#He would make Jesse sit still for him to maim for an hour before he's ready to talk

[spoopieere]

[PLEASE click 4 better quality, Tumblr fucked me up so bad omg]

"Bled dry"

(uhhhh vent art, i think. Tbh I should make simpler stuff in the future, takes way less time. Also i love eye strain woohoo :3)

[pbandjesse]

The event I'm working tonight is winding down with an auction. It's been a pretty nice night. I am looking forward to going home though. I'm tired. I know it's because I'm not sleeping well. I am just really tired and I just wish I could get a full night's sleep.

Some of the issue is the air is so dry. I would pick up a little humidifier today to hopefully help. But I woke up a ton last night just because the inside of my nose was so solidly scabbed and painful. Sucks.

I was at least able to sleep until 9 this morning. When I woke up I was not in the best place mentally. I tried to shake it off but I just felt gross. I made the bed and took a shower and tried to be in a better mood. It sort of worked. Just the convincing of myself.

I got dressed and went downstairs to have breakfast. James left me an egg sandwich and I also cut up an apple and had that with peanut butter. Sweetp was yelling at the backdoor so I let him out but I warned him it was going to be chilly and windy. And he would come back in pretty quickly. Silly.

I worked at my desk for an hour and a half. Just sewing frog legs. I got three color ways sewn and flipped. They still need to be stuffed but I was really happy with the work I did.

Sweetp is funny when I sew. He will sit up against my foot that's on the peddle. He'll bite my ankle. He is just all in my business. I was afraid I was going to squish his tail or foot with my chair because it's rocking. But so far I have not but it still makes me nervous!

I would go upstairs to lay in bed for an hour. I disassembled a charm necklace. And just watched some videos and chilled.

I would do my makeup and got dressed with layers. I really liked my outfit. I didn't plan to wear boots but I am glad I did. I need to put in my sheep skin insoles for extra comfort ASAP. But they were good for now.

I left the house around 1230. And went to Southside diner for lunch. Which was nice. I watched my little videos and ate my food.

I thankfully have not been as quick to nausea but I also am just anxious. I don't know if I am feeling my baby or if it's just pressure cramps in my belly. And like I hope I'm feeling them but I truly don't know. Which then makes my brain try to protect my heart and I just keep going. Well maybe I'm not pregnant anymore. I don't know what's going on in there. I have no evidence good or bad. And I don't know why I feel so worried. But also I am trying to just feel normal. 11 days until my next appointment.

I walked around five below. Got candy and chopsticks. I am missing a bunch of my chopsticks that I keep strategically around the house. So I got replacements. And a sanrio keychain. And that little humidifier I brought up before. It is hello kitty shaped.

And then I was at the museum. I was happy to sit with James for a bit. I got to chat with Paula about the confusion with my pay and she said I'm getting business cards! I got lots of laughs about my home made events name tag and they said they were going to order me a new one too. Feels nice to feel a part of the team.

James went to take their break and I would join Jesse on a walkthrough for a bit to answer some print questions. I would chat with Jessica who is almost ready to have her baby! She made me feel a little more secure. I appreciate that she was willing to listen to me and she told me her good things. It was a nice conversation.

The event tonight was a charity for scholarships for kids who's parents were maimed or killed in workplace accidents. And everyone has been really nice. I felt very on top of stuff. Not the av or tech stuff. Which I had to call Jesse to help with. But everything else has been good.

I would run around with catering for a while. Checking in with the event organizers. But mainly I've been at the desk knitting. I got 5 squares done. Very productive. I also had lovely conversations with people. And the catering had the good focaccia and feta spread. So I was very happy.

Things are winding down now though. So I'm going to go help direct clean up. And hopefully we get to go home early.

I hope you all have a nice night and a good day tomorrow. Be safe. Goodnight!!

