#and my warehouse space for all the workshops but

[strafethesesinners]

Man I’ve spent hours and hours on my new Starlight Drive In build and tbh I’m not happy with most of it. Sigh.

[tyttetardis]

Macbeth Q&A 18th Jan 2024 Part 1

Was lucky enough to get a ticket for the Member's Event at the Donmar Warehouse that took place on the 18th...with the price of the patronages I sure never thought I'd have gotten the chance, but luckily, they also let in some non-members 🥹❤️

The brilliant performance of Macbeth was followed by a very quick cleaning of the stage - thought for sure it would've taken them longer to remove the blood than like 5 minutes - followed by a lovely, little Q&A session.

The Q&A was led by Craig Gilbert (Literary manager) who talked to Annie Grace and Alasdair Macrae (Musicians and part of the acting ensemble) as well as Cush Jumbo and David Tennant.

Anyway, just gonna write down some of the stuff they talked about :) sorry if it's a bit messy! Might be spoilery if you haven't seen it yet but are going to!

To begin with Craig remarked that he didn't think he'd ever seen that many people staying behind for a Q&A before (While I was just wondering why some people even left!? Stressful!).

David introduced himself with "My real name is David "Thane of Paisely" Tennant - while Cush introduced herself with "I´m Cush Jumbo - there's only one of me".

First question was Craig asking them what it was that brought them to the Donmar to do Macbeth - to which David pretty much just replied that 1. It's the Donmar! 2. It's Macbeth! One of the greatest plays of all time in an amazingly intimate space - and that the theatre is famous for its quality of work. So he found it quite hard to think of a reason not to do it!

Cush said she'd worked there before and loves the theatre, how it's so intimate but also a great workspace. Followed by her saying she said yes because David asked her. She talked about how important it was for this play to do it together with the right actor playing opposite you.

David says Max Webster asked him about a year ago if he wanted to do the play - he gave him the dates - and since there weren't any obstacles in the way, David didn't have any excuse not to do it.

He then said that he had slightly avoided Macbeth - there sorta being the assumption that if you're Scottish and has done some Shakespeare plays before you have to do Macbeth. Which he joked was a bit odd since it's not like every Italian has to play Romeo. Then he mentioned that Macbeth is probably a bit more of a jock than he is - that it seemed more like a part for big, burly actors.

Max had laid out his initial ideas to David, a lot of which are in the final production, and David thought he seemed lovely, bright and clever and inventive plus it being the Donmar Warehouse! To which joked that he had last worked there 20 years ago - when he was 8 years old! "It's just one of those spaces" - friendly and epic at the same time where it's such a pleasure to be on the stage.

When Craig asked his next question concerning the sound of the play someone asked him to speak louder as she couldn't hear them - to which David joked that they've gotten so used to whispering. But also said sorry, and that they would!

Alasdair explained a bit about the process of the binaural sound - bit I find it a bit difficult to decipher it all correctly, sorry. He did say that a interesting part of it is that it allows them a controlled environment where they can put all the musicians (and even the bagpipes!) behind the soundproof box so "Poor David and Cush" doesn't have to shout over all the racket.

Craig asked David and Cush what their reaction was when they heard about the concept of the binaural soundscape - to which David replied that it didn't quite exist when they first came onboard - Cush joking they were tricked into it. Then she talked about her and David going on a workshop with Max to get a feeling of how it would all work - and get a sense of how it would sound to the audience, as this was one of the few times, they got to hear that side of it. Their experience of the play being completely different to the experience the audience has.

Cush said they can hear some of the sound - like she can hear some of the animal sounds and David can hear some of the stuff from the glass box - but most of their cues and information comes from timing with each other. She said they won't be able to ever hear what the audience hears - to which David joked "We're busy".

It felt like mixing medias - as it all went quite against their natural stagecraft instinct - but Cush found that in the long run it made things very interesting - like they don't have to worry about getting something whispered to each other - as the audience will hear it anyway.

David said the odd thing is that they don't really know what the experience truly is like. He mentioned that to the sides of the stage there's a speaker for them where they will get any cues that they need to hear. Like they can hear the witches - but they can't hear where they are "positioned" - so they have to learn how to place themselves to fit with what the audience hears. They don't hear everything, though. And the audio they hear is quite quiet, so it doesn't disturb what comes through the headphones.

He thinks it's been exciting - that it's a bit like a mix between film and theatre. It's happening live - but it's also like post-production is happening between them and the audience as it's going on. They just have to trust that the audience is hearing what they are supposed to for it all to make sense.

Cush said she thinks in 10 - 20 years, as these technologies has developed, doing theatre like this will feel a lot more normal - not that they will do it ALL the time, but that they will be doing it - whereas now it's still like an experiment. What Cush really like about the concept is that if was done in a much bigger theatre - then people in the cheapest seats would be able to have an experience much more similar to those in the most expensive seats - they'd be a lot more immersed into the action.

David then talks about how it feels extremely counterintuitive to not go on stage and speak loud enough that the people in the back row can also hear you. And usually, if they can't hear you, you aren't doing your job right! But then it felt very liberating. He loves it.

Cush then talked about how it felt odd waiting in the wings for a cue you can't hear - where you traditionally wait backstage and you can hear your cues, you can hear the rythm and know when it's your turn - so it was quite disconcerting to hear silence. So it's basically down to them now knowing the show and each other's timings - like if David is standing at a certain point, she knows how long she has before she needs to say/do something. So you have to watch each other more closely and really focus on what the others are doing.

David asked the musicians if they can hear everything inside the box, to which Annie replied that they get everything except some extra bits in the soundscape. But they can hear the actors on stage. Annie said it's actually a bit of a mystery to all of them what the audience actually experiences - how the big pictures actually look like - they just have to trust that it's there "Is it there?!".

Someone asked if they had had any adverse reactions from audiences to having to wear the headphones. Quite a bit of laughter all around :P then David said "There's the odd person" and something about if someone hadn't gotten the memo before turning up...but not sure how he ended the line. Then once again says that yes, there's the odd person who doesn't like it and that's fair enough.

The same audience member then said he could see the advantage of it in a big theatre where the distance is big, but not in a small place like the Donmar - to which David very quickly, rather passionately replied that it's not about projection, it's about being able to do things you wouldn't normally be able to do live - where they can speak so quietly that they can't even hear each other when standing next to each other. So even in such a small place, people wouldn't be able to hear that. It's about creating a different play - which isn't to everyone's taste and that's fair enough. But for a play that's been done a hundred and seven million times he thinks it's very valid to try and find a new way into the play - even if it's not for everyone.

Part 2

[e-vay]

CC ORIGIN STORY by @lubedoo

Hello! I’ve been following your art for some time and really enjoy it! I especially like the Tails and CC threads and have been mulling just how CC came to be and how she first met Tails, given the brief outlines you’ve published. I scribbled out the first chapter of a fan fiction expanding on CCs origins which I hope you’ll like. Let me know what you think… I can write more if you like it. Hope to see more of Tails and CC soon either way!

Chapter 1: Walter’s Widgets

“No, this won’t work… the gear pitch is misaligned to the functional plane!”

The camera aperture on the small robot’s spindly head focused in and out on the tiny interlocking mechanism as its grouchy furred boss pointed at the offending interface with thin metal pick. Its pincer-like hands reached for the device, but it was quickly snatched away. The robot retreated a few feet on its wheelbase at the sudden movement.

“It has to be at the correct angle or it will bind and fail prematurely!” He looked sternly at the two droids standing in front of him, the second a more squat construction containing a platform and several manipulators. “Assembler, you have the steady table and precision arms. Can’t you work with Gear Placer to match these up?”

Assembler responded in a series of low hums and groan-like noises, while Gear Placer rattled off high-pitched squeals and beeps.

“Wait, whoa… one at a time.” The old woodchuck removed his glasses and grasped the bridge of his nose. “I can understand both of you but not when you talk over each other. Didn’t the interface chips I installed help with translating your machine languages?”

Gear Placer reached a pincer inside an opening in its head and plucked out a small circuit board, which clearly had been overtaxed. The melted wires and burn marks were testament to its overuse and failure. Assembler groaned about its being in a similar condition, but was unable to remove it given its location.

The woodchuck sighed as he examined the ruined electronics. “I suppose that’s what I get for cobbling you all together from different control boards and drivers. I never expected my Widget business to be so complex.”

Walter Woodchuck had built WW Widgets into a local phenomenon. It started as a hobby business, building little devices for himself and his friends in his garage workshop. But word spread about his clever and unique designs, and suddenly customers were sending in requests from as far as Reclusivia. It provided him with a nice retirement income and kept him busy for sure, but he knew he needed help if he was to keep building these devices to his exacting standards.

And Walter was by no means a “people person.” He tried hiring a few Mobian assistants but none lasted very long. He was very particular in how he wanted things done, and few of his hired help was willing (or able) to keep up with his demands. Even his nephew William could only last for short stints in the WW manufacturing area before needing a periodic “sabbatical.”

So Walter decided with the size and scope of his business to move out of the tiny garage and into a “Fabratory” he had built towards the back corner of his property. It was a moderately sized but impressive facility that functioned as a device development lab, a manufacturing floor, a warehouse, and a store front. The store was more of an Automat, with remote payment devices and clear-doored cubbies where his customers could pay for and retrieve their items. It was very rare that any of them met with or even saw Walter… and he liked it that way. There was even a small living space so he could spend as much time as he wanted in his own little world. He would send one of the robots for supplies as needed, and the store owners in town knew Walter was good for payment.

But as with Walter and the outside world, communication among his robots was severely lacking. He built them as the need arose, from Circuit Solderer to Chip Mounter and Metal Stamper to Test Aligner. Their names were childish but functional, as Walter didn’t see the need to personalize his creations, only to have them do their job as they were told. And since they were constructed over time, the parts available to build them varied as did their internal machine languages, resulting in a maddening (to Walter) Production Line of Babel. The robots understood everything Walter told them but little of what the others twittered and beeped. They were still effective in producing wonderful Widgets, but frequently also manufactured a lot of stress for Walter.

Walter turned back to Gear Placer and Assembler, impatiently explaining to each what needed to be fixed on the device they had presented. They both excitedly responded in their own languages and raced off to fix their mistake.

“There has to be an easier way,” the tired woodchuck grumbled. “Maybe if I built another robot, one that could understand all their code and interpret for them… and me…” His voice trailed off as he turned to his drafting table and began drawing up yet another design.

After a few hours of intense thought and technical sketching (and with a few interruptions from the Production floor), he looked at his newest blueprint. “Yes, this should do nicely. I’m sure Oscar has the proper processors, auditory inputs, and servo impellers to make this happen. It will be my most advanced creation yet. I’ll need it to be able to learn, accept and provide feedback, and adapt to our design changes.” His brow furrowed. “This is going to be somewhat expensive, but that latest Widget order from Spagonia should cover the cost. Well worth it.”

He looked over the plans again and leaned back in his chair. Walter crossed his arms, smiled, and relaxed a bit. “Yes, you will be a great help to me… Code Compiler.”

