#plus his cuticles have never looked better tbh

[xysidhequeen]

I do want to see Jason ranting to Ember and Kitty. I’m curious 🧐

Let's see what I can do!

This would be once Jason is a bit more comfortable giving details about his previous life.

Jason, Ember and Kitty are relaxing in Ember's haunt. There's ban posters, both for living and dead bands, splashed across her walls. Instruments of all types fill the space, and the three are spread out on various pillows. Jason is painstakingly painting Ember's nails while Kitty paints his toenails bright red. There's several cartons of open ice cream in between them and a TV is playing a reality show in the background that none of them are watching.

"And then! The dirtbag just fucking trips and falls off the balcony!" Jason told the girls, pulling his hands carefully back so he doesn't mess up Ember's nails while he gesticulates wildly to punctuate his point.

"Good riddance, scum like that deserves it." Kitty said decisively, pulling back to access her work.

"I woulda pushed him, had it been me." Ember said with a shrug.

Jason pointed at her, "right?! I wish I had! But I didn't and B-" Jason's face twisted in pain, and he swallowed harshly. "Batman thought I actually did. He benched me for it." Jason finished with a mutter, all righteous anger gone and replaced with pain.

Ember and Kitty shared a singular look. Ember's hair flared, the flames igniting and blooming in a pillar of ferocity. Kitty's features twisted, fangs lengthening and eyes glowing.

"He benched you? Because some jackass piece of shit offed himself?" Kitty demanded, voice rising in pitch.

Jason looked up and blinked, skin flushing at the anger so obvious on the two women's faces. Anger for him, not at him. "Uh. Yeah, he thought I did it."

Ember huffed, standing up, her half finished nails wrapping around her forearms as if to hold herself back as she stomped across her floor, kicking spare clothes and pillows out of her way.

"That asshole! What a dick move, honestly." Ember growled out, flames snapping behind her.

"We should beat the snot out of him!" Kitty raged.

"We should burst his eardrums!"

"We could haunt his house and hide all his left shoes!"

"We could– his shoes? Seriously Kitty?"

"What? How would you feel if someone stole all your left shoes?"

"Alright, fine. Fair. We could burn his house down too,"

Kitty and Ember fed off of one another, coming up with new creative ways to get revenge on Bruce on Jason's behalf. It all ended when Jason fell over, laughing so hard at the thought of Bruce being vengefully haunted by the two ghosts.

He might have been crying too, but that's what the (slightly melted now) ice cream was for.

Kitty and Ember shared a smile once Jason finally fell asleep. Kitty gently rubbing away tear tracks and Ember pulling a blanket over him. They had been mad, yes, but they had been more angered over the pure hurt they'd felt pouring from Jason like a river. They were just glad they could alleviate it, even a little.

Anyways, the girls are very protective of Jason. And they weren't entirely kidding about haunting the shit out of Batman. Not because of what he did exactly, but because of the fact he hurt Jason. Also, they don't really see what the big deal is with some random schmuck dying. So what? So they understand Bruce's POV even less.

[thehouseofgrey]

what do you think about magnus in neons??? *eyes emoji*

Funny you should mention 👀

As a teenager I wasn’t allowed to be like,,, emo. Like our parents just wouldn’t let us wear all black. Probably an attempt to keep our mental health from tanking but 🙃🙃🙃. Point being, since I couldn’t wear black, I went the opposite direction. I wore exclusively neons from ages 11-15. It got me bullied a lot. But I don’t care cuz I loved it then and I intend to bring it back into my wardrobe now at first opportunity. All that said,,,

MAGNUS IN NEONS IS SO FUCKING GALAXY BRAIN YOU DONT EVEN UNDERSTAND

Okay okay organizing thoughts. The first thing y’all should know is that we’ve already seen Magnus in a neon. Electric blue is a neon. This is electric blue for reference:

[ Image ID: just the color electric blue]

I’ll put a note here that pure red is also technically a neon but it’s a neon I hate with a burning passion so we will not be acknowledging her further. Magnus rocks red so really it’s rather unfortunate that neon red sucks so fucking much

But there is, I would argue, a much better much sexier sister color to red that looks lovely in neon and would look so good on Magnus I’m getting lightheaded just thinking about it. NEON PINK! Neon pink, I would argue, is the god of all neons. Even if you hate neon green, blue, orange, yellow, purple... I’ve never met someone who hates neon pink. (If you do, no you don’t ❤️ /j) Magnus in pink lipstick or eyeshadow