[alolanrain]

Ash was gone, up and left that Sunday night. Delia knew, she always knew when her son up and left. May it be for a journey or just a simple outing with his friends. What’s strange is that Ash has already been to every Region in the world, there’s nothing left to explore. Plus it was Monday, at ten in the morning no less, and Ash hasn’t shown up to help his mother plant the new flowers he sent her from Galar like Ash had promised the weekend before.

Delia knows her son after all, she’s the one that had to raise Ash mostly all up on her own.

Delia also wasn’t surprised when dead bodies started showing up in the middle of towns and cities, all over the world for every to see. It was quite bloody, in fact, organs on the display for even the youngest babies to see. Nothing was left hidden.

It made it satisfying to her for some reason. Maybe it’s because she knew more than half of the people lying on their back or shoved in a town square water fountain. Or maybe it’s because of the vindictive feeling blooming in her stomach and making Delia smile down into her first cup of Joe in the morning, when she first turned on the current news and at the multitude of giant, or little, ‘R’s stitched into every fabric the corpses were wearing. Always on display.

Instead of whoever was doing this, and she has a pretty good guess who was going out of their way, was working from the near top to all the way down to the bottom. The Admins for Team Rocket were the first to go, all four being placed in their home Region and City or Town center. Stretched or hanged for the people to see, to look upon the traitors of the world and point to them. Scorning their actions as piles and piles of internet doot prints were uploaded everywhere, on what felt like millions of accounts on all kind of apps and forums. No one that was affiliated in any good way with Team Rocket was safe.

Except for two humans, their Pokémon, and a talking Meowth.

Delia woke up at the crack of dawn like she always done, it’s been a habit ever since she opened up her little Deli shop in the middle of Pallet Town. Even though she’s gotten a lot more employees, especially for opening shifts because the older Delia gets the more she finds out how much she loves spending the morning with her Pokémon team since childhood, it’s a hard habit to break.

Leo, her shiny Sylveon, was already walking to the front door with a huff. His silk ribbons wrapping around the door handle while Delia walked up to it with a bit of curiosity and exasperated fondness filling her bones.

“Get in here you three!” Delia laughed. Gently nudging Leo away from the crack with her foot and opening the door up more so that the nervous beings could enter. Her smile was warm and soft as she took in their jump appearance.

“The Twerp said it was okay-“ the purple haired man, James, stuttered our but Delia stopped him.

“If it weren’t for you two, my son would have probably been laying at the bottom of the Primal Current dead and the world destroyed by the three birds and Lugia.” She reached out and pulled them in, kicking the door close with her feet while Delia motioned to Leo to go warm the rest of the tream. “So this home is yours, it’s always been yours since the beginning. Come sit down in the kitchen, I was just about to start breakfast.”

Delia has left them at the table, allowing them to sit in tear jerking silence as she went throug the motion of making breakfast. Delia had, unsurprisingly, no amount of anger towards them and what they’ve done in the past to her son. No, Her anger is directed at the head Honcho of the evil gang that’s been gripping Kanto and Johto long before she was even born.

Delia didn’t say anything, as she left the trio to their thoughts and very full dinner plates and extra in the kitchen, when she found an old tombstone broken and torn to shreds. But marks and cursed purple magic danced a little as she poked the broken cement with a nearby stick. Delia didn’t need to know who, or what Pokémon, went after it. She should have given Ash her team before letting him leave. They really need to get rid of their decades long anger and finally destress after all this.

She chose to ignore the muffled sobbing’s drifting from the kitchen window in favor of kissing Sunny, her beloved shiny Arcanine she had all this time since it was a baby Growlith as her second given starter after her first one was stolen, good morning and letting Miss Blue, Delia’s shiny Ninetails and her most pickiest is Pokenon partners, come between them for her own good morning kisses. Her big fluffy blue tinted tails wrapping around her legs and waist in Miss Blues version of a hug.

She didn’t even think about coming back into her house until all her Pokémon family members had gotten their hellos in and were now actively nudging her back towards the sliding glass door because it was breakfast time and they were hungry.

