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kierongillen · 5 years

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Writer Notes: The Wicked + the Divine 43

Spoilers, obv.

Issue 44 comes out tomorrow at the time of writing. As I’m on the west coast of the USA, it will be just after midnight GMT by the time they’re online. So abstractly, this is the first time ever which we come out when the next issue is out. Abstractly. I’d say the day counts as where I am, and doesn’t Comixology come out a little later? We’ll see.

It’s also been so long that I almost wrote notes for issue 44. This is a weird goodbye, this period.

Anyway – Issue 43, wherein we finish explaining all the big stuff we’re going to explain.

I mean, there’s more in issue 44 and 45, but it’s all details, with the denouncement really being based around the characters’ response to this issue. They know the truth. Now what are they going to do about it?

That was the main note I gave in the script to the team – if there’s any really big questions you are confused about, now is the time to say, as this is the best clarification it’ll get. As such, we worked on it a lot to nail what we wanted to say – and what we didn’t. Sometimes this meant actually simplifying a little to avoid repeating huge amounts of stuff and leaving people even more confused. More often it involves sliding in a little nod to something someone would be thinking about.

It’s an interesting issue, I think. It’s where we show a lot of our hand.

It also involved a lot of crunching.

Jamie/Matt Cover

Cassandra finally gets her head cover. Normally a cover relates to a key beat, which isn’t true here – except in the widest possible sense that it’s where Cassandra gets to say I Told You So to everyone, including herself.

Jason Latour Cover One of the fun things about commissioning these covers is getting to see a creator’s process close up. Jason’s process on this was amazingly never-ending – he was always tweaking, and trying things and moving in a different direction. Where he ended was stunning – very him, and very WicDiv too. I remember us and the Jasons semi-jokingly about swapping books for an issue – they do WicDiv for an issue and we do Southern Bastards. This cover absolutely makes me wonder how amazing that hypothetical issue would have looked.

(Our story would have been about a Taylor-Swift-esque-singer/songwriter-before-she-got-big in the town. And probably murder, as it’s Southern Bastards, right?)

IFC

That “Life goes on” still creeps me out.

1-2

Opening vignette that lets us establish what Minerva’s plan is now, as well as re-establish Beth and her crew, and actually let us define their current position, and even give their codenames, which have existed in the Bible document since issue 1, I believe.

(Oddly, calling people “Boss” is one of my verbal ticks. It seemed fun to give it to Beth here.)

As such, Minerva immediately HiveMinding them when they’ve just stated their agency is plain harsh. Jamie’s large panel on page 2 sells it incredibly well – the statues, Minerva walking away from us – it’s all so casual.

It’s also the running theme of the issue – what Mini has been doing all these years. This is just a particularly direct example of it.

Three panels on second page to try and stress the seriousness of what this is (Space = Meaning, remember). Of course, as the issue shows, this isn’t the real part of the issue – but you have to at least believe this is a real gambit. And it is – I mean, it’d be awful if Mini pulled it off. But in people’s guts they’d realise this isn’t how WicDiv goes, right?

Minor glorious Matt Wilson note – the crackle of green in panel 3 is wonderful. Give that guy another Eisner. He deserves a hat trick.

Show time in the showbiz and the “time to show you everything” sense.

Establishing the stakes and situation for the heroes. There’s a draft of the issue I wrote which is a couple more pages long, which would have pulled this out a little more. In the end, we decided it worked better shorter – I’ll tell you why when I get there, and we could use the space elsewhere.

Key thing is showing some response to Cam’s actions at the end of last issue – it’s important to know that they haven’t just walked away, right?

In the first panel, the “identify who is speaking” is a tricky one. The “say the character’s name” is a little brutal move, and I avoid it. We’re not that book. Dio is easy – and Lucifer, bless her, is immediately identifiable by her idiom. Her line also reminds people of what she’s like, which sets up the last page.

Laura’s captions here again, doing a lot of the heavy lifting.

It says so much about this issue that the last two panels are only a half page total. These are big rock and roll images, presented in a tiny space. Jamie’s composition makes it land really well, selling the drama.

Page 5

It says even more that we did all this in a page.

Tara’s move in the original version was basically a page, but looking at it structurally it actually left it even more underwhelmed – a fight kicked off, and then heroes were losing, and then Tara does this cool thing, and they’re winning, before immediately the hive mind kicks in and they’re losing again. This does not sell the joy of Giant Woman.

This works better, not least for sheer audaciousness. I used to have a thing about tableau based storytelling – the idea that you can create a large image which people can explore and juxtapose it with a few captions to create a larger conceptual space. This is very much that.

“People treating people like meat” reminds me for the second time when re-reading this issue of the line from Pratchett: “Sin is treating people like things.” The first time was the puppets bit. I’d agree with Pratchett, clearly.

In the original draft of the script I had a line “You want more? Go re-read Rising Action” which is a bit too cute, so I lost it. It’s not really the sort of thing WicDiv does, anyway.

Yes, Giant Woman is a Steven Universe nod. Putting aside that image of Giant Tara kicking ass which has been in my head forever, there’s so much to love in the image – to pick a small part, how about the Norns blasting in triplicate? We rarely see them act like this.

You can also trace via the colouring which of Beth’s crew have duplicated which God’s powers.

Page 6

There’s been a lot about people copying people’s powers in WicDiv, and trying to find out what someone can and can’t do, and then using it against them. This switches it up. The thing about being creative instead of a straight plagiarist that creative people make up new shit. That’s kind of the point of them.

Once more, Matt showing the dance of the colouring between the Woden green (haunting the series like a ghost now) and the joy of Dio is (er) a joy.

Page 7

Another Matt moment – we step out of the club, and we drop to greys, before building the energy up.

I’m not quite sure how long Robin has wanted to punch Beth for. Or how long I planned to do it, even. I can imagine Robin thinking of this a lot though – she’s the one who takes a long time to snap.

There’s a dual structure here too – there’s two main compare-and-contrast bands in WicDiv. Beth’s and Cass’…

Page 8

And this is a very different kind of band break up.

The problem here is different – I want to give much more space. First draft it seemed that they got talked into it really easily. But it’s all the space we had so what to do? Once more, captions. Silent panel with captions can be timeless, and gives room for our minds to populate it. It’s been so long I can no longer remember if the fact the two almost-silent characters are shouting, but we’re not allowed to hear, because it’s private seems relevant.

Page 9-10

Hard cut made easier with the caption. Captions are great. Trust captions.

The shot of Mini at the edge, just looking back with space either side is great. Just the isolation of it.

The “try to sing” on the page turn seems a meaningful reveal. Can she?

No she can’t. This is another very old beat in the founding documents – it’s hinted at on page 9. Mini says that she gave it up – and she said the same in issue 9. I’m not sure I believe her. When planning it I realised that some people would take it as a comment on Work for hire – don’t get stuck keeping a story alive forever, as it will eventually atrophy your talent. It wasn’t planned, but I’d be fine with it as a reading. When Chrissy read it, she took it as “Don’t get stuck in art management.” which works too. Readings are fun.

Anyway – a performance. That the big thing in the issue is a performance rather than a fight is very much WicDiv turning towards its core concept as we head towards the final straight. Of course we’d do this.

Yeah, Matt and Jamie, killing it on the final panel of the second page – the Persephone-esque tentacles made something else, because she is something else now. The numinous expression of Minerva. Amazing.

Page 11

The borders in this sequence harking back to the Persephone performance in issue 18.

I may actually try to tweak this sequence in the trade and have a different execution of “When I was 14” and all the rest, to work a little more like a LOC CAP rather than a speech. We couldn’t make it work given the time before deadline. That’s the odd thing about our extended issues – just because it’s taking longer doesn’t mean we have more time to do tasks, right? Some things are only possible when the whole thing is together. It works, I think, but part of me wants to push it harder.

Anyway – these two. I loved writing them though. I said it back in the other flashbacks, but how the two of them dance is a delight. Hell, doing them across a lifetime is a delight.

Okay – I’m going to give you a name for Ananke’s sister. It’s the one I used in my notes. It’s no more her name than “Ananke” is really Ananke’s.

It’s Demeter. Ask me about it another time.

Page 12

The “god” in panel 2 is a Proto Norn.

This primal gathering brings to mind issue 9 as well.

Demeter’s expression in the penultimate panel? Love it.

Page 13

The captions are Laura’s style, but changed colouring. That Laura is helping Minerva performs means it comes across in her voice, was our thinking.

Captions are once more useful though – trying to get something that is evocative, but also clear was the battle.

(The Colours here!)

She-in-Thirds is a name-behind-the-name. The Maiden/Mother/Child archetype – the one which Ananke subverted in a few pages time.

Page 14

I find myself thinking whether the return to a close-to-eight panel for much of this is meaningful. This is kind of Bronze Age Phonogram.

Reading this I wish I had capitalised The Rebel – it’s another archetype. Proto-Lucifer. I’ll tweak for the trade.

I forget when the metaphor for a song for the “godhood” in WicDiv came to me, but it feels like the right one. It’s how songs often feel to me.

Page 15

If you go back to issue 34, you’ll see some of the details of this plan are different to the plan that Ananke has put into play there. In fact, the deal that she strikes in issue 34 is akin to what she wants here. It’s mainly for clarity – the reader needs to be reminded of what’s actually going on, as they won’t necessarily remember the details from way back then. I figure this is the plan she wanted to do, then found something else when Demeter wasn’t into it, before swooping around to something closer.

Page 16

“After all my friends were dead” gives a little flex in the timeline.

I do like Ananke’s hat.

“The Great River” being the Nile, and the pantheon we saw back in issue 36.

In terms of lists of things in this issue I was looking forward to write, the first meeting between Ananke and Minerva was certainly one of them. I tried to get something of the oddness here. Jamie and Matt manage to get the mood of issue 34 again too – I really do like this bronze-age western vibe. There’s a project I keep on thinking about doing, and it has some of that too it. Hmm.

Yes, page width panel of character delivering a line remains a key WicDiv tool. There’s so much I love here – the touch from Ananke, whose PoV we’re in. Minerva speaking to herself, speaking to us, etc.

That the knife is just sentimental is a minor beat I’m very fond of.

Page 17

Once more, Captions, as Laura makes sure we all Get It.

One of the debates in WicDiv fandom has always been whether the gods are picked by Ananke (i.e. Anyone could be a god) or whether they’re actually people with a gifts. Of course, the answer is that it’s both.

