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#seven princes brunch event
Note
Re: someone else’s recent suggestion of public sex / accidental voyeurism (?? accidental exhibitionism?):
Maybe also incorporating/expanding on the idea that Daemon is NOT down for anyone trying to judge or slut-shame Reader for enjoying sex?
(there was at least one moment in Donus Rinus, when Daemon cut off Aegon being a little perverted bitch at family brunch)
“I thought that the Seven say that it’s a wife’s duty to satisfy her husband, yes? [To please him? To obey his wishes? To take care of his needs?] Well my dutiful, little wife is extremely diligent in performing her duty [and I am very satisfied].”
It doesn’t even need to be a new event thing. It could be a flashback or memory of an instance after their wedding night
No, but I LIKE THIS PLZ; like, it’s not exactly like they’ve been caught in the act, but rather stumbled upon in the aftermath a couple times. I reckon Daemon would NOT be into actually fucking Reader with people watching, her pretty sighs and pert little body are his and his only to enjoy. But technically, neither of them are doing anything wrong - the whole purpose of the union is to “perpetuate House Targaryen”, yeah? And like, that’s only happening if he dicks her down and creams her on the regular, which he’s clearly doing.
The root of everyone’s (Otto and Alicent, the Maesters, the conservative Westerosi) butthurt-ness is that she’s obviously enjoying it, and that they are happy; Daemon’s detractors don’t want to see their nemesis so content, and the enemies of House Targaryen don’t want to see a dynastic intermarriage succeed because it contradicts the Westerosi notion that these relationships are unnatural and evil. If these two fall in love and have a bunch of healthy kids and live happily ever after, what exactly is the problem? None. And that is a huge political blow against those who are seeking to overturn the Targaryen political base (there are some interesting theories that the maesters were behind the extinction of the dragons, which lends itself to an overarching theory that powerful factions in the Seven Kingdoms were actively seeking to undermine Targaryen rule - could we extend this further to imply that ‘Targaryen madness’ is a result of poisoning? Perhaps!). If people are talking about the Rogue Prince and the People’s Princess being such a passionate couple, then it lends credence to the notion that Valyrian customs are a stabilising influence rather than a symptom of immorality.
Which leads to Daemon himself, and his view of Reader. She might be a cheeky little slut, but he doesn’t actually see her as a ‘common whore’ in the same way he views a lot of women. We love him, but he does have a lot of misogynistic views of women, which we CAN attribute to the social climate but still. She was a virgin when he married her; the wedding night proved that well enough. Everything she does in bed are things he’s ultimately introduced her to, even taught her to like (ew squicky) - his perfect little trained bride, custom-made for his liking. Nothing she does is devaluing, because she’s fulfilling her duties to him as he sees it - her role as his wife is to let him seed her and bring forth heirs, and he’s just a lucky enough bastard to have such a greedy girl to focus all his attention on. Others might be discomfited because she’s so willing to play along (I even think some were kinda hoping she’d be miserable and abused to prove some kind of sick point that a) Targaryens were evil and b) Daemon really was Maegor reborn), but she’s adhering to the ‘rules’ of matrimonial society, albeit in a fun way. His degradation is fond, because he knows she likes it - but I do think he does put her on a pedestal in a bizarre way. I feel like there’s a part of him that thinks he’s not good enough for her, and so while the surface-level power structure favours him as the dominant partner, she wields a lot of control over the dynamic. It’s as he once said; he’d be whatever she wanted if it would make her happy.
If someone was to make a vulgar comment on this, he would absolutely flip his lid - because the root of the remark would not be that she’s behaving inappropriately (because she’s not; she’s doing what a good wife should), but that she’s happy. To point out that hypocrisy? He’s a bitch, and he’d honestly love that. Plus, the ultimate satisfaction of reminding everyone just how thoroughly he’s succeeded in this venture, to shut everyone the fuck up about how he’s always messing things up? Absolutely yes. But mostly, he’s a ride-or-die hubby for babey Reader. 10/10 WOULD bitch-fit at anyone who dared to imply she was anything less than perfect.
Sorry I rambled lol. This was really interesting - thank you!
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bibbykins · 3 years
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....so, none of you want kids? Why not?
The girls shake their heads, "Kids require a certain level if care." Princess speaks up, "I don't see myself being able to provide that care."
"Yeah, if I have my hands tied with the kinds of relationships we all have, having kids seems cruel." Sunshine mused.
"I don't want to be responsible for a kid's mental instability in the way my family was with me." Leopard mused, "I don't want to imagine I would be like that, but I don't want to take the risk."
The boys nodded in their own space, "I can't conceive caring for someone other than Angel." Hoseok spoke, "Plus, the idea of kids makes her really upset, which I get."
Taehyung nodded, "My Dove and I have our hands full with each other." He smiled a bit, "Plus I'd rather mentor abother kid in the way I was mentored, not full on raise them."
The men nod in agreement, "We're not crazy to the point where we can foresee having kid in good concious." Jin stated simply.
(Unlike certain Mafia!AU fellas ahem)
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luulapants · 4 years
Text
Hale Royal Family AU - Part 3
Based on @shey-elizabeth​‘s post:
”Me reading the Prince Harry-Meghan Markel royal family drama:
Wait… I think I read this fic already. (Starts scrolling through my AO3 history)
#random #royalty au #someone write me a steter fic #reading the news before coffee”
Part 1
Part 2
May 2017
Trendy or In-Your-Face? 20 of Stiles’s Most Outrageous Looks
Peter snagged the tablet out of Stiles’s hand on his way to the kitchen, stopping just long enough to tap it on the top of Stiles’s head. “I thought you said you were going to stop reading this tabloid trash,” he tutted.
“Do you think my stompy boots are a cry for attention?” Stiles asked.
“No, but I think they imply a level of masculinity you have no intention of following through on.”
“That’s hurtful,” Stiles said.
“I also think they’re no one’s fucking business but yours,” Peter added for good measure. He stuck his head into the kitchen and called, “Mrs. Larson? I don’t mean to rush you, but is the tea about ready? I’d like to be out by nine thirty.”
When he turned around, he saw Stiles had stretched out long on the sofa, his feet and hands dangling over the ends on either side. “What’s the rush? We’re just hanging out with my dad.”
“We would be skinned alive if we arrived late to one of my family’s events. I think we should extend your father the same respect out of principle,” Peter lied smoothly. He walked over and bent down for a quick kiss.
“Mmm, I love you,” Stiles murmured.
“Even when I get on your nerves?” Peter asked. This had become a standard call-and-response of affection for the two of them.
“Especially when you get on my nerves,” Stiles answered.
As far as Stiles knew, this would be a quiet celebratory brunch, just the two of them and the sheriff. He had opted not to attend his university’s graduation ceremony, not wanting the press that would inevitably come with such a public spectacle. “There’s thousands of other kids graduating, too, and if I go, it’ll all be a bunch of cameras on me drawing the attention,” he had said with a roll of his eyes, and Peter hated that the vultures in the tabloids had already gotten under his skin so thoroughly.
“It’s your graduation. It’s a big deal, and you deserve to enjoy it as much as the rest of them,” Peter had argued.
But Stiles had just shrugged a lazy shoulder. “Knowing me, I’d wear my stupid square hat wrong or my gown would be too flashy.”
So, to make up for it, they were spending graduation day with the sheriff. Peter had expected the man to hate him, what with the age difference and the reporters harassing Noah for information about Stiles. At first, he may very well have hated Peter, but a few blowups between Peter and those same reporters had proved beyond any doubt that he was prepared to defend Stiles with utmost ferocity.
When Peter pulled him into his scheme for the day, Noah hadn’t even hesitated. He just clapped a hand on Peter’s shoulder and asked if he had the ring size worked out.
He’d taken the size while Stiles slept. A parade of elephants couldn’t wake Stiles before seven.
—-
“Did we really have to go somewhere that requires formal attire?” Stiles griped, fidgeting with his blazer. “For breakfast? I’m too scared to eat pancakes in this thing – I’ll get syrup on it.”
“You should try eating with your mouth closed,” Peter advised, and got an elbow to the ribs for his trouble.
The hostess that greeted them stumbled over her words in giddiness. “Oh, uh, your – your Highness, Mr. Stilinski. We’re so happy you chose to dine with us this morning.”
“I hear your terrace has one of the best views in town,” Peter replied smoothly. He had reserved the whole terrace for this morning.
It was beautiful, high up on a cliffside overlooking a comparatively quiet, scenic area of Richardson Bay. He couldn’t have asked for better weather, the fog having cleared already, leaving nothing but cloud-dappled sunshine and a sweetly cooling breeze off the water.
Noah was already waiting for them, leaning against the railing and looking out over the bay with a broad smile on his face that Peter didn’t often see so unguarded. He hadn’t expected to feel so jittery over the idea that Noah was actively happy about this.
Stiles got the pancakes after all, but insisted on taking the blazer off while he ate. They mostly talked about Stiles’s plans now that he was finished with school. Laura had already assured him a seat in the royal family PR department, though Stiles wasn’t sure if he wanted to do that full time.
“It just sort of feels like… like it’s getting handed to me? It’s not supposed to be that easy, you know?”
Peter clicked his tongue and leaned over to kiss some syrup off the corner of Stiles’s mouth. “It’s about time our penchant for nepotism went to a deserving candidate,” he argued. He pulled back, licking the sticky flavor off his lips. The spot was still there. He dipped the corner of his napkin in his water, then reached over to scrub it off. Stiles would be furious if he had syrup on his face for the proposal.
Noah watched his fussing with a nostalgic sort of expression, and Peter couldn’t help but think that he was remembering Stiles’s mother. It made him flush a little, not expecting the kick of emotion that came with the thought.
“He’s right, you know,” Noah said. “Most successful people had someone give them a hand up at some point. There’s no shame in it. You said yourself Laura is interested in the research you were working on – that’s on your merit.”
“And you did promise you would keep working on the promos for the vineyard,” Peter added. “So it’s not like it would be your sole vocation.”
“Oh, because working for your vineyard totally helps with the nepotism issues,” Stiles joked.
“I didn’t say that. I said you promised,” Peter shot back with a grin.
As they were finishing up their food, Stiles’s dad received a call, right on time. “Work,” he said, “I’m gonna go take this.” Then he disappeared inside, leaving Stiles and Peter alone on the terrace.
Peter nudged Stiles and stood. “Come on, let’s enjoy the view.” He walked over to the railing, his heart thudding in his chest as he placed a hand briefly over the lump in his jacket pocket.
Stiles came up next to him, hands gripping wide on the railing as he leaned forward. “God, this place is really, really beautiful,” he sighed. He looked over at Peter. “Thank you. This is, like, a thousand times better than getting mobbed by reporters today.”
Stepping in close, Peter wrapped a hand around the back of Stiles’s neck and leaned in for a kiss. “I can think of something that would make this day even better,” he purred.
A mischievous grin spread across Stiles’s lips, clearly buying the misdirection as he turned toward Peter. “Oh yeah? You’ll have to tell me all about it.” He kissed at Peter’s jaw.
“Well, to start…” Peter murmured, then took a half step back and dropped to a knee. He saw the teasing turn to confusion turn to shock and realization all in the matter of a second as he reached into his pocket and pulled out the little ring box. “You know I love you, Stiles. I’ve loved you since the day I met you, and I love you more every day.”
“Even when I get on your nerves?” Stiles blurted.
Peter grinned. “Especially when you get on my nerves.”
They had talked about it, of course. Peter would never make this sort of decision for the two of them without Stiles’s input. They had talked in vague terms, though: What would they do when it happened? Should it be public or private? How long should they wait? How would they handle the press?
He opened the box. Inside sat two slim cobalt rings, simple but elegant with a subtle, weaving design. “Will you marry me?”
Stiles sucked in a shaky breath, blinking quickly to chase off the waterworks Peter knew were threatening to overtake him. He covered his face with his hands, then slipped them down so they covered just his mouth and nose, peeking over them at Peter, at the rings. He said nothing, just made noisy near-hyperventilating sounds.
Finally, Peter said, “You know, traditionally, an answer is expected in this situation. Some of us are getting on in our years and have knee pain.”
“Shut up, you don’t have knee pain,” Stiles laughed. “Let me feel my fucking feelings for a second.” He wiped at the inside corners of his eyes and nodded quickly. “Yeah. Yes. Obviously. Get up.”
Peter started to get up, but Stiles was already grabbing him by his arm, pulling him up the rest of the way. He crowded in for a hug first, burying his face in Peter’s neck and scenting him. He didn’t have werewolf senses, but he knew that Peter liked the feeling of scenting and being scented. Stiles pulled back just far enough to kiss Peter, slow and sweet.
Off on the other side of the balcony, Noah was snapping pictures on his cell phone. Inside the restaurant, he had no doubt others were as well. They would make an official announcement this week, but the rumors would leak well ahead of then.
Bringing the ring box between them, Peter looked down at it. “Should we put these on now or wait until the wedding?” he asked.
“Oh my god the wedding,” Stiles said. “There’s going to be a wedding. I’m going to marry you.” He was grinning like an idiot at Peter, then looked over to where his dad stood, trying to pretend that he wasn’t crying. “Dad, I’m gonna marry this guy!” he called.
Noah laughed and waved a hand.
“Oh my god, he knew!” Stiles realized, gaping. He shoved at Peter’s shoulder. “Did you ask his permission for my hand in marriage?” he demanded.
Peter lifted his chin. “That’s a trick question, and I won’t respond to it.”
Stiles laughed, then looked down at the rings. “I want to put it on now,” he decided. “I think I’m gonna go crazy waiting to be married to you.”
The words hit Peter square in the chest. For a second, he could hardly breathe. He kissed Stiles again, nuzzling his cheek as they parted. “Come on,” he said, reaching down to separate the rings in the box. One was just slightly smaller than the other, for a slenderer finger. He picked it up and held it out for Stiles’s finger. It fit perfectly.
