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redrobinfection · 5 years

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(15) Horror Movies

SociallyAwkwardFox’s Spooktober - Day 15 “Horror Movies”

~*~

Tim loves his boyfriends. So, so much. But one thing that Jason and Dick both love that Tim just can’t wrap his head around: horror movies.

They’re watching one right now, the third of a trilogy Jay and Dick love, and Tim is sandwiched between them on the couch, feeling faintly ill.

Jay and Dick are the kind of people that get that something from a horror movie, the adrenaline or the enjoyment of their terror or whatever it is that hooks people. Tim isn’t and he gets nothing but is a sick feeling in his stomach and the impression that all the color has been sucked out of the world.

It isn’t the scenes themselves that get to him, because as terrible as it is to admit, he’s seen and experienced thing just as terrible, maybe worse, in his time as Robin. All of them have. Brutal serial killings, human trafficking tragedies, figurative and literal monsters left and right, not to mention the rogues. A run-in with Scarecrow’s fear toxin? That would make most horror movies seem like a pleasant summer picnic. Chasing and being chased by Killer Croc in the sewers in the dead of night? Monster B-flick gold. And the Joker? ‘Nough said.

No, for Tim it’s more about the way the scenes are presented - the cold, dark filters; the unnatural lighting; the haunting music and grisly sound effects. It turns a factually horrifying scene into an garish exaggeration, like a scene from one of his nightmares - you don’t fully believe its real, but it still strikes a chord deep in your psyche.

He can handle one movie. Easy to shake off. Maybe two, in the daytime. But tonight they watched three, using their one night off from patrol to stay up into the wee hours of the morning–as if they would ever think use that time to catch up on sleep or something.

Three-quarters of the way through the third movie, Jason notices Tim getting twitchy and asks if he’s okay.

“Yeah, yeah, it’s just getting late. I keep nodding off and then every time someone screams, I jump awake again,” Tim tells them, playing it off with a laugh. Dick and Jason laugh with him.

“No problem, Babybird, we’re almost done. We’ll let you sleep in peace soon enough.”

“Did you mean 'rest in peace’, Jaybird?”

“Ugh, Dick, staaaahp.”

They laugh and kiss over Tim’s head, then come at him from both sides when he makes a disgruntled noise for being squished between them, showering him in kisses and noogies and awkward side hugs. The warm moment of affection between the three of them almost distracts Tim away from the grim mood affected by the movies. Almost.

When they settle down into bed an hour later, Tim snuggled between the two of them–all of Dick’s limbs wrapped around him and Jason drooling onto his shoulder–the sick feeling, mental and physical, doesn’t budge. Tim spends the rest of the night staring up at the dark ceiling, mind circling the imagery of the movie in endless spirals. He closes his eyes and pretends to be asleep when Dick gets up at 4:30 to pee, and again at 5:15 when Jay startles awake for a few seconds at the sound of a car alarm blaring down on the street. When they all get up at nine the next morning, neither Dick nor Jason seems to be the wiser to his deception.

Tim spends the next day exhausted, but makes up for it with a jam packed schedule–keeping busy always helps–and copious amounts of caffeine. That night he goes out for a quick patrol, then turns in early, hoping to make up for lost sleep.

He can’t. He’s still awake, his mind bombarding him with the images of a decapitated zombie child crawling toward a screaming young woman in the grey rain as “mama, mama” whistles in the wind; the sounds of a man sobbing as he clutches his dead partner in the snow–her womb torn out messily–and the smells he imagines a child clinging to their mother’s green, long-dismembered corpse would experience when Dick comes in at three AM. He’s still awake–and pretending he’s not with every Bat-trained skill he has–when Jay comes in a half hour later.

He’s seen just as bad in real life–and how messed up is it to say that?–but here the imagery is also accompanied by such a deep sense of sorrow, lasting pain and depression. Lives, minds, souls ruined. He’s still wide awake as dawn begins to light the sky. He extricates himself from their sleepy dogpile while Jason and Dick are still in the deepest stages of sleep and heads down to the gym to get a few hours of training in to pump him up for another exhausting day.

He struggles through day two, barely functioning as he makes his way into night three. He volunteers to stay on comms for the night, citing some bullshit excuse about a sore ankle he wants to rest to keep Dick from worrying and Jason from asking too many questions. He stays up late, working on case docs, hoping that if works himself to utter exhaustion that he can just pass out at dawn. He tells Dick and Jay he’s doing it to make up for not going out, and they seem worried, but he promises he’ll rest in the morning.

He doesn’t. Daylight doesn’t bring any relief from the wild thoughts and images that pop into his head any time he tries to quiet his mind. He pretends to nap on the couch until Jay and Dick leave, then goes into Wayne Enterprises and works late.

He goes out as Red Robin that night–night four–but turns in early after he gets a call from Alfred asking about unexpected telemetry from the vitals sensors in his suit–racing pulse, high rate of respiration. He excuses himself with claims that he’s in a bit of pain from his “sore” ankle. It’s a lie. His body and his mind are hitting their natural limits, his anxiety levels increasing and his organs screaming for rest. He meditates for the rest of the night, feeling somewhat refreshed the next morning.

Day four is like a bizarre dream, time zooming past or crawling by in fits and starts. He loses his appetite and even coffee starts to lose its appeal, the smell of it making his stomach twist. By five PM swears the shadows at the corner of his office have started to ooze toward him and he jumps at every little sound.

