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WORST SHIP POLL 2023 BRACKET
ROUND ONE: PART ONE, consisting of the LEFT side of the bracket, will begin on 4/18 at 2PM PST.
This post will be edited as rounds progress with results and dates/times for the next round.
Plain text list (including abbreviated series names) under the cut.
Dazai Osamu/Nakahara Chuuya (BSD) VS Crowley/Aziraphale (GOOD OMENS)
Steve Harrington/Eddie Munson (STRANGER THINGS) VS Reylo (STAR WARS)
Star Butterfly/Marco Diaz (SVTFOE) VS Spamton/Jevil (UTDR)
Harrier Du Bois/Kim Kitsuragi (DE) VS Herbert West/Daniel Cain (REANIMATOR)
Catra/Adora (SPOP) VS Akira Kurusu/Goro Akechi (P5)
Lapis/Peridot (SU) VS Tenth Doctor/Rose Tyler (DR WHO)
Cole Cassidy/Hanzo Shimada (OVERWATCH) VS Takami Keigo/Todoroki Enji (BNHA)
Beauregard Lionett/Jester Lavorre (CRITROLE) VS Raiden Ei/Yae Miko (GI)
Katsuki Bakugou/Izuku Midoriya (BNHA) VS Jack Hakrness/Ianto Jones (TORCHWOOD)
Marisa Kirisame/Reimu Hakurei (TOUHOU) VS Rhys Strongfork/Handsome Jack (BORDERLANDS)
Kaname Madoka/ Homura Akemi (PMMM) VS Alhaithem/Kaveh (GI)
Ryuki Kuruto/Date Kaname (AI Somnium) VS Ethan Winters/Chris Redfield (RE7/8)
Hunter/Willow Park (TOH) VS Childe/Zhongli (GI)
John Watson/ Sherlock Holmes (BBC SHERLOCK) VS Dimple/Arataka Reigen (MP100)
Azula/Ty Lee (ATLA) VS Zuko/Katara (ATLA)
Nico Yazawa/Maki Nishikino (LL) VS Dean Winchester/Castiel (SPN)
Sasuke Uchiha/Sakura Haruno (NARUTO) VS Vriska Serket/Terezi Pyrope(HS)
Benry/Gordon Freeman (HLRVAI) VS Keith Kogane/Lance Mcclain (VLD)
Kazuhira Miller/Revolver Ocelot (MGS) VS Jotaro Kujo/Noriaki Kakyoin (JJBAP3)
Dave Strider/Karkat Vantas(HS) VS Sonic the Hedgehog/Shadow the Hedgehog(STH)
Mako/Korra (ATLA) VS The Onceler/The Onceler (THE LORAX)
Lavernius Tucker/Agent Washington (RVB) VS Chris Hartley/Josh Washington (UNTIL DAWN)
Piers/Raihan (PSWSH) VS Natsuki/Yuri (DDLC)
Greg House/James Wilson (HOUSE MD) VS Callie Torres/Arizona Robbins (GREY'S ANATOMY)
Kazuma Kiryu/Goro Majima (YAKUZA) VS Light Yagami/Misa Amane (DEATH NOTE)
Chell/GLaDOS (PORTAL) VS Adam Faulkner-Stanheight/Lawrence Gordon (SAW)
Tom Wambsgans/Greg Hirsch (SUCCESSION) VS Ryo Asuka/Akira Fudo (DEVILMAN)
Tsukasa Tenma/Kamishiro Rui (PRSK) VS Qrow Branwen/James Ironwood (RWBY)
Batman/The Joker (BATMAN) VS Getou Suguru/Satoru Gojo (JJK)
Mark Hoffman/Peter Strahn (SAW) VS Iki Hiyori/Yukine (NORAGAMI)
Jayce/Viktor (ARCANE) VS Hannibal Lector/Will Graham (HANNIBAL)
Dirk Strider/Jake English (HS) VS Ash/Serena (POKEMON)
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Me pareció extraño que ellos (sí, ellos, por supuesto) no simplemente optaran por duplicar su apuesta por Barbie Fitness. Para bien o para mal, ya estaba algo establecido. ¿Qué crees que les llevó a cambiar de rumbo?
Dear Bizarre Anon,
Como siempre, primero la traducción y luego - mi respuesta.
' I thought it was bizarre that they (yes, of course, 'they') didn't just choose to double down on Fitness Barbie. For what it's worth, that was already a fixture. What do you think made them change their mind?'
I have many conflicting thoughts and yes, even feelings about all this, Anon, at the moment. I think it was a botched plan from the very start. Must have picked her from Raya, she was cheaply available (a quick buck for a quick side job, for her) and he did not vet her at all.
Why not double down on the other woman? Too loud, too orange, too brash are things that immediately come to mind. I think she sealed her fate with that Scottish week-end, when she had to share her son's vomit with the entire world. And overexpose a child, in the process. Probably also some things we might never be privy to - so, no use to look for answers in the Room of Nothing.
My answer to your second question will be very short: Park Anon. Panic. The problem was that this pap walk was picked up by People, a media outlet read by many in Hollywood, including agents, directors, producers, etc. A Big Problem, indeed.
For the moment, he turned off tags. I don't think you will see that girl ever again, Anon - and I do think this is a sure sign.
My questions are perhaps simpler:
How many IG followers will he lose in the foreseeable future?
How will this impact OL's broadcast ratings for Seasons 7-B and 8?
How will this impact Sassenach Spirits' sales short and middle-term?
How will this impact his business relationship with Southern Glaziers and the like?
How will this impact MPC's subscription trends and financials?
How will this impact his CSR relationship with NGOs, such as WWF, Blood Cancer UK, etc?
How will this impact a personal brand that can now be legitimately described as unreliable and borderline schizophrenic? And I mean it in a very logical way, as the impossible reconciliation between manwhoring and philanthropy.
From my watchpoint, I couldn't care less about any other rationale. These are the real questions he will have to face soon enough. All the rest is bullshit and sentiment. And we are now forced to talk business, not sentiment. For as far as sentiments are concerned, my answer will never change: they will find a way, even if in the process they might hurt each other. True love is never easy.
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Kdramas/Movies with strong female characters
Dramas
Eve (2022): Lee La-El (Seo Yea-Ji) When Lee La-El was little, her father died unexpectedly. Powerful people were responsible for his death. After her family was destroyed, Lee La-El prepared for the next 13 years to take revenge. Starting by targeting Kang Yoon-gyeom, one of the main culprits who orchestrated the death of her father. Along the way she becomes torn between her desire for revenge and her feelings for Yoon-gyeom.
It's Okay To Not Be Okay (2020): Ko Moon-Young (Seo Yea-Ji) Ko Moon-Young is a popular children's book author with antisocial personality disorder. She had a troubled childhood and a turbulent relationship with her parents. She develops romantic feelings for a psychiatric caregiver after a coincidental encounter and often goes to extreme lengths to get his attention.
Hotel Del Luna (2019): Jang Man-Wol (IU) Jang Man-Wol is the moody owner of Hotel del Luna. The hotel catering to the dead has been bound to her soul in order to atone for the sins she committed 1,300 years ago. Through the new manager Gu Chan-sung, the mysteries and the secrets behind the hotel and its owner are revealed
My Name (2021): Yoon Ji-Woo (Han So-Hee) Yoon Ji-Woo’s father gets murdered suddenly. She wants to desperately take revenge on whoever is responsible for her father's death. She starts working for a drug crime ring that her father was a part of. Ji-Woo joins the police department as a mole for the drug ring.
Vagabond (2019): Go Hae-Ri (Bae Suzy) Go Hae-Ri is an NIS agent and is currently working undercover at the Korean embassy in Morocco. She is tasked to help the bereaved families of a fatal flight. She helps Cha Dal-Geon whose nephew was on the flight uncover a darker and more sinister conspiracy than they expected.
Sisyphus: The Myth (2021): Gang Seo-Hae (Park Shin-Hye) Gang Seo-Hae is an elite warrior. She can take down the biggest men with just her bare hands. She is a sharpshooter and a bombmaker. She learned these skills to survive in a world that is dominated by gangsters and military cliques. One day she time travels to save a genius engineer.
Mr. Sunshine (2018): Go Ae-Shin (Kim Tae-Ri) Go Ae-Shin is an orphaned noblewoman and a member of the Righteous Army. Her parents were independence fighters who died in Japan due to their colleague's betrayal. She trains as a sniper. An american soldier Eugene meets and falls in love with Go Ae-shin.
The Glory (2022): Moon Dong-Eun (Song Hye-Kyo) Moon Dong-Eun was a victim of high school violence. She waited for the bully ring leader get married and have a child. Now she is the homeroom teacher of her tormentor's child. Her cruel revenge plot begins.
Tomorrow (2022): Koo Ryeon (Kim Hee-Seon) Grim reaper Koo Ryeon is the leader of a crisis management team. The teams objective is to save suicidal people. Choi Jun-Woong (Ro Woon) is a young job seeker who is unable to secure a job. One night, he accidentally becomes a new member of the crisis management team.
Remarriage & Desires (2022): Seo Hye-Seung (Kim Hee-Seon) Seo Hye-seung who lost everything in an instant after her husbands affair and su*cide. She signs up to a matchmaking company Rex for the upper class, and participates in the race of her desires for her revenge.
Under The Queen's Umbrella (2022): Queen Hwaryeong (Kim Hye-Soo) Queen Hwaryeong is supposed to act with grace and dignity, but she has troublemaker sons. The queen decides to abandon strict protocols to transform her sons into deserving princes through education and personal growth, all while navigating the complexities of motherhood and royal life.
Juvenile Justice (2022): Sim Eun-Seok (Kim Hye-Soo) Sim Eun-Seok is an elite judge with a personality that seems unfriendly to others. She hates juvenile criminals and gets assigned to a local juvenile court. There, she breaks custom and administers her own ways of punishing the offenders.
K-Movies
Kill Boksoon (2023): Gil Bok-Soon (Jeon Do-Yeon) Gil Bok-Soon is a single mother and a contract killer working for M. K. Ent. Highly regarded by her peers, she has a 100% success rate and is one of a few killers rated "A" by her company. Right before Gil Bok-Soon is set to renew her contract, she gets involved in a kill or be killed confrontation.
