#“data entry position but must be able to answer calls when they come in and schedule” WHY?!

[atypical-irritant]

I'd just like to say to whomever it was that decided every office job position should now also include a varying, but non-zero, amount of phone usage requirements that is seemingly non negotiable, regardless of it's relevance to the job's overall purpose; you're a fucking cunt.

While I'm at it, same to the bastards that made the application and interview process generally reliant on phone calls as well.

[littlespaceporgs]

i have a need for more soft plo my dear 💕 how abt “i wanted to say ‘i love you’ for the first time without stuttering, but that failed” with everyone’s fave kel dor? also i love you to the moon and back and am super proud of you

A/N: Yeah that’s right, I’m back mostly fully now and yes I am writing the requests I have! JJ - I hope you like this! I LOVE U TOO! It’s funny to start off with and then goes angsty and then goes super fluffy and is an emotional rollercoaster from start to finish. I was aiming for a little 500 word blurb... it stands at 1.7ish i think 💀

So if you haven’t been reading my Clone Wars Reacts series, you probably aren’t aware that I am a massive simp for Plo Koon (and others characters 🤦‍♀️)and if this is you deciding to read them here’s the link to my masterlist, which has all the parts posted already.   

Glimpse

Word Count: 1.7k Pairing: Plo Koon x Jedi!Reader Summary: Anakin running late, an awful sense of foreboding, and one thing that you were yet to say, mixed with a glimpse of a future you couldn’t have. What could possibly go wrong?

Tags for my loves: @peacelandbread @clonewarslover55 @libradusk @catsnkooks @mcu-padawan

The reasons why you agreed to go on a mission on Skywalker seemed to escape you at the moment. His plans, though working occasionally, had the reputation of heavy damage and being absurdly reckless. You did however, enjoy working with Ahsoka, though she could be just as bull-headed as Anakin on occasion. Maybe it was for her sake that you joined the mission?

The plan had originally been for you to lead a small troop of men in quietly, retrieve the data you needed, and then Skywalker would swoop in and distract them so that you could escape. The entry went well, and collecting the data happened without a hitch, but you were spotted on the way out and Skywalker was late. Again. And to make things worse, your comms stopped working a very long time ago.

“If you concentrated on getting out instead of what you’re thinking, we might just survive.”

Ah, that’s why you came on this blasted trip.

“Well maybe if you focused on this, instead of your sarcasm, we may live past the next 10 minutes, Plo.”

You’d known the Kel-dor for many years, almost as long as you’d been a Jedi, but the feelings you had for him were only a few years old, and started shortly after you began going on regular missions with him. He always had put the wellbeing of others ahead of his own, which was frustrating to no end, but endearing all the same. He knew that you had a way of overthinking every situation and very quickly becoming a ‘stress head’, so he always simplified the instructions and looked for the tell-tale signs of you steadily becoming unstuck. Always waiting for the clones to get on board an escape pod, making sure there were enough supplies, somehow always having all the answers and a witty response. It was the little things at any rate.

Like now for example, as you both knelt behind a box, trying to catch your breath, and he was trying to use humour as a way of distracting you from the very real possibility of dying by the hands of a droid.

You stretched up from your crouch and turned to look over the box. Oh shit, there’s an entire battalion of droids just a few meters – oh, and that one’s pointing- oh.

With a sharp tug, Plo pulled you back down, the blaster bolt whizzing past where your eyes had been only half a second ago. Despite not being able to see his eyes and mouth, he still gave you an exasperated expression.

“Be more-”

“I was fine! I saw it coming and I was going to move!” The Kel-dor ran a hand across his forehead, although, at this point he should be used to this type of behaviour from you.

Despite the joking and poking fun, your stomach was sinking further by the minute. As you just realised, if you stepped out, you would surely be shot instantly. A vast majority of the clone troopers had long since been torn apart. Swallowing, you closed your eyes, and leaned back resting your head on the box. There is no way either of you are going to surrender and get captured, but you both were aware of the fact that you likely weren’t making it out of this either.

Your shoulder was burning, and your ribs and abdomen ached, and there was a blaster burn on your leg. Another hand wrapped around your own, and squeezed it tight. Trying to stop shaking, you spoke.

“I – we’re not getting out of this one…” You turned your head and opened your eyes, finding his face. His eyes were turned down at the edges, and his shoulders were slumped the smallest bit. “Are we?”

Plo turned and took a similar position to you, not letting go of your hand.

“We must not think like-”

“Be realistic we-”

“It’s going to be-”

“Don’t- don’t you dare say it’ll be fine-”

“Skywalker-”

“isn’t coming! Or- or if he is, he’ll be too late!” you couldn’t stop your voice from shaking now, stuttering more with every word that came out.  Plo’s head hung and you could see the weight of your words hanging on him.

“At um – at least we’ll go out as we are, teasing the s-shit out of each other, you old man.” He let a laugh drift out of the mask.

“Don’t call me old, youngling.” You laughed back, smirking all the while. If you’re going to die here – if technically you wouldn’t be jedi – your heart raced at the thought. The code was – well if you’re dead you can’t very well follow the code, now can you?

“I- I um I love you.” As soon as it was out, you felt lighter and heavier all at once. His back straightened so fast the back of his head nearly whacked the crate. When he finally turned to you, his brows were sitting much further up on his face than what they had been before, so you traced every corner on his face with your eyes, just in case. His hand squeezed yours tighter.

“I- well I wanted to say it without stuttering, and preferably when we weren’t a few minutes from death, but well- I guess there’s really no time like the present?” He still hadn’t moved, frozen and staring at you. Oh, no. You waved your free hand in front of his face, trying to break his stupor.

“Plo? Are you-”

“I love you too.”

You couldn’t help but smile, your hand moving to his face instead, moving your thumb across his cheekbone. Idly, you noticed that he hadn’t let go of your other hand yet. His hand moved the hair from your face, smudging the ash and dirt also. With a hand on the back of your head, he gently pulled so your foreheads pressed together. Your eyes slid shut, and you concentrated on the feeling of warmth and light that this brought. If this was the last thing you remembered before death, then you would die happily. For now, you savoured the few seconds you had sitting there. You sighed, and opened your eyes.

“I – just-”

“I know.” You pulled away, and despite the happiness of a few seconds before, a sense of foreboding sat heavily in your chest. You swallowed harder, and moved to grab your lightsaber. You grasped it tight, and ignited the glowing blade. Next to you, you heard his blade reveal itself. Your muscles in your legs tensed, and you braced your shoulders. One more time. When you turned to him, he was still looking at you, with a sad expression that rivalled your own. You shuffled so you were instead in a crouch, ready to fight. Might as well go out swinging.

You took a deep breath and steeled your nerves. For a second before you stood, you couldn’t hear anything. When you thought back and remembered it, there was the sound of droid’s legs and chatter, of occasional blaster fire of those who were left, and your lightsaber humming in your ear. At the time, there was nothing. You just kept staring at Plo, hoping that somehow, you’d get more of this, more than 5 seconds.

Faster than a blink, you got a glimpse of a future that could have been. Cold nights on Coruscant, wrapped up in blankets, watching the night sky past by. Daybreak, curled up in each other’s arms, feeling the glow of sun come in. On missions with small troops of trusted clones, being able to be open with your relationship. Sneaking around before council meetings, trying to savour what moments you could before missions. Feeling like young padawan’s again, running around quietly. Visions of you leaving the order, years from now, quoting being unable to stick to the code, Plo following shortly after. Of you building a home, your stomach steadily growing outwards.

And just like that it was over, and you were stuck with a reality of death.

Your throat burned and your vision blurred. Now.

And then Plo’s hand desperately grabbing yours and pulling you down again, a shrill beeping coming from his wrist. Your heart pulsed in your ears and you looked to the sky. Of course.

“Sorry, we were busy dealing with Ventress! How are you holding up?” A scathing laugh burst out of your throat. The droids were falling back, away from your position at the sight of the sheer number of Republic soldiers. You laid back on the dirt, feeling the sun on your skin, soaking up whatever light you could. It was only now that you felt the weight lift, where the light feeling of relief took its place. Plo begun to answer Anakin. You cut him off with a venomous tone.

“We’re a-”

“We’re alive, you’re late, and I am going to kill you, Skywalker.” There was an audible sigh that sounded suspiciously amused from Plo as he made to stand.

“I wasn’t that la-”

“Don’t even finish that sentence.”

Plo’s hand reached down and hovered near your face, though you ignored it and shot up on your own, winding your arms around his neck. He softly grunted as you laughed and the realisations began to sink in. Maker, we nearly died. We were very nearly dead. You nearly had to watch the man you fell in love with die.

Whilst your mind rambled, he pulled apart, and was still brushing the hair from your forehead again. You hadn’t noticed, but he was taking in every freckle, wrinkle and scar you had, like you had been doing to him not too long ago.

You nearly died. Plo nearly died. You almost didn’t get to say – oh, no. You told him. You thought you were going to die and you told him. But now you’re not going to die. And he said it back.

He said your name and whisked you from the spiral. His leathery forehead leant down and pressed against yours.

“I love you.”

Maker, he said it again. You grinned, and pulled him closer. You wanted to say it one thousand times at the top of your lungs, and suddenly the glimpse didn’t seem as far out of reach as it had a few minutes ago.

“I love you too.”

[techcrackul]

The 5 Biggest Technology Trends In 2021 Everyone Must Get Ready For Now

Another factor this is clean is that nowadays’s maximum vital tech traits will play a huge component in assisting us address and adapt to the numerous demanding situations dealing with us. From the shift to operating from domestic to new regulations approximately how we meet and engage in public spaces, tech traits could be the riding pressure in coping with the change.

In many ways, Covid-19 will act as a catalyst for an entire host of adjustments that have been already at the playing cards anyway, way to our an increasing number of on line and virtual lives. Things will simply appear greater fast now, with necessity (lengthy stated because the mom of invention) because the riding pressure. And must or not it's the case that – as positive US presidents have predicted – Covid-19 “magically disappears” – the adjustments it has introduced approximately will now no longer, as we are able to have discovered to do loads of factors greater effectively and safely.

1. Artificial Intelligence (AI)

AI is certainly certainly considered one among the largest tech traits on the moment, and at some point of 2021 it becomes an excellent greater precious device for assisting us to interpret and apprehend the sector round us. The extent of records we're gathering on healthcare, contamination costs, and the achievement of measures we take to save you the unfold of contamination will preserve to boom. This manner that gadget getting to know algorithms becomes higher knowledgeable and an increasing number of state-of-the-art withinside the answers they discover for us.

From pc imaginative and prescient structures tracking the potential of public regions to studying the interactions exposed via touch tracing projects, self-getting to know algorithms will spot connections and insights that could cross left out with the aid of using guide human analysis. They will assist us expect call for for offerings from hospitals and different healthcare carriers, and permit directors to make higher choices approximately while and wherein to install resources.

For enterprise, the venture could be to apprehend the converting styles of consumer behavior. More human interest will take vicinity on line – from purchasing and socializing to digital operating environments, meetings, and recruitment. During 2021 we are able to count on the equipment we use to research those behavioral shifts to come to be greater state-of-the-art and an increasing number of suit the price range and infrastructure necessities of increasingly organizations.

2. Robotics, Drones, and Vehicle Automation

As the extent of passengers the usage of public delivery fluctuates from week to week, relying on neighborhood situations, projects round self-riding motors will preserve at an growing pace. Driving performance throughout public delivery networks could be a concern for provider carriers in addition to civic authorities, wherein lowering human exertions prices will assist stability the uncertainty round consumer call for.

