#sorry. I know hes spanish. But i imagine he has a wide selection of languages he can speak. And he uses it to be an asshole

[mortysmith]

I LOVE SELF INDULGENCE I LOVE CATERING TO ME AND ME EXCLUSIVELY

[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.”

[epchapman89]

International Voices Respond To Deferred Candidacy

In November, the Specialty Coffee Association rocked the coffee world with the announcement that three major world coffee competitions would remain in Dubai this year, despite the numerous protests of the global coffee community—especially those who are LGBTQIA+ or allies. As an amendment to their initial rollout of Dubai as event location, SCA officials added the Deferred Candidacy Policy, which allows candidates to defer to another year if they cannot attend world competitions for reasons of safety, health, or unforeseeable circumstances, pending approval from World Coffee Events‘ World Championships Committee—the details of which have yet to be released to the public.

Widely criticized in the coffee community, this decision and accompanying policy have led many across the world to reconsider their involvement with SCA and competitions—including a decision from the SCA Canada Chapter not to send their national competitors to Dubai in 2018. While a vocal minority have sought to characterize protests of the choice of Dubai and the accompanying Deferred Candidacy Policy as a US-centered phenomenon rooted in selfishness, many more across the world have argued that the global coffee community will never profit from any rhetoric that pits global inclusion against queer inclusion—that queer and otherwise marginalized people exist all across the world and that laws that oppress them cannot be supported by a global member-driven nonprofit organization. I talked with coffee professionals across the globe who have seen or felt the impacts of this decision. These are their voices.

XIMENA RUBIO

Wholesale Sales & Education, Qūentin Cafe, Mexico City, Mexico

I have been involved with SCA for about 4 years. I went to WBC in 2014, competed in World Aeropress Championship in 2015, and then went to World of Coffee this past year. I’ve been a volunteer for two years as well.

First of all, I think people that are not part of the LGBT community cannot even have an opinion about this; they should be listening to their LBGT coworkers and friends rather than having opinions based on their own experience. Going to a country where they support this discrimination is horrible for anyone who is competing, judging, or volunteering, or even just working with a brand that will be in the show. The decision not only supports discrimination, it’s also actively dangerous.

In Dubai, unlike in other locations where you have a chance of encountering discrimination, it is the state itself, the police and government, that is discriminating. It’s not like if you come to Mexico and someone on the street harasses you. It’s not the same and you cannot compare it, because it’s the government that enforces these laws, not individuals.

I think the SCA had a lot of money invested in this deal, and I think they didn’t measure how many sponsors and judges are going to back out if they go through with it. I was thinking about competing this year, but I’m going to stop before nationals if the worlds are going to be in Dubai. If you look into the history of world champions, there was a World Brewers Cup champion who is transgender. Imagine if the competition had been in Dubai that year—he couldn’t have competed.

I also think SCA should let their members vote directly on competition locations and other things that directly affect them. SCA are based in democracies, so I don’t understand why there’s not a better direct voting system for important decisions.

I also want to say that this situation is a perfect example of how media language barriers work. For example, I was talking to some coworkers about this, and they didn’t even know what the issue was. They weren’t able to be informed and measure the issue because there’s no available information in Spanish about it.

MAT NORTH

Owner of Full Court Press, National Coordinator for SCA UK, Bristol, UK

After many years of helping with SCA competitions from the fringes, I was challenged to take a more active role after criticising previous chapter volunteers. This led to two years as Events Coordinator and now my current role as National Coordinator for the SCA UK chapter.

It’s hard to have an opinion on the Deferred Candidacy Policy when it doesn’t exist yet. The communications surrounding it were poorly handled at best and offensive at worst and the SCA knows this. It’s not and never will be a solution to the site selection issues regarding the LGBTQIA community. That’s for another policy to solve. That isn’t to say that the DC policy can’t be useful for others though, and that we can have a part in making sure it and the site selection policy serve all of the members.

Largely though, I feel that these are two separate issues with one root cause, a lack of diverse representation at the upper levels of the SCA. It’s complex marrying the desire to promote speciality coffee values around the world and the good that association can do on the ground with the need to protect its members. Dubai appears to be complicated by a lack of other bidders, suggesting that the process was in need of urgent review. This adds an extra layer to the decision-making and to judgement errors—errors which have directly impacted the lives and safety of members.