Ballerina (2023): Jang Ok-Ju (Jun Jong-Seo) Ok-Ju used to work as a bodyguard. Ok-Ju is friends with Min-Hee, who is a ballerina. Min-Hee asks Ok-Ju for a favor. She wants Ok-Ju to take revenge.
The Witch: Subversion (2018): Ja-Yoon (Kim Da-Mi) A young girl escapes from a mysterious laboratory where she was trained to become a murder weapon. 10 years later, the girl, named Ja-yoon, is living a normal life, apparently without any memory of her past, she becomes involved in a crime.
Special Delivery (2022): Eun-Ha (Park So-Dam) Eun-Ha is a special driver for deliveries. She delivers anything or anyone for the right price. Her success rate is 100%, but she gets involved in an unexpected delivery accident.
Brave Citizen (2023): So Shi-Min (Shin Hae-Sun) So Shi-Min used to be a boxer in her student days. She now works as a contract teacher at a high school. She confronts a school bully, who frequently torments other students.
#kdrama recommendations#the glory#kill boksoon#kdrama review#my name#hotel del luna#korean movie#kdrama thoughts#brave citizen#bae suzy#under the queen's umbrella#seo yea ji#tomorrow kdrama#ballerina netflix
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The Legend of Korra Fancast
This one was hard to make. Specially the Watertribe that is based manly on the Inuk people but it physical appearance also resemble a lot other native people, like the Maori and other Native American people.
This fancast is based on appearance, ethnicity and vibes.
Korra- Devery Jacobs and Sydney Park
Devery Jacobs is a native actress who stars in Reservation Dogs, a show I haven't watched but it is on my watchlist. She is the first pick for the role, because she is native american, despite being light skinned in comparison to Korra.
The second pick is Sydney Park, I read she is mixed but I choose her based on her appearance only. I haven't seen none of them acting, but in those pictures I could see Korra in both of them.
Asami Sato - Havana Rose Liu and Kelsey Chow
I've Watched Bottoms and in the moment I saw Havana Rose Liu on screen I thought "that's Asami Sato" and, I mean, just look at her. She is gorgeous, sophisticated, charismatic, she even has those beautiful green eyes. And importantly, the acting is there.
I feel the same with Kelsey Chow, especially after watching clips of her in Yellowstone. Sure, she ain't asian or asian American (I've read that she has some native american background) but still, I think she is a good second choice even being too old for the role cuz like Devery Jacobs, who is also in her 30's, they look younger than they really are.
Mako - JJ Jr Mackenyu / Ludi Lin
I haven't watched One Piece but one look at JJ Jr Mackenyu and I saw Mako.
Same with Ludi Lin, sure he is also too old for the role but he has that "cooliness" , that "bad boy" aura that Mako has especially in book 1.
Bolin - Niko Hiraga // Kai Bradbury
I only saw Niko Hiraga in Booksmart and haven't seen any work of Kai Bradbury but look at those eyes, such sympathetic eyes man.
Tenzin - Donnie Yen / Ke Huy Quan
Ip Man himself as Tenzin is a dream and one of the most common fancasting of the character but I think Ke Huy Quan would be The Tenzin, I mean, in Everything Everywhere all at once he shows an heart and an light that justs would fit Tenzin so well
Lin Beifong - Michelle Yeoh // Ming-Na Yen
The same with Michelle Yeoh, I mean just look at her and her works. Ming-Na Yen would also be an amazing choice for Lin, if see her in clips from agents of shield and damn she seems so good in there.
Suyin Beifong - Maggie Q / Lucy Liu
Maggie Q is a baddie with such kind eyes and mother vibe (yes, I loved Nikita) that fits so well with Su. Lucy Liu brings the same as Maggie Q but with some swagger that would be fun to watch.
Amon - Meegwun Fairbrother / Adam Beach
No, Meegwun is not a white man but it is white passing just as Amon. I haven't see any of them acting, I'm going just by looks here. Adam would be the choice if they choose to make Amon look more like a Watertribe man.
Tarrlok - Tatanka Means // Matariki Whatarau
Same with Amon fancasting, Mataraki ain't native american but he is Maori(according to google) and yes, he is too young for the character and that's also why Tatanka is my first choice
Zaheer - Henry Rollins / Ron Yuan
Before y'all jump on me because I pick a white guy has first choice to play Zaheer, let's remember that he has a view of the Air Nomad culture and mentality that he considers superior even in comparison with the only Airbender master at the time, he also is a hypocrite since he let his friends destroy a millennial temple symbol and museum of the culture he said it's inspired him. This is the type of arrogance and disrespect that typically comes from a white man c'mon
I didn't know any of Ron Yuan work but just by his appearance I think he would be a good choice for Zaheer
Kuvira - Sonoya Mizuno / Natasha Liu Bourdizzo
Sonoya and Natasha , can't choose who I like best for the character, both of them has that damn penetrating powerful gaze.
#korrasami#the legend of korra#avatar korra#asami sato#avatar#legend of korra#tlok#mako#bolin#tenzin#lin beifong#suyin beifong#amon#Tarrlok#kuvira#zaheer#Fancast
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Hooked
Billy Butcher x fem!reader
You're called to tow Butcher's truck. He's unsurprisingly offended by that. (Takes place before the pilot of The Boys)
Rating: Mature. Minors DNI
Word Count: 4,600
Warnings: Swearing, veiled threats, feelings of helplessness, mentions of alcohol, descriptions of injuries from a fight, insults, and frank discussions of sexuality. (Butcher is his own warning, tbh)
Next | Masterlist
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When most people said they were on a run, it meant that they were getting some exercise. Or going to the store. Or maybe fleeing from enemies.
For you, a ‘run’ meant that you were out to tow a car from an illegal space. Honestly, it felt like fleeing from enemies sometimes, but that was only because the customers of your Uncle Bo’s tow service and impound lot didn’t want his product. Like any customer service job, you had your share of unpleasant interactions.
This particular one was an easy pickup. Some guy had parked on private property and the owners were having his car towed. Simple, quick, legal. Those were the best jobs, at least in your opinion. Bo tended to favor jobs where he could get a little extra for helping or inconveniencing the right people.
You didn’t need to pay attention to the familiar motions of placing the lift under the car’s front wheels. It was an older car with significant damage to the paint and body, so you didn’t have to worry that you and Bo would be sued for scratches or dents. In fact, there were good odds that the car had been abandoned on the property.
Still, you kept an eye on the surrounding neighborhood as you worked. This wasn’t a good part of the city. Just because you could take care of yourself in a nasty situation didn’t mean you wanted to get in one.
“Hold on, love,” an accented voice called. “That’s mine.”
You turned, already dreading the conversation. You had been helping your Uncle Bo long enough to not be cowed by many people, but that didn’t mean confrontations with angry vehicle owners were fun.
Fortunately, this vehicle owner - dark-haired and wearing a long coat - didn’t seem to be angry… yet. He also didn’t seem to need any input from you to keep the conversation going. “I’ll need you to lower my car back down. I’m on official business. Agent Butcher, CIA.”
The skepticism was clear on your face, you were sure of it. “Do you have some kind of identification?”
His eyebrows lifted, but not in disbelief. No, it was like he took your words as a challenge, one that he relished. He fished inside his black leather duster and retrieved a wallet. He flashed a shining badge at you, making sure you could see the identification card displayed in the opposite panel. “That all you needed?”
“Yeah,” you agreed, climbing back into the bed of the truck you drove to pick up tows across the city. The parking brake was already locked, so engaging the lift mechanism only took the press of a few buttons.
Your new friend was finally displeased. With a face like thunder, he stood outside of the truck and frowned up at your open window. You had already locked the doors, of course, but you were ready to start rolling up the window if needed. This wouldn’t be the first time you’d had a pickup get violent.
“Last chance, love,” he growled, accent thicker than ever. “Let me car down or I’ll have you charged with obstruction of justice and inconveniencing a federal officer.”
That surprised a laugh out of you. The man looked equally surprised, though with a lot more displeasure than you felt. “It’s not a crime to inconvenience a federal officer.”
“C’mon,” he urged, leaning heavily against the outside of your door. It was hard to claim that he was breaching your personal space through a truck door, especially when his expression changed to one of pleading. “Do me one favor. Just one.”
“Fine,” you conceded with a sigh. The triumphant smile that flashed over his handsome face convinced you that you were doing the right thing. “Here’s your favor: get a new forger.”
“Pardon?” he asked, frowning.
“The CIA doesn’t carry badges,” you told him.
He tilted his head at you, pulling out the wallet once more. He flipped it open to display the badge. “Hate to argue with a beautiful bird, but what would you call this?”
“I would call that an FBI badge with ‘CIA’ written across the top.” You reached out through the window to tap on the identification badge with his face on it. “The CIA doesn’t carry badges to show the public. They just have these ID cards. Get a new forger or change your cover story.”
You pulled your arm back into the truck for just long enough to retrieve a business card from the collection stored on top of the passenger sun visor. “Pick up your car here between six and ten pm, or anytime after nine tomorrow morning.”
That face was darkening again, but you didn’t give him the chance to say more than a syllable or two before you were pulling away from the curb. His car on the back of the truck made it more difficult to weave through the heavy traffic of downtown, but you managed. You had been navigating these streets for most of your life. Nothing about this was any different than every other day.
When you dropped the ragged car at the yard, Uncle Bo examined it with an expression of deep skepticism. “Tell me none’a those bumper scratches are from you.”
You scoffed. “How long has it been since I scratched a bumper?”
“Years,” Uncle Bo admitted readily. “You’re getting better.”
“Admit it,” you jabbed, “you’re going to leave this business to me when you finally decide to retire.”
Uncle Bo snorted loudly. “If you’re still around the tow yard when I decide to retire, sure. You’ll have earned it. But you better not hold your breath - I’ve got years of steam left in me.”
