#sketched while i wait for my phone to charge for errands

[fiveminuterice]

quick sketch for BR’s birthday

happy birthday you chaotic child

#sketched while i wait for my phone to charge for errands #broken reality au #bnha #mha #art taggg #owl my beloved your child is neon #eyestrain cw #neon cw #it's been 30 years since I've drawn deku #i just wanna see him smiling since he looks pretty... intense in the manga spoilers

[limewrites-archive]

Kiss & Late | Bruno Bucciarati x Leone Abbacchio ( Bruabba )

Warnings: N/A-  Kissing, lipstick prints/smears. Word Count:  1542 Also available to read on Archive of Our Own! (Kudos and comments appreciated <3)

Leone Abbacchio was new to the magazine industry. He'd only had his job for about 6 months and he still felt very intimidated. His Boss was Bruno Bucciarati, CEO of a world-renowned fashion magazine. Leone has been his assistant and its a lot of work. He knew what being an assistant meant, managing all of the things he needed done, calls, emails, errands, all of it since he's been an assistant for other professions, but this really was something new and always kept you on your feet. Compared to some of his other bosses, Bruno was on the more relaxed side. But there was no way that Leone couldn't be intimidated by him. That was his boss, CEO, who make all the women in the building swoon and exactly knew who in the office wasn't pulling their weight and had fired people in a heartbeat. Bruno didn't mind Leone, and quite enjoyed his company even though he was quiet and closed off. Leone being a bit taller than him helped with not only getting file boxes up in the storage closet that were way too high for him but also with warding off the women. A big scary, muscular goth was definitely intimidating. Once there had been a rumor that Leone wasn't Bruno's assistant, but his bodyguard. Of course, Bruno shut down that assumption to those confident enough to ask him about the situation. When they didn't have a lot to do or get done, Leone would put on his headphones while he worked or was on break, and there was a light in his eyes that would come around when he listened to music. Bruno didn't mind, it was nice to see that someone in this building had a soul still.

Abbacchio would come in, always with a cup of coffee for Bruno, even when he didn't ask for it. Bruno of course still drank it, since it was a nice gesture and he didn't mind. Their day varied of course, and sometimes Bruno would have to do and do his own thing. When he would spend his days in the office, he'd go visit the planning offices to see what was being put into the magazines. Fashion clearly was something he enjoyed to look at, and from time to time he would write his own little reviews into the articles even if the public didn't know it. When he'd come back, he'd see Leone at his desk, drawing with his headphones on. Leone had a sketchbook full of his own designs, but drawing and designing is more of a hobby at this stage in life for him. Bruno would only catch glimpses of what Leone would work on before the lavender haired assistant would shut the sketchbook closed in a rush and quickly hide it in his desk drawer. Bruno acted oblivious of course, but he wondered why Leone had gone into the business part of fashion and not the hands-on designing. 'We all have our reasons..' Bruno would tell himself. For a while, Bruno tried to do work without Leone, more so making connections with new designers.

From then on, a few more months passed, the two became only slightly closer but Leone was starting to feel comfortable at work and especially after he got comfortable with how high he was on the social food chain. His work attire was more comfortable and changed a lot; some days he would wear a hoodie and others he would come in knee-high boots and a low cut holographic shirt. It all depended on how confident Leone was feeling for the day. Bruno wore the same outfit, but just different colors once in a while, keeping his look simplistic and clean. Bruno thought of their relationship as a silent friendship, but at times he couldn't take his mind off of Leone. In fact, where was Leone today? The time was 8:10 and Leone was usually already at work early. It wasn't Bruno's place, but he couldn't help wonder if Leone took the sketchbook home with him last night. He took a seat in the chair and opened the drawer he had seen Abbacchio put the book before. Sure enough, it was there. He was feeling terribly guilty for snooping, but he needed to see something. Pages and pages of various designs and colors, material ideas already planned out in just one sketchbook. He had seen enough. He waited for Leone in his office and when Leone finally came in 30 minutes late to work, fear was spread across his face. In all his time here, Leone had never been late to work, but looking at how late it was, he was nervous that he would get fired right off the bat. Bruno turned in his chair, Leone's boots was a sound he was very familiar with by now. "Abbacchio, come with me." Abbacchio didn't say anything but followed. Bruno had led him to the old storage closet, with tossed out designs, magazines, and legal work. "Now, get those two boxes, and then the one labeled 'Originals' for me," Bruno told him, and he did as such, taking down those boxes while Bruno took out a few of his own. Dust was everywhere, not many people visited this room anymore. All more recent storage boxes were taken to another storage room since this one was filled up. "Mr. Bucciarati, why do you need these boxes?" Leone asked. Bruno placed his last box down, "I've been making a few adjustments of my own and I need these to complete it. Open that one up," Bruno had pointed to the one labeled  'Originals' once again. Leone opened it, taking out just one file and taking out its contents. It was beautifully sketched original designs just on regular printer paper. Bruno continued, "Before I was CEO, we had someone in this office who was always planning and working on designs for a section of our magazine. My boss, the CEO at the time, had fired her for being late. These are all of the boxes of her work that didn't get to be put into the magazine due to editing, and some unfinished plans. These other boxes are the magazines that feature her work, but clearly, there's the section that was discontinued when she was fired." Leone looked up from the magnificent designs. "Why are you showing me this?" Leone questioned. "Because I saw potential in you, just like her. Work like yours, you're not made to be an assistant. You need to be a designer, Leone." Abbacchio acted like he didn't know what Bruno was talking about, "Sir, I don't have the talent-" Bruno pointed a finger at him, "Leone Abbacchio, you have the talent. I saw your sketchbook, and the world needs to see it too. So, I called a few connections, and I've got you a working team and a studio under this company's name. I want your work to flourish. I want to see originality in our magazines, something new and exciting that other magazines don't have and I want you to be in charge of it. I want to not only have a magazine, but I want a catalog of your designs in it." Leone didn't know to feel honored or embarrassed. "Bucciarati- I- thank you...so much." Bruno smiled, "Please, it's Bruno. Leone, respectfully, I want to fire you. You are no longer my assistant. But, I am hiring you, making you the first Chief designer of Passione Magazine. I think you'll be much happier with the work you do as well as they pay." For the first time ever, Leone smiled wide enough to where he was tearing up in front of someone. "Thank you, thank you so much. I- I could do so much- I could kiss you! Thank you I don't even know how to repay you." Bruno could have sworn there was a tear of happiness in Leone's eyes, despite the darkness of the storage room. "Well, then kiss me, that's all I ask in return." There was no hesitation in Leone's actions, he cupped Bruno's face with his hands and pulled the brunette into a passionate kiss. Bruno wanted it for so long, and so did Leone. The two never could confess the attraction for each other, it wasn't the right time or place. Here and now, Leone wasn't sure what made him say it, but he was glad he did. It wasn't long before the two went in for another kiss, the room completely empty besides each other. They kissed and kissed, till Leone's cell phone rang. He pulled the phone out of his pocket and the bright screen read 'Fugo, Pannacotta (Work)'. "You know how Fugo is, I've gotta go tell him I was fired as your assistant," Leone smiled. Bruno's hair was a bit disheveled, and there were very clear black lipstick prints around his face. Leone applied more of his own lipstick and said: "You might want to take a stop to the restroom, there's some lipstick on your lips." It took Bruno a minute to process why they had stopped but all he could do was nod and ask, "Uh...do you wanna get coffee sometime?" Leone nodded, "Yes."

