#anyways. most normal conversation with my grandma

[al-mayriti]

i cannot believe my grandma is apparently the self-proclaimed oracle of delphi

[queerlilchinchin]

Pregnancy Announcement Reactions

Because I'm in the mood to talk about it and some of these reactions were just so damn precious I need to talk about them.

So, I'm under the 10 week "wait period" of being pregnant, where it's safer to be excited/announce that you're pregnant, but I've been telling some people, because I've miscarried before and I want to have some people that I can turn to if The Worst happens again.

So... here are some of the reactions from some of the people I've told.

-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-

Auntie (maternal figure): "Oh! Uh... how do you feel about that? Excited but anxious? Well, yeah, that's totally normal. But you're excited so I'm excited for you!" She was hesitant to be excited at first, I think because she remembers that this has happened before and when I miscarried, it destroyed me. It still hurts, 11 years later. So, that combined with the fact that I'm unmarried and with a man I've been dating a year and a half after an awful marriage, I think she was cautious to get too excited too soon. But in the end, she received the okay to be excited, so she was then happy for me.

Boyfriend (the father): *stare* --- *silence* --- followed by spoiling the shit out of me about 20 minutes later when the initial shock wore off and he could mentally function again (with an immense amount of apologizing over his initial reaction). We'd just had a conversation literal days before about how I've been feeling like he doesn't actually want kids with me and some deep-seated anxieties I'd been having about us and how our relationship was going (in my eyes), so I think that conversation being so fresh only to find out I was pregnant was... A Lot. Both of us realized it was a possibility but I don't think he actually believed it was true. I did. Sometimes a woman can just tell.

New Boss: Kinda similar to my auntie -- Hesitation followed by "are you... happy about this? Is it good?" When I said yes - "Oh good!" And then an exuberant amount of excitement. Apparently he LOVES kids and is really excited for me to become a mother, even though he just met me lol. We've had some pretty deep conversations since about parenthood and my past and stuff. He's a pretty good person to talk to about these things, ngl. -- anyway, I think he's almost the most excited person for me xD

One of my absolute best friends (and the first person I told after the dad): "!!!!! How do you feel?" Followed by lots of conversation about really personal stuff because he, too, knows about my past and the things I struggle with and listened to me vent about my worries and encouraged me. I don't know what I'd do without him. If you're reading this, thank you and I love you 🩷🩷🩷🩷

Old coworker that I'm also becoming good friends with: "holy shit congratulations" -- followed by catching up on life because it's been a little while since we've caught up xD

Boyfriend (the dad)'s mother: now this one I was anxious about because on Christmas, we made a joke to her and her husband that "we're making babies" when we went outside together alone and her hubby asked what we had been doing back there and her response was "I'd just better not find out the same way I found out last time" (he has a son)... she was perhaps the cutest of all (eventually). At first it was just a blank stare of horror. I got super anxious, thinking she was pissed at me, so I started rambling details about how long we knew, etc. and then once she snapped back to reality, she asked "is this... good? Are we happy about this?" I said yes, happy and anxious. She congratulated me and we chatted about her other grandchildren and how anxious I've been.

The best part of the last story is this: by the time she left the apartment (we spoke about it alone, btw. Mr. Daddy was at work (but permitted me to tell her by myself)), she was dancing away from the building (not after saying she was leaving to beat her son xD) and sing-songing "I'm gonna be a grandma again!" It was so... so endearing to see that in the end, she was happy about it. I genuinely thought she'd shun me or something. We've only been together a year and a half, but when she realized I was happy, she was too. And kind. And helpful. And since, she has helped with groceries twice. Today, I got a random message that she brought us food again out of nowhere, which made me laugh because I had just told my bf the day I told her, but right before we agreed to me telling her, that if she knew I was pregnant, she would be so much worse about spoiling us with groceries.

Guess who was right lol.

Anyway. Those were some of the reactions to my pregnancy announcements. I also had a couple of friends react to the news here on tumblr on my very first post where I talked about being pregnant, but I just wanted to talk about those.

I'm glad to know that this time, opening up and letting people I trust and love know the news, even if it's still in the risky time period of pregnancy, I know I'm supported. People that love and care about me have my back. If I get the devastating news again that I lose this baby, I won't have to deal with it alone again. I'll have people I can turn to that will be there for me, and that knowledge is everything. 🩷

Doctors and other people recommend not telling anyone you're pregnant until you're past 10 weeks because there's such a heightened chance of miscarriage, but as someone who suffered so drastically the first time I miscarried, I actually recommend telling people that you trust to help you through it if the worst happens, because it feels so lonely to go through it. I didn't have a supportive bf at the time. In fact, I'm pretty sure he purposely contributed to me having it... however, if I had let people be there for me the way that I plan to this time around... life would have been so much less horrible during that time.

I love you guys. I appreciate everyone that's there for me. 🩷 I can't wait to share this journey with my family and friends.

[peniswizard69]

I thought i had followed you already but im stupid as fuck and didnt. I simply must ask you for whatever you have in your head related to your drawtectives tma crossover. We are on a brainwave.

I thought i was alone in here... until i found u my sister

Ok most of what I have is Jancy x Gertrude and when I try to list headcanons for them I wind up just writing a half baked fic so I'll leave that in the trunk until I can full bake the fic

This Magnus institute, London is now the Bagnus Institute, Dondon. I could list a bunch of places in Breat Gritain but I'll leave it at Snengland Snotland and Snales

Phelix being in an animatronic and the stable of imagination were done with Leitners. The Celestial Spear connecting to Gareville was a Spiral ritual. Everything else is just like that, the game that Villainius is from, wild trains, Grandma compelling Sam Ug that one time, that's just what it be like

The Stranger looooooves animatronics. The Hunt is extremely powerful up in the Northern Tribes. The End hates Eugene with a passion

Some statement givers at the Bagnus Institute, Dondon: Edd Edguy, Hugh Janimal, Barry Dalive, Noah Naround, Ican Seayew, Kat Astrophe, Kent C Schitt, Tara Ntula, Ida Noyu, Wanda Eetiew, Jason Mighpray, Phil Thee, Lotta Merderz, and Oliver Twist

The head of the Bagnus Institute isn't Elias. It's Luke Ing.

York is halfway an Avatar of the Hunt but simply too distractable and indestructable to fully succumb. Might be immune to Jared Hopworth. The Highforge family is a cult, kinda like the Lukas family, idk for what entity. Rosé is lowkey serving the Dark but don't worry about it

Jancy is very Eye-influenced; she doesn't like it but she's too tired to hate it. She's an occasional ally to Gertrude, with her detecting skills and such. Maybe Gertrude would have hired Jancy to prove Gerry Keay didn't kill his mom? Idk

Eugene knows a lot of the big names, he's arm's length with the Lukases, Simon Fairchild, Rayner and the Divine Host, Luke Ing. He's also done some buying and selling with Leitner and Salesa

Ogalvy has like 11 Fears trying to court him. You know how it is

Gertrude would hate the Drawtectives for their goofy and fun loving nature. Jonathan Sims trying to go through a conversation with them would be the funniest thing in history

Tim, Basira, Melanie and Georgie would have disliked them a normal amount. Martin and Sasha would have been able to hang out with them. Salesa would have had a great time with them

Gerry would have gotten along great with the drawtectives. He'd talk with Rosé about alt fashion, Grandma would match him in weirdgirl vibes, York would think he looks scrawney and pathetic but then watch Gerry demonstrate strength somehoe and BOOM instant besties

Anyway yeah that's my things for now

[someonespinkpony]

hi i write a crash course in humanity and i saw a questions to ask of characters post on my instagram this morning and have decided that while i'm procrastinating writing the second half of ch24 i'd take a stab at answering them for both regina and janis to the best of my ability without spoiling any future plans. (maybe i'll do more like this if anyone cares lol)

original post is by the.plottery on instagram

what's something they'd steal, not for survival but just to have it? regina: janis' clothing (i don't know if this counts but there aren't any rules so!) janis: really fucking fancy colored pencils. she never was able to justify them and finally got a set for her high school graduation and she would 100% steal them

what smell immediately makes them feel like a kid again? regina: fireplaces and burnt marshmallows. her grandma used to light hers throughout the fall/winter and early spring and regina and janis would make s'mores (touched on in the coming chapter lol) janis: the ocean. janis only lived in evanston for ~7 years (like 7 y/o to 14 y/o), so the ocean reminds her of being really little and was where the went back to after regina outed her, so she finds a lot of comfort in it

what's the last thing they googled in an incognito window? regina: literally anything about being gay. how someone knows, if it's normal/okay, why she's gay when no one else in her family is, literally anything janis: questions that she thinks are stupid. like what does boiling look like. is it okay if you swallow a little bit of aluminum. how much redbull would it take to kill someone.

what's the first thing they notice when they look in the mirror? regina: eye bags eye bags eye bags. her mother always bothered her about them and it's something that she notices very quickly janis: her hair. she's never too sure of what to do with it and really wants to dye it but her mom scared her out of bleaching her hair. she'll do it someday though

what would they write in a text but never send? regina: i don't think that regina would ever text something so vulnerable. her vulnerabilities are for one, morning confessions that throw janis off, and two, that point when everything finally breaks (regina george to a therapist WHEN). anyway regina thinks that texting is for simple things, not big conversations <3 janis: janis has definitely written texts where she's super pissed at people and then deleted it. there are also times where she hasn't but like she's fully written out rants and then glanced at a sentence and realized that she needs to calm down lol

what do they do with their hands when they're trying not to cry? regina: uhhh chapter 23? lmao "Her hands grip on to the edge of the bed, fingers smoothing and crumpling the fabric over and over again as she listens to her own breathing and the sounds of Mario Kart in the common room." yup! janis: (i don't remember if janis has cried in this fic... pls hold) (i don't think she has? correct me if i'm wrong) janis fucking hates crying. she rarely cries, but it starts in her face and she clenches the shit out of her jaw when she feels it coming. hmm maybe janis should cry soon-

what are they irrationally territorial about? regina: her notebooks. most people are like ??? what the fuck and ask to see her notes because she takes good notes but she refuses because she draws in every single notebook she owns and she wants that to stay just for herself (janis knows bc ofc she does) janis: her jewelry. she never lets anyone borrow her jewelry and she's very particular about making sure it ends up in the right places at the end of the night. lots of sentimental value + it's the one thing janis prides herself on never losing

