#city index withdraw money

[alphaman99]

Harley Butcher

Glenn Glazier posted:

Liberals: "Show us proof that Biden is corrupt and is destroying the country."

Conservatives: "We have lowest Consumer Confidence Index in 40 years, the highest suicide rate since 1941, and our food and gas prices have doubled in the last 3 years."

Liberals: "Other than that, show us some REAL proof."

Conservatives: "Our border is wide open, and there are 8 MILLION unvetted illegals here now that weren't here 3 years ago, many from Hamas, Iran, China, and Russia, many of them with sworn allegiance to our destruction."

Liberals: "Other than that, show us some REAL proof."

Conservatives: "In addition to the MILLIONS of unknowns in our country, our open border is allowing for the import of Fentanyl, which kills MORE Americans per every 6 months than all U.S. soldiers killed during the entire 10 years of the Vietnam War."

Liberals: "Other than that, show us some REAL proof."

Conservatives: "Crime is rampant in our cities, stores are closing down due to Blue State & city D.A.'s no longer prosecuting theft, and citizens can no longer protect themselves."

Liberals: "Other than that, show us some REAL proof."

Conservatives: "The World is at war –– Russia invaded Ukraine; Hamas committed the greatest slaughter of Jews since Nazi Germany; ISIS & the Taliban are back in Afghanistan, and they took control of $Billions in U.S. military hardware that Biden left behind during his haste withdrawal; and China is stealing our technology unchecked."

Liberals: "Other than that, show us some REAL proof."

Conservatives: "China released a manmade virus that killed Millions worldwide, potentially injured Billions, destroyed the World's economies, and the U.S. allowed China to get away with it."

Liberals: "Other than that, show us some REAL proof."

Conservatives: "Biden is allowing China to buy up massive swaths of farmland in the U.S., some of which is adjacent to U.S. Military bases."

Liberals: "Other than that, show us some REAL proof."

Conservatives: "The Biden Administration FORCED people to take a jab which was KNOWN to be ineffective & toxic, and simultaneously and purposely suppressed information about safe & effective treatments for Covid . . . they even FALSELY stated that the shot would prevent Covid, even though the Pharma companies never even tested for blockage of viral transmission."

Liberals: "Other than that, show us some REAL proof."

Conservatives: "The Biden Family has been proven to launder money that was given to them as they sold influence of U.S. policies that benefit our sworn enemies."

Liberals: "Other than that, show us some REAL proof."

Conservatives: "The Biden Administration is continuing the policy of the 0bama Administration of allowing members of Congress to illegally 'Insider Trade'."

Liberals: "Other than that, show us some REAL proof."

Conservatives: "There was massive voter fraud in the 2020 & 2022 elections. We have video documentation of this, voter distribution anamolies that are statistically impossible, and hundreds of sworn affidavits from Election Officials declaring that they witnessed outright fraud . . . . and worse yet, Biden has weaponized the DOJ to prosecute anyone challenging the election results, even though in 2020 Trump won 2 out of every 3 walk-in ballots whilst Biden 'won' 3 out of every 4 mail-in ballots; Trump won 18 of the 19 bellwether counties that have determined EVERY election since 1952; and 20% of people who mailed in ballots now admit to (illegally) submitting falsified ballots."

Liberals: "Other than that, show us some REAL proof."

Conservatives: "The Biden Administration is forcing us to adopt Green Energy policies, like the Electric Vehicle, which (A) actually does far greater damage to the environment than our gas-engine cars do, and (B) they are forcing Americans in the near future to purchase cars that can be remotely shut OFF at any time by some Bureaucrat in D.C., and (C) this is all to chase a HOAX called 'Climate Change' . . . and the only reason it's now called 'Climate Change' is because Climatologists couldn't get the Global Warming and Global Cooling models to agree with each other."

Liberals: "Other than that, show us some REAL proof."

Conservatives: "The Biden Administration wants to bail out student loan debt, thinking that college-age kids weren't old enough or wise enough to recognize that their useless degrees won't yield them jobs that can pay off their loans, but at the same time the Biden Administration IS declaring that 12-year old kids ARE old enough and wise enough to know if they're the wrong gender; hence, Team Biden is promoting hormone blockers and genital surgeries for kids, and some Blue States are threatening to remove kids from homes if the parents protest."

Liberals: "Other than that, show us some REAL proof."

Conservatives: "The Biden Administration is pushing for digital currency, where Gov't not only monitors every penny of every transaction that every American makes, but has also the ability to deny you access to your own money should you not, in their eyes, be spending YOUR money wisely."

Liberals: "Other than that, show us some REAL proof."

Conservatives: "If an adult has child porn on their computer, that adult goes to prison . . . but if a Teacher shows porn to elementary school children, then that Teacher is exalted."

Liberals: "Other than that, show us some REAL proof."

Conservatives: "Even though Governors, the CDC, the FDA, WHO, Fauci, and Biden were wrong about ...E.V.E.R.Y.T.H.I.N.G... related to Covid and the vax-jab, NY State just granted the Governor legal authority to remove, arrest, and detain anyone the Governor and/or her cronies determines is 'a health risk to the public,' with the person being quarantined INDEFINITELY without Legal Counsel, without Medical representation, and without even undergoing medical testing."

Liberals: "Other than that, show us some REAL proof."

Conservatives: "The Supreme Court of Colorado has just removed Trump's name from the ballots for the 2024 Presidential Election, even though Trump has NOT been convicted of any crime, thereby dismissing what has been the basis of our entire legal system since the birth of our nation, namely, the presumption of innocence –– you're 'innocent until proven guilty'! In other words, Blue State Judges are telling Americans, 'No, you don't get to decide who becomes President; WE do!' "

Liberals: "Other than that, show us some REAL proof."

Conservatives: "The Biden Administration & its DOJ suppressed all video evidence of Jan. 6th protestors being escorted into the Capitol by Capitol Police."

Liberals: "Other than that, show us some REAL proof."

Conservatives: "While the Biden Administration & its DOJ are violating the 1st Amendement by prosecuting those who are challenging the 2020 Presidential election, they are NOT prosecuting the Hamas Supporters on college campuses and in big cities who are calling for the mass slaughter of Jews."

Liberals: "Okay, yes, we grant you that all of that is true, but . . . but . . . but Trump said the word 'pussy'!! There is no way this nation can possibly survive another 4 years of Donald Trump."

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

And THAT is the "dialogue" that we have with the Left at this sad point in U.S. history.

[iviarellereads]

The Great Hunt, Chapter 21 - The Nine Rings

(THIS PROJECT IS SPOILER FREE! No spoilers past the chapter you click on. Curious what I'm doing here? Read this post! For the link index and a primer on The Wheel of Time, read this one! Like what you see? Send me a Ko-Fi.)

(Harp icon) In which it's no bad thing to go back to your roots.

PERSPECTIVE: Rand expected the common room to be empty, but half a dozen men are playing dice with their ale, and another man sits by himself. They all have the look of soldiers, the lone man an officer, and all in dark blue.

The innkeeper greets them, and says she'll have rooms prepared for them, their horses looked after, and there's a good table free. Rand stumbles when she asks if they're hunting the Horn, until she explains that she's seen multiple people through already, though the Hunt can't have been declared long yet.

Hurin asks where the innkeeper is from and after some surprise that his man speaks so freely, she says she's from Lugard, but married a Cairhienin man. She was all ready to go back home when he died, but he'd left her the inn and his brother the money when she expected it to be the other way around. Cairhienin to the end, he was.(2)

She's doubly surprised when Hurin sits with them for supper. When they're done, she asks if Rand would let his man favour them with music, she can see the flute in the bundle and her last musician married into a farm family. At Hurin's discomfort, Rand admits that he's the one who plays. The innkeeper instantly withdraws her request, she didn't realize... But he doesn't mind, he says, as he thinks about the dwindling coins in his purse.

He starts playing Heron on the Wing unconsciously, thinking of the heron on his palm. Selene looks at him like trying to figure out who or what he is. He cycles through a number of songs, and at one point the soldiers start singing their local words to one. When they're done, their officer dismisses them curtly, and apologizes to Rand for any offence, introducing himself as Aldrin Caldevwhin. He asks Rand's name and origin, and asks very probing questions, as if testing Rand's honesty in his answers. He's asking Selene her name, when one of the serving girls drops a lamp, starting a small fire.(3) When it's sorted out, Selene says she isn't feeling so well after all.

Rand asks Caldevwhin what the great crystal sphere was, and he says it's part of a statue from the Age of Legends. King Galldrian himself has ordered that it be dug up and brought to the capital, to be mounted outside the city wall. How long will they be staying here? Only the night, Rand says, they leave for the capital in the morning. Cal has some men he has to rotate back to the city, my lord won't mind if they ride with him? It's a rhetorical question, clearly.

Cal takes his leave, early day tomorrow, and leaves the inn entirely. When he's gone, the innkeeper offers to show Rand and co to their rooms. Rand says they'll only be needing the one, thank you. When she's seen them settled and left herself, Rand turns to the others.

“Do either of you know why that captain was so suspicious of us? He was, I’m sure of it.” He shook his head. “I almost think he thought we might steal that statue, the way he was talking.” “Daes Dae’mar, Lord Rand,” Hurin said. “The Great Game. The Game of Houses, some call it. This Caldevwin thinks you must be doing something to your advantage or you wouldn’t be here. And whatever you’re doing might be to his disadvantage, so he has to be careful.” Rand shook his head. “ ‘The Great Game’? What game?” “It isn’t a game at all, Rand,” Loial said from his bed. He had pulled a book from his pocket, but it lay unopened on his chest. “I don’t know much about it—Ogier don’t do such things—but I have heard of it. The nobles and the noble Houses maneuver for advantage. They do things they think will help them, or hurt an enemy, or both. Usually, it’s all done in secrecy, or if not, they try to make it seem as if they’re doing something other than what they are.” He gave one tufted ear a puzzled scratch. “Even knowing what it is, I don’t understand it. Elder Haman always said it would take a greater mind than his to understand the things humans do, and I don’t know many as intelligent as Elder Haman. You humans are odd.”

Rand asks if the soldiers in the morning are part of this Great Game, and neither Hurin nor Loial can say. Sometimes people are just doing as they say, and sometimes... that's the way of the Game of Houses. Hurin suggests asking Selene more about it in the morning, she'll know.

But in the morning, Selene is gone. She's left a sealed parchment with the innkeeper for Rand, though.

I must leave you for a time. There are too many people here, and I do not like Caldevwin. I will await you in Cairhien. Never think that I am too far from you. You will be in my thoughts always, as I know that I am in yours.

Hurin and the horses wait outside the inn, and Cal with fifty mounted soldiers. He asks after the Lady, and Rand says she had to leave suddenly in the night. Cal stumbles at this, and Hurin whispers to Rand that Cal had the inn watched, Selene must have gotten past them somehow.(4) Rand thinks that if there was any chance Cal didn't yet suspect them of something, Selene's gone and finished it off.

Rand mutters to himself about this, and the younger officer in charge of the fifty soldiers, Tavolin, asks if he said something. Rand just says nothing is happening the way he expects it to. Tavolin smiles briefly and suggests they ride. Onward, to the city of Cairhien.

=====

(1) In honour of Rand using Thom's flute again, I expect. (2) And here we get a great intro to the Game of Houses, which yes directly inspired Game of Thrones. Robert Jordan and GRRM were good friends. At any rate, the Game of Houses is similar in some ways if you're familiar with Game of Thrones, but also very different. Everyone will read twenty layers of meaning and intent into your every action and every nitpick detail of your appearance because their lives and livelihoods will literally depend on it. This lovely innkeeper had no clue her husband would apportion his estate so, despite being married to him for years, but he surely had his reasons. That's Cairhien in a nutshell. (3) Lanfear doesn't want to answer your petty questions, man. A little "accident" to give her an exit suits just fine. We saw the Amyrlin hold Nynaeve and Egwene up with weaves of Air, why not a firm pinch applied just so? (4) How could she have gotten out? Well, who knows what talents Lanfear might have. We have very little information about what was known to be possible in the Age of Legends.

[tradingacademys]

In-Depth Review Of HYCM - Is This Broker Good?

