List Of Favorite Things As A Fanfic Author:

the worst thing about writing is that you have to write things in order for them to have been written. absolute insanity.

do you ever have periods where your entire soul is like i cannot take on new narratives. i keep thinking there are all these shows i would totally be up for watching but i just cannot take on a whole narrative right now with new characters and new worlds and…

Learn Something New Everyday #3

(yes I missed yesterday and this is last minute but don’t judge) 

You can turn off the task bar on Among Us

The Derivative Chapter 14: Judge

Chapter 1 <- Chapter 13

“Hello, Gramps?” I called coming into the house with Amita.

“Kitchen” the man called back.

“Hey” Charlie greeted us with a smile from where he sat at the kitchen table with Larry.

“How is CalSci’s most recent addition to the student body?” Larry inquired.

“Pretty good” I replied, adjusting my backpack on my shoulders. “Homework sucks”

The three adults chuckled light “well that doesn’t ever change” Amita scoffed and we took seats at the table.

“Hello ladies” Alan greeted, coming in with a tray of coffee cups.

“Hi Mr. Eppes,” Amita smiled.

“Alan, please” the man replied, setting the tray down and taking a seat.

We each took a cup and started to chat as we drank. I’d been attending CalSci for a couple weeks now and it was already far better than high school. Even though I was the youngest in all my classes being just shy of seventeen.

“Oh so I was at the court today looking for Don,” Charlie explained, “and he was talking to the prosecutor Hodges. I think he was going to lunch with her before I interrupted.”

“Lunch as in friends or lunch as in a date?” Amita inquired, sipping her coffee.

“It didn’t seem like a friend's thing” Charlie stated “I think he was asking her out” I shifted in my seat at the information.

“You say her name is Hodges?” Alan inquired standing up.

“Yeah. Nadine” Charlie offered as we all got up to follow the other man toward the living room “she seemed pretty interested in him, too. Although I’m not really good at reading those kinds of signals”

“No you're not” Amita muttered and we exchanged an amused look behind the professor’s back.

“You know that term dark matter?” Larry spoke up “that has always perplexed me. It fallaciously implies that the 95% of our universe that can’t be observed is some amorphous eventles, just, uh, emptiness” he shrugged as we all took seats. Amita and Charlie taking the couch and me grabbing a seat on the floor in front of the coffee table.

“I’m sorry?” Amita looked at him questioningly.

“The random musings of Professor Fleinhardt” I offered with a grin that made the others chuckle lightly.

“I suppose it’s all too human,” Larry continued uninhibited by our humor “instead of just admitting to the present limits of our knowledge, we simply declare things to be unknowable.”

“This somehow relates to dating?” Alan questioned from where he was still standing.

“Oh I’m sorry; to reading signals” the physicist clarified, coming around the chair he had been standing behind “and, of course, to Rhonda Pickford.”

“I’m not familiar with her work,” Amita said.

Larry sat his coffee cup on the table clapping his hands together to gesture with them “she had a crush on me in fifth grade” he admitted.

“Oh” Amita murmured as I had to restrain a small laugh.

“And of course girls in fifth grade suddenly became 95% unknowable,” Larry explained.

“Huh, isn’t that the truth,” Alan muttered.

“I’m not following” Charlie voiced in minor confusion.

“Then keep up” I replied back sarcastically even though I had no idea where the eccentric man was going either. My Uncle just shot me a look as Larry continued.

“Oh well, you see, I labeled her to be dark matter, and I just moved on to more accessible pursuits. Like uh,” he chuckled slightly “space invaders, actually.”

“So what happened to this, um, uh Rhonda?” Alan asked as Larry sat down.

“Oh, she became a professional cheerleader.” Larry informed.

“Really?”

“She did. Yes, she did” Larry muttered.

“I doubt that Don actually views women as dark matter.” Gramps objected.

“I think I might be some kind of proof of that,” I murmured taking a sip of my coffee. I was trying very hard to keep the overwhelming amount of sarcasm out of my voice.

“Well, she’s a prosecutor.” Amita voiced “I’m sure he’ll see her again.”

“Actually, Don thinks there’s a chance that the man she’s prosecuting may be behind the murder of the judges wife” Charlie informed.

