#( she is YOLKED and i refuse to believe otherwise )

[multiicolor]

  thinking about maiden verse ammy again for obvious reasons ( hint: its bc im gay )

[weministertomonsters]

Werefox (Harcourt) x human female reader ~ part 1

You're twelve when you hear your mother yelling outside.

"Get out!"

You scamper into the backyard to see her shooing the scrawniest werefox you've ever seen away from the chicken coop. He's got egg yolk clinging to his chin. His sunset orange ears are pinned to his head as he deftly dodges your mother's flailing dishcloth and leaps over the fence, disappearing into the brush.

"But Ma!" You wail, "he's cute and hungry!"

"Such creatures are a pestilence. Besides, dear, you can't keep him as a pet. He'll grow just as big as you, and he's no true animal."

You pout for the rest of the week, but she doesn't budge, like any sensible mother. The little werefox had a den nearby, you figure, so you set out to find it, taking two eggs from the coop. His den isn't hard to find. You've seen fox dens before he looks like he hasn't learned how to create a proper and safe den. As you step on the crunchy leaves surrounding his home, his head pops out of his den like a jack-in-the-box and he stares at you.

"Hello," you say, tromping forward without much thought to your safety. "I brought you eggs!"

He cocks his head to the side. You put the eggs on a leaf close to him and watch him snap them up, crunching on the shells and licking his lips.

"Can you speak?" You ask him next.

He watched you silently, ears swiveling. You glimpse a worn, scruffy collar around his neck and reach out to hold the tag. He squirms and shivers, but lets you have a look.

"Harcourt? That's such a fancy name," you laugh.

"I was a circus pet," he blurts out, eyes widening like he can't believe he just spoke. "I-I ran away!"

"Well, nice to meet you," you say and give him a big hug, breathing in the dusty scent of his fur. "We're going to be best friends!"

So, that's how you made your unlikely friend. Nine years later, he's still runty and lanky, although he's almost as tall as you if he stands. You're still very good friends, even if he is a stubborn little shit and refuses to leave his den most of the time.

"I'm going to stop bringing you food," you tease one hazy afternoon as you watch him scarf down the ham and cheese sandwich you brought him.

"Then I'll steal your eggs," he says, licking his muzzle and then licking the taste of ham from your fingers, his sharp teeth nipping lightly at your skin.

"You already do that. You're lucky the hens are laying a surplus, otherwise, my mother would notice."

"I trade for the eggs though," he protests.

"The baskets of fruit that appear on our doorstep? I'm pretty sure you steal from the neighbor's orchard," you snicker.

He narrows his golden eyes at you and huffs.

"Never mind me, stolen fruit tastes sweeter." You tuck up your skirts and get on your hands and knees and crawl into his den uninvited, because you know he won't mind. "Oh, you enlarged it! And you took my advice and got some bedding- is that my spare quilt?!"

"Stop fussing already," he grumbles, squeezing in after you. "You don't need it. It gets cold out here."

"But you could have asked. Wait a second... No wonder I couldn't find these panties. You took these two!"

You burst into laughter and nudge him playfully with your foot. "You didn't even try to hide them. Shameless."

"You're not mad?" Harcourt curls up in a ball and tucks his nose into his tail, peering at you.

"No, but why did you take them?"

"They smelled good and they make me feel funny."

You slap a hand over your face. "Oh my god, it's almost like you grew up in the wild by yourself... Oh right, you did."

"What? Did I say something wrong?" He asks, perking his head up.

"Er, so what do you do with my panties? Just drape them over your nose and go to sleep?"

"First I chew on them."

"So I can see," you raise your eyebrows at the holes in your undergarments and drop them on the ground.

"I think there's something you're not telling me," Harcourt says.

"Definitely. You'll figure it out when your first mating season comes around," you reply and lie back against the quilt, staring up at the dirt ceiling.

A couple of roots are bared to the gaze. You learned long ago that it was best to keep your eyes closed in his den, otherwise, you'd get dirt in your eyes. You close your eyes now and Harcourt scoots closer, plopping his head on your stomach. You run your fingers through his fur, which is always silky now thanks to the brush you gifted him.

"Do humans have a mating season too?" He asks.

"Not really. But we are expected to pair off with another human and have babies. My mom has been talking about it since I turned eighteen. She's worried that I'm getting too old."

"Are you?" Harcourt sniffs. "You smell young to me."

"I have no idea what you mean, silly. I'm only twenty-one and I think there's plenty of time yet. I don't fancy any of the men in town because they're forceful with what they want. At this point, I need a stick to beat them off with."

"I can guard you," Harcourt offers.

"Oh no, don't do that. If you think my mother is bad, then you're not prepared for the men in town. Some of them might try to shoot you."

"Hmmm, it's why I stay away from humans," Harcourt murmurs sleepily. "They all want to shoot me or cage me up."

"A pity," you murmur back.

You end up dozing off with your hand still in his fur. Harcourt sleeps like he's still a kit, draping his body over you, then curling up at your side, and then nuzzling into his tail, constantly moving. You think nothing of it until you're completely woken up by his tongue rasping over your skin.

"Oi, I took a bath this week. I don't need another one," you grumble sleepily.

He purrs deep in his throat and licks your arm again, his body caged around you like he's a motherly cat.

"Hey," you cry in proper protest as he moves on to your hair. "Stop it."

"You always smell so nice," he purrs. "You smell nicer than your panties."

You huff out a laugh. "You're clueless, you overgrown fox-child. Release me, if I don't head home now, my mother will send someone to find me."

"Fine," he grumbles. "Don't take so long to visit next time."

"I won't," you promise as you scramble out of his den, shaking leaves and dirt out of your hair and clothes.

You look frightfully dirty and sneak back to your house and up the stairs to change before your mother catches you. For the next few days, you're incredibly busy. The harvest is in and all your time is spent preserving, canning, salting, drying, and pickling. You leave a few gifts tucked in a secret corner of the coop for Harcourt. The nights are becoming warm and the crickets sing. You wonder when the mating season begins for foxes, and when you'll see any more of them.

You know they're there, but they just don't live so close to human towns. In that way, Harcourt is a bit of an anomaly.

The next morning, you're taking in the morning eggs when you notice something strange. The chickens are milling around their coop, staring at something underneath. You crouch down to have a look and come face to face with a slender female werefox. She's crammed into the tiny space, which doesn't look very comfortable.

"Hi," you say. "Don't worry, I'm not going to hurt you."

"I know," she replies, and with a grunt of effort, she crawls out. "I was hiding from a male. I did not want to mate with him and he chased me all the way here. He did not dare to come close to the house so I have been hiding here until he goes away."

She lifts her muzzle and sniffs the air. "He is gone now," she says in satisfaction.

Her golden eyes fall on you and she says,

"I do not scare you, human?"

"No, I have a werefox friend who lives nearby."

"Yes, the lonely one. I have scented him around your house," she says. "He must like you to guard your property like this."

"I guess," you smile and glance back at your house. "I can't promise my mother will be happy to see you here, though."

"I need a place to sleep and a reliable male to den with. This fox friend of yours, he is good?" She asks.

"I would say so, yes."

"Then take me to him," she says, placing the soft pads of her paws against your arm and squeezing. "I would rather choose a male than be forced to pick one."

"I understand how you feel. Let me put the eggs away, then I'll join you."

Together you take the secluded path through the forest. Your new werefox acquaintance flits around you like a butterfly, listening for danger and cocking her head to the sound of rabbits or squirrels. You've never seen a female werefox before and you can't help looking at her breasts. The six of them are much more obvious than they would be on a male werefox, with rosy pronounced nipples like she's already had a litter or two.

When you get close to Harcourt's den, she bumps into you and stops you with a paw on your arm.

"Be aware he is in a rut," she says. "He may bite us and chase us."

"This is his first one," you say. "Does that make it any better?"

"No," she said. "He might not even realize who you are. He will want to mate with you."

"But that's what you're here for," you say quickly. "Let me look at him."

"I will wait." She grabs your cheeks and holds your face still, rubbing her muzzle against your neck and giving you a little lick. "I cannot promise what he will do to you when he scents me on your skin," she says. "Be cautious."

You trudge towards the den and stop a few feet away from the entrance.

"Harcourt?" You call out.

The growl you receive in response is immediate and none too friendly.

"Someone is in a mood," you mumble.

You crouch and crawl into the den, praying he doesn't bite your face off. Harcourt is curled up in an aggravated ball, his nose pushed into his fluffy tail for comfort. He glares at you.

"Are you okay?" You ask, looking him over.

He looks scrawnier than usual like he hasn't been hunting.

"No," he growls. "You didn't come and visit me."

"I'm sorry, there's been so much work to do in the house that I couldn't find any time to steal away," you sigh. "You didn't come for any of the gifts I left you."

"I can't. I'm miserable," Harcourt huffs. "I'm hot all over and I'm leaking everywhere and I've wanted to bite you and do things I cannot fathom. I was afraid I'd hurt you."

"Oh," you smile. "You're precious."

"I don't know what is happening to me!" He snaps, his ears pinning back. "And I ask that you leave me be until I am myself again."

"I can't do that," you say. "If you don't get any help you're going to be like this for a long time."

Harcourt blinks and uncurls his slender body, tail whisking against the quilt.

"You mean, it's never going away?"

He looks mournfully down at himself, at his pink cock that has poked out of its sheath and rubs against his belly, plastering the fur there with precum.

"No," he whispers. "But I can't stay like this! I can't sleep, I can't hunt, I can't even groom myself properly because it hurts."

He turns to look at you with dilated pupils. "You have to help me," he whimpers.

Before you can answer, the female werefox crawls into the den, and Harcourt freaks out, hissing and ducking behind you.

"Woah, calm down, she's with me," you say.

"I come in peace, little one," she says. "You're much younger than I thought you would be. Inexperienced. My name is Nitaki."

She looks around the den and wrinkles her muzzle.

"Get out of my den," Harcourt huffs. "Leave me alone."

She crawls forward, brushing her muzzle against your cheek. "The human is a friend to you?" She hums.

"She's mine," he snaps.

"Um," you begin, but neither of them pays attention to you as they face each other with wrinkled noses and bared teeth.

Nitaki stares him down imperiously until he gives up and looks away with a whimper. Whining your name, he attempts to scoot back to your side, but she blocks him off.

"I want only one thing from you. To end this cycle of heat."

"I-I don't know how," Harcourt says anxiously, nostrils flaring as he takes in the cacophony of scents from both females, so different and yet so alike.

It makes him disoriented and dizzy.

"I will teach you," she says, prowling closer.

He leans away, even snapping when she gets too close. Frustrated at his rejection, she spins around and locks her eyes on you.

"It is your human female you truly want, is it not?"

Harcourt's pupils widen more than you had thought they could. His tongue lolls out of his mouth and his sides heave.

"Yes..." He says.

"Um, that's not-" You begin, but Nitaki flicks her ears and holds out a paw to you.

"Join us," she urges. "And we can all get what we want."

"But I..."

"Please?" Harcourt says, his claws digging into the quilt as his cock throbs against his belly. "I want you."

You're still hesitating when Nitaki pounces on Harcourt, knocking him onto his back. He growls and tries to push her off. But the Nitaki is stronger than him, a true alpha female. She keeps him down and ignores his squirming, leaning down and placing her teeth around his neck. He goes still immediately and his eyes roll wildly as he whimpers.

"What are you doing?" You ask.

"I want him to submit to me," she mumbles against his fur. "I do not have patience for teaching."

Once she's satisfied that Harcourt is subdued, she rolls off of him and gets on her hands and knees, displaying herself for him. Perhaps her pheromones finally penetrate his dumb skull or he finally realizes what he's meant to do. Either way, he crawls up to her, sniffing the air. He growls and bares his teeth, fumbling at her hips. She flicks her tail out of the way and shuffles her knees open wider, waiting.

You can see how wet she is.

"Human, help him," Nitaki commands. "Are we shall be here for the rest of the day."

Silently, you move over. Harcourt jumps a mile when you take his cock in your hand. It's different from a man's, pink and slippery and with a slightly flared head. It looks huge, throbbing menacingly in your palm. Harcourt whimpers, and his body trembles. You guide him to the female werewolf and feel her lubrication wet your fingers as you press him in.

It doesn't go exactly as you had imagined. Nitaki is content to drive her hips against him and does most of the work while he shivers and clutches her hips. When he cums, it startles him most of all. He tries to pull out, but she grabs his paws and pulls him against her back, unrelenting. He gives up and leans heavily against her, panting.

Finally, she pulls away and shakes herself off. Harcourt slumps onto the quilt, dazed. His cock is still throbbing and leaking cum lazily.

"Good luck with your little runt," Nitaki says to you. "I have what I needed."

With that, she scrambles out of the den and leaves the two of you to your own devices.

"Harcourt? Are you okay?" You lean over him.

His eyes open and he grunts. "I want to do it again," he says. "But with you this time."

─────────────── · · · · ✦

So stressed right now, ngl. Reblog/like if you want me to write part two of this crazy shit!

[pineapple-split]

Thinking about the major characters deaths in Black Sails and how (upsetting as some are) they happen as natural culminations of the plot and themes for each character. Thinking about how they irreversibly change the course and nature of the story. They change the tone of the show, every time. 

Nothing is the same after Gates is killed - and his death is the culmination of his season long arc of losing faith in Flint, of Flint’s loss of control as he feels his life and allies he took for granted slipping away from him. 

