#constantine also operates within that space!

[wellnoe]

what do you think would happen if Scott Cyclops and John Hellblazer met

i think they would dislike each other. i do not think constantine is scott's type of person. constantine would find scott ridiculous, and perhaps irritating/entertaining in that way. thank you for asking.

[singledarkshade]

Lost In Time

Summary: Reappearing in the world many years after he faced a Time Demon, Rip is surprised by how things have changed but where is Gideon and the Waverider? Author’s Note: Day 6: “Live the next day” – Rip is still out there, so how does he re-join Gideon? Perhaps he’s got something up his sleeve that he’s working on.                                ********************************************* The world around him filled with blinding light, before it faded to nothing. Rip lay in the darkness, floating in a sea of nothing unaware before consciousness rushed back upon him. Gasping Rip opened his eyes and sat up sharply, confused to find he was in a room which had light peach curtains that matched the bedspread covering him.

“Well, it’s about bloody time,” a familiar voice made Rip turn to the man walking into the room, “You’ve been taking up space in the spare room for long enough.”

“John?” Rip frowned.

Self-professed Master of the Dark Arts, John Constantine nodded, “So no amnesia. I lost that bet.”

“Where the hell are we? Rip demanded, “Because this is not the Mill House, unless a spell went very, very wrong.”

“This is our spare room.”

“Our?”

Before John could answer a woman called, “Is he awake?”

Rip stared confused at the woman who appeared, recognition hitting him after a moment, “Miss Tomaz?”

“Zari Tarazi,” she corrected before explaining, “You must have known the other version of me.”

“The other…” Rip let out an annoyed huff, “They changed time again, didn’t they?”

John and Zari swapped a look before John noted, “There were circumstances.”

“Bloody arrogant as always, thinking they know best,” Rip snapped before rubbing his temple, “Okay, other things to think about just now. Where is my ship? I need to let Gideon know I’m alive, even if the lecture will take several hours not to mention the medical exam.”

John and Zari glanced at one another again before John noted, “The lecture can wait. You’ve been unconscious since you appeared in my living room three days ago.”

“Three days?!!!”

John nodded, “Yes, so slow down a bit. Get your strength back.”

“Have a shower, get dressed then have something to eat,” Zari added.

With a smile, Zari disappeared, and Rip turned to his friend, “She is very different from the women you normally hook up with.”

“We’re trying to make a go of it,” John shrugged, “Seeing how it goes.”

Rip looked around the room thoughtfully, “And how long have you been seeing how it goes?”

John shrugged, “Ten years or so.”

Laughing Rip managed to stand, “So not long then.”

Rolling his eyes, John left him to freshen up.

Zari looked up from her phone when John arrived in the living room, “We have to tell him.”

“Considering how he’s going to react,” John said, “I want to let him recover first,” he sighed, “The Waverider and Gideon are gone for good, but he will kill himself trying to prove us wrong.”

Zari rested her hand on his arm, “I know he’s your friend, but you can’t protect him from this.”

“The Gideon we knew and the Gideon he knows are completely different,” John told her, before explaining at her confused look, “To us Gideon was an information source who worked the ship but to Rip, Gideon was family.”

Shaking her head, Zari sympathised, “I understand you want to protect him, John but he won’t thank you for it.”

Sighing John caught her hand and squeezed it, “I’ll tell him.”

“Good,” Zari leaned over and kissed him, “I have to go and meet my publicist. Make sure he eats something before you drop the news on him.”

John nodded and watched Zari sashay out the room, already going over in her head the meeting about her book. Not long after Zari left the house, Rip appeared dressed in the clean clothes they’d left out for him looking around thoughtfully.

“I’m guessing you didn’t decorate,” he said before adding, “Which having seen your old place is a blessing.”

Chuckling John drew him into the kitchen, and Rip took a seat.

“Since when do you cook?” Rip asked watching his friend, “I remember Chas once saying you would starve if he didn’t feed you.”

John shrugged, “I learned. I had to after…”

“After what?” Rip asked curiously when John trailed off.

Becoming very interested in the sausages he had in the pan, John replied, “Zari doesn’t cook.”

Rip fell silent and watched John, which didn’t make John feel any better because he could feel Rip’s mind working. And one thing John knew was exactly how smart Rip was.

 Rip was getting frustrated. John kept dodging questions about when he was, where he was but especially where his ship was. As he ate the breakfast John placed in front of him, which was actually not that bad, Rip contemplated everything being said and not said. Once he’d finished, Rip watched his friend clear everything away, avoiding Rip’s eyes.

“John,” he stated getting annoyed that the other man kept avoiding his questions, demanding, “What happened to my ship and where is Gideon?”

Freezing John grimaced, “You know you should…”

“I do not need to get my strength back,” Rip snapped, “I want to know where Gideon is.”

John let out a long breath before starting, “It…well…”

“Spit it out!!”

“The Waverider was destroyed,” John confessed, “Almost six years ago.”

Rip gripped the edge of the table, “No.”

“I’m sorry,” John breathed, “I know this is hard.”

Anger filled Rip’s eyes, “I should have known they would do something like this, I should have…” he trailed off, anguish at losing his best friend welling up. He took several deep breaths before asking, “What did the Time Bureau say? Did they check for debris or…” he trailed off again at John’s grimace, “What?”

“There is no Time Bureau,” John winced, “It folded about a year after you supposedly died.”

Rip gave a bitter laugh, “Five years it took me to build that, five years of my life and they destroyed it in one. How bloody typical.”

John passed him a mug of tea stating, “Nothing stronger, you just woke up.”

“So, how are they causing chaos across time these days?” Rip asked, taking a long drink before grimacing and putting the tea to one side.

“They don’t,” John shrugged, “After we managed to get to safety, nothing worked anymore. All the Time Couriers were dead, so we went our separate ways and get together for a drink every so often.”

Rip rubbed his eyes, “Well, that’s a blessing.”

“There was a rumour the Flash team has a time travel device,” John continued, “But either it wasn’t true, or Barry is hiding it.”

Musing for a moment Rip felt a smile touch his lips, “No, they have something thanks to Thawne,”

“What did he do?” John asked confused.

A smile touched Rip’s lips, “He got Cisco Ramon to build him a Time Sphere.”

“I heard about that,” John replied, “But if they wouldn’t give it to Sara, who they know, why do you think they’ll give it to you?”

“I’m not going to ask them for it,” Rip laughed, “I’m going to build my own.”

John frowned, “How?”

Rip rolled his eyes, “It’s my design, and I can build another one easily. First thing first though, I need to get to my base.”

“Your what?”

“What happened to my watch?” Rip demanded.

Confused John shook his head, “I left it next to the bed. Why?”

Rip ignored his friend’s questions and retrieved his courier. He had based the one the Time Bureau used on the courier he’d had back when he was training. It was a useful tool which gave the wearer information, tracked them, monitored health so Rip just added the time travel function. This one however had even more functions, had ensured it was camouflaged as a watch and that no one other than Rip could access it. Finding his duster in the wardrobe, Rip fixed it on his wrist before turning to find John frowning at him.

“Where are you going?” John demanded.

Tapping the controls, Rip opened a portal behind him, smiling at his friend’s amazement, “My base. Come on.”

 John knew Rip had secrets.

The man never told anyone the full story, but John understood why. Rip had been trained to be secretive, trained to work in the shadows and then all the people he trusted turned on him. It was no wonder Rip played his cards close to his chest. But John was stunned as they walked through the portal into a large familiar looking room separated into distinct areas and only missing the seats for the crew.

“Gary,” Rip called the moment he stepped through.

“Yes, Captain Hunter,” a polite voice came from around them.

Rip closed the portal and hung his coat on the stand in the corner, “Status report.”

“All systems are working within normal parameters,” Gary replied.

“Where the bloody hell are we?” John demanded as he looked around, “Is this a ship?”

Rip shrugged, “It was. This was once the Astraea, Miranda’s ship,” he gently rested his hand on what looked like the central console, “I found it floating after the Vanishing Point was destroyed so rescued it and Gary.”

John stared at him.

“This was my base of operations while I built the Bureau,” Rip continued, irritation slipping into his voice, “And after I escaped their imprisonment.”

Looking around, John noted, “I’m guessing you also spent time here when the Time Bureau was in existence.”

“It gave me a place to work in peace,” Rip replied, as he accessed the computer, “Now, I need to know everything about what happened including the exact time and date you arrived through the portal after you abandoned the Waverider.”

“For what?”

“So I can find my ship,” Rip replied, “Because I know she’s still out there.”

                                 *********************************************

 Rip took a drink of water as he went over in his head what he still had to do to finish the Sphere. The good thing was he had most of the equipment and parts sitting around, because when he had nothing else to do Rip tended to build and repair things. It used to drive Gideon crazy when they were on missions that were mostly surveillance and he had nothing else to do.

“Gary,” he called, “How are the scans going?”

“Still nothing, Captain Hunter,” the AI told him, “But from the information Mr Constantine provided, I have currently only managed to search fifty percent of the zone.”

Rip sighed, “Okay. The moment you locate something, anything I want to know.”

“Of course, Captain.” Gary replied.

Returning to work, Rip tried not to focus on his fear that Gary would tell him that he found no trace of the Waverider, and Rip would have to accept that Gideon was truly gone. Part of him wanted to find Sara and give her a piece of his mind however that would let her know, not only that he was alive but that he still had access to time travel.

“Captain,” Gary spoke up interrupting his thoughts, “Mr Constantine is calling.”

“What can I do for you, John?” Rip asked, Gary instantly connecting the call.

“Just checking in,” John told him, “How’re you doing?”

Rip let out a soft sigh, “I’m getting there. We’re still searching for the Waverider though.”

“Let me know if…when you find her,” John told him, “I’ll come with you to help bring her back.”

Rip frowned for a moment, “Just you?”

“If you’re asking if I’ve told Sara about your return then I am insulted,” John noted.

“You’re not the only one who knows,” Rip retorted.

“Zari has promised me she won’t tell anyone,” John replied adding, “And I trust her.”

Rip hesitated but John had earned his trust over the years, “I’ll contact you the moment I’m ready to leave.”

 “Captain Hunter.”

Rip groaned when Gary’s voice invaded his sleep, covering his eyes with his arms as the lights came up in his small bedroom he demanded, “What?”

“I have located the Waverider’s energy signal.”

Rip froze, he slowly sat up and asked, “And?”

“The ship appears to be intact,” Gary assured, “I have not managed to contact Gideon, but this is not unexpected.”

Relief filled Rip that his ship was there, now he just had to finish the Sphere and fix an anchor point so they could return it to normal space.

And then he would have his ship back, he would have his best friend back.

“Do you have a lock on the Waverider?” Rip asked.

“Yes, Captain,” Gary assured him, “And projected her trajectory in case there is a loss of signal.”

Rip nodded, “Then I am going to get a few more hours sleep. Wake me at the usual time and I’ll finish the Sphere before contacting Constantine.”

 “Okay,” Rip nodded studying the readouts, “Shut the engines down and recharge.”

Sliding out the Sphere, Rip moved to the monitor and reviewed the system information. Now the Time Sphere was ready, he created an anchor point that would allow him to fly his precious ship back into the timestream proper before bringing her to the bunker.

Since he’d woken up in John’s spare room over three weeks ago, Rip finally felt he had a chance to get back his best friend and confidant. Gary was helpful but he didn’t have the same capacities as Gideon.

No other AI ever had.

It took a few more hours until Rip was ready to enter the Time Bubble and rescue his ship.

“Gary, contact Constantine and tell him he has an hour to join me or I’m going alone,” Rip said.

“Mr Constantine swore at me,” Gary came back a few minutes later, “And told me to open the portal in five minutes.”

Rip nodded as he pulled together what he needed and packed the sphere, hearing the portal open he turned to see John walking through.

“You didn’t exactly give me time to prepare,” John noted, “I could have been doing anything.”

“I have a lock on the ship and don’t want to lose it,” Rip replied, “Now is the best time to go.”

John nodded and slid into the passenger side of the sphere, “Waiting on you.”

“Gary,” Rip called as he entered the sphere and started the engines, “I will contact you when we’re ready for re-entry. Ensure the anchor is stable at all times.”

“Yes, Captain.”

Rip glanced at his friend, “Ready?”

“As I will be,” John replied, “Let’s go.”

                                 *********************************************

 Rip frowned when they materialised within the cargo bay, and it remained in darkness. Ensuring the Sphere was powered down fully, Rip grabbed a torch and his toolkit before sliding out, John following him.

“Lights aren’t coming on,” John noted, “That does not bode well.”

“No,” Rip grimaced, he started to the door pausing at the control panel and checked the power.

“What?” John asked at the bemused look on his face.

Rip turned, “The power is fine.”

“That’s good right?”

“Yes and no,” Rip replied, “The sensors should have activated the lights.”

John licked his lips nervously before asking, “Gideon?”

“Not sure yet,” Rip mused, “Her matrix doesn’t appear damaged but…” he sighed, “I can’t find any activity.”

Wincing John noted, “Let’s keep going. Once we get to the bridge you can check properly.”

Rip nodded and manually activated the door, turning on the lights in the hallway for them as they headed for the bridge. Even though the ship was trapped and appeared to be dead it was good to be home once more.

If only he knew where Gideon was.

“I don’t like this,” Rip mused, “There is something off about how the ship seems active but there is no reaction to our presence. That’s not right. Gideon should be reacting to our presence.”

Rip pulled out a wire from the Courier on his wrist and connected it to a panel on the wall.

“What?” John demanded when Rip spun looking shocked.

“There’s a life sign,” Rip told him, disconnecting from the panel, “Coming from my room.”

“Your…” John rolled his eyes as Rip marched away frowning as he entered a section of the ship he didn’t recognise, “What the hell is this?”

Rip glanced back at him, “Gideon and I sealed it before we let the team take the ship.”

“Why didn’t the team remember it existed?” John demanded, “Because we could have used the extra space.”

“Because Gideon altered the teams’ memories so they wouldn’t,” Rip replied with a shrug, “I didn’t want them going through my things or using my room.”

“What?”

“You didn’t think I was letting them keep my ship, did you?” Rip asked annoyed, “This is my home.”

John frowned as they continued along the small section of corridor, “Who unsealed it and why?”

“That is my question,” Rip noted.

Reaching the door, he found the manual release to unlock the door which opened only a few inches. Rip could see a figure curled up on his bed through the small opening. Pushing the doors open fully Rip motioned John to stay back. They didn’t want to overwhelm whoever it was, and it was better if there was one of them back if whoever this was attacked Rip.

Reaching the bedside, Rip touched the lamp raising the light slowly and stared at the face peeking out from beneath the covers.

“Gideon?” he breathed.

“What?” John snapped, frowning when Rip motioned him to stay where he was.

Rip sat in the edge of the bed and gently stroked Gideon’s hair back, “Gideon,” he called softly, “Wake up.”

“No,” she whimpered curling away, “I don’t like this dream.”

“Gideon,” he called again.

She cried softly, “You’re never here when I open my eyes and I’m alone again.”

“I’m here,” he promised, resting his hand on her cheek, and wiping away the tears leaking from her eyes, “You’re not alone anymore.”

Her eyes opened slowly, a mixture of amazement, joy and relief covered her face, “Captain?” she breathed, grabbing the hand that was sitting on her cheek, “You’re real?”

Rip nodded softly, “I’m real.”

With a gasp Gideon moved and was suddenly in his lap, arms wrapped around him as she held onto him tightly sobbing against his shoulder. Rip gently rubbed her back and waited until she was ready to talk to him.

Finally, she sniffed and pulled back, her eyes red rimmed and Rip just wanted to take all her pain away.

“I can’t believe you’re here,” Gideon said, resting her forehead against his, “I thought I’d lost you forever.”

Rip smiled, “I thought the same for a while there.”

A pointed cough made them turn to where John was standing in the doorway, “So, we found Gideon then.”

 Gideon quickly washed her face and pulled her hair back before changing into less rumpled clothing. Walking back into the main room, she smiled to see Rip standing there. It had been so many years since he’d walked off the ship to stall Mallus, both before and after she had been trapped here.

Walking to him, Gideon wrapped her arms around his waist holding on, just to be sure he was real. She just wanted to hold onto him and never let go because he had come for her, he must have known how small the odds were that she would be here, but he had still come.

Rip gently rubbed her back for a moment before he whispered, “What happened?”

Gideon sighed and stepped back from him, “We hit a time bubble. The team did not know how to deal with the problems that arose, because it was a phenomenon they’d never encountered before. It caused the engines to malfunction and due to the displaced time around the ship I was only able to contact the crew using text.”

“Which I’m guessing they ignored,” Rip frowned, glancing at John who winced.

Gideon started out the room, leading them to the bridge, “While they tried to release the ship, the self-destruct initiated.”

“That’s easy to fix,” Rip noted, “Diving into the bubble with the shields set properly would reset it.”

“I suggested that this was how you would deal with the situation,” Gideon noted, “But…”

Rip sighed, “Sara wouldn’t use my solution.”

They both turned to John who frowned, “She didn’t think it would work.”

“Because the person who was trained to travel in time since childhood and had used the solution in the past,” Rip noted sarcastically, “Plus the AI who ran the ship telling her it would were wrong?”

“Everyone thought it would kill us,” John grimaced, “We did our best to repair the ship and stop the countdown but there was nothing we could do. We were forced to abandon the Waverider. Sharpe suggested we send it deeper into the bubble so that when it exploded it wouldn’t destroy the time stream.”

“Except the Waverider did not explode when sent into the bubble,” Rip sighed, “Because as Gideon told them it reset the self-destruct. And without someone setting a release point trapped Gideon here.”

Gideon nodded sadly.

“How did this happen?” John asked, motioning to her human form.

“I do not know,” Gideon told him, “I theorised it was due to the shields not being raised when the ship passed through the bubble once more. But one minute I was a part of the ship then the next I was on the floor of the bridge, human. And completely alone.”

Rip wrapped his arm around her protectively, “How long have you been here?”

“You know time does not work like that here, Captain,” Gideon said softly, “But the chronometer shows that it has been several years chronologically. If you had not come, I would be trapped here alone for eternity,” she sighed, “Now we are trapped together.”

Shaking his head, “I thought I was the pessimistic over-dramatic one,” Rip chuckled, “Do you really think I would come in here without an exit plan? You know me better than that, Gideon.”

“You created an anchor point?” Gideon asked hopefully.

Rip nodded and found her in his arms once more, hugging him tightly, “I was not leaving you and the Waverider here.”

Releasing him, Gideon nodded smartly, “Then we have work to do to.”

 Rip walked with Gideon into the engine room to reconfigure the shields and engines for their escape, leaving John to watch the energy levels on the bridge.

“Well, the entire ship is in perfect condition,” Rip noted as he opened the main panel while Gideon worked on the core.

“I had little else to do,” Gideon reminded him, “I put myself in stasis for months at a time, waking to perform maintenance.”

Rip turned and caught her hand, “I’m sorry, Gideon. I…”

“It was not your fault, Captain,” she said, “We agreed that I should go with the Legends.”

He sighed, “But I left you with them when I used the core against Mallus, and they never understood how special you are.”

A smile touched Gideon’s face, “I amused myself during their misadventures. I knew you would reappear one day, despite your belief it would kill you, the odds were higher that after the temporal electrocution you would survive the overloading of the core.”

“Nice to know,” Rip shook his head.

Gideon shook her head sadly, “I never thought you would find me here though. I feared I would be lost alone forever.”

Rip pulled her into his arms, holding her tightly, “You will never be alone again, I promise.” He pressed a soft kiss to her temple, “As long as you want me around.”

Gideon pulled back and smiled at him, “Always, my dear Captain.”

“Rip,” he corrected.

A sweet smile touched her lips as she conceded, “Rip.”

Turning back to the shields, Rip realised Gideon had a thoughtful pout on her face, “What?”

“I do not want the others to know you released the ship,” Gideon told him, “I am sure you do not either and if Mr Constantine’s relationship with Miss Tarazi is still ongoing then they will find out. Mr Constantine may not say but Miss Tarazi is likely to mention something to her brother, who will mention it to one of the others and Miss Lance will learn.”

Rip nodded, “Then we blank their memories of everything, starting with my return.”

Gideon sighed in relief, “Thank you.”

“But first we need to get the ship out of the bubble and back to the base,” Rip reminded her, “Gary will be happy to see you.”

“He just knows I am able to deal with you better than he can.”

 Rip took the pilots chair looking out at the strange purple of the time bubble, while Gideon sat in the co-pilots chair so she could monitor the connection to the anchor outside the bubble.

“Ready?” Rip asked.

Gideon nodded, before glancing round at where John was sitting, “Completely.”

“Then let’s go,” Rip smiled, “John, make sure you’re restrained properly. This is going to be a bumpy trip.”

John sighed and gripped the chair, “Doesn’t surprise me.”

Glancing at Gideon, Rip took her hand, “Let’s get out of here.”

Activating the engines, Rip checked the shields before connecting with the anchor point that he’d created outside the bubble. Using the link, Rip opened a corridor out of the bubble, and as they began their exit the entire ship began to shake.

“Gideon?”

“Shields are holding, Captain,” Gideon assured him.

Rip gripped the controls, “Alright, we’re about to exit the bubble. Hold on.”

The ship began to shudder violently, Rip could see a pained expression on Gideon’s face at what was happening to her ship and wanted to comfort her, but he had to concentrate on flying the ship.

“Tell me we’re almost there,” John demanded, his voice wobbling from the vibrations.

“Exiting the bubble in three,” Gideon called, “Two. One.”

The shuddering stopped and outside suddenly became the green of the time stream once more. Gideon let out a sob of relief and Rip moved to hug her, her arms wrapped around him tightly.

“It’s okay,” Rip soothed, “You’re free.”

                                 *********************************************

 Rip landed the Waverider in the large bay he’d created for her within his base. Removing himself from the restraints, Rip turned to Gideon and hugged her once more.

“I’m bloody blind,” John snapped from his chair.

Rip shared an amused smile with Gideon, and they helped John out the chair, guiding him into the main lab.

“Gary,” Rip called, “Connect with the Waverider and perform a full system check.”

“Yes, Captain,” Gary replied before adding, “Welcome home, Gideon.”

Gideon beamed and rested her hand on the console, “It’s good to be back, brother.”

Rip smiled at the joy filling Gideon’s eyes at being reunited with one of her siblings, the loss of them had affected her so much.

“Before we allow you to settle in,” Rip told her, “We should get John home.”

Gideon nodded asking, “How is your eyesight, Mr Constantine?”

“I can see colours now,” John noted, waving his hand in front of his face.

Rip retrieved the memory wiper from its drawer, programming it while Gideon spoke with John. Part of him was sad that his friend would forget that he was alive, but Rip understood Gideon’s fear. If the others knew the ship had been freed, they would want to take it once more. It was not only Gideon’s home, but she had been abandoned by them when they ignored her advice, so Rip wanted to ensure she felt safe.

Activating the portal back to John’s house, they guided him through into his kitchen.

“My eyesight is back to normal,” John noted as he looked around.

“John, are you back?” Zari’s voice came just before she appeared in the kitchen. She paused seeing Gideon, “Who is this?”

“This is…” John stopped as Rip hit Zari with the memory wiper. Rip caught and lay her down on the floor as John demanded, “What are you doing?”

Rip sighed, “I’m sorry, John. But Gideon doesn’t want any of them to know we got the Waverider back and I know you trust Miss Tarazi, but I can’t take the chance she’ll slip.”