“I’ll remind you about that next time I catch you napping in the office.” You turned, patting him on the shoulder. “Speaking of, I’m going to go enter this in the books. The owner caught an attitude. We’ll probably hear from him again and I want to make sure all of our paperwork is in place.”
“Good idea,” Uncle Bo agreed. “I’m heading out for the night, but I’ll have my phone if you need anything. And I don’t nap in the office. My poor old eyes need rest!”
You didn’t bother replying to the age-old argument. Bo was already gone, and you were working the late shift. The lot stayed open until ten most nights, and all of Bo’s other employees had the day off. All two of them. They were both mechanics, and since they had planned to service all of the company vehicles early the next morning, you were stuck at the yard alone that night. Bo would have to cover tomorrow night, his tired eyes be damned.
You weren’t proud to admit that you had zoned out while entering the crappy sedan’s information into the tow yard log. This wasn’t a bad job, but there had to be something more out there. Working a dead-end job at a towing company wasn’t how you wanted to spend your life. Maybe it was time to start job-hunting. Again. During a recession and a notable lack of jobs on the market.
The groan you let out was slightly muffled when your forehead hit the log book.
The rest of your shift was spent at the desk in the back room, scrolling through employment sites on your phone. Tragically, the shitty job market hadn’t improved in the week since you had last checked. It seemed like your options were to stay at the tow yard, work in another equally unfulfilling job, or go back to school and learn to do something useful.
At two minutes past ten, you let your phone clatter loudly onto the table as you began to gather your things. You had chosen to wear a thicker jacket than normal that night. It wasn’t quite winter yet in the city, but it was close enough that the darker hours were unpleasantly chilly. The thick material was warm against your hand when you grabbed the jacket and started to put it on.
And, of course, that was when the phone started to ring.
You stared at it for a long moment, dismayed. It was almost five past ten by that point, which meant you were five minutes past any obligation to pick it up. But you couldn’t risk losing business for your uncle. And if he was happy with the work you had done, he would complain less when you left early the next day.
Cursing your own work ethic, you picked up the phone. “Yeah?”
“I’m here for my fuckin’ car.”
You seriously debated hanging up immediately. It was close, but you managed to hold onto your temper. “We get a lot of that here. Wanna give me some details?”
In a longsuffering tone, your charming caller gave you the license plate number. That information confirmed your suspicions: this was the same man whose car you had picked up earlier in the day.
“I’ll meet you at the gate,” you told him. “Did you bring a form of payment to settle your bill?”
“I’ve got your money,” he growled.
“Great,” you said, then hung up.
You were glowering as you stomped outside into the chilly night. Bo was going to have to pay your overtime. Family or not, you refused to work for free.
“Finally,” the man growled, shoving his hands into the pockets of his coat. “Don’t wanna stand here all damn night.”
You stopped, crossing your arms. “We’re closed.”
“Now you tell me?” the man demanded. His accent was even thicker than it had been earlier, a rough British twang. His face was in shadows, but he was clearly irritated. “What the fuck are-?”
“I’ll help you get your car,” you interrupted tersely. “I’m just letting you know that I’m helping you when I don’t have to. Because I’m a great fucking person. You’re welcome. Now give me your ID and stop being an asshole or you can come back when we’re actually open.”
To your shock, he kept his mouth shut and held his ID out for you through the gaps in the chain-link fence. You took it, double checking the name against the one that the car had been registered to. An image labeled ‘Billy Butcher’ smirked up at you from the laminated card until you handed it back.
“Give me your keys and the money. I’ll bring your car.”
Butcher huffed at that. “Not a chance. Let me in and I’ll get my own car.”
“We’re closed,” you reminded, putting your hands on your hips. “I’m not letting you into the yard when I’m the only one here.”
“Fine,” he gritted out, offering a wad of cash. A moment later, a set of keys was also slipped through the fence, dangling from his fingers.
You frowned as you took the money and keys. Were his hands dirty? They looked dark around the knuckles… Quickly, you peeled off the correct number of bills and handed the rest back to him.
“Not taking a tip?” he asked, cocking a dark brow at you.
“I don’t need to steal your money.” With willpower, you managed to keep back a comment about how seeing idiots like him getting their cars towed was payment enough.
“Be careful with her,” Butcher warned. “She’s temperamental.”
He stepped closer to the fence as he cautioned you, and you fought back a gasp. Butcher looked like he had gotten in a few fights in the few hours since you had picked up his car. One of his eyes was black, his lip was split, and one side of his face was beginning to swell. With that image in your head, you could see that his hand wasn’t dirty. His fingers were bruised, dried blood flaking at the joints of his knuckles.
“I’ll be right back.”
Butcher didn’t say anything else as you walked off deeper into the lot, but it didn’t matter. You were lost in thought, trying to remember the signs of a concussion, and you were unlocking the door of his shitty sedan before you thought to wonder why you cared.
Uncle Bo always liked to say that you were too soft-hearted to live in the city. You had always answered that with a snort and a rude comment, but you were starting to wonder if he may be right.
A quick search on your phone brought up a list of symptoms, and you were keeping them fresh in your mind as you pulled the car up to the gate. As soon as you had thrown it into park, you slid from the stained seat and unlatched the chain.
“No stupid moves.” You backed up slightly when Butcher stepped through the gates. “I’m armed.”
Butcher looked you up and down, amusement on his face. “Whatever you say, love. ‘Sides, I don’t want nothing from you except my car.”
You gestured invitingly toward his car. Butcher slid into the seat, caressing the steering wheel for a moment longer than you were comfortable with. He slammed the door, then rolled the window down. “See ya around.”
Your reply - not that you intended to give one - was interrupted when he revved his engine and it promptly died.
Butcher sat in shocked silence for a moment. He broke it almost immediately with a loud curse that he punctuated with a slam of his palm against the steering wheel. “Didn’t engage the battery disconnect, did you.”
“Didn’t know you had one,” you said. “All the shit you said when I towed your car and you didn’t think to tell me you had a battery disconnect?”
“Too busy findin’ out me badge is bullshit, weren’t I?” he hissed.
“The disconnect couldn’t have been on when your car was towed,” you pointed out. “If it had been, it would have been on this whole time.”
“I wasn’t planning to be away from my car that long.” Butcher whacked the dashboard for good measure. “Just needed to scope out the supes. Twenty minute job, then I was gonna be back in and driving away.”
“The supes?” you repeated, frowning. “You were illegally parked in front of the Vought building. That’s why they called me to come tow you. You were spying on them?”
“Someone has to!” he snapped. “Everyone thinks those fuckers are up in their tower, waiting to protect the helpless and all of that shit. But they’re not. They’re a bunch of selfish cunts, and the only things they use their powers for is to get ahead or get off. And you’d better hope you’re never in their way for either of those, or you’ll be gone without anyone to ask what happened to you.”
The silence that fell after that was heavy and awkward. You nodded too many times, eventually finding the voice to say, “I need some coffee. Want some?”
Butcher gave you a look so full of disbelief that you almost apologized outright, but he gave a slow nod. “Yeah.”
You retreated to the office, filling two cheap paper cups with the pot of coffee you had unwisely brewed at eight thirty. Butcher hadn’t told you how he took his coffee, but he had answered one of your more pressing questions: he was definitely concussed.
Ultimately, that was none of your business, but it was still a little concerning. If you let him leave and he crashed his car, would it be your fault? Probably not in a legal sense. You could always claim that you hadn’t known he was injured. But would you be able to handle the guilt if he died or killed someone else?
The moral questions tumbling through your mind kept you so focused on your thoughts that you handed Butcher his cup in utter silence, staring at him. Eventually, he swallowed a sip of the black coffee and begrudgingly said, “Thanks.”
You blinked. “No problem. So, dead battery?”
Butcher scowled into the open hood of his car. “Yeah. Does this a lot.”
“I can get you a replacement,” you suggested. “As long as yours is decent and just needs charged, I can switch it out for another one for free. Or I have jumper cables if it’ll hold a charge long enough for you to get where you’re going.”
With a slow shake of his head, Butcher said, “Nah, the battery is shot. And the alternator was holding on by a thread. This will’ve bumped it off for good. I’ll need a full replacement for both before I can drive this thing more than a mile or two.”
Well. You sighed. “I can’t help you with a full replacement for either. I know a mechanic around the corner, but he’s not gonna be open this late. Best he’ll be able to do is tomorrow morning. At least it’ll be easy to get over there.”
Butcher gave you a sidelong glance. “Suspiciously helpful for someone working after hours.”
“I get paid overtime,” you replied, not missing a beat. “Besides, maybe I’m trying to earn a place in heaven.”
“I know a faster way.” Butcher took another sip of coffee while you waited, brows lifted. “Get a drink with me.”
The non sequitur made you blink. “What?”
“A drink,” he repeated, exaggeratedly slowly. “Something better than shitty coffee. With me. In a bar - I’m not going to a fucking dance club.”
“How did we get from you threatening me to wanting us to get a drink?” you asked.
Butcher smirked, and you suddenly understood the expression ‘curl of the lips’. “I’ve never threatened you, love. Trust me, you’d remember. But it’s been a shit night. Shit week, actually. The only good part of it so far has been you. Best I can figure… you’re the only thing that can keep tonight from being a waste of my fuckin’ time.”
“Flattering,” you said dryly. But you didn’t turn him down. You couldn’t claim to be interested in Billy Butcher. At least, not romantically. You thought he was interesting in a tragic comedy kind of way. More importantly, you thought - if you played your cards right - you might be able to convince him to see a doctor and make sure he didn’t have some kind of concussion-induced brain injury.
“You know what?” you asked, watching Butcher brace for whatever horrible thing he thought you were going to say. “I could use a drink. But I get to choose the place.”
He was quiet for much longer than you had expected, but he nodded at last. “Don’t choose somewhere shitty.”
You rolled your eyes, snatching the coffee cup from his hand. Despite his complaints, it was almost empty, and it sailed neatly into the trash can when you tossed it with an expert hand. “I’ll call my mechanic on the way.”
Butcher paused to lock his car before you left. It was a futile gesture since you would lock the yard’s gate behind you, but he insisted. Besides, it gave you a chance to call the mechanic. You even had time to find a route to your favorite bar that led past a 24-hour health clinic. All you had to do was make light conversation until you made it to the doors…
“Why do you work at a towing company?”
