#I usually sleep 10-12 hours a night on the weekends

[witchcraftingboop]

The past versions of myself may as well be considered as strangers. Only someone who has never met me would pencil in 2 three hour segments of free time between 3 days of events. First of all, why are we attempting damn near 36 hours straight of activities? Second of all, who tf is supposed to be able to drive 30min (minimum) home, snooze for two hours, and then get up at the asscrack of dawn to not "rest" again until the following morning? Thirdly, why did I not realize this before starting in on the first day of the hunger games: sleepless edition??

[syn4k]

that was, hands down, THE worst sleep of my life. 0/10. Thank you Marriott Hotels.

[d1stalker]

ORIGIN sneak peak!

It's going to be somewhere between 12-14k words, depending on how much i edit it. i wanna have it up by tmr evening but idkkkk it might be posted sometime during the weekend !!! I am very busy atm

if you know his origin story, then that's what the plot is very loosely based on (its so un-canon it's funny) but the actual story is a lot more reader focused.

----

Before he was known as Logan, or as Wolverine, he was James. 

Your James. 

—

It’s quiet in the Howlett estate, the kind of stillness that only comes when everyone has long retired for the night. But while the rest of the mansion sleeps, you remain wide awake. Dressed in your nightgown and nestled under the blankets, you glance at the small, brass pocketwatch resting on your bedside table. The hands read 10:22 PM. Any minute now, you think to yourself. 

Then, like clockwork, you hear it—a faint knock on your door. Three slow, deliberate taps, followed by two quick ones. The secret signal never fails to make you smile. You spring from the bed, feet softly padding across the floor as you hurry to the door. You open it as quietly as possible, your grin widening the moment you see who’s waiting on the other side.

James.

He stands there, tousled brown hair and that familiar mischievous smile that always manages to light up the dim hallway. You’ve known him your entire life, growing up together under the roof of the Howlett mansion. Your parents, both loyal servants to the Howlett family, were fortunate enough to be granted permission raise you alongside their son. From the moment you could walk, you and James were inseparable, sharing countless adventures in the woods, running across the estate’s expansive gardens, and whispering secrets to one another under moonlit skies.

"About time," you whisper, teasing him with a playful glint in your eyes. "You really know how to keep a lady waiting, don’t you?"

A soft snort escapes his lips as he grabs your hand, pulling you gently into the hallway. "My deepest apologies, M’lady," he replies with mock formality, the corners of his mouth twitching in amusement. "I had to... attend to urgent business in the necessary."

You snicker, giving his hand a gentle squeeze. "Ah, I see. Was it a fulfilling experience, sir Howlett?"

He glances over his shoulder, rolling his eyes with exaggerated exasperation, though you catch the small smirk tugging at his lips. He doesn’t respond, but his silence confirms everything. 

The rest of the trip is quiet, the two of you moving stealthily through the darkened corridors, careful not to disturb anyone or draw unwanted attention. After all, your mother would certainly disapprove of such late-night rendezvous. It is improper, she would say.

But what choice did you have? The day offered no time for moments like this. You were busy training to take over as the next chief maid, learning the endless routines of the household, while James spent his time with his family or other highborn friends. It was only after hours, when the mansion finally settled, that the two of you could steal away for these secret meetings.

Finally, you reach the gardens. The crisp night air greets you as you slip past the tall hedges, the two of you hidden away from any prying eyes. There’s a familiar sense of peace here, among the fragrant flowers and the towering trees that shield you from the world. James leads you to your usual spot, a stone bench tucked beneath the shadow of the hedges. Wordlessly, he slips off his jacket, draping it over your shoulders before taking a dramatic bow.

"To keep you warm, M’lady," he says softly.

"Hush, James," you murmur, though your words lack any bite. 

You’re grateful, especially as the cool night air nips at your exposed skin. The nightgown, while comfortable, offers little protection against the chill. You pull his jacket tighter around yourself, then pat the empty spot next to you, gesturing to him to sit, to which he does.

“How was your day?" you prompt.

James sighs, leaning back on the bench, his hand casually resting behind you as he stares up at the sky. "Same old, same old," he starts, a familiar twinge of annoyance creeping into his voice. "You know how it is. Dinners with my parents, listening to old men talk about businesses I'll never care about, trying not to fall asleep while they drone on about investments or land expansions. It’s all so posh."

You stifle a giggle, nudging him playfully with your elbow. "Posh, huh? You sound like you're living the dream."

He rolls his eyes dramatically. "If by 'dream,' you mean sitting there pretending to care while wondering how quickly I can escape to see you, then yeah, it's an absolute dream," he says sarcastically.

Laughing softly, you bring your hand up to your forehead, acting distressed. "Oh, how tragic. The poor Lord James Howlett, trapped in a world of lavish dinners and fancy wine. Whatever will you do?"

"Mock me all you want, but it’s unbearable," he groans, leaning forward, his elbows resting on his knees. "I hate it. All the stuffy clothes, the fake smiles, the way everyone acts like they're better than everyone else." He pauses for a moment, then glances sideways at you. "You're the only real thing in that entire mansion."

The sincerity in his words makes your heart flutter, and you’re suddenly grateful for the darkness hiding the faint blush creeping up your cheeks. Looking away, you try to play it off. "Well, if that’s the case, I guess I should charge you for my company," you tease coyly.

He lets out a huff of amusement, shaking his head. "I'll pay whatever price you want.”

There's a pause as you both sit in comfortable silence, the cool night air brushing against your skin. Just then, a soft breeze sweeps through the garden, catching the edges of your nightgown and fanning it up slightly. Before you can even react, he swiftly moves his jacket from your shoulders to your lap, covering your legs. His hand lingers, making sure you're covered before he hastily wraps his arm around your shoulders and pulls you close against him.

The warmth from his body contrasts with the cool air, and you can't help but laugh softly at his sudden behaviour. "Wow, you really are a gentleman, James."

He tenses slightly, his grip on your shoulder loosening as he looks away, clearly flustered. "I—I just didn’t want you to get cold," he mumbles, his usual confidence faltering.

You smile at how shy he suddenly seems, leaning your head against his shoulder. "Thank you. It’s sweet."

For a moment, he says nothing, but you can feel the way his heartbeat picks up just a little. Then, almost too quietly, he mutters, "I’d do anything for you."

Your breath catches in your throat, and you tilt your head to look up at him. But you can’t respond, because he clears his throat, looking down at you with a small, sheepish smile. "What about you? Any exciting adventures in the life of a future chief maid?"

You grin, recognizing his attempt to shift the conversation, and decide to let it go for now. "Oh, you know, the usual. A thrilling day of dusting, folding linens, and trying not to spill tea on your mother’s favorite rug."

James chuckles, pulling you a little closer. "Sounds way more exciting than my day."

Neither of you speak, relishing just being in eachother’s presence. 

"So, do tell," you say softly, breaking the silence, "if you could get away from all the fancy dinners and boring conversations, what would you do?"

He smiles slightly, his gaze still fixed on the star-filled sky. "I’d leave. Go far away from here, maybe somewhere quiet. Live in the countryside, where no one cares about wealth or titles." He glances down at you. "Maybe you’d come with me."

You laugh gently. "And who would take care of your family if we both ran off?"

Shrugging, his expression grows more serious. "They don’t need me. Not really. They need someone who’ll do what they want—someone to follow in their footsteps. That’s never been me."

There’s a weight in his words, and you feel a pang of sympathy for him. You’re about to respond, to tell him you understand more than he realizes, when—

BANG.

[thinkpink212]

A Mini Guide To Better Sleep

According to Why We Sleep By Matthew Walker

Consistancy is key Try to create a pre-sleep routine and set a consistant schedule. This means waking and sleeping at the same time everyday (yes even on weekends). I personally set an alarm for when to start my skincare and overall unwind 45min before my bedtime.

The importance of movement Avoid excercising 2-3 hours before bed, but know that it is important to move your body - specifically 30min on most days. I find that 3 times a week, varying between swimming, yoga and gym reps keep me both strong, flexible and in shape.

Vices to Avoid Cafeeen, alcohol and nicoteen (or smoking in general) should be avoided 6-7 hours before sleep, for the simple reason that they interupt the REM sleep cyle. REM is where our body, mind and memory is rested and restored the most. Smokers also tend to exite the brain even though it feels like it's doing the opposite, and any withdrawl for a few too many hours always results in cravings that can cause frequent wake-ups (to smokers)

Not too much consumption Try not to eat too close to bedtime, as it takes the body a lot of energy to digest. Sleeping right after eating can cause stomech issues, indigestion and heartburns (and more). As for large amounts of liquids, it is best to avoid drinking too much before bed as it will wake you to urinate. I usually stop any water consumption 45min before bed.

No naps passed 3pm Streight forward, any naps after 3pm will make it difficult for most to sleep once night comes. For some it is as easly as 1pm, which is why many places have siestas where most people sleep after lunch, around 12. Napping is a great way to help regain some energy, especially when tired. Ignoring fattigue can also result in health problems later down the line, so if you feel tired, try to take a nap or go to bed earlier.

Before Bed - Routine Attempt to relax a few minutes before bed - I usually take off 30-45min to do my skincare, read, light cleaning and organizing. This is also a good time for you to write down any thoughts that may take up too much time before bed, listen to some relaxing music or podcast.

The perfect enviorment Allowing fresh cooler air into your room before bed can help your body temperature rise to the perfect degree for optimal sleep. This, combined with a warm bath before bed (30min before) can also be a great combination. Avoid bright lights (especially blue lights from screens) and consider investing in a good pair of sleep mask, earplugs if you are a lighter sleeper and blackout curtains. If you like background noise, look into sleep machines with a wide range of sounds to choose from to avoid having to use your phone.

Reading this book made me realize how little sleep we get, compared to how much we need for everyday, and more complex things in life. There are no downsides to getting more and better sleep, only a well rested body and mind - especially if you follow the recomended 8-10 hours. Happy Sleeping

[writer-darling]

For All the Sad Mad Poets

Rating: T - TEENS (13+)

Pairing: Marcus Pike (The Mentalist, 2008) x GN!Reader

Warnings: Gender neutral reader. Pre-established relationship. Post-breakup. Whole lotta angst. Cursing. Mentions of being drunk. Love confessions. Crying. If there are any that I missed, please inbox me to let me know and I will add them in :)

Word Count: 1.7k

Summary!: Inspired by Pedro’s “For All the Lovesick Mad Sad Geniuses” monologue for The 24 Hours Plays channel on Youtube

******

There’s a single-note ding and your phone lights up your nightstand in the black of your bedroom. Your eyes squint to fight the intense brightness before they adjust as you grab your device as you turn over in bed. What time is it? The corner of your phone screen reads 12:34 a.m. The banner notification of the new message on your screen has no contact name, just the usual 10-digits number combo, but you recognize it immediately. Without a second thought, you open it up and see that the message has no text, just a video. Now you hesitate, but you still press play after a microsecond’s deliberation.  

He’s drunk. You can tell that almost immediately. The too-red of his face, the glazed haziness of his deep brown eyes. His lopsided, closed-lip smile that accentuates his dimple. All classic symptoms of a very inebriated Marcus Pike. Which makes perfect sense. There’s no way he would’ve recorded this video sober. Even less of a chance that he would have sent this to you. Especially not looking like this. The Marcus you knew always maintained a cleanshaven, neat appearance. But his hair is longer, a slight wave to the fringe that frames the right side of his face. He’s also let his facial hair grow out in a moustache and patchy beard. It’s very unlike him but he looks incredibly handsome.

And you? Well, you’re not doing so hot either. The tears that lulled you to sleep last night have long-since dried off, leaving itchy streaks down your face. The shirt - one of his old T-shirts you’d kept - you’re wearing and shorts that you haven’t even bothered to change out of all weekend. You’re also too damn curious or maybe just too damn stupid enough to open up the attachment. Even after ten months, your heart skips a beat. Even after ten months, you’re still crying and caring about him. You hear a soft exhale and your eyes are drawn to him again, your heart warming at the familiar sight of him and the dimple on his right cheek. He glances down for a second, before looking up once more as he lets out a throaty chuckle.

“Hi,” His voice is steady, confident, but then he drops the smile as if already regretting this. “I was thinking about you. I always do, around this time - every time of the day, actually.” The admission is slightly rushed as he averts his gaze again. “Anyway, uh probably not even thinking about me. Do you ever think about me? A little?” There it is, the famous puppy dog doeness of his brown eyes that gives him an instantly boyish demeanor and made you fall head-over-heels for him what seems like forever ago. He gives a slight shake of his head, even as you’re nodding along to the question. Not that he can see you of course. But of course you think about him. It’s impossible for you not to think about him. Even now.

He glances off as a look of confusion crosses his features, a sigh escaping him. “What was I saying? What am I-?” He cuts off, sighing again, “What am I saying?? Don’t lose track, fuck.” He mutters to himself. He steps back, before dropping down close to the camera again, another drunken smile appearing for a moment, self-amused for losing his train of thought. Or maybe the courage the alcohol gave him, you’re not sure. He suddenly slaps both of his palms over his face and drags them down his face, contorting his features in the process and making a soft laugh involuntarily escape you as he whimpers once quietly. A loud clap from him makes you jump and then he points at you, making you resomber. 

“Do you remember… Do you remember,” He snaps before continuing, “when we saw that uh, what was it, uh?” Two snaps this time, with both hands. “You remember?” He gives up and backtracks, “They used to be in these big ass expensive fuckin’ buildings, you remember? What were they called, um?” His desperation is palpable, even through the screen as he turns to walk directly away from the camera before crossing diagonally to your right. There’s a commotion of sound, as if he’s tossing everything around in search of something specific. As it grows louder for a moment, you almost grow worried but then he’s filling your view again with a familiar playbill next to him and a wide grin on his face. “Plays!” He exclaims, proudly. The site of the cover of the playbill with its tattered edges and faded coloring tugs at your heartstrings. He’d kept it all this time? “This??” He accentuates the question by tapping the title on the cover. You’re reading it aloud along with him, though you know the name of it from memory. “The Last of the Sad, Mad Genuises.”