“So, what?” John demanded as Rip raised the wiper to him, “I forget you survived. I get to keep thinking that my friend is dead?”

Gideon caught his hand, “This is my request. Rip is doing this for me.”

Deflating, John sighed, “So, I don’t get to remember either of you are safe?”

“Can you keep this secret from Miss Tarazi?” Gideon asked softly.

Nodding John reminded her, “I can, and I will.”

To Rip’s surprise, Gideon caught Rip’s hand and lowered it before she hugged John who squeezed her tightly for a moment before letting her go.

“Take care of one another,” John told them, “You know where I am if you need me.”

Rip clasped his friend’s hand briefly before opening the portal and, wrapping an arm around Gideon, led her back to the base.

 Gideon sat in the comfortable living room area of the base, amazed to no longer be trapped within the time bubble. She had spent so many years alone, so long wandering the corridors of her ship wishing for someone to find and bring her home.

She had dreamed so often of Rip’s return, only to be bitterly disappointed when she woke alone. Now he was just across the room making them tea. He had come for her, and Gideon was so happy to have him back.

Rip placed the mugs of tea he’d made for them on the table before taking the seat at her side. Gideon leaned into him, enjoying the tactile sensation, especially as Rip wrapped his arm around her hugging her close.

“What do we do now, Captain?” Gideon asked softly.

Rip shrugged, “We’re free, Gideon. We do whatever we want. But there is one thing you need to do.”

“What?” confusion filled her.

He smiled, “Stop calling me Captain and use my name.”

Gideon gave him a shy smile, “Of course, Rip.”

Pressing a soft kiss to the top of her head, Rip hugged her close and they sat together ready for whatever the future held for them.

[architectnews]

Expo 2020 Dubai Sustainability Pavilion Building

Expo 2020 Dubai Sustainability Pavilion Building, Architect, UAE Design Project Photos

Expo 2020 Dubai Sustainability Pavilion Design

6 October 2021

Design: Grimshaw Architects

Photos by Phil Handforth

Terra – The Sustainability Pavilion at EXPO 2020 Dubai

Terra – The Sustainability Pavilion, opened to the public in 2021 as one of the top three attractions of the Dubai Expo 2020, and aims to illuminate the ingenuity and possibility of architecture as society looks to intelligent strategies for future sustainable living.

photograph : Dany Eid / Expo 2020

Drawing inspiration from complex natural processes like photosynthesis, the dynamic form of the Pavilion is in service to its function, capturing energy from sunlight and fresh water from humid air. The relationship of building to site, and to its physical and cultural contexts is critical, as the facility’s strength lies in its capacity to demonstrate a new way of living sustainably in a challenging desert environment.

Sited in a prominent location, the Pavilion structure works in tandem with the considered landscape of demonstration gardens, winding pathways and shaded enclaves to create an aura of magic punctuated by the sights, smells and tactile opportunities of nature. The gardens are both experiential and functional, setting the stage for the exhibition contents within and creating shaded gathering areas that will manage and distribute crowds while providing retail, food and beverage opportunities.

When creating a building with a goal of generating its own energy and water in a harsh climate, the solution cannot be driven by a single aspect of the design. To achieve net-zero, the design required a series of technologies, building systems and design solutions to act in unison. This self-contained, micro-ecosystem resulted from a combination of strategies: optimizing the natural conditions inherent in its location; working with and within them to maximize efficiency; and supplementing them with pioneering sustainable technologies to create innovative solutions

The design is driven by maximizing efficiency which it does by seeking shade in the one place available: below the ground. The Pavilion uses the insulating properties of the earth to shield it from the harsh ambient temperatures which can soar to 50 degrees in the warmer months.

photo : Dany Eid / Expo 2020

Most of the accommodation is below grade and cased with an earth roof system, creating a substantial barrier to help reduce its cooling loads and conserve energy. The above ground surfaces are clad with a gabion rainscreen wall – sourced with local stone from the Hajar Mountains – which provides enough thermal mass to absorb the heat while the stone’s natural color reflects the sun.

Flora and fauna sourced from the surrounding deserts – including some species that have been never been cultivated by humans – are arranged on the planted roofs and throughout the gardens, creating a water efficient landscape that functions through a series of closed loop systems designed to filter, supply and recycle water. The framing of these local topographical and floral features, combined with the technologies of water recycling and reuse, provide visitors a newfound appreciation of the unique region and its biodiversity. The site also includes areas for productive agricultural landscape featuring halophytic agriculture and other testing beds.

The culmination of the building’s systems can be found in the heart of the Pavilion, its large exterior courtyard. Borrowing from the vernacular of the region, the courtyard provides a large, passively cooled space for visitors. During the design, thermodynamic studies charting the prevailing breezes were used to shape the courtyard to allow desirable cool south-westerly breezes to enter while blocking warmer winds.

Soaring over the courtyard, the Pavilion’s canopy accommodates more than 6,000 sqm of ultra-efficient monocrystalline photovoltaic cells embedded in glass panels. The combination of the cell and the glass casing allow the building to harness solar energy while providing shade and daylighting to the visitors below. The experience in the courtyard is of being beneath a large shade tree with dappled light projecting onto the surfaces below. The form of the canopy works with the courtyard to direct cool air in, while simultaneously exhausting low-lying hot air through a chimney effect at the centre.

The canopy also serves as a large collection area for stormwater and dew that replenishes the building’s water system. The result is a structure that combines the most advanced technology in solar capture and a clear understanding of the natural conditions of the site to actively generate energy while passively cooling and enhancing the experience of the visitor. With over 6,000 sqm of exhibition space, the Sustainability Pavilion will enjoy a long life after Expo is over, transforming into a science museum and expanding on its mission of exploring sustainable practices and the critical stewardship of our fragile planet.

ENERGY E TREES The Sustainability Pavilion is complemented by an installation of Energy Trees which contribute toward its goal of producing its own energy. Nineteen E-trees ranging from 15-18m in diameter are dispersed throughout the site and provide 28% of the energy required to power the building. Inspired by the Dragon’s Blood, a tree found only on Socotra, an island 200 miles off the coast of Yemen, the E-Tree is designed to be a deployable freestanding shade structure that harvests the sun’s energy. The structure is constructed from steel and complex composites and has been optimized to support an 18m photovoltaic array.

Taking further cues from nature, the array follows the sun in the same manner as a sunflower, rotating 180 degrees throughout the course of the day to maximize the energy yield and increase the efficiency of the solar cells, before returning to its original position at night. Bespoke trapezoidal panels composed of highly efficient monocrystalline solar cells, embedded within three layers of glass, provide shade below without casting severe shadows or blocking views to the sky.

Supporting the array is an engineered carbon fibre structure inspired by the design of the steering wheel of a yacht. The structural design maximizes strength in its shape, with radial branches encircled by a compression ring while decreasing the load of the structure itself. Carbon fibre was chosen for its light weight which allows the form to extend unsupported for up to nine meters in all directions.

The E-Trees have become an integral part of both the exhibition and the Pavilion site – showcasing and educating visitors on the research on solar harnessing and panel technology – while at the same time, serving as an integral part of the systems that contributes to a net zero energy goal of the building.

photo : Dany Eid / Expo 2020

Terra Expo 2020 Dubai Sustainability Pavilion Design – Building Information

Project Data:

Client: Emaar Properties & Expo 2020 Dubai

Location: Expo Road Dubai South, Jebel Ali P.O. Box 2020 Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Website: https://ift.tt/3FmYDo0 Completion date: January 2021 Gross square footage: 17,000 sqm Project cost: confidential

Project Team:

Grimshaw: architect Buro Happold: engineering Desert Ink: landscape architecture

photo : Dany Eid / Expo 2020

Other Consultants:

Rice Perry Ellis: local architect Sherwood Design Engineers: civil engineering, water management Cerami: AV, IT, acoustics, security Tricon: food service Orca : crowd flow RWDI: climate analysis Thinc Design: exhibition design Eden Project: exhibition content TAW Weiss: maintenance Arch4Blind: accessibility Charcoal Blue: theatre design Lord Cultural: operations Friday Group: specifications

photo : Dany Eid / Expo 2020

Grimshaw Design Team:

Andrew Whalley – Chairman – Partner in Charge Matthew Utley – Principal – Director of Middle East Operations Mark Rhoads – Associate Principal – Project Director Casimir Zdanius – Associate Principal – Industrial Design Lead

Associate Principals: Iouyu Chen, Robert Young, George Hauner, Croz Crozling, Andrew Anderson

Associates: Jorge Salgado, Aimee Duquette, Aaron Vaden Youmans, Ross Goldsworthy, Woojae Sung, Andrea Debilio

Design Team: Zach Fine, Augustine Savage, Kyle Day, Renua Itsueli, Fernando Fisbein, Hannah Park, Anthony Mopty, Joana Torres, Justin Brammer, Mehnaj Tabassum, Diba Dayani, Mason Nabors, Albert Hsu, Kurt Hanzlik, Patricia McKee, Fan Cao, Kyle Spence, Vincent Velasquez, Max Dowd, Wooyoung Choi, Leland Jobson, David Mans, Greg Smith, Konrad Sobon, Raphael Ogoe, Alexandra Danciulescu

Photos: Phil Handforth

Sustainability Pavilion for Expo 2020 Dubai Design: Grimshaw Architects image courtesy of architects Sustainability Pavilion for Expo 2020 Dubai

Grimshaw

Expo 2020 Pavilion Abu Dhabi Sustainability

Expo 2020 Dubai Sustainability Pavilion building design images / information received 061021 from CRA-Carlo Ratti Associati Architects

Location: Jebel Ali, Dubai, UAE

Dubai 2020 Expo Pavilions

Dubai Expo UK Pavilion Design: Es Devlin photo by Alin Constantin ; image courtesy of Es Devlin Expo 2020 Dubai UK Pavilion Building

Dubai Expo Swedish Pavilion Building Design: Alessandro Ripellino Architects, Studio Adrien Gardère and Luigi Pardo Architetti photo courtesy of Swedish government Dubai Expo Swedish Pavilion Building

Dubai 2020 Expo Pavilions Design: Santiago Calatrava, Foster + Partners, BIG and Grimshaw Architects image courtesy of architects Dubai 2020 Expo Pavilions

2020 Expo Dubai Luxembourgish Pavilion Design: METAFORM Architects image courtesy of architects 2020 Expo Dubai Luxembourg Pavilion Building

Dubai World Expo 2010 Masterplan Design: HOK / Populous Dubai World Expo Masterplan

Grimshaw Architects

Dubai World Expo

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Abu Dhabi Architecture Designs – chronological list

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[romancemedia]

Underrated DC Shows

Ever since my childhood, I have always been a Major DC fan and my love for the franchise has continued to grow as I got older as I enjoy watching some of my favourite DC shows, wether its the from the DCAU or the live action shows we see today. However, there are some shows that aren’t always given the recognition they deserve and here are my top picks.

The Batman

The Batman was one of the many Batman television series created over the years and one of the most under appreciated ones of all time. The Batman focuses on Bruce Wayne’s early years as the Dark Knight, from when he was originally pursued by Gotham PD up until he is known as Gotham’s protector and guardian, mentor to Robin and Batgirl and a member of the Justice League. The Batman lasted for 5 seasons, making a total of 65 episodes and a television movie from 2004 to 2008. This show was absolutely amazing. Everything about the series was incredible from the character growths to the season story arcs. I enjoyed watching Batman grow into the hero and legend that he is, including his partnerships with Robin, Batgirl and James Gordon. It was also refreshing to see new characters never seen before such as Ethan Bennett and Ellen Yin. Although they were less present in the shows later years, they were great nonetheless.

Every season of the show had a character story arc while also showing the growth to Batman’s legacy. Season 1 was him being pursued by the police and encountering his rogue gallery for the first time. Season 2 shows his new secret partnership with Ellen Yin until he is finally recognised as Gotham’s Guardian. Season 3 was the debut of Batgirl, determined to prove herself to the Dark Knight and become his sidekick. Season 4 featured the debut of Robin and the official Batman team being formed and the final season featured Batman and Robin teaming up with members of the Justice League. It was incredible to watch how Batman’s legacy was formed over these five amazing seasons. Although the series was ultimately successful, it is still considered greatly underrated since no one seems to discuss its greatness compared to other DC animated series such as Justice League, Batman Beyond or the Teen Titans.

Green Lantern: The Animated Series

Green Lantern: The Animated Series focused on the adventures of Hal Jordan and his team as they traveled throughout space to stop the villainous Red Lanterns and later the Manhunters from taking over the universe. The series had everything for everyone, something we could all enjoy, action, humour, superheroes, mystery, suspense and romance. Green Lantern lasted from 2012-2013, making 26 episodes over the course of one year and is one of the very few CGI DC shows alongside Beware the Batman.

Hal Jordon is the team’s leader who was determined to protect the galaxy after learning of the threats of the Red Lanterns and later the Manhunters. Although many question his methods, he always manages to come out on top and again proves himself a true hero and leader. Kilowog is Hal’s former drill sergeant who trained him. Kilowog and Hal are greatly different as Kilowog is serious, gruff and by the book, but sees that despite Hal’s crazy plans or methods, he knows he what he’s doing. Aya is an artificial intelligence, serving as the nagivation computer to the Intercepter space ship, but as she spends time with the crew, she begins to grow and become her own person and wishes to become a Green Lantern herself. Finally, the last member is Razer, a reformed member of the Red Lanterns who joins Hal Jordon’s team after he is offered a second chance. Razer begins to grow, becoming a loyal and reliable teammate and along the way, allows love to enter his heart once again.

Green Lantern: The Animated Series was so underrated. It was so much fun and amazing to watch as I enjoyed watching the crews adventures and relationships growing, becoming true friends and family. One of the greatest things about the show was the love story between Razer and Aya, becoming one of DC most underrated couples. Unfortunately, although the series itself was popular the reason behind its cancellation was because of the poor toys sales and the negative reviews of the 2011 live-action Green Lantern movie.

Birds of Prey

Birds of Prey was a short lived live action DC show that consisted of 13 episodes and aired for only a year from 2002-2003. Birds of Prey focused on the trio of female heroines, Huntress, Oracle and the future Black Canary as they tasked themselves with protecting Gotham City following the disappearance of Batman. Huntress is Helena Kyle, the daughter of Bruce Wayne and Selena Kyle, who never knew her father and tragically lost her mother when she was a teenager after she was killed by the Joker. Oracle is Barbara Gordon who was formerly known as Batgirl until she was shot and paralysed by the Joker and now operates from their clock tower hideout as tech support and mentor. Dinah is a young metahuman teenager who harbours a variety of abilities and is learning to control and harness her growing powers with help from Barbara and Helena.

Birds of Prey was such an underrated series and it had such great potential. The series featured great action and the special effects weren’t so bad. I also enjoyed the romantic relationship between Helena Kyle and Jesse Reese, a detective with the Gotham PD. It’s a shame it only lasted for one season as I could see it had so much greatness within in it, but sadly it was one of the very rare shows that never had a chance to truly shine.

Constantine

Constantine was one of the many shows within the Arrowverse focusing on the adventures of John Constantine, a demon hunter who protects the world from supernatural threats while struggling with personal demons from his past. In his adventures, John gains help from his friends/team, Zed Martin, a psychic artist, Francis Chas, John’s oldest friend with survival magic and Manny, an angel assigned to watch over John. The series lasted for 13 episodes from 2014-2015. Although Constantine’s character has been revived in the Arrowverse, making a guest appearance on Arrow until becoming a main cast member on DC’s Legends of Tomorrow, I still miss the old series and characters as John had a lot of great and mysterious adventures.

Overall, it’s a shame that a lot of these shows weren’t given proper recognition as they had were very special in their own unique ways.

[sparrowkingsley]

New Legends of Tomorrow 00

"Within the Footsteps" Part 2

Star City, Intern Legends Training Facility

Clang, Clang, Clang, Clang!

Like this she could feel her muscles straining and the sweat dripping down her face. She could easily avoid the pain of it of course. Except the pain was why she was doing this exercise in the first place. She hoped it would stop the feelings in her chest from growing. She had to focus on something else. Anything else but her. However, as she climbed the ladder higher and higher her thoughts drifted.

 Eyes like a playful storm cloud. Silk golden hair. The sprinkle of freckles on her face that were even more beautiful than the constellations in the sky. Those lips that held that mischievous smile that always made her heart race. That jawline with her adorable chin dimple, the idea of tipping it toward her and their lips meeting for the first time. She would probably let out a giggle against her throat afterwards, the hum of it sending even more butterflies through her as they held each other close. Then she would whisper in her ear the words she had said so many times to her except this time it would also be different. It would change everything and yet it’s all she wanted to do. She had to say those words.

Her breath had quickened. Her body ached. Her mind was clouded by the thoughts of her best friend. She was slipping from the distraction she had tried to make for herself. Literally.

“Frack!”

CLANG! BANG!

For a moment she laid there. Staring up at the ceiling as she let a sigh. She groaned into hands of silver skin. Thankfully falling from such a height didn’t faze a young woman that could turn into Steel. If only falling for her best friend was so painless.

“Hmm, thought I heard something crashing from orbit and wouldn’t you know? Found myself an astronaut. My favorite one to be exact.”

Indie sat up in surprise and found a familiar face smiling at her from the doorway of the training room. A face she only saw whenever it wasn’t busy being among fans or on a sports magazine but still not a face, she was expecting to see any time soon. Especially not there in the Intern training room.

“Damien?”

“Hey there Moonlight.”

She broke into tears and scrambled to her feet before reaching him and pulling him into a hug.

“Indie, Indie! Steel down, steel down! Bones crushing, breathing compromised!”

“Oh, sorry Damien! Just, I missed you and you’re here and I don’t know why but I really needed a Palmer hug right now!” She had steeled down but she was still clinging tight to him.

Damien laughed, “I missed you too. And you know I’ll always be there to give you a Palmer hug whenever you need one.”

Indie let go and wiped her eyes. Smiling up at the slightly taller man who was basically like an older brother to her. Growing up together they had shared a love for both science, movie references and engineering. If she wasn’t studying or spending time with Laurel, she was with him discussing Star Wars or quantum theory. Damien was her second favorite adrenaline junkie. Obviously, no one could ever out do Laurel in that department.

“Hello Indiana.”

She looked behind Damien and she gasped. Same green eyes, same wavy, black hair and identical face except for a slight scar on his nose and yet it was even more shocking to see this familiar face standing before her.

“CARSON! YOU’RE ALIVE! I THOUGHT YOU WERE STUCK IN HELL!”

“Oh, well that was just a slight annoyance I encountered thanks to Gary getting in the way of my quest to finding a missing artifact of Merlin's in attempt to return it to her- Oof!”

She had cut him off with a hug and she had begun crying again, so delighted to see him after three long years of barely hearing about his well-being at all. Magical dominions didn’t exactly have cell service.

“Wait, you were in Hell? Why am I just now hearing about this? Does mom and dad know that’s where you ran off to?”

Carson winced, partly due to Indie’s embrace and also because of his brother's accusation, “I was there for only a brief time. My training consisted of many other destinations; I assure you.”

“Brief time? Last time a brief time in Hell meant your soul was bound to a certain demon who manipulated you into giving them your heart, soul and body till Constantine was able to free you. Tell me, did your quest really involve Merlin’s missing artifact or did it involve an enchanting demon that sometimes gets under your skin? In more ways than one I might add.”

“What happened to giving me a safe space?”

Damien frowned, “You it’s just… last time he really hurt you and I just, I’m worried about you okay. You’re my brother and it’s my job to look out for you.”

“Look we can discuss my travels in more detail later I promise but for now can you trust me when I say that I’m perfectly fine.”

“Sure. Yeah. If you say so.”

“Good. Now, Indiana will you please let me go. You’re getting snot all over my cloak.”

“Ah, sorry Carson. I’m just so happy to see you again.” Indie pulled away, wiping away her tears yet again.

“It’s okay, I could probably use it for a spell later if I can manage to salvage any of it.”

“Ha, oh that is so gross but so you! I missed you so much! I bet Axl will be so happy to see you too! Did you go say hi to them yet?”

Carson rubbed the back of his head anxiously, “Axl is here? Really, I didn’t know that they, well I had no idea that they were interested in becoming a Legend too.”

“Wait, wait, you’re, you’re going to join The Legends? Both of you?”

Damien smiled, “Science and Magic Twin Team Up!”

“The Conduit and The Druid Together Again! Ahhh That’s So Fracking Awesome!”

“An interesting development within our story indeed.”

The brothers and Indie turned to see that Axl had silently joined them. Casually wiping paint from their hands with a rag, their eyes fixed on Carson.

Carson looked down at his feet, “Hey Axl.”

Axl kept their face emotionless but they kept staring at Carson before quietly saying, “I was looking for Gideon and she is nowhere to be found. She didn’t tell me she would be stepping out which is unusual. Almost as unusual as us having an unexpected visitor. We shouldn’t keep a guest waiting on our doorstep.”

“What do you mean someone is at the door? The alarm would have gone off if someone unauthorized was-!”

INTRUDER DETECTED! INTRUDER DECTECTED AT MAIN ENTRANCE!

The three stared at Axl impressed by their prediction.

“You surprise and delight me as always, Axl! Come on! We got to check this out!”

Indie took off instantly with Damien following after her. Carson and Axl in the training room alone for a few moments. Carson finally looked up at them. They looked so different now. Their eyes focused and yet no longer carrying the warmth they once held for him back when they were younger. He thought so long about what he would say to them when he came home. So many things he wanted to say and yet all he could do was ask an unwise question instead.

“How did you know there was someone at the door? Did you use, did you use magic?”

Anger flashed on Axl's face for a moment, just a moment and then the blank look returned.

“You truly did burn that chapter of once was. It still continues for me.”

Before he could respond they had turned away from him. Walking away. Just like they had done before. How Carson had made them do before. It would never be the way it used to be. He knew that. Except he had to try. He had to try to find his way back home. His path back started with following after his friends.

Indie made it to the door first way before any of the guys. She pulled up the video panel to try and see who their uninvited guest could be. She was surprised to find it not operating which was another thing that made no sense today. First Gideon stepping out with no warning and now the security system acting up? What was going on?

“Indie who is it?” Damien had caught up and joined her at the panel.

“Damien, this doesn’t make any sense. None of our video surveillance is turned on. I have no idea who or what could be outside the door.”

“The security system is working though.” Damien said as his fingers moved across the panel, “I mean it scanned Carson and me before we came in and obviously the sensors are picking up something outside. Let me see what’s up. I can figure it out if just a need a few minutes.”

Indie stepped away, cracking her neck as she took in a deep breath and her skin solidified into it’s silver form. “Yeah or we can do this the old fashioned way. I’m going to open the door. Axl said not to let them wait after all.”

Before Damien could protest she opened the door. Indie found herself looking up and her mouth fell open in shock. Flames of bright purple kept them up in the air before they slowly descended back to the ground in front of her. White irises transformed into beautiful eyes that matched the flames that slowly died down from their hands and hair as they stepped before her. Indie shifted out of her protective state as she took in the person in front of her. They seemed familiar and new at the same time.

She looked them over with curiosity and confusion then spoke the first thought that came to her mind, “Holy Firestorm.”

“Oh my god, Indie please do not call us that.”

“Um you know me?”

“Of course we know you. We came here for your help.”