That night he skips dinner, disables all telemetry in his suit, and goes out for solo patrol. Just a loop around his territory. Then he’ll stop, take a sedative, and pass out for twelve to fifteen hours. Sweat it out as the drugs force him to stay under no matter what nightmares may come.

His patrol is patchy, if that makes any sense. Some moments he is clearly aware of where he is and what he’s doing, and then there are whole stretches of time that are total blanks. Halfway through his loop he gets sidetracked to a neighborhood outside his scope after he hears about of a drug deal going down outside a middle school.

He handles the would-be dealers–high schoolers dealing to middle schoolers who were lucky Red Robin caught wind of the deal before Red Hood did–then retires to the roof of the school for a breather. He sits down between two AC units and lets his head fall back against one for a few moments…

—

Tim slowly comes awake to the sounds of quiet conversation around him, gentle fingers combing through his hair, and a soft bed under him. He blinks his eyes open, squinting in confusion at the overhead light of the room he shares with Jay and Dick. Who left the lights on? Wait, why is he in his uniform? Did he forget to take it off before he dropped into bed?

“Dick. Dick, shut up a second, I think he’s coming around. Tim? Timmy? You with us?”

Tim turns his head to the side with a grimace. His neck is sore like he slept hanging off the side of the bed half the night.

“J-Jay?”

The hand leaves his hair and Tim turns his head minutely to see Dick sitting beside him on the bed, running both hands through his own hair, expression a blend of relief and worry.

“Holy cow, Tim, you scared the crap out of us. What were you thinking?” Dick demands of him. Tim blinks, confused.

“Whoa, whoa, ease up, Dickie, give 'im a sec to reboot, 'kay?” Jason chides, settling down near Tim’s bare feet–-oh, someone removed his boots, gauntlets, belts and cape and unzipped the collar of his suit. He rubs a soothing circles into the arch of one foot. “Hey, Timbo, you know where you are?”

“The 'partment,” Tim answers slowly. Did he hit his head on patrol?

“Yeah. You know what time it is?”

Tim blinks. It’s dark outside, so he knows it’s nighttime, but when he tries to think back to the last time he remembers he can’t get it straight. He was on patrol? Which patrol? He can’t remember. Did he get drugged? Shot?

“No? You know what day it is?”

He doesn’t. He starts to panic. What happened to him? He tries to sit up.

“Easy, Tim. Just rest for a minute,” Dick soothes, easing him back down with a hand on one shoulder. Tim flops back, heart racing. He’s missing something, something important, something awful he should remember.

“Breathe, Tim, don’t force yourself,” Jason chides. Dick’s hand returns to his hair and Jason lies down beside him, now rubbing circles into his exposed hand.

Dark spots cloud his vision and he starts to shake. Why can’t he remember? Now that he’s more aware, why do his joints ache and his limbs feel like they’ve been filled with cement? Why does he feel so cold? Is he dying? Is he dead?

“Jay, he’s hyperventilating.”

“No shit. Timmy? Tim? Breathe with me okay?”

“Breathe with Jason, Tim. Nice and slow.”

“Hey, fo– on m–”

“Ti–”

Their voices fade out along with the sensation of fingers feeling for a pulse and hands pulling off his suit. Darkness fills his vision until there is nothing left but the darkness.

—

When Tim comes around again it’s with a hiss for the bright overhead lighting of the Batcave’s med bay. You’d think with all their resources they’d invest in a light dimmer at some point.

“There he is. Rise and shine, Timbo,” Jason’s voice calls from his left. He groans and tries to squeeze his eyes closed.

“Ah, ah, ah, no falling asleep again until you endure the wrath of Big Bird and Alfie. They’ve got a lot of choice words for you, Babybird,” Jason chides, squeezing his hand. Tim tries to curl onto his opposite side but freezes with a gasp when a sharp twinge in his right arm informs him of the IV inserted there. The numb, slightly clammy feeling on his right index finger speaks to the presence of a pulse oximeter clip. Did he get injured, he wonders?

No. Bit by bit, Tim’s head clears and snatches of memory come back to him. He’d been on patrol. He stopped to rest. No dinner. No sleep. Wayne Enterprises. Disabled telemetry. Solo patrol. The teenaged dealers. A middle school.

Disabled telemetry. Shit.

“H-how long was I out?” Tim asks, croaking around the dryness of his throat. He turns back to Jay in time to see Alfred and Dick walk into med bay, expressions stern and relieved in equal measure. Jason snorts at whatever expression Tim makes in response to theirs.

“About a day, in and out of it,” Alfred replies smoothly, voice cool and unamused as he raises the back of the bed to help Tim sit up. “You gave Masters Dick and Jason quite the fright, not to mention myself, going out alone and under the radar the way you did. I thought we had taught you better than that, Master Timothy.”

Tim shrinks in on himself. You know you’re in trouble with Alfred when he calls you by your full first name. “Sorry, Alfred. Dick. Jason. I haven’t really been myself the past couple of days,” he admits, thinking back on the past week. He cringes internally as he thinks about their last free day and all the stupid things he did in the resulting funk.

“I imagine you wouldn’t be, skipping meals until you passed out from exhaustion,” Alfred lectures sternly as he deftly removes the IV and pulse oximeter. Dick looks sad and disappointed. Jason looks unconvinced.

Tim shakes his head. “I wasn’t skipping meals - mostly - I just wasn’t sleeping very much.”

Dick raises his eyebrows. “Define 'very much’? Why weren’t you sleeping?”