what kind of videos would totally wreck them at 2am? regina: if she's having A Night and anything about being gay shows up on her tiktok, she will be a fucking mess. she's getting better about it though, and where we're at currently in the fic it's probably just coming out videos that get her. janis: any sad edits to her favorite characters. pretty self explanatory lmao

what's the pettiest thing they've ever done and do they regret it? regina: STOLE JANIS' SHIRT. where we're at right now - november 13th, specifically - regina still has that fucking shirt. she has absolutely no regrets right now but she is keeping that fucking shirt until the Plot calls for other things :) janis: the morning after they first hooked up, janis told regina "i could’ve just left you half-naked but i was nice enough to give you two orgasms and a shirt and now u won’t fucking give it back" and regina responded "i only remember one orgasm" and i'm here to tell you that regina was right but janis fully lied to her in the moment because she was pissed about the shirt <3 she doesn't really have any regrets lmao

if someone walked into their bedroom unannounced, what's the one thing they'd try to hide? regina: regina keeps a pretty tight ship in terms of her physical stuff and what would out her, but as i mentioned above she'd close any open notebook janis: this girl has no fucks to give. janis wears herself on her sleeve and she's not scared to show off her interests and hobbies. if she's trying to hide anything, her door will be Locked i can promise u that

what outfit would they wear if they knew they wouldn't be judged? (i am not good at fashion i live in hoodies and my work clothes and pjs pls be nice) regina: this is something that she'd figure out post-fic. if anything, she dresses down a bit more often and looks more like a college student than all done up and shit. she still takes pride in her appearance though and is very femme and i don't think that'd change because of her audience janis: again this girl has so few fucks to give. if something looks cool to HER, she'll wear it or style it or whatever she has to do. she likes unique little accents and when she's able to she likes to dress comfy. regina's addressed it a million times already lol

what's a sound that makes them feel safe, but they'd never admit it? regina: fireplaces. crackling and popping sounds make her feel safe and remind her of her grandma's house. she didn't hear it in her parents' house because they had one of those glass fireplaces that's barely real but her grandma's was a real functioning fireplace and she could hear everything. (she wants one in her home someday) janis: this is a very like. post-ch24 one. but regina's breathing. she typically falls asleep after regina, so she'll listen to regina breathing before falling asleep and the sound of it calms her down. that and in the rare occasion they hug, regina's heartbeat.

what object in their home do they treat like a person? regina: literally nothing. she rarely speaks to herself out loud if ever, and the most speaking she would do at home was talking to kylie and explaining everything she could to her. janis: (AND ON THE OTHER HAND) janis talks to literally everything. mutters to herself when she's playing soccer. curses out the light switches when her fingers miss them. asks her computer why it's not working. mumbles responses to her professors that are Not appropriate. yapping is her lifeline even if it's not coherent.

and.... that's it. hehe. this is such a long post but i love these two and they're so much fun to play with and i don't know much but i do know that chapter 32 (at this moment) will be the end of their fall semester. and then we have the spring semester ! and my other fics. and probably some side quests.

anyway please yap at me / with me / whatever, i like talking about them and i want to use this site for shitposting lmao (maybe drabbles... jury's still out on that one)

until next time <3

[taysanimaladventures]

Just gonna. Bitch a bit lol. I'm sorry I don't have anything positive to share on here anymore. But I think prospective keepers need to know the shit that happens in this field.

Trigger warnings for animal neglect and death.

I was let go from a job. When I was working part time at my local zoo they underpaid me severely. I needed to take part time because my grandma was dying. I lived with my husband but the pay was so bad and hours were limited to 16 a week so I was forced to get a second job.

I quit the zoo last year which is a whole story in itself, but we are keeping it simple here. I think once I am a but cozy I will share that story and all the other stories at some point. Anyways I stuck with this second job for the past year while processing my grandmother's illness and eventual death to at least earn some income. However after my grandma passed I decided for certain I wanted to leave the industry. I learned the hard way that changing careers is not easy so I was sticking with them only for cash during this frustrating job search.

This second job was taking care of ambassador animals for an educational program. Nothing fancy, just a collection of small mammals, reptiles, amphibians, inverts, and an owl. My boss acted like she worshipped the ground I walked on because I busted my ass trying to help them rebuild their animal collection after their old one was lost to a wildfire.

I did a lot for them. A lot. I found reliable breeders to purchase from, set up the entire animal care work room, wrote care sheets for every single animal, created schedules, deep cleaned, did research and gave advice, and more. All of this while juggling a nasty sleep issue, depression and anxiety from my grandma's situation, and mental health issues up the wazoo from changing around medication.

Now while I bust my balls for my animals, over the years and years of exposure to terrible situations I have not been the most..... palatable person. I had a breakdown when my boss brought in a new bearded dragon and made little effort to quarantine it. I was irritated after the 4th time I come back from the weekend to empty water dishes and dirtier-than-normal cages. I got huffy with the people who take animals for making stupid mistakes, such as leaving a lamp on the edge of a snake enclosure causing it to melt. I had repeatedly requested my boss re-train staff so mistakes were minimal. She always said she would but I never saw a change. She even admitted to me she noticed staff were in deep conversation while handling animals which is probably why the mistakes were happening. And she wonders why I got pissed off at them??

My patience eventually ran dry after like 4 months of this shit and my boss -appeared- to be understanding that I have extensive trauma and I act the way I do because of it. It's not like I ever called anyone a mean name or bullied them, like I was the victim of way too many times when I first started out. I was outwardly unhappy, did not want to converse with anyone, and had a tone and was short sometimes. People still walked on eggshells around me. And you know what? I didn't give a shit and I still don't. I was a lone wolf in my duties and I wasn't required to converse with anyone except my boss. Plus no one here matters except for the animals. When you are careless with my animals, I am going to be pissed off.

But apparently my (now former) boss showed what really matters to her. She gave the keeper who forgot to refill water bowls a million chances to do better and never let her go. That keeper was the reason I even wrote those care sheets. But me? I'm grumpy and I challenge the status quo. Got to go. After blowing smoke up my ass for two years, saying I'm amazing and valuable and I can share anything with her and giving me a stupid piece of tape with stars on it for handling a sick animal.

I snapped from the stress.You should take a break. Ok, I'll take a fucking break! And then, a few days after my grandma's funeral which she knew about, I get an email: Oh so you can't come back this isn't working out anymore.

Sorry, what?

So I am here to shame the other shit this job did. Of course I spoke up, but it did not change anything.

-Two male rats kept in this cage. They were separated because they were fighting. They now live in two of these cages. I asked for a bigger cage. Blown off. I asked if the DIY guy could fuse the cages. "There's no point if we are getting a bigger cage." A year later, still the same cages. Btw they have diarrhea often.

-Rescued bearded dragon was brought in underweight. Boss said feed her insects every day (she was at least a year old, young but not a baby). Beardie starts getting chunkier and chunkier. I say hey we need to cut back in the notes. Ignored for a few weeks. She is morbidly obese. Only then the boss says cut back. She is also dead now and I only know this since I checked records while on "break." Wanna bet that was the morbid obesity?

-Another bearded dragon not feeling well. Eyes closed, black bearding. I'm hollering for him to be seen. "Oh it may just be because it's cooling down." Eventually sees the vet, the fucking quack says he's trying to brumate. I've never owned beardies but I called bs. Nothing was done except blasting more heat on him. Nothing changes. A week later, he vomits blood and dies. It was kidney failure.

-Leopard gecko not eating and slowly losing weight. In the notes several times over the course of a few months, "he is not eating and losing weight." I guess it was my bad for putting it in the notes I assumed were getting read instead of verbally telling my boss. Got ignored until I verbally told her. Gecko needed to be put down.

-Rabbit taken to programs way too often. He comes back and looks worn the fuck out. I bring this concern up to boss. "Yeah, we need to get a third rabbit." But otherwise nothing changes.

-Accepts a hermann's tortoise in a glass enclosure that nonstop runs into the glass, promises a tortoise table but here we are again a year later.

-Says yes to a frilled lizard from the quack of a vet as an apology for what happened with the beardie. Takes the vets word that his enclosure (a horizontal, not vertical enclosure with newspaper only and a red lamp and heat pad) is correct and it's "just like caring for a bearded dragon." The poor thing stops eating and the skin of her frills is dead from being unable to shed. Their solution is force feeding her. Fed up with leadership, I research the species and learned that everything we did was wrong. I set up proper lighting and substrate for her (can't do much about a vertical enclosure). She bounces back.

-"This animal doesn't look good, it shouldn't be taken to programs." "Okay" -2 days later they are back at programs- "Sorry we needed it."

I get that I was not necessarily a great person in this story, but I truly feel justified because this was such bullshit to deal with and now I am truly free of this hellish industry. I am unemployed and it's uncomfortable but it's better than dealing with this bullshit.

To my husband, friends, and family helping me get through this: thank you.

To Stephanie: fuck you.

[pinkpoweredpunk]

———

[AUDIO: A recorded conversation, with a few static cuts in between.

Blake: …Well. This sucks major ass.

N: …How are your legs?

Blake: Still- still pretty damn broken.

N: R-Right…

Blake: It’s fine. Give it like… a couple hours, probably. They’ll be good as new.

N: What? Blake, broken legs can take months to heal.

Blake: Yeah. For normal- hsss- for normal people.

N: A-Are you okay?

Blake: Y-yep. Ow, fuck- Th-the pain’s just uh, how you know it’s workin’.

Blake: Ghhhgh- if I’m being honest I think the healing magic hurts more than the actual- fff- injury.

N: Oh… right.

Blake: What about you?

N: Bruised and battered, but… I’ll be fine.

Blake: Hah, guess I cushioned you from the worst of the falling rocks…

N: Sorry. Um, thank you.

Blake: Pff. Don’t mention it.

—[Bzzzt…]—

N: …What’s it like?

Blake: Huh? What’s what like?

N: Being… a chosen.

Blake: Oh, that. Well, you want an honest answer? It sucks ass. I don’t know why you want to be one so badly.

N: Excuse me-?

Blake: Said you wanted to find the dragons and become their new hero, right? Pretty sure that entails becoming their chosen.

N: Y-yes… I guess it does.

N: But- whatever toll becoming one takes on me, I’m ready for it.

Blake: Tch. Fine, just don’t say I didn’t warn ya when you have your fleshing out.

N: Fleshing- what?

Blake: Oh buddy, you are NOT prepared for chosenhood. Just be ready for cleaning up a lot of blood off your bathroom floor, sink, and yourself at three in the morning.

N: What- what, is it like periods?