Nothing is the same after Miranda is killed - and her death is the culmination of her journey, one that ends in the rage she has suppressed all her life and finally unleashes. Her rage also lays down the law for what civilization can expect from those it has destroyed (”her word will be the last for this place”). 

Nothing is the same after Vane is killed either, and its not just that he uses his death to kickstart a resistance. It, again, is the culmination of his arc and the themes that are central to his character - freedom, refusal to live under the yolk of any tyrant - and it is evidence of how he has evolved from the man we were first introduced to. I find him a difficult character to like (and I like him a whole lot!), but I do believe his last episode is when he is the best version of himself. 

Eleanor’s death, as well, is the fulfillment of the absolute Greek Tragedy that is her life (and was 100% intentional and planned in some way from the beginning, nothing can convince me otherwise). It is what catapults the whole tail end of the show for Woodes Rogers, Max, and to some degree even Jack. 

(You can make an argument that some side characters like Mr. Scott and Teach fit this bill as well). 

I’m fascinated by how much each character’s ghost lingers over the remainder of the show. And its not just a matter of being referenced by name out of the blue (which tbh I’ve found in other shows I don’t like to be a rather lazy attempt to connect a totally disconnected plot/arc from where it supposedly started). Its that the actual atmosphere is different after they’re gone, but you still see the influences everywhere. You see how different of a man Flint is after Gates, after Miranda. You see this in Jack and Eleanor after Vane (as well as Nassau as a whole), and Woodes and Max after Eleanor (and arguably Madi as well). 

Its a great use of show-don’t-tell, the ways its actually meant to be applied - Flint carries himself differently, speaks differently, looks at people differently (you can almost physically see the weight of them, and Thomas, on his shoulders). Jack is furious and reckless (and finally, in my opinion, beaten down but that’s another discussion), Teach is noticeably heartbroken and Eleanor (as Hannah New excellently put it) has clearly killed something within herself. Woodes Rogers completely snaps, and so does Max in a different way (more like she snaps back into place, whereas Rogers just breaks). 

I know some may disagree, but in my mind there isn’t a single one of these deaths that doesn’t service the story and the surviving characters. They add to the richness of the world, and I will always frantically gesture toward Black Sails whenever character death discourse pops up and scream “this! this is how you do it!”

[ikesenlemonadestandstories]

Food Fight

Request by @dmiqueles and @yvckie for MC who’s turned into a child! Hope you enjoy this!

All My Love,

T~ If you’re interested all of my other works can be found on the Master List! Read at your own leisure! I’ll be at a wedding most of the weekend so imma be extra busy but will be fielding questions/comments (^.^)v have a great one honey bees!

[Mitsuhide]

I had been gone a few weeks, not to say that’s the longest stretch of time I’ve had to leave the princess in the care of my vassals but I wasn’t particularly fond of our time apart so I was hurrying to get back to the manor. Despite all of my times traveling I had never returned to my place in such a state of disarray. The moment I stepped into the hallway from the entrance everyone seemed to freeze, all of them either balancing something expensive high above eye level or wrestling a six year old little girl. Since when did we have so many young girls in the manor.

As calmly as possible I walked over to my most trusted vassal, who happened to by holding both a vase and tray of tea cups well above a little girl who’s kimono skirt was trapped under his footing so she couldn’t run away.

“Might I ask what is going on? Why does everyone seem to have a little girl with them.”

“Actually Lord Mitsuhide, almost a week ago all of the women in the residence fell ill after a trip to the baths. In the morning when we woke up they were all gone, these little girls in their place.”

“All of them.” trying to keep my eyes calm and my face stoic

“Yes Milord.”

“Even the Princess?”

“Yes, though she’s the reason we believe the women didn’t disappear only to be replaced by young girls, rather they have been cursed to look like children.”

“Oh and why is that.”

I was escorted back to our room and equipped with several sugar stars to use in ‘an emergency’ whatever that meant...I still didn’t see how a young (YN) could be so terrifying that the only way to subdue them was to use candy.

I slid the door open and saw them sitting at my writing desk reading, what I could only assume was a book of fairy tales. I’m impressed it was odd to see a child that small reading a book that large. Either they still had retained their education through this curse or the children of the future were held to a much higher standard of learning.

“Little mouse, I’m back.” no response, they just continued to read. Odd. I repeated myself sitting opposite them at the table.

“Oh, you finally came home. About time.” What was this? Quite a brazen young thing you had become, or were rather.

“That I have little mouse.”

“I’m hungry” they dead-panned looking me straight in eyes. The person I was looking at was undoubtedly you, the same face shape, the happy familiar innocence in your swirling cinnamon eyes.

“Then let's go get you fed, shall we princess?” they shook their head vigorously as I whisked them off the floor carrying them down towards the kitchens.

…

I had sent for Masamune in hopes that he would be able to help us feed the little one, gods knew I couldn’t. He arrived in a timely fashion, for once, if only to laugh at the site of me carrying a small child who was gnawing away at the fabric of my scarf and sticking their fingers in every facial orifice they could reach.

“Stop laughing and help me feed them. They have refused everything offered by my kitchen staff screaming about something called ‘pizza’ the only thing that keeps them calm are these god forsaken konpeito.”

“Pizza?” he looked confused “I’ve never heard of that….we may be in a bit of a bind.”

“See little mouse, nobody knows what pizza is. You must pick something else.” and that’s when they screamed. A high pitched blood curdling scream that could have rattled the windows. Out of air you stopped, a dreadful silence filling the room and then, as if your bones were made of nothing more that mochi, you threw yourself backward twisting in a fashion that should have been impossible for any human being, trying to wretch yourself from my grip.

…

He was your last resort, you hated to let one of Kenshin’s men know that you knew he was here poking around but you couldn’t stand the screaming any longer. You knew he was a friend of theirs from the future and you were hoping the ninja could offer some insight as to how to fix (YN) or help make pizza.

As expected Yukimura and Sasuke were found at their stall in the market, both equally surprised to have us approach, and with a child no less. As quickly and efficiently as I could I gave Sasuke as much information about what was going on.

“I know what pizza is. If you can get me these ingredients I can try to make some for (YN).”

“Wonderful. Masamune will help you shop for the items and will escort you back to my manor. Please be quick.”

…

We were waiting in the kitchen for the two of them to return, (YN) occupied themselves with several of the wooden spoons, dancing around the kitchen banging on other random buckets and containers.  Squealing with delight when the pair walked in, they ran over to lock onto Masamune’s shin. Unable to detach them he started walking around the kitchen, it took everything in my power not to laugh at the extra little thunk when his left leg came down slightly heavier from their weight around it.

“You’re going to need a crowbar to remove (YN)” Sasuke stated, expression flat yet oddly mirthful.

“What’s a crowbar, and where do I get one?” Masamune turned to him quickly.

“A crowbar is a long, typically flat metal rod used as a type of lever to open or detach things difficult or impossible to remove otherwise. You can find it in the same place you can find pizza I’m afraid.”

“So it’s from your town? Where the hell did you two even grow up anyway…” Masamune looked confused.

“Can we have this discussion later, right now we need to make pizza before they start screaming again.” I pointed to the little one wrapped around Masamune's leg.

“Agreed.”

…

It didn’t take long for (YN) to get bored of hanging onto the One-Eyed Dragon, he had made it too much of a challenge, jumping and swinging his leg around while they were attached. Instead, they were wondering around the kitchen space with a barrel over their head smacking into every other piece of furniture in the room. Unfortunately for us, no matter how many times they went running into something solid only to land on their bottom, they continued to get up and run again, this behavior was put to a stop when they almost ran into the small opening of the oven.

“How about you help us cook instead (YN)-chan?” Sasuke suggested as the little one nodded vigorously.

Bad idea. Absolutely terrible idea. You were covered in wheat flour, tracking it all around the kitchen, you had splattered at least a quarter of the tomato paste Masamune had made on the walls, shredded cheese was literally all over, mostly found in Sasuke’s hair, half of the onions had been haphazardly peeled and pulled apart by your devious little fingers, and now we stood in a stalemate. You had two eggs, one in each hand...where you had gotten them was beyond me, but you had them raised directly overhead threatening to slam them into the ground if anyone took so much as one step closer to you. You were a very clever child I would have to give you that. I took my eyes off you for a second and the next thing I know Masamune is diving for you as the eggs splinter on the ground, yolk spilling out all over the floor.

“All right little mouse. Back up.” They listen looking wide eyed at my now stern tone. “Why would you do that.”

“Why not?”

“Oh gods they did not just…” words beyond that seemed to fail Masamune as he rolled over on his side laughing. Even the ninja was chuckling as he put the mostly complete pizza in the oven, but I had just about had it.

…

The idea had been to make you sit in a time-out in our room until the other two brought the finished food to us. I had just shut the door behind me when a very shrill shrieking began all throughout the manor, followed swiftly but the clamoring of my men, this was exasperating...thinking up a plan to find whoever had cursed my staff and girlfriend was put on hold when I was pulled forward by an unexpectedly heavy weight in my arms.

I looked down and there you were, right as rain. There was confusion then, at the same time as I, you noticed the child’s clothing you were wearing earlier no longer sufficiently covered you. You scrambled out of my arms in an attempt to find something more suitable to wear, eyes darting around the room, frazzled movements barely keeping up with your mind I’m sure.

“Princess, you’re acting as though I’ve never seen you so immodestly dressed.”

“Mitsuhide.” they straightened looking me dead in the eyes. “That wasn’t a dream was it?”

“It was not…” I closed the gap between us, elated to see them as they normally are again “and you were quite the ornery child.” grabbing a lock of familiar silk tresses.

“Crap, crap, crap, crap…” you pulled away again, this time I stopped you, grabbing onto your wrist. your eyes met mine pleading with me.

“I promise I’ll make it up to you later. Pizza doesn’t take that long to cook and if you don’t let me get dressed everyone is going to see me ‘less than modest’ do you really want to deal with that right now?” 

They had a point, reluctantly I let go of your wrist and made my way into the hallway, a safety measure to make sure no unneeded visitors arrived before (YN) was decent.

…

The pizza was commendable, I couldn’t taste it, but the texture was pleasant enough. It was an oddity here but I had been reassured it was a very common food where they were from. 

Dinner flew by, surely because of the company, and I saw both Masamune and Sasuke out of the manor.

On the way back to my room, several of my vassals stopped to report that all of the maid staff had returned to normal and everyone was working double to get all of the household chores complete that had gone untouched since they ‘disappeared.’ Thanking them for their statements I headed back to (YN).

As I slid the door open they stood to greet me with a smile and a slight bow, walking forward to take one of my hands before raising onto their toes to offer me a kiss as I wrapped them in an embrace.

“I never did get to tell you earlier. Welcome home Mitsuhide.”

Tagging @little-mini-me-world, @kthomas325 have a nice Friday!

[wumbleberry-fc]

All of them :P

1:Full name

Alexander David Walter, but please call me Pete

2:Age

18

3:3 Fears

I’ll die early and break my promise to my best fried to not die for “many, many years to come,” getting anything- even water- in my eyes or close to my eyes, my parents finding out about my beliefs and kicking me out

4:3 things I love

My best friend, my best friend, and, um, my best friend

My best friend, cuddling/hugging, and being cold

5:4 turns on

Uhh, I only get “turned on” if I haven’t ‘done the deed’ in a while, but I don’t really have any stimuli that can sexually “turn me on” consistently.

6:4 turns off

Honestly? Nakedness. And also…… gosh, I don’t know. My lack of sexual attraction is not helping me come up with an answer…

7:My best friend

My best friend is Rachel and she is a first violin in the top orchestra at my former high school and we met through a school club and we had lunch every day almost all of my senior year and she is the best and I love her

8:Sexual orientation

Sexual orientation? Asexual, or on the Ace spectrum at least.

9:My best first date

Uh, what in my life classifies as a date? I’m so ??? on everything, but….. I’m going to claim that I haven’t had a true first date with anybody. However, I did go to dinner with someone (who was forced to go with me by her parents 1/10 would not recommend at all) before the homecoming dance in my freshman year and the pasta wasn’t terrible and we did have some moments of sustained conversation…

10:How tall am I

6′ 1″ (186 cm)

11:What do I miss

My best friend, getting to eat lunch with my best friend and another of my closest friends every day at school, the high school clubs and band, marching band, my AP Gov class, playing games with people

12:What time were I born

11:55 am on a Monday

13:Favourite color

Onyx, cerulean/cobalt

14:Do I have a crush

I wouldn’t classify anything I have as a crush right now, neither romantically nor platonically

15:Favourite quote

“You’ve got opinions, manWe’re all entitled to ‘emBut I never asked

So let me thank you for your timeAnd try to not waste any more of mineGet out of here fast”

from the song “King of Anything” by Sara Bareilles

16:Favourite place

Next to my best friend. Otherwise, the city where I grew up.

17:Favourite food

A cheeseburger with an egg on it. A bun, a burger patty, american cheese (or cheddar), bacon, an over-easy egg, and lettuce. Plus, I love biting into the burger and then letting the runny yolk drip onto the fries and if I’m lucky, some cheese will also drip onto the fries over time and so I can have cheesy, egg-y fries and they just taste so good

18:Do I use sarcasm

Yeah, I would say so.