-----

Evay: Wow, this is amazing! Oh I sincerely hope you do write more! I know I've been neglectful in all of the details of CC's origin. I promise I do have a script written for a comic for her, but I love when you all take the initiative and interpret how you think things went. It's an absolute delight for me 🥰 I really enjoyed this read and I look forward to more. Thank you so much!

[pilferingapples]

I got so into the joy of Boops I didn't even check my mail and almost MISSED this Important Announcement yesterday!! Article under cut in case they take it down:

The producer of Willy’s Chocolate Experience has announced that the Roald Dahl rip-off will transfer to Broadway, with an opening-night performance slated for April 25 at 11pm — just in time for Tony Awards consideration.

The interactive show made international headlines in February when it played a warehouse in Glasgow. Lured by AI-generated images of a fantastical candy wonderland, Scottish ticket-buyers plunked down £35 each to enter the workshop of “Willy McDuff,” a whimsical chocolatier assisted by green-haired “Wonkidoodles” and haunted by “The Unknown,” a rival candy-maker who inhabits the walls of the factory.

Derided as “Willy Wonka’s Meth Lab,” the immersive production fell far short of the expectations set by marketing material, with actors struggling to bring coherence to a script that was obviously authored by ChatGPT, on a set that looked like a daycare on Riker’s Island. An audience revolt prematurely ended the run, with several ticket-buyers demanding refunds from the event’s visibly frazzled organizer.

“We learned so much from our out-of-town tryout,” the upbeat producer told TheaterMania, reframing the whole thing as a brilliant publicity stunt.

“I’ve been closely collaborating with our script doctor, Goog LeGemini, and I think we’ve solved the major problem of The Unknown being too…unknown. She is now an unhoused victim of Willy’s gentrification, a socially relevant backstory that I think makes for a much richer narrative. That was all the Glasgow run was missing, really.”

TheaterMania can exclusively reveal that Willy’s Chocolate Experience will play the defunct McDonald’s on 42nd Street next to the New Amsterdam Theatre. “It’s a perfect opportunity to snag tourists unable to get into Aladdin,” the producer enthused. “They might feel a little disappointed at first, but just wait until they get a load of our show.”

While the shuttered 42nd Street McDonald’s has not previously been considered a Broadway house, our investigations revealed that a certain former Broadway League president quietly elevated the venue on February 15 through an obscure administrative procedure that has gone unnoticed by the theatrical press until now.

“Between Here Lies Love and the revival of Cabaret, it’s clear that producers are seeking more versatile venues,” said the ex-prez when reached for comment, “and I can think of no better space for immersive shows than this hamburger palace with a theatrical marquee. You’re welcome, Broadway.”

Readers interested in a deeper dive should return to TheaterMania on Friday, when our desperate Story of the Week columnist will have banged out 2,000 words about why this is happening and how it will have absolutely no impact on this year’s Tony Awards.

Until then, we wish you a very happy April Fools’ Day.

[askpinkietai]

Aw, man. I gotta document this one while it's still fresh. So I had this really elaborate dream about the woods behind my home growing up. Unlike real life, these had an elaborate cave system behind them. The first cave had an old mine, the second connected back to my basement and had an elaborate well and workshop built in, and the back room of that led into some secret warehouse area. And this leads into a huge underground facility that runs on imagination and is half theme park. And I've just led a bunch of school kids into it to run wild, while the facility goons are really pissed and trying to eliminate everyone. And as it goes, it turns out these aren't just a bunch of kids I grew up with, but the cast of a Saturday morning cartoon. And it just feels incredibly nostalgic seeing them all again, helping each of them escape down a particular maintenence corridor that leads back into the well/workshop area of my basement/cave system. As I go, though, I notice, like, there's a few characters who are missing. The cool but fat kid, the mean bully girl, and a few others. I kind of wake up in the dream? And ask my sister if she can remember what show on One Saturday Morning she can remember that was about these wacky schoolkids. Coz it wasn't Recess or Lloyd in Space or anything. It didn't have a TVTropes page, but we found its name. And apparently it was connected to a shared universe called the Crunchyverse. The principal from that series (who was a diminutive man with a big blond wig and clearly an alien in disguise) actually had his own separate series where he was actually a talking cat pretending to be an alien disguised as a principal. Wild concept, ahead of its time. And just as we're finding out the series' name (which ends up being something like Unclassified), I start to wake up for real. And as I do, I realise that the show never existed, and all the character designs I remembered were from other shows. The jerky kid Edgar was a less-punk recolour of Duncan from Total Drama Island. The cool fat kid was a blended combo of Total Drama's Owen and Mikey from Recess with sunglasses and a backwards hat. The mean girl Kelly was just Kelly from Bobby's World. There was a glasses girl named Marcia, she was probably from something too. And then I really woke up, had to check if there was a show I forgot on One Saturday Morning. Because it really felt so nostalgic, like something I actually watched. Like a cross between Recess and less-remembered show Detention, an elaborately weird school with a slightly older demographic than those shows, and a principal who was an alien in disguise (who was a talking cat in disguise on another program).

[master-john-uk]

My late grandfather's stockbroking and insurance business was one of the first companies to move into the new Hay's Galleria development when it opened in 1987, relocating from the City of London. Three of my cousins continue to run the "family" business from the same office.

I, like my father, never had any interest in joining the family firm, and by 1987 I had already established myself in the Ministry of Defence. Due to my grandfather's complicated Last Will and Testament, I owned 30% of the company at that time. Something my stockbroker cousins were not happy about. Uncle Charlie was struggling to sell the City of London office building which was built for my grandfather in the early 20th Century.

Uncle Charlie and his two sons offered me a deal. I could buy the six storey building near the Bank of England for a very discounted price, in exchange for most of my shares in the business that they were running. I jumped at the chance.

It was not the wisest business decision I have ever made, (but it proved to be profitable a few years later.) I had this huge building in the City which I had no idea, or long-term plan of how I was going to use it... and I now only had a negligible income from my remaining 2% shareholding in the family business. From 1988 to 1997, with the help of my newly recruited Business Advisor I managed to rent out the office space to several other businesses, which paid for the upkeep of the property and generated a small income.

In 1997, I began formulating a plan to start my own business in defense and security research and development. At that time the MoD had begun subcontracting their R&D work to private companies, and there was talk about large-scale redundancies.

Also in '97, the City office building was in desperate need of a refit and renovation, and most of my tenant businesses moved out.

In 1998, I started my own business after securing two contracts from the UK Government. I rented workshop space at my original employment base of MoD Fort Halstead, which doubled as my office initially. (I was still officially employed by the Ministry. This put a strain on my time, but also helped fund my business in the early days.)

In late 1999 refurbishment complete, my company's head office opened in the City of London. We began a rapid expansion gaining work from other UK based businesses, and seeking international clients.

The beginning of the 21st Century was an exciting time, but financially very difficult. Competing against £billion companies such as BritishAerospace was not easy. This was when having a prestigious City of London address proved to be a big advantage. (In those days, most business contracts were negotiated face-to-face.)

In 2002 my hard work paid off, and our business boomed (in more ways than one!) The City office became a very busy place. More and more administration staff required, as well as IT experts, a small electronics workshop and London-area technician's base.

Today my company occupies the top three floors of the City building, two floors are currently rented out to other businesses, the 1st and ground floors are currently under-utilised and used by the building management team, as well as providing bicycle storage, shower and changing facilities... nobody wants to sit next to a sweaty, lycra-clad cyclist all day long! I was looking at the possibility of opening the ground floor to the public with a coffee shop and, maybe a small gymnasium... but, then COVID struck... luckily before I decided to go ahead with these plans.

In January 2020, my company's R&D team and workshop relocated to Wiltshire, from Fort Halstead on the outskirts of London. (That was a sad for me, as that is where I began my career forty years earlier.) When the pandemic hit in March of that year, my company took a big financial hit when our largest ever non-military contract was cancelled.

We survived, but since then I have been looking to relocate the office and sell the City of London building. Like Uncle Charlie in 1987, I have struggled to find a potential buyer who would make me a sensible offer. Early in 2023 a property developer made a very generous offer. I am now struggling to find a suitable alternative site. I do not want to lose any of my loyal office staff... so, it needs to be secure, close to London, have ample parking and be close to a mainline railway station. I recently found an ideal building on a new industrial estate south of Gatwick Airport, but the nearest railway station is too far away.

There is a possibility of building a new office at the site we rent near Croydon where we currently keep our London-based technician's vehicles and equipment. I can drive there in just over 30 minutes and it has (fairly) good transport links. The owner of the site is not keen on the idea, but I have submitted plans to the council. If approved, I will make an offer to the current owner to buy the site. (They need to recoup their losses from the ongoing rail strikes somehow!)

[nihils-trolls]

So What Is The Plan?

Mayara Khepar, Allaik Tentau | Moxie’s Smithing n’ Arms Google Doc Link | Previous Related Drabble

“Y’know, I don’t think I’ve actually been inside your new shop. Weird, huh?”

“Not really, given your uh, predicament, I guess? If anyone saw ya’ though, you’d be screwed. Don’t need more flies hoverin’ around this place.”

“Relax, doll. Y’ worry too much. But I did check already- we’re all good. May have a few eyes on this place, but not now. That’s why I chose this night.”

The explanation does little to assuage the concerns Maya has, but what else is she supposed to say? Silence fills the normally raucous workshop space the two are occupying. They seem to have a thing for creating such an awkward moment between each other. Fortunately, Mayara is the one who speaks up this time.

“Doll?” Mayara scoffs. “That’s a new one,” she says before promptly returning to finish the piece she was working on. 

It was almost done, and going towards a deal she made not too long ago. It was originally just supposed to be a standard project, but for some reason she started putting a lot more effort into it. Guess he’s getting a steal, comparatively, she thinks. Considerin’ I haven’t asked for anything yet.

“What’cha got there? Looks… old fashioned. Like one of those revolvers from a western.” Al peeks over at her worktop as she burns a design into the grip of said revolver.

“Nothin’ for you. Gimme a sec, and I’ll put this away. Just needed the momentum to finish up.”

“Don’t want it anyway. Still happy with the other one I got from ya’.” He waits somewhat impatiently as Maya puts her tools away. There’s important things they need to talk about and get set up. “So, I noticed y’ managed to get the uh, errands all ran.”

She looks over at him with a particularly neutral expression. “Guess so. The real question is, did it affect his business? Can’t really tell just from fucking shit up.”

“Oh, trust me. It did. Even overheard a conversation. ‘Take care of your little ghost problem, and maybe then we can work something out!’ Mar’s absolutely livid. Distributor wants nothin’ to do with ‘im.”

Now that puts a smile to Maya’s face. “Good, then I have his attention.” She motions him over to the center workbench, which had been cleared of tools and miscellaneous debris. Instead, laid on the table was a map with various locations marked and circled. “Part one, ruin his reputation and completely fuck his business partners over- done.”

“Heard that. Guess we’re movin’ on to the next part, eh?” Allaik points down at one of the marked locations.

