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[Father Luke]

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Silver:

I feel like I should be starting this with "hey sexy" or something, but common sense dictates you're a bit beyond the usual sexual innuendo people on LM like to see. So, hello hello Wyndstar. Jumping right in, I'd like to know the when/where/why/how of 'Wyndstar'. It's one of those things I always meant to ask but never did… Also, who did you meet first on the net that brought you to where you are today (Literary Mary)?

Ever played six degrees?

Do you need some sort of license or certification to own a whip in the States?

Wyndstar:

Hello Silver.  Yes, let's please dispense with the 'titilation' factor. Its much more realistic and authentic if we approach this as a talented writer trying to get blood from a stone.  

Why do people ask that question?  The when/where/why and how--pretty much no different than anyone else, so we can probably dispense with the lesson on biology and philosphy, although I'm sure that would jack a few twisted souls, like the ones who get off on looking at naked native women in the National Geographic mags.

No, you don't have to have a license to weild a whip in the states--though when I considered sending one through the mail as a 'gift' for you and Mark, I was told I could be imprisoned for smuggling weapons to dangerous Aussies--even transplanted ones--which, incidentally, was a pretty cool and brave thing for someone to do.  That had to have a significant impact on your writing--Mark, too.  Relocation and relationships make such great literary fodder.  Which probably makes me sound like a callous bitch for seeing it that way, instead of the actual motivations of love and adventurousness.  So its probably better if you give me YOUR take on it, for the benefit of the readers who have gotten this far.
Unless, of course, you left the country for a good cup of coffee.  Most of the stuff here they sell in the states is practically soulless swill--much like Dan Brown and any Harlequin romance novel ever written.

No, never played six degrees, but I can do the third degree pretty well.

Silver:

Why do people ask that question? It's a bit of a good way to ease into conversation. Plus, names are important to people – especially on the internet when the other labels like sex and people associations aren't as easily available. But then, you knew that, didn't you? Still, I like to pry when it comes to people with handles more creative than bigdk4u and pittlvr4evr. Ugh. Gag me with a ball gag.


Wyndstar:

Creative?  I'm named after a minivan.  Although I'll admit I had it before Ford.  I made it up in the 70s after watching some anime thing called 'Starblazers' .  Now I have people either thinking I'm a guy, a Ford autoworker, or the size of one.  You'd think people would have a little more imagination.  I've been tempted to steal Wolf's name, since I'm the one who dredged THAT up.  It still makes people think 'male', but at least it doesn't bring to mind 'soccer mom'.

Silver:

Mark has a card which proves he is able to own some weapons – we have three katanas – but I'm not sure if it applies to whips or not. Swords, knives… pretty much anything with blades, yes. I dream of the day I can get a pair of sais.

Wyndstar:

You want sais?  Go back to the states, and go to any gun shows near a military base.  Contrary to popular belief, we're the first ones to advocate for peace, but we don't assume that anyone else does, so its best to be prepared.  I have a girlfriend (she's an ex dominatrix, ex miitary) who has this huge damn scottish sword - Claymore I think its called-mounted on the wall.  She had it custom made to authentic specs and the thing can cut through Hodge's personality its so sharp.  Come to think about it, given the friend, that isn't all of Hodge she'd cut through.  That's an entertaining thought.

Silver:

Would you believe I have a hard time integrating my relationship and relocation into my writing? (Minus the NaNo, of course.) People constantly prattle on about bravery, romance, and all of the above, but I guess I'm too close to the situation. I remember the fear, the love, the 'everything' surrounding the big relocation, but it's like I'm an inspired writer without a story to tell. A story other than the real story, that is. There were a lot of motivations, so you think I'd have stories pouring out of me, but when you leave like I did for the reasons I did (the reasons beyond love) it takes a while to let it all sink in, I suppose.

