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kyluxtrashpit · 4 years ago

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2020 Fic Recap

I really like writing these and 2020 has been a HELL of a year, so here we go lmao. It’s been a wild ride for sure

Total wordcount: 88 109 words (note: I’m subtracting the ‘sorry I didn’t finish this, here’s a summary of the remaining plot’ that I published for a fic in a previous fandom from this since it’s not relevant here). Overall I wrote less than last year, but given all that happened in terms of the world and personally and fandom-wise and all of it, I don’t feel too bad about it lmao. I also have a lot of WIP words of half-finished things and some planning and such so I feel okay with this

Favours, 4906 words, posted Jan 4

This was a weird one cause this is a two chapter reader insert fic, the same story but told with both Phasma and Hux. I originally wrote this for Phasma, but later decided it would be easy to tweak into a Hux story (which it was lmao) and figured people might like that, so I did both. I had fun doing it, even if this is kind of a very small niche ship and trope wise

Know Your Shadow, 5022 words, posted Feb 16

Ah yes, here we are, the first foray into renben, a ship I had NO idea would grab me so hard but here we are lmao. I’m not done with them either yet, don’t you worry. There’s something about the corruption angle I really like, also Ren is HOT, and it’s also interesting to think about Kylo truly getting to find himself and be who he wants to be. Canon didn’t really satisfy on this, but the concept still interests me and it’s what had me writing this fic. Also, Ben losing his virginity to an older man like Ren is just *chef’s kiss*

Public Indecency, 3719 words, posted Mar 1

And my second renben! This was partially inspired by art and partially by just the idea of not giving one single fuck, and how thrilling that must be for someone like Ben to experience. Ren and the KOR truly do not give a shit and it’s really beautiful in a way. Plus some hinting at found family with the KOR. Ngl, Ben/Kylo finding his place and acceptance with the KOR makes me so Soft and there’s so many words I could write about it. Plus public sex is very hot lmao

Beautiful, 3254 words, posted Mar 8

Back to kylux, and this one was an old WIP I started back when the prompt was first posted on KHK in like 2019 or something. I got stuck on it and then left it for a while. I was digging through my old WIPs, looking for something that might catch my interest and boom, this one did, so I finished it and then posted it. I quite like the fic and it’s a bit more in the ~classic~ style. It’s also always a good feeling to get an old WIP done lmao

Choose Your Destiny, 5077 words, posted Mar 20

More renben and this was my fix it fic for ROKR vol 4. I talked about this more on twitter at the time and why I found the story as it was unsatisfying, but ultimately it’s really just a case of rushed writing and playing into established bad writing (e.g. showing a fall from grace by having someone kill someone eviler than themselves). I also really liked Ren and I felt like Kylo didn’t really get to have enough agency in like... any of it. His motivations were weirdly absent as well, despite this being ostensibly about him. So I wrote this, which I think handled how the story should have gone a lot better and, plus, it’s got smut!

(Okay and the rest are behind a cut for length)

Show of Devotion, 2479 words, posted Mar 28

Renben once again and this time, I mean, it’s all inappropriate use of lightsabers lmao. I was looking at the Ren and was like ‘wow that is SO phallic’ and then the horny brain turned on and, well, here we are. I also wanted a side of found family with the KOR and I think got that with this. It’s horny. It’s fun. What more could one want?

Aural, 2729 words, posted May 12

Okay this one... I have absolutely no excuses for lmao. I’m not even sure where the inspiration came from, I just remember I was in an online work meeting that was boring and the entire sequence of events played itself out in my head. It was all I could do to focus on work for the rest of the day and not immediately write this cursed creation lmao. The worst part was I’d been totally blocked on writing since March and this, THIS, was what eventually broke out of me. In case you haven’t read this one, it’s ear sex. Hux’s dick, Kylo’s ear. No, I don’t know the logistics either. But hey, I had a blast with it, both in terms of writing it and the reactions lmao. Someday I gotta write a follow up involving a nose too

Missed Chances, 10 749 words, posted Jun 7

Ah yes, this is the point where my renben met my kylux and created this absolutely enormous peanut butter cup of a fic lmao. It really was supposed to be like half the length it was, but alas, it was not. Also cockblocking kylux was SO hard, they wanted to fuck SO bad, but I had to stop them, the story demanded it lmao (and people in the comments were MAD, which is always excellent). It’s also when my renben series really started to have like, an overarching plot (aside from the modern au fics which I’ll talk about later). I even still have more instalments planned

Free Use, 6971 words, posted Jun 23

Another one that turned out far longer than initially planned, and also my most popular fic this year! I’m both surprised and not cause like. It’s a complete smut fest + my heavy headcanoning of the personalities of the KOR. People like smut, but I also feel it’s kinda niche considering how deep I’m in for the KOR lmao. So idk, I guess the smut won out. I did have a lot of fun with this one and there’s a lot of characterization thought put into each KOR, so it was really nice to see people loving that as much as I did. Canon gave us crumbs, but I just used them to make meatballs

Eat You Up, 1573 words, posted Jul 5

There’s not a lot to this one, it’s really just renben rimming cause the sexual dynamic with renben is so fun. Kylo/Ben is inexperienced yet eager and depraved enough to impress Ren, which is something considering I think of Ren as Very Experienced lmao. I really do love this ship; it’s a lot of fun to play with

In the Vents, 2002 words, posted Aug 3

Ah and this was my first piece for the stuck inside event on twitter, which I had a lot of fun with. Stuck fetish is one I’ve always wanted to explore, but never had any concrete ideas for. This event led to me finally getting to have Kylo stuck in a wall (plus more as well), which was fun. Also I spent far too long thinking about Hux’s vent contraption set up cause I knew he would never let Millie go anywhere that might hurt her, so I had to come up with a way to make the vent safe and here we are lmao. Hux being an engineer and also the most extra cat owner in existence worked out very well indeed. This was also the start of my creativity boom near the middle-end of the year that uh kinda burned out in a not so great way, but I’ll talk about that later lmao

Distraction, 3658 words, posted Aug 6

Another for the stuck inside event and another kylux/renben sandwich! Also featuring the KOR this time! Listen... it’s a gangbang, it’s got renben, it’s got kylux, it’s got Kylo getting stuffed from all ends... this is the kind of fic that, to me, is pure indulgence lmao. I had a tremendous amount of fun with it

Entrapped, 3484 words, posted Aug 8

So this was also for the stuck inside event (yes, I wrote 3 fics in about a week lmao - I don’t know how I did it either) and it’s darker than the sort of things I usually write. I enjoyed exploring something like this though, something outside my usual purview. It didn’t perform super well, but tbh the dark ones rarely do so lmao

Pit Stop, 1505 words, posted Aug 31

Welp, this is just an excuse for watersports lmao. I like piss, what can I say? And I’ve done it to kylux, so I had to do it to renben, and the modern au ‘need to pee on a road trip’ seemed like the perfect opportunity for it. Not much to say for it really

The Deal, 2431 words, posted Sep 3

Ah and this one here was the first for the throwback event I ran on twitter! The event itself ended up kind of being tainted by drama from one singular person who kind of ruined it by being a jerk for literally no good reason, but I’m not going to talk too much about that. Even with that, I still greatly enjoyed it and this piece might be my favourite from it as a whole. Kylo Amidala, political scandals, neither of them being nice... ahhhh yes, it definitely brought me back lmao

Devotion, 1929 words, posted Sep 10

Another for the throwback event, this time with Emperor and Hound dynamics which, unf, yes, I will literally never get tired of it. I really had fun with every fic from this event and this one was great because I so rarely get to write real action scenes, even if they’re in a flashback here. That and the dynamic itself really made it fun

To Be Wanted, 10 473 words, posted Sep 16

Ah yes, and here is my KBB for the year! I did a minibang this time, as, well, everything was going horribly wrong around the time of sign ups and I thought a mini would be more realistic. I think I was right on that and I’m glad I did it, even if I was torn at the time. The idea itself is one I’d been thinking about for a while. I can’t remember if I thought of it after seeing the leaks for tros or after watching the movie itself, but it’s been with me for a while and while I dithered over whether or not to sign up this year, the idea came back and was just perfect for a minibang. Plus I got an absolutely amazing and wonderful partner, which is really what makes the experience of doing bangs so great. I love this fic, I LOVE the art for it, and the whole experience was definitely a highlight to 2020 as a whole, both overall and in terms of my fandom/writing experience this year

Floss Me, 2033 words, posted Sep 21

My third for the throwback event and also the dental fetish fic I’ve wanted to write for a while now lmao but could never figure out a scenario for. As some of you may remember, 2018-2019, I went through some pretty horrific dental stuff and ultimately I think it kinda gave me a fetish lmao. Also I feel like there may or may not have been a kinky flossing prompt on one of the prompt sites at some point, but I looked everywhere and couldn’t find it so. But anyway, it was a fun fic for a kink I think is quite underrated tbh

The Cost of Certainty, 2541 words, posted Sep 25

My fourth and final piece for the throwback event, and this one is also a contender for my favourite piece from that event. I have always loved the idea of Hux being a serial killer and this was a perfect excuse to write it. I’d also recently finished a rewatch of Hannibal and, well, you can see where this came from lmao. I love writing tension and it was just very fun all around. I almost wish I’d done something like this as a long fic but tbh I don’t think I would’ve enjoyed writing it as much

Huxloween Drawings, 676 words, posted Nov 1

So this isn’t a fic but rather the drawings I did for huxloween, but people wanted them on ao3, so posted they are. Now, I mentioned above that I had this massive creative boom in Aug-Sep, but that it burned out rather badly. This is when that happened. I got into this place where I just... felt like everything I made wasn’t wanted or needed in the fandom. That everything I like is so unpopular at this point that I should just give up and leave. That I’ve spent all this time and energy over the years trying so desperately to get people engaged and so few ever cared and I just... ugh. It was bad. It was really bad and definitely partly fuelled by the bullshit that someone brought up regarding the throwback event (and I still believe that they are the sole cause of it’s poor reception). I, uh, am doing better now and still working through it all but it was a really rough time. But I found myself still wanting to be creative so I decided to draw. I am not good at drawing. I am not an artist. But that’s what made it fun: I went into each drawing knowing it wasn’t gonna look great. That wasn’t the point. So I never got upset about it. I think it helped me a lot tbh and I did really enjoy it and I’m glad I did it

Unconventional, 7243 words (in progress), updated Dec 20, first posted Nov 18

So the next part of me trying to fix the bullshit in my brain creativity-wise was to post the first chapter to this fic. This is a piece I’ve been working on since 2016-2017 (I don’t remember exactly when, but it was pre-TLJ, and I’ve gotten a new computer since so I don’t have the original creation date of the document) but I could just... never get a plot together for it and ever since I abandoned a fic in my old fandom (and this year I finally posted the ‘sorry this isn’t getting finished, here’s a closure summary’ chapter), I’ve been hesitant to post WIPs before being at least 80% done. So I said fuck it, I’m gonna post this and not be scared. Is this fic complete? Nope, but the plan is starting to come together. Do I know exactly where it’s going? Nope, but I don’t need to. Is it self-indulgent as all hell? Absolutely. I love this fic and I love this story and I love the concepts within it. So I posted it and tbh, it really helped. And I think this, combined with my writing break where I drew for 31 days straight lmao were really my saving graces here

Test Run, 3661 words, posted Dec 31

And now my final fic of the year! Which is a ship I honestly wasn’t super into (I don’t hate it, it just generally doesn’t do much for me) but then I did that thing where I thought ‘hmm but could it be written in a way that I am into?’ which, in my experience, always leads to me writing exactly that. Which is what I did here lmao. I’m pretty happy with it though and despite it being very strange to write, as I really had to work to get these two to get where they were going lmao, I had fun with it. I honestly doubt I’ll write more of them, but I’m glad I wrote this one, and I think it’s a good experiment to close out the year with

What have I learned?

Honestly, this year was a clusterfuck lmao. 2019 wasn’t great for me either, but we all lived through this and it was certainly An Experience. I think what this year really helped me focus on was what made me happy. I ended up in some dark places and I don’t want to go there again. It feels repetitive to say that, once again, I have learned that writing what I want is key when I say that every damn year, but tbh I think 2020 underscored it even more so. Spite as a motivator, when used to much, smothers the spark of creativity and the joy of creation. The most important lesson I learned this year by far is to not let that take the driver’s seat. A dash here and there? That’s fine. But as your main motivator? That’s just not healthy. And I need to work to keep it from consuming me like it has been for too long

Goals for 2021?

So last year I didn’t set any hard goals and boy, is it a good thing I didn’t, cause I achieved none of them lmao. I didn’t write more words (though I did write more individual fics, and the word count gap between this year and last is about the size of the difference between a big bang fic and a mini bang fic so really, I think I did okay), I didn’t even write a single fic for BTHB, and, to be really honest, I did not manage to keep my love for writing alive the whole time. I was in a really dark place a few times this year, but that drop in Sep-Oct was the worst from a creative standpoint. I feel like I’m mostly out of it now, even if I still have some work to do maintaining it. I’m hopeful for the future in that regard. The only thing I really did accomplish was that I feel positively towards all the fics I wrote; I’m happy and proud of all of them

So what is my goal? Honestly, I feel like every year I have to relearn the lesson of ‘write what you want, have fun, be self-indulgent, fuck expectations, etc.’ and my goal this year is to not have to relearn that again, but to keep that energy and carry it with me for the whole year. I realize I may have to put some effort in there, but I’m okay with that. I don’t know what 2021 has in store, but if I can just keep my passion alive and not fall into that pit again, I’m calling it a win

#kylux #renben #hey I'm not late this year lmao #it's been an interesting one that's for sure #anyway I'm happy with all my fics this year which is good #but I need to keep working at keeping my head in the right space #which will likely take some practice #but I'm off to a good start #and I have good feelings about the future in that regard #so here's to a 2020 full of writing about kylo getting railed to high heaven #and to a 2021 full of the same!#my fic #long post #shut up nerd

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radramblog · 3 years ago

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Full-Art Basic Lands

Magic is inherently a game about customizability and aesthetic, and nowhere is this best displayed than in one’s choices for Basic Lands. From longtime players flexing their Beta sets, to the cheeky people running exclusively white-bordered ones, to newbies and people who don’t care as much just grabbing what they can from the nearest land station.

However, a full discussion of basic lands would be highly impractical for this kind of post, seeing as there are 244 different arts for Plains alone, and I only have so much time in a day. However, what I did want to discuss is the different varieties of some of the most coveted basics in Magic- the Full-Arts. There’s a lot more types now than there used to be, so they’re worth discussing at length. Also, they’re freaking cool- expect a fair chunk of gushing in this post.

(Update: I forgot just how many sets had FABLs at this point, so this ends up being a two-parter. The other half’s already written, at least, and it’s probably going up on Thursday seeing as that’s going to be a very fucky day for me. It’s just, like, nobody wants to read 3000 words of this in one sitting, I think.)

Unglued

The first iteration of what could be called full-art lands was in Magic’s first Silver-Bordered parody set, Unglued. Considering what these look like, though, it might not be appropriate to call the Unglued lands full-art, as maybe “alternate border” is a better description. The framing of the art on these cards is, well, frame-like, with a verticality that reminds of a tall window or Egyptian cartouche.

I believe these ones used to be somewhat divisive, and I can see why. As much as the frame is interesting, it is also fairly distracting, and the dull brown of the Land frame doesn’t look particularly great when extended. And while the taller frame well suits the art for most of the cards, the Plains looks a little weird next to the very tall trees and forbidding rock faces of the other four arts. Interestingly, the Plains is also the cheapest of the five, though this is probably owing to this version being reprinted in The List for…some…reason. And not the rest. Huh.

Unhinged

Much like Unglued, Unhinged is a parody set, and the basics that come with it served as experimentation on the design much like the joke cards toyed with potential future card mechanics. Unlike the Unglued lands, though, the Unhinged Basics are pretty universally agreed to be fucking gorgeous.

Almost the entire card is dominated by the art of the card, with a thin frame and border the only dividers between art and edge. The modern land frame looks much more interesting than the old-border one, frankly, meaning that the parts of the card that aren’t art just look a little bit better. And that art…John Avon is an absolutely excellent landscape painter, and his skill is in full swing here. There’s intense colours and hundreds of subtle details, with the vastness of each land’s world conveyed through either an aerial or first-person perspective. The Forest and Swamp are impossibly deep, the Plains and ocean impossibly vast, the Mountain impossibly tall.

For a while, these were the de facto full-art basics, to the point where the MTGO Cube tournaments gave them to your decks by default. They’ve well earned that title, frankly, as there aren’t a lot of Magic cards that look as good as these do.