Blake: What? No. Thank fucking god, I don’t think I could stand bleeding even MORE every month. How do you even know what-

N: I have two sisters?

Blake: Oh.

N: And even if I didn’t, I’m twenty years old, of course I know what menstrual cycles are… They aren’t taboo.

Blake: Okay, yeah, I know, I just… grew up in a family that treated it like it was. But no, fleshing out is only supposed to happen like- once, and then it’s over.

N: Alright. Weird that your family would do that, though.

Blake: Yeah, it wasn’t right, looking back. I remember when I was a kid, I started having Arceus awful cramps while I was staying at my dad’s one weekend, and I didn’t go tell him cause my grandma said it “ain’t appropriate talk to boys about that stuff”.

N: That’s… just ludicrous.

Blake: I know, right?

—[Bzzt…]—

Blake: Anyways… What were you exactly planning when you found the dragons, anyway? You thought they were gonna join you just like that?

N: Well, no… They’d have to test me in some way first. When they judge my determination and resolve, they’d consider me worthy of their assistance and help me change the world.

Blake: Right. And if that backfired?

N: It… would just be what it is, I guess. I doubt I’d live to see the outcome of that scenario.

Blake: …Wait, what? You were just… prepared to die if the dragons rejected you?

N: I don’t know. Probably.

N: But… Reshiram and Zekrom exist to guide Unova into a brighter future. If there’s any chance they’d see the future I envision as one worth fighting for, then I’m willing to take it.

Blake: …Jeez, N… just how bad did Ghetsis brainwash you?

N: Excuse me? He didn’t “brainwash” me. He showed me the ugly truth of the world, and made me realize I need to do something about it.

Blake: Pfft, truth? Ghetsis only told you a half truth. Yeah, there’s people out there in the world that are shitty to Pokémon. Maybe even more than most would care to admit. But there’s still a good amount of folks who are trying to make things better, without all that self-sacrificing bullshit.

N: I already told you back in Nimbasa… Even if that is true, it’s not like it’ll work fast enough.

Blake: Oh, but you think carrying out what YOU literally admit is a suicide mission will? N, it isn’t worth it.

N: Well, maybe it isn’t to you, but it is to me! I would die a thousand times to make sure not a single Pokémon had to know suffering at the hands of a human ever again. Pokémon are everything to me.

Blake: Look, I get it, you want to keep Pokémon away from bad people. But why the hell do you think you can do that by taking them away from everyone? That’s crazy! Some little girl with a Sewaddle isn’t even partially responsible for shit like Pokémon exploitation in the battling scene, or habitat destruction or whatever-

N: Don’t you see? When we start making exceptions, fixating on these little “what if’s”, and “what about’s”, trying to pick and choose who’s good enough to have Pokémon and who isn’t, nothing gets done. Everything just gets muddled and gray, all the while everything around us continues to go to shit. Humans are too complicated and- and obstinate to decide what’s best for Pokémon on their own. They’ll butt heads over the tiniest, most trivial little matters. And the Pokémon- they’re always the ones getting caught up in the midst of the problems, one way or another.

Blake: …

N: What?

Blake: Just… never heard you cuss before.

N: I- Seriously? That’s the part you got hung up on? Did you even pay attention to anything I just-

Blake: No, I heard what you said. What I still don’t get is how you think taking everyone’s Pokemon is the way to go about fixing any of that.

N: Because if they live somewhere separately from us, they don’t have to be caught up in that “gray area” anymore. We could keep them safe. We’d never HAVE to worry about them getting exploited or unfairly involved in our messes again if no one can reach them. No more instances like- like…

Blake: Tch. Like what, Rose and Lysandre?

N: You still aren’t grasping even a little of what I’m saying? Seriously, are you just doing it to be stubborn or do you genuinely believe nothing is wrong with the world-

Blake: Of course I think there’s something wrong with it. I just don’t think that causing more separation and discord between everyone is gonna do jack shit to stop it!

N: Plasma’s goal isn’t to cause discord!

Blake: Oh yeah? Then what the hell was the stuff back in Castelia, or Liberty Garden, or the Cold Storage, or-

N: Wh- fine, if you wanna go there- if there’s anyone causing “discord”, it’s the people who continue to turn a blind eye to these problems! It’s not Plasma’s fault we have to go to extremes to get people to listen. If anything, we’re speaking their language right back at them. Trainer culture is so often painted as “coming to understand each other through friendly competition”, but is that really the case? How often is it actually friendly? At the end of the day, it’s just people looking for a more “acceptable” way to sort their problems out through violence, they just use all that flowery talk to convince you it’s okay. Because it’s the Pokémon getting hurt, not the people, right? And don’t even get me started on how the league capitalizes off of it all, off the Pokémon that are forced to fight-

Blake: You know I was a champion, right? Of Galar of all places? I am MORE than aware of how much Leagues worldwide have hyped up battling and trainerhood and turned it into a corporate spectacle, I’ve been at the forefront of it! You have no clue how much the League burned me and my team out with all the exhibition matches, photo shoots, interviews, blah blah blah-

N: Then you should understand better than anyone!

Blake: How many times to I have to tell you? I agree that there’s problems, I just don’t agree with your method of trying to fix them! You’re trying to put out a small grass fire with a fucking ocean-

N: What does that even-

???: Eeeeeelektross!

N & Blake: Gyah-!

N: Sorry, sorry, we’ll- we’ll pipe down…

Blake: What’d she say?

N: She just told us to be quiet-

???: Hissss!

Stomp, stomp, stomp, stomp…

Blake: Wh-what’s making that noise-

N: Shh! It’s coming this way!

Stomp… stomp… stomp….

…

Stomp… stomp… stomp…

N: …I think it’s gone.

Blake: What the actual living fuck was that?! It sounded huge!

N: I don’t know. Whatever it is, the Eelektross and Tynamo are terrified of it.

Blake: Ughhh, we’re going to DIE down here!

N: No we aren’t!

—[Bzzt…]—

Blake: Okay… I spy something… dark and tall.

N: Sigh. It better not be that damn rock in the corner again-

Blake: Nope.

N: Then… then is it the Eelektross..?

Blake: Nooooope.

N: I give up. What is it?

Blake: Don’t you see it…? The shadowy figure looming behind right you…

N: What-?!

Blake: Bahahaha! Made you look!

N: Oh, I swear-

—[Bzzt…]—

Blake: Hey, that Zoroark of yours… what’s his deal?

N: Hm? You mean Nox?

Blake: Yeah. He’s the only ‘Mon I’ve seen on you that sticks around. You change your team every time we meet, but he still hasn’t left.

N: Well… He’s like a brother to me. He’s been by my side since we were kids.

Blake: But… isn’t having that kinda close bond with him against your beliefs? Since you don’t like Pokémon and people being together at all, it seems.

N: That’s… that’s different. I was raised by Pokémon, I can understand them and what they feel in their hearts.

N: But before you ask- no, he and I are not an exception to Pokémon liberation, either. He’s going to return to the wild once all of this is said and done, where he belongs.

Blake: But- you two are family. You’ve spent your entire lives together, haven’t you? Why would you send him away like that? I- you’d be sending all Pokémon away from you. I thought you said they were your everything.

N: Because, when I start making excuses like that, it’s unfair to everyone else. I… no longer being able to be with Pokémon is going to hurt, undeniably so, but it’s necessary. Nox and I both understand this.

Blake: …Whatever you say.

—[Bzzt…]—

Blake: Snrrrr… snrrrk….

N: Blake?

N: Oh. You’re asleep. That’s why you’ve been so quiet.

N: Guess it’s just… me and my thoughts now.

…

N: …Gods, what a mess, huh? We’ve been trapped in this chamber for hours now. I’m starting to wonder how we’re ever gonna find our way out once you’re in the shape to walk. We must’ve fallen pretty far in if we found an Eelektross pair and their offspring down here… they typically reside in deep, dark places.

N: I’m glad they’ve been kind enough to offer a place for us to rest. I don’t know if we can survive down here with their help forever, though. Not unless we start eating the things they eat, which… probably wouldn’t end very well for us.

N: Hah… it’s strange. I don’t usually talk this much. I keep my thoughts to myself. It’s… different with you, though. I could blabber on endlessly about the most pointless stuff around you. Hah, you’d probably hate that, wouldn’t you? I don’t know what it is. There’s just this part of me that wants to share everything I’m thinking about to you, even if all it does is get us in another round-about argument like the one we were in earlier.

N: But… I missed the way we spoke before all of this happened. I never… laugh like that with anyone else. Not with anyone human, anyways. I used to think that whatever I could potentially get out of human interaction wasn’t something I couldn’t get from having conversations with Pokémon. Which… to an extent, I think is still true. They’re a lot easier to understand than people. But you, you’re… you’re strange, you say such peculiar things, you see the world in all these weird, unique ways. At least… you used to.

N: …What happened to you, Blake? All that stuff you said at the Ferris Wheel, about how the world has treated you… You couldn’t have meant any of it, could you? When did you lose hope? What did you go through to make you say all those things? I guess, looking at how past two years have been for you, the answer is pretty obvious, but…

N: …I don’t know what I expected, when I asked you to join me. Of course you’ve changed. I’m not the same boy I was before Ghetsis took me in, so I’m not sure why I expected you to…

N: …I’m sorry. I’m sorry I messed it all up. My first human friend, and I drive them away before I can even get to know them properly. A… a part of me is still frustrated that you won’t even try to listen to my ideals. But I guess I can’t blame you. People, Pokémon… any living being, honestly… they tend to close their hearts after enduring enough pain. Maybe I… I’m not that much better in that regard, actually.

N: When… all of this is over, I… I hope you and I can find a way to be friends again. That sounds outlandish to say, of course… if Plasma wins, you’ll have your Pokémon taken away, because of me. I understand if you’ll never want anything to do with me as long as we live. But… I guess it can’t hurt to hope, as foolish as it is…

—[Bzzt… ]—

Blake: N? Hey! N!

N: Mmhgh..? What?

Blake: Rise and shine, wakey wakey. Come on, you look stupid sprawled out on the floor like that.

N: Blake…? You’re standing. Are your legs-?

Blake: Feeling better? Yeeeap. Like I said, good as-

Crack.

Blake: -Ow! Fffffuckingggg…

Blake: Okay. NOW they’re all better.

N: …

Blake: Come on, don’t look at me like that. What matters is that I’m up and moving, which means we can finally work on getting outta this hellpit.

???: Eeeeeel.

Blake: I mean this… lovely cave den that these wonderful Eelektross hosts have been kind enough to let us heal in.