[Image ID One: a close up of shiny neon pink lipstick on tan white skin

Image ID Two: a close up of a matte neon pink eyeshadow with black eyeliner and false lashes on a heavily airbrushed white woman

End ID]

Like the pink eye shadow with a black dress, pink fishnets AND a pink leather jacket. God sign me the fuck up. Magnus in a bright pink pencil skirt. Good shit. Chefs kiss. Mwah. Pink heels pink heels pink heels. Especially like a pump. Or like a chunky heeled boot. God I’m getting carried away. Okay okay okay.

Right.

Let’s also talk about a underrated babe: neon purple

[Image ID Left: a very skinny white woman with a handful of small tattoos on her arms. She’s wearing a short tight dress that’s purple with blue and green glitter.

Image ID Right: a mannequin in a knee length, holographic purple A line skirt.

End ID]

We never got to see Magnus in purple of any kind which feels like a crime. But neon purple would present such an opportunity for him to play with glitter and shimmery silvers. Neon purple was made for holo silver. You can’t change my mind. I’m right. And neon purple and holo silver were made for Magnus Bane.

Right okay my next points require addressing a bit of an elephant in the room. I love hsj with my whole chest and he makes a magnificent Magnus. But, Magnus would be dark skinned. He’s Indonesian. And there are just some colors, especially bright colors like neons, which look better on darker skin. None of this is up for debate.

That said, Magnus would also rock the fuck out of neon yellow orange or green. Like there’s no color this man couldn’t own. Dark skinned people are out here in real life inventing color all the time. Magnus has had hundreds of years and all the money to perfect this. And neons lend themselves so well to mixing colors and patterns in ways that regular colors, I’m sorry to say, just don’t.

[Image ID: a Japanese teen girl standing in a brightly lit parking lot. She has her hair in two braids which she’s holding, one in each hand. She’s wearing a neon pink baret and a neon pink button up shirt with big red, yellow, green, purple and black flowers. it’s tucked into a bright yellow and white checkered skirt held with a medium sized black and gold belt. She also has on pink socks and pink platform sandals. End ID]

This is what I mean by pattern and color mixing by the way. (And Magnus in a miniskirt? Inspired. Effervescent.) Fashion, makeup, jewelry, and generally self decoration is one of the most fundamental ways humans have always expressed themselves. Magnus knows himself. Knows what fits him. Knows his colors and patterns. I’m sure he could come up with combinations I can’t even dream of. And neons provide an excellent medium for it.

Magnus could inspire even more gender envy in neons tbh. He’s not androgynous in the way of like man plus woman or woman plus man. He’s androgynous in the way of like where you’d never doubt what gender he is even though he’s made gender his bitch, y’know? He’s fully feminine, fully masculine, and fully androgynous all at the same time. Idk what this paragraph is for actually now that I’m at the end of it.

Basically, Magnus is a bit of a peacock. He’s hot, he knows it, he flaunts it. The neon aesthetic just suits the mould of what we already know him to be. Neons is the next evolution of the glitter and matte orange or blue eyeliner.

Don’t let me get started on this shit or we’ll be here all day

[Image ID One: a close up of black and white checkered lipstick. The mouth is hung slightly open so you can see the front teeth.

Image ID Two: a picture of acrylic nails. Some of the nails are painted black with rainbow roses. Some are black with abstract rainbow ribbons. Some are painted rainbow tie dye with black drip lines coming down from the cuticle. The rest are clear acrylic with rainbow splatter lines.

End ID]

Neon Magnus Supremacy.

That is all.

[frighthouseofalighthouse]

All weird asks!! They're so good!

Sorry this is a bit late, babe! I wanted to wait til I had the opportunity to answer all these uninterrupted!

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

Coffee mugs! tbh I drink tea out of coffee mugs because who actually uses teacups? I mean my grandma has tons and I would use them, but the handles are so tiny and I am v clumsy so it scares me.

2. chocolate bars or lollipops?

Chocolate bars!!! I’m too impatient for lollipops and plus they always get coated in saliva which just...drips down my chin since my mouth is already full.

3. bubblegum or cotton candy?