Wyndstar:

Its hard to write about something when you're actually still living it.--its like being too close to the forest to paint its entirety.  In a way, its a bit on the merciful side, because as a writer, I suspect that the minute you recognise what an absolutely elegant and poignant life you've led, but are still too close to write about it, its going to frustrate you until you CAN write about it.  I knew this captain a while back, he wrote the most expressive, heart rending stuff, and if you looked in his eyes, you could see why.  He had one of the most beautiful souls I'd ever encountered--but he was going through sleepless nights because he had this wonderful episode in his life, but couldn't write it.  We sort of helped him out by giving him something in contrast to the incident; I made him write REGULATIONS.  He was so damned tired of reg interpretation, he ended up writing his story just to spare his sanity (I personally LIKE my regs--they are my bibles--and expert interpretation makes life VERY, VERY simple--at least for anyone that has to deal with them).

Yeah, I got to do my job and indulge in that sadistic streak.  It was great fun.

Silver:

I wouldn't call you callous. A true writer learns to squeeze every drop of possible fodder out of each and every situation. A few weeks ago I was confined to bed due to illness and wouldn't you know I wrote scenes from the novel I'm working on. (Is it bad I get excited about killing so many characters in cruel ways?)

Wyndstar:

Yeah, would like to see what you consider 'cruel death'. There is nothing wrong with enjoying writing something with power and of use to the plot.  Even 'death' can be a literary masterpiece when done with good timing.  And to be perfectly honest, I can relish a good death in a story than having to escort the real thing at Dover AFB down the tarmac.

Silver:

I wouldn't spit most of the coffee they serve in the States on Australian soil. There's such a world of difference.

Wyndstar:

That's because Americans accept swill for the sake of convienence--sort of like their politicians.
I remember being in Australia, and one of the things I liked best (as I did in France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Holland--and a bunch of other places I'm forgetting) was that people take their time MAKING the stuff, and eating the stuff.  Loved the meat markets.  I wrote a story for some Aussie butcher there on the spot about he and his business from the eyes of an American.  He loved it (odd, since he didn't strike me as being drunk or his sensibilities impaired to actually like what I wrote him).  He offered me the rack of lamb as thanks, but of course, couldn't take it--hotel room and all.  That, and I wrote it because he was a nice guy.  He gave me this big jar of vegamite and I polluted my roommate with it.

Silver:

Six degrees. Take two things/people/etc and you have six steps to connect them. Take pornography and cheese. Pornography stars women who wear lingerie which is made of cotton grown on farms where they make cheese. The last one was a bit of stretch, but you get the game. Thus the question, what six degrees brought Wyndstar to Literary Mary?

Wyndstar:

We don't do 'degrees' in the military.  If Uncle Sam says we can do it (or tells us to do it), then we do it, just to DO it.  Like, when we had an 8.2 earthquake in Guam.  There weren't any steps between clean up and then going to Tarague beach and partying. Base commander said 'GO', and we go'd.  My bosses said I worked too much, go on the internet and find other writers, so I go'd--went.

Silver:

What possessed you to become a military woman...

Wyndstar:

The voices...

Silver:

…and what kind of influences has your service had on your writing in general?

Wyndstar:

A BAD one.  My expertise (along with heavy equipment mechanics) became technical writing; regulations, performance reports, letters, decorations, comminques between commands.  I also had to correct everyone ELSE' writing.  Now that I'm a civilian, I HATE correcting ANY thing, and since it was all technical writing, I knew NOTHING about quote tags.  I think I almost drove Chris Miller to his grave writing them any way but the correct one. I think it was pretty much the fear of his widow hunting me down that got me to correct that issue.  Which brings to mind a question I've always wondered; what's it like being married to a writer?  And being a writer?  I understand that it isn't easy for non writers to live with writers that use their lives as fodder--is Mark any more understanding, especially considering that Nano your wrote?

Silver:

Minivan or not, I'm pretty sure that won't be the first thing that comes to mind for the majority of people. I think I'd be like you, though, and be tempted to steal Wolf's name. Speaking of him, has he always taken part in your stories?

Wyndstar:

Wolf Rayet has pretty much been in most of my stories, even when he isn't.  He's one of the main players in a running series called 'The Lightflight' that I've been writing with others for a very long time.  Its a lot of THOSE stories (a lot of which are based on as many real life occurence as the Flighters themselves are based on real people) have given birth to forum fics and stories in general.  In the story I wrote about muses, the two muses are actually Lightflighters, who are actually real people. Though it was not a story in which Wolf featured (and he let me hear about that one).  He's such fun to write--well, most assholes ARE.

