubbing the back of his neck, speaking softly.

“Will you sit with me and tell me what happened?”

He nodded, rising quickly and joining me on the mattress. His eyes met mine, and he inhaled deeply.

“I had no idea she’d be attending. I didn’t even think to ask. If I’m honest, I hadn’t given her a single thought in months, not until we watched the movie here, and even then the possibility of her turning up didn’t even cross my mind for more than a few seconds…and I pushed it away as me being paranoid. As soon as I started in on Hey Good Lookin’ I felt someone to my left, which wasn’t out of the ordinary as people had been all around me since we began playing, but the someone was incredibly close, and at first I thought you’d snuck up on me and were going to join in, but when I turned to look it was…her. And there I was, in the middle of a song, in front of everyone, and I wanted to stop and get away from her but…”

It was my turn to nod. “In front of everyone. I know that feel.”

He shook his head. “I told myself to remain professional, to keep going, and I thought if I pretended that we were filming I’d be fine. Then she…she…she kissed me in front of everyone, and I just couldn’t believe it and she just kept going and I wanted to shove her off me but that would have looked…and so I did it as normally as I could and the whole time I was hoping you were still in the bathroom but then I saw you…” He paused. “And when I started toward you she came WITH me and then the keycard and what she said…then watching you keep yourself together when I knew you were…I’m sorry. So, so sorry. If that kiss makes it online…my god. I’m sorry.”

His head was in his hands again, shoulders shaking as he wept, and I recognized that this experience had been so deeply traumatic for him that he didn’t quite realize it yet, his unconsciously focusing outwardly serving as diversion. I wrapped my arms around him and held him to my chest, stroking his hair until he quieted enough to listen. When he was able to look me in the eye again, I began to speak.

“Thank you for explaining. That’s essentially what I thought had happened, and, I’m very sorry it happened to you.” His left brow rose. “What she did was so completely inappropriate…I mean, that’s not really surprising, but…yeah. Is it okay if I go through my thought process here?”

He half-smiled. “Yes.”

“Obviously, there’s a component of jealousy. That hit me first. This beautiful woman that’s been intimate with you kissed you right in front of me, and you look amazing together, and she’s tall and blonde and skinny…and the way she presented the keycard to you made it seem like you had an arrangement, a plan in place. Most of way back here all what was going through my mind was that you’d been secretly contacting her and set this all up. But, then I reminded myself exactly who, and what, she was to you, and the jealousy turned primarily to anger, directed at her, but there was still enough jealousy left to generate some serious nastiness on my part directed at YOU. And, like I said before, I wanted to avoid that because it was likely baseless and unwarranted, the jealousy. So I showered, and I listened, and DAMN that anger is way worse now and you should probably keep that room key far the fuck away from me…” I took a deep breath. “Sheese. Again, I’m very sorry this happened to you. However you want to handle it, I’m here to help. Whatever you need, okay?”

He reached out to touch my face, letting his fingertips drag across my jaw and down my neck before grasping my hand.

“I wasn’t even thinking of anything happening to me. I was afraid of what you’d think, and…”

I entwined my fingers with his. “I know. And I appreciate that. We’ve been through some shit, my dude, and I’m a runner. Or, I was. Now…you’re more important than my internal bullshit struggles.”

A smile lit up his face, but it faded quickly, replaced with fear, then sorrow, then anger over the next several silent minutes as he stared at me.

“Maude, all I know in this moment is that I’m finished being afraid of her. I remembered what you said back in New Orleans, our options, and…well, it’s time, I think, for her to know that what she views as having the upper hand…isn’t. Not anymore.” He ran one hand through his hair. “So. I’m going up there, and I’m going to deal with this for once, and for all. Unless you think it’s utter madness to do such a thing.”

My mouth dropped open as my brow rose. “Oh, it’s madness, alright. But I like it. Hmm…”

He laughed, then poked my collarbone softly with his finger. “Ah, a plan is afoot, is it?”

“No. A plan is a plan. Not a foot.” He groaned and covered his eyes briefly, gaze returning to meet mine as I continued. “Okay. Several things to consider here. Ideally, you’d do this alone. Are you comfortable with that?”