Soon enough, things changed.

Jessie, or Now just Jess, no longer wears tight fitting clothes and spending hours on end putting her hair up in that ridiculous hair swoop. Delia was proud of how fast she had regained her footing, and just how much faster she and Delia’s Houndoom, Soul, and her Togatic, Spots, has gotten along swimmingly. Jess now joins her for the rare jog-run she does on a few country dirt roads when Delia was feeling up to it. Delia also didn’t question it when an Arbol and a Weezing of all things showed up on her porch the next morning on the following Tuesday.

It also was the first day everyone had singly mindingly read the threat clear: Team Rocket will not survive, their rain is ending now and here. Blood shall run for the innocent who colored the streets by their hands. 

Delia has openly chuckled to herself when her guests were still asleep upstairs in Ash’s old redecorated bedroom. Her cold vicious sneer glared back at herself on the TV reflective screen as she watched the camera pan over Ariana’s cold blood drained body that was hanging off a weird metal sculpture that was in the middle of a Town Square in Johto. Silver had sent her a YouMon link that sent Delia to a video titled “The Witch Is Dead.”

Her laughter was louder and had woken up her guests, Delia made breakfast once more while shooing James our do the kitchen multiple times. Brandishing a spatula the entire time.

James took a little more time, it wasn’t until Tracey came around to study and practice her drawing skill on Delia’s Pokémon and spotted James did his healing transformation started. The poor young man was pulled on by a stubborn Tracey through Oalleg Town and to the Professors Ranch, to then for Tracey to to show James how to use an old polaroid camera and a mission to go talk to a few of Ash’s more friendly Pokémon.

Meowth has been inducted that following Wednesday, when the mutilated bodies of Team Rocket’s loads upon loads of scientist were scattered all over the world, by Gary’s sweet Umbreon. The poor cat Pokémon was picked up by the scruff and was bodily dragged to the ranch with Tracey and James following behind it. Tracey giving suggestions and some smalll pointers to James on how to work his new camera. Meowth was surprisingly greeted with open arms by Ash’s Pokémon, none held too much anger for the cat Pokémon since Ash had expressed time and time again of the trios predicament to them. Meowth has never cried so much in his lifetime, and this is including the moment when his mother had left him on the streets to fend for himself at three weeks old.

Delia has used her money, or just barely a fraction of what Ash sends her every month because he doesn’t know what to do with the money the League gives him besides give it to charity and spending it on his travels, to buy the house next door to her. Not the Oaks house down the road to her left, even when it’s barely used anymore and it’s mostly now just an extra house for Delia to house her sons guests in, no. She bought the one a little less down to her right. It was a two story house with just a smaller yard then Delia’s, though it didn’t stop her from smashing down the wooden fence and expanding her garden into their new backyard for James and Jess to join her getting dirty. It was perfect for them and Meowth, along with their plenty of Pokémon who happily greet her every morning just like her own team.

The following Thursday, over more than half a million Team Rocket members that were spread all over in the upper part of many governments and big name brands were killed or seriously maimed and disfigured in that short amount of time had sent Delia reeling back in over flowing motherly pride and love, Champion Lance and Orange Isles Elite Four Drake had shown up in her door. She had just finished teaching both James and Jessie how to properly set up wet clothes that needed to be hung outside on a clothesline is read of shoving them in a dryer at their new home that Delia practically forced onto them with some slight added Country Morther love.

She ushered them in, shushing Souls quite snarling and nudging Miss Blue our of the way, while asking why they were hear and they were just in time because Delia was about to make dinner!

Lance, ever her dumbest childhood friend, asked where Ash was. Or more like demanded by going off his tone of voice. Stomping his foot and declaring that Ash needed to come to the castle right this second.

Thankfully Gary was out of town visiting some other relatives of his sweet late mothers. He wouldn’t be to particularly angry if Delia had stayed that the newly minted Professor had taken Ash as a support human. It’s not like she’s technically wrong, Delia did know for a fact Ash was the one that’s going to pick Gary up on the incoming Sunday.

