#i want to put them in a boc and shake them

[sincapjelly]

Headphones (One-shot)

AO3 version if anyone's interested:

He had no idea how the past couple of weeks had gone by so fast. It felt like only yesterday that he had returned home and unpacked his bag. Now he was packing his bag to leave again, even though he didn't feel ready to go back to school and say goodbye to Lilly at all. The only thing that comforted him was the fact that Lilly was going back to the monastery the day after him.

Sometimes he wished they could go back to the days when they were not busy with school or the monastery.

Speaking of Lilly, he could hear her footsteps approaching.

"Can I take the headphones this time?"

Lou looked up from packing his bag and turned to Lilly, standing a few steps away with a Puss in Boots look in her eyes, holding the white headphones in her hand. For a few seconds they exchanged no words, communicating through their eyes. In response to Lilly's deliberately cute look, Lou gave her a look that indicated he wasn't too happy about it before giving up. He sighed and closed his eyes. He didn't like upsetting her. Especially breaking her heart over an item that belonged to both of them, even if Lilly thought otherwise.

Without the headphones, the ride to the city was an agonizing experience. He didn't like the loud noise of the city, every time he wanted to cover his ears and drown out the feeling that the city was swallowing him up. He also needed to talk to people less with his headphones on. But above all, it was torture to be without headphones, especially when Lilly wasn't around. He just wanted to put his headphones on and make the outside and the people invisible.

On the other hand, he knew that Lilly felt the same way more or less. Maybe it wasn't exactly the same inside their heads, but even for different reasons, they both needed music when they were alone.

They definitely needed to buy another pair of headphones with the first money they could get their hands on.

"Okay, you take them this time."

Lilly knew he wasn't very happy about it. But even though she felt bad, she was relieved that this time she would get the headphones. After all, she was not forcing him, Lou would not do anything he didn't want no matter how much he was begged.

She wanted the headphones, the music helped quiet her mind. Without it, thoughts would sometimes be so crowded in her head that it felt like it could explode even when she didn't try to think, the world and the people around her seemed to fade out. The music kept her in the moment. Without it, it was too hard, sometimes even impossible to focus.

Even though it was obvious that they both needed this clunky gadget equally, Lilly still felt guilty.

In fact, Lou was embarrassed too, thinking it was selfish of him to not want to give it to her. But the truth was that neither of them wanted to give the headphones. When they traveled together, it was not a problem to have only one, listening together was way more pleasant even. But when they had to travel separately... No matter which one of them took the headphones, it was going to be an unpleasant journey for the other.

They bought the headset together, using their joint money. But because of the spontaneous nature of the missions and Lilly's lack of time to spend with herself at the monastery, Lou often ended up being the one that kept the headphones. Now he felt a sense of emptiness because of this. It was overwhelming just thinking about the ride.

An awkward silence lasted as they both saw themselves as the villain. Until Lou finally smiled and looked at Lilly.

"But on one condition."

Lilly looked puzzled, not knowing what kind of condition he was going to come up with, but she was clearly more relaxed than earlier.

"What condition?"

"Come with me on the way to the city."

°•°•°•°•

Yes, Lilly going in and out of the city meant spending some extra money on transportation. But if they could solve the headphone problem and also get to spend some time in the city before Lou went back to his dorm, what did it matter?

On the way to the subway, they had to get on and off several times. Now, fortunately, they would be on the same metro for about two hours. They had purposely left the house as early as possible, the sky wasn't even entirely light yet. Maybe that was why Lilly felt so sleepy.

Or maybe it was just spending the trip and listening to their favorite songs together. She shifted more and more in her seat, almost falling asleep against Lou's shoulder. The boy's gentle hand on her back and hair wasn't helping her stay awake either.

She wished she could bring not just the headphones, but him along on the way back.

[vaingloriosa]

It Has to Be You

Loki Laufeyson x Valkyrie!Reader

Words: 1,256

Summary: How could you possibly think you could outrun the end of the universe?

Author’s note: imma need y’all to pop some BIG BOTTLES because this is the first fic out of my writer’s block and if it weren’t for the laws of this land i would’ve busted out CRYING. so, to explain a bit of lore behind this: in the comics, the Valkyrie have a “sixth sense” where they can see a “death glow” on a person in their last moments. in this story, valkyrie is called brunnhilde (like in the comics) and loki and the reader have known each other for awhile (supposing you were thought to be the last remaining valkyrie until the events of thor: ragnarok happened). YA DIG??

When you see the golden glow among your people, your blood runs cold.

It had been both a blessing and a curse to be a Valkyrie; a burden that weighed heavily on your shoulders. Throughout your years of training, you were taught about the sixth sense other Asgardians did not posses; not even the princes of Asgard.

The sense that allows you to see a death glow around people in their last few moments.

A rush of dread washes over you again like an overwhelming tidal wave.