Silver:

And here I was avoiding mentioning Hodge. The original game of six degrees was connecting pornography to him, but I decided it might be too much of a direct link for all six degrees.

Wyndstar:

My mentioning was actually an attempt at literary Kick the Can.  Someone ELSE' can. That's what I was more  in the mood for.  I already KNOW about myself.  So its instinct almost for me to veer off during questions and try and get something on another person.  That's what I do, that's how I get charactors--what I can get out of YOU, what I get out of that person's response from their mention.

Silver:

When it comes to sais, it's just a matter of affording them. Mark is a member of a special weaponry store which is actually close enough to be called local. It's your basic BudK kind of shop (if you're familiar with the BudK catalog) with more of the big strange things (like light sabers and star wars masks) instead of the small (like lighters with naked women and necklaces with Celtic symbols). I imagine you have an interesting collection of weaponry around, unless the whip is the only thing you keep. Have any other weaponry you care to talk about?

Wyndstar:

I'm not allowed to talk about my weaponry, but I can admit that I carry the best of them with me at all times.

Silver:

Cruel death. I never go into creating a death with the cruelty I could because I always wonder if people will wonder what kind of person could write such a thing. I care entirely too much about what people think I got some not-so-great reactions when I penned my first kill. Plus, I've never written anything that called for full-on torture or particularly cruel death. I like to do it just at the right moment and as artistically as possible. I did, however, watch a documentary on torture and it was found one of the most detrimental forms of torture is complete isolation – cutting off all sensory stimulation. I found it interesting.

Wyndstar:

I think the cruelest, most useless, badly written death(s) I know about wasn't one I saw directly for a very long time.  I was home on leave from Germany (and we were in the midst of the worse terrorist activity--lot of bombings and kidnappings around military bases) and my aunt comes in at about the same time we get in from the airport, and my 12 year old cousin is crying his eyes out--I mean absolutely BAWLING.  My aunt says its over this cartoon movie he saw.  I couldn't help but think WTF?  A cartoon?  Those were supposed to be FUN (it was in the 1980s--before the big japanimation craze).  It was the Transformers Movie.  Wasn't into it at the time--had enough to do with machines on the flightline, and they were headaches enough.  My cousins were though--they absolutely IDOLIZED these things.  They had (and to this day still) all the toys, and saw them as role models.  Still didn't matter much to me until years later after I was stationed in Florida.  We had a bunch of mechanics who loved them--the stations played TF cartoons all the time, and one of the mechanics asked me to write him stories because the series had long ended.  He taped EVERY EPISODE for me for reseach (I still have those tapes), and rented me the movie.  I was so touched, I did as he asked, watched every ep, and gee--they actually were pretty cool.  I could see why all my kid cousins loved these things.  Then, I watched the movie;  holy mother of god--in the first few minutes, you got to watch robotic sentients, including women and children, graphically munched by a planet eater, the most memorable hero chars butchered by the villain, and Optimus Prime beaten to death in battle--this was a flick for KIDS.  And WHY?  Because it made sense?  Because it made the movie better?  Because it was consistent?  NOO (and the deaths WEREN'T consistent, didn't make the plot better and didn't improve the movie)!  To get rid of old chars so the manufacturer could introduce a new toy line.  They killed chars children looked up to--for a BUCK.  And I think what bothered a lot of the military folk who HATED the movie, was that subliminal thing--when you're done with old soldiers, its okay to get rid of them.  So, after writing the stories I was asked to write, I found that my own writing had been effected because I learned several valuable lessons.  Any sort of death, torture or brutality, any situation, can serve, if it serves the STORY, if it is consistent, if it makes SENSE.  A reader or a viewer after all, reads or watches to be affected.  But most readers and viewers are not stupid, and you will pay if  you treat them like they ARE.  The Transformers, as a series, tanked after that movie.  My cousins are adults now, and are extremely discriminating about what they read and watch.  And so am I--which explains why I'm on LiteraryMary as opposed to other literary sites.  

Silver:

Yes, Aussies love their food, their coffee, and their alcohol. I've been through more food and drink "citizenship tests" than you would believe because there are so many nationalities here. The only things I haven't been keen on so far are… I can't remember the name, but they're Greek… cold rice wrapped up in grape vine leaves, and vegemite. Squid is good, but it's still very weird for me to feel the little suckers against my tongue.