The thing I least like about WicDiv’s mythology is that the 12 people are people with this gift, for obvious “Ugh Chosen Ones” reasons. There’s some things that mitigate that a little, I hope, and not least that it’s clearly transferable to wherever you are in life. The core of it is “if you find yourself with a gift, be careful with it and use it responsibly.” It’s a book about the power, privilege, dangers and seductions of being an artist and all that. It’s only when writing that sentence do I realise how tired I am. This has been a busy week. Excuse me if the writing is looser than usual.

Anyway, I’m probably over-worrying. If X-men is fine, we probably are too.

So – end of the page is a download of some of the explanations of stuff folk will inevitably be going “Wait – what?”

And then Tara steps up.

When you’re writing a large group scene, with limited space, there’s choices you make of who speaks and who doesn’t. Who’s going to have the strongest counter-argument to something? Who’s going to have the biggest reaction? Them. They’re the one who carries the scene.

Which is Tara. Perhaps you could make an argument for Baal, but Baal is reeling through all these issues – plus if you choose one or the other, you tie-breaker would be who hasn’t had spotlight.

Page 18-21

And the counter is equally inevitably Cassandra (who is also in the process of beating herself up). Being Cass, she puts it harshly. Clearly, this is going to get a response from Tara.. and Cass opens up herself and makes herself vulnerable. Which is a hell of a thing for her, right?

I’ll stop this – I’m just walking through the emotional flow, but I love these two women here.

Which segues into the last formalist style thing of the issue. Once again, we have a space = meaning problem. This is clearly the most important sequence of the issue, but we have so few pages. We turn to one of the core WicDiv moves of black panels in a six panel grid, and loading them up with text. Suddenly we have a sense of ritual, a lot of dialogue produced in a stylistic way and most of all a whole extra page (hence an extra page of weight).

It’s also a complete showcase for Matt. The last godly panel of them is them at their most Godly, this final little iconic burst. A confession, and it’s gone.

I cried when I got the colours for this. I forget which one it was – there’s just some wonderful Jamie expressions in there as well.

Choosing the confessions was definitely tricky. We have space, but too much is too much. Some of them I kept simple, and others needed a little space to explain. The ordering was also one of those processes where you feel out the character, and think how they’d speak. Dio would clearly jump in, then Inanna, then Mimir trying to just piece it together, and all leading to Baal.

I did try and write a Baal caption, but any words were just too small.

And then, of course…

Page 22

You’ve probably seen me talking about year 4 as Solving The Equation. Yes, we knew lots of the key things, but there’s lots of elements of the execution were worked, and rethought and discovered. I may be able to talk a little more about this in the last issue’s notes.

This was a big one. I was chewing over the synopsis and thinking… a battle against Ananke/Minerva is a little underwhelming after everything, right? At this point in the story, Minerva is a busted flush. In reality, Laura (and Demeter) won the intellectual battle against Minerva in Mothering Invention. She’s already beat her. It nagged at me. There was something else.

Then there was the other thing – I knew that Lucifer was going to get her body back, but I wasn’t entirely sure what she’d do when she had it.

The two came together: of course, the final confrontation isn’t between Laura and Minerva. It’s with Lucifer, the person who brought Laura into the world, the person who brought us all into the world. The girl who wanted to be on stage, no matter the cost. That’s the final battle.

And best of all, I had no idea what would happen.

Well – not quite, but suddenly a whole lot of things was up in the air.

Page 23

Song reference, obv. Always connected to something in my head in my early career. If I do writer notes for the playlist, I may actually tell you.

Oh – some people wondered whether all the skulls meant everyone was dead. No – it’s just there’s no god in the slot. I’m not that kind of shithead.

Anyway – issue is out tomorrow. Or maybe today, depending on where you are. It ends the story, with 45 being an epilogue with a somewhat different tone. Clearly, it’s a huge issue, so be a little careful with your tweeting. The last cover is especially a big spoiler.

Thanks for your patience and thanks for reading.

#WicDiv #the wicked and the divine #jason latour #writer notes

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sylveradrake · 5 years

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Pay What You Want commissions are open! Active Slots: 1. [ Open ] 2. [ Open ] 3. [ Open ] 4. [ Open ] 5. [ Open ] Reserved Slots: 1. [ Open ] 2. [ Open ] 3. [ Open ] 4. [ Open ] 5. [ Open ] Frequently Asked Questions (Please Read!):

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tk-duveraun · 6 years

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Humility (15) End

F!Cousland/Nathaniel Howe, Enemies to Friends to Lovers

Parts: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14

Their bows hang, tilted at the same angle across their backs as they ride. Their mares are even-tempered and unafraid of darkspawn when Elissa scouts a nest. They wear Grey Warden armor, even though it means they’re mobbed at every village with thanks and gifts. Elissa accepts the food and sends the books to the Vigil, but rejects everything else. Even though it prompts whispers and jeers, they rent a single room from the inns they rest in.

Nathaniel sleeps with his arms and legs like a cage around Elissa and his nose pressed to the back of her neck, as if he can only breathe in the scent of her. He wakes from nightmares as much as he doesn’t, but without the song of the arch demon Elissa sleeps the nights through.

They’re curled up in the nicest bed in Redcliffe Village before Nathaniel thinks to ask where they’re going.

“There’s a lost temple to Andraste in the mountains. I left something there during the Blight.” Elissa takes another soft kiss from his lips before settling her head under his chin. She yawns. “Foolish of you not to ask.”

“Foolish to assume you would tell me in your time. Meeting with the Warden Commander from Orlais angered you plenty. I didn’t want it.” Nathaniel rubs the spot between her shoulders where she carries her stress. “I admit I’m surprised you’d retrieve anything for them.”

“It’s not for them,” Elissa says. She scrapes her teeth over his pectorals. Not hard, nor for any reason. Just because she can.

“Are you going to tell me, or will I have to coax every word out of you?” His arms tighten around her as he yawns.

“We’re going to recruit in the Marches,” Elissa says, which isn’t an answer.

Nathaniel pulls back so he can cup her face in his hands. He holds her still and kisses her breathless, pressing her into the freshly-stuffed mattress. His mouth doesn’t move enough when he speaks, but she can understand what he mumbles into her lips. “You gave up your command.”

“I’m stuck with the title, Hero of the Blight can be no less, of course, but my responsibilities stay in Ferelden.” She kisses him, his mouth warm and familiar. Elissa can feel the glee in the angle of his body against hers. It beats against the inside of his ribs, wanting to break through the stoic exterior, but she knows it’s there and has been coaxing it to life since they were children and she let him take credit for shooting the rabbit.

“So what are we retrieving? Surely it’s not-” Nathaniel cuts himself off. He looks into her eyes, swallows, and then finishes the thought anyway. “It wouldn’t be a ring or some kind of courtship item.”

The truth claws and catches at her chest. Elissa holds his cheek and presses their faces together. “Not as such, no.” Her voice drops to a whisper, as if the wind might find her words and steal them away to Weisshaupt. “We’ll never have our nobility back, but what healed Arl Eamon might… Cure the Taint. At least spare us the Calling. At least…” She can’t finish, can’t put words to the things she never wanted until they were taken away.

It takes him a moment, but Nathaniel realizes what she means with a pained gasp. His hand hovers between them, but then settles on her hip, holding her against him. He doesn’t kiss her as much as just press their mouths together so they share breaths and thoughts. “I don’t want anything other than the possibility. The choice.”

“It’s taking our lives back.”

When he can bring himself to stop kissing her, Nathaniel says, “They won’t let you go easily, my love. You can move mountains.”

“Shh, trust me. They know I’ll move mountains in their way if they fight me. As long as I make appearances and pretend to recruit, they’ll leave us alone. If we were to...” She takes ahold of his wrist, but doesn’t pull his hand around to her abdomen. She doesn’t need to. He knows. “We’d have to hide it.”

He snorts and digs his fingers into her hip. He kisses under her chin. “If there is one thing nobles are good at, it’s hiding inconvenient children.”

“I’m not afraid of - ah! - them. The ashes will cure us. If they don’t, we’ll find something that will.”

Nathaniel doesn’t ask what ashes she’s talking about. He’s far more concerned with the fire under his own skin.

Thanks for reading, folks! I hope you enjoyed it. You can check it out on AO3 here to bookmark, kudos and or leave a comment (all three? All three.). I’ve commissioned a piece of art of the two of them that’ll come out in the next few days, so look for it!

There may be a follow up of what they’re doing during Inquisition. We’ll see how it goes after I do a commission I have slotted and a trade I have slotted. Trade for what?

( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

#cousland/nathaniel howe #dragon age awakening #nathaniel howe #enemies to friends to lovers #dragon age fic #humility fic #elissa

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dmsilvisart · 6 years

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Works In Progress - End of December

Yes, my brain has skipped to the end of December already. After a lot of consideration I’ve decided to drop out of the bingos I was signed up for, I’m just not coming up with anything.

I’m going to continue my birthday art idea into 2019, am always inspired by fic. I’ll post a reminder to folks toward the end of December if anyone new would like added to the 2019 list (or removed from said list if you don’t want on it this year)

As usual this list is primarily for me to keep my crap straight and keep my collaborators in the loop. All projects finished in 2018 are under the cut.

So between now and 12.23.18 The following projects need to be finished:

Finish Christmas commissions and gifts

Getting Domestic Christmas stuff :) :) :) for @mansikkaomenabanaani

Birthday art for my beautiful December people

Mostly offline between 12.24.18 and 01.01.19 (Holidays and all that)

Birthday art for my beautiful December people if there’s any left unfinished

End of year review post

January 2nd through January 7th, in no particular order are:

Reverse bang artwork for @crowleybigbang and @spnholidayreverseminibang both due January 30th

Dean/Cas Pinefest with @kitmistry (artist check in January 14th, posting on Feb. 25th)

Sam Winchester Big Bang with @cyanspica ( posting begins Jan.7th)

Things That Go Bump In The Night Bang with @tobythewise (posting begins February 14th)

art/fic trade with @navajolovesdestiel

January:

birthday art

Other Stuff to plot out:

Henson…Labyrinth in stipple

Fraggles felt creations

SPN MEGA PROJECT: I am not giving up on this, but I am taking my sweet time finishing it.

Other random unfinished fanart

Finished since the new year…. (under cut)

Sketchy music prompts: for several folks, as soon as I get my cursed scanner to work i’ll post those

Birthday art for January, February and March

prompt art for posingasme (see sastiel big bang)

CATS - no not the musical,I’m talking about the household pet. I have an art exhibit coming up focused on cats. 18 pieces that hang on February 3rd. I did a series of dogs about a year and a half ago, and it went over extremely well. I’m trying cats this time.

spnholidayreverseminibang artwork due February 14th

saileenbigbang I have 2 to 4 illustrations planned for this bang with rosemoonweaver and it posts February 19th

deancaspinefest one story with paperannxo posting on March 12th and another with ladyofthursdayposting on March 31st.

