#that's a tuesday. i Realize i may be missing things or w/e. but it's like regularass media criticism like the protagonist confused me

[unproduciblesmackdown]

rogue one posting like attention everyone who didn't like all the characters or get why they did things: i Am better than you

[itsyourbizme]

Today I attended a funeral for my first born son. I have been posting on Tumblr for sometime now. I try to, educate, provide resources, information, and news you can use to help you handle your business better.

In Memory of

Theodore

Jaisen

"TJ"

Boykin

Obituary for Theodore Jaisen "TJ" Boykin

Theodore “TJ” Jaisen Boykin, 45, of Imperial, PA, was called home to be with the Lord on June 30, 2022. He passed away while spending time with the people he loved the most, his family and at his favorite place, the beach.

TJ was born on May 23, 1977, in Pittsburgh, the son of Homer D. “Skip” and Phyllis (Cox) Boykin, Jr. of West Mifflin.

There’s not enough time or words to explain the impact TJ had during his short time on this Earth. To begin, you could not find a more hardworking man. TJ began his own company 25 years ago, Boykin Interactive, which is a full-service digital media company. Over the years he worked as a web developer for Duquesne Light, an interactive producer/ web architect for MARC USA, as a director (UX) for Xerox, and most recently a senior director for ADP. TJ’s many different career paths allowed him to touch the lives of many and create lifelong friendships.

While work was very important to TJ, his family was most important. TJ was an extremely proud father and the day he became a dad, he was whole. TJ was a dedicated, loving, compassionate and protective father, companion, son and brother. TJ’s love for sports started young, when his parents signed him up for soccer. Not long after playing soccer, he realized he liked refereeing the games just as much. When it came time for his children to play sports, whatever they were involved in, so was TJ. When TJ’s son, TJ, Jr. was four years old, he started playing hockey. That meant that Dad was now a hockey dad too and he never missed a game. TJ, Jr. played for the Artic Foxes, the West Allegheny Hockey team, and a few other traveling teams. TJ even built websites for some of the hockey teams. Since his daughter, Taylor, was always at the ice rink watching her older brother play, TJ thought ice skating would be a great thing for her to try. Taylor ended up loving it and ballet as well. Now TJ had become not only a hockey dad, but a ballet and ice-skating dad. His support for his children, allowed them to accomplish their goals.

And of course, TJ’s life would not be complete without the love of his life, Missy. Together they built the life of their dreams, raising two beautiful children, working hard and traveling together and always having someone to love. Their love was the special kind, the kind that everyone else hopes that they are lucky enough to find. It lasts beyond the terrible loss of TJ and it will never stop growing.

TJ loved to travel with his family, especially to the beach. He loved experiencing new adventures with his family. Those were the times that his family will remember forever and hold near and dear to their hearts.

Along with his parents, surviving is his love, Missy Harrison of Imperial, children, Theodore “TJ” Boykin Jr., and Taylor Boykin of Imperial, brothers, Adam D. and Chad E. Boykin, Missy’s parent’s, Kevin Pinkston and Julia Harrison, and a host of aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces and nephews.

TJ is preceded in death by his grandparents, Homer D. and Essie W. Boykin, Sr., and Theodore D. and Edna E. Cox.

Friends and family will be received on Tuesday, July 12, 2022 from 11-1 p.m. at Thomas-Little Funeral Service, Inc. and Crematory, 305 Main St., Imperial (724-695-2800). A Homegoing Service will be held on Tuesday, July 12, 2022 at 1 p.m. in the funeral home. A private burial will take place at Homewood Cemetery. In lieu of flowers donations may be made to the Boykin family, to help care for TJ's children in the future.

A link to TJ's livestreamed service can be found here: https://fb.watch/eduG-Ss9Xe/

[crimsoncityhq]

The fall solstice is only days from breaking over the Crimson City. Heat is a rare commodity to the residents of Chicago, so they part with it bitterly every year at the annual End-of-Summer Festival. The season goes out with a bang and the rumble of food trucks every summer as patrons waltz their way down the Chicago art walk, indulge in all things saucy and boozy at the Chicago Bourbon and BBQ Festival, get in touch with nature at the Chicago craft beer tasting at the zoo, and shop at the Chicago flea market littered with street merchants from all over the country. Of course, the real selling point every year is the annual Chicago bar crawl, which sweeps guests through Cook County’s best bars, like The Pint, Rousseau’s, Cataleya, Wolves and Skyfall Bar. To attract more customers, each bar, restaurant, and club—even what goes on behind—will be steeply discounted for the ultimate occasion. 

And if you’re a little territorial, don’t sweat it—no metal detectors will be necessary at the End-of-Summer Festival. Who would want to ruin all this fun, anyway ?!

Part I of the End-of-Summer Festival begins at 7:15 P.M. CST and will conclude on TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 15 at 7 P.M. CST. You may continue your non-event  threads through the event, however we ask you don’t post any starters unless they pertain to the event

Under the cut are plot slots you may claim for this event; just send your preferred slot to the main. Plots slots are a first come, first serve basis.

We’re going to allow each person to choose two plot slots for two characters max .If there are any leftovers, we’ll let members know when they can sign up for thirds. Please try to pick one pertaining to your character and plot with those that take the other spots.

You’ll notice that some of these plots are public, so feel free to have your character react to them/ notice them even if they aren’t happening directly to your character. However, if something feels like it happened privately to another character, please check in with their Mun to see if it’s okay for your character to know.

To be clear: these are not the only things that happen to your character during this plot drop and you are more than welcome to cook up your own trouble.

1. IRA EVANS talks BIRDIE MENDOZA into taking five shots in under ten minutes. Now, it’s up to IRA EVANS to lug BIRDIE MENDOZA to each location on the bar crawl. Good luck—we hear they’re sloppy.

2. [LINCOLN ROSSI ] is having trouble finding their way out of the parking garage when they find [ CHARACTER D ] drunkenly screaming at an intoxicated [ CHARACTER E ]. [ LINCOLN ROSSI ] decides to guide them back to the party before they get lost.

3. [ EDIE JAMES ] accidentally drops a ten instead of a one into the tip jar while watching a street act. They awkwardly remove the tip but later get mugged by [ CHARACTER G ] and [ CHARACTER H ] who had watched the whole thing.

4. The Pint is running a promotion that promises six months of free drinks if you can outdrink two other people. [ LAVRENTI VASILE ], [ ANTON VOLKOV ], and [ ATTICUS MERCER ] compete to win, but the competition turns into drunken chaos very quickly.

5. [ VIOLET MADDEN ]is selected to go onstage and perform a duet with [ CHARACTER M ]. They end up sharing a heated moment over the microphone and head to the nearest restroom to talk. 

6. [ AUTUMN DAWSON ] accompanies [ MARCEL WALSH] to the craft beer tasting at the zoo. [ MARCEL WALSH ] feeds the goats in the petting area before getting mowed over by it. [ AUTUMN DAWSON ] tries to ward the goat off from the sidelines while [ MARCEL WALSH ] returns to their feet to make their escape.

7. [ OAKLEY BUTLER ] is showing off their artwork at the art walk. [ LEONID 'LEO' VASILE ] buys a piece and tries to scam it a few booths down. [ OAKLEY BUTLER ] busts them after a civilian buys the piece of artwork for triple the price. The confrontation is no bueno.