N: Where… where are we going to even start looking? It’s pitch dark out there. And it doesn’t seem like Rotom’s flashlight has much left in it-

???: Tyyynam! Tyyynamo!

N: Huh?

Blake: What are they saying?

N: They’re… oh, they’re saying they’ll help guide through the cave with their light.

Blake: Really? Huh, thanks little guys.

Blake: Well, we’ve got our guides, so that settles it then. Let’s get a-movin’.

———

[xstarlightxstarbrightx]

thoughts on how the Liyue Archon quest went [6]

Side note: when Dorman Port releases, i'm gonna try and redo the Monds. Archon Quest thoughts(tm) b/c i feel like Liyue is so CHONKY in comparison.

ANYWAY!

the Traveler Trio is off to get the Cleansing Bell, which means a cameo from MADAME PING

Cryptic Grandma rolls up, drops a foreshadow bomb about That Which Lies in the Deep, and then just wants her teapot cleaned in return for the Cleansing Bell.

Madame Ping: this teapot? it's my house. Paimon: ??????????????? Lumi: this world has portable housing like that??? Kaeya: Lumi— Madame Ping: the Cleansing Bell is inside. u can borrow it if u can find it.

the moment the Trio see the inside of the teapot when they get shoved inside, Lumi's immediately like "oh yeah. this is just like Cloud Retainer's thing". this actually bolsters Kaeya's idea that Zhongli is an adeptus, b/c they very obviously just found another one that's living freely in Liyue, and even alludes to 'an old friend', and ofc Zhongli called her an old friend.

Lumi and Kaeya being sus and trying to weed out a straight answer from him when they meet up again, only for him to be incredibly good at avoiding the topic. even Kaeya's impressed at how easily Zhongli's able to sideline most of his questions (b/c we all know Kaeya knows how to get info from someone in casual conversation).

i feel like the rest of this was just very 'normal', like them going to get the Kites and getting stopped by Childe and all that. i do think abt how, like, when Childe and Lumi get testy w/ each other, Zhongli kinda snaps out of his Thinking Funk for a moment and actually notices the tension. he very much gave me the vibe of 'oh, hold on, these three have an issue with the Harbinger...' I like to think that this is a bit of a moment where he kinda actually focuses on the Traveler Trio and sort of fully gauges them as individuals rather than just titles (b/c i feel like he's already done this w/ Childe previously when Childe sought him out).

like, before he knew that this was the Traveler and her current party. he knew that she, her floating fairy, and her envoy from Mondstadt have had dealings with Barbatos and are searching for the Seven. but now he's looking at them and is taking in pieces of them that he had glossed over while he was deep in thought. like, for example, the wind scars that both Lumi and Kaeya have, or the scars on Lumi's back—or, maybe even Kaeya's eye? hmmm?

obviously he still has to go and deal w/ the whole Rite of Parting thing but i like to think this is when he Really Starts Seeing These People(tm).

[schrijverr]

I Dig You 8

Chapter 8 out of 8

Robin is tentatively excited for her first internship: an archaeological dig in the Netherlands, where she has been studying. However, when she gets there, Steve is there too. The dick of their uni that she now has to work with. Great. But being stuck digging for six weeks makes people bond and maybe he isn’t too bad. Maybe he can be her friend.

AKA an archaeology interns, modern, enemies-to-friends stobin au

On AO3.