Wyndstar:

I love squid.  Had my first when I was visiting a friend in Toronto.  After that, I'd spit them at Wolf to gross him out and piss him off after he'd piss and moan about my bowling.  I think the oddest thing I ever ate was fruit bat--maybe baluga--fermented, partially developed egg.  There was some weird liquor, but I forgot what it was called after a shot contest (I won it).  I want to say it was either oscar or uzo.

Silver:

Poor Chris. Hasn't he been in all your forum fics? And then I go and pick on him as well. He hasn't been in all of mine, but he's the first person 'on scene' so to say in one of my ideas. I had fun putting him in a woman's body. I should get that out and work on it.

Wyndstar:

Yes, Chris has been in every one of my fics, but I ususally ask him first.  He's sort of easy and hard to write at the same time.  On one hand, I have his personality down, in the other, there are some things I see in him that he doesn't (its hard to see the literary nose on our own faces) but try to  make these traits recognisable to him.  If I'd known Jen during the first write, she'd be in every fic (and some stories not yet seen) and then some.  If you put him in a female body, just make sure it isn't mine--its enough that Wolf hangs out in my head as it is.

Silver:

First, I take it you don't consider yourself a writer. Hearing so many people talk about the writer title, I think it's a personal thing anyway. I've always considered myself a writer, right from the first story of my brother making the earth uninhabitable with an atomic fart. As far as being a writer, what it was like for me was being an alien sheep in the family flock. Everyone liked to joke and ask, "Are you writing about me?" while being terrified that I actually was. And yes, I mean terrified. Oh, the books I could write with my family history for fodder. I don't feel as alien here, but there still is a sense of being 'different' to the point some people are wary and some are fascinated. There's also the weird feeling of wanting to rape an pillage every experience to drain it of whatever inspiration it can give me. It's like living life but sucking it dry whenever possible as well.

Wyndstar:

No--never saw myself as a writer.  A soldier, yeah, but then, I've been doing that for 20 years. A student of humanity, maybe.  And see?  You pretty much do the same thing I do, but with FAAARRR too much guilt.  It explains your enjoyment of forum fics.  You've got a bunch of egos that LOVE being written about, and you can do it to them to your skeevy little heart's content.  Or does it bother you a little?  Do you ever feel that when you write forum fics, afraid to cross the line with your subjects?  What stops you from writing about people in your physical proximity?  Have you, and then let them read what you wrote?  Were they afraid after? Insulted? Most subject don't see themselves as worthy or significant enough to be a story.  They worry about that person seen by OTHERS as opposed to how they see themselves.  Nowadays, that's a valid fear.  People are so hypercritical about others, but not critical enough about themselves--so a writer's view can be a concerning situation.

Silver:

That being said, do you remember your first story? Or rather, written work, in case it was a poem?

Wyndstar:

My first story was written when I was in kindergarden--about fellow classmates and a haunted house.  I was writing poetry about then, too, but I didn't know they were.  I think the first one was about why dreams look real while we're still in the dark.  How 'bout you?

Silver:

Being married to a writer has its good points and bad. I was fortunate that Mark and I blend quite nicely. I write novels and freeverse poetry while he (usually) writes shorts and structured poetry. That way we don't step on each other's toes, so to say, very often. The first time he asked me to look over some of his writing was strange for me, but I got over it pretty quickly. We all just want honest feedback and he being my husband made it all that more important for me to be honest. I do have a rather large ego when it comes to my writing in that his criticism prickles me a bit sometimes, but I do realize the worth of his advice, especially when it comes to something I'm not familiar with and he knows, like writing short stories.

Wyndstar:

I always saw Mark as the honest, but tactful type, and you never struck me as an egomaniac, or even having one large enough TO be pricked.  

Silver:

All said and done, as a writer, I'd rather be married to a writer or at least an avid reader than not. I'm not saying anything about the marriages of writer to non-writer, but it is wonderful to have Mark here to drawn on, help me, bounce ideas off, etc. It's like being able to have a writing conference whenever I want to, and he always brings up things I overlook or hadn't thought of before.

Do you have any offline writers you talk to? Do you find it important to have such contacts?

