“I did a few times period with my Papa. I was terrible.”

“Good,” said Larkin as he set up the cribbage board. “Easier for me to win.” Helena arched her brow and sat down opposite him. “I think that was supposed to be an encouragement.” 

Larkin shuffled the cards and dealt them. 
“Consider it motivation,” he said. For a while they played in silence, say for the cadence of them calling their moves and the slapping of cards on the table. Helena managed to get a small run. She grinned. 

“Beginner's luck,” Larkin muttered as pegs were moved. 

“Or,” she said sweetly, “You underestimated me.”

Larkin looked up the Carmelite across the table, his lips twitching in the faintest hand of a smile. “Wouldn't be the first time.” The game continued with each of the two winning different hands. In the end Colonel Larkin won the game. 


“Another game?” Larkin asked. 
“Sounds good to me,” sister Helena replied. Larkin handed Helena the cards and she shuffled them, while Larkin reset the pegboard. As they progressed through the game Helena relaxed. The rhythm of counting and pecking became oddly soothing, almost like meditating. She remembered long evenings back home, her Papa was leaning back in his chair humming to the Country song on the radio and the two of them having Shiner Bocks (Once Helena was old enough to drink). The memory ached in her chest, but it was softened by this newfound companionship. 

“You know,” Helena said after a while, “I think I like this better than poker.”

“Poker is for liars,” Larkin replied, though his eyes were amused. “Cribbage is for soldiers. It teaches you patience.”


Helena smiled. “Then maybe that's what I needed.” They played another game as the village bells ring for Evensong. Neither seemed in a hurry to move. 

Helena continued to feel angst sitting next to Colonel Larkin, but it seemed to dissipate a bit. She wasn't sure she deserved it. Games meant laughter and ease. She knew she had to tell him at some point but now was not the time. She didn't know when the right time was. 


“Have you moved from that spot since our briefing, Sir?” Helena asked. 

“I did take a little walk, Sister,” Colonel Larkin replied. “There's a lot of paperwork involved in commanding an SG unit.”

“I'd imagine so,” said Helena. “I had a lot of paperwork in my Air Force days. Come to think of it, I had a lot of paperwork in Carmel as well.”

“Ah, paperwork, one of those unescapable things, like death and taxes.” 

“Indeed, Sir.” Helena paused. “You offered to play a game with me. Will you play with me?”

Larkin smiled. “I would be willing to play with you,” he replied. “Now let's see…you busted me at poker Friday night, and Fairbairn tells me you're a chess wiz.” He went to the team’s entertainment locker. He pulled out a deck of cards and a cribbage board. “Have you ever played cribbage, Sister?”

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Chapter 34: The Weight We Carry, Part 9

So cute!!!! Piglets seem hypnotised by the music, lol.

Indeed, this model doesn't know much about terrariums, it looks more like a chapel in a garden, nevertheless it's a nice image!

@Brutal_Lee hm, this model does not quite yield the result ....

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I tried to answer your question on my feed, but it disappeared. The only part of the prompt I changed was "writing a script with a quill". I think the AI gets lost when you say holding a quill in hand. I think "holding" throws it off.

Once I got the "new and improved" version, I deleted the last one. The last version I tried said "holding the quill like he's writing a letter." You're probably right about the word "holding." I'll file that away for future use.

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No-Theme Thursday

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