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oldtvlover · 2 years

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So, today the start of the comedy series Almost Home from 1993 and I've decided to split it into four days. Cast (all episodes): Connie Ray - Millicent Torkelson Olivia Burnette - Dorothy Jane Torkelson Lee Norris - Chuckie Lee Torkelson Rachel Duncan - Mary Sue Torkelson Brittany Murphy - Molly Morgan Jason Marsden - Gregory Morgan and Perry King - Brian Morgan and many more guest stars lol Overview: Having a hard time making ends meet after her divorce, Millicent Torkelson moves her three children to Seattle, where she becomes the nanny to the spoiled Morgan children.

Episode 1: After the Torkelsons move away from Oklahama, they settle in with the Morgans. Well, the kids immediately try to use the new ones to their advantages and it gives trouble with the parents. Brian Morgan works hard and therefore needs the nanny, Mrs. Torkelson but as it seems, she has to raise him as well, because he lets his kids get away with a lot or better, Molly and Gregory have their Dad under control. But with the Torkelsons, there are some changes, yet Molly and Dorothy Jane are in a constant competition whereas Gregory uses the younger Torkelsons to do his chores. Episode 2: Dorothy Jane has gotten a job at a Chicken company in a mall and is in love with her boss. When Molly sees him as well, she hires there as well and both start to compete over him but to their surprise, he already has a girlfriend. Dorothy Jane tries to be like Molly but even that ends in a water fight. Brian gets sick and uses Millicent as his nurse, much to her annoyance and not much later, she sends soda over his stomach but it doesn't have any consequence. The girls, however, realize to be just themselves. Episode 3: Chuckie Lee comes home with broken glasses and decides to change a bit since they are now in a big city. Gregory takes care of it. Dorothy Jane answers the phone which turns out to be the date for Molly. After all come home, Millicent decides to have a real supper with all sitting at the table but that doesn't work with the Morgans. Even two of her own kids refuse. Getting to the door, she sees that Molly's date is a college boy, she forbids her to go. However, Molly and Dorothy Jane flee from the house to the college guys where they turn the table around on a game. When Brian comes home a second time, Millicent is in a baking mood and tells him the truth about the date. Instantly, they race there and ground their daughters. Chuckie Lee is still trying to find out which outfit suits him best.

Episode 4: Molly crashes her Dad's car into the house. Dorothy Jane offers her room to sleep together and get to know each other better, yet Molly snores. However, Brian goes out with a friend Tiffany but Molly doesn't like her. Brian promises to be back by midnight but isn't, making Molly anxious. Dorothy Jane decides to take drastic measures for Molly's snoring and throws water over her, so Millicent has to play peacemaker for both girls until Brian comes home - with destroyed trousers, by a dog. Millicent is shocked when in the early morning she realizes that Molly snores. Episode 5: Dorothy Jane tutors Kevin, the star athlete of the school, in poetry. Millicent has problems with teaching Molly and Gregory values but Brian has no power over his kids. Dorothy Jane is all of a sudden the popular girl. Something she doesn't like but decides to break up with Kevin, yet at the last moment she has different thoughts. Brian is shocked to see his son clean up and more and appreciates Millicent's work. Guest star: Ben Affleck as Kevin Episode 6: Chuckie Lee brings the school's pet home, a snake, scaring anyone. Brian has an important dinner but is without a date. As a last resort, he turns to Millicent Torkelson and asks her. Both insist to their kids it's not a date but well, it is. Dorothy Jane helps her mother get dressed and that earns some earned glances from the men in the house. Dorothy Jane is left in charge of the house but there's still a party going on. They only can get all out until Chuckie Lee misses his snake. Lord Harrington is hard to convince but he's working on Millicent's butt what she doesn't like at all. Only at home, she tells Brian the truth and he admits to like her too while both are making hot chocolate - and then the snake crawls on the table. Guest star: Jared Leto as Rick

