Communication for Health Promotion

Communication for Health Promotion The purpose of this assignment is to strongly critique an interaction between a health professional and a service user in a video clip titled â€Å"Sexual Health Advice Role-play† (Nice (National Institute for Health and Care Excellence) Media, 2012). In the video clip, an adolescent male is seen using the C card scheme to obtain free condom from a pharmacy. The health professional in the pharmacy takes this as an opportunity to offer the adolescent service user a free chlamydia test. The type of health promotion and communication seen in the video clip will be discussed including the health promotion models observed in the clip and the strategies that could have been used to enhance the opportunity will be highlighted. In order to promote health, heath professionals must understand the definition of health. Health is commonly defined by two definitions; one of which is a negative definition and the other positive. The negative definition of health defines health as the absence of disease or illness (Naidoo and Wills, 2009), whereas the positive definition looks at holistic health and defines health as not just the absence of disease and infirmity but as a state of complete physical mental and social well-being (World Health Organisation (WHO), 1946). Health is holistic and consists of different dimensions which all need to be considered (Naidoo and Wills, 2009). Health promotion is a practice of empowering people to improve control over their health, and to also better it. It encourages people to improve their mental, physical and social well-being and to do so individuals and groups should have the knowledge of interventions that are in place in order to help people satisfy their needs, and change or cope with the environment (WHO), 1986). Nutbeam (1998) suggested that a comprehensive social and political process is represented by Health Promotion. It does not just look at strategies used to strengthen people’s skills and capabilities but it also looks at the strategies used to change social, environmental and economic conditions in order to improve their impact on individuals and public health. It moves beyond a focus on individual behaviour towards a wide range of social and environmental interventions (WHO) 1986). There is a variety of health promotion approaches which all have different objectives. These approaches are medical, behaviour change, educational, empowerment and social change (Naidoo and Wills 2009). The medical approach concentrates on strategies used to decrease morbidity and premature mortality. The approach is also concerned with disease prevention among high-risk groups. This approach is usually linked with the three levels of health promotion, which are primary, secondary and tertiary (Leddy, 2006). Primary health promotion consists of strategies that prevent ill health before it occurs. Strategies may include immunisation or encouraging people to live healthier lifestyles (Hubley et al, 2013). The C card is a form of Primary health promotion because it aims to help young people protect themselves from sexually transmitted diseases by issuing free condoms.[g1] Condoms are an effective way of preventing sexually transmitted diseases (National Health Service (NHS) choices, 201 3) therefore the C Card scheme is a good example of primary health promotion because it prevents disease before it occurs. Secondary health promotion consists of actions taken to identify and prevent the progression of disease at an early stage (Scriven,2005). Secondary health promotion strategies may include health screening programmes. Secondary health promotion is seen in the video clip when the health professional encourages the service user to get screened for chlamydia. Every young person under the age of 25 is entitled to a free and confidential chlamydia test through the National Chlamydia Screening Programme (NCSP). The NCSP is an NHS sexual health programme which was put into place by the Department of Health (DOH) in 2003 (NCSP 2003). In 2012 206,912 people in England tested positive for chlamydia and 64% of these were under 25 (NHS Choice, 2013). The NCSP targets young people under 25 because they are a high risk group where chlamydia is concerned. The programme’s aims are to make sure that young people under the age of 25 who are sexually active are aware of the effects of chlamydia and have access to free and confidential chlamydia screening (NCSP, 2013). According to Public Health England (PHE) (2013), since the NCSP was introduced there has been a 40% increase of chlamydia diagnoses in young people. This shows that more young people are being tested and getting treatment for chlamydia. The last level of health promotion is tertiary health promotion which looks at improving the health of individuals who are already affected by a disease. It consists of actions to avoid deterioration and aims to reduce complications (Fertman and Allensworth, 2010). An example of tertiary health promotion is when an HIV infected person takes antiretroviral drugs to help slow down the spread of virus in the body (NHS choice, 2012). The educational approach aims to enable individuals to make informed choices about their health behaviours by educating and assi sting them in developing skills (Trapani 2007). The educational approach is applied in the interaction when the health professional firstly provides the service user with information about chlamydia before performing the chlamydia test. The behaviour change approach aims to change individual’s unhealthy behaviours, by encouraging them to adopt healthy behaviours (Dixey, 2013). An element of the behaviour change approach is seen in the video clip; by providing free condoms to young people, the C card scheme is trying to change their behaviours by encouraging them to stop engaging in unprotected sex. The C-Card scheme is a service for young people which provides free condoms, advice and information. [g2]The service is free and confidential. The aims of the scheme are to help young people have more access to condoms, support them, educate them on sexual heath and how to correctly use condoms (Burtney, 2008). The initial reason why the service user went to the pharmacy was to obtain free condoms but the health professional takes this as an opportunity to promote health. The promotion of health and wellbeing is a fundamental part of being a health professional (Scriven, 2005). All health care professionals are encouraged to make every contact count. They are encouraged to use every interaction with an individual as an opportunity to promote health, whatever their