#the only real problem is that now i want more of 13 hanging out with old companions and chatting with old doctors!

[forest-of-cheem]

my initial reaction to the power of the doctor was… well. bloody loving every single minute of it.

now that i’ve had some time to think it all over…

(under the cut because spoilers!!)

thirteen

this really did feel like such an excellent send-off for her.

she might well have made my favourite regeneration scene of new!who. the way she was so desperate for more time… but in the end, went into the sunrise with peace and happiness, and no regrets except wanting to know what comes next… and the visuals, on the clifftop with light shooting off in all directions…

the AI hologram!! i love that it was responsive rather than just reeling off the standard “if you’re seeing this, then i’m dead” message.

i love how expressive whittaker is. just. her face is doing so much, all the time, and it’s brilliant.

yaz

she’s come so far…

watching her pilot the tardis with her notes!! and even being able to catch ace as she was plummeting from the top of a building!!

i love her literally shoving the master to the ground and taking the tardis with her.

not to mention the way she fooled his ass, and forced him out of the doctor.

she carried the doctor!! yaz really stepped up and said i will be the goddamn hero today!!

i get the sadness over no thasmin kiss, but i guess. to me it makes sense, in a way. it’d be more painful for them to have some intimacy now when 13 is right on the brink of regenerating. and i’m a sucker for a tragic romance.

especially when new!who has only really seen two doctor/companion couples get romantic kisses in its entire run - 11/river, and 10/astrid. (yes, rose kisses tentoo, but he’s part donna, so i would argue it doesn’t entirely count.)

idk. what i’m trying to say is: romantic associations with the doctor rarely end well, for multiple reasons. that we got explicit confirmation of 13 and yaz’s mutual feelings at all is enough for me.

the master

dhawan is the best new!who incarnation of the master and i will die on that hill

inserting himself into all of those paintings was so uncalled for and so unnecessary, and i loved it

ra ra rasputin… artistic poetry. a masterpiece of the screen.

the master wearing 13’s outfit?? i am half-feral. i need more of it.

not trying to be rude, but i genuinely don’t get the people complaining that his plan/motives were too confusing/unclear. like… it was pretty clear to me…

“don’t make me go back to being me” i WILL cry.

playing the recorder when yaz abandons him…

and the way he squealed when the elevator doors closed on the way down to the bunker?? this episode really said here’s all the things you never knew you wanted sacha dhawan to do.

he was delightfully unhinged throughout this entire episode. if rtd doesn’t bring him back, it’ll be a damn crime.

fourteen

look, i love 10. he’s my favourite doctor. but i am… conflicted about his return.

for one thing, i simply refuse to refer to him as 14 when that’s supposed to be ncuti gatwa!!

also, 13 leaves full of optimism and excitement, and then the first trailer for next year sounds all gloomy and severe?? i’m not feeling it.

also, i already feel like those specials simply will not compare to POTD. this was THE anniversary special for me, and it wasn’t even really intended as such. this ep had old doctors and companions alike, and so far the 60th is three episodes of… 10 and donna. and that’s it.

some of my bitterness here may well be the fact that i’m already sick and tired of seeing people all ~hooray the boring mediocre woman is gone it’s time for my favourite MAN doctor, yay, doctor who is saved!!~ like. shut the fuck up already.

everything else

no surprise that dan left, but tbh i feel like that could have been reworked into him leaving at the end of the preceding ep. it feels weird having him only at the very beginning and then near the end.

gonna be honest, before this ep i thought kate stewart was a perfectly decent character, but simply didn’t care much about her. but she was excellent in this episode, and now i definitely want to see more of her!!

the group for past companions is such a fantastic idea and i’m amazed it’s not been done before. everything about that bit was perfect. and it was so cool seeing classic companions! even if i didn’t have any real idea who they were!

this episode is gonna be what makes me watch classic who. i tried several years ago but… i got bored halfway through the second episode. keep meaning to go back, but i never have. now i definitely intend to.

on that note, i thought this was a great introduction to ace and tegan. their bits with the AI hologram were very sweet and have left me really wanting to see their classic stories.

i really thought vinder was gonna be the timeless child daddy, and instead. he was just there. he helped yaz, fair enough, but what was he even there for in the first place?? are he, bel and karvanista investigating alien shenanigans too now??

me, pretending to be shocked when graham arrives, despite having known for months about that set photo circulating of him and dan together…

all in all, this was a top-notch episode for me. my only quibbles are with dan’s early exit, and vinder’s presence feeling a bit random… and tennant’s return that may or may not go down well next year. idk. i have faith in rtd to deliver a fantastic era, but i have my doubts as to whether this is the way to kickstart it.

all else aside, jodie whittaker and mandip gill have made one of my favourite tardis teams, and sacha dhawan has cemented his place as my favourite master. and despite most of my actual predictions for this ep being wrong, i was right about this: it was chaotic, it was heartbreaking, and it was wonderful.

[an-angel-in-the-garden]

Olá de novo! Se não me importar, posso solicitar novamente headcanons para Bleach (komamura, aizen e ukitake jushiro) para se apaixonar pela fem! leitor quem é a mãe biológica de toshiro hitsugaya e uma das capitães do gotei 13?

As I can only read and speak English, I asked this person to clarify what the request was for me. Here is what was said. " Hi, yes, that's it, reader, she would be Toshiro Hitsugaya's mother and captain of Gotei 13 and the characters I mentioned fall in love with her."  So, without further ado, here are captains falling in love with the head captain reader who is also Hitsugaya's mom.

Komamura

Komamura is always hesitant when it comes to forming relationships of any kind and this is no exception

I would even say that it's harder for him to accept this one given everything at play

When you took over as head captain, he had nothing but respect for you and learning your connection to Hitsugaya didn't change that

It's not easy being a captain in general but the fact that you're also a mother and a mother to another captain must cause its own set of problems and he just wants to help keep things easy

This also means that when Hitsugaya brings up not liking how close others are getting to you Komamura realizes how odd it must be for him to see his mother being potentially romantic with his coworkers

He never intended to start a relationship with, and he was more conscious of things after speaking with Hitsugaya but it's hard to not fall for you

Your kindness and strength always shines through and brings him closer as time goes on, he adores how you work with everyone, and he can't help the way his heart warms when he sees you dote on your son

A relationship sorta just happens, it was never planned but it happened what might start as just hanging out when things aren't as tense it settles into proper dating and Komamura can't help but feel a little guilty

He does everything to prove he's worth your time and love even when you tell him it's not needed, he just wants Hitsugaya to understand he isn't just with you for your status

Once he gets past the guilt it's a lovely relationship, he adores you and strives to show it whenever he can from small dates when time permits and gift giving, he also just likes sitting a room with you while you both do paperwork

Komamura takes a long time to fall in love, but his affection is forever and fiercely loyal nothing makes him feel happier than facing the world with you

Aizen

Very unbothered by this but it does make his plan slightly harder, he most definitely approached you with an underhanded motive

The moment he learned you became head captain he saw it as another chance to get closer to his end goal the only problem at first was your son, Hitsugaya already hated him, and this will only make it worse

It's a slow-going relationship, as charming as Aizen tries to be you can mostly see through the act and he has to work extra hard to see you open up

It's a real dual edge sword, he pushes to get closer and see you crack but while doing that he finds himself opening up to you in turn

You force him to be genuine, to open up in ways he's rather not but it happens and at some point, he realizes that he doesn't want to let you go or hurt you

So, he's left at a standstill, does he continue on like this never happens or give up certain things to make it work? He spends weeks going over it until he decides to simply wait

Aizen knows he's in charge so it's up to him when they go through with the plan and right now, he wants to indulge in whatever things could be with you

Hitsugaya hates it, he's adamant that Aizen isn't good for you and that you're going to regret it but you just reassure him that you can handle it, that it's been thought through at the very least

For a while you both can simply live in domestic bliss, he stays as an amazing captain to be looked up at, doing his best to play the role of a faithful knight to you

He knows it won't last, one day he'll want for more, to gain the power he has worked so hard to control but he's more content than he expected just being at your side

This relationship is a carousel, it goes around and around never seeming to stop, like this you're both happy but one day the ride will stop, you both simply wait and wonder who will get off first  

Ukitake

The most natural feeling of the bunch. He's very dad like to many of the younger reapers and this likely came in to play before you got together

Of course, when you took over it was Ukitake who helped you learn the ropes, kind and gentle he was more than willing to lend a hand whenever you needed it and that includes keeping an eye on Hitsugaya

People love Ukitake and you really aren't any different, he's such a wonderful person who wants the best for the people around him, sure he doesn't always make the best choices, but he tries

There's a certain joy that comes from working you and it makes him feel more at ease knowing how much you care about the people in the soul society

Like with Komamura a relationship will develop more naturally, you simply spend so much time together and whenever his illness flares, you're there to offer him comfort and reassurance

You train together and get meals; your squads secretly call you mom and dad to each other in everyone's eyes it's a match made in heaven

Ukitake knows he's not going to around forever; his fate is unavoidable, and he never planned to settle down because of this but it feels safe with you like nothing would go wrong like it's okay to truly let his guard down

You're his everything, someone he respects and trust, someone to lean on and share things with a person he values and wishes to protect

Hitsugaya is more or less accepting of it, sure it's a bit strange but he can see that your happy and he trusts Ukitake to not hurt you in anyway

Love with Ukitake is easy, he loves with his whole heart and soul and wants that emotion in return, he's happy seeing you thrive in your work and loves giving you hand

Though not common he enjoys partaking in dates and simple nights in neither of you can relax often so theses moments become something very precious to him something he wants to remember forevermore

So here we are. Finally done, I've had this request for about a month now but got hit with heavy work and then got very sick for a while. I'm doing better now and sat down to work on this! I really hope you enjoyed it; I ended up really liking Aizen's part so I'm happy with the way I went overall. Feel free to let me know your thoughts and thank you for reading. Have a good day or night~ Lilly 

[sirenthatmakesyouwantcake]

these are my thoughts on interview with the vampire episode 5 season 2

I've heard a few things about this episode, I've been really wanting to watch it just havent had had the time yet. I've also heard that they don't actually unpack any of it.which seems pretty on brand for them

(6:10) Sometimes, ii think i have bad handwriting, but then there’s daniel’s, which makes my feel a lot better about my own

(7:52) definitely gay (8:11) definitely

This whole interview is just a who can be the sassiest and most insane old gay guy possible

(9:46) daniel is like that one fall out boy song, he spent an entire decade high and doesn't remember any of it (or that he is gay)

(10:04) i like how they had him standing at the window, it's a nice touch

(12:53) if i just found out that vampires are real, i think i would be pretty fucking afraide too

I've been painting my nails while watching and ended up skipping on of my nails

(13:35) that was perfect, it was so close to quoting the book, it was good enough that i even recognised it before i even looked up the first few pages

(16:03) I like this louis more than the other few, he’s so much more fun and happy instead of seeming like he only sort of wanted to be there.