Ships: none

Warnings: none

~~~~

Chapter 8: Plans

The two have made their way back to the vacation home, deciding that while it gets dark late, they shouldn’t risk getting lost. They are trying to maintain a semblance of a normal sleeping schedule to survive the last week that’s coming.

However, once there, they decide that it’s not yet time for sleeping, so they’re sitting on the table – on not at, because sitting on tables is superior – and are chatting about everything and nothing, content with each other’s presence.

After a lull in the conversation, Steve breaks the silence by asking: “What about you, by the way? What do you want to do with your future?”

“I mean, I wanna finish my Bachelor’s with high enough grades to get into the Research Master, then specialize in materials, bones specifically, before doing my PhD, preferably with a minimal student loan debt. Then do research for the rest of my life, probably work at a uni and teach,” Robin says. She has had this dream for forever, so it’s an easy answer.

“You’re going to stay at the faculty here?” Steve asks.

“That’s the plan for now. I like the uni and I know the professors. So, I’m not planning on leaving just yet,” Robin says.

“So, you’re not missing your parents? People back home?” Steve asks. “You said you’re working, you don’t wanna go visit after this?”

“Can’t really afford the plane ticket,” Robin shrugs ruefully, for once not embarrassed to admit that out loud. “Besides, my parents are the only cool people there, I don’t really have a connection with most of my extended family, except my conservative grandma, so don’t really miss her. I do miss my parents of course, but there isn’t a uni with a good archaeology program nearby, so it wouldn’t really matter, because I couldn’t go see them regularly anyway, so why go there, you know?”

“That fucking sucks, dude,” Steve says. “When does it become socially acceptable for me to offer to buy you a plane ticket? I mean, you have cool parents, you should be able to go see them. This is so unfair.”

“Welcome to the world, buddy,” Robin rolls her eyes, though also touched by his reply. “And I already used up most of my vacation days, so I have to go back to work when I’m done here. If we’re still friends by christmas you can come over to mine to celebrate and I will turn a blind eye if you pay for the plane tickets and forget to send me a Tikkie.”

“Didn’t we just decide to be friends forever? I’m holding you to that,” Steve grins. “I wanna meet these mystical parents of yours.”

“Daisy and Thomas Buckley are the most boring people alive, but whatever floats you boat,” Robin informs him, though she’s fond. She loves her parents and she can’t help but get happy whenever their friendship is confirmed. It might sound a little sad, but she needs that validation or her brain convinces her it’s all a trick.

“I like boring,” Steve replies.

“Yeah, that tracks,” Robin ribs him, quite literally.

“Ouch!” Steve pouts, clutching his side. “You’re mean.”

“And you like me anyway,” Robin grins brightly, because it’s true. Steve knows what a judgmental bitch she is and he still wants to be best friends.

“Sadly,” Steve jokes.

“Who’s being mean now?” Robin says, putting on a huge pout.

“Oh no, it is me. However, shall I repay you for this horrendous slight against you?” Steve asks dramatically, draping himself over her, which almost makes her topple.

Robin shoves him off, while being carefully so he doesn’t actually fall off the table as she huff: “You’re such a dork, I don’t know why people think you’re cool.”

“It’s called being confused 90% of the time so people think you’re aloof,” Steve says as he sits back up again.

“That’s stupid,” Robin says.

“I know,” Steve shrugs.

They’re quiet again. Between the trees the sun is setting and Robin knows they should be going to bed if they don’t want to fuck up their schedules, but that would mean ending this moment and she is too attached, so she stays quiet.

Steve is the one that breaks the quiet again. His voice is more serious again as he asks: “Do you want to stay here or move back to the States when you’re done?”

“Haven’t really thought about it,” Robin says honestly. “I mean, I’ll be twenty-two when I’m done with my Bachelors, twenty-five with my Master and then a PhD is between four to ten years. I’ll be twenty-nine at the youngest. I haven’t thought that far ahead yet. Why?”

“I mean, I’d be sad if you moved away,” Steve admits softly.

Robin tends to forget she is a person in other people’s lives, so she’s taken aback for a second, before a happy feeling floods through her. She says: “I’d miss you too.”

“That’s- that’s good. Is that weird to say?”

“Probably, but I don’t think so,” Robin replies. “I’m bad at being friends with people, but it’s easy with you. This is nice.”

“Can you believe you hated me five weeks ago?” Steve randomly comments.

“I didn’t hate you,” Robin lies.

“You totally did,” Steve laughs, poking her.

“I thought you were annoying and a stupid frat bro, I didn’t hate you, because that would mean I was more invested in you than I was,” Robin retorts to save face.

“You were bitter about Tammy,” Steve singsongs.

“Ugh, are you ever letting that go?” Robin groans.

“Never,” Steve tells her smugly.

“I hate you.”

“No, you don’t.”

“… Fuck. No, I don’t,” Robin sighs, though she’s unable to help the smile. She can’t believe how fast her opinion of Steve changed, but she’s glad for it. Idly she says: “It’s going to be weird to not be in your space 24/7 after this.”

“Yeah, it is. You can always come over to mine, you know? Hell, you could move in and that would be cool,” Steve agrees.

“What?” Robin chokes, surprised by the offer, but not for the reason you’d think. “You haven’t offered anyone that. Carol and Tommy both complained – loudly, I might add – how much of a dick move that was of you.”

“Tsk, of course they did. I don’t want them to live with me because they throw parties every weekend in their own house and I actually like my personal space, and not living with people, who don’t clean and make fun of the way I eat,” Steve scoffs.

“Wow, yeah, okay, they sound horrible,” Robin says, unable to fathom living like that. She likes her own space too.

“Tell me about it, I don’t know why it took me this long to drop them. They can be the worst,” Steve says. “I guess it was just what I thought friendships were supposed to be like. Befriending people at the archaeology faculty, like Argyle – he’s super cool, by the way – made me realize that was actually not normal, lol.”

Robin fights the urge to make fun of Steve for saying lol out loud, since she can recognize when someone is trying to make something sound less serious. Instead she nods: “Yeah, I can get that,” before smirking: “Sooo, I am worthy of living in the Harrington residence?”

“Yeah, you’re cool,” Steve responds more easily than Robin would have thought. “And we’ve kind of proven we can live together just fine. I’d help you move and everything.”

“Wait, you’re for real?” she asks, looking at Steve with wide eyes. She kind of thought he was joking, but he sounds pretty serious.

Steve looks back like she is weird for not getting that yet. “Of course, why would I joke about that?”

“I don’t know, that sounds like something you should think about before offering, right?” Robin shoots back.

“Why? We’re students, people move in impulsively all the time,” Steve answers. “It would actually be a pretty normal thing to do.”

“Except that your parents would be my landlords,” Robin points out, not even daring to ask what the rent situation would be like.

“No, the house is in my name, remember? I’d be your landlord,” Steve says.

“That doesn’t really make it better,” Robin informs him.

Steve shakes his head, suddenly looking excited as he says: “No, it does make it better. Think about it. I can charge you nothing and if my parents ask, I can just say you’re my girlfriend and they’d understandably let you stay for free, because they are terrified of me being anything but straight and then I can get as much money out of them as I can, before they cut me off. I’d be perfect.”

“You- you want to beard in the year 2023 to scam your homophobic parents out of money?” Robin asks incredulously, unsure if she understood correctly.

Steve nods.

“Well, that does sound pretty punk to do,” Robin admits, because when she thinks about it, that is hilarious and she’d get a house with no rent out of it in the actual city the uni is in, so she won’t have to take the train every day.

“Is this you agreeing?” Steve asks her, excitement not having left.

“Yeah, sure, let’s become roomies,” Robin laughs, a little disbelieving at how she ended up here, but delighted nonetheless.

“Yay,” Steve cheers, doing a dorky little dance that Robin joins in with, because why the hell not?

With that decided, they lay down on the table side by side, looking up at the slowly appearing stars as they continue to plan how to move in together, arguing if they can move furniture by public transport or if they need to find a person with a car they can borrow, since neither of them are qualified to lease one.

“We can’t carry my bed frame with just the two of us!” Robin exclaims. “How are we even fitting it in the tram or train for that matter.”

“You see people with crazy shit in the train all the time,” Steve argues back. “I’ve seen people with a fridge, like a hundred suitcases, people with a floor length mirror and people with a big ass chair. We can totally take your bed with us on the tram.”

“Okay, fine, even if it’s allowed, have you seen my noodle arms? I can’t carry it and even if I could, I am not coordinated enough to pull that off,” Robin says.

“I can do it by myself.”

“You cannot carry a bed frame by yourself. We need a car.”

“Who do you know with a car?” Steve shoot back.

“No one, you’re the one with friends.”

Steve is quiet for a second, then says: “… Argyle has this beat up van. He’ll probably help us move if we buy him pizza at the end of the day.”

“See, problem solved,” Robin says self-satisfied.

“I still think I can do it,” Steve pouts.

“Well, you’ll just have to find that out in your own time,” Robin informs him. “So, what about chores? Are we making a schedule or like splitting it on preferred tasks?”

And on they go, deciding how to organize chores and cooking, what to tell people that ask and what they prefer when it comes to studying and noises, making a list of rules. By the time they’re done, it’s already late and Robin knows they fucked up their sleeping schedule just a little bit, but neither of them care.

The next day, they both sleep in for a change, doing a familiar dance through their small kitchen as they make their breakfast and get ready for the day of lounging around, before they have to start up again for their last week on the dig.

If Robin had expected Steve to change his mind overnight, she doesn’t get a chance to ask if he had, because Steve excitedly tells her they can have Dutch Days where they try to only speak Dutch, because he looked it up and if she wants to teach here at the uni she needs a minimum level of Dutch, so they both have to practice.

After that time seems to fly by with the last week of the excavation seeming to not last longer than a blink. Before they know it, they’re standing around on their last day, waiting for Jeroen to fill in their evaluation, so they can add it to their final report, before leaving to spend the last day in the vacation home that has been their shared home for weeks now.

They’re both a little melancholic as they write their final daily report together and make dinner (pasta for the dozenth time), before going to sleep.

The follow morning, Robin is also awake early and they clean the vacation home together, so they’re not leaving it a complete sandy mess, before Steve goes to give back the key, while Robin watches the bikes.

With their bikes packed, they make their way to the local train station, traveling together until they’re at Utrecht, where they have to split up.

It’s a little weird to say goodbye, so Robin says: “So, uhm, we’ll meet up soon?”

“Yeah, sure, I’ll text you,” Steve agrees.

Suddenly Robin is struck with a thought and she says: “Do I even have your number?”

“I don’t know, do I have yours?” Steve replies, pulling out his phone.

“Can you imagine if we don’t?” Robin giggles.

“It would be very on theme,” Steve giggles too, weird tension broken again. He asks: “Are you in that big group chat with everyone from first year?”

“Yeah, I am, you too?” Robin says.

“Yeah,” Steve confirms.

“At least we have each other’s number,” Robin laughs, amused at the situation. “I’m going to save you in my phone as Airhead Himbo.”

“Rude, I’m saving you as Pretentious Dick,” Steve says.

“That’s rude,” Robin protests, though she’s grinning.

“You started it.”

“Okay, okay, I’ll change it to Schmuck,” Robin concedes.

“Is Bone Lady better?” Steve asks with an equally amused look on his face.

“Totally, that is epic. I will wear it with pride.”

“I somehow feel I got the short end of this,” Steve says, though it’s clear he thinks the whole thing to be hilarious.

“Live with it,” Robin winks (naturally failing at the action, but Steve is a good friend, who doesn’t mention that). Then she sees the time and curses: “Fuck, I have to run if I wanna catch my train. Don’t forget to text me,” she calls out already running.

“I won’t! Bye!” Steve yells at her as she sprints to the right platform, barely catching her train with the struggle it is to get her bike in with her.

Once she is finally seated she checks her phone, seeing a few texts from Steve that read:

You run funny

Oh my god that’s rude

Sorry

I love you

Pls, still move in with me

Robin snorts out loud and texts back: omg ur a fucking loser lmao, oc ill move in with u, dingus

Then she takes a second, before she adds: love u too, have a safe trip <3

Steve sends back a string of emojis that is more suited for a granddad, who should not be allowed near technology. Most of them are heart-shaped or heart-adjacent, so Robin decides it must be a positive thing as she smiles and shakes her head.

They continue texting for the entire time and Steve comes to visit the next day, pointing at all her furniture as he continues the argument of whether or not he could lift it by himself and if it would fit into the tram and train, while Robin is packing all her little trinkets.

Argyle is luckily down to help them out, so Robin never has to actually stop Steve from attempting to lift her desk and it turns out the dude is very cool. Robin hasn’t worked with him, but she has seen him around, but never talked to him.