19:What am I listening to right now

The ringing in my ears from my hearing damage

20:First thing I notice in new person

Their faces (more specifically, their lips)

21:Shoe size

Men’s 11-12 Wide

22:Eye color

Blue most of the time

23:Hair color

Dirty Blond

24:Favourite style of clothing

Whatever is clean, or if not, whatever I can slip on in a few seconds. Often a T-shirt and basketball shorts

25:Kiss someone that starts with the letter “R”?

Yeah

27:Meaning behind my URL

I play the tuba and wanted to join the Jesus SquadTM

28:Kiss someone that starts with the letter “M”?

No

29:Favourite song

“She Used To Be Mine” by Sara Bareilles

30:Favourite band

Panic! at the Disco

31:How I feel right now

Unstimulated

32:Someone I love

My best friend

33:My current relationship status

Content

34:My relationship with my parents

I’m not all that open with them and don’t feel that it’s worth it at this point to let them into my personal life

35:Favourite holiday

Christmas, honestly. It’s one of the two times I get to see all of my mom’s family, guaranteed, and it’s much better than Thanksgiving

36:Tattoos and piercing i have

None, and I don’t want any either

37:Tattoos and piercing i want

Oh. Well, what I typed five seconds ago still stands, I don’t want any.

38:The reason I joined Tumblr

Uhh, I’m not going to say… Let’s say the puns, yeah, the puns…

39:Do I and my last ex hate each other?

She should hate me, but I don’t hate her. I just feel incredibly guilty…

40:Do I ever get “good morning” or “good night ” texts?

My best friend and I try to say good night every night.

41:Have I ever kissed the last person you texted?

No

42:When did I last hold hands?

Sunday

43:How long does it take me to get ready in the morning?

However long it takes to find clothes and get up

44:Have You shaved your legs in the past three days?

It’s been a good two years or so I think, but I want to do it again

45:Where am I right now?

My living room

46:If I were drunk & can’t stand, who’s taking care of me?

I wouldn’t be drunk, alcohol in no way tastes anywhere close to as good as root beer does

47:Do I like my music loud or at a reasonable level?

However loud it needs to be for me to clearly hear it, and loud if I’m trying to drown out noises I don’t want to hear (the television about once a week average)

48:Do I live with my Mom and Dad?

For 11 more days and then whenever I’m not at college, and we’ll see after I graduate

49:Am I excited for anything?

I’m going to my best friend’s first cross country meet of the season today and so I get to see my best friend today!!!!!

50:Do I have someone of the opposite sex I can tell everything to?

My best friend

51:How often do I wear a fake smile?

Talking about my life or the future or anything around my parents and church friends

52:When was the last time I hugged someone?

Sunday

53:What if the last person I kissed was kissing someone else right in front of me?

I’d be really confused but I’d support and accept it

54:Is there anyone I trust even though I should not?

I only fully 100% trust one person, and I’m fairly sure the people I’ve talked to on here aren’t bad

55:What is something I disliked about today?

I once again didn’t do anything productive towards getting ready for college

56:If I could meet anyone on this earth, who would it be?

Barack Obama would be pretty neat to meet

57:What do I think about most?

My best friend

58:What’s my strangest talent?

My buddy, I have no clue. Probably making alright sounding composition things with no knowledge of theory or anything.

59:Do I have any strange phobias?

emailing people, talking on the phone with people

60:Do I prefer to be behind the camera or in front of it?

I don’t like filming, but I also am not the most comfortable in front of a camera at all times

61:What was the last lie I told?

Probably something related to emailing my professor about renting a tuba for band

62:Do I prefer talking on the phone or video chatting online?

Video chatting online is better than talking on the phone, but both are fifth out of five methods of communicating that I detailed up yesterday for my best friend.

63:Do I believe in ghosts? How about aliens?

No, and probably not. I do think aliens exist, but I don’t believe in aliens? Like, it’s rational to think that given the entire space, aliens have to exist, but also any thoughts we have about aliens don’t strike me as believable??

64:Do I believe in magic?

No

65:Do I believe in luck?

Yes and no, it depends, it switches back and forth. Kinda like if I believe in a monotheist God.

66:What’s the weather like right now?

Recovering from the ash from the wildfires. Also we’re transitioning from summer drought to our rest of the year “This is why Seattle has the reputation it does” weather, slowly but surely over the course of the next month before it truly kicks in mid-October.

67:What was the last book I’ve read?

The last book that I read start to finish every word was probably Khaled Hosseini’s “The Kite Runner”

68:Do I like the smell of gasoline?

Not particularly, no

69:Do I have any nicknames?

(Hot) Pete, and my last name

70:What was the worst injury I’ve ever had?

Split open my head and needed a couple stitches when I was 8

71:Do I spend money or save it?

If I had any self-control or discipline, I’d be that rich teenage white boy you hear a lot in the media

72:Can I touch my nose with a tounge?

No.

73:Is there anything pink in 10 feet from me?

Same as yesterday, the stuffed animal, pillow, and folder are all still here and my hot pink tie is still in my room about 40 feet away

74:Favourite animal?

I feel uneasy around pretty much any non-human sentient being, and then most human sentient beings as well. I just… don’t know how to answer this question honestly

75:What was I doing last night at 12 AM?

I was finishing up answering the rest of the asks last night at around midnight

76:What do I think is Satan’s last name is?

Satan is just a myth to scare people into being “better” people, where “better” is just a specific lifestyle dictated by whoever managed to gain influence in the doctrine and teachings of the religion.

His origins also come from a time where surnames and ‘last names’ were not a thing, so Satan is most likely a stand-alone name, much like Plato and Zeus.

77:What’s a song that always makes me happy when I hear it?

“She Used To Be Mine” by Sara Bareilles

78:How can you win my heart?

I’ll be the judge of that. It just… happens. Rachel, Kyle, Grae, Haley, Katie, Hot Luke, and others just……. existed, and then pretty much somehow they just became a big part of my life and I…. I just love them

79:What would I want to be written on my tombstone?

That I was a beloved friend who made a positive difference in their lives

80:What is my favorite word?

Aaaaahhhh! I know so many words, like, more than 5, and there are so many good ones!!!!!! Right now, I’m feeling music as the best word of the moment.

81:My top 5 blogs on tumblr

No. This is so rude. Why? Why must I single out a few blogs and tell the world that the interaction we’ve had isn’t enough for me and that you’re just not special enough to me? I refuse to do this.

82:If the whole world were listening to me right now, what would I say?

“I love my best friend, gay people are amazing, fund the arts, respect the arts, respect people who work the “undesired” jobs, work to protect the environment, and try to do things that make you happy while not harming other people or sentient beings.”

83:Do I have any relatives in jail?

Not that I know of

84:I accidentally eat some radioactive vegetables. They were good, and what’s even cooler is that they endow me with the super-power of my choice! What is that power?

I’m firmly in the teleportation camp. I hate being late and I’m not a fan of travelling.

85:What would be a question I’d be afraid to tell the truth on?

Hygiene-related questions… please…. I’m working on it…. let me be…..

86:What is my current desktop picture?

The default background

87:Had sex?

No, ew.

88:Bought condoms?

Never actually seen them accept in memes and once during health class in freshman year

89:Gotten pregnant?

No

90:Failed a class?

Yeah….. and it was the second semester of APUSH too…

91:Kissed a boy?

On his hand, which I’ll count

92:Kissed a girl?

Yeah

93:Have I ever kissed somebody in the rain?

No

94:Had job?

I became a CYO volleyball referee and reffed two seasons so far.

95:Left the house without my wallet?

Often, and since I’ve been driving, only twice (although one was driving up for a the campus tour at the college I ended up choosing, which was about 5 total hours of driving that day, a week after I got my license). I try to remember it when I go out because I saw a few months ago a post on here saying how valuable it is in case of an accident or something and the person has an ID, and I’ve been watching crime dramas for years and having an ID is always good.

96:Bullied someone on the internet?

Good heavens, no!

97:Had sex in public?

No! Ewwww, God that’s even worse

98:Played on a sports team?

I sooo miss volleyball, and soccer was fun too

99:Smoked weed?

I hope to be able to say no until I die

100:Did drugs?

I occasionally took my prescriptions… for like 2 months… whoops

But no, not for the intention of getting high or anything, I hate drugs, even advil and tylenol

101:Smoked cigarettes?

Fuck cigarettes (and no, I haven’t)

102:Drank alcohol?

A drop of an IPA when I was 13 and a sip of a red wine when I was 16 (with parental supervision that time), and nah, it isn’t my thing.

103:Am I a vegetarian/vegan?

Show me a well-prepared vegetable that has a decent flavor and I might be open to eating them more often

104:Been overweight?

Ever since I was like 2

105:Been underweight?

Never

106:Been to a wedding?

I think I’ve been to 5?

107:Been on the computer for 5 hours straight?

what do you think I do every day?

108:Watched TV for 5 hours straight?

So many wasted hours...

109:Been outside my home country?

Not yet

110:Gotten my heart broken?

Actually? Seriously? Like, more than just butt hurt over an infatuation? No, not really

111:Been to a professional sports game?

A couple baseball games

112:Broken a bone?

My ulna and radius, just above the wrist, on my dad’s 48th birthday back in fifth grade when I tripped over my two feet in the middle of our street and landed poorly. We didn’t go to the hospital for like 3 days

113:Cut myself?

Like, as in self-harming? No.

114:Been to prom?

No, freshman homecoming was off-putting enough for me after the aftermath…

115:Been in airplane?

Yeah! Flying is great!

116:Fly by helicopter?

No

117:What concerts have I been to?

I apparently went to two The Wiggles concerts when I was a baby, and since then it’s only been school concerts

118:Had a crush on someone of the same sex?

I think the desire was enough to elevate it past a mere infatuation, but it wasn’t like a full-on crush if you know what I’m saying.

119:Learned another language?

Not fully… I’m that kind of white person (minus the complete snobbish elitist attitude)

120:Wore make up?

It isn’t bad, but it’s too close to my eyes for me to be comfortable, and it’s wayyy too much work to do like every day just to look better than my meagerness. I’m already bad enough with basic hygiene, this would be too much (although I guess if I cared that much about it it might help this problem…). I’ll gladly wear it for a show, though.

121:Lost my virginity before I was 18?

The concept of virginity is complete bs to oppress women and “weak” men and is only fun in the ‘sacrificing a virgin into a volcano’ trope but even then I don’t like it (again, sex is gross for me, so no)

122:Had oral sex?

I have kissed and been kissed on my lips, various spots on my face, and my hands, and that’s it.

123:Dyed my hair?

No

124:Voted in a presidential election?

No, but I registered to vote on my eighteenth birthday this year and I voted in the primary elections back in August and I can’t wait to vote in the November elections because VOTING IS IMPORTANT ESPECIALLY IN NON-PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS WHEN ONLY A VERY LOW PERCENTAGE OF THE POPULATION VOTES!!!!! LIKE, IT’S DISAPPOINTING THAT ONLY ABOUT 50% OF THE POPULATION VOTES IN PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS, BUT THAT NUMBER DROPS TO 30-40% IN MIDTERM ELECTIONS AND ONLY 10-20% IN LOCAL-ONLY ELECTIONS (READ: ELECTIONS IN ODD-NUMBERED YEARS) AND THOSE NUMBERS BREAK MY HEART AND WE NEED TO VOTE MORE BECAUSE VOTING IS THE EASIEST WAY TO HAVE SOME LEVEL OF PARTICIPATION IN GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS AND IT IS IMPORTANT FOR THE VOICE OF THE PEOPLE TO BE HEARD AND IF YOU ONLY VOTE IN PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS OR NEVER AT ALL, THEN THE PEOPLE WHO FAITHFULLY VOTE EVERY YEAR, AKA RICH OLD WHITE CONSERVATIVE MEN, ESSENTIALLY HAVE ALL OF THE VOICE IN THE ELECTIONS AND WE DO NOT NEED TO HAVE EVERYTHING ABOUT OUR GOVERNMENT DECIDED BY RICH OLD WHITE CONSERVATIVE MEN IF YOU’VE EVER READ ANY HISTORY TEXTBOOK OR REALLY ANYTHING, YOU SHOULD EASILY BE ABLE TO SEE WHY! PLEASE VOTE IN EVERY ELECTION!!!!!!!!!

125:Rode in an ambulance?

No

126:Had a surgery?

Do stitches count? Otherwise, no.

127:Met someone famous?

No

128:Stalked someone on a social network?

Too many times, sadly, and sorry

129:Peed outside?

Yeah

130:Been fishing?

No

131:Helped with charity?

I’ve volunteered with some non-profits, but I don’t think I’ve done so with a quote “charity” unquote.

132:Been rejected by a crush?

Probably? Most things were minor infatuations that I used to think were crushes, so I’m not sure. You could say that the most recent potential qualifier rejected me, but I would beg to differ given things now

133:Broken a mirror?

I was a reckless child

134:What do I want for birthday?

More time to spend alone with my best friend, more time to be with my best friend, a sudden influx of cash (and/or guaranteed financial stability), root beer and food and people to play games with

135:How many kids do I want and what will be their names?

Zero (0). However, if I do have kids, I’d probably adopt them, and I’d probably let them choose their names. Otherwise, I really like the names Luke, Pete®, James, Haley, Sara, Nicole, Alex (particularly for non-binary or female identifying persons), Rachel (though I probably wouldn’t name my kid that bc it’s too special for me), Hannah, and Emily.

136:Was I named after anyone?

My parents don’t say so.

137:Do I like my handwriting?