“Part two. Sabotage. Chrome’s got two other small warehouses across the city. We destroy the supply, maybe take the whole building down with it. I already know what you’re gonna suggest, but for that you’re gonna need somethin’ that burns a lot hotter than gasoline.”

“Way ahead of ya’. Already got my eyes set on a sizable supply of flash powder. Or as I should call it, thermite. That stuff should do the trick, and we’ll just disable the fire suppressants while we’re there.”

Al looks almost… impressed. Maya’s not usually one to take initiative like that, or to plan things so far in advance. That’s one of the reasons he was here. “Okay, well ‘s soon as you get a hold of it, we can get that part set up. Don’t wanna do it too soon, otherwise it’s more likely that someone’ll find it-”

“-Yeah yeah, and that’s the last thing we want. I know. And you’re the one who said I worry too much, doll.” Her laugh is apparently contagious, as Al chuckles along with her.

“Fuck, when you say it, it just sounds weird. Don’t ever say that again.”

He sighs, catching his breath and returning to the matter at hand. “There’s no real time limit, but there is a night that most of the lackeys’ll be out. Probably our best night to make the point. You got ideas?”

She pauses for a moment, looking over to the corner where a small, four-legged robot was charging. “Yeah, kind of. I’ve got a ton of throwable and remote choke bombs for a decent cover. That’ll let ‘im know it’s me who’s there at least, as well as give me some room to work.”

“Fire won’t work with the choke bombs, though,” Allaik points out.

“Yeah, but we’re not burnin’ this one down, are we? It’d be fun, I admit. But there’s something in there that I want- something you can’t grab for me. That’s why you’re gonna plant these around instead.”

Mayara hands him a box- kind of small, but no shorter than his forearm. Upon peeking inside, Al sees it’s a box with small, flat disc-like devices. They’re snuggly fit into foam to avoid jostling, which means they’re somewhat delicate.

“Maya. What the fuck are these?”

“Controlled demolition explosives. Just plant those around on major supports, the whole building’ll crumble apart. Careful not to shake those around too much, don’t need my workshop blowing to pieces for a second time-”

“Second??-”

She makes a sharp noise to cut him off, and continues. “Not what you should be worryin’ about. You’re the one who wanted to burn all the hideouts down-”

“-Excuse you, arson was your brilliant idea-”

“Anyway,” she cuts off again, “that’s the best way to’ make sure what I want from there survives. Do not put a charge close to where my old shop was. ‘Kay?”

Allaik is just baffled by the request, along with the fact that these devices are supposed to be strong enough to bring the whole place down. However, he doesn’t say no. He tucks the box away into his modus, and shakes his head.

“I knew you were fucking crazy. What’s even there that you want so badly?”

“What.”

“What?”

Maya looks him dead in the eye. “...None of your business. I have my own secrets to keep, and you got yours. Just don’t need anyone seein’ it other than me- and don’t, go looking for it. That’s a threat.”

He returns The Look. “Fine. Whatever. Don’t know what’s so fucking important to you there, but I can appreciate you not diggin’ into my business well enough.” He mumbles under his breath. “Askin’ me to fuckin’ blow the place to bits. Okay,”

“Anything else you needed from me this wonderful evening, Allie?” Mayara smirks. She knows he hates that nickname.

“Fuck off, Khepar,” he chuckles. “Naw, I think that pretty much covers it, other than specifics. I’ll keep in touch though.”

“You better.”

Before he makes it out of the back door, Al turns around to face Maya again. “-And hey, try not to get yourself killed, yeah?” 

“Haven’t killed me yet, and I don’t plan on dyin’ anytime soon. Now get the fuck outta my shop before someone sees ya’.”

[profbruce]

First client advantage

Want to know how important a 1st client is? Well, read on…

Suppose you and your spouse are walking past a downtown eatery. The posted menu and prices look decent but there is no one in the store. Across the road, there is another restaurant almost identical in terms of look, menu and price but it’s packed full of customers. Which one do you choose to go to?

For most people, it’s the one with the better vibe, ie, the crowded place because “it must be good.”

A few years ago, we purchased a small warehouse. It was empty and needed significant renovation and repair. We had no launch clients at all. Zero.

My wife and I decided to carve it up into 9 small workshops (from 200 sq ft to 900 sq ft), basically to appeal to what seems to us is an unlimited supply of gigpreneurs, folks with side hustles or hobbies that have outgrown their basements, backyards and garages.

The first guys who showed up were an Eastern Europe pair with an import biz, super cheap. We wanted to rent each workshop for $700 plus HST plus power, but these guys gnawed us in half—down to $350. I rented to them despite my wife giving me heck for cutting our asking price to this degree.

But it’s like the two restaurants: By having some action at the place, we rented all the rest of the spaces in less than two months at the posted rate. It’s weird but true, this works.

All of this to say, do whatever you can (within reason) to land your first clients, OK?

Prof Bruce 

Feature image source, Jorgetarlea – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=58209271.  

FOR REAL ESTATE INVESTMENT AND BUSINESS COACHING THAT’LL HELP YOU PROVIDE FOR YOURSELF AND YOUR FAMILY FOR 3-GENERATIONS, PLEASE CONTACT:

Bruce M Firestone, B Eng (civil), M Eng-Sci, PhD

Real Estate Investment and Business coach

Ottawa Senators founder

ROYAL LePAGE Performance Realty broker

613-762-8884

bruce@brucemfirestone.com

brucemfirestone.com

https://www.linkedin.com/in/profbruce

+++

[itsbrandy]

Burnout Chapter 3

Word Count: 4.9k

End of Episode song: My Life - Billy Joel

Chapter 3: The Workshop

The workshop was packed full of Hollywood hopefuls that were each nearly 10 years younger than her. The space was interesting, to say the least, an old warehouse space turned meeting space with bright and stuffy fluorescent lighting that was reminiscent of a high school gymnasium. 

She sat with her ankles crossed in a shitty plastic chair in the middle of a conference room. The chairs were arranged in a long, wide oval and just about everyone had their phones out tapping away or scrolling on social media. She resisted her phone, worried that she would start reading Dieter Bravo stories in public. Instead, she sat with a Venti White Chocolate Mocha in her grasp. With an extra shot, of course. 

The coffee (and the sugar) made her a little jittery, but she needed the extra sleep after staying up late reading Dieter Bravo fanfiction and waking up early with too much nervous energy sitting in the pit of her stomach. 

Her partner hadn’t acknowledged her nerves, nor did he really say anything about her stunt with calling out of work and playing hooky for the workshop. She was sure that he was playing the role of “cautiously supportive, but really disappointed”. 

She dreaded how he would behave when she got home from the workshop. Maybe she would do something nice for him to get him off her back. He loved when she made steak and potatoes for dinner, a stop at Whole Foods might earn her points with him again and show him that she wasn’t a raving lunatic.

“Hey everyone!” a vibrant blonde woman entered the room with a commanding presence and knocked the woman out of her sad internal monologue about how best to appease her male partner. 

“I’m Claire,” the blonde continued. She looked at the woman where she sat at the center edge of the oval and narrowed her eyes slightly. “Oops! Sorry honey, this is where I am supposed to sit, you should move to the one across the way.”

The woman felt the heat of embarrassment crawl its way up her neck. 

Oh my god, I just sat in the instructor’s chair. Why the fuck wasn’t it marked? Why wasn’t it reserved? It doesn’t matter… I should just walk out of here now. I should cut my losses and drive to work and tell them that I felt well enough to come in after all. 

She spiraled internally as she grabbed her over-the-shoulder bag and her white mocha and marched over to the empty seat across the way. 

“Thank you!” Claire said happily. “Sorry to put you on the spot there.”

The woman didn’t buy the apology at all. She knew the type, knew the games that people like her liked to play. There was a definite possibility that Claire had planned this type of power move to establish herself as the authority in the room upon her entry, it was just her luck that she had fallen victim to the power play. 

She found herself growing insecure as Claire spoke. While they looked to be in a similar age bracket, Claire was thin in a way that would have pleased her own mother. Her face was frozen in time with the Botox that so many women in LA sought out and her lips were plump with filler. Come to think of it, her cheeks probably had filler in them too. 

Claire began by asking everyone around the room to stand and introduce themselves and describe their biggest reason for wanting to become an actor or actress. Luckily for her, Claire started questioning prospective actors on the opposite side of the circle and she had some time to think about her answer.

The woman couldn’t help but think something so truthful but insane that she couldn’t utter it. Or maybe she could if she found a way to phrase it right? 

I want to meet Dieter Bravo. No. Definitely not.

I want to be an actress so that I can be Dieter Bravo’s equal and meet him. 

Better, but still on the fangirl-y side. Oh shit, they're starting to go faster, and her turn is coming up soon.

I was inspired by Dieter Bravo to return to my dream profession and give it a genuine try.

And then it was her turn to speak. She stood proudly, with her Starbucks white mocha in hand and clearly said her name. 

“Welcome!” Claire said with a grin. “And your reason for wanting to become an actress?”

Shit, she thought. All of that time she had spent trying to think of an answer that didn’t sound insane. 

“I was inspired a long time ago to join the industry to provide representation for my community,” she said confidently. “And since then, I kind of put my own dreams on the backburner. But I’ve been inspired by my favorite actor.”

Claire smiled and so did the others around her. Apparently, after losing points with the group by embarrassing herself in the first two minutes of the workshop, she had won them back with her answer. 

It was how she felt too. She wanted to watch badass Asian women play roles that are outside of tokenism. This need had increased since she had originally set out to become an actress. 

The next activity was less interactive and more centered on the instructor, Claire. She spoke of her own personal story in the industry and listed a variety of roles that she had taken throughout the years. Some of her appearances were on popular tv shows, but yet the woman still found herself not recognizing her or remembering her from those shows. 

Regardless, as an instructor, Claire wasn’t all that bad, though it was obvious that the younger members of the workshop thought that she was dreadfully boring. 

Claire had a voracious approach to teaching about the industry. Her wide pink mouth moved at a thousand miles an hour, describing the ins and outs of the industry, the best way to get an agent, and how much time you need to dedicate to hunting for roles and opportunities.

The woman pulled out a notepad and pen from her bag and quickly took notes on everything that Claire was saying. After a while, it seemed like Claire was speaking directly to her and telling her all of the information because the others were not making an attempt to make eye contact or show their interest. 

Out of the group of 15 students, only she was making a real effort at taking notes. Others were on their phones or doodling, clearly just there to be told whether or not Claire thought they had a shot at becoming an actor or actress. 

After an hour of monologuing, Claire moved on to an exercise geared toward how you should dress for an audition. 

Once again, she went around the circle and had each and every person stand up and discuss why they chose the outfit that they did for the day. The woman had worn a tight-fitting green blouse and a pair of jeans, nothing too fancy, so she worried that perhaps she had made the wrong move. 

It was one of the only things that she remembered from her time before attempting to become an actress. She had learned that she should wear something tight and form fitting to show how her body looked as well as staying away from solid black or solid white. 