In current years we've visible the emergence of robots withinside the care and assisted dwelling sectors, and those becomes an increasing number of vital, in particular on the subject of interacting with participants of society who're maximum prone to contamination, inclusive of the elderly. Rather than completely changing the human interplay with caregivers this is so vital to many, we are able to count on robot gadgets for use to offer new channels of communication, inclusive of get entry to to 24/7 in-domestic assist, in addition to to certainly offer companionship at instances while it could now no longer be secure to be sending nursing workforce into homes. Additionally, groups locating themselves with premises that, even as empty, nonetheless require protection and upkeep, will flip to robotics carriers for offerings inclusive of cleansing and security. This interest has already caused hovering inventory fees for companies worried in presenting robots.

Drones could be used to supply important medicinal drug and, prepared with pc imaginative and prescient algorithms, used to reveal footfall in public regions in an effort to pick out locations wherein there's an extended chance of viral transmission.

3. The As-A-Service Revolution

“As-a-provider” – the availability of offerings that we want to stay and paintings via cloud-primarily based totally, on-call for systems – is the important thing that has placed the alternative tech traits we speak approximately nowadays in attain of anybody. It’s the cause why AI and robotics are a opportunity for pretty much any enterprise or organization, irrespective of their length or price range. Thanks to cloud services from groups like Google, Microsoft, Amazon, and an ever-developing horde of startups and spinoffs, innovators in all fields can install modern-day tech with little in advance funding in equipment, system or specialised people.

As the continuing pandemic rages round the sector, we've sincerely visible that groups that depend on cloud to offer scalable answers as-a-provider are prospering. Take Zoom, for instance, which has fast come to be a family call way to the velocity with which it turned into capable of upload servers and boom its insurance and great of provider. This turned into because of its cloud-primarily based totally nature and its partnerships with its personal provider carriers, that have been capable of fast boom potential to fulfill call for. In 2021 and beyond, that is going to come to be an increasing number of vital and greater opportunities will open up for everyone.

4. 5G and superior connectivity

Faster and greater dependable net does not simply imply we are able to load webpages greater fast and spend much less time looking ahead to movies to release on Youtube. Each successive develop in cell connectivity from 3G onwards has unlocked new use instances for the net. 3G made internet surfing and records-pushed offerings beneficial on cell gadgets, 4G caused the increase of streaming video and track systems as bandwidths extended, and 5G, likewise, will open greater doorways in phrases of what's possible.

5G manner that offerings counting on superior technology inclusive of augmented truth and digital truth (mentioned below) in addition to cloud-primarily based totally gaming systems like Google's Stadia or NVidia's GeForce Now come to be a feasible proposition, everywhere at any time. They additionally threaten to make cable and fiber-primarily based totally networks redundant, with their want for us to be tethered to a selected location.

In short, 5G and different superior, high-pace networks make all the different traits we speak right here to be had everywhere, any time. Complex gadget getting to know packages counting on actual-time get entry to to Big Data reassets may be performed withinside the area, through automation. A first rate instance is Norwegian fishery operator Salmar that makes use of a 5G community to automate the care and feeding of its fish. Image reputation algorithms are used to hit upon which fish are over or under-feeding, and robotically dispense meals and medicinal drug had to maintain them healthy. Initiatives like this could come to be an increasing number of vital at some point of 2021, wherein organizations appearance to boom automation throughout their workforces.

5. Extended Reality  – Virtual and Augmented Reality.

These phrases cowl generation that makes use of glasses or headsets to challenge pc-generated imagery without delay into the person's area of imaginative and prescient. When it's far superimposed over what the person is viewing withinside the actual international, it's far AR. And while it's far used to vicinity the person into a wholly pc-generated environment, it's far VR.

During subsequent yr we are able to once more count on to look those, along with the alternative traits mentioned right here, helping in tackling demanding situations posed with the aid of using the modern-day international situation. Largely this could contain permitting us to keep away from doubtlessly risky conditions wherein there will be a chance of viral transmission. For instance, scientific examinations and prognosis can an increasing number of be finished remotely. A answer to be had to opticians permits eye exams to be finished completely in VR, as high-definition cameras deliver a clean picture of the patient's eye. An AR device then permits the consumer to browse the variety of glasses on provide and notice what they seem like on their personal face while not having to depart their domestic.

We may even see an boom withinside the use of VR and AR equipment inside education. This will lessen the want for us to paintings in crowded study room situations – if now no longer totally, then as a minimum in regions and at some point of instances while it's far recognized that transmission costs are high.

And as greater records at the situations and way wherein viral transmission takes vicinity will become to be had, AR equipment could be used to present out actual-time warnings while we circulate via regions wherein the contamination is thought to have unfold. Even easy steps like reminding us to scrub our arms while we contact a door manage in a public area or issuing an alert while a tool senses that we've touched our face with out washing our arms, ought to assist to shop lives and forestall us spreading infection across the actual-phrase environments we inhabit and circulate via.

[miguel-manbemel]

Aspects & Fanfics Ep. 8: The Rescue: The Seven Sides Together

It’s been two weeks, but at last, after finishing subtitling to Spanish the Selfishness v. Selflessness video (I hope that they can be live soon, just like I’ve seen that the French subs managed when I gave them my vote. And just a little message for any French speakers out there regarding the disaster of Nôtre Dame today - I haven’t practiced French for years, so I hope I don’t say any inconvenience - Je suis très désolé pour le desastre de Nôtre Dame d’aujourd’hui, mon coeur et avec les parisiens et j’espère que la reconstruction c’est factible en peu de temps), I gathered time to finish another entry of “Aspects and Fanfics”, the fanfic inspired on “Sanders Sides” by Thomas Sanders and Joan, the 8th one already. And quite a long one, even though it’s not the longest. So I won’t make it any longer with this introduction and cut to the chase. As always, you can find the previous entries of “Aspects and Fanfics” right here, and I hope you enjoy, even though, this is becoming more and more like a forked AU of “Sanders Sides”, as you will see. In this one, I even dare to give my own version of how Deceit’s room might look, which probably won’ look at all like what the Foster Dawg team might eventually conceive. But that’s what’s also fun about writing fanfics, don’t you think? Giving your own spin to something you enjoy. All right, enough talking, let’s go.

SYNOPSIS: Thomas suddenly is totally unable to tell the truth and only speaks in lies. That’s the first symptom that Honesty is in danger. When Logan broke the block between Deceit and him, being Deceit a Dark Side, he was corrupting Honesty from inside and now he’s almost gone. They must travel to his room to save him. They do so, but as a consequence it is Deceit who almost destroys himself and now they must rescue him too. Problem is, to rescue Deceit they must travel to the Dark Realm and put everyone in risk of getting caught by the Dark Master.

WARNINGS: This is gonna be an angsty episode, and when I say angsty I really mean it. The main characters are gonna be in real danger on this one. There are going to be mentions to some of them possibly dying, and there’s gonna be a real battle at some point, so be warned if any of this could trigger you.

EPISODE INDEX

[Thomas and Joan are playing Poker on the table. They’re playing with buttons as chips]

JOAN: I bet all I’ve got. [puts all his buttons in the center]

LOGAN: [his voice is heard on Thomas’ head while Thomas thinks] They’ve bet everything. Therefore, they’ve got a good game. You should withdraw your bet to minimize your losings and be able to play another hand.

DECEIT: [in his head too] That’s nonsense. It’s clear that Joan is bluffing. They probably have a simple pair, if anything. And Thomas’ got three of a kind. You’ve got the game in your hands. Bet everything you’ve got and win this game!

LOGAN: Nonsense is what you’re suggesting, Deceit. Three of a kind is too low to consider it a game in his hands. Why would Joan take such a risk if they didn’t have a chance to win. It’s illogical.

DECEIT: Games are not 100% logic, Teach, especially Poker. Besides, it takes a liar to know a liar, and Joan is messing with us, I can feel it.

VIRGIL: But what if he loses!? I don’t want Thomas to eat another carrot, it was bad enough the last time!

ROMAN: Joan wouldn’t fight without honor! Even if they’re our rival now, they’re our friend! They wouldn’t bluff!

PATTON: This is not a fight, it’s a game! We must keep playing until we get Uno!

ROMAN: This not Uno, Patton, this is Poker.

PATTON: Oh… No wonder Thomas didn’t discard that match…

JOAN: [angry, yelling] Would everyone shut the f… [bleep] up, please? [voice of anger and frustration, whining at times] We’ve been here literally for two f… [bleep] hours, just for one f… [bleep] hand of the game! It’s literally impossible to concentrate when everyone’s speaking out-loud all the f… [bleep] time! I’ve bet all I’ve got because I want to end the game as f… [bleep] soon as f… [bleep] possible!

[beat]

VIRGIL: Wow… They’re cursing like a sailor… This time they’re really pissed off! This is it, we’re losing their friendship. Time for panic and/or crying!

DECEIT: I don’t buy that they’ve got just a pair! Don’t trust them, Thomas!

PATTON: [whining] I’m so sorry, Joan, I didn’t mean to bother you so much! Please, don’t hate me!

THOMAS: [while the Sides start overlapping in the background] My bad, Joan, I was thinking out-loud the whole time...

[Joan shows a face of frustration over hearing all the voices in chaos again, then covers their head with their beanie down to their chin and puts their fingers on their ears, then groans]

[intro sequence]

THOMAS: What is up, everybody? Today I’m going back to my old middle school. They’ve invited me to give a little lecture to the kids about how hard work can improve someone’s life. And I’m so ready. I mean… Work is totally useless and nobody should make an effort to improve their life…

[Thomas covers his mouth]

THOMAS: What was that? It looked as if… I was saying one truth after the other… Oh, my goodness!

LOGAN: [rising up] Is anything wrong with you, Thomas?

THOMAS: Oh, of course it isn’t! I’m only speaking in truths all the time and I can stop it! Can’t you see it?

LOGAN: No, Thomas, the truth is I cannot.

THOMAS: Well, get lost, then, I don’t need your help, at all!

PATTON: [rising up] Thomas! Don’t speak to Logan like that!

THOMAS: I’m not sorry, Patton. I can avoid it… [face of realization] Don’t wait a minute… This doesn’t look at all like the way Deceit spoke… Nothing’s wrong with him or Honesty!

ROMAN: [rising up] What is all this convolution? You’re not letting me concentrate to write Thomas’ speech for the lecture!

VIRGIL: [appearing] Okay, now what is happening that has activated me so suddenly?

LOGAN: It seems like Thomas can’t speak the truth, at all.

VIRGIL: Uh-oh… Something must have happened to Deceit or Honesty.

THOMAS: I didn’t already say that!

LOGAN: Well, to be honest, you really didn’t say that, you literally said “Nothing’s wrong with him or Honesty”… [Thomas gives a dirty look to Logan] You’re right, it’s not the moment to point that out, sorry…

ROMAN: I don’t like the look of this. What if something bad has happened to them? Maybe someone from the Dark Realm attacked them, or something.

THOMAS: Oh, I hope they did! [frustrated] Dag-nabbit! I want to keep lying… shoot!

VIRGIL: There’s only one way to find out. Let’s summon them. Deceit! Deceit, come here!

[Deceit appears. He has the most worried face]

VIRGIL: Oh, there you are. At least that calms us down in that sense…

DECEIT: Don’t calm down too soon, Virgil. I already know why you’ve called me, guys.

PATTON: You know? What is happening?

DECEIT: Something’s wrong with Honesty. I tried to tell him to open up to you about the issue, but he wouldn’t listen. And now it may be too late.

THOMAS: You’re not scaring us, Deceit. What’s happening?

DECEIT: I can’t feel Honesty inside of me anymore. It’s like he’s vanished from me.

[everyone gets anxious]

THOMAS: What?

PATTON: What do you mean you can’t feel him?

LOGAN: We need more data!

ROMAN: Does he need some rescue?