Damien looked around the corner cautiously after listening in, “And you want her help why? Also who are you exactly and how did you manage to get your hands on a firestorm core?”

“Damien? Oh thank god. With your help we can fix this. We need to unmerge. One of us is supposed to be at MIT and the other well, the other needs to maybe stop with all the research that got us into this mess to begin with- there is nothing wrong with my research- oh really? If that were true we wouldn’t be like this- wait calm down, calm down we can’t control the fire if we don’t stay calm-yeah, yeah I know.”

Damien and Indie stared at each other as the person in front of them continued to argue with their self leaving them wondering what to do next. Thankfully Axl and Carson finally showed up. Carson turned to his brother with a look that asked ‘who is this?’ with Damien shrugging in response. Axl however simply stepped up to the newcomer and pulled them into a hug.

“It’s so good to see you both again. It is also fabulous to meet you as well.”

“Axl you know them?”

The person hugged  back before speaking, “You all know us. We’re family. We’re Martina and we are Ronnie and we are-well we are also Firestorm. At least for now. Please help us.”

Damien and Indie joined the hug excited. They pulled Firestorm inside. Their geek modes activated as they lead them to the science lab. Indie wanting a play by play as to what exactly happened to cause this and Damien of course wanting to know what kind of tech was involved. Carson stood outside with Axl observing them for awhile.

“They are exactly as I remember them. Well, one less body for now but still.” Carson grinned, “Science always brings them together like this.”

Axl let out a hum of agreement. They stood there feeling the cloud between them that grew years ago between them and Carson. A cloud of mixed feeling. Disappointment, sadness, anger, regret… guilt. A friendship buried in the thickness of it. So much so that Axl could not see what would or could become of them. It was unclear. Would it remain or evaporate? It all disbursed for a time.

“Hey you two, we’re going to make a quantum splicer! You gotta come see! It’s gonna be awesome!”

Thank goodness for the resident lady of steel.

“Um no thanks. That is definitely not my area of expertise. I’ll leave all that excitement to you and my devoted brother, Indiana.”

Indie pouted, “Aw come on Carson! Not cool. What about you Axl? Please say yes.”

Axl was about to politely decline the invitation when it hit them. They lost their breath. Pain and nausea overtook them as a shadow pressed deep inside of them. It pounded within their mind causing them to sink to their knees. They needed to focus. They needed to see. They had to see so they could make sure it didn’t come to pass.

“Axl! Axl, come on. What’s happening to them, Indie?”

“I don’t know! I’ve never seen this happen to them before.”

Axl blinked rapidly as they looked up. They were now laying on their back as Carson supported their head. Indie holding onto their hand tightly. Then it became clear.

“Indie, you have to save her.”

“What are you talking about?” Carson asked, “We have to take care of you right now.”

“No. I am fine. Ughhhhh Indie! She needs you!”

“Who? Who needs me?”

They gasped as the vision finally eased away but the panic remained. They had to tell her. This could not come to be.

“Laurel. It’s Laurel.”

******

The Household of Sara Lance and Ava Sharpe

Laurel had been awake for hours. She hadn't been able to sleep. Her mind was on overload. Sleep eluded her as she glanced at her phone over and over checking the time. After three hours of restlessness she had gotten up. Her body exhausted but her mind forcing it to move.

She couldn't stop thinking about the conversation that her and her mom had. What did she want? What did she want to do?

Her interests were many yet sometimes so fleeting. Although she was a master at martial arts she didn't want a career in that. Oplympic fame had seemed cool but ultimately unexciting to her heart's desire. As a kid she had wanted to be a pirate, not a career her parents would want her to pursue to say the least.

Treasure hunting. Time jumping. Exploration was what she really wanted. Hadn't she just wrecked her best chance at that though? Would she be able to finish the Legend Program now? Would she even get back her time license? Most importantly what would this mean for her time with Heywood?

Heywood. Another dilemma her mind was fixated on.

It's not like Laurel hadn't noticed. Sure a lot of times she missed social cues. Her mind usually pulled her away from the things right in front of her. Distracted or overwhelmed by her own mind she usually annoyed most people. But not Heywood. Heywood always put up with her.

The looks they shared had changed recently or rather maybe she had just began to notice. She remembered feeling this change before when she had started to date Josh freshman year. He and her had been close and their relationship had went from, "he is a really great guy to hang out with" to "I really want to kiss him".

Before him she never even really thought about wanting someone to kiss her. It was confusing that she didn't want what other high school classmates seemed to. Then things changed when she connected with Josh.

Two months later it was over. Logically Laurel knew it wasn't her fault. As they spent less and less time together, Josh focusing on track and her devoting so much energy on her time schemes, the feelings had just dwindled away.

She tried to figure it out. Hoped they could work it out. Except she couldn't. She couldn't change things back to how they were when they started. So she broke it off and she lost him. Lost their connection and then lost their friendship.

So now, with Heywood, her best friend, the person she trusted and cared about more than anyone else ... if she ruined things with her? She couldn't lose her. She just couldn't.

Steady vibrations of a familiar sound pulled her away from her worries.

"Hey Sprout, you hungry?."

Her bullfrog continued his bellows till she dumped a few crickets into his large tank. As he hopped out of the water to devour them Laurel began to feed her other pets as well. Grab more crickets for Luna, her leopard gecko and her chameleon Judo. Open up her mini fridge for her scorpion Calypso's meal worms and one large, thawed rat for Sunshine, her boa.

As she opened up Sunshine's enclosure the snake slunk her head out demanding Laurel's affection. Laurel let the snake climb up her arm, up to her shoulders, the snake's tongue flickering against her cheek as she began to sing 'You are my Sunshine' softly. Sunshine satisfied with the attention then willing slid back into her home to enjoy her meal.

Now what?

Laurel tried to distract herself from thoughts of her best friend. Push ups. Sit ups. Pull ups. A few rounds with her punching bag. Still her mind wandered to the same thoughts.

Punch. Those amber eyes that were warmer than sunshine. Punch. Her long, wavy locks of brown hair that she pulled into a ponytail whenever they sparred together. Punch. What about the fact Heywood had three inches on her. Punch. Their height difference was just infuriating and she never was gonna stop teasing her about it. Punch. The way she would switch from English to Korean and back again and not even realize how amazing that was. Punch! And her singing voice, her singing gave Laurel chills no matter what song it was. Punch, punch! Her laugh was just the same. No it was even better! Punch, punch! When Heywood laughed it gave her the best feeling in the world. Punch, Punch! It was the most beautiful sound in the universe. Nothing could ever replace it. Punch, punch!

And it was all- Punch! Punch, Punch! PUNCHPUNCHPUNCHPUNCHPUNCH!

It was all too much.

Just too much.

Think about something else. Anything else. Anything but her.

Laurel threw off her combat gloves, wiped off her sweat with a towel, then made her way downstairs. Maybe she could distract herself by eating something? She figured she could at least try at this point.

"Good morning, Laurel."

Laurel practically jumped out of her skin when she rounded the corner and saw that Ava was already in the kitchen.

"Oh fu- oh um hey mom. You're up early? What time is it? I mean it's Saturday and usually you and Momma sleep in on Saturday so, wait... it's Saturday right?"

"It is 6:32 am on Saturday, October 6th 204-!"

"Um okay mom, chill with the play by play of our current timezone okay. I get it. I'm grounded. Stuck in this time till my community service is over. Geezzz, you don't have to rub it in."

"Very well dear. Would you like to eat breakfast together? I am preparing something special for you."

"Um, sure? If you want."

Laurel was super puzzled by the way her mother was acting. She was super stiff this morning. Like she was on auto pilot. What was more odd was that she was dressed in her pantsuit. Which she rarely ever wore anymore except when meeting with the Time Tribunal or helping out on timeline case.

Laurel began to dig her way into the fridge, "Are you meeting some of your time cop buddies today or like are you and mom doing some nostalgic role-playing thing? Cause if so I don't actually want to know about it. But like if you are please make sure to play your annoying music super loud okay. I don't need to hear you getting sweet with each other like ever."

"Sara is at the dojo. She is with a client this morning."

Laurel froze. Did she just... did her mom just call her momma Sara? She slowly pulled a jar of peanut butter out the fridge and turned around to look at her.

"Um? Are you and mom fighting?"

Ava pulled a cooking sheet out of the oven, not even looking up at her, "Your mother and I are fine, honey. Why do you ask?"

"Cause you rarely call her by her first name. And yesterday you both seemed fine so like, did you get into an argument about my situation or something?"

"Of course not, sweetie."

Laurel opened up the silverware drawer and grabbed a spoon. Something was off. Laurel felt her gut twist into a knot of uneasiness. Then she saw what her mom was pulling out of the oven and the pit in her stomach only grew.

"If nothing is wrong why are you making snickerdoodles at 6:30 something in the morning? You only bake them this early when you are upset or your mind is on something. Mom, seriously what is going on?"

"Nothing is going on. I made them for you. They are your favorite after all. I thought you might enjoy them since you will be stuck at home for the time being."

Laurel opened the jar of peanut butter. She swirled the spoon around for a bit. Her foot tapped as she watched her mom set the cookies on the cooling rack and turn off the oven. She couldn't hold it in any longer. She really needed her mom.

"Mom, I was wondering if we could maybe talk? It's about, well it's about me and um Heywood. I know I said nothing was going on between us but I, I really need your advice."

"Of course, kiddo. Ask me anything you need to."

Her throat tightened. Her fingers clenched against the jar. The hair on the back of her neck stood on end. A chill ran down her spine. All because of one word her mom had just said. "Kiddo?"

"Yes. Kiddo. Do you no longer like to be called that term of endearment?"

Laurel blinked. Once. Twice. And for a few moments just started at Ava. Afraid to look away.

"Hey mom... can you look at me for a second?"

Ava looked up. Her eyes looking straight into Laurel's as she took a huge spoonful of peanut butter into her mouth and immediately put it back into the jar.

"Yes dear?"

Laurel took a few moments to swallow the peanut butter. Silence settling uneasy between them. Tension set into Laurel as she leaned against the countertop.

"You know, I've always been an obnoxiously clever kid. Over the years I have found a lot of ways to intentionally annoy my parents. Years of practice you see. So I'm going to break down a few things for you, okay? My mom, Ava, absolutely hates when I eat directly out of the jar of peanut butter. Seriously it is one of her greatest pet peeves. She likes to call me by a lot of embarrassingly cutesy nicknames. Things like sweetie, honey and her little beam of sunshine when she wants to really irk me. But fun fact only my Momma, Sara, calls me kiddo. Interesting, right? So I'm going to give you one chance. Just one to answer me before things get ugly. Where are my moms and who the fuck are you?"

Next thing Laurel knew the person who most certainly was not her mother was diving across the countertop. She immediately defended herself. Starting by using a jar of peanut butter followed by a right hook to her opponent's face. She was going to thank her mom later for insisting on buying the organic peanut butter in a glass jar.

The imposter had recovered quickly, grabbing a kitchen knife as they began to square off with each other. Laurel had scooped up the closest item near her. A rolling pin that had been knocked off the counter at the initial struggle. Not the ideal weapon. Laurel would make it work.

"It is a shame that you discovered the truth so quickly. This means I must aquire or terminate you at this time. Stand down or perish."

"Not gonna happen. I'm going to take you down. You will tell me where my parents are."

"An unacceptable outcome."

How many times had she sparred with her moms. Countless times. Sometimes for hours at a time. They had drilled into her ways to fight. They taught her how to defend, attack, to adapt to all the things she might have to face. Except what was right in front of her. Someone trying to kill her. Someone who was wearing her mother's face.

Sweat trickled down her neck as she bobbed and weaved waiting on a opening to strike. The blade thunked against the wood of the pin as she blocked strike after strike. The sound of it sending trembles down her whole body as she backed her way into the living room to gain more open space. Tight in the kitchen her movements had been constricted. Now she could move freely and she took the opportunity to switch to the offensive.

Everything was fast. Her body and mind in sync with the furious thumping of her heart. Adrenaline pushed her forward as the knife dug deep into the rolling pin. Then she pulled it back, ripping the knife out the hand of her enemy giving her the full opening she needed. One jab to the chest followed by a roundhouse kick right to the face. That is how she should have won.

Pinning her down Laurel had grabbed her by the collar. Her other fist was raised to strike again. She had been ready to demand where her family was. She had been willing to do whatever it would take. Till she saw the necklace. It was a result from her first heist.  A jade frog she had spent actual time on to carve with the help of Axl for weeks. She had made three of them. One for herself, one for Sara and one for Ava. It wasn't supposed to be there. It shouldn't have been there. She had froze.

That's how she ended up on her back instead. Wheezing for breath as she looked into eyes that pretended to be ones she had known all her life. It didn't feel real yet it was happening. Her fingers grasping at hands closing around her throat. Her thrashing slowing down against her will.  The darkness seeping into her vision. Laurel was going to die. Her time had run out.

"LAUREL!"

Nails tore across her neck as the weight of the intruder was ripped away from her. Her vision was still foggy as breath rattled back into her lungs.  Cool hands cradled her head as she fought to regain her awareness. Thumbs worried over her cheeks and the coolness faded into softness and warmth.

"Come on, come on. Please, please Lo. Keep breathing okay. We're a team remember. I need you here. I need you."

Finally she could see. Her first thought was, 'holy shit she is beautiful'. Her second thought was 'she isn't safe.'

"H-Heywood-!" It was no use she broke out into a relentless coughing fit. She had to get back on her feet. She had to protect her.

Gasping she pulled herself up by bracing herself against Indie. Protests were spoken by her friend and her body but she would not relent. Even with her head spinning she could see that the danger wasn't over. Her eyes locked on her target. She wasn't the only one who had regained their footing.

Knife back in hand she was coming for them. The weapon was aimed at Indie's back. Seeing that and unable to voice a warning Laurel pushed her out of the way. A haze of emotion drove her as she grappled with her foe again. The feeling of helplessness replaced by anger. Her rage sent them both crashing through the coffee table.

Sharp sound of glass shattering was followed by harsh silence. Laurel's cloud lifted as she took in what now lay beneath her. Broken glass covered in splashes of oozing red began to puddle onto the floor. She couldn't tear her eyes away from the reality of what she had just done. Laurel had killed her. She had killed someone. Someone with her mother's face.

"Lo, is that- that's not- I didn't even notice I- that can't be your mom."

It wasn't. It wasn't her mom. Laurel knew that. Guilt and sorrow flooded into her anyway. She pulled away only to gasp as pain overtook her. Her hands shot to her abdomen finding the source. She hadn't even felt it go in.  She slumped backward, Indie catching her before she could hit the floor. The knife was deep within her.

"Laurel! No, no. It's okay. I'm here, I'm here. I'm going to get you help just, you just need to stay with me. Stay with me."

Laurel looked up at Indie, her vision going hazy again as she forced herself to speak, "Clone... my moms... Heywood... gotta find... please... I can't..."

"We are gonna fix you up and we are, we'll find them together okay. I promise. I got you, I got you."

Indie was crying now. Laurel reached to press her hand against her cheek.. There was so much she wanted to say to her. So much. Except she was fading fast. She keep her eyes on her as long as she could. Watching as the tears spilled down her face. She wanted to tell her but the darkness took her away. It stole her away.

'Please don't let it be too late.'

-End Chapter One-

[ashraful090]

The 60 Best Watches for Men 2020

The Esquire editors pick their favourite new and upcoming watches from big Swiss brands and under-the-radar newbies.The Esquire editors pick their favourite new and upcoming watches, including launches from Breitling, Audemars Piguet, Omega and Cartier.So named after the British explorer who discovered New Zealand, Rado's Captain Cook was first brought to life in the Sixties, and not aboard the ships of ponytailed colonists. And now, the archival piece is available in the enduring case material du jour – bronze – with a punchy forest green dial.

It's another set of features that sets the dive watch apart, and one that'll keep the Captain Cook in the good books: upon its release, Rado's dive watch was largely seen as one of the best in class. That hasn't changed much. And now, you can even get it on a Nato strap..It is a crying shame that Tag Heuer's Monaco – a watch that paid homage to the race track of Le Mans – was decommissioned for around 20 years. But following a re-release in 1998, it's slowly become one of the marque's marquee pieces. In 2020, they've managed to improve it still.

As part of a trio that made slight amendments to the current Monaco model, a black dial on black leather is as close to dress watch territory as a racing watch can park and better yet, the in-house Heuer 02 movement has enough juice for over 80 hours of action.Once upon a time, the industry wasn't centred in Switzerland. American manufacturing had a stake in the watch business too, rigging small town Main Street aesthetics with big impressive movements. Hamilton was at the forefront.

Now, it's re-released a 1968 archival piece for 2020. It's got impressive Swiss innards these days, yes, but in terms of what's on the outside, very little has changed. And that's a good thing. For all the opulence and extravagance of a diamond-laden automatic from the Jura, there's as much charm in an 'aw shucks' midwestern sensibility.A Rolex on the wrist is a serious investment. And thus, a serious watch. Though for all the commanding Wall Street presence of a big Day-Date, the industry's biggest marque is releasing watches that are a bit fun, a little bit more playful – watches just like the new Oyster Perpetual 36.

Quietly released just a few months ago, a tangerine dial on stainless steel is the off-duty Rolex collectors have long dreamt about, and better yet, it's no solo act: the Oyster Perpetual 36 sits within a larger collection of five watches in shades of candyfloss pink, forest green, sky blue and blood red.A Lange & Söhne is a connoisseur's watch brand. That's why it uses terms like 'rattrapante', confident that its clientele will know that it refers to a double chronograph that can record multiple time intervals at the same time. Taken from the French for 'catch up', it's a proper horologist's complication, the driving watch equivalent of a 600bhp V8 under the bonnet. And in the skilful hands of A Lange & Söhne, a piece of practical watchmaking becomes pure artistry, courtesy of a gold alloy that's said to be "considerably harder than platinum". We'll take their word for that.Without the deep blue sea, Oris wouldn't be able to make its big bold dive watches. And as such, the Swiss marque has a good habit of giving back to subaqueous charities. For its latest gesture: the Oris Hangang Limited Edition.

Released in tandem with the Korea Foundation for Environmental Movement, the Hangang Limited Edition siphons a section of its profits to a clean-up operation on the river of the same name – South Korea's second longest in fact. The piece is also as good as its intentions, with an automatic movement powering an emerald dial (inspired by the creeks of the Hangang's source) with an engraved caseback depicting the river's path across Korea.As one of the oldest watch marques in the whole wide world (if not the oldest, but that's up for debate), Vacheron Constantin is on the top shelf of Swiss watches. That's because they're known for wholly classic, hi-spec pieces. But that doesn't mean they're averse to New Things, though.

Case in point: the Overseas Self-Winding in pink gold. While previously gilding other models in rose gold, pink gold is defined by a smaller copper content, giving it a lighter blush and a subtle newness to the Overseas model. Factor in an impressive movement too (the splendid in-house caliber 5100) and here's a watch that plays to the well-worn strengths of Vacheron Constantin.

01

Apple Cyber Week deals: MacBook, Apple Watch, AirPods, more

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02

Apple Watch May Gain Breakthrough Health Feature, Patent Hints

Apple Watch Series 6 measures blood oxygen levels - will a future model monitor blood pressure, too? ... [+]

Apple

Since the first Apple Watch was launched, health and fitness have been front-and-center. So, the latest patents suggest a whole new capability may be about to be added: continuous blood pressure monitoring.

MORE FROM FORBESApple Reveals Its Highly-Anticipated Apple Watch Upgrade Is Almost HereBy David Phelan

Two patents have just been made public, as seen on Patently Apple, which indicate that Apple is working on adding this to the raft of features already on its smartwatches. The latest model, Apple Watch Series 6, measures blood oxygen level and can look out for atrial fibrillation and take an ECG reading. Several Apple Watches alert users if their heart rate is unusually high or low, offer sleep tracking and have a neat stress-reduction app called Breathe.

So, blood pressure monitoring would be a great next step. It wouldn’t quite be a first – Samsung has this feature in some of its smartwatches, but it has yet to be deployed conveniently or widely and requires calibration using a separate, standalone blood pressure monitor on a monthly basis.

The new arrivals are what are called continuation patents, which means the new ones are related to previous blood pressure monitoring patents which date as far back as 2014. In other words, Apple has been investigating this for quite some time.

The titles are, as is usual with this kind of thing, really catchy: "Electrical Coupling of Pulse Transit Time (PTT) Measurement System to Heart for Blood Pressure Measurement." Sounds like a real page-turner, no?

Some details of how the blood pressure monitoring might work on a future Apple Watch.

USPTO

The purpose of the patents is more interesting, including a focus on providing a continuous measurement in a non-invasive way, though the patents also suggest that two sensors will be required, only one of which would be the Apple Watch, with the other described merely as an electrode. The two together would be used so they are “processing the voltage levels to detect when a volume of blood is ejected from the left ventricle; processing output from a pulse arrival sensor coupled to the wrist-worn device to detect when a blood pressure pulse generated by ejection of the volume of blood from the left ventricle arrives at the wrist; calculating a pulse transit time (PTT) for transit of the blood pressure pulse from the left ventricle to the wrist; and determining one or more blood pressure values for the subject based on the PTT.”

All clear?

Well, that’s the point of these patents, to reveal enough for Apple to own the innovation without pinning things down too much.

MORE FROM FORBESApple Watch Series 7 To Have Innovative Features, Upgraded Design, Insider SaysBy David Phelan

Will the final feature, if it ever comes to fruition, involve multiple sensors, or could it, like the ECG feature in the Apple Watch, simply require a circle to be completed by the user touching a sensor in the digital crown with one hand while the sensor on the back of the Watch makes contact with the opposite arm?

The fact that Apple is considering multiple sensors reveals that this is a more complex operation going on here.

When will we see blood pressure monitoring in the Apple Watch? As with all patent applications, it’s impossible to say when, or even if, it will develop into a Watch feature.

But the fact that Apple has been working on patents in this area since 2014 tells you it’s put considerable resources into making it happen and the time could indicate that it will be in an Apple Watch sooner rather than later. As soon as Apple Watch Series 7, expected next Fall? Watch this space.

Follow me on Instagram by clicking here: davidphelantech and Twitter: @davidphelan2009

MORE FROM FORBESApple MacBook Air 2020 Review: Really, Who Needs The Pro?By David Phelan

03

The best Cyber Monday Apple Watch deals still available include $50 off the Series 6 and $20 off the SE

When you buy through our links, we may earn money from our affiliate partners. Learn more.

• Cyber Monday 2020 Apple deals are still live, bringing some of the best prices of the year for highly coveted tech products like Apple Watches and AirPods.

• The $400 Apple Watch Series 6, released in September 2020, is $50 off at Amazon, Best Buy, Walmart and Target, while the $280 Apple Watch SE is down $20.

• Stores are offering deals on older Apple Watches, too, including $100 to $200 off the Apple Watch Series 5 at Best Buy, and $50 off the Apple Watch Series 3 at Target.

• Here are the best Cyber Monday deals we're tracking across the internet, all-day, every day.

The Apple Watch is the top smartwatch for iPhone users, combining heath and fitness tracking features with style and design. The latest wearrable tech can be expensive, but Cyber Monday has delivered deals on the newly released Apple Watch Series 6, along with older Apple Watch models, at multiple retailers.

Amazon, Best Buy, Walmart, and Target have been offering discounts of $50 to $200 off the Apple Watch since Thanksgiving and Black Friday , and Cyber Monday might be the last chance to claim these deals during the 2020 holiday season.