Just about every person in the room had dressed differently, in eclectic clothing with many textures and accessories or in the model standard white or black tank top. When Claire made her way to her, she complimented her outfit for being the only correct option for auditioning for a role in film or television so far, with a little bit of a disclaimer. 

“If there are instructions on the audition, you should follow those rather than sticking to this sort of simple but sophisticated look. They will serve you much better than the alternative. There are some exceptions though in Hollywood. It is said that Dieter Bravo once turned up to an audition in a bathrobe and still got a role, so anything can happen,” Claire said with a laugh.

The woman immediately brightened at the mention of Dieter and sat up a little straighter in her seat. 

“Oh, are you a Dieter fan?” Claire asked, putting her on the spot.

The woman’s cheeks burned pink. “Of course!” 

Claire laughed and moved on to the next person in the circle, motioning for them to stand up as well. “I like you; you and I are going to get along.”

She continued to critique the outfits of the workshop attendees until she finally arrived back to where she had begun in the circle. 

“And with that,” Claire said, clapping her hands together. “Let’s break for 15 minutes!”

The woman breathed out a sigh of relief that she no longer needed to be on the spot while she was blushing about Dieter Bravo. She took her cellphone out of her pocket and started clicking away at her notifications. 

In her inbox were five notifications from AO3 that fanfiction authors had responded to her comments, and she nearly squealed out loud with excitement. How cool! Her favorite authors had acknowledged her love for their fic and how they portrayed Dieter. She felt giddy from a compliment from someone else about something Dieter-related, wow, she was in deep. 

She composed herself and turned to her text messages. Something from her mom about a new study about cancer-related health scares or something that was meant to freak her out and stop eating red meat. 

She resisted the urge to be sassy and text her mom back, “Great! Love and I are having steak tonight!”

The helicoptering had grown tamer within the last several years. Ever since her mom had realized that she was picking “capable men” that could “take care of her” the only thing that she really nagged her about was her hesitancy to provide her with grandkids. Though, she suspected in recent years that this longing to be a grandmother was starting to wear off as her mother’s patience grew thinner and thinner. 

For the rest of the fifteen-minute break, the woman spent her time ignoring the text message from her mother and instead leafing through the available fanfictions for Dieter Bravo that were left to read on AO3. There were slim pickings. Some of them interested her but didn’t quite give her the immersion that she was looking for. 

Sure, being on a spaceship with Dieter Bravo would be really freaking cool but… he only acted as a space guy, he wasn’t like a real astronaut. And she was not very good at science, so there was no way that she would ever end up on a spaceship unless she won a sweepstakes or something insane like that. All this to say, it was a bit too much of a stretch for her. 

Still, with her options growing thin, she started to slide her finger across the glass screen of her phone and read the Spaceship fic that featured her and Dieter Bravo on a mission to Mars gone wrong. 

The interesting thing was that once she started reading about him, the stretch of belief in the possibility of her being an astronaut didn’t seem so silly. The setting didn’t seem so odd. And she quickly got over the obvious inaccuracies of the specifics of the story and instead put herself in the shoes of a woman who was lucky enough to interact with him. 

She felt her face growing warm and her body relaxing as she started to feel more comfortable. Each time Dieter would say something dreamy and sweet to the main character she would close her eyes and imagine him saying it to her. She could hear his voice in her head, sexy and sultry and filled with want. 

“Fifteen is up!” Claire called out with a deafening clap of her hands. “Let’s get back into it!”

Feeling more than a little bit embarrassed, the woman pocketed her phone and pulled her notebook and pen back out for the next section of the workshop. But instead of lecturing, Claire had switched gears and began to pass out sides for auditions to each of them depending on their gender. 

“These are sides, I’m sure you are familiar with them if you have auditioned before,” she said as she handed out the slips of paper. “I want you to go and spend ten minutes memorizing these lines as best as you can. Try to add a little bit of character to them if you can and then come back here to the circle. You can use your slips of paper for reference but try your best to fully memorize.”

The woman accepted her own side from Claire as she passed her and found herself thrilled to see a relatively passage on lovesickness placed before her.

She couldn’t have had a more perfect emotion to try to portray on a day like today. The lines were short, sweet and to the point and if she needed to fudge them slightly to get her point across, she had been taught that that was perfectly acceptable. Actors did it all the time. 

The group quickly disbanded, and all of the hopefuls started chanting their piece out loud over and over again, filling the space with mumbling, muttering, and a mad dash at memorization. Instead, the woman chose to remain in the seated area as most of the remaining corners and edges of the room were already occupied by the younger people that had moved faster than she had. With each passing minute, Claire yelled out how many more minutes that they had left to practice. 

“Nine!” Claire called out, impossibly soon. 

Fuck, I haven’t even started memorizing. The woman thought in a panic. Okay, focus damnit. It’s romance, it’s love sickness, say it to Dieter like you were saying last night or anyone really, your ex, your partner. 

She started repeating the words, over and over, while adding layers of emotion to them each time. It was just a paragraph of content, but somehow, she kept tripping up over the words. 

“Six!” Claire shouted out and an audible groan echoed from around the room. The interruption stopped her in the middle of trying to test whether or not the past three minutes of repetition had allowed her to successfully memorize the piece.

“You don’t want me, but I want you,” the woman repeated from her audition slip, tears coming to the corners of her eyes. “I’ve always wanted you and yet you don’t see me for who I am.” She flipped the piece of paper over to double check that she got the first two lines properly. 

She had.

Okay, this was coming easier than she had expected it to. She flipped the piece of paper over again to hide it from her view.

“Why can’t you see me? Why don’t you notice me when all I can notice is you?” she tested. “Will you ever choose me? Will I ever be what you want?”

She flipped it over again. Correct! And she was satisfied with the emotion that was coming through too. 

Just one last bit now, she thought. 

“Five!” Claire called out. “Five minutes left to practice your sides!”

“One day, I won’t be here anymore. I’ll have stopped orbiting you and started orbiting someone else. Will you want me then?” she said from memory. 

She paused, feeling the weight of the words a little too heavily. Once again, the words on the page had matched what she had said aloud. 

Satisfied with her work and not wanting to mess it up any, the woman set the page down and walked over to the water fountain to clear the tightness out of her throat. Along the way, she ran the lines through her head over and over, ensuring that she had it down. 

Meanwhile, as she passed the other hopefuls, they cursed and grimaced in their places around the room, unable to memorize on such short notice. The woman had practice though, she knew like a hundred pastry recipes by heart just from her job alone. 

“Three!” Claire announced. “This is your three-minute warning. When I give the one minute warning you should be heading back to your seats, everyone. Understood?”

“Yes,” the room echoed back to her. 

Somehow the woman had missed four, because she was too inside her own head or for whatever reason. She took her drink from the water fountain slowly and tried to clear her thoughts and become the woman in her audition script. 

She was the woman in the paragraph and the man she was speaking to was Dieter Bravo. And by whatever powers that be, she wanted him more than anything in this world. He was smart and handsome and muscular and everything that she had ever wanted. 

But he didn’t want her back and she could feel that feeling in her chest. It tightened and squeezed around her heart. How could he not want her back?

“Two!” Claire shouted. 

“Oh my god!” one of the girls from the corner shouted. The woman couldn’t tell you if the outburst was part of her audition lines or if it was out of pure panic that her piece wouldn’t be ready in time to audition for Claire. 

The woman made her way back to her seat and sat quietly with her audition side in her lap face down. She didn’t want to look at it anymore, didn’t want it to disrupt what she had already pieced together. She knew how she would feel if it were Dieter who was rejecting her. 

She knew what she would say, she would say exactly what the woman in the script would say…and probably some more. 

“One!” Claire announced. “Make your way back to your seats, please, everyone! You can still work on your memorization until I shout zero!”

Begrudgingly, the rest of the people in the room started moving inwards to join her and Claire at the chairs that were organized in the center of the room. They continued to murmur their lines quickly and desperately, hoping that in a panic they could securely memorize their pieces. There were a few others, though, that looked as confident as she felt. 

“Zero!” Claire said with a large, catlike grin. “Everyone please pass your sides in to me, no more working on your pieces!”

The woman passed her side to the left and around the circle the pile went until Claire had all of the pieces in her hands. 

“Great! Now do we have any volunteers to go first?” Claire asked the room. No, the woman thought. She was confident, sure. But not confident enough to volunteer to go first for anything. Maybe one day she would have that type of self-esteem. 

The first volunteer was one of the few that the woman had perceived as also pretty relaxed. It was a good quality to have, to not look like a shaking leaf when going in for an audition. 

Claire instructed the person to remove some of their more baggy layers and stick to the basic black turtleneck that they wore underneath. She couldn’t understand how someone wore such hot and heavy clothing in L.A., but somehow the person pulled it off pretty well. 

Their audition was fine, the side that they were given was not nearly as emotionally involved as the one she had been given, but it involved more characterization which she thought they had pulled off well. 

Claire seemed to agree, but she was also seemingly reserving her feedback until everyone had auditioned, similar to a real audition. The next person to volunteer also did equally well, and so did the next. While the others auditioned, she chose to recite the lines to her audition in her head to make sure that they were still there. 

Finally, after the fifth person auditioned, she decided to raise her hand and give it a shot. Out of a sliver of bravery or out of fear that she would forget her lines, she couldn't really say, but either way she was now in front of the rest of the workshop and Claire and ready to perform.

“You don’t want me, but I want you,” she said low and slow. Claire was not in front of her, but Dieter Bravo instead. He was being awful to her, smirking at her. He liked that she was chasing after him but didn’t want to reciprocate. 

She said her second line now with more pleading. Please Dieter, why don’t you notice me. She wanted to say. She could see him there, maybe his expression was softening, maybe he was starting to notice that she really did love him. 

Her next lines were hopeful. She played them off as a wish that maybe he could grant her before saying the final lines of her audition without that hope. If he didn’t want her, she would find someone else. There was no mention that she would be happier without him, though. She couldn’t help but feel that was terribly accurate. 

As she finished, Dieter morphed back into Claire, whose thin face was nothing but impressed with her performance. Claire even gave her a small, silent clap of the tips of her fingers together before scribbling some notes on her paper and sending her back to her seat. 

The rest of the auditions went quickly, and the woman tried her best to pay attention to them. It was difficult to keep her mind off Dieter, though, and the feelings that she had just had for her imagined version of him. He wouldn’t be that cruel to her, so she felt the need to start filling in the blanks of what would happen after that scene which started to get a little bit…distracting. 

“One day, I won’t be here anymore. I’ll have stopped orbiting you and started orbiting someone else. Will you want me then?” the last line of the audition piece.

“Yes,” he would say. “I want you now. I-I didn’t understand how you felt before.”

“How could you not?” she would say, with tears in her eyes. “Everything that I do, I do for you. I would give myself to you at a moment’s notice.”

“I don’t know how I didn’t see it before,” he would say, moving closer to her and placing his large hands on her forearms, pulling her closer to him. “I was an idiot for not seeing it. I don’t know how I didn’t see it.”

“I don’t know either,” she would say with a sniffle and a laugh, looking up at him from her shorter stature. 