“Uhhhh, well… not at all?” Tim replies shrugging with an apologetic grimace. Alfred shakes his head as he leaves med bay and Jason’s eyes blow wide. Dick makes a sound of indignation.

“Not at all?!” Jason echoes. “What the hell, Babybird? What were you thinking!”

Tim scrubs his hands over his face and deliberately ignores the question in favor of asking one of his own. “What happened? I remember stopping to rest on the roof of Parkview Middle and then briefly waking up back at the apartment.” He looks around the med bay then takes stock of himself. He feels fine now, but he vaguely remember feeling like he was dying the last time he was fully conscious. “Did I get hurt?”

Dick doesn’t look happy about the redirect, but shakes his head and takes a seat on the edge of the gurney. “Well, after me and Jay got home at four AM, realized you weren’t there, and found your suit was missing, we called Alfred and Babs to see if you’d been out that night.

"Alfred said he hadn’t heard from you, and neither had Babs, but she eventually tagged you in a couple of surveillance feeds along your route. We tried to call you on comms: nothing. Then Babs tried to find you on live surveillance: still nothing.” Dick’s expression is dark and his eyes drill holes into Tim.

“We were freakin’ out, Timmers,” Jason continues. “Like, did you get hurt? Did you get kidnapped? We tried to check your telemetry and got fuck all. No vitals, no location. Dickie here was nearly shittin’ himself thinking you’d gone and gotten yourself killed or somethin’”

Tim’s face heats up in shame.

“In the end we pulled out the nuclear option and activated your subdermal GPS beacon,” he explains, gesturing to the stretch of skin on Tim’s arm under which the small capsule resided, a measure they all–Bruce included–agreed to take in order to avoid situations just like this one.

“We found you on some random-ass roof four blocks off your route, passed the fuck out. When we tried to check on you, you nearly cleaned Dickie’s clock, kicked me in the cup–it still hurt, even with the cup, so thanks for that–then tried to throw yourself off the roof. After we got you to calm down and wake up a bit, you seemed to recognize us, understand where you were, and we escorted you home.

"Everything was fine until we got into the apartment, at which point you threw yourself across our bed, cowl up and belts on, and passed out again,” Jason explained, rolling his eyes at the ridiculousness of it. “You weren’t outwardly bleeding and your pupils reacted appropriately to light, so we thought you were just a little tired or whatever. When you woke up again, you were disoriented as fuck and freaking out. Then you went completely non-responsive and we freaked out. We brought you down here just to make sure you didn’t have a brain bleed or a punctured lung or something.

"A million scans and some bloodwork later and Alfie concluded you that probably hadn’t been taking care of yourself,” Jason concludes, pinning Tim with a severe look of his own. “And now we’re hearing from you that you haven’t been sleeping? Cough it up, Timbo. How long?”

Tim clears his throat and shifts his legs restlessly. “About five days.”

“Five days!” Dick exclaims, jumping up from the end of the gurney. He rounds to the other side, across from Jason. “Why?”

Tim shrugs and looks away. “I dunno, I just haven’t been able to fall asleep. I couldn’t shut my brain off.”

“Why didn’t you tell us you had insomnia?” Dick asks.

Tim shrugs again. “What would you be able to do about it?”

“Make sure you didn’t do something stupid like stay up all night filing reports or go on patrol with all your tracers turned off, probably,” Jason replies wryly. He stands up, bracketing Tim between himself and Dick. He narrows his eyes.

“You know, I can tell when you’re keeping something from us, Timbo. Spit it out. What’s been so heavy on your mind that it hasn’t let you get a wink of sleep for nearly a week?”

Tim tenses and curls in on himself subconsciously. “Nothing. It’s not important.”

Jason laughs mirthlessly and Dick frowns. “If it’s important enough for you to lose sleep over it, then it’s important to us,” Jason insists.

Tim mumbles under his breath, avoiding eye contact.

“What?”

“It’s nothing,” he mumbles a little louder.

“What was that? I couldn’t hear you, Timbelina,” Jason belts loudly into his ear.

“It’s your damn horror, movies okay!? I couldn’t sleep after we marathoned that trilogy on our night off,” Tim shouts back, scooting down the bed and throwing off the sheet. He swings his legs over the side, stands up, and only sways a little as the room swims around him for a second.

“The movies? They scared you?” Dick asks uncertainly as he steadies Tim with hand around his upper arm.

Tim shakes him off. “No, they’re just depressing as fuck. We see enough horrible stuff in our line of work, so sue me if watching it presented in a way intended to be emotionally gripping as possible puts me in a bit of a funk.”

He moves for the doorway, pretending not to be embarrassed that his ass is hanging out of the back of his hospital gown, only to be stopped by Dick darting in front of him, closely followed by Jason. They’re both watching him with concern, worry, and a tinge of guilt. Tim deflates. This was exactly what he hoped to avoid.

“Babe. You never told us they bothered you,” Dick starts while Jason says, “A bit of a funk? It must really bother you if it’s keeping you up for days.” They look at each other, then Dick nods to Jason. Tim sighs.

“What’s really going on, Tim,” Jason asks.

“That’s really all it is,” Tim replies, crossing his arms. “We watched the movies, I didn’t sleep that night and then it kind of snowballed from there, the sleep dep feeding the funk.” Looking at it objectively, after a good night’s rest, he can admit that the situation never should have escalated past that first morning; he should have taken a sedative and a day off right then and there to avoid falling deep into the funk.

