#Rafiq School Trip

[sgstories123]

Rafiq’s School Trip 3 - Denise’s Fantasy

Denise was sitting down on the wet toilet floor, the water from the shower splashing partly on her, washing away all the bodily fluids away down the drain hole. The last 30 minutes was something that she never imagined would have happened. She would not be surprised if it turned out to be only a fantasy.

When she entered the hotel room with Charmaine after getting their keys from Mr Rafiq, she decided to take a shower to freshen up. She had just taken off her clothes and was preparing to turn on the water when she heard someone at the door.

“Oh, it’s Cher!” She heard Charmaine greeting someone at the door. “She’s taking a bath. You want me to call her?”

Denise wondered who it was.

The door closed and she heard Charmaine asked the person, “Did you come for a second round, Cher? Can’t wait is it?” Charmaine teased.

She then heard Mr Rafiq’s voice speaking in a serious tone. “No. I mean, what we did was wrong. I should not have done it. I am sorry. Can we pretend that it never happened?”

Charmaine had told all the students that Mr Rafiq had fucked her on the plane. It was not the first time that Charmaine had fucked a teacher but it was just so unexpected as Mr Rafiq did not seem like a dirty old man. Denise thought that if anyone was to have sex with Charmaine, it would most probably be Mr Tan instead. That guy is always looking horny and lecherous.

Denise pressed her ears closer to the door. Mr Rafiq and Charmaine seemed to be arguing about something. Then she heard Charmaine in her seductive voice, “Cher, make me happy and I will do anything you want.”

She heard Charmaine moaned “Oh my God! Cher has the nicest, largest cock.” This was followed by what seemed like sucking noises. Was Charmaine sucking Mr Rafiq’s dick, Denise thought to herself. The thought aroused her. Mr Rafiq had a nice, sexy and muscular body. Once, he took off his shirt after a game of soccer and someone took a photo of it. It went viral among the girls in the school, as everyone looked admiringly at his toned body. What was his cock like? Denise had been with only her boyfriend so she was not sure how large a cock should be. She could feel her pussy tingling and her legs involuntarily rubbing against each other.

“Oh, I am so horny. I need your cock in me now. Fuck me and make me cum, Cher!” Charmaine was moaning in lust. Denise then heard her being slammed against the other side of the thin toilet wall. She could just make out Mr Rafiq’s low whisper “I will fuck you and make you cum. But you must promise that you will do what I say.”

Denise could hear the familiar rhythmic sounds of body slamming against each other, against the wall and Charmaine’s seductive moans. Denise was now fingering herself. Slowly, they rubbed her clit in a circular motion, as she fantasised about what was happening on the other side of the wall. When they was not sufficient to satisfy her lust, her fingers slid into her pussy, slowly rubbing against her mound of pleasure. Charmaine’s moans grew louder and louder over the other side of the wall in tandem with Mr Rafiq slamming her body harder and faster against the wall. Denise followed their pace, pushing her fingers into her pussy harder and faster. She had already increased the number of fingers in her pussy to three, yet it was not enough to satisfy her. She had never felt so horny before even she went without sex for three weeks when her boyfriend went overseas for attachment.

Denise spotted the shower and crept over quietly. Taking the shower between her legs, she turned on the water full blast, using the stimulation from the water to satisfy herself.  She tried forcing the shower head into her pussy, to enhance the stimulation that she needed but she knew she really needed a cock in her. She had never yearn for a cock as much as now. She ran the shower hose along her slip, hoping that the smooth metal ridges along the hose could abate her lust. It was all in vain. She could only feel herself getting more aroused, her need for a cock in her intensifying.

Not being able to get her release, she slumped down on the wet floor, feeling extremely sorry for herself. Charmaine was more fortunate than her. Denise could hear Mr Rafiq groan in orgasmic pleasure. She closed her eyes, imagining that Mr Rafiq had been fucking her instead of Charmaine as her fingers squeezed her nipples while the other went between her legs, trying again to seek pleasure.

“Denise! Are you alright?” Charmaine had entered the bathroom, naked. Denise could see a trickle of Mr Rafiq’s sperm flowing down her legs, leaving a trail of glistening path in the bright lights of the bathroom. “Wait! Were you masturbating? You were listening to Mr Rafiq and I fucking, and were masturbating to that? You horny bitch!” Charmaine laughed.

“Don’t laugh, Charmaine.” Denise started sobbing. “I am so pathetic. I can’t fuck someone like Mr Rafiq and all I can do is to stick my fingers in my pussy. And I am not even good at it. I can’t even cum by myself.”

Charmaine looked at her friend. Denise is quite pretty and could have any number of boyfriends. It is just that she did not know how to exude her charm. Charmaine sat down next to Denise and clasp Denise's face with her hands. Without saying another word, Charmaine leaned forwards and gave Denise a deep, slow kiss.

Denise pulled back with shock but Denise held her head firm and continue kissing. Denise relaxed, enjoying the kiss from the thick, sensual lips. It was gentle and kind, unlike her boyfriend’s who was always a little rough and eager. Charmaine caressed Denise’s breast, squeezing them lightly, brushing her nipples lightly until they grew hard. Denise sighed in pleasure. This was so much better than her boyfriend’s foreplay. Charmaine adjust her position until she was just above Denise. Charmaine’s hands slid between Denise’s legs, slowly rubbing along her slit while pressing against her clitoris. Denise could feel pleasure rising in her lower body, her love juices flowing. Lubricated, Charmaine easily slipped her fingers in Denise’s pussy, slowly spreading her love juice along the love canal.

Denise was now moaning, her body twitching with pleasure. Her hips started moving in sync with Charmaine’s manipulation, allowing Charmaine’s fingers to enter her even more deeply. Charmaine quickened her pace and Denise hugged her tightly as she could feel herself approaching her climax. She moaned loudly, thrusting her body upwards against Charmaine’s finger as her body pressed hard against Charmaine’s body. She held Charmaine tight as her pleasure rode out in waves.

“Now you feeling better?” Charmaine asked.

Denise smiled. “That was so good. Much better than my boyfriend.”

“In that case, I would need to teach your boyfriend how to fuck you properly.” Charmaine laughed. “You better wash up quickly. We are late.”

Charmaine left the bathroom, leaving Denise sitting down on the toilet floor, the water from the shower splashing partly on her, washing away all the bodily fluids away down the drain hole.

[xtruss]

The Forgotten Hero: How Russia Helped Launch The Decolonial Movement in The Heart of The British Empire

Rafiq Ahmed, Who Founded the Communist Party of India in Tashkent, Gave His Descendants Both a Legacy and a Name, But Hardly Any of Them Know Why They Are Called ’Roosis’

— December 5, 2023 | RT

Rafiq ‘Roosi’ Ahmed died four decades ago, but his visits to the erstwhile Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) are forgotten, to the extent that his descendants, who continue to be known as the ‘Roosis’ (Hindi/Urdu for Russian national) of Bhopal, are unsure of the origin of the name they carry, and are ignorant of his illustrious legacy.

