#stuff like that. so none of them are necessarily responses to the Current stress either

[crescendo-system]

Having a burst of new(?) alter reveals this past week which can only mean one thing: the deep pit of horror that maybe we're faking this is looming ominously once more

[lunapwrites]

So, I have been kind of Going Through It this month, and I need to scream about it briefly because if I don't I will explode.

General content warning I suppose for health-related stuff and a LOT of discussions about food. Not ED-related.

I'm not going to get into specifics (if you know you will know) but I have an autoimmune disease that has been in remission since... fuck, like... 2015? So I've literally had EIGHT YEARS of smooth sailing. Until this month.

It could have been triggered by one of several things: stress, diet, maybe even the smoke from Canada (which is very possible given the whole immune response bit.) Or it could have just been my time to have a bad time. But either way, I have spent the last couple weeks in the "finding out" phase of the "what the fuck can I eat that won't make me feel like I want to die" game.

It has been extremely trying.

I'm currently on a modified low-FODMAP diet - both less and more restricted bc I can't eat half the shit on it, but also FODMAPs aren't necessarily the trigger - there's just a lot of overlap. Most of what I've been able to successfully tolerate for the last few weeks has been white bread, white rice, eggs, unsweetened applesauce, bananas, and avocado. None of it seasoned. Green and white teas have been mostly OK too.

I don't know if I can really stress enough how fucking miserable this is.

Like seriously I had to sit through a dinner with my in laws where the only actual safe thing for me to eat was kaiser rolls so I ended up sitting there in a small amount of pain for the rest of the evening because I wanted to see if there was ANYTHING I could get away with. I had a plate of brownies in front of me that I literally COULD NOT TOUCH, not because I'm trying to watch my weight, but because I'm trying to be able to walk back to the car under my own power. And it wasn't my in-laws' fault, because they had no idea I'm in the middle of a fucking medical event when they cooked the food, and it's not my partner's fault bc he asked me what I could eat before we even left and I said, honestly, that I had no idea, and let's just play it by ear. (Like an idiot!)

Anyway. I feel like I'm just being whiny about this but like. Cooking was hard enough with how bad my ADHD is, and I was just getting into a rhythm with these meal kits I was trying out, and they are GOOD and I have BEEN ENJOYING THEM but I literally just tried to start eating the occasional salad and my body responded by bleeding internally, and the only thing I can do right now is to just stop actually enjoying food. Which, considering I fucking love food - it's my love language, I find legitimate joy in sharing meals, I even write it into every goddamn fic I've ever written - it is quite possibly one of the most devastating things that could have happened to me. To have this one little thing I found joy in not just be taken away from me, but actively cause me intense pain. And not only that, but to have the solution be something that makes a thing I was already struggling with a million times harder.

This fucking sucks, and I am angry. And also really fucking sad.

It also doesn't help that I have an extremely high chance of developing essential tremors as I get older, which will make things like art and feeding myself next to impossible over time, so like. Really. Really doing a lot to give me things to look forward to in the back half of my life. Thanks, body.

[awake-my-oceans]

Days 8 and 9

So I said I’d do this every day and then promptly skipped a day. Whoops. In all fairness, I did write out my response and planned to post it later, but then I got sucked into the black hole of a very well-executed, very stressful fanfic until 1:30 and then promptly passed out. Anyways, my responses to both days are under the cut. (Some people in this challenge put NFSW stuff under the cut. None of my stuff is NSFW, but it’s under a cut anyways since it’s longer than normal.)

What is your favorite trope to write and/or read? And is there a difference between reading and writing the trope?

Found family found family found—

I used to think my favorite trope was angst and/or whump. But then I realized that the darker parts were an unhealthy outlet for various mental health stuff, and the healthy stuff was essentially “character A is legitimately suffering, but then found family makes it better. It doesn’t necessarily fix the situation, but it makes things possible where they were not before.”

So, like. Found family that’s not afraid of angst but doesn’t intend to go in circles with the angst, either.

If I write it, I like the specific brand of trope/characterization/etc more than usual. Whether it’s because it takes stronger-than-normal like to get me writing, or because writing makes me like it more, is anyone’s guess. Probably both, tbh.