He would stare at her lips then, his dark eyes downcast. Maybe he would slowly run his tongue over his own bottom lip in anticipation for their kiss. 

Then he would tilt his head down, slowly, and capture her mouth with his. 

“Alright! That is a wrap on auditions!” Claire said with her signature clapping to get everyone’s attention. “I’ve written down personalized feedback for everyone in the group on their audition. Some of you really impressed me and others need a little more work. I’m holding another session next week for those who wish to get some more practice.” 

Sheets of paper were passed out around the group and the woman checked her phone to see the time. It was just about time to break for the one-hour lunch. 

By the time her paper had gotten to her, Claire announced that it was indeed time to break, so everyone started to gather up their belongings. Then, the paper with her feedback arrived to her and her jaw dropped to the floor. 

Claire had rated her with a perfect score with only one comment about the positioning of one of her hands during one of the lines. Her comments were incredible, quick little jots of compliments that made her beam from ear to ear: 

“Made for the screen, facial expression - wow!”

“Born to be a star - so much natural talent!”

“I love how deep you dug for your emotions here. I got a little bit upset with how angry you were with me!”

And finally, circled in the bottom right-hand corner, Claire’s personal phone number with the words “Text me! I want to get you with my agent!”

She had planned to just stay put for the lunch hour and had even packed herself a small sack lunch with snacks, but she couldn’t just sit there after reading what Claire had written about her performance. 

Instead, she left with the rest of the group and Googled to see where the nearest Whole Foods was. Maybe she wouldn’t do steak tonight to please her partner after all, the meat wouldn’t do well in her hot car for the rest of the workshop. They had plenty of cream and cheeses at home, she could do a homemade alfredo of some sort? 

Whatever she made, it didn’t matter, she just needed to get to her car and let out the girlish scream that was clawing its way up her throat. 

An agent?! An actual Hollywood agent?! On her first day of actually trying at being an actress in Los Angeles?! The excitement was quickly replaced with anger at herself muddled with disappointment. For fucks sake why hadn’t she tried earlier? Could she not have been famous by now? 

Or - well, maybe not, maybe it was her lived in life experience that had started to give her the tools to act. She was just barely an adult when she had tried before. 

Her feelings were conflicting, and they left a bad taste in her mouth. Regardless, she drove to Whole Foods with her mind on making herself a salad from the salad bar and finding some ingredients for dinner. 

She pulled her car into the parking lot of Whole Foods and placed it in park with the biggest smile on her face. At first, she hadn’t liked Claire, but throughout the workshop she found herself appreciating her advice and insight and she loved how the advice started to seem like it was tailored for her. 

She made first for the baking and spices section in hopes of finding some breadcrumbs. They were completely out of them at home. 

Maneuvering the cart around the corner, she stopped dead in her tracks when none other than Dieter Bravo himself was standing right there in the spice aisle, looking at an assortment of spices. Or so she thought, he looked like him from the back anyway. The dark hair, about the right height, amazing body, almost everything matched up. 

“Oh!” She said instinctually. She hoped and pleaded internally that the stranger really was Dieter, but her hopes had already been dashed by the realization that he was clean shaven as he began to turn toward her. 

No, she was not lucky enough to run into her celebrity crush while she was shopping for groceries for herself and her partner. She would never have that kind of luck. 

The stranger turned to face her, surprised by her exclamation. He wasn’t quite Dieter, but he was pretty close. His skin was a little more on the fair side, his face a touch longer, and his lack of facial hair was jarring, but his eyes were an exact match.

“Sorry,” she said with a sheepish smile. “I just thought maybe I recognized you from somewhere. An old friend, you know.”

The man smiled at her. “I get that a lot, don’t worry. I have a pretty popular celebrity lookalike these days it seems.”

She laughed. “Yeah, actually. I was going to say you look a lot like Dieter Bravo-“

“-Dieter Bravo-“ he said at the same time with a nonchalant shrug. “Yeah, I know. I’m flattered really, but a little concerned it’s going to ruin my acting prospects.”

“Ah,” she said sympathetically. “I see how that could complicate things. If it helps, I’m kind of in the same boat. Hollywood has its token Asians; you know how it goes.”

The Dieter lookalike smiled. “I’m white so I don’t fully get it but with this I can totally sympathize. So, you act? Do you have an agent or anything?”

“Um, no, well, maybe?” she said honestly. “I’ve got something in the works, I guess, maybe. Don’t want to jinx it or anything!”

“Sweet! I just got my first agent a couple of days ago. It’s been kind of a whirlwind,” he said. “Oh, I haven’t even introduced myself, I’m Jason.” Jason reached out his hand to shake hers. 

“Nice! Congratulations, Jason,” she said. She introduced herself and gave him her name as well. 

He looked down at his watch as it buzzed and saw the time. “Shit, it’s later than I thought. I’m sorry, I’m on lunch right now. I would love to talk with you more, maybe we could grab dinner or something sometime? Could I grab your number?”

The woman was floored. Stunned even. She had been asked for her number plenty of times before but never by someone in L.A. like this. She always dressed too frumpy or was shopping right after work. Her partner never liked to go out, so she sat at home most nights and most weekends. 

“Sure,” she said with a smile. “Yeah, I’d love to chat more.”

Her reply was innocent enough, he was a colleague. An associate. And he just so happened to be the closest guy to Dieter Bravo to ever ask her out. 

Chapter 4 | Series Masterlist

[crazyblondelife]

A Growing Community and a Celebration...Haand Ceramics + The City of Burlington

The City of Burlington and Haand Ceramics announce a hand-painted line of commemorative plates celebrating the Burlington Carousel Festival!

 Burlington’s Historic, hand carved Dentzel Carousel is treasured by our small community. Brought to City Park in 1948, the beauty and craftsmanship of the rideable work of art has created special memories for generations of residents (including me) and is very much a part of the city’s identity.  

Another important part of Burlington’s identity was manufacturing (historically, textiles and hosiery), and while the life sciences industry may employ more residents these days, the remaining factory buildings throughout town are a constant reminder of that history. 

Haand Ceramics is located in an old textile mill near Burlington’s downtown at the corner of Tucker and Maple Streets. The mill was originally the Willowbrook Hosiery Mill and is an ideal location for the pottery store and studio.

Haand was started in 2012 by Mark Warren and Chris Pence, friends who met in high school in Jacksonville, Florida. Mark had recently finished a two-year fellowship at Penland School of Craft in Bakersville, North Carolina in the Blue Ridge Mountains. Chris had studied business and accounting in graduate school and left his role as a corporate accountant to start Haand, which was originally run out of a decrepit farmhouse with no potable water and mercurial electricity outside of Durham. As the business grew, they moved operations to a warehouse in Eli Whitney and in 2017, Mark and Chris moved the business to the hosiery mill on Tucker Street.

Today, they employ a team of 30 and supply pottery to restaurants and hotels worldwide. They sell locally from a showroom in the mill and through their website to homes all over the United States.

Haand makes over 75,000 pieces of handmade pottery per year in their small workshop! And…I’m excited to announce a new partnership between the City of Burlington and HAAND. Haand is making a commemorative dessert plate featuring an animal from the Dentzel Carousel’s menagerie in celebration of the 32nd Annual Carousel Festival. This year the featured animal is the tiger and they plan to feature a different animal each year for future Carousel Festivals. It’s a perfect marriage of the Carousel’s beautiful craftsmanship with the important role of manufacturing in Burlington.  

 “To have a publicly funded space like Burlington City Park is a rare and true gift to Alamance County. I know firsthand that this park is a perfect destination where I can bring my kid and we feel part of the local community.” stated Mark Warren.  “The Carousel itself is a work of art and craftsmanship, something to be appreciated on its own. I chose the tiger for our first commemorative plate because I’ve always found a childlike enjoyment in painting circus animals.” 

Visitors to the Carousel Festival can enter a raffle to win a set of two of this year’s hand-painted porcelain plates by filling out a survey about ways to improve the Carousel Festival for future years.

 A limited edition run of the hand-painted plates will be available for purchase at Haand’s showroom at 413 Tucker Street, or at  www.haand.us starting Friday, May 5th. Haand’s showroom is open Monday - Friday from 11am - 4pm, and Saturday from 12pm - 4pm. You can also visit them for a tour as part of Downtown Burlington’s Fourth Friday Art Walks on the Fourth Friday of each month, from 5:30 - 9:00 pm.  If you are local, this is a great experience and you’ll definitely leave with a piece of pottery…or 2!

Small to mid-size companies like Haand represent the majority of the Burlington’s firms and jobs and are truly the backbone of Burlington’s business community.  HAAND’S business continues to grow and one of their newest collaborations includes a beautiful line of hand-blown glassware with Christopher Kerr-Ayer, and a collection of modern heirlooms curated by Vivian Howard, a North Carolinian chef and hospitality expert.   

 The 32nd Annual Burlington Carousel Festival will be held at Burlington City Park on Saturday, May 6 and Sunday from 10am-6pm with an evening concert featuring Crawford & Power and Ryan Perry from 6pm – 10pm and on Sunday, May 7 from noon-5pm. The Carousel Festival features live music and performances, an artisan market, food trucks and food vendors, a beer garden, an action-packed Kids Zone and free rides on the newly restored Carousel and other amusement rides that call City Park home. More information here!

To download the video of the hand painting process, more images of Haand ceramics, and their manufacturing process, as well as higher resolution images of the the tiger from Burlington’s Carousel, go to this link: https://we.tl/t-XNguMsNDdt.

I hope to see you there!

[sophieyork]

Five Benefits Of Hiring A Professional CCTV Installation Company

As a security-conscious business owner or landlord, you should be aware that security cameras are worth the cost. It is crucial to have all the technologies you require to ensure the safety of your family and friends regardless of the size of the space. With CCTV cameras, you can keep an eye on what's happening in your offices, warehouses, workshops, and even your stores at all times.

You might also think, "If I can accurately determine the exact security cameras I want to install for my home then isn't it likely to purchase and set them up myself - at minimum, to reduce costs?" Well, it's good to try DIYing your CCTV camera installation, but you'll be missing out on a whole lot. We will explain why professional CCTV installers are necessary to make this process easier.

You'll save time, money and energy.

Certain types of security cameras are simpler to set up than other types. Certain require only a few tools, and some might require all the knowledge in the world. You won't be a pro at this , and you'll have to spend a lot of time researching guides as well as YouTube videos. This takes lots of energy and time. It's a hassle in the event that patience and endurance aren't your forte. However, when you hire a security company that is specialized in camera installations, they'll handle the entire job from beginning to finish so you're able to focus on other things.

You will get the most value for your budget

With a professional cctv installation Leicester company will not have to be concerned about dead zones or blind spots after installing. You can be assured that the company will do a thorough job and give you the highest quality results. Because they are experts in this field the security camera system will protect your office or home.

Post-installation maintenance and routine maintenance

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[theforcedcreative]

Trip to Northshore

My excursion to Northshore started with me driving to the location. The drive to the location was good, light traffic. If I was someone who was travelling by public transport I know it would have been a long, tedious ride (something I could possibly consider for this location?). It got to a point where I turned in, at the lights from the main road to get to the location. This is where that feeling of desolation starts. The whole Northshore place felt open and completely void of community.