profession or the reason of the interaction (Department of Health, 2012). Good communication skills are essential when health professional are attempting to promote good sexual health to young people. Effective communication enables health professionals to maximise the success of the interaction and this enhances the associated health promotion throughout the consultation (Barnes, 2009). The communication process begins at point of greeting and introduction (French, 2006). Williams and Davies (2005) suggest that communication with adolescents should begin with the development of trust. They further on elaborate that rapport with the adolescent should be built by health professionals and they are also are advised to be non judgemental and straight forward. Throughout the interaction, the health professional did not introduce herself to the service user. The health professional could have presented the idea of a chlamydia screening more effectively by firstly introducing herself. According to NICE (2012) health and social care professionals must always make it a priority to introduce themselves to service users and clearly explain their role and responsibilities. If the health professional had introduced herself to the service user, the service user would have felt more comfortable and would have had more trust in the health professional. Introducing herself could have helped her build rapport between herself and the service user. Establishing rapport and building a relationship between a service user and health professional are considered as foundations to good communication (Mitchell and Welling, 1998). Building a relationship is fundamental when working with young people because if a young person does not trust you, they may not disclose personal information (Royal College of Nursing (RCN), 2013). Throughout the consultation the health professional maintained excellent professionalism. The language used by the health professional was that of a professional manor and not over technical. The service user used clinical language that could be understood by the service user, she did not speak in way that could have been patronising to the service user. When interacting with adolescents, some health professionals resort to using patronising language because they believe an adolescent would not be capable of understanding professional language (Berry, 2006) The health professional maintained good eye contact throughout the interaction. When interacting with a service user, health professionals are advised to maintain eye contact if it is culturally acceptable for the service user because it shows honest, confidence and helps build a more therapeutic relationship (Eisenberge, 2012). According to Bateman (2000), a health professional’s advice may not be absorbed if there is a la ck of eye contact. Appropriate body language was used by the health professional throughout the interaction. The body language used by the service user was also that of a professional manor. Allen (2013) suggests that body language can be used as a foundation of building rapport between service user and health professional. She also goes on to say that trust can be established through mirroring and matching the body movements of a person. The health professional is seen mirroring the service user’s body movement throughout the interaction. Maintained good communication skill, eye contact, body language Good environment no noise, privacy, no interruptions When service user asked if it could be transmitted through kissing professional asked as if she didn’t know. No information. Did not ask for consent She did not give him a chance to ask questions Gave information before test References Burtney, E (2008) Guidelines for Setting Up a C-Card Condom Distribution Scheme For Young People. Available at: http://www.phru.net/shin/Condom%20Distribution%20Review/Brook%20guidelines%20FINAL%2029%20Oct.doc (Accessed: 23 April 2014) Department of Health (2012) The NHSs role in the publics health: a report from the NHS Future Forum. Available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/216423/dh_132114.pdf (Accessed: 23 April 2014) Public Health England (2013) Chlamydia screening intervention proves infectious in general practice. Available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/chlamydia-screening-intervention-proves-infectious-in-general-practice (Accessed: 24 April 2014) Fertman, C. and Allensworth, D. (ed.) (2010) Health Promotion Programs: From Theory to Practice. London: Jossey-Bass Hubley, H., Copeman, J. and Woodall, J. (2013) Practical Health Promotion. 2nd edn. Cambridge: Polity Press Leddy, S. (2006) Integrative Health Promotion: Conceptual Bases for Nursing Practice. 2nd edn. London: Jones and Bartlett Naidoo, J. and Wills, J. (2009) Foundations For Health Promotion. 3rd edn. London: Elsevier NCSP (2013) What is the NCSP?. Available at: http://www.chlamydiascreening.nhs.uk/ys/about.html (Accessed: 23 April 2014) NHS Choices (2012) HIV and AIDS – Treatment. Available at: http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/HIV/Pages/Treatmentpg.aspx (Accessed: 23 April 2014) NHS Choices (2013) Chlamydia. Available at: ttp://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Chlamydia/Pages/Introduction.aspx (Accessed: 24 April 2014) http://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/qualitystandards/patientexperience/PatientAwarenessOfHealthcareProfessionals.jsp Nutbeam, D. (1998) ‘Evaluating Health Promotion – progress, problems and solutions’, Health Promotion international ; 13, pp. 27-44 Scriven, A. (2005) Health Promoting Practice: The contribution of nurses and allied health professional. 1st edn. Hampshire: Palgrave Macmillan World Health organisation (1986) The Ottawa Charter for Health Promotion. Available at: http://www.who.int/healthpromotion/Milestones_Health_Promotion_05022010.pdf?ua=1 (Accessed: 23 April 2014) World Health Organisation (1946) Constitution. World Health Organisation, Geneva http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=TjI1QMi3cnoCdq=medical+approach+in+health+promotionsource=gbs_navlinks_s http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=xwOd0PcEdtoCsource=gbs_navlinks_s http://www.nursingtimes.net/nursing-practice/clinical-zones/sexual-health/health-promotion-in-sexual-health-2-nurses-role-in-engaging-with-clients/5001424.article http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=yUTP2ioasf8Csource=gbs_navlinks_s http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=bkDjTmriEiYCdq=why+is+eye+contact+important+in+health+and+social+caresource=gbs_navlinks_s http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=AK_Mg2J5EhUCdq=language+used+by+health+professionalssource=gbs_navlinks_s http://www.naturalhealthcourses.com/Reading_Room/Body_Language.htm [g1]Reference [g2]Reference