She had forced the two League Members into sitting down for dinner, steak with loaded potatoes and seasoned barbecued Leaks, Melony had sent her those in a special delivery when Rose’s shredded corpse was hanging off the Chairman’s main building in front of the sliding glass doors. The roses underneath the glass in the entry way were replaced with Blue Forget-Me-Nots, It was a subtle hint made towards Mr.Goodshow, something Delia had caught extremely quickly.

The next day Friday, where the first and only kill was made in Alola according the the news, the new Galar Head Chairman was appointed outside of all Galars previous Chairmen’s. Delia actually ment Chairwoman, Miss Chairwoman Myoso was a wonderful women from what she appeared on TV already. Maybe now Leon will have a less hectic schedual. That same morning a delicately made box wrapped in the finest of hand painted silk was delivered to Delia’s porch, she knew who had done it but it also wasn’t her place to voice the silent appreciation gift.

Her kitchen has never sparkled so beautifully in the middle of the day during lunch. And all she has to thank were the little flat glass figures of the island Tapu’s closed shells twirling and swaying, hanging from near her kitchen top window.

Delia never liked Faba to begin with when she had met him, while he and Sycamore were both still in college, all those years ago.

More small trinkets were popping up on her doorstep every morning. All wrapped in very nice clothes and one of them in giant thin leaves. They ranged from very beautiful necklaces, to even a few plants and cups, her favorite so far either had to be the colored glass blown Swampert figuring sitting o top of her new fountain in the middle of her garden. One she hadn’t built at all and knew just who exactly did that. Or the little green house but that popped up that morning as well, the only plant in it was a Kalosian flower that was red, white, and black with small pink crystals gently fused into the pot top thick edge.

She had breakfast with the trio on that Saturday morning, they were on the young adults new back patio when a streak for blazing fire crossed the sky. Flashes of green and purples bluish light soon followed after.

Delia chose to ignore it while the other three started to freak out a little. She let them have a few minutes before bringing them back to their cooking breakfast omelets Jess has made for them.

Later that night the reporter stated that multiple unapproved satellites where brought crashing to the Earth crust. Only stopping mysteriously and there were some very blurred photos of a giant green floating snake like Pokémon and two purple floating blurred next to the head. Delia had finally gone for her first and only scotch for that evening, since a thought about getting any more than half a glass had Mr.Mimey skittering out of a random hallway corner and babbling at her while getting Delia a glass of water and a Tylenol before rushing the woman off to bed. 

Sunday was the end all the river full of blood crashing through the streets.

Sunday was the day when the world woke up the sight of Giovanni’s head spreads onto a pole in Pallet Town Square. Directly in the middle of the giant water fountain and the blood slowly dripping down was making the cascading water turn a light pink color like someone just added food dye.

Sunday morning is when she had her son knocking on her door. With Gary, Daisy and her husband, Tracey, Misty, Brock, Ritchie, Professor Oak standing behind him. The trio, who she had fondly started to call them her kids just like Ash and Gary and the wrest of Ash’s friends, Ahmad let themselves in from the slide back door. Everyone ignored when Umbreon and Pikachu both trotted up and twisted themselves around Meowth, the pile for fur and limbs were purring. Especially since Pikachu had grown to half way between Sunny and Souls height.

Sunday was when Ash and Delia walked for an hour and a half out into an old path in the woods. Only to stop by an old broken down house with moss, vines, and even a few small tress growing inside with rubble all around the place. They were visiting Delia’s home before her parents had died, before she had to move in with Lance and his parents if Delia wanted to stay back in Kanto. Visiting a time before her first starter was stolen from her along with her innocence and late teen years as she struggled to get by while pregnant.