You drive past a big children's playground, a shopping centre/supermarket and some tall buildings, some residential, some office spaces, and then all of that drops away and there feels like there is nothing. Those residential buildings are the biggest thing around and seem to intrude from out of the ground. They interrupt the skyline with their presence making the rest of the sky feel very empty.

After that there is a lot of industrial buildings, warehouses by the looks of it. Unbusy, with things unbuilt and industrial sized vehicles. I think this is something that contributes to the emptiness that is currently Northshore.

I parked and explored the surrounds of Northshore. Again, there is a lot of emptiness, as well as big blocks of construction on the other side of the river. You can see a view of the city which is something I think can be capitalised a bit more.

One thing I noted was the reuse of materials (mentioned previously in client briefings and lectures) that I didn't realise were so important. Not only does it limit waste, but it adds to the vibe of the place. It feels maritimey. Its recurring themes of docks adds to the area in a way that is pleasant for visitors (such as myself).

The reuse of these anchor posts as seats and blockades was something that I found myself to enjoy.

The information center I found to be a neat, impressive structure (also using recycled materials in a way that was interesting), though a little lack luster in terms of its 'information' (which it presented as a QR code on a wall, though it could be possible that I missed something as I did not spend that much time here).

And of course there was Eat Street, which during the day (a Monday afternoon) was void of people except a few workers. The parking spaces are big, and I wonder (if choosing the workshop location) whether some of that parking space could be used for the project at the workshops? Of course the parking is needed for those busy Eat Street nights. I might have to revisit the site one night to see.

Maritime green is just across that parking spot. The use of shipping containers for shade, bathrooms, and BBQ areas I found to be quite nice, though did add to the industrial feel of the place. Considering Northshores history does stem from Industry I could also look into that side of it, and play it up.

The Green itself still feels a little desolate, but that is something that I think will be fixed once those trees grow in a bit more and become more developed. From the green you have a direct view of the city. I stayed in the area for a good hour and a half just observing the surrounding area and the activity of the area. A few people visited, which is good. The place had a steady stream of at least one person at a time. There was a dog walker, a jogger, an elderly couple taking pictures of across the the river, a blind man walking, and some police officers, who used the BBQ area to sit and chat, maybe on their break. With the closeness of the airport planes flew over every once in a while.

The place was also VERY quiet. Sounds of planes could be heard in the distance, as well as the sound of humans coming from the Circus school. A Will wag tail was the only form of wildlife that I saw.

(NOTE: Maybe I could look into introducing SOUND into the scape)

The painted artwork brought a sense of fun to the place as well, and a brightness in colours.

I really loved this little corner that people can hang out in and I spent most of my time sitting there. It is a definite must have to the area and provides a comfort for people visiting. I would argue that more things like this could by added. They face the water, a little hidden away from the park, but do put emphasis on taking a minute to stop and look at the view.

The workshop I didn't go into (it was busy with people and felt like a place I couldn't go into by myself since I missed the fieldtrip). In saying that It could be something that is opened up ab it more, so regular people like me don't think twice before entering and feel welcomed to enter.

A lot of interesting ideas. Some things I could play with -> SOUND and VISUAL elements.

[smokeitm]

the jam

this is my jam session; there are many like it, but this one is mine, and that of all its attendees.

it starts late at night; it's cold, dark, foggy.

First Mate Aldo, the drummer i mentioned in a previous post, organized it at his recording and practice space. he shares it with other musicians, artists, and one he worked hard to get by his own admission.

it’s a converted warehouse space, probably intended to house large pieces of industrial equipment. by warehouse standards (of which i know little about), it’s small, maybe large enough to comfortably hold a workshop of 10-15 people. by practice space standards, it’s luxurious.

as many as 10 people can occupy the raised stage; most are seated, whether they’re behind the drum kit, hand drums, keyboard, or in front of the huge bass amp or odd guitar amp. a mixing board stands ready to feed and balance the noise to several PAs.

beyond the stage is a sitting and standing area, though the seating is adequate for up to 10 people. Tonight, there are at least 20 people, a mix of photographers, spectators, musicians.

The mood is jovial, fraternal, and casual. though I wasn’t privy to witness such times, these sessions were apparently missed during Covid. i can understand why.

the jams are funky and eclectic. the people are friendly and collaborative; there's no competition here, at least that i perceive. i play bass for one jam, and on the next, i find the beat too confusing, so i raise my instrument and signal for someone to take my place.

i spend a good amount of the time welcoming people to the space and manning the doors. it's not a ticketed event, but it is a secure location. Aldo is grateful; we talk, sometimes about his life, sometimes about music biz, sometimes with others.

it’s cold, dark, foggy when i leave. but my family, however temporary or permanent, has grown.

[elwynten]

Chapter 37 - 38

Remnent: week 22

Heading to lunch, I called after Yang. "Hey Yang. Can I talk to you?"

Yang stopped and turned to me. Blake was beside Yang and stopped to see why I wanted Yang. "What do you want?" Yang asked me.

"Hi Blake." I said then turned to Yang. "I believe you've been wanting to find your mother." I started.

"Hello Eilwyn." Blake replied.

"Yes, definitely I want to find her and talk to her." Yang told me.

"I believe I know where she is. Or at least the general area where she is. It won't take very much to find her once we're in the area." I informed Yang.

"You know where Yang's mother is?" Blake asked before Yang could say anything.

"You know where my mother is?" Yang repeated after Blake.

I nodded my head in agreement.

"When can we leave? How long will it take to get to her?" She asked all in one breath.

"I'll go with you." Blake said.

"Sorry Blake, but no. This is for Yang alone. You'll have your own adventure later this year." I told Blake.

"My own adventure? What do you mean by adventure? What kind of adventure?" Blake asked me.

I grinned. "That, you will have to wait and see. But it'll be interesting." I told Blake, then I turned my attention back to Yang.

"We'll leave an hour after our last class tomorrow (tomorrow being Friday), and once we are in the area where she is, it shouldn't take very long to find her." I said.

Yang looked excited and worried at the same time. "Tomorrow after last class. I'll be there." Yang said.

Blake looked concerned. "Don't you go home after classes on Fridays?" Blake asked me.

I nodded my head in the affirmative. "Yes, we do. But if you remember, we'll be back right after we leave."

"OH, yah! I remember that. I still don't understand how you do that." Blake answered staring off into space in thought.

"See you later Blake, and see you tomorrow, Yang." I said and headed to my dorm room.

Chapter 38

Pern: The Market Place

Back on Pern they were working hard at Landing. Several of the buildings had already been uncovered. Enough of the housing units had been uncovered that they were using some of them as dormitories for the workers.

I used the teleport point I had placed for Cove Hold. I walked up the main building. Robinton was sitting on the porch eating. "Master Robinton, how are you today?" I started.

Master Robinton looked up from the table and smiled. "I am doing very well. What brings you here this fine morning?" He replied.

"I wanted to discuss an idea I had about Landing." I told Robinton.

"Humm, an idea. What might that idea be?" He asked me.

"I have the idea of excavating one or two of the squares of housing units and using them for stalls to sell products out of." I told him.

Robinton scrunched up his face. "You need that many buildings to set up stalls in?"

I chuckled. "My idea is for me and my Hold to use one or two of the buildings to set up in and see if some of the other crafts would want to use some of the other buildings to sell their products out of. We might need to use some of the bigger buildings as warehouses or as workshops. but that can wait until the permanent stalls are set up."

Robinton rubbed his chin and looked out at the ocean for a few moments. "With all the people running to Landing to work, that might be a good idea." Then he looked at me and grinned. "Are you planning on selling those breakfast burritos and the pizzas?" He asked.

I chuckled. "I planned on selling those and a few other foods in one building and selling Topaz's knives and a few other things in another building. I'm sure we could get the vintners to sell some Bendon wind there as well." I grinned, knowing Robintin's penchant for Bendon wine.

"Oh, your evil, Lord Holder." Robinton said and chuckled.

"Now, if you wouldn't mind talking to the craft halls on my behalf and let them know of my idea. I would greatly appreciate it. Coming from you it would have more authority. You can let them know they can excavate the buildings they want to use, or they can utilize my people to do the work… for a reasonable fee, of course." I added.

Robinton nodded his head in agreement. "I believe I can do that for you."

"Thank you. Now I need to talk to Master Esselin about using some of the buildings." I said as I stood up. "And if any of the crafthalls have any questions they'll be able to find me at Tel Aviv Hold or Landing."

"If he gives you any trouble, let me know. I know how to handle Master Esselin." Robinton told me.

"If I have any problems with him, I'll let you know. See you later." I said and headed around the building to the port point to go back home.

Back at Tel Aviv Hold I found my Team, Sucki, Kangee and I shouldn't need to say, Taima. I had already informed everyone what I was up to before I had left to talk to Robinton. That way they would be ready by the time I had finished talking to Robinton.

We ported to an area out of the way at Landing. Although those areas were getting fewer and fewer, because of so many people wanting to go to Landing and help excavate the site. Then I used an invisibility spell on myself, flew over Landing and took pictures. I did this ever two to three days, so I would have a photographic record of the excavation. Once that was done, we walked from the edge of Landing to find where Master Esselin was.

I telepathically scanned the people in the area to see where he would be. I told the girls with me where Master Esselin was, and we headed in that direction.

"Master Esselin, might I have a minute of your time." I said as I entered the building he was using as an office.

Esselin looked up from the desk he was sitting and working at. "Who would you be?" He asked me.

"I'm Lord Holder Eilwyn of Tel Aviv Hold." I told him.

Esselin looked at me for a moment. "You're from that second hold in the south, aren't you?" He asked.

I nodded my head in agreement. "I am. In fact, we are just south of Cove Hold, Master Robinton's new Hold." I informed him.

"Yes, yes, I've heard about Robinton's new Hold. What may I do for you?" He asked.

"I had the idea of uncovering one or two of the squares of buildings and using then as permanent Gather stalls. Some of the crafts could set up in each building to sell out of and there should be enough buildings so food and drink stalls could be set up as well." I told Esselin.

"I don't believe we need a Gather site set up. Besides I don't have enough workers to spare to uncover that many buildings right now." He informed me.

"As for the idea, I've already talked to Master Robinton about it, and he thought it was a good idea. Even though there might not be a need right at this moment for a Gather area. We both believe it would be well worth the trouble in a few months. As for the workers, my Hold will provide all the workers needed to uncover the buildings we plan on using." I told Esselin.

Esselin frowned as he looked at me. "Master Robinton, hum? He always has his own ideas." He pulled a map out of Landing. "These are the areas we are working on right now." He said pointing to different areas on the map. "Where were you thinking of setting up your Gather site?"

"I have a general idea of where to set it up, but there is no set area. I would think it should be close to important areas but out of the way so it doesn't take up space that would be needed for something more important." I pointed to a place on Esselin's map on the eastern side of Landing and about the middle north and south. "I believe that would be a good area, although some of the crafts might want some of the bigger buildings as well to store supplies and have plenty of workspace. But we can start with just the square of buildings and worry about the bigger buildings after we see how it works out." I said.