“Remember plays?” He asks, and his tone is soft in its innocence. “Songs? Poetry?” A brief hopeful smile flits across his features but it's gone in an instant. “Yeah, me neither.” His tone drops instantly from playful to somber and he averts his eyes, ruefully. He talks about these things as if they no longer exist, as if they were from a past life. But you know instantly what he means. Since him, since Marcus, there’s stuff you can’t enjoy anymore. You can’t watch any black and white movie because it’ll just remind you of the countless Cinema Nights you two spent on his couch, cuddled up close as he whispered movie trivia to you ad nauseum. Oogum Boogum by Brenton Wood still makes you cry because all you can picture is when Marcus sang it terribly offkey to you on your third date at a Karaoke bar. 

“Remember we saw this play? And you laughed so hard you peed a little?” You should have been embarrassed, mortifyingly so, but you just couldn’t be. You were so comfortable with him, and he never made fun of you for it. “And, what was that fucking line in the play?? How the fuck did it go??? If,” He closes his eyes, his dark brows furrowing in concentration, “If, If, If-?” He opens his eyes and points again, “If you’ve got one friend when you die, you got something most people never have.” You nod again, impressed he was able to recall it. 

“And I tried to quote that shit back at you, and you laughed at me cuz I fucked it up.” He lets out a reluctant chuckle. “And I kissed you,” He pauses and looks up at you again. Your heart squeezes in response to the look in his eyes, even when he tears his gaze away again. He shudders. “And you let me?” He whimpers again and you release a shuddering sigh in response. “And it-” He swallows, his voice thick as his eyes have a faraway look in them as he looks at anything but the camera. 

“It rained like we were in a fucking movie, and life was never better than that.” You hate to admit it, but you feel the same way too. That moment had been torn right out of the pages of your romance novel and you thanked Cupid himself for allowing you to experience it. Especially with Marcus. “Shit, shit!” As he begins to break down, releasing these gasping, shuddering breaths that move his shoulders, your heart lodges itself in your throat as tears brim your own eyes, even as you recall such a sweet memory. 

The way he had held you close against the sudden chill of the rain, his body warm and sweet and safe. The loud pattering of the raindrops as they hit your bodies and the pavement underneath your feet. The softness of his lips on yours, and the same doeness of his eyes. It had been nothing short of magical. “Why did you have to love me like that?” He asks softly. Your hand instinctively touches your phone screen as if it’s his face, caressing the edge of the device gently. He seemingly regains his composure, but then he covers his mouth and releases another gasp, 

“WHY DID YOU HAVE TO LOVE ME BACK?!” The eruption from him makes you jump so much you almost drop your phone, not realizing you had leaned in so much the further you watched the video. You sit up straight and readjust, “Y’know? Why’d you do that? You… You had to have known that-that it, you’d send me into a kind of madness. Y’know? So-Sometimes, sometimes I think maybe-” He cuts off before trying again. “Sometimes maybe uh, I made you up… uh… sometimes.” Your heart breaks all over again at his confession and this time a couple of tears fall as you continue to watch, too enraptured by his madness to look away. 

“So, I go,” his gaze travels off to glance around the room he’s in for a moment. “into the quietest parts of this house and..,” He looks directly at you again. “I whisper your name.” A shiver runs down your spine at that. “I wish I could scream it.” Your body feels hot all over even as more tears begin to fall at that. “I should,” he continues. “Should I scream it?” You’re nodding again and so is he, a sudden determination in his voice. “I will, I should!”

He draws in a deep gasp. You can see that he’s about to do it, ramping himself up. Your own body tenses in anticipation, the hand holding your phone tightening its grip while the other tightens up into a fist as it rests against your thigh. You swear you can practically see his lips begin to form the letters of your name. But then he releases the energy in a slight hiss from between his teeth, followed by a defeated sigh and a slump of his shoulders. 

“Yeah I… I can’t send this.” He mumbles. He lets out a humorless laugh. He grabs the playbill again and straightens up and away from the camera finally releasing you from his stare. He places the bill with both palms against his chest, his heart, clutching it tenderly before running a hand through his hair. He moves close again, dropping his hands and the bill. “You’re just making a damn fool of yourself, Pike. Fuck it.” The black screen greets you next and you’re up and out of bed in the next moment. Without a second thought, you’ve put on your shoes, grabbed your keys, and headed out. He’s awake, you think. He’ll open the door. You’re sure of it.

*******

So this was fun. My first time writing for Marcus Pike and I was too tempted to do this angsty piece. I rewatch this monologue a lot but to actually study and pause it continuously to try and find the best way to describe Pedro’s incredible emotional performance in this was so challenging, but I adored every second of it. I’m tempted to write a part 2 to bring some closure to the story but I also do like it as a standalone. Idk, I guess you all will tell me what you think. Either way, thanks a million for reading, hope you enjoyed, and see you in the next one!

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[janetbrown711]

Well, Well, Look Who's Inside Again

MK finds out Tang had "sleepover" with Pigsy after New Years, and invites him to play a game or two.

tw for references to child/domestic abuse (both emotional and physical), as well as homophobia

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7 Part 8 Part 8.5 Part 9 Part 10 Part 10.5 Part 11 Part 12 Part 13 Part 14

Ao3 Link

Despite New Years being an incredibly long night for MK and Mei alike, kids were kids and they still rose with the sun over Megapolis and far before Pigsy did, which was usual for holidays and weekends.

Since it was holiday break, that meant MK and Mei had a few more hours than usual before they had to go to the restaurant to help out, which was also why despite any pre-existing tiredness, they embraced the early daylight.

Well– MK did anyways, Mei was always a heavier sleeper. He didn’t mind though, emerging from his room into the delicate sanctity of the empty living room without much trouble. He was silent as ever, closing his door and barely making a sound as he snuck himself a banana which he ate in record time before strategically placing it under paper plates in the trash so nobody’d find it.

After that he went over to the couch and proceeded to get a head start on building the pillow fort for the game he and Mei liked to play, draping blankets over couch cushions and lamps alike until there were about three separate areas. Now all MK really had to do was wait for his bestest friend.

However, strangely enough, it wasn't Mei's door that opened first, but Pigsy's and–

"Mr. Tang? What're you doing here?" MK tilted his head, noticing the man was in one of Pigsy’s robes and one of his shirts too– and his pajamas pants.

The poor guy nearly tripped over himself before his eyes went to MK in his fort.

"H-h-hi, MK! Fancy seeing you here!" Tang smiled, clutching a hand over his heart.

"I live here," MK blinked.

"That you do," the man gave a laugh even MK could tell was forced. "See, I was just– um– I was going to use the–"

MK stared at him, noticing his hair was disheveled, his glasses were crooked, and he was apparently also borrowing Pigsy's slippers.

"Is Pigsy awake?" MK decided to ask.

"Ah– no," Tang said apologetically.

"Then why are you here?" He tilted his head again.

“Well– umm–” Tang looked around the apartment, clearly looking for a way out of what he must be thinking as an awkward conversation– though MK couldn’t fathom why he’d think that.

“Did you have a sleepover?” MK asked further.

This made Tang even more red in the face, before he cleared his throat and nodded. “Y-yes– a sleepover– I wasn’t in any condition to really go home last night and so Pigsy helped me out– in a way,” Tang muttered that last bit, but MK shrugged it off, satisfied he got his answer.

“Sooo… um… W-what’re you playing?” Tang decided to ask since MK didn’t say anything else.

“Oh, I’m not playing yet– waiting for Mei,” MK briefly explained, adjusting some pillows and a stack of books.

“Ahhh, I see,” Tang smiled and looked around. “Quite the elaborate set up you got here; I must say, I’m impressed.”

MK perked up. “You really think so?”

“Of course!” The scholar laughed. “It takes an impressive eye to see all of Pigsy’s things and be able to transform it into all of this. You’ve got quite the creative mind, MK.”

“Oh, you know, it’s just making a mess– you should see how quickly I can put it all away, Mei says that’s the real impressive part,” He laughed to himself as he adjusted a blanket.

“Really?” Tang sat on the ground under one of the forts.

MK nodded proudly. “I’m a master at cleaning, according to Piggy n’ Mei.”

The scholar’s face twitched ever so slightly, which MK noticed too, but that meant anything then Tang didn’t say.

“Well, that’s very impressive, MK,” Tang said instead, so MK was probably just seeing things. It certainly wouldn’t be the first time...

“So… what’s the game?” The scholar asked.

“It changes a lot, but most of the time it’s about hiding from the sleeping dragon,” MK explained. “We need the forts because if the dragon wakes up and they hear you, they burst in and eat you.”

“Wow, that’s a mean dragon,” Tang laughed a little strangely. “Is it always Mei who’s the dragon and you’re the–... victim?”

MK shook his head. “Me n’ Mei take turns.”

“Right, right,” Tang nodded, scratching his neck– which MK just realized he hadn’t really seen before.

“Mr. Tang, why do you always wear a scarf?” MK asked with zero hesitation.

Tang’s face turned dark red. “I– oh wow– I totally forgot I’m not wearing it right now,” He laughed nervously, his hand covering the back right side of it.

“Yeah, why aren’t you in your clothes?” MK was still confused about that.

“Ah– they got all soaked in the weather last night, it’s nothing really– Pigsy was just so generous– anyways–” Tang coughed. “I wear my scarf because I… like it. Makes me feel safe.”

“I don’t like wearing scarves, they make me feel all… chokey,” MK shuddered.

“To each their own,” Tang said without any judgment, which felt… strange coming from an adult.

“I hate the neckties they make us wear at school,” MK added, fiddling with a book pile. “They’re really annoying.”

Tang laughed. “I’ve never understood school uniforms, I always hated them as a kid.”

“The shirts are so itchy,” MK agreed.

“And the teachers? Yikes,” Tang ran fingers through his hair.

“I hate Headmaster Jianxi, he makes Pigsy feel bad,” MK crossed his arms. “And Miss Yang is mean too.”

Mr. Tang thought for a second. “Do you ever wish you could switch schools, MK?”

“No, I need Mei,” MK quickly dismissed the idea.

“Well, what if she transferred with you?” The man then suggested, and MK had to think about that.

“I… No. Teachers suck everywhere,” he ultimately decided– and that wasn’t mentioning how Mei knew the place and seemed to be okay with it and even liked parts of it. Plus, it was what her parents wanted for her and MK understood that her parents were nice.

Mr. Tang didn’t seem happy about that though, giving a long sigh. “It won’t be like this forever, you know that, right?”

MK furrowed his brows, unsure of what he was implying.

The man laughed a little awkwardly. “I– what I mean is– um–...” he looked away, fiddling with the collar of the gigantic robe. “Not all teachers are terrible, and you’ll probably find one you like in the future. You’re only seven, your life isn’t over.”

“Oh– uh… okay,” MK slowly nodded. “I guess you’re right.”

“Yes! And– and you shouldn’t force yourself to be miserable for the sake of others, so if you really, really, really don’t like that school–”

“I like the school, Mr. Tang. The play yard is cool,” MK lied, uncomfortable with all the concern.

“Right… right, of course, I’m not trying to force you to do anything, of course, I just–... you know what, I think I should go back to Pigsy,” Tang sighed and rubbed his face before getting up, but MK grabbed his (or technically Pigsy’s) pajama pants.

“I don’t want you to go– you left early last night too,” MK pleaded, surprised to see how surprised Tang looked.

“You… missed me?” Tang fiddled with the robe collar again.

“Yeah! Nainai and Mr. Zhu are… they aren’t you and Piggy,” MK still didn’t know how he felt about his grand”guardians”.

“Oh, of course,” Tang sat back on the ground in front of the boy. “Last night wasn’t too hard, was it?”

MK looked away.

Mr. Zhu was weird, and started smoking the second Pigsy was out of sight with Tang. It had sparked an argument between him and Nainai, which almost made MK cry, but Mei held his hand, which was nice. When the fireworks started going off, Nainai’s yelling only got angrier as she blamed Mr. Zhu for there not being any seats left, and Mr. Zhu then called her something MK’s ‘baba’ had called his ‘mama’ often, which had brought back a lot of bad memories and made him feel worse.

After a bit of squabbling, Nainai took Mei and MK’s hands and dragged them away from Mr. Zhu to a little spot where they could all sit. She then acted like nothing had happened at all and even started to braid Mei’s hair. She started going on and on about how she always wanted a granddaughter and how Mei was so pretty and smart and talented and reminded her of herself. After a bit, Mr. Zhu came back and just sat next to MK, and Nainai didn’t acknowledge him at all, just going on and on about how she was when she was a girl and how her mother was a saint and all these things. Meanwhile MK could just feel the cigarette smoke pushing down his neck. He tried looking to Mei for comfort, but Nainai had kept her head forward so she could braid easily, so MK was… kinda alone.

When the fireworks ended, MK was exhausted and asked to go back, to which Nainai had said the night was hardly over and there were so many things she could still buy for them, and yadda yadda yadda. Meanwhile, Mr. Zhu laughed at MK and said he reminded him of ‘your punk guardian’ when he was a kid, and it just made him feel weird and confused and sad. He almost cried, but Mr. Zhu had told him ‘it was a joke’ and to ‘not take it so soft’ and that ‘at least he wasn’t a ‘yutao’ like Pigsy was’, which just sounded even more mean.

When Nainai heard that, she scolded Mr. Zhu more and told MK not to cry because Mr. Zhu was "just like that" and he was also "just trying to get a reaction out of you". She then went and bought MK and Mei more things before they all went back to Pigsy’s place, and she insisted on tucking him in even though he didn’t want to and she kissed his forehead and tried removing his bandana. She didn’t like it when he fought on it, but muttered something under her breath eventually and let it be until she told him goodnight and finally– finally left.

MK hadn’t had the energy to go and spend the night with Mei.

“No, it was good,” MK lied again. “I just missed you. Plus, you seemed scared when you left.”

“O-oh… I… yeah, I guess I was,” Tang sighed. “I wish I could tell you why, but… I don’t know. Sometimes loud noises just overwhelm me and I get scared and jumpy. I know it isn’t normal, but I also don’t know how to stop it.”

“Oh…” MK slowly nodded. “That’s okay. I sometimes hear buzzes my teachers n’ parents say aren’t real.”

Tang smiled warmly. “Thanks, MK.”

MK gave a cheesy grin and thumbs up that made Tang laugh.

Good. It was working.

“So… um… do you want to play with me n’ Mei?” MK offered.

“O-oh! I– I’m not too old, am I?” He laughed nervously.

“No one’s too old, Mr. Tang,” MK laughed too.

“Well then… I guess I could use the de-stressor,” Tang joked mostly to himself, but MK just rolled with it.

“Okay! Um… we could set up another house, but I don’t think Pigsy has enough couches,” he looked around to confirm his suspicions.