VIRGIL: Guys, guys! Relax, please! I can’t believe I’m the one saying this…

DECEIT: I know the same as you do, guys. It all started the day we played that role playing game, remember? He was already feeling tired as he said. After we switched places for the game, he wasn’t able to come out anymore. And since then he’s been flickering on and off inside of me until I lost all contact a few minutes ago.

THOMAS: And that’s not when I started speaking in lies! [groans] Seriously, Deceit, how can you cope?

DECEIT: There’s a good trick for that, Thomas. Speak in questions.

THOMAS: In questions?

DECEIT: Yes, a question is neither a truth nor a lie, so you’ll be able to tell them freely.

THOMAS: So, is it possible for me to speak almost as I want if I do it in the form of questions? Is it going as good as I think it is? Oh, it’s not working… I mean… Is it working as good as it should?

LOGAN: However, this solution is only a patch. We need to find out what’s happened to Honesty. Not only because he’s our friend, but also because it’s definitely going to have an impact in Thomas’ life if he can’t physically tell the truth anymore.

THOMAS: And aren’t we forgetting that I’ve got a lecture to give this afternoon and it’s gonna be a disaster if we don’t fix this soon?

DECEIT: Good, Thomas, you’re getting the hang of it.

THOMAS: Okay, but where do we start? Roman, aren’t you the creative one? Can’t you think of something?

ROMAN: I don’t even know where to start, Thomas. The strange case of Dr. Honesty and Mr. Deceit has had me totally confused since the beginning. They’re something that I had never seen before in the Mind Palace, and I’m the oldest of the Sides here, as you know.

VIRGIL: I win you on that one, Princey. I am older than you, it’s just that I came out of the Dark Realm later.

PATTON: This is not the moment to talk about trivia, kiddos. Thomas needs us, and maybe Honesty too.

LOGAN: My suggestion is that we all travel to Honesty’s room to see if we can find out something there.

THOMAS: Well, why wouldn’t it work? Isn’t it worth a try?

PATTON: But will we be able to travel there if Honesty is not present?

DECEIT: Well, I can try to take you all there, after all Honesty is… or was… a part of me.

PATTON: Please, don’t say “was”, Deceit. Let’s be positive and believe that Honesty is still there, somewhere.

LOGAN: Okay. Let’s do it. Are you still able to think about true things, Thomas, even if you can’t say them aloud?

THOMAS: Would I definitely answer yes to that question?

LOGAN: Good, that’s a good sign. Honesty is still there, somewhere, or else you wouldn’t even think of telling the truth. Then focus on all things that are honest about you. Keep all lies away of your mind and concentrate only on the truth.

DECEIT: [sinking down] I think it’s working…

ROMAN: [sinking down] All right, here we go on another quest.

PATTON: [sinking down] I hope it’s not too late.

LOGAN: [sinking down] Keep going, you can do it, Thomas.

[Thomas sinks down. Then there’s a white flash and Thomas and the Sides are in Honesty’s room. To the surprise of everyone, it looks exactly as the regular apartment]

THOMAS: Well, isn’t it disappointing that I expected the room to look somehow different?

LOGAN: We are in the home of truth, Thomas. It’s completely logical that it is configured only with things that truly exist in real life, isn’t it?

THOMAS: And now, what, Deceit?

DECEIT: I don’t know. I’m not exactly an expert on how this room works, I’ve only been a room guest of sorts. And now that I don’t feel Honesty, it is getting harder to access his knowledge of the room. It’s too blurry.

ROMAN: I wish I could be creative enough to find something, but imagination is quite far away from truth, as Logan has repeatedly pointed out.

LOGAN: Let’s see… Thomas, can you try to be one with the room?

THOMAS: One with the room?

LOGAN: Yes, the room is part of you, so you must be able to feel everything about it, to gather all the remnants of Honesty in the room and summon them here.

THOMAS: And how do I do that?

LOGAN: Just concentrate. This is like ancient meditation. Relax and concentrate in joining in with the room. You will know what to do when you start relaxing.

THOMAS: No way… I mean, okay?

[Thomas closes his eyes and starts breathing slowly. That makes Virgil feel a little dizzy.]

VIRGIL: Whoa…

THOMAS: [breaking out of the concentration] Are you okay, Virgil?

VIRGIL: Don’t worry, Thomas. You became so relaxed that I started feeling weak and dizzy. But keep going. I’ll be fine if I sit down on the stairs.

[Virgil sits down, then Thomas concentrates again. After a few seconds, Honesty appears next to Thomas, but it is a translucent version of him, as if he was a ghost]

DECEIT: Honesty?

[There’s a curious phenomenon, as Thomas and Honesty appear to speak at the same time. Thomas with his eyes closed and moving his mouth and the voice coming out from Honesty]

HONESTY: Guys? Is it you?

ROMAN: What is going on here?

LOGAN: It looks as if Honesty was speaking through Thomas, like in those pseudo-scientific things with mediums and all that.

PATTON: [horrified gasp] Wait, then Honesty is, like, a ghost!?

LOGAN: No, no, no! He’s alive and here! He’s just too weak to manifest a fully physical body, and needs Thomas to communicate, as if Thomas was some sort of… figurative emergency charger cord.

PATTON: [relieved] Oof… Don’t scare me like that! Do you want to turn me into Casper, the friendly ghost?

LOGAN: I… I didn’t do anything, you scared yourself on your own…

DECEIT: What happened to you? Are you okay?

HONESTY: I don’t know where I am. When lost contact with Deceit, I felt as if I was asleep and awaken at the same time, it’s… it’s hard to describe. I lost notion of time and space. Then I saw a light, and I followed the light. And it was coming from Thomas. And now, here I am.

DECEIT: Well, I am here, Honesty. Can’t you get to where I am? Maybe if you join me again we can fix this.

HONESTY: I can try…

[Honesty walks a few steps towards Deceit, but stops midway]

HONESTY: I can’t. There’s some sort of dark aura around Deceit that doesn’t let me approach him. It’s repelling me, like a force field of some kind.

LOGAN: What are you doing, Deceit?

DECEIT: I’m not doing anything!

VIRGIL: I think I understand.

LOGAN: You do?

VIRGIL: Deceit’s a Dark Side. And Honesty is a Light Side. Those are antagonistic things. There’s nothing bad if we, Dark Sides, get closer to Light Sides every once in a while as we do in our talks, but we can’t coexist in the same physical space for long consecutive amounts of time or corruption is due to happen. Deceit and Honesty were able to be together before because there was a block between each other that isolated both of them, like some sort of… contention barrier. But when the block was accidentally broken by Logan, Deceit started corrupting Honesty little by little, as if he was absorbing him. It’s like what happened to Roman, Logan and Patton in my room, but so slow that nobody noticed. And unlike Princey, Teach and Dad, Honesty has nowhere to retreat, as he’s trapped in Deceit’s body.

LOGAN: I’m so sorry. This is my fault. I shouldn’t have broken the block. Now Honesty is in danger because of me.

PATTON: Logan, it’s not your fault, it was an accident. How would you have known this would happen? Don’t torture yourself.

DECEIT: There has to be a way to fix this. Perhaps, reinstating the block?

VIRGIL: It’s too late for that. Deceit’s part has invaded almost all of Honesty’s part. There would be only one way, but it’s too dangerous.

DECEIT: What is it? I’m willing to try anything if it can work.

VIRGIL: You must inhibit yourself for some time. Weaken yourself on purpose, so that Honesty could recover enough strength to manifest in your body. Then, if that worked, we could reinstate the block and everything would be as it was before. But there’s a danger to consider. If you inhibit yourself too much, you could be gone and only Honesty would be left.

DECEIT: Well, I’m willing to try. Besides, Thomas needs Honesty more than he needs me. No one will miss me if I’m gone.

VIRGIL: [angry] Don’t you dare say that again! No one deserves to disappear! Thomas needs all of us equally and if he loses any of us, he will also lose a part of himself, and you are as important as all of us! We would miss you! I… would miss you.

DECEIT: Please, don’t make it more difficult, Virgil. I was lying to myself, trying to give myself motivation to do this… [trembling voice] Because I am really scared. I don’t wanna go.

VIRGIL: [hurt voice] Oh, Deceit… You don’t have to do this, we’ll figure out something else.

DECEIT: I know a lie when I hear it, Virgil. You and I know there’s no other way. If I don’t do this, Honesty will be gone, and I wouldn’t forgive myself if that happened and I didn’t do anything to help him.

HONESTY: Deceit… Thank you… How could I repay you for this?

DECEIT: Just don’t tell everyone what I’m thinking all the time again and we’ll be even, okay?

HONESTY: Okay…

VIRGIL: All right. You can do this.

ROMAN: We’ll be with you all the time.

PATTON: You’re not alone, kiddo.

DECEIT: Thank you, guys. And I don’t know why I’m saying this right now, but… I’m sorry.

LOGAN: You’re sorry for what?

DECEIT: For everything I did to you in the past. Now I have realized that I never apologized for all of that and I had the imperious need to do so now. Cause it could be my last chance to say it.

PATTON: You didn’t have to, Deceit. It’s all in the past now, and now we’re friends.

ROMAN: And it won’t be the last chance, you’ll see how everything comes out right.

[Deceit shows a little moved smile for a second, then he clears his throat]

DECEIT: Okay, enough of emotions and delaying. Let’s do this.

VIRGIL: Please, be careful, Deceit.

DECEIT: I’ll try.

[Deceit closes his eyes. After a moment, he loses balance and is about to fall, but holds on. He keeps on that way for a few seconds]

HONESTY: The dark aura is starting to fade away. I can get closer now.

LOGAN: Then approach Deceit slowly, Honesty.

[Honesty takes little steps approaching Deceit, who starts looking sick and pail. At last, Honesty manages to touch Deceit, and the yellow cloud covers them both. The cloud changes color to orange and when it dissolves, Honesty is there in the flesh, and there’s no sign of Deceit. At that moment, Thomas wakes up]

LOGAN: Honesty, you’re back! Are you okay?

HONESTY: I’m getting better… I think…

THOMAS: Thank God, guys. I’m so glad that Honesty’s back… And look, I can speak the truth again.

VIRGIL: But where is Deceit?

HONESTY: I… I can’t feel him.

VIRGIL: [scared] What? What do you mean you don’t feel him? He was here a second ago!

HONESTY: While I was approaching him, there was a moment where all I felt was him. Then, the cloud appeared around us and I felt him waving me goodbye, being then propelled out of the cloud. And the next moment I was here, and he was gone.

VIRGIL: [scared and on the verge of crying] No… That can’t be…

PATTON: [sad] It cannot end up like this…

ROMAN: When we had finally become friends…

LOGAN: [as if he just had an idea] Guys, I suddenly realized something… Thomas?

THOMAS: Yes?

LOGAN: Try to tell a lie.

THOMAS: A lie?

LOGAN: Yes, Thomas, tell a lie.

THOMAS: Okay. Um… I don’t know what to say…

ROMAN: For instance, try to tell that my sash is blue.

THOMAS: Okay. Your sash is… red. I mean… [struggles] b-b-b… red. I can’t lie!

LOGAN: That looks bad… Can you at least think about that in your mind?

THOMAS: Yes, in my mind I see it blue, but I when I try to say it, I can’t.

LOGAN: That’s great, then! Deceit is still alive.

VIRGIL: [his face lights up] Of course!

LOGAN: We’re just back to where we started, but with the roles interchanged. Now it’s Deceit who’s lost somewhere, but he’s still alive. However, this time, the rescue is gonna be tricky.

THOMAS: Why?

LOGAN: Because, to rescue Deceit, you must travel to the Dark Realm, to Deceit’s Room.

VIRGIL: But you can’t go to the Dark Realm. I could go with Thomas, but it would be dangerous. If the Dark Master caught us, he would have a free ticket to do his evil scheme.