Bubblegum! I love cotton candy but I can only handle a bit at a time tbh. Also I haven’t had bubblegum in almost two years bc of braces and I miss it so much I can’t wait to have it again.

4. how did your elementary school teachers describe you?

Okay, so even though I’ve always been homeschooled, when I was in elementary school we did this program with a ton of other homeschoolers where you could take actual classes and stuff. My teachers always said I was quiet and focused and studious, and you could always count on me to be lecturing everyone else on the instructions if they hadn’t been paying attention. (does any of that surprise anyone?)

5. do you prefer to drink soda from soda cans, soda bottles, plastic cups or glass cups? GLASS SODA BOTTLES. nothing beats soda that’s been bottled in glass rather than plastic. You ever had orange cream soda from a glass bottle????? SLAPS ASS MY DUDE.

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

Pastel/boho/preppy/goth, my dude. I have so many sides to my fashion and aesthetic.

7. earbuds or headphones?

EARBUDS BC HEADPHONES NEVER FIT OVER MY EARS RIGHT. BUT EARBUDS WITH SOFT TIPS BECAUSE MY EARS ARE TOO SMALL FOR THE PLASTIC ONES.

8. movies or tv shows?

Tv shows tbh because even though I can binge 4 eps of 45 minutes each per night, they’ll hold my attention a lot more than a movie. It’s weird.

9. favorite smell in the summer?

Thunderstorms/petrichor, also natural bogs. PEAT BOG SMELL FUCKING SLAPS.

10. game you were best at in p.e.?

None. I liked trampoline time back when we took gymnastics, if that counts. I also liked jump roping and Irish step dancing.

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

Nothing lmao. I sleep til like noon and then I microwave something for lunch.

12. name of your favorite playlist?

My catchall playlist, Things I Love, my summer playlist, Summer Songs, my Gryffindor playlist, My Queen And Country playlist for writing, and my playlist for The Raven Cycle. (after I post this I’ll edit it and link them)

13. lanyard or key ring?

Keyring, a lanyard would like constantly detract from my outfit if that makes sense???

14. favorite non-chocolate candy?

Sour Patch Kids or Swedish Fish.

15. favorite book you read as a school assignment?

Between The Grapes Of Wrath, The Great Gatsby, The Handmaid’s Tale, and To Kill A Mockingbird!

16. most comfortable position to sit in?

Just fucking sprawled every which way.

17. most frequently worn pair of shoes?

My grey converse if it’s comfortable out, my silver flip flops if it’s hot, and my fur-lined black combat boots if it’s cold.

18. ideal weather?

65-70 degrees, partly sunny, breezy, not humid.

19. sleeping position?

I need to sprawl to fall asleep, but once I’m asleep I curl up into a little ball.

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

Laptop and notebook ONLY IF I’m sure of myself, which isn’t often. But I do write dense, scribbled paragraphs on sermon note pages if something comes to me during church lmao.

21. obsession from childhood?

The American Revolution, weather, astronomy, and mysteries/ghost stories.

22. role model?

Idk tbh? Lately I’m just trying to define and live up to my own standards?

23. strange habits?

Pulling the collar of my shirt up to my mouth and sucking on it. Also being a perfectionist in my writing. I don’t do messy drafts. It’s all perfect by the time I write it, and I edit/spellcheck as I go.

24. favorite crystal?

Amethyst (my birthstone), bismuth, opal, and blue goldstone.

25. first song you remember hearing?

Other than nursery rhymes/kid’s songs, it was Light Up The Sky by The Afters, or California Dreamin’ by The Mamas And The Papas.

26. favorite activity to do in warm weather?

Find shade/a cool spot and read with a cold drink.

27. favorite activity to do in cold weather?

ALSO READ. And snuggle with thick socks and a cup of tea and play DS games all day.

28. five songs to describe you?

My five faves atm -

I Am Here // Pink

The Pines // Roses and Revolutions

Soldier, Poet, King // The Oh Hellos

Traveler’s Song // Aviators

Hymn // Kesha

29. best way to bond with you?

Share my interests about politics, history, books, true crime, paranormal, tv shows, and also be kind and understanding when I don’t text for long periods bc I don’t feel up to talking.

30. places that you find sacred?