Stiles picked up the other and slid it on Peter’s finger, leaning up to kiss his cheek as he did. “I’m gonna marry you…” he murmured, a bit manically against his skin.
Finally, Stiles crossed the terrace to tackle his father in one of those all-out Stilinski-style hugs. Peter could hear the sheriff murmuring, “Congratulations, son. He’s a good one.” Then Noah was releasing Stiles and turning to him, holding his arms out. “Come on, then. You may a Hale, but you’re going to be a Stilinski, too. Stilinskis are huggers.”
—-
They drove back to the house with Stiles’s dad, though Peter’s personal driver and a bodyguard stuck close to their back bumper. Stiles sat up front with his dad and spent the whole drive gleefully grilling the both of them on how long they had been planning this behind his back.
Nothing looked amiss as they turned down their street, but the moment the front gate opened to let them in, Stiles whipped around in his seat with an accusing expression. Their driveway was lined with cars, many of which Stiles would recognize on sight.
“How many people did you tell about proposing!” he demanded.
Peter laughed and leaned forward to push on the side of Stiles’s head playfully. “I told them it was a graduation party, you idiot.”
“Oh. Right.” He looked back around at the cars, probably cataloging who he could expect to be here. “We get to tell them, though, right?”
“That’s the idea.”
The royal presence was relatively modest to start with – at least, as modest as it could get with two princesses and three princes in attendance. In any case, Peter hadn’t branched out into his extended family, except for a couple of cousins who lived locally and who he got on with well. His nieces and nephew had come, Laura hugely pregnant and Marco glued to her side, his protective instincts in overdrive. Peter had invited some business friends he’d met through the winery as well.
The rest were Stiles’s people. They were mostly around his age, high school friends and a few from college. Scott ran over to tackle Stiles in a hug the moment they stepped onto the terrace. The staff had done a spectacular job setting everything up in the short time they had been out. Lydia approached at a more sedate pace, strolling up with a plate of hors d’oeuvres balanced in a neatly manicured hand. Peter liked Lydia the best out of Stiles’s friends, though they had only met when she was back from MIT on vacation.
She waited for Scott to stop trying to squeeze the life out of Stiles before leaning in and pecking him on the cheek. “Happy graduation,” she praised. Lydia had graduated a year earlier and was now working on a graduate degree of startling complexity. Turning to Peter, she said, “And thank you again for the plane ticket – it was very sweet.”
“Of course,” Peter agreed.
“You bought her a plane ticket?” Stiles demanded, then spun back to Lydia, gesturing wildly. “You let him buy you a plane ticket?”
Lydia shrugged and tossed her hair over her shoulder. “He insisted.” Then, changing the subject, she reached out and snatched Stiles’s flailing left hand from the air. “Now why don’t you tell me what the hell that is.”
It figured she would be the first to notice the rings.
“Wait, woah, what?” Scott demanded, face splitting in a grin. “Dude!” He turned and called over his shoulder, “Hey, Allison!” waving her over.
Stiles groaned. “Oh my God, would you two shut up? We’re supposed to make an announcement. I don’t even have a drink yet.”
As if on cue, a waiter appeared at their sides with a tray of drinks, and Stiles snatched a pink-tinted glass of champagne from it. “That one’s the wolfsbane,” the waiter corrected gently. Stiles passed it to Peter, then reached for a glass of the yellowish bubbly.
“You thought I would serve sparkling rosé?” Peter asked, wrinkling his nose.
Stiles rolled his eyes, leaning against Peter’s shoulder, turning to Lydia and Scott as Allison came over. “He thinks rosé is a tacky bandwagon trend,” he explained.
“It’s only popular because Instagram models think it looks pretty,” Peter huffed.
“Oh my god, did you get engaged?” Allison blurted, a touch too loud, and every wolf in attendance wheeled around to look at them. A moment too late, she slapped a hand over her own mouth, mortified as she realized that she had blown the surprise.
Peter waved a hand at her. “That’s on us, I let him distract me,” he assured her. Next to him, Stiles was cracking up, face pressed against Peter’s shoulder. Peter sighed, wrapping an arm around Stiles’s middle. He raised his voice. “For those of you who didn’t hear, Stiles and I have an announcement to make,” he called out.
Stiles quelled his laughter, lifting his head and then snatching Peter’s left hand with his own. He raised them into the air. “We’re getting married!”
The next two hours of the party, Peter lost track of how many people they had talked to. There weren’t even that many people at the party, he didn’t think. By the time one person had finished congratulating them, another pair of lips were against his cheek or an arm around his shoulders.
“It’s a good thing we ate before we got here,” Stiles murmured against his ear. “I haven’t even gotten near the food.”
Peter kissed his temple and grabbed his hand, dragging Stiles toward one of the food tables. “Sorry, her future highness demands sustenance,” he joked to Marie, his Winemaking Director.
“I wasn’t demanding anything,” Stiles insisted with a laugh.
“You were about to,” Peter replied. He knew the progression of Stiles’s appetites. If he so much as mentioned food, it meant he was no more than ten minutes from devolving into a whiny, hangry mess. “Come on, what do you want? They made all your favorites.”
“Taquitos?” Stiles teased.
“All of your favorites that are fit to serve to guests,” Peter amended.
By the time he had a seventh bacon-wrapped water chestnut stuffed in his cheek, Stiles had fallen deep in conversation with Marco about his and Laura’s royal wedding experience. Peter hadn’t wandered far from Stiles, caught up in conversation with Lydia and Kira but keeping track of his fiance’s movements in the back of his mind. He didn’t notice Talia’s arrival so much as he noticed the sound of Stiles choking on his food.
He coughed and scrambled over to Peter’s side, hissing, “You didn’t warn me she was coming!”
Talia heard – of course she heard – and looked over at them with a smile. Peter lifted his hand in a wave, smiling sweetly, though he felt as thrown as Stiles looked. “I invited her,” he murmured through his teeth, “but since it was just a graduation party, I figured she wouldn’t make it. One of her brood must have texted her.”
The crowd parted for her like opposing magnets, repelled by her admittedly intimidating presence. Her Majesty wore a bold red business dress, a little out of place at a garden party, but he figured she hadn’t had enough notice to change. Lydia and Kira, even Marco, cleared out to give her unfettered access to the guests of honor.
“I hear congratulations are in order,” she said, stopping a respectable distance away. If they had done this in private, she would have hugged them both, been exuberant and happy for them. In front of this many unknown people, she had to maintain her stoic alpha veneer.
“You heard right,” Stiles answered, holding his hand out to show the ring.
Talia took his hand, using it to pull him in close enough to press her cheek to his, a more affectionate greeting than she had given him in public ever before. Stiles looked elated when she pulled away to give Peter the same greeting. “Congratulations to you both. Stiles, we’re very excited to have you in the family,” she assured him, and the tone was genuine, though Peter could hear the underlying anxiety. No doubt her political wheels were already churning with the potential fallout.
They made polite small-talk for a while. Peter hated talking to his sister in public like this, when she knew others could be listening in. Everything stayed surface-level, unemotional, stiff. It made him feel, sometimes, like she didn’t care about him at all, even if his logical brain knew better. She asked about the proposal. She asked if they had thought about timing yet, which they hadn’t. She offered the use of the royal events planner, which Peter had already assumed was a given.
Then, as if it were just another innocuous question, she smiled at Stiles and said, “And do you think you’ll want the bite after the wedding?”
Stiles froze, and Peter could hear his heart hammering, the sour scent of anxiety spiking.
Peter placed a hand on Stiles’s lower back, trying to steady him. He wanted to snap at Talia, scold her for asking that sort of question in this setting, on this day, for asking at all. He wanted to call it out as a rude fucking question, but he had no idea if it was. There really wasn’t a prescribed etiquette for a royal marrying a human. They just weren’t supposed to in the first place.
After what felt like an eternity, Stiles found his voice. It came out quiet, though, a little shaky. “Um, no. I… thank you, but I don’t want that.”
Talia’s expression moved in ways so minute that nobody but immediate family could have picked up on it. She recognized, Peter knew, that she had upset Stiles.
Peter gave her a coldly polite smile. “We are very glad you could make it,” he said. “I know it wasn’t on your agenda for the day. I hope you didn’t have to detour too far.”
She took the out, turning fully to Peter. “Oh, not at all. I was just on my way to a meeting in the city here. I should probably be heading that way, though. I’m sorry I couldn’t stay longer.” If anyone noticed the awkwardness of her exit, they didn’t say anything.
Once she was gone, Peter turned and took both of Stiles’s hands in his own. “I love you,” he breathed, voice soft and just for Stiles. “I love you exactly as you are.”
Stiles let out an unsteady breath and nodded. He pressed their foreheads together and closed his eyes.
—-
Peter swore, checking his coat pockets, then his laptop bag, then the dining room table, for the third time. Finally, he headed upstairs to the bedroom. “Stiles? Could you call my -”
He stopped in the doorway at the sight that greeted him. Stretched out face-down on the bed, still in his pajamas, Stiles lie with a pillow hugged under his chest, face pressed into the sheets. It was a Stiles position of deep distress, one of the most distressed of his library of absurd positions.
“Sweetheart, what’s the matter?” he asked, walking over to sit on the edge of the bed. He nearly sat on Stiles’s tablet, then picked it up and turned the screen on.
Gold Digger Stiles Strikes It Rich
Peter’s hand tightened on the edge of the tablet, but he quelled the surge of rage before he could snap the stupid thing in half. He closed out the window, then set the tablet aside. “You know nobody that matters thinks that, right?” he asked softly, rubbing a hand over Stiles’s back.
Stiles’s shoulders lifted in a shrug.
“Stiles,” Peter admonished. “Do I think that? Does my family think that? My family adores you.”
“Talia thought I wanted the bite,” Stiles said into the mattress.
Peter sighed. “She shouldn’t have made the offer when she did,” he said firmly, “and I can assure you she didn’t offer because she thought you were only with me to get it. If anything, that was her own selfish hope of avoiding the mixed marriage.”
Stiles rolled onto his side to face Peter, still hugging his pillow. “I hate that I care about that shit. I told myself I wasn’t going to care about it, I told myself I didn’t give a shit what the vultures said, but.. but, fuck, why don’t they like me?”
“Like has nothing to do with it, Stiles,” he said softly, scooting closer so he could pet Stiles’s hair. “They’re just out to get attention and sell subscriptions.”
“They didn’t do this to Marco,” Stiles argued. “Marco wears a flashy pocket square and, oh, hey, everyone, pocket squares are in this season! Everyone go get yourself a new pocket square!” He waved his hands in front of the pillow theatrically. “I wear a tie that doesn’t match Talia’s hat and I’m trying to tear apart royal society with my bare hands.”
Peter moved up to the head of the bed, tugging Stiles up to sit curled against his chest. “It’s homophobia,” he said, not about to beat around the bush on the matter. “It’s specism.”
“It’s bullshit,” Stiles muttered, nuzzling into Peter’s chest. He’d worn a silk shirt for an early meeting with a wine exporter. Stiles held out his left hand, staring down at the ring on his finger. “I’m supposed to be happy right now. I’m supposed to be fucking, like, floating on the air, happy about getting engaged and getting married and instead I see one stupid article like that, and I just…”
Wrapping his arms around Stiles tightly, Peter said, “I know.” He kissed the top of his head. “You think I don’t know? There can be a hundred positive articles, and the one that sticks in your head is the nasty one. I went through this when I came out – you know I did. I don’t read the papers anymore, and do you know why?”
Huffing, because Peter had already told him a hundred times not to read the tabloids, Stiles looked up at him. “Because you’ll just drive yourself crazy?”
Peter kissed his forehead. “No. Because you told me not to.”
A little furrow appeared between Stiles’s brows. “When?”
“The night we met.” Peter rubbed his thumb over the furrow. “You made me promise that when I came out, I would kick anyone to the curb that wasn’t a delight about it. And, you know, the press was not a delight about it.”
Stiles stared up at him, a smile slowly fighting its way through the pout on his face. He groaned. “God, stop throwing my own good advice back at me. It’s annoying.” He sat up a little and nuzzled into Peter’s neck. He nipped at the skin there, just a tease. “I love you,” he muttered, as if thoroughly inconvenienced by the fact.
“Even when I get on your nerves?” Peter prompted.
Twisting in his arms, Stiles straddled him and kissed his lips. “Especially then.”
They made out for a long while, lazily shedding their clothes until Stiles sat bare in his lap, a hand wrapped loosely around both of their cocks while Peter pumped two fingers into his ass. Stiles pulled away with a shuddering breath that usually meant he was too distracted to focus on kissing anymore. Peter wrapped his free hand around the back of Stiles’s neck, keeping him close so their noses pressed together.
“How do you want to come?” Peter asked, voice low. He curled his fingers, and Stiles arched his back with a whine.
“Like this,” Stiles decided, rocking back against his hand and stroking them a little faster. “I wanna come like this, then I want you to come on my face.”
Peter ducked to press kisses along Stiles’s throat, working down to scrape teeth along his collarbone, then finally bit at one of his nipples. Stiles leaned back, his free hand braced on the bed between Peter’s legs as he rode his fingers.
“Yes, yes, yes. Fuck, Peter. Fuck, m’gonna -” His voice broke off as he came with a shiver, hand still stroking the both of them, using his come as lube now.
Once he had come down, Peter nudged him onto his back and crawled over him, straddling his chest. “You made a mess of me, darling,” he purred. “Are you going to clean it up?”
Stiles stretched his arms over his head. “I’m royalty now, I don’t have to clean.”
Peter gave him an exasperated look. “You know, for a future trophy husband, your bedroom talk could use some work,” he teased.
“Fuck my face?” Stiles offered, batting his lashes.
“Better,” Peter conceded. He dragged the head of his cock over Stiles’s lower lip. “Lazy, but better.”
“Lazy!” Stiles huffed. “Excuse you, I am catering to your alpha male instincts. I am alluringly vulnerable. I have -”
“Stiles?”
