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leupagus · 5 years ago

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Who’s your County Executive? and other steps to becoming a valuable pain in the ass

I fired off a tweet thread this morning, but I feel like a lot of folks here might benefit from this info, too. Which is: if you want anything to change, from police abolition to getting statues removed to passing local ordinances requiring masks to removing local legislation putting limits on abortion (just for some random examples), you need to get real familiar with your local reps. As in, you need to know who they are, what they do, how they’re elected/appointed, how long they’ve been doing that job, what their history is and how you can pressure them into doing what you want. Using hashtags and sharing links and signal boosting can only do so much. Talking to the people who are actually able to implement the change you want is a huge part that I don’t think gets discussed enough; and although it requires some preliminary work, once you get into the groove it’s surprisingly easy.

First, find out where you live! Which you may think is a stupid step, but —do you live in a city? Are you sure? I live in a city, for example, but I actually live in a township/suburb of that city, not the city proper. (Fortunately due to what I suspect is some white flight-related weirdness, I can still hassle the city proper.) There are entire towns inside of some cities, like West Hollywood and Los Angeles. Double-check; you might be surprised.

Then, find out who’s in charge of said place. There are quite a few people, actually. You probably have a mayor — but they might be called a supervisor. Or you may have a city manager, or executive, or clerk, or all three, or someone else entirely, who’s actually doing the day-to-day running of the place — for instance, while Austin has a mayor, it also has a city manager, and the city manager does WAY more than the mayor does. You also have people at the county/parish level — a county executive is I think the most common term, although sometimes it’s the county clerk, who can have entirely different duties depending on the county. Whatever way it works where you live, find out. While you’re at it, find out who’s in charge of your local elections. Sometimes that’s the county clerk (actually I think it’s almost always the country clerk, but sometimes it’s the county auditor or something weird like that); sometimes they’re elected and sometimes they’re appointed. Find out. Get names, put their contact info in your phone. (More on that later.)

Then, find out who represents you on the city/town council and the county legislature, or whatever they’re called where you are. Finding out what district you’re in can sometimes be hellaciously frustrating; when in doubt, an email to the county or city council can often get you an answer if you provide your address. Also bear in mind that different places have different ways of apportioning council members; sometimes they’re all “at large,” sometimes they’re elected according to districts, sometimes it’s a combination of both. Sometimes (not often I don’t think) they’re not elected at all but appointed by someone. Find out who! And don’t leave out things like school boards and zoning boards and community college boards and anything else you happen upon that has a representative you didn’t know existed. They exist, and I guarantee they’ve got power.

Note: find out who represents you state-wide, too. Often calling the governor isn’t that effective (at least for me, calling Cuomo ain’t gonna do much; if you live in Delaware or Montana or Iowa or somewhere relatively less populous, definitely get your governor’s information), but your state reps are usually pretty eager to talk to constituents, even — and this is really important these days — ones who aren’t of the same party. I’m represented by a GOP state senator, for example, but he ended up voting for this bill that just got signed into law. Most states are bicameral (except Nebraska, heyooo), so you likely have a state senator and a state rep/assemblyman/whatever. Make sure to get info for both. (Unless you live in Nebraska, in which case tell Ernie I said hi.)

Next, find out what the court system looks like where you are. Are your state/county/district/etc judges appointed? Elected? What are their terms? Who’s your District Attorney? Who’s in charge of your Public Defender’s office? (I actually haven’t bothered to look up that myself until today!) What courts handle which offenses in your area? Collect that information.

And what do you do with this info? You put it into your phone contacts, or whatever you use to keep your contacts organized, I dunno, maybe you still use your Wizard from 1992. No judgement. However you do it, put all of these contacts somewhere they’re all together — for example, if you have a letter in your directory that isn’t used much. I have a kind of weird method of organizing my contacts, which is that I put their first and last names (and their handles, if I know them online) in the Firstname field, then the Lastname field I use to say how I know them. So all of my New York-based friends are listed as “NYC, Holly Golightly/moonrivergoddess” or whatever. So for me personally, I just put all my political contacts under “Y” as in “Y do I have to keep pestering you to make you do the right thing.” So a county clerk would be listed like so:

Y, County Clerk Horace Vandergelder

In the “Company” field, I usually put their party and when/if they’re up for election next as well as term length, so Horace would be “Dem, 2020/2024.″ And then I might add any links I thought were helpful as well as notes about, say, what staffer I may’ve talked to or if there’s an important bill coming up etc.

And now you’ve got that information, it’s time to fuckin’ use it. Was there a protest that happened in your area that ended in arrests or violence? Call your mayor, register your displeasure. Call your DA, ask if anyone’s being charged. Call your city council member, ask them what legislation they’d support to end police violence. What do you know that you want them to know? Alternatively, was there a protest in your area that was really great and positive? Call these people; ask if they attended. If they did, offer support for them and say that you want them to follow up with actionable steps. If they didn’t, ask why. (BTW, it’s election season — look at the candidates, too! That state senator I mentioned earlier is retiring this year, and a pretty awesome Democrat is in a good position to get his seat; I’ve started volunteering for him in part because he’s got a history of agitating for police reform and has been regularly attending the protests here.) You can email, too; you’re welcome to c&p form emails, but once you have all these people’s contact info at your fingertips you’d be amazed how easy it’ll be to write something from you, that will be far more effective.

It’s also important to keep a record for yourself of who you’ve talked to, when you talked to them, what they said, if you want to follow up etc. I’ve got a little section of my planner for this; it has dates, names, topics, the works. It’s been really helpful to me over the past few weeks making sure I’m exerting pressure to a variety of people in a variety of positions, not just repeatedly calling one office and leaving the same message over and over again.

But if you really want to, as I put it on twitter, tighten the sphincter of local government, nothing beats face-to-face (or, these days, facetime-to-facetime). And here you’ve got a shitton of options. You can see if a particular politician/government office is taking virtual one-on-one meetings, where you can lobby either your politician or (more likely) one of their staffers to support legislation or policies or whatnot. This is, and I cannot stress it enough, HUGELY EFFECTIVE, especially if you are a demo they don’t often see (aka if you’re not a white Boomer). Local politicians are both desperate for and terrified of an engaged constituency; they want you to care but they’re very much aware that anyone showing up to an office (or a zoom meeting) could make their lives very, very difficult.

If one-on-one isn’t your style, there are also committee meetings, which... holy shit, you would not believe the number of committees there are. Committees for art festivals, committees for transportation, committees for public safety, committees for pretty much everything you can think of and a few I’ll bet you can’t. Noodle around on your councils’ and county’s websites, including their facebook page (nine times out of ten there will be more — and more up-to-date — info on the facebook page) to find out what committees meet when. And here is where your specific priorities will be important, because usually you can attend and in some cases even become part of these committees. Do you want to advocate for better public transportation? Find out when the transportation committee meets. Go to that meeting. If they have a Q&A, get some fuckin’ Qs ready and demand some fuckin’ As.

And then there’s the big kahunas of council meetings and state legislature sessions. Most city/town councils have a segment of their weekly/monthly meetings to hear from the public (this is different from a public hearing, FYI, although they too are really important and you should find out if there are any going on where you live and when). Do you have something you want to get in front of the whole council? Get your ass on the list! In Austin I think you had to call or email the council’s office by the day before; in my town you just roll up and get in line when it comes time. Then for state legislatures, often there will be specific bills on which they ask for “citizen input” or however else they describe it. This is less practical because we don’t all live in easy distance of our state capital, but if you do, consider getting involved there. (And right now with the pandemic, your state legislatures may have new rules about citizen participation that actually make it easier for you to get involved, for once.)

Mostly, though, this is about local involvement — find out who’s in control of your city, your county, your precinct and district and all the other ways your home is demarcated. Talk to these people, even if it makes you nervous; their power to make effective change comes with their responsibility to listen, and your power to make them listen comes with your responsibility to speak.

#you want your city to follow in camden and minneapolis's footsteps?#then CALL THEM UP #protesting sometimes works #advocating sometimes works #if you are only doing one of them that's fine #but doing both is more effective #and if what you want is change then you will want to be at your most effective #ergo this post #politics!

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sailor-muno · 4 years ago

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Hi and welcome to my new series called: Mixing D&D with the Black Clover Universe

In this series I will be taking elements, mechanics, and other random things that I like from D&D and figure out how these things could work/be implemented into the Black Clover world. With that being said please add on your own thoughts and ideas to this topic because I want more stuff to think about. Also do not be afraid to suggest a D&D concept to me because it’s all valid here. With that being said let’s get started!

The topic: Classes - The Bard

“Words and music are not just vibrations of air, but vocalizations with power all their own....They say that the multiverse was spoken into existence, that the words of the gods gave it shape, and that echoes of these primordial Words of Creation still resound throughout the cosmos.” - D&D Players Handbook

Section 1: What is a bard?

Typically, we think of bards as magical musicians, but that’s only a narrow wedge of what a bard can be. Bards are experts, performers, and craftsmen, worldly travelers who can win the day with a smile and a careful selection of words where bladed steel cannot. Their spells lean toward charms and illusions rather than blatantly destructive spells. With a wide-range of knowledge in many subjects and a natural aptitude that lets them do almost anything well, Bards become masters of the talents they set their minds to perfecting, from musical performance to esoteric knowledge.

However, not every minstrel singing in a tavern or jester cavorting in a royal court is a bard. Discovering the magic hidden in music requires hard study and some measure of natural talent that most troubadours and jongleurs lack. It can be hard to spot the difference between these performers and true bards, though. A bard's life is spent wandering across the land gathering lore, telling stories, and living on the gratitude of audiences, much like any other entertainer. But a depth of knowledge, a level of musical skill, and a touch of magic set bards apart from their fellows.

Only rarely do bards settle in one place for long, and their natural desire to travel—to find new tales to tell, new skills to learn, and new discoveries beyond the horizon—makes an adventuring career a natural calling. Every adventure is an opportunity to learn, practice a variety of skills, enter long-forgotten tombs, discover lost works of magic, decipher old tomes, travel to strange places, or encounter exotic creatures. Bards love to accompany heroes to witness their deeds firsthand. A bard who can tell an awe-inspiring story from personal experience earns renown among other bards. Indeed, after telling so many stories about heroes accomplishing mighty deeds, many bards take these themes to heart and assume heroic roles themselves.

Cassiea - OlchaS

The Bard class takes inspiration from the Norse skald, the warrior-poets and historians of Scandinavia; the Celtic bard, honored storytellers who reportedly followed heroes into battle to retell their deeds and also acted as neutral diplomats; and the southern European minstrel, musicians who entertained royalty.

In medieval Ireland, the bard was a highly respected profession of poets, storytellers and historians. Bards trained for many years, and held the important role of learning and retelling history in memorable poetic form, in a time before reading and writing were commonplace. By some reports, the bards held the highest social caste in society, and it was taboo to refuse them any request; one even asked for the king's brooch, who was forced to comply, though the brooch was later returned.

When it comes to Bards in Black Clover I would see them as pretty much the same thing. Historians who have a passion for stories and knowledge. They’re the documenters of all knowledge that isn’t related to spellcasting (think grimoires, making magic items, anything Julius would be interested in, etc.). This means that they are in charge of taking care of documenting things like the history of the kingdom, popular folktales and songs, news articles and basically anything else that one would consider to be a historical resource. They are the lore keepers of the kingdom and as such they often have a large presence all about the Clover Kingdom and can be found in all social class districts.

“Anybody can make history. Only a great man can write it.” - Oscar Wilde

Section 2: Magic and the Bard’s College

When it comes to black clover and it’s magic system, we all know that the only way to cast spells of significant power is with a grimoire. This will never change and I will not change it within the context of adding classes to the world. However, with that being said I still believe that while we can’t change the core foundation of how a spell is learned and stored, we can change what the caster uses their magic for. When we think about classes in this context all of a sudden we no longer see them as a different way of casting magic but instead we see it more like a school. How we use our magic in this world is dependent upon our education, like fine-tuning a weapon a class takes your sword and sharpens it m into a fine point.

To go along those lines I now must address The issue of bards only being able to cast their magic with music. In the world of black clover instead believe that bards can cast magic in any way they see fit, as long as they are using their magic in an artistic way. This could be painting, cooking, singing, dancing, or any other artistic medium. when we put the class under these definitions there are actually quite a few characters in the show that could be considered Bards. Some of these characters include but are not limited to:

Kahono

Kiato

Puli Angel

Rill Boismortier

Marx Francois

Charmy Pappitson

Vanessa Enoteca

Kirsche Vermillion

Catherine

Samantha Kravitz

Elvira Aguirre

Damnatio Kira

David Swallow

Langris Vaude

Dorothy Unsworth

Dominante Code

these are just a few of the characters that I believe are bards. something interesting to know about this list though is that a lot of the characters on this list or female, more specifically they’re witches. well I cannot give a solid explanation for why this is I can give my own theory on it.

Witches have an innate ability forecasting artistic spells. Based off of what we’ve seen from most of the witches in the show a lot of their magic is based around the idea of Creation or illusion magic. With Elvira and Samantha both having a form of illusion magic that manipulates sound and sight. I like to think of their magic being like the Minor Illusion spell in D&D. Vanessa having threat magic and using it to make dolls and sew clothes is another bard like trait that helps fit this theory.

When it comes to bards in this world and their magic we often find that their magic in it of itself is very showy and performance like. While any magic can be interesting to see some mages are just gifted or taught how to use their magic in a way that is particularly showy or dramatic. For those who are not gifted with artistic magic, and struggle to teach themselves how to use their magic in a creative way there has to be a place where they can go to learn how. This is why we have the Bard’s College.

“What sculpture is to a block of marble, education is to the soul” - Joseph Addison

Section 3: The Bard’s College

The way of the bard is a gregarious one. Collecting songs and stories and sharing them with each other in an effort to spread knowledge. It is for this reason that the bards college was made, it is a place for bards to come together and share their finding and store them somewhere they can be taught to future generations. It also serves as a place of learning, teaching its students various mediums of art along with how to properly preserve and document history and record the world around them. While they may not be magical scholars, they certainly are the clover kingdoms finest anthropologists and non-magical historians to date. The college is also home to the biggest Historical Archives in the Clover Kingdom. These archives are treated very much like the Vatican Library and will be explored in the next section.

Now in D&D there are 8 different colleges a bard can attend (including the new Unearthed Arcana college because it’s cool): The College of Creation, The College of Eloquence, The College of Glamour, The College of Lore, The Collage of Spirits (UA), The College of Swords, The College of Valor, and The College of Whispers. Rather than putting all 7 college into the Black Clover Universe I have decided to take these 8 colleges and merge them together to make one college with 8 different “degree plans” one can take. This section will provide you with a generalized overviewed of each of the eight schools. If you wish to look more in depth at either of the colleges from a more mechanical viewpoint rather than a lore point I have provided links to each of the different colleges above.

Bard of Creation

Bards believe the cosmos is a work of art - the creation of the first dragons and gods. That creative work included harmonies that continue to resound through existence today, a power known as the Song of Creation. The Bards of Creation draw on that primeval song through their art as they try to spread the Song of Creation and its meaning to all life on the planet. Usually Bards in this Path either have a love for their art or an already artistic magic such as voice or painting magic. This path is one of the most difficult routes for a non-artistic mage to take on, but it isn’t impossible.

While studying under this practice most mages learn how to take non-magical items and infuse them with Mana to serve as a arcane focus for their spells. Taking their magic and concentrating it into a fine point that is easier to control and direct (think like Noelle and her wand.) along with this the Bards of Creation also put a heavy focus on Creation spells, helping their casters hone and fine tune their spells to perfection. Most Bards of Creation go on to either work in the noble realm as scribes for the nobility or become performers in small towns, collecting villagers stories and immortalizing them through their craft.

Some Characters that I believe are Bards of Craation would be:

Rill Boismortier

Dominante Code

Telian Springbreeze - College of Creation

Bard of Eloquence

Bards of Eloquence master the art of oratory. Persuasion is regarded as a high art, and a well-reasoned, well-spoken argument often proves more persuasive than facts. These bards wield a blend of logic and theatrical wordplay, winning over skeptics and detractors with logical arguments and plucking at heartstrings to appeal to the emotions of audiences.

Bards of the Spoken word most people in this group tend to be Debaters. Always looking to be the winner of an argument these bards are almost unparalleled when it comes to knowing what to say and when. Spending their time studying vocabulary and reading they learn to retain lots of memory and also learn how to regurgitate it properly for any situation. Most bards of this type often go on to become politicians or work for the Magic Parliament as a lawmaker and negotiator. They also end up becoming Royal Advisors in order to help with lawmaking.