Part Two Chapter IV

IV Samantha's dinner invitation to Kay had been motivated by a mixture of vengefulness and boredom. She saw it as retaliation against Miles, who was always busy with schemes in which he gave her no say but with which he expected her to co-operate; she wanted to see how he liked it when she arranged things without consulting him. Then she would be stealing a march on Maureen and Shirley, those nosy old crones, who were so fascinated by Gavin's private affairs but knew next to nothing about the relationship between him and his London girlfriend. Finally, it would afford her another opportunity to sharpen her claws on Gavin for being pusillanimous and indecisive about his love life: she might talk about weddings in front of Kay or say how nice it was to see Gavin making a commitment at last. However, her plans for the discomfiture of others gave Samantha less pleasure than she had hoped. When on Saturday morning she told Miles what she had done, he reacted with suspicious enthusiasm. ‘Great, yeah, we haven't had Gavin round for ages. And nice for you to get to know Kay.' ‘Why?' ‘Well, you always got on with Lisa, didn't you?' ‘Miles, I hated Lisa.' ‘Well, OK †¦ maybe you'll like Kay better!' She glared at him, wondering where all this good humour was coming from. Lexie and Libby, home for the weekend and cooped up in the house because of the rain, were watching a music DVD in the sitting room; a guitar-laden ballad blared through to the kitchen where their parents stood talking. ‘Listen,' said Miles, brandishing his mobile, ‘Aubrey wants to have a talk with me about the council. I've just called Dad, and the Fawleys have invited us all to dinner tonight at Sweetlove – ‘ ‘No thanks,' said Samantha, cutting him off. She was suddenly full of a fury she could barely explain, even to herself. She walked out of the room. They argued in low voices all over the house through the day, trying not to spoil their daughters' weekend. Samantha refused to change her mind or to discuss her reasons. Miles, afraid of getting angry at her, was alternately conciliatory and cold. ‘How do you think it's going to look if you don't come?' he said at ten to eight that evening, standing in the doorway of the sitting room, ready to leave, wearing a suit and tie. ‘It's nothing to do with me, Miles,' Samantha said. ‘You're the one running for office.' She liked watching him dither. She knew that he was terrified of being late, yet wondering whether he could still persuade her to go with him. ‘You know they'll be expecting both of us.' ‘Really? Nobody sent me an invitation.' ‘Oh, come off it, Sam, you know they meant – they took it for granted – ‘ ‘More fool them, then. I've told you, I don't fancy it. You'd better hurry. You don't want to keep Mummy and Daddy waiting.' He left. She listened to the car reversing out of the drive, then went into the kitchen, opened a bottle of wine and brought it back into the sitting room with a glass. She kept picturing Howard, Shirley and Miles all having dinner together at Sweetlove House. It would surely be the first orgasm Shirley had had in years. Her thoughts swerved irresistibly to what her accountant had said to her during the week. Profits were way down, whatever she had pretended to Howard. The accountant had actually suggested closing the shop and concentrating on the online side of the business. This would be an admission of failure that Samantha was not prepared to make. For one thing, Shirley would love it if the shop closed; she had been a bitch about it from the start. I'm sorry, Sam, it's not really my taste †¦ just a teeny bit over the top †¦ But Samantha loved her little red and black shop in Yarvil; loved getting away from Pagford every day, chatting to customers, gossiping with Carly, her assistant. Her world would be tiny without the shop she had nurtured for fourteen years; it would contract, in short, to Pagford. (Pagford, bloody Pagford. Samantha had never meant to live here. She and Miles had planned a year out before starting work, a round-the-world trip. They had their itinerary mapped out, their visas ready. Samantha had dreamed about walking barefoot and hand in hand on long white Australian beaches. And then she had found out that she was pregnant. She had come down to visit him at ‘Ambleside', a day after she had taken the pregnancy test, one week after their graduation. They were supposed to be leaving for Singapore in eight days' time. Samantha had not wanted to tell Miles in his parents' house; she was afraid that they would overhear. Shirley seemed to be behind every door Samantha opened in the bungalow. So she waited until they were sitting at a dark corner table in the Black Canon. She remembered the rigid line of Miles' jaw when she told him; he seemed, in some indefinable way, to become older as the news hit him. He did not speak for several petrified seconds. Then he said, ‘Right. We'll get married.' He told her that he had already bought her a ring, that he had been planning to propose somewhere good, somewhere like the top of Ayers Rock. Sure enough, when they got back to the bungalow, he unearthed the little box from where he had already hidden it in his rucksack. It was a small solitaire diamond from a jeweller's in Yarvil; he had bought it with some of the money his grandmother had left him. Samantha had sat on the edge of Miles' bed and cried and cried. They had married three months later.) Alone with her bottle of wine, Samantha turned on the television. It brought up the DVD Lexie and Libby had been watching: a frozen image of four young men singing to her in tight T-shirts; they looked barely out of their teens. She pressed play. After the boys finished their song, the DVD cut to an interview. Samantha slugged back her wine, watching the band joking with each other, then becoming earnest as they discussed how much they loved their fans. She thought that she would have known them as Americans even if the sound had been off. Their teeth were perfect. It grew late; she paused the DVD, went upstairs and told the girls to leave the PlayStation and go to bed; then she returned to the sitting room, where she was three-quarters of the way down the bottle of wine. She had not turned on the lamps. She pressed play and kept drinking. When the DVD finished, she put it back to the beginning and watched the bit she had missed. One of the boys appeared significantly more mature than the other three. He was broader across the shoulders; biceps