As the new year starts, the two of them learn that Argyle is the only person at the faculty, who is seemingly not weirded out by their sudden attachment, because they get a lot of weird looks and curious questions when they show up together for the one little thesis talk at the starts, Steve giving Robin a piggyback ride.

However, the two of them shake it off easily. By then they’ve been living together for three months already and are very comfortable together. They just click, it just works for them.

Robin sometimes can’t believe how lucky she is with Steve (and she is thrilled that Steve thinks the same, a fact he informs her off multiple times a day, especially at the end when they’re chilling on the couch and she is running her hands through his hair, because it’s so so so soft).

When she got to that excavation and seethed that she could never be rid of ‘that fucking guy’ she couldn’t have imagined how true that statement was and how happy she’d be with that outcome, but here she is and the future has never looked brighter.

~~

A/N:

I feel like maybe they’re speed running the whole best friends thing, but they’re also stobin, so you know xp

(Also they totally still live together rn with ten cats and shit)

[love-advice-on-call]

Hi! This is like my first time asking any advice so sorry if this is a bit tmi or a weird ask 😬 So for religious reasons I'm not doing the do until after marriage. The problem here is, all the guys wont really date you unless your down to do smth with them ( which i'm not!!! ). I know i shouldn't really rush into a relationship cause i'm literally only 15 and their overrated and romanticized by the media anyways, but i'm an absolute hopeless romantic 😔 I just really wanna have a romance book typa relationship. I wanna send gm and gn texts w/ someone and be on ft with them for hours just talking or doing nothing and just basically have someone to obsess and rant over to your friends. But I don't want to have the superficial relationships that my friends/others have in my school.

Like majority of the guys in my school are racist, colourist, homophobic and are just mean people in general. I would NEVER wanna date a person who acts like that, let alone be friends with them! But it seems like everyone doesn't really care in a sense because they're cute/popular. I feel like the odd one out because everyone has been in a relationship or had a crush or like a fling and I haven't. I'm always left out of these conversations and just feel like i'm missing out on the high school experience! ( i'm literally finishing grade 10 in 2 weeks and haven't even talked to a guy romantically )

In a sense i feel like because of that ( and since i went to an all girls private school from gr 3-8 ) I tend to romanticize the smallest things a guy does or says to me which is such a big problem!!1! Like you crack a joke with me? In love. Pick me first in gym when making teams? Brb i'm writing our wedding invites. Even my cousins around my age were shocked when I said I haven't talked to a guy romantically before. Its even worse that I'm so shy around guys and just overly insecure considering I NEVER had any boys in my school. Everyone always calls me a grandma already because of the way I talk and act and now i'm really starting to believe it.

My parents are pretty strict about this kinda thing and my sisters are all older then me/are naturally extremely pretty so they didn't have to worry about being unlikeable ( people had crushes on them in high school AND they were in relationships ). I just feel really lost and unlikeable :(

Hi,

So I think waiting till marriage is a totally fine thing and waiting in general would be a good decision for a lot of folks, not just you. I didn't wait till marriage, but I did wait a long time for the right person and in my personal experience it made it significantly more fulfilling when comparing it to how almost all of friends lost their virginity during teen years. I really wish that more folks had the opportunity to wait.

Wanting to be in a relationship this badly I think is something MANY people your age feel and I think it is totally normal. This feeling you're feeling, doesn't really ever go away I think. It may come and go in intensity, but if you at this age feel like wanting to be in a relationship, then you can expect to buckle in for a lifetime of this being at the back of your thoughts.

"Like majority of the guys in my school are racist, colourist, homophobic and are just mean people in general." Unfortunately, this is just "Welcome to Teen Boyhood", most of these guys (God willing) will grow out of it, though I've met a lot of men who never emotionally/mentally went past age 16.

There are some dudes who are not terrible people at ~15, but usually those guys do not attract girls easily. Less popular guys definitely, but solid dudes at heart. It could be that maybe you are also just hanging around the wrong crowd? I doubt your whole school is like this and you should be able to find someone your age who shares your values. They wont be the perfect guy, no one is at 15 or really any age, but they'll be better. I know it is SUPER incredibly indescribably tough to shift social circles and meet people within your own school, but I suggest that you try to simply make more guy friends in general and look for the sweet spot of dudes that are decent guys. It will also help with your anxiety around boys and may help smooth you out so you're used to talking to them. Once you find a guy you like, then you can work on building up the courage to ask him out.

Maybe join clubs at school, look into after school programs (tutoring, co-ed sports, etc.), or check with your friends to see if they know anyone they can introduce you to. When I was in high school, some people would also just date guys from other schools because they weren't down with the ones who were immediately around them. They usually met through mutual friends or at non-school events.

Also, you telling me that you don't want to date guys because they want you to be down for something while your sisters were in relationships at your age. I mean, I feel like put two and two together. It's not JUST because your sisters are pretty 👀. But gossip aside, your parents can't be that strict if they let your sisters see guys or if your sisters found ways around not telling them. So I wouldn't worry about them too much. As a former teen, there are always ways to getting around parents.

All in all, I think it sounds like you do have a good head on your shoulders and you know what you want. Being a grandma isn't always a bad thing, it just means that you don't take BS from other people and you know what will make you happy. That's something that takes almost a life time of development and you've got that now at 15 so I've got confidence in you that you're going to be alright.

As a side note: I do appreciate you listing out how you romanticize the situations. It gave me a laugh and this is definitely one of my favorite asks I've gotten in a while. Talking to people about navigating teen dating is like one of the funnest topics period.

June 13, 2023

[tap1rs]

feeling sorta. oogh. at least 40 to 50% is that I drove across literally half the state of california today and like a fool only stopped once. I did do it on a single tank of gas though so. that was neat. my knee was feeling... odd (not painful but also definitely not normal) until i took a naproxen

20% is stress about essays, but it will be okay. tomorrow I'm gonna spend at least an hour on each one's research

15% is it just clicked for me in the past hour that may is next month and early may is just gonna suck and / or be hard for me for the rest of my life I think. maybe there is a point where the month where you did in fact die a bit becomes idk. not as painful I guess. anyways I am currently feeling some pain that I will be feeling on and off during next month.

uh the rest is stuff like. ur childhood home changing and becoming unfamiliar while you are gone sucks. this is the fifth? time I've been back since I left for school and we have new kitchen cabinets and when I went to grab a bowl for dinner it took me three tries to open the right door. three tries to find a dish that I bought in a house I've lived in all (most) my life. the naproxen is in a different cabinet now too. part of me feels sort of silly about how much this is affecting me at this age.

also I guess some of it is second guessing grad school even though I love linguistics and want to continue studying it. a very small part of it is something imposture syndrome like but I am able to point to concrete things about why I've earned being there and how I am in fact good enough. (it helps that one of these things is "the dept chair is writing me a letter of recommendation"). most of it is like. I'm committing to spending at least two more years away from my family and that my moving away seems to have been more permanent than anyone, including myself, imagined. I have no (living) family up there (I learned uhhh I think it was last month that my great grandma was born a county over from where I go to school but only one of her truly numerous siblings ended up staying in the area - one of my dad's great aunts. the cemetery she is buried in is close enough to campus that I feel like I should make time to visit even though I truly do not remember her name. this reminds me i should talk to my dad tomorrow) and even though I've made some friends up there is still fairly. Shallow. I'm not the most social person. I am doing better with it and letting myself enjoy things and initating conversations and it's going really well. And then there is the fact that I am bit insecure about the fact that doing this means that I will be (both pushing and eventually) thirty in a college dorm room, especially because I don't have money to not have roommates. (I also think that it'd probably be bad for me mentally. I'd self isolate). And most ppl in the dorms are sooooo young. Even in the best case it's a bit weird. Like I get on with my roommates well but i am also undeniably an Adult in a way they aren't, even if i dont have my shit fully together.

Oh man I was feeling a bit better because I typed the sidebar below out of order and thinking about cool relatives who did these incredibly difficult things is helpful but now I am worried about money. I can't impose on my family for help financially outside of like. Living with them. Which is hard to do when they are literally half a state away. And ADHD means that I cannot do school and work at the same time, I have tried three times. (although I am interested in doing like. Grad student flavored work-study. Perhaps TAing. It might not go well but i do want to try). So my best case scenario is taking out student loans which was a scary prospect before (gestures). However there is quite literally nothing I can do about that. And somehow typing that helped a bit. And I need to go to bed it's after 1.

(this is a sidebar but I went down the family history rabbit hole trying to learn more about my dads great aunt ivy who is the coolest person I'm related to even if I never met her. when my dad was a baby she would only speak to him in spanish because she thought it was good for him, which she spoke because she was a nurse during the spanish civil war, along with two of her sisters. she gets the title of coolest relative though because she found out that her big shot doctor husband was cheating on her, and immediately filed for divorce and left the country to fight facism. she never remarried and her lifelong companion was a parrot who hated everyone but her)

[lushlagoon]

072724

today i saw my grandpa cry for the first time ever im pretty sure. he used to be a gruff family man, saying he would work until he died. the smoothest dancer on the dance floor even at 80. he was getting old and the beginnings of dementia i thought were the worst of it. not noticing the little things like running a red light. i worry that him stopping working made his brain deteriorate more, during covid he would just sit and stare sometimes.

he started crying because he kept saying he could not see. it wasn’t so much that he couldn’t see, but that he couldn’t think or hear because he doesn’t wear his hearing aids anymore. i thought seeing him cry would look different, like something so foreign. maybe i saw him cry when his sister died so it looked familiar. but it looked normal. it didn’t upset me when this was happening. it’s just part of it. everything is just part of it and i’m ok with that and i try to help and be gentle and nice and cheery. i worry that i do not feel enough for him. i want to spend more time thinking. i came and sat behind him and he told me he was ok, and put his hand on my shoulder and i gave him a banana.

i’m crying thinking about this as i’m writing and i hope i don’t get my period tomorrow, so i can know i am real and sympathetic. i feel so fleabag sometimes.

when my other grandma started to forget me, i didn’t care. it’s all part of it. maybe i care so little because ive never experienced loss, i don’t see this as a beginning of loss but just part of life. im not too close to granny. but if papa forgets me, it will break me. i’m his baby girl.

a friend told me in high school that because i hadn’t experienced loss, something really bad is gonna happen to me later in life. it’s been 5 years since that conversation, am i accumulating more “bad things”? i don’t like her

i used to not want to spend time with my grandma, i would spend too much time with her and all her talking would annoy me. all i wanted to do was watch gilmore girls with her in silence. now i enjoy it, we went to the doctor together today, and she is maybe the one that is easier to talk to now. she also doesn’t judge me like my parents do. it’s also weird that i perceive her as physically stronger now. maybe she is rallying for my grandpa, or it’s just perception. i used to see her as frail and weak and incapable of understanding things. now she seems strong, independent, well versed.

When do you have time for your family? I wish I hadn’t been so serious about school in middle and high school. what a dumbass. i wish somebody had told me that i shouldn’t spend entire nights doing homework. now i’m graduating college early, but for what. what am i moving into next even. Anyway. Family.

I know I’ve spent much more genuine time with my family than most. but when do i actually really get to be with them. i’m home for one week at a time every few months. i wish i wasn’t so quiet and inside myself all the time. i wish i was happy at home, maybe i will move home to tennessee if things get worse with papa.