“Well, yes and no. Going in, absolutely. But when I visualize reaction scenarios, I am concerned that a situation might arise that would result in an unfavorable outcome.”

I snorted. “Yeah, as in her recording the entire exchange and then heavily editing it to paint you in a…a…let’s go with ‘negative light’.” He nodded. “The hotel security feed would take care of pinpointing when you entered and when you left, but everything in between is up for grabs, and that’s not acceptable. Having a witness seems warranted, but who’s the witness? Am I the witness? Does my bias preclude me from being reliable in reporting the truth?”

Tom nodded again. “Likely, yes. But you’re the only witness available who’s privy to all the details of the history involved, and I wouldn’t trust anyone else to maintain any sort of confidentiality.”

This was something I had zero desire to participate in, for a multitude of reasons. It was pre-Maude, and in that aspect, none of my damn business. But since Claudia’s future actions could significantly impact my life, even if said impact was short-lived, that made it potentially my damn business. Then there was what I knew…what she’d done with him, and, far worse, what she’d done TO him. Unsettling at best, rage inducing at worst…in other words, I’d be walking into a situation wherein keeping myself in check was questionable, but of the utmost importance. And there it was, another lightbulb moment in the life and times of Maude Gallagher-soon-to-be-Hiddleston. I chuckled, and he stared at me, confused, head tilted to the side as he attempted to discern what was amusing.

I patted his knee. “I’m just laughing at my own stupidity, because I totally forgot that I’m a member of your PR team and thus have a rather valid reason to accompany you since part of the discussion will include…PR. And it ALSO gives me a reason to behave myself. Total coup, right?”

His arms wrapped around me, kissing first one cheek, then the other. “Oh, yes. Check mate.”

“No, that’s just the check. The checkmate is me recording the whole exchange on my phone, which will be tucked in my bra. Or somewhere.”

He pulled back, eyes wide. “Isn’t this a two party state? I recall you mentioning that…”

“Yeah. It is. But that won’t stop me from leaking it if the need arises. You know, someone could steal my phone at any given moment. It’s totally possible. I’m forgetful. I leave things behind ALL THE TIME…”

“Maude, you are deliciously fiendish. And I love you so.”

“Aw, thank you, baby. And I’m a total hypocrite, because I just admitted to being willing to do what I believe she shouldn’t. Anyway…criminal prosecution for this sort of thing is very rare. She could sue, of course. But I don’t think I care. Do you care?”

“I do not.”

“Cool. Hopefully we’ll never need to use it.” I rose, both hands finger-gunning in his direction. “Let’s do this.”

He stood, tugging at the fabric of my robe. “Should you dress first, do you think?”

I glanced down at myself. “Oh. Right. This is not one of my ‘don’t fuck with me’ ensembles.”

Snorting, he began re-buttoning his shirt. “Quite the opposite, actually.”

“Thomas. I’m struggling to keep a firm grasp on my professionalism. Cease.”

“Firm grasp, you say?”

I pretended to not hear him and searched my travel wardrobe for something that would work, in the end opting for black leggings, a fluffy, grey, oversize turtleneck sweater and my Birkenstock boots. As I caught sight of myself in the mirror on the way out the door, I decided my choices were just the right mix of business and badassery…but a V-neck would have made hiding the phone a whole lot fucking simpler.

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

There we stood, outside Panorama suite number two, me turned away from the door with my shirt lifted and bra on full display as I wedged my phone into it and hit record. Tom and I exchanged a few words, and then it was Titty Time again. I was relieved to hear the playback was nice and clear and began another session, putting a finger to my lips to let Tom know we were on the record, so to speak. He knocked loudly, then even louder when there was no immediate answer. When he paused, a clicking that could only be high heels on tile was audible, its increasing volume indicating the wearer was travelling in our direction. The door swung inward to reveal Claudia, now clad in white lingerie, a lacy bra, bikini panties, garters and filmy white stockings, all paired with the same white stilettos she’d worn to the party. She placed one hand on her hip, smirking widely.