(17:18) it's no wonder he doesn't remember the first interview, he looks like he could barely stand if he wanted to

(22:55) 70’s armand is millennial grey

(24:21) i think someone is a little jealous (another weirdly spelled word) ((25:19) and the other one is schizophrenia), i also think two someones need to go the marriage therapy

(26:16) well that took quite a turn, and i think its shows their relationship well, how even thought why both had just yelled at each other, armand still saved him right away, and then, though i haven't gotten there yet, i assume that armand made him forget how bad it hurt, (38:22), i take parts of that back, armand basically torched him, they really do need therapy, i'm surprised they didn't end up killing each other in the time between the interviews

(29:23) poor daniel got caught in the middle of their messed up relationship

(30:01) for some reason, i thought the guy in the bag was daniel, and somehow he was revived and turned into a vampire, i clearly didn't think this through much because now that i'm thinking about it again, there in no way that would have worked

Armand is supposed to look 17, he looks 20 or so, i know his actor is somewhere in his 20’s and he did play him well, i don't think they could have done the show the same way if he was played by a younger actor.

(38:22) about time

(45:31) louis is quite a jump scare when the rest of your room is dark and quite

(51:01) once again, not talking about the problems

OTHER

I really like how both daniel’s had similar voices, specifically the gravely (i think that's the right word) parts

Conclusion of this episode: maybe all four of them could use some therapy or atleast to talk to each other and work out their problems (the last part doesn't really apply to lestat, he was not part of the sort of ok guys, not good guys, i don't think any of them really qualify as good guys except daniel, he was just caught up in everything)

This episode really put their relationship through it but i think it may have helped parts of it as well, maybe if armand and louis could actually talk they could have a better relationship that isn't just hanging off a cliff

@certainunkownlove2 was telling me about this post and i think all of you need to read it, he is so wonderful for this

Thank you for reading, now it is time for me to rest (literally speaking, it's late and i'm tired)

other episodes

S2E1 S2E2 S2E3 S2E4 S2E6

[13thdoctorposts]

You're so right about the Millie Gibson stuff

I keep seeing RTD sycophants grrr at the tabloids but like, if he or Bad Wolf or the BBC made a fucking statement to support her or even just a five sentence statement confirming the character arc was finished and nothing else then they wouldn't be able to write the shit about her that they are. It is fucking suspect that they're hanging her out to dry. And so damn clumsy too, his little cult keeps saying filming in advance is soon smart but I'm not seeing it.

And it's always the working class actors being treated like shit. Ecclestone and Gibson, but Whittaker and Capaldi also had a lot of weirdness from the BBC especially once they were on the way out.

Honestly I think the situation with the tabloids and Millie is disgraceful. The fact an employer can let that happen and take no action seems like a violation of duty of care since it’s about the work. And this is a 19 year old woman you just let multiple papers smear in print and across the internet completely unchecked, it’s beyond my understanding how that’s ok.

What has been interesting is seeing all the people who have been attacking Chibs from the left for years now trying to defend RTDs actions, and acting like everything RTD does is no big deal everyone is over reacting but Chibs is the devil incarnate.

Whether it’s in the show, I’m sorry but I don’t know how dead naming a character because you want the audience to know their dead name because it means ‘doctor’ of which how many people would have even got the reference is somehow anywhere near as bad as 13 talking about the Kerblam automation system not being the problem the people using it, like the serial killing terrorist intent on mass murder she trying to stop is, they claim that’s way worse?

Or if it’s real life where BW and the BBC just let those horrible stories run rife in print and on the internet and even when asked for comment gave none just hung the 19 year old they hired out to dry and didn’t care if it ruined her career. Vs Chibs who when the papers came calling saying the crew said Jodie was making them work into the night etc. he was like it was night shoots show them the schedule everyone was rostered on and having a great time they love Jodie.

People say Chibs had no idea how to Show run, yet there wasn’t this level of horror stories or leaks in his tenure, fans may have wanted more but he had that place running like a well oiled machine and everyone who’s come out about working there has only had positive things to say about it Vs RTD who either can’t or doesn’t want to control leaks no matter how much harm they may inflict on the people he show be protecting most the ones the spotlight, and his stars of the show.

[ladykailitha]

All My Roads Lead Back to You Part 16

Hello! Sorry I missed posting yesterday but I had a horrible tension headache from sleeping on my neck wrong and I was pretty much out from the moment I got home until I went to bed at 10pm.

I forgot to link it on the last chapter, but this is the song that I listened to nonstop while writing part 15. Somebody New by The Struts.

Steve is on the road to recovery but I think I’ve got a couple more chapters to go before we reach the end.

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4  Part 5 Part 6  Part 7 Part 8  Part 9  Part 10  Part 11  Part 12  Part 13  Part 14  Part 15    

***

Monday morning came and the kids were back at school.

“Damn it,” Kenny said. “I was so sure that was going to work.” He poked at his food with a growl.

Mandy put her arm around him. “I’m not so sure it didn’t.”

Three pairs of eyes turned her direction in interest.

“Now,” she started, hands in the air, “most of what I got is from snippets of conversation that I happened to hear because my dad is H-man’s and Miss Thing’s dads confidant.”

They all nodded.

“But from what it sounded like,” she said, playing with her hands as she fought for the right words, “is that they admitted having romantic feelings for each other, but that Mr Harrington didn’t feel ready to commit to a new relationship having been physically and emotional destroyed by the last one.”

All the eyes turned to Edie. She gulped.

“We really don’t talk about it,” she murmured. “But yeah, after my dad’s last break up, he got really low. I–I don’t know how low, I was only ten and he hid a lot from me because I was just a kid, but I know he had to spend a couple months in a special hospital afterwards.”

“I’m sorry, love,” Mandy said putting an arm around her friend and rubbing her shoulder. “Was this when you had to spend a couple months at our house.”

Edie nodded. “I just want Dad to be happy. Whatever that looks like. But I really think that looks like Mr Munson.”

Harri nodded. “But I appreciate your dad having the foresight to stop and say not yet. Not no. Not never. Not even let’s trying knowing I’m not in a good space. That takes a lot of strength. I admire him for that.”

Everyone nodded.

“So you’re idea worked,” Edie said. “After a fashion. We know they love each other. We know they want to be together. It’s just going to take time. And that’s better than the sword of Damocles hanging over our heads.”

She grabbed her soda. “Three cheers to Kenny!”

Mandy and Harri raised their sodas too. “Three cheers to Kenny!”

*

Eddie’s choice for lunch that week was his place. He shrugged when Steve asked.

“I didn’t feel like going out this week,” was his only explanation.

As they sat at the small breakfast table Steve could feel himself relax.

Eddie smiled at him slyly as he chewed on a bit of food.

Steve looked up at him in confusion. “What?”

“I got to thinking about it after you told me about your troubles with eating that you never relaxed when we went out to eat.”

Steve frowned and looked down at his plate. He had nearly finished it without thinking. “I didn’t realize that.”

“You’re always worried about being judged about what you’re eating and how much,” Eddie explained further. “You even did it at that big celebration dinner with Jeff and them. And when Harri and I would eat over there, Edie was always scrutinizing everything you ate. Were you counting the amount of bites you were taking?”

Steve blushed but he nodded. “I know how many bites it takes for me to feel full and eat exactly that many.”

Eddie raised his chin at him. “How many bites did you take today?” He nodded to Steve’s plate.

Steve opened his mouth to answer, but closed it when he realized he didn’t know. “How?”

“I keep you interested by talking,” Eddie said. “You tend to forget to count and eat more when I ramble. So I weaponized it.”

Steve looked down at his plate and then up at Eddie. “Thank you.”

Eddie smiled sweetly at him. “This is a bandaid for the real problem, but it’s a start. You need to start making a diary of when you get intrusive thoughts about your eating and then share that with your therapist. Or hell get a new one. One you can trust with your eating because to me it looks like you don’t.”

Steve furrowed his brow. He trusted Dr Rushing, didn’t he? But the more he thought about it the more he realized that he didn’t. He had been there when Steve had his breakdown and Steve never quite trusted the doctor not use that against him.

“Oh.” He looked up at Eddie, his lips quivering. “How did you know?”

Eddie tilted his head and leaned forward. “It was something you said on Saturday that tipped me off.”

Steve thought back but he couldn’t land on anything that would have told him that he didn’t trust his therapist.

“You had been with this doctor for five years,” Eddie said softly. “And while grief and illness aren’t linear, you weren’t better, Stevie.”

Steve’s head reared back. “Oh my god. You’re right. It’s not about getting over what Andy did. It’s about not having the tools to form new relationships. And you’re right, I don’t have those.”