The idea that this is a US-centered issue is a misreading of the situation. People are seeing that a large number of those who are questioning this situation are loudest in a certain location and equating that to being a localised problem. Human rights are a global issue that concerns us all, not something to be ignored if it “doesn’t affect us.” I have heard discontent from parties on all continents but for a myriad of reasons they can’t or are not able to make their voices heard.

JULIANA GANAN

Roaster, Entrepreneur, Writer, Minas Gerais, Brazil

I’ve taken barista and sensory classes at SCA certified schools in Brazil and at the BSCA (Brazilian chapter) headquarters in Varginha, Minas Gerais, Brazil. I am not and never was an SCA member.

When I heard about this decision, I felt sorry for many people in the industry I know who would have to travel so far and spend so much time and resources and still not feel safe. The Deferred Candidacy Policy seems like a very poor workaround for something that should have been properly addressed and considered from the beginning. If I were one of the competitors, I would be extremely disappointed with their decision. Coffee communities around the globe are supposed to be inclusive and diverse, and the choice of location and the SCA handling of it ever since was everything but inclusive.

Being born and raised in Brazil but also having lived in the US for some years, I feel like the US is more vocal about these issues, but they are felt everywhere. I would even dare to say that they are mostly felt where the voices are not being heard, since sometimes people do not share the same freedom of speech that most Americans are entitled to. I admire Americans for speaking up and also for representing voices around the world, they play an important role in transmitting some issues. The fact that they are the ones that mostly speak up doesn’t mean that they are alone in that battle. They are joined by many other voices—sometimes silent ones—around the globe.

ASH PONDERS

Freelance Journalist, USA, Europe, and Panama

I’m from Panama, but I’ve lived in the USA and Europe off and on for a while. I’ve competed and fussed around with SCA events in the early aughts, but it’s been a while and I never really cared for them.

Regarding the Dubai decision and DCP, delegating responsibility for the safety and wellbeing of competitors to the competitors themselves seems calloused and backward. I can’t recall another major international competition organization that abdicates its role in providing safety for its competitors.

When the winter Olympics were held in infamously “homosexual-free” Sochi during a wave of virulently homophobic Russian propaganda, dozens of gay Olympians lodged formal and informal complaints with the various governing boards of the Olympics. The IOC took their complaints seriously, even while acknowledging they could not back out of their selection for fiscal reasons. At no point was a deferral for gayness ever seriously discussed. In fact, several teams (the US and the Dutch off the top of my head) had a number of previously closeted members come out in outspoken solidarity against the selection of an avowedly LGBTQ-hostile city and against the policies that led to the selection.

Even the UFC, hardly the bastion of progressive wholesome values, ensures its (many!) LGBTQ fighters and staff are protected and respected legally and ethically by the host countries and cities it sends them to. Why won’t the SCA?

Equality and accessibility are universal virtues. Even if they have less adherents in regressive quasi-theocratic oligarchies (like the US) they still matter. If your organization purports to represent and support its membership, then it has an obligation to do so for all of its membership. Equality for most people is not equality at all. This fact doesn’t stop at a border any more than gravity does.

TIM WENDELBOE

Owner of Tim Wendelboe Coffee, Coffee Producer, World Barista Champion and World Cup Tasters Champion, Oslo, Norway

I’ve been member of the SCAE before and in the recent years only been member of the SCAA, now SCA, until June this year. In 2004 I won the World Barista Championship after being first runner up twice and in 2005 I won the World Cup Tasters Championship. My history as a member and contributor to the SCAE started in 2000. I served on the board of the WBC in 2006/ 2007 and have volunteered as a judge, lecturer, held several workshops in the past both nationally and internationally.

