#3596

[gr8writingtips]

writing tip #3596:

add a large dollop of yoghurt

[thewertsearch]

GA: Either Im Sleeping Or Im Dead Which Is It […] AA: you are unconscious now and will likely wake up as your new self very soon […] AA: you are undergoing a metamorphosis which you have been groomed for since you were very young

By who, though? Doc Scratch? Grubmom? The Alternian government, even?

And was Kanaya turned into a vampire, or was she born with the potential to become one? Metamorphosis seems to imply the former, but it's still very unclear.

AA: much like i was for my various personal iterations including this one GA: You Mean GA: Being A Ghost And Then A Frog And Then A Robot And Then A Fairy AA: yes!

Aradia likens this transformation to her own adventures as a ghost, robot and fairy, but all of those changes have mechanisms that we understand, whereas Kanaya's is a mystery. If it's anything like Aradia's ghost form, maybe necromancy was involved?

And, again - who's the culprit? If this was something that was imposed on Kanaya externally, rather than an inherent trait, then Scratch feels like the most likely meddler. If so, her vampirism was designed to benefit him - but what could his angle be?

What effect has Kanaya's vampirism even had, so far? What has she caused to happen, that wouldn't otherwise have happened?

All she's really done is bisect Eridan... whilst sparing the Veil's real problem, Gamzee. Well, he is the Most Important Character In Homestuck, so Scratch can probably make use of him.

But... I really don't like that line of thinking. It implies that Kanaya spared Gamzee at Scratch's bequest, knowingly or unknowingly, and the thought of Kanaya serving Scratch is too terrible to contemplate. Let's put it aside for now.

TA: 0k s0 i'm supp0sed t0 act 0ut what i did bef0re, when i br0ught her these shitty d0ll parts, is that's what's g0ing 0n here? GA: Yeah Im Still Not Sure Aradia Are We Supposed To Be Role Playing

And you didn’t even wait for Nepeta.

Actually, that's a good point - where is Nepeta? Is she sitting in some other bubble, berating Equius over how he died?

TA: thith ith kinb 0f thtupib. AA: youre stupid and you sound stupid! TA: h0py thith, i b0 th0unb thtupib. TA: why the fuckth ith by b0uth fthull 0f all thethe theeth subbenly?

Ah, hang on - Nepeta's not actually dead yet.

Sollux's tooth issues are congruent with page 3429, immediately before Equius is commanded to Seek The Highb100d. Plus, Kanaya's still down, and she was up and about by Seek. The Meowrails yet live - and Eridan's still alive, too, but I doubt his ghost would show his sorry face regardless.

It’s funny how the Furthest Ring, a space which is supposed to be temporally untethered, is correlated so closely with the sequence of events on the Veil.

[manoelt-finisterrae]

...irmos na cor do aloumiño

© Manoel T, 2023

[honjitsuno1mai]

#3596 ＠ 高知県高知市浦戸（坂本龍馬像）

[vanillastopbath]

3596 Chicago, IL 11/05/2023

[grouchydairy]

uploading some new items to the redbubble shop!

[clarabosswald]

מה? בלשכה של ביבי? ביבי שלנו?

[pesterloglog]

Aradia Megido, Sollux Captor, Jade Harley, Kanaya Maryam, Tavros Nitram

Act 5, page 3590-3613

apocalypseArisen [AA] began trolling twinArmageddons [TA]

AA: s0llux!

TA: hey what'2 up aa.

AA: y0u will never guess what i just f0und

TA: won't ii?

AA: i d0ubt it

TA: wa2 iit the matchiing ruiin2 2iite?

AA: um

AA: yes

AA: h0w did y0u kn0w!

TA: ii don't know, ju2t a weiird feeliing.

TA: ii feel liike we had thii2 conver2atiion before and that'2 what iit wa2 about.

AA: yeah

AA: me t00

AA: what d0 y0u think it means?

TA: probably nothiing. but now not only doe2 iit feel liike we had the conver2atiion before, but iit'2 goiing diifferently thii2 tiime.

TA: 2o iit'2 extra weiird. maybe your voiice2 are iinvolved?

AA: i d0nt kn0w maybe

AA: maybe y0urs are t00?

TA: ii don't hear a goddamn thiing.

TA: do you?

AA: wait

AA: yes

AA: shes very quiet th0ugh i cant tell what shes saying!

TA: oh well.

TA: why don't we pretend there ii2 no 2pooky paranormal phenomena goiing on ju2t once and talk about what you wanted two talk about.

AA: g00d idea

AA: 0k d0 y0u remember what we talked ab0ut regarding kanayas ruins?

TA: 2orta.

AA: i asked y0u f0r help in understanding the glyphs

TA: ii gue22.

AA: 0_0

AA: are y0u just being difficult 0r d0 y0u really n0t remember

TA: ii gue22 ii don't fiind the whole my2tery of the ruiin2 a2 exciitiing a2 you, ok?

AA: well 0bvi0usly!

AA: but i really appreciate y0ur help anyway

TA: 2ure.

TA: how can ii help, then.

AA: well y0u said that y0ud need an0ther set 0f glyphs t0 make sense 0f them

AA: y0u speculated that there might be an0ther set 0f ruins

AA: y0u even guessed they w0uld be blue! it turns 0ut y0u were right

AA: d0nt y0u think that is pretty c00l?

TA: oh yeah, ii am awe2ome about that for 2ure.

TA: but,

TA: ii can't 2hake the feeliing the2e ruiin2 are goiing two be nothiing but trouble for u2.

AA: but y0u say that ab0ut everything!

TA: that'2 becau2e iit'2 fuckiing true about everythiing!

AA: n0 its n0t!

AA: i did find s0me 0ther neat things d0wn here t00 which are strange but quite harmless and n0t f0reb0ding in the least!

TA: liike what?

AA: like this AMAZING hat!

AA: it is an authentic arche0l0gists hat its s0 hard t0 find them in this style

AA: there are n0 h0rn h0les but i l0ve it anyway its great

TA: pretty 2weet aa.

TA: hey diidn't you al2o fiind 2ome biit2 and piiece2 of your biizarre robot doppelganger.

AA: i wasnt g0ing t0 tell y0u ab0ut that!

AA: damn it h0w did y0u kn0w

TA: ii don't know, ii ju2t "remembered" 2ome more 2hiit about thii2 dii2covery, god 2orry.

