#Albanian Outfit

[cannedbluesblog]

"I only go out to get me a fresh appetite for being alone" Lord Byron

[unbizzarre]

Byerly Vorrutyer visiting Ivan’s apartment’s

I adore these two character’s interactions 🤭

Creation notes:

- finished the linework and got really worried I’d fuck it up when I painted it so I made a photocopy and painted that instead of the original copy which was drawn on watercolor paper… unfortunately printer paper is not the greatest paint absorber so apologies for the lumpiness.

- also idk I messed up drawing byerly’s outfit. The shirts details are pretty but a little off from what I was going for and somehow during painting the pants now look like harem pants. (Outfit was supposed to be an attempt at a barrayaran folk-style suit/vest with a cut blending early 1800s suit silhouettes with open sleeve folk shirts. It didn’t quite work out.)

Here’s linework and a bonus doodle of instant groats:

Examples of the Greek folk bolero’s I was going for :

Similar shaped jackets exist in Albanian / Bosnian / ottoman folk styles

[darklydeliciousdesires]

London Will Burn - Chapter Six.

Your continued enthusiasm for the story is so exciting for me to read, besties! Thank you so much :)

Previous chapters - One Two Three Four Five

Tag list - In the comments, please DM to be added/removed

Words - 3,507

Warnings - 18+ content throughout. Minors DNI.

It was the sunshine finally making an appearance across London that awoke Sean the following morning, the bright beams streaming in through the thin fabric of Rin’s curtains. He could hear the bells of Westminster Abbey sounding softly in the distance, birdsong in the nearby trees, and the soft breaths of the girl still sleeping in his arms.  

This posed a dilemma for him. Not because he wasn’t content lying there in a large, soft bed with a beautiful young woman, but more because he had a very full bladder, and didn’t want to disturb her by entangling himself to go and empty it. Two careful manoeuvres to free his arms later, and he was able to slide from the bed, Rin sleeping on.  

Returning to the warm soft of her nudity, he thought he’d gotten away with being stealthy, even heading for the bathroom a little way down the corridor rather than using her ensuite so the flush didn’t wake her.  

“Morning.” That smile, god. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d awoken to a smile so pretty. It was something he could definitely get used to seeing.  

“Shit,” he mumbled, wrapping an arm around her as she turned to him. “I was trying not to wake you.” 

“No matter,” she spoke on a yawn, turning to reach for her watch. “Mm, it’s only ten past eight. We can sleep in, unless you have somewhere to be?” 

He smiled, stroking her hair. “The only place I have to be is right here.” His usual Sunday would involve a trip to the gym, coffee on the way back and then an afternoon working from home. While Rin dozed against his chest, it was work that he had firmly upon his mind; namely how he could wash the amount of cash for the Kurdish and Albanian outfits needed through any other of the Wallace Corporation’s current projects, without having to secure the bid on the new complex.  

Laundering had to be done very, very carefully. There was only so many zeros one could tack onto legitimate expenditures without falling under the ever-watchful eye of accountants and HMRC, who would of course come down hard and involve the police, should anything even look slightly amiss with the company finances.  

He wracked his brains until he felt exhausted by it, eyes growing heavy again. He was stuck. Turning over, he wrapped Rin in a tight embrace, falling back into slumber. It took him by surprise, that he managed to doze for a further hour, finding the girl he had wound himself around so tightly still sleeping. Oh no. That would not do.  

Rin awoke with a bit of a start at feeling her legs splayed wide beneath the bed covers, her sleepy brain wondering what was going on until she felt Sean’s tongue take a slow swipe at her folds, the haze of sleep clearing rapidly. Well, if anything was going to act as an efficient wake up call, it was the sublimity of waking to feel her clit being licked.  

She virtually whimpered, feeling his tongue flatten and drag her again, her hands sinking into his hair and tugging gently. Trembling against each keenly delivered lick, her back arched, her body urging him to press closer. He read her need faultlessly.  

“Fuck, you’re too bloody good!” That firmer contact of wet heat pressed firmly upon her clit sent sparks skittering through her, a warm flush reaching her cheeks as she gasped and cried out softly. She could feel him smile against her, and she wanted to call him out for his smugness, but he had every right to be so. The tip of his tongue traced a series of circles down to her gently fluttering hole, Rin hissing a breath as he pushed within, the honey of her cunt bathing his mouth.   

He grunted against her, hands flexing at her thighs as he felt her streaming against his mouth, licking slowly through her folds again, plump lips wrapping her clit in a warm, sumptuous hug. The pleasure poured over her, like the gild from the sunlight steaming through the curtains, pushing the covers off them to beam a smile at him. His returned it, winking, his pupils lust blown already. 

The steel blue of his irises was only concealed by enviably long, golden eyelashes closing, lips still sucking at her, a little more pressure, the tip of his tongue rolling over her bud adding to the shocks that roared up her spine. Pleasure pooled golden in her very marrow, her hips shaking against his face, thighs closing around his head as she panted hard, feeling the heat begin to swirl and snap.   

Teetering on it, she felt bereft when he suddenly moved, but the slide of his cock arrowing deep into her soaking core as his body pressed to hers took her there, nirvana swirling, her cries of release muted by his mouth. She expected to the pleasure to begin ebbing away, but as she clutched his shoulders, the blaze burned forth again, Rin experiencing her first multiple orgasm as she bloomed beneath him.  

Her shudders reverberated over his muscles, her cries rending the air as he gently laid soft bites along her jaw, looking down at her with a smirk. “You just came again, didn’t you?” 

“Mmhmm.” Her hum was so dreamy and blissed-out, Sean couldn’t help but chuckle softly.  

“Shall we see if we can make that happen a third time?”  

She met his mouth with sweet kisses, her hands smoothing over his scratched-up back. “You’d better.” Something shifted, and they both felt it, Sean laughing softly as he continued to fuck her slow, stroking one another, sharing kisses, the tempo lazy and rolling. “This isn’t just casual anymore, is it?”  

What a question, because no, it wasn’t, but the impossibility of what he had to achieve made it just that. It was impossible for him to attain what he needed to keep his father pleased, while ensuring that hers fell in line, without her becoming hurt in it all.  

 Looking down at her, he stroked her face, his stare unblinking. She felt his heart quickening against her breast, his arms weaving to clasp her tighter, sinking into a long kiss. Therein was her answer. 

And for Sean? He knew that the video was getting deleted. He’d find another way. He had to find another way.  

Rutting into her deeply, he felt the pleasure fizzing over his bones, his release like the gentle patter of warm hail prickling upon his nerves, taking her with him into the blossom of release. They lay breathless and entwined after, Sean eventually moving to lie next to her, his chest fluttering at her smile as he reached to tuck her hair behind her ear.  

“You're bloody lovely, you know." 

That smile did nothing but widen. “I have my moments, when I'm not being a gobby twat." 

Laughing quietly, he pulled her close. “I like the gobby twat in you, though.”  

They lay there talking and dozing until the need for food drove them out of the bed, Rin opening the door to find a fresh pile of laundry that included Sean’s clothes she’d left outside the previous night. Their housekeeper Maisie was nothing if not entirely proficient in the speed she would return clean garments.  

The staff usually had the weekend off, especially if not many of the family were in residence, but that particular Sunday they were bustling around, readying the house for Kevin and Diane’s return.  

“I’m bloody famished, Roger!” Rin called, entering the kitchen to find their chef at the island, peeling potatoes ready for the roast dinner that night. “Would you mind so much if I came in and caused a bit of chaos in cooking?” 

His face pinched, slicing the potato in his grasp before plonking it into the large iron pot in front of him. “Your brand of kitchen chaos is barely tolerable. What would you like? I’ll make it.” 

“Full English, times two please. I’ll make the coffee, though.” She then paused, turning to Sean. “You eat meat, right? I noticed you only ordered fish things last night.” 

“I do, yes.” 

“Thank the lord,” Roger snorted, drying his hands on a tea towel. “I never enjoy trying to make a palatable breakfast for vegetarians. One of her little besties is a vegan, and it always throws me, having to go and order tofu and attempt to bloody scramble it.” 

Sean raised an eyebrow, his mouth thinning. “Scrambled tofu? That sounds utterly dreadful.” 

Oh, how right he was, the chef remembering well how it was perhaps the only thing he’d ever cooked that he did not enjoy trying. “I do not recommend it.” 

Reaching for the cupboard, Rin then quickly found herself knocked out of the way by a hip bump, Roger laughing softly. “Oi! I’m just trying not to be a spoilt little rich girl who can’t do things for herself!” 

“And I like my kitchen to remain tidy, without the bloody coffee grinds going everywhere! You and your chap can go and make yourselves comfortable and I’ll sort it. Go on, shoo!”  

Picking up an orange, she rolled it down her arm and popped it off her inner elbow, catching it neatly. “Fine, we’ll be in the conservatory.” They left the kitchen, taking a long walk down to the centre of the house, turning left at the roped off section, Rin giving a little wave to a few tourists who were being shown around the part open to the public.  

The conservatory itself had been a Victorian era add on. In truth, it had originally intended as a massive greenhouse, and still somewhat served such a purpose. Some botany still existed in there, plants edging the perimeters, comfortable furniture dotted around, she and Sean taking a seat at the table. Looking around, his eye was caught by a set of framed photographs upon a small bookshelf, reaching to grasp it.  

“You’re brave,” he spoke, looking up from the image of Rin sitting in the middle of an arid landscape, with a young lioness lazing on her back before her.  

“Yeah, I can’t act like that with her any longer now she’s grown, we don’t go to the reserve often enough for her to recognise me,” she lamented, looking over at the picture of her and Mya. 

Sean wouldn’t even have trusted her at the size she was, although the beast did look very content, flopped down receiving belly rubs. “Is it one of those places where they allow you to play with the cubs until they reach a certain age? I’ve heard of those holidays, frightfully expensive affairs.” 

“No, the reserve belongs to dad. Animals are where his heart lies, and he fucking hates trophy hunting, so he always said he wanted to do something about it. That something was buying up a gigantic reserve in the middle of nowhere in Kenya and dedicating it to a safe space for them. I bloody love it there. Our closest neighbours are a tribe about eight miles away, it’s so remote.” 

It was a softness Sean didn’t expect to learn about his business nemesis, the man having an obvious affinity for African wildlife – as well as plenty of money to spare in funding the preservation of it. It made a wave of bitter bile roll through his stomach, remembering being haggled with when in truth, Kevin was short of nothing and did not need to whatsoever. He did it purely because he could, and now was going to get away with it, all because Sean had softened towards his target of blackmail.  

It began to gnaw at him again, meaning that once their breakfast arrived, he only managed to successfully eat two thirds of it, pushing the rest around the plate.  

