#i really wanted to use the curly font lol

[penguinmerchant]

"Darkrooms" Binding

My latest binding! This is the author's copy, my copy is still in the press and looks exactly the same except I melted one corner with the iron, lol. It gives it character. Right? RIGHT?

This is a Red Dead Redemption 2 fic by Besselfcn featuring Arthur Morgan and Albert Mason--so well written, just an amazing voice and it's short but really packs a punch. I used covers like this and this for inspiration, although this one came out to be more complicated than those. Used some of my precious Duo bookcloth for the green, which looks amazing. Anyway, I think there are some really cool parts to this binding. More pics under the cut.

The endpapers, beautiful Renato Crepaldi papers that I knew I was going to use for this the instant I came across them on his instagram. They're meant to evoke a sunset (although they also look a lot like Jupiter to me--but the sunset part was what they were meant to look like, and the papers are part of the Skyscapes collection, so. Yeah.). It's so pretty up close, there are some really cool pictures on Crepaldi's instagram if you want to look at them more closely.

The spine, which echoes the wolf and moon theme from the front (I really like the spine, it's so small and usually so hard to line up right but this came out just perfectly)

The title page, foiled with toner reactive foil--boyfriend designed everything and he really liked this title page, even if it's the name of the first chapter and not the actual collection of stories, lol. But I liked it so much I couldn't help but include it. Along with:

All of the font designs and curlies were made by the boyfriend, but the pictures are all Arthur's. I found this reddit post where someone had collected all of the pictures Arthur draws in his journal, so these pencil drawings (well, printed pencil drawings) are all Arthur's actual pictures from the game. I thought it was such a neat touch and, because Arthur's journal is an important part of not just the game but this story as well, I thought it was important to include them. There are a few more random pictures for chapter breaks, etc. but they're not super fancy like this.

Anyway, not much more to say about this binding. It's getting easier to do these and I make fewer mistakes--I made the case on this just a smidge too short, or maybe made the textblock a smidge too big, but that was about it--and although the HTV is always a pain it's getting more reliable as well. This cover was a pain in the ass to weed, though, and needing to do it twice kind of sucked. Anything in the name of art though! I'm so excited for the author to see this and I'm really happy to be able to add this to my collection!

[lemonadedino]

Have a snippet of landoscar enemies to lovers background story from the much ado about nothing au fic below the cut 🫶

I have to prove to myself that I’ve actually worked in it lol

As he walked back to his seat, amid all the polite clapping, he heard him.

“That Piastri guy had the most boring presentation ever, I swear. I was actively falling asleep. And don’t get me started on the slide choice, Carlos! Where was the color? The variety? The fun, engaging design elements? It was just all so bland, mate. Blergh.”

Oscar was pretty sure the curly-haired man currently launching a vitriolic attack on his PowerPoint was named Lando Norris. He vaguely recognized him from his presentation earlier in the day.

Oscar had heard his name floating around the office break room. Supposedly, he was the office prodigy, some sort of comp-sci genius poached straight out of Oxford. Public opinion on Lando seemed to deem him as an intensely likable and cherubic, if slightly hyperactive, team member with a strong work ethic and sharp sense of humor.

Listening to the Brit’s increasingly passionate tirade, Oscar wasn’t so sure about the first part of that descriptor.

Unaware that he now had an audience, Lando kept on ranting to his companion, gesticulating wildly.

“I can’t believe he used Times New Roman, Carlos. Times New Roman! That’s literally the worst possible choice. It means you intentionally didn’t want to use the default font, Arial, but still couldn’t branch out and be more exciting! Oswald is right there!” His voice gradually climbed in volume. “Also! Who actually adds transitions to their slides? That’s some George type shit.”

“Mate, yours wasn’t much better.” The words came spitting out before Oscar even registered that his mouth had opened. Clearly, four hours of sleep had lowered his normal inhibitions surrounding conflict avoidance. Two sets of eyes snapped to look at him, one pair unnervingly reminiscent of watercolor and the other velveteen brown.

Oscar swallowed. Well. There’s no backing out now. He might as well fully commit.

“At least I didn’t use brain-meltingly bright neon colors and an overcrowded SlidesGo template. And a soundtrack? Really, Norris? Where did you even find that?” Oscar was on a roll now. There was something oddly liberating about it. “What are you, a five year old who got access to Microsoft Office for the first time?”

Lando pouted, which in theory should look absolutely ridiculous on a full grown man. It certainly didn’t help him fight the “five year old who got access to Microsoft Office for the first time” allegations. Yet somehow, on Lando, it was adorable. Oscar shut down that train of thought as soon as it sprouted.

Lando pursed his lips, primed to respond, no doubt with another jab at Oscar’s presentation.

“Oscar! Great job, dude!” Logan suddenly hollered from across the room, eagerly waving him over. Oscar had never been more grateful for his best friend. He would definitely be buying him one of those Arnold Palmers that the American so adored from the office café in thanks.Taking the opportunity to escape, Oscar waved back and slipped away.

He heard Carlos chuckle as he left.

“He’s really got you there, Lando. You know, I quite liked his presentation. He’s a good speaker. Very articulate,” the older man said.

“Shut up. That’s my new Sworn Arch-Nemesis you’re talking about.”

“A bit dramatic, don’t you think? What happened to Betty from HR being your Sworn Arch-Nemesis? You were complaining to me about her just yesterday.”

“I’m not being dramatic, Carlos. Can’t you see it? Betty’s been ousted. Oscar Piastri is an infinitely more qualified candidate for the role of my Sworn Arch-Nemesis.” Lando paused. “Plus, I’m pretty sure Betty is nearing her 70s. She talks about her grandchildren all the time. I don’t want to deal with the hassle of finding a replacement after her retirement.”

Up until that moment, Oscar had been planning to chase Lando down after the conference, buy him a coffee, and apologize effusively for his outburst. Sure, it had been rude of the Brit, but it didn’t justify Oscar insulting his presentation. He didn’t know why he had reacted so strongly to Lando’s snarky commentary. Truly, Lando’s presentation hadn’t been that bad. He’d seen way worse. Oscar actually thought that the soundtrack was a nice touch.

But if Lando was already dead set on treating him as his Sworn Arch-Nemesis, Oscar didn’t see why two couldn’t play at that game. He had to spice up his workday somehow, after all.

Since then, for the last couple of years, there had been a constant stream of traded barbs and petty jibes, more often than not sent via Microsoft Teams, because Lando transferred to a new division based across the country a year ago.

Oscar would never admit it, but he had started looking forward to opening his inbox every morning, eager to see what creative insult Lando had launched at him. Obviously, he shot one of his own right back.

[velvetwyrme]

Font anon again! Thanks for indulging me. Yes it is the fic where SF!Papyrus is Palatino. It’s one of my favs. I agree with Serif as a last name because it’s funny.

I’m going mostly off vibes. You completely nailed what I was going for with UF! Papyrus (you are definitely the right person to brainstorm with and have great insight.) My original font search prioritized fonts people complained about, sticking to the theme of Comic Sans and Papyrus being “annoying fonts.” If you can think of any other ones I’m down to hear them.

Here is my list of names:

Courier

Helvetica

Trajan

Bradley Hand

Gentona, Avenir

Calibri

Verveine

Corsiva

Frutiger

Bodoni

Vivaldi

Zapfino

Rockwell

Amadeus

Clarendon

Arvo

Avenir

Casion

Cooper

Didot

Carrington

Anviers

Fontin

Fertigo

Harrington

*waves hand at you* nOOOOO WORRIESSS and thank you for the clarification ;D!! I'm always here for indulgence owu!! And thank you! I'm glad you like my take on things haha! (ANNOYING FONTS LETS GO!!!!)

This is a fantastic list :o!! I pulled up all the fonts in your list in another window for maximum ponderance lol.

I stuck my thoughts under the cut because as usual it got long (and for some of them I'm spitballing more than anything) but hopefully it's of some help ^^!

Swap!Papyrus: Hands down (haha), he suits Bradley Hand visually- the font is like Papyrus (font) but more loose and scribbled- it has more curves and thus has a more laidback kind of vibe, which is why I think it'd suit him... but also I'm losing my mind at the idea of calling him Bradley (derogatory) (/lh).

(I'm also biased though. I used to use this font for writing when I was younger LMAO. You know how people say to write with Comic Sans? I did that with Bradley Hand.)

Swap!Sans: I reckon he'd fit Cooper.

Round, bold, a little bit 'childish' when compared to other fonts, but infinitely more put together than Comic Sans. It also makes me think about comics like Archie or Garfield, which used similar rounded fonts for their titles! Cooper (font) feels so... cartoony to me, y'know? Also it makes me think of Sly Cooper just namewise lmaooooo

Underfell!Sans: Ok. OK. Listen I don't think this font suits him BUT!!! Fontin would be REALLY FUNNY just purely because I think he'd have the time of his life making jokes about "Fonting". Like: "ey! i'm fontin' here!" type of jokes which would get old so so so quickly. Do you see my vision.

If Carrington was less... curly-cursive I'd say it'd suit him purely for the potential visual association with like. the typeface you might see at a stereotypical tattoo parlour or something. IDK it makes me think about tattoos and motorcycles.

SAYING ALL THAT THOUGH: I think he could suit Rockwell! It makes me think of titles and bold headers, also cowboy westerns and Very Masculine and Cool products lol. Except... Rockwell is usually used with Uppercase, Title case or Sentence case. Purely lowercase Rockwell feels inherently cursed to me. (Like truly, what are you doing if you're using Rockwell in lowercase. That's committing a violence.)

Swapfell!Papyrus: Weirdly enough, I reckon I could see him with Corsiva or Fertigo? (Which... looks strikingly similar to Fontin. Huh!)

(Fertigo on the LEFT, Fontin on the RIGHT)

IMO, Fertigo feels more laidback due to the curling tips (which still come to sharp points). The way that the ends of "strokes" get flicked gives it a sort of lazier vibe.

BUT the font choice here also depends on your interpretation of SF!Pap!!

If you want to have a font that's underrated and everywhere?? GO Calibri. It's used as the default font for Microsoft, and is designed to be very easy to read. This is particularly befitting of the interpretations of SF!Pap where he's well versed in computers/electronics and/or doing spywork. His presence is not actively noticed, but he's always there! Alternatively, if you wanted to name him after a serif'd font, similar to Calibri, one of the fonts from your list, Caslon, has a somewhat ubiquitous presence, and also feels a little rougher/crunchier than stuff like Calibri or Fertigo.

Other notes:

I know you already decided on a name for him, but Trajan is also a really good alternative option for UF!Papyrus imo. Similar Roman-Commander vibes except even more explicit LMAO. Plus, it's a solely uppercase font, which is even more fitting.

Didot... if you swap the 'i' for a 'd' and vice versa, you get 'idiot' which is simply ripe for the teasing, but I don't think it fits any of the skeletons lol.

I would have suggested Arial as an option due to it's former prevalence, but honestly that name (+Verdana) have like… cemented themselves in my brain as 'fan-made skeleton' fonts ajbhjsmhjmdh (no shade whatsoever to anyone who uses them ofc, but MAN are they used a LOT.)

[songs-about-girls-like-me]

chapter 17: let's go, girls

A week before I had had the dumbest yet most genius idea while watching television. My older sister had gotten a laptop for her 13th birthday so she could scroll away while watching TV like we do in the modern days lol but my younger sister and I had to watch Cory at the Whitehouse fully conscious, laying on the couch like we were thrown there by life, wearing our school uniforms and procrastinating our homework all afternoon while the sun set outside behind the apartment buildings. TV has always simultaneously sucked and hit hard, it just depends. The were showing the trailer for a new show that was premiering super soon and it looked fucking so good: the music was sick and so were the clothes, the characters looked fun and awesome and the whole premise was dancing. Dancing ??!!!! It was a perfect fit. So my friends and I were eagerly waiting on Shake it Up to come out, but until then, I was watching this boring trash of a plot line. This episode they were formimg a band or something ? I was about to choose homework over watching TV when the girl, Trisha or whatever her name was, stopped me on my tracks by doing a combination of finger snaps and hair flips before exiting the room. And I was like: "you know who would look stupid cool doing that in real life? Yea, exactly, my friends and I."

When the comercial break came, I stood up, went up to a mirror and came up with a combination of my own. It was an 8 count, obviously, cause my brain was terminally wired that way. 1, 2, 3- finger snaps, 4- double finger snap, 5 and 6- hair flips, 7 and 8- turn around to leave. I practiced a hundred Times in the mirror changing some things until I got that exact combo. And then another hundred so I wouldn't forget until seeing my friends the next day.

The craziest part for me now is that no one thought I was stupid or delusional lol , when I got to school and showed it to my friends, everyone loved it and was down to exit places like that, all together. Non ironically. It was called the "let's go, girls" and we got it down in two minutes. I really think only disney channel can explain something like that lol.

I was sitting next to MJ in class (we were probably switching places with someone else as always now) and we were drawing, using our fineliners while also coming up with more of these stupid handshakes and laughing too much cause most of them seemed even too stupid to us. We had already another one that went "1, 2, 3, lipgloss" to apply Victoria's Secret Beauty RUSH lipgloss. Poppy would bring her pack of lipglosses everyday and round us up in the morning so each of us could have one in our uniform pocket if we wanted one. Which was so! fun! Lol. MJ and I were planning a friendship poster on a cool piece of stationary paper Ella had gifted us and we had had everyone write their names on one side of it, with the coolest font you could make and an exclamation point. Like "Rees!" "MJ!" etc.