“Yes?”
“Arguing is for foreplay, and I can’t fuck your mouth while you’re talking.”
Stiles scowled at him, but he opened his mouth wide and dragged his tongue along the underside of Peter’s cockhead. With a grin, Peter leaned forward onto his hands and knees and slipped into the soft heat of Stiles’s mouth. He rocked his hips down in slow, uneven thrusts so Stiles could never be quite sure how much he was going to get. Finally, Stiles tightened his lips around him, moaned, and sucked. Peter’s knees nearly gave out, which would probably have resulted in a very difficult to explain injury for Stiles.
Peter continued thrusting shallowly, groaning and dropping down onto an elbow. With one hand freed up, he stroked Stiles’s hair, tugging lightly and winning an answering moan. “God, you feel incredible,” he murmured. He could feel his body tightening, nearly at the edge. When he couldn’t hold off any longer, Peter sat up again. He slipped out of Stiles’s mouth and started jerking himself over his face with short, quick strokes.
“Fuck yeah, please. Mark me up. Make me smell like you,” Stiles encouraged, stroking Peter’s thighs with both hands. Peter came with a low moan, watching as he streaked Stiles’s face with white.
Before his legs could really give out, Peter shifted and dropped onto his back on the bed, the opposite direction of Stiles, so his head was next to Stiles’s hip.
After a moment, Stiles swatted at his abdomen. “Peter, it’s in my eyelashes. Get a washcloth.”
Peter looked down and saw that, yes, Stiles had come in his eyelashes. “I don’t know,” he mused. “That look is really catering to my alpha male instincts.”
“Oh my god, I hate you.”
“It’s alluringly vulnerable,” he continued.
“You’re literally the worst. I’ll wipe my face on the bedspread. Mrs. Larson will poison us both.”
Peter laughed and sat up, leaning over to kiss Stiles’s lips. “Alright, alright.”
“Lazy,” Stiles huffed as Peter ventured into the en suite bathroom for a washcloth. “Is that any way to speak to your betrothed?”
“I call it like I see it,” Peter called back over the sound of the water as he wet the cloth. He walked back in and found Stiles hadn’t moved at all. He knelt on the bed and carefully dabbed at Stiles’s eyes, then wiped the rest of his face with the same soft touch.
Stiles blinked his eyes open and stared up at Peter, expression a little dreamy. He got that way sometimes, in between the joking and bickering. He looked at Peter like he never wanted to look at anything else.
“You know, there’s nothing I wouldn’t do for you,” Peter murmured.
“I know,” he agreed. Stiles caught him by the wrist, pulling the cloth from his hand before lifting Peter’s hand to his mouth. He kissed each knuckle, then rubbed his face against them. “I’ve been thinking about colors,” he said, “for the wedding.”
Peter settled next to him on the bed. “Tell me.”
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hms-chill · 4 years
Text
Feeling Deeply
Summary: It’s nearing the seventh anniversary of Henry’s dad’s death, and navigating the succession process only makes that harder, but at least Alex is there to help.
Chapter 2
The next morning, Henry's alarm wakes them both far too early. Alex has essays to write and grants to find and things to do while Henry's in meetings for the day, but getting up for them is the last thing in the world he wants to do. He just wants to stay right where he is, so when Henry starts to move toward getting up, Alex tightens his arms around him and nuzzles into his shoulder. Henry laughs a bit, running a hand through what Alex can already tell is an atrocious bed head, and Alex feels his heart soar. Today is better, then.
"I've got to get up, Love."
"No. Won't let you. Stay here," Alex grumbles, and Henry laughs again, moving away enough to press a kiss to Alex's forehead.
"I love you. And I... I really appreciate what you did for me last night. Thank you."
"I love you." He says it half buried in Henry's neck, but he looks up in time to see the little smile on Henry's face. He runs his hand though Alex's hair again before bringing it down to cup Alex's jaw, and Alex melts.
"I do have to get up. I'm meeting with some donors for breakfast, then with Pez at his favorite brunch place, then Buckingham all afternoon."
"Come back for lunch? I miss you," Alex says, and Henry gives him a smile.
"I'll do my best. I miss you, too."
Henry kisses his forehead, then his nose, and then Alex is smiling into a kiss on the lips. He watches from the bed as Henry goes about the process of getting ready for a day of meetings, building a prince around the core of a young man. It's something Alex has seen a hundred times by now, but it doesn't seem to take as long as it used to. When Henry kisses him goodbye and promises to have the kitchen send up coffee, there's more of Henry in the prince than there's ever been, and Alex is beyond glad.
It's only after Henry is gone that Alex launches into action, getting himself ready for the day. Henry thinks he's just going to be taking it slow and adjusting to the time difference before a fancy state dinner, and that was his initial plan, but after last night, it's been revised a bit. Bea's texted, so he takes his coffee to the music room and finds her on the couch, fiddling with something he thinks is called a thumb harp. She sets it down to come wrap him in a hug as soon as he appears, and he has to be careful not to spill hot coffee down her back.
"Thank you for doing this for him."
"Of course. Thank you for helping. I'll probably ask your mom, too, but I wanted to make sure it was a good idea first, and I thought you might know better than she would."
Bea just nods, and they get to work. She's got to go before too long, her own series of charity meetings and projects to get to, but she promises to send Alex an email with everything he needs to set his plan into motion. He texts Catherine as he makes his way back to Henry's room to work, and she responds quickly, so Alex settles in and gets started on something much, much more important than another project could ever be.
He does finish his essay and start his grant search before he meets Henry for lunch, an honest to god picnic in a secluded part of Kensington Gardens, because it's beautiful out and Henry's been inside all day. And lunch is perfect, all laughter and casual touches and stealing bites of each other's food as they finally, finally get to spend time together after days apart. Henry had come into it looking a little tired and with a hug that begged for a break, but he looks better as they're wrapping up. Alex suggests they walk to Buckingham, because it's a nice day and it's not too far, and the fresh air is clearly doing Henry good. So Henry grabs his hand, and they drop the picnic basket off at Kensington and start toward Henry's next meeting. Alex can feel the tension building as they get closer, as Henry gets ready to go in and see every piece of his family's history that could ever hurt them picked apart and put on full display. Alex just distracts him as best he can, rambling about all sorts of things and keeping a tight hold on his hand.
When they get to Buckingham, Henry gives him a hug, the kind that says he wants Alex to stay close even if he can't. So Alex hugs him as tightly as he can and tells him he's proud of him. He offers to break into the meeting and cause a ruckus to end it, and that makes Henry laugh, and when he pulls out of the hug, he's got his armor back on. Alex stands on his toes to kiss him, and Henry goes, leaving Alex to try not to feel like he's sending his boyfriend into a war zone.
He takes his laptop back to the Waterloo Vase for the afternoon, because of all the places to study, a towering vase that reminds him of how much Henry loves him is probably the best one. Henry finds him there a few hours later and greets him with a hug that just says he's tired, tired of all the questions and the taking and the picking. It's a hug that's begging for cuddles and an episode or two of Bake Off, but it's not one that means Henry's going to fall apart or that he needs a long weekend where they don't see anyone else, so Alex counts it as a win.
They go back to Kensington and facetime June, and she puts David on so Henry can baby talk to him while she and Alex catch up. Then, Alex and Henry curl up on a couch in the music room to watch Parks and Rec with Bea, Henry's head on Alex's shoulder as Alex tries to absorb some of the "too much" that gets to him in times like these.
Their last event of the day is a state dinner, and Henry is tired, but Alex can tell he's enjoying it as much as he ever enjoys events like this. There are interesting people to talk to, and there's good food, and afterward they're free to mingle with whoever they'd like, so in sum, it's far from the worst. Alex gets into a conversation with a Hungarian diplomat about the finer points of Hungary's shift to the Euro, and he sees Henry laugh at something one of the waiters says. He tries not to be too distracted by that laugh, tries not to fall too much in love with the fact that in a room full of diplomats and politicians and activists, Henry has chosen to talk to a member of palace staff.
Eventually, Alex is getting another glass of champagne when Henry comes to give him a hug that asks if they can go. Alex puts the fresh champagne flute down and takes his hand instead, and Henry leads him through a side door and into the kitchen. From the kitchen, they stop in a wine cellar just long enough to grab a bottle before Henry is leading the way back out to Buckingham Gardens. He tucks them away somewhere out of sigh of the palace and lies down on the grass, tugging Alex down to join him before turning his attention to the sky.
"Looking for Orion?" Alex teases, but Henry shakes his head.
"Orion's a winter constellation. I'm not sure what I'm looking for; maybe Leo or Signus."
Alex chuckles, but Henry doesn't say anything, just moves to rest his head on Alex's chest, eyes still turned toward the stars. Alex puts a hand in his hair, but doesn't say anything. Henry's quieter now than he has been for a while, the sort of quiet sadness that Alex knows comes over him sometimes, so rather than try to force him to talk, Alex wraps an arm around his chest and waits.
"We used to do this with my dad," Henry says eventually. "He'd take us out at night, each of us on our own, and he'd show us where the constellations were. It's... my earliest memory with him is waking up late one night, and I was so sleepy, but he wrapped me in a blanket and took me outside to see Orion. He told me that every culture in the world could see a soldier or a hunter or a hero in those stars, and he taught me to see it, too. And I... well, in the Greek myth, Orion's a bit of an ass. More than a bit, if I'm honest. So I decided that my dad was probably a better hero to celebrate, and I told him he was the one the stars made a picture of. I pretended the whole world saw those stars and decided to celebrate my dad. And now, he... well. That's why I look for Orion the way I do. It... it was always sort of our constellation, and I... I like to think, sometimes, that he's connected to it somehow. I know that's a bit daft, but it's nice to imagine."
"I don't think it's daft," Alex says. Henry's quiet, and again, it's the sort of quiet Alex doesn't want to step on.
"This... this is seven years since he died. Seven is... well, I'm not sure how much I buy it, but it's an important number in nearly every religion. So if I'm, you know, especially maudlin or quiet..."
"I understand. I mean, I... I understand as much as I can," Alex says. "And I love you. Even when you're maudlin or quiet. Especially then."
Henry turns his head and kisses Alex's chin. Alex smiles and kisses the side of Henry's head, just above his ear. Henry opens the wine, then points out his first constellation. Alex holds him close, and after a bit, he asks, "H? I know we're supposed to be taking time and relaxing after this week, but would you maybe want to visit your dad while we're on vacation?"
Henry sits up, and Alex is worried for a moment, but then Henry grabs his face and kisses him, and he feels a flood of warmth as he realizes he's said the right thing.
On AO3, Chapter 1
Notes:
@steelrosealchemist and I were talking about Orion a few days ago, and it's my favorite constellation, so I thought it might be nice to work in some backstory about why Henry's looking for it on New Year's, right before he makes a move. So there’s that fun little tidbit for y’all.
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dwindledglow · 4 years
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── ✰. ┊HEADCANONS.
01 › FAMILY & BACKGROUND
one. in spite of the picture perfect marriage and the pretty image of a loving family whose lives are based on unity and trust, estela’s family isn’t particularly close. in fact, her parents don’t even live together or reside in the same country. giorgina, commonly known as gio, resides in cassis in the french riviera - where she’s been for four years now - and continues to work as a fashion stylist and fashion critic for some highly regarded brands and magazines, while miguel resides in their family mansion in barcelona and continues to control and lead the family’s business. it’s been this way for as long as estela can remember ; summers spent in between sitges and saint tropez, doing half of her education in barcelona and the remaining in paris before becoming an adult and moving to new york, visiting mom on spring break and dad at some point in the summer, playing pretend at christmas parties and social events. yet, despite the mild estrangement, estela has never felt unloved, ignored or abandoned. she continues to play her role as the golden child and refrain from inquiring her parents about the lifestyle they lead — or why neither of them would request a divorce and would rather keep a failed marriage on going just for appearance.
two. estela comes from money. you can go down generations and generations down on the family tree and you’ll have a hard time finding someone who wasn’t filthy rich in there. her grandparents on her mother’s side are aristocrats, people in a position of power with whom estela has never bothered establishing a deeper connection. from the little she knows, it would be worthless to do so as their ideals and ethics differ massively from her own. miguel’s, her father’s side of the family, have always been more open-minded people who have always invested their time and great chunks of money into organizations and associations that helped a variety of causes — those are lessons and ethics estela has kept. she recognizes her privilege and the fact her bank account is, in many ways, what feels like an unending resource of money and she’s aware she wouldn’t ever have to move a finger for the rest of her life if she so pleased but instead of allowing herself to splurge and lead a luxurious, extra lifestyle, she pledged to continue to work to support herself and only ever spend more than necessary in something she will truly value in the future.
three. every year, on december 27th, as an in-between christmas and new years, her family throws a massive event for all the company’s employees & respective families, their closest (read over 500 people who her parents need to be reminded of their names) friends and family. it’s one of the most overwhelming days of the year for stela and, wasn’t for the fact it’s the only change she gets to see everyone in the family — seeing as a family brunch follows on the 28th — she would absolutely dread it and everything that comes with it.
four. her relationship with her mother isn't always as amazing as it looks from the outside. the girl loves her dearly, going as far as saying her mother is her favorite person, but the truth is, often times, if stela doesn’t make the effort to reach out, gio won’t either. growing up, gio only ever wanted estela to be perfect — look at what you eat so you don’t put on unnecessary weight, please go and change into something appropriate, watch out how you behave - this is a very important event, why didn’t you score the highest mark?, you should see the hairstylist to fix that lifeless hair. for giorgina, love and affection wasn’t the most important to give a child - discipline and a perfect image was. image all the woman has ever relayed and cared about, and quite possibly one of the reasons why she not only ruined her marriage, but has managed to make her own daughter grow more and more distant from her.