Eddie nodded. “I don’t know enough about eating disorders or any of that shit, but I do know something about therapy. Having been taking it for the last twenty years.”

“Twenty years?” Steve asked, his eyes almost bulging out of his head. “That’s a long time.”

Eddie nodded. “Jay wanted me to get it before Harri was born. Screaming yourself awake after just putting a baby down for bed isn’t conducive to a happy life. For anyone involved.”

“I couldn’t trust the therapists Dr Owens sent us to,” Steve admitted. “I always thought that they would report anything and everything right back to him. I guess that’s why I never really trusted Dr Rushing, my current therapist, I mean.” He looked down at the table as he fought to control his breathing. “I just don’t trust any of them. What if they decided that the Upside Down was a delusion and they put me away? They’d give Edie back to Addison. I couldn’t do that. I can’t.”

Eddie put his fork down and really looked at Steve. He leaned down and tilted his head so he could Steve to look back at him. “How long have you been holding that in, sweetheart?”

Steve jerked back like he even forgot that Eddie was there. “I don’t know. Too long, I guess.”

Eddie pulled out his wallet and got out a small card. “I don’t know if Dr Kegler does eating disorders or whatever, but give her a call. She can at least refer you to someone who can help you.”

Steve took the card from Eddie and looked at it. “Dr Olivia Kegler, licensed therapist and psychologist?”

“She’s really helped me,” Eddie explained. “Not just with the Upside Down but with Jay’s death too.”

“Is she–is she read in?” Steve asked timidly, looking back down at the card.

Eddie nodded. “But Owens hates her, and that’s says a lot, I think.”

Steve looked up and murmured, “Because she doesn’t tell him anything?”

Eddie shrugged. “No idea, but I really like her, Stevie. Just give her a try, okay?”

Steve nodded. What was there to lose, really?

*

When Steve got home he made some phone calls and set up an appointment with Dr Kegler.

It wasn’t until after his first appointment with her that he made a decision. He talked it over with Eddie and he agreed. It was time.

Steve made dinner for the four of them like what was becoming their norm. Eddie made dessert.

Which was when the two teenagers cottoned on that this wasn’t a regular dinner.

“After talking to my new therapist and discussing it with Eddie,” Steve began, “it’s time we told you the truth about what happened in Hawkins twenty years ago.”

Eddie slammed a great big manila folder on the table between them. “I wasn’t there for the first few years, but I noticed things before then.”

Steve took a deep breath and then began to tell his story, the whole time Eddie would show them document after picture after statement showing them proof that Steve wasn’t lying to them.

And then they got to Chrissy’s death and Steve let Eddie take over. He even let him fill the kids in with stuff he wasn’t there for, but was told about later in the hospital.

“So the feral dogs and crazy bats story was a lie?” Edie asked after they were done.

Steve shook his head. “No. They were feral and they were dogs. Just not the kind you were familiar with. Same with the crazy bats. We didn’t know what else to call them. Uncle Dusty named most of them, tying them to their D&D game. But I would never lie to you.”

“Hence all the times you said you couldn’t tell us, huh?” Harri asked quietly. “You would rather have us mad at you for not being able to tell us then to lie and have it hurt us later.”

Steve and Eddie nodded.

“The hardest thing was making sure not to talk about it when you were around,” Steve murmured to Edie. “I hated not being able to tell you, but it was properly scary stuff.”

“You could have told me sooner,” Harri protested. “Dustin and them were all eleven or twelve when this started. You could have told me years ago.”

Steve laughed. “Yeah? You tell that to his face then,” he said harshly. “Tell him he was old enough to brave nightmares and phobias for years due to the Upside Down. Tell Will or Lucas or even Jane that they were old enough for the horrors they faced. If they’re feeling nice, they might just laugh in your face.”

Harri looked down at his hands and hunched his shoulders. Eddie stood up and came around to where Harri was seated.

“You weren’t mature enough to handle Papa passing away, Harri-bear,” he said gently. “I know you’re only saying this because you feel I deliberately kept this from you, but that’s not it at all. Okay?”

Steve closed his eyes and opened them slowly. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have snapped at you. I was your age when I faced my first real horror and I wouldn’t wish that on either of you.”

Harri nodded.

Steve looked over at his daughter, tilting his head. “What’s on your mind, Miss Thing?”

“Just piecing together little things you’ve said over the years, I guess.”

Steve nodded. “What’s the picture like in your head?”

Edie straightened up and said with a smile. “You are far too normal for what you went through, Jesus Christ!”

Steve and Eddie laughed. Just threw their heads back and laughed.

“I’m really not,” Steve said once he caught his breath. “My neuroses have neuroses, honey.”

Eddie chuckled. “He is the most down to earth of the Party, but in no way is your dad normal.”

“Does Uncle Jeff know?” Harri asked.

Eddie shook his head. “Neither does Uncle Gareth.”

“We’ve both made and kept friends that don’t know about the Upside Down,” Steve explained. “But most the people we’re closest to do, though.”

Harri nodded. “I’m sorry about my comment about Dustin, that wasn’t fair.”

“This wasn’t something we wanted,” Steve said gently. “In fact if we could have had adults we trusted, we wouldn’t have had to do it at all. But we kept being dragged back in over and over again against our will. I think out of all of us, the three that suffered the most was Will, Jane, and your dad.”

“Because of the town freaking out, right?” Edie asked. “For Mr Munson?”

Steve nodded. “He was the only one to faced actual persecution for this shit. And I got tortured by fucking Russians.”

“Yeah...” Eddie said, “I’m still pissed off at the government for not going to war over the torture of kids.”

“Their justification was that technically I was an adult because I was eighteen.”

“Robin wasn’t,” Eddie bit out. “And you can’t tell they wouldn’t have tried to torture Dustin or Erica if they had managed to catch them.”

They talked a little bit more about what they had gone through and how they thought that now that their kids were going to be going into their senior year of school that it would be a good time to finally come clean.

It was a lot of things to process and they were so proud of them for understanding.

It wasn’t going to be an easy road, but Steve smiled at the thought of sharing the burden with them all.

***

Part 17  Part 18  Epilogue

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[rulanarinrush]

drdt ch2 ep 13 spoilers, just some general thoughts

This was a really good episode I think, the logical train of thought in this episode compared to the last episode feels a bit more consistent. I don't mean the last episode was bad, just that David is just wowza^tm. Speaking of David, dang dude, do you want a cookie to go with that face you made? drdt really is starting to double as a comedy for me but only bc it appeals to my weird sense of humor now.

I'm now really suspicious of Ace and Hu, congrats those culprit believers. I didn't actually realize how similar the attempted murder was to this one, but I guess now that I know that the mechanism used was shockingly simple(I would not have expected the support beams to hold under that much force...) it does make sense in hindsight. I think there's some merit to the idea that Nico, whether intentionally or unintentionally, covered up for maybe Hu's potential murder attempt(the wire), and that Nico was actually trying to save Ace. But something that gets to me is when Hu would have found the time to grab the fish(assuming Eden is being honest about being with her from 7-10). I have a hard time believing that Nico would willingly give up the fish to be killed, or would cover for her alibi in the morning, or would simply just... let her get away with even their life(killer wins the trial and all). This may in fact be where both of their secret quotes comes into play, if Hu really did attempt that, Veronika is the only one I see as willing to give Hu the fish, and I can't remember how long she and Teruko were together, so maybe it's possible. But if we're going off the assumption that the note is real, that still does not negate the fact that Hu was with Nico that time in the morning. I'm also really curious how Nico would have agreed to steal the turpentine for this purpose if they didn't try to kill Ace on their own. What, did Hu say she needed the turpentine to drink it or something?

At first I just assumed that since Nico is apparently a thief(/lh) they just stole the wire from Hu, but perhaps not. Perhaps they agreed to this and the condition that Hu would immediately confess if she killed Ace? But since that didn't happen, Nico is holding up their end of the bargain.

The main problem I see with Hu being the killer besides the fish is just that I cannot believe Nico would willingly cover for Hu with their life on the line. She'd probably know a lot about hangings and all, but when would she have found the time to commit murder? If it occurred between 7:30 and 8:00, that is a very tight timespan. I guess she also knows about the clothes too, but it's still one of those pieces of evidence that's like, I think anyone who went in the dressing room could have found it.

I do think that anyone could have gotten the tape(as Ace could have simply kicked it away while standing up) but ppl r right that it's a suspicious detail to just disappear. Levi is still a little suspicious to me(im sorry) because his whole secret did not, frankly, contribute that much to the murder besides getting the other motives out, and he could have investigated the gym after the murder attempt, but there's still no smoking gun yet, so I won't jump him.

Ace is clearly suspicious bc he could have followed Arei after her and David's convo, as well as his missing alibi, the fact that he def. has motivation to kill, and that he could have been eavesdropping on their convo specifically to find a moment to get the fish. He would also probably know best about the murder attempt besides, again, Nico and Hu. He also would probably know where the turpentine is later too.

Also dang, was Eden the one that stabbed Xander? Part of me feels very suspicious because this revelation feels far too early in the story, but of course, that doesn't necessarily mean that she's the mastermind or traitor. The figure in the prologue says they were wrong to trust them(i think...) so unless they're talking about nico it refers to multiple people. Also, the figure isn't wearing gloves in the prologue? though that can easily be explained through the bleeding, you wouldn't want to touch an open wound with dirty gloves. But anyway, due to their height difference, I'm guessing Eden somehow got Xander down on the floor based on the angle of the shot. What, did she tackle him or something? Guess she coulda gone pro if she hadn't joined hope's peak.(bad reference). She looks upset in the shot... that's all I can say about that scene really. I don't think it's enough to say for sure whether she's involved in the establishment of the killing game, it's just as likely she could have been forced to do that somehow.