Finish up the last sketchy music prompt that was vexing me for a bit.

DeanCas Reverse bang 1 illustration

Commission for tobythewise

Non fandom commission #1 (due May 1st)

Non fandom commission #2 (due asap)

deancastropefest mid-winter 5k, withmansikkaomenabanaani It’s seriously been awesome seeing this story come to life so quickly and it’s a 5k word maximum, so it’s a one illustration sort of deal. Posting for this challenge begins April 1st.

Two short stories to finish writing for thespnholidayreverseminibang

Birthday art for my April lovelies

Birthday art for my May lovelies!!!!Apparently i have no May followers

sastielbb artwork for a story with posingasme Posting now on May 12th

Dean/Cas/Jimmy Big Bang, with wetkitchenpaint posts May 25th!

spnaubingo one card with All prompts due: May 22, 2018 I did not do this :(

Dean/Cas mini bang, with ravenscat-tumbler , punk-is-notdead& ladyblacklodge Posts in late July.

Commission for tobythewise

Malec Big Bang with wordsablaze artwork due August 14th.

Birthday art for June, July and August wonderful followers

SPN Reverse Bang artwork

Sabriel Big Bang with scrollingkingfisher, open posting between August 15th and September 15th.

Dean/Cas Big Bang with @navajolovesdestiel posting on October 5th

NON FANDOM COMMISSION (no due date given by client but due ASAP by me)

DCBB second story check in due October 19th

fandomtrumpshate art auction 2 of my 3 auctions have decided what they would like for their winning artwork (November deadlines).

Local Open Arts show entries due October 29th

asupernaturaltreasury with @casafrass submits by October 30thasupernaturaltreasury with @waywardtricks submits by October 30th

First Responders pieces (27)

Megstiel Big Bang

Story illustration for a non tumblr person

Getting Domestic by @mansikkaomenabanaaniTHANKSGIVING

@wetkitchenpaint won an illustration This is FINISHED, just need to scan and post!!!

DCBB for @herpinkminkness posting on 11.27.18

#dmsilvisart current wip

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beatricethecat2 · 6 years

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if/then (2.0) - 15 v.2

PSA time: Criticism can be a positive force, especially when it’s constructive, and even more so when it’s given by someone you trust and respect. (Don't be afraid of it!) “But it’s just fan fiction,” the mantra goes, meaning fics don't warrant scrutiny, like "real" writing does. But “It’s just fan fiction,” to me, means I have the ability to go back and reassess, to learn from my mistakes, especially when given sound advice to guide me. I’m writing to learn, as I’m not a writer by trade, so there is no shame in tearing something apart and starting over again. Chapter 15 warranted a serious makeover, so I dove in...the gist is the same but the information imparted differently. I’d forgotten the cardinal rule of "show not tell,” so I’ve gone back and applied that liberally. And here we are, back at Chapter 15, with a (hopefully) more satisfying result. Plus, in the meantime, I’ve plotted out a much better ending (for the story), so it's a win/win situation all around. Edited 6/5.

Previously: part 1, part 2, part 3, part 4, part 5, part 6, part 7, part 8, part 9, part 10, part 11, part 12, part 13, part 14

////////////////////

Myka checks her phone and looks toward the door again; no new news, but Helena really should be here by now. The VIP preview started at five, and her public opening at six, but now it's near seven, and Helena’s still missing in action. A mix up with her ticket left her stranded until late afternoon, but after some strong words with the manager, she transferred to another airline. She texted over an hour ago that she'd "be there soon," but Myka's beginning to worry she's run into further trouble.

It's almost laughable, her fretting over Helena’s absence, as she was adamant for weeks Helena not join her. But at the last minute, she changed her mind, unnerved about stepping into uncharted territory alone. Helena convinced her she needed a buffer and that she was the best candidate for the job.

After their initial conversation, Helena called like clockwork every day, but at first, Myka didn't pick up. Ignoring Helena entirely seemed the only way to focus, but her heartfelt messages kept creeping into her head. If she was ever going to move past this, they needed to talk, and sooner rather than later was better than waiting.

Their first few conversations were bitter affairs, little more than Helena listening while Myka listed her “wrongs.” Myka vented a laundry list of frustrations, beginning with Germany and tumbling back through their relationship. But over time, her hostility weakened, allowing Helena to steer their focus towards Myka’s show.

“What do you want,” Myka grumbled, tapping "accept" after three full rings.

“To ask how you're faring today,” Helena replied.

“Stressed out. Super busy. Same as yesterday, and the day before.”

“You have been rather agitated lately.”

“Who’s fault is that?” Myka snapped. It had become a habit to push Helena’s buttons whenever possible, but this schtick was getting old, her heart wasn’t in it as it was a few days ago.

“Were you able to ask for more time off work?”

“Yeah,” Myka answered, a little disappointed Helena didn’t offer her usual apologies. "Leena’s sending stuff I can work on at home, so I only have to go in once or twice a week.”

“Excellent. That relieves much of your burden.”

“True, but there’s still so much to do.”

“Talk me through it. Perhaps I can assist.”

Myka looked across her room at the collection of objects on her desk, the ones she and Abigail rescued from Helena’s apartment. She hadn't told Helena what had happened there yet as she wanted to process her experiences there before inserting Helena's influence. But considering the subject matter, that was kind of counterproductive as she wouldn't be able to keep it from her for long.

“Why didn’t you tell me they were gutting your building?” she asked.

“Are they? I wasn't aware.”

“I think you knew.”

“I’d only heard rumblings. Nothing substantial. Certainly, nothing this soon."

Myka grunted in disapproval. "You couldn't have mentioned it was a possibility?"

"Discussing such destruction seemed cruel after all you’d been through. And I didn't want to alarm Christina.”

When Helena got kicked out, Myka was still a mess, so she could see where Helena was going with that. But Christina was going to find out eventually, whether while walking to the park or from a friend at school. Though she didn't mention it either the last time she saw Christina, probably for the same reasons Helena had kept it from her.

Standing from her stool, she walked across the room towards the group of objects littering the table. She fingered the frayed edge of a worn LP sleeve she dug out from the dumpster, one that once lived on a bottom shelf in Helena's living room with many others. They were visible from the couch while she was lying down, and she'd often wished they had a turntable to play them on. That couch provided so much comfort in those trying times, especially when Dewy would knead in circles and then curl up at her feet.

“I loved that apartment.”

“As did I.”

“Well, it’s gone. Ripped apart. The whole damn thing.”

“How do you—“

“Your couch was in a dumpster. We went inside. Took everything left of you we could carry.”

“We?”

“Me and Abigail."

“Oh. You and Abigail.”

The line quieted.

“Sorry, that was...” Harsh, Myka thought. But no harsher than finding her with Bonnie at the sale.

“A-And what treasures did you gather?” Helena asked, in soft, defeated tones.

“A, um...pen,” Myka said, describing the nearest thing to her. “From that Mexican place on Houston. The one with the soup Christina likes when she’s sick.”

“Pozole.”

“Yeah, that’s it."

“Then it's truly a souvenir worth saving,” Helena replied. Her words were polite but distant as if she was thinking about Christina being sick and her inability to comfort her. Myka wanted her to feel guilt, but over her, not her child. She looked around her collection for something less fraught.

“There’s that pom-pom Christina made at Brownies.” Dust fell to the table as Myka lifted an orange poof of yarn.

“The singular time we attended before she began kempo. It wasn’t for us.”

Myka drops the pom-pom and hones in on another item. “Shells from the beach you said were from Santa Cruz?”

“From our excursion after Claudia’s job interview at Apple. That was…an enlightening day.”

“Tell me more.”

“I shall, one day,” Helena answered. “But it wasn't terribly pleasant.”

“Oh, sorry." Myka searches her collection for something with a cheerier backstory.

“I’m touched you felt compelled to save these trinkets, but I must ask, whatever for?”

“They’re lost memories, like mine, from the fire, and I’m painting them for my show. Or at least trying to, but I’m running out of time.”

“Ah, yes! That makes perfect sense."

“It does? How?"

“Thus far, you’ve been piecing together memories, painstakingly recreating objects you’ve lost. But there’s a distance there as if you're compiling a catalog, much like the registrar you’ve trained to be."

“They’re more than cataloging—"

"But the objects from my flat are extant, and your renderings draw directly from their energy. Mixing our memories with your own adds a richness, describing the limbo we're all experiencing while building our lives again.”

“I, um...” Myka looked toward her easel, at the rendering of the calendar she rescued from the floor displayed there. Various events from that month flashed through her mind, and she realized the amount of baggage she was memorializing. Helena’s interpretation of her motives suddenly made sense, though unpacking them at the moment seemed too intense.

“Can you work on multiple paintings using artificial light?” Helena asked.

“I have been, and it helps. But I need to ship everything at least a week and a half in advance.”

“Ship many as you're able and take the rest with you on the plane.”

“Can I do that?”

“Yes. If you're still using wooden panels, they're not weighty. Pack them securely and pay the excess baggage fee,” Helena explained. “Buy them pre-primed to save time in the studio.”

“I like preparing them myself.”

“You must focus on content. Hire someone to prepare them for you, if that’s critical."

“You’re probably right.” Myka sighed.

“You're allowing too many distractions to get in your way.”

“Who’s fault is that?” Myka said, her bite from earlier gone.

“I’ll refrain from phoning if—“

“No. Call. I might not pick up, but this was...helpful." It was, but everything wasn't sitting right just yet. "We’re still not ok. Ok? You know that."

“I’m acutely aware.”

“As long as you know.”

“My offer still stands, either way.”

“I’ll keep it in mind,” Myka said, then tapped end her phone. That was all the critique she could handle for the day.

Positive news also eased tensions between them, as early on, Mrs. Frederic's bid won the sale. The sizable commission allowed her to step away from the gallery, though she promised to help out when needed. And the residency in LA got in touch before her trip and informed her she made it through to the semi-finalist round.

But she needs to get through tonight before anything can truly move forward, a big art night in Warsaw all round. The city's museums and galleries have openings concurrently, and tonight's crowd has already has exceeded expectations. The director's been buzzing around all evening, introducing her to new faces left and right. By the time Helena arrives, all the activity's made her head spin, and she's starting to zone out.

She spies Helena weaving towards her mid-sentence, cornered by a woman asking detailed questions about technique.