This is on full display in my current wip. I could easily and accurately summarize it as “therapy ain’t happening, lol, so throw found family and a few much-needed breakdowns into the pot for a home brew version.” (Admittedly, two protagonists are cousins, but, like. They basically have to decide whether to let that family claim matter to them, and they way they do it is essentially by found family-ing each other so, like? Classify that as you will.)

Tell us about ideas you have floating around. Worldbuilding snippets, or ideas for new stories. Just a few bullet points.

Underneath Kid and Conan (friendly rivals) is thief and detective (legally opponents). But underneath that is Kaito and Shinichi (lonely, the both of them, and worldshakingly kind).

Kaito is soft, around his doves, in ways the masks of Kuroba and KID otherwise don’t allow.

Toichi taught Kaito a whole lot about acting, but the thing that really drilled it into Kaito’s bones was the days, weeks, months, and years after Toichi died. His father was dead, his mother was emotionally and perhaps physically absent, and Kaito was a wreck. Adults, and Aoko, were understandably concerned. And Kaito, oh so kind underneath it all, was upset because his behavior was making people sad and worried, and he didn’t like it. So he fiddled around with how he presented himself until he discovered that “quiet, silly kid and occasional class clown” made people think he was bouncing back. He wasn’t, but after a while, only Aoko really suspected it. KID is a weirdly honest way for him to express how behind the easy humor is grief and skill and steel self-control.

Akako’s magic can make anyone besotted with her—except for the people she genuinely does or will love. Her journey to accepting this is complicated.

Kaito initially started being KID for the opportunity to connect with his father and for the thrill, in that order. But after only a few heists, he starts realizing that while those things have value, it’s not worth the damage it will do to his future��legally, mental-health-wise, and with Aoko. If he hadn’t found out the details of his father’s murder via his father’s murderers, he would have kept an ear to the ground because of Jii saying his father was murdered, but he otherwise would have dropped KID within a few weeks.

When he moves back into his own house, Shinichi is a little disgruntled and a little mad and a little wistful to discover that he sleeps easier when someone else is in the room snoring, now.

[written-on-the-trees]

Yungblud Fan Fiction - The Witch Doctor, She Gave Me This Advice...

The Trees’ October 2020 Writing ChallengeDay 1/31

Prompt: Witch

Word-count: 1350 words

Content Warnings: none

Summary: Although he doesn't like to admit it, Dom is nervous about the big things that are happening in his life, so he visits a Witch to find out what his future may hold...

Dom was nervous.

  He was nervous about a lot of things: his new album doing well, the new podcast he was doing with BBC Radio 1, all the new eyes watching him now he was becoming more and more well-known…it was all absolutely terrifying. Exciting, but terrifying, which is how he found himself in his current situation: scuffing his feet on the front step of a non-descript house in a street in Camden, resisting the urge to look over his shoulders suspiciously while he waited for someone to answer the doorbell he’d just rung.

  Honestly, he’d never thought he’d find himself in this situation. He really wasn’t all that pleased that he had, either.

  The whole magic thing had always been an ‘option’, as his mother had frequently reminded him whenever he’d told her he was feeling nervous. Their family had always had a connection with the ‘other’ - the magical, the ethereal, the supernatural, whatever you wanted to call it. His great-great-great-great-great-great-grandfather had helped save the life of a fairy when he was young, and the Fae had been friends of the Harrison family ever since…for a price. They would always appear when one of the family was in need, but - as they did with all humans - they would make sure to take something in return when they left. Their deals were weighted to benefit them, and they always had a high cost.

  Which was why Dom hadn’t called on the Fae for help.

  Instead, he’d come to a Witch…equally dangerous, but slightly less likely to try and trick him. Witches made their own deals, but it was usually for money rather than, like…his soul or his life of whatever.

  So Dom was nervous as fuck, about all the normal (or at least not supernatural) stuff in his life, and now also about meeting this Witch, because even if they weren’t as tricky as the Fae, Witches were still…

      …Utterly heart-stopping.

      A woman stood in front of Dom in the doorway, and he was pretty sure the whole world froze around him.

