#even the smallest differences make them all unique (even if some of them fucking sucks)

[graveyarrdshift]

"processing the media for your post" what if i kill you

[excindrela]

12 Days of Demon Ayno - Day 12 (18+)

Supernatural AU

Pairing: demon! Ayno (Noh YoonHo) VAV / Female reader

Genre: Fluff / Smut

Warnings: Cussing, alcohol consumption, unprotected sex (be safe!)

Word Count: 2752

AU: Ok. TMI: I suffer from depression which means that I either can’t stop writing, or can’t make myself write...which is why it takes me forever. And sometimes I have writing ADD (well, I have that too...) and I can write 100 words on 5 different things, but not 500 words on one thing. I’m so sorry. Really. 

This should have been done in Dec of 19. It was finished in June of 20. I’m not sure anyone is still reading this. Is anyone here? If so, and you want me to keep going, send me a message. You can send anon. If you’re still here, thank you. Really- thank you.

Demon Ayno: Summoned, Thanksgiving, 12 Days: Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4 | Day 5 | Day 6 | Day 7 | Day 8 | Day 9 | Day 10 | Day 11| Day 12 | NYE | Lunar New Year

On the 12th Day of Christmas: You & Ayno Brought Each Other Joy

The week leading up to Christmas had been bliss. With the exception of a few social obligations, you’d had absolutely nothing planned- leading you to spend your days in pajamas and lazing around on the couch and in bed with Ayno. It was just like when he had arrived in October- not having to be around anyone else or pretend to be human had allowed him to revert to bad-boy demon mode and it had pretty much turned into an eight day fuck fest. It had been a whole week of pure indulgence- the words “no” and “stop” never fell from your lips, but you had uttered plenty of “yes”, “more” and “don’t stop”. It was a good thing you didn’t have to go back to work until after New Year’s Day and it was turtleneck season, because your neck was a patchwork of purples and magenta, and your inner thighs were bruised beyond belief…you felt like you existed in a permanently blissed out state.

It wasn’t the only thing you did: You braved the cold to go see White Christmas on the big screen, and again to go to the Christmas carol sing-along at the college. You had been suckered into attending a cookie exchange, and although baking was still a disaster for him, Ayno cheerfully made the dough but left the actual baking of the cookies to you…and you left the eating of the cookies you brought back home to him.

Your favorite thing by far was all the moments when you just cuddled and enjoyed each other’s company in comfortable silence; or the opposite when you talked endlessly to each other about everything. But either way, you were always wrapped in Ayno’s arms- often snuggled against his chest, breathing in the spicy earthy smell that was uniquely his.

You passed on going to your mom’s house for Christmas Eve- you were unwilling to leave Ayno at home, but you weren’t sure they were all ready for each other after the Thanksgiving fiasco. Instead you opted to spend the afternoon in the kitchen with him, drinking wine and cooking dinner, stealing kisses, and laughing uncontrollably as he would break out into random dances to Christmas carols on the radio.

The two of you went through a whole bottle of wine while you cooked plus another entire bottle of wine at dinner, and it caught up to you around 10 as you were laying on top of Ayno, who was gently rubbing your back as you watched “While You Were Sleeping”. Your eyes grew heavy, and you felt Ayno pick you up and carry you to bed. He climbed in and spooned up behind you, placing soft kisses on the back of your neck, and wrapping his strong arms around you.

*          *          *

It was a little before two when you woke up cold and alone. You slipped out from between the covers and wrapping the throw blanket at the end of the bed around your shoulders, went in search of your demon and his unnatural body heat.

You found him- sitting on a blanket on the living room floor, knees pulled to his chest and his chin resting on them, gazing up at his beautiful glowing Christmas tree.

“Ayno? You ok?” you asked softly. He unfolded himself and opened his arms, beckoning to you with his hands. You went straight to him, letting him wrap his arms around you and pull you to lay on the floor with him. “Did I wake you?”, he asked as he placed a kiss on your forehead, “I was trying to be quiet.”

“No. I was just cold…and I missed you being next to me. I know the not needing sleep thing makes it boring just laying there.”

“I do not mind. I like looking at you when you sleep. You are so beautiful and peaceful. Sometimes I talk to you…”

“I’ve never heard you…”

He smiled and spoke in barely a whisper “I am very quiet. And I speak in my language so it will seem like background noise to you.”

You giggled, “What do you say? Are you telling me demon bedtime stories?”

He laughed lightly, “I do not think we have those…our stories are not the kind of thing that helps people sleep.”

“I don’t know…you seem to help me sleep…”

Ayno smiled and gave a slight laugh “That is not because I am telling you soothing stories, it is because I wear you out…” he said as he brought his lips to yours.

His kisses were achingly soft as he lifted you and slipped your shirt off over your head. You felt the cold sting your nipples to rigid attention. Ayno cupped your breast and let his thumb graze lightly over the bud as he lowered you back down to the blanket. His hands traveled down your sides and waist until he hooked his fingers into the waist of your pajama shorts and underwear so he could pull them off as he continued down your legs to your feet. He reached down and slowly ran his hands from thigh to ankle, and cupping your heel he brought your foot to his lips, delicately kissing the ball, arch and heel before bringing his lips to your ankle bone and beginning to leave a trail of kisses along your calf, the back of your knee, and up your inner thigh. You could feel his hands running soothingly up and down the outside of your leg as he went. You giggled as he nipped gently at your inner thighs “Mmm what are you doing No?” He smiled against your skin. “I am memorizing you. So even if I spent a thousand years in the circles of hell, I would still know every line and every curve.” He skipped over the place you most wanted him to touch and instead went straight to your other inner thigh kissing and nipping and working his way back down to your foot just as he had on the other side. After he had kissed each of your toes gently from biggest to smallest, he leveraged himself over you, and starting at your hip bone begin placing kisses in an arc just above your pubic bone before stroking his cheeks on your stomach, and ghosting kisses around your belly button. You ran your fingers into his hair, thumbs brushing over his temples and cheekbones as you breathed soft sighs of contentment. While you kept wanting Ayno to rough you up a little bit now and then, there was no denying that when he loved you gently you melted under his touch. His lips continued to explore your skin as he worked his way up your body, leaving gentle touches in the valley between your breasts, and then gently circling your mounds until he placed his hot mouth over your cold nipples, swirling his tongue and sucking. He ran his hands from your hips up your sides and breasts over your shoulders and down your arms until he reached your hands, threading his fingers between yours, and lifting your hands over your head. Ayno lowered his body and positioned himself at your entrance while still gently kissing your face and neck. He pushed himself inside at a slow steady pace, until he filled you completely. He stayed there, his body was flush with yours, creating as much skin on skin contact as possible. He pressed his cheek to yours as he continued kissing and sucking your neck and earlobe as he gently thrust into you at a steady pace. You closed your eyes, focusing on the incredible feeling of his weight on you, all over you, moving inside you. Wishing there was a way to get even closer, you wrapped your legs around his hips. Ayno lifted his head and kissed you passionately. He stayed close, nuzzling your nose with his, and lips still brushing yours and leaving fleeting kisses. When you opened your eyes to look at him, the tender look in his eyes caused your breath hitch. He looked deeply into your eyes with that soul penetrating gaze he had. “Thank you for keeping me. In all my years, nothing compares to these last weeks. Nothing even comes close.”   His words left you speechless, so you squeezed his hands and brought your mouth to his, hoping you could convey your emotions in the kiss. You felt his thrusts gaining speed and getting more intense. The familiar heat began to build in your belly, your toes tingled, stars appeared in your vision and you keened softly when Ayno hit the spot that made your legs start shaking and your whole-body jolt.  Your walls tightened around him as he took you over the edge. He slowed his pace, his hands squeezing yours tightly until he thrust into you one last time. He laid there and kissed you tenderly as his body softened and he could slide out of you without overstimulating you. 

 You had no idea how long you just laid there in each other’s arms just nuzzling and kissing, but Ayno’s bond with you told him you needed some after care. He wrapped you in your blanket before he padded off to the kitchen. He returned a few moments later, pajamas having magically reappeared on his body, with ice water and snacks- which he promptly began feeding you.

 “Do you want your present now?”, he asked, looking over at the tree, barely able to contain his excitement.

“It’s not Christmas yet!”, you laughed.

He pointed at the clock. “It is three hours past midnight. It is Christmas Day.”

Technically he was right, and he looked so hopeful.

“Ok,ok! Do you want yours?”

“I get a present too?”

“Of course you get a present! Did you really think I wouldn’t get you something?”, you said with mock offense.

He grinned. “Never got a present before! ...never celebrated Christmas before either. I did not really expect anything...already have you, so I consider myself spoiled anyway.”

If any other person had ever said that to you, you would have considered it the cheesiest fake line ever...but you knew Ayno meant it with utter sincerity.

He reached under the tree and pulled out a brown cardboard gift box

“You first!”, he said excitedly. “If you do not like it, tell me and I will fix it.” He seemed a little nervous. What kind of presents did demons give exactly? You undid the bow and cautiously opened the lid. You parted the tissue paper and pulled out a long, wide scarf that had been knit in an intricate open pattern out of soft cloud-like yarn in the most luscious color you had ever seen. “Do you like it?” he asked as he took it from you and began to drape it around your neck.

“Ayno, this is beautiful! …it’s so soft! …and the color is amazing…where did you get this?”

Ayno smiled shyly, “I made it for you.”

You sat staring at him with your mouth hanging open. “You made it???”

“Mmm-hmm. There is a shop downtown called “Knitch”. It is populated mostly with women who are nearer to death than not. They practice the old arts by using sticks and hooks to make things from fibers. I liked watching them. They noticed my interest, so they showed me how to do it…apparently I am clever with my hands. Do…do you like it?”