We were also including some more girls that were becoming close to us too. Abigail (who danced Umbrella by Rhianna with Poppy) and Indie. Indie was always this type of person who got along well with basically the whole class, but didn't have a constant friend group most of the Time. She was very nice and very fun, and tall, like taller than most guys (guys at age 11, but, you know what I mean). She had curly long hair and was introduced to the group via Ella since they bonded during the school camp, but I had always kept a bit of a friendship with her since we were close friends in kindergarten. My top memory of us is hiding behind some desks at age 5 to play hand-clapping games cause we were sick and tired of watching "The mask of Zorro" cause a stupid kid had asked the teacher to play that one again.

The poster was coming along nicely. MJ and I were filling up the page with doodles and giggling and we took out a gloss to apply strawberry fizz lipgloss once again.

"Rees!" Mick, the basketball dude, had come up to us and was calling my name from the other side of the bunch of desks that was our "class team".

"Yea?"

"Can you come over?"

"Uhm... why?" MJ and I were looking at him, unamused. The frienemy relationship with these guys was just boring most of the Time. We were tired of them interrupting our good spirits. Whatever he wanted was probably not too good.

"Just come over, Rees" he beckoned at me and left. MJ and I looked at each other and she shrugged as an "it's probably nothing". I lifted both my eyebrows with a similar shrug of the shoulders and stood up leaving MJ to finish the page. Everyone had switched places like us, and Mick was sitting with his friends, Sam, Rick, etc and Percy who had personal academic rivalry with me for no reason. But it didn't seem like they were trying to talk to me...

Then I saw Brody standing next to them, and I knew something was up.

[voltronqts]

halloween headcannons

lance

lance is definitely one of those couple/group costumes type of person.

he fucking loves halloween , he still goes trick of treating, this boy does not care.

he actually kind of uses his younger siblings as an excuse to go out and pretends to be watching them. but he’s the first one to snatch his favorite candy out of their bag.

you know those signs on the candy bowl that say, ‘only take one’, he doesn’t take one he takes like three pieces because he’s a rebel™ and doesn’t want to steal all the candy bc he feels bad.

with an s/o he’d do a couple costume, but probably like some pop culture reference one. like grease costume bc that’s really generic, or maybe like some anime character couple (would probably do an ed x winry costume and go all out).

with a group costume he would suggest magic mike without a doubt. everyone says no.

lance trades candy (aka steals it and claims he traded it).

he goes all out with decorations, the house and yard would be filled with Halloween decorations. the best house in the neighborhood™, all the kids love going to his house.

also he has to go to at least once haunted house a year, and surprisingly he doesn’t get scared that easily.

tries to summons demons on halloween and pretends to be possessed. everyone hates him for it smh.

he even still celebrates it while they are in space as best as he can. he gets really excited telling coran and allura about earth holidays.

he spooks everyone too, definitely plays the oujia board. and he tells coran and allura scary stories and urban legends and claims they are 100% true.

keith

surprisingly loves halloween too!!

he doesn’t really dress up but just loves the whole mood during the weeks leading up to halloween.

he watches so many horror movies the whole month and he kind of decorates his room.

he likes the idea of going to haunted house but hasn’t ever been to one. lance promised to take him to one once they get back on earth.

keith would do a generic costume, like a vampire. and like all he does is wear all black, have a cape, and dollar store fake teeth that glow in the dark. buys fake blood and just pats it on his face.

okay he dressed up as the grudge boy one year and freaked everyone out.

he doesn’t go trick or treating.

but he also doesn’t personally give candy out to kids. (i mean he lives in the fucking middle of nowhere) but let’s say he lived in a neighborhood he would just be that person that leaves a bowl of candy out and just tapes a sign on that says, ‘take a few. NOT ALL.’

he has no opinion on couple or group costumes. doesn’t care either way.

wow, get ready for this, but when he gets back on earth after the whole universe is saved and what not. he finally has a family to spend the holidays with and he’s so happy and he will do whatever they want too. he’s just so happy.

oh, he plays along with lance when lance is telling coran and allura about the urban legends and spooky stories. and says that lance isn’t lying that it’s 100% true.

even adds in his own details and makes up so. he’s literally so amazing at playing along.

he finds it really funny how spooked allura and coran are getting and how they keep saying humans are messed up.

he tells allura and coran that, “big foot attacked him in his house one day and he had to fight him.”

oh and he definitely takes a handful of candy when it says only take one. smh

shiro

shiro is a simple man. he enjoys the holidays. he went to halloween parties, he went trick or treating, he went to haunted houses / mazes.

he usually dresses up as a tv show/movie character though, and his costumes were always 10/10.

he enjoys decorating and he doesn’t go all out like lance, he has a cute and neat yard and house. you know like some styrofoam gravestones, an inflatable pumpkin or skeleton, spooky colored lights, spider webs, a skeleton somewhere and a bat. his folks are simple.

enjoys couple and group costumes a lot but hates planning it and getting everyone to go through with it.

watches a lot of halloween movies, not necessarily horror, just kidish movies from his childhood with the occasional spooky one thrown in.

considers the nightmare before christmas a halloween movie.

gives away a lot of candy, like two handfuls per kid bc he just can’t resists how cute and excited they look. always spends way to much on candy every year but it’s worth it seeing the children smile and get amazed. buys the brand names candy too.

he doesn’t play along with lance telling allura and coran about the spooky things on earth. just kind of sits back and relaxes, until he realizes that coran and allura are legitimately getting freaked out.

refuses to let lance play the ouji board. will through hands if necessary (jk shiro wouldn’t do that.)

pidge

the type of person to change their username to something ‘spooky’.

dresses up as a meme, ‘you know i had to do it to em.’

or dresses up as a cartoon character, one year she did mandy from billy and mandy the next year she did raven from teen titans. everyone loved it so fucking much.

queen of creating the best costumes.

‘Nightmare before Christmas is a halloween movie.’ those are fighting words

‘NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS IS A FUCKING CHRISTMAS MOVIE SHIRO!!’

not much of a decorater honestly.

buys candy to give out, but ends up eating it all before halloween comes around. actually doesn’t regret it but pretends too.

she of course watches horror and halloween movies the whole month.

loves scary people. smh evil pidge.

actually takes two handfuls of candy when it only says take one.

doesn’t like group or couple costumes.

definitely plays along with lance when he’s telling allura and coran spooky things.

hunk

always has a small get together for halloween and bakes the best shit. has the best goodie bags and the best decorations.

he either dresses up as gordon ramsey or a witch every year.

doesn’t really care too much for haunted houses or horror movies not that he’s necessarily scared of any of it since he knows it’s fake.

he prefers the more lighthearted side of the holiday.

he never really goes trick or treating he likes staying home and giving out candy. he’s actually the best house on the block all the kids rush to his house. gives out the big candy bars and like capri suns.

loves watching the kid halloween movies, makes him nostalgic.

okay but this boy does like spooking people on halloween. especially lance. will just randomly slam the door open while lance is in the shower wearing a scary mask. works every time to scare lance.

he doesn’t get easily scared though surprisingly.

doesn’t like group costumes so much but likes couple costumes.

says nothing while lance spooks allura and coran with his stories, waits to see how far lance can get before they start doubting him.

bonus

— once they get to earth the group costume is definitely scooby doo or stranger things themed costumes. anything that has a large group. definitely get allura and coran to participate it.

[alaezasmystery235]

rules, disclaimer and notes ☆

[ Disclaimer ] : this reading was made for entertainment purposes only. this is obviously a general reading so takes what resonates and leave when it doesn't, you don't need to force your energy to read this and leave such a bad comment just to say it doesn't resonates with you at all because the answer is very obvious!

lastly, be happy and enjoy reading my works — feedbacks, comments, likes, reblogs and follows are really appreciated by the reader. (that's me, lol :3)

[ source and creditable ] : All of the pictures are collected and downloaded from 'pinterest' i don't own any of them but credits goes to the rightful owners however edits goes and belong to me only @alaezasmystery . I use the editor tools canva and kapwing for the header and divider.

Extra credit to @daninixx for giving permission to use her rules and disclaimer.

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ＰＩＬＥ 1

LOVES LOVES LOVES Coffee

Has long hair , straight and soft

Winter is prominent , May have their birthday or it's their fav season . Also loves Christmas !!

Height is between 5'10 - 6'1

Plays guitar or takes singing lessons

Work related to healing , crafting or humanity

Has an outgoing personality. But doesn't indulge in social functions often

May have a brother or sibling whom they trusts the most

Loves beaches and spends time in solitude

Smells good and has a clean cut , Muscular fit .

Their spirit animal can be Bear and Spider

Very very good at sex .

Green Blue eyes . Specs are coming for some .

Has won some medals or prizes on sports such as swimming , yoga or HITs .

Loves savory foods and often dines at fine restaurants

May keep charms or souvenirs for luck . I'm getting some kind of family heirloom

Aesthetic Vibes :- Softcore & 90s

Their handwriting can be small in font and slanting .

Places I got = Turkey , Israel , Japan

Zodiac signs = Taurus , Sagittarius , Aries

ＰＩＬＥ 2

Quite different from your usual types

Has a big friend circle / Friendly & Outgoing

Loves astronomy . Possibility of being a starseed.

Full of surprises and enjoy life to the fullest

virgin and have a high sex drive

Height can be between 5 '7 - 5' 8

Fashionista . Loves mainly caps and bracelets

Divine Connection . Has witchy vibes .

Loves animals and wants a pet

Curly short healthy hair . Black and Red are prominent .

Graduated . Has some kind of major . OR just finished college

Not too old & young . Age between 22- 27 .

Loves Cars and bikes in colours blue / White .

Aesthetic vibes :- Dark Academia & Glam

Always on the GO !!! Doesn't like lazy people .

Has some mommy issues .

Intimidating , Majesty and model vibes

Loves to compose either books or music

Very pretty hands and nails

Places I got = USA , Florida , Brazil , Northampton

Zodiac signs = Leo , Scorpio , Aquarius , Pisces

©️ @alaezasmystery 2023

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[starshine583]

New Girl on the Block (17)

(sorry for the late update everyone! I spent time with family this weekend and got a little side tracked lol anyway, please enjoy chapter 17 of “New Girl on the Block” and as always, feel free to check out the mini series connected to this called Journal Entries!)

Ch.1 / Ch.16 / Ch.18 (ao3)

Chapter 17: Subtlety Is Key

The platform ladder that Marinette was standing on sat firmly in Felix’s grip as he watched her attempt to pin a stream of hearts to the wall. She appeared to be having trouble deciding which angle was best, moving her end of the stream up and down while staring at the other end, which was already pinned up, and squinting. He half wondered if she was going to take this long on every stream of hearts she pinned up, since she'd been doing the same up-and-down motion for a while now, but he also didn’t mind waiting if she did. The longer he stood here, the better his chances were of escaping the task of writing those “thank you” cards that Allegra liked to put in her party favors. She always managed to rope him into it, saying that his handwriting was the best amongst them, which, in truth, it was, but why not save the trouble and type out the message on the computer in a curly font? Surely, it would have the same effect.

“Felix, does this look straight to you?”

Felix dragged his gaze back up to Marinette, who was frowning at the spot that she’d finally decided to stop on. The stream of hearts hung to her right, making a nice curve on the wall that looked fine, but he wouldn’t be able to say for certain until he acquired a level, which they didn’t have.

“As straight as it can get, I imagine.” He replied. Even if it was a tad off, the guests would hardly notice. They’ll be too busy mingling and dancing around.

A sigh fell from the ravenette, and she lowered the hearts to give him a tired look. “How is that supposed to help me?”

“Well, it’s definitely not straight now. Does that help?”

Marinette pressed her lips into a thin line, obviously disgruntled, and Felix clenched his jaw to avoid smiling. Perhaps he should wait until she got off the ladder to continue. She might kick him in the face otherwise.

“Why are you here if you’re not going to be useful?” She grumbled, turning back to the wall.

A snort escaped Felix’s lips. “I am being useful. I’m holding the ladder so you don’t fall and break your neck.”

“Bold of you to assume I won’t fall whether the ladder is steady or not.”

“Which is another reason why I’m here.” He replied smoothly. “To catch you.”

Marinette hummed, glancing down at him from the corner of her eye. “How kind of you.”

“Yes, it really is, isn’t it?”

She breathed out a small laugh and shook her head, coaxing a smirk from Felix as well. 

It’s been about a week since they stayed up all night talking at Allegra’s house, since things between them changed, since things with him changed. He couldn’t quite place what had caused it, except that it was most definitely her. The way she listened to him wholeheartedly throughout the entire night, hanging on his every word, offering support when needed and trading a few stories herself- It made him feel heard, which was immensely strange. Because he’d been heard before, plenty of times in fact. It was nothing new. So why was that night different? Was it because of the soft atmosphere that the moon provided? Or because they were both somewhat tired despite saying otherwise? Why did his entire being feel so clear and refreshed when they went up to bed later on?

Whatever happened, he’d assumed that the feeling would be gone by morning, since nighttime conversations hardly travel to the next day, but imagine his surprise when the feeling swelled full force in his chest the next day, specifically when he greeted Marinette in the hall. It was as crystal clear as the night before, and it had yet to fade even now. 