Episode 7: Brian's kid brother Jim comes for a visit and he asks his brother if he's interested in Millicent. Brian says he's not, yet still they start a competition who takes her out. Jim wins at their tennis match. At night, Dorothy Jane and Brian wait impatiently. When they return, Jim and Millicent kiss what Brian walks right into. In the morning, Brian lets his temper play but Jim wants more with Millicent, making his brother more jealous. They even bet on her on a basketball match which Brian wins. All kids tell Millicent this, making her taking Brian to the kitchen where they at first fight but then kiss. Whoohoo! Episode 8: The grade reports are coming in. Molly tries her best but her Dad doesn't accept it. In order to make her father proud, she copies Dorothy Jane's book report, making her angry now. Dorothy Jane tells her mother who tries to make her understand why Molly reacts this way. At least, Dorothy Jane suggests that Molly should read a book herself and this is "Jane Eyre". Gregory has his tick with the hidden camera but it backfires. Molly tries once more and Brian can accept his daughter the way she is. Episode 9: Molly and Dorothy Jane share the same birthday. Both are turning 16. Brian decides to put both parties together but Millicent doesn't like it. She tells him so. Well, Dorothy Jane is happy with her family but secretly wishes to be out with Molly who celebrates on the backyard. Brian and Millicent dispute, yet the girls enjoy their birthdays. Gregory hires an escort lady what his Dad finds out but Chuckie Lee is the great winner here. When the girls discuss it in their room, Dorothy Jane sounded like her Mom about materials and feelings on a birthday. Episode 10: It's the Girls' Choice Dance. Molly and Dorothy Jane ask for dates and Sam(antha) asks Gregory after some talking with Millicent. Brian has to leave the supervision on the dance to Millicent, because he has an important meeting on a short notice. Chuckie Lee tries to be a magician - but fails on the handcuffs on Molly and Dorothy Jane. So, the four of them, Mary Sue included, are forced to go to the dance as well. Brian saves Millicent from an annoying teacher because his meeting got cancelled while Gregory finally asks Sam. In the end, each find their suitable dance partner: Molly and Dorothy Jane still handcuffed with a guy, Chuckie Lee with his Mom and Brian with Mary Sue. Guest star: Alyson Hannigan as Sam

Episode 11: Chuckie Lee wants to play his new song on a violine but everyone's busy. Molly, Dorothy Jane and Gregory ask for cars and driver's permit while Brian looks for a young male model for his collection. He finds it in Chuckie Lee and asks Millicent to be there with him. The catalogue went well and so it goes to a commercial where Chuckie Lee tastes the product and from then on, it goes down. At home, after coming out of the car finally, everyone assures Chuckie Lee how special he is and he plays his song to all. Guest star: Cristine Rose as the director of the commercial Episode 12: Dorothy Jane, Molly, Gregory and Sam are trying to get tickets for a rock concert but they are sold out, yet all four are watched by Millicent at night. Brian tries then to make breakfast in the morning but fails miserably. The kids are still trying to get tickets and Gregory uses his Dad's credit card what Brian finds out as he called about it. He grounds his son but Millicent points out that Gregory looks up to his Dad and more. Yet Brian still is trying to cook while Millicent helps. It ends in a disaster and all go to Chicken Hat, surprising everyone there. Tommy Tom is there too, writing his songs and finds out about the trouble the family had and so he invites them to the concert. Brian reminds Gregory that he's still grounded - after the concert. Guest star: Alyson Hannigan as Sam Episode 13: Chuckie Lee walks into the bathroom to see Molly naked and Millicent is forced to talk about sex with her son. Well, after some trouble she enlists Brian's help for this and the two 'men' talk. From then on, Brian is Chuckie Lee's role model which even later turns out that Chuckie Lee asks Brian to bowl instead of his Mom (who is a champion at bowling, btw). Both Brian and Millicent question their qualities as parents, with being both to their kids. Right in the middle of the tournament, Brian hurts his back and he and Millicent switch places, making them the winner team. At home, Chuckie Lee acknowledges what a good Mom he has and Millicent teases Brian about his injury - until she realizes it's real, yet Brian promises to be back soon - and he is. lol

Thoughts: Nice to see Perry King in a comedy series. Unfortunately, it didn't last long. All episodes are available on Youtube!!

Almost Home is the second season to The Torkelsons.

#almost home #1993 #TV series #connie ray #olivia burnette #lee norris #rachel duncan #brittany murphy #jason marsden #perry king #ben affleck #jared leto #alyson hannigan #short-lived #two families to one #spoiled kids #forming a family #mother vs father

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howifeltabouthim · 2 years

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. . . her brief joy still smouldering, fear and panic again at hand.

Iris Murdoch, from The Philosopher’s Pupil

#short-lived #joy #fear #panic #hello darkness my old friend #fragment #anxiety #quotes #lit #words #excerpts #quote #literature #iris murdoch #the philosopher's pupil

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dearotome · 2 years

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Short-Lived

That relief was short-lived. Lol. Good luck!

#Short-Lived #otome entry #Dairoku: Agents of Sakuratani

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wordfieldguide · 7 months

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#vocabulary #wordfieldguide #ephemeral #words #short-lived #elton john #adjective

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cavenewstimes · 8 months

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America's Short-Lived Safety Net Has Almost Fully Unraveled

Editorial / September 15, 2023 The American Rescue Plan developed unmatched programs securing moms and dads and young kids, tenants, and child care companies. Now they are practically totally gone. When Joe Biden took workplace, he didn’t simply take aggressive actions to include the Covid-19 pandemic; through the American Rescue Plan, signed into law in March 2021, he wove together among the…

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#America’s #Short-Lived

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dailymanners · 2 months

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Always use "excuse me" if you have to get into someone else's personal space.

Someone at the store is standing in front of the shelf where there's a can you want to grab? Don't just reach into their personal space without warning, say "excuse me" or "pardon my reach" first so that they at least have a warning that someone is about to reach into their personal space, and most importantly, so that they have a chance to move before you get into their space.

