#switzerland county

[eopederson]

Switzerland County Courthouse, Vevay, Indiana, 2014.

[bantuotaku]

@loogifer

Swiss Dump🇨🇭

Source

[quinnkdev]

so. its looking like the german translation of paper mario: ttyd is continuing to erase the existence of trans people in the world of the game.

(terribly written article, good ol' sebastian ruppert has no idea how to talk about trans people, but im linking it as my source)

this is another grim reminder of the importance of a non-exclusively america-centric worldview.

here in the german-speaking world, several counties both in germany and in austria (jury's out for switzerland, i dont know anyone from there), trans-topics remain extremely controversial and are often used as fodder for right-wing extremists to implement oppressive legislation.

language, as always, is a major focal point to these people. many politicians and ideologues (even ones supposedly on the political left) here weather against language-centric concepts such as "gendering" (i.e. using more gender-neutral avenues of referring to groups of people or individuals), and in a few counties in austria and germany (bavaria in germany and lower austria in austria, for example), its actually fucking outlawed now.

i have faced a lot of discrimination even in the more nominally progressive capital city of austria. an austrian cab-driver once asked me if i was "one of those american tr*nnies". people here believe that it is the united states that "import" lgbtq+ topics to us, but really, the main thing imported from the united states and their political landscape is the "anti-woke" rhetoric of the right.

i will still celebrate; this character (vivian) means the world to me, and so does this game. but never once forget that every win, ANY win, is hard-fought, and that there is more work to be done in places other than the anglosphere.

[grantmentis]

Women’s hockey news 6/1-6/16

News from around the women’s hockey world, only confirmed news and not rumors. It’s hard to cover every signing and extension so I try to filter to just the most notable but may miss something, feel free to add!

This is a long one as a heads up

PWHL (America/canada)

PWHL completed their draft! Full results are here

Corinne Schroeder signed a 2 year extension with PWHL New York

Lina Ljungblom (who was drafted in 2023 and played in the SDHL last year, winning SDHL league mvp) signs a three year deal with PWHL Montreal

Zoe Boyd and Natalie Snodgrass a one year extension with PWHL Ottawa, Aneta Tejralová signs a two year extension

Former Colgate University women’s hockey coach Greg Fargo is hired to coach PWHL New York

Natalie Darwitz is forced out of PWHL Minnesota, who will begin their GM search

Mélodie Daoust, Brittyn Fleming announced their retirement

PWHL Boston expected to stay at Tsongas next season

SDHL (Sweden)

Next years schedule has been released, with the season starting in September

Swedish national team defender Jessica Adolfsson signs with HV71. She was with Linköping last season

Forward Lisa Johansson signs with SDE HF. She was with Luleå last year

Italian defender Nadia Mattivi signs with Luleå. She spent the last several season with Boston University, where she was also captain

Finnish forward Ida Kuoppala signs with Skellefteå AIK. She spent the past few season with UMaine and was one of their top scorers

University of Minnesota Duluth and Bemidji state forward Reece Hunt signs with Luleå

SWHL/Postfinance Women League (Switzerland)

HC Ambrì-Piotta Girls sign two big names from Naisten Liiga. The first is Michaela Pejzlová, a star from Czechia who led Naisten Liiga in points, was a first team all star, and won her second championship. HIFK teammate Julia Liikala is the other player from Naisten Liiga joining, she was a second team all star for the league and played on Finland’s national team that won a gold medal

HC Ambrì-Piotta Girls also gets three players who played in the SWHL last year: the first is young Swiss goaltender Sofia Bernardasci, who’s played solid backup minutes the past two years on other teams. 23 year old Italian center Greta Niccolai, who represents her national team and also captained ladies team Lugano last year, joins the team as well. Lastly, young defender Valérie Christmann joins from HC Davos Ladies

Naisten Liiga (Finland)

Naisten Liiga schedule announced and can be viewed here. The season will star in September with a mini showcase in Turku where all teams will play their first few games

Forward Pauliina Salonen returns to HIFK. The 20 year old was one of their top producers last season and spent some time on the national team during their five nationals tournament

Kiekko-Espoo extend Minttu Tuominen, Tiia Pajarinen, Aliisa Toivonen, Siru Lehtopelto, Tea Villilä, Nea Katajamäki, Lisette Täks, and Nea Koskipalo. Tuominen, a star defender who was drafted by the PWHL but ended up playing in China and then Finland instead last year. Also notable is Pajarinen had 16 solid starts for Kiekko-Espoo last year, and got some looks on the national team. Tea Villilä has also been a mainstay producer on Kiekko-Espoo for the past several years. Täks finished with the most goals in Naisten Liiga. All this to say, Kiekko-Espoo has brought back significant core pieces

HIFK brings back goaltender Miia Vainio, who had the most shutouts last season

Tilli Keränen, who captained Finlands U18 team in 2022-2023, will play one more year at KalPa before going to the NCAA in 2025-2926

KalPa also brings back Captain Johanna Juutilainen

One of Ilves top scorers, Noora Mylläri, will return this year

EWHL (Central/eastern Europe + other assorted counties)

EV Bozen Eagles announced the signings of Justine Reyes and Kristen Guerriero to play in the EWHL and Italian women’s domestic league. Reyes was one of the SDHL’s top scorers last season, and Guerriero had a productive season in the SWHL

Veteran defender Enikő Tóth returns to the EWHL after spending last year in the SDHL, signing with MAC Budapest

IIHF

We got our locations and most of our times for all of women’s senior worlds in 2025! They are as follows:

Top division; ceske budejovice, Czechia from April 9-20

Division IA: shenzhen, China, dates TBA

Division IB: dumfries, great British, dates TBA

Division IIA: bytom, Poland from April 7-13

Division IIB: Dunedin, New Zealand from April 14-30

Division 3A: belgrade, Serbia from March 2-8

Division 3B: Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina from February 20-26

We also have the U18 tournament dates!

Top division; Vantaa, Finland from January 5-12

Division IA: TBA

division IB: Katowice, Poland January 7-13

Division IIA: Riga, Latvia from January 13-19

Division IIB: Istanbul, turkey from January 18-24

[nordschleifes]

chapter one — malamente

➝ charlie is uneasy about the start of her second year with aston martin, as she has to deal with her new colleague, who is still the same asshole he's always been.

➝ word count: 5,2k

➝ warnings: fighting, mentions of sexism, fernando being a cunt (derrogatory)

➝ author's note: i've been working on this story since april and was a hell of a ride. hope you enjoy it!

Zipping her thick winter coat up to her neck, Charlie took one last look to make sure everything she needed for the day was in her backpack. After checking if the parking brake was on, she grabbed the black handle and got out of the car, taking a deep breath. The January sun shimmered shyly in the sky as she crossed the parking lot towards the factory's main building, the cold wind blowing ruffling her brown hair 

She’d been taking this same path to work for a year now, since she had left McLaren for Aston Martin. After nearly a decade in Woking, Charlie felt within herself that she needed a change of scenery. The year she had spent on Daniel Ricciardo's racing team, as well as the win at Monza, had made her realize that there was still a will to win within her, but that the place for it was no longer there.

Lawrence Stroll team's offer came as a pleasant surprise in the summer of 2021. With an eye-popping salary, good benefits and the prospect of working on a long-term project, Charlie jumped at the opportunity. However, the excitement of starting a new stage in her life didn't make saying goodbye to the team that had been her family for nine years any less melancholy.