AA: this is stupid

TA: yeah, well, ii gue22 thii2 ii2 the kiind of 2hiit you have to deal wiith when two p2ychiic2 talk to each other about 2tuff.

AA: maybe

TA: why don't we piick thii2 up agaiin later when we're not feeliing 2o weiird?

AA: well

AA: 0k

apocalypseArisen [AA] began trolling twinArmageddons [TA] and apocalypseArisen [AA]

AA: ahem

AA: sorry to interrupt i wanted to give you both the chance to remember but it doesnt look like this is going anywhere!

TA: what the fuck?

AA: w0w what

AA: is it coming back yet

TA: is WHAT c0ming back, wh0 ARE y0u?

TA: wh0a h0ld 0n.

TA: why am i talking like y0u suddenly?

AA: this is a mem0ry

AA: in a dream bubble

AA: thats right!

TA: 0h.

TA: that d0esn't really answer my questi0n, but 0k.

AA: y0u changed y0ur v0ice because y0u remembered

AA: like i did

TA: remembered what?

AA: that i died

AA: this is my mem0ry and als0 hers

AA: but i went 0n t0 bec0me the r0b0t wh0se remains are in this crater

AA: whereas she did n0t

AA: i d0nt actually kn0w her st0ry 0r h0w she g0t here but f0r me this was the end 0f the r0ad

AA: this is the afterlife

TA: well, shit.

TA: s0 then i guess i'm dead t00?

AA: nope!

AA: you are just asleep

AA: you are also blind!

TA: h0ly shit, i can't see!

AA: yes thats what being blind means

TA: w0w, awes0me! way t0 be awes0mely sympathetic t00 my terrible new pr0blem, aa.

AA: sollux will you shut up and stop being so tragic for once

AA: you knew this was going to happen! your prophecies of personal doom were practically all you ever talked about

AA: i think you were looking forward to this honestly

AA: shes right

TA: i can't believe this, it's alm0st as if i'm getting...

TA: D0UBLE TEAMED.

TA: 😎

TA: damn.

TA: that didn't feel right at all, i think i might have t0 retire the wh0le bifurcati0n gimmick, puns and all.

TA: actually that is kind 0f a relief, maybe y0u're right, i'm feeling better ab0ut this already.

AA: great!

AA: you should be able to relax now that youve been released from the curse of your vision twofold just like you said youd be

AA: you are now merely doomed!

TA: 0h.

TA: that's... awes0me?

AA: being d00med isnt that bad

AA: i spent m0st 0f my life that way remember

AA: at least y0u have the luxury 0f understanding

AA: and the best part ab0ut being d00med is y0u 0nly have t0 put up with it until y0u die

AA: thats the spirit hahaha

AA: actually i guess i dont have to keep talking like im doomed anymore do i

AA: nope :)

TA: this is s0 weird, what am i even listening t0 here.

TA: 0_0

TA: FUCK, i cann0t BELIEVE i just made that face.

AA: hahahahaha!

AA: hahahahaha!

TA: g0d dammit.

TA: 0h yeah, als0...

TA: why the fuck are my teeth missing?

AA: i

AA: dont know?

TA: 0k, well, great, glad we g0t t0 the fucking b0tt0m 0f that mystery.

TA: myssssssstery. mystery. mySSSSthSSSStery. mysterymysterymystery.

TA: man, i can't even lisp anym0re if i try.

TA: please d0n't laugh, i can tell y0u are b0th enj0ying this, i can smell it using my new blind guy n0se p0wers.

AA: really?

TA: n0 n0t literally, i was j0king. i mean n0t YET. maybe i'll ask tz ab0ut it when i wake up th0ugh.

TA: hey what was that n0ise?

AA: what noise?

TA: i think s0me0ne else is here.

AA: oh its jade!

TA: jade?? wtf.

AA: whos jade

AA: shes one of the humans we met after you died

AA: ok

AA: i guess i am out of the loop on chronology for once

AA: thats fine youll catch up!

GG: ummmmmm hey guys i hope im not interrupting!!!

TA: well, yeah, y0u kind 0f were, s0rt 0f a reuni0n 0f cl0se departed friends g0ing 0n here, but n0 big deal i guess.

GG: oh no!

GG: i can leave

AA: no dont!

AA: sollux try to be polite

AA: there is no reason at all for you to feel hostile toward them anymore

AA: jade is very nice and she did nothing wrong

AA: none of them did so when you wake up maybe you should try to reconcile with them or at the very least just say hello

TA: did Y0U?

AA: did i what

TA: be nice t0 them 0r whatever bef0re y0u expl0ded.

AA: well no

AA: but i should have!

AA: i did with you before i left didnt i

TA: i guess s0.

GG: :o

AA: this is awkward

AA: shush you!

AA: what actually happened after i died it sounds complicated

AA: it is!

AA: ill get you up to speed i promise but guys come on lets not scare away our guest

AA: ok then ill shut up

AA: i think one aradia saying things is more than enough probably

TA: y0u can say that again heheheheheh.

TA: but i mean, d0n't say it again literally, because that's kind 0f the wh0le p0int, and w0uld c0mpletely c0ntradi...

AA: oh my god shut up!

GG: its ok! i can take another nap later when you guys arent busy...

AA: no jade its ok

AA: please stay! im curious about why you are here

GG: well...

GG: i have just been enjoying these little naps more and more lately!

GG: each time i go to sleep i meet more new people and learn so much

GG: but i still cant get karkat to take a nap, boy talk about a guy who is anti nap!

TA: ahahahah, yeah, what a d0uche!

GG: seeeeeriously!

GG: he is the douchiest of crabby crabs who ever douched a big douchey crab

TA: l0l.

GG: but yeah, its been fun, i should really thank feferi again for setting it up so we could meet like this!

TA: wait, ff is here?

GG: yup!

TA: 0h g0d, why didn't that 0ccur t0 me, where is she??

GG: ummm probably in another bubble

GG: but youll find her! maybe during your next nap...

TA: well shit, why can't i just g0 glub ar0und 0ut there in the ring and find her n0w?

TA: i mean, aside fr0m the fact that i'm blind and c0mpletely useless.

AA: navigating between bubbles is difficult here

AA: its better to drift between them naturally as they intersect

AA: not spatially but through common points in memory

AA: to navigate the furthest ring you need to have mastered the flow of time!

AA: that is why i am here

AA: i am alive again so i may assist the dead in this way

TA: huh.