Or if someone is standing on a walkway or in a doorway you need to get through, don't just silently shove past them or squeeze past them, say "excuse me" so that they have a warning that a someone is about to squeeze or shove into their personal space, and they have a chance to move out of the way before you do you.

People deserve a fair warning if someone is about to squeeze or shove or reach into their personal space. A lot of people are not okay with having someone, but especially a stranger, randomly shove or squeeze or reach into their personal space without warning. They also deserve a chance to move out of the way first for the sake of their comfort.

Try to avoid just staring at people who are in your way and expecting them to read your mind that you want them to move. Most people cannot, in fact, read minds, so having someone stand in front of them and stare at them often only leads to making them feel uncomfortable and frustrated.

But also more importantly, if you are standing somewhere someone needs to get to, and they say excuse me, you should move aside for them even if just temporarily, so they can avoid the discomfort of having to reach into your personal space or squeeze past you.

If someone is saying "excuse me" it's because they would like you to move because they don't want to have to get into your personal space, whether it's out of respect for you, or just because they themselves are not comfortable getting in your personal space.

All of this goes double for people with trauma and/or people who are neurodivergent. If someone has trauma related to abuse or assault they may find it more upsetting or possibly triggering to suddenly have someone shoving or reaching in their personal space without warning.

Or, many types of neurodivergence can make it especially disturbing and unpleasant to have someone else in your personal space, especially without warning.

You can never be 100% sure who is and isn't traumatized and/or neurodivergent, so always practice respecting other's personal space by giving them a fair warning with "excuse me" or "pardon my reach" before getting in their personal space, and moving aside when you hear those magic words. Or, even if someone isn't traumatized nor neurodivergent, it's still fair to not like someone in your personal space without warning and not being given the opportunity to move first.

#manners #politeness #courtesy #good manners #etiquette #I'm so sorry I really tried to make this one shorter I really did #I trimmed the fat as much as I could but this was as short as I could bring myself to make it #Where I live most people will just shove into your personal space without saying anything #or just stare at you until you get the hint and move #and I hate it so much #Especially because I am both neurodivergent and have PTSD so I really hate people staring at me and/or shoving in my personal space

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badromancelover-blog · 11 months

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Short Lived Feelings that Linger...

We do so much to try a fill this void within ourselves. All this constant search for something that resembles heaven – for a feeling of being home. Chasing of our careers, falling in love, raising children, following our dreams, giving charity – all in the search of a home, a familiarity of heaven. These souls weren’t meant for this world. There weren’t meant for the pain, the suffering – only…

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#bloglife #breathe #control #energy #fear #feelingsthatlinger #flowdontforce #legitgo #livelovelaugh #lorriediaries #oceans #short-lived #surfthefeeling #theego #Waves

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beinganautismgirl · 7 months

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This all the damn time!

#autism #living with autism #actually autistic #autistic adult #adhd #adhd brain #audhd #adhd adult #short term memory #long term memory

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loriache · 21 days

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"I've been waiting for ages for somebody to unmask them."

This moment tends to elicit negative reactions in a first read through, and I've got some opinions about why where Kabru is coming from here actually makes a lot of logical sense. So I thought I'd elaborate on that.

I think people hear this and go, "He thinks they must be hiding something because they gave money to someone? What a cynic." Or "he dislikes them because they did charity?? What's wrong with this guy!". And obviously, a lot, a lot is wrong with him. But I think this makes more sense than it seems at first glance! What people evaluating this judgement miss is why Kabru is paying attention to Laios and co to begin with.

Kabru knows of the Touden siblings because (he's a little bit of a stalker-) he is keeping an eye on all the relevant parties in events developing on the island, in order to be able to guide them to his preferred outcome. This includes adventurers because they are the ones actually exploring the dungeon! He's well aware that something as minor as internal tensions between party members could be key to the historical events that are developing. (He would love the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand.)

His desired outcome is that whatever the rewards are of breaking the dungeon's curse, whether that's kingship or the ancient elven secrets of dungeons, are claimed by:

A) a short lived person

B) Someone who will be a good, effective leader and/or use those secrets and the power they carry wisely, with foresight, and to establish a political bloc for short lived people.

The person he can best trust to do this is, of course, himself. But due to his PTSD regarding dungeons and monsters, he's not able to develop the necessary skills to conquer the dungeon. Once he realises this, he starts looking for someone else who he can support to that end.

But most of the adventurers don't have any intentions of conquering the dungeon, don't have the skills, or are unsuitable in other ways. In fact, it seems like some potentially suitable people are the Toudens. There are a lot of good rumours about them going around - they actually seem to have a very positive reputation! That's what Kabru means when he says "unmask".

So when Kabru is observing something like them giving money to an old comrade from their gold-peeling days, he doesn't consider it a problem because "they're giving money to this person who doesn't actually need it" or because they must have some dark secret if they act superficially nice. I think he actually understands this situation and what it implies about Laios (in particular) perfectly well.