Wyndstar:

Nope.  Funny that.  In all the time I've been writing, I've only met one other potential writer.  I met him on line originally, went to visit him a few times, and he's become very special to me.  He doesn't consider himself a writer, either, but he's a better one than me.  And of course, he's a Lightflighter.  He was the muse in that one story.  

Silver:

Oh, and yes, Mark was a bit disturbed by my NaNo because he looks at realities the way you and I do – or at least similarly. I explained that I needed something to happen to get me to that place, and he understood. He has yet to read it, though. Otherwise, he encourages me to use our lives as fodder for writing. I don't think he'd like me to dig too deeply into his past, but when it comes to the time frame of when we met to now? Definitely encouraged.

Has writing about someone ever backfired on you?

Wyndstar:

I suppose that might be a 'yes' if I had a conscience, but thus far, none that I'm aware of.  Surprisingly, most I've written were ASKED for.  I did stories for my coworkers, I did fanfictions (I wondered why I was asked to do TF stuff all the time, and it turns out because I was a mechanic, people thought I'd understand the bloody things--which is insane of course, because the stuff I worked on couldn't SUE me--or bitch when the wrench slipped and hit wiring--or more importantly, couldn't SHOOT me for my piss poor 'bedside' attitude).  I think the worst repercussion was because I didn't finish something.  How 'bout you?

Silver:

Assholes are fun to write. I think it's a mixture of being able to do things you've always wanted to do/say and having a constant source of agitation for the other characters. At least it's that for me, anyway. Assholes don't have to even pretend to fit into the plot if you don't want them to. Do you have a favorite villain out of the stories you've written?

Wyndstar:

 Favorite villian--aside myself?  That'd be me then. And then me after that.  And then Jen.  Her capacity for being a bitch is mind blowlingly astounding.  She's flamboyant to my subtle.  

Silver:

Clever, in getting reactions that way. I probably wouldn't have thought of it. Mostly because I'm more focused on you and noticed you dodging you name question in the very beginning. Plus, I'm aware I'm probably in a position others would like to be in – without the threat of ending up whimpering, ball gagged, and collared on your livingroom floor – so all the more focus goes to you and asking good questions.

Wyndstar:

You're on perscription drugs, right?  I probably should have recommended phenobarb before this started. You guys all seem to LIKE being collared and lashed to the floor and gagged--as long as you can write.  Or post pics of yourselves.  I could never understand the allure of journals and all the like.  Don't ch'all get nervous about what sort of yahoo is delving into your lives?  I don't even have to use torture to get any of you to spill--anything.  That's boring.  The manipulation isn't even real fun when you all just fess like breathing.  

Silver:

I've never seen Transformers, to be honest. I suppose I shouldn't find it hard to believe people would destroy such a legacy to make a dollar when there are far less STUPID ways to introduce new characters. That sort of thing disgusts me. However, inquiring minds want to know – do you have a favorite character from Transformers?

Wyndstar:

This is more a question of responsibility and integrity.  If you create something, do a GOOD JOB.  If you do a good enough job, be responsible to your following and your chars and don't sell those chars or readers or viewers down the river.  

Silver:

Actually, I put Chris in another woman's body. I put myself in that one, too, because it's something I always wished people could do – be the opposite sex. For a day or so. I don't know what it says about me, but I'm curious about what it'd be like to be in a man's body. I'm entirely too fond of my curves, breasts, and pouty lips to wish for a permanent thing, but… Meh. I'm always curious about something.

Wyndstar:

So, what are the aspects of being male that make you want to BE one? Or at least, in their body?  You started that, so you gotta at least follow through.  And on a side, if you WERE a guy, what aspect about your writing do you think it would change?  

Silver:

Eh, if there's something to be guilty about, I usually am. Hodge likes to think I consider myself a female Jesus. I've been working on it, though. Blame it on a religious upbringing that drilled into my mind that I was not to take any pride whatsoever in anything I did because pride was bad no matter what. Also that others, no matter how they treated you, were to always be treated the way you wanted to be treated.

Wyndstar:

Become a politician.  That'll fix that complex of yours RIGHT UP.  Or inject yourself with some of Hodge's DNA.  