HYCM is a licensed CFD and forex broker with headquarters in Hong Kong, London, Cyprus, and other cities across the globe. It offers traders a wide range of trading instruments (asset classes), including currency pairs, equities, indices, cryptocurrencies, and ETFs. To accommodate every trading style and level of experience, HYCM provides a number of trading accounts, such as Fixed, Classic, and Raw.

With more than 40 years of experience in the industry and a wide range of tradable products, it is currently one of the top forex brokers. HYCM offers low forex and CFD trading costs. It provides a vast array of high-quality teaching resources. Opening an account is simple and entirely digital. On the other hand, the range of products offered by HYCM is restricted to forex and CFDs. Popular asset classes are absent, like actual stocks. The broker makes use of relatively dated-looking MetaTrader trading interfaces.

Features

The company HYCM has made a name for itself as one of the top suppliers of online CFD and FX trading services.HYCM is a component of the Henyep Capital Markets Group, a global conglomerate of businesses that serves crucial industries like finance, real estate, education, and nonprofits. One of the special features that HYCM customers can use to prevent losing money when trading CFDs is negative balance protection. Due to its complexity, cryptocurrency CFDs have a very high risk of financial loss.

Thanks to negative balance protection, customers are prohibited from ceasing CFD trading before their accounts reach a negative balance. Despite the risks involved, consumers worldwide are drawn to HYCM because of its extremely competitive price policy. Clients aren’t charged any pointless fees, such as the inactivity fee. Stocks, indexes, commodities, ETFs, FX pairings, and cryptocurrencies are just a few of its many items. All other traded items are organised as CFDs, with the exception of trading forex (foreign currency).

To safeguard the security and protection of its clients’ money and data, HYCM employs cutting-edge security measures. Additionally, 128-bit SSL certificates offered by VeriSign encrypt all client data. Unlike other CFD brokers, HYCM’s servers and clients always maintain secure, encrypted connections that adhere to all applicable banking regulations.

Spreads And Commissions

Although the Fixed and Classic account types provide commission-free trading, the spreads are too wide, according to numerous research reports. While the Classic account has a minimum (variable) spread of 1.2 pips, the Fixed account offers a fixed spread of 1.8. On the other hand, the Raw account has a rather competitive price structure (spreads), with a minimum spread cost of 0.2 pips and a commission of 4 USD per round lot (round).

According to research, HYCM has very reasonable CFD and forex trading fees. Most of the time, clients are not charged for trading their deposits or making withdrawals, except for a few circumstances where a specific withdrawal fee applies. Retail forex traders are charged a $30 withdrawal fee on bank wire transfers under $300.According to numerous HYCM reviews (user reviews), swap rates on different overnight positions and a $10 monthly inactivity fee may be applicable, which are somewhat irksome to clients.

Leverage

Different leverage ratios are available to its clients based on their jurisdictions, according to broker reviews: - Metals, indices (US cash and futures), and exotic currency trading firm HYCM Ltd. 

1:500 Indices for FX majors and minors (India or China futures) – 1:33 Other cash indices, EU, HK, and JK futures indexes, and commodities (soft) – 1:50 

Oil prices and US stocks – 1:20 Oil prices (Natural gas) Stocks (Germany, France, and Spain): 1:67 Stocks: 1:10

Pros

Low CFD fees and forex 

Competitive Pricing

Excellent selection of education tools

A wide range of currency pairs are available

Live chat, email, and phone are all ways to contact helpful customer care

Traders get access to the MT4 and MT5 platforms and a free HYCM demo account. 

Cons

Cryptocurrency trading is not supported in all countries 

Some low-tiered accounts have a limited selection of products. 

Inactivity fee may be levied 

Only CFD and forex products are available 

There are no proprietary platforms 

The designs of trading platforms are outdated 

Mobile App 

The MT4 and MT5 trading apps are available on normal Android and iOS devices because HYCM is a MetaTrader(only) broker. But unlike other brokers (brokerage businesses), HYCM does not support proprietary trading software; the HYCM app simply permits registered traders to access the client site. Therefore, the HYCM app only offers the standard MetaTrader app, which is quite a disadvantage compared to its rivals. This is because other MetaTrader-only forex brokers support their own proprietary app, unlike the HYCM app.

Customer Care 

On the broker platform, a specialised HYCM customer care centre is available in several languages (12 languages) and open all day (24 hours), five days a week. The HYCM customer service team can be reached by live chat, fax, phone, email, or fax. It is simpler for clients residing in many international locations to access the platform thanks to the availability of customer support in several different languages, and this makes it one of the finest forex brokers on the market. 

Conclusion

In order to wrap up our HYCM review, one investment tip for traders is to conduct their own thorough study into the regulation of any online trading platform (CFD broker) before choosing it, such as verifying the regulation processes, etc. The broker seems legitimate based on the available HYCM reviews and studies. 

It provides traders worldwide with a dependable platform for trading forex and CFD brokers with the integration of market-leading technology, assuming smooth trading with HYCM and faster transaction execution.HYCM is a broker for people who value a wide selection of trading tools and quick service. The firm is a reliable broker for novice and seasoned traders who can operate on desktop computers and mobile devices.

[my-state-mls]

Commercial Properties Facing $1.5 Trillion Debt Crisis

US Commercial Properties Face an Imminent Debt Crisis Nearly $1.5 trillion worth of US commercial real estate loans must be paid off by 2025.

One big question facing borrowers: who will loan banks that are carrying such large real estate notes money?

According to Morgan Stanley analysts James Egan and Kevin Doyle's blog post last week, refinancing risks are "front and center" for property owners such as offices, warehouses, and stores. "The maturity wall, in this case, is front-loaded - along with all of its associated risks," they added.

The investment bank believes commercial and retail property values can decrease by as much as 40% between peak and low prices, increasing the likelihood of defaults.

Additionally, smaller and regional banks - the major source of lending to this industry in the last year - have been crippled by the flood of deposits following Silicon Valley Bank's collapse, raising concerns that this may limit their capacity for providing credit to borrowers.

The debt pile is expected to increase further until economic conditions improve. Maturities on mortgage-backed securities will rise over the next four years and reach $550 billion by 2027, according to an MS note. Banks hold over 50% of commercial agency mortgage-backed securities backed by loans and those issued by US Government-sponsored institutions like Fannie Mae, giving them a significant stake in the market.

According to analysts' reports, banks have played an essential role in this ecosystem - both as lenders and buyers - which could fuel an uptick in refinancing due to being paid out.

The rising interest rate and concerns about potential defaults have already impacted CMBS transactions. According to Bloomberg News data, sales of securities without government support had decreased by 80 percent year-over-year during the first quarter.

Despite all the tragedy, there is some cause for optimism. According to analysts, prudent lending policies implemented after the financial crisis offers both borrowers and their lenders' protection from falling prices, although this protection may not cover all risks.

Multifamily sentiment remains positive, even as rents continue to rise. This may explain why Blackstone Real Estate Income Trust experienced a rise during February, even as more investors submitted withdrawal requests. Affordable loans backed by agencies are an advantage for owners of such houses when refinancing their properties.

Apartment buildings can be particularly vulnerable to bank issues, as up to 70% of other commercial real estate loans due to expire within five years are owned by banks, according to a study.

Analysts concluded that commercial real estate needs to be re-priced and other ways of refinancing debt are necessary.

European real estate lenders are facing a debt load of more than EUR24 billion that must be repaid this year, according to Bloomberg Intelligence analyst Tolu Alamutu's report.

"Real estate companies are doing everything they can to reduce debt," according to an email statement from her. "Scaling back investment programs, expanding joint ventures, investing in bond buybacks and, where feasible, dividend cuts" are other key points of concern for them. Disposals also remain a significant challenge; recent company comments suggest it can be challenging to market large portfolios."

In Other Real Estate Banking News

In just one month after Swiss regulators declared the market for subordinated bond sales closed due to Credit Suisse AG's $17 billion worth of junior notes, investors purchased Europe's first subordinated bond sales. An index based on "contingent convertible" bank bonds increased, surpassing levels seen before Credit Suisse wrote down any bonds.

Bloomberg data collected on the 954 billion Yuan ($139 billion) Chinese financial market shows that even smaller banks are facing their own difficulties. Capital bond sales by cities and rural commercial banks over the first quarter of 2023 fell by 70% compared to a year prior, as reported.

Bloomberg News reported Thursday that Canadian Pacific Railway Co. creditors are demanding that $2.4 billion in bonds be repaid at an added cost because the company failed to meet the deadline for purchasing from Kansas City Southern as promised. However, the company maintains its needs are met.

Sound Point Capital Management has agreed to purchase Assured Guaranty's collateralized loans obligation platform, creating an investment in credit worth $47 billion that will make them the fifth largest CLO manager worldwide.

China Evergrande Group, the company at the heart of China's real estate crisis, announced it has reached restructuring support agreements with some bondholders who hold dollars and favor its debt restructuring. Shimao Group Holdings Ltd. is another Chinese construction company that has also started to present proposals for restructuring to an informal bondholders group.

[marvelousstevetony]

Okay, so after a stressful few months, I finally wrote a little snippet of something. This was mainly just to get back into writing, but hopefully, I'll get to some of the requests in my inbox very soon!