bulged beneath the short sleeves of his T-shirt; he had a thick strong neck and a square jaw. Samantha watched him undulating, staring into the camera with a detached serious expression on his handsome face, which was all planes and angles and winged black eyebrows. She thought of sex with Miles. It had last happened three weeks previously. His performance was as predictable as a Masonic handshake. One of his favourite sayings was ‘if it's not broke, don't fix it'. Samantha emptied the last of the bottle into her glass and imagined making love to the boy on the screen. Her breasts looked better in a bra these days; they spilled everywhere when she lay down; it made her feel flabby and awful. She pictured herself, forced back against a wall, one leg propped up, a dress pushed up to her waist and that strong dark boy with his jeans round his knees, thrusting in and out of her †¦ With a lurch in the pit of her stomach that was almost like happiness, she heard the car turning back into the drive and the beams of the headlights swung around the dark sitting room. She fumbled with the controls to turn over to the news, which took her much longer than it ought to have done; she shoved the empty wine bottle under the sofa and clutched her almost empty glass as a prop. The front door opened and closed. Miles entered the room behind her. ‘Why are you sitting here in the dark?' He turned on a lamp and she glanced up at him. He was as well groomed as he had been when he left, except for the raindrops on the shoulders of his jacket. ‘How was dinner?' ‘Fine,' he said. ‘You were missed. Aubrey and Julia were sorry you couldn't make it.' ‘Oh, I'm sure. And I'll bet your mother cried with disappointment.' He sat down in an armchair at right angles to her, staring at her. She pushed her hair out of her eyes. ‘What's this all about, Sam?' ‘If you don't know, Miles – ‘ But she was not sure herself; or at least, she did not know how to condense this sprawling sense of ill-usage into a coherent accusation. ‘I can't see how me standing for the Parish Council – ‘ ‘Oh, for God's sake, Miles!' she shouted, and was then slightly taken aback by how loud her voice was. ‘Explain to me, please,' he said, ‘what possible difference it can make to you?' She glared at him, struggling to articulate it for his pedantic legal mind, which was like a fiddling pair of tweezers in the way that it seized on poor choices of word, yet so often failed to grasp the bigger picture. What could she say that he would understand? That she found Howard and Shirley's endless talk about the council boring as hell? That he was quite tedious enough already, with his endlessly retold anecdotes about the good old days back at the rugby club and his self-congratulatory stories about work, without adding pontifications about the Fields? ‘Well, I was under the impression,' said Samantha, in their dimly lit sitting room, ‘that we had other plans.' ‘Like what?' said Miles. ‘What are you talking about?' ‘We said,' Samantha articulated carefully over the rim of her trembling glass, ‘that once the girls were out of school, we'd go travelling. We promised each other that, remember?' The formless rage and misery that had consumed her since Miles announced his intention to stand for the council had not once led her to mourn the year's travelling she had missed, but at this moment it seemed to her that that was the real problem; or at least, that it came closest to expressing both the antagonism and the yearning inside her. Miles seemed completely bewildered. ‘What are you talking about?' ‘When I got pregnant with Lexie,' Samantha said loudly, ‘and we couldn't go travelling, and your bloody mother made us get married in double-quick time, and your father got you a job with Edward Collins, you said, we agreed, that we'd do it when the girls were grown up; we said we'd go away and do all the things we missed out on.' He shook his head slowly. ‘This is news to me,' he said. ‘Where the hell has this come from?' ‘Miles, we were in the Black Canon. I told you I was pregnant, and you said – for Christ's sake, Miles – I told you I was pregnant, and you promised me, you promised – ‘ ‘You want a holiday?' said Miles. ‘Is that it? You want a holiday?' ‘No, Miles, I don't want a bloody holiday, I want – don't you remember? We said we'd take a year out and do it later, when the kids were grown up!' ‘Fine, then.' He seemed unnerved, determined to brush her aside. ‘Fine. When Libby's eighteen; in four years' time, we'll talk about it again. I don't see how me becoming a councillor affects any of this.' ‘Well, apart from the bloody boredom of listening to you and your parents whining about the Fields for the rest of our natural lives – ‘ ‘Our natural lives?' he smirked. ‘As opposed to – ?' ‘Piss off,' she spat. ‘Don't be such a bloody smartarse, Miles, it might impress your mother – ‘ ‘Well, frankly, I still don't see what the problem – ‘ ‘The problem,' she shouted, ‘is that this is about our future, Miles. Our future. And I don't want to bloody talk about it in four years' time, I want to talk about it now!' ‘I think you'd better eat something,' said Miles. He got to his feet. ‘You've had enough to drink.' ‘Screw you, Miles!' ‘Sorry, if you're going to be abusive †¦' He turned and walked out of the room. She barely stopped herself throwing her wine glass after him. The council: if he got on it, he would never get off; he would never renounce his seat, the chance to be a proper Pagford big shot, like Howard. He was committing himself anew to Pagford, retaking his vows to the town of his birth, to a future quite different from the one he had promised his distraught new fiancee as she sat sobbing on his bed. When had they last talked about travelling the world? She was not sure. Years and years ago, perhaps, but tonight Samantha decided that she, at least, had never changed her mind. Yes, she had always expected that some day they would pack up and leave, in search of heat and freedom, half the globe away from Pagford, Shirley, Mollison and Lowe, the rain, the pettiness and the sameness. Perhaps she had not thought of the white sands of Australia and Singapore with longing for many years, but she would rather be there, even with her heavy thighs and her stretch marks, than here, trapped in Pagford, forced to watch as Miles turned slowly into Howard. She slumped back down on the sofa, groped for the controls, and switched back to Libby's DVD. The band, now in black and white, was walking slowly along a long empty beach, singing. The broad-shouldered boy's shirt was flapping open in the breeze. A fine trail of hair led from his navel down into his jeans.