“You’ve got quiet on me,” Rin noted, sipping her coffee. “Is that because I’m likely talking way too much?” 

He shook his head, the corner of his mouth tilting up. “Just tired, darling. I’m listening, so you carry on.” She did, telling him more about their vast African property, how she loved being out there more than anywhere else in the world, purely for how remote it was.  

It was while she was taking the plates back to the kitchen and going upstairs to retrieve her phone that he took his out and checked it, seeing he had an abundance of missed calls from it being on silent mode.  

“Oh, you are alive, then?” His father answered on the fourth ring. “Where’ve you been?” 

“I am,” he confirmed, sweeping toast crumbs into a pile with his index finger. “Just spending a weekend off the grid. Does a man good, to unplug from life for a couple of days.” 

Finn sighed. His son could be very impulsive like that, hence why he hadn’t worried too much about his vanishing act. “Well, you better be plugging yourself back in sharpish, boyo. The deadline for that bid is midnight tonight, unless you’re going to give me the news I’ve been waiting for, that you’ve secured the contract with Kevin?” 

“And if I can’t get it?” he broached, pinching his bridge of his nose. “Is there a way around all of this that would mean we can still invest in another project to facilitate the same long-term goal?”  

“This isn’t about finding other ways around it, Sean.” His tone was stern, biting, leaving his son under no illusion over his feelings, should he not secure the deal. “You either win, or you fail. I want that money, I want that port and I want that fucking bid. If it doesn’t happen then trust me, it’ll reflect upon anything I trust you with, going forward.”  

“Okay, but...” 

“No fucking buts!” Finn was emphatic, Sean closing his eyes as he swallowed back a sigh. “Do whatever the fuck you have to do in order for him to comply. That’s the fucking end of it. Bye.”  

He wanted to pick up the chair he was sitting in and hurl it through the glass of the structure he was presently in, a display of his fiery temper he knew he had to quell again. God, the fucking position he was in.  

The fucking position he’d put himself in.  

Sean realised that truly, he could blame his father all he liked, but it wouldn’t stop this mess from being his problem. If he was a better negotiator, he would have secured the contract already. If he was more like his father, he wouldn’t have faced the disrespect he had in the first place. If he was any less like his father, he wouldn’t have done something duplicitous in order to find a way through this mess, a way he now knew there was a very real chance he actually had to take.  

Or, just admit defeat and tell his father to fuck off. Not because he’d fallen desperately in love or anything, Sean was not that kind of person. It had more to do with his sense of morality, and wondering how little he’d truly have left if he did go ahead as planned. But then, if he didn’t... 

It was no small number, two hundred million. They needed it desperately to keep the money laundering racket continuing, but at what cost to him? He would never again witness Rin looking at him the way she had on that morning, when he’d reached across the bed and tucked her hair behind her ear. He could have something real with her, with perhaps the one person in his world capable of understanding him truly, for her reality near enough matched his own. 

Whatever the path, he knew he couldn’t stay there within the bubble of Mulford Hall with Rin while he came to that decision, though.  

“I’m afraid I have to leave, darling,” he spoke when she entered again. Immediately, she looked disappointed.  

“Oh, okay. Business calling, yeah?” 

He nodded, dropping a kiss atop her head. After grabbing his jacket, she saw him down to the side door, unlocking it, noting how warm the spring sun was as it illuminated that particular patch of the courtyard. “So, I’ll see you soon, yeah? Call me when you’re free and we can try and arrange something.” 

She noticed it right away, the discomfort in him, Sean rolling his shoulders up as he stuffed his hand into his pocket to retrieve his keys. “I’d say yes, but...” He shook his head, reaching to stroke her cheek. “You deserve better than me.”  

“What the bloody hell is that supposed to mean?” she spluttered, baffled at the sudden frigidness of his cold shoulder.  

“It means exactly what it’s meant to, Catherine.”  

He turned to leave, not uttering another word, and Rin certainly having more pride than to chase after him and demand he give her an explanation. It bothered her for the rest of the day, though, spending a good forty minutes on a FaceTime call to Rashida in order to rant about it.  

The explanation found its way into the ether seven hours later, the chain of events that would lead to her having Sean’s intentions revealed as her mum and dad were whisked from Gatwick in the back of a limousine later that evening.  

“Are you golfing on Thursday, love?” Diane asked, pulling her attention away from her phone. “We’ve received quite the last-minute invite to one of Sissy Hansen – Whiteman's lunches. Why we’re such an afterthought, goodness bloody knows, but I’d like to be politer than she is being in extending the invite so late.” 

“No, babe. I’m playing Wednesday morning before my meetings. Tell her we’ll be there,” he spoke. He could do with bending her husband’s ear about a few business deals, Harry Wiseman being very suggestable to further ways he could coin a profit.  

While his wife went about sending a reply, he heard his own phone beep, pulling it from his pocket to see he had a Whatsapp message from none other than Sean Wallace. A last-ditch attempt to gain his business, he wagered, opening it up to find a video file.  

Waiting for a few moments for the 5G coverage to pick up, the video began to play, Kevin frowning bemusedly before snorting a laugh. “Oh, lad. I don’t think I was the intended recipient of that.” he chuckled, shaking his head as he looked away from the screen, the video playing a filming of Sean going down on who he assumed to be his girlfriend or suchlike.  

“Are you watching porn?” Diane shouted at him from the other side of the car, hearing the moans of a woman in utter ecstasy.  

“Not of my own volition, sweetheart. I think Sean Wallace has got his contacts mixed up.” He was just about send a message back stating such, when the video changed shot. A pit the size of the limo they rode in dropped into his stomach at witnessing the girl whose face had so far been hidden was, Sean yanking her head back by her hair as he railed her from behind. A voice note message then followed. 

“Sign the contract, Kevin, or this gets released to the internet. I am done playing your games, now it’s time for you to bend to my will. Just like your daughter quite literally did. You have until midnight. As soon as the contract is signed and the funds transferred, the video will be deleted. You have my word.”  

Immediately, his phone was hurled in a fit of undiluted rage, the cold discomfort of what he’d just witnessed engulfing him entirely. “You little fucking cunt, Wallace! You fucking...”  

All that followed were growls of agitation, Kevin experiencing the bite of an icy freeze chill his veins, his wife attempting to get what had happened out of him but failing as his verbal tirade of utter fury did nothing but escalate. He was puce and sweating as he reached for his phone again, knowing he had no choice. His daughter’s dignity was non-negotiable. As any father knew, his duty was to protect his children.  

Still, it was with a tidal wave of bile licking his insides, putting his signature to that contract and organising for the release of funds, telephoning Sean as soon as it was done.  

“It’s done. Funds and docks are yours, but I swear to Christ above, if you ever fucking come near my daughter again, I will gut you. Heed my warning, because it’ll fucking happen.”  

Sean hung up, feeling what remained of the glowing buzz his weekend with Rin had left him with die off completely, leaving nothing but a stinging feeling behind that persisted right into the next day.  

Arriving at The Strand a few hours after his meeting, he exited the car to see his father just about to head in through the sleek glass doors, quickening his stride to catch him. He wasn’t the only one to exit a car and stride to catch up, though... 

[arbenia]

The Albanian Henna Ceremony, Ferizaj, Kosovo, December 2018

“The Henna Ceremony, Ferizaj, Kosovo, December 2018. During Kanagjegj (a bachelorette party) there is about 7-10 outfit changes by the bride to be, each outfit more fabulous than the last. She usually starts out with the traditional outfit and works her way up to a red dress that she does the Henna ceremony in. The Henna ceremony is where the bride dips her 5 fingers in henna and leaves an imprint on paper for her mother to remember her by while family members sing songs about missing her.”

[borisbubbles]

Eurovision 2024: #35

35. ALBANIA Besa - "Titan" 33rd place

Decade ranking: 138/153 [Above Vasil, below Mia & Dion]

Besa, darling, this is some GARBAGE.

There you go. My instinctive pavlovian response every time I think about "TiTAN" (*sigh*) since its revamp. End of write-up, the rest is just filling in the dead space. Each time Albania announces a revamp that goes English, the NQ energy comes out.

Sometimes, it's a bit unfair to immediately dismiss a English FiK revamp. Not all of them were without merit, and most still offerend something of value because they were based off good songs.

"Zemrën n'dorë" for ex; was perfectly fine even if the fandom held it in contempt for being "generically Albanian". It was still fun? Besides, "generically Albanian" is like what - Karma or Duje? There are worse places to be, surely. Both still made the final, and were enjoyable in their own right.

If anything, I got a small chuckle out of both of Besa's FiK performances because they underlined Besa's penchant for extra outfits - In the first performance Besa strutted around in badly designed fantasy armour <3

"Every tear's gonna ricochet indeed."

which she then followed up with this Statue of Liberty waifu cosplay

Working her two best assets <3

Sadly, I don't think "Titan" can be ranked amongst the okay revamps of 2011, 2014, 2017 and 2022. It was a fall from the shajte. She took an average song with interesting elements and got rid of the interesting elements, which she then replaced with one of the WORST drop breaks I've ever heard in any song, ESC or not.

The second any of us heard "Titan" in full we knew it was dedge with near certainty, and that was precisely what happened. There were no miraculous turnarounds as with Bambie or surprise outsells as with Aiko and Megara. "Titan" remained uninspired and dull. Even when she was performing it in the semi all I could think about was how hopeless it was. None of the outfits Besa wore in Malmö were particularly inspired and the act was hopelessly stuck in 2017. It's been seven years since Artsvik. Time to move on from the "Hand Choreo into Wideshots" acts, mayhaps.

So, Besa was unremarkable fodder, what's the worry? Why this low a placement? Shouldn't she be ranked amongst the Vladanas and the Ukus?

Well, semi 2 happened to be quite good and even though "Titan" was without question the biggest dud within its line-up, but thanks to its drop and awful act it still managed to stand out as SHIT to me. Which might be worse than not standing out at all. It's one of the two for each one of us, so decide for yourself which one is worse. The fact that "Titan" can easily be forgotten about is its only saving grace, which is the true halllmark of its badness. Once you do pay it even a smidge of scrutiny (which requires considerably more concentration than I'm willing to throw at it), out come the exclamations of "THIS IS NOT IT, BESA."

So in the end, the results spoke for themselves. Besa should have been last place in Semi 2 and that would have been the verdict if she hadn't been the biggest name Albania had sent in years. Even with HER RECOGNITION AMONGST ALBANIANS, she still came second last, with 14 points, the same amount as Victor Vernikos last year, with only a smatting of points from the expat countries, a single point ahead of last place. it was as close a result to nilpoints that Albania could have realistically mustered under the current system, and I can't say it wasn't deserved.

BESA KOKËDHIMA, IT'S TIME FOR YOU TO RETIRE!!!

