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rennyji · 1 year ago

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remaining tweets part 1 (01/25/2024)

Desire is not a bad thing. It's about how you go about carrying out that desire that makes it good or bad. Intentions or best of intentions aren't bad. But evil things can be done w/the best of intentions. God gave man free will. Its the key theme in the Adam/Eve story.

Star Signs like Aquarius ( #Aquarius ) R suggested 2 predict future. But on a more useful level, they describe personalities of people associated w/those corresponding months. Can be used 2 be #mindful of pros/flaws 2 ur personality. Finders of astrology were 1st brain mappers. -

compatible potential friends/relationships, thru compatible star sign matching, maps/connects personalities. It’s like #Superman or something from #Krypton , where people are matched based on genetics.-

-U shouldnt depend on it; it’s flaw of current brain mappers. Cats/dogs R matched w/cats/dogs 2 click. But humans have #freewill , &ability 2 be #mindful &learn 2harness strengths/overcome weakness &use speech 2 better bonds instead of relying on genetics/brain-type-matching.

interesting Im only inanimate object in zodiac, aka #Libra ( Libra ): scale of #justice. Interesting b/c Im facing #Injustice lasting decade plus. Nice 2 think theres magic 2 world. Usually, we’re lawyers/diplomats; BUT, talking it 2 solve my situation hasn’t worked yet.

B/c of #COVID (Im guessing), not enough new releases of tv shows/movies. 2024 doesn’t seem like it has a lot 2 look forward 2, beyond #deadpool3 (Deadpool 3) & Spider-man 4 ( #SpiderMan4 ) . Ryan Reynolds is always great like in “ Free Guy or “ The Adam Project ”.

Whats happening 2 me: like something from a parallel universe where Nazis won World War II, instead. Its like an #anime ( anime ) . Maybe not Naruto ( #Naruto ), but something close 2 #DeathNote or #CodeGeass . Personally wouldve preferred #DragonBall or #TheSevenDeadlySins .

“Smooth Criminal” by #MichaelJackson & #AlienAntFarm ( Alien Ant Farm ), says u’ve been “hit by, u’ve been struck by…a smooth criminal…” On idea of a smooth criminal, no one smoother than mind readers/controllers. So smooth, u might not even know they’re in ur life.

Hindus ( Hindus ) or a #Hindu ( Hindu ), from #Hinduism, do something explicit, other religions hint at:disciplining mind thru meditation/yoga. Other religions, thru rituals or parables, train mind, ultimately 2 give us focus. If we focus w/o distraction, we can do anything.

I wonder: if I didnt go 2 state university, like Albany,&instead: Jesuit college like Boston College or 1 run by Irish Christian Brothers: Iona University, or private university like ManhattanCollege, i’d’ve been w/more disciplined/ambitious people w/exposure 2 better resources.

Everybody but the center of attention is aware of situation, 4 more than 3650+ days! How insane is my situation?! Young&old, not 1 noble person can open mouths w/proof needed 2 stop this. But, on a more primitive level, people like “community” stemming from a common goal.

Living #AmericanNightmare or #Nightmare like things #Voldemort , in @jk_rowling 's " Harry Potter ",put victims thru. USA not 2 visit, unlike #Ayodhya or any place else. Americans could cure #Ebola , #Diabetes , or simple #HairLoss ,but instead put funds/effort 2 harassing minds.

I look forward 2 day where I say strange kids who? Or #DoctorWho ( DoctorsWho ) or UAlbanyWho? Orchestrators who? whatever person or group is your #BiggBoss ( Bigg Boss ) , to get to say 2 them: ummm who R U? The day I get my freedom…the day they face consequences…cannot wait…

Really anyone, absolutely anyone can help me get a reservation as the “fighter” of a decade, who gets “advanced booking”/“pre advanced booking” to freedom … just say what you know #FighterAdvanceBooking

Adele 's ( #Adele ), song "Skyfall", played in recent Bond films, has a line resonating w/me: "this is the end, holdUr breath&count to 10." Gives me sensation of sky falling as I remember myself realizing Im going 2 be enslaved for yrs, despite best efforts, @ onset of this.

Newest chapter of #Marvel 's #Spiderman , connected w/Thanos &Avengers, was incredible w/its connection b/w PeterParker &TonyStark &Peter's access 2 tech like enhanced Spider-Man suit. Then,in " Multiverse of Madness ", storyline is reset w/all forgetting Peter-wasnt fan of that

The Flash ( #Flash ) w/access 2 Jedi ( #Jedi ) like force 4 speed, makes him 1 of the greatest conceived heroes, particularly w/his ability 2 travel alternateTimelines ¶llelWorlds. His good nature also adds up 2 a greatStory. The CW ( #CW ) should bring back super hero shows.

Best laptop lap desk, something with a flare to make you want to use it, but something as simple as this costs $60 plus tax. Associated screenshot:

https://x.com/RennyJi/status/1749175516228124716?s=20

Best under desk keyboard attachment, below. But, another $60 It swivels, it rotates,& stows under desk, giving more desk space, & if u get a phone call & want 2 leave your desk, just rotate under desk. Something as simple as this, no one conceives except the innovative Chinese. Associated screenshot:

https://x.com/RennyJi/status/1749176551462334699?s=20

A decent bag of pre ground coffee? $14. You may think coffee is coffee. But some coffee work better than others. You want to get, what starts off your day, right…

Associated screenshot: https://x.com/RennyJi/status/1749177064324772202?s=20

I just went to #ShopRite and came back. Look what I bought on the left (a handful of items). This much costs $51, as you can see from my receipt on the right. All below. #prices #grocery #groceryprices

Associated screenshot:

https://x.com/RennyJi/status/1749177737363808629?s=20

U wanna know how 2 have crash-free coffee experience, that won’t make U feel sleepy/like cr*p shortly after drinking coffee? Mix it w/Lions Mane & other such related legal everyday mushroom ingredients-not 2 be confused w/“shrooms.” But a tsp. from this small jar? That’s $30.

Associated screenshot: https://x.com/RennyJi/status/1749179475860791402?s=20

U wanna get jacked like Wolverine ( #Wolverine )? Membership @ #24HourFitness w/small swimming pools?Costs $40. #LAFitness in Yonkers area?

After charging $40 4 membership, they deemed it wise 2 put in mall where no normal parking (mall garage instead) &after 2 hrs U need 2 pay. Netflix for an ad free experience? Costs $23. That’s without paying for cable tv. It’s probably easier to catch a Pokémon ( #Pokemon )than catch a price that makes sense…I was a kid when the series 1st started…I feel there have been too many iterations of show…

TaylorSwift ( Taylor Swift ) … a truly talented singer, with personality … timeless people like #MichaelJackson ( Michael Jackson ) … an icon …

I agree with the news channels that addresses this: u should invest in a house … it’s part of the AmericanDream ( American Dream ). But this is the age of high prices leading to people living together 4 affordability.-

-But theres other hurdles like addressing basement flooding, shoveling sidewalks/footpaths 2 avoid legalBurdens, property tax up2 $10,000 4 small patch ofYard, heatingExpenses according 2 homeSize- it just seems sensible 2 buy luxuryFlat in suburbs like in Valhalla, NY vs NY, NY.

Floridians ( Floridians ) luck out with not having income tax, at least at the state level.