I’ve spent a long time crafting this efficient style, so yes. Also I have like three style to choose, my Most EfficientTM style, my All Caps (with the first letter taller than the others) style, and my fancy style with all of the tails at the end of the letters, the a like this font has it, the curls, anything I find to be   fancy   *jazz hands*

138:What was my favourite toy as a child?

Probably my little cars that I would move around on my city roads carpet along with a motorcycle that made had a brief jingle and then a simple noise that was super cool for 6-8 year old me

139:Favourite Tv Show?

Phineas and Ferb, or How I Met Your Mother

140:Where do I want to live when older?

Ideally, somewhere here in my hometown, I just love it here.

141:Play any musical instrument?

I can make a sound, but is it really playing? *suspenseful music crescendos*

142:One of my scars, how did I get it?

My Aunt re-married when I was 8 and the guy had a son a few months older than me, and we babysat him for a month during their honeymoon. Well, this boy wasn’t a good influence on me at all, but that’s beside the point. I thought he was… you know what, that actually is the point, but…. I though he was cool, and he could do things and did things that I wanted to try.

Well, one day, we laid out flat a futon and covered it with all the cushions and pillows from the couch that was also downstairs. Then, he grabbed an exercise ball, put it on the futon, got on it, rolled across the futon over the pillows, and stood up on the other side of the futon when he was done and I was so impressed, it blew my mind that he laid his midsection on the ball and rolled the ball like 6 feet and didn’t move or fall off of the exercise ball as it rolled.

So I tried it. And at the end, I slid off the ball, but not to land. I didn’t know how he stayed horizontal, and it showed, as I fell forward and slammed the side of me head into the corner of a cabinet right next to the far side of the cabinet. It hurt, and so I didn’t try a second time… until he successfully did it again a few minutes later. So I, desperately wanting to do it right and be “cool” like him, tried to do it again.

And I hit the exact same part of the side of my head on the corner of the cabinet again, almost exactly how my run went the first time. After the second hit, my head really hurt, and so I put my hands to my head, ran halfway up the stairs, and began to cry.

Also know that I was going through a phase where I loved to fake cry. I thought imitating the sounds of crying without the tears was one of the funniest things. And my mom hated it. She was a stay-at-home mom at that point, had been from a few months before I was born until my youngest sister entered elementary school with us. And so she was at home all day, every day (hence the babysitting). So, for the two months of summer by that point, my fake crying obsession was driving her up the wall.

Back to the story. Now, I’m sitting on the staircase, hands on my head because it hurts, tears forming in my eyes and my voice beginning to make all the crying sounds that I made when I was fake crying all summer so I guess my imitations were spot on. But after about a minute, I decided remove my arms from my head, and I looked at them, and there were lines of blood all the way from my fingers to my elbows and drops had fallen from my elbows onto my sock, and I shrieked.

I immediately went back down the stairs to the office where mom was on the computer, and the tears were coming almost as steady as the blood, and I was full-out crying. My mom, who was looking at the screen and thus only heard me crying, lashed out angrily, telling me to stop bothering her with that freaking fake crying. That is, until I got her to look at my arms. She took me upstairs and cleaned me up a little, but, while my bleeding slowed significantly, it didn’t stop.

After about 3 hours, my dad came home from work, and the bleeding still hadn’t stopped, and so we went to the hospital. I ended up getting 5 or 6 stitches, and when my hair is cut short enough, you can see the small white line.

That’s the only scar that I definitely know that I have. I haven’t really done anything physically risky since. That’s also pretty much when I stopped crying all that much…

143:Favourite pizza toping?

Extra cheese. Otherwise, sausage.

144:Am I afraid of the dark?

Only if I’m trying to sneak through somewhere and I can’t see where exactly I’m going

145:Am I afraid of heights?

Yeah, I would say I have a mild fear of heights. Specifically if I have to go down somewhere (like downhill slightly and there is a sharp decline on one side), or if I have to jump more than like 3 feet

146:Have I ever got caught sneaking out or doing anything bad?

I’ve been reprimanded for going out for most of the day and not saying anything, just disappearing for like 6 hours on a Sunday morning

147:Have I ever tried my hardest and then gotten disappointed in the end?

I never try my hardest

148:What I’m really bad at

Emailing people I need to, cleaning, hygiene, contacting people, calling people on the phone/talking to people on the phone, doing what I need to do

149:What my greatest achievements are

I graduated from high school, I won an CYO volleyball championship in sixth grade, I won a math competition in 7th grade (by guessing better than 19 other 7th and 8th graders from two different schools), and I…….. I haven’t really done much yet, nothing truly worthwhile (except maybe hs graduation)

150:The meanest thing somebody has ever said to me

I can’t think of anything, really. Although some acquaintances of mine made anti-Semitic “jokes” in front of me during summer camp this year and it bothered me a lot

151:What I’d do if I won in a lottery

I’d buy a large enough apartment to have space to wander around (picture Castle’s apartment from the show Castle, and pretty much like that but a little less opulent and I don’t need all the ornate luxuries around. Just the space of like 5-7 medium/large open rooms with a comfortable bed and a non-cramped bathroom or two, and a nice big kitchen for all the food I’m going to have.

I’d always have root beer in stock, along with some snacks that I like, and I’d have whatever foods my friends like because my closest friends would have invitations to come at literally any time (like, this is for max 6 people), and I’d like to regularly meet up with my closest friends and I’ll treat them to nice filling dinners at the local diners, Denny’s, wherever they want, even McDonald’s or whatever, and I’ll tip really well, like at least $50 dollars because those people are always so nice, and I’ll splurge so much on my friends.

I’d also donate a bunch to all of those people who really need it that I see come across my dash, and I’ll donate a crapload to my high school band because they meant the world to me, and I’d FUND THE ARTS BECAUSE THE ARTS ARE IMPORTANT.

152:What do I like about myself

I like that I love the arts and that I play the tuba and that I am getting into writing music and that I write poetry and that I love my friends especially my best friend and I like that I try to be positive and supportive of the LGBTQ+ community and that I actively try to make the world a slightly happier place most of the time

153:My closest Tumblr friend

Katie

154:Something I fantasize about

Getting to spend long periods of time with my best friend, having a bunch of money to spend on my best friend, being happy

155:Any question you’d like?

What is your favorite video game that you own that you’ve never seen elsewhere and is likely not well-known at all?

I love the game Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords for the Wii, and I can play it for hours upon hours for days and not get bored. It’s a really fun game with a long storyline that is entertaining and original, and I just love playing it and have literally only ever seen it at our house since my mom somehow found it and bought it like 7 years ago.

(yes, I made that question up myself)

Thank you for asking all of these!!!!!

(when I copied and pasted it to a google doc in case the computer shuts down and I lose the whole answer, it said that I had 4825 words and it took up 17 pages. So, yeah, this is 4867 words long!)

(And I was right, the everything disappeared and so I had to post it early so I could go back and edit it, so now it’s 4900 words long in total, after editing.)

[temptation-narnia-chronicles]

From Upon the Golden Thrones

Episode 2: Lucy’s Insomnia

      "Susan, can you pass the bacon?" Edmund asked one morning from the breakfast table. A wide assortment of food was placed before them: steaming bacon still crackling from the griddle, runny eggs whose yolks pooled on their plates, stacks of waffles overflowing with syrup and fruit compote. It was like Edmund's morning dream come true.

      Susan nodded and glanced over to the platter of bacon near Lucy, opening her mouth to ask her to pass it closer but then gasping when she discovered the young girl's face was nearly smothered in syrup. "Lucy!" she shouted. The littlest Pevensie snapped her head up, eyelids drooping and syrup covering her chin. "What on earth was that about?"       "I-I'm sorry, Susan...I suppose I...dozed off a bit" she yawned, resting her jaw on her fist. She was trapped in a daze, constantly half asleep.       "Lu, what's been going on with you? This is the fifth time this week" Peter replied. Lucy's exhaustion was beginning to become routine, which was not customary nor appropriate for a young queen. For their baby sister, it was even more worrisome.       "I just haven't been able to sleep very well" she replied softly, eyes downcast. Dark circles surrounded her eyes, making her look far older and more ghoulish than any little girl should.       "I don't understand" Susan replied. "There's no reason you should be having this much trouble sleeping. Is it your bed? Are you uncomfortable?" Lucy shook her head. Neither of her siblings found that excuse credible, since Lucy had often gushed about how much she adored the plush mattress and heavenly sheets.       "I'll be fine, don't worry about me" Lucy lied through yet another yawn. Her sister eyed her suspiciously but said not another word on the matter.

    "Oreius, may I speak with you for a minute?" Susan asked, peering her head through the doorway. The centaur was engulfed in a rather large tome, the text so tiny Susan could barely tell if it was even in English. At first, Oreius seemed displeased at the interruption until he glanced up to find the gentle queen approaching. He motioned her forward and stepped away from his book.       "What is it, your majesty?" he asked. His deep voice echoed down the long aisles of tall bookshelves.       "It's Lucy, sir. I'm worried about her. She hasn't been sleeping and I'm unsure of what to do. She needs help but she refuses to admit she has a problem" Susan explained. Oreius nodded knowingly.       "Her tutor has mentioned she has been dozing off during lessons, as well" Oreius stated. Susan dropped into the nearest seat and buried her face in her hands.       "I just don't know what to do! This isn't healthy. I know we've all been under a great deal of stress but this isn't like Lucy to not be open about whatever is bothering her, or to be bothered by much at all" Susan explained. "I just don't know what to do. Talking hasn't done much help. Could there be anything in one of these books? A cure for insomnia, perhaps?"       Oreius furrowed his brows a moment before shaking his head. "There could but I don't think they'll be of much help. If you ask me, you should call Aesop" he suggested.       "Aesop...?" Susan repeated. The name seemed vaguely familiar, though she still didn't quite understand.       The centaur simply nodded before elaborating. "Aesop is the great centaur of the Western Wood. He is a fine medicine man known for healing all manners of afflictions and injuries. His talent rivals even that of the fireflower itself."       Susan nodded slowly, chewing over Oreius's words. "Well, if you think he'll help...”

    "I still don't see much of a point to this" Peter murmured to his sister. Susan quickly shushed him, shooting him a sharp glare.       "Oreius said he was the best of the best and I believe him. We're running out of options, Peter" she shot back. The High King simply groaned and shook his head. The four monarchs stood upon the precipice overlooking the whole of Narnia, watching as a group of guards came into view. As they grew nearer, they could identify two centaurs in tow, one an old man and the other nearly unidentifiable in a velvet hood which nearly covered their entire face.       Upon reaching the gate, the old centaur and his assistant both bowed to the kings and queens in respect. "Good day, your highnesses. I am Aesop of the Western Wood and this is my apprentice, Nefyn. The good knight Oreius says you are troubled and in need of my assistance."       "Y-Yes, sir" Susan stammered. Now that they were face to face, she was much more intimidated by his towering and muscular frame than she expected. His pale eyes and snowy long beard were a stark contrast to his tanned skin and he eyed them with all the power and terror that they first saw in Aslan himself.       "Where is the child for whom you have called upon me?" he stated, glancing from Peter to Susan to Edmund. Lucy had been far too sleepy and achy to join them.       "Lucy is upstairs. We'll lead you to her" Peter replied.       "There is no need" Aesop stated bluntly. "I am perfectly capable of finding her myself." With that, he pushed past the siblings and entered the castle on his own accord, tall and confident. His assistant sauntered close behind, a saddle bag of herbs and potions strapped to her flank.       "I don't like this at all" Peter whispered to his sister. Susan shushed him once more though he could tell even she had grown skeptical, too.