(This is only relevant if you are one of my friends)

If Ace actually ends up being the killer, I literally haven't drawn anything that wasn't related to a diagram in years(basically I draw things but not like. what you'd consider high art/anime art... ) but I suppose. I am honor bound. I'm mostly a fanfiction writer but I'd better start practicing drawing Ace's face on my phone for that meme lmfao...

[johaerys-writes]

Ch. 13: So Good At Being In Trouble

Read on AO3 | Read from the beginning

The spray can rattles when Menelaus shakes it. He stretches to his full height and presses the pump, and a blood red stream of paint leaves the dispenser in a condensed mist, glistening on the wall.

“Missed a spot there,” Odysseus says, pointing at the top of the letter. Menelaus carefully completes the word, then takes several steps back to inspect his handiwork. 

“Trojans suck massive dick,” Achilles reads out loud, in a flat and bored tone. “Real imaginative right there, Atreides. Eloquent, too.” 

Menelaus glares at Achilles over his shoulder. “Got any better ideas, Pelides?” 

“Tons, but I doubt you want to hear them.” Achilles rolls his eyes. “Why are we even doing this in the first place?”

“That’s easy to answer, Blondie,” Diomedes says with his wolfish smile, leaning against the wall of the abandoned building opposite Troy High. “Because those shithead Trojans asked for it. They came to our turf; this is payback.”

“What does Helen ditching Menelaus for Paris have anything to do with the Trojans coming to our turf? Or with us at all, in any case? That’s Menelaus’ deal,” Achilles protests. “She is— was — his girlfriend, they should figure it out themselves. Why is everyone getting involved?”

“It concerns us all,” Menelaus counters hotly, his round and rosy face flushing a deeper red. “The Trojans have no respect for anything! It was our party they came to and crashed last weekend. Ours. And then that bastard had the nerve to take my girl and leave. Should we let this insult stand?”

She seemed quite happy to follow him, Patroclus almost says, but knows well enough that Menelaus is in no mood to listen. So he keeps his peace, watching the familiar argument unfold instead.  

“Well, I kind of hate to say this,” Achilles says, though he seems more than pleased to point out what he thinks is the obvious, “but the party was at your house. So technically, I should think, it was your turf, not ours. And most of the Trojans were just hanging out, not causing any trouble. Other than Paris, that is, but—”

“I said, it concerns us all!” Menelaus insists. “They came looking for trouble. So we’re giving them trouble. Are we a team or not?”

“Fuck yeah we are,” Diomedes says. “I say we give them hell, brother.” He fist bumps Menelaus and Odysseus in turn. Achilles groans.

“Perfect. Dumb, Dumber and Dumbest, the movie.” He tips the fizzy orange juice can over his lips and takes a healthy sip. “And how is painting graffiti outside their school walls ‘giving them trouble’, anyway?” 

“That’s only a small, friendly warning,” Odysseus says. “Hopefully they get the message on Monday. First thing in the morning.” 

Diomedes grins, winking at his friend. “What a way to start the week, eh?” 

The way they’re both standing like this, at either side of Menelaus, they’re like the angel and devil on his shoulder. Only they both look like little devils right now, Odysseus with his sly smirks and Diomedes with that sharp gleam in his eye. 

Patroclus digs into his paper bag of fries, watching everything from the bench he’s currently sitting on next to Achilles. When the boys invited them to swing by Troy High for the grill shop that makes killer souvlaki nearby, he didn’t expect that this was what they’d be having in mind. Odysseus and Diomedes are always down for trouble, eager to goad others into stupid challenges and then reap the rewards of the devastation they sow. And though Achilles isn’t usually far behind, he’s been less and less eager to follow lately. Mainly, Patroclus thinks, it’s because a lot of their problems have been revolving around girls right now—those that they have or have not, or those they’d like to have. Achilles never misses a chance to express his displeasure and scorn about that.

Menelaus shrugs carelessly and turns around, to complete his masterpiece with a carefully drawn impression of an erect penis underneath the letters. Odysseus and Diomedes follow suit in support and encouragement. Achilles’ eyes roll so hard, Patroclus thinks they’ll get stuck permanently into his skull. 

“Ever since Helen ran off with that ding-dong, Menelaus’s IQ has been dropping by the day,” he says in a low voice to Patroclus, ripping a piece of pita and bringing it to his mouth. “Perhaps it’ll be good if he spends some time away from her.” 

“I heard that,” Menelaus grumbles.  

“Good, I meant you to. Girls are only trouble, you know.” He winks at Patroclus, smiling mischievously. “Good think we don’t have any of that to worry about, right?” 

Patroclus laughs under his breath, picking up a perfectly charred chicken skewer from the box. At the very least, the grill shop was worth the trip all the way to Troy. 

Menelaus, Diomedes and Odysseus are just about finished covering the wall of the abandoned house opposite the school with swear words and offensive drawings, when the sound of police sirens reaches them from a distance.

Read the rest on AO3!

[religion-is-a-mental-illness]

New Rule: The Truth About Christmas | Real Time with Bill Maher

Finally, New Rule: Praise Jesus, it's a Christmas miracle. For the first time in the 21 year history of this show we are on in December, which gives me a chance to explain to everyone something I've always wanted to expound upon in this show.

You know that whole thing about Jesus being born on December 25th? Well it's a crock of shit. Now, this is not an attack on Jesus. Although, he was a nepo baby. But also a revolutionary philosopher with a beautiful message. As to whether he's a God, that's up to you.

But if the subject is "Gods born on December 25th," we have enough of those for an entire Jeopardy category.

He was the Egyptian god who took the form of a falcon. Who is Horus?

He is the god from ancient Persia born bearing a torch. Who is Mithra?

He is the Greek god of rebirth. Who is Adonis?

He was the fertility god in Cleopatra's time. Who is Osiris?

This Greek deity was known for having a good time. Who is Dionysis?

So you may be asking - those are all real by the way, I think that was the problem, they think I'm making this up but I'm not - why do all the gods want the same birthday? Well, because December 25th was a pagan holiday coming a few days after the shortest day of the year, when primitive peoples noticed that the days were starting to get longer again, and so a cause for celebration.

Cut to:

And that's the story of Christmas. A holiday I love by the way. The tree, the presents, the music, the Christmas memories with my sister and our cousins filling the bong with eggnog. It's the only time of the year it's okay to put alcohol in milk. Christmas is fun if you just accept it's pretend time. Like a Hollywood wedding.

Yes, I love Christmas and always have. Just don't try to make me take it seriously.

And that is what has been going on a lot lately here in America. We have a new Speaker of the House, Mike Johnson, who says America is actually a Biblical Republic and that he's even got a flag picked out that hangs outside his office, and which also could be seen in the mob on January 6th. Mike also says, "the separation of church and state is a misnomer," and congresswoman Lauren Boebert concurs saying she's, "tired of this separation of church and state junk." So too Marjorie Taylor Green, who says, "I say it proudly, we should all be Christian nationalists."

Now I know it may seem like this is just a few crazies, but I gotta tell you, dumbass Republicans who believe horrible ideas are like ants: there's always more that you can't see.

And in in fact, these ideas are no longer the fringe. According to a recent survey, over half of Republicans are either adherents of Christian nationalism or sympathetic to it. And they agree with statements like: "The US government should declare America a Christian Nation," and "Being Christian is an important part of being truly American," and "God has called Christians to exercise dominion over all areas of American society."

I'm sorry but I don't want anyone exercising their dominion over me unless I pay them and we've established a safe-word.

Boebert says, "The church is supposed to direct the government. The government is not supposed to direct the church." Well, no and no. Neither one is supposed to direct the other. That's what separation of church and state means.

Republicans, Jesus fucking Christ. First you stop believing in democracy - Senator Mike Lee said it, among others. Trump lives the idea every day, and here we have the Speaker of the House saying it. And now Republicans also don't believe in the separation of church and state? Does anyone in that party remember what fucking country you're living in?

We're the place that stakes so much of our greatness on being the first to specifically prohibit having a state religion. There are dozens of countries that have an official religion. There's 13 where being an atheist is punishable by death. Four have "Islamic" right in the title of the country.

And maybe that warms the hearts of the TikTok crowd who lately have found heroes in Hamas and Osama Bin Laden. But that's not us. That's not what we do here. I get it you kids like to switch things up. But I can only handle one side at a time being ridiculous about religious fanaticism, and right now I've got my hands full with Mike Johnson.

Because Mike Johnson has the power to actually make laws. And I don't want my global warming policy decided by someone who is rooting for the end of the world so we can get on with the Rapture. And who once filed a legal brief before the Supreme Court arguing that what he called "deviant same sex intercourse" should be a crime. Even the lesbian stuff?

Mike thinks God personally chooses, raises up our leaders, which is a very dangerous thought, because then when you lose an election you think it's just another of God's tricks to test your faith. Like fossils. Mike says, "We began as a Christian nation." We didn't. Did you miss that day in home school, Mike? If you don't know that the pilgrims came here to get away from the Church of England then you don't know, literally, the first thing about our country. Mike says, being a Christian nation is, "our tradition," and, "it's who we are as a people."

It's not. We're the people who have a First Amendment which says, "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion." And we have an Article Six which says, "no religious test shall ever be required as a qualification to any office."

So, I take these people at their word when they say that they think we should be Christian nationalists. But then they have to take John Adams at his word when he wrote, "the government of the United States of America is not an any sense founded on the Christian religion."

But I still love Christmas!