The following year was just as Charlie imagined, full of the challenge of adapting to the new work environment and new colleagues. However, it was worth it for the opportunity to work with Sebastian Vettel, a four-time Formula 1 world champion.

There was something about their partnership that was different from her previous ones. Sebastian was kind and thoughtful. He didn’t mind spending long hours reviewing data and videos, as well as never failing to show his appreciation for her efforts. She would never forget the neatly packaged loaves of fresh bread and jars of honey from his home in Switzerland that he would give her. It was enough for Charlie to feel happy to be doing what she loved.

Well, until that fateful day in August.

She clearly recalled how her throat had started to tighten and her eyes had filled with tears when watching Sebastian’s retirement announcement. Charlie had barely had time to digest that news before she learned who would be the team's new driver the following year. And she was sure the universe was playing a silly trick on her.

Her new colleague was Fernando Alonso.

Again.

As she walked into the factory lobby, Charlie remembered how determined she'd been to quit her job and move to another city, county, or even country. She wanted to distance herself as much as possible from that man and anything that reminded her of him. However, she remembered something she had heard one Sunday in Canada, coming from someone who knew him well.

It was 2015. She was hiding between two motorhomes in the paddock at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, finally allowing herself to cry after fighting the urge all day. Tears streamed down her cheeks as sobs made her chest ache. That had definitely been the worst day of her career.

— Charlie? — she heard a male voice to her right — Are you all right?

Wiping her cheeks with the sleeves of her white shirt and sniffling, she looked up to find Lewis Hamilton staring down at her. He was wearing a black baseball cap over the curls he'd been growing for a while, as well as a black team shirt and gray jeans, styled to look destroyed, both wet in spots where his Mercedes colleagues had probably sprayed him with champagne. However, his expression was far from being that of a happy person with the result of that day.

— It's okay, I'm fine, Lewis — Charlie replied, voice cracking — It's just been a… Rough day.

She hadn't lied. That Sunday had been one of the more complicated days she had had that year. The team had arrived confidently in Canada, especially due to the upgrade package brought by Honda for the MP4-30, that season’s car. Although it had raised some hope, it had been the main culprit for Charlie considering leaving her job as performance engineer

Already on Saturday, one of the cars had problems during the last practice session, diagnosed with a failure in the power unit. That meant it couldn't take part in qualifying, while the other car dragged itself down to 14th place, the average speed difference for the fastest cars being around 20 kilometers per hour on the straights.

However, Sunday was a true horror show. It took just four laps for the performance curves on Charlie’s screen to start showing a serious problem with the car's engine fuel consumption. Charlie discussed the data with Mike, the race engineer, and they both came to the conclusion that it was necessary to stop jostling for position in order to manage fuel consumption until she found a solution in engine modes.

Obviously, the suggestion was not well received by her driver.

— I saw that Fernando retired...

— Again — she murmured, wiping another tear that was on her cheek — The third race in a row, Lewis…

He frowned.

— Charlie...

— And that's not the worst of it, you know? The worst thing is hearing what I had to hear during the debrief — she said quietly, her voice cracking with the memory of the words Fernando had spat in the team’s control room.

After receiving Mike's direction, Fernando exploded on the radio. Stating that he had "bigger problems at the moment" and that he couldn't drive "looking like an amateur", he pretty much ignored their requests and continued the race at the same pace. Seeking a quick solution to the problem, Charlie soon found an engine mode that significantly reduced fuel consumption, which would allow him to at least finish the race. In theory, at least.

In practice, a problem with the car's exhaust caused him to retire from the race, but not without expressing his frustration and disappointment with both the car and the team over the radio. Taking the headphones off of her head, Charlie knew she had another difficult debrief ahead of her. She just didn't imagine it would be as difficult as it turned out to be. 

— During the debrief, Mike told Fernando that I had spotted the problem, and that slowing down the race pace was just a temporary solution until I found the ideal engine mode to get it back to a more aggressive position, but he wasn’t having it. He went on yelling about how it was a stupid suggestion, that he was fighting for positions and that "Charlie had to be an idiot to ask for something like that at that moment".

— And did you say something? — Lewis asked, crossing his arms.

— I said that, if he didn't follow Mike's directions, he would have retired on the 25th lap due to lack of fuel, according to the simulations. But he kept complaining, saying it was no use, because he ended up DNFing anyway, even though the problem they found in the car had nothing to do with the fuel — she said, taking a deep breath — So, he asked why I was "defending Charlie" and implied that "he wasn't man enough to defend himself".

The driver raised an eyebrow.

— He didn’t…

— Fernando didn't realize that I was Charlie. And his reaction — she said softly, her throat closing up again — Fuck…

Lewis took her hands as she tried to hold back her tears.

— What did he say?

— That me being Charlie “explained a lot”.

Lewis pursed his lips.

— My God…

— You know, Lewis, it's not easy being an engineer in general, but here, it’s — Charlie said, sniffling — And I don't mean the amount of work or traveling. It’s the loneliness. I'm almost always the only woman in the garage, and that comes with the need to feel like I have to prove myself every second, that I have to show everyone why I deserve my job. And then, a guy like Fernando comes along and just blames me for things that I can't control. The car is a shitbox! I didn’t design it, and there’s nothing I can do about the awful power unit!

She continued to sob as Lewis wrapped her in a hug. She felt a little awkward, being hugged by a former co-worker who also happened to be one of the sport's stars. At the same time, she felt like she needed to be able to be vulnerable for a few minutes. . Trying to be strong all the time was too exhausting.

A few seconds later, she pulled away from him, breathing deeply as she tried to calm down.

— Look, Charlie, if I can say one thing, it's that I understand you — the driver said, his brown eyes showing something of empathy for her — I also feel alone sometimes and, sometimes, that makes me want to work even harder to prove why I'm here. But, like me, you don't have to prove anything to anyone. You are a great engineer and, if I may say so, one of the people I most enjoyed working with.

— Fernando clearly doesn't think so — she replied.

— Well, you know why.

Charlie blinked.

— Why?

— Because Fernando is an asshole, Charlie.

She couldn't resist giggling.

— Didn't expect to hear you calling another driver an asshole.

— Well, Fernando is always going to be an exception, and you know why — Lewis replied, the corner of his lips curling. It was no secret that the relationship between him and Fernando was chaotic, the result of their internal disputes at McLaren in 2007 — But the secret here is to protect yourself against him.

— And how do I do that?

— Simple, just don't let him get inside your head, Charlie. Not doing what he wants you to do, which is to just throw your arms up and walk away. Only then, you will have a chance to win. And I bet you don't want to lose to him, do you?

— No, I don't — she replied, wiping her sleeves across her face again — And I won't.

The conversation with Lewis gave Charlie strength to resist Fernando’s efforts to get under her skin from then on. Contrary to what Fernando would have wanted, she did not quit or bow her head. She kept working hard, race after race, battling a stubborn car and an even more stubborn driver. She continued to hear unpleasant comments and annual requests from him for her to be replaced by another performance engineer. Thankfully or not, that request was never granted. 

The day he announced his retirement to the team, in 2018, was probably the happiest day of Charlie's life. As soon as she got home, she opened a bottle of wine, savoring it as she sat on the sofa, listening to her favorite playlist, humming along to a Joy Division song.