“Forgive the intrusion, but I must steal the guest of honor,” Helena says and hooks her arm through Myka’s. She leads her back across the room towards the entrance, then steps back and sweeps her eyes over her outfit. “Lovely as ever. More captivating in person. Though I did appreciate the preview over the phone.”

Myka blinks a few times, a little stunned by Helena’s actually here. “Y-you look nice, too. You didn't say you were wearing a dress.”

“I’m hardly well put together, but I did try my best. This event is too important to arrive both late and unkempt."

Myka searches for traces of unkemptness, but Helena's close-fitting dress is wrinkle-free. It compliments her frame so perfectly, she finds it difficult to look away. When she meets Helena's gaze, Helena's eyes fill with apology, and Myka's soften, accepting the gesture without reproach. Her show wouldn’t have come together without Helena's help, and she’s glad she’s finally here to share it with her.

"I thought you'd be here earlier. Was there lots of traffic?” Myka asks.

"I stopped by my hotel to change.”

“It’s not that far.”

“Yours was booked. Mine’s further away.”

“Oh. I didn't—“ A patron squeezing between them cuts Myka short.

Helena turns to face a painting on the wall. “This one’s mesmerizing in person. Nothing like the photo you sent. Its surface seems holographic, but that can’t be right.”

“I added mica powder to the pigment, to create a shine.”

“Myka power?” Helena quips, raising a brow.

“Very funny. You know what I mean. Christina said it should be shiny, like the sticker.”

“She is you’re harshest critic.”

“At times,” Myka says, with a smirk. “It is her sticker.”

“But the rendering is yours. And the sentiment an ode to childhood obsessions."

“It's about the resilience of materials in the harshest conditions,” Myka snaps, repeating the line she’s used all day. "But I guess it is a kid’s sticker, so...” She looks hard at the likeness of a curled and soiled Pegasus she created. Helena's interpretation wasn’t her intention, but she can see what she means.

“Have you repaired all the damage from your shipment?” Helena asks.

“Don’t get me started. I can’t believe the crappy repacking job they did."

“Manhandling must escalate the longer goods fester in Customs .”

“If they’d been held up anywhere but London, I don’t know what I would have done. Thank you again for convincing me to ask for Mrs. Frederic's help.”

“In my opinion, the paperwork error was inconsequential. They should never have been held back in the first place.”

“That’s what happens when I don’t double check things—"

“Myka, come and meet Priska," a woman interrupts. She places a hand on Myka’s shoulder and glances at Helena. “Ah, this must be the long-lost Helena. Welcome!"

“I’m pleased to have finally arrived,” Helena says, holding out a hand to shake. "You must be Eva, the director. Very nice to meet you,”

“Likewise,” Eva says, accepting the gesture. "I've heard much about you.”

“All good I hope.”

Eva smiles and looks across the gallery. “Come, talk with Priska. She’s intrigued by the calendar piece."

“There's a lot to be said, isn’t there?”

As they walk across the room, the mischievous look in Helena's eye leaves Myka wary of what "a lot" entails.

Helena shifts into dealer mode as they meet with Eva’s client, her charm on high as they check in with various guests. Myka chimes in when Helena's interpretations don’t line up with her own, but after their umpteenth conversation, she’s happy to let Helena speak for her. Helena mostly gets things right, plus she’s wiped from repeating herself, and watching Helena work, in her favor, is still a turn on.

There's a dinner after the opening, then drinks after that and Myka's running on steam by the drinks portion. Helena stays ever by her side, chatting with guests, refilling her glass, ensuring she's having a good time. It's comforting having Helena there to care of her, as she'd been mostly holed up alone for weeks.

During a lull in socializing, Helena glances at Myka and smiles a smile she knows is just for her. She slips her arm around Myka's waist, and Myka instinctively leans towards her, smiling back with equal sentiment.

As the hours pass, and the wine takes hold, their touches become more intimate. At some point, Myka tunes out the room entirely, and her eyes hanging on Helena's lips. The way they lift and stretch to match her cadence and inflection makes her wish they were moving over her skin. She aches to kiss her, but not here, somewhere private, somewhere alone. She snaps out of it when she realizes that’s not out of the question.

She asks the time, it's late, an appropriate time to leave. They say their goodbyes, then pile into a car someone called for them. Myka gives the driver directions, and when Helena adds a second stop, her heart sinks; it no longer makes sense to have asked her to book a separate room. It was an easy way out if their evening went unfavorably, but she assumed they'd be in the same hotel.

“I can’t wait to pass out,” she says, slumping back into her seat. She closes her eyes as the car drives away.

“You deserve a rest. And you’ll sleep soundly knowing tonight was a great success.”

“It was, wasn't it?” Myka says. She cracks an eye open to peer at Helena and sees she's sitting stiffly, too far away. She slides a hand across the seat and lays it over Helena’s thigh. “I’m glad you came.”

“Thank you for allowing me,” Helena says. She covers Myka’s hand with her own.

The car turns at a light and Myka settles back, closing her eyes again, resting her head on the top of the seat. The car turns and slows after continuing on for several minutes. When it stops, Helena removes her hand.

“Come up with me,” Myka says and squeezes Helena’s thigh.

Helena looks down at Myka's hand but doesn't answer.

"If you want," Myka adds. Was Helena's doting all an act? She did offer her hotel address rather quickly. Maybe she misread her; maybe she wants to be alone.

“I’d be happy to,” Helena says, laying her hand over Myka’s again and smiling as she meets Myka’s eyes.

They exit the vehicle and walk straight through the lobby, directly into an open elevator. Myka presses a button, and as they move skywards, she steps back and examines Helena’s shimmery ensemble.

“Your dress reminds me of the one from our first ‘official’ date.”

“Do you reckon?” Helena glances down at her garment.

“The cut’s the same, but the color's different. Did you do that on purpose?”

“I may very well have,” Helena replies.

The door opens and they walk down a corridor then stop in front of Myka’s room. Myka slips her keycard into the slot and upon entering, sheds her jacket and bag, throwing both over the arm of a chair. She turns and faces Helena, who is standing a few paces away.

“Take your coat off," Myka says, motioning for Helena to come closer.

“We should talk,” Helena says, her tone weighty, beyond the current mood.

“I know, but...” Myka steps behind Helena and reaches over her shoulders, slipping her fingers underneath her lapels. She leans forward and angles her head, so her lips nearly touch Helena's ear. “Let's keep tonight about me.”

Myka tugs on Helena's lapels and Helena circles her arms back, allowing Myka to slip her coat off entirely. Myka throws the coat on top of her own, then pads in front of Helena and threads a finger under the strap of her dress.

“Maybe we can have a do-over,” Myka says, her eyes following her finger as it slides up towards Helena's collarbone then back down to where the strap meets Helena's generous neckline.

“A what?”

“A do-over. For our 'official' first date.” Myka angles her eyes up, meeting Helena's questioning gaze. "We are in a hotel, and you are wearing a dress.”

"So it seems,” Helena says, her eyes falling to Myka's lips. She leans forward for a kiss, but Myka dodges, grabbing her hand and pulling her toward the bed. As they reach the edge, Myka spins Helena around and taps on her shoulders so she falls into sitting position, Helena lays back and Myka crouches down, lifting Helena's foot, slipping off one heel and then another. She removes her own and drops both pairs to the floor while Helena shimmies up the bed until her head rests on a pillow. Myka crawls across the bed until her body is hovering over Helena’s and Helena adjusts so they're in perfect alignment.

“This is where we left off,” Myka says, dipping down for a kiss. Helena lifts her head, but Myka stops an inch short. “No, wait. You sit up and kiss me.” Myka settles back on her haunches and takes hold of Helena’s hands, placing them, palms down, above her knees.

Helena lifts slowly at the waist, palms skimming up Myka’s thighs as Myka cups Helena’s jaw and guides their lips together. Helena's thumbs slide inwards as they reach the hem of Myka's skirt, stretching eagerly towards tender, intimate flesh.

“Hey!” Myka yelps.

Helena freezes. “I thought we were continuing where we left off?”

“It was our first time, remember? You wouldn’t have moved that fast.”

“You haven't a clue what I would or would not have done.”

“Then tell me," Myka says, but kisses Helena her before she can answer, a strategic brush of Helena's thumbs impossible to ignore.

Helena rakes her hands up, over the curve of Myka's hips, and wraps her arms tightly around Myka's middle. Myka presses into Helena as Helena’s tongue parts her lips, the need for closer contact rushing through her like lightning. When they're forced to break for air, Helena places kisses across Myka’s cheek and lets her lips linger near her ear.

“Any flesh I’d longed to touch would have been unclothed immediately.” Helena reaches behind Myka’s shoulders and drags down her zipper. Myka leans back and lifts her arms, allowing Helena to peel her garment off entirely.

"I'd have mapped every arc and every crook; cataloged each utterance of pleasure I'd earned." Helena slides Myka’s bra strap over the slope of her shoulder and places a soft, lingering kiss on the rise of her breast.

“Wait," Myka says as painful memories trickle back. “If you wanted me so badly, why did you leave?”

“We’ve talked about this,” Helena says, laying her forehead on Myka's chest.

“But I still don’t understand,” Myka says, tipping Helena's head up, needing to see Helena's eyes as she answers.

“I thought tonight was to remain about you.”

“It was but…why were you so scared that night?”

“I’d only just learned I’d be deported.”

“That’s not it. Not enough for you to bolt. It was something else, something out of your control.”

“Myka...“

Myka sits back, distancing herself, brow furrowing as she replays the details of that evening. “You asked a lot of questions about Mrs. Frederic. But you already knew who she was, didn’t you?”

“Her reputation precedes her—“

“No, you knew her. You’d met her before. Were you working for her then?”

“I hadn’t met her until the day I was called into her office." Helena's eyes narrow and Myka shrinks back. She hit a nerve, as she did so often over the phone. “I think you're over-tired, and perhaps a bit tipsy,” Helena says, taking hold of Myka’s hands and drawing them towards her.

“I’m going to change,” Myka says, slipping her hands free and sliding off the bed. She walks towards the bathroom and after entering closes the door.

She leans on the counter and stares into the mirror, seeing what Helena saw. Her eyes are red and puffy, her hair fairly frazzled, but it's been a really, really long day, so she's not surprised. But maybe, just maybe, she's overreacting as she is both overworked and overtired.

She begins pulling out pins and thinking over the situation; was Helena spying on Macpherson for Mrs. Frederic all this time? And was Bonnie clued into the situation before now? Helena said Mrs. Frederic knew her, or rather knew Emily before London, but did she mean “knew of” or “knew her personally?” And if so, wouldn’t she have known the "other" Emily first? Unless she only knew "this" Emily, Helena's Emily, the one from the trial.