--

Introduction The rising influence of Christian nationalism in some segments of American politics poses a major threat to the health of our democracy. Increasingly, the major battle lines of the culture war are being drawn between a right animated by a Christian nationalist worldview and Americans who embrace the country’s growing racial and religious diversity. This new PRRI/Brookings survey of more than 6,000 Americans takes a closer look at the underpinnings of Christian nationalism, providing new measures to estimate the proportion of Americans who adhere to and reject Christian nationalist ideology. The survey also examines how Christian nationalist views intersect with white identity, anti-Black sentiment, support of patriarchy, antisemitism, anti-Muslim sentiments, anti-immigrant attitudes, authoritarianism, and support for violence. Additionally, the survey explores the influence Christian nationalism has within our two primary political parties and major religious subgroups and what this reveals about the state of American democracy and the health of our society.

==

Freedom of religion and freedom from religion are the same thing.

[zahri-melitor]

Newish Comics:

Batman: the Brave and the Bold #13: God I so want to enjoy the Nightwing and Deadman story (because Dick and Boston hanging out, given their shared backgrounds, is exactly my jam) but unfortunately this is written by Tim Seeley and while there's stuff in it I quite enjoyed it still had the problem where it was full of Seeleyness. You don't need to repeat that Dick is a carny, a traveller, a circus kid so many times, Seeley. We got your point. (Also why are you travelling on a goods train, presumably without paying for the tickets? Is this inherently important to either of you? Dick has a fortune right now and Boston's fine with spending other people's money especially if they're rich or crooks).

The Booster Gold and the Jurassic League story hmmm feels too invested in how outsiders see Booster, rather than Michael's personal competence. Not that that's unusual for a Booster story but it's disappointing. Mark Russell, given your other work I was expecting a slightly defter hand with this, but it's only the opening part of the story.

The Artemis story remains so good. That's all I have to say.

The Bruce and Guy Gardner story has interestingly stylised art (I can tell some people are going to instantly hate it) but I had to laugh at the goofy ears Bruce has on his helmet. Commitment to the aesthetic! (Also lol Roswell and Grey Aliens)

The Perpwalk: oh look it's commentary on killing Joker and why that's bad. It feels very pop psychology.

The Flash #9: I mostly loved this. Wally's continuing to lose it, Jai's still getting the main plot out of twins (which is a nice change as the balance was definitely over on Irey's side during Adams), Barry is also having a breakdown (but different), Hartley gets a quality win, and we are confirmed to be on round two of time travelling Wade (seriously Wade has appeared on more pages, aged up, than he has as a baby so far).

The Wally and Dick stuff is just really...you know how Wally's connection to the Titans saved Donna? And the Titans connection to Wally saved him? And now Dick's helping anchor Wally even as he's trying to drop all of his connections? Ugh it's so good, Dick Grayson will not give up on his best friends.

The bit which really made me sigh was that finally, we got confirmation that Linda has post-partum depression (which has been obvious the last 9 issues), and...it's been aggravated by the Rogues. Deliberately. Ugh. Which is exhausting, but the panels suggested that it was actually based on Linda having existing problems (which made perfect sense, given that among other things, she'd just been sharing the Speed Force with Wade until she lost the connection when he was born. Of COURSE her neurotransmitters and hormones were even more out of whack than your average person after giving birth). But then when Hartley removed the influence from Linda, she suddenly perks up in an 'all fixed!' manner, as if that was all that was needed. And I really really hope it wasn't that simple. (Like, even if you give me a panel when this storyline ends that has Linda telling Wally she's seeing a counselor).

I would, actually, like the comic to have a little bit of a discussion of PPD, rather than just fix it magically via supervillain nonsense ending. Because Linda has lots of basis to have developed it. And she's just had to hand over her baby to stay safe in another crisis situation. It just makes so much sense and could lead to some more interesting storytelling and I just want it to be acknowledged as a real issue, not 'waves wand, all better'.

Green Arrow #12: the hugs edition.

Look. For a story arc that's premise was 'let's get all of the associated Arrow characters out of the various separate ruts (or editorial jail) that they've been in and reunite them on page', with a framing story for why everyone's wheels have been spinning and going nowhere for anywhere up to the last 14 years? It achieved that. It also got almost everyone into a costume that didn't make my eyes burn and am happy having as their default design for a while (Cissie I'm so sorry, yours is not great).

It set everything up for a continuing run and I'm glad that it has been signed off as a continuing and due to Williamson being heavy handed with allowing Waller nonsense in this plot it's going to run through Absolute Power and presumably be able to pick up with some actual ordinary Green Arrow plots.

I just want Williamson to pick up the pace a bit, and give us some one shots and three issue stories once we get back from Absolute Power to justify pulling this huge cast together by using them as more than set dressing for Ollie having a midlife crisis realisation.

The Warlord #54: Travis has a minor breakdown because Ashiya is using the form of his dead wife, Rachel, then realises he's being duped.

Shakira pushes Tara out of danger, proving that despite everything, they don't actually hate each other.

Jennifer is now a super powerful witch who has outpaced Ashiya's teachings and they have a cool sorcery battle:

And we finish off with Travis heading back to Shamballah with Tara and Jennifer staying in the castle to learn more magic (after defeating Ashiya).

[awkwardgtace]

A Normal Afternoon

Day 13 Banter! I went back to the other prompt I got from @da3dm for this one.

Rhys is playing some game while tangled up in his string, his human brothers joke back and forth with him

A Normal Afternoon

Felix sighed as he stared at Rhys. The fourteen year old borrower was currently hanging upside down in front of his face, tangled in the thread he used as a rope. With narrowed eyes Felix poked at the young borrower, more amused than he was letting on. This was at least the fourth time today Rhys had done something like this. He was just waiting for the request to get him unstuck… again.

“I will defeat you Sir Grump!” Rhys shouted. Felix raised an eyebrow.

“Oh?” he smirked. “Why is that?”

“I’m the hero this world needs, the one it deserves!”

“So you’re Batman today?” 

“Fool forgetting the one who’s defeated you so many times!” 

“I think defeating me would mean you don’t get tangled in your own string all the time.” Rhys squeaked, getting a real smile out of Felix.

“I was bitten by the tiniest radioactive spider the world’s ever seen and it made me who I am!”

“Oh so it’s spiderman today.” He shook his head, letting out a sigh that made Rhys start spinning around. 

“You can’t beat me by making me dizzy Sir Grump. I have you trapped right where I want you.”

“It looks more like you’re trapped while I’m casually sitting on the couch under a vent.”

“That’s what I’ve lured you to think, that confidence is your downfall.”

“Why am I Sir Grump anyway? I would think you could pick a better name now that you know more about me.”

Before Rhys could answer, the door to the house opened and Ryder walked in. His black hair had been let down, falling around his face as he carried in a heavy box. More of the things for his 3D printer, or random things he thought Rhys could enjoy. Shockingly the cat tree had gone over fairly well, it helped they didn’t tell him it was a cat tree. 

“Meticuloso. My arch nemesis, you think teaming up with Sir Grump will help you!” Rhys called out. Ryder looked up confused. Felix nodded and Ryder finally noticed the borrower hanging upside down next to him. A grin slipped onto the man’s face as he walked over. “I can beat you both no problem. This trap is nothing to worry about.”

“I thought I was trapped,” Felix quipped. Ryder fell onto the couch next to him. Rhys hung just between them, Ryder slid down a bit so the borrower was between both their faces.

“When did I become an enemy? I thought I was your ally yesterday?” Ryder laughed.

“You can’t fool me Meticuloso, I knew your plan all along. Secretly conspiring with Sir Grump to… to uhm… to…” Rhys trailed off a bit. Felix gave Ryder a look, they were in it now.

“Ah, you’ve caught me in my dastardly plan to take over the world. Only Sir Grump could aid me in my wicked ways.”

“I knew it! I’ll stop you. That’s why I’m spiderman!”

“What is my role in this exactly?” Felix had narrowed his eyes with a smile.

“You’re making the uh… the… The clothes that’s going to take over everyone’s minds!”

Ryder burst out laughing. Felix crossed his arms and leaned closer to Rhys. Like this he could see the tiny bags under the miniscule eyes. The mirth started to leave him, but the grin on Rhys made it hard to be upset. They’d been trying to lock up all the sugar, but it looked like Rhys found his way in… again.

“I think the first thing my dastardly clothes will do is make borrowers hyped up on sugar sleep,” Felix smiled. Ryder made a dramatic gasp next to him.

“That’s truly awful,” he shook his head. A single finger was brought up to poke Rhys. It sent the borrower swinging while circling in the air. “I can’t imagine a worse fate than having to be still with too much sugar.”

“Fiends! I’ll never allow this to happen,” Rhys started to squirm. Felix and Ryder shared a look, he was truly stuck this time. “Sugar is all important. The best way to be awake at all times! I’ll never let you force borrowers to sleep!”

“I’m going to get some scissors.” Ryder stood up and walked off, Felix was left with a spinning Rhys desperate to get away.

“You know Sir Grump doesn’t exactly fit if you’re going to have me making clothes.”

“I won’t lose to you.” Rhys was grunting in his efforts to get away. Ryder came back, falling back onto the couch and sitting up straight. Rhys paused to stare down at the scissors. “Your threats won’t work on me! I-I won’t be tricked.”

“You know it’s only to get you down.” No matter how much Rhys trusted them, sharp objects terrified him. Especially if it was in one of their hands.

“You won’t win Meticuloso. I can g-get down on my own. And I’ll stop your dastardly plot with Sir Grump.” Felix finally brought his hand up to make Rhys lie on his palm. The borrower flipped over, but it was clear this time was worse than the others. He kept Rhys’s focus.

“So if we get you down you run off and eat a ton more sugar so you continue not to sleep? When’s the last time you slept?”

“Uhh… a few days I think.” Rhys offered an innocent smile. Felix saw Ryder lifting his hands up. If he kept Rhys busy it should help stop him from panicking. Tweezers could work to get the string around him, they just had to get him down first.