I don’t have first-hand information on how the SCA decided on hosting the event in Dubai, so it’s hard to judge whether it was a well thought-through process or not. Hopefully the people who made the decision to host the events in Dubai weren’t fully aware of the controversial laws in Dubai and how they could affect its members and visiting participants before they made the decision—I mean, every day people make decisions without knowing the full impact of those decisions. But, once the SCA board was made aware that the decision was controversial and that by hosting the competitions in Dubai they would exclude a lot of members, they should have made a more inclusive decision and moved the events to another country where everyone feels safe to visit. After all, SCA is a global organization that is supposed to gather people in our industry. By hosting an event in Dubai they are doing the exact opposite of that.

When I heard about the Deferred Candidacy Policy I got really upset and very disappointed as it clearly is quite discriminatory towards the SCA’s current and future LGBTQIA+ members. As a former World Barista Champion I know how much work and effort goes into competition performances. I also know how many opportunities come with winning the WBC and I believe every competitor regardless of whom they love or who they are deserves an equal chance to win those opportunities. The Deferred Candidacy Policy is for sure a policy I do not agree with and I do not want to be a member of an organization that is not inclusive and that is discriminating against its members. Therefore I decided not to renew my SCA membership.

I think that is not true at all that this is a US-specific issue. Although I live in a country where same sex marriage is legal, we still have a long way to go as a society not only in Norway but all over the world. There are still a lot of countries where being gay is a crime and Australia just had a vote whether they should allow same sex marriage or not. It is ridiculous to say that this is only an US problem.

Norway is considered a forward-thinking country when it comes to the rights of our LGBTQIA+ community, but we are still facing a lot of challenges every day in our country too. If people don’t speak up then things will not change.

Last week we had a similar discussion going on in Norway too because the board of my favorite Norwegian football team (Rosenborg) recently decided to have their winter training camp in Dubai. The decision was met with huge protests from its fan club due to Dubai being a society that has a history of torturing convicts (according to Amnesty International) and discrimination towards women and LGBTQIA+ people. When the board of the football team was made aware that their decision was controversial they revoked their decision and the training camp was moved to another country. This sends a strong and important message about the club’s values to its team, employees, members, and fans. I instantly thought of the Deferred Candidacy Policy when I read about this as it is exactly the same situation. A global coffee organization like SCA should be inclusive and foster an environment where everyone feel safe and equally treated. By hosting global coffee competitions in Dubai and announcing the Deferred Candidacy Policy the SCA is doing the exact opposite.

GABRIELA RIBEIRO

Barista and Coffee Shop Owner, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

I’m a barista and a coffee shop owner in Rio de Janeiro for two years now, and so I follow SCA releases and events, but never actually took a course with them.

I think this decision endorses Dubai’s homophobic stance, delegitimizing the LGBTQI+ community, and strengthening the issue of trans people’s invisibility. Beyond just being non-inclusive, their decision is actively excluding people. This is a serious and oppressive positioning for an institution that supposedly supports diversity. To cite Angela Davis and correlate these oppressions, “In a racist society it is not enough to be non-racist, we must be anti-racist.”

The LGBTQIA+ community is a world community and so is the coffee culture. And the championships. Why would this be just a US issue if it affects all of us around the world? In my point of view this question doesn’t even begin to make sense, it’s too contradictory.

JAMES HOFFMANN

Co-founder, Square Mile Coffee Roasters, World Barista Champion, London, UK

I started competing back in 2005, have competed and judged across a few competitions. I’ve worked with WCE on events like Re:Co, and had some small inputs into Symposiums. I’ve participated in other WCE events like Tamper Tantrum and All Stars events. I’ve attended many events, under the SCA banner, volunteered and given lectures/workshops.

I think Dubai is clearly a problematic decision, as a host. However, I wasn’t surprised. WCE have run several events there, that had been very successful and had received no negative feedback I am aware of. It is a booming part of the world when it comes to speciality coffee, so I think there was also strong interest from sponsors too. Part of the mission of a global organisation is to support and encourage nascent speciality coffee cultures, and those participating in them. Hence why I can see why Dubai could be arrived at as a decision. However, it is clear that other aspects of the decision-making process hadn’t really been considered. It’s hard to talk about for me, because I found Dubai a challenging place to visit, and have chosen to avoid going there in the last few years. It’s a place that makes me uncomfortable, and I am supposed to feel very welcome there—I struggle to imagine how others, who are actively discriminated against there, would feel.