CAN YOU IMAGINE IF THE OLD FiK SYSTEM HAD STILL BEEN IN PLACE AND THE FIK WINNER HAD GONE INSTEAD?!

This Donkey Kong/Gaston hybrid <3 All he had was arms, a song and a dream. 😭 and I do mean that literally because the one thing Mal didn't have was performance talent. Throwing partitures around ♥ flexing ALL the time ♥ the adlibs, the shrieking, the "fucking hell" ♥ All while sounding like someone throttling a turkey ♥ How did this win a JURY VOTE ♥ Mal would have NQ'd too but it would have been FUNNY and ICONIQUE and MEMORABLE, all traits "Titan" did not have. 😭

HOORAY, we've already made it out of the ~Dislikes~. Yep, only *three* reds/oranges this year. Told you this year's entries were good. Time to rank some bores, mediocrities and mixed bags for the next few days, I guess.

THE RANKING

[residentraccoon]

Was listening to the Albanian lineup and here are some of my faves

Herë pas here is killing it with that guitar ffs it just speaks to me. Though I feel like it drags on a bit too long like it would definitely benefit from the 3 minutes rule

Jetën n'skaj - omg that dramatic edgy rock is incredibly cool. The intro takes too long I think but on top of that I love the power of the girl's voice

Ti - I love the funkyness and it's definitely a nice bop ngl

Zemrën n'dore - a pretty nice ballad I can say, I like the flow of it. But girl what is that outfit lmao it's so goofy

Mars - The passion this woman has...I'm in awe...the song is also powerful and grand, I like it!

Përsëritja - What a fever dream lmao, I like the weirdness of this one. I saw that he's one of the favorites but I'm not sure how willing Albania is to have something so out of the box at ESC...we'll see tomorrow probably

[stockpheebphoob]

I find an Unreasonable amount of Trouble in making a New Outfit for Kosovo. I have ones Already, but I think that the Variety of Clothing for Teen Boys thats Accurate is Low :,,) I cannot just Simply dress him in Only Tracksuits...

It’s Much easier for Albania because I’m Well Aware how Old Albanian Men Dress… It’s funny, you’d Think it’d be The Opposite.

[signalwatch]

We Watched Eurovision 2023 (from the US. Texas, no less.)

I will be accused of only watching Eurovision 2023 because this edition was co-hosted by actor/ singer/ performer Hannah Waddingham of Ted Lasso fame.  First - how dare you.  Second - she looked amazing.

We've all heard of Eurovision, but until recently, it didn't air here in the US that I'm aware of.  In recent years we'd see twitter going bananas for it, but it was during daylight and work hours, and it was very unclear what was occurring over there.  But folks of all ages and walks of life seemed into it, so I think that piqued the curiosity of some of us.

Right at the start of COVID, I remember watching the Eurovision movie starring Will Ferrell, and it gave me *some* clue as to what was happening and how it worked, but, honestly, raised more questions than it answered.

what needs no explanation is Hannah's gown on Night 2 of the semi-finals

Then, two years ago, Jamie left me alone at home in the middle of the day - and I cannot imagine where she went, because this was *prime* COVID-hiding time.  But, left alone, I saw on twitter that Eurovision was happening, and that it was on Peacock.  I planned to tune in for fifteen minutes to check it out, but wound up sitting totally locked in for probably 3.5 hours (the finals this year ran 4:15).  Returned home, Jamie caught a bit of it, but didn't get the full deluge of sitting, trying to figure out what the hell we were looking at as act after act took the stage.

Some of you will know the winners from that year (2021), Italian rock outfit Måneskin.  They're pretty solid!

Last year we had a multi-day family event and missed the whole thing.  

But this year, nothing was going on. And, again, Waddingham was there, so I tuned in.

One of the challenges of Eurovision, much like soccer here, is that it airs on commercial-free TV.  Asking American TV to carry something they can't break up with commercials every few minutes is unheard of.  Or was until the advent of streaming platforms.  And now I get soccer and Eurovision.  And probably detective shows about like, British cookie-tasters solving polite murders in quaint small towns.

I've mentioned to a few (US) people that I was watching, and to a person, they've said, "So, what is that?  Like... American Idol?"  

That's not a dig on the people who put it that way, but it is very hard to explain the scope of Eurovision to Americans who have spent two decades bombarded by terrible singing and talent competitions that mostly rely on your knowing who the judges are and listening to bad covers of music you previously liked.

I would judge all gowns here a smashing success

Eurovision is the final round of about 37 participating countries from Europe and Australia.  It's more like the World Cup of song competitions as each of these performers has already been selected by their country in local competition.  Of course, local competion means one thing in England and another in San Marino (which has a population of 30,000+ people).  

The finals see 26 countries, and - friends - I have no real idea how this works.  Like, UK, France, Italy, Germany and Spain just show up for the finals but not the semi-finals?  

The music is pop, but it's not necessarily what Americans think of when they think of pop.  Not that, here at age 48 and with zero kids (I'm aware of) to my name, that I would know what current pop sounds like.  But I am pretty sure, based on the fact I live a part of the country where Cumbia and Tejano are gigantic going concerns, "pop" is different for different people.  So, across, 37 countries, you get some interesting stuff.  That's to say, don't necessarily expect (checks Billboard) Miley Cyrus. But get an Albanian family-band dressed in disco versions of local folk-wear and turning an anthem into a banger. 

It's also worth noting, the music swings between folks looking for radio stardom and folks putting it on the line as House or, really, Novelty acts.  I may vote for someone because they're entertaining as hell on this show, but I may not put them on my everyday playlist.  And that's fine.  We aren't making any life or death decisions here.  

what is a great decision was the wardrobe for the first part of the finale.  Great jacket, Graham.

Eurovision is a *friendly* competition that happens when you live in a place with actual history and less monoculture, and the overall competition is deeply not-American.  No one here gives a flying @#$% about the US and our pop scene.  But what they are celebrating is that they all bring their best game, everyone gets a chance, and you basically get to party in the audience for 4 hours.  

There are no judges influencing voting or destroying the souls of the contestants.  There is some weighted voting before the popular vote is counted that's a bit like the Electoral College where countries send their 12 votes in.  Oh, and, by the way - you can't vote for people from your own country.  Just imagine.  We'd burn the show down here in the US.

The performances have set pieces, light shows, screen shows, dancers.  It's big and it's... a lot.  And that's kind of the fun of the thing.  Everything is cranked up to 11, and it's pop songs, so even if one song isn't your bag, it's only going to be 3 minutes and out.  But the musicians/ artists really need their act together.  So every song is a little bit of performance art as well as delivery of a single.  

speaking of art: Hannah's final look from Eurovision 2023

Do they lip-synch?  I assume so.  There's a lot of dancing and rolling around and other things that make live singing seem unlikely.  Nor do people have instruments in hand all the time, or are bands seen.  And that's fine.  Who cares?  It's performing to a song as much as performing a song.

Whichever country wins then hosts the next year's competition, which, to be honest, does not seem like enough time to get all of this together.  But I'll assume they know what they're doing.  

However, this year's Eurovision was held in Liverpool, despite the fact the UK was runner-up in 2022.  The winner of 2022 was Ukraine, and...  Americans could do well to see how this was handled.  

Yes, the UK provided three hosts (including Waddingham and Graham Norton), but they also very much included Ukraine in the proceedings, starting with a Ukrainian rock-star host, Julia Sanina (who was really good, and realized she could also cut loose like Waddingham by show's end).  But there were also Ukrainian acts who played the voting interval and other segments, and repeated call outs to Ukraine.  

If Russia wasn't feeling isolated before, seeing dozens of European countries in complete support of Ukraine (and never mentioning Russia directly) had to have felt like a massive PR problem that no psy-ops are going to erase.  And, after the war in Ukraine has dragged on, it's a welcome reminder of the continued war and need to maintain and demonstrate support for Ukraine.

The show also both implicitly and explicitly made calls for inclusivity and equality.  And, friends, that's something I hope we can all agree on.  

I am unsure if I'll watch both semi-finals and finals next year.  It'll depend on time available.  As Sweden's Loreen won, Waddingham won't be involved next year (I assume).  But that's not a deterrent from watching.  

By the way, (a) it seems like non-Ted Lasso fans discovered Waddingham this week and are here for her, and (b) at least two guys who were announcing who their countries were voting for clumsily attempted to flirt with Waddingham.  Shoot your shot, king.

The voting is dramatic and stressful, and much more interesting than the hammy results delivery on most American reality gameshows.  The combo of scores to a total feels immediate and less...  architected.  And, I have no idea what the demographic is for the show, because Non-Threatening Boys did not do well, but hyper-real weirdos did fantastic.  

My personal favorite acts were Croatia, Austria, Moldova, Lithuania, Finland, and, yes, winner Sweden, who I had to keep my mouth shut about because Jamie was not having a previous winner coming back to win again. Also, all things being equal, the Italian guy was good but not my favorite.

Finland

Sweden

https://ift.tt/biatTk7

from The Signal Watch https://ift.tt/gni4bwD

[my-chaos-radio]

Release: May 26, 2023

Lyrics:

Baby, you can find me under the lights

Diamonds under my eyes

Turn the rhythm up, don′t you wanna just

Come along for the ride?

Pull my outfits up tight

You can see my heartbeat tonight

I can take the heat, baby, best believe

That's the moment I shine

′Cause every romance shakes and it bends

Don't give a damn

When the night's here, I don′t do tears

Baby, no chance

I could dance, I could dance, I could dance

Watch me dance, dance the night away

My heart could be burning but you won′t see it on my face

Watch me dance, dance the night away

I still keep the party running, not one hair out of place

Lately I've been moving close to the edge

Still be looking my best

I stay on the beat, you can count on me

I ain′t missing no steps

'Cause every romance shakes and it bends

Don′t give a damn

When the night's here, I don′t do tears

Baby, no chance

I could dance, I could dance, I could dance

Watch me dance, dance the night away

My heart could be burning but you won't see it on my face

Watch me dance

Dance the night away

I still keep the party running, not one hair out of place

When my heart breaks

(They'll never see it, never see it)

When my world shakes

(I feel alive, I feel alive)

I don′t play it safe

Don′t you know about me?

I could dance, I could dance, I could dance

Even when the tears are flowing like diamonds on my face

I still keep the party going

Not one hair out of place (Yes, I can)

Even when the tears are flowing like diamonds on my face

(Yes, I can, yes, I can)

I still keep the party going, not one hair out of place

Watch me dance, dance the night away

My heart could be burning, but you won't see it on my face

Watch me dance, dance the night away

I still keep the party running, not one hair out of place

Songwriter:

When my heart breaks

(They′ll never see it, never see it)

When my world shakes

(I feel alive, I feel alive)

I don't play it safe, don′t you know about me?