“So they’ll be seeing each other a lot” I wasn’t sure my attempt to make that sound like a question rather than an annoyed statement quite succeeded based on the hum my grandfather made to my right.

“You know something?” Larry spoke up again “under that reasoning wouldn’t that make this prosecutor just as likely a target?”

We all mulled over that thought before Amita declared that we needed to talk about something brighter and changed the subject. I sighed picking up my empty coffee cup and saucer heading for the kitchen.

I entered and placed my dishes in the sink. A moment later Alan came in to do the same thing. I shifted to the island getting a cookie from the package we had sitting there. “So, uh, you’re alright. Right?” Alan asked, turning on the sink to rinse mine and his cups.

“Why wouldn’t I be?” I inquired leaning on the island.

“Well you just started college which can be a little overwhelming and this thing with Don and dating” he muttered as I took a bite of my cookie.

“I’m fine Grandpa, it’s just a little weird thinking of my dad dating” I explained.

“I see,” Alan nodded, “any particular reason?”

I shrugged “not really” sometimes I hated how observant my grandfather could be. “Thanks Gramps for the concern but really I’m fine” I told him and promptly left the kitchen before he could probe anymore. Dark matter indeed.

______________

“Says the guy who only eats white food” I muttered, popping another piece of popcorn in my mouth.

“Touche” Larry nodded as we walked down the hall at CalSci. Him with his tray of food and me with a bag of popcorn “still I must agree with Alan that it is a fairly odd food choice”

“Have you ever tried it?” I argued.

“Well no,” Larry conceded as we reached Charlie’s office.

“Then don’t judge” I stated. The man shrugged as I opened the office door and walked in.

Within the office was my uncle and Amita along with another woman I didn’t recognize. However I could spot the badge and gun from the doorway. Meaning she probably worked with my father.

“Oh, well, this is where all the fun is, huh?” Larry voiced.

“Professor Fleinhardt, my dear niece,” Charlie greeted us.

“Hey Larry, hey Abby” Amita called from her place sitting at a computer.

“This is Megan Reeves” Uncle C introduced the woman “she’s working with Don”

“Uh, hi. Hi” Larry stammered in greeting as Megan smiled at him.

She then looked to me “you’re Don’s daughter?” Megan asked me with a curious look.

“Um, yeah you must be his new partner?” I inferred recalling what Don had told me about Terry’s leaving and the new female agent assigned to his office.

“Yup” Megan nodded.

“I hope you don’t mind,” Larry murmured, gesturing to my and his food as he ate.

“Oh, no, not at all” Megan assured as I tossed a couple more pieces of popcorn in my mouth. “You realize all your food is white?” she questioned the physicist.

“Mm, yes, I prefer white food.” Larry explained.

“Why is that?” Megan inquired further as Larry headed around me and my Uncle toward the desk.

“Supersymmetry” He offered “it’s a theory that describes the nature of connectivity in complex multi dimensional space” he moved some files in order to sit in the chair behind Charlie’s desk.

“You know symmetry is also a term we use in behavioral science to explain obsessive behavior” she suggested.

“Oh, is it now?” Larry questioned with an amused tone.

“I have a two year old nephew who won’t eat anything but pasta with butter,” Megan explained as I pulled my popcorn out of the reach of my scavenging uncle. “We’re a little worried he might be a budding scientist.”

“Larry has a tendency to live out his theories,” Charlie explained. Megan chuckled, lightly nodding in response, an endeared smile on her face. I glanced between her and the physicist, a small smirk growing on my face “Amita, are you ready to show us the 3-D scatter plot distribution of all the relevant cases?”

“Sure,” the computer guru replied, finishing her typing. We all looked at her screen curiously to see the scatter plot.

“It looks like a random buckshot of points” Megan muttered.

“Except for a small number of cases that stand out” Charlie advised. Amita typed in the next filter criteria and most of the points dropped down to the bottom of the graph.

“Wow, that’s a lot less files than I originally gave you” Megan observed.

“Yeah and we’re not even done yet” Charlie murmured. “Amita,” Uncle C grabbed a pad of paper and started writing. I glanced over his shoulder and quickly realized the filter he was putting together. “Do you think you can filter the rest through something like this?”