She would finally have peace.

And she did, until that cold January day.

“Don't let him get inside your head”, she repeated to herself as she walked up the stairs to the engineering office. Upon arriving at her cubicle, Charlie couldn't resist giving a little smile as she placed her backpack on top of her desk.

On the table, aside from the computer, was a pen holder with some pencils in it, as well as some green folders, a black leather journal and a pen on top of it, all with the famous Aston Martin wings stamped on them. On one wall of the cubicle, along with the race calendar of 2023, was a picture of her cat, an orange Maine Coon named Ron, as well as a childhood picture of her with her grandfather, Jamie, posing with a dismantled engine on the kitchen’s table.

He was responsible for her being inside that office, as he had taken her into his garage at home from an early age to assemble and disassemble engines and other components, explaining what each part did. It was her great fun during childhood and adolescence, the complexity of that world being much more attractive than the little houses and dolls. It was those afternoons with her grandfather that made her pursue a career in mechanical engineering, with his full support and encouragement. Charlie would be forever grateful to him for that.

She took off her coat and draped it over the back of her chair before sitting down, and turning on her computer. A few seconds later, the screen flashed with the image of the previous year's car, Sebastian's number 5 displayed prominently on the car’s nose. For a second, Charlie found herself wondering where Sebastian was at that moment. “He’s probably looking after his alpacas”, she thought, smiling as she picked up her mug — which had a doodle of an orange cat — and headed toward the coffee machine.

Halfway between the empty cubicles, movement coming from the hallway made her stop for a few seconds. All that commotion indicated that someone important had just arrived in the building, like a driver. But Lance, Lawrence's son, did not generate such a stir among the employees, despite having been in the sport for nearly ten years.

That could only mean that the new employee had arrived and everyone was gathering at reception to welcome him.

Pressing the ‘double Americano’ button, she chose to ignore what was happening. It didn't make any sense for her to join everyone else and participate in that sort of welcoming ceremony for someone who had already demonstrated that he didn't appreciate her work, despite the effort she'd put in over the four years he'd been at the team.

They were completely incompatible and nothing would change that. Nothing.

— Charlie? — a familiar voice asked behind her. Taking a deep breath, she turned around, finding Raúl, one of the performance engineers, smiling at her — We'll have Fernando at the front desk before our meeting. Are you coming?

She forced a smile as her stomach roiled with tension.

— Yeah, um — Charlie hesitated — No.

— Why not?

She blinked.

— I need to organize some things for our meeting. Some data from the new engine I got from Brixworth…

— It's just going to be an introductory meeting, Charlie, nothing is more...

— Look, Raúl, I really need to see this data — she interrupted him, trying not to show her annoyance with his insistence — You can go, I'll meet you in the conference room, okay?

The man just shrugged his shoulders before heading down the hall towards the stairs, following the stream of employees excited about the arrival of their new colleague. “Let's see how long this lasts”, she thought, as she returned to her own table, sipping her coffee.

After reviewing the documents sent by Mercedes HPP on the power units that would be supplied to the team that year and printing out the data obtained by the aerodynamics team during the sessions in the wind tunnel, Charlie gathered everything and headed to the meeting room, which was on the same floor.

She couldn't shake the tension in her shoulders as she entered the room. The place, which was not the most spacious due to the large table that was right in the center, was also full of people. Inside there were engineers and an aerodynamicist, as well as Tim, the chief performance engineer, and Lance, both of whom were talking to Ben, his race engineer.

Sitting down near one end of the table, Charlie set the papers with the data in front of her, trying to ignore the strange feeling building inside her chest. Then she noticed that there were two men with cameras in their hands talking to Joanne, who handled the team's marketing.

“Of course he brought the fucking Netflix crew to film this”, she thought, looking down at the pen in her hand, the silver wings glinting. If there was one thing Fernando loved more than making other people's lives hell, it was being in the spotlight. After the havoc he had caused the previous summer with his move to Aston Martin, it was clear that he would try to soak up as much attention as possible. That, in a way, made Charlie all the more uncomfortable.

All of a sudden, the conversations in the room dropped in volume, attention focused on the door. She didn't move, though, eyes fixed on the red line printed on the paper in front of her, breathing heavily. "Don't let him get inside your head", Charlie repeated mentally.

— Good morning, everyone — the familiar, heavily accented voice made her look up at him. Fernando hadn't changed much since the day he left McLaren for his sabbatical, as Charlie refused to call that period retirement. The shaggy brown hair and short beard were still there, except that there was a little gray in it. It was the clearest sign that he was no longer the same young man who had taken the Formula 1 world by storm twenty years ago.

After being greeted by those present, many of them smiling, Mike Krack, the head of the team spoke up. He had come in with Fernando, and called for everyone assembled to settle down at the table in order to start the meeting. The men with the cameras got ready to record the moment, one in each corner of the room, while Fernando made some comment to Lance as he sat down, making his new teammate chuckle. Lips pursed, Charlie looked down at the papers in front of her.

— Well, first of all, good morning everyone — Mike began. He sounded pleased. She didn't bother to look at him, the pen in her hand looking much more interesting — It's a pleasure to be reunited with you all again for another season. This time, with great news on our team.

Clicking her pen, Charlie began absentmindedly scribbling on the corner of one of the paper sheets.

— We said goodbye to Seb in Abu Dhabi, but we are very happy to welcome a new driver to our team, a true talent, Fernando — the team principal continued. Charlie continued scribbling on the paper, the lines taking shape — It's a joy to have you with us and we're sure we'll do a great job together.

— I'm absolutely sure of that, Mike — the driver replied, as the pen’s strokes on the paper grew heavier, the lines overlapping. Charlie's jaw was locked, breathing heavy.

— And, since everyone is here, I'm going to confirm the teams that will work with Fernando and Lance this year. On the pit wall there will be me, Dan, Tim and Peter, and, on Lance's side, we will keep Ben as race engineer and Luke as performance engineer.

Something churned in Charlie's stomach, the movement of her pen accelerating. If Ben was going to go with Lance, that could only mean that...

— Fernando will have Charlie as a race engineer and Raúl as a performance engineer — Mike said. Charlie’s head shot up, and her eyes met Fernando's. He was watching her with an air of curiosity and the smile of someone who had gotten what he wanted on his lips — We're also going to have a rotation of employees in the aerodynamics sector, with Mariano accompanying us in the first few sessions.

The team principal's words were lost amid Charlie's pulse as it roared in her ears. Something burned in her chest as she stared at Fernando, barely blinking, pen still against paper, words taking shape. She wanted to wipe that smug smile off his face, she wanted to get out everything she'd built up inside since that damned afternoon in Montreal.

— Any questions? — Mike asked, causing the driver to look at him. Silence reigned in the room, as apparently no one had any questions about the lineup of the race teams that season — Well, then, this meeting is done.

As soon as Mike finished speaking, Charlie's colleagues were already getting up and leaving the room, as well as Lance and Fernando, accompanied by Joanne and Mike. But Charlie sat there, frozen, trying to remember how to breathe. It was ridiculous to feel so affected by one person, but as Hannah, her therapist, had already said, this was her mind's way of responding to the trauma of those years working at McLaren.