i remembered this jello cool whip thing my mom used to make and i realized i can just go downstairs and make it so i just did that. i look forward to meeting it again tomorrow.

i was watching high maintenance and there was an episode where trump got elected and everyone is acting like it’s the apocalypse. that was about 8 years ago which is crazy. the episode was hitting too close to home so i turned it off and did some drawing. it’s crazy how it’s been 8 years since i was going into 8th grade, and when i was 8 years old i had only lived as much life as the time between now and 8th grade.

i love you! (to me)

[marischimmer]

Vignar - Chapter 1, Part 1

– Ok, Shaiel, tranquila. Nueva escuela, nueva vida, nueva gente, nadie te conoce, nadie va a juzgarte. Tran-qui-la –

She couldn’t help but grip her grandma’s necklace below her hoodie.

– Abu, no te vayas muy lejos, ¿ok? – she mumbled, almost hiding her face behind her messy, curly hair, closing her eyes. She felt a presence not far away from her, and she opened them back quickly, a bit startled. There was a girl holding a notebook walking straight to her. Blond ponytail, blue eyes, slim - she looked exactly as if she was ripped from one of those last century’s photos.

She smiled at her when she was close enough. Perfect, white teeth. Sip, straight from last century. 

The blond girl opened her book on a random page, scribbled something and showed it to her.

<<I bet you’re Shaiel Zárate, aren’t you?>>

What…?

Ok, that wasn’t in the photos. 

– Em… yeah, I’m Shaiel… – she answered, wondering if the girl could hear her. She could understand her at least, because she smiled again and wrote something else below.

<<Good! How do you pronounce it anyways?>>

– Umm… Pro-noun-ce…? – she repeated, confused. Not again. First conversation and the language barrier was already getting in the way.

<<Say your name out loud. So I can hear it>>

– Oh! Shy-ELLE ZAR-ah-teh – she said slowly, trying to move her lips as clear as possible so she could “read” them; making her smile and write something else.

<<It’s ok, you don’t have to do that, I can hear you, I just can’t speak>>

– Oh. Sorry – she mumbled, cheeks burning, feeling really dumb. Great. She already messed up.

<<Don’t worry, you wouldn’t have known. Anyways, I’m Tracy Frist, I’m in the Welcoming Committee and I’m supposed to help you get settled down and show you around a bit. Do you have a room assigned yet?>>

– Em, room? Yeah, it’s the… two point sixteen…? – she doubted, and the blondie got even paler, and her writing way messier.

<<216? Are you sure that’s your room?>>

– I… Yeah. That’s… That’s my room –

<<No. Way. You’re sharing room with the princess??>>

– Princess? Eh? Who…? – she asked, and something tickled at the back of her head. Weird. She turned the page and started scribbling at top speed. She had never seen somebody write so fast.

<<She’s not a real princess, of course, but everybody calls her that behind her back. She’s one of the most well known girls here, but not precisely for being nice or sporty or whatever. She’s one of the non-clinically crazy people on campus. She seems normal, even cheerful sometimes, but she gets these weird “princess attacks” and she suddenly starts bossing everyone around and telling everyone to call her “Princess” and to bow after her and who knows what else. I for one don’t think she’s bad, she’s just a tad off. But since most of us are too, it’s not that weird>>

<<She’s been here for a year or so now and she asked for a room far away from everyone and for herself alone. I thought she’d never get a roomie! But don’t worry, I’ve heard her say once that people who treated her well were her allies and therefore wouldn’t be bothered. During one of her princess rushes, of course>> 

Even with her weak English, she was able to make out the most important parts, and somehow it sounded familiar. This place was giving her an odd sensation, but weak enough to shrug it off.

<<Anyways, do you want me to show you the way to your room?>>

– Oh, em, s-sure, you lead… –

The blondie smiled reassuringly. She was clearly starting to realize just how shy she was. She closed the notebook and started walking to one of the huge buildings in front of them; and she quickly followed suit, dragging her bag clumsily. She really didn’t want to get lost here.

– This place is really big! – she said, feeling stupid again when she realized the girl couldn’t answer her – Oh. Sorry –

She shrugged, opening her notepad once more.

<<It’s okay. I can write and walk at the same time, but can you read this way?>>

– Oh, yes, I can – she couldn’t help smiling. How many times had she read a webnovel while walking in the middle of the street?

<<Good! Any questions?>>

– Emm… Why…? Emm… –

<<Why don’t I speak? You’ll see soon…>> she answered, gazing at another blond girl and a boy beside her that were coming their way. The blondie stopped, seeming a bit down suddenly; and she stayed put as well, curious as to what would happen.

– Tracy~! – the other girl called, cheerfully. Now that she was closer, she noticed that they were somewhat alike, but this second girl was shorter, had grey eyes and short hair.

– Hi, Trace – the boy greeted. He had brown, curly hair just like herself, but his eyes were a beautiful green. Now that they were closer she realized he was holding her by the arm – Oh, hi, what’s your name? – he asked her, noticing her for the first time.

– Oh, em, hi, I-I’m Shaiel. Sh-Shaiel Zárate – she introduced herself, shrinking without noticing.

– Oh~? I’ve never heard that voice before~ You must be the new girl! I’m Cecilia, but you can call me Sissy~ I’m Tracy’s sister~ Trace, are you on committee duty~? – she asked, and the blondie walked up to her and squeezed her hand. Wait, why did she do that…? Something was off...

And only then did she realize the girl’s eyes weren’t gray. They were blue, just like her sister’s. But they were covered with a white cloud.

– Your eyes! – she exclaimed without noticing, going red as they all looked at her.

– Well, aren’t you a good observer~ Yes, I’m blind, but don’t worry about it, sweetie, I’m fine~ – she chuckled, shrugging it off as if it was nothing, making her sister look away in pain – Aww, don’t be sad, Trace, I’m alright~! I have Now to help me, right, Now~? – she asked the boy.

– Of course. I’m Nahuel by the way. We gotta go now. It was nice meeting you – he smiled, starting to walk away.

– Bye, Shy~! See you later~! –

She waved even if she couldn’t see it, that weird feeling popping up again for a second, and got surprised when she noticed just how sad the blondie looked.

– Em. You okay? – she asked, but she just shrugged and continued walking, writing something down so slowly she started reading without waiting for her to finish.

<<There you go. That��s why I don’t speak>>

<<Sissy wasn’t blind since birth, she got some weird illness a couple of years ago, and she survived, but lost her sight in the battle>>

<<Since then, I couldn’t speak anymore. The words just don’t come out. Not even a sound. It’s just>>

A drop stained the paper, and her hand started trembling. Was she really crying??

– Oh, ey! I-it’s okay, please don’t cry! – she tried to console her, but she couldn’t do much in that state, she couldn’t just touch her! But she didn’t have time to panic, because just as suddenly as she started, she stopped, wiping away the remaining tears.

<<Sorry for that>>

– N-no, it’s ok… –

<<Here we are. The dorms>> she announced, changing the subject abruptly, going up some stairs and walking through the massive open doors. A ridiculous amount of corridors full of doors, with a huge staircase in the middle of everything. Where had she seen this before…?

They went up to the second floor and into one of the corridors. Just at the end of it, a door with the numbers 216 stood in front of them. The blondie opened the door to find the room empty.

– No one’s here… –

There were two beds in the room, on opposite sides. The princess’ side was full of violet and shiny stuff, and it was quite tidy. Her own side had just the bed, a simple desk, and a small drawer. Not bad at all.

<<This will be your home from now on, so get yourself comfy. I’ll pick you up later for breakfast>>

– A-ah, okay, th-thanks, Tracy – she mumbled, and the blond girl closed the door behind her – “Home” era hogar, ¿no? Pfft- Ya veremos en qué termina esto… – she said to herself, smiling. 

She’d better hurry up and settle down before she was back.

[benispunk]

I will not miss anything

Growing up I use to think my "normal" was everyone's "normal". I think we kind of all go through that. And then you see the signs and realize that maybe your "normal" is really just yours.

I'm the only female grandchild in my family. This family, I learned not so long ago, used to be an only boys family, if you know what I mean. I heard that my great-grandmother once said "i don't know what I would have done if I had had a daughter". She had four sons. One of them of course being my grandpa.

My grandpa had two children, my dad and my aunt. My aunt was the older child and my dad was the heir. He was the one who would keep the last name, the legacy, till the end of his life. And that, my friends, is only one out of so many problems in my family. In case you're wondering, no, we are not the heir of a crown, my grandpa isn't a king. Nor are we aristocrats or possessor of a huge fortune. So, really, what's the point of being so formal about it, right ?

I am the eldest daughter. I have one little brother. Mu aunt had two sons. Guess who will keep the last name at the end of the day?

You are right! Not me, nor my cousins. My brother is the official heir of "everything". Whatever everything is. And do not worry, I am not jealous at all, I've always found that quite ridiculous.

Anyway back to the topic. My "normal" is that since I was 8, i have been a responsible little woman. Unlike my brother, i was raised like an adult and not like a child. My brother was raised like a child and treated like a child. I knew how to do everything from a very young age because "I'm such a smart and responsible girl". And that's just how I was. And to me, it never was a problem.

My "normal" is going to my grandparents house during the holidays while my parents are working and not actually spending time with my grandparents. It was just me and my brother in my grandparents' house. Or it could also be my other grandma coming over to our house to take care of us while our parents are away, but in the end I was the one keeping an eye on my young brother and my grandma who preferred checking everything in my mom's (her daughter) stuff and using her makeup and products.

My "normal" is accepting and shutting my mouth when my grandpa interrupts me when I'm in the middle of a conversation. It's my grandmother telling me that 'It's such a waste of your capacities to do that" when I tell her I want to be a filmmaker, when I've been accepted in the most prestigious school in my country - that I refused to go to because it was too expensive.

My "normal" is also accepting that I can't control the way my grandparents are, even when they are the most egoistical, ego-centrical, hyper-victimization, mean, liars, mythomaniacs, manipulative people I know.

My "normal" is valuing family over everything else, even when it kills me.

Those examples are a few out of thousands of examples.

And I understand it's not everyone's "normal".

But life goes on even if pigeon's shit falls onto your shoulder every once in a while.

And after talking with my therapist about all of that...I though for an instant.

Will I miss them when they're not here anymore ?

I'm pretty sure I will. I will undoubtably cry and sob for days, weeks, maybe months. But then it will stop.

Because I will not miss my grandparents. I will not miss them with that title.

I never missed my grandparents.

I used to watch my friends with their grandparents and it was nothing like what I had back home. Nothing at all.

I never hugged my grandparents, I actually have a physical affection problem and I don't like most of physical contact because of never receiving any.

I don't have big memories or actual fun memories with them either. Except for things I did with my brother at their house but with my brother only.

So, I never missed that feeling. I never desired it either. I don't actually know what it's like to have grandparents because of how "not normal" my "normal" used to be, and still is.

So I will not miss my "grandparents" because there's no such thing as that in my heart. I will miss the people. But then I will close the book.

And life goes on.

[goo-stew-4-you]

bah humbug.

Merry whatever, happy who cares, and prosperous up yours.

I shouldn't be so cynical, I love Christmas. It was always my job to help decorate, to bake the cookies, to wrap presents. I was the little elf. I forced everyone to be festive. I don't know what shifted. My physical absence in my childhood home has left that hole for my family, but even for myself, the Christmas joy is gone.

My time home for Christmas is the longest I've been here since last January. You can tell that I'm not here much; there is not a shred of my clothing, a tschoskie I used to collect, or even any food I can eat anywhere. Instead of being welcomed home to doting family, warm meals, and a comfortable bed to fall into after a stressful semester, I am a visitor sleeping in my kitchen, my door being a sheet hung on a string. I prepare all of my meals myself, not like my family eats together anyway. I push my family to get out and do things together, and if we do, someone complains, but most of the time we don't. When it's time for me to return to school, I always get guilt-tripped, since my parents "barely saw me" the entire time I was home. Could it hurt for them to make the effort to spend time with me? There's a reason I don't come home often.

And now it's Christmas day. A weird tinge of sadness paints today, and no one wants to talk about it. I know why Christmas makes me sad. It's a reminder that my parents have no idea who I am. I can't entirely blame them for that, but it feels really easy to feel sorry for myself about it. It seems that my parents have only ever had an idea of who Paige is, even when I was younger. They can make out the silhouette, but it's hard for them to fill in the details. I got a bunch of backpacking gear for Christmas, all the stuff that was on my list. I'm grateful for it, it was what I needed, and nothing that I would buy for myself. But the smaller gifts felt impersonal. There was nothing that I received that wasn't on my list that indicated that there was any thought about what I might like. It felt very safe. I honestly would have felt better if they had tried to get me something specific and missed the mark completely. At least then it would have felt like they were trying.