Some Characters that I believe are Bards of Eloquence are:

Damnatio Kira

Marx Francois

Valorant Rose - College of Eloquence

Bard of Glamour

The Bards of Glamour are regarded with a mixture of awe and fear. Their performances are the stuff of legend. These bards are so eloquent that a speech or dance that one of them performs can cause captors to release the bard unharmed and can lull a furious dragon into complacency. The same magic that allows them to quell beasts can also bend minds. Bards of this college instead use this power to gladden the downtrodden and undermine oppressors. The can also use their magic to inspire their allies and keep them going through the worst of times.

Often times bards in this school are taught how to use their magic to captivate people and serve as support characters in a battle. Being able to draw on their mana as a source to take their art and use it as a method of passing their spell buffs to their allies these bards often times are found as support roles in their communities. A majority of them finish their training and then apply to join the magic knights, they’re often highly sought after to serve as combat support and occasionally as healers (though this is less common) .

Some Characters that I believe are Bards of Glamour are:

Kirsche Vermillion

Charmy Pappitson

Antigone LaRue - College of Glamour

Bard of Lore

Bards of Lore know something about most things, collecting bits of knowledge from sources as diverse as scholarly tomes and peasant tales. Whether singing folk ballads in taverns or collecting the stories of people at the old folks home, these bards use their gifts to hold audiences spellbound. When the applause dies down, the audience members might find themselves questioning everything they held to be true, from their faith in the priesthood of the local temple to their loyalty to the king.

The loyalty of these bards lies in the pursuit of beauty and truth, not in fealty to a monarch or following the tenets of a deity. The Bards of Lore are the protectors of the archives, serving as it’s curators and guardians. As this is such, a majority of the Bards of Lore prefer to stay with the archives and study rather than leave out for adventure. However some bards do go out and these aren’t the ones that spend their time looking for stories to add to the vast collection of tales in the archive already.

Some characters that I believe to be Bards of Lore are:

Samantha Kravitz

Elvira Aguirre

Bonezo the Undead - College of Lore

Bard of Spirits

Stories of the past are powerful; they hold lessons of history, philosophy, and magic. Bards of Spirits seek the stories of those from beyond the material plane. Using seances and rituals, they reach out to hear their stories, but the bards have no control over what story they find. These bards are closely tied to otherworldly powers often being able to tap into the astral plane (dream dimension) and the threads of fate themselves. Some speak to the dead while others become oracles and masters of fate.

Bards in this school often end up training themselves to use their magic see into the other planes of reality. All bards in this college need to have a gift for the sight in order to join because their magic needs to be tied to the planes. Here they learn how to use their magic safely and correctly so as to avoid any dangers that come from speaking with things outside of the material plane. Most of these bards go on to become oracles or fates. Traveling the countryside easing the pain of lost souls and misguided individuals.

Some characters that I believe to be Bards of Spirits are:

Dorothy Unsworth

Vanessa Enoteca

Tristan - College of Spirits

Bard of Swords

Bards of Swords are called blades, and they entertain through daring feats of weapon prowess. Their talent with weapons inspires many blades to lead double lives. One blade might use a circus troupe as cover for nefarious deeds such as assassination, robbery, and blackmail. Other blades strike at the wicked, bringing justice to bear against the cruel and powerful.

Blades who abandon their lives as entertainers have often run into trouble that makes maintaining their secret activities impossible. A blade caught engaging in vigilante justice is too great a liability for most troupes. With their weapon skills and magic, these blades either take up work as performers or will join the magic knights in order to take their two lives and finally merge them together. Seen as skilled combatants and magic users these bards are not a force to be reckoned with.

Some characters that I believe to be Bards of Swords are:

Kiato

David Swallow

Sierra - College of Swords

Bard of Valor

Bards of Valor are daring skalds whose tales keep alive the memory of the great heroes of the past, and thereby inspire a new generation of heroes. These bards gather in mead halls or around great bonfires to sing the deeds of the mighty, both past and present. They travel the land to witness great events firsthand and to ensure that the memory of those events doesn't pass from the world. With their songs, they inspire others to reach the same heights of accomplishment as the heroes of old.

These bards are taught the stories of dead heroes and in turn a lot of them end up going on to write music about them or use their stories as inspiration for their magic. Often using their knowledge to help inspire their friends in combat and bring hope in bleak battlefields. A majority of the Bards of Valor go on to join the magic knights in hopes of finding their own hero to write and tell stories about. Seeing this as their shot at becoming Chaucer or Geoffrey of the world (Chaucer wrote A Knights Tale and Geoffrey wrote the stories of King Arthur)

Some characters that I believe to be Bards of Valor are:

Kahono

Puli Angel

Hype - College of Valor

Bard of Whispers

Most folk are happy to welcome a bard into their midst. Bards of Whispers use this to their advantage. They appear to be like any other bard, sharing news, singing songs, and telling tales to the audiences they gather. In truth, the College of Whispers teaches its students that they are wolves among sheep. These bards use their knowledge and magic to uncover secrets and turn them against others through extortion and threats in order to seek out justice.

Many other bards hate the Bards of Whispers, viewing it as a parasite that uses the bards’ reputation to acquire wealth and power. For this reason, these bards rarely reveal their true nature unless they must. They typically claim to follow some other school, or keep their true nature secret in order to better infiltrate and exploit royal courts and other settings of power. However they can also use their powers for good, often times bards of this school can use their power to help bring justice and equality to a flawed system or to bring justice to those the law cannot touch.

Some characters that I believe to be Bards of Whisper are:

Catherine

Langris Vaude

Ichiro - College of Whispers

“Stories have to be told or they die, and when they die, we can’t remember who we are or why we’re here.” - Sue Monk Kidd

Section 4: The Archives

Miles upon Miles of shelves full of nothing but books and thousands of feet dedicated to this one library located deep below the college. Centuries worth of national history folklore legends no one‘s heard hundreds of years live buried beneath the dirt and cobwebs of this dank and mystic labyrinth of books. These are in the royal Archives. most people don’t even know this place exist however, the bards and nobles of the kingdom are very aware of its existence... and of it’s secrecy.

Now you may be thinking “Hey this sounds just like the Vatican library“ but unlike the Vatican library, the archives are open to anyone wishing to seek knowledge. The only reason a lot of people don’t know about it is because no one really cares to ask. If we’re being real here, a majority of the books in that archive are really just diaries written by old people that are really hard to read because they’re either in a different language or they just have poor spelling because people back then were illiterate. However some of the stuff within the walls of the archive it’s rather interesting. Ancient maps leading to long-lost treasures, legends that have faded and been forgotten with time, stories of war love and loss.

It is within these walls that we find that only the country‘s history but it’s very soul. We find the story of our people hidden deep within these tombs of books. Well it is very rare for somebody that isn’t a barred to visit the archives if one is really out seeking knowledge the archive is open to them. I would like to believe that Gauche and Gordon have both visited the library at least once right after the seabed temple arc.

The grounds of the archives are guarded heavily by the bards of the college. Not only are they guarded but they are also highly protective of the knowledge there. One of the worst things that could possibly happen is the destruction of the archives. It would be on the same level as the burning of the library of Alexandria. It is for this reason that anyone wishing to enter the archives must first pass a test of character. If you are perceived as a threat you will be turned away from the archives but not banned, nobody should ever be denied access to knowledge.

“A society that has no respect, no regard for its bards, its historians, its storytellers, is a society in steep decline, a society that has lost its very soul and my never find its way.” - Laurence Overmire

Section 5: Conclusion

I’ll keep this section short and sweet because it’s been a long read and I just wanna give my thoughts. Honestly I thought that Rill and Kahono had such a unique style of magic that it almost felt like a crime to give us a taste of bard magic without making it something that was common. Plus I felt the clover kingdom needed historians to archive their history so I felt that this was a fun thing to put together to solve both problems!! I hope you enjoyed it! Please feel free to add your own thoughts and contributions to this post because I really wanna hear them!

#black clover #bard #seriously tho this was so much fun to write I’m sorry it’s so long I couldn’t help myself #I think I wanna go into monks next time #I was originally gonna say grey was a bard but she doesn’t have the charisma to do it. she’s more of a Druid anyways

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malecsecretsanta · 5 years ago

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Merry Christmas, cakelanguage!

For @cakelanguage. I hope this is fluffy enough with everything you wanted and that you love it!

Read On AO3

*****

A love like us comes with the brightest of halos

Every year like clockwork Alec would find on his desk sat under his morning cup of coffee the official invitation to the Clave Christmas party. It was always specially embossed with his name and title in silver ink on the envelope as though hoping that for once he would make an appearance to show that he was supporting the Clave’s most recent attempts to try and sort out the relationship between Downworlders and Shadowhunters which had been Alec’s biggest project since he had made the move the Alicante.

But the first year that he had seen that envelope what had stood out the most to him was how incomplete his name looked since it seemed to have been reverted to his name pre his and Magnus’ marriage back in New York which immediately had him narrowing his eyes. Though Magnus had claimed it didn’t bother him when he brought it up….not what the invitation was for because he had no intention of going, and that it was probably due to some bigoted HR member who either didn’t believe they were actually married or was part of that small portion of the Clave which still believed despite all his hard work that Shadowhunters should not be involved with Downworlders. Something that Alec was determined to fix.

That had since between corrected after he’d sent copies of their marriage certificates [both Clave approved and their official one sent to the New York office] to HR to Magnus’ amusement along with a letter explaining quite clearly that he and Magnus were married and he would appreciate being referred to as Inquisitor Lightwood-Bane from now on in an official capacity unless he stated otherwise. This had immediately resulted in a rather embarrassing letter of apology from the member of staff involved at the time which Magnus hadn’t been able to stop himself laughing at for at least a good month before burning it.

But every year when Alec saw the envelope there was always that knot in the pit of his stomach that he could never seemed to be rid of when it came to Clave approved functions. He had only been to a couple and that had been in his first year at Magnus’ insistence that he get to know some people he was working with so it would stop him from missing everyone he knew at the New York institute so much. He had tried but just because he had a higher title in the hierarchy now did not mean that it made him feel any more comfortable. True he had come out of his shell a little since he came, rather publicly, out of the closet but there was still the part of him that hated being the centre of attention out of some deeply engrained fear in his childhood that associated attention with punishment.

Not that he had had bad experiences at those events, he was well known after the battle of Alicante and his alliance with the Downworlders, but he always struggled with what to say and if Underhill, who had been transferred at his insistence as his assistant, hadn’t been there he probably would have resumed his usual role as the wall flower. It was just the way he had noticed every other person invited had brought their other halves leaving him feeling like he was missing a limb as was always the case when he had done something like that without Magnus.

But this year when he saw the letter, he bit his lip as he sunk into his chair and removed the coffee so he could look the invitation over when before he would have just thrown it into the trash without so much as a glance and told Andrew to send the organiser a thanks but no thanks RSVP.

With a sip of coffee, he leaned back into his chair and opened the envelope which revealed a magnolia card also embossed in silver writing completed with a fancy looking glittery border around the edge and angelic runes in each of the four corners. It was a standard invitation really, only made to look fancier and even though there was the increasing niggling to throw it out he instead settled for calling out to Andrew.

“Yes…. Alec?” Andrew asked, appearing through the doorway with his usual tablet and dressed in a higher than normal class suit which he knew by the way the other stood he was uncomfortable with but had worn to make Lorenzo happy much like Alec had in the beginning with him and Magnus.

It had taken Alec a while to insist when he took the role that Andrew did not need to call him Inquisitor Lightwood-Bane or sir when they were alone but every so often he would still slip up or take a while longer than necessary to address Alec like he was still trying to break the habit.

“Come in for a minute…I could do with asking you about something…” Alec said, watching Andrew step inside uncertainly before closing the door and sitting down on the otherwise of Alec’s desk.

“Sure, what’s up? It’s not about that meeting with the Seelie court is it? Meliorn has already tried to convince me for the fourth time that he is more than happy to speak to Jace instead of you if it’s an inconvenience.” Andrew sighed, though Alec knew as well as the other that as much as Jace would prefer to have an excuse to go the Seelie court Alec couldn’t let his parabatai act on his behalf this time.

“No, it’s not about that. But let me speak to Meliorn later, he really needs to just ask Jace out instead of coming up with excuses through me.” Alec said, Andrew nodding in agreement before putting his tablet upside down against the desk for the time being.

“So, what do you want to talk about?” Andrew asked, taking the invitation when it was offered to him.

“About this….I’m thinking of maybe going this year….schedule allowing…” Alec said, watching Andrew take a glance at the date before turning his attention back to the tablet holding all his memorable appointments in the run up to Christmas.

“I think you should be free that night and even if you weren’t, I would still encourage you to make your excuses and go. You’ve been getting fire messages every year asking why you haven’t gone so far, and I think this might be a last-ditch attempt before they give up.” Andrew said, flicking through his calendar until he found the right date.

“Ok, I was just wondering…. does that extend to you too?” Alec asked, Andrew scribbling a note on the right paper to remind him of the appointment before looking at Alec again.

“I think if you want to invite anyone else that is at your discretion but why not Magnus?” Andrew asked.

“I am going to ask if he wants to come but I just wanted to know if there was at least the chance that you and Lorenzo might be there in case things get awkward considering Magnus hasn’t come to any other events in the past.” Alec said.

“You mean in case things get rather anti-Downworlder? But yes, if you want us to, I’m sure I can twist Lorenzo’s arm to come…. you know how he loves those things. But he won’t be the only one, I mean Helen and Aline are sure to be invited since it is for Heads of institutes as well as inquisitors and I doubt they would want to miss it.” Andrew agreed, scribbling a note to himself in the border of the current day’s page to fire message his other half about the event.

“And hopefully if I speak to Meliorn about it he might use it as an excuse to ask Jace to come along as long as he can keep him under control.” Alec said wistfully but Andrew seemed to be able to tell that was not the important thing on his mind.

“Are you worried about asking Magnus, Alec? I mean he may ask why you didn’t ask him sooner but I’m sure he’ll understand why, and I can’t imagine him turning down the chance to go to a party.” Andrew said.

“It’s not Magnus I’m worried about…. it’s everyone else who’s not so pro- the new direction on Downworlders we are taking. I mean I’m sure you’ve seen enough of my mail to know that not everyone is supportive to the notion and the last thing I want is to put Magnus in that position. I know it’s taken him a long time to fully settle in Alicante and the last thing I want to do is disrupt that.” Alec said, fidgeting with his wedding ring uncertainly.

Though Magnus had maintained from their wedding day that he would go wherever Alec did after he was offered the job as Inquisitor Alec had been ready to throw the offer in the bin and just continue to live their days out at the New York Institute like he had always wanted. But when Magnus was offered the role of first ever High Warlock of Alicante too, he had known that wasn’t going to happen. With Lorenzo still the High Warlock of Brooklyn there had been little reason for them to stay and he had known how unhappy Magnus would be sticking around in New York without an official role to help people like he was so used to doing.

But it hadn’t been easy being the first High Warlock in the city of a country that was still trying to wrap its head around all the changes being implemented where Downworlders were concerned. And though Magnus had tried to hide it, Alec had known it was feeling like an up hill battle for his husband when the vast majority of his work was intertwined with the Clave and his office was right in the middle of the Hall of Accords. In the first week, each time Magnus had come home he would immediately wrap his arms around Alec tightly and take shaky breaths against Alec’s neck as though trying to remind himself of why he was so hellbent on doing this to begin with.

And though Magnus had managed to charm a few people there was still a pretty big anti-Downworlders offensive which made Alec even more certain that he needed other Downworlders in their lives to even out the balance for the sake of Magnus’ sanity. It had seen Helen and Aline visiting more than once a month if their institute was quiet enough to allow them and with Andrew working in Alicante Lorenzo seemed more inclined to drop in every so often even if the other warlock’s presence seemed to aggravate Magnus more than help but Alec knew he appreciated it. They had hosted Catarina, Madzie and Tessa a few times but the other warlocks seemed to feel the same unwelcoming atmosphere and were always more inclined to just say in Alec and Magnus’ apartment through out their visits instead of venturing out into Alicante itself.

All of this had been the reason why Alec tried to steer clear of putting him and Magnus in a position where they would receive that negativity and another reason why he had put the invitations in the trash in the past. But maybe now it was time for him to show those he worked with that he loved Magnus, that their approval of his marriage was not something he needed and they would just have to get used to it.

“I know how much you love and want to protect Magnus, Alec but I can assure you that he can more than take care of himself. He has had centuries of dealing with all the prejudice and bigotry of being a Downworlder and has grown a thick skin. But if there does come a point where he can’t take it I’m sure he knows that you will be in his corner to shield him from the blows and that probably means more to him than anything. Just ask him…if he says no then that’s fine but don’t deprive him of the opportunity to make the decision for himself.” Andrew said, setting the invitation back on the desk in Alec’s direction before getting up.

