CincyKris

Thanks! I missed that part. I think I focused on the “title”. Too bad they didn’t actually use it!

I need a clarification. I thought that Joe’s scene was his grandad and great grandfather, nothing regarding Nathan. Yes?

I'm so happy Colin finally agreed to move in with Owain! He's planning for the future instead of going through the motions and just getting by. I look forward to Joe's scene being performed.

I liked the comfortable intimacy between Keith and Thomas. I tend to agree with Thomas' viewpoint regarding missionaries and charities as modern-day colonialists. It seems the more technologically advanced a nation or region is, the less cohesive the family unit is, though there are lots of exceptions. There does seem to be a correlation between "keeping the old ways" and connectedness. I say this as someone who is a "mutt" and has no "old ways" but lots of cousins with which I have little to no contact. No hard feelings, just not close.

Didn't we have a pineapple on pizza debate amongst the Krew? Mushrooms--YES, gross salty little fish--NO! Ankle biters-- they have their place, not on a pizza of course!

I wonder if the therapist who get these two will just sit there stunned or look at it as a great challenge.

I'm going to ignore the last line for a minute. I need to process. So we know where Ashlee gets her OCD from! The contrast between the Chincoteague family scenes is immense. We have the lists and over planning for a 3 day visit with Ashlee's family (although her dad seemed cool) and the warm, relaxed chaos of Felicity's family. Her mom and dad were wonderful and so obviously in love. At the welcome center we finally had some honest communication and compromise. Ashlee agreeing to much needed therapy is huge. And then the last line. Wow. I hoped that Robert could rest in peace. I fear for Felicity's mental and physical health. How Ashlee handles this will be vital.

A lot of new info here, I'm going to quote Dave: Dave said, “I’m so fucking confused. Every single hour we go on and on and on and learn new things, but so many more questions. SO MANY QUESTIONS! AHHHHHHHH!” I loved the return of Athani-Edna, but then you took her away! I hope Grey's grandma makes a reappearance in his life.

This was a short but influential trip to the realms. It looks like we are next taking a trip to the Capitol. A group effort will be needed to coordinate and execute the huge gathering. What will Morrison, Harris, et al make of the protest?

I think I'm with @drown, there is a distinction between disclosing the paranormal goings on and his own personal powers. Disclosing any of his work with RMW would not only be wrong, but dangerous. If the info got out, the shit wouldn't just hit the fan, it would hit a tornado. But his own powers presented prior to his official association with RMW, and after all, it's his own body. I think the conversation with Mike in this chapter shows that Mike would be able to accept Jamie's powers and his need for secrecy regarding his work. But perhaps it would not be as easy for Jamie. Maybe the internal struggle with ethics over following regulations is an indication that Jamie needs a black and white boundary, rather than a gray line of distinction. Regardless, he seems to be in a better state of mind after the conversation (and the sex), hopefully the nightmares will cease.

So Mark is Osiris, the green god of fertility and Clara is Sekhmet, the lioness god of war and healing. I wonder if Chronos will be able to fiddle with time to help them find Mark? I'm looking forward to the showdown with Grey's cursed pack, even if he is not.

Totally aware of how he received his powers. But how many people have latent or unawakened powers? Is it just a giant coincidence that it was Jamie who was on patrol that night? What if it had been Nam? Also, some of his superiors know something weird happened, they saw the video. Do any of them, especially Mwangi, know about people with special powers.

How do we know Mike doesn't have latent superpowers? How do we know any of them don't? This all started because Jamie happened to see RMW's speeding car and took chase. Was it just coincidence or chance?

It’s not who he has disclosed info to, but who he has not. His staging the crime scene and lying to his superiors already has him off the rails regarding regulations. I’m not saying he should have told them, because RMW was right about the consequences of disclosing the paranormal stuff. But using “regulations” as an excuse to not tell Mike, is akin to cafeteria religion. Only picking and choosing the regulations which suit him, ignoring the ones that don’t.

But he has not followed "guidelines and legal boundaries" on any of the paranormal aspects of his current situation. He has only disclosed info to RMW.

You said: Technically though, alcohol is just a drug like ecstasy or cannabis. It is just that somebody declared one legal and the others not. I think is only legal, because prohibition cannot be enforced. Alcohol is too easy to manufacture. Religions have tried controlling sex and drugs for millennia. People will always fuck, and people will always get hammered. There will never be a drug free society. My issue with this is that pills could have anything in them. As an officer, he has surely seen people OD on pills containing chemicals the user did not expect (like fentanyl). He is risking his life by taking street drugs, this is not what we would have expected from this character at the beginning of the story. However, I think it does fit in with his current mindset. As I'm sure its become obvious to you, we all think Jamie is making a mistake by not telling Mike his whole story. It's become obvious to me from your responses to our comments, that you have no intention of this happening soon. I hope it's because you have a hell of a confrontation when Mike finds out! Great chapter!

Whenever he feels bad about not telling Mike the truth, he quotes RMW "nobody must ever know" to himself, it's his mantra. How about you listen to yourself and your gut instead of RMW? Jamie needs to ask himself who he trusts most in life. If the answer is not Mike, why is he living with him? Whoever is directing the entities needs one of them to kill a person missing a leg and a mentally disabled person to achieve exactly what? The opening of a portal? For what purpose? If they can figure out the endgame maybe they can find the evil culprit.

Hmmm, fairly recent addition (one year), no fantasy, no mystery, no poetry. I'm going to have to think on this one.

Lots of progress here! So, if they get the adjoining property, will they have one very large flat or will they rent it out? Maybe to Beau and Skye?

I think if I was visiting the realm, I would have a hard time topping "I rode on and talked to a dragon".

I think that Owain hit upon Mhairi's problem, she's used to doing everything for Joe, treating him like the young teen he used to be. He is quite mature and self sufficient when left to his own devices. I'm not sure if allowing his father ranting time is worth getting info on his grandad and great grandad.

Well Clara is neither green nor male, but she does have quite a way with plants! At this point in their journey, they will be leaping through that passage. We now have the wolf god of the underworld, the sun, and the god of fertility and vegetation. I wonder what Mark will be when they find him?

I always Google things I'm unfamiliar with, I learn so much from reading stories from international authors. Although I've read so many UK and Australian authors, I'm already familiar with most of the Brit and Aussie speak. Just the other day I learned from @Mac Rountree new story that there is a British dialect still being spoken by residents in the Outer Banks in North Carolina! Who knew?! I greatly prefer authentic language rather than "dumbing it down" for the masses.

I've been binge reading this today, enjoying the comments almost as much as the story. I was disappointed with the twin Zach/Jackson twist, it was just a little too unlikely. Especially since Zach was described as black during Dylan's and Jackson's conversation after the Applebees date. But you have redeemed yourself with this outlandish and dastardly twist. Great chapter. This is better than a telanovela!

We perhaps learned RMW's power: Only when I touch one can I find out who sent it.” This works on humans, I'm assuming, but has he tried it on entities?