If you're not sure which Apple Watch is best for you, we've broken down the features for each model in our Apple Watch buying guide, and reviewed each model separately. Business Insider's Apple reporter Lisa Eadiccio said the $280 Apple Watch SE is the best choice for most prospective buyers.

It's important to note that some color options and sizes have varying deals. We try to point out the best deals, but a color or size option you want may not be as low.

Apple's top $400 Series 6 model with all the bells and whistles is getting a $50 discount at the moment. It includes a fast processor inside and a new blood-oxygen sensor. This measures SpO2 levels to track your overall respiratory and cardiac health alongside the usual array of health and fitness tracking sensors and features.

You can read our full Apple Watch Series 6 review here.

If you're willing to buy a slightly older Apple Watch model for a deep discount, Best Buy is offering $100 off the standard Apple Watch Series 5 (now $329) and $200 off the version that uses mobile data (now $449).

The Series 5 is a model that Apple doesn't sell anymore, but it's still a great buy if you can get it for less than the Series 6. It's similar to the cheaper Apple Watch SE, but with an always-on display and advanced health capabilities like ECG monitoring that the SE doesn't.

But, you can easily argue that you don't really need the Series 5 or Series 4, as the more recent Apple Watch SE has similar specs and features, and its $280 retail price is already lower. Add in the $20 off deal we're seeing right now for Cyber Monday, and the SE becomes even more tempting.

You can read our full Apple Watch SE review here.

The Apple Watch SE is the perfect blend of features and affordability. This recently released Apple Watch is selling for $20 less than its usual price — which was already a bargain for all it offers.

And, if you're avoiding big price tags and looking for the core Apple Watch experience, the Apple Watch Series 3 will suit most people just fine. For a $200 retail price, it's already a good option for budget-conscious buyers. An extra $50 off sweetens the deal even further.

You can read our full Apple Watch Series 3 review here.

The Apple Watch Series 3 in aluminum is the perfect blend of style and functionality for an excellent price.

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Disclosure: This post is brought to you by the Insider Reviews team. We highlight products and services you might find interesting. If you buy them, we get a small share of the revenue from the sale from our commerce partners. We frequently receive products free of charge from manufacturers to test. This does not drive our decision as to whether or not a product is featured or recommended. We operate independently from our advertising sales team. We welcome your feedback. Email us at

[brookstonalmanac]

Events 5.15

495 BC – A newly constructed temple in honour of the god Mercury was dedicated in ancient Rome on the Circus Maximus, between the Aventine and Palatine hills. To spite the senate and the consuls, the people awarded the dedication to a senior military officer, Marcus Laetorius. 221 – Liu Bei, Chinese warlord, proclaims himself emperor of Shu Han, the successor of the Han dynasty. 392 – Emperor Valentinian II is assassinated while advancing into Gaul against the Frankish usurper Arbogast. He is found hanging in his residence at Vienne. 589 – King Authari marries Theodelinda, daughter of the Bavarian duke Garibald I. A Catholic, she has great influence among the Lombard nobility. 908 – The three-year-old Constantine VII, the son of Emperor Leo VI the Wise, is crowned as co-emperor of the Byzantine Empire by Patriarch Euthymius I at Constantinople. 1252 – Pope Innocent IV issues the papal bull ad extirpanda, which authorizes, but also limits, the torture of heretics in the Medieval Inquisition. 1525 – Insurgent peasants led by Anabaptist pastor Thomas Müntzer were defeated at the Battle of Frankenhausen, ending the German Peasants' War in the Holy Roman Empire. 1536 – Anne Boleyn, Queen of England, stands trial in London on charges of treason, adultery and incest; she is condemned to death by a specially-selected jury. 1567 – Mary, Queen of Scots marries James Hepburn, 4th Earl of Bothwell, her third husband. 1618 – Johannes Kepler confirms his previously rejected discovery of the third law of planetary motion (he first discovered it on March 8 but soon rejected the idea after some initial calculations were made). 1648 – The Treaty of Westphalia is signed. 1718 – James Puckle, a London lawyer, patents the world's first machine gun. 1730 – Robert Walpole effectively became the first Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. 1776 – American Revolution: The Fifth Virginia Convention instructs its Continental Congress delegation to propose a resolution of independence from Great Britain, paving the way for the United States Declaration of Independence. 1791 – French Revolution: Maximilien Robespierre proposes the Self-denying Ordinance. 1792 – War of the First Coalition: France declares war on Kingdom of Sardinia. 1793 – Diego Marín Aguilera flies a glider for "about 360 meters", at a height of 5–6 meters, during one of the first attempted manned flights. 1796 – War of the First Coalition: Napoleon enters Milan in triumph. 1800 – King George III of the United Kingdom survives an assassination attempt by James Hadfield, who is later acquitted by reason of insanity. 1817 – Opening of the first private mental health hospital in the United States, the Asylum for the Relief of Persons Deprived of the Use of Their Reason (now Friends Hospital, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania). 1836 – Francis Baily observes "Baily's beads" during an annular eclipse. 1848 – Serfdom is abolished in the Habsburg Galicia, as a result of the 1848 revolutions. The rest of monarchy followed later in the year. 1849 – Troops of the Two Sicilies take Palermo and crush the republican government of Sicily. 1850 – The Bloody Island massacre takes place in Lake County, California, in which a large number of Pomo Indians are slaughtered by a regiment of the United States Cavalry. 1850 – The Arana–Southern Treaty is ratified, ending "the existing differences" between Great Britain and Argentina. 1851 – The first Australian gold rush is proclaimed, although the discovery had been made three months earlier. 1858 – Opening of the present Royal Opera House in Covent Garden, London. 1862 – President Abraham Lincoln signs a bill into law creating the United States Bureau of Agriculture. It is later renamed the United States Department of Agriculture. 1864 – American Civil War: Battle of New Market, Virginia: Students from the Virginia Military Institute fight alongside the Confederate army to force Union General Franz Sigel out of the Shenandoah Valley. 1867 – Canadian Bank of Commerce opens for business in Toronto, Ontario. The bank would later merge with Imperial Bank of Canada to become what is CIBC in 1961. 1869 – Women's suffrage: In New York, Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton form the National Woman Suffrage Association. 1891 – Pope Leo XIII defends workers' rights and property rights in the encyclical Rerum novarum, the beginning of modern Catholic social teaching. 1904 – Russo-Japanese War: The Russian minelayer Amur lays a minefield about 15 miles off Port Arthur and sinks Japan's battleships Hatsuse, 15,000 tons, with 496 crew and Yashima. 1905 – Las Vegas is founded when 110 acres (0.45 km2), in what later would become downtown, are auctioned off. 1911 – In Standard Oil Co. of New Jersey v. United States, the United States Supreme Court declares Standard Oil to be an "unreasonable" monopoly under the Sherman Antitrust Act and orders the company to be broken up. 1911 – More than 300 Chinese immigrants are killed in the Torreón massacre when the forces of the Mexican Revolution led by Emilio Madero take the city of Torreón from the Federales. 1919 – The Winnipeg general strike begins. By 11:00, almost the whole working population of Winnipeg had walked off the job. 1919 – Greek occupation of Smyrna. During the occupation, the Greek army kills or wounds 350 Turks; those responsible are punished by Greek commander Aristides Stergiades. 1925 – Al-Insaniyyah, the first Arabic communist newspaper, is founded. 1928 – Walt Disney character Mickey Mouse premieres in his first cartoon, "Plane Crazy". 1929 – A fire at the Cleveland Clinic in Cleveland, Ohio kills 123. 1932 – In an attempted coup d'état, the Prime Minister of Japan Inukai Tsuyoshi is assassinated. 1933 – All military aviation organizations within or under the control of the RLM of Germany were officially merged in a covert manner to form its Wehrmacht military's air arm, the Luftwaffe. 1934 – Kārlis Ulmanis establishes an authoritarian government in Latvia. 1940 – USS Sailfish is recommissioned. It was originally the USS Squalus. 1940 – World War II: After fierce fighting, the poorly trained and equipped Dutch troops surrender to Germany, marking the beginning of five years of occupation. 1940 – McDonald's opens its first restaurant in San Bernardino, California. 1941 – First flight of the Gloster E.28/39 the first British and Allied jet aircraft. 1941 – Joe DiMaggio begins a 56-game hitting streak. 1942 – World War II: In the United States, a bill creating the Women's Army Auxiliary Corps (WAAC) is signed into law. 1943 – Joseph Stalin dissolves the Comintern (or Third International). 1945 – World War II: The Battle of Poljana, the final skirmish in Europe is fought near Prevalje, Slovenia. 1948 – Following the expiration of The British Mandate for Palestine, the Kingdom of Egypt, Transjordan, Lebanon, Syria, Iraq and Saudi Arabia invade Israel thus starting the 1948 Arab–Israeli War. 1957 – At Malden Island in the Pacific Ocean, Britain tests its first hydrogen bomb in Operation Grapple. 1958 – The Soviet Union launches Sputnik 3. 1960 – The Soviet Union launches Sputnik 4. 1963 – Project Mercury: The launch of the final Mercury mission, Mercury-Atlas 9 with astronaut Gordon Cooper on board. He becomes the first American to spend more than a day in space, and the last American to go into space alone. 1966 – After a policy dispute, Prime Minister Nguyễn Cao Kỳ of South Vietnam's ruling junta launches a military attack on the forces of General Tôn Thất Đính, forcing him to abandon his command. 1969 – People's Park: California Governor Ronald Reagan has an impromptu student park owned by the University of California at Berkeley fenced off from student anti-war protestors, sparking a riot. 1970 – President Richard Nixon appoints Anna Mae Hays and Elizabeth P. Hoisington the first female United States Army generals. 1970 – Philip Lafayette Gibbs and James Earl Green are killed at Jackson State University by police during student protests. 1972 – The Ryukyu Islands, under U.S. military governance since its conquest in 1945, reverts to Japanese control. 1972 – In Laurel, Maryland, Arthur Bremer shoots and paralyzes Alabama Governor George Wallace while he is campaigning to become President. 1974 – Ma'alot massacre: Members of the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine attack and take hostages at an Israeli school; a total of 31 people are killed, including 22 schoolchildren. 1976 – Aeroflot Flight 1802 crashes in Viktorovka, Chernihiv Raion, killing all 52 people on board. 1987 – The Soviet Union launches the Polyus prototype orbital weapons platform. It fails to reach orbit. 1988 – Soviet–Afghan War: After more than eight years of fighting, the Soviet Army begins to withdraw 115,000 troops from Afghanistan. 1991 – Édith Cresson becomes France's first female premier. 1997 – The United States government acknowledges the existence of the "Secret War" in Laos and dedicates the Laos Memorial in honor of Hmong and other "Secret War" veterans. 2004 – Arsenal F.C. go an entire league campaign unbeaten in the English Premier League, joining Preston North End F.C with the right to claim the title The Invincibles 2008 – California becomes the second U.S. state after Massachusetts in 2004 to legalize same-sex marriage after the state's own Supreme Court rules a previous ban unconstitutional. 2010 – Jessica Watson becomes the youngest person to sail, non-stop and unassisted around the world solo. 2013 – An upsurge in violence in Iraq leaves more than 389 people dead over three days.

[scifigeneration]

Delivering packages with drones might be good for the environment

by Constantine Samaras and Joshuah Stolaroff

Could drone delivery help the environment? AP Photo/Claude Paris

There are more than 1 million drones registered in the U.S. Most of them belong to people flying them for fun, but a growing number are used commercially. Companies including Amazon, UPS, Google and DHL are already exploring ways to deliver packages with drones instead of trucks. Our new research has measured how that shift would change how the U.S. uses energy, and the resulting environmental effects.

We found that in some cases using electric-powered drones rather than diesel-powered trucks or vans could reduce energy use and greenhouse gas emissions. But in other cases, using trucks – especially electric-powered ones – would be more efficient and cleaner.

The U.S. electricity sector has been rapidly transitioning to generating power with fewer greenhouse gas emissions. But transportation is still largely powered by fuels made from oil and is now the largest source of greenhouse gas emissions in the U.S. About one-quarter of transportation emissions, the equivalent of 415 million metric tons of carbon dioxide, comes from medium- and heavy-duty trucks, the kinds of vehicles that deliver freight to warehouses, businesses and consumers’ homes.

Reducing the need for trucking by delivering some packages with electric drones could save fuel, and potentially carbon emissions. We modeled how much energy drone delivery would use, and how it would be different from the ways packages are delivered now.

Finding a drone’s energy use

First, our team – led from Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, and including researchers from Carnegie Mellon University, SRI International and the University of Colorado–Boulder – measured the energy use of quadcopter and octocopter-style drones carrying different payloads. The amount of energy a drone uses depends on how heavy the drone itself is, its batteries and whatever packages it’s carrying – as well as other factors, including how fast it’s moving and wind conditions.

For the purposes of making an overall estimate, we settled on a quadcopter drone capable of delivering a 1.1 pound (0.5 kg) package and an octocopter drone capable of delivering a 17.6 pound (8 kg) package, each with a range of about 2.5 miles (4 km). We considered a range of battery technologies and fuels, but focused on lithium-based batteries for our base case, because that’s what powers most current electric drones.

An early test of an Amazon delivery drone.

Comparing emissions

Even though it’s fighting gravity to stay aloft, an electric drone uses much less energy per mile than a heavy steel delivery truck burning diesel fuel. But a delivery truck or van can carry many packages at once, so the energy needs and environmental effects need to be allocated per package.

Different delivery vehicles can run on diesel, natural gas, electricity or gasoline, each with various energy and emissions characteristics. We also included the environmental effects of making these fuels and of making electric vehicle batteries. The energy needed to turn crude oil into diesel fuel can add another 20 percent or more of greenhouse gases to the amount generated when the fuel is burned. And while battery manufacturing is improving, making batteries still generates carbon dioxide.

Then we calculated the amount of greenhouse gases emitted. Burning a gallon of diesel fuel emits about 10 kg of carbon dioxide, but emissions from electricity vary by region, depending on how it’s generated. Some areas burn more coal and natural gas to generate power, while others have fewer fossil fuels and rely more on nuclear, hydropower, wind and solar power.

In general, electric power generation in the U.S. is getting cleaner over time. To show the range of energy needs and environmental effects, we paid particular attention to California, which has a low-carbon grid, and Missouri, which is in a carbon-intensive region.

Extra warehouses?

In addition, to serve drones with limited range, companies would have to change how their delivery systems use energy. Drones could transport items in multiple legs, almost like the Pony Express or stagecoaches did with horses in the early days of the American West. Or, as Amazon is testing, smaller local warehouses could serve key delivery destinations within the drones’ range.

We calculated that serving the city of San Francisco would require about four urban warehouses with drone bases. To cover the greater Bay Area would require dozens of new warehouses, each needing electricity and potentially natural gas to operate, just like other warehouses. We included this extra energy use in our estimates.

Small drone delivery can save emissions

Combining all the factors, we found that package delivery with small drones can be better for the environment than delivery with trucks. On average in the U.S., truck delivery of a package results in about 1 kg of greenhouse gas emissions. In California, drone delivery of a small package would result in about 0.42 kg of greenhouse gas emissions. That’s a savings of 54 percent from the 0.92 kg of greenhouse gases associated with a package delivered by truck in that state. In carbon-intensive Missouri the improvement would be smaller – just a 23 percent reduction – but still better.

Small drones were better than any truck or van, whether powered by diesel fuel, gasoline, natural gas or even electricity.

Our findings about larger drones were less clear-cut. They were 9 percent better than than diesel trucks when in California, but a lot worse when charged in Missouri. Because large drones need more kilowatt-hours to fly a mile, the carbon intensity of electricity really matters for large drones. Even in places where energy is typically generated from clean sources, it’s probably better to deliver larger packages with electric vans or electric trucks rather than large drones, because of the extra warehouse energy needed for drones.

But if you forgot that essential ingredient for tonight’s dinner, our findings suggest it’s much better to have the grocery store send it to you by drone rather than to take your car to the store and back.

Next steps for sustainability

Like any energy model, our estimates can change depending on the assumptions used. The amount of space needed to store packages for drones, and how much energy drones use, are important factors, as is the carbon footprint of the electricity used. In our paper, we explore how the results change under different assumptions.

For ground delivery vehicles, the best ways to improve efficiency involve increasing the number of packages delivered per mile or switching to electric delivery trucks or vans.

As more companies start using drones, package delivery will be one of their tasks. To maximize the potential environmental benefits, companies should focus on using smaller drones charged with low-carbon electricity to deliver light packages, and on limiting how much warehouse space is dedicated to serving delivery drones. Heavier packages are likely best suited for efficient, often electric, ground delivery vehicles. The biggest gains will come from improving warehouses’ energy efficiency and, crucially, reducing the amount of electricity generated from carbon-intensive fuels. Now we just have to do something about the noise of all those propellers overhead.

Constantine Samaras is Assistant Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Carnegie Mellon University and Joshuah Stolaroff is an Environmental Scientist at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory.

This article was originally published on The Conversation.

[bartlett-living-laboratory]

R-URBAN or how to co-produce a resilient city

'Saving' the city: Collective low-budget organizing and urban practice study in practice Constantin Petcou Doina Petrescu

from here

abstract This note addresses contemporary processes of resilient co-production within the city. With its specific focus on the case study of a project called R-Urban, it aims to present a bottom-up project initiated in a suburban town near Paris. R-Urban is a bottom–up framework for resilient urban regeneration initiated by atelier d'architecture autogérée (aaa). This note advocates new roles for architects and planners in this process of co-production. It addresses questions raised in trying to implement the R-Urban strategy in Colombes, a suburban town with 84,000 residents near Paris. This strategy explores current possibilities for co-producing urban resilience by introducing a network of resident-run facilities that form local ecological cycles and engage in everyday eco-civic practices. The note demonstrates that progressive practices addressing the need to reactivate and sustain cultures of collaboration, and which proposing new tools adapted to our times of crisis and austerity, are conceivable in local action and on a small scale.

The co-produced city

Co-production has become a buzzword in our times of austerity: it posits the necessity to engage citizens personally in the provision of public services in a context where these services have become inefficient and need reforming, and where the welfare state is no longer there to organise them. If co-production is currently seen as an economic and social solution to this problem[1], we also understand it as a shift in the power relationships revolving around services and production. In a context of urban transformation, co-production is also able to become a political project rooted in Lefebvre’s idea of the social production of space (Lefebvre, 1991). It is not only about the manner in which public needs are to be met, but also about citizens’ rights.  In this case, the citizens’ right to the city does not only mean the right to occupy space in it, but also mean to decide how it is developed, managed and used. Also, given the imperative to adapt and find solutions to the long term environmental and economic crises societies face today, our cities need to become more resilient, need to organise in order to adjust and thrive in rapidly changing circumstances. This need for resilience, which cities have little capacity to deal with at this moment in time, in fact comes with a right to resilience for all citizens, a right to be informed about, decide, act upon and manage the future of cities. This would be a truly ambitious co-production project that should involve the entire urban population. Such a project needs ideas, tools and spaces, time and agency. It needs agents and activators. Can architects be such agents? What tools and means can be used at times of crisis and scarcity? How can progressive practices be initiated while acting locally and on a small scale? How can civic cultures of collaboration and sharing be reactivated and sustained in economic, environmental and social terms alike?

R-Urban, an agency of co-produced urban regeneration

These are some of the questions we tackled with R-Urban, a bottom–up framework for resilient urban regeneration, initiated by our research-based office, atelier d'architecture autogérée (aaa).

R-Urban is one of the many small-scale initiatives to have emerged in response to the slow pace of governmental procedures and the lack of consensus in further addressing the challenges of global crisis and evaluating their consequences for people’s lives. New approaches to urban regeneration are desperately needed in times of economic crisis, and could benefit from the increased social capital attending the diminishment of financial capital. R-Urban was conceived as an open source strategy enabling residents to play an active part in changing the city while also changing their ways of living in it.

This strategy creates a network of citizen projects and grassroots organisations around a series of self-managed collective facilities hosting economic and cultural activities and everyday practices that contribute to boosting resilience in an urban context. The network, which acts through locally closed circuits, starts at a neighbourhood level and progressively scales up to the city and regional level. In a Guattarian ecosophical vein (Guattari, 2008), the strategy considers social, ecological and economic aspects as equally essential for resilient processes. R-Urban addresses communities from urban and suburban contexts, involving a diversity of actors (i.e. residents, local authorities, public organisations, professionals, civic stakeholders) to take various responsibilities in the project's governance. In contrast to other regeneration projects conceived by specialist teams and facilitated by managerial structures, the architects and planners here take an active role as initiators, facilitators, mediators and consultants in various civic partnerships brought about by the project. This leads to a more effective, faster and more sustainable implementation, and allows for greater participation of non-specialists in co-producing it. The projects are conceived as processes that not only result in a physical transformation of urban contexts, but also contribute to the social and political emancipation of those living and acting in them.

Although anchored in everyday life and committed to radical change, R-Urban is also part of a specific tradition of modelling resilient development starting with Howard’s Garden City (Howard, 1889) and Geddes’s Regional City (Geddes, 1915), and continuing today with the Transition Town (Hopkins, 2008). But in contrast to these models, R-Urban is no direct application of theory, but tries to develop an exploratory practice and a theoretical analysis, both of which constantly inform one another.

As opposed to the Garden City concept, R-Urban does not propose an ideal model of transformation, but deals with the collapse of modern urban ideals, and their many failures in addressing the future. Also, R-Urban picks up from the Regional City concept the idea of regional dynamics, but in this case on the basis of bottom-up initiatives of local residents. It considers both large-scale processes and small-scale phenomena. Global concerns are addressed locally, but within the existing conditions. The R-Urban transformation is realised in successive stages by investing in temporarily available spaces and creating short-term uses able to prefigure future urban developments.

R-Urban also incorporates many Transition Town principles, although it does not necessarily operate on a ‘town’ scale, but negotiates its own (e.g. a block, neighbourhood or district), depending on actor participation. No pre-existing communities are targeted; instead, new communities formed through the project must agree on their own rules and the principles to be followed in its management. With its civic hubs and collective facilities, R-Urban tries to lend visibility to the networks of solidarity and ecological cycles it creates. Architecture plays an important role here: that of hosting and showcasing resilient practices and processes, and of rendering tangible and concrete what would otherwise only remain a discourse. Also, architecture is not only physical, but social and political as well. The inspirations we took from social theorists and philosophers like Guattari, Gorz, Lefbvre, Harvey, Negri and Holloway have been constantly challenged by the reality of our active research approach.

R-urban in Colombes

After three years of research, we proposed the project to various local authorities and grassroots organisations in cities and towns of France. We conceived of it as a participative strategy based on local circuits that activate material (e.g. water, energy, waste and food) and immaterial (e.g. local know-how, socioeconomic, cultural and self-building) flows between key fields of activity (e.g. the economy, housing and urban agriculture) already contained or implemented in the existing fabric of the city. In 2011, R-Urban started in Colombes, a suburban town with 84,000 residents near Paris, in partnership with the local authorities and a number of organisations, as well as with the involvement of a range of local residents. In its initial four-year period, the project is intended to gradually create a network around a number of ‘collective hubs’, each of them serving complementary urban functions (i.e. housing, urban agriculture, recycling, eco-construction, local culture), that bring together emerging citizens’ projects. Within a context of welfare services being withdrawn, these collective facilities will host self-provided services and citizen-run production units that will simultaneously play a strategic part in locally closed economic and ecological cycles[2].