#bruabba #bruabba fic #JoJos Bizzare Adventure #Jojo no Kimyou na Bouken #leone abbacchio #Bruno Bucciarati #bruno bucciarati x leone abbacchio #abbacchio leone #Bruno Buccellati #buccellati x abbacchio #leone abbacchio x bruno bucciarati #JJBA Vento Aureo #au #lipstick #lipstick smears #A03 #also on A03 #a03 fic

[lurafita]

Peter/Avengers, dub/con, captivity, Part three

TAGGING PEOPLE DIDN’T WORK! I don’t know why, but everytime I tried tagging someone, tumblr suddenly redirected me to their blog, instead of just writing down the name. I’m so sorry, I don’t know what the issue is. I have got in contact with support and am awaiting their answer, but until then, I hope you were still able to find this part! Again, so sorry!

Read Part 1: here

Read Part 2: here

People, heed the tags for upcoming parts in this story.

kidnapping, dub/con, captivity, chains, bondage, obsessive Avengers, Peter/Everyone, darkly soft Avengers (in the sense that they hold Peter captive, but only want to love and protect him), non-powered Peter, dark-ish Avengers, 18+ Peter, Clint is not married and has no kids, Tony is not in a relationship with Pepper.

(I feel like a cheat for tagging these things, even though I still haven’t gotten to the juicy bits in this fic...)

Part 3

Peter had long since retired, when the others gathered in the common floors living room, to further discuss the bomb the younger man had dropped on them mere hours ago.

Clint was waving his phone around wildly. “Australia is the most poisonous continent in the world! There are frogs that can kill you! Frogs!”

Bruce was frowning deeply. “The climate is drastically different there. Neither his body, nor his immune system will easily adapt. Petey could develop numerous illnesses because of that.”

Sam was likewise shaking his head. “Pumpkin doesn't have the physicality for weeks long hiking in the jungle. He may be good at parkour, but that is still miles away from the terrain that will await him in the underbrush.”

Steve made a sound like a wounded animal. “Don't remind me of that particular hobby of his, please. I still have nightmares from that video he showed us.”

Tony threw back his scotch. “Six months. Possibly longer. Sweetheart shouldn't be away from us for such a long time. Shouldn't be away at all.”

Bucky was pacing, the Winter Soldier clawing at his very being. “There isn't enough Intel. We don't know the people that would be part of his group. Don't know the terrain. Can't predict the conditions. Can't entrust Doll to strangers. Not safe.”

Natasha was stoically silent, though her face was stormy.

Thor looked contemplative. “...Then maybe we shouldn't let him go.”

The others stilled, all looking at the Asgardian.

“Hate to break it to you, L'Oreal, but I already tried bribing the University's board, in order to make them reject Stoddard's little excursion. No dice. Figures Peter would attend the one university in this stupid city that holds academic achievements in a higher regard than funding.”

A snort of pure disgust left the billionaires mouth, as he stood up to refill his glass.

But Thor shook his head. “I'm not saying to not let other people embark on this quest. I'm saying not to let Peter go.”

Steve wrung his hands. “We can't exactly keep him from going...”

Thor raised a challenging eyebrow. “Why not? He is a lovely creature, but he is not blessed with strength and battle prowess like the rest of us are. I imagine it would be quite easy to keep him here.”

The others looked around them uncomfortably.

“It's not that we wouldn't be capable of keeping him here, Thor, so much as that we... shouldn't...do something like this.” Sam awkwardly rubbed his neck.

“... Why shouldn't we?” But this time the question didn't come from Thor, but from Bucky.

Nervously wiping his hands over his thighs, Bruce tried to give reason to his words, while the Hulk was roaring in agreement with the Winter Soldier.

“It's... We can't... Peter isn't a child. Or a pet. … We have no right to just... keep him.”

Natasha spoke for the first time, her voice even.

“Don't we? Haven't we taken him in? Haven't we taken care of him for the last year? Aren't we the ones most responsible for his safety and well being? You just counted off all the dangers awaiting Lastashka if he joins this excursion. It's not safe. And he is ours to protect.”

Tony slowly set down his glass, eyes going back and forth during his inner debate.

“It's not like we would be doing something bad... He needs us. He can barely remember to feed himself.”

Clint gave him a sardonic look for that.

“Yeah, I'm not gonna comment on how very hypocritical that is coming from you. But you are right. Last week he almost fainted, because he wanted to finish his thesis, and didn't sleep for two days straight.”

Tony's head shot up at this.

“What? Why didn't I know about this? Friday? I thought I told you to keep an eye on my Sweetheart's sleeping schedule.”

“Peter asked me not to inform you of this, when I attempted to get him to sleep. He said it wouldn’t be a regular occurrence, and that after he finished with his work, he wouldn't have to neglect his rest so severely again. Since you yourself have abstained from sleep on far more occasions, I promised Peter discretion on the matter.”

Dammit!

Clint simply pointed to him.

“See? Hypocrite. But this just helps to prove the fact that Pete isn't very good at taking care of himself. And we can't leave him to a bunch of nerdy strangers. Nat is right. He is ours to protect.”

Bucky nodded along with this reasoning, as Sam pursed his lips.

“It's not like there is any guarantee that this plant this professor is looking for will really cure the disease, right? It's not worth it for Pumpkin to risk his health, possibly even his life, on a fools errand.”

Bruce couldn't ignore the words of his friends,and the desires of himself and the Hulk, any longer.

“I have been on such fruitless excursions during my time in university. I remember the hopeful anticipation in the beginning. And the crushing devastation when we came back empty handed. I would like to spare Petey such an experience.”

Steve held up his hands.

“Whoa, whoa, guys. You aren't seriously considering,- what? Kidnapping Peter? Keeping him locked up here with us?”

Bucky spoke before anyone else could.

“He would be safe here. We can protect him. Care for him. Love him.”

Natasha nodded.

“We won't hurt him. He won't understand or like it, at first. But he will come around.”

Tony carefully chimed in.

“It will take some time. Patience. Affection. But... since everyone will be thinking he is gonna be in the depths of the Australian underbrush for at least half a year...”

Clint was already a step ahead.

“The Tower is listed as Peter's official address, and Tony and Bruce as the overseers of his internship. It wouldn't be suspicious if one of them called the university the day of the groups departure, to report that Peter can't make it due to sudden injury or illness.”

Sam hopped right on.

“They will want to catch a very early flight, won't they? It's a bit of a trip to another continent. We could throw a little 'Good-bye' party for Pete. Invite his friends and aunt. Tell everyone one of us would drive him to the airport the next morning...”

A thoughtful crease appeared between Bruce's eyebrows.

“The professors usually tell the students and volunteers in their group to leave things like their cellphones at home. There is rarely opportunity to charge the battery, and if you are deep in the jungle, there is no reception anyway. So no one would be expecting to hear from him before the excursion team gets back. By that time,... surely Petey won't want to leave us again.”

Steve took a step forward.

“Okay, stop. Do you realize what you are talking about? We can't do this.”

“Don't you love him?” Thor's usually booming voice was quite, almost a whisper.

Steve nodded. “Of course I do. But-”

“Don't you wish to protect him? To know that he is safe?” Sam added.

“I do. But that doesn't mean-”

“Haven't things been so much better since he came to live with us? We have all been more careful during missions, taking less risks, causing less damage, because we know Peter is here, waiting for us to come back.” Clint threw in.

“I-”

“Peter was underweight when he started living here, you know? He got some acid on his shirt, and had to change out of it. I could count his ribs back then. His clothes don't look like they are his two heads taller brother’s hand-me-downs any longer, because we have made sure that he eats regularly. Do you think anyone else will do that for him in Australia?” Bruce asked.

“They.. no, they probably wouldn't..”

“You have been drawing more, since Peter found some of your older sketches. It has helped you relax. Been a way for you to deal with the things we have been through. I know half of your sketchbook is full of drawings of him. Do you really think you can go back to before? Capture other motifs on paper? Be without your muse for six whole months, and possibly longer?” Bucky implored.