The proposed Deferred Candidacy Policy was a strangely timed, strangely worded communication. I know it is a proposal, rather than an active policy, but I don’t really understand whether it is supposed to be tied directly to the Dubai decision (I’ve heard both that it is and isn’t). I think the release of it, in whatever state it was in, was a mistake for a variety of reasons. It is clearly problematic in its current form, in ways many people have highlighted.

I think that, while the US is not a particularly coherent country when it comes to culture and politics, it is more coherent than Europe as a whole. I think there are many people in various European countries that are upset about the policy and decisions, I’ve seen a lot of UK based discussion online in particular, led by Mat North. However, there are certainly pockets of other political feelings in Europe too. Even the roots of the organisations that have now merged are very different, SCAA grew from a membership base of passionate roasters—many of whom were driven to improve the lives of the farmers whose coffee they bought. They were, I think, a more politically engaged group as a result. The SCAE’s roots are different: many more equipment manufacturers, or larger roasters with less of a focus on the producers they bought from. As a result, I think some of the political thought is quite different—but I think moving in the right direction more recently.

MOKHTAR ALKHANSHALI

CEO of Port of Mokha, Yemen and Oakland, CA

I’ve been involved in the SCA since I first got into specialty coffee and took my first courses in 2014 (green contracts, defective cupping). I attended my first SCA expo in 2014, for me it was like the coffee Olympics. Everyone from producers to cup manufacturers. I attended a lot of really inspirational talks. I’ve been to Re:Co the last two years. I’ve had the privilege of seeing my coffees make it to the last round of competitions, and this year we made 2nd place (Chelsea Walker from Slate) in the national Brewers Cup. It’s also where I am able as a producer and someone who works with producers, to showcase our work to international buyers. It’s hard to say if I would be where I am had there not been an SCA.

A lot of discussion and debate has been happening around this decision. The biggest reason is that many of our beloved coffee community members can’t feel safe in Dubai because of their policies around LGBTQ rights. For this reason many have urged the SCA board to change the location.

Practically, this makes a lot of sense. There’s no way around the safety issue. It does also pose an issue, which is a problem with all cultural/artistic boycotts: Are you alienating the people within these societies that would likely agree with you? It’s a real challenge. In addition, we have to be honest about the fact that we’re often willing to overlook things in our own culture and less willing to with people we perceive as other. In the US we have mass incarceration; we have police who murder black and brown people with impunity and face zero punishment as a result; we also have massive human rights abuses in the countries we invade and occupy; we have internment camps for undocumented immigrants from many coffee producing countries where numerous human rights violations have been and continue to be reported; and we have drone programs and weapons sales that literally kill Yemeni coffee farmers. We have a president here who’s banned Muslims from seven countries (Yemen included) from entering and I can’t have some of my team Meyer farmers come to attend any SCA events. Point being, the safety issue is real, so is the critique about selective outrage.

It amazes me how the SCA didn’t think this through. You can’t hide being transgender. I guess my question is where can brown, black, LGBTQ, religious, atheist baristas feel safe? A white supremacist rally in Poland drew over 60,000. Are we going to ban all events in Poland?

I hope that in the future we can live in a world where everyone is respected and cared for, from the farm to the cup.

TIAGO DAMASCENO

Owner, Barista, & Roaster at OOP Coffee, Belo Horizonte, Brazil

I have never had any contact with SCA, but I intend to take on of their educational programs and pathways and become an instructor in the future.

It makes no sense to me, as gay, to feel in harm or prevented to do something just for being myself. I would never go to any place where I could be arrested because of my sexual orientation. SCA is deciding who is welcome and who is not in the event, by hosting it in a place where not everybody has the same rights and where people are not protected by the law equally. The deferred candidacy policy does not solve the problem: it just separates who can and who cannot participate in 2018’s comps.

I’m in Brazil and I do feel concerned. It won’t be difficult to find more upset people outside the US, as we have gay people everywhere and they certainly care about their security the same way US people do. Where did the idea that this is just a US problem come from? I can assure you there’s more people here who share this same feeling. It is a global matter.