8. [ DIAMOND WASHINGTON ] has been texting [ CHARACTER S ] the whole entire event thinking it was an [ CHARACTER T ]. [ CHARACTER S & CHARACTER T ] meet up at the rendezvous point and [ DIAMOND WASHINGTON ] must sort this miscommunication out.

9. TYSON KANE uses a random dating app and schedules a blind date with [CHARACTER V]. 

10. [ CHARACTER W ] ‘accidentally’ sets a booth on fire, and now owes [CHARACTER X] the money for their artwork.

11. [ NADIA JAMES ] crashes into [ MARISSA ATKINSON’s ] car when trying to park. They have an altercation in the parking garage.

12. [ JUNO SONG ] is seen drunkenly trying to serenade the penguin exhibit to Gangsta’s Paradise. [ ADELAIDE HASSAN ] records the whole entire thing for ‘information purposes’ later.

13. [ CHARACTER C1 ] accepts a small baggy containing a questionable substance from [ CHARACTER D1 ]. Later, [ CHARACTER C1] runs into [ CHARACTER D1] completely convinced they are being chased by a murderous peacock. Bougie Thankskilling, anyone?

14. [ ARMANDE IVASHKOV ] & [ CHARACTER F1 ] stand in line to get into Cataleya, while [CHARACTER G1] tries to convince them to smuggle in [ SMALL ANIMAL OF CHARACTER G1’S CHOOSING ].

15. [ EMMA BARTLETT] finds a trashbag full of cash with a note that seems to be in a binary code. [ CHARACTER I1] catches [ EMMA BARTLETT’s] silhouette & comes over to inspect.

16. ROSALIA LEON trying to escape from their date, runs right through the doors of Gentile Fille. They collide with [ CHARACTER K1] that was there for the same reason. 

17. [ CHARACTER L1 ] finds themself in a pickle when they end up with the primates. Their panicked whispers gain the attention of [ CHARACTER M1] & [ CHARACTER N1] to help them get out of the exhibit. While the primates descend upon [ CHARACTER L1], Helen Branch Primate House will never be the same. [ CHARACTER N1] stops helping because they’re too busy laughing.

18. [ CHARACTER O1] misses their date’s ass, and smacks [CHARACTER P1’s] ass instead. It causes [ CHARACTER P1] to swing a fist, but they hit [ CHARACTER Q1’s] throat instead causing them to start choking. 

19. [ KATERINA VASILE ] is mistaken for [ EMMA WATSON ] by [ CHARACTER S1] that won’t stop bugging them for an autograph.

20. [ RAFAEL GONZALEZ ] hides their weapon(s) before they go into The Pint. [ BARNABY EATON] trips over the weapons and keeps them. 

21. [ CHARACTER V1] tries to convince [ CHARACTER W1] that they saw strange lights in the sky. They start arguing if it was helicopter lights or UFO’s.

22. [ SILAS HALE ] mistakes ANAIS "ANNIE" WASHINGTON for someone else, and pulls them into a kiss in front of the crowd at Eden.

23. [ DARREN MURPHY ] grows impatient waiting for their BBQ food order, but doesn’t realize [ ASLI DEMIR ] hijacked the food truck. 

24. [CHARACTER B2] drunkenly loses a fight with a street performer. [ CALLUM JAMES ], who witnessed the scrap, helps [CHARACTER B2] to the nearest first aid kit.

25.[ JOSIE LEON] drunkenly confesses their love for One Direction, however [ EZRA WASHINGTON ] misinterprets it as a confession of love for them.  

26. [ FOREST DUNCAN ] decides the End-of-Summer Festival is missing some pyrotechnics. They shoot off fireworks in the center of a small crowd and start a fire. [ CAIOLAINN 'CALLIE' WALSH ] is the only one who stays to help them stamp it out.

27. [ ROSALIE "ROSIE" HALLIDAY ] is sitting at a booth being drawn, and [ JESSE VALENCIA ] pays the artist to mess up the self portrait. However, the artist ends up drawing them BOTH together in a romantic position. 

28. [ GWENDOLYN "GWEN" ARNOLDS ] is probably the only poor sober soul, and they use this to charge [ JACKSON MARSTON ] to be their DD. However, they both witness when [ GWENDOLYN "GWEN" ARNOLDS’s] car is towed away for parking in the wrong spot.  

29. A discounted tattoo shop sits along the art walk and is charging only $20 for a small tattoo. [ ANDREA 'ANDY'PEREZ ] says they’ll pay for it—and dinner—if [ DARCY FAUST ] lets them choose the tattoo. [ DARCY FAUST ] agrees but is horrified to find [ UP TO PLAYER DISCRETION ] permanently engraved on their skin.

30. [ OLIVIA MADDEN ] notices an odd tattoo that glows on someone’s forearm. Several straight lines? Before they can inquire about it, [ CHARACTER O2 ] tackle them mistaking them for being a thief. 

31. [ DANICA SINCLAIR ] wins a dancing contest against [ UDORN “YURI” SASIPARN ], but twists their ankle in the process. [ UDORN “YURI” SASIPARN ] agrees to help them along only if they declare them the winner.  

32. [ ANTON VOLKOV ] lost a bet with [ KONSTATIN VASILE ] and now wanders the street with a bright pink wig, fishnet stockings, & a clown mask. 

33. [ VICTOR 'VIC' VOLKOV ] strikes a conversation with [ IGOR VASILE ] over a piece of artwork.  [ VICTOR 'VIC' VOLKOV ] buys the artwork only to find out it was counterfeit from the Art Museum. [ IGOR VASILE ] ends up purchasing the real one. They start to argue which one is the real one. 

34. [ CHARLOTTE "CHARLIE" ARDEN] is running a booth at the flea market and notices [ CHARACTER W2 ] pocket something from an adjacent vendor. [ CHARLOTTE "CHARLIE" ARDEN ] promises not to squeal if [ CHARACTER W2 ] works with them at the booth for an hour.

35.  [ JESSIKA DELMONICO] & [ KELLEN WASHINGTON ] break out into a paint fight at an abandoned art booth. [ JESSIKA DELMONICO ] is splashed with a neon green paint in the face.  [ KELLEN WASHINGTON ] tries to run away, but not before [ CHARACTER X2 ] splashes their back with a brown paint. Did they shit themselves??

36. [ CHARACTER Z2 ] ducks out of the way from a flying object that crashes the window of a closed shop. The alarms start to blare, and before [ CHARACTER Z2 ] can leave the scene they see [ CHARACTER A3 ] about to launch something else. 

37. [ TALIA ARSLAN ] eats a bad hot dog from a food truck, and [ DANICA SINCLAIR ] helps them to the nearest bar for a bathroom and a cool drink. [ TALIA ARSLAN ] talks [ DANICA SINCLAIR ] into doing shots when they’re feeling better.

38. [ LEV VASILE ] takes a few healthy tokes of the joint they’ve been saving for an occasion, and [ GENEVIEVE BISSET ] asks if they’re willing to share. They both light up and head on a self-guided tour to the food trucks.

39. [ CHARACTER F3 ] and [ CHARACTER G3 ] get into an argument with [ MATHIAS ATTANO ] after they lose at a drinking game for the third time in a row. [ MATHIAS ATTANO ] has been cheating the whole time and now has to lose [ CHARACTER F3 ] and [ CHARACTER G3 ] in the crowd.