Laios and Falin gave money to an old comrade who got injured and couldn't work. That person then healed up but kept taking their money. Then he used the money to start smuggling illicit goods to the island.

The key is that for Kabru, the problem here is the same as with the corpse retrievers - people using the dungeon's resources to fuel dangerous, selfish, or violent pursuits cause problems for the island, attract more criminals and people with motives other than breaking the curse, and increase the chances of the whole situation ending in tragedy.

Kabru is willing to work with the Shadow Lord of the island if it gets him to his goal - he isn't scrupulous - but the criminal element of the island increasing is something he sees as a major issue.

Also, when you're evaluating someone as a candidate for power, riches, secrets, potentially kingship - then being curious about how the money you give to people is going to be used is kind of a relevant trait!

Interpersonally, Kabru's actually very easygoing - I mean, Mickbell isn't exactly an upstanding guy, is he! But Kabru likes him and they get along well. These traits wouldn't be a problem at all in a friend, or a comrade, or someone Kabru was confident he could use. But he can't get a handle on Laios, and Laios is someone who has the potential to be a major player!

On Laios' end, this is the same as with the marriage seeker who joined their party. She kept asking for things and he gave them to her, because he tries to be nice to others. He even gives her money! It's the exact same thing.

That's fine, but it became a problem because he basically wasn't interested in her motives, didn't notice she was trying to manipulate him, and it also didn't occur to him that the other party members would notice or be affected. We can assume the situation with the gold peeler is the same. When Kabru says that "It's not that they're bad people, they just aren't interested in humans," he isn't wrong.

The extent to which this is true of Laios is linked to his autism imo, (because it isn't just disinterest - he genuinely isn't able to notice nonverbal cues that people are lying to him or have ulterior motives) but to a greater or lesser extent I think it's a very common trait. Most people aren't actually that interested in other people who aren't close to them. Kabru is the weird one here. It isn't an issue except as a leader - which is why we see an immediate comparison to the Island's Lord, because that's how Kabru is evaluating them.

And disinterest in/lack of ability with people to the extent Laios exhibits it, it does, actually, make him a worse leader... it's just that as we see in the story, people can help him out. The rest of the party tell him the marriage seeker is taking advantage of him so he tells her he can't give her special treatment anymore. They're pissed and it's a crisis point - he couldn't have recovered their trust without Marcille and Falin - but that's exactly the point. With Marcille and Falin, he was able to recover their trust.

And he has other good traits that make up for it, such as his intelligence, strategic knowledge, open-mindedness and sense of fairplay.

Kabru doesn't disqualify Laios as a candidate based on what he sees about him from afar, though - he still tries very hard to get close to him, obviously hoping that if he manages he can steer Laios to defeat the dungeon and make up for his lack of people-skills in the aftermath. (Which... he does eventually achieve that goal!) He completely fails until the events of the story, so... definitely I think "They just aren't interested in humans" could also partially be a stung reaction to Laios' complete disinterest in him.

Anyway, that's my read on what exactly Kabru's "issue" with Laios is. Obviously, once he does find out what Laios' true nature is like - about his love for monsters - he develops an entirely new set of fears about Laios' priorities. But since Laios kept that a secret until the start of the story, he has no idea of that yet.

Given all that, I think it's interesting that he says that he doesn't think that the Toudens are suitable to defeat the dungeon, and that he's hoping they'll turn out to be the thieves. As some of his few potential candidates, people who he thinks may play a big role in the island's future, you'd think he'd hope they would be good people!

I suppose it's better, in his eyes, because it means that he's involved in something "interesting". They haven't just had their stuff stolen by regular criminals (boring, puts them further away from his goal) - they've been caught up in the beginning stages of "a historic event". The desperate and dwindling group forgetting morals in their quest to retrieve their lost comrade probably appeals to his sense of melodrama. Because he also just... loves drama.

Despite it being "uglier than anything he was expecting", he still pursues Laios as the person he wants to conquer the dungeon pretty much as soon as it becomes clear that he won't be able to do it himself and they are out of time. That's because... well, to be fair, there aren't any other options. And he fits standard A: he's short-lived!

and Kabru still hopes he can fit standard B, too, and be persuaded to use the power he wins for good. No matter how many nightmares he has about Laios, or whether he thinks about killing him. He doubts him, but ultimately he puts his faith in him and seems happy after the manga's ending that he made the right decision.