You had nowhere to run, to cower, to try and stabilize yourself before you break apart. There was no one to turn to for you feared that being honest would only make things worse. For the first time in a week, you see your people happy for once. Children smiling, mothers holding on to each other, and others enjoying each other’s company and conversing on topics other than the destruction of the place they once called home. There were finally taking it easy, healing, and planning for the future. Where would they inhabit next? Midgard? Oh, how Thor raved of a divine realm that even made you excited for what may come.

You couldn’t take that hope away from them.

Without anyone noticing, you slip away through a empty hall that lead to Odin knows where. You needed time to digest the information as calmly as you can. Your heart begins to beat against your chest with tears threatening to fall if you continued to think of innocent people with that deathly glow. You curse yourself for the ability you never wanted but were ultimately given to you. The way of the Valkyrie chose you for a reason and as much as you want to be strong for your people, you couldn’t help but cave inside yourself. You feel for the wall in order to straighten yourself off as it becomes too difficult to bring.

Why innocent lives? Who would want to kill innocent lives? Dwelling on the visions, you allow yourself to slip down to the ground. The cool metal doesn’t bring you much comfort over your increasingly warm body that shakes from the overwhelming denial of the future.

Did you possess a glow yourself? Were you also in your last moments of living? You knew you had faced battles and waged wars against evil but you felt like you still had more time left to achieve so much more. You stretch your arm out to examine it but you are met with nothing, no glow; a sign that it’s not your time to die yet. You wish you could take away the oncoming pain of the Asgardians, to be the martyr your people need in times of desperation.

Sometimes you despise being a Valkyrie.

Your throat tightens as if someone has a tight grip on your neck, soon becoming desperate for air as you close your eyes. Trails of tears roll down both of your cheeks, choking up when your mind begins to play out lifeless Asgardian bodies that lay across the ship. You tell yourself that dying is for the innocent, that murder is for the heartless, and perhaps their death will not be in vain. What lies ahead for Asgard? What mess have you created alongside Thor, Brunnhilde, and Loki?

Hadn’t you suffered enough?

“My darling, why are you on the floor?”

Loki’s voice sounds just as sweet as the nectar from the berries you both picked from the royal garden on your first date. You’re almost afraid to open your eyes to face the man you love for the last time. He takes a seat right besides you, folding his long legs neatly and placing his hands on his knees. You swallow thickly, your hand reaching to wipe the tears away from your face. Loki places a hand over your own and rubs his thumb against your skin. The mere touch makes you want to break down and curl into yourself.

You must open your eyes and face reality.

Your eyes flutter open.

You stifle a sob at the back of your throat as your lover drowns in a golden hue. By the gods, why can’t they just take you instead? Not him, not him, oh, Odin, not your Loki.

“Is there something the matter, love? You look like you’ve seen a horrific vision of the future.”

Before your eyes could bug out at the near accuracy, Loki softly chuckles under his breath. He reaches for your cheek and you lean into his warm touch, still aware of the glow around him. You can’t tell Loki what you see or else you will set panic through his veins. A protective man underneath all the cold exterior he loves to put up around others. However, you wonder if he, too, knows what will happen to the people of this ship, to him, to you, the universe. Would Loki forgive you from hiding something so incredibly overwhelming or would he understand?

A burden too much to bear.

You slip your hand over his. “I love you.”

Such a simple declaration yet if those were the last words you would say to him, then you would be content.

Loki leans over and places a small kiss on your forehead. He wipes underneath your swollen red eyes with his thumb. “And I love you, too.”

The ship shakes violently, knocking out the lights inside. You gasp and tighten your grip around your boyfriend’s hand. It’s happening right now and you still hadn’t processed the inevitable. You glance over at Loki whose face turns into dread with his eyes closing firmly as if he were praying for a miracle. He’s the first to get up then helps you to your feet with you and him running into the main area hand in hand.

“Get our people into the evacuation ships,” Loki instructs you calmly and you shake your head in disapproval.

“What about you?” you ask him, still tucking at his hand. Many Asgardians run past you as they flee in fear. You watch Brunnhilde ushering your people towards the back of the ship. Another weapon blast rocks the ship which causes many to scream out in terror. You despise the sound of suffering, especially if it’s coming from the people you hold near to your heart.

“I must stay with the ship with my brother and Heimdall in order to protect our people-”

“But-”

“You will be helping our people as well by getting them on that ship.”

The glow begins to grow by each passing second. You want to break down and surrender on your knees. By the stars, why couldn’t you save everyone? Why did it have to be like this?

Loki draws you out of your cloud of misery by saying your name. He cups your face and places his forehead against yours. As Loki withdraws, you can see the answers to all your questions.

Acceptance.

Loki knows.

