can you get us out of the mess we're in?

Welcome to the blog of James Madison, 30-year-old writer for the arts and culture section of The Hurricane. I'm fortunate enough to be living in New York City, the place where art, history, politics, and culture intermingle. If you have any questions about the paper, you can send them to me, and I'll redirect them to the chief editor, Genevieve Washington.

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THOMAS: ... Right.

THOMAS: I guess I'm gonna drop it. Again. Let me know if anything changes.

JAMES: Sure.

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THOMAS: This is the least surprised I have ever been.

THOMAS: You know there's nothing we can't talk about, right?

JAMES: Congrats.

JAMES: Debatable.

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THOMAS: What /is/ a high priority of yours, then?

THOMAS: Okay. When are we going to talk about it then? Because this keeps happening and I every time I think I've gotten an explanation for it, it just keeps coming back.

JAMES: Getting out of this conversation.

JAMES: Someday. Maybe. I don't know.

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THOMAS: You keep saying that but I'm not entirely /feeling/ it.

THOMAS: Well, you're upset about /something/. You've told me twice today that I am not your only friend or the center of your life, which, you know -- understandable and the truth. But there seems to be the potential for an underlying issue there somewhere.

JAMES: You don't have to feel it. Making you feel it is not a high priority of mine.

JAMES: Maybe there is. But it's not something we're going to talk about today.

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THOMAS: What's wrong now?

THOMAS: Listen, you're the one who keeps telling me that your life revolves around me. I never said that it does. And I don't think it does, either. You can't keep getting mad at me for something /you've/ come up with.

JAMES: Nothing. Nothing's wrong.

JAMES: I'm not mad at you for that. I'm not mad at you at all.

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THOMAS: Hey, maybe /I'm/ right.

THOMAS: Alright, touchy. I'm aware that you have friends. Coincidentally, I happen to know you as a person and have found that you're really great so it would be very strange if you didn't.

THOMAS: I'm just saying that you do a lot of things "for a friend" recently.

JAMES: No, that's not it.

JAMES: Sure.

JAMES: You have two examples. Both that occurred a while ago. There are things that happened in my life before it began revolving around you, Thomas.

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THOMAS: I'm great at boundaries the same way you're not sarcastic at all.

THOMAS: Remember when you went to gay clubs "for a friend".

THOMAS: I'm so happy the "asking for a friend" cliche is having such a roaring reprise!

JAMES: The fact that we're even arguing about this shows a startling lack of self-awareness on your part.

JAMES: I do have friends, you know. Friends who aren't you.

JAMES: Believe me or don't. At this point, I don't really care.

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THOMAS: I have never had a trouble with a single boundary before.

THOMAS: I think you know. Keep me in your thoughts.

JAMES: Sure you haven't.

JAMES: You're wrong. And don't worry, I will.

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THOMAS: When has this ever happened before?

THOMAS: Uh-huh. You ave a lot of friends who make you do stuff, you know. But alright. At least I have the information now that should this go south, it's not going to get me in legal trouble. Here's hoping it all goes smoothly.

JAMES: Not this exact situation. But you do have trouble with boundaries.

JAMES: I'd ask what you mean by that, but I don't think I want to know. I hope it goes smoothly, too.

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THOMAS: What do you mean? That this is going to become a routine?

THOMAS: Then why did you research this?

JAMES: No. I'm just saying that it's not unprecedented.

JAMES: One of my friends had a crush on their superior. I was helping them.

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THOMAS: That's not true! I have never gone on a date that I didn't intend to happen before.

THOMAS: ... why? Is there something I should know? Should we switch places for this non-date?

JAMES: Maybe not this far.

JAMES: What? No. Of course not. Don't be ridiculous.

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THOMAS: I didn't intend for the boundaries to be unstable in the first place.

THOMAS: I'm pretty sure that would be illegal anyway. Or, highly unethical, at the very least.

JAMES: You never intend that. And yet.

JAMES: Highly unethical, not illegal. I've looked at it before.

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THOMAS: I -- think not? I don't know. There's a chance it may have come across that way but considering we rephrased it to a 'work date', we might be good?

JAMES: You might be good. Okay.

JAMES: I think it's probably a good idea to establish that boundary.

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THOMAS: Well, I mentioned having gone on dates to the rooftop cinema club before and I think somewhere around that point, certain things about this movie get-together may have gotten lost in translation.

JAMES: Are you saying that you're going on a date-date with our boss?

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Bilbo Waggins has refused to stop chewing everything in sight, despite the fact that he has a plethora of chew toys at his disposal, he seems hell-bent on getting at my shoes. He’s currently in a time-out in his cage, where things to chew are limited to things I bought specifically for that purpose, while I try to salvage my things. He’s lucky he’s cute. Someone help.

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THOMAS: I'm -- not entirely sure. I think there may have been some subtle miscommunication along the way.

JAMES: What kind of miscommunication?

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THOMAS: That is a very good question.

THOMAS: I guess I'm seeing a movie with her this weekend?

JAMES: Oh. That's... weird. Interesting. Good?