“A few days of no sleep and Sir Grump and Meticuloso are the best names you could come up with?”

“They sounded better than Captain Fashion and The Creator.”

“Those sound more like hero names.”

“Exactly why it wouldn’t work for you to be my arch enemies!”

“I told Ryder he shouldn’t show you those hero movies.” A fake gasp from the borrower squirming in his hand. It still shocked him how small Rhys was. That he actually trusted them too.

“You’d take my education from me? How else am I supposed to learn about the world? Remember I’m just a fourteen year old uneducated borrower.”

Felix rolled his eyes. “If you keep using that excuse on me we’re finding a way for our dad to come teach you. He still works as a substitute teacher sometimes, he should know how to teach even you.”

“But I don’t wanna meet other humans and you guys wouldn’t force me cause you're my brothers and you love me… right?”

Felix’s face softened and a snip sounded a few inches above Rhys. Ryder smiled as he pulled the scissors away and set them on a coffee table. Felix took that as his chance to lie down on the couch, putting his legs over Ryder’s lap. His brother let out a groan, but didn’t move. 

“That is true, guess it would be hard to force you to meet him if we love you,” Felix smiled. Rhys looked a bit scared in his hand.

“Don’t worry Rhys, I wouldn’t let Sir Grump sick a human on you for something as awful as school,” Ryder winked as soon as Rhys looked back at him.

Felix didn’t say anything. He got himself comfortable before setting Rhys over his heart. His youngest and smallest sibling squirmed again, arms coming free. Tiny hands met the skin on his palm. He curled his fingers in and surrounded Rhys, a slight squeeze of reassurance.

“You both really wouldn’t just show me off to other humans, right?” Rhys asked.

“Not unless it was the only way to save your life,” Ryder said. Felix squeezed Rhys again, a silent way of agreeing. Rhys squirmed even more.

“Can you untie me now?”

“Nope,” Felix popped the end of the word. “If I get you untangled now you’ll sneak off and eat more sugar instead of sleeping. Take a nap, you can be batman later.”

“I told you I’m spiderman!”

Despite the shout Rhys stopped squirming. It didn’t take long for Felix to notice the tiny body relaxing against him. The smallest increase of the weight over his heart. Ryder leaned back to stare at the ceiling, Rhys was a much heavier sleeper than he realized.

“You think he’ll ever agree to meet mom and dad? Or even Del?” he whispered. Felix shifted his hold enough his voice would rumble against Rhys less.

“It’s up to him. Dad would love these games he wants to play, so would mom,” Felix smiled. “They loved all the crazy games you used to come up with.”

“Yeah they did…”

They sat in silence after that. Felix could faintly hear Rhys snoring in his hand. It would be nice to give such a lonely kid a bigger family. Actually learning to read, maybe even write. Using his curiosity for something other than chaos. Ryder had mentioned Rhys was eyeing the 3D printer lately. Until Rhys allowed it things would stay as they were, and they weren’t bad this way either.

[pbandjesse]

Today was port day! And besides some hiccups orienting ourselves and some timing issues, it was a pretty excellent day. And now I am spending a little time alone. Which was sorely needed. And thankfully my terrible head ache is going away.

I slept alright last night. I was freezing at times and sweating at others. I woke up a few times but mostly I slept fine.

The plan was to wake up at 8 and go to breakfast at 830. Jess would wake up at 7 so she could take her time getting ready. It never takes me long to get ready so I appreciated getting to rest longer.

When I did get up I got washed and dressed my hair looked weird. The air here has made my hair very strange. But it's whatever. I like my outfit. I had already packed my purse and had my stuff ready to go. And pretty quickly we were off.

Jess would go get coffee to deliver to her mom. Which was very nice of her. And I would go up to the buffet to find her aunt Laura and Mieke. Who I would find right away. (I would have an interesting conversation in the elevator because apparently 100+ people are being questioned in the main dining room. Possibly they filled the custom forms out improperly? Still don't know what's up there.)

Breakfast was good. I really enjoyed my eggs and hashbrown and water melon. I put spring onions on the eggs and it was great. I found us a table and we would pull up some extra chairs. Jess's dad, Tom, would join us too. He already has breakfast so it was just for the company. And it was a nice breakfast. Talking about the plans for the day. They were going on the hop on hop off bus tour, and we were going to walk all over and find vintage shops. It was neat to see the city from the boat. We even had a beautiful view of the one lighthouse.

Me, Jess, and Mieke would head to the gangway after breakfast. And we had no problems getting off the boat. I had texted James to let them know that I wouldn't have service while we were off the boat and to text Jess if they needed me. Because only Jess would have service today. Which would put her mainly in charge of the day.

And it was a little tough at time. When we got off the ship we would start walking towards the boardwalk. The longest continuous boardwalk in the world apparently at 2.5 km long! Neat.

Jess started getting messages from her family concerned we weren't going to be able to get Mieke off the ship. Because she's 13. But we were already off the boat. No one even questioned us. Not great on the ships part but that worked out for us. And we put an air tag in her purse so we wouldn't lose her.

She was sweet though and fun to hang out with. And we would have a fun day.

It was surprisingly hilly in Halifax. Jess would take up up a whole bunch of hills to find some shops. We were struggling to find places that were open but it was neat to see the downtown still.

We would find a really excellent gift shop. And marked some stuff we would probably come back for. And then headed out to go to a vintage shop. We had to wait ten minutes in a mall and the rest was nice. We found that it had an aerial silks place there which was cool. And we spent some time looking at the maps and making a little plan.

We would look in a few shops but nothing spoke to us and the price points were a bit more then we wanted. Like it was designed second hand. Good price for what it was but not what we wanted.

We went back to the gift shop. Since it was on the way back towards the boardwalk. And we wanted to get our souvenirs. Even if second hand didn't work out (there was a real thrift store but if we had gone it would have been a whole day affair with no car because it was 3 miles away.) we still wanted to knock off the things on our list.

So we went and had a super fun time collecting all of the things we wanted. Magnets and sweatshirts and little gifts. I got James a few things. And a book of Nova Scotia scary stories. But then we were standing in line and Jess got to the register and we discovered that the store did not take discover card. Which is what we both carry. Sucks! We were really disappointed. Meike was able to use her entire $20 in case to buy her mom some little pewter unicorns. And I was able to use my $50 I keep in my phone to buy my gifts for others. But I could not get my sweatshirt and Jess had nothing.

So we had to call for help. And Mieke's dad came in clutch. He would walk almost 10 blocks to find us and give us his credit card. Bought the sweatshirts and all of Jess's things. It was really kind of him. He would also just leave the card with us just in case. It wouldn't be a problem the rest of the day but it was nice to have that but if safety.

He left and went back to his lunch with Laura. And we were in a great mood. The girl at the register had been so nice and helpful. She let us know there were free botanical gardens down the street and I am so excited she told us that because it was great.

We walked down there and it was beautiful. I am sure the flowers in the spring are incredible but the flowers we did see were so nice. We were also really enjoying the ducks and fish and I was having a lot of fun.

We would take pictures and walk around. But we were losing steam and wanted to get lunch. Mieke was still full of energy because she is 13. But she was a good sport the entire day. Even when we were lost and confused. She was great.

I was really just enjoying the day. I wasn't feeling incredible but I was trying to remain positive. Halifax was really nice. I liked that there were old buildings mixed in with the new. Everything was very clean. We didn't walk up to the citadel but we saw it from the street and it was neat. And we would head to another vintage shop that was really cool. We didn't buy anything but I still had fun looking.

We went to a really cool place called The Black Market that sold a lot of Indian inspired stuff and brass jewelry. Jess can almost never find rings that fit her very narrow fingers but they had a bunch! And so she bought a whole bunch of rings. Very happy for her.

We looked around one more very cool vintage shop. But it was lunch time. So we were off and heading to the boardwalk.

I wanted to go to a sit down place. And we ended up at a place I think was called "the warehouse" and it was really really good!

Our waitress seemed a little stressed. It turned out that the power has gone out to the kitchen. And this place was crazy busy. Like we were lucky we didn't have to wait it was so busy. But we were chill.

Mieke got a summer salad and molasses bread. Jess got oysters and fish and chips. And I got a smoked salmon Reuben that I took the salmon off of. And gave to Jess. And it was just all so good. Way more food than we needed. The sour kraut and dressing on my sandwich was excellent. The cocktail sauce and tater sauce was really good too. I dipped my fries in it. We talked about life and work and having babies later in life (Laura had Mieke at 39). It was just a really nice day.

We had a few hours until we had to be back at the ship. And we decided to go to the maritime museum.

It was really neat and I'm glad we went. I got to talk about what I know about ships from when I worked at ships. I loved seeing the light house lenses. I loved seeing the steam ship models. There was a small Titanic exhibit. It was great tand absolutely worth the $8 it cost to go in.

We would be in there for an hour or so. If it wasn't so busy I would have read more but it was a little overwhelming. I did really appreciate the information about the local indigenous people, the Mi'kmaw people, and they even had signage in English, French, and the Mi'kmaw langue. It was excellent.

We would leave there and kept walking the boardwalk. Got to hear some buskers. Including a bagpiper. And just people watching. Seeing some beautiful and interesting public art. I liked the light poles best. It was just really fun.

But me and Jess were very tired. And very ready to go back to the ship. We needed to be horizontal.

So we walked back to the ship. We looked at a few more things. But we were focused on going back on board. Which ended up being super easy. We had to wait in a short line to go through the X-rays. And then we were back on the cruise.

Jess would collect the airtag and we sent Mieke back to her cabin. And we went to lay down.

It was 4 and we would have dinner at 515. But I was feeling horrible. I wanted to out everything away and I did my best to organize before laying down. We put our new (matching) sweatshirts on and laid in out beds quietly watching TikToks for an hour.