LOGAN: I have faith in Thomas. He has proven to be stronger than what we think, even than what he himself thinks. He’d have no problem to take care of the Dark Master.

VIRGIL: But you don’t know for certain, do you?

LOGAN: Of course I don’t, I already said that I don’t know how the Dark Realm works, I’m a Light Side. And I know the risk rate is extremely high.

VIRGIL: You’ve said it. It’s too big of a risk, but there’s one more thing. I’ve we succeeded, we have no guarantees that we could recover Deceit, while if we failed we can have for certain that we would lose Thomas as well. I really wish to do this, but I’m Thomas’ Anxiety, it’s my nature to take care of Thomas and keep him away from all danger.

THOMAS: It’s a leap of faith, then. We have no guarantees of anything. If we jump, we can try and fail and it would be our doom, but we could also be victorious and rescue Deceit. If we don’t jump, we’ll be safe in our own beautiful bright world, but we’ll be leaving Deceit to perish. Would we deserve to keep on existing then? Wouldn’t that be succumbing to darkness in a way too? I don’t wanna live a long live full of agonizing guilt and remorse for leaving our friend behind, one day after another. No, if we have to succumb. I’d rather succumb fighting. I prefer that to staying hidden in a mouse hole.

VIRGIL: You’re right. Deceit sacrificed himself for us. We owe this to him. [nervous smile] And I’m so glad you’re overcoming me right now, Thomas, I didn’t want to win this time at all! And I’m gonna keep protecting you at all cost, I will be your guide to the Dark Realm.

ROMAN: [emotional] I’m so proud of you, Thomas. And I wish we could go with you in the flesh, but you know the Dark Realm could destroy us. We’ll do as the other time, we’ll be inside of you and give you our support from there.

LOGAN: Okay, if we’re gonna do this, then we’ll better start moving right now. The more time we wait, the lesser the possibilities of finding Deceit. This time, having Virgil to guide you, you won’t have the problems you had the first time, you’ll be able to move a little more freely through the Dark Realm. [sinking down] We’ll be with you, Thomas. Good luck.

PATTON: [sinking down] Good luck, kiddos, and be careful, please.

ROMAN: [sinking down] I wish you the best. Please come back in one piece, all of you.

HONESTY: [sinking down] Call me when you need me, without hesitation, okay?

THOMAS: Thanks, guys. Okay, Virgil. Are you ready?

VIRGIL: No. And you, Thomas?

THOMAS: Me neither. Let’s go then.

VIRGIL: Close your eyes, and concentrate on my voice.

[Thomas closes his eyes]

VIRGIL: Imagine all the most inconceivable lies you can, all the deception you have done or have wished to do in your life, even the tiniest white lie. It is a path that you must follow. Like a path of pebbles, it will lead you across the Dark Realm right into Deceit’s Room. I’m walking across that path. Follow my voice… One step after the other. That’s right… Keep going… Keep going… Don’t lose the trace of my voice… Keep going… Very good…

[While Virgil is saying the last words, the room around them disappears in darkness, until all is pitch black except them both, like in the Dark Realm. After a few seconds, a new room appears. Thomas opens his eyes and looks around him. There’s a portrait of a huge snake on the wall behind Thomas, and a huge jar of cookies on the kitchen counter. On Virgil’s spot, there’s a pair of trousers hanging on the railing, and they’re on fire (visual effects required). On Roman’s spot, there are two posters, one of Disney’s movie Pinocchio and the other one of the stage show The Phantom of the Opera. On Logan’s spot there are a couple of test tubes full of a yellow smoky liquid, inspired on the potion that Dr. Jekyll drinks to turn into Mr. Hyde. On Patton’s spot there is a bright yellow curtain full of couples of theater masks, on each couple one of them shows a happy face, the other shows an evil face. There’s a faint black mist everywhere.]

THOMAS: So… this is how a room from the Dark Realm looks?

VIRGIL: Yes… Don’t ask me to show you my room here, it’s a mess, I didn’t have time to tidy up the brief time I was back here, and the spiderwebs are all full of dust.

THOMAS: Okay, now we must hurry. I think we should repeat the same procedure we did earlier to bring Honesty. So, let’s try.

VIRGIL: I’ll be alert meanwhile, just in case we had unexpected and unwanted guests.

[Thomas closes his eyes and tries to concentrate. Virgil immediately feels dizzy]

VIRGIL: Uh-oh, I didn’t think about this.

THOMAS: [breaking out of the concentration] What?

VIRGIL: This plan has a huge flaw we overlooked. Because of how relaxed you get while you’re concentrating, I’m gonna get weak, and I’m gonna be an easy prey for anyone trying to capture me.

THOMAS: Then what are we going to do?

HONESTY: [rising up] I’ll take care of Virgil, guys.

THOMAS: [scared] Honesty, what are you doing?

VIRGIL: [equally scared] You mustn’t get out! The Dark Realm could destroy you!

HONESTY: I’m not gonna leave you on your own while you guys take all the risk. Besides, in a way, I’m part Dark Side too, I’m sure I can resist the corruption long enough for you to do your thing.

VIRGIL: But what if you can’t?

HONESTY: Enough talking. You’re wasting time, gentlemen. Hurry up and find Deceit before it’s too late for all of us.

THOMAS: All right. As you wish.

[Thomas starts concentrating again. Virgil feels dizzy and once again he has to sit down on the stairs. In a few minutes, Deceit appears in a translucent form in Logan’s spot.]

HONESTY: Deceit! There you are!

DECEIT: [shows a face of horror] You shouldn’t have come here, guys! Don’t you see this was the Dark Master’s plan all along?

[Suddenly, thunder and lightning are heard and seen across the room. A black cloud starts forming on Patton’s spot.]

HONESTY: What is happening?

VIRGIL: [scared face] Oh, no… He’s here!

HONESTY: He who?

WRATH: [appearing in Roman’s spot] Be silent, you worms! Bow and show your respects to the Supreme Dark Master!

[The cloud dissolves, and the Dark Master appears. He has exactly the same shape and clothing as Thomas, only that he has an evil expression and red eyes, and his voice is always demonic]

DARK MASTER: [evil giggle] Long time no see, Anxiety.

[Virgil tries to get up, but he loses balance and has to sit down again]

VIRGIL: This is it. It’s all over…

WRATH: [mocking smile] Please, Virgil, have some dignity.

DARK MASTER: [angry] Shut up, you fool! I can speak for myself!

WRATH: [scared, groveling] Sorry, your highness…

HONESTY: If you want to touch my friends, you’ll have to get over me!

DARK MASTER: Please… Don’t make me laugh… [points at Honesty and he starts cringing in pain] I could destroy you with only one finger, you Light Side. You’re in my world now, not your world, and here, you’re vulnerable.

DECEIT: Leave him alone, you monster!

DARK MASTER: [stops pointing at Honesty, who starts gasping, trying to get some air] I still can’t believe how you had the nerve to betray me, Deceit. You had everything with me. You could have had all the power and be my second in charge when I had surged to the outer world. And you changed it all for… living half a life on exile like a snake who has had its teeth taken off and has been confined in a zoo to amuse children. Inconceivable.

DECEIT: Of course you don’t understand. You have known nothing but darkness and hatred. You think you’re all powerful and all mighty. But you don’t even have power enough to get out of your own realm by your own means. Meanwhile I have tasted light and love, and it’s a wonderful taste that I won’t let you take away from me. Not again.

DARK MASTER: You are not in a position to defy me, you snake. Look at you. You are nothing. You are barely made of air at this moment, and it could be as easy as blowing to make you scatter around as a pile of ashes.

DECEIT: Go ahead and do it. I’m not afraid of you anymore.

DARK MASTER: How did that song go? Oh, yes… Liar, liar, pants on fire. If I know one thing about you, other than how much of a liar you are, is that you fear me. You have always feared me, Deceit, like anybody else in this realm, [pointing at Virgil] from that kitten over there, [pointing at Wrath] to this stupid teddy bear right here.

VIRGIL: [angry] If I had strength to stand up, you’d see how much I fear you…

DARK MASTER: [giggles evilly] Oh, did I offend you, [obviously ironic voice] Emo Nightmare? I don’t blame you, you all had a good reason to fear me after all. But don’t be afraid, Deceit. As I already told you, you are lucky that I need you alive. I need all of the Dark Sides alive so that I can resurge. But certainly, in the state you are right now, you’re not useful at all for me. So, even though you don’t deserve this gift I’m going to give you, have this.

[The Dark Master points at Deceit. A black ray gets out of his finger and impacts on Deceit. Little by little, the translucence disappears and he ends up being of flesh.]

DECEIT: What? What has happened?

DARK MASTER: Oh, just a little boost of dark energy to replace what you lost. Now you are your own entity, Deceit, no longer attached to Honesty. And no longer able to hide behind his skirt. And now, I’m able to take you and Virgil with me.

DECEIT: It may be so, but this has been a huge mistake on your part.

DARK MASTER: What?

DECEIT: It’s true that I’m in your… our, world now… [smirks] But I’ve got friends on the other side, and you’ve just awaken the most powerful of them.

THOMAS: [fully awaken, frowning at the Dark Master] That’s right, Dark Master. I could say that it’s nice to meet you, but lying is Deceit’s department.

VIRGIL: And I’m feeling a lot better now too.

DARK MASTER: So, we meet at last, Light Master.

THOMAS: Just call me Thomas.

DARK MASTER: No, I’ll call you Light Master. Because I am Thomas.

THOMAS: You wish, you doppelganger.

WRATH: He’s telling the truth, you idiot. His name is Thomas, because he is Thomas.

THOMAS: No, I am Thomas, not him!

VIRGIL: He is just a wannabe-Thomas. He could never have what it takes to replace the original.

DARK MASTER: I have the same right to be Thomas as him!

VIRGIL: No, you don’t! You haven’t lived a whole live of happiness, sadness, pain, struggle, friendship, falling in love, falling out of love, tears, giggles… That’s what gives you the right to be in the outer world.

DARK MASTER: I have gone through all of that too!

THOMAS: What?

DARK MASTER: I was there when you got lost in Walmart as a kid, also there when you wrote your first poem, when you starred in your first stage show, or when you experienced first love, and when you published your first video, your first song. I was there all of the time. Watching from the darkness.

THOMAS: How can that be?

DARK MASTER: Because I have always been there with you Thomas. I am your shadow, always stuck at your feet, but not anymore!

PATTON: [rising up next to Honesty] And yet, you still don’t deserve to be in Thomas’ place.

THOMAS: Patton, what are you doing, it’s dangerous…

LOGAN: [rising up] Don’t worry, Thomas. Don’t you see that Honesty is unaffected at all? If he, who now is a full Light Side, is unaffected, so will we. I don’t know if it’s because we’re with you, or because we misinterpreted how the Dark Realm works, but that’s the way it is.

ROMAN: [rising up next to Virgil, ninja sword in hand] And of course we’re gonna join you on this. This time, I won’t miss the battle.

THOMAS: Guys…

PATTON: And I reaffirm it, Dark Master, you don’t deserve to hold the name Thomas or to be out there in his place. You mean that you have been 30 years with him, seen everything he’s seen, witnessed all his happiness and pain, all his rights and wrongs… and you didn’t learn anything from it? Thomas forged himself through all of that as the wonderful person he is, with his good things and his bad things, but always leaning towards good, and you’re still an advocate of pure evil. You have no respect for anything or anyone, not even for the Sides that follow you. That’s why everyone ends up leaving you, first Virgil, then Deceit. And that’s why they stay with Thomas, because he gives them the warmth and welcoming that you’re unable to give them. And sooner or later, Wrath will leave you too, because how long do you think he’s gonna… bear… your mistreatment and humiliations?