#dungeon meshi #dungeon meshi manga spoilers #dungeon meshi meta #kabru of utaya #laios touden #labru #laios x kabru #dunmeshi #og post #kabru is such a big picture thinker. and he evaluates people more than he judges them imo #the hater jokes are funny but the people he judges most harshly arent laios and co. they're people like the island's lord.#but you don't see that as clearly because he isn't interested in the island's lord. he understands him. finds him contemptible but useful.#whereas laios lives in his brain rent free because he WANTS to understand him but doesnt quite.#even though he sees the elves as a major threat to his ultimate goals and dislikes the way they treat short lived races #he still understands and evaluates mithrun as an individual based on his own merits #he's one of the characters who is least judgemental in that sense because while he's always making judgements and evaluations #he's also constantly revising them whenever he gets more information #my beautiful machiavellian prince <3 #it's genuinely a really laudable way of understanding others imo.#the only problem is that because he's driven towards his goals by his PTSD and survivors guilt #he pushes himself into situations (the dungeon and also interpersonally) that trigger him or even just upset him #without regard for what he authentically wants or his own wellbeing.

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aceouttatime · 1 year

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Short-Lived: .01 The Humdrums and the Noteworthy Next Chapter: .02 Dinner With Archie 2465 words TW: Mentions of alcoholism, alludes to depression

Synopsis:

Five months into the Gaelis case, I found an anonymous note on my desk; had I known at the time what damned rabbit hole I’d be led down, I would have given it more than a second thought. My price to pay may have been small in comparison, but my role in the case had become quite a bit larger.

The first thing people tended to notice about my crowded little office was this potent staleness in the air that I’d never found an issue with. Perhaps it’s the deteriorating binding of the tired books tucked away on their shelves. Maybe it’s this building itself–it hadn’t changed a bit in the few years I’d passed it. Either way, I’d given up keeping the windows open to air out the place. It’s too much of a hassle nowadays.

Still, it wasn’t as if the place was without cherish. The oversized double window across the way from the door was overtaken by a good few hanging and potted plants, most of which I kept healthy enough–healthier than myself, at least. What sort of man my age was already dealing with an achy back? It cracked as I pulled my shoulders back, eyeing the rest of the space. A big, oaken desk of drawers to my right greeted me with an array of utensils scattered across its surface. A worn, ruddy-patterned rug took up most of the middle of the room. A pull-out couch that looked old enough to have been in the office since it was built sagged warmly to my left.

Oh, yes, and the lamps. I had a thing for lamps. The overhead light was left abandoned if I could help it.

I took a great whiff of that dusty air as I shut the door behind me. The sun had already taken to casting a glare on my glasses. Late morning. The rest of it had been wasted in a weekly meeting with my colleagues on the Gaelis case–really, an email or two would’ve sufficed, considering the event itself consisted of little besides tense pleasantry.

The Gaelis case had been my primary source of investigation for a decent amount of time now. It was, put simply, the most severe and enigmatic case of disappearances the country had seen in the past decade: 34 missing in the past month investigated and over 200 in the past year. They were seemingly random disappearances spread throughout Brooklyn. The victims had little in common besides the general area they’d been last seen and their stage in life–almost half were college-age, attending one of the few nearby universities. That was about as far as conclusive evidence had gotten my unit.

Personally, I believed they were drugged somehow–Benzodiazepines, or something even stronger, like the rising Xyzlazine, could be at play. It wasn’t even entirely known if the orchestration was carried out by the same people or whether this was a case of multiple unrelated parties. My suspicions indicated the former, though a gut feeling wasn’t anything to go off of. Moreso, the lack of evidence as compared to other cases was what gave me that confidence.

It really was as if these people had disappeared into thin air.

I had initially been assigned solely to the case of Stanley Gaelis’ disappearance. However, as the connected cases arose, my partner and I were unwittingly promoted to head the investigation. Ah, yes, and that was without so much as mentioning the societal backlash to it all. My reputation was actively rusting.

“Young, academic prodigy promoted early from Officer to youngest-ever Lieutenant Detective after showing promise and prowess in the field.�� Pish. Now I was nothing but a poor hire, according to the positively shortsighted Chief of Detectives.

The media was a hindrance and, frankly, made the lot of us investigators out to be fools. And our “apparent inaction” was scorned with more vigor than it ever had. It was bullshit. It got to me more than it should’ve. Possibly I was being harsh, but late nights began to stretch longer now, and my patience grew at a slower pace.

But, most importantly, people were still missing. And, without identifying and incarcerating the culprit, or more likely, culprits, the situation would only escalate. Families would lose parents, lovers would lose partners, and folks would lose lives.

It weighed on me heavily, that guilt. So I kept at it, nose to the grindstone. Planning dispersions of investigative teams, reviewing reports, and conducting my own research. And yet, despite it all, the missing persons allegations continued to pile up. It was maddening.

Even my partner, Lovelace, had seemed put out. And that woman had more ardor than most. My sister used to insist it was fate that we’d ended up stuck working together so often and that she balanced me out. Made up for me being a, may I quote, “string bean of a man with a stick up his arse.” I’d yet to come up with a suitable response to that besides a scoff.

I thought about her too often these days.

I worked, and my paperwork blurred to monotonous gray.

…

“Okeanoú.”