“Well, well, well. Hello, Tom. I expected you to turn up, but not…” A thumb with a fuchsia fingernail jerked in my direction. “…her. Not exactly a pleasant surprise, but, whatever. Come on in. I’ve gotten off with my vibe three times already but I’m still SO fucking horny. Just one kiss from you, that’s all it takes…mmmm…”

Tom held up a hand, palm towards her. “Stop, Claudia. Right now. Control yourself until we’re behind closed doors, for god’s sake.”

She bit her lip. “Oh my, someone’s feeling forceful. Must be my lucky day!”

We walked in past her, and she followed after closing the door and engaging the slide-bolt lock, stopping in front of the not-so-mini mini bar to face us.

“Anyone else want a cocktail before cock?” Neither Tom nor I replied. “Well I do. I need one. Who wears a turtleneck to a threesome? Christ.”

Tom’s jaw clenched, then released as he spoke. “I’m afraid you’ve misinterpreted the reason for this visit, Claudia. Hint, it’s not for a threesome. I’m only here to have a conversation with you, one we should have had quite some time ago. Maude’s presence is due to the fact that she’s a member of my PR team, and will serve as my advisor if necessary.”

She was stunned, silent, and the fingers she’d wrapped around a bottle of rum went white with the strength of her grip. When Tom noted it didn’t appear as if she’d reply, he continued.

“I’m not going to waste my time re-hashing the past, but I will say this…I made it abundantly clear that we were done when I discovered you were secretly filming our encounters. When I also made it clear that I didn’t love you, and pointed out that I’d never given you any reason to believe our relationship was anything more than purely sexual in nature, you threatened me. You threatened to provide a detailed account of our interactions to my family and friends, you threatened to publish all of the videos you’d made online, and you threatened to ruin my career and make my life a living hell.”

She’d done several double takes during his speech, looking at me, then back at him, then back at me, as if she couldn’t wrap her mind around the fact that I might be aware that something had transpired between them. She finally relinquished her hold on the rum bottle, lifting her hands in surrender. “Tom, that was…I was…I just said all that because I was angry. I didn’t mean it.”

He scoffed. “Really? You didn’t mean it? Yet you accepted a million dollar payout from me?”

“I thought we had a future, Tom. Together. The money was like…alimony.”

“I’m not even going to dignify that with a response, Claudia. What I want you to know is that from this day onward, you are to come nowhere near me. If for some reason we find ourselves at the same event or function, don’t approach me. Don’t speak to me. And most of all, don’t fucking TOUCH me. If you refuse to comply, I will not hesitate to file a restraining order against you.” He took two steps closer to her, his face now inches from hers. “Do you understand?”

She didn’t respond, and he repeated the question, his tone far harsher, volume ratcheting up five notches on the dial.

“DO YOU UNDERSTAND?”

Crossing her arms, she sneered at him. “You know, I still have all those videos...it would be such a shame if they went public and Maude found out what kind of person you really are…”

And there was my cue. I pulled Tom backwards and away from her, then stepped in front of him.

“Maude is acutely aware of the contents of ‘those videos’, Claudia.” Air quotes. I felt like an Office Space character for a second, and really, really wanted to tell her that if she would kindly fuck off and die that’d be great. “Opting to publish them is entirely your choice to make.”

Her laugh bordered on hysterical. “So you’re fine with ruining his career and making yourself a laughing stock? That’s cool. I’ll totally publish them then.”

I shrugged. “Be advised that there will be repercussions that will affect you personally and professionally if you choose to take such action.” She opened her mouth to speak, and I held up my hand to cut her off at the pass, my right index finger pointing up toward the ceiling. “First, since you’ll be violating the terms of the NDA you signed, a suit will be filed for breach of contract wherein we’ll be requesting both expectation and disgorgement damages. That means you’ll be on the hook for repayment of the one million dollars you received as a settlement, as well as any lost revenue Tom incurs as a result of the breach. Secondly, criminal charges will be filed under California’s Revenge Porn Law, which defines said revenge porn as the publication of nude photos or videos of a person one used to be intimate with, without their consent, with an intent to cause serious emotional distress. Each video that was filmed in the state of California would incur a penalty of a fine in the amount of $1000 and up to six months in jail…based upon Tom’s estimate as to video quantity, you’d be facing a prison sentence of up to ten years. Thirdly, and lastly, criminal charges and a civil suit will be filed for your violation of the Invasion of Privacy act. California is a ‘two party’ state when it comes to audio recordings of confidential communication in situations and locations wherein there’s a reasonable expectation of privacy. Audio that’s a component of a video is covered under this particular statute, and penalties include a fine of up to $2500 and a year in jail. Long story short, Claudia…do you want to wind up in jail? Because publishing those videos is how you wind up in jail.”