DeSantis ( DeSantis ) reported as dropping out of race..days after nominal victory over #NikkiHaley ( #Haley - Nikki Haley) in Iowa..all after spending 50 million in ads in Iowa - U gotta wonder Y so much 4 something integral like elections..-

-mySight limited2 #Haley ( #NikkiHaley )&

DonaldTrump (Donald Trump - #Trump )-months of migrants crossingBorder, getting, ofAllThings, freeSexChanges inMaine, freeHealthCare in-I think-California, freeHomes inNortheasternState I cant remember-currentAdmnstratn doesntMakeSense-

it doesnt make sense b/c you're accomplishing benefits for illegal immigrants while cutting budgets 4 citizens & legal immigrants in USA. Id like free housing & Im a U.S. citizen. I just don't get how current administration is prioritizing. Id like free health care w/o a job..

there are issues that pose problems with the other side … like abortion … there something clearly wrong when you're debating something like that for 50+ years. We're in the age of mind reading/mind control … and you still don't know when consciousness begins?-

-world mayNot B 5000 yrs old as Creationists say. But maybe answer is 2 let religion give guiding light 2science.W/something like abortion, mayB should B nationally allowed until point, where brainWaves detected, or when baby getting oxygen-like God giving breath of life 2 Adam..

and regarding current administration and the amount of time the current party has been in control, while this chapter of my life; situation has been occurring, I gotta wonder, would a party that hasn't been in power for as long a time, save me from my situation…

Maybe stars and how astrology influences personalities, is something that lays a foundation for how relationships progress or worsen. But it comes down to choice. -

-First you have to choose to sit down and think about, or listen to someone who shines a light on, a flaw, so that then, you can choose to make a correction.-

-In some Churches, they say a prayer of Confession: "through my fault, through my fault, through my most grevious fault…and then they ask to pray for themselves… What is that prayer saying? Be mindful: recognize your fault.-

-This is a fundamental tenet of Christianity. Yet so many are too bothered to think. To ask for forgiveness of sin, you need to recognize sin, or another word for it: mistake. -

-You need to recognize mistake, remember mistake, ask for strength overcoming the mistake and not repeating the mistake.-

-people need to realize what they're saying, what they're thinking, what they're doing. I was watching Thor: Ragnarok. The character #Loki ( Loki ), the god of mischief, Thor's brother, is an interesting character.-

-#Loki ( Loki ) is bent on causing chaos. It takes losing, getting beaten over and over, for him to stop and think: "Why am I such a bad egg?" -

Loki ( Loki ) realizes hes upset he was lied 2 on adoption, has inferiority/superiority complex where he needs2 show hes destined 4glory, even though adopted. He realizes pointlessness hisAmbitionIs. Once realized, heRose 2 trulyBeing "burdened w/glorious purpose," as heSays.-

It signifies something scary about most people. You're so glued to what you want to do and have to do, in going to bed and waking up, that you never stop to realize the things you think, say, do. No correction occurs.-

-Learn to consciously think, speak, perform actions. Now, from my situation, what you can get is that, if you fail at the above or are lazy about mindfulness, you may never realize that you were possibly mind read/mind controlled.

Donald Trump said he was going 2 be like a dictator on Day 1 of the office. Now U can read into that literally or understand the meaning behind what's he's saying: whether drilling into Alaska or something else, he's going 2 get some things done ASAP, regardless of opposition.

I'd like 2 be a dictator of this country, in terms of leadership power 2 enact some possibly time consuming changes. On Education, in college, we tackle 4 subjects, 'completely', in a semester. It's clear from existence of a GED for dropouts, high school shouldn't take 4years.-

coming from a guy who had a 4.0 gpa at a private college preparatory school, school structure needs to be organized. Children should learn to focus. Be it meditation or getting on the right ADD drugs, its something that should be beaten to death.-

I remember in school, there were the "smart kids." there were their peers who didn't get why they couldn't get good grades and doubted their ability to go to college. It's simply because they're not mentally strong yet. It can be remedied.-

early years should be directed to learning breathing techniques like alternate nostril breathing or box breathing. Sounds ridiculously corny, but children should see how long they can focus on a candle flame without distraction of intrusive thoughts -

if you can't even sit still to see only a candle flame in front of you, how can you be leaders, doctors, lawyers, engineers? how can you be policeman, fireman when you don't have the discipline to endure difficult schedules and people?-

gradeSchoolStructure needs2 B limited 2semester rather than yr.-It works in college regarding semester long course.HighSchool, if GEDs R possible, should B <2 yrs. Children shouldHave luxuryOfTime 2 play, haveFun, butAlso learn usefulTrades like woodwork, or wiringElectronics. Real world skills…

retardedBooks they make U read like Catcher in the Rye or The Stranger & its focus on existentialism, should B replaced w/books of children's choices. I'm not going 2 be an avid reader thru reading books of non interest. If its something I like, Ill B encouraged 2 do it more.-

life is short, life should be rewarding. Teach kids how 2 learn, how 2 focus. Get their heads in order w/o confusing them @ young age about gender options & sexuality options. Let them B free, let them make most of their lives b4 being expected hard working adults.

Regarding immigration, its been said a lot of those claiming asylum R facing political or financial turmoil in their countries. Rather than influxing all of them 2 the states, the United Nations should send people 2 make it better 2 live in places of origin. #maketheworldbetter

you want jobs that fuel the economy? That big beautiful wall Trump was talking about? Hire people to build one out of stone or bricks and make it into a tourist attraction like Great Wall of China. Start projects that need workers. Provide training to those workers.

Deku ( Deku) from #MyHeroAcademia makes me think how much #anime creators put out, a good number of which has amazing story lines. -

Following in relation 2 Betz Sphere , - something raising lots of conversation decades ago. I post this not b/c of controversial sphere, but b/c of how woman owning sphere denies the government & sets strict terms if they go against her-difference b/w Indian parents & American:

Associated clip: https://x.com/RennyJi/status/1749294429620334849?s=20

lady in prev. clip basically tells government 2 f* off. When govt. becomes insistent over whats in possession, she sets terms&has govmt. sign contract-I mean USA people especially from decade ago-feisty!They commandRespect w/govt., as they should, afterall Govt. serves people.-

as it’s…ummm…u know…been at least a decade?! I cannot help but think, unlike lady in last 2 weeks, my parents are letting orchestrators in youth/school/govt/army, just walk all over them…fearful of me, I can’t talk about situation, family can’t talk 2 me, i have no rights.

The company #Seen from Helloseen dot com, makes this amazing hair cream that restores oil to ur hair after shampooing everyday. 1 brush w/ hands, works like hair gel. A second, makes it look natural and full without the hard hair gel feeling. But like everything, $30

My main reason for it? Its noncomedogenic. If I ruffle my hair with hands and then my face, or clap my hands or something random, there's no weird feeling or grease that I'm getting in places.

Associated screenshot: https://x.com/RennyJi/status/1749297398726238266?s=20

Next pricy thing? If you shave and keep bleeding, or if soap becomes too much for your face, it could be because you need a barrier repair cream. This one is non oily from La Roche Posay. Great stuff, just wish it was bigger and not $22

https://x.com/RennyJi/status/1749297817091280918?s=20

A lip firming/hydrating alternative to chapstick, or vaseline (which make people think you're wearing lip gloss)? You go for Clarins Extra-Firming Lip & Contour Balm. How much is this thing that generally lasts 2 months? $50 This lasts between washes of your mouth after eating.

https://www.macys.com/shop/product/clarins-extra-firming-hydrating-lip-contour-balm-0.5-oz.?ID=328684

This one is good, and preferred, but it washes off too easily between eating…and it's $95, but it also lasts like 2 months.

"Chanel Smoothing and Firming Lip and Contour Care" https://www.macys.com/shop/product/smoothing-firming-lip-contour-care?ID=13124701

Wanna know how much a replacement head cover costs for an electric shaver? Shaver costs $80 and the foil cover, when torn from frequent use is $25

https://x.com/RennyJi/status/1749298134084165668?s=20

I have a Nescafé Dolce Gusto pod coffee machine. It’s what’s commonly used in Europe and Asia vs maybe Nespresso, although both are under Nestle. Can get pods and pods for reasonable price. Bought reusable. 2 reusable pods? $50

Associated screenshot: https://x.com/RennyJi/status/1749298494454501614?s=20

This manual coffee maker, the aeropress, not even electric. I think it’s $50 and the cover with the spout that outputs coffee better is an extra accessory that costs $25-33

https://x.com/RennyJi/status/1749298808863727715?s=20

If u’ve seen #Netflix ’s #StrangerThings , u no main character, #El aka #Eleven aka Jane, has thing 4 #Kellogs #Eggo#Waffles . Me? not a fan of their plain/regular waffle. But their Belgian strawberry flavor below?-Amazing. But 4 waffles are $6.- 1 Waffle costs more than a $1.

https://x.com/RennyJi/status/1749300474967204112?s=20 I just went to #ShopRite and came back. Look what I bought on the left (a handful of items). This much costs $51, as you can see from my receipt on the right. All below. #prices #grocery #groceryprices

https://x.com/RennyJi/status/1749177737363808629?s=20

Four donuts at, from the bakery section at ShopRite? Costs $8.99. Three 8 packs of Gatorade is $19.99, but one pack costs $8.99 … I guess that's a deal…

U realize with frozen pizza being $6+, U might as well have real pizza? or if a movie ticket costs $15 on #Fandango, Y not wait a month more and buy the movie for $19 on #GooglePlay or the #iTunes Store. If ice cream costs $5 at grocery store, why not do #Carvel or #Coldstone ?