The woods on the hill behind my house. Dense, deeply green, secluded woods. Hedge mazes. Old and crumbling castles. Anywhere beneath a clear sky and a full moon. Your heart when you’ve come to terms with your fears and made peace with yourself. Anyplace with historical significance. Bookstores on an autumn/winter day. Libraries.

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

A kickass plaid, bruh. Also my leather jacket - once I lose enough shoulder weight to fit in it again.

32. top five favorite vines?

Fre shavoc ado, the one where the dog eats the butterfly, the Lin-Manuel Miranda one where he’s brainstorming, “what the FUCK kind of weather is this, and the dad and son with the saxophone and the oven door.

33. most used phrase in your phone?

“oh mood”

34. advertisements you have stuck in your head?

“WOW! It’s NatureStone!”

35. average time you fall asleep?

Right now it’s 4-5 am because I suck.

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

I Can Haz Cheezburger, My mom used to look at the website with me when I was like 10.

37. suitcase or duffel bag?

They both have pros and cons. :/ Duffel bags are easier to carry but suitcases keep stuff from getting broken better.

38. lemonade or tea?

TEAAAAAAAAAAAA

39. lemon cake or lemon meringue pie?

Lemon meringue pie!!! my stepdad made a really good one the other week.

40. weirdest thing to ever happen at your school?

Nothing, since I was homeschooled. Same weird shit that always happens at home. Our safe word for when I got overwhelmed in math was “quokka” and we’d stop and look at cute quokka pictures.

41. last person you texted?

My gf :)

42. jacket pockets or pants pockets?

Jacket pockets because things are not only hard to fit in girls’ pants pockets, but if you put a chapstick/lipstick in there it starts to melt :(

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

BETWEEN HOODIE AND CARDIGAN. SO VERSATILE. SO COMFY.

44. favorite scent for soap?

Irish Spring soap or the blue Dial bars smells better and cleaner than anything to me.

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

Fantasy. It can take me a bit to get into it, but once I do, I love it. I only do sci-fi if it has rebellion and isn’t heavy on the sci. And superhero movies are great but a lot of the tropes are meh. Fantasy has a lot more versatility if you ask me.

46. most comfortable outfit to sleep in?

Sweatpants/leggings and a soft, well worn tee.

47. favorite type of cheese?

Parmesan, white cheddar, or Muenster.

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

Raspberry!

49. what saying or quote do you live by?

“do no harm but take no shit.”

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

A really poorly edited political ad on tv a couple years ago. There was weird jazz playing, flames in the background of an image of the Capitol Building, and then the top of the dome opened and this guy’s face was inside. It is the single funniest ad I have ever seen and I laughed for 10 minutes so hard I was like an inch away from passing out.

51. current stresses?

Passing my driving test next month, getting a job, figuring out if my math skills are okay enough to take the SAT or an equivalent test.

52. favorite font?

Baskerville or Georgia!

53. what is the current state of your hands?

My fingernails are short bc I picked them while reading earlier, my cuticles suck bc I pick at those two, and my pinky is obliterated and scabbed because of when I accidentally sliced through the nail with a razor while shaving the other day. So, not great, but I’m living.

54. what did you learn from your first job?

That kids can be really annoying but also really cute and hilarious if you can get them to calm down. And also that baby fingernails are surprisingly sharp.

55. favorite fairy tale?

The OG Princess and the Frog where it’s implied the prince and “faithful Henry,’ his carriage driver, fall in love and ride off together at the end. JACOB AND WILHELM GRIMM SAID GAY RIGHTS.

56. favorite tradition?

Every December, my mom and I drive around after dark at night and I play Pokemon and we rate everyone’s Christmas decorations based on tackiness.

57. the three biggest struggles you’ve overcome?

So isolated I was as a preteen/early teenager, my self harm, and the internalized anger over my abusive relationship and PTSD.

58. four talents you’re proud of having?

Writing, puzzle solving, singing, and calligraphy.

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

“Benvoli-no.” (I recently remembered I used to say that a lot and I need to bring it back)

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

Dark, fairy tale anime with a lot of secrets to uncover and some dark woods.

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

TV show - “I am the Bad Wolf. I create myself.” - Doctor Who

Movie - “It’s not about deserve. It’s about what you believe. And I believe in love.” - Wonder Woman

Book - “If you never saw the stars, candles were enough.” - The Dream Thieves, by Maggie Stiefvater

62. seven characters you relate to?