“I guess you’re right, thanks Andrew. For the moment don’t ask Lorenzo until I’ve spoken to Magnus, I’ll let you know tomorrow.” Alec said, offering the other a smile of thanks as he retreated towards the office door.

“Of course Alec, It’s what I’m here for. But you might want to down that coffee quick, you’re meeting with the Consul starts in fifteen minutes. “ Andrew said over his shoulder as he walked out to his desk to grab some papers that Alec had asked for.

It left Alec to scold his mouth as he downed the coffee in one and grabbed a file from the top of the pile on his desk before following Andrew out the door.

That night when Alec finally had managed to get away from the office later than he had intended due to an overly long meeting with Meliorn where he tried to steer the other to just talk to his brother honestly instead of coming up with excuses to be around the other which from the pricks of irritability from his parabatai rune made it obvious that Jace knew what he was doing and wasn’t impressed in the slightest. He had at least managed to speak to Meliorn about the original reason for the meeting so that was something, but it did mean that when he got home Magnus was already going about his nightly routine.

“There you are, I was beginning to wonder if I needed to portal you home or not…” Magnus hummed as Alec wrapped his arms around his waist in a hug and pressed a kiss on the side of his neck.

“Sorry, I had a meeting with Meliorn and you know how much of a talker he can be when Jace is the topic of conversation.” Alec sighed, Magnus turning around in his arms and capturing his lips in a kiss so deep that it had Alec’s knees nearly buckling.

“Hm, I know and as I’ve told him over and over again that using Clave business as a reason to be around him isn’t going to work forever. But I am trying not to meddle too much, if Jace still isn’t ready to be with someone else after Clary left then we need to give him time, of course telling Meliorn that is like talking to a brick wall on any given day.” Magnus said, their foreheads touching as he brushed his silver painted fingers against Alec’s cheek soothingly. “Now have you eaten. I have put some dinner aside for you which just needs warming up.”

“Not since Andrew pushed a sandwich and coffee in my hand between meetings,” Alec murmured tiredly as Magnus tutted and pecked a last kiss to his lips before leading him towards the kitchen table and once he was seated turned to heat up the food.

Alec watched Magnus from the table, the way his husband who had to be exhausted himself seemed more fixated on ignoring his need for sleep to look after him, with a smile. He took the drink he was offered with a kiss to Magnus’ hand that had Magnus rolling him eyes at him fondly before he turned to checking that the Chinese was heated enough.

Once the food and utensils were in front of him he expected Magnus to disappear to bed with a last comment about putting the plates in the dishwasher and checking the cats had food in their bowls before he came to bed. Instead Magnus seemed fixated on joining him and sat opposite him at the table with a cup of green tea, entwining Alec’s shin between his own under the table so they were still touching while Alec was eating.

“So how was your day? Anything interesting that I need to know about?” Alec asked, around a mouthful of food that reminded him of their last date night in Shanghai what felt like years ago.

“Not so bad, mostly just catching up with other High Warlocks and checking in to see if there is anything they need. But I wasn’t in the office long enough to exchange words with anyone who wants me kicked out of the city if that’s what you were asking…” Magnus said, raising an eyebrow at him over his drink.

“Sorry, I know you are more than capable of handling things yourself. I just can’t help but worry about you…. call it my prerogative as your husband. The last thing I want to hear is that something or someone is causing issues and I don’t know so can’t help.” Alec said softly his gaze rested on his food though knew by the way Magnus grazed his foot up his inner shin that he was forgiven

“And I love you for being so worried about me darling, but nothing is going to change if you have to come to my rescue everytime someone looks at me the wrong way. I promise if anything serious happens you will be the first to know though things have been getting better a bit at the time over the last four years and that’s all we can ask for.” Magnus soothed, as Alec toyed with his food a little.

“I suppose.” Alec murmured, downing a mouthful of sweet and sour pork.

“Anyway, aside from your marathon meeting with Meliorn anything interest happen with you? I heard rumours through the hall that you were in a meeting with the consul about something…” Magnus asked, taking a sip of his drink.

“Just the usual update on the Downworlder-Shadowhunter alliance progress. I don’t know why Jia keep insisting on updates when I would tell her if there was anything she needed to know.” Alec said, stirring his food around in the sauce a little longer.

“I’m sure she has her reasons. Though I have managed to sign up another couple of warlocks for the alliance on a couple of my visits. They will be in contact with you to formalise it in the next couple of days, they were a bit iffy about that but I did assure them that even though you are an Inquisitor you are still my husband.” Magnus said, getting a nod of agreement from Alec whose mouth was full.

“There was something else….” Alec said once his plate was empty and he could talk before Magnus could conjure his plates in the dishwasher and herd Alec to bed.

“Can’t it wait? You look like you’re ready to fall asleep before we get you to bed at this rate…” Magnus asked toying with the tea bag as Alec put a hand on his own.

“Not really, I need to give my answer soon, but I wanted to discuss it with you first.” Alec said, stifling a yawn that had Magnus giving him a pointed look though he continued regardless. “I got an invitation to the yearly Clave Christmas party this morning…”

“Oh, I didn’t know there was one. I mean you’ve never mentioned it before….” Magnus said, tangling their fingers together with the close to empty mug now rested forgotten between the elder’s forearms.

“Because I never wanted to go before. You know how I feel about unnecessary socialising….” Alec said pointedly which got a nod of acceptance from his husband.

“Yes I do, but that does make me wonder what makes you want to go this time?” Magnus asked, letting his fingertips linger over Alec’s wedding ring.

“I thought maybe you would want to come with me? I mean only if you want to. I know that being in a room with the entire higher hierarchy of the Clave from Consul to Head of Institutes can’t exactly be considered the most entertaining party but I have a feeling if I don’t go this time they might give up inviting me which given I’m head of trying to bridge the attitude regarding Downworlders is not a good look.” Alec said, knowing he was rambling by the way Magnus let got of his ring and brushed his fingers soothingly over Alec’s palm.

“Darling, if you want me to be there then I will be there, there’s no need to be so worried about convincing me.” Magnus said softly.

“I just want to make sure you won’t be uncomfortable with any unwanted attention if I’m pulled into work conversations. Besides Helen and Aline will be there and I’ve already asked Andrew if he and Lorenzo will come too.” Alec said.

“I promise I’ll spend my whole night with Lorenzo and Andrew and Aline and Helen if it makes you feel better but I highly doubt anyone would really want to try anything at a Christmas party with bosses everywhere.” Magnus said, untangling one hand from Alec’s to conjure the dirty dishes away before getting up and tugging Alec’s captured hand. “Now come on, let’s get you to bed before you fall asleep at the table.”

“What would I do without you Magnus….” Alec murmured sleepily as he pushed himself up from his chair and let Magnus lead him in the direction of their bedroom.

“I shudder to think my darling,” Magnus said softly, kissing Alec gently on the jaw he closed the door behind them with a sparkle of magic.

After mentioning the party to Magnus, it was like a weight which had unknowingly been sitting on Alec’s shoulders had been removed. It left him feeling more assured about the situation which seemed to become even more certain after Andrew assured him that Lorenzo was looking forward to it and that they had already received a kind of informal follow up from both Aline and Helen in case Alec had not yet made his decision. But the closer it came to the party the more the previously silenced anxiety seemed determined to make a reappearance which had him going over the arrangements for that night with Andrew at least once a day in the lead up to the night itself.

“Alec you’ve got to stop worrying….” Andrew said, after reassuring Alec for the fifth time the day before the party that everything was sorted, and everyone was coming. Something which seemed to have been kickstarted again by the fact that Jace had RSVPed in Isabelle’s place as the Head of the New York institute representative, so at least one of his siblings was still at the institute, with Meliorn bringing up the rear though the fact the newly crowned Seelie king was making an appearance seemed to make those higher up the food chain a little uneasy.

“I know, the amount of sleep I’ve lost over this thing is well into hours and Magnus is starting to get worried about me. I just want everything to be perfect.” Alec sighed, scribbling random runes on a draft copy of the newest Downworlder-Shadowhunter alliance bill that was going to get redrawn up anyway.

“And It will be, but you just need to focus on what you can control that night. There’s going to be other Downworlders there to stop the backlash, I’m going to be there In case you need me to step in though I have a feeling everyone will be more focused on impressing King Meliorn that everything else will just seem insignificant in comparison. You just need to enjoy your time with Magnus which I know has been on the lacking side for the past few months.” Andrew said pointedly.

And there was no denying how true that was. It had been months since he and Magnus had managed to have any kind of date night in their apartment let alone go out anywhere together. If It wasn’t due to Alec’s own late-night meetings with various Downworlders keeping him tied to his office, then it was Magnus being called in for emergencies every which way at a moment’s notice. They did try every so often to come up with something and set time aside but something would always cause it to fall through leaving them instead waiting up for the other at home and spending the half an hour together it to took them to eat once they walked in the door before turning in for the night.

All the hours he spent in his role as Inquisitor seemed to put those he had been so used to as the Head of the New York Institute to shame and left him feeling exhausted everytime that a day off was called off or when their weekends were interrupted one way or another.

All of that was the reason he was so hell bent on making that night so perfect. A night that would give them some time to themselves, something to remember when they were chained back to their desks before the Christmas holiday started and they would find themselves pulled this way and that to different places to be with family or friends. They would definitely have to make sure to put time aside for themselves, but he had a feeling that would not be possible until at least New year’s.

“Yeah and that’s why this needs to go well…. but I promise this is the last time I ask. I need to look into the accords archives for an audit of signed paperwork by the Seelie court for these years, can you get Sylvia to pull them out for me?" Alec asked, pushing a paper covered in the titles of all the relevant accords with their years beside them towards Andrew who nodded.

“Ok as long as you are sure. I’ll send the list to her now, it’s not an urgent request is it?” Andrew asked attaching the list to his tablet’s case with a click.

“No, but tell her I would like them before Christmas if possible, it’ll give me something to look over.” Alec said stretching in his chair, Andrew scribbling the comment at the top of the list with a nod.

“Anything else you need before I get on with the paperwork for the presentation at the Vampire conference next week?" Andrew asked, though his attention seemed to dwindle at the sound of someone clearing their throat pointedly from the doorway.

“Lorenzo…nice of you to drop in. You hoping to take Andrew out for lunch?" Alec asked, offering the High Warlock of Brooklyn a smile when he appeared into view.

“Only if that’s ok with you Alec…” Andrew interrupted before his other half tried to bully his boss into him taking the rest of the afternoon off and casting the warlock a look of warning when he opened his mouth.

“Of course. Once you’ve sent that list you’re free to go for the next hour….I think I have an appointment with a Clan leader from Hanoi next which will keep me fairly busy while you’re gone.” Alec said, getting a wink of thanks from Lorenzo even as Andrew herded him outside and closed the door behind them.

It left Alec to turn his attention to the makeshift lunch which had appeared in a shower of blue sparkles earlier that day like Magnus knew his mind would be on anything but food that day and he hadn’t yet had the chance to touch yet. It gave him something else to focus on until the clan leader arrived and had him looking forwarded to the next night when he would finally get the chance to spend some quality time with his own Warlock for once.

The night of the party had finally arrived, and Alec had managed to get away relatively early with Andrew practically shoving him out the door before someone could try to get his attention and leave him running late. It left him now trying to decide what to wear as he waited for Magnus to appear since his husband had promised he would get away early even if it meant that he had to be shoved through a portal by his own assistant.

Alec had just showered and managed to settle on a suit that Magnus had brought him not long after they moved to Alicante as a congratulations on the new job present but had not as of yet actually been seen the corridors of the Accords Hall, when he heard the sound of a portal appearing in their lounge and paused from doing the buttons of his shirt in their room to check that it was actually Magnus.

“Ah you’re already here Darling, I thought I might need to drag you away from your desk.” Magnus beamed, from where he was setting his bag aside.

“Well I’m sure if Andrew had not been the one to push me out the office that I would probably still be there.” Alec smiled, pecking a kiss to Magnus’ lips as he passed him on the way to their room.

Soon the room was filled with the sound of music from the deep depths of Magnus’ side of the closet as his husband set about the task of deciding on what to wear despite the fact he had assured Alec he had already decided, although Alec didn’t doubt for a moment that he had already changed his mind at least three times since that conversation. It left Alec to finish getting ready, settling for giving the matching tie a miss and trying in vain to tame his hair in the mirror on Magnus’ dresser. He had just added a belt to his pants and grabbed his shoes when Magnus appeared with an outfit on a hanger in his grasp on his way out the wardrobe and flashed him a wink before the bathroom door closed behind him.

More than used to Magnus’ process for getting ready for a night out Alec settled on retreating to the lounge and checking in with those members of their crowd that were coming in the meantime. Aline seemed to be ready and was waiting for Helen to decide on her outfit since she was talking to one of their subordinates at the LA Institute about a situation they were currently having, though Aline had said she had tried to take the phone off her wife at least three times to take over Helen had sent her a look leaving her banished to the lounge in their wing at Penhallow Manor in the meantime,

By comparison Andrew was still stuck at the office, though when Alec asked he claimed it was nothing that couldn’t be handled another day and that Alec should just focus on the party which Alec appreciated but it still made him feel a bit guilty that Andrew was left to pick up his mess instead of getting ready himself with Lorenzo just so he could have a good time which he undoubtedly deserved.

That then left him to check in with Jace, who though he was staying at the Lightwood family home in Idris had recently been to see the Herondale Ancestral Manor and while he had accepted his lineage still did not completely feel like a Herondale after so long of being a Lightwood. By comparison to Andrew and Aline, Jace seemed to be as much of a wreck as Alec was which seemed to be amplified by the feelings bleeding through their shared rune. Alec knew all of that was more to do with him going on an actual date with Meliorn for the first time in Shadowhunter public and what it actually meant.

Alec spent a while assuring Jace that he did not need to feel guilty about what happened to Clary, that the redhead would have wanted him to be happy more than anything and that he owed it to himself after all he had been through for him to at least give Meliorn a chance. He did not doubt that if given the chance to prove himself as a worthy partner instead of Jace writing him off that Meliorn would be just the kind of match that Jace needed to help ease the lingering feelings that still remained for Clary.

“But I mean he’s the King now Alec, the damned Seelie king! Why would he even want to be with me to begin with? I just don’t get it….” Jace rambled from the other side of the phone, Alec watching out the corner of his eye through the open doorway to their bedroom as Magnus appeared from the bathroom.

He was dressed to impress like always, though it was a little more toned down than back when they were still dating. A crimson silk shirt that was open from his collarbone to midway down his chest with the material shimmering each time he moved and add to that a pair of black tight jeans seemed painted on to his figure and Alec could barely stop himself from drooling as Magnus disappeared from view to his dresser to finish getting ready.

“Jace, whether he is the Seelie king or not makes no difference. I mean if I remember rightly, he made his intentions towards you quite clear back when you were sharing the alliance rune together. Sometimes those kinds of things build bonds that shouldn’t be ignored, and you never know being around him might do you some good.” Alec said, biting his lip as he made himself get up from the couch to look out the window to distract himself from Magnus while speaking to his parabatai.

“I don’t know Alec…” Jace sighed, and it was clear that he was getting cold feet almost as though he was sure that this one date could spell the rest of his life being a kept shadowhunter in the Seelie court and it was something that Alec had never thought Jace would think of. He had always been the one-night stand type right up until clary walked into his life and it seemed to have changed his whole perception of relationships.

“I don’t know what has made you so fixated on the future suddenly but try not to think of it like that. Just think of it as a date, a date doesn’t need to mean anything more than that and if by the end of the night you can see yourself seeing him again then you can worry about what it does or does not mean for the future.” Alec said, soothingly hearing Magnus humming softly from behind him causing him to turn around and see his husband sat on their couch tying his shoes.

“Yeah, I guess that can work, thanks Alec. I should probably get ready then, he wants to meet up before the party, but I’ll see you guys there.” Jace said, his tone sounding a lot more certain than before as though Alec had managed to lessen his fears.

“I’ll see you there, bye Jace.” Alec said, hanging up and sitting beside Magnus to put his own shoes on, pausing to press a kiss to Magnus’ jaw causing his husband to smile at him.

“Is he a bit nervous?” Magnus asked, getting up to put on the leather blazer that had been sat beside him on the couch and fill the pockets with the essentials he needed.

“He seemed to be jumping the gun a little, sure that if he went ahead with this date that it would mean him being Meliorn’ s consort tied to the Seelie court forever or something. I think I’ve managed to make him see sense since it’s really just a first date at this point, but I doubt that Meliorn would let him go so easily.” Alec said, putting his own phone and wallet in his blazer pockets once his shoes were on.

“Well Meliorn is a Seelie….I mean he is the Seelie king sure and while they are usually not exactly known for being the most monogamous I doubt that Meliorn would be throwing Jace out his bed at any point to be with anyone else, which is strange because I never really saw Jace as his type.” Magnus said thoughtfully with a shrug. “You ready to go now?”