AA: jade tell me

AA: have you seen me here before? i mean me dressed like i am now wearing my godhood

GG: yeah!

GG: you were really nice and helpful

TA: wait, what, y0u're wearing a g0dh00d?

TA: why didn't y0u tell me that, what gives? 0r that y0u came back t0 life??

AA: im wearing a hood and have butterfly wings what else would you like to know

TA: man, being blind is dumb, can i like gr0pe y0u 0r s0mething t0 get up t0 date 0n y0ur appearance, w0uld that be weird?

AA: yes sollux that would probably be pretty weird

GG: i think your outfit looks so cute! i love your wings too

AA: thank you your outfit is quite spiffy too

AA: i like that skirt a lot especially

AA: is

AA: is that a skirt?

GG: i am not sure :o

TA: /R0LLING MY EYES.

TA: is what i w0uld be d0ing if that were p0ssible.

AA: shhh!

TA: aa c0me 0n y0u were making a p0int.

AA: yes ok

AA: you see those encounters you had with me before have not happened for me yet because ive only just arrived

AA: time follows strange paths here as does space

AA: if you travel a great enough distance you may discover you are also traveling either backwards or forwards in time as well!

AA: just as if you stay in one place for too long the geometry of space surrounding you will become unreliable

AA: you may swat the air to your left and discover you have just slapped yourself!

AA: the only way to make sense of it is to understand either property very well

AA: and since i am new here i have some learning to do just like everyone else

AA: but i do know one thing

GG: what!

AA: i knew that the first bubble i would enter would be an important one for us to visit

TA: what's s0 imp0rtant ab0ut it?

AA: hang on

AA: we are moving on to a new memory hold that thought

AA: it is important because it will help us begin to understand why we are all here

TA: what d0 y0u mean why we are all here?

TA: y0u mean in the afterlife? that's easy.

TA: because she's asleep, she's dead, y0u're alive, and i'm blind, c0uldn't be simpler.

AA: no no

AA: not why we are in this bubble now

AA: but why we all exist in the first place and why we all went on this adventure together

TA: 0h, that.

AA: there is much to understand and i believe it all begins with one sequence of events

AA: watching will help those whove passed to understand the purpose of their sacrifice and those still living to understand what must be done to complete the journey still ahead

AA: we will let the memories lead the way

AA: are you guys ready?

GG: i am ready!

AA: ok lets allow the next memory to take shape

AA: i believe it is kanayas

AA: i will reprise my role in a conversation i had with her shortly after i discovered the ruins

AA: everybody hide and try not to spoil it for her until she remembers!

AA: hey kanaya

AA: there is s0mething i want t0 give y0u

GA: Oh Really

AA: yes its s0mething very 0dd i f0und when i disc0vered the ruins the 0ther night

AA: i d0nt kn0w what its arche0l0gical significance is yet but i suspect y0u will be able t0 repair it!

GA: This Is A Dream Isnt It

AA: 0_0

AA: w0w!

AA: uh i mean

AA: o_o

AA: wow

AA: you figured that out very fast!

GA: It Seemed Obvious

GA: Either Im Sleeping Or Im Dead Which Is It

AA: oh i am sure you are alive

AA: you are unconscious now and will likely wake up as your new self very soon

GA: My New Self

AA: yes

AA: you are undergoing a metamorphosis which you have been groomed for since you were very young

AA: much like i was for my various personal iterations including this one

GA: You Mean

GA: Being A Ghost And Then A Frog And Then A Robot And Then A Fairy

AA: yes!

AA: but it sure sounds silly when you list them all like that

GA: Kind Of

GA: What Do You Mean We Have Been Groomed

AA: wellllll

AA: that is what we are about to find out!

AA: if you will oblige us by continuing with this memory

GA: Okay

GA: What Do I Do

AA: why dont we go through this conversation again to the best of our recollection

AA: but i guess rather than acting it out we can just talk about it

AA: the old fashioned way

GA: Was What We Were Attempting Before Not Old Fashioned

AA: i have no idea

GA: It Seems To Me The Nature Of The Afterlife Is Probably Very Old Fashioned

GA: Maybe Even The Most Old Fashioned A Thing Can Get

AA: haha yeah you know what i mean though

GA: Yes Then

GA: This Was When You Were About To Give Me That Unusual Gift From The Ruins

AA: yes

AA: i then had sollux deliver the pieces to you so you could stitch it back up

AA: sollux that is your cue!

AA: come out and play the part

TA: s0 we d0n't have t0 hide anym0re?

AA: no of course not!

AA: obviously the jig is up everyone can come out now

GG: yay!

TA: s0 like,

TA: 0k s0 i'm supp0sed t0 act 0ut what i did bef0re, when i br0ught her these shitty d0ll parts, is that's what's g0ing 0n here?

GA: Yeah Im Still Not Sure Aradia Are We Supposed To Be Role Playing

AA: no guys come on this isnt that complicated!

AA: we are just revisiting the past just like we would if we were talking about it

AA: but it just so happens we can watch it happen as we talk about it

AA: and as a matter of fact

AA: this story does involve a role playing game but not in that way!

TA: thith ith kinb 0f thtupib.

AA: youre stupid and you sound stupid!

TA: h0py thith, i b0 th0unb thtupib.

TA: why the fuckth ith by b0uth fthull 0f all thethe theeth subbenly?

AA: i dont know o_o

AA: but you maaay be waking up soon

TA: 0h, 0k, greath, th0 i will mithth the retht 0f the c00l tht0ry, 0k.

AA: maybe not if we hurry this along!

GG: wait! before we do...

GG: hi kanaya! it is nice to meet you

GA: Hi Jade

GA: Uh

GA: What Is That Thing Youre Wearing

GG: you dont like it???

GA: No I Didnt Mean To Sound Disapproving

GA: But I Do Think More Colorful Apparel Suits You Better

GG: yes i know you told me!

GA: I Did

GG: yes but you probably havent yet

GG: not from your perspective..... i could not help but overhear you are asleep now

GG: you told me all about what happened after you woke up!

GA: About What

GG: about how you turned into a vampire

GA: Whats A Vampire

TA: thith ith ribicul0uth.

AA: thollux is right

AA: i mean sollux

AA: kanaya tell us what happened next!

GA: There Isnt Much To Say

GA: I Repaired The Doll And Made Him A Nice Outfit

GA: With A Far More Becoming Palette And Fit Than The Absurd Tatters He Was Found In

GA: I Thought At Least

AA: yes

GA: Uh

GA: Should There Be Anything Else To This Story

AA: not really!

