IBEX

Red flag! Guys like Rico I see as incredible dangerous. Takers…and when things get dicey they turn on you, blame you for assaulting and corrupting them. (Not that Latino families are all good conservative, catholic homophobes, but there could even be an added cultural layer to potential conflict issues) But Rico‘s father is familiar with his team colleagues, and well liked, right?

Oh, the enhanced rash is only for good old Chase! For Bernie though… I’m sure we can agree more aggressive creativity is required here!

Very ballsy, but sensible to put out his sexuality upfront. I’m so rooting for the tough little hero. And I wish an eternally oozing rash and itch on his erstwhile „friend „!

I’ll switch to USS ZODIAC now, and patiently wait for further news from the Silver Boar!

While it’s not actually triggering in me, and doesn’t touch any personal experience, I found LIII onwards immensively oppressive. Hard to breathe. I need a hiatus. Never happened before. It’s just frightening and deeply unsettling on a very primal level. Excellent writing!

„The Reverend droned on about Sodom, about the fire and the salt, but his words were having the opposite of their intended effect. He wasn't suppressing the atmosphere; he was naming it. By calling it out, he was making it real, giving it a shape and a thrilling, forbidden legitimacy“ I find this a very striking observation. I heard about sins of the flesh, impure thoughts and all that in a catholic primary school. Back then that was probably 5-8 years before I would hear or learn anything more about such matters. Of course I would not understand any of that at all tender age. Only that fire and brimstone would rain upon me for sins i had neither concept nor understanding of. Mind you, that was decades before internet. So any knowledge and understanding could only come from conversations at home, and with equally clueless kids in school. So our minds got indelibly warped, years before we understood anything about love, sex, carnality… but carry some remnants of guilt, of wrongdoing possibly to this day, whenever we engage in pleasurable, consensual activity.

So the acting Captain endured an enacted channeling by the acting Doctor for no apparent scientific purpose. Indeed, there was mayhaps a subconscious pararomantic motive involved. We’ve not been told the full finger count of the whole author-anxiety reducing action. We shall make notes. And inform the analyst. Reproductibility will be added as further quality to the established edibility of said Captain. The pilot shall be instructed. Equal measures should be taken in the engine bay. The department‘s head‘s posterior elasticity and precise friction coefficiency should be made public record with subspace alacrity.

Next time take Vex along Park. With so many eyes and teeth - he might just gnaw them a path to extraction!

If only this synopsis of a late twentieth century TV executive vision of leathered bikinied Amazones had been available by the end of the last millennium! It would have saved mankind from needlessly watching decades of third rate space explorers‘ tales! It’s all in here. Boney knifes, temples, and beans. Bags of beans. And bunnies.

Oh, and send the Ensign to my quarters. For … instructions. Yes, instruction. And start Vex on a steady diet of beans. It’s protein.

Liam is expressing Gremlin characteristics. Although he is purportedly human. So there’s a difference. We have to watch that one closely. And the beans. Always the beans. And keep the cleaning supplies handy. Hollis is prone to splatter. Behind the mop and bucket, one might actually discover a hidden stash of real coffee. Just saying. Surviving is important. But coffee is importanter.

The dice is cast. The decisive fuck happened- finally! Wedding bells in the offing. So there’s only the minor issue of the Calder challenge in the way. Years of elite service make Austin a good strategist. Removing soft targets / innocents from the island before the fight, removes distractions and liabilities for the smaller, but dedicated fighting force to defy Calder.

All these clues confusing the feeble minds! So the footprint likely rules out Catus or any lightfooted student fo that. Do we know if the twins share a room, and possibly secrets? Who other than the obviously rather flustered librarian - an agent of the institution - knew of the book, it‘s possible importance, and Lawrence‘s request for it? Anton all but implied Lawrence had already someone else’s property „on loan“ - what does he know, or strongly suspect?

It looks like the notebook was indeed Luke‘s. And we‘re moving into Umberto Eco‘s Name of the Rose territory! Verifiably guarding secrets, with invisible people, never leaving the premises…

Musings of a lazy mind… the only reasonable murder - as in accident - would have been drowning. Any larger wound would be more than suspicious. A minor cut makes little sense, unless poison is involved. Or a few days of limping are intended for Lawrence - which would be quite big an effort just to inconvenience him for a short while. Equally as a warning - of what? Warn him off what exactly? Mysteries galore! This chapter re-informed am earlier suspicion of mine: all know, at least now, that Bastian writes a a journal. Could there have been dangerous observation written down? Potentially devastations if becoming public knowledge? Was Lukas killed for being suspected in stealing, or hiding it from/for Bastian? What is Lawrence so quickly suspected of to make him a target in this funny lake business? All these questions confusing my lazy mind…

This is so not Xavier! Austin…ok. He’s emotionally a bit stunted, and stubborn on top. Xavier is scared shitless, though, and watches the pack slowly disintegrate. So there’s that. But why haven’t they mated yet? A good wolfey bitey might well help along!

The best analysis of the psychology of patrols I’ve ever read / heard!

Decades later, and as an officer - I’m not so sure any longer I’d buy into that. A very complex question, possibly deeply personal - different from the wider political discourse, but certainly not part of this poignant story.

This story vividly brings back memories long since considered forgotten. Different region. Different protocols. Exact same thing regardless.

Captivating. So well written, I can taste their feelings.

I feel like I need a family tree already. More names in the first 5hree paragraphs than my little mind can handle.

If Tag and Bert pool resources, they can outbid Zane. But how would they split/manage Eric‘s home and legacy? Put Eric in charge? Would Zane not be furious and react irrational when outbid - by his own, if exiled son? Would he mayhaps get on the phone and overextend his resources to desperately make the bid, for pride, and his unquenched thirst for more power? … would he throw in the parcels he doesn’t really own, in the heat of the moment, as collateral - only for it all blowing up in his face quite spectacularly?

Can’t wait for the next part! Love the machinations and intrigue! Lots of powerful women on our heroes‘ side!

You had me at the judgmental looking destrier!

When, and where, did “Mannly“ come in?