“I didn't think of that.... I... I couldn't...”

“When I was a child, I have never been allowed to want something. We were weapons, there was no room for wishes. I have gotten to experience friendship and trust since then, and maybe it is selfish to ask for more. But I want more, Steve. I want Peter. I want him to be here with us, not somewhere in some jungle that might take him from us. My trainers kept me from wanting then, will this world's ideal of morality still keep me from wanting now?” She looked at him with eyes fuller of emotion than they had ever been.

“Natasha, I... no, of course you are allowed to want-”

“I don't care if I'm being selfish. We are heroes, Steve. Earth's mightiest defenders, isn't that what they call us? We go out there and fight everyone's enemies. People are safe because of us. But I will tell you right now, the only reason I have been able to sleep through a whole night recently, is Peter. I have seen so much shit in my life, Steve. Before the Avengers were ever formed, and then even more after we got this little superhero boy-band together. I used to tinker in my lab for days on end, because I knew that at one point my body would shut down on its own, and I would get the sleep I needed, with only the minimum of all the delightful nightmares my ptsd ridden brain could come up with. But ever since Peter has been here, it's better. I go to bed thinking about the way his eyes light up, whenever I show him a new upgrade for a current project, instead of the wide open eyes of the dead child we were too late to safe. I'm able to sleep dreaming about the noises he would make, if I bit the nape of his neck just so, instead of recalling flying a nuke through a portal and falling to what was supposed to be my death. Don't try to tell me you haven't had similar experiences with him. Don't try to lie about this. We deserve to be selfish with the person we love.”

“I, I know, Tony. I'm not saying that I don't understand...” The protest was feeble, weak. Steve was already more than halfway convinced.

“In Asgard, Peter would be called a 'Melmir'. A gift. Something to be kept to ourselves and safe at all cost.” Thor had stood, stepping closer to his friend.

“Peter isn't a thing.”

“I did not mean to imply such. A treasure needs not be an object to be called precious. Peter is precious, is he not?”

Steve looked determinedly into the eyes of his taller friend.

“He is.”

Then the super soldier looked at his teammates around him. His friends. And he saw his own feelings reflected in their eyes.

“And he is ours.”

______________________________________________________________

Read Part 4: here

Yeah, so this part was supposed to dive right into the chains and captivity and other stuff that I promised, but then I got caught up in the dialouge and, well....

I do hope you still liked it though. I will try to be faster with the next part.

#starker #spidershield #spideyshield #winterspider #spideywinter #widowspider #hawkspider #thunderspider #thorspider #spideythor #falconspider #hulkspider #spideyhulk #polyvengers #peter/everyone #peter/avengers #kidnapping #dark!avengers #obsessive love #possessive avengers #possessive behaviour #op lurafita

[cececreativewriting]

short play, “Tristan”

TRISTAN

Concept: In a song I like, there is a lyric that states “Maybe if life wasn’t so hard, if he got off to a better start, he’d be somewhere.” This play follows Tristan, aged 5 to 25, and his family. Mainly, we follow Tristan in his slow decline into drug usage, addiction, and overall a depressing life.

Setting: somewhat messy/run-down room with a bed, book self, table and desk

*Tristan is age 5 when the play begins, and he is sitting on his bed while his parents are screaming/arguing; you can hear them but cannot see them*

*Tristan is rocking back and forth in his bed, clearly distraught*

*he pulls out a notebook and begins to draw a dragon. he hangs it up on his wall, and in the corner it says “Tristan, age 4”*

*dad comes in*

Dad: Hey, Tristan

Tristan: Dad! Do you want to play?

Dad: Hey, uh, I would love to… but i need to take care of some errands.

*Tristan looks down, upset*

Dad: But hey! Tristan, do you want to help out?

Tristan: *jumps up, and happily yells* Yes, dad!

Dad: Okay. Remember that lemonade stand you had?

*Tristan nods happily*

Dad: Do you have any left over money from that?

*Tristan walks over to his piggy bank and shakes it*

Tristan: It sounds like i have some!

Dad: Okay, good. I’m gonna need to take it.

Tristan: But dad, it doesn’t come out until you break the piggy bank open.

Dad: Oh, let’s see.

*Tristan hands dad the piggy bank; dad shakes it then smashes it on the ground, ducks down, and picks up the money*

Dad: *under his breathe* $5.67 *starts to leave*

Tristan: How else can I help, Dad?

Dad: uhh, just keep drawing so we can fill our house with beautiful art *leaves*

*Tristan goes back to drawing, the shards of glass from the broken piggy bank remain on the ground; Tristan shuts his book, jumps out of bed, and runs off stage*

*Tristan’s mom comes in and picks up the pieces of broken glass, then makes Tristan’s bed. She is shaking the whole time; she leaves*

*Tristan enters, now age nine. his mother is yelling as he comes on stage in a beanie and worn down black converse.*

Mom: Tristan! Are you fucking serious! You can’t do that at school! You’re gonna get kicked out! Do you want to make your dad angry by getting kicked out!?

Tristan: No, mom

Mom: You know what, just fuck off Tristan. Just fuck off!

*Tristan seems unaffected. he pulls off his beanie and chucks it on his bed, then he grabs his sketchpad, and starts drawing*

Tristan: Fucking stupid grownups. Think they own the world.

*keeps drawing, angrily*

Tristan: I can’t wait to be a grownup and get to be in charge of myself.

*hangs up drawing. it is a drawing of a robot with guns for arms, shooting at a woman. the corner says ‘Tristan age 9’*

*hear a door slam, some quiet arguing, then it increases volume*

Dad: *from offstage* *mumbles* god fucking damnit. *Screams* Tristan! Get your fucking ass down here. NOW!

*You see the fear strike Tristan’s face as he quickly throws his sketchpad under his bed, and runs off stage*

*Tristan’s mom comes in and hangs up some other drawings Tristan has done. One from age 11, and one from age 12. The drawings get increasingly more violent as he ages. she leaves*

*Tristan (now 13) walks in with two friends, Zach and Phillip; Zach has purple hair and gauges, Phillip has bags under his eyes. Tristan has on another beanie*

*They enter, conversing, and all drop their stuff on the ground, then Phillip and Tristan jump on the bed, while Phillip sits in the chair next to the bookshelf*

Tristan: Well, like, what does it feel like?

Zach: It just makes things a little better. You’ll like it Tristan, trust me.

*Tristan looks nervous. Phillip pulls out a blunt, and lights it, then inhales and passes to Zach, who inhales then passes to Tristan; he nervously takes a hit, then exhales a large puff of smoke and violently coughs for a few seconds. His coughing turns into laughing, and then eventually all three of the boys are laughing loudly*

Phillip: Do you feel it?

Tristan: I don’t know. I think so.

Phillip: Well, what do you feel?

*Tristan grabs his sketchpad and begins to draw an alien doing various activities. The aline is looking up and has very large eyes. above him, there is a puff of smoke that turns into flowers*

Tristan: It feels like this.

*shows them drawing then hangs it up. of course, in the corner it says ‘Tristan age 13’*

Zach: Let’s go grub! I know the convenience store on Main and Holly doesn’t have any security cameras.

*They all jump up, grab their stuff, and run off stage*

*Tristan’s mom walks in, sprays febreeze everywhere, and starts to tidy up*

Mom: Oh, Tristan *as she pulls out a bong from under his bed and puts it on his desk, along with a few half full bottles of whiskey*

*Tristan enters, age 16, with Zach, who now has green hair. They are talking about how dumb their english teacher is; Tristan grabs the bong and takes a rip, then hands it to Zach*

Tristan: She’s such a bitch. She’s probably just mad that her husband left her or something. Dumb bitch.