“Might as well, though I’m sure we might be early it might give us a chance to catch up with a few old friends.” Alec smiled, resting a hand on the small of Magnus’ back as he pressed a kiss to the nape of his neck causing Magnus to melt against him and cast him a look.

“You know you can be very distracting…” Magnus sighed, though turned his head and caught Alec’s lips in a deep kiss that had Alec willing to just say to hell with the party and steer magnus back to their room to unpeel all the clothes from his husband’s body. As if seeming to read Alec’s thoughts Magnus reluctantly pulled away. “Um….I swear we can get to that later….”

“You promise?” Alec asked nuzzling Magnus’ neck as his husband started to conjure the portal to the venue of the party.

“Oh believe me darling, all I will be thinking about tonight is the things I am going to do to you once we get back here.” Magnus grinned, sliding his hand into Alec’s and leading him through the portal.

They found themselves standing in the corridor outside the accord hall which seemed to have been redecorated for the occasion with sparkling snow flakes which seemed to have been bewitched with magic to make sure they didn’t melt and strings of tinsel which were entangled with star shaped fairy lights along the walls to direct people to the correct door. Alec squeezed Magnus’ hand once the portal closed behind them and led the way towards the door which seemed to be acting as the main entrance as all others they passed were locked.

A member of the Gard was stood outside checking off the names of people that were coming and he looked the couple over.

“Inquisitor Lightwood-Bane and High Warlock Lightwood-Bane, please come on through.” He said after checking them off and moving aside to let them pass.

The room seemed to have been rearranged from the usual hall setting that Alec was so used to seeing it as. Instead of the multitude of antique hard wood desks and multiple uncomfortable benches which Alec had more than enough experience with there were multiple tables dotted around the room all dressed with white table cloths and miniature Christmas trees covered in fake snow with silver decorations hung among the branches in the centre of each table. A temporary bar had been erected by the head chair where Consul Penhallow sat during any meeting along with a couple of tables either side where Andrew and Lorenzo seemed to have already found their way and were ordering their drinks.

Alec let Magnus lead the way towards the bar and order for them both, his husband immediately starting to talk to Lorenzo about how things were in New York, seeming to settle Alec a little as he stood with one arm around Magnus’ waist while his other hand picked up his glass of wine. He was perfectly content to let Magnus do all the talking and just take in the atmosphere, looking in the direction of the door just in case any of their other friends appeared.

Soon enough Helen and Aline appeared, the couple chatting animatedly among themselves probably about the situation that was happening back in LA but it seemed that even with their thoughts stuck in LA they had still wanted to make the effort. Both were wearing elegant dresses in festive colours though he knew Aline had probably only done at her wife’s insistence since she had always been a tomboy as long as he had known her, to the point that it had been a miracle to get her into a dress for his and Magnus’ wedding.

The couple also moved towards the bar, greeting Alec and Magnus warmly and being introduced to Lorenzo and Andrew that neither had met before. And once they all had their drinks they moved together as a group towards the tables to see if there was one allocated specifically for them but when they saw that wasn’t the case instead grabbed one in the middle of the room.

Alec pulled out a seat for Magnus who rolled his eyes at the gesture but was more than well acquainted with his manners appearing when he was still feeling out of his depths and settled for resting a soothing hand on Alec’s thigh under the table once he was sat beside him. Aline and Helen were thankfully too engrossed in getting to know how Andrew and Lorenzo had met to notice the exchange, but Alec was sure Aline had noticed and would give him hell for it later.

The hall began to steadily fill with other Inquisitors appearing at the table to speak to Alec and either exchange pleasantries with Magnus if they hadn’t met him before or catch up on his work and express an interest in his next big project if they had. Other Heads of Institutes that Alec had met or at least been acquainted with back when he was the Head of the New York institute came to his table to catch up though there were quite a few new faces that only knew him as Inquisitor Lightwood-Bane who seemed to steer clear. Jia had appeared at some point but avoided their table probably preferring to speak to Aline somewhere less public meaning that they still were on rocky ground and made Alec glad that she didn’t try to put him in the middle.

Soon everyone was seated, but from the buzzing around them Alec knew they were waiting for Meliorn and by extension Jace to appear though they seemed to be cutting it fine making Alec wonder if they had decided to give the party a miss and do something less public instead. Although by the jittery feeling from his parabatai rune that didn’t seem to be the case meaning Meliorn had just wanted to be fashionably late since he knew people were expecting him.

“Why does everyone keep looking at the door? Are we expecting a special guest or something?” Aline asked when someone appeared with her second drink.

“You could say that…King Meliorn hasn’t exactly been very public since he was crowned.” Magnus shrugged, though the way Helen stiffened made it clear she didn’t know about the change in the throne.

“King Meliorn….when did that happen?” Helen asked, though before either Alec or Magnus could give her a reply there came a ripple through the crowd that caused them all to turn and look towards the doorway to see Meliorn appearing with Jace beside him, the blonde trying to ignore the attention but Alec knew it wasn’t easy.

“Whoa….Jace and Meliorn? When did that happen?” Aline asked, her gaze pinned on the couple as Meliorn led Jace towards the bar.

It’s a long story…. but whatever you do don’t stare. Jace is already pretty edgy about the whole thing, I think he wishes Meliorn had chosen some place less public for their first date.” Alec said, watching Meliorn try to reassure Jace by keeping his attention on him instead of on the crowd of his peers who were watching them.

“That is typical Meliorn though…” Helen sighed, taking another sip of her drink as she let her gaze linger over the newest member of royalty that she would have to speak to at some point or another.

Alec watched as Jace started to lead Meliorn towards their table only for a member of the Gard to stop them and gesture to a table that seemed to have been set up specially for Meliorn in an attempt to get on his good side. But after taking a glance at Jace, Meliorn declined the offer and rested a reassuring hand on Jace’s arm as he led the way to the table.

Once they were seated the food started to be served and it left them enough time to try and talk while they ate. Helen seemed to be the one who was determined to engage Meliorn in conversation about his new role but the other merely said to come and see him in Faerie at some point and he would gladly tell her everything before turning his attention back to Jace in a way that had his parabatai flushing as he tried to answer his question.

Alec and Andrew mostly ate letting their other halves fill the silence with conversation about potion ingredients they were lacking, fellow warlocks they had seen or not seen for a while and topics that they wanted to bring up at conferences. Every so often Alec with let his hand linger on Magnus’ thigh or catch his hand for a kiss to the back earning an adoring smile from his husband even as Lorenzo rolled his eyes and murmured something to Andrew about how whipped he was that had Magnus giving the other a look.

“Oh I don’t know Lorenzo, I seem to recall hearing rumours about how you loved to be whipped back in the 60’s unless I heard wrong of course…” Magnus quipped causing the other to flush minutely behind his Old Fashioned.

“Yes well….it was the sixties….i haven’t done that for quite a while…” Lorenzo said, at the enquiring look that Andrew sent in his direction.

“Oh I’ll bet…” Magnus murmured under his breath as Alec set his utensils on his empty plate. “Darling, could you get me another drink?”

“Of course, same again?” Alec asked, picking up Magnus’ glass as he got to his feet.

“Thank you love.” Magnus smiled, pecking a kiss to Alec’s cheek before he left the table in the direction of the bar.

He arrived at the bar to find Cody Nightshade from the Helsinki Institute and Mika Castel from the Auckland Institute chatting away with Christopher Makepeace from the Melbourne Institute, though the trio quickly veered off when they spotted Alec was there.

“Hi, my husband will have the same again thanks.” Alec said, with a smile at the bartender before turning to look at the three one of whom avoided his gaze like what they had been saying related to him. “Nightshade, Makepeace, Castel, it’s been a while since I’ve seen you all back in Idris.”

“Yes, well with everything being so busy at the moment that I was lucky to get away in the first place. A few too many nests have popped up around the country so we’re having to juggle each individual state since they don’t all have their own institutes.” Christopher said, while Nightshade seemed determined to not look at Alec at all.

“Is that the same with you Castel? I know that one institute covering multiple islands can be a bit hard to deal with.” Alec asked, Mika sipping his drink.

“Especially when that institute isn’t in the centre of the country as would make sense. By the time we manage to get down there or inform the Manila institute for back up the demon responsible has already killed the mundane or the nest itself has been moved on from the last recorded spot. Maybe if we had the option of a similar structure to London in New Zealand then it might make it easier for us to keep things under control.” Mika suggested, Christopher nodding in agreement.

“Something to maybe speak to the Consul about, I’m sure she would be able to see the benefits to that in places which historically aren’t known for having multiple bodies around to cover all bases. But if you would prefer for me to be involved in the conversation with the two of you just send me a note and I’ll be more than willing to help. ” Alec said, thoughtfully as the bartender appeared with Magnus’ topped up glass. “What about you Nightshade, everything working better in Helsinki after the recent restructure?”

“Pfft, is that what you call it? We’ve been inundated with more Downworlders than actual Shadowhunters since, I don’t see what use they are when we were dealing well enough without them.” Cody snorted, shaking his head.

“As I recall your institute was one of the lowest performing before the restructure and from the last report that came across my desk productivity seems to have tripled since the High Warlock and Clan Leader started allowing their communities to get involved. Besides there is not enough staff volunteering to be in Helsinki to begin with, something had to be done otherwise it would have been closed.” Alec said carefully though he could feel the atmosphere change especially by the way that the other two Institute Heads remained shtum about the direction the conversation was taking.

“But maybe if the structure weren’t so focused on bringing Downworlders in and more on dispatching bodies evenly to Institutes regardless of preferences it would be different. Not that I would expect you to consider anything of the sort.” Cody huffed.

“And what exactly do you mean by that?” Alec asked, his tone shifting from friendly to what Magnus called his ‘Inquisitor’ voice that demanded respect and had been used in more than one of his meetings with difficult people.

“Well ever since you were made Inquisitor all you’ve done is try to bring them in. I mean you even married one of them and then managed to negotiate the condition of you taking the Inquisitor role so that he got a role of his own. And that’s not even counting the alliance that you started to get them more proactive in the accords process. Why don’t you just kick all Shadowhunters out and give them to the keys to every institute?” Cody sneered, downing a mouthful of his drink.

“Because that would be the complete antithesis of what I am hoping to achieve. Yes, I may have married a Downworlder but not just because he is a Downworlder. My husband has had to endure centuries of bigotry and prejudice because of who he is and yet despite it all the reason he lives and breathes is to look after people and be there for people when they need him. That kind of humanity and love deserves nothing but our respect and praise let alone a role made specifically for him to thrive in. Sure we could have continued on the path of ridicule and segregation, where we continued to look down on them as underlings but we would be missing out on key skills and resources to streamline what we do.” Alec said, sternly not appreciating the fact that all the joy he had been experiencing through out the night was being shattered to pieces because of one of the very people he had been hoping to avoid.

“And the fact that he gives it to you good has nothing to do with it I’m sure.” Cody smirked, causing Alec to narrow his eyes.

“What the hell did you just say?" Alec demanded, feeling his patience wearing thin at the attitude of the other though his attention was soon diverted at the sound of his name being said in the melodious voice of his husband who seemed to have approached them during the conversation.

“Darling he isn’t worth it. He’s probably had too much to drink that’s all, just come back to our table.” Magnus soothed, approaching Alec, and resting a reassuring hand on his own that was curled in a fist which would have easily connected with the other’s jaw if he hadn’t been stopped.

Alec let out a shaky breath to steady himself and uncurled his hand so Magnus’ fingers would tangle between his own and while Magnus grabbed his new drink, Alec offered Castel and Makepeace looks that had them removing the glass from Cody’s hand and steering him towards the door. He let Magnus lead the way back towards their table, squeezing Alec’s hand reassuringly as the indignation of what he’d heard continued to make his hands shake.

“You OK?" Alec asked when they sat down, Magnus offering him an adoring look that confused Alec for a moment.

“Darling, I’ve just heard the man I love and cherish more than my very being standing up for me with words so beautiful and eloquent about his love and respect for me as a person let alone as a Downworlder. I couldn’t be more ok if I tried.” Magnus said softly, causing Alec to flush a little as he looked down into his own half-finished drink.

“You heard all that huh?" Alec asked, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly.

“Kind of hard not to. I was just wanting to check if you wanted another drink yourself and instead, I’m gifted with the most complimentary words you’ve ever said since our wedding vows.” Magnus smiled, cupping Alec’s cheek and brushing his thumb against his jaw.

“Well every word of it is true. I just don’t understand why some people don’t see how beneficial an alliance would be, bringing the gifts that Downworlders have into the organisation just seems like a no brainer and yet there are still ridiculously stubborn people that can only see the downsides.” Alec sighed, though when Magnus kissed him, he knew he had said the right thing.

“Now if only the whole Clave thought the way you do darling.” Magnus murmured, with a promising smile that Alec knew meant they were leaving soon, and he couldn’t wait.

“Here, here.” Meliorn chipped in, breaking the moment between the couple, and reminding Alec that they had had an audience ever since they returned to the table.

“You think so Mel?" Jace asked, brushing his fingertips along his date’s arm until their hands met.

“Definitely, I mean everyone in the Downworld never doubted that you love Magnus Alec. We just never realised how much you respect him too. To be fair, we always have given how long he has been around and how much he helped during the two uprises but to hear it from the Shadowhunter who loves him the most, it really make you appreciate the kind of relationship the two of you have.” Meliorn said softly, his free hand curled around his glass of Seelie wine while the other engulfed in Jace’s grip gave the blonde’s a squeeze.

“Without a doubt.” Lorenzo agreed reluctantly, though his gaze was rested on Andrew who gave him a soft kind of smile that made it clear he felt the same way about the other.

“Anyway, I think we’ve had enough excitement for tonight don’t you Alec? Time to go home.” Magnus said, after downing his free glass of wine in one.

“Really? I thought you’d want to enjoy the rest of the night and I’m fairly sure there’s a couple of new inquisitors I haven’t got to meet yet.” Alec asked with a raised eyebrow.

“And normally I would darling, but let’s just say I think we need somewhere less public for me to show you how much what you said meant to me. After all I did promise we could pick up where we left off later, didn’t I?” Magnus murmured low into Alec’s ear, the timbre of his voice easily making Alec give in and get up from the table the rest of his meal and drink forgotten.

“We should catch up after Christmas, maybe have a dinner or something at New Year’s.” Aline suggested, a knowing twinkle in her eyes as Magnus got up from his chair and let his hand rest on Alec’s side.

“I’ll ask Izzy if you and Helen can from over for Christmas if you want. I think Alec might prefer that he and Magnus keep New Years just for them.” Jace said, winking at Alec who mouthed a silent ‘thank you’ at him.

“Have a good night all and Andrew don’t worry about coming in early tomorrow I think you deserve a half day off after dealing with my paperwork this afternoon.” Alec smiled at the group as Magnus led him towards the door with his hand sliding down to rest on his waist with the obvious intention of going lower which was thankfully obscured by the pair turning the corner and passing through the waiting portal.

Needless to say, it was a party that no-one was ever going to forget in a hurry.

Fin.

#cakelanguage #malecsanta20 #*fic20 #*gifts20

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redshirtgal · 6 years ago

Photo

At the beginning of “Catspaw” Lt. Jackson opens communications with Uhura and says “One to beam up, Enterprise!” Shortly after Captain Kirk and Dr. McCoy reach the transporter room, Jackson begins to materialize and then falls flat to the floor without moving a muscle. It almost hurts to watch, but it is just one of the perfectly executed stunts performed by Jay Jones. Jones recalls that at the time, he had never watched the show. So when he received his copy of the script, he was puzzled by the phrase “beam up.” It took until the next day for him to find out after he had flagged down a young boy on a bicycle and asked. By the way, look at Shatner’s quick reaction as Jones tumbles past his feet. Some fancy footwork there, Captain!

But this was not the only place you saw him during this episode. During the scene just after Korob dies trying to help Kirk and Spock escape, the two are attacked by Sulu, Scotty, and Bones himself - all under the control of Sylvia, of course. In the photo above, that is not Dr. McCoy you see attempting to swing a morning-star. That is his stunt double, Jay Jones. Jay claimed that Gene Roddenberry took a liking to him and sent the word down that he should be given all the work he wanted.