     "Peter, what's taking so long?!" Susan complained. She had been pacing the dining room for two hours and by now was exhausted but still too paranoid to stop. Her eyes flitted to the door once more, terrified. "I can't believe we left him alone with her, that...that...creep!"       "Su, have you forgotten that this was your idea?" Peter questioned, chin resting against his fist. Susan shot him a death glare.       "Don't blame me! This is Oreius's fault! He's the one who suggested we call upon this guy in the first place!" she snapped back.       "How do you know he's bad?" Edmund interrupted, mouth full, as he edged his way through the kitchen door. He took a seat next to Peter with a massive platter of snacks. "That pantry's a gold mine" he added, proud of his findings.       Susan paused a moment as she considered her brother's words. He had a point. She didn't truly know whether Aesop was a bad man. It was just so hard to believe otherwise when he was so mysterious and strange. Before she could reply back, however, the double doors burst open and the centaur himself walked into the room.       "Well?" Peter asked, eyeing the man expectantly. Aesop gave a single nod.       "She shall be well" was all he said. The three Pevensies stared back at him as if they expected more but he simply eyed each of them for a moment before walking out of the room. His assistant followed close behind but not until they had very stealthily stolen an apple from Edmund's platter before he could even notice.       "That's it?!" Susan shouted. She glared back at Peter and Edmund, expecting them to do something, before running off after the centaur to take care of it herself. She wanted answers-- real answers, not short sentences without any substance. Peter watched his sister barrel out of the room and, with a sigh, stood up and motioned to Edmund to follow him. The just king picked up his platter, biscuit hanging out of his mouth, and chased after the two.       "Aesop, wait! Wait a minute!" Susan called after the centaur on his way to his chambers. "I don't exactly think you gave us a very substantial answer. What's wrong with Lucy? Why can't she sleep? And what are you going to do about it?"       The centaur, taken aback, stared back at her with wide eyes a moment before glancing to his apprentice. All they did was bow their head. Aesop sighed. "Come. I will show you" he replied, motioning for them to follow him. The centaur trotted back to Lucy's chambers where she napped restlessly, still sitting up in bed. Peter clenched his fists at his side, hating to see her so uncomfortable. "The young queen seems to be suffering a bout of homesickness" Aesop explained.       "Homesickness? Well, so are all of us" Susan retorted. The centaur shook his head.       "Not like this. Queen Lucy is but a foal and has not yet learned the beauty of adjustment. Moving to the castle seems to be a great change in her life. She yearns for the land where the sky wails and rain explodes" he explained.       "You mean Finchley?" Peter asked. Aesop stared at him in confusion before the High King realized the Narnians knew nothing of their homeland.       "If Lucy misses home so much, then why doesn't she just go sleep outside Tumnus's door? He snores like an air raid siren" Edmund said. Susan shot him a glare.       "I suppose there's only thing we can do, then. We have to go home" the gentle replied.       "We can't just leave! Aslan entrusted us with Narnia, we can't just walk away from it. We have a duty to uphold" Peter countered.       "What's more important? Narnia or Lucy?" Susan shot back. Peter furrowed his brows, displeased with her response.       "I don't think Lucy is going to want to leave even if it kills her" Edmund interrupted. The two elder siblings turned to him.       "What do you mean?" Peter asked.       "Well, think about it. Lucy was the first to find this place. She was the reason we all came here. Don't you think she'd feel like she let us down if she admitted she wanted to go back home?" Edmund explained. Peter and Susan had to admit the just had a point.       "Well, how do we fix this, then?" Susan asked.       "I will" Aesop interjected. All eyes turned to him. "I am gifted in crafting many remedies. Grant me a few days and I will concoct something that ought to soothe the valiant's soul and grant her the slumber she so needs." Though the High King and gentle queen were still rather skeptical, they realized in that moment that they really didn't have any other choice. Releasing a sigh, they both nodded and put their baby sister's wellbeing in the centaur's hands. 

     Edmund awoke late into the night at the mercy of his growling stomach. He squinted toward the clock in the corner of his room but could barely make out the time. Regardless of how late it was, though, nothing was going to stop him from grabbing a snack. He threw on his slippers, not even bothering to put them on the right feet, and scampered down to the kitchen but was taken aback when he heard a symphony of clanging and banging from inside.       The just king glanced around the hallway frantically, having left his sword up in his room, before eyeing a candlestick on a nearby table. He held it near his head like a bat, sucking in a deep breath, and burst through the door with a battle cry. The rump of a horse shown out from behind the pantry door. "Sh-show yourself, thief!" Edmund shouted. A clamor of food fell to the floor and the stranger backed up with her hands raised. A mysterious centaur stared back at him, face youthful and eyes large. She smiled at him awkwardly, slurping up the last of the noodle that was dangling from her mouth.       Edmund had seen quite a few centaurs since he arrived at the Cair but none quite so young and, dare he say, pretty as this one. He lowered the candlestick slowly before stammering out, "W-w-who are you? And what are you doing in the kitchen at an hour like this?"       The young centaur smirked and replied, "I should be asking the same of you. The name's Nefyn." Suddenly, everything made sense. Edmund's mind snapped back to when Aesop first arrived, his mysterious apprentice following close behind.       "Nefyn..." he repeated. "Like...like Aesop's apprentice Nefyn?"       "The one and only" she replied. "I am Aesop's daughter, and his protege."       "Oh...!" Edmund explained in great understanding.       "Now, your highness, if you don't mind my asking" Nefyn continued, flipping her dark braid over her shoulder, "What exactly did you plan to do to me with that candlestick?"

     A soft whimpering floated down the hall and instantly captured Susan's attention. She never meant to stay up quite so late but had recently found a rather riveting novel in the library that she couldn't find the strength to put down. Or maybe she just needed the distraction. She wasn't quite sure which excuse was correct. However, the quiet sound of distress was far more important to her than the plot of some silly book and she instantly marked her place and went searching for the source. As she scurried down the hall, the sound grew louder and louder until she happened upon Lucy's chamber door. Susan sighed and slowly peered inside.       "Lucy? Lucy!" Susan whispered, rushing to Lucy's bedside. The young girl tossed and turned in her sleep, trapped in the throes of a horrible nightmare. Susan gently held her shoulders and whispered her name harshly until the young queen stirred awake and dove into her sister's arms.       "Oh, Susan, it was horrible!" she wailed. Hot tears fell upon Susan's shoulder and rolled down the valiant's cheeks.       "I know, it's alright now, Lu. Everything is alright" Susan cooed. She leaned back to get a better view of her sister, brushing the hair from her face affectionately. "What was it this time?"       "I don't want to talk about it" Lucy replied defiantly. "Just please let me stay up the rest of the night. I don't think I'll ever fall back asleep."       Susan sighed and shook her head. "Lucy, if you don't get a good night's sleep soon, you're going to make yourself sick" she replied. Her eyes darted to the bottle on the nightstand, picking it up and inspecting it. The liquid inside was a murky green and sloshed against the glass bottle violently, releasing an odor so toxic that Susan had to restrain herself from gagging. She plugged her nose and quickly put it back where it originally sat. "This is the fifth potion Aesop's tried and nothing seems to be working. Come on, Lucy, can't you please just tell us what all this is about?" Lucy hated keeping secrets from her siblings, even moreso when Susan appeared so distressed, but she still wasn't sure she could speak of it. It was too lame.       The gentle queen eyed the valiant with great suspicion, like a mother who knows her child is hiding something. "Lucy, you used to tell me everything. Why should this be any different?"       "Because it's too awful! I can't talk about it!" Lucy shouted in muffled tones, burying her face in her pillow. Susan sighed.       "Lu, but we're worried about you!" Susan replied. "We just want to help!"       Lucy paused a moment, and there was nothing but a tense silence as her sister gazed upon her desperately. Finally, the young queen slowly turned to look at her older sister with teary eyes. "You promise you won't laugh?" Susan nodded enthusiastically. Lucy sucked in a deep breath, eyes averted, as she slowly shifted to sit up and drew her knees to her chest. "Alright. The reason...the reason I can't sleep is because...well...Puppy."       Susan cocked her head to the side, trying to comprehend what her sister meant. "You mean your stuffed dog?" Lucy nodded. Susan knew the toy well. It was a present from their father when Lucy was very young, a small plush dog that she had simply called Puppy and had grown very attached to. Over the years, their mother had to mend the holes and fill it with fresh batting when the cotton would fall out. Lucy had barely slept a night without it, except for the occasional instance in which she'd fall asleep on the couch listening to her favorite radio show and have to be carried off to bed, and Puppy would be left behind in the living room til early the next morning.         "I left him behind at the Professor's. I didn't think we'd end up living here, or else I would've brought him. But now I've forgotten him and I can't go back to get him" Lucy explained. She twiddled her fingers nervously, obviously ashamed that she, a queen, couldn't sleep because she missed her stuffed animal. Susan smiled back at her softly.       "I see. I wish there was something we could do, but I don't know if we can get back" Susan replied.       "Even if we could, I wouldn't want to. How do I know we'd ever be able to come back to Narnia if we left?" Lucy asked. That was perhaps her biggest fear: never returning to Narnia, leaving all of this splendor behind while they were trapped back in England. A shudder ran down her spine.       "That's a good point, but let's not worry about it too much now" Susan said, resting a reassuring hand on her sister's shoulder. "But while we're both awake, why don't we go down to the kitchen and I can make us some hot chocolate?" she offered. Lucy's face brightened, replying with a grin and an enthusiastic smile.

     Down the hall, Peter tossed and turned, unable to sleep himself. There was too much flurrying through his head: his kingly duties, his sister's affliction, his ignorance of a friend. He still had so much to learn and he still barely understood any of it. Narnian politics hardly made sense, partially because there were very few humans he was even governing. Every species needed to be catered to and happy. He could barely keep his family happy, let alone his country. He didn't know why Lucy was acting the way she was but somehow he found a way to blame himself. Maybe he wasn't paying her enough attention, maybe there was something the matter that she felt she couldn't tell him. She could always come to him with her problems, and yet now he felt distant and out of touch. He was too busy for everyone he cared about: his brother, his sisters, Eilonwy. His heart ached for Eilonwy, the way he treated her, the way he'd been ignoring her. It wasn't like he meant to be so cruel. He was simply frustrated. She understood, didn't she?       Eilonwy rolled onto her side and gathered her blankets around her like a cocoon. She stared straight ahead into the darkness, mind cloudy with thought, as well. She, too, feared for Lucy and wanted her to be well. But she also feared for herself. Being back at Cair Paravel wasn't getting any easier and she needed someone to console her. Edmund had been of some help but he didn't know the extent of her trauma. Peter, however, did. But Peter was far too busy for her. Peter had enough on his mind. She didn't want to bother him with her petty problems, even if she knew his company would make the transition so much easier. But then again, maybe Peter would understand. Maybe he'd be willing to hear her cries.       Suddenly overwhelmed by an intense energy, Peter threw back his covers and climbed out of bed. He needed to speak to Eilonwy. He needed the reprieve. He needed to know she was okay and, in turn, to be okay himself.       Eilonwy suddenly grew more and more desperate. She knew Peter didn't want to speak to her but she needed to try. She needed to speak to him. Sitting up, she tied her hair back with a ribbon from the nightstand, tossed a robe over her nightdress, and burst out into the hallway.      The moment Peter swung the door open and stepped out of his chambers, he found Eilonwy had done the same just a few feet away. He watched her turn and face him and for a moment, their eyes met and a horrible electricity charged between them as they gravitated even closer toward one another.       "What are you doing up so late?" Eilonwy asked awkwardly once she grew nearer. All the confidence that had swelled inside her before had now completely deflated, eyes downcast and heart racing out of her chest.       "I just, uh, I'm..." Peter stammered. He wasn't sure how to tell her all he had been feeling. Or at least not while he was looking at her. She was exactly the same and yet somehow looked vastly different than he remembered. She was thinner, bonier, her skin paler and her hair darker. She was like a ghost condemned to forever haunt the home in which she died. Finally, he broke. "I was looking for you" he said softly.       "Wait, what? Why?" she asked back in disbelief.       "I wanted to apologize. I wanted to say sorry for...for everything. I know I've been busy but...but it was wrong to ignore you and treat you the way I did. You don't deserve that" he murmured.       "Oh..." she mumbled back. She had never expected to get an apology out of him. Now that she had, she wasn't sure what exactly to do with it. She almost felt like he planned to say more, so she hesitated to reply, staring at different parts of the flooring where the tiles converged only to be met with silence.       The two of them stood there awkwardly for a moment more, drenched in a maddening quiet that only escalated the magnetic tension they had for so long ignored between their bodies. Eilonwy's lips itched in the same way they did that night of the coronation when they kissed on the dancefloor. She almost wanted to lean in and repeat the memory, but restrained herself. She didn't see the same desire reflected in Peter's eyes, or at least she didn't think so. She never was the best at identifying these sorts of things.       Peter glanced at her a moment before finally breaking the unending silence. "I, uh... well, I was wondering...would you like to sneak down to the kitchen for a snack? There are some leftover rum cakes from the coronation we could have. Consider it part of my apology. I don't exactly feel like I've done enough to make it up to you" he said. A small smile spread across Eilonwy's lips.       "Sure" she replied and together they walked beside one another, fingers itching to interlace but never granting themselves the satisfaction.