[catherinequeenie-benstridge]

What if - Chapter 4

SO CHAPTER 4 IS HERE! Well, we are having a HUGE surprise in this chapter. Steve didn't show up, the memeber of the BRF who will visit the museum is revealed AND maybe we find out something else about the so-called Steve...😏

Enjoy yourselves!

💙👑

17th June 2005

Two weeks had passed since that day. Steve hadn’t shown up at the museum and Kate had an awful amount of work to do so at least she had her mind occupied. With the upcoming visit of a royal family member, the museum had to be at its finest and bests moments. The brunette didn’t know who was the visiting member yet, for some reason, her boss didn’t want to tell her.

Kate just carried on with work. It was Friday so she had lots of school groups. When she lead a group of teenagers in one of the biggest rooms, she instantly froze, recognizing a leather jacket walking to the following room.

-Miss?-One of the students called for her.- Excuse me, miss?

She came back from her shock to attend the young man who had a question about a painting. After going through the most important things in the exposition she let them wonder around.

-Now you can be on your own, this and the next room. I'll be there if you need anything.-She then let them walk alone through the rooms.

Kate went straight to the next one, trying to find him, she needed some answers. Once she got there the room was empty, no one was in there. She checked all over, stopping her eyes on the two pieces of Queen Victoria and Queen Alexandra, when she first met Steve. She got closer, looking at of the benches that were in the middle of the room, finding a white envelope. Catherine frowned her eyebrows, picking it up. It had her name on it. <<Steve…>>, was her first thought. A feeling of anger ran her body from head to toes, she was about to open the envelope but she was stopped by some voices.

-Mummy, mummy come see this, hurry.-A little girl.

-Dad, here, come on, look.-A little boy.

-Mo...Da…-A baby, trying to babble.

She immediately turned around, putting the envelope in a pocked, trying to find the source of the voices, not finding anyone. They were very familiar, like she had heard those children before but she wasn’t able to figure out when. Shaking her mind, she got back to the group, finishing the tour for the day.

Steve was hidden behind a door frame watching all her movements. God, he made a huge mistake. The young man also heard the voices, and moved his head around also trying to find where they came from but having the same result as Catherine. A hand touched his shoulder.

-Sorry Your Royal Highness, but I was informed to take you home.-His bodyguard informed him.

-Yes, of course Jack.-They started walking out when he realized.-You were behind me all the time, right?

-Yes, sir, I never left your side.

-Did you hear the voices?

-Voices? What voices?-Jack asked.

-I heard three voices: a little boy, a little girl and a baby.

-I’m sorry sir, I didn’t hear anything. There were just the lady from the museum, you and me in the room.-He opened the door for him, heading to the car.

-Oh...Well, maybe it was all in my mind…-But he had heard them so clearly, like they were even talking to them, to Kate and him. All the way home, he couldn’t stop thinking about the brunette and the voices. It had been such a strange moment.

He didn’t know what to do. On one hand he wanted to go back to the museum and talk to Catherine again, on the other hand he wanted to wait four more days to tell her the hole truth. Steve closed his bedroom door and screamed, how on earth did he get to this point.

------

-Miss Middleton, do you have a minute?-The head of her department asked Kate when she had already finished.

-Yes, of course.-The brunette followed him to his office, closing the door after her and sitting on one of the chairs.

-Well, as you may remember, next Tuesday a member of the Royal Family will be visiting the Gallery and will be given the patronage. I never told you the name, only that you would be giving the tour through the exposition.-He smiled, the young woman was a very hard worker and proved she was very intelligent and resourceful. He could tell she wanted to know who was going to come.-Okay, I’m not going to delay it anymore, Prince William will be visiting us on his 23rd birthday next Tuesday.

-Wow…-Catherine face was a poem. She got up.-You won’t regret choosing me to tour him through the exposition.

-I know I won’t. You can go now, I know you don’t work this weekend so try not to tell too many people.-He laugh when she was leaving the office.

Kate got home that night with a big blur on her head, she could still hear the voices in her head tho she didn’t found any source. When she entered her room, she dropped dead on her bed mentally exhausted.

-Prince William...Wow...

Pippa had a birthday party that night so she wasn’t expecting her anytime soon. When the brunette started changing her clothes, she found the envelope she never got to open. Holding it between her hands was doubting whether to open it or not. She finally did.

“I feel I have not apologized enough, not for the awfully way I have treated you. I know you will not understand but I cross my heart when I say I did it to keep you safe. I am really sorry, Catherine. Yours, Steve.”

A tear ran down Kate’s cheek. She didn't want to think about him, about that rose she still had on her night table, about his scent. She shook her head, left the note in her jacket’s pocket and turned on the TV, trying to set her mind into something else.

------

Pippa was drunk, very drunk. She said goodbye to her friends in front of Buckingham Palace once the party was over and all of them took different ways to go back home. The young Middleton was walking down the Mall to Trafalgar Square thinking whether to go home by taxi or underground. She was so drunk she didn’t see the young man she crashed into. They both ended up nearly falling, but he managed to grab Pippa by the waist to avoid the rough landing.

-Oh, god, I’m so, so, so, so sorry.-The brunette tried to talk and looked up, finding a leather jacket, a cap and a pair of sunglasses. <<Sunglasses at night…? How weird…>> She didn’t gave it too much importance, thinking he could be someone famous and didn’t want to be recognized.-Thank you, I...I was tying...trying to get hommmm.-Pippa started laughing due to the alcohol and stretched her arm to shook his hand.-I’m Pippa..

-Don’t worry, I’m W...I’m Steve. Are you okay to get home safely? Isn’t there anyone you could call to pick you up?-Steve had decided to go for a walk alone, without guards, and was already heading home. But after Pippa crashed into him, he wanted to make sure she got home safely.

-Well, I may call my s-sister she might be home…-She grabbed her phone from her purse and dialed Kate’s number, grabbing Steve’s arm trying not to fall.

Catherine was watching some random movie when her phone rang, strangely, it was her sister.

-Pips? Is everything okay?-She was worried because when her sister went out, she only called her when something was wrong.

-Everying is okaaaaay, I’m jssst a little drunk….-Pippa started laughing and could sense Kate’s eyes rolling.-Could you come pick me up, please? Or I can take a taxi If it’s too much bother…

-No, where are you? Are you alone?

-Uhm…-Pippa turned around with Steve’s help.-Right in front of Clarence Hus...Hose...h-o-u-s-e. Yep. And no, I’m with this night knight I crashed into some minutes ago. He’s staying until you arrive.

-Okay, I’ll be there in ten.

-Thank you Squeak…-She hang up and looked at Steve.-She will be here in about ten or fifteen minutes.-Pippa tried to relieve the pain her heels were causing her but it made her lose balance, falling again to the ground. Steve tried to grab her but this time they made more of a fuss. No one or nothing fell to the ground except for Steve’s sunglasses and cap.-God, I’m sorry really, gosh I’m embarrassing myself.

Pippa grabbed the glasses and the cap from the ground and went to give them to Steve who forgot to turn around. Pippa gasped realizing who he really was, still with the young man’s arm around her, feeling incredibly sleepy.

-You...You’re…-She fell asleep on Steve’s shoulder, not being able to finish the sentence. Steve put back his cap and sunglasses right before a car stopped in front of them and the woman who had been in his mind for weeks appeared.

-Catherine…?

-Steve...What..-Her heart skipped a bit and then she saw Pippa.-Is she okay?

-Yes, yes she just fell asleep. She is pretty drunk.-Kate got close with the intention to get her sister into the car.-Don’t worry, I’ll do it.