“Wouldn’t it heighten the challenge if we keep the same amount? That way it’s more likely one of the two of us will lose?” Tang asked.

“Oh! Ummmmmm… yeah, it would,” MK ultimately agreed, despite the fact he hated losing. Then again, maybe Tang was right and it’d be more fun– he’d just have to give it a shot, right? It was what he wanted anyways.

As if right on cue, Mei’s door opened and she tiredly stumbled her way over, her hair still in multiple little braids from the night before.

“Good morning, Mei,” Tang chuckled.

“Mr. Tang? What’re you doing here?” Mei rubbed her eyes.

“He and Piggy had a sleepover so he’s gonna join us,” MK grinned at his friend, who looked at Tang.

“Sleepover?” She asked him, and the scholar's face turned deep red.

“W-well– it was just so late and I was exhausted– it was more of a ‘he nursed me back to help’ type situation– really, it wasn’t like it was all that personal really, it was just– not that I don’t like Pigsy or appreciate his help–! We’re really good friends, it’s just– you know– it was– well it was very nice and all, I’m not trying to sound ungrateful– but I just– you know– it was–”

“Okay,” Mei shrugged, and Tang sighed a huge breath of relief.

“So, uh… is it okay if he plays with us?” MK asked her.

Mei looked at him and thought long and hard (or at least pretended to by tapping her chin and tilting her head back and forth). “Mmmmmmm, he does owe us for last night…”

The scholar blushed. “R-right, I’m–”

“Silence, I am thinking,” Mei stuck a finger in Tang’s face, which made MK giggle.

For further drama, Mei circled around the scholar, who looked completely lost for what he was supposed to do. He just kept looking at MK who gave him two thumbs up that the man returned, which MK found funny.

After a bit of this though, Mei came to her verdict.

“He can play. It’ll be fun to kill him,” She grinned.

“Aha… just like old times,” Tang pulled a bit on his borrowed t-shirt’s collar. MK tilted his head, which made the man quickly shake it off. “Nevermind– let's get playing, no?”

“Okay! I’ll be first!” Mei grinned mischievously and jumped over the couch so she could get behind the forts. “I’m going to sleep! Such a sleepy little dragon am I,” Mei giggled as she curled into a ball and began to “snore” at a volume that could rival Pigsy.

“Okay, so what do we do now?” Tang whispered to MK.

“Well, we gotta try and not be too loud, and whenever Mei stops snoring we can’t make a sound or else she'll wake up,” MK explained, already crawling over to a different fort than he started.

“Ah, okay I see,” Tang started moving around too when Mei went silent and the both of them froze and looked at each other.

Mei went back to snoring.

“So, how many times can she, you know, just go back to sleep?” Tang asked as he and MK again switched their forts.

“One time she actually fell asleep, but that was kinda funny,” MK giggled until Mei stopped snoring again.

She continued.

“So she can do this all day? No limits?” Tang puzzled.

“It’s why we’ve never asked Piggy to play; he snores great, but I’m pretty sure he’d sleep too,” MK laughed and this time when Mei stopped snoring he didn’t stop in time.

“RAH! I’m gonna get you!” Mei cackled dramatically, and Tang and MK scrambled to different forts before Mei snuck behind the one Tang was in and tackled him.

“Got you, Mr. Tang! Omnomnomnomnom,” Mei started “eating” his arm and the man laughed while blankets and pillows fell everywhere, though MK was quick to try and fix it for them.

“Okay, so that means it’s now your turn, Mr. Tang,” MK informed, realigning some books.

“Sure, if you can get this little dragon off of me,” Tang tried shaking his arm out with a laugh as Mei kept ‘biting’.

“Sorry MK, you’re no match for this hungry gal,” She flashed him a cheeky grin and continued eating his arm.

“Meiiiiiiiiiiiiii,” MK huffed and the girl stopped and rolled her eyes.

“Alright, alright, I hears ya,” She got off of Tang and helped MK rebuild the fort, while Tang glanced at the boy.

“MK, that was a little mean don’t you think?” he whispered.

MK froze.

“I-I didn’t mean to– I-I–”

“Woah there– I was just– maybe let Mei do what she wants for a little bit longer, alright? She’s just having fun,” Tang placed a hand on MK’s shoulder, which he didn’t like.

“Okay, Mr. Tang,” He straightened himself out a bit.

Tang smiled a little sadly (which MK double didn’t like) and finished the fort before going behind as Mei had and curling into a ball.

“There’s no way ol’ Tang’s gonna win against us, right MK? We’re champs at this,” Mei grinned with pride as she went from one fort to the other.

“Y-yeah! We’re– we’re good at this,” MK couldn’t help but feel shaken for some reason and he hated it.

Mei looked like she was going to say something, but Tang stopped snoring and they had to freeze. That didn’t stop her from looking at him, though MK certainly didn’t look at her.

…Jeez, how long was Tang going to not snore???

He could see Mei trying to mouth his name out of the corner of his eye but properly ignored it.

Tang finally continued his snoring.

“Dude, what the heck?” Mei looked at him.

“I’m trying to win, Mei, duhhh,” MK lied with a laugh.

“Oohhhh, I see how it is,” Mei bought it with a smirk. “Smart.”

“That’s why they call me ‘smartie kid’,” MK grinned.

“Who? Miss Jiayi?” Mei laughed. “She doesn't count.”

“I– other people call me smart!” MK protested, feeling his face get hot.

Tang stopped snoring, so MK just tried to hide his face and Mei covered her mouth to stop her laughing.

He continued.

“You almost got me caught!” Mei accused.

“What?! How is your stupid joke my fault?” MK was genuinely confused.

Mei blew a raspberry and laughed while continuing her regular switching pattern while MK just felt very, very lost and… and bad too.

He tried shaking it off for the game's sake and continued crawling.

“Your dorky face got all red– it’s funny,” Mei informed with a giggle, but MK’s face just got hotter.

“I-I’m just– trying to win, haha,” MK lied yet again, barely even moving.

“Ahhh I see, the statue strategy,” Mei squinted as she continued to move.

“Yes–! It’s– um– a new thing I’m coming up with, so… uh… yeah,” MK swallowed a lump in his throat.

“I see, you sneaky li’l devil,” Mei grinned.

“Mei, can you n–”

Tang stopped snoring.

MK sighed in annoyance– before realizing that was the exact opposite of what he was meant to do, and the two of them rushed their ways to different forts and Tang ended up tackling an empty one, which MK quickly went to fix.

“See, MK? What’d I tell you? Mr. Tang is no match for us,” Mei crossed her arms smugly.

“Yep yep,” MK forced a weak agreement before picking up the books.

“Drat, it looks like I’ll just have to get you next time,” Tang grinned mischievously at Mei.

“If you even can, oldie,” Mei stuck her tongue out.

Tang gave a fake offended gasp. “How dare you! I’ll have you know I have plenty of youthful years left.”

Mei laughed more. “You’re old~”

“What?! What makes me old, hm?” Tang crossed his arms while MK rolled his eyes and struggled rebuilding.

“You got old man glasses,” Mei pointed out. “And you go to old man schools and study old man things. I bet you even knew that Monkey King guy personally.”

“Woah there, I’m not that old,” Tang laughed.

“Whatever, oldie,” Mei blew a raspberry just as MK was able to finish rebuilding.

“Um, the fort’s rebuilt so–”

“MK…” Mr. Tang glanced at him with this– this look that made MK shrink back.

“Go back to your old person cave, oldie; you’ll need your rest to catch a ‘youngster’ like me,” Mei smirked.

“Oh, I’m not letting you go that easy this time, so you better watch your back,” Tang stood and did one of those ‘I’m watching you’ signals, which Mei returned until Tang was back behind the forts and ‘snoring’ again.

This time, Mei didn’t even try talking to MK, too busy trying to sneak peeks at Mr. Tang and giggling to herself. She didn’t manage to correct in time when he suddenly stopped and this time, he successfully guessed the fort Mei was hiding in and crashed it all down with a big roar.

“Who’s the ‘oldie’ now, huh Mei? Huh?” He grinned wide as he began to tickle Mei who kicked and squealed happily while MK just… watched.

Tang and Mei were destroying the other forts left and right, and MK wanted to fix them, but there really wasn’t a point. They clearly didn’t really want to play– or at least with him.

They were fine on their own. They didn’t need a “nag” like him.

And so quickly and quietly, MK walked out of the living space and made his way to his room where he promptly locked the door before laying on his bed in the dark.

It was just a joke. It was all just “fun” . Why was MK always ruining these things? He didn’t mean to. He never meant to ruin or hurt anyone or anything. He just… did. It was like he was a “no fun” magnet– maybe that’s why Mei was his only friend. No, scratch that– that was why Mei was his only friend.

Jokes jokes jokes jokes jokes– “Lighten up, Xiaotian, it’s just a joke”. “What kind of kid can’t take a joke?” “She’s just having fun”.

Ugh…

…A part of him wondered how long it would take Tang and Mei to notice he was gone.

Another part of him hoped it wouldn’t be for a long, long, long time.

Eventually he heard steps running to his door before there was knocking, and he could hear Mei panting.

“MK– MK, we’re setting it up again, c’mon!” Mei urged him, but MK knew she didn’t really want that– she was having more fun with Mr. Tang.

A secret, third part of MK wished he hadn’t invited Mr. Tang to play at all.

“MK?” Mei knocked again. “MK, you there?”

MK didn’t respond, picking up his beloved monkey Luanshi and hugging them tight as he just stared up at the ceiling in the dark.

He deserved to feel bad about this. He was being mean. And a “bummer”.

“MK..?”

He heard his door’s handle shake, which instinctively made him cling to Luanshi tighter– but it stopped and he could hear Mei going back to the living area to play with Tang again.

Good.

…

MK was disappointed in himself. He was supposed to be acting better for Mr. Pigsy’s sake. He remembered clear as day what Mr. Tao said and how he needed to be good and human, not selfish and mean, and– it didn’t feel right to call those emotions demonic since Pigsy wasn’t any of those, but– well–

Ugh– why did things always have to be so confusing? He really thought being good would be a lot easier. And not his “parents” version of good– actually good.

There was another knock at his door, this one being much softer than the previous had been, which meant it had to be Mr. Tang’s.

“MK..?” The man in question spoke up. “Are you alright?”

MK didn’t feel like answering that, it would just ruin their fun.

“MK, if this is about what I said earlier I’m–... I’m sorry, I was out of line, I’m not your parent– I just– I don’t know why I said that…”

MK glanced at the door over his shoulder but remained curled on his bed.

He heard Tang sigh and sit on the ground with his back against the door. “Pigsy’s a lot better at this than me– which is good because this– this really isn’t my place. I’m so sorry, MK, I shouldn’t– I– I’m just… I’m sorry.”

MK bit his cheek. “Pigsy’s not… my dad either.”

He felt horrible for saying it, but it was what Pigsy believed…

“Oh…” Mr. Tang said quietly.

MK traced over Luanshi’s stitches again and again.

“That–... MK, do… Do you know there are people who love you?”

“Y-yeah, I have Mei,” He said, only half-believing it.

“But me and Pigsy– we love you too… do you know that?”

MK blinked. “I-I, um…”

“MK… I’m… I’m going to ask a personal question, is that okay?”

No. Not really.

“Y-yeah…”

“Did your… ‘parents’... love you?”

Ah, beans.

“I-I um– y-yeah, I think so,” MK half-guessed, half-lied. “Mama would say it sometimes.”

“Would she only say it when she was… intoxicated?”

MK sat up and looked at the door, startled he could guess such a thing.

He heard the man sigh again. “My parents weren’t good either, MK. They didn’t like me or who I was and sometimes they’d… hurt me over it.”

MK hugged Luanshi tighter.

“They’d also make me feel like it was my fault– but it wasn’t. I was just being who I was and they were two full grown adults who just couldn’t handle that. It’s so… it’s just so stupid, looking back,” The man laughed weakly through the door.

MK looked at the door again and slowly but surely crept off his bed and onto the ground. “Did… your parents call you names?”

“A lot… most of which I wouldn’t even dream of sharing with you.”

“My parents called me stupid. And a brat. And a thief, and a bastard, and sneaky, a-and a devil, a-and a demon, a-and–... and other things…”

“I’m sorry, MK. That wasn’t right of them. You’re a great kid,” the man assured.

‘I’m sorry.’

Mr. Tang liked saying ‘I’m sorry’ a lot– it was weird for MK. Adults weren’t supposed to apologize like he did.

MK crept a little closer. “Your parents hit you too?”

“Sometimes my father would, if I failed him.”

“My mama would hit me cuz of her moods n’ drinking– n’ baba would hurt me if I made mama mad.”

“I’m sorry, MK.”

“S’okay.”

“It doesn’t have to be ‘okay’, MK… Things can just suck sometimes.”

MK frowned, finally crawling to the door where he sat with his back turned. “You… you won’t tell Pigsy, will you?”

Tang made a noise at that, something between a wince and a sigh. “He really should know–”

“No-! I’m– I’m supposed to be good for him a-and it’s not even school yet– I can’t let him know I failed now– I-I promised!” MK blurted out.

“Woah, woah, woah– what’s this about a promise?” he heard Tang sit up a little.

MK cursed his stupid brain.

“I– um–”

“MK, Pigsy would love you no matter what– he does love you no matter what,” Tang emphasized. “You don’t have to be anything for him. You can just be–”

“A brat? A-a stupid, selfish brat who ruins everyone else’s games?” MK repeated bitterly, setting Luanshi on his knees and messing with their arms so it looked like they were hitting MK’s head.

“You aren’t a–” Tang stopped himself. “MK, you slipped up, but you are not your mistakes.”

MK huffed.

“MK, I’m not mad at you, and I don’t hate you and neither does Mei– we love you, MK,” the man pleaded a bit and MK just lowered his head.

Mr. Tang didn’t talk for a while, though MK could hear his foot tapping anxiously.

MK was fine with that though, he liked being alone and in the dark.

“MK, I–... I meant what I said earlier; it won’t be like this forever. One day you’ll forget all about your mean parent’s cruelty and you’ll just know the love Pigsy has for you.”

“How do you–...” MK hesitated.

“‘How do I’ what..?”

MK closed his eyes. “How… do you know Pigsy… loves… me..?”

“MK, he adores you and Mei so much– why, he upended his whole entire lifestyle to make room for you two. That’s… not something someone does just because they’re nice and they could,” Tang laughed a little.