Felix didn’t understand. Not at all. But he certainly wasn’t going to dispute it. He actually began encouraging the feeling, talking with Marinette on a more constant basis, muttering in her direction during conversations, asking more casual questions, throwing around a joke or two about the others when it seemed appropriate- he even found himself teasing her at one point, which led him to the wonderful realization that Marinette Dupain-Cheng was much sassier than he’d given her credit for. Despite her surprise, she’d snapped back immediately, a playful glare in her eyes and a smirk on her lips, and with an unexpected reaction like that, Felix couldn’t not tease her more. That would simply be a waste.

In the following week, he continued to talk with her, and continued to learn how much of a wild card she truly was. She never reacted to his teasing the same way. For example, one minute, she would blush, the next she would smack him, or roll her eyes and shoot right back without a second thought, or even pout. There was no telling what she was going to do next, and Felix eagerly anticipated her next move each time. It was fun for him now, fun to talk with her, fun to see her smirks and glares and giggles when he did. He could understand why Claude, Allegra, and Allan would want to talk with everyone and anyone if they all acted like her.

Their dynamic had definitely changed over the last few days, and although he wasn’t sure how much Marinette had noticed it herself, Felix knew he was thoroughly enjoying the shift. 

“There.” Marinette said above him, leaning back to put her hands on her hips. “How’s that?”

Felix’s eyes glazed over the stream of hearts again, and he let out a hum. “A bit more to the left.”

Her shoulders drooped. “Are you serious?”

“No.”

The narrowed yet playful glare that she shot him had Felix holding back another chuckle, and he innocently moved to grab one of the pink, inflated balloons on the table next to them to hand it to her.

“Why do I ask you anything anymore?” She asked as she took the balloon from him. 

“Because you know I’m an excellent judge when it comes to fine craftsmanship, such as the stream of hearts hanging above us on the wall right now.”

Marinette scoffed, tacking the balloon to the wall just above the first decoration. “What, are you kissing up to me now? Are you trying to butter me up so I’ll bring you more cheesy croissants?”

Felix shot her a look of feigned offense. “I wouldn’t dream of it, not after the amount of pain and effort that went into the making of those decorations.”

Now she was glaring at him. “Exactly how long do you plan on holding that paper cut against me?”

“I haven’t the faintest idea what you’re talking about.” Felix replied, a slight smile betraying his lips as he did.

Marinette huffed, letting her eyes flick up in an eyeroll, and started back down the ladder. Felix moved back to let her off, before grabbing the ladder again to lift it over to the next wall. They still had two more streams to put up.

“You seem to be more present today.” He commented, thinking back on the get-together they had yesterday. She’d been lost in her own thoughts through the first part of it, so much so that Allegra felt the need to ask her if she was alright. Marinette didn’t get to answer due to Claude jumping in, but when Felix asked her about it again a bit later, she quickly froze up, saying that she’d rather keep it to herself for the time being. 

Felix understood, of course, and he said as much, but that didn’t stop him from being curious. Or even a bit concerned. She always had a specific look when that model was involved, and she’d worn it openly yesterday. Therefore, he could only assume that that was part of the trouble, but how much trouble? Did they run into each other again? Did he text her? Did he go looking for her somewhere? There were too many possibilities and not enough clues for Felix to draw a firm conclusion. He couldn’t even be sure that Agreste was the problem in the first place. 

“Did your troubles sort themselves out?” He added, trying not to look at her too much as he did. Felix didn’t want to pry, but he did want to make sure she was handling herself alright. (Not that that was really in question at this point. After that run-in with the akuma, they all knew quite well that Marinette could take care of things when she needed to.)

Marinette paused at the base of the ladder, tilting her head at him with a questioning glance. “My troubles?”

A slight frown tugged at the corner of Felix’s lips. Had she forgotten already? It must not have been that important, then..

“You said something was bothering you yesterday.” He said anyway.

“Oh!” Understanding washed over her features, but a grimace quickly followed. “Oh.”

Felix rose a brow. Did that mean the problem wasn’t resolved?

“Um.. no.” She said, offering a bit of clarity as she fiddled with the next stream of hearts that they were supposed to be hanging up. “No, it’s still very much there, unfortunately. I’m not sure how everything’s going to work out yet.”

Felix nodded. “I see. I apologize for bringing it up, then.”

“No, no, you’re fine.” She insisted as she climbed the ladder. “I know you were just trying to help.”

“Besides,” Marinette threw another smile over her shoulder, one that was clearly softer than the smirks she’d been giving him earlier, “if it gets to be too much, I’m sure you’ll come to rescue again. So you can have something else to brag about.”

Felix’s eyes widened, admittedly knocked off balance by the comment. Joking about being rescued wasn’t entirely unusual, but ‘again’? What did she mean ‘again’? Did she think he rescued her before? When? Why did he find himself feeling immensely pleased with the thought?

“Of course..” He muttered absently. “I do love to brag, you know.”

It was a bland remark to be sure, not nearly one of his best, but Marinette laughed anyway, as she always did, and turned back around to start pinning the next stream of hearts to the wall.

Felix continued to watch.

~~~~~~

Bzzt. Bzzt.

Adrien lunged for his phone, unlocking it with his fingerprint before it could even finish vibrating, and tapped the notification. Was it her? Had she finally decided to text him? Please let it be her!

A news app flashed onto his screen, and his shoulders sagged as he realized that Marinette hadn’t texted him. How long was she going to wait? It’s already been a full day, and winter break was fading fast. He knew these things could take time, but they honestly didn’t have a lot of that right now. Once school started up again, his schedule was going to go right back to packed, and he’d barely be able to breathe let alone go see her. He didn’t want their precious chance to hang-out to go to waste. 

“You good, dude?” Nino asked next to him. “You’ve been hovering around your phone all day. Is something going on?”

“Oh, uh-” Adrien sat up, pushing away his phone and disappointment. Marinette was going to text him eventually. He just needed to be patient. “No, everything’s fine. Père just likes to stay in touch with me while I’m out, so I want to make sure I don’t miss any text messages or anything.”

Nino frowned. “Isn’t sending Gorilla with you enough?”

Adrien shrugged. “Yeah, but you know how he is. He likes to stay on top of things.”

Disgruntlement flicked across Nino’s features, and he tugged his hat down slightly to hide it, muttering, “Or he just likes to control everything.”

Adrien smiled despite the comment. “Come on, he’s not that bad. He let us hang out today, right?”

Nino nodded, though his frown didn’t fade. “Yeah, I guess that’s true.. Just don’t let him distract you from our game. We still have a tie to break.”

Adrien straightened and grabbed the controller that he’d dropped earlier. “Course not! Père or no, I still have plenty of focus to beat you.”

Nino let out a playful scoff. “Sure, dude. We’ll see who beats who this time.”

Adrien chuckled and positioned himself on the couch, and the two jokingly counted down before starting the next match.

Keeping Nino in the dark about Marinette wasn’t something Adrien enjoyed- they were best friends, after all -but he didn’t want to risk talking about her now. The class was only just now starting to be suspicious of Lila, and even then, it was light, joking. They weren’t serious about it yet. If they knew he was meeting up with Marinette, the person they still weren’t entirely fond of, it might serve as a disadvantage to him. What if they stopped listening to him because he was talking with her? He couldn’t take that chance. He needed to get his feet planted firmly on the ground before taking any rash steps forward.

That said, he did need to take some sort of step forward. Lila trying to make a deal with him last week was extremely reassuring, since it meant that she herself thought of him as a threat, but he also knew that he couldn’t slack off because of it. Muttering over her shoulder wasn’t going to work forever, and if he didn’t find a way to crank up the pressure soon, she would start countering his subtle attacks. Maybe he could start talking to people directly? While they were alone. He could talk to them more about Lila and ask if her stories are suspicious.. But what if he talks to the wrong person? Depending on who he conversed with, they might round on him in an instant, and his plan would crumble again. No, he needed to be careful about this. He needed to start with someone he could trust.

“....So,” Adrien glanced at Nino, because who better to start with than his best friend? “what are your thoughts on Lila?”

If Adrien wanted to change everyone’s opinion of Marinette and Lila, he supposed he would have to know those opinion’s first, and Nino, he felt, was the perfect candidate for that. He was a chill, relaxed person, who pretty much liked everybody. (Everybody except Adrien’s father, that is.) His opinion of Lila should be similar to an average of everyone else’s opinion, and Adrien could use that as an estimation of Lila’s- hopefully decreasing -popularity.

Nino scrunched up his nose, clearly confused by the change of subject. “Lila? I mean, she’s alright. Pretty nice. Alya really likes her.”

Adrien nodded thoughtfully. That was about what he expected him to say. “What do you think about her stories? It seems like she’s been everywhere, doesn’t it?”

Nino snorted. “Right? She says she knows everybody and anybody. It’s pretty crazy.”

Adrien’s eyes widened slightly, though Nino didn’t notice. ‘She says she knows everybody’? Not ‘she knows everybody’? If Adrien didn’t know any better, he might say that sounded a little bit like doubt.

“You don’t believe her?” He asked, carefully.

“No, no, I do.” Nino rushed to say, ignoring the game console that was now blinking ‘defeat’ on his side. “It’s just.. you know.. crazy. She’s been all over the world, knows all these different people, and she’s only fifteen. And she kept up with the school the whole time. It sounds like a lot.”

“Yeah, it definitely does.” Adrien agreed, setting his controller aside and hiding a smile. “And now, she’s been taking up the job as class president, even though she’s still planning charity events and working at homeless shelters and hanging out with Alya and the rest of the girls and doing homework.. It makes you wonder how she fits it all into her schedule.”

Nino chuckled. “Yeah, I- It’s.. I don’t know. I definitely couldn’t do it. What about you, though? What do you think about her? You seem to be really interested in her lately.”

Adrien had to bite the inside of his cheek to avoid laughing. Interesting was a word.

“Ah, well.. I guess I’m just curious about her more than anything. I’m a model who goes places and meets people all the time, and I haven’t met nearly as many famous people as she has. I wanna learn how she’s managed to not get in any news or magazines so far-”

Bzzt. Bzzt.

Adrien paused mid-word to whirl around and check his phone. He was honestly preparing himself for the disappointment already- why would this time be any different? -when his eyes landed on the tiny speech bubble that represented his text messaging app. His insides leaped at this sight, and he tried to swallow his excitement as he tapped the notification. Was it her? Had she finally texted him?

Marinette’s name splayed across the top of the screen, and it took every ounce of discipline for Adrien not to leap off the couch and cheer. She’d texted him! Marinette had finally texted him back!

~Hey, sorry it took me so long to text you. I’ve been helping my friends out with something. If you want, I can meet up with you at (something) café for lunch on Feb. 15th? Does that work for you?~

Lunch! Adrien wanted to scream. She was inviting him to lunch! Marinette did want to hang out with him more! This was perfect!

He quickly texted her back. 

~That sounds great! I’ll see you then ;D~

Adrien hadn’t even checked his schedule yet, but that didn’t matter. He was making this lunch date no matter what. Then he could talk with Marinette about his plans and maybe convince her to come back and-

“Was that your dad?” Nino asked, breaking Adrien from his thoughts yet again. That was probably a good thing though. He shouldn’t be getting too ahead of himself. From the way things looked, Marinette was really enjoying her new school life. It will probably take a lot of convincing to get her to come back. For now, he needed to take things slowly.

Slowly.

“Oh, yeah.” Adrien said, cool as a cucumber. “He was just telling me about my next photoshoot.”

“Another one? It’s not going to stop us from hanging out, is it?”

“No, no, it shouldn’t.” Not that he knew of, anyway. The only thing his meeting with Marinette would hopefully affect was everyone’s opinions of Lila. 

Nino relaxed slightly at the answer. “Good. He over-works you way too much. You should ask for a raise or something.”

 Adrien laughed. “I think I’d rather keep the time off that he gives me. Anyway, you ready to play another round? You lost, so now you have to catch back up.”

Nino eyed his controller with a slight smile. “Whatever, man, you know I’m gonna pass you up without a problem.”

“Sure you are.” Adrien smirked. “Just like how you were gonna pass me up last round.”

Nino laughed and snatched his controller up. “Oh, it’s on, dude.”

~~~~~~

Allegra drew in a deep breath, reveling in the scent of the special candles she’d ordered. Patchouli and Rosewood- the perfect thing to accentuate the rose bouquets delicately placed on the round tables and encourage the romantic mood for their party. With the lights dimmed and everyone dancing together on top of that, hearts were bound to be captured, and she couldn’t wait to see it, especially when it came to a particular pair.

Allegra set her candle down and subtly glanced over her shoulder at Felix and Marinette, who were currently stringing up the last stream of hearts on the other side of the room. They were both laughing and talking together, completely comfortable as Felix held the ladder steady and Marinette pinned her last balloon at the end of the stream. It was a cliché couple, really- the stoic, uptight rich boy falling hard for the sweet, adorable bakery girl -but Allegra was determined to see it work out. She’s always prided herself on getting unlikely people together, and these two were going to be her ultimate achievement. Of course, at this point, she supposed she could hardly call them an unlikely couple. They’ve been rather in-step with each other as of late. What with their muttering to each other during group-hang outs and sharing secret looks and sitting near each other on a regular basis. She might be inclined to be excited for the progress if she had any idea as to why they were suddenly so close. Last week, Felix was still gritting his teeth about being caught looking at Marinette, yet today, he’s talking and smiling and laughing with her openly. Laughing! Felix doesn’t laugh. He scowls and hisses and maybe smirks when he’s in a good mood, but he doesn’t laugh. Something monumental must have happened between the two that would encourage him to do so. So what was it? When was it? Her entire body was itching to know, and the fact that she knew she couldn’t ask only made it worse. If she tried to ask Felix about the event, he might clam up again, regressing the friendship. If she tried to ask Marinette about the event, the ravenette would probably become flustered or more hyper aware of Felix’s subconscious advancements, which, again, would probably regress the friendship. She was stuck either way.