After battling lung cancer for three years, Comrade ‘Roosi’ died as quietly as he had lived, in the central Indian city of Bhopal at the age of 93, in 1982.

Bhopal had been run by the Nawabs during British rule, from 1818 to 1947, after which it became part of the Indian Union; since then, the socio-political fabric of the city has changed radically. Roosi’s travels to the USSR in 1920, inspired by the great revolutionary upsurge in Russia and Central Asia, have largely been forgotten.

Rafiq Ahmed's ancestral home is a stone’s throw from the picturesque Upper Lake in a typically non-descript narrow bylane in the old quarters of Bhopal, but it is easy to find – thanks to the title, Roosi. Apart from a handful of senior residents of the city, nobody quite knows the origin of this name.

His daughter-in-law Saulat has done a fine job of keeping his belongings safe – especially those pertaining to his trip to the Soviet Union in September-October 1967 to attend the 50th anniversary of the Great October Socialist Revolution – but the family’s collective knowledge is limited to his second trip to Russia, and some anecdotes from his first visit which border on the mythical.

Comrade Rafiq Ahmad, personal archive © RT

They are unaware that Roosi was among the first group of Indian revolutionaries who went to the Soviet Union to seek advice on ousting their British colonial rulers, or that he was among the first to enroll at the Indian Military Training School in Tashkent, or was the founding member of the Communist Party of India in Tashkent, or was tried and jailed for almost a year in the Peshawar Conspiracy Case.

Septuagenarian Khalid Ghani, who knows Bhopal’s history and its people like the back of his hand, attributes this to Roosi’s modest lifestyle. The Ghanis and his family have been neighbors and go back a long way. Ghani’s family used to run a sports shop on the ground floor, and Roosi’s son ran a small hotel called ‘Moonlight’ on the first floor of the same building.

When Ahmed came back from Russia in 1923, people started calling him ‘Roosi’. “He had rubbed shoulders with the top Indian and Russian revolutionaries there, risked his life, and had been jailed. But he didn’t speak about it to anyone, let alone brag about his stay there. Even after the independence of India, he did not list himself as a freedom fighter and avail benefits – such as seeking a plot of land – and secure his future. He just went back to being the person he was before he had left Bhopal. This says a lot about the kind of man he was,” says Ghani.

Modest Background

Roosi hailed from a modest background, and when he returned from Russia, he took a job as the head of the kitchen of the last ruler of Bhopal, Nawab Hameedullah Khan. Much later, when his son Jameel opened his own restaurant, Roosi started assisting him.

Jameel’s wife, Saulat, and his sister, Rafia-un-Nisa, are the two surviving members of the family who spent time with Roosi. Rafia-un-Nisa is in her late eighties and can barely speak. Saulat married into the family in 1969, five decades after Roosi returned from Russia.

Although she is alert and can recall most details about her father-in-law, she is unable to piece together the sequence of events of his life before she married into the family.

“He would be at the hotel during the day and spend the nights writing. I saw him do that for eight years. It is unfortunate that we cannot find most of his writings,” she laments. She pulls out a newspaper clipping to show that Roosi was among the first Indians to write a book on Vladimir Lenin in 1923. However, she has no idea where the book is.

Comrade Rafiq Ahmad (center) meets with youths of the Soviet Union in the city of Kirov. © Sputnik/I. Agranovskiy

Trip to Russia

Roosi’s long period of anonymity ended quite suddenly when Soviet Land magazine published an article on him in around 1966-1967. He was invited to the Soviet embassy in New Delhi and before he knew it, he was on his way to Moscow.

In between, there were mentions of him in the writings of fellow compatriots such as Shaukat Usmani, but they seem to have gone unnoticed.

Ghani recalls, “Nearly five decades after he had returned from Russia, Ahmed was invited to meet the Soviet ambassador in New Delhi. In 1967, he flew to Russia to take part in the 50th anniversary of the Great October Socialist Revolution. Later in 1972, he was acknowledged as a freedom fighter at former prime minister Indira Gandhi’s behest.”

In Moscow, he was awarded a gold medal for his struggle alongside Russian revolutionaries. After receiving the medal, he told Patriot newspaper that the revolutionaries who languished in jail and died there deserved the decoration more than him.

“Twenty of my comrades died fighting there. They were all courageous people…I think they deserved this honor much more than me,” he said, adding that he was held hostage in Kerki (in modern-day Turkmenistan) for over a month along with 36 other Indians, as well as Russian and Turkmen revolutionaries. He spoke about how the British tortured the revolutionaries.

He visited Lenin’s mausoleum and placed a wreath there. He told the newspaper New Age that he had seen Lenin addressing a meeting once, but he could not meet him in person alongside his Indian comrades as he had fallen ill, and this was his greatest misfortune. New Age newspaper then described him as a tall and energetic man.

Comrade Rafiq Ahmad with a monument of Vladimir Lenin at Smolny, in Leningrad (N ow St. Petersburg). Ahmad met Lenin in 1921. © Sputnik/Mikhail Ozerskiy

Roosi reunited with other revolutionaries in Moscow; among them was Maria Fortus. She had been his teacher at the Communist University of the Toilers of the East, in Moscow, and remembered all her Indian students by their names. She recognized Roosi and asked him about the other Indian revolutionaries. He also met Avanes Baratov, an old Communist who had participated in the struggle against the counter-revolutionary bands.

Roosi, who was hosted by APN Board (Novosti Press Agency), visited Kerki, where he had fought alongside the Red Army, and Tashkent, where he went to a school where children were taught Urdu. Saulat has a couple of photos of him with Fortus and Baratov, and of his visits to Tashkent and Kerki.

Later that year, he was decorated with another medal by the Soviet Ambassador to New Delhi, N.M. Pegov.

In 1972, he was among the few freedom fighters to be invited to New Delhi by the government of India to celebrate the silver jubilee of India’s Independence.

Roosi’s Journey

A few years after his death, a portion of Roosi’s missing memoir was published in Qazi Wajdi-ul-Hussaini’s book “Barkatullah Bhopali” in 1986.

According to Hussani, when the Khilafat Movement was in full swing in 1920, the Khilafat Committee of Delhi announced a conference and an emotionally charged and rather naïve group of Bhopalis headed for Delhi, believing that this was a call to rid India of the British.

Apart from Roosi, the fiery group included Aftab Ali Khan, Mohammed Ali, Abdul Hayi, Master Mashkoor, Mohammed Khan, Ahmed Kabeer Ahmed, Mohammed Shafi and Mohammed Akhtar.

These revolutionaries stood out among the others when they literally kicked a spy out from their group, and stopped the Imam of Delhi’s Jama Masjid from leading the prayers, as he was said to be close to the British.