Zach: I know! Why do bitches always have to be so fucking stupid? *takes a rip* Anyways, fuck it. Let’s get high.

*Zach pulls out a little bag and throws it to Tristan, who smiles, takes off his beanie, and grabs his sketch pad. He pours out some white powder and a razor blade, then cuts up a few lines on his sketchpad*

Tristan: You got a dollar?

*Zach pulls out a crunched up dollar from his pocket. Tristan flattens it, rolls it up, and snorts a line. He leans his head back to let the powder fall deeper into his nose. His eyes widen and he lets out a big, happy sigh; he hands the sketch pad to Zach, who with ease, does a line, then hands the sketchpad back to Tristan*

*Tristan begins to draw, then quickly shuts his sketchpad and chucks it under his bed as his dad walks in, drunk and falling over*

Dad: Tristan

*Tristan looks up*

Dad: You got any booze?

Tristan: *looks at remainder of alcohol* I don't know dad, do you have any money?

*Dad grunts, then hands Tristan 5$. Tristan hands an almost finished bottle of whiskey to him*

Tristan: Want a line?

Dad: Fuck yeah

*Tristan racks lines on the back of Zach’s phone. They each snort one*

Dad: Thanks, Tristan.

*Tristan smiles, but is obviously annoyed, and his dad walks out. He gets his sketch pad and begins to draw as Zach takes a bong rip, then evidently falls asleep above the covers*

*Tristan hangs up a drawing of a man with knives for each finger, above clouds that states ‘I AM GOD’ and says ’T 16’ in the corner; He takes another line, then exits*

*Tristan’s mom comes in, with a black eye. She puts a blanket over Zach, and she hangs up a framed diploma on Tristan’s wall. She exits, tired, and Tristan enters. He is now 18, and he still has on a beanie. There are bags under his eyes. He is holding two bags.*

Tristan: Zach! *drops bags* Wake up!

Zach: What!

Tristan: Come on man. Look what i got.

*Tristan pulls out a couple bottles of vodka, tequila, and a lot of beer.*

Zach: Oh shit *grabs bottle and takes a swig* Tristan, man. I don’t wanna get all fucking weird and shit, but I’m proud of you man. You graduated, that’s something I couldn’t do. So, uh, I got you something.

*Zach pulls out two tabs of acid; they each put it on their tongue and the spot light focuses on both of them, while there are lots of darker lights around them. For this scene, the spotlight remains on Zach and Tristan (spotlight is constantly switching between very bright colors) as various people come in and out, drinking, smoking, doing lines, etc. Tristan and Zach just look around in awe (they’re tripping) for the whole scene. They look doped out, and they do not interact with the mass amounts of people that come in and out of his room. eventually, everyone is gone, and the room is a mess. Zach and Tristan look at each other, laugh, then both fall back on the bed, and fall asleep*

*Tristan’s mom walks in and begins to clean*

Mom: What has happened to you, my sweet boy? *kisses Tristan on the cheek as he sleeps*

*Finishes cleaning, then looks at the boys endearingly, sighs, and hangs up a very trippy drawing that says in the corner ’T 18’. She walks out.*

*Tristan and Zach get up and the song “Killing in the Name” by Rage the Machine comes on, while they take bong rips and draw; Tristan is now 21*

Tristan: Naw man. I’m telling you, I am really onto something right now. I’m gonna get my shit together you know. I swear I think this is gonna work out. *phone rings* Hello? Yeah, come to my room. *hangs up*

*a few seconds later a boy who looks about 15 comes in*

Tristan: Whatdya want?

Young boy: Uh, can I get 5 bars?

Tristan: *pulls out pill bottle and pours pills all over his notepad, then hands five to the kid, who pays him* Be careful with those. They can make you dumb.

*Kid nods and leaves*

Tristan: Zach, I really think I’m gonna make it. I’m making so much money off of this.

Zach: Can we at least try it?

Tristan: Come on Zach, we can’t blow it all. We gotta make money.

Zach: How can we sell it if we don’t know how good it is?

Tristan: *sighs* You’re right.

*Girl with long straight hair walks in and sits on Tristan’s lap*

Tristan: Okay, so Lilleth, I think we gotta try the shit and make sure it’s good.

Lilleth: Baby, I was thinking the same thing. *Pulls out baggy, empties little rocks onto sketch pad and crushes them up with a spoon. continues preparing while conversation goes on*

Zach: *Gets up* Tristan, you got a belt?

Tristan: Yeah, the bookshelf *while looking at Lilleth, in love, kissing her cheek*

*Zach sits on bed and hands Lilleth the belt. She tightens it around her arm, sticks a needle in her arm as Tristan holds the belt tightly on her. Once it is all in, she looks at Tristan smiles, and falls back on the pillow, with a huge smile; Tristan and Zach both shoot up*

Zach: Damn ! This shit is amazing…

Lilleth: I fucking know

Tristan: You guys, we’re onto something big here. We can cut this shit and double our profits. Fuck it, even triple it with some dumb kids. We’re gonna make it big, guys. We’re gonna fucking make it big.

*Lilleth and Tristan start kissing, Zach is just doped out staring at the ceiling; Tristan pulls out sketchpad, puts the remaining powder in his gums, then starts drawing. He hands up a picture of a big, 3d heart, and it says ’T 21’ in the corner; Zach leaves, Tristan and Lilleth fall asleep*

*Tristan’s mom comes in, looks at the mess, sighs*

Mom: fucking Tristan *leaves*

*Lilleth wakes up and starts pacing around the room. Eventually, Tristan wakes up too.*

Tristan: Baby, why are you up?

Lilleth: Tristan i cant fucking do this anymore. I can’t fucking do this.

Tristan: Baby, what?

Lilleth: Look at us Tristan! We’re 25 years fucking old. We can't keep fucking living like this, we cant keep fucking around, we cant keep being fucking dumb Tristan we… I’m pregnant Tristan.

Tristan: We can make it work, Lilleth. We can do it! I’d do anything for you baby.

*Lilleth keeps pacing, Tristan gets up and hugs her, she cries.*

Tristan: Come on baby, just take another line, you’ll feel better.

Lilleth: You’re right. You’re right. We can do this. We can raise this baby together. We can raise it to be better than us, we can raise a doctor! A lawyer!

Tristan: Baby, we can do anything together. We’re gonna be okay, I promise.

Lilleth: I love you, Tristan.

Tristan: I love you too baby… We can look into getting an abortion tomorrow.