  She was tall - taller than him, even in her bare feet, which were just visible under the wispy hem of her black skirt. Black curly hair fell to her hips, just below the hemline of her skirt, which was low enough to show off the flowers tattooed in swirling patterns up one side of the line of her hipbone, across her navel, in a circle around her belly button, and upwards under her dusky rose coloured crop top. Those flowers continued in a line up between her breasts, under her collarbone, and down her arm to twine around her fingers, interspaced with jagged black runes that, even to Dom, a plain old human, seemed to pulse with power.

  The Witch was stunning. And she was, without doubt, absolutely the genuine article.

  Dom didn’t know whether to be impressed, or to turn and run away as fast as his legs would carry him.

      “Dominic Harrison?”

  “How did you know my name?”

  “…You emailed me. Your email address is literally your name, and you put it at the bottom of the message.” the Witch frowned at him, as he she was wondering if he was a bit thick or something - which, to be fair…he must seem it about now.

  He blushed, one hand rising to rub at the back of his neck: “Oh, right…sorry.”

  “It’s okay.” she conceded: “I’m guessing from your general reaction that your family have a background in this kind of thing?”

  “Yeah. Yeah, the, um, the Fae, technically.”

  The Witch blanched, her expression instantly becoming sympathetic: “Yeah, no wonder you’re nervous. Come in - can I make you some tea?”

      Dom accepted, knowing that unlike with the Fae he could safely accept an offer of hospitality from the Witch: who kindly introduced herself as Sariah.

  Sariah was nice. Despite her vaguely intimidating appearance, her voice was lyrical and sweet, and her laughter was silvery like bells. She laughed a lot, too, seeming to find Dom’s awkwardness hilarious - not that he could really blame her. He’d already made himself look like an idiot by forgetting he’d emailed her, he supposed watching him almost fall over his own feet and apologise to a plant he almost knocked over must be pretty funny.

  Her laughter wasn’t mean, though, and by the time she sat him down in a conservatory filled to bursting with lush green plants, lanterns with candles in, and smoking incense holders filling the air with the smell of citrusy orange and something floral and musky that he couldn’t identify, he was much more at ease. She sat him at a wrought iron table, smiling as she settled down opposite him.

      “So, you said you were interested in knowing about some things in your future.” she prompted: “How can I help?”

  “I guess I’m just…like…really fuckin’ nervous?” Dom told her: “I’m a musician, and I’ve got an album coming out in November, and I’m really scared no-one’s gonna like it. I’m doin’ a podcast and I’m scared the BBC are gonna think I’m inappropriate or something? I’ve never been scared of tellin’ the establishment to go shove it up their arse, but now I’m workin’ in the establishment and I dunno how that works. I’m getting more and more well-known by the day, which is great, but it’s also fucking horrifyin’…I don’t wanna lose who I am, but I’m scared I’m gonna…”

  Sariah smiled comfortingly: “That sounds like a lot of stress. Do you take anything for that?”

  “Nah, I don’t…I don’t like medication.” Dom replied awkwardly.

  “I was thinking more tea - I can make you a batch that will help with any future stress, but for now…I could start by reading your palm, or if you’d rather I can scry to try and see what the future has in store for you.”

      Dom held up his palm in response.

  Sariah took it gently, holding it in her own hands and bending over it, looking down at his palm intently as she lightly traced her fingers over his skin. Dom did his best to sit still as she did her work, trying not to fidget like he normally would, but that was hard for him at the best of times…it got even harder when every feather-light brush of Sariah’s fingers against his skin made him want to shudder.

  Finally, she looked up: gently squeezing his hand comfortingly before releasing it and allowing him to tuck it nervously into his lap with the other one.

      “Well, I’m not surprised you’re a musician. You have a fire hand - it’s a sign of a creative personality.” she smiled: “And, honestly, I don’t think you have anything to be stressed about in your near future.”

  “I’m gonna be alright?”

  Sariah nodded: “You are. Your heart-line is strong, and your Apollo line stands out to me, which is a sign of some good fortune about to come your way. This isn’t necessarily a lottery win, but it’s almost certainly a sign that you’re going to have a good few months - and that things are going to go your way.”

      Dom couldn’t help but be relieved.

  He knew a lot of people wouldn’t believe Sariah’s words, but he’d felt the magic in her fingers when she’d touched his palm, felt the power that radiated off of her, and heard the absolute certainty in her voice.

  He was gonna be alright.