I could dance, I could dance, I could dance

Dance the night

Dua Lipa, Mark Ronson, Andrew Wyatt, Caroline Ailin

SongFacts:

"Dance the Night" is a song by English and Albanian singer Dua Lipa from 'Barbie: The Album', the soundtrack of the upcoming film Barbie (2023). Lipa and Caroline Ailin wrote it with its producers Andrew Wyatt and Mark Ronson, and the Picard Brothers also contributed production. Atlantic and Warner Records released it as the soundtrack's lead single on 25 May 2023. A disco song that features cello, violin, viola, strings, and bass in its instrumentation, "Dance the Night" is about dancing throughout the night despite enduring sadness. Its music video, which features cameos from several people including Margot Robbie, was released alongside it.

In April 2023, it was announced that Dua Lipa had joined the cast of Greta Gerwig's upcoming fantasy comedy film Barbie. She recorded original music for the film's soundtrack, 'Barbie: The Album'. On 22 May 2023, Lipa announced its lead single, "Dance the Night", will be released on the following Friday, 26 May 2023. This will mark her first musical release since the conclusion of her Future Nostalgia album release cycle. Official Charts Company's George Griffiths commented the song's snippet sounded like a return "to the disco-soaked sonics of Future Nostalgia…with a plastic sheen, of course". The snippet soundtracked a clip in which Lipa steps out of fleecy heels, recreating a shot of Margot Robbie's arched foot in the second Barbie trailer, before blowing a kiss to the camera; the lyric "Just come along for the ride!" plays over a glinting disco groove. Vulture's Jennifer Zhan remarked its release marked the death of a viral meme about Lipa's hip twist, as news about it replaced the latter atop search results.

[zagreus-eats-your-bread]

The albanian singers outfit looked so klingon

[popblank]

Eurovision Semifinal 2 viewing notes: 

Haha, the pre-show screen is displaying “GOOD TO GO!” I am both amused and annoyed that the new guy’s catchphrase might be growing on me.

Denmark, Reiley, “Breaking My Heart” – For a song where so much of it is in his upper register, his voice is not particularly strong there.  

Oh look it’s Daði Freyr in the green room.

Armenia, Brunette, “Future Lover” – Very cool staging, really good use of lights and projections. Sounded good as well.

Romania, Theodor Andrei, “D.G.T (Off and On)” – Theodor Andrei looks like quite the theater kid. Glad they went in a different direction than the national final performance though I am not sure if it presents the song to its best advantage.

Estonia, Alika, “Bridges” – Very good singing. Another uncomplicated staging that relies heavily on the performer and she is carrying it well.

Belgium, Gustaph, “Because of You” – I like that the backing singers are prominently featured onstage and in the performance. Very solid though I can’t remember the song when it’s done.

Scooch! I have much warmer feelings toward them than I do for Dustin the Turkey.

Cyprus, Andrew Lambrou, “Broken Heart” – I see we’re steadily moving along on the spectrum of masculine presentation in this semifinal. Seems like vocals are much stronger overall tonight so far, though I do hear a noticeable backing singer in parts.

Iceland, Diljá, “Power” – Hmm, started well, but she started at 99% and kept turning things up. It’s a very physical performance which feels just a little bit out of control.

Greece, Victor Vernicos, “What They Say” – Greece feels rather similar to Iceland in terms of performance, except with a little more anxiety.  The outfit makes him look his age.

Poland, Blanka, “Solo” – It was better than expected, I guess.

Slovenia, Joker Out, “Carpe Diem” – I had a lingering headache before this show and the wobbly side-to-side camera work here is not helping. Singing was good, but it was hard to watch.

Georgia, Iru, “Echo” – Her costuming and styling looks good. It was very dramatic (as expected) but the song has a odd lack of momentum. The chorus gets old quickly.

San Marino, Piqued Jacks, “Like An Animal” – The performance seems to be leaning a bit into the sleaziness which is probably not a bad approach, especially since the lead singer sings well and manages to pull off "sleazy” without straying into “creepy.”

Austria, Teya & Salena, “Who the Hell is Edgar?” – I like the color scheme.  They sound very good singing together and I usually like it when the LED displays are used to create the effect of having lots of backing dancers.

Albania, Albina & Familja Kelmendi, “Duje” – As songs performed by vocal groups at Eurovision go, this is pretty decent, is refreshingly straightforward in its concept, and seems extremely Albanian.

Lithuania, Monika Linkyté, “Stay” – The chorus has a nice swing, and I just like the sound of a group of women singing (see also: Portugal 2022). Improves upon the official video performance.

Australia, Voyager, “Promise” – The songs may or may not be better tonight, but the average vocal performance in this semi with only a few exceptions seems to be far and away better than in the first semifinal (and Australia is one of the better ones).  Not sure about the car but it does seem to fit with the cheesy neon ‘80s vibe.

Interval act: I think this may be the first time in years of watching Eurovision when I would have liked a commentator to provide background details.  It was enjoyable but I would like to put some names to the historical faces.

Hannah Waddingham seems to be having a great time as a host.

That was a fun performance, yet I can’t help but be reminded that fearful and narrow-minded people in many US states would like to make that illegal.

I can hardly believe they even thought about doing the finalist announcements on stage, and am very glad they reconsidered. I do not want to see the cameras wringing pathos from images of disappointed non-qualifiers, and I absolutely do want to see the joy of a contestant being engulfed in hugs and flags by their delegation.

[nadja-antipaxos]

chapter one: between my fingers, she leaves, then she lingers

previously - prologue || masterlist || next - chapter two

Rating: Explicit

Warnings:  brief mention of human traffickers (as in they’re mentioned as the bad guys), swearing, canon typical violence and fighting (slapping, punching, stabbing, etc), kissing, thigh riding, unprotected PIV sex

Note: Thank you to those of you who have interacted with this little fic. Please enjoy and leave comments so I know you're liking it. The song Ash sings is "The Clapping Song" by Shirley Ellis. All chapter titles are from Halsey's "honey".

Word Count: 6,072

3 years later

The first time Marc Spector lays eyes on her, she’s watching him kick a man in the solar plexus while peeling a tangerine with her hands.

A deep brown-skinned woman with nearly black hair and dark eyes. She’s perched on the roof above him.  He blinks. Yep. Tangerine.

He shakes his head and finishes his Khonshu crusade for the evening. When he’s done and panting, she’s gone.

He hasn’t been sleeping well and it’s been a month since he left Layla. Was he seeing things?

A month later, he’s tracked down some human traffickers in Durrës.  By the time he gets to their headquarters though, he thinks he sees her again.

She wore an intricate black mask with the rounded features of a lioness. The eye cutouts and nose were decorated in gold and the mask stopped above her lips. The giveaway is those same dark eyes.

Standing straight, she’s his height with her flat boots.

She wears a black jumpsuit with gold accents on the necklace, breastplate, wrists, hips, and boots. It’s exceptionally well-made and practical, not a sexy catsuit.

Considering his own outfit, he’s not one to judge.

She allows the four men to approach her first. She rolls her shoulders and cracks her neck.

She holds a wide stance rocking her weight from one leg to the other. He recognizes the limber movement from his boxing days. The men don’t. 

“You lost, girl?” One asks.

He sees her lips move and gets closer. She’s singing? It intrigues and confuses the men because they step forward.

“Three six nine, the goose drank wine. The monkey chew tobacco on the streetcar line. The line broke, the monkey got choked. And they all went to heaven in a little rowboat.”

She taps her foot and looks at each of them.

Marc blinks, watching her. He wonders if Khonshu sees this.

“Should we—”

“No.” The deep voice echoes in his head.

“Clap slap.” She slaps the first man hard across the face and he stumbles back. He gets his balance and lunges.

“Clap your hand, pat it on your partner's hand.” She grabs his hand and pulls it behind his head in an unnatural bend. It snaps and he screams.

She pulls her short sword with a gold handle from her thigh holster and stabs him in the chest.

A different man comes for her. 

“Clap pat clap your hand, cross it with your left arm.” She takes his left wrist and rolls him over her shoulder slamming his back into the dirt.

He’s got the wind knocked out of him.

She stabs him in the stomach with expert precision clipping his spleen.

These are men that are used to abducting scared women and children. They have no idea what to do with her. 

Marc can’t really pinpoint her style. She’s clearly trained but it’s a combination of things.

She keeps singing her little song.  Her fighting style is almost like a dance. Every move is deliberate and agile.

She uses her grip on the third man’s elbow to flip over his shoulder.

She lands on her ass with her legs out and drags him down with her.

His head hits the ground with a hollow echo. Blood seeps from it. 

From her spot in the dirt, she sweeps her long leg kicking the last man’s ankle out from under him, and smiles. 

She gets to her feet and surveys her work.

She pulls both swords from her thigh holsters and hovers over that last man. 

“Where are they?” She’s American?

“N-No one is here.”

“I know you bring the children here. Where are they?”

“I don’t—”

She repeats her question in Albanian surprising him and Marc.

Marc’s is rusty but he can tell the man gives her an answer. She nods politely.

She steps over him, but he snatches at her ankle.

She growls planting her free foot on his chest.

A blade pops out from her toe and she jams it into his neck.

He gasps and lets go.

Who the fuck is this woman?

Marc sees the children bolt immediately from the building and when she steps out, she has plain clothes on—jeans and a white tank top, and no mask. Those eyes.

His armor disappears and he approaches her.

Before he can think of a cover story, she removes a match from a packet.

“Was wondering when you’d say hi.” She chuckles.

“Why are you following me?” He stares at her.

“Ehhh…you’re following me this time, aren’t you?” She tilts her palm from side to side and steps back from the building. “I’d keep your distance.”

“From you?” Marc asks, wondering if that’s a threat.

She strikes the match on her denim-clad thigh. He realizes what she’s about to do and steps back.

She tosses it towards the building.

It catches fire immediately. She pats him on the chest.

“Good talk. See ya.”

Another month passes, and Marc tails a lead to a club in Madrid.

He beats out of him the information he needs to know and decides to get a drink before he leaves.

That’s when he sees her.

No suit. Tight jeans and a low-cut top showing a hint of her breasts.

 He watches her drinking and eyefucking a woman with short blue hair across the bar. The blue-haired woman moves over to her and they talk.

Marc pretends to drink his whiskey as they walk into the bathroom together.

Fifteen minutes later, they walk out, disheveled.

She approaches him.

“Concerned or jealous?” She asks.

He doesn’t answer.

Standing next to him without those boots, she’s only an inch shorter than him. She doesn’t seem like a threat.

If he hadn’t seen her fight, he never would’ve guessed what she was capable of. 

“You gonna drink that?” She points to the shot.

He shakes his head.

She tosses it back. “Thanks.”