Sunday is the day she was reunited with her first starting, the first time she openly cried in front of her son as Delia felt the oh so familiar feeling of a sandpaper tongue licking her hands and face while a deep purring and mewling echoed around the destructed building. amber slots blown wide stared back into Delia’s own amber eyes, before both their eyes closed and Delia leaned forward to plant a lasting kiss onto her sweet Persians glimmering red gem on its silky furred forehead.

Sunday is the day Delia finally starts to heal from her past.

———————————————————————

Or better yet! Known as the Heaven Or Hell!AU where Delia’s first starter was a Meowth that got stolen by Giovanni when he ditched her later down the road and Ash found out and decided: fuck it, time to snap. Because no one fucks away with his mom if Ash has anything to say about it.

[planetsam]

Your writing is amazing! I was wondering if you could do something malex with a reunion of some kind? Reunions are probably my favorite trope in the world. Lots of angst please!

Isobel invites everyone to her wedding.

“Wedding/calling card,” she says when Michael repeats the triple digit number, “everyone will see what a great event planner I am.”

It makes her happy so it can’t be so bad. Michael lives by the philosophy that his life is not his own anymore. He’s got one hand and a chunk of scrap metal and a half thought of way off the planet. He’s got nothing. The only thing he can do is make Isobel happy. So he puts on the suits she gives him and tamps down on any and all sarcastic remarks he wants to make or jabs at Max. He even sits there while someone at a hair salon makes his hair presentable.

Isobel asks Max to make a speech.

He gets it, he’s on the periphery and it’d be weird. He doesn’t want to make speeches anyway. He’s got no talent for public speaking anymore. People look at his hand and the words get all tangled up. He shrugs off Isobel’s hand in his one misstep and immediately feels bad when her face falls. He assures her it’s fine, he doesn’t care and he doesn’t even drink that much at the rehearsal dinner so they all can look presentable. Even though he’s not part of the family. He knows he’s not part of the family, he also knows they are trying not to rub it in. But it grates on him all the same. He puts it aside. He knows he’s Isobel’s brother and he beams when she makes her way towards the altar and sticks her tongue out at him under her veil. He looks out at the crowd in an effort not to laugh and ruin the photos. Isobel invited everyone.

Isobel invited Alex.

Their eyes catch and everything goes silent. Isobel invited Alex and Michael loses the ability to breathe. That can’t be Alex. His hair is close cropped and his skin is tan. It makes the scar on his forehead stand out. He’s dressed identically to his father and they sit in the exact same way. It’s not Alex, his mind protests. Alex who sits like he doesn’t want to be noticed on anyone else’s terms. Alex who is such a contract to his father. This man can’t be Alex. But when their eyes lock, it is. No one else has eyes like that. Michael thought his greatest issue was going to be not laughing. Now he doesn’t know if he can stay upright. Alex’s mouth parts and his eyes go from hopeful to ashamed to hard and he looks away. Michael can’t. Not until the priest pronounces them married and Noah dips Isobel and he pulls the string that holds the lid on a box of actual doves that fly above them in a single picture perfect truly horrifying moment.

Isobel doesn’t know.

No-one knows, but Isobel especially doesn’t know. Michael wants nothing more to protect her but this is hard. Pictures go by in a blur and then it’s cocktail hour. He has to be with his family, or his not technically but still completely family—and yet the only thing he wants to do is find Alex. No, it’s not a want. Michael needs to find him. But every glance he has it’s two people in that uniform. His father and his brother or brothers. It doesn’t matter, Michael needs to get him alone. Alex seems determined not to let that happen. He’s never alone. He doesn’t even go to the bathroom as far as Michael can tell. He steadfastly ignores him except for a few times that Michael catches his eye and then Alex always looks away. It’s not until dinner, when Isobel’s father starts off the speeches that he sees Alex get up. Michael is determined not to ruin this, but he can’t help himself. He follows.

“Alex,” he says.