“They’re driving me crazy.” She finally said, knowing the boys would hear her. If she couldn’t confirm her theories about Felix and Marinette’s interactions, she would rant about them to Claude and Allan instead.

As usual, Claude was the first to respond, glancing up from the party favors she had him arranging to ask, “What? Who’s driving you crazy?”

Allegra turned to him with a sigh and tilted her head ever-so-slightly in the “lovebirds’” direction. “They are. They’re acting differently than they were before, and I don’t know why.”

Claude straightened to glance over her shoulder for a moment, his brows furrowing slightly.

“You mean Felix and Marinette? They look the same to me.”

Allegra scrunched up her nose with a scoff. “What do you mean they look the same? You think Felix just laughs like that on a regular basis?”

Allan wandered over to their conversation then, also watching Marinette and Felix. The blond and ravenette didn’t even look up from the hearts on the wall, which was another big sign that they were becoming increasingly engrossed in each other. Felix was normally highly aware of his surroundings, as was Allegra, and he usually would have noticed the trio’s stares by now. But he didn’t, because he was too busy looking at Marinette instead.

“They have been a bit chummy lately.” Allan agreed, bringing a smile to Allegra’s lips. At least someone besides herself was paying attention.

“Well, yeah, but we knew that already.” Claude said. “They like each other, don’t they? Of course they would be chummy.”

“Yes, but not like that.” Allegra insisted. “Whether Felix likes her or not doesn’t change the fact that he’s technically being open around all of us right now. Isn’t that a bit strange to you? Besides, we still don’t actually know for sure that Marinette has a crush on Felix.”

Claude gave her a look. “What? I thought you said that she got all blushy and stuff when you talked about Felix at the sleepover.”

“She was, but Marinette gets blushy about a lot of things. And I was talking about how comfortable Felix is around her. That would probably make any girl blush.”

“She has a point,” Allan spoke up, “but I do think she might like him. She always gets this certain vibe when he’s around.”

“Oh, it’s definitely a possibility.” Allegra agreed. “You can totally spot the little ‘glow’ she gets when he talks with her, and even that’s improved since Felix changed things up.”

Claude’s eyes widened as he glanced at the pair again, seeming to study them closer this time. “Do you think she’s glowing more because he’s changed?”

“I’d say so,” Allegra answered, tapping her finger to her lip, “But what I want to know is why he changed and when. It can’t have been anything short of last week, because they only started acting this way recently, but what could have happened that we didn’t see? We’ve been with them the whole time.”

“Maybe they’ve been hanging out by themselves?” Allan suggested. “They’re not tied to us, you know.”

“I know, but wouldn’t we have heard about it? Marinette sends us pictures and such all the time. She would have mentioned her and Felix hanging out by themselves.”

Unless Marinette simply didn’t want to offend them, but Allegra still didn’t buy that explanation. As far as she knew, Felix and Marinette’s shift happened sometime after the sleepover, if not right after. It was as though they’d fallen asleep as usual, then woke up as different people entirely when it came to each other. So whatever happened must have happened during the sleepover.. but when? They were all together most of the night. Allegra supposed it could have happened during Hide and Seek, when they were all spread across the mansion, but moments like those were too quick and too tense and she certainly would have noticed Felix’s change in behavior then. That left her with.. A dead end, because the rest of the night, Marinette and Felix were always with one of the trio, even when they were all sleeping.

Unless the two hadn’t been sleeping..

“I don’t think we should overthink it.” Allan said, lightly nudging his shoulder into Allegra’s. “Marinette seems happier around Felix, and Felix is definitely happier around Marinette, so I say we take the win and let them keep getting closer on their own.”

“I agree.” Claude chimed in, surprising Allegra. He normally enjoyed meddling in others’ affairs as much as she did. “If they’ve made it this far without us getting too involved, they're bound to confess to each other at tomorrow’s party, especially with the ‘fake date’ we have planned for them.”

A smile found its way back onto Allegra’s lips. So he did intend to meddle. He just didn’t want to overthink Felix and Marinette’s sudden progress. She should have known. 

“That reminds me: I still have to finish arranging that.” Allegra remarked.

She spun on her heel, leaving the boys to their tasks again, and began crossing the room to Felix and Marinette. Their chuckles and smiles quieted down as she approached, but she paid it no mind. Felix was mostly the one to stop laughing, anyway.

“Are you guys all done?” Allegra inquired, not missing the way Felix gently touched Marinette’s arm to help her get off the ladder.

Marinette flashed her a smile. “Yep! We just finished the last streamer. What’s next?”

Allegra let out a hum. “Well, Felix still has to write all of those ‘thank you’ letters for the party favors-”

A tired sigh left the blond.

“-and we have to set up the caterer’s foods, but they aren’t coming in till tomorrow. So I think we’re pretty much done. Claude and Allan are just now finishing their last tasks too.”

“Oh, good!” Marinette beamed. “The place looks great already. I can’t wait to see everyone’s reactions tomorrow.”

Allegra smiled. “Neither can I. By the way, since everything’s practically set up, you two can go ahead and stay home until the party starts. That way you both have time to get ready.”

A hint of concern flicked across the ravenette’s features as she knitted her eyebrows together. “Are you sure? I don’t mind coming in early with you guys.”

“I do,” Felix cut in, a slight smirk on his lips as he added, “and I will gladly take the extra free time.”

Allegra smirked as well, because she knew that comment had to be for Marinette’s viewing pleasure. He wouldn’t have had a smirk otherwise, nor would he have held that mischievous glint in his eyes.

Of course, Marinette breathed out a chuckle and briefly rolled her eyes, capturing Felix’s attention immediately. She then offered Allegra a meaningful smile. 

“Well, if you change your mind, you can always text me.”

“Of course, but in case I don’t, why don’t you have Felix pick you up for the party tomorrow? Since you’re both not going to be arriving until later.”

Marinette and Felix exchanged a look, as though they were silently asking each other’s opinions, and Allegra had to hold back a snort. They were already reading each other and communicating in their own way. It was too cute and all too obvious. How did Claude not notice the difference earlier?

“I wouldn’t mind if you need a ride,” Felix finally spoke, pulling his shoulders up in a slight shrug, “but it’s your decision.”

Allegra swallowed a coo and glanced to the side, because this person in front of her who used to be dead-set on not helping anyone or scowling the whole way was being incredibly considerate, and she desperately needed a before-and-after video.

Marinette smiled up at him. “A ride would be nice, thanks. That way I don’t have to bother Maman or Papa about taking me at the end of their work shift.”

It was just the answer Allegra wanted to hear. Felix will be the first one to see Marinette in her new dress, and he will have plenty of time to become flustered over it during their drive to the party. Missing Felix’s face when he went to fetch Marinette was going to be a shame- since he himself mentioned how stunning she would look -but if they were lucky, perhaps he’ll still be wearing the expression when the two arrive.

“Great! I’ll call my driver so we can start getting ready to leave then.” Allegra said with a smile.

Marinette nodded. “Sounds good. I’ll go grab my purse and put up the ladder.”

“I’ll put up the ladder.” Felix cut in, already moving to close it. 

A frown tugged at the corner of her lips. “Are you sure?”

“Yes. They like their tools to be put back a certain way.”

“Oh, okay. Thanks, then.”

Allegra watched Marinette walk off, feeling a fresh wave of determination.. Gosh, they were already acting like they were in love with each other. Well, Felix was at least. Marinette was about that kind to anyone. Either way, things were going smoothly now, and it should only take a carefully-timed push for the two to really get the ball rolling. 

Valentine’s Day, Marinette and Felix being dressed up, both of them being alone together while dressed up, the sudden closeness- finally, all of her plans were coming together. The only thing that could possibly make this better was if Cupid himself came out to see them swoon over each other. 

That wasn’t going to happen, of course, but it didn’t need to, because Allegra was going to be glad to take his place.

Tag List:  @artbyknigit @athena452 @nickristus-dreamer @throneoffirebreathingbitchqueen @arsaem @abrx2002 @neakco @pawsitivelymiraculous @too0bsessedformyowngood @nathleigh @lusicing @officiallydarkgeek @all-mights-asscheeks @tbehartoo @woe-is-me0 @raeuberprinzessin @lazuli-11 @miss-chaos27 @trippingovermyfeet @sadpotatoondrugs @ladybug-182 @jaggedheart11 @marinahrasauce @i-need-blog-ideas @thewheezingbubbledragon @crazylittlemunchkin @unabashedbookworm @moonystars14 @sunflowers-and-mooncakes @2confused-2doanything @magnificentcrapposts @moonnette @nickristus-dreamer @vixen-uchiha @casual-darkness @luxmorningstarr @jjmjjktth @kaithehero @itsme1598 @theymakeupfairies @xjaccyx @miraculous-ninja @miraculouspenta @swiftie-miraculer13 @justafanwarrior @all-mights-asscheeks @ira-sairain @lookatthestars1 @dahjokester @blissful-passing @solangelo252 @canivialemonsquints07  @derbygracie  @pleaseignorejustheretoread 

[pimento-playing-hopscotch]

So, the world is a dystopian nightmare- I know this. You know this. If we forget, we are certain to be reminded very quickly.

And a little bit ago, I wrote a recap/long post of me squeeing over an episode of Chuck, because it’s amazing and does not get enough love. And I thought about doing a write up of each episode following, but a couple of problems there: I was close to the end of the fourth season and I’m sorry the fifth season I usually skip, I just don’t like what they did with it. So I thought, why not start from the beginning?

This part recap/part Buzzfeed post “thoughts I had while watching this”/part of a series called “Kerry is losing her mind so she’s rewatching shit”

If you’ve seen Chuck I hope you like it- if you haven’t I hope it makes you want to.

The world sucks. Be safe ♥️♥️❌❌

And now, Chuck!

So many lights in Los Angeles!

Already from the beginning, Chuck is involved in a life or death mission… he is trying to sneak out of his birthday party lol.

Oh my god I forgot how goofy Zachary Levi’s hair was the first couple years! So big and curly…

Not that it’s bad looking, just damn Zachary Levi is a real snack now.

The shot of Ellie opening the door and Chuck is sitting next to the window and Morgan is also sitting next to the window… outside.

I think this goes with the haircuts, but so many times in the early ones, Chuck is like a guilty twelve year old in the cutest way.

That could also be because Ellie’s mom game is is STRONG here.

Ooh, Chuck called Ellie “sis”- I know the internet DOES NOT LIKE when this happens in shows because it NEVER HAPPENS IN REAL LIFE EVER (this is funny to me because I have one older brother, and he has called me sis pretty much our whole lives. I’m not saying it’s the same for everyone but it does happen).

Although I do agree with Chuck here- that would be super awkward if the party for *your* party was populated by your sisters very successful friends.

Like Ellie’s heart is in the right place… and if I was the kind of person who could handle being in a room full of strangers maybe then I wouldn’t be so excited to recap shows from 2007 on the internet lol.

From the very beginning, Chuck and Morgan are us against the world, ride or die besties and I love that… can’t go wrong with a show with ride or die besties!

Oh so early, we just have the title card and no theme song, about the girl with short skirt and longgggg jacket.

Captain Awesome!

Writing this with the Barbie movie coming out, how did they not ask this man to be Ken?

Like I can’t think of anything he’s been in besides Chuck (maybe a Sugarland music video?) but he literally resembles a Ken doll come to life.

I always liked that Captain Awesome/Devon wasn’t the dude bro he looks like he would be; like I can’t imagine living with my brother and his partner but that low key seems like it’d be weird (and my brother is single lol) but Devon is always eager to help Chuck like a little brother. Yay positive family relationships!

Back to Chuck. Chuck, at this point, has no game.

He gets a good line here- “working on my five year plan… just need to a choose a font”.

Ugh that question - “what do you really want to do?” Is the WORST.

Like, I REALLY want to make money by taking walks and listening to playlists on my phone- what SHOULD I do to have to money to buy food? Like i goddamn know!

First mention of Bryce!

Like Chuck looked uncomfortable when the conversation started, and now that it’s shifted over to “great guy in engineering” Bryce… Chuck mumbles he thinks Bryce is now an accountant.

As Bryce falls from a ceiling covered in blood, a caption appears on the screen to confirm, he is not, in fact, an accountant.

Remember how I said Chuck has no game? Yeah Chuck has less than no game- as he babbles about the girl he met his freshman year of college.

And when he looks up, he’s babbling to himself.

Aww that awkward spin around as he tries to figure out where the girls went… oh sweet baby Chuck.

Back to Bryce- yelling! Bleeding! Exploding!

Alarms going off! Proof that he might have been a gymnast like that girl at the party said! Roof leaping!

And then, just when it looks like he’s escaped-

CASEY!!!!

As Bryce lies on the ground, he sends an email and his phone sizzles. “Too late Casey”.

Post party, everyone has left but the Echo Park Four; Chuck, Ellie, Morgan and Awesome (I know Morgan doesn’t live there yet but this first season has a lot with the four of them).