While I spoke, I’d witnessed her face first going pale, then gradually reddening until it reached a final almost-purple hue. She was shaking with rage, and I just stood there, certain she was going to attack me Dynasty lady-feud style. But she didn’t, pausing, instead to digest what I’d said as best she could and find a way around it. Her eyes, now more grey than green, narrowed as she spoke.

“My attorney will drag out your breach suit for years, and if you win, I’ll hide all my assets and file for bankruptcy and you won’t see a dime, ever. As for the rest, there’s no proof Tom never consented to filming. Same with that distress bullshit. My word against his. I’ll take those odds, and when I’m acquitted of all charges I’ll sue YOU guys for damages and take even MORE of Tom’s money.”

Raising my brow, I leaned in a little closer to her. “Tom saved all your texts and voicemails. Every. Single. One. They’re tucked away, safe and sound, on the very phone you sent them to.”

If Tom hadn’t been paying such close attention, the highball glass she picked up and threw would have hit me right in the face. He’d jerked both of us to the side, and the glass shattered when it hit the wall. With me in front of him, he propelled both of us toward the door at top speed, slid the bolt and pushed me out into the hallway, slamming the door behind him in the midst of the sound of more shattering glass and her screams of ‘get out, GET OUT’. We headed for the stairs, not wanting to wait for the elevator, rushed back to our room, entered and locked our own door, both of us unsure as to whether we were pleased, frightened, or a bit of both.

I reached up under my sweater to pull out the phone, hitting the stop button to end the recording. Tom placed his hands on my shoulders, eyes on mine.

“Are you all right?”

Nodding, I felt my mouth twist into a half smile. “That went better than I expected, honestly.” I stood on my toes and planted a kiss on his left cheek. “Thanks for rescuing me from death by assorted beverage containers. How do you feel?”

His eyes shifted down and to the side, then returned to my face. “Relieved. Like I’ve gotten some closure, and that I’m no longer at her mercy. The fear, the anxiety in regard to my past actions becoming public…that’s subsided significantly. But there’s trepidation present, resulting from her expression of violence towards you, which I’m not quite sure how to handle.”

I slipped my phone into his pocket as I wrapped my arms around his torso. “She just realized she’s powerless, and she was NOT happy about it. Probably best to let it go and hope she finds a new hobby. Or a good therapist. Or Jesus. Something.”

“Maude, if that would have hit you…”

“It didn’t, though. I’m fine, you’re fine, and…that was over the top, wasn’t it? Was she aiming for me? Or you? Or the wall? Wow, I’m kinda freaked out now.”

He pulled me to his chest, kissing the top of my head. “I’m sorry. I knew her behavior as I experienced it was abnormal, and I shouldn’t have involved you.”

I leaned back, reaching up to caress his cheek. “You realize I knew too based on your description of your experience, yes? I’m glad I went with you. She would have spun that visit in the worst way possible, Tom, if the opportunity presented itself. Now she can’t, and I’m glad for that. As for the rest…we have a plan in place if she releases the videos, and we’ll follow through with it. She knows now that you’re no longer afraid of that happening, and that you’ll fight back, and I’m thinking maybe that will take all the fun out of it for her.”

A heavy sigh escaped him. “I hope that’s the case, my love. Truly I do. And I’m not going to dwell on it, because allowing her to diminish our joy is akin to giving her precisely what she wants, and she’s stolen enough already. This shop’s doors are closed. Permanently.”

“That’s an excellent way to look at it, Mr. Eternal Optimist. The doors are closed and the shop’s in the rearview as we travel the road ahead of us into our future.”