      “So, what do I owe you for the palm reading and the tea?” Dom asked.

  Sariah bit her lower lip: “Well, I don’t usually do this - and if I’m out of line then you can absolutely tell me so - but I get a really good feeling from you Dom, so I was thinking you could owe me a…date?”

  Dom fucking beamed: “You’re not out of line at all. I’d love to take you on a date.”

      Sariah grinned back at him…and Dom was overjoyed that he’d decided to visit a Witch to find out his future.

  Hopefully, she’d be in it.

[welldresseddadblog]

Welcome to the 12th instalment of the “Garmsman Dozen” question and answer session. The response so far has been tremendous. Did you miss earlier ones? There are links at the end of the page.

This week we welcome to the Garmsman Dozen Iain Trickett from Great Britain!

Who are you, where do you live and what interests you?

My name is Iain Trickett, 31, and I am the head honcho at TRiCKETT England… Well, I am the only honcho actually. I live in Accrington, Lancashire where the pies are plentiful and the skies are grey. When I’m not making clothes or thinking about clothing, I am found looking at Californian Tattooists, researching British subcultures, listening to hip-hop and walking my dogs.

Thinking back to your childhood, what were your most memorable or favourite clothes?

From a very, very young age, I was obsessed with sportswear and in particular training shoes. My mother was really into trainers and bought me my very first pair of Nike Air Jordans at the age of 4. As my interests developed I become interested in sporting apparel and the performance, however, the two items that set me off on a voyage into fashion or clothing were the Newcastle 1995-97 home shirt by Adidas and the LA Gear Gretzky One street hockey trainers.

First, the Newcastle shirt was just beautiful. The team that wore it was one of the great ‘could’ve been’ teams and the period that the shirt was introduced was a great period for sportswear design. The shirt featured a granddad collar, alternate mesh and solid polyester black and white stripes, piping on the three stripes and the infamous Newcastle Brown Ale logo. This item proved that football shirts were just for the pitch, but also fashion items that would be worn after the turnstiles closed.

The Gretzky shoes were something that I imagine went into a metaphorical sportswear landfill. Manufactured by the now defunct LA Gear, these shoes were unlike anything I had ever seen before. I used to visit Florida quite regularly with my parents as my mum had a great Aunt that lived in Clearwater. Most days were spent sat outside, basking in the sun. For a child under 10, this isn’t the most fun you could have, so my dad bought me copies of Sports Illustrated and other American sports magazines to keep me occupied. It was world unlike any I had ever seen and one person who stood out was a Canadian fellow wearing a pair of black and white boots with a #99 on the side. I later learned that this was the great Wayne Gretzky, who had just made his unpopular switch to the LA Kings. The boots themselves were pretty unremarkable, mesh and leather mixed together with some traditional hockey skate laces and the great one’s signature and number on the side. The shoes themselves were by no means a piece to keep in the memory of the sporting collector, but for me, it represented a gateway to a world I have never seen before.

How would you describe your style today, and what are your influences?

When I was younger, I used to listen to DJ Shadow, I always admired how he could take bits and pieces from all over the place and put it all together to create one coherent piece. I am not for a minute saying that what I do compares to the great Shadow, but I would say that I like to be influenced by all kinds of things. I am obsessed with Italy and Italian elegance, for me it isn’t necessarily having a suit made entirely hand in a tiny Sartoria down a backstreet in Napoli, or that weird sprezzatura thing that was cool a few years ago, it is more about being comfortable in your skin and having elegance with it.

I think I will always be obsessed with footwear and I believe dressing from the feet up, you can never go too far wrong. So if I had to describe my style it’s footwear-obsessed, sports-fan, who likes his pasta al dente and his top button done up… that probably makes no sense.

Most garmsmen will have a few “grail items” in their collection. Not to out you, but if your house is burning, which garments do you grab?

I think if my house was burning down, I would think about my new kitchen that is just about to be put in and whether the plinth heater would’ve been worth it in the winter. After a pause, I would make sure that I have my original deadstock pair of Nike Air Jordan Is. They are in a size 10, the original banned colourway and are just waiting to be worn. My plan was to wear them at my wedding, but not being married, they are just waiting for that perfect moment… Maybe my debut in the Accrington Observer.