Anyways; a short no-powers au, stevetony, coffee shop meet-cute. I might continue if anyone wants to read more of this, lol.

~~~~~

Tony downs the last of his coffee as he closes the file that’s sprawled upon the table of the coffee shop.

He neatly places it back in his briefcase, humming contently to himself, the notes of his favorite medium roast dancing on his tongue, and he lets out a sigh of relief at the thought of going home after another stressful days.

As he’s packing up, his pocket vibrates, and Tony quickly pulls out his phone and looks at the caller ID.

“Hey, Pep,” he answers, his voice ragged from running board meetings all day.

Pepper says something in return, but it’s unintelligible as the buzz of the coffee shop drowns out any other noise.

“Hold on a sec, I can’t hear you,” he says, getting to his feet, and grabs the empty cup as he heads for the door. “I’m just leaving the coffee shop.”

“Tony? Do you hear me now?” Pepper asks once Tony’s gotten outside. He confirms that yes, he can hear her, then she continues and starts running Tony through his schedule for the next couple of days.

“I swear, Pep, I’m one board meeting from handing the company over to you,” Tony grumbles, pressing his phone closer to his ear and stops the other with his index finger to block out the honks and boisterous pedestrians. “I can’t do it anymore. I’m going on vacation.”

Tony can all but hear Pepper rolling her eyes at him. She always tells him how dramatic he’s being, which… fair enough.

“You’re being dramatic, Tony. Besides, the— wait, what’s that sound? Is someone shouting in the background?”

He hadn’t noticed, but when he distances the phone from his ear, he does hear a Hey! Being called from somewhere behind him.

“Yeah, well. We’re in New York, someone’s always shouting,” Tony states, but then he feels a something heavy grab his shoulder, and he quickly spins around to see who has the audacity to lay their hands on Tony’s very expensive suit jacket.

“What the—“

Oh. Oh.

“Pep, I gotta go. I’ll call you back, okay? Bye.” The words rush out of his mouth before Pepper even has the chance to form a coherent reply.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to interrupt or- or startle you,” Tall, Blonde, and Handsome says in hurried voice and instantly withdraws his hand from Tony’s shoulder.

Tony casts a quick glance at where Blue Eyes’ hand had been and finds that, despite the touch lasting less than two seconds, he already misses the warmth and heaviness of it. Trying to come up with a reply, he opens and closes his mouth a good few times, but all that escapes through his lips are a few confused noises that must make him seem like a right fool.

“You, uh, you forgot your briefcase. At the coffee shop,” Blondie explains and smiles wryly as he holds up the black, leather bag.

Tony blinks at him, still unable to get his brain to function properly. For a second, he imagines the look on Pepper’s face as she’s yelling at him for losing yet another briefcase full of important files, but his mind is soon infiltrated by the stranger in front of him.

There’s a weak indent on his left cheek, one that probably deepens into a small dimple the wider his smile gets. His nose is covered by a light sprinkle of freckles that Tony guesses have come as a result of New York recently being graced with the Sun’s presence. And good God, his eyes — Tony could spend hours, days even, trying to figure out what shade of blue they are.

“I just- I saw you leaving, and it was still there, so I figured…”

The man looks a little uncertain, as if he had gotten it wrong and it wasn’t actually Tony’s briefcase but someone else’s entirely, and that’s when Tony realizes he still hasn’t said a word.

He gratefully accepts the case and nods at the stunner, who he notices is shuffling his feet uncomfortably.

“Right. Thank you,” Tony says, opens the case and reaches for his wallet.

The man’s eyes widen as Tony starts looking through it, then rushes out, “I didn’t steal anything, I promise.”

It occurs to Tony that it definitely looks like he’s checking if everything’s still there, which is surely not what Tony intended. “Oh, I didn’t— I was just,” Tony tries and fails to articulate, instead opting for just waving the $100 bill in the air between them, gesturing for the man who just saved Tony from another earful to take the money and saying a final, “thank you.”

The bluest eyes Tony has ever seen grows impossibly wider when he understands, then holds up his hands, palms facing Tony and the money. “Oh, no, I can’t accept that.”

Tony sighs internally. Of fucking course. Not only is the guy hot as hell, but he’s also as polite as can be. Figures.

“Please, it’s the least I can do.” He pushes the bill closer to the man, then, with a smirk, adds, “You just saved me from a whole lotta trouble, so.”

The chuckle that slips through those luscious, pink lips is so low and sultry, it’s actually kind of offensive, Tony thinks.

“Well, I’m glad I could be of service. Anyone would’ve done the same, though,” he says and gently nudges Tony’s hand down, smiling sheepishly.

“We both know that’s not true,” Tony quips with a raise of an eyebrow.

“Anyone decent, then,” he amends and this time, when he beams at Tony, Tony catches a glimpse of the perfect, pearly white teeth that are hidden behind his lips.

If Tony wasn’t so distracted and preoccupied by daydreaming about his rom-com worthy meet-cute, he maybe would’ve asked for the guy’s number, or even just his name, but all of Tony’s composure has apparently left the building.

“Are you sure?” Tony asks, frowning. “I insist—“

“Absolutely sure,” he assures. “Just being a decent human. Have a good day, sir.” He flashes Tony one last, soft smile as he pockets his hands and walks away.

Tony stays still for a minute, watching as he makes his way down the street. He can’t help the warmth that rises to his face and the blush that colors he cheeks when the most gorgeous man in New York City glances over his shoulder and looks right at Tony with a similar fond expression and cheeks tinted crimson.

A good day indeed.

[news-of-the-day]

6/13/22

The S&P slid over 500 points, entering bear territory. (For those who don't know, a "bear market" is when stocks drop by over 20%.) This is due in huge part to the Consumer Price Index report that came out on Friday, which is a good glimpse into inflation rates, and it was at 8.6%. One tool the Fed has to end inflation is to increase interest rates. I'm going to be very simplistic here, but bear with me. Increasing rates encourages people to save instead of spend because leaving money in the bank means you're generating more. (Rates have been rock bottom since 2008 since the Fed wanted people to spend money.) However a downside is this often generates a recession since people can't easily borrow money to start a  business, buy a car/house, etc. since the interest is so high. So the Fed wants to tread lightly here. To give an example, for most of the 2010s the rate was less than 1%. During the height of the inflation in the 70s/80s, it was about 20%. (WSJ, Brookings Institute)

(Stocks are also sliding because of the Ukrainian War, and honestly Wall Street was inflated. There's no reason why it should've done so well during such a damaging pandemic.)

Crypto is also sliding significantly. Bitcoin has slid over 50% in the past few months, more than 15% today alone, but it's still over $22K. Many crypto banks are freezing withdrawals right now. (NYT, Washington Post) 

The war in the Ukraine is now focusing on the city of Severodonetsk. All bridges leading into the city have been destroyed, which is causing a supply issue for citizens inside. (BBC)

The January 6th riot inquiry continues. From what witnesses are saying, it seems after the election those who accepted the loss pushed back against being asked to do things they deemed illegal or impossible. Interestingly both Ivanka Trump and former Attorney General Barr stated they believed Trump lost the election. (BBC, The Hill)

Former Bolivian Interim President Añez was sentenced to ten years in prison for participating in the ousting of President Morales. For those of you who don't remember, there were protests over Morales' fourth electoral win due to voter fraud. He eventually fled the country and Añez stepped in after his successors resigned. After another election was held, Añez was arrested and was now convicted. There are various issues going on--Morales is Native American and Añez is of Spanish descent--so there were racial and economic overtones to this entire affair. Morales was very popular for his socialist policies, although power very arguably got to his head as the years went on. (Buenos Aires Times)

The US will no longer require a negative COVID test for people entering the country internationally. (AP)

I cannot believe I'm talking about this again, but let's go back to Brexit. Part of the reason why it was such a kerfuffle is the Northern Ireland-Republic of Ireland border and how goods cross it. British Prime Minister Johnson wants to change the current methods, which the EU is stating will violate international law. I will admit I didn't read too deeply into what he wants because I'm so tired of the issue, but if it actually passes parliament I'll do research into it. (Irish Times)

There was an attack on a village in Burkina Faso, killing 50 to 165 (getting wildly different numbers). Since the country experienced a coup in January, there have been these types of attacks, but this has been the deadliest. (Al Jazeera)

31 people were arrested in Idaho from a white nationalist group called Patriot Front after they were found dressed in riot gear in a U-Haul headed to a pride event. From what I can tell no guns were involved, but they had things like shields and body armor. (CNN)

[sisterspooky1013]

Damsels, Chapter Six: What Do You See?

By SisterSpooky1013 / Read Previous Chapters Here

Rated E / Tagging @today-in-fic

Though the revelation that Scully is in Philly felt like a big break, he soon enough realizes there is little to nothing he can do with this information. Philadelphia is a big city, and it’s not like he can just walk the streets asking everyone if they’ve seen a petite, strikingly beautiful redhead (though the thought does cross his mind). He spends the better part of a week digging through every Philadelphia-based case file in the bureau he can gain access to, reading about different investigations into drug rings, dog fighting clubs, snuff films and other unsavory things that make his stomach knot when he considers Scully being involved with them.

Taking a break from his fruitless investigation, he goes to the cafeteria and gets coffee and a bagel, slumping down at a small table with a sigh of defeat. He’s leafing through the recent publications of National Enquirer and Weekly World News, flagging pages he might want to do further research on, when a conversation between three agents at the adjacent table catches his attention.

“….yeah but I heard they sent an agent undercover.”

“To a strip club?!”

“Yeah, that’s what I heard. It’s all super hush-hush, but I know someone who’s really close with Kersh’s secretary and she said they sent a female agent undercover.”

Mulder freezes with a page half-turned between his fingers, listening raptly without giving any indication he’s doing so.

“Sent her undercover to do what?”

“To WORK there, Diaz. Put it together.”

“To work as a stripper? No way. The bureau wouldn’t stoop that low, would they?”

“Maybe not normally, but this family bankrolls a scholarship fund so the higher-ups will do pretty much anything to find their daughter.”

“That’s fucked up. Do you know who they sent?”

“No way, that’s why they’re keeping it so quiet. Do you know how many guys would give their right arm to see what some of the agents around here look like under those sensible suits?”

All three agents, who are male, laugh and Mulder clenches the page in his fist in anger.

“Yeah, I can think of a few. Agent Sullivan, Agent McCall, ooooo I bet Agent Wiley has a hot little body.”

“I might not mind seeing Agent Wiley in her birthday suit. You know who I’d pay good money to see in her underwear though? Agent Scully.”

“Seriously, Mrs. Spooky?”

“Fuck yeah. Spooky shit aside, she’s hot as fuck. I’d like to see what that pretty little mouth can do to-”

Mulder stands abruptly, his chair clattering to the ground and sending all eyes in the room in their direction. He turns slowly to look at the agent who’d been speaking, a man whose name he does not know and who he’s sure Scully couldn’t pick from a lineup. His fists are balled up at his sides and he breathes rapid, shallow breaths through his nose. He wants more than anything to kick this guy’s ass, but he knows that he needs to stay on Skinner’s good side and off everyone’s radar if he's going to figure out Scully’s exact location, so he restrains himself. The agent is looking at him in gape-mouthed terror, clearly expecting the ass-kicking he would normally be subjected to. Instead, Mulder places his palms on the table and leans down so that his face is inches from the other agent’s, and speaks in a tone so low that only the other two men at the table can make out his words.

“If you ever so much as speak Agent Scully’s name again, I will personally rip your tiny balls from their sack and shove them so far up your ass you’ll choke. Understood?”

The man nods but says nothing, and Mulder turns and leaves the cafeteria with a hundred eyes following him.

He takes a few minutes to shake off the anger that courses through his veins at the way those men were talking about their fellow agents, and in particular Scully. He needs to switch gears and turn on the charm before he enters Kersh’s office. Once he feels ready, he pushes the door open and smiles warmly at Kersh’s secretary. He’s always had a way with the secretaries, a fact that fuels most of the rumors about him.

“Rebecca, hi, how are you?” he asks, crouching down beside her and resting an elbow on the surface of her desk.

“Hello, Agent Mulder,” she returns, twisting in her chair to face him, “would you like to speak to A.D. Kersh? He’s in a meeting right now.”

“Oh, no, let’s not bother him. I think you can help me, actually. Is that a new blouse?” He reaches out to touch her sleeve with his index finger.

She looks down at her simple button up blouse and then back to him, blushing. “This? Yes, actually.”

“It’s a beautiful color on you,” he says, then meets her eye until she looks away nervously. “Hey, Rebecca, I’m hoping to get a copy of the file agent Scully is working on, the undercover assignment at a gentlemen’s club? I’m doing some research for her.”

Rebecca’s expression changes to one of worry. “I-I can’t do that, Agent Mulder.”

Mulder feigns confusion. “What do you mean? I’m her partner, she asked for some help, I just misplaced the file.”

Rebecca shakes her head slowly. “I was told not to share the details of that case with anyone. Not even you, Agent Mulder. I’m sorry.”

Mulder swallows his frustration and decides to try for some degree of honesty.