Amita took the paper and looked it over “It looks kind of like decision theory”

“Except it’s reverse decision theory isn’t it?” I voiced, giving my uncle a look. He nodded “Smart move”

“Thank you,” Charlie smirked. “Decision theory values are determined by risk and reward” he explained further to those who might not be aware.

“Corporations use it to weigh business plans, what products to develop, what companies to do business with.” Larry chimned in.

“Like a hunter searching for food.” Charlie analogized “he’s constantly evaluating his terrain, his available prey, and rival predators weighing them against his own appetite, his own strength, his needs. Until he makes what he considers an optimal decision.”

“But reverse decision theory flips it around” I offered.

“You take the optimal goal and you reverse the process,” Larry added.

“In other words you start with the final decision?” Megan inferred.

“The murder of Alison Trelane” Amita explained.

“That’s right.” Charlie agreed “and then, determine which predator is most likely by inclination, by opportunity to have made that decision”

The computer chirped as the final results boiled down to two points. “There you go” I murmured “your hunters”

____________ 3rd POV.

“So Charlie tells me you were shot at this afternoon. Huh again?” Alan muttered as the Eppes family sat around the kitchen table for dinner.

Don sighed annoyance flaring in him as he shot a look across the table at his little brother “oh, yeah? Well, what Charlie should have said was more like” he paused trying to figure out how to better phrase the encounter he’d had with Raymond outside the courthouse. “I was in the vicinity of shooting. Let’s put it that way.” he hazarded a glance at his daughter sitting next to him. She didn’t look up but impaled her next bite of food on her fork with a bit more force than probably necessary.

“He saved this prosecutor” Charlie declared, probably trying to earn favor with his brother with the praise but just bugging him more. “And yet, he still won’t ask her out, for some reason.”

The only one to catch the eye roll demonstrated by the resident teenager was Alan who made note of the reaction. “Really? What’s the problem” he questioned.

“Yeah, she’s hot, man. She’s perfect” Charlie encouraged. Don started shaking his head in denial “she’s interesting. You said she was perfect.”

“No, I didn't,” Don objected.

“So now you only date women who have something wrong with them?” Alan inquired of his eldest.

“I’m not dating anyone,” Don clarified.

“So I noticed.” Alan murmured.

“Yeah what’s that about?” Charlie asked.

“Look, you know” Don finally snapped holding up a hand “with what I do, relationships are, they’re- they’re just not easy, okay? Especially when you’re a single father?” Abby’s head popped up ever so slightly and Don somewhat regretted adding the last statement “would you just trust me?”

“Come on, Don,” Alan objected, “just because something might go wrong doesn’t mean that you don’t take a shot.”

“You don’t know what you’re talking about, okay?” Don’s voice raised slightly with his mounting frustration at both his family and himself. “It’s more complicated than that. Among other things, I don’t want to put someone at risk. I don’t want to be a risk for someone.” he paused and spared a glance at his daughter who was now looking at him with her sharp gaze “another someone” he muttered in addition “you understand?”

“I see,” Alan murmured leaning forward slightly “which means that police and lawyers and judges shouldn’t get married?”

“Yeah well look at judge Trelan” Don pointed out “Think I want to go through that? No, sir” Don sighed and glanced over at Abby again he did a double take but she’d already turned away by his second look. She no longer held that sharp look she’d given him and a tension in her shoulders had eased. She almost looked sad about something.

_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~

“Here’s our new home,” Janice announced, leading her daughter into the building she was calling their home.

“It stinks in here,” Abby commented.

“It’s called having character squirt” Janice’s latest boyfriend spoke from where he appeared in the living room with a beer in hand.

“Hey Danny” Janice greeted him with a kiss. “Abbs, why don’t you go upstairs and settle in?”

“First door on the right” Danny offered the instruction. Six year old Abby left her mother down stairs with Danny climbing the steps.

The first room on the right was a dingy place. There was a mattress in one corner with a window next to it. The grey, probably at one point green, paint was peeled in places. Water marks were on the beige ceiling and the wood floor creaked with each of Abby’s steps.