     Laughter echoed down the hallway as the young king and his new friend sat around the kitchen table and conversed. Edmund never expected to find a friend in the young centaur but through their late night meeting, discovered they had far more in common than either of them could've expected. Edmund had fixed a platter of snacks for the both of them to share, munching on cheese and crackers and fruits. The just king situated himself on one of the barstools near the counter as Nefyn hung out on the other side, leaning her elbows on the counter's edge and crossing her legs casually.       "Wait a minute, wait a minute, shhh" Nefyn suddenly interrupted. She rose a finger to her lips and glanced to the doorway in a panic.       "What is it...?" Edmund asked quietly.       "I hear people coming" Nefyn whispered frantically. Edmund's eyes widened, not wanting to be caught awake in the middle of the night, and began searching for a place to hide all their food on the platter. He wasn't quick enough, however, and was instantly caught redhanded with a bushel of grapes hanging out of his mouth.       "Edmund?" a small voice called from the doorway. The young king whipped around to find Susan and Lucy, their eyes darting from Ed to his new friend and back. He pasted a crooked smile on his face before setting the platter back down and plucking the rest of the grapes from his mouth.       "Ed, what on earth are you doing?" Susan questioned.       "I was just, uh...having a midnight snack!" Edmund explained.       "And who is this...?" Susan replied.       "This is, uh...this is Nefyn. She's..." he started but the centaur quickly interrupted.       "Miss Nefyn, your majesty. You called upon my father to help with Queen Lucy's affliction" she introduced in a rather professional manner.       Lucy's tired eyes lit up. "Oh, so you're Aesop's assistant! He's told me many good things about you" she gushed.       "He often does..." Nefyn replied. Her tone spelled confidence but the blush on her cheeks negated that assumption.       "What are you two doing here?" Edmund then asked. The frantic look in his eyes gave Lucy all the information she needed to know and it took every ounce of her strength to restrain her laughter.       "Lucy couldn't sleep so I offered to make her some hot chocolate" Susan said matter-of-factly.       "Well, I wouldn't possibly want to get in your way, then, so I think I better just--" Nefyn began but Edmund quickly interrupted her.       "N-no, wait! Y-you don't...you don't have to go just yet!" he pleaded. The centaurette paused and eyed him curiously.       "Oh?" she asked.       Edmund nodded, eyes wide and desperate. "Please stay. Just for a little while longer?"       Nefyn glanced from Ed to his sisters, who were grinning widely at the two of them, and then back to Ed indecisively. "Well...I guess I could stay up for just a little while longer" she finally decided. A look of pure joy flashed across Edmund's face before he quickly did his best to restrain his excitement. He knew exactly what his sisters were thinking and didn't want to give them anymore ammunition than they already had.       Susan and Lucy glanced to each other with knowing smiles, Lucy opening her mouth about to speak but was immediately interrupted by yet another visitor.       "What's all this?" Eilonwy asked from the doorway. Peter tagged close behind.       "I guess Lucy's not the only one who couldn't sleep" the High King added comically.       "Lucy had a nightmare so I offered to make her some hot chocolate but it turns out the kitchen was already occupied when we got here" Susan explained, floating toward the cabinets to retrieve a pair of mugs and some cocoa.       Peter nodded, eyes flashing from Edmund to his new friend suspiciously. "And who might this be?"       "I'm Nefyn, Aesop's daughter" the centaurette spoke. Recognition flashed across both Peter and Eilonwy's faces as they connected the dots. They, too, had not expected Aesop's assistant to be a young girl such as herself. She couldn't have been any older than thirteen, or at least the centaurian equivalent. To the uneducated, one might even think Nefyn was far too young to be Aesop's daughter but Eilonwy knew better.       "Now what are you two doing down here?" Edmund asked.       "I came down here for a midnight snack as a reconciliation reward" Eilonwy explained.       "Reconciliation reward?" asked Susan.       Peter nodded. "There were some things I felt I needed to make up for in leftover rum cakes" he explained.       "Well, now that we're all awake, we might as well make a party out of it!" Lucy exclaimed. Susan eyed her with the same expression a mother gives when she is displeased with their child's ideas.       "You're supposed to be getting to sleep, not getting riled up, Lu" she stated.       "Have my father's potions not worked?" Nefyn asked curiously. Lucy shook her head. "Interesting...his latest concoction is his most potent yet. I wonder why it hasn't worked for you" she pondered. Lucy shrugged, averting her eyes. She felt ashamed of herself for not responding to the medicine, even if it wasn't really her fault. It's not like she can control what does and doesn't work on her body.       Edmund edged into the seat beside Nefyn with a smorgasboard of pears and cheese and assorted nuts, replacing their old platter which was nearly cleared away by now. The sweet scent of chocolate wafted through the kitchen as Susan presented her sister with a mug of piping hot cocoa and a small plate of ginger cookies, along with a serving for herself. Peter and Eilonwy sat close nibbling on rum cakes, still spongy from all the booze they had by now soaked up so much of. By the time they were finished, Eilonwy was restraining a bout of tipsy giggles and Peter was feeling wonderfully. Apparently Narnian rum cakes were far stronger than their London equivalents.      Their midnight meeting didn't seem to last very long, however. In the midst of all their giggling and chatting, they failed to hear a set of hoofsteps venture down the stairs and into the doorway. It wasn't until they were met with the deep grunt of a centaur clearing his throat that they all silenced and stood attention. Aesop stared at each of them in anger, focusing most of his fury on Nefyn more than anyone else. "Apparently no one in this kingdom sleeps" he stated bluntly.       "Papa!" Nefyn squeaked. Aesop shot her a glare.       "I hope you have some sort of explanation for all of this, Nefyn" he stated.       Nefyn averted her eyes, displeased with herself for disobeying her father's orders. "I do not, other than I was simply satisfying the body's natural call for nourishment. I didn't anticipate the company" she explained softly.       "I see..." Aesop stated, arms crossed and staring the rest of the congregation down. Even Peter, the High King, felt intimidated by him. A shiver ran down Eilonwy's spine. "Well, it is not my place to deny a child the relief of their hunger, but I cannot say I am pleased with the social aspect of your routine. An apprentice has no time for idle chatter. Remember that, Nefyn."       "Yes, Papa" she replied quietly. And with that, she bowed her head to each of her new friends and rushed out the door. Edmund was taken aback by how different a girl she was around her father compared to Nefyn unsupervised. It was as if an unwavering tensity electrified her the moment he walked through the door, the kind of panic that comes with years of abuse. Quite frankly, Edmund wasn't all too fond of the change but had no jurisdiction over the way a man raised his daughter.       Aesop glanced to each member of the group before bowing his head and bidding everyone a goodnight, spending an extra few seconds to eye Edmund threateningly. The moment he left the room, Edmund groaned and buried his face in his hands.      "That's it. He hates me" he stated, voice muffled from behind his palms.      "What was all that about?" Peter questioned, confused.      "Edmund has a girlfriend!" Lucy exclaimed.      "W-what?! She is not my girlfriend!" Edmund panicked. "She's just a friend...who happens to be a girl."       "Of course" Susan replied, undertones of sarcasm poking through her voice. The just king's face went beet red as he sunk further in his seat and groaned once more.       "It's alright, Ed..." Lucy replied sleepily. "We can't all fall for humans" she added, voice fading into a yawn at the end of her sentence.       "Alright, I think it's about time someone went to bed" Susan replied, pushing the mugs and plate across the counter and scooping Lucy up in her arms.       "I think it's about time we all got some sleep" Peter elaborated, glancing to Edmund and Eilonwy. Edmund simply nodded, face still red with sheer embarassment. A small smile touched Eilonwy's lips as she rose and followed the High King out of the room, blowing out the candles and drenching the kitchen in pitch darkness.       Peter glanced through the doorway as he watched Susan kiss Lucy on the forehead and tuck her into bed. "I sure hope she gets some decent sleep tonight" Peter murmured. Eilonwy nodded from beside him.       "I do, too. She's far too young to be this insomniatic" Eilonwy replied. She peered through the doorway and smiled softly at Lucy's sleepy form. There was something she always loved about the inquisitive and kindhearted little queen. She hated to see her so troubled.       "You ought to get some sleep, too" Peter added, turning his attention to Eilonwy.       She nodded and replied, "If I can sleep at all. I've been having some rather awful nightmares lately."       "I know" Peter said. Eilonwy furrowed her brows and cocked her head, confused. "Don't you remember the other night?" he asked.       "What? No. Nothing happened the other night" she argued.       "Yes, something did" Peter replied. "You wandered into my office in the middle of the night just a few days, maybe a week, ago. You thought I was your father and panicked when you realized I wasn't. I had to escort you back to bed and you collapsed in the hall."       Eilonwy stared at him with wide eyes, shocked that her nightmare wasn't just confined to her dreams. Her face flushed and her fingers tingled and she wanted nothing more than to just disappear. "Oh, well I-I'm sorry, then..." she finally replied quietly, voice hoarse.       Peter shook his head. "Don't worry about it. I was kind of an ass about it at the time. I just want to make sure you're alright" he said. He extended a hand to rest it upon her shoulder but she jerked away before his fingers could graze her skin. A nervous chuckle escaped her lips.       "I-I better get some rest. I'll see you in the morning, your majesty. Goodnight" she muttered then quickly turned on her heels and sped into her room. Peter watched her disappear with concern but before he could say anything of it, Susan emerged from Lucy's bedroom and slowly shut the door.       "Everything alright in there?" Peter asked. Susan nodded.       "I think the hot chocolate really helped ease her nerves. She passed out almost immediately" she explained. The door to Eilonwy's chamber quickly shut, causing Susan to peer toward it curiously. "Everything alright out here?"       "I suppose" Peter replied flippantly. Susan called his bluff immediately. "I'm just worried about Eilonwy. I think she's been having a difficult time adjusting, as well."       "Really? She seems so cool and collected" Susan replied. Peter shook his head.       "There are some things about her that she doesn't really talk about that would make being at Cair Paravel far more difficult than you might expect" Peter said, but then brushed off the subject. "I don't want to talk about it now, though. It's conversation for another time."       "Oh, okay..." Susan replied. She didn't want to press Peter for information but his words sparked a great deal of interest in her. Perhaps it would explain much of Eilonwy's strange behavior and shifting moods, trademark aspects since they first met that night in the woods.       "So, what about that Nefyn girl Ed was hanging around with? What's with her?" Peter asked as he escorted Susan to her chambers.       "I don't quite know. All I know is that she's Aesop's daughter and they seemed to be getting along swimmingly by the time Lucy and I got down there" Susan explained.       "She's Aesop's apprentice, right? Great doctor he is. Can't even cure a little girl's insomnia" Peter scoffed. Susan paused and jerked Peter back by the hand.       "That's the thing, though. I found out why Lucy hasn't been sleeping. It's not because the potions aren't working. It's because she misses Puppy!" Susan explained excitedly. Peter could tell she was pleased to have finally cracked the code.       "You mean that toy dog Dad got her as a kid?" Peter asked.       Susan nodded. "Think about it, Pete: she's hardly slept without it since birth. No wonder she hasn't been able to sleep since we got here. She left him behind at the professor's, never having expected for us to move and make a life here. Now that we have, she knows she certainly can't go back to get him or else we may never come back at all" she explained, her voice rising in excitement the further she explained.       "Alright, so it's like we're damned if we do and damned if we don't. So what do we do?" Peter asked.       "I have an idea" a voice then spoke from the void. Peter and Susan whipped around to find Edmund standing in the light filtering from his doorway, wide awake.       "I thought I told you to go to bed!" Susan exclaimed. Edmund wrinkled his nose at her.       "Well it's kind of hard to sleep with you two babbling right outside my door" he snapped back.       "Lucy seems to be doing a fine job at it" Peter jested, cocking his head toward the youngest Pevensie's door.       "Alright, well do you want to hear my idea or not? It's for Lucy" Edmund replied. Peter and Susan sighed but urged him to proceed anyway. Edmund always did have a knack for solving problems and this was no exception.      "Maybe we should make her a replacement. You know, to fill the void." The eldest two paused for a moment to consider his suggestion. It seemed to make a lot of sense, at least. It was just a question of whether Lucy would approve. "We could surprise her" Susan added. The two boys nodded in agreement, imagining the look of sheer delight on Lucy's face when presented with a brand new plush of pure Narnian craftsmanship. "I guess now there's just one thing left to do" Peter replied. "Find someone to commission." ~o~ "This is impossible" Susan groaned, burying her face in her hands. "It's been an entire week and I swear there is not one toymaker in the entire country who knows how to make a plush animal." Peter sunk into the large armchair in the corner of his office. "Well, maybe she'd be fine with a wooden toy. She likes those, doesn't she?" the High King offered. His words seemed hopeful but his tone proved halfhearted. He already knew the answer. "She does, but that doesn't mean she's going to want to cuddle one late at night" Edmund offered. Peter sighed and ran his hands through his hair in frustration. Another groan erupted from Susan. "I'd offer to do it but the only sewing I can manage is mending holes" Eilonwy added. Not that I do a very decent job of even that, she thought to herself, eyes downcast toward the smattering of tears near the hem of her dress. It wasn't her fault every one she stitched up just broke open time and time again. "What about outside the country?" Susan asked. "There has to be a toymaker in Archenland who can craft plushes." "But what about the shipment fees?" Edmund replied. While his brother had been struggling to grasp much of the necessary concepts for kingship, Edmund picked up on the role of international finances and the like as if he was born with the knowledge. It was all very simple: anything imported automatically had a shipment fee attached for the delivery and handling. At least if it was Narnian-made, they wouldn't have to travel across borders to receive it. Peter and Susan unanimously groaned and sighed once more. "Well, we can't give up. Lucy needs this. Lucy needs us" Peter iterated. The others understood completely. There was no way they could disappoint the valiant queen. After all, she had been the backbone of their entire journey. None of them would be here if it weren't for her. This was the least they could do. She deserved it. "Ed, gather up the gryphons again. Send them out to patrol again in search of any toymakers we might've missed" Peter finally ordered. Edmund nodded and exited the room. "I better go check on Lucy. By now she's probably made herself sick with sleeplessness" Susan replied. She shot the High King a hopeless gaze before sneaking out behind her younger brother, leaving Peter alone with the huntress. The pair stood there in tense silence for a few unending moments, the longest they had been alone together since the night nobody slept. Eilonwy's eyes darted toward the doorway repeatedly, contemplating whether she should just slip out or actually say something. Finally, Peter broke the silence. "Ugh, why does this have to be so difficult?" he erupted. Eilonwy jumped, startled by the sudden outburst, then recoiled a few paces toward Peter's desk. "I-I wish there was some way I could help. Something I could do" the huntress replied. "Don't worry about it" Peter sighed. He rubbed his face with his hands as if trying to wake himself up, then stood and slowly approached Eilonwy and his desk behind her. "It's not your fault." "I know, but--" she started. "How have you been sleeping?" he interrupted. Eilonwy stammered a moment before shaking her head. "I've been alright. I should be the least of your worries, honestly" she said back. Peter nodded slowly, index finger grazing the pages strewn across his desk. "Listen, Peter, it seems like you've got a lot of work to do here and I don't want to distract you any further. You know where to find me if you need me" she said, awkwardly patting him on the shoulder. She wasn't great with comfort but felt some gesture of the sort was fitting. A soft smile spread across Peter's face as he watched her walk away, then sunk into his office chair and tossed his head back with a desperate sigh.