MATT PERGER

Founder/CEO of Barista Hustle, World Brewers Cup Champion, World Cup Tasters Champion, Melbourne, Australia

I’ve attended and competed in two WBCs, one World Brewers Cup, and two All-stars events, and been to two SCA shows. In 2016 I was a co-emcee for the opening ceremonies. Being in Australia I’m much more involved with our events here under the ASCA banner.

There’s a few things here that I’d like to parse separately.

Firstly, as I understand, there was no other viable option to host the event; it was a choice of having an event or not having one. I feel that this choice was somewhat justified as there are few countries that are truly safe and accessible by a worldwide membership. Almost every country is a problem for someone. But that said, Dubai was definitely deep in the “wrong choice” end of that spectrum.

Secondly, I believe the event announcement, rushed policy, and universally poor communications were the real problem. If the deferment policy was well considered and well-executed, it could’ve been a successful and considerate option for anyone to defer for any reason. Unfortunately it was quite divisive and potentially damaging.

The idea that the US is the only country with non-binary sexuality and gender issues is laughable.

FORTUNE REBECCA BUCHHOLTZ

Editor at Königsfurt-Urania Verlag, Darmstadt, Germany

I’m a former SCAA committee member who now lives in Germany. I was more involved with SCA back in the 00s; I was on the then-SCAA Consumer Committee when Kimberly Easson was chair.

I feel like the Deferred Candidacy Policy is poorly thought out, damages the image and values of the SCA, tears the membership base in shreds, and is probably actionable in law as LGBTQIA+/gender discrimination in some countries in which the SCA operates. Winning at the champs often brings significant financial rewards. Choosing Dubai effectively throws the competition to straight people, especially cis men, which is pure and likely illegal discrimination. But none of the Board seem to consider the possible international legal jeopardy, and its possible costs. This is a total failure of their duty to the organization.

Also, the amount of bad PR and loss of goodwill is only growing. These have measurable costs—but it doesn’t seem the SCA is actually measuring any real data around this, which is shocking in a professional organization. The loss of goodwill and PR damage alone could exceed the cost of breaking the contract with Dubai, but we don’t know for sure because they are irresponsibly failing to collect data.

I couldn’t disagree more with the idea that this is a US-centered issue. This idea that LGBTIAQ+ rights exist only in the USA is completely false. Certainly here in Germany things are even more “politically correct” than in the US.  Since the competitions are employment-related, and many competitors are backed by their employers, I think it’s highly likely the DCP & Dubai choice violates the 17-year-old EU law against employment discrimination, frankly. I hope an EU competitor steps forward with legal backing to formally challenge the policy on these grounds.

Read more: Queer Voices Respond To Deferred Candidacy

RJ Joseph (@RJ_Sproseph) is a Sprudge staff writer, publisher of Queer Cup, and coffee professional based in the Bay Area. Read more RJ Joseph on Sprudge Media Network.

The post International Voices Respond To Deferred Candidacy appeared first on Sprudge.

seen 1st on http://sprudge.com

[mialbowy-blog]

The Villa In The Forest

The letter in her hands had a disconcerting appearance, at least to any other child, or adult for that matter. Rather than paper, the writer had chosen a leaf, and rather than ink or pencil—or even crayon, if it came to that—they had selected what she thought to be mud. If that was not enough to disconcert the reader, then there still remained the choice of language. Rather than the English one would expect in the English countryside, the Spanish tongue instead.

A final hurdle to cross, after translating the message, would be believing that, hidden amongst a wild forest between towns, a villa had been constructed. Not any old one either, but of glistening marble, and boasting a luxurious pool.

Of course, none of those mattered much at all to Amelia. Delivered by Hare, she did not ponder why an animal may have chosen that material to make it. When unable to read it, she badgered a friend until he begrudgingly translated it.

She did not wonder what events may have lead to a Badger stuck on the British isles learning Spanish either.

Regardless, the message had been passed on to her: an invitation to The Forest Dance. The name alone excited her, having been ever so eager to attend one of the events her parents went to. Wearing a wonderful dress, and beautiful jewellery, and elegant shoes. To then dance like mother and father did when she played the piano for them, she could barely keep from running off the moment Badger had finished speaking!