Are you budget-conscious or spendthrift? Are you a single-shot shopper, or go large and buy bulk? Where are you on slow-fashion and buying less?

I think for many people, getting dressed in a morning is pretty stressful. We are at a point in society where we buy more, have more options and dress much more casually than our parents and certainly, our grandparents do/did. I would like to think that I am the kind of person that buys what I like and for the most part, that tends to be from smaller brands. I do like the idea of buying less and just buying a couple of very expensive suits, but truthfully, I am just not sure that works in the 21st Century. I’d love to be able to turn up to ASDA in Accrington wearing my Rubinacci suit, selecting which bananas best represent who I am, but chances are, I would probably get asked if I worked there. I do think we should make an effort to buy from smaller brands because owning one, I can’t stress to you how many different people are impacted by your £30 you spend with them, rather than oiling a huge conglomerate that doesn’t really care.

Having a large collection of clothes can lead to changing outfit on a daily basis, but if you were going to wear a single outfit the next two weeks, what would it be?

I genuinely believe that you can’t go too far wrong with a varsity jacket (either loads of patches or none, there is no middle ground), a really nice white t-shirt (no curry stains), very, very dark selvedge denim (listen, I am not a denim geek, it is just nicer to wear and everyone likes to see a flick of selvage on their turn-ups) and just a pair of very white leather trainers. In this outfit, you are a bit casual, but at the same time, who wants to be wearing a navy blue suit everywhere they go?

What are your best tips for buying?

If there is one thing that I have learned over the years of buying and designing clothes it’s buying stuff that fits. I know that seems like an obvious thing to say, but it really does help. I went through a phase of wanting to dress like a skinhead, the look is so incredibly iconic and its a really clean aesthetic. However, I know, now, that my shape doesn’t suit that style, I am very, very broad and not well endowed in the shin department so I just end up looking like a square in more ways than one. So my advice is, get something you feel comfortable in and then take it to a tailor, it’s their job to make you look good.

Big lads, don’t buy baggy stuff, you just end up looking worse and for goodness sake you don’t need shoulder pads in your jackets, go get them taken out. Napoli is great for many things, but in particular for making the natural shoulder in suit jackets cool. Forza Napoli Sempre.

Anyone that buys clothes will have made mistakes, what is your most memorable bad buy?

I have been lucky enough to work with Patrick Grant of E. Tautz and Community Clothing fame. One of the more famous items of clothing that he has in the lineup is the field trousers. A wide legged pair of kecks (that’s Lancastrian for pants) that are based on trousers that Naval officers would in the ‘40s and ‘50s. They look very elegant when worn with converse and swish from side to side in almost a hypnotic way. They look great… That is until you are wearing them in TESCO in Accrington only for an old man to say ‘Thas looks like a pillock in them ‘owd lad.’ I nodded in agreement, sadly I am not built like a model and the 42 rolls at the hems did nothing for the shape.

Do you have any style icons, historic or current?

I like to pinch bits from lots of peoples style, so I am sorry if this turns into a massive long list.

Sid Mashburn – his shop and Southern (American) charm are something that you always feel like he is wearing. One of the only two men I know that can wear white jeans convincingly. He also likes Italian tailoring and American football, so he is OK with me.

Alessandro Squarzi – A chap who can seemingly throw on any old thing and look absolutely amazing, I much preferred him with a shaved head, but that is probably because I am follically challenged. He is also the second person I admire who can wear white jeans convincingly.

Lino Ieluzzi – Milan just wouldn’t be the same without this bloke, great hair, great suits and great labradors. I literally don’t know what else you could want from life.

LeBron James – LeBron has literally made wearing his trousers too short in the leg his trademark. Obviously being a basketball player there isn’t much ready-to-wear that would fit him in the leg, but he always manages to produce a certain air of elegance about him.

My Uncle Peter – Only ever wore a rugby shirt and chinos. Every. Single. Day. I admire anymore who has an almost cartoon character-like wardrobe and sticks to it.

My mum and dad – Both have very different views on clothes and how to wear them, but both are passionate about what the put on and that is really all that matters.

Does your interest in clothes influence other aspects of your life?