FantasticFour sounds like good idea as part of new set of tv series 4 the #CW. I mean for years, we had weekly episodes 2 #Arrow , #TheFlash , #BlackLightning , #Supergirl , #Batgirl , #Stargirl , #SupermanAndLois, #LegendsOfTomorrow…w/o these weeklyUpdates, life feels empty.

on a similar note #HBOMax or #Max (as its called now), should update/replace the #Titans (from Teen Titans), #DoomPatrol, & #Peacemaker with new episodes/or new super hero tv series. There used to be so much to catch up on, on a weekly basis- now nothing…

did anyone else know there is a 9th planet or possibly an additional sun in our solar system? its curious how much more there is, in our own neighborhood, if and when we can see farther than now…

U gotta wonder if situation lasted long b/c of disdain/hesitancy 2 lawsuit,by supposed representatives ofMe. Can it get more public/uglier than this?Maybe cuz spotlight, now, isOnMe. Probably deluding those inMyLife w/clearing this/that. -night/day, orchestrators still criminals

The Avengers ( TheAvengers) with #ChrisEvans , Sebastian Stan ( #SebastianStan ), Robert Downey Jr., Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, and of course: Scarlett Johansson (an immaculate name), was a good run-hated how sequels took years…hope #Marvel outputs more w/shorter intervals.

I hope #Nintendo ( Nintendo ) & #Apple come out with their new consoles and VR glasses (respectively) before summer. It’s a hope, for both, as both are much anticipated. #AppleVision #AppleVisionPro

You know a movie will have a good storyline when it has actors like #AliaBhatt or @ameesha_patel … or on the male side: one of the Khans or Hrithik Roshan…

Original Digimon ( #Digimon ), aired on Fox 5, b/w 3-5 PM weekdays as well as Saturday mornings. Warp digivolving? Great idea, but sad digimon couldn’t digivolve. Whatever happened 2 #SaturdayMorningCartoons & b4 school/after school cartoons! Everything stopped coinciding, immediately, after 9/11/01…something happened to broadcasting.

Invincible ( Invincible on Amazon Prime) is an answer to the cartoons of old…we’ve been reusing Superman and Batman stories for at least 50 years. New heroes like Atom Eve and their stories? Great stuff.

Anyone else remember #Nickelodeon ’s Doug ( #Doug )? Classic cartoons for those of us from the 90s … kinda like #Jetsons or #Flintstones . ABC7 had another iteration of Doug on #OneSaturdayMorning. Nickelodeon aired it w/ #StickSticklyWithNickInTheAfternoon

IDontWantToOverreactBUT my reaction is justified and under, with my situation occurring for more than decade, without my say or rights factoring in yet, to finally ending it …

IDontWantToOverreactBUT how is there not a cure 2 hairLoss, 4 men &women? I think a scalp massager increasing circulation in pattern of male pattern baldness&a sourceOf adenosine (insteadOf minoxidil) is or part of answer. Stress/age/badDiets/meds usually decrease circulation.

How many of things we purchase R up-2 standards? #MoreRegulation ?! U spend arm & leg 4 something u’re waiting 4. & then, if it’s delivered from Amazon or wherever, U find out pole holding ur table is bent, making the tabletop crooked…then hassle of returns…#TheBadBatch

When long awaited & just announced ( #JustAnnounced ) movies like a new Thor movie or a Deadpool 3 movie come along, I realize that many more years have passed & I’m that much older. The 1st Iron Man came out when I was starting college. Now close to 40 &The Avengers story ended.

They need to make another #Hulk (Hulk) movie that’s connected with #MarkRuffalo ( Mark Ruffalo ) and The Avengers universe. A better origin story at the very least. They connected the #Xmen ( X-Men ) with one of the #Marvels in ( The Marvels ) movie after its credits…

If nothing else The Rock ( #TheRock ) becoming president would be iconic of the #AmericanDream , kinda like model turned actor turned governor: Arnold Schwarzenegger…from humble beginnings to being a world leader…

If #Pokemon , can have so many iterations, so should #DragonBall . Tie it in with the #multiverse . Ive heard its fans might like #OnePiece . #CartoonNetwork , #Boomerang , #Nickelodeon need 2 up their game w/ series like #AvatarTheLastAirbender . Use 2 be so much tv-wise…

Margot Robbie … the perfect woman with so much personality … thank you Australia for Margot Robbie and Hugh Jackman (someone to aspire to be like, through a gym session)… Regarding #BestPicture ( Best Picture ), there aren’t a lot of movies, in recent times, like Shawshank Redemption, Argo, or Meet Joe Black. We went from moving movies to still good, but silly? but funny movies like Bullet Train…

Israel deserves 2 livePeacefully w/o worrying over using bomb shelters. News coverage been repetitive there vs. minimalCoverage in #Palestine / #Gaza . W/Israel, its about Kibbutz Be Rei &concert, but after, deprived of electricity/shelter/food, Gazan cities been decimated.-

news doesnt seem 2 cover how many more died in #Palestine vs. #Israel. Bad group of people started fight in Israel. Israel defends self. But while talks shifted 2 rapes&abuse of kids in Israel, 13000+ innocent people died in #Gaza, 2 eradicate 1000 terrorizers.-

Humanitarian efforts need 2 get in #Gaza. How can level of destruction B compared 2 #Israel. & Israel 4 some reason controls electricity in Gaza&they turned it off. Israel is sandwiched b/w Gaza. Needs 2 B reorganizing of territory like Israel against sea,&all Gaza near river.-

this results in anger from #Palestine ian protest groups, but they need better discretion 2 when & where protests held…like shouldn’t go to Rockefeller center @ tree lighting. #Israel has right mentality of organizing concerts & speeches, at least from perspective of media.

By being overlyAware of gender pronouns&being politicallyPolite inAll otherRegards, I think we, asPeople, drain our tiredMinds on prioritizingOur limitedAttention 2 forgivableThings vs our jobs&responsibilities. Heard teacher gotFired @ Fordham 4 mixingNames of 2 black students. I think minimum age 4 becoming President is 35. Idea is let person get some life experience. If there is a minimum age, why isn’t there a maximum age? I’ve heard 1st impression is best impression. Imagine predicting biases building over time. Invites idea of fresh perspective.-

but b/w #Trump & #Biden , though close 2 each others age, Trump definitely has more energy, a stronger voice, more pronounced movements when walking around…we need more active and mentally sharp people leading as well as carrying us (wrt non explicit leaders), whoever they R.

DarciLynne ( Darcy Lynne ) from #AGT ( #AmericasGotTalent ) should be encouraged for progressing from ventriloquism to new highs for that golden voice, like singing. She’s clearly talented and should be singing in higher notes.

So they cut off razor wire in relation 2 border control…Im sure there are other work arounds 4 whatever justification they projected. On tv, u see asylum seekers say Thank you Joe Biden. I think they also get ability 2 vote. Is this some elaborate plan to get more supporters?-

inRelation 2PastTweet, I think most people have RepublicanValues but its less cool 2B whats associated w/elderly caucasians or seeminglyHighMorals.-

Like when myParents emigrated here, they were of impression Democrats r “4 the people” Or average person, probably because the word Democrat alludes to that. But their values seem synonymous w/Republicans.

Barbie is a fun movie with mature characters like Margot Robbie and Ryan Gossling. It gives the same casual feel good sense like probably darker, but amusing Bullet Train movie with Brad Pitt.

So it’s ( National Pie Day) #NationalPieDay . #KrispyKreme donuts or donuts in general, and warm, as well as cold, apple pies fit every mood. Like there’s a mood or a day to chips and danishes, but donuts and pies are all day every day.

NewHampshirePrimary in #NewHampshire ( New Hampshire ) is going to decide as the clincher or game changer between #Nikki and #Trump … #HistoricMoments

The sequel to Spider-Man: Across The Spider-verse ( #AcrossTheSpiderverse ) or volume/chapter2 , had the let-down ending of having 2 wait till volume/chapter3(very next sequel) 2 know how story ends. It sucks b/c thats at least another year, another year of getting older.