He simply stared at me, a small smile upon his face, his eyes once again full of all those things that made me both weak in the knees and disgusted with my sappy-ass self all at once. I rolled my eyes.

“Man, you’ve gotta lay off that adorable shit. We’ve got three months to go until the wedding and when you look at me like that…I just want to say fuck it and go find a judge and do it, like, right now.” Next came the tears shining, ready to spill over. “No. Oh my god, not helping, Tom. NOT. HELPING.”

He laughed. “I’m not even sorry.”

“Color me thoroughly unsurprised.”

“I’d rather color your inner thighs with love bites.”

“That can be arranged.”

Less than an hour later, we were spooning, and I felt his breathing change as he slipped into sleep. I lay nestled against him, wide awake until near dawn, trying to force myself to stop thinking about Claudia. Her actions seemed, as I reviewed the evening’s events, to indicate she hadn’t quite…let go. Far from it, actually. I wondered what she actually wanted, after so much time had passed. Was it more money? Was it revenge? Was it still…Tom? Was it all three, perhaps? And then I found myself wondering how far someone who behaved as she had tonight was willing to go in order to get it. Whatever it was she wanted. And it shook me, so I sang our wedding song to myself in my head until I calmed down, finally dozing off reminding myself that things which were terribly frightening in the dead of night were often immediately vanquished as nonsense by the light of day.

[cindypaulos]

Jennifer May talks about Ambiente. in Sedona

Ambiente is located in the heart of Sedona, Arizona near Mariposa Latin Inspired Grill. The address is 900 West State Route 89A, Sedona Arizona 86336. If you have found Adobe Jack Trailhead, you will also find the entrance to Ambiente, since the property also owns this amazing trailhead access to some of the most premier hiking and mountain biking in Sedona.

A: Some of the amenities that we offer include:

Courtesy gift from the chef and sparkling beverage on arrival.

Courtesy valet parking.

Room service.

Free high speed wifi.

Luxury Byredo toiletries.

Premium Matouk Bathrobes.

Generously sized mini fridge with complimentary gourmet offerings.

Premium in-room Firecreek Coffee and Tea Forte Tray.

Plum automatic in-room wine dispensers.

Optional local craft beer growlers on request.

Luxury Matouk linens, bedding and extra plush pillows.

HDTV Flat screen TV’s.

In-room Hairdryers.

In-room Clothes steamers.

Soaking tubs for two with live edge wood caddy and custom essential oil bath bombs.

Double showers for two.

Bedside motorized blackout shades.

In-room iWave-R Air Purification Sanitation System.

Private rooftop decks with daybeds and firepits.

Nightly turn down on request.

Spa Services through “Velvet” our in house wellness centered spa.

Business center featuring Samsung whiteboard and conference center.

On site trail access to the Adobe Jack Trailhead directly from your Atrium.

Rent your very own eTrike electric 2 person vehicle for seeing Sedona- and Go Green.

https://www.ambientesedona.com/

[shopwinebar]

The average cost of a premium Plum wine dispenser can be as high as $1500 on certain sites. The cost can go higher according to different types of luxury brands but you can lay your hands on the best plum wine dispensers for the right price by purchasing them wholesale from the top dealers in Canada. Look for wholesale options today.

[electronic1004]

Luxury Premium Appliance Brands, Technology + Design

New Post has been published on https://electronic.todayshoppinginfo.com/luxury-premium-appliance-brands-technology-design/

Luxury Premium Appliance Brands, Technology + Design

Join us as we learn about luxury premium appliance brands, technology and what you should know when shopping for your home appliances. You will discover the difference between convection ovens, steam ovens, and speed ovens. Comparing stove tops ranging from induction, gas ranges, and electric will help Florida homeowners know what fits their kitchen design and home lifestyle best. The functionality, appliance technology, and design found in the latest luxury appliances will inspire you, whether you are a beginner cook or professional chef.

Home Show’s Adam Kayce gets an exclusive tour of FUSE Specialty Appliances with Mike Robertson as he gives us the insiders look for what Florida homeowners should know when shopping and specifying new luxury appliances for their home. Shopping for home appliances can be overwhelming, intimidating, but where do you start and what should you know when purchasing luxury appliances for your home? Florida luxury premium appliance company, FUSE Specialty Appliances is Florida’s premium retailer and trade partner.