Succubus Revealed Chapter 8

It was hard to believe that in only a couple of days I'd gone from doubting my transfer was real to suddenly signing on to be in a Las Vegas stage production. Things happened so fast that it was easy to get swept along, and Bastien and Phoebe's gleeful encouragement just made things happen that much more quickly. Shape-shifting took care of my clothing problem, and Bastien soon left us, allegedly to go get a drink and try his hand at the blackjack table. Once he left the theatre, though, Phoebe leaned over to me conspiratorially and whispered, â€Å"Here's a wager for you. How much do you want to bet he comes back with a glow?† I laughed and whispered back, â€Å"I won't take that bet. Are you sure you haven't worked with him before?† Admittedly, an incubus looking to get laid wasn't that far of a stretch, but I liked how adeptly Phoebe was able to pick up on my old friend's personality quirks. â€Å"Nah,† she said with a smile. â€Å"I've just known his type.† Other dancers began trickling in. Phoebe introduced us as they arrived, and most were friendly and excited to have someone new in the group. They weren't yet at their full number needed for the show, so everyone was anxious for that to happen. I brought them one step closer, though it surprised me they were still short. From my experiences, there were always groups of girls lined up to try to make it in show business. Phoebe confirmed as much. â€Å"Oh, yeah, tons have tried out. And you should have seen them at the beginning, when they first did the open casting. Matthias is just really selective, that's all. Cornelia – the head choreographer – is just as bad.† â€Å"And yet he took me on a five-minute audition,† I pointed out. Phoebe grinned. â€Å"Sweetie, he just knows talent when he sees it. Besides, he's in charge of this gig. If he says you're in, you're in.† Matthias wasn't the only one running the show, of course. Along with the dancers came other management and staff, like the aforementioned Cornelia. Everyone had a part to play. The rehearsal was fast-paced and aggressive – but also lots of fun. Phoebe hadn't been joking. The other dancers were good – really good. It had been a very long time since I'd danced with any sort of group, even longer since I was with one of such caliber. I was used to being the standout at anything dance related, and it was a surprise – a good one – to find myself surrounded by so many equals. I had to work to keep up with them on the first day, and even if I didn't walk out as an instant star, I left confident that I'd held my own. Before I could go, one of the show's costumers asked to take my measurements backstage. Phoebe told me she'd go hunt down Bastien and meet me at the casino's central bar. The seamstress appeared with her tape measure, and I made a mental note of my height for future shape-shifting. Matthias came by, carrying his notes, and paused when he saw us. â€Å"You did really well today,† he told me. â€Å"It's like you've been with us from the first day.† â€Å"Hardly,† I said. â€Å"I've still got a lot to learn. Especially in the fourth song. The steps are deceptively simple . . . but there's a certain attitude you've got to hold to pull them off. No, maybe not attitude. Grace? Vibe? I can't explain it, but the simplicity's what makes it so genius. It seems like such a basic pattern, but how it's executed is what truly brings out the beauty.† I was thinking aloud, just sort of rambling, and realized that I sounded kind of ridiculous. â€Å"Sorry. That probably doesn't make any sense.† â€Å"No, no.† Matthias stared at me wonderingly. â€Å"That's exactly it. That's how I intended it. I was inspired by watching classical ballet, how all the moves are amplified by the emotion put into the routines. Cornelia said it was crazy to try to think that deep for a show like this, but it just felt right.† â€Å"It's beautiful,† I said honestly. â€Å"I can absolutely see where you were going with it. Reminds me of something from La Bayadre.† â€Å"You know La Bayadre?† he asked, wide-eyed. â€Å"Of course,† I said. â€Å"It's a classic. Who doesn't?† â€Å"You'd be surprised.† I realized then that the seamstress had left, having achieved her goal. Matthias was still regarding me in amazement. Now that they weren't focused on the clipboard, I was able to see how blue his eyes were. They were like the sky on a clear, crisp day. â€Å"Are you busy tonight?† he asked a few moments later. â€Å"Would you . . . would you like to go get dinner? Or even just a drink? I'd love to talk dance more with you.† For a succubus, I could be surprisingly na?ve sometimes. Because for half an instant, I almost accepted. I was so keyed up after the rehearsal and so excited to talk more about the show that I actually briefly thought that was all he wanted to go out for. Now, I don't mean to imply that his motives were totally base either. He wasn't using this as a ruse to simply get me into bed. But he also wasn't treating this as a meeting of colleagues. Bottom line: he liked me. I'd peaked his interest, and he wanted to go out on a date. Normally, that wouldn't have been a problem . . . except, there was something I sincerely liked about him. He was cute, and I found his passion for his work endearing. I loved how he kept getting wrapped up in it, totally consumed and distracted like – Seth. And there was the problem. This guy was the choreographer version of Seth. A one-night fling with some sleazy guy who meant nothing wasn't cheating in the eyes of our relationship. But for me to go out with a guy I liked, that I found intriguing and attractive in the same way I found Seth . . . well. That was wrong, especially since Matthias was obviously interested in me. It was a strange situation to be in, one I hadn't expected. â€Å"Oh, that would be great, but my friends and I already have plans,† I told him. â€Å"We're trying to make the most of my trip since it's so short.† â€Å"Oh.† His face fell a little, then brightened. â€Å"But you'll be back for tomorrow's rehearsal, right? It'd be great if you were able to get in the steps one more time before you left town. You know, give you something to practice.† â€Å"Sure,† I said. â€Å"That'd be great.