02 › SCHOOL & UNIVERSITY
five. as you would expect from the golden child, estela did exceptionally well in school despite the bumpy road moving schools and countries. she always excelled at most subjects despite not being particularly passionated about any specific field of study. she was the type of student you’ll see reaching for the material first, taking perfect notes and reviewing them right as they got home, while being very much hands on and striving to learn more and perfect what she was taught.
six. the move to france was brutal and a very rocky time for the girl, even if she has never showcased it or tried to make a big deal out of it. whenever miguel would call and ask if she was okay, she would answer with a perfect answer that relayed how she was doing amazingly, as per usual. whenever gio questioned her — and it wasn’t often — she made sure to display her good grades and panoply of friends to make her believe nothing was wrong and the move had been just fine. reality was different and she spent nights silently crying on her room, battling demons and an overwhelming anxiety, battling the voices that kept mocking her and reminding her that she wasn’t good enough in anything she did. 
seven. estela has only ever really dated two people, despite all the guys she’s been associated with. angel, the first one, she doesn’t even consider as dating since it was a child’s thing and they ended up separating after two months when the summer ended and school begun again. oliver, who she met while on high-school in france, was exactly the kind of guy her family would expect to see her with. well-educated, good mannered and charismatic, the brit had been the most pleasant breath of fresh air when stela met him. a sporty guy who was aiming for a scholarship in the states once high-school was done but still excelled at every other class, your typical prince-charming, at least, until he showed his true colors and ended up being the biggest disappointment of her life. turns out oliver really did wanted estela, but he also wanted marie and lily and sarah from back home and sade from the summer holiday... his motives to get on with stela consisted on the fact she would be good for his image and she was truly quite the catch, the full-package as he chose to put it — words that haunt her to this day — and when things didn’t exactly work as he pleased, oliver decided to dump stela in front of the whole school and make it the most humiliating experience by spreading rumors left and right about her and their past relationship.
eight. her choice of a degree has been majorly criticized by her mother’s family (and silently applauded by gio, herself). to begin with, they think it’s not acceptable such a bright young woman wouldn’t pick an ivy league school and then, she should’ve sought something more prestigious than a career in film and television. what are you going to do with that anyway? for her to not pursue a career in engineering or medicine or law is an insult for her family and for stela to pick something in the creative, art area — something so far from what the family’s business revolves around — is almost a disgrace to the vázquez name. likewise, the disapproval extends to her choreographer career and the fact she teaches dance classes. if she ever wanted to pursue something within the area, she should’ve naturally dedicated her whole life to being a prima ballerina and being featured in something worthy on broadway or a good ballet company — not contemporary dance or teaching at some unknown studio in new york. 
nine. family disapproval asides, estela is the happiest she’s ever been with her choice of majors and the opportunity to work in the dance industry, even if it’s not on a large scale. she couldn’t feel more thankful she gets to combine her passion for film and television with her passion for dance and teaching. often times, and courtesy of the way she was raised, she feels like an impostor and a fraud, like she doesn’t deserve her life or the opportunities she has, but when she looks at the bigger picture and can beat this feeling, she genuinely does think she’s the happiest and most free she’s ever been in her life.
03 › BITS & BOBS
ten. estela is a chameleon and a hurricane, all combined in one. she can make you believe she’s a saint and the next minute shake you up with her bold and blunt comments. that stems from years of being taught how to behave and how to mask her feelings and thoughts, her true self, just match the picture perfect image she exudes. she’s not afraid to say what she thinks — and boy, is that a lot sometimes — and she’ll check you right into your place if you try to step her down. on the same line of thought, she isn’t the pure soul her family likes to paint her as ( and they know it too ). she’s not afraid to voice what she wants and get what she wants, and whereas she’s always morally correct, she doesn’t mind turning tables when need calls for it.
eleven. she has two dogs and a cat. chai, a cream & white colored maltipoo, tofu, a cream & white shih tzu x poodle mix and shimi, a scottish straight cat. her life never allowed her to have pets before ( neither did her mother ) so estela took advantage of having moved to new york to get shimi, her first ever pet, and when she turned nineteen, her father gave her tofu as a birthday gift. she adopted chai in the beginning of the year.  
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thisdaynews · 5 years
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Biden’s Birmingham speech
New Post has been published on https://thebiafrastar.com/bidens-birmingham-speech/
Biden’s Birmingham speech
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THE PRESIDENT’S WEEK…Monday: THE PRESIDENTwill participate in a ceremony for new ambassadors, and he will participate in presentation of the Presidential Medal of Freedom to Mariano Rivera. He will meet with the crown prince of Bahrain before going to Albuquerque for a political rally.Tuesday: THE PRESIDENTwill raise money in Palo Alto and Beverly Hills.Wednesday: THE PRESIDENTwill raise money in Los Angeles, San Diego and then leave for Washington.Friday: THE PRESIDENTwill host the Australian PM for a state visit.
— MARIANO RIVERAwas a closer for the Yankees, and a legendary one at that. The Nats could use him at this point.
SNEAK PEEK … JOE BIDENis speaking today at the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Ala. From his remarks: “The domestic terrorism of white supremacy has been the antagonist of our highest ideals from before our founding. Lynch mobs – arsonists — bomb makers and lone gunmen. And as we all now realize, this violence does not live in the past.
“The same poisonous ideology that lit the fuse at 16th Streetpulled the trigger in Mother Emanuel, unleashed the anti-Semitic massacre in Pittsburgh and Poway, and saw a white supremacist gun down innocent Latino immigrants in an El Paso parking lot with military-grade weapons declaring it would stop a quote ‘Hispanic invasion of Texas.’ …
“I am sure, in those first hours after the bomb exploded—it was hard to see through the smoke and rubble to a day like today.
“As Dr. King eulogized those girls – perhaps not even he could haveimagined the day nearly 50 years later – when this nation’s first black president would award them the Congressional Gold Medal—one of our highest civilian honors.
“It is only with persistent effort… It is only with fortitude in our actions…It is only with faith in ourselves and the future that may yet be…That change comes— sometimes slowly, sometimes all at once— and progress continues. “
STORY OF THE DAY … NYT’S MAGGIE HABERMAN: “Despite Turning Down Inauguration Gig, Elton John Has a Recurring Role in Trump’s Presidency”:“The email was cordial, warm and deferential.
“‘Thank you so much for the extremely kind invitationto play at your inauguration,’ wrote one of President Trump’s favorite musicians, Sir Elton John. ‘I have given it a lot of thought, and as a British National I don’t feel that it’s appropriate for me to play at the inauguration of an American President. Please accept my apologies.’ …
“But for Mr. Trump, the rejection from Mr. John was probablyparticularly tough to swallow. In multiple books, Mr. Trump had praised Mr. John’s talent and drive. In 2005, Mr. Trump had arranged for Mr. John to perform at his third wedding, to Melania Knauss. Eleven years later, Mr. John sent his carefully-worded email passing on an encore performance, this time at Mr. Trump’s inauguration.
“‘Tiny Dancer,’ one of Mr. John’s most well-known songs,still rings out at the president’s rallies, part of a playlist that Mr. Trump personally selects. The president nicknamed the North Korean leader, Kim Jong-un, ‘Little Rocket Man,’ a homage to the song by Mr. John and a reference to the strongman’s missile tests. When the secretary of state, Mike Pompeo, went to a meeting with Mr. Kim, he came bearing an Elton John record. And aides say the president has seen the singer’s biopic, ‘Rocketman.’”NYT
TRYING TO PUSH NETANYAHU OVER THE LINE … WAPO: “Trump floats idea of mutual defense pact with Israel, days before close election,”by Anne Gearan and Steve Hendrix: “President Trump said he had discussed a possible new defense pact with Israel during a phone call Saturday with Benjamin Netanyahu, highlighting the Israeli prime minister’s close ties to the Trump administration days before Netanyahu faces a difficult reelection vote.
“Trump did not promise to install a mutual defense pact,nor divulge further details of the conversation. The idea is generally popular in Israel, where the United States is the most important ally and defense partner.
“‘I had a call today with Prime Minister Netanyahu to discuss the possibilityof moving forward with a Mutual Defense Treaty, between the United States and Israel, that would further anchor the tremendous alliance . . . between our two countries,’ Trump wrote in a pair of tweets Saturday.
“The language of the tweets suggests he is contemplating a formal treaty,which would have to be submitted to the Senate for ratification.”WaPo
— COLOR US A BIT SURPRISED.This is not a terribly strong statement.
Happy Sunday. THE WASHINGTON NATIONALS’ bullpen gave up 10 runs yesterday, and the Nats lost 10-1. The Nats are now 1.5 games ahead of the Chicago Cubs for the first wild card spot.
SPOTTED: Bob Costa having brunch with Guster’s Ryan Miller and his wife, Angela, at Le Diplomate on Saturday.
CONNECTICUT POST: “Pelosi, in CT appearance, says she’s optimistic on background checks,”by Kaitlyn Krasselt: “House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is optimistic a series of bipartisan bills, including pay equity and background checks, that have passed in the U.S. House of Representatives but stalled in the Republican-controlled Senate will pass prior to the 2020 election.
“‘The first 10 bills that we advanced when we took control of the House,they all had bipartisan support,’ Pelosi said Saturday in New Haven. ‘It is interesting though, that if they don’t pass those bills, there is a consequence in the election, so we hope that would be a motivator in addition to doing the right thing.’”CT Post
FRONT PAGE OF THE SAN JOSE MERCURY NEWS …“Trump’s Bay Area event shrouded in secrecy”
QUITE THE IMAGE … FLORIDA GOV. RON DESANTISon the front page of the Tampa Bay Times, playing golf with a golf tee in his mouth.Front page PDF
CRAIN’S DETROIT: “Grand Hotel considered for 2020 G7 summit,”by Chad Livengood: “President Donald Trump’s administration scoped out Mackinac Island’s Grand Hotel for a possible 2020 G7 summit location before the White House opted to hold the annual gathering of world economic powers at the president’s south Florida golf club and resort, Crain’s has learned.
“A spokeswoman for the Grand Hotel told Crain’s on Fridaythat the famed Mackinac Island hotel and resort was vetted and considered for the G7 meeting. The spokeswoman could not divulge any additional information, other than to say that unnamed federal officials visited Mackinac Island as part of the vetting process.
“The 397-room Grand Hotel, which is in the midst of a historic saleto a Denver-based private equity firm, is believed to be the only Michigan site considered for the Group of Seven meeting of the leaders of the U.S., Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the United Kingdom.”Crain’s Detroit
NYT’S SHANE GOLDMACHER: “Planned Parenthood and Fired Former Chief Mired in Escalating Dispute”:“Leana Wen, the recently fired former president of Planned Parenthood, appears headed toward an increasingly contentious exit, after accusing the organization’s leadership of trying to “buy my silence” in a dispute that threatens to prolong and magnify an acrimonious transition at the top of the nation’s best known women’s health care and reproductive rights group.
“Dr. Wen has been engaged in two months of fraught negotiationsover her severance package since she was fired in July. She led Planned Parenthood for less than a year and accused the organization of withholding her health insurance and departure payout as ‘ransom’ to pressure her to sign a confidentiality agreement.
“She made the accusations in a barbed 1,400-word letterto Planned Parenthood’s board of directors this past week, which was obtained by The New York Times. ‘No amount of money can ever buy my integrity and my commitment to the patients I serve,’ Dr. Wen wrote.”NYT
BREAKING … AP/DUBAI: “Iran dismisses US allegation it was behind Saudi oil attacks”:“Iran denied on Sunday it was involved in Yemen rebel drone attacks the previous day that hit the world’s biggest oil processing facility and an oil field in Saudi Arabia, just hours after America’s top diplomat alleged that Tehran was behind the ‘unprecedented attack on the world’s energy supply.’
“The attacks Saturday claimed by Yemen’s Houthi rebels resultedin ‘the temporary suspension of production operations’ at the Abqaiq processing facility and the Khurais oil field, Riyadh said.
“That led to the interruption of an estimated 5.7 millionbarrels in crude supplies, authorities said while pledging the kingdom’s stockpiles would make up the difference. The amount Saudi Arabia is cutting back is equivalent to over 5% of the world’s daily production.
“While markets remained closed Sunday, the attack could shockworld energy prices. They also increased overall tensions in the region amid an escalating crisis between the U.S. and Iran over Tehran’s unraveling nuclear deal with world powers.”AP
— WSJ: “Saudi Oil Attack Is Unlikely to Dent U.S. Economy:If strikes trigger higher energy prices, China and Japan will suffer most, economists warn,” by David Harrison: “While the total impact of the Saturday attacks remains unknown, analysts say the U.S. economy is very different than it was in the 1970s, when surging oil prices tipped the economy into recession. Oil-price shocks no longer pack the same punch, they say.
“Today, energy accounts for about 2.5% of household consumption,down from around 8% in the 1970s, according to Bank of America economists. Since the early 2000s, U.S. energy companies have dramatically ramped up production using new drilling techniques, such as fracking. Oil production doubled between 2008 and 2018, and the U.S. is now the world’s top oil producer, ahead of Saudi Arabia, according to the Energy Information Administration.
“The Saudi oil-field attack adds a new factor to consider for Federal Reserveofficials, who have been weighing how a variety of geopolitical risks will influence the economic outlook, including the U.S.-China trade war, unrest in Hong Kong and Britain’s impending departure from the European Union.”WSJ
NEW …Adapted from NYT’s Robin Pogrebin and Kate Kelly’s new Brett Kavanaugh book:“But while we found Dr. Ford’s allegations credible during a 10-month investigation, Ms. Ramirez’s story could be more fully corroborated. During his Senate testimony, Mr. Kavanaugh said that if the incident Ms. Ramirez described had occurred, it would have been “the talk of campus.” Our reporting suggests that it was.
“At least seven people, including Ms. Ramirez’s mother,heard about the Yale incident long before Mr. Kavanaugh was a federal judge. Two of those people were classmates who learned of it just days after the party occurred, suggesting that it was discussed among students at the time.