Esselin looked at the map and rubbed his chin, thinking. "You're going to do all the digging, correct?" He asked me.

I nodded my head in agreement. "We'll do the digging of the buildings we plan on using, and we'll even dig out the area between the buildings so the area is all level and clear. As for the other buildings, the craft halls will dig their building or buildings out unless they want us to do it for them. Then we'll gladly dig the buildings out for them, for a small fee." I said.

"You're going to do all the work." He said more to himself than to me. "If any of the buildings you uncover have anything important in them, you MUST let me know." Esselin insisted.

"Oh yes. If we find anything important, I'll send someone to find you right away." I agreed.

"Your free to dig up those building for your Gather site." He said, then went back to going over lists on his desk.

I turned to the girls and shooed them out of the building. Once outside. "That went fairly well. Now to find the site for the Market Place." I said and headed in the direction I had indicated on the map.

"We'll have to do most of the work after dark since we can move large amounts of earth in a short amount of time, with our abilities." I told the girls. "But right now, I believe we can figure out which buildings we want to use. Then we can start excavating one of the buildings we want. That way it looks like we dug our buildings out by hand." I chuckled. "Sucki, it's your show."

Sucki stepped up, nodded her head and started giving orders. "Eilwyn, if you would create enough picks and shovels. We could use some stakes and a mallet to drive the stakes into the ground with." And she went from there, on who was to dig and where, and how we should dig to make it easier on the workers.

And hour or so into working, Breide showed up. I was sure this would happen sooner rather than later. Breide is at landing on Toric's behest. Anything that happened at Landing, Breide puts into his report to Toric.

"Why are you digging here? Who authorized this dig?" He asked us in an authoritative tone of voice.

I grinned. "We are digging here to uncover some buildings. As to who authorized it, that would be Master Esselin." I replied.

Breide gave me a dirty look. "Why are you digging up these building? They are not on the list to be dug up yet."

"I'm Lord Holder Eilwyn of Tel Aviv Hold." I told Breide.

Breide stopped and staired at me for several moments. "A… a, yes, Holder Toric told me about you." He paused for a moment. "Yes, sorry for being so abrupt Lord Holder Eilwyn. But if you would please tell me why you are gigging up these buildings so I can keep a record of the activity and what you might find." He asked more politely.

I grinned. "My plan for excavating these buildings is to set up a Market Place."

"What is a Market Place?"

"A Market Place is a permanent Gather square. Crafts and cooks can set up permanent 'booths' in the buildings so they can sell every day of the seven day."

Breide again just stared at me for a few moments. "So, they would have a Gather every day instead of once in a seven day if there is no thread expected?"

"Exactly that. In fact, Journeywoman Sucki here," I indicated Sucki. "Will be selling knives and daggers she makes. We plan on excavating the buildings we plan on using, first."

Breide looked at Sucki when I mentioned her making and selling knives and daggers. Then he turned back to me. "Hhmm, yes. That sounds like an interesting idea. Although, I don't know if it will work or not."

I nodded my head in agreement. "Very true, you never know if it will work or not. But you'll never know if it will work if you don't try in the first place." I added.

*We are of no interest to you. Our dig is only interesting enough to check on us no more than once every two days.* I pushed in Breide's mind. I didn't want to have to deal with him every day.

Breide nodded his head in agreement. "Keep me informed of anything you find." He said, then turned and walked away.

Sucki went back to organizing the excavation of our buildings. We outlined the dig site with stakes and then started digging and removing the dirt and ash. I created some small wagons to haul the dirt away from the dig site. No need to pile the dirt up a short ways away and then having to move it again when that area is being uncovered later on.

We had dug a trench around the outer edge of the first site and were taking a break, when Jancis walked over to see what we were doing.

Sucki saw her first. "JANCIS!" Sucki yelled and ran over to Jancis and gave her a hug.

"Sucki! I didn't know you were here." Jancis said returning the hug. "What are you doing?" She asked Sucki.

"We're digging up these buildings. Eilwyn wants to set up a Market Place. That is a permanent Gather site." Sucki explained.

Jancis looked around. "Where is Eilwyn?" She asked Sucki.

Sucki giggled. "Sorry, I forgot." She said pointing at me. "Eilwyn this is Journeyman Jancis. As you know, she was my roommate at the smithcraft hall. Jancis, this is Lord Holder Eilwyn of Tel Aviv Hold." Sucki introduced us.

"It is nice to meet you, Lord Holder Eilwyn." Jancis said.

"I'll make a deal with you. If I can call you Jancis without having to use Journeyman or Master. You can call me Eilwyn and drop the Lord Holder part." I told Jancis as I held out my hand.

Jancis took my hand and shook it. "It's a deal. There's no need for us to be formal. Especially at the request of the Lord Holder of my roommate and good friend." She said.

"By the way, this is Taima, Topaz, Willow, Crystal, Kangee and Jett." I pointed to each girl as I said their name. "Everyone, this is Journeyman or rather Journeywoman Jancis." I made introductions.

Jancis looked at each girl as I named them, smiled and waved. "It is nice to meet all of you. Sucki's told me all about you. It's nice to have faces to go with the names." Jancis said.

"What are you doing here?" Sucki asked Jancis.

"Grandfa needs to talk to Master Robinton. And we were told Master Robinton was here at Landing." Jancis replied.

I laughed. "Robinton comes here every chance he gets." I said.

Jancis nodded her head in agreement. "Grandfa said if Master Robinton could, he'd never go back to Cove Hold. He would stay at Landing all the time." And she shook her head in wonderment.

"It gives him something to do." I said.

"Did you see that odd colored fire lizard he has? I'd like to know where he got it?" Jancis asked.

Everyone chuckled or laughed. Jancis looked at all of us confused. "What's funny?" She asked.

"Sorry Jancis. We're laughing because I'm the one that gave Robinton the 'fire lizard'. Except it's not a fire lizard, it's a copper Companion." I explained.

Jancis staired at me confused. "You… you gave Master Robinton a… a copper fire-lizard? I've never heard of a copper fire lizard." Janics said.

"They are not fire lizards. It's a Companion. It's a long story on how I come by them. But simply put, I can give them to anyone I want… Like the one I just gave you." I said and pointed behind and above Jancis.

"You can give them to people? What do you mean you gave me one?" Jancis exclaimed as she followed where I was pointing.

Companion - Copper (F) Name: Bek Mythical (Of course to get dragon.) Regeneration Level 1 Sustenence Level 2 Intelligence Level 2 Strength Level 1 Durability L2 Flight Teleportation Level 2 Speed Level 1 Agility Level 1 Magical Level 1 (Dancing Lights, Mending, Servant) Shapeshifting Level 1 (Hawk, Lizard (bearded dragon), Savanah Cat, sea Otter) Elemental Blast L1 (Fire)

I chuckled. "I mean just that. I can give a Companion to anyone I want. And before you think you're going crazy. You and your Companion can talk to each other like dragons talk to their riders. And anything your Companion can do; you can also do. She'll explain everything to you." I told Jancis, as Bek swooped down and landed on Jancis' shoulder. "By the way, her name is Bek." I added.

Jancis staired between Bek and I, with a look of confusion and wonder on her face. "Why did you give her to me?" She asked.

I shrugged my shoulders. "Because I like you, because you were a good friend to Sucki while she was at the Smithcraft Hall. And because I wanted to give her to you. Besides Bek isn't the first Companion I've given to anyone. I've given Companions to Master Robinton, Masterharper Menolly, F'nor and Brekke, a few other people and of course all of my Hold have Companions." I informed Jancis.

"I wasn't friends with Sucki to get anything out of it other than having her as a friend." Jancis exclaimed.

"I know that. You receiving a Companions is just a bonus."

Jancis looked all around us. "Where's Sucki's Companion and where's your Companion?" She asked.

I pointed to a dog that was sitting close by. "That's Sucki's Companion, and her name is Tara." I said.

Jancis looked confused. "But that's a dog, not a fire lizard." She stated.

I chuckled. "As I've said before, Companions are not fire lizards. Although they look kind of like fire lizards. Plus, some of the Companions can shapeshift. That is, they can change forms, and one of the forms Tara can take is that of a dog. In fact, Bek can change into a Savanah cat, a lizard, a hawk and a Sea Otter." I told Jancis. "And my Companion is Taima. One of the forms she can take is, human."

Jancis looked skeptical, and shook her head, no. "That's not possible." She said.

I turned to Taima. "If you would, small dragon form, please." I told Taima.

Taima grinned turned and started running away from our group. Then she jumped into the air. As her feet left the ground, she changed into her titanium dragon form. She circled around and landed on my shoulder.

Jancis watched as Taima turned, changed and landed on my shoulder with her mouth open.

"Taima is the same as Bek except, Taima is titanium colored instead of copper colored. All of the girls of my Hold have titanium Companions." I told Jancis.

"Titanium? I've never heard of that color before." Jancis said.

"It's more of different colors not just one color." I said and pointed to the different colors Taima has. "Tara, if you would take your small dragon form, please." I said.

Tara looked from me to Sucki, then shifted to her small dragon form.

"See, Taima has light red, blue, green, teal, peach and purple colors. Where Tara is dark blue, green and fuchsia, or light purple. And all of the other titanium companions have different main metallic colors." I explained.

"That's kind of like the colors of tempered steel." Jancis stated.

I nodded my head in agreement. "Yes, kind of like that, but more colors. I told her.

"You might let Master Robinton know you have a Companion. I believe he is keeping track of who has one." I informed Jancis.

Jancis nodded her head in agreement. "I'll let him know the next time I see him."

Sucki and Jancis talked for a few minutes. Then Jancis left to find her Grandfa, Mastersmith Fanderel and then Robinton.

After sunset we started the real excavation. Because we would be working at night, I gave everyone with me and in my hold night vision, like I had given Coco. Kangee, Willow and I did most of the earth moving. Jett and Crystal didn't really have any abilities that would work in moving dirt. Between the three of us, it didn't take very long to move all the dirt from around the first building. We scattered the dirt over several acres a little way from Landing. No reason to have to move the dirt twice. And with our telekinesis and geomancy that is Earth Bending, it took almost no effort to move the dirt.

Over the next two nights we excavated the second building we would be using and most of the common area in the middle of the square. The fourth night I created a couple large shelters and some picnic tables. There was plenty of room in the building we were going to set up the restaurant in but having outdoor spaces to eat would be nice.

During those days, several of the Craft Hall Masters came to talk to me. Master Oldive from the Healer craft, Weaver craft - both weaver and tailor, Benden Vintner, Paper craft, Tanner craft, Smithcraft. And I'm sure after they are set up the computer Hall, Printers Hall, Technicians Hall would be visiting me. I hadn't been visited by any cooks yet, but once our restaurant is up and running in the Market Place. I should get a few people interested in opening some eating establishments of one kind or another.

I explained to each crafthall what I was doing and planning.