Clothing does mean a great deal to me and I think most subcultures like to dress up. Be it new Romantics, skinheads, Teddy Boys whatever, I don’t think you can be into clothes without liking the things around it. However, my obsession with all things American and Italian pretty much means that I spend any free time I get there. Whether it is seeking exceptionally old shops in Italy or finding a brand new trainer shop in LA, travelling for clothing and discovery of the cities and towns is, for me, the best part. The internet has so many great uses, but it has slightly killed this adventures. However, there are still a few hidden gems that are on the list, that I am not telling you about!

How do you see your style evolving going forwards?

I think style is the appreciation of beautiful things. I always used to get caught up with the notion that style had to be something of the moment or it had to be something that was a set of rules set by other ‘stylish’ people. I think style is the word we use just for the stuff we like. Sometimes the stuff we like makes us cool and other times it can make us very uncool. However, I think as long as we are appreciating beauty whether that is food, art, clothing, whatever that can only improve our style. I hope my style evolves and my interests develop, I have an insatiable appetite for learning and I can’t see that changing.

Do you have a good style or garment based story?

When I was much younger, I absolutely loved Bape (a Bathing Ape), my friend and I were obsessed with this picture of the Notorious B.I.G wearing a camouflage jacket with ape’s head floating around in it. On the front placket it had A BATHING APE in bold lettering, so we set about finding out where we could get it. To cut a very long story short, we found a tiny shop in London where Bape was sold. We pooled all our money together for the tickets, bunked off school, bought the jacket, came home, feeling like we really had achieved something only for my dad to be waiting on the platform when we returned. I still don’t know to this day how he found out and whats even worse is that I never really wore the jacket much that me and my pal bought together. He was Blackburn Rovers fan. Says it all really.

Thank you for your Garmsman Dozen Iain!

Iain’s website is at trickett-england.co.uk and his Instagram is @trickettengland

Did you miss the first Garmsman Dozens?

Jon from Great Britain

Shaun from Scotland

Klaus from Germany

Roland from Italy

Daniel from Sweden

Enoch from the USA

Even from Norway

Kris from Belgium

Michael from Great Britain

Liam from Great Britain

Lee from Great Britain

PS: If you have suggestions for participants, let me know. Or have your mother suggest you, if you’re a bit keen to suggest yourself. My email is WellDressedDad (@) gmail.com

The Garmsman Dozen #12: Iain from Great Britain (Trickett_England) #trickett #garmsmandozen #mensfashion #madeinengland #accrington #lancashire #mensstyle #menswear #sportswear #vintage #retro Welcome to the 12th instalment of the "Garmsman Dozen" question and answer session. The response so far has been tremendous.

[eldritchsurveys]

723.

How fast can you say the alphabet? >> I mean, quite fast, I guess.

What are you allergic to? >> I’m not allergic to anything.

If your life were a commercial, what would your commercial jingle say? >> I would not want my life to be trivialised like that.

How many serious relationships have you had? >> Hm.

If you could read one person's mind, who would it be? >> I wouldn’t want to read anyone’s mind. That’s their space, the one place that is inalienably private. I don’t belong in it.

If someone dared you, what dare would you be afraid to attempt? >> ---

How do you like your eggs? >> It depends on the dish.

What's your most expensive piece of clothing? >> My suit, because it was bespoke.

What was your last big achievement? >> I don’t remember the last time I achieved anything, let alone something big. Except, like... video game milestones.

What famous person's memoire would you like to read? >> I had a phase of reading rockstar bios and autobios for a while in my twenties. There are very few people I am interested in enough to read a whole book about, though. And it’s mostly still musicians. Like, I’d read Nick Cave’s memoir if he wrote one.

Have you ever had a "false alarm" moment, what was it about? >> I can’t think of one off the top of my head, but probably.

Do you know how to ride a bike? >> Yeah.

If you could breed two species together what new animal would you create? >> I would rather not, tbh.

Rename a boot camp based on your current fitness level. >> ---

What 5 world leaders would you make sit down in a room to discuss issues? >> I wouldn’t do that. I have no faith in the ability of world leaders to work together like that.

If you were in the hospital who are the two people you'd want by your side? >> Er, there’s only one person I can imagine hanging around while I’m in hospital.

When was the last time you cried and what made you cry? >> Oh, god, it was because of this thing that happened Inworld last night. Oof.