“I love it. It’s beautiful. I’ve never had someone make me a gift… I had no idea you could do this. I don’t ever want to take it off.”

He smiled proudly. “Now I will know you are warm when I am not with you. It is made from the hair of an alpaca and an angora rabbit, so we will have to clean it carefully.” He paused as he fluffed and adjusted it around your neck. “I am so relieved it pleases you…I was afraid you would not like it.”

 You took a small box out from under the tree. “I feel a little guilty about yours now. It seems so impersonal.”, you said as you somewhat reluctantly handed him the box.

Ayno’s face glowed as he turned the box over in his hands and ran his fingers over the foil paper. “So shiny! You wrap so well. I must learn this from you.” You expected him to rip into it with the fervor of a five-year-old, but he surprised you by carefully removing the tape at the seams and unfolding the edges. He lifted the paper away to reveal the gleaming white box with the holographic rectangle and number. He looked at it curiously before sliding the lid off and staring wide eyed at the object inside. He looked at you, and back at the box, a smile slowly spreading across his face. “For me??”

“Yes.”

“It is real? I may use it?”

You laughed. “Of course it’s real. And I got it so you could use it.”

He gently lifted it out and turned it over in his hands. “It looks just like yours! It even has the little apple on it!”

“Yes- we have the same model iPhone. But you have your own phone number. I hated that we had no way to get in touch with each other during the day, and well…it seems like you’re going to be staying awhile…”

You looked up into his face, his dark eyes filled with affection. He pulled you back into his arms, burying his face into the crook of your neck beneath the scarf. You realized that for you, giving Ayno his own phone had been a practical decision…but for Ayno it was far more: he had keenly observed that couples seemed to be linked by their phones – sending texts, calling, shared calendars and lots of pictures. While you had verbally acknowledged the relationship- and your desire to continue it…to him this was a physical symbol of that: a sign that you had accepted- and desired him as something fixed in your life.

“So exciting! Now I will look like everyone else at the coffee shop!” he said grinning.

“We can set it up and order you a case tomorrow, well, later today,” you said as you watched him power it on. “…or right now…”

“Can I play Candy Crush on it??”

“Yes, but you’ll have to start back at level 1.”

He was undeterred. “That is ok. Then I will have three stars on all my levels.” he said giving you a pointed look.

“So many languages…” he said scrolling through the list to make his choice.

“Is yours there?” you asked curiously.

He laughed “I think not…although more of us have cell phones than you might imagine.”

He happily set about picking a background, chose dark mode, let it scan his face for ID, set up a passcode (your birthday), found the app store and began downloading Candy Crush and Snapchat. Then he opened his “contacts” icon, pushed the “+” sign and handed his phone to you. You typed in your name, cell and office numbers, e-mail, and the apartment address.

“No picture?” he said as you handed it back to him. “Well, it’s the picture that will take up your whole screen when I call… so I’ll send you one that wouldn’t embarrass you…or me…to have everyone see it.” you explained.

Suddenly his face lit up. He pulled you into his lap, and turned on the camera to portrait mode, flipped it to front facing, and held his arm high as he brought his head next to yours and snapped his phone’s first selfies. He smiled with joy as he gazed at the two of you: still flushed with afterglow, colored lights reflecting off his blonde hair, bright smiles and all wrapped in each other’s arms. He immediately set it as his lock screen. “You don’t think we’ve taken better pictures?” you asked looking at your happy but disheveled faces .

He shook his head, “Look at us”, he said admiring the pic again, “so beautiful- happiness…affection...look how we fit together…all that is good in your world is reflected in us here. Now I have this moment forever.”

You threw your arms around him and held him as tight as you could. His arms came around you, holding you fast against him, his fingers in your hair and his soft cheek rubbing against yours. You wished you could stop time so this feeling would never end.

“Merry Christmas, Ayno”, you whispered.

“Merry Christmas.”

[tfwhynoy]

So I uh... Miss read a request for a soul mate au. Thought it said Tfa pain au with Optimus but it said Megatron. Well, have a pain au Optimus on me I guess.

When you were a kid you worried that you had no soul mate. Other children would get the pangs of scraped knees, stubbed toes, even a broken bone if they were unlucky enough. While not feeling that was good for the first few years of life when you grew to understand it the lack of pain made you feel lonely.

In middle school, some hope was brought back. Sometimes there is a large age difference between soul mates. Usually, it's a year or two, sometimes it's five. On rare occasions, it can even be upwards of thirty or forty. It was a weird thought, but it gave some hope that when you would eventually feel that pain like everyone else. Through you greatly preferred the even rarer possibility. Your soulmate’s nerves that felt pain didn't work, the only time they felt it would be if you hurt yourself. It was incredibly rare but it still happened. Maybe you were one of the rare few?

When you left high school you accepted that maybe you may not have a soul mate after all. You still loved, both platonic and romantic, but maybe you just didn’t have one.

Many thought such people were sad and lonely, doomed to roam around without true love. 

The community thought otherwise. Some said it was almost freeing, not having the hanging feeling of fate to dictate your life. Instead of waiting for a mythical perfect person you could do what you wanted without having to factor in another person you may know nothing about changing everything at once. Many stories of happily married elderly people were shown within, no pain shared but an eternal closeness still there. Even if you found you did have one later that was okay. You learned to love yourself in the process, despite how mainstream culture portrayed you.

Your apartment was shared with another roommate. A girl in her early twenties who went straight from high school to college named Simi. You had met her on some old forums when she talked about being really uncomfortable with how Simi’s old roommate shoved their soul mate in her face or insulted her for not wanting one herself. With rent being rather expensive in Detroit finding someone to share it with was nearly required. Considering you two lived close and neither would worry about having a repeat of the old roommate, you two had started renting out a small two-room apartment together.

It’s about ten in the morning when you and Simi are sitting together, watching the news. Her night classes meaning she takes up most of the mornings eating an od breakfast of dinosaur chicken nuggets and way too much barbeque sauce. There wasn’t much new, traffic is bad, new robotic development, some random “inspirational” story, some old Detriot on a slow news day.

It’s when the news anchor jumps on and quickly announces breaking the story that you sit up a bit straighter. 

“Homly shisht!” Simi damn near shouts around a mouth of nuggets.

The video feed is of a giant gooey bug thing. Large tendrils sprout from it’s back as it smacks the ground, the concrete shattering as a result. A bunch of cars surrounds the thing, none of which look to even have drivers considering the motorcycle is operating on its own.

When the large creature attempts to grab the largest vehicle, a black and green one, it begins talking of all things as it tries to pull back. You can’t make out what it’s saying, the audio to busy with so much commotion to understand it. Maybe these were some new Sumdac robots?

It breaks free for a moment and you can see the other cars move into action. 

A small child runs onto the screen, red pigtails bouncing as she chases a robotic dog.

“What the fuck are you doing kid? Get out of there before-” You stop mid-sentence as she’s grabbed, the very thing you guessed would happen. You cover your eyes with a groan, not wanting to see some kid get eaten on live TV. “Tell me when it’s over,”

You can hear her shriek faintly and grimace further.

“No wait look!” Simi grabs your shoulder, shaking you to try and get your attention. You peek through your eyes to see what you assume to be the firetruck finish trance forming.

He is are far to advance to be anything anyone has made but even still they stand strong. Lips larger than half women at work and stance chest broader than the men. His stance is strong as he pulls an ax out of god only knows where. The other vehicles quickly follow suit, each one just as impressive and unique as the last.

They rush at the creature, large gashes and dents left with each slash of an ax and hit of a wrecking ball. The smallest yellow one catches the girl as she falls from the creature’s grasp, running her to safety.

It’s great for a moment but soon the green one gets pulled in by his wreaking ball. Even as he pulls back, putting in all of his weight he can’t pull it out. Even as the first attempts to pull it back they still can’t. The sleekest golden-colored bot cuts the cable that connects them to the creature.

A dull pain shoots through your back as the two bots fall to the ground but quickly fades as they stand up.

“Nooo!” You jump as Simi shouts. The golden one getting sucked in while you had been distracted for a moment. “He was my favorite to…”

Each bot reacts, worry painted across their face as the yellow one enters back in. They continue fighting, a graceful jump made by one or an imposing slam made by another. Nothing seems to matter as each one takes a respective slam to the ground when they fail to avoid an attack.

“Shit!” You grip your shoulder as the tallest one takes another hard slam against the ground, the same spot taking the brought of the force. Tears well in your eyes as another bot cuts the limb, allowing them to stand. Still, you can feel an agonizing painful throb in your shoulder as they fight.

“You okay? Did you…?” Simi looks between the TV and you in confusion.

Each time he swings that ax you can feel it twinge, wincing at each attack.

“Are you feeling his pain?” Simi’s voice drips with concern as you curl down.

“Fuck, am I his soul mate? Can they even have soul mates?! They’re just robots right?”

“I… I don’t know?”

He’s pulling something out of nowhere again and giving it to the yellow bot. You aren’t even paying attention fully anymore. Instead, turning to look at your lap as questions flood your mind.

“You okay?” Simi carefully pokes your shoulder again, brows knitted and chocolate eyes full of worry.

“I’m just… confused I guess” You look at her for a moment, processing a little more. “I don’t know how much this will actually change but for now I guess I’ll just wait? If he really is my soul mate then I’ll see him again. Right?”

“Ya…” Simi slumps in her seat, almost dejected.

“Hey, I’m still me. This won’t change anything.” You do your best to give a reassuring smile. “I’m probably going to have an interesting while with a new robot boyfriend thing…”

You think for a moment and place your hands on your face, elbows on your knees as you hunch over and groan. “God, what has my life become…”

[thatyanderecritic]

Hi! So I saw a post of you talking about how blank MCs/inserts in yandere written stories typical have no personality because of the nature of being inserts. What would you suggest could be done if someone wanted to write a second-person POV story that is from a semi reader insert perspective. To give the narrating character an actual personality?