GG: isnt that daves puppet?

AA: yes

GG: :\

TA: aw sthith, i guethth i'm 0utha here.

AA: bye sollux

TA: thee y0u lather eberyb0by.

GG: bye!

GA: Anyway That Is All I Can Remember

GA: I Quickly Began To Find The Doll Unnerving So I Put Him Away

GA: To My Knowledge He Has Remained Secure In My Block Ever Since

GA: Is He Relevant In Some Way

GG: guys why do you have daves puppet?

GG: what is going on here!

GA: Yes Aradia It Seems You Have Some Foreknowledge Of This Narrative Maybe You Can Tell Us Why Any Of This Is Important

AA: this is only a piece of the story

AA: the other pieces will fall into place with successive memories and it will all become clear

AA: but yes alright i will eliminate some suspense and try to serve as a better guide on this tour through the catacombs of our collective subconscious

AA: the separate tunnels we once traveled in the dark as individuals we now retrace together with a torch

AA: on the walls we illuminate the runes which describe a convoluted origin story

AA: an origin we participated in

AA: we were spurred to these actions by that which was being originated

AA: and incited to acts of revenge as we were turned against each other

AT: i DON'T REMEMBER THIS,

AT: i MEAN,

AT: i REMEMBER GETTING JUMPED OFF THE CLIFF BY MY LEGS,

AT: bUT NOT THE THING i'M DOING NOW,

AA: no

AA: our manipulator disguised his tracks well

AT: dO i,

AT: hAVE TO LIE ON THE FLOOR LIKE THIS,

AT: iS THAT IMPORTANT,

AA: no tavros you can get up

AT: aLSO,

AT: cAN WE, oR AT LEAST i, bE NOT IN THIS MEMORY,

AT: bECAUSE,

AT: iT'S ONE THAT'S NOT AS GREAT AS MOST,

AA: we will leave it soon

AA: but you were doing something very important here

AT: wHAT WAS i DOING,

AA: writing a part of the code

AA: an incomplete fragment consisting of four symbols

AA: comprising the first word of a binary refrain

AA: a pair of sounds emerging from the belly of a fabled tyrants menace

AA: but you authored only one sound of the pair

AA: i would write the other

AA: in the soot of my ruined hive i scrawled my part of the code

AA: completing the phrase of legend

AA: the persisting sounds said to accompany the ultimate demise of the tyrant less an arm and an eye

AA: but even these eight characters

AA: the scrawlings of charge

AA: were still but half the code

AA: there was another half by scourge in two parts

AA: one part three symbols

AA: and the other

AA: five

AA: why the scale was tipped in this way between sisters

AA: i cannot say!

AA: each fragment would be transcribed in our rulebooks

AA: sealing the collaboration between rust bloods and blue bloods

AA: completing the code for our sessions architect

AA: not exactly

AA: there was another fragment

AA: oh?

AA: yes

AA: an additional eight symbols

AA: from a wild card source i suppose

AA: it came from a timeline not meant to happen

AA: the one i came from to ensure it wouldnt

AA: thus sealing my fate

AA: i believed the fragment was gibberish from a lunatic

AA: after completing his rampage through our session

AA: since it was not part of the scripted chronology i was oblivious until it was too late to stop it

AA: not that it would matter if i did the timeline had already gone astray

AA: i pieced together what had happened by sleuthing the various scenes

AA: and discovered the text which the code was recorded in

AA: i decided to return to the alpha timeline with the text

AA: as evidence for his madness i guess

AA: in the alpha timeline this text was destroyed

AA: in an explosion caused by a computer virus

AA: this explosion did not take place on my timeline

AA: i identified this event as the difference prompting the offshoot

AA: and returned to our planet via the reckoning just as i did at the end of my life

AA: though that time deliberately

AA: to influence events quietly to make sure it happened

AA: and later joined the rest of our doomed selves to help defeat the king

AA: the others surely had similar responsibilities along the way

AA: as for the book

AA: i lost track of it shortly after i arrived

AA: yes we all lost track of our books

AA: they were gathered surreptitiously by agents assigned to the task

AA: and in the veil their codes were merged with the ghost imprints of other mysterious artifacts

AA: our first guardian was brought to life on the seed to pass through skaias final gate of defense

AA: the first to find alternia

[bobbie-robron]

But really I blame myself. In a moment of weakness, I let you take advantage of me so… I’m just as guilty. (Parts 3 & 4)

Hang on. I never started it!

Danny is keen on having an indoor barbecue with the gang at Andy’s so it’s last minute planning for Katie as well as sitting down with Victoria to sort a bridesmaid dress. Katie’s planning on seeing her dad the next day. Based on what Victoria likes, Jack suggests Katie go down to Hotten for it and Robert volunteers to drive her. After some big ego spouting by Robert to Katie, they don’t go to Hotten but start snogging instead. So much for their decision earlier.

27-Nov-2003

[drrafaelcm]

STF começa a julgar poder da ANP para decidir sobre venda de blocos petrolíferos

Na sessão desta quinta-feira (14), o Plenário ouviu manifestações sobre o tema. Continue reading STF começa a julgar poder da ANP para decidir sobre venda de blocos petrolíferos

[forever19-rp]

it’s been 10 years since this roleplay was first opened … it fizzled out over the years, and all we are left with are memories of stories and of friends. the real world has eaten me up & spat me back out over the last few years, so i wasn’t able to witness all of the beautiful friendships that blossomed while i was gone, or the many developments that touched our characters, but i treasure every single one of the friends i’ve made here, and i hope you all have too. maybe i’m talking to the void. but i was hit with an insane amount of nostalgia last night, and somehow i was able to access this, so. if anyone might come here to peruse— hi. this is annie. and i’m so proud of what this little community has achieved.

[bbeeohazardd]

Tommy stared wide-eyed at his gun-wielding friend, well, ex-friend at this point. Hand tightly holding the camcorder as he quickly held out his other arm to at least somewhat shield the older man behind him. He really regretted getting Bubby involved with his investigation, but he didn’t think it would escalate to this.

“bro, i know you took that tape, the one with Coomer on it, lil stealy boy ‘n now i gotta do this.”

“Benrey what?”

It was all Tommy could really respond with.

“Tommy, what tape is he talking about?!”

Bubby shouted.