Silver:

I love the forum fics, though, because I know people like seeing themselves as characters. It doesn't bother me to mess with them to a degree. This past NaNo, the one I'm having such a hard time putting up on the forum, was very uncomfortable to me because of the nature of unpleasantness. Messing with the fears of others was new to me and I felt like I was stepping over all kinds of lines with that one – especially lines within myself. Having written that, though, the next forum fic I write should be a lot easier, no matter what I do to people.

Wyndstar:

I didn't think that fic was in any way offensive.  Not saying that the fears were accurate or riveting enough, but I'm not sure any writer of a forum fic - unless they know their subjects intimately - can really do something worrisome. As an example, I could write something horribly revealing about Wolf--I could write something straight out of his psyche because aside our dealings, I'm observant.  I can probably do the same for most of you (like, go read your blogs, your stories, read your conversations, ect).  Could you do that about--hmmm--J.R.?  Gigi?  Jen?  Do you know them well enough in the dark places of their minds?  Would you recognise it if you saw it?  Maybe.  But then again, if you're AFRAID to even consider writing something truly reflective of your subject, would you even be able to look?

Silver:

What stops me from writing people in my physical proximity… I have, but I've just named them differently and most people couldn't figure out that they were so-and-so in the story. It's amazing how quick people are to recognize the good and bad in others but not in themselves. I never did point out which characters they were, though. I recognized, back in high school when I wrote people in, the delicate, hormonal egos they had and how quickly I could be cast out. Internet people are safer, because not a lot of people put their full selves on the internet and thus usually aren't fully insulted. As far as fear goes, I've only been feared by my family in that I could write truths they didn't want coming out (I was a quiet little girl with great listening skills), and after people read my first character kill. 'Little girls aren't supposed to write about that' and all.

Wyndstar:

Stereotyping sucks, but there are advantages to it.  When you write something 'girls' shouldn't write, it flabbergast people into actually reading it, and thinking "Wow!  She kicks ASS!"

Silver:

My first story was likely the retelling of the three little pigs. I figured the wolf got stiffed in the whole thing and rewrote the story from his perspective.

"I always saw Mark as the honest, but tactful type, and you never struck me as an egomaniac, or even having one large enough TO be pricked."

Oh, I have an ego, just a well-hidden one, I think. Or I just like to think I do. I haven't quite decided yet. *smirk*

Writing backfiring on me? I suppose the closest thing to 'backfiring' would have to be when I killed an important character that my friend just happened to have a crush on. As much as you can have a crush on a creature from my imagination, I suppose. She didn't quite seem to understand why I couldn't just rewrite the ending so he lived. She didn't read anything of mine after that.

Is there anyone, any thing, any event that you hold completely sacred and refuse to write about?

Wyndstar:

I absolutely will not rewrite a person's poetry.  I'll give suggestions on spelling and grammar--suggest a word replacement that means the same thing, but poetry is emotion, an emotional pov--their, not mine.  I refuse to write about things concerning a person that is unlikely and inconsistent with their personality. As example, I wouldn't write you having an affaire with say--Hawke, to make the story more 'riveting' if you wouldn't do it in RL.  It has to be consistent.  It has to makes sense.  

Silver:

Also, what makes me a writer and you not a writer in your eyes? Is there a concrete definition to 'writer' that separates us?

Wyndstar:

Yeah--you actually DO it.  You live it--its in your blogs, its how you present yourself.  It you got cut deep enough, you'd probably bleed words.  You exude 'writer' as a presence, an identity.  Most here DO in one sense or another.  You're thoughts of the day might be annoyance at someone's quote tag.  Mine are that the bastard didn't use the right sort of head gasket when they rebuilt their engine (and if you've ever had to work those things off, you'd know what I mean).  The answer to your question is mind set.  To me, it not if you've sold stories, do it for a living, do it for a hobby, do it to torture people--its mindset.  

I have a question for you--just a personality question.  If you were asked to write something for the world that would have the power to change it significantly, what would it be?  What would its purpose be?

Silver:

Everyone seems to like being collared and lashed because it's 'naughty'. Then again, you already knew that. It works out for the people who actually do like it because with everyone mentioning it, you can't always know who truly likes it or not. It's a fun game at times if you know what to look for. And as for blogging, I have a stalker and am pretty much at peace with that fact. I don't care who reads about the nonsense stuff I put up in my blog, and Mark gets fussy if I stop writing in it, so why not have it up?