You blinked at the abruptness of the question, but gamely answered it: “My uncle owns it. I’ve been helping him since I was a teenager.”
Butcher grunted. “Most people leave their first job.”
“And what about you?” you asked, a hint of challenge in your voice. “Why do you do what you do? What do you do?”
“I help keep supes from killing us all.”
“Yeah,” you agreed awkwardly. “They seem like a real threat to society with all of the crime-fighting and donations to charity.”
“Public relations, love,” Butcher told you, “nothing more.”
“Of course they use public relations,” you replied, trying to ignore the little tingle that went through you at him using that pet name in that tone. “Most businesses have to do some kind of public relations. Especially big companies like Vought.”
Butcher snorted. “They don’t use PR to neaten up their image; they use it to cover the mountain of shit their pet psychopaths get into. And that lot ain’t heroes. They’re a bunch of cunts with too much power and not enough people to tell ‘em to knock it off. They’re dangerous, and what makes ‘em that way is people like you who think they’re heroes.”
“Okay,” you said slowly, trying to decide between pacifying him by agreeing or antagonizing him so you could hear more of his ranting. It was fascinating and oddly entertaining, and you found yourself slowing down so you could keep talking before he got to the clinic. “But what about-?”
“They ain’t good for society,” he insisted, interrupting you without seeming to notice. “You’re probably more of a hero than they are, and all you do is inconvenience good people.”
“You were parked in a fire lane,” you reminded him, getting irritated. “If anyone was inconveniencing people-”
“Have you ever thought about the people who are around for a supe fight?” Butcher asked, ignoring your excellent point. “Collateral damage, they say. Supes ruin a lot of lives, and it’s supposed to all be worth it.”
“Sometimes,” you conceded. “But it all depends on the situation, right? If you’re just basing it off of lives saved versus lives lost, doesn’t it make more sense to sacrifice a few to save a lot of people?”
Butcher narrowed his eyes at you. “Spoken like someone who’s never had to see a kid crushed by a car or a couple cut in half by a laser beam.”
“What are you doing about it, since you hate supes so much?”
“Fuck-all,” Butcher told you. At your strange look, he sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. “Seems like it most days, anyway.”
“And on the other days?” you pressed.
“The other days…” He frowned, staring at the dirty sidewalk in front of you both, but he didn’t really seem to see it. “Some days, I help people. Help ‘em from being the next statistic Vought sweeps under the fuckin’ rug, you know?”
You didn’t, not really. But something about the weariness in his voice was familiar, and you felt its echo in your chest. “Yeah, I know.”
Both of you fell silent after that, but it wasn’t uncomfortable or stilted. You were at ease beside him as you walked. In fact, you were almost a little sad when you saw that you were rapidly approaching your secret destination.
Halfway up the block, a small medical clinic advertised its services with signs in multiple languages and a well-illuminated caduceus symbol. The automatic doors opened at odd intervals to let patients in or out, spilling light across the sidewalk every time. It was staffed and reliable without being crowded, and everything in the clinic was ruthlessly clean. It was the place you took Uncle Bo, your coworkers, and yourself if something happened at the tow yard, or if someone was feeling under the weather. They had always been good to you, and you knew they would be good to Billy Butcher, too.
“Maybe we should stop here for a minute,” you suggested, pausing by the door.
Butcher glanced up at the sign, dark brows furrowing. The next instant, his eyes were roaming up and down your body and face. “You hurt?”
“No, but you might be.” Butcher sighed and started walking again, but you didn’t budge. “I’m serious! You might have a concussion and that can end up ruining your life.”
Butcher rounded, now several feet ahead of you. “You really think I don’t know what a concussion feels like? Just call me a pussy. It’s faster.”
You rolled your eyes, but caught up with him as he started walking away again. After a block of irritable silence, he glanced sidelong at you. “Are you actually interested in a drink? Or did you just want to get me to a doctor?”
“Bit of both,” you answered after a moment of consideration.
“Makes one of us,” he muttered. “Don’t know how much I feel like having a drink now. You’ve ruined my appetite.”
“Wanting a drink doesn’t count as an appetite.” You weren’t entirely sure why you were still following Butcher down the sidewalk.
“Is this what you do?” he demanded, stopping short and rounding on you. His face was all righteous fury, dark brows stabbing upward as his nostrils flared. His hands braced against his hips, splaying his coat until he looked like a big creature puffing itself bigger with rage. “Nag people to make yourself feel more important? It’s annoyin’ as fuck.”
You had stopped short to keep from running into Butcher, so it wasn’t necessarily a bad thing that you dropped your eyes to the bit of sidewalk between you. After a few breaths to get yourself back on an even keel, you met his eyes again.
“I’m sorry,” you apologized freely. “I didn’t realize I was bothering you so badly. I’ll have one fo the technicians call you tomorrow morning with details about your car.”
It was your turn to whip around and start walking in the opposite direction. You weren’t entirely shocked when a second set of footsteps began to echo yours. You glanced up at Butcher. “You don’t have to come back with me. I’ll make sure your car gets to the mechanic shop tomorrow.”
“Not gonna let you walk back there alone, am I?” he asked. “There’s too many dumb fuckers about for that.”
There was clearly no point in arguing with him, so you didn’t bother. You wrapped your arms around yourself, even though it made you walk like a duck. The evening was just tipping from cool to cold, especially with the wind picking up. And the lack of conversation between you and Butcher somehow managed to be colder than the autumn night.
“If it makes you feel any better,” you started, breaking the silence, “I don’t think that you’re concussed. Not anymore.”
“Yeah?” Butcher pressed when he had finished giving a loud snort. “What am I then, doctor?”
You stared him full in the face as you replied, “A conspiracy nut with a vendetta against supes. But you’re pretty harmless, all things considered.”
Butcher laughed at that, loud and sharp. The joy made him look more savage, his teeth flashing sharply white against the darkness of his facial hair, and you needed a moment before you could pull your eyes from his face. “Can’t argue with none of that, love. But if you think I’m anywhere near as dangerous as an uncontrolled supe, you haven’t been payin’ attention.”
“Maybe you’re not, but I don’t see any supes around here,” you pointed out. “Controlled or otherwise.”
“Thank fuck for that,” Butcher muttered. “Well, seein’ as I’m not so dangerous after all, maybe we should go get a drink.”
“Thought you weren’t in the mood anymore,” you said, a challenging little tilt to your chin.
Butcher stroked his chin, thoughtful eyes on you. “I could be persuaded. That is, if you’re still in the mood.”
“Not really,” you admitted, watching him deflate slightly from the corner of your eye. “But I have some energy and frustration to burn off. You interested in helping out with that?”
It took a moment for Butcher’s parted lips to form words, and you watched the process patiently. “Are you propositionin’ me?”
“Yes,” you confirmed. “Are you offended by that?”
“Offended you beat me to it.” Butcher’s grin had gone from disbelieving to wolfish in less time than it took to get that sentence out. “And I accept.”
“Good, we’ll go to my apartment,” you decided. “It’s close and clean.”
“Had me at ‘close’,” Butcher told you, trailing close to your heels. “Lead on, love.”
---
Author's Note - This definitely isn't a substantial enough plot to need two parts, but I ran out of time to edit. Explicit part two coming tomorrow!
#fanfic february#fanfic february 2024#the boys#the boys amazon#reader insert#billy butcher#billy butcher x reader#billy butcher x you#fem!reader#reader insert fanfiction#reader insert fic#the boys fanfic
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What I wish people understood about authors is that even when they're traditionally published, almost all marketing falls squarely on their shoulders. Back when I was querying for an agent, it was frequently advised that you include all your social media links and follower counts for each in order to prove that you had enough members of your target demographic already engaged and ready to snap up your book the minute it came available for pre-order.
That was considered among many hopefuls to be a prerequisite for getting published. The contract I signed had a lot of language regarding social media and what I could do, couldn't do, and what I was obligated to do.
I see people still, today, shitting on YA authors for engaging with their YA readers on social media sites-- which makes about as much sense to me as finding it kinda sus to see a park ranger while you're hiking a trail.
Like... Yes? That's kinda their job to be there? They might not be on the clock right that second, but at that point it's just a matter of probability.
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Duck Duck what the Fuck pt. 2, Featuring Not to Be a Bearer of News
Okay in my previous post [link here] we talked about the appearance of ducks and ducks with accordions in the opening sequence. Now I didn't really have too much to say except fucking weird, right? But now I'm going to start digging around in this a bit more.
Welcome back to what is the big deal with ducks.
To start off, ducks are verbally mentioned in this show... 4 times. (I'm pretty sure it's 4 but it's highly possible I'm missing something.)
Our first case is in Season 1 episode 1. At approximately 26:45 we see a transition to the park where Crowley and Aziraphale are having a meeting. The quote here is stated by none other than our narrator God. She states...
"Everyone knows the best place for a clandestine meeting in London is and always has been Saint James' Park. They say the ducks are so used to being fed by secret agents that they've developed Pavlovian reactions to them. The Russian cultural attaché's black bread is particularly sought after by the more discerning duck. Crowley and Aziraphale have been meeting here for quite some time."
This quote has always been...a little sus to me. Now if you aren't entirely sure what Pavlovian effect is, I direct you to a situation that you quite possibly experience yourself. Have you ever heard the sound of an alarm clock, or the sound you set your own alarm clock as playing outside of a setting that isn't meant to wake you up? Have you had this knee jerk reaction where you feel yourself tense and need the sound to stop and maybe even feel a little bit more awake because of it? No? If not you are beyond lucky.
A Pavlovian reaction is a conditioned response to something, in my known knowledge I think it's generally accompanied by a sound (apologies for explaining this so poorly, if anyone wants to hop in the comments and explain better I will love you so much.) For example, some farmers ring a bell or something to let their cows know it's time to eat. The cows then associate that noise with food and will probably expect to be fed upon any point of hearing that bell.