Charlie knew it wasn’t insignificant when she looked down at the paper in front of her. In the corner, accompanied by doodles of lightning, sad faces and the number 14, was written “I didn't forget”. She knew she would never forget the stress, the tears, the futile effort she had made to save Fernando’s passage through the team, without success.

Charlie collected the paper she had brought to the meeting and resolutely left the meeting room. Walking with quick steps down the hall, she had only one goal in mind at the moment. She wouldn't suffer again, she wouldn't put up with his rude comments again. She was no longer that girl at the beginning of her career in Formula 1, scared by all the demands and problems. She had matured, grown up. She had learned to emotionally protect herself from inflated egos and frustration, she would protect herself now.

Knocking on the door with Mike Krack’s nameplate, she heard a sound that sounded like an invite to enter. When she opened the door, she found the team principal sitting in his chair, staring at his computer screen. Above him was an abstract-style painting of the team's car.

— Oh, Charlie, are you all right? — he said, with a smile on his face, while clicking on the mouse he had in his right hand — Is there a problem?

— Yes — she replied, dryly.

The man looked up at her, looking confused.

— And what would it be?

— Fernando.

He raised an eyebrow.

— What?

— Look, Mike, I'm going to be honest with you — Charlie said, placing the papers on his desk — I don't want to work with him.

— But why? You have already worked together...

— That’s precisely the reason, Mike.

Mike shifted in his chair.

— Charlie...

— Do you know how many hours of therapy I needed to recover after working at McLaren with him? I assure you, it was a lot. And it was all because of him, and I’m not going to throw the progress I’ve made in the bin.

— I can talk to him, Charlie — he said in a measured voice — We can work to understand the problem and make sure it doesn't happen again.

She snorted.

— Do you think he listens to anyone? Honestly?

— Charlie, I understand that your relationship may have been tumultuous in the past, but everyone who has worked with Fernando says that he is very relaxed and open to feedback. Even Karel, his last race engineer, said that he never worked with such a polite, detailed driver…

— And you know why he would say that, don't you?

— What? — Mike returned the question, confused.

— You know why all these guys say he's funny, polite, and helpful, don't you? — she said, placing her palms on the pale wood and leaning across the desk.

— Um… No?

— Well, I do. Want to guess why he is so nice to them? Hint, it's between my legs.

Mike blinked.

— Are you telling me he's sexist? — he asked seriously.

Charlie thought about saying yes, but something inside her stopped her. The pain of that afternoon in Montreal seemed to come crashing back inside her. She could feel her heart pounding in her chest, as well as the lump tightening in her throat.

— You’ve met him, haven’t you? — she replied.

— Charlie, I'm sorry, but he seems to be very polite and respectful with all the women around him.

She huffed in frustration. She couldn't talk about what happened in Montreal. Not again. 

— Mike, please — Charlie said, trying to keep his voice steady — Can't you just take me off his team? Put me in another position, maybe with Lance?

— Unfortunately, I can't do that.

— Why?

— It’s a contract issue. 

She blinked.

— Contract? My contract? I don't remember there being any clause saying that I would have to work with an asshole.

— His contract, Charlie.

— But…

— One of the clauses he insisted on was that he would have complete freedom to choose his racing team. Lawrence accepted, after all, we have great engineers within the team and we would have no problem hiring someone from another team or category if that were the case.

Charlie sat there in silence, her eyes locked on Mike’s, breathing heavily.

— So, after everything was settled, the very next day he asked for the list of engineers to choose his team. Five minutes after I sent it, I got an email with the names he wanted, yours was the first on the list.

— You mean that…

— It was Fernando who chose to work with you, not me or Lawrence. Although I would have made the same choice, but that's not the point.

— Unbelievable — Charlie muttered.

— I actually think it makes sense since you guys know each other and, like it or not, you're one of the few people who can say you've worked with four different world champions in your career, plus… How many grand prix winners? Five, six? You know what it takes to win, Charlie, and he wants to win.

— Look, Mike, I don’t — Charlie started to say, until she was interrupted by a knock on the door, which the team principal responded with an invitation to enter. As she rose from the table, she felt a shiver run across her skin as she realized who was coming through the door. “This has to be a nightmare”, she thought, trying to focus on her breathing.

— Mike, I wanted to talk to you about — Fernando began, stopping when he met Charlie's stern gaze — Oh, I didn't know you were busy…

— No problem, we were actually just talking about you — Mike replied, causing Charlie to turn to face him, outrage written on her face.

— And what were you saying about me? — he asked, approaching the desk slowly.

— I don't want to work with you — Charlie snapped, looking up at him defiantly.

— Why not, Charlie? — Fernando said, his accent evident in the syllables of her nickname. Something about the way he said her name made her immediately angry, the urge to punch him in the face growing by the second — I thought you would be happy to work with a world champion again.

She snorted.

— Your age is really showing. 

— What do you mean by that?

— I don’t know if you remember, but I was working with Sebastian Vettel last year. You must remember him, since he made you regret going to Italy in 2010 — Charlie said, venom oozing from her words — By the way, Mike, I didn't know Aston Martin had turned into a nursing home.

— Charlie, please — Mike said, his voice soft, as if he was trying to soothe Charlie’s temper. Clearly he hadn't expected to deal with this on his new driver's first day on the job, but Charlie couldn’t help herself. She wanted to return every nasty comment he’d never made and then some.

— No, Mike, it's okay — Fernando said, placing a hand on the table, the shadow of a smile on his face — I'm used to her adorable sense of humor. And if I may say so, I can't wait to see it on race weekends.

— Only in your dreams — she answered through her teeth, before looking at Mike again — I won't work with him, I refuse to work with him.

— Charlie, you are in no position to refuse to work with Fernando...

— Then I’ll quit — she exclaimed, throwing her hands in the air — I’ll get my things from my desk, go to HR, and get out of here!

— Someone's making a mountain out of a molehill, as usual — Fernando, his voice arrogant, condescending. Something about his words caused Charlie’s anger to boil over, a response leaving her mouth before her brain gave the command.

— Fuck you, you fucking asshole! — Charlie yelled — You can't follow a fucking order to keep you in a race without complaining, and you still talk to me like I don’t know anything! You don't know how to respect anyone's work! You're a fucking asshole with no sense of reality!

— Do you have any idea what it's like to be in a car? Do you know how hard it is? — he returned, raising his voice — You talk too much for someone who doesn't understand what it's like to be a racing driver, Charlotte.

Hearing him use her full name brought a painful memory to her mind. Taking two steps forward, Charlie lifted her face to his, feeling her eyes sting as something caught in her throat.

— Don't you ever dare call me Charlotte again! — she yelled, her finger in his face.

— And don't you ever lift your fucking finger at me again!

— Enough! — Mike yelled, slamming his hands on the table — You two shut up!

Charlie turned to face the team principal. She was a bit scared. She'd never seen him angry, or even yelling, in the entire time he'd been at the head of the team. Maybe that was a sign that they had gone too far.

— First, no one is going to quit. Fernando is our driver and Charlie is our race engineer, no discussion — Mike continued talking, staring at them over the dark frame of his glasses — Second, you are going to work together and not just because of the contract, but because I want you to.

— But Mike — she tried to argue.