Ellie tries to gently point out that your ex girlfriend is not good party conversation and he does need to move on; he mutters he’ll get over Jill tomorrow and harrumphs away (but the next day he WILL meet the person with which he will move on and marry and be happy with if the stupid last season hadn’t screwed it up!)

Morgan- awkward in a slightly more creepy way. Ellie’s just like “plz stop”.

Matt Bomer was still being credited as Matthew Bomer- which has nothing to do with anything but I found interesting.

Chuck gets an email from Bryce!

I’m sorry I do not know enough about video games to know about this part.

Chuck kicks Morgan out so he can answer the email- but calls “pedal safe” over his shoulder.

Chuck answers the email- and uploads the intersect!

All night it uploads until his alarm goes off at 7.

Chuck wakes up seeing the images over Morgan and his fried computer.

He has his first flash when he’s in the shower from something he heard on the radio (Which it seems they show pie in the flashes a lot).

First appearance of the nerd herder!

Which- at a job like this do you get to take the car home? Like they do installs and stuff but then do you use it to grocery shop?

The Buy More- quite the good off brand for Best Buy.

The nerd herders! And Anna!

I missed Anna after they got rid of her.

Everyone turns to glare at Morgan for putting the porn actress in the computer.

Chuck is talking- and has a flash! While he’s talking… and confusing everyone… including himself.

There’s a different general Beckman this episode!

Still no nonsense with red hair- but I do prefer the general Beckman we’ll see the rest of the show.

I liked General Graham too- there was a lot in the first season that really just existed in the first season.

Casey is headed to LA- the idea of him tanning is an amusing one.

Snap! Sarah Walker is in the buy more!

Repeat- Sarah Walker is in the buy more!

Chuck rapping Vicky Vale and then seeing Sarah and the phone falling onto the desk is a thing of beauty.

“Sarah: I didn’t think people still named their kids Chuck. Or Morgan, for that matter.

Chuck: Oh my parents were sadists, and carnival freaks found him in a dumpster…

Morgan: But they raised me as one of their own!”

One of the first times we see that Chuck really has the biggest heart; when he helps the dad who didn’t record his daughters ballet recital (which it’s like how did you think it was recording if there was nothing in there? “Its digital” YA NITWIT!

The phrase “nice guy” has been ruined for me, cause Chuck isn’t a Nice Guy, like Ted Mosby is a Nice Guy, where he really needs you to acknowledge how “nice” he is and how grateful you should he he deigns to help you. Chuck is such a sweet guy, he genuinely wants to help everyone.

Another only in season one person- Harry Tang!

It’s like dude, you may not be a stock boy anymore, but you are in an electronic store. Take it down a notch or a hundred.

Sarah is gone when Chuck looks back- but she left her number!

Chuck tells Morgan he won’t call Sarah because “did you see her?” Chuck you’re tall, and endearing and adorable! Even if your hair is so silly right now.

They get into Chuck’s place- and a ninja is stealing his computer!

Chuck and Morgan are NO match for said ninja.

“Didn’t you hang that shelf?” Chuck to Morgan as they lie in pain on the floor, after the computer the ninja was trying to steal broke into a million little pieces on the floor when the shelf gave way.

Outside the ninja runs into a car and jets off- and it’s Sarah!!

Kind of disappointing to see a ninja jump into a car though, tbh.

JEFFSTER!

Also both their first lines of dialogue perfectly encapsulate their characters and their weirdness-

Lester: This hard drive… was murdered!

Jeff: Maybe you were the unwitting target of a ninja vendetta who returns tonight to strangle you with his nunchucks.

When Chuck points out this does not exactly make him feel better, Jeff winks. Lordy.

The Chuck multiverse version of Walmart- Large Mart!

Which makes me wonder- is there a real version of Underpants Etc?

We get a good shot of Chuck’s chucks as he walks around the Large mart… where he flashes on a man with a leather jacket and accent.

Frantic, Chuck to warn one of the cashiers.. but just ends up sounding crazy. Leather jacket man is watching Chuck.

Wow, this post is already really long- I’m gonna split it into two posts.

I’ll be back for part two of the Chuck pilot!

When we return, Sarah is insisting to General Graham that she can fix it!

I’ll be back!

[purplesurveys]

1080

Do you like to write with sharpies? Sure. I don’t often get the chance to, but if I find a stray Sharpie lying around I will most likely grab it and find a piece of scratch paper to write on.

What are your top five favorite colors? Pastel/baby pink, black, white, maroon, mustard yellow.

Do you wear pajamas at night? Nope. I find them too warm.

What is your favorite type of cereal? Also not a fan of cereal; I never got the hang of its texture once mixed with milk. For my breakfasts, I’d rather already have a full ass meal consisting of fried rice with eggs, hotdogs, dried fish, tapa, tocino, etc. so that I can feel recharged enough to start with my day.

Do you want a Sony Xperia? No.

Do you own an iPhone? Yesss.

Do you like cake or cupcakes better? Cupcakes for sure; they’re one of my favorite desserts. There’s bigger space to be creative and quirky with cupcakes, so I enjoy them more. I’ve stopped seeking out cakes as often as I used to because I keep on seeing the same flavors and the same ingredients used in them.

What is your doctor's name? We don’t have a main one that we go to since no one in my family ever gets seriously sick.

Have you planned out your future? I have grand life events I want to be able to tick off, like getting my own place, traveling to certain countries, getting promoted. etc; but I don’t limit myself to a timeline. If or when those things happen, then they’ll happen.

Do you iron your clothes? I sometimes will, especially if I had planned to wear clothes that tend to get all wrinkly if they haven’t been used for a long time.

If you could own one wild animal, which one would you want? No thanks.

Have you ever been to Universal Studio? Yeah, the one in Singapore. It was a lot of fun, but I think my family and I are forever scarred by the couple who was queueing in front of us for the roller coaster...they passionately made out the entire time we were in line. Ugh.

What is your favorite holiday tradition? I like visiting one particular relative’s place for Christmas - one of my mom’s cousins and her family. It’s always lively there, and my aunts and uncles on that side of the family are the ones I find easiest to talk to. We didn’t go there for years, and we only started to again starting in I think 2017 or 2018.

Do you have curly hair? Nope. Sometimes it’s straight and sometimes it’s wavy.

Do you like the color orange or pink better? Pink.

Do you have long eyelashes? Yes.

How do you keep warm in the winter? I don’t need to worry about this because we don’t get winter.

Have you seen the movie Transformers? No, never looked interesting to me.

Have you ever killed ants with a magnifying glass? I have not. If they are being annoying on me, I just squish them; but I don’t kill them just because I’m bored.

What kind of shampoo do you use? I’ve been using Dove shampoo for a while.

Do you own any pairs of scarves? I own a few shawls that I will sometimes use as scarves, if they count.

Do you follow fashion? I mean, sometimes. I’ve generally followed what’s trending in my age group; but now that one of our clients at work is in the fashion/sportswear industry, I get even more leads on what is currently trending in terms of style even though I don’t always voluntarily choose to follow fahshion.

Are you excited for the 6th Harry Potter movie to come out? Didn’t the last movie come out a decade ago? So the 6th one is even older than that.

What color is your favorite coat? I don’t own a coat. The thicket clothes I have are probably hoodies.

Do you like Minnie Mouse? She’s okay; I don’t really have a strong opinion, I guess? My favorite character was always either Goofy or Donald Duck though.

Moccasins or Loafers? Moccasins.

Do you wear dogtags? Nope.

What is your favorite brand of clothing? I don’t really have one...if I like something, I’ll try to buy it.

Where do you shop for food? My parents always buy from groceries but they make the chain different every time. They will also sometimes buy from our neighbors who have their own vegetable store at home.

What is your favorite font? I’m partial to Proxima Nova because I used it a lotttttt throughout college that I’ve been using it by default for any document I have to make.

Do your hands and feet tend to get cold in the winter? I’ve never experienced winter but whenever I get cold, the joints in my legs and feet tend to feel the most sore and uncomfortable.

Do you know how to play any instruments? If so what? Nah. I got skipped out on when musical talents were being given out, lmao.

Do you recycle plastic bags? Yes. Idk about other cultures but Asian homes definitely have a spare cabinet somewhere in their homes that is just filled with plastic bags to be used over and over in the future if they’re needed lol.

Do you like to drink energy drinks? No. I smelled one before and the scent was too sweet it almost made me sick. I can’t imagine how much sweeter they taste.

What was the last TV show that you watched? I went back to my comfort zone last night, Friends :)

What is the biggest number that you have ever counted to? Not so sure, maybe around 100 more or less.

Are you currently wearing anything with patterns on them? I am not.

Do you like pistachios? OMG yes, but pistachios and pistachio-flavored anything are always on the pricier side so I don’t really feel like buying them most of the time.

Have you ever picked your nose? Sure.

Do you pee in public bathrooms? Only if I can no longer hold it. I prefer to wait until I get home.

[thisbibliomaniac]

All the asks! ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

hnnnng okay. just for you ( ͡~ ͜ʖ ͡°)1. coffee mugs, teacups, wine glasses, water bottles, or soda cans?Teacups and wine glasses 👌 but they have to be big tea cups and pretty wine glasses. My house will be full of wine glasses and no wine 😂 2. chocolate bars or lollipops?Chocolate 3. bubblegum or cotton candy?Cotton candy 4. how did your elementary school teachers describe you?It was my mom, so probably nothing flattering XD 5. do you prefer to drink soda from soda cans, soda bottles, plastic cups or glass cups?I prefer to drink pop because I'm not an animal. 6. pastel, boho, tomboy, preppy, goth, grunge, formal or sportswear?Boho7. earbuds or headphones?Neither :/ 8. movies or tv shows?Both!! 9. favorite smell in the summer?Fresh air 10. game you were best at in p.e.?Dodgeball 11. what you have for breakfast on an average day?Nothing 12. name of your favorite playlist?👍 13. lanyard or key ring?Key ring14. favorite non-chocolate candy?Reese's pieces 15. favorite book you read as a school assignment?Madman 16. most comfortable position to sit in?None :///17. most frequently worn pair of shoes?My work shoes. They're also my most expensive shoes by a lot, but I can actually walk at the end of the week now 😂 18. ideal weather?Fall weather 19. sleeping position?Side 20. preferred place to write (i.e., in a note book, on your laptop, sketchpad, post-it notes, etc.)?Notebook with lines, but I also love typing 21. obsession from childhood?General and specific history 22. role model?None 23. strange habits?I was moderately obsessive compulsive as a kid, and our kitchen and basement stairs are black and white tiles like a checkerboard. For years upon years I only ever stepped on the black tiles, which meant for years upon years I always walked up and down the stairs the same way. A few years ago the kitchen floor was replaced, but not the basement stairs. Last week there was a basket on the landing so I started off on the wrong foot and almost fell three times on four stairs 😂 muscle memory, man. 24. favorite crystal??25. first song you remember hearing?Oh goodness i dont know26. favorite activity to do in warm weather?Drive with the windows down and Needtobreathe playing 27. favorite activity to do in cold weather?Stay inside and read 28. five songs to describe you?D: also no idea! 29. best way to bond with you?Literally just talk. I hate feeling like I'm being interrogated and tend to shut down if all you do is ask more and more probing questions. Talk about yourself. 30. places that you find sacred?My car. 31. what outfit do you wear to kick ass and take names?None :///32. top five favorite vines?Somehow I missed out on all of vine culture lol 33. most used phrase in your phone?lol 34. advertisements you have stuck in your head?I only use Netflix and mp3 so I rarely hear ads anymore 35. average time you fall asleep?236. what is the first meme you remember ever seeing?Probably grumpy cat?37. suitcase or duffel bag?Bag 38. lemonade or tea?Tea!39. lemon cake or lemon meringue pie?Bothhh40. weirdest thing to ever happen at your school?I'm sure there are lots of things, but I can't think of them 41. last person you texted?Probably Stell 42. jacket pockets or pants pockets?Pants pocket if they'd ever make them big enough for my phone 43. hoodie, leather jacket, cardigan, jean jacket or bomber jacket?All of the above. Except maybe jean jacket 44. favorite scent for soap?Pumpkin spice! 45. which genre: sci-fi, fantasy or superhero?All! 46. most comfortable outfit to sleep in?Yoga pants and tank top 47. favorite type of cheese?Feta48. if you were a fruit, what kind would you be?Cherry 49. what saying or quote do you live by?"More isn't always better, sometimes it's just more." 50. what made you laugh the hardest you ever have?Interesting lettuce 51. current stresses?Everything ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ 52. favorite font?Webdings 53. what is the current state of your hands?Typing? 54. what did you learn from your first job?Everything I would ever need for life 😂 55. favorite fairy tale?Cinderella! 56. favorite tradition?Don't really have any 57. the three biggest struggles you’ve overcome?Nope 58. four talents you’re proud of having?¯\_(ツ)_/¯ 59. if you were a video game character, what would your catchphrase be?I'm right and I should say it 60. if you were a character in an anime, what kind of anime would you want it to be?I don't know anything about anime, ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ 61. favorite line you heard from a book/movie/tv show/etc.?Too many to choose from 62. seven characters you relate to?63. five songs that would play in your club?Anything from Needtobreathe or Taylor Swift 64. favorite website from your childhood?That veggietales gaming one 65. any permanent scars?Yes 66. favorite flower(s)?Roses and Plumerias 67. good luck charms?None 68. worst flavor of any food or drink you’ve ever tried?Stevia 69. a fun fact that you don’t know how you learned???70. left or right handed?Right 71. least favorite pattern?Paisley 72. worst subject?Science 73. favorite weird flavor combo?Veggie chips and hot sauce 74. at what pain level out of ten (1 through 10) do you have to be at before you take an advil or ibuprofen?Depends on what type of pain. I can handle everything except a migraine, which I only cant handle because I know it won't go away on its own. 75. when did you lose your first tooth?No idea 76. what’s your favorite potato food (i.e. tater tots, baked potatoes, fries, chips, etc.)?Curly fries 77. best plant to grow on a windowsill?All I've ever grown was told 78. coffee from a gas station or sushi from a grocery store?Hummus from a gas station 79. which looks better, your school id photo or your driver’s license photo?No photos of me look good 80. earth tones or jewel tones?Jewel tones 81. fireflies or lightning bugs?Fireflies 82. pc or console?Depends on if I'm playing Mario kart or roller coaster tycoon 83. writing or drawing?I can't do either :////84. podcasts or talk radio?¯\_(ツ)_/¯ 84. barbie or polly pocket?Polly pocket!! 85. fairy tales or mythology?Fairy tales 86. cookies or cupcakes?Cookies87. your greatest fear?Too late 88. your greatest wish?I want a kitten 89. who would you put before everyone else?Obi 90. luckiest mistake?My first job. My boss didn't realize I wasn't technically old enough to run the grill for another two months, so it was harder on her for a while, but that was my favorite job. 91. boxes or bags?Bag 92. lamps, overhead lights, sunlight or fairy lights?a l l 93. nicknames?Not big on them. I'm good with Bibi though 94. favorite season?Fall! 95. favorite app on your phone?The calculator 96. desktop background?I've been meaning to change it. It's been Tim drake for like six years 97. how many phone numbers do you have memorized?Oh gosh so many. Lots of family numbers, and tons of local dealerships. A handful of coworkers. Every place I've ever worked. The Chevy dealers fax number. I'm good with numbers. 98. favorite historical era?Tudor England (just the drama, not the politics) and the Salem witch trials Thanks dear 💖💖💖