You shake your head slightly yet he nods in response. You bite your bottom lip as you catch sight of his eyes for what will be the last time until Valhalla. Loki draws you closer and kisses you softly. Despite the chaos, the kiss brings peace to both of you. Pulling away, you slowly open your eyes and are met with that same glow but this time you don’t feel as guilty. Your people would have valiantly fought until the very end.

“Goodnight, Loki.”

You already miss the warmth of his presence once Loki draws away.

Tagging: @kwaiky, @cura-posterior, @the-darklings, @michverse (he’s my caucasian king i bring with me into the BOC [bunker of color]), @susiephalange, @diansaprince, @black-widow-fangirl, @deviantramblings, @bbyicicle, @moonbeamgogh, @drmsqnc, @attentionseekingprincess

[niconicotastic]

Another Gale’rea drabble. 

She was going back to a place she'd hoped she would never see again. To see the home of her oppressor, of her dead master, the home where he tormented her every day of her life since she was young was going to be difficult. But she was alone this time. He was not there to torment her. He was dead. She had to keep reminding herself as she flew the ship closer to the small moon base.

A quick flyby would show that the doors to the base were still shut and the approach was clear. Erring on the side of caution, however, she employed the sensors to pick up anything on the planets surface. No life signs. Gale'Rea breathed a sigh of relief. She truly was alone then.

The smuggler's ship was easy enough to maneuver to the doors. Doors she knew all too well. She had stood here, shivering in her flimsy clothes a thousand times as the corpulent human typed in the codes to open the doors. She had memorized the motions, and copied them. Gale'Rea could not read or write, but she could memorize movements. She did so now, following his motions. It took a few moments, and at first the twi'lek thought she had made a mistake, but the disused durasteel doors even rolled up, allowing her entrance to her master's old home.

It was still the same hall, though dusty with age. The cleaning bots had obviously fallen into disrepair while they were gone. The place was slightly musty, but the trappings of Boc Tuma's tacky wealth still hung along the walls. The lights emitted a low buzz over head, though they were dim with dust. Most of the bulbs no longer working. The maintenance bots must have also shut down. She turned as the door lowered itself once more, and nearly screamed at the droid that still stood by the door. R-Ra-7. The protocol droid stood, rusty and disused in it's place by the front door, awaiting it's master like a loyal dog that had died of starvation waiting for a master who would never return.

"Poor thing..." She said, as she turned back to continue down the hall. She would have to get the droids working again.

"M-M---mmmmmm" The sound vibrated out of the droid speaker and Gale turned to it once more. "Gggaaaaale'Rea." She smiled a moment at the droid and nodded.

"That's right, RaRa, it's me. I'm here. Master isn't. He had...an accident." Gale tried to explain, though she wasn't sure how much the droid was actually going to understand in it's state of disrepair.

"Mmmmammaassster. Help?" It asked, it's eyes trying to light up with life again.

"No, no, no one can help him. If you can move to your charging bay. I need to check the other systems before I start trying to repair everyone." At least one droid worked...mostly. She just hoped she wouldn't have to drag the heavy thing to it's charging bay.

"Ye-Ye-Yessss, Mistress..." It said, turning it's head first and then slowly, with stiff joints making it's way towards the droid bay.

Gale raised her brow ridges in surprise. Mistress. She smirked slightly. That had a nice ring to it. She was master now, and why not? She was the one left alive, she had survived all this time, and Boc Tuma owed her more than his simple weapon dealing business would ever give her.

Invigorated by this new thought she turned her attention back to the hall, making her way with more confidence to Boc's office where all of the controls for the base were. She would need to check how much of it still ran and would kind of rations she had to work with. She had stocked the smuggler's ship before she left, but she wasn't sure just how much of the food had spoiled here during her long absence. Not to mention security would need to be put up. She did not want any invited guests.

The office was dusty, but just the same as when they had left it. Sitting in the master's chair, staring down at the pillow she had been permitted to sit on like a pet, filled her with disgust. Disgust for the man who treated her like an animal,disgust for a galaxy that allowed such things, and she promised herself she would never fall to her knees for any man again, unless she chose to. Shaking the thoughts off for now, she kicked the pillow away with a bare foot and turned to the computer screen to start checking on things.

The security was still online, and it seemed the cleaner droids were smart enough to put themselves into stasis when it appeared that no one was returning. Poor RaRa, however, was not as intelligent. It refused to give up it's post. It would have to be fixed. The food supplies had mostly spoiled except for dry goods, which would have to be checked on personally to make sure nothing was living in them. The various liquors and wines that Boc took so much pride in would be just fine.

Her attention turned to the various messages that had been left for the weapons dealer. The oldest seemed to be from several years ago and the latest only a few days. The older one caught her interest as it was unusual for Boc to keep a customers message that long. He often dealt with shady individuals who did not like such messages left lying around. She clicked on the message. After all, she was master now.

A familiar face popped up on the screen and she nearly choked when she saw it. Jango Fett. He was frowning, but clean, his hair cropped short, his face a bit more lined than when she had known him. But there he was.