MK thought about that. “But… if he… does, then why doesn’t he ever– you know… say it?”

Mr. Tang went quiet for a moment. “I don’t think it’s easy for him. I think… I think he’s been hurt before and he doesn’t like opening himself up because of that– but he does love you, trust me, he does.”

MK thought about that too. “So he… he doesn’t think I’m a brat? Or a thief?”

“No, MK– but if he ever calls you that, I promise he doesn’t mean it. Like– you know he calls me a ‘freeloader’, right? Well, he doesn’t mean it. He’d never kick me out of his restaurant and I’m pretty sure if I ever paid for my noodles, it’d kill him,” the man laughed a little. “When he says those things, he often means the opposite– but if it makes you feel bad, you should tell him, the last thing he wants is to hurt you, MK.”

MK slowly nodded. “Y-yeah, I guess that makes sense.”

He heard Tang hum with relief. “I’m glad I could at least kinda get through to you, MK. You’re a good kid, MK– You’re a really, really good kid.”

The boy rolled his eyes a little at the sappiness. “Thanks, Mr. Tang.”

“No problem, MK… Now, do you want to finish playing our game or do you want to do something else?” He asked softly.

MK looked at Luanshi as his stomach growled. “Is Pigsy awake yet? M’kinda hungry.”

“I can check for you if you’d like,” Tang offered, standing up.

“Yeah, that’d be nice, Mr. Tang,” MK slowly stood too and looked up briefly. “A-and… thank you.”

Mr. Tang chuckled. “It’s no problem, MK. You two are delightful to be around.”

MK laughed a little as he slowly heard Tang walk away.

Well… all things considered, it certainly wasn’t his worst morning ever. It was fun for a little bit there, and… and Tang was cool. He liked knowing Tang, and he also liked knowing what he knew. He was cool.

He… wasn’t sure if he believed he or Pigsy really loved him yet, though. Heck, he barely even knew what love was, except that it was like what he and Mei had as long time friends. He knew that parents were supposed to love their kids, but his parents hadn’t and Pigsy and Tang weren’t his parents, so it left a lot of question marks in the air…

Oh well, MK had time to figure that out in the future. For now he needed to apologize to Mei for running off and being weird, but he wasn’t worried about that; Mei was pretty cool too. And besides, the sooner he apologized the sooner he could start feeling better, and then he could just focus on thinking about how good breakfast was going to be.

MK was going to be fine.

[eldritchsurveys]

1270.

1 - Have you ever had stitches? >> I have, several times. My face has the most, it took them like an hour and a half (if not longer; it was a long time ago so I don't recall so good) to stitch up my face.

2 - Who was the last person to shake your hand? >> I assume it was someone at church the last time I went, during that "sharing the peace" segment where you get up and say hi to people near you, whatever the hell that's about, lol. One of those more churchy things I just shrug resignedly and deal with.

3 - What was the last thing you bought when you went to the grocery store? >> A bunch of stuff, and it was long enough ago that I really don't remember what-all was in the haul.

4 - How often do you find yourself needing to do laundry? >> I do laundry once a week. It suits my needs fine.

5 - Coke or Pepsi? >> I don't care for either.

6 - When was the last time you struggled to get to sleep? >> I think it would be erroneous to say I ever "struggle" to get to sleep, mostly because if I find that I'm not falling asleep in a timely fashion, I just grab my phone and fuck around on that until I am sleepy. This is a tried-and-true strategy that never fails me, because beating myself up about not falling asleep or anxiously obsessing about falling asleep certainly doesn't do shit but keep me awake even longer and is even less restful than just reading an ebook or watching some tiktoks, soooo...

7 - What did you have for your last meal, whatever that was? >> I had a bowl of cereal. 8 - Do you have anything fun planned for the upcoming weekend? >> It is Sunday today, and the first day of our Frankenmuth excursion, which will last until Thursday. I don't plan on doing anything next weekend, thanks to this (I would like to go to church but I will also understand if I don't feel up to it).

9 - Which of the four seasons is your favourite? >> Summer in this region, simply because spring (my default favourite) is so short and very variable weather-wise. By the time the weather actually warms up for good, it's pretty much the end of May :V

10 - Do you still have all four of your wisdom teeth? >> I do not.

11 - If you drive, do you enjoy it or is it just a necessity? .

12 - Do you prefer sweet or salted popcorn? >> I prefer kettle corn style popcorn (so, sweet and salty).

13 - When was the last time you were in pain? What caused it? >> My ankle is bothering me, which is a bit annoying considering I'm going to be doing a fair amount of walking around for the next few days. Usually if I have some sort of stress injury like that I just take it easy until it stops hurting, but obviously that's not always an option. I just have to look forward to being in even more pain and probably for longer, after this. -__-

14 - Are there any textures that you have a weird aversion to? >> I do have a fair amount of texture aversions, but they're normalised for me because I'm used to them. I can't imagine not having texture aversions at all, in fact. I hate the feel of microfiber, for example, and the idea that there are (probably) people who are completely indifferent to it is utterly shocking to me, lol.

15 - What was the last thing you said outloud and to who? .

16 - When was the last time you got up from where you're sitting and why? >> About a half hour ago, to wash out my cereal bowl and put my bed linens in the dryer.

17 - Have you been diagnosed with any chronic health conditions? >> I have not.

18 - Are you an early bird or a night owl? >> I prefer to be up in the early mornings, which sucks in winter. I hate getting up in the dark, it's so disorienting. 19 - What are some of your favourite Christmas movies? >> It's a Wonderful Life and Klaus are my favourites. I must also mention Violent Night. I enjoy the concept of Christmas movies but the execution of most of them leaves me pretty cold; they're often really sentimental in a way that's just off-putting to me. I think IaWL gets a pass because I will eternally be in love with James Stewart and I truly believe in his earnest, impassioned acting style.

20 - Have you ever met up with someone in real life that you first met on the internet? Was it just as good as you hoped? >> I have done this many times and I have had no negative experiences from that alone (I have obviously had the one negative experience from the relationship that ensued, but that's not related to the fact that I met him online except in the sense that it's easier in online interaction to see and love and commit to one's best face before you've seen one's... less-best face).

21 - Who was the last person to text you? What about call you? . 22 - What are some of your favourite smells? >> Lavender, oud, frankincense, the scent from wildflowers or flowering trees caught on a spring breeze, river water, citrusy weed strains, rich soil, clove.

23 - Are you more hungry or thirsty right now? >> Thirsty, seeing as I just took a sip of my tea and I have no desire for more food right now.

24 - When's the next time you plan on going to the cinema and what will you be going to see? >> I don't know. I'd really like to go see Nosferatu, but I don't know if I'll have time/energy to go see it before it leaves theaters (it always seems like movies leave theaters before I get a chance to catch them).

25 - Would you rather watch a film at home or in the theatre? >> I love movies, both works for me. At home is just so much easier, and also free. The cinema experience is a treasured one, though, and I do try to indulge when I can (god, I miss AMC A-List so much...).

26 - If you have pets, what colour are they? >> Sparrow's cat Spooky is black.

27 - Did your parents have any influence over the music you like? >> Sure -- what I heard in the house growing up was my first introduction to music, so it's definitely going to play a small part in the evolution of my music tastes. I do still deeply love soul, R&B, and gospel music even if I don't listen to it nearly as much as the other stuff I love.

28 - When was the last time you rode a horse? >> I have never.

29 - Has your style changed much in the last few years? >> I don't think it has. My style will always be some flavour of goth/metalhead, as it has been since high school and has only evolved from there since then. Even my laziest cartoon-character ass outfit -- band t-shirt and black jeans/leggiings (with or without hoodie) is literally just your average metalhead stereotype. I really do prefer to jazz it up whenever I can (accessorising sparks so much joy for me), though. One thing about my style is that there is always some really unique shit in there, even at my most destitute I have found a way to be singular in my appearance. I like to laugh about having no place to live but a storage unit full of Hot Topic clothes, but you know what... it brought me joy, and that was far more survivable than being homeless and joyless.

30 - Do you prefer real books or audiobooks? What was the last one you read or listened to? >> Honestly, the only thing I listen to is music (and the occasional lecture-style YouTube video, but not often). I even read podcast transcripts rather than listen to the podcast itself, lol. The last book I finished was Anne Rice's Lasher.

[celestialiron]

Echoes of Courage: Chapter 10

Hi everyone! Sorry I took long, I was at Colossalcon last weekend & when I updated the chapter, I had just gotten back & knocked out hahah. BUT WE'VE FINALLY REACHED DOUBLE DIGITS! I'm so excited for everyone to read the long chapter ahead! Hope you all enjoy it!

Also a note: make sure to note down all the stamp marks that happened in the chapter...

Summary: Time's ticking... Let's see who snaps first.

--------------------------------♪9:30am♪-------------------------------

This fine Saturday morning was filled with anything but pleasantries. The guys slowly made their way back home from patrolling all night, with the exception of Mikey, who looked more giddy than usual. “Mikey, for the love of Newton, please turn down whatever it is you’re feeling at the moment. I need to feel the sudden realization that I miss sleep and coffee,” Donnie groaned, wanting the urge to turn down his little brother’s happy and positive vibes for just a bit until he had enough energy to deal with it. “No can do, my brother! Today is the day that Sara is going to the art gallery event and I will be helping her get ready for it!” The three brothers rolled their eyes, too tired to say anything to Mikey in the moment of tiredness. “Over 8 hours of patrolling and still no lead of the infection! At least there was nothing going on crime wise,” Raph stated, happy the one thing was consistent which was that all the villains decided that last night was their night off to sleep in. 

Checking his phone to see if Alexis texted him, was instead April, asking about a movie marathon she was hoping would happen sooner than later in the month. “Guys, April asked if we could do a movie marathon soon, do you want to do that tonight or another night?” “How about we get some beauty sleep before making any decisions on anything,” Leo said, making sure to heavily look at Raph to a point where the bags under his eyes would show, clearly trying to get Raph to see how tired he was. Rolling his eyes, shoving his face away, getting the hint already that none of them were in the right mind to think of anything at the moment. “Alright, alright you big baby. I’ll let her know later.” Agreeing to that, the guys were finally home, three out of the four making their way towards their rooms while Mikey was setting everything up for when Sara came over to help get her ready for the event tonight. ‘I wonder who else she invited to go with her,’ was the last thing Mikey thought of before starting to clean and organize his room to the best of his ability.

--------------------------------♪12:30pm♪-------------------------------

Meanwhile, over at Riku’s place, was Sara in her room, humming while getting her stuff ready to head over to the lair, excited to have Mikey help her with the event tonight. “And where do you think you’re going, Sar?”  Looking over her shoulder, Riku was leaning against her doorway, giggling at her brother’s question. “I have the event tonight at the gallery, remember? I’m heading over to the lair so Mikey can help me out with everything!” Excited, Sara couldn’t stop rambling about tonight’s events, happier that she got the girls to come, how Mikey’s reaction will be seeing her outfit, to name a few. Chuckling while hearing her, Riku couldn’t help but notice the way her eyes lit up every time she got the chance to talk about Mikey. He’s known for quite some time how close the two were, but his older brother's senses were going off the charts seeing how much his youngest sister liked the boy. Also the fact that Leo and Donnie spilled the beans to him and Rai that their little brother had liked Sara too which didn’t make much of a difference, only wanting his small family to be happy. “So, you’re having Mikey help instead of Kira and them? Is there any particular reason or…?” Flustered to answer, Sara wasn’t sure how to respond. Sure, she knew her sister, Valeria, and Izra were always happy to help her out with anything, especially these sorts of events for school too. 

But it was different whenever she got to do this with Mikey.

“I just needed a second opinion that isn’t the girl’s help, that’s all! Nothing much, just that, yup!” She smiled nervously, continuing to pack everything else for the lair, hoping that Riku would just accept her answer and be on his way. Shaking his head, knowing not to push the subject more, Riku entered her room, ruffling her hair while she complained about it. “Listen, I won’t push, but you don’t have to hide anything from us, okay? When you’re ready, just let me know,” smiling, hugging him, Sara nodded, knowing how much Riku cared enough to not push. 

Satisfied with that while they both let go of each other, he leaned against her window sill, curious about another issue at hand, “so speaking of the girls, have you had the chance to talk to Kira yet?” She shook her head. “No, I haven’t. Not until I see her later,” Sara responded, tilting her head, wondering what was on Riku’s mind while asking about the middle sibling. “How do you feel about Roger?” Shocked by the abrupt question, Sara wasn’t sure how honest she should be about her sister’s current boyfriend. “That depends, are you going to tell Kira if I tell you how I feel about him?” Riku shrugged his shoulders. “Whatever else you’ll say, she probably already knows. Val doesn’t help with that when she gets the chance to roast the man when given the opportunity,” silently agreeing with him, Sara sighed before answering, “I don’t like him at all. He’s too pretentious to even acknowledge any of us and how much he doesn’t like anything any of us do.” He paused her there. “Wait, what do you mean by that? I also agree on the pretentious part too,” Riku couldn't help but be worried by what Sara was about to tell him. Sucking her teeth in, having accidently saying that outloud, Sara embraced herself for what his reaction would be, “I didn’t want to say anything to you guys, but he has told me multiple times that I should just quit art, switch my major into something where it’ll actually land me a job and be the perfect housewife someday…” Having her head turned, Sara wasn’t ready to see Riku’s reaction, knowing he would be furious hearing about what she just said. 

“HE SAID WHAT?! WHY DIDN’T YOU SAY ANYTHING!” 

The amount of anger couldn’t even begin to describe how Riku was feeling at that moment. He knew there was always something off about Roger, but chose to ignore it for Kira, but this?! Say anything about him, that’s fine, but his family and friends?! This man will not survive the beating he’ll receive if Riku ever saw Roger. “I didn’t want to ruin anything and I didn’t take it to heart. Yeah it hurts, but I know my worth, Riku. And I’m better for it than he could ever dream of.” Turning around to face him, now standing in front of her dresser, having stopped his pacing in anger, Sara hugged him once more. Trying not to let her emotions get too out of control before seeing Mikey, she continued, “I know you’re mad, but please don’t say anything to her. I don’t want tonight to be ruined and I will tell her eventually, but for now…” She looked up at him, hoping he’ll listen, “don’t tell her.” Sighing out loudly, Riku hugged her back, comforting and letting her know he wouldn't say anything to Kira.