Colombes offers a typical suburban context with a mix of private and council housing estates. Suburbia is a key territory for R-Urban: although specific to a modern conception of city, it is one of the most crucial territories to be redeveloped and regenerated in the interest of resilience today. With its mix of private and council housing estates, Colombes is confronted with all kinds of suburban problem, such as social or economic deprivation and youth crime, typical of large-scale dormitory suburbs and the consumerist, car-dependent lifestyle in more affluent suburbs with generally middle-class populations. Colombes nonetheless also has a number of advantages and assets: despite a high unemployment rate (17 % of the working population, well above the national average of 10.2 % in 2012), Colombes features many local organisations (approximately 450) and a very active civic life.

Drawing strength from this very active civic life and from Colombes’s cultural and social diversity, we started by launching several collective facilities, including recycling and eco-construction projects, cooperative housing, and urban agriculture units, which are cooperating to set up the first spatial and ecological agencies in the area. Their architecture showcases the various issues they address, such as recycled local materials, local skills, energy production and food cultivation, by means of specific devices and building components. The first three pilot facilities – Agrocité, Recyclab and Ecohab – are collectively run hubs that catalyse existing activities with the aim of introducing and propagating resilient routines and lifestyles which residents can adopt and practice on individual and domestic levels, such as retrofitting properties to accommodate food cultivation and energy generation.

Agrocité is an agricultural unit comprising an experimental micro-farm, community gardens, educational and cultural spaces, plus a range of experimental devices for compost-powered heating, rainwater collection, solar energy generation, aquaponic gardening and phyto-remediation. Agrocité is a hybrid structure, with some components run as social enterprises (e.g. the micro-farm, market and cafe) and others by user organisations (e.g. the community garden, cultural and educational spaces) and local associations.

more here..... thank you!

[jobsearchtips02]

Newsletter: Two Steps Forward …

This is the web variation of the WSJ’s newsletter on the economy. You can sign up for everyday delivery here

Looking Up

U.S. services markets revealed signs of healing in June as organisations took early actions to reopen. But experts warned those gains might be reversed in July if a revival of Covid-19 cases in some states results in another round of shutdowns. Companies in 2 separate surveys of acquiring managers reported demand had actually begun to support and that orders were starting to pick up last month. The speed of job cuts slowed with some business starting to work with again. Rates rose, another indication of restored demand. Survey participants likewise said they were increasingly optimistic about the outlook, even though overall business confidence stays controlled, David Harrison reports.

The service sector, specifically the hospitality and accommodation market, was hard-hit by the shutdowns this spring. Solutions represent roughly two-thirds of the U.S. economy, which suggests that an improvement in the sector could bode well for growth in the third quarter.

WHAT TO SEE TODAY

The U.S. job openings and labor turnover study for Might is out at 10 a.m. ET.

Atlanta Fed President Raphael Bostic talks to the Tennessee Service Roundtable at 9 a.m. ET, Fed Vice Chair Randal Quarles speaks on financial stability at 1 p.m. ET, and Richmond Fed President Thomas Barkin and San Francisco Fed President Mary Daly take part in a National Association for Service Economics webinar at 2 p.m. ET.

TOP STORIES

Balancing Act

Parts of the U.S. moved tentatively forward with reopening Monday, as other areas continued to struggle to contain the coronavirus pandemic Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos Giménez rolled back the area’s resuming and California added six counties– consisting of San Diego County– to a watch list due to “concerning” levels of hospitalization, transmission or inadequate testing. New York City City, on the other hand, went into Phase 3 of its resuming plan, enabling nail hair salons, health spas and massage therapists to resume operations and easing limitations on park activities, Allison Prang and David Hall report.

What do dining establishments require to resume? Public-health authorities in the U.S. have actually singled out dining establishments and bars as a source of coronavirus contagion. Yet in Europe, bistros, pizzerias and coffee shops busy with clientele have actually had no significant outbreaks. The difference, health authorities say, comes from Europe’s success in flattening its infection curve before restaurants and bars reopened. And the Continent is also taking advantage of something lots of eateries throughout the Sunbelt currently lack: fresh air. Punishing summer heat has pushed dining establishments, bars and other indoor gathering spaces in the U.S. to close the windows and fire up the air conditioning. In Europe, summer temperatures tend to be milder, and many indoor spaces do not have ac system to start with, Matthew Dalton and Bertrand Benoit report.

Israel is dealing with a significant new break out and the government is scrambling to shut down swaths of the economy it had resumed.

Some European countries are closing in on a milestone that to the U.S. seems remote: virtually stopping the brand-new coronavirus from spreading within their areas.

The eurozone’s economic contraction will be bigger than at first expected this year as lockdowns are alleviated more slowly than anticipated, the European Commission said Tuesday.

Joblessness rates worldwide’s sophisticated economies will end the year greater than at any time considering that the Great Depression and not return to their pre-pandemic levels up until 2022 at the earliest, the Organization for Economic and Cooperation and Development said Tuesday. The Paris-based research study institute that serves the U.S. and 36 other nations stated jobless rates might be even greater if a second wave of outbreaks leads to fresh lockdowns, Paul Hannon reports.

Buy American

More than 40 American company groups called on China to step up purchases of U.S. produced goods as well as energy and other products as part of a trade arrangement.

School’s Out Forever

U.S. colleges are bracing for a disastrous drop in global trainees this fall.

WHAT ELSE WE’RE READING

Did the Paycheck Protection Program hit the target? ” We do not discover evidence that the PPP had a substantial impact on local financial outcomes– including declines in hours worked, company shutdowns, preliminary joblessness insurance coverage claims, and small business revenues– during the first round of the program. Firms appear to utilize preliminary funds to build up savings and satisfy loan and other dedications, which points to possible medium-run impacts,” economists João Granja, Christos Makridis, Constantine Yannelis and Eric Zwick compose in a new working paper

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from Job Search Tips https://jobsearchtips.net/newsletter-two-steps-forward/

[architectnews]

Thonet at Triodos Bank in Driebergen-Zeist

Thonet at Triodos Bank, Driebergen-Zeist Office Interior, Furniture Pictures, Dutch Office

Thonet at Triodos Bank in Driebergen-Zeist

11 Aug 2020

Thonet at Triodos Bank in Holland

Fusion of culture, nature and economy Thonet furniture features throughout the new Triodos Bank offices in Driebergen-Zeist (NL)

photo © Alexander van Berge – Triodos project by Ex Interiors

The futuristic new office building of the sustainably operating Triodos Bank in the Netherlands is an impressive marriage of eco-conscious architecture and modern working practices. A team drawn from RAU Architekten and interior architects at Ex Interiors worked closely with the project designer Gispen and the bank’s own staff to achieve this cohesive vision. The result is a unique, energy-neutral building on the large De Reehorst estate in Driebergen that sits in harmony with nature and which focuses on enhancing communication and bringing people together. The new flagship building, which observes all the principles of the circular economy in construction, is designed to nestle organically within its landscape of greenery.

photos © Alexander van Berge – Triodos project by Ex Interiors

Much of the furniture selected for the interior is drawn from the renowned Thonet portfolio, with its 200-year track record of designing for the meeting, socialising, working and living spaces of our lives, specifications that further emphasise the ‘communicative’ character of the new Triodos offices. More than 130 of Thonet’s classic pieces in bentwood and tubular steel furnish the working and mingling spaces, a choice in keeping with the architect’s environmental approach and preference for natural materials. The result is a perfect meeting of eco-friendly construction and sustainable furniture.

photo © Chris van Koeverden

With its new corporate premises, Triodos Bank has created a monumental work of architectural art that invites nature, culture and economy into harmony. Recycled materials and the conscious use of the resources available reflect the commitment to circular construction practices. Particular attention has been paid to ensuring a supply of healthy fresh air within the building, as well as natural light, comfort and acoustic quality. The result is a particularly energy-efficient structure that has been described as ‘a cathedral of wood’ and which blends elegantly with its natural environment.

photo © Chris van Koeverden

The principal frame is constructed entirely of timber, and, according to Triodos Bank Managing Director, Matthijs Bierman, the overall effect reminds him of the shape of a mushroom. The light, airy internal spaces appear to merge seamlessly with the surrounding woodland through expansive glazed walls. The generous application of wood and glass, with linen accents to attenuate the acoustics, produces an inviting effect that welcomes the natural world inside, providing staff, clients and visitors with a biophilic space in which to meet and relax.

photos © Alexander van Berge – Triodos project by Ex Interiors

Sustainable pieces from Thonet furnish the interiors, complementing this overarching holistic approach. Thonet’s durable design icons became the perfect solution to the company’s desire for a consciously designed space that is conducive to communication.

photo © Chris van Koeverden

In keeping with the precise selection of construction materials, the office and common areas are furnished with more than 100 Thonet classics made from tubular steel and naturally stained bentwood with canework. The iconic Marcel Breuer S 64 V tubular steel cantilever chair and its new refinement, the S 64 Atelier swivel chair version, which was added to the portfolio last year, represent 54 of the building’s individual seating options.

photo © Chris van Koeverden

In addition, the restaurant area offers 76 of the famous model 218 bentwood bistro chair, made according to the Gebrüder Thonet design from 1876. The seating is completed by several of Stefan Diez’s contemporary 404 H bar stools stained in black. Thanks to their clean, minimalist aesthetics, all the chairs in the Thonet portfolio can be used in a wide range of settings – an essential prerequisite in modern office buildings.

photo © Alexander van Berge – Triodos project by Ex Interiors

The project’s Chief Interior Architect Odette Ex (from Ex Interiors) had specific criteria in mind when making her selection of furniture, such as durability, quality and a stylish, modern appearance. As she explains, “The model 218, in particular, is a complete design classic. But its elegant shape is also perfect for contemporary interiors. The chair looks modern in any setting and it retains its design value. We had previously specified this model for the former Triodos Bank corporate offices, since its timeless look meant it could be used effortlessly again and again in subsequent interiors.” As a result, visitors to the newly designed corporate base can take their seats not only on brand new Thonet pieces, but also on refurbished chairs from the former company building.

photos © Alexander van Berge – Triodos project by Ex Interiors

Thonet

Thonet – future-oriented furniture design with a long tradition The unique success story of Thonet began with the work of master carpenter Michael Thonet. Ever since he established his first workshop in Boppard on the River Rhine in 1819, the name Thonet has stood for high-quality, innovative and elegant furniture. The breakthrough came with the iconic chair No. 14, today known the world over as the Vienna Coffee House Chair: the pioneering technique of bending solid beechwood enabled the mass production of chairs for the first time. The second milestone in design history was the tubular steel furniture by the famous Bauhaus architects Mart Stam, Ludwig Mies van der Rohe and Marcel Breuer in the 1930s. During those pioneering years, Thonet was the world’s largest producer of these tubular steel furniture designs, which are today considered timeless.

photo © Chris van Koeverden

For the company today, the continuous process of innovation is the top priority, together with a focus on tradition and fine craftsmanship. Thonet’s furniture designs originate both from its collaborations with renowned national and international creatives and from the in-house Thonet Design Team. Chief Executive Officer Brian Boyd and Creative Director Norbert Ruf manage the company from the corporate head office and production site in Frankenberg/Eder (Germany). Michael Thonet’s fifth- and sixth-generation descendants are actively involved with the company’s business as partners and sales representatives.

photo © Alexander van Berge – Triodos project by Ex Interiors

Thonet at Triodos Bank in Driebergen-Rijsenburg images / information received 110820

Location: London, UK

Thonet Designs

Thonet Aqua Monaco in Munich Design Architects: concrete image courtesy of architects Aqua Monaco in Munich, Thonet design classic

Work from Home? Thonet offers some Lasting Comforts The ‘Atelier’ version of the famous S 64 chair, now with a pedestal and castors, and the classic Bauhaus era S 285 desk by Marcel Breuer for Thonet WFH? Thonet offers some Lasting Comforts

Thonet: High Level Dining with Range 118 image courtesy of architects Thonet: High Level Dining with Range 118

The Iconic 214 Chair photo © Thonet Constantin Meyer, Koeln 200 years of Thonet: iconic 214 chair

Thonet tubular steel cantilever chairs, Leipzig Library, Germany image courtesy of architects Thonet tubular steel cantilever chairs

Countdown to Bauhaus 100 image courtesy of architects Countdown to Bauhaus 100: Exciting plans from Thonet

Thonet chairs grace The Birnam Brasserie, Gleneagles, Scotland Hotel Restaurant Interior in Scotland image courtesy of architects Thonet chairs grace The Birnam Brasserie at Gleneagles

“Thonet All Seasons” Chairs S 34 N, S 35 N and S 64 N image courtesy of architects Thonet All Seasons Chairs in Barcelona Restaurant

Thonet at Design Museum, London image courtesy of architects Thonet at Design Museum, London

Thonet at Orgatec 2016 in Cologne image courtesy of architects Thonet at Orgatec: Furniture Expo Germany

Modern Architecture

Modern Architecture photograph by Rohmer at en.wikipedia

Modern Architects

Modern Houses

German Architecture

German Architecture

German Architect

German Buildings

Mies Van der Rohe Architect

Furniture Design

Furniture Architecture Designs – chronological list

Furniture Design

Corian Lounge Milan

Bath Couture in Milan

Barcelona Pavilion

Website : Furniture Design

Comments / photos for the Thonet at Triodos Bank in Driebergen-Rijsenburg page welcome

The post Thonet at Triodos Bank in Driebergen-Zeist appeared first on e-architect.

[atravellingfoodie]

If you are wondering whether there are any unmissable things to do in Istanbul besides eating lokum and drinking tea, I assure you that you will never be bored. Use this comprehensive guide to unique and fun things to do in Istanbul to create a practical itinerary for your Istanbul vacation.

The Istanbul tourism industry is well organised and the Istanbul tourist guides are knowledgeable and have a great love for the city and culture. There are are numerous tour operators offering guided tours of Istanbul and cities further inland.

To learn more about Istanbul history, I highly recommend the Istanbul Museum pass that costs 185 Turkish Lira. You can click on this link for more information.

The museum pass is valid for 5 days and gives free entrance to twelve of the city’s most notable museums including Aya Sofya museum, Topkapi Palace Museum and Harem apartments, and the Museum for the History of Science and Technology in Islam. The pass validity begins from the date of the first visit and each card can only be used once at each museum.

Topkapi Palace Museum (Topkapı Sarayı)

The Topkapi Palace complex was the residence and administrative headquarters of the Ottoman rulers from the 15th to the middle of the 19th century. It sits on a headland overlooking the Golden Horn and has sweeping views of the Bosphorus Strait and Sea of Marmara. It was turned into a museum in 1924.

Getting to Topkapi Palace Museum

Topkapi Palace Museum is located in close proximity to Gulhane Park, Hagia Sophia Museum and the Blue Mosque.

The closest tram stop is Gülhane near Gülhane Park, that is adjacent to the Topkapi Palace grounds.

It is also possible to take the metro to Sirkeci and walk a short distance through the park to reach the museum entrance.

Entrance to the Topkapi Palace Museum and the Harem apartments are also included in the Istanbul Museum Pass.

Tickets for entrance to the museum areas are on sale on the right side of complex and cost 60TL for Topkapi Palace Museum, 35TL for the Harem apartments and 30TL for the Aya Irene Monument.

Things to do in Istanbul at the Topkapi Palace Museum

The kitchens of the Ottoman palace were extensive and many household cooking, serving and dining artifacts are on display. The extent of the operations to feed the royal family as well as all the people who worked in the complex is mind boggling. I thought I knew what beautiful crockery looked like, but the royal dinnerware of the 18th and 19th centuries takes it to another level. Unfortunately no photos are allowed of the displays.

The sleeping and living areas of the Sultan and the Crown Prince were huge for the time, although probably much in line with the size of a luxury hotel room in the modern era. The intricate mosaics are impressive and were also undergoing various stages of restoration.

The Harem was the living quarters of the female members of the ruling family and at the time of our visit it was undergoing restoration to its former glory. Part of the palace gardens was converted into Gülhane Park and is still accessible via one of the palace complex entrances.

There are vendors selling refreshments inside the complex and it is useful after spending a few hours inside to quench the thirst with a frosty drink. I sat outside in the shade people watching and sipping on a cold water after my excursion.

Although many areas are open to the public, visitors are forbidden from photographing certain areas. I was reminded of how destructive tourists can be in their quest for an Instagram worthy photo or selfie while observing two non-Turkish ladies getting inside an ancient tree to pose for a shot! Really!

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The Blue Mosque – Sultanahmet Mosque (Sultan Ahmet Camii)

Istanbul is the city of a thousand mosques and you can hear the call to prayer from most places during the day. The Blue Mosque, as it is known, is exceptional in its design and interior decoration using handmade Iznik tiles, and is one of the favorite places for visitors.

Getting to the Blue Mosque

The Blue Mosque is adjacent to the Hippodrome, and across the Hagia Sophia Square from the Hagia Sophia Museum.

The closest tram station is Sultanahmet, and it is a short walk from their across the Hippodrome to the Blue Mosque entrance.

Things to do in Istanbul at the Blue Mosque

The best view of the mosque is from the Hippodrome where one can see the unique feature of the 6 minarets.

The visitor entrance to the mosque is on the side, and they provide covers for anyone who is not appropriately dressed for an Islamic place of worship.

One also has to wear plastic covers over footwear to ensure that the red carpets are not damaged.

Worshipers are allowed to use the mosque for prayer and may enter through a different entrance than the one used by visitors.

The mosque is open for worship but closed to visitors during Friday prayer times and for approximately 30 minutes around each daily prayer time.

Visitors are reminded to exercise restraint in words and actions as this is a place of worship.

At the back of the mosque is the Arasta Bazaar retail area as well as the Mosaic Museum. The shops here are very tourist oriented with relatively high prices.

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Sultanahmet Square (Hippodrome)

The square is actually a rectangular area known formerly known as the Hippodrome, that dates back to early Byzantine times.

The Hippodrome was used for chariot races in front of the Great Palace (where the Sultanahmet Mosque is now located).

Various Roman Emperors adorned the area with monuments looted from their colonies in Egypt. These include the pink granite Obelisk from the Temple of Karnak and the Serpentine Column (Tripod of Plataea) from the Temple of Apollo at Delphi.

Hagia Sophia museum (Aya Sofya Museum)

The building was turned into a museum in 1935 by Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the founder of the Turkish republic. To avoid the long queues I would recommend buying tickets in advance if you do not have a museum pass. Summer opening hours are from 09:00 to 19:00 and in Winter from 09:00 to 17:00.

Getting to Hagia Sophia Museum

Aya Sofya is located on Aya Sofya Meydanı (Hagia Sophia Square) and is within walking distance of the Topkapi Palace Museum, the Blue Mosque and Hippodrome in the historical center of Sultanahmet.

The closest tram stops are at SultanAhmet and Gülhane on the T1 line.

Taxis and uber also service this area.

Things to do in Istanbul at Hagia Sophia Museum

The first church was built over the site of a pagan temple and constructed on the orders of Emperor Constantine the Great in the 4th century AD. It was all but destroyed by fire during riots and then subsequently rebuilt.

The second church was completely destroyed during a revolt in the 6th century AD and all that remains are a few marble blocks scattered around in the grounds.

The third church was constructed on the same site by Justinian the Great, and was the largest Christian cathedral for over a thousand years. Numerous earthquakes during the time since its construction have resulted in additions and buttresses to strengthen the walls and domes.

After 916 years of use as a church it was converted to a mosque by Ottoman Sultan Mehmet II soon after he entered the city after a long and crippling siege.

Structural supports and minarets were added by Ottoman architect Sinan and additional restoration was done over the years.

There are beautiful mosaics, calligraphic panes and murals wherever you cast your eye and it is even possible to access the upper levels if you can climb the stairs.

The cobalt blue tiles around the altar and the Sultan’s tomb may have inspired some of the tile work at The Sheikh Zayed Mosque as they appear to have similar colors and motifs.

If you are brave enough to check out the first floor via the rickety stairs then you will be rewarded with an iconic view of the Blue Mosque.

The toilet facilities are in a separate building in the gardens at the museum and there is also a museum shop and café for expensive refreshments.

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Museum for the History of Science and Technology in Islam

The one thing I was convinced of after seeing every exhibit in this museum was that Muslims have not achieved much in the fields of Science and Technology over the past three hundred years, if not more. Our greatest inventions and innovations came when we were united in brotherhood for advancement of the common good, instead of splintered across nationalistic, political, ethnic and social lines.

Getting to the Museum for the History of Science and Technology in Islam

The Museum is located in the former Imperial stables of the Topkapi Palace that now forms part of the Gülhane Park.

The Gülhane tram stop is right outside the Gülhane Park near the main gate, close to where the Museum is located. There is also another entrance to the park at the coastal path on Kennedy Caddesi at the Saray Burnu.

The Sirkeci metro station is down the road and a few minutes walk from the park.

Things to see at the Museum for the History of Science and Technology in Islam

The museum showcases the scientific discoveries and inventions of Muslim scientists in fifteen (15) fields including the following:

Astronomy

Mathematics

Geography and Cartography

Physics

Chemistry

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Gülhane Park

This park is located adjacent to Topkapi Palace and is large and expansive with the furthest entrance overlooking the ocean.

Getting to Gülhane Park

The entrance to the Gülhane Kandil Cafe at Gülhane Park is located very close to the Gülhane tram stop and the Sirkeci metro entrance is a few minutes walk.

The main entrance to the park is adjacent to Topkapi Palace with another entrance in Kennedy Caddesi on the ocean side of the park.

Things to do in Istanbul at Gülhane Park

Over the years the park has gone from a near derelict zoo and scary space with many beggars, to a beautiful family friendly urban escape.

It was previously part of the palace grounds and has the Museum for the History of Science and Technology in Islam located in the old Ottoman Imperial palace stables.

There is also a café serving delicious breakfast and other meals with a beautiful view of the park. The authentic Turkish breakfast is one of the best I have had in Istanbul. Plus it has a beautiful park view.

This is a place to relax, breath the fresh sea air and reflect on how blessed we are.

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The Grand Bazaar Istanbul (Kapalı Çarşı)

The Grand Bazaar is one of oldest shopping malls in the world, and comprised of over 61 covered streets and more than 4000 shops and 500 stalls. The market is open every day except Sundays and Public Holidays. The area around the Grand Bazaar is covered in the Backstreets of the Bazaar Quarter food tour.

Getting to The Grand Bazaar Istanbul

The Beyazit tram stop on line T1 is across the road from the Grand Bazaar entrances on Yeniçeriler Caddesi. Apparently there are 22 entrances in total from all sides of the bazaar.

The Grand Bazaar Istanbul is also within walking distance from the Laleli and Çemberlitaş tram stops and is a few minutes walk from the Blue Mosque and Hagia Sophia Museum.

You may enter the covered market via eleven different gates, all of which now have security access controls and bag scanning to ensure the safety of locals and tourists.

Things to do in the Grand Bazaar Istanbul

I would recommend that female solo travelers ignore the cat calls and attempts at conversation from stall holders or shop owners, unless they actually want to buy something. It always seems like the younger male shop assistants in the bazaars feel obliged to flirt with any woman who acknowledges them. This is not true however, outside of the bazaars where the Turkish men are generally very well-mannered and courteous.