— I don't care if Fernando was rude or if Charlie sabotaged that damn Honda engine herself, that's all in the past! You are no longer at McLaren, or in Woking. You're at Aston Martin, in Silverstone, and only adults work here, so act like it.

— Mike, I — Fernando tried to say.

— I'm still talking — he cut him off, a serious expression on his face — Lastly, I want you to have the maturity to look at each other and apologize for this ridiculous scene you've played here.

Charlie looked back at Fernando, realizing how close she was to him at that moment. She was so close that she could see details that had gone unnoticed before. From that position, she could see the green blending into the brown of his eyes as well as the fine lines that framed them, as well as a small scar in the corner of his upper lip, which was well disguised by the beard, flecked with gray.

— I’m sorry, Charlie — he finally said, making her blink back into that room. Suddenly, she felt her cheeks heat up, her heart pounding in her chest.

— It's your turn, Charlie — Mike said as she swallowed hard, trying to ignore the roaring pulse in her ears.

— I'm sorry — she managed to say in a thin voice. Fernando's expression seemed to soften at her words.

— Great — Mike said, sitting back in his chair — I hope you guys keep it that way, civil and respectful. You are both dismissed.

Taking a deep breath, she turned and walked towards the door.

— Charlie — Fernando said from behind her.

— Yes? — she asked, looking over her shoulder.

— You forgot this — he said, holding up the sheets of paper she'd brought with her.

— I printed it out for you — Charlie muttered as she opened the door. However, before leaving, she was surprised by his response.

— Oh, well, okay. Thank you.

[wub-fur-radio]

Appealing Sounds of Confusion & Dismay

Nothing is absolute; everything is possible. – Hassan-i-Sabbah

If you’ve been dismayed to be feeling even more confused than usual of late, Wub-Fur Internet Radio wants you to know you are not alone and wishes to do what we can to help. Toward that end we offer this two part streaming mix of appealing sounds from around the planet and across the multiverses of contemporary psychedelic/stoner/doom/space rock music. Featuring 25 new tunes from 25 of your favorite modern psych combos, including Frankie and the Witch Fingers, Black Sand, Sonic Moon, King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard, Queens of the Stone Age, Jeffrey Alexander + The Heavy Lidders, Druid Fluids, Dead Feathers, Dead Shaman, Pink Fairies, Gong, Goat, and 13 more bands who are dismayed but not afraid to be confused.

▶︎🎶 Listen on Mixcloud: Part One | Part Two

Running Times: Pt. 1: 1 hour, 14 seconds; Pt. 2: 59 minutes, 52 seconds

Tracklists

Part One

Repeat Transmission (0:55) — Brown Spirits | Coburg, Australia

Just an Illusion (4:29) — Black Sand | New Zealand

Flutter By (4:41) — Druid Fluids | Adelaide, Australia

Let It Out (3:47) — The Wans | Nashville, TN

Give It Time (3:54) — Sonic Moon | Aarhus, Denmark

Gardeners of the Earth (5:20) — White Canyon & The 5th Dimension | MG, Brazil

Gila Monster (4:36) — King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard | Melbourne, Australia

Mild Davis (4:46) — Frankie and the Witch Fingers | Los Angeles, CA

Negative Space (3:53) — Queens of the Stone Age | Palm Desert, CA

What It Is to Be Free (4:12) — Kind | Boston, MA

Counting Up and Down (3:18) — Jeffrey Alexander + The Heavy Lidders | Philadelphia, PA

Those Disruptors (5:25) — Modoki | Tokyo, Japan

La Storia Dell'Aviditia (4:30) — Futuropaco | Oakland, CA

Trying to Keep Control (6:29) — Dead Shaman | Switzerland

Part Two

Robbery (9:56) — Dead Feathers | Chicago, IL

Another Sailor Who Dies at Midnight (3:06) — Tangerine Stoned | Italy

Join the Resistance (5:35) — Goat | Norrbotten County, Sweden

Montezuma (4:49) — Edena Gardens | Copenhagen, Denmark

Hassan I Sahba (6:02) — Pink Fairies | London, UK

Tiny Galaxies (3:51) — Gong | UK

Something To Fall Back On (3:50) — The Wytches | UK

FTW (7:09) — LSD | Dublin, Ireland

In My Own Dream (8:19) — The Third Mind | Downey, CA

Your Confusion May Now Be Visible (4:50) — DWLVS | San Francisco, CA / Philadelphia, PA

Barely a Season (2:26) — Abronia | Portland, OR

All tracks released in 2023.

[haggishlyhagging]

While in the past the legal wrongs of woman in the marriage relation, in which she is robbed of name, personality, earnings [and] children, had a tendency to drive her to live with man outside of the authority of church or state. The occupations recently opened to her, whereby she can gain a reputable livelihood by her own exertions, [have] greatly increased the ranks of single women. No longer compelled to marry for a home or position, the number of young girls who voluntarily refrain from marriage, by choice living single, increases each year. No longer driven to immorality for bread, a great diminution has taken place in the ranks of "public women." No longer forced by want into this life, the lessening number of such women not meeting the requirements of patrons of vice, resulted in the organization of a regular system for the abduction, imprisonment, sale and exportation of young girls. England and Germany most largely [control] this business, although Belgium, Holland and France, Switzerland, several counties of South America, Canada and the United States are, to some extent, also engaged in this most infamous traffic.

Foreign traffic in young English girls was known to exist long before the revelation of the Pall Mall Gazette made English people aware of the extent of the same system under the home government. It was this widely extended and thoroughly organized commerce in girl-children which roused a few people to earnest effort against it, and secured the formation of a society called "Prevention of Traffic in English Girls." To the chairman of this society, Mr. Benjamin Scott, was the first official suggestion due that terminated in that investigation by Editor Stead, which for a moment shook the civilized world and held Christian England to light as a center of the vilest, most odious, most criminal slave traffic the world ever knew.

London, the great metropolis of Christian England (the largest city of ancient or modern times) is acknowledged by statisticians and sociologists to be the point where crime, vice, despair and misery are found in their deepest depth and greatest diversity. Not Babylon of old, whose name is the synonym of all that is vile; not Rome, "mother of harlots"; not Corinth, in whose temple a thousand women were kept for prostitution in service of the god; not the most savage lands in all their barbarity have ever shown a thousandth part of the human woe to be found in the city of London, that culmination of modern Christian civilization. The nameless crimes of Sodom and Gomorrah—the vileness of ancient Greece which garnered its most heroic men, its most profound philosophers—are but amusements among young men of the highest rank in England—West End, the home of rank and wealth, of university education, being the central hell of this extended radius of vice.

-Matilda Joslyn Gage, Woman, Church and State

[holdmytesseract]

Baby Fever Wedding Poll 》Honeymoon (Part 1)

moodboard by the wonderful @mochie85 | divider by the lovely @fictive-sl0th <3

It's time for another poll - well, polls! 🥳 We've got 14 different places (Thanks to everyone who suggested a county!), so I decided to split this up. We've got 2 polls with different countries, and the two (or three, I haven't decided yet 👀) with the most votes of each poll are going to battle in a third poll for the win. 🫡

You guys already know what's coming, so without further ado...