However, she would have to wait nearly a week before the date and time given. Once again peculiar in the choice: the midday after the full moon. Badger had been kind enough to tell her when that would be.

Though the days seemed to last forever for her, they did come to pass, and the day came. Perhaps a little earlier than necessary, she set off in a wonderful gown she had been given for the recent Easter celebrations, and a purse for her invitation and bits and pieces.

Finding a path through the forest that didn't find issue with such a delicate dress proved troublesome, but she persevered. Indeed, while at first she took two steps forward and one back, she chanced upon something resembling a trail eventually, the earth well tread, coming from nowhere amongst the trees and leading towards the centre. As she continued to pay attention to the ground in front of her, she noticed that at points other, similar tracks joined onto the one she took, like estuaries joining the river heading out to sea.

Upon looking at the sky, she guessed it would be an hour or so longer until the sun peaked, and when she turned her gaze back down a glint caught her eyes. It had been a moment of shimmering from up ahead, unlike anything she had seen, though it reminded her of the unique way her mother's pearl jewellery glittered.

While she knew care was still needed, there didn't look to be anything to catch on, and her interest had been thoroughly piqued. So, she lifted her hem higher and dashed along.

Soon enough, down what had become wide enough to be considered a road, a corner loomed before her. Once around it, as though finding herself on the edge of a cliff, she shuddered to a stop. And, as when she had stumbled into Badger's tea room, words escaped her.

A few paces in front of her, ornate gates stood, flanked on either side by magnificent marble walls. They stretched far off, eventually obscured by the trees. The gates did not slump in their shadow though, boasting a metal that gleamed gold, and an intricate pattern resembling tendrils of ivy.

That was to say nothing of the sight that lay beyond it, but for the moment she crept forward, as though an intruder upon some holy site. With the entrance ajar, she slid through, not daring to touch.

Chalk gravel lead straight ahead, and various flower gardens blossomed across the lawn. In particular, a species—wonderful spires with violet tubes, foxglove she thought—lined the walkway, as though lanterns. She knew it not to be so, but she imagined that they would light up at night, perhaps by faeries.

Finally, she came to the house itself. Broad steps rose half a flight or so, narrowing to a double-door at the top. As she ascended, she thought that the stone actually looked more beautiful than the pearls her mother sometimes wore. The sun caught it so brilliantly, and, try as she might to spot a flaw, it looked perfectly smooth. Rather than a building, she thought it as a piece of art, which furthered her sensation of being somewhere she wasn't allowed to be.

Still, she continued up, contenting herself by reciting what the invitation had said. Humbly invited, she was, to attend the Forest Ball, and she wasn't about to turn it down upon the stairs.

Like before, she found the doorway open, though not enough to see much of anything. Curious, she touched the door, finding it cool against her fingertips. Emboldened, she peeked inside, but she could not see anything of interest—just a vast, empty room.

She edged around more and more, until she could only move further by stepping in. So, she did. While it had not quite made it to midday, she had been expecting some of the guests to arrive early as she had, however no one danced, or stood around. Turning left and right, she spotted not a single other attendee.

Except for a fox, and it stared at her, standing beside a table and holding a wine glass in one paw.

She didn't know what to do, frozen where she stood. Then, the fox raised an eyebrow, and she thawed, picking the hem of her dress to curtsy. Though it took a while, she crossed the room.

Unlike the other animals, she thought it looked rather comfortable standing, not even using the table to lean on. Then, she noticed that it wore fine clothes, which no other animal had. A dinner jacket, and bow tie, and trousers to match. Even cufflinks glinted as it moved its hand, taking a sip of the drink.

In front of him—and, given the outfit, she reasoned it must be a he—she curtseyed once more, this time while saying, “It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Fox.”

“'Mister Fox'?” he said, quoting it back at her. “You would think I have such a poor heritage I would stoop to naming myself after my species?”

Thoroughly flustered, she stuttered through saying, “I'm terribly sorry.”

“I should hope so! I've never been so insulted in my life.”

She apologised again, and continued. “It was just that, all the other animals I have met called themselves so. I meant no harm, I promise.”

