#that’s what happens when one of the biggest museums in the nation doesn’t pay their staff livable wages!!

[hopefullydreaming]

I love the guy who’s been fired for stealing from the British museum like babe he learned from the best what did you expect??

[megurine-san-7u7]

My Valentine - OS

WONDERCORP PROMPT

It was one of those days in which Kara would drop by unannounced with donuts in hand. Successfully pulling Lena away from her tiring job.

Although it was still a bit difficult for her to get used to the idea of having friends, the blonde reporter was very persistent in becoming her friend that Lena was unable to refuse that friendship.

And even when from time to time the Luthor was reluctant to trust, given her rocky past with betrayals in her life. Lena just had to remember brown hair, chocolate eyes and gentle kisses, and all doubts would banish.

She had met Diana by chance in one of her trips to Europe, and the amazon was quick to win her heart.

How could she resist a goddess herself?

Diana had teared down her walls and made her believe in people again. The amazon was the only reason Lena didn’t shut herself off completely after her brother’s trial.

A sigh left her lips, it was barely noticeable, and even with super hearing, Kara was more distracted by the story she was telling Lena.

And she should probably pay attention, but her mind was elsewhere.

Miles away, more precisely, across the ocean. In a certain museum where her lover worked.

It had been barely a year since she moved to National City.

The memory of the day she took the hardest decision of her life, was still fresh in her mind.

.

She got off the phone, a blank expression and dull eyes.

Diana was by her side in an instant gently taking hold of her face to look her in the eye.

“What’s wrong?” She asked with a soft voice.

“LuthorCorp…” Lena mumbled with a distant gaze. “…is mine now…”

The amazon waited for Lena to gather her thoughts, gently stroking her lover’s cheeks with tenderness.

“I-I thought mother would take control…” a frown etched on her features. “but…Lex left it all to me in case something happened-” again a distant gaze settled on her features, as if her mind was miles away.

Because something did happen. Her brother went mad and murdered hundreds of innocent people, all because of his vendetta against Superman.

“Lena-”

“I just can’t believe him!” Lena huffed in anger and moved away from her lover’s touch. “I don’t want LuthorCorp, I never wanted it!” She exclaimed while pacing around the room. “Lex knew it! And he still-”

Her anger was abruptly stopped when a pair of strong arms surrounded her body from behind. Lena felt the instant calm Diana always provided.

“Why would he do that?” She muttered with a broken voice.

“I don’t know…” It was the only thing Diana could say. “But it is done.”

Lena sighed and turned around to hid her face in Diana’s neck, letting her lover held her and comfort her.

“What to do next is up to you, my love.” The hero mumbled while gently caressing the Luthor’s soft hair.

Lena knew Diana was right, and a lump formed in throat.

She wanted to stay in Paris with her lover, but with her family’s company in her control, her wish could not be anymore.

LuthorCorp was one of the biggest companies in the world, holding much power, and in the wrong hands -like her brother’s- its resources could be used wrongly.

It was easier to walk away from it all when she didn’t have the power to do something. But with Lex’s actions, Lena did have the power to change the company’s future, to turn it into a force of good.

The only catch, she’d have to return to America.

“I have to go back…” The words left her lips in a whisper, as if reluctant to be voiced at all.

“I know…” Diana said gently, still caressing her hair.

Soon the tears she was trying to swallow couldn’t be held back anymore, and Lena started crying on her lover’s shoulder, wetting her expensive blouse. But Diana didn’t complain, on the contrary, she strengthened her hold on the young woman.

The hero knew her better than anyone else, and she always understood Lena’s actions, never asking for something the Luthor wasn’t ready to give.

“I don’t want to leave here…”

“I know…” With a sigh, Diana gently moved Lena away, placing her palms on Lena’s cheeks and wiping away the tears. “But it doesn’t mean this has to end here.”

“No?”

“We can make this work if you want, Lena. I love you.”

“I love you too.” She said those words with sincerity and a big teary smile on her face.

.

“Lena?” Kara’s voice brought her out of her memories, and by the look on the blonde’s face, it wasn’t the first time calling her name.

“Sorry, I spaced out a bit.” Lena said with a practiced reassuring smile. “What did you say?”

Kara narrowed her eyes a bit, and a crinkle formed between them. It was clear she was worried, but their friendship was still new and she didn’t want to push.

“I asked you about your plans for this Tuesday.” Kara said with a smile.

“Uh, I have work to do-”

“What?! No, you can’t work on Tuesday!” Kara refuted right away, an offended frown on her face.

At her confused expression, the blonde opened her eyes in surprise.

“You don’t know what this Tuesday is?!”

“Should I…?”

Searching her memory, she tried to remember if someone on their friend group was celebrating a birthday or something. But her mind came up empty.

She looked at Kara at a loss, and the blonde gasped in shock.

“It’s Valentine’s Day!” Kara exclaimed as if it was a sacrilege to forget such a day.

“Oh…” Very eloquent on her part, but Lena just didn’t know what to say.

She remembered the last year’s Valentine’s day.

Diana had prepared the day with anticipation, and Lena was a little surprise at her lover’s enthusiasm. But the amazon told her about Eros -also known as cupid- and how the day reminded her of the Greek God, son of Aphrodite. It made her remember her mother’s stories about the gods when Diana was just a child.

Lena had listened to everything the amazon wanted to share with a smile on her face.

The Luthor had been happy by just spending the day with Diana, but the demigoddess had made sure to make it a day to remember…

And now, they would spend the day apart. They had talked about it a few days ago, but their schedules were too hectic, and neither Lena could fly to Paris, nor Diana to National City.

And the Luthor really didn’t want to think about that.

“I have a lot of work to catch up on, so I’ll be really busy that day…” She said, a grim look on her face.

“No way, you can’t spend Valentine’s alone.” Kara protested. “You can come to my place; we were planning on throwing a party with everyone.” The blonde said excitedly.

“Look Kara, I appreciate the offer but…”

‘But I rather focus on work instead of thinking about my girlfriend across the world.’

“Come on Lena, it’s friendship day.” Kara whined with a pout on her face

“Kara…” Lena tried again, but the pout only increased, and she felt like kicking a puppy in the rain. “Fine. But after I finish working.” She said with a resigned sigh, knowing she’d regret it later.

“Yay! You’re the best!” The reporter exclaimed while launching herself at the Luthor, and almost asphyxiating her with the bear hug.

.

Tuesday came sooner than she could expect.

She woke up like usual, checking her phone and the ever-present text from Diana.

‘Good morning, love.

I hope you have a wonderful day.

Yours, Diana.’

Lena smiled like a school girl in love, and wrote back a message. Although a little frown appeared on her face. Diana hadn’t mentioned anything about Valentine’s Day.

But she decided to ignore it, maybe Diana didn’t want to be reminded they were continents apart either.

.

After a couple of hours of work in the morning, her assistant knocked on the door and stepped inside her office.

“Do you need something, Jess?” She asked with curiosity, barely giving her assistant a proper look.

“I have a delivery for you, Ms. Luthor.” Jess said with a smile on her face.

When Lena raised her head from the documents in her hands, she gasped at the beautiful bouquet in Jess’s arms.

Those were her favorite flowers, and there was only one person who knew of that.

In an instant she was out of the seat and approaching her assistant to take the bouquet in her own arms.

The Luthor smelled their fragrance and a content smile settled on her lips. Then she noticed a note gently buried in the middle of the bouquet.

Jess noticed the happy giddy look on her boss and decided to leave her to her privacy.

Lena didn’t even notice her leaving, and was quick to take the note from between the flowers.

‘My beautiful star,

How I wish I was by your side.

Your smiles make my heart beat faster

Your kisses make me feel like flying

And knowing your heart belongs to me brings me absolute joy.

My heart is yours completely, I love you.’

The Luthor felt tears prickling at the corner of her eyes, it still amazed her how happy a simple detail could make her heart flutter.

Lena let herself a moment to enjoy the fragrance of the flowers, and when her heart was content enough, she turned to press the button she used to call her assistant.

“Jess, could you please bring me a vase filled with clean water?”

“Right away, Ms. Luthor.”

.

Her work went a lot easier after Diana’s note, and her mood was completely improved from when she first arrived at her office.

Time went by without her noticing, her thoughts only on her beloved.

So when Kara came inside with lunch in her hands, Lena was startled to say the least.

“Sorry…” The blonde muttered with an apologetic smile.

“Don’t worry about it.” Lena was quick to wave away the apology, and her smile was once again on her lips.

Kara tilted her head slightly in contemplation, as if not fully understanding the good mood. But a smile of her own plastered on her face.

If Lena was happy, then she was happy too.

And while putting the dishes on the table, blue eyes zeroed on the flowers on Lena’s desk.

“Nice flowers.” She said and a little frown etched on her features. “I thought you hated Valentine’s day.”

Lena laughed with mirth and left her chair to join Kara on the couch.

“I never said I hated the day.”

Kara waited a few seconds for Lena to add something else, but the Luthor didn’t say anything else about that, and instead brought out another topic of conversation.

The rest of their lunch was spent with a confused human puppy and a overjoyed Luthor.

“So, uh, I’ll see you at the party?” Kara asked, fidgeting with her glasses, sensing there was a story behind Lena’s smile and those flowers on her desk.

“Sure…” The Luthor said absentmindedly while gently stroking some of the petals of the flowers.

Lena seemed to be immersed in her thoughts, so Kara decided to leave it be for now.

She could get answers later, she told herself.

.

After Kara left, the young Luthor went back to work.

There had been a few problems in the research department, and she was currently writing to several people on how to take action on the problems.

Once again, she let herself get immersed in her work, not giving the clock even a glance.

.

Lena was just finishing typing a few important e-mails, when the balcony door opened and a gust of wind entered the office

“I see you still get carried away with work.”

At hearing that voice, she felt her heart beating faster inside her ribcage, and her body was quick to turn around.

“Diana…you’re here…” Lena mumbled when her eyes settled on Diana wearing her Wonder Woman suit.

“I am.” The amazon said with an amused smile on her lips, seeing that the Luthor still could not believe her presence was real.

“Oh my god, you’re really here!”

When Lena realized the sight in front of her wasn’t made up by her mind, she was quick to jump out of her seat and go to the arms of her lover. Diana caught her and spinned with Lena in her arms, like those lovers in the movies they watched in Paris.

They laughed with happiness in the arms of the other, filled with joy at been together after months apart and only videocalls in between.

When they finally settled down, their eyes met and soon the distance between their faces started to disappear.

Their lips met in a kiss, and soon they lost themselves in it.

It had been too long apart.

.

The party was supposed to be at night, and Kara was still patrolling the city in her super suit.

But when the sun started to go down, the blonde knew it was time to go get everything ready.

Suddenly Lena came to her mind, and she just knew the Luthor would still be working, so the hero decided to go visit her friend and remind her of their plans.

With a smile on her face, she flew towards L-corp, but when she was near, her eyes opened wide in surprise.

Inside Lena’s office was none other than Wonder Woman, currently in a deep kiss with Lena Luthor.

Shocked by the view, Kara lost control of her ability to fly for a moment, and before she could do something, she crashed on the Luthor’s balcony.

There was dust everywhere, and a new Supergirl’s dent shaped on the balcony’s floor. When she looked up from her place on the floor, Kara noticed the couple had separated, but Diana was standing in front of Lena protectively.

“Supergirl…” The amazon acknowledged her fellow hero, but still not letting Lena out of her protection, which made Kara frown.

The blonde opened her mouth to say something, but her mind came up empty on what she could say. So, she was just sitting there with dust on her suit, opening and closing her mouth like a fish.

Lena cleared her throat and taking hold of Diana’s hand, she looked at her lover’s eyes to communicate that it was fine, she was not in danger. The amazon nodded her understanding and lowered her guard.

The Luthor then approached the fallen kryptonian.

“Are you okay?” She asked gently, and Kara finally seemed to snap out of her trance.

“Y-yeah, I’m fine.” The blonde then stood up and dusted off her clothes.

Silence once again settled in the place, and yet again Lena was the one to break it.

“Is there a reason you came crashing on my balcony?” The Luthor asked softly.

“Oh, sorry about that…” The reporter was quick to apologize with an embarrassed blush on her cheeks.

Lena almost chuckled at the sight, because in front of her wasn’t Supergirl, but her dorky friend Kara.

“So?” The Luthor inquired again raising an eyebrow.

“Uh…yeah, I was just passing by and…” Kara was saying, but her eyes would dart from time to time to the amazon, who was currently serving herself a cup of water from Lena’s cabinet. “…and I…” the blonde had a crinkle between her eyes, clear confusion on her features, and once again Lena had to bite her lip to avoid laughing.

“And?” She tried to keep Kara focused.

“And uh…Kara Danvers asked me to remind you of the party…” The blonde finally said a full sentence with her gaze on the Luthor.

Lena’s smile dropped in an instant.

Kara was looking at her with a hopeful expression, and being honest, the Luthor had completely forgotten about said party. Even worse, she didn’t want to attend anymore. Diana was there with her, and Lena preferred her lover’s company than some party with people she was just getting to know.

“You’re going, right…?” The blonde hero asked tentatively.

Lena opened her mouth to say something, but she stopped when Diana’s voice reached her ears.

“You can go if you want, my love.” The amazon said in Greek, and by Kara’s confused expression, she didn’t understand it.

“I rather be with you.”

“And I’d like that as well, but if you wish, we can go to that party together.” Diana said with tenderness in her voice. “We can do whatever you wish, my love.”

Lena nodded and turned around to face Kara again, who was darting her eyes from one woman to the other while they were talking.

“So…uh…?” The blonde hero was at a loss.

Lena pondered her options, but there wasn’t really much to ponder. She already knew what she wanted.

“I’m sorry, Supergirl…I don’t think I will be making it to the party.” The Luthor said with the softest apologetic voice she could muster. “Please give Kara my sincere apologies.”

“I-I see…” There was hurt in her eyes, but Kara was quick to regain her composure. “I’ll pass the message then. Have a good night, Ms. Luthor-” she turned to her colleague in being a hero. “Wonder Woman.” And acknowledged her as well before flying away.

Lena sighed, feeling a bit bad after seeing Kara’s expression, but she didn’t regret her decision.

“Did you like the flowers?” Diana asked with a soft smile on her lips.

“I loved them, thank you.” Lena replied with a happy smile, approaching her beloved to. “Now, where were we?” she muttered with a deeper voice and surrounding Diana’s neck with her arms.

The amazon smiled and kissed her again.

[surveys-at-your-service]

Survey #331

my head hurts way too badly to think up some intro lyrics, so just g’night.