Alex stiffens at the sound of his name. Michael slips his hand behind his back as Alex turns around. He’s got more walls up than the last time Michael saw him. But then again why wouldn’t he? He’s in the Air Force now, his life depends on those walls. Michael wishes though that they didn’t apply to him as well. Alex squares his shoulders and jerks his head. Michael nods and Alex walks off. A moment later, Michael follows. He leaves enough distance that there’s a chance they won’t be associated with one another. It’s been years. Though Jesse Manes is back there so maybe it hasn’t been long enough. He follows Alex around several turns until they’re outside in the place where Noah and Isobel got married.

This close, Michael can see the facade’s cracks. Alex hides his misery really well, but it’s harder to hide with the glare of his father. Like he needs the heat of him to be strong. Michael’s heart seems to remember how to feel at that realization. Alex has never needed his father before. He looks at the altar and not at Michael. Michael can only see him in profile. He hasn’t heard Alex’s voice in years. He hasn’t been this close to him in years. Even with the cracks he sees in Alex and the questions he wants to ask about everything that’s happened, the most he wants to do is hear his voice.

“Alex,” he says his name again and Alex turns, finally focusing on him.

“Michael,” he says.

Something in Michael unravels at the sound of his voice and he crosses over to him immediately. Alex meets him part of the way and for the first time in years, Michael doesn’t need morphine to dull the pain. Alex smells different, cleaner somehow or maybe that’s just the kind of soap they use in the Air Force. Michael doesn’t care as he buries his face in Alex’s neck and holds onto him. Alex hangs on in return but he’s stiff for a moment, like he needs to be sure this is real. Michael lets him have it and just keeps holding him until Alex sags into him, all the tension bleeding out as his fingers grip the back of Michael’s suit. It feels so good. It feels like the past few years never happened. Like they could be at this wedding as each other’s dates instead of as strangers who the town forgot.

“God, Alex, I—“

Alex cuts him off by crushing their lips together. Michael is surprised, but only for a moment before he kisses him back. Kissing Alex tastes like home. It always has and Michael pushes into the kiss like he can swallow the feeling whole. Like maybe if they kiss for long enough, they’ll just be a part of one another and the world will have to deal with it. Alex has always been vocal and he’s unusually silent. Michael drags him closer and kisses him harder, but the noise that Alex makes isn’t a groan or a moan. He sobs. He sobs into the kiss and when Michael tries to pull back Alex holds him there and tries to kiss him even fiercer. Michael can’t keep doing it when the salt from Alex’s tears hits his lip and he pulls back, cupping Alex’s face in his hands.

“Alex?”

“I’m deploying,” Alex says, “I’m going to Baghdad.”

“What?” Michael stares at him in horror.

“I know, I know,” Alex says, his voice desperate, “I shouldn’t be but—“

“Fuck that,” Michael cuts him off, not caring what Alex should or shouldn’t be as he kisses him again. He doesn’t care about his tears stopping him either. Alex is flying into war. Alex came to say goodbye. Alex kisses him back and pulls him close, “when?”

“Tomorrow.”

“No,” Michael presses his forehead to Alex and shakes his head, “no.”

“Yes,” Alex says and covers his maimed hand with his own. It hurts like a brand, “I have to go.”

“You don’t,” Michael pleads, hating the sob laugh Alex gives. That’s his Alex, the one they aren’t allowed to have, “you don’t have to go.”

“I do,” Alex says.

Now it’s Michael’s turn to almost sob. They’re standing at the place where his sister got married and Alex is saying I do, but it’s to leaving not to him. They shouldn’t be standing here embracing like this. They should be happy, Alex should be happy. Instead he’s clinging to Michael and they’re powerless to do anything to stop this. He can’t even go in there and attack Jesse. He can’t save Alex from this. He pulls back enough to look at Alex’s heartbroken face. If Alex isn’t here to be saved then what is he here for? Michael presses his lips together, still wet with Alex’s tears and searches his face.

“Why are you here?” He asks, pleads almost and true pain crosses Alex’s face.