The knock, expected as it was, didn’t spare me from the deep exhale that rattled through me post-flinch. I knew those three successive raps. The sun shone dimly on the swaying pothos. It took me a second to catch my breath.

“Sylvan, we need to talk.”

I wasn’t given the common courtesy of chosen privacy, the sharp click of heels and protesting wail of hinges grating my ears. Lovelace, while I held her dear to my heart, took our friendship to mean that my office was a shared space. It was not. I glanced over my shoulder, and she’d already found a place behind my chair to rest her elbows.

Lovelace was an open sort, a bit loud in her speech and bold in her stance. She was only just shorter than I with these dark, owlish eyes that bored into a person’s soul. Analyzing. It was unnerving, even after all these years, the way she stared. I’d never been one for eye contact. Or…whatever sort of close contact she was initiating now.

We’d been close for far longer than the duration of the case itself. In some ways, I acquiesced to the occasional prod that we were something of an old, married couple, bickering in the most strange of manners. In others, the metaphor of a married couple couldn’t be further from the truth. At least the thought was humorous.

Still, she was a warm presence otherwise. I could almost convince myself I minded the company but fell short. The look on my face must’ve been humorous, too, as a flash of a smile caught the edge of my vision.

“Tamia. To what do I owe the pleasure?” I tsked, flicking up my glasses a touch higher on my nose. “I can’t imagine you’ve anything left to add that wasn’t already discussed in excruciating detail this morning.” Part of that was an exaggeration. Part of it was entirely true.

Now that got an actual chuckle out of her. “And I thought you’d already used up all of your venom in that very same meeting. You never cease to surpass expectations, Syl.” Tamia gave my left shoulder a gentle flick, setting down a few manilla folders beside me. “I will say, though, I’d appreciate it if our colleagues weren’t so…long-winded. And, before you say it, I know, ‘that’s rich coming from me.’”

Her little dimples came out. I didn’t find it in me to laugh, but still, I relaxed back in my chair, eyeing up the stack of what I could only assume were more documents for me to go through. Scheduling, perhaps, or more likely, reports on investigations that had led to nil. Part of me missed the fieldwork.

“More paperwork, I’m assuming?”

Pursed lips smirked, but something about it was off. “Maybe. But don’t let yourself slog through that just yet.” She let out a loose sigh, shoulders sagging as she bent down a touch. My brow quirked, and I spun my chair. She caught my hand, hers dark and warm on my pale, ghostly own. “Do you have a minute?”

I didn’t care for the cushion in her voice. This had been coming. I just hoped it hadn’t.

“Sylvan. Hey, look at me, would you? Please?” She knelt, took my hand, and I didn’t have the heart to stop her. Begrudgingly, I complied. There were grooves above her brows, and I didn’t know how I’d missed it, but her eyes were marred by rose. “Are you alright?”

God, the way my body stiffened was not something I was proud of. Tamia made no tell of noticing.

“Lovelace-”

Her gaze hardened, sharp as tempered steel. “It’s been a year now, Sylvan; you’re still…you’re still quiet. You’re hungover. You’re skin and bones, and it’s- it’s not healthy, what you’re doing to yourself. Throwing yourself into your work like you’re some kind of…some kind of machine. You’re human, Syl. People grieve. People grow.” The empty shot glass on my desk was a suncatcher, dispersing prisms of yellowed rainbows on her blouse, her neck. They looked like healed-over scars and twinkled like harsh starlight, stale and serene and mocking. “I’m hurting too. I doubt the hurt will ever fade completely, but I’m trying to move past it.

“And I’m damn afraid that y- I’m worried for you.” Her voice broke a little, just at the tail end, clumsy. I felt a grimace pull my lips back. She took my other hand. She squeezed them both.

I closed my eyes. It was today, the twenty-first. Just past the equinox. There was still snow on the ground–the slushy, slurry kind of muck that poured down like heavy rain. It was cold enough that it had started to freeze again over the bridges but sat in dreary puddles in the ditches. I pulled my hands away and knit my fingers together. Lined up rows of cars. A drunk driver. An accident on the highway. My sister and I had been driving home from the hospital, her still in her scrubs, the ones with the lilac print like Mum’s. She’d been worried she was too exhausted after a double shift to drive home alone, and I was working a late night anyhow. I picked her up in the Accord. No warning, no reason, just chance.

“That’s enough.”

A few moments of sharp breath kept time between us, air electric and stale. My tongue was dry and heavy, and I didn’t have the will to lift it. Her expression was a false blank, lips pursed, thin, and strained.

“You don’t have to be alone tonight. My home is yours if you need it, Sylvan,” she breathed, each word slow and steady. “I respect you, and I want you to at least consider the fact that you have a friend if you need one.”

Pity. Oh, and what a pity it was she pitied me. Did she think I was some poor, depressed soul lingering on the memories of yesterday? I had moved past everything. I wasn’t a man who allowed sorrows to dig their talons into my side everlastingly. Perhaps I was colder now, but what Tamia implied was a grossly warped version of myself. She was projecting her own troubles. My scars, physical and mental, had healed over.