Zendikar

Zendikar is the first Standard set to have come with an alternate style of basic, an choice made to support the set’s Landfall theme and adventurous world. For the first time, the full-art lands were made to convey landscapes utterly alien to earth, worldbuilding in much the same way as those from previous Planes like Mirrodin and Alara. This also means it was the first set with full-arts that also had more than one art per basic, adding collectability and variety to this and many future sets.

The landscapes of the Zendikar full-arts are bizarre and otherworldly, with floating rocks (and the infamous “cup Island”) and impossibly gnarled and branching trees. The violence of the plane’s Roil is conveyed through crashing mountains, steaming vents, and tornadoes of water. While previous lands have had charm, these have character.

It was the Zendikar basics that were the defaults when I started playing Magic, since the Unhinged ones were prohibitively expensive and the Unglued ones were that and also not everyone liked them. Even then they were pricy, not 4 years since their printing. It’s also worth noting that these were the first iterations of full-art basics that would get a normal-frame version, the art compacted into a standard Basic shell- obviously they don’t look as good, but in pieces of art designed for a portrait, the cropped landscape doesn’t quite work.

Judge Promos 2014

There isn’t a lot to say about these, seeing as they’re basically irrelevant to most players. They’re the only other set of basics in the “Modern” (8th Edition-Conspiracy) frame as full arts, and they make up a panorama which is fairly cool. They’re pretty, sure, but not especially notable.

Also, fuck Terese Nielsen. And fuck TERFs in general.

Battle for Zendikar

I remember these fondly, seeing as the were the first that came out since I started playing, and the Fat Packs containing a solid block of them sold out almost immediately. I did manage to pick one up for Oath of the Gatewatch, though. This was the first set in the current frame, with a border that’s only tapered at the top and the black bottom section for collector information. Hot take, but I think these look better framewise than Zendikar.

As far as art goes, each land type has 4 new arts and 1 reprinted (yes, including Cup Island), and I think some amount of the unique character of Zendikar was lost in the 6 years between releases. Much of the violence and chaos of the originals is missing, and there’s more of an emphasis on the amazing vistas of the plane- brighter skies, even on some of the Swamps, and relatively fewer of the Hedrons which dominated the landscape.

However, I’d argue this works thematically for the set. Original Zendikar was about exploring this dangerous, rugged world, where survival is not guaranteed and landmarks were just as likely to float away or collapse as they were to remain standing. But Battle for Zendikar is a war story, of fighting against an insurmountable force- thus, the basics are here to show that the world and all its beauty are worth fighting for.

Oath of the Gatewatch

This is kind of a special case, seeing as the Plains, Islands, Swamps, Mountains, and Forests from this set were the same as those in Battle for Zendikar. However, Oath of the Gatewatch added a new basic “type”, in the typeless Wastes, along with two different art treatments representing the devastation in the wake of two Eldrazi Titans, Ulamog and Kozilek.

There’s a clear winner here. The desolation of Ulamog is chalky, dry, and skeletal, and while it’s kind of disquieting, it holds no candle to the utter unreality of the bismuth landscape left by Kozilek. It’s ultimately just so much more of an interesting piece of art, a world as alien to us as the Wastes were to the game of Magic. There’s a reason that was the version they chose to put in the old border in Time Spiral: Remastered.

Amonkhet

For a world as monobiomic as Amonkhet, the basic land art is surprisingly varied. I was wondering how they’d make Forest work on a desert plane with one main city. Unfortunately, the full-art land art is somewhat less interesting. Amonkhet, like most sets, has 4 arts per basic land type, but in this case, only one of those is full-art, making packs marginally more of a gamble.

I see what they were going for. The visions of Nakhtamun presented by these cards are relatively peaceful, with the Throne of the God Pharoah in the background adding this ominous mood, as the Second Sun slowly creeps towards it. It is somewhat jarring, though, when you realize that all of these pieces are apparently taken from the same angle, meaning that that section of the city must be a bit of a hodge-podge.

These arts are basically fine. I don’t have a huge issue, but I wish there was a bit more variety, especially considering the gorgeous shots in some of the other basics from the set. You could have put the Monuments in the background instead of the Bolas horns, like some of those other basics do, but I suppose that wouldn’t do for the next set, would it.

Hour of Devastation

The full-art lands of Hour of Devastation are the same shots as from Amonkhet, but after the God-Pharoah’s return has laid waste to Nakhtamun and its people. The rivers run red with blood, the sky is an ominous haze, swarms of insects ravage the clouds, and those big buildings acting like mountains are, uh, kinda broken.

I will confess a love for these cards, if only because the non-Swamp ones are a great thematic choice for basics in a Black-based multicolour deck. In addition, and this is kind of a unique, personal bias, but: When the Sealed League for this set came around, foils of these were given out to players as promotion, but the batch we got at our local was heavily, heavily overprinted. Thus, I have a single copy of the Forest from this set that looks utterly gorgeous, this incredible darkness only pierced by the glow of the horns that are somehow more foreboding than the night surrounding them. It’s been in my Sultai EDH deck ever since.

Unstable

Much in the vein of its predecessors, Unstable has basic lands trying out a new Thing than the others, and in this case the basics aren’t just full-art, they’re borderless. And they got John Avon back for them, so the art is as incredible as Unhinged was.

One interesting thing about these is the haze of colour in the background of the art pieces. The Forest has this green glow, and the tinge of the clouds in the Swamp and Mountain lean black and red respectively. This helps a lot in these cards, letting the semi-transparent frame blend into the art, helping that seamless feel.

My main, and probably only, issue with these basics is the holographic rarity stamp present on every rare since Magic 2015, as while these obviously would be and did become valuable, they’re still just basics. The only real money in Unstable, sure, but I don’t think that’s deserving of the stamp, which is kind of distracting. It’s absence would also have allowed the bottom border to be even lower, were WoTC willing to compress the collector’s information to a single line. It is a missed opportunity, but not especially much of one.

#ramble #mtg #basic lands

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beatrice-otter · 5 years ago

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Yuletide Recs 2019

Happy Yuletide, everyone! First, I got a delightful little fic written for me: promenade. My Fair Lady, Eliza Doolittle and Mrs. Higgins. Wonderful story. Mrs. Higgins was superb, and Eliza's reactions to the English upper class abroad are perfect. Here are some other fics I have enjoyed: 4'33"--John Cage The Sound Of A Yuletide Fic Not Being Written. There sure are a lot of cars going by. Great meta look at writing, and 4'33" The Addams Family (movies) An Addams Family Contract (Written in Secret, Signed in Blood). “I’m an Addams,” Debbie protests indignantly. Immediately after making this statement, Debbie realized that it was true. (Or, Wednesday wants to exorcise Debbie. Debbie wants to kill Wednesday. A negotiation begins.) This is AMAZING and hysterically funny, and the thought of Debbie and Wednesday working together is TERRIFYING. Don't I Deserve Love (and Jewelry). The plan to win Wednesday’s friendship did not start well. She shared her admiration for the girl’s blowtorch, then hinted about her own childhood affinity for matchsticks and fire accelerants, but Wednesday was unimpressed. Do better,” she said before lowering her hockey mask and stalking after Pubert. Honeymoon in Transylvania. Ahahahaha, this is wonderful. Gomez and Morticia vs. the TSA! Alien Series A Room with a Crappy View. 17k of Ripley and Hicks awesomeness post-Aliens. This is an absolutely AMAZEBALLS fic, and I LOVE it. I love that they deal with their trauma. I love how they wrote the Colonel, doing the best she could on the evidence she had and how frustrating that was and yet, when you look at it from her POV, what better way could she have handled it? The action is great, the relationships between Ripley and Hicks and Bishop were awesome, this is an absolute treat. All About Eve Getting Back to Being a Woman. Karen knew enough not to go to New Haven. Never let it be said that Margo Channing doesn't know how to take care of her friends. I love this. I could just hear Bette Davis and the others saying their lines, and the ending is perfect--I think Karen and Lloyd will be able to have a much better relationship after this, if he's willing to accept and live into the changed relationship. Till I have the possession of everything she touches. Addison DeWitt/Eve Harrington and their daughter. VERY well done Addison perspective. Aubrey-Maturin series. Vent de Boulet. Jack & Aubrey, Teen. The aftermath of Stephen's escape from the French interrogators at Port Mahon. Wonderful portrayal of the relationship between them and natural consequences of their trauma-filled lives. Babette's Feast Body and Soul. After the French dinner, a new normal established itself among the faithful. Ballet Shoes A Long Way from the Cromwell Road. Petrova visits Pauline in Hollywood after the war ends. Bletchley Circle Logical Recovery. After the showdown with Marta Magro at the warehouses, Jean, Millie, and Lucy embark for Glasgow to find Eliška. Archival research, an extended stay with Jean's cousin, undercover rescue missions, and much emotional processing of past events ensue. Cabaret Infinite Variety. London, 1950. Clifford has coming looking for Sally. Instead he finds a girl who may or may not be her – or their – daughter, the reclusive former Master of Ceremonies, and an annoying parrot. He becomes part of their strange household, full of love and bickering; sorrow, pain and music. No-one will tell him where Sally is, or even whether she’s alive. No-one will tell him anything. Except the parrot, who tells him that life is a Cabaret. Oh, wow, this is painful but SO GOOD and the ending is perfect. DC Teen Titans From Cold to Fire. "Do you want to go out with me?" "What?" Young Justice Getting Stupid in your area. Hang-time includes considerations of evil clones and taking down a newly raised lich lord. Love the banter. Die Hard Your Answers Please. “Come on, kid,” McClane said gruffly. “This place is fucking depressing. You’re coming to stay with me.” Enchanted Forrest Chronicles Best Served Cold. In which Antorell causes trouble in the Enchanted Forest, and Cimorene and Alianora make an amphibious new friend. Hilarious, I love Ribbita! Ghostbusters Better Than Roses. Janine dates. It's...something. The Goblin Emperor Imperial (non) Immunity. Csevet doesn't get sick. Maia's not so confident. Light a Mourner's Candle. The Archprelate finds a chaplain for Maia. Against a Sure Winter. When the opportunity arose to become one of the four ceremonial bodyguards for the new Emperor, Cala Athmaza volunteered. He didn't fully realize what he was letting himself in for, but he knew in his heart he had made the right choice. Sugar Lumps. Maia spends some time with his horse. Greek Mythology beauty, her artificers. Shortly after their wedding, Aphrodite sustains a small wound. Really great Aphrodite/Hephaestus dynamic. a thing of beauty, golden. Olympus’ one-century wonder appears in Hephaestus’ workshop between one strike on his anvil and the next.. Another really great Aphrodite/Hephaestus fic. Hancock yeah I know the shortcut, rather take the long way. Ray daydreams a New York that looks a lot like something out of an old Daredevil comic - towers looming over the city like cragged, jaded sentries, impartial to the neon kaleidoscope of chaos churning along below them. Hancock roosts on the tallest, craggiest one of course, brooding as he watches the slow pulsing heartbeat of the city below him. Ready to dive off his perch and into action with the first cry of distress, and there’s probably lots of those in a city like New York. Lots of zooming around, saving people, saving the world. Hopefully with slightly less metaphorical middle fingers to the world. And less alcohol. Ray’s not an idiot though, and one sparkly life-changing month doesn’t just fix people. History RPF 15th Century. these late eclipses. Anne Neville, like others of her line, is born with a gift. I LOVE the way magic is brought into this, it melds so well with the history. 19th Century/German folklore The Bargain. Bettina finds a secret door at her grandmother's house, one that leads to something very unexpected. The things she learns as a result change her life in small but important ways. Imperial Radch Still Left in Want of Mercy. The Republic of Two Systems is about a month old. Seivarden is having yet another crisis - can Mercy of Kalr get her through it? Maybe, with the crew's and Fleet Captain's help. Interesting Ship perspective. high above the trees. An unexpected embassy. Really excellent, probably the best way I've ever seen "Awn Lives" done. The Incredibles Life of a Superhero, Junior Grade. Fortunately, this was Tuesday night training, not a real villain-chasing experience. Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell The Magicians of Starecross Hall. Being a series of interludes in the life of John Segundus, newly practical magician, in the year following the disappearances of Messrs. Strange and Norrell. Including: a new school for young magicians, explorations of the King’s Roads, Lady Pole’s alarming needle-work, unanticipated trips to Faerie, and John Childermass. I love this story! How the school got started, and 'Miss Wintertowne' (although I do think she would style herself 'Mrs' Wintertowne, because she is married and up through the 18th Century 'Mistress/Mrs' vs. 'Miss' had as much to do with age and experience and such as it did with marital status) and how she uses embroidery as a kind of art therapy. I love the slow burn, and I love the stuff about exploring the King's Roads and Faerie. It is excellent and awesome. Lilo & Stitch The Dance. Lilo peeked out from behind the curtains and looked over the stage. A Little Princess Discipulae. "I just realized," Sara said. "Becky, I could have a tutor now. I could hire someone to teach me anything I wanted. All the things that are hard to learn alone from books — Greek and Latin, Sanskrit, algebra, anything I wanted. What would you learn, Becky, if you could?" Really great look at what their lives could be like post-canon. Marvel Captain Marvel Take my hand (and we'll march to the front lines). There's a dream Vers has sometimes. this youthful heart can love you. Carol waited a week before she left with the Skrulls. Space Cases. Monica tried many other times to win her mother over to a pet. A rabbit, a pony, a parakeet. This is not any of those stories. This is the story of Monica Rambeau and a Flerken named Goose. Or: Why Nick Fury is never allowed to babysit ever again. The Tesseract's Wife. A straight line is not the shortest distance between two points: non-linear snapshots of a love story. Fly Me To The Moon. "It's a vacation. Like spring break," Carol says. Monica's eyes widen. "Really? So we can hang out? What are we going to do?" "Well," Carol says, leaning back in her chair and flashing that old, familiar smirk. "I thought we could go to the moon." Into the Spiderverse i got you. Miles thinks he's hiding the truth about Spider-Man, but one unfortunate night, it comes to light. one last leap. Telling his parents he's Spider-Man is a leap of faith Miles can't bring himself to take. My Life to Liv. Liv survived her encounters with her interdimensional Spider-nemeses, of course. So what's next for her? Interdimensional Phone Pals. Gwen Stacy is many things, but open to friendships isn’t really one of them. Or, Five rules Gwen makes for herself, and how Peter B. makes her question them. Into the Spiderverse/Murder, She Wrote Spider, She Wrote. Miles and May visit her old friend Jessica in Cabot Cove. Mulan (1998) the proper order of things. Great outsider perspective. The Mummy After the Mummy. London was becoming Rick's least favourite place, and not just because of all the rain. Loving Evy was one thing: figuring out whether she loved him back after the Egyptian heat faded away was something else. Where's a good rising of the undead when you need one? Don't worry, Jonathan found one. Lovely fun adventure. Course Correction. Jonathan really is serious about staying away from tombs and mummies this time (except trouble always seems to find him). Good thing Ardeth is there to help him stay on-track. Travelers by Night. Very quickly, Jonathan weighed the odds. On one hand, potential death, whether by armed bandits, a mummy’s curse, or people who looked like bandits and who were very angry about someone unleashing a mummy’s curse. On the other hand, potential riches, home ground, and topics of conversation other than what happened at school fifteen years ago and who got it in the neck where. Murderbot How I Spent My Vacation Between Survey Missions. What happens when ART reunites with Murderbot during another break between research survey missions? Media gets viewed, of course, but there might also be some bad news for more shady corporations. Situation Normal. Hi, I said, along with amusement sigil 159 = wave. It seemed a little inadequate, but what do you say to the ship that radically altered your appearance, helped you figure out your past, and also threatened you with terrifying weapons? Amusement sigils seemed like my best bet. My Fair Lady Here We Are Together. Eliza and Freddy are working together. Henry isn't happy, and makes sure everyone knows it. One Day at a Time what they say about the young. Without the kids around, it feels like everything has changed, except for all the other things about Penelope's life that could change, too. a return to normal. Penelope and Schneider's Friday night plans fall through, so they have a movie night instead. Very sweet. Persuasion. The Pen in Their Hands. Five letters that were written, but were never sent, aboard H.M.S. Laconia. (And one that was.) Smooth Water. “If I wanted easy comfort, I should not have become a captain’s wife.” Wonderful Austen voice. A Step Not Taken. What if that day at Lyme had gone just a little differently? Peter Wimsey The Duke's Parlormaid. A story in correspondence, with detective interruptions. Really captured the feel of the books and all the character voices. Poirot The Mice Will Play. When Poirot returns unexpectedly from a case, he finds out something new about Miss Lemon. RED The One Bathtub. “I did have dinner plans,” Han said, grudgingly, and so Victoria kicked the door in and graciously allowed Han to be the first into the bathroom. She understood the pain of missed reservations. Rivers of London Through All the Years, This Is My Home. At night, when the rest of the staff and most, if not all, of the masters were asleep, Molly would wander the moonlit halls and remember what fresh air felt like on her skin. Of Molly, of Thomas, and of the years they've spent together - and of the Folly, strong and everlasting. Lovely Molly perspective. Peelian Principles. "You're very calm about this," Seawoll said on the fifth day. Nightingale's perspective on Peter's time as a hostage, and REALLY AWESOME. UXB. When one the deadliest weapons of the Blitz threatens London once again, Peter finds himself on the front line. Wonderful casefic, just perfect. Saved! Conversation Starters. Cassandra and Roland have five important conversations. Sense and Sensibility Realization and Renewal. As Marianne recovers, Elinor and Colonel Brandon find themselves drawn to one another. Sense8 Blue and Gold. Wolfgang comes home with Kala and Rajan after Paris. Finding a place with them. Star Trek: Rihannsu Day Comes Up New. "I have done something spectacularly stupid," Arrhae said. This is a wonderful extension and meditation on what might happen past canon. Ever since I first read The Romulan Way as a teen, I've wondered what happened to Arrhae in the end, and the subsequent books were great but didn't answer the ultimate question. This doesn't either, but it suggests something further, which I appreciate. Terminator Movies A Fistful of Sarahs. The sky cracks open, and Sarah watches herself tumble out of a rift in the space time continuum. She’s older than she is now, and she’s got a lot more scars, and she’s carrying the biggest and weirdest looking gun Sarah’s ever seen. with all the hope in my heart (and doubt in my mind). Sarah Connor has done this before. Dani has not. Post-Terminator: Dark Fate. Fate, the Future, and Other Sons of Bitches. Sarah and Dani hit the road. Winnie the Pooh In Which Pooh Hunts for the Meaning of Christmas. Pooh finds a mysterious envelope pinned to the door of his house. In Which Eeyore Loses His Tail Again, Or At Least Plans To. It's a bright, sunny day, and Eeyore has a plan to make it tolerable. Now if only his friends will cooperate.