“I wanted—I had to see you,” he says, like it’s some pained secret to admit, “if this is the last time—“

“No,” Michael cuts in, refusing to believe that’s even a possibility though he pulls Alex back into his space, “don’t say that.”

“But it might be,” Alex, ever practical whispers, “even if I come back I won’t be the same.”

“We’re never the same,” Michael reminds him roughly, “that doesn’t mean how I feel’s changed. Did it change for you?” Alex shakes his head, “you come back and we’ll figure everything out.”

“I could meet you somewhere,” Alex says, his voice soft and pained and hopeful, “somewhere new.”

Michael forces back the sob.

“I’m not going anywhere,” he says.

Alex buries his face in his neck and Michael clings to him. He’s not, he’ll die in this place if he’s lucky. And if he’s very, very lucky then Alex won’t die halfway around the world. At the moment the only thing they can do is cling to each other and try to memorize this version of who they are. These people they are in this moment will also vanish. Lost to the same place that the kids they were are. But no matter who they become, Michael can’t imagine a world where he doesn’t feel Alex with every beat of his heart. Inside he can hear the faint notes of Isobel and Noah’s first dance. Pain laces through him and he pulls Alex back from the doors he knows they’re about to open and into the shadows of the trees that line the hotel.

He kisses him again, his lips and his cheeks, he kisses every part of him he can. Alex fists his hands in his lapels and ducks his head so he can capture his lips. Michael can hear people starting to come outside and he kisses Alex as hard as he possibly can. Like they can brand each other before he pulls back. They stare at each other in the moonlight and he pulls the handkerchief from his pocket and mops away Alex’s tears. He wishes he could heal like Michael so there would be no evidence, but he does the best he can. Alex closes his hand over the silk and holds his eyes for a long moment before kissing him one last time and pulling away. Michael stands there in horror, watching as Alex steps out and walks off.

The world has never seemed so cruel.

His hands shake as he gropes blindly for the flask and he pours the acetone down his throat. He brought several in case his hand acted up and he downs them all on an empty stomach with no chaser. Max finds him hours later passed out from acetone and Isobel spends years jabbing at him for almost ruining her wedding with his drug problem.

Most of the time, Michael’s just too high to care.

[pbandjesse]

Today was an excellent Christmas Adam. Despite everything it could have been, it was not an unmitigated disaster.

Sleep went alright last night. We got here right at 10. Introducing Sweetp to all the cats was a bit of a nightmare because the dogs escaped the basement before we were ready. But a full 24 hours later everyone has calmed for the most part and Sweetp can hang out without constantly being accosted and frightened by loudness. Despite Sophie and Gracie's best attempts. Molly has been chill for the most part. No one has been maimed.

James woke up early to go biking for 40+ miles. I slept in and woke up at 9. I was a little cold but I still slept okay.

I got up and washed and dressed. I fed Sweetp but when I left the room he wanted to go explore too so I let him out and the dogs came in and ate his breakfast. We would try again later. He spent a lot of the morning running and swatting them, even gently swatting mom. But no one was injured and besides the loudness it was all fine.

I don't know why but I did not eat breakfast. This was dumb. My energy level was all messed up all day. I could feel myself being overly quiet and withdrawn. But I couldn't pull myself out of it.

I still had a nice time sitting with my parents. I was just a little on edge until James came home.

I would go to the store with mom to get dad's prescription. It was the rite aid I had my very first job in so that felt very weird. The only person I recognized was the pretty pharmacist. She is very blonde and short and so I spotted her right away. But we got dad's meds and headed back to the house.

Some little neighbor girls ran down the street to give mom a gift and asked if they could play with the dogs. So all 3 little girls were on the porch enjoying the dogs. It was nice seeing mom smiling with them. I sat inside with dad and we talked about lunch.

James got back during all of that. And we would have a nice chat and then they would go get cleaned up. We ordered sandwiches and sides. I also got a salad. Which had olives on it and I was very surprised because I have never seen a Caeser salad with olives before but whatever. I just wanted some greenery.