Comrade Rafiq Ahmad visiting USSR © RT

However, when they learnt that this was a call to protest against the British stance towards the Turkish Caliphate, a few of Roosi’s companions decided to return to Bhopal. The rest decided to go ahead with the “Hijrat” (Migration), impressed by the enthusiastic call given by Afghanistan’s King Amanullah Khan, and set out for Kabul.

They crossed the border from Peshawar and entered Afghanistan, and headed towards Kabul via Jalalabad. They met King Amanullah Khan, who received them well, but ordered that the refugees be sent to Jabal al-Siraj (a former palace he used as a military base). When the Emir promised to give them jobs, it dawned on the group that he was buying time to strike a deal with the British.

Disappointed, the group escaped from Jabal al-Siraj, covering 30 to 40 miles on foot each day, crossing difficult mountains and treacherous deserts, and reached the Turkistan border, and then finally Termez via Mazar-i-Sharif and Ghor. In Termez, they heard the fiery speech of a Russian commander who said his country had opened its doors to the workers of the world. They met the commander and went to Tashkent with his help.

In ‘The Indian Revolutionaries and the Bolsheviks - their early contacts, 1918-1922’, Arun Coomer Bose writes, “We have it on the authority of Rafiq Ahmed (Roosi) that the first four ‘muhajirs’ (Migrants), including himself, reached Kabul sometime in May 1920. They were well received, and were lodged at Jabal us-Siraz (Jabal al-Siraj), at some distance from Kabul. Others, who came after them, were also brought there, and by the beginning of July there were about a couple of hundred of them at Jabal us-Siraz (Jabal al-Siraj).”

After the founding of the Communist Party of India in Tashkent, it was decided that some of the Indian ‘Muhajirs’ would return to India to establish the foundations of a communist movement there.

Accordingly, towards the end of March 1922, a bigger group of ten, which included Roosi, set out for India via the Pamir route, writes Bose. “At Kharog they divided themselves into small groups and, barring a couple of them, succeeded in reaching Chitral or the tribal territories in the north-west of India. But, almost all of them were apprehended by the Indian police, and were tried in the Peshawar Conspiracy Case,” adds Bose.

Roosi was jailed for nearly a year. A letter issued by the Government of India on December 25, 1972 states that Roosi was arrested in the Peshawar Conspiracy Case (Crown vs Akbar Shah and seven others in the Moscow Tashkent conspiracy case) in the last week of October 1922 and released on May 18, 1923, and that he spent his term in the District Jail in Peshawar.

Saulat’s son now runs the family restaurant, which serves Mughlai cuisine. Her daughter, Bushra, who was eight years old when Roosi passed away, has taken charge of her grandfather’s papers and plans to preserve them.

The next generation of Roosis are unaware of their great-grandfather’s lineage, content with the knowledge that he visited Russia. Can, then, one blame the rest of Bhopal?

— By Lamat R Hasan, an Independent Journalist Based in Delhi

[into-the-daniverse]

Jamil’s Masterlist

His Tags

✨ Jamil ✨ Jamil Vibes | inspiration, quotes, pictures, etc. ✨ Art of Jamil | commissions, gifts, etc. ✨ Fic of Jamil | fic not by me ✨ Jamil’s Playlist | two roads diverged

Full Name: Jamil Alfonso Parsa-D’Oria

Nicknames

Alfonso/Alfonsino by his mother and other D’Oria family members

General Age: 41 in Arcana Universe, roughly 24 in Ethari Universe

Birthday: July 30th

Gender/Sexuality: Gay man (he/him)

Astrology: Leo Sun, Pisces Moon, Pisces Rising

Patron Arcana: King of Wands

Upright — Charismatic, visionary, natural born leader

Reversed — Impulsiveness, ruthless, high expectations

all other information + ship fics under the cut!

Important Relationships

Chiara Giuliana D’Oria, she/her — Jamil’s mother

Rafiq Parsa II, he/him — Jamil’s father

Hakim Raul Parsa-D’Oria, he/him — Jamil’s younger brother by 5 years

Eufemia Aliyah Parsa-D’Oria, she/her — Jamil’s younger sister by 8 years

Camía-Marie Baudelaire, she/her — Jamil’s best friend, in most universes they have known each other since they were around 12

Leon (Zhu-Jin Lian), he/they — Jamil’s other best friend, lover in most universes, usually met when they were 17 and he was 19

Alec al-Saleh, she/her — Jamil’s surrogate daughter/younger sibling figure

Favorite Meal: Beef Stew

Favorite Drink: Red Ale

Favorite Flower: Desert Bluebell

Magic: None

However, while Jamil does not possess any magical capabilities, in every universe he has supernaturally good luck

This luck protects him from most injuries, illnesses, and natural disasters

The more time he spends with someone, the more likely it is for his luck to rub off on them, protecting them as well, but it is not something he is aware of or can control

He can use magical devices/weapons if they have already been prepped by someone with magic

Other Skills: tailoring clothes, songwriting, can play a handful of instruments but specializes in guitar and piano, speaks 5 languages fluently and can read/write in 3 additional languages including multiple dialects of sign, fencing, dancing, cooking, charcoal art

Appearance

Height: 6′6″ (198 cm)

Hair: Medium dark warm brown, never sits past his shoulders

Eyes: Emerald green

Details

His hair when he was younger used to stretch down to his waist, but he cut it after he ran away from home at 18 and hasn’t let it get that long since

Rarely wears his glasses though he does need them on occasion

Has a few ear piercings, usually wears dark metals that blend in more closely with his hair

His body isn’t particularly defined, but he is Solid and built, like an olympic weightlifter

His hands have permanent callouses after his years of playing the guitar

Background

Arcana Universe

Jamil was born in Prakra and lived with his family until he was around 8 years old, at which point Chiara started sending him to a boarding school. When he was 11, he got into a fight with another boy at the school, and Chiara pulled him out, deciding instead to send him over the world to study.

Before he was sent away from Prakra, he met Camia, who had just run from Vesuvia, and the two became fast friends. Jamil convinced his mother to let Camia travel with him, and they both traveled as he studied until he was 18. 

After turning 18, Chiara told Jamil that she was going to be marrying him off to another high class family, and Jamil, terrified by the thought of being under her control for the rest of his life in a marriage he wouldn’t be able to choose, ran away from Prakra with Camia. While on the run, they met Leon in a small village outside of Zadith, and after a rocky initial meeting, Jamil asked Leon to travel with them, and they agreed.

Years later, when Jamil was around 23, his parents called him back to Prakra, and officially disowned him for his actions, freeing him from his mother once and for all, and during this trip, he, Camia, and Leon found Alec after she tried to steal Jamil’s guitar. She began traveling with them, and over the years they traveled all over the known world, performing at festivals and events such as the Masquerade in Vesuvia until the year Alec died, when Jamil was 37.