Jay played a number of other crewmen in the series, and several times his stuntman experience came in handy. In the redshirt bloodbath episode known as “The Apple,” he appeared as Ensign Mallory. The hapless young man was not there when Spock first found out the rocks were explosive. While scouting, he manages to find another one the hard way and is killed. This was one of the two episodes where Jones suffered serious injuries. In this case, he had even lobbied director Joe Pevney to do the stunt, saying he did not want to do it “the Mickey Mouse way.” Pevney refused the request at first because of the danger and then relented. According to Jay, there was a jumper trampoline buried under the ground that he was supposed to hit and then the explosive would go off. However, the special effects person timed it just a split second too late. In his own words, “The force hit me in the stomach, burned my side, blew the skin off my rib cage and impacted all this dirt into my sinuses. I couldn’t open my eyes or breathe.” Still, he told an interviewer that it could have been a lot worse even though he did wind up in an emergency room. (The explosion also caused short term hearing loss in both Shatner and Nimoy as well as permanent tinnitus). Most of his roles did not involve much dialogue, but he had his largest number of lines in this episode.

Actually, his worst injuries on the set occurred on another episode, ”Who Mourns for Adonais?” This time he was doubling for James Doohan as Scotty. The first injury occurred when Apollo slaps Scotty and Jay had to do a backflip over the stone table shown in the above photo. The first time, he hit the corner, so the table was chained down for the next attempt. This time, he caught the table’s edge in the kidneys. Already sore from that injury, he had to do another stunt where he was strapped into a wire vest, raised up six feet in the air and then propelled backward. In the stunt industry, it’s known as a neckbreaker. However, the wire pulley yanked him four or five yards farther than planned and he went through the wall, striking his head on the concrete floor. He was taken to the hospital with a concussion. And actually Jay did have a stroke of good fortune - he narrowly missed another prop which could have caused an even more serious injury (according to The Star Trek Compendium). Again, he brushed off the injury as not all that bad.

Despite these injuries Jay Jones continued as Scotty’s stunt double for two years. Above you see him encountering a railing on the bridge in “The Changeling.” (Scotty certainly got smacked around a lot, didn’t he?) And he would often double for other guest stars. More on that later. In the book Science Fiction Television Series, Jay claimed that he was the unofficial stunt coordinator for The Original Series. He would come up with new stunts and work with the directors and cameramen on how best to implement them in certain episodes. Jay complimented Star Trek on calling back the same stunt people to work again because they all were familiar with the production staff and had built a rapport with them and each other. He said in some TV series, the director sometimes asked the impossible and could have possibly gotten someone killed. On the Star Trek set, he knew the directors cared about the stunt workers.

And he continued as an extra in episodes during that time, including one as the gangster Mirt in “A Piece of the Action” and several as an engineer. You would think he’d want to stay as far away from a redshirt as he could after his injuries.

Jay got to appear as a Klingon three times during his time on Star Trek. His first appearance was as Tige Andrew’s stunt double in the role of Kras in “Friday’s Child.” (left) And he doubled for Ned Romero as Krell in “A Private Little War.” (top right). He donned the Klingon costume one last time as one of Kang’s crewmen in “Day of the Dove.”

And what does Pavel Chekov have to do with this story? Jay Jones says that there was a push to add some more recurring characters at the time he made his first appearance on “Catspaw.” In fact, they asked him if he would try out some accents in a few test shots. However, he had recently tried a French accent in a stage production and botched it terribly, so he refused. Only later did he realize he would have been trying out for the role that eventually became that of Chekov. Oh, well.... at least he didn’t have to wear that terrible wig until his own hair grew in.

Jimmy (”Jay”) D. Jones came to Hollywood after being in the rodeo circuit. His first work as a stuntman on television was in The Man From U.N.C.L.E. where he was often Robert Vaughn’s stunt double. He also had an acting part in one episode - that of Professor Walter Powers in the episode “Yo-ho-ho and a Bottle of Rum.” This was the job he left when he joined Star Trek. (credit to Brad Fillipone for finding the above photos for me)

Jay came from good stuntman stock. His dad was Carl Pitti, a very well known stuntman/actor in the industry who had worked on such shows as The High Chaparral. He was Henry Darrow’s double in his role of Manolito for an episode.

Interesting side note: Carl Pitti was a fan of The Original Series and watched it religiously. But he was aghast when he watched his son get thrown in the air by the mistimed explosion in “The Apple.” Jay said it literally made his dad sick to his stomach.

Jay often appeared in the same series as his father, starting with The Man from U.N.C.L.E. After Star Trek ended, he was also stuntman for The High Chaparral and appeared in the episode “Alliance” as Lt. Cooper. (Photo above)

Jay appeared on other Westerns as well. In fact, he doubled for Slim Pickens in a brutal bullwhipping scene in the 1967 movie Rough Night in Jericho. He used the same bullwhipping skills against Dan Blocker (Hoss) in a 1971 episode of Bonanza titled “Kingdom of Fear.”

One of his last acting jobs was in Kung Fu, playing a demon Caine encounters in the spiritual world during the episode “One Step to Darkness.” If you want to watch that segment of the show, here is a link. https://youtu.be/EDmvigzLJHw

In 1977, Jones left stunt work and acting for the racquetball courts. He began playing the amateur circuit in the 1972-73 area. Despite getting off to a rough start, in 1975 he won the national amateur division at Las Vegas. From there, he began competing in the pros and over the years had a decent showing. Keep in mind he was in his thirties when he started and most of the pros were a lot younger. He did win the 1981 U.S. National Singles Championship for his age group of 35+. Jay was interviewed in 1977 by the Tucson Daily Citizen after he had advanced to the semifinals of of the Tucson Pro-Am Racquetball Tournament. He admitted to using a mini-receiver which emitted a steady hum that helped him concentrate. But it also allowed him to hear advice from a friend who was women’s pro player as well. The interviewer went on to mention that Jay Jones was also a hypnotist and psychologist. Now how amazing is that?

Above photo - Hall of Famer Ed Remen and Jay Jones at the men’s semi-finals. Unknown what year, but from the website where it appeared, most likely around 1981. Jay is on the right.

Over the years, Jay Jones seems to be quite active, appearing at conventions for The High Chaparral (above he appears on an interview panel for the 50th anniversary) And I am not positive about this, but he may be the reporter whose byline is Jay Jones in at least two articles for the Los Angeles Times. In a 2013 article, he reports on a charity racquetball event. And in a story dated this past May, the same person reports on a rodeo event. What other person do we know who has experience in both activities?

Jay Jones!

#Star Trek TOS #redshirt #The Apple #Catspaw #stuntman #stunt double #stunt actor #Jay Jones #Jay D. Jones #racquetball pro

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spnfanficpond · 6 years ago

Text

October 2019 Pond LiveChat Recap

We had a great time chatting with @evansrogerskitten tonight! Thank you so much for joining us and sharing your wisdom!

Today, we got together and talked about writing smut! We discussed the legalities around sharing smut on the internet, vocabulary choices, created a spreadsheet of terms we can all share and use, and encouraged each other to not be afraid to just write. A rundown of the chat, as well as general Pond news, is below the cut. Due to the nature of the chat, there may be some parts of this recap that might be considered NSFW.

To start us off, @mrswhozeewhatsiswrites shared some research into the legalities of posting erotica on the internet as it relates to minors. (We are not legal experts. This information was obtained through Google searches. If anyone can provide links to sources that contradict these, we will add them to this post to ensure the most correct information is provided here.)

Michelle: To try and keep it short and sweet, from everything I read, if a minor reads smut online, it's not the writer's, poster's, or web site's responsibility to keep it from them. It is the parent's, or the school's/library's responsibility. (Basically, whoever is providing the internet connection to the minor is responsible for filtering out content that might be harmful to that minor, not the parties creating or disseminating that content online.) Schools and libraries and other institutions that get government funds are usually required to have some sort of filter in place to prevent minors from accessing porn and erotica.

What makes this so difficult to research is that written erotica is not mentioned very often in obscenity laws. Most laws focus on images or videos, not the written word.

No matter what it is, though, to be prosecuted under obscenity laws, the material must first be ruled to be obscene. Legally, there is a difference between obscenity and erotica. Obscenity is generally illegal, and erotica is protected speech. There are many different sets of rules and guidelines that have been used to determine if something is considered obscene or not. The most widely used current set of guidelines is the Miller test. From my research, most (if not all) erotic fan fiction would not be considered obscene because of its ‘literary, artistic, political, or scientific value’.

Some interesting links in relation to this subject that go into detail:

Wikipedia - US Obscenity Law - About halfway down, there is a section on non image-based obscenity cases in the US. The first part of this section, which deals with the written word, is very enlightening about the differences between obscenity and erotica. Further down is a section about criticism of the laws which shows some of the gaps in the law where free speech lives. Continuing on, the section about censorship in schools and libraries explains the part CIPA (Children’s Internet Protection Act) plays in protecting minors from material that could be considered harmful to them.

Online Art Rights - Sexual Content - This site details the many attempts at limiting indecent material on the internet through the years. (Scroll down and click on the plus signs in the black bars to expand each section.) In each case cited, the court ruled that to ban all objectionable material would interfere with free speech because it would reduce all content to a level appropriate for children. They also concluded that since less restrictive means exist, such as user-controlled filters and the like, those tools can be used without reducing all discourse on the internet. The section on Child Pornography at the bottom might be of interest to anyone who writes Weecest smut, though.

The only possible exception that I think would affect the SPN fandom would be those who write Weecest smut. Child pornography seems to be the exception to every rule that protects free speech. Where every other depiction of a sex act might have a ‘but’ that makes it erotica (and therefore legal) instead of obscenity, child pornography in any medium is considered obscenity. Anything that even just looks like child porn is considered child porn, even if no children were a part of the making of it. This includes cartoons and CGI and adults made up to look like kids. If it’s advertised as children in a sexual situation, it’s child porn. So, I imagine it could extend to written erotica IF someone were to decide to push it.

Now, that’s a huge if. Someone would have to read it, object to it, and insist on prosecution for it. I think if that were going to happen, given 15 years of SPN fan fiction, it would have happened by now. But I would still keep my Weecest smut-free, or implied, or at least over the age of consent (which varies, so 18 is just easiest to use).

Also, AO3 complies with the laws regarding filtering for minors. If you do not have an account, you are required to click through a step that tells you that you are about to view something explicit. That's really all that sites and such are required to do. Hence, Tumblr making you click through and view on dash blogs they mark as explicit.

@emilyshurley I think there might also be a sorta solution just to play it safe. I saw that people who make mods for games like Sims 4 and stuff have a page for terms of download. What that is is that if you click their masterlist it will take you to a post where they list their conditions and have the words "I agree" and link the actual masterlist to that. Now this might take a little effort but we could add something similar before our masterlists.

This is all legal stuff, not site-specific rules. Each site can implement their own decency rules and enforce them how they see fit. For example, Tumblr, as a company, can decide to delete your blog. (They’ve stopped doing this since The Purge, now just marking each blog explicit and making you click on a couple things to get to those blogs they deem explicit.) Should they choose to do this, it does not mean that you’re in trouble with the law.

Now, onto the fun stuff!

Q: What is the first thing you think of when someone asks you for advice about writing smut?

Ash: Word choice- don't make the reader cringe. It's easy to fall into that because smut can be graceful and tasteful if it's done right. And that starts with thinking through word choice and how the scene is flowing. It's not easy to write smut! I think a lot of non-writer readers do not realize that.

Note: During the chat, we created a Google Sheets spreadsheet, with two sheets in it, with lists of words to use to refer to different things when you’re writing smut. The first sheet is Good Words, and the second sheet is Bad Words. Everyone can enter words they like and don’t like on both sheets, and we’ll crowd-source this problem! Check it out and add your favorites!

Michelle: A smut scene takes ten times as long for me to write as anything else. Just keeping track of limbs is difficult! And clothing....sometimes, I just make them dry hump so I don't have to deal with removing all the clothing! Other times, it's just, "Somehow, you suddenly found yourself naked." Like, there's a million great ways to get characters naked, but if I'm tired, angels snap.

@fictionalabyss (Mel): I've read stuff where a position makes no sense and it ruins the whole thing for me. Michelle: I actually bought a couple of those posable dolls from IKEA. (IKEA - GESTALTA, Artist’s figure) @babypieandwhiskey (Cam): I’ll have to use my daughter’s old Barbie dolls! I can keep track of both limbs and clothing!

Q: Ash, what are a few of the words that turn you off when you're reading smut?

Ash: It's usually words that sound so "romance novel"-ish to me. So "turgid member" is a good example. Please no one ever write that. Mel: Sometimes, keeping it simple is the safest and best bet. Ash: Absolutely, Mel! Sometimes we don't need all the extra words if we're showing the heat that's already there between them.

[What followed was a long discussion of various terms you definitely should not use in serious smut. They’ve all been added to the spreadsheet linked above, so fee free to check it out.]

Michelle: EVERYONE has those words that squick them, and it's damn near impossible to write a smut scene that doesn't include a word that will squick someone out there. So, don't stress about what words you do or don't use, cuz there's always gonna be someone out there who doesn't like something. Just make sure YOU think what you're writing is hot. If you don't get warm under the collar from it, no one else will, either. Ash: I highly recommend everyone is reading their fics out loud to see how it all flows. You'll catch errors and weird words there too.

Q: Ash, how do you get in the frame of mind to write something you personally have never experienced? For example, certain kinks.

Ash: Whiskey? LOL No, I do a lot of research- google, porn, erotica. Trying something out in person helps too! But we're writing fiction. You can make a kink work for your scenario too.I mean, I've written a reader squirting after 5 minutes to move things along but we all know it takes longer usually. And that's the fun! I've never actually been with 2 dudes but I f-ing love writing it. @atc74 (Angelina): I've always said I don't need to kill someone to write a murder scene. Ash: Smut is all about having an open mind. It lets us and the readers be someone else.

Question submitted earlier by @erins-culinary-service: I've wanted to try writing smut but never known exactly how to start and what words to use to describe everything. I've had sex so I know the sensations, positions, etc I'm just not sure how to write it all down any advice?

Ash: So sometimes I can't just start from "they kissed..." I start wherever I can see it best. So is it oral sex, or already doing it, I just jump in. And then I come back and fill it in. And I just write, no stopping once I get going. So the "cock into her hole" can be fixed later on my next edit. I just gotta get the idea out and then go back and make it hot. My smut is never hot in my first draft. Michelle: I think that's what stops a lot of writers, is thinking they have to publish their first draft. Editing is totally a thing. Just get the ideas on paper, and then make them hot later. Ash: Oh yeah, I go through at least 3 drafts per fic. Plus my beta version. Yeah, no one is ever going to see your drafts so don't worry about starting somewhere, anywhere. Michelle: And remember, practice practice practice - As with any writing, the more you write it, the easier it becomes. I wrote Third Wheel as a way to challenge myself with writing smut. Do a kink bingo or alphabet challenge. Just remember, you’re gonna write crap at the start, but crap makes good compost. Ash: Taking some time between edits is important too. It'll help you see different ways, AND you'll start having breakthroughs during the time away. Bingos are a great challenge that will help a writer grow. Cam: Writing smut is like sex, you're first time is going to be awkward and things won't be perfect, but with practice it gets better. Mel: I have a series that shows even the millionth time having sex isn't perfect and can be all laughs 🤣. But yeah.

Question submitted earlier by @focusonspn: i wanted to know about ways and words to describe orgasms and how to approach the moment after it without being awkward or forced. some people say those are the easiest things to write, but somehow i always have a hard moment trying to write them.

Ash: Hmmmm, as for the moments after- that's understandable, it is hard because its a transition. I think it's doesn't have to be an extended part of it- unless they're about to have a talk or aftercare needs a scene, it can be as simple as "we drifted off to sleep." Michelle: As always, my advice is to read smut that other people write that you like, and take note of what they do. Mel: Someone can get up and get dressed and leave. They can play in the fluids. They can lay there catching their breaths for a moment. It can be simple. Sometimes it doesn't need a flourish and that flourish can make it seem forced. Michelle: I think it depends on what type of smut fic you're writing. Is it fluffy smut where they're all in LOVE and kissy and stuff? Or is it Soulless Sam and Demon Dean just getting down and dirty and claiming you for themselves? Or, Soulless Sam or Demon Dean just getting their rocks off and they don't give a shit? @emilyshurley (Emily): Also this might be my f*cked up brain but I think if someone is not comfortable with a lot of fluffy buildup to smut trying soulless!Sam or Demon!Dean could be a great start. You also have a little room to do a little out of character. Michelle: We are blessed with a world that includes all types of characters and all types of situations, from curses (sex pollen, love potions, etc) to supernatural beings, to inspire and give us chances to write all kinds of smut. There are no limits to what you can do in Supernatural, so there are no limits to what we can write. Ash: Yeah we can really make most kinks work in some way in the SPN worlds. Emily: Also again with going out of character I read a captain America fic where it could have been a little out of character how he jumped straight to sex (someone commented that) but sex pollen made it work. So basically these tropes/kinks can also be good devices for writing NSFW fics to if you struggle to get the characters write in the beginning.