So in this case...ducks hear the whisperings of secret agents and know that it means they get fed. The more recognizable the noise, the better the bread. Hence the line that the more discerning ducks go towards the Russian cultural attaché. Kinda fascinating right? And also a weird way to describe the ducks...
Moving on the second time ducks are mentioned is by Crowley in season 1 episode 2. He makes a comment in regards to suspicions about him saying something along the lines of suspicions slide off him 'like water slides off of....what does water slide off of?" And then later on at some random point (pretty sure it's in the same episode) yells 'DUCKS! That's what water slides off of.' (I'm paraphrasing here because this isn't a quote I needed to look up cause I knew it in my soul.)
Now the phrase 'Like water slides off a duck's back' generally tends to mean that someone is unaffected by something. Whatever it is, they are unperturbed. Okay...another interesting way to look at ducks.
Our third quote is in season 1 episode 3. Crowley once again speaks to us about ducks when he's talking to Aziraphale about ✨insurance.✨ No not that kind of insurance I'm talking about the Holy Water. When Crowley and Aziraphale meet in the park in their little top hats in 1862 the conversation goes something like this...
Crowley - "If it all goes wrong, I want insurance."
Aziraphale - "What?"
Crowley, handing Aziraphale a piece of paper - "I wrote it down. Walls have ears. Well ,not walls. Trees have ears. Ducks have ears. Do ducks have ears? Must do. That's how they hear other ducks."
That's...and interesting little throw away line right there that Aziraphale ignores to tell him no. And maybe it is a little throw away line...or maybe we're meant to pay attention to it. Why else would they continue talking about something if they don't want to emphasize it. Twice is a coincidence but threes a pattern.
Which leads me to our fourth quote (continuing our pattern) being from Season 2 this time in which Crowley (I'm slowly seeing a pattern of how it's almost always Crowley talking about ducks, and who's the one who tells Aziraphale when they're being watched???) yells at some agents not to feed the ducks bread. Shax then asks him what you're supposed to feed ducks, and once again it isn't until later on in the conversation that Crowley says 'Peas. You give ducks peas.'
Feeding ducks bread is not good. But I'm not sure there's any other little meaning in here.
Now that we've got that out of the way. I want to mention The Other times ducks are mentioned, and to me it only seems to get weirder.
The first appearance of a mention of ducks in season 2...is the first time we meet Mr. Brown (of Brown's world of carpets.)
In our second episode, Crowley and Aziraphale have a meeting at the PuB in which we meet Mr. Brown (of Brown's world of carpets) who corners Aziraphale about holding the Whickber Street Traders and Shopkeepers Association monthly? meeting. Buuuuuuut. We actually first see him BEFORE he comes over to Aziraphale. (Don't even get me started on the weird shit in the PuB)
Even here we can see he's got a something in his arm, which we quickly find out is a newspaper.
But notice how....whatever angle we're seeing him from, we can see the front of his newspaper? It's like a big flashing sign that says 'HEY LOOK AT ME!'
We even see him right here, moving towards Aziraphale while Crowley orders drinks. And what do we see? The front of the newspaper.
And he
spends
every
moment
showing us that newspaper.
And even better, tell me why it appears that Aziraphale is looking at the paper and not him?
And I know this shot is blurry but even as he leaves the PuB, he's still holding that newspaper towards the camera.
And then he's literally holding it in front of his face
Even when we see him days later!
So for starters. Why...why does he have the same newspaper over a span of multiple days. And more importantly. Why on Earth does it say 'Nebraskan Woman Taught Duck to Play Accordion.'
Now you might say it's dumb and unimportant. And normally I'd agree...if he wasn't flashing that newspaper around like a billboard.
It leads me to believe it's really important, but why I don't know. @lady-of-the-puddle and I are still agonizing over ducks and have yet to really figure out what significance there might be.
The only thought I have had....which seems so far-fetched I'm embarrassed to say it almost, is who, off the top of your head is the one person you can think of that would have the power to teach a duck to play an accordion considering they don't have posable thumbs....or hands for that matter?
If you said God then I feel a little less ridiculous...but also why would God teach a duck to play accordion. So not having anything to back that up or anything to further explore it with....But I feel like that might be thinking of the duck thing from the wrong angle since our most common discussion point about ducks seems to be them hearing things and all around being suspicious little feathered friends.
I have to say I am quite clueless on the matters of ducks but I feel they have to be important....
And don't get me started on newspapers...
#good omens#good omens 2#ineffable husbands#good omens season 2#good omens meta#accordion ducks#guess what though#the next part of this post series is ALL about the newspapers#because theres some fucky shit going around
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I saw this post about crazy museum stories, and I see lots of retail stories, but I don’t see a lot of airport stories….
So here are some of my craziest stories from working at an airport.
Airport behind the scenes:
• The random passenger who told me to get off the carousel (I was fixing it) then absolutely couldn’t believe I was a female and a mechanic. Then he proceeded to insinuate my military rank before getting out meant I messed up (AF just ranks slower, we had a bit of a bottleneck problem when I was in). He then suggested my supervisor didn’t know how to do his job well and could “just take us all under his wing”. All of this before asking for a job…..
• The passenger who insisted I check him in for his flight that left 2 hrs ago, when I was fixing the ticket counter conveyor belt, all the lights were off and I was literally black up to my elbows in grease….
• The woman who rode up and down the glass elevator in ticketing, lifting her skirt repeatedly, until the sheriffs had to come get her. Bonus points: it was only around noon, and no she wasn’t flying anywhere.
• The woman who got demanded she get on a plane at 11 pm, when flights are no longer going out, with no ID or money, to a city that was literally a 45 min drive away, with no airport. She proceeded to stop pick up traffic with an airport use wheelchair.
• A man who went through an armed door to the ramp, took all of his clothes of and sat there (that one made news).
• A woman who decided to take off all of her clothes and run around the main part of the airport. A sheriff and 2 cleaners had to catch her, she ran through the parking structure at 1am, in January in the northern Midwest.
• The absolutely insane contract manager that almost got sued by Southwest Airlines for wearing disguises and hiding to catch their ticket counter agents putting begs on the belt wrong (they weren’t, also wearing 2 hats and a fake mustache is not inconspicuous sir) that was the talk of the airport for quite a while…
• The gate agent that somehow messed up the jetbridge so bad I had to take every single limit sensor apart so I could override it. When he called it in all I was told was “the wheel locked up and I kept moving it, and I made an ooopsies.”
• The coworker that would insist on wanting to empty the lavs (which is easier than loading bags) but would mess it up at least once every other week and spill on himself, then just look horrified but not move….
• A woman rode an unattended baggage belt, luckily she was read as an oversize bag and sent directly to TSA, she literally could have been killed. She scared the daylights out of some TSA agents though. Could you imagine- you expect a golf club bag or something and get a person popping out?
• The lady who was really scared to fly, got really drunk, and fell down an up escalator. It was Christmas and luckily the gate agents were able to book her on a new flight the next day for free. But when asked if she had someone to pick her up, she called her husband, in Texas… (this is an airport near Chicago) she literally didn’t even know what airport she was at. A sheriff took her to a hotel to let her sleep it off, and to my knowledge she made it out safe the next morning.
I found a cat stuck in a wall, well actually she climbed through the wall and became trapped in a plumbing closet. She is really lucky some Southwest agents heard her crying and called us (they figured since we worked on conveyors and had tons of tools, we might be able to help. We called airport ops to open the closet door, and there she was. I still have her to this day, her name is Delta, and she is a very weird cat, I blame it on the fumes 🤣
All of this and more, and I work at a relatively small airport, and I was only there 5 years, and primarily worked 3rd shift as a mechanic.
@karmaisntab
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I'm reading The Flower That Bloomed Nowhere and I don't know if there's a name for this style of prose, but I love it. You have this winding explanation about the sun's creation, why the sun was important to humans, how in this new world humans recreated the sun in both form and function, and how this lamplight is sometimes rejected by a person's body. Each paragraph's content is distinct, but its purpose seems fully expository until you reach the succinct end--our main character has rationalized that they prefer rainy weather because of this lamp-rejection phenomena and, returning to the present-story, is walking pleasantly in it. Su even humorously muses that she may simply prefer the rain because she's gloomy, rendering the entire explanation irrelevant.
It reminds me of those meandering stories you only realize are jokes once the teller reaches the snappy punchline, but with more crafty worldbuilding.
Text of the passage is under the readmore
Once, before the final days of the Iron Epoch and the collapse that followed, the old world had orbited a local star referred to as the 'Sun'. A massive ball of plasma fueled by the hydrogen fusion process spat out of a molecular cloud at some point in the foggy distant past of the universe, it had been a major part of the cosmological miracle that had given birth to life, and, later, the cosmological disaster called the human race.
Like the majority of land-based life, mankind had evolved to depend upon the sun in a variety of ways, both as a mechanism to regulate behavior - sleep patterns - and as an agent to actively assist in biological processes, most notably the conversion of cholesterol into secosteroids via 'cooking' them on the skin with ultraviolet radiation. As a result, relishing in sunlight became, to an extent, a desirable trait in the psyche, becoming deeply embedded in the reptilian parts of the mind.
The Great Lamp, created by the last of the Ironworkers during the construction of the Mimikos - the highest plane of the Remaining World, and the primary home of humanity - had thusly been built to emulate the sun in not only function, but aesthetics and perceived behavior. It crossed the firmament over the course of the day, traveling from the east into the west. The pathway it took even changed with the seasons, as it had in the old world based on the axial tilt of the planet.
But the human brain is a observant and fussy thing, and some brains are even more observant and fussy than others. Inevitably, in some individuals, a small part of them remained aware that it wasn't quite right, producing an uncomfortable dissonance that had at this point become a widely-recognized phenomenon. I understood there were even groups to help treat it; you'd go out on nice trips to parks and to the seaside in broad daylight during summertime, to help you form happy memories associated with the lamplight. (This was a concept that seemed nightmarishly saccharine and dystopian to me, but that's neither here nor there.)
Because I'm the type of person who likes to rationalize and pathologize everything, I'd always assumed this was the reason I preferred night time and rainy days to clear daylight, although it might just have been because I'm naturally a gloomy person. Either way, as Ran and I walked down the high street outside the university, I found myself feeling surprisingly calm and light-hearted.