† The rest of the evening went by in a blur of activity. Phoebe joined Bastien and me in a whirlwind tour of Vegas highlights, which included a lot of casino and club hopping. Phoebe and I both donned skimpy, glamorous dresses, playing up our succubus sex appeal to its maximum. We draped ourselves on Bastien's arms, and he swaggered around even more than usual, smug with the envy he got over showing us off. After hours of this, I was ready for some downtime. Phoebe and Bastien had a quick consultation and decided that if we hurried we could make the late performance of a magic show they knew. â€Å"Magic?† I asked, more than a little tipsy from vodka gimlets. â€Å"Don't we live a magic show?† â€Å"Damn near,† said Bastien. He was ostensibly still being gallant in offering me his arm, but it was unclear who was really holding whom up. â€Å"There's something special about this show, I've heard.† There was a mischievous glint in his eyes. The three of us made our way to a modest, off-Strip hotel I'd never heard of. It still had alcohol and slot machines in its casino, which was probably all that mattered to most of its customers. Bastien bought us tickets to see The Great Jambini, and we hurried into the small theater – which was about half-full – just as the lights went down. A mediocre comedian did the warm-up act, and soon the star attraction himself came out. He had graying hair and a bright purple silk turban, along with a sequined cape that could have come straight from the wardrobe department at Sparkles. He kept tripping over its hem, which led to my first observation: he was totally drunk. A second observation soon followed, once I realized there were more immortal signatures in here than just mine, Phoebe's, and Bastien's. The Great Jambini was an imp. He started off with some standard card tricks, receiving half-hearted applause from the audience. These were followed by juggling, which I found remarkable simply because of the concentration it required from someone so obviously intoxicated. He didn't miss a move. I think the other members of the audience shared my opinion because their applause warmed up. Inspired by this, Jambini then made a great show of setting his juggling pins on fire. This brought the applause to a standstill, and some of the people in the front rows shifted uneasily. â€Å"Is that a good idea?† I murmured to my friends. â€Å"It never is,† remarked Phoebe. â€Å"What do you mean nev – â€Å" Within thirty seconds after lighting the pins, Jambini had begun juggling . . . and promptly set his cape on fire. People gasped and screamed as he flung it off him onto the stage. Considering its cheap material, I was kind of surprised the cape hadn't ignited faster. He stomped on it until the flames were out, and I saw a few stagehands on the periphery ready with fire extinguishers, just in case. Once the cape was a black, smoldering mess, he lifted it up. A dove emerged from underneath it, flying up into the air, much to the awe and delight of the spectators. â€Å"It was part of the show,† I breathed, equally impressed. â€Å"Yup,† said Phoebe. Jambini reached for the dove, which just barely slipped past him. It circled around the room, then swooped low into the audience. Along the way, it sideswiped a woman whose hair was elaborately French braided. The dove's foot got tangled in her hair, and it soon became trapped, beating its wings frantically to escape as she leaped up and began screaming. â€Å"Was that part of the show?† I asked. â€Å"No,† said Phoebe in awe. â€Å"But it really should be.† Within seconds, the stagehands were out in the audience, where they were able to remove and confine the dove. They escorted the woman off as well, heads bent low as they murmured apologies. The Great Jambini made a flourish-filled bow, much to the delight of the crowd. Everyone loves a wacky mishap. He performed a few scarf tricks, most of which went off without a hitch, and then came to stand in the center of the stage, face grave. â€Å"For my next trick, I need a volunteer.† His eyes fell on our corner. â€Å"A lovely volunteer.† â€Å"Oh, he noticed us,† said Phoebe, with a sigh. She raised her hand, along with others in the audience. When I did nothing, she elbowed me until I raised my hand as well. After a great show of examining all the volunteers, Jambini strode up to our table and extended his hand to me. Bastien and Phoebe whistled and cheered, urging me up. I was a little nervous about being set on fire or attacked by birds, but it was hard for me to refuse an audience. I accepted Jambini's hand and let him lead me up to the stage, while thunderous applause rang out around us. â€Å"Just shape-shift into any outfit that comes to mind,† he muttered in my ear, his breath heavy with the scent of gin. Once we were on center stage, he took the microphone and kicked into showman mode. â€Å"Now, my lovely assistant here . . . what is your name, lovely assistant?† I leaned toward the microphone. â€Å"Georgina.† â€Å"Georgina. What a lovely name. And so, lovely Georgina, all you have to do is allow yourself to be receptive to the awe-inspiring, truly mystical powers of my magic. If you do, wondrous transformations will occur.† I nodded in agreement, and more cheering ensued. Jambini walked over to his prop table and returned with a curtain attached to a hoop and a handle. When he held it up by the handle, the curtain hung down in a way that created an enclosed cylinder, completely concealing the person inside. I obligingly stepped forward, letting the folds of fabric hide me while Jambini gave a â€Å"magical countdown.† In those brief seconds, I shape-shifted my sparkly cocktail dress to the first thing that came to mind: my green foil elf dress. Jambini whipped the curtain away dramatically, revealing me in my new attire. People gasped and clapped with delight, and I gave a bow almost as showy as his. Encouraged by the response, Jambini declared, â€Å"One more time.