“Look, Rebecca, I understand the difficult position you’re in. The thing is,” he covers her hand with his on the top of her desk, “I’m concerned that the bureau is not acting in Agent Scully’s best interest on this case and I need to ensure her safety. You know what it’s like for women working here.”

Rebecca’s expression falls, irritation replacing the remorse that was there previously.

“Yes, Agent Mulder,” she replies in a terse tone, withdrawing her hand from under his. “I DO know what it’s like for women working here.” She sits back in her chair and crosses her arms.

Mulder stands, recognizing that he isn’t going to get anywhere with this route.

“Thanks, Rebecca. Sorry to bother you.”

He turns to leave, wondering how many strip clubs there are in Philly and how long it will take him to find the one that will lead him to Scully.

Continue Reading

[ktheist]

[whenever you’re ready | 10:34PM]

they say the first time you lay eyes on your soulmate, your heart would stop for the briefest moment, eyes dilating, chills zapping through your entire body - as should theirs, a biological response to hold. to touch.

but jeon jungkook’s first words to you are what made you not want to devote the rest of your life to him.

“do you know who i am?” it doesn’t come from a place of malice - you know it doesn’t - because how else the prettiest deep brown eyes and pinkest lips with bunny teeth peeking underneath his half-agape, shock-ridden mouth, could be anything but the definition of hopeless romantic, old sap, soul searcher.

you happen to walk past him - a complete stranger - with a skip in your step as you wave at your friends. the spark was fleeting but it’d struck you right in your heart and settle like fine dust all over the surface of your existence -

and that’s just the thing, he barely even knows you besides what he sees and he’s willing to wait for you as you chatted away with your old time friends. until the cafe almost closes. and until you’ve hugged nayeon and dahyun goodbye with promises to keep in touch and “invite me to your wedding!”

“i do,” is all you offer and it’s all that it takes for this attractive stranger’s eyebrows to rise higher than the clouds - as though physically anticipating something.

with a shrug, you figure you should offer him more than a two-worded answer, “i just don’t care.”

“e-excuse me?” and that’s when that sparkle of hope in his eyes dwindles into confusion and then half-hearted anger - he looks the kind that couldn’t really be mad at his significant other.

“you are,” with that, you walk past him for the second time of the night - only to have nimble fingers wrap around your wrist. perhaps in an attempt to stop you. perhaps because it was the fear of waking up for the rest of his life surrounded by petals instead of the flower of his heart - that induced him to momentarily abandon his reservations.

the current flows through your streams like a thousand prickles of needles that don’t quite break through your skin -

jungkook withdraws his hand as though the touch burned him, “i- uh - sorry.”

he drops his head with a scuff of his foot against the ground and the same hand that wrapped around your wrist a second ago, ruffling his tresses - in the dark, it looked black but you soon learn it’s a darker shade of brown than his eyes.

“look,” you finally say, a sigh leaving your lips from the forthcoming switches in your life at what you’re about to say and do, “it’s not like i don’t feel what you’re feeling - i do and maybe that’s why you’re looking exceptionally attractive right now but that’s also why i can’t do this.”

perhaps it’s the flash of hurt in those eyes that dims even the anger in them. perhaps it’s the way he looks like a kicked puppy - but you still pull out your phone, unlock it and opened the keypads.

“i have to catch the last train but i’ll call you tomorrow,” he stares at the screen for the longest moment, as though seeing his future flash in front of his eyes when and if he lets you walk away after he punches his number into your phone. after what you just told him - well, he’s going to have to take your words for it, “i promise.”

x

they say you should take three days (four days would make them lose interest. two days would be too soon) to text a potential love interest that you’ve met and hit it off for whatever reason, be it because you found out you like the same book, or you frequent the same cafe because of it’s the only one that has almond milk or you both share a similar line of work - but never because you found your soulmate and chose to get home before your bedtime.

but just like how the generic standard of texting someone does not apply to soulmates - jeon jungkook texts you back within less than a minute.

you apologize for the belated text

you: hey

you: this is ___

you: sorry i forgot to text the day after we met

you: my supervisor was breathing down my neck 

you: because one of our team members screwed up her part

you: i just came back from the wrap up dinner with everyone

you: 😣

the emoji was every bit awkward and misplaced - on your part, at least. because the moment you renounce your livelihood with your soulmate, you at least have a sense of self-awareness that you don’t deserve to act familiar.

jeon jungkook: hey!

jeon jungkook: congrats on finishing the project 🤩🤗

jeon jungkook: if i was close by i’d buy u a meal as celebration but i don’t even know where u live

jeon jungkook: not tht ur obligated to tell me!!!

jeon jungkook: please don’t think i’m pushing you that wasn’t my intention

it’s the full sentence in his last text that sounds every bit like the man who waited for you to say goodbye to your friends and hesitantly approach you with an awkward smile and a more awkward wave of hand ‘hey’ before you acted like you didn’t know him and walked straight past him as if he was air.

x

it’s on the second week that you make arrangements to meet up at the cafe. because after two straight weeks of asking the other how their day went to complaining about the up tight kim naeun who keeps piling work on your desk before you even get at least two done - your conscience does not allow you to prolong the misery of a completely wonderful human being.

“i owe you an explanation.” wafts of smoke dances over the white bear on the surface of your latte as you shove both your hands into the pockets of your jacket, back leaned against the chair - perhaps it has something to do with jungkook’s arms that stretches over half of the table as he props his elbows somewhere just inches from its edge.

every time you get close to him, you feel the familiar burst of electricity course through your veins and it terrifies you how easily your foot takes a step forward and your hands shifting as though to hug him in greeting - before you root yourself in your spot, only allowing for a wave and a ‘hey.’

“before you say anything that will give me so much as a smidgen of hope-” jungkook holds a hand up, eyes of concrete resolution piercing through your own, “-i want you to know that it’s okay. it’s okay you have a boyfriend, girlfriend - someone you’re committed to because that could be a plausible reason, right?”

despite the steely fortress, you still manage to catch the faintest crack of desperation - as though that was a better reason than having been rejected by you because jungkook was, well - jungkook.

and that was far from the case. you want to tell him. want to reach out and hold his hands. want to clear that misunderstanding because within the limited time span you’ve known him, you know anyone that gets to be loved by him - but he’s wasted on you.

you don’t, do anything that is. or tell him anything.

“i’m not puking up petals,” he continues, shadows of creases beginning to form on his forehead, “and that means you don’t entirely dislike me - i hope.”

“i don’t.” this one, you have to say.

and just like that - even though he looked like he had plenty to say - he drops his gaze, rendering you unable to interpret what he’s thinking because the moment you met jeon jungkook, you know he’s a book with bled words and a walking story you’ll need a whole lifetime to finish. perhaps even write the ending of.

when he doesn’t seem like he plans to continue, you trace the handle of the cup- as though expecting it to wrap around your index finger in a mini hug. and so you tell him why.

you’re at a point in life where you think you can get higher than this - perhaps even become a manager in a few years. maybe buy a place on the better side of the city. but you’ll never get a car because you’re terrified of being behind the wheels. you’ve also hit that age where you prefer the solitude of eating instant noodles behind the windows inside the convenience store when you don’t feel like cooking.

as for kids - you have a brother and his wife is pregnant with their first child. you’ll be that aunt that gives your nieces or nephews whatever their parents wouldn’t give them just because you’ll have too much money and too little cause to spend it on.

“you would think someone who doubts the workings of fate would have a much more profound story to tell - but no, i don’t.” by the end of it, you’re the one avoiding jungkook’s eyes, gaze thrown to the moving world outside of the window, “i’m just content.”

“that’s completely valid.” jungkook’s voice brings you back to those doe eyes, a bashful curl on his lips, “makes me feel stupid for thinking you must’ve had someone special to be content.”

“it’s not stupid,” you counter, a smile of your own tugging on the corners of your lips, “just different.”

x

jungkook is ready to leave your life for good - or perhaps keep himself out of it because you made it clear that you don’t need a soulmate. 

it’s you who offer to show him the best barbecue place in town - the same one you went to in celebration of a job well done. it turns out jeon jungkook loves lamb skewers and he loves the one made by the old owner you call auntie kim.

in the next several weeks, you end up meeting every friday night - just because you enjoy jungkook’s company and on jungkook’s part, there’s still a trace of hope, a gleam of biological affection that comes from the cursive in on the inside of his wrist you don’t know how long he’s dreamed of finding the owner of. only for you to be everything he wasn’t expecting you to be.

but you are not entirely immune to his bunny smile and eyes that shrink into crescent moons and the endless collection of jackets he seem to own, each one differing with every meeting from the last.

on one of your countless meetings, jungkook slips a black leader jacket onto your shoulders because, “oh you know, i needed somewhere to hang my jacket on - it’s getting hot in here.”

you’re in the movies and the aircond is blasting at a minus degrees and he may or may have not noticed your hands clasped in between your legs.

and that’s when you know - you want jeon jungkook to meet your favorite people in life.

one way or another, you’re bound to each other but how you choose to treasure the other is completely up to you.

“you’re wasted on my daughter, boy.” your father narrows his eyes, as though if he squints hard enough, he’ll be able to see the strings of mistake made by fates just to confirm his claim, “you’re soulmates but you’re not even together - does that sound normal to you? i’ve never seen something like this happen before - never in my goddamn years of living!”

“maybe it’s time to put your other foot into the grave then, old man.” you can’t just sit idly as your own flesh and blood insult you - though it has more to do with getting a rise out of him than actually being offended by the truth.

and everyone at the table knows it. 

your father points his chopsticks at you, “yah, you ungrateful child.” he shakes his head but doesn’t say more - or rather, couldn’t.

“honey, don’t talk with your mouth full,” your mother, always the calm and collected one, doesn’t even bat an eye at her husband as she places a strip of meat in jungkook’s bowl, a hauntingly friendly smile on her lips, “eat up, son. you’re gonna need all the energy you can get to face the mule.”

“ah, thank you, ma’am.” jungkook lowers his head, smiling shyly at the welcoming gesture.

“oh my,” your mother coos, a hand covering her too-happy smile as she waves off the formality, “just call me mom - it’s like a blessing, my true second child has finally found his way home. it should have been you, jungkook-ah!”

“wait,” you shoot an accusatory look at your mother, “i’m not a mule - i’m an angel. you and dad called me that when i was a kid.

“yeah, that was before you grew up,” your father points out as if it’s the most obvious thing ever.

but then, if there’s ever anything you parents would agree on in a heartbeat - it seems, it’s the fact that they favor jungkook, their daughter’s soulmate, than said daughter.

x

it takes years for you to get promoted. now you have a bigger office than that miniature cubicle that was half the size of the cubicles in the toilet. your team still call you by your name. it’s like nothing has changed.

you’ve used up enough to buy an apartment - something bigger than the one you were renting off with more space and an extra room you’re planning to turn into a study.

“for what? so you can grill yourself to the bones on your off days?” jungkook’s laughter echoes off the walls the way it would with empty rooms.

he’s switched out his jackets with turtlenecks. if anything, it only serves to accentuate his sturdy looking chest and telltale abdominal muscles.

“i know my mom’s been getting more updates about me through you than through me,” you twirl on your heels, hands shoved into the pockets of your mustard loose pants, eyes narrowed at the brown haired man but the smile on your lips tells him you don’t mind, “but you gotta give me a head start here and let me buy the desk and shelves first so i’ll get to say i have no choice but to proceed with the study plan.”

jungkook hums, his own lips curling into a smile, “i don’t know - i’m gonna need a little... motivation to keep my mouth shut.”

he probably means a free lunch or a bag of chips or that new ps5 he’s been eyeing. but nothing could have prepared him for the blue cobalt box that you pull out from your pocket.

it takes a heartbeat for him to stare at the item in your hands as though he’s waiting for it to disappear so he can shake his head and call himself crazy and get it over with. but it’s still there as you twirl it in his face as thought it’s his favorite chocolate you have lying around in your pocket.

“what?” jungkook breathes out a laugh - it’s more disbelieve than humor.

“what.” he repeats the same word after he wedges it open and see the glimmer caught in the band.

his eyes follow your every movement as you pull out the silver band from the box, grip it in one hand as you get onto one knee, not quite caring about the dust that blankets the entire floor and countertops.

he doesn’t know it - but when he gets excited, he’d grit his teeth together while he smiles. and he would throw his hands up before keeping them in a tight grip over his head.

he’s doing that now too.

“i know this is all so backwards and we should at least date first but we’ve been to too many already - we just call them hang outs,” you clear your throat, “but jeon jungkook-”

“yes.” he speaks over you almost instantly - almost as though he only waited to see if you’re not about to pull a ‘that’s a friendship ring’ on him.

