“Can I finish my story now?” Agony said, blowing smoke into the wind.

          “If you must.” Thesis sighed.

          “So I was living my hollow-easter-egg-life.” Agony went on, “Pretending to love my husband, pretending to love my job, and actually loving my side job.”

          “Your side job telling people how to live their lives?” Motif asked.

          “Exactly.” Agony said, “And I had convinced myself that I was happy with that. But over time I got more and more wrapped up in my secret life as an advice columnist, and I started getting a bit… opinionated in my answers to people’s problems. Long story short, I gave a few life decision prescriptions that didn’t work out, and I fell out of approval in town. So I had to stop the article. And there went the only bullshit in my life that didn’t feel like bullshit.” 

          Her face went long and she meditated on the point for a minute. Then she looked up in the direction of Ruby and stretched a smile. “And then the world ended!” She exclaimed cheerily, doing little jazz hands and opening her large eyes as wide as they would go.

          “Oh, my!” Said Ruby.

            “Yeah, get ready for most of these stories to end that way.” Motif said dryly.

           “Not really any other way for them to end.” Duenna mourned. Even Thesis looked somber, but only for a moment before he clicked back to his usual demeanor.

          “Yes, yes, yes, it’s all very sad, but can we please move on with it.” Thesis said.

          “Is that you volunteering to go next?” Duenna arched her eyebrow.

          “Oh, here we go.” Whined Agony.

           “You had better keep your yap shut, you hear me?” Thesis said, “I kept quiet during your penny drama!”

         “Yeah, yeah, I won't talk… too much.” Agony shrugged, and looked up at Thesis with a taunting look.

         “I make no such promises!” Motif Grinned, and then looked around for a reaction that did not come.