drpaladin

Tour first comments were spot on, until the end. You put that one in the wrong story, Will.

It might not be about the boys. It could be about one of the parents. We've already witnessed how horrible the Farm Maid can be to her own family, now imagine what she has done to people she isn't related to. I doubt she is the perp. She causes more than enough mayhem out in the open.

It makes perfect sense to me. You definitely don't want distractions when you're being frisky. It would be like a dog jumping up on the bed only much, much smaller.

Amara doesn't usually fool Drew. I'm not sure if this happened because Amara seems more vulnerable now or if Drew is distracted and not at his best. I doubt the Farm Maid will be pleased at them ditching her choice of party dress. It's a unified act of defiance and good for them. I believe until now Aria would have been inclined to wear what she sent to try and get the love and acceptance he craves. It's a good sign he's resigned to the fact he will never get his emotional needs met by his harridin of a mother The calm of a movie binge before the big day of the party was exactly the balm the boys needed. It tired them down where they could get a good rest. It didn't help Drew much. At least Jeff got plenty of rest. They will need some edges for the game approaching. Ugly time is creeping up.

Jeff's assessment of the people behind the letters and photos is the same I've had from the beginning. This isn't simply a scare tactic or harassment. This is serious trouble. They are playing a dangerous game to continue with the party and it's a big gamble. It's risky even if they had totally unlimited resources and even though they have more resources, they aren't the unlimited kind a government would have at hand to protect a head of state. Still, if they cancelled the party, there would still be risk of blind side attacks they might not be as ready to deal with. At least here they already have extra manpower in place and will plan for possible contingencies. Jeff has fitted in well with the house dynamic. He's a bit of a party pooper on Drew with the reminders to stay professional. It's valid, but I'm not too sure it's for the best either. It's a delicate line with these boys. Drew has already gotten close and to pull back now would be damaging, probably more so than remaining close. I'm glad Jeff arranged for some counseling with some trusted professionals outside the Farm Maid's supervision. The boys need the help. The buildup to the party is getting agonizing.

Synny the synth sounds good to me.

I had the synthgar in mind too. He needs a name.

The captain needed some rest and play time and Kohen gave it to him. The quarters seem especially sparse on this commandeered ship, unlike their original one. It's like they're roughing it. What pattern has Kohen detected which no one else has seen until now? Will this unlock the secret to their enemy's downfall?

It's funny how one person being absent can change an entire group dynamic. Hannah provided a spark to the entire family. Of course, it's not just one person missing. Jamie isn't there and now Bradley is gone too. Beth insisting on taking Hannah back home was almost a given, though they won't be able to do anything more for her there than the doctors have where she was. The two girls only hope lies with M. Connor had been in a place where he only wanted to be alone. He changes his his attitude and personality using will power and finds life is much easier by being nicer and now he's virtually alone again. Good thing faithful Jack is still around. Bob and the sales job sounded very sketchy. It isn't insurance at all, but a investment opportunity. It has the feel of an illicit boiler room ponzi scheme. It's the last thing Connor needs to get involved in. He did well to hang up on false cheery Bob. If Connor is seriously going to pursue truck driving, he's starting at a deficit. He is beginning with two explainable single car accidents under his belt in close proximity to each other. Anyone looking to hire him as a truck driver will take a long, hard look at that tawdry record. A chilling thought hit me now that two of their friends are in those comas. The worst possible thing which could happen would be if the agent used those two as receptacles for souls while they are totally helpless. I hope that isn't the case. I don't believe it will happen. Julie is still pregnant and there must be some code which would block it from happening. The two are also under close supervision and any sudden waking would draw an enormous amount of unwanted attention, especially if they weren't acting normally when they woke up. I hope M has success with his plan. It is the only hope they all have going forward. It was a great chapter.