“bro, i told you not to get Bubby involved in this, bro. ‘s why i told him i found Darnold, i just wanted to make my movie ‘n now look what you’re makin’ me do.”

“Benrey stop, you don’t- you can’t- it doesn’t have to be like this!”

Tommy couldn’t stop the shake in his voice.

“broo, i told you, i didn’t want it to come to this, bro. jus’ wanna make my movie ‘n shit bro, but then you shared my cool-ass tapes. makin’ me all bad ‘n shit bro, now i gotta be baaaaaad.”

“What are you FUCKING talking about.”

The sharp voice of Bubby only made him more anxious. He should’ve thought things through more thoroughly, and now he was going to get someone killed.

Tommy’s spiral halted as he noticed a figure sneaking up behind his ex-friend, a familiar orange jacket with a black and white mask. Gordon, his brain helpfully supplied.

“Benrey it’s- you- please don’t do this!”

“Yeah dumbass!”

��should’ve burned those tapes, i wanted to be nice but now i can’t and-”

Benrey was cut off as Gordon grabbed him violently from behind. Tommy sprang into action, grabbing Bubby’s arm and hauling-ass down the stairs. The sound of a gunshot made the older man yell out as they both made it through Rosswood and back to their cars.

“Tommy- Tommy what the fuck!”

“I- I don’t know! We- we gotta- we gotta get out of here and to a hotel! Just pack what you need and we- we can meet up at the Ramada by Skyland and McFarland.”

The other man nodded and hurriedly got in his car, peeling out of the parking lot.

Tommy paused to gather himself, eyes falling on Benrey’s parked car. He walked over, finding the door unlocked, to nobody’s shock. The inside of the car was a mess, but he noticed something on the passenger seat. The bag that Benrey had been carrying around and the chest camera.

Tommy looked around nervously before he grabbed them, closing the door and rushing to his own car before he sped off to the hotel.

Tommy fidgeted anxiously as he sat in his car, staring at the gray hard drive that had been in the bag as his camcorder sat in his lap.

He wasn’t sure what it was, but staring at it made him nauseous, and after seeing that tape with Gordon and Dr. Coomer on it, he really wasn’t excited to see whatever Benrey had gotten up to that made him act like, well, that. Sure, Tommy had committed his own fair share of crimes, but resorting to murdering someone who had no involvement was horrifying.

His thoughts were cut off by another car pulling up next to him, Bubby stepping out from the driver's side and grabbing a backpack.

Tommy got out of the car to meet him, trying his best to keep himself calm, he really missed Sunkist.

“You got- uh- you have everything you need?” “Yeah. What the fuck are we gonna do, Tommy?” “I- We should just stay in our rooms for the day. I got- I already rented some conjoined- an adjoined room, so uh, yeah.” “Alright.” “Oh! Uh-” He walked back over to his car, pulling out his duffle bag. “These- this is everything I’ve shot on my camera, everything- all my interactions with Benrey. Uh, this one…” He dug a bit before he found the labeled tape. “This one. This one is super- it’s really important, Benrey didn’t want me to see it. Uh- there’s also this hard drive-” He held it up for him to see. “I don’t uhm- I don’t know what’s on it yet, but I just- I know it’s important.” He put it back in the camera bag before walking back over to Bubby.

“I’m- I was gonna put everything in the safe in my room, but I need- we should uh come up with a four digit combination that we can both remember.” “Why not 1234 or something like that?” “Too simple, I don’t want- it’d be easy for anyone to open.” “Hm.” The older man looked at the ground as he thought. “3596.” “3596?” “It’s a very important date to me, I’d never forget it.” “Alright, it uh- I can remember that.” “I’m gonna go check in before this headache makes me explode.” “Alright.”

He started walking away before he paused and turned back.

“Tommy, Benrey mentioned a tape with Harold on it.” Tommy shuffled anxiously but nodded. “Yeah, I can- I’ll show it to you once I get the file safe on my laptop.” “Fine.” He continued walking, coughing a bit as he entered the building.

Tommy zipped up the bag and grabbed the camera before heading in with his things.

It didn’t take too long to get everything put away and organized, now the main thing to wait for was getting the video from the tape Bubby wanted to see safe on his computer. Well, as safe as he could with how unreliable things were now. Sure, things were safe if posted on YouTube, but he’d had files tampered with before, so he wasn’t going to blindly trust the volatile laptop.

Tommy turned his focus on the chest mounted camera in his hands, slipping it on and adjusting it slightly. It wasn’t the best sensory experience around, but it’d be useful if he had to go somewhere he couldn’t bring the hand-held.

He moved the hand-held over to the bedside table, gently setting it down and letting out a sigh of relief. Still recording as always. He sat down on the bed, rubbing his eyes.

Saying he felt exhausted would be an understatement.

He looked over at the laptop on the desk, he still had a good amount of time before the video would be uploaded.

Tommy laid down to get some sorely needed rest.

Tommy woke up with a start, sweating and gasping for air due to a nightmare he couldn’t remember. Familiar screaming made him scramble out of bed, fumbling for his camera, before he ran over to the door connecting his and Bubby’s rooms. He banged on the door loudly.

“Bubby! Bubby, open the door!”

He shouted frantically. Groping for the doorknob in the darkness, the door was unlocked.

He swung it open, only to be face to face with it.

The thing was the same as always. Inky black skin that seemed to pulse and squirm, too many eyes that bore into him, skeletal arms that reached from its back, some type of animal skull for a head, maybe a horse but the teeth were too sharp.

His head pounded painfully as he looked around the room in a panic. No Bubby. His hands shook as he looked back at the source of his misery. He felt enraged and hurt, all he’d wanted was a normal life, and now this thing had taken someone he hadn’t even wanted to put in danger.

“What do you want?!”

He managed to shout, it felt like his skull would split in two.

“JUST LEAVE US ALONE.”

Tommy shouted before impulsively charging the thing.

The sensation of tackling something was the last thing he registered before he passed out.

[theofficialastronomy101]

NGC 3596

[ir-dr]

Day 3596 - 7 February 2024

( ｡ •̀ ⤙ •́ ｡ )

.//projectTiGER

[nerves-nebula]

start | Prev | The End! you're here!!

page 50

AND SO HERE WE REACH THE END. THE EPILOGUE. THE 50TH PAGE OF MY 20 PAGE COMIC. BRILLIANT. I hope i never do this again. good lord. I can’t say it isn’t satisfying to end something like this but MAN did this balloon. This was because I got an ASK, do you guys remember that?? Do you remember that i started this comic on a whim?? Because I got an ask?? And then i held a poll about what comic I should make??? THAT WAS MONTHS AGO.