Now that he sees her, really sees her up close, without the mask, she’s…beautiful. Dark eyes. Dark hair. Her brown, olive skin is a shade darker than his.

Her eyes move past him ever so slightly. She leans on the bar towards him.

“We’re being watched.”

His shoulders tense. It was a mistake to linger. Of course, someone was going to come looking.

“Don’t look.” Her face is close to his now.

She laughs even though he didn’t say anything. She touches his arm. “Act like we’re a couple.”

He tries his best to smile at the pretty stranger in front of him. 

Her eyes fall to his mouth and he does the same. She has very full lips. 

“Blend in. Kiss me.”

Marc nods.

She grips his shirt and tugs him to her.

It’s the first time someone has kissed him since he left Layla four months ago. He hasn’t kissed anyone else in three years.

She’s not sweet or gentle. Her mouth works aggressively against his in a way that makes his head spin. She really must want them to buy this. 

He grabs her bicep, noting how firm it is. She pulls back suddenly and breaks the kiss. Her eyes flick over his shoulder.

“We’re good.”

He still has his hand on her arm. He flips her wrist up and looks for a scale tattoo. She doesn’t have one.

He checks the other arm. Nothing.

“You’re not with Harrow?”

She pulls her arm out of his grip.

“Arthur Harrow?” She spits on the floor out of instinct before relaxing. “Just think of me as a friend, Marc.”

“Can’t be friends. I don’t know your name.”

“Ash.”

“Ash what?”

“Ash.”

Marc watches her leave possibly more confused than before.

Marc slams a man into the wall and rips the crescent from his breastplate.

He shoves it into the man’s neck and watches him bleed out onto his armor. He lets go and watches the now lifeless body fall to the ground.

His eyes scan the ledges of the building looking for her. Instead, all he finds is a grey spotted cat watching him with glowing green eyes.

It’s been four weeks since the bar and when he’s not running ragged for Khonshu, he’s thinking about her: Who she might be. Who trained her. What she meant by a friend.

He shakes his head. He has to focus.

Marc finally found a lead on the scarab in an office building in Italy of all places. A map to it. It’s been months of nothing.

Of course, as he crawls on top of the skylight, Ash is already in the maintenance room.

Her arms are bound behind her while a big man holds her by the shoulders.

The tallest man keeps pacing back and forth. There’s a third man by the door.

He finds it odd that she’s been caught. Maybe she’s human after all.

“Why are you here?” The tallest man is getting agitated.

“Rome is lovely in the spring.” Ash chuckles.

Smack. Her eyes widen. She looks insulted.

“How did you get in here?”

“Somebody left a window open. Uh oh. Was it you?”

This time he hits her she would’ve fallen over if the big guy wasn’t holding onto to her.  

“Why are you here? I won’t ask again.”

“Huh? Sorry couldn’t hear you over the—”

She’s cut off by a fist connecting to her jaw. She spits out the blood and laughs.

She looks up and smiles. Marc knows she sees him. 

“Oof, this is gonna hurt.”

“What is?”

Marc  swoops down crashing through the skylight. He kicks one of them in the stomach.

“That.” She scrunches her nose. 

The man on the floor gets up with the help of another man.

They circle Marc.

A punch to the ribs.

A crescent moon to the gut.

A kick to the head.

He turns to see how she’s doing.

She steps on the foot of the big guy holding her then kicks him in the shin with her heel.

He curses and lets go of her.

She jumps and kicks him in the jaw sending him to the floor. She lands on her ass, laughing. 

Marc walks over to her, crescent in hand and cuts open the zip ties.

“Oh my god. You shouldn’t have.” Her mouth falls open.

“Ready to play?” He’s smirking even though she can’t see it. 

A smile grows on her full lips.

The door opens but before the men can even get to them, she’s cartwheeling over to them. She’s all legs.

Her mask is back on even though Marc has no idea when she grabbed it.

She jumps up and grabs the pipe above her using it as leverage to get her thighs around a man’s neck.

Marc’s all for flair but he’s never seen anything quite like this.

The man claws at her but she strangles him with her thighs.

Marc is horrified but a little turned on. He hears a sickening snap.

She pulls herself up and the body falls. The other man is stunned and doesn’t move.

She takes the opportunity to kick him in the nose.  He falls to the ground and she pounces with her gold-tipped knife drawn.

Marc knows she doesn’t need his help.

She leans over the dead body of the man who was beating her and takes a keycard out of his pocket. That’s why she let herself get caught. 

She waltzes out the door.

He sprints after her.

They fight every person that gets in their way until they reach a locked door. 

“It’s in here.” She tells him pulling out the keycard.

“I know.” Marc knows they only have seconds before they send more men.

“Ooh, good for you.” She narrows her eyes.

The sound of boots thundering down the hall gets his attention.

She slips into the room while he fights them off.

By the time he’s done, she’s gone.

He climbs up one of the bookcases to get to the balcony and sees her walking outside. He leaps.

“You have something that belongs to me.” He says walking behind her.

“I don’t see it that way.” She shrugs. 

Marc stands in front of her and she stops.

“The map to the scarab. Give it to me.” He puts his gloved hand out.

“You can fight me for it.” She smirks. 

“What?” Marc stares at her.

“I’ll give it over if you win.” She unzips a pocket on her thigh and places the USB drive inside.

Marc huffs. She’s getting on his nerves now. She knows about the scarab and she knows about Harrow, but she’s still playing with him. Does she actually take this seriously or is it a game?

“Sparring not fighting. That better?” She offers.

“Fine.” He nods. With the suit, he’ll win in no time. 

Marc lunges for her but Ash places her hands on his shoulders and leapfrogs over him.

Every time he tries to swipe at her, she’s practically bouncing out of reach. He’s getting frustrated now.

He starts circling her. She follows his lead, smiling.

He does finally land a blow on her side but when he tries again, she grabs his wrist and rolls him onto his back.

He springs to his feet and pushes her into the wall.

His forearm pins her throat but she hooks her foot around his ankle and kicks his legs out from under him.

Her thighs straddle his waist while her hands hold down his wrists. She lets go now that she’s made her point but doesn’t get off him.

“Guess we’re just gonna have to work together.”  

His chest heaves as he looks up at her. Those dark eyes are watching him curiously.  She’s breathing hard too.

He stares at her mouth.  The way she looks at him makes his stomach jump. He ignores the heat rising up his neck. 

“Kiss her and take the map.” Khonshu snaps in his head.

Marc has never done something like that.  He’s not a spy. He’s a hired gun. Mercenary. This is beyond him. 

He lunges forward and kisses her, completely forgetting their masks. She just laughs.  He grunts hiding his anger and embarrassment.

She grabs the mask from the end above her mouth and pulls it off.

His mask disappears and he stares at her. He needs to sell this. He cups her cheek. 

“C’mon, honey, I know you wanna kiss me. ” He raises his eyebrows attempting to recover.

“That so?” She smirks. 

“Mhmm.” He nods licking his lips.  “Bad.” 

“I think you wanna kiss me so bad you—”

He slides his hand around the back of her neck pulling her to him. Their mouths meet. Since they don’t have an audience, her lips move gently. It feels nice. Her entire body on top of him feels nice too.

She sighs and his hands begin to roam. One goes to her arm and the other falls to her waist stroking her side in between short kisses.

His fingers graze the zipper on her pocket. She pulls back. 

“Uh uh uh.” She’s staring down at him. “I might share if you ask nicely.” 

“Please. I need that to find—”

“We—” 

“No.”

“Kay. Good talk.” She gets off him.

“Ash!” Marc scrambles to his feet. He takes her wrist and pulls her back to him. He kisses her softly. “Can I have the map?”

“Aww, you’re bad at this. It’s so sweet.” She smiles and walks away. 

Marc takes a deep breath. His suit dissolves away and he’s in his normal clothes again.

Khonshu strides in front of him, angry.

“Go after her!”

Marc cards a hand through his hair and shakes his head.

“She’s right. I don’t know how to do this.”

“Then figure it out. This is life or death.”

“I just sent Layla the papers. I’m not—it’s weird—I can’t—”

“The world hangs in the balance and you worry about your marriage? Go.”

Marc sighs, nodding. He walks down the street and keeps his eyes open. A few blocks away he sees her sitting on a patio drinking red wine. She’s clearly visible like she wanted him to see her.

He crosses over to her and she gestures to the chair across from her. Her jumpsuit is gone. She stands up and pulls the chair out for him.

She wears a tight burgundy skirt and a white scoop-necked camisole that clings to her well-endowed chest. Her curves are on full display and impossible to ignore. How did she change so fast? She must have the technology for that. It’s not unheard of.

“You want something to eat? I’m always starving after a fight.” Ash looks back at him.

“Sure.” Marc hasn’t eaten tonight. It’s not something he always remembers to do. Khonshu tends to remind him. How can you serve me if you waste away? Her invitation is friendlier. 

The waiter comes by and she asks for another glass of wine. She puts in an order for Bucatini Amatriciana and he orders Cacio e Pepe because he doesn’t want any meat tonight. He takes a sip of the wine. It’s good. Dry and not sweet. He likes that in a wine.

“I’m Marc.”

Ash nods.

“Marc Spector. But you knew that, right?”

“I did.”

“And you’re still Ash.”

“Mhmm. Short for Aishwarya.”

“So…that’s Indian, right?” He scratches his temple.

“Winner winner.” She smiles a truly wonderful smile.

“Could see that or Egyptian.” He knows he’s just projecting on that one, but she could’ve been Arab.

“Hmm. Yeah. Just Indian though.” She drinks her wine.

 He tells himself he’s doing this to find the scarab. That’s his only motivation.

“Thanks for helping me out.”

“Yeah. You’re a great conversationalist.” She teases.

“Handsome stoic type.”

“Never been much of a talker.”

“How do you know me?”

“We work for the same people.”

Marc scoffs and shakes his head. “Doubt that.”

The waiter comes out with their food and he watches the couples dancing in the street to the music from a small band of players sitting in chairs. The pasta is delicious and he’s so hungry. He forgets to keep up the conversation and struggles not to shove the food in his mouth. He looks up and sees her devouring her plate. Maybe she isn’t much of a talker either.

“This is amazing.”

“Yeah.”

“Have you been to Rome before?”

“Not long enough to eat.”

“A crime.”

Ash is clearly a person who enjoys herself wherever she goes—whatever she’s doing and Marc envies that. She just seems so relaxed.

It’s been a long and tiring day and right now, he wants to stop. He has a goal here and he hasn’t forgotten that but he wants so badly to just hit pause. Maybe enjoy his food, the excellent wine, and steal a couple of looks at the beautiful woman in front of him. Guilt pangs in his stomach for thinking she’s beautiful. She is, of course, but it feels strange to admit it.  

“So American?”

“By way of Pittsburgh. You?”

“Chicago.”