*Lilleth runs out, Tristan follows.*

*Mom walks in and hangs up two drawings she rips out of his notebook. One is a drawing of Lilleth with a baby bump. The next is a drawing of a broken heart. And lastly, a tombstone, that states that both Lilleth and the baby have died. spot light focuses on each drawing*

THE END

#short play #play #playwright

[storiesformygrandson]

THE MYSTERY OF THE NECKLACE By A. Arican Kurtay My mother and father had already left for work and I was all by myself at home. My winter break had just started so I had nothing much to do in the morning. My winter camp would start in a couple of days and I was supposed to meet my friends of the camp group in the afternoon. We call ourselves “The Cougars”. All of us are classmates and live quiet near one another so we are together almost all the time. My name is Deren and I am the leader of the group. Jack is the tough guy being the tallest and strongest among us. Amy is the brain of the group because she knows everything which is worth knowing. Ellie, who lives with her smartphone in her hand is the messenger. She even sends messages in her sleep. Finally there is Max, the errand boy. It actually is a nice group and many of our friends want to join us but we want to keep things as they are. We live in Seattle so we decided to go to a winter camp for a week during the winter break. Ellie’s parents knew of such a place near Mt. Rainier where we could go. All arrangements were made for us to go there on Saturday morning with the camp bus. It was a small camp, ten girls and ten boys in a lodge house with two camp advisors to look after us. The camp was located in the woods with a stream passing by. Snow was expected while we were there so it would be fun. The part I did not like was that no computers or I-Pads were allowed in the camp and we could take our smartphones with us only when we left the camp site for walks in the neighborhood. Especially Ellie was very unhappy with this arrangement, she could not imagine a day without her smartphone. When I told this to my parents they said that there is something called a book which I could take with me to the camp and try to read at my free times. I therefore decided to go to the library and get a couple of books to take to the camp. The public library is very near our house so I walked over there and started to look for some books I could enjoy. I am a soccer fan so after I got the books I went to the magazine rack to browse through some soccer magazines. I stayed at the library for more than an hour and started feeling hungry so I decided to return home. When I got back home my mother had already returned and was on a conference call with some of her colleagues, so I had to prepare my own snacks. I decided to make an omelette and a bagel toast with cheddar cheese, one of my favorites. I sat at the table and started browsing the books I had taken from the library. One of the books I had chosen was about the life of the native Indian tribes which lived in our region. There were nice illustrations about the way the Indian tribes made their camps and how they hunted for food. One of the tribes living in the Seattle region was called the Tacomas. Even our airport is named after this tribe. They lived in the mountains where the climate is harsh, especially during winter time. They used to hunt deer and catch fish from the streams for food. They lived in tents made from animal hide to protect themselves from rain and cold weather. Since we were going to camp in the mountains I found the book very interesting. I was sure that especially Amy would like this book very much but probably she already knew everything about the Indian tribes living in this region. The day before we left for the camp my mother took me downtown to make some last minute shopping. We were passing in front of a store selling trinkets and other stuff for the tourists. I noticed a necklace made of blue, black and red beads with a cougar figure made of silver attached to it. I was fascinated by it and told my mother to buy it for me. She also liked it very much and told me that she would buy it if I would let her wear it sometimes. Finally it was Saturday, the day for the winter camp. I woke up very early, put on my clothes and of course my new necklace. My father looked at me and asked if I was the new Indian chief. When we met at the location where the bus was supposed to pick us up everyone in my group liked my necklace very much. Amy said that the cougar was a very important symbol for the Indians and if you had a pendant with the figure of the cougar it meant that you had encountered this fierce animal and was able to survive. It showed how brave you were. I told you, Amy knows everything. The bus ride took more than three hours but finally we reached the camp site. We were met by our instructors whose names were Amber and Ted. The boys and girls were separated and taken to their sections of the cottage. There were no beds inside, Ted told us that we would be given sleeping bags and had to sleep on the floor. I didn’t like this idea very much but the rest of the guys seemed to enjoy it. We were given fifteen minutes to put our stuff into our lockers and meet outside for lunch. I really felt very hungry and as soon as I finished unpacking I ran outside. Of course only the boys were outside, there was no trace of the girls. Ted said that the girls were always late but due to the camp rules we had to wait for them to go inside the mess hall, which was actually a small wooden building. The food was quite good and most of the boys had second helpings. The cold weather had made all of us very hungry. After lunch we were taken to the meeting room. Here Amber and Ted lectured us on the camp rules. The camp was located in the middle of the forest so we had to be very careful because one could get lost very easily. We were allowed to take our phones when we left the camp in case we had to make emergency calls. In general we were going to make one hike every morning and come back for lunch, then rest for two hours. Afterwards we would meet for other indoor activities. That seemed quite reasonable. There would be four groups of five kids with a camp instructor in charge, which meant that the Cougars could be together as a group. Each group would be given a certain task to complete. Our task for this morning was to locate some caves near the camp site. We were supposed to take pictures of the caves and look for any signs of older times. Ellie asked if there would be any wild animals around but Amber told us that we may see some deer or even a fox but nothing much bigger. Amy had different ideas of course, she said that if we get into the caves we may encounter hibernating bears who would be very angry to be woken up. I did not like the idea of being chased by a bear in the middle of a forest but Amber told us that they knew the surrounding area very well and no such thing would happen. One of the other groups was supposed to go to the river and try catching fish. I would prefer that task but anyway our turn would come in a couple of days. We sat in front of the fire place for a couple of hours and finally it was time for dinner and bed. All of us were tired because of the cold weather and bus ride and a hard day lay in front of us. We took our sleeping bags and tried to find a nice place to lay down. There were mattresses on the floor so it might not be as bad as it seemed to sleep in a bag. That night I had a strange dream. I was in my school in Virginia and we were having a lesson about the native Americans . I was talking with the kid next to me and suddenly the teacher calls my name and tells me to go to the room of Mr Glover since I am not listening to what she is saying. I really didn’t like the idea of going to Mr Glover’s room but had no choice. When I got to his room he was already expecting me. He said, “Deren, since you are not listening to what your teacher is telling about the native Americans, it means that you already know everything. I am expecting you to give a lecture about the life of these tribes to your class next week. I will also attend your lecture “. I just woke up, it seemed to be too hot. It was not a very bad dream but anyway I felt stressed. I was able to sleep after a while and was woken up by Max who told me that it was time for breakfast. It was very cold outside so we had to run to the mess hall. Everyone was shouting and laughing and eating, I liked it. After breakfast we prepared our backpacks, put in some sandwiches and a bottle of water. We were also given a simple sketch of the area showing certain landmarks and the location of the caves. Our group instructor was Sally. She told us that she lived in the neighborhood so she knew the territory very well but in any case we should try to be close to one another. It had snowed in the night so it was white everywhere. We started our excursion by climbing the slope, it was a long pathway between the trees. Suddenly Jack shouted that he had seen footprints belonging to an animal. Sally took a look and said that a fox had gone this way just in front of us. We were excited and were chattering loudly but Sally told us to be quiet or we would wake up the whole forest. The slope was rather steep so we had to rest for five minutes after each half hour of climbing. Sally told us that the return trip would also be very difficult since it would be very slippery and it was easier to fall down. It started snowing again. At the beginning it was not so bad but gradually the snowflakes began to get bigger and after a while we could hardly see one another. Sally told us that there was a cave nearby and we should try to reach it before things got worse. It was only a few minutes walk so we were able to make it without anyone getting lost. The entrance of the cave was rather small but when we got inside it was quite roomy. Jack went towards the back of the cave and started making sounds like a bear. Amy was terrified of course and started to chase Jack inside the cave. All of us were laughing and having a great time. Only Sally seemed a bit worried of course since she was responsible for our safety and had to take us back to the camp. Finally we sat down and tried to rest for a while and restore our energy since we had a difficult return trip ahead. Amy was still angry at Jack for frightening her and she still believed that there might be a bear inside the cave. So I took my flashlight and led Amy towards the back of the cave. She was a bit frightened at the beginning but that passed away in a short time. The cave was curved like the letter S, we could hear our friends but could not see them. Then Amy saw an opening at the side of the cave, it looked like another entrance. We walked towards the opening and got out of the cave. There was no snow and the sun was shining. It was very warm so we took off our parkas. We looked at one another, something was not right. We wanted to get back to the cave but the entrance had vanished. I was frightened and Amy’s face had turned white. She was just about to cry but I told her that we would be able to get back. Even I didn’t believe myself but we had to stay calm, eventually our friends would notice that we were missing and come to rescue us. I took my phone from my backpack but we could not receive any signals. I suggested that if we moved towards higher ground we may be able to use our phones. Amy seemed to be doing better now, she was also aware of the fact that something was terribly wrong. Although we could still see Mt. Rainier, and it was where it should be, the weather had changed, instead of winter we were now having summer. The forest was the same but our cave had disappeared. In case we needed to come back we decided to put some markers at the place where the cave entrance was supposed to be. We found some branches and tried to make walking sticks out of them, these would also be useful as a weapon in case we met some wild animals. Of course if we saw a bear, trying to run away might be a much cleverer solution. As we moved forward I noticed a trail of smoke rising between the treetops. I showed it to Amy and she got very excited. She said, “If there is smoke, it means that there might be some people over there making a camp. They might help us”. So we started moving towards the smoke. I said that we should be careful and try to see what is going on before we