No matter how badly he wanted to punch this pathetic man and scream at Kira. Again.

“You should head out soon, it’s getting past your time.” Gasping loudly, Sara rushed around her room before grabbing her bag, almost forgetting her tickets had Riku not been holding them and said their goodbyes. Sara, feeling more open and confident, was excited about tonight’s events with the girls.

--------------------------------♪1:30pm♪-------------------------------

Sara was making her way to Mikey’s room, thinking out what to start with for the event tonight, wondering what he would want to start with too. Not realizing she was already in the lair, she noticed how unusually quiet it was minus the loud tv and snores coming from Splinter’s room. Before she knew it, Sara was picked up from behind, being twirled around in excitement from Mikey. Giggling, she turned around to hug him properly, excited to see her best friend. “Hey you! Why’s it so quiet here? Where are your brothers?” Nodding his head towards the hallway while the two walked over to his room, Mikey started explaining the mission he and his brothers were recently on. “So yeah, we did our normal patrol plus keeping an eye out on the new enemy and anything else, which we couldn’t find anything and that took about 8 hours, so they’re napping right now. I’m really the only one that’s awake.” 

Shocked to hear, Sara pushed Mikey to his hammock, “EXCUSE ME?! 8 HOURS?! If you don’t go to sleep right now, I’ll be on my merry way!” Sighing, going on the road to convince Sara to let him stay awake, she gave him the stank eye, making him sweat from nervousness. “You’ve been around Dr. Delicate-Touch too much, you’re starting to act on it!” “GOOD! Now, I’ll set an alarm for an hour so that you don’t miss out on anything, so please, I’m begging you, go to bed!” Setting up a timer on her phone, Mikey went straight to his hammock, almost terrified of what Sara would do to him if he didn’t. Giggling while putting her stuff down, Sara set her phone next to him, so he would know to wake up and help her get ready.

“Now, while you sleep, I’m going to see what’s on tv right now, eat and then tell you all of my plans for tonight. Got it?” Nodding his head, not realizing his eyes were closing shut, immediately going straight to sleep. Sara turned to find what the guys had for food and watched some tv with Splinter (that is if he woke up at some point) and decided to write out what was going to happen in tonight’s art gallery event.

Especially what she had in mind for her plan…

--------------------------------♪4:30pm♪-------------------------------

Valeria looked at the black thin strapped dress with a black cardigan that lay on her bed she was going to wear for this event tonight, debating if she should go or cancel on the girls last minute. ‘Maybe I shouldn’t, but I already promised and they would kill me if I don’t leave my apartment. Damn you Ruka for being busy tonight!’ Her thoughts were going mad, still not sure what to do or how to handle anything in the moment. ‘At least we’re all meeting up here, the event isn’t too far away from the apartment. If I bail, I’m not too far to walk back.’ With that in mind, Valeria decided to get ready, as it would be now or never to actually go to the event. 

After ten minutes, looking over herself in the mirror, all she could see was how much her figure fit into the dress almost perfectly. How the dress hugged her curves to where it was loose enough towards her legs to comfortably walk around in, while the top part also complimented her figure there too. ‘Wow, I haven't worn this dress in years. Think it’s time to do dress shopping the next time we go out anywhere.’ Surprised at how she looked, the curlers that were in her hair were being let go as Valeria took each of them out so her hair can be flowy and down for the event tonight.

‘Welp, here goes. Hope nothing too bad happens tonight.’

--------------------------------♪5:30pm♪-------------------------------

It was around evening time when Kira and Izra were both heading their way to Valeria’s apartment, both already dressed for the event that Sara had practically begged for them to join, seeing as this was a last minute decision and she needed it for her class anyways. Izra, with her hair wavy that was hugging her face, wearing a long sleeve navy blue dress that was a little off the shoulders with the length flowing down to where it hits exactly where her calves were with black wedges on. Kira, with her hair high in a tight bun with two long strands on the side of her face, was wearing a dark purple dress where the shoulders were meant to look a bit ruffled while the rest of the dress hung tightly to her figure, where the length at the bottom was to her ankle, enough to hide the straps of her black heels.

“Man, haven’t dressed like this in a long time! Sara’s lucky we had enough time to come out tonight,” Izra exclaimed, excited to see what sort of event was going to happen at this gallery tonight. Nodding in agreement, Kira felt the excitement radiating off from Izra, “you’re more excited than the rest of us. It’s going to be an interesting night alright,” double checking her phone, feeling better that they were on time to pick up Valeria and Sara. After a mental fight whether she should or not, before Izra could ask Kira some quick details about her current love life, a ringtone was heard, letting both know Sara had texted Kira. ‘Goddamnit Sara, I need to ask Kira about Roger and shit!’ Reading over the text and responding back, Kira updated Izra, “Sara just said to pick her up from the lair. Guess she was with Mikey getting ready for tonight. How adorable,” she gushed, starting to ramble about “how adorable those two were!” “Well, guess it’s perfect that you so subtly picked out a purple dress for Donnie to see, right?” Laughing when Kira shoved her to the side, blushing while denying anything about her choice in outfit. Deciding now was the perfect time to ask her about updates with Roger.

“So, speaking of perfectly subtle things! How’s it been just you by yourself with Roger still out of town?” 

Sighing at the question, Kira had a small smile, looking almost relieved to be away from the man. “It’s been nice, I forgot how much I missed just being in my own world sometimes. Even just hanging out with you guys again feels a lot better too,” noticing the happy tone to her voice, once more before Izra could press on, Kira continued, “though, I did have an argument with Riku today, which I only wanted advice, but he took it to a whole new level.” Rolling her eyes at remembering the scream match she was having with Riku, knowing that he cared, but sometimes can be an ass about things at that too. “Oh boy, what were you guys arguing about?” Kira sighed before answering. “I finally told him about what Roger said to me Sunday and before I could tell Riku that I was thinking about it, he went off on me. ‘How could you leave? You said you would never do that and now it’s like a slap to the face! I never thought you would do that after how that bitch treated our friends and family.’ ” She finished, ending the mocking low voice she had for Riku, tired of having to deal with this drama when all Kira wanted was for him to listen for once, instead of jumping to conclusions. “Oh jeez, I’m sorry about that Kia. You know he only wants what’s best for you, right?” Izra looked over, knowing that when the two fought, it was always for something deeper that they needed to figure out either together or on their own. “I do know that, which was why I wanted to tell him I wasn’t going to leave!” 

Groaning in frustration, before Kira could say more, Izra stopped her, pausing their walking altogether. “Wait, wait, wait. You’re not leaving?! That’s great Kira! How long ago did you make this decision?! Honestly, it doesn’t even matter, this is the perfect night to celebrate, gotta thank Sara even more for it too!” Fist pumping to her side, Izra hugged Kira tightly, trying hard to not mess up her makeup, the two laughing in the middle of the sidewalk. “Yes, I’m not leaving and don’t say anything yet! I don’t want to ruin tonight for Sara, okay?” Izra gestured to her lips, pretending to zipping her lips altogether. “I promise, I won’t tell! I’m just so happy for you!” Nodding her head while hugging Kira again, once more shaking and radiating so much happiness from the news, Izra was just happy her friend finally made a decision that would benefit her. “What made you finally make the decision?” Continuing their walk, seeing Valeria’s apartment building, before heading inside, Kira explained her decision. 

“It was really easy and I was mad at myself for how easy of a decision it was. Because everyone was right, Roger really didn’t care for anyone but himself. And you were right too, it was killing me on the inside! I had to think over every single interaction that not only have I had with him, but each interaction he’s had with everyone else. First of all, you all know how I feel about my family. We may not be blood related, but Riku and Sara are still my brother and sister, I’m going to do everything to protect them at all cost,” looking at her phone for the time before she kept on talking about her decision making, “It was with them, the belittling of everyone, especially the guys! The second he found out they were mutants, it was like they were invisible to him! It’s a lot more, but next time we all see each other, I’ll tell you the rest.” Ending with that, both smiling while heading towards Valeria’s apartment door, Izra thought to herself before heading inside, ‘I’m just glad she made the choice for herself . Now hopefully both her and Val will make their moves and decisions with Donnie and Leo!’

--------------------------------♪7:15pm♪-------------------------------

“Valé, did you really have to make a whole show with what you did at the lair? Leo didn’t look too happy about it,” Kira asked, the four girls making their way to the gallery, ticket in hand, but needing some form of confirmation from Valeria about what they all just experienced at the lair. “He’s fine! He’ll get over it and yes, it was necessary! If I don’t show how good I look, how will I get anyone to notice me?” Valeria answered, though with a hint of annoyance from bringing up what happened at the lair, in the hopes of running into Dennis. “If you’re mad for what I said Valeri, I’m sorry for upsetting you, but please don’t do anything that’ll ruin anything between you and this guy you like very much!” Sara almost pleaded, not even caring of the event but if Valeria was really going to ruin her chances at love once more just for a fling. “Don’t worry Sarie, I won’t do anything that’ll embarrass you, we’re all going to be on our merry ways, right? Now let’s have some fun!” Valeria answered, while on the way inside the huge gallery, now understanding what Sara explained earlier at the lair.

Rooms to spare on the side hallways, lots and lots of food and drinks, it was going to be perfect .

Looking concerningly at each other, Kira and Izra made a mental note to look after Valeria while they roamed around the gallery. “Sara, don’t think too much of Val, just try and stay focused for your class, okay?” Nodding her head in agreement, Sara wished them the best, while she went to look for her professor and classmates of hers. 

“I don’t trust how things were settled at the lair. We each take a turn to look out for her?” Kira stated, having a feeling that Valeria was going to mess up big tonight and it was going to end in an argument, between who? It was anyone’s guess at this rate. “Unfortunately, yes. Though I would’ve liked to look around and listen to the musicians in peace, I know we won’t have that if she’s acting up now.” Both nodding at the plan, Kira and Izra went to two different places, Kira where the sculptures were while Izra made her way towards the musicians performing.

It was going to be a long night for the both of them.

--------------------------------♪7:45pm♪-------------------------------

Sitting on the guy’s couch in the lair, Rai waited for someone to explain to him why he could hear the frustrated shouts coming from the training room that oddly enough sounded like Leo. Before he could ask Donnie, who very clearly was getting the projector ready for movie night (seeing as April chose a different weekend than this one) or Mikey, who was coming out of the kitchen with some snacks for tonight, all of what the three could hear from the training was both Raph and Leo, who seemed to be in an argument.

“Raph, let me go! I am in no mood to do anything other than punch my frustrations out!”

“Well too bad! We’re going to talk about this, watch a movie like normal people, and then go to bed! Because apparently four hours of sleep isn't enough for you!”

They all looked behind, where Raph was walking in with Leo in his arms, struggling to be released, sitting down next to Rai, still keeping a tight hold onto Leo. “Heeeey friend, boyfriend of mine, do you want to talk about it before Riku shows up?” Rai asked, hoping that maybe Leo would feel up to talking, at least with him. A glare was all Rai needed to know not to ask anything at that moment, hoping he’d calmed down eventually. “Listen, I know what happened wasn’t fair, but you gotta let it go. If Val didn’t want to say who, then that’s her choice! You can’t force her to say anything!” Raph explained, making Leo turn his head, not wanting to admit that maybe he had a point there, but being stubborn about it. A brief moment of silence before anyone could say anything else, another angry shout was coming from behind them, hearing Riku from afar.

“WHERE’S DR. DELICATE-TOUCH! I NEED HIM LIKE YESTERDAY!”

Quickly raising his head up, Mikey was about to get ready for the smackdown on whoever Riku was giving it to. “He’s always around! Who are we beating up?!” Confused by such a statement coming from the man himself, Rai questioned Riku’s mindset. “Okay, why are you mad?” Turning his head towards Rai, Riku laughed in irony, hoping the next thing he’ll say will also get Rai to help him beat this asshole up. “You wanna know why? It’s because my idiot of a sister, Kira Knightwalker, is moving to Idaho WITH FUCKING ROGER!”

Silence was met with what he said. All their heads turned to Riku in shock, not knowing how to even respond to such a thing.

‘Moving? With him?! No…’ Donnie thought, fists tightening while practically hating himself right now for not listening to April, his brothers, anyone that told him to go for Kira. Now she was moving for good. And he had no one but himself to blame for being an idiot. Again.

“Whoa, whoa, whoa! No way she’s moving with him dude! Not with how he acts around everyone! And she’s not that dumb to make such a huge commitment for only dating this guy for two and a half months now!” Rai was speechless, hearing about how much Kira felt during this portion of a relationship from either Izra or herself, sometimes not trusting his best friend’s reactions to said news, which is proving to be right because of his explosion at the moment. “Well, all she told me was that he asked her to move, giving her time to think when he gets back from this recent business trip to make a decision and I know , I just have this big feeling in my gut that she’s going to go. She doesn’t like disappointing people, so this is right up her alley,” Riku stated, pacing around the room, not knowing what else to do. “Riku, we’re not kids anymore, she’s not going to appeal to anyone, not even for a man who treats her like shit and you know it too!” Apparently, all anger either gone or pushed to the side, Leo was by Riku, hoping to get his head on with the plan he was going to hatch up. “Alright, listen here boyfriend. What we’re going to do is get some pictures, photoshop him with some random chick, tell Kira he’s been cheating and then they break up, bing-bang-boom! She won’t be moving and then a certain someone can finally sweep her off her feet, right?! ” They all looked towards Donnie, who in turn shook his head, turning away from the rest of them. “Sorry, but whatever it is you think will work, won’t. She’s too smart for anyone’s liking and if anything, it wouldn’t be me doing any kind of sweeping off anyone’s feet, Nardo.” 

Surprised by the statement, hoping that Donnie would be down to do anything to win Kira over, before Leo could say anymore, Donnie stood, walking past his family and friends, cutting him off. “No, I don’t want to hear it. I lost that battle months ago when Kira decided on her own accord to date this man. It’s not up to anyone but her, so do me a favor and keep me out of it. If I was good enough for her, she would’ve said it by now.” Turning to walk to his lab, wanting the whole night to be forgotten, it was what Riku said that made him stop in his tracks, surprising him to his core.

“Don, she’s shown how much she’s cared for you in more ways than anyone could count. The only thing stopping whatever is going on, is the both of you.”