Tags: @lady-rose-moon @muddyorbsblr @chennqingg @smolvenger @alexakeyloveloki @ijuststareatstuffhereok89 @jennyggggrrr @stupidthoughtsinwriting @eleniblue @loz-3 @mishkatelwarriorgoddess @fictive-sl0th @iamlokisgloriouspurpose @lovingchoices14 @glitchquake @lokidbadguy @icytrickster17 @mandywholock1980 @november-rayne @xthatpottahfanx @simping-for-marvel @lou12346789 @aagn360 @anukulee @multifandom-worlds @hisredheadedgoddess28 @vbecker10 @jaidenhawke @km-ffluv @lokiforever @crimson25 @kimanne723 @cakesandtom @buttercupcookies-blog @salvinaa @javagirl328 @noideakitten @zombiesnips-blog @dustychinchilla74 @frzntrx @lokisgoodgirl @princess-ofthe-pages @coldnique @asgards-princess-of-mischief

[flagwars]

Regional Flag Wars: Round 1

Welcome to the Regional Flag Wars! It will focus on the flags of regions/administrative divisions, with one flag being allowed per country. This tournament has been a long time coming, as I’ve been holding many preliminary rounds to decide the best regional flags of various countries over the past year, including the tournaments the Japanese Prefecture Flag Wars and the Russian Federal Subject Flag Wars. This tournament is one of my largest, with 82 flags and six rounds. The first round will begin this week. I hope everyone is excited to vote for the greatest regional flag in the world!

Round 1:

1. Baja Verapaz Department, Guatemala vs. Tierra del Fuego Province, Argentina

2. Yucatán, Mexico vs. Alexandria Governate, Egypt

3. Nakuru County, Kenya vs. Panevėžys County, Lithuania vs. San José Department, Uruguay

4. South Ostrobothnia, Finland vs. Hirshabelle, Somalia

5. Northern Territory, Australia vs. Vysočina Region, Czechia vs. Bali, Indonesia

6. Azores, Portugal vs. Chuquisaca Department, Bolivia vs. Lower Austria, Austria

7. Brod-Posavina County, Croatia vs. Olancho Department, Honduras vs. Chuvashia, Russia

8. Brest Region, Belarus vs. Sicily, Italy vs. Batken Region, Kyrgyzstan

9. Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria vs. Amambay Department, Paraguay

10. Sarawak, Malaysia vs. Bukidnon, Philippines vs. Bratislava Region, Slovakia

11. Kosrae State, Micronesia vs. South Darfur, Sudan vs. Saare County, Estonia

12. Mpumalanga, South Africa vs. Nakhon Si Thammarat Province, Thailand

13. Gagauzia, Moldova vs. Chontales Department, Nicaragua

14. Adjara, Georgia vs. Grande Comore, Comoros vs. Wallonia, Belgium

15. Emirate of Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates vs. Tuzla Canton, Bosnia and Herzegovina vs. Magallanes Region, Chile

16. Töv Province, Mongolia vs. Balochistan, Pakistan vs. Tocantins, Brazil

17. Amhara Region, Ethiopia vs. Covasna County, Romania vs. Canton of Bern, Switzerland

18. New Brunswick, Canada vs. Angaur, Palau

19. San Jose Province, Costa Rica vs. Macedonia, Greece vs. Occitania, France

20. Saga Prefecture, Japan vs. Ebon Atoll, Marshall Islands

21. Greenland, Denmark vs. La Libertad Department, El Salvador

22. Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine vs. Central Equatoria, South Sudan

23. Valencia, Spain vs. Coclé Province, Panama

24. Mon State, Myanmar vs. Malampa Province, Vanuatu

25. Lublin Voivodeship, Poland vs. Santo Domingo de los Tsáchilas Province, Ecuador

26. Uva Province, Sri Lanka vs. Zulia, Venezuela vs. Agder, Norway

27. Karakalpakstan, Uzbekistan vs. Friesland, Netherlands vs. Enga Province, Papua New Guinea

28. Leicestershire, United Kingdom vs. Choiseul Province, Solomon Islands

29. Bavaria, Germany vs. Kukës County, Albania vs. Kalmar County, Sweden

30. Department of Cuzco, Peru vs. Vojvodina, Serbia vs. Heves County, Hungary

31. Alaska, United States vs. Haut-Ogooué Province, Gabon vs. Grand Gedeh County, Liberia

32. Otago, New Zealand vs. Boyacá Department, Colombia vs. Connacht, Ireland

[kimberly40]

County Line-

Leaving McDowell County and entering Mitchell County on Bearwallow Road in Little Switzerland, North Carolina. The bridge above is for the Blue Ridge Parkway.

This is close to the Little Switzerland Post Office.

[stephensmithuk]

The Illustrious Client

First published in the US in 1924 and the UK in 1925, the latter as a two-parter, this forms part of Case-book.

The first part in The Strand ends with Watson seeing the newspaper headline about the attack on Holmes.

Northumberland Avenue is a street running from Trafalgar Square to the Thames Embankment. It includes a pub called The Sherlock Holmes.

The Carlton Club was founded by the Conservative Party and was long its defacto headquarters. Originally on Carlton Terrace, it moved to Pall Mall in 1835, with the building rebuilt in 1856. A direct hit by a German bomb in 1940 destroyed the building and the Club moved to 69 St James's Street, former home of Arthur's Club. Women were not allowed to be associate members until the 1970s and not full members until 2008, with Margaret Thatcher getting honorary membership when she become Tory leader in 1975. She later become club president in 2009, although by his point she had dementia and died in 2013.

The general consensus is that the "Illustrious Client" is no less than Edward VII himself, who Holmes may have previously gotten the Beryl Coronet back for.

Prague was then under Austrian rule.

The Splügen Pass, used for travel since Roman times, connects Switzerland and Italy and with its great height, hairpins and spectacular views, is considered one of the greatest driving challenges on the planet, having featured in Top Gear. The San Bernandino tunnel has taken most of the non-tourist traffic and it is now closed in winter for safety reasons.

Kingston upon Thames, known as Kingston for short, is a town located 10 miles SW of Charing Cross. Until 1965, it was in Surrey before becoming part of Greater London and part of the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames. Surrey County Council were based there until 2021, when their offices moved to Reigate.

The Hurlingham Club in Fulham is where horse polo's rules were established - it even hosted Olympic polo in the 1908 London Games, but the fields were compulsorily purchased by the local council after the Second World War for housing. It was also home to pigeon shooting and was home of world croquet, still holding major events in the latter. Edward VII was a keen patron of the site.

Charlie Peace was an English burglar and double murderer, executed in 1879. He ended up featuring in Madame Tussaud's Chamber of Horrors, which was oddly enough replaced between 2016 and 2022 with an immersive Sherlock Holmes Experience... which at £66.50 a ticket was a bit too expensive.

HMP Parkhurst, a Category B prison located on the Isle of Wight, merged in 2009 with HMP Albany to form HMP Isle of Wight, although each part retains its own name. Notable inmates include the Kray Twins, Peter Sutcliffe, Ian Brady and currently Serbian war criminal Radovan Karadžić.

Hypnotism was rather in vogue by this time.

Apaches were the name given to various criminal gangs in Paris; named after the Native American tribe. There are various suggestions as to how that came about.

Montmartre, in the 18th arrondissement of Paris, was widely known for its artistic community during this time, with many a famous name living there due to the low rents. It's still there and development is restricted due to the historic character. Pigalle, Paris's red-light district, is next door.