came into the open. The smoke seemed to be further than I expected but finally we came near it. We were surprised by what we saw. There were several tents, or rather Indian style tepees arranged in a circle and a camp fire was burning in the middle. There was no one around. Amy said that there were no Indian tribes living like this in this region, it might be some sort of a tourist attraction. We slowly moved towards the tepee nearest us. I looked inside, it was empty. Just as we were moving towards the second tepee we heard noises. Amy pulled me back into the forest and we hid amongst the foliage to see who was coming. The noises got nearer then a big Indian warrior came out of the forest followed by a strangely dressed white man and many other Indians. “I think what we see is real, this is no tourist attraction and these guys are real Indians. We should try to get back before they see us “, I said. Just as we were getting up on our feet we saw several Indian warriors behind us. They had come behind us and we had not heard a single sound. Then they started speaking very excitedly in a language we did not understand . Amy and I looked at one another, our end had come. Then suddenly all the shouting and excitement stopped and the warriors began to move away from us. They were looking at me, or rather at my chest. “They are looking at your necklace”, Amy said. Yes, of course my cougar necklace. I tried to remember what Amy had told me about the necklace. They were now thinking that I was very brave and had killed a cougar with my bare hands. The chief of the tribe came running towards us but as soon as he saw the necklace he stopped in front of me and knelt down. I did not know what to do but suddenly I had an idea. I took out my phone from my pocket, put it into camera mode and took several pictures of the Indians. They did not understand what was going on until I showed the picture of the chief to him. He was terrified, he could not understand how he got into the small black box. Just then the white man arrived. He spoke with the Indian chief in their language. The chief was very excited as he spoke and was pointing at the phone in my hand. The white man turned towards me and began speaking in English. At last I would be able to understand what was going on. He said, “You have captured the soul of the Chief. Now he is your prisoner, he wants you to release him”. Amy and I looked at one another, at last we were able to understand what was going on. When the chief saw his photo in my phone he thought that I had taken his soul from him and he was my slave. It meant that for the meantime our lives were not in danger. The clothes of the white man were also a bit strange, he was dressed like the people living a couple of hundred years ago. He was carrying a rifle and had a huge gun attached to his belt. Amy had also noticed this and she asked the man, “ It may sound strange but what year is it?” “ We are in the year 1822, I think it is July now. I have been out of town for some months trading with the Indian tribes in this area. But who are you, why are you dressed like this and what is that in your hands?” I was terrified and was trying to figure out what was going on. Had we made some sort of time traveling when we came out of the cave, or had we come to a parallel universe. I was sure Amy was also having the same thoughts. I had read about the parallel universe thing in one of my science fiction books, a universe which exists with our universe but has a different dimension. I had not given much thought to this parallel universe thing at that time but was it really true. “ You can not understand what this is” I said. “ If I want I can capture all of your souls and keep them in this box “. The white man also became a bit worried but he translated my words to the chief. The Indians began talking among themselves. They were having a very excited conversation, looking at us as if we were some strange creatures coming from another world. One of the young women came near Amy and touched her hair, then ran away, laughing and shouting with joy. Another young man touched the cougar on my necklace and started dancing around the fire, raising his tomahawk to the air and chanting an Indian war song. “ You are very lucky “, the white man said. “ This tribe is the most peaceful tribe in the area. They do not fight with the other tribes. They hunt and fish for food and since they are not a threat to anyone the other tribes leave them alone. They are also the only tribe which has good relationships with the white people. If you had fallen into the hands of one of the other tribes, they would have killed you by now.” After a while the Indians stopped talking and the chief made signs of eating. I realized how hungry I was, so we started walking towards the camp. The women were preparing some sort of fish on the fire. They put the fish on a big leaf and gave it to us. It tasted real nice. Of course Amy only took a small piece and was just toying with it. I told her to eat since we did not know when we would be able to eat again. I told the white man about the cave we came from, and how the entrance had suddenly disappeared and we couldn’t get back. He said that he had heard the old men of the tribes talking about such a cave and that sometimes animals would come out or disappear in that area. It was in the forbidden zone and only the old wise men of the tribes could get near it. After lunch most of the Indians went inside their tents and were left together with the white man and the chief. The white man told the chief about the cave and how we had arrived here. They had a long discussion while Amy and I were also talking about our next plans. Finally the white man turned to us and said that he had told our story to the chief and he agreed to help. There was the tribe’s witch doctor who knew about the cave and when it would open again. He could take us there when the time comes. So at last we had a chance of getting back to our lives. “ But the chief has one request from you. Since you are a very brave boy wearing the cougar necklace he wants you to help him. He is in love with the daughter of the neighboring tribe’s chief. He wants you to capture her soul and bring it back to him and release both of their souls together so she will also fall in love and marry him.” The white man continued. I had no choice but to accept the offer. It was our only way out of this parallel universe. Amy was not happy about this new development but there was nothing else we could do. The plan was very simple. Since they would kill you if they caught you, the first step was not to be seen. I did not know how I could do that. I put black paint on my face and hands and my black ski mask on my head. I took my flashlight from my backpack with my pocketknife. I was ready. We started to wait for the darkness to come. An Indian brave would escort me to the camp of the neighboring tribe. We would make the first leg of our mission with a canoe. When we got near the camp we would come ashore and hide the canoe among the trees. Then we would approach the camp. The Indian brave would show me the tepee of the chief and wait for me while I get into the tent and take a picture of the girl. A very simple and straightforward plan. The only problem was that all of this had to be done under the cover of darkness and without making any noise. The time for us to start our mission had come. We started walking towards the river for the canoe ride. The Indian brave was walking in front of me without making any noise. I could hardly see him but I did not use my flashlight so that my eyesight would adjust to the darkness. When we reached the canoe he gave me a paddle and we pushed the canoe into the river. I had some experience with sailing because I helped my father when he sailed, but this was something completely different. There was a strong current against us and we had to spend a great deal of our energy trying to advance. Anyway the return trip would be easy if we ever could fulfill our mission and come back. After a while I was completely exhausted but we were able to reach our destination. We pulled the canoe ashore and sat under the trees for some time. We then started walking in the forest. Fortunately there was a moderate wind and the noise made by the leaves was making our advance easier. After some time, the brave raised his arm and we stopped. I could see the silhouette of the tepees between the trees. We moved a bit more and the Indian pointed out to the biggest tepee in the camp. I could see some tribe members sitting around the fire. One of them had the most fanciest clothing so he was probably the chief. This was good news since it meant that the daughter would be alone inside the tent. There might be guards around the camp so I had to be very careful. I started crawling towards the tent. Fortunately it was not far from the trees. I got near the entrance, no noise was coming from inside the tent. I crawled through the entrance and was inside the tent. When I raised my head, I came eye to eye with the daughter. She was just watching me and did not seem to be afraid. I think our chief had sent her a message about my arrival. She was a very pretty girl by the way. I took out my phone and took a couple of pictures and even showed her the photos. She was astonished with what she saw. I then showed her the picture of our chief. She seemed to like him so it would probably be a good match. As I was about to leave a huge shadow appeared in front of the tent. I took out my flashlight and just as the chief was getting inside I shined it to his eyes. He was temporarily blinded by the light so I was able to run past him and back to the trees. My Indian friend was waiting for me and we started running towards the canoe. The whole tribe was awake now and were trying to figure out where we were. When they understood that we were heading towards the river we had already reached our canoe. The return trip was very fast and we finally reached our camp. Everyone was waiting for us. The chief was delighted to see the photos of the girl he wanted to get married to. There was a great excitement in the camp. The braves took their tomahawks and started shouting and dancing around the fire. I was their hero once more. I erased the photos of the chief and his future bride from my phone and he was very happy that his soul would be free again. The white man told me that I had been given the name ‘White Cougar’ by the tribe. It was a very short name according to Indian traditions but I liked it anyway. We were given a tepee to sleep in. We would wait for the witch doctor to come and take us to the entrance of the cave. We had to be there at night and wait for the clouds to cover the moon. The we would here the howl of a wolf and the cave entrance would become visible. We would have a very short time to get inside the cave. I was very exhausted so I fell asleep immediately. I did not know how long I slept but Amy was shaking me to wake me up. The time for our return had finally come. The witch doctor was in front of our tent. He had a white long beard and was wearing the headband of their tribe with a lot of feathers attached to it. He motioned us to follow him and once more we were on the road. The white man had told us that since we would be going through the holy grounds we had to very quiet so that the evil spirits in that area would not wake up. We were moving in a very slow pace but that was alright by me since I did not like the idea of spending more time in front of the cave where the evil spirits may attack us. Finally we came to the place where the entrance was supposed to be. I saw the markings we had left. A black cloud was coming near the moon, it would cover the moon shortly. Amy and I were ready to run through the entrance. It became dark, then we heard the howling of the wolves. Suddenly the entrance appeared in front of us and we ran through it inside the cave. We had made it at last. Then we heard the voices of our friends, they were chatting among themselves. When they noticed us they were a bit surprised by our appearance. “ What happened to your face, why is it black?” asked Jack. We had spent almost two days in the parallel universe but the time here had not changed. It was as if we had walked towards the rear of the cave and came back. Amy and I looked at one another and said nothing. THE END