She yanks the last pin free and runs her fingers through, combing her hair out into rough, curled strands.

If Helena was telling the truth and she wasn’t Emily before their date, then it is possible, at dinner, she hadn't met Mrs. Frederic yet. So maybe she's jumping to conclusions, mixed up between Claudia's research and Helena's murky past. It is easy to fall into old patterns, so she probably should chill out until they can talk for real. They have a whole three days to hash things out, and it's best to do so with a clear head.

She brushes her teeth and gives her face a quick wash before swapping her clothes for a t-shirt and shorts. She hesitates before opening the door, how does she want to handle this? If things hadn’t gone sour so quickly, they’d be otherwise engaged right now. And she'd rather be doing that than confronting Helena. Maybe it's best to pass out and deal with it tomorrow.

When she opens the door, Helena's standing near the entrance, her coat and shoes already on.

“At least you didn’t sneak out this time.”

“I was certain you wouldn't want me to stay.”

“No, I do." Myka walks toward her suitcase and rummages through, pulling out a fresh t-shirt. “Here. Go change.”

Helena removes her coat and shoes then moves toward the bathroom, taking the t-shirt from Myka’s hand as she passes.

Once the door closes, Myka climbs onto the bed and burrows under the covers. She breathes deep breaths and closes her eyes, hoping to calm her nerves before Helena emerges.

Too few moments later, the bed dips down, and Helena sits motionless for what seems like an eternity. Myka doesn't move either, unsure of how to proceed, waiting for Helena to set the tone.

“Are you asleep?”

“No. Not yet."

“May I say something?”

“Sure."

“Our past may be irreparable, and our future...unpredictable. But our present is something we hold agency over.”

Myka rolls onto her side and bends her arm at the elbow, propping her head up with a hand. “How long did it take you to come up with that?"

"Since you first entered to bathroom."

"It's good. And I get it. You mean tonight is what we make it.”

“Yes,” Helena says. “You’d asked this evening be kept about you and I'd hoped you'd allow me to hold fast to that. You deserve a grand finish that only I can deliver. Let's end your successes on a high note."

“Selling yourself, instead of my paintings? Classy.” Myka huffs a short laugh.

“In a manner of speaking. Is that of any interest?"

"Kinda." Myka shrugs.

“Then I clearly misinterpreted your earlier intentions." Helena looks down at her hands.

“No, you didn't,” Myka says. “I'm interested. But it wouldn’t fix anything. And we’d still need to talk. A lot.”

“And we shall. Eminently.”

Myka slides her hand across the duvet and brushes a thumb over Helena's wrist. She may regret this tomorrow, but it is what she wants tonight.

Helena lifts her legs onto the bed and stretches out next to Myka, angling her body so they’re lying face to face. She cups Myka’s jaw and brushes a thumb over her cheek, looking into her eyes as if asking permission. Myka covers Helena’s hand and slides it over her lips, kissing it then laying it on the bed. She then eases Helena onto her back and straddles her hips, planting her hands on either side of her head. She dips down and kisses Helena as Helena's hands skim up her thighs, fingers sliding under Myka's hem with zero protests.

-TBC-

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noodleinabarrel · 7 years

Text

WIP Challenge!

Tagged by @flamingbluepanda and @onedamnminuteadmiral -- thanks very much! <3 (Also, your projects all sound fantastic and I’m very impressed by your productivity!)

Do Dis: List all the things you’re currently working on in as much or little detail as you’d like, then tag some friends to see what they’re working on. This can be writing, art, vids, gifsets, whatever.

---

Ok, I’m only listing Trek related things, or else you’ll all discover how I’m a true jack-of-all-trades-master-of-none type and this post will travel to infinity and beyond.

Writing:

I haven’t been super motivated to write fanfic this year, so when if these will get finished, well, your guess is as good as mine. But, here are 3 WIPs I’ve been picking away at.

1. The Long Fic: This is an AOS K/S fic I wrote 60k+ words for last year. I was really into it, but then I got distracted by real life endeavors, so I stopped writing. And now, I’m a bit overwhelmed by all the words I’ve written, and how much I still have left to write, and I’m starting to question plot points and the whole structure of the damn fic, which is the worst thing to do with a delayed WIP because I’ve become a bit afraid of the monstrosity and freeze up whenever I open its word doc. But, I think about this story a lot and want to finish it, so I might try to continue where I left off during NaNoWriMo this year and worry about how terrible the story is when it’s time to edit like a good little writer should do.

2. Jim’s book obsession fic: Kirk/Spock AOS. It’s basically a fic in which Jim loves talking about books (I love the paperback nerd!Jim headcanon) and sharing stories with Spock, and relating everything that happens to them to some novel he’s read or tale he’s been told. I know where I’m going with this fic, and have scenes planned out and a few written.

3. The Bridget Jones’ Diary/Pride & Prejudice AU: Kirk/Spock AOS (what else?). If anyone has read my fics, you may have noticed I’m in love with romantic comedies. I also find them easier to write than more serious or dramatic stories (which the above two kinda are). So, this fic is like my comfort blanket--when I get overwhelmed by other writing projects, I wrap myself up in this one and proceed to procrastinate by writing snarky banter, dumb jokes, and awkward misunderstandings. If anything in this list will actually get finished, it’ll be this fic.

Art:

1. Sewing a Bones plush which @captain-raven-knight commissioned from me! <3

2. Embroidery is one of my many new crafting obsessions. I’m currently working on embroidering a scene from ST:ITD -- the “Truth is, I’m gonna miss you” scene.

3. Sewing new Beyond-type uniform shirts for my Kirk, Spock, and Bones plushies.

4. I have a bud who sends me Halloween cards every year, so I’m designing a little spooky Trek themed card for her.

---

You know what, this challenge is great if accountability tends to kick you in the butt. Now I want to go finish all the things...

Tagging, if any of you wanna do the thing: @entrenous88 @captain-raven-knight @plaidshirtjimkirk @gimmemorespirk @leifor @rimedio8 @janey-jane and anyone else who sees this and wants to share their WIPs!

#tag meme #wip challenge

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ramrodd · 5 years

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What flaws in the ROTC program need to be addressed?

COMMENTARY:

I have deleted a series of responses to Mike Page’s response to his own question.

I never disagree with his ahrgument, per se, especially as far as the advantages his proposal of 2 summer camps are concerned instead of the 4 year program I went through as a liberal arts student majoring in letters and process theology.

The process theology I was getting from RTOC, you dumb fuck. Nothing personal, of course.

The 2 summer camp program he proposes is more fun. I loved summer camp. My only problem was that I had to finish my senior year and my summer camp happened just before the 1968 Democrat Convention which resulted in the police riot the SDS had been designed to create with the 1962 Porort Huron Statement.

Cause and effect. The cause was the Trotsky Insurgence process embedded in the political strategy of the anti-war people. The Trosky Insurgency process is designed to employ sedition and subversion to create the social alienation and polarization that leads to sabotage and violent revolution. The sabotage didn’t really kick in until after Kent State, but the subversion really got traction after Tet ’68 and the SDS began to develop cells recruited to infiltrate the military and professions as active agents in the overthrow of the US government.

I was a Junior at Indiana when Tet hit the campuses. I re a uniform three times a week, looking as strac as I knew how to. I had been on a drill team as a Persishing Rifle and had my dad’s example of what a lifer’s uniform is suppose to look like on the job. I was as squared=away as I could be without having mom come behind me and complete the picture.

I knew Tet was coming. I grew up around headquarters and I was as plugged into the Post Rumor Control as the CG of CONARC. I wasn’t spying: it was osmosis. I got back to campus and everything was hunky-dory, the New Hampshire primaries came off as usual and the gates had open on the run for the white House and, at that moment, not-LBJ was not even a Dark Horse.

1967 was the Summer of Love in a “if you’re going to San Francisco…” flowers in the hair kind of way and Sergeant Pepper had just come out and John McCain had just been shot down. Tet was just about to jump off the Tallihatchie Bridge with Billy Joe McAllister, but Christmas was like the German side in Stalingrad 1942: there was a certain magical thinking that maybe it all had a happy ending if we all just clapped for Tink,

Tet was not the cause of the Chicago Police Riots in 1968, the Port Huron Statement was the cause, if you have any useful acquaintance with process theology, that should be evident to you without too much deliberation, Tet was the seed crystal that set off what amounted a socially supersaturated solution, or critical mass, that had been carefully groomed by the anti-war movement to blow up somewhere, sometime. It only took 6 years to achieve that moment and if the Diem brothers hadn’t been assassinated, the Port Huron Statement would have never gotten any traction.

I watched this stuff happen during a 4 year liberal arts education I was required to attend in order to receive an ROTC commission. ROTC is a direct result of the ideal and the intent of the 2nd Amendment, that is, to ensure for the manpower and mobilization requirements of the federal mandate for the common defense in the original intent of the Founding Fathers that the American Republic would be sustained by citizen-soldiers in the Swiss-Israeli tradition. The 2nd Amendment doesn’t have shit to do with guns: it is entirely a mechanism to supply the worker-patriots to carry the guns. The Civil wWar, on both sides, and First and Second Phases of the World at War was fought by the America citizen soldier, thanks to the 2nd Amendment. My dad got his commision at Indiana. I got mine the same way. We spent 4 years in classroom engagement in the process theology of the military arts and sciences, but the most fun was the practical application of FM 22–5, twice a week.

Just for the record, FM 22–5 comes almost directly from Frederick the Great by way of von Steubin and prior to Jomini. US Army doctrine originates in Prussian staff experience, but is embellished by the French example at Yorktown and the focus on Jomini at the exclusion of Clauswitz until Marshall’s reforms beginning in 1942 and proceeding way beyond any need to reexamine the efficacy of the 4 years ROTC program. It’s not West Point. It’s not intended to be West Point. Or OCS. Or the two-summer camp ROTC program. It is, however, the same intellectual trajectory and learning curve as West Point and that trajectory, combined with the experiential data that has accumulated with the liberal arts program, ensures that the collective unconscious of the US Army is being constantly enriched by the broadest possible universe of high shooling for the dressage of the republican citizen soldier.

Here’s the thing, Mike Page, my impression of you is similar to my impression of Richard Carrier, the evangelical anti-theist and John Bolton and Dumb Ass Don: you’ve never heard a shot fired in anger.

I know you were in the combat arms, but your original profile said you went to Germany instead of Vietnam. You now cite Asia, which means you could have earned a CIB on the DMZ, but you were pretty emphatic that you never got to Vietnam.