The girl dropped her bag and walked over to the window looking out at the yard below. There was noise down stairs and moments later Janice came storming down the hallway.

“You said you stopped Danny!”

“I have babe I swear!”

“Then what are you doing hanging out with Darryl?”

“He’s my brother!”

“He’s a meth head!”

Abby decided to tune them out as they fought. Busying herself with making up her bed with the sheets in her duffel bag.

~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~

Abby POV.

A tap on my shoulder drew me from my memory. I slid my blinders to the top of my head and looked up to see Don looking down at me, a questioning look on his face.

“What’s up?” I inquired.

“I just wanted to talk to you real quick” Don muttered “about what Dad and Charlie were saying at dinner” he began “I know that me dating might not be the most comfortable subject for you an-”

“I think you should,” I declared before he could finish.

Don froze where he’d been scratching the back of his head and gave me a confused look “What?”

I sighed “I think you should ask the prosecutor out”

Don opened his mouth as if to say something but he closed it again with a sigh when nothing came out. He came over and sat down next to me on the bed. “So you’re okay with this?”

“Not really” I admitted taking my blinders off my head and fiddling with them “I mean my mom dated a lot of guys and most of them pretty crappy and part of me can’t help but relate that to this” I murmured Don nodded taking in the information. “But I don’t think not wanting to be a risk for someone is a reason not to date them. I mean you deserve to be happy and it’s really their choice if they want to take that risk with you”

“So if I asked Nadine out?” Don prompted.

“I wouldn’t be thrilled about it but I’d give her a shot” I declared.

Don nodded “alright” just then his phone beeped he looked at it and sighed “I got to go”

“Be safe” I told him as he got up and headed for the door.

“Made a promise remember?” he replied with a light smirk before heading down the hall.

A second later Alan appeared in the doorway. “How much of that did you overhear?” I asked with narrowed eyes.

“Enough to know I’m proud of you” he declared.

“Yeah well he deserves it” I replied and we shared a smile.

___________

“Okay, Donnie, it’s time to eat” Alan announced as me, him, and Charlie headed into my father’s office.

“Hey,” Don greeted.

“You eat dinner yet?” Charlie inquired.

“Lobster at the Oceanfront. Charlie’s buying” Alan declared.

“And hurry I’m starving” I added.

“Let’s go, I'm driving” Charlie stated, holding up his keys.

“Yeah, well, that’s not an incentive” Don objected, grabbing his coat and giving his brother a look.

“Which is why I need another adult witness,” Alan replied “insurance purposes, you know?”

I chuckled lightly then spotted a blonde haired woman that was all dressed up coming toward us. She stopped before us with a smile. “Nadine,” Don introduced, “this is my father Alan, and, uh, Charlie you know right? And this, uh, is my daughter Abby” he introduced me last with a hand on my shoulder.

“Hi nice to meet you” she smiled at all “Charlie good to see you again” then her gaze shifted to me “and it’s a real pleasure to meet you Abby, your Dad speaks quite highly of you”

“Uh thanks” I murmured, exchanging a look with my father.

Nadine then addressed Don “I need to grab something out of my car. Can I just meet you out there?” she asked.

“I’ll be two seconds,” Don assured her.

“All right” she then smiled at us, all waving farewell, as she walked away.

“Wow, she is one hot looking prosecutor” Alan murmured.

“Alright, easy there, pop,” Don spoke up.

“I know I'm your father” Gramps replied “but she’s still one hot looking prosecutor”

I shook my head “please stop” I muttered and the men chuckled, Don messing up my hair slightly as we continued to walk forward.

“We’re trying to figure out what to do about Hector Machado,” Don explained. “I mean, this guy might end up collecting reward money for reporting a crime that he probably arranged. So it’s a working dinner.”

“Which explains the professional working dinner cologne” Alan pointed out.

“Busted,” I murmured.

“Hey” Don objected with a slight smirk as he walked away from us “I never ruled out the possibility of some kind of quantum entanglement”

Alan looked to Charlie with a questioning look “that’s not one of mine” he admitted.

My grandfather’s gaze shifted to me “not mine either, but I like it” I replied and we all shared a small laugh.