The prices quoted to tourists are often ridiculous and most of the items will be cheaper outside the covered market, or in the alley ways around the Spice Bazaar in Eminönü. Haggling is obligatory since many shops sell the same thing but remember that the sales pitch can get quite aggressive.

The walk ways at the Beyazit gate entrance are paved with gold… not literally, but the entire covered street is lined with jewelry shops, selling both gold, sterling silver and precious stones.

There is an Antique market set further back into the inner arcade area of the bazaar where they have shops selling old paintings, drawings, jewelry, books and other items. If you suffer from any allergies please be careful as the dust in the air may cause hay fever or worse.

There are ridiculously expensive and  beautifully colored ceramics and tea sets aimed squarely at tourists. The Turkish people don’t drink out of fancy tea sets and believe that simpler is better, so that they can see the quality and clarity of the tea. At most they will have a thin gold or silver rim on the tea glass or a patterned saucer.

There are carpets and kilims at the han in Takkeciler Caddesi and textiles in Yağlıkçılar Caddesi.

I always stop for refreshments at one of the cafes that has been there since my very first visit to Istanbul in 2000. They have Turkish favorites but recently added some Italian flair with a range of desserts and mocktails.

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The Spice Bazaar (Mısır Çarşısı)

I could spend hours in the Spice Bazaar aka the Egyptian Bazaar and the surrounding streets and alleys. The legacy of the ancient hans and caravanserais is apparent and many of the old buildings are in use by specific business groupings, making it easier for locals to find what they need.

The area around the Spice Bazaar was also the starting point for the Culinary Secrets of the Old City food tour.

Getting to the Spice Bazaar

The best time to visit is early in the morning as it gets crowded by 11 am. There is a distinct section for every class of items as they are organized according to trade or business.

The closest tram stop is at Eminönü on the T1 line with a crossing over the main road or via a subway underpass.

It is also within walking distance of the Sirkeci tram and metro stations.

Things to do in Istanbul at the Spice Bazaar

The Spice bazaar is where my favorite baklava shop, Güllüoğlu, is located. They vacuum seal all items for travelling.

My favorite Turkish delicatessen and my favorite tea shop are also located here.

If you start in the early morning I would recommend buying a few Simit and Açma from the cart at the Eminönü subway entrance and then getting some kaymak from the cart in the alley in front of the coffee building and have it with tea inside as we did on our food tour.

The area around the Spice Bazaar is a bargain hunter’s paradise. If you want to do serious shopping then the Eminönü area, from the subway tunnel stalls where we found good quality clothing items, to the back streets where I got a bargain set of suitcases, is the place to go.

The low buildings facing the sea to the right side of the Spice Bazaar are Ottoman era Hans that have been converted to retail space. Each area is designated for a specific trade, making it easier for shoppers to find exactly what they need.

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Dolmabahçe Palace (Dolmabahçe Sarayı)

One of my favorite places to visit was the Dolmabahçe Palace in the Beşiktaş district. The Sultans moved to the Dolmabahçe Palace in the 1850’s when the Topkapi Palace became outdated and unsuitable for royal entertaining and official ceremonies.

Getting to Dolmabahçe Palace

The nearest tram stop is at Kabataş on the T1 line, a ten minute walk away from the palace.

There is also an underground funicular connecting Taksim to Kabataş.

Taxis and uber service this area but not many taxi drivers speak English.

Things to do in Istanbul at the Dolmabahçe Palace

The Dolmabahçe Palace is open to visitors daily between 9am-4pm, except on Mondays and Thursdays when it is closed.

Regrettably it is not included in the Museum Pass and visitors are not allowed to tour the palace unaccompanied. You are obliged to take a guided tour and photography inside the palace is not allowed.

The construction of the palace was commissioned by Sultan Abdülmecit I and in it’s day it cost the equivalent of thirty five tons of gold. The interior of the palace is decorated in a European style, from the chandeliers to the furnishings.

The enormous crystal chandelier hanging down from the ceiling remains spectacular more than a century after it was installed.

What I loved most about this museum was the obvious care and attention to detail in every piece of furniture and decoration. From the delicate white marble basins in the hammam to the beautifully crafted chairs in the reception rooms.

Istiklal Avenue and Taksim

Istiklal Avenue or Independence Avenue, is completely pedestrianised and is the busiest street in Istanbul, if not the country. This area was mostly inhabited by non-Muslims during the Ottoman era and was also the location of many churches and foreign embassies.

Getting to Istiklal Avenue and Taksim

Istiklal Avenue and Taksim is serviced by the Sishane and Taksim metro stations, the Nostalgic tram line and metered taxis on the side streets.

The Tünel underground funicular connects the the Sishane end of Istiklal Avenue to Karaköy.

Things to do in Istanbul in Istiklal Avenue and Taksim

People from all over the city come to enjoy the many designer stores, art galleries, churches, restaurants and nightclubs.

The cafes lining the main thoroughfare are notoriously expensive while one can find better food in the side streets.

Taksim square is at the end of Istiklal Avenue and is home to the Independence monument. The area is undergoing improvement to the pedestrian walkways as well as the Nostalgic tram line.

A few stops on the Hidden Beyoğlu food tour were in the streets around Istiklal Avenue.

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Galata Tower and sunset at Karaköy

Visitors staying on the Northern shore of the Golden Horn may be familiar with the port area of Karaköy on their way to the Galata Tower.

Getting to Galata Tower and Karaköy

The closest tram station to Galata Tower is at Karaköy on the T1 line.

Visitors staying in or around Istiklal avenue can reach Karaköy via the Tünel underground funicular station. It is a short walk away from the Sishane metro station on the M2 line.

Things to do in Istanbul at the Galata Tower and Karaköy

At sunset this place transforms from a commercial zone to a play ground with numerous eateries and red-light district.

The Galata Tower is a nine story high medieval tower constructed in the fourteenth century during the Genoese colonization of that part of Constantinople.

There are a restaurant and cafe on the upper floors with expansive views over the Bosphorus.

There is also a nightclub where visitors can take in a Turkish show. The upper floors are accessible by two elevators.

The sunset is quite spectacular and you have a view from both sides of the bridge as well as across Istanbul from the top of the Galata Tower.

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Bosphorus Cruise

A Bosphorus cruise is an unforgettable experience and one gets to see both sides of Istanbul from the sea. If you are booking an evening cruise make sure that you know whether it is a dinner cruise or just a sightseeing one, so that you make the necessary arrangements for dinner.

Getting to a Bosphorus cruise

The quickest way to take a short Bosphorus cruise is to take a public ferry ride or cruise from Eminönü, Kabataş, Beşiktaş or Üsküdar on the public sea transportation routes.

Many tour operators offer longer Bosphorus cruises or dinner cruises and these can be booked at the hotel or online.

For the longer cruises the tour operators will provide transportation to and from the hotel.

What to expect on a full Bosphorus cruise tour

The cruises are between ninety (90) minutest and four (4) hours long, along the length of the Bosphorus Strait that connects the Black Sea with the Sea of Marmara.

The shores on either side are lined with historical palaces converted to hotels and wooden summer mansions from the Ottoman periods.

Depending on the starting point of the cruise the points of interest may include Golden Horn, Galata Tower, Dolmabahçe Palace , Ciragan Palace (now a Kempinski Hotel), Bosphorus Bridge, Fatih Bridge, Ortaköy Mosque, Beylerbeyi Palace, Rumeli and the Anatolian Fortress.

The evening cruises and dinner cruises often include entertainment in the form of belly dancers.

Üsküdar & Çamlıca Hill (Büyük Çamlıca Tepesi)

My first visit to Çamlıca Hill in the Spring of 2000 seemed to take forever. A long walk to catch a bus (129T) in Taksim then what seemed like a bus ride that lasted forever and finally dropped us at the foot of the hill. After the walk up to the rest areas at the top of the hill, a cup of hot Turkish tea and the best simit I have ever eaten were a welcome respite. Later we had a lunch of lamb grilled in an underground pit at a traditional restaurant at the bottom of the hill. Perhaps I was very hungry that day but the lamb was tender and the smell alone was mouth watering.

Getting to Üsküdar and Çamlıca Hill

Üsküdar may be reached by ferry from Eminönü, by metro via the Marmaray tunnel, by car, taxi or bus.

To reach Çamlıca Hill take the M5 metro line to Altunizade and exit at Mahir İz Caddesi. It is a 10 minute walk to up the hill from there.

From Üsküdar Marmaray you can take bus No. 5 to Valievleri and get off at Altunizade Cami / Koşuyolu 1 Yönü. It is a few minutes walk up the hill from there. 

Things to do in Istanbul at Üsküdar and Çamlıca Hill

Behind the Mihrimah Sultan Mosque in Üsküdar is a warren of streets with covered markets selling honey, cheese, fruits, vegetables, traditional Turkish preserved fruits, meat and fish. You can read more about it in the Born on the Bosphorus food tour.

The Çamlıca Hill is located in Üsküdar a more traditional neighborhood on the Asian side of the city and is the highest point in Istanbul.

The views from the top of the hill are spectacular and you can see both the European and Asian sides clearly.

On a subsequent solo visit a few years ago I tried to find out where this magical place was located and one of the staff at the hotel I was staying at suggested a tour that included Beylerbeyi Palace and made a stop on the hill near the end of the tour. It was an overcast day and everywhere below the tree line was covered in thick heavy fog… more reminiscent of the Day of the Triffids than anything else.

Since that trip a few years ago the new Çamlıca Mosque has been built on top of the hill and was inaugurated in May 2019.

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Unmissable things to do in Istanbul – a comprehensive guide If you are wondering whether there are any unmissable things to do in Istanbul besides eating lokum and drinking tea, I assure you that you will never be bored.

[kristie-rp]

[2016][AU - Gang] Trust Issues

Prompt:  Gang AU is basically what this ended up being. Also this one alone is over 10,000 words so…oops? Hope it’s good.

“Grab my hand.”

Leo stares at her. Time ticks away as whoever survived the grenade blast screams their suffering to the world. If this were anyone else, he thinks he knows what he’d expect – either a boot to the hand, which admittedly he does still think Tera will offer, a nudge to his death however many feet below (thirty six, actually, twelve for each storey and the space between, but he determinedly doesn’t think about that) – or a lifeline. If he is thinking that she is about to force him to his demise, he’d normally grab an ankle or a wrist, whatever’s on offer and within reach – but there’s the pain to consider, and the fact that she’s still not as strong as him, and the fact that he still thinks she’s going to kill him after all of this.

Then again, this is Tera. He’s never known what to expect from her.

“Grab my hand, boss man,” she repeats, reaching that little bit further. As if she expects it to encourage him to grab on.

He doesn’t grab on -

– He hesitates.

So here’s the thing.

They’re a gang and they’re criminals and obviously none of them could be considered the most trustworthy of people. Leo’s in charge of the assholes, technically, and even he’s only in on the whole mess because it’s not like his idiotic brothers can run a gang to save their lives, and he’s technically the one who was supposed to be their mothers’ protégé (before Rita proved to be better, before he wasn’t good enough, before he pissed off Veronica enough to get himself and his own siblings kicked out of the family business despite having nowhere else to turn) so he’s the most qualified to do the job. Besides, the alternative is for Syrus to be the leader, but Rachael and Vain would sooner stab their second-oldest brother than follow him, or god forbid they could have no leader – except that’d just make it extremely easy for Rita’s gang, the one that Leo would’ve probably been in charge of if he hadn’t told his mother to piss off and let him go at it alone, to tear the Constantine’s to pieces.

Leo’s in charge of the assholes, none of whom are trustworthy, and yet, for him, the single most untrustworthy? It’s not one of his brothers, not even Syrus, who has spent literal years being envious of Leo being the heir. No, for Leo, the most untrustworthy is the goddamn assassin, Tera.

It starts with Syrus showing up with her one day, just – out of nowhere. Leo’s not sure how it happens. He remembers mentioning that he wants to hire an assassin who wasn’t going to turn tail and sell them out at the first opportunity, just a one-off to take out some weapons dealer who has been screwing them over for weeks at that point, the smug bastard figuring he can get away with it. Syrus barely looked away from his book as he called, “Oh, I know someone, I’ll give her a call and see if she’s interested.” Naively, stupidly, Leo just throws a wad of cash at him and tells him that’s the max he’ll pay her – just take care of it. Syrus wakes Leo up from where he’s dozed off at his desk in the early morning the next day, just to get him to give the hire the details.

Turns out, his someone is definitely interested. Bombshell blonde. Black Widow. Mantis. All names given to the most infamous, and most successful, assassin active across the world. She tosses her long blonde hair over her shoulder when Syrus introduces her to Leo, lifts her designer shades and scans him with bright teal eyes, narrowed as if against some bright light – except the sun is rising behind her and can’t possibly be in her eyes. She’s judging him, and he knows it. He thinks, desperately, that when he said someone who won’t sell us out he didn’t mean someone who’ll kill us all at the first opportunity. “Tera Michiligan,” she introduces herself, and that’s as far as it goes.

Or at least, it should be. Leo resents her from the start, after all, and he’s in charge, but he tells himself it’s just a one-off and he needs to stop being so controlling; he has to accept that he won’t always like everyone in the business (even though he still seeks out Rita when he knows she’s not too busy, eager for her company – she’s an exception, not the rule, and he needs to get that through his head). Then it becomes a two-time deal, when Syrus hires her to take out an Inferno who’s giving them trouble and their second choice is out on maternity leave (never to return because her child deserves better, apparently, and her thief husband is good enough to sustain them, like the money Leo pays them isn’t good enough – he knows that’s not a fair thing to think and ends up giving Mora a generous donation towards the kids trust fund anyway). Three times, when Vain asks her to play bodyguard for his ‘friend’. Within three months, a meeting is held to discuss her being hired, as always subject to vote – if anyone other than Leo, who counts the votes instead of giving his own, disagrees, then she’ll be out and hired on a one-by-one contract-only basis. He counts on Rachael to object.

Except Rachael and Tera actually get along, for some ungodly reason. The entire crew votes in favour of having her on as a permanent addition.

Leo ends up being the one who gives her the offer, begrudging as possible without making Syrus do it instead – and through it all he doesn’t trust her. At all.

 First there’s her reputation. She’s foreign and doesn’t bother to hide it, so she’s got the whole ‘stealing jobs from real Americans’ thing going against her. And that’s just the bit she can’t help. Rumours say she’s a Black Widow and a traitor, tears gangs apart from the inside, leaving her the last one left, with everyone else dead or worse, not imprisoned but certainly not in any state to come after her, ever, not without a miracle. And there are no miracles in their business.

(He overhears Vain ask, once, him and his girlfriend who he still isn’t sure is actually on his payroll or not, not with her and her little streaked head of hair appearing and disappearing as unpredictably as the fucking breeze (though he does think she probably deals drugs in clubs around the city) – Vain and his girlfriend, Jean or Jen or something equally generic, they ask where Tera came from, how she ended up in the states instead of back home. Tera smirks and looks down at the gun she’s cleaning, methodically of course, always a method to her madness. “The Heron, they called themselves,” she says, “a vicious group outta L.A.”

“Yeah,” presses the girl and Vain, in sync. They share a glance before he goes on, “But what happened?”

Leo thinks he should probably not be eavesdropping, except he’s running through papers and maps and plans at the dining room table, and they’re only in the living room – hell, Tera’s actually sitting on a dining chair, she’s just dragged it over to the entertainment set up and completely ignored his glare (it’s not that hard to lift it off the hardwood floors, damn it). But then he figures that he’s got as much right to know as they do, after all, he’s in charge, not Vain. He actually looks up to watch as the assassin laughs, this quiet little thing that doesn’t sound nearly menacing enough to match the things everyone says about her.

“One of them was under the impression that I was more poorly trained than she. Tried to sneak up on me, pistol in hand, silencer attached. Really, if it was one of you lot then I expect she’d have succeeded and gotten away with it,” If I’d said that the assholes’d be offended as hell, Leo thinks, “except I’ve been trained more thoroughly than most MI6 operatives, never mind some mercenary who’s jealous her boss actually likes me. I sleep with one eye open,” and she fucking winks. Damn it. “The woman was dead before she could click off the safety. I figured if they were lax enough in their security to allow that, then they didn’t deserve to rise up any higher. Besides, they trafficked in kids, disgusting business. So they had to die.”

Leo tries not to listen as Vain’s girlfriend asks what happened to the kids.

“Oh, I got them where they needed to be.”

Leo thinks maybe she shot them to put them out of their misery, or maybe took over the business herself.)

Then there’s her goddamn name. Tera. It’s so on the nose that he wonders for a long time if it’s fake, even goes to their intel people, his sister Rachael and her hacker friend, Virus, to get a straight answer.

(“Tera Michiligan,” Virus says at the time. He’s this slightly overweight kid with spindly arms, a complete dork that you’d overlook if you didn’t know him. Internally, he’s probably the best hacker in the city – maybe in the country. Leo likes to tell himself that Virus sticks around because he’s loyal, but really, the hacker just wants a paycheck.

Even as he’s answering Leo’s questions, he’s screwing around with a controller, trying to beat someone at some game on an Xbox. Rachael’s certainly not his gaming partner – though she occasionally throws nuts at him from where she’s set up with the blueprints for the bank Syrus and Vain want to heist, either to distract him or feed him, Leo isn’t sure, but mostly it seems to end with Virus chewing on whatever gets thrown his way. He’s not even sure if their casual affection is just affection, or something more, uh, intimate. Virus glances at his laptop, then back at the TV screen in time to shoot someone. “30. Blonde, assassin, wanted in four states, six countries, and two republics. Looks like she had a sister who got killed by some gang – and MI6 was interested in her at some point. And the CIA. FBI is a bit behind and doesn’t have the same intel – guess they’re keeping their search private, not telling the big boys they’re fishing.” He snickers, launches a grenade at a weird alien on screen. “Don’t believe me, boss-man? I can getcha verification.”

“B?” Rachael asks, already sorting through papers for contact numbers. She’s given Leo a file with everything they could find on Tera, including a birth certificate. Leo’s not sure this is legit, surely an assassin as infamous as her isn’t so easy to track (Virus is offended that Leo thinks his job is easy, and threatens to quit. Again. It’s a joke he makes a lot).

‘B’ turns out to be a tiny red-haired woman who refuses to meet him except for over a video call rerouted through so many servers that Virus complains she’s overdoing it, and “don’t you trust me?”. B points out that she’s still pretty sure Virus is most of the reason that her fucking robot has to be rebuilt, again (Leo’s tired just thinking about all the tech he’s not up to date on), after being obliterated by a fucking knife of all things when an assassin took out her psychopath brother. And apparently she knows that he took the harddrive. (Leo idly recalls that Syrus ordered Tera to kill a psychopathic Inferno and she inexplicably had a gift for the hacker afterwards. He had assumed it was a heart or something equally as grotesque, something to assuage the hacker from digging into her past. Apparently, this is not the case. Huh.).

After being forced back on track by Leo and his habit of being infinitely less interested in their bickering than he is in the answers to his questions, B looks at what seems to be another screen. “Yeah, Tera Michiligan. British national. They do not want her back, oh wow, there’s just a warrant for her arrest. Huh, wow, I didn’t even know Britain did denaturalisation.”

Virus at least has the good grace to wait until the connection is severed before he tries to explain that denaturalisation basically involves a country telling former citizens to fuck off and not come back – Rachael would have just started explaining without waiting, never mind whether it makes her boss look stupid. Leo snarks that he knows what that means, and he also isn’t dumb, he can figure that ‘B’ is an Inferno. And then he demands that someone make Vain set up a meeting with Intellect.

Intellect’s this woman who, in another life, Leo can see himself being attracted to – hell, he’s kind of attracted to her now. She’s got dark skin and magenta hair and wears glasses that look cheap but are rumoured to actually be the most high-tech things available, with a dozen different visual settings, different magnification options, and god knows what else. What’s special about her? Unlike everyone else, all her information is entirely offline. Vain goes with Leo to meet her, only because (a) the meeting point is near wherever his girlfriend (Leo’s gotten her name straight, finally, it’s Jenna, she deals drugs for her sister out of nightclubs around the city since apparently the sisters identity is a Big Secret™) is working, and (b) appearances are an Important Thing in their business and Leo can’t look like he’s working alone, and finally (c) though Intellect isn’t stupid enough to attack him, other people are, and backup is always a nice thing to have.

Leo gestures for Vain to stay near the entrance to the club they’re around the side of, down an alley jammed between a nightclub and a 9-11 because that makes sense as a layout, and approaches Intellect and her two guards alone. When he’s close enough, he even offers a smile, because formalities get tiring and for all he insists on using her alias with his crew, he’s known Intella for four years now, after the two wound up neck-deep in a conspiracy consisting of more corrupt cops than the city can handle (he didn’t trust Syrus, Vain, or even Rachael to take care of the undercover work, and this is before his name gets tied to his face by his enemies. Well, except Rita, but she doesn’t count). He greets her warmly, and even after so many meetings, her two bodyguards are standing unnecessarily close, looming over them despite Leo being just as tall as the shorter of them. Intella lifts a hand to dissuade them, murmurs something in the ear of the taller after making him lean down to her level – Leo catches her saying “Axel, please prevent Jonathan from attacking him,” as though he can’t look after himself – and turns to greet him. “Sorry, they still haven’t forgiven you for that one kiss.”

There are rumours everywhere that Intellect, Intella, whatever, that she’s got her bodyguards wrapped around her little finger. It’s true. Very few people are privy to the information that this is more than professional obligation, rather, it’s the three of them being in a very committed, very strange relationship. Jonathan started out jealous of his older brother despite being the first to make a move on their employer, this Leo knows – and anyone else who does so is dead by now, or in no state to speak. Perks of having personally invested guards. The only reason Leo is still alive after ‘that one kiss’ is that Intella keeps interfering whenever one or both of the brothers attempt to kill him. “Tell me about Tera Michiligan?”

“What do you want to know?” Intella asks, eyes dancing with something like amusement.

“That can’t be a real name. It’s an alias.”

Intella scoffs. “No. Tera is as much her name as Leonard is yours. The fact that it is so relevant to her job is a coincidence. Her parents expected a male, and chose the name Terrence. Tera was the most appealing feminine variant of the name.”

He kind of resents Intella for offering such a reasonable explanation. It makes his conviction that much easier to poke holes in.)

It’s a problem, too, that she’s smart. Because he’s worked with smart people before – he’s one of them, he’s proud of that fact. Rachael’s a borderline genius. He’d wager Intella was a childhood prodigy. But Tera’s smarts – it’s different. She’s smart in a dangerous way.

(There’s one moment, when the group of them – all seven, Tera and Leo included – are preparing to heist a formal event being held at the botanical gardens. The plan is to get in, get everyone down, then rob them of their fancy fucking jewellery – they’ll sell it to the Spider, Mora’s husband, who in turn will pawn it off to Disraiel, an apparent genius at getting rid of this stuff. The plan is that the Spider keeps twenty five percent and they keep the rest, because he has some kind of deal with Disraiel that means he gets paid a hundred twenty five per cent of the value (like so many people in this city, Leo thinks it’s the result of an affair but he’s not about to ask Mora, not when the assassin has served them so well before she quit to raise their kid, and certainly when he doesn’t want to accidentally accuse the Spider of being gay – what the thief does on his own time is his business, after all).