“i didn’t even finish!” your shoulder line jolts as you laugh, head thrown back at the comical but endearing sight in front of you.

still, you rise from your kneeling position when jungkook holds out his hand, muttering, “yes, yes, yes, yes,” your own squeals mixing together with his laugh when he picks you up and twirls you around the empty space. it is within a lapse of second, as he stares into your eyes through those crescent ones, dotted with the brilliance of a thousand clusters of stars, does he finally say, “i’ll marry you, goddamn it.”

[goldenfawnwriting]

Birds Of a Feather- Part 16 Hawks Fic

Summary: Finch has been missing for over a month with no trace and Hawks is getting very nervous.

A/N: So I started writing this and had it halfway done two days ago but when I went to save it, it deleted it all so fuck me I guess lmao

Warnings: Angst, mentions of abuse, I think that's it.

It had been a month now. Finch had started wearing heavy eyeliner, foundation to cover her freckles. Menial things to try and evade the commission's dogs a little longer. She kept her wings wrapped up in bandages, telling the people she worked with at the small cafe that they had been burned badly beyond recognition and that they used to be a pinkish hued white.

When she got home every night to her much too expensive, tiny apartment, she unwrapped them, staring deadly at the fallen feathers. They were breaking off from the tight wrapping. She only threw them away, going about her usual showering and watching a bit of tv before going to bed. She had been doing alright for herself but she was going to have to go withdrawal more money soon. She sighed, she really was dreading having to do that. To go about withdrawaling money she would have to travel at least 50 to 100 miles away just to avoid tracing.

Which would just be annoying. The more she traveled the more of a chance someone would recognize her. She knew that, but she also knew she couldn't put it off for much longer.

Hawks on the other hand was pulling his hair out at the office. They wouldn't allow him to go search with the other people out looking for her. He was told to just sit still and look pretty and if anyone asked during interviews he was supposed to tell them that she was fine and just taking a break.

His mind was going off the wall. He had looked over the papers over and over and over and just couldn't find a lead no matter what. The last time she had taken money out it was in the city before she left. She must've gotten another phone, another number, cause her old phone was both missing and unresponsive. She probably turned it off and dumped it somewhere. He was at his wit's end.

"Mr. Hawks? They're asking for you in conference room three."

A petite, older woman called from his doorway. He huffed, running a hand over his face before setting the papers down on hid desk and standing from his chair. He glanced over at Finch's old desk, there was a thin settling of dust on everything and he grimaced. It had been so long. He just wanted her home.

He made his way to the conference room and knocked before entering, swinging open the door to enter. He was greeted with all the higher ups of the commission and he swallowed hard. What was going on?

"Hawks, nice of you to make it. We've missed you at the last couple meetings."

He only nodded to the man in the black suit.

"Why am I here?"

He questioned gruffly. He really didn't feel like another interview, let alone some menial publicity event.

"We have a new ping on her bank account. We want you to investigate."

Hawks snatched the papers from him violently, looking at the location and time. 4 minutes ago, about 58 miles away.

He could go now and get there in an hour. If she was moving under cover she wouldn't be flying so he could get there and still have about an hour to search before she would really be gone again. He didn't wait for them to say anything else, he took off out the window at the speed of light, pushing his wings to go as fast as he possibly could.

He made it in about 30 minutes, a new record for him. He was absolutely exhausted as he slowed down over the city it pinged from, flying around the perimeter before going inwards to look down on the sidewalks. He scanned and scanned and was upset to not come up with any brown wings strolling down main street. Not that he expected her too. As he continued looking he noticed an odd woman, looking up at him before tearing into the entrance of a store. Was she a criminal? He hummed but decided not to persue. He was here for one reason.

That's when it hit him. The bandaged appendages. He whipped around, flying back to the store and ripping the door open, searching it quickly before turning to an employee.

"Did you see a woman with bug bandaged wings?"

"U-uh she just went out the west entrance!"

He was running then, pushing through people before he spotted her again, running through the crowds away from him, trying to disappear into the people but he wouldn't allow that. He sprung up, using his wings to propel him over the crowd before coming down and grabbing her, tumbling them both to the ground.

"Let go of me!"

"Why were you running?!"

He huffed, getting her up and handcuffing her before getting them out of the crowd. He needed a more private place to talk. She thrashed, trying to get away. She knew she was screwed. He had found her and there was no way out of this. He was going to catch on to her at some point, why was she so surprised? Maybe because she thought she had disguised herself pretty well? Of course that would mean nothing to Keigo.

They entered a back alley where Hawks turned her around to face him, leaving the handcuffs on just to make sure she wouldn't run off.

"Finch?"

"W-who are you talking about?"

She tried to play dumb but she was way too nervous, fidgeting with her hands and looking off. She had never been a good liar.

"Stop playing stupid, where the hell have you been? Why did you go? Do you know how much everyone has been worrying? Asami, me, everyone at work!"

"Oh stop, I know no one at work missed me! You've probably had girls at your knees every day since I've been gone..."

He grabbed her chin and made her look at him, his thumb and index finger digging into her jaw and forcing it into an upward angle.

"Stop it Finch. I'm not kidding, where have you been. I've been killing myself trying to find you."

"I just wanted to get away..."

"Is this because I didn't say I love you back, because if thats the case-"

"That's not it! I just wanted to get away, I needed some time.."

"Ya and to stress out everyone who loves you. We thought you were dead Kore."

Her eyes were filling with tears and Hawks let his hand slip away from her jaw. Her short, choppy bob moved to veil her face as she looked down. He sighed and looked around, anywhere but her.

"What happened to you? Are you ok?"

"I'm fine..."

"What's going on with your wings?"

"Nothing, they're fine."

"Then unwrap them and let's go home, Asami has been up my ass-"

"No!"

There was a pause as he stared at her. No? He was dumbfounded. She wasn't going to come home?

"K-Keigo... I can't..."

"What do you mean?"

"C-can we go somewhere else to talk...?"

He nodded and uncuffed her, opting to grab her hand instead.

"My apartment is like sixty some miles away. Can we go there?"

She offered. He couldn't lie, he was curious about how she'd been living.

"Ya, that's fine. I'll follow you.."

He was appalled when she started walking.

"Wait- you're not gonna walk there right? Just fly..."

"I can't."

"What do you mean, you said they're fine-"

She turned, undoing the bandages to unwrap her wings. When she finally let the bandages drop his jaw went slack, his eyes wide. Her feathers slowly were falling out, molting if you will.

"It's from keeping them wrapped, almost all of them are gone. I can't fly without feathers..."

"You haven't been flying this entire time?"

He whispered. He was almost brought to tears. Her wings, once so beautiful, were so hideous now, marled and torn apart.

"No. If I flew people would see me. And I couldn't just let the colour be known, you guys have been reporting every fucking second of the day."

She growled. He reached out, his fingers nearly grazing the broken feathers before she ripped her wings away, folding them up.

"If you want to come let's go, I'm not waiting around forever."

He blinked away the shock before sighing and following her lead. He hated walking through cities. He always got wayyy too much attention.

[yuna-dan]

Hi. Since you like BTR can you write a Logince fic with a BTR song? Thanks.

Hello! I want to say that I was very happy when I got this and i was like i’m going to write about Cover Girl but then I remember I’ve always loved Cruise Control and it’s not exactlly a known song, so yeah. I hope you like it

please ignore the fact that it’s 4:00 am

--

Warning: Homophobia, transphobia and teens running away. This is also highly,,, huh, positive? 

if you wanna be added to the tag list please interact with this

Buy me a kofi?  | Masterpost | Comission Info

Based on this song [x] Also in this universe Roman is a only child

---

I just wanna get in the car

And drive away

That's all I wanna do

Doesn't matter where we go

As long as it's me and you

“Meet you at the bridge at 22:10, if I’m not there at 22:10, don’t wait for me.” Those were the words that his friend had whispered in his ear right before the teacher arrived.

“Roman…”

Roman’s eyes were filled with something that Logan couldn’t pinpoint exactly, but nodded anyways, “I’ll tell you.”

Come ride with me all night

Wherever you wanna go

The six had been talking about leaving the hometown. Logan always thought it would be when they decided to go to college but seeing Roman’s bruises made Logan’s mind quickly.

“Homophobia is a bitch, isn’t it?” Janus had said at some point on their life, before they left the town for good. Sometimes Logan goes into Jan’s Facebook profile just to see if they’re okay…

(The account was deactivated three months after they left, but for some reason Logan knew that Janus was okay. He hoped his sibling was okay.)

“My parents know about us.” Roman said, softly as they kissed behind a tree, hiding. They’re always hiding.

“What?” Logan’s brain didn’t register what came out of Roman’s mouth.

“My parents know about us.” He repeated, his voice getting smaller, “I-…”

Logan braced himself for the I’m breaking up with you, but it never came, “I’m sorry.”

“They said they wanted to fix me…”

There’s nothing to fix you’re perfect he wanted to say, but words were lost.

“Let’s run away.”

Into the moonlight

Drive to the end of the road

It was night, and Roman hasn’t arrived. Logan’s backpack wasn’t even that heavy, but it was heavy for him.

“Are you sure?” He asked. Logan knew for a fact that his parents would not be happy if he decided to came out, he stills remember the way they refuse to call his sibling Janus, always going for the Janice.

“I know I’m asking for a lot… but…”

“No, let’s do it.”

Keep going to the sunrise

Put the car in cruise control, cruise control, cruise control

Anywhere you wanna go

It 22:09 and Roman wasn’t here. A small voice behind his mind told him he’s not coming, he’s not coming.

He was ready to give up, go inside his small car and drive away until this town was far behind. He felt hot tears stinging in his eyes.

“Don’t you dare.” He heard, “Don’t you dare leave without me, Specs, I’m coming!”

Everyday it's always the same

Gotta get away

Out of this game

Am so sick of this same town

This same place and these same faces

They drove in silence, not sure on what they could say, “We need to stop at an ATM.” Roman said, after a few minutes of silence. Logan threw him a questioning look, his eyes leaving the road for a second.

“I steal her card.” He said, holding a blue card between his index and middle finger, “We can withdraw all the money and disappeared.”

Logan chuckles, “That will be nice.”

They decided to stop at a gas station, it was still night, probably 3 am. They got rid of their phones a few miles after the town ended, not risking getting located. His mind drifted back to his sibling, who had done the same thing a few years before.

“I will be okay, I promise you, once I’m in a steady place, I will find you.” They said, the night they left. Two years ago, sometimes Logan wonder about them and wishes he could’ve been a better brother.

The small voice in his mind him you’re the youngest brother and look in the position you’re.

Thankfully Roman came back, breaking his thoughts “There were only 1300 dollars, babe.”

Logan choked, and wanted to say only? He had 180 dollars, “Wow, that, that will be okay for now.” For moments, Logan forget that Roman was that rich kid. Back when they met, when they were younger and before the town casted them outside for being different Roman used to be a spoiled kid, who would cry until his mama bought him the latest and newest toy.

Now, he thought, we’re starting from scratch. 

“I guess we’ll have to work.” Roman said, as if the idea scared him, it probably did.

Logan chuckled, “Hop in, we’ll see how it goes.”

When Roman got into the car, the card was on the ground, abandoned.

So you came

And you open my heart to

Everything I never thought I do

And everyway and all because of you

Roman was driving now, as Logan stared into the map, “We’re heading north, right?” Roman asked.

Logan nodded, staring into the night sky, “Why?”

“Janus told me he went to the north, besides the south sucks.” They chuckled. After a beat of silence, Roman spoke again, “Do you think they’ve noticed?”

“It’s been two weeks, Roman, and it’s not like that shithole is exactly huge. Of course they noticed.”

“Do you think they cared?”

Logan remembered the way it was after Janus left, “I don’t know…”

“Is it bad a part of me wishes they cared?”

“No, I don’t think so.”

“Sometimes, I wish thing were different. I wish holding your hand didn’t mean danger, and I wish I could kiss you without going to a camp.” His eyes were on the road, but Logan knew they weren’t focused.

“I’m sorry.”

“it’s not your fault…” Roman’s eyes were watering now, and Logan simply put his hand on his tight, “I just…”

“You wish you could hate them?” He guessed, maybe projecting, and Roman nodded, “Yeah, I know.”

They slept parked on the sideway, they were holding hands.

I gotta get away, get away, get away

And never come back, no

They arrived at a city and rent a hotel room. Ten dollars the night. It wasn’t a great a room, but it wasn’t perfect.

They decided they didn’t want to watch the news, so they spend that night watching silly cartoons a cuddling (after showering, thank you very much, someone can spend a specific amount of time inside a car)

“We can stay here a few days,” Logan was the one managing the money, and Roman had managed to exchange some things for a couple of dollars. They’ve work, doing some errands.

It was hard, it was heavy, and it was tiring.

They wouldn’t have it other way.

As they slept, Logan noticed that this was their third month on the run, and he hadn’t felt homesick at all.

Home is not a place, the voice provided, and he closed his eyes.

I just wanna get in the car