“Is it really that bad? Why didn’t you tell us you don’t like scary movies?” Dick asked, looking for all the world like a kicked puppy. Tim groaned.

“It’s really not a big deal. Not usually. They don’t scare me, they just kind of… I dunno, haunt my thoughts for a while afterwards. You know how it goes; I overthink everything,” Tim admits, waving a hand dismissively. “And I didn’t tell you guys because I didn’t feel like being made fun of for being 'too scared to watch a scary movie’. Who would have believed me if I said they’re not scary, just emotionally disturbing?”

Dick opens his mouth like he’s going to object but Tim cuts him off. “No, don’t even try to tell me that you would. Look at Jay, at least he’s honest with himself.”

They both look at Jason, who is nodding along, looking chagrined. “Yeah, I’ll admit, if you’d said something, I probably would have teased you about it.” He gives Tim a look Tim can’t decipher. “You’re an odd one, Timbo, but there’s no arguing with the results. If it bothers you, it bothers you, whether it’s frightening or not. But if it bothers you so much, then why watch with us? You could have just told us you don’t like horror and gone to bed.”

“And not spend time with you guys?” Tim asks incredulously. “We get one night off together every two weeks, and you think I would just give that up and go to bed alone?” He shakes his head at them. “I put up with it because I wanted to spend time with you guys and I wanted you guys to do something you both enjoy. I didn’t want to be the wet blanket in the room that put a stop to that.”

Both Jason and Dick’s faces fall on hearing this, and in that moment Tim is done with this conversation. He tries to skirt around them, but Jason blocks his path.

“Move, Jason, I need to pee.” He does. IVs are great and all, but sleeping for twenty four hours through one, maybe two liters of fluids equals one very full bladder. He’s grateful Alfred didn’t stoop to inserting a urinary catheter just to punish him, even if it would have done him a favor in this one thing.

Jason crosses his arms obstinately.

“I will pee on you,” Tim warns.

Dick steps between them and places his hands on Tim’s shoulders. “Tim, it means a lot to us that you would put our enjoyment above your own, but it hurts a little to think you don’t trust us enough to let us know when something’s bothering you.”

“What Dick said,” Jason seconds. “Yeah, we’d probably tease you at first, but eventually we’d get that horror makes you uncomfortable and picked something else to do. We care about you just as much you care about us, ya know?”

Tim looks away, uncomfortable.

“Look, we’re not trying to blame the victim here, we’re just saying give us a chance next time, okay?” Jason clarifies, tone softening. “We deserve the opportunity to prove ourselves assholes or saints for ourselves, yeah?”

Tim snorts softly. “Yeah.”

They smile and Dick draws them both into a hug, sandwiching Tim between them. “Good. And we’re sorry, Tim. We should have noticed you weren’t having a good time and asked.”

“You did,” Tim admits, “But I told you I was 'just tired’ and you guys bought it. That’s on me.”

“Yeah, well, dealing with you–the guy who lies to Batman–we should have pressed the issue no matter how convincing you were,” Jason replies, pressing his face into Tim’s hair. “And you shouldn’t feel like we won’t take you seriously. That’s mostly my bad for teasing you so much.”

Tim presses his face into Jason’s chest and shakes his head. “It’s okay.”

“No, it’s not,” Dick says softly at his back. “But it will be.” Tim feels Jason smile into his hair and nod. He lets them hold him tight and close for a long minute.

“And no more horror movies around Timmy!” Dick exclaims belatedly, making Tim and Jason laugh.

“Definitely. We’ll save it for our solo dates, right Dickie?”

“Sounds like a plan.”

“Okay, this was nice and all,” Tim begins, squirming a little, “but I wasn’t kidding earlier; someone needs to let go now or I’m going to pee on Jason.”

“Eh, I’m fine with that,” Dick replies lightly.

“Dick, you dick!” Jason shoots back, but he doesn’t pull away.

“Stop making me laugh! I’m really going to pee on him!”

#my writing #christmasriverswrites #jaydicktim #spooktober 2019 #saf's spooktober prompts #polyamory #ot3 #my writing in the raw: barely edited #organic and covered in typos #does spellcheck count as editing?#tw brief mentions of gore #tw horror #tw sleep deprivation #tw panic attack #this is how I personally feel about horror movies; they don't scare me but i go into this horrible headspace and sometimes i just can't stop #thinking about how awful life can be sometimes #how messed up some psychological states get #it's not just horror; i don't like to watch a lot of fiction and non-fiction crime shows for the same reasons--i just overthink *everything*#maybe it's just me and i'm a weirdo but for the sake of fiction tim will be weird with me on this #this is four THOUSAND words. when. where. why. HOW. did that happen. it was supposed to be 800 max. *facepalm*#i betcha with the ''keep reading'' i'll get like 8 notes max #prove me wrong tumblr

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motherofadamsfamily · 4 years

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Nepal 2020 - Pharping

Day 10 - Pharping/Kathmandu

To leave them broke my heart....

Day 10 Kathmandu (again) - 17 Mar

Up at dawn again this morning, but this time it’s so we can observe the Buddhist monks as they go through their daily morning spiritual rituals. We made our way with our monk escort inside the decadently decorated temple, only to find that the adult monks are not in residence, and it’s more of a teaching session with the young boy trainees. I was a little disappointed at first, but decided that these ‘mini monks’ were just too cute, and cheered up considerably. During the ‘chant’, they had a little natter between themselves, giggled, gazed around distractedly, while the ‘teacher’ studiously ignored them doing so, instead concentrating on the zealous few who participated. Just like a regular day at school, if you ask me. Gomez chuckled that it was more of a ‘mutter’ than a ‘chant’, given the few who joined in. But it gave us an idea of the process of the Monk life – that is, until the final chant was droned – then it was like “school’s out!” as the mini monks made for the door helter-skelter .. I doubt the monks proper would have made QUITE a dash to the door for breakfast!

