#so I guess it's kind of releiving to not really have the prospect of that stress as much (though things in the grocery store

[icewindandboringhorror]

Daily Log 5

Trying out (probably just temporarily) making short daily-ish notes about things, in an attempt to see if it helps me be more reflective or productive lol.

Activities: Not much, I had to run errands most of the day and also felt incredibly tired, probably because the cats woke me up like 4 times last night begging for food and things. Overly warm and headachey a lot.

I planted a few new flowers, and pressed more flowers and clovers in my Large Sturdy Flower Pressing Book as well.

Actually worked on translating the text for the previously mentioned tapestry/painting thing. I think I've decided that it doesn't really matter very much, because nobody else even knows anything about this conlang except for me, so they won't know if it's wrong lol.. It is not entirely completed after all (complete enough to translate most simple sentences into consistently, but also there are a few spots here and there where I haven't fully worked out the way some part of speech actually functions or etc., or I wrote down one thing that later contradicts something else, so occasionally I reach a sentence that I'm not sure exactly which rule to follow to translate, and I need to do a larger comprehensive organization of the document to work out all the kinks and declare officially like 'THIS is the ONE way this is done' etc. etc.) - so because of that, I think I'll just kind of 'do my best' and if the rules now end up changing in the future as I further work on the language, then, that's fine, because nobody can read it anyway lol. Kind of like that song on my side music youtube that's sung in genuine Avirrekava lyrics but also I wrote them years ago and some of the sentences have now become outdated/invalid.

Washed and cleaned some kale so it will be dry for me to maybe make silly kale chips tomorrow.

Final proofreading + posting of the poll adventure thing.

eughh,, literally nothing else.. I hate running errands because it always makes me feel drained and sick after, plus I get nothing else done all day except for just going places. I know checking my p.o. box and picking up cat food and stuff is technically still a productive action, but it just feels like.. i should be getting all of my long term projects done instead lol.. what about the videos?? or worldbuilding?? what does grocery shopping have to do with elves??!?! >:V (aside from pretending to be a group of fantasy creatures evaluating produce having an imaginary conversation with yourself at the store ghghj,, but that is not productive either lol)

Notable sights: Found 13 four leaf clovers, and 2 five leaf clovers, though one of them is almost a 6 leaf (like one of the leaves is nearly split all the way into a sort of heart shape, just not entirely). Also two of the clovers are HUGE, probably the biggest 4 leaf clovers I've ever collected, like 2 inches across maybe. The sky was very pretty a lot with big fluffy white clouds. Not a 'sight' really, but I got to sit in air conditioning for a little while today and it was very nice. I love the cold crisp kind of stale air smell, like walking into a freezer or something (which I used to do when I was a kid, I would sneak into a walk-in freezer at a school cafeteria and just sit there for a while lol), it's comforting to me.

Goals moving forward: Consistent sleep schedule. Focus on social activities, finding new friends in the places I want to move, communicating with ones I have. Physical therapy exercises. Plant nasturtiums. Finish and upload videos, edit costume pictures & etc. Do the new costumes I've planned. MAKE SCULPTURES at some point, I miss them.

Notable foods: Had a bit of smoked gouda and green onions in my Mandated Completely Plain Flavorless Grits For Breakfast this morning, as a littol treat lol.. Tried a 'biscoff' ice cream bar, which is generally a flavor profile I like, but I think I would usually rather be eating a cookie than having ice cream. Also an Ensure nutritional drink, which I know most people consider gross but I genuinely like them.. maybe it's like a source of comfort when my stomach is too sick to eat, like 'oh well at least I can have this cold smooth textured chalky chocolate thing' lol.

Sort of like how I have positive conditioning to feel safe/comfortable in bathrooms (due to it usually being one of the only places you can safely retreat from a social situation or get out of crowds in public areas, etc.), even though rationally I have no particular reason to like bathrooms much, and most people dislike public bathrooms especially. Fellow public bathroom and ensure nutritional shake lovers unite! (3 of us in the entire world)

[dreamingcellardoor]

Day 8:

For @bridges-you-cross​ who asked for:

Hi, I'd like to make a 12 Days of Christmas request, please! Prompts 2 and 22 for Sun/Chang-ge. Thank you!

Both of which are perfect for these two, but I went with 22.

22. Character A loses a bet and has to wear a different ugly Christmas sweater every day till Christmas. Character B works at a clothes store.

The moment Changge saw the newest shipment of Christmas sweater, she said, "we should save time and just send these off to charity."

Because the profit they were going to make off them (probably zero, if they were lucky) isn't going to be worth the work put into tagging and folding all of them.