And drive away

That's all I wanna do

Doesn't matter where we go

As long as it's me and you

A year. 

They never left that small city. Roman found himself working in the hotel and Logan found a job too, which wasn’t exactly his dream job, but he couldn’t be picky.

“Do you regret the decision?” Roman asked, one night as they kissed.

“What?” 

“Leaving.” He simply said, kissing his temple.

“Never.”

When they kissed, Roman tasted like home.

“Sometimes I’m scared you’ll wake up one day and you’ll realized that you don’t want to spend the rest of your life trapped on a hotel room…” Logan pecked his lips, interrupting his thoughts.

“Roman, I would follow you until the end of the world, doesn't matter where we go, as long as it's me and you.”

Come ride with me all night

Wherever you wanna go

Into the moonlight

Drive to the end of the road

Keep going to the sunrise

Put the car in cruise control, cruise control, cruise control

Anywhere you wanna go.

Five years went by, jobs went by. The only steady thing in Roman’s and Logan’s life was each other.

When they bought their first house, they couldn’t be more excited, Roman was practically shining as he received the keys. 

“Welcome home.” The salesman said, as she opened the door.

“I’ve always been home.” Roman said, kissing Logan.

Doesn't matter where we go

As long as it's me and you

[curiousconch]

Two Old Friends

Chapter 3 of Ricochet (An Open Heart AU).

Catch up here: Prologue | Chapter 1 | Chapter 2

Chapter Synopsis: As Bryce takes Heather in, a facade that he has blocked out for several months begins to disintegrate.

Pairing: Rafael Aveiro x MC (Dr. Heather Song) | Bryce Lahela x MC (Dr. Heather Song)

Words: 2.3k+ | Genre: Crime, Mystery, Thriller, Romance

Rating/Warnings: None for this chapter, it's pure fluff! (Yay!)

Author’s Notes: Majority of the characters are owned by Pixelberry, except the main character Heather Song. I was listening to Maybe this Time on repeat when I wrote this chapter, I think that song encapsulates it perfectly.

8 months ago

Bryce Lahela was stoked to have been assigned the Ed Farrugia case. He dreamt up of an opportunity like this ever since he graduated top of class from Stanford Law School. It wasn't out of self-ambition, it was part of his grand plan - to go opposite the direction of his white-collar criminal parents.

At first, Bryce's parents was overjoyed when he told them he's pursuing a law degree. It never occurred to them that it was all part of his scheme.

He soldiered on through law school, bagging an internship in the San Francisco DA. When his efforts to build his network provided an opportunity in Boston, he didn't hesitate to pack up his bags and fly across the country, farther away from Hawaii than ever. It was a big risk, but it eventually paid off given how his career imploded once he got the job.

But perhaps the most memorable experience was when he told his parents that he was to become Boston's newest ADA. They were nothing but furious, there were no counting the amount of expletives he heard that day.

No turning back, mom and dad.

The timing to tell them couldn't be more perfect, because it was only a week after they turned over his trust fund, a "graduation gift". He knew it was just a bribe for him to do the dirty legal work to keep them away from prison for free.

After toiling for so many years, he was more than ready to abandon his past behind and start his life over. More than it was revenge, it was Bryce's sweet and merciful justice. No more crosses behind his back, marking him as his parents' criminal son.

That wasn't his reality anymore. So he focused on work and did his best to shine. And shine he did. For the first time in a long time, he felt like he was no longer a criminal. In an ironic twist of fate, he was the one putting people behind bars. And he relished in every win.

However, being the Chief DA's golden boy wasn't providing him the opportunity to build new friendships. Although he tried to make friends with his colleagues, he began to be seen as a threat. So for the first year in the big city, he spent his free time partying hard. With his quick rise to fame, everyone wanted a taste of the majestic Bryce Lahela. He didn't hesitate to throw himself into the throng.

And in that fateful sunny morning, he felt an overwhelming sense of accomplishment. He built the foundations of the State versus Perry case over the weekend, not even taking a single drop of alcohol. With the help of Agent Aveiro, he collected mountains of evidence for his breakthrough day at court. He knew his case was airtight. Today, he plans to put the cherry on top.

Pulling off his sunglasses and tightening his slick striped blue tie, he grabbed his suitcase from the passenger seat and got out of his car.

He strode into Edenbrook Hospital with confidence, getting glances from several attendings and nurses as he walked the hallways. He smirked at each of them back, wondering which one he should make of a mission after he wraps up this case. God, these doctors are hot, he thought, as he slid into one of the elevators. He punched 7, and the button lighted up.

Once he arrived at the right floor, he followed the directions pasted on the walls and eventually found the diagnostics team's office. As he neared the sliding glass doors, he heard an exchange of voices in rapid succession, as if they were discussing something important. As he raised his gaze through the glass, he saw two female doctors and two males. His eyes automatically landed to the young brunette, whose hand is on her waist as she listened intently as the others debated.

His brow quirked a little, a fit of curiosity fleeted through him. She was prettier in personal. Television didn't do her justice.

Immediately shaking off the unnerving attraction, he tapped gently on the glass door. All doctors turned to him. One of the male doctors with piercing blue eyes let him in, he later found out that he was the world-renowned diagnostician, Dr. Ethan Ramsey, the head of the team.

"ADA Bryce Lahela, I'm here for Dr. Heather Song?" he walked into the room exuding confidence, burying the distracted innuendos he was currently having.

In response, she moved forward and offered her hand, smiling brightly at him. "Dr. Heather Song, at your service. Pleased to make your acquaintance."

Oh, I bet you do.

He answered mentally, stepping closer to look at her soft features. He took her hand and shook it, returning the warm welcome with a smug look in his face. He couldn't stop thinking about her ever since.

He spent almost the whole day with her, going through her testimony in detail. She spoke in a very confident manner, ascertaining every small observation she made about Travis Perry, and how he raised her suspicions. She also walked him through how she confirmed her theories, and how she decided to report this to the hospital's chief. He was amazed with the way how she mapped out every step, and acknowledged how her actions made the case straightforward and uncomplicated. Certainly controversial and sensational, given that it was involving one of Massachusetts' senators. But getting up close and personal with her that day made him realize that like him, she was at the top of her game.

She was professional and insightful. Bryce was also impressed with how she carried herself. Graceful and poised, yet fierce and tenacious. There were a lot of times that he thought he was hearing himself in the way she talked. And for that reason, he like spending time with her.

Over the course of the next few months, he spent more time with her. It was the perfect opportunity to keep in touch, as she was the star witness after all.

Beyond work, it was easy for him to befriend her. She was warm and open, sensitive and caring. Eventually, she introduced him to her exclusive group of doctors, who readily welcome him.

But he admired her more when she made it her mission to help him with his runaway sister. She went out of her way to spend time with her, bridging the gap between the siblings.

That was when he irreversibly opened up to her, telling her about his past. Making her see through him, who he really was.

And the way that she embraced it without inhibitions was a breathe of fresh air. He never knew he needed someone like her in his life, the one thing to complete his do-over.

It didn't take much for him to he admit to himself that he adored Heather. He felt a deep connection to her, something he never felt for someone else.

But in a sudden turn of events, the hopefulness he had turned out to be just a mere figment of his imagination.

He learned about her relationship with Rafael. Once he saw the way she looked at him, he knew it was time to draw the line.

Ever since, that was all he thought it would be between them - an unexplored and faraway frontier.

Gradually, his presence in her life became nothing more but group hangouts in the form of brunches or night outs in Donahues. He learned to withdraw whenever she and Rafael was around, cautious to not let others know about the way he felt. He himself went back to his string of one night stands.

He kept her at arm's length, repeating to himself that he was contented with the friendship that they had. Yet when he was finally learning to ease her out of his mind, she came crashing back in.

***

Present Day

With warm bowls of noodles in front of them, they caught up with each other's life. Bryce poured them both a glass of white wine to chase down the saltiness off of their taste buds.

"Hm, this certainly is an upgrade from that cheap bottle you had the last time," her mocking voice freed him from his thoughts. He grinned at her, leaning towards her.

"Oooh, I'm not liking your arrogance. Being junior fellow got in your head already?" he teased her, sipping from his own glass. "Has all of your student loans been paid off so you have spare money to buy your own fancy wine?"

"Certainly not. I think you're the one getting ahead of yourself, hotshot. That plaque hit you in the head and made you forgot that you're a just a noob?" Heather quipped back, her index finger pointing to the square-shaped glass on one of the living room shelves.

"Psh. It's not like my colleagues skip a day to remind me of 'my place'," his one hand mimicked air quotes, feigning a look of disgust, invoking a genuine laughter from her, her skin illuminated by the late afternoon sun as she glowed in delight.

They went at it as they ate, exchanging insulting banters, trying to one up each other as they went. It was just the way they were, at ease. Two old friends who loved their careers first, always putting their self in second place.

It was the first time in months that they were together alone, Bryce realized now how much he missed spending time with her.

He didn't want to spoil the mood, but he couldn't shake off his interest on what went down between Rafael and her. He waited a few more moments as they settled into a comfortable silence, running out of casual jokes to throw at the other. He drew a deep breathe, taking up the courage he needed to raise the sore subject.

"So, you and Raf huh?"

He saw her flinch and his heart irked a little. Her hand shivered as she set down the empty glass and grabbed the bottle of wine to refill it.

"He wasn't what I thought he was," she swirled the contents of her glass once it was full, looking distracted. "Apparently, it only took him less than a month to reveal his true self." Bryce nodded opposite her, as she shrugged casually. He saw her bite her lower lip, and instantly felt the hurt she was going through.

Without second thoughts, he approached her and opened his arms, inviting her in.

After a few excruciating seconds of hesitation, she finally leaned in and received his embrace, tears falling. She didn't think there was any left, but Bryce's offer of solace was a comfort she didn't think she needed. Her dams of pain overflowed once again, and with the horrible scare that happened this morning, her resolve to put up a brave face in front of everyone crumbled.

"You know I'll always be here for you, Heath," he whispered to her, his senses being flooded by the familiar jasmine scent of her perfume.

"I know, thank you for that," she replied in a hushed voice. "I'm just... just tired of it all, Bryce, I'm sorry."

"Hey, don't be. I got you."

He just held her, wishing so hard that one embrace can take all of her fears away. He closed his eyes, letting his beating heart speak for the rest of his unspoken emotions.

He tried to soothe her as he brushed her hair, rubbing the palm of his hand on her shuddering back. His grip tightened with her every sigh, pulling her ever closer.

For the first time in months of keeping his distance, the feelings he had for her, those he tried to bury deep within his heart, started to resurface. He was feeling the way he felt way back then.

In between her deep sighs and sobs, a flood of regrets raced through his mind. His chest constricted, as his thoughts lingered on what could have been.

If I hadn't left her alone. If I just fought for her the first time. If I just have been brave enough to let her know...

But he knew he couldn't what already happened define what should be and what it will be. Just like he dealt with his past, Bryce knew that with enough willpower, he can turn it all around.

He focused forward. A rush of possibilities, a promise of a future, it overwhelmed him.

Maybe this time, it'll be more. She's free now. Maybe now is a better time than before. Maybe now, it won't have to end. Maybe this time, he wouldn't need to let her go.

His heart burned with a fiery resolve and determination.

That late afternoon, when the setting sun's light began to shine upon his face, he decided.

Even the smallest of maybes was more than enough for him. Bryce was willing to risk it for her.

TAGS: @choicesficwriterscreations @ramsey-lahela

@eleanorbloom - I hope I'm doing Bryce justice 😬

[emeraldtawny]

My Ikemen Vampire OCs

Been a while since I’ve done anything with OCs and I’m not sure if I’ll be using these boyos in fics or the like. I just wanted to add my own suitors based on some historical figures that caught my attention and thought would be cool to bring back as sexy vampires uwu~

Picrew used can be found here.

Marco Polo

Thomas Jefferson

Sigmund Freud

~Details under the cut~

Marco Polo

The Wide-Eyed Explorer

Adventurous x Oblivious

“Life's all about finding something out there in this great wide world that hasn't been discovered yet. How about it, Signorina? Want to take the risk with me?”

An explorer renowned for his treks from Europe to Asia, his documentation of his travels are known the world over. Yearning for knowledge yet grounded in his ideals, he enjoys exploring this “distant future” of 19th century France and pauses to marvel at every detail and moment he can. He accepted the taste of immortality so he could further explore the world. However, the dynamic, rocky expanse of love is one journey even the great Marco Polo wasn’t prepared for.

Birthday: September 15th

Height: 177cm (5’9”)

Occupation: Merchant

Vampire Type: Lesser Vampire

Hobbies: Exploring, Collecting trinkets (hoarding), Taking notes

Dislikes: Staying indoors

Specialty: Storytelling, Charisma