Dean Winchester - Supernatural

Sam Winchester - Supernatural

Jack Kline Winchester - Supernatural

Charlie Bradbury - Supernatural

Gansey - The Raven Cycle

Blue Sargent - The Raven Cycle

Hermione Granger - Harry Potter

63. five songs that would play in your club?

Final Song // MO

Call Home // Heathers

I Am Here // Pink

Babylon // 5 Seconds of Summer

Shake It Off // Taylor Swift

64. favorite website from your childhood?

WEBKINZ AND THE OLD AMERICAN GIRL WEBSITE

65. any permanent scars?

Yes, I have several that remain from self harm, scars all over my left knee from being a clumsy child, and most of all a major scar down the center of my chest from heart surgery when I was a baby.

66. favorite flower(s)?

Rose, lavender, lilac, and dahlia.

67. good luck charms?

Not really???

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

Olives, mushrooms, radishes, cottage cheese, and ranch dressing are all foul.

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

Martin Luther didn’t actually nail his 95 theses to the church door, he just kind of passed them around, which is a lot less dramatic tbh. Also light-up signs were first used in New York City in 1884.

70. left or right handed?

I’m left-handed!

71. least favorite pattern?

I think zebra stripes, leopard print, and houndstooth are super ugly.

72. worst subject?

Math for sure. Even science would be easier if it didn’t involve so much math.

73. favorite weird flavor combo?

Wendy’s fries and chocolate frosty!!!

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

I think a 7, usually. My pain tolerance is pretty high because of a) years of self harm, and b) due to my PTSD my muscles are constantly tense and in pain anyway.

75. when did you lose your first tooth?

I was 4, and it had been loose but it fell out when I was trying to blow up an inflatable ball.

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

Fries or roasted potatoes that are charred and crunchy on the bottom. Chips are a close third.

77. best plant to grow on a windowsill?

Idk, my grandma’s the one with the green thumb mania lmao. But She keeps a lot of violets and arrowhead plants in the windowsills!

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

NEITHER I HATE BOTH COFFEE AND SUSHI IN ALL CIRCUMSTANCES.

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

Never had a school ID, but my temporary license photo is actually pretty good right now!

80. earth tones or jewel tones?

I really like earth tones for myself.

81. fireflies or lightning bugs?

THEY ARE THE SAME MF THING. Also I call them both, it just depends on what comes out of my mouth haha.

82. pc or console?

PC, I guess, though I don’t really game. I just watch my stepdad game.

83. writing or drawing?

WRITING. I cannot draw to save my life.

84. podcasts or talk radio?

Podcasts, talk radio is so annoying.

84. barbie or polly pocket?

Barbie, although I loved both.

85. fairy tales or mythology?

Mythology I guess??? Although again, I love both.

86. cookies or cupcakes?

COOKIESSSSS

87. your greatest fear?

Rejection, losing people I love, people secretly hating me. Also drowning, spiders, clowns, and guns.

88. your greatest wish?

To be a semi-successful author and work in a library/museum.

89. who would you put before everyone else?

My mom and my gf.

90. luckiest mistake?

Almost dropping a knife blade first on my foot but it landed between my toes.

91. boxes or bags?

um boxes I guess? I’m really good at fitting things in tetris style.

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

FAIRY LIGHTS AND DIM YELLOW LAMPS.

93. nicknames?

Ell, Alexander, Ellie, Little Lion, and Nerd.

94. favorite season?

FALL FALL FALL FALL

95. favorite app on your phone?

Tumblr or Spotify. Two apps I couldn’t live without.

96. desktop background?

97. how many phone numbers do you have memorized?

About a half dozen. Mine, my mom’s, my stepdad’s, my grandparents’ home number, my grandpa’s, and my grandma’s.

98. favorite historical era?