Letting those words sink in, Donnie continued his way towards his lab, wanting nothing more than to drown in the sounds of techno and machine parts at the moment. Once he was out the room, Riku sighed heavily, sitting down on the floor in frustration, wanting to tear Roger’s body apart. “You’re right Rai, we’re not kids anymore who acted like what we used to. I just can’t help but feel like she’s going to make a mistake-” Rai interrupted him, “hey, who said she was? And if she did, we’ll just send the doctor in, right Mikey?” Realizing that he was trying to lighten the mood, Mikey nodded his head, in hopes to make both Riku and Leo feel even a little better. “Of course! He’s always taking names and that man’s name is for sure on the top!” Showing off his biceps, making a show out of it, Riku slowly smiled, feeling just a tad bit better about the whole situation. “And I’ll definitely get these guys to help too, won’tcha brothers?” Before either Raph or Leo could answer, Mikey took their quick silence as a “yes” and went to grab his notebook to write down ideas. With Leo sitting back down on the couch, settled between Raph and Rai with Riku next to the projector screen, trying to get the movie started, they all knew just one thing.

It was going to be a lot more hectic with everything going on right now.

--------------------------------♪8:55pm♪-------------------------------

In the gallery, all you could see were Valeria and a guy named Dennis, walking towards the hallways that led to one of the spare rooms that a lot of people were going to be staying in. During their walk to the room, Valeria tried everything in her power to listen to what the idiotic prick was saying towards her, already not liking where the vibes were going but pushing through to get a certain someone out of her head. “I still can’t believe you work at such a lame ass place, maybe you should try another thing, seeing as glass making is such a waste and so boring,” Dennis said, clearly not been letting up on the fact that Valeria worked as a glass maker. It’s another form of art and it was hard to learn too, damnit! No one is going to tell her otherwise! ‘Leo thought it was cool, even asking me to make something for him and his family- WAIT NO! NO NO, I REFUSE TO THINK ABOUT HIM IN THIS MOMENT, I’M TRYING TO FORGET HIM!’ Screaming at herself, Valeria tried shaking her head to rid any thoughts on Leo, but was failing.

Miserably.

Finally reaching towards their room for the hour they booked it in, Dennis made himself comfortable, already slowly stripping down, taking his shoes off while trying to show how sexy he could be.

Key word: trying .

Trying not to cringe, Valeria slowly closed the door, reeling herself in to try and get her mind off other things at the moment. ‘How on earth does anyone find this man attractive! Even Leo was better at seducing me when we first started getting toge- AAAH BRAIN STOP IT!’ Shaking her head, Valeria turned to Dennis, trying to get her game face on for whatever was about to happen. He was inching closer to her, bringing his hands on her hips, the touch practically burning Valeria with how much she despised it. “Awe man, since we first talked all those months ago, I’ve always wanted to see more than just this from you, you know?” “So that's all I was to you? Eye candy?” Raising one eyebrow, with Dennis kissing and licking her neck, she questioned him, not liking where this was going. She closed her eyes, trying to think of anything, but the only person she could think of and images popping into her head was Leo. ‘Oh my fucking god, stop popping into my head!’ “W-what? Nooo, o-of course not! But just look at you though!” He hesitantly said, raising his head from Valeria’s neck, pulled away just a smidge, almost wanting to prove something that she already knew of herself. Crossing her arms, annoyance growing being in the same presence as Dennis, she was close to turning around, but he stopped her. “C’mon baby, let’s just have a good time…” Dennis went in for a kiss, but Valeria pushed him back, at her wit’s end.

‘No, this is not only bad, but wrong. Really wrong . I don’t want this or anyone else. I want Leo. Goddamn my fucking heart, WE’VE TALKED ABOUT THIS!’

“First off, don’t call me “baby” that way. I hate that and secondly, I think I’m-” Before either could continue, banging could be heard from the door. Having a huge feeling on who it could be, Valeria went to open the door and behold, Izra was outside the door. “WHAT THE FUCK DO YOU THINK YOU’RE DOING?!” Rolling her eyes, before Valeria could respond to her, Dennis cut them off, “wow, you know, if you wanted to join us sweetie, then all you had to do was ask...” Getting closer to the two, close to grabbing Izra when out of the blue, she gave a right hook to the man, punching the daylights out of him. With Dennis passed out on the floor practically half naked, Izra turned back to Valeria while wiping her neck off with the closest towel there was. “We need to talk. Now. ” Grabbing her hand, Izra forced Valeria out the room, walking with a steady but determined pace that almost knocked the wind out of her. Once reaching where there was a crowd, she slowed down the pace, which took an extra five minutes from getting out of the venue, but was still fast to step outside the building to not let anyone else hear what Izra had to say to Valeria. “Okay, I’ve held back a lot from saying anything and you know that. I know what I said earlier, but I don’t care anymore! You need to stop trying to destroy everything in your path, including yourself! You aren’t thinking clearly right now!” Crossing her arms, before Valeria could retort, Izra stopped her. “No, I’m not playing anymore. This isn’t a game. Your feelings and the feelings of this guy you clearly fucking like are real and here and you need to understand that playing these sorts of games is hurting yourself and others!” She rolled her eyes at Izra. “So what?! I told you before, I was going to figure this out myself-” “And look where it landed you! Almost sleeping with some random jerk who didn’t give a damn and the time of night for you!” 

Still screaming at each other, Valeria wasn’t sure what else to say or do. She just wanted to disappear for a long while, it’s how she’s been feeling for so long she wasn’t even sure what anything was anymore. “I already told you before. I. Don’t. Care. You’ve seen how my past hookups or relationships or anything were! It never lasts, so what’s the point if he does care about me, he’ll dump me the second he knows anything about me.” Shocked at what she just heard, Izra grabbed Valeria by the biceps, pushing her against the nearest wall they were by and decided to finally make Valeria open her eyes to reality. “I am going to strangle you for how you are acting at the moment. Who fucking cares what those idiots who didn’t want to be with you think, that’s on them for not sticking around the best person to be with. Listen to me very closely because if I have to tell you again, I'm actually going to kill you.” She was so close to Valeria’s face, there was almost no distance for her to move anywhere. 

“YOU DESERVE LOVE TOO! MY GOD, YOU DESERVE SO MUCH OF IT AND YOU’RE DESTROYING AND PUSHING YOURSELF AWAY FROM IT AGAIN! YOU CANNOT KEEP JUMPING AROUND THE BUSHES TO SOMEONE WHO’S WILLING TO STICK BY YOU NO MATTER WHAT! I DON’T CARE IF IT’S WITH THIS GUY OR LEO OR ANYONE , YOU DESERVE SOME FUCKING LOVE IN YOUR LIFE AND IF YOU THINK THAT ME OR ANY OF US ARE GOING TO LET YOU DESTROY YOURSELF FROM PUSHING IT AWAY, YOU'VE GOT ANOTHER THING COMING. I’M SICK AND TIRED OF HAVING TO TELL YOU OR KIRA OR ANYONE ELSE TO STOP HIDING YOURSELF. ME. OUT OF THE REST OF US IS TELLING YOU TO STOP. PLEASE STOP AND FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, THINK YOUR ACTIONS OVER FOR ONCE IN YOUR FUCKING LIFE VALÉ!”

Panting from the screaming, Izra backs away from Valeria, letting her be in her own thoughts, hoping she makes the right call. Eventually. “It’s around 9:30, I’m going back inside. If you do end up going back to your place, just let us know you got there safely, okay?” With her final say, Izra went back to the gallery, joining Kira and letting her know what the two spoke about. 

After about ten minutes, with what she was just told, Valeria silently started walking back to her apartment. Hoping she gets some peace to herself before reevaluating everything she thought would protect her heart from pain once more.

[twinklecupcake]

For the ship questions, how about 10, 11, and 12 with FreeNoodles and......... StrongSmoothie!

FreeNoodles

Who drives and who picks out the music?

Pigsy drives. Never a question, this is not up for negotiation. Pigsy is the dad who says "My vehicle, I'm driving" and refuses to ever be a passenger.

Meanwhile, nobody touches Tang's radio. He doesn't play it often, I see him as more of a 'listen to an audiobook or podcast with earbuds' kind of guy, but when he does feel like listening to music, he has a very specific setting the radio is set on and nobody is allowed to touch it. Even if they drive too far out and his radio station turns to static, he just goes "Eh, we'll pick up another station later."

What’s a song that describes their relationship? Or, what’s the song that they’ve deemed “their” song?

They've totally picked an 80's classic rock song as "theirs." The kids have no idea why it even applies or how; these two gay old men aren't telling.

But also I recently found this one where the singer compares their love to food and it's perfect:

Who gets up the earliest? Who has the worst sleep schedule? Who is the sleepiest?

Okay, so I headcanon that Tang is a teacher, so both of them get up early. Pigsy has to get up at the crack of dawn to get ready to open his noodle shop, and Tang has to get up roughly at the same time so he can get to his classes on time. Both of them also stay up late; Pigsy to finish closing up and prepping for the next day, and Tang because he's gotta finish grading or preparing a lesson plan. That said, Tang stays up a little later - moreso during exam season. Usually when Pigsy goes to bed, he'll put a drink and a snack next to him, mutter a "g'night, hon" and shuffle to bed. "Go to bed before sunrise." "Uh-huh."

Pigsy always wakes up just enough to know when Tang goes to bed, then drops right back to sleep. Both of them sleep like rocks til their alarms go off.

StrongSmoothie

Who drives and who picks out the music?

Neither of them drives very much - Goliath doesn't in general (he's fast enough on his own) and Meiyun will ccasionally drive a little moped or motorized scooter for her job, but she prefers to walk. That said, both of them will beg for control of the radio when they're passengers (usually when Synax drives).

They both unironically like girl group songs.

What’s a song that describes their relationship? Or, what’s the song that they’ve deemed “their” song?

coughBeautyandtheBeastcough

Okay no but they'd absolutely pick a cute R&B song they can dance together to.

Who gets up the earliest? Who has the worst sleep schedule? Who is the sleepiest?

Goliath gets up early, is a big night owl, and is easiest to wake up.

I imagine all the spiders are early-risers, both from instinct and from habit, honestly. And he's so used to staying up late and needing to be alert in an instant. He doesn't have a terrible sleep schedule, he does get enough for himself, but most people would look at him and wonder "HOW???"

Meiyun is probably the most 'normal' about sleeping, though she does have a system. Wake up at six am precisely and prepare for the day; go to bed at ten on work nights and eleven-thirty on weekends. The extra hour and a half is for unwinding with game videos and recordings of her favorite shows. She's not a light sleeper, but she's also not a heavy sleeper either… she's pretty average, honestly.

[purplesurveys]

1846

1 - What have you been up to so far today? Is that a typical thing for you to do on this particular day of the week?  It was definitely a busier Saturday than usual; I never spend the weekend squeezing in like 10 errands in a day unless I have a work event to begin with.

2 - Did you get a decent night’s sleep last night? How many hours sleep do you consider a decent amount?  It was okay! I fell asleep a little earlier than I thought I would, so it was nice to get a few extra hours in. The only thing I didn't like was that I woke up disoriented; I thought it was Monday and that I was running late for work, so I pretty much woke up with my heartbeat spiking.

3 - What is one silly thing that really gets on your nerves?  When people try to make small talk at the start of work calls. That was fine during the pandemic, but at this point, I swear I won't take it against you if you don't ask me how my weekend was or where I traleved during the Christmas break.

4 - Who was the last person you saw who wasn’t family? What did you guys end up doing together?  I saw my workmates and other agencies when we had to go to our client's office for a face-to-face meeting. We essentially went through like 70+ slides to brief the client on the final flow of our large-scale event this Sunday.

5 - Do you prefer hot or cold drinks overall?  Cold. I hate feeling like my tongue's getting burned.

6 - Do you own a decent set of waterproofs? If so, what do you use them for the most? If not, do you think that would be something you’d find useful?  Waterproof...what? Clothes? Phone case? Shoes? Hahaha. Anyway I don't think I own anything that's waterproof.

7 - Do you have any plans for the rest of the day?  I just need to finish this doughnut I'm eating lol, maybe take another survey after this...then I'll need to turn in early because I have an early start tomorrow.

8 - How often do you get your hair cut? When hairdressers were closed due to COVID, did you try cutting it yourself at home?  Probably like once a year. I never cut my hair during the Peak Pandemic Era – it helped that I had it trimmed literally a week before it all began, not knowing it was going to start.

9 - What did you wear the last time you left the house? Is that different to what you’re wearing at the moment? I went out today and haven't changed out of my outfit yet so I'll just enumerate what I have on – a purple cropped top + jeans.

10 - Would you rather have a relaxing beach holiday or a more active holiday in the mountains?  I'd love the beach as I can't remember the last time I had a beach trip + the mountains sound super isolating. It also reminds me of hiking, and there is no activity I hate more.

11 - Do you know how to tie a tie?  No. I kept the knot on my school necktie for like 14 years so that I could just always wear it like a necklace, lol.

12 - How old were you when you first had a sleepover at someone’s house? Did you miss home?  I think I was like 15 or 16 when I had my first sleepover. No, I was just mostly excited to finally be in a sleepover lol as I was never allowed prior. Woes of being a firstborn Asian daugher – you're 100% Test Subject A.

13 - How often do you spend time with your extended family? I would say once a month. We live very near each other.

14 - When you get up in the morning, do you have a set routine?  Yup. It's nothing special but it is my routine that I like to follow; any missing step and I'll get super bothered hahaha. Anyway, I'm an early waker, so I usually allot an hour to properly wake up and stay in bed catching up on social media/news.

Around 30 minutes before work, that's when I make my bed, take a quick shower and brush my teeth, fix myself a cup of iced coffee, then spend the remaining minutes clearing up emails that came the night before. They're simple things but it helps me SO MUCH to start work in a good/relaxed mood.

15 - Do you remember the last time you cried? Were they sad or happy tears?  Happy tears! I cried a little bit this afternoon watching a video of this kid reacting to Cody's win from last Sunday. I didn't cry watching him cry, but then he said "Everybody helped, everyone helped him" which was what broke me. That was such a wholesome thing to hear!

16 - What do you have planned once you finish this survey?  I really want to take one more of these but we'll see.

17 - What was the last thing you cooked? Did you cook from scratch or just heat something up? I don't cook. I buy most of my food.

18 - Are you a fan of hot chocolate? Do you like it plain or do you prefer to add things like whipped cream or marshmallows?  I'm picky. It needs to be like artisan hot chocolate and I'm usually willing to pay more for premium options as most hot chocolates here are really just Milo :(

19 - What caused your last injury?  Cooper nicked a bit of my fingernail when he got a little too excited play-wrestling with me for his toy.