[Wrath looks at Patton with a shocked face, then looks at the Dark Master]

LOGIC: [sighs] Really, Patton, you had to end such a wonderful speech with such an ominous pun?

DARK MASTER: [angry] Why you…

[The Dark Master rises his finger towards Patton and a black ray gets out of it aiming at Patton]

THOMAS: [he rises his arm] Don’t touch him!

[A white force-field surges from Thomas’ hand and blocks the Dark Master’s ray, then disappears]

DARK MASTER: [shocked] What gives!?

LOGAN: Are you surprised? Just as you control darkness in your favor, inside of the Mind Palace, Thomas can control light in his favor. And it’s not complicated to guess which is stronger. Darkness is only the absence of light, that’s all. And if Thomas has one thing inside of him, it’s light.

THOMAS: [angry] My friends are sacred, you beast! I won’t let you touch my friends!

DARK MASTER: [contained anger] You will regret standing up against me, boy! [yelling] All of you!

[The Dark Masters rises both hands. A wind starts pushing Thomas and the Sides. Thomas unleashes the white force field. All the Sides gather around him. As one by one they put their hands on Thomas’ back, the white force field gains one of the colors of the rainbow, until it is red, orange, yellow, blue, indigo and purple. Only green is missing. The force-field concentrates into a ball in Thomas’ hands and it shoots as a rainbow colored ray towards the Dark Master, who blocks it with a black ray, struggling to keep the rainbow away from him.]

DARK MASTER: [to Wrath, still looking without moving a muscle] What are you doing over there you idiot! Help me, you miserable swine!

[Wrath looks at the Dark Master with an angry face]

WRATH: I’m not a swine!

DARK MASTER: What!?

[Wrath appears behind Thomas and the Sanders Sides]

WRATH: I’m a bear!

[Wrath puts his hand on Thomas, and the green color joins in the ray to make the full rainbow. Now stronger, the Dark Master cannot contain it anymore, and it hits him]

DARK MASTER: You miserable traitor! Gaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhh!

[There is an explosion of colors. When it dissolves, the Dark Master has disappeared]

THOMAS: We… we did it?

ROMAN: Hooray! We are victorious!

[Thomas and the others start jumping and cheering, until a voice makes them stop. It’s the Dark Master’s voice.]

DARK MASTER: You idiots! You can’t destroy me. I’ll always be a part of Thomas, just like all of you are. You just stripped me of my physical form… for the time being. I’ll always be in Thomas’ soul, and I’ll make sure that he feels my presence till his final day. This I swear!

[The Dark Master giggles evilly until his voice fades away]

THOMAS: You may be right, and maybe your influence will be hard or impossible to overcome sometimes, but I’ll always fight against you to do the right thing. Always!

VIRGIL: The good thing is that now we’re free. We’re able to travel back and forth to the Dark Realm without any fear now. The Dark Master won’t be able to resurge in a very long time.

DECEIT: Thank you, Wrath… Wait a minute, where is Wrath?

[They all look around, but Wrath is gone]

VIRGIL: Don’t worry, I know how he’s feeling, lost and without a trace of where to go, but he’ll figure it out. He was unconsciously helping us, even before he stepped with us. Didn’t you feel how the anger was giving you strength? That was him.

THOMAS: Yes, I guess anger also has its purpose, when it’s applied in its right measure and for fair things. Okay, shall we go back?

VIRGIL: Yeah, let’s go back.

[Thomas and the Sides sink down. Then they all appear in the regular apartment]

THOMAS: Home, sweet home.

PATTON: I’m so glad that it is you and not the Dark Master who appears here right now. To think that could have happened… makes my legs turn to Crofter’s.

LOGAN: You shall not take the name of Crofter’s in vain, Patton!

THOMAS: [suddenly anxious] Wait a minute, what time is it? [looks at his phone] Oh, my gosh! It’s been two hours already!? I’m gonna be late for the lecture!

ROMAN: And with all this commotion, I didn’t have time to write your speech! I’m gonna get on it right now… [sinks down] Oh, I hate rushing so much!

PATTON: Don’t worry, kiddos, I’m sure you will come out with something good to tell these children. [sinking down] I’ll be watching you, like a proud dad.

LOGAN: I’m gonna go help Roman. He’s gonna need to base the speech on knowledge facts, after all. [sinks down] And no one knows school students better than me.

HONESTY: I’m glad that now we’re gonna be able to be friends for real and not just because we’re stuck with each other.

DECEIT: I think we already were friends for real, Honesty. Otherwise we wouldn’t have had the impulse to save each other, would we?

HONESTY: I guess you’re right. Will you come to my room or…?

DECEIT: Nah, it’s better not to tempt Lady Luck again. I’ll return to my room, now that it’s safe. And maybe I’ll do like Virgil and make me a second room in the Light Realm, so you can pay me visits from time to time. [sinking down] I’ll warn you when I have it ready.

HONESTY: [sinking down] I’ll be eagerly waiting, Decey.

THOMAS: Virgil…

VIRGIL: Yes, Thomas?

THOMAS: Do you think we’ll ever see the Dark Master again? Do you think we’ll ever have to fight him like today?

VIRGIL: Who knows, Thomas? Maybe in the future, or maybe not. I’m only going to say two things about this. One, if he ever returns, we’ll be waiting for him, and we know what to do. And two… I’m too tired to instill you anxiety on this matter right now, would you please think about something else and let me have some rest? [sinking down] I think I’ve earned it.

THOMAS: Yes… you’re right, you’ve earned it, all of you, guys. [to the camera] We all have a good side and a bad side. We have talked about this plenty of times, but it’s important to remember it. We’re humans, and sometimes we’re gonna have good feelings and thoughts, and sometimes bad feelings and thoughts. It is important to learn how to identify them and try to pursue the things that are good for ourselves and good for other people, around us or not. Because when we’re gone, the result of our actions during our lifetime is what’s gonna define who we have been in this world. And I don’t know about you, but when that moment comes, after a long, long, time, I want to be able to look back and tell myself honestly: “Yes, you gave it all to be a good person”. It’s others who would have to judge if I succeeded or not, but my biggest wish and hope is that, in the end, I can be recalled as such. Not perfect or a saint. Just a good person. Until next time, take it easy, guys, gals and non binary pals. Peace out!

[end card]

[Wrath is still in Deceit’s room, hiding behind the couch. Deceit appears and sees him]

DECEIT: Oh, Wrath, there you are. Where did you go? Why didn’t you stay with us?

WRATH: Why should I have joined you? I’m not one of you. I don’t wanna be one of you!

DECEIT: Heh… sweetie, you have chosen the wrong person to lie. I know a liar when I see one. Anyway, we won’t force you to do anything you don’t want to do. You are your own Side and have the right to decide if and when you wanna join us. Anyway, thanks for your help earlier.

WRATH: I don’t even know why I did that.

DECEIT: On the contrary, I do, because I’ve been through the same. And I understand you better than you think.

WRATH: What will I do now that my master is gone? What is my purpose in life?

DECEIT: Listen. A Side’s purpose is not to be a servant of any master. Your purpose is the same that moved you today to help us. It is to help Thomas and give him your abilities when he needs them. Not because he commands you, but because it comes out of you naturally to do so.

WRATH: I wish I could be as confident as you are.

DECEIT: Oh, honey, don’t think I’ve always been like this. There’s always a time of confusion when we cross from one Realm to another, a time to look for ourselves and reevaluate the meaning of our lives. You’ll get there too, someday, in time.

WRATH: I hope so.

DECEIT: Now, since you’re here, would you mind helping me tidying this room a bit? I’m a little tired after what we’ve been through and I could use a helping hand.

WRATH: Oh… Okay.

DECEIT: [pulling out a yellow duster, wearing a yellow rag on the head over his bowler hat and real yellow washing gloves] Thank you, sweetie.

[songjump48-blog]

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[hannaaltman99008-blog]

FLAC Vs. MP3. Is FLAC Higher Than MP3?

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[legalsecretarycertificateon-blog]

Legal Secretarial Preferred Qualifications

A legal secretary must first and foremost be organized and willing to work under extremely stressful conditions. Anyone applying for a legal secretarial position knows how important it is to have the right training, qualifications and experience in order to even be called in for an initial interview. If the interview goes well, the next step is to see if the interviewee has the right qualifications for the job and will be able to do it well. If so, the hiring process will continue. Sometimes a legal secretary is known as a legal assistant. He or she works in a law office with attorneys, paralegals, clerical staff and others. A secretary assists all of them in various duties including answering telephone calls, setting up appointments and court dates, filing, data entry and performing complicated research work. A legal secretary may also be asked to prepare legal documents and prepare papers for court appearances and other legal proceedings. Lawyers simply do not have the time or desire to do the numerous administrative duties that are required in their job. He or she depends a great deal on the secretaries whom they hire to help them get the required work accomplished. Salaries are good and most jobs come with an attractive benefit packages. Most legal assistants have only a high school education but some have degrees from accredited colleges. Jobs for secretaries in law firms are plentiful and the demand for them continues to grow. Because there is such a demand, competition is keen. That is why many people decide to take a course dedicated to becoming a legal secretary. For those who have any inquiries relating to exactly where as well as how to employ legal secretary courses, you can email us on our own web page. This makes them better equipped when they are ready to join the job force and go in for an interview. Lawyers look for secretaries who are outgoing, professional, detail-oriented, organized and are able to do many tasks at once. The person they hire must be quite assertive and be able to prioritize well. A positive attitude is a must and a secretary must put personal problems aside. Legal secretarial positions are available for people who have all these skills, experience and the desire to work in a fast-paced and sometimes volatile environment.

[coolandspice]

Affirmation

Saeran Choi Week 2018 7th Day : Birthday || Reunion

Summary:  On the morning after Mint Eye’s arrest, Saeran is unexpectedly reunited with MC when he saves her from danger, again. 

AO3 link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15328704

Setting:  Ray Route Bad Relationship End 2

A/N: Here’s the long overdue Part 2 to my fic, It All Comes Back - MC’s side of the story. This one is both a parallel and a sequel to the first fic. Tagging @saeranchoiweek again as this is still an entry to Saeran Week 2018.

A real-time footage of the façade of an apartment complex is currently playing on the computer screen. There’s nothing to show except for a lady tenant entering her unit. Saeran watches the feed a minute more before deciding to get back to his work on consolidating evidences against Mint Eye.

“Go talk to her.”                                                                        

Saeran sighs as he turns away from the computer to face his older twin who enters the computer room with a pack of Honey Butter chips on hand. “You know I can’t.”

“Sure you can.” Saeyoung insists. “You just don’t want to, despite stalking her for months already.”

The younger twin pouts at the insinuation. “I’m just checking on her occasionally.”

Saeyoung stops stuffing his face with this favorite chips. He slowly licks his lips and flashes a shit-eating grin on Saeran. “If ‘occasionally’ means having hacked and reprogrammed the street CCTV camera positioned across her apartment building to send real-time footages to your computer every 8AM and 6PM, then sure, you only check on her,” he makes air-quotation marks with his fingers, “occasionally.”

“I-wha-how did you know that?” Saeran sputters, a raging blush creeps up on his cheeks. His skin is almost as red as their natural hair color now.

Saeyoung laughs out loud, thoroughly amused at Saeran’s indignation. “Well, this is my house and that,” he points at Saeran’s computer, “is my old computer. You can’t keep secrets from me when you’re using my old gadgets, Bro.”

The younger twin narrows his eyes at his brother. “You’re unbelievable.”

Saeyoung laughs again then ends it with a sigh, his face turning serious. “Go back to her, Saeran. I only got to talk to her in the chatroom but I know she’s a good girl. You shouldn’t make her worry for this long.”

“She’s an angel.” Saeran whispers wistfully. “But she’s better off without me. I…” he sighs, “I did despicable things to her. I don’t deserve to see her anymore.”