"Tuma. I have the credits now and I'll be heading towards your moon soon." His expression said he wasn't in the mood to tell Boc when. But Gale was confused. Credits? She leaned in closer to the holo. "I've got a message for her and you will give it to her, or so help me..." He took a breath, clenched his fist, realizing his anger was not going to help here. "Please. I'm paying you a lot of money for her. I think it's only fair you let her know I'm coming." Paying for her? Gale's breath caught in her throat. He was going to buy her.

"I've got a son now. Boba." Gale's brow ridges rose as he mentioned the son. "And we are coming for his mother. So be ready." The message ended. Gale' sat for a moment, unsure what to do with this information. Jango. A man she thought had abandoned her. Another bounty hunter hired by her master for some odd jobs who kept returning to buy weapons from him. A bounty hunter she had come to admire and enjoy spending time with when her master was out of sight for those fleeting moments. He was going to buy her.

Mother...she was going to be a mother. She would have been...no...she stopped her tears from falling. That would have never happened. Boc would have taken Jango's money and killed her before he let her have anything like that.

And anyway, her hands shook on the arms of the chair, Jango was dead now. He had gotten his head lopped off by a Jedi.

Jedi.

It was always Jedi. Jedi taking something from her.

[oddsnendsfanfics]

Mother Knows Best

Genre: Fan Fiction Pairing: Jai Courtney/OFC (Roo) Warnings: Language, Slight Sexual Content Rating: R Length: Short Story Disclaimer: a strict work of fiction, I own nothing except the original characters and the plot line. In no way am I affiliated to any of it.

A/N: Hey! Look! It’s Cora! 

Read:  Dirty Laundry &  It’s Kind of Complicated

"Honey, calm down. It's not the end of the world." Jai laughed nervously, adjusting his shorts. "I've had my mum walk in plenty of times. Shit happens."

He could have done without Cora whistling and telling him to shake it, but such was life and Jai wasn't going to argue when she praised his god like ass.

"Not the same." She muttered, her words coming with frustration.

A teenage boy having his mother walk in, while he was having sex was one thing. A grown adult, woman, having her mother walk in while she was having sex was entirely different. Would it have killed Cora to knock? Or to give some sort of warning that she was back? No, leave it to her mother to stroll in, as if she owned the place.

There wasn't a single moment in life, where she could remember being this mortified. How much had her mother saw? Silly question, she could recall the exact moment, words, motion...every detail of that moment.

"I don't suppose this is part of therapy?" Cora smirked, motioning between the pair.

"Mom." the embarrassed anger didn't go unnoticed.

"It isn't any of my business, but if this isn't doctor prescribed, then you may want to take it easy. I've been here less than 72 hours and I'm beginning to wonder if you do anything other than fuck."

"Mom?"

"I suppose it makes sense." Cora continued on to herself. "Denzi is at school, you're both here. Oh, you're father and I would do the exact same thing. He was always naughty like that, but Richie. Whew!"

"Mom!" She shouted, torn between gagging and covering her ears. There were things she didn't need to know, ever.

"Yes?" Cora paused, her eyebrows raised.

If her daughter thought this was a walk in the park, for Cora, then she was mistaken. It would take years for the haunting images to leave. Yes, Jai was a rather attractive man, one Cora would admit wasn't disappointing. Yet, this was not something Cora ever wanted to see. Seeing him bend her daughter over in the kitchen, taking her from behind, was not an easy pill to swallow.

"Do you mind?" She snapped, huffing again. "We uh, we'd like to get over this...situation. If we can?"

"Oh! Of course, go ahead. I don't mind." Cora waved it off. "As I was saying..."

"Mom!" this was not happening! If she could be swallowed up by a giant black hole, now would be the time. Come on universe, do it!

"Roo, it's fine. It's okay, I promise in a while we'll all be laughing over this." Jai squeezed her shoulder, only to have her smack his hand and move away.

Easy enough for him to say. This wasn't his mother. Cora had a way of storing incidents and using them, whenever she needed a funny story or blackmail. Over thirty years later and Cora still loved to tell the story about the time her daughter had got the training potty stuck on her head.

Walking in on he daughter getting fucked in the kitchen, what a fantastic story to tell at parties! Yes, she could envision it all now: A gathering of some sort, Cora with her third or fourth drink in hand, laughing at unfortunate stories about things parents laugh over. Someone would make the most random comment and the next thing everyone knew...Cora could be describing, detail for detail, the day she walked in to find her daughter getting fucked in the kitchen.

"This is a fucking disaster." She muttered, shaking her head frantically and adjusting her sports bra.

The only way this could have been worse, is if Cora had brought someone else in – or Denzi. Oh god! If she'd had Denzi with her, there would never be a chance of letting this go. The four year old was blissfully unaware of adult intimacy, as he had proven in the past, but Cora would have wasted no time tearing into them about appropriate behaviour.