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How to start a local Hypnokink group
This is a barebones set of advice and steps that the leaders of Mind Play RVA took to open their local hypnosis group, spread in the hopes of revitalizing or wholesale creating more local hypnosis kink groups. No two groups are the same, and no two groups are going to encounter the same stumbling blocks. Take this as ‘a list of things that I wish I’d thought about or known beforehand’ more than anything else. I will try to organize this as best I can, but I am an agent of chaos - it is best if you just read the whole thing. Ideas flow from each other fairly freely. Consider each bulletpoint a ‘thread’, not a ‘list’
Prologue: Who we are
Mind Play RVA (MPRVA) is a hypnosis workshop that meets on the last Saturday of every month in Richmond, Virginia. MPRVA is only about five months old. We managed to create a local hypnosis group, time will tell whether it is at all a durable group.
Section 1: The Big Things
Get involved in your local kink scene.
I cannot stress how important this is. The amount of support MPRVA recieved from other leaders in the Richmond community cannot be overstated. We recieved almost all of the advice I am distributing now from those local leaders - scheduling, formatting, a list of bad actors and predators in the local community. We even had a leader offer to act as security for our group when she attends.
This will also let you gauge whether your local scene needs a hypnosis group. There might be a small or underground group that doesn’t advertise itself that you could join. There might be nobody into hypnosis in your local scene.
If there are educational groups in your local scene- present for them! Teach a hypnosis 101 class to a TNG group. This will allow people to discover the kink, and also teach them that you’re trustworthy. Few people will attend a new group lead by people who aren’t trusted by other trusted members of the community.
This will also let you gauge whether your local scene is hostile to the idea of a hypnosis group, or hostile to you or your members.
Many local kink scenes have a significant racism problem. Try and sus that out, even if you are not a person of color or nobody you know is. This will affect how you go about engaging with the rest of your community, as a group.
Acknowledge that this will take a lot of time - and some amount of money
You will need to invest significant time and possibly significant amounts of money to make and maintain a group. Everything from organizing a space to meet, buying seating for your membership. Little things.
MPRVA is lucky enough to have found a space that will allow us to meet for free. We are incredibly lucky in this manner. Most people will likely spend significant amounts of money on their space - or require an entry fee, or money for food in the cases of munches that meet in restaruants, so that the space can earn that money from the membership themselves.
Find your format
Figure out what kind of group you want to form. I have broad ‘categories’ - Munches, Educationals, Workshops, Play Parties, Retreats, and Cons.
Munches might be the easiest event to organize - they typically meet in a bar or other food-providing venue. They might also occur in public parks. Munches are typically just ‘meetings’, show up, eat a sandwich, and talk about your kink. Depending on the size and regularity of your group, you may not even need to tell the restaurant that you are meeting there, or the nature of your group.
Educational groups tend to have some sort of presentation at some or all of their meetings - topics such as Hypnosis 101, Kin-aesthetic inductions. Any kind of group that provides education. These groups tend to need a little bit more space, and a little bit more privately - you’ll be having a single person or group talk fairly loudly about a kinky topic.
Workshops are like educational groups, but also provide space and opportunity to practice the topics taught during the educational portion. These typically require more space, and require quieter spaces than other groups - especially for hypnosis groups, where it might be difficult for new subjects to fall into trance with many distractions.
Retreats and Cons are outside the scope of this document. An example of a retreat are small kink ‘camps’ that sometimes get organized - either invite-only or with limited tickets, such as Deep Mind Darkwood. Charmed is a hypnosis convention.
Find a space
This is the biggest stumbling block that most groups come across. You will need space to organize people, and you will need sufficient enough space to sort people.
Get creative with this! Groups in Richmond meet at all kinds of locations - from people’s houses, to people’s basements. There is a local goth/industrial bar that hosts kink events here. If your local scene has rope dojos or dungeon spaces, reach out to those, as they are often willing to host other kink groups. MPRVA meets in a queer-run members-only gym that one of our leaders happened to be a member of!
Depending on the format of your group, you may need to disclose the purpose of your group to the space you are organizing in. Many locations will not allow a kink group to meet there. I encourage being open and honest with the space you are organizing with, if doing so does not put you or your members at risk.
Space consideration is extra important now that we are in a neverending pandemic. Consider the space’s ventilation system, and ensure that you have enough space for your members to spread out.
Advertise
Advertise your group on FetLife. Advertise your group at local munches or educational events. Advertise your group on Instagram, if you’re willing to! Nobody will attend your group if they don’t know it exists!
Get good at speaking
If your group is not simply a munch (and even if it is), develop public speaking skills. Learn how to project, learn the confidence to stand in front of a crowd and talk about a topic you’re not used to talking about. Spend some time taking a community college course on public speaking, take theater classes, or just run too many Dungeons and Dragons groups. Whatever it is you need to do - you need to know how to carry yourself with an amount of confidence that makes people believe you can run a good event.
Temper your expectations
Prepare for all of your work to come to nothing. Prepare to spend money, energy, and social capital, and for nobody but you and your friends to show up. Temper your expectations.
My advice is to only put in as much effort as you would do to organize a club for your friends. If you get more turnout than just that, be ecstatic.
Section 2: The Little Things, and the Unfun things.
Consider not using the word Hypnosis in relation to your group, at least in print
Some states and localities regulate the use of the word Hypnosis. It might be illegal to use it. Find out!
Hypnosis is often a banned term, due to credit card companies banning transactions relating to erotic hypnosis - Fetlife’s policies are inconsistent, but there has been at least one purge of hypnosis groups organizing on it, and (I believe) it doesn’t allow new groups to form using the word.
Legal issues
Depending on the laws in your area, erotic hypnosis (and other forms of kink) could possibly land you in legal trouble if police or legislators take note of you. Keep it in mind.
Reputation issues
Will you be impacted if you are found to be leading a kink group? Think about your job and your personal life.
Hypnosis has a really bad reputation - some of it is deserved, and some of it is misinformation. Many kink people - especially older ones - don’t believe that hypnosis kink can be done consensually. Develop a plan to explain hypnosis and consent - and be prepared for some people to dismiss you anyway
Cops
Even if you are doing nothing illegal, you may have issues with police showing up. Have a plan in mind - to hide your activities, to explain the situation, to protect vulnerable members of your group. It is better to have a plan and not need it than to be caught with your pants down when the cops knock.
Police are often used as a weapon by bad actors. If you kick somebody from you group, they might decide to call the cops on you next time you are meeting.
Rulebreakers
Have a plan in mind for how to deal with people who are disruptive to your group. Do you talk with them first? Do you have a three-strikes policy? Do you have a hard-line stance?
Have another plan in mind on how to deal with predators - either known or unknown - that attend your group. My advice is to simply bar them entry, but things may not be so simple - especially if they’re willing to be physically violent.
To that matter - have a plan for how to physically remove somebody from your group who isn’t willing to simply leave when told. Find out your local laws, and the rules for the space you are organizing.
Group durability
I hope that you are organizing with like-minded indivduals. Even then, friendships sour and breakups occur. Consider (if accessible to you) forming your group with a set of bylaws - form a nonprofit if you must - with the ability to remove members from leadership without the organization itself falling apart under the strain. If you must sign a contract with a space to organize your group, try to have a legal entity that is not an individual leader that can be liable for that contract.
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I Love Raine Whispers
Let me start this post about Raine Whispers by affirming my love of Double Trouble.
Are they a paragon of unproblematic representation? Hell no. Do I adore them? You bet your ass I do, for two reasons: first, despite being a shapeshifting trickster and arguably a villain who inarguably relies on deceit, when they appeared, they were a breath of literally any air in a media landscape which, regardless of whether we're even talking about kids' shows, was basically empty of non-binary representation. This can hardly be overstated: non-binary representation has been so scarce that Double Trouble pretty much literally revealed my non-binary-ness to me, single-handedly. Second, sort of related, for all their sus vibes, Double Trouble absolutely works as a power fantasy for schlubby, inglamorous enbies like yours truly, all while being important to the plot, delivering a necessary if painful vibe check around which the entire next season pivots, and looking absolutely devastating in a jumpsuit. Don't get it twisted: I fucking love Double Trouble and I WILL fight you.
But this is a post about Raine, aka best Owl Houseian.
Raine Whispers is, for one thing, everything Double Trouble wasn't. Unambiguously with the good guys. Unique, interesting powers attained through study and cleverness. Cool Teacher Vibe. Sexy, but absolutely in an aspirational way rather than, uh, y'know, what DT's doing. They are undeniably a core cast member, including, nay, especially in the last, shortened season.
If DT was a breath of literally any air, Raine Whispers is what it felt like when the Fright Zone suddenly turned into a goddamn alpine meadow. They're transcendental. Double Trouble was enjoyable and fun to have around, but Raine… Raine made me feel invested in a way I can hardly express. It's because of them that I am starting to more seriously contemplate really starting to stamp those they/them pronouns on my stationary if you get my drift.
From the minute they're introduced, Raine becomes a chord in the tapestry of the Owl House that we didn't know we'd been missing, and I gotta say, in terms of late-introduced characters, the Owl Crew did an incredible job of making them feel like they'd been there all along, it's just the camera wasn't pointing at them. Lovely. They're introduced along with Bardic Magic, which is itself given a chance to really shine as this weird, bigger-than-it-looks branch of magic that pools up and spills over into the world from everywhere, it's a branch of magic that proves what an ill-fitting straightjacket the Coven system is by just sort of being something that feels like it transcends the divisions artificially erected between things and-- you get it, Bard Magic might not be an intentional metaphor, but it sure does resonate.
Raine is also a double agent, but unlike Double Trouble, the metaphor is way more subtle, and much better for it. Raine is a double agent because the powers that be just assume they're part of the system, and then because they assume they've tamed them. Raine persists, hiding in plain sight because nobody wants to see them. And they don't like it, but they know they can use it.