Have you ever become good friends with someone you never met in person? Oh yeah, I've had best friends over the Internet. Hell, I'm closer to many online friends than I am most irl ones. They know "the real me" more. What do you consider your default mood to be? Stressed, probably. Discontent. What’s the longest amount of time you’ve ever kept a goldfish alive for? Not long. Proper goldfish husbandry is a very neglected topic, and I sure as hell never knew how to set up its tank adequately. Have you ever been paintballing? No, don't plan to. It looks like it hurts like a bitch. Do you want a large wedding? No. Did you ever collect any sort of cards? I had a very small collection of Pokemon cards. I didn't collect them avidly. What’re the best and worst books you ever had to read for a class? The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton was the best. The worst was some book we had to read in the 6th grade about a kid during some war that moved around a lot... I don't remember the name or who wrote it, but it sucked. What’s the best meal you had at an amusement park, or If you haven’t been to one, how about a good meal at another place like a zoo, aquarium or museum? I don't know. I haven't been to many. Who, whether a person or company, emails you the most? My PHP therapist emails me a check-in sheet and Zoom link every day there's a therapy session. What kind of sound or noise freaks you out the most and why do you think it scares you? Let's seeeee... I don't know if there's a sound that actually freaks me out. There are some I don't like, but none that like, frighten me. At least that I can think of. What’s the strangest art piece you’ve come across? Biiiitch there's a painting in Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs I'm not gonna go into, but shit fuckin wild. What’s the most clever or unique name you’ve come across for a business? I've definitely heard some cool ones, but I don't know about one that really stands out to answer this. If you had to name one of your hypothetical future children after a song, which song would you pick? Maybe like... okay, I'm blanking. Good thing I'm not having kids to name then, right? What’s the last song you heard? "Down in the Park" by Marilyn Manson is on atm. What is your favorite line from a TV show? *shrug* Any current family issues? No. How many hours do you spend online a day? How do you feel about that? I'm doing something on the computer pretty much... always. I hate it, and I hate it a lot. I don't want my life to be tied solely to the digital plane. I want to do more than bounce back and forth from website to website. Do you think that people have the power to make their own lives better? Absolutely, but there are some things they simply cannot change. It's about perspective and how you play the deck you're dealt. What is the biggest problem in your life right now? Right now, the most limiting thing is my physical health, probably. Just walking being torture affects my ability to exercise, and my body is a major reason - if not the biggest, at this current time - for my depression. This also plays a massive role in jobs I can handle. Not to sound like my emo self writing middle school poetry, but my body feels like a prison. Do you feel that you are loved? I know I am by some people, though I have a hard time understanding why a lot. What is the one thing you want most from life? Life satisfaction. Pride in what I've accomplished. A regular state of being content. Birthplace? I'm just gonna say in eastern NC. Do you believe in love at first sight? No, merely infatuation. Love is much too deep for that. Do you think dreams eventually come true? Some can, but usually only if you put effort into making that so. Favorite fictional character? like ummmmmmmm have you heard of this sassy bastard called Darkiplier- Go to the movies or rent? Before Covid, I loved going to the theater. It was something to do, plus a giant screen is nice. McDonalds or Burger King? McD's. I'm not a big BK fan. I only really went there during my vegetarian phase for the veggie burger. Current annoyance? This motherfucking headache. Last thing you ate? I have a meal replacement shake with me right now, if you consider that "eating." I didn't have a proper dinner. The last solid food I had though was some cookies and cream Greek yogurt. Last thing you bought? With my own money, I think I bought Mom and I some cheap McDonald's order semi-recently? Or maybe paying my $100 deposit for my tattoo was most recent, idk. Soonest thing you are looking forward to? For Mom to get her CT scan and find out what's going on in there. What did you do today? It was a pretty average day. I woke up way too early, though. The only thing even semi-unique about today was I played World of Warcraft for a few hours again; I've been quite unattached to it lately, but I went through an episode today of actually having fun playing. Oh, and I've been battling a migraine. It's more of a severe headache now, at least, but it still sucks big time. Do you like to see it snowing outside? Oh yes, absolutely! When you were in high school did you ever have bomb threats? I believe once we did from a very volatile student that honestly caused quite a lot of trouble. He's dead now. Who knows ALL of your secrets? Nobody. Did you have a job before you were in college? No. Have you ever thought about what it would be like to have a baby right now? That's a terrifying thought, no. Are you on birth control? Yeah, but just because it tames my menstrual cramps. Without it, they could be debilitating some days. Who is your last sent text to? My best fren. Have you ever eaten at Chipotle before? Possibly? Idr. Do you swear often? Excessively. I had a dirty mouth prior, but my swearing got really bad when I started staying at Jason's house a lot. He and especially his mother swear like mad. Do you own any shirts with a peace symbol on it? No. Do you have your national flag hanging up anywhere outside your house? Not at this house, no. Would you ever go to Japan? Oh, yes. I would love to. It's... very morbid, but I would really like to walk the (public) paths of Aokigahara Forest, nicknamed "Suicide Forest" for the horrible amount of, well, suicides that happen there via hanging. Like, you might just casually run into a dead body. I want to just... feel it there, walk in silence and empathize with people who didn't know what else to do and hope so deeply that those departed know they were never alone in their pain. I know with absolute certainty I'd probably be teary-eyed the whole time and cry a whoooole lot, but it's just an experience I want to have. What was the last thing you went to Walmart for? Some basic groceries. What should you be doing right now? Sleeping, given this headache... I just don't want to yet. Are you afraid of getting your heart broken? I'm fucking terrified of that ever happening again, far more than words can properly express. Have you ever been in a choir? Yes, actually; when I was a Catholic kid, my sisters and I were in the church choir for a year or so, idr. Do you have a Twitter? Yes, but only to like Mark's tweets, haha. Oh, and very rarely enter giveaways I'm interested in. Describe your retainers to me, if you have them, that is. I have a permanent metal one behind my front row of bottom teeth to keep those straight. My upper teeth had one of those normal retainers you take in and out, but I didn't wear it enough, so now it doesn't even fit. Would you like for someone to call you right now? No. I'm tired, my head hurts, and I'm enjoying the song I'm bingeing. It's so weird, I rarely ever go on music hunting trips (no real reason, I just... don't), but I've found great shit lately. Do you like to brush your teeth? No; it's a chore. I only do it because I don't want my teeth decaying, falling out, or getting too yellow, and the taste in your mouth and gritty texture on your teeth isn't exactly great when you don't brush. Have you ever had a surgery? Two. Give out your phone number over the internet? I have over private messages. Do you look older or younger than you actually are? Given my wardrobe (like graphic tees and band shirts), I probably look younger in the eyes of especially older people. I personally say I look my age, though. When is the next time you’ll be up on stage? I never plan to be again. What is the last show that you watched a full episode of? Some cooking show with Mom. Nailed It!, I think? Do you know anyone who lives in Utah? No. I love Utah, though; it's actually a place I'd be willing to live in with just how pretty it is and not super populated. Do you get your feelings hurt easily? VERY. I'm probably one of the most sensitive people you can meet. Do you still talk to the person you last made out with? Yeah. Have you ever seen your best friend cry? Ugh, yes. What kind of vitamins did you take as a kid? First we took those nasty, chalky Flintstones kinds, but as time passed, Mom moved onto giving us gummy bear vitamins that were perfectly fine. Did you get any compliments today? No. Are you friends with your neighbors? Not "friends," no. What towns have you lived in? Three different ones. That's all you're getting. Have you ever thrown up from drinking? No. Done any illegal drugs? No. I mean I've had some alcohol underage, but I've never done anything remotely hardcore. What’s the longest amount of time you’ve been on an airplane without changing flights? Idk. Who have you texted today? My mom and best friend. What time did you wake up this morning? Ugh, like five in the fucking morning. I couldn't go back to sleep. What is your favorite condiment to go with french fries? Ketchup. What do you have a habit of doing when engaging in a conversation with someone? Making shitty eye contact, and I'm one of those people who "talks with [their] hands." I also lose my train of thought a whoooole lot. Have you ever layed in a hammock? Yeah; we had one growing up. Have you ever lost a pet in a tragic way? How did you cope? Well yeah, I've had lots of pets, so thus lost some in particularly painful ways. The most scarring loss of a pet though is as follows: Teddy, my dog, picked up one of our cat's very young, wandering kittens in his jaws in a manner that looked as if he was trying to carry it like Aphrodite (the mother cat) does when she would bring them back behind the couch, where she gave birth/had her little "nest." I absolutely freaked and had to pry the kitten from his mouth, and it slowly died in my hands. I think Teddy accidentally crushed its ribs. I. Was. A. Mess. Then, there was Aphrodite herself. I've told the story before of our former neighbors calling animal control because our cats would wander through their yard, and all of our cats were taken away while I was unaware at school. Came home, and they were all gone. Aphrodite was my baby, so I was devastated. Screaming, sobbing, cursing on the porch for like 20 minutes... It was awful. What type of curtains do you like? I don't... know? I don't know the actual names of any types... What type of quality is a must-have in a friend? I absolutely cannot be friends with someone who thinks they're above everyone else. Are you any good at reading someone's body language? I think I am. What goes good with a nice cold glass of milk? Cookies! Especially Oreos. Dip it in there for around five seconds, and it's perfection. What fruit is too sweet to you? Grapefruit came to mind first. How did you feel after your first kiss? I had butterflies galore and was so giddy and smiley. After the first, I just wanted to kiss him a billion more times. What’s your favorite constellation and why? I don't have one. Shower curtain or door? Curtain. The glass doors are too revealing. Have you ever thought to yourself that you’re the luckiest person in the world? Most deeeeefinitely not. What time of day do you most enjoy looking at the sky? Sunset if there are clouds present, but sunrise if the sky is pretty clear.

[kevkesblog]

Translation: kicker magazine profile about Julian Brandt (July 27, 2020)

By Thomas Hennecke and Matthias Dersch

Had he made this artistic pass during the corona pandemic with empty stands in the stadium, it would have been a pity. A week before Christmas however, there is almost no free space in the Signal Iduna Park left. Everybody is ripped off their seats – except the RB Leipzig fans – the moment Julian Brandt marks the second goal. Brandt digs deep into his toolbox. Receiving the pass by Sancho, processing the ball, shot. Three actions in one fluent move, south American suppleness with ice-cold efficiency, a master class. Goal of the month December.

This cool blonde with the jersey number 19 – he is a man for the special moments. A player who makes a difference. And a gambler. A footballer having fun and who lets the difficult things look easy and made his relaxed demeanor a trademark. You can guess why he named Diego (the Bremer, not Maradona”, like Brandt said in BVB-TV) is his idol. The Brazilian used to have the blessings to do great things on the pitch. Diego also had a dream goal in his repertoire: 62,5 meter distance on April 20, 2007 against Alemannia Aachen. End score: 3:1.

The fact Brandt coolness also comes from a sometimes fatal way of risking things, relativizes his actions. You are torn a bit. People who appreciate show, spontaneity, art and creativity will love him more than people adding statistics and all mistakes and how they translate onto the pitch. The ‘Süddeutsche Zeitung’ looks beyond that and celebrated Brandt as a “Player with the Wow-Effect”. Brandt plays passes, so precise they will find almost every gap. As if they were managed by an electronic brain. He celebrates chop passes which look good and find their goals. But he also screws up counter chances with sloppy passes. He gives goals to his opponents with carless back passes. Or he shoots x-times against the goal, without a slightest danger to the goal keepers.

2019 is the second year with coach Lucien Favre and the so-called “restart”. BVB manager Zorc took a lot of money into his hands, in order to optimize the team. Looking back he wouldn’t be as passionate about some transfers as he was back then – but the 25 million euros for Brandt are still a good and useful investment, Zorc thinks: “Julian is a talented football player and has a lot of potential. He is very active on the pitch, demanding the ball, plays in a self-confidend way and doesn’t hide.”

Then follows the “but”. Zorc follows everything very closely from his box seat on the team bench. He sees mistakes by Brandt, unnecessary mistakes – calles “unforced errors” in tennis. “He still does a lot of them”, Zorc complains. “He has still work to do when it comes to working against the ball, Julian knows that best himself.” Indeed one doesn’t have to look far to find weaknesses. He himself is his biggest critic, the professional once claimed. Yet, he never lets that sort of self-reflection get out of his hands: “I always question myself, whenever I’m not performing well. But I never question the fact that I still can do it.”

It’s easy to spot: this Brandt-guy is not Mr. Perfect nor a football-playing robot. Rather he is an un-adjusted fine spirit on the pitch. Always in a good mood, with a fresh quote on his lips. During the USA-journey to Seattle last year, he was walking interested through the Museum of Pop Culture where Borussia was celebrating its “Black and Yellow night”. He had some small talk with journalists, he seems relaxed, approachable and cool. The opposite of the footballer clicheé of being arrogant. Brandt is “a fantastic guy” says Captian Marco Reus, “he’s a funny and open guy”.

As engaging, positive and uncomplicated his persona comes across: sometimes however Brandt appears to be less serious about stuff. It’s seems as if an extra scoop of ambition is missing, based on his body language. Unlike many other professionals. “I heard from many people before, about me looking like I’m sort of listlessness I embody”, Brandt said during an interview with the former BVB-player Patrick Owomoyela. Yet he assures: “My inner drive is always there.”

Brandt shows both faces during the game against Leipzig. Magical and faulty. He serves Timo Werner the 2:2-goal on a silver platter with his horrible wrong pass. “Perhaps someday there will be the award: wrong pass of the month”, says the 24 year-old. “I’m sure, I’ll get into the top 5.” BVB-boss Hans Joachim Watzke is face-palming on the stands in that moment. With some distance he likes Brandt’s way of playing. The BVB-boss says: “Julian makes extraordinary mistakes, because you can only play extraordinary if you take risky passes or have risky ideas.”

Five months later, both major teams in Germany play against each other on the evening of May 26. Borussia against Bayern; light house 2 against light house 1. Dortmund has to win, otherwise the Bundesliga title will be gone and Dortmund starts in a rush. Erling Haaland gets the ball in the midfield after 17 seconds, by winning a head ball against Joshua Kimmich. From the back Brandt storms in front like a speed train, captures the situation, speeds up the game and passes over to Thorgan Hazard with his left foot. The clock ticks – 19 seconds into the game – Manuel Neuer gets out of his goal and saves the situation for Bayern at the last moment. But he passes the ball into Haalands feet. His shot rushes through Neuers feet until Jerome Boating saves it for Bayern on the goal line. Brandt goal celebration dies on his lips. The blitz goal after just one minute – it would have been his act as well.

Same game, 43rd minute. Mats Hummels defending for Dortmund, the ball moves a few meters to the left. Kimmich gets the ball, looks up, sees Roman Bürki standing a bit too far away from the goal, shoots and scores. The guy standing the closest to Kimmich: Brandt. It would have been unfair to make him responsible for the goal alone, half of the team is responsible as well. Yet some people who’s heart is beating for black and yellow would have preferred Brandt at least trying to hinder Kimmich on making his genius shot. He does: nothing.

He's a day dreamer, Brandt once said. Day dreamers keep strolling through their thoughts. A study found out: day dreamers are capable finding time to dream because their brains have enough space left. In the past day dreaming was understood as a sign of lack of concentration and attention – today people see it as a sign of intelligence and creativity. Like a lost professor: brilliant, sharp mind, yet sunk into his own world.

 It is however no explanation for him being passive in front of the goal in May that basically pre-decided the German championship. Brandt made his day dreamer confession in a different context – when asked about a career plan. He doesn’t have one, he said: “Everything that happens in my life, happens spontaneously. I don’t even know what I will be doing in three weeks from now.” Brandt lives his live as free and individual as possible and as disciplined as necessary. He likes to sleep long in the morning and only leave “shortly” in order to just barley making it on time at the training ground. “Every minute is sacred” he says with a wink of an eye. “I don’t know how often I had to pay a penalty for being too late.”

A year Brandt is employed in Dortmund. The statistics are showing respectable numbers. 42 games, seven goals, 13 assists, ten second-pass assists. The season prior in Leverkusen he had seven goals and 15 assists – just in the Bundesliga. He added six scorer points in the DFB Cup then and the Europa League. “I had to find my place during the first months. I played on many positions and didn’t know many of the boys yet. It’s why it was a bit un-harmonic”, says Brandt. “Nevertheless, now I’m “in”. I had a nice year with great moments. I have to say: I’m really satisfied. Everything can get much better. However its was fine for the first year.”

Brandt wanders through the BVB team, gets put into five different roles. The center midfield is the place where he can show his class the best – whenever he has the game in front of him. He can put his instincts and creativity into force and can create chances with his passes. He is basically a lost force when playing way in front. Except against Slavia Prag in the Champions League he confirmed with two assists, Favre decision putting him into the front as a striker. His abilities are also limited once he plays on the wings.

He never has a lack of commitment and engagement. Brandt is running on average 11,85 kilometers in 90 minutes. Nobody of the permanent Dortmund players is running more. He wins 52,4 % of his one-on-ones – more than Sancho (45,6%), Marco Reus (44,6%), Hazard (42,0%) or Haaland (41,4%). His passing with a 84 percent accuracy however still has room for improvement compared to the other specialists like Axel Witsel (94,1%), Dan-Axel Zagadou (91,1%) or Raphael Guerreiro (89,2%).

Brandt is brilliant in games like against Gladbach (DFB Cup, kicker-grade: 1,5), against Fortuna Düsseldorf or Schalke in the Bundesliga (both 1,5). He has personal low points in Freiburg (sub in and out of the same game; grade: 5), in Munich (grade: 6) and against Milan in the Champions League, where he basically loses the ball in almost every scene. Every game becomes a personal balancing act for the highly skilled national player: he dances on a high wire – here and there he loses his grip and crashes down.

His time in Dortmund started with a glitch. He makes a mistake and drives onto the parking lot of the youth time at 7.45am in the morning. A BVB employee has to show him the way. Brandt decided to leave the comfort zone Leverkusen on purpose. “Dortmund” – he says, “Dortmund is much bigger in terms of media interest, the stadium, the number of fans and in terms of pressure. It’s a different game here. It could make a mark on me and will serve me good.” And then there is the wish to win a title which made him to transfer to Dortmund. It’s about a basic attitude in sports, Brandt said a year ago, “everybody should have the drive to win every game.”

Because Dortmund only won 28 of their 46 games this past season (seven draws, eleven defeats) a lively debate about coach Favré heats up as well as a discussion about the mentality of the team. No fans will get together in Dortmund and celebrate the fifth second place finish of the team since 2013. Nobody will fill extra pages in historic club chronicles, some BVB players are now suspecting. “We are not satisfied to finish second”, Brandt confesses. “We aren’t angry, but also not satisfied. We want more.” He then sticks up for his colleagues who get criticized for some bad performances and whenever there are doubts about their mentality and the harsh criticism: “We want to the big price. The team is hungry, they are in for it to win titles. The team is capable of that. You have to always aim high.”

Children who are having their first day of school this year, have lived a life only knowing Bayern Munich as German football champions. In order for them to understand that other teams can be successful as well, Dortmund needs to win the “all-or-nothing”-games, Brandt thinks. The duels with the other Bundesliga havy weights: Bayern Munich, Leipzig, Mönchengladbach, Leverkusen. “You have to win those games, if you want to stay on top”, he says. “Yet you also have to take smaller teams seriously. Something like a 3-3 draw against Paderborn is fatal.”

Borussia Dortmund gave the players four weeks vacation. This Thursday the team will come back together well rested. The months during the corona crisis, the tough hygiene rules of the German Bundesliga, left a mark on Brandt. “It does something to you”, he confesses, “you don’t see many people. You see your family, perhaps a few friends. Otherwise: nobody. You are happy to be able to go out and have some freedoms again.” Now he can go out again – at least a bit.

[blackevermore]

🌻 Random Headcanons pt 2🌻

[ Ivan x Mel ]

x Mel makes its her job to correctly pronounce people’s names how they are pronounced in their language. Alfred thinks she’s doing too much and she tells him that he is jealous he has a basic old english white man name. Ivan finds it alluring and does his best to say her name how it’s pronounced in Greek. She tells him there is no need but really she enjoys it. This also starts Mel correcting others when they say Ivan’s human name in public. 

x Mel only addresses the countries by their human names unless they get under her skin then she calls them by their whole name. I mean official government name, Republic (United ) and all. She might even get fancy and say it in their language so they will know she’s serious. 

x With the assistants being around the countries interact a lot more than they normally do. A lot more hanging out outside of work, stronger friendships, Canada had the biggest impact with everyone in the meeting knowing who he was because his assistant is very much a hot head and will cuss you out if you call him anything other than Canada.

x Ivan didn’t have an assistant for a while but eventually he got one and it was a rather strict slightly older than the rest male. Alfred made a joke that Putin sent a minime and Mel had to shut him up before anyone else heard him. Luckily the strictness slowly faded away and Mel found out Ivan’s assistant was actually a old soul dork who was a dancer on the side. 

x Mel and Ivan play matchmaker with other nations and sometimes their assistants. This is how Mel found out that half the world has already slept with each other. She really can’t look at England the same. This is how Ivan found out he has two admirers that are Germany and France’s assistants. Since Ivan and Me’s relationship is still private she finds it cute the others fond over Ivan. She even joins in on letting them talk about him as if they have a chance. She keeps her victory to herself.

x Mel found out Ivan can sing his fucking heart out (literally), but he keeps it to himself so she has to catch him around his house when she comes over. This is rather difficult since she doesn’t know the lay out of his big ass house very well and he moves around a lot when he is busy. He can even throat sing as well, he learned from China and Mongolia when he was a child. At first it scared the shit out of Mel. 

x Mel has stumbled upon Ivan’s wide collection of pipe that he keeps in his normally locked artillery. When she asked him about it he looked pale and admitted that during wars with other countries when his people destroyed towns he would collect them as trophy.  When Mel looked closer on the sides Ivan had carved in the sides the name of the county and towns. When Mel asked him about the pipe he used to carry in his trench coat. He told her it was actually a pipe from his old capital/home. 

x Ivan was the one to teach Mel how to shoot different types of guns. She told him it wasn’t necessary but he kinda tricked her into learning with a bribe. Now she knows how to aim and fire machine guns. What was the bribe you may be asking? Ivan keeps his april fools dress and other dress like costumes and told her he would model them for her. Mel couldn’t resist after she overheard how cute Ivan looked from Francis. 

x Some of the countries have some supernatural element besides being immortal. Ivan falls into the list despite not being fully aware he can do it. He is aware that he can teleport and be summoned, he can see and very rarely control Gentral Winter, but he isn’t aware that he has full control over his scarf like extra hands. He isn’t fully aware that he can control anything winter related outside of the season. Many times Mel has woken up to Ivan’s body being completely frozen and the bedroom being iced over. She’s had to wake him so she wouldn’t die.

x With that being said Mel is kinda terrified of spending some winters with Ivan because he does this thing were he shuts down completely and “freezes to death” and can be sleep for days before waking up fully energized. When this happens tho his whole house turns into a tundra and no matter how many times Mel turns up the heat its still cold. She’s had to call Tolys to come help her either make it through Ivan’s snow hibernations or take her somewhere else to stay. 

x Ivan always feels bad when he wakes up to find a note and blanket draped over him. When Mel finally asked why that happens it was a very touchy topic and she understood if he didn’t want to talk about it. He admitted months later while they were in the countryside enjoying the summer that he has actually died and been reborn twice, everytime he died he did so outside in the snow from freezing to death. Both times he was reborn he had woken up in sunflower fields because it was the warmest part of his country. But when he is home his powers try to replicate the harsh winters inside which causes him to freeze for a few days then wake back up.