See also: State government trifectas

Two state legislatures saw changes in their veto-proof majority statusâtypically when one party controls either three-fifths or two-thirds of both chambersâas a result of the 2020 elections. Democrats gained veto-proof majorities in Delaware and New York, bringing the number of state legislatures with a veto-proof majority in both chambers to 24: 16 held by Republicans and eight held by Democrats.

Forty-four states held regularly-scheduled state legislative elections on November 3. Heading into the election, there were 22 state legislatures where one party had a veto-proof majority in both chambers; 16 held by Republicans and six held by Democrats. Twenty of those states held legislative elections in 2020.

The veto override power can play a role in conflicts between state legislatures and governors. Conflict can occur when legislatures vote to override gubernatorial vetoes or in court cases related to vetoes and the override power.

Although it has the potential to create conflict, the veto override power is rarely used. According to political scientists Peverill Squire and Gary Moncrief in 2010, only about five percent of vetoes are overridden.

Changes in state legislative veto-proof majorites State Democratic veto-proof majority in state House Democratic veto-proof majority in state legislature Democratic veto-proof majority in state Assembly Democratic veto-proof majority in state legislature

You May Like: Why Did Republicans Lose The Election

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nothingman · 4 years ago

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Voters wait in a long line on the first day of in-person early voting for the Georgia Senate runoff election in Atlanta on Dec. 14, 2020.

Photo: Jason Armond/Los Angeles Times via Getty Imag

“We just celebrated Bloody Sunday, and we’re fighting the same battles,” said Helen Butler, executive director of the Georgia Coalition for the People’s Agenda, likening the legislative changes advancing through the Georgia General Assembly to civil rights-era trickery.

Georgia’s Republicans lost a game of inches in the elections in November and January. Rather than admit to themselves that they were outworked, Republican legislators have instead decided to play with the rules.

Some of the changes are profound. Some seem perfectly petty.

The bill that passed the Georgia Senate on Monday night, SB 241, criminalizes “ballot harvesting” activities like helping people fill out absentee ballot applications. It also requires an applicant to either upload a picture of a photo ID or submit photocopies of an ID. In combination, the two rules create impossible conditions for some voters, Butler said.

“How is a blind person going to upload that form into an email process and send it in?” she asked. “People don’t have copiers in rural Georgia. They don’t always have internet access. They don’t always have email or fax.”

Absentee ballot boxes are apparently too convenient when placed outside, so now they must be indoors and only available during business hours. No more private buses would be able to take early voters to the polls.

Other changes seem simply absurd. Consider the criminalization of line warming, the practice of offering food or drink to people standing in line to vote. It seems something awfully minor. But combine it with substantial reductions to early voting and absentee ballots and the inability for local elections boards to expand polling locations, and suddenly you have long, thirsty lines.

Melody Bray, co-founder of the Georgia 55 Project, saw lines around the block for early voting in the primaries last year. She and some friends eventually banded together to organize relief for line-stranded voters. They partnered with local restaurants like Atlanta’s beloved Dancing Goats Coffee Bar chain, using funds from their partners to pay for the coffee rather than ask for freebies while companies are laying people off. It was grassroots civic participation. If the Senate bill is passed by Georgia’s House and signed into law, it will be illegal.

“Amongst ourselves, we have disparate political views,” she said. “It was hard to be nonpartisan, actually. But we all love Atlanta. … I think that losers can be very bitter about losing, and winners can be very bitter about winning. It would be very hard with data to show that line warming somehow affected Republicans getting voted into office.”

“I think it’s cruel. There’s no purpose other than trying to suppress the vote.”

And yet in elections decided by half a percent, all it takes to win is for one in 200 people — the right people, of course — to choose comfort over democracy.

“This is un-Christian. It’s inhumane,” Butler said. “I think it’s cruel. There’s no purpose other than trying to suppress the vote. They’re hoping that people will get out of line and not vote. People see the viciousness of this.”

Vicious, perhaps, because many Republicans believe this is the last stand. Democrats have spent years fighting to expand voter turnout, and that’s been a major contributor to Georgia tipping blue. The midterms have been cast as an existential contest for control of the state between the probable Democratic nominee for governor, Stacey Abrams, and the survivor of a brutal Republican primary to come between Gov. Brian Kemp and whoever becomes former President Donald Trump’s anointed champion. This week, ousted Sen. Kelly Loeffler launched Greater Georgia, the Republican answer to voter turnout.

“We are at war, fighting to protect our democracy from domestic enemies at this moment,” Abrams told Anderson Cooper, invoking the threat of the January 6 Capitol attack. “Those domestic enemies should be renounced.”

I see no real rationale for the changes aside from protecting statewide officials from defeat by a Democrat. So there’s no virtual fig leaf covering legislators’ immodesty.

“Because of the posture and the timing of this legislation, everyone agrees that no one has seen anything like this,” said Pichaya Poy Winichakul, voting rights staff attorney at the Southern Poverty Law Center. “What we do know is that they’re making it very difficult to track this legislation. Every operative iteration of this bill has never been made available to the public in time for a hearing and public testimony on that bill. It’s been difficult for us as voting rights activists to track this bill and exponentially more difficult to track for voters.”

SB 241 passed the Senate 29-20 on a party-line vote. It needed 29 to pass; leadership decided to protect the seven most vulnerable seats from having to cast a vote. Now the Senate bill is going to the House, which already passed its own bill implementing voting restrictions a week ago, and then will land on the governor’s desk to be signed into law.

Today, virtually every eligible adult in Georgia is a registered voter, in part because registration is automatic when acquiring state-issued ID. SB 241 would end automatic voter registration.

Even before the pandemic, more than half of voters cast votes early, either in person or with an absentee ballot. In November, about 80 percent of voters cast early votes. But the Senate bill would restrict absentee ballots to people 65 or older or to those who have a physical disability or can show that they’re out of town.

Consider that about 73 percent of Georgians over 65 are white, compared to 54 percent of residents overall. Older white voters traditionally break for Republicans 3 to 1 in Georgia.

Under the Senate bill, Georgia’s secretary of state would cede much of the office’s authority to a state board. It would administer a hotline for anonymous complaints about voter fraud, which it would be obligated to investigate. The secretary would also be unable to enter into a consent decree with the federal government without approval from both chambers of the General Assembly. The sheer cynicism of it: The law essentially predicts that a Democrat will win the seat and prevents that Democrat from cooperating with a Democratic president as long as a gerrymandered state Senate can hold power.

“Souls to the polls” events for Sunday early voting were initially to be eliminated entirely. After an outcry and national attention, the authors amended the bill, allowing that counties can pick one Sunday for early voting. The bill passed the House along party lines last week and will be taken up by the Senate.

The American Civil Liberties Union testified that the proposed laws probably violate both the Constitution and the Voting Rights Act. That may be beside the point: It will cost progressives time and money to fight in court. Even if and when organizations like the Southern Poverty Law Center prevail in court, their coffers will be lighter. During the civil rights battles of the ’50s and ’60s, legislators pursued similar strategies knowing that they would fail in court. The Voting Rights Act required Southern states with a history of discrimination to submit proposed changes to election laws to the Department of Justice for pre-clearance review for that very reason: so that they couldn’t continually game the courts.

In 2013, the U.S. Supreme Court held some of the pre-clearance provisions of the act as unconstitutional. Since then, a parade of laws suppressing voting have marched across the South, from onerous voter ID requirements in Texas — which took five years in court to reverse — to laughably discriminatory disenfranchisement of Black voters in North Carolina. Georgia by and large escaped this campaign, until today.

Passage of the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act would restore pre-clearance to states with a history of discrimination. Georgia came to the Democrats’ rescue, giving them control of the U.S. Senate. The question is whether the Senate will return the favor.

The post Jim Crow Rises: Desperate Georgia Republicans Scurry to Pass Voting Restrictions Law appeared first on The Intercept.

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northcarolinaprelawland-blog · 5 years ago

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Defund the Police:’ What Does This Actually Mean And How Would It Work?

By Patrick Duan, Duke University Class of 2023

June 16, 2020

The shocking death of George Floyd during a malicious encounter with Minneapolis police officers has ignited a cross-country blaze of passion and infuriation. The pent-up frustration from repeated incidents of police brutality has erupted into widespread protests from coast to coast, flooding urban streets and engulfing social-media feeds. As the unquenchable flames of reinvigorated disgruntlement against law enforcement rage on, the controversy and discontentment around the police sector have arguably reached unprecedented heights in the 21st century. And at the core of this revolutionary fire is a phrase that has lately become ubiquitous through dominating news headlines and protester signs: “Defund the Police.”With this popular motto growing in support by the hour, one typically asks the question—what does this slogan exactly entail and how might such a proposal be implemented? More specifically, what are the legal and institutional changes being demanded and what would such a drastic policy change look like, in practical terms?

The phrase“defund the police”refers to a variable concept that spans a spectrum of meaning,but all interpretations focus on reimagining public safety and law enforcement.The most radical explanation of this slogan demands that all police departments be completely dismantled and replaced with a social services-based plan.[i] But while some proponents seek to entirely devoid the police of all funds and departments, it appears that most argue for reallocating a portion of the police’s current endowment from a city’s budget toward investment in the very communities they patrol. The core of this philosophy is centered around the belief that the nation must “shift financing away from surveillance and punishment” and toward fostering safer communities.[ii]Georgetown professor Christy Lopez, in a Washington Post op-ed clarifies the movement’s intent:

“Defunding the police” is not as scary (or even as radical) as it sounds . . . Defunding and abolition probably mean something different from what you are thinking. For most proponents, “defunding the police” does not mean zeroing out budgets for public safety, and police abolition does not mean that police will disappear overnight — or perhaps ever.[iii]

Context & Background

Initially, the extensive demonstrations were a direct response to Mr. Floyd’s death and the “legacy of police abuse against black people;” but more recently, activists and protesters have begun pushing for policy changes, with “defunding the police” at the forefront of those demands.[iv]Although many may assume that this movement is simply a reaction to police brutality, its origins can be traced to activists and academics who have argued for such a policy for decades—an idea primarily founded upon the premise that the U.S. spends too much on security and not enough on social welfare.[v]The government’s traditional devoting of “an extreme budget commitment” to “prisons, guns, … detention facilities, courts, jails, … and patrols”[vi] has become increasingly salient in the minds of discontented Americans, particularly in the wake of this movement.

Moreover, this glaringly disproportional dedication to law enforcement becomes much more conspicuous when examining the lack of funding toward “food support, aid for teenage parents, help for the homeless, childcare for working families, safe housing, and so on.”[vii]The government, at all levels, spends about twice as much on prisons, courts, and police than what it invests in welfare, food stamps, and income supplements; individual cities maintain such skewed endowments as well.[viii]

To take on a global perspective, the U.S. spends more on domestic public-safety programs than nearly all other first-world nations and has a significantly higher incarceration rate than that of other NATO nations.[ix] Massachusetts, the state with the lowest incarceration rate, imprisons more people than the entire country of Turkmenistan, and more than all but nine other countries in the world.[x] Investment toward legal enforcement intends to increase safety and decrease crime, but the U.S’s murder rate remains eerily high—it is approximately four times the rate of Canada’s.[xi]Most notably, Americans experience significantly higher rates of violence from police officers: For instance, there were more deadly police shootings in the first 24 days of 2015 in the U.S. than there were in England and Wales, combined, over 24 years.[xii]

Rationale & Proposal

Thus, since the public increasingly believes that police officers will continue to assault the civilians they are paid to protect, especially within marginalized neighborhoods, many are proposing that the police sector should be largely “defunded” to instead divert the resources toward absolving communities’ dangerous conditions that are the root cause for initial police involvement. Such a movement entails the demands of “ending mass incarceration, cash bail, fines-and-fees policing, the war on drugs, and police militarization,” while re-investing the former police endowment toward “funding housing-first programs, creating subsidized jobs for the formerly incarcerated, and expanding initiatives to have mental-health professionals and social workers respond to emergency calls,” instead.[xiii] Many believe that the police have too many interactions with the public while being heavily-armed, from answering drug-overdose emergency calls to responding to mental-health emergencies, which may increase the potential for violent escalation. Many argue that cutting police funding and transferring such responsibilities to social workers, mental health professionals, and other specialists would create better outcomes for communities.[xiv] Essentially, “defund the police” calls for the shrinking of the scope of police responsibilities and shifting the government’s safety protocols to organizations that may be better equipped to meet such needs.[xv]

Case Studies&Counterarguments

To advise judgment and hypothesize predictions of what a “defunding” of the police may look like, many have pointed to the example of Camden, New Jersey. The city of 74,000, once overrun with crime, disbanded its police department and formed a new one in 2013. Camden had a colossal murder count along with millions of dollars in policing debt “amid widespread corruption” of the police when the city decided to dissolve its department to create a new, “community-oriented,” non-union version centered around an “anti-force stance.”[xvi] The results were astonishing: the city saw its violent-crime rate drop 42 percent, with killings falling from 67 in 2012 to just 25 last year.[xvii] Additionally, complaints against the police for excessive force have plummeted 95 percent since 2014.[xviii]

Butnot all are convinced by this example: Dan Mclaughlin of the National Review insists that Camden did not truly “defund the police,” but rather simply performed the typical union-busting practice of disbanding the department before hiring the same officers “back at lower salaries and benefits.”[xix]

Furthermore, statistics from the Wall Street Journal regarding crime rates in relation to loosening policing and releasing incarcerated prisoners do not appear to strengthen the “defund the police” movement. In Minneapolis, property crime increased by 33% and violent crime rose 29% through mid-March of this year when a county jail reduced its imprisoned population by 40%.[xx]Moreover, the doubling of violent crime rates in Minneapolis’s third precinct has been directly correlated with the easing of police patrol, since 2018.[xxi]

However, simply pointing to rising crime rates, even when correlated with lowering police influence and increasing prison releases, does not exactly refute the argument and proposal of the “defund the police” coalition. Their view is that much of the present crime can be patiently absolved through funding community-improving programs rather than hastily quenched through financing forceful disciplinary action. The latter and current approach, supporters claim, not only prolongs but also exacerbates the very crime-prone conditions that attract the potentially-malevolent police forces in the first place.

Policy Response &Conclusion

Nevertheless, the cries are being heard. On June 7, the Minneapolis city council announced that they would disband the Minneapolis Police Department completely to begin anew with a community-directed public safety system.[xxii] Although the mayor reaffirmed that he would not support the dissolution of the force, the council confirmed a veto-proof majority.[xxiii] Lawmakers in at least 16 other American cities have pledged or proposed that they would “divest some resources from the police.”[xxiv] In Los Angeles, following peaceful protests on the streets and in front of Mayor Eric Garcetti’s house, the city decided to enact “true police defunding” with plans to cut $100 to $150 million from the LAPD.[xxv]In New York City, Mayor Bill de Blasio agreed to propose a budget for July that cuts the current $6 billion police budget, in addition to increased investment in youth and social services.[xxvi] In San Francisco, Supervisor Shamann Walton announced plans to redirect funding from the police to black communities, even gaining the support of Mayor London Breed, who has previously worked to increase police presence in the California city.[xxvii]

Although it is still uncertain if “defunding the police” will prove to be a successful strategy, it has become clear that our country now stands at a pivotal point in its notorious history of law enforcement. The herculean reaction of the public and the avant-garde responses of city councils in the past few days have shocked the world, giving hope of change to the weary and dismayed while raising concerns among the doubtful. What will unfold in the upcoming weeks is unforeseeable but is almost certain to redefine the concept of American policing and its relationship with the civilian public. Whether one perceives the recent developments as a noble experiment or a radical revolution, a drastically novel image of criminal regulation appears to be momentously inked into the next chapter of our nation’s ever-incalculable story.

________________________________________________________________

[i]Brewster, Jack. “The 'Defund The Police' Movement Is Sweeping The Country-Here's What It Really Means.” Forbes. Forbes Magazine, June 10, 2020. https://www.forbes.com/sites/jackbrewster/2020/06/09/the-defund-the-police-movement-is-sweeping-the-country-heres-what-it-really-means/#f17f1fb4d9be.

[ii]Lowrey, Annie. “Defund the Police.” The Atlantic. Atlantic Media Company, June 7, 2020. https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2020/06/defund-police/612682/.

[iii]Lopez, Christy E. “Opinion | Defund the Police? Here's What That Really Means.” The Washington Post. WP Company, June 7, 2020. https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2020/06/07/defund-police-heres-what-that-really-means/#click=https://t.co/cI7Z2mWTTN.

[iv]Collins, Eliza. “Calls to Cut Funding for Police Grow in Wake of Protests.” The Wall Street Journal. Dow Jones & Company, June 9, 2020. https://www.wsj.com/articles/calls-for-defunding-police-grow-in-wake-of-protests-11591663621.