"No, it's not." Jai assured her. "Take a drink, go jump in the pool, or something to unwind. You need to just take a deep breath and..." He inhaled deeply, letting it go with a smile. "See, just an accident. No harm, firecracker."

"Exactly, just bad timing. I apologize." Cora added promptly, happy to see Jai was in her corner.

"I...it's..." Frantically running her hands through her hair, she grunted. "I have to go get Denzi."

Since Jai was home, Sera had been giving another week off. Today was her turn to pick him up and if she left now, even thirty minutes earlier than usual, she may be able to live through this. Met with a frown, she crinkled her forehead glaring at Jai.

"What?"

"I'll go get the joey. Give me a few minutes to shower and change. You...you enjoy hanging out with your mum."

Hang out with her mother?

After that?

Jai was crazier than she had imagined.

"I could get Denzi." Cora piped up, shrugging at the suggestion. "It's no big deal. He and I can go hang out."

"I can't let you do that." Jai shook his head, squashing the idea. He could, he wouldn't. As much as this had no affect on him; Jai really needed to clear out before she lost it, as she eventually would. If she was going to go off about Cora, he didn't want to be around for that. "Naw, you two had plans for this evening. Why not get a start on them, early?"

"If you're sure." Cora pressed.

"Absolutely." Jai smiled widely.

Muttering about how this was a bad, very bad idea, she paced beside the counter.

"Why don't I take Denzi, tomorrow? There is a pretty cool dinosaur exhibit at one of the museums." Cora suggested. "You two can go to the pub, take the bike out, or hit up some sex club. Whatever it is you kids do these days."

"You're a pain in the ass." She rolled her eyes at her mother.

"Yes, but I love you. At the end of the day that is all that really matters." Cora teased. "Being serious, I really would like to take Denzi to the exhibit." Cora turned to Jai, "Think you can spare him?"

Jai nodded, no hesitation. Of course Cora could take Denzi for the day, a full day with Cora would send Denzi through the roof with excitement. A full Denzi free day was making Jai excited.

Denzi coming home and telling Jai about his day was always a high point, the little boy was ecstatic to get home to Jai and more recently Dorito. He rushed through the front door every afternoon that he had preschool, eager to tell his new best friend all about his day. As much as Jai loved the afternoons he got with his son, an afternoon Denzi free to do whatever he wanted with her, it was a high point of Jai's week.

Whatever it was they did tomorrow, to fill in the void of the little boy, Jai knew she wouldn't easily agree. She had tomorrow off, he was sure of it, and there was no way Jai was allowing her to go into work or even think about work. Tomorrow was about them, doing things they enjoyed and wanted to waste time doing.

"Take him as long as you want, but he has to be in bed by 8pm." Jai instructed with a lazy smile.

"It's settled," Cora clapped her hands together, smiling cockily at her daughter.

What she wouldn't give to follow Jai up the stairs and into the shower, nothing about the thought came across as sexual, but purely to avoid listening to whatever Cora was about to say. In all fairness, a shower in general would be nice right about now. They'd been in such a rush to get home from the gym, she hadn't even changed from her gear.

Cornered in the kitchen, sweaty, the smell of sex lingering, and caught between pissed and ashamed she leaned against the counter. Tapping her nails on the elegant cabinet top, she glared at Cora. Pissed at herself, not truly her mother, she had nothing left to do but swallow her pride.

"When Jai is done, I'll shower and we can head out."

The original plan had been to grab dinner and then head out for a wine and painting evening, something a woman at work had invited her to. It seemed like the perfect night out to spend with her mother, until now.

"Are you sure you want to go? We don't have to." This was Cora's way of giving her daughter a final out.

"I've signed us up, it would be rude not to show." She answered with her head hung, avoiding eye contact. Mentally, she willed Jai to hurry up so that she could get a few minutes away. A shower wouldn't change what had happened, but it would figuratively wash away the incident.

"BoC, sweetie, if I had known..." Cora bit her bottom lip, trying not to laugh. It wasn't funny, but out of all the people she could imagine fucking in the kitchen, her daughter was never one. "The next time, I'll text that I am almost here."

"That would be appreciated." She pushed the comment off as quickly as possible.

Having Cora back in LA was fantastic, having two weeks of Cora living in the house was going to be – interesting. Interesting was the best and only word that she could use to describe it. When Cora had made the plans, during her daughter's Boston visit, the older woman had been looking exclusively at hotels. When Jai had heard, he'd promptly disagreed with the plan and insisted Cora stay at the house.

If it were his parents, he wouldn't want them in a cold and unfamiliar hotel. Families were meant to be together, under one roof, besides it wasn't as if Cora were an annoying pain in the ass type. Asking her to stay had been for her mother's comfort and mildly because Jai wanted her to see that this was an effort, put forth, by him to make this her home as well.