“Funny, that’s also how I used to think before I got kidnapped and thought I was gonna die without seeing my twin again.” Saeyoung smiles as he looks directly at his brother. “Thank God I was rescued by the exact person I wanted to see the most.”

Saeran shakes his head. “It’s not the same. You left because you thought it’s what’s good for us back then. You entered the Agency so Father can’t trace you and you trusted V and Rika that they will take care of me.” He says. “I left her behind because I can’t take the guilt anymore. I’ve hurt her, Hyung.”

“I think you’ve more than made up to her by getting her out of Mint Eye.” says Saeyoung.

“I got her out because I brought her there in the first place.” Saeran counters.

“Why are you so stubborn about this?” Saeyoung sighs again. “From what I remember from the chats, she likes you a lot – No, she loves you.  She purposely hid the fact that she was with you, the hacker back then, to protect you.”

“That was before I hurt her.” Saeran sighs. “She must hate me now.”

“Well, you would know.” Saeyoung lifts his glasses and massages the bridge of his nose. “You hated me when you thought I abandoned you. So now you think she hates you because you left her without an explanation.”

“That’s not true!” Saeran protests but Saeyoung looks at him sternly.

The younger twin averts his eyes. “Well, yeah, I did. I let Mint Eye make me hate you for leaving me behind.”

Saeyoung takes in a deep breath, readying himself for a long talk. “Saeran, don’t be like me. I left you without telling you why. I never checked how you were. I deluded myself that you’re doing okay with Rika because of the pictures she showed me. I know I should have at least checked on you personally, even just once. I kept telling myself that secret agents can’t have ties so I’m not allowed to see you. But in fact, I was afraid that if I see you, I’ll never be able to leave you again. I was a coward, Saeran.”

“Hyung, stop.” Saeran pleads. “We’ve talked about this before. We’ve decided to move on from that. No more blaming.”

“Then stop blaming yourself as well, Saeran.” Saeyoung follows up. “I’m thankful that you have forgiven me, but you have to forgive yourself too. You were not in total control when you were in Mint Eye. You know that, right?”

Saeran raises his hands in surrender. “Fine. I’ll think about it.”

The look on Saeyoung’s face is skeptical but he decides to drop the subject for now. He simply nods at his brother and leaves the room, probably to get a can of Doctor Pepper.

Saeran returns to his work, pulling up multiple media websites in search of more news that may relate to Magenta and Mint Eye.

Days passed in the Choi Bunker quietly, both twins working on the Mint Eye plan as per instructed by V and Jumin. The other RFA members are doing their best to help out too, with the exception of Yoosung who still has to come into terms with the truth about Rika. It was a hard pill to swallow so it was implicitly agreed on that they will give him the time and space he needs to sort his feelings.

V keeps in touch with the twins this time, making sure that they are both safe. He does not fail to remind them that he’d already lost them at two separate occasions. He and Saeran worked hard to recover Saeyoung from their father’s clutches and get the twins to reunite. V will be damned if it they get separated again. That’s why the guy calls the twins alternately every night. V never misses, not even on the day RFA exposed Mint Eye to the media.

It was a hectic day, with the RFA on the forefront, naming politicians, businessmen and other influential people involved in Mint Eye’s activities. The invited Media personnel at the press conference had a field day, asking questions left and right. Thankfully, ZEN, RFA’s elected spokesperson, did a wonderful job of delivering RFA’s stance on the issue. Given that he’s an actor, he will also be benefitting from the exposure. This is, of course, included in Saeyoung’s calculations. As it was immediately decided that the Choi twins will not be involved in RFA’s press con due to their family situation, Saeyoung and Saeran worked hard on the preparation aspect, crunching data that would benefit RFA’s cause before and during the conference. They also prepared multiple contingencies for several scenarios as requested by Jumin and Jaehee.

As the day comes to a close, Saeran’s phone rings right on cue. It was time for V’s call. Saeran shows the caller id to Saeyoung and signals that he will be going out of the computer room for a while to answer V.

Saeran sits on the couch as he picks up the call. “Hello, V.”

“I’d like to thank you again, Saeran.” V says on the phone. “We wouldn’t get this far without you and Saeyoung. By now, all of Korea already knows about Mint Eye and the evil it brought to its believers.”

“Are you sure about this, V?” Saeran asks him. “The Savior – I mean, Rika will be arrested too.”

V doesn’t answer immediately. Instead, he sighs over the mic.

“I know it’s my ego talking, but I feel it’s my responsibility to stop Rika as her ex-lover. At first, I thought I can save her but when I learned of what she’s done to you and the other believers… what she’s done to her…” V sighs again, his tone regretful, “I knew it was too late. She needs to be stopped.”

Saeran stiffens, the memory of the night in the dungeons coming back to him. It’s been months since her cleansing but he has never forgotten that moment. He knew he hurt her more than the elixir’s damage to her physical body. When she realized he had forced her to take the sleeping pill through a kiss, she looked so betrayed and disappointed. It broke his heart to see her like that. He only wished she finds happiness outside of Magenta. He still hates himself for making her cry that time.

“Saeran?” V asks when he noticed that Saeran is not replying to him. “Is everything okay?”

Saeran closes his eyes and massages the bridge of his nose. “I’m fine, just tired I think… I need to go.”

“Then I’ll hang up now so you can rest.” V says. “Thank you for your hard work, Saeran.”  

“Yeah.” Saeran says weakly as he hangs up. He closes his eyes again, trying to not be bothered by his headache. He walks slowly walks back to the computer room. He sees Saeyoung talking on the phone. His brother mouths “V” as he points at his phone. Saeran nods. He whispers “I’ll take a break for now.”

Saeyoung gives him a look, silently asking how he’s feeling. “I’m fine.” Saeran assures him as he leaves.

He walks to his room and as he enters it, he feels slightly better already.

His room doesn’t have much: a single bed, a closet and a computer table. The growing potted succulent by his bedside table is the lone décor.  Saeyoung offered to get him more things but he refused, knowing he will be more comfortable to stay and rest in a simple room.

He opens his closet and changes into a loose shirt and shorts. He then settles on his bed and dims the light. The night is still young but the dull throbbing in his head will only be gone with sleep so decides to just sleep early for the night.

Hours passed as the night turns to day. Saeran wakes up with a start, panting from the recurring dream of his last moments with MC before he brought her out of Mint Eye and left her at Rika’s apartment. The betrayed look of MC’s face torments him as he recalls his dream again.

“I’m sorry.” he says as his heart continues to drum against his chest. “I’m so sorry, MC.”

The guilt weighs heavily on his mind until he couldn’t take it anymore. He scrambles out of his bed and heads to the computer. He turns it on and opens the application for the video feed. The still video of the apartment façade helps him calm down until eventually his heart rate returns to normal. Just seeing the building where he knows MC is in comforts him.

He was about to close the video feed when he sees MC coming out of the gates. She looks decent at first glance but he could see the disheveled state she is in. Saeran could tell she isn’t going out for work as she’s only got a small bag with her instead of the usual backpack she brings with her.

Instinct tells Saeran that something is not right. He sees her in the video feed, swiping and tapping anxiously at her phone then looking left and right, as if waiting for something. Then a black taxi arrives and she gets inside.

Saeran can’t shake the feeling she is getting herself into trouble again. He’s reminded of the time she willingly got in a car blindfolded just because a voice on the phone told her to. She’s too trusting and kind for her own good. Granted, it’s one of the things he loves about her, but it’s also the one filling his heart with dread and anxiety now.

As if on autopilot, Saeran’s fingers immediately start typing away on the keyboard. The search begins with the taxi’s plate number. In less than five minutes, he has the car’s destination, the driver’s bio and the car’s ownership history all printed on a letter-sized paper.

He commits all the information to his mind as he strips out of his sleepwear and slips on a black zip-up jacket over a red tank top, pants and boots. He runs out of his room fast and heads straight to the garage. Thankfully, Saeyoung’s garage door is an automatic roll-up so he just flips the switch. It’s fully opened by the time he gets on the gray Maserati and drives out of the house. He almost wants to floor the gas and break the city speed limits just catch up on MC’s cab

Not too long after, Saeyoung calls him. Saeran slips on his Bluetooth headset and answers the call.

“Where are you going?” Saeyoung asks. “Don’t tell me you’re eating take-outs for breakfast now.”

“Police station.” Saeran answers curtly. “It’s important.”

Saeyoung is quiet on his side for a few beats. “Just be careful, okay? Take care of yourself and MC.”

“I am not gonna ask anymore how you know I’m on my way to MC.”

“We’re twins, remember? We are always connected, Saeran.”

Saeran’s lips curl into a semblance of a smile. “Yeah. I’m glad we never lost it, Hyung.”

Saeyoung sputters on the phone then there’s a loud ‘bam’ that sounded like he dropped his phone and the call ended. Saeran couldn’t help chuckling at his twin’s misfortune. He hopes the phone wasn’t cracked or damaged.

He rechecks the GPS on the Maserati as he turns his full attention on the road again. According to his search on the cab’s company files, its destination is the City Police Station investigating the Mint Eye case. He is now terribly worried for MC as the place will be full of media personnel on the lookout for the latest scoop on the scandal. The V, Jumin and Jaehee will be there for questioning regarding the evidences they presented the other day.

“Please, don’t let her get caught up in this again.” He prays in his heart.

As expected, the police station is packed with people. He parks the car far a little bit far away from the crowd, not wanting to draw unnecessary attention onto it.

After making sure that the car is secured, he runs into the police station’s parking area, looking for MC.

He looks around for that familiar figure, hoping that she is safe. His heart almost stops when he sees her by the sidewalk, talking to a man whom he recognizes as one of Mint Eye’s believers. She looks distraught, slowly stepping back from the man. When the man seizes her arm and pulls, Saeran saw red and ran towards them.

“Sir, you’re hurting me. Let me go,” she says as she pulls back her arm.

Saeran’s jaw clenched as he tries to rein the anger inside him. It’s been a while since he felt anger as extreme as this. He could almost hear the dark voice inside him coming back. He slows his breathing to calm himself. He knows there are ways other than anger to handle the situation. When he feels relatively less angry, he calls out to the man.

“Let the lady go.”

Both the man and MC freeze up. He can tell the believer recognizes him as the guy drops MC’s arm and steps backwards. “Mr. Saeran.” he says fearfully. He turns and runs away from MC.

Meanwhile, MC is rooted on her place, her back stiff on her small frame. From their distance, Saeran could already tell that MC has lost some weight since he last saw her. Her arms and waist are slimmer than what he can remember.

“You really need to be more careful, Miss. Your guard is too low.” He tells her.

When MC turns around, it was like a slow-motion video. The way her breath hitches, her hair swaying, up to how she her face lights up when she recognizes him, Saeran saw everything. She is as beautiful as he can remember, if not more.

“Saeran.” she says.

Her voice is as how he remembers it too: as sweet as ice cream.

Suddenly feeling shy, he manages a small, awkward smile at her. “Hello, MC.”

MC crosses the distance between them, almost tackling him when she hugged him. Thankfully, he catches her quick and managed to keep them both standing. MC buries her face on his chest and he’s slightly worried that she will hear how loud his heart is currently beating.

“You’re real.” MC says as she pulls away slightly to face him. She reaches up to him and touches his cheek. “Saeran.”

“How are you?” He asks her. “Did that man hurt you?”

MC shakes her head. “I’m fine now.”

He panics when a tear suddenly drops from MC’s eyes. “MC!? You’re crying?”

She retracts her hand and touches her own cheek. “I-I’m crying. Oh gosh, this is embarrassing.”

Before he knew it, Saeran is already wiping her tears with his finger as he touches her cheek. “I made you cry again.”