“We also uncovered a previously unreported story about Mr. Kavanaughin his freshman year that echoes Ms. Ramirez’s allegation. A classmate, Max Stier, saw Mr. Kavanaugh with his pants down at a different drunken dorm party, where friends pushed his penis into the hand of a female student. Mr. Stier, who runs a nonprofit organization in Washington, notified senators and the F.B.I. about this account, but the F.B.I. did not investigate and Mr. Stier has declined to discuss it publicly. (We corroborated the story with two officials who have communicated with Mr. Stier.)
“Mr. Kavanaugh did not speak to us because we could not agree on termsfor an interview. But he has denied Dr. Ford’s and Ms. Ramirez’s allegations, and declined to answer our questions about Mr. Stier’s account.”NYT
THE PRESIDENT,just before 9 a.m.@realDonaldTrump:“Brett Kavanaugh should start suing people for liable, or the Justice Department should come to his rescue. The lies being told about him are unbelievable. False Accusations without recrimination. When does it stop? They are trying to influence his opinions. Can’t let that happen!”Trump corrected the tweet to say libel.
KANSAS CITY STAR: “Kris Kobach sent names of Nebraska residents to ICE while running for Kansas governor,”by Jason Hancock and Jonathan Shorman: “Kris Kobach was in the middle of running for Kansas governor in December 2017, but he had unfinished business in Nebraska.
“The former Kansas secretary of state helped write an ordinance in 2010for Fremont, Neb., banning landlords from renting homes to immigrants living in the country illegally. Four years later, he successfully defended his handiwork on behalf of the town all the way to the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals.
“His legal victory attracted national attention.Still, enforcing the law had proven difficult because information collected on rental applications wasn’t enough for the federal government to determine whether someone was in the country legally.
“But Kobach wasn’t ready to give up. So in 2017,while still receiving a $10,000-a-year retainer from Fremont, he emailed the acting director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement with a list of 289 people who had applied for an occupancy license in the eastern Nebraska city, where about 15 percent of its 26,000 residents are Hispanic.”KC Star
FOR MCCARTHY AND THE NRCC …So many Republicans are retiring that it’s front page news when your delegation is NOT retiring.
— POST AND COURIERin South Carolina:“GOP leaders from SC fight on:State’s 5 congressmen to run next year, even as others call it quits”
2020 …
— NYT’S LONG RUN SERIES: “Kamala Harris Was Ready to Brawl From the Beginning:In her first race, she defied her old boss, a fund-raising pledge — and the implication that she owed her career to her ex-boyfriend.,”by Matt Flegenheimer in San Francisco
— MARC CAPUTO: “Biden allies attack Warren’s electability”:“As Elizabeth Warren climbs in the polls, Joe Biden’s Massachusetts allies are warning that her home-state election history suggests she runs weakest among the types of voters Democrats need to win over to capture the White House.
“While Warren won re-election easily in 2018, Biden’s backerspoint to her performance among independent and blue-collar voters as evidence she’ll fail to appeal to similar voters in the Rust Belt — just as Hilary Clinton did in 2016.
“‘The grave concern of many of us Democrats in Massachusettsis that in many of the counties where Sen. Warren underperforms, they are demographically and culturally similar to voters in key swing states,’ said state Rep. John Rogers, who backs Biden. ‘The tangible fear here,’ Rogers said, “is that these Massachusetts counties are bellwethers for states like Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Michigan, Ohio — key states that Democrats can’t afford to lose in the battle to beat President Trump.’”POLITICO
SUNDAY BEST … PETE BUTTIGIEGtoGEORGE STEPHANAOPOULOSonABC’s “This Week”reacting toDONALD TRUMPsaying the South Bend mayor was up two in Texas: “I mean, you can’t take it that seriously. Other than I’m — I’m very curious to know what pollster let him know that I’m beating him in Texas by two points. That’s news to me, but it’s very good news if it’s true.”
— KELLYANNE CONWAYto Bill Hemmer on“FOX NEWS SUNDAY”on a possible meeting with Iran’s president: “He has never … we never committed to that meeting at the United Nations General Assembly. The president just said he’s looking at it.”
— SEN. CORY BOOKERto Chuck Todd onNBC’s “Meet the Press”about his flagging poll numbers: “The polls have never been predictive this far out. In fact, if you’re polling ahead right now, you should worry because we’ve never in my lifetime and yours had somebody who was polling ahead this far out that went on to the presidency. The people that usually win are younger, dynamic candidates that are considered long shots. Carter, Bill Clinton, Barack Obama.”
— JAKE TAPPERspoke toPETE BUTTIGIEGabout Beto O’Rourke’s calling to confiscate guns onCNN’s “STATE OF THE UNION”.TAPPER: “Do you agree? Did Beto O’Rourke say something that’s playing into the hands of Republicans?”BUTTIGIEG: Yes.
“Look, right now, we have an amazing moment on our hands.We have agreement among the American people for not just universal background checks, but we have a majority in favor of red flag laws, high-capacity magazines, banning the new sale of assault weapons.
“This is a golden moment to finally do something,because we have been arguing about this for as long as I have been alive. When even this president and even Mitch McConnell are at least pretending to be open to reforms, we know that we have a moment on our hands.Let’s make the most of it and get these things done.”
— WYOMING REP. LIZ CHENEYtoCHUCK TODDonSEN. RAND PAUL (R-KY.):“Look, I think if you look back at what, what Senator Paul has said over many, many years, he’s very different from where President Trump is on these issues. President Trump puts America first. Senator Paul, whenever given the opportunity, blames America first.”
— RAND PAULtoJAKE TAPPERon CNN’s “State of the Union”: “I can’t meet a general who can clearly tell me what our national security interest is in Afghanistan. Most of the military, over 60 percent of the military who served in Iraq or Afghanistan now think both of the wars should come to an end.
“So I think the president’s right to do this, but I think we have to callout the Republicans who are preventing him. This is the Bolton-Cheney wing. Dick Cheney to this day still thinks the Iraq War was a good thing. The Iraq War, President Trump has said, was the biggest geopolitical blunder of the last generation. It destabilized the Middle East. It increased the strength of Iran. It tipped the balance towards Iran.
“So there really was nothing good about the Iraq War.And Dick Cheney, Liz Cheney, John Bolton, they still don’t get it. They still are advocating for more regime change in the Middle East.”
THE PRESIDENT’S SUNDAY …No public events scheduled
NEW EXCERPT … “’No turning back now’: The inside story of James Comey’s trip to Trump Tower”from Josh Campbell’s“Crossfire Hurricane: Inside Donald Trump’s War on the FBI”
BEYOND THE BELTWAY … BOSTON GLOBE’S VICKY MCGRANEin Springfield, Mass.:“Potential Joe Kennedy vs. Ed Markey face-off at center of Democratic convention”:“Senator Elizabeth Warren on Saturday said she sees nothing to criticize in Representative Joseph P. Kennedy III launching a primary challenge to the candidate she has endorsed, Senator Edward J. Markey.
“Warren told reporters that she stands by her endorsement of Markey,which she made in February. But she declined to offer any words of discouragement for the 38-year-old Kennedy as he mulls a challenge to Markey.
“‘I couldn’t ask for a better partner in the Senate,’ Warren saidof Markey in comments made shortly before she took the stage at the state Democratic Party’s annual convention here. But she called both men friends and offered equally strong praise of Kennedy, noting that she had him and his wife as students at Harvard Law School.”Boston Globe
BONUS GREAT WEEKEND READS,curated by Daniel Lippman (@dlippman):
— “How David Swensen Made Yale Fabulously Rich,”by Drake Bennett, Janet Lorin and Michael McDonald in Bloomberg Businessweek: “He walked away from the stock market, built a network of elite private funds, and created a fortune with no end in sight.”Bloomberg Businessweek
— “What I Wish I’d Known About Sexual Assault in the Military,”by Sandra Sidi in October’s Atlantic: “For women, fending off unwanted male attention is the job that never ends.”The Atlantic
— “The Moral Logic of Humanitarian Intervention,”by The New Yorker’s Dexter Filkins: “Samantha Power made a career arguing for America’s ‘responsibility to protect.’ During her years in the White House, it became clear that benevolent motives can have calamitous results.”New Yorker
— “I Was Caroline Calloway,”by Natalie Beach in The Cut: “Seven years after I met the infamous Instagram star, I’m ready to tell my side of the story.”The Cut(h/t Longreads.com)
— “Notre-Dame’s Toxic Fallout,”by NYT’s Elian Peltier in Paris and James Glanz, Weiyi Cai and Jeremy White in NYC: “Flames engulfed 460 tons of lead when Notre-Dame’s roof and spire burned, scattering dangerous dust onto the streets and parks of Paris.”NYT
— “Malcolm Gladwell Reaches His Tipping Point,”by The Atlantic’s Andy Ferguson: “Among his other talents, he’s one of those ‘professional communicators’ that public-speaking coaches always say we should emulate: First he tells his audience what he’s about to tell them, then he tells them, and then he tells them what he just told them.”The Atlantic(h/t ALDaily.com)
— “Superfans: A Love Story,”by Michael Schulman in The New Yorker: “From ‘Star Wars’ to ‘Game of Thrones,’ fans have more power than ever to push back. But is fandom becoming as toxic as politics?”New Yorker
— “Competitive Oyster Shucking Is Real, Decadent, And China’s Best Party,”by Noelle Mateer in Deadspin: “Do not assume, just because there is champagne and whiskey and maybe, sometimes, drugs, that these shuckers aren’t also thinking long and hard, and often poetically, about their métier.”Deadspin(h/t Longform.org)
— “The League Of Extraordinary Gentlemen,”by Tucker Carlson in Esquire in Nov. 2003: “Recently, an eminent, varied, large, and unlikely delegation of Americans, led by the Reverend Al Sharpton, went to Africa to heal a wounded continent. They took the whitest man in America with them.”Esquire
— “Ship of horrors: life and death on the lawless high seas,”by Ian Urbina in The Guardian: “From bullying and sexual assault to squalid living conditions and forced labour, working at sea can be a grim business – and one deep-sea fishing fleet is particularly notorious.”Guardian
— “Confessions of an Islamic State fighter” —1843 Magazine’s Aug./Sept. issue: “Fitim Lladrovci travelled to Syria to fight a holy war. Now back in Kosovo, he continues to call for jihad. Alexander Clapp is granted a rare interview.”1843 Magazine
— Why Can’t California Solve Its Housing Crisis?”by Tessa Stuart in Rolling Stone: “It’s the epicenter of the tech industry and the wealthiest, most progressive state in the union, but homelessness is surging — and no one can agree on how to fix it.”RS(h/t Longform.org)
Send tips to Eli Okun and Garrett Ross at [email protected].
SPOTTED:Pete Buttigieg hosting friends and supporters at Morris American Bar in D.C. before attending the Congressional Black Caucus gala at the Convention Center on Saturday.Pic
SPOTTEDat a party for Kim Wehle’s new book, “How To Read The Constitution And Why,” ($17.99 on Amazon) at the home of Megan Rupp in Chevy Chase, Md.: Rod and Lisa Rosenstein, Rick Wilson, Maya MacGuineas and Will Rabbe.
TRANSITION — Cari Lutkinsis now deputy chief of staff for operations at the U.S. Mission to the United Nations. She was previously director for strategic initiatives at the Overseas Private Investment Corporation and is a Trump White House alum.
WEEKEND WEDDINGS – OBAMA ALUMNI: Alexa KissingertoGareth Rhodes —per NYT’s Vincent M. Mallozi: “New York Governor Andrew M. Cuomo officiated. … The couple met at Harvard, from which each received a law degree. The bride, 29, is a judicial clerk for Judge Robert L. Wilkins of the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. She previously served as an aide to Valerie Jarrett, a senior adviser to President Obama. … The groom, 31, is special counsel to the superintendent of the New York State Department of Financial Services in New York and Albany. … He previously served as an aide to Governor Cuomo and was a candidate for the Democratic nomination in New York’s 19th Congressional district in 2018.”With a pic,NYT
— “Taylor Barnes, Alexander Logan,”via NYT: “Ms. Barnes, 29, is the constituency operations director and the women’s political director of the [DNC], where she helps manage constituency outreach groups in Washington. … Mr. Lord, 33, is the database manager at the National Guard Association, where he oversees reporting and analytics, membership acquisition and retention strategy in Washington.”With a pic,NYT
— “Katie Rodihan, Heath Hyatt,”via NYT: “Senator Tim Kaine, Democrat of Virginia, officiated …Ms. Rodihan, 27, is the national press secretary for Inslee for America, the presidential campaign of Gov. Jay Inslee, Democrat of Washington, who last month dropped out of the 2020 race. …Mr. Hyatt, 29, is an associate at Perkins Coie, a law firm in Seattle. … [T]heir relationship developed while they were campaigning for Mr. Kaine in Virginia in 2012.”NYT
— Chris Hayden,deputy communications director for Elizabeth Warren’s campaign, andRachel Chaney,a longtime organizer who most recently worked at Democracy Forward, were married last night in Ocean City, N.J.SPOTTED:Ben Ray, Alex Kellner, Adrianne Marsh and Paul Dunn, Rob Flaherty, Carla Frank, Lily Adams, Corey Ciorciari, James Singer, Rachael Hartford, Caitlin Legacki, Cameron Sullivan, Stewart Boss, Suzy Smith, Morgan Finkelstein, Noah Dion and Joe Philbin.Pic
WELCOME TO THE WORLD — Erin Memmott,a partner at Oorbeek Memmott Group, andJustin Memmott,counsel for the Senate Environment & Public Works Committee, welcomed Samuel David to the world.Pic
BIRTHDAYS:Rep. Nanette Diaz Barragán (D-Calif.) is 43 … Ashley Parker, WaPo White House reporter and MSNBC/NBC senior political analyst … Sara Fagan, CEO of Deep Root Analytics … former Bush/Cheney speechwriter John McConnell … Kirsten Kukowski … Christian Pinkston … Chris Lehmann … NPR media correspondent David Folkenflik … Todd Breasseale … Ben Kamisar … “CBS This Morning” producer Adam Aigner-Treworgy … Alana Russo … former Sen. Mark Kirk (R-Ill.) is 6-0 … POLITICO’s Kathy Wolfe, Jenn Miller and Hung-Su Nguyen … Alexandra Berg … Eliza Shapiro … Tiffany Haverly, director of public affairs at PhRMA … Sabrina Rush … Sandra Alcalá, House director of member services (hat tip: Jon Haber) … Jon Gossett … Chandler Smith Costello, SEC deputy director for public affairs …
… Ryan Nobles,CNN Washington correspondent … Zara Rahim,head of comms of The Wing … Herb Rothschild is 82 (h/t son Gregg) … Tony Mauro … League of Conservation Voters’ Dawn Cohea … Katie Thompson … David Lloyd … Elizabeth Meyer of Booz Allen Hamilton … Cat Cheney … Don Irvine … Jodi Hanson Bond … Marya Hannun … Amy Sisk … Rebecca McGrath … Hannah Connaghan … Bryan Doyle … Wayne King, deputy COS for Rep. Mark Meadows (R-N.C.) … Mal Kline … Kristen Bor … Dave Shott … Bloomberg Opinion’s Max Berley … Veronica Lew … Nathan Hurst … Allyson Alvaré Kranz … CNBC’s Ryan Ruggiero … Theola DeBose … Connie Carter … Neil Makhija … Marie Arana … Phil Zabriskie … Wayne Reynolds … Chip Rodgers … Todd Olsen … Jill Moschak
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cynthiajayusa · 5 years
Text
Top 10 of the Week
DRAG RACE – Holi-Slay and All Stars 4
The one-hour “RuPaul’s Drag Race Holi-slay Spectacular” will bring back franchise favorites including Eureka O’Hara, Jasmine Masters, Kim Chi, Latrice Royale, Mayhem Miller, Shangela, Sonique, and Trixie Mattel as they compete for the title of America’s first “Drag Race Christmas Queen.” Immediately following will be the premiere of All Stars Season 4 starring: Farrah Moan, Gia Gunn, Jasmine Masters, Latrice Royale, Manila Luzon, Monét X Change, Monique Heart, Naomi Smalls, Trinity Taylor, and Valentina.
