My new running Paladin Strait theory is that Clancy is gonna win. He'll beat whoever he ends up finding at the top of the tower and Dema will burn and he'll probably get to shank a bitch with the antler things. In some form of the word, Clancy will win, even if he goes down with Dema, whatever happens, he'll consider it a win.
And then he'll wake up back in a fully functional Dema, or back at the HDS car or something similar (basically something towards the beginning of the story), because for as triumphant as this story may end up being, it's still always gonna be a metaphor for something that you can never fully get rid of you know? It's cyclical and eventually he'll be dragged back to the start of the same fight all over again.
And part of my theory is that that won't be a wholly sad and hopeless thing. Becasue we see that the PS music video is considered classified information meaning 1 Dema continues to exist in enough of a capacity to continue censoring stuff and 2 that this is something they don't want the public knowing because it's one more piece of evidence that can bring them down all over again.
Becasue every time Clancy/Tyler/whoever escapes, it becomes an easier process to repeat. That's what the music video is and why it was so hard to find. It's evidence that Clancy escaped once and that he'll do it again because he's done it before. And every time he wins, there's even more proof to add to that pile even if he ends up somewhere that seems hopeless all over again.
Finished four books this month! (Technically three books and a novella):
The Salt Grows Heavy by Cassandra Khaw: fucking amazing. Their style lends perfectly to the weird, slightly ambiguous, apocalyptic world of the setting and I enjoyed the unconventional romance (unconventional because how tf else am I supposed to describe the relationship between a mermaid and a sorta immortal plague doctor?) I might need to read it again, but the print version. 4/5
A House at the Bottom of the Lake by Josh Malerman: Super eerie, especially at the beginning. Kind of had this wonderous, childlike, dreamy quality to the story that still has me not sure which bits were real or not. Not a super spooky horrorific read, but enjoyable. 4/5
Beartown by Fredrik Backman: Lost my fucking mind this was so good. Was knitting through part of the audiobook and had to stop knitting and lie on the couch for the last twenty minutes. Got chills with the last line. 5/5
An Unkindness of Ghosts by Rivers Solomon: A DEBUT NOVEL? THIS GOOD?? Yeah no the style here was excellent and I usually hate Sci-Fi and loved this (the Worldbuilding was subtle which is more my jam.) Absolutely horrific given the subject matter (sort of a sci-fi twist on a spaceship with an antebellum style caste system. Heed the trigger warnings on this one.) Anyway Aster is an amazing protagonist. 5/5
Spicy, fragrant and hearty, this beautiful Lamb Rogan Josh brings back memories of travelling through Southern India ten years ago (oh, dear!) I had fallen in love with the dish, as well as with the country, and remember relishing the gorgeous flavours at a seaside restaurant in Goa! I am so happy, and rather proud, with how it tastes. It might require a bit of time, but it makes a very special lunch on a slow Sunday, and is well worth the effort! Have an excellent one, friends!
Ingredients (serves 4):
3 tablespoons sunflower oil
1 tablespoon Mustard Seed Oil
1 teaspoon Graines à Roussir
1 teaspoon Garam Masala
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
4 cloves
6 cardamom pods
1/2 teaspoon Red Chili Flakes
1 large onion
4 garlic cloves
1 heaped tablespoon Ginger Paste
1 teaspoon coarse sea salt
2 bay leaves
4 Whole Peeled Tomatoes + 1/4 cup of their juice
1.2 kilos/2.65 pounds lamb meat, like lamb shoulder
1 cup water
1/2 cup plain yogurt
1 teaspoon demerara sugar
4 fluffy sprigs Garden Cilantro
In a large Dutch oven over a medium-high flame, heat sunflower oil with Mustard Seed Oil.
Add Graines à Roussir, Garam Masala, turmeric and cloves. Fry, 1 minute.
Crush cardamom pods, and add them to the Dutch oven, along with Red Chili Flakes. Fry, 1 minute more.
Peel onion and, using the coarse side of a box grater, grate it.
Stir grated onion into the oil and spices, and fry, a couple of minutes.
Using the thinner side of the box grater, grate garlic cloves.
Add grated garlic, along with Ginger Paste to the Dutch oven, and cook, another minute.
Cut lamb meat into generous chunks, and add to the Dutch oven, in batches, browning well on each side. Season with coarse sea salt, and stir in bay leaves.
Finely chop Whole Peeled Tomatoes, and stir, along with their juice, into the Dutch oven. Cook, 1 minute.
Finally, stir in the water and plain yoghurt, and bring to the boil. Once boiling, reduce heat to medium-low, cover with the lid, and simmer, one hour to one hour and a half, until the sauce has darkened, reduced and thickened.
Remove the lid, and stir in demerara sugar until completely dissolved.
Finely chop Cilantro, and stir into the Dutch oven.
Simmer, about 5 minutes more.
Serve Lamb Rogan Josh hot, onto Cardamom Rice, and with warm Podeena Paratha.
sr members rated based on whether i'd trust them to hold my drink or not
kaif, 5/10. he'll keep a good eye on it, unless he's drunk, so i'd only ask him at the very start of this hypothetical party
sam, -3/10. this man will chug the entire fucking drink the second i give it to him, without breaking eye contact with me. if we've got those disposable cups he will then proceed to eat the cup
stan, 6/10. actually very good at this, even when smashed. minus four points because he'll pass out at some point, and also because i think he'll get to the point where he tries to eat the cup too
josh, 4/10. he will think i am giving him a drink and then down the whole thing too. he doesn't get negative points because he didn't mean to be a dick
ebbz, 7/10. probably pretty good with it too, but minus three points because i expect her to prank me with it in some way
kate, 10/10. she gets it. good vibes all around.
glen, 0/10. he's not even there. he's been missing since 7pm, but even then, nobody is really sure if that was him or someone who really looked like him. he has not responded to a single message or call. his car keys are still on the bench in the house the party is being held in. his wallet is, too. everyone is holding a vote on whether they need to start breaking out the missing posters or not.
lars, 0/10. he was not allowed in the party on the basis that he is little baby man
gary, 3/10. willing to bet he is currently the drunkest person in the room. absolutely off his fucking face, on the goddamn moon levels of intoxication. you should probably cut him off before he develops alcohol poisoning.
dale, 11/10. the man fucking choked gary out when he thought that he'd punched josh without hesitation, this drink is fuckin safer than fort knox
Some nsfw thoughts about Josh/SR_Wadlet that I wanted to share.
Like this man is either a cocky dom, he has an ego and backs it up like a champion while degrading who ever he is fucking (whilst also making sure to check in later that he did not go overboard). He fucks them stupid and calls them his cumslut with an affectionate but degrading tone and that is with orgasm denial.
However he could also be a bratty sub, having a stupid grin on his face as he is challenging who ever is dominating him, saying that he could fuck himself better with a vibe and he ends up being reduced to tears begging to come and that he will be good, pleading with his dom to stop delaying his orgasm or for his dom to stop overstimulating him once they decided to let him cum, watching as Josh gets tears in his eyes and his legs unable to stay still as his body fights to get away from the stimulation