Anyone else notice, in like, the 2nd #Aquaman movie, or #BrothersSun on #Netflix , older siblings tend to be heavier/beefier, more loose, maybe more likely to have facial hair, than their depicted younger siblings?

So Im hearing in news a hint 2 school attendance. On college level, I remember people skipping classes b/c lectures were just too theoretical/ReadingsNotSimplified…it’s not like #LessonsInChemistry or #Oppenheimer where students learning/“debating” concepts w/worldClassFaculty.

Another #BestPicture ( Best Picture ) type movie is #TheAdjustmentBureau with EmilyBlunt ( Emily Blunt ) and Matt Damon , as well as #TheMartian (meaning filled/moving movies) . The Adjustment Bureau is a great #LoveStory with some magic & determination.

Last #FamilyGuy of 2023 made valid point. Cable TV is not dead-it’s still good 4 tuning in2, at end of long day, where U watch what’s on, whether or not it’s reruns of #ILoveLucy / #IndianaJones / #TombRaider / #StarWars ( Star Wars ). Takes away hassle ofSearching 4 something. . More than decade ago, after telling my suspicions 2 an FBI office and UAlbany officials in Albany, Probably w/hope Ill write, I got directed 2 unlimited complaint form: the IC3. 1st few updates: my suspicion, then a self bio so I’m not on FBIs radar, the rest? Just to get info.-

-when I wroteOn, ages ago, an unlimited IC3 form,Id write&look from atop aHill my apt. was on. Theyre able 2 see enough 2want2 lookUp,while looking@ phone. SameReaction in oldHouse atopHill, behind woods& parkingLot. That input/sounds/“vicinitySpeaking”/themes all paint a pic.-

while writing on IC3 complaint form, no one was acknowledging my situation to me. I don’t want to be on FBIs radar (who on earth does?) from input received, I wrote a short philosophy/parable conveying my point, hoping gist would be delivered and problem end.-

on IC3 complaint form, which last time checked is now only 3 updates vs unlimited, I kept saying I want attention of intended recipient of form, my apologies for troubling them, and please tell family/me what’s going on. Never happened.-

IC3 word soup complaint form, from ages ago (sorry if U tried 2 decipher it/but then no 1 understands intent or talking 2 me), was clarified as such, & a streamlined version, was sent as a series of crime tips (as 1 update per web page submission ), identified as such, 2 FBI.-

-when I submitted crime tips on FBI crime tip page, I submitted times/dates/call records/IC3explanation&usernames…& emailed all of it in a Word Doc 2 FBI after walking 2 federal plaza location-if memory serves me right-on visit. orchestrators should have email @ least I also called the Department of Defense, and it may sound funny, but I got their answering machine, and left a message. I complained to the Federal Trade Commission over hacked communications. I complained to the CIA, who investigate the FBI, when they're not investigating. I sent two complaints to the Attorney General, but on one occasion, got a letter saying I should contact a Pro Bono Lawyer. If the NY Attorney General isn't going to acknowledge my situation, why would someone working for free do it? I complained to the FCC. The Federal FAFSA site used to display social security numbers, without asterisks/plainly, while I think something is showing my computer screen contents as part of a show for other people. I contacted the SUNY system about what was happening at SUNY Albany and they kept redirecting me to the VPs at SUNY Albany, who put me on disciplinary probation and threatened that I cannot talk about my situation.

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dorminchu · 4 years ago

Text

Insult to Injury: The Director’s Cut — Chapter 02

Fandom: James Bond Characters: Madeleine Swann, Lyutsifer Safin, various OC(s) Relationships: Madeleine Swann & OC(s), Madeleine Swann & Mr White, Madeleine & Lyutsifer Safin Warnings: Aftermath of violence, PTSD, implicit sexual content, moderate language. Rating: M Genre: Crime/Drama Summary: A troubled psychologist desperate to escape her past criminal ties finds herself drawn into a far more insidious schism. [Post-Skyfall]

[Ao3 | FFNet]

— Episode II: GRATITUDE —

Behind closed eyes it was impossible to tell if the Jeep was approaching or departing the source of violence. Slowly, Madeleine let her hands fall into her lap. They were travelling up the main road. In front of her, the driver whom she did not recognise. In the passenger seat, going by the voice and distinct gloves, Safin.

As they pulled onto the main road the vehicle merged into a convoy. In the opposite lane, several more unmarked cars headed back the way they’d come. Her mind made the connection her emotions wouldn’t.

“Don’t look," said Miller quietly, "it won’t do you any good.” Madeleine attempted to shrink deeper into herself but could not. Even now, thinking of her own survival. Who could say how many of the Psychosocial Unit or the remaining MSF were still alive? What of the doctors? What of their patients? And what had become of the FSP?

It could have been her brain matter spattered over the vehicle. Each time she undertook a mission she accepted the inevitability of violence and prolonged emotional duress. Easier to coldly recontextualize the events in the aftermath, never so intimately.

Madeleine tried to focus on something else. Just the hum of the engine and her own breathing. A few indistinguishable words exchanged between Safin and the driver. Morris's hand on her shoulder, squeezing lightly.

Pulling into the lot at Conakry International Airport, the Jeep came to a stop. Ushered out of the vehicle, asphalt beneath her feet, cleaner air in her lungs. After a standard security check Madeleine was directed towards a side room away from the main terminal. The Project Coordinator came over and put an arm around her and offered her a place to sit and some bottled water.

Miller was called away to confer with the surviving team members. Madeleine surveyed the room. The door that she’d came in through was currently flanked by Kerberos. With the exception of the Medical Coordinator the other mission heads had survived. There were only about thirty of the fifty members of the operation present. She didn’t recognise anyone from the Psychosocial Unit.

Unfamiliar hand on her shoulder causing her to flinch. Looking up into the face of a hospital aide, male. Probably Arnaud's age. Fresh latex gloves. Arms recently scoured. “Dr Swann, right? You were with the Psychosocial Unit.” Voice slightly muffled by respirator mask.

Madeleine gave a curt nod. The aide studied her face. Attention drawn to her hands caked with dry blood, throttling the plastic bottle. She let go. Jaw tight.

"Okay.” Brief, pitying look before his attention diverted. Madeleine unclenched her jaw, kept her head down.

“The situation has changed,” announced the Project Coordinator. “A few days ago, following the initial attack on the hospital, we received intelligence that Donka Hospital would be targeted directly. Thanks to the combined efforts of Kerberos and our Logistics Unit, the majority of our patients and remaining MSF were moved to a safer location over the last several nights and have not been harmed. The motive behind the attack on the hospital and MSF staff this morning has not been determined. But due to misinformation spread about the nature of this virus, and the circumstances surrounding the previous incident at Donka Hospital, many civilians are ready to place blame upon the MSF for complicity in tampering with the vaccine.

“Now, the details are still murky. I can assure you, there is no causation on part of the MSF. And it is fortunate that we've minimised the casualties of the patients as well as our own. But we cannot continue operations without a proper Medical Unit. All non-essential members of the mission will be discharged.”

After the briefing, the Project Coordinator took Madeleine aside. “What is the duration of your assignment as psychologist consultant, Dr Swann?”

“Three months. I started in May.” Her voice was dry, brittle.

“Well, they’ll have to find another consultant.”

“How soon will you be able to find a replacement for the position?”

His face became stony. “You are the sole survivor of the unit. It may as well not exist in its current state. There's no sense in forcing you to remain on-site.”

Two Kerberos escorted her outside while Safin exchanged a few words with the Project Coordinator. Catching up, he said nothing to her as they walked across the lot and into the car. When the driver pulled out of the lot she was given the following information: Her flight home departed later in the evening. In the meantime she'd have a room to herself at Hotel Palm Camayenne. Her luggage had been accounted for. “You'll be collected from the room an hour in advance; the party will ask for White's daughter. Don't open the door to anyone else.” He looked over at her in the mirror. “Is that clear?”

“Of course.”

⁂

In the tastefully lit lobby of the Hotel Palm Camayenne, the attendant behind the desk sized Madeleine up and informed her she'd been marked down for a Prestige Suite. Madeleine, still reeling from the chaotic morning but wise enough to roll with the situation, asked if her things had been collected.