Hers? I wondered about hers. She spoke of hers more than I. That surely implied something.

“I appreciate the concern, but I am fine. If you need…support, just say the word, but I don’t need your sympathy,” I closed, pushing stray lengths of hair from the spots they’d taken in my vision. My brow furrowed. Still, I didn’t amend those words.

“I…okay.” When I said nothing, I heard her breathing dip. “I’m only ever a phone call away, Okeanoú.”

I gingerly plucked the first of the manilla folders from their haphazard stack on my desk.

“Thank you.” I fingered the lip of the opening, thumb catching on the paper in a way just so. If I’d pressed harder, I’d have given myself a papercut. “If that’s all, Lieutenant, I have work that needs doing.”

She knew I wouldn’t call. I avoided her shoulder-thrown glance on the way out, knuckles white on her grip on her shoulder bag. That was the final time Lieutenant Tamia Lovelace acknowledged me that morning.

…

The day passed heavily. It got to be drizzly beyond the safety of my office, the skies a nasty shade of slate and rumbling like a bobcat giving thunderous warning. I had worked my way into the late afternoon, exhaustion pulling at my tired wrists and foggy mind. Part of me was grateful. Part of me wished not to think.

The other felt terribly useless, utterly small.

The meeting still weighed on my mind. Some of my colleagues had been unnecessarily harsh, but more importantly, none had much to contribute regarding new findings. Just yesterday, Bennet and Jacobs investigated the site we suspected the latest victim was abducted. Ms. Verity Jones was her name. She was a college student and undergraduate at Kingsborough and hadn’t been heard from in just under a week before being reported missing.

In the case of my work and the Gaelis disappearances, this disappearance, along with all others attributed, were long-term missing persons cases. This meant our evidence and follow-ups were not done until over 60 days subsequent the person was reported missing. Unfortunately, this left a good amount of time for details to become misremembered when either myself or my colleagues began our own investigations.

I hadn’t personally spoken to her parents and roommate; it was a rarity nowadays with how much else I had on my plate. I had papers, but God, the report gave a disappointing lack of insight. Or, really, even anything remotely interesting.

Except for the note.

I was surprised neither of the officers had mentioned the note. I hadn’t a clue where it originated, but it had been stuffed in the folder with everything else. I’d missed it at first glance, actually, only noticing the way the adhesive had stuck it to the inside flap of one of the papers after I’d come back from a short break.

It was a simple post-it written in hasty, dark ink, but for the life of me, I couldn’t determine what it said. There was some gibberish near the top, but what really got me was the little flower that had been practically crushed into the paper. It would’ve almost reminded me of a love note had I not known better. An illegible one, at that, but a love note, nonetheless.

Holding the little slip in my hands, I ran my finger over the little indentation, finding some kind of powder flaking off and onto my desk. Normally, I’d be upset with the mess. Normally, I would contact Bennet or Jamison about it or call someone from forensics to look at it.

But something compelled me to pocket the little thing.

So I did.

And when I left to drown my thoughts in liquor that night, I’d forgotten about it.

#short-lived-gt #short-lived #g/t #g/t writing #g/t community #future g/t #oc: sylvan #oc: tamia #original writing #original work #hang tight #this starts out slow #but the g/t will come in later #short lived #short lived gt

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thedaily-beer · 9 months

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MadeWest + Ghost Town Short-Lived IPA (Picked up at Windmill Farms). A 3 of 4. A really nice West Coast IPA with some interesting berry and resinous notes in the nose alongside the citrus and pine you’d expect. Moderately bitter in the body and the pine lingers a bit in the finish.