[scienceshir]

Exactly. Some have weird agendas and narratives when it comes to this but that is the bottom line. Pretty much everything else is just assumptions and opinions with no real base. But it doesn’t matter who anybody is or where they from they can’t speak for these models themselves. Adriana been said what she said, and she still does to this day. Which is she identifies as mixed and for whatever reason she has not called herself yt-not even on legal records. Probably because she thinks like you, which makes sense because Adriana been living in the US since she was 15 pretty much. She finished growing up here. It is very possible she adopted some of the US ways of thinking along the way.

I say this because, Adriana keeps calling herself a “real” brazilian. Brazilian fonts here say there is no distinction, if you were born in brazil, you brazilian period. That clearly isn’t what Adriana herself thinks if she keeps saying “real” brazilian. Apparently there are some unauthentic brazilians (to her) for her to keep saying that. She has said this multiple times in later years. In this video, she was asked how does she handle her hair when exercising from sweat. She had to admit her hair is not naturally straight and is curly and big. Ofc the attendees didn’t believe it, so she she said out her own mouth @ , the reason her hair is naturally curly is because she is a “real brazilian”. LOL what else would she mean by that. Clearly by what she said out her own mouth, she correlates having an ethnic background like her that would give you curly hair as being a “real brazilian”. Which would mean, the ones she doesn’t see as real, that doesn’t apply to them. Which is basically what some fonts here was also saying lol. And that is a hot take, but thats what SHE said, you can see her say it

Not enough taking it straight from the horses mouth round here, even though Adriana has provided the answers many times lol. Her voting record from a year ago was literally shared here asking what her race was. We all know black, yt, and native was an option, she chose neither of them. Alot of ignoring going on because its not what some want to hear and because they really think thats the number 1 reason LSA likes her. Some think acting like Adriana no longer identifies as mixed gonna turn people off or something.  Nobody really gives af and gonna still prefer her because they simply like the way she looks and her vibe lol. Objectively, too much stuff is on record from Adriana herself for people to project and make their own assumptions on this stuff. Its not a mystery and nothing has to be assumed.

As I said before though, Adriana hasn’t lived in brazil in so many years. At this point she has been based in the US longer than in brazil, because she left at 15. Crazy to think no influence, adaption, and change wouldn’t come after so many years, which is probably why she now uses the phrase “real brazilian”, and she has in reference to having a background that is the reason why her hair is curly. If nobody understands what she means by that and why she would say that, they playing oblivious at this point.

[themsgdiaries]

Coloring my dreams is not defined by you coloring my skin.

I'm supposed to be "studying" but here I am #yesshewrites again 😅

2 years ago, I read an article discussing about how Filipinos are the "Black" of the Asians. (not only they viewed and looked us down about our educational degrees but ultimately the fact that we are the dark-skinned of the Asia).

When I was little, I do not care about my skin color. The only moment I get to experience and became aware of it and became an issue was when I transferred into a public school. At such a young age, like 2nd grade or 3rd my classmates and all other sections called me Ms. Maputi (for they do not know my name) and the little boy whom I remember who was nice to me, his name is Aldrin was called "guruto" for being dark- skinned. It was the time where the teleserye Marina was everyone's favorite. I was complimented a lot for having fairer skin than anyone else and I was not really aware how it impacted anybody else for I was a privileged one.

Entering adolescence, everyone's finding the best version of themselves. At 6th grade, my Mom gifted me an Allue coral blush on as a graduation gift. It was my first set of make up and my love of it grew. I was consistently envied and judged. I don't know if it was because I apply make up or just because others wanted too but they couldn't afford one. Make up and shower gels from balikbayan boxes helped me to embrace and find myself, yet others judged and others praised me. 

Growing up, all our hormones were developing and as we face another chapter of being highschool, my classmates faced the problem of suffering from breakouts, oily faces, and clogged pores resulting white heads and black heads, and that popular skin deceased called "an-an". On top of that, we learned about face washes and perfumes. The boys discovered hair gels, body sprays, and how to act cool. The girls were all spraying colognes, fixing their hairs, and felt confident with the floral baby bras they're wearing though nobody really sees it. Some were starting to bloom, so they explored and used red lollipop to stain their lips to validate the strict rules in our school that they are not wearing makeup. One thing were common to both the girls and the boys, that like their teachers and tbeir parents everyone were obsessed of skin whitening soaps and staying out of the sun. My generation were the days where everyone says, "Maganda sana , kaso maitim" or "Maputi lang yan, pero hindi maganda". In my teenage years, there was never really anyone who fit the fixated standard of what was deemed perfection so we were all doomed.

Going back with my friends, I was never aware of how hard their struggles were for though we live in an all-summer-year-round- weather my skin seems abnormal for not producing much oil. Then, there I gained another name as Ms. No sweat glands. It was just okay. I do not care about it. But as I looked back today, I was also brought to the days how my adolescence was always me carrying that J&J talcum powder on my purse and that precious mirror. lol. lol. When I saved money from my allowance or momma will do our grocery shopping, I will upgrade my powder into that pink Pond's pinkish white glow powder sometimes sponsoring my whole clique. I cannot remember if I ever desired to be lighter when I was younger for outside the circle of my family I am just OK. But inside, I was often decribed as maitim or dark compared to my siblings and parents.

One particular moment I can remember was when I went to ibayo, a place where you get to cross a river to get to the countryside.I usually spend my summer there. A typical summer there would be chilling and eating magoes under its tree and playing endlessly until the sun goes down. My cousins, younger sisters and I were pretending we were hunters, pirates, geographers, and paleontologists digging fossils, catching any insects, and looking for fruits to eat. We found shells, bones, coins. We dig on mountains, caves , and farms. When we're lucky we will find a peso coins, or dug a "kamote" or a "singkamas" out of nowhere. We're happy though we never really tasted one because we are afraid to eat it because we might die from being poisoned. Unfortunately, most of our days were us being scolded for digging up my Tatay's bed of pumpkins or the newly transferred tomatoes, okra, eggplant seedlings which he grew from his green thumb and hardwork. That's not the worst part, wait for this one: the worst we would dig is a fresh manure of a person or an animal. We would vomit as if our intestines wanted to leave our little mouth swearing we will never hunt again-- which never happened. We would then ran as if we saw a ghost and as if the "deadly golden treasure" has its own feet chasing us to touch our skins and invade us. When the sun is out, that's also the time where my skin will transform as black as the night and the only fair skin left in me was my legs. So I was proud of my legs lol. I am as black as our Philippine tamaraw/carabao, My arms were as dark as a burnt coconut shell. My face is as red as my father's tomatoes surviving our violent hands of dig and tug. It was fun being under the sun though my cheeks were rosy, burning as is chilis were applied on my skin. The rashes and sunburns where just normal for me, but me being darker and darker each day was what I disliked the most.

One day, I complained to my Dad and said, "Ang itim ko na". My Dad replied "Hindi ka naman maputi". I do not know why he told me that. I do not know if he wanted me to not feel bad for being"darker" or he just consistently sees me darker than anyone else in our family. Everytime I will tell my Tatay I am maitim "na" he would say "hindi ka naman maputi" I never knew the reason behind it: If he wanted me to accept who I am or to break my little privilege I believed which my classmates praised me for. (My Tatay always taught me to accept myself and how God made me for who I am. I remember I was totally upset with tears welling up on my eyes for being bullied when I was 7, my classmates told me I was "salot" for being "kulot". They would chant "kulot- salot" throughout the school year. My Dad told me, "Alam mo kung anong ginawa sa'yo ng Diyos nung pinganak ka yun ang bagay sa'yo. Yun ang mas maganda sa'yo". From then, I was proud of my locks and my Mon maintained, caref, and made me the most beautiful curly girl. But not later on as I undergo adoslecence, I was swayed. I conformed to the idea that the starigthter, the better . I was in love of it. I regret though , I would trade my expensive hair brush just to get those curls back) Sorry for that long segway, my memories were just right here right now lol.

So,

After every summer vacation, I would enjoy a shower in our home. My showers were like hours and hours of ritual any Filipina women, especially young people would have probabally done in their life. Our shower room is like a spa. My mom has more than 5 body scrubs. From back scrub, body scrub, loofah, stone, towels, etc. I would lather myself with safe guard to kill the bacteria, then the essential soap in our home, Dr.Kaufman which makes me feel I am the most bacteria-free person in the world. The I would lather myself with papaya soap, bearing in mind that the longer I soak on it the lighter I will be. Feeling triumphant, I will rinse myself then a salt scrub and a coffee ground scrub would finish and seal all the ritual I have done.

I was not "much" discriminated on my skin color. But I have witnessed the worst. I have seen some of my friends and classmates feeling completely confident for being lighter (a lot of times a "little" lighter) making them a snob and a total jerk. While they were proud of being lighter, their hearts became darker for others. On the other hand, I have also seen those who were darker, those were the broken hearted young people who were called monkeys, "uling", "ulikba", "maitim", "itim", "anino"/shadow, "anak ng lagim", "banaks", and many many discriminative names.

Up to now, there are about 2 million skin ligthening soaps which are sold in the Philippines. Skind toners, injections, pills, and any other means for a "lighter and better" skin were not included yet. The truth is I WAS one of them. I thought it must be. I should be and that I need to be.

The media told me to. The people I idolized both I know personally and not made me believe. The education I had told me to. Calling Ifugaos "Aetas" (taga bundok) with their curly hairs and darkest skin I have ever seen.

Day by day I was whispered and molded with their colonized mentality.

And when I grow older, I was shocked that the nightmare has just began. Graduating from Highschool, I found some of my friends being scared in what future awaits them.

"kulang ako sa height"

"hindi kasi ako magaling sa English"

"pag tumanda ka na, wala ng mag ha'hire sa'yo"

"dapat kasi dun maputi, matangos ang ilong"

"sayang. kung pwede lang sana"

These were just some of the phrases I can recall to the extent.

And now I am telling you, it doesn't matter.

"kulang ako sa height"

"hindi kasi ako magaling sa English"

"pag tumanda ka na, wala ng mag ha'hire sa'yo"

"dapat kasi dun maputi, matangos ang ilong"

"sayang. kung pwede lang sana"

chuck all these mentality.

Then, I came to see the dark world of being hired and employed . The gas-gas na statement in each bio data and that line under every (job) wanted sign:

"With pleasing personality"

When I was 8, while waiting for our buko juice at the jeep terminal. I asked my Mom one time about what it means. I was just learning how to read that time. I enjoy practicing and reading each sign I see everywhere. My Mom was the proudest because she will caught me speaking and reading as she drives.

I can still remember, the sign was on white font on a red board of a (job) wanted sign. When my Mom explained it to me I have understood that a person should have a good understanding heart, and a good attitude in dealing with people. That is the desirable personality that they are looking for. It remained true to me. Until I really got curious if anybody wonder or ask what does it really mean as I enter college. Because it seems that the English as a second language speaker in my hometown does not translate "personality" with the same meaning my Mom taught me when I was younger.

My awareness of the career to take must be a security of my future.

Your skin-color, your looks, your ability to speak English, your education, your power were ingredients you need to have. If you can have it all on the same time. Malakas ang baraha mo of gettung hired. You need to have "good looks" to be desirable and most of all this good looks is mostly founded in who is the lighter skin? The lighter, the better. What is important for us to ask is how far we will let this happen? Until when we will allow this notion on "lighter, the better" box our wonderful future and the beauty we keep on ourselves? Do we just keep the discrimination happen or we will say it's time to end it and we're in it to end.