Raine is also an excellent foil for Eda. They don't dislike Eda's rebelliousness, chaotic impulsiveness, or sass, in fact they love them, but every one of those things are things that Raine exhibits quietly. They rebel under a pseudonym. They plan, but plan craziness. They have the capacity for sass, but deliver it with subtlety and wit, in a way that Eda might be able to do if she wanted to, but probably never will. (This is part of why they fit so perfectly into the ensemble cast: they are a great pair for one of the most important characters in the show.)
I could also yell about how aggressively non-binary the cast gets in season 3, but even knowing what was to come, The Owl House knocked the first one out of the park. Raine Whispers is incredible, and I am changed for having them in my media universe. Just. Bravo, crew. Bravo.
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Hi. Remember when I promised a second wave in June of last year? I forgot.
ROUND ONE, PART ONE of the BEST OF THE WORST SHIP POLL will begin on JANUARY 19TH at 2 PM PST. It will consist of the LEFT side of the bracket.
Propaganda IS allowed for this iteration of the poll, but will ONLY be posted to this blog if directly submitted. I WILL NOT post anything mean-spirited, inflammatory, or legitimately weird, please keep that in mind when submitting.
The bracket is listed in plain text under the cut.
(LEFT SIDE)
Dazai Osamu/Nakahara Chuuya (BSD) VS Crowley/Aziraphale (GOOD OMENS)
Steve Harrington/Eddie Munson (STRANGER THINGS) VS Reylo (STAR WARS)
Star Butterfly/Marco Diaz (SVTFOE) VS Spamton/Jevil (UTDR)
Harrier Du Bois/Kim Kitsuragi (DE) VS Herbert West/Daniel Cain (REANIMATOR)
Catra/Adora (SPOP) VS Akira Kurusu/Goro Akechi (P5)
Lapis/Peridot (SU) VS Tenth Doctor/Rose Tyler (DR WHO)
Cole Cassidy/Hanzo Shimada (OVERWATCH) VS Takami Keigo/Todoroki Enji (BNHA)
Beauregard Lionett/Jester Lavorre (CRITROLE) VS Raiden Ei/Yae Miko (GI)
Katsuki Bakugou/Izuku Midoriya (BNHA) VS Jack Hakrness/Ianto Jones (TORCHWOOD)
Marisa Kirisame/Reimu Hakurei (TOUHOU) VS Rhys Strongfork/Handsome Jack (BORDERLANDS)
Kaname Madoka/ Homura Akemi (PMMM) VS Alhaithem/Kaveh (GI)
Ryuki Kuruto/Date Kaname (AI Somnium) VS Ethan Winters/Chris Redfield (RE7/8)
Hunter/Willow Park (TOH) VS Childe/Zhongli (GI)
John Watson/ Sherlock Holmes (BBC SHERLOCK) VS Dimple/Arataka Reigen (MP100)
Azula/Ty Lee (ATLA) VS Zuko/Katara (ATLA)
Nico Yazawa/Maki Nishikino (LL) VS Dean Winchester/Castiel (SPN)
(RIGHT SIDE)
Sasuke Uchiha/Sakura Haruno (NARUTO) VS Vriska Serket/Terezi Pyrope(HS)
Benry/Gordon Freeman (HLRVAI) VS Keith Kogane/Lance Mcclain (VLD)
Kazuhira Miller/Revolver Ocelot (MGS) VS Jotaro Kujo/Noriaki Kakyoin (JJBAP3)
Dave Strider/Karkat Vantas(HS) VS Sonic the Hedgehog/Shadow the Hedgehog(STH)
Mako/Korra (ATLA) VS The Onceler/The Onceler (THE LORAX)
Lavernius Tucker/Agent Washington (RVB) VS Chris Hartley/Josh Washington (UNTIL DAWN)
Piers/Raihan (PSWSH) VS Natsuki/Yuri (DDLC)
Greg House/James Wilson (HOUSE MD) VS Callie Torres/Arizona Robbins (GREY'S ANATOMY)
Kazuma Kiryu/Goro Majima (YAKUZA) VS Light Yagami/Misa Amane (DEATH NOTE)
Chell/GLaDOS (PORTAL) VS Adam Faulkner-Stanheight/Lawrence Gordon (SAW)
Tom Wambsgans/Greg Hirsch (SUCCESSION) VS Ryo Asuka/Akira Fudo (DEVILMAN)
Tsukasa Tenma/Kamishiro Rui (PRSK) VS Qrow Branwen/James Ironwood (RWBY)
Batman/The Joker (BATMAN) VS Getou Suguru/Satoru Gojo (JJK)
Mark Hoffman/Peter Strahn (SAW) VS Iki Hiyori/Yukine (NORAGAMI)
Jayce/Viktor (ARCANE) VS Hannibal Lector/Will Graham (HANNIBAL)
Dirk Strider/Jake English (HS) VS Ash/Serena (POKEMON)
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NCIS is gearing up to ring in a special milestone with the April 15th episode as the franchise reaches 1,000 episodes overall. But how does it all break down? Below, we’re revealing how each of the current and former spinoffs contributed to the flagship’s upcoming installment.
Eddy Chen/CBS
NCIS (464 EPISODES)
Airdates: September 23, 2003–present
The Brief: “What makes NCIS so damn special?” That question is furiously put to Director Leon Vance (Rocky Carroll) by his estranged son, Jared (Spence D. Moore II), in the NCIS franchise’s 1,000th episode. Launched in 2003, NCIS has four spinoffs and two highly anticipated shows coming — NCIS: Origins and a Michael Weatherly–Cote de Pablo project nicknamed NCIS: Europe.
The younger Vance makes his query when the two cross paths at his mom’s gravesite. Vance’s wife was killed by terrorists in 2013, and Jared can’t comprehend why his dad is so dedicated to a job that put their family in danger.
Make that puts: Vance is soon in peril and the team under attack by an enemy from the past. “We’ve heard this baddie’s name before,” exec producer Steven D. Binder told us at a celebration on the set. “As in some of our better episodes, our people risk their lives for each other. We pay homage to the O.G. NCIS and the other series.”
Guest star alert: Assisting via satellite feed are Los Angeles agent Kensi Blye (Daniela Ruah) and Hawai‘i boss Jane Tennant (Vanessa Lachey). The cavalry also includes a longtime NCIS ally, former FBI agent Tobias Fornell (Joe Spano).
In a scene we observed, forensic scientist Kasie (Diona Reasonover) reviews evidence with Torres (Wilmer Valderrama). Jared, desperate to help, has slept there overnight. “Kasie connects with Jared and becomes a mentor in a way,” Reasonover says.
Valderrama hints it all gets explosive, promising “a big, big set piece; all of us are involved.” And one agent does something new: “We see McGee in a position you’ve never seen him in in 20 years,” spills Sean Murray. Says Gary Cole, who plays team leader Alden Parker, “We witness some fragility of what this job entails, the obstacles that could pop up unexpectedly.”
Skip Bolen/CBS
NCIS: New Orleans (155 EPISODES)
Airdates: September 23, 2014–May 23, 2021
The Brief: The Big Easy’s brassy, buoyant spirit infused the franchise’s third title, shot memorably on location. In fact, lead Scott Bakula once told TV Guide Magazine about a great only-in-NOLA moment: “being in the middle of the Mississippi River, captaining a tugboat!” His honest boss Dwayne Pride was based on a real New Orleans lawman, retired naval investigator D’Wayne Swear, who served as a consultant.
Daniel Asher Smith/Paramount+
NCIS: Sydney (8 EPISODES)
Airdates: November 10, 2023–present
The Brief: “In Australia, everything can kill you,” executive producer Morgan O’Neill cracked to TV Guide Magazine when the Oz-set new kid on the block arrived last year. Down Under has proved plenty perilous for tough NCIS Special Agent Captain Michelle Mackey (Olivia Swann) and her savvy partner-in-crime-fighting, Australian Federal Police Sergeant JD Dempsey (Todd Lasance). After locking horns, the American and the Aussie warmed to each other. But all may be undone thanks to JD going rogue in the finale — crikey! Good news for fans left in suspense: Sydney was just renewed!
Karen Neal/CBS
NCIS: Hawai‘i (50 EPISODES)
Airdates: September 20, 2021–present
The Brief: NCIS said aloha to the franchise’s third offshoot and first female special agent in charge, hardworking divorced mom Jane Tennant (Vanessa Lachey), in 2021. “I feel like I’m in a movie: Platoon meets Jurassic Park,” Lachey told TV Guide Magazine at the time. Before shooting on lush Oahu began, production held a traditional Hawaiian blessing. The island culture has defined the series, with unique cases involving paniolos (Hawaiian cowboys) and Pearl Harbor survivors. Tennant’s team, a blend of mainland transplants and locals like surfer Kai Holman (Alex Tarrant), has welcomed other NCIS franchise agents for joint ops. And now L.A.’s Sam Hanna (LL Cool J) is on the island!
Ron P. Jaffe/CBS
NCIS: Los Angeles (323 EPISODES)
Airdates:September 22, 2009–May 21, 2023
The Brief: For a thrilling 14 seasons, the first spinoff’s Office of Special Projects hit the sunny streets of L.A. to chase down a rap sheet of baddies from Russian mobsters to psychotic serial killers — even an office mole. Under the management of no-nonsense Henrietta “Hetty” Lange (Linda Hunt), ex–Navy SEAL Sam Hanna (LL Cool J) and loner Grisha “G” Callen (Chris O’Donnell) were special agents with banter as quick as their draw. But both had endured pain: for Sam, a wife murdered by a terrorist; for G, a rocky childhood in foster care and a brutal secret program to train kids in spycraft.
Fans rooted for romance between team members Kensi Blye (Daniela Ruah) and Marty Deeks (Eric Christian Olsen), whose entertaining undercover missions included posing as cult members and suburban marrieds. The cast was equally tight. O’Donnell says, “The first day on set, the original NCIS cast came in. They were like a family. I remember looking at Dani and LL thinking, ‘Are we ever going to get as close?’ Sure enough, we did.”
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VIDEO: Ukrainian saboteurs set fire to Su-34 fighter bomber in eastern Russia
The Ukrainian intelligence board posted a video of a fire near the fuselage of the Su-34 jet.