We took a little longer to leave, enjoying the intricate paintings and decorations throughout the temple. Most paintings were edged in gilt, and I would have loved if one of the monks could have hung around to explain some of the depictions of their deities – there was one of two skeletons dancing? For when they celebrate Halloween, perhaps? There was also a framed photo of the Dalai Lama – he has such a serene, benevolent face, you can’t help but love him, I think.

We again took our breakfast in relative solitude, and had a lazy morning strolling the grounds while we waited for Kishor to collect us. He and Dip drove us to a local home, which served as an orphanage. The husband and wife (and her mother) have taken in children from the surrounding area that have been either left orphans or the parents can’t afford to pay for their upbringing (mainly in the country areas) They don’t receive assistance from the government – Kishor makes regular donations through his business, and if ever tourists ask him about visiting a school or orphanage, he recommends this one first.

The kids were adorable – they either spoke very little, or no English, but their enthusiasm was overwhelming. They peered eagerly in to my bag of ‘goodies’, and as each item came out, they would yell out what it was excitedly in Nepali – which I would say in English, then they would repeat it. I brought out a “Where’s Wally?” book, and explained the concept to them. I thought this would keep them going for ages, trying to find that damned red and white stripe shirt, but the cheeky wretches found him almost straight away every page!

One girl, older than the rest, seemed to act as a sort of supervisor over the other kids, making sure they minded their manners, no pushing etc. Kishor explained she was 15, her name was Sarita, and she had only been with the family for about 3 weeks, coming in from an outlying village for schooling. I pulled out a simple hardcover book, which the children yelled “diary” (it wasn’t, it was simply a blank notebook I had bought and had never used at home) I said that if it was a diary, then it should go to a 15-year old girl who could write her thoughts in it, and handed it to Sarita. She was gobsmacked – she accepted the book shyly, then hugged it to herself. She allowed the other kids to look at it, but watched them like a hawk to make sure the book was returned. On chatting with her, I was told that she would like to study to become a Social Worker in Nepal, and I wished her good luck whole-heartedly.

I gave each child a small amount of crackling candy, and laughed at their expressions as the lolly popped and fizzed in their mouths. Even the Grandma, who couldn’t come downstairs due to her ‘bad knees’ was given some. She didn’t crack a smile, but when she had finished her serve, she tilted her head back, mouth wide open, for some more!! It was so funny. I went upstairs to her at her request, and she hugged me, tiny little thing that she is – uh oh – getting teary!

I pulled out a bottle of ‘bubbles’, and the kids laughed delightedly, chasing each bubble around. The balloons were a hit also. I blew one up, then pulled the neck of the balloon while letting out the air, creating a ‘farting’ sound. I would gasp in shock and look at one little boy, asking “was that you?” A simple game, but they thought it was hysterical. It certainly makes you realize just how much we take for granted in ‘First World’ countries, and how the simple things in life can give so much joy.

All too soon it was time to leave. It was quite emotional, as it’s so easy to become attached to these pure, unassuming souls who simply want to be loved. The mother asked Kishor to translate, and gave a heartfelt speech of thanks for our generous donations, to help them with the children. I was very humbled, as I looked and thought it was really very little by our standards. I nearly lost it when Sarita came to me and asked “will you come back?” I promised we would try. She then held my hand and said “Don’t forget me” and I had to go. I would bring her home with me in a snap, if given the opportunity. Kishor explained later that these kids cannot be adopted, as it’s not a formal orphanage. Rather, as they grow up and leave, they send a small percentage of their wages back to the mother, to assist her in the upkeep of the place.

We farewelled Dip on arrival at our Kathmandu Hotel. He is from Pokhara, and now has a few days free to be with his family. I had given him a pack of Tim Tams for the family and told him of the coffee/Tim Tam combination (when you suck the coffee through the biscuit) He promised laughingly that he would try this on his return home – if his 7 year old daughter left him any! Kishor stayed a little longer, advising that a driver would come for us tomorrow night for our flight, but that we would only have the room until 1 pm. No problem – last minute shopping it is!!

We wandered down the streets again, looking for a cheap ‘n’ cheerful place to eat. Found a tiny place down an alley, where a husband and wife ran a small shop between them. We had a delicious buffalo soup and grilled momo’s (they’re normally steamed) all the while chatting with the husband, who advised us their son was living in Chippendale while he goes to Sydney University! On leaving, he asked us to come back tomorrow. “We leave tomorrow” was our response. “So come before!” he replied good-naturedly.

Men riding tuk-tuk style bicycles are one of the forms of transport here, and we had often been approached, asking if we wanted a lift. Tonight, we were about 50 metres from our hotel when an elderly gent cycled up beside me, and asked if we wanted a bike. I pointed to our hotel and said “see that? That’s where we’re going” He didn’t bat an eye, but responded with “OK - $2!” to which we both cracked up laughing at his audacity, as he cycled away. As I said, I love this place!