Discover FUSE Specialty Appliances | https://bit.ly/3nWmy3A (Click link to visit website)

0:00 Welcome to Fuse Specialty Appliances 1:42 How Covid affected homeowners outlook on home cooking and their kitchens. 3:52 Induction cooking, Convention, Steam and Speed Cooking 4:18 The Fuse team and providing specialty services 5:25 Why should homeowners work with a specialist when shopping for luxury appliances? 7:29 Specialty appliances VS Mass appliances. What’s the difference and why? 9:04 What are the benefits of high end appliances? 10:03 The FUSE Specialty Appliance Showroom Experience. What makes the best showroom for consumer and designer experience? 12:24 OVEN OPTIONS | Convection vs Convention vs Steam Ovens vs Steam Ovens vs Double Ovens 14:39 TYPES of Cook Tops | Comparing Induction vs Gas vs Electric cook tops 16:43 Premium Appliance variety and design options to choose from 18:21 Types of Ice Makers for your home. (Sonic Ice, Nugget Ice, Snow Cone Ice, Clear Ice) 19:20 Wine dispenser available for your custom kitchen design. (Plum wine dispenser) 20:18 Most Important Questions that homeowners should ask when shopping for appliances. 21:30 Specifying home appliances for your custom home during design and construction. 23:37 Luxury Appliance Trends and what to look for 24:54 BlueStar Appliances and custom colors and design. 25:58 Why shop with FUSE Specialty Appliances? 27:25 Industry Trade Partnerships | Florida Designers, Architects, Builders 28:50 Closing thoughts with Mike Robertson | Design Elements in Contemporary Design 30:00 How to contact FUSE Specialty Appliances and Florida Showroom Locations

Find out why the Home Design and Remodeling Show is the largest and most trusted platform for homeowners, interior designers, architects, builders, realtors, and all industry trendsetters by experiencing our website, Home Design magazine, Video Content and one of our EXPOS at one of three locations including Miami, Fort Lauderdale, and Palm Beach.

Experience: www.homeshows.net

Home Design Magazine: https://homeshows.net/home-design-mag…

Tour The Home Show: https://youtu.be/xzOzzAw0Qg0

Subscribe Here: https://www.youtube.com/user/flhomeshows

Grow Your Business Here: https://homeshows.net/exhibitors/

Video by Visual Popcorn: https://www.youtube.com/user/TheVisualPopcorn

#premiumappliances #customhome #homeapplianceexpert Source

[forestfairyunicorn]

So for Huevember 2017, it was mostly for @entanglement-community and @tenoranathema and for the majority of Day 4-Day 30 (excluding Day 29 here because it's pretty risque, It's a phallic bottle, and Day 15, which is Tallulah) are all bath products and perfumes created and sold by Tallulah