To write an MC: Writing Tips with Kai

Hey there anon. Kai here to answer your question. 

If you want the simple answer, it’s pretty obvious: Just give them a personality, duh. It ain’t rocket science. Even if the MC is meant to be a self-insert or relatable to reader, just give them a personality and not make them blank with generic personality traits. Even if the character is so wildly different from how a person may act, most people do a thing called “roleplay”. In that story, they aren’t the “[Y/N]” from IRL but the “[Y/N]”, the baddass assassin (or something like that). 

Now that’s the simple answer. For those who want a more in depth answer, read below the cut.

As stated before, the best way to write a an MC with a second person POV is to actually give them a personality. The only way you could actually pull off a blank MC is if you’re writing for a game. But games fall under a different set of rules. For now, we’re strictly talking about stories/books/ect. (basically a medium that doesn’t allow for the reader to directly influence). 

Authors shouldn’t be try to achieve in making an MC that everyone can self insert in. It is an impossible endeavor and with blank MCs, you’re going to end up appealing to the lowest denominator. And when you think about it, it sounds like you’re a wishy-washy person if you try to make everyone happy by making such an MC (note: I’m not implying that authors who do blank MCs are wishy-washy, I’m just stating that it could come across in such a manner). You’re simply better off appealing to no one and concentrate on telling a good story. And to make a good story, you need to have solid characters. A blank MC isn’t a solid character. 

Personally, I don’t think an author should worry too much of the audience being able to relate or “be” the MC. It’s really not that big of a deal. A majority of people are capable of doing a thing called “roleplaying”. You know, inserting themselves as the character and pretending to be that character. It’s easier to pretend to be a defined person than an empty puppet. In fact, authors should be more concern in making a good roleplaying experience and not “is this MC vague enough?” You may think having a blank MC helps the roleplaying experience, but it isn’t. Here are the reason why:

Blank MCs are typically stupid and make dumb decisions. If I was the reader, I would be wondering, “Is the author insinuating that I’m a stupid person?” There’s also the fact that people would get upset and go, “I would never do such a thing” hence making a disconnect. 

Blank MCs are overly passive and inactive. Due to the fact that authors want to have the MC be everyone, the author can’t predict what everyone would do in a certain scenario. In the end, the “safest” option would be to do nothing. But then that leads to upset readers since practically everyone would at least do something instead of nothing. 

Blank MCs usually only have two traits: nice and clumsy. That’s it. Those are the only two traits. Obviously this is a bland person and really, not everyone is that clumsy… or that naively nice. Some people can be given the illusion that they are this MC with just these factors, but with the combination of just the two, there can be a disconnect and people go, “What’s wrong with this person?”

As you can see, the main issue with blank MCs are the fact that there’s a disconnect. People aren’t puppets. If you simply give a person a body but give them permission to move it, then are you not making that person an unmoving puppet? You’re basically telling people they’re just a wall or a piece of furniture… not a person… especially a person that they know quite intimately: themselves. Having an MC with an actual personality that people can establish, people will have a better attitude. You might be surprised but people can relate to other who aren’t “themselves”. As long as a person can understand the other, then they can put themselves in the other person’s shoes. Instead of pushing “This MC is literally you” try pushing “This MC is you’re role, Mx. Actor”. Even if the character is so completely different from the reader, readers would just be happy if they can just insert their own name. To summarize the audience’s reaction would be this meme:

But if you’re really insistent for a blank MC, the only place that it could work would be video games or interactive fiction (visual novels, chose your own adventure, ect.). The reason why this option works so well with blank MCs is that the reader actually have a say in what the MC does… basically, the reader is filling in the blanks as they move in the story. At this point, the blank MC is given life. But the probably most of the time with this particular case is that author’s miss the point. 

The biggest control freaks of out of all creators would be authors since most options are usually limited or would punish the player if they don’t act how the author wanted them to act. What’s the point in giving options if you’re just going to tell the reader that they think wrong? For example: a reader would get his negative points if they refuse to do something superficial with a love interest; like going out drinking or if they like muffins or not. Why do they get punished if they don’t like muffins??? Doesn’t make any sense. 

The same go for options. Most of the time… the option sucks. It’s either be the “UwU” soft type, the unnecessarily bitchy one (for some reason), or the quite one who’s only dialogue options are “…”. But I guess that how people view others: either the Virgin Mary, Lilith, or a blow up doll. Fuck me, ay?

Just give more reasonable options and don’t punish players/readers over the smallest superficial details. Let a person like a brownie, god damn it. 

Now that we establish the fact of: “Yes, authors should give an MC a personality even if they’re a self insert”, here’s some tips if you want to have a unique personality for your MC-

Don’t let the MC make stupid choices. Kinda obvious but, using the MC’s stupidity as a plot device is over done. I mentioned this before: There’s other sort of conflicts BESIDES the MC’s stupidity. Like MC vs. nature or MC vs. fate. Sometimes, even if you did your best, life doesn’t always work out perfectly. 

Don’t make the MC an overly emotional mess that cries over the smallest thing. Similar to the stupid choices point, it’s an over done trope. 

Let the MC be sensible and have common sense. If a door is locked, then it obviously needs a key. You don’t need the MC to go through a mental gymnastics to figure this simple shit.

Let your MC be morally grey. People aren’t black and white. Why do authors always try to make the MC an angel? There’s a thing in between you guys.

Let your MC be evil. While I personally would like more morally grey MCs, evil MCs are probably the next rarest type of MC. It’s good to have variety. 

Try to let your MC be more of a T (Thinking) from the MBTI personality types instead of F (Feeling). Personality types that have a T in it are one of the more rarer types of protagonist in stories. They’re normally either the villains or side characters. Rarely the protagonist. It’s a bit more common to expect a T male MC while T female MCs are downright mythical. Probably because it’s womanly to be an F… oops. 

Don’t make your MC be overly naive. Like seriously, why are all these MCs act like they lived under a rock for the past five years. “What is this… strange heartbeat when I’m next to my love interest? Must be a heart attack.” Biiiiitch. Not everyone is so emotionally stunted. And before anyone think that the T type of personality are like this… no, they aren’t. Just because they use their brain doesn’t mean they don’t understand how they feel. If anything, they’ll take these feeling and formulate a plan on how to successfully woo their partner… anyways, point is: Don’t make your MC an emotional virgin.

In yandere stories in particular, let your MC be the yandere’s equal… if possible, their superior. Actually, just give a unique character dynamic instead of “UwU, the yandere is overbearing and stronger than me.”

Anyways, I hope this was helpful to you anon!

Here’s a bonus picture of all the T type personalities that you could use for unique MCs:

(Bonus: I’m an INTJ while Julie is an INTP, in case anyone was wondering)

[itsdannyg]

James Roday on Reddit discussing Treehouse

Reddit with JAMES RODAY

I’m James Roday from Psych and A Million Little Things. I also directed two horror movies for Blumhouse’s Into the Dark Horror Anthology Series on Hulu. AMA!

JAMES RODAY: Roday here. I think. I'm typing things in a box so that seems encouraging.

JAMES RODAY: I think I'm an hour early. That's the first time in my adult life this has ever happened. I'll pop back by a little later. And I'll be READY.

JAMES RODAY: Yo! How about I knock out these early bird questions like a baller.

QUESTION (CharlotteBeer): Given your latest is part of a seasonal series, when did you start work on the script -- and how long did it take you? How did y'all settle on the Ides of March?)

JAMES RODAY: CharlotteBeer -- it all came together very quickly because of my schedule on AMLT. Got the thumbs up in April and we were shooting in early June. It was an idea I had been kicking around for years but current climate and conversation definitely opened a window and my collaborators and I jumped through it.

CharlotteBeer -- Oh, and we settled on International Women's Day. Hulu made it Ides of March.

ASSHOLE QUESTION (yanderebeats): So uh what the fuck was that scene with them putting the snake on his arm? Like what was the direction given to mcpoyle exactly, did you specifically tell him to do the worst job possible or what

JAMES RODAY: Yandererbeats -- 1. Well, the dude is tripping on psychotropes so he's seeing all kinds of shit and the ladies are using that to their advantage. 2. No, I think Jimmi Simpson is a genius and generally requires little direction from me 3 (bonus) You sure this is what you want to be doing with your time?

QUESTION (ConicalSun): What advice would you give to someone that wants to pursue work in film? Directing in particular.

JAMES RODAY: ConicalSun -- Make something. Get familiar with a camera and how to shoot. If you can afford to take a filmmaking class that provides instruction and equipment, sometimes that helps speed the plow. But I'm guessing you know what you like and don't like about movies and it's easier than ever to get out there and make your own content so give it a whirl.

QUESTION (psych-o5life): Out of every character you have ever played, which one are you most like?

JAMES RODAY: psych0-5life -- Probably the dude I'm playing now on AMLT.

QUESTION (seppukuu): What is your writing process like? Do you live out the stories in your head or, since you usually have a writing partner, do you prefer a more systematic approach that involves discussions and outlines?

JAMES RODAY: Seppukuu -- Todd and I have been writing together for over 20 years now. We have such a great shorthand that we can accomplish a lot quickly without spending much time in a room together. Vodka helps. We talk story, specific scenes and generally write the stuff we see best in our heads, respectively. Once we have a very rough draft, everything becomes much easier and the streamlining and polishing begins. That's generally when character voices really start to take shape as well.

seppukuu: In vodka veritas!

QUESTION (Nikesneaker): Hi James!

Do you have a favorite director/actor/actress that you look up to as a “hero”?