If you could ever take a street sign, what sign do you want? >> I don’t want to take any street signs.

What is your favorite ride at any amusement park? >> ---

Have you ever raised money for chariety? >> Nope.

How do you feel about growing older? >> I don’t really think about it too much except in fleeting feelings of either excitement or anxiety. Mostly I’m interested in what will happen, but also I’m afraid I’ll not live long enough (or become too infirm to enjoy it or something).

What wild animal scares you? >> None as a rule, because I don’t really encounter wild animals often enough to have cultivated a fear of any. But if I was in the situation where like, I was camping and saw a bear or something, yeah, I’d be afraid then.

Do you think actors and athletes are overpaid? >> Sure.

Have you ever been alienated, if so for what? >> I don’t know if anyone has ever intended to alienate me. I know that I feel alienated very often, but that feeling is not necessarily indicative of a thing that’s actually happening.

Have you ever not returned something you borrowed and if so what was it? >> Yeah, library books.

When you pack your lunch, what's your favorite packed lunch? >> ---

What was the one most important thing you learned from your parents? >> Hrm.

How fast can you run? >> Fast enough, I guess. I was always better with sprinting than endurance running.

Have you done something you worry could come back to haunt you, what? >> I mean, I don’t really worry about that, but that’s always a possibility, I guess?

What is your most favorite feature of your favorite electronic device? >> I don’t have a favourite electronic device, I love all of them equally.

If you had to build a small ark, what 7 animals would you save? >> *baffled blink*

What is your favorite Christmas or holiday tradition? >> My favourite tradition is going to see Trans-Siberian Orchestra. When we can afford it, of course.

What novel would you love to be transported into to live out your days? >> I don’t really read the kind of novels that I’d want to inhabit, lmao.

What is your favorite hiding place? >> ---

What is something your parents love that you actually love too? >> ---

Have anyone ever said "I love you" and you couldn't say it back. >> Well, yes, but not because I didn’t return the sentiment, but because I have an enormous mental block against saying stuff like that.

Have you ever ridden a camel? >> Nope.

What's been the hardest loss you've had to take? >> They were all hard, fuck off.

What emotion is your least favorite and the one you are not in touch with? >> Er... well, I’m not in touch with most of my emotions, which is why I have to do so much work on emotional regulation and self-soothing. My least favourites are anger and anxiety because my physiological responses to them are off the charts.

Do you think facial moles or freckles are cute? >> Not... particularly? I don’t really think about them, is what I’m saying.

Would you ever pick up a hitchhiker? >> I don’t drive, so this will never be an issue.

What was your funniest computer or phone wallpaper? >> I don’t have any funny wallpapers.

If you're searching for a relationship, where is your go place to look? >> Inworld.

When and where are you happiest? >> I don’t know, man.

What was your favorite age, so far? >> ---

What is your favorite part of the day? >> Any quiet part of the day.

What book have you read multiple times? >> Anthem is one.

Do you keep a budget? >> No, my income is so low and expenses so few that I can keep it all in my mind with no problem.

Have you ever test driven a car you knew you weren't going to buy? >> ---

What should we take measure of that we currently don't? >> Er, who is “we”, first of all...

Pretend you're doing an interview, what's the first question? >> What???

What do you have a hard time visualizing? >> I don’t know. Visualisation is something I think comes pretty naturally to me.

What makes you feel uncomfortable in group settings? >> The “group” part.

Who is your favorite crooner? >> Hmm. Nat King Cole, maybe.

What was your worst date ever? >> Every time I went out with Tommy and he left the date early to go cop drugs. Or was high or drunk during the date and nodded off at the table or behaved erratically. Or... well, you get the picture.

Have you ever gotten in a bidding war on Ebay, if so for what item? >> Nope.

If you had to pick one food to eat everyday for life, what would it be? >> No. I don’t want to be malnourished.

Are you supportive of your friends even if you don't agree with them? >> I’m supportive of my friends’ right to live their lives as they see fit, without being judged by me or anyone else. The only time I’d speak up is if I am concerned for their well-being especially if it’s something I’ve had past experience with, but at this point I’m so tired of having my genuine concern brushed off as if the fact that I care is unimportant that I might not even bother in the future.