A light knock at the door stirred Eilonwy conscious from her nightmares, blinking awake from her cocoon of heavy blankets. A fine layer of sweat coated her forehead. "Your highness? It's Miss Hattie" a small voice called from the other side of the door. With a grunt, Eilonwy hoisted herself from her bed and trudged over to the doorway, swinging it open with tired eyes. "Oh! Y-your highness, you look frightful!" Hattie exclaimed, stamping her hooves nervously. Eilonwy simply hummed and motioned for her to enter. "What is it this time, Hattie? Come to 'mend and launder' my dresses again?" Eilonwy asked with great snark. "Actually..." the faun started. "Tumnus requested I perform a brief wellness check, ensure you're doing alright. He's noticed you've seemed rather...lethargic as of late." Lethargic. The term made Eilonwy vastly uncomfortable, although it wasn't completely inaccurate. Rolling her eyes, Eilonwy replied, "Listen, tell Tumnus not to be concerned. I'm fine. If he should worry about anyone, it should be Lucy." Hattie furrowed her brows and cocked her head to the side. "The Valiant Queen? If you don't mind my asking, your highness, what is the trouble with her?" The huntress sighed as she turned to her vanity and sloppily tied her hair back. "She's having trouble sleeping. I don't know, the kings and queen would give you a far better explanation than I ever could. All I really know is that there's this plush puppy she left behind at home-- in her own world-- that she's having trouble sleeping without. The kings and queen have searched far and wide for a toymaker experienced in creating such things but have found no such luck. All the Narnians know how to make are wooden dolls and rocking horses which are all fine and dandy, no doubt, but not exactly the kind of toy one would want to cuddle late into the night" she explained. "Ah, I see..." Hattie replied. By now she had waded around Eilonwy's back and was helping her fasten the buttons up her back. For the first time, somehow Eilonwy didn't seem to mind. Her usual aggravation with such things had apparently disintegrated. For now. Hattie and Eilonwy stood there in silence for a short while, the huntress running her fingers over the clutter on her vanity while Hattie worked nimbly at fastening her dress. Eilonwy couldn't help but feel a sense of expectancy, as if Hattie had wished to say more but couldn't untangle the words from within her throat. The huntress's intuition was correct, however, when the faun finally broke the silence. "You know, your highness...I, uh...I know how to knit. If it would so please your majesties, I may...well, I may be able to knit the Valiant Queen a replacement" Hattie offered shyly. The moment the words left her lips, Eilonwy's face lit up. She whipped around with a shriek of joy, taking the faun by the shoulders and grinning wildly. Hattie looked upon her with terror, having never seen the maiden express so much unadulterated joy before. "Oh, would you?! Could you?!" Eilonwy shouted with glee. Hattie nodded quickly, terrified. Another shriek erupted from the huntress as she embraced Hattie tightly, trapping her in her clutch, before sending her tumbling upon release. "I have to go alert the others. Hattie, you're a dear!" Eilonwy shouted, barrelling out of the room and down the hallway. She could only imagine the looks of pure relief and joy her news would bring to the kings' and queen's faces. 

Moonlight illuminated the servant's courtyard as Hattie dilligently worked her knitting needles. It was one of those warm spring nights when the air smells fresh and dew coats the grass and there's not a cloud in the sky. Vegetables were just beginning to sprout in the garden surrounding as fresh, juicy fruits formed on tree branches. A tangle of canary yellow and gold yarn sat upon the table like a mess of spaghetti, strands spooled inward by nimble needles. Hattie was so focused on her work that she scarcely heard the kitchen's backdoor swing open and a disheveled Tumnus stumble into the moonlight. "Hattie!" he exclaimed, not expecting to find company. "W-w-what are you, uh, doing out here?" Hattie's eyes widened and her face blushed as she turned to face her supervisor. "Just getting some fresh air, is all!" she quickly replied. She huffed a lock of hair off her forehead and grinned nervously. Suspicious eyes glanced from the maid to the yarn on the table and back. "What's all that?" Tumnus asked, pointing to her mess. "Oh, this? This is just a project I'm working on. A little knitting never hurt anyone, eh?" she said. Tumnus still wasn't totally convinced she wasn't up to something but at this late hour, he was far too tired to care. With a sigh, he slumped into a nearby chair and let his limbs hang as if he was a puddle of a man. "While you're at it, Hattie, you ought to knit me a gigantic, fluffy blanket because I need a nap" Tumnus sighed. Hattie could tell he was terribly tired: his face was paler than she remembered, there were bags under his eyes, and his hair looked like it hadn't been brushed in a month. Not that his hair was ever really all that neat to begin with, messy hair being a species trademark for fauns in general, but Tumnus's hair had currently reached the point to where it looked like he had a giant burr growing from his head. "Exhausting job, I assume?" Hattie inquired. Tumnus nodded. "Well, Tumnus, I would knit you a blanket if I could but I'm horribly busy at the moment. I'm working on a project for the queen herself." "Queen Susan?" Tumnus asked. Susan seemed, to him, like the most plausible option though even he wasn't sure of his own assumption. Hattie shook her head. "The Valiant" she simply stated. Tumnus's eyes widened. "Little Lucy?" he asked. Hattie nodded, eyes locked on her work. "Lady Eilonwy confided in me of a certain dilemma her majesty was struggling with and I offered to help. Apparently Queen Lucy has been unable to sleep due to the loss of a cherished toy left behind in her own world. When I heard of her majesty's affliction, and the kings and queen's struggle to find a toymaker gifted in crafting plushes, I decided the least I could do was help, so that's what I'm doing now" Hattie explained. Tumnus leaned forward onto the table, eyes wide, and huffed in exasperation. "I suppose I have been rather busy..." he muttered to himself. A wave of guilt washed over him, having never even noticed Lucy's troubles. He was so preoccupied with directing servants here and there that the kings and queens weren't exactly his prime focus. But now Lucy, the little girl from a strange world who had caused such a change in his life, was ill and he had had no idea. Not only did he feel like a terrible advisor but he felt like an even worse friend. "How long has this been going on?" was all he could manage to ask. Hattie shook her head. "I'm not sure. Lady Eilonwy said nothing of it. By her utter relief at my offer, though, I can assume quite a while." Tumnus sighed and buried his face in his hands. He could just picture her sitting up in bed, face pale and eyes dark, dozing off only to snap back awake again. He hated to think of Lucy trapped in such an endless, unpleasant cycle. As he sat there imagining it, though, the scene suddenly changed. Rather than her bed in Cair Paravel, she was sitting in a chair in his own home. A fire crackled beside her as her teacup tipped and spilled across the carpet. Fauns danced in the flames. An epiphany. Hattie shrieked with surprise as her supervisor leapt from his chair and screamed, "I've got it!" There was a sudden madness in his eyes-- or was it brilliance?-- that, quite frankly, scared the young maid. She peered up at the faun curiously as she awaited an elaboration. Tumnus jolted closer, grasping Hattie's hands in his, and grinned. "Hattie, dear, I have the most wonderful idea. You must let me help you. I can save Queen Lucy from her troubles." 

"This is splendid, Hattie! I guarantee Lu will love it" Susan gushed, turning the finished toy over in her hands. Gold flecks in the yarn glinted in the sunlight, a bushy mane framing a familiar face. Susan ran her fingers down his back, memories of the real Aslan sparking in her brain. "There has to be some way we can repay you" Edmund replied. Peter nodded from his desk, glancing from the young faun to his brother and back. "Oh, that's really not necessary. It was no trouble at all. Anything for a queen of Narnia" Hattie replied softly, eyes downcast. She had never had a private meeting with the kings and queens before and though they were perfectly lovely people, she still couldn't help but feel nervous. After all, they were like local celebrities. Eilonwy patted the faun on the back and grinned widely. "So, did I deliver or did I deliver? Aren't you glad I got involved here?" she asked proudly. Susan rolled her eyes and held the plush close to her chest. Peter shook his head with an airy laugh. "Thank you, Eilonwy, for having recruited Hattie for doing such a wonderful thing" Peter stated as he stood and approached the two. He met them with a smile, placing a hand on each of their shoulders. A slight blush fell across both their cheeks, one of affection and the other of anxiety. "I guess we ought to go present this to Lu now. There's really no use in waiting any longer" Susan stated. She rose from her seat and glided toward the doorway, glancing to Tumnus standing behind the maid. "Have you got your flute, Tumnus?" The faun smiled and held it up excitedly. Susan nodded in approval. "Alright then. Let's get to it." The congregation barrelled down the hallway together, Peter at the lead, toward Lucy's bedroom. The door was just barely creaked open but from inside, they could hear the low drone of Aesop's voice interrogating the young queen about her affliction. "Mind if we intrude a moment?" Peter asked with a knock on the door. Aesop grumbled and motioned for them to enter. "How are you feeling, Lu?" the High King asked, rushing to his baby sister's bedside. She smiled tiredly and shook her head. "I feel awful, Peter. I'm so upset" she said back. "Why are you upset?" Edmund asked, standing at the foot of her bed. "Because I've caused so much trouble! I've been a horrible queen. I haven't helped with anything. I can't help rule a country, I can't eat, I can't sleep. I can't seem to do anything!" Lucy explained. She drew her knees up to her chest and sighed, shoulders drooping and face pale. "Lu, please don't be upset with yourself" Susan begged, taking her baby sister's hand in hers. "We never expected you to adjust overnight. Even we are still having trouble getting used to all this. We may have a lot of responsibilities but our number one priority right now is taking care of you." The valiant smiled softly, so grateful to have such wonderful family that cared for her as much as they did. "Well, thank you all so much. I don't know if I'll ever sleep again but it makes me feel better knowing how much you all care." "And while we're on the subject of you sleeping, I think we might have found something that could help" Peter announced. He rose from his place beside Lucy and ushered Hattie and Tumnus forward, both hiding their gifts behind their backs. Lucy looked to the maid with confusion but gazed upon Tumnus with nothing but sheer happiness. "Hello, Lucy Pevensie" he greeted her softly. "Tumnus!" she shrieked with joy. "What have you been doing? It's like I haven't seen you in ages!" "I'm so sorry, Lucy. It seems that in all the hustle and bustle of running the castle, I've forgotten to pay any mind to you. But I hope to help you feel better, if you'll let me. We both do..." he said, glancing to Hattie. Lucy turned her gaze to the female faun, cocking her head to the side. "G-Good afternoon, your majesty. It's a pleasure to meet you. I'm Hattie, one of the maidservants. Eilonwy told me of your troubles and--and I offered to help in the best way that I could think of. So, um, I know this might not be perfect b-but I hope it'll manage alright...unless you don't like it then that's perfectly fine, too! But, anyways, uh....here you are, your majesty" Hattie stammered until finally she pulled the plush from behind her back, presenting it with shaking hands. Lucy's eyes lit up at the sight of it, a little knit lion who reminded her so much of such a close friend. "It's an Aslan!" she gasped, pulling the lion close and hugging it tightly. Everything about it made her heart sing, especially the fact that her siblings and friends would go to such trouble to make her happy. "Thank you so much! I'll name him Aslan the Second and I promise, I'll love him forever!" she exclaimed. A massive grin spread across Hattie's face, cheeks turning bright red. She giggled softly and dug her hooves into the floor, shyly, muttering a soft, "You're very welcome" before backing away so Tumnus could step forward and present his own gift. "When Hattie told me of your troubles, I honestly panicked. I felt terrible for having had no idea that you were so troubled. You're a very dear friend to me, Lucy Pevensie, and I don't ever wish anything horrible upon you. But when I heard of your sleeplessness, it reminded me of something. Do you remember the very first time we met?" Tumnus said. Lucy nodded. "I realized that the day we met and you came to my house for tea, I put you to sleep with my flute and I figured, well, if it worked then, then perhaps it will work now, as well." "Oh, a lullaby!" Lucy exclaimed. The faun nodded, revealing the pan flute from behind his back and raising it to his lips. From the moment he played the very first note, the vibe of the entire room instantly shifted. What once was occupied by a tense frustration was immediately replaced by a resounding calm, a weighty tranquility like the kind you feel when you slide into a giant, warm bath. The tune Tumnus played was unlike anything the other Pevensies had ever heard before. It was equally haunting and alluring, coating their bodies in a welcome lethargy. Soon Lucy's eyelids began to droop and she slid into the embrace of her many pillows. Aesop raised a brow as he watched, displeased that this of all things was actually working. Nefyn, however, was completely entranced, standing by her father's side pausing in her organization of varying medicine bottles. The young centaurette had never seen anything quite like this-- granted, she had never really associated with fauns before and therefore knew little of their culture. More than anything, though, Nefyn was pleased to see the young queen finally gaining relief. Her father shot her a glare and motioned for her to exit the premises with him, to which she dutifully obeyed, wheeling a cart of glass bottles and bundled herbs out with her. The more Tumnus played, the sleepier everyone else found themselves becoming, as well. The faun glanced over his shoulder to Hattie and motioned for her to escort everyone else out of the room and to their chambers, expecting them to endure a long but pleasant nap, as well. Hattie nodded once in agreement, guiding everyone through the door and into the hallway. Edmund muttered something inaudible as he fought to keep his eyes open, nearly walking into the wall as he trudged off to his bed. Even in sleep, Susan glided gracefully toward her own room as if she was mist upon a lake on an early winter morn. As they traversed further down the hallway, however, Eilonwy proved to be the most inappropriate of them all. She stumbled over her own two feet and swayed two and fro, mumbling nonsense and overall making a mess of herself. And then she swayed too far to the right and bumped into Peter, who was just in the middle of a yawn, but Eilonwy didn't swerve away. Instead, she sighed softly and proceeded to rest her head on his shoulder. Peter released a quiet gasp at the motion but by now was far too tired to care. Instead he simply wrapped an arm around her shoulder and patted it nicely before Hattie stopped them at the end of the hall. A knowing smile touched her lips as she guided them to their own rooms, restraining her laughter at how adorable they both were. Eilonwy fell face first into her bed, limbs hanging over the edge. Hattie didn't dare move her. She whispered a quiet "goodnight" before blowing out the candle and entrenching the young maiden in absolute darkness.