But Mimi just shoved a box at her and told her to start doing her job with a huff.

So Changge dutifully tagged all the garish sweaters and folded them neatly and even displayed the best looking one (which was still a monstrosity) on a manequin as attractively as possible (she could say with confidence that it was better looking than a cockroach).

Imagine her surprise then, when Ashina Sun of all people came in and started picking them out. Changge watched in dismay ashe went through the display thoughtfully, picking out sweater, after sweater, after sweater.

By the fifth one she walked over and politely asked, "do you need a basket?" She did not say 'sir' because they had been sort of friends after they teamed up in middle school to topple the control the biggest bully in the school had over its population. Needless to say, for the rest of their time in school before graduation they were respected and feared in equal measures.

He looked at the sweaters piled on his arms like some kind of multilayered, wool monster. "Sure."

Changge nodded and handed him the basket to place his sweaters in before she retreated.

She counted the number of sweaters he picked up because she wasn't sure why he needed so many (he had picked out fourteen different ones. Fourteen!).

With anyone else she would have kept her expression polite and non judgemental. But once you had displaced one of the most feared seniors and left the brat retreating with his tail between his legs there was no need to pretend she wasn't both confused and judging his choice in holiday clothing.

"Have you considered getting a hat to go with it? We also sell headbands with reindeer antlers." She pulled his basket over and started to ring up his purchases, "are you really going to wear these?"

Sun sighed at her. "Yes." He frowned at the hats and headbands displayed by the cahs register. He grimaced. "Do not tell Mujin you have these."

<I>Ah.</I>

Changge nodded and thought, <I>of course</I>.

"Let me guess," She said, her words interrupted every now and again by a beep of the machine as she scanned the sweaters. "You lost a bet?"

Sun sighed again, but it was different (more amused, maybe even releived). He said flatly, "I'm not allowed to say."

"Which is as good as a 'yes'."

There was  a short laugh and it could have been at her sarcasm or the face Changge made at the prospect of having to wrap up all these sweaters and put them into bags. Either way, Changge didn't exactly mind.

"You could have gotten sweaters just as ugly at the thrift store for less." She said plainly as she started folding the sweaters. There was a suspicious ("You think everything is suspicious!" Mimi had said) pause that made her look up.

They had known each other for years now, Ashina Sun and her. They had gone from enemies, to allies to friends  and it wasn't often that she felt Sun was capable of any sort of shame or embarassment (except for that one time when she was thirteen when he finally realized she was a girl). He had a straightforward manner and he was unrepetant in his choices and unashamed of what he said. It was the way he'd always been.

So she was surprised to find him with his face in his hand, his eyes covered but his face still visibly red.

"Is everything all right?"

"Yes." He said, "Mujin just thinks he's clever."

"...I have no idea what you are even trying to say." She said with a sigh as she folded yet another sweater. She stopped as she drummed her fingers on the sweaters. She left seven of them alone. "Take these back."

He frowned at her. He didn't clarify that he needed fourteen for the bet (she was not stupid). "Why?"

"Assuming you need to wear a different one each day...you can return these in seven days." She said simply, "then you can buy the other seven. If you buy all fourteen now you will not be able to return the last seven."

He considered what she said. Then Sun pushed the sweaters back towards her, "you've already rung them up. Besides, I wouldn't do something like wear clothing I bought then return them without a good reason."

"The fact that they are hideous and you will not wear them again seems like reason enough. What do you even plan to do with them afterwards?"

He waved a dissmissive hand, "I will think of something."

And, really, there was no changing his mind when he'd made it up so Changge didn't even try. (It was one of the endearing things about this stupid man, his unwavering decisions, his own sense of right and wrong that did not always make sense to other people but was oddly and refreshingly straight-forward).

They didn't really talk as Changge finished packing away the sweaters. Then she handed the bag to him and, for just a second their fingers brushed.

It was a brief touch and Changge thought, it was nothing.

And yet she snatched her hand back with a blush (and she thought, what was wrong with her, really?).

"Thanks." Sun said. Then frowned. "Are you all right?"

"Yes!" Changge said and she forced herself to remain calm. He didn't seem convinced (she had been sickly for a good part of her early teens, often brushing it off as nothing until the day she collapsed in the middle of an exam).

"You're not sick again, are you?" He brought a hand up to touch her forehead and she recoiled back, exasperated (and embarassed).

"I assure you, I am fine!" She huffed, "Just get out of here with your sweaters. I have work."

(But after wards, when he left she crouched down behind the counter and muttered about how stupid he was while she thought about how his hand had been warm on her skin.)