x Ivan doesn’t want Mel’s pity from his time growing up and his time as a country. He just wishes for her to listen to him when he speaks even if she doesn’t understand it all. Ivan has a lot of baggage he carries and he is aware of his outstandish behaviors and interactions. He is better than what he was but he still has his moments were he relapse back into his dark days. But he never takes it out on Mel or anyone around him, he always locks himself away until he feel able to come out. Those are the days Mel feels that Ivan is most human  and she stays by his side.

x Ivan loves spontaneous vacations and he offers them to Mel every chance he gets. But Mel being Alfred’s assistant and a public affairs member has to work long hours. Ivan takes pity on humans for having to work so hard but he understand it (I mean this IS Russia we are talking about...) But when she turns in her vacation days she is quick to pack her bags to go to somewhere random. Yao has welcomed them many times his his home.

x Yao was the first person Ivan told about his relationship. Although Yao scold him about how dangerous and stupid falling in love with a human was he still supports him. To Yao Ivan is still a child looking for someone to love him more than anything. Yao wont take that away but he will pay attention to Ivan in future dates when the time comes when Mel is no longer with him.

x Ivan has taken Mel snow drifting and nearly gave the girl a heart attack. Matthew has offered to join them and she has never seen two grown as men nearly flip a car so easily from having fun. Alfred likes the rush when he is driving but he panics when anyone else takes the wheels. IVan and Matthew purposefully shove Alfred in the back with Mel. 

x Mel really loves museums and Ivan makes it his duty to take her his when she comes over. They have a lot of dates at the museums and  Opera Houses. Ivan finally gets to express his love for the arts unlike before when Mel is around. He admits he’s favorite culture besides is own is Francis’s and it’s noticeable. 

x Ivan keeps many historical items in his house that even historians know nothing about. He thought it was the only way to keep them safe and away from the public so they wouldn’t be stolen. Though he admits some of the items he took because he liked them. Ivan told Mel that even though he didn’t like Nicholas II (more like he really didn’t like the fact he was in charge) he was very fond of his wife and children. They used to call him uncle Ivan. Ivan owns a few dresses and crowns that belonged to the girls. He even owns a crown and a gown from his favorite queen, Catherine The Great. He has allowed Mel to wear the crowns before and has even commissioned a republica of a few of the dresses for Mel. Though she prefers to wear Ivan’s traditional clothing when she can. But playing royalty is a wonder touch.

x ^^^ Ivan has even joined her in dressing up and they’ve done countless Beauty and the Beast like dances in Ivan’s living room.

x Ivan doesn’t like the movie Anastasia but he will admit the song Once Upon a December is a really good song. Mel had caught him singing it a few times. 

x Ivan can grow body hair, Mel really wanted to see him with a fancy bread and mustache he used to wear back in time. Ivan has a lot of portraits of himself scattered across his country that other humans are unaware are all the same person. She noticed a rather famous painting of Ivan hanging in his international museum during one of their dates and it was one of him with a full beard. So in the time he was growing a beard everyone at the meetings were confused. Until one day He showed up with an icon russian beard and Author nearly choked on his tea thinking he saw a ghost of a czar. Francis loved it. Alfred was high key jealous because he could never grow good facial hair. 

x Ivan is the Justice Dance master, he doesn’t care how silly he looks he wins everytime. Nation sleep overs are fucking wide. 

[blackcoffeeandblankpagess]

Tips for road tripping across country?!

Oof Idk where to start lol.

I’ll just list out some things that come to mind cause I could probably go on forever

Try to utilize people you know when it comes to places to stay, or at least be creative. For instance, last summer Jared and I knew we were stopping in boulder and I have extended family there so I asked if we could spend a night at their place, it turned out they were out of town so they literally just left us the keys and we had the place to ourselves for a few days, it was great. I happen to have a pretty big network of friends/family around the country so no matter which route I take chances are I’ll be passing somewhat through an area with people I know and generally, if those people live on the other side of the country I probably haven’t seen them in awhile so it’s nice to stop in and say hi regardless. Even if people don’t live in the exact spot you want to visit, when you’re driving across the whole freaking country taking an hour detour for a free place to sleep isn’t too big a deal (obvi like...don’t take advantage of people who you never speak to, but generally I’ve not had problems with this)

Pack food! I like to eat out a decent amount when traveling because it’s part of the experience, but you don’t need to eat EVERY meal out. Having a little cooler with snacks and stuff can save a lot of money, and also reduce stress if you’re out in the middle of nowhere at a meal time without a lot of options (trust me, at least in the US there is a whooooole lot of nothing out there). This is also good for taking leftovers if you do go out to eat! When Jared and I drove back recently we got takeout for dinner twice and I managed to make 2 meals out of it each time by putting it in the hotel fridge overnight and packing it in the cooler the next day. Also going on a grocery run before you leave to pick up a few essentials is SO worth it. We spent probably like $20 on bread, pb, jelly, veggies, hummus, bagels, cream cheese, etc. (also using stuff we already had in our fridge/pantry) and even if we only skipped ONE meal out because we had those things we would already basically be breaking even. Also, when there isn’t a PANDEMIC happening, a lot of hotels come with breakfast (if staying in a hotel) so that’s also a way to cut food costs (I mean...ignoring the fact that hotels are already $$$)

Plan your route around some things you really want to see! Every time I’ve traveled across the country there has been a reason for it, I’ve never taken the trip JUST for fun, but all that really means is that the start and end point were predetermined, what I did in the middle was up to me and whoever I was with. I like to plan my trips around national parks and cities I’ve never been to. The national parks out west in the US are super cool because a lot of them are in random ass places that might not be worth taking an individual trip to get to. If I have to choose between two places I try to think where I would be willing to take more time/maybe fly to someday as a longer trip, and then I stop at the quicker spot on my road trip. Also, in the US you can get an annual pass for national parks, I forget how much it is but I usually get it. I think if you visit like...3 parks in a year it basically pays itself off which is really easy to do depending on where you live/where you’re visiting on your trip.

Reach out to people who are familiar with the places you’re visiting for advice! If I only have a day in a place I want to experience as much as possible and see the best that it has to offer, which is where knowing locals can come in handy. Half the time I literally toss out places on here and chances are I get a few recommendations which really helps! Going to a place you know nothing about can be super overwhelming if you don’t know where to start.

Take advantage of free stuff i.e. nature, parks, museums, etc. When we drove across the country recently we pretty much stayed on one road the whole time without stopping for much ~fun~ but even then there were a bunch of cool scenic viewpoints and even just taking 20 mins to drive around a city before we left and look at the city hall etc. was cool

If you are traveling with someone make sure it is someone you can tolerate spending extended periods of time with lol and that you have similar preferences for spending time in the car!!!! for instance some people like constant music, some silence, some podcasts, etc. It doesn’t seem like a big deal but if you are going to spend like 40 hours in a car it matters

Back to places to stay- my first pick is always contacting people I know, but after that tbh I just go for like...the cheapest hotel or airbnb. It also depends if you’re only stopping somewhere literally for 1 night to sleep or if you will be there for a few days. You could def also camp but I have yet to do that on a roadtrip despite saying I should (to be fair, we would have this spring if, ya know, the world wasn’t imploding), if you stay a little outside of a city it’s usually cheaper AND because most national parks are in the middle of nowhere if you go visit those sometimes the lodging is cheaper (but also look in advance because sometimes it is few and far between)

I could probably say like 40000 things but I’ll leave it there. The biggest monetary factors are lodging and food (and gas but there’s only so much you can do about that). Like I said if you get creative with it it really does not have to cost TOO much, but it totally depends on your priorities, how long you’re going, what you like to do, where you go, who you know, etc.

[scnnyfm-old]

chicago’s very own sunshine ‘sunny’ carmichael has been spotted on madison avenue driving a bmw 3 series , welcome ! your resemblance to dua lipa is unreal . according to tmz , you just had your twenty-third birthday bash . your chance of surviving new york is uncertain because you’re sensitive , but being altrustic might help you . i think being a cancer explains that . 3 things that would paint a better picture of you would be the scent of bubblegum, an abundance of house plants, and freshly baked cookies . ( cis female + she/her ) 

helloooooo ghouls, goblins, and everything in between. it’s ya girl aneesa or whatever fun nickname you wanna call me, and this is my child sunny! you can reach me via ims or catch me on discord at 𝐚𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐬𝐚 🦋☀#5408

* && 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐬

full name — sunshine carhmichael

nicknames — sunny (preferred name actually)

birthday — july 15

height  — 5′ 8″

age  — twenty-three (23)

pronouns — she/her/hers

occupation(s) — singer, record executive, fashion/cosmetics brand ceo, fashion designer, reality show star, & model

languages spoken — english (barely)

orientation — bisexual

* && 𝐛𝐢𝐨𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐩𝐡𝐲

‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎ 𝑻𝑯𝑬 𝑺𝑻𝑶𝑹𝒀 𝑺𝑶 𝑭𝑨𝑹...

sunshine hawthorne grew up in the foster care system, according to the letter her mother left her, she was just a teenager with strict religious parents who threw her out the minute they learned of her pregnancy, and sunshine’s father was nowhere to be seen, and giving sunshine up was easier than living on the streets trying to fend for herself and a child

SEXUAL & PSYCHICAL ABUSE TW growing up in the foster care system was a lot, she bounced from family to family, and the things that happened were unspeakable. sometimes the abuse was physical, emotional, or sexual and it just caused a lot of deep personal trauma for herself that was never resolved

this caused her to become reserved, stuck up for the underdog even if it was at her own expense, just intrinsically unselfish, has always been the mom friend to a fault

she was 10 when she got adopted into an extremely wealthy family, like i’m talking top ten wealthiest families in the states, and suddenly sunny hawthorne became sunny carmichael 

so let’s take a minute to talk about the carmichael’s 

they originate from old money, i’m talking so far back it’s unclear whether or not the money they have was obtained legally or not, this caused her parents to be a little reckless w their spending

her father: sebastian carmichael is the one who inherited the wealth from his father, who inherited it from his father, and the cycle continues, he was addicted to gambling add that to the fact that he was a serial cheater and you have an extremely poor father figure

ALCOHOL & DRUGS TW her mother: davina carmichael was a drug dependent alcoholic who spent all of husband’s money to makeup for the fact that he was cheating on her, started her own billion dollar company from scratch, plans on ‘giving it’ to sunny

the carmichaels were very problematic and all of their scandals were extremely public, in fact the only reason they adopted sunny in the first place was so that they could appear more well-rounded then they were

after that would come give siblings, and it fell upon sunny to take care of all of them, so from a young age she acted extremely mature, learned to fend for herself, and still managed to have a soul flourishing with tender spots

sunny was a gifted kid, not academically, she struggled A LOT, she had trouble paying attention, couldn’t read as well as the other kids. she got teased a lot for being ‘dumb’ and honestly hated it, it’s one of her biggest insecurities to this day. but what she lacked academically she made up for artistically, she was musically inclined, and it was clear that she loved to draw (apparent from all the doodles in the margins of her notebooks)

her family capitalized on this as if she were some sideshow attraction, come see our daughter! look how good she is at painting and doodling! pay us money! and although it made her feel like some trophy the could polish and show off, and this messed up sunshine even more because she knew deep down they didn’t love her

in high school she was the bubbly ditzy popular girl, chewed on enough bubblegum to finance a new mercedes, and just was that stereotypical girl ripped straight out of an early 00′s movie

was on the cheerleading team because again i tell you she was just living her best teen life! having an amazing time! vibing!

although her parents could give her anything they wanted and were decent enough to pay the bills for her and her siblings, she wanted to provide for herself, not have to depend on her parents for anything

she got into modeling! and although t took her a while to find her footing eventually she did, and it was a great time! but eventually parents got jealous and made her quit modeling altogether, because god forbid that she get more attention than they did

eventually (and to everyone’s surprise lmao) she went to college, and somehow got accepted into an ivy league....for art! not as surprising, but her family lied and said she went to business school bc of course they did

she went to harvard and majored in visual arts, she got her degree, and got her her happy ass out of there, mostly stayed focused on her studies, occasional party here and there

she was extremely worried about her siblings and she immediately went back home to them, surprisingly they were in one piece, not surprisingly they were being raised by nannies

she applied her visual arts degree and started designing clothes, then modeling said clothes, because although her parents had enough money to get her company off the ground, she wanted to do it by herself

and she did! finally bringing a decent name to the carmichael family!

was a guest judge on a bunch of modeling/runway shows, occasionally starred in her family’s reality tv show against her will, and was so dynamic she would be offered her own, and of course she jumped at the opportunity! 

her mother tried handing off the company to her, and she declined! instead she opened up her own company selling her designs and was very hands on in learned to make cosmetics, and her company has been doing extremely well so far, it’s set to surpass her family’s company in a couple of years

as if she didn’t have enough on her plate she wanted to pursue her singing career, ended up having a whirlwind romance w a singer that she collaborated with, they were pretty serious and talked about being engaged, but eventually things fizzled out

said romance inspired a lot of her music, and encouraged her to keep going with her music career, she even worked her way up to the title of executive of their label, she’s on top of the world

she’s come a long way from the shy girl from foster care who afraid of her own shadow, but she’s lost none of her softness!

still extremely charitable and even started multiple charities all ranging from helping fund the foster care system to providing more funding for no kill shelters (she’s a vegan!) all of her charities are nation wide and oh boy does she have a lot on her plate

has....literally no time for anything else....still tries to prove to herself that she’s definitely not stressed and has so much free time! sdflksj tries to party and have fun, but mostly craves staying inside and takes baths with scented candles and just watches the same romcom over and over again 

* && 𝐬𝐞𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐭

....okay so maybe it’s not completely believable that she got into an ivy league with her own merit, after all she’s not the sharpest tool in the shed and spoiler alert she didn’t

her parents bribed an admissions counselor to let their daughter in their visual arts program, they even donated enough money to renovate the art museum 

all of this happened without sunny’s knowledge and she continues to live in blissful ignorance about the whole thing

* && 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲

zodiac — cancer rising, cancer sun, & scorpio moon

alignment — lawful good

mbti — infp-t

enneagram — type 2 ( the helper )

temperament — phlegmatic

house — hufflepuff

positive traits — ( + ) altruistic , committed , conceptual , curious , courteous , determined , generous , humble , inventive , imaginative , loyal , loving , organized , passionate , playful , reliable , selfless , supportive , thoughtful , and trustworthy

negative traits — ( - ) anxious , cautious , compulsive , critical , disorganized , dogmatic ,, hyperactive , indifferent , insecure , impulsive , logical , oblivious , pedantic , protective , and resilient

* && 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬

please don’t feel limited by this list because i have a brain the size of a walnut and this is all i can think of these are almost all ripped off ryker’s intro bc i’m not creative

‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎ 𝑭𝑨𝑴𝑰𝑳𝑰𝑨𝑳....

family friends  maternal or paternal cousins

‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎ 𝑹𝑶𝑴𝑨𝑵𝑻��𝑪...

past crush  current crush  flirtationship except she prolly doesn’t realize bc head empty  unrequited love ( on either side )  fwbs  will they? won’t they?  someone her friends are trying to set her up with  forbidden love of some kind idk maybe not  exes on good terms  exes on bad terms  first love high school or college romances  summer romance  childhood crush friends to lovers  pr relationship somebody who leads her on 

‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎ 𝑷𝑳𝑨𝑻𝑶𝑵𝑰𝑪...

BEST FRIEND / ROOMMATE PLOT BASED ON NEW GIRL OR FRIENDS PLS I WILL GIVE YOU MY EVERYTHING  best friends  confidants  ride or die sibling like friends  close friends  neighbors??  enemies to friends  reunited childhood friends drunk / party friends  someone she’s a good influence on  bad influence  unlikely friends  secret friends, aka friends who do not hang around in the public eye as their family or friends may not get along  #married....just they argue and love each other like a married couple

‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎‏‏‎ ‎ 𝑵𝑬𝑮𝑨𝑻𝑰𝑽𝑬...

enemies  former best friends  frenemies

[cemo-writes]

The Four Act Story Structure (with Black Panther)

Part 1 - Orphan

Narrative Context: Set Up the story. In the first 20% - 25% of your novel, you will: Introduce the character (backstory, their stasis, their inner demons, their strengths), establish stakes (what the character has to lose), foreshadow the imminent conflict to come. 

Hook: The hook happens in the first chapter of your novel, the earlier the better. It grabs the reader, makes us empathize with the protagonist, and gives the reader something to bite into before the protag’s quest really begins.

Example: (Black Panther) Freeing kidnapped women from warlords to call Nakia back to Wakanda. 

Inciting Incident: Something happens to your character that incites the coming conflicts. This could happen as early as the hook, or could happen as late as Plot Point 1.

 Example: Klaw and Killmonger steal vibranium from a British museum.

Plot Point 1: At 20% or 25% in your novel, something big happens that alters the protag’s plans/status/beliefs, forcing them to respond. The first plot point defines the nature of the hero’s quest, and everything you’ve set up (stakes, inner demons, foreshadowing) has led up to this point. Imagine the first quarter of the novel as pulling back the plunger in a pinball machine, and the first plot point is when you let the ball fly. The antagonist is introduced, but their true nature will not be fully revealed until the midpoint. 

Example for Plot Point 1 from Black Panther: ~35m/123m (28%), Klaw’s whereabouts are known. T’Challa needs to go on a retrieval mission, putting his leadership as King to test for the first time.  

Part 2 - Wanderer

Narrative Context: Reaction. 25% - 50% of your story. Something big has just happened (Plot Point 1) and the protagonist is reacting to it, running from it, pursuing it without knowing what it is. There is a sense of indecision, or lack of knowledge. We don’t have all the answers. 

Example: T’Challa, Nakia, and Okoye are after Klaw, but they haven’t been fully introduced to the true antagonist, Killmonger. 

Pinch Point 1: The first Pinch Point comes in the middle of Part 1. A pinch point is a big moment that reminds the reader of the power of the antagonist.

Example: 59/123 min, 47%. Right when the gang thinks they’ve got Klaw, he escapes with the help of Killmonger. T’Challa sees Killmonger for the first time, taking notice of the ring he wears. Who is this man? T’Challa realises he doesn’t have all the answers, that there’s something bigger going on. 

Midpoint: One of the biggest points in the story, and a huge plot twist that reveals the true nature of the antagonist. It is like a veil is lifted, and the character sees more clearly what they’re up against, on an external, internal, and thematic level.

Example of the Midpoint: In Black Panther, the midpoint happens from 63 min - 67 min (~52%) in two scenes. First, we get a big plot twist. Killmonger reveals that he is of Wakandan blood, and that he's going to the hidden nation. He kills Klaw and even his own girlfriend without hesitation. This lets the viewer know Killmonger’s goals and the danger he poses as an antagonist. In the second scene of the Midpoint, Zuri reveals what really happened to T’Challa’s uncle (and Killmonger’s father): he was killed by T’Chaka, leaving Killmonger fatherless. T’Challa realises that he’s going to have to pay the consequences for his father’s mistakes, and truly questions for the first time whether Wakanda’s tradition of secrecy is moral. 