"I'm impressed, BoC. I never thought you'd be that type." Cora's smirk was full of mischief. "I especially liked the part, where I walked in. "Oh! Don't worry, you can cum in my...Mom!" real classy."

"You're impossible." She rolled her eyes, shaking her head in disbelief. Her mother would never let this go. Picking up on Cora's comment about sex being nothing shameful, she added. "Yes, but when your mother walks in to find a guy balls deep, in your ass...it's a little awkward."

Cora held back on the comment she wanted to give. If they were in a more private setting, then this would have never happened. On the other hand, Cora could absolutely understand what it was like to be crazy for someone, to the point it didn't matter where you fucked.

"See, I never took you for that girl, either."

"It's anal sex, mom. Not the end of the world."

"Oh, I know and trust me, with the right partner it can be fucking magic." Cora laughed. "Sweetie, I'm older not dead. You aren't the only one who likes making it interesting."

"That was something I never needed to know." She made a slightly disgusted face.

"If I had that body walking around, I'd be on him in every room of the house. Hell, I'd never let him out of the bedroom." Cora giggled.

"Some days, he doesn't get out of the bedroom. Not easily, at least." Her confession earning a knowing laugh from her mother.

[ainvestops]

As Wall Street empties, Asia’s bankers slowly head back to work

By Manuel Baigorri, Vinicy Chan and Alfred Liu

Simon Kavanagh never thought he’d be so happy to go to work. The investment banker rode the elevator to the 20th floor of his office on Queen’s Road Central in Hong Kong recently after spending a couple of weeks cooped up in his apartment as the coronavirus raged across Asia.

Working from home is nice for a few days, “but for week-long periods when you live in very small Hong Kong apartments it quickly loses its novelty,” said Kavanagh, a managing director at BDA Partners. “Returning to the office indicated a return to normalcy.”

Kavanagh is among a growing cadre of bankers and other office workers slowly returning to work in Hong Kong and across greater China following a stretch when new virus cases slowed. While most offices aren’t 100 per cent staffed — some are still rotating at home — the gradual return to normal offers some comfort for workers in Europe and North America who are just starting to see their lives turned upside down by the virus.

Signs of the return are everywhere. Kavanagh’s BDA team in Shanghai was back at work last week. Traffic jams are becoming the norm again in China’s financial capital. In Hong Kong, hot lunch spots in the financial center like Simply Life are sporting line-ups. Most bank branches in Beijing have reopened. Singapore, the Southeast Asian financial hub, has barely missed a beat.

“We are about 3 to 4 weeks ahead of where the US is in terms of dealing with the outbreak,” Chris Brankin, chief executive officer of TD Ameritrade Asia, told Bloomberg Television on March 12. “People are coming back to the office, they are out and about in public, whereas the US and Europe are in scramble mode.”

Back at work doesn’t mean back to normal for most bankers, and a recent uptick in cases in Hong Kong and Singapore has authorities cautioning against complacency. While some deals and equity sales are starting to get done, travel restrictions and the surge in cases throughout Europe and the US are putting major transactions on hold. Announced deals involving Chinese and Hong Kong companies plunged by almost a third in the first quarter to $65 billion. Initial public offerings in Hong Kong however have picked up in March after a plunge in February, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.

“Business has slowed down, but we’re still closing deals, including one in China just now, and we have a few more to close in the coming weeks,” said Kavanagh, whose New York-based firm has offices across Asia.

Here’s a look at how the recovery in financial services is shaping up in some Asian hubs:

Hong Kong: While New York and Los Angeles have shut down most bars and limited restaurants to take-out, Hong Kong eateries are filling up again. On a recent evening, four different restaurants including Birdie and Casa Lisboa in the Lan Kwai Fong area of the finance district had no tables available.

Lan Kwai Fong is “thriving again,” said an investment banker named Larry who works for a European firm and didn’t want his last name used. He said the Dragon-I nightclub, not far from the offices of UBS Group AG and JPMorgan Chase & Co., was packed on the weekend. His whole team is back at work though business has been slow, leaving more time to hit the gym, and Lan Kwai Fong.

Most bank branches are operating. HSBC Holdings Plc opened nine outlets last Monday after they were closed as a precautionary measure. BOC Hong Kong Holdings Ltd., which has the biggest branch network in Hong Kong, resumed services at 13 branches. In all, about 80 per cent of the city’s bank branches are open, the Hong Kong Monetary Authority said on March 13.

While bankers are slowly getting back to the office, many are now subject to new marching orders from their global parents. JPMorgan recently ordered all staff to split their time between home and office. Macquarie Group Ltd., the Australian bank, asked all global staff to work from home.

One JPMorgan banker in Hong Kong said he joined five conference calls the other day: not one was about a deal, they were all about internal protocol and coping in the coronavirus era.