Though she was brought back a year later, the three of them had to leave Vesuvia and her behind as their presence only aggravated her headaches and memory loss. In the game timeline, Jamil is traveling with Ravah, Alec’s familiar, to try and find a cure for her memory loss, though he does appear by the end of most routes.

Arcana Universe — REVERSED

Referred to in tags as my reversed AU, Jamil does not meet Camia, Leon, or Alec, and never runs away from his family in Prakra.

Instead, he stays when Chiara says he is to be married off to another family in Prakra at 19. He is stuck in a neutral, but loveless marriage to his husband Amar, and though he is technically the head of the Parsa company, it is by title alone, as Chiara and Hakim run the company. He is not allowed to travel on his own, and spends his days doing whatever Chiara or Amar instruct him to, attending meetings and events while dreaming about anything else.

Ethari Universe

Raised in a life of privilege, Jamil did not know much about the reach of his family, or more specifically the reach of the Scholars that his grandfather’s cousin, Drago, worked for, until he was 18. A friend of his disappeared mysteriously, and it was rumored that he was taken because of his magic. He and Camia worked to investigate the disappearance, and came across Leon, who was in the process of being captured when they helped him escape.

For the next few years, they tried to find out why the Scholars were capturing magic users, while also traveling and surveying local rebellions against unjust leaders. They were mostly passive observers until they met Rosalia, who convinced the three of them to join the fight again the Scholars and their process of appointing leaders to countries against the people’s wants.

When Rosalia was captured by the Scholars organization, and Camia injured, Jamil and Leon promised to help her find Rosalia. For a few years they searched for her, until finally they got a tip that she was being transferred from one prison to another. However, upon arriving to the village she was supposed to be in, they ran into Alec instead as she fled, and they decided to protect and help her.

Modern AU

Raised primarily in Milan, Italy with the rest of the D’Oria family, Jamil was sent overseas to study business and network on behalf of his family. He met Camia who was in a similar position, and they both decided to drop out of college and make a living on their own, cutting ties with their families.

After meeting Camia’s roommate, Leon, the three of them decide to start a band, initially only playing locally for a year or so until they found Alec through YouTube. After asking her to join them as the Desert Jackals, they recorded and released their first album a few years later, and have toured most of North America with plans to tour internationally.

Ship Fics

✨ Jamil x Valerius/Valeriy Radošević-Cassano | valjam

By me

Mr. Loverman

Kiss Prompts — kisses that start on their fingers and eventually end on their lips

Mine 🍋

Muse visits a grave Prompt

Desire 🍋

Tie Me Up 🍋

Anything 🍋

Kiss Prompts — sneaking away to a hidden corner

I And Love And You

By @sunrisenfool

A Letter

One More Letter

Cry Me A River

Smut Prompts — “keep your eyes open, look at me baby” 🍋

✨ Jamil x Oz’mandias | jozy

By me

Kiss Prompt — “Breaking the kiss to say something, staying so close that you’re murmuring into each other’s mouths”

By @asras3rdeye

NSFW Prompt — submission 🍋

“The stars wish they were as bright as you”

Smut Starters — “I want to make you feel good” + penetrate 🍋

Slow Dance

✨ Jamil x Dante

By @arcanecadenza

At Your Window

Kiss Prompt — one person breaks the kiss to ask “do you want to do this?”

Smut Starters — “you can be rough with me, I won’t break” + inside 🍋

✨ Jamil x Kassius | kamil

By me

Kiss Prompt 50 

Choke 🍋 

Feed My Frankenstein 🍋 

By @saltybitterss

Seeing Double 🍋

✨ Jamil x Haider

By @atypicalacademic

Kiss Prompts — sneaking away to a hidden corner

Cold/Mess

Prompt — slow dance with no music playing

✨Jamil x Leon x Tamryn | tamilee

By me

Movement 🍋 

Let It Snow — Winter Ship Prompts 2, 13, & 17

[fortunaterpg]

NAME: Joel Buchanon AGE: Nineteen GENDER: Cisgender (he/him) SEXUALITY: Questioning OCCUPATION: High school senior FACECLAIM: Ben Hardy STATUS: DECEASED AUGUST, 1987 / NPC

CONNECTIONS

IMOGENE BUCHANON: Your younger sister. Imogene never had time for you. She was always buried in her pager, sneering at you if you got too close, Mommy, Joel’s annoying me! Every childhood misstep, everything you did, Imogene cataloged it and never let you forget it. Pinching you under the table. Pushing past in the hallway. Get out of my way, freak. Saying you loathed each other is a severe understatement: in fact, the last thing she said to you was, Go fucking choke, Joel.

HUGO BUCHANON: Your oldest brother. Surely, by some unspoken rule somewhere, you were supposed to get along. For such a long time you did look up to him: he was so cool, always with a great joke, ruffling your hair, Hey, kiddo. Then he grew up, and he turned into someone else. You never told anyone about the things Hugo did: spitting in your food, tripping you up, grabbing the back of you neck and hissing something awful in your ear. But then you were nearly the same height, and he couldn’t do those things anymore; you weren’t a kid. You gave as good as you got, fought tooth and nail against his constant reign of terror, but for some frustrating reason he always had one up on you.

ANNA CLAYBOURNE: In the humid jungle of your life, Anna was a drink of cool water. You actually felt seriously sorry for her; the things people did to her were what your siblings did, only these people didn’t take out their hate in private. You never stepped in to help -- you had a reputation, you know? Plus, most of those people were your mates -- but once, after a party, you were so fucking drunk, and she was the only one there who didn’t hate your guts (or pretend not to), and one thing led to another, and then you were sitting on the plush carpet of some huge abandoned bedroom, listening to The Smiths, just enjoying the quiet. Sometimes when things got too loud, you’d find her. It was always in secret, but she made you feel... you dunno. Not so alone.

SUSANNA HADANI, ARTHUR HAVEMEYER, DAISY MILLER, ORSON KENNEDY: The gods. They ruled the school and you were but a lowly shrimp, so far beneath their notice you may as well be dust in the air. They knew of you, just like everyone sort-of kind-of knew you, but it wasn’t until Susanna turned up at your Hudson river party, resplendent like a goddess, with the others trailing in her wake, that you felt like this was some kind of corner being turned. Like maybe after that night you’d stop being so afraid, so angry, so endlessly sad. Like all you needed was one of them (Arthur, with that open, warm grin; Daisy, with her weird clothes and cat eyes; Orson, so sharp he could have read your mind) to be near you, to see you, to make you feel like you mattered.

GEORGE HOLLAND: You ran in the same circles as George, but that was about as far as it went. For a few semesters you were on the same sporting team (you were both mediocre; maybe that’s why you remember it). Honestly, you never gave him a passing glance. Once, you were at the same party and you shared a line of coke. He tipped his head back and said, all London shadows and breathless satisfaction, Oh, gosh, that’s good. It was the fact he said gosh that made you smile. He was so utterly himself -- or so it seemed.