Part 3 - Warrior

Narrative Context: Action. 50% -75/80% of your story. Again, something game changing has just happened (the midpoint), which suddenly clarifies the nature of the antagonistic force. With this new insight, the protagonist is able to go on attack mode, actively trying to solve the issue at hand.

 Example: Now that Killmonger has made himself known as the true antagonist, T’Challa has to face him and the mistakes T’Chaka made in the past.

Pinch Point 2: The second pinch point occurs halfway through the third quarter. Like the first pinch point, it is a reminder of the threat of the antagonistic force.

Example: 81 min - 82 min in Black Panther, or 66% into the story, Killmonger overthrows T’Challa.

Plot Point 2: The second plot point happens around 75% or 80% into the novel. It may be a characters realisation of what they must do to defeat the antagonist or a piece of information that allows them to face the bad guy. Whatever it is, no new information may be introduced after this point unless it is heavily foreshadowed. This is to prevent a deux ex machina.

Example: (98 min, 80%) T’Challa speaks to his forebears and realises that their actions were immoral. He says, “I must take the mantle back” and regains his power as black panther. He is ready to face Killmonger, and there is a sense that he now has a chance of defeating him.

Part 4 - Martyr

Narrative Context: Martyr. 75/80% - 100% of your story. This is the final battle, the end game. Often in a self-sacrificial way, the protagonist faces the big baddies and defeats them one by one. They are heroic, they are active, and they defeat the antagonist by their own strength. 

Example: T’Challa and his crew face Killmonger to stop him from sending Wakandan weaponry to other countries. Notice that each character, T’Challa, Shuri, Okoye, Nakia, and Ross do something heroic and self-sacrificing. Occasionally something comes in that turns the tides in the heroes’ favour (this must be heavily foreshadowed) like when M’Baku decides to join sides with T’Challa.

Climax: Close to the end, midway in Part 4, the antagonist is defeated and the theme is clearly splayed out.

In Black Panther, this happens at 115 min - 118 min (or 94%) when T’Challa brings Killmonger out of the vibranium mines to see the Wakandan sunset. Killmonger chooses to die rather than live in bondage. After this point, we switch to the resolution.

Resolution Scene: Everything is wrapped up after the climax. This isn’t necessarily one scene, but can be many. May be one chapter or several depending on how many plot threads need to be tied up. Whatever happens, we enter into a new stasis and see the effect of the protagonist’s journey both physically (how the world changes around them) and psychologically (how they have changed internally).

Example: In Black Panther, we find out that T’Challa has decided to make an outreach program for African-American youth. He learns from Killmonger and decides to use Wakandan technology and resources so that the future generation does not suffer like Killmonger did.

How to use the Four Act Story Structure

On a practical level, how can writers use the Four Act Structure? I would recommend using it both in reading and in writing:

When reading or watching a movie, look out for the major plot points and act breaks. Have you ever felt that a story feels unbalanced? Rushed in parts? It is likely because it does not follow the Four Act Structure.

You can also use this structure in outlining. It will prevent you from going, “What the hell is going to happen next?” and will help you create a story that is well structured. Another reason I like this structure is because it details how to plot the middle portion of a novel.

However, keep in mind that movies are paced differently than books, and that even all books aren’t paced the same. You will not die in writers hell if you don’t follow this structure exactly. Rather, it is good to understand why this structure works so that you can better structure your own novels. For instance, Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone does not follow this structure like I’ve laid out (though many argue that the first book is unbalanced; Harry doesn’t get to Hogwarts until 40% into the book.)

If you’d like to read more in depth about the Four Act Structure, Larry Brooks writes about it in Story Engineering. But a word of warning: Brooks does seem to believe that you will die in writing hell if you don’t follow this structure, and he hates pantsers with a passion. It’s still an informative read, but please take everything he says with a grain of salt.

[justanotherwannabeclassic]

One and Done

Years ago and hundreds of miles away from one another, both Emma Swan and Killian Jones' dreams died in a single night. Years later, their paths cross, and those very crushed dreams may be what brings them together.

Author’s Note: I’m honestly shocked I’ve been able to write something, let alone a Modern AU. Credit for me accomplishing this goes to @distant-rose​. You can also read this on AO3.

Rating: M

Content Warning: Mild smut, mild description of traumatic injuries

XXX

The first time she meets Killian Jones, they’re at a cookout held in a mutual friend’s backyard. He has a nice laugh and an even nicer smile, but as they talk over craft beer and hot dogs, she can’t help but think about how she knows of him, about how almost everyone interested in collegiate sports knows his name and why almost everyone else doesn’t.

She’d been in high school back then, with big dreams of college and a future and making a name for herself. She’d been sitting on the couch drinking lukewarm beer, her boyfriend’s arm wrapped around her as he and his roommates cheered on their school. It had been Storybrooke’s first time making it into the NCAA Tournament, and even though no one really expected them to win, spirits had been high. Emma recalls how they commentators spent a lot of time saying Killian Jones’ name, throwing out words like “lottery” and “one-and-done”, terms she didn’t understand that Neal seemed to. Neal didn’t like him, that much had been obvious, his insults growing more cutting as the game wore on and more alcohol coursed through his veins. She’d smiled and nodded, not wanting to disagree. She’d been “lucky” to be there anyway, still more than a little bit in awe that a college guy would be interested in her, so she held her tongue. (She doesn’t hold her tongue anymore.)

She remembers the moment it happened, doubts she could ever forget. It’s one of those moments that’s forever seared into her mind, watching him jump upupup, then come tumbling downdowndown.

She’s a cop now. She’s been well exposed to blood and bone and the many traumas the human body can endure, but that’s now. Prior to that moment, she’d never actually seen bone slice through skin, not to someone living and breathing and in considerable pain. Neal had cheered, said something about being “a regular guy now”. Emma wishes then that she had taken it as a sign of things come, but she’d been sixteen and naive, and she’d just watch a man’s career end before her eyes.

Looking at him now, she can hardly tell that he’d suffered such a traumatic injury on a national scale. The only tell is that he spends so little time talking about himself and instead peppers her with questions about her own life.

“Have you always lived in Boston?”

She shakes her head. “No. Only for the past few years, and that’s because David told me there was an opening at his precinct.”

“Where were you before?”

“Here, there, everywhere.” She doesn’t like talking about her past that much, in inability to find a stable home forever a sore spot. “Name a place, and I probably lived there.”

“Djibouti.”

“What the-- excuse me?” “Djibouti. It’s a country in the Horn of Africa. You said name a place, and I did.” His eyes sparkle and his brows dance when he says this. It’s infuriating. It’s also endearing. “I take it that you haven’t lived there.”

“You never would have struck me as someone so pedantic,” she says, trying to frown but utterly failing.

“I’m full of surprises, love,” he tells her, and his eyes promise something both dangerous and thrilling. But then he shrugs and the moment is lost. “Truth be told, I’m an AP history teacher. Comes with the territory.”

So this is where dreams go to die. High School.

As the afternoon wears on, Emma is surprised that she spends much of the event talking to him. She manages to redirect the conversation away from her, and he seems to respect that. They talk movies and museums, Boston traffic and the insane cost of living. What they don’t talk about is sports.

She tells him about Henry, and he doesn’t blink, but instead takes it in stride. She explains that her son’s favorite subject in English and he prefers not to do math.

“He still gets good grades, though,” she boasts, unable to hide the pride in her voice. No matter how many things she’s done wrong in her life, her son is proof that she can do at least one thing right. “And teachers love him. Really, you should be disappointed he’s not in your district. He’d be your favorite student, no doubt.”

“He sounds like a great kid.” Killian Jones cranes his head, turning to survey the crowded yard. “Is he here?”

Emma shakes her head. “He’s in New York. It’s his week with his dad.”

“A pity. I would have liked to meet him.”

Emma realizes in that moment that Killian Jones has passed a test she never intended to give.

It’s late by the time they leave the cookout, together but not. Killian had taken the subway in, and Emma offers to drive him back to his place.

“Nothing good happens on the train this late at night,” she says, “and, besides, an Uber would be ungodly expensive.”

She ignores the suggestive expressions Ruby throws her way, or the cautious one on David's face. As much as she’d like to pretend they were reading too much into her interactions with Killian Jones, the truth is that they’re not. She knows where this night is heading. Henry is with Neal, and she’s feeling good as much as she doesn’t want to spent the night alone in her empty apartment.

She’s pretty sure Killian feels the same way, and because of that, Emma feels no surprise when he invites her up for a nightcap and he shows no shock when she accepts.

Both her shirt and bra are on the floor before they even make it to the bedroom. She notices the scars on his wrist, but pretends not to, and it’s easy enough when he peels off his own shirt. He no longer has physique of the athlete he used to be, as to be expected, but he is toned well enough. Emma enjoys watching the way his muscles flex as he climbs over.

Like most first encounters, the experience is somewhat awkward, however there is a finesse to his movements that tells her that he knows what he’s doing, and she learns he’s a breast man based on much attention he pays her chest, licking and twisting. When it becomes too much, she urges him down, intrigued to feel just what his tongue can deliver. It takes some time, but he follows her instructions, and that is something she appreciates just as much as the way his tongue laps at he clit and his fingers curl inside of her.

He’s smug when she finishes, less so when she wraps her hand around his length and begins to move. It doesn’t take long for him to reach for a condom, and even less time to tear open the foil packet and sheath himself. Emma gasps when he slides into her. Though she isn’t the biggest fan of the feel of sex with a condom, it’s far better than any of the alternative so she focuses instead of the pleasant stretch of the cock and the way his pelvis presses against hers when he slides into her again and again.

After he comes, they take turns in the bathroom. He beckons her to join him back bed, offering an old pair of shorts and a t-shirt as pajamas. Emma has an excuse on the tip of her tongue. She’s normally not one to stay the night, but something inside her to accept. It’s only after she’s dressed that she notices the word “Wildcats” printed across in blue block lettering, and her stomach twists.

In bed, they spoon her back to his front. As she lays over his bicep, Emma can’t help but trace the silver scars that adorn his wrist.

“Sports injury,” he tells her, his voice soft.

She could play dumb, pretend that she knows nothing about him. It would be easy. Emma Swan has never done anything the easy way.

“I know.”

Killian tenses. “So you have heard of me.”

“Back then, when it happened, I was dating a guy who went to Storybrooke. I watched it on TV.”

“Oh.”

“I’m pretty sure that was the night Henry was conceived too. I think that’s why I remember it so well, because everything changed that night. I just didn’t realize it at the time.” She winces once finishes, not wanting to actually downplay his trauma. She hopes he didn’t take it that way.

“Well, I guess something good came out of that night.” He doesn’t pull away from her, but Emma can feel the rigidity of the muscles. “Is that why you came home with me tonight?”

“No,” she tells him. She thinks she should be offended by the question, but she isn’t. Instead, she finds herself hoping he believes her.

“They would, you know, right after. Plenty of pity fucks for the sad, broken basketball star.” Killian’s voice is more sad than angry, and Emma understands what he’s telling her isn’t to hurt her, but instead his own way of venting, of working through the pain. “In Lexington, when you wear the jersey, they treat you like a god. All the girls want you, and the guys want to be you.”

“And after you hurt yourself, that went away?”

“No, actually. They don’t forget you there. Not even the walks on, some of them still do camps even. But that’s why I had to leave.”

“Because you didn’t want to be reminded of what you lost,” she finishes for him. She considers turning to face him, but doesn’t. It’s easier this way, not having to having to look into one another’s eyes and make their deepest confessions. “Before I lived in Boston, I lived in Portland.”

“Oregon?”

“Maine. I moved there after I finished high school, but before I had Henry. I told myself that it was because Portland likely had better opportunities for a single mother like me, but really it was to get away from Storybrooke and everything.” Neal had wanted nothing to do with her after she’d told him about her pregnancy. He’d been pissed she refused to abort. It was only when Henry had been a toddler that Neal had waltzed back into his life, and that had only been because of his fiance-now-wife Tamara.

She’s not sure why she’d telling him all of this. It had taken years before she’d gotten the nerve to tell everything to Mary Margaret, but here in Killian’s arms, the words fall easy. Maybe it’s because he understands. Maybe it’s because his life also irrevocably changed that day. She’s not sure why, but what she does know that in this moment, she feels safe.

He must feel the same way, because he whispers, “What kindred spirits are we.”

It takes everything in her not to laugh, because he sounds so incredibly poetic, and she’s the exact opposite. “I was going to say we’re both fucked up, but we’ll go with that.”

“Yeah, we’ll go with that.”

That don’t say anything after that. Slowly but surely, Emma finds herself drifting off the sleep, and she is welcomed by peaceful dreams.

[europeanguy]

Gotta Gogh [Part 4: Paris Fucking France]

Pairing: Nadia x Maxwell

Words: 4,320

Tags: Canon Divergence, Crossovers, Curse words probably, The Riot Club!AU not really anymore lol

A/N: Well, hello again. It’s been like 2 months since I last updated? Sorry 😥 This is part 4/5! It’s almost over y’all lmao

“-nous approchons maintenant de l'aéroport de Paris le Bourget…où l'heure locale est 11:00.”

Maxwell rubs his eyes, taking out one earbud that blasted pop music in his ears. He hasn’t visited Paris in ages. 

Nadia has a blanket wrapped around her shoulders, her hair a nest. She stares slack-jawed outside her window, making Maxwell smile. It wasn’t like him to go to such lengths for a girl. Yet he was clueless on what to do about it. All he thought about these days was Nadia. Nadia, whose face is slightly illuminated by the city lights beneath as the plane gets closer. She jumps when the tires touch the tarmac. The small jet shakes as it speeds through the runway of the private airport – eventually slowing down to taxi. The cabin lights flicker back on and he winces at the sudden brightness.

“You okay? Are you hungr-“

“Hungry.” She turns to him, expression still in slight disbelief.

“Of course.” He laughs.

The air is heavy with cold recycled air and the scent of clean, dry pine. An attendant pours Evian into glasses as the other staff efficiently follow deplaning protocol. “Here you go,” She says in accented English. “The car will arrive in a moment sir. We’re sorry for the delay, it should have been waiting for you.”

Nadia’s eyebrows shoot up – amused – and takes one glass on the tray. Maxwell thanks the attendant, a little embarrassed.

“You will need a jacket.” The attendant advises when the plane’s doors are opened. Nadia sighs and looks at Maxwell. “Fine. And I’m going to pay you back for it.”

“Whatever helps you sleep at night.” Maxwell winks and barely dodges a pillow that Nadia throws in his direction. “It’s a little late to get dinner right here, but I’m sure we have food at uh-“ He clears his throat. “home.”

“Home? Where are we staying again?”

“Sir, the car is here.”

Maxwell gets up from his seat and stretches as much as he could inside the jet. “My mom’s old house. Unless you want to go to a hostel… sleep next to some strangers…?”

“Hostels have individual beds!” Nadia huffs, folding her blanket as she gets up but gives up on it halfway. She shoots the attendant an apologetic look. I will take care of it, she smiles. Friendly, understanding. “Plus, how else can you make new friends?”

Maxwell nods. “Right, right. Like us?”

Nadia laughs. “Yeah?” He lets her pass through first. The stewardess hands her a thick, fur-lined suede jacket before they get out. She looks a little confused when the stewardess helps her put it on but goes with it.

 Once settled in the heated car, their fingers and the tips of their noses thaw from the cold. Nadia looks out the window in awe. Even Maxwell admits, seeing Paris at night is still a shock to the system. The air was different, roads more crowded with tourists. In a way it was a beautiful chaos compared to Cordonia.

“I still can’t- am I actually here? In Paris-fucking-France?” Nadia tears her gaze away from the view.

“Paris-fucking-France indeed. I missed this place.” Maxwell looks outside as the car passes a huge open plaza flanked by three old buildings – the middle one being the biggest and most imposing. “Look, l’École nationale supérieure des Beaux-Arts. National School of Fine Arts.”

Nadia nods, recognizing the name. “Degas, Monet, Renoir, Fragonard… shit, can we go?!”

“Sure.” Maxwell laughs. “We’re almost here though. It’s tucked away in a street here, near that church.”

The car avoids a couple of tourists, swerving down a private road. Rows of townhomes line each side, accented with vintage cars and a scatter of leaves. Just ahead, his mother’s home situated near the end of the line. Almost 10,000 square feet of land, three-floors, and light spilling warmth out the windows. With Bertrand being the older son – and the default heir of almost everything in Ramsford – the will stated that Maxwell get everything from his mother’s side, including this house. Legally, it was his house now. This huge, late 17th century heritage, passed on in a straight line in his mother’s side.

Maxwell helps Nadia out of the car. He knocks the gold door knocker before feeling a little weird. This was his. He pushes the door open and a blond form hurtles itself from the foyer, engulfing him in a warm hug.

“Ines!” He hugs her back, smiling into her hair. He falters momentarily when she steps back and holds him at arm’s length. His mom would’ve been Ines’ age today. He remembers, Ines being his mother’s closest friend and confidante. She never laughed as hard as she had with Ines as they took tea during afternoons – Bertrand and Maxwell playing but mostly fighting – in the gardens. Ines looks more or less the same, albeit having more lines settling in her skin. She still had her perpetually pink cheeks and her friendly brown eyes.

“C’est qui, ca?”

“C’est Nadia,” Maxwell silently wishes his mother would peek from the parlour, tease him about finally bringing a girl home.

“Nice to meet you!” Nadia smiles, unsure what to do next.

“Ohhh, how pretty!” Ines envelops her in a tight hug. Nadia returns her hug eagerly. “Are you hungry? Tu aimes bien les pâtes?”

Maxwell mouths pasta? at her and she nods. “Pasta sounds good.”

“So, this is your mom’s house?” Nadia asks when Ines quickly disappears into the kitchen. It is more like an art gallery than a home. Instead of flowers, the foyer’s centerpiece was a sculpture of a head. The walls are white Rococo panels – intricate leaves and shell mouldings. It wouldn’t surprise anyone if it turns out that those Monets and Manets on the walls are real. The living room was tastefully furnished with actual canape settees balanced with more modern pieces. “It’s beautiful.”

“She loves this place,” More so than the Ramsford Estate, more than any other property of theirs. “She loves art too, you know? She would’ve liked you.” Maxwell tries to smile as he takes it all in. He sinks down on a couch, feeling all of a sudden tired but so wide awake.

“Well, she has amazing taste.” Nadia nods in approval as she surveys the room. “Oh my god… Is this you?!”

Nadia holds up a gold frame, a picture of 11-year old Maxwell in his Halloween costume – a chubby little superman. Beside him, she recognizes Liam and Olivia – dressed as Harry Potter and a dragon, respectively. In the corner, a white blur.

“Don’t look at that!” Maxwell snatches the frame as Nadia laughs.