[v]Brewster, Jack. “The 'Defund The Police' Movement Is Sweeping The Country-Here's What It Really Means.” Forbes. Forbes Magazine, June 10, 2020. https://www.forbes.com/sites/jackbrewster/2020/06/09/the-defund-the-police-movement-is-sweeping-the-country-heres-what-it-really-means/#f17f1fb4d9be.

[vi] Ibid.

[vii] Ibid.

[viii]“Freedom to Thrive: Reimagining Safety & Security in Our Communities.” The Center for Popular Democracy, June 10, 2020. https://populardemocracy.org/news/publications/freedom-thrive-reimagining-safety-security-our-communities.

[ix]“States of Incarceration: The Global Context 2018.” Prison Policy Initiative. https://www.prisonpolicy.org/global/2018.html.

[x] Ibid.

[xi]“Safety.” OECD Better Life Index. http://www.oecdbetterlifeindex.org/topics/safety/.

[xii]Lartey, Jamiles. “By the Numbers: US Police Kill More in Days than Other Countries Do in Years.” The Guardian. Guardian News and Media, June 9, 2015. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2015/jun/09/the-counted-police-killings-us-vs-other-countries.

[xiii]Lowrey, Annie. “Defund the Police.” The Atlantic. Atlantic Media Company, June 7, 2020. https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2020/06/defund-police/612682/.

[xiv]Collins, Eliza. “Calls to Cut Funding for Police Grow in Wake of Protests.” The Wall Street Journal. Dow Jones & Company, June 9, 2020. https://www.wsj.com/articles/calls-for-defunding-police-grow-in-wake-of-protests-11591663621.

[xv]Miller, Ryan W. “What Does 'Defund the Police' Mean and Why Some Say 'Reform' Is Not Enough.” USA Today. Gannett Satellite Information Network, June 8, 2020. https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2020/06/08/what-does-defund-police-mean-george-floyd-black-lives-matter/5317240002/.

[xvi]Sheehy, Kate. “What Happened after Camden, NJ Disbanded Its Police Department.” New York Post. New York Post, June 9, 2020. https://nypost.com/2020/06/09/what-happened-after-camden-nj-disbanded-its-police-department/.

[xvii]Holder, Sarah. “The City That Remade Its Police Department.” Bloomberg.com. Bloomberg. Accessed June 11, 2020. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-06-04/how-camden-new-jersey-reformed-its-police-department.

[xviii]Sheehy, Kate. “What Happened after Camden, NJ Disbanded Its Police Department.” New York Post. New York Post, June 9, 2020. https://nypost.com/2020/06/09/what-happened-after-camden-nj-disbanded-its-police-department/.

[xix]McLaughlin, Dan. “The Media Urge to Explain Away 'Defund the Police'.” National Review. National Review, June 10, 2020. https://www.nationalreview.com/corner/the-media-urge-to-explain-away-defund-the-police/.

[xx]Editorial Board. “Defund Police, Watch Crime Return.” The Wall Street Journal. Dow Jones & Company, June 8, 2020. https://www.wsj.com/articles/defund-police-watch-crime-return-11591658454.

[xxi] Ibid.

[xxii]“Minneapolis City Council Members Say They Plan to Vote to Disband City's Police Department.” CBS News. CBS Interactive, June 9, 2020. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/minneapolis-city-council-intent-disband-police-department/.

[xxiii]Milman, Oliver. “Minneapolis Pledges to Dismantle Its Police Department – How Will It Work?” The Guardian. Guardian News and Media, June 8, 2020. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/jun/08/minneapolis-city-council-police-department-dismantle.

[xxiv]Holder, Sarah. “The Cities Taking Up Calls to Defund the Police.” CityLab, June 10, 2020. https://www.citylab.com/equity/2020/06/defund-police-city-council-budget-divest-public-resources/612694/.

[xxv]Ibid.

[xxvi]Rubinstein, Dana. “De Blasio Vows for First Time to Cut Funding for the N.Y.P.D.” The New York Times. The New York Times, June 7, 2020. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/07/nyregion/deblasio-nypd-funding.html.

[xxvii]Holder, Sarah. “The Cities Taking Up Calls to Defund the Police.” CityLab, June 10, 2020. https://www.citylab.com/equity/2020/06/defund-police-city-council-budget-divest-public-resources/612694/.

Photo Credit: Taymaz Valley

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blackwealthmatters · 5 years ago

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Black Economics

How 3 Movie Franchises, Who Framed Roger Rabbit, Harlem Nights, and Back to The Future Explain How We Arrive At George Floyd

Author: Overstander Mally Waxx

Introduction

Who Framed Roger Rabbit, a classic movie from my childhood. I began rewatching this movie back in 2004 while in college at Hiram College in Hiram, Ohio. I thought hmm, this looks like gentrification. Gentrification, a term I casually remembered from highschool. Upon researching the term, being that I was in Ohio and the search engines are geo-located the GLENVILLE RIOTS appeared as the first result. Reading Wikipedia, I realize this is what my mom was talking about in the 1960’s. Fast Forward through college many movies started to stand out to me as analogies to my neighborhood Glenville. One of my favorite movies of all-time is Back to The Future 2, then part 1, followed by part 3. In the first act of Back to The Future 2, Marty goes back to the 1955. He arrives and finds the Suburb that he lives at is all but an open field with a development sign displaying the future of the area. So you ask, what is the connection? The setting for Roger Rabbit is Los Angeles during a time where street cars are ruling the streets, its post-prohibition era America. The Movie’s central villan’s plan, The Judge played by Christopher Lloyd is to buy street car company and the Bus Company, so that he can usher in the development of a freeway that runs right through Toon Town (think black neighborhood). At the time I could not make that complete loop as far as the government’s involvement, so I just continued my college education with dreams of creating an Black Media Empire to help people I know get careers in entertainment.

Post Collegiate Career

Post 2007, I had graduated and was attempting to find out how to implement my life goals, and during downtime I would watch old movies, you know kinda re-live Black Movies, especially ones that I was way too young to understand. Harlem Nights, the story of Sugar and Quick and their club. The mob wanted Sugar’s club because it was making money and taking away from their clubs. In the movie they show the mob’s clientele is very rich and so-called elite. During a time right after the great depression, why would you think that a club catered to 1 percent would survive. Sugar Ray’s catered to Blacks and the working man. The decline in the mob’s profits had nothing to do with Sugar Ray, but the mob themselves unwillingness to look at their own business model. Instead of practicing good business they decided to use their influence with the police department to bomb Sugar Ray’s forcing them to flee to another city. While that particular sector of the mob was defeated and killed, another mob or anyone from the white community comes right in and swoops up the property. The property that is left is just left to rot throughout the decades

Known as EC, The Ville, and The Wood colloquially by its current residents now, are historically Black Neighborhoods in the City of Cleveland, my hometown and my 3 neighborhoods that I come from. I am from the Glenville and East Cleveland border,a graduate of Collinwood, went to Patrick Henry Middle School, Oliver Hazard Perry, Forest Hill Parkway, Iowa Maple. Reviewing historical documents and pictures of the era you see clearly the relationship between all 3 movies. You have places that were all white, then went to mixed then white flighted. Buildings burned down or abandoned as a result of social upheaval of the 1960’s, old factories where GM or GM subsidiaries have been allowed to pollute and vacate. You also have a host of political corruption that has allowed to continue through each administration. You even have voter suppression on the ballots where the language is above even a college level graduate as myself, so how do we win.

Enter East Cleveland, Glenville, Collinwood

We Take IT BACK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

If you are reading this, then you probably fall in the category of what is known now as the Black Conscience Movement. We are attempting to reclaim our heritage to Africa, and like most started to realize that our heritage includes way more than just Africa. We are now realizing that our parents and grandparents talk of Indian in the family was not just some long lived joke in our community similar to everyone knowing what “Dynomite” is in reference to “The Good Times” tv show. We are finding out that Moors ruled Europe of over 700 years. We are also learning how Black Moors and Black African and Black Native Amerian Nations contributed to slavery whether by coercion or by force. We have all this information, but now what, take it back. The policies in which built this nation now are now crumbling, and the laws that helped White Americans can be utilized in the Black Communities. However we need policy and law change as well, we also need to work on rebuilding these redlined areas. In most a large number of these communities the money is held or controlled in someway by the Community Development Corporation. That is they Major KEY S/O to DJKhaled, start there.

What is Underscored through out this all?

Early 1900’s:

How did the Great Depression contribute to the problem?

In the Great Depression, many lower-middle class and working-class families lost their home. They couldn’t keep up with their payments. So the Public Works Administration constructed the first civilian public housing ever in this country. Initially, it was primarily for white families in segregated white projects, but at some point, a few projects were built for African-Americans in segregated African-American projects. This practice often segregated neighborhoods that hadn’t previously been that way.

In Langston Hughes’ autobiography, he describes how he lived in an integrated neighborhood in Cleveland. His best friend in high school was Polish. He dated a Jewish girl. That neighborhood in Cleveland was razed by the WPA, which built two segregated [ones], one for African-Americans, one for whites. The Depression gave the stimulus for the first civilian public housing to be built. Were it not for that policy, many of these cities might have developed with a different residential pattern.

• emergence of zoning laws: Even though the Buchanan decision was handed down in 1917, many cities continued to have racial ordinances in flagrant violation of the decision. Richmond, Virginia, passed an ordinance that said people couldn’t move on to a block where they were prohibited from marrying the majority of people on that block. And since Virginia had an anti-miscegenation law that prohibited blacks and whites from marrying, the state claimed that this provision didn’t violate the Buchanan decision. Many of these devices were used to evade the Court’s decision. Some cities adopted ordinances that prohibited African-Americans from living on a block that was majority white. So the Buchanan decision wasn’t totally effective, but it did stimulate the drive for economic zoning to keep African-Americans out of white neighborhoods. (Katie NodjimbademThe Racial Segregation of American Cities Was Anything But Accidental) Then we have first segregated public housing projects of President Franklin Roosevelt’s New Deal, to the 1949 Housing Act that encouraged white movement to the suburbs, to unconstitutional racial zoning ordinances enacted by city government. (Katie NodjimbademThe Racial Segregation of American Cities Was Anything But Accidental) These racial motivated policies have led to what we see today. There are many other factors however this article is meant to address Gentrification as it relates to the Black Community at large. We have two Americas now and I guess it has always been this way. We have one America, where the American dream worked, and another where that same dream has long been replaced with dreams of entertainment based goals and where wealth has not been allowed to grow. It leads to crime, poverty, and a host of other social issues. So America, still sees Black People as their pets in which they must punish when they step out of line, or even presume to have stepped. George Floyd was apparently guilty of attempting to spend a counterfeit, and now we are receiving reports that he had drugs in his system, wow really are we surprised by any of this.

Conclusion:

What do we do Mally, 1 educate yourself politically, 2 look into what happened to black people throughout history, 3 go through your Black Awakening, 4. get involved, join the local NAACP, but plan to infiltrate and push your friends to do the same, so that you can change the agenda, join any non-profit that helps your community. If you do not live in a predominately Black Community find one to support. In your own community if you do not live in a majority Black one, get involved in there and start speaking up for injustice that your neighborhood may do to contribute to the causes of systemic poverty, 5. call your local officials, not for voting, but ask why the street is dirty, ask why this road is being constructed now, and not 10 - 20 years ago. Ask your local officials how long do you have to live in your current neighborhood when projected housing values and property values are due to rise. Ask why is the majority of the lottery profits go to administration and not the schools it is intended for. And when they give you an answer ask why again and again. Then when they get tired ask them what they intend to do about it.

I want to thank the Entire Black Conscienceness Community, ADOS, and FRIENDS of ADOS, and anyone Black that has attempted to get the truth to the people about history and current states of Black America whoever you may be. My team, and are affiliates do not believe in Toxic Debates only healthy ones. We organize on common ground and once we get what we want from the World’s Governments then we will be able to have Black Philosophy and a complete retelling and rediscovery of Black History and Cultures across the Globe

I do not own the rights to any of these images as they are publically available

Links used or follow up information to read.

https://www.brookings.edu/research/americas-formerly-redlines-areas-changed-so-must-solutions/

• https://www.npr.org/2017/05/03/526655831/a-forgotten-history-of-how-the-u-s-government-segregated-america

• https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2018/03/28/redlining-was-banned-50-years-ago-its-still-hurting-minorities-today/

• https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Redlining

• https://youtu.be/2o-yD0wGxAc

• https://youtu.be/Gp3PfvRAhlw

• https://youtu.be/ETR9qrVS17g

Also read the Color of Law or Look it up on YouTube and research the terms and policies discussed

peace, live in light

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junker-town · 5 years ago

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The NBA has a chemistry problem

How NBA teams struggle to create chemistry in an era when rosters are turning over faster than ever.

The NBA is a league of change. Recent roster turnover has been spurred by a number of factors, from an inflated salary cap and shorter, more exorbitant contracts, to restless owners, to star players progressively embracing their own power. Teams have been forced, at breakneck speed, to become comfortable with being uncomfortable.

Before the NBA went on hiatus due to the coronavirus pandemic, chaos was its new normal: compelling, delightful and anxiety-inducing. But the constant shuffle also sparked an existential question among hundreds of affected players, coaches and front office executives: How can chemistry be fostered in an increasingly erratic era of impatience, load management, reduced practice time and youthful inexperience?

“Every year you have six new teammates,” Houston Rockets guard Austin Rivers said in an interview with SB Nation. “It’s like gaw-lly! In some ways you wish that would stop.

“It’s a new NBA, man. Guys are playing on a new team every year now, and it has nothing to do with how good of a player you are, it’s just how the NBA is. I have teammates who’ve played on eight, nine teams. I mean, that’s fucking nuts. I don’t ever want to go through something like that.” (Rivers is 27 years old, and on his fourth team in seven NBA seasons.)

Over the past six months, dozens of players, coaches and executives across the NBA spoke with SB Nation about the state of the league’s chemistry, and why creating cohesiveness now is more difficult and demanding than ever before. Their responses sketched a blurry future for the league.

“It’s amazing how fast players change in today’s NBA,” Indiana Pacers general manager Chad Buchanan said. “From when I got over here two years ago, Myles [Turner] is the only player who’s still here.

I have teammates who’ve played on eight, nine teams. I mean, that’s fucking nuts.” - Austin Rivers

Last summer, nearly half of the league’s talent pool swapped jerseys. Seemingly every roster in the league was forced to learn complicated new personality quirks and on-court tendencies. Honed locker room dynamics and hierarchies changed dramatically.

Chicago Bulls forward Thaddeus Young has played for four teams in the last six years after spending his first seven with the Philadelphia 76ers. Few people know better just how precious chemistry can be.

“With how the salary cap is going, teams are not locking themselves into long-term deals anymore, where they have four to six guys on four-year deals,” Young said. “It’s definitely tough because you don’t know each other. The communication is gonna be off. The teams that you came from before, you might be driving the basketball and you might be used to a guy being in the corner and that guy might not be in the corner.”

The NBA may be long past being able to reverse the course of roster turnover, but teams are doing their best to mitigate any downsides. The teams that have done the best job tend to think of chemistry in two buckets: personal and performance. The former contains how players interact away from the game, and the latter contains what happens on the court. However, personal chemistry often informs performance, and vice versa. Once players are comfortable off the court, their on-court relationship improves.

Take Los Angeles Lakers forward Jared Dudley, for example.

“When I got here I’d turn the ball over throwing to our centers because they expected a lob,” Dudley said. “I don’t really throw lobs, I’m more of a bounce passer.”

Dudley solved his problem by initiating conversations with LA’s big men, verbalizing his own in-game habits so that everyone could get on the same page. Not all NBA players feel so comfortable expressing themselves, however. Especially when an on-court situation is more complex than what to do on basic pick-and-rolls.

“When the personal chemistry exists, the performance chemistry is often very easy because the performance chemistry is sometimes a function of hard conversations,” one Western Conference GM said. “The personal chemistry allows a guy to say, ‘Hey man, in the second quarter last night there were like four straight defensive possessions where four of us were back in transition and you weren’t. You really put a ton of pressure on us to cover a five-on-four when you were lobbying the officials for a call. It took you forever to get off the deck. Come on, man.’”

Over the past 20 years, no organization has been more conscious of team chemistry than San Antonio. The Spurs are also far and away the modern era’s most influential organization: Nearly one third of the league’s rival head coaches and front office executives can be traced back to head coach Gregg Popovich.

Drafting multiple Hall of Famers undoubtedly factored into the Spurs’ success, but their efforts to maintain an open atmosphere for stars and role players alike — one that obsessed over values of tolerance, respect and empathy — also separated them from everyone else.

However, San Antonio’s year-to-year continuity is also becoming progressively rarer, if not extinct. When Chicago Bulls head coach Jim Boylen was a Spurs assistant during the 2014-15 season, they had brought back 14 members of the previous year’s 15-man roster.