#nepal #kathmandu #pokhara #pharping #chitwan #travel #everest

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livingwithashipname-blog · 8 years

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Ermanda’s Inner Sanctum: Scorpion 3.12 “Ice Ca-Cabes”

This episode is amazing! The comedy works so well juxtaposed with the highly emotional drama. I’ve come to expect this when an episode has a 12-14 minute intro that explores the personal storylines and mission setup before the first commercial break. It showcases Cabe’s role as father and friend to the entire team, especially Walter with whom he has history, and how the team mobilizes to protect one of their own. Every character does something they wouldn’t normally do and these moments of vulnerability also enlighten them in other areas of their lives. This episode is another in season 3 that takes good advantage of the 10 pm time slot to the satisfaction of the adults in this fandom. The content of this episode definitely places it in an elite category for the series. In my opinion, it matches the cinematic greatness of 2.13 White Out with its content and structure. This episode also serves as a bridge between the first half of the season and the second and puts the developments of season 3A into perspective. As always, there are elements (hints and clues) that signal possible future developments and I am intrigued by all of them. Here are my highlights!

Cabe & The Team

Cabe may be older muscle of the team and is their government handler, but he is definitely more than that. He has adopted every single person as his own child and shares his life uniquely with each of them. In return, they do or say things that show their appreciation for him. Sly agrees to catch a snake (hello Super Fun Sly!); Toby gets emotional and recalls their boxing training days (a moment when they bonded); Quintis, Paige, and Sly (the members of Scorpion in romantic relationships) help him with his new love interest, Allie; and Walter expresses his love for him and deems him irreplaceable despite his “everyone is replaceable” statements at the top of the episode (I see you, Walter!). He trusts them even when their efforts to save his life have a low chance of success.

His most recent highlighted relationship this season is the one he has formed with Happy. This new bromance will be called Cappy thanks to Marine (aka. @tesnea). They have been spending more time together than usual as they became roommates for a couple of weeks while his home was repaired to remove mold. Based on Happy’s comments in previous episodes, they have enjoyed each other’s company. Happy has even changed her vocabulary from all the exposure to Cabe’s lifestyle at times. He shares his MI-inducing love of meat with her. Talks about about his happy wedding memories. Gifts her his mother’s brooch for her to wear on her wedding day. Happy gets inspired to go through with a wedding because his memories give her that final push. She acts as a wingwoman. She’s a little sad that he’s going back home. It all feels like Cabe making memories with the daughter he never had an opportunity to raise. With the impending Quintis wedding, something tells me that Cabe will be serving a special role in it.

Then there is Cabe’s longstanding relationship with Walter. It’s one full of dependence, heartbreak, and forgiveness. Compared to Paige, Cabe has more experience with Walter’s personality. He always knows when to give Walter the best advice. Usually Walter’s life is in danger and Cabe works with the team to save him, but this time it was Walter’s chance to save Cabe again. This moment of potential loss pushes Walter to verbally express his love for Cabe, creating another triumphant father-son moment between them. Since this is the first time Walter knowingly utters the words, “I love you,” to the person to whom he’s speaking and the other person acknowledges, I wonder how far he will take this.

Carpe Diem: The Waige Flip

If you have been following my episode reviews, then you are already aware of my analysis on this season’s Waige flip. Take their dynamic from season 2, reverse it, and you get Waige a la season 3. Let me quickly reiterate for new readers. Paige’s journey this season in the Waige dynamic shows her chasing after an idealistic desire instead of a realistic need. It creates this internal conflict that is confounded by miscommunication as evidenced in episodes 3.05, 3.07, and 3.11. Walter is making moves to better himself since he faces the potential to lose Paige. This is interesting considering that the previous year was riddled with him not capitalizing on prime opportunities with Paige.

Right now she is angry with Walter over his treatment of Tim and, by extension, his departure. Remember that Walter mended fences with Tim before he left. Walter apologized for driving him away, but Tim reassured Walter that his departure is a personal choice and doesn’t blame him for it at all. Paige did not hear this conversation. The last thing she heard Walter say to Tim was that he would never be a part of Scorpion. And she suggested that Tim take the new job opportunity after a discussion with Toby that she initiated. Therefore, her anger is expected since she associates Tim’s departure with Walter’s lack of acceptance. It all manifests in her words to Walter in the car ride to the hot spring and again at the hospital. She says some things he needs to hear. But the way she questions Walter’s emotional potential is an interesting development in the Waige saga. It's a confirmation that she is blinded by her frustration. Question is: who reveals the missing piece that puts things into perspective for her?

Quintis Teamwork

Happy and Toby always work great together. Every time I think about how they have used the skills of the other during missions this season, I recall the song, Make Me Better by Fabolous feat. Ne-Yo.

🎤 I’m a movement by myself But I’m a force when we’re together Mami, I’m good all by myself But, baby, you, you make me better 🎤

This episode is just another addition to what we’ve already seen in seasons 2 and 3. And the “I’m proud of you” parallel (thanks @honey41283!) with a forehead kiss… LOVE IT!

Toby, You Good?