“You were so adorable! I didn’t know you guys celebrated Halloween in Cordonia.” She peeks over his shoulder, trying to get a look at the picture again. “What’s that white thing?”

Maxwell snorts. “Drake. He dressed up as a ‘ghost’, apparently. He didn’t even want to be in the picture.”

He remembers that night. It was mostly Drake’s idea to get more candy from the palace kitchens. He brought it up, and Liam made it happen.

“We have an equivalent holiday to uh, remember.” Maxwell distracts himself by rubbing the smudges on the glass with his sleeve, then sets it back down on the side table. “Honestly? The American way is a lot better.”

Nadia grins. “Kai and I make costumes together so we’re coordinating. Every. Single. Year.”

“Attend any parties?”

“No.” Nadia sighs. “I miss her though, I can’t believe we have to break tradition this year.”

Maxwell pouts. “When are you seeing her again?”

“In two months… when I go back.” Nadia smiles bitterly.

“You leave in two months?!” Maxwell sits up in alarm. Oh, shit.

“Yeah. The semester ends in two months, duh!”

“Noooo!” He throws himself back dramatically on the couch.

“What do you mean ‘Noooo’?” Nadia laughs. “So um, don’t you have a brother? Is he here?”

“Way to change the subject, Nadia.” Maxwell frowns, his eyes trailing to his and Bertrand’s picture above a small fireplace. “Bertrand? He’s back in Ramsford probably tearing his hair out with…responsibilities.”

 After a very late dinner, Ines fixes up a room for Nadia. Maxwell is back in his old room, wearing matching sweats that faintly smells like lavender (thanks to Ines). This room is the smallest one he has, and yet it was his favorite. His old drawings stacked neatly in a drawer, his old camera that probably doesn’t work anymore, an old love letter to the first girl he liked, pictures of his friends. A picture of his mom.

“Max?”

A muffled voice calls.

“…mom?”

“Uh, no?” Nadia gently opens the door. She is wearing the pajamas Ines provided, her black hair down. Maxwell tears his eyes away, blushing. Thank god it’s too dark for her to see. He can never get used to just how beautiful she was.

“Can’t wait until tomorrow, huh?” Maxwell stands up from the bed, walking over to her standing underneath the threshold. “I can’t sleep either.” He braces himself on the open door with one arm. Nadia gives him a weird look.

“What are you doing? Mr. GQ?” She teases, and after a second they both burst into laughter. “I mean… yeah, it’s only midnight. Are you tired?”

“I’d like nothing more than to get out of here,” He looks around. “Maybe come back when we’re ready to pass out or something.”

Nadia frowns in concern. “What’s the matter?”

He gestures wildly around him.

“Tell me, then?” She crosses the threshold and plops on the bed, bouncing a couple of times, then looks at him expectantly.

“Are you trying to get me to open up?” Maxwell laughs, shaking his head. “Come on, I’ll get a car ready.”

“Fine.” Nadia shrugs. “Can we walk though?”

“Sure.”

 “Are you sure you’re not cold like that?”

Nadia prances around the street in her pajamas and the suede jacket from earlier. “I’m too happy to feel cold!” She spins ungracefully, grinning widely.

“You’re… really something.” Maxwell’s lips tug into a smile, his heart speeding up when she meets his eyes. “Where do you wanna go?”

“I was thinking – we could hit the museums tomorrow, but tonight we get a proper drink. I’m 19 and I cAN GET WASTED IN FRANCE!” She yells into the sky.

“Drinks with the little umbrellas?” Maxwell suggests.

“Drinks with the little umbrellas, nothing less.”

 Nadia skips lightly as she walks, like a child trying not to scream, gasping as they turn to an old narrow street. The starlight seemed to glow in sync with the buildings, reflections bouncing off of the still slick trees. The lungs of Paris breathes life through the city from the cracks of aged brick and the shimmer of light dancing on the puddles’ surface – and Nadia was in awe. The rush of cheerful passersby, the bustle at night in all of its glory – overwhelming and yet somehow as comforting as home. It seemed to lift her spirit among the trees, sights, and sound pulsing through her veins.

“Does it live up to expectations so far?” Maxwell asks, stepping beside her.

“So far? It’s more than I ever- ugh, it’s so much better.” Nadia squeals. “It’s amazing.”

“It is,” Maxwell agrees, looking at her.

They wander through the streets, Nadia’s unconventional get-up getting a few looks. They pass numerous patisseries, most of them closed. Nadia stops in front of a nondescript black French door with the lights still on.

“Oh man, those look good.” She bites her lip, scanning the store through the small openings. “Do you think they would mind-?”

“We’ll be in and out of their hair in like, two minutes.” He walks up to the door and holds it open for Nadia.

“You like these hole-in-the-wall places huh?” Nadia walks in, appreciating the rich décor and antique paintings randomly hung on the walls.

“I’ve grown to love them.”

Nadia blushes but busies herself with the options displayed on the glass casing.

“I think they’re actually about to close…” Maxwell looks at the cashier awkwardly. He simply shrugs at Maxwell, as if to say, well, are you gonna buy anything?

“Right,” Nadia’s eyebrows knit together, looking for something, then quickly giving up. “You pick I can’t handle being time pressured!”

Maxwell laughs, nodding. “Okay, uh, Je voudrais des éclairs au chocolat et, euh… des macarons, s’il vous plait.”

“À emporter?” The cashier rolls his eyes.

“Oui, pardon.”

He quickly arranges the macarons by color inside a box and a few eclairs in another. They were outside in a flash. Maxwell gets a deep pink macaron as they walk – raspberry chocolate, his favorite. He notices Nadia looking queasy as she bites into a bright yellow one.

“Not good?”

“Maxwell,” Nadia looks up at him. “Why take me here? Seriously?”

“Because… I can?”

“That’s a cop-out answer,” She frowns. “I mean, you’ve spent so much… that private plane, this freaking jacket… this!” She holds up the half-moon shaped macaron.

“Nadia, if you think I’m doing this to get something in return – you’re so wrong. Like, more wrong than the person who invented math.”

“Huh?” Nadia laughs.

“God, I- remind me again why we didn’t get drinks FIRST THING?”

Nadia widens her eyes innocently.

“I guess I really like you?”

“…you guess?” Nadia tries not to smile.

“Yeah. When we were in that hallway in the palace… I guess I realized I would literally do anything and everything to see you happy…if you let me.”

“You’re so-“

“Cheesy.”

“Cute. But also…cheesy. Made me cringe a bit.”

Maxwell gasps. “I TAKE IT ALL BACK!”

Nadia bursts into laughter as she links her arm with his. His nerves go into haywire when she does.

“…wait… you said I was cute?” He looks at her.

“Nope. I’m just here for your money. I don’t think you’re cute at all!” Nadia finishes her macaron, finally looking more peaceful. “Mm, mango!”

“I think I need that drink now.” He cringes, realizing that he sounded just like Drake.

 Stuffed with macarons and eclairs (Maxwell discovered that Nadia ALWAYS had room for dessert), they eventually find a rooftop bar packed with tourists and locals alike. The moonlight shone on the slightly damp stone, the cloudless sky stretching above the city. Obscure French indie music blast from the speakers, but surprisingly not loud enough to make anyone deaf within a mile radius.

“We’re going to die, are we?” Maxwell stares at the drinks Nadia brings back from the bar, balancing a tray of two oversized snifters with electric green liquid, white smoke swirling at the top, and packed with different kinds of candy as “garnish”. She sets them down on their narrow round bar table, looking satisfied.

“They didn’t have the colorful umbrellas, unfortunately.” She excitedly takes her glass and sips the straw. “Cold!!”

Maxwell decides, fuck it, and takes a sip on his own. His eyes widen at the refreshing citrusy flavor. “Shit, that’s good! I don’t even know what it is?”

“Better than your Pineapple Paradise Punch?” Nadia grins.

Maxwell touches his heart. “You remembered?” She rolls his eyes at him. “Almost, but no.”

Nadia raises her heavy glass with both hands. “To Paris?”

“To Paris-fucking-France.” Maxwell does the same, clinking his glass with hers.

Suddenly, a surprise English song plays. There's a spanner in the works, you know, You gotta step up your game to make it to the top…

“I love this song!” Nadia gasps. “Got a little competition now, you're gonna find it hard to cope, livin' on your own, ooh, ooh-” She sings, off-key and so off-beat. She uses one of the lollipops the drink came with as a microphone. The cold wind rustles through her hair but she doesn’t seem to mind as she sings, and then the realization hits Maxwell like an arrow shot through him. His breath catches, like his heart just burst. I’m in trouble.

“Let's get this started, girl, we're movin' up, we're movin' up, it's been a lot to change, but youuuu…will always get what you want.” Maxwell sings along with her, and her eyes widen in surprise when she hears him.

“You know this song?!”

“It’s so bad! Of course I do.” So much trouble. He knew for a while. It was as if he touched a rippling pool, calming the waters with his hand – turning everything crystal clear. Maxwell takes an especially big gulp of his drink. The song ends, just as quickly as it started.

“So what makes Paris so special?” Maxwell looks out on the view, answering his own question. Lights glittered all throughout the cityscape, the Eiffel Tower in the distance. The silver of the moonlight shines subtly in the cloudless dark blanket of a sky.

Nadia smiles. “I guess it’s obvious why. The art scene, mostly.” She sighs dreamily. “But the culture too, the vibe – I feel like I’m transported to another time, you know what I mean? It’s a beautiful thing.”

“Ever painted it?”

Nadia snorts. “I have a whole collection centered on it. It’s the stuff of my dreams.”

“You dream about Paris?”

“Yeah.” She nods. “So um, can we circle back to that conversation earlier?”

Maxwell could feel his heart drop to his stomach. “I don’t know what you’re talking about…?”

“You liking me, me going away…” Nadia’s eyes are down, focused on the green liquor they both don’t know the name of.

“You liking me back…?” Maxwell tries to joke.

She looks up at him, “Me telling you we should be just friends.”

Maxwell doesn’t know what it is. Maybe the fact that he’s finished his drink half-way, maybe it’s because she’s going away in 2 months, maybe it’s Paris. Maybe it’s the way Nadia looks at him that makes what she just said a complete and obvious lie. But something fills him a burst of confidence. “So I can’t think about kissing you?”

“Friends… don’t do that, do they?” Nadia palms her face, trying to hide her smile. “God, I can’t look at you right now.”

“Don’t be weird, Nadia.” Maxwell laughs.

Nadia huffs. “Just promise me one thing, for when I go back to New York.”

“Fine. What?”

“You’ll continue being you. The Maxwell who is always laughing, dancing, joking around…”

“Well that’s depressing.” Maxwell groans. “Okay. Only if you also promise me,”

Nadia looks up at him.

“That…” He leans in, eyes flitting down to her lips. “….you’ll acknowledge me as the Dancing King, superior to all.” His voice is silent, barely a whisper.

Nadia’s cheeks are pink, she smacks him on the shoulder and looks away. “You’re… you’re-“

“The best? Thank you.”

“The worst.” Nadia laughs. “I bet you drove Ines crazy growing up.”

Maxwell chews on his bottom lip. “I do though,” He can’t help but smile at the memories coming back to him. “Although I haven’t really visited ever since Bertrand and I lost our parents.”

Nadia reaches over the bar table to squeeze his hand. “….I’m sorry.”

“Thank you, Nadia. I mean it.” Maxwell meets her eyes. “Don’t worry about me though,”

“Is this why you wanted to get out of the house?” Nadia asks quietly.

“Am I that obvious?” Maxwell raises an eyebrow at her, trying to lighten the mood. To his relief, she catches on quick.

“I don’t know if you noticed, but I’m actually an android who can read minds.” Nadia deadpans, and then suddenly she lights up – like she just realized something. “You know what? You should do something – to remember them.”

He narrows his eyes. “What are you thinking?”

Nadia’s gaze is fixed on a guy behind Maxwell, every exposed inch of his skin covered in tattoos. Including his face. She looks at Maxwell again. “You don’t think-?”

“YES. I’M DOING IT.”

-

Nadia fruitlessly fans Maxwell’s face with her hand inside the hot studio, he nods after the not-so-calming words she keeps repeating – he couldn’t really hear anything. It was just him and that shiny, sharp needle. She’s even more worried than him. She stops trying to comfort him and slumps against a wall just as the tattoo artist comes with gloved hands and sterilized tools.

“You don’t get to blame me if this backfires.” Nadia warns. “Oh my god.”

“What?” Maxwell breaks his staring contest with the sharp tools.

“I’m so distracted by your twenty abs.”

“Twenty-? You’re not helping, perv!” Maxwell throws his sweatshirt at Nadia, which she catches before it hits her in the face. The artist grumbles in French for him to steady as he traces the stencil.

“Oh shit oh shit-“ Maxwell closes his eyes when his needle buzzes to life, ready to permanently ink him. He breathes deeply as the vibrating needle touches his skin, feeling as if it’s touching his bone. After a while it feels slightly numb, and before he knows it the sensation was gone. He opens his eyes and the first thing he sees is Nadia’s worried face, looking at his new tattoo.

“Is it bad?” He finally lets out the breath he’s been holding.

“No! It’s… it’s something.”

He listens to the guy’s instructions for aftercare, knowing full well that he’s going to forget the very next day.

Once outside, Nadia finally speaks. “I can’t believe you just- you did that!”

“I did it!” Maxwell grins, feeling exhilarated.

 Coming back to his mom’s house felt different with the tattoo. The lights were off, Ines and the other staff sound asleep. The only sounds were the wind rustling through the greenery and the silent sloshing of water in the deep mosaic pool.

“Nadia,” Maxwell looks at her. They were sitting on a carved stone bench next to the pool. Steam rises from the water’s surface, its lighting casting a blue green aura around the garden. “Thank you.”

“For what?”

“I feel so much closer to her,” Maxwell confesses. “It’s like… I don’t have to dread leaving this house every time anymore?”

Nadia nods, looking up at him.

“It’s not as heavy of a feeling, because I have her with me.” Maxwell laughs and shakes his head. “It’s silly.”

“It’s not silly.” Nadia stands up and crouches next to the pool. “This is beautiful. Was it her idea?”

“You know it.” Maxwell stands beside her, their blurry shadows bouncing off the water, beneath it a symmetrical swirling pattern and subtly peacock feather-like shapes formed by thousands of little tiles. Their father complained that it made the garden look too ostentatious, but it was one of a kind. Maxwell smirks at Nadia, getting an idea. “Wanna get a closer look? It’s heated.”

“What? Maxwell no-“

Maxwell backtracks a few steps then runs forward. He jumps high, fully clothed with his shoes on, then lands with a huge splash. He shakes his wet hair out of his face when he surfaces then laughs at Nadia’s shell-shocked expression.

“Come on!”

“Fuck it.” Nadia stands up and ungracefully swan-dives into the pool. She surfaces, laughing. “You’re crazy.”

“And you’re crazy enough to jump with me!” Maxwell sticks his tongue out and splashes Nadia, a huge wave of water hitting her face.

“You’re gonna pay for that!” But before Nadia could splash him, she freezes.

“What?”

“Your tattoo! You can’t be swimming!”

“Shit!”

They both scramble to get out of the pool. The night air chills their soaked skin and heavy clothes, so they run back to the house – the sound of their laughter rising among the squeaking of their shoes.

“Ines is going to kill me.” Maxwell whispers before he opens the back door. Nadia wrings out the corner of her top before she enters.

“My jacket is ruined.” She frowns.

-

Maxwell stares up on the underside of his canopy. As a child his mother hung a mobile of shells on it – he doesn’t know where it is, probably a in a dusty box in the attic. But the room doesn’t feel as empty as it did a few hours ago. Maxwell sighs, maybe it’s just the light sting on his chest. He feels it over his shirt. A little hippo. He turns to his side, feeling a little uncomfortable with his still wet, but not dripping, hair. Nadia comes out of the en-suite with her hair up in a towel. Maxwell lent her his clothes, his t-shirt and shorts looking extra-large on her frame. She collapses beside him on the bed.

“My feet feel like jelly.” She whispers.

Maxwell is still reeling from their little adventure – not to mention all the sugar they consumed. “…Same.”

Nadia hiccups, breaking the silence, and Maxwell laughs, his stomach hurting. “Ow… that was cute.”

“Your hair is cute.” Nadia sits up, trying to insult him.

“What?” Maxwell follows her, unconsciously feeling his hair.

Nadia looks at him, her expression softening. “Huh, it actually looks cute. You can tie it up in little poofs.”

“We really need to sleep.” Maxwell locks eyes with Nadia, suddenly aware of how close their faces are.

Nadia nods. “Yeah…”

Maxwell doesn’t move, and neither does she. He leans in, his hand cupping her cheek. He doesn’t ask, instead his eyes search hers. He is breathless, the sound of his heart beating so loudly he’s convinced she could hear it. Before Maxwell could pull away because this is a bad, bad idea, Nadia closes her eyes and presses her lips to his. His eyes widen in shock at first, slowly closing when it felt like his brain would melt. He kisses her back, his hand drifting on the back of her neck to pull her closer. Nadia smiles against his kiss, and he hesitantly pulls away – forehead touching hers.

“Good night.” Nadia kisses him again, quick and soft, before standing up and making her way to the door, back to her own room.

Once the door clicks shut, Maxwell throws himself back on the bed with a groan, covering his flushed face with both hands.

How is he supposed to sleep after that?

to be continued

FUN FACTS that I made up all in my head so don’t take it too seriously

Did Kiara write this chapter?

-        First of all, the French parts were google translated so please pleASE LET ME LIVE. (It also included an amount of research on How Not to Sound Like An Idiot – which was fun.)

-        Second, idk either HAHA but the Beaumont name sounds super French to me so I hc that they have some of that blood in them and they have very strong ties to it despite being an old and established family in Cordonia. So like, let’s say Maxwell and Bertrand grew up speaking French before Cordonian and English, since it was first taught to them at home.

-        Third, I just wanted to be cute. (I also have no consistency).