“And of those guys, a bunch of them had been together for years,” Boylen said. “Now there’s approximately 6.5 new guys per team. That’s unheard of.”

To ignore San Antonio’s sprawling influence would be like praising observational comedy and never once mentioning Jerry Seinfeld. But even the Spurs are vulnerable in a league where turnover is the status quo. Prior to the 2018-19 season, they traded Kawhi Leonard and Danny Green, and lost in the first round of the playoffs for the second year in a row. Prior to this season’s hiatus, they were on track for their first losing record in 21 years.

“The Spurs don’t have an advantage anymore,” Dudley said. “We all have a disadvantage. Now it’s who has the most talent. Talent is gonna win out. Talent and vets.”

Continuity is comfort

In 2012, James Tarlow was an economics student at the University of Oregon when he presented a paper titled “Experience and Winning in the National Basketball Association” at the MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference. Tarlow wanted to know how roster continuity relates to team chemistry, so he pulled data from 804 NBA seasons played by 30 franchises between 1979 and 2008. He defined chemistry as “the number of years the five players playing the most minutes during the regular season have been on their current team with one another.”

“I got an actual measurement of how important [chemistry] is,” Tarlow said in a conversation with SB Nation in March. “And it’s pretty dang important. If you keep your team together it’s like a third of a win for a year, which, people don’t appreciate that and it doesn’t seem like much, but if you have a team that stuck together for several years, that turns into another game or two. That’s going to get you into another round in the playoffs.”

Bill Russell once wrote, “There is no time in basketball to think: ‘This has happened; this is what I must do next.’ In the amount of time it takes to think through that semicolon, it is already too late.”

It’s an intuitive idea: The longer we’re around people, the better we know how they’re going to behave under certain circumstances. Just think of the short-hand forms of communication you’ve established with your closest friends, family members and coworkers. Those subtle gestures and glances are especially helpful in sports, where a split-second miscommunication can be the difference between winning and losing.

“You go back to those San Antonio days, the winks and blinks and the nuances [where Tim] Duncan would find Tony [Parker] on a backdoor, or Manu [Ginobili] would find Timmy on a lob, that evolved over time, and lots of times [time] isn’t afforded,” said Philadelphia 76ers head coach Brett Brown, who spent nine years as a Spurs assistant. “You need time to have that sophisticated camaraderie, gut feel, instances on a court that require split the moment decisions.”

Continuity by itself doesn’t lead to winning, of course. In some cases, it might only extend mediocrity. And if winning a championship is an organization’s organization goal, then it should first pursue star power. But continuity is a boon to coaches, who can implement more complex strategies if they’re able to retain a core group of players year after year.

“Right now with the influx of new players, you’re having to really keep your playbook and your schemes at a basic level because you are teaching more,” Charlotte Hornets head coach James Borrego said. “You’re just starting almost at a ground level every single year in a lot of different ways, where the teams that have had success for years and years, they’re building on every single year.”

You never actually practice anymore … like when I first got in the league, everybody had a million plays.” — Steve Clifford

The lack of in-season practice hours only compounds coaches’ frustrations. With shorter timeframes to fold new players into their system and culture, coaches around the league feel they need to adapt quicker than they ever had before.

As Boston Celtics head coach Brad Stevens joked, “We get three weeks to get ready for a season, then we never practice again.”

Orlando Magic head coach Steve Clifford believes that the league office did the right thing by limiting back-to-backs across every team’s schedule. During his first two years as head coach of the Charlotte Hornets, they played 22 back-to-backs each season, while only 11 were on the docket this season for Orlando. But the schedule shift has hurt in unforeseen ways.

“When you play a back-to-back you usually get two days off, most times, right?” Clifford said. “So you give them a day off and then when you come in you can practice. They’re rested, you bring referees in. You practice. You actually practice.

“You never actually practice anymore … like when I first got in the league, everybody had a million plays, and you had to know the plays and stuff, and now if you do it’s an advantage but people don’t look at it like that.”

A side effect of so much player movement may be a simplification of the product. NBA teams have evolved to emphasize an up-and-down, free-flowing style of play that is largely the byproduct of an analytical revolution to prioritize threes, layups and free throws. Modern basketball is filled with pick-and-roll heavy offensive actions that don’t require the same on-court intimacy as a stockpile of elaborate set plays.

“My gut tells me that roster turnover is what’s causing the thinning of playbooks,” one western conference general manager said. “And the thinning of playbooks is what’s causing this standardization of playing style.”

Players feel it, too. “Most teams don’t do anything. Really it’s just take the ball out the basket, pick-and-roll, and run,” Rivers said. “The coaches are really here to guide you now. It’s crazy. It’s more ATO’s (after time-out plays) and out of bounds, and late clock, fourth quarter, that’s when coaching really comes in play. That’s all we go over in shootaround. Most of our stuff involves defense because our offense is fucking ridiculous, man. We don’t really do anything on offense.”

Even teams that have gone out of their way to maintain continuity—like Clifford’s Magic, which returned 85 and 82 percent of their minutes over the past two seasons, respectively—are not immune to change, and all its myriad effects on strategy.

“The game is what they wanted it to be when they changed the rules, and the level of execution is still high, obviously,” Clifford said. “It’s not nearly the gameplanning league that it was even seven or eight years ago.”

Sustained success is not possible without collaboration, and collaboration becomes habit when several contributors spend thousands of minutes battling together in the same system. The Golden State Warriors had the benefit of several superstars as they won three championships, but they also had an iron collective grasp of what they wanted to accomplish on every possession.

“I think there is a level of beauty that exists with the game that is tougher to reach with the turnover,” Warriors head coach Steve Kerr said. “For example, if Draymond [Green] ever caught the ball in the pocket off of a high screen with Steph [Curry], Andre [Iguodala] knew exactly where to go and Draymond knew exactly where he was going to be. We didn’t even have to practice it. And that’s why you saw, frequently, either the lob to Andre along the baseline or Andre spaced out.”

How teams think they can engineer chemistry

NBA teams have been thinking about how to manufacture chemistry for years, long before this accelerated era. None of these billion-dollar corporations can ever be sure how well their efforts actually work, however. Their adjustments have always been based on in-game progression, but success also depends on other obvious factors, like talent, injuries and dumb luck.

A difference between then and now is that players are driving roster decisions to a greater extent. They have much more leverage within organizations, and the biggest stars can take their talent elsewhere if the locker room doesn’t jell quickly enough. For many teams, that means they have to proactively foster strong bonds among teammates by encouraging new and returning players to stick around the practice facility during the offseason.

“The summer time is big for us,” Borrego said. “We can’t demand it, but we encourage it … Guys can really settle down and connect, really understand their teammates, understand their coaches, and it’s just a much more comfortable situation that allows for chemistry to be built and grown.”

The Hornets also organize team dinners when they’re on the road, a practice Borrego borrowed from his time in San Antonio. When asked if those dinners are mandatory, he gave a wry smile: “They are team dinners. Then there are others that happen organically on their own, and I want our players to do that. If they’re doing it on their own that’s even better than me organizing something.”

If there’s somebody in your organization that hasn’t gotten over himself or herself they’re a pain in the ass ... they can’t be happy for somebody else’s success.” — Gregg Popovich

As one former Spur told ESPN: “To take the time to slow down and truly dine with someone in this day and age — I’m talking a two- or three-hour dinner — you naturally connect on a different level than just on the court or in the locker room. It seems like a pretty obvious way to build team chemistry, but the tricky part is getting everyone to buy in and actually want to go. You combine amazing restaurants with an interesting group of teammates from a bunch of different countries and the result is some of the best memories I have from my career.”

Of course, Popovich was also good at finding players he wanted at the table.

“The more you can stay together, the more the chemistry builds. But still chemistry is more a function of the character of the players than it is anything else,” Popovich said. “I always talk about getting over yourself. And if there’s somebody in your organization that hasn’t gotten over himself or herself they’re a pain in the ass and they make it harder for everybody else because they can only feel about their success. They can’t be happy for somebody else’s success. It has to be about them. If you don’t have that then nothing else is gonna help you have chemistry. You can’t make it happen.”

Still, every coach tries to get everyone on the same page. As players digest their new surroundings, it’s important that everyone — coaches, players and executives — understand their expectations for one another. Rockets head coach Mike D’Antoni boiled his own approach down simply: “Don’t ask somebody to do something they can’t do. If you’re gonna have to change a guy, you might not want to bring him in in the first place.”

It is impossible for any team to keep all 15 players in the locker room happy at the same time; they’re human beings who are all going through their own real life issues. But a haphazard onboarding process will create headaches down the road. According to Buchanan, coaches have to be able to anticipate players’ questions.

“‘Why am I not getting to do this?’ or ‘Why am I not getting to play more?’ or ‘Why am I not playing with that guy?’ or ‘Why am I not starting?,’” Buchanan said. “You try to get that communicated up front so the player knows what he’s stepping into, because lots of times chemistry issues evolve from a lack of communication.”

When general managers and coaches are unaware of loose frustrations, they risk one player venting to another, sewing animosity that does irreparable damage to the entire team. Left unattended, a team can spiral into soap opera.

“It’s not difficult to create chemistry,” Atlanta Hawks head coach Lloyd Pierce said. “It’s more about sustaining it through the course of 82 games with so many ups and downs. Obviously [we had] some of those moments with John [Collins] being out and Kevin [Heurter’s] injury. Roles start to shift and some guys weren’t ready for it, so the frustration of that kicked in.”

The Hawks have done two things to stave off that seemingly unavoidable discomfort. The first is an all-in dedication to how they play, in which everything revolves around pick-and-rolls with Trae Young and a rim-rolling big. By keeping the gameplan simple, they can plug in pieces as needed.

“When Trae masters it and everybody else understands it, you know, you roll a little bit harder and you shake up a little bit better, and you slash a little bit better. That’s who we will become,” Pierce said. “Any big that comes to our roster [knows,] ‘I can play here because I know I’m gonna get the ball at the rim.’”

The Hawks also have a breakfast club that Pierce took from his time as an assistant under Brown in Philadelphia. Every time the club meets, players stand up in front of their teammates and discuss something that matters to them. Earlier this year, Collins enlightened the room with a powerpoint presentation about what it was like growing up in a military family. Heurter talked about growing up in upstate New York and losing high-school friends in a drunk-driving accident.

Former Hawks center Alex Len gave a particularly tender presentation last season that moved his head coach.

“You’re barking at Alex Len. ‘This fucking guy, he doesn’t compete, he doesn’t appreciate this,’” Pierce said. “Well, Alex Len talked about why he couldn’t go to the Ukraine for the last seven years. ‘Wow, I didn’t know you had such a tough time with that. I’m over here fucking yelling at you for not rolling in the pick and roll. I don’t know you’re dealing with this Ukraine thing for the last seven years and not being able to go home and see your grandparents. My bad. I’ve got to get to know you a little bit better.’”

Three years ago, Kings owner Vivek Ranadive asked a communications coach named Steve Shenbaum to work with his team. In 1997, Shenbaum founded a company called Game On Nation, which helps corporate executives, military personnel and government employees in addition to professional sports teams.

Within the past decade, Shenbaum has been brought in by the Lakers, Trailblazers, Nuggets. Cavaliers, Grizzlies and Mavericks, and agent Bill Duffy has asked Shenbaum to assist several of his clients, including Carmelo Anthony, Yao Ming and Greg Oden. He has more than 100 improvisational and conceptual exercises to help clients build self-awareness, selflessness, confidence and other traits that enable character development.

A favorite is called “last letter, first letter,” in which two teammates have a conversation with one rule: as they take turns speaking, they must start with the last letter of the other person’s last word, and keep the conversation going. The exercise forces both parties to listen, let one another finish and focus in ways they otherwise might not.

“My hope is I am planting seeds and empowering the players and the staff to take what they’ve experienced and run with it and multiply it,” Shenbaum said. “I want them to see each other in another light.”

Shenbaum has many telltale signs of good and bad chemistry, but a big one is how well veterans are buying in. In a league that’s getting younger and younger, it’s imperative that older players command respect in the locker room and impose a will to succeed.

Dudley believes veterans who might not even be in a rotation can earn their money by bringing everyone together in ways a coach or GM can’t. During his one year in Brooklyn, he organized dinners, trips to the movies, parties and other events away from the game that involved the whole team.

“Then, when we were in film sessions and I would call them out, they took it as love and not criticism,” Dudley said. “You’re developing a relationship and then you can tell them, Spencer [Dinwiddie] or a guy who thinks he should play more, ‘this is why you’re not playing. This is your role for this team.’ Rondae [Hollis-Jefferson], he got benched: ‘Hey Rondae, for you to stay in the league, this is what you gotta do. On this team you’re not a starter anymore but there’s gonna be times they call on you.’ He stayed ready.”

Almost everyone interviewed for this story agreed that chemistry can’t be forced. Players on contending teams have to go through organic hardships together before they can become comfortable enough for the difficult conversations that facilitate progress. Some teams don’t believe it’s necessary or appropriate to ask their players to spend more time together than they already do. They believe that players should figure out issues among themselves, and that a front office’s biggest role is doing good background research on everybody they bring aboard. Coaches are there to take a team’s disparate pieces and position them to succeed.

“I think everybody’s budgets on team meals now has skyrocketed league wide because of the San Antonio Spurs,” Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra laughed. “The more important thing is getting a team on the same sheet of music about your style of play and an identity on both ends of the court, understanding what’s important, what the standards are, the expectations, role clarity. These things fasttrack, in my mind, chemistry. It’s always nice if guys like each other and they go out to eat on the road, have dinner together. But that doesn’t guarantee anything.”

Spoelstra knew early on that Jimmy Butler’s oft-misunderstood persona would have no trouble fitting in with several players on Miami’s roster because they all shared the same sense of duty.

It’s always nice if guys like each other and they go out to eat on the road, have dinner together. But that doesn’t guarantee anything.” — Erik Spoelstra

“I’ve noticed with Goran and Jimmy in particular, they have such a beautiful on-court chemistry because they’re in their 30s, they’re only about winning right now. They don’t care about anything else. If you want to define on-court chemistry, in my mind it’s how willing are you to help somebody else. And how willing and able are you to enjoy somebody else’s success when it happens.”

The “character vs. talent” debate isn’t new among NBA decision-makers. But going forward, we may see teams value the former more than they have.

“If you get a group of four new players who you bring onto your team and they’re all team-first, unselfish, competitive, self-motivated players, there’s a decent chance that the chemistry is gonna have a chance to be good,” Buchanan said. “Doing a ropes course, that’s great in theory and may work for a business, but professional athletes, they develop chemistry by knowing they can trust each other because they’ve been together through tough times on the court.”

Searching for answers that don’t exist

Chemistry is worth deep investment, but perhaps it can be overanalyzed, too.

“We try to make the simple complicated at times,” ESPN NBA analyst Jeff Van Gundy said. “Going out to dinner is a far different chemistry than playing chemistry. You read a lot about, ‘We play paintball together.’ Who gives a shit, you know?

“I don’t believe it’s the reason why a team is either good or not good. I think you’ve gotta get great players, and when you have them you gotta try and keep them.”

There are endless ways to cultivate chemistry, but teams can still only guess at what will work in every situation. Statistics aren’t a good guide. They can’t quantify personality flaws or gauge emotional intelligence. When intuition is the best way to make a decision, some front office executives lean too hard on what they can measure instead.

“I think a lot of these GM’s, they really don’t take [chemistry] into consideration,” Utah Jazz center Ed Davis said. “They’re starting to treat the NBA like 2K and more just looking at numbers instead of, ‘are these two players going to get along?’ And I think you’re gonna start seeing GM’s lose their jobs.”

Top-tier skill, athleticism and on-court awareness is very often the bottom line for NBA teams, but those still trying to crack chemistry’s mysteries have good reason to believe they aren’t running a fool’s errand, as vulnerable as their circumstances may make them feel.

“There’s something very powerful about newness,” Shenbaum said. “And if you embrace it early, whether it’s a new coach, five new players, the star left, if you embrace it early you can actually create a very authentic bond.”

Defining chemistry can feel like trying to catch the wind. It is omnipresent and elusive at the same time. Until the NBA’s best and brightest crack the formula, they will have to deal with increasing levels of uncertainty in what was already an uncertain business.

Time will tell if NBA teams ever learn how to overcome their mounting challenges — from the shifting ways teams are built, to how on-court strategy is implemented, to the quality of the game itself. But there’s no denying that chemistry is a force multiplier, complex and intractable. And in an era of basketball that demands urgency more than ever, that fact can be frightening.

A lot of players and teams will continue to fail in familiar ways, well-laid plans crumbling because players, coaches and executives never understood each other on or off the court. Only now, they may not realize their mistakes until they find themselves starting all over. Again.

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