"Master Oldive. With so many people coming to Landing, to help uncover all the buildings and to get work. It would be a good idea to have a healer or two here on a permanent basis. With a local healer he can set up an office either in the Market Place or close by and be close to most of the people that would need his services." I told Oldive.

Master Oldive nodded his head in agreement. "True, with so many people coming here, it would be a good idea to have at least one healer here at Landing. I'll have to talk to my hall about it and see who would be available to come to Landing." He told me.

"Just make sure the healer you place here doesn't think he is better than anyone else, just because he's a healer. I hate those kinds of people." I told Master Oldive.

Oldive nodded his head in agreement. "I don't like that kind of person either. And I try to make sure my healers don't have that attitude. Although it still happens." He told me.

"Yes, there's always one in a group that thinks themselves better than everyone else, just because of their position or education." I agreed.

The conversations with the other Craftmasters went in the same manner. Most of the crafthalls agreed it would be a good idea to set up permanent booths here at Landing.

In the back of the building that will be our restaurant at Landing, I set up a teleport point to the Cafe. Although at night we would have a grill and oven set up to cook and/or heat most of the food. That way the family working in the Cafe won't have to work 24/7. Although Sam did say he could get more help if he needed to.

[exquisiteagony]

Bess’s warehouse was down at the end of a graffitied alleyway near the modest dockyard. It was a cheerful place, at odds with the dreary trash-riddled alley and the grim buildings that surrounded it; five warehouses that had changed hands to become two apartment buildings, one abandoned one home to rats and squatters, the trashiest bar Johnny had ever seen, and a nightclub named Mist who’s owner Johnny was sure was running a drug dealing and smuggling ring from the back of it.

Or at least Johnny had never seen a Mist patron who wasn’t high on steamfire or other drugs.

Talking of steamfire and clubs… He frowned, thinking. He’d heard from Middy about the hacker A.M., about how they’d deleted the data from a bunch of Castor’s biohacking experiments. Taz’s hypothesis was that they were a pissed off body-modder, or the friend of one. It didn’t really make sense, because that lot were mostly pretty chilled out, but if they’d discovered something…

Johnny snorted at that. They were all on steamfire, so they were usually discovering things. Most often it was each other’s bodies. He strode past the club, hood pulled up, and tried not to look around furtively for people watching him.

And this was why he rarely left the Workshop. The Workshop was a space he could control, but outside he felt horribly vulnerable. There were too many unknown factors, even on the main station of the Hangar. However much he dreamed about the day he could travel and not live in fear of God’s End, he’d shut himself into a cage of his own paranoia.

That paranoia wasn’t helped by the narrow alley. The buildings rose up on either side; great squatting giants that seemed to long to encroach on the alleyway, to gobble up its space and claim it for themselves. He shuddered, glancing up at empty windows like gaping mouths, and picked up his pace.

In the open doorway of one warehouse - Johnny wasn’t sure if it was one of the apartment buildings or the unclaimed one - two figures sat smoking from a pipe they were sharing. He caught a glimpse of sunken cheeks and hollow eyes watching him with disinterest as he passed, the smell of unwashed bodies reaching his nose.

Then he was past them, and raising his hand to knock on Bess’s door.

Rain dripped from the eaves as he waited - HSS-3 was always inexplicably damp, like it attracted all of the moisture from the Hangar - plinking into little puddles on the tarmac. The duo in the other doorway muttered to themselves, but then Bess was opening the door, welcoming him inside warmly with a beaming smile on her face.

“It’s good to see you!” she exclaimed, pushing the door shut before she wrapped him in a fierce hug. Johnny smiled, hugging back. His dark mood sloughed away from him.

“It’s been too long,” he said.

“You didn’t get too damp outside, I hope?” she said, checking him up and down. “It’s been extraordinarily wet today.” Her dark hair shone in the low light as her head moved.

Johnny shrugged. “It’s been fine,” he said. “I stepped in some puddles, but that’s it. Did it rain earlier?”

Bess nodded, turning to lead him to the kitchen. “First thing. Turned the whole station into a cloud. I could barely see a metre beyond my windows.” She gave a little shudder that made him smile again, opening the kitchen door.

He could tell from the rest of the place that she’d shut up shop for the day. There wasn’t much point in being open past red hour, as after that the buses were less regular, and very few fancied being out and sitting in the open waiting for the next bus.

Then she snapped the kitchen light on. He blinked, walking into the brightness after her, and took a seat as she went to retrieve her teapot and teas.

Now he was sat down again, relief flowed through him. He wasn’t out in public anymore, worried about the gaps in his network and knowledge, and he wasn’t rattling around in a horrible bus. Bess’s kitchen was still a little dark despite her turning the light on, but the darkness was soothing, calming. Her warehouse was secure and peaceful, safe, and he could relax again.

She returned to the table, a tray containing teas and the pot and two teacups in her hands. The tray was rather bulky and industrial looking, almost ugly but sturdy, whilst the cups and pot were delicate porcelain printed with flowers. She set it down and took the seat opposite him, unloading it. “So, to what honour do I owe your visit to?” she asked, sliding the empty tray aside and moving to go and boil some water.

Johnny sighed. “I got into a little argument with Samy,” he said. “Its - there's a lot going on, and this was just a bit too much.”

“You want to talk about it?” she asked carefully, returning to the table and letting him select which tea he was in the mood for. He indicated one tin, and she opened it to fill the infuser.

About Moreau? No. Bess was innocent to it all, and he knew it was selfish, but he needed to have someone he could trust who didn’t know about it all.

So he sighed. “Archie’s back,” he said. “He came to the Hangar to refuel, then went off into the Grey three weeks ago. He doesn’t look the same, and so no-one knew who he was until he introduced himself to Arttu and Mirko. They told Samy, and he told Middy and Taz, in case he turned up on Tortuga. But he never told me. I only found out today.”

“He was trying to keep it away from you so you didn’t get distracted from the other stuff?” she asked, putting the tea tins away in their cupboard before dangling the full infuser into the pot. She delicately draped the infuser chain over the side of the open pot then sat back down.

Johnny gave a wry smile. “He was trying to protect me, but that’s worse.”

Because it meant he hadn’t recovered from Dante-8, not really. It meant he hadn’t regained what the prison ship took from him, and that it was plainly obvious to everyone who saw him. Samy had tried to do the right thing, and maybe it had been, but Johnny didn’t have to like it.

And Bess got it. “You don’t want protecting.”

“I want to know there aren’t gaps in my knowledge. Archie hit my blind spot, and in Sal’s, of all places. If I have blind spots in territory like that, what else am I ignorant to? And is anyone using that? Is Rouge using that?” And that was it, wasn’t it? He swallowed. “Arttu got Swallowtail out of the Butterfly House.” Bess’s eyelashes fluttered as her eyes widened. “But how safe can I keep her if I don't know what’s going on?”

Bess nodded, silent in thought. “I haven’t heard anything,” she said. “I’ve had some of her lot come through in the past few days, and they’ve said nothing.”

“She’s canny enough to not tell her people much,” Johnny countered mildly. “Mauve is her only confidante, and she rarely leaves the Butterfly House.”

And why would she? If she was passing information onto the Complex, a brothel was the best place to do so. It was the perfect alibi for an official, and it kept her in safe, protected ground.

“But she’d have to tell her people something,” Bess said. “She doesn't leave that place much, either. It’s a big thing when she does. She’d need some of her ring to do her dirty work for her, so if she made a move against you, it would be one of them instead. Unless she’s somehow found a new supplier for them, and they’re talking with that one, you're safe.” She still scowled, but Johnny knew it was about losing out to some unknown supplier.

“I haven’t heard about any new suppliers,” he said. “I’ll ask Middy if he or Taz have noticed any weird things going on with goods, though.”

Bess smiled again. “That would be great,” she said.

Then the kettle whistled, and she started and stood to retrieve it before it could boil over. She filled the pot, slipping the lid on to let it infuse before she replaced the kettle on its burner base.

“This stuff that’s going on,” she began slowly, sitting again, “is it to do with Joel? I haven’t seen him for a few months, and there were some officials nosing around after him. I gave them nothing, don’t worry. I just said I recognised the name, but not the man, when they showed me a picture of him.”

Johnny was quiet for a few seconds. He didn’t want to tell her. He didn’t want this whole mess to take over every aspect of his life, but he’d come out here to talk to Bess, and he was drinking her cherished tea.

“It’s to do with the Scarm,” he said. “It’s explosion wasn’t an accident.”

Bess sucked in a breath. “Those poor kids,” she said, face twisting into sadness as she stared into the distance. “What could they have run into?”

“Something they shouldn’t have,” Johnny replied sadly.

Then the tea was ready, and Bess poured it.

who wants 1500 words from the third skydweller fic?

[tiktaalic]

how do you know speight doesn't know how to direct? (not picking a fight just reading the tshirt)

thank you for the clarification. i know this for two reasons. one:

Success of America 101 launched Speight into the world of commercial directing. He has helmed several spots for Pepsi among other major national brands. Following his success in commercial directing and rigorous preparation in Warner Bros. TV Director's Workshop, Speight made debut as TV show director on Supernatural's season 11 episode "Just My Imagination".

yeah just what i wanted. guy who films pepsi cans to film my television show.

two: i have seen. his episodes. the ones that stick out in memory are stuck in the middle with you and 15.18. sitmwy is a mess on the writing + directive fronts imo and i mean. so is 15.18 jdsfjnfd. but these episodes in particular are really easy to compare and contrast because a) director richard speight jr b) destiel love confession. and they're just so. impersonal on a visual front. idk how to explain it but. okay. diner scene. right?

this scene looks full

this scene looks empty.

another one:

full scene.

empty scene. even though they're the same scene.

even comparing against supernatural itself instead of quentin tarantino, speight's episodes feel so Empty to me because emotionally, they're very intimate, but visually, there's so much space. like.

free to be you and me. an emotionally intimate episode. less so than sitmwy or 15.18, but it Feels closer/more emotional in the visuals. to me this

FEELS like it's shot closer and more emotionally than. this

even tho in the first picture. they're just doing a job/are not touching. and in the second picture. cas has just recovered from certain death and everyone's relieved/they are touching. to circle back to reservoir dogs. the warehouse where everything takes place is completely empty space. there's nothing. there's a chair. there's the characters. and there's the other 85% of the scene that is just open air. but it feels crazy emotional because of the way it's shot.

yes. blood. hands wiping dying forehead. hands covered in blood from holding someone's guts in. close. perseonal. all the shots between orange and white are like this. even when one of them is in the backseat of the car and one in the front. you can still visually see them connected.

this is the singular still i can find where dying cas is in the same frame as someone else. everything else is cut to cas. cut to someone. cut to cas. cut to someone. it's disjointed and lonely looking.

15.18 has been talked to death with how it's shot so distantly they're never in the same frame they're standing 6 feet apart it cuts back and forth and back and forth and their faces never rly get a chance to Breathe and react before there's another cut. but that's not something that's 15.18 specific it's prevalent in a lot of supernatural and it's CERTAINLY present in speight's other eps.