Their song:

-        The song Nadia sings at the bar is supposed to be Stay by Zedd and Alessia Cara, and then I realized… the story is set in 2011. So I had to scour my playlist for a song that doesn’t break the rules of time and space. Bam, Something Good Can Work by Two Door Cinema Club. It helps if you listen to it while reading that part 😉

[scullyeffect]

im so sorry but

let me recount my date with guillaume for all 159 of my faithful readers (100 of whom are porn accounts):

matched on tinder

10 minutes later he asked me if i wanted to go out sometime

i said sure

he said how about in 40 minutes we can go see the Elysée Palace (french version of white house) because it was No-Car Day in Paris and also a like “national heritage holiday” which meant everything was open to the public for free

i said sure, threw some dry shampoo in, put on the wrong shoes, and left

met at metro station at champs elysées

go to the palace only to be told that the free visits ended at 2pm

guillaume improvises and asks me if i want to see napoleon’s TOMB

i’m like hell yes i luv me some tombs

(he reveals he’s never been to pere lachaise which is near where we both live and i file this away for later. who doesn’t love a good creepy graveyard afternoon)

we see that and tour this big church during which we reveal our respective religions or lack thereof (he’s a non practicing catholic, i went to a catholic high school and am generally cool with religion and respecting people’s beliefs)

end up on a big overlooking balcony on which he tells me that americans have a superiority complex when it comes to intelligence. we think we know everything. 

i’m like “tbh that’s valid”  and tell him that i didn’t go to college but have a certificate to teach english.

we head over to “invalides” which is like an old military hospital with beautiful architecture, but seem more interested in talking than touring

we walk along the seine and talk about a scientology documentary we’d both seen, and then the path to belief (in anything really, but the focus is scientology here)

he tells me that one time he went to LA and his airbnb was around the corner from the scientology celebrity center and he went to a cafe and got handed a pamphlet because a pretty and nice girl gave it to him, filled it out, then when they called him he said “i don’t remember doing that”

he practically begs me to watch “jack ryan” on amazon prime

we establish that we’re thirsty but don’t want to wait in line to buy water, so i suggest we use our metro passes to go down onto the platform and buy water from a vending machine. 

this happens

we try to go to the musée de l’orangerie to see monet’s lilies (paris is very walkable) but it’s closed unless you want to pay 

we go to the Tuileries gardens (right next to the museum) and i announce that i need to check on my feet because they’re hurting from new shoes

at first he thinks i’m just upset because i got dust on black shoes, then i take them off to reveal horrible blisters and bloody toes, as well as crusty dancer feet. he gets a chair to prop my feet up and gets distracted by dogs playing fetch 

we discuss tinder. i ask what the perspective is from a guy POV (since i only see guys and he only sees girls). he says a lot of girls put sexy pictures, links to their instagram accounts with more sexy pictures, and “Not interested in short guys”

i tell him boys usually put pictures of their abs and their height 

i also mention that i’d linked my instagram and he butted in to say “yeah, i looked at. there’s not a single picture of you” and i couldn’t tell if this was positive or not but i took it as a mild compliment ~ur not like other girls~

i’m eyeing my feet warily, knowing i’ll have to put my shoes back on. 

he looks up the nearest metro station, then we set off to get there (by now we’ve spent 3 hours together). 

we get on the metro and decide to change over at Chatelet (one of the biggest metro stations in the world) because it’s the most efficient option and we know there are escalators (paris is woefully lacking in accessibility)

he literally piggyback carries me from the metro onto the long conveyor belt-esque thing that takes us to our line

when we get there the doors are beeping to announce the train is leaving

he says “can you run?” i nod VERY warily then proceed to run with him to the metro car

it was a good date i’m in love someone STOP THIS 

later that night he texted to inquire after the feet

i decide to refrain from sending graphic photos and tell him they hurt but i’ll be fine

he tells me to watch Jack Ryan

i tell him i don’t have amazon prime but that i’ll look up an illegal link

this unlocks the fact that he too illegally streams stuff. the only link we can find is in VF (dubbed in french) even though i’m SCOURING for links

also the entire time we spoke english and a couple times he asked questions from museum staff or police officers (about taking a boat ride on the seine) and then turned to translate their answers to me and i was like BOY I SPEAK FRENCH and he was like “i know” but tbh his english is miles higher than my french so whatever.

[jerseydeanne]

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Jack Roth, London, United Kingdom, 8 hours ago Time to end this £300 million a year taxpayer funded ‘royal’ farce - Republic now. (Replies) New7883258 robzil45, cheshire, United Kingdom, 6 hours ago Why don’t you shut up yourself AmazingGrace77 People are entitled to their opinions,we are not all royal lovers and why should we be? New26153 Tiny CO2, Warrington, United Kingdom, 6 hours ago Most of the money goes towards upkeep of OUR buildings. Security. Entertaining guests of the UK and protecting our figure head and her family. Almost all of those costs would happen with or without the RF. New10166

sam my, Westworld, Togo, 6 hours ago This looks bad on the RF, why do you think she is concerned??? Let a charilty fund the so called RF, why not. Tax payers are tired the burden, so many other worthwhile projects could be funded for that money. New21164 Elle, Out there, Canada, 6 hours ago More made up trash by the DM. New7942 SmartTop, SnowdoniaSurf, United Kingdom, 6 hours ago What I find repulsive about Meghan Markle and Harry is that they use the Royal muscle with legal and the like to BULLY or “STRONG ARM” others. It is repulsive because they are not even using their own money. Funny Meghan Markle immediately started pushing “her weight around” but she is nothing more than a “TAKER” from the royal legal powers that be. New31291 Mythoughtsonthings, East Coast, United States, 6 hours ago Tourists never actually see much of the RF. I can’t imagine how much more money England would make if you got rid of the RF, opened up much more of Buckingham Palace and Windsor and other palaces. Keep the guard and the pomp and circumstance, but why taxpayers are funding these celebrity “royals” is beyond me. New22276 Janet, UK, United Kingdom, 6 hours ago She and Harry will regret not seeing him they had two years to meet him. The size he is with whatever health conditions he has mean he won’t live for long. Meghan will never be forgiven by the public for ignoring her dad. She was on talking terms with him before the wedding. She will go downn in history S the one than ruined the royal family. I hope they all go after the Queen. They have no standards look at Charles/Diana/Camilla wjat a mess that was a national disgrace why would or should we have that representing our nation. It’s time they all go away. New28252 BrandyCohen, New York City, United States, 5 hours ago Maybe this is the American in me, but thank god 1776 happened. How do you hard-working Brits do it? You pay money out of your own pocket for these people who live the posh life while you go without and subsidize it. The Royals seem like nice people, but so does my neighbor down the street. I’m sorry, but I don’t get the fascination. Americans shouldn’t become royalty. We abhor to class system. Always have and always will! New28204 sweetsexything, vancouver, Canada, 5 hours ago You guys are right! The Queen cannot decide Harry’s bride. However, the British can decide which Royal Family needs to be supported. Harry and Meghan (who shows up at least £2k for an event) need to fund themselves. But this is only a dream. Queen Elizabeth has been supporting non significant royal family members such as the KENTS. And it is ridiculous to hear that someone suggested, support Doria and Mr. Markle living and house expenses. I hope the British is not supporting Doria. But…. but… maybe RF is already supporting her since she is not working anymore. Ridiculous!!! Sleeping Britain. New9208 Pgtips2018, Ashford, United Kingdom, 5 hours ago Rubbish! It will be the ruin of the country if that ever happens. Our beloved Royal Family is what makes this country great! New12750 JR, San Francisco, 5 hours ago Great point, @Mythoughtonthings - whenever I’ve spent time in England it hasn’t been to “hopefully see the Royals”. Castles, museums, parks, cities, restaurants, etc will continue to exist with or without the RF, and I would definitely continue to visit. Over time, I’ve come to agree with folks who think that the Queen’s reign would be a good point at which to bring down the curtain on the RF, a fitting finale. She’s done a great job, but pondering the next monarchs doesn’t fill me with confidence that they’ll lead as well. At ALL. New16153 redder, Vienna, Austria, 5 hours ago It creats billions New10734 ShireView, Cheltenham, United Kingdom, 5 hours ago Jack Roth is going to be mortified. He is a red tick addict. How can you green tick him? New2434 bingofan, West, United Kingdom, 4 hours ago Lol @Jack - Check out Republic`s own poll taken in May. Only 16% of the British people would like to see the monarchy come to an end on the death of HM the Queen. Even Meghan and the US Markles will not be able to bring it down. Charles will be King. New8335 D63, Greenville, United States, 4 hours ago LoveThisLife, do tell more! New342 Aunt Ann, Forsyte Change Bayswater Rd, United Kingdom, 4 hours ago I¿m confused! Eberyone said Meghan was the narcissist. Now she tells us that, it Is her Dad who is the narcissist (one finger pointing at him, and three fingers pointing back at herself?!). What on earth does all those mean? New1682 UhOhGameOver888, Babylon, United States, 3 hours ago Bingofan, people support the Queen, that is who they support. She embodies the monarchy and that is who they are supporting in those polls. Charles on the other hand is without question despised widely and deeply. Go to YouGov . co . uk and look up Charles aggregated rating for public approval per many, many YouGOvv polls. It is -7. That’s right MINUS Seven! And Camilla’s is -20. MINUS Seven and MINUS 20 is ABYSMAL. Big Ears may go for broke and force through his coronation after HM passes but he won’t be on the Throne long. Either he will step down for William or the monarchy will end. The BRF will never survive a King Charles and Queen Consort Camilla. New1258 mforever, London, United Kingdom, 3 hours ago Aunt Ann - A true narcissist has a complete lack of insight and will often portray themselves as the victim when they are in fact the villa in. Mr Markle has consistently been portrayed as a shy, humble man in stories from several years back and until today. New354 mforever, London, United Kingdom, 3 hours ago Aunt Ann - A true narcissist has a complete lack of insight and the narcissistic perpetrators typically portray themselves as the victims. Mr Markle has consistently been portrayed as a shy, humble man in every story written about him describing him from years back until today. New337 SenseMaker, Seattle, United States, 3 hours ago That means Like Father, Like Daughter. And an apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. When I read it, it’s such an irony that she calls her father narcissist when she’s also one. LOL New862 LightDweller, Bournemouth, United Kingdom, 3 hours ago Harry, you and your grotesque wife need to go. Neither of you are fit to represent this country. New895 Xbox-vs-playstation, Virtual world, United Kingdom, 3 hours ago So when Cornyn said the same thing DM readers hated him. Now the royal family has someone brown they dislike the royal now New416 UhOhGameOver888, Babylon, United States, 2 hours ago Brown. … What a joke! Meghan has lighter skin than many Anglo people. And SHE’s the 0reo who narrowed her nose, straightened her kin ky hair and hides it with wigs, dates only Whyte rich men, and has one sole B la ck friend (Serena W., who is really more of an acquaintance than a friend). She has never affiliated herself with any B l ack community-focused work, centrist or otherwise, despite claiming to be an “progressive activist”. She is the biggest r@ce passer ever. She only turned her “Royal” wedding into Amateur Night at the Apollo Theater because it fit her R card agenda against the Royals and the U.K. Press to do so. It was just another exploitative brick in her PR wall. New468 Kittenwhisperer, Hove, United Kingdom, 2 hours ago Jack dear heart I’ve missed you! New523 Lappidoth, UK, United Kingdom, 2 hours ago She tried entering while flipping the r card by releasing a statement on it before she got in there. Problem is, we can’t stand the sight of her, regardless to skin, although we are a bit gingerist now if that counts for anything? I put my comment in, some snowflake had it removed, feel free to consult my profile. My comment stands.

New560 Be Aware, Los Angeles, United States, 8 hours ago Of course she’s past all that - why, she’s a successful gold miner!! (Replies) New4542799 LittleMissChester, Chester, United Kingdom, 7 hours ago She’s embarrassed of him. She’s very materialistic and is very self absorbed. She doesn’t want an embarrassment like him hanging around. New25373 Nomdeplume, melbourne, 7 hours ago No fan. But I never believe a story that says 'close friends’ or 'source’. New36183 Audreyshepburn, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, 7 hours ago She doesn’t need to be reminded of her trashy family background anymore. New51169 JS, Somerset, United Kingdom, 7 hours ago The sick, elderly daddy she has publicly stated she adored, who brought her up alone and spent all his money on, has been unceremoniously dumped as the self styled humanitarian has no further use for him. New19320 LittleMissChester, Chester, United Kingdom, 7 hours ago I’m not saying he is but I believe she thinks he is New1484 Whitewinger, Ktown, United States, 7 hours ago Obviously she does Audrey…they ARE her family..whether she chooses to associate with them or not..personally just from the fact she has not even seen her father since she got married speaks volumes about HER. New15195 Babe, In Belgium, 7 hours ago Team Meghan. You like her dad so much, you are welcome to him. New19028 Louisa, London, United Kingdom, 7 hours ago @ Nomdeplume - “close friend” has always been recognised in the industry if not actually from the horse’s mouth, then from someone instructed to speak on the person’s behalf. The DM has run many, many stories with a close friend or source cited, and they’re always pretty close to the truth which inevitably with this woman, shakes out sooner or later. New9209 AmazingGrace77, London, United Kingdom, 7 hours ago Do you know her or are you talking from experience…. New21045 Ingie_1999, Nowhere, United States, 7 hours ago Watch when she gets pregnant … Oh, brother! New23239 Mbb, Chicago, United States, 5 hours ago She’s worth her own millions do some research! New14927 Tuneful, Silver Spring MD, United States, 5 hours ago So HE’s the narcissist?! Talk about “pot, meet kettle.” New7103 Eve, London, United Kingdom, 5 hours ago @Mbb, they know, just the sort of people who hang on to being negative at all costs. New234 HRH 2, London, United Kingdom, 5 hours ago Mbb: then why didn’t she dress like this before Harry, eh? She didn’t even own a home or car. She spent all her money on PR to get into the circles of someone rich and famous in the UK. New7120 lokoti, norwich, United Kingdom, 4 hours ago The same applys for her marriage- she’s been down that road many times! New566 LeeG., Branson, United States, 4 hours ago So many catty remarks. Meow. New5316 FunnyToo, Atlantic, Western Sahara, 4 hours ago Spot on! Move onto the next mine after one is depleted! If anyone thinks this helps improve her image in any way :) :) :) :) :) :) New635 miaumiau66, Nowhere, United Kingdom, 4 hours ago Golldd digggg@ New674 Taurus777, Botosani, United Kingdom, 4 hours ago Once he dies she’ll be crying for ages..no matter what lies she tells herself now. New1444 UhOhGameOver888, Babylon, United States, 3 hours ago “Narcissistic personality disorder (NPD) is a personality disorder with a long-term pattern of abnormal behavior characterized by exaggerated feelings of self-importance, an excessive need for admiration, and a lack of empathy.” That’s the textbook definition of narcissism. That fits Meghan Markle the user to a T, not dumped Papa Markle who sacrificed so much for her – he could have lived very well off his multiple jobs income and his lottery winnings but instead he sank it all into Meghan and lived in a modest, low-rent flat. Who has Meghan EVER sacrificed anything for? She uses and dumps people and pets and hasn’t a giving bone in her body. New11140 CelesteT, Devon, United Kingdom, 2 hours ago Gameover, you are spot on! Narcs come out on top because they will trample over anyone to get there! That is Meghan to a T not her poor old lonely father.

[techcrunchappcom]

New Post has been published on https://techcrunchapp.com/the-latest-biden-raises-record-383-million-in-september-national-news/

The Latest: Biden raises record $383 million in September | National News

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Latest on the 2020 presidential race (all times local):

9:45 p.m.

Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden raised $383 million for his election effort in September, a record-breaking sum that eclipses the unprecedented fundraising from the previous month.

The haul, announced Wednesday night, leaves him with $432 million in the bank just weeks before the Nov. 3 election. He raised the money in conjunction with the Democratic National Committee.

The gobs of cash Biden has raised since securing the nomination amount to a complete reversal in fortune for the former vice president. During the Democratic primary, he struggled to raise cash and was almost broke by the time he won the South Carolina primary, which catapulted him to a commanding Super Tuesday performance.

In the months since, a flood of donations and low spending has enabled him to eclipse President Donald Trump’s once-formidable cash reserves. Biden’s campaign and the DNC raised $364 million in August.

In the tweet announcing his September haul, Biden thanked his supporters and said he was “humbled.” He added: “There’s still more work to be done, but I wanted to share the good news.”

The Trump campaign hasn’t yet released their September fundraising numbers.

———

HERE’S WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT WHAT’S HAPPENING IN THE PRESIDENTIAL RACE:

President Donald Trump is being forced to play Electoral College defense with a trip to Iowa, a state he won handily in 2016 but where Democrat Joe Biden is making a late push. Biden doesn’t have any public campaign events scheduled Wednesday.

Read more:

— Democrats, Republicans stretch for hard-to-get districts in House races.

— AP FACT CHECK: Trump falsifies Biden stance on fracking.

— NBC sets Trump town hall.

HERE’S WHAT ELSE IS GOING ON:

9 p.m.

President Donald Trump says he doesn’t mind running against former Vice President Joe Biden, but he wouldn’t want to run against his Supreme Court nominee, Amy Coney Barrett.

Speaking to supporters in Iowa on Wednesday, Trump got some of his biggest cheers when he brought up her confirmation hearings before the Senate Judiciary Committee.

He joked, “Please promise me, Amy, you’ll never run.”

Trump calls Barrett a “great intellect” who is deftly handling the questioning she is getting, particularly from Democrats, and “she handles it like nothing.”

Trump says he hasn’t spoken with Barrett for a few days, “and I just want to say we made the right choice with Amy.”

If Barrett is confirmed, which is expected, she would replace liberal Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who died last month.

———

8:55 p.m.

Former President Barack Obama says his administration’s inability to eliminate racial bias in the criminal justice system may have left some Americans “skeptical about what the government can do.”

Obama was asked on an episode of “Pod Save America” released Wednesday night about what he would say to anyone still deciding whether to vote in next month’s presidential election — especially young people and minorities.

“Some of them may have been frustrated about my failure to have completely transformed the criminal justice system to eliminate racial bias,” Obama responded. “Part of that is because 90% of criminal sentencing typically is taking place at the state rather than the federal level.”

Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden has vowed to address institutional racism in the criminal justice system during his first 100 days in office. Obama didn’t address that goal specifically but said government can’t solve some of the nation’s most ingrained problems “overnight.”

Still, Obama said that’s no reason not to cast a ballot.

“The idea that you’d give away your power because you’re not getting 100% when you could get 30%, 40%, 50% better, that doesn’t make any sense,” he said.

———

3:20 p.m.

A Michigan congressman says he tested positive for the coronavirus before he was scheduled to appear at a campaign rally in the state with Vice President Mike Pence.

Republican Rep. Bill Huizenga said on Twitter on Wednesday that he took a rapid test and was isolating while awaiting results from a second test to confirm the results.

Pence spoke for about an hour outdoors at Lacks Enterprises in Cascade Township, near Grand Rapids. Peter Meijer, a Republican running for Congress, greeted and introduced Pence.

Pence says, “The road to victory runs right through Michigan.”

———

2:10 p.m.

President Donald Trump is expected to announce that he will present the Medal of Freedom to Dan Gable, a renowned wrestler and coach from Iowa.

Trump’s decision to award one of the nation’s highest civilian honors to Gable comes during a tight race in a state in which Gable is a sports legend. He was a champion wrestler at Iowa State University, and as a coach, led the University of Iowa to 15 NCAA team titles. He also won the gold medal in the 1972 Olympics.

Trump told the local ABC station in Des Moines on Wednesday that he would be presenting the award to Gable “today or shortly thereafter.” Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, also tweeted that congratulations were in order for Gable.

The Presidential Medal of Freedom is awarded to people who have made exceptional contributions to the security or national interests of America, or to its culture or other significant endeavors. Trump has presented the award to several athletes during his nearly four years in office.

Trump is scheduled to hold a campaign rally at the Des Moines International Airport on Wednesday.