I think it doesn't help that I come from a stiff-upper-lip family. Which is crazy to think about, since I am such an emotional person. It's always been this way, especially with my mom. I think messy emotions scare her. I've been trying to be more open of a person, more real (it's something that I've always struggled with), and I told her that Christmas makes me sad. All she could reply was "me too, isn't that sad?" End of conversation. I wanted to tell her that I felt like I have never really felt comfortable opening up to her or Dad, a weird part of me wanted to pull up all the past receipts, be mad, and yell at her about all the times when I tried to open up and she shut me down, or maybe cry with her about how we miss Grandma. I didn't get any of this, case in point.

A big part of me wants to go back to Worcester. I want to run away from my feelings and problems and spend the next 14 days sitting around and watching tv and sleeping all day. A big part of me wants to stop existing, just for a little bit, just until I can feel normal again.

A big part of me is so resentful of Rae. To be so blatant, she has always gotten exactly what she wanted or needed, and she still complains. I'm resentful because she asked for help, and she received it. She's allowed to throw fits, she's allowed to ask for more, she's allowed to be upset, and most of all, she's allowed to fail. And I don't ask for help, and I don't receive it. This is partly my fault. But, for good reason, for case studies in the past, I have asked for help, and I have not received it. I have been told to stop being dramatic, to suck it up. When I told my parents I was assaulted by a close family friend, that they were a room over when it happened, my mom told me she was worried that I was gonna come home and tell them that I was pregnant, as if my months of lonely sadness were the least of my worries. This just builds my resentment.

But I know that my parents don't know any better. I know that my mom is like me, she doesn't like to talk about her feelings, or maybe she doesn't think she can unless they're resolved and wrapped in a beautiful bow of self-actualization, and a note saying "But don't worry about me, I've got it figured out." What a beautiful Christmas gift that would be, I think that's what I want this year. Vulnerability, and proof that my family actually cares.

[silverchangeling]

"aaaaaaaaaaAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHH"

THUNK

The sound was deafening. Like a screaming boulder landed in our backyard.

"Molly!" crooned Grandma, like this was most standard noise in the world "Could you go check on that? I think it came from the backyard."

But I had already paused my stream, slipped into my crocs, and was heading out the backdoor. Or well, fumbling with the blinds. I couldn't believe my eyes. Had an angel literally fallen from heaven?

A young woman- no older girl? She looked like a cross between a Moon Princess and a British one. I rushed to her side. She spoke mostly like a British Princess though.

At first she was incomprehensible. Speaking fast, with too many "thees", "thous", royal "Wes" and- I'm no English major- but I thought her grammer was terrible. At a certain point I think she realized she was speaking gibberish. She calmed down, and spoke in a more comprehensible voice that sounded like an anime girl mimicking old British English.

"We know this'll sound quite absurd." She looked at me to see if I understood, and I nodded "But I'm your Uncle. Something happened to Us- erh, me on Our hiking trip. We were- Uhm, hit by truck."

I blinked. What the hell was she talking about? For one, Uncle Ted stopped by a few hours ago. I whipped out my phone to text that asshole, but the mystery girl stole my phone, pressed an odd button, and called him instead.

Uncle Tom's eternally irritated voice replied "Damn it, Mi- Molly" that asshole couldn't even get my name right "I just started by damn hike- wait WHAT THE HELL IS DRIVING-?"

The phone screamed as some horrible crunching and screeching rubber on dirt noise blared from its speakers. I was too dumbfounded to react.

Grandma's voice broke the silence "Wowee girlie, you look like someone whose been stolen away by the fae and now back again if I've ever seen one."

"No no no no-" The princess girl repeated, seemingly determined to clear up this point "We were isekai'd." ---

After some explaining, reciting of information, and profuse apologizing I could maybe believe this girl was once my uncle. Although now she was apparently "legally adopted" by my grandmother. Or at least according to the documentation that dropped with her. Well, even our records collaborated that she's been here for a while, even though Grandma and I know its different. Very fae-like, according to Grandma.

Anyway, Grandma and I decided that she could stay for the night. The girl was getting more understandable by the hour, and maybe by tomorrow she'd sound somewhat normal.

So tomorrow, I'm in my PJs, making myself some toast with Grandma, when the girl prostrates herself before me. She finally looks a bit more normal- like an extremely photogenic casual weeb girl rather than a "Cosplay beauty pageant winner" weeb girl.

"I wanted to apologize again for mistreating you, Molly!" The girl squeaked out. "The person I was before well- I was very narrow-minded. And not a good person…"

My bread popped from the toaster. I spread some of Grandma's jam on it. Unfortunately, I didn't have it in my heart to stay mad at little Miss Moon Princess, even if she was once my 5th shittiest family member. "Alright, I forgive you."

"Thank you!" She hopped back upright, nervous but slightly more excited. Her eyes shone with puppy-like "I- uhm- Also I go by Summer now!… The title I used to go by, in the other world, is a bit of mouthful and more than embarrassing." she looks sidewise as though she's rehearsed this conversation a dozen times in her head "So yeah! Call me Summer!"

"Very fae-touched name." Grandma muttered to me. The comment did not go unnoticed by Summer.

"Let- let me tell you my story over breakfast!" Summer seemed adamant to set the story straight. Grandma and I sat, armed with toast and fruit, preparing for whatever strange tale lay ahead of us.

Summer began to recount her journey, "So I was walking in the woods and I got hit by a truck- which you heard, Molly. In retrospect, its kind of a weird place to get struck by traffic. Anyway, I thought I died, but instead I woke up in this floaty white space. Some kind of goddess approached me. She said- 'If you reincarnate as a hero and defeat the demon lord, I'll send you home with any loot you find.' And considering I was dead, I had no choice by to accept her offer!"

Grandma looked at me once and stated "Faeries love bargains like this-"

Summer began gesturing wildly to get our attention "SO I get reincarnated as this super cute babe you see before you! And I was like 'weird! I'm a girl now!' and it took some time to get used to but I guess I kinda like it? Like I'm way softer now! You- you know how it is right???" she motioned at her different assets, before realizing what she was doing, stopping, blushing, and continuing her story.

"Anyway! I went on this really wild and long quest. Its WAY too much for one story session. But- OH YEAH I have my sword!" She pulled a flaming sword out of an apparent void located within her chest. With a single dramatic swipe, I think she singed one of my stray hairs.

"And uhm, I also have my inventory in here-" She reached her hand deep within her cleavage. Random junk dropped from her V-neck onto the table. "Here's those elixirs I forgot to use…. Ah yeah, you always need antidotes! Wish I had them before the swamp… Here's the farmer's keys from that quest I forgot I was on, hope he didn't need them… Oh yeah, this baby!" She pulled out a very futuristic-looking rocket "Never got to use the intercontinental missile, but it was plan B if everyone's hopes and dreams weren't enough to slay the demon lord!"

Grandma side-eyed to me "Not many people know this, but the fair-folk love high-grade explosives."

Summer forced a go-getter smile "ANYWAY, we totally rocked that demon lord, the witch and I got married, and we became princesses! It was a really chill 100 years or so, but then the goddess appeared to me in a dream and was all 'you're time is up, you're soul can't stay in this realm any longer.' So she sent me home, and here I am! I was totally isekai'd. Believe me now?"

"Mostly" replied Grandma.

"No." I blurted out.

Summer deflated a little. "O-okay. I know its all a little hard to believe… I just hope you find it in your heart to believe me one day! I was totally isekai'd!" ----

Poor girl. Even with her bombshell body, she had little luck in love. I think Summer's journeys in wherever-the-hell left her a little naïve. She had texted me to pick her up from the bar. I wonder who broke up with her this time- wasn't too soon since her last girlfriend?

When I got to the local pub, Summer was in her favorite quiet spot in the corner. When she saw me, she instantly motioned me towards her. God, she was unreasonably cute, even as a sobbing mess.

"Da Mayor… waz just the farmer with a hat. Da Demon Lord waz just the farmer with a mustache." Summer glumly sniffled at me, like any of this meant something to me.

"Slow down- " I slid into the booth to comfort her, "What's bothering you?"

"The barmaid was the goddess, but wizout the wings and the glowy lights!" Summer complained into her drink

"Uhm… who broke up with you now?" I rubbed her shoulder to try to calm her

"I WAZ ABDUCTED BY FAERIES THE WHOLE TIME!" she slammed her mug for emphasis "Isekai obsessed fairies… The other swordsman on my team…. Waz named Kirito! He WAZ JUST KIRITO."

Summer continued. "Grandma was right." Grandma did have a tendency to be right about these things. "The faeries tricked me… I had tropey-est isekai adventure ever! They made me do BEACH EPISODES! They told me it WAS A YEARLY HOLIDAY. I don't think medieval societies invented bikinis yet…"

I tried to calm her. "Its okay! It doesn't matter what kind of adventure you had! You're back now!" With a few pats, Summer seemed to calm down. Slowly, she seemed to be returning to her natural cheer, a state not unlike an excitable and innocent puppy.

Summer wiped a tear from her eye. "Really?"

"Really."

I helped Summer get up, and slowly moved her to my car.

Maybe another day I'll let her know that she exhibits a number of fae-touched qualities. And at a different time, tell her comical levels of clumsiness, which always leaves her ass-up on the ground on a daily basis, is not normal.

But those are revelations for other days.

[nicistrying]

And the slightly hungover Sunday morning 😌

For context - Matt and I met up with his parents at his cousin's new INSANE house yesterday for lunch. Like, I was uncomfortable at how huge this house is. It took them an hour to show us around and it genuinely felt like being in a museum as opposed to a house. There's only his cousin and his wife living in it too so literally unless they have like 4 kids that house is too fucking big for them! It's an old farm house / barn conversion idek which and I get that they want a project but realistically it would take them like 10 years to actually get every room fully furnished and useable bc the whole house needs insulated, windows replaced, damp proofed etc before they even think about decorating I just can't understand it but then they're rich af so I guess that's why they don't mind having their heating on 24/7 and still being freezing in their mansion 😂 like I thought Matt's parent's house was insane but that makes it look totally normal and cosy 🤯 Matt and I were both so uncomfortable tbh. Bc this cousin is also determined he's taking most of the furniture from their grandma's house (grandma who we i.e. Matt's side of the family visit regularly and she keeps telling him and his brothers, mostly Tim, to make sure they get something, vs this asshole and his brothers who are filthy rich and could buy their own fucking furniture so easily. What is it with rich people and still wanting free stuff? We don't want any of that furniture bc we already have plenty and don't have room for it but Tim and his wife just moved house and actually need and would struggle to buy this stuff?? They piss me off so much). The only sort of thing that makes me accept it is that the cousin's wife is from up north near us and is also from a normal family. She was excited about the little things i.e. this is our dishwasher that came with the house! I've never had a dishwasher before!! Here is our tumble dryer that just arrived, I've never had one of those before either!! So I was really happy for HER to have her dream home. Us poor girlies marrying into this family have to stick together 🙄

This is the only pic I managed to sneak but I'm standing at one end of the house and that door is the other end. It's all 2 floors and also has a huge garage literally bigger than our entire house, and stables and a field that a guy leases for his horses so they're already making money there 🤢 anyway. Matt and I came home to our cosy little house that we love and heated it up in 20 mins and I came over to my sister in law's while Tim was at his xmas party and we sat and drank and watched all three Bridget Jones movies and bitched about this family. The positive is that the cousin's side make Matt's side look pretty great and normal 😂 they're so much more down to earth whereas the cousin's side (Matt's mother's sister's family) are just so fucking greedy. This same cousin insisted he wanted his grandma's car even though Matt's car recently died and we had to get rid of it so we're currently struggling along with one tiny car between us which is fine 90% of the time but if he were able to drive to his placements next year he wouldn't be having to live away 5 days a week leaving me alone to take care of Maggie, the house, and still be working full time 🙃 like we cannot afford another car to stop Matt having to live away. This prick could buy a brand new car outright. But HE NEEDS his grandma's car FOR FREE and didn't even give her any money for it like wtf!! I hate these people, the cousin's wife is literally the only reason I'll ever socialise with them urgh

The perfect Saturday night 😌