P.S. supa excited for Psych: The Movie 2

JAMES RODAY: Nikespeaker -- I grew up an enormous fan of Val Kilmer as an actor, Rick Baker and a SPX Make Up Artist and Stanley Kubrick as a director. I'd add Bergman, Wes Craven, John Landis and Quentin Tarantino to the list of directors I've really appreciated over the years and Lynne Ramsay is an absolute force of nature. I also CANNOT WAIT to see what Julia Decournau does next after RAW...

QUESTION (mooviescribe): If you were to direct another horror feature (not for Dark Horror), what type of script catches your eye?

JAMES RODAY: mooviescribe -- I will def be directing more horror. I love the genre and believe there are plenty more good stories to be told. As for scripts -- anything that moves me catches my eye. Being scared is fun but if it makes you think and feel -- that's the real fire starter

JAMES RODAY: I just realized I can reply to questions by hitting reply. This is GOOD SHIT.

QUESTION (Wizardmer): I am such a huge fan of Psych, and some of my favorite episodes were the fun homages to classic horror movies, here's lassie was my personal favorite. Was there any other horror movies you wanted to do as an episode?

How did the costume design come to life for treehouse? I loved those awesome outfits, super dope

JAMES RODAY: They let me check most all the remaining horror boxes in A Nightmare on State Street. It's just a big sloppy buffet but I loved every minute of it. Costume and mask design were the work of the incredibly talented Diane Crooke. She was one of a whole team of lady designers that elevated every element of Treehouse and I am eternally grateful.

QUESTION (UHeardAboutPluto): Have you heard about Pluto?

JAMES RODAY: That's messed up, right?

UHeardAboutPluto: James, you have made me the happiest I’ve been in a long time. Pysch is my favorite show ever, and that response from you was perfect. Thank you for being awesome!

QUESTION (AsymptoticGames): I just want to point out that I love when co-stars of some of my favorite shows hang out outside of the show. On that note, how was Dule Hill's wedding?

JAMES RODAY: Beautiful.

QUESTION (psych-o5life): Are you helping with production on Psych the Movie 2?

JAMES RODAY: Co-wrote the adventure and we're prepping it now. Steve will be directing and it's gonna be sweet.

QUESTION (bakuryu69): Hey big fan James - what drew you to directing horror. Will you be doing more work in the genre (possibly pineapple related)?

JAMES RODAY: I've been a fan of horror since I was old enough to know what movies were. Somehow convinced my mother that I loved being scared and wanted to learn how all the cool special fx and make up worked. She went for it.

QUESTION (Maxzhouse): Hey man, I really dig your work. I was wondering if you’re into writing and if so what your process looks like? Thanks mate!

JAMES RODAY: It generally looks like one inspired hour of writing a day and 23 hours of procrastination and thinking I should never write again.

Maxzhouse: Ah a man after my own heart! Thanks for answering brother, Hope the best for you and yours. Peace, love & Mercy

QUESTION (seppukuu): You said before that your high school production of Elephant Man was the most challenging acting gig you've ever done. Is this still true, and would you like to do it again now that you have considerably more experience under your belt? What would be another (type of) character you'd find most challenging/exciting to play?

JAMES RODAY: I'm too old to dip back into John Merrick's skin but man that is a tough play to pull off. Moving forward, I think characters that are well written with a real point of view (good or bad) are the ones that we all want to play as actors.

QUESTION (TheReelPliskin): Hey James. I just wanted to say you're awesome! I've been watching everything you're in or a part of ever since I saw a little movie called Rolling Kansas. Can't wait for the new Psych movie and I fell I'll hafta get Hulu now so I can see your new movies. Ok. Enough of that. Now for the question. Outside of Psych and Little Things, what is one of your personal favorite movie or show you've been a part of? P.S. . . SUCK IIIIIIT!!!

JAMES RODAY: It's gotta be Treehouse. And a tiny film I was lucky enough to be a part of a few years back called Pushing Dead directed by Tom Brown. Worth checking out. Important subject matter.

QUESTION (deadpool902): Hey James!

Quick two-part question:

What aspect of anthology storytelling entices you the most?

Were there any horror stories or films that you turned to for inspiration when directing for Into the Dark, and if so what were they?

Thanks for stopping by and I can't wait for your return to Santa Barbara!

JAMES RODAY:

The fact that, in this case, 12 different filmmakers got to come in and do anything they wanted without worrying about stepping on toes or syncing up with any of the other films

Raw, Thelma, Goodnight Mommy -- 70s horror.

QUESTION (tedlogan43): Mr. Roday - Gravy was fantastic, A Million Little Things blows my mind, and Psych is a part of who I am at my core. I wanted to ask what it is like to get to continue working with so many great professionals like Dule Hill, Michael Weston and Jimmi Simpson. Do you feel like your continued projects with them are improved by your on-going relationships with them? Thanks for the profound impact your roles have had on my life!

JAMES RODAY: I am tremendously lucky to have so many insanely talented besties. I am no dummy. I surround myself with ladies and gents that make me look way better than I deserve and will continue to do so as long as they'll let me.

QUESTION (fangirl005): What is the best thing about working on AMLT?

JAMES RODAY: The cast. And knowing that we're dealing with issues that affect so many people every day. It feels good to be a part of those conversations in even the smallest of ways.

QUESTION (jmsturm): Hi Mr Roday, big fan.

Who would win if Shawn went head to head with the Mentalist?

JAMES RODAY: Well he'd def be the comic relief.

QUESTION (TheWalkingGamefreak): Good evening James, just want to say hi

JAMES RODAY: sup

QUESTION (seppukuu): Marvel called and wants to give you half a billion dollars to direct Guardians of the Galaxy 3. Do you accept, and would you still try and shoot it in 3 weeks on a 200 dollar budget instead?

JAMES RODAY: hahaha. that's a great answer and the honest to God answer is that I'd only do it if I thought I could bring something unique or unexpected to the fanbase. Otherwise there are plenty of ladies and gents for the job.

QUESTION (FusionCinemaProd): What would you say is the most creative horror film of the last decade?

JAMES RODAY: Creative? That's pretty subjective. I'd say last years reboot of Suspiria was a pretty big creative swing that mostly succeeded IMHO. And I stand by RAW as one of the best films of the last decade, period.

FusionCinemaProd: Raw is a fantastic film. I’ll have to check Suspiria out on blu ray when it comes out here in the UK.

QUESTION (modsrfagbags): What was your favorite “Gus don’t be...” line from Psych? My favorites gotta be either “eleven and a half pound Black Forest ham” or “the 100th luftballoon”

JAMES RODAY: I am a sucker for a luft balloon

modsrfagbags: Oh shit thanks for responding

QUESTION (imdannyg): Have to admit, the torture scenes with Peter Rake (Jimmi Simpson) gave me flashbacks to your work in Blood Drive. Is there any connection there at all and/or did it prepare you in anyway for this scene in Treehouse?

JAMES RODAY: Welcome Daniel. You know I hadn't thought about it until just now. The two projects are so tonally different but I'll say this -- shooting scenes designed around a character that cannot move is challenging to say the least. Blood Drive probably did serve as a dry run for me without even realizing it.

QUESTION (seppukuu): Have you ever done special effects make-up on another person? If not, would you like to try or are you happy watching the professionals do it for you?

JAMES RODAY: I used to do it quite a bit as a kid. There's a reason I didn't end up being the next Rick Baker.

QUESTION (HippoMafia42): Hey James, huge psych fan here, I know psych the movie 2 will start production sometime this month, but when will that be? Hopefully within the week?:)

JAMES RODAY: Soon. We need a little time to find and build things.

QUESTION (miatosc): What was your favorite scene to shoot this season on a million little things?

JAMES RODAY: There were so many. My scenes with Colin the dog in the "day before" episode were especially sweet.

miatosc: haha! I was guessing any scene with Colin since he’s such a sweet dog.

QUESTION (thepineapplesplat): James! Man glad to hear your free-spirit self. Huge fan of Psych and no matter how much I’ve watched the episodes over and over it never ceases to make me smile. You were apart of a master piece and taught me to always stay true to the inner child in me. Absolute master piece!

Serious question, do you see yourself doing any meet and greets with fans in Canada? Perhaps in Vancouver where Psych was shot?

JAMES RODAY: thanks! So glad it resonated with you. As for meeting fans, I'm always happy to say hi -- I struggle with the format of conventions because I wish fans didn't have to spend their money. They already do so much by just watching and keeping shows on the air....

thepineapplesplat: Yeah definitely makes sense. Meeting you and Dule Hill is definitely on my bucket list. I’m not a huge on meeting celebrities (I think of them as regular people) but psych stars will definitely hold a place in my childhood/adolescence memories. Thanks for bringing it to life! Sorry if I seem like I’m fan girl-ing out haha!

QUESTION (seppukuu): Will we ever see a new play written (and directed) by you?

JAMES RODAY: someday.

QUESTION (psych-o5life): What was your favorite episode of Psych to film?

JAMES RODAY: Probably Dual Spires because it was the closest I'll ever get to being in Twin Peaks.

QUESTION (NateLeport): What was your favorite episode of psych to work on? What was your favorite running gag like the pineapple, I’ve heard it both ways, come on son, I’m Shawn spencer and this is my partner ____, etc.

JAMES RODAY: I became partial to singing suck it towards the end

QUESTION (leeselislisuh): What was your biggest recurring nightmare as a kid? Mine happened a lot when my mom was pregnant with my little sister, and I kept dreaming she'd be born with a full set of very pointy teeth. Horrifying. Huge fan and excited to see more of your work!!

JAMES RODAY: What a question. And what a nightmare. I used to dream that I was a werewolf but I thought that was awesome and didn't want to wakeup

QUESTION (bsischo): When does the next Psych movie come out? I loved that series and I really enjoyed the last movie.

JAMES RODAY: Good question and not sure of the answer. If I had to guess I'd say around the holidays again

bsischo: Really looking forward to it!!!