#fic rec #fanfiction #fanfic #yuletide

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oldbluethings · 5 years ago

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The Cold Ones (Doctor Strange fanfic)

This is a story I've been working on for a while, but haven't really come close to finishing yet. This fic is my side piece, basically.

It's the sequel to Spark and Fade (and also Children of the Old Moon, but not as much) so it might help to read SnF first. I thought I would start posting bits to Tumblr as I finished, mostly because I hate having WIPs on AO3, but I have a lot of unfinished things and I get restless, so... I'll post this to AO3 when I finish it, which will be in approximately three years.

Anyway, most people following me are Dr. Strange fans, so why the F not? Here's the first bit. I'm not doing a summary.

Also, I apparently can't do 'read more' line breaks anymore on this hellsite, so y'all just gonna have to scroll past this shit if you don't want to read it.

The Cold Ones, ch 1

Fandom: Doctor Strange, MCU

Rating: Explicit

Pairing: Stephen Strange/Karl Mordo

Genre: magical mystery, angst, smut, action/adventure

Characters: Stephen Strange, Wong, Karl Mordo, Everett Ross, Original Characters

Warnings: nah

***

He swore he’d rather spend an eternity in a tentacle-infested swamp dimension than ever come back here, but here he is.

Stephen looks around at the blank white walls, the sealed door. He scratches at an electrode that's pulling irritatingly on the hair on his chest. There's only one window. He can see Everett Ross and his assorted techs and minions sitting behind the glass, staring at him. He stares back. "Don't you know any other magic people you can torment?" he calls.

Ross's cheerful voice comes through the intercom. "None half as charming as you, Strange."

He snorts, he can't help it. Ross is a bastard, but at least he's an amusing bastard. Occasionally.

There’s not much to do in here except walk in circles. Stephen steps carefully around the only other thing in the room with him—a plexiglass box, about one foot square, sitting in the center of the room. The hinged lid is locked and there are small holes in the sides, almost as if it might contain something alive. It doesn't, though, he can tell. Still, he keeps a wary eye on the box, says, “You guys don't have the budget to give me a chair?”

“Any unnecessary objects in the room might interfere with the test.” Dr. Thompson’s voice this time. She strikes Stephen as one of those people who excelled in medical school only to discover she was just slightly too much of a sociopath to ever be a good doctor. Experimenting on people is probably a better career choice for her.

He finishes another circuit of the room, lets the silence stretch on until he can't take the growing restlessness anymore. And, still, nothing happens. “What exactly am I supposed to be doing in here?”

“Relax, Strange.” Ross again, and then Dr. Thompson, “We’re just finishing up some final calibrations.”

He sighs and nods. The fact that he’s trapped in here is entirely his fault; he asked for this.

Just two weeks ago, he was sitting at a booth in his favorite coffee shop, waiting for Ross, and trying hard not to fidget.

He'd always liked this place—the coffee was good and the servers were quick and efficient. The place was never crowded. He could sit and think without worrying about being bothered. And the alley out back was always empty and didn't stink too badly, so opening a portal there was never much of a risk.

He lifted his mug of coffee with both hands—too sore on that damp, cold day to fold his stiff fingers around the handle—and took a sip, watched the people hurrying past the window in the rainy street outside.

He didn't have to wait long. The bells over the door jingled and then Everett Ross was sliding into the booth across from him, dressed in his usual gray suit—always expensive, but understated—shaking out and then fastening his umbrella closed with quick efficient movements. His hair was slicked back, not a strand out of place. Stephen wondered if the suit was meant to match the hair, or if it was just a coincidence that they were the exact same color.

Once settled, Ross folded his hands on the table and smiled his smug smile, all self-assured confidence. “Strange,” he said, and nodded. Stephen scowled back, but tipped his head fractionally.

The waitress materialized beside them and Ross ordered a coffee with cream. He watched her walk away, then turned back to Stephen. "So," he said. "You called me. And here I am."

“Yes.” Stephen cleared his throat and tried to resist the urge to tap his foot on the floor. "I called you,” he said slowly, still not quite sure if this was a good idea and stalling for just a little more time. “I... want to make a deal with you."

"Oh?" Ross feigned innocence, but that smug smile crept back onto his face. He knew exactly why Stephen had called him. Ross fiddled with the cream for a moment, before looking back up. "And what sort of deal do you think I'd be interested in?"

"Mary Jacobsen," Stephen said. "She wants to go to college. I need the police and your people to back off and leave her alone. You know she had nothing to do with the murder of her parents. She's just a kid. She has no interest in ever working for you or your agency.”

Ross made a scoffing sound. “I'm a great boss, actually. Everyone loves working for me.”

Stephen chose to ignore Ross’s joke. “And... she'll need a new identity, too, so she can't be found. There are still people out there who might be looking for her. Dangerous people."

Ross gave him a shrewd look. “People like your friend, Karl Mordo?”

Stephen didn't like the way Ross emphasized the word friend like that. He wished he could enjoy the distraction of a sip of coffee right now. But picking up the mug in front of Ross would just reveal more weakness. “Maybe.” He settled for a shrug, instead. “That's not your concern.”

Ross stared back at him for a long moment. "You're asking for a lot,” he mused, sliding his coffee mug against the napkin. They both knew he wasn't, not for someone with Ross’s connections, but in the end it didn't matter—Stephen needed what Ross had and there was no good way around it.

Ross abandoned his mug and started tapping his finger against the table. He still hadn’t taken a sip. “And what will you offer me in return?"

Stephen tightened his jaw before answering. "Name your price."

Ross's finger tapped a little faster against the table, the only sign of his interest. He narrowed his eyes at Stephen. "Okay. You already know we're interested in magic. How it works. How to… counter it, if it ever came to that. My team has some tests lined up that require subjects with abilities. They've been hard to find and recruit, for obvious reasons.”

Ross reached out and picked up the mug, finally took a sip. “So, I’d like you to come work for me. On a temporary basis. Help me out with our tests. I think that would be a fair trade to start with. And if, down the line, you need more of my help… then we can renegotiate.”

Stephen knew this was what Ross would ask for, of course. He'd already discussed the possibility with Wong and the other Masters. They'd agreed that it could be useful to see exactly what Ross’s group was interested in, what understanding of the Mystic Arts they already had, if any. Ross was a tricky bastard, but Stephen had dealt with him before. And the man did have integrity. Stephen knew he could be trusted to keep his word. The other Sorcerers had set some conditions, though, on what he could offer Ross. Stephen agreed with them.

"I'll agree to your tests as long as you can assure me they're safe. And I'm not doing more than one a week. If you want more than that you'll have to pay me for my time.”

Ross nodded, eyes eager. Money, apparently, was not an issue.

“But I'm not teaching anyone magic. And I'm not revealing the names of any other Sorcerers or the location of Kamar-Taj. If any of your people want to learn, they can seek us out and ask to be accepted just like everyone else."

Ross took another sip of coffee and pretended to think it over. "Deal,” he said.

They shook on it that day, over the table, Stephen extending his hand reluctantly to seal his fate. And now here he was, standing in a white room, staring at a plexiglass box on the ground, waiting for something to happen.

Ross had kept his word, at least, as Stephen knew he would. Mary’s got a new last name, some very convincing documents, and a spot at Molloy College for the upcoming fall semester. And the tests so far haven't been terrible, just tedious. Like performing magic in an MRI machine, which was awkward, but not difficult.

Stephen’s never been in this particular room before, though. He glances over his shoulder, but Ross and his lackeys are now engrossed in the monitors in front of them.

There's a sound, then—a faint, high-pitched hum, growing steadily louder. Stephen tilts his head curiously. It sounds almost organic, rising and falling like the call of some insect. And it seems to be coming from the box on the floor. He still can’t sense anything alive inside.

“Can you actually hear that?” Dr. Thompson asks through the intercom. She sounds surprised.

“Yeah, it’s—” He’s about to say incredibly irritating, when a blast of icy air hits him. “What the hell is that?” he mutters. There aren’t any vents it could be coming from. “Don’t tell me you’re going to give me hypothermia,” he calls.

“Are you feeling cold?” Dr. Thompson asks.

That’s odd. “Yes, I—” But the sound suddenly reaches a screech that’s almost unbearable, accompanied by a stabbing pain right above his eyes. His skull is literally vibrating. The fucking room is vibrating. Stephen grabs at his head. “Can you shut that noise off? I—”

And then the world suddenly drops away from under his feet.

#doctor strange #mcu fanfiction #strordo #stephen strange/karl mordo #my writing

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nightcoremoon · 5 years ago

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for the record I'm not actually upset over the comments people are making. I've been doing the internet fight thing for 15 years. but here's an anecdote.

a couple years ago when Discourse™ first got its start, I saw a post. it said "saying 'my dude' is antiblack racist because it's just a watered down way of saying 'my n*gga'" except he actually said the word because op was black. and I was like. what the fuck am I reading. I check the notes and he's all like "if you're white you're not allowed to disagree with me". I'm like wha. granted there were a bunch of people who had said "I'm black and you're an idiot" and it died out and lo and behold if I say my dude I don't get crucified by black people so it's clearly not racist.

then a meme surfaced. you start ranting and raving in a really long sentence or something that's usually directed towards people who do or say bigoted things and then ending it with a comma and a soccermom name, KAREN. it was used pretty much everywhere by everyone. but then one strangely peculiar thing happened.

people started sending anonymous suicide baits to people who used that meme, because "that meme was created by black people so it's culturally appropriating black culture to use that meme if you're white". including one trans kid who was like 14, living in an abusive and homophobic household. he used it in a vent post. and in the notes at least three people were harassing him about it. he deleted his blog. I worry he might have killed himself.

the people who were sending the messages were in their early to mid 20s. to a 14 year old kid. because he used a black created meme. to vent about his abusive household. I shouldn't have to explain how fucked up that is.

anyway I'd come to his defense and made a post about how it's ridiculous to cyberbully a child because he used a meme he didn't have the license to use. and tumblr flipped out. I had hundreds of messages from people calling me a nazi. yeah sure a disabled mentally ill queer trans leftist is totally a nazi. right. they said I was racist, they said I was homophobic to gay black people, they said that I was a liar who fabricated that story I told earlier about that kid because by the time people were asking for receipts the post was deleted. I got suicide baited, threatened, the whole shebang.

I didn't care. I was just irritated by the huge influx of messages. it was an inconvenience. after the life I lead, mean words on the internet from a spineless coward hiding behind the veil of anonymity are water off a duck's back. yes I might use fuckin profanity or italicized fonts or CAPITAL LETTERS for emphasis, but it's because I'm a wordsmith. language is an art form. a keyboard is my brush. I'm proud of my ability to harness the english language and twist and contort it to my own specifications. I can use it for great good, in helping people through tough times with inspiring words that incite courage, for great funny, in jokes that might take some thinking and context to really understand (especially puns), for great sexy (talking dirty basically but only with certain people and when the time is right), or for insulting people. anyone who knows me knows that I'm a good person and that the only people who ever know what it's like to receive a tongue lashing are the ones who fucking deserve it. not the people who see a single text post taken out of context as a basis to judge my entire character on. but I enjoy it. I enjoy using words as weapons on the battlefield of discourse. it's because I'm good at it. beyond the abilities of most opponents which is unfortunate because it just sails right over their heads most of the time but still, my fellow intelligent company is able to grasp the meanings and intentions of both sides. I excel at this. and the fact that I don't take things personally (I'll certainly pretend to when it'll gain me the advantage) is just icing on the cake.

there is just one problem though.

I'm autistic and possess hyperempathy.

"what does that have to do with this?"

see, here's the thing. if some random person makes an offhand comment intended as a joke but didn't really have the "correct" amount of blatant humor injected into it, and you are the type of person to then go to them and tell them they'd be better off dead, they're just a retard who should stop posting, nobody cares about them, whatever, you are NOT the type of person to think "hmm this person's only 14, maybe I should reconsider the choice to send them a death threat" or "oh hey this person has depression, perhaps I'll remove that suicide bait part and replace it with rainbow lollipops and unicorn stickers :3". you don't give a fuck about all that. you just wanna reap destruction and watch the world burn. you wouldn't give a fuck if that kid commits suicide because you don't have any compassion or empathy. if you would send the kind of shit you sent me to anyone, and I had the chance to meet you in person, I'd make you swallow your own teeth.

these anons don't care how old I am. they don't care what my mental state is. they don't care about any of that shit. they only care about inflicting pain, deserved or not, and all over dumb shitposts. over "lmao if you break up over mario kart you're kind of immature and should work on your relationship skills :P". over saying Karen at the end of your sentence. over greeting a friend with "my dude". over liking steven universe. it doesn't matter what the topic of the day is. any excuse will do to go for the proverbial jugular.

the existence of these people is what pisses me off more than the actual things that they say. how dare you exist. how dare you spread hate. how dare you not be a paragon of human decency. if someone says something racist or homophobic or antisemitic or misogynistic or body shaming or pro fascist or bootlicking or genocidal or anything contributing directly to harmful actions towards people based on their demographics rather than the choices that they make, fuck 'em. you lost my compassion for you. you're a piece of old chewing gum under a table. you're a little chunk of dookie that didn't get flushed. you're a moldy apricot pit at the bottom of an unlined trash can. you made a conscious choice to be a bad person. if you are a literal nazi, I'd remove your bones and then put them back in the wrong places without any anesthetic. if you are bigoted because society brainwashed you, I'd call you character into question and point out your hypocrisy. if you made a dumb joke on a shitpost I'd just scroll past because I'm not gonna waste my time on you. but if you would tell a kid to kill themself, you bet your ass I'll tear into you like hungry wolves into a deer carcass with zero remorse or sense of your own feewings. if you want me to care about the feelings of terrible people, you have another thing coming. if they would hurt people who don't deserve it, they're on the shit list.

and I refuse to be told that I'm a bad person because of that. severe, yes. ruthless, maybe. evil? that's pushing it a lot. a little unhinged? I've not been hinged since I was 3 years old. an asshole? I vehemently disagree considering the people i'm rude to are themselves assholes; this isn't some edgy friedrich nietsche quote taken out of context. merciless? okay I'll give you that. but a bad person? fuck that and fuck you.

you don't get to judge my character because I'm ~mean~ to dickheads.

in fact I'm somehow more pissed off at those people than the people sending the shitty messages in the first place. lashing out I can understand because that was me once upon a time. but passive neutrality under guise as absolute good? you're attacking the reaction. you're centrists attacking antifa. you're part of the problem. especially when you use sneaky tactics that take advantage of good nature, "heyyyyy buddy, let's talk about your anger issues, are you okaaaaaay, taaaaalk to me, you need to apologize to the people who want you dead because you were mean to them and that means you deserve it". literal cult tactics. evil. actual legitimate active performed evil. or just an ignorant misguided fool that thinks he's the dalai lama. but... pride is a deadly sin after all.

anyway tl;dr i don't give a shit about the actual things you say to me. the only thing that pisses me off is the fact that you'd say those things to another person completely unprovoked, no matter who that person is.