I have to call attention to the foreshadowing elephant in the room. Toby expresses his desire for more positive reinforcement from Happy in 3.11. While we know she has done this in the past with her words in pivotal moments, we know she struggles with consistency in the smaller moments. And then there’s her aversion to PDA in the garage when others are present. In this episode, he makes a gambling reference to talk about the risks involved in Operation: Save Cabe. Toby is usually resilient. When he isn’t, he’s neurotic and overbearing. He’s always available for quality analysis for his friends. But who comes for Toby when he can’t help himself? I smell a Quintis shift. 😉😉😉😉

Growth of Our Robots

Walter and Happy have the lowest EQs compared to the other geniuses. So it is no surprise that we know more about these two characters’ lives than anyone else in the series - virtues, vices, childhood, parents, love interests, etc. The emotional growth we’ve seen up to this point is absolutely beautiful to watch, specifically in terms of recognition and public acknowledgement. Happy’s intent for her Christmas gift to Toby in 3.11 and Walter’s statements to Paige in the hospital in 3.12 take me back to a moment in 2.04 Robots. They are satisfied by the notion that their genius and reliance on math and science make them emotionally rigid until their choices in a life-or-death situation cause them to admit that more facets of their personality are at play. Even though Happy and Walter’s emotional growth is highly influenced by the efforts and actions of their love interests, these two characters manage to push one another in a unique and respectful way as friends when they talk about personal matters.

H: In case we don’t make it out of here, I just want to say I’m not really a robot. W: Thank you for clarifying. I did know you weren’t made of circuitry. H: We both play a good game of denial. It might be the one thing where I can beat you, but… right now my dad is up there trying to save me. A man I’ve been looking for for 25 years. I just never expected to want to live as badly as I do right now. W: I saved nine sailors’ lives instead of us. I… supported that act with calculations. But perhaps there was… some sentimentality attached. H: And, uh, you let that certifiable lunatic stay in our garage. (chuckles) W: Uh… Maybe we’re changing. Maybe… maybe I’m not a robot either.

So when Walter expresses his sorrow over the fact that his failures are as frustrating as his triumphs in this episode, I can’t help but love him even more! Seeing Happy yell emotional demands makes me confident in her ability to provide positive reinforcement even though she casts doubt in her overall success. And here it comes…

HOLY CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT!!!

Drabbles…

Happy (to Cabe): Speaking of shacking up, isn’t that the cutie that’s hot for your booty? (pause) Oh, man, I’m starting to sound like Toby. 😂😂😂😂😂

Cabe has been spending too much time around these geniuses. He couldn’t even catch the hint from Allie! 😂😂😂😂😂

Sly: For Cabe, I will catch [a snake] with my bare hands. (turns to Happy) I got to borrow your pliers to pick up the snake. 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

The look on Walter’s face when he realizes that he must get naked to complete the task at hand… 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

Walter and Paige trying to sneak peeks at each other… #scandalous 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

The sexual innuendos in the Waige hydrogen sulfide capture scene… ROTFLMAO!!! 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂 So much stimulation and yet no fingers were involved! 😜😜😜 Somebody come pick me up off the floor! I have to go back to work!

That little quip about Quintis kisses… 😂😂😂😂😂😂

The Hawaiian shirts… adorable fashion disaster! 😂😂😂

The whole dialogue when Walter and Paige get made… cantaloupes and weiners, anyone?!! 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

Toby throws the tissue box at Cabe at the top of the episode and gets hit with one by Paige at the end. Love the comedic prop link! 😂😂😂

Kudos to wardrobe again! Love Paige’s blouse and Happy’s plaid shirt. 😍👍🏾👍🏾

Kudos to makeup for their work on Robert Patrick the episode! 👍🏾👍🏾

Kudos to the Scorpion writers for another all-time favorite! 👍🏾👍🏾

#ermanda's inner sanctum #cbs scorpion #s03e12 #ice ca-cabes #scorpion cbs #team scorpion #episode review

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And then I go and spoil it all by saying something stupid like 'totally on our terms': NAFTA under a cloud

Briefing highlights

What’s better for Canada on NAFTA?

Markets at a glance

Bank of Canada holds key rate steady

Central bank cites trade uncertainty

Nevsun agrees to takeover

Crescent Point names CEO, cuts jobs

Canada’s trade gap shrinks in July

U.S. trade deficit at five-month high

And then I go and spoil it all by saying something stupid like ‘I love you’

— C. Carson Parks, from the 1967 hit song Somethin’ Stupid, performed by Frank and Nancy Sinatra

Totally on our terms

— President Donald Trump, from his hit 2018 leaked off-the-record interview with Bloomberg News

NAFTA talks resume today under a cloud, raising the question of what’s better for Canada: no deal or a “somewhat worse” one.

There are benefits to Canada in the two-way deal struck between the U.S. and Mexico, analysts say.

But the question of what’s best for Canada is hanging out there after negotiators from Ottawa and Washington failed to reach a deal by what was said to be Friday’s deadline to join the pact that would overhaul the North American free-trade agreement.

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Canada and the U.S. are divided. As The Globe and Mail’s Steven Chase, Robert Fife and Ian Bailey report, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau stressed Tuesday he will not agree to kill NAFTA’s dispute-settlement process or do anything that doesn’t shelter Canadian media from foreign ownership.

A quick recap:

President Donald Trump threatened to slap crippling tariffs on Canadian auto exports if the two sides can’t agree, and told Congress Friday he plans to push ahead with the U.S.-Mexico deal, though he added that Ottawa is working hard to strike an agreement.

And, oops, in an off-the-record interview that was leaked Friday, Mr. Trump said a new agreement would be “totally on our terms,” and that he was dangling the auto tariff threat over the heads of Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland and her team.

(Here’s what Bank of Montreal chief economist Douglas Porter said about that: “Trump continually wielded the cudgel of ‘Carmaggedon’ over Canada [last] week, stating that ‘the easiest thing we can do is tariff their cars.’ It’s unclear what’s more obnoxious about that statement – the casual economic threat against a long-time friend and neighbour, or using ‘tariff’ as a verb.”)