QUESTION (imdannyg): How did the music choices for Treehouse play out? Priscilla Ahn's Under the Covers is the bomb!

JAMES RODAY: All those needle drops are in the script. I tend to write very specifically to music and, knowing we'd have little to know music budget, I chose songs we had shot at getting. We got all of them. Priscilla, per usual, stepped up and wrote something incredible just for the movie. Another ridiculously talented dear friend who I will employ forever and ever as long as she says yes.

QUESTION (TheWriteOwl): James, thank you so much for doing an AMA and letting us all fan-girl our hearts out. I think it's rare to see someone who moves as smoothly as you do from being a comedic genius in a show like Psych and a thrill master in movies like Treehouse.

What attracted you to these two, disparate genres, and can you speak a little bit about why you think you've seen so much success in both?

JAMES RODAY: Better to be lucky than good and I've been very lucky. I have dedicated myself to being as good as humanly possible to try and make sense of how blessed I've been. Growing up, horror and comedy were the genres I gravitated to the most so they've been in my bones for a very long time. I still remember seeing An American Werewolf in London in the theaters as a six year old. That just about sums me up.

TheWriteOwl: Your dedication and your inherent love for what you do really shows up in your work. As a fan, it's awesome to see - thank you!

QUESTION (eppukuu): Film or digital?

JAMES RODAY: Film. But I do understand the revolution. We shot the first three seasons of Psych on film and Tuesday the 17th was shot on Super 16 which is one of my very favorite formats. There's something truly special about knowing you only have so much film to shoot on and so many takes to get it -- really brings a crew and cast together. And it just looks so good. Though technology has definitely curbed that with HD.

QUESTION (angelusgirl): I started watching Psych after I watched the awesome episode Dual Spires. What was your favorite Twin Peaks Easter egg in the episode or memory of filming it?

JAMES RODAY: The last scene in the diner was a blast because it was a basket of easter eggs. And I'll never forget watching the cast of my favorite show reunite in real time at the Sutton Place bar. Some of them hadn't seen each other in 25 years.

angelusgirl: And a follow up if I may, what did you think of the showtime season?

JAMES RODAY: Well. I loved it because it felt like the deepest recesses of David Lynch's mind were turned loose and who knows if or when we'll get to experience that again. That said, I understand why it wasn't for everyone and if you came in expecting an evolution of the original series....well, you probably didn't get what you were hoping for.

QUESTION (cabose7): How is Timothy Omundson doing?

JAMES RODAY: He's such a badass and he's doing great. He has exceeded expectations at every turn and I cannot wait to bring Lassie back home.

QUESTION (]miatosc): what’s it like working with Allison Miller? She seems super funny and passionate about her work.

JAMES RODAY: Miller is a truly gifted performer. I lucked out getting her as a scene partner. She pushes me, carries me and makes me better. No question.

QUESTION (imdannyg): Did you write Agnes with Nancy Charles in mind? She (and all the cast) is incredible!

JAMES RODAY: We did not but boy did she come into her audition and own that role. When she left we all looked at each other and were like "well, that's that."

QUESTION (seppukuu): You survived the (non-zombie related) apocalypse. The planet is a wasteland. What do you miss most?

JAMES RODAY: Dogs and pals.

QUESTION (mndrlyn): Hi James! Two questions. 1. Does the beard stay for the new Psych movie? 2. What do you do in your off time that makes you happy?

JAMES RODAY: You'll just have to wait and....oh who are we kidding, Shawn doesn't have a beard. I generally spend as much time in NYC as I can and relax by thinking about the next juicy thing I can make. And vodka and sports.

QUESTION (psych-o5life): Do you know what's gonna happen in AMLT season 2?

JAMES RODAY: I may know a thing or two -- which still leaves close to a million

JAMES RODAY: You awesome ladies and gents I'm gonna wrap this up in the next five minutes. We've actually gone over an hour and I don't want to break Reddit.

QUESTION (imdannyg): What are the most difficult constraints to overcome with a limited budget such as this? Is it just time, is it human resources, is it gadget/technology oriented issues? What extra thing would help the most with a limited budget like Treehouse?

JAMES RODAY: All of the above. And I would always choose time over money.

QUESTION (SydneyHollow): Shawn was a big hero of mine for a long time. Then I realized over time that Shawn is a huge dick. Nevertheless, your ability to breathe such life into his character is nothing short of amazing. All the actors on Psych, really, are truly gifted!

​Did you ever have doubts about how successful Psych would be?

JAMES RODAY: Hahaha! I love this. And believe me the longer the show ran, the more challenging it became to keep a character like Shawn digestible. It's like watching Puck of Peter Pan for muuuuch longer than a movie or a play. But yes, that was a wonderful group of actors and humans and we are family. Lightning in a bottle to be sure. The success of Psych never ceases to amaze me. Truly. And that's all because of the fans. 100 percent.

QUESTION (JessicaSimbro): In writing a female role for one of your films, what personality traits does an attractive woman have in your mind? And what then makes that same woman gaspingly frightening?

JAMES RODAY: I believe attractiveness lives primarily on the inside. I'd say the same for what makes anyone frightening.

QUESTION (woahbells): From interviews you seem introverted and introspective but not uncomfortable being questioned about both work and personal topics. Assuming I'm correct and that you are an introvert, how do you reconcile that aspect of your personality with fame?

Also, I noticed the subtle pineapples on Peter's daughter's shirt at the end. Was that intentionally done?

JAMES RODAY: Not my choice but I also didn't veto it so...

QUESTION (firmhair): Come back to White Rock. Our Pier is gone :(

JAMES RODAY: Deal. And with that, thank you all for joining me. It's always a pleasure to connect with you all. If you haven't checked out Treehouse on Hulu, give it a spin. I am enormously proud of the work from all involved and especially grateful for the opportunity to work with and learn from so many talented and insightful women. Be kind to yourselves and others and get ready for a million little spoonfuls of delicious flavor in the future....

[beaniehasapoliticalviewpoint]

An Opening Statement:

When impressing myself into the world of politics as a kid, I always thought I’d be the cool motherfucker that’d band people together to fight against an oppressive government and liberate the minority. And then, I realized that

1. People don’t like to listen to other people

2. It’s really hard to get America to stop being lazy

3. There’s more countries than America out there

That third one is a big one, I’d say, and it defines a lot of what makes the world what it is.

“American Exceptionalism is the belief that the United States is either distinctive, unique, or exemplary compared to other nations.” - Donald E. Pease (I think, that’s what Wikipedia said they got the quote from)

You see, I live in a country that loves to suck it’s own dick, and pass around the fruits of that labour by spreading its seeds of “democracy” and “freedom” onto other countries that did not ask. Now, I love my country, I think US propaganda does a great job of making even the most US hating individual feel proud to love this country, and I do in fact feel wonderful every single day knowing I’m a citizen of the country that loves to spout off how free it is. I’m also not blind, it’s also a damn shame what the country looks like now. Shit, let’s be honest, the American government is an absolute cesspool of old dudes jerking each other off and making fuck tons of money doing it, which, by the way, could very easily be cut to go into our economy, but I digress, the American government is at core the fault of our country, and by god thank you for letting us see that, and giving us the option to vote them out- except we don’t. Because no one votes. And when they do, it’s always “vote blue no matter who” or “trump is the best”, stupid shit like that. The solution? Simple. Hell, let’s cut this whole chapter down to two simple words. “Start. Reading.”. It’s that simple. I mean, we literally have the biggest goddamn treasure trove of information ever held accessible to the common man, and y’all motherfuckers use it to argue whether or not trans people should get rights. They should by the way. Because they’re people. Expanding off that, I’m not saying I’m not guilty of the same stupid shit. My heart strings soar when I see some dumb shit confederate get clowned on online. But none of it means anything. I can talk smack all I want on this earth but it’s not gonna make it any greener. We’re members of a generation capable of making the most change, and we have been given the greatest informative platform to do it on. Stop staring at the next controversy when they made Ariel black; who the fuck cares if they removed a gay character from a show. While y’all weren’t looking, they let Florida allow first responders to legally deny medical care at their own whim, based on their beliefs. Imagine if you pissed some motherfucker off in 8th grade when you snitched on him for passing notes in class, and then 10 years later you go to a specialist, the same guy, and he denies you care because he’s a salty motherfucker, and you DIE. Who let this law pass? Certainly not the citizens of Florida, you guys are fucking awesome, but can’t see the obvious issues here.

We, as citizens of the United States, are held victim by our own beliefs and emotions. We impose our own restrictions on ourselves, by acting like the differences in the world is because one side lives a different kind of life. We draw so much attention to the smallest of differences, the pigment of our skin, who we love, who we want to be, and we miss the big picture. It’s not republicans Vs. democrats, the gays Vs the church or the north Vs the south (god forbid that shit happens again), it’s the fucking people Vs the goddamn government, and it always has been. Every distraction from our common goal of uniting against corruption gives more power to the corrupt, and they fucking LOVE it. And no, this isn’t me saying if you think gay people are inherently evil or some shit that’s ok. It’s not. You’re weird. Weirdo. This is me saying theirs a far larger issue at hand that could kill us all, and both of y’all need to shut the fuck up and look around you.

So yeah. I’m trying to be the cool motherfucker that bands the oppressed together against a common enemy. I wish I could. I’d be lying to myself, and you, if I said something like, “I’ve grown”. I haven’t. I’m no better than the person next to me, no greater than the young child behind me or the older folk in front. We’re all equal in a struggle against power. (And NO this isn’t some Marx shit, the economy is a joke and I’ll get to that later) All I’m saying is, we could do with a lot more loving in this world, because shit, that would make me feel a helluva lot better, and I’m sure you would too.