-Okay, I will open the door.

Neither of them said a thing about the previous weeks, using the situation to avoid the subject. Steve managed to put Pippa inside, leaving her head resting on the copilot’s seat. Once Kate closed the door and turned around she faced Steve, too close. They hadn’t realized how close they were until they both stared in each other’s eyes. Quickly, Kate managed to find some strength to move and walk away from him, just a little distance because all she wanted to do was pull his body closer. The same sensation that Steve was feeling, wanting to just close the air between them.

-Catherine, I…

-No, please, I have too much in my head right now.- She noticed the envelope in her jacked and pulled it out.-I...I can’t do this Steve…-Kate closed the distance between them and put the paper in his hands, taking them.

-I…-The young man looked through his sunglasses into the brunette’s eyes, realizing she was about to cry. She was beyond beautiful. They both had the feeling as if they had already hold their hands, maybe in a past life.-Kate, please…

She had no idea how but when she started to feel the urge to kiss him, she walked back and got into the car, driving away and letting her tears fell free. The man stood there, looking at the envelope. When he entered his home and got up the stairs, someone called for him.

-Hey you.-His little brother, with his pyjamas and a cup of tea.

-Hi you. What are you doing still awake? Babies and gingers need at least 9 hours of sleep.-The younger man laughed sarcastically, always teasing each other. They started to walk to their rooms.

-You know, at first I thought it was weird that you got out wearing a cap and sunglasses but…after witnessing what I just saw...there was quite a big tension between you and that woman, wasn’t it?.-The stood in their own doors, facing each other.

-Yes...Yes there were.

-Does she know your name?

-Yes.-His brother opened his eyes.

-What?!

-No, not my real name, I told her...I said my name is Steve.-Laugh, that was the response of the other man.-Of course I couldn’t tell her my real name.

-I know, I know. Look..-He leaned on the door frame.-all I’m saying is that there is something there, worth looking into.-The so-called Steve rose an eyebrow.- And no, it is NOT a sexual reference.

-It may be too late...Good night.-With that he turned around.

-Good night William.

------

Pippa woke up the next morning feeling her worse self. With a groan she stepped into the kitchen just to find her sister making breakfast. She had the tv on, watching the news.

-God, the light is killing me. And the noise. And life.

-Well, you were pretty drunk last night sweetie.-Kate placed an orange juice in front of her.

-I don’t remember anything.

-Not...not a single thing?-Pippa looked at her after listening the tone in which she was speaking.

-Don’t tell me I did something really stupid. I just remember walking down the Mall and nothing else.

-Well you crashed into Steve actually, the guy from the museum I talked about and the one who didn’t showed up to our date, so I…-Kate was interrupted by the the tone of breaking news from the TV. Both sisters centered their attention to the screen.

-Next Tuesday, Prince William will visit the National Portrait Gallery and will be named patron for his 23rd birthday.- Kate smiled at Pippa.

-I found out yesterday. And guess who will be giving the tour that day.

-No way! Way to go Squeak!-The news then showed some footage of the last speech the Prince made and Kate’s smile fade away. PIppa looked at her.-Hey, something’s wrong?

-That’s…-The elder sister realized as soon as she heard the Prince speak, that voice had been stuck in her days for weeks now.-Steve…-Kate pointed the TV.-That’s Steve.

-What do you mean…?

-Steve, the man you crashed into yesterday, very, very drunk? The guy with the cap and the sunglasses from the museum? The jerk that didn't show up to our date?

-But...That is not Steve, that is…-Pippa opened her mouth in surprise, remembering the previous night and...-Prince…

-William.

👑💙👑💙

Chapter 3 | Chapter 5

[delcat177]

I want to preface this by saying I’ve had some really awesome things happen this month and I’m doing just fine mentally and I’m honestly more amused than anything at this point because you have to laugh b u t a medical timeline of the month so far may explain some things.  Medical/TMI under cut, the tl;dr is holy shit is it ever Fandomversary Month, I feel entirely reconnected with Woundson.  Also if I’ve had any contact with you or posted anything between March 13 to the 26th-ish that seemed really bizarre and/or offputting I am extremely sorry I was apparently super fucked up on pain meds but not realizing it.

a n y w a y

March 7th: Have intense jaw ache, attribute it to tension headache.

March 8th: Intense jaw ache continues, attribute it to TMJ.

March 9th: Jaw ache has developed into swelling. Figure it must be a tooth at this point, call dentist; it’s the weekend but dentist is awesome and sends in an antibiotic scrip when I describe symptoms and fits me in first thing Tuesday (they’re closed Mondays).

March 10-12th: Continued treatment of pain and swelling with Aleve; unable to close mouth fully so @qglas​ is shredding chicken into tiny chunks so I can lizard-chaw it down but teeth do this right??

March 13th: Walk into dentist’s office, get stared at in horror.  Apparently teeth do not “do that”.  Quickly get probable diagnosis of salivary gland infection/salivary duct clog and sent to Urgent Care.  Diagnosis confirmed, put on two heavy-duty antibotics, a steroid, and hydrocodone.  Will realize later that attending physician’s comment of “These things can get way out of hand” was not a caution to take my meds but instead a comment on how incredibly fucked up the left side of my face is.  Will also realize later that “can get up to about a 7″ was grossly under-reporting pain.

TIME?????: Insert ten days of prescription side effects and infection causing me to trip balls, denial/lack of understanding that I am tripping balls, lingering symptoms, and standard antibiotic side effects all combining to effectively recreate Allie Brosh’s “Texas” story down to the “I would shank an infant for juice” part but without any actual life-threatening danger.  Highlights: Complete loss of internal ability to tell time, turning into a series of shapes repeatedly, loss of ability to determine if something is very small or just far away, internal auditory hallucinations including a small voice saying “yeah!” in a peppy tone over and over.  Somewhere in here I get a yeast infection as a secondary symptom from the antibiotics.

March 23rd: Finish run of medication and realize I have been out of my goddamned gourd for nearly two weeks, but at least I’m finally over it, and the salivary gland infection has been taken care of.  Plan to pick up treatment for the yeast infection the next day.

March 24th: It fucking snows, meaning I don’t have time to pick up Monistat before going to a rock and gem show with my family.  In a fit of social anxiety paranoia over the idea of forgetting myself and scratching in public (and also stupidity), I figure I’ll self-treat the itching with Vitamin E oil.  Because this is INTENSELY FUCKING STUPID, I have now managed to self-inflict hives over my entire upper body and legs because as good as I am at freaking out, my allergies are better at it.

March 25th (night): Finally get to go to the hecking store, pick up Monistat and also topical ointment for the hives.  Head home feeling good about finally having the situation on lock.  Trip over a curb onto pavement, skin my knee, rip my bag, and more or less erase the skin on my palm.

