finally had a chance to read the latest update, and ... wow, I was braced for pain but I didn't expect it to be so ... exquisite? I wasn't sure what I was expecting from James' interaction with Sam, but I loved how Sam's reaction was distinctively Sam, and not just "friendly selfless therapist". Sam is coming from a place of personal betrayal, and I can totally see him needing to take some time to process things on his own -- especially if he's so giving (or at least expected to be) the rest of the time. That said, I am pretty pissed at Sam for one thing (haha, this is me being too invested in fictional characters), which is that Sam, unlike Steve, seems to have a much better understanding of James' flawed mental state re: personhood or at least consent. And he's heard (hopefully??) from Steve about the others. AND YET he doesn't do something to at least protect James' physical wellbeing, such as saying "Hey James, I can't deal with this right now, but for the time being, you are forbidden from having sex with ANYONE. Think of it as punishment if you have to." Like, he's pressing the pause button for himself and Steve, but he forgot to press the pause button for James?!! D:<

But anyway, I love that James still has a study group of friends who are giving him hugs and support! And if this isn't something he can reason out of... here's to hoping that part 7 is the actual rock bottom and that the rest will be somehow better??

*goes to read original prompt to see if there's any hint*