ROMEO LEE: You and Romeo tore up the town on more than one occasion, although you never gelled. It was a relationship based on getting utterly fucked up: strobe lights and underage drinking and open-mouthed kisses with strangers. You cheered each other on, you had rambling drunken conversations... and you didn’t know a thing about him. On the night of your party, he was especially taciturn. Something or someone had crawled up his ass, and he kept goading you. Joel, where’s the fucking Moet? What’s this swill? Joel, don’t tell me you forgot the coke, you fucking idiot, Jesus, what is with you, seriously... All you wanted was to get away. Then he said something to you, some joke, but it was the smartest thing he’d ever said to you.

NAZANIN “NINA” LOWELL: By all rights you shouldn’t have got along. She was weird, and loud, and so outrageous that even you, who’d swung on chandeliers and set things on fire and even once urinated out of a hotel window on a dare, felt electric just to be near her. You teased each other, pushed each other -- but unlike your friends, she was so nice about it all. You’re fun, she told you once, and you grinned, a little sadly, maybe, and said, You know, no one’s ever said that to me before. You got her. You could see the pain and the frustration. You knew her, because you were the same. You might as well have been twins, cut from the same melancholic cloth, all bruised eyes and daredevil grins.

RAFIQ “RAFI” SYLVER: If you were the prince of your set, he and Romeo were the kings. Whatever they said, went. Imagine your surprise when instead of siding with Romeo over another fractious, pointless argument, he sidled up to you and said, Wanna get out of here? You ended up hanging out a lot alone, just listening to music, talking. He was way deeper than you’d thought; and you think he found you refreshingly different to that blank party boy persona you’d so perfected. There was something easy, elastic between you. If you’d lived, you might have ended up best friends. Things would have been very different had that come to pass.

JULIAN WINSLET: He was just so nice. All pristine suits and straight As. Where you struggled to get a pass, he’d fly by without a second thought. The only thing you could do better than him was party. Shot after shot. Your voice, sounding ugly and too much like your brother, Hey, Winslet, how ‘bout I order you a Shirley Temple instead? Countless nights, maybe some arguments, all forgotten once the silver dawn light bled across the glass-strewn floor. The night on the Hudson, he followed you like a shadow. Or maybe it was the other way around. All you wanted was to get away, suddenly, from everyone, and as he was closest, you thought (hazy, too drunk, lights trailing across your vision) maybe you could party in the city, make up, be friends properly. It was all a misunderstanding, this fucked up friendship, all you needed was to apologise to him, to stop being such an asshole. Then he was handing you something, and, you, giggling and so fucked you could barely stand, What’s this, a present?, did the dumbest thing of your life: you trusted him. The dumbest and, as it happened, the last.

* NOTE: If your character is not specified above, that does not mean they did not know Joel, it just means their connection is up to you. Joel would have been thirty one years old in 1999, meaning any character who is thirty or thirty one could feasibly have been in his grade at school. Every character in the group, however, was in the same loosely-knit friendship group, bound by the fact they all went to the same school. 

JOEL BUCHANON DIED IN AUGUST, 1987. HE IS AN NPC.

[wionews]

Lebanese Prime Minister Hariri announces return to Beirut as crisis simmers

Prime Minister Saad Hariri said he will return to Lebanon for Wednesday's Independence Day celebrations and explain his situation after his shock resignation announcement in Saudi Arabia sparked political turmoil.

Speaking after talks in Paris on Saturday with French President Emmanuel Macron, who is seeking to broker a way out of the crisis, Hariri said he would "make known my position" once back in Beirut.

"As you know I have resigned, and we will discuss that in Lebanon," he told reporters, saying he needed to meet with President Michel Aoun before taking further steps.

The news follows two weeks of deep uncertainty after Hariri's surprise announcement to step down on November 4.

His failure to return to Lebanon since sparked rumours that he was being held in Riyadh against his will, which both he and Saudi officials denied.

"To say that I am held up in Saudi Arabia and not allowed to leave the country is a lie," he said in a Twitter post just before flying to Paris overnight.

Hariri's wife and eldest son Houssam joined him for lunch with Macron at the Elysee Palace, but their two younger children, who live in Saudi Arabia, have remained there "for their school exams", a source close to the premier said.

After the meeting, Macron's office said the president will "continue to take all necessary initiatives for Lebanon's stability."

"We are helping to ease tensions in the region," the Elysee Palace added.

Hariri's mysterious decision to step down -- which president Aoun has refused to accept while Hariri remains abroad -- has raised fears over Lebanon's fragile democracy.

Hariri's camp has sought to allay the concerns, with a source saying the premier had a "fruitful and constructive" meeting with the powerful Saudi crown prince.

Hariri -- whose father, ex-prime minister Rafiq Hariri, was killed in a 2005 car bombing blamed on Hezbollah -- took over last year as head of a shaky national unity government which includes the powerful Shiite movement. 

A dual Saudi citizen who has previously enjoyed Riyadh's backing, he resigned saying he feared for his life.

He accused Saudi Arabia's arch-rival Iran and its powerful Lebanese ally Hezbollah of destabilising his country.

Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir meanwhile insisted from Madrid on Friday that "unless Hezbollah disarms and becomes a political party, Lebanon will be held hostage by Hezbollah and, by extension, Iran".

Battle for influence 

Hariri's resignation was widely seen as an escalation of the battle for influence between Sunni Saudi Arabia and Shiite Iran, which back opposing sides in the conflicts in Syria and Yemen.

His attempt to step down also coincides with a purge of more than 200 Saudi princes, ministers and businessmen.

Riyadh on Saturday recalled its ambassador to Berlin in protest at comments by Germany's Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel which were interpreted as a suggestion that Hariri acted under Saudi orders.

Without mentioning Saudi Arabia directly, Gabriel had said Thursday that he shared concerns about the threat of instability and bloodshed in Lebanon and warned against "adventurism".

"Lebanon has earned the right to decide on its fate by itself and not become a pinball of Syria or Saudi Arabia or other national interests," he had said earlier in the week.

Germany's foreign ministry had yet to comment on the row, but in a statement it welcomed Hariri's "imminent return to Lebanon".

'Start of a solution' 

France's intervention was the latest in a string of European efforts to defuse tensions over Lebanon, where divisions between Hariri's Sunni bloc and Shiite Hezbollah have long been a focal point in a broader struggle between Riyadh and Tehran.

Paris, which held mandate power over Lebanon for the first half of the 20th century, plans to bring together international support for Lebanon, depending on how the situation develops. 

The French president has also telephoned his counterparts in the US and Egypt, Donald Trump and Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, as well as the Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman and UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to discuss "the situation in the Middle East".