While we were waiting for food me and James sorted my gifts for my brother's kids. Because I learned last night they took in another child. So I had to move some things around to make it even between all the boys. I also had gone through the bags of stuffed animals to find ones I was okay parting with. Which ended up being 1 of 3 bags so I was a little proud of that.

Lunch came and I felt weird. But the food was good and I felt a lot better once we ate. And then it was time for presents! We had some of the cookies I made and then I got to give my parents the collage blankets I had made for them. I am very proud of how they came out and they were a lot of work honestly so I'm really glad they like them. And I got to give them the name history paper I got made at peddlers village last week. So that was really cool.

I got some fun things too. Mom got me a brand new sewing machine. I'm very grateful for that. And she got me and James sweatshirts and hats that match and a whole bunch of nail polish. James got em a Mitski t-shirt and I got them a book about cheese. It was fun and then Sweetp was in the box from the gifts and the dogs were running through the tissue papers and it was good and fun.

Jess would come over around 330. She brought us a box of cookies and James a few little gifts. Including a handmade apron. She's she sweet.

We headed out. James went to their friends and we went to hunt for stuffed animals.

We went out to Newtown and got some buy one get one Halloween blind boxes. We ended up getting the same pumpkin so that was funny. And then we walked to Starbucks which was annoyingly closed. We would have to go to two more Starbucks before we found an open one. But we did stop at a fancy chocolate store to get a mug Jess wanted. And then into a Hallmark store that also had squishmallow. They had the cobra I like but not in the size I wanted. So we passed on that.

We headed to main street to try that Starbucks but it was closed as well so off to the mall.

We went to a shopping center outside the mall and they also had a Hallmark. Again without the size cobra I wanted. So we said if they had it at the Hallmark at the mall it would be a yes but they ended up not having them so I got no squish.

Instead I got a keychain of a teddy bear with a tiny little head and I love him. I also got a pretzel and we had fun just walking around and looking at stuff. We got some stuff at Claire's because they were having the buy 3 get 3 thing. I got a scrunchie with a bow and pearls. Very pretty. Jess mostly got mini brands. It was fun.

James would join us as we finished buying nice smelling hand sanitizers at bath and body works. We got the keychain part so we could be like all the cool girls. But we got the silly popcorns so we aren't too cool. It was fun but man was it loud in there.

We found James and after a bathroom stop we took them to the Lego store. I was very excited to share this place with them. Because it's not an official store, it's called Andy's Bricks and it's like all second hand and old Lego kits. And best of all they have make your own mini figures!

So, with Jess's help, we made mini figures of each other. I'm really happy with them. And we got the snow globe to make them little holiday decor. It was fun searching for the best pieces. The one issue we had though, after we found good faces that had similar aesthetics, was my hair. They didn't have any good black girl hair. So we found a brown one I could just paint later.

James was having a blast looking. And then Jess found a box of just animals so we searched for a bear and a cat. And then I asked the lady if they maybe had more black hair and they didn't have the pony tail but they did have this long black one with braids and it's perfect! I was so pleased.

We paid and headed to dinner. We went to Margaritas which is a fairly good Mexican place. I mostly like it because the booth tables are like. Little building. With roofs. It's great. And the food and company was good. I was mostly very dehydrated so I was happy for drinks. Jess and James shared a margarita and it was fun.

But we were all tired by the end. We said goodbye in the parking lot and I joined James in our car to come back to my parents house.

Dad was already in bed. But Sweetp was laying in my room and mom was up on the couch. We all sat in the living room for a bit. Talked. Mom said how much she liked her blanket and I'm really glad I put pictures of her mom on there, it was for sure special for her. But soon we said goodnight and headed our own ways.

I got washed up and joined James in bed. They seem to be asleep now. And hopefully I will be asleep soon.

Goodnight everyone. Take care of each other.