Weaknesses: Lying

Favourite Food: Pasta

Hated Food: Ginger

Pet: Monkey named Viaggio

Random Tidbits

Wears two dangling coin earrings, as a symbol of the currency he knew before learning of and introducing paper money to Europe.

Responsible for bringing noodles - and consequently, pasta - back to Italy. One of his proudest accomplishments, he says.

Gets incredibly pouty when people doubt his memoirs or if he even made it to China at all.

Is endlessly fascinated by the different culture of this “new world” and will ask endless questions to gain knowledge.

Gets flustered and oddly prideful over how many other important figures of history looked to his experiences to guide them (Of course, he is most proud of the children’s game named after him).

Most of his memoirs were written in prison and by his cellmate. *A/N: hmmm, I wonder who comes back to smite him :3*

Is uncharacteristically frugal and likes to hoard any “unique” treasures he finds (most of them are commonplace items, but rare to Marco).

Favourite Place To Bite: Shoulder. He just gets incredible pleasure sinking his teeth into the flesh of the shoulder, and it works in tandem to muffle the groans that threaten to slip through his lips as he feeds. And if they bite him back on his shoulder, he is gone. His arms will always be snaked around their waist and whether he’s pressed against their back or front, he’s absorbed in his feeding so fully that sometimes he doesn’t know when to pull back until it’s too much.

Associates With:

Leonardo - The pureblood quite enjoys the boundless vibrant energy of his fellow Italian, and is more than happy to show him around the city and listen to the younger man’s detailed recounts of what he’s seen. They fuel each other’s insatiable need for new things to learn.

Dazai - Enjoys teasing him for his cluelessness about the world. The mansion’s residents don’t know whether to intervene, as both seem oblivious to the other’s intentions in their odd conversations.

Sebastian - Usually on the butler’s bad side for the constant clutter of “souvenirs” he always returns with. However, is rewarded with the whimsical story recounting of THE Marco Polo, so it isn’t all bad.

How He Met MC

After MC had attended dinner and was making her way to Comte’s room, she almost gets knocked off her feet as she collides with someone whilst lost in thought. Things fall to the floor and she quickly apologises and kneels down to help pick up the fallen items. As she lifts her head, she’s met with a head of white wispy locks and kind ice-blue eyes staring back at her behind his round spectacles. He takes the things back from her and they both return to their feet. “Grazie Mille, Signorina.” He says through a grin. “I’m sorry I didn’t see you there. You must be new around here.”

“Oh, um--”

(Is he a famous figure of history too? He looks nice enough.)

Her thoughts are cut off as Sebas comes into the hallway and seems ready to scold the young man for bringing in another assortment of useless trinkets. He pouts a little and says that these are unique and a brand new discovery that he must look into for their use. Sebas sighs, notices MC and asks if he has introduced himself to her yet. He blinks and exclaims in realisation before turning back to MC with a sheepish, boyish grin.

“It seems I forgot to introduce myself to you, Signorina. My name is Marco Polo. I’m a merchant and an explorer.”

(M-Marco Polo?!)

After MC learns the truth about the mansion and its residents, she’s on her guard as she walks aimlessly around the mansion, avoiding everyone she can for fear of them biting her. She stops as she passes the archive at the sound of a happy tune being hummed. She peeks in to see Marco cross-legged on the floor with a pile of junk in front of him. Yet the way he’s observing each piece makes her believe every single one is an irreplaceable treasure. He adjusts his glasses and inspects the map in his hands with an inquisitive gaze, his excitement of a new discovery at his fingertips vibrant and infectious. 

She’s so lost watching him that she hardly realises that she’s entered the archive, her feet naturally bringing her towards him. He stops humming and turns to meet her curious eyes with a wink.

“Oh! Perfecto! Just the woman I was hoping to see!”

He says it so heartfeltly that she feels her heart leap.

“Would you happen to know what these are? Since you’re from the future, you’d likely have a better idea than me.”

She hesitantly sits down across from him, still unsure yet compelled to help him, the kind, yearning aura surrounding him too strong to resist. [First CG of them looking over the pile of junk. Marco gesturing wide as he imagines the uses of a simple silver spoon and MC staring at him like “...it’s a spoon, not a lightning rod.”]

As she listens to him, she asks him why he finds joy in collecting these everyday items. He blinks at her...before bursting out laughing.

“Don’t laugh, I’m serious!”

“Ah, I’m sorry. Really I am. It’s just I never get tired of hearing that question. To me, that question means that there are people out there who have grown accustomed to what’s around them. So much so that something they see every day has lost its beauty to their eyes. I truly believe that everything out there - discovered or not - has a story, a meaning. No matter how mundane it may be, everything has a unique beauty in this world.”

(That’s...such a wonderful outlook on life.)

...

Thomas Jefferson

The Repentant Sinner

Awkward x Earnest

“I cannot see the merits of wanting to get to know me. So, why can’t I stop you from doing so?”

A diplomat and a scholar, the one thing Thomas Jefferson cannot say he is versed in is the art of conversation. Despite this, he isn’t shy. He simply prefers to observe and document what is around him. Intelligent and soft-spoken, he seems to be more driven in his immortal life despite his tremendous accomplishments in his human life. What so greatly motivated him to be reborn as a vampire?

Birthday: April 13th

Height: 190cm (6'2")

Occupation: Diplomat don't mention the P-word

Vampire Type: Lesser Vampire

Hobbies: Writing, Violin

Dislikes: Public speaking

Specialty: Writing documents (in silence)

Weaknesses: Conversation, His reputation

Favourite Food: Vegetables (selective vegetarian)

Hated Food: Liver

Pet: Mockingbird named Quill

Random Tidbits

Can speak 4 languages (English, Latin, French and Italian) and can communicate through writing in a further two languages (Greek and Spanish).

Wears multiple rings and a wrist cuff on his right hand, as he had dislocated his wrist in his human life yet the bones failed to set right when healing. The discomfort continues as a vampire, though less painful.

His voice is quiet, mellow and of a tenor pitch. He can barely string more than three sentences together unless speaking in private and about a topic he is knowledgeable in.

Developed mild insomnia since becoming a vampire. Coupled with his periodic headaches, some days he will be completely inconsolable.

Enjoys writing and listening to his mockingbird sing in the comfort of his room.

Completely freezes and nearly breaks down when reminded of the dark underbelly of his legacy.

Has no less than four feather quills on his person wherever he goes.

Favourite Place To Bite: Fingers. Feeding on a body part with a smaller surface area helps him pace himself and prevent more harm than necessary. But he truly enjoys piercing his fangs into the tip of the index and middle fingers, giving a cursory suck before withdrawing and taking the fingers into his mouth to suck them that way; he doesn’t wish to harm anyone with his bites if he can help it. Of course, sometimes he can’t help it when he’s lost in bloodlust.

Associates With:

Isaac - Enjoys his quiet companionship. They usually sit in the archive together, working on their different projects in complete silence.

Napoleon - Occasionally goes to the Frenchman requesting a feather from his eagle to make into a new quill. Napoleon agrees under the condition he helps him teach the schoolchildren, something he begrudgingly agrees to.

How He Met MC

The first time she meets Thomas is at her welcoming dinner. She baulks slightly at the height of him and the broad set of his shoulders being accentuated by his perfectly fitted dress shirt. He meets her gaze and nods politely towards her before taking his seat and idly staring down at and fiddling with his rings. She whispers to Napo if she somehow offended him, but he assures her that that’s just how Thomas is; not the best at striking up a conversation. 

When introductions come up, he’s one of the last to speak and definitely the least enthusiastic. He clears his throat softly and makes eye contact with MC, his gaze oddly intense as if forcing himself to meet her eye.

“Thomas Jefferson. Diplomat. A pleasure.”

(Thomas Jefferson. He was important in American history if I remember correctly. Can’t say I know much more than that.)

When Sebas (and Arthur) get it through MC’s head that she’s now in a mansion of vampires, she immediately runs out of the kitchen and just panic runs. She ends up in the foyer and almost collapses with relief because she can finally escape this place. Before she can reach the door, however, she realises there’s someone else right in front of the door, pacing back and forth as if in a trance.

(Oh great. They have someone on guard as well? Even more reason to get out of here!)

She tries to slip by, but the man notices her and stops his pacing to stare at her, saying nothing. MC feels overwhelmed by his gaze and starts to shake. His eyes widen and he goes to reach for her.

“Are you--?”

“Get away from me! Vampire! Monster! Don’t touch me!!”

She swats his hand away and makes a break for the door, but Thomas grabs her around the waist, pinning her arms down. She thrashes and begins to feel tears pricking her eyes when Sebas emerges. Thomas turns to him and asks him to take the young lady to her room. He immediately releases her from his hold and whispers a soft “I apologise for scaring you.” before walking back to his room with long strides.

Back in her room, she reflects on what happened and realises that his grip on her wasn’t tight enough to harm her and instead, he was likely as panicked as she was.

(Even if he is a vampire, it was clear he was trying to protect me. And I called him a monster…)

The next day, she asks Sebas to show her where Thomas’ room is so she can apologise to him. Sebas says to try the archive instead and shows her the way. She knocks on the door and peeks inside. 

Sitting at a desk and brandishing a feather quill, Thomas writes like his life depends on it, his eyes - while still heavy and tired with dark circles - seem focused with an intensity that leaves MC dumbfounded. [First CG of him deep in his scribing, unaware of the pretty lady who watches him with her attention rapt.]

(He writes as if he’s possessed. I feel like if I interrupted him now, I’d be ruining the very nature of his being.)

She waits until he lets out a soft sigh and sets down his quill. When he finally notices her presence, he blinks, a deer in the headlights. His mouth opens and closes, but no words come out.

“Um...can I help you?”

...

Sigmund Freud

The Cold Elitist

Analytical x Insatiable

“Such honest eyes. Yet such boring simplicity in your actions and thoughts.”

An Austrian neurologist whose work helped to shape modern psychology. His work with brains and how they shape our conscious and unconscious mind - his book The Interpretation of Dreams using his own brain as the study - made him observant and insightful; in a holier-than-thou way in most cases. He is private and distancing, yet fiercely loyal to those he deems worthy enough to be close to him. His own findings concluded that personality and unconscious thoughts cannot be so easily swayed. Until he meets you...

Birthday: May 6th

Height: 180cm (5’10”)

Occupation: Neurologist (despises the term psychologist being attributed to him)

Vampire Type: Lesser Vampire

Hobbies: Smoking cigars, People watching, Reading

Dislikes: Being referred to by his first name (Call him Freud or you’ll get one hell of a death stare)

Specialty: Psychoanalysis, Picking apart people’s thoughts

Weaknesses: Accepting defeat or wrongdoing, Smiling through his eyes

Favourite Food: Artichoke

Hated Food: Anything American

Pet: Frog named Ego

Random Tidbits

He has a pet frog because of his early work as a medical student, where he studied frog brains to determine the difference between vertebrate and invertebrate brains. And named his pet after one of the terms he coined of the human psyche, representing the balance of our desires and morality.

Used to smoke cigars heavily, so much so that he developed mouth cancer which led to his eventual human death. Picked the habit back up again after being revived as a vampire.

Had a therapy dog when he was human. Sneaks pets to Vic and King whenever he can.

Was quoted saying “The goal of all life is death.”, yet accepted the offer to be granted eternal life (he chuckles bitterly at himself over this fact).

Was a firm Shakespeare sceptic and remains so into his vampire life. Any conversation he has with Shakespeare usually ends with him bad-mouthing him in German and proclaiming that the Earl of Oxford was the true writer of his plays.

Continues to write books about his discoveries, yet keeps them unpublished.

Is joked as being sex-obsessed (by Arthur of all people), but stands by his claims that sexual wishes and desires play into how a person’s mentality is shaped.

Favourite Place To Bite: Stomach. The way the muscles flex and spasm around his fangs is exquisite in every meaning of the word. He enjoys slowly sliding the blouse up, letting his hands trail slowly to feel the goosebumps that prickle on the skin, before biting right on the curve of the waist.

Associates With:

Comte - The one man who may call him by his first name. Feels indebted to him for another chance at life.

Mozart - Short yet calm conversations between the two Austrians happen every so often; about what, who can say?

Arthur - Pesters Freud for psychoanalytical techniques he can incorporate into his Holmes novels. Gives him the bare minimum to leave him alone. Absolutely loathes the nickname the Brit gives him (“Siggy”).

How He Met MC

When MC first encounters him, Freud is at the dining table with Mozart, Theo, Vincent and Isaac. As soon as he hears the commotion and she enters for dinner, he abruptly stands and leaves without a word, only sparing a cold stare that she feels in the pit of her stomach.

Her first true encounter with him is after Sebas tries to tell her that her housemates are vampires and she runs into him in the hallway. She notes that his eyes of metal run just as cold as the first time she met his gaze, but she still tries to greet him (Comte told her about him briefly at dinner, saying his name is Sigmund). When she addresses him as such, his lips twitch in distaste and harshly tells her not to call him that.

Being MC, she bites back a little, causing him to raise an eyebrow.

”For a meek little thing, you certainly try to bark, don’t you?”

“Hey, I don’t need another person in this mansion referring to me as a dog!”

“Hm. Very well then, Rotznase.”