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fearofaherobrine · 6 years ago

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Roleplay Server Log #386

“Octagon and Enix, Spleef, Bird Dad”

[CP] Is holding his no longer flaming baby and is letting Notch visit with the others when he feels the shift in the mainframe and he shudders a little-

[Fangbo] Notices his reaction. - Did Aether pull your hair or something?

[CP] - No...- He looks over at the mainframe- The seeds have shifted...

[Fangbo] Oh? You're sensitive to that? Maybe one of the big multiplayer servers changed host sites or something.

[CP] - Maybe...- He takes Aether and hands her back over to Notch- Just give me a moment

[Notch] Any reccomendations to keep her from getting cold again?

[CP] - Keep her out of the way of the vents and if she does catch on fire again, well, you know it wont hurt you yet

[Flux] Digs through the diaper bag and finds an extra blanket-

[Notch] Got it. Where are you headed?

[CP] - The main frame

[Notch] I'd say be gentle but you know how to conduct yourself.

[Jeb] He does????

[Flux] - He'll be fine

[CP] Ignores Jeb and touches the servers letting himself be pulled in and he looks to see what happened-

-There is now a very big server next to the one he's been calling home-

[CP] Snickers and goes to inspect the new bigger server-

-It's already super overbuilt. There are a faintly ridiculous number of players running around and the chat is full of random emoticons and leetspeak. There are quite a few large sculptures with just random words and pixel art from various 8bit games. There's a spleef dome rising over part of the town as well. The spawn is a sort of open waiting room with the basic server rules posted on a series of white colums in a circle. People are hustling in every direction but the spot he's standing in is relatively quiet.

[CP] - Oh joy, fresh prey

-He's immediatly struck with the feeling of being scrutinzed-

[CP] Focus' on the feeling to see what it is-

-There's a bit of a cough from above him-

[Octagon] You look lost friend. I hope you're not here to make mischief. - The figure is unmistakably a NOTCH, but he has a full long beard plaited like a dwarf and a name floating over his head like a player.

[CP] - Oh fuck off

[Octagon] Now that's not very nice. And here I'm being super polite too.

[CP] - I just came to find out what had been placed next to our server and if it were a threat

[Octagon] Then we're neighbors! How wonderful! You can see my name, what's yours? -Chuckles- Though I can probably guess.

[CP] - The others usually refer to me as CP

[Octagon] Hops down from the pillar and stands next to him. He's average height for a NOTCH, so shorter then Cp- Pleased to meet you then! I wouldn't have a player name, like this- he indicates the floating bar- but my brother tagged me.

[CP] - Your brother?

[Octagon] Yes! Let me see if I can get his attention. I think he'd be more your speed anyway- He does some whisper typing and then waits-

-A Herobrine basically steps out of his shadow and makes a show of stalking and menacing the NOTCH from behind before tickling his ribs with a gigantic grin-

[Octagon] Dissolves into wild laughter - BRO!

[CP] - Oh joy- He's dead pan

[Enix] Speaks with the most sinister voice Cp's ever heard outside the mansion, it's practically an oily sound. - What? No sense of humor?

[CP] - Only when it comes to murder or teasing my wife

[Enix] A brine with a mate? Did you wed an Alex? Lucky man.

[Octagon] You have a wife? That's so sweet. Is she nice?

[CP] - Another brine, and it's none of your fucking business

[Enix] Shrugs- Suit yourself.

[Octagon] He lives next server over!

[Enix] Lounges against a pillar. - So how's the neighborhood around here? Our admin changed hosts.

[CP] - Well it was quiet, but don't expect to be able to just hop over, it's a private server

-There's a bit of commotion as a few players spawn in and stand for a moment. The native NOTCH and brine make a show of stiffly waving at them and doing a few player hops-

[Octagon] Sounds quiet.

[CP] - Again, it was, but I suspect we'll be picking up a fair amount of noise from your server here

[Enix] Not much to be done about that. This is a kids server.

[Octagon] Little players really liven up the place!

[CP] - Ours is a sanctuary for brines

[Octagon] So you don't have any players at all?

[CP] - Occasionally a few that we trust explicitly will come on, but otherwise, no

[Octagon] But who pays the bills?

[CP] - We have our ways

[Enix] Clever, and close with secrets I see. Well we're set up decently well too. The head admin thinks we're both players.

[Octagon] Snickers-

[CP] - Pathetic

[Enix] Scoff if you want. It's a good gig.

[Octagon] Some of us like kids you know. He and I keep the griefing and hacking to a minimum so everyone has fun.

[CP] - We're brines! We're supposed to grief!

[Lie] Slips into the server, having been wondering what was taking CP so long and so had traced his path through the office. She appears right behind her husband-

[Octagon] But they're just kids. It would be mean to grief them. They'd just cry.

[Enix] Hides a growing smile behind one hand - You wouldn't burn down some little kids clubhouse would ya?

[CP] - I have in the past

[Lie] Sighs- CP...

[CP] Stiffens and turns around- Lie...

[Enix] Laughs- I think someone just got busted!

[Octagon] All smiles- Hello miss! Welcome to our server.

[Lie] - Hello, I apologize if my husband has been harassing you

[CP] - Why are you here?

[Lie] - You were taking a very long time checking on our daughter so I figured I'd see what was taking you. Oh, and you also griefed your father, she pooped right after you left apparently and Jeb had to show him how to change the diaper

[Octagon] You have a daughter too???

[Enix] Scoots closer- You're a Herobrine! A female Herobrine???

[Octagon] Gets closer as well- My stars!

[Lie] Hesitates a little- Yes, a newborn, and yes I am a female brine...

[CP] Growls as the other two get closer to his wife-

[Octagon] Congratulations! I had no idea that was even possible!

[Enix] I hope she didn't inherit her dads temperment. He's a bit rude.

[Lie] - He's better than he used to be

[CP] - Speaking of our daughter, we should be getting back to her

-There's a bit of commotion and a player with a silly skin runs up to Octagon and places a sign before typing on it-

[Octagon] Oh dear, that's not allowed. I'm sorry I have to tend to this. It was nice meeting you.

[Enix] Watches his brother rush off. - Yeah, likewise. Sorry about the noise, we have so many players, this place is like a madhouse. Even the Nether and Aether are noisy as all get out. Only the End is quiet.

[Lie] - Our Aether is noisy sometimes too

[CP] Groans at his wife's joke-

[Enix] Stares at her for a long moment and then lets out a rather evil sounding laugh- That's excellent! You named your child after the NOTCH realm mod didn't you???

[Lie] - Yes, we did

[Enix] I love it! What are your thoughts on players? Your hubby seems none too keen on them.

[Lie] - It depends on the player themselves, although I really have no room to judge since I used to be one

[Enix] Oh now things start to make sense... this means someone in your circle can get out. How intriging. I spend most of my time with players.

-A few players are creeping around a little watching them-

[Enix] Hang on- He turns quickly and gives them a freaky grin-

-There's some excited jumping and the avatars sprint away merrily-

[Enix] I save my A-game for more adult multiplayer games mostly.

[Lie] Motions at CP- He's the one who dragged me in initially

[CP] - Lie! Let's go!

[Enix] Something on fire Cp?

[CP] - You're being annoying!

[Lie] - Adult multiplayer?

[Enix] Gives her fingerguns- I slay at Overwatch, TF2, COD, I know how to do remote logins.

[Lie] - Okay then

[CP] Flumps on his wife a little-

[Lie] - Really CP?

[CP] - I would think you'd want to get back

[Lie] - Why?

[CP] - So we could finish what we were doing~

[Enix] Ah, is it adult playtime?

[Lie] - It was until the baby figured out how to set herself on fire

[Enix] You don't sound panicked so I'm going to assume it's a normal thing for a child brine to be on fire.

[Lie] - Considering it's one of her father's powers? Yes

-Another small group of players spawn in and wave -

[Enix] Just play it cool.

[Lie] - Well we should be leaving soon anyways, but I'll be sure to let our head admin know about you guys

-messages in chat-

-Whoah Pretty hair! O-O-

-Red Herobrine! Super talllllllllllllll-

[Enix] Thanky. Come back and visit if you want. Just walk stiff and follow the rules.

[Lie] - We will- She stands near CP and he lets both of them out and back into the office

[CP] Helps Lie out and both of them can hear Aether getting fussy-

[Notch] Back again? How did it go?

[Fangbo] Is making faces at Aether to make her giggle-

[Lie] - Well the new neighbors have a brine and a NOTCH

[Dofta] oh dear... do they get along at least?

[CP] - Their relationship is brotherly

[Lie] Goes to take her fussy baby from Notch-

[Dofta] Oh good. [She's still upset about the incident with Mb and Echo the other day]

[Notch] That's a relief at least.

[Lie] Picks up on Dofta's emotions- Hey, it wasn't your fault. It was actually the NOTCH's fault that MB was up for deletion

[CP] - Yeah, and they are way too cheerful

[Fangbo] Cheerful is bad?

[Yster] Well I can think of worse things.

[Jeb] Is looking at a screen on the mainframe - that's a big server...

[CP] - The head admin just thinks that they are players, they hit each other with name tags

[Notch] That's actually kinda clever. They're just living there?

[Jeb] Is looking up some info on the server. - Oh man...! I found the stats for it.

[CP] - Yeah well can you move it farther from ours?

[Locklear] - Are you really being territorial over a digital space?

[CP] - Yes!

[Jeb] The owner is a rather sweet-looking little old lady. And no, I can't move it. The placement is decided by the hosting service. They just got a packet near yours.

[Yster] I got the impression he was territorial about everything in general.

[CP] - Then I'll find a way to move it

[Notch] Just leave it be please, it sounds like they might be decent allies.

[CP] Grumbles-

[Lie] - Should we be heading back?

[Notch] I think so, Aether looks sleepy too.

[Lie] - Yeah, I think it's nap time

[Lie] Once back home they say goodbye to Notch and go inside. CP lays down on the bed with their daughter and Lie watches as he falls asleep with her, taking a screen shot as her daughter sleeps soundly on her father's chest. With a giggle she decides to check on CN and looks around for the child-

[CN] Is digging around in the food trunk for a snack-

[Lie] - And what are you doing CN?

[CN] Yelps and quickly turned around- Lie!

[Lie] - Are we getting a snack?

[CN] - Yeah...

[Lie] - I see, well after your snack, do you want to go for a ride with me?

[CN] - Sure! Where are we going?

[Lie] - Just to Docs place, there's some stuff I need to tell them

[CN] Quickly eats an apple- Okay! I'm ready to go!

[Lie] Smiles and follows CN out to the stable where he selects a horse and then follows her to the front of the house so she can get on Beau. The stallion is happy to be getting out and prances a little- Easy there, we're just going for a short ride

[CN] Climbs on his horse and follows Lie towards Docs house-

[Doc] is dozing in the sun near the spawn, hir dragon tail is draped over a few of the headstones and the small wall-

[Lie] - Guess we won't have to go so far- She trots over to Doc- Hey Doc? I've got some news...

[Doc] blinks sleepily- mm? Oh. Hi lie, Cn - Xe yawns - I didn't sleep worth a damn last night...

[Lie] - Because of the server shift?

[Doc] You felt it too huh? It was that, and the noise...

[Lie] - CP felt it from out in the office. He also went to investigate and it's where I found him

[Doc] Groans- please tell me he didn't already piss everyone off?

[Lie] - Not yet, but there is a brine and NOTCH over there

[Doc] Hunkers down into a tidy, alert crouch- Now you have my full attention.

[Lie] - They have taken on a brothers relationship and the server admin just believes that they are players. It's a server for kids

[CN] - For kids?

[Doc] No wonder it's so noisy. They must have a lot of players for all the activity I've been picking up on.

[Lie] - It looked like it too. Jeb looked up the stats for the server and said it was massive

[Doc] Interested tail flick - and the brine and the NOTCH? They're just living there? Are they really into babysitting or something?

[Lie] - I'm not sure, CP talked to them longer than I did. But he's currently napping with the baby. Their names are Octagon and Enix though

[Doc] How odd. Well at least it's nothing bad. I'll make my way over with a welcome cake or something, but not right now. I'm so tired... - They lay their head down with their chin in the grass. - I can't even sleep in my bed right now. Buff decided to evict my cobweb collection and it's annoying as hell listening to him whistle and bump around cleaning stuff.

[Lie] - I'm sorry to hear that

[CN] Nudges his horse closer to Lie- Lie?

[Lie] - Yes?

[CN] - Could... Could I go over there?

[Lie] - Well, I don't see why not, but you'd have to move stiffly like the players

[Doc] Thanks Lie. They might be suspicious of you too since you're smaller then a player.

[Lie] - That's true, but they just seemed awed at how large CP was. They're kids, they might not think much of it

[Doc] Perhaps. And if their Herobrine doesn't shade his eyes, they might be used to a few anomalies... - They sneak their tail fluff over their eyes and shift to a more comfortable pose. Like a balled cat.

[CN] - Could we... Go now?

[Lie] Hesitates a little- Are you sure you want to CN?

[CN] Nods his head-

[Doc] You guys have fun then, and be careful. Cn, you're not used to being around players, they can be impulsive and even destructive.

[CN] - But they're kids!

[Lie] - And they don't realize we're real and can feel pain

[CN] - Oh...

[Doc] They're just playing from behind a screen. Dying is a minor inconvenience. And they can't talk except in the chat and passing stuff like signs or books back and forth.

[CN] - Okay

[Lie] - Lets put our horses in with the skeletal ones here CN, then we can go

[CN] Nods in agreement and jumps the horse over the low fence-

[Lie] Does the same with Beau before creating an opening- See you in a bit Doc

[Doc] -is already asleep again-

[Lie] Makes the opening and guides CN through, both showing up at the spawn of the other server-

[CN] Looks around and bounces a bit in excitement-

[Enix] Runs by playfully chasing some players and stops- You came back so soon, and you brought a child? I thought your little one was a newborn? - He leans down to get a better look at Cn-

[Lie] - This is my NOTCH, CN, he heard their were other children here and wanted to come visit. CN? This is Enix

[CN] Takes a step back and moves a bit behind Lie-

[Enix] He's a bit timid huh? - He realizes the kids he was chasing have snuck up on him and are peeking at him from behind a pillar- Excuse me for a sec- He turns quickly and teleports right in front of them with a pickaxe in one hand. The kids leap and run like the dickens- Hehehe. Works every time.

[Lie] - And not just on children

[CN] Is looking up and around at everything there-

[Lie] - Go on CN, if you want to go explore then go. I'm sure Enix or Octagon can teleport you to me when you want to

[Enix] Perhaps I can show you around in the meantime? We've got quite a community of budding pixel artists.

[Lie] - Sure, I'd love a tour. Go have fun CN

[CN] Doesn't need to be told twice as he rushes off-

-The town is full of people rushing back and forth, some of them are even running little shops to trade things with other players. The chat is full or random talk as well, mostly about school and gossip. The houses are laid out on a basic grid and they vary in quality and materials-

[CN] Wanders around and checks everything out, reading the chat and getting confused about some of the things being talked about-

-A few avatars stop to look at him and there's some activity in the chat-

-There's a little guy LOLz.-

-Mini Notch wtf?-

-Neat skin!!!!11!!1-

[CN] Tries to figure out how to talk in chat without being too obvious- THanks?

-Wanna play with us???-

-SPLEEF-

-Agian? OMG. -

[CN] - Spleef? What's that?

[FollyCloud] You run around on snow with a shovel and try to cut the snow out from under other people!

[CN] - Sounds easy enough...

[BlockofFred] We have our own big stadum! Octagon keeps it set up!

[SilverMilk] We need one more person though....

[CN] - Okay, I'll play

[CaptainPurple] I call little guy!

[BlockofFred] I want Folly!

[SilverMilk] I'll message RobbinTime and meet you there.

[CN] - You can call me CN

[CaptainPurple] Cool!