[opepin]

october: week two

09: i started my day by doing my regular butt workout and i wiped out so quickly. i think my hips are a bit too tight right now :( i started off stronger with 40 lbs again but for the rest of the exercises, i had to drop from 12.5-15 lb to 10 lbs. merp. i got through it all though. then i showered and made a breakfast smoothie before hopping online and getting straight to work because i had a deadline today. kevin got back at around 12:40 pm and then we ate lunch and headed over to the volkswagen dealership to figure out what was up with my car’s brakes. i decided for us that we’ll stay instead of ubering home but in retrospect, i should have taken kevin’s advice and we should have gone home and worked a bit more. next time, we’ll drop off my car and take an uber home. i bought reese’s cup from the vending machine and watched youtube videos and read articles. they were finished changing the oil, figuring out the brake problem, and rotating my tires 1 hour and 30 minutes on the dot. kevin asked some questions and everyone was super helpful. we learned more about starting the car and how to solve the brake issue; there wasn’t anything wrong with my brakes though.

we drove straight home and i continued working until 5:30 pm. i finished everything and then took a reading break before heading to the yoga studio and doing my second leg workout of the day. my hamstrings were already sore and i pushed myself a bit more so i could really build up those muscles. then i came back and showered while kevin made us ribs and butternut squash “cream” pasta. i got really hungry so i kept hovering and when everything was done, i let kevin take pictures and then devoured my food. everything was delicious except for the fried sage he put on top of the pasta... omg my tastebuds were attacked and i felt like i was eating medicine a while after that. we ate and watched ‘yakitate! japan’ and cuddled together before kevin went to run. i continued reading for a bit and then brushed up and went to sleep at 12:30 am. it felt like another weekend kind of.

10: my body didn’t feel that sore but i felt bloated (started eating the benefiber after taking a break from it bc of the sugar alcohol from the protein bar and the extra fiber) so i slept in today. i got up and realized that i was correct in my assumption about my body. my legs were tight but not so much that i didn’t want to move today. so i’ll do some fun dance cardio and stretch today. kevin wanted to eat raisin bran for breakfast so he went directly to work today lol. then i hopped on the computer and did some internet errands and any last pieces of work before another training session. this session was chill for me because phil was kind of in charge but someone from the client’s team was presenting. after the session, i took my break and did 30 minutes of dance cardio and then ate lunch. i got on stand up and i think phil was a bit preoccupied at the moment so i took a real quick shower, changed clothes, and then went to work on some other items on my to-do. i worked on sketching out the tutorials and at the end of the day, i got to catch up with phil and kind of run through thursday’s session for a bit.

kevin got back home and went for a quick run before we left to pick up flo and get dinner with her. lol, i read my book while kevin went on his run and i was pretty frazzled while getting ready to leave. i left my phone in the apartment and had to run and get it lol. we drove to waltham and i accidentally directed us to the restaurant instead of flo’s hotel LOL. good thing the hotel was only 10 minutes away... we picked her up and then got to the restaurant. we ate at gustazo cuban restaurant and cafe in waltham, and it was friggin’ delicious. we split 5-7 small plates and 1 large plate of ropa vieja and also some churros with dark chocolate chili dipping sauce. it was great catching up with her and talking about her travels, our travels, etc. flo is more of kevin’s friend, but it was so easy talking to her and she’s so chill. i love just making conversation with her. we ate and talked until their closing time :O, which was pretty early at like 9 pm or something. then we drove flo back and i put in the right address this time. ahhh, it was so great grabbing dinner with her. lol kevin and i have this thing where we’re pretty much homebodies because we don’t really have a group of friends out here and we like spending time at home with each other. so when people come and visit and we make dinner plans with them, we’re like hesitant but every time we go and we just have a great time with friends. haha.

we got back home and kevin went to game while i went back to reading for a bit and then i did 30 minutes of stretches before going to sleep. my hips are extremely tight ): i hope the stretching helped though. i went to sleep all nice and warm from stretching.

11: i woke up at 7:15 am and did a cardio kickboxing routine. i couldn’t find 2 lb weights in the yoga studio so i used 3 lb weights. that 1 lb in each arm makes a huge difference in kickboxing x_x; then i showered and made myself my morning smoothie and headed out to work. lol this is the first time in a week or so that i have been to the office. when i got there, no one from t7 was in their offices... lol. so i got straight to work and then at 12 pm, i walked to faneuil hall and picked up my uniqlo order. the 24 inch one fits just right but the 25 inch one gave me more room. oddly, the 25 inch one gave me a weird pouch. so i returned that one and walked over to where the old office was to get vegan tacos from the taco party food truck. mmm. i got the chimichurri tempeh, the lentil one, and a side of mexican rice and black beans. everything was delicious. i ate quickly and then did a bit more work before hopping on a really quick stand up. then i stayed on the line with sultan and phil to go over material for tomorrow’s training. i did a bit more work while phil was away for lunch, i believe, and then i met with him again before leaving the office at around 4:45 pm. joe came in before stand up and i talked a bit with him before leaving.

i had to wait for two trains to pass before i could get one. i saw a man push through the crowd just to get on one of the trains... he didn’t say excuse me or sorry or anything. he also had the nerve to smile and laugh when he got on. ugh people can be so fcking rude. trains were coming every 5 minutes so i didn’t feel too grumpy about it. i also got a seat on my train pretty early on. when i got home, i made shiitake gohan and then took a break from everything and read. i finished reading ‘beasts of extraordinary circumstances.’ it is a lovely book and i would definitely call it one of my favorites. i haven’t read such a good book in a while. i love the way it is written and how the story is framed. i started watching the latest episode of shokugeki while kevin cooked dinner. then we ate dinner while watching two episodes of yakitate! japan. kevin went to game and then i waited for my food digest and i did my obliques workout while watching youtube videos. then i showered and brushed my teeth and went to bed. i stayed on my phone for a bit and slept at 12:30 am or so. zzz.