Friday, December 7; 8pm; VH1
ICON – Barry Manilow
Manilow’s storied career includes more than 50 Top 40 hits, Grammy, Tony and Emmy awards, a seven-year run on the Vegas Strip and an induction into the Songwriters Hall of Fame. His hits include “Mandy,” “I Write the Songs,” “Can’t Smile Without You” and “Copacabana.” Here he presents “A Very Barry Christmas.”
Thurs, December 6; 8pm; American Airlines Arena (601 Biscayne Boulevard, Miami); Tix: Start at $56; aaarena.com.
ART BASEL – Miami Beach 2018
In their American show, leading galleries from North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia and Africa show significant work from the masters of Modern and contemporary art, as well as the new generation of emerging stars. Paintings, sculptures, installations, photographs, films, and editioned works of the highest quality are on display in the main exhibition hall. Many more events happening all over Miami.
Thurs December 6 through Sun December 9; artbasel.com/miami-beach.
COMEDIAN – Anjelah Johnson (Bon Qui Qui)
She became an internet sensation with her viral video, “Nail Salon” which led to many stand up, television and film opportunities. That same year she joined the cast of, “MADtv” as a series regular, which spawned another internet sensation, “Bon Qui Qui.” This original character, a disgruntled fast food employee with no filter, has been enjoyed, viewed and replicated by over 65 million people worldwide.
Thurs, Fri and Sat, Dec 6-8; Palm Beach Improv (550 S Rosemary Ave #250, West Palm Beach); Tix: GA $35 and VIP $75; Palmbeachimprov.com.
WEPA – Amor A La Musica
This Latin music fest returns to south Florida featuring Maluma, Prince Royce, Carlos Vives, Silvestre Dangond and Reik.
Fri, December 7; 8pm; American Airlines Arena (601 Biscayne Boulevard, Miami); Tix: Start at $49; aaarena.com.
SINGING – Fort Lauderdale’s Gay Men’s Chorus
The FTLGMC is making the yuletide gay as they present “Season’s Greetings: A Holiday Concert.” Whether your reason for the season is Christmas, Hanukkah or Ol’ Saint Nick, you’ll enjoy a festive mix of traditional holiday favorites, contemporary carols and a special visit from Santa and his very handsome reindeer!
Sat, December 8; 8pm; All Saints Episcopal Church (333 Tarpon Drive, Fort Lauderdale); Tix: $25(GA); $40 (VIP); Theftlgmc.org.
 BENEFIT – Children’s Diagnostic & Treatment Center
Lips, the ultimate in drag dining, will host a not-your-ordinary Holiday Toy Drive to benefit (CDTC) during its Dragalicious Gospel Brunch with two show seating’s at 11 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. Attendees are encouraged to bring an unwrapped children’s toy to receive a free Lips’ world famous frozen cosmo during a future visit.
Sun, December 9; Lips (1421 East Oakland Park Blvd. Oakland Park); Tix: $10; Reservations are required and can be made by calling (954) 567-0987
 MOVIES – Ben Is Back
Follows the charming yet troubled Ben Burns (Hedges), who returns home to his unsuspecting family one fateful Christmas Eve. Ben’s wary mother Holly Burns (Roberts) welcomes her beloved son’s return, but soon learns he is still very much in harm’s way. During the 24 hours that may change their lives forever, Holly must do everything in her power to avoid the family’s downfall.
Premieres Friday, December 7; Rated R and stars Julia Roberts, Lucas Hedges, Courtney B. Vance, and Kathryn Newton.
FABULOUSNESS – L’illusion du Plumage
Fantastically costumed dancers parade across the stage creating a mesmerizing spectacle you won’t want to miss. L’illusion du Plumage opens with the splendor of the quintessential symbol of glamour, excitement, and beauty that is showgirls, but with an unexpected twist. This time, the girls are wearing the bow tie and the boys wear the heels, go-go shorts, crystal arm pieces dangling from their waist… and that’s just the start.
Sat & Sun, December 8th and 9th; 7 pm; War Memorial Auditorium (800 NE 8th Street, Fort Lauderdale) Tix: $43-$75; AXS.com.
 TV – Botched Returns
Since 2014 this has been one of my go to guilty pleasures as two celebrity plastic surgeons, Paul Nassif and Terry Dubrow, treat a variety of noteworthy patients seeking help because of cosmetic procedures gone wrong or severe physical anomalies.
Thurs, December 6th 10pm; Bravo
   source https://hotspotsmagazine.com/2018/12/04/top-10-of-the-week-15/ from Hot Spots Magazine https://hotspotsmagazin.blogspot.com/2018/12/top-10-of-week.html
0 notes
demitgibbs · 5 years
Text
Top 10 of the Week
DRAG RACE – Holi-Slay and All Stars 4
The one-hour “RuPaul’s Drag Race Holi-slay Spectacular” will bring back franchise favorites including Eureka O’Hara, Jasmine Masters, Kim Chi, Latrice Royale, Mayhem Miller, Shangela, Sonique, and Trixie Mattel as they compete for the title of America’s first “Drag Race Christmas Queen.” Immediately following will be the premiere of All Stars Season 4 starring: Farrah Moan, Gia Gunn, Jasmine Masters, Latrice Royale, Manila Luzon, Monét X Change, Monique Heart, Naomi Smalls, Trinity Taylor, and Valentina.
Friday, December 7; 8pm; VH1
ICON – Barry Manilow
Manilow’s storied career includes more than 50 Top 40 hits, Grammy, Tony and Emmy awards, a seven-year run on the Vegas Strip and an induction into the Songwriters Hall of Fame. His hits include “Mandy,” “I Write the Songs,” “Can’t Smile Without You” and “Copacabana.” Here he presents “A Very Barry Christmas.”
Thurs, December 6; 8pm; American Airlines Arena (601 Biscayne Boulevard, Miami); Tix: Start at $56; aaarena.com.
ART BASEL – Miami Beach 2018
In their American show, leading galleries from North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia and Africa show significant work from the masters of Modern and contemporary art, as well as the new generation of emerging stars. Paintings, sculptures, installations, photographs, films, and editioned works of the highest quality are on display in the main exhibition hall. Many more events happening all over Miami.
Thurs December 6 through Sun December 9; artbasel.com/miami-beach.
COMEDIAN – Anjelah Johnson (Bon Qui Qui)
She became an internet sensation with her viral video, “Nail Salon” which led to many stand up, television and film opportunities. That same year she joined the cast of, “MADtv” as a series regular, which spawned another internet sensation, “Bon Qui Qui.” This original character, a disgruntled fast food employee with no filter, has been enjoyed, viewed and replicated by over 65 million people worldwide.
Thurs, Fri and Sat, Dec 6-8; Palm Beach Improv (550 S Rosemary Ave #250, West Palm Beach); Tix: GA $35 and VIP $75; Palmbeachimprov.com.
WEPA – Amor A La Musica
This Latin music fest returns to south Florida featuring Maluma, Prince Royce, Carlos Vives, Silvestre Dangond and Reik.
Fri, December 7; 8pm; American Airlines Arena (601 Biscayne Boulevard, Miami); Tix: Start at $49; aaarena.com.
SINGING – Fort Lauderdale’s Gay Men’s Chorus
The FTLGMC is making the yuletide gay as they present “Season’s Greetings: A Holiday Concert.” Whether your reason for the season is Christmas, Hanukkah or Ol’ Saint Nick, you’ll enjoy a festive mix of traditional holiday favorites, contemporary carols and a special visit from Santa and his very handsome reindeer!
Sat, December 8; 8pm; All Saints Episcopal Church (333 Tarpon Drive, Fort Lauderdale); Tix: $25(GA); $40 (VIP); Theftlgmc.org.
BENEFIT – Children’s Diagnostic & Treatment Center
Lips, the ultimate in drag dining, will host a not-your-ordinary Holiday Toy Drive to benefit (CDTC) during its Dragalicious Gospel Brunch with two show seating’s at 11 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. Attendees are encouraged to bring an unwrapped children’s toy to receive a free Lips’ world famous frozen cosmo during a future visit.
Sun, December 9; Lips (1421 East Oakland Park Blvd. Oakland Park); Tix: $10; Reservations are required and can be made by calling (954) 567-0987
MOVIES – Ben Is Back
Follows the charming yet troubled Ben Burns (Hedges), who returns home to his unsuspecting family one fateful Christmas Eve. Ben’s wary mother Holly Burns (Roberts) welcomes her beloved son’s return, but soon learns he is still very much in harm’s way. During the 24 hours that may change their lives forever, Holly must do everything in her power to avoid the family’s downfall.
Premieres Friday, December 7; Rated R and stars Julia Roberts, Lucas Hedges, Courtney B. Vance, and Kathryn Newton.
FABULOUSNESS – L’illusion du Plumage
Fantastically costumed dancers parade across the stage creating a mesmerizing spectacle you won’t want to miss. L’illusion du Plumage opens with the splendor of the quintessential symbol of glamour, excitement, and beauty that is showgirls, but with an unexpected twist. This time, the girls are wearing the bow tie and the boys wear the heels, go-go shorts, crystal arm pieces dangling from their waist… and that’s just the start.
Sat & Sun, December 8th and 9th; 7 pm; War Memorial Auditorium (800 NE 8th Street, Fort Lauderdale) Tix: $43-$75; AXS.com.
TV – Botched Returns
Since 2014 this has been one of my go to guilty pleasures as two celebrity plastic surgeons, Paul Nassif and Terry Dubrow, treat a variety of noteworthy patients seeking help because of cosmetic procedures gone wrong or severe physical anomalies.
Thurs, December 6th 10pm; Bravo
  from Hotspots! Magazine https://hotspotsmagazine.com/2018/12/04/top-10-of-the-week-15/ from Hot Spots Magazine https://hotspotsmagazine.tumblr.com/post/180802850125
0 notes
hotspotsmagazine · 5 years
Text
Top 10 of the Week
DRAG RACE – Holi-Slay and All Stars 4
The one-hour “RuPaul’s Drag Race Holi-slay Spectacular” will bring back franchise favorites including Eureka O’Hara, Jasmine Masters, Kim Chi, Latrice Royale, Mayhem Miller, Shangela, Sonique, and Trixie Mattel as they compete for the title of America’s first “Drag Race Christmas Queen.” Immediately following will be the premiere of All Stars Season 4 starring: Farrah Moan, Gia Gunn, Jasmine Masters, Latrice Royale, Manila Luzon, Monét X Change, Monique Heart, Naomi Smalls, Trinity Taylor, and Valentina.
Friday, December 7; 8pm; VH1
ICON – Barry Manilow
Manilow’s storied career includes more than 50 Top 40 hits, Grammy, Tony and Emmy awards, a seven-year run on the Vegas Strip and an induction into the Songwriters Hall of Fame. His hits include “Mandy,” “I Write the Songs,” “Can’t Smile Without You” and “Copacabana.” Here he presents “A Very Barry Christmas.”
Thurs, December 6; 8pm; American Airlines Arena (601 Biscayne Boulevard, Miami); Tix: Start at $56; aaarena.com.
ART BASEL – Miami Beach 2018
In their American show, leading galleries from North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia and Africa show significant work from the masters of Modern and contemporary art, as well as the new generation of emerging stars. Paintings, sculptures, installations, photographs, films, and editioned works of the highest quality are on display in the main exhibition hall. Many more events happening all over Miami.
Thurs December 6 through Sun December 9; artbasel.com/miami-beach.
COMEDIAN – Anjelah Johnson (Bon Qui Qui)
She became an internet sensation with her viral video, “Nail Salon” which led to many stand up, television and film opportunities. That same year she joined the cast of, “MADtv” as a series regular, which spawned another internet sensation, “Bon Qui Qui.” This original character, a disgruntled fast food employee with no filter, has been enjoyed, viewed and replicated by over 65 million people worldwide.