He and Trump "agreed on the need to work with allies to counter Hizballah's and Iran's destabilizing activities in the region", according to a White House statement Saturday.

However, Macron told reporters Friday that France wanted "dialogue" with Iran and aimed to "build peace… not to choose one side over another".

Ahead of Hariri's departure, Aoun -- an ally of Hezbollah -- welcomed the trip to Paris, expressing hope that it was the "start of a solution".

"If Mr Hariri speaks from France, I would consider that he speaks freely," Aoun said.

"But his resignation must be presented in Lebanon, and he will have to remain there until the formation of the new government." 

]]>

[sgstories123]

Rafiq’s School Trip 2 - Pleasuring Char

Rafiq looked at the students while waiting for the hotel clerk to get their room keys ready. They have been giving me knowing smiles and giggling behind his back, gesturing at him. Charmaine must have told them what happened on the plane. Fuck! This is going to get me fired from my job. Rafiq cursed at his own stupidity.

“Here are the keys, sir.” The hotel clerk broke his train of thoughts. Each of the teacher had their own rooms. The students shared a room based on their gender.

“Alright. You can now go to your rooms and freshen up. We will meet at the hotel lobby in an hour’s time for lunch. If you did not sleep well during the night flight, you should take a short nap as we have an afternoon activity scheduled. Don’t be sleeping during class and ruin our school’s reputation.” Rafiq instructed the students as he handed out the keys.

“Cher. You should also take a nap as you did not sleep well during the flight and exerted yourself quite a bit.” Kumar chimed in. Charmaine giggled as Rafiq’s face turned red. He ignored the comment and hastened the students to their rooms. He had a room on the same floor as the students, just a couple of doors away. Mr Tan and Ms Low were on different floors. Maybe he can have a chat with Charmaine without the rest of the teachers knowing, he thought to himself.

After taking a quick shower, he went to the girls’ room, checking to make sure that the boys did not see him. He knocked softly on the door.

“Oh, it’s Cher!” Charmaine greeted him brightly as she opened the door.

“Shh! Where’s Denise?” Rafiq asked, looking down the corridor to make sure no one saw him.

“She’s taking a bath. You want me to call her?”

“No. Keep quiet. I have something that I need to say to you.” Rafiq whispered. Just then, the lift door sounded. Someone was coming out of the lift. Rafiq pushed his way into the room and closed the door quietly.

Standing in front of Charmaine now, he saw that she was wearing a short tank top that showed her cleavage and most of her breasts. They were really huge and Rafiq’s cock stirred in his sweatpants. Shit. He cursed at himself. He should have won his business pants. At least it would not be so obvious when he has an erection.

“Did you come for a second round, Cher? Can’t wait is it?” Charmaine teased.

“No. I mean, what we did was wrong. I should not have done it. I am sorry. Can we pretend that it never happened? Please?” Rafiq pleaded.

“Huh? Why do I need to pretend that it did not happen? You did not like fucking me?” Charmaine pouted seductively again.

Rafiq was mesmerised. He was getting a little confused over the whole situation. But he remembered his own precarious situation. “Don’t tell anyone, please. I could lose my job.”

“So you asking me for a favour, Cher? Then what do I get in return?” Charmaine smiled innocently.

Rafiq cursed. Now he was being blackmailed. All because of one stupid act.

“I will do anything you want. Just don’t tell anyone and pretend that it did not happen.” Rafiq held onto Charmaine’s shoulders, emphasising the seriousness of the matter.

“Well, you know, you had fun in the plane this morning but I did not really enjoy myself. I am still horny. How about you pleasure me and we can call it quits?” Charmaine purred, her fingers pushing down one side of her shorts so that it revealed part of her ass.

“No. I already did something wrong this morning. You want me to do it again?”

“Not again. Just continue with what you have done and complete it. I am unsatisfied you know.” Charmaine laid one hand on Rafiq’s neck. “Cher, make me happy and I will do anything you want. Like not telling Mr Tan what we did in the plane.”

Charmaine lifted her head up and closed her eyes, waiting for a kiss. Rafiq could not resist the temptation and bent forwards to kiss her. Her lips were thick and full. She sucked out Rafiq’s tongue, and played with it using her own tongue. Rafiq has lost all control.

Chermaine squat down in front of Rafiq, pulling down his sweatpants, releasing his hard cock. “Oh my God! Cher has the nicest, largest cock.” She cooed. 

She grabbed his cock and sucked on it hungrily, making loud slurpy noises as her saliva dripped down from the tip of his cock down towards his base. She was a messy cock sucker.

“Oh, I am so horny. I need your cock in me now. Fuck me and make me cum, Cher!” Charmaine implored, staring straight up at Rafiq.

Rafiq thought maybe he could turn the situation around. He pulled Charmaine up and pushed her with her face against the wall. “I will fuck you and make you cum. But you must promise that you will do what I say and don’t tell Mr Tan.”

“Yes, Cher. I will listen to you. Fuck me!” Chermaine begged.

Rafiq pulled down her pants and guided his cock into her already wet love hole. He could see their reflection in the long mirror positioned at the entrance of the room. He pulled up her tank top, releasing her huge breasts. Gosh, his naked student looked even more sexy than when he saw her this morning. As he pumped her, he could see his cock entering her shaved cunt effortlessly in the mirror. That made it even more erotic for him. He was lost in his pleasure as Charmaine moaned loudly. Then he heard water running in the toilet. Fuck! He had forgotten all about Denise taking a shower in the bathroom.

“Cher. You better hurry! I think Denise is almost done with her shower.” Charmaine panted.

“Fuck!” Rafiq pounded Charmaine harder and faster, his cock grew harder and longer thinking that he could be discovered by another student while fucking a student. “Argh!” Rafiq could not stop himself and ejaculated into Charmaine, as he gave a final thrust.

He quickly pulled up his pants and gave Charmaine a final look. Gosh, she was one sexy bitch. “Remember your promise, Charmaine.” He then left the room, quietly closing the door after him.

Charmaine laughed silently to herself. Men! All the same. “But I have not cummed yet, Cher. I am not pleasured so I can’t promise you anything.”

[sgstories123]

Rafiq’s School Trip 1 - Slutty Char

“Hey, Rafiq,” whispered Mr Tan. “”Take a look at Derrick and Denise. I am quite sure their hands are ‘auto-roaming’.”

Rafiq turned his head towards the the two students. Denise was seated at the window seat of the aeroplane and Derrick was seated next to her at the aisle seat. They shared a large blanket with Derrick’s body leaning close against Denise, his head burrowed deep within her long hair. Everyone in the polytechnic knew that they were a couple. They were always seen together. At their age, Rafiq would be surprised if they are not already having regular sex. He looked closely and he saw slight movement under the blanket near Denise’s breast. Derrick must be playing with them, he surmised. Denise seemed to be returning the favour as he saw movement near Derrick’s crotch. But both of them had their eyes closed and were pretending to be asleep. Rafiq was not fooled by these amateurs.