In an example of how the virus fallout has turned on its head, one senior investment banker at a European firm who sent his kids to Madrid when the Hong Kong schools closed in January, is now bringing them back to Hong Kong.

Shanghai: The lines are forming again at the Tim Hortons coffee shop and the Shake Shack burger joint in Shanghai’s Lujiazui financial district, where global banks including Citigroup Inc. and HSBC have offices. Traffic jams have returned to China’s financial hub of 24 million people and 1,700 finance firms. Line 2 of the metro, one of the busiest in Shanghai, was packed last week, with commuters lining up to transfer to Lujiazui station. Overall, China Inc. is ramping up, with industry running at about 70 per cent to 80 per cent of capacity, according to an analysis by Bloomberg.

Business is “more or less” back to normal in Hong Kong and Shanghai as most people are in the office, said a money manager named Liu who works for a Chinese firm and recently returned to Hong Kong from Shanghai.

Lanny Li, a debt banker at one of the largest brokerages in China, said a travel ban at his firm was lifted in early March, allowing him to visit clients that are in need of financing. His firm is now issuing about 30 bonds a week.

In a small sign of the acceleration, Li noticed that after he left a recent meeting with a finance executive in Chengdu, Sichuan province, there were 10 other people outside the office waiting for meetings.

Beijing: The capital city is also showing signs of life, albeit at a slower pace than Shanghai. The Forbidden City remains forbidden – the former Imperial Palace has been closed since January. The Great Wall is also off limits and restaurants cap seating at two per table. Yet, deal makers at UBS and elsewhere who are preparing for China’s further opening of its capital markets on April 1 are increasingly back in the office. Chinese banks are generally more fully staffed in offices than foreign firms.

As of mid-March, more than 92 per cent of the city’s office buildings had reopened, with about 38 per cent of people back to work, according to the official Beijing Daily.

For Kavanagh, the Hong Kong investment banker who lived through the SARS outbreak in 2003, the gradual return to normal offers some solace for younger colleagues or those in London and New York wondering if this crisis will ever end.

“Some of us still remember SARS, so the coronavirus is a bit of a flashback, whereas for the more junior people it is something new,” he said. “We just tell them to stay calm, be cautious and hang in there as this too shall pass.”

if(geolocation && geolocation != 5 && (typeof skip == 'undefined' || typeof skip.fbevents == 'undefined')) { !function(f,b,e,v,n,t,s) {if(f.fbq)return;n=f.fbq=function(){n.callMethod? n.callMethod.apply(n,arguments):n.queue.push(arguments)}; if(!f._fbq)f._fbq=n;n.push=n;n.loaded=!0;n.version='2.0'; n.queue=[];t=b.createElement(e);t.async=!0; t.src=v;s=b.getElementsByTagName(e)[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(t,s)}(window, document,'script', 'https://connect.facebook.net/en_US/fbevents.js'); fbq('init', '338698809636220'); fbq('track', 'PageView'); }

Source link

The post As Wall Street empties, Asia’s bankers slowly head back to work appeared first on Invest Ops.

from Invest Ops https://ift.tt/3bfppyB

[boldlykeenblizzard]

As Wall Street empties, Asia’s bankers slowly head back to work

By Manuel Baigorri, Vinicy Chan and Alfred Liu

Simon Kavanagh never thought he’d be so happy to go to work. The investment banker rode the elevator to the 20th floor of his office on Queen’s Road Central in Hong Kong recently after spending a couple of weeks cooped up in his apartment as the coronavirus raged across Asia.

Working from home is nice for a few days, “but for week-long periods when you live in very small Hong Kong apartments it quickly loses its novelty,” said Kavanagh, a managing director at BDA Partners. “Returning to the office indicated a return to normalcy.”

Kavanagh is among a growing cadre of bankers and other office workers slowly returning to work in Hong Kong and across greater China following a stretch when new virus cases slowed. While most offices aren’t 100 per cent staffed — some are still rotating at home — the gradual return to normal offers some comfort for workers in Europe and North America who are just starting to see their lives turned upside down by the virus.

Signs of the return are everywhere. Kavanagh’s BDA team in Shanghai was back at work last week. Traffic jams are becoming the norm again in China’s financial capital. In Hong Kong, hot lunch spots in the financial center like Simply Life are sporting line-ups. Most bank branches in Beijing have reopened. Singapore, the Southeast Asian financial hub, has barely missed a beat.

“We are about 3 to 4 weeks ahead of where the US is in terms of dealing with the outbreak,” Chris Brankin, chief executive officer of TD Ameritrade Asia, told Bloomberg Television on March 12. “People are coming back to the office, they are out and about in public, whereas the US and Europe are in scramble mode.”

Back at work doesn’t mean back to normal for most bankers, and a recent uptick in cases in Hong Kong and Singapore has authorities cautioning against complacency. While some deals and equity sales are starting to get done, travel restrictions and the surge in cases throughout Europe and the US are putting major transactions on hold. Announced deals involving Chinese and Hong Kong companies plunged by almost a third in the first quarter to $65 billion. Initial public offerings in Hong Kong however have picked up in March after a plunge in February, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.