20 - How many tattoos and piercings do you have? Do any of them have an interesting story behind them?  Zero tattoos. I got my earlobe piercings when I was a few months old so there isn't really a deeper story behind them haha.

21 - What kind of flowers do you like the best? When was the last time someone bought those for you?  I've always liked peonies. I can't remember the last time I got flowers.

22 - What’s the smallest thing you’ve ended a relationship over?  I've only experienced a failed relationship once.

23 - Would you rather order a starter (appetiser) or a dessert? Or would you be able to manage a full three courses? Appetizers. I don't like sweet things too much, so it's rare that I ask to stay long enough for dessert.

24 - How do you get most of your news, if you pay attention to it at all?  These days, Reddit.

25 - Have you or a member of your family been diagnosed with COVID yet?  My mom and sister had it simultaneously but fortunately they were asymptomatic as it could've possibly gotten. I got the worst experience of the bunch.

26 - Are you a vegetarian? If so, what persuaded you to stop eating meat? If not, is it something you’d ever consider?  No. I would consider it, yes, but I honestly don't have faith in myself to commit to it.

27 - Do you prefer rice or pasta? RICE. A day legitimately feels incomplete without rice...

28 - Is anything you’re wearing a gift? Who bought it for you?  Nah.

29 - What’s the dominant colour in the room you’re in at the moment?  White.

30 - Did you do laundry yet today? If not, do you need to do any before you go to bed?  Nope and nope.

[moonshadow1]

Your thoughts

This has been going on since me and my brother were 5 years old, (our mom and dad live in different homes in the same town but didn't get married) but when we would be with him on thw weekends he started leaving us alone in a shed house thing, TWO 5 YEAR OLDS ALONE FOR HOURS ALONE WITH LOTA OF ANIMALS THAT WOULD HURT THEM, lots of cats and two big dogs that would just walk around, even though we never went out when the dogs were near, just seeing them from a far, they were at least like a head taller than us and would absolutely shred us, then he (dad) would come back around 11 - 12, give us some food like Chicken Express, stay a few minutes, leave, come back like 4 hours later, only when we were 6 1/2 did we start going to a babysitter, then a few weeks after we turned 7 we were back to home alone, then at like 9 or 10 we moved to a different house in town, still left home alone for a while, he still comes into OUR room, sit on our bed with us for a hour or 2, go to his room and tell us to "relax" in his room, even though we was with us in OUR bed, (in the previous house we all shared a bed but it's still the same), and in things like trips and trying to get out attention, he would use his.. palm? Side of his hand instead of the.. back? Side of his hand, grabbing then shaking one of our thighs (the left because we are in a pickup truck like 99.99% of the time), he verbally abuses us (both.. physically?- looking at us, and on text/call), sexually (i only have done research abt it so correct me if im ever wrong, but he does things like be in our room in Our (my brother and I's) bed for a long time, doesn't stop when told, he may say he does but then like 5 mins later he does it again -_-) but we also know this isn't new at all because he's done this since we were five and he's also done it with our mother when she was with him (minus thw sexual abuse but verbal abuse was like twice as worse)- oh yeah, i almost forgot, as a FIVE YEAR OLD STILL, i would have to yell and argue with this "man" just for some food! And it's almost never home made and usually a fast food like Chicken Express- yeah it can be nice to have, but to have it for basically a whole weekend to week- no THANKS, (present time), we barely get any sleep too, so much we get hallucinations, usually hearing footsteps coming to our room from his side (our rooms are on opposite sides of rhw house) or a figure like him, or any strange figure, peaking around the corner of our door and looking at us and when we look at "it", it disappears, and we know it's tricks due to stress, lack of sleep and so on, but it still doesn't help at all, one time it was so bad for me that i stayed up for 6 days with 4 hours of sleep, some chocolates to help me stay up if i felt tired, and a phone to keep me occupied and whatnot, and we are absolutely destroyed when we get back to our mom's, just wanting sleep, a break from everything, love (like cuddles and hugs that AREN'T WEIRD) and food and everything we are missing, our mom, grandma, grandpa, older sister, and sometimes our aunts/uncles seeing us look like we're dead with our drained faces, slow movements, hungry, and tired, all of them only able to help and look at us with pity, and by the time we start feeling more better, time to visit him again, and usual both of us are like "Thursday is hell day, wish us luck. We are with him this Friday, time to die." Ect. Even though we know he's gonna do something, qe can't record it because he's close to the both of us so it's too risky to record and we aren't too sure when he would actually do it, and so on, my brother does self harm and has been caught several times while i think suicidal and destroy myself from.. the inside out, yelling at myself (if im not alone i just do it in my head) about many things like im pathetic and whatnot, even though i KNOW im not actually, i just can't help it, and after 4 nights of crying (fourth night my mother was with me) and for like 2 weeks i didn't think of anything bad

Of course this isn't all my life and whatnot, but it should give a jist of how my life is and wondering what people think abt things like this, and maybe if the questions aren't too personal (like age, place we live, ect.) then i could answer to help give some more context to things, but the longer we are stuck like this, the worse it gets for us, and sooner or later, me or my sibling risks death (not like thats always been the case 🙄) and we've tried to get my sibling to make a choice of to cut all ties with dad or keep things the same, but he doesn't say anything other than "i don't want to get him (dad) mad." And things along those lines, yeah im scared but I've faught (well argue) with this man since FIVE, and yes everyone has different reactions to things but they've haved MONTHS of thinking- no reply, he knows of the dangers and the terrible things our dad does, but he's honestly submissive to things like this so far, no matter how hard any of us try, he won't say anything

[megan-loves-surveys]

Let's go.

1 - Who was the last person to give you a gift? What was the reason for it? Christmas lol.

2 - Are you a good cook? If so, who taught you? What’s your favourite thing to cook? No I suck. My boyfriend has been trying to teach me but I'm awful.

3 - When was the last time something in your house broke? Did you manage to fix it or did you need to buy a replacement? Good question, I'm not sure.

4 - Is any part of your body hurting right now? What caused that pain? Not right now.

5 - Do you have anything exciting planned for the upcoming weekend? I'm going to a wrestling show, that'll be fun.

6 - If you could spend two weeks in any city in the world, which city would you pick and why? London or NYC, cos so much to do, I wouldn't get bored.

7 - When was the last time you tripped or fell in public? if there was nobody around to see you, did you still feel embarrassed? Ages ago, I don't think anyone saw me.

8 - The last time you made a sandwich, what did you put in there? Peanut butter.

9 - How many hours sleep did you get last night? Was that enough for you or could you have slept for longer? 6 hours and 40 mins, I could have had a bit longer but eh.

10 - What’s your favourite time of day? What’s your favourite thing to do at that time? Evenings, that's my free time! I listen to music, watch wrestling, play video games, talk on Discord etc.

11 - Where did you go the last time you left your house? I went to work, then after work I went out for a meal with my Mum.

12 - Are you tired right now? Will you be going to bed anytime soon? I'm alright, and no it's 12:26pm xD

13 - How many times a week do you get takeaway coffee, if you get it at all? I mostly stay away from coffee cos caffeine does a number on me.

14 - What radio station do you listen to the most? None.

15 - If you eat steak, how do you like it cooked? What sauces or sides do you like to go with it? I don't.

16 - Do you prefer sweet or savoury pancakes? What toppings do you have on them? Mixture - I get them with bacon and maple syrup.

17 - Are you someone who cracks their joints a lot? Which one(s) do you tend to crack and click the most? Yep, especially my knees and my fingers xD

18 - Have you ever taken medication or tablets to help you sleep? is this something you do on a regular basis? No.

19 - For you, what’s the worst thing about getting up in the morning? What about the worst thing about going to bed tonight? Actually getting up, after I do, I'm fine. And going to bed is annoying cos I have to haul all the plushies off it xD

20 - Do you prefer regular or diet soft drinks? Definitely diet, regular is usually too sweet.

21 - What do you tend to wear if you’re just hanging about the house for the day? Depends on the time of year - in summer, it'll be a jumpsuit, summer dress or tank top & shorts. In winter, it'll be comfy yoga pants and a hoodie with ugg boots.

22 - When was the last time you dyed your hair? Did you do it yourself or get it done at a hairdresser? December, I went to the salon.

23 - Does having to wear a mask stop you doing things? Is this because you struggle wearing one or you just don’t like it? We thankfully don't have to wear them anymore, but we did have to wear them for months in 2021 and 2022 - inside any buildings and on public transport.

24 - Have you ever witnessed a car accident? Or have you perhaps been involved in one yourself? Were you at fault? Does getting hit by a car count? LOL.

25 - When was the last time you baked a cake? What cake was it? I don't bake.

26 - Do you like wearing bows or accessories in your hair? Nah.

27 - How many books do you read in a year? Do you enjoy reading or do you have to really force yourself to sit down and read? Not as many as I should. I've read two this year so far lol.

28 - If you have pets, where did they come from? A breeder, a rescue or maybe a friend who bred their pet? No pets.

29 - Do you make your bed every morning when you get up? Yep.

30 - When was the last time you got takeaway food? Was it good? I had KFC on Friday if that counts.

1 - Who was the last person to knock on your door? Were they there to see you? My boyfriend, he usually texts me to let him into our complex but the gate was open last time and he was able to come in on his own.

2 - Have you left the house yet today? If not, do you have plans to leave the house later on? Not yet, and yes, I'm heading out to a concert later this afternoon around 3:30 or so.

3 - What’s your favourite brand of chocolate? What type of chocolate bar from that brand is your favourite? Any Belgian chocolate, Whittakers (NZ brand) and Cadbury's.

4 - Have you ever met someone in person who you first met on the internet? Do you have plans to do that anytime soon? Oh yeah, quite a few of my friends were online friends first, then later on we met in real life.

5 - What was the last thing you used a blender for? We don't own a blender.

6 - Have you ever got into an argument with a stranger on social media? Do you remember what it was about? Oh, loads of times. They're usually about wrestling xD

7 - When was the last time you cracked your joints? Is that something you do often? I do that way too much.

8 - What time is it right now? If you weren’t doing a survey, what else would you be doing right now? 1:25pm. I'd either be at work, at the gym or watching wrestling or playing a video game haha.

9 - If you had ten minutes to run around an empty supermarket and fill your trolley for free, what’s the first aisle you’d go for? Chips! Haha.

10 - Aside from Tumblr, what websites do you visit the most and why? last.fm, Facebook, Reddit, YouTube. All the usuals.

11 - Has COVID had any impact on your Christmas plans this year? What’s going to change or be different to normal? No, Covid isn't really a problem anymore. It's still around of course, but it doesn't affect stuff as much now.

12 - What’s your favourite flavour of cake? Are you any good at making that kind of cake? Any! And I suck at baking.

13 - Do you prefer sweet or sour candy? Sour.

14 - What colour is your favourite fruit? Is this a fruit you eat often? Yellow, cos it's bananas haha. And I don't eat them that much really.

15 - Is your favourite restaurant an independent place or a chain? What is it that you love about it so much? Porterhouse Grill, it's independent as far as I know. It's expensive but the food is so good and the staff are so friendly.

16 - Are you genuinely a fan of Starbucks or do you think it’s all hype? I love it! I go at least once a week.

17 - Do you own a Christmas jumper? What design/pattern does it have on it? I do, I have two, they're both wrestling ones - one is Seth Rollins, the other is Roman Reigns. I can't wear them at Christmas though cos it's too hot, so I wear them in July lol.

18 - What’s your favourite fit/style of jeans? Skinny jeans.

19 - What was the last non-essential item you spent money on? I dropped a bunch of money on backing the Broken Sword kickstarter haha.

20 - Are you currently under any COVID-related restrictions where you live? Are people generally following the rules? No, they lifted those in 2022.

21 - What did you last leave the room you’re in to do? To go downstairs for lunch.

22 - Have you ever read any self-help books? Did you find them useful? No.

23 - What’s your favourite programme on the Food Network (if you watch it)? If you don’t get that channel, what’s your favourite food/cookery show in general? I don't like cooking shows.

24 - Do you still watch cartoons? Yep sometimes.

25 - Who do you know with the most number of siblings? Would you ever want to live in a huge family? Ngawari, my BFF. She has 9 brothers and sisters! And no.

26 - Are you a fan of garlic bread? Yes! Yummy.

27 - Do you own any personalized clothing? What’s the reason for getting it? No.

28 - Is anyone else in the same room as you right now? What is that person up to? No, my Mum is downstairs.

29 - What colours are you wearing right now? Does your wardrobe contain a lot of those colours? Only black haha. And yes.

30 - Do you like adding condiments to your food? If so, what are some of your favourites? I am a condiment addict, I use so many different ones. But I def use tomato sauce/ketchup the most, with mayo in second.

This past year…

who were your favorite singers, musicians, or bands?

My most played artist on Spotify was Taylor Swift, lol. But on last.fm my #1 was Ayumi Hamasaki, like she is most years.

what were some of your favorite foods?

Mac & cheese, always.

what was your favorite dessert?

Iceblocks or ice cream.

what was the best thing that happened to you?

I got permanent work finally! It started as a temp job, but my boss liked me so much he offered me the permanent position. Yay me!

what was the worst thing that happened to you?

Dunno, 2023 was pretty good, all things considered.

how have you grown as a person?

Sure.

what have you learned?

That a temp job can turn into a permanent one if you work hard enough and impress.

how old did you turn?

36.

what did you do for your birthday?

I had dinner with my BFF on my actual birthday, then the next day I went to lunch with my Mum and then went out for drinks with my boyfriend.

what did you accomplish?

Got a permanent job, went to the gym regularly for the whole year etc.

where did you live?

I've lived in the same place since 2016 lol.

who was your best friend?

Ngawari, we reconnected in a big way last year - she was inspired to join the gym by me and now we go together every week.

This past year, have you….

made a new friend?

Yes.

lost a friend?

Yes :( My friend Zoe passed from cancer.

made a new best friend?

No.

lost someone close to you?

Yes.

attended a funeral?

No, cos Zoe didn't have a funeral, they just had a get together and I couldn't go cos we lived in different cities.

attended a wedding?

No.

gave birth to a child? 🤰

No.

“came out of the closet”?

No.

traveled?