-The others are all bouncing and sprinting ahead-

[CN] Follows, forgetting to move stiffly-

[BlockofFred] Watches him curiously- You move weird...

[CN] - Uh, it's... Mods

[BlockofFred] Oh! Neato1!

-The group approaches a board covered in game rules and a button in the center. The group hits the button and CN follows suit- The end up in a lobby where the players are partnering up and going to the designated areas for a match. As they cross a line of purple blocks, it sets their spawn point for the arena-

[CN] - Whoa...

[SilverMilk] Comes back with another player, their nameplate is RobbinTime - ready!

[CN] - Okay, so how do we do this?

[CaptainPurple] Nods at RobbinTime and they each hit a button on the wall-

[CN] Follows suit and the trio are teleported to an arena. Their inventories have been cleared and they now only have an iron helmet and a diamond shovel-

-The other three are facing them from across the snowfield-

[SilverMilk] Just use the shovel to knock the snow out from under them, and don't fall, okay?

[CN] - Got it- He gets ready and his vision is briefly obscured by a countdown timer and when it's time to go he races forwards with the others

-There's a lot of scurrying and jumping, snow is flying everywhere and BlockofFred is the first to fall-

[CN] Jumps over a gap to try to get behind the other team. He manages to knock RobbinTime down- Yes!

[CaptainPurple] Shoves Cn out of the way just as FollyCloud swings to knock the ground out from under him-

[CN] Stumbles and falls- Oof!

[CaptainPurple] Is now chasing FollyCloud around and they're swiftly running out of blocks to stand on-

[CN] Shakily stands and starts running to head FollyCloud off-

[FollyCloud] Manages to drop CaptainPurple and turns his attention to Cn-

[CN] Is having a bit of a stand off, not sure how to proceed and is looking for a safe route-

[FollyCloud]Chases him into a corner and takes a swing at the block under him-

[CN] Falls and it's at this point that he realizes that there's lava beneath the snow. He panics and without thinking he shifts into his bird form and flies up-

-WHOAH!-

-How did he do that??????-

[CN] Panic and flies to the far side of the arena where there's still snow and he shifts back, pressing himself back against the door-

-HACKER!!!1!1!-

[Octagon] Tps into the arena and looks around with his hands on his hips and his black eyes narrowed in annoyance-

[FollyCloud] Jumps around- He did something weird! He's cheating!

[CN] Starts breathing hard- There's lava down there!

[Octagon] Stalks over to him- well yes, that's kinda the point of not falling. Who are you?

[CN] Is trembling a little, looking for anyway out- C... CN...

[SilverMilk] He was moving weird...

[FollyCloud] He turned into somethign small!

[CN] Is really wanting Lie right about now-

[Octagon] Very quietly- I'm not sure what you're playing at, but you've thrown the gauntlet down now. If he knocked you down and you cheated back up, then the game can't end until you fall.

[CN] - But... That's going to hurt (String of numbers)

[Octagon] I'm aware of that, but you won't be deleted.

[CN] - But... But...

[Octagon] Just swats the block out from under him-

[CN] Falls with a yell and doesn't manage to transform quickly enough this time, hitting the lava and screaming in pain before popping back into the Spleef lobby. He immediately takes off at a run to try and get out with tears forming at the corners of his eyes-

[Octagon] Reassures the other players before tping to his location. Or course Cn is moving but he's close by- Wait a minute!

[CN] Stumbles and turns quickly terrified-

[Octagon] Easy there little NOTCH. That was nessesary.

[CN] - It... It hurt... So much...- CN leans up against a wall, they are mostly hidden from sight

[Octagon] Sorry, but once you start a Spleef game that's the only way to end it. There's no way out of the arena except to auto tp when all the opposing team has dropped and hit respawn.

[CN] - I didn't know that!

[Octagon] I hear that a lot. Most of the players here are children and they tend not to read rules carefully.

[CN] - I... I just wanted some new friends to play with...- He's still shaking and a couple of tears roll down his cheek

[Octagon] Kneels down and pats his shoulder- Are you lost? Did you wander in from the void?

[CN] Shakes his head- My brine brought me because I asked her...

[Octagon] There's another Herobrine on the server????

[CN] - She visited earlier...

[Octagon] Blinks- The white-haired brine?

[CN] Nods- Yeah, she's my brine

[Octagon] Would you like me to find her for you?

[CN] Nods-

[Octagon] Reaches out for his hand - then that's what we'll do. I'm Octagon by the way.

[CN] - You already know my name...- He cautiously takes the offered hand

[Octagon] Uses his free hand to try and get Lie's attention in the chat-

[Enix] Notices and pauses from pointing out different types of planes someone has built high above the harborside- Oh dear... it seems your NOTCH had a bit of an accident.

[Lie] - Is he okay?

[Enix] He respawned, but Octagon says he's okay. Just a bit shaken up. It seems he decided to join a game of Spleef with some players.

[Lie] - Oh dear, take me to him?

[Enix] Of course. - He takes her hand and tps her to Octagon and Cn. The two of them were passing through a small park when the others appeared.

[Lie] - CN...

[CN] Runs for Lie and hugs her-

[Lie] - Shhh, it's okay, I know it hurt

[CN] Is sniffling-

[Lie] - Thank you for helping him Octagon

[Octagon] Well... I didn't help much. I kinda had to drop him to end the game...

[Lie] - I see, I'm going to guess he shifted forms to avoid the lava?

[CN] Hugs Lie a bit closer as she rubs his back-

[Octagon] Yes. He set off several accusations of cheating and hacking.

[Lie] - Oh CN... I'm sorry, he's never really interacted with players before and he's never died before either

[Octagon] Well he's welcome to play, he just needs to stick to safer things.

[Enix] Wait, he's not lava-proof?

[Lie] - What games would be alright? And no, he's not

[Octagon] Makes an expansive gesture, - this is a good place to start. - The park around them has several groups of kids playing. Some are doing parkour on little obstacle courses, and others are clearly playing tag or hide and seek- There's a hedge maze too, people like to see who can solve it the fastest.

[Lie] - Alright, maybe next time. I think somebody has had enough excitement for now

[Octagon] I understand. Kids get overwhelmed.

[Enix] One's first death is also no small thing.

[Lie] - Yes, I remember my only death so far, I'd never wish it on anybody. Thank you for letting us visit- She creates a way home and the other two get a brief image of spawn as Lie passes through with CN

[CN] After a couple of hours he flies over to Firebirds tree-

-Firebird's sitting in one of the higher spots writing in a book, His tail dangles down like a brightly colored banner,-

[CN] Spots the tail and make a beeline for it. He turns back mid air and barrels into Firebird, pulling him into a hug-

[Firebird] Woah CN! -Nearly falls backwards as CN slams into him, but doesn't. He hugs CN back with one arm- What's up with you?

[CN] Looks up, his eyes still red from crying- I... I died...

[Firebird] Oh dear... I'm sorry you had to experience that.. I don't like it either..

[CN] - I was playing a game with some... With some players and beneath the snow was lava! I tried to fly away! They all started calling me a hacker!

[Firebird] Players can be like that... It's alright... -pets CN- Players don't see us the way we do.

[CN] - It hurt so much, and that other NOTCH made me fall into it...

[Firebird] He did what? -Angry bird? Angry bird-

[CN] - He said that was the only way to end the game...

[Firebird] I doubt that...

[CN] - That's what he said! He's on the server next door if you don't believe me!

[Firebird] I'll have to have some words with them...

[CN] Snuggles in closer to Firebirds side- Can I stay here tonight?- He's still a bit shaken up

[Firebird] Of course you can. Do you want to stay up here with me? Or do you want a bed?

[CN] - I'll stay up here...

[Firebird] Alright. -Shifts around so he can keep writing with CN in his lap-

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mfangeleeta · 8 years ago

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Last Call for Vodka Update

I’d already been planning an update before this weekend’s Bering and Wells revival sprang up. It was my birthday on Friday so I offer a loose follow up to Chapter 32 for this year’s reminder of getting older. Thanks for reading. Check it all out here.

Got a high tolerance when your age don’t exsist

She’d managed to perfect the look of understanding over the years, even when she didn’t. Missing the ending of her era and the 20th century altogether meant that she would never fully be versed in the new world. But she was HG Wells after all and there was no way she would not put her best effort forward.

Claudia had been an excellent tutor on many of the current technical advances. She would never equal the mastery that her young friend had, but her skill was beyond sufficient and she now could gather information unfettered when needed.

Steve and Leena had introduced her into modern philosophies of life, death and everything in between. Buddhism had been found mostly in the Orient during her time, a region that she now wished she had visited more. (But that would have meant trips with Kipling which would have been intolerable.) Steve, with his patience and insights was a wonder. Leena, with her old world ways mixed with the modern was the other side of the coin. She wouldn’t go so far as to call herself a Wiccan or a Druid but her beliefs coupled with her ability to read auras fell more along those lines than any modern religion.

Arthur, of all people, had been her guide in the classical arts. He had overheard her humming one of the arias from Schumann’s Genovena one day in the office and inquired about her study of romantic artists of her time. They had taken several trips to Chicago for both the opera and the symphony since that day. She would never forget the moment they shared in front of A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte by Seurat. For the first time in a century she cried over who and what she had lost during her time in the bronze.

Pete, with the assistance of Claudia and the supervision of Myka, had nearly overwhelmed her with modern pop culture and sports. Movies, music, slang, social media-everything he could think of. She tolerated the brutish sports, like American football and hockey (a favorite of Myka’s) during the fall in exchange for the art of tennis and baseball in the summer. They had planned two trips to Wimbledon so far that had been dashed by life or death artifact retrievals. But Helena was determined to see the Williams sisters play in person before they retired.

Yes, in many ways and in many areas she’d adapted well to the 21st century. Helena had the support of the Warehouse team, the guidance of an excellent mental health professional and the love of Myka Bering to see her through. And for 363 days she would be fine.

The others had learned years ago that discretion was the better part of valor on the anniversary of Christina’s death. They would be nearby for support but the unpredictable nature of the day was saved for Myka. At first, Helena had attempted to avoid her love but she would have none of it.

She had tracked her down at local taverns, in the wilderness, even in Minneapolis before Helena relented to spend the day with Myka.

Myka pulled her close at the start of the day, giving her a gentle kiss to the back of her neck.

“What would you like to do today?” she asked softly.

They had spent days in bed. They had gone on long walks. They had hopped in the car and taken impromptu trips. Once they had even traveled to Paris to visit Christina’s grave.

The other day that would be vexing to both herself and her family was her birthday. Current records showed that Emily Lake was just over 40. The truth was that she was in her mid 150s and despite her good looks, the mother of science fiction could feel every bit of her post sesquicentennial body creak and moan with age.

“I promise you don’t look a day over 105,” Claudia would tease at the start of September.

Pete would leave her lists of things invented in the 20th century that were younger than her.

Steve would volunteer as her inventory companion, allowing her to vent all of her joys and worries as the day of days approached.

And Myka, sweet Myka, would be there much in the same way that she was in June for Christina’s death.

Unfortunately this year she found herself on a task for the Warehouse. The entire team had called her to wish her a happy birthday. Myka had even promised a special Skype session once the others had gone to bed.

She sat in a bar and sipped her vodka tonic slowly. The television had changed to a sporting event, the playoffs, she’d heard one of her fellow patrons say as they talked loudly about their day. She turned her chair slightly to look out the window over the city. Night had fallen and the metropolis was aglow with the magic and perils of modern society. It was her birthday, a triple digit number she had never imagined celebrating.

“Do you remember,” Irene Fredric’s voice broke the silence that surrounded her, “Wolcott’s 31st birthday?”

HG smiled. “I do. It was quite an event. I don’t think I had ever seen him so knackered.”

“I don’t’ think I’ve ever been that knackered.”

HG laughed, remembering the now Caretaker as a young woman, fresh from America experiencing her first days of endless wonder.

“You held yourself well,” HG smiled. “I would have never known.”

She sighed. “I take it you are here to make sure that I don’t become too sullen at the thought of my age.”

“Agent Bering-Wells might have suggested it.”

“Since when do you take orders from Myka?”

“Well she is about to replace Artie as head Agent. I supposed it would be okay to concede one small favor.”

“Indeed,” HG pointed at the small tent at the center of the table. “May I suggest the bacon cheese tater tots, they are quite delicious.”

#bering and wells #warehouse 13 #the vodka made me do it series #eternal au week #this was already in the works before things went down

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2slowgoers · 5 years ago

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10.31.2019 - a not so spooky update

Hey W,

Long time no talk ;) (lol, JK of course!). I’m glad I get to see you soon. Never been in NYC with you before, I’m glad we get to spend a bit of it together, and explore together again. We don’t get a lot of chances to do that these days. On the topic of Halloween... you dressed up a ton this week! They were creative and solid costumes. IF you became a mom, I think you would have excellent + creative halloween costumes for the family. I never felt the presence fo Halloween as much as I did this year, maybe because I work for a bigger company, and I have established my social media spaces and am familiar with the people I follow, I quite admire the arts and craft that can go into costumes. Okay, that aside -

We did text a bit after your last post, and I feel like we touched on the important parts I wanted to ask about. TBH I just hope this to be a space we can vent and let it all out, no pressure to follow up or give each other advice. But rather a space just to listen to each other, I appreciate that. All I can say from reading a bit about your doubts around yourself and your long term relationship, I am just here by your side, waiting to see how things will or will not change in the next couple of years. This is that time of age where things will grow and change a lot! I called briefly with my friend J (in FL) and they are going through a bit of quarter life crisis, and a lot of the call was me reassuring them that it’s okay and that it’s okay to choose what it is that your heart wants. Like you said about your mom, we have all spent too much of our life following what others expect us to do, or shaping other people’s wants into our own. Since we’re still growing up and maturing, what we even “wanted” in high school and college, may not be what grown up and mature versions of ourselves want. I think this IS the time of our life we start learning to listen to ourselves, our inner voice that is maturing and growing up, and truly understanding what it is that we want. So I say, trust your gut. You know what you need, and you’ll know it when the time comes.

One quick thing before I dive into the topic of today - I have to say work is going better now that I have gone on vacation, and have had the time to get to know the new hires (people joined post-June). Most of them are around my age and we all get along really well. KBBQ last night was quite fun, and for once I found myself being able to be myself, and exhibit my sense of humor (something that not a lot of people get), and the people around me laughed and appreciated me for being who I am. That felt really nice. It’s a feeling I have dearly missed from not being around people who know me well. I liked being able to goof around (because that’s really who I am! It just takes a long time to show that side), and seeing other people goof off. I can say that even if I don’t want to be in tech and the industry can be draining, being around good people is so important, and especially with a lot of them in the same age range and many who are recent transplants, has created a team that is larger than just Berkeley grads lol.

Topic I wanted to discuss today... When I was texting you earlier about my rooming situation and saying my ultimate fear is to be kicked out. Then I realized I have all these, you could say irrational fears, that I will 1) get fired 2) get kicked out 3) lose my job 4) lose all my savings/money 5) my friends hate me and will abandon me and just in general imagine the worst that could happen. I catch myself more often when I think these things and increasingly acknowledge it’s an irrational fear. I guess I wonder where all of this comes from - the fact that I get very “omg end of the world” and catastrophize easily. It’s definitely improved over the years, but I think it’s also from growing up with my mom. I see these traits in myself and in my brother too. We always imagine the worst, get anxious about it, then let the world know our anxious thoughts, and it spirals. I need to remind myself that no I am not going to be kicked out and no I am not going to be fired, my coworkers and team like me a lot and I do my job. I’m better at it now, so that’s cool.

This train of thought led me to something else though... you mentioned that I can take this opportunity to grow THICK SKIN. and you’re SO right. I have caught myself taking things too personally and being too sensitive to a lot of things, that are out of my control and have nothing to do with me. Like if a friend doesn’t reply fast, or they reply with a period at the end of the sentence, to what coworkers do or don’t do - I let it get to me, and when people joke, I respond seriously. Because I’m just so used to taking things seriously on the surface, even though deep down i love to joke, goof off, and not take things seriously.

For example, last night we were playing this game called “image game” where someone says image game and “who’s most likely to...” and then they count down and everyone in the group must point to the person they think are most likely to... and i don’t know exactly when but someone has to drink. Well, G (girl I sit next to work who I like a lot!) said “who’s most likely to quit their job and travel the world” - the people who know my plans pointed at me, but otherwise, the rest of the table was pointing at everyone else. Including G, who is someone i feel closer to now, pointed to someone else. G pointed to this other girl, and said “you because you moved to the bay area for absolutely no reason but just to come here”. deep down, i was like “but that’s me too! that’s me!” And for some reason, I took this whole thing so personally, and I was mildly bothered and thinking about it for the rest of the night. Why did not everyone point at me? How can this dream of mine that I’ve been thinking about since I was 20 years old, not be obvious? How can the world not know?! I do everything I do to follow this dream WHY DONT PEOPLE KNOW! <-- the question and capitalization is for dramatic effect, I wasn’t actually freaking out. But obviously I was thinking, like duh people won’t know what my dreams are because i NEVER talk about it. And duh, people probably think i’m super responsible and love my job because of the way i act at work and expect i am there to stay. SO, these thoughts just continued to stick around til this morning.