He puffed through his nose, turning away from her. “One would be hard pressed to blame you for coming to such a conclusion. This time, I shall forgive you.”

“Oh thank you,” she said.

In the lull, she looked to the table, and found the selection exquisite. Cheeses, and exotic fruits, and all sorts of dishes she only knew from other fancy events. Though she had eaten breakfast, that had been a long time ago, she reasoned, and lunchtime did near.

However, she couldn't leave things with the fox where they were. Especially if, she thought, he was the host, then it wouldn't do to not introduce herself.

To gain his attention, she softly cleared her throat. “My name is Amelia, Amelia Abbott.”

He peered down his snout, though about the same height as her. “I am Enrique Bourbon, to put it simply.”

“That is an interesting name,” she said, and she meant it too. Often, it felt like everyone had the same name as someone else, so long as she bothered enough people for their names. “Is it Spanish?”

He let out a sharp bark of laughter. “The first is, the latter French, though it has found a place amongst the Spaniards.”

“Very interesting,” she said, bobbing her head in a gentle nod. When she felt confident he had nothing else to add, she asked, “Are you the host?”

“Indeed I am,” he said.

“May I ask if I am early? Only, it seems awfully quiet for ball.”

He did not reply right away, and she looked to see if he had even been listening. “A touch, though I fear all who wish to attend have already arrived.”

“What do you mean?” she asked, eyebrows knitted together with concern.

Giving something resembling a smile, though it only really served to highlight his sharp teeth, he said, “Despite sending out many invitations, no one will come. To be frank, I am surprised that you did, considering I did not write one for any 'Amelia Abbott'.”

The worry invaded her lips, pushing them into a deep frown. “But, I have it with me,” she said, opening the clasp to her purse. “Here,” she said, handing it over.

He looked reluctant to touch it, a snarl stretching all the way to his eyes. “What on God's earth is this monstrosity?”

“It's my invitation, I thought.”

“So I gathered,” he said with a drawl. “However, I write invitations on paper, not leaves. Not to mention that I neither wrote them in Spanish nor is this 'The Forest Dance'. Perhaps the only piece of truth on this, this rag is the date and time. Though, I used the actual date and time, not this full moon nonsense.”

Her face didn't know quite what expression to make, and ended up settling upon gentle surprise, and she spoke accordingly. “Oh, I had no idea.”

“So you say, having fallen for the most pitiful forgery in all of creation.”

Though she didn't quite understand, she felt shamed by the tone, and bowed her head. “If, if I am troubling you, then shall I leave?”

He grumbled, gaze still stuck on the fake, running a claw across as he read. “Do what you wish,” he eventually said. “You are the closest thing to good company I could hope for in this barbaric forest.”

Once again, unsure, she picked up on what she could. “Are you lonely?”

Another bark of laughter. “Lonely? What in Heaven's name would make you think so?”

“Well,” she said, dragging it out as she looked around. “You have thrown a party, and no one you invited turned up. If it were me, I think I would feel lonely.”

He replied with no humour that time, and she panicked thinking she may have offended him, but he didn't look angry with her. If anything, she thought, he looked in need of a friend.

“But, I am here! My mother always said two is enough to dance.”

His lip curled, though the distant gaze didn't break. “It sounds like you think well of your mother. A kind woman is she?”

“Oh, she's wonderful! So beautiful, and elegant, and she speaks to my father with such wit. He tells me that, and I think it means she's funny, because they often laugh together.”

“If I weren't lonely before, then I would be now, as would anyone,” he said softly.

“Pardon?” she asked.

He shook his head, and said, “Forgive me, I merely thought aloud.”

“Okay, then,” she said. A silence sprang up, and though she thought she needed to say more, nothing came to mind. So, she turned to the food and drink, satisfying her stomach before it embarrassed her by making unflattering sounds. In a room such as she was, no doubt it would echo for an eternity.

“If you are unfamiliar with anything, I advise you not to try it. Most is an acquired taste, and I assure you that acquiring it as an adult is easier.”

She nodded, and said, “Thank you,” with a bright smile. Then, she settled on crackers, and a cheese that didn't look as though it had been left out in the sun for too long. Still, fitting them into her mouth proved tricky, but she dared not break them, lest crumbs pile up.