I considered adding one more page that's just a wide shot of Raph watching Splinter looking at Leo but I figured you get the point well enough already.

here's some round up fun facts under the cut!

this script is 3596 words long

it spans 8 pages of my 90 page tmnt google doc

it was originally supposed to be around 20-30 pages AT MOST

the reason behind its specific style choices is that I was IN THE MIDDLE OF COLLEGE when i started it and i wanted to be able to make pages as fast as possible. so i created a limited color palette so that i wouldn't over do things. i still kind of over did things tho.

because the point was to draw pages as fast as possible I frequently make little mistakes like forgetting to draw bandages, knee/arm pads, masks, and donnie's entire glasses.

one of the most frequently forgotten things i think is Raphs hand bandages. i think i draw him without them more than i draw him WITH them ;_;

when I started this i wasn't going to include anything to do with CSA, because I was unsure that people wouldn't be weird about it

halfway through the comic, I started to write Donnie with a stutter. this is because I was still developing the characters when I started this comic and it was supposed to help me figure out their emotions more, so quite a few decisions were made about them in the middle of script writing & the days/weeks between drawing pages. that's how you end up with shit like Donnie suddenly developing a stutter.

because of the placement of when i decided to write him with a stutter, it kind of looks like he develops it after a particularly traumatic memory, and i think thats kind of funny.

THIS IS OFFICIALLY THE LONGEST FINISHED COMIC I’VE EVER MADE.

anyway, thanks for reading :)  

[friendship-ditch]

Portrait

Carol Aird x Fem!Reader ✼

Summary: Carol hires you as an artist to fulfill various requests, though not all of them involve art.

Warnings/Notes: Slight non-sexual nudity? Nothing really

Word Count: 3596

  It was hard to find work as an artist. 

  You often found yourself darting from contract to contract, visiting their houses and completing their jobs, but never getting called back. It was usually rich people that hired you so you did leave with a good sum of money, but it was only enough to last you a certain time. There were a few times money was hard and you’d pick up a side job to earn a solid income but just that was torture. 

  You were an artist, unchained and unbound. Tying yourself in with the restraints of a corporate job sounded like hell. You would go insane.

  But as the winter settled in and heating bills rose, you found yourself having to take a few more unfavorable jobs as well from the usual portraits and elaborate murals. That’s how you ended up repainting the women's bathroom in Frankenburg’s, the department store. You tried to get there early and work before customers came in but the walls were in desperate need of assistance and you spent half of the time peeled off the old shitty paint.

  Nearly every woman that entered the bathroom gave the strange girl on a ladder painting the upper walls an odd look; usually one of annoyance or confusion, but they rarely ever said anything. You eventually got so used to tuning them out, that when someone did speak to you, they had to try quite a few times.

  “Excuse me?” A voice asked, quite loud.

  Startled, you looked down the ladder. If you weren’t clinging on tight, you probably would’ve fallen over.

  She was beautiful.

  Golden hair curled just above her shoulders, body wrapped in a rich fur coat and hands hidden beneath leather gloves. She was staring up at you, a polite smile on her face.

  “I’m sorry, am I in your way?” You stuttered. Of course you weren’t. There was nothing here but a wall. You cleared your throat. “Or uh… do you need something?”

  The woman chuckled. “The latter. You don’t mind if I ask you something, do you? I wouldn’t want to interrupt.”

  “No, no, not at all. I need a break.” You climbed down before taking a seat on one of the lower steps. “How can I help?”

  “Do you do home work?”

  “I do anything.”

  A little smirk spread across her lips, then was forced back into that polite smile, though the twinkle in her eyes didn’t fade.

  “I can hire you, then? I promise it’s a better job than a bathroom.”

  She was beautiful and funny? Was this a dream? If she wasn’t staring at you with those intent blue eyes, you would’ve slapped yourself just to check.

  “Yes. You can hire me.” You dug around in your pocket for a business card and pulled a rumpled one out. “Sorry… I’ve been here a while. Everythings a bit messy.”

  “I don’t blame you.” The woman took the card like a treasure. “When are you available?”

  “Anytime after today.”

  “Wonderful. My husband was supposed to paint the hallway but… he’s not around to do that anymore.” The woman huffed, then blinked at the look on your face. “Oh, no, he’s not dead. We’re just divorced, that’s all. It’s for the better he’s not around… though I’m not in the best headspace to spend hours on a ladder, if you understand where I’m coming from.” 

  Seeing as you’d just been on a ladder for the past 4 or so hours, you didn’t, but you smiled anyway. 

  “Completely. Just give me a call later and tell me what you need.”

  “I will.” The woman winked and turned towards the door, then she paused. “I’m Carol. Carol Aird.”

  “Y/n.” You replied, not missing the way her lips quirked up into a grin.

  She dipped her head and then left, though you could hear her voice hang behind for a moment: “I’ll see you soon, Y/n.”

  And you did see her soon. She called you the next day and you went to her house the day afterwards. She’d already gotten the paint and everything with the intention to redo the hallway herself, but after climbing the ladder and getting hit with a wave of vertigo she swore it off.

  Now you were pulling up in front of her house. It was a nice, large stone house way out into the country of New Jersey. The maid brought you inside and you met Carol in the hallway.

  The hall had long walls and tall ceilings, the old white paint peeling off around the edges from years of clinging on. Carol had done you a favor and moved what furniture and paintings she could. You negotiated a pay and then she left you to paint. 

  While you worked, you could hear her playing and talking to her younger daughter downstairs, Rindy. The little girl was the one to come up and very shyly ask you about lunch, which Carol had just called you down to. You’d never had a client serve you lunch before, much less invite you into their dining room but Carol would have it no other way.

  “I can’t thank you enough for this, truly. You’re a saint.” Carol set the tray down on the table with your sandwich and glass of ice water. She brushed her fingers against your shoulder and then nudged the curtains aside to peer out the window. “I had been planning to hire a painter for a long time, but it kept slipping my mind. I suppose I’ve been rather busy recently.”