† I stepped back into the curtained enclosure and changed this time into black jeans, a silver-sequined top, and a woman's tuxedo jacket. When he pulled back the curtain, the applause faltered a little bit before increasing to a frenzy. I'd seen these types of tricks performed before among those not gifted with shape-shifting, and usually performers simply shifted between loose dresses, items easy to get on and off. My choice of clothing kind of defied the logic of those familiar with how the trick worked. But, hey. This was magic, right? â€Å"Show-off,† Bastien told me when I returned to my seat. â€Å"Hey,† I whispered back, watching Jambini attempt to swallow a knife. He'd gotten about a third of the way there before he started coughing. With a shrug, he finally gave up and simply bowed to delayed applause. â€Å"These people deserve something for their money.† Jambini – or Jamie, as I later learned he was really named – was much more appreciative of my performance. My group met up with him in the hotel's drab bar after the show. â€Å"Switching to pants was genius,† he told me, knocking back a glass of gin. I had a sneaking suspicion that the show's actual performance was the longest he went without a drink on a given day. â€Å"People are going to be scratching their heads over that one for days.† â€Å"Maybe too much,† warned Bastien. â€Å"You'll make mortals suspicious.† I shrugged, unconcerned. â€Å"This is Vegas, baby. No one'll question it. Besides, weirder things happen all the time.† Jamie was nodding along eagerly. â€Å"And that tacky holiday dress too? That was great. Really god-awful. You know, if you're moving here, I could totally hook you up with a job as my assistant.† He chuckled. â€Å"People would probably get more out of seeing you than my tricks.† â€Å"That wouldn't surprise me in the least,† said Bastien, straight-faced. â€Å"Well, thanks,† I said, â€Å"but I think I've got more jobs than I need. Phoebe already set me up with something.† â€Å"Poacher,† said Jamie. The other succubus laughed as she stirred cherries around in her cocktail. â€Å"Hey, I can't help it if I – â€Å" A familiar aura spread through the room, and Phoebe fell silent. We all turned as one, watching as Luis entered the bar. Even mortals, who couldn't feel him like we could, paused and watched him stride through the room. There was just something that powerful and compelling about his dark presence. â€Å"Boss man,† said Jamie, holding up his glass in a mock toast. â€Å"You just missed my amazing performance.† â€Å"I've seen your shows before,† said Luis, sitting down and beckoning the bartender over. â€Å"I don't think I really missed anything.† â€Å"Georgina was his ‘lovely assistant,' † teased Phoebe. â€Å"Oh?† Luis paused to place his order and then turned toward me. â€Å"Pray tell, what did you do to wow them? Set some scarves on fire?† â€Å"Just some run-of-the-mill shape-shifting,† I said modestly. Jamie started in on his second gin glass. He'd ordered two when we sat down. I guess he didn't want to risk waiting the extra few minutes it would take to pour another. â€Å"That trick is always best with succubi. Even with a plant and a prepped costume, it never goes off quite as well. I used to have this girl who worked with me when I lived in Raleigh, and she did okay, but you could tell people knew how the whole get-up worked.† Alcohol was buzzing through me pleasantly, and I'd slowed down my consumption so as not to lose my head. Somewhere in that warm haze, Jamie's words tickled a memory. â€Å"Raleigh . . . when were you in Raleigh?† â€Å"I moved from there a few years ago. I was there about . . . oh, I don't know.† He took a sip of gin, perhaps to help his math skills. â€Å"Not that long. Twenty years. I did some good soul brokering, but really, my talents were better appreciated here, you know?† â€Å"When you were there, did you know a vampire named Milton?† I asked. Remembering my conversation with Hugh while I was in the middle of a cheap Vegas bar was weird – but no weirder than hearing Raleigh mentioned twice this week. â€Å"Milton?† Jamie's eyebrows rose, and some of his good humor dimmed. â€Å"Yeah, I know him. Scary son of a bitch. Looks like – â€Å" â€Å"Nosferatu?† I suggested. Jamie nodded solemnly. â€Å"How anyone as blatantly vampire as him got by as a covert operative is beyond me.† Phoebe frowned. â€Å"Did you say ‘covert operative'?† The waiter appeared then with Luis's drink. Luis motioned for him to stay and glanced around at the rest of us. â€Å"Refills? Another gimlet or cosmo? Jamie? You're drinking Tanqueray, right?† Jamie looked offended. â€Å"Beefeater.† Luis rolled his eyes. â€Å"That's ridiculous and disgusting. Bring him some Tanqueray.† â€Å"No!† exclaimed Jamie. â€Å"Beefeater. I'm a purist.† â€Å"You have no discrimination,† countered Luis. He looked back at the confused waiter. â€Å"Bring one of each. We'll have a taste test.† The waiter looked relieved and hurried off before someone else contradicted the orders. â€Å"It's a waste of time,† said Jamie. â€Å"No offense, boss man. You'll see.† Luis was unmoved. â€Å"Beefeater's for peasants.† â€Å"Jamie,† I tried, â€Å"about Milton – â€Å" â€Å"Peasants!† I don't think Luis could've insulted Jamie more if he'd called his mother names. â€Å"Beefeater is a refined drink, for a refined palate. You know I have infinite respect for you, but clearly, despite your years of worldly experience . . . well . . .† Jamie drunkenly groped for an eloquent way to finish his speech. â€Å"You're wrong.† Luis laughed, something I couldn't help but think Jerome most definitely wouldn't have done if one of his subordinates said he was wrong. â€Å"We'll see, my friend. It's a complex matter really, coming down to an analysis of both base ingredients and the distillation process.† â€Å"Jamie – † I attempted again. â€Å"That,† declared Jamie, â€Å"we can both agree on. And Beefeater is vastly superior in both.† â€Å"Give it up, Fleur,† Bastien told me in a low voice, eyes twinkling. â€Å"You can't compete with gin. Better luck tomorrow.† I started to protest, but further listening to Luis and Jamie's debate told me Bastien was right. Jamie was so fixated on defending his gin's honor that I doubt he would've even remembered me asking about Milton. â€Å"Will he be sober tomorrow?† I asked skeptically. â€Å"No,† said Phoebe. â€Å"But he's usually a little less drunk during the first half of the day.† The gin arrived, and Luis and Jamie became totally consumed with conducting â€Å"scientific† examinations on it, involving scent and surface tension. I didn't really see how the latter made that much of a difference in a taste test, but they seemed to think it was a pretty serious matter. â€Å"Dear God,† I murmured, amazed. Bastien finished off his cocktail. â€Å"When things turn serious, it's time for me to leave. What do you say, ladies? Would you like to go search out the clubs for some companionship ?