My head was pounding and I was feeling nauseous. I did not want to go to dinner. But I would. Jess would give me some Tylenol and I would get dressed for dinner and tried very hard to not cry I was so not happy about going to dinner.

But dinner was fine. I would sit across for Scott and I would ask him about WarHammer because I knew he liked it and would be able to just talk at me with me only adding some questions and being an active listener and it was honestly nice. It was not my normal dinner conversation, but I know just enough about it to hold the conversation and I think it was the longest conversation we havs ever had.

I really enjoyed my pasta. And while my head still hurts a lot, like really bad, the food and caffeine from the diet coke helped. I drank water and had a lemon tart with a meringue for dessert. And then bowed out. Jess said to not feel bad and to go take care of me.

So I said goodbye to everyone and went back to the room.

I took a shower and washed my hair and felt a lot better even just from that. I got cozy on the couch and knit for a bit. Jess would come back to the room to charge her phone a little and tell me about the evening plans if I wanted to join. But I let her know I just wanted to hang out and watch a video and knit and watch the water from our window. She said that was just fine. She's going to watch Mieke sing karaoke and then Scott rock climb. I would probably like rock climbing but maybe tomorrow. I'm not to worried about that.

I would read Jess the story about Opportunity I posted earlier. And she got teary but I full on was crying. She gave me a hug before she left.

And I've been hanging out since then. Sipping water and knitting. And feeling not amazing but I am starting to feel better.

Tomorrow is our last day! We will have to pack but mainly I am focusing on enjoying the day. Knitting. Maybe mini golf. Eating nonsense. It will be a nice day. And hopefully I feel good and not exhausted after walking multiple miles today.

I hope you are all having a good night. And that tomorrow is great. Sleep well everyone. Until next time.

[thislovintime]

A few more selections from the Ask Peter Tork advice column:

Dear Peter! I have a problem with my volume in choir. My director is always telling me to sing louder, but I’m afraid of not sounding good/messing up, so I tend to veer away from singing out. I just don’t want to mess up. I was wondering, do you know of any good ways to squash that perfectionist side of me? Bay, 13

Dear Bay, Yeah. Sing out loud, mess up a bunch and laugh right out loud at yourself. Also, check out the others in choir. Any of them singing worse than you would? Yes? I thought so. OK, then. Singing well at a new volume level takes a bit of practice, tho’, and you might want to warn your director and everyone around you that it may take a bit of time before you are singing loudly and well. BTW, there will be no squashing sides of oneself on my watch, no suppressing the perfectionist. Rather celebrate another side of yourself, the lovable imperfect side, and let the perfectionist side be. That side has her virtues, too, and can be a good friend sometimes. Keep rockin’, Peter

* * *

If you want to hear from someone who’s older than you, you’ve come to the right place. That ‘Don’t quit before the miracle,’ which of course is not remotely original with me, is maybe one of the best general advises I have. (Can that be the plural of ‘advice’? ) Another, which kind of is a bit more original with me, is, ‘Be a hero to yourself.’ By that I mean, regard your life’s story in the same light as those tales of Greek and Roman heroes, who were born to kings and queens and found their lives dashed down to humble circumstances, and who redeemed their lives thru heroic deeds (with a lot of help). Those heroic stories, it turns out, are everybody’s stories, and it’s deeply useful, I am convinced, to regard ourselves as that kind of hero. Hang in there, and don’t quit just before the miracle. Peter

* * *

I won't go nearly so far as to say that everything that came up in the 60's was valid, but as far as I'm concerned, the 60's were to what will come as Greece was to democracy. Remember that in the 60's the political officeholders had lost all touch with the needs of the nation...kind of like the Bush administration now.  Back then the voice of the establishment, Life magazine, was discovered to have doctored photos falsely indicating that LSD caused chromosomal damage. That proved what we (then) kids already knew: that those at the top preached fair play and honesty, but had no more need to honor those concepts than what would give them the next dollar without too much trouble. We saw perfectly clearly that we were on our own, that no one in authority cared about us. Now, like any bunch of kids left to their own devices, some, many, went off the rails. Every false step by somebody walking around under the cloak of the liberal hippy 60's was used as a pretext for dissing the entire generation. Those of us who were truly interested in liberty, fraternity and equality, however, knew we were onto something good and real. What had been called democracy was, and to some extent still is, a pretext for wrapping the will of the greedy and aggressive in a mantle of public acquiescence. Now, the business of wresting power away from those who make a specialty of wielding it will be a long and protracted struggle, with a lot of setbacks along the way. The outlines of the new style of governance are only dimly perceivable, and won't become clear for a long time to come. In the meantime, our job is to practice the principles of fairness and service to the extent possible. One thing is clear: there is a much higher joy in service than there is in acquisition of wealth. (Remember that it isn't money that's the root of all evil, it's the love of money.)  Hanging together in brother - and sisterhood is so happy-making you want to sing right out loud.

Yeah, I feel the same about those ideas as I did then...in case you couldn't tell. heheheh, Peter

More advice from Peter here and here. Plus, with it being February 12th, and thus the anniversary of Peter's appearance on Loveline (on this date in 1995), here are a few snippets: one, two, and three.

[soracities]

Helloooo I'd love some advice please. So I went out on a couple of very lowkey dates with this guy I've known for about 13 years. We went to school together and I kind of befriended his friend group when we were around 13-14 (he was a grade below me) and then kept in contact with only him throughout the years, but that mostly included periods of us chatting online and never hanging out irl (we were honestly only school friends even in the beginning). He kind of told me he loved me out of nowhere when we were maybe 16-17 and I freaked out, and we never really talked about it and I'm not sure if he was serious about it. Due to some personal stuff I have a very hard time dealing with people (mostly guys') interest in me, at least when they straight up ask me out etc. Anyway, flash forward and we lost contact not for any particular reason, but he moved back to the area a couple of years ago and we randomly saw each other on walks and would walk together a bit. We've been talking a little throughout the past two years and he suddenly asked me out in the spring. I of course freaked out, but am trying to get over this weird fear I have and just give it a shot and see where it might lead. The problem is that he's shown that he's interested for over 10 years while I myself am not, really, so I reckon I wonder if it's "ethical" to agree to the dates even if I don't see him like that (yet)? On one hand it's just two dates where nothing happened. That's what dates are, right? Getting to know people to see if you'd work out. But on the other I wonder if it's mean to "waste" his time if it might not lead to anything? Gah, I don't know. I've also been trying to date women (no luck there) this spring and summer, and now I feel like I have to put that on pause because I feel weird about dating several people even if nothing's been said. I decided at the beginning of the year to try out the whole dating thing, being nearly 28 and never been with anyone, but I'm afraid of hurting him while also not wanting to really get into the whole "what are we" thing because right now we're not really anything to me but a curiosity. Is that bad?

Your feelings aren't "bad" necessarily—feelings just are, and there are reasons underlying them that relate to your own particular constellation of circumstances. But I do think it is unfair to keep seeing him without being clear on where you stand with him, especially if he has consistently shown you he's interested, and especially if he has very deep feelings for you; I know it was ten years ago, but I think it may help for you to talk to him about his confession when you were teenagers and find out exactly where he stands now, because I think this could be necessary for both of you.

Dating is about getting to know someone, absolutely, yes—but I do think there's a difference between dating someone to find out if you're both on the same page, and dating someone where you know one of you definitely isn't. I also think it can put a lot of pressure on yourself to try and date someone, for the first time in your life, whom you already have some kind of pre-established "history" with—it's daunting enough to try and date for the first time, to get used to the idea of being able to accept someone's interests in you, let alone to learn how to open yourself up and be vulnerable enough to let them care for you, let alone, again, the prospect of someone offering very real romantic intentions that you don't know whether or not you can reciprocate—it creates a whole new confused medley of obligations, expectations and anxieties that may just feed into the fears and difficulties you already have when it comes to people being openly interested in you, and all this in turn can make it difficult for you to discern what it is that YOU truly want and need.

Again, I don't believe much in marking feelings as "bad" ( or "good" for that matter); I try to see them as indicators more than anything, and I think its important to try and understand those indicators and what they're trying to tell you about particular situations so that you can be mindful of your intentions in them; in this, I think it's very important for you to ask yourself if you're curiosity is in fact informed by some level of genuine interest (I don't want to make presumptions so I can only go by your ask, but based on what you've described this seems unlikely to me), or if it is just that you wanted to try dating and that he happens to be interested and happens to be close at hand (because I think it can be's very easy sometimes, especially if you're conscious of never having been with someone and are trying to change this, to confuse the two).

More than anything I think the best thing you can do for yourself is be honest with him (you may not want to hurt him, but not being honest with either of you about how you feel will cause more hurt than being upfront) and clarify where his feelings for you stand. If they haven't changed in all these years then it definitely isn't a good idea to continue seeing him, for either of you—you both deserve the freedom to explore potential relationships with people who are better suited to where you are in your lives right now. I don't know if any of this helps, but I hope you can take something from it, anon 🤍

[clairelsonao3]

Characters Out of Context Tag

I have @j-1173 (whose post is here) to thank for this procrastination tactic today! The challenge is as follows:

Rules:

Include one character quote — of your choosing ⁠— from each chapter of your WIP (or as many chapters as you'd like)

Give absolutely no context, save for what's between two parts of an interrupted sentence, should that occur. You may mention who said it.

Have fun, no pressure!

I gave myself some additional rules: Since I'm up to 23 chapters of GSNBTR, there's no reason not to include one quote each from ALL the major primary and secondary characters up to this point, so I'm going to do that (it won't quite equal out to one per chapter, so the MCs will get a few extra ones!). And because I'm doing that, I'm going to try to choose quotes that kind of encapsulate the "essence" of each character, or at least who they were at that point in the story. Wish me luck!