March 26th (early morning): Sit on the edge of the bathtub for a solid 10-15 minutes after finishing debriding and washing my hand just laughing intermittently because at this point I can’t tell if God is angry or if I’m an angry god but I am somehow still genuinely grateful things are not worse and also really what are you gonna do

I want to reiterate, I’m doing really well.  The rock show was great, I got to pet three (3!) tiny (TINY!) puppies and CARRY ONE AROUND IN A SLING DURING, I scored an amazing fossilized skull fragment for fivebux, and I even managed to snag literally the last ticket to Weird Al’s show in May which is like enough good fortune in a single moment that I could understand everything else as a balancer.  Just, like, basically...honestly sometimes reaction shots don’t cut it, here’s the Big Fucking Mood of the month:

I feel so innately connected with all my characters right now, it’s almost sad how the acute reminder that I am a ridiculous hot mess of flesh wounds and bad ideas 70% of the time is also 70% of the explanation of my Types

anyway here’s Woundsonwall I’m going to spend the next five days moving around the house very carefully and hoping I don’t open the mailbox and get bitten by a black mamba or something.   I’m doing my best to catch up on shit I missed, sorry if I passed you by but I reckon I’ve been a mite distracted.

[katthebeijingcat]

8/6~8/11: Exams, Tats, and Bittersweet Farewells

So here we are. The Final Week. 

OPIc

Any of y’all remember the OPIc, that computerized oral test I took in the first week of the program? Probably not? Well yeah me neither, as I almost slept through it if it hadn’t been for a teacher calling me about my whereabouts. 

On Monday, we took the OPIc a second time, to compare our language level pre- and post-program. And I realized during the test, wow I really improved. At the beginning of the program, I remembered freaking out when I heard the questions, struggling to make a single coherent sentence, and occasionally having no answers whatsoever. But this time, I was able to answer fluidly, even if my grammar or vocab wasn’t correct, and if I didn’t know quite how to answer something, I was able to talk around the answer to get a point across. I felt the difference, and it honestly made me so relieved. 

That said, the sad thing was that I kinda messed up. In the beginning of the exam, you pick one out of 6 options best describing your comfort level, and essentially the 1st option is easiest, while 6th option is hardest. Pre-program, I picked the 4th option and got r e k t. Post-program, I still should’ve picked the 4th option, but I chickened out and picked the 3rd option. This meant that, despite doing quite well, the test scored me based on the 3rd level, so my result actually wasn’t much higher than pre-program (I think I went from Intermediate Mid to Intermediate Advanced). I am very aware that I was not Intermediate Mid at the beginning of the program, but the OPIc overrated me because I picked the wrong level. But oh well, improvement is improvement :) 

圆明园 / Old Summer Palace

On Tuesday, I went to Yuánmíngyuán, the Old Summer Palace. So this place is quite fascinating. There is a mix of both Chinese and Western architecture, so it was interesting to find European style columns with the 12 zodiac animals. Moreover, there are many ruins from the looting and destruction by the French and British during the Second Opium War, and to this day many artwork have yet to be found. But the garden was a beautiful sight, and I felt so much more relaxed. 

Also, Yuánmíngyuán is apparently famous for its black swans. I found a happy couple with three cygnets! 

Tattoo!

And here’s a surprise! On Wednesday night, instead of studying for my final oral exam, I decided to get myself a permanent reminder of this time in Beijing. 

So I found a tattoo artist named Shawn, and I asked him to give me a tattoo that I’ve been planning for about a year now: a dragon. This is because my Buddhist name (摩尼珠 / Mónízhū in Mandarin; 마니주 / Maniju in Korean) means the pearl held in a dragon’s claw, which, according to Wikipedia, is “associated with spiritual energy, wisdom, prosperity, power, immortality, thunder, or the moon.” In other words, I am a Dragonball lol. 

And wow, that was a LOT. The whole process took 5 and a half hours, and halfway through I was getting incredibly tired and hungry, hence leading to adrenaline shock. The pain intensified, especially when he got to the coloring portion around my ribs. But this episode showed me the unbreakable bond of HBA friendships, because Shane, Amanda and Alan came to the rescue! They took an hour Didi ride to give me Tylenol and McDonald’s. I can’t ask for better friends, and we would have not had this relationship had it not been for HBA. 

As for the tattoo, I love it! Here it is, on the right side of my torso: 

This time in Beijing is really special to me. And while I had been planning on this tattoo prior to the program, I think what made me decide on doing it here was that I wanted a Chinese dragon, and I felt it best for someone who truly understands the significance of the dragon to ink it onto my skin. So thank you Shawn, and thank you all my supporters :) 

Final Exams, Graduation & Celebration!

We had our final exams on the last two days: oral exam on Thursday and written exam on Friday. And despite my lack of thorough preparation (like I literally got a tattoo lol), I felt surprisingly confident. This just shows how well HBA prepared me, and I was again proud of my improvement. 

On Friday 8/10, after our written final, we had our graduation ceremony, where we finally ended our language pledge! Let’s just say, it was pretty awkward. We’ve really only used Chinese with our teachers, so to speak in English, to hear them speak English, was incredibly bizarre. But there were a lot of shared feels and photo ops at our farewell lunch banquet. Some tears may have been shed. Jk, a LOT of tears have been shed. 

Here are some of the best photos: 

The iconic trio: Amanda, Shane and me

w/ Jeongyoon, Ben, Emily, Wang Dan laoshi and Wang Le laoshi

w/ Jia laoshi ft. photobombs Chen laoshi, Amanda & Shane

w/ Yang Qian laoshi aka my older sis coz we realized we’re the same being

w/ Jonah ft. photobombs Lu laoshi, Joyce and Gong laoshi

w/ Yang Bin laoshi

w/ Tan laoshi ft. photobomb Bai laoshi and unknown eye

w/ the cutest Yuan laoshi and Yi laoshi

w/ the Taiwanese queens Lu laoshi and Wang Yongxuan laoshi

w/ the angel Yu laoshi

w/ Tang laoshi ft. photobomb Shane

This isn’t even all the photos I took, but all of you mean so so much to me!!! Thank you for spending this joyous summer with me <3 

But actually, our farewell banquet wasn’t our actual last farewell. No, of course we had to party!! The second years went to KTV with some of our teachers, and we had some iconic moments, such as Tang laoshi seducing us with his serenade: 

We also went clubbing together with teachers!!! WHATTTTT? Well, we all deserved it, ESPECIALLY the teachers who put so much work into teaching us. They needed the break. I have some good snapchats, but I respect their privacy and will not post here. But it was great!! I loved that we were so comfortable with each other that we could party together. That’s what great about HBA :) 

Flying home

Oh the final day!!! On Saturday 8/11, we took shuttles to the airport. And wow, saying goodbye is so. hard.

When we arrived at the airport, Caleb and I were sooo hungry, that we went into this restaurant to have our last taste of authentic Chinese food in China: 

And here’s Caleb being a cutie: 

So it turns out Caleb, Hasan and I were all on the same flight to JFK! We weren’t sitting near each other, and I didn’t get to see Hasan upon arrival, but Caleb and I were able to say goodbye later. It was nice that my official last HBA farewell was actually in New York. It somewhat felt like I didn’t leave everything behind in Beijing. But, I was finally back, and I went home to finally have some good Korean food and see my dog <3

End of Program Reflections 

I don’t like getting too feelsy, so I’ll keep this short and to the point. Beijing is not the best city. It’s crowded, extremely polluted, and you literally la duzi everyday (that’s the word for diarrhea; it’s so common and no one is phased when you say it). But I am thankful for everything, and I’m so glad I came here. I’m thankful to HBA, to all the teachers who not only taught me so much Chinese but also were amazing friends and companions.  I’m thankful to all the new friends I made, and I’ll forever cherish our memories of trying to uphold the language pledge and going on adventures. I’m thankful to the people in Beijing, for inadvertently teaching me so much about living in a foreign city and adjusting to a new culture. And finally, I am thankful to the Light Fellowship, as I am all too aware that this kind of special opportunity is otherwise impossible for a low-income child of immigrants, who just graduated from college and has yet to figure out her life, and who prior to this program spoke worse Chinese than native 3-year-olds. I couldn’t afford to live in a place like Beijing, let alone fend for myself, so thank you to everyone who supported me through this process. 