When one stand for another, the other can have courage to keep going.

Today, may you embrace yourself with your own beauty. May your dreams and potentials carry you above and beyond!

Always remember that itim man o puti ang kulay natin. H'wag naging kakalimutang maging tao at maging kapwa para sa iba.

May you receive your freedom today and may you celebrate your color with happiness on your face and an overwhelming pride for being perfectly made by God for who you are.

Cheers and Cheers!

Always,

TheMsgDiaries 💕

proofreading needed.

[howblunt]

1-98 weird asks!

First off: Thank you so much! I’m very excited to answer all of these :) 

Second off: Let’s begin

1. coffee mugs, teacups, wine glasses, water bottles, or soda cans? 

Coffee Mugs 

 2. chocolate bars or lollipops? 

lollipops for sure 

 3. bubblegum or cotton candy? 

bubblegum! (though i do love cotton candy)

 4. how did your elementary school teachers describe you? 

honestly I’m not sure. I’m sure it was something about me being quite and bad at participating 

 5. do you prefer to drink soda from soda cans, soda bottles, plastic cups or glass cups? 

(reusable) Plastic cups 

 6. pastel, boho, tomboy, preppy, goth, grunge, formal or sportswear? 

I love the look of pastel 

but I think I dress more preppy ? with a hint of grunge(maybe goth) 

 7. earbuds or headphones?

I wear earbuds more often but I do prefer headphones 

 8. movies or tv shows? 

MOVIES

 9. favorite smell in the summer? 

how the pool smells and sunscreen 

 10. game you were best at in p.e.? 

none. P.E. was awful.

Stick to the back and hope the ball doesn’t come at me, that’s how I lived. 

 11. what you have for breakfast on an average day? 

Cereal. I am a simple woman 

 12. name of your favorite playlist? 

currently it is my “Jean + Scott angst (and love)” playlist off spotify 

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3VAC9t28sIrgO7Y4os5a34

 13. lanyard or key ring? 

key ring 

 14. favorite non-chocolate candy? 

anything gummy but more specifically gummy worms 

 15. favorite book you read as a school assignment?

Wide Sargasso Sea 

If you like Gothic novels with some unrequited love and desire… hit this book up. Look up the plot of Jane Erye first.. it’s like a prequel. Btw I hated Jane Erye. But love Wide Sargasso Sea. Lots of symbolism and even witch craft 

 16. most comfortable position to sit in?

Legs stretched out, both on the ground 

17. most frequently worn pair of shoes?

My black tennis shoes. Very comfortable 

 18. ideal weather? 

Fall weather. Wind and sunshine 

 19. sleeping position?

Usually on my right side. But I wake up on my back

20. preferred place to write (i.e., in a note book, on your laptop, sketchpad, post-it notes, etc.)? 

Laptop

 21. obsession from childhood?

Barbie dolls! and my little pony+ littlest pet shop 

 22. role model? 

This is a hard one because I don’t really have anyone. But I guess Dan Aykroyd (my senior quote is from him) 

 23. strange habits? 

biting the inside of my mouth, fidgeting + folding up papers that are given to me (like in mass), and chewing my straws 

 24. favorite crystal? 

Rose quartz and orange Calcite

 25. first song you remember hearing?

Here Comes the Sun

My mom used to sing it in the morning to wake up my sister and me 

26. favorite activity to do in warm weather? 

Swim

Or walk/ride my bike to the library 

 27. favorite activity to do in cold weather?

curl up in a blanket and stay inside 

 28. five songs to describe you? 

(In no order)

Not Today by Twenty One Pilots 

Wow, I’m Not Crazy by AJR 

xanny by Billie Eilish 

I’m In Love With My Car by Queen

Why Do You Feel So Down by Declan McKenna 

 29. best way to bond with you? 

Going shopping (clothes or other). This way we can chat and also have something to do 

 30. places that you find sacred?

The library and church 

 31. what outfit do you wear to kick ass and take names? 

idk full outfit but my black pleated skirt makes me feel good 

 32. top five favorite vines? 

In no order

*girl vapes* wow

I smell like beef 

Lets’s tell each other secrets. I’ll go first, I hate you. 

Chris is that a weed?!

This is how I enter my house. What’s up fuckers?! 

 33. most used phrase in your phone? 

omg

 34. advertisements you have stuck in your head? 

that one for the shampoo made for curly hair. and it goes “That’s curl power”

 35. average time you fall asleep? 

11 or 12 during the week. 1 or 2 for weekends 

 36. what is the first meme you remember ever seeing? 

Rage comics. idk which specifically. But i used to run a rage comic meme account. I was pretty popular ;)

37. suitcase or duffel bag? 

suitcase

 38. lemonade or tea? 

lemonade (though i do LOVE tea)

 39. lemon cake or lemon meringue pie?

Lemon cakes 

 40. weirdest thing to ever happen at your school?  

omg so. There was this girl who told on this other girl for cheating on a test. Then like the whole grade just ganged up on this other girl and started calling her “the snitch” because the cheater’s friend group started saying “snitches get stitches” (lol even tho i went to an all girls, majority white + prissy + upper class, catholic school but go off) that went on for too long.

at some party they started to chant “snitches get stitches” 

the girl who started the chant then got suspended 

41. last person you texted? 

my ex. (it was a good breakup) 

 42. jacket pockets or pants pockets? 

jacket pockets 

 43. hoodie, leather jacket, cardigan, jean jacket or bomber jacket? 

hoodie 

 44. favorite scent for soap?

strawberry 

 45. which genre: sci-fi, fantasy or superhero?

sci-fi (lmao x-men is under sci-fi at the library. so it counts) 

46. most comfortable outfit to sleep in? 

XL t-shirt from giving blood and some very loose pajama shorts 

 47. favorite type of cheese?

American

 48. if you were a fruit, what kind would you be? 

Mango (I eat enough to turn into one)

 49. what saying or quote do you live by? 

“Comparison will kill you”

 50. what made you laugh the hardest you ever have?

OMG so there was this big spider web. And me and a friend thought it would be funny to call another friend over. And then be like “’lol u just walked passed a huge spider”–we didn’t think she would walk into it or near it because it was right by the edge of a lake we were by. So we call her over and this girl starts sprinting over toward us and RIGHT toward the spider web, and she had this big smile. And my friend and I yelled at her to stop. And when we were laughing saying she was about to run into a spider web and showed her the big spider, she began to freak out (maybe even cry). 

She was okay after the shock and fear wore off. 

I literally have tears in my eyes from typing this 

 51. current stresses? 

My friend moving away really far 

Starting school

making new friends 

 52. favorite font? 

I honestly don’t have one

 53. what is the current state of your hands? 

kinda dry

 54. what did you learn from your first job?

That I really love kids

 55. favorite fairy tale? 

Little Red Riding Hood and Rapunzel 

 56. favorite tradition?

Every one of my family’s Christmas traditions 

 57. the three biggest struggles you’ve overcome? 

My self doubt

sharing my art + writing 

My self confidence + learning my worth 

 58. four talents you’re proud of having?

I can play the piano

I can draw and paint

I can embroider and sew (not well but I have fun)

I can write pretty creative stories 

 59. if you were a video game character, what would your catchphrase be?

“Oh gosh, now what?”

 60. if you were a character in an anime, what kind of anime would you want it to be? 

Magical Girl Anime

 61. favorite line you heard from a book/movie/tv show/etc.?

Darjeeling Limited directed by Wes Anderson: “What’s wrong with you?” / “Let me think about that. I’ll tell you the next time I see you.” / “Sure, tell me then.” / “Thanks for using me.” / “You’re Welcome.” 

 62. seven characters you relate to?

Will from Stranger Things (with the whole not wanting to give up “childish things” and other stuff his friends are growing out of)

David Wong from John Dies at the End (with how he handles the situation and thinks)

Molly from Booksmart (not the going to a great college or being super smart + looking down on people part. But wanting to go to a party and flirt with cute boys)

Erin from Derry Girls (Tbh, I relate to all the main girls in this show)

Eric from That 70s Show (sometimes)

A mix between Ben and Andy from Parks and Rec

63. five songs that would play in your club?

Good Old Fashion Lover Boy by Queen 

Dance, Baby! by Boy Pablo 

Hooked On A Feeling by Blue Swede 

Fake Happy by Paramore 

Sober Up by AJR

 64. favorite website from your childhood? 

Club Penguin and Webkinz 

 65. any permanent scars?

On my knees from falling as a child. A small scar under my eye from a dog bite 

66. favorite flower(s)? 

Roses and Daisies 

 67. good luck charms?  

I wear this necklace a friend gave me when I am nervous 

68. worst flavor of any food or drink you’ve ever tried?

Green Tea flavored Mochi is kinda nasty to me

 69. a fun fact that you don’t know how you learned? 

Dan Aykroyd lost his wallet that he always kept chained to his belt. He was freaking out and searching all over while John Belushi was laughing his butt off

 70. left or right handed?

right 

 71. least favorite pattern?

anything with too many circles / holes 

72. worst subject? 

Anything Science related 

 73. favorite weird flavor combo?

idk but do NOT try lemonade with Doritos. it taste like throw up 

I’ve made this mistake twice 

74. at what pain level out of ten (1 through 10) do you have to be at before you take an advil or ibuprofen?

it has to be an 7 or so

 75. when did you lose your first tooth? 

gosh, i’m not sure 

 76. what’s your favorite potato food (i.e. tater tots, baked potatoes, fries, chips, etc.)? 

tator tots 

 77. best plant to grow on a windowsill?

this is a question for my sister 

 78. coffee from a gas station or sushi from a grocery store?

I regularly buy sushi from a grocery store so that works 

the grocery store I go to has a sushi bar and has fresh sushi every day 

79. which looks better, your school id photo or your driver’s license photo?

tbh they both looks kinda good.. not to BRAG. but i guess driver’s license 

 80. earth tones or jewel tones? 

Earth tones

 81. fireflies or lightning bugs?

fireflies 

 82. pc or console? 

pc 

 83. writing or drawing?

BOTH BOTH BOTH BOTH BOTH

both

 84. podcasts or talk radio? 

podcast – no commercials 

 84. barbie or polly pocket? 

Barbie all the WAY! Though I do love me a good polly pocket 

 85. fairy tales or mythology?

Fair Tales

 86. cookies or cupcakes?

Cookies

though i like making cupcakes more 

 87. your greatest fear?

Being kidnapped and never being found 

 88. your greatest wish?

To find my ideal man

 89. who would you put before everyone else? 

Anyone in my family 

 90. luckiest mistake?

Thinking a test is sooner so I study. But then ending up having another day to study as well. 

91. boxes or bags?

Boxes 

 92. lamps, overhead lights, sunlight or fairy lights? 

lamps 

(maybe some fairy lights in the background) 

 93. nicknames?

My real name is Veronica but I go by Ronni

Ron Ron, Gonni, Ronica 

 94. favorite season? 

Fall 

 95. favorite app on your phone? 

music 

 96. desktop background? 

I’m a Kaneki slut (Tokyo Ghoul) 

 97. how many phone numbers do you have memorized?

two

 98. favorite historical era?

style wise: 1800 rococo -- Marie Antoinette period 

media wise: 1970s  

[nanalikessurveys]

Was your life better or worse or the same five years ago? It was definitely worse 5 years ago, the year 2014 was horrible for me Would you rather visit NYC, LA, or Chicago? I guess LA, i don’t know Have you ever been to Chicago? I have not Would you ever want to live in a big city? No , i don’t think i would want to live in a big city, i like living in a city but not a big city Does your first crush know they were your first crush? Haha, no, that was long time ago

What color is your favorite laundry basket? We have only one laundry basket and it’s white How old were you when you got your first smartphone? Smartphone? i think i was 12, i got it for my birthday What is your favorite app on your phone? I just use YouTube, instagram and pinterest

What is the background on your phone? It’s an album cover of one band

What is your favorite thing to do in the swimming pool? Swimming, or just chilling

Do you have a swimming pool? No we don’t What is the biggest city you’ve lived in (if you want to answer)? I have only lived here Do you own an American flag shirt? I do not Which country (or countries) has the best flag, in your opinion? For some reason i like Greece’s flag Did you get your personality from your mom or your dad, or neither? From both, i think i’m more like my dad tho

Will you be eating bbq chicken this July 4th? I don’t celebrate july 4th Would you rather wear red, white, or blue? Red doesn’t suit me, so then white or blue Have you ever lit fireworks in your backyard? No, i have never done that

Have you made many stupid decisions/mistakes? Well, yes What does your middle name rhyme with? I’m so bad at rhyming lol i don’t know If you had one boy and one girl, what would you name them? I haven’t thought that far 

Are there any redheads in your family? No Who do you know who is allergic to nuts? I don’t know anyone who is allergic to nuts What is your favorite type of tree? I don’t know, a birch? Are you superstitious? Definitely not 

Would you ever consider getting dreadlocks? I wouldn’t When was the last time you drank tea? Today i drank iced tea, that’s the only tea i drink Have you downloaded extra fonts for your computer? No need to Do you have photoshop? I do not

What type of phone do you have? iPhone 7 What is one interesting fact about you? I guess i’m not a interesting person, since i can’t think of any What color are your walls? Just white Who taught you how to drive a car? I don’t know how to drive a car What is your favorite candy bar? I love the small kinder milk chocolate bars At what time of day do you feel the best? I don’t know lol Are there a lot of mosquitoes where you live? Not where i live but in the countryside theres plenty, and i hate it What does your swimsuit look like? It’s light pink, just a normal swimsuit What clothing store do you shop at the most?