Oh, and I'm not going to mention who says what because that makes it more like trivia. And if there's anything I love, it's trivia!

Ch. 1

“Is that any way to talk to me?”

Ch. 2

"What have you so-called ‘experienced slave handling professionals’ been doing to the poor kid?"

Ch. 3

"Now a guy can’t even have sex with his own property without some social justice warrior calling it rape?

Ch. 4

“And calculus, and physics, and engineering. If I were free, I’d be a certified nerd,” he said. “And probably rich, too. But who’s complaining?”

Ch. 5

"You can tell me, you know." 

Ch. 6

“Your back isn’t nearly as pretty as your face, boy.”

Ch. 7

“You’ve been quiet. Secretive.” She kept poking her rhythmically with one of her sculpted coral nail tips. “But inside, you’re glowing. I see it.” Poke poke poke. “So there’s no use denying it, sweetie. What’s his name?”

Ch. 8

"Thanks for the relationship advice, dickhead. Have you ever even seen a girl naked without having to hide behind a bush?"

Ch. 9

“Nobody does anything for me. Ever."

Ch. 10

“And why shouldn’t they?” he said. “I mean, what are we trying to do here, Keith? Disrupt slavery, right? You’ve been in the corporate world too long, that’s your problem. You don’t question things anymore."

Ch. 11

"He's not mine," she said. "He's his own."

Ch. 12

"You could never, ever let me down,” he assured her.

Ch. 13

"And by the way, if you’re looking at the master being away as an opportunity to get away with murder, forget it.”

Ch. 14

“I’ve always wanted to see the ocean. But he didn’t take me, so I’m stuck here with a shit ton of time on my hands, and you’re still in the hole from the last one.” 

Ch. 15

“You know who I’m talking about. You have to find him, Louisa,” she continued. “Immediately. Normally I would never betray the confidence of a slave who came to me like this, but I can’t reach him now."

Ch. 16

 “The stuff he said about you was really awful, Lou; I’m not telling you this to cause drama. I just wanted to warn you.” She glanced quickly at the boy again. “Both of you.” 

Ch. 17

“She learned, and grew, and changed. She had a pilgrim soul.”

Ch. 18

“You’re so wrong. If I could only give you one thing in this life, it would be to give you the chance to see yourself the way I see you. Now and always.”

Ch. 19

“And to never, ever give up on me.”

Ch. 20

"You know you seem to have a real problem telling the difference between people and things?”

Ch. 21

“And everything I said the other day, about not giving up? It all still applies. Nothing's changed. Whatever happens. We'll figure it out. We always do. ”

Ch. 22

“Well, it’s a perk, no doubt. She invites some of us here sometimes to hang out, and of course, for such a rich guy, Jake is pretty chill. I like his vibes.”

Ch. 23

“What’s he been telling you? I don’t trust him. He’s a snake.”

I don't think I forgot anyone, but there is one character missing. It's better to leave them out at this point for spoiler-avoiding reasons, though.

I'm gently tagging @tabswrites @mysticstarlightduck @whither-wander-whump in case they would like to participate in this!

[scarareg]

For the AoT ask game:

1, 2, 7, 9, 11, 13, 18, 20, 27, 35 and 40!

1-What was your first impression of the show?

This is funny because I remember starting episode one and something interrupted me so I could not even finish the first scene. Later I tried again and the same happened! Can you believe it?

The third try is when I finally watch it and I remember thinking "We're about to experience a once-in-a-lifetime story, aren't we?" and it was! It was so well written and shocking and the animation was gorgeous,in particular I loved the eyes and the landscapes!!!

The rest is history. I also started the manga as soon as season one finished. Seeing that titan in the wall was shocking and I wanted more of Eren and the gang!

2-What did you think was in the basement?

I didn't have idea! I was like "I'm just here for the ride" but because I thought that there were humans behind the titans (because of Annie),maybe a villain organization or something similar and that they created and/or controlled the titans,so in the basement Grisha would spill the beans,that maybe he worked for them but no longer wanted and was trying to stop them and that's why he made Eren a titan holder and he would tell us some of the members of this organization (not everyone because that would be boring,we need mistery) including who are the Armored and Colossal titans

Kinda a good guess it seems ,but way out of base at the same time

7-Favorite season?

Final season part 2. I love how far out babies have come,especially Gabi. The Rumbling and the plot twist are the best so far and MAPPA has done an incredible job and I am so grateful with them for that!

9-Do you own any AOT Merch?

Yes! The Survey Corps cape,the manga 2nd & 3rd volumes I guess and a Survey Corps necklace. I want the nendoroids of everyone and Eren's key

11-In your opinion, who had the greatest glow up?

This one is hard because everyone look like models! maybe is bias but I pick Eren. He has always been so good looking and his eyes are WFDGSGDVFEGVFG but now his long hair is the cherry on the cake!

If not him, Mikasa! she is so damn pretty!

13-One thing you’d change about the story?

The only thing would be to see more of the War Hammer titan. It has such an incredible design and ability that is kinda sad that Eren did nothing with it.

18-Favorite op?

Jiyuu No Tsubasa,op 2! The animation is gorgeous ,love how the credits move along the 3d maneuver gear ,the foreshadowing to Annie,Reiner and Bert,and the song is great af,lift my spirit!

20-What was the hardest death for you?

Between Sasha and Hange,I cried hard af with both,like if a real life friend died. When the episode of Sasha's death was going to premier,I stood in front of the mirror like Eren and said " you are not going to cry again" and then I proceeded to cry XD

27-Who would you hate irl?

The obvious answer,Floch. Fuck that guy! The not-so-obvious answer is Annie and Eren,him specifically in his hobo era. I would not hate them but I think they would seem pretty unnaprochable and intimidating

35-Is there a character you really see yourself in? Why?

Maybe you would not like the answer but Armin! my soulmate. Maybe because I grew up with him, he has influenced my personality a lot, like being a pacifist, always trying to be empathetic and seeing all sides of an argument/problem, valuing intelligence. We are both underestimated by our appearance and we both make plans to get what we want.

40-How did you originally think the show would end?

Because I thought there was a villian organization,I thought they would defeat them and kill all the titans. I had a scene in my mind,now in retrospect it sounds very naive,but I imagined that the last panel would be Eren and Armin (and maybe Mikasa) finally in peace,in front of the ocean resting and happy *cries*

Thank you very much my dear! Was really,really fun to recall things of ten years ago!💕

[askvariance]

mastermind for both octave and nickle but separately

13. Mastermind – Do you have a story, memory, video etc. of yourself that you would show someone if you wanted to show them the real you?

NICKLE: The real me?

NICKLE: ...

NICKLE: Have yoooouuuuuuuu ever watched Tidalform?

VETO (from the other room): WOULD YOU LIKE TO?

NICKLE: Pffhahaha!

VETO: Is that a yes?

NICKLE: Wait, right now?

VETO: I mean, if you don't want to, I can watch it myself.

NICKLE: No I'm coming! Just hang on!

VETO: Episode nineteen–?

NICKLE: You know it's episode nineteen!

[They laugh. The troubled look in their eyes is gone, any other answers swept aside by their enthusiasm. Maybe you could ask again?]

=> ELABORATE?

[YES, ASK AGAIN] [NO]

...

OCTAVE: No.

HUBBLE: Really.

OCTAVE: Got a problem with that?

HUBBLE: You've got some contenders. Plenty of things that sum you up fast, in my experience.

[Octave scoffs, but is trying not to seem interested. Hubble continues working.]

OCTAVE: Such as?

HUBBLE: I could list out all the times you nearly passed out from sheer stubbornness, exhaustion, or blood loss.

[Octave's knife shoots past their head and disappears in a burst of flame before it hits anything. Hubble ignores it.]

OCTAVE: Eat shit.

HUBBLE: Don't ask questions if you don't want answers.

OCTAVE: I don't pass out.

HUBBLE: Your doctor disagrees.

OCTAVE: My doctor should get around to dragging their own ass out of hot water if they want to talk shit.

HUBBLE: You did it twice in the first week I knew you.

OCTAVE: After saving your damn life!

HUBBLE: I'm not denying that you might be the last one standing. Just that it's a pain in my ass.

OCTAVE: Hmph.

[They seem pleased.]

HUBBLE: I didn't take you as the type. It all seems a little vapid.

OCTAVE: The hell is THAT supposed to mean?

HUBBLE: What meaningful definition is there to a true self other than your actions?

OCTAVE: I don't need to tell a fucking story. If I wanted to show you how willing I am to hit someone with my car, I'd just hit you with my car.

HUBBLE: And then pass out from blood loss.

OCTAVE: If you keep that shit up, you'll be passing out from blood loss yourself.

[Hubble just rolls their eyes.]

OCTAVE: Not much point in going over shit that's already happened. Only matters if I can do shit then and there.

HUBBLE: Not one to rest on laurels.

OCTAVE: I'll rest when I'm in hell.

HUBBLE: My sympathies to whoever has to make you do it when you stop being my problem.

OCTAVE: As if your ass wouldn't be right down there with me.

HUBBLE: Are you implying that my punishment will be eternally being responsible for you?

[They seem genuinely perturbed by this.]

OCTAVE: What were you expecting, torture? They know you won't crack under that.

HUBBLE: It does make me wonder what miserable decisions I must have made to be doing this already. It isn't promising if hell is just more of the same.

OCTAVE: Isn't that the point?

HUBBLE: Your philosophy continues to be as fascinatingly revealing as it is morbid.

OCTAVE: It's called being right, old man.

[Octave goes back to what they were doing, but they have a troubled look in their eyes. Maybe they didn't answer the question as fully as it seemed?]

=> PURSUE FURTHER?

[PUSH YOUR LUCK] [NO, I ENJOY MY BLOOD]