Have you ever used the opposite sex restroom in an emergency? >> Not for that reason, no.

What did you think was stupid until you tried it? >> I can’t think of anything.

What subject do you and your parents never see eye to eye on? >> ---

What gets better with age? >> Staying at home, lmao.

What do you most dislike about your appearance? >> I don’t want to think about this right now.

Where do you see yourself in 1 year's time? >> I’m imaginative but my imagination doesn’t work that way at all.

How scared of the dark are you? >> I’m not.

What is your favorite type of seafood? >> Good question. I don’t think I have a favourite type. I’m just always down for seafood.

What triggers your inner shopaholic? >> I don’t have one of those...

What is the rudest thing a person can do to another person in your opinion? >> I don’t have an opinion about that.

What public figure do you disagree with the most? >> ---

Do you think you could ever be a firefighter, why/why not? >> No. I have too many sensory issues and shit. Just thinking about being stuffed in one of those firefighter suits makes me want to claw my skin off. Also, those fucking alarms! Fuck no.

What is/was your favorite bedtime story? >> ---

What was the last thing to make you feel happy? >> I hugged a plushie.

What is your opinion on rats as pets? >> I think rats are great! If you have a rat and you take good care of it, you’re awesome.

What is something you're afraid to try? >> Vulnerability.

What cartoon character best describes you? >> I don’t know.

What keeps you interested in your goals or dreams? >> ---

What is your favorite actress beginning with the letter J? >> Er... I don’t think I have one.

What song makes you dance uncontrollably? >> Uncontrollable dancing sounds uncomfortable and a bit dodgy. Am I being possessed??? Anyway, Big Freedia songs always make me want to dance, because that’s literally what their music is made for.

If you wanted to live off the radar where would you live? >> I wouldn’t want to live off the radar. I definitely understand the appeal, but I have too many needs that require me to be connected to society in at least a perfunctory fashion.

Do you like nachos, if so what topping is a MUST have? >> They’re all right sometimes. I don’t know what my must-have topping would be.

Do you have any subscriptions? >> Well, yeah, to streaming services and stuff.

Which is better, Mario or Sonic? >> I don’t have an opinion.

Who is the most creative person you know? >> ---

Besides a pickle, what is your favorite thing pickled? >> I don’t know if I’ve had any pickled thing that wasn’t a pickle. I’d like to try some.

What did you do for your 21st birthday? If not, 21 what are your plans? >> I don’t remember. It’s extremely likely that I didn’t do anything at all.

Are you OCD about anything? >> I don’t have obsessive-compulsive disorder, so by default the answer is “no”.

Are you a role model for anyone in your life? >> I assume not.

What song do you hate the most? >> ---

How do you feel about thrift shops or flea markets? >> I think there’s something thrilling about the idea that you’ll find the most amazing clothing item or knickknack or whatever for a steep discount, which is what makes thrifting an Activity(tm) rather than just some routine shopping. But personally, I find thrift stores kind of stressful because there’s always so much stuff. And none of it is ever in any order that I can navigate, and the store is always either intimidatingly large or claustrophobically small, and it's just A Lot. (Also, I don’t enjoy shopping in the first place, and thrifting is kind of like Advanced Shopping...)

What makes you feel rested and refreshed? >> Chilling out in my room doing whatever. I guess. Or being Inworld, more likely.

Do you think you need to slow down and enjoy life more? >> I think I’m pretty slow by nature, but I also spend a lot of time in my own head because of Trauma Brain, and I wish it wasn’t like that. I feel like I miss out on a lot because I’m always busy managing myself.

In what way are you too hard on yourself? >> In what way am I not??

Can you impersonate anyone famous? >> No.

If you could go back in time to change one think what would it be? >> I wouldn’t do this. I’m firmly against it.

Can you honestly say you're enjoying your life right now? >> No, I cannot honestly say that. What I can honestly say is that I’m doing my best.

What is your favorite salty snack? >> All my favourite snacks are salty, so.

What conundrum have you ever faced? >> Er... this question.

What is your favorite restaurant? >> Maybe Long Road Distillery. I don’t really have a favourite restaurant, but they make some damn good everything over there.

Have you ever been in a play for school? >> It was during the summer, like a “summer arts program” or whatever, but yeah.