The attendant's eyes went quickly to the Kerberos in the background. She gave Madeleine the room number and gestured brusquely towards the young-faced bellhop waiting beside the elevator. “He's got all of your things from the other hotel. Enjoy your stay.”

The bellhop wasn't for conversation. He stole a couple pointed glances at Madeleine as if she were wearing something ostentatious. The elevator door opened, and he asked curtly if she would like him to help her into the room with the bags. When Madeleine accepted, he wheeled the trolley ahead, unlocking the door and unloading her valise, quickly muttered: “Have a nice day,” and left without looking back.

On her own, Madeleine was taken aback by the scale of the room. Closer to a small suite; complete with living room, an elegant dining room and desk. Classic furniture. A view of the Atlantic Ocean through panorama windows. Carpet at her feet. Air conditioning. After two solid months of living in a small, stuffy room at the Grand Hotel de L’independence this was much closer to home.

All of her clothes and additional items were in order. Afraid to touch anything or sit down for fear of sullying it. With that settled she wandered into the bathroom; Carrara marble. A shower and bathtub. French cosmetics by Chopard. Artificial floral scent permeated her nostrils. She finally got a look at herself in the mirror and imagined the look on Arnaud's face if she showed up at the gate in her current condition. Smirked.

The staff here probably didn't see many dishevelled, bloodied socialites. No wonder she'd garnered such a reception. She laughed. Caught her eyes in the mirror. She wasn't laughing anymore. Difficult to breathe. It was the perfume.

Her throat tightened. Dry-heaving. Collapsing over the toilet. Exhuming whatever was left inside of her stomach. A convulsion worked through her body. Her voice warped, mutating. Not a sob but a guttural sound clawing its way up from her lungs. Animal distress, unable to escape. Head clutched in her hands. Shaking, shaking.

Breathe.

Clutching the porcelain.

Just breathe.

You’re going home in a few hours. This will just be another bad dream.

She turned on the fan to air out the room, had a shower, redressed. The operation in Conakry would just become another failure written off as a fluke. In a matter of hours the tragedy would breach headlines in the interest of garnering military attention and drop within a week, after the government stepped in. In a month she’d reacclimatise to her career too substantial to be dead-end, Arnaud and her sham of a social life, until the cycle repeated itself.

She had a few hours left until her flight. There were a couple restaurants on the ground floor, and Safin's instructions didn't preclude her from leaving the room. Might as well see if she could keep a meal down.

⁂

Later that night, confined to the plane's cabin with no tangible distractions, unable to sleep. Her arrangements at the hotel provoked an extreme reaction and it wasn't only a result of recent trauma; the quality of the room itself, the collection of her possessions without incident, and even the window of time before her collection and escort to the airport, were all characteristic of her father's tacit interference.

From the time she was ten until seventeen he would send her off to Ermatige International School for the lion's share of the year. Abroad, Madeleine felt for the first time a sense of emptiness her young heart understood yet failed to quantify. She had never been close to her father but in his absence, something was lost that could not be remade.

The first day she was shown her room, her roommate introduced herself as Alice and shook her hand. Alice had a firm grip for an eleven year-old. “It’s nice to meet you, Madeleine. Can I call you Maddie?”

The nickname brought to mind her father’s voice, but there was no dissuading certain people from habit. “I don’t care.”

“Okay.” Alice let her go. “So, the counsellor’s going to have us all meet up in the courtyard in ten minutes for a basic tour. I could walk down with you.”

“I know how to get there by myself. It’s just down the stairs. The instructor provided a map.”

“Oh… well, if you have any questions about where to go or what to do, don’t think twice about asking me.”

“I won’t.” Madeleine made a point of straightening out her bedsheets, then noticed Alice was in the doorway waiting up for her. “Thanks.”

For the next several months falling into the façade of the aloof, privileged girl who led an unassuming life at Maisons-Laffitte. Classes were stimulating enough to take her mind off her own problems. Extracurricular activities; horseback riding, hikes in the summer, touring the town in winter. Enjoying the sights and sounds as like a tourist.

The instructors found her obedient and diligent in her studies but expressed concern about what they referred to as antisocial tendencies. Her classmates speculated about her in English and then talked to her cordially in French.

Even in the mess hall, she couldn’t catch a break. “Hey!” Madeleine tensed. Expecting another round of condescension masquerading as kindness—but it was just Alice and her own circle of friends. “Come on, sit with us!” Alice's friends were all a year older. Charitable enough, giving Madeleine the obvious questions—where are you from, what classes are you most interested in, et cetera. Madeleine endured their kindness without complaint.

At night, there were no more diversions. Dreams experienced in abstract. The old home in Altaussee. The front door unlocked. Lake frozen over. She could run, but never fast enough.

Ice beneath her feet giving way. Turning from the water at her back made no difference. Submerged. Gloved hands reached for her, an iron grip that pulled her toward the water’s surface.

Madeleine screamed, taking in water. Clawing at bare hands, softer arms. A girl’s voice, calling her name.

Opening her eyes. Alice’s young face tight with horror. Her eyes wet.

A few minutes later Madeleine was sitting in the nurse’s office, who attempted to pry more than a monosyllabic answer out of her for twenty minutes before leaving to talk with someone higher-up, and Madeleine sat there, deliberating. Act too stubborn and they'd label her psychotic. Too hysterical and they’d kick her out. So when the nurse returned Madeleine grudgingly confessed the truth. She’d been having bad dreams ever since her maman was gone, and that her father didn't know how else to deal with it beyond sending her here.

The nurse's demeanour shifted. She asked Madeleine a few more questions about the situation. Madeleine gave rote, easy answers. In the end, the nurse concluded that there was nothing technically wrong but she'd have to be isolated from her roommate if this behaviour persisted. She gave Madeleine some names and a pamphlet about grief counselling and advised her to look it over in the morning. Madeleine thanked her.

It was Alice who waited outside and walked her back to their room, finally breaking the silence: “Are you okay?” Madeleine averted her face to the window, squaring her shoulders. “Do you want to talk about it?” Madeleine walked over to her bed, sat down, looking at the pamphlets without processing the printed words. “Enough of that—you need to try and sleep.”

“I can't.” Madeleine pulled the sheets tighter around herself.

“Okay. May I sit with you?” Madeleine shrugged. Alice's weight flumped down on the mattress. Their shoulders touched. Listening to the other girl's even breathing, Madeleine gradually relaxed in the same way. “My mother died earlier this year. My father sent me here.”

“Oh.” Alice turned her face towards her. “Uh—I'm sorry about your mother. Was she nice?”

Madeleine began to shiver again. Alice's arm came around her and Madeleine shut her eyes, turning loosely into the gesture without reciprocation.

For the rest of the year Alice kept Madeleine stabilised while Madeleine kept her at arm’s length. The closest thing to a best friend she’d ever had.

When Madeleine came home on holiday, her father was suddenly a different man. Never once would his disposition thaw into true warmth, but all of a sudden he wanted to know; how were the other students, did she enjoy her classes, and did she have any particular school in mind if she wished to continue studying abroad after graduation?

Who was this stranger? Since when had he ever offered to get to know her on a personal level? That had been mother's concern. Ten year-old Madeleine wanted to laugh. She’d wanted to dig down into her tiny adolescent heart and find the right string of words to destroy him for such an affront. As if he could simply earn her respect and affection through negotiation. Instead, she just shrugged her shoulders and said: “It's not bad so far. I liked my instructors. I promised this one girl I’d write to her over holidays.”

“It’s my understanding that you had a rough start?” Madeleine froze. Her father’s eyes cold. “If you had told me as such, I could have set aside a psychologist for you to speak with.”

“It wasn’t my first choice. I just told the psychologist that my mother had died, and I was upset about it.”

“And what did he say?”

“She told me it wasn’t my fault. People process their grief in different ways.” She shrugged. “These things happen.”

Raising her eyes to meet her father’s. His expression softened a fraction but not for her sake. The best way to destroy a man like this was to let him go on thinking he was forgiven. No sense looking a gift horse in the mouth. She'd take his money and whatever else he saw fit to bestow with a rudimentary thank you. And she would work as hard as possible to step out of his shadow and have something to call her own.