12: i got up at around 8:20 am and then headed to the yoga studio to do arms and back today. i did my workout differently today. instead of using weights i could do more reps with, i went with the heaviest one (for me) and then did my reps and sets slower than usual. the workout i followed still didn’t hit my 30 minute goal so i did another arm video but it was one without weights and without doing push ups. it was interesting, but i don’t know how effective it was. i got back and then i showered and made my smoothie along with kevin’s non-benefiber, non-protein smoothie haha. kevin went to work and i did some internet errands and some prep work before the 11 am training session. i led the beginning portion of the training and it went pretty smoothly. it took me longer than i expected to get through everything though. i think i took maybe 40 minutes? when i thought i was only going to take 30 minutes. it was a smooth end to the persona training sessions. after that, i ate lunch and then worked on prep work for tuesday’s journey mapping training sessions. the day pretty much flew by. phil was out for the rest of the day after stand up.

kevin got home and gamed for a long time LOL. so long that i made rice and then i got hungry so i just ate rice with herbal chicken soup for dinner while watching ‘baby driver.’ that move is sooo good! i got a bit irritated at him for not stopping to cook but i wasn’ really mad at him because i made myself food anyway lol. i helped prep the potatoes and wash some dishes while chicken prepped the chicken. then we popped everything in the oven. kevin went to run while the chicken was in the oven and i continued watching my movie. i took the chicken out when it was done and ate most of a thigh and some potatoes. it was pretty good “mediterranean” baked chicken. kevin got back, showered, and ate dinner. i think we watched some yakitate! japan while kevin ate and then i called it a night. we ate pretty late so i tried staying up a bit longer my stomach could digest, but i was working from home anyway so it didn’t matter much to me. kevin actually went to sleep at the same time as me -- i think he was kind of tired.

13: i slept in today and then woke up, made a smoothie for kevin and me, and then went to work. kevin was also working from home today because he needed to pick up his dad around noon from the airport. i was in pretty much full on work mode the entire day. i was working on making an example journey map and figuring out the training schedule for the upcoming weeks. we all had lunch together (my second lunch because i ate the leftover chicken from yesterday because i got hungry). kevin made his dad ribs haha. then poppa chen chilled while we both continued working. we drove him to his hotel in waltham at around 5:15 pm. it took us 45 minutes or so because of traffic. after we said goodbye to him (we’ll be hanging out with him on sunday :D), we checked the traffic and it would take us like 40-50 minutes to get home so we decided to eat out around the area. there are a lot of hotels and restaurants in that area for some reason? we headed over to this japanese restaurant but a jimmy john’s was near it so we went there instead. lol kevin mentioned that we haven’t eaten bread in a while and that we’ve been watching yakitate! japan LOL. so i got a turkey tom with sprouts, kevin got a club lulu with sprouts, and we split an oatmeal raisin cookie.

we ate pretty quickly but by the time we finished, google estimated that we would get home in only 30 minutes. so we drove back and got home at around 7 pm. we went straight to watching our two daily episodes of yakitate! japan and then i did my hiit workout. kevin was supposed to workout at the same time as me but he wanted to play one game of heroes of the storm before running lol. as he ran, i showered and then did 30 minutes of deep stretching. we spent some time relaxing before hopping on the sofa and playing some gang beasts and battleblock theater. man, we’re so rusty LOL. i rq’d after a few games because i was tired. lol it was only 1 am but i wanted to go to sleep. so i went to sleep and kevin stayed up playing more heroes of the storm until like 1:45 am (supposedly).

14: i slept in LOL (there’s a trend here) and got up at like 11 am. then kevin made us breakfast sandwiches and we split a scallion pancake. we watched yakitate! japan and then played some battleblock theater until 2 pm. we planned with ryan and ashley for our trip to iceland. it actually took us 2 hours of planning D: we looked for places we’d like to go and made a spreadsheet and then put them into a day format but didn’t book the car or hotels yet. so we set up another time to plan. kevin and i also snacked during the session. so we ate all of the chicken thigh leftovers. then kevin and i went grocery shopping. we were both really out of it because of the planning. we got back home and then kevin started cooking the sweet potato burgers while i did my 45 minute strength workout in the yoga studio. i just remember it being a good session. we snacked on scallion pancakes and i happened to eat just the pretzel bun during our planning session too. so when i got back from my workout, i was still pretty full. i showered and then i ate the sweet potato portion without the bun haha. it was delicious. kewpie mayo is delicious and i am in love with the packaging <33 we ate and watched yakitate! japan.

lol i think we watched maybe 3-4 episodes in total because the show kept ending on a cliffhanger. :P after that, i washed the dishes, did laundry, cleaned the bathroom, and cleaned the kitchen. i was so stressed out while doing these things. kevin went for a walk on the treadmill and when he came back, i yelled at him for vacuuming because i couldn’t hear my youtube video playing in the background :( i was so overwhelmed. i apologized and then kevin did finish vacuuming and swiffering that night. it took me forever to fold the laundry and get the bed sheets dry though. i ended up laying on the sofa while the sheets dried. i was so tired from cleaning. i felt like i had to clean today because tomorrow we’d be hanging out with poppa chen for basically the whole day and i wouldn’t be able to get my 60 minute exercise session in either. @_@; i went to sleep really tired and a bit grumpy... i also slept at 2:30 am so... yeah, i was cleaning at like 12 am LOL.

15: womp womp. i slept in again. kevin and i ate leftover sweet potato burgers for brunch while watching a episode of ‘yakitate! japan.’ then we started playing trine 2 and ended up picking up his dad a bit later than we planned lol. we drove back to the apartment and then relaxed a bit before heading over to quincy quarries for a short hike. this area has a ton of graffiti and is known for outdoor top roping and some bouldering. the graffiti was beautiful and the hike was pretty nice. i saw many crickets and also a garden snake?!!?! it like slithered away right in front of me and i freaked out haha. then we drove back home and poppa chen packed his suitcase and everything and then we drove him to his hotel. there was traffic entering the highway and everything we left the house, we had to go on that highway so everything took a bit longer than it would usually. @_@; we got him checked into his hotel and then we drove him to needham so he could have dinner with friends. kevin was kinda dead with all this driving and he woke up with a sore throat x_x; we stopped by ikea so i could get my ice cream and dinner. we both got swedish meatballs and then kevin got a hot dog and we split the ice cream and cinnamon roll.

kevin was totally pooped when we got back. he gamed a bit and i watched some youtube videos while digesting my food. after an hour or so, i went to the yoga studio and did a so called “hiit and ab toning workout.” i removed that shizz from my playlist immediately after finishing the workout -__-’ it was a full body workout and not really a hiit imo. we did like maybe 1-2 minutes of cardio and switched over to arms, legs, shoulders, and then fianlly abs with these short cardio sessions in between... so everything was only like 3 minutes long. ugh. we had to pick up poppa chen again so kevin showered and i washed my face. i was going to workout when we got back. so we drove and then dropped poppa chen off and then drove back home. kevin made himself tea and played pokemon while i did a low-impact cardio workout and then 20 minutes or so of abs. i managed to get my workout in today but i was so stressed trying to do everything all in the 50 minutes or so. then i showered and kevin went to sleep. i stayed up for a bit longer to unwind and then slept at like 12:30 am or so.