(Did....did he just call me a brat?!) *A/N: no, MC. He called you a snot-nosed brat*

She goes to bite back again, but something in his eyes stops her dead. Like they can see into her soul, see the exact way her brain ticks. He exudes a harsh aura that makes her want to run, but the power of his eyes on her has her paralysed, like a predator staring down its defenceless prey. He scoffs at her before asking if she knows what he is. When she doesn’t respond, he sighs in annoyance before grabbing her by the throat and pushing her against the wall, hard. [First CG of this kabedon-strangling hybrid. 2/10, not sexy and probably hurts too much.]

”You’re a foolish little girl. And unfortunate in your luck. If you had crossed paths with any of the other beasts in these halls, you may have gotten away with nothing more than nightmares.”

His hand on her throat tightens, constricting her windpipe and cutting off her air supply, the petrified horror in her eyes only increasing as he bares his fangs to her.

”I am not a lenient man, I never have been. And this is no dream. You’re just an unlucky human. No offence intended.”

Just as his hand tightens further and he leans over her, Arthur of all people is the one to save her. He grabs Freud’s collar and yanks him back, barking at him not to scare the bird. Freud only gives an annoyed huff before strolling away as if he never had any part in it. MC loses strength in her knees and passes out from fear, and Arthur brings her to her room before heading to Comte to tell him what occurred.

The following day, Comte invites MC out to the garden for a chat. He confirms that the residents are all men of history brought back from death as vampires, and he apologises for Freud’s less than savoury approach at drilling the message in.

”Listen well, ma Cherie. The men in this mansion may be vampires, but they all show restraint. Sigmund, however, is an unusual case. He is prone to frenzies, where he’s so consumed with bloodlust that he cannot control himself. For your own safety, I would suggest having as little contact with him as possible.”

[ziyadnazem]

What will happen with China’s economy due to the Coronavirus?

The deadly new coronavirus has started spreading across China and beyond and has infected hundreds of people. The outbreak has already begun to take a toll on the nation’s economy right ahead of the Chinese New Year.

As the death toll and the number of confirmed cases is rapidly rising, China has put a lockdown on cities in Hubei province, including Wuhan, where the outbreak is believed to have originated.

The virus is set to disrupt the plans for thousands of Chinese right before one of the biggest national holidays — the Lunar New Year, or Spring Festival — that kicked off on Friday. One of the busiest periods for traveling, as the holiday is traditionally celebrated with family and is a hot shopping season when people spend money on leisure and gifts.

The slowdown of tourism, and travel

With the transport links to the effected cities closed, China’s State Railway Group said passengers could get refunds for rail tickets nationwide from January 24. Apart from the cancellation of flights to and from Wuhan, some air carriers are already avoiding the city. Chinese passengers who booked flights to or from Wuhan can ask for a free refund from airlines, the nation’s civil aviation regulator announced earlier this week.

Meanwhile, cities have started to prevent people from large gatherings in an apparent attempt to stop the risk of infection. On Thursday, Beijing canceled major public events, including Chinese New Year temple fairs. Another major city, Shanghai, which is much closer to the epicenter of the outbreak, canceled some activities scheduled for the holiday season and said that some tourist attractions would be closed, including some parks, viewpoints on the skyscrapers and leading museums.

The local tourism industry has also begun to prepare, as one of the largest Chinese online travel agencies, Trip.com, also known as Ctrip, offered its clients free cancellation on all hotels, car rentals and tickets for tourist attractions. Some other agencies, including Meituan, ly.com (also known as Tongcheng-Elong), qyer.com, and Alibaba’s Fliggy have reportedly followed suit.

Blow to the box office

The deadly virus has also disrupted the biggest movie-going week. All seven Chinese films that were set for release this weekend and expected to generate as much as $1 billion in ticket sales announced they were pulling the screenings. While the withdrawal of film premieres might not be a big deal, it could discourage people from leaving home and spending money, thus affecting local businesses during the usually hot sales season.

The decline in the stock market and commodities

The epidemic came as investors are still reeling from US-China trade tensions, driving down some critical Asian stock markets. Despite Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index edging higher on Friday, it finished the week down 3.8 percent, posting the most significant weekly decline since November 2019. The Shanghai stock exchange was closed on Friday due to the public holiday, and finished the week in the red on Thursday, with the Shanghai Composite index losing 3.17 percent in one week. The Nikkei 225 in Japan closed a fraction higher on Friday, but fell nearly one percent compared to the previous week.

Meanwhile, the virus has also had an effect on the oil markets, with futures for both global benchmarks Brent and WTI tumbling this week. China is one of the major importers of crude, and its demand is far higher than that of the US. The outbreak could cut oil demand by 260,000 barrels per day and push prices down by $3 per barrel, Goldman Sachs has warned.

[fxasker-blog]

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[sweetkoaladreamer]

‎Currency converter calculator! on the App Store

The currency exchange data is regularly updated from Google Finance. For instance a traveler leaving New York for a set of business trips might need to exchange U.S. dollars to pounds, euros, yen, or more. An easily accessible online currency converter is very useful to show travelers how their own currencies will fare when exchanged with other foreign currency. Wise is a very popular money transfer provider with low, transparent fees.

What are the cons of living in Greece?

- Con: Tourist areas are expensive

Although the cost of living in Greece is relatively low, prices are hiked up in the main tourist areas to take advantage of the seasonal visitors. Choosing a lesser-known island or city to live in will certainly yield cheaper prices for almost everything, from accommodation to food.

"If your bank charges a flat rate for the withdrawal, you should certainly minimize your trips to the ATM by withdrawing larger sums each time you go," Meyers says. Market flag for targeted data from your country of choice. The business books and records are not kept in the currency of the economic environment in which a significant part of the business activities is conducted.

Exchange Rates

Thus, I strongly recommend adding a disclaimer that the rates and prices of all currencies are constantly changing. - Privacy policy - Available currencies - Exchange rates are gathered from OXR and Fixer. The XXL Currency Converter doesn't have an intuitive interface like other apps on the list, but it is feature-rich and easy to use. Select your local currency from the second dropdown - the one you want to convert your main currency into. Click on the first dropdown arrow to select the currency you wish to convert. 2.5% - As documented in PayPal's User Agreement (Section 8.5 - Additional Fees), a currency conversion fee of 2.5% is charged.

Which country has the best healthcare system?

Switzerland. Switzerland comes top of the Euro Health Consumer Index 2018, and it's firmly above the eleven-country average in the Commonwealth Fund's list too. There are no free, state-run services here – instead, universal healthcare is achieved by mandatory private health insurance and some government involvement.

At a currency https://nme5ztrlmd.de.tl/Xe-Currency-Converter.htm exchange, you can convert your cash into money you can use in a different country or region. Click on a currency name to get a table of exchange rates into and out of that currency. Differences in interest rates—the interest rates may affect the demand of a currency as well as the inflation rate of an economy, which can drive the exchange rates up or down. Below is a short list of some of the important terms pertinent to foreign currency exchange. Hotel exchange desks are just as pricey but for a different reason. "The hotels that still offer this service usually give awful exchange rates because the entire process is a hassle for them," Meyers says.

The main currency conversion rates

Adding a currency converter is a fantastic way to allow your website users the chance to view currency conversion rates. The exchange rates that are displayed in the converter come right from Google Finance, so they are accurate and up-to-date. The plugin supports over 100 different currencies and is able to display up to 10 currency rates at once. Choose the currencies you’d like to exchange from the dropdown option.

Some examples include coins, barley, gold, silver, squirrel pelts, 8-ton carved limestone rocks, salt, knives, cowrie shells, stamps, potato mashers, peppercorn, tea bricks, and cheese.

Multiple handy features to compare prices & check live exchange rates.

You may have an online store, a small business website, or a WordPress blog.

Additionally, you can also choose whether to calculate the result based on the current exchange rate or the exchange rate on a certain date. This way, the Markets Insider currency calculator allows you to search for historical exchange rates. The result provided by the currency calculator is displayed in a clearly arranged table.

It is common for people to come back from foreign destinations with some foreign currency left over. There's not much else to do with it aside from keeping it as memorabilia, but it is possible to sell it back to a bank or broker. Again, selling back to banks or credit unions is normally preferred in terms of exchange rates and fees. While modern currency is physically represented by coins and paper bills, most large-scale currency transactions are done electronically. Modern technology utilizes sophisticated currency exchange mechanisms and systems to exchange currencies between digital accounts rather than physically. Some credit card companies give U.S. consumers the option of paying in U.S. dollars or the local currency during a transaction abroad.

A universal currency converter is an app or web tool that allows for the quick conversion of any currency into any other currency. Have you ever wondered what the exchange rate for your currency is? HEXelon MAX is a complete scientific calculator that includes currency and unit conversion tools.

[thesecrettimes]

Belarus Issues International Arrest Warrant for Owner of Country’s ‘Largest Crypto Exchanger’

Law enforcement officials in Minsk are seeking international assistance to locate and detain the man who ran what is said to be the biggest online exchanger for cryptocurrencies in Belarus. The crypto trader has been accused of tax evasion and an investigation against three of his accomplices has estimated the losses for the state at $3.5 million.

Belarusian Operator of Bitok.me Now Wanted Internationally for Tax Offenses

Authorities in Belarus have recently completed a criminal investigation against three residents of the city of Lida, who helped the owner of an illegal crypto exchange platform to dodge taxation. Vladislav Kuchinsky, who managed Bitok.me (formerly Bitok.by) for two years, has been accused of “tax evasion on an especially large scale” and put on an international wanted list. During that period, Kuchinsky and his “representatives” used the platform to facilitate the purchase and sale of “digital signs (tokens),” the legal term used to define cryptocurrencies under Belarusian law, with fiat cash and non-cash payments. They also offered exchange between cryptocurrencies, the Investigative Committee of Belarus explained this week. In total, the Bitok’s operators conducted almost 8,000 transactions involving digital currencies for a total amount exceeding $29 million, a press release detailed. The estimated damage to the state budget, resulting from tax evasion in their activities, amounted to more than 9 million Belarusian rubles (over $3.5 million at current exchange rates). The officials in Minsk also pointed out that the suspects used anonymization tools, SIM cards registered under fake identities, and accounts on foreign crypto platforms which allowed them to stay under the radar. Eventually, investigators were able to identify all participants in the crypto trading scheme, intercept their correspondence with clients, and trace their money transfers. During searches, police confiscated computer equipment, documents, and withdrawn cash in the amount of $280,000. Belarusian law enforcement officers were also able to establish the bank accounts used by the accused in Belarus and Georgia that had 2 million rubles (almost $800,000) on their balances, and arrest them. With assistance from Moscow, Belarus obtained a database with information about 2,000 of Bitok’s clients whose activities are also under investigation. Those who made the largest transactions, exceeding $50,000 in fiat equivalent, have been interrogated, the Investigative Department said.

Crypto Exchanger Continues Operations Amid Ongoing Investigation

Despite the detention of his accomplices and their prosecution, Vladislav Kuchinsky continued to run the online exchanger, advised clients to ignore calls from law enforcement, and attempted to withdraw funds from the frozen accounts. Belarus has now issued an international arrest warrant for the owner of Bitok and charged him with tax evasion in absentia. The Investigative Committee emphasized that the operation of the crypto trading service was illegal as it was not duly registered as a resident of the Belarus High-Tech Park (HTP). The latter is responsible for implementing a special legal regime established to facilitate the development of the country’s digital economy, including its crypto sector. Belarus legalized business activities related to crypto assets with a decree signed by President Alexander Lukashenko in 2017, which went into force in the spring of the following year. It introduced tax breaks and other incentives for companies dealing with digital currencies that register with the HTP in Minsk. Although last spring Lukashenko hinted at a possible tightening of the rules for the industry and ordered the establishment of a crypto wallet register, and despite a ban on the use of bitcoin for payments, Belarus ranked third in Eastern Europe in terms of crypto adoption, largely due to strong peer-to-peer activity, as indicated by the Crypto Adoption Index produced by the blockchain analytics firm Chainalysis. Do you expect Belarusian authorities to crack down on other unregistered crypto trading platforms? Tell us in the comments section below. Read the full article