———

11:45 a.m.

President Donald Trump is describing the choice for voters in the Nov. 3 election as a “choice between the socialist nightmare and the American dream.”

Trump is promising a COVID-19 vaccine before the end of the year and claiming that if “the left wins power” they will shut down the economy and prolong the pandemic.

Trump was speaking Wednesday to economists from Washington, New York, Pittsburgh and elsewhere in a video address from the White House.

The pitch is comparable to the message Trump is delivering at rallies as the election campaign enters its final three weeks.

Trump, his voice raspy at times, called for those at lower risk of severe illness to the novel coronavirus to return to more normal economic activity. He says lockdowns are needlessly destroying lives.

He says he’ll push for more infrastructure investment in a second term, though Republicans and Democrats have struggled over how to pay for better roads, bridges and mass transit. He says he’ll continue to push for tax cuts while Democrats want to raise taxes.

———

7:55 a.m.

In lieu of a formal debate, President Donald Trump has agreed to answer voters’ questions during a town hall program sponsored by NBC News on Thursday night.

The event will be held outdoors at the Perez Art Museum in Miami.

NBC News says it has a statement from National Institutes of Health clinical director Dr. Clifford Lane indicating he and White House coronavirus task force member Dr. Anthony Fauci have reviewed Trump’s medical data and concluded with a “high degree of confidence” the president is “not shedding infectious virus.”

Trump tested positive for the coronavirus Oct. 2. He spent three days at the Walter Reed military hospital. He resumed public appearances over the weekend and resumed campaign travel Monday.

A formal matchup between the Republican president and Democrat Joe Biden that was scheduled for Thursday in Miami by the nonpartisan Commission on Presidential Debate was canceled. The commission shifted the format from a town hall to a virtual meeting, and Trump declined to participate.

Biden is participating in an ABC News town hall Thursday in Philadelphia.

[tego-nie-ma]

The Persecution of Daniel Lee

 An Internet smear campaign nearly destroyed the South Korean star, but he fought back with the only weapon he had: the truth.

July/August 2011

Photo: Timothy Archibald; Hair and makeup: Veronica Sjoen/Artist Untied            

By Joshua Davis

On August 19, 2010, Dan Lee stood on the steps of Meyer Library and pointed to a nearby patch of grass.

"The Rodin statue," he said nervously. "It was here."

The Korean television crew following him noted that there was nothing there, just a well-mowed lawn. Students on bikes zipped past, paying no attention to the cameras or the skinny, dark-haired 30-year-old they were filming. In Seoul, it was hard for Lee to walk down the street without being mobbed. To Koreans, he was known as Tablo, a chart-topping rapper who was also married to one of the country's most prominent movie stars. Until recently, he had been one of Korea's biggest celebrities. Now his career was in tatters, he'd parted ways with his record label, and his family was receiving death threats.

The reason? Hundreds of thousands of Koreans refused to believe that Lee, '02, MA '02, graduated from Stanford.

The cameraman for the television crew closed in on Lee as he looked at the empty lawn. They were here to document for Korean national TV whether or not Lee was a liar.

"It's not here anymore," Lee said, staring at the spot where he knew The Thinker had been. He rubbed his face and wondered if maybe he was going crazy.

When the program aired two months later in Korea, this was the opening moment.

In 2001, when Lee told his parents that he was going to be a hip-hop musician, they were horrified. They were thinking doctor or lawyer, not rapper. In Korea at the time, hip-hop was not a popular genre. The music scene was dominated by attractive young people assembled into groups by record labels. They belted out sugary sweet songs—dubbed K-Pop—and strived to sound upbeat and happy. Critics saw no room for a guy who produced his own lyrically complex music, particularly when it dealt with issues like discrimination and class warfare.

Lee formed a band with two other musicians. They called themselves Epik High and released their first album—Map of the Human Soul—in 2003. It begins with a swirl of harps and what sounds like a 1950s-era ballroom dance class: "We're now going to progress to some steps which are a bit more difficult," an instructor says in English. Then there's an explosion of lyrics, beats and a dense overlay of sounds.                              

It was infectious and Epik High went on to release seven albums during the next seven years—an astounding burst of productivity. Five of those albums reached No. 1 on the Korean charts and they scored six No. 1 singles. As if that weren't enough, Lee published a collection of short stories in both English and Korean in 2008. It sold 50,000 copies in its first week and became a bestseller in Korea.

Lee's music had such broad appeal that he began to attract fans outside of Korea. He launched a series of U.S. tours starting in 2006, playing Caesars Palace in Las Vegas and the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles. In March 2010, Epik High became the first Korean group to reach No. 1 on the iTunes U.S. hip-hop sales charts, topping Jay-Z, Kayne West and the Black Eyed Peas. Korean hip-hop had broken through.

It seemed like a modern fairy tale, complete with a match made in celebrity heaven. In 2009, Lee married Kang Hye Jung, a beautiful actress with a string of hit movies. Celebrity blogs in Korea breathlessly reported news of the wedding in October 2009 and hundreds posted comments of support.

"OMG!!!!!! CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!!!" one fan wrote deliriously. "OMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMG."

"Way to break a girl's heart," wrote another more ominously.

In the summer of 2010, Korea was reeling from a streak of fake diploma scandals. It began in 2007, when the chief curator of a modern art museum in Seoul was found to have fabricated her Yale PhD. (It didn't help that Yale initially confirmed the degree.) She was jailed for 18 months on forgery charges, and a nationwide hunt for other offenders ensued. Prosecutors investigated at least 120 cases of diploma fraud, ensnaring celebrities, politicians and even a monk.

"There are definitely more people out there," one of the prosecutors told the Bloomberg news service in 2007. "We just can't spot them."

While this was happening, Lee regularly appeared on Korean television shows and was asked about his credentials. He said that he had not only graduated from Stanford in 3 ½ years, but that he also had received a master's degree in that time. He said he had written his book, Pieces of You, while he was an undergrad and that he had received a creative writing award for one of the stories from author and Stanford professor Tobias Wolff, MA '78.

In May 2010, a group of Internet users created an online forum titled "We Request the Truth from Tablo," better known by its Korean acronym TaJinYo. The group didn't buy Lee's story. They started referring to him as "God-blo" because only God could have accomplished as much as Lee. The members of the group participated anonymously and attacked Lee from behind user names such as Whatbecomes and Spongebobo.

To many in Korea, TaJinYo's questions were legitimate. For instance, it usually takes four years to complete a bachelor's degree. A master's normally takes another two. Students typically also write a thesis to attain a master's and yet Lee said that he never wrote one.

Lee hesitated to respond. The whole thing was absurd to him. He was a musician. What did his degree matter?

To his detractors, it mattered a lot. "What is it good for in rapping? Nothing," says Hyungjin Ahn, a vocal critic. "But Koreans still said, 'Wow, he is great. If we listen to his rap, we could get in touch with something genius and holy.' Mothers in Korea worshipped him. He was a role model for every child in Korea at that time."

Entertainment gossip sites reported the existence of the anti-Tablo site and membership swelled to nearly 200,000, many of whom launched their own investigations into Lee's past. Tobias Wolff and Stanford registrar Thomas Black were barraged by emails from Koreans who questioned Lee's educational background. Black alone received 133 emails on the subject. Everybody wanted to know one thing: Was Lee lying?

When online hecklers started to criticize his wife for marrying him, Lee realized something had to be done to protect his family's reputation. On June 11, he released his transcript to the JoonAng Daily, a newspaper in Seoul. That same week, Black issued an official letter.

"Daniel Seon Woong Lee entered Stanford University in the Autumn Quarter of 1998-99 and graduated with a BA in English and an MA in English in 2002. Any suggestions, speculations or innuendos to the contrary are patently false. Daniel Seon Woong Lee is an alumnus in good standing of Stanford University."

That should have been the end of it. Instead, it was just the beginning.

As the members of TaJinYo began to dissect Lee's public statements and dig further into his past, an elaborate conspiracy theory took hold. Forum members were willing to accept that a man named Dan Lee graduated from Stanford, but they weren't willing to accept that the rapper they knew as Tablo was the same person. They argued that Tablo had taken over Dan Lee's identity in order to parlay a Stanford credential into fame and fortune.

"He just paid a lot of money to do this, lied about it and still became famous," one forum member told a Korean TV crew, who blurred her face. "It represents a total loss of hope for people who work hard."

The conspiracy theorists did not just accuse Lee, they implicated his entire family. An anonymous researcher uncovered a newspaper clipping from 1995 that stated that Lee's mother had won a gold medal at an international hairstyling competition in 1968. The researcher posted it online and pointed out that Lee's mother did not actually win the medal, implying that Lee's family had been lying about their achievements for decades.

"Can anybody give me the phone number of Tablo's mom's hair salon?" wrote one Internet user. "I would like to ask her how it feels to be a criminal."

Lee's mother began to receive threatening phone calls. At a family dinner, she answered her cell phone and heard a man's voice. "You're a whore," he said. "You and your family should leave Korea."

The attacks spread. Posts appeared that questioned Lee's brother David, who had begun a master's at Columbia but never finished. A researcher found a web page that indicated that David had completed the master's and calls flooded into the public broadcasting channel in Seoul where he worked. He was fired.

David's home address and phone numbers were published and he also started to receive worrisome calls. One caller threatened to stab him to death for his alleged transgressions. The tenor of the anonymous mob was turning decidedly more violent.

"If #blobyblo doesn't leave Korea, something bad might happen to him," one heckler warned on Twitter, referring to Lee by his Twitter handle.

Lee felt that his recording label, Woolim Entertainment, was doing little to counter the accusations against him and his family. "We have nothing to say about allegations against Tablo that he had fake education qualifications," the agency stated on June 7. Two days later, it publicly pledged to help, but Lee felt that his representatives never followed through. He left the label later that month.

"It broke my heart," he says. "They abandoned me."

In the midst of the controversy, Lee's wife gave birth to their first child. It was a moment of joy, but as Lee walked the corridors of the hospital, he saw people looking at him coldly and he panicked.

"Since my attackers were all anonymous, there was no way for me to know who was after me," Lee says. "I didn't know if the doctor, who's putting needles in my baby, is one of those people. It was terrifying."

On the streets, strangers would shout at him, calling him a liar and a cheat. "It was like I had stepped into the middle of a modern-day witch hunt," he says.

Lee stopped going out—the environment had become too hostile. Still, he did his best to respond to the attacks. Fifteen years prior, Lee's mother had contacted the author of the newspaper article that incorrectly stated that she had won the medal. She had told him that it was an error and he apologized. Now the reporter issued a statement confirming the mistake and Lee forwarded it to the press.

He also tried to explain that his brother did not maintain the web page that indicated he had completed a master's. Whoever had typed the information made the error. Lee pointed to other online résumés that correctly stated David's credentials.

The conspiracy theorists online dismissed all this as simply part of the conspiracy. They argued that the reporter had been paid to defend Lee and didn't believe that the error in David's résumé was accidental. Lee's efforts to answer their questions were turned into evidence of how far he was willing to go to defend his false identity.

Part of their suspicion stemmed from the fact that Lee is not actually a Korean citizen. When he was 8, his family had moved to Canada; he became a Canadian citizen when he was 12. That meant he was exempt from compulsory military service, even while his two Epik High bandmates were drafted. Many forum commenters interpreted this as yet another example of how Lee had gamed the system.

The doubters scored what they believed was a major victory when they discovered a man on Facebook named Daniel Lee who got a degree from Stanford in 2002. This Daniel Lee lived in Wisconsin and worked as a mechanical engineer. Tablo, they claimed, had stolen his identity.

In the registrar's office, Black fielded a series of emails about this allegation. The truth: Two Daniel Lees received Stanford degrees in 2002. One got a BA and master's in English and became a rapper in Korea; the other got a master's in mechanical engineering and works at a product design firm in Wisconsin.

"One day I started getting random emails from people in Korea who were violently angry at me for allowing some rapper to steal my identity," says the other Daniel Lee, laughing at the recollection. "I had no idea what they were talking about."

Black repeatedly confirmed that Daniel Lee the English major was a graduate in good standing but that only seemed to create more agitation. Some emailed to question Black's integrity, suggesting that he was colluding with Lee. Black got angry. "These people don't want the truth," he says. "They dismiss everything that doesn't align with what they already believe."

Lee continued to fight back. On August 5, 2010, he released his Canadian citizenship certificate to the press. To his astonishment, he was promptly sued by four anonymous Koreans who charged him with forgery.

"I was doing everything they asked and it was never good enough," Lee says. "That's when I realized that they weren't looking for answers, they just wanted to destroy me."

Korean media widely reported the suit, which only served to further sow doubt about Lee's identity among the general population. Gossip-oriented celebrity sites pored over every detail of the charges; the mainstream press even covered the case. The fact that Stanford had officially confirmed Lee's diploma did not seem to check the flow of articles. By midsummer, Lee's travails had become one of the biggest news stories in the country.

Sean Lim, '01, MA '02, had a front-row seat to the drama. He was a morning news anchor for Arirang, an English-language network in Korea, and watched with horror as the story dominated the summer news. It was a surreal experience because he knew Lee wasn't lying: The two were friends from Stanford.

In fact, Lim could count himself as one of Lee's oldest fans. He lived with Lee in Okada, and was an enthusiastic member of the audience at the small dorm events Lee's first hip-hop group, 4n Objectz, played. So when people started to question Lee's background, Lim told everyone he could that Lee was a Stanford graduate.

"The problem was that it was just me and the people I ran into against the millions online," Lim says.

One man's word wasn't going to turn the tide so Lim contacted Kevin Woo, MS '92, the secretary of the Stanford Club of Korea. Lim asked the group to issue a statement in Korean vouching for Lee. He felt that part of the problem was that all of the evidence in support of Lee was in English and was coming from Stanford, an overseas source. Maybe if a trusted Korean organization such as the local alumni association took action, it would come in a form that ordinary Koreans could appreciate.

The president of the association, Joon Chung, MS '88, PhD '93, decided not to issue a statement. "It was an unusual situation," he says. "Some people believe it's not good to respond to irrationality."

According to Woo, Chung wanted to do something publicly to support Lee but alums in Korea warned him not to. These alums had never met Lee—he'd never attended an association meeting—so many felt that they couldn't be sure that he was who he said he was. They were afraid that their reputation as Stanford alumni in Korea would be tarnished if they erroneously vouched for the rapper.

Instead Chung sent an email to members urging them to take individual action on Lee's behalf. It would be up to each member to decide whether or not to do anything.

Lim was furious. "They left Dan hanging out to dry," he says. "They could have ended this but nobody wanted to get close to the fire."

It was an understandable fear. The online mob wanted blood, and anybody who stood up against them could incur their wrath. Lim himself admits he struggled with the decision to help. He had a job in broadcasting and relied on public goodwill. He could endanger his career if he spoke out. "I'm ashamed to say that I thought twice about helping Dan," he says. "I saw what they were doing to him and I was scared."

Lim met with his old friend at an out-of-the-way coffee shop in July. Lee looked exhausted and said he hadn't been sleeping. He was depressed and his emotions were getting the better of him. Only months earlier, he had played sold-out concerts and was besieged by requests for autographs on the street. Now, he had to sneak around just to meet a friend. "I was contemplating whether my life was actually worth living," Lee says.

Lim realized there was no choice: He had to do something. He started emailing friends from Lee's days at Stanford and, collectively, 22 of them formed a Facebook page in support of Lee.

"I don't want the memories Dan, I, and others shared to be erased by people seeking to prove that he never went to Stanford," wrote Eddy (Chi) Qi, '01. "Memories including him taking my drunk and occasionally vomiting self (once on his shoe) back to my dorm after a party."

"I remember suffering through some rough early performances at the AASA [Asian American Students' Association] talent shows and am glad to know his talent eventually caught up to his enthusiasm," wrote Tipatat Chennavasin, '00.

Although the Korean press reported that Lee's Stanford friends were rallying around him, TaJinYo members refused to believe it was real. Kang Han, '02, a friend from Lee's freshman year and the first to post on the Facebook site, received threats even though he lived in Los Angeles. "Watch your back," one person messaged him. Another peppered him with emailed insults and called him a liar.

In Korea, Lim received a call from the prosecutor investigating the charges against Lee. He was asked to come to the division headquarters in Seoul and bring his Stanford diploma. When he arrived, an investigator took the diploma and held it up to the light to determine if it was a forgery.

"You've got to be kidding me," Lim said. "You want to test the paper too?"

The investigator looked at him without smiling and told him he was going to send the document over to the forensics department to test the paper.

"I started to understand how Dan felt," Lim says.

When the attacks on Tablo began in the spring of 2010, Ki Yeon Sung received more than 200 emails requesting that she investigate Lee. She was a seasoned producer with a show called PD Note, something akin to 60 Minutes in Korea, and explored topics such as politics, organized crime and corruption. Celebrity gossip wasn't her beat so she ignored the requests.

"We have more important things to worry about in Korea," she thought at the time.

The situation changed when the attacks grew to include anybody who offered evidence that supported Lee. Reporters and their managers who published stories disputing TaiJinYo claims about Lee were flooded with outraged emails, calls and demands for the reporter's resignation. Nobody wanted to be threatened so, according to Sung, reporters stopped adequately questioning the validity of the claims. As the story became one of the top news items in the country that summer, she saw that the mob was have a chilling effect on the coverage. That's when it became something worth worrying about.

Not that Sung necessarily believed Lee. It did seem unusual to her that Lee had accomplished so much, so fast, and she could understand how people might have doubts. Many students studied extraordinarily hard to get into a top school and then worked even harder to do well once they were there. Lee appeared to have breezed through Stanford in a short amount of time and come away with a master's on top of it. His story had the power to make people feel stupid.

The dominant conspiracy theory suggested that Lee had appropriated someone's identity, so Sung decided to challenge him directly on this point. If Lee was who he said he was, then he should be able to travel to California and request a transcript in person. If he got it, the mystery would be solved.

Lee accepted the challenge.

It was the first time Lee had been back to campus since graduation and a lot had changed. For one, the damn Rodin sculpture had been moved, and that had the potential to make him look like a liar on Korean national TV. (When not on loan to other institutions, The Thinker now resides in the Cantor Arts Center.)

Luckily, when he walked into the English department, student services manager Judy Candell recognized him and gave him a hug. She'd heard about his troubles. "I hope all this goes away," she said. "Because we believe in you."

The camera crew followed him to the registrar's office where Thomas Black was waiting. Lee pulled his diploma and transcript out of his backpack and laid them down on a table for Black to inspect. He also handed Black his passport. Black printed Lee's transcript off his own server, compared the two and checked Lee's name against the name listed in the passport.

"It's exactly the same," Black concluded, holding up the two transcripts. "Line for line, word for word."

The footage would air as part of a two-part special on MBC, one of Korea's four national networks. Lee was vindicated, but all he could feel was numbness.

"The people who are doing this to me will never stop," he said. "They just won't believe me no matter what I do."