Remember when I said that thing about American Exceptionalism? Promise I didn’t forget about it while I ranted about America. Because it’s wrong. We aren’t special. We’re one empire in the long line of many, not the first nor the last. The entire world is out there, billions of people, millions of cultures, thousands more being made. Many suffering a helluva lot more than my upper middle class in college ass. Many living a lot more luxurious than I am too. Despite us all being the same species we manage to become so different, global divisions of “countries” and “nations”. I can’t speak of the minds of everyone, because I’m not everyone. I can’t say that every single person should act some way, because I didn’t grow up in their shoes, in their home. Everyone lives different lives, everyone lives differently. So why the hell should my country pretend to know what’s best for them. American “global security” is an authoritarian grip on the less fortunate, for our benefit. And only the people can fix that.

[nicknchris09]

Old Friends Chapter 24 The First Meeting

Seth's POV

The next day arrived and we got to go home.  I was happy to finally take them home.  We drove for a few minutes and Maggie was on her phone, texting away.  I asked, "Who are you texting?"

"Your sister."  She smiled.  "She's coming over later."

Then I frown my eyebrows.  "Are you really up for company?"

"I feel fine, Seth."  She almost huffed.

I knew I watched her like a hawk and she hated it.  "I'm sorry, love.  I just don't want you to over due it.  We already have house guest as it is."  I was talking about Miranda and Dave as they were staying with us.

She looked at me and said, "Seth, you have to remember, I have done this before.  I know what my body can handle."

"Okay, I will back off."  I breathed.

She smiled at me.  "Thank you."

We finally got home.  I carried Frank in, in his car seat as Maggie walked in first.  The kids quickly greeted us, then Dave and Miranda came in.  Not long afterwards, Rachael showed up with Spencer and my two nieces.  Everyone settled into the living room as they talked.  Miranda was on cloud nine with two babies in the house.  She kept her focused on them.  I smiled as I knew, they would be next to have a little one.  Miranda was like my Maggie to Dave, he would do anything for her like I would for Maggie.  He might be stern with her at first, but if she kept wanting something so bad, he gave in.  So, I knew, they were next.  I found myself just staring at Maggie as she talked with the family.  I kept looking at her like I did the first time I meet her.  I remember that day, clearly.  Seeing her smile and how beautiful she was, I was so drawn to her.  Even though it took us so many years to get back together, I knew it was that day that started it all.  I didn't believe in love at first sight till I saw Maggie.

*18 years earlier*

Rachael had been bugging me to come to Boston and spend some time with her and check out her college.  She only been there a few months but loved it.  I couldn't get away from work, but finally I got some time off.  So, I told her I would come and see her.  Took me a while, but I got to Boston.  I pulled up in front of her apartment building and got out.  I walked up a couple flights of stairs and got to her apartment door.  I knocked on it.  Quickly, it opened and Rachael looked at me, happily.  "Oh my god.  You are finally here."  She almost squealed.

I laughed as I pulled away.  "I told you I would come."  

She stepped to the side as I walked in.  I looked around at the small apartment then looked back at her as she had closed the door.  "Nice place."

"Oh, you don't have to lie to me, it sucks.  And fucking expensive.  I had to have a roommate so I could pay the bills."  She breathed.

I moved to the couch and sat down as she sat next to me.  "Is she really that horrible?"

She shook her head.  "No, she is actually great.  I think you two get along great.  She really is nice."

"That is good to hear."  I said.  Then I asked, "So, where will I be sleeping?"

"We're sitting on your bed."  She frowned.

"Oh."  I was a little surprised.

"I'm sorry, Seth.  It's only a two bedroom.  Maggie has one and I have the other.  So, that just leaves the couch."  She told me.

I smiled at her.  "It's great."

She smiled back.  Just then, someone walked into the apartment.  She had headphones in her ear and was dancing a bit when she walked in.  I smiled at this.  I knew this was Rachael's new roommate.  Just then, she turned to us and noticed us.  She quickly removed her headphones and said, "Oh, I didn't know you were already home and that we had company."

Rachael said, "Yeah, I didn't go to my last couple classes cause well, I told you, my brother was coming.  Seth, this is my roommate, Maggie.  Maggie, this is my brother, Seth."

She walked over to me as I stood up.  I held out my hand and said with a smile, "Nice to meet you."

She took it and smiled.  "You too, Seth."

She was quite beautiful.  She had beautiful long brown hair and honey brown eyes.  Her smile was radiant.  My sister never mentioned that her roommate was quite beautiful.  She then asked, "So, how long you staying, Seth?"

"Just the weekend."  I told her.  

"Oh, well, we will definitely be seeing each other around."  She smiled.  Then she said to Rachael, "I'm going to the gym."

"Okay.  Seth and I will order dinner.  You want something?"  Rachael asked her.

"You know what I like."  She smiled at Rachael then looked at me.  "I'll see you later, Seth."

"You too, Maggie."  I said, almost shyly.

She turned and walked away.  I sat back down as I was stunned by her beauty.  If there was a such thing as love at first sight, that was it.  I knew it.  I was kinda dazed out when Rachael snapped her fingers in front of me.  "Earth to Seth."

"Huh?"  I shook myself and looked at her.

"I asked if you wanted to order some Chinese?"  She asked.

"Uh, yeah, that be great."  I said, still a little out of it.

"Okay, great.  I'll order us dinner then."  She said, happily, and stood up.

After sometime, dinner came and Rachael and I ate.  We caught up the last few months.  We talked for a while, then moved to the couch to watch TV.  Then Maggie walked in.  She only said hey then grabbed her food and headed to her room as she yelled back, "Going to my room to study."

"Alright."  Rachael yelled back.  

I just watched Maggie as she disappeared again.  I was a little disappointed as I was hoping she would hang with us.  After some time, Rachael told me, "I'm going to bed."

"Okay."  I said with a smile.

She disappeared too as I was alone in the living room.   I got up and switched off the light and sat back down as I continued to watch TV.  I don't know how long I was watching it when I heard a voice ask, "What are you watching?"

I looked over and saw Maggie standing there.  I said, shyly, "Star Trek."

"Which one?"  She asked.

"Next Generation."  I told her, feeling a bit embarrassed.

"Oh, I love that one."  She rushed over and sat next to me.  Then she asked, "You don't mind if I join you, I am so over studying now."

I smiled and said, "Not at all."

We watched it as I found myself from time to time, staring at her.  I couldn't help it, she was beautiful.  Once the show was over, we began talking about the show.  Instantly, we were laughing and talking, like we were old friends.  It felt so natural.  I was even more drawn to her.  It helped that we had a common interest to start it out.  But we just kept talking.  Then she noticed the time.  "Shit, I need to get to bed."

"Oh."  I was disappointed.

"I'll see you in the morning.  I make a mean omelet."  She smiled at me.

"I can't wait."  I smiled back.

She moved in and kissed me on my cheek.  "Night, Seth."

She got up and walked away.  "Night, Maggie."  I said, shyly.

Once she was gone, I touched my cheek as I smiled.  I didn't think I had a chance with her, but the smallest touch did make me feel good.  That night, I slept and dreamed of Maggie.  It was pretty intense.  I woke up as I breathed, heavily.  "Fuck."  I breathed as I remember what I dreamed about.

I looked down to see I had a massive hard on, then I looked around to see that the girls hadn't awaken yet.  Thank god.  I didn't want to explain the hard on I had to any one of them.  I knew I had to take care of it and got up.  I grabbed some clothes and moved to the bathroom.  I started the shower and undressed.  I got in and under the water.  My mind went back to Maggie and my hard on begged for some attention.  I gripped it and began to pump as I thought about the dream I had about Maggie.  I quickly got into it and let out a slight moan as I was close.  I kept abusing myself as I thought about the woman I wanted.  I pumped faster as I felt my orgasm build up.  I kept going as my eyes were closed and I breathed heavily.  I felt myself explode, as I did, the bathroom door opened and I heard Maggie's voice, "Is someone in here?"

I was already riding out my orgasm and couldn't stop.  I gritted my teeth to not let out a noise so she didn't know what I was doing.  I finally finished and I was standing there trying to get my composer.  Just then I heard Maggie walk towards the shower as she asked, "Rachael, is that you?"

I quickly said, "No it's me."

"Oh."  She said.  "Don't mind me, I'm just going to brush my teeth real quick, then I will get out of your hair."

"Um, okay."  I could only say as I still tried to remain cool.  Then I breathed out, "Shit."

She heard me cause she asked, "Something wrong?"

"No, no."  I quickly said.  Then I mouthed 'fuck' to myself and lied, "Just dropped the soap."

"Oh, okay."  Then I heard the sink turn on and I heard her say, almost muffled by her brushing her teeth.  "So, I was thinking, we should all do something today."

"Uh, sounds great."  This was so uncomfortable.  She was now in the bathroom with me as I was shower and I, literally, finished masturbating to the thought of her.  

Then I heard her spit and say, "Well, Rachael wants us all to go to a party tonight."  Then said, sarcastically, "That should be fun."

I laughed at this and said, sarcastically, "Yeah, just great."

I knew she wasn't leaving just yet, so I decided to clean myself as she said, "Yeah, like college parties are so played out.  I rather stay the night at home and just watch TV or listen to some music.  I guess I am weird, cause I don't like to party really."

I moved the soap over me as I smiled.  "No, not weird.  Different.  I was the same way in college."

"Really?"  She asked.

"Yeah."  I smiled.  "Just makes people like us, unique."

"I like the way you think."  I heard her say.

Then I moved my body under the water and let the soap wash off me.  I was finished but Maggie was still in the bathroom as I heard her gargling the mouthwash.  I said, "Uh, I need to, um, get out."

Then I heard her say, "Okay, get out then."

I closed my eyes in agony and then mouthed again 'fuck'.  I turned off the water and reached around the shower curtain as I asked, "Can you pass me a towel?"