The next year Alice transferred to a different academy, so they kept in contact through epistolary means. At fifteen, Madeleine stopped responding to her letters.

⁂

Arnaud picked her up from Air France airport. Diligent enough not to greet her with an interrogation, only a hello and an unexpected one-armed embrace. Normally Madeleine would have tried to squirm out of it, but all she could think about was how alive he was in her arms—even the smell of him. She hadn't gotten a lick of sleep on the flight. Without thinking she let him take her arm as they walked out of the terminal into the sunshine.

On their walk to the car, driving away, Arnaud was quiet. Something which Madeleine had always appreciated about him before but only recalled the horrible stillness in the drive to the airport. Her hands wandered towards the radio dial and turned it up sharply. Arnaud turned the volume down low at the next stop, glancing over at her.

“Do you want to talk about it?”

Couldn’t he just ask if she were okay? “There’s not much to say. I did my job to the best of my ability. There were drastic complications and the mission was ultimately a failure. Now I am back here. Does that cover it?”

He frowned. “No one is blaming you for anything.”

Madeleine sat back and waited for the pressure to ease up in her head. Disconnected from the familiar sights and smells of ordinary civilian life after two and a half months living in Conakry. When she stepped out of the car her gait was unsteady. If she even sat down a little longer, let her guard down, she’d nod off. Going up the stairs, Arnaud helped her with the luggage and asked if she needed anything else. Madeleine shook her head. Flopped down on the bed like a corpse, into dreamless sleep.

⁂

Opening her eyes, expecting the cracked peeling paint of the hotel room. The lack of humidity gave her pause. A gentle floral scent persisted, alien to the room. Arnaud must've left the window open.

Turning into the warm body at her shoulder, cradling her. After so many days of running herself ragged the promise of empty stillness and domesticity brought no comfort. She laid very still without closing her eyes. The ochre light cast onto the room might be dusk or daybreak. Her vision clouded over. An involuntary reaction incited by recent trauma. Trembling.

Arnaud made a soft noise into her cheek. The hand at her shoulder shifted. Madeleine froze. Unable to verbalise what she needed, pressing herself closer. Arnaud, running a hand over her back, said something gentle, indistinct.

Madeleine couldn't settle down. She was more alive in this moment than she had been in a long time. She turned into his chest. Threw her leg over his waist. His expression changed. She took his face in her hands, kissing him bluntly.

His breath released slow against her mouth. Slowly coming alive. Hands moving over her body like she'd break if he went any faster. Madeleine allowed him this courtesy. For the first time in months they couldn't get much closer.

Another round of dreamless sleep. She woke up in a start, unsure what time it was, before realising she didn't have to go into work anyway. Arnaud was still there. He kissed her temple and told her it was only evening. Asked if she'd like to order-in.

A pit heavy in her stomach, then an urge to cry. Trapped in a period of convalescence, what could she say to this man? “That's fine.”

His shoulders relaxed. “Your secretary called earlier in the afternoon.”

“Oh, yes. I'll get back to her soon.”

Arnaud smiled. “I think you could use a break from taking calls, don't you?”

Madeleine shook her head. A smile worked onto her mouth as if by reflex.

⁂

The next few days were relatively uneventful. Arnaud took time off work to keep her company. Madeleine accepted his presence in his life without comment. Once she’d rested and he was reassured she’d be okay by herself, she had full dominion.

When she could not busy herself in paperwork or other constructive activities, she would become despondent and start picking apart the heads of anyone who tried to dissuade her into optimism. Arnaud was a convenient enough target, but he was just as keen to make himself scarce.

Before she'd left for Conakry, they lacked the investment to like or dislike each other with any real commitment. Now he was a little kinder. Her recent brush with death had softened her up enough to let him talk her into going along to the L’Orriù di Beauvau, trying to assign significance to the sights and sounds surrounding her, in the voice of the waitress and the smell of coffee. She did not look around for inconspicuous men and women who might be sitting in the side-lines, observing.

Sleep was almost impossible now without Arnaud. Three months ago, the idea of relying on him, or anyone else to that degree, would have been disconcerting. Physical intimacy a decent enough substitute, only as a last resort. She’d misled him in that regard.

⁂

A discreet, anonymous enrolment into Oxford and the Sorbonne were her father’s last gifts to her before he cut off all official contact. During her time at the Sorbonne as well as Oxford, Madeleine relinquished any prospect of a social life to work as hard as possible. Only her college roommate was a constant in her life, so Madeleine made sure to keep their relationship cordial but never too intimate.

Her roommate and assorted friends were more socially conscious and made a habit of dragging Madeleine along to various functions as their designated driver. Efforts to invite her on group dates proved fruitless. Madeleine kept her answers non-incriminating and dull, quietly vetting what was offered. Well-groomed socialites jockeying for compatible mates. An ill-fitting distraction from the emotional void kept close to her chest. So the other women assumed she was too good for any of it, and the men were uncomfortable being scrutinised. Madeleine was the only one who found it amusing.

Other colleagues would come to her for advice in an educational context. Graduation was a quick, unemotional affair. Madeleine had no extended family to invite. Just her short-term friends, to be thanked politely, genuinely, and then discarded. The ceremony itself was lovely. Safe and boring.

In the middle of the commencement speech an individual figure in the stands caught her attention. An older man, perhaps in his early fifties, hidden partially behind sunglasses and a smart dress-hat. With a nauseating thrill she recognized his smile, the angles in his face a little more pronounced with age. If she seemed to balk, it was on account of the crowd and her nerves and nothing else. For the rest of the ceremony she wanted nothing more than to escape her own body.

Taking feeble comfort in the idea that he would not converse with her directly; but his presence was enough of an affront. Why give him further opportunity to wound her pride by acknowledging him outright?

⁂

Days in Paris bled into each other without further incident. Even after convalescing a sense of displacement remained. Whenever out and about, Madeleine couldn’t help casing the streets. Just in case. It couldn’t hurt. Arnaud didn’t even seem to notice at first.

Then he wanted to bring his friends. “They want to see you, too.”

It was easier to remain cold when the tangible fragility of her existence was as distant as her father. Now, trapped in a lovely room with people she did not trust in the same tenuous sense as Arnaud. What gave them the right to emphasise?

It would be so easy to dismantle any of them and their residential issues. Laughable that she should bother to relate to them after the problems she had been listening to for weeks on end.

Her eyes skirted around the room. Unable to enjoy herself. Arnaud took her hand; Madeleine realised she was trembling. The woman sitting across from her asked if she was all right. They’d all heard about Conakry. Polite enough to have restraint but their eyes betrayed them, itching to know more. Madeleine had nothing to say. Pretty soon Arnaud and his friends were scrambling for conversation topics and trying not to pay her behaviour any mind.

When they got home he accused her of making a scene. She assured him, patiently, that she was not trying to ruin anything. Just on-guard after weeks of living in what amounted to a warzone. Arnaud chewed on that. Apologised, he was trying to understand her situation, and all they could do was be patient with each other.

But he was frostier. That night, sleep was fitful. Waking from an intangible nightmare, she was ten—twenty-six, in Paris. Smell of fresh linen, coffee. The apartment was small and spare. Morning again. No one beside her.

“Madeleine?”

She sat up. Arnaud was dressed for work. He’d never looked his age before. Then again, their relationship had never offered so much duress.

“When are you going to see someone?”

She didn’t answer.

“I’m worried about you.”

“I can’t.”

A sharp exhale. “Why can’t you?”

“I have my reasons.”

“I don’t know how you can go on living like this. You won’t even try to fix yourself.”

“What could you possibly understand about my life?” she spat. “You’ve never given a thought about—” jaw tight, she averted her eyes “—it isn’t as simple as coming back and pretending to be okay. I would never ask you to understand what I am going through. But if you want me to stay with you, I’m not discussing this again.”

“Do you hear yourself?” he hissed. “You’re acting like a child. All you have to do is take the first step to fix this.”

Madeleine straightened up. “If that’s how you feel, then I won’t bother you anymore.” He laughed, incredulous. “We’re both financially secure. You were convenient enough three years ago to get my father off of my case, but we have our own lives to consider. This arrangement was always going to be temporary.

Arnaud didn't laugh or raise his voice. He just went quiet. An awful, ringing kind of silence she’d never had to deal with from him. Then said, “All right. I've got work to do anyway. We’ll discuss this later.”