Poor you. I wouldn’t have missed Vietnam for the world, and being in GermanY during Vietnam was like a certain kind of Purgatory for someone who had signyd up for a life of derring-do and danger, but we all served the needs of the service, so that’s like Eisenhower, who never go overseas in Phase I.

Vietnam wasn’t a great war, but it was the only war we had.

The other thing I sense in you, Mike Page, is the resentment of an OCS officer without a college degree, going through, for the country-club commission I earned over 4 years and a summer camp. If you are serious about producing the best possible officer to lead soldiers against fire, you should know that everything that happened before you got that rank don’t mean nothing once you get it: how you got there ain’t important. It’s that you showed up and stuck around is all the military requires to begin the process of becoming all you can be.

See, here’s the thing, Mike Page: growing up in the Army, all the chaplains I knew had been combat veterans until I left the Army in 1971. Generally, I’ve done what I can to avoid the military since I left: the prospect of spending time with some lifer like you just makes my skin crawl, even if they have been shot at. But you and Bolton and Richard Carrier share an attitude I never encountered among the chaplains I have known. I saw the same thing being directed at John Kerry by the Swift Boaters and it was an attitude I ran into in the corporate culture from Vietnam-era National Guard pukes, who resented the fact that they had to keep their hair short during a time when getting laid and short hair were not the norm and they blamed Viet vets for their decision to pursue their business careers and not be labeled a long-haired, dope-smoking, anti-war hippy freak in a culture of pro-war business executives. It’s like the military officers who conceived and implemented the All Volunteer Military: they blamed the draftee-citizen solder for the way Vietnam turned out and that it was actually their idea in the first place.

So, if this idea of reforming ROTC represents a big career move for you, my advice to the rest of the world is to ignore it.

There were two coalitions in the Army senior officers during the McNamara tenure in the Pentagon: those who were committed to Marshall’s reforms and what my dad called “Nut Heads”, that is, political opportunists who abandoned the needs of the service in favor of their own ambitions and aligned with the McNamara Whiz Kids and his reforms based on the Harvard management model. These guys were in charge when Tet blew up in LBJ’s face and he dropped out of the race. From 1968 until I got back from Vietnam, these guys were like a Marx brothers meet the 3 Stooges, running around, trying to avoid becoming collateral damage. One of these guys scared me out of a military career in Vietnam, someone with the same crypto-Nazi cognitive organization as Mike Pompeo, Mike Espry and Tom Cotton.

And you. In response to your last reponse in our dialogue, to wit,

>>>Mike Page: “If you had an idea, Tom, it would overwhelm that single brain cell you were born with,….”<<<

You are a retrograde pre-Tet ’68 Nut Head. And the All Volunteer Military seems to be just totally stuffed you guys.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTARY:

How should the U.S. have handled Communist aggression in Vietnam?

You really don’t know shit about much of anything, do you, Mike Page.

Both Korea and Vietnam sit on the trade routes from the oil in the Persian Gulf to Japan and Taiwan, for one thing, and that oil was the reason for our presence on the Pacific Rim and, in no small measure, a factor in Japan’s vision of their Great Co-Prosperity Sphere that compelled the decision to attack Pearl Harbor.

You’ve presented the SDS version of the Oliver Stone version of Vietnam. The actual version is presented, below.

From 1954 until 1962, the MAG-V mission in the Republic of Vietnam was essentially the same as the K-MAG mission in the Republic of Korea: peace keeping and nation building, Both nations were the result of a negotiated partition and, in the case of the Korean Penisula, a cease fire that persists. This was part of George Kennan’s theory of containment and reflected Marshall’s manifesto delivered at Harvard in 1947. The efficacy of this mission can be measured by the present success of the Republic of Korea, and the continuing K-MAG mission.

In 1962, the commie cocksuckers in Hanoi determined to invade RVN and signaled their intent to that end by tossing frags into Saigon movie theaters. I had friends, other Army brats, living in Saigon at the time, and MAG-V evacuated all the dependents in 24 hours in order to clear the deck for general combat and to avoid a reprise of the Phillipines.

After the assassination of the Diem brothers in 1963, America lost the moral legitimacy of its nation building mission and made it impossible to “win” the battle MAG-V was transformed into MAC-V with the mission to conduct a battle of attrition against the Soviet economy by proxy, the subsequent enterprse being a battle in the larger Cold War.

To this end, General Westmoreland was essentially assigned the task of creating the blood sacrifice of the commie cocksuckers on the field of battle that would compel the Kremlin to continue to commit the material support to their ideological clients that would ultimately bankrupt the Soviet economy, which had not begun to fully recover from WWII.

In the final analysis, Vietnam became a contest between Marxism and the Harvard Business model and Marxism won, but, in the larger context, Vietnam was for the Kremlim what Borodino was for Napoleon: a battle they couldn’t afford to fight and a battle they couldn’t afford to lose.

As a direct result of the American War in Vietnam, the Soviet Union is no more. The fact of the matter is, the Domino Theory did, in fact, manifest, regionally, but was contained by what amounted to entropy.

Now, in reference to my commentary on your ROTC essay (Tom Wilson’s answer to What flaws in the ROTC program need to be addressed?) the mistake that the “Nut Heads” in the Pentagon that aligned with McNamara’s agenda made was to NOT proceed at the same time as the “Search and Destroy” element of the post-Diem brothers strategy with the other two legs of a Clauswitzian solution, that is, to equip the RVN military prodigously and to begin the process of “Vietnamization” on pretty much the same model as the ROK Army that served with such distinction in RVN.

As far as providing aid to all of Vietnam, it’s useful to remember that 1954 was the year of the McCarthy Hearings and people were losing their careers for any hint of political intercourse with commie cocksuckers anywhere in the world and Ho Chi Minh was a commie cocksucker who had just supervised the defeat of the French at Dien Bien Phu. The long haired anti-war hippy freaks of the SDS, and Noam Chomsky, might have found the prospect of providing economic aid to ALL OF VIETNAM appealing, but, well, in 1954, General Ridgeway wasn’t as sanguine of the prospect of success nor inclined to propose the project in the first place.

Just for the record, my self-esteem is perfectly secure. I’ve been dealing with lifers like you since I got off the Freedom Bird in 1971. Just the idea of being around lifers like you makes my skin crawl, but it’s not an impediment to my happiness and personal fulfillment.

#transformingamericafirst eisenhowerrepublicansforAOC

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uwugenides · 7 years

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FACT FOR EACH STAR GO GO GO !!!!!!!!!! :D

⭐️I love my boyfriend⭐️When I was little I dropped a can in the garbage on accident and my brother made me crawl in the trash can to get it back out and put it in the right thing.⭐️I have right duane's syndrome. It's a birth defect that makes it so I can't turn my right eye outwards, it stops in the middle and I see double when I try to do it.⭐️I once fell through bleachers from the very top, falling straight down, twenty(20) ft, and I hit five cross bars on my way to the ground. My life did flash before my eyes.⭐️Growing up I wanted to be the first female president. Now I'm a trans man and I hate the government.⭐️I always wanted a husky (I was a wolf and tiger kid) and I got one two years ago and I love her. Her name is Ember.⭐️uhhhhh,,,,,,,, I'm autistic, well specifically I have aspergers⭐️I think you gave me too many stars ⭐️I love space but if I think about the laws of time and space I get too existential and dissociate for hours⭐️I'm having trouble thinking up new facts. 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If I could just live as a guy who goes around and finds wildlife I would never ask for another thing in my life⭐️I've recently started playing Pokémon Go again. It's fun⭐️my first Pokémon was a pikachu⭐️I've already traded my first Pokémon for more candies because I'm vain and want to be the very best⭐️I used to be a compulsive liars and would spend hours at night crying because I thought I was a horrible person for it. I was seven(7) at the time.⭐️I'm a trans⭐️koala bears are actively not helping themselves stay alive, not a fact about me, just a fact I like.⭐️I love my boyfriend⭐️I just got a new kitten named Periwinkle Blue⭐️if I die before I travel to at least one(1) foreign country I will have died a sad man⭐️my great grandpa was Jewish and I carry a lot of that culture and its traditions down with me, despite not actually considering myself part of the religion.⭐️I'm a descendant of the Karuk tribe which is located in Northern California. 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If you've ever been in something like that you know that they are practically in character 24/7⭐️I love little kids but feel like I'm horrible with babies⭐️I fear I'll be a horrible parent and make my child feel the way my mom makes me feel⭐️I tried to get myself emancipated once and sadly failed as I'd gone through with a Or of the process before someone told me I wasn't old enough yet.⭐️stars are dying balls of gas⭐️I love my boyfriend ⭐️ SO MANY FUCKING STARS JESUS HAROLD CHRIST⭐️The H in Jesus H Christ stands for Harold, I looked it up once.⭐️I don't kinkshame but people should be a bit more conscious of what they do in general public access places.⭐️I've been in two(2) abusive relationships⭐️I take a lot of meds⭐️I might start T this year or next year⭐️I want top surgery before I graduate high school or the summer before I go to college⭐️I relate to Tony Stark as a person way to much⭐️I hate when the Hulk is only Hulk and never Bruce Banner⭐️I'm pretty self-confident most the time⭐️I've brought a blanket with me to school on more than one(1) occasion.⭐️I'm naturally a night owl and sleep better when sleeping during the day⭐️I take commissions for my art and you should commission me.⭐️currently I own three(3) dogs and two(2) cats. Mattie, the German shorthair mix, Ember the Alaskan/Siberian husky mix, and Memphis the purebred Doberman pinscher. One(1) adult cat named Freckles and one(1) kitten named Periwinkle Blue.⭐️I love video games.⭐️I love theories. Let's talk theories all day. Any theory, let's talk.⭐️I love talking about sociology and social expectations that aren't realized.⭐️I love collecting odd knick-knacks. I have many weird artifacts around my room, gathered by me or my yard-sale enthusiast grandpa.⭐️I hate Donald Drumpf.⭐️I love my boyfriend⭐️I love my boyfriend⭐️I love my boyfriend⭐️I hope my boyfriend loves me⭐️the best animated characters to ever exist are Jesse, James, and Meowth from Pokemon.⭐️I'm taking PE independently at my new school⭐️I love singing and acting but I worry that I'm the person that is really bad at it and no one will tell me⭐️I also love doing special effects makeup⭐️sculpting is great fun⭐️I'll be going to the San Francisco comic con this September so if you're there come see me⭐️I'm going to be Dipper for comic con and my boyfriend is going to be Bill Cipher⭐️Arya from Game of Thrones is the best young actress I've ever seen⭐️then again she's not actually that young⭐️I once got stung by a scorpion while being inside my own home on my own bed⭐️till I was like seven(7) I had to share a room with my mom because we didn't have a house big enough for me to sleep anywhere else⭐️my dog Mattie's fullname is Calamity Anastasia Strelow⭐️at the school I used to attend a kid dressed up as a "tr*nny" for Halloween and wasn't told to take off his costume till someone who wasn't trans and out at the school complained and that took me begging my friend.⭐️I love my boyfriend⭐️I'm Bigfoot and my boyfriend is Mothman⭐️Atomic Blond looks like a really good movie⭐️my first(1) two(2) rats were named Loulou and Pepper⭐️my rabbits were Midnight and Petals.⭐️my hamster was a Russian dwarf hamster and he ended up being eaten by my cat Bobby Joe who was eaten by a mountain lion from the local area⭐️a bear has been seen on my old elementary school's campus five(5) times in my lifetime⭐️wolves were once seen by the only starbucks in my town which was only opened up last year⭐️I live in a major gold mining area and I5 runs right through the town next to mine which is practically where I live⭐️I love my boyfriend⭐️I've had a full body massage once(1) in my life and let me tell you, you haven't lived till you've had your butt massaged⭐️I've taken like three(3) different classes for martial arts and never really followed through with any of them⭐️I've only been bitten by one dog in my entire life and it was completely my fault⭐️this post is too long Jesus fuck⭐️why⭐️the emoji movie doesn't actually look that bad in my opinion⭐️Despicable Me3(three) was actually a really good movie.⭐️I hate bad acting but I respect the effort⭐️every sibling I have is a half-sibling⭐️I'm a horrible person⭐️but I'm also the only good person alive aside from my friends and boyfriend so I'm conflicted ⭐️The Gay and Wondrous Life of Caleb Gallo is a must see by anyone who considers them self part of the LGBTQ+ community⭐️I don't consider queer a slur personally but I understand the history of it and I never have and never will use it to describe someone or a group of people without their explicit permission⭐️before I came out as a trans guy I thought I was gebderfluid⭐️Chase Ross is an awesome guy⭐️I feel like I look like Ronan from The Raven Cycle with my new haircut, but I always pictured him with a darker complexion so idk⭐️I hate Caitlin Jenner as a person, but not for her gender identity in and of itself.⭐️my phone is getting very warm⭐️these stars are horribly shaded⭐️I love being trans and don't regret it at all⭐️my husky is probably my favorite dog so far⭐️TOO MANY STARS⭐️I don't know anythinh⭐️I'm actually a robot and this is all a lie⭐️I want to be a popular blogger or like a YouTube or something but hhhhnnnnnggg⭐️I'm really into literature and English and history and everything about all of that⭐️I made my signature while scribbling and realized a particular scribble looked like my initials⭐️I love my boyfriend⭐️I watch too many shows ⭐️I want to be a teacher kind of⭐️I want a better job⭐️I want to be who I see in the mirror when I've got all thecright clothes on and I'm feeling confident ⭐️I want to be a better person⭐️I want to be amazing⭐️I want to be a good human being⭐️I want to be special⭐️I want to be good enough⭐️I want to be happy⭐️I want to be healthy⭐️I want to be happy with who I am⭐️I want to be me⭐️I want to be cool⭐️I want to realize that I can be all this things if I just let myself⭐️I want to kiss John Boyega⭐️I want to hug Chris Pratt⭐️I want to smile the way I smile when I see my boyfriend⭐️I love my boyfriend⭐️I want more scars⭐️I want to be more adventurous⭐️I want to be a great person⭐️I want to live a good life⭐️I want Drumpf to resign⭐️I want to be famous⭐️I want to be immortal for all the good and bad it brings⭐️I want to be good⭐️I want to be happy⭐️I want this to end⭐️I love my boyfriend