Zara, H&M or New Yorker

Who is the latest great youtuber you’ve discovered? Naomi Jon, she’s cute Do you read the Bible regularly? I never read it What color is your dresser? White Do you own any antique furniture? No i don’t

Would you ever want to live in a castle? Haha, hell no

What is your favorite cold drink from Starbucks? I rarely go there, because we don’t have starbucks in my town, but i like the iced coffee

Do you consider yourself “trendy”? I don’t think i would consider myself trendy, i don’t know lol Name three patriotic songs you like. I don’t listen to patriotic music 

What is your favorite flavor of ice cream? Just plain vanilla Do you like your hair better long or short? I’ve never had long hair, but i would like it long Do you like your hair better curly or straight? i have wavy hair and i like it this way, but i would pick curly Which major holiday is closest to your birthday? Halloween

Have you ever had an outdoor birthday party? No Has it ever snowed on your birthday? I wouldn’t be surprised if it had Do you like the way your name is spelled? Sure Are you close with any of your cousins? Not really, we see eachoter rarely Who is your favorite cousin? All of my cousins are nice Do you really think that light blonde is the best hair color? Not the best, but i like it

Do you think that blue eyes are the prettiest? Maybe

[sleepy-peachie]

Paris day II

We woke up around 7 am and lazily got dressed and had coffee downstairs in our hotel and ventured off to the subway station.  We woke up so early bc i wanted to look around a flea market in vanves and heard it was the best but i couldn’t get it to come up on the maps app to save my life.  But when we walked outside there was a farmers market right across the street from the block our hotel was on.  We walked around and looked at everything and i wish i’d have bought some strawberries but the prices weren’t clear a lot of the time and we didn’t want to ask so we just walked on to the metro.  We easily got to the station and easily walked onto the right train and then we just had to wait for our stop.  At this point i was like oh my god i can’t believe our professors let us go here by ourselves this was such a bad idea and i was so nervous but all the stops were lining up with expectations and around the 3rd stop we could see the eiffel tower out the window and it was amazing.  We walked out of the station and had a pretty easy time finding the trocadero and since we were there so early there weren’t too many people.  We Walked down closer to the tower and we saw so many couples getting engagement photos or wedding photos and it was precious.  The eiffel tower was a little overrated tbh but we didn’t get to go up in it since neither of us wanted to pay 30 euro and there was a huge crowd there.  

From the eiffel tower we walked on to the arc de triomphe and the champs elysee.  A lot of the stores had guards in front of them whcih was kind of freaky (but two days later someone did try to blow up their car in a terrorist attack so i guess it makes sens)  but even the mcdonalds had a guard and ariel couldn’t use the bathroom unless we bought something. We just went down the road to Quick and there was no guard and barely any people tbh and used their bathroom #lifehack

We stumbled upon Laduree, it was on our list but we hadn’t actively looked for it.  This store was adorable with it’s mint front and curly font and on the inside was sooo fancy with statues and they had a bar that looked pretty amazing and people were having breakfast on the other side of the tea house.  The sweets looked amazing too and we walked around inside for a little bit before we actually decided whether or not macarons would last this heat (86 F i think)  We did decide to go ahead and buy them because it was on both of our lists and i dont think we’d have made it back to the store.  I ended up getting the little round box/ case i wanted and got 6 macarons:  lavender, cognac, rose, licorice, strawberry and pistacchio.  They were all good but they were all sweet and I guess i prefer fruitier macarons but i’m still very glad we went.  We munched on them all day and i tried the lavender first and it was much better than i expected.  I picked the cookies more for the picture than the taste.  We also walked into a tea store right next to it and that turned out to be a pretty great decision.  ariel bought her sister some tea and i wish i had bought some too, it all smelled amazing especially this mint tea that ariel ended up buying.  I did buy a bottle of rapsberry mint tea though it was such a good decision since it was so hot and i couldn’t stop coughing.  We tried shopping for clothes but that was a mistake, we walked into one store and a shirt was 230 euro and Ariel just leans over and whispers “we need to get out of here” and we just fast walked right out the door.  Im’ sure the workers were like LOL.  We also went into the abercrombie since Sebastien had insisted on it and boy was he right.  You had to walk through this huge black and gold gate and guard and through this hedge trail to get to the giant black and gold doors to go in and nothing we looked at was under 75 euro.  I don’t understand why anyone would buy anything from there when you can go into any other abercrombie and get things cheaper.  so we walked around this labrynth until we found out how to leave and left.  

We got to the end of the champs elysee and i’m starting to get tired and my feet are starting to hurt so we sit down on a bench for a second to find our maps and get out of the sun and we were starting to get hungry for lunch since we didn’t really have breakfast yet only coffee.  We walked on to the louvre and took our pictures in front of it and around it and it was really cool to see in person and there were statues the whole walk there once we got out of the gardens.  

I have a thing for green statues i love them

We started walking on towards Notre Dame and found the cutest little cafe and they had french onion soup on their menu board so i’m like hell yeah.  The waiter was adorable, he pulled my chair out for me and and asked if he could have a macaron since he saw my laduree bag and just laughed to himself.  He was super nice and even brought us the wifi passwords without us asking. But it was near 90 degrees and i felt disgusting and sunscreeny so that was great.  This french onion soup was the best ting ever though it was sooo good and the bread in the basket was so good i made Ariel steal the leftovers in her purse.  

We shopped a little in the sephora and walked on to notre dame and it was sooo crowded.  the gardens were open though and my feet hurt sooo bad so we went and sat in the gardesn for a while.  Then walked along montmarte to see the art near the seine.  We had to use the bathroom pretty bad by this point and we could not find any public ones so we had to buy a water from some small italien restaraunt and that bathroom was a treat.  Looking through the art was really cool I really regrett not buying a poster.  They had anatomical posters and vintage newspapers that i really liked and i don’t know why i didn’t buy one.  Then we went down next to the seine again and each ate another macaron and i ate my bread (good decision)

From here we went on to the pantheon.  by the time we got there i had forgotten why we were even going to the pantheon and when i saw it i was even less impressed since it just looks like any big building.  But we did pay to go inside and see Marie Curie’s and Pierre Curie’s graves and we also saw victor hugo’s.  It was cool to say we’ve done that and we wondered if she was still radioactive.  After that we ate dinner at a crêperie and this was the best decision we made in terms of food the whole trip.  I got a ham and cheese crepe and a glass of sauvignon and the restaraunt itself was precious and we got a seat next to the open front of the restaraunt and the sun was going down so we had a great view all around us and the heat had calmed down a little bit and the crepes were made with buckwheat so Ariel was actually able to get one w/o worrying about gluten and they were both sooooo good.  Halfway through my wine though i was like oh my god i’m buzzed right now wtf.   I didn’t really think Ariel was feeling the wine last night i thought she’d just had weird expectations and tricked herself into thinking she was feeling it but nope i was definitely feeling a little spinny.  We came to the conclusion that it was because we were dehydrated so we got some water and just demolished it.  We were so thirsty, we walked 13 miles total on Saturday in the nearly 90 degree heat. and we didn’t get back to our hotel until about 8:30.  

I wanted to buy a bottle of wine for home and we were worried all the stores would be closed on sunday so we walked into a couple stores and I was kind of overwhelmed by it all and didn’t know what was good so I didn’t end up buying any.  but we did go back to the cafe/bar across the street for tea and wine again around nine.  this time I got the cheverny and i really liked it too.  

Also got some crazy tanlines on my chest now so thats cool.

[purplesurveys]

802

Was your life better or worse or the same five years ago? A lot better. 2015 was the year of my grandfather dying, the slow death of a relationship, and me facing the massive pressure that came with taking college entrance exams. It wasn’t my favorite year. 2020 isn’t a lot better by any means, but it still hasn’t given me the same level of emotional turmoil so that’s good enough for me. Would you rather visit NYC, LA, or Chicago? Chicago. It’s been my dream city for a while, thanks to CM Punk and Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. Have you ever been to Chicago? I haven’t. Would you ever want to live in a big city? I do want to live in a big city; I want to end up living somewhere busy and where there’s lots of city noise, construction noise, trains, cars, etc. Considering I’ve always lived in gated villages, I’ve grown quite tired of how quiet and monotonous it can be here. Does your first crush know they were your first crush? Nah. We’ve also grown apart in the last decade so there’ll never be an appropriate time to raise it with her anymore. It’s just better off being a secret kept with me.

What color is your favorite laundry basket? I don’t have a favorite; the one I mainly use is brown. How old were you when you got your first smartphone? 17...I was a late bloomer lol. I broke so many phones before that so I understood my parents’ apprehension in getting me a smartphone. Before I had my own, Athenna would typically lend me her old 4S, back when she was still nice to me, and us. What is your favorite app on your phone? These days my favorite is Reddit as all other social media have been a little stressful to stay in. Reddit at least gives me a mix of everything, from the news, to funny content, to trivia, to interesting AskReddits, etc. What is the background on your phone? A shot of Beyoncé and Jay-Z on tour is my lock screen and Hayley Williams is my home screen. What is your favorite thing to do in the swimming pool? Just float around, lol. I don’t move a lot in swimming pools because I don’t like how chlorine-y/slimy most of them feel. I prefer to be at the beach. Do you have a swimming pool? No. What is the biggest city you've lived in (if you want to answer)? Manila. Do you own an American flag shirt? I don’t think so. I’m so not interested in one. Did you get your personality from your mom or your dad, or neither? I think it’s a mix of both. I got my shyness from my dad, but I can also be tense and uptight like my mom. Will you be eating bbq chicken this July 4th? I don’t care for that day. Would you rather wear red, white, or blue? I’d go with red, I find that it suits me best out of these three. Have you ever lit fireworks in your backyard? Not in the backyard but on the road outside of our house. It was New Year’s Eve and no one was driving that night anyway, so it was safe to put fireworks out on the street. Have you made many stupid decisions/mistakes? Of course. What does your middle name rhyme with? Carousel. Are there any redheads in your family? Nope. Who do you know who is allergic to nuts? Nah, just people from movies and shows I’ve watched hahaha. What is your favorite type of tree? I don’t really have a favorite tree. Are you superstitious? I’m just a tad bit neurotic about one superstition but otherwise I don’t believe in any other. Would you ever consider getting dreadlocks? No. When was the last time you drank tea? I think it was a few months ago when we were served free hot tea at North Park. Have you downloaded extra fonts for your computer? Just once, for layout class. Our class decided on a font that I didn’t have, so I had to get it from the internet.

Do you have photoshop? No. I have Indesign, though. What type of phone do you have? iPhone 8. What is one interesting fact about you? I had a green-blue birthmark on my right arm as an infant that never completely faded away, so I have a slight discoloration left on the same spot until now that looks black/greyish. What color are your walls? They are white. My mom gave us little say as to how we wanted our rooms to look like when they were first building them, so I had no choice even though I wanted baby blue walls. Who taught you how to drive a car? My dad taught me to drive around our village, then I also had brief lessons from a driving school when it came to driving on the highway. What is your favorite candy bar? Twix or Butterfinger. At what time of day do you feel the best? I’m on break from staying up late at the moment since I’m still recovering from my fever, but midnight beyond with my coffee and lofi music is my favorite period of the day. Are there a lot of mosquitoes where you live? Too many. Dengue is a common disease here. What does your swimsuit look like? Idk, I have several. Who is the latest great youtuber you've discovered? Haven’t really discovered anyone new lately. I’ve been on Netflix more these days, too.

Do you read the Bible regularly? Hard fucking pass on that. What color is your dresser? Brown.

Do you own any antique furniture? Welp, the aircon in my room is pretty antique hahaha it’s older than I am but still works like a charm. Other than that, all the antique furniture that I know of are in my grandma’s place, where they’ve always been. Would you ever want to live in a castle? I don’t think so. I want to live in a big place, but a castle isn’t my preferred style. What is your favorite cold drink from Starbucks? Caramel macchiatooooooo. Do you consider yourself "trendy"? Egh, only to a certain extent. I make sure I’m at least not outdated, but I also don’t feel the need to buy all the trendy things making the rounds. Name three patriotic songs you like. That is not my first or forty-eighth choice of music. What is your favorite flavor of ice cream? Cookies and cream. Do you like your hair better long or short? Nowadays, short. Do you like your hair better curly or straight? Wavy. Which major holiday is closest to your birthday? Usually it’s Easter, no matter when the church decides it’s going to be. Have you ever had an outdoor birthday party? No, my parties have always been indoors. Has it ever snowed on your birthday? -600% chance of that happening. Do you like the way your name is spelled? Sure, I’m not complaining. I get more misspellings with it but then again it’s also commonly accepted as the feminine spelling of the name, so at least people don’t go around calling me Sir/Mr. Are you close with any of your cousins? I’m close with my first and most of my second cousins on my mom’s side. There’s some work to be done with cousins on my dad’s side, as we barely talk lol. We don’t dislike each other, we just live far from one another and have little in common to boot. Who is your favorite cousin? The eldest cousin on my mom’s side, who’s pretty much my older brother because of how close we are. Do you really think that light blonde is the best hair color? I never even thought that to begin with. Do you think that blue eyes are the prettiest? Idk, I like green ones the most.