Fernando Valduga By Fernando Valduga 04/01/2024 - 23:10in Military, War Zones
Saboters working for Ukrainian Intelligence set fire to a Su-34 bomber at the Shagol airfield in Chelyabinsk, 1,500 km inside Russia, in the east of the country.
The group of Ukrainians entered Russia, traveled the 1,500 kilometers to the Chelyabinsk air base in northern Kazakhstan, sneaked into the snow-covered runway under the cloak of darkness and set fire to a Sukhoi Su-34 Fullback bomber of the Russian Air Force.
The approximate location of the Chelyabinsk-Shagol air base in Russia. (Photo: Google Maps)
The Chief Intelligence Directorate of Ukraine (GUR) released images on YouTube of a Russian Su-34 tactical bomber being set on fire at the Chelyabinsk aviation camp on the night of January 4. Several Ukrainian media outlets released the video.
youtube
Citing the GUR, the reports reported that the aircraft belonged to the aviation regiment of the 21ª mixed aviation division of the aerospace forces of the Russian Armed Forces.
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The extent of the damage to the aircraft cannot be determined by the video, which shows only a small fire the size of a candle in the fuselage, near the engine compartment.
Near the end of the video, the flames inside the aircraft began to get more and more intense.
The right air intake of the Su-34 fighter-bomber
Video images make it difficult to assess possible damage to the aircraft, but the high temperature may have deformed the fuselage.
The Su-34 supersonic fighter-bombers are among the best in the Russian air force - and the most active along the 1,000-km front line of Russia's broader war against Ukraine, which has already lasted 23 months.
Russian Air Force Su-34 Fullback fighter. (Photo: Alex Beltyukov / Wikimedia Commons)
The Ukrainian forces are doing everything they can to shoot down all the Su-34s they can. Quickly repositioning long-range air defenses in southern Ukraine last month, the Ukrainian air force slashed four Su-34s in the space of a week. If the sabotaged jet leaves service, the Russians may be reduced to about 125 Su-34, in a pre-war fleet of no more than 150.
A satellite view of the Chelyabinsk-Shagol air base dated May 17, 2023. In the close-up, a pair of Su-24, three Su-34s and a single Su-35 on the air base ramp. (Photo: Google Earth)
It is not the first act of sabotage committed by a Ukrainian agent within Russia, but it may be the most daring. And it may have cost the Russian Air Force another of its increasingly threatened Su-34s.
In October 2022, a Ukrainian sneaked into a Russian airfield near Pskov to blow up a Kamov Ka-52 attack helicopter. Pskov is 800 kilometers from the border with Ukraine.
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In September 2023, saboteurs blew up An-148 and Il-20 planes in an aviation field in the Moscow region, as well as a Mi-28N helicopter, which had previously been actively involved in the shooting down of attack drones in the Moscow region.
Previously, several parked long-range bombers would have been damaged in an aviation field near the border with Ukraine due to a drone attack launched from within Russia.
Tags: Military AviationSukhoi Su-34 FullbackWar Zones - Russia/Ukraine
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Fernando Valduga
Fernando Valduga
Aviation photographer and pilot since 1992, he has participated in several events and air operations, such as Cruzex, AirVenture, Dayton Airshow and FIDAE. He has works published in specialized aviation magazines in Brazil and abroad. He uses Canon equipment during his photographic work in the world of aviation.
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Donald Trump, the president, may well be immune from any civil action for allegedly inciting an attack against the US Capitol on January 6, 2021. But Donald Trump, the candidate, is not, an appellate court in the District of Columbia says.
“When a first-term President opts to seek a second term, his campaign to win re-election is not an official presidential act,” says a ruling handed down this morning.
The court’s unanimous decision to reject Trump’s claim of absolute immunity places the Republican frontrunner in increased financial jeopardy, paving the way for members of Congress and Capitol police to seek compensation for harms allegedly endured during a riot that resulted in millions of dollars in damages and caused injury to nearly 140 police officers, according to their union.
In a 67-page opinion, the court says that Trump failed in his attempt to demonstrate that he’s entitled to what’s called “official-act immunity,” a powerful liability shield afforded to presidents that aims to ensure that they can—as the court puts it—“fearlessly and impartially discharge the singularly weighty duties” of the presidency.
“We answer no,” the court says, “at least at this stage of the proceedings,” adding that “campaigning to gain that office is not an official act of the office.”
The ruling has been long awaited. Trump’s claim of immunity was first rejected by US district court judge Amit Mehta in February 2022.
In part, it was Trump’s own attempt to overturn the election at the US Supreme Court that may have doomed his case. The DC Circuit says he acknowledged that his post-election efforts to have the result reversed in his favor were done in a personal capacity, and not that of a sitting president. Those claims, the ruling says, certified that Trump sought the court’s intervention based on his own “unique and substantial” interests as—specifically—a candidate.
Trump’s attorney has argued that the distinction is immaterial, and the appellate court unanimously disagreed. However, the matter of immunity was the sole issue under consideration, and Trump’s liability has yet to be determined.
The US Justice Department, asked by the appellate court to weigh in on the matter last year, concluded in March that Trump could be sued over the attack, adding that while presidents are afforded great protection with regard to a “vast realm” of speech, it did not extend to the “incitement of imminent private violence.”
The civil case is separate from the federal criminal trial in the district, which was led by special counsel and former acting US attorney Jack Smith and concerns not only Trump’s attempt to overturn the election, but allegations that he unlawfully retained classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida. Earlier this week, former vice president Mike Pence reportedly told the special counsel that Trump’s advisors—“crank” attorneys, as Pence put it—pushed the country to the brink of a constitutional crisis. The case is set to go to trial this March.
The siege began shortly after Trump delivered a 75-minute speech at a park south of the White House, known as the Ellipse. A House select committee investigating the riot last year said that Trump was aware the attack on the Capitol was underway as he arrived at the White House roughly 15 minutes after the speech. Witnesses, including a former DC police sergeant, claimed at the time that Trump had been swept away by US Secret Service agents trying to prevent him from joining the march.
Trump’s then press secretary, Kayleigh McEnany, later testified that during the attack Trump had requested a list of phone numbers belonging to US senators on the Hill, whom he reportedly contacted in an attempt to stop the results of the 2020 election from being certified. The calls were not recorded on the presidential call log. During this time, Trump supporters were engaged with police officers and had begun forcing them back onto the Capitol lawn, throwing bottles and dousing several offices with chemical spray.
The attack lasted approximately two hours and resulted in five deaths, including that of a Capitol police officer. The rioters, who broke windows, ransacked lawmakers’ offices, and stole documents and electronics, reportedly caused more than $2 million in damages to the 222-year-old building.
Two Capitol police officers, James Blassingame and Sidney Hemby, are seeking $75,000 in compensatory damages (as well as unspecified punitive damages) for injuries they say they sustained in the attack. In a court filing, Blassingame, an officer of 19 years, says he was struck in the face, head, and up and down his body by Trump supporters during the attempt to breach the Capitol building. Hemby, a former Marine, suffered “cuts and abrasions” to his face and hands. Neither officer could be immediately reached for comment.
At the onset of the suit, the plaintiff lawmakers included Democrats Eric Swalwell, Stephen Cohen, Bonnie Coleman, Veronica Escobar, Pramila Jayapal, Henry C. Johnson, Marcia Kaptur, Barbara Lee, Jerrold Nadler, and Maxine Waters. Karen Bass, a former congressperson and current mayor of Los Angeles, has also joined the suit. The lawmakers, including Bass, either did not respond or declined to comment.
“The Court today confirms that no one is above the law, even presidents while engaged in conduct during their presidency," Representative Johnson says.
Bennie Thompson, the congressperson from Mississippi, says he was no longer party to the case on appeal but welcomed the court’s decision. “Donald Trump should not be able to use the presidency to shirk accountability for what he did to cause the insurrection on January 6,” he tells WIRED.
An attorney for Trump, Jesse Binnall, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
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The Northeast Ohio Correctional Center (NEOCC). Inset left: David Lettieri (via WROC/DOJ). Inset right: An image of the defendant’s mustard packet (via Four-In-One Co., Inc.)
A convicted sex offender currently behind bars in Ohio has sued a condiment company over its labeling practices, saying that it’s keeping crucial information from consumers.
David Lettieri, 36, of Harpursville, New York, was convicted in June of enticement of a minor. According to the Department of Justice, Lettieri traveled in October 2020 to western New York to meet a 13-year-old victim “in a park in Wyoming County with the intent of having sexual intercourse.” According to the DOJ, “sexual contact did not occur,” but the investigation revealed communications between Lettieri and the girl “which were sexual in nature.”
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He is currently awaiting sentencing behind bars in a privately run prison in northeast Ohio, where he apparently feels he is being misled as to the contents of a particular condiment.
“This complaint is in regards to a product that Four In One makes. It is called Salad Fresh Four in One Mustard,” Lettieri says in a federal complaint filed Friday against the Four-In-One, the company behind the allegedly offending product. “There are no Nutrition Facts on the package.”
Lettieri notes the listed ingredients: distilled vinegar, mustard seed, salt, turmeric, paprika, spices and flavoring.
“The plaintiff under belief that mustard seed has a type of carbohydrate that has calories in it,” he writes in the complaint, which he filed on his own behalf and without an attorney, according to the federal docket. “The plaintiff knows salt is in sodium which has nutrition facts for a proper diet.”
Lettier says that he doesn’t know what turmeric is and that due to the labeling, he doesn’t know what spices or flavorings are contained in the mustard. He notes that because he has been incarcerated in multiple locations, he has been “unable to Research such matters.”
He alleges neglect on the part of Four-In-One, and demands at least $450,000 in damages.
Lettieri is awaiting sentencing, according to the DOJ and court records. According to the DOJ, the enticement charge carries a mandatory minimum prison sentence of 10 years.
Court records indicate that Lettieri appears to have filed at least two dozen lawsuits against federal agents during his incarceration.
#nunyas news#they're not labeled for sale#don't need that info#it's on the box#also have a interesting time
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