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wayneooverton · 6 years

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8 reasons to love Christchurch, New Zealand

Lieselot De Brauwer is a freelance writer and travel blogger. She sees herself as a world citizen, but lost her heart to New Zealand and was an expat in Christchurch. She specializes in New Zealand and Canada travel, outdoor adventures and inspiring others to explore new places on her blog The World is a Circus

So you’re finally planning to book your dream trip to New Zealand. Yay! About time, right?

But where to start? Flights I guess. Well, most people come in one of two ways. They fly into Auckland, which is New Zealand’s biggest city on the North Island, or into Christchurch, the biggest city on the South Island, which has my favorite airport in New Zealand.

Depending on how you plan your trip, you must visit Christchurch, an awesome place to start, finish or just plain visit all on its own.

A city in a land that is famous for its wilderness, it could be easy to overlook, but let me tell you, as an expat there for years, it’s worth stopping through to get a real for what makes New Zealand tick and to get a taste for real kiwi culture.

I’ll be honest. Christchurch and I weren’t love at first sight. It was more one of those slow and steady relationships where you really had to get to know each other first, with butterflies coming on later. But man, now I’m in love!

And that’s a similar story for a lot of expats. The local community is tight-knit and takes dedication and time to break into.

Back in 2014, I arrived to visit Christchurch on a Working Holiday Visa – it’s a very easy way to move to New Zealand for a year or two as a foreigner and travel around and work at the same time. It’s one of the best ways to get to know a place, and there’s a lot of work available in Christchurch.

Everything you need to know about moving to New Zealand on a working holiday visa

The story of Christchurch is one of both sadness and hope.

In 2010 and 2011 two big earthquakes hit Christchurch, killing 185 people and leaving the city in ruins. Seven years later and the city is still being rebuilt and has a very unique feel to it. It’s a place unlike any other I’ve been to. Empty parking lots now take up the space where buildings used to stand tall. The whole city feels like it’s still under construction, because, well, it still it.

But I highly recommend visitors look beyond the orange traffic cones and scaffolding because Christchurch has quickly become a vibrant and creative city. While many people left after the earthquakes to start there lives somewhere else, the people that stayed are incredibly passionate about growing the city in a creative and lovable way.

And because it’s changing all the time as the construction continues, it’s like a new city every month.

There are always temporary art pop up stalls around town, speakeasy bars and food trucks galore. The city is always visibly changing as it undergoes its rebuild.

New restaurants and unique bars keep popping up; there are little markets everywhere, cute cinemas and original stores that are so worth exploring! In one word, Christchurch is quirky, filled with hidden gems and little pop ups everywhere. There are even dancefloors outside with music in some of the places where buildings used to be where you can pop in some coins and dance like no one is watching to your favorite songs (spoiler alert – people are in fact always watching)

Here are some of my favorite reasons to visit Christchurch, New Zealand, and eight ways this city bit by bit made me fall in love with it. I can promise that you’ll fall in love with Christchurch too!

1. Christchurch has a kickass coffee culture

Seriously, you have to make an effort to have a bad cup of coffee in Christchurch, which would be a real shame!

New Zealanders are really into their coffee, especially the perfect flat white. I went from not drinking coffee to becoming a caffeine addict since moving here. Just saying… Be careful if you don’t want to get hooked on coffee.

Christchurch has an abundance of cafes, offering a lot of fresh meals and delicious drinks, many in quirky and unique spaces. It’s a real treat for your taste buds. Even you’re not into coffee they are great places to just hang out and spend some time while in the city.

I spend a lot of time in Addington Coffee Co-op. The food and coffee are delicious and they focus on an ethical way of doing business. 70% of their profit goes to local and overseas communities.

Another favorite is C1, downtown Christchurch. They literally have the food coming out of the ceiling – check it out for yourself if you don’t believe me! This is a Christchurch classic and local fave, and if you only go to one cafe, come here.

For brunch Hello Sunday is the place to be – tucked away in an old 19th century post office in Sydenham, make sure to book a table, as it’s very popular. Don’t be put off by the small and busy area when you enter, there is a larger room and courtyard in the back. Hello Sunday offers granola, quinoa salad, savory crumpets, the traditional eggs benny and so much more along with fabulous coffee. It’s really next level brunch, and therefore my favorite!

There are so many other cafes I love in Christchurch but here are a few:

Black Betty Cafe

The Cup Cafe

Park Ranger

Unknown Chapter

Uncommon

Supreme Supreme

Black and White Coffee Cartel

2. Admire all the amazing street art

Is it just me or do the best cities in the world have beautifully commissioned street art?

Christchurch breathes creativity. You just can’t escape it here.

The town has taken the rebuild after the quakes as an opportunity to make the city even better than it was before. The city center was a mess, but beyond the abandoned skyscrapers, walls of beauty started to appear. Local and international artists created street art throughout the city and helped bringing it back to life, many of which was on condemned buildings or the ruins of a place.

Now the trend is growing with huge beautiful murals popping up all the time, some of which are done by worldwide famous street artists, especially after the festival Rise in 2014, which brought in mega talent for an exhibit at the Canterbury Museum.

A walk through town will guide you past impressive street art. This interactive map shows you where to find the latest street art in town. Christchurch is actually called the Garden City, because of all its flowers and gardens, but I think we should call it the street art city. Don’t you agree?

3. And oh my god, the food!

After the Christchurch earthquakes, a wave of creative entrepreneurs started up their own hospitality businesses, making the city even more delicious, which means there is no shortage of incredible dining options around town.

And there is something for everyone. From oriental and Mexican to local lamb chops, here are a few of my favorite spots you definitely need to check out on any trip to Christchurch:

Pot Sticker Dumpling Bar. Warning: the food is to-die-for, and that’s probably what you’ll want to do after stuffing yourself with their dumplings and bao burgers. But don’t be scared, you’ll be in dumpling heaven!

Cook ‘N With Gas is more of a fine dining restaurant. It’s set in a historic 1860’s villa, with frames of old movie stars on the walls. They only use local vegetables and meat from the Island, and for a meal à la carte you’ll pay about 45NZD. It’s a bit more expensive than fish and chips, but I promise you won’t regret it.

Burgers & Beers is my favorite stop after a day out in the mountains. The staff is super friendly and the burgers are just as they should be: big, tasty and with lots of options (I always take the one with avocado!). Definitely the best burger joint in Christchurch.

The Afghan is a Christchurch secret and has all the goodness. It’s very basic, but the food is delicious and perfect to share with a group of friends.

Mythos Greek Souvlakis on Colombo Street is another good one if you like souvlaki

New Regent Street is the place to be for drinks, from cocktails to authentic bars and liquor. Check out The Last Word and The Institution. One block further there is the O.G.B Bar, which is located in the entry hall of the Heritage Hotel.

For local crafted beers you should visit Volstead Trading Company, The Brewery and Smash Palace. The latter is a very popular and unique outdoor bar. Every Wednesday there is a Couchsurfing gathering, which is great if you want to meet other travelers!