Lee filed suit against 20 of his most virulent attackers. By October, the prosecutor investigating both his claims and the allegations against him determined that Lee was who he said he was. The prosecutor demanded that a Korean Internet site divulge the true identities of the 20 attackers. Whatbecomes, the leading agitator, was revealed as Eung Kim, a 57-year-old Korean-American businessman living in Chicago. Korean police asked him to report for questioning.

"I posted in a fair manner, so I will not answer the summons," he told them.

The police then issued an international warrant for his arrest, which he has defied now for months. On the TaJinYo forum, Kim questioned whether defamation was an international crime and vented his frustration at being unjustly targeted. "I am so angry they are treating me like a suspect when they have not confirmed I am a criminal," he wrote.

To outside observers, the case was closed. At a cabinet meeting, Korean President Lee Myung-bak stated that what happened to Lee was a "witch hunt that should never happen again." Ashton Kutcher, who follows Lee on Twitter, chimed in. "Time to kill the evil eye on this guy," he tweeted.

Lee, however, hasn't recovered. He's still afraid to go out in public and doesn't know if he'll ever be able to perform for an audience again. This May, he returned to Stanford to give a speech to the Asian American Students' Association. It was his first public appearance since the controversy erupted and even though it was a friendly crowd, Lee was paralyzed by stage fright, something he'd never experienced before. He felt nauseated throughout the talk and periodically had to pause to catch his breath. It reinforced his fear that he'd never be able to dominate a stage as he once did.

"Honestly, I'm damaged," he says. "And I don't know if I'll ever be better."

The crowd didn't seem to mind. After the speech, Lee was surprised to see a long line of people waiting for his autograph. He posed for pictures and seemed to relax. He smiled and, for a moment, there was a glimmer of hope.

source: Stanford Magazine

[trenttrendspotter]

“Just move daily!” With Nancy Trent

By Dr. William Seeds, Dr. Seeds, An orthopedic surgeon on a mission

Nancy Trent is a writer and speaker, a lifelong health advocate, a wellness influencer, a globe-trotting trend watcher, and the founder and president of Trent & Company, a leading health, and wellness PR firm. Nancy is an investigative reporter turned PR guru with seven books under her belt, continuing to spot and spark trends wherever she goes. Today, she is running publicity and social media campaigns for 50 different lifestyle clients across various industries.

Thank you for joining us! Can you share your “backstory” with us?

My father was tremendously influential in my outlook. He was an early health enthusiast and the first person that anyone in our family or neighborhood knew who took vitamins, ate healthy and exercised daily.

At an early age, I began to exercise with him every morning and started eating what we thought were healthy foods.

He was a vegetarian in college and that inspired me…he also learned about yoga there and we had fun trying asanas we saw in books.

I loved jogging and hiking and when I went to school out West. I made friends with others who had similar interests.

Soon I was writing about healthy subjects for local papers and magazines while studying journalism in school.

When I graduated, I began my career as an investigative reporter and wrote seven books on health and fitness before transitioning into public relations.

Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you started your career?

As a part of one of my early promotions, I was given the opportunity to introduce a major pharmaceutical product. As soon as I discovered the drug had more side effects than impact, I told my boss I didn’t want to work on it because it was bad business. He accused me of being immature and unprofessional. I quit the next day and decided to start my own business focused on real health.

When I was first working on healthy products it wasn’t the sexy, cool industry it is today. I had to educate people to be open to health-oriented brands and learn to talk about what they were interested in.

I am so grateful that people are realizing that if they want the most out of life, they have to increase their odds by taking care of themselves, physically, mentally and spiritually.

What were the main lessons or takeaways from that story?

Do what you believe in… there’s probably a good reason why YOU believe in it.

Hard work pays off no matter what anyone tells you…there is no such thing as an overnight success…results are never easy…trust me, overnight successes take a long time.

Never do anything that makes you feel uneasy or queasy…listen to your instincts.

Can you share a story about the biggest mistake you made when you were first starting?

I worked really hard for people who didn’t have the patience for PR and who did not care about the product or campaign as much as I did. While I kept working for them because I believed in their product, the effort and passion were not reciprocal. PR is a collaborative effort and mutual respect is non-negotiable.

Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?

Work with passionate and compassionate people that are in it for the higher good. They will inspire and appreciate you to be the best partner and do your best work.

None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are?

My first account was Blue Mountain Arts Greeting Cards, founded by Susan Polis Schutz, America’s best-selling poet. Although she thought some of my creative ideas were crazy, she trusted me, she appreciated how hard I worked, and my optimism. I would never let her down and she knew it. I still work for her on some of her amazing documentaries.

Can you share a story about that?

It’s public knowledge that Susan had depression issues. I never questioned her…I thought her moods were because she was an artist and I respected that. I had no idea of the pain she went through until she wrote about it in Depression & Back and made a documentary about it; The Misunderstood Epidemic: Depression. Sometimes when she didn’t feel up to talking to a journalist, I would take her interviews for her over the phone. Reporters would tell who they thought was Susan that she sounded like me, and I acted like I was surprised. When I spoke to the reporters again as myself, I would tell them that I was honored to sound like an artist as accomplished as Susan. She sold more poetry books than any other author. Amazing!

Ok perfect. Now let’s jump to our main focus. When it comes to health and wellness, how is the work you are doing helping to make a bigger impact in the world?

There isn’t a major wellness trend that our agency hasn’t been involved in.

We’ve been a part of the mainstreaming of trends that changed the way we care for ourselves. From spa-ing, juicing, alkaline and plant-based eating, probiotics, and greening, we have had the pleasure of turning innovators into category leaders.

We helped create the fitness craze that started in the late 80s with the Reebok Step, the Body Bar and the Spinning Bike with Johnny G.

We were at the forefront of the plant-based movement starting with the China Study, Vega Plant-Based Protein and Quorn MycoProtein Meat Substitute.

Before that, we spread yoga in all forms from gurus like Gurmukh to organizations such as Kundalini, Hot Yoga and the USA Yoga Federation. We handled the press for the national yoga championships and helped the Brahma Kumaris open the first meditation museum.

We started the juicing revolution with Jay Kordich, the original Juiceman Juicer which we launched more than 25 years ago and continued later for our work with Earth Bar and Organic Avenue juice bars.

Can you share your top five “lifestyle tweaks” that you believe will help support people’s journey towards better wellbeing? Please give an example or story for each.

Movement — Any exercise keeps your equipment in better working order. Just move daily!

Supplementation — When we were first asked to promote a probiotic, I laughed my head off at the idea of ingesting bacteria…famous last words. Probiotics, prebiotic, medicinal mushrooms, glutathione, resveratrol, polyphenols, electrolytes — you need to take them all because you are not getting them through today’s foods no matter how healthy you eat.

Plant focused diet — I like eating and you can eat more vegetables than anything.

Prevention –Active people tend to focus on recovery, but prevention comes first.

Embrace stress — Stress can be good for you — You are not a lump, you are alive, a seed breaking through the ground. How you embrace stress is the issue. I see it as a mild cardiovascular work-out. It’s fun juggling too many things. Stress is a byproduct of productivity. You just have to keep punching.

If you could start a movement that would bring the most amount of wellness to the most amount of people, what would that be?

I already have but now I really am committed to getting people obsessed on prevention, aging healthfully and living more purposeful lives. If you love what you do you don’t work a day of your life.

What are your “5 Things I Wish Someone Told Me Before I Started” and why?

Actually, there are things everyone always tells you that don’t apply to entrepreneurs.

1. Work-life balance doesn’t work for everyone — It never worked for me and I hope it never does. I thrive on the intensity of the experience. Before I started my business when I first started my business and to this day. I work like a rabid animal. I am breaking inertia. I am getting people to do things they don’t want to do because ultimately it will be a better choice. Your brain has to always be on because you never know when that great idea will come. I rationalize that balance is going from one extreme to another. I work hard but I am with my family and friends, laugh, listen, learn, exercise and eat with the same intensity.

2. It’s okay to use your magnetism — It’s a great equalizer. It makes it more fun to be you when you feel good about how you look, and it makes it more fun for people to work with you. It also gives you power and clarity to make decisions and not be a victim…never be a victim!

3. Live below your means — Enjoy what you do but don’t get too caught up in the money you make. The most successful people I know live way below what they can afford because they are not doing it for the money. They are on a mission. Restauranteurs that eat up their profits, clothing designers that put all their money in clothes, that’s crazy! An entrepreneur’s payment is their idea of becoming everyone’s idea.

4. You’re always going to have to work hard — Every successful entrepreneur says you have to invest massive work…work around the clock…I never met a truly successful person who didn’t work insanely hard to build something substantial…not that they didn’t love it but you just can’t help yourself when you are on a mission.

5. Let yourself be vulnerable — You have to be open to new ideas and that means being really open and giving them time to germinate. Sometimes you let in bad ideas or bad people. But being open prohibits you from acting on the signs right away. It’s up to you to absolutely insist on learning from every mistake. If you don’t learn it could happen again.

Sustainability, veganism, mental health and environmental changes are big topics at the moment. Which one of these causes is dearest to you, and why?

Environmental focus — in case you haven’t noticed it…we are in trouble and a lot must be done quickly. We don’t have time to put our toe in the water. We have to jump in. Technology has a lot of answers and we have to start changing now. Meat uses more energy than plants, apparel is the most polluting industry in the country so stop buying so many clothes. Don’t use so much plastic. Really work on your personal plastic footprint. Do something…anything…and you will start doing more…

I also hate how hard it is to be healthy in this world and how our world gets infused with more and more junk…the food we eat, the information blasted at us, air and water pollution, the plastic in our ocean, our thinning soil… We must redecorate the world to be our own personal garden of Eden. It can be whatever as long as you really LOVE it.

As seen on Thrive Global

[shmosnet2]

Top 10 Misconceptions About London

Top 10 Misconceptions About London

Who hasn’t dreamed of a citybreak in London at some point? It is, after all, one of the world’s most visited cities—attracting over 19 million international visitors in 2016. The home of some major global attractions, like Big Ben, the Natural History Museum and the London Eye, London is one of the world’s greatest cities. It’s just a shame that it’s full of miserable people, British food and bad coffee. And doesn’t it rain there all the time? Despite London’s global fame, far too many people still believe some pretty big misconceptions about the UK’s capital. Some of them were true decades ago, some are simply misunderstandings and others just seem to be total rumors, as false now as they ever were. We’d hate for you to be put off going to London based on a simple misconception, so today we’re setting the record straight and telling you the truth about ten of the things most people get wrong about London! See Also: Top 10 Most Gruesome Things Hidden Under The Streets Of London 10 Coffee and Tea

Let’s start with the one that puts a lot of American visitors off: the myth that good coffee is impossible to find in London. This one may have been true a couple of decades ago, but the London coffee scene is much more impressive now than it was in 2000. Major coffee chains like Starbucks, Cafe Nero and Costa Coffee can be found on almost every street corner, just like in any other major global city. In fact, both Europe’s largest coffee chain, Cafe Nero, and the world’s second biggest chain, Costa, have their headquarters in London. Until recent times, those looking for a more specialist coffee experience would have to make a detour to the Continent, but London’s independent and mini-chain coffee scene has grown enormously in the last decade. There are now hundreds of specialist stores dotted across the capital offering thousands of unique coffee concoctions (and providing jobs to many barista millennials), enough to satisfy even the most discerning connoisseur. So no, you won’t be starved of coffee if you find yourself in London![1] 9 Bad Food

Britain is infamous for having bland and boring food, so many people think eating in London must be no different. It’s not hard to see why: one of London’s traditional dishes, for instance, is the London Particular. What is it? Well, it’s basically a really thick pea and ham soup—thick enough to stand a spoon in. Yeah. Fortunately for us, modern-day London is a thoroughly global city. There are thousands of restaurants, from cheap take-outs to Michelin-star restaurants, covering practically every culinary tradition you can think of. But to find London’s best food, you’ll have to take to the street. London has a centuries-long history of innovative street food that dates all the way back to Medieval times. Back then, most of the city’s labourers would go to a bakery on their break, where they would find everything from doughnuts to meat pies. Today, London’s street food is some of the best in the world—heavily influenced by the city’s diverse population. In modern London you’re just as likely to find a local stopping to grab a pot of curry as you are a chicken sandwich![2] 8 Unfriendly People

Ask people around the world what British people are like, and you’ll get a pretty similar response: they’re quiet, they’re reserved, they’re unfriendly, and so on. And Londoners in particular have a bad reputation—even other Brits will say that people in London are rude! In reality, Londoners aren’t any more unfriendly than anyone else in Britain—or most people in the world, for that matter. A test performed on London’s streets showed that, when faced with an old lady who needed help with her bag, or a woman who had her groceries knocked out of her hands, nearby people were quick to intervene and offer assistance. So no, it’s not that Londoners are unfriendly, but they are in a rush most of the time. London is a fast-paced, global city, and most people who are out in the day are going somewhere in a hurry. This might mean they forget to say sorry as they push past you in the station, but meet them after work hours and they’ll be totally different![3] 7 Cramped and Dirty

In 1952, the Great Smog descended on London, killing thousands. It was the worst air pollution event in British history, and news of it spread across the world. It led to new government regulations and a plan to cut the city’s pollution levels, but the city’s reputation was permanently damaged. To the rest of the world, London was known as a dirty, old-fashioned Victorian city, struggling to meet modern standards of cleanliness. This reputation persists today, though it is entirely untrue. While studies have shown that London’s air still affects people’s health, it is relatively clean by modern standards. In fact, London doesn’t even make it into the World Health Organization’s list of the top 500 most polluted cities. In short, visitors to the city have nothing to worry about when it comes to air quality! Perhaps more shockingly, London is one of the greenest cities on Earth by area. 47% of the city is green space, so almost half is covered by parks, woodland and other open areas—enough for some people to say that the Greater London Area should be turned into a national park.[4] 6It Never Sleeps

When someone refers to “the city that never sleeps”, they’re usually referring to New York. In recent years, though, the phrase has also been applied to the British capital, leading to the idea that London is a busy place with a boisterous nightlife—and not the place to go if you have kids with you! There is some truth to this. Like any other city, London can be boisterous—especially at the end of the week, when the city runs all-night bus services. The famous London black taxis work all hours, and many London clubs don’t close until 3am or 4am. But even in central London, the Tube and regular bus services end at midnight and don’t start up again until the early morning. Most pubs close before midnight and at that point, the vast majority of Londoners will be heading to bed. In London’s quieter outer boroughs, you could even forget you’re in a city at all![5] 5 It’s Expensive

London is expensive. It is actually one of the most expensive cities in the world… if you want to live there. Rent for an average three-bedroom apartment in central London stretches above £5000 ($6,450), way outside the pay range of most British adults. The rumours of London’s high prices put many people off, but it is possible to enjoy London on a small budget. You don’t even have to look too hard! You can have a day out in London and hardly spend any money: Most of London’s world-leading museums are free to enter, as are its fantastic art galleries and parks. And the places which do charge admission aren’t too expensive: a ticket to visit Kew Gardens, the world-leading botanic garden, is just £12 ($15.50). There are thousands of pubs and restaurants in the capital which aren’t any more expensive than they are in the rest of Britain. If you’re willing to take a risk, you can find food for mega-cheap. Ask around, the locals will quickly tell you the best places. Just don’t expect to find much budget food in Kensington or Chelsea.[6] 4 No-Go Zones

Unfortunately, one of the more recent misconceptions about London is that some areas of the city are ‘no-go zones’, places where so-called ordinary Londoners—even members of the police—never go. In extreme cases, some conspiracies say these are places where British law is ignored and locals are forced to follow Sharia Law by Muslim councils. While all cities have areas that are best avoided at night, the idea that parts of the capital are too dangerous for the Metropolitan Police to visit are false, despite the ramblings of some people on the internet. This misconception became widespread in 2016, when Donald Trump claimed there were no-go zones in London. This was rejected by then-mayor Boris Johnson, who said “London has a proud history of tolerance and diversity and to suggest there are areas where police officers cannot go because of radicalisation is simply ridiculous. Crime has been falling steadily in both London and New York—the only reason I wouldn’t go to some parts of New York is the real risk of meeting Donald Trump.” Just to prove it, a British man accepted a Reddit challenge to walk through one of these rumoured areas while drinking a bottle of wine. Unsurprisingly, nothing happened to him.[7] 3 The Underground Is The Only Way To Travel

The London Underground (also known as the Tube) is one of London’s most famous landmarks. It was first opened in the 1860s, making it the oldest underground passenger railway in the world. And with millions of people using it every single day, it is also one of the world’s busiest. On the other hand, London is—quite famously—not built on a grid, unlike many more modern cities. When the city burned down in 1666, it was actually rebuilt following the old road system, meaning that some streets in the city are hundreds of years old. This means the city is not optimised for traffic: driving through by car can be torture. With this in mind, it’s easy to see why many people think the Tube is the only way to travel around London, but there are a wide range of other options. Take London’s famous red buses, for instance. You’ve probably seen these in old films, but they still exist: they carry millions of people across the city every day—more than any other bus network in Europe. There’s also the famous black cab service, whose drivers have to take a tough training course called The Knowledge, which teaches them the layout of London. If you prefer to get around on your own, though, your best bet are the Santander Cycles. Affectionately known as Boris Bikes, you can ride one of these bikes from one of the hundreds of stations across the city to any other station for just £3 ($3.87).[8] 2 It’s Always Wet and Cold

Britain is well-known for its grey weather and rainy days. So most people assume that London, as the British capital, must be no different! Now, no-one’s going to say the UK is a warm country. Winter in Scotland and North England can be very harsh, and summer is often dominated by cloudy days. But London is in the south, and the temperatures there are much warmer. London is slightly colder than New York on average, but it still remains way above freezing through most of the winter months. And contrary to popular belief, London is nowhere near as rainy as you might imagine. It averages around 23 inches of rain a year, almost half as much as New York! Precipitation is low through the winter, too: snow is so rare in London that, in the UK, if it snows on Christmas day in the capital, it’s known as a ‘white Christmas’. We’re not saying you should pack just a t-shirt and shorts for your London visit, but nor will it be as dreary and wet as you expect. In the summer, you might even see a blue sky![9] 1 The City of London?

If someone told us they were going to visit the City of London, we wouldn’t bat an eyelid. But true Londoners know there’s a problem with this statement: do they mean Greater London—the hulking metropolis we’re all familiar with—or the tiny, independent local authority in the heart of London, which has a population of just a few thousand? The smallest dot on a map covers what was Roman London. It is almost wholly independent from Greater London, having its own police force, government and mayor. So is this the true heart of Britain, the place where the big decisions are made? No, that’s the other city—the City of Westminster, which is home to the UK’s Houses of Parliament. Does that mean the City of London is the home of London’s government, then? No. The mayor of Greater London—an entirely different position to the mayor of the City of London—governs from City Hall, which is located across the river in Southwark. It’s easy to see how even Londoners get confused by London’s inner workings! Oh, and just to make things even more confusing: Greater London isn’t even a city. It’s a county.[10]

https://ift.tt/367jOb7 . Foreign Articles December 06, 2019 at 12:01PM