Leo looks around to find Tera leaning over Virus’ shoulder. Virus doesn’t go in, he never does, though he can shoot in a pinch – instead, the hacker will be maintaining communication, monitoring cameras, and diverting security while preventing police from responding quickly, so it’s not totally bizarre to find him eying up plans for the building. Closer examination shows that Tera’s pointing at his screen as he reads over a list of – those are fucking plant names, okay, Leo knows that from when he made his fortune just stealing scientific intel. Leo’s pissed; this is the first heist Tera’s been on, and she wants to stop to smell the fucking roses. “What the hell are you doing,” he asks, except it’s not a question, more a demand. Tera doesn’t even glance at him before answering, “I’m gonna make a pit stop, get some of these _.”

“That’s a flower,” he points out, obviously irritated.

“It contains ricin – it’s a deadly poison. Reckon I can get anyone out of a pinch if that proves to be a problem.”

Or, the other moment, third heist they do together. They’re robbing a bank and Rachael’s been out, her and Valentina out of the city for ‘sister bonding time’. Tera snickers every time she repeats the excuse, mostly because it’s ridiculous, while the sisters love each other they don’t exactly spend a lot of quality time together. Leo’s annoyed with the reaction because it’s their cover and if they can’t take it seriously than how can they expect others to, plus Valentina’s job – a hit on some Hispanic criminal genius – needing constant intel puts them short not one member, which he could deal with, but two. It’s only because they need the cash to pay for the next fucking heist prep, the big one, that he hasn’t called the whole thing off.

But it’s so stressful that Leo hasn’t slept in forty eight hours and he knows he’s getting sloppy, okay, and when Tera comes in with two cups of tea and sits one before him, he’s personally offended. He knows she works with poisons, okay, she practically fucking bragged about it on that first heist when she was on about that ricin thing, just because he’s a little off the rails right now doesn’t mean he’s going to fall for it – and she seems to sense this, rolls her eyes and makes a show of taking a sip of his tea, swallowing it down, and he’s acutely aware of the fact that no one sees her like this and lives, dressed down in sleep shorts and an oversized sweater, no makeup on her fact. Though he’s convinced that it’s not poisoned, sort of, he still doesn’t touch it, hunched over the blueprints of the bank they want to hit.

Across the table, Tera is going through his notes, the plan laid out step by step. She’s reading it aloud, quiet, either because that’s how she is sometimes or because it’s the dead of the night and all sane people are asleep right now. “Virus will be at the base,” she murmurs, pointing somewhere on the city map, “doing his thing. That leaves the four of us on foot. Syrus and I here, watching hostages. You and Vain here,” she points elsewhere on the map, “corralling the manager. Shoot the counter worker to show we mean business.” She hums in thought. “We have no getaway vehicle.”

Leo fucking knows that, of course he does, that’s what he’s been stressing over. It’s driving him nuts as it is not having Rachael to lurk on the street outside, a sort of backup in case they need an extra gun, he doesn’t need the reminder that Valentina – his secret weapon, yes, but typically she’s their getaway driver and gets stuck listening to the police scanner for instances like these. Tera hums once, twice more, then picks up a pen, “I have a friend who can play a hostage.”

He looks at her tiredly, because he has no time for hypothetical people and maybe solutions, for if they lived in a television show or a bad cartoon. But Tera’s not looking at him, her gaze eager on the papers. She’s even set her tea down to gesture. “Ange’ll do anything for a bit of cash for her marijuana habit. I can give her some clothes, dress her up a bit, she can play the panicked business bank-visitor easily enough – sit her right here, right beside where you and Vain’ll be, and you can use her to manipulate the others.”

“I’m not traumatising a civilian.”

“She’ll forget about it in exchange for cash and some weed. Plus, she can drive like a maniac – swear she’d be a professional if she was less into the drugs. So that makes your job easier, and gives us a way out,” Tera insists. Leo doesn’t want to agree, but when she runs over the details, he can’t deny it’ll work. Tera’s a fucking tactical genius. Leo hates her a little bit more.)

 And on top of that there’s the fact that everyone seems to inexplicably trust her. First it’s Syrus, who, okay, it’s him who invites her to join – of course he trusts her beforehand. Leo doesn’t actually find out why, not until much later (here’s a hint: it involves Tera being hired to kill the second son of the Constantine family, before taking pity on his pathetic arse (something Syrus will protest vehemently) and helping him take out the family of the sonofabitch that took the hit out on him in the first place over the first few weeks they know each other. There’s also lots of sex, though Leo doesn’t want to hear about that. Vain is less easy to convince to stop asking.)(In retrospect, it’s probably obvious that that’s how an assassin would earn the trust of Syrus), and it annoys him for a long while.

He thinks Vain won’t trust her, well, no more than he trusts anyone – see, Vain has this rule, that you can fuck with him but the second you so much as glance at his girlfriend, you’re dead. Tera somehow surpasses this rule, and Leo never finds out how. But for the first time ever, when Vain’s out of town trying to secure a new source of weapons, it’s Tera he asks to watch over Jenna. There must be some way the assassin manages to prove herself, but Leo never learns what it is. It’s kept strictly between Vain, Jenna, and Tera – and the three of them are notorious for being completely unable to give straight answers.

And of course Virus won’t trust her, he’s a hacker, one of the best – he’s in on all her dirty little secrets from the first moment. Except apparently Virus is better with women than Leo is aware, or maybe Tera is better with geeks, because at one point he walks in on the assassin and hacker, side by side on the couch, absolutely mashing buttons. She gives this ridiculous keening yell and actually flings her arms up when she wins, cries, “I finally got you, you cheat!”.  She breaks the controller by flinging it at the ceiling, pieces of plastic raining down on the odd couple. Leo is 99 per cent certain whatever hunk of plastic she brought for the hacker after that second mission is responsible for her not being shot for breaking his toys.

Leo doesn’t delude himself for a second that Valentina won’t like her. Valentina likes everybody, so much so that it’s a problem. She’s their secret weapon and their getaway driver, this quiet, unassuming woman, delicate in every way and apparently protected by both Vain and Syrus flanking her whenever they go anywhere as a crew. Fact is, they’re protecting everyone else more than they are her – because Valentina can kick serious ass, so much so that if it comes down to it, she’s the one that’ll have a chance at taking down Tera. Except she likes the British woman, no questions asked. The two have nights, when Valentina’s actually around instead of at her little cottage on the city outskirts with her husband who doesn’t know what she does for a living or who her family are, during which they honestly just get together and do girly things, like braid hair and paint nails. To Valentina, Tera’s the sister Rachael could’ve been if she were less bookish, even before she’s doing that second job for Syrus.

Rachael’s Leo’s last, desperate hope that his crew, his family, somehow won’t welcome this – this death wish into their home and lives. And he thinks, until they actually vote and Rachael votes yes, Tera can stay (traitor, he thinks, bitterly), that she doesn’t want to keep her around. See, Rachael’s smart, that’s why she does all the organisation crap that he can’t quite handle alone, that’s why despite Syrus carrying the title second-in-command, it’s her that Leo defers to when she has a point to make. And yet it’s Rachael, quietly observant Rachael, never afraid to speak her mind – it’s Rachael who says aye when asked to vote in favour of Tera sticking around.

Leo doesn’t even get a fucking vote and it’s him who has to tell Tera the ‘good news’. He seriously regrets maintaining the democratic kingpin thing, instead of creating a dictatorship to rival his mothers’ over in Lyndon.

Valentina and Rachael have been back for three months when Inferno encroaches on their territory. Leo fights back, because whatever bullshit Paimon thinks he’s got a right to, this is his part of the city. He’s earned it, clawing it out from the perfectly manicured claws of his mother and from Rita. It takes another month and lot of money and a lot of ammunition and more mercs that he doesn’t bother learning the names of, them being cannon fodder, than he’d like, but eventually he’s got them on the run.

Or he thinks they do. Turns out – not so much. The group have split up, back to their various residences and hang outs, when Inferno corner them, determined to take them out, figuring they have a chance now that they’re on their own. And they fucking do, though Leo’s loathe to admit it. It’s just that they’re so fucking underprepared. Leo has three guns, six knives, and enough ammunition for roughly seventy shots. He’s not a good enough shot to make every one count – he’s not like Syrus or Valentina, nowhere near being a natural marksman. He’s always been in on this for the planning – there’s a reason he went off on his own first, ran from being Veronica’s heir apparent.

Veronica’s probably turning in her fucking grave, laughter racking her skeleton right about now. She told Leo he was too fucking soft. “You were right, mom,” he spits, dodging into an alley between an apartment building and something else, maybe a block of stores – maybe there’s a chance he can hide here, for a little while, “fucking good on you.”

That happens to be exactly where he runs into Tera, who has her gun instantly trained on his head.

“I fucking knew it!” Leo claims instantly, snapping his own gun up. Tera snorts, fires a shot, then looks at him strangely. And –

And –

            And –

And nothing. There’s no pain in him, no agony, no suffering. She didn’t even graze him. Fucking Christ. “I thought you were meant to be a good shot,” he spits, because at this point his sense of self-preservation has taken its fucking leave, gone right out the window without so much as a by-your-leave, and antagonising the woman he’s been convinced is plotting the murder of him and everyone he cares about for eleven fucking months suddenly seems like a better idea than facing whoever’s after him right this second.

Speaking of – there’s a thump behind him and he whips around, his own gun still in hand, and finds a bleach blond man crumpling to the ground, the telltale sign of an Inferno. All of them have bleach blond hair, for some reason, except for the kingpin and the hacker, both artificial redheads, hair red as blood.

“No need to thank me,” Tera tells him, examining her gun as if to check for damage before turning to survey the area they have both decided to take refuge.

Leo is inexplicably furious with this. “I’m not going to fucking thank you – all of this was fine until you showed up!”

Tera raises an eyebrow at him. She’s wearing those fucking sunglasses from day one again, the ones she took off to squint at him, even though it’s roughly eleven at night and there’s zero reason for her to have them on. Clearly she thinks he can’t handle himself. He bristles more.

“I don’t know what your game is, Mantis, but over my dead body will you catch me off guard! I’m not letting you take down my crew – not from the inside – not like you did Heron and Morph and Briggs and fucking RT. You might have everyone else fooled, but not me.”

He can’t see her eyes clearly, but her smirk doesn’t even waver. “Whatever you say, boss man. Now – you can stay here alone if you want. But Inferno’s after me as well as you lot, and they say there’s safety in numbers. And the higher ground.” She climbs onto a dumpster and uses it to boost herself onto a fire escape. “So I’m headed up. Come if you want.”

He very seriously considers lighting a flare in the dumpster – the resulting fire would mean she can’t get back up. Except he doesn’t have any flares and she’s unfortunately right on both counts, numbers and the higher ground, and he’s still a shitty shot. He can’t come up with a logical reason for her to betray him at this point, tonight. He’d think she’s playing him, selling him out to Inferno, except she just shot the guy looming behind him. Wouldn’t be the first time she shot someone who didn’t need to be shot, the saner, more cynical part of him points out. He snorts slightly, then checks his gun. He might be a rubbish shot, but even he’s enough of a threat to keep her and her traitorous knives the hell away from him – and if it comes down to close combat, he’s stronger than her; he has the upper hand.

So he goes after her.

They don’t work smoothly together – well, that’s not the complete truth. When the Inferno’s inevitably find them where they’re hidden, they’re forewarned – Leo’s spotted them and pointed them out to Tera. Tera’s the better shot, hell, she’s good enough to make Syrus look like an amateur, so it’s her that takes the shots at their pursuers as they scale the fire escape. Except Leo’s so paranoid about turning his back on her that he doesn’t, and as a result? Well, it doesn’t actually surprise him when someone ends up behind them, and in a burst of silence between Tera’s shots, he hears the click of safety. “Fuck,” he declares, ever eloquent. Tera turns to look, behind the sunglasses – at fucking night, he can’t get over that detail – he imagines her eyes flash. She raises the gun, as if she’s actually considering.

“Don’t you even consider it,” the potential shooter orders, pressing the muzzle of the gun against his head. Leo’s inclined to agree, because the math isn’t too difficult and he doesn’t doubt that the speed of the bullet in the barrel closer to him will reach him faster than she can shoot the dick behind her. Tera scoffs, shifts her aim, and –

      – And takes out the light over the door to Leo’s right, the one that leads down into the building proper.  The rooftop is abruptly dark, and in the time it takes the Inferno to adapt to the sudden change, she’s there – Leo can’t see because his eyes haven’t adjusted either, but the pressure disappears from the back of his head, and while he tenses when a gun goes off a moment later, it doesn’t hit him. His eyes adjust, finally, and when he turns he finds out that Tera has shot the sonofabitch between the eyes, leaving zero chance of survival with all his mental faculties in check. She’s also removed her sunglasses, they’re perched on top of her head, but she returns them within a second. Yet again she’s showing that she’s dangerously smart – the shades darken the world enough that she can still see somewhat, despite having had the light as a guide beforehand. Leo’s grudgingly impressed, but he’s saved from having to acknowledge the fact that she’s saved him by another gunshot, metal against metal, and she just spares him a “Run” before taking off. He doesn’t get time to ask where the hell they’re supposed to run, not when he can hear footsteps coming from the stairwell and they’re scaling the fire escape, before Tera vaults over the gap between the buildings. She seems to realize he’s not following her and shoots him a look over her shoulder, mouths “move it, boss man”, and then continues on the ridiculous dash.

He’s thinking he’s not suicidal as he eyes the jump, but then a bullet very nearly hits his foot – sparks fly as it hits the concrete – and he makes the decision to go out on his own terms. Possibly by hitting the ground from five storeys above street level. Regardless – it’ll be faster than bleeding out from a bloody bullet wound. Fucking Inferno, he thinks, and then forces himself into a sprint, praying for an impossible burst of speed and a miracle, never mind that they don’t get those in their line of work – and – and

– He almost trips when he lands the leap of faith, head spinning. He feels vaguely ill as he stops, looking around, as if debating whether this is some agony fuelled hallucination.

It isn’t.

“Holy shit,” he mumbles, looking up to find Tera firing her gun. It clicks once, empty, and she reloads and shoots someone in a series of motions so practiced he entertains the thought – not that he’ll admit it – of her being born with a gun in her hand. He doesn’t turn, but judging by the scream and the scrabbling of nails on a surface with nothing to grab, she sent someone tumbling over the gap.

She’s just one woman and he’s not a good enough shot to help (and she knows it, unfortunately, a fact he hates – maybe he could throw a knife well enough to help but there’s no guarantee a knife will get around whatever lightweight armor the Inferno’s are wearing) , so after one more shot sends one more person screaming, Tera turns and leads him across the rooftops.

This continues for a while, this dance of whittling down the Inferno’s. How their numbers got so endless he has no clue; he’s always known there are a lot of members of the rival gang, but enough that they don’t even pause at the death of another, not after they catch up. Either they’re really good at compartmentalizing or aren’t noticing the reduced numbers – he’s not sure which possibility is more disconcerting. Eventually Tera skids to a stop, throwing a glance over her shoulder, “It’s a bit of a fall,” she warns, backing up and making it.

He dares a glance before swallowing. It’s down two floors, enough to cripple him. Tera rolls when she makes it, gun up immediately to fire at anyone who comes too close to the edge. How she doesn’t even hesitate at the twenty foot drop he doesn’t know – no doubt there’s some elaborate story, an oh, you should’ve seen this one time when that Vain will ask about later – and now is definitely not the best time to think about whether his siblings and Virus are still alive, wow, he’ll lose his nerve if he goes there. He wipes his mind, forces himself to compartmentalize as well as the Inferno’s seem to, backs up a few steps and breaks into a sprint, running at the edge of the roof despite every survival instinct screaming at him to stop, stop, idiot, fool, you’re going to die you’re going to die you’re not going to make it, fucking leaps off the rooftop, and –

And –

             And –

                           And he doesn’t make it.

Arms wrench in their sockets and he’s pretty sure he’s dislocated at least one of them, and god knows the damage done to his wrists, his nails, his fingers, fuck. A hazy cocktail of adrenaline and panic make the pain barely noticeable, thank Christ, but he can only guess how much he’s going to be suffering when this ends. If this ends without him in the ground, or more likely dumped in the port, at least.

Maybe the suffering is a good thing, if that’s the alternative.

He doesn’t have time to loathe himself for long, feeling his grip slipping. He scrabbles like the Inferno who fell from the roof, momentum pitching them forward after a bullet to the leg that he didn’t even bother witnessing, and just like that Inferno panic consumes him – and unlike that Inferno, pain spikes through his nerves and his grip actually slackens.

He forces himself to readjust out of sheer desperation, but that strength he reassured himself of earlier, strong enough to beat Tera? It’s gone, along with the use of his hand. He’s debating just letting go when a face he’s spent literal months resenting appears above him, shades removed – discarded somewhere – and eyes fixed on him, as though she’s a predator and he’s the cornered prey. She disappears back over and, past the blood rushing in his ears, past the gunfire from two storeys up and back a few yards, back from the building behind him, he hears her moving around. Apparently the Inferno’s are trying to shoot them, and evidently they’re as bad as he is, nowhere near the level of Tera or Valentina or Syrus. Maybe they sent all the competent gunmen after the other five, he muses, or maybe they’ve already put them out of commission. Tera shoots a few of them and fumbles in the pocket of the coat he hasn’t bothered to notice before – of all the things – and something soars over his head. Apparently Tera has a fucking gift for everything physical, because like her crossing the rooftops at a sprint interspersed with ridiculous leaps and bounds, this seems to be effortless for her, and the explosion tells him that it’s a grenade she’s thrown.

What the fuck, he thinks, head spinning from the pain, she’s gonna let the whole city know we’re here. Or, know he’s here, more accurately – he’s expecting her to head for whatever escape is available, leave him literally hanging. Except there’s some more movement overhead, and as his heart stutters in his chest he wonders if the bitch is going to step on his fingers and make him let go, after all of this.

Falling from a mess he gets himself into seems like an appropriately climactic end to the last year of bullshit that he’s been through, though he doubts the impact of his skull on the ground will do the same (it doesn’t occur to him that he’ll land on his feet unless he angles himself in such a way to hit the ground head first, and it certainly doesn’t lead to him considering that he’d just be trapped in an alley unable to move, legs shattered and arms unable to do shit, if that’s the case).

She’s back in a moment, peering down at him again. He opens his mouth to spit at her, isn’t this what you always wanted, you traitor, Mantis, but the words catch in his throat when she offers a hand, stretching it over the ledge.

“Grab my hand.”

Leo stares at her. Time ticks away as whoever survived the grenade blast screams their suffering to the world. If this were anyone else, he thinks he knows what he’d expect – either a boot to the hand, which admittedly he does still think Tera will offer, a nudge to his death however many feet below (thirty six, actually, twelve for each storey and the space between, but he determinedly doesn’t think about that) – or a lifeline. If he is thinking that she is about to force him to his demise, he’d normally grab an ankle or a wrist, whatever’s on offer and within reach – but there’s the pain to consider, and the fact that she’s still not as strong as him, and the fact that he still thinks she’s going to kill him after all of this.

Then again, this is Tera. He’s never known what to expect from her.

“Grab my hand, boss man,” she repeats, reaching that little bit further. As if she expects it to encourage him to grab on.

He doesn’t grab on -

                         – He hesitates.

 Because Tera Michiligan is terrifying. She’s an assassin first, anyone who’s anybody in the criminal world knows that, and even if they don’t know her name, he suspects that more civilians know of her than vote in the American elections. She has a dozen code names, each more disconcerting than the last – Blonde Bombshell, Black Widow, Mantis – so many of them refer to animals that utterly ruin other members of their species; the Black Widow that eats its’ sexual partner in a post-sex haze, the Praying Mantis that devours the lover during copulation, both of them so heedless of the fact that the other trusts them or wants them, has evolved to deal with this but still cannot survive the encounter. Tera Michilgan has a reputation for taking a gang and tearing it apart from the inside, for being the last one standing – wherever she goes, destruction follows; gang leaders everywhere doubt her motives, hiring her on for one-time things and quite often never willingly hiring her again, unless she’s the only one on offer. Her name is so on the nose that it feels like a lie, a joke told over and over again at the expense of her countless victims. She’s frighteningly smart, picking pretty flowers because she knows they contain a toxin that can cause agony or instant death or anything in between, a tactical genius with enough connections to pull off whatever she decides needs doing (and don’t think for a second he’s not still convinced the woman she called Ange so many months ago is a method actor hired exclusively to fuck with him specifically), smart enough to make even the most paranoid of people fall in line behind her, allies to the death – even Intella, Intellect, even the best offline information dealer in the country never spoke a word against her.

Tera Michiligan is absolutely terrifying and Leo, who has decided to follow her across rooftops, who lets her carry a gun around him despite being entirely aware of the fact that she’s got too good aim to miss if she wants to (maybe he’s a little resigned to imminent death), Leo who took her word into consideration when struggling to adjust a plan that had been in place for ages – Leo has to decide whether he’d rather face her on the ground, or just let go.

He’s seriously considering letting the fuck go when Tera huffs, apparently sick of waiting – she grabs his wrist herself, the wrist of the hand he probably should have noticed isn’t actually going to help him stay in one piece for more than a few seconds longer – and hauls him up, ignoring his shout of protest as pain spikes through his limbs.

“Hold still,” she orders, apparently suddenly in charge, and prods his arm a few times before abruptly relocating it. He definitely shouts out this time, and when she moves to the second one he flinches away, driving himself into the wall – he even blacks out for a second, coming to with her hands on his shoulder, the pain now a dull ache. She doesn’t wait for permission before grabbing his hands and examining them, first one, then the other – Leo is thankfully ambidextrous so he can cope with damage to one hand and she knows this, but both? She nods again, leans over them. “Your fingertips are fucked but you should be fine to grip a knife handle with your right hand. Left index should be able to handle the trigger of the gun.”

He’s a little surprised when the gun she presses into his fingers proves to be lighter than the one he remembers carrying, clutched in his hand like a lifeline. He squints at it in confusion, observing engraved patterns across the thing – it’s her gun, the one she cleans for hours rather than have idle hands whenever they have down time and she’s not doing something else. “Give me my gun back,” he orders. She rolls her eyes, rocking back on her heels.

She’s quick to retrieve her sunglasses – apparently she’s chosen to lay them carefully on the ground, but they cover her eyes before he can read her expression any further. “Your gun went over the side, this is your backup. And, no. It’s too heavy for you to work right now, and besides, good luck reloading. Mine’s fully loaded, light, easy trigger – not likely to jam, unlike this garbage. Be more appreciative. Now get up and move.”

Well. Her logic is straightforward, easy to follow, and actually makes objective sense – he kicks himself. Maybe she’s saved him, you know, again, but that doesn’t mean there’s anything other than selfishness as a driving motive. That doesn’t mean there’s a chance she isn’t going to shoot him or lead him somewhere worse.

But sirens are blaring in the distance and he doesn’t have much of a choice – between Tera and the cops, he’ll take the one he isn’t outnumbered by, thanks very much. He forces himself to his feet and goes after her, hissing when he has to carefully maneuver over the edge of the fire escape. Tera scoffs a little, but doesn’t offer him help – not until they’re on the edge of the street again, in an alley peering out at flashing lights visible in the distance – not nearly far enough away – and clamoring people who’d been around just to experience the nightlife of the city. Leo thinks he hears Tera curse and sigh, but that seems unlikely – and next thing he knows she’s acting like she’s in charge, again, like she has been all night. “Wrap your arm around me. We’re playing the happy couple.”