A few more later, she decided that she had had enough, and poured a cup of water from a jug. Meanwhile, he had done much of nothing, continuing to mope.

She had not had any inspirations as to the conversation. But, she thought they could maybe pick up from a little earlier. “If the people you are inviting aren't attending, why not invite some of the animals? I think they would rather enjoy a ball.”

“Animals? Are you serious?”

“Why wouldn't I be?” she asked.

He hesitated in answering, and ignored the question in the end. “They are unkempt, loutish, and utterly dull.”

“Does that matter?”

“Of course it does! Why would I want to be surrounded by smelly beasts, who think it's acceptable to track mud all over my floors and grubby my tableclothes? Beyond that, they talk of nothing but the forest, as though the world itself existed only amongst this patch of trees! No such thing as an author to them, and art is nothing more than a word to be used for crude rhymes.”

She swallowed in fear, having taken a couple of steps back already as he gestured this way and that.

“So no, I will not invite any animals here. They are, under no circumstances, welcome.”

“If you didn't know,” she said, speaking bluntly out of shock. “You are an animal.”

He snorted, rattling his claws on the table. “As are you, however we are animals in the same way marble is a rock. We are sophisticated, a step above them.”

“Really? I didn't think so when I met them.”

“Then you are deluding yourself.”

“Well, if that means I can be friends with them, I guess that's a good thing.”

Shaking his head, he turned away from her. “You are like arguing with a curtain.”

“Thank you,” she said.

“It wasn't meant as a compliment.”

“Oh.”

With a tilt of his head, he finished his drink. “I think this has run its course. Thank you for your company.”

It didn't feel like a good end for her, as she thought his mood had been thoroughly soured by her. What to do to fix that escaped her. There may be someone who could help though, she thought. “Have you been to Badger's tea shop?” she asked.

“I have not, nor have I heard of it.”

Remembering the actual name, she said, “It's also known as Amelia's Tea Shop.”

“Ah, so that's why your name was familiar,” he whispered, before carrying on at a normal volume. “Yes, I am aware of such a place, though I can't say I have any desire to visit it. Why do you ask?”

“I think it is a lovely place, and you may enjoy it. There are a lot of interesting people there. You might even have a lot in common with Badger, because he's the one who read the invitation for me, so maybe he's been to Spain.”

A smile softened his expression. “You are a persistent child, aren't you?” When she looked about to speak, he said, “Don't answer that.” After a few moments, he said, “May I ask you a question?”

“Of course,” she said.

“Why do you seem to care about me?”

She pursed her lips, and thought hard. “I guess, because you aren't a bad person.”

“So it is your naivete, I understand.”

“No,” she said, crossing her arms and narrowing her eyes. “That's what grown-ups say when they want to ignore me, but you asked me a question so you have to listen to the answer. It's polite.”

A chuckle rattled through him, and he bowed his head. “My apologies, Ms. Abbott.”

She did so back. “Then, as I was saying, I don't think you are a bad person. It is kind to open your house like this, and to give food, and even to accept me without a real invitation. So, I want to repay your kindness, though I am sorry, but I am still learning how to and aren't all that good just yet.”

He nodded along and, when she finished, he looked down at his empty glass.

“If there is anything I could do, then please ask and I shall do my best to help.”

“You could leave.”

She went to protest, but restrained herself. “Okay, if that will do you some good.”

Her steps sounded loud with nothing else to listen to, taking her across the room, to the door, out onto the steps. She took a deep breath at the bottom, wishing she had studied her mother better. Surely, her mother would have known what to say or do.

Before she set out down the path, she turned, and to her surprise found him at the door, and he spoke. “If you would visit the tea shop tomorrow at noon, I may have room in my schedule to attend.”

She beamed, bringing her hands together in a clap. “Oh it would be my pleasure!”

“Good. Now, if you would kindly leave.”

Written in response to the prompt: You receive an invitation to a party at a beautiful Spanish villa. Upon entering the ballroom you see, not a group of dancers as you expect, but a single fox staring at you. Found here Prequel here