I heard her move and I felt the soft material hit my hand.  I quickly moved the towel inside the shower and wrapped it around my waist.  I slowly opened the shower curtain and saw Maggie looking in the mirror.  I stepped out, shyly.  She looked over at me and she smiled.  I swore her eyes looked at me up and down.  I became shy again.  Then I asked, "Do you mind if I could get some privacy?  I need to get dress."

She stood straight and looked directly at me.  She smiled again, "Sure."  Then she said as she turned, "But I think the towel suites you."

I blushed as she finally walked out.  As soon as the door closed, I sat down on the toilet lid and breathed out.  I was relieved she was gone as the whole thing was embarrassing for me.  She might not have known what I was doing in the shower but still I was embarrassed.  To make matters worse, she stayed in there, carrying a conversation with me while I showered.  If I was only bold enough to say something to her about how I felt about her, anything.  But I wasn't that guy.  I was the shy guy who girls never paid attention too.  Why would she be any different?   God, I had a feeling this weekend was going to be long.

Previous Chapter / Masterlist / Next Chapter

[allyinthekeyofx]

PAINTING BY NUMBERS 3/?

[purplesurveys]

1054 - Just bolding surveys, both taken the long way.

survey by lilprincess

Names

Your given name begins with a C. False. That’s what my surname begins with, though.

Your middle name begins with a vowel. True. Both my second and legal middle names, actually.

Your last name ends with a consonant. Yeah, the aforementioned C.

Your first name is of Latin origin. I don’t think so. If I remember correctly, it’s French and German. There's a silent letter in your surname. Filipino words or names rarely have silent letters.

People tend to have issues pronouncing your surname. It’s a common surname and is very straightforward and easy to pronounce. Your father was the one who picked out your birth name. He came up with Robyn, and I’ve since felt bad about hating my given name so much as a kid because doing so definitely must have made him sad :( My mom came up with my second name, Isabelle. You think your first name is pretty. That’s what I think so now. I love how unique and unisex Robyn is. You have names picked out for your future kids. I have a list of favorites, but nothing final. Your first name rhymes with multiple words. Sure. ‘Robin’ itself is a word, so I’m fairly certain it has a lot of rhymes. You're named after a Catholic holy figure. I’m not but that is very much the case in Filipino cuture, actually. A lot of kids are named after the saint that they share a feast date with.

Age

Many people mistake you for being younger than your actual age. Yep. Just last Saturday I got stopped at the mall entrance because the guard thought I was a minor. To confirm my age he asked for my driver’s license in such a condescending way, as if he didn’t expect me to be able to pull out one; and that soured my mood for the entire morning. Like Jesus, just take my fucking temperature and be courteous at your job. Why do you have to be such an asshole?

You're old enough to legally drink, drive and vote. Yeah the legal age for all of those things here is 18, so I’ve been able to do all three for four years now.

You have a youthful physical appearance and attitude. I’d say I look very young (see above incident with Asshole Guard), but ~youthfulness might not be the first thing one sees from my attitude or actions. I think I look stressed and tired all the time.

Education and Job Background

You are a post-high school graduate. Yes, went straight to college after high school as is normal practice here. I seldom hear of people taking a gap year, and that’s usually reserved for really really rich kids who already have their futures planned out by their parents and technically never really have to take up schooling.

You've attended some college but never completed it. Batch 2020, baby.

You've attended 2 different middle schools. I went to the same school from kinder to high school, and only moved when I started university.

At school you had very few close friends, but many acquaintances. This was applicable in both schools. Either way, I’ve been fortunate to be able to form lasting relationships and make friends.

Math was your least favorite subject. Some math classes, like trig and calculus, sucked. But I enjoyed statistics, algebra, and parts of geometry. My most-hated class has to be chemistry though.

You've participated in extracurricular academic activities. I don’t think so. I liked participating in extracurricular activities like being in clubs and orgs, but being in extracurricular academic activities just sounds exhausting. Why bring my studies outside of my studies?

You've won a spelling bee in elementary school. We didn’t have spelling bees per se but we had a lot of spelling quizzes in class and I remember scoring the highest for most, if not all, of them. I also won first place in a quiz bee in fifth grade but it had various categories, spelling included.

Home economics and wood shop were required courses in your middle school. Home economics was. We did a lot of things that I absolutely hated when I was that age but I see the appeal of now, like tye-dyeing, baking rainbow cakes, apple pies, and macarons, cross-stitching, crocheting, etc. I have no idea what wood shop is. 

You attended your high school prom alone. My high school is very controlling, and bringing a prom date was actually mandatory and would’ve led to repercussions if you weren’t able to find one. Given that I wasn’t interested in boys at the time, I just brought my cousin to get the evening over with.

Physical Appearance

You're a dark-haired brunette. I have black hair. Which makes me dark-haired, but not a brunette.

You have green eyes. I don’t, but I find this eye color the prettiest.

You've been wearing glasses for a long time. Since I was 11. I needed them a little earlier than that, but my mom had always thought I was fooling around when I was 9 and first started letting her know that my vision was getting blurry.

You are near sighted. Very much. If I took my glasses off right now, even if my laptop is very close to me, I would be unable or at least have a very difficult time finishing the rest of this survey.

You have a button nose. Erm, I don’t know what this is and I don’t feel like checking.

You are 5'4". A little shorter than that. I got the shortest end of the stick when it comes to the height in my family.

Your smallest pants & skirt size was a 2. We don’t measure this way, so I dunno what the Filipino equivalent for size 2 is. I know I usually go for XS and XXS clothes, though.

You take morning showers. Eh, sometimes. I don’t schedule my showers as often anymore. I did take a shower this morning, though.

You polish your own nails. I never do anything with my nails, except trim them or bite them myself.

Your favorite color to wear is black. Used to be. Now I like having color in my outfits.

You've had your hair completely dyed before. Never done this.

You've worn spray-on tattoos before. I don’t think so, but as a kid I was obsessed with sticker tattoos hehe. Filling up my wrist and arms with them is one of my favorite childhood memories.

You have multiple piercings. Just the two in my ears.

You find it nearly impossible to walk in high heels. It can be a little uncomfortable by the 3rd hour of walking around with them, but I honestly love high heels.

You currently have bangs. I want to get rid of them but people have to see me with bangs first lol, so they’re staying until a little after the pandemic subsides, whenever that is.

You barely wear makeup. I don’t see the appeal and I don’t feel like learning how to apply it any time soon.

You have tiny feet. Size 6 or 7.

You're dominantly right handed. Yep. I can barely achieve anything with just my left hand.

Love, Sex & Romance

You're not a virgin. Yeah, well. This is self-explanatory.

You're considering using the birth control pill. I didn’t really need to given the nature of my past relationship. I’m also not seeing anyone at the moment so again, no reason to be on it.

You're currently involved in a long-distance relationship. I’m not, and I’m not sure if I can handle that. My mom and dad have been long-distance for their entire marriage and seeing their experience is enough for me to not want the same thing for myself.

Your significant other's native language is different from yours. You have no idea how much I hate having to cross this out.

You believe there's much more to a romantic relationship than just sex. I barely think of sex when I think about relationships. Honestly speaking, I don’t consider it a big priority. I can see myself lasting with someone and yet never having sex.

You've been in love with someone else while in a relationship. Hell no.

You are straight but support same-sex marriage. Just the latter part is true.

--

survey by xflirtykaosx

Have You Ever...?

Lied to your friends about who you saw? I feel like this lacks a bit of context, unless it’s slang that I don’t understand. Saw when? Doing what? Hahahaha.

Cheated on a test? Yeah, once. It was a statistics exam and I knew I already had a 99 in the bag but there was one item I was stuck on. Midway through the exam the school speakers played a certain prayer that was played daily; and since we had to let go of our test papers for a bit to pray, I got a glimpse of my classmate’s paper. I didn’t know if she was right but I just copied her answer on the item I was stuck on just to get it over with. Ended up getting a 100 on that test but I never felt like celebrating, and I never cheated after that. It’s just not worth it.

Cheated on a partner? I’ve never done this, and I would never do this.

Dated a friend’s ex soon after they broke up? I don’t plan on doing this and I’ve never been put in this situation before.

Dated your ex's friend soon after you broke up? No, I’m not interested in any of her friends.

Eaten caviar? I’ve had it in some high-end buffets, but I’m sure it was the inexpensive kind. I haven’t tried rich-people high-society caviar yet.

Smoked a cigar? Haven’t, but willing to try.

Had more than 15 cigarettes in one day? That sounds disgusting. My personal record is probably like 4 or 5 in one night, which is nasty enough.

Smoked weed? I also have not. But I know someone who has access, and I’m just waiting for the right time to try weed for the first time.

Smoked weed on a regular basis or in a large amount? See above.

Eaten at a famous Chef’s restaurant? Never tried it mostly because there are none here lol, but it’s definitely in my bucket list. I’d love to try out Gordon Ramsay’s restaurants the most.

Read someone else’s diary or bank info without permission? Never. I know my ex has a collection of journals from her angsty years that she never let me read, and I always respected that. There were a lot of times I was alone in her room and I had every chance to be an asshole and go through her private diaries, but I never felt the need to. I respected her and her privacy way too much.

Bought someone a membership to a club or society? No. I’m not even a part of one myself.

Kissed a poster of a celeb or person you find attractive? Hahahaha probably. I haven’t done so since I was a young teenager, though.

Eaten a chip sandwich? No but I looked it up and ngl it looks kinda delicious? I wanna try.

Eaten a mustard and ham sandwich? Eugh, no. I winced immediately at mustard; just not my condiment of choice.

Got caught doing something bad on tape? I dunno...maybe? There are CCTVs everywhere now so it’s definitely possible, but if I did do anything ‘bad’ it was probably just a small petty thing, like taking a lost and found ballpen. I’ve always been afraid of breaking the rules.