Mr. Trump continued to push that theme on the weekend, warning on Twitter that “if we don’t make a fair deal for the U.S. after decades of abuse, Canada will be out,” and that Congress should keep its nose out of it.

That’s where things stand as Canada and the U.S. go back at it today.

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Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland

Chris Wattie/Reuters

“The problem is that, unlike in most negotiations, no deal will probably not mean that the status quo remains intact,” said Stephen Brown, the senior Canada economist at Capital Economics.

“Instead, Canada seems to have the choice between no NAFTA (plus the risk of auto tariffs) and a somewhat worse NAFTA. A somewhat worse NAFTA is likely to be the better option.”

Chapter 19 provisions mean Canada, the U.S. and Mexico can seek a panel of independent lawyers to arbitrate disputes, and “if Canada capitulates, it will find it harder to oppose any anti-dumping measures the U.S. imposes on commodity imports,” Mr. Brown said.

“But Chapter 19 has proved to be a pretty ineffective tool in preventing, for example, tariffs against softwood lumber,” he added.

“So its benefits seem smaller than the Canadian government claims. Ultimately, the negative effects of a somewhat worse agreement would be small and spread over a long time.”

But Mr. Trump taking the “nuclear option” of killing NAFTA would hit Canada hard and fast.

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BMO’s Mr. Porter didn’t wade into a debate over what’s best, but did cite in a report “some potential positives” for Ottawa in the deal between the Americans and Mexicans, notably “some serious concessions” on autos by the latter.

“There were also some parts that Canada likely isn’t thrilled about handing over without some give in return from the U.S., including extended patent protection on drugs, longer copyrights, and the ramped-up de minimis limits,” he added.

Andrew Kenningham, chief global economist and Mr. Brown’s colleague at Capital Economics, warned about “overinterpreting” every development in what has become a global trade war.

“In particular, we doubt that the U.S.-Mexico accord means that wider trade tensions will dissipate,” Mr. Kenningham, said

“For a start, talks between the U.S. and Canada have not been concluded, and there are legislative hurdles to cross,” he added.

Steven Chase, Robert Fife, Ian Bailey: PM says Canada will stand firm on dispute resolution, media in talks

Aides sought to thwart Trump on NAFTA, new book reveals

David Parkinson: Rates, currency, NAFTA talks serve as risks to Canadian economy

Eddie Goldenberg: Canada still has a strong hand in NAFTA negotiations

Adrian Morrow: NAFTA talks set to resume with key dispute resolution system at centre of table

John Ibbitson: NAFTA agreement possible, but U.S. must bend on Chapter 19

Trump says Canada not needed in NAFTA deal, warns Congress not to interfere

Barrie McKenna: The harsh reality: Canada’s in a near-impossible situation on NAFTA, experts say

Lawrence Martin: A ‘win-win-win’ for Canada on NAFTA? Forget it

Adrian Morrow, Robert Fife: Canada-U.S. NAFTA talks to resume next week

Why Canada could tell the U.S. to shove it on NAFTA

Konrad Yakabuski: Freeland’s so-called friends in Mexico bid her adios on NAFTA

Victoria Gibson: Why NAFTA’s Chapter 19 trade clause may be more important than ever

Adrian Morrow, Robert Fife: U.S., Mexico reach NAFTA breakthrough, clearing way for Canada’s return

Barrie McKenna: For Ottawa, opening up the dairy industry will be the price of a trade deal

Bullish and bearish scenarios as Canadian dollar now ‘more vulnerable to NAFTA crunch time’

Markets at a glance

Follow our Inside the Market

Poloz holds the line

The Bank of Canada is starting to put some of its demons to rest, while others continue to plague the outlook.

As The Globe and Mail’s Barrie McKenna reports, the central bank held its key overnight ready at 1.5 per cent today, though it still said rates will be “warranted” down the line.

Economists had expected governor Stephen Poloz, senior deputy Carolyn Wilkins and their colleagues to hold steady today, and move again in October.

As for its demons, the central bank said the housing market is “beginning to stabilize as households adjust to higher interest rates and changes in housing policies.” As well, borrowing has “moderated” and the debt burden among households is starting to inch down.

Ah, but then there’s trade.

“Elevated trade tensions remain a key risk to the global outlook and are pulling some commodity prices lower,” the Bank of Canada said in its statement.

But “while uncertainty about trade policies continues to weigh on businesses, the rotation of demand towards business investment and exports is proceeding. Despite choppiness in the data, both business investment and exports have been growing solidly for several quarters.”

It added that it is monitoring the NAFTA talks closely.

Bank of Canada senior deputy governor Carolyn Wilkins and Governor Stephen Poloz

PATRICK DOYLE/The Canadian Press

“Discretion is the better part of valour, so a Bank of Canada potentially only days away from getting some clarity on NAFTA was wise enough to defer the next rate move until that news was at hand,” said CIBC World Markets chief economist Avery Shenfeld.

“An October rate hike looks highly likely if, as we expect, we have the makings of a NAFTA deal by then,” he added.

Barrie McKenna: Bank of Canada holds rates steady as it eyes NAFTA fallout

More news

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Insight

Konrad Yakabuski: Proposed new NAFTA auto rules in U.S.-Mexico deal are as clear as mud

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Ian McGugan: Don’t use the longest bull market as a reason to sell