MC leans on his hand and closes her eyes. “I missed you a lot.” She says softly. “But you’re here now, that’s what matters.”

Saeran’s heart flutters as she opens her eyes again and looks at him with very loving eyes. His heart is instantly filled with love and affection for her, he’s sure it will burst soon.

Driven by instinct, they both lean in towards the other and finally… finally he’s kissing her again. The memory of her lips from long ago preciously archived in his heart is renewed. Her nose lightly bumping against his and her soft lips making sweet, sweet whimpers as he dives in deeper into their kiss; everything about her in his memories is renewed. Her hands wrap around his neck and pull him even closer. He wraps his arms around her in response, settling them on the curves of her hips. Her body, warm and pliant, fits perfectly against him.

He missed her so much that he that the feelings inside him is overwhelming him. He’s drowning in her presence but he doesn’t want to let go. If time would stop right then and there, he will not have any regrets. They are together again and that’s all that matters to him right now.

Eventually, Saeran breaks their kiss to allow her to breathe. He goes for other places in the meantime: her forehead, her cheeks, her nose and even her neck. When he lightly bites, sucks and licks in a particular spot on the junction between her neck and shoulder, her stifled moan blazed a stronger desire within him to claim her.

“S-Saeran.” she whimpers, hands clutched at his shoulders. “W-wait.”

Saeran stills when he hears her. Guilt crashed on him like a bucket of iced water as he is immediately reminded of that time he acted this way in Magenta.

“I’m sorry.” He feels ashamed for losing control. He kisses her quick on the lips to apologize.

“Don’t apologize. I-I liked it.” She whispers. “Just that ---“

MC’s knees folded under her, unable to take in the stimulation anymore. Thankfully, Saeran was quick to catch her. She looks up to him sheepishly, a raging blush creeping from her cheeks to her chest. “T-thank you.”

“Are you okay? What happened?” he asks her. He helps her stand straight again but she keeps wobbling as her knees refuse to support her.

“The strength left my legs.” she answers, still breathless.

Her embarrassment is so apparent that Saeran feels a little bad for thinking how cute she is at the moment. He also can’t help the little pride blooming in his chest for affecting her so much just by kissing. Still, Saeran tries to maintain a neutral face as he asks her. “Do you want to sit down?”

MC nods, holding tighter on him. “Please.”

He looks around the parking lot for a bench or some place they could use but there isn’t one in sight.

Saeran thinks fast for an alternative. As much as he likes the way MC is holding on to him at the moment, he still wants MC to be able to relax.

“There’s no bench in here.” He tells her. “But I brought a car. Do you want to rest in there?”

MC nods again, her face buried on his chest.

Judging that she’s in no shape to walk, he scoops her up in his arms and carried her to the car, bridal style. As he walks to the Maserati, he sneaks a peak at her form and finds her utterly adorable with the way she’s clinging onto him and muttering about how embarrassed she is.

He sets her down by the passenger seat then placed a kiss on her forehead. “How are you now?”

MC takes a moment to massage her knees to check. “I think they’re fine now.”

The tension he didn’t know was there left his body. “That’s great.”

He gently closed the door and circles around the car. He opens the driver’s seat and got inside. Once settled, he looks at her briefly, taking in her profile view. “Should I take you home?”

“No!” MC blurted, surprising both herself and Saeran. “I mean, “she tries again, “no, don’t take me home yet. I want to stay with you longer, Saeran.” She takes his left hand and laced her fingers with his. “I really missed you. I wanna be with you.”

Saeran’s heart flutters as MC looks at him with loving eyes again. “I missed you too, MC.” He tells her back, immediately feeling the inadequacy of the expression to describe how he felt being away from her all those months. He leans into the passenger seat and shared a quick kiss with her again.

“So where do we go?” he asks her as he pulls away from her.

“Have you eaten? How about we go for a quick breakfast?” MC suggests. “My favorite café has a great breakfast menu plus their coffee is divine.”

By the way she lights up so beautifully in the prospect of having breakfast with him, she could have asked him to bring her to the skies and he will bring her there by all means. He may not have totally forgiven himself yet for what he did to her in the past, but if being with him makes her happy, he will do it. So he returns the sunny smile she gave him and holds her hand tighter.

“Breakfast sounds great.”

[darrowbyeightfive]

The Scenic Route: A Diversion

An All Creatures Great and Small/Doctor Who pastiche/crossover - an affectionate and (hopefully) humorous tribute to these two series and, particularly, to one of my favourite actors, Peter Davison. 

Familiarity with the Fifth Doctor era and Series 1 Episode 7 of All Creatures Great and Small is definitely recommended for this to make any kind of sense.

Revised, tidied-up, all-in-one-place-for-added-convenience version.

Please enjoy and do let me know if you find any mistakes, plot holes or other infelicities.

(ca. 4000 words - consider making a cup of tea/coffee/other beverage of choice).

- 1. -

The Doctor did not feel at all well. His head throbbed, his throat was sore and, despite wearing an extra jumper and one of the long scarves he had favoured in his previous regeneration, he still shivered, chilled to the bone. He wondered what had happened to the other scarf that he had unravelled – a rather clever trick, that, one that he had learned from a very bright young Cretan lady – during his regenerative crisis. It was something of a shame that in all these years he had never got around to learning to knit, he now thought. Knitting must have much to do with mathematics. He began to imagine the yarn, passing over and under itself, creating all sorts of intricate patterns, over and under and around and behind and backward and forward, just like the threads in the web of time. He saw them, past, present, future, the definite and the possible, all weaving themselves together in the air in front of his eyes… and then he came to himself again with a start, realising that he was drifting into delirium and must try to find somewhere he could rest until his fever broke and he was on the way to recovery. Somewhere, ideally, with soft sheets and blankets, plenty of hot cups of tea and sympathetic company.

He might have known this would happen. There had been an outbreak of space flu on the planet Mintaka-VIII, which was inhabited by a race of technologically advanced, but physically somewhat susceptible, lizardlike beings. The ruler of the lizards, Zorg, had contacted the Doctor in some desperation, asking him for any help he could provide. Concerned about the possible effect of space flu on his Trion companion – the TARDIS Data Bank entry on the subject made alarming reading and he had no wish to watch Turlough twitching and frothing at the mouth a second time – he had left him for safety on the Eye of Orion, travelling alone to Mintaka-VIII. His analyses had identified a particular type of crystal that could act as a febrifuge for the Mintakans’ ruthenium-based metabolisms and, the crystals not being available locally, he had set off in his TARDIS to a mineral-rich moon in another star’s system to obtain them. However, even before leaving Mintaka-VIII, he had started to feel distinctly shaky, and reluctantly had to admit that he was in the grips of space flu himself – not fatal for Time Lords, but unpleasant and, for a day or two, very debilitating, leaving one in no fit state to be able to conduct trade negotiations on moons with only rudimentary facilities.

Where should he go to recuperate? His fevered brain felt full of fog, but he remembered that Earth in the late 20th century was a pleasant enough place, if a little technologically backward. He was delighted to read in the Data Bank that space flu had no ill-effects on humans beyond minor snuffles and sneezing. Perfect! He set the time and space coordinates for Brendon School in 1983; the Brigadier would surely be happy to let him sleep on the sofa-bed in his secluded little house for a day or so until he was well again, and then he must take the Mintakans their medicine.

It seemed that the TARDIS had other plans, or perhaps it was just that with his woolly head and shaking hands, the Doctor had entered the wrong data. The TARDIS landed in a field at the back of a large, grey stone house in a green, hilly landscape. It was clearly part of Earth and looked to be England, but was certainly not the grounds of Brendon. He picked up a haversack that he had packed with a few essentials, opened the TARDIS door and walked unsteadily (oh, how his head ached, and how heavy his legs felt!) towards the house, rapping on the glass in the back door and hoping very much that some kind person was inside.

A middle-aged woman, wearing an apron and with her greying hair tied back in a bun, answered the door. “Oh, Master Tristan! What have you been doing with yourself? I suppose you went to the pub after your cricket match, and then somehow ended up waking up this morning under a hedge with someone else’s clothes on. You get yourself into some right scrapes! Whatever are we going to do with you?” she chuckled. “You do look peaky, though,” she added in a more serious tone, when the Doctor failed to reply.

“’M not… M-m-mas-t-t-ter-” stuttered the Doctor, but he couldn’t seem to get his words out. He staggered a little and began to sway. Mrs Hall was quick-witted enough to realise what was happening, and caught him as he fell limply into her arms.

“Eh, poor lad, you’re shivering,” she said, as she picked up the haversack, put the Doctor’s arm around her shoulder and helped him up the stairs. “Let’s get you up to bed. That’s the best place for you.”

The bed, with its silky green quilt and piles of pillows, looked wonderfully inviting.

Mrs Hall went downstairs, promising to return with tea. The Doctor unpacked shakily and changed into his white flannelette pyjamas with their red question-mark motif, then wrapped himself up in the paisley-patterned dressing-gown that Lady Cranleigh had given him by way of apology for the events that took place at her home. By the time that Mrs Hall returned with tea and a very welcome hot-water bottle, the Doctor was tucked up under the covers. He swallowed down the tea while it was still hot, then drifted off into somewhat feverish sleep.

- 2. -

“Who are you, and what are you doing in my bed?”

Tristan had come home, tired and dirty, from a long day spent out on cold, exposed hillsides, and was looking forward to a hot bath before dinner. He whistled as he climbed the stairs to his bedroom to collect a change of clothes. Pushing open his bedroom door, he was astonished to find his bed occupied. The mysterious person was snuggled deep under the covers, with only a little blond hair showing. Tristan didn’t remember any college friends having invited themselves to stay, and in any case, surely Mrs Hall would have put up someone of that kind in the spare room. So who was this? Unless… it couldn’t be one of the nurses, could it? Perhaps one of them had finally been kicked out of her accommodation for breaking the curfew too many times, and had thought to presume on his kind heart. He would be in tremendous trouble with Siegfried if a nurse was found in his bed. Siegfried would imagine all sorts of things had been going on that had not, in fact, been going on.

“I say,” said Tristan. “What do you think you’re doing, sleeping in my bed?” He went over to the sleeping figure and gave what he supposed must be its shoulder a gentle shake. If it was a nurse, or any other visitor whose presence had not been approved by Siegfried, then the sooner this person was out of his bed, down the stairs and out of the house, the better.

The Doctor woke, turned over, pushed back the covers and peered groggily at the person who had been speaking to him in such an indignant tone.

Tristan and the Doctor stared at one another in surprise. The Doctor’s surprise was tinged with trepidation. Could Omega have come back once more? Had he somehow managed to escape his pitiful antimatter existence and to re-emerge into this world?

The Doctor propped himself up into a seated position, put out his hand and said “Hello, how do you do? I’m the Doctor.” The greeting didn’t really seem equal to the occasion, and perhaps a handshake wasn’t the best idea if one was dealing with one’s antimatter double, but he was feeling too ill and muzzy-headed for such considerations of originality and caution to play any great part in his thinking.

Tristan, unperturbed by concerns about renegade Time Lords, just stared at the stranger in bemusement, before realising that his manners were wanting, shaking the Doctor’s hand and introducing himself.

“So, let me get this straight,” said Tristan, some time later. “You travel through time and space in that blue box thing that’s sitting out there in the paddock at the moment, trying to put things right, and you just happened to turn up on our doorstep this morning, suffering from some sort of influenza. I have to say that it feels as if I have landed in the middle of a novel by Mr. Wells.” He had extracted the story from the Doctor amid much coughing and many cups of tea.