From top left to right: Day 4: "Citrus Rejuvenation" A refreshing energy drink that tastes like summer, with a citrus aftertaste. Restores mental and physical energy in a gradual incline. Best for parents. Day 5: "Autumn Breezes." An aromatic fizzy bottle that consists of scents of spicy and earthy autumn. Shake well with bottle corked, and when heated enough, uncork it and wave the bottle away from face, dispensing the fragrant smoke around. Scents of cardamom, cinnamon, soil, bark, and apple, among others. Day 6: "Autumn's Brew" A bath bomb with the smells of autumn. Fruity and spicy. Day 7: "Wheel Round" or "A Wheelin' Good Time". An unusual size drink; it can come in necklace form with choice of silver, copper, or gold chain, or can be hand-sized with a set of triangle supports to have optimal spinning. Ideally used as a flavour drop: has hints of oak, earth, spices, and fruits. As a drink, its the same, but the aftereffects can be dizzying as if you did cartwheels over and over. Have water on hand and a flat surface and a chair. Day 8: "Bravery's Folly." A sharp and tangy energy drink that encourages focus, determination, and even aggression. Always take a small sip, and never overindulge. Symptoms include a flaring in the eyes, a smoky breath, and a bit of a snarl. Effects wear off after an hour, followed by exhaustion and dehydration. Have water on hand. Day 9: "Sultry Locks." A conditioner that guarantees to turn heads. Inspired by a beneficial glass-maker Domene (Demona), this conditioner is both war-like and festive, sexy and powerful. Smells of strawberries, cinnamon, cherries, raspberries, and peppermint. Day 10: "Berry Nice." A bountiful of berries in this ripe shampoo bottle. Enriched with hair-strengthening properties, this shampoo also has a faint wine wisp. Day 11: "Berry Nice." A bountiful of berries in this ripe shampoo bottle. Enriched with hair-strengthening properties, this shampoo also has a faint wine wisp. Day 12: "Lacey Lather" A soap with skin enriching and moisturizing properties. Has the scents of florals, fruits, and wines. Day 13: "Tallulah's Tantalizing Lotion" A moisturizing cream that works well for sea-based beings after spending some time on land, and works well for land-dwellers. Day 14: "Sophisticated Locks." A hair mousse with the scent of plums and blackberries. Day 16: "Swirling Dreams." Comes in two kinds: incense and drug. Incense form is to help with peaceful and creative dreams. Drug is in liquid form, and leaves one in a peaceful state in a blurred line of dream and reality. For the latter, have water on hand, and be in a bed. Dizziness and vertigo confirmed. Day 17: "Nighttime's Mysteries." A dazzling perfume and necklace with the scents of lavender, plums, and violets. For both the enrichment of a party, or for a pleasant night in. Day 18: "Winter's Cleanse." A bath bomb with the smells of winter. A special one that combines the cools of winter with some tingly feels of cleanliness. (like if Excel mints have a physical sensation and smell) Day 19: "Melodious Serenity." A relaxant, this musically-shaped potion has all the sweet smelling properties to calm a person down. Turn the knob, and watch the show. Day 20: "Bath in a Bottle." A potion that's useful when you need a quick refresher and you don't have a proper access to a cleansing area. Simply shake, and open. Useful for about five times, before return for a refill Day 21: "Underwater Breathing." A potion that allows the drinker up to one hour of light swimming underwater. Best taken when in the water, not under it. A popular potion for those who want to visit under the sea places, and for Tallulah's 'extras' Day 22: "Sea and Sky Serenity" An incense that's powerful in itself. Combined with the scents of the sky and sea, this shell shaped wax only needs a drop of water to release its treasures. With moderation, lasts for months. Day 23: "Spring's Refresh" A bath bomb that has the floral promise of spring. Smells of plants and rainwater. Day 24: "Luck o' the Reckless" A potion that boosts confidence or luck. Enhances speed, vigor, courage, wisdom, etc. for about 15 -30 minutes. Tastes very bitter to discourage overindulgence, but has a very faint sweet aftertaste. Not for children. Day 25: "Emerald Flourish" A rich potion that brings forth the scents of freshness, grass, ripe greens, and herbs. Shake well before uncorking. Day 26:  "Danger Peaks" A stimulant that heightens danger detection for about a good duration, depending on a person's stamina. Day 27: "Zany Flower" A floral soap, one of the few in many different and unpredictable scents. This one has blueberries, citrus, and sea salt. Day 28: "Sour Spear Leaf" A flavour liquor to add a drop of acidic and sour taste to a meal. Closest to a poison, but perfect for those who like very tart things. Day 30: "Summer's Infusion" A bath bomb with the refreshing powers of summer. Sunny, tangy, floral and citrusy 

[ownerzero]

Enjoy Wine on Your Time + Terms with the Plum Wine Dispenser

Whether you look forward to a glass of vino after a long workday to unwind, or like to invite people to your home for get togethers, you’re going to want to know more about the Plum wine dispenser. This is the first fully-automatic wine appliance that preserves, chills, and serves wine by the glass, customizing […]

The post Enjoy Wine on Your Time + Terms with the Plum Wine Dispenser appeared first on AWorkstation.com.

source https://aworkstation.com/enjoy-wine-on-your-time-terms-with-the-plum-wine-dispenser/