  “With the divorce?” The words slipped from your mouth before you could stop them. You’d found an overturned family photo upstairs that had fallen from the hallway table. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to–”

  “No, no, it’s okay.” Carol assured you with a heavy sigh. “You’re right. The divorce has taken a lot out of me, I suppose. But it’s for the better. I’m tired… but happy.”

  You nodded quietly in understanding, about to drop the topic when she looked over at you.

  “We fell out of love, Harge and I.” The wistful tone in her voice led you to believe she hadn’t talked about this to anybody in a while. “I was first… I fell in love with someone else for a time. My best friend. She and I are long over but what little Harge and I had left was broken. I don’t blame him… but in all honesty he never treated me like a wife. Just an object.” Carol trailed off as she turned to face you. “I’m sorry. You don’t care about this.”

  You shook your head and stood to join her at the window, sandwich clutched in your hand. “It’s alright. I don’t mind. I like talking.”

  “Do you…” Carol smiled faintly. “You’re a dear.”

  Her words brought a bashful smile to your face and you just chuckled.

  It was later that day, as you were finishing up the hallway, that Carol came upstairs once more. “How packed is your schedule?”

  “Honestly? Not very.”

  “Can I hire you again?” Carol looked up at the newly painted walls, admiring your work. “Rindy’s room is a bit… the colors are rather faded. Harge promised her a mural above her bed long ago but that fell through, I was thinking about maybe a light pink.”

  “I can paint a mural.” You offered.

  “Really?”

  “Yes.” You grinned and nodded, eager to do something other than plain colors. “I’m actually… Well, usually I do more commissions and stuff like that. I’ve just been doing wall paintings to pay the bills.” 

  A look of curiosity flashed through Carol’s eyes and she nodded slowly. “And your commission schedule?”

  “Still empty.”

  “Would you be able to pump something out before Christmas?”

  “Yes.” You decided not to say the ‘for you’ that nearly slipped out. “I can do that.”

  You would say anything to see that big smile spread across her face. And it wasn’t just that. The second Carol found herself naturally close enough, she pressed a quick kiss to the side of your head and ruffled your hair affectionately. “You’re a lifesaver, Y/n.”

  The next few days you completed the mural in Rindy’s room, though you spent half of the time talking with Carol about various little Christmas presents she wanted to commission for various family members and friends. Before you knew it, you were spending a lot of time there at her home with her and Rindy. You got to know the both of them pretty well, doing a few little paintings for Rindy and being a friend you learned that Carol desperately needed.

  It was one late night after a little bit of wine that Carol asked you to paint her. The two of you gathered into the study and you sat her on a stool beside some flower vases. Then you propped your easel up in front of her and began to paint. It was a bit of a struggle since the two of you kept giggling but you eventually got into the groove, at least, for a little while.

  “You moved again.” You peered above your canvas at the elegant and poised woman, noting her torso was now tilted slightly towards the left. It had previously been straight. 

  “Did I?” Carol’s voice sounded from a few feet ahead where she sat. She tried to lean back to her previous position but her hand flew to her back with a grunt. “Shit…”

  “Is everything alright?” Not liking the sound of her in pain, you abandoned your paintbrush. The portrait was coming out well enough for a sketch, it could wait. You crossed the room and stood beside her with a frown.

  Carol took a shaky breath as her hand rubbed in tense circles over her side. She furrowed her brow when you replaced the motion with your own hand but didn’t protest. “Y-yes… I’m fine. Just a little stiff, I slept on my side badly and it sinches up.”

  “You poor old lady.” You cooed softly. Carol tried to bat your hand away but you moved it further down her side, immediately finding the sore spot by the way she flinched. “I guess I should’ve decided on a pose easier for your dinosaur bones.”

  “Cruel.” Carol huffed though there was no bite in her tone. She unfurled a little beneath your gentle ministrations but not much. “Treat your elders well or I’ll be the one laughing once you get unexplainable pain.”

  You chuckled, feeling her lean against you a little more. “Alright… tell me how to treat you well, then.”

  “Don’t force me to sit like this.”

  “I didn’t force–”

  “Help me up.” Carol paused, wincing again. “...please.”

 ��You slipped one arm around her middle, arm reaching behind her and hooking on the other side of her waist. She carefully draped her own arm over your shoulders. The aching side of her body faced the air so as to not stretch it further.

  The second she was on her feet you caught a faint mumble of ‘bed,’ sounding from her lips and began helping her out of the study and towards the staircase. It wasn’t easy. The hallway, decorated in rich wallpaper and wooden trims seemed so long. But you didn’t really have a choice.

  “I’m sorry, Carol.” You murmured after her third muffled grunt of pain. “Let me fix this somehow, please.”

  “Don’t pity me, y/n, I’ll manage.” Carol’s nimble fingers reached for the rail of the stairs. She appreciated your help of course but to have you practically drag her up there was slightly mortifying. The wood creaked beneath her tight grip and she took a deep breath.

  “Would a bath help?”

  “You want to bathe me?” Carol didn’t mean to sound so utterly flabbergasted at the idea but the tone slipped from her tongue. She couldn’t even remember the last time Harge did such a thing, if he ever did. Though she’d never admit it outloud, the idea was attractive.

  A slight blush tinted your cheeks and you nearly dropped her down the stairs. “Well… if you want…?”

  “I’m teasing.” Carol lied, locking herself back up after a few seconds of thought. She had no reason to lay herself bare for you. Even for you, that was much too vulnerable for her tastes. “But a bath would be,” her breath hitched at a long stretch, “pleasant, yes…”

  “I’ll draw one for you.”

  The walk to the lavish bathroom was more painful than usual. You’d always dreamed of a bathroom this large and extravagant… upon finding that out, Carol often offered it to you after a long day. She let you guide her over the cold tile and took a seat by the window as you began to fill the tub. 

  “How often does this happen?” You asked, fingers swirling around in the warm water to make sure you didn’t scald the poor woman. On the other side of the room, behind the privacy wall, Carol was struggling to slip out of her clothes and into a robe. There was a thump, then a response.

  “Not often… it’s picked up ever since things with Harge went down. The doctor told me it could be a stress response.” Carol gritted her teeth, fingers aimlessly scraping over her back in an attempt to unstick the zipper on the back of her blouse. When her attempts were futile, she peeked around the corner. “Help me, please.”

  It took a little tugging but eventually the zipper came loose. The blouse practically melted off Carol’s shoulders, revealing her somehow both muscular and slim back, only obscured by her lace bra. Your fingers lingered a moment too long and Carol chuckled.