#madewest #ghost town #short-lived #ipa #india pale ale #beer #windmill farms #3

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oldtvlover · 1 year

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Today then the start of the little series The Trouble with Larry from 1993. There were only six episodes aired and hard to find completely. Never mind, the content was also not easy. Cast (all episodes): Bronson Pinchot - Larry Burton Courteney Cox - Gabriella Easden Alex McKenna - Lindsay Flatt Perry King - Boyd Flatt Shanna Reed - Sally (Easden Burton) Flatt and others Story: During his honeymoon, the irrepressible Larry Burton is dragged off into the jungle by a large-sized male baboon and is presumed dead - eaten by apes. However, defying all odds, Larry survives and, after many comic-strip-type adventures, returns home to re-establish himself as head of the household - little realising that his wife, Sally, has married the staid and conservative Boyd Flatt during the intervening ten years, and that she is now the mother of a bright and lively nine year old daughter. Larry's return home causes considerable upheaval and consternation for the family - not least being his subsequent attempts to woo a reluctant Gabriella, his former sister-in-law, who had taken a distinct dislike to him prior to his disappearance and is still definitely opposed to the idea of getting to know Larry on a more intimate basis. —David McAnally (taken from IMDB again) Episode 1 "The Homecoming" Larry returns home on a ship, after being presumed to be dead for ten years. His wife, Sally, has remarried to Boyd Flatt and has a daughter named Lindsay. She has an art gallery where her little sister Gabriella runs the business. This is where Larry shows and kisses the unexpected girl. After some explanation, Gabriella decides to take Larry home where her sister's family has a discussion about a not makable vacation because of the bank. Well, Boyd wants to take care of it and this is when Larry comes in, surprising everyone and making Boyd faint. After some introducing, Larry invites himself into his new family and stays, helping out whenever possible - only to cause more trouble. Episode 2 "Witless for the Prosecution" The Flatts have a new neighbor who works at the unappropriate hours and gets so on everyone's nerves. When Sally, Gabriella and Lindsay go over to talk with the English man named Carl, they fall for his charm. That, clearly, doesn't go well with Boyd and Larry who come up with a plan to sabotage the man's car at night. First they want to break the windows but then to let oil out. Boyd goes under it to do it, yet Larry being Larry flattens the tire with Boyd still under it. Only in the morning, they can free the man and again Larry disrupts a peaceful agreement, so it goes to the court. As Boyd waits for his lawyer who turns out to be Larry again, well, Larry can convince the judge that the neighbor is at fault here. The family is happy once again.

Episode 3 "The Vigilantes" There is some robbery in the neighborhood and Gabriella is one of the victim. The Flatts babysit a bird but well, it can't be killed. Never mind, back to the robbery, in Gabriella's home was also Lindsay's bike and it's gone now too. The parents try to soothe her girl, yet Boyd and Larry dress up as soldiers to do some street watching but it never comes to it. Gabriella decides to check on the art gallery and Larry follows, and it ends with both of them being caught. Some short time later, Larry can free himself and annoys Gabby with his behavior - until the robbers return and he can convince them to join their club. Back at home, Boyd, Sally and Gabriella are tied while Larry distracts the robbers with rubbish. It works well until he claps his hands and knocks out the fat lady. A bit later, he does so again and hurts Boyd in the bathroom. Ouch! Episode 4 "My Science Fair Lady" Lindsay has made a science project for her school and left in the fridge. Unfortunately, Gabriella and Larry while being their usual selves, the project ends up in Gabriella's mouth and stomach. She throws up while Lindsay is sad. Boyd and Sally try to help and more but Boyd points out to have won all his school projects. Later that night, Larry is also trying to help and so how Sally and Boyd find him - with his head in the microwave. Not helping. The same night, Larry and Gabriella try to get some molt from toilets (YIKES!) but even this idea ends up in some bad jokes. So, Lindsay creates a soda volcano and well, the teacher gives the medal to his son who made a map of Africa, and not later, Larry shows up as human robot. Oh boy, and embarrassing. As it turns out, the teacher helped his son and Larry turns up in the end with 'airbag underwear'. You don't wanna know, believe me.

Episode 5 "Rhinestone Cowboyd" Anniversary time for Sally and Boyd, yet Larry disrupts it in the morning by wearing a fur of a wild pig. Sally kisses him briefly by saying that life would have been different with him around. Still, Sally is annoyed that Boyd does the same every year for it and Boyd thinks it's romantic. Neither has the guts to tell the other the truth. Larry enlists Gabriella's help at the gallery, completely ignoring that she has a customer. In the evening then, Gabriella sees for herself how boring the anniversary is, so the next day they all go to a bar named "Darlene's" where Boyd appears in a silly cowboy outfit. Larry appears as two different people to give Boyd a way to shine but the owner lady beats him to it. Boyd gets punched and Sally revenges him and takes care of him. Oh, as a little gift, Larry and Lindsay have stolen a koala from the zoo which later attacks Boyd. Ouch! Episode 6 "The Angel of Death and Taxes" Boyd is doing the taxes for the family while they deal with a hot summer. Needless to say, Larry has his own fun with it. Unfortunately, Boyd has to announce that the family can't go to the Wacky World in Florida and writes the check for the IRS. Silly of him to give it to Larry who made some changes and the Flatts get a refund of 48,000 $ - which they spend on a holiday and many other stuff they always wanted. After coming home and all, Boyd gets a singing telegram which tells him that all they have in their home will be repossessed. Surely enough, Boyd faints. When he's back, he looks over the paper and realizes that Larry is at fault and so he kicks him out. Larry ends up in the gallery and try to convince Gabriella to go with him to the IRS. She does so and both appear dressed up as Boyd and Sally. Never mind, they get on the man's nerves so much and heat up his room that he has a heart attack. To his luck, the real Boyd and Sally come and save the man's life and frees them from their debts.

All episodes can be found on a Bronson Pinchot fansite if wanted. And the pictures are from a blog. The quality of it is not better.

#the trouble with larry #1993 #TV series #comedy #sitcom #short-lived #bronson pinchot #courteney cox #alex mckenna #perry king #shanna reed #missed husband #new marriage #return to the family

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