God I wish.

felt depressed? 😔

No.

felt suicidal? 😔

No.

felt happy? 😃

Yes!

felt at peace? 😊

Probably?

felt overjoyed? 💃

Sure.

felt blessed? 😇

Dunno.

felt amazed? 🤩

Sure.

fallen in love? 😍

I was already in love <3

had your heart broken? 💔

No..

got a new car? 🚗

No..

graduated? 👩‍🎓

No.

experienced something miraculous? ✨

Nah.

had a better year than last year?

2023 was way better than 2022 for sure.

had a worse year than last year?

No.

been to see the doctor? 👨‍⚕️

I didn't, lol.

been to the hospital? 🏥

No.

had a severe allergic reaction? 🤧

No.

had COVID? 🦠

I think I did, I got sick twice in two months - once was a cold, the other was prob Covid.

found out someone you knew had COVID? 🦠

Yes.

used an epi pen? 💉

No.

had a fever? 🥵

No.

had a migraine? 🧠

Too damn many.

gone on a date? 🌹

Loads.

written in a journal or diary? 📔

Yes.

given someone a hug? 🤗

Loads.

cut your hair? 💇‍♀️

No, but I dyed it a few times.

danced around your living room? 💃

No.

prayed? 🙏

No.

worshiped Jesus?

No.

read the Bible? 📖

No.

discovered a new favorite book? 📕

No.

gone to church? ⛪️

No.

went for a walk in the fall? 🍁

Probably.

set up and decorated a Christmas tree? 🎄

Yes.

threw up? 🤮

No.

almost threw up? 🤢

Yes.

discovered a new music artist you really liked? 🎤

Loads!

discovered a new song you really liked? 🎶

LOADS.

seen snow? ⛄️

No.

seen beautiful fall foliage? 🍁

Yes.

gone to the beach? 🏝

No.

rode a bike? 🚴

No.

rode a horse? 🐎

No.

swam? 👙

No.

worn makeup? 💄

No.

done a craft project?

No.

made a scrapbook page?

No.

written an essay? 📝

No.

painted something? 🎨

No.

drawn something? ✍️

No.

sketched in a sketchbook?

No.

written someone a letter? 📝

No.

been to a concert? 👩‍🎤

Yep, I went to see the Vengaboys last year.

driven a car? 🚘

No.

kayaked? 🛶

No.

gone on a cruise? 🚢

No.

made a big purchase?

Depends what you consider big.

moved to a new home? 🏡

No.

got a new pet?

No.

lost a pet?

No.

gotten a tattoo?

No.

gotten a new piercing?

No.

started a new hobby?

No.

worn a mask? 😷

We didn't have to wear them in 2023.

felt afraid to leave your house?

No.

celebrated your birthday alone?

No.

celebrated Christmas alone?

No.

went for a long walk through the neighborhood?

Yes.

Favorites of this Year (Pick one for each.)

Song:

Hard choice, probably CuteBad - Provocateur

Book:

Dunno.

TV show:

Raw or Dynamite.

Youtube channel:

I have loads of faves, but prob Call Me Kevin. He's always funny no matter what.

Food:

Mac & cheese.

Dessert:

Iceblocks.

Drink:

Starbucks mocha java chip frappe.

Friend:

Ngawari or David.

Thing you did:

Saw the Vengaboys or going to wrestling shows.

Place you went:

Nowhere lol.

Person you spend time with:

My Mum.

Thing you did for your birthday:

Gone to eat.

Celebrity:

Jon Moxley.

Website:

YouTube or last.fm.

Emojis:

Laughing crying face or heart.

Colors:

Purple & blue.

Restaurant:

Porterhouse Grill.

Tea flavor ☕️:

I don't like tea.

Final Questions!

Would you say this past year has been a good year overall?

Pretty good, yeah.

What are your goals for the new year?

Keep going to the gym, mainly.

How old will you turn next year?

37.

Did you make any big mistakes this past year?

No.

Do you have any big changes coming?

No.

How will you be celebrating New Year’s Eve this year?

I just hung out with my boyfriend and his friends and we had some drinks.

What was the best day of this year for you, and why?

Hard to pick.

What did you spend the most time doing this year?

Working and going to the gym, lol.

[rainberrydrops]

21 Questions Tag

thank you for this @aomitois 🤍

1. Nickname:

✨Ries✨

2. Zodiac:

♉

3. Height:

your pocket-sized 4"11 girlie ✨

4. Jock, nerd, prep, goth?

Definitely nerd. I have a lot of interests that I enjoy talking about

5. Last thing I googled:

"Star Rail Yukong" 🤣 I just got her last night and I am going to build her so I'm looking at guides

6. Favorite musician:

I have a lot! It's hard to pick my most favorite among them. But if I were to recommend a musician to a friend, I would pick Blü Eyes. She's so underrated but her songs speak to the soul and the heart.

7. Song stuck in my head:

Currently? It's "Let Me Let You Go by One Ok Rock"

8. House or block flat?

There are very few flats here in my country, it's mostly condominium units 😅 so I will choose a house. It would be so cool to have my own house someday and I will surely enjoy decorating it

9. Followers:

971 amazing beautiful hoomans 💖✨

10. Do you get asks?

Yes, sometimes! And I really appreciate the time they took to send me one 🤍

11. Amount of sleep:

usually around 6-7 hours 😅 it's so hard for me to get a full 8 hours sleep nowadays. Life is really busy and there are a lot of things I have to do and want to do

12. What are you wearing?

It's usually hot and humid in where I live so just a basic white shirt and dark green shorts 😆

13. Dream job:

I do not dream of labor 🤣 but I'm proud to say I fulfilled the dream of my younger self and currently working as a professional writer for events marketing. She has always wanted to become a writer. While the process of achieving this is not easy and I experienced having self-doubt and questioning my life decisions countless of times, I guess you would always end up where you're supposed to go. And I can say I am content with the current job that I have. I am not an ambitious person and I have no desire to get promoted to a higher position because that would only mean more workload for me 🤣 and I hate the thought of that. I place a great value on work-life balance and that's the first thing I prioritize every time I apply for a job

14. Dream Trip:

I have a lot of places I want to visit! I guess it's because growing up, I wasn't able to travel a lot. So now that I am older and earning my own money, I want to spend it in a memorable way. I hope I can travel more in my country, the Philippines, because we've got a lot of beautiful scenery, forests, nature spots, and islands that I haven't seen yet. I want to visit the East Asian and other South East Asian countries because I'm interested in their culture. Traveling to Europe is also on my bucket list, and I want to visit The Netherlands the most so I could finally see my long-time best friend @happysops 💜

I have a lot of things I want to do 🤣

15. Instruments:

I hold high respect and admiration for musicians because I am not musically inclined 😅 I never had a chance to learn how to play any instruments

16. Language:

Tagalog, English, and I can read and understand a little bit of Korean and Japanese. I took a Spanish class back in college but I have forgotten everything I learned from there 🤣😭

17. 10 Favorite songs as of now

• Quarter Life Crisis - Taylor Bickett

• Getting Older - Blü Eyes

• Hype Boy - NewJeans

• Cupid - Fifty Fifty

• Ditto - NewJeans

• Left Right - XG

• Doushite - Takasetoya, Emi Noda

• Let Me Let You Go - One Ok Rock

• July - Laur Elle

• You'd Never Know - Blü Eyes

18. If you were an animal: 😼

19. Favorite food:

pepperoni pizza, takoyaki, dried mangoes, matcha!!

20. Random Fact:

I like watching concerts and attending art markets. I usually spend my paycheck on them 🤣 (please don't be like me). Actually, I will be attending Nmixx's concert this weekend and next week I'll be roaming around in another local art market 😆 being surrounded by talented and creative people uplifts my energy~

21. My aesthetic:

I don't really have a specific aesthetic but I like wearing comfortable clothes based on my mood on that day 😆 and cute jewelry and accessories 💖 my go-to bag is totes!

Tagging: @roselise @froglovemushroom

[soso94pro]

My weekend:

On Saturday I get up at 9 in the morning, and I go to brush my teeth and wash my face, and I go to eat, normally I eat scrambled eggs or cereal, and after eating I brush my teeth again. Normally I go out with my friends to hang out around Labisbal. When I come home, I shower, but it depends on the day if I shower or not. Then he helps my family, running errands or cleaning the house. After I go to eat some fruit or vegetables, I usually watch TV when I eat anything. Later I watch tiktok or play on the computer, finally the night comes, I drink juice and eat pizza or macaroni, and I go to brush my teeth and go to sleep at 12:30 at night.

On Sunday I get up in the 10 of clock and wash my face and brush my teath, after I do food for myself. And me and my famili go out to visit my grandmother's house in palafrugell and we stayed there all day, but I go with my cousins ​​to go around Palfrugell or go shopping or also stay at my grandmother's house to play video games. We leave palafrugell at 11 or 12 at night, when I arrive I take a shower and go to sleep at 1 in the morning.

Analysis:

I do well maintaining social relationships and eating fruits or vegetables, what should change is the time I go to sleep (12:30), I should also exercise more or talk more with my family, I would also have to play fewer games and put down my cell phone.

My healthy week:

In my healthy week, I get up at 8 in the morning and brush my teeth and face, then I go running in the woods next to my house. When I come back from running I usually eat scrambled eggs with orange juice. Later I study for 2 hours or do homework. Then I take a shower, and later I go out with my friends to walk around or go buy something. Then I return home to help my family with errands or clean the house, later at noon I eat lentils accompanied by a banana.

Finally, in the afternoon I exercise for an hour and a half, at night I make macaroni, brush my teeth and go to sleep.

[jellybracelet]

1-70 for the ask thing 😋

01: Do you have a good relationship with your parents?

Yes. I'm very, very grateful.

02: Who did you last say “I love you” to?

Cat

03: Do you regret anything?

Usually

04: Are you insecure?

Why. Do I seem it

05: What is your relationship status?

Bad

06: How do you want to die?

Unembarrassingly

07: What did you last eat?

Dried figs

08: Played any sports?

All Star cheer, school cheerleading, track and field/pole vault, cross country, college club gymnastics. Honorable fail mentions to basketball and soccer... Not meant for balls, yo

09: Do you bite your nails?

Not anymore, but my hands are usually in my mouth, which is supposed to mean something.

10: When was your last physical fight?

None as an adult. I did go through a punching walls phase but my meds mellowed me right out...

11: Do you like someone?

I would do anything to have a crush on someone right now. Having a crush is so fun

12: Have you ever stayed up 48 hours?

I've gone over 4 days without sleeping before 🫠

13: Do you hate anyone at the moment?

Just some random evil people in the world. Nothing personal

14: Do you miss someone?

Yeah

15: Have any pets?

Mocha

16: How exactly are you feeling at the moment?

Idk

17: Ever made out in the bathroom?

Do you know that feeling when you're at a really loud party and you close the door to the bathroom and the music gets all muffled and you see someone's reflection in the mirror and separate from your body? I think it's really rude to hog the bathroom at a party.

18: Are you scared of spiders?

Less than normal amount

19: Would you go back in time if you were given the chance?

I'd start over

20: Where was the last place you snogged someone?

SNOGGED. . . ?

21: What are your plans for this weekend?

Laundry, rock climbing, run a 5k, pack for my work trip

22: Do you want to have kids? How many?

I wish... 2 or 3

23: Do you have piercings? How many?

Holes that are currently open on my body: 10 ear piercings and 1 belly button piercing

24: What is/are/were your best subject(s)?

Philosophy

25: Do you miss anyone from your past?

Yes

26: What are you craving right now?

I could eat everything in the entire world every single day, but I won't.

27: Have you ever broken someone’s heart?

I'm not sure because I've been informed that I'm unaware

28: Have you ever been cheated on?

Not particularly

29: Have you made a boyfriend/girlfriend cry?

I wish

30: What’s irritating you right now?

Dish sitting next to me

31: Does somebody love you?

Yes

32: What is your favourite color?

Green

33: Do you have trust issues?

I have this thing called being crazy where sometimes I think everyone is lying to me or maybe my sister really gaslights me. It's a tricky situation we got here

34: Who/what was your last dream about?

I don't do that

35: Who was the last person you cried in front of?

Cat

36: Do you give out second chances too easily?

My life isn't really that dramatic so shit like that doesn't happen

37: Is it easier to forgive or forget?

Forgor bc I have memory problems. I don't mind forgiving either. As Lauren Conrad said, "I wanna forgive you, and I wanna forget you."

38: Is this year the best year of your life?

NO

39: How old were you when you had your first kiss?

Ten (I was a little slore when I was a kid)

40: Have you ever walked outside completely naked?

Gross

Is anyone gonna talk about how there's no 41 through 50?

51: Favourite food?

I don't have one bc I'm an adult.

52: Do you believe everything happens for a reason?

What a terrible thing to think.

53: What is the last thing you did before you went to bed last night?

Moisturized my feet ten times

54: Is cheating ever okay?

I just had this argument with my sister thirty minutes ago omg

55: Are you mean?

Unfortunately

56: How many people have you fist fought?

LMFAO probably just my little sister

57: Do you believe in true love?

I can't think about that

58: Favourite weather?

Different weather for different activities. Jogging is 55-65, beach is 80+, walking around is 60-70

59: Do you like the snow?

I thought I didn't until it stopped happening

60: Do you wanna get married?

😣😦

61: Is it cute when a boy/girl calls you baby?

Yes

62: What makes you happy?

Moving my body

63: Would you change your name?

Yes

64: Would it be hard to kiss the last person you kissed?

Probably bc I don't really drink anymore

65: Your best friend of the opposite sex likes you, what do you do?

Fall in love with them or use it to my advantage. jk. This hasn't happened since I was like 12

66: Do you have a friend of the opposite sex who you can act your complete self around?

I used to

67: Who was the last person of the opposite sex you talked to?

The phrasing of these questions is so funny and 2012. my contortion teacher? Lol

68: Who’s the last person you had a deep conversation with?

My therapist. 🤢 I don't think deep conversations or introspection or reflection is even good for you (genuine).

69: Do you believe in soulmates?

No.

70: Is there anyone you would die for?

Not yet. That's too much of a burden to put on someone else.

[eddiequeenque]

How many hours of sleep do you get per night, on average?

That depends.

Usually on weekdays where I work, I am extremely tired from the trip to and back from work as well as mentally exhausted. I slept at around 10 to 11 pm or 12 am. And then I will wake up at 6 am SHARP. And then I will sleep for another 30 minutes, before waking up and getting ready for work.

During weekends, I wake up at around 8 to 10 am, and go to sleep around 12 to 1 am.