Chapter 15 ->

Gotta make room for new mistakes in 2021!

Once again I’m doing Netflix’s job for them.

Queer Eye season 7 is on Netflix now, go watch it!

Dirt on My Face Chapter 2: Unbelievable

Chapter 1

I was woken by the cold shock of snow being tossed in my face. I spluttered and sat up in the crook of Malic’s branches. “Malic!” I whined “what was that for?”

The tree laughed with a shake, his branches clattering with each other. One branch swooped down toward me. I ran a hand along it and on it’s end formed a beautiful red apple. I plucked it delicately.

“Well I guess breakfast makes up for it” I muttered. I bit into the apple and savored the sweet taste.

Few trees in the orchard produced apples to share anymore. The only reason they had before was because of the dryads of the village enriching them with their magic. Now after years of that magic’s absence many of the trees had returned to their quiet fretting.

Once I was done eating I climbed down Malic’s branches, my feet splashing up some snow with my landing. “Alright I’m off to the beavers then” I told him. “I’ll be back later” I lifted a hand to his trunk and felt his warmth run off on me. With a smile I hurried off into the woods.

The natural order of the woods was to move fast and keep hidden. This was especially certain for dryads. The Witch hated our natural magic that could make things grow. Beaver supposed that was why she destroyed the village when I was younger. I wasn’t as sure.

My father had been well known in The Wood. He spoke out against the witch and wasn’t afraid to fight for what was right. The Beaver’s don’t really talk about it but I knew that any resistance that might have formed when I was younger had been squashed upon his and my mother’s deaths. Despite this I still held hope that things would get better.

I was pulled from my thoughts when I heard the familiar bark and trample approach of the secret police. You couldn’t be seen by the secret police. My heart rate picked up and a jolt of fear shot through my veins.

I scrambled over to a nearby tree nearly face planting in the dirt. After placing a dirty hand to his trunk I was granted a hiding place up in his branches. I prayed the wolves would pass by below without an issue.

Unfortunately my luck is horrible. Two patrols met and stopped to compare notes right below me. I took this as a spying opportunity though, and tried to hear them below. Making sure to keep out of any kind of line of sight were they to look up. I shifted on the branch and accidentally banged my forehead into a higher limb. I held on and made sure not to fall or make too much noise. Holding a hand to my head I forgot they were covered in mud. Further attempts to clean my now dirty face failed.

"What did you find?" said a gruff voice I knew as Maugrim head of the secret police. If he was here then whatever was going on had to be serious. I abandoned trying to wipe my face clean and listened intently.

"Not much sir the trees aligned with us don't have much recollection of an event such as that." Spoke one of the wolves from the other patrol.

“Of course, not many here support her majesty." Said his companion

"This isn't good her majesty will not be pleased" stated the wolf with Maugrim

"Do any of you really believe that these rumors are true?" the first wolf spoke.

"Quiet don't speak like that" the second scolded.

"This is the fifth time we've gotten such an accusation in the last couple days." he argued.

"Silence" Maugrim snapped. "Do not question the Queens orders or I'll gut you myself on her command"

"Yes sir" the wolf out of turn whimpered.

"Now back to work" the wolves headed off at Maugrim’s command.

I listened for their sounds to fade before climbing down. “Thank you” I whispered to the tree before heading on off to the Beaver’s.

“Beaver! Beaver!” I called crouching down to knock on the door. “You’re never going to believe this.”

The door opened and Mrs. Beaver gave me a questioning look. “Arbor? What in heaven’s name are you screaming about and look at your face it’s covered in dirt”

I scrambled into the house. Breathing heavily. “Maugrim was in the woods” I explained “he said they got a report of something.”

“Maugrim?” Beaver inquired, hobbling out of a back room “where in The Wood?”

“Will you both keep your voices down” Mrs. Beaver scolded lightly. “The last thing we want is someone over hearing you”

“Out near Tumnus’s and the lamppost. They said they were getting reports about something in the woods and something about rumors” I told them taking a seat at the table.