Thurs, Fri and Sat, Dec 6-8; Palm Beach Improv (550 S Rosemary Ave #250, West Palm Beach); Tix: GA $35 and VIP $75; Palmbeachimprov.com.
WEPA – Amor A La Musica
This Latin music fest returns to south Florida featuring Maluma, Prince Royce, Carlos Vives, Silvestre Dangond and Reik.
Fri, December 7; 8pm; American Airlines Arena (601 Biscayne Boulevard, Miami); Tix: Start at $49; aaarena.com.
SINGING – Fort Lauderdale’s Gay Men’s Chorus
The FTLGMC is making the yuletide gay as they present “Season’s Greetings: A Holiday Concert.” Whether your reason for the season is Christmas, Hanukkah or Ol’ Saint Nick, you’ll enjoy a festive mix of traditional holiday favorites, contemporary carols and a special visit from Santa and his very handsome reindeer!
Sat, December 8; 8pm; All Saints Episcopal Church (333 Tarpon Drive, Fort Lauderdale); Tix: $25(GA); $40 (VIP); Theftlgmc.org.
  BENEFIT – Children’s Diagnostic & Treatment Center
Lips, the ultimate in drag dining, will host a not-your-ordinary Holiday Toy Drive to benefit (CDTC) during its Dragalicious Gospel Brunch with two show seating’s at 11 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. Attendees are encouraged to bring an unwrapped children’s toy to receive a free Lips’ world famous frozen cosmo during a future visit.
Sun, December 9; Lips (1421 East Oakland Park Blvd. Oakland Park); Tix: $10; Reservations are required and can be made by calling (954) 567-0987
  MOVIES – Ben Is Back
Follows the charming yet troubled Ben Burns (Hedges), who returns home to his unsuspecting family one fateful Christmas Eve. Ben’s wary mother Holly Burns (Roberts) welcomes her beloved son’s return, but soon learns he is still very much in harm’s way. During the 24 hours that may change their lives forever, Holly must do everything in her power to avoid the family’s downfall.
Premieres Friday, December 7; Rated R and stars Julia Roberts, Lucas Hedges, Courtney B. Vance, and Kathryn Newton.
FABULOUSNESS – L’illusion du Plumage
Fantastically costumed dancers parade across the stage creating a mesmerizing spectacle you won’t want to miss. L’illusion du Plumage opens with the splendor of the quintessential symbol of glamour, excitement, and beauty that is showgirls, but with an unexpected twist. This time, the girls are wearing the bow tie and the boys wear the heels, go-go shorts, crystal arm pieces dangling from their waist… and that’s just the start.
Sat & Sun, December 8th and 9th; 7 pm; War Memorial Auditorium (800 NE 8th Street, Fort Lauderdale) Tix: $43-$75; AXS.com.
  TV – Botched Returns
Since 2014 this has been one of my go to guilty pleasures as two celebrity plastic surgeons, Paul Nassif and Terry Dubrow, treat a variety of noteworthy patients seeking help because of cosmetic procedures gone wrong or severe physical anomalies.
Thurs, December 6th 10pm; Bravo
    from Hotspots! Magazine https://hotspotsmagazine.com/2018/12/04/top-10-of-the-week-15/
0 notes
bibbykins · 3 years
Note
Tae have you thought about asking Dove to be your assistant?
"She is now, actually!" He beams cheerfully, "She's the cutest little receptionist, I could spend hours just staring at her answering phone calls."
"I literally have no idea how he gets all of his work done." Jin sighs.
"Yeah, everytime I go to his floor, he is either with her or staring at her." Jungkook ponders, "And she just thinks it's cute."
"I didn't get my position for nothing." Taehyung quips, "I multitask." He smugly states.
"Odette told me she banned you from staring for more than five minutes if your work isn't done." Jimin snickered and Taehyung pouted.
"Shut up!" He huffed.
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westernmanews · 6 years
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SPRINGFIELD — American International College (AIC) will induct seven accomplished alumni into the biennial Co-Curricular Hall of Fame during a brunch in their honor beginning at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 13. The event will be held in Schwartz Campus Center on the main campus as part of the college’s Homecoming Weekend festivities. 
Inductees for 2018 include distinguished alumni who cross generations from the Class of 1950 through 2009. Glendora Vesta Folsom Buell ’50 has enjoyed a historically successful career in television. Her show, A Chat with Glendora, has been syndicated on public-access cable television stations nationwide since it first aired in 1972, making it the world’s longest-running active public-access program. Emily Rivera-Nunez ’97, who received numerous awards for leadership as an undergraduate student, has gone on to enjoy a rewarding career in criminal justice and victim advocacy. Her husband, Luis Nunez ’98, is also an inductee. During his time at AIC, Nunez was an active member of the campus community, serving in student government, Model Congress, the wrestling team, and as a resident assistant. He is a senior development accountant and continues to volunteer his time and talent with youth wrestling and baseball. Kia Prescott Bandoh ’99, a biology major and recipient of Who’s Who Among Students in Colleges and Universities, went on to earn a master of physician assistant degree from Eastern Virginia Medical School. She is a physician assistant at the Dana Farber Cancer Institute’s Gynecologic Oncology Program with the Susan F. Smith Center for Women’s Cancers. Yolanda McCormick ’03 (MS ’05) graduated with a bachelor of science in sociology and criminal justice, and a master of science degree in criminal justice. She earned a second master of science degree in mental-health counseling and is a licensed mental-health clinician in North Carolina. 
Two longtime Springfield residents are also being recognized. Elizabeth Perez ’99 majored in criminal justice and political science while at AIC. She is currently pursuing a doctorate in educational psychology at the college. Perez has been a social worker and supervisor with the Massachusetts Department of Children and Families for 19 years. Keshawn Dodds ’01 (MEd ’09) is the executive director of the Boys & Girls Club Family Center in Springfield. Dodds recently received the 2018 Ubora Award from the Springfield Museums. He was a member of BusinessWest’s 40 Under 40 class of 2012, and received the Stone Soul Community Leader Award in 2015. In 2016, Dodds became an Amazon best-selling author with his science-fiction novel Menzuo: The Calling of the Sun Prince.
The post AIC to Induct Seven Alumni into Co-Curricular Hall of Fame appeared first on BusinessWest.
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abiteofnat · 6 years
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SLOWLY LEARNING THAT YOU CAN HAVE IT ALL...
Because when luck suddenly strikes, it strikes in the form of a lot of free food and a couple hangovers at 5pm. I took those headaches gladly as they meant we took advantage of a good time when it presents itself, and given that nearly everything I ate/drank this weekend involved sugar, carbs and booze I’m really proud of the fact we let no bite go unbitten. So what on earth was I up to besides ruining my skin and healthy arteries, you ask? 
WELL. I lived my dream foodie weekend. I’m still pinching myself. And in blatant transparency, it’s because it was all. fo. free. Not a penny spent except to go see a movie and indulge in my favorite fall-time beer, and to buy a hat for one of the events because my hair was *humid* and felt hats are VERY fashionable right now... or so Instagram tells me. Now, there’s never any issue with paying for experiences that make you happy, because literally everyone who reads this blog knows that I lack any sense of saying “no” to my stomach and a good time involving food. If it’s financially feasible, do it, fuck it, you’re on the Earth for  a LIMITED TIME ONLY. But... I also like living a life of pretend luxury sometimes, when luck should have my back. Disney gave me such high expectations as a kid. 
But here we go! Starting off on Saturday, I got to round up some of my favorite ladies and our favorite men for ping pong, mimosas, and Eggs Benedict PIZZA thanks to Ace Bounce! My sorority group that’s lasted past the post-grad blues is a core group of (mostly) PR women who share a love of beautifully crafted cocktails and a dope weekend ambiance, so we tend to tag each other in EVERY SINGLE giveaway on social media that offers a chance to experience either of those hobbies. Beautifully crafted cocktails, you may ask, are indeed a hobby. The algorithm behind the perfect Instagram photo involves time getting ready, time securing the location, stalking the menu for the right option that will take the best photo, and of course finding the right lighting to execute said photo. Yes, you’re rolling your eyes, I can feel it. But that’s the reality behind the science of why we love to live in Instagram world; it’s fun when people do all of that for us, isn’t it?
So, back to Ace Bounce. They found my comment on Facebook buried amidst the rest in a contest to win FREE BRUNCH!!! and somehow, I won FREE BRUNCH!!! I almost fell out of my chair at work because these things... they do not happen to me. Warning: I’m not going to be chill this post; not at all. 
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My group of seven showed up at noon on Saturday for two hours of debauchery, and after living right near the Ace Bounce in Shoreditch (London) during it’s opening I had so many questions what this one in Chicago would be like. Seeing as the one in London was the typical basement-style bar with men in their navy suits drinking endless beers after work while playing polite games of ping pong, I imagined bottomless brunch might be a bit... different. To my enjoyment, the atmosphere was incredible and the design was really brilliantly done! With lots of dark leather, strange zoo-like details, exposed mint green brick, and some delicious neon signs suggesting naughty things I was sold on the environment. And don’t forget the many, many ping pong tables! As I tried to prove to Eric that I AM talented at ping pong, very attentive waiters came around with the start to bottomless mimosas poured in very Gatsby-esque glasses for us to get some game-time courage from.
The mimosas were wonderful, the ping was being ponged, and then there was time for food! Carts of luscious little buffet-style things came around for the second half of brunch, once everyone was a little more spirited and awake, and we filled our plates with a very hearty variety of food. My plate included mac & cheese (I chose to ignore the brisket on top since it didn’t touch my spoonful), breakfast potatoes with sour cream and chives, coconut shrimp, little donuts, and EGGS BENEDICT PIZZA. This pizza stole the show for me. It had a thin crust topped with eggs, spinach, cheese, and hollandaise sauce strewn about. Holy fuck, between that and the mac & cheese I was in heaven. 
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That night, once the mimosa headache set in and Eric and I were done handling my energetic terror of a dog who literally cannot get close enough to Eric without suffocating him, we went to my favorite movie theater in Evanston to see “A Simple Favor” starring my queen, Blake Lively. Anna Kendrick didn’t even strike a match next to her. Blake. is. Everything. 
ONTO THE NEXT! Sunday was the event I still can’t believe I was so lucky to attend- Chicago Gourmet. Yep, the biggest foodie event in Chicago that costs an arm and a leg to go to if you want access to all the yums! Since my entire Instagram feed is comprised of foodie accounts that have reached a wayyyy bigger following than mine, I've dreamed of attending this event for years and just never saw it... happening. I think honestly, I didn’t want to allow myself to go and feel like a fraud for not being top tier enough. Social media gets to us that way! But when Brett Firdman of @hertastylife announced I won the tickets I entered for weeks ago, in her partnership with Country Financial, I freaked. When the tickets arrived in my email, I screamed and woke Eric up and he didn’t care AT ALL until it was 10am the next morning and he knew he was going with. He understands why it was such a big deal now! 
Sunday we both woke up pretty jazzed to get the day started, and then after a trip to Walgreens for blister Band-Aids and a trip to Staples to print the tickets out we got ready, chugged some cold brew, and headed out the door. Then in transit, I realized I forgot the tickets at home. After very quietly admitting my mistake and expecting Eric to lose his mind from hunger, he instead proved to be the best boyfriend ever and did not roll his eyes when we had to go to another Staples to print the tickets. Thank goodness for Staples! 
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Finally, it was time to enter the fantasy land and I was actually kind of nervous! I didn’t know what to expect, what to eat, what was worth it, and what kind of people would be there! Walking in they hand you a wine glass and a plate with your swag, and you just LOAD THAT SUCKER UP. The wine flowed endlessly from the nicest suppliers ever, the plate was suddenly full of smaller places featuring Indian delights and tiramisu and sushi and pasta and sooo much goodness. Part of me wishes I had paid closer attention to what I was eating from where, but I think part of the fun of this event is just enjoying everything in the moment and then seeing what you look back on fondly to find again. I’d eat the curry sauces topping all of the little plates all over again, RIGHT NOW.
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We really did not waste any time eating and drinking everything, from brightly colored cocktails to the deepest red wines, and even though it rained a little being stuck under a tent with endless wine and my love until it passed seemed to good to be true. 
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The entire aesthetic of the event was intriguing; there were people in cute fall sweaters and jeans and dresses and expensive little booties (not like mine, lol) and there were also people in running clothes and what could pass for pajamas. Since it’s an outdoor festival in the fall, in the middle of Millennium Park, it’s understandable that one would want to be cozy. But it was really cool to see people just enjoying themselves and their endless wine on a Sunday, comfortable and sharing good times with friends! I think the lesson learned for next year (tickets ARE worth the price) is wear shoes that can get a little dirty, expect some lines but know it’s worth it, and go on a Saturday so it can be a longggg day of really savoring every bite. We stayed the perfect amount of time since it was a Sunday and rainy, but sit me in a chair with wine and I can stay all day!
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So was it as magical as Instagramland makes it all seem? Indeed it was. I felt like a kid at... you guessed it, Disney. Reference my high expectation meter earlier; Chicago Gourmet really did blow me and my Prince Eric out of the water. I’ll stop.
I want to repeat I feel beyond lucky to have won access to both these events this weekend, so the biggest thanks goes to Ace Bounce and Brett / Country Financial. I’m always counting my blessings that I’m part of Chicago’s food scene, and weekends like this just keep confirming Chicago will have my heart forever and ever. You can’t get bored here! 
Until next time, Happy Eating!
-Natalie 
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juliandmouton30 · 7 years
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Five design-centric eateries to dine at during NYC Restaurant Week 2017
New York's annual Restaurant Week returns this summer, offering discounts at some of the city's hottest dining spots. We've chosen five venues with the best interiors for those who appreciate both design and food.