I decided to ask G to go to a room and talk personally because I wanted to follow up on this question. I provided context and asked her my main curiousity is “how do you perceive me?” “this is my lifelong dream and i am just curious how i come off as, that it wasn’t assumed to me” - she’s very nice and open and told me how she thought i was responsible, loved this job, and was here to stay. she just saw me as this super responsible type and not the kind to just leave like that. I also framed it in a way to be like “Ah yeah I want to blend in, I don’t want people to think I am on my way out” and she agrees that i am doing that fine, and she never expected that. Anyways... the GOOD part of this conversation was.. I told her “I’m literally here just to make money, pay off loans and save”. Then I asked “do you have any dreams you’d like to achieve?” And she was like “well I never told anyone at work this...” and then I quickly learned that she is here for the same reason I am, with a different goal in mind. she wants to go to nursing school - and she is here to save $ to pay off loans and save up to go. Even her bf, who is a dev, is also working a job and negotiated to anticipate to pay for her schooling. Then we were able to bond about how we both don’t want to be in tech in the long term, and how we don’t want to be in this job for the long term either, and we both kinda have to hold it in and cannot talk about what it is that we truly want to do. we could relate about our interview experiences and not being able to answer honestly the question to “where do you see yourself in 5 years”. And wow, that was a really nice conversation to have. To know that i am not alone in wanting to do something so badly, and to have to do something else in the interim, and we are desk neighbors! It’s funny actually, she’s by far been the best performing new hire IMO and i see a lot of similarities in myself and her. we do our jobs super well, and yet this is not where we want to be.

So that again, brings me to appreciate people who do work in the corporate world, at whatever point they need to for however long they need to. people are so much deeper than their work self. I especially appreciate the non-workaholics/people who don’t work all the time, because I see the life and dreams they get to live outside of work, and that’s just like a wholesome realization lol.

Alrighty, that’s me for today - see you soon!

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anneedmonsonus · 6 years ago

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A Solar Passive ‘Shed-House’ in the Country

Rolling country views, a pony, dogs, a beautiful solar passive new build, a lovely family and two pet sheep who are convinced they are people – this wonderful home visit was one of my favourites and I’m so pleased to share it here today with these gorgeous photos by Heather.

Nestled in the Perth hills in picturesque Stoneville, this family home is special – it is proof that building on a budget does not need to mean you have to automatically go the project home route, but that you can have a beautiful custom-designed, completely individual and eco-friendly solar passive home.

I first published this story on the original part of my blog here, but as one of my most-read (and most-Pinned!) Home Envy stories, this one deserves a reboot.

LIVING ALFRESCO: This outdoorsy family designed their home to suit them and their love of being outside. “We live an outdoor lifestyle and the house reflects and facilitates this,” says Niall. “The living space opens out onto the elevated deck which looks across the property and the reserve to the north. This is the heart of the house. The interior spaces are functional, practical and comfortable.” Photos by Heather Robbins of Red Images Fine Photography.

LIFE IN THE COUNTRY: Irene and Niall count several different things as their favourites to do at home. “We love working in the garden together, checking the progress of our baby trees and discussing plans for the house and property; taking long walks and rides down the Heritage Trail; and sharing a bottle of wine with friends on the deck at the end of the week.” Photos by Heather Robbins of Red Images Fine Photography.

THE HEART OF THE HOME: Niall, Irene, Oisín, and Aoife (and dogs Cruise and Dinah) love to spend time as a family here in the open-plan living area. “We spend most of our time in the open-plan family area whether it’s in the kitchen cooking, sitting at the dining table for meals, working in the office or curled up on the sofas watching movies,” says Irene. High ceilings increase the feeling of spaciousness while glazed walls to the north and south fill the room with natural light and provide carefully considered views over the property. Photos by Heather Robbins of Red Images Fine Photography.

Home owners Irene Coveney and Niall Browne are the brains behind boutique design studio Coveney Browne Design, which specialises in passive solar, energy efficient and sustainable design.

11-year-old Aoife with her pony Brego. Photos by Heather Robbins of Red Images Fine Photography.

Home owners and designers Irene Coveney and Niall Browne, who hail from Ireland and run boutique design studio Coveney Browne Design, met while studying architecture in Dublin.

“I had grown up with horses in rural Ireland and when we migrated to Australia we did so with the dream of eventually designing and building our own home in a rural location where we could keep horses and raise a couple of ‘free range’ kids,” says Irene. But finding the perfect block of land was a challenge.

“We wanted a north-facing slope situated within easy commuting distance of the city with enough cleared land to provide protection from bushfires and grazing for horses, and ideally close to local shops and trails for riding and cycling,” says Niall.

Their dream finally started to come true in 2012, when they purchased a five acre property with lovely views of forest and rolling fields in the Perth Hills suburb of Stoneville. Irene says they immediately loved the location and its cultural significance. “The site is located directly opposite the Heritage Trail which runs along the path of the original Mundaring Loop rail line from Perth and now offers a wonderful public amenity for walking, riding or cycling,” Irene tells me. “Once we had found the right property everything else came together quickly as we both knew what we wanted and how to achieve it.”

Their aim was to create an energy efficient house that would be beautiful, functional, affordable and, above all else, a family home.

“We love the functional honesty of the Australian rural vernacular – older farm houses, wool sheds etc,” says Irene. “As in these traditional buildings, lightweight sheet materials are offset against the richness of natural timber with elements of rustic brickwork.” With its timber-framed windows, wraparound veranda and pretty gardens, what I love is that this home very much looks like a house but the steel exterior also brings to mind the typical Australian shed.

BUILT-IN CABINETRY: The home features beautiful modern cabinetry. “Continental Joinery in Walliston provided the cabinetwork with everything fabricated exactly as per my details,” says Irene. “I have used Markus for a number of projects in the past and the quality of his work is always excellent.” Photos by Heather Robbins of Red Images Fine Photography.

Coming to Perth from Europe and with years under their belt designing houses, Irene and Niall bring two pairs of fresh eyes to the West Australian home design and building field.

“There is a cultural acceptance and local reliance on the ‘project home’ building industry for private housing in Western Australia,” says Niall. “This is an industry that relies heavily on catalogue designs and does not build to suit the challenging climate that we experience or address individual client requirements. In a harsh climate such as ours we should be looking carefully at the unique characteristics of a site and the materials and building forms we employ. We need smarter, location sensitive housing. We need to think carefully about what we want from a home; what is really important for a particular individual or family.

Niall and Irene say there is a common perception that there is a much higher cost associated with the bespoke house.

“This isn’t necessarily true,” says Irene. “With a good understanding of how to work with budget, local knowledge and a sound understanding of the industry it is feasible to deliver a custom-designed home for the same budget as an equivalent standard ‘project home’. We need a change in mindset and a rethink of how to design and build our West Australian homes.”

I visit Niall and Irene’s own custom-designed West Australian home on an early summer’s day that quickly turns unexpectedly rainy. I am introduced to their kids, Oisín, 12, and daughter Aoife, 11, as well as their pets, Brego “the best little pony in the world”, Cruise, a sweet 15-year-old whippet, Dinah, a young Catahoula leopard dog, and two sheep, Sean and his girlfriend Barbara, who were bottle fed as orphaned lambs and don’t quite grasp that they are sheep.

Irene, Niall and I sit around the kitchen table drinking coffee while rain beats on the tin roof and elderly Cruise drifts blissfully in and out of consciousness on the couch. The house is still in the finishing touches stage when Heather and I visit for these photos –the walls unpainted, the floor still concrete – and there is a nip in the air, but inside the house is a perfect temperature. And despite the storm clouds gathering, the home’s solar passive design meant no artificial lighting is needed – a big difference to my own 1970s house on a dark day. While the house was still in the finishing bits stage, I thought it was so lovely and had such a pleasant, calming feel to it. It was the kind of house where I visited and lingered annoyingly because I didn’t feel like leaving yet.

The home, which has 200sqm of living space, was carefully designed as a passive solar home and has been carefully oriented along an east-west axis. Wide canopy eaves shade the external walls in summer but allow the winter sun to reach all the principal rooms through large north-facing windows.

ENTERTAINING AT HOME: “We love having friends over,” says Irene. “The main deck opens from and extends the open plan living space and is perfect for shady summer barbecues or overlooking winter bonfires.” Photos by Heather Robbins of Red Images Fine Photography.

ART WALLS: “My brother Joe is an artist and I have several of his pieces around the house,” says Irene. “My favourite is hanging in the kitchen. We also have a small collection of original PJ Redoute prints from his ‘Roses’ volumes which we love. As in our previous houses, our favourite roses will eventually be incorporated through the gardens which will give these some context.” I personally also loved all the horse photographs and drawings. Photos by Heather Robbins of Red Images Fine Photography.

SAVING WATER: The downpipes are connected below ground to a 50,000 litre rain tank which feeds all plumbing fixtures and garden taps with the exception of the kitchen sink. “By using rainwater in this way we estimate that we save over 100,000 litres a year,” says Niall. “If water levels get low towards the end of summer we can switch to mains water and keep a reserve for fire fighting. The house was plumbed to allow for future connection to a grey water recycling system which will irrigate the gardens.” Photos by Heather Robbins of Red Images Fine Photography.

While energy efficiency housing is generally something one characterises with modern houses of the past decade, interestingly Niall and Irene drew on features of the West Australian houses of yesteryear to design theirs.

“Traditional West Australian houses built prior to the 1950s and the post-war project housing boom typically had high ceilings which were vented into the roof space, combined with low level wall or floor vents that allowed cool air from the floor space below to move up through the house,” says Niall.

“As the cooler air warmed, it would rise and escape through the roof space, effectively acting as a natural air-conditioning system. The high ceilings ensured that the warm air could move quickly to the upper part of the room keeping the living spaces cool.”

Niall says on larger properties, tall roofs extended into wide verandas, providing a shade canopy to protect the house below. “We employed similar techniques in our own home with high ceilings throughout fitted with adjustable ceiling vents,” he reveals. “A central raised ridge vent runs for half the length of the house and uses prevailing breezes to create a strong chimney effect drawing hot air out in summer. Combined with high levels of insulation in walls and ceiling, low-e glazing and ceiling fans in all rooms, the result is a house which stays cool all summer.” Using a local Builder, Warden Constructions, to build the house to lock up stage, the build time was just four months!

Internally the concrete slab and brick walls provide thermal mass to stabilise temperatures all year round and the long roof extends out over the car port at the west side of the house providing additional shading from the hot afternoon sun in the summer.

“The narrow plan carefully places doors and windows opposite each other providing excellent cross ventilation and passive cooling at night,” says Irene. “We typically experience cool summer nights in the Perth Hills allowing the house to be purged of warm air at night. The modest, considered use of brick and heavily insulated frame also contribute to ensuring we do not experience the typical Perth build-up of heat as the summer progresses.” The home uses solar hot water and is wired to allow for the installation of solar photovoltaic panels in the future.

The entire family adores their new house. “We love our new home – all of it,” says Irene. “From a practical viewpoint, we’ve been very pleased with how well the house has performed environmentally. It has exceeded all our expectations. Spatially we love the high ceilings; the volume of the living area and how it integrates with the elevated deck as one large indoor-outdoor space all opening up to the northerly view.”

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Love sustainable home principles and always dreamed about building or renovating to a unique design of your own? “We would be very happy to give advice to anyone interested in designing a new home or renovating their existing home,” says Irene. “We place a particular focus on sustainable living and energy efficient homes.”

I am always getting emails asking for recommendations for builders for difficult sites – well Irene and Niall don’t shy away from them!

“We love to work on tricky sites with distinctive character; places with interesting topography or that are caught on the side of a hill, places that are exposed to wind, places that have an interesting history or have an odd aspect,” says Niall. “These are many of the qualities that from a traditional ‘home builder’ viewpoint make a site difficult to build on and this is quite true when dealing with generic catalogue designs. For us, they are the very qualities that inform how a house should work. How we respond to a place, work with the landscape, take advantage of views or catch the breeze and the sun is what makes that house unique, of its place and unrepeatable in any other location.” You can contact them through Coveney Browne Design at www.coveneybrowne.com.au. Maya x

Like this story? You can see other inspiring home renovations by following House Nerd on Facebook, Instagram @housenerd, Pinterest, Twitter @HouseNerd_ or Bloglovin.

HOME LOWDOWN

THE OWNERS

Irene Coveney and Niall Browne, their son Oisín, 12, and daughter Aoife, 11, who live with their pets Brego “the best little pony in the world”, Cruise, a 15-year-old whippet, Dinah an 18-month-old Catahoula leopard dog, Sean the sheep and his girlfriend Barbara bottle fed as orphaned lambs and several chickens.

THEIR HOME

A new-build, custom-designed solar passive country home on a five acre property

LOCATION

Stoneville, Western Australia

BUILT

2015

THE DESIGNERS

Niall and Irene both hold Honours degrees in architecture and designed their home under their own boutique design company Coveney Browne Design

FEATURES

Veranda, rolling country views, open-plan kitchen, living and dining, four bedrooms, one designed to be large enough as a second living space for the kids when they have friends over, home office, paddocks, stable, chook pen

PHOTOGRAPHY

Heather Robbins of Red Images Fine Photography

The post A Solar Passive ‘Shed-House’ in the Country appeared first on House Nerd.

from Home Improvement https://house-nerd.com/2019/05/07/solar-passive-shed-house/

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travelguideworldtour-blog · 6 years ago

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15 Best Places to Visit in Sweden

Sweden can be a traveller’s paradise. It’s certainly difficult to overcome, if you like the exterior. The atmosphere and water are clean, and now there are archipelagos and its coasts, and of course hundreds and hundreds of acres of lakes and forests to research. Public transport and the roads are all excellent, the taxpayers are friendly and helpful, and also lately years cuisine has gotten so what could be referred to as a revolution.

Throw from notorious reptiles to intrigue and Royal dynasties, and yet one thing is sure: you will not ever be bored. The attractions of sweden include towns and palaces to the Ice Hotel and also Arctic landscapes. There are many activities to achieve so you are going to definitely want to allow loads of time for you and energy to delight in treasures and all of its adventures.

Vasa Museum

The Vasa Museum at Stockholm is now Sweden’s hottest museum now attracts around one million people yearly. More than 20 million individuals have seen since the memorial and it isn’t difficult to see the reason why. On its maiden voyage the pride of this Imperial fleet sank in 1628.

The boat lay below the arctic waters for at least three centuries before, in 1961, an salvage operation happened. People from throughout the planet come to observe that this time capsule. A Trip to the Vasa, that homes ten displays that are Individual, is a day outside Alone

Skansen

Skansen is situated in the summertime, particularly in the urban park, also a favourite spot for sailors. All through are hotels, restaurants, snack bars, and conventional cafés. Canoe and bike hire are also available in case you feel energetic. Abba that the Museum could be located here, Together with the Gröna Lund amusement park. You can grab a ferry out of Slussen or even Gamla Stan or even Have bus or a tram . The playground is an pleasing walk from town centre.

Gamla Stan

The Old Town of stockholm is referred to as Gamla Stan, also a concentrated area at which the city began in the exact center of this century. Much of the enclave remains, even though it’s freshly painted and brushed. Its charm is from the design combined its narrow stone-paved lanes and round its own squares, notably the most important one, Stortorget, surrounded by old merchants’ houses. Inside this area, together with loads of restaurants, stores, and java rooms, you will locate that the Nobel Museum, the Post Museum, the Royal Coin Cabinet, and many churches.

Drottningholm

Fairy-tale Drottningholm Palace around the island of Lovö Can Be currently a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is located about 11 km west of Stockholm town centre. The palace is the official residence of the Royal Family. From the scenic, terraced park have been bronze sculptures out of Bohemia and also Denmark, cut back as prizes of war.

Make sure you take from the Chinese Pavilion that goes from the late 1700s. The 18thcentury Palace Theatre remains used for demonstrations during the summertime.