Leaving without another word. He’d never done that before. Arnaud couldn’t cut through the cruel veneer of indifference that her father's upbringing had instilled in her, and she wouldn’t force him to deal with her emotional baggage.

Madeleine did a quick self-assessment. The woman in the mirror looked like hell. She dressed for the day, made an effort to appear photogenic, phoned the secretary and informed her she would arrive at her office in half-an-hour, no further discussion.

On the way to work she was thinking of the weather, hoping it rained now rather than when she got off her shift so she wouldn’t have to come home in a downpour. By the time she got to the office, the conversation with Arnaud was just another bad dream.

Of course, everyone in the clinic wanted to know how she was after a week of radio silence. Madeleine acknowledged their concerns. It had been a mess abroad, and she was grateful to be back home. The awkward silence didn’t console her. She locked eyes with her secretary and coolly asked who would be seeing her today.

Fifteen minutes into her first session with a client, she received a call. Probably Arnaud. She ignored it without checking. A minute later the phone rang again. Madeleine glanced over at the number. Secretary. She picked up. “Yes?”

Men from the Brigade criminelle here to see her. They would not take no for answer.

With a contrite apology and a much colder vice in her stomach Madeleine escorted the client out while two men came to substitute. The first, Officer Blois, a middle-aged man with red hair and a mole on the side of his chin, introduced himself accordingly. “I’ll get right to the point. Arnaud is dead. He was found this morning outside of the apartment. Presumably he must have jumped but there are a few details that we’d like to run by you.”

Madeleine said: “That’s all right.” Her eyes drifted to the other man and her blood froze. She’d recognise him anywhere. As if he was brought into existence out of recollection and into reality. Safin wouldn’t look directly at her.

“He was found this morning?” Madeleine reiterated, forcing herself to focus on the situation at-hand. Officer Blois misinterpreted the nature of her unease.

“That’s right. Was he involved directly in your activities with MSF?”

“No, he wasn’t.”

“Did he have any prior knowledge of your activities?”

“Only to the extent that I volunteered, nothing specific. We have—we had, our separate interests.”

“Do you have reason to suspect he would have any suicidal idealisation, thoughts of self-harm?”

“No.”

Was it possible he’d come back and decided enough was enough? Or walked into the apartment to find someone else waiting for him?

“Is there anyone in his life that would wish him or yourself ill?”

“No one, he had—colleagues, but we didn’t talk much.”

“I’ll take it from here,” said Safin coolly.

Officer Blois looked from Madeleine’s dubious expression to Safin’s unreadable one, frowned. “Are you sure there’s nothing—?”

“Officer Blois—” another woman opened the door, also in uniform “—we’ve got some new information, do you have a minute?”

Officer Blois’s eyes rested on Safin for a second before he left the two of them alone. Safin did not take a seat but walked over to stand in front of her desk.

“To ensure the safety of each client,” he began without invitation, “I have to follow through. In a case like yours I’m liable to investigate.”

“I’ve done nothing to warrant this.”

“You have been avoiding my eyes ever since Officer Blois brought up the topic of suicide, do you realise?” Madeleine forced herself to look at him. “When was the last time you spoke to your father?”

“Not for a long time. I stopped contact with him—"

“—has he contacted you at all this year?”

“We’re living separate lives.”

“Then, I’ll inform you. I am here because Mr. White has requested an audience with you. There is a safehouse set aside for you in Sion. Your HR manager has already been informed you’ll be taking two weeks off at short-notice. Once you step outside this building, you’ll be collected by my team and taken to the train station.”

Madeleine shot him a foul look that went unreciprocated. “And you expect me to just go along with you?”

“Your family’s reputation precedes you. You are no safer here in France than you were in Conakry. I doubt Arnaud was the first person you’ve had to sacrifice for the sake of security. But, if you will not come along quietly there are several alternatives.”

“Such as?”

He looked her over. “You would fit easily into a suitcase.”

Madeleine waited for him to elaborate. He looked at her. She broke the silence with a polite scoff. “You'd waste more time smuggling me out of the building. There are cameras everywhere.”

A flash in the dark eyes betrayed his initial veneer of detachment. Madeleine had her pride but she wasn’t about to test him. She stood up stiffly. A subtle, unpleasant smile that brought his scarification into relief. “Come along.”

That the situation would escalate to this level of severity was no surprise. A life spent not in paranoia but with an aggrieved awareness. Not stringent enough to start keeping a gun under her pillow; she’d have a hard-enough time explaining that to Arnaud. Well, she wouldn’t have to worry about him anymore.

She was guided out the door by two men who did not speak to her and steered discreetly into the black Mercedes-Benz Sprinter waiting quietly by the curb.

It was a twenty minute drive to Paris-Gare de Lyon. On the way it dawned on her that Safin was probably kidding about the suitcase. An empty threat to provoke her nerves, watch her squirm. The alternative was something she’d rather not consider. Not that she cared what a thug like him thought to begin with.

They provided her first-class tickets for Swiss Federal Railway and the appropriate gate number. Several suspiciously uneventful minutes later she was at the station, boarding the train, taking her seat closest to the aisle while the two men took up seats by the door and adjacent to her row respectively. Safin took the seat directly adjacent her without a word.

The train shifted into motion. Madeleine, jarred from thought, made up her mind. “You are protecting me under my father’s authority?”

“That’s correct.”

Madeleine huffed. “I should have guessed. You're another one of SPECTRE's thugs?”

Safin blinked slowly but his indifferent expression didn't change. “Counterintelligence.” Now he was scrutinising her more closely. Well, what had she expected? Even if he was one of theirs he would never admit it. “I'm sure you have a few questions about the situation. They'll have to wait until we're in a more secure location.”

“I didn’t ask for this life.” Safin simply held her gaze. “Moving around every couple years. Watching everyone around me wither and die or settle down while I live in the shadow of my father and the men he answers to.”

“But you accepted his money to get ahead.”

“What’s your point?” Madeleine snapped.

Safin said nothing. All right, now he was trying to be funny. He didn’t seem like the kind of man one called to lighten a mood. Madeleine wouldn’t be able to tolerate half-an-hour of this, let alone five. The look Safin was giving her would indicate that sentiment was mutual.

“I don’t want your pity,” she said, tearing her eyes towards the window.

“If we’re going to have a conversation, I would prefer your undivided attention.”

“You want to talk.”

“I’ve never had to point a gun at your head to get you to comply.”

Madeleine almost smiled. It was the first time anyone had been so straightforward with her. “Well, there’s no need to start now.”

#no time to die #multichapter #lyutsifer safin #madeleine swann #mr white #fanfiction #fanfic #crime drama #slow build

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pauladchnd2c · 5 years ago

Text

Sense Of Discovery.

A place where there is both nothing and everything. Only there, it is possible for any lost soul to truly find themselves. It is the land of stags, lochs and grassy Munro’s. A place where you can hear the mountains cry, and bear witness to the flowing burns as they present the gift of life. It is in this scenic world of unparalleled beauty where I chose to shoot my black and white film project, ‘a sense of’. Of course, I speaking of the ancient and volcanic land of Glencoe. A place where I always find peace and comfort even in the harshest and coldest conditions.

I can’t deny the fact that Scotland has stolen my heart. I truly feel an intimate and emotional connection deep within myself to the surrounding landscape, and I wanted to capture and reflect this in my series of images.

For me, it is a feeling far greater than simply producing some landscape photography prints. The result presents itself as a fibre-based time capsule of an extraordinary place that will forever live in my heart and memory.

This series will serve as a relic from a previous life that I will hold dear and treasure when I am no longer able to embark on such adventures and daring expeditions.

My fascination and devotion to the land of Scotland is real. A sense of discovery is my way to personally give back to this beautiful country. There is simply no other place quite like the mystical Scottish highlands for creating a moody and mesmerising old fashioned black and white photographic series.

Sense of Discovery final Images.

Planning:

Glencoe SSS Weekend 24 th Jan 2020 – Location Shooting Itinerary

Disclaimer: This itinerary is intended for guidance only and is certainly NOT definitive.

Locations, are in Degree and Decimal Minute format (DMM) just type them into Google maps including the comma.