"Come on, Lu, you're going to miss them!" Susan shouted up the staircase. Lucy took one last glance at herself in the mirror, fixing her crown upon her head, before darting out of her bedroom. Edmund barrelled past her, nearly knocking her to her feet, to which the valiant queen huffed and narrowed her eyes but she'd get back at him later. Now was not the time to start an argument. Oreius stamped his feet as he helped load Aesop and Nefyn's luggage onto their ship. It was much smaller than the Pevensie's Splendor Hyaline but it was more than enough room for the two centaurs, a small crew, and all their supplies. "Thank you, again, for everything you've done" Susan replied kindly, extending a hand for a shake. Aesop eyed it a moment, confused as to what she expected him to do with it. Apparently handshakes still weren't really a common thing in Narnia. "Not that anything I tried helped" Aesop replied sourly. Susan lowered her hand slowly, unsure if she should be offended or not. Seeing the uncertainty on the queen's face, however, Nefyn quickly jumped in at her father's defense. "What I believe my father meant was that we were glad to be of service to you, your majesties, and we're happy to see Queen Lucy is well again" the centaurette said. Just then, Edmund skidded to a halt beside his brother and sister on the dock, face red and dewy from running. Or at least partially from running. Lucy followed soon after. "Edmund, I've never seen you run so fast for anything that didn't involve food before" Lucy jested with a chuckle. Edmund shot her a quick glare. "I didn't want to miss them leaving!" he replied. Then, turning to Nefyn, he asked, "Do you really have to leave so soon?" "I'm afraid so" she replied. "There's been some sort of infection spreading across Galma that requires our assistance. If we don't leave soon, far too many people could die." Aesop nodded gravely. "Which is why we cannot waste any more time with goodbyes" he added. Nefyn cringed at her father's blunt delivery. "Well, when do you think I'll see you again?" Edmund asked. Nefyn shrugged and sadly smiled back at him. "I cannot say, but I can hope that one day the stars shall align and we shall see each other again." She placed a tender hand on his shoulder and bowed before him, brief but meaningful, before following her father onto the ship. "You're certainly welcome to visit us in Narnia whenever you wish" Peter said, nodding and watching them board. Lucy sidled up to Peter, shifting her weight from one foot to the other uncomfortably, before tugging at the hem of Peter's tunic. "What is it, Lu?" "Don't you think we ought to go with them?" she asked quietly. Susan, overhearing, turned to her sister in confusion. "What for?" "Well," Lucy began, "If there's some sort of sickness on Galma, and I have my cordial, don't you think it's my duty to help them? I'd hate to see so many people die when I have a cure right at my hip." Peter glanced from Lucy to the ship and back with a sigh. He could see Lucy's point but at the same time, he knew nothing of this infection or it's severity. The last thing he wanted was to put his own family in danger by venturing to a country riddled with disease. "Listen, Lu, we'll talk about it later, alright?" he finally said. Lucy furrowed her brows and pursed her lips in displeasure but again, this was not the time to argue. Aesop and Nefyn stood upon the deck of their ship, waving goodbye as one of their crew raised the anchor and the captain directed the boat east. Something heavy weighed on Edmund's chest watching them depart, a great yearning he had only ever felt twice before. He knew there was nothing he could do, however, and forced himself to make do with the situation at hand. After all, "goodbye" didn't mean "goodbye forever." He'd see Nefyn again someday...hopefully. With shoulders drooped, he watched Nefyn wave goodbye from the stern as they grew closer to the horizon, the hint of a sly smile across her face. Edmund shoved his hands into his trouser pockets in defeat only to find something strange and unfamiliar tangle in his fingers. He pulled it out carefully, turning it over in his hands. "What's that?" Lucy asked, peering over to sneak a peek. "I-I don't know..." Edmund murmured. He swore the thing hadn't been in his pocket earlier. "Looks like a friendship bracelet" Eilonwy added. "Common centaur practice. Tokens of friendship, affection, and gratitude." Suddenly it all made sense. Edmund looked up from the bracelet, the little strip of green and gray woven cloth, to the ship as it disappeared on the horizon. Nefyn. "That little sneak..." Edmund whispered to himself, chuckling softly. He turned his attention back to the bracelet, smiling down at it as he tried to fasten it to his wrist. Lucy glanced from Edmund to the ship and back, suddenly comprehending what was happening. Her eyes illuminated at the realization and, without filter, she shrieked happily, "You do like her!"

[suckitsurveys]

Lot’s of long answers in this one sorry not sorry.

1. Do you like zombie movies? Nah, I’m not into the whole zombie thing. <--Same. I do like Zombieland though.

2. What’s the grossest/worst thing you’ve ever seen in a public restroom? Used condoms. 

3. What’s the most wasteful thing you regularly do? I use a lot of paper towels.

4. What’s the most difficult apology you’ve ever had to give? I’m not sure. 

5. What’s the worst relationship advice you’ve ever seen? I HATE the whole “fighting is healthy” mentality. Yes, bickering is fine, but if you’re fighting all the time, that is not a healthy relationship AT ALL. If your partner is screaming and yelling you on a regular basis, that is borderline emotional abuse. 

6. Have you ever volunteered in a hospital? If not, would you ever want to? I haven’t. And definitely not, I hate hospitals. 

7. What was your worst Halloween costume? All of my costumes have been pretty awesome. I was Lucy from Lucy, Daughter of the Devil one year and no one got it, but I still had fun with it.

8. Who has/had the worst reputation in your graduating class? Eh. 

9. When was the first time you can remember feeling mature? I’ll let you know when that happens. 

10. Have you ever had a disappointing Christmas, or any disappointing holiday if you don’t celebrate Christmas? Yeah. It’s kinda hard to talk about, but about 7 years ago my mother accidentally took her meds twice in the morning and she was completely out of it while opening presents. I got her a really nice chalkboard that she had wanted and she opened it and literally looked at it, said nothing, and put it down to open the next present, pretty much repeating what she did with mine. And when she did say stuff she was very incoherent. It was one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to watch. 

11. Do you have any character bandaids in your house right now, or just plain ones? There are some Batman ones that were mine at my dad’s still. 

12. Have you ever had to give a pet away? Yes. My ex gave me a kitten like 2 weeks before we broke up. The cat was also born to a wild cat that his friends fed but didn’t house, so the cat was, well, wild. He would scratch and bite me in my sleep and probably had worms. And I was too depressed after being dumped to deal with the kitten and I felt SO horrible but I had to give him to a shelter. I really hope that kitty has a good home now. 

13. What’s the junkiest junk food you’ve ever eaten? Oh man, I don’t know. Probably like loaded cheese fries or something. Or a fried Oreo. 

14. Did you play pretend a lot as a child? Were there any recurring plots or themes? Yeah, I pretended a lotttttt. One of the biggest things I did was make cars in my dining room by setting up our chairs. I’d pretend to go on road trips with my dolls. 

15. How do you feel about runny egg yolks? I’m not a huge fan but I don’t mind them. I’d rather them be firm.

16. Has a teacher ever tried to teach you something that was undeniably wrong? Yeah, my 7th grade math teacher was a JOKE. 

17. If for some reason you had to give up one of your hobbies, which would you choose? Maybe Facebook? 

18. Have you ever hidden a relationship from your family? I’ve definitely been in some online ones that I didn’t tell them about. 

19. How much do you know about first aid? Not very much oops. 

20. Which of your relatives do you know the least about? Hmm. Good question. The magic of Facebook has changed this dynamic recently. I used to not know anything about some of my second cousins but I have a lot of them on FB now, so I know at least a little about them. Maybe some of the family I have in TN?

21. Have you ever meditated? If so, did it do anything for you? Yeah. It was nice I guess? I supposed I do my own forms of meditating now, like relaxing in the tub or enjoying being outside. 

22. Have you ever given advice to someone who was much older than you? Yeah.

23. Have you ever used a view-master? Yeah!

24. Do you ever listen to talk radio or podcasts? If you do, what are some of your favorite shows? Sometimes I’ll listen to NPR, and my favorite segments on that station are Wait Wait Don’t Tell Me and This American Life. 

25. When was the last time you got ice cream from a truck? Oh it’s been a while. I’m hoping I can catch one this summer with my niece because she’d love that. We’ve gotten ice cream from one of those bicycle cooler things before and she thought it was so neat. 

26. Are any of your favorite bands broken up or on hiatus right now? I don’t pay attention to that, haha. I do know Die Antwoord is going to break up at the end of the year or already did or something. Like I said, I have no idea about those things. 

27. Do you know any sex workers? If so, how do they feel about their job? I did. She seemed to enjoy it. 

28. What’s the biggest art project you’ve ever attempted? How did it go? Hmm. I can’t think of anything. Maybe my architecture final? That I did pass. 

29. What kind of wild animals do you see most frequently where you live? Squirrels, birds, bunnies, raccoons, and unfortunately skunks. 

30. Have you ever cooked anything other than s’mores over a fire? Yeah, we’ve cooked potatoes and corn in a fire before. And also hot dogs. Oh and beans one time too. 

31. Are there any items in your house that you use for something other than its intended purpose? Hmm. Mark’s night stand is currently a storage box. 

32. What do you hope the afterlife is like? I don’t know if I believe in that or not. 

33. What’s the worst behavior you’ve ever seen from a child? One of the kids at the daycare my sister owns used to communicate displeasure well into his toddler years by SCREAMING and refusing to move. Like would stiffen up and just scream. He was a terror and my sister could not get him adjusted no matter what she tried, and the parents didn’t want to listen either. 

34. Have you ever planned an act of revenge? Maybe little things as a kid. Like one time I was hanging out with my sister when I was about 9 or 10 and she was 18 ish, and then all of a sudden her boyfriend came over and they deserted me. They ordered Chinese food for just them and while they were upstairs, I poured an insane amount of garlic powder in it. But the joke ended up being on me because my sister then offered the leftovers to me. Haha. 

35. Do you and your parents share any of the same hobbies? I mean, we enjoy doing things together, definitely. My dad and I go to Cubs games and watch movies and go out to eat together a lot. He also likes going on trips and so do I. But he’s definitely a lot more interested in music than I am. And golfing. When my mom was alive we enjoyed shopping together, and she liked trips and movies as well. She also collected antiques, which isn’t something I’m super interested in, but I do appreciate them. 

36. Do you think it’s more exciting or scary to get older? Both. 

37. How was the reception of the last wedding you attended? My sister’s wedding was basically one big reception in my dad’s backyard. It was SUPER laid back; there was a small ceremony and then afterwords we had a taco bar and my sister grilled the steak herself in her wedding dress. I loved that part haha. We also had my dad’s friend’s band play and my dad also got up and played a few songs on his guitar as well. Everyone just danced and laughed and had a really great time. It was really fun, despite who she was marrying, haha. 

38. Do you have any physical photo albums? There are a TON at my dad’s house. 

39. Would you feel comfortable working at a sex shop? Eh. 

40. Who was the worst friend you ever had? Aside from lil pre-teen jackasses in middle school, my ex friend Jessica. She was SO into herself she never asked me how I was doing and she thought she was a really good signer and definitely wasn’t. She also pulled some bullshit when my ex and his best friend tried to break Mark and I up early in our relationship. Long story short, when I told her what happened she was like “I’m not going to take sides” (my ex’s best friend was her bf’s brother). UM that situation was definitely something you should take sides in, especially when it happened to your supposed best friend. I stopped talking to her that day. 

41. What’s the biggest sacrifice you’ve ever made? Staying at home longer than I wanted to. I did it so my dad wouldn’t be lonely. I was on track to moving out when my mother passed away and then I felt like I needed to/wanted to stay with him and it ended up being a few more years before I moved out on my own (with Mark).

42. Have you ever campaigned for a political candidate, or otherwise played an active roll in an election? Eh. 

43. What’s the coolest hand-me-down you’ve ever gotten? What about the best one you’ve ever given? Oh man I cannot think right now. I’m sure there have been a few things I’ve given my niece. The only thing I can think of right now is my Barbie collection, even though they are still at my dads and she only plays with them there. They will eventually become hers fully though. OH! The coolest hand-me-down I ever got was my sister’s old room in our parent’s home when she moved out. It was painted blue top to bottom and had a KILLER walk in closet. 

44. Do your parents and grandparents get along with each other? My dad’s mother is my only living grandparent and they bicker A LOT. I think he might harbor some of the same resentment I do against her for treating my mother so horrible when she was alive. And that he’s on his way to retirement but now has to take care of her. And now on his own since I moved out, which I feel super guilty about but that’s a story for another day. This survey is over and I need to sleep.