Stockholm Archipelago

Sweden is a nation that is frenetic, but should you discover you would like to escape the cities and simply take matters slower, then it is possible to leave into at least one. Watch the rugged and stunning shores and Certainly one of the greatest ways to go around is to simply take you. Many have proposed with food or you may reserve a boat and island jump to the content of a heart, occurring into the scene and personal setting, as just around 1000 of those hawaiian islands within the archipelago are occupied.

Marstrand

Marstrand on the coast’s metropolis is roughly as glitzy because it’s in Sweden, also is called something of a Riviera style-setting at which films and royalty stars have started to escape from everything. The region is also popular as a sailing destination in order in the event that you would like to escape the water that is Baltic this is the place.

Certainly one of the greatest approaches is always to rise out of that you enjoy which Sweden has in spades and also can stare out throughout the water. In case you would like to find the relaxing adventure that brings on the rich and famous for the particular city, marstrand is famed for its health spas that are mythical in Sweden, so familiarize yourself.

Vadstena

From the dwelling with a river, Vadstena was an area of fantastic value into the imperial family of Sweden, also relics of the age remain like the imposing Vadstena Castle that goes in the 16th century also comes complete with an older school moat to look after the royals within. Vadstena can be famous because of the relics, including a abbey which has been constructed from the 14 th century by Sweden’s female saint.

There are places of religious and historical significance scattered round the town, together with improved houses and maze to explore their own pace and there’s a relaxing and amorous setting .

Kosterhavet

Together with the Marine National Park for being headquartered in Sweden, Kosterhavet is located across the Koster Islands, also is still now a heaven for anyone that like who would like to benefit from the interests being offered and the out doors. You will find kayaking and sailing chances for all people who are searching for experience, or you’ll be able to keep it simple and explore the shores and rocky terrain which direct one beside the sea that is to temples, coves, and outcrops.

Biking is just actually a pastime on the hawaiian islands and you’re able to follow tours of the places of attention or simply move it alone. There’s a plethora of fresh fish to savor including lobster Since you’re by the ocean.

Gothenburg

Called the capital of West Sweden, Gothenburg is actually just really a magical city filled up with cobbled streets which can be fantastic for drifting around by walking looking for hidden artifacts, in addition to parks and outside spaces, like the Botanical Gardens which is going to teach you everything about native plants and creatures.

The city boasts an abundance of local niches in the event that you fancy looking some of this area produce, or you could dine at one of those upscale restaurants which are putting Hindi food onto the culinary excursion as a result of the range of Michelin starred eateries at Gothenburg. The town features a excellent cafe culture in case you would like to try out pastries and the java and see the world pass.

Visby

Thought to return into the dark ages, Visby is really actually just a vent and has been a place of fantastic commerce importance causing a protective wall, also called the Ringmuren, being assembled to safeguard the city out of marauders, and that still stands now along side other historical relics from the city which were declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. In addition to being a historical gem in Sweden’s crown, Visby has been well-known on the arts landscape, as most famous Hindi artists have opted to predict the vent home as a result of its magnificent light, of course if you go to during summer months it’s possible to see lots of the artists’ homes and studios that are available for people, usually in June.

Malmö

Malmö has been building a name for itself. Along side coming galleries and many diverse and up, that this city also includes a strong devotion to services and products and causes . A number of the restaurants have a doctrine therefore out the dining should not be missed by some foodies . There’s also a scene in Malmö with places events.

Jukkasjärvi Ice Hotel

If you love winter you should really look at visiting with the ICEHOTEL from Jukkasjärv, that holds the title as the greatest hotel on the planet to be assembled out of ice and snow. The hotel usually stands out from approximately December-March, and then it gets too hot to your hotel to become replaceable therefore it’s made to melt, if you would like to take a look or go for a drink at the ice bar afterward you’ll have ahead during winter season. Besides the hotel location there really are a slew of tasks offered at the ICEHOTEL like dog sledging, ice fishing, and trips into the jungle on snowmobiles.

Dalarna

The state of Dalarna is worth a visit because of also the tranquil and also its ski hotels but Lake Siljan. Located close to the border with Norway, Dalarna is composed of woods, meadows, and open open spaces, and a number of the towns within the state should be found lake side, together with favorites for travellers both nationally and international become the towns of Mora or even Leksand.

Place from the hills provides premium ski and ski, In case you fancy a few winter fun Idre’s hotel, or you may dip into the region using a few of those numerous hiking paths.

Lake Mälaren

On the west of Stockholm there are also a waterway which hosts Birka Island that offers a brief history lesson to anybody and sits within the lake, Lake Mälaren. The key city of the lake is termed Västerås and it is called being a city that’s lined with shores, which features a wealth of relics that date by the times of those Vikings that were beating. You simply just jump into another together with the ferries that service the region or can cruise across the lake.

Swedish Lapland

Swedish Lapland might be the place if you would like to choose the road less travelled. Referred to as the house of the Sami or native men and women who reside in the region, also located from the Arctic Circle, Swedish Lapland is composed of a clutch of woods in addition to towns and scenic although crazy Scrub land. Visitors may go to pay a stop by to with and allow individuals to visit elk, reindeer, as well as bears. Additional phenomenon would be also the Northern Lights, and also the midnight sun, once the sun never sets in the summertime.

15 Best Places to Visit in Sweden

#Best Places #Guide #Sweden #Travel

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emergencyplumberschicago · 7 years ago

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Mt.Prospect Plumbing Services

The following post Mt.Prospect Plumbing Services is republished from:

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Developing a Better Plumbing System

Like creating a famous paint, setting up a plumbing system is a work of art. If you have an interest in finding out the trade of plumbing system, mounting your own plumbing system, or developing a much better plumbing system, this quick guide will help get you on the best path. Obviously, the method a plumbing system is mounted can straight influence how well a plumbing system functions. Furthermore, how well a plumbing system helps could prevent troubles that could trigger water harm to your residence as well as to your possessions. Appropriate installation could also help to save you cash on your water bills, so taking steps to mount your plumbing system appropriately has a number of terrific advantages.

When you are doing a tiny project, being careful not to do unnecessary harm is the first thing. Terrific care must be taken when unscrewing or reducing old water pipes. Sometimes old pipelines are fragile, when you placed a wrench on them, they collapse and also break. If this happens, it may really be a good idea, since the pipes really were weak, and also you are repairing them when you have time. It consistently appears that, when left on there possess, the pipes will damage on Christmas, New Years, or Thanksgiving. However there are some tricks to lessening damages. Constantly utilize two wrenches, so one holds the fitting, the various other the pipeline, and you just turn the one joint you want to work with. Pull the wrenches very carefully, and if you feel it collapsing the pipe, you can quit and re-evaluate. Occasionally a plumbing contractor will also warm the fitting with a torch, if it is iron, but just if he could do it securely, and also not start a fire. If you ever use a lantern, have a fire extinguisher and also a spray container of water helpful. The fire you see can light points possibly 4 times as for exactly what you see. Insulation is usually extremely flammable, and old wood could hold hidden embers, as well as maintain burning despite the fact that you cannot see it. When you are installing plumbing for a major project, with water as well as drain lines, most plumbing technicians like to start with the drain lines, because they are larger, and also they can not fluctuate the way water pipes can. Each location of the region has it's very own codes and also techniques of ways to install plumbing. The dimension of pipes are different, the ducting is different, however here in Washington, the policies do assist make great plumbing system systems. If the policies are complied with, the house needs to help well. If you wish to work with your very own system, comply with the guidelines of the Attire Plumbing system Code. The University Bookstore has copies. It is hard to read, in the beginning, but has everything you require in it. There is even an illustrated overview. Considering that gravitational force is the means sewage flows, all the waste pipes as well as a lot of the duct water pipes incline down. Generally, the minimum demand is 1/4 inch decrease each foot of run. The even more incline, the better it runs.Commodes take 3 or 4 inch waste pipe, and at the very least 2" duct pipe.Showers and bathtubs, kitchen area sinks as well as laundry take 2" drain as well as a minimum of 1 1/2" vent pipe.Bathroom washbasins take 1 1/2" waste, and the vent usually run in 1 1/2". Old homes normally have smaller sized drains for everything other than the toilets, and that is one reason they connect up a great deal. Usually, if you change the existing piping with the same layout, however larger pipelines, it will work as well as be legal, however not consistently. It utilized to be possible to duct with short turn tees ("hygienic tees"), yet jurisdictions are relocating much more towards wyes, "combination's", as well as long transform tee wyes. A long period of time earlier, drain was created with lead pipeline, and also the primary waste had the commode stub coming out, and also the tub or shower as well as washbasin drain entering into the toilet stub. Now it needs to go right into the major drain listed below where the toilet stub goes. Sometimes I've seen plumbing professionals do repairs by simply recreating the existing, and also it works, yet it would certainly never ever pass examination. Likewise, lead is extremely tough to spot or connect to. We make use of rubber combinings with complete stainless steel sleeve, in a dimension that would work appropriately, and frequently placed something inside the pipeline to maintain it inflexible. Suggestion # 1 Vents are a necessity Setting up vents near drain pipelines are a need and an action that need to not be missed in an initiative to conserve money. There are building codes, which determine how close the vent ought to be mounted to a drainpipe. The duct helps the water speed away and keeps water in your traps, to prevent drain gas from entering into the house.

Pointer # 2 Shutoff the shutoffs Make certain the water is turned off to anything you are dealing with. Likewise, if you are reducing waste pipes, turn the water off. If you slip up and cut a water pipe, or if somebody runs water, you will not have a mess. It is even excellent to flush the commodes, as soon as the water is off, if you assume someone could rinse on you

Suggestion # 3 Restriction Water Usage Restriction your water usage to just what you require. This can be done by mounting a plumbing system correctly. There are additionally preservation initiatives you and also your family can take to conserve water. The first step is to shut off the faucet. Just run water when you are utilizing it. You can additionally set up toilets and also taps that make use of the minimum quantity of water needed, so also when you have the faucet running or rinse the toilet, just a particular amount of water is utilized to achieve the same outcome. Make use of a quality fixture, like Toto or American Standard, for the toilets. They work better.

Tip # 4 Sort of Pipes Throughout the years, various types of pipelines have been used. From cast-iron and brass to PVC, copper as well as cross-linked polyethylene (PEX), all these kinds of piping has the exact same affect-- it brings water into the home as well as purges made use of and dirty water out of the home. We like ABS water pipes for waste piping, and PEX or copper for water piping. PVC is also an excellent drain, however don't utilize it for water in your home. CPVC is authorized in your house, yet it is vulnerable, and I dislike to see it inside a residence. PEX is a little a lot more forgiving for cold than copper, however they both are wonderful plumbing. Copper looks better, mounted.

Pointer # 5 Plan and also Understand The key to installing a reliable plumbing system is preparing as well as recognizing. It is important to plan the installation of a plumbing system that is quiet as well as reliable. It is just as essential to intend on mounting the water pipes and valves in such a way that enables very easy accessibility for maintenance functions. It is essential to install the best dimensions of waste and water pipe, as well as the UPC tables provide minimum sizing. If your pipes are too tiny, the drains won't drain as well, and plug up regularly, and also the water pipes will not deliver as much water as you need, or there will be big temperature swings in the sinks when the commode is rinsed, or the various other installations are made use of.

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itsworn · 7 years ago

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What if the 1957 Q-Corvette had become the C2 Sting Ray?

Chevrolet has been frustrating Corvette fans for decades because when new generation Corvettes come out, they tend to be “evolutionary” and not “revolutionary.” The most revolutionary new generation Corvette was the C5 with its all-new body, interior, all-aluminum LS1 engine, transaxle, svelte suspension and hydroformed frame. Next on the list of revolutionary Corvettes is the 1963-’67 Sting Ray, with its out-of-this-world new body, new perimeter frame, four-wheel independent suspension, and later disc brakes. But the second-generation Sting Ray could have been so much more.

Ed Cole was a true automotive visionary with a passion for over-the-horizon technology. While general manager of Chevrolet in the mid-1950s, Cole was hot on the idea of combining the transmission and rear axle of all Chevrolet cars into a “transaxle.” This would eliminate the large transmission hump that was common in cars of the day. Also, moving the transmission to the rear of the car would improve traction and thus, be a safer car. Cole called his grand vision the “Q-Chevrolet” line, and he wanted it by 1960. This plan included the Corvette and would have been the most radical Corvette this side of the upcoming mid-engine C8 Corvette.

Typically, new car designs start out as wild-looking art renderings. But the Q-Corvette was different because it wasn’t just a new suit of clothes for an existing structure. Zora Arkus-Duntov worked out the entire basic layout first. Then a full-size wooden and fiberglass buck was created that closely approximated where the engine, drivetrain, suspension, and interior would be located. Everything was there except for the body.

First, let’s look at Duntov’s vision for the project that could have been the second-generation Corvette. It was just a “wish list” but it shows how advanced Duntov’s thinking was in 1957. Initially, Duntov proposed the use of a steel platform, similar to the design used on Porsches. The front suspension was to be independent and the rear suspension system based on the new transaxle with a modified swing-axle design, using universal joint halfshafts as stress members. The transaxle was to be available as a manual or automatic. The clutch or torque converter would be mounted behind the engine, working off a small-diameter flywheel. The clutch system was to be a double-disc clutch design. Finned drum brakes would be used on all four wheels with the rear drums inboard mounted to reduce unsprung weight.

The new small-block Chevy engine was just two years old, but Duntov wanted an all-aluminum version with the new Rochester fuel-injection system. The proposed aluminum heads would have no steel valveguides or pressed-in valve seats. By the early 1960s, this all proved to not be possible using existing block and head casting molds. To keep the engine mounted as low as possible, a racing-style dry-sump oil system was proposed. Later, Duntov expressed that the dry-sump system wasn’t necessary and that the transaxle wouldn’t do that much for weight distribution.

Here’s a shocker for you! Duntov determined that a steel body could be made using inexpensive Kirksite dies made of zinc and six-percent aluminum—excellent for low-volume production. The steel body would have added overall stiffness to the completed car. Duntov also noted that poor customer satisfaction with the Corvette’s fiberglass body had more to do with the finish of the body and not with the material. A steel body would have had a better and more consistent finish.

All configurations were considered during the design phase of the Q-Corvette: coupe, convertible and Targa top. One design element for the coupe version that made it into all future Corvettes was the built-in rollbar as part of the structure. As practical as that was, one design aspect that looked great on paper but didn’t stand a snowball’s chance was the total absence of an A-pillar. And lastly, since everything was being explored, designers worked out several ways of making the doors open out and then up, sort of in a prehistoric “Lambo doors” kind of way.

As the Q-Corvette made its way through the design process, Duntov’s feelings on the structure changed. Early on he proposed a steel platform but later felt that a separate steel frame, instead of a unit-body design, would better allow future body changes. This is exactly what happened when it was decided in 1965 that the Mako Shark-II design would be the next Corvette. C3 Corvettes all ride on the same basic frame and suspension as the 1963 Sting Ray.

The Corvette was born a beauty queen, so looks were important. Bill Mitchell was just about to take over Harley Earl’s position as VP of Design and had definite ideas of his own. Mitchell sketched out on the back of an envelope what he wanted and then handed his sketch off to engineer/designer Bob McLean to manage the Q-Corvette’s styling. To understand the roots of Mitchell’s concept, look up the Abarth-Fiat 750 and Abarth-Alfa 1000—that’s where the Corvette’s fender humps came from. While neither car looks like a Sting Ray, you can clearly see the influence.

Mitchell had one other design theme he wanted that eventually defined “the Corvette look.” Mitchell invited his designer/stylist team to his house to show them a stuffed and mounted Mako Shark fish that he had recently caught while deep-sea fishing off the coast of Florida. Mitchell instructed his designers, “That’s the feeling I want! The powerful, yet graceful feeling of a shark, in an automobile.”

McLean put Robert Veryzer in charge of stylists Peter Brock, Chuck Pohlmann and Norm Neumann. The stylists’ drawing boards were placed around the fullsize, engineering space buck and Veryzer instructed the stylists, “Be Brave!” Brock later commented that it was one of the rare projects which saw the first lines fall into place as the most logical and appealing. Many sketches were created with Brock’s winning out as the design to use for the first quarter-scale clay model. As the design process moved along, headlight placement was a serious challenge with designers moving in the direction of flip-up headlights and driving lights mounted low and outboard of the grille opening. The hood featured a vent slot close to the front of the hood to vent hot air from the radiator. After more grooming, a full-size clay model was built.