Kitty Winter would feature as a character in Elementary, played by Ophelia Lovibond. Gruner turns up as well.

"Tinker’s curse" is Kitty saying, in the language of the time, that she does not give an [expletive deleted].

Ruritania is a fictional country first featured in the 1894 Anthony Hope novel The Prisoner of Zenda. It has become a byword for quaint small European countries in Central and Eastern Europe.

China was still an Empire in 1902, nominally ruled by the Guangxu Emperor, aka Zaitan, but an 1898 coup resulted in his loss of any real power; he was even in house arrest for a while. He died in 1908, probably poisoned by arsenic. His nephew, Puyi, would be the last Chinese Emperor and is beyond the scope of this article.

I cannot discuss Chinese pottery in any depth and so will not attempt to.

Some husbands might have questioned the gallantry of King Edward VII, who had a box for his mistresses at his coronation.

Armorial bearings are the "shield" part of a coat of arms. The British royal one traditionally depicted a bare-breasted woman as part of the harp on the bottom left, but this is no longer standard practice.

Edward VII, while having no actual political power, was able to exercise quite a bit of influence behind the scenes, especially in foreign and defence policy.

All criminal prosecutions are brought in the name of the monarch, rendered "R" (Rex or Regina) in text and "the Crown" when spoken). i.e. R vs. Winter. In addition, judicial reviews (i.e. is this government decision legal) are also brought in the name of the monarch, with the name of the actual plaintiff in brackets since a 2001 change to the format, e.g. R (Smith) vs. Secretary of State for the Home Department. It is common for initials to be used in those brackets to protect the identity of a plaintiff, such as the recent decision on flying migrants to Rwanda.

[batboyblog]

dont hate me. i unrwa was faced crisis after 8 counties include usa suspend funding because alleged links with hamas. i suspected hamas sent members to destroyed urwra because the agency helped Palestine for education yes israeli regime support hamas

by my count its now, 15 countries have frozen funding for UNRWA, The US, UK, Canada, Australia, Italy, Finland, Germany, Iceland, The Netherlands, Switzerland, France, Estonia, Japan, Austria, Romania and New Zealand.

12 UNRWA employees have been detailed as being a part of the 10/7 attack, in one case kidnapping a person, another was at a massacre of 97 people. Also it seems UNRWA owned buildings and cars were a part of the 10/7 attack. What's more 190 UNRWA employees have been identified positively as Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad members, some left ID cards in Israel from the attack, others have been Identified by documents captured from Hamas. Further, intelligence believes that 10% of UNRWA employees are in fact Hamas or PIJ members, and about 49% of all UNRWA employees in Gaza are close family members of Hamas members.

https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/israeli-intelligence-accuses-190-gaza-un-staff-hamas-islamic-jihad-roles-2024-01-29

https://www.wsj.com/world/middle-east/at-least-12-u-n-agency-employees-involved-in-oct-7-attacks-intelligence-reports-say-a7de8f36

[scotianostra]

On March 10th 1998, Alberto Morrocco, the Scottish painter noted for his murals and portraits in oil and watercolours, died.

Alberto Morrocco was born on 14th December 1917 in Aberdeen to Italian parents in 1917. He attended Gray’s School of Art from the prodigious age of fourteen, tutored by James Cowie and Robert Sivell, and won the Carnegie and Brough travelling scholarships, affording him opportunity to paint and study in France, Italy and Switzerland in the late 1930s.

After serving in the army between 1940-46 he devoted his time to painting. His subject matter varied from the domestic interior, landscape, imaginings of Italian life, still life and many commissioned portraits. Combining his talent with abundant energy he became one of the most dominant figures in the Scottish artworld in the second half of the 20th century.

He participated in many group exhibitions both at home and abroad and works are held in major collections including: The Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art; Royal Scottish Academy; Scottish Arts Council; West Riding County Council; Newark on Trent Municipal Museum; Liliie Art Gallery, Milngavie, Glasgow; Robert Fleming Holdings Ltd; Vincent Price Esq, USA ; Icelandic Glasgow, Paisley, and Perth Art Galleries; he Universities of Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Dundee, Glasgow, Leicester, Stirling and St. Andrews; City of Art Centre, Edinburgh; Bank of Scotland. His work is to be found in private collections throughout Europe, the Far East and America.

[maximumwobblerbanditdonut]

On St David's Day and celebration of Welsh heritage and culture. I needed to see this clip today. It feels so fitting to what's going on in the world right now…

Richard Burton reciting from Shakespeare's

"What a piece of work is a man" monologue, in Hamlet. When he did this on stage in 1964, it would have been booming out through the Broadway venue, but there's something equally powerful about hearing him recite it in a more understated way, in close-up.

He was noted for his mellifluous baritone voice. Burton established himself as a formidable Shakespearean actor in the 1950s and gave a memorable performance as Hamlet in 1964. He was called the natural successor to Sir Lawrence Olivier.

Richard Burton CBE. The Welsh actor was born Richard Walter Jenkins Jr. 10th November 1925 in Pontrhydyfen (or Pont-rhyd-y-fen) is a small village in the Afan Valley, in Neath Port Talbot county borough in Wales 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 and educated in Exeter College, Oxford. He died on 5th August 1984 (aged 58) in Céligny, Switzerland 🇨🇭 His burial place - Old Cemetery ("Vieux Cimetière") of Céligny.

#RichardBurton recites from #Hamlet #actor #StDavid'sDay #Shakespeareanactor #voice

@shinycomputerqueen “Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon them"...William Shakespeare,Twelfth Night, Act II, Scene V. With his magnificent voice and presence, Burton was one of the major actors of the 20th century.

[oraclekleo]

[Interactive Stories] Painting - Part 03

Lee Soo Hyuk Story

Part 01 Part 02

Painting

(Lee Soo Hyuk Story)

Part 03

Lee Soo Hyuk and Hong Jong Hyun made some necessary arrangements in their lives (Jong Hyun needed to persuade his friend to babysit his dogs) and they decided to start their investigation in Geneva, Switzerland. It was the place the artist lived and died and it made sense to them to go there.

Hyuk contacted the gallerist who sold Basil’s painting to the gallery in Seoul and they agreed on a meeting. The gallerist, Herr Keller, welcomed them in his office in a small and cosy but clearly highly exclusive gallery. Mr. Keller could speak 5 languages fluently, unfortunately none of them being Korean, Japanese or Mandarin Chinese. With the help of a translator, Hyuk and Jong Hyun were able to discuss the case of Basil Van Paar.

“Mr. Keller, we are especially interested in the painting depicting a woman with scars. It’s the one without a name.” Hyuk brought the subject to the table once all the formalities were over.

The gallerist pushed glasses up on his nose and blinked but then he smiled, clearly recalling the painting. “Yes, I remember. It was one of Basil’s last works. To be honest with you, I was advising Kamilla, Basil’s sister, not to give the painting into auction as we have found a little note attached to it saying it’s not for sale. But Kamilla is the heiress and she could do what she found fit.”

“I see. So it was never meant to be available to the public, if I understand it correctly.” Jong Hyun said.

“You are right. Judging by the nature of the painting, it might have been something very personal for Basil. Unfortunately we haven’t found any further notes or records regarding the painting.”

“I was about to ask you whether you know the woman depicted but you have answered that. With no notes, you can’t know.” Hyuk said a little disappointed.