Both the American Revolutionary period and the Victorian Era (esp in Britain)

THANK YOU LOVE THIS WAS SUPER FUN

[persiantrashboi]

Today was an eventful day 1. sorry I'm Doing this on tumblr. Idk why but it feel easier to keep up with if I think someone might read it . Any way you can block (tr)ash talking or diary entry if you don't want to see this 2. MY flight was delayed 2 hours 3. I spent money on a really dumb shirt and I'm pretty ashamed /embarrassed that I did? But also I think it will be fun to wear to parties and stuff and it's really good quality and was pretty cheap 4. When I went to buy the shirt I knew it was half price cause I had seen it online but the guy tried to charge me full price so I was like excuse me. And then he was like nope it's not on sale so I was thought I was wrong and I left. Then I went back and realized it had a blue dot which means half price so I argued with him and he was like nah that's wrong so I bought the shirt online for half price when I got home. I'm really pissed about it and I'm not sure why he would do that? 5. I am wondering if it is because his friend wanted the shirt or because I am brown or because it was an MENS shirt and I don't look or sound like a man or because I am dressed like a lesbian today 6. Sunny comes out in two days 7. I'm writing this on the plane back to school after winter break idk I'm half excited to see everyone like the iasip boy and my director friend who has been snap chatting me recently (he convinced me to buy the shirt tbh and my friend who likes rpdr and my friend who is going to be my assistant this quarter and my friend who is really good about not misgendering me, but I'm half really really anxious 8. A girl from my hall at school is sitting a few rows ahead of me on the plane. We are friends on Facebook. I wave to her As I pass. She waves back. Her friend who is next to her says who is that. I don't know she responds. 9. I'm reading This Is How You Lose Her by Junot Diaz right now and it's really really incredible. I don't think I know of anyone who writes about the immigrant experience better than Junot Diaz. 10. A choice quotations from This is How You Lose Her are listed below 11. "As we walk over to the courtesy golf cart, I say, I feel like you rejected my whole country, Magda" I have had so many Magdas in my life it's painful. Every time someone says something about Iran or makes a comment about Indian doctors not being as good as American doctors, it goes straight to my heart. Every time one of my American friends opens their mouth about one of my countries-- something they experienced when they went to the Taj Mahal, something they read in an article online because no one reads the newspaper anymore--they become a Magda. And it hurts. 12. It's a good book. The girl on the plane next to me is reading the back cover as it sits turned upside down on my lap, spine pressed open. 13. I am wondering how long until we land. 14. I am picking at my cuticles 15. I do not want to Uber home from the airport but I am thinking that it is going to be too late to take public transportation alone right now 16. I don't actually think that Uber is much safer but I've never hearted of Anyone I know getting h mugged in one and That at least provides some sense of comfort. 17. I wrap my ring finger around my little finger and press the pad of my pinky against that of my thumb. The plane roars as it begins its descent. My fingers quicken. With my middle finger I rub rapidly at the tiny piece of skin that pokes out from between my nail and the nail bed it hurts. There is a cuticle on my thumb that is not so close to the nail. It would hurt less I know. I keep rubbing my pinky. The plane hits ground with a sharp thud and my hand, ring finger still wrapped around my pinky, shoots out to the chair in front, unsuccessfully trying to absorb the shock. I will be back at school soon. Things will start moving again soon. I am worried. I am scared. I still do not know what I am doing there. The plane slows to a stop and my middle finger goes back to rubbing my pinky. The girl next to me straightens her back as if to nudge me out of my seat. I settle back and continue to rub my pinky. We're the very last row on the plane, we'll be waiting anyway. I can't tell if my pinky has stopped stinging or by now I am just used to the pain. 18. I am eating dried mangoes (the unsweetened kind like I like) as I wait for the crowd around my baggage claim carousel to disperse. People swarm toward the silver roundabout trying to grab there bags and get out of here. It's okay that I can't push forward. I have time. People breathe down each others necks standing on tip toes , eyes trained on the little hole that vomits up bags searching for that purple ribbon or orange tag that distinguishes their bag from everyone else's. Its okay. Im in no rush. 19. An old man in a thick red coat sits next to me flanked on the other side by a young girl in a hoodie. He is telling her that everyone else is dressed much more warmly. Is she sure she will be okay. She rolls her eyes and says she is fine. My chest swells up no one is fine for our winters. They're the kind of winters that make your bones feel cold. They're the kind of cold that seeps through woolen socks and pinches at any inch of bare skin. I'm proud of my ability to sustain these winters. I'm an immigrant. I'm not used to this weather. 20. I decide to take the bus home. It'll take lo ref but I've got time plus last time I ran into a friend on the bus. 21. I watched a little boy on the bus draw a peace sign in the condensation on window. I smiled as he slid his little finger back and forth