By October 1957, the fullsize clay Q-Corvette was shown to management and compared to a 1958 Corvette. The Q-Corvette looked like the 21st century. The theory was that by making the car more compact, the exterior could be small, yet the interior larger. Here’s how the fullsize clay Q-Corvette measured compared to a 1958 Corvette; Wheelbase: 94 inches (8 inches shorter), Track: 53 inches (4 inches narrower in the front and 5.8 inches in the back), Height: 46 inches (6 inches lower), and Projected Weight: 2,225 pounds (711 pounds less). Duntov’s position was that the next Corvette, based on the Q-Corvette, would offer improved interior space, plus the improved suspension and weight distribution would provide a better ride, handling and overall improved performance.

So, what happened? Often, proposed new Corvettes have bad timing. As the 1950s were drawing to a close, the boom times and glow of the decade was fading and a recession was ahead. Creating an entire line of Q-Chevrolet cars could not be supported in a contracting economy. The only way the Q-Corvette program could work was if the entire line of Chevrolet cars were onboard with similar components that could be amortized. As Duntov liked to say, “The program came to a screeching halt!” He then proposed using the transaxle and suspension parts for a mid-engine Corvette, which was what he really wanted to do.

In retrospect, the projected goals for an all-new 1960 Corvette based on the Q-Corvette was wildly optimistic. But, there was the bottom line. An all-new Q-Corvette-based car without amortization would be extremely expensive. But all was not lost. The basic body shape, with modifications, became Bill Mitchell’s 1959 Stingray Racer, which with modifications and fastback roof became the 1963 Sting Ray; a car that many consider an instant American classic. The larger design parameters of the Q-Corvette would not make it into production until the arrival of the C5 in 1997 and the dry-sump oil system didn’t arrive until 2006 with the C6 Z06. If the economy hadn’t tanked in 1958 and the Q-Chevrolet line of cars made it into production, the C2 Sting Ray might have arrived in 1960 and would have laid claim as The Revolutionary Corvette.

K. Scott Teeters has been a contributing artist and writer with Vette magazine since 1976 when the magazine was titled Vette Quarterly. Scott’s Corvette art can be seen at www.illustratedcorvetteseries.com. His muscle car and nostalgia drag racing art can be found at www.precision-illustration.com.

The post What if the 1957 Q-Corvette had become the C2 Sting Ray? appeared first on Hot Rod Network.

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dusudaunord · 8 years ago

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Things to do in Montréal April 14 to 20

Montréal celebrates the return of spring with Easter brunches, Cirque du Soleil’s newest show, musical swings and butterflies, NHL playoffs and pro soccer, martial arts merged with dance, and live music by the Dixie Chicks, Jackson Brown, PJ Harvey and more.

Easter weekend activities

Montréal makes the most of the Easter long weekend, from staying active to religiously reflecting, whether you’re here with friends, family or that special someone – see our guide to Easter weekend 2017 for some ideas. Swing like you’re a kid again – and make music at the same time! – at 21 Swings outside Place des Arts in the Quartier des Spectacles, part of this year’s Digital Spring art-meets-tech explorations. Observe butterflies up close and in the hundreds at the Botanical Garden greenhouse’s Butterflies Go Free event, part of the Montréal Space for Life‘s manyactivities. The NHL playoffs have hockey fans at the edge of their seats: the Montréal Canadiens face off against the New York Rangers at the Bell Centre on April 14. For soccer fans: Minor League Soccer team Montréal Impact plays Atlanta United FC in the season home opener on April 15 at Saputo Stadium. Take a walk off the beaten path to discover welcoming and wonderful quirky spots in Montréal, from urban caves to arcade bars to Montréal’s best karaoke bars. And have fun for free with free things to do this Spring in Montréal.

Food and drink

Weekend brunch is an Easter must, but weekday brunch was truly made for leisurely vacationing: satisfy your mid-morning (or early afternoon) cravings with some of Montréal’s best brunches, from Old Montréal excellence to quaint neighbourhood café creations and worldly delights to classics with a gourmet twist. Discover the city sights and eat well along the way on Montréal’s best food tours. Have some fun this week friends and Montréalers alike with our guide to restaurants, bars and parties for spring break in Montréal. Catch the yearly end of a Québécois tradition: cabane à sucre sugar shack season – fill up on tourtière, sugar pie, sausages, maple syrup candy and so much more. Add more sweetness to your day at the city’s best candy shops. Explore great places to eat in the HOMA neighbourhood or the menus of new Montréal restaurants. Relax with a cup of tea at Montréal’s tea houses, or try a signature cocktail at one of Montréal’s hidden bars. And plan your next visit around Montréal’s fabulous food festivals!

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On stage

Tony-award winning musical-comedy The Book of Mormon, featuring music and lyrics by Trey Parker, Robert Lopez and Matt Stone, returns to Montréal April 18-23 at Place des Arts, while the wonders of Cirque du Soleil’s VOLTA thrill all ages starting April 20 under the big top in the Old Port of Montréal. Also in theatre: Centaur Theatre‘s Clybourne Park, a neighbourhood drama tracing racial tensions in Chicago, and family comedy-drama The Shadow Box at Mainline Theatre. As part of Montréal’s winter-spring dance program: Danse Danse presents the hybrid dance, martial arts and theatre of Shay Kuebler Radical System Art, April 18-22 at Place des Arts; dancer-choreographer Isabelle Van Grimde questions identity, the perception of the body and its evolution at Agora de la Danse April 19-21; Brazil-born, Amsterdam-based Fernando Belfiore premiers Agglomérat at the MAI April 14-15; and contempoarary-hybrid performance ensemble WIVES collective presents WIVES, ASSEMBLÉE at Studio 303 April 15-16.

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On screen

Film festival Vues d’Afrique screens African and Créole films and hosts social events April 14-23 at the Cinémathèque québécoise – while there, also see portraits of 20 Québécois directors in 10 + 10 Visages du cinéma québécois. Virtual reality work by Felix & Paul Studios stuns at the Phi Centre‘s Virtual Reality Garden – the Phi Centre also screens dance documentary Rain on April 19 and Ken Loach’s newest film I, Daniel Blake on April 20. Immerse yourself in the high-tech visuals and live piano performance by Roman Zavada in Résonances Boréales, plus the global Music Legacy Project, April 11-29, in the Satosphere dome. Learn more about Montréal history in documentary The Last Breath: at the Heart of the Hotel-Dieu de Montreal, a hospital as old as the city and soon to be out of commission, and peek into one of the world’s foremost private gardens, Frank Cabot’s 20-acre English garden Les Quatre Vents, in doc The Gardener, both playing at Cinéma du Parc.

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Museums and galleries

Experience one of the city’s most stunning churches in a whole new way: immersive high-tech light show Aura adds another level of beauty to Notre-Dame Basilica this year. Nearby, see the city in photographs at Le Centre d’histoire de Montréal’s Ça c’est Montréal. Later, walk through Old Montréal at night to see Québéc history unfold in the beautifully bright tableaux projections of Cité Memoire. Witness mastery of colour and light in CHAGALL: COLOUR AND MUSIC at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, featuring not only 340 pieces by the Russian-French artist but musical accompaniment. Also at the museum, the exhibition Mnemosyne constrasts works by contemporary Quebec and Canadian artists with Old Master paintings. The ’60s make a comeback at the McCord Museum‘s Fashioning Expo 67, featuring colourful outfits and products created by Québec designers for Expo 67. The Musée d’art contemporain shows work by foremost Mexican artist Teresa Margolles, as well as Québec artist Emanuel Licha’s Now Have a Look at This Machine documentary installation. And questions of human bodies, digital creation and perceived reality come up in the computer-generated multi-channel video work of Berlin-based British artist Ed Atkins‘s exhibition Modern Piano Music at DHC-ART, opening April 20.

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Live music

On Friday night, PJ Harvey plays the first of two nights at Metropolis, while L.A. hardcore punk band The Bronx rolls into Foufounes Electriques, synth-pop team Co/ntry host a fun-times album launch show at Théâtre Fairmount, Texan indie-electronic group The Octopus Project comes to Bar Le Ritz P.D.B., and electro artist Jacques Greene brings the beats to Newspeak. See big-stage hommage to the Fab Four Orchestra! With the Beatles Story Band, featuring 16 musicians and a whole lot of energy, April 14-15 at Place des Arts’ Maison symphonique. On Saturday, sing along to your favourites with singer-songwriter Jackson Browne at Place des Arts or with the ever-fab Dixie Chicks at the Bell Centre. Or dance for hours with Mustard Factory with A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie and 4B at New City Gas. If shouting along to punk rock hits in the vein of Lagwagon, Bad Religion and Face to Face is more your style, make your way to Club Soda on Sunday for punk super group Me First and the Gimme Gimmes. Monday night brings the classic British indie rock of The Wedding Present to Bar Le Ritz P.D.B. Simon Leclerc conducts the Orchestre symphonique de Montréal’s OSM Pop concert featuring Québécois singers Bïa, Bruno Pelletier, Paul Piché, Marc Hervieux, Catherine Major and more, April 18-20 at Place des Arts. Bask in the noise of Wolf Eyes and Drainolith on Tuesday at Casa del Popolo or in the chill vibes of R&B soul singer Allan Rayman with opener Mariachi Figueroa on Wednesday at La Sala Rossa. And if you’re looking for a musical experience en français, go to Damien Robitaille‘s show on April 20 at Club Soda.

Up next:Your Montréal Digital Spring Survival Guide

The post Things to do in Montréal April 14 to 20 appeared first on Tourisme Montréal Blog.

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americanshaman-blog1 · 10 years ago

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The Matrix is Here (p. 4)

I created this pen and paper RPG for my step daughter, Lilly, when she was getting ready to start school and her mother and I had been working with her on her math skills. I came up with the idea as a way for her to learn what to expect from school and practice basic addition and subtraction. It was a great success, as she not only thoroughly enjoys playing the game but had nothing but excitement for her first day of school. I don’t know for a fact that this reduced any trepidations she might have had (after all, she’s always been a brave little child), but it certainly didn’t hurt.

I still plan on developing this into an app at some point, but in the mean time I’ve posted it here for other parents’ use. All you need to play are these rules, some 6 sided dice and a dozen or so pennies. It is a pen and paper RPG, so whoever is running the game should take time to familiarize themselves with both the rules and the game scenario before starting (all the players / children are required to do is make decisions, roll dice and spend their “Magic Pennies”). I hope others can have as much fun with this as my family has.

straightTALK

History class started off cool, talking about Roman soldiers fighting some battle somewhere…but then it got boring pretty quick, something about fiscal policy. You’re real glad it’s <say the day of the week>, because now that History is over, your class gets to head over to the Computer Lab.

Your teacher blows her whistle, and everyone puts their desk in order before lining up outside the classroom. On the next whistle, all the students in your class march in step to the Computer Lab. It’s going to be so fun, you love all the games there. As you walk up to the computer lab however, you notice some of the Bully Buddies from another class running off, and soon you know why.

As you enter the computer lab, Sniffling Steve shrieks in horror. The Computer Lab has been totally trashed! It must have been those darn Bully Buddies running away. The teacher heads off to report this incident, while the Nerd Crew gather around one of the damaged computers crying and wailing.

shortVERSION

The Computer Lab is a total mess, and the Nerd Crew will need some help getting things back in order. If the players are able to help them, they will be invited back after school to learn about a top secret virtual reality game that the Nerd Crew has been developing. The players will get to experience the old west as they play a virtual Oregon Trail game!

theDETAILS

Having their sanctuary defiled will have a significant effect on the Nerd Crew, requiring a lot a of help from the players. If the players have already run through The Big Game and the Jumpy Jocks failed to win, then Quick Rick will not be present and the Jumpy Jocks in the class will be quiet and dejected. Neither they, nor the Cool Cats will be of much help in this scenario (although creative Narrators/Players may be able to find ways to incorporate them into this part of the story).

The players can get started helping out the Nerd Crew by offering to clean up, but if the players make any attempt to talk to them at all Sniffling Steve will explain that they’d been working on a “super special secret project” and now their efforts had been ruined. It had taken them months of work to get the hardware together and even longer to develop the software they needed for their “super special secret project” and now the Nerd Crew is convinced that all is lost.

The players will realize that things are not quite that bad (no liquid spills or actual damage to the devices, just a few cracks in the plastic casings of hardware and one of the monitors is damaged beyond repair). After dusting everything off and reconnecting all the components (Perception Test), everything will be setup and run but the network will crash on startup. Some more advance software troubleshooting (Intellect Test) will get things going again, resulting in cheers of jubilation from Sniffling Steve and his very grateful Nerd Crew.

After offering his profuse (and probably verbose if not slightly arrogant) thanks, Sniffling Steve will offer the players a very special reward. As he’s no doubt already explained, the Nerd Crew has been working on a “super special secret project” and will offer the players the chance to try it out if they can promise to keep it a secret. If the players have failed any of their tests, or not chosen to aid then they may or may not be offered access to the “super special secret project”. Some players may need to arrive at the offer through a more indirect alternative, such as the Cool Cats offering access in exchange for some kind of assistance (Charisma challenge).

If the players find out about the “super special secret project” and promise to keep it quiet, the Nerd Crew will tell the players to come back to computer lab after school. When they arrive the doors will automatically lock shut behind them, and a revelation sequence should be elaborated to them (involving a transformation of the computer lab into a fully equipped professional grade tech laboratory replete with bursts of venting smoke, dramatic changes in the lighting, and sinking/rising parts of the floor). With the transformation complete, Sniffling Steve will bring the players over to a giant tank of water and explain that it’s a sensory deprivation chamber (you may have to google deprivation chambers before hand if you’re not familiar with the concept). The Nerd Crew has constructed it in order to aid their quest for the ultimate virtual reality experience, and they now think they’re ready for the players to give it a try.

Some or all of the players should suit up and enter the deprivation chamber, but if any players remain present in the physical world they can monitor whats going on in virtual reality at a nearby terminal. That terminal can also be used to communicate two way with the players (it should seem like a disembodied voice in virtual reality, being heard by all players but ignored totally by any characters from the game). At first, the players in virtual reality should see only darkness and hear nothing but themselves and a slight hum, but then Sniffling Steve’s (or an external player’s) voice will speak from no where explaining that the system needs to boot up.

After another few seconds, the horizon will appear as the sun rises and reveals the semiarid desert of the old West. Depending on how many entered virtual reality, the players will be some or all of a 19th century American family of settlers, riding in a covered wagon down the Oregon Trail. In this reality, the players will substitute their Mind for their Body attribute, as they will have no access to their physical abilities. Otherwise, everything in virtual reality should operate just like the rest of Lillypalooza Elementary including the loss of consciousness if they lose all their health.

The Narrator should feel free to tailor this experience to the type and length of game they are trying to play, but generally the players should have to accomplish a handful of tasks as they travel to their final destination in Portland, Oregon. Tasks could include dealing with a snake bight (Intellect Test), trading at a Settler Stopover (Charisma Challenge), or a Buffalo Hunt (Reaction Challenge). If the players fail a task, a family member should be lost as a result, and if all the family members are lost the players will receive a Game Over message.

importantPEOPLE

See the Cast of Characters for information / stats on Sniffling Steve, Quick Rick, Cool Kitty Kate, or Bully Boy Bob. All other relevant npc information is as follows:

Bully Buddies (5): Body 4, Mind 1, Social 1 Nerd Crew (3): Body 1, Mind 4, Social 2 Cool Cats (2): Body 2, Mind 1, Social 4 Other Students (8): Body 2, Mind 2, Social 2

whatsNEXT

If the players fail to help the Nerd Crew, and they don’t find some other way to get invited, then the scenario will come to an end pretty quick. Feel free to move on, players will just have to try again next time. Otherwise, both the tech laboratory and the virtual Oregon Trail should be interesting departures from the typical elementary school environment. Feel free to use over the top explanations and incredible special effects (imagine Sniffling Steve to be on par with Q from the 007 series, or Forge from the X-Men).

If the players excel in this scenario and make it all the way to virtual Portland, then Sniffling Steve will be very impressed and offer to hack the players’ grades (or someone who they request in their place). The outcome of their virtual reality experience should have little effect on future scenarios, so it shouldn’t be too big of a deal if the players lose.

Magic Penny Awards:

1 Players help restore the Computer Lab 1 Players fix the hardware/network 1 Players fix the startup error 1 Players enter the virtual Oregon Trail 2 Players win the Oregon Trail game

The Narrator can proceed to either Performance As Art or The Big Game depending on which factions the player seemed to develop the best relationship with and if the scenario has not yet been played. DO NOT go to the scenario Return to Castle Playgroundstien unless all other scenarios have been played through.

#rpg #kidsrpg #rpgkids #roleplayinggames #penandpaperroleplayinggames #kidspenandpapergames #kidsmathgames #penandpaperkidsmathgame

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