And last but certainly not least, I’m thankful to my loving family who, despite their continued empty-nesting, unconditionally supported me in my pursuits, and waited for my return with open arms. So while I’ll miss my time in Beijing, once I flew home on Saturday, I only had one thought:  

It’s good to be back home. 

[comicteaparty]

May 31st, 2018 CTP Archive

The archive for the Comic Tea Party chat that occurred on May 31st, 2018, from 5PM - 7PM PDT.  The chat focused on Dawn of the Dad by AnitaComics.

Featured Comment:

Chat:

✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨

COMIC TEA PARTY START!

Good day everyone~! This week’s Comic Tea Party is now officially beginning~! Today we are discussing Dawn of the Dad by AnitaComics~! (https://tapas.io/series/Dawn-of-the-Dad) For those new or in need of a reminder, discussions about the comic are freeform, so please feel free to bring up whatever you wish. However, every 30 minutes I will be dropping in a discussion question to help those who would like a prompt. These questions are totally OPTIONAL to answer, and you can pay them no mind if you wish. If you miss out on any though, they’ll be pinned for the duration of the chat once they’re posted~! Remember, constructive criticism is allowed, but the primary focus here is to have fun and appreciate the amazing comics that the community makes~! As a bonus, each chat a top comment will be picked and featured in the archives and on an ad for CTP! All that being said, let’s get started and have a great discussion!

QUESTION 1. What is your favorite scene in the comic so far and why?

snuffysam

Hmm... not really a scene, but I liked how the "insane janitor" was set up in the arc before he became relevant

✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨

i really like the janitor's character in general

and really adore how his suspicious activity was this really benign hes got a boyfriend thing

snuffysam

yeah and he just doesn't want his family finding out

✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨

cause the rumors that were going around really remind me of how teens make things go out of proportion

snuffysam

becky's dad didn't exactly help

going straight to the principal's office and all that

✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨

becky's dad rarely helps XD youd think a ghost dad would be more useful cause he can pass through wall

snuffysam

he does mostly just fumble around and mess things up worse, doesn't he?

i guess he got the necklace off becky, but not on purpose

✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨

he is the one who came up with the vaccuum idea at least

snuffysam

true

✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨

speaking of favorite scenes, my favorite scene is the one where takehiko is trying to save becky and then roger comes out of nowhere and epic punches her and steals all his thunder

MathTans the Pun 👑Prince👑

I liked the scene where Dad tried to infiltrate the school as a "new student" and promptly lost track of the guy they were trying to tail.

snuffysam

and then how becky's dad gets mad at roger

MathTans the Pun 👑Prince👑

I think Dad is into cosplay.

snuffysam

he really does dress up a lot

to little success, given that the skull is kind of a dead giveaway

MathTans the Pun 👑Prince👑

And yeah, the janitor arc was pretty neat.

snuffysam

that ones for you math

MathTans the Pun 👑Prince👑

Well played, snuffy.

✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨

i liked how in the blue goop ghost arc thing, w/e theyre called, that one teacher still was calling becky's dad the new student

snuffysam

p.h.l.u., yes

MathTans the Pun 👑Prince👑

Yes, that was a nice callback.

I know that was a take on "flu" but did it say what it stood for?

snuffysam

it did, but i can't remember what it was

MathTans the Pun 👑Prince👑

Also, grandma. Whaaaat is the deal with her.

✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨

the grandma must be cthulu clearly

MathTans the Pun 👑Prince👑

There was that contract in the attic. That was an interesting scene too.

snuffysam

it's odd how nobody seems to have really noticed her strange behavior yet

MathTans the Pun 👑Prince👑

I think they must have noticed, like those people who came to the house with the exorcist and she was floating tea around. They must just accept it as normal somehow.

✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨

it might be that the characters know and have no need to comment on it whereas for readers its a wtf thing.

yeah like math said

snuffysam

it's hard to say what is truly normal in this world

✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨

everybody just like "thats grandma being grandma"

i mean theyre pretty okay with becky's dad the way he is XD

snuffysam

the people at the morgue school are, but the teens at becky's old school flipped out

MathTans the Pun 👑Prince👑

Well, the kids at the new school are... snuffy beat me to it.

Though the exorcist seemed okay with it too, he was just worried about the rage issues.

snuffysam

yet body-snatching slugs apparently make the national news and nobody bats an eye

MathTans the Pun 👑Prince👑

Was it national news, or just the station granny likes to tune into?

snuffysam

hmm good question. this outbreak wasn't just in the school though, apparently

MathTans the Pun 👑Prince👑

Depends on where they play the soul music.

✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨

i would assume the supernatural is accepted but that people's interaction with it varies? so becky's old school friends panicked cause they dont get to see ghosts and zombies a whole lot

whereas the new school everyone is like "sounds like a normal tuesday"

MathTans the Pun 👑Prince👑

That seems reasonable. Dad said his presence was the exception rather than the rule. And ouija boards exist as a thing that still seemed to be on the "fringe".

✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨

yeah. against just a difference in exposure. like i know exorcists exist but ive never met one and im sure id be wtfing if i ever did meet one and witness their craft

MathTans the Pun 👑Prince👑

Exorcists are good at their arts and crafts.

snuffysam

becky really hasn't learned much exorcism yet, has she?

i guess that's probably a higher level class

MathTans the Pun 👑Prince👑

I think phys ed is where they do their exorcise.

✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨

id assume itd be so. i mean becky is at the level where she has to dig graves and thats not really skilled labor persay O_O

MathTans the Pun 👑Prince👑

It's a grave matter.

Gotta ride that gravey train.

Do you dig it? ... I'll stop now.

snuffysam

maybe if she kept the amulet she'd have gotten to that level

MathTans the Pun 👑Prince👑

Yeah, kind of sad that it got smashed.

✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨

i see the pun train is going at full speed today for you math XDXD

maybe exorcism is an elective class and its one of those classes you take if youre intending that for a career

snuffysam

maybe. but i seem to recall the line "you realize what you'll be learning there" being tossed around, in reference to becky's dad being a ghost

✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨

that could also be

QUESTION 2. Besides Becky, there are a slew of interesting side characters who have their own mysteries. What is Becky’s grandmother exactly? Who is Julie and why is she at such a supernatural school? Why do you think Julie became such fast friends with Becky, and will their friendship stand the test of time? What is the deal with Becky’s crush Roger, and do you think he and Becky will have a romance bloom between them? Given Takehiko’s recent death, do you think he’s gone for good, or do you think he will return in some manner? Are there any other characters that caught your eye and gave you interesting theories?

snuffysam

either takehiko comes back as a ghost, or this comic is way darker than i thought it would be

MathTans the Pun 👑Prince👑

Yeeeeah, I'm... kinda worried about the implications there. In this day and age of girls who should be able to turn down boys without repercussions.

✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨

takehiko seems more likely to come back as a zombie to me as opposed to a ghost

MathTans the Pun 👑Prince👑

Julie's interesting. I think she likes Becky's fearlessness. But also to some degree the fact that Becky's not superior than her, I wonder if she felt a bit threatened when Becky was so organized. Like, she's moving up in the world and I'm not? Dunno.

✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨

julie strikes me as one of those people who gets a friend they can feel superior to and pretty much boss around XD

MathTans the Pun 👑Prince👑

She was rather unenthused by the love stuff too, despite trying to set Becky up on dates. Maybe she doesn't go for relationships.

snuffysam

yeah, i think she latched onto becky because she was knew and impressionable

and yeah, i can see that

MathTans the Pun 👑Prince👑

Also, Becky seems to be a supernatural magnet, and Julie seems to like adventure. She was very disappointed when the janitor thing turned out to be normal.

She being Julie.

✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨

that could be true too. rather than becky herself julie just latched on cause becky seemed like shed attract mischef

the real reason she wants becky to date roger

roger strikes me as either the character who is going to be from a professional undertaker family or a vampire

MathTans the Pun 👑Prince👑

Maybe he's an exorcist.

Gotta choose Roger or Dad.

snuffysam

yeah, i think roger's parents are professional ghost hunters

and when the parents meet... oh boy

✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨

theyre professional something cause its heavily implied roger is rich

well the social class differences probably already going to cause problems

MathTans the Pun 👑Prince👑

Maybe they even own the school

✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨

i wonder...how becky's family is earning money to live. cause her dad has plenty of freetime to stalk becky at school. so like...are they just cashing in grandma's social security checks?

MathTans the Pun 👑Prince👑

Grandma seems to have worked the dark magicks. I wonder if maybe she was indirectly responsible for the car crash.

snuffysam

i think grandma had saved up enough money for retirement, and that along with whatever becky's parents left behind is enough to live on

ooh maybe...

MathTans the Pun 👑Prince👑

And now has infinite money or something.

✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨

im still betting on grandma being cthulu. or maybe a dark servant of cthulu. or maybe grandma is an alien

MathTans the Pun 👑Prince👑

I'm torn between her knowing more about what's going on than the others... and less than what's going on, because she's forgotten. ^.^

snuffysam

she's a eldritch monster, but she's also senile

MathTans the Pun 👑Prince👑

Grandma is a Klingon?

Maybe it's just Dad dressed up as grand-- oh, they did that joke.

✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨

im betting on the combo that she used to know more but now shes senile and old. just doesnt have the spring in her step like she used to

MathTans the Pun 👑Prince👑

How the mighty have fallen.

✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨

i doubt she caused the car crash but she does open up the fact that becky may not be 100% human

maybe thats why becky is a supernatural magnet

MathTans the Pun 👑Prince👑

Becky's an alien too? (edited)

✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨

supernatural creatures sense the dark eldritch magic inside her

MathTans the Pun 👑Prince👑

That's just heartburn.

snuffysam

if you think about it, not that many supernatural things attract themselves to becky

she caught the phlu, but otherwise... there was an amulet her grandma gave her, and a janitor who turned out to be ordinary

MathTans the Pun 👑Prince👑

They're more attracted to her family.

I don't know that making planters out of skulls is exactly "ordinary" but I get your point.

snuffysam

she's done stuff with zombies, but so has everyone else at that school

✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨

i guess thats a fair point

MathTans the Pun 👑Prince👑

She did calm down her Dad and all.

And is pretty unflappable.

✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨

that could just be down to how long her dad has been a ghost

cause i think the car crash happened when she was 4?

its too bad becky didnt get to keep any of those skills passed on by her mother

MathTans the Pun 👑Prince👑

Yeah, pity about the pendant. I'm hoping she'll learn how to talk to spirits, as was hinted at after that.

snuffysam

maybe that's where takehiko's story goes

MathTans the Pun 👑Prince👑

It turns out he had this plot to become a spirit all along, and just had to do it in a way that would convince his family it was justified.

snuffysam

hmm possibly?

MathTans the Pun 👑Prince👑

He's going deep undercover.

snuffysam

maybe there's some deep underlying conspiracy that he's investigating...?

✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨

QUESTION 3. One huge mystery that persists in the comic is why Becky’s dad came back after dying. What are your theories regarding why he returned from the dead? Was it because of his love and overprotective nature? Does he have unfinished business? Does it have to do with whatever Becky’s grandmother is? Additionally, why do you think Becky’s mom was unable to come back as well? Lastly, do you think Becky’s dad will eventually pass on for real during the course of the comic? If so, how do you think this will affect Becky?

snuffysam

i think that becky's dad told becky's mom that everything was taken care of, which is why she didn't come back, but he did because he knew it wasn't true

MathTans the Pun 👑Prince👑

He's not really Becky's Dad. He's a spirit that Grandma tamed and hypnotized into believing he's Dad. That's why he's stuck in a skeleton.

snuffysam

now THAT'S a spicy theory

✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨

thatd be so dark XD

im betting on the more traditional things that becky's dad has unfinished business whereas the mom led a good life with no regrets

MathTans the Pun 👑Prince👑

It's probably that he has some unfinished business, yeah. Maybe connected to Becky, maybe he made a promise or something.

What was his job before, do we know?

✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨

i dont think it was mentioned that i recall

he was a used car salesman

thus was indirectly responsible for the car crash

MathTans the Pun 👑Prince👑

As for whether he'll pass on, I feel like that would be something to come at the end of the comic. Like, maybe when she graduates or something.

snuffysam

but nah i seriously think the reason is that dad told mom everything was taken care of, so she was able to pass on

as stated here: https://tapas.io/episode/763442

MathTans the Pun 👑Prince👑

Just seems too straightforward.

snuffysam

maybe

but if that's true, becky graduating would mean his unfinished business is done

either that or she graduates right before ghostbusting him

✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨

i find the fact that someone's fault is lettered to have focus

and also cause in a car crash someone is generally always at fault

maybe what he means is its not someone's fault cause its his fault

MathTans the Pun 👑Prince👑

That's kind of what I interpreted that to mean. I thought maybe he made a wrong turn.

Or forgot to rotate the tires or something.

snuffysam

maybe mom was secretly evil, and her business was killing her husband by sabotaging the car

ergo it is finished

MathTans the Pun 👑Prince👑

Doesn't make sense why she'd be scared in the hospital though.

snuffysam

good actor

or scared dad was going to survive and she wasn't

✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨

being in a car you know is sabotaged is a pretty bold move for an evil person XD

couldve just sent dad out alone to get milk

MathTans the Pun 👑Prince👑

Were they actually in the car? Maybe a car ran into them while they were out for a stroll.

Dad being at fault because they were jaywalking.

snuffysam

there are lots of different definitions for "car accident", i suppose

MathTans the Pun 👑Prince👑

Maybe Dad was prophecized to die, because of Grandma's contract. Maybe it was his fault because he should have taken the trip alone.

✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨

its also possible he just couldnt pass on because of whatever grandma is

and she forgot to mention it

and will one day be like "oh yeah now i remember youre still here cause of this deal i made"

snuffysam

what if grandma wasn't always like this? what if she signed a pact with a demon to be immortal until becky is old enough to go off on her own, and that's why she's so weirdly demonic?

MathTans the Pun 👑Prince👑

Demon seemed real keen to show grandma some contract in the attic too. Wonder why.

snuffysam

needs to be renewed, perhaps?

MathTans the Pun 👑Prince👑

Maybe it doesn't like being in Grandma any more.