Wyndstar:

Naw--not everyone likes being collared and lashed.  Some of us prefer DOING the lashing. Or at least the binding and the stuffing the gags--if just to shut people up so the rest of us can get on with business.

Silver:

I wouldn't want to be a man permanently. I would just like to know a few things like what it would be like to not have breasts and thus not have to wear a bra. I have large breasts and HAVE to wear a bra every day or else I get pains. Also, what it's like to be able to wander and work without a shirt on and have that be accepted. I have a natural sway when I'm walking – I wonder what it would be like to not have that. And, of course, what it's like having something as vulnerable as balls on the outside of your body, which are vulnerable to a zipper while distracted, a pissed off person, or an inept lover. As I said, I'm curious. Especially growing up with all these "how men are different from women" and "who has the true advantage" shows. Have you never wondered about it yourself? I also wonder about what it would be like to be certain animals. Have the sense of smell of a dog, sleep standing up like a horse, night sight of a cat. Or a bat would be interesting – seeing with sound.

Wyndstar:

 Being able to take most guys in sports and 'manly' things such as mechanics and soldiering and being loud and rude and pushy, the only thing I can say that men have and advantage on me is that they can pee in a cup.  That's a good skill to have on the field.

Silver:

I'll stop rambling now…

Wyndstar:

Isn't that the point to all this?

Silver:

I hate politics, be them governmental or office or any sort of politics. My civics teacher had us write a paper on which political party we were for and why, and I made up my own party just to piss him off. I was taught all the ways gov't influences my life on the individual level and I still don't like politics. Meh.
I should just start posting up the NaNo, eh? I truly don't know all the dark spaces in anyone's mind enough to truly scare or upset them, expect for Mark or Hawke. Possibly jen, but I'm not sure. I'd look, though. I'd be too curious not to.

Wyndstar:

Yes, I think you should.  It would be a shame not to. It was a fine piece of work.  And it made me look like such a cold bitch.

Silver:

"I have a question for you--just a personality question.  If you were asked to write something for the world that would have the power to change it significantly, what would it be?  What would its purpose be?"

Am I assured that no matter what I write, it would change the world significantly?

Wyndstar:

Yep.

Silver:

Have you ever written things to change perspectives, open minds, try to make change?

Wyndstar:

Not intentionally.

Silver:

Is there anything in this ping-pong you're hoping I won't ask? Or that you're glad I don't know about to ask?

Wyndstar:

Nope.  That's why I agreed to you.  I knew you wouldn't.  You're sometimes too sweet and accommodating for your own good.

Silver:

Everyone *seems* to like being collared. I have no doubt there are a few "I like to do the lashings" and "I like to watch" people among us. We are an interesting group. I imagine you're an overseer type, given what you've said about having a Dom friend. If I recall, you took part in some submissive training…

Wyndstar:

I observed.  It was pretty fascinating actually.  It was a sort of therapy for the guy from what I understood.  I'm open minded enough.  I'd be an overseer if I absolutely had to be, otherwise, I'd rather just be left alone.  

Silver:

I do rather like the bitch you were in my NaNo as well. My favorite part with you is when you look at everyone and inform them you have "neither the desire nor the ability" to help them. Heh.

Wyndstar:

You know me so well...

Silver:

Let's see… I would hate to be picked to write something for the world because there is so much I don't know. I suppose I would try to write something that encompasses so many things to make people look outside the workings of the "bubbles of their lives". Ugh, this is a hard one. A book with many chapters. Things like the quantum physics things about making your own reality. Things like karma, spreading happiness, pay it forward. Another chapter on natural medicines and alternatives (I hate taking pills and I hate being told to take pills for something I could drink a natural tea for, etc). Looking beyond yourself with seeing the world and what you can do, and looking inside yourself with practices so as yoga and meditation.

Unfortunately, all that adds up to sounds like yet another "Guide to Better Living." I guess I pretty much would want to write something that would make people see beyond the bubbles of their lives. You wouldn't believe the happiness on someone's face when they realize the person before them put in extra time at the parking meter on purpose. Or how good it feels to anonymously drop of a basket of baby essentials to a new mother. Or even a hand made "just because" thinking of you card. We focus too much on ourselves and our lives. Most of us, anyway. I do it.