Drunk a drink that you thought was something else? The reason I hate soda as much as I do was because I had been very thirsty during a family lunch when I was 3, and a glass of what I thought was water, which I fervently drank until I felt the burn in my throat, turned out to be Sprite.

Had extra strong chewing gum? JM brought a pack to school everyday, and I would occasionally ask for one if I felt like chewing on something.

Bit your gum or lower lip and it bled? For sure. Many times.

Broken a vase or plant pot and blamed it on the cat? No but similar. I always blamed my younger siblings whenever I accidentally sent something crashing to the floor as a kid.

Broken anything else and blamed it on a pet? I don’t think so. I love Kimi too much to blame him. And whenever something does break at home it usually is Cooper’s fault, so.

Eaten roule cheese? I don’t think so. It certainly doesn’t sound familiar.

Watched a foreign film without the subtitles on? Well yeah, American films are foreign to me. I’ve watched a bunch without subtitles but I’ve always preferred to have them on, because some accents can be thick. And I hate when actors mumble their lines or speak too fast.

Kissed a frog to see if a prince would come? No.

Coloured a black and white photograph in? I mean I’ve finished pages in coloring books, if that counts.

Pronounced your name in a foreign accent? I can say it in thick American and Filipino accents, but that’s it.

Saw an eclipse with your own eyes? Super blue blood moon, 2018. Eclipses are usually not visible here, so when the news spread that that particular eclipse will be very much present in the Philippines I didn’t hesitate to be outdoors and stare at it for a few minutes.

Sat an exam after 4pm? Yup, I once took an exam at 6 PM.

Covered your face with so much makeup it looked hideous? I have a few childhood photos where I was made to wear too much makeup and I ended up looking like a ghost.

Gone on a school camping trip? Never happened to my class. That would’ve sounded like a blast, though.

Stolen something off your parents? I don’t think so. I wouldn’t be able to stomach the guilt.

Watched TV for 5 hours solid? Yeah, well the TV was the main source of entertainment before phones and quicker internet exploded, so we definitely sat around in front of the TV as kids way longer than five hours. Our elders weren’t too strict with our TV usage, and the general idea was that if an electronic device can keep a handful of kids behaved, then it won’t be an issue.

Cried while on a fairground ride? Not cried, but I’ve felt light-headed, weak, and close to fainting. My body is just not built for fair/amusement park rides.

Had to go to the doctor’s due to a bad flu? Yep. Turned out to be a UTI.

Got a CAT or other form of brain scan? Never happened before. I hope I never see myself in a situation serious enough for these procedures to be deemed necessary.

Spilt spaghetti all over your light coloured top? Never, but this is definitely a Robyn thing that can happen.

Got wine or coke on your parents’ furniture? No. I’ve lived 22 whole years with my mom; I know better than doing that, even if accidentally.

Faked sadness to get out of trouble? I don’t think so. I’ve definitely used it as an excuse, but it was always real to a certain extent. I’m always upset when I know I’m in trouble.

Opened up a packet of chips or crisps upside down? Sure, when opening from the right side up doesn’t work.

Called your friend Mum or Dad by accident? Never. That’s a bit of an odd mistake to make ngl, but I suppose it’s happened to others.

Eaten a boiled egg on its own? Of course. I’d be more surprised if someone hasn’t.

Eaten raw onions as a snack? That doesn’t sound appealing. Pass. 

Watched someone commit a crime and didn't report it? I don’t think so. If this happened I’m pretty sure 1) I would report it immediately, and 2) I would also get extremely anxious and probably feel troubled by it for a few days.

Slipped a disc whilst carrying something heavy? I never heard of this term before, so I’m guessing this hasn’t happened to me before.

Swore at a teacher whilst at school? There’s a chance I’ve sworn while a professor was within earshot, but I’ve never sworn at one.

Would You Ever...?

Dress up as the opposite sex? No. I don’t feel the need to, and there are never any circumstances where I’ve had to do so.

Eat a whole pizza to yourself? That’s definitely a big goal of mine haha. I wanna be able to accomplish it at least once.

Sing in front of 2000 or more people? I’ve kinda done this, in school plays; I was always part of a big group though. I’ve never done it solo and have no desire to do so at any point in my life.

Swim with dolphins? I’d love the chance to see dolphins in their natural habitat, but if I do get to encounter them I’d rather stay in the boat and watch them do their thing; that would be enough for me. As friendly as they can be, I don’t want to disrupt their routine and even spook them in the process.

Audition for a reality show? You lost me at ‘audition.’

Lick your partner’s toes? I mean if doing it would solve global warming or give me a million dollars or end world hunger, then it’s a really small price to pay.

Not shower for 2 weeks? Again if there’s a big prize waiting for me in the end, it suddenly doesn’t sound like such a difficult task.

Look after someone else’s child permanently? There has to be a very good, personal reason behind it.

Fly an aeroplane? I’d love to take lessons. My dad’s dream for me was to be a pilot, so it’d be a fun surprise to show him I could actually operate a plane.

Ask a stranger for directions? This isn’t too difficult a task. I’d make sure I’m somewhere crowded and look for someone who looks approachable and helpful, though. Some places do look sketchy.

Catch a 5am train? If it was my only choice, I guess? My family has had to leave the house even earlier for certain trips.

Buy condoms at a pharmacy? I’ve had a friend ask me to do this when she felt too shy to do it herself. But in general, people really shouldn’t be embarrassed when buying things like this. If the cashier judges you, that’s their problem.

Hold a stranger’s hand if they were scared? In an extreme situation, yeah.

Illegally sell drugs for a lot of money? That’s a nope. I’d like to keep my hands off drugs.

Jump into a swimming pool off the highest board? This reminds me of that episode of Mr. Bean where he found himself on the highest diving board at the public pool hahahaha. Anyway, I’d do this if money was on the line, but never just for my own leisure.

Lick a stamp? Sure, whatever.

Make fun of your partner’s family in front of them? ...Why would I even do that?

Murder someone who murdered or raped a child? I would definitely react to a crime like that, but I could never carry out murder myself.

Name your child Adele? It’s a pleasant name; it fits as a second name. It’s not in my top choices by any means, but it’s still pretty.

Name your pet Toby? You pretty much hit the jackpot. Our bunny was named Tobi.

Touch a naked flame with one finger? God no. I know it’s a fairly easy trick and nearly everyone I know knows how to do it, but I’d never try it.

Play strip poker? I don’t even know how to play poker.

Pay for sex? I don’t see myself doing this.

Pet a dog you didn't know? I’d ask permission from the owner first, because the dog might be a biter. If it’s a stray dog, I’d motion for it to come over but keep a distance so as not to scare them.

Pee behind a bush or in a field if you thought nobody could see? I mean, if it’s an extreme emergency and it was the only possible place...

Queue up for a concert ticket for 5 hours or longer? For my favorites, yes. If it was for someone like Beyoncé I’d probably even camp out the night before.

Ride a camel in the desert? I’d still have to check if this is an ethical practice involving the camels. It sounds appealing, though.

Risk your life for 1000 strangers? Depends on what’s at stake.

Show your privates in public to raise a million for charity? If the act of doing so is tasteful and makes sense.

Wear a turban for a year? I don’t think I’m in the place to wear one, culturally speaking.

Can You...

Ride a bike? Cannot, have not been able to in the last 22 years. I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to learn, as much as I want to.

Swim? I mean I can definitely stay in the water, tread, and do several strokes, but I’m no professional swimmer if that’s what you mean. I don’t even know how to do a proper dive.

Skate? I used to love ice skating. Ice skating rinks used to be a common feature in malls when I was a kid, and my mom usually dropped me off there while she did groceries and did errands, so that I was kept occupied. I’m very certain that I’m rusty now though, because I haven’t put ice skates on in more than a decade.

Cook? Not a chance. My cooking skills only extend to instant noodles, scrambled eggs, frozen hotdogs, and basic sandwiches.

Ski? I’ve never even seen snow before, much less put skis on.

Speak fluent in another language? Yep, I speak Filipino all the time.

Remember all your families names? What does this mean? Like if I recognize all my relatives? I wouldn’t be able to name all of them if you lined them up, to be honest with you. Filipino families are notorious for being huge and there are lots of people on both my mom’s and dad’s sides whose names I could never remember.

Ride a horse? Nah, I can only do so if a professional is riding with me or maneuvering the horse themselves.

Play Tennis? I’ve never actually tried playing tennis before; I’ve never had the chance.

Play Golf? No, and no desire to. I find golf a little boring and underwhelming.

Play Football or Soccer? We had to play futsal as part of high school PE, which is just essentially football but indoors. That’s where I realized I could’ve been good in football since I turned out to be naturally decent in kicking and blocking the ball...I just never got around to polishing my skills and getting better because I didn’t know if I could maintain training anyway.

Control your temper? Sure, for the most part.

Show your emotions? I can also do this, whenever necessary. I’m able to strike a balance.

Help others? Erm, sure? I try do whenever I can.

Stay neutral? Yeah, if it’s the most mature thing to do. I definitely always stay in the middle when it’s two of my friends who are arguing and I can’t remember a single time I actively took a side.

Eat spicy foods? Kinda comes with being Asian, at least for the most part. Spicy food is the best in Korean and Indian cuisines.

Work as a team?

Work on your own?

Used a compass? Just in geometry class, but I never understood what it was for so I abandoned it quickly.

Do simple Math?

Spell reasonably well? I have to thank Akeelah and the Bee for this. After that movie I’d just read the dictionary for days as well as look up the winning words from the Scripps National Spelling Bee.

Understand basic Science? I actually take a liking to science, so I enjoyed our classes as a kid.

Reach a 175 or more in bowling? Haha, does Wii Sports count?

Touch your nose with your tongue? Never could do it.