“I’ve only been there once.”

“I don’t get back often.”

“Neither do I.”

“You military?”

“No. CIA.”

“If you were CIA you couldn’t tell me.”

“Only if I was still with them.”

“I see.”

“And you?”

“Ex-Marine.” 

The more wine he drinks the more he takes her in. Her dark hair is long and straight with side-swept bangs. Her skin looks flawless. Those full lips are now stained with red sauce.

He thinks back to the club and how she went into the bathroom with a stranger. Was it hard for her to keep quiet or did she let everyone know what she was doing? The thought makes the crotch of his jeans tighten.

Her elbow rests on the table as she eats and he can see her cleavage when she leans forward. Now, he can’t even stand up or everyone would see the growing hard-on in his pants. The image of Khonshu in a Marilyn Monroe dress springs to mind and he relaxes. He’d never tell him that though.

The waiter comes by with the check and she puts down cash. Marc can’t let her go yet.

Marc takes a deep breath and stands up. Ash watches as he extends his hand. Her brow furrows but she takes it. He guides her to the street where people are dancing.  He puts both hands on her waist and her arms rest on his shoulders.

“Ten and two, Marc Spector.” 

“Please, I’m a gentleman, Ash.”

“Rajul.”

“Hm?”

“Ash Rajul.”

The music is slow and easy to dance to which he’s grateful for. He isn’t much of a dancer. Layla would always have to beg him. He winces. There’s that guilt again.

Ash tilts her head but doesn’t say anything. He keeps his eyes on hers and the respectful space between their bodies disappears from song to song. He spins her without warning and she laughs. It’s as pretty as the music.

As the song comes to an end, he dips her and doesn’t hide the look he takes down her top. She notices and arches an eyebrow.

“We should get out of here.” He sighs.  He doesn’t trust himself not to kiss her in front of all these people. 

“Come with me.” She takes his hand. 

Marc holds back as far as the door to her hotel room.  He brushes her hair away from her neck breezing his mouth over the skin. She moans. What a sound.

He ruts himself against the cleft of her ass and she nearly drops the keys. She finally unlocks the door. Just as she shuts it, he backs her into it. 

“I wanna kiss you.” He breathes his face inches from hers. 

“Stop talking and do it.” She smirks. 

He captures her mouth in a bruising kiss.  She moans as he backs her into the wall.  His hands get lost in her thick dark hair. She tastes like wine, tomatoes, and something sweet. Their tongues battle for dominance. He isn’t sure who’s winning. She breaks the kiss and he goes for her neck. His head is swimming with the scent of her jasmine and amber perfume.

“You have a great ass.” She smacks it for emphasis.

“Somethin’ for you to hold onto when I’m fucking you.” He grips her hip. “I know I won’t be able to keep my hands off yours.”

“Mmm.” She bites her lip.

“Want me to fuck you, honey?” His teeth graze her pulse point. 

“I’d love it if you’d do something instead of talking about it.” She chuckles.  

He lifts up her hips and plants her down on his thigh. She gasps. He likes that sound. She scrambles for his biceps. He flexes his thigh pushing it up to her clothed core. She gasps again. 

“C’mon, honey, ruin these jeans.”  

“Marc.”

“I bet you look real pretty when you come.”

Her pupils are blown wide with lust. He arches an encouraging eyebrow. She rocks herself back and forth riding his thigh and moves her hands to his shoulders. Her sounds—the whines, the gasps, the moans—make him impossibly hard. His stomach twists realizing they haven’t even touched each other yet. She goes rigid and squeezes her eyes shut. He was right. She’s even prettier right now: face flushed and mouth open shuddering with bliss. He picks her up and moves her to the bed. 

  It takes her a moment to recover but when she does, the match has been lit. They’re pawing at each other’s clothes discarding them on the floor. The feeling of his bare skin on hers is electric. He kisses her before settling on top of her. He knows how this is going to go. His hand moves down her side. Her skin is so soft. She bites at his lower lip and licks her way inside. He moans completely caught off guard. 

Her nails scrape the base of his neck and he gasps. Her other hand brushes down his chest over his Star of David necklace. She was holding back before. She’s a fantastic kisser. Every press of those full lips is confident and deliberate. It knocks the breath from him. 

She flips him onto his back and smiles. He sits up slightly with his back against the pillows watching her. She leans over him letting her large breasts brush against his bare chest. Her tongue swipes a long line from his neck to his collarbone making him shudder. She kisses the spot right below his ear before dragging her teeth slowly down until he arches his back. He feels the shocks pulse up his spine. Whatever plan he had is completely gone. She kisses the hollow of his throat kissing a path down to his stomach.

“No wonder you’re so confident.” She purrs. 

He sees her eyeing his length. He swallows hard at the hungry look in her dark eyes.  She looks like she’s going to devour him and he wants her to, fuck does he want her to.

She’s straddling him now. Her hips hovering over him slowly. He can’t take it anymore. He needs to be inside her.

“Fuck me.” 

“Are you sure you want this?” Her eyes meet his with complete sincerity.

“Yes. Please, Ash, fuck me.”

She smiles and turns around with her back to him. He lets out a shaky breath. He would never tell her but he’s glad he doesn’t have to look her in the eyes. It’s way too intimate. She takes hold of him and eases her way down. He grunts. 

“So tight, honey.”

“You feel good too.”

His palms skim down her sweaty back to the globes of her ass. She’s so hot. 

Her hands tug at her hair as she begins to ride him. She sets the pace grinding back and forth. He watches her ass move as she impales herself on him again and again.

He grits his teeth, bucking his hips and she gasps.

“You like that?” He sighs.

“Yes, do it again.” There’s a chuckle in her voice. 

He does and soon they find a rhythm.

Her hands hold onto the meat of his thighs to steady herself as she speeds up. He knows she’s close from how she’s gripping him.  She just needs a little push.

Marc bends his knees and shifts slightly offering his thigh. 

“Lemme help. Y’know what to do.”

They fall back into a rhythm again but this time she’s rubbing herself all over his thigh. It’s even better than before because he can feel just how slick she is. 

He can feel her pulse around him— hips wild as she chases her peak. She cries out and slumps forward into the mattress letting him slip out. 

To his surprise, she stretches her hands out in front of her and wiggles that perfect ass. He gives her a playful squeeze. A smile grows on his lips.

“C’mon, Marc.”

He walks over on his knees and dips his hand in between her folds. She hisses.

He gathers her wetness and strokes himself with it. His other hand grabs that ass and pulls her flush against him.

He buries himself to the hilt in one thrust. She moans. He can’t get over how good she feels.

His fingers ghost over her neck and tilt her jaw up. He keeps his grip gentle just wanting access to her full lips. He kisses her fiercely. She trembles. 

“Marc. Please.”

He starts off steady but when she pushes that gorgeous ass against him he can’t hold back. 

“Yes! Yes!” Her cheek is pressed into the mattress. 

He snarls, pulling out only to slam back in again. The sounds she makes are unreal.  

“Oh my god. I—Marc—I can’t.”

“You can, honey.”  His thrusts are harder. Her body arches. “That it? Right there?”

She moans in reply. He reaches between her legs stroking her with figure eight patterns. 

“M-Marc.” She whines—whines his name as she shatters. 

“So—fuckin— good— ” He could fuck her all night and it wouldn’t be enough. This should be illegal.

“Ohh, oh, shit.” He’s gonna come. He grits his teeth calling on every ounce of his self-control to pull out. He hisses, chest heaving. 

To his surprise, she walks on her knees to him and stares. 

“Want some help with that?” She arches an eyebrow. He nods violently.

Her hand takes hold of him and he gasps. Her thumb brushes over his tip and he closes his eyes as she moves down.

Her grip is tight and she flexes mimicking the pulse he’d feel inside her. He’s right on the precipice. He’s gonna jump.

His heart is racing and his skin burns, flames licking him from the inside. 

“C’mon, pretty pretty boy. I got you. Just let go.” 

His eyes squeeze shut and his mouth falls open as he throws his head back. Oblivion overtakes him. Pure bliss as he falls apart.  

“Ohh—ahh—shit—Ash, fuck. Oh, Ash…”

He’s bucking up into her hand, spilling all over. He’s too far gone to care. She lets go and he fails to catch his breath. He feels the mattress dip and hears her padding on the floor.

The water is running in the bathroom. The mattress dips again and he feels a towel dragging over his skin. Her soft mouth presses into his cheekbone while her hand brushes his sweaty curls away from his forehead.

He didn’t expect her to be like this…tender. He blinks his eyes open with great effort and sees her smiling at him. She looks beautiful.

It’s all he remembers before dozing off. 

Marc wakes up and doesn’t know how long he’s been asleep.

He looks around the room. It’s been cleared out. He clears his throat and looks out the window.

Sunlight streaks faintly across the sky in pink and orange. His gaze falls on the nightstand.

There’s a large envelope with his name on it in crisp, uniform print. He grabs it and opens it quickly.

He sees a note, a USB drive, and a flip phone.

Marc —

You trying to honeypot me was super cute. I told you I’d share if you were nice. And you were much nicer than I expected. Would’ve settled just for dinner. Wore you out though. A for effort. Here’s a burner if you wanna reach me.

See you around

Xoxo,

A

Wednesdays are Steven Grant's favorite day of the week. All because of one particular visitor: Dr.  Aishwarya Devi.

She’s been working on a paper for the past six months and Wednesday is her artifact research day. Steven felt his heart skip the first time he laid eyes on her. She was as close to perfect as he had ever seen.

A tall hourglass-shaped woman with straight, long dark hair, dark eyes framed by retro cat-eye glasses, high cheekbones, and full lips that always wore tight blazers and pencil skirts. She spoke with a posh accent which wasn’t surprising considering her Oxford pedigree.

In the break room, he’s heard many different people talk about how beautiful she is. Even JB remembers her name.

Donna hates Wednesdays because of the tizzy Dr. Devi causes on the staff. But her looks aren’t Steven’s favorite thing about her.

When she first started coming to the museum, she found her way to the gift shop and asked him for directions to Donna’s office. She knew everything about the feline goddess Sekhmet surprising even Steven.

She explained her thesis to him and how when it’s finished she hopes to get published and do a lecture circuit. Steven would love to do something like that—be paid to share his knowledge with an interested, captive audience. 

She’s asked him about continuing his education but he isn’t sure he’s ready for something like that. Still, the fact she asked means the world.

Steven loves his conversations with her. She’s confident, funny, whip-smart as well as book-smart.

There have been quite a few times when he’s reading his novels that he’s pictured her as the captivating heroine.

She’s absolutely perfect but he doesn’t really know how to go out asking her out. Maybe he’ll bring it up this time. Maybe.

“What are you daydreaming about, Stevie? Dr. Perfect?” Donna snorts pulling him from his thoughts.