“Can’t see very well in the dim lights, Mr Tan. But they looked like they are asleep.” Rafiq lied. He did not want to cause a scene on the plane, especially when it was now 4 am Singapore time. He did not know why Mr Tan is not sleeping. He looked over him at Ms Low. She seemed to be sleeping soundly.

“Look! I think he just squeezed her breast.” Mr Tan whispered excitedly. Rafiq sighed inwardly. He always suspected Mr Tan was a pervert. He was always excited when he sees students behaving intimately. Mr Tan had alway stated outwardly that he was concerned about students’ welfare but Rafiq has not seen how this interest translated into anything actionable other than trying to find out more about the salacious details from the students. But as Mr Tan was his Head of Department, Rafiq could do little about it. He just try to avoid such topics with Mr Tan.

He would not have been on this school trip if he knew Mr Tan was coming along. Four of his students had been selected to attend a youth leadership workshop in Japan. Besides Derrick and Denise, the other students were Charmaine and Kumar. As they were all from his class, he had been assigned to chaperone them. Ms Low was also asked to join the group as it was only proper to have a female lecturer on the trip since there were two female students. However, at the last minute, the organisation invited Mr Tan to participate in a parallel session for managers from educational institutions. By then, it was too late for Rafiq to pull out. So now, all seven of them were on a night flight to Tokyo.

“I think we will be arriving soon. I should go brush my teeth and freshen up before everyone wakes up and rush to use the toilet.” Rafiq stood up, trying to evade the topic.

As he made his way to the end of the plane towards the toilets, he saw Mr Tan still staring fervently at the young couple. Ms Low seemed oblivious and was still sleeping, her head leaned backwards with her spectacles slightly skewed and her mouth slightly open. Rafiq had been surprised when he learned that Ms Low was still single. She was quite pretty and had an innocent school girl kind of look. She was simple and innocent in character too. Maybe men found her too childish to be wife material. But it also made her look like she was much younger than her actual age. Or perhaps it was because she teaches childhood psychology that she had acquired the simpleness and innocence of a child.

Rafiq himself teaches physical education. Too often, he heard people commenting that he is all brawn and no brains. Just because he has a six-pecs, large arms and broad chest, people assume that he must not be very smart. It became worse when the same people hear that he teaches physical education. They seem to think that not much learning is required to teach physical education.

The toilet door opened and Kumar’s head popped out of the toilet. He looked at Rafiq with a look of surprise but quickly turned to guilt.

“Oh, hello Mr Rafiq.” Kumar muttered. “The toilet is occupied. I think there is a vacant one on the other side of the plane.”

“What do you mean occupied? If you are done, come out and it won’t be occupied.” Rafiq could not understand his student. He was not making any sense.

“Er. I think I need to go again. Sorry, Cher.” Kumar replied, stepping back into the toilet and trying to draw the toilet door close.

“Ouch! You stepped on my toes, you idiot!” Rafiq heard a familiar voice whispered harshly behind Kumar.

“Is that you Charmaine?” Rafiq asked, mindful not to raise his voice to avoid causing a commotion. He could almost picture what had happened in the toilet. Kumar and Charmaine was trying to join the mile high club.

“Alright, Kumar, go back to your seat quietly.” Rafiq pulled his student out of the toilet and pushed him along the aisle back towards his seat. Charmaine was standing right inside the toilet, her jeans unbuckled, revealing just the top of her red lacy panties. Her matching lacy red bra was on top of the sink next to the toilet bowl.

Charmaine did a sexy pout, putting her fingers onto her lips like a Marilyn Monroe. Rafiq sighed. He had heard many stories about Charmaine and based on his observation of her, the stories are most probably true. Charmaine was a Caucasian with a French father and an Australian mother. With blonde hair and emerald eyes, she drew a lot of attention in school. But more than that, she had large breasts, much larger than the average Asian girl. She knew how to use her assets and it seems that she has slept with many of the male student population in exchange for lecture notes, help with assignments and many other favours. Her reputation was so bad that her nickname was Slutty Char. There were rumours that she had slept with some of the male lecturers as well but Rafiq had not been able to determine if the rumours were true. But at least he knows that Kumar is on the list of students who had sex with her.

“Come on out, Charmaine. You know what you did was wrong. Don’t give me that innocent look.” Rafiq whispered. “Don’t make me repeat myself. I don’t want to cause a commotion.”

“Then come in and talk. You don’t want the whole plan to hear about this, right.” Charmaine looked at Rafiq innocently. “We must not damage the reputation of the school. You told us this at Changi Airport, remember.”

“You come out.” Rafiq insisted, a little louder.

“Is anything the problem, sir?” An air stewardess whispered across the row of sleeping passengers, sensing that Rafiq seems to be having some problem. “Do you need help with the toilet? Just give me a moment and I will come around to you.”

“No worries. Everything is okay.” Rafiq smiled weakly.

“Cher. Better come in quickly.” Charmaine smiled wickedly. “Don’t want the stewardess to know what Kumar and I have been up to.”

Rafiq knew that he was caught in a bind. If he does not enter the toilet, the stewardess will come over thinking that there was something wrong. He did not want to explain the whole exploit to her. Without thinking, he entered the toilet and closed the door, motioning Charmaine to keep quiet. He thought maybe he would wait for the stewardess to move away before getting out of the toilet with Charmaine. But the toilet was really small and he found himself almost pressed against Charmaine. He tried to keep some distance between himself and his student but it was in vain. They touched constantly and Rafiq could feel his cock hardening. After all, Charmaine was young, pretty and sexy. She was breathing right into his face and he could smell her fragrance up close. He was also aware of the sex that had just happened in the confined space. All these conjured up images in his mind which made him even more horny.

“How did both you and Kumar fit into this space?” Rafiq tried to divert his thoughts away from sex.

“Well, I sat up here.” Charmaine lifted herself up on the sink.

“And what about Kumar?” Rafiq asked.

But Charmaine did not answer him. Instead, she pulled off her jeans and panties, putting them on the side of the sink.

“What are you doing?” Rafiq hissed angrily.

“You wanted to know what Kumar and I did. So I thought I would show you.” Charmaine lifted her legs up the sink, opening them up like a flower and exposing a shaven cunt to Rafiq.

“Are you crazy? Put on your pants.” Rafiq hissed.

“Is everything okay, sir?” The stewardess knocked on the door.

“Yes, everything is okay. Just need some time.” Rafiq tried to sound nonchalant.

“Alright, if you need anything, just shout. I will be outside.” The stewardess replied helpfully.

Rafiq put a finger to his lips, indicating to Charmaine that she should keep quiet. But he could not help but marvel at the sight in front of him. Charmaine had smooth white skin, almost glistening in the dim light. Charmaine had her fingers pry open her vagina, her slit seemingly inviting him in. Rafiq’s cock was straining hard against his pants.