4. Tuck in somewhere cute and quirky

Don’t come to Christchurch and stay somewhere lame. In a city full of arts, culture and general weirdness that often can’t be explained, you should find some accommodation that you’ll really enjoy being at.

For those of you on a budget, why not stay in the Jailhouse? One of the best backpacker hostels in New Zealand, it is, yes you guessed it, in a former jail.

And if you are looking for a little more comfort, check out Eco Villa, a small and lovingly designed boutique hotel in town.

If you’re after the finer things in life, one of Christchurch’s best hotels has to be Hotel Montreal, a stunningly designed luxury hotel in town, full of charm.

5. Even though it’s a city, you’re never far from nature

One of the best things about Christchurch is that it’s the epicenter of some great nature, surrounded by the ocean, rivers, lakes and beautiful hills. I lived on those hills, and I can tell you, it was the best. I got the most beautiful sunsets and sunrises; I could go running on beautiful trails whenever I felt like it, and rock climbing is just around the corner.

Nature is very accessible here, from local parks to around Christchurch to heading outside of the city center, you’ll find many hiking tracks and outdoor opportunities. Some of the local favorites that are close to Christchurch are the Port Hills (check out Godley Head and the Rapaki Track) and even further afield to the Banks Peninsula (Governor’s Bay, Diamond Harbour or Beacon Point); or you can even just go for a stroll along one of the many beaches!

Southeast of Christchurch are Sumner and Taylor’s Mistake, which are popular places for surfing, and are great places to rent a board and have fun on the waves while mountain bikers can whip up to the Port Hills. But if you’re more into rock climbing like I am, the Port Hills are the place to be. Albert Terrace is a great place for beginners while and Cattlestop Crag is another favorite, giving you a beautiful view over the city.

6. Check out the neat suburb of Lyttelton

Lyttelton is an artsy little port town 15 minutes from Christchurch over the beautiful Port Hills. It is home to a lot of cool bars and cafes, like the Lyttelton Coffee Company, though my favorite spots might have to be the Lyttelton Farmers Market which happens every Saturday from 10am to 1pm.

Discover local products and the freshest bread, while enjoying the funky market atmosphere. One day I found myself dancing in the crowd, when a live band was playing. This is one of my favorite places near Christchurch.

And don’t forget to check out Roots, one of the best restaurants in New Zealand is tucked away in Lyttelton. A cozy restaurant with seasonal degustation menus, it’s a great place for a fabulous feed.

7. There’s always something going on

One of the best things about Christchurch is its creative vibe with plenty going on. There’s always something new and quirky around the corner.

The Gap Fillers project is another outburst of creativity. Gap Fillers literally fill up the gaps left behind after the earthquakes. You can find an outdoor Dance-O-Mat, book exchange corners, and before you know it you’ll find yourself totally immersed in a giant-size Super Street Arcade. If you want to see the real quirky and unique side of the city.

If you want to discover local and international artists, definitely visit the Christchurch Art Gallery near the Botanic Gardens. There are more than 20 exhibitions and installations and all of that in beautiful exhibition rooms. The entry is free, and on Wednesday nights it’s open until 9pm.

I have a secret to tell. New Zealand is home to many independent and quirky cinemas with my favorite being the Alice Cinématique, which is actually a video rental shop – yes they still exist. There is a small door that leads you into a magical Egyptian-style theater! Find a list of more unique cinemas in New Zealand here.

I’m not a big shopper, but Christchurch has a lot of great stores. The Tannery shopping center for example is way more than just a shopping mall. The architecture is beautiful, and the mall contains many unique boutique shops.

8. So many great day trips from Christchurch

Christchurch is the perfect base for some awesome day trip because of its great location you have access to many of the best places on the South Island. Here are three of my personal faves!

1. Akaroa

Akaroa is a must-visit, especially in the autumn.

This small French-inspired town on the Banks Peninsula is one of the quirkiest you’ll find in New Zealand. There is lots of French food to try, activities to do and wildlife to encounter. You can swim with rare dolphins, learn about penguins, meet cute alpacas and all of that in a beautiful backdrop. You can even stay in one of the iconic glass PurePods in Little River.

The drive from Christchurch to Akaroa takes about an hour and a half, and it is absolutely gorgeous.

2. Arthur’s Pass

Arthur’s Pass is worth the two-hour drive from Christchurch, and it’s the place to be for hiking! One of the three mountain passes that traverses the Southern Alps of New Zealand, it’s an incredibly beautiful part of the country with great hikes, waterfalls, rivers and activities for getting outside and a tiny little blip of a village.

There are tons of scenic views and hikes in the area, like Castle Hill Peak, Temple Basin, and Avalanche Peak. There’s something for all levels and adventure.

Be sure to stop at the Cave Stream, where you follow a river through a cave. It’s super fun and exciting, but don’t go by yourself. It’s one of the best-kept secrets in the area. And don’t forget to walk up to the Devil’s Punchbowl waterfall, recently named one of New Zealand’s best short walks by DOC.

3. Kaikoura

A 3 hours drive north of Christchurch is the stunning seaside town of Kaikoura, where snowcapped mountains meet the ocean. It’s known for its rugged coastline, incredible marine wildlife and seafood – try the crayfish! It’s also the best place to encounter some iconic New Zealand fur seals from up close.

Kaikoura was severely hit by an earthquake in 2016 which damaged the coastal road to the town and has only just been reopened, so it could use all your love! Spend some time there, have a coffee and enjoy this beautiful part of New Zealand!

Whale watching and swimming with dolphins are two of my must-dos in Kaikoura, and if you really want to treat yourself, stay in a luxury treehouse at the Hapuku Lodge.

There is so much to do, see, taste and explore in and around Christchurch and this is only scratching the surface.

I imagine by now you should be convinced that Christchurch is worth a stop in your New Zealand itinerary – because it really is! A place filled with great quirky spots, amazing locals, delicious eateries and fabulous nature right on its doorstep, it’s worth either stopping for a few days here on any New Zealand itinerary or as a base for your adventure around the South Island.

Have you ever been to Christchurch? Have I convinced you to put it on your bucketlist? Share!

Lieselot De Brauwer is a Belgian freelance writer and travel blogger. She specializes in New Zealand travel and outdoor adventures. You can view her work at The World is a Circus or on Instagram and Facebook.

The post 8 reasons to love Christchurch, New Zealand appeared first on Young Adventuress.

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bitcoin24on · 7 years

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#bitcoin # invest #money [bitcoin24on.blogspot.com]

It’s not clear what Tron is or whether or not it takes its name directly from the science fiction movie. And that confusion extends to the company’s business model. We jump into the grid to explore why Tron’s coin-operated business is more arcade than reality.

The first thing I learned about Tron the crypto company is that it has nothing to do with Tron the movie – or the game – or anything related to Tron. So why is it called Tron?

I can’t figure it out either. And I am just as perplexed with their business model. Are they trying to be a decentralized social network? An entertainment hub? A content entertainment network? A Napster-like jukebox for digital content? A gaming platform?

When you throw a bunch of psychedelics into the company beer keg every Friday afternoon, the result might be a competition between employees who try to out startle each other with the most bizarre messaging and inexplicable business models.

Tron isn’t really a blockchain platform at all. It’s a theory. It’s not even a theory. It’s the race for a theory. It is the neon in search of an outline. A grid of competing idea cycles.

And they’re giving themselves 8-10 years for one of those cycles to finish the race – yes really. By the time they’re finished with their product, we’ll have seen competitors create the sequel to the sequel to the sequel of Tron.

Yet Tron’s price has grown very fast. Because their plan is fast money. They marketed it for fast money. Their first partner took fast money and their investors want fast money. And if you ever wondered what fast money would look like if it were left to its own devices, it’s Tron.

But shouldn’t we cut Tron a little slack, because building the next Facebook killer is a nightmare? More correctly, it’s a cautionary tale. Tron is the story of Rumpelstiltskin, whereas every kid knows, you shouldn’t make promises you can’t keep and don’t be greedy.

But what about Tron CEO, Justin Sun’s tease tweet that a Nasdaq listed company is about to partner with them? To that, I’d ask, “at what cost?” It took me 10 seconds to realize the much-touted Peiwo Huanle partnership was due to Tron’s paying them 10% of their ICO proceeds. Will this new relationship be any different? And when will it go into effect?

We will announce our partnership with a very prestigious public listed company next week. Looking forward to it!

— Justin Sun (@justinsuntron) January 4, 2018

Admittedly, Sun is a dream promoter of the company. He is the parable of how to promote something from nothing. When a company is too young to have any real assets, but the bravado suggests otherwise.

On Twitter, Sun’s response to everything is, “we’re better”. We’re better than Bitcoin, we’re better than Facebook, we’re better than you. He’s reserved the throne next to Mark Zuckerberg, and he’s not bashful about claiming it.

And Sun acts the part, doesn’t he? He sounds like Maximus from Gladiator but looks like he’s the fourth boy-next-door band member in The Little Tigers. He’s convincing and disarming at the same time. A man that is so certain of the success of his quest that he’s emphatically pointing into the stands from home plate to declare victory.

So why is Tron’s price suddenly skyrocketing? Its currency price has risen over 4500% in the past 30 days.

I spent a lot of time researching the company, studying the whitepaper, trying to wrest some sort of mystical reason, but it’s conspicuously absent. It’s literally buzz and hype. This is ‘Ripley’s Believe-It’ there is no ‘or Not’.

This reminds me of my last visit to a contemporary art museum where I happened to meet a young, Avant Garde artist staring up at his own creation. “Don’t you see it?” he demands.

“Well, not really, can you help me understand it?” I plead.

“Really?” he exclaims, “It’s obvious man, it’s right there in front of you. The art defines you, it’s asking you for your interpretation, it commands it. I’m going to up-end the art world, let me tell you, I can feel it.”

Perhaps. Or perhaps not.

In Tron’s development schedule they list Exodus as their next phase of development. In terms of their coin, I think I’d heed that advice.

The author reached out to Tron for comment and didn’t receive a reply. We welcome an on-the-record response.

ARTICLE UPDATE: Rumors are circulating on whether Justin Sun sold $6 billion in TRX – we’ll update this section when we learn more.

What are your thoughts on Tron? Is it a legitimate crypto project or mere smoke and mirrors? Let us know in the comments below.

Images courtesy of Tron, CoinMarketCap, AdobeStock

The post [Op-Ed] Truly I Say to You That Tron (TRX) Is a Terrible Investment appeared first on Bitcoinist.com.

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