Fri 24

12:00 ish , Meet at Coe falls (DMM 56.662254, -4.966097) after Recce Loch Atriochan area for potential Sunrise shots. Lunch in the Inn?

15:00 Check in

17:00 Dark moon - LE Car trails over and alongside Loch Atriochan and Potential Astro Photography, later Astro from Signal rock – Happy for further advice from specialists on this element.

Sat 25

AM – Sunrise 08:38

08:00 Not weather dependent Coe falls and/or Loch Atriochan. O/C Brerakfast

AM/PM 10:00 Meet Buachaille and Glen Etive.

The Classic Buachaille Etive Mor from opposite the Buachaille car park (56.6628699,-4.9136221) and then move location to Glen Etive - Waterfalls, Skyfall and possibly Loch Etive for photos

PM – Sunset 16:31- high tide 5:48pm

16:00 Loch Leven and the Pap of Glencoe. Boat club location for Sunset (56.680048, -5.1179361) 19:30 Burns Night Supper and guitar recital (!) in Main House and onto Claichaig Inn later 26 Sunday

AM - Later start - Photo walk up the Hidden Valley of Coire Gabhail.

10:00 Meet at the handy A82 Three Sisters car park (56.6678128,-4.9886995) across from the three sisters peaks at the beginning of the walk. Descend to the valley floor from the car park, then across a footbridge over the river Coe. Keep following the well-worn path until you eventually reach the Hidden Valley. Make sure not to miss the river crossing leading you to the valley about two thirds of the walk.

Anyone with a reasonable level of fitness can enjoy this walk. The views are incredible. In some parts there can be steep and rocky paths where scrambling is needed, so it is a medium rather than an easy track.

Distance 2.5 to 3 miles

Alternative Options for those less inclined or able after Burns Night shenanigans:

Blackrock Cottage and/or Kings House views and Deer

PM – Sunset 16:32

14:30 After lunch and aiming to remain for sunset

Lochan Na H-Achlaise

Southern car park if possible (56.588122, 4.7470907)or

Northern if South is full (56.07683, -4756603)

20:00 Corran Point Astro (56.722367, -5.232497). Park in village. Walk 100-200 metres on A861, past Ferry Terminal. Access gate is adjacent red brick building by Lighthouse. Safety notes - When walking through village avoid any moving vehicles on A861. Avoid any vehicles making their way to the departure lanes for the ferry at the entrance of the site. Avoid the walking over the grassy bank onto the shingle beach, due to tidal waters.

27 Monday

For those remaining: 10:00ish leave and potential locations on return:

Bridge of Orchy

Green Welly shop for Lunch

Falls of Falloch

#Sense

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russianreader · 6 years ago

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“Really Frightening”: Trees Dry Up and Toadstools Vanish in Karelia After Explosion near Severodvinsk Guberniya Daily August 22, 2019

Residents of Karelia’s Kem District have sounded the alarm. Tree in the district have turned yellow and mushrooms have disappeared after the explosion near Severodvinsk, they claim.

“Ten days after [the accident], the vegetation on the islands in the White Sea near the settlement of Rabocheostrovsk took on a very unhealthy appearance. I get the impression the trees, grass, and moss burned flamelessly. Even toadstools and fly agaric, habitues of these locales, have disappeared on the islands. I would like you to clarify whether any tests will be made, what the republic’s government plans to do in general in response to this issue, and how people’s health will be affected,” a user identified as “Irina Kudryashova” wrote in a letter to Karelian Governor Arthur Parfenchikov, which she also posted on the VK wall “City of Kem Public Oversight.“

Kudryashova posted the following photos to back up her claims. She also posted a short video entitled “Yak Island Today August 18, 2019.”

In the same thread, someone identified as “Galina Ivankova” wrote that she was “really frightened.”

“Some men from Belomorsk went out to sea, but when they got to Shuyiretskoye there were warships at anchor there and a yellow cloud overhead. They got turned back: they weren’t allowed to go out into the sea. So welcome to Chernobyl Karelia. Thanks to the mad nuclear scientists,” a person identified as “Oleg Bachanov” wrote in another discussion on the same wall.

“The situation is the same on Yak Island: everything withered and dried in no time. In recent years, especially after 2009, I have noticed that, from the north and the northeast, all the woods and grass on the islands look as if they have been covered in brown paint. There are no berries or mushrooms in these patches,” replied a user identified as “Sandro Avtushenko.”

On August 8, a liquid rocket propulsion system exploded during testing on an offshore platform in the Arkhangelsk Region. Eight Rosatom employees [sic] were hurt; five of them were killed. Fearing radiation, residents of Severodvinsk and Arkhangelsk made a run on iodine in pharmacies.

After the explosion, radiation levels were sixteen times higher than normal in Severodvinsk. Higher levels of background radiation were also recorded in Norway a week after the blast.

Translated by the Russian Reader. NB. The original text was heavily edited to reflect the fact that the claims cited in the article were made by four discrete users on a VK community wall in Kem, Republic of Karelia, not by an indefinitely large number of “residents.”

The area of Northwest Russia, encompassing parts of the Republic of Karelia and Arkhangelsk Region, discussed in the article. Image courtesy of Google Maps

______________________________________

Putin Says No Radiation Threat from Recent Explosion, But Mum on Details of Accident The Associated Press (via CBC News) Aug 21, 2019

Russian President Vladimir Putin insisted Wednesday that a recent deadly explosion at a military testing site in northwestern Russia hasn’t posed any radiation threat, but he remained coy about the circumstances of the mysterious incident.

Speaking after talks in Helsinki with Finnish President Sauli Niinisto, Putin emphasized that neighboring nations haven’t recorded any spike in radioactivity.

“These are the objective data,” he said. “These things can be tracked.”

The Aug. 8 incident at the Russian navy’s range in Nyonoksa on the White Sea killed two servicemen and five nuclear engineers. It was followed by a brief rise in radiation levels in nearby Severodvinsk, but the authorities insisted the recorded levels didn’t pose any danger to local residents.

Russian officials’ changing and contradictory accounts of the incident drew comparisons to Soviet attempts to cover up the 1986 explosion and fire at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in Ukraine, the world’s worst nuclear disaster.

The Russian Defense Ministry at first denied any radiation leak in the incident even as the authorities in nearby Severodvinsk reported a brief rise in radiation levels and advised residents to stay indoors and close the windows. Frightened residents rushed to buy iodine, which can help reduce risks from exposure to radiation.

Russia’s state weather and environmental monitoring agency said the peak radiation reading in Severodvinsk on Aug. 8 was 1.78 microsieverts per hour in just one neighborhood, about 16 times the average. Peak readings in other parts of Severodvinsk varied between 0.45 and 1.33 microsieverts.

The announced peak levels were indeed lower than the cosmic radiation that plane passengers are exposed to on longer flights or doses that patients get during some medical scans.

No detail on weapon tested The Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty Organization (CNTBTO) said earlier this week that several Russian radiation monitoring stations went silent shortly after the explosion in Nyonoksa. Lassina Zebro, the organization’s executive secretary, said Tuesday that the two Russian stations reported to be offline were back in operation and are now backfilling the data.

Observers said that several stations coming offline at the same time appeared to reflect a coordinated effort to conceal the radiation data, which could help identify the technology that was being tested at the time of the explosion.

Putin hailed the victims, saying they were doing “very important work for the nation’s security,” but kept mum on what type of weapon they were testing.

Russia’s state nuclear corporation Rosatom said the explosion occurred on an offshore platform during tests of a “nuclear isotope power source” for a rocket engine, a statement that led some experts to conclude that the weapon undergoing tests was the Burevestnik (Storm Petrel), a prospective nuclear-powered cruise missile first mentioned by Putin in 2018 that was code-named Skyfall by NATO.

U.S. President Donald Trump has backed that theory in a tweet, saying that the U.S. is “learning much” from the deadly explosion. In a tweet, he said, “The Russian Skyfall explosion has people worried about the air around the facility, and far beyond. Not good!”

The U.S. worked to develop a nuclear-powered missile in the 1960s under Project Pluto, but abandoned the technology as too unstable and risky.

“Really Frightening”: Trees Dry Up and Toadstools Vanish in Karelia After Explosion near Severodvinsk "Really Frightening": Trees Dry Up and Toadstools Vanish in Karelia After Explosion near Severodvinsk Guberniya Daily…

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