“N-No.”  Steven looks down at the cash register.

“Good. You’d have absolutely no shot with a girl like that.” Donna continues. “Hell’d freeze over first.”

Ash clears her throat making herself known. He wonders how long she’s been standing there. He can smell her amber and jasmine perfume. It’s heaven. 

“Hi, Steven.” Ash smiles at him. It fades when she looks at Donna. “Donna.”

“How much longer do you think you’ll be working on this paper, Dr. Devi?” Donna asks. Steven knows that translates to “How much longer are you gonna show up here?”

“I’m not sure. There’s just so much research. Do you need me to refile the paperwork?” Ash tilts her head.

“No. It’s valid.” Donna huffs. “Steven, take those plush alligators down to the basement. They’re not selling. Not that you know how to upsell anyway.”

Ash watches as Donna walks away and approaches Steven.

“Why do you let her talk to you like that?”

“I mean, she’s my boss.”

“She’s a raging bitch.”

Steven chuckles.

Ash smiles at him and looks back.

Donna is still watching them.  Her eyes fall to his mouth watching as he sucks his lower lip in between his teeth.

“Steven?”

“Hmm?” He brings his coffee cup to his mouth.

“Can I kiss you?”

Steven nearly spits out his coffee. 

“Can you w-what?”

“Can I kiss you?” Her tone is gentle and inviting. 

“Why?” Is he being pranked? 

“Cause you’re smart, cute, and sweet and Donna’s a bitch, and I wanna prove her wrong.” She fixes the collar on his button-up shirt and his brain nearly short circuits.

He’s engulfed by her perfume now and her ruby red lips are so close. 

His eyes widen. She thinks he’s cute? And smart? And sweet? And she wants to stick it to his boss? By kissing him? Is she real?

“So,” She rests her elbows on the desk. “Can I?”

“Y-Yes. Absolutely.” Steven nods so quickly his head might fall off his shoulders.

She smiles before leaning over.

She takes his face in his hands and he can see Donna freeze out of the corner of his eye.

He follows Ash’s lead as she kisses him full on the mouth. He wonders if he’s dreaming but part of him doesn’t really care. If he could dream like this all the time, he’d love going to sleep.

It’s a sweet, chaste kiss that all the novels in the world couldn’t have prepared him for. The real thing is so much better.

Her lips are soft and warm and he nearly topples forward from how dizzying it all feels. 

She pulls back, smiling.

He opens his eyes, dazed.

He peeks over her shoulder to see Donna standing with her mouth open.

He snickers.

Ash looks behind her and grins devilishly.

She sighs happily turning her attention back to him. He’s hanging on her every word.

“I should go. But god, you’re so cute.”

That’s it. He must be dreaming. He can feel the flush burning his cheeks as he smiles from ear to ear. He doesn’t know what to say.

She’s still smiling. 

“I’ll see you around, yeah?” Her eyebrows wiggle. 

“Definitely.” He nods, dazed.

“Bye, for now, Steven with a V.” She holds up her pointer and middle finger making a V.

“Bye, Miss Devi—er—Doctor. Aishwarya.” He gives her a little wave.

Steven sighs dreamily as she walks away. Yes, Wednesdays are his favorite.

[edgewoodacademy]

Jacques Maniani

Model

Ethnicity:French-Albanian

Gender:Male

Sexuality:Pansexual

Skin/Race:The Unseen/Human(?)

Height:5'10

Age:23

Occupation:Student

Image Songs:1.Silhouette by Gjon's Tears(2.

Character Tropes:(Unknown)

Outfits:

[aggerhyldgaard80]

The right way to Win Pals And Influence Folks with Albanian Music 2024

Mero, Armand; Agolli, Ilirian; Sulo, Pëllumb (27 November 2019). "Albania Loss of life Toll Rises to 30 as State of Emergency Declared". Mero, Armand; Agolli, Ilirian (27 November 2019). "Strongest Quake in Decades Kills a minimum of 25 in Albania". Good, Richard (30 November 2019). "Plea to help Albanian earthquake survivors as Durres search resumes". Robinson, Jack (26 November 2019). "Day of mourning declared as two Kosovars amongst earthquake victims". Bami, Xhorxhina (29 November 2019). "Sheltered from Conflict by Albania, Kosovars Return Favour". International Federation of Red Cross and Crimson Crescent Societies (27 November 2019). "Data Bulletin" (PDF). Koleka, Benet (28 November 2019). "Rescuers keep working in Albanian city as dying toll hits 40". Euronews.

Mortimer, Caroline (28 November 2019). "Kosovan president caught up in aftershock when visiting Albanian earthquake victims". Kostreci, Keida (2 December 2019). "Albania Seeks International Help for Earthquake Recovery". Kostreci, Keida (30 November 2019). "Albania Search, Rescue Operation For Earthquake Survivors Ends". Ekmekçiu, Rezart (27 November 2019). "Komuna e Malishevës ngre shtab koordinues për ndihmat drejt Shqipërisë" (in Albanian). Krasniqi, Jeta (28 November 2019). "Kosovo's Heart Bleeds for Albania's Suffering". Muldoon, Padraig (30 March 2019). "Each day Digest: Jonida Maliqi performs stripped again "Ktheju tokës" and Tamta talks Eurovision outfits". raisinghopeyouthcenter.com , A. (28 November 2019). "Të dhëhat deri tani: 42 të vdekur, 45 të nxjerrë gjallë e 750 të plagosur" (in Albanian).

Semini, Llazar (28 November 2019). "Hopes fade for any extra survivors in Albania quake; 40 lifeless". Jamieson, Alastair (28 November 2019). "Albanians sleeping in vehicles at roadside to stay protected after deadly quake". Koleka, Benet (four December 2019). "Albania says rebuilding after quake won't hit different spending priorities". Erebara, Gjergj (16 December 2019). "Albania PM Requests Extension of Publish-Quake Emergency Powers". He later grew to become standard within the Albanian-talking territories and released "Want U Now" additionally in Kosovo and Albania. Between the mid-14th and the late 15th centuries, most of trendy-day Albania was dominated by Albanian principalities, when the Albanian principalities fell to the rapid invasion of the Ottoman Empire.

[mariacallous]

Neo-Nazi and other extreme-right groups in the Balkans are holding their own and recruiting new members even though mainstream politics has shifted to the right, BIRN has found.

As elsewhere in the world, major right-of-centre parties have been adopting policies advocated by their rivals further to the right in order to peel away voter support for them.

In the politics of six non-EU Balkan states, this has largely meant more strident nationalist and anti-immigrant electioneering and voices within parliament, and more social conservatism, at the expense for example of measures to protect minorities such as gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender people.

But out on the far-right fringes, extremists are still trying to attract people to a range of beliefs such as ethnically pure states that grab territory from neighbours, anti-Semitism, the acceptance of violence, reverence for war criminals from the 1940s and 1990s, or unconditional allegiance to the nation, the leader or God.

To put the spotlight on such groups, the Balkan Investigative Reporting Network (BIRN) has published a new database looking into extreme-right groups in Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia. Many potential groups were considered but using strict criteria, demonstrably extreme-right outfits were found only in three of the states.

“The rise of grassroots far-right extremism in the Balkans has been a notable phenomenon in recent years, as fringe ideologies have increasingly gained mainstream attention and support,” concludes a methodology report accompanying the new project.

“Activists and organisations on the extreme right may pose a threat to democratic values and to an already weak social cohesion in the region.”

Broad range of groups

These organisations are ultra-nationalist and authoritarian to the extent that they have little regard for a country’s constitutional order or democracy. They are at the far end of the far-right spectrum. Groups officially designated as extreme-right can, for example, be banned in Germany as a threat to democracy, whereas merely radical-right ones cannot.

Seventeen organisations are included on BIRN’s list from Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia, a snapshot taken in autumn 2023. Just before publication ethnic tensions were escalating in Kosovo leading to four deaths, and a rift was deepening between pro- and anti-Serbian parties in Montenegro.

The groups range from the neo-Nazi Bosnian Movement of National Pride (BPNP) to Serbia’s religion-focused and ultranationalist Obraz Saint Sava Alliance.

Some seem to keep themselves to themselves like the apparently small and largely anonymous Albanian group Brerore, but a worrying trend has been the growth of malign influence from outside the region.

Serbia’s Zentropa is the local arm of a far-right network spanning various European countries, from Ukraine to France.

Bosnia’s Grey Wolves are an offshoot of an ultranationalist Turkish group active in several countries and banned in France. It sees Bosnia as part of the “Turkish World”.

In Serbia and beyond, some extreme-right groups idolise Russia, seeing it as the great Slavic saviour which is championing opposition to the decadent West. They revere President Vladimir Putin, who has been accused by some of trying to interfere in politics in the region, and support his invasion of Ukraine.

Unsurprisingly, other extremist Balkan groups hostile to Serbs have in turn voiced strong support for Kyiv.

Many Balkan extremists dream of an ethnically pure nation such as a Greater Serbia or Greater Albania that would mean taking territory from their neighbours.

Unsurprisingly for a region whose recent history has been marked by ethnic conflict, it is highly nationalistic views and hatred towards the group next door that characterise many of the extreme-right groups here.

In several cases, religious differences are a key element.

Also unsurprising perhaps is the fact that many groups were overwhelmingly male and some had strongly patriarchal and at times misogynistic views, opposing abortion and openly targeting women, such as prominent actresses, journalists, activists or politicians.

Passing the extremism test

BIRN engaged two academics who are experts on the region’s far-right scene to develop a comprehensive methodology for researchers to determine if a group could be proven to be extreme-right and thus eligible to be included on the list.

The threshold for evidence is high. Groups must have made a public display of the core extremist traits of authoritarianism and nativism (ethnic chauvinism that demonises a perceived enemy) and at least one other, such as being anti-Muslim, anti-Roma or supporting vigilantism or a desire to deny historical facts that don’t suit a specific world view (revisionism), or railing against the perceived decadence of modern Western society.

They had to be an organisation, rather than just one person, and to have been visibly extremist within the last four years, since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, itself a catalyst for a proliferation of conspiracy theories and misinformation by the extreme right.

An earlier version of this project was published a year ago, tracking not just the extreme right but the broader far right as a whole.

After several complaints from people named in it, BIRN decided to withdraw that map and launch an independent review, which has led to this new database.

The new list ensures readers do not confuse extreme-right groups with those who are on the broader far-right or simply use far-right narratives but not deemed to be essentially anti-democratic.

However, extreme rhetoric – such as historical revisionism, genocide denial and demographic purity – is used more widely by other organisations not considered extreme right. In fragile post-conflict societies such language can serve to incite violence and the new map captures only a fragment of society where such narratives thrive.