I suppose you could say I'm the person who wants to change the world one person at a time, not by writing letters to congress.

If you had to pick, what one event, moment, person, etc most brought you to be the woman you are today?

Wyndstar:

That's like asking the Onelight which grain of sand is the most significant at say--Miami beach.  There is no single event.   All events are of equal significance.  Some I enjoyed more than others, but if one event failed to occure, it would make my life less.  Could you say that meeting Mark on line was less significant than your wedding him?  Or your graduation from high school? Or recognising  that first time what writing means to you?  We're all of us a creation of our own choosing, following those choices that spawn events which mold and shape us.  If, after contemplating your life, you look in a mirror, like who you see, can you honestly say that one event is more significant than another that lead you to the person looking back at you?

I can, however, in fairness at how much I've dodged, give you some LARGE events that do stick in my memory, in chronological order; the South Boston busing riots, my enlistment in the military, my first airplane ride, the bombing of USAFE headquarters in Germany, just across from my dorm, the night club bombings,  my first zero defect inspection on a 2 ton piece of greasy, dirty, hydraulic pump, the group apology the females and I got from the male mechs after a year of absolute misery of being one of the first groups of females sent to do that job, and actually SUCEEDING at it, meeting my best friend Mary, processing soldiers who had given everything for the trip back to their families, the first bombing over in the middle east, meeting my best friend Ann (the dom btw), my kids being born, and my retirement from the military, realizing that I was the only epileptic TO retire after a full, 20 year career (that the VA is aware of).

How's that?

A FEW DAYS LATER…

Silver:

(Crap! I completely forgot about this. I'm sorry.)

Wyndstar:

 (That's okay--and you can go ahead and delete that listing of felgarcarb from the last email--it was over kill and I ramble when I've had a rough day of kids at the amusement park)

Silver:

There's actually a movie about training submissives, but I don't know when or where it came out. It came out sometime last year, and that's about all I know. It looked interesting from the previews.

Wyndstar:

There are actually a lot of videos like that, but few ever get mainstream because of the subject--down in New Orleans, you can walk into stores for that stuff without the stigma because its considered part of the 'tourism' appeal.  My gf and I would laugh our asses off watching people over it all.  You know they want to try it, but they get so hung up on their reservations.  All in all, I found it a more facinating study than a life style.  My gf and I would do debates.  There was one debate we had where I was told the submissive actually has more control than the dom.  They're supposed to have a control word that just stops everything in the 'play'.  My arguement against this was that if you're tied up, no 'control word' in the universe is gonna get you out if the person who ISN'T, WON'T.  I won.

Silver:

That will definitely do. It's amazing how people can pack so much into one lifetime. Truly amazing. Though, admittedly, significance isn't exactly the question. I'm talking about one moment that led to another that led to another. But, I suppose there isn't a lot that has happened in my life to make picking out the one thing that started the ripples in the pond happening all that difficult to pick out.

Do you have a favorite person to work with when it comes to your forum stories?

Wyndstar:

Chris Miller hands down.  Even over Wolf.  I can do anything I want with him--he gave me permission.  He probably doesn't know I have friends up that way that can flood his water with flouride, making him more suseptible to suggestion. Jen is a close second, runner up to Wolf.  He's a natural asshole and she enjoys playing a char that is over the top, without being cliche. And then you and eggo.  The dynamics between you two are surprisingly easy and fun.  In fact, I usually do those scenes before I do my own--which explains why I've not moved on my current fic.  I only have one dimension--bitch.  I'm supposed to be writing about an AI that likes me, but can't find anything about me something like that would like--except that I'm not partial to breaker bars, and I actually turn the power OFF before even changing light bulbs (or anything that has any sort of power coursing through it).

Silver:

So, is this where we wrap things up? If so, any last questions or words?

Wyndstar:

No, I think I've gotten enough on you about your interest of alternative/and other life styles.  And have sufficiently bored people enough so that I won't have to do this again, and people will leave me alone, thanks! You should get a medal.

Silver:

Nah, everyone else who reads this should get a medal.