Beaver sat across from me and leaned in speaking in a low voice “rumors? Tumnus’s? You know Badger told me something the other day-“

“Oh now don’t go sharing it with her” Mrs. Beaver interrupted quickly. “It could be dangerous. She’s only a child”

“Hey I’m not that young” I objected “I can take care of myself”

Mrs. Beaver huffed “you are indeed a child and you have no business getting mixed up in all this”

“What even is this?” I exclaimed.

“Aslan is-“

“Beaver!” The woman of the house silenced her husband.

“She deserves to know! Just think of her parents” Beaver told the Mrs.

“Her parents?” Mrs. Beaver sighed and lowered her voice “and just look what happened to them”

“They fought against the White Witch” I spoke up “and I want to as well”

“Now you listen here child” Mrs. Beaver gave me a motherly stare. “I don’t want you getting wrapped up in any of this. You understand me?” She walked over to the counter and collected some berries and biscuits into a little box she closed and shuffled back over to me “now you take these and go home to Malic. Go. Go on” she showed me to the door.

“I’ll be back tomorrow with your box” I told her grumpily. “And more information”

“You better now off with you” She pestered me along. “And don’t be causing anymore trouble”

“Bye” I waved one last time before turning and dashing off into the snow.

“Be careful!” I heard Mrs. Beaver's final call.

The Beavers have been taking care of me ever since my parents died. Them and Malic. They were my family here in the woods.

I ran through The Wood weaving among the trees. The box Mrs. Beaver had given me clattered in my jacket pocket. It was fun to just run free.

Then I heard the sleigh bells. I stopped in my tracks. Frozen, I listened. There was the sound of trampling feet and I ducked behind a rock not long after the Witch’s sleigh came rocketing past. I stayed very still watching it go before getting to my feet.

As she disappeared from view I felt a breath leave my lungs I hadn’t realized had been stuck. My luck really stunk today. First the wolves then the Witch’s carriage herself. I took another deep breath and turned to continue on my way when I froze. Standing not too far off was a boy.

He was dressed in blue with dark hair and eyes. A light dusting of freckles on his face and slippers on his feet he was roughly the same age as me. He looked completely out of place here in the woods. “Wh-who are you?” he asked, a rustling went through the trees and I realized very quickly that they didn’t know him. He wasn’t a dryad like me. He was a human. “Who are you?” he repeated again.

I opened my mouth to respond a little shocked just looking in his eyes. “Edmund!” There was an exclamation and the boy turned toward the voice. Without thinking I quickly ducked behind a large oak and was gifted up into his branches. Crouching there hidden.

A girl had appeared from the woods and greeted the boy. She was dressed in pink with short brown hair and more freckles. They talked for a moment. They were talking too softly for me to hear with the exception of a whining the boy made rather loudly when he shoved the girl away from him.

She turned and began to lead the way back to wherever they were from. I watched them go and saw the boy look back to where I had been with a perplexed expression. It felt weird knowing he was thinking of me.

Once they had vanished from sight I slid down the tree and felt my heart start pounding in my chest. Two humans were in the woods. Two more and we would have the entire prophecy. Spring was going to come. Narnia was going to be free. I let off an excited giggle and turned, making to head back to the Beavers with my news.

I began to run but was stopped when something leapt into my path. I slid on the snow and fell. Looking ahead I saw a wolf stalking around blocking my path. “Well, well, well, look what we have here” I turned to see Maugrim stalking forward behind me. “The rumors might not have worked out how we thought, but we still got something for our trouble. A lone little dryad”

I scrambled onto my feet looking between the two wolves and the woods. “Try it” the second wolf snapped menacingly.

I glanced between the wolves one more time before steeling myself and dashing forward. They were right behind me howling and barking and chasing. This was just a game to them. One grabbed my heel and I fell forward into the snow. Fighting against them a clawed paw tore at my arm ripping the fabric of my jacket and stinging my arm with pain. “Stop struggling we’re not going to kill you.” Maugrim growled as I gripped my arm tightly “her majesty would like to meet the last of the dryads”

I felt my heart beating in my chest. This was not good.

hanging out with other ADHD people is such a balm. i can interrupt them midsentence and go “look at that nice duck!!” and they’ll immediately turn around and go “oh my god that is a GOOD duck” instead of just snapping at me to pay attention