† â€Å"I've got an early day tomorrow,† Phoebe said with regret. â€Å"I should probably just go home now. But you'll be at practice tomorrow, right?† â€Å"I guess so,† I said. â€Å"I told Matthias I would.† Despite ostensibly being involved in liquor analysis, Luis glanced over at the sound of the company manager's name. â€Å"Oh? Did you arrange the introduction?† I nodded. â€Å"Phoebe got me signed on.† Luis looked pleased. â€Å"Excellent. Are you happy with it?† The question surprised me, but then I remembered his earlier comment upon my arrival, about how he wanted happy employees. â€Å"I think so. I think it'll be a lot of fun.† â€Å"Good. And what did you think of Matthias?† That one was really a surprise. â€Å"I thought he was nice. Do you know him?† â€Å"Only by reputation,† said Luis. I was about to use the interruption to ask Jamie about Milton again, but before I could, Luis effortlessly slipped back to gin science, effectively blocking me from the imp's attention. Tomorrow, I decided. â€Å"You know,† said Phoebe slyly. â€Å"I could help you find Matthias if you wanted to see him tonight.† Even afloat on vodka gimlets, I still knew the right and wrong surrounding any sort of casual romance with Matthias. If I was going to hook up with anyone while I was here, it wasn't going to be anybody I would ever consider seriously. I flashed her and Bastien my best saucy succubus smile. â€Å"Nah, too tame. I'm not here to settle down yet. Let's find something wilder and do this Vegas weekend right.† Bastien whooped with joy and caught hold of my hand. As he led me away, telling me about â€Å"this perfect dance club,† I caught sight of Luis's face. He was nodding at Jamie, still seemingly interested in their debate . . . but there was something about the satisfied, knowing smile on Luis's lips that made me think it wasn't just the gin he was so happy about.

A Masterpiece of Literature, The Adventures of Huckleberry...

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain has been called one of the greatest American Novels and considered a masterpiece of literature. The book is being taught by teachers across the country for years. Now, Huckleberry Finn, along with other remarkable novels such as Of Mice and Men and To Kill a Mockingbird, is being pulled off the shelves of libraries, out of schools and banned from classrooms because it has been considered unsuitable and racist for todays youth. An classic American novel like this book should not be banned from schools; it shows history, growth and friendship. Mark Twain being raised in a town where slavery existed and slaves were called â€Å"niggers† this was normal for him and wasn’t considered offensive to Blacks. This racial term is repeatedly used in the book and today that word is very offensive to most people, but during the era Twain set the book in it was not like that. Black people were just called this without any thought to the name. Throughout the novel, Huck struggles with dealing with how different Jim is, and learns of Jim’s heart and humanity. A word that is commonly used today that we might not find offensive could be in forty years to other people; because they see a meaning behind the word that actually had no meaning when it was originally used. Twain was clearly not writing to offend anyone or make it so people felt uncomfortable teaching it, like he said in the beginning before the novel Persons attempting to find aShow MoreRelatedMark Twain : Seeing America s Flaws1593 Words   |  7 PagesT wain: Seeing America’s Flaws â€Å"You don’t know about me, without you have read a book by the name of The Adventures of Tom Sawyer , but that ain’t no matter. That book was made by Mr. Mark Twain and he told the truth, mainly. There was things he stretched, but mainly he told the truth† (qtd. in Jones 237). That was the very first line in Mark Twain’s controversial book, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Samuel L. 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However, many scholars and associations have devised a â€Å"solution† for this problem such as, completely banning the book, creating sanitized versions, or ev en replacing the book for another American literature novel. â€Å"What is so wrongRead MoreThe Adventures of Huckleberry Finn Research Paper1649 Words   |  7 PagesSince its first publication in 1884, Mark Twain’s masterpiece The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn has proven to be one of history’s most controversial novels; especially recently, the novel has often been banned by schools and censored by libraries. Characters in the book are constantly using disparaging language toward slaves, and the repeated use of the word â€Å"nigger† makes many sensitive and offended. 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I do not suggest that it is his only book of permanent interest;Read More Mark Twain Essay1401 Words   |  6 Pageswritten in the 1870s and 1880s in Hartford or during the summers at Quarry Farm, near Elmira, New York. Roughing It (1872) which recounts his early adventures as a miner and journalist was first. 4quot; In a story called quot;The Adventures of Tom Sawyerquot; he was stated that Quarry Farm was Twains favorite place he ever resided. quot;The Adventures of Tom Sawyerquot; (1876) which celebrates boyhood in a town on the Mississippi River was his second nove l. quot;A Tramp Abroadquot; (1880) whichRead MoreThe Adventures Of Huckleberry Finn By Mark Twain1346 Words   |  6 Pages An in depth look at â€Å"The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn† Racism was an ever present evil that was prevelant during the 1830s and 1840s that lead to a multitude of wrongdoings against blacks. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is about a young child name Huck and how he matures in a society teeming with racism. While on his adventure, he must learn to make tough, adult-like decisions. He travels down the Mississippi River with a runaway slave who later becomes one his his greatest friends. In Mark