Clubs, coffee shops and gyms – today’s recruiting grounds

Researchers for the project found that rightwing extremists were being innovative in the forums they used to try and recruit people to their cause.

Some used social or cultural clubs (like Belgrade’s 451 club), some – such as Serbia’s Levijatan – promote themselves as animal-rights activists, while actually targeting Roma and refugees, and others highlight environmentalism or humanitarian welfare work, while pushing a far-right message.

“Extreme-right gateways can be found in various and perhaps unexpected cultural spaces, such as ‘right’ coffee shops, folk, pop and rock music scenes, clothing brands, and sports and fitness clubs,” the experts wrote in their methodology report for BIRN.

Schools and universities, social media platforms, clubs, soccer stadiums or other places and spaces can all serve as gateways to extremism.

Football fan groups and bikers are also a favourite target for far-right activists.

However, to be on the list, any groups in these areas have to be rightwing extremists first and foremost.

A huge amount of propaganda and recruiting effort is these days online of course, and far-right groups are skilled at using social media tools, like the catchy cultural items known as memes, such as images, videos and GIFs, that can spread virally.

According to the experts, memes, in particular, play a significant role in the far-right’s digital visual culture.

“Memes, often containing humour, violent and dehumanising rhetoric, serve as vehicles for legitimising political violence and evoking negative emotions that can fuel motivations for violent actions.”

In some countries like Kosovo, North Macedonia or Montenegro, no groups met all the conditions for inclusion. Some groups ticked some of the boxes, but none ticked them all clearly enough for this snapshot.

Some groups wear their extremism with pride and operate despite being banned.

But others are far more careful what they say in public, knowing that prosecutors or state security services are monitoring them and could push for them to be broken up.

Laws against rightwing and other forms of extremism vary across the region – as does the robustness, and even-handedness, with which they are enforced.

[castle-dominion]

Castle 6x21 law and boarder

the skateboard episode liveblog

Foggy Skateboard motorized bike Love a good chase scene, u'd never be able to run away on board tho. Construction work? wet concrete or smth?

Castle totally would have gone through every permutation. (there is only one combination.) If you brag like that I wouldn't care if you lose Alexis & beckett <3 (someone already giffed) Caslt mr word man would NOT lose to beckett tho, unless he just got really unlucky with his words.

Becks is so pretty! (I miss s1 beckett tho) RC: Sounds like a scene from an action movie. JE: Yeah. I know. Especially when the biker started shooting and Logan crashed through that window right there. Wow cool casts. He's a young man, 2-4am he'd totally be out that late.

Always a sus key, why around the neck tho? KANIE LOVE KANIE LOVE KANIE LOVE I LOVE THE GIRLS girling out for a sec there & I'm so happy. Oh. I forgot that this episode was the one with ryan & esposito fighting like that... Actually since watching this ep, my fam was in a situation like that. My older (trans) brother is my dad's best man. Esp since dad's last best man was probably hella catholic & hates dad now for leaving his wife. which valid.

"Congratulations lanie" Thanks! Also idk who castle picked I'm not a boy! You really think it's one of you two? rysposito argument. he HAS spent every day lol KR: Oh Javi, I’m the obvious choice. If you can’t see it I can’t explain it to you.

Cool wall at her place! Ah tsa crap. Ooh skateboard tools! No wonder tsa would hate him. I know ppl who went to china for martial arts training (the sifu was some sort of ambassador & made good relations b/w canada & china) & came back with weapons. on the plane. Performance items, we called them.

Oof. I mean yeah that's like being a skaster for ya. (I should pic outfits. I like ryan.) Becks knows bikes! KB: Oh. A reigning champion unable to cope with defeat. (she looks to CASTLE with intent) That sounds familiar.

Wow a fight.

Wow cameras! I wonder who did the filming! She owned a motorcycle! Extremely handsome with a high degree of difficulty.

Like his hat & outfit. & austin. & tampa.

it looks like what it is what it looks like. (Yeah that's the definition of looking like smth) "omg life & death" ok shut up.

Wow early intro this time huh "My associate Mr. Castle"

"You hear about Logan's death or the break-in?"

Your GUN? Tony hawk my beloved. *looking up a pic of him bc idk what he looks like-- I can SORT OF picture him but idk if that's him. studying a photo of tony hawk every night before bed so I never become one of Those People.)

You remember the words exactly or are you paraphrasing?

Love the way castle walks with the coffee. Ooh castle is pretty! lol dark web moments THE-- THE ALBANIAN MOB? Albania is actually rly pretty.

lol esopsito OH RYAN'S FACE

mountain dew lol. Wow another semi-cool hat. Bummed? Look at this party. Ross De Koning: The albanian killed him? RC: what albanian? Me, speaking as RDK: you know, the albanian guy who yelled at him or w/e happened, isn't that why you're asking about the mob? Why else would you find a link to albanian organized crime?

Oh wait no it was 5 or 6 years ago. My man sent this guy to prison... the mom got seven years? enver who theoretically got the mom into it got less time? ugh.

Ooh lighting in this room, nice wood looking good... Found the Lord! I like it. You were willing to pay it? really? Get momma released early? That's kind of him! I like Enver!

RYAN GAVE HIM THE RECIPE? SECRET FAMILY RECIPE!?!? (even jenny's lol) Awkward pat on the back. Could clip, esp that facial expression. (but if I did i'd also clip ryan's face when esposito walked away after giving the novelty pen.)

Skateboarding with a heavy thing? Poor guy. I remember cycling to school with my backpack, lunchbag, zipper binder, & violin all on my back. Yeah. yeah...

Won't clip castle's eyebrows. Beckett totally let him win. Ooh it's a turntable of a scrabble game. Ah quixotic, idealistic to the point of unrealistic. Hm, they played an entire game of this, set design & writers, I wonder if it is legit.

I love the mythical Bill. They always say goodbye to Bill on the phone. I want Bill fanart. & by one of us I mean you. Ah true, bachelor party planning would probably be better by esposito. Ah true, Ryan is the high moral standing-- WAIT HE JUST CALLED HIMSELF PRETTIER XD "Did she beat you at scrabble again?" "is stephen king winning at texas hold em again?" "did somebody find naked pictures of you again?" (well the 2nd wasn't ryan but) JE: *pat pat* KB: ?

Wait I never grabbed an outfit pic! Noooo! Too late lol. Nice outfit today too but I think I've seen him wear it before & got a pic. Like how there was beckett's purple shirt that I saw in my clips when I was thinking about snapping a pic of it this ep-- turns out I got the shirt in a different ep already!

Ooh rock wall! I love climbing! Ooh maybe I should snap caskett's outfits. Oh. Good gravy. Lol there are easier ways to break in than lockpicks. Why go through the lock when you can just go through the door?

hi8? never heard of that. Hey becks is back to wearing that wierd beige thing...

That is why you never wear logos on your clothes.

Ah motorcross rider!

My man has adhd, motorcross performer? up in the middle of the night? jittering like that? yeah.

Ryan brought him a coffee sdjfoijsjjfkjlsdkjf *interrupts before castle can drink* *again* *almost again* *literally backs away* should I clip? no

that's where the 3k was from! He stayed inside? Why not escape with him? I mean yeah ask for a cut bro! *literally was criminaling right then*

Bacon brownies! "you had me at bacon" that was one of the last words he said bro. *lookingn ryan up & down like "you cockblocker" minus the cock* (actually new fic idea: ryan & esposito are trying to seduce Castle, & then at the end castle says "actually, I choose BECKETT!!" & the boys are like "well crap." & maybe it ends with "well now I have all this stuff for seducing men, whatever will I do with it?" & possibly *trying to impress eachother all along*) Ooh I can see names: sullivan-- WAIT SULLY'S STILL HERE! --& messer or w/e that one says (I saw it last ep too)

*cockblocking*

RC: Have you noticed anything odd about Me: ryan & esposito, yeah RC: ebosito & ryan Me: WHOM

OOoh love her hair! (Weird-nice. just sorry for you bc I beat you at scrabble.) My man looks like a baby. Or not I take it back.

HOO! I love ryan with a waistcoat that ties a bit tight on the lower back-- Mm! I'm gay but I'd be a lesbian for this man! (my 3d gender chess makes sense to me. except I suck at chess. I should post that.)

IDK TO CLIP BUT OH MY GOSH THIS. SCREAMING SCREAMING SCREAMING. CAN'T SAY WORDS. TOO MUCH TOO GOOD

when they were looking around I totally thought that they were going to suggest a dead body. bc then it is a third person not them & also it's funny bc homicide detectives. but No Way.

Poor gal, her son is dead... Ah yes, the good old days. Neighbourhood stuff. Six years-- didn't we hear that? Oh wait it was 5 or 6 years ago that ever want to jail

It's that neighbourhood? of course they don't care abt the death of the 12yo. Love a good old camcorder cassette. CSU would have noticed that

6 seconds is a lot! Toory unrealistic tech magic moments. makes my baby bro mad.

Why NOW? why running out of time?

Tommy Fulton: *immediately assumes they are accusing him of murder*

What plan? Brett Zaretsky: You can’t kick me out of here. This man’s my client. TF: Youre fired.

Cute, skateboard video! Love it! lol me & my brothers. Little bro rly good, better than me, I feel like crap. At least little bro isn't loud about it. Oh heck you watched the murder!? Holy crap! & that's why the cam was on the ground, u dropped it as soon as u saw the attack to go help.

was this in present time? WAIT THIS WAS BACK THEN? WHAT KID IN A BAD NEIGHBOURHOOD HAD 5 MIL TO SPARE LIKE A DROP IN THE BUCKET? oh at least it was smth he didn't actually have As A Kid.

DK logo! De Koning! I like how in the back some ppl were still partying for a minute there.

Brah

RC: And to think all of this happened because Ross couldn’t bear being second best. (pause) So. Are you ready for another rematch?

Man-chat? After all ryan & esposito are basically one person. Best of both worlds RC: Um … guys, I’m, uh– flattered & honoured– KR: You’re welcome. JE: Yeah, you should be. RC: He chose alexis! alkjsdfhljksdfhsdjadfkjhhfdjeyb I am love love love love I am so happy. They look almost mad in their shock (just like my brother. dad's best man. except he's not a girl. tho he is trans so idk.)

KR: I did not see that coming. JE: I can’t believe I gave him my pen. KR: I can’t believe I shared our family’s secret recipe. JE: I can’t believe we just got beat by a girl. KR holds out a finger. KR: Let’s never speak of this again. JE: Speak of what? (won't clip)

A midnight sing-along of Grease? a What?

Why did you do that?

Oh yeah they used to play poker, I remember when the captain & everyone was at his place & then they caught a murder late at night... Yeah that was fun.

Ooh heheh, look at these two. Love them sm She has a bra AND a watch left!

Could you play strip scrabble?

that was fun