He turns back to her, away from the red and blue. “Are you crazy? I’m not pretending to be your boyfriend.” If he sneers a little, well, it’s only fair. She’s done nothing to earn this, so far as he’s concerned.

“You can barely walk,” she points out. He’s at least glad she’s not speaking slowly; people have this ridiculous conviction that pain turns you into a toddler, renders comprehension of basic situations somehow impossible. “I’m doing us both a favour by offering to not have it be completely obvious that you’re limping, battered as all get out, and too exhausted to walk. Besides – we don’t know if the base’s compromised. I have a safe house closer to here, anyway.”

“They cornered you as well, Tera,” he snaps, irritated, “sounds like your safe house is compromised, too.”

“I wasn’t there when they caught onto me, so I seriously doubt that,” she retorts, grabbing his hand and physically forcing him to wrap it around her waist. “Now walk with me.”

He seriously considers pushing it, arguing some more – except she’s not wrong about him being exhausted. The few jarring landings while leaping the rooftops have left his legs shaky at best, even without the scare of dangling thirty feet in the air, which has added a layer of trembling that he’s about half-convinced is only psychological or maybe a psychosomatic symptom of stress. Plus, the position she’s selected covers up any visible bruises, from the front at least, and if they’re walking away from any curious investigators they can keep walking, feign deafness or simply not hearing. In the end, he walks with her – though of course he continues to mutter complaints under his breath. Tera lets him – as if she could stop me, he thinks, trying to assure himself that he’s still somewhat in control of this farce – and it’s not ten minutes later when the two reach what appears to be a mid-range hotel.

There’s a sleepy receptionist at the counter; he waves them through the second he recognizes Tera, whose responding smile features mouth and eyes – she’s tucked her sunglasses into the neckline of her shirt so they fall between the flaps of her jacket – as she guides Leo to the elevator. There are no cameras in there, Leo notes – well, there is, but the light that indicates its’ activity appears to be dead. Tera follows his gaze. “Batteries have been dead for the last three months,” she says, “and it doesn’t take much for them to ‘lose’ the footage anyway.”

He doesn’t bother answering, because it doesn’t feel like a question, and even if there’s no video it doesn’t mean there isn’t some sort of audio. On the thirteenth floor Tera loops his arm back around her, making for the room she’s been staying in for Leo has no clue how long. It’s a neat room with two perfectly made up beds, and he gets the impression that Tera’s actually allowed housekeeping to come through – it’s perfectly possible; watching her reveals that there’s a safe in the wardrobe and she’s got a decent stash of weapons, cash and what look like ID cards there, and in the safe there’s no chance that standard housekeeping could get a glimpse. There’s a kitchenette and a crappy television with a bathroom attached, and Leo’s annoyed to see that she’d thought far enough ahead to get the room that doesn’t have direct access to the fire escape, rather requiring a bit of gymnastics to get over. It’s the safest option, allowing for a quick escape and a difficult entrance into the room. She hangs the do not disturb sign on the outside of the door and sets about shrugging off her jacket. “First aid’s in the bathroom cupboard,” she tells him, and he takes that as a directive to get the hell out while she changes or something similar.

When he comes back a moment later – the bathroom is a lot nicer than he’s expecting, looking at the rest of the place – it’s because he figures she’s dressed. She isn’t. Actually, she’s poking at a bullet hole in her front. “When’d they get you?”

“First approach,” she tells him, “before I hit the alley.”

He feels a little guilty for not even noticing that she’s been bleeding through her shirt for however long, and curses himself internally for not realizing that there’s blood soaking the clothing. Though it explains her placement of his arm on their retreat – he’d been applying pressure the entire time, as well as covering the blood, which would be clearly visible in the harsh interior lighting even under her jacket. He even feels a little bad for having a moment worthy of Vain or Syrus, simply admiring her figure. She might be a traitor, but god, she’s an attractive one.

“I need you to pass me the tweezers,” she says. He raises an eyebrow.

“It’s not a through-and-through?”

“Nope,” she pops the p, her discomfort evident. He can appreciate that – being shot sucks. “Now pass me the tweezers, Constantine. You get the job of keeping me conscious, since you’re useless to this whole thing.”

He’s offended, ready to protest that he’s more qualified to give medical help than she is to operate on herself, before glancing at his hands. She’s not saying he’s incompetent – she’s alluding to earlier, when she told him that his fingertips are going to be useless. She’s protecting his hands from over-exertion, or possibly herself from his fumbling, as best she can, and looking at them – already an ugly shade of blue-violet – he can see what she means. He goes to work on cleaning his own wounds as best he can with the alcohol in her medkit. The only sounds are their little protests to the pain they’re inflicting on themselves – Tera keeps hissing in apparent discomfort, obviously; she’s digging tweezers into her flesh and the angle while she’s on the bed is less than ideal. She ends up having to stand in front of the mirrored wardrobe doors and dealing with things that way, which makes the blood flow that much faster.

At the end of it, she’s a mess. Tera’s hands are shaky as she finishes stitching up the gaping hole in her flesh, and he overhears her muttering about fragments she thinks she might have missed. Afterwards, he turns away and pretends not to have heard anything, because a vulnerable Tera isn’t something he can work into his image of her. She’s still a sociopath to him. “Text the others,” he instructs once she returns from the bathroom looking considerably less blood soaked, tossing her his phone.

She nods once, lying across the bed on her back to do so. “Vain and Jenna are safe,” she relays, not bothering with verbatim. She knows he won’t appreciate specifics. “Valentina’s seen no one, but she’s keeping an eye out. Rachael and Virus are – they’re safe.”

He pretends not to notice her stammering over the last verification. “Syrus?”

Tera shrugs, then props herself up on her elbow. “Syrus will be fine,” she tells him, voice flat. “Now are we sleeping or are you still too convinced that I’m going to kill you?”

Leo almost chooses sleep. Almost. Except this is a conversation that he knows he should have had ages ago, and besides, she’s not wrong. Maybe he’s actually starting to doubt his own convictions, like he had back when her name was his biggest issue, but facts are facts, and it’s true that he won’t sleep a wink with these issues eating away at him. He doesn’t move from where he’s sat himself at the end of the lone double bed, and nods resolutely. “Time to talk.”

They watch each other in the mirror. “I didn’t seek you out,” Tera tells him, “not intentionally. I was hired to take him out for his connection to Veronica, favored son and so forth. We stayed in contact after taking care of the people who wanted him dead were disposed of. Didn’t realize Syrus was in a crew until he asked me to kill a dealer named Cruz – who deals exclusively with gangs and won’t sell to solo workers. He’s always referring me to other contacts when I’m in the city; wasn’t awful having to kill him. I didn’t think he’d hire me a second time, or I’d have probably left. I don’t like doing second jobs. That’s usually when people start planning to have me killed to protect themselves from the harm I can do.” She says this all in a very matter of fact tone. Leo gets the feeling she isn’t actually invested in what she’s saying. “You’ve heard the rumours of me being a Mantis, which is frankly disgusting – human flesh does not appeal. Destroying groups from the inside?” she flutters her fingers in a vague manner that could mean maybe or maybe not. “It’s never a plan. Someone attempts to kill me, so obviously their power structure is too lax and they’re a danger to themselves and others. I kill every member I believe likely to take advantage of that – it’s the decision of whoever’s left to dissolve or remain. Or, they’re chain of command orders my death – in which case, I serve them the head of their second in command, demand an explanation, and put them out of commission.”

Leo listens, though except for his eyes on her reflection, there’s very little sign he’s doing so. Turns out, this is just the start of her self-defense, a speech that sounds carefully planned but is probably just her telling it like it is, from her perspective. None of it sounds like opinion; Tera has this way of speaking that he finds familiar – he speaks like this, and Veronica, and Intella, as though every statement is the pure, unadulterated truth.

By the time Tera’s done, she looks ready to pass out and the clock on the bedside table reads 3:13 AM. Leo exhales, slowly, as she wraps up with a, “I’m going to take out the Inferno’s next. Then I’ll leave, if you order it, boss man.”

She offers a small, sarcastic smile, then lays back down. He doesn’t think he’s ever heard her talk so much, certainly not without prompting, and yet she’s explained every rumor and it still doesn’t seem like she cares about the consequences. Leo doesn’t really know what to think, not yet, but Tera falls asleep extremely quickly, obviously used to catching some shut-eye whenever it’s convenient. His knives are still on the counter where she put them after she emptied her pockets of the weapons he couldn’t use as expertly as usual, along with all three of his guns. He’s absent-mindedly considering just slitting her throat as he looks them over. It’d sure save a lot of trouble. He could even offer her body to Inferno, claim that it’s a peace offering, look, I took out the biggest threat to each of us. He stands and walks over to the knives. It’s as he’s examining them, hand hovering an inch above, that his phone goes off, switched to vibrate and left on the bedside table.  It’s a text alert from Syrus, finally.

(3:15 AM) Hiding out in the warehouse. Reeks of rat feces in here – hopefully it’ll ward off Inferno. Return to base at…?

Leo snorts, awkwardly types out instructions to get whatever rest he can, adds a note that everyone is safe. It’s so full of typos that it looks like it could be written in a poorly encrypted code.  By the time he hits send, his fingertips are in agony. He manages to set an alarm for sunrise and leaves the room, making a beeline for the bathroom. He figures he can sleep in the bathtub.

He hasn’t forgotten that he doesn’t trust Tera – he’s just warmed up to her the tiniest amount. Enough that he’s ready to acknowledge that she isn’t his biggest problem. She’ll be a big help while they deal with Inferno’s impertinence, try to take them out altogether, try to get to Paimon himself.

It’s just one more job, he tells himself.

(He’s well aware that with Tera, it’s never ‘just one more’.)

[brookstonalmanac]

Events 7.5

328 – The official opening of Constantine's Bridge built over the Danube between Sucidava (Corabia, Romania) and Oescus (Gigen, Bulgaria) by the Roman architect Theophilus Patricius. 1316 – The Burgundian and Majorcan claimants of the Principality of Achaea meet in the Battle of Manolada. 1594 – Portuguese forces under the command of Pedro Lopes de Sousa begin an unsuccessful invasion of the Kingdom of Kandy during the Campaign of Danture in Sri Lanka. 1610 – John Guy sets sail from Bristol with 39 other colonists for Newfoundland. 1687 – Isaac Newton publishes Philosophiæ Naturalis Principia Mathematica. 1770 – The Battle of Chesma between the Russian Empire and the Ottoman Empire begins. 1775 – The Second Continental Congress adopts the Olive Branch Petition. 1803 – The Convention of Artlenburg is signed, leading to the French occupation of the Electorate of Hanover (which had been ruled by the British king). 1807 – In Buenos Aires the local militias repel the British soldiers within the Second English Invasion. 1809 – The Battle of Wagram is fought between the French and Austrian Empires. 1811 – The Venezuelan Declaration of Independence is adopted by a congress of the provinces. 1813 – War of 1812: Three weeks of British raids on Fort Schlosser, Black Rock and Plattsburgh, New York commence. 1814 – War of 1812: Battle of Chippawa: American Major General Jacob Brown defeats British General Phineas Riall at Chippawa, Ontario. 1833 – Lê Văn Khôi along with 27 soldiers stage a mutiny taking over the Phiên An citadel, developing into the Lê Văn Khôi revolt against Emperor Minh Mạng. 1833 – Admiral Charles Napier vanquishes the navy of the Portuguese usurper Dom Miguel at the third Battle of Cape St. Vincent. 1841 – Thomas Cook organises the first package excursion, from Leicester to Loughborough. 1884 – Germany takes possession of Cameroon. 1915 – The Liberty Bell leaves Philadelphia by special train on its way to the Panama–Pacific International Exposition. This is the last trip outside Philadelphia that the custodians of the bell intend to permit. 1934 – "Bloody Thursday": Police open fire on striking longshoremen in San Francisco. 1935 – The National Labor Relations Act, which governs labor relations in the United States, is signed into law by President Franklin D. Roosevelt. 1937 – Spam, the luncheon meat, is introduced into the market by the Hormel Foods Corporation. 1940 – World War II: Foreign relations of Vichy France are severed with the United Kingdom. 1941 – World War II: Operation Barbarossa: German troops reach the Dnieper river. 1943 – World War II: An Allied invasion fleet sails for Sicily (Operation Husky, July 10, 1943). 1943 – World War II: German forces begin a massive offensive against the Soviet Union at the Battle of Kursk, also known as Operation Citadel. 1946 – Micheline Bernardini models the first modern bikini at a swimming pool in Paris. 1948 – National Health Service Acts create the national public health system in the United Kingdom. 1950 – Korean War: Task Force Smith: American and North Korean forces first clash, in the Battle of Osan. 1950 – Zionism: The Knesset passes the Law of Return which grants all Jews the right to immigrate to Israel. 1954 – The BBC broadcasts its first daily television news bulletin. 1954 – Elvis Presley records his first single, "That's All Right", at Sun Records in Memphis, Tennessee. 1962 – The official independence of Algeria is proclaimed after an eight-year-long war with France. 1970 – Air Canada Flight 621 crashes in Brampton, Ontario, Canada, killing all 109 people on board. 1971 – The Twenty-sixth Amendment to the United States Constitution, lowering the voting age from 21 to 18 years, is formally certified by President Richard Nixon. 1973 – A boiling liquid expanding vapor explosion (BLEVE) in Kingman, Arizona, following a fire that broke out as propane was being transferred from a railroad car to a storage tank, kills eleven firefighters. 1975 – Arthur Ashe becomes the first black man to win the Wimbledon singles title. 1975 – Cape Verde gains its independence from Portugal. 1977 – Military coup in Pakistan: Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, the first elected Prime Minister of Pakistan, is overthrown. 1980 – Swedish tennis player Björn Borg wins his fifth Wimbledon final and becomes the first male tennis player to win the championships five times in a row (1976–1980). 1987 – Sri Lankan Civil War: The LTTE uses suicide attacks on the Sri Lankan Army for the first time. The Black Tigers are born and, in the following years, will continue to kill with the tactic. 1989 – Iran–Contra affair: Oliver North is sentenced by U.S. District Judge Gerhard A. Gesell to a three-year suspended prison term, two years probation, $150,000 in fines and 1,200 hours community service. His convictions are later overturned. 1995 – Armenia adopts its constitution, four years after its independence from the Soviet Union. 1996 – Dolly the sheep becomes the first mammal cloned from an adult cell. 1997 – Sri Lankan Civil War: Sri Lankan Tamil MP A. Thangathurai is shot dead at Sri Shanmuga Hindu Ladies College in Trincomalee. 1999 – U.S. President Bill Clinton imposes trade and economic sanctions against the Taliban regime in Afghanistan. 2004 – The first direct Indonesian presidential election is held. 2006 – North Korea tests four short-range missiles, one medium-range missile and a long-range Taepodong-2. The long-range Taepodong-2 reportedly fails in mid-air over the Sea of Japan. 2009 – A series of violent riots break out in Ürümqi, the capital city of the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region in China. 2009 – The largest hoard of Anglo-Saxon gold ever discovered in England, consisting of more than 1,500 items, is found near the village of Hammerwich, near Lichfield, Staffordshire. 2012 – The Shard in London is inaugurated as the tallest building in Europe, with a height of 310 metres (1,020 ft). 2016 – The Juno space probe arrives at Jupiter and begins a 20-month survey of the planet.

[foursproutwealth-blog]

Amazon Strikes Again: CVS To Buy Aetna For $69BN In Year's Largest Deal, "Reshaping Health Care"

New Post has been published on http://foursprout.com/wealth/amazon-strikes-again-cvs-to-buy-aetna-for-69bn-in-years-largest-deal-reshaping-health-care/

Amazon Strikes Again: CVS To Buy Aetna For $69BN In Year's Largest Deal, "Reshaping Health Care"

A deal that was months in the making is finally official, with Aetna’s board of directors approving on Sunday the health insurer’s sale to drugstore chain operator CVS Health Corp for approximately $207 per share in cash and stock, in a deal worth $67 billion, multiple news sources reported on Sunday afternoon. The purchase price represents a premium of 29% to where Aetna shares were trading before the WSJ first reported that the two companies were in talks in October.

The deal will be this year’s largest corporate acquisition, and in combining one of the nation’s largest pharmacy benefits managers (PBMs) and pharmacy operators with one of its oldest health insurers, will “reshape health care” by bringing a large insurer and a big provider of pharmacy services under one roof.

According to the agreed terms of the deal, which will be announced later on Sunday, Aetna shareholders will receive $145 per share in cash and 0.8378 CVS Health shares for each Aetna share. According to Reuters, “Aetna shareholders will own about 22% of the combined company, while CVS shareholders will own the remainder.” As part of the acquisition, three Aetna directors, including Aetna’s Chairman and CEO Mark Bertolini, will join CVS’s board of directors. After the deal closes, Aetna will operate as a separate unit run by members of the current management.

The acquisition will be financed with a mix of cash and debt. Barclays, Goldman Sachs and Bank of America have committed to provide $49 billion of financing, Bloomberg reported.

With Aetna currently employing 49,500 while CVS has 204,000 full and part-time employees, the combined company will boast a quarter million workers, if only for the time being. The deal, which is expected to close in the second half of 2018, will create cost savings of about $750 million, which means tens of thousands of layoffs.

Some more on the companies’ background: CVS, with annual revenue of $178 billion, is a major pharmacy-benefits manager in addition to its vast collection of drugstores, some of which already have retail clinics. Aetna, with revenue of around $63 billion, is the third-largest U.S. health insurer, providing coverage to around 22.2 million members enrolled in employer, Medicare, Medicaid and other plans.

The deal comes as healthcare payers and pharmacies are responding to rapidly changing factors, including Obamacare, rising drug prices “and the threat of competition from online retailers such as Amazon.com”, Reuters noted. In fact, as Morgan Stanley pointed out two weeks ago, Amazon’s imminent entry into the healthcare sector has been cited as one of the primary catalysts behind the AET/CVS deal:

As a reminder, this is how Morgan Stanley summarized the rationale behind the just announced merger:

Drug retailers have the most opportunities to adjust their business models and lower cost structures to defend against Amazon. Within the drug supply chain, the threat of Amazon’s entry into drug retail is accelerating vertical integration, and is cited as a driver behind the rumored CVS/Aetna merger. In our view, the combination would diversify profits away from the supply chain, help create a narrow preferred network, and act as a first step in repurposing the retail footprint to create a new healthcare-retail delivery model. If drug retailers don’t change  this model, we estimate ~10% risk to profits. CVS has also announced free same-day delivery in New York City, proactively preparing for a potential Prime Now entry, in our view.

As a result, the deal “feels more defense than offense,” Ana Gupte, an analyst with Leerink Partners LLC, said recently. In Aetna’s case, “I don’t see a path to growth” in its current configuration, she said.

“One of the problems with the health-care system is it’s so fragmented and there’s so little coordination,” Bessemer Ventures’ Steve Kraus told Bloomberg. “A better vertically integrated less-siloed system is a good thing in my mind.”

In this context, Reuters points out that CVS plans to use its low-cost clinics to eventually save more than $1 billion per year on health care costs for Aetna’s roughly 23 million medical members. It adds that a combined insurer and PBM will also likely be better placed to negotiate lower drug prices, and the arrangement could boost sales for CVS’s front-of-store retail business.

It’s not just imminent layoffs however, as the combined company expects to invest billions in the coming years to add clinics and services, largely financed by diverting funds away from other planned investments.

That could eventually cut costs substantially, with the clinics serving as an alternative to more expensive hospital emergency room visits.

  Meanwhile, deeper collaboration between Aetna’s insurance business and CVS’s PBM division could drive down drug costs by adding clients and boosting the PBM’s leverage with drugmakers.

In recent years, independent PBMs have been criticized for keeping drug prices high amid potential conflicts of interest with insurance company clients, because they could potentially keep cost savings from drug negotiations rather than passing them on to patients.

Alternatively, PBM margins have been pressured and health insurers have sought to cut costs amid steep prescription drug price rises and requirements to care for even the sickest patients under the Affordable Care Act.

* * *

Analysts cited by Reuters said the CVS-Aetna deal could prompt other healthcare sector mega-mergers, as rivals scramble to emulate the strategy.

It could spur a merger between Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc and Humana Inc, or between Humana and Wal-Mart Stores Inc, Ana Gupte, analyst at Leerink Partners, said recently.

On Nov. 30, Express Scripts Holding Co.’s top executive said the company would be open to a deal at the right price, though wasn’t actively looking for one. “We don’t need to sell to be very successful in the future, but we are always open to others who may all of sudden conclude they want what we have,” Express Scripts CEO Tim Wentworth said in an interview. He also mentioned the possibility of partnering with Amazon on a drug distribution arrangement.

The deal, and any subsequent follow through, is not without risk of regulatory intervention: last year Aetna tried to buy rival Humana Inc to gain leverage to control costs, but antitrust regulators killed the deal as well as a proposed merger between Anthem and Cigna. Furthermore it is unclear if the DOJ, which recently sued to block the Time Warner-AT&T deal, won’t issue another antitrust veto. That could happen if the DOJ shifts its attention to vertical mergers:

Although CVS and Aetna’s planned merger does not directly consolidate the health insurance or pharmaceutical industries, the U.S. Department of Justice has been taking a closer look at so-called vertical mergers, where the companies are not direct competitors.

  Last month, the Justice Department sued to block AT&T Inc’s planned $85.4 billion merger with Time Warner Inc, saying the integration of a content producer with a distributor could reduce consumer choice.

Reuters concedes that “the CVS-Aetna deal could attract similar scrutiny if regulators feared it could block Aetna customers from frequenting other pharmacies or contracting with other PBMs” even as four antitrust experts said there is little doubt the deal will be approved, although it might need to meet conditions to convince antitrust enforcers to sign off.

It is unclear whether it would be evaluated by the U.S. Federal Trade Commission or the Justice Department but that decision might be made based on which agency is less busy, said Matthew Cantor of law firm Constantine Cannon.

  “(The companies) want the FTC to get it. The reason that the FTC is better at this point is that the Justice Department has just broken with decades of precedent of how to deal with vertical mergers,” said Cantor, referring to the decision to refuse conduct remedies and file a lawsuit to stop AT&T from buying Time Warner.

According to Bloomberg Intelligence’s Jennifer Rie, the CVS-Aetna deal antitrust prospects may depend on which U.S. regulator is tasked with reviewing it.

The Federal Trade Commission has been less critical of consolidation among companies in adjacent businesses, known as vertical consolidation. The Justice Department, on the other hand, last month sued to block the merger of AT&T Inc. and Time Warner Inc., a vertical deal.

  Michael Newshel, an analyst at Evercore ISI, said the DOJ effort to block the AT&T-Time Warner deal does raises concerns but a CVS-Aetna deal does have a path forward. Aetna would likely need to divest some or all of its Medicare drug plan business, he said.

In addition to regulatory risk, the combination faces substantial challenges, “including the huge operational task of knitting together the companies’ diverse operations so that customer experiences are smooth and seamless. The deal isn’t likely to deliver as many cost-cutting benefits as combinations with more direct overlap, such as Aetna’s scuttled acquisition of Humana, analysts said. CVS will need to keep much of Aetna’s infrastructure since it doesn’t currently provide health insurance.”

As noted by the WSJ, as part of the deal CVS plans to repurpose portions of its pharmacies so they become community health centers where customers can go to get answers to more questions about their health and coverage and how to manage the cost of it. The pharmacies will have space dedicated to wellness, and provide services for things like vision, hearing and nutrition.