  “Unclip that too, please.” She added. You did as she asked and she turned to face you, an arm keeping the fabric over her chest. “Thank you. Is the bath ready?”

  “Yes.” You helped her over to the tub slowly. Once you reached it, you turned around so Carol could strip off the rest of her clothes in private. Her soft groan of contentment and the slosh of the water was enough of a sign for you to turn back around.

   Submerged beneath the soothing, bubbly water, Carol grinned at you through half lidded eyes. Her head lolled back against the wall and one hand hung lazily over the tub's wall. “This is divine.” She hummed. “How do you run such a wonderful bath?”

  You watched quietly as Carol lifted her hand above her head, her blue eyes studying the limb as though it was alien to her. “It’s not too hard. Just… fill the tub with water.” Carol flexed her fingers a few times as if waiting for more. When you said nothing else, she turned her head in your direction.

  “That's it? No secret bath salts or anything?”

  “No.”

  Carol burst out laughing, though the laugh was cut with a wheeze as pain flared up in her back. She sank further into the water so her nose was the only thing visible through the bubbles and giggled softly. “Strange. Perhaps you just have the touch. I’ve never felt so relaxed from a bath before.”

  You couldn’t help but chuckle at that as you sat down beside the tub. You drew circles in the suds atop the water. “That’s a new compliment, I’ve never heard that one before.”

  “Sell it with your business. Y/n: Art and Baths.”

  Both of you laughed. Your laugh turned into a yelp when a hand snaked up out of the water and grabbed yours tight.

  “What are you doing?” You shook off the sudden wave of shock, watching curiously as Carol’s fingers left soapy trails over your skin. The soft pads of her fingers brushed up and down your arm, turning it over until she was satisfied.

  “You’ve got paint here.” Carol tugged your arm closer, revealing a large splatter of green paint on your skin. Then she looked up at you, eyes taking in the multiple paint spots on your face. “You’ve got paint everywhere.”

  “That happens.”

  “Does it itch? Rindy spilled a whole container of paint on herself one evening. The poor thing cried for hours about the itch.” Carol began to scrub the paint off your arm before you even replied. Her nails dug gently at your skin, peeling the green off and watching it dissolve in the water.

  You chuckled as the touch began to tickle the closer it got to your elbow. “It doesn’t itch a lot. Sometimes it does, though.”

  “We can’t have an itchy artist.” Carol pursed her lips. Once the spot on your arm was gone, she lifted her hand and waved her fingers. “Come here.”

  When your face was in reach, she sat up a little. The bubbles just barely covered her chest, but you could care less about that. Her fingers were now gently scrubbing away at a streak of blue on your cheek. The corner of her bottom lip was bit tight between her teeth, concentration in her eyes as she worked.

  “This stuff is strong.” Carol muttered in displeasure. 

  “That’s how it lasts so long.”

  She only huffed and continued to scrub. When she noticed some paint by your ear, she flashed you the same look she probably gave Rindy when her painting incident happened, then got to work once more.

  “Is your back feeling better?” You tried to make smalltalk to ignore how close her head was to yours. You could feel her breath on your skin, droplets of water dripping down your neck from her fingers, only to meet their doom from her hand.

  “Much.” Carol murmured. “I don’t even feel it anymore. You’re a saint.”

  “Truly, all I did was fill the tub with water.”

  “Well, truly, I think it feels so good because you did it.” Carol whispered in an odd tone. When you turned to look at her, your faces gently bumped into each other.

  You pulled away in surprise but Carol didn’t. Her hand settled on your neck and she was watching you through deep eyes, contemplation clear in them. 

  “I feel drunk… is it late?” She asked.

  “It’s nearly 1 am.” You remembered the time from around half an hour ago. You didn’t want to risk looking now in case she’d tug your neck, or let go. “I think people start feeling loopy around this time.”

  “Or it’s your bath.” Carol teased, though her eyes were serious. When you didn’t break eye contact, she sat up fully and tucked her knees to her chest to hide what little of herself she could. The soap clung to her body like a blanket but you could still see the majority of it. “I think it’s the bath.”

  “It might be the bath.” You agreed breathlessly. Her hand ran up your neck to cup your cheek and you leaned into it. “I think I feel it too.”

  “That’s good.” She leaned a little closer, now directly in front of you. “I’m not scaring you, am I?” You shook your head immediately and a flirty smile broke out across her face. “Good.”

  Your eyes fell to her lips, then rose back to meet her piercing gaze. “...I think I’m going to need to paint you again.” You whispered.

  Carol was confused by the change in topic, brows furrowing. “Why’s that? Is this one not good?”

  “It’s beautiful.” You’d managed to capture her likeness almost to a T on the painting downstairs, even though it was just a sketch. “But I want one for myself.”

  Finally, you’d managed to fluster Carol. Her already pink cheeks darkened and she let out a nervous chuckle. “You artists… always so bold.”

  “I can be bolder.”

  Carol’s eyes flashed with challenge, but you didn’t get to see it before your lips met. And by the time you pulled away, it was replaced with need and adoration. Her mouth hung slightly open, her whole body flushed. “Y/n…”

  “Was that okay?” 

  “It was okay. But I’ve seen you do better.” Carol’s fingers found their way into your hair, twirling a lock around her pointer finger. “Kiss me again. I think I’ll like it a lot more.”

  You had no choice but to fulfill her request. She seemed a bit more pleased, but requested it again, and again.

  And by the time she’d finally upgraded your kiss to a ‘great’, half of your shirt was soaked from leaning over the tub. Carol ended up taking it off and pressed a kiss to your shoulder. She pulled away and glanced down at the tub.

  “Perhaps we’ll have to do this in the other bathroom.” Her voice was soft against your skin. “The tubs bigger. I’m afraid we both wouldn’t fit in this one.”

  You giggled. “That’s okay. I can wait.”

  “I can’t…” Carol huffed. “Grab my towel, will you? I think my back is feeling better.”

  That was a bit of a lie as she rose from the tub with a grunt, but ignored it. You helped her out and she dried herself off with the towel, though when you tried to leave the room, her fingers latched around her wrist.

  “Stay, won’t you?” Carol flashed you a flirty, playful look, then cleared her throat and forced her smile away, though it didn’t leave her eyes. “I don’t think I’ll be able to get dressed on my own.” She added, as if you’d need another reason to stay.

  You closed the bathroom door, made sure it was locked, then turned around as she dropped her towel.