“Business has slowed down, but we’re still closing deals, including one in China just now, and we have a few more to close in the coming weeks,” said Kavanagh, whose New York-based firm has offices across Asia.

Here’s a look at how the recovery in financial services is shaping up in some Asian hubs:

Hong Kong: While New York and Los Angeles have shut down most bars and limited restaurants to take-out, Hong Kong eateries are filling up again. On a recent evening, four different restaurants including Birdie and Casa Lisboa in the Lan Kwai Fong area of the finance district had no tables available.

Lan Kwai Fong is “thriving again,” said an investment banker named Larry who works for a European firm and didn’t want his last name used. He said the Dragon-I nightclub, not far from the offices of UBS Group AG and JPMorgan Chase & Co., was packed on the weekend. His whole team is back at work though business has been slow, leaving more time to hit the gym, and Lan Kwai Fong.

Most bank branches are operating. HSBC Holdings Plc opened nine outlets last Monday after they were closed as a precautionary measure. BOC Hong Kong Holdings Ltd., which has the biggest branch network in Hong Kong, resumed services at 13 branches. In all, about 80 per cent of the city’s bank branches are open, the Hong Kong Monetary Authority said on March 13.

While bankers are slowly getting back to the office, many are now subject to new marching orders from their global parents. JPMorgan recently ordered all staff to split their time between home and office. Macquarie Group Ltd., the Australian bank, asked all global staff to work from home.

One JPMorgan banker in Hong Kong said he joined five conference calls the other day: not one was about a deal, they were all about internal protocol and coping in the coronavirus era.

In an example of how the virus fallout has turned on its head, one senior investment banker at a European firm who sent his kids to Madrid when the Hong Kong schools closed in January, is now bringing them back to Hong Kong.

Shanghai: The lines are forming again at the Tim Hortons coffee shop and the Shake Shack burger joint in Shanghai’s Lujiazui financial district, where global banks including Citigroup Inc. and HSBC have offices. Traffic jams have returned to China’s financial hub of 24 million people and 1,700 finance firms. Line 2 of the metro, one of the busiest in Shanghai, was packed last week, with commuters lining up to transfer to Lujiazui station. Overall, China Inc. is ramping up, with industry running at about 70 per cent to 80 per cent of capacity, according to an analysis by Bloomberg.

Business is “more or less” back to normal in Hong Kong and Shanghai as most people are in the office, said a money manager named Liu who works for a Chinese firm and recently returned to Hong Kong from Shanghai.

Lanny Li, a debt banker at one of the largest brokerages in China, said a travel ban at his firm was lifted in early March, allowing him to visit clients that are in need of financing. His firm is now issuing about 30 bonds a week.

In a small sign of the acceleration, Li noticed that after he left a recent meeting with a finance executive in Chengdu, Sichuan province, there were 10 other people outside the office waiting for meetings.

Beijing: The capital city is also showing signs of life, albeit at a slower pace than Shanghai. The Forbidden City remains forbidden – the former Imperial Palace has been closed since January. The Great Wall is also off limits and restaurants cap seating at two per table. Yet, deal makers at UBS and elsewhere who are preparing for China’s further opening of its capital markets on April 1 are increasingly back in the office. Chinese banks are generally more fully staffed in offices than foreign firms.

As of mid-March, more than 92 per cent of the city’s office buildings had reopened, with about 38 per cent of people back to work, according to the official Beijing Daily.

For Kavanagh, the Hong Kong investment banker who lived through the SARS outbreak in 2003, the gradual return to normal offers some solace for younger colleagues or those in London and New York wondering if this crisis will ever end.

“Some of us still remember SARS, so the coronavirus is a bit of a flashback, whereas for the more junior people it is something new,” he said. “We just tell them to stay calm, be cautious and hang in there as this too shall pass.”

if(geolocation && geolocation != 5 && (typeof skip == 'undefined' || typeof skip.fbevents == 'undefined')) { !function(f,b,e,v,n,t,s) {if(f.fbq)return;n=f.fbq=function(){n.callMethod? n.callMethod.apply(n,arguments):n.queue.push(arguments)}; if(!f._fbq)f._fbq=n;n.push=n;n.loaded=!0;n.version='2.0'; n.queue=[];t=b.createElement(e);t.async=!0; t.src=v;s=b.getElementsByTagName(e)[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(t,s)}(window, document,'script', 'https://connect.facebook.net/en_US/fbevents.js'); fbq('init', '338698809636220'); fbq('track', 'PageView'); }

Source link

The post As Wall Street empties, Asia’s bankers slowly head back to work appeared first on Investium.

from Investium https://ift.tt/2J2YUR9