“Yes. The blue box, as you call her, has something akin to a mind of her own. The old girl does her best by me. I think she must have known that in this house, at this time, there would be someone who would let me in and put me to bed without even asking any questions.” The tea and the sleep had given him a lucidity that he had lacked previously. “I’m terribly sorry for sleeping in your bed without asking, but when I arrived I was feeling so giddy that I didn’t really know what was going on, and was just grateful for somewhere to rest.” He broke off as another coughing fit overtook him. “The lady who let me in was most tremendously kind to me. I really ought to thank her properly.”

James and Siegfried had arrived home by this point, and were gathered around the bed with Tristan, listening to the Doctor’s story.

“Well, little brother, I’ve got to hand it to you,” said Siegfried. “You really do know how to cause a stir. I leave the house in the morning and when I get back in the evening you have a sick time-traveller in your bed.”

“But – but – but – it wasn’t anything to do with me,” said Tristan, with an air of injured dignity.

“Are you quite sure this isn’t all a college prank, Tristan? All smoke and mirrors and stage make-up? You do have rather a regrettable flair for the theatrical. There was all that business with the ghostly monk not too long ago, after all.”

“Who told you about the monk?” said Tristan. Siegfried wasn’t supposed to know anything about that.

“No one,” said Siegfried. “It was just, let us say, educated guesswork. In any case, assuming our visitor is indeed a time-traveller rather than one of your more disreputable college associates, I would be very unwilling to let him fend for himself with such a nasty case of flu. You can’t put a chap out on the street when he’s in that sort of state, particularly when he looks so much like family.” Siegfried realised that he had been talking over the Doctor’s head, and made amends by addressing him directly. “I’m very sorry, my dear chap. My little brother does play so many pranks that I suspected that he had been up to something. Would it suit you to stay here for a while? And could you worry down some soup? We’ve got to keep your strength up, and Mrs Hall makes a most excellent cream of celery.”

The Doctor, exhausted from giving so many explanations and from listening to the exchanges between the brothers, weakly croaked out a grateful “oh yes, please, and cream of celery would be splendid”.

- 3. -

The Doctor was not recovering as quickly as he had hoped. At present, he was sitting up in bed, eating a bowl of porridge. Tristan was sitting beside him, reading out extracts from the newspaper. He had developed a fondness for his Time Lord lookalike over the past few days, which was not due entirely to vanity (“He’d be really rather good-looking with that pleasant, open face of his if his nose weren’t so red and he didn’t look so pale and peaky, and he looks just like me, so that must mean that I’m quite decent-looking, too. I shall remember that the next time I’m trying to make a good impression on a girl. Courage, mon brave, and imitate the action of a Time Lord.”). It also owed much to the Doctor’s courteous and cheerful demeanour and the exciting tales he told of his adventures (unfortunately still too often cut short by coughing fits and exhaustion). It really was like having the hero of a novel by Jules Verne or H G Wells novel as one’s houseguest, albeit one who lay in bed all day alternately sleeping and drinking tea. Tristan did wonder whether he could claim to have space flu the next time he wished to get out of early morning calls.

The Doctor had realised with delight that he had landed in a part of England that was very fond of cricket, and when he felt too weak to talk very much, he asked Tristan to read him the cricket match reports. Tristan was happy to acquiesce, and soon progressed to reading out articles that he thought the Doctor might find amusing – while he did not possess Tristan’s very highly developed sense of humour, the Doctor was certainly capable of a chuckle at a funny anecdote – and items of general interest. On his third day at Skeldale, when his mind had regained much of its clarity, the Doctor found out that the year was 1938. Of course, Time Lord rules forbade him from letting his new friends know what was in their future, and he realised sadly that Tristan and James, and even the somewhat older Siegfried, would probably have to serve in the upcoming war. He was not party to their individual destinies, but he thought that he would like to thank them and offer them an experience to which that they could look back in the dark days ahead – a trip to the stars in his TARDIS. But first, he must deal with the problem of the Mintakans. He was still too weak and ill to make the trip to the mining moon and then to Mintaka. Yesterday he had tried to walk over to the window to take a look at the view, but he had only gone a few steps before his head began to spin alarmingly and he had to abandon his attempt. He would try again today and every day until he managed it. Meanwhile, he worried about the Mintakans. How would they manage without their medicine, and did they think he had abandoned them?

Tristan put down the newspaper. An idea had occurred to him.

An idea had also occurred to the Doctor.

James came in, with his arm in a sling. “That wound that I picked up at Bentley’s has become infected,” he said “I’ve got to wear this for the next few days until it has healed, so I won’t be able to drive.”

“I was meaning to ask you -” said Tristan and the Doctor, simultaneously.

“Would you show me how to fly your TARDIS?” asked Tristan.

“Would you two run an errand for me?” asked the Doctor.

- 4. -

“This is the life!” exclaimed Tristan. “Whizzing through space and time!” He pushed a few buttons on the TARDIS console, just for the pleasure of hearing the bleeping noises they made(*). “Do you think this Time Lord garb suits me?” He strutted backwards and forwards in the console room. Unknown to James, who had been asleep at the time, he had spent several hours the previous evening practising how to make his frock-coat flap behind him in the most satisfying way.

“It does, oddly enough,” said James, who had no wish at all to flatter Tristan’s vanity but did feel the compulsion to be honest. “It’s a strange collection of garments, and it seems to be the Doctor’s own idea of what Earth people wore a couple of decades ago, but it does look as if it was designed for you.”

They both, separately, imagined Tristan arriving at a dance in the Doctor’s outfit and seeing heads turn. James’ imaginings focused on the embarrassment associated with being in Tristan’s company when he was dressed thus, and on ways of avoiding this eventuality. Tristan, for his part, daydreamed hopefully of the female hearts that might be set fluttering by an appropriate flick of his dashing coat-tails. “Oh, you look just like Prince Charming in that coat” an attractive young admirer was sighing, gazing adoringly up at him with big blue eyes. “Yes, and you know what Prince Charming wants to do to his pretty little princess,” he imagined himself saying, leaning down to kiss her rosebud lips…

“Why did he ask you to wear his outfit?” asked James, interrupting this gratifying fantasy.

“I think he thought it would make it easier for me to negotiate with the moon miners if they believed they were dealing with him. He obviously does have a certain amount of clout in some corners despite his odd taste in trousers. Or perhaps he just thought it would be a jolly wheeze, which of course it is! It’s just like ‘The Prince and the Pauper’ that we saw at the pictures!”

“Who’s the Prince and who’s the Pauper?” laughed James.

“Anyway, our errand is accomplished and everything’s tickety-boo! I thought that after studying Vet. Med., I knew most of what there was to know about strange creatures. Never did I thought I’d see lizards in trousers… which, now I come to think of it, looked remarkably like the Doctor’s. Perhaps this sort of get-up is considered quite the thing on certain planets. Don’t you think it was remarkable how similar the space lizards’ constitution was to that of felis catus? Perhaps I should write a paper on it for the Veterinary Record. Do you think Zorg and co. appreciated that little speech I made to them: ‘We love you, that’s why we’re here’ and all that? I thought they seemed rather moved.”

“And now it’s time to get back to Skeldale” said the voice of common sense. He looked through the viewing screen and then down at the console. “Wait a second! This isn’t the way back to Earth!”

“Yes it is,” said Tristan, grinning. “It’s the scenic route! You do know that this machine travels through time and space, don’t you? We can go on a nice little detour through a few galaxies and still be back in time for tea! You know, I think I have an instinctive feeling for space-travel. I could have been a pilot for a living, looping the loop and all that. Flying this thing is just like driving the Austin, only with a few extra gears. The Doctor is a nice enough chap, thoroughly decent and all that, but he can be a bit of a stuffy old fusspot. Anyone would think he was hundreds of years old, the way he talks. All these instructions and watch-out-for-this and don’t-press-that-please and you-know-you-really-need-to-be-careful. He seems to think it’s his job to worry about the whole universe.”

“Perhaps it is.”

“I thought I would have to sit through hours and hours of lectures on how to fly this thing before I could get the key out of him. Worse than old Jenkins on Parasitology. Fortunately he got tired and drifted off halfway through.”

“Possibly the only person who has fallen asleep in his own lecture,” said James, laughing nervously.

“Oh, that’s happened plenty of times at Edinburgh.  When he woke up, he didn’t seem to realise that he’d been asleep. Must have been giving me flying instructions in his dreams. He gave me the key and just said ‘Please do try not to damage my TARDIS. She’s rather delicate,’ then just sort of flopped down and went back to sleep”.

“Imagine if it had been Siegfried and his Rover!” said James. “‘One scratch,’ he would have said, ‘just one scratch, and I’ll kill you with my bare hands’”.

Tristan laughed merrily and pressed a few more buttons.

“Don’t you think we’re going rather fast?” asked James. They did seem to be hurtling through space and time far too quickly, if that makes any sense when you consider Einstein's theories of relativity and whatnot, which Tristan didn't.

“Calm down, Jim, as I said, I have an instinct for these kinds of things and -” Tristan broke off with a yelp of horror as he saw, on the viewscreen, a phalanx of spacecraft flying directly toward the TARDIS. In panic, he pressed anything within reach on the console. The TARDIS made a nauseating lurch and swerved off in a different direction. It was not long before it crashed into something with an unpleasant, splintering crunch. Looking out of the viewscreen, the two young men saw that they had crashed into a rocky planet.

Remembering at least some of the Doctor’s warnings about planets without breathable atmospheres (perhaps the old bird did have a point with all his warnings after all, now he came to think of it), Tristan passed a shiny silver space helmet with an oxygen supply to James then took one for himself. Stepping out onto the planet’s surface, James picked up a chunk of space-rock off the mangled outside of the TARDIS and threw it down. Tristan, coming out to survey the damage, clutched his head in anguish (through his space helmet) and imagined how angry the Doctor would be after discovering what a mess he had made of his precious TARDIS.

***

The Doctor was propped up comfortably against the pillows, still feeling a little weak but in excellent spirits. His health had finally taken a turn for the better and he could convalesce at leisure, relieved of worry about the Mintakans thanks to those thoroughly decent young people who had made the trip in his place. After he had fully recovered his wits he had realised that there was, of course, no great hurry to get back to the Mintakans after all; after he had recovered, he could simply have set the coordinates of the TARDIS to arrive in Mintaka not long after he had left. That was the problem with space flu – it did addle the brain so. By the time this had occurred to him, the young men had already left. He just hoped that they had properly assimilated his instructions on how to fly the TARDIS. The people of this era were still very primitive when it came to space- and time-travel, and while James was a very sensible fellow, he sensed that Tristan, on whom he had had to rely to do the piloting with James’s arm out of action, tended towards excessive high spirits and recklessness.

“Thank you, Mrs Hall. It’s very kind of you to take care of me and bring me these most excellent cups of tea. I’ve been enjoying doing the crossword immensely. Ah, here are young Tristan and James. How did you get on with the errand I sent you on? Did you manage to get the healing crystals to Zorg and his lizards?”

“Yes,” said Tristan, who looked a little uneasy. “The lizards are now, er, basking in good health. But I’m afraid I took a bit of a detour and there was this flock, er, convoy of spaceships…”

The Doctor was overtaken by a coughing fit. He began to wonder whether he was about to regret having handed Tristan the keys to his TARDIS.

“I’m afraid the nearside wing of the TARDIS is rather mangled,” said Tristan, attempting to marshal his features into an expression of sweet, choirboyish innocence.

The Doctor made various expressions of polite, Edwardian-sounding indignation before managing to compose himself. “Crashing a chap’s ship! That really isn’t cricket, you know!”

- The End -

(*) “Do you mind?” grumbled one of the sound technicians. “Every time you press one of those buttons, we have to make a bleeping noise to go with it.”

“Yes, I know,” said Tristan, “that’s why I’m doing it.”

[theresasawyer]

How to Discover a Reliable Virtual Assistant That Will Help Your Business Grow

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