“Oh, gentlemen! But I do know the identity of the lady in the painting.” Herr Keller smiled and blinked several times.

Hyuk’s heartbeat accelerated immediately. “You do? Who is she?”

“I’m not so sure I can tell you but then again, it was in the news and on the internet so maybe there’s no harm in telling you…”

“Herr Keller, please, we have undergone a long journey to get here.” Jong Hyun tried to encourage the gallerist to speak.

Mr. Keller nodded and he started tapping on his desk with a pen. “About a year ago, it was in every newspaper all around Europe. A female doctor working for the Red Cross in Congo was kidnapped together with some of her colleagues by some militant group. They have tried to negotiate ransom money for her as she was from a noble and very wealthy family. In the process, they tortured her, broke her fingers, several ribs, burned her with cigarettes and more. Savages. Ransom never came but a rescue team of professional mercenaries did. Once the rebels heard about the rescue coming, they decided to kill their hostages. They slit their throats. Everyone died except for the female doctor who’s assassin was a small frightened boy with a blunt knife. He didn’t cut deep enough to kill her and she managed to survive till the rescue team arrived.”

“I saw the throat scar. It’s horrible.” Hyuk mentioned all stunned.

“Exactly. But even worse than the marks on her skin was the damage she suffered on her hands. Some of the nerves were irreversibly damaged and once the doctor woke up in the hospital, she was told she would never be able to perform surgeries again. She was an excellent surgeon and this was devastating for her. She attempted suicide in the hospital and cut her wrists but they saved her and sent to therapy. I remember the news describing her entire life being a series of suffering. She was born into a wealthy noble family and when she was 17 years old, she was considered the most beautiful girl in the county. She was engaged to an Irish descendant aristocrat, I think I remember his picture from the news. Adonis looks like his uglier brother. They were meant to be married once she would celebrate her 18th birthday. Unfortunately there was a fire in a local bakery. She was there first and went into the burning house to save a child. She managed to push the child outside but the building collapsed partially and she couldn’t get out in time. The gas stove in the kitchen exploded and threw her through the window with severe back burns and multiple injuries and internal bleeding. Once she recovered enough to continue with the plans, she was still intending to be married but when the wedding day came, the groom ran away. He couldn’t stand marrying a woman who wasn’t beautiful anymore. And so the girl devoted her life to medical career and helping others.”

“Dear lord!” Hyuk breathed out. “What a dick! I mean… couldn’t he tell her sooner?”

“That’s what everyone thought. I heard he ran away with her maid of honour and best friend and got married in Las Vegas.” Mr. Keller mentioned.

“I hate to interrupt you but you haven’t told us her name so far.” Jong Hyun said growing a little impatient.

“I haven’t? Oh! Right! The woman in the painting is Lady Freya Arran. She’s the sister of Lady Godiva Arran. You might have seen her in the news, she’s the British Prime Minister.”

“What?!” Hyuk and Jong Hyun said at the same moment. Hyuk cleared his throat and continued. “How came Basil got the chance to paint lady Arran?”

“I think they met when she was in Albania with the Red Cross years ago. They were friends.”

“Is it possible to contact her?” Jong Hyun asked.

Herr Keller seemed genuinely surprised. “Oh! But gentlemen! Haven’t you heard? Lady Freya Arran went missing a month ago. She was on her way to family property on a Crow Isle when her ship hit rocks and sank. I heard nothing about her being found so I assume she is still missing.”

Hyuk’s heart stopped beating and he felt as if someone ripped it out of his chest with ice cold claws. “She died a month ago?” He whispered.

“I think so, yes. I’m sorry to be the bearer of bad news.” Herr Keller said.

Jong Hyun watched his friend grow pale and his forehead starting to glisten with sweat. “Thank you for all the information, Mr. Keller. We are truly grateful you agreed to meet us. I’m afraid this is the end of our enquiry here. If you excuse us, we won’t disturb you any longer.” He said and got up to shake hands with the gallerist.

“I’m sorry you went this whole way only to learn the woman is deceased. I hope you can enjoy the rest of your stay in Geneva.”

Jong Hyun handled all the polite formalities and took Hyuk back to the car they hired after arriving in Geneva. “Are you okay, mate?” Jong Hyun asked once they were both in the car and Jong Hyun was smoothly driving through the city back to their hotel.

“No, I don’t think so… I just… I don’t know. I mean, I could have known she’s not going to be alive. Even from the painting itself. She went through so much. But… for some reason I believed she was there somewhere and I could meet her and maybe give her the painting so it’s not exposed to the public. This is just… It feels like an open wound in my chest. I haven’t reached any type of closure.” Hyuk said all devastated.

Jong Hyun frowned and thought about it for a little. “Maybe you could reach some sort of peace of mind if you offer the painting to her family? We know she has a sister in Britain. We are already in Europe. It won’t kill us to continue our trip to London now.” Jong Hyun suggested.

“Maybe… I don’t know. How do you even meet a British Prime Minister? I’m pretty sure you can’t just call the office and ask Lady Godiva out for lunch.” Hyuk said pessimistically.

They arrived back in the hotel. Jong Hyun wanted to go out and paint the town red but Hyuk was in no mood for that. He took a shower and sat in bed with his laptop for the rest of the evening. He had his dinner delivered to the room as he couldn’t even imagine sitting in a restaurant among other people.

Jong Hyun was inhaling the hot coffee vapours in the hotel restaurant. He was mentally preparing for breakfast. He had a hangover like never before.

“Lady Freya had 11 sisters in total!” Hyuk crushed on a chair at Jong Hyun’s table.

“Aaaaaahhhh!” Jong Hyun moaned and held his head. “Volume down, man, please.” He whispered and sipped a little bit of the coffee.

“Sorry.” Hyuk said and spoke with a lower and quieter voice. “There were 12 Arran sisters. Freya disappeared in the sea, Godiva is the prime minister but there’s also Lady Victoria Arran. You might have heard that name.” Hyuk gave Jong Hyun a meaningful stare.

“At this moment, I can barely remember my mother’s name. You have to tell me.” Jong Hyun said with a raspy voice.

“Lady Victoria Arran married Cha Hak Yeon, leader of K-Pop group VIXX and an actor, 3 years ago. She lives in Seoul.”

“Ah! Right!” Jong Hyun remembered. “I think someone wanted me to be their plus one for dinner in their house but I was busy that night.” Jong Hyun rubbed his eyes. “So? Are we going to phone Lady Victoria to ask her whether she wants the painting or whether she can arrange a meeting with Lady Godiva for us?”

“Or we can go back to Seoul to meet her directly.” Hyuk nodded.

Check out Lee Soo Hyuk tarot readings:

Lee Soo Hyuk Kinky* Reading

Lee Soo Hyuk Relationship Role

Lee Soo Hyuk Ideal Partner

Lee Soo Hyuk - Love is a Battlefield

Lee Soo Hyuk - Shadow of the Moon

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IN CLASSICAL AND MODERN ART... ATHLETA (Latin: Athlete) BEAUTY AND STRENGTH OF THE MASCULINE SOUL...  WALKING!

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The Male Form...  In Photography, Art, Architecture, Decor, Style, And Culture Which Moves Beyond Mere Appearance To Reveal The... SOUL.

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