Charmaine seemed to enjoy the show that she is putting up for her teacher. She inserted her finger into her vagina, and then slowly drawing it out again. This went on for several times until Rafiq could hold himself no longer. He pulled down his pants, revealing his hard cock. He took a step forward and pushed his cock into Charmaine.

It was just about the right height. He only need to manoeuvre slightly to get his cock deep into Charmaine. She was tight but wet. The sensation was so intense that Rafiq felt that he was about to cum soon.

Charmaine seemed to enjoy herself too. She started moaning softly and Rafiq closed her mouth with his own, drinking in her moans. He pushed himself deeply into her, thrusting quickly into the tight, warm hole. He could not hold back and ejaculated quickly, holding Charmaine tightly as his body rocked with pleasure.

They hugged without moving for several minutes. Rafiq’s cock had already softened and plopped out of Charmaine’s cunt. But Rafiq did not want to stop hugging her.

“Cher. You need to let go now. We need to clean up and leave the toilet soon before everyone wakes up and wants to use the toilet.” Charmaine whispered softly. “I promise we will fuck again so be a good boy, okay?”

“Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. This is your captain speaking. Thank you for flying Singapore Airlines. We will be arriving in Haneda Airport in Tokyo, Japan in about an hour’s time…”

[into-the-daniverse]

The Emperor, The Moon, and Ten of Cups for Jamil 👀 (I have such a crush on Jamil)

Thank you! 😉

The Emperor - has your character ever broken the law?

Listen, if Jamil has ever broken the law, it’s because either Leon or Alec did it first, and he was an unwilling/unknowing accomplice. This includes, but is in no way limited to, hijacking and stealing a rude traveler’s caravan that the band encountered on their journey.

The Moon - what is the most significant secret your character has discovered?

Maybe not really a secret, but discovering that his Aunt Annalisa cannot stand his mother was significant to him in that he finally felt validated of his dislike for her. Everyone else would tell him that she had his best interests in mind, that she just wanted to see him succeed, but the first time Annalisa clicked her tongue at Chiara’s mention, and rattled off about how selfish she was, he couldn’t help it—he laughed in relief.

Ten of Cups - what family memories does your character hold dear?

Jamil is basically the equivalent of a proud dad who has tons of pictures of his kids in his wallet. If you get him going, he can and will talk for hours about his favorite memories. Which is to say, he has a lot of fond memories of his family—found family, that is.

If we’re talking about his biological family, he’s much harder pressed to find good memories. But one is from when his sister, Eufemia, was 4, his brother Hakim was 9, he was 12, and it was one of his last summers home in Prakra. The three of them joined their father, Rafiq, on a trip to the palace, and the three of them, plus Nadia and few other Satrinava sisters all played a palace-wide game of hide-and-seek. Nasrin commented that the palace hadn’t heard so much laughter in a long time, and they all enjoyed themselves.

But then Jamil was sent away to school again, and he never got another chance to just hang out with his siblings and cousins like that.

[wionews]

Lebanon PM confirms he will return to Beirut for Independence Day celebrations

Prime Minister Saad Hariri said he will return to Lebanon for Wednesday's Independence Day celebrations and explain his situation, after his shock resignation announcement in Saudi Arabia sparked political turmoil.

Speaking after talks in Paris on Saturday with French President Emmanuel Macron, who is seeking to broker a way out of the crisis, Hariri said he would "make known my position" once back in Beirut.

"As you know I have resigned, and we will discuss that in Lebanon," he said told reporters, saying he needed to meet with President Michel Aoun before taking further steps.

Hariri's announcement follows two weeks of deep uncertainty after his surprise decision to step down on November 4.

His failure to return to Lebanon since then sparked rumours that he was being held in Riyadh against his will, which both he and Saudi officials denied.

"To say that I am held up in Saudi Arabia and not allowed to leave the country is a lie," he said in a Twitter post just before flying to Paris overnight.

Hariri's wife and eldest son Houssam joined him for lunch with Macron at the Elysee Palace, but their two younger children, who live in Saudi Arabia, have remained there "for their school exams", a source close to the premier said.

"Hariri does not want to mix his children up in this affair," the source said.

His mysterious decision to step down -- which Aoun has refused to accept while Hariri remains abroad -- has raised fears over Lebanon's fragile democracy.

Hariri's camp has sought to allay the concerns, with a source saying the premier had a "fruitful and constructive" meeting with the powerful Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman before leaving.

Hariri, a dual Saudi citizen who has previously enjoyed Riyadh's backing, resigned saying he feared for his life.

He accused Saudi Arabia's arch-rival Iran and its powerful Lebanese ally Hezbollah of destabilising his country.

- Battle for influence - Hariri's resignation was widely seen as an escalation of the battle for influence between Sunni Saudi Arabia and Shiite Iran, which back opposing sides in the conflicts in Syria and Yemen.

His attempt to step down also coincides with a purge of more than 200 Saudi princes, ministers and businessmen.

Hariri met French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian in Riyadh on Thursday as Paris, which held mandate power over Lebanon for the first half of the 20th century, seeks to ease the crisis.

In another development, Riyadh on Saturday recalled its ambassador to Berlin in protest at comments by Germany's Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel which were interpreted as a suggestion that Hariri acted under Saudi orders.

Without mentioning Saudi Arabia directly, Gabriel had said Thursday that he shared concerns about the threat of instability and bloodshed in Lebanon and warned against "adventurism".

"Lebanon has earned the right to decide on its fate by itself and not become a pinball of Syria or Saudi Arabia or other national interests," he had said earlier in the week.

Germany's foreign ministry had yet to comment on the row, but in a statement it welcomed Hariri's "imminent return to Lebanon".

- 'Start of a solution' - Ahead of Hariri's departure, Aoun -- an ally of Hezbollah -- welcomed the trip to Paris, expressing hope that it was the "start of a solution".

"If Mr. Hariri speaks from France, I would consider that he speaks freely," Aoun said.

"But his resignation must be presented in Lebanon, and he will have to remain there until the formation of the new government." 

France's intervention was the latest in a string of European efforts to defuse tensions over Lebanon, where divisions between Hariri's Sunni bloc and Shiite Hezbollah have long been a focal point in a broader struggle between Riyadh and Tehran.

Hariri -- whose father, ex-prime minister Rafiq Hariri, was killed in a 2005 car bombing blamed on Hezbollah -- took over last year as head of a shaky national unity government which includes the powerful Shiite movement. 

Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir insisted from Madrid that "unless Hezbollah disarms and becomes a political party, Lebanon will be held hostage by Hezbollah and, by extension, Iran".

Hariri's resignation comes as the long-standing rivalry between Saudi Arabia and Iran intensifies and as Riyadh undergoes a major shake-up under the ambitious crown prince.  

]]>