Organised by tourism platform NYC & Company, the event has 390 participating restaurants, serving a wide variety of cuisines across the city's five boroughs.
The event is not actually constrained to seven days – foodies can take advantage of brunch, lunch and dinner deals on set menus from 24 July to 18 August 2017. Bookings can be made through the NYC Restaurant Week website.
Here are our five picks that offer both good food and great design:
Mercer Kitchen
For the restaurant at The Mercer hotel in SoHo, French designer Christian Liaigre aimed to create the atmosphere of a casual family kitchen using communal dining tables and an open cooking area.
World-renowned chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten's American-influenced menu is served in the largely subterranean restaurant, which has room for 200 diners among original brick walls and wenge-wood furnishings.
99 Prince Street, SoHo
Leuca
The interior of this Southern Italian restaurant was created by Toronto-based Studio Munge, which was responsible for outfitting the entire William Vale hotel where it is located.
The space is split into two sides – the bar and casual dining area has a light, airy design, while the other features warm, wood panelling, designed to evoke an Italian country house.
111 North 12th Street, Williamsburg
Nobu Downtown
New York's Rockwell Group is behind the design of the latest branch of the Nobu chain which, like its predecessors, serves Peruvian-Japanese cuisine.
A wooden sculpture based on the brushstrokes of Japanese calligraphy spans the ceiling of the underground restaurant, above red walls, chair and banquettes.
195 Broadway, Financial District
Mission Chinese Food
This celebrated Chinese restaurant in a former nightclub is deliberately designed to be tacky.
Executive chef Angela Dimayuga commissions her many creative contacts to create ever-changing installations in the brick-lined, double-height space at the back, ranging from a sci-fi cave to an assemblage of silk and wood kites.
171 East Broadway, Chinatown
Fowler and Wells
Located in one of New York's hottest new hotels, The Beekman, Fowler and Wells was designed by London-based Martin Brudnizki to tie into his work elsewhere on the historic Temple Court building.
Its intentionally dishevelled appearance is created with antique furniture and vintage chandeliers, which complement the restored original details and stained-glass windows.
5 Beekman Street, Financial District
Related story
Auction of Philip Johnson's The Four Seasons restaurant interior raises over $4.1 million
The post Five design-centric eateries to dine at during NYC Restaurant Week 2017 appeared first on Dezeen.
from ifttt-furniture https://www.dezeen.com/2017/07/26/nyc-restaurant-week-design-centric-dining-venues-new-york-city/
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weownthenitenyc · 7 years
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The 7th annual Electric Forest (EF) festival returned to its home in the beautiful forest of Rothbury, Michigan for the first of two weekends, welcoming over 40,000 fans for four days and nights of camping, live music, incredible art installations and the magic of the enchanted Sherwood Forest.
WATCH THE EF2017 WEEKEND ONE RECAP VIDEO HERE.
“We plan year around to raise the magic of Electric Forest from the year before,” Jeremy Stein Electric Forest Founder / Producer and President of Madison House Presents. “Experiencing the festival with the EF community brings all the hard work to life and inspires us for the next year, and in this case, the next weekend.  We couldn’t be more grateful and humbled by the enthusiasm and contributions the entire Forest Family brings to the EF experience.”
“The first weekend of Electric Forest was an unbelievably beautiful experience,” said Pasquale Rotella, Founder and CEO of Insomniac. “We spent four days exploring the forest with thousands of inspiring fans and it was amazing to see such a diverse community come together to create art, appreciate all kinds of music, and transform the unique campgrounds into their temporary home. With so many first-time special sets across seven stages, and vibes that continued until the sunrise in the forest, I can’t wait for everyone to see what’s in store for Weekend 2!”
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Now an annual Forest Family tradition, fans lined up at Electric Forest’s Main Entrance on Thursday afternoon, anxiously waiting for gates to open and for their time in the Forest to begin. Sets from Day 1 included headliners The String Cheese Incident and Above & Beyond, plus performances by fan favorites The Revivalists, Bob Moses, Kamasi Washington and many others, launching the First Weekend of EF2017. Claude VonStroke’s label party, The Birdhouse, took over Tripolee stage, kicking off the first of EF2017’s Curated Events, with performances from Claude Von Stroke, Golf Clap, Sonny Fodera, Jimmy Edgar, Machinedrum, Walker & Royce, and Maya Jane Coles. Eager fans flooded the enchanted Sherwood Forest to explore new art installations including the epic Caravan Elephant centerpiece, Mechan9 Robot, this year’s Art Installation Sponsorship winners The Night Lily and Pisces Pool, and more.
As festival gates opened on Friday afternoon, the Her Forest Curated Event kicked off at the Observatory Stage, hosting performances by Melodie Monroe, Dance of Anarkali, M.O.B.,Heartwurkz, Frankie Tanimal, Alfiya Glow, LYNX & the Servants of Song, and a special drag performance from EF2017’s Monarch Rachel and Their Royal Court. Performers for the debut of EF’s Her Forest Curated Event were selected from hundreds of fan submissions auditioning to be part of this unique celebration of women and all they offer to art. EF’s Her Forest program, which also hosted a Group Camp, Her Forest Circles, and informal “Meet-Ups” during Weekend 1, serves to nurture a culture of connection and empowerment within the EF community.
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Friday night brought an epic 5-hour performance from Electric Forest’s original muse, The String Cheese Incident, for their second performance of three for Weekend 1.  Bringing out an all-star lineup of special guests for a very special second set, SCI was joined on stage by Kamasi Washington, Matisyahu, Matt Hill of the Floozies, Break Science, Brazilian Girls, Liquid Stranger, and Eric Krasno. Sherwood Court hosted the Foreign Family Collective Curated Event, featuring a stacked lineup including Chet Porter, Fakear, Big Wild, Jai Wolf, Troy Boi, and TYCHO.  Meanwhile, Monarch Rachel, EF’s first non-binary Monarch, and their Royal Court treated fans to drag make-overs in the newly revealed interactive art space, The Chapel. The Bassrush Curated Event on the Tripolee stage welcomed pulsing sets from Trampa, a special B2B from Liquid Stranger and Space Jesus, Eptic, Pendulum (DJ Set), Crizzly, Zomboy, Andy C and Nero (Live); fans danced into the early morning hours.
By Saturday, the festival had settled into the familiar, joyful rhythm that is so unique to Electric Forest. With many experiences and surprises still to be explored, some started the day with a Bloody Mary brunch at EF’s pop-up restaurant, the Woodland Grill.  Others participated in yoga, relaxed in hammocks, explored the Sherwood Forest, or visited EF’s post-American war themed Hangar area for a hair trim at the Barber Shop or bowling and a game of pool in the Arcade.
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On the stages, anticipation was high for Friday’s “This Song Is Sick” secret sets in the Jubilee Tent, which revealed performances fromAutograf, Louis the Child, Ganja White Night + Boogie T, and peaked with Big Gigantic + Illenium + Ekali collaborating on stage. On the other side of the festival, fans were preparing for My Morning Jacket at Ranch Arena. The incredible set from the rock band included a powerful rendition of Prince’s “Purple Rain.”  Up next at Ranch Arena, Bassnectar delivered a driving set that his legion of loyal fans will not soon forget.
Sunday provided a final opportunity for Weekend 1 attendees to experience all that Electric Forest has to offer. Music from The Infamous Stringdusters welcomed fans in the afternoon, with special guest Bill Nershi from The String Cheese Incident. Yoga kicked off the morning at the Tripolee stage, and Her Forest held the Closing Women’s Circle in Reincarnation Village for all who identify as women and their allies.BreakBot and Papadosio kept the Ranch Arena grooving before headliner Dillon Francis brought the final performance on the mainstage. A-Trak kept the party going on the Tripolee Stage while Big Gigantic closed out the Sherwood Court. Xenia Rubinos, Sepiatonic and Vourteque closed-down the Hangar stage, with Dixon’s Violin serenading the Observatory Stage to a poignant close for the First Weekend of Electric Forest 2017.
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Electric Forest 2017 hosts its Second Weekend June 29 – July 2.  Headliners for the second weekend include: The String Cheese Incident, Flume, DJ Snake, RL Grime, Bassnectar, Big Gigantic, Claude VonStroke, and Thievery Corporation, with over 150 additional performers. Tickets, including 2-day weekend passes, are available now at www.electricforestfestival.com.
To stay up to date on all Electric Forest news, please visit www.electricforestfestival.com and the official Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube pages.
  Electric Forest 2017 Weekend One Highlights The 7th annual Electric Forest (EF) festival returned to its home in the beautiful forest of Rothbury, Michigan for the first of two weekends, welcoming over 40,000 fans for four days and nights of camping, live music, incredible art installations and the magic of the enchanted Sherwood Forest.
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For this episode of Community Conversations we spoke with Marcia Leftwich of the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority’s Omicron Chi Omega Chapter.
Q: I’m going to go ahead and let you talk about your organization. What is the name of your organization?
A: We’re Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Incorporated, Omicron Chi Omega Chapter in Woodbridge, Virginia. And we serve the Prince William County, and we have been here 31 years.
Q: So, what kind of things do you do in the community?
A: So, we serve the community by providing community service to the community. We provide shelter and things like seasonal wraps for those who need coats. We have coat drives, we provide canned goods, we provide mental health issue services as far as information about mental health, stroke awareness. We actually have five target areas that we promote within the Prince William County.
Q: What are they?
A: So, our target 1 is education enrichment, where we have mentoring for our students – it’s called Ascend. And we provide mentoring for high school young men and young women. So right now that’s at Potomac High School – we do that weekly. Target 2 is our health promotion. Where we have three of those targets where we work with the Alzheimer’s Association, American Heart Association, and American Stroke [Association]. We provide information in those target areas as well to promote healthy eating, to prevent stroke, things to prevent heart attacks, and ideally to abate those issues in our community, Prince William in particular. And the third area is the NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) association that we work with mental health awareness. We try to abate the things people are dealing with in mental health, and to provide information about depression, and those things that sometimes people don’t understand about mental health awareness.
Target 3 is family strengthening. We try to promote financial literacy, we also try to promote, again, seasonal wraps, people who are in need of coats – we do coat drives – canned goods, things like that. Target 4 is our playground mobilization and environmental stability, where we will give information about how to promote, how to live in an environment and reduce your footprint. How to also recycle, just basic things – recycling canned goods, turning off the lights, unplugging things, which can also promote reducing your footprint. And we also just had a great event last Saturday, where we revitalized a playground, and we do that every year where we help revitalize one of the elementary school playgrounds, and we go in and plant things – you know, plant new plants. And we also paint the United States on the ground, do hopscotch, Four Square, so that the kids have a safe environment and a new, revitalized playground.
And then target 5 is our global impact, and we want to give people the opportunity to learn about globalization, Africare is one of our targets as well as UN and we teach the students about Model UN and how to make a global impact, and we’re currently helping to build a school in Liberia.
Q: So, you’re pretty involved in the community at all different levels, and so how did you get involved in this organization?
A: So, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Incorporated is an organization for college educated women, and you join either when you’re in college or after you graduate from college, so that is how you become a member.
Q: And how long have you been involved with it?
A: I have been involved for 26 years.
Q: Has it always been in Prince William County that whole time or has it been in any other places?
A: So, myself? Oh for myself, it’s been in different places. But I have been here in Prince William along with Omicron Chi Omega for the last seven years.
Q: So, what’s one of the things that drives you to keep on all this? Obviously this is – you have a lot going on – I know it’s not just you, but what’s one of the things that drives you to want to help like this in the community?
A: One of the things that drives me is that one of my passions is health. Making sure that our underserved community members take care of themselves. And so my passion has been the health initiative. So that’s one of the things that drives me to help our Prince William County community residents to learn more about health, stroke awareness, heart, diabetes, and things like that. Because a healthy community actually helps serve others in the community. So that’s one of the things that we as a sorority have become very passionate about. Because as we become healthier, we can help the community be healthy and we can help others – not just here – but globally as well.
Q: So how many people do you have in your sorority that help you?
A: So, we have approximately 140 people.
Q: So, your group has a big impact when you go in to do any of these different programs.
A: Right. So, we also have our sorority and then we have a foundation, which is the Ivy Foundation of Greater Prince William County Incorporated. So, they are with us – they’re our charitable part of our foundation. So our sorority works in the community as well as our non-profit charitable contributions that we get from our foundation, so we work hand in hand.
Q: So, you have a couple of events coming up?
A: We do.
Q: So, what’s the first one you have coming up?
A: The first event we have coming up is the Little Miss AKA Pageant. And out Little Miss AKA Pageant is one of our biggest fundraisers that our charitable foundation, the Ivy Foundation of Greater Prince William County does for our sorority. And what they do is, we mentor and impact little young ladies in the community, ages five to 17, and we basically foster their growth by providing information on social graces, civic activities, community service, and teamwork, over a six to eight-month period time. We meet with them, we teach them different things, and then the culmination of that activity is an actual pageant. And through that process they’re raising funds to fund helping us provide scholarship money for the community – young men and women that are going to college.
Q: And where is this going to be held?
A: This is going to be held at Hylton High School. It’s June 11 and the tickets are $5…at C.D. Hylton High School from 3 [p.m.] to 7 [p.m.]. And like I said, the pageant, it has three categories, so each category is age specific. So we have girls in each category.
Q: And your second event that you’ll have coming up.
A: Our second event is our first annual Big Hat Brunch. So, this is an awesome opportunity for everyone to come out and enjoy a wonderful fashion show. We’re going to have a jazz band, and this is at the Waterford in Springfield, and that’s going to be June 17. And it’s an opportunity for everyone to come out, wear a big hat – it’s going to be men and women – so men are invited as well, family members, to just come out and have a really good time and enjoy. It’s another fundraiser. Tickets are $65 and again that’s going to be at the Waterford in Springfield.
Check back for more episodes of Community Conversations.
The post Community Conversations: AKA Sorority hosts fundraisers, does community work in Prince William appeared first on What's Up Prince William.
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