Oh, that's a thought.

snuffysam

and if it isn't renewed, grandma and the eldritch horror will separate

✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨

maybe the contract provides eldritch licensing. and because becky's dad is secretly part eldritch, without that contract renewel he doesnt have proper identification to get into the after life

and thats whats supposed to be taken care of

he knew about it but death was so traumatic his memory was wiped

snuffysam

that's possible

perhaps grandma cursed becky specifically with that contract? not sure why or how though

✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨

maybe. although i wonder why else the grandma would want the contract. cause renewing is an option but i feel there must be other possibilities. like maybe she needs to shred it.

MathTans the Pun 👑Prince👑

Maybe the mom created the contract. She thought dad would take care of it, but he didn't know about it.

snuffysam

grandma is confirmed to be dad's mom, right? not mom's mom?

MathTans the Pun 👑Prince👑

Is that confirmed? I'm not sure.

✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨

it seems likely

cause he did call her mom at one point. which yeah inlaws can do that

but raises the liklihood theyre related

hard to say 100% tho

QUESTION 4. The comic’s format opens up a lot of possibilities for future scenarios. What sorts of supernatural elements are you hoping to see come up in the comic? Vampires? Ghosts? Werewolves? Whatever you’re hoping to see, how do you think it might come up in the comic (and how will Becky’s dad make things better or worse)? Speaking of scenarios, we’ve seen Becky have numerous supernatural based classes and activities, like digging a grave. What other sorts of activities do you think the school might showcase Becky as doing? Do you have any other theories regarding the future path of the comic?

snuffysam

we already have ghosts, rebel

thats day one

i think a field trip would be an interesting arc. maybe to somewhere particularly ghoul-infested

✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨

a field trip to a graveyard at night to watch a real ghost civil war reenactment

and you can never have too many ghosts O_O

MathTans the Pun 👑Prince👑

I'm kind of wondering about the parents of some of the other characters. Including that druggie guy in second year who doesn't seem to know what's up.

✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨

yeah i do hope we get to explore some of the other character's lives

MathTans the Pun 👑Prince👑

Maybe his parents are demon hunters or something.

✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨

lest i assume everything is becky's imagination as she copes with the death of her family

i wish the druggie guy was in it a smidgen more in general though. he has underused potential

snuffysam

julie can apparently call up becky's dad to hang out and spy on becky whenever, but we haven't seen julie's parents at all yet

MathTans the Pun 👑Prince👑

Maybe they're elves.

snuffysam

wh...why elves?

MathTans the Pun 👑Prince👑

Aren't elves kind of loners who don't associate with normal folk?

snuffysam

i mean i guess

MathTans the Pun 👑Prince👑

I dunno.

I'm not too aware of supernatural things...

✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨

julie strikes me more as the type who is from a family of exorcists or something

i want druggie friend and becky's dad to hang out tho

and go on some sort of adventure

to help becky

idk what

snuffysam

becky's dad hates drugs though

but i suppose thats what makes the adventure fun

the conflicts and such

MathTans the Pun 👑Prince👑

It's clever how the Dad is able to get worked into things still, despite action happening at school.

snuffysam

yeah because he keeps showing up at school, despite the fact that he's not supposed to

✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨

oh maybe thats something that will change tho. not that the dad stops coming to school, but maybe hell get a job at the school

show up one day and be like "hi becky i work here now"

snuffysam

target practice

MathTans the Pun 👑Prince👑

He's the model they have to draw in art class one day.

snuffysam

for the exorcist classes, that is

✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨

he can do all that and more. he is their new substitute teacher

MathTans the Pun 👑Prince👑

Kind of unrelated, but some of the perspective shots are interesting. They're things I wouldn't attempt at least, and they're pulled off. ^.^

snuffysam

the artwork in this is very well done

✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨

yeah i think the comic is fairly good at exaggeration. cause becky does lots of really over the top falls, and i think it really enhances the comedic value

MathTans the Pun 👑Prince👑

And the Dad is an interesting artistic look. Not just the skeleton, but also the lack of feet.

snuffysam

and everything he does is so over the top too

✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨

yeah. i really love how the comic still makes him so expressive despite him being, ya know, a skeleton

MathTans the Pun 👑Prince👑

That's true!

✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨

i also love tho that even as a skeleton he has a mustache

snuffysam

he is a bona fide dad, after all

✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨

but now im wondering if its real or if he bought a costume one and glued it on

MathTans the Pun 👑Prince👑

I figure it's part of his cosplay thing.

snuffysam

how dare you suggest that becky's dad would ever disguise himself!

wait

MathTans the Pun 👑Prince👑

He can be a bit of a drag.

Some of the background details are neat too. Like the 'don't revive the bus driver' sign. Also liked 2+2=Brains.

✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨

yeah the details are really admirable

this reminds me i really liked this page

https://tapas.io/episode/433213

where its becky's expectations vs reality

cause i like the bummer that nope, supernatural school is still school and school is not fun for teens

MathTans the Pun 👑Prince👑

Truth. I wonder how they advertise the school.

✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨

i wish we could see what their math problems are like. like do they do the standard train word problems or do they use more creative things. like ghost trains. and the answer is it doesnt matter what time the trains meet, theyre ghost trains so cant crash into each other.

MathTans the Pun 👑Prince👑

Also, nice physics drop about vectors in there, that was accurate from what I know as a math teacher.

snuffysam

i don't think many people know about the school at all. this was just from becky being told "try supernatural school"

✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨

i wonder if that exorcist who came to the house went to that school

snuffysam

probably. he had to go somewhere

MathTans the Pun 👑Prince👑

Maybe they should make commercials to promote it. Next arc. ^.-

✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨

well there could be more supernatural schools. or trade schools. he couldve gone to Exorcist High or something

MathTans the Pun 👑Prince👑

"You don't have a High until you have an Exorcist High."

I wonder what Dad does when he's not with Becky. Plays cards with Grandma?

snuffysam

worries about becky

✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨

wait around until his dad senses tingle

MathTans the Pun 👑Prince👑

Maybe that's why he keeps interfering. He gets bored.

✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨

well he doesnt have a job

he looks like a golf dad tho

maybe he practices his golf swing

MathTans the Pun 👑Prince👑

Can spirits get jobs? I feel like that'd cause problems for the economy.

snuffysam

it's not like they're exactly common

✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨

yeah although he doesnt need a job. cause i imagine as a spirit he doesnt need to eat or anything

MathTans the Pun 👑Prince👑

True. Well, here's hoping Becky can work things out. And if not, maybe she can run off and have a romance with Julie.

✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨

he can just float around and survive

i was waiting for your ship and there it is

✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨

right in the last minute

MathTans the Pun 👑Prince👑

Just got it in.

✨🐱 RebelVampire 🐱✨

COMIC TEA PARTY END!

Unfortunately, the scheduled Comic Tea Party time is now up~! Thank you everyone so much for reading and joining this week’s chat~! We want to give a special thank you to AnitaComics, as well, for making Dawn of the Dad and volunteering it for our reading queue. If you liked the comic, please be sure to support AnitaComics’s efforts however you’re able to. All that being said, if you would like to continue discussing this week’s comic, we highly encourage you to do so~!

For next week, Comic Tea Party will focus on The Pale by Jay Fabares & Sanders Fabares. As always, please use the next several days to read as much of the comic as you would like. We hope to see you next Thursday on June 7th from 5PM to 